Maritime Hull and Machinery Book report Essay

Introduction This book about the elements of shipping Emphasis is also placed on professionalism and the need to have the latest technology and professionally qualified personnel to operate a shipping service today. It remains essential reading for the shipping executive along with students and academics with an interest in the shipping industry. Hull and Machinery includes studies about cutting by a wedge of longitudinally stiffened plates for application to the grounding resistance of single hull and double hull ships. Two types of ship hull design were used as prototypes for the development of small scale models. A conventional longitudinally stiffened Single Hull (SH) and the Undirectionally Stiffened Double Hull (USDH) design. To model the cutting experiments the complex deformation patterns observed in the damaged specimens were simplified to obtain a closed-form upper bound for the steady state cutting force required for the USDH specimen. An existing closed-form upper bound solution for the wedge cutting initiation force of a single plate was applied to the longitudinally stiffened single hull specimens by smearing the geometry to obtain an equivalent thickness single plate. A total of eleven cutting experiments were conducted using six different wedge geometries. Early work in grounding prediction has been to perform plate cutting experiments which produced empirical formulas for the work to cut a flat plate. The main purpose of Hull and Machinery is to provide the ship owner with an expectation of status quo regarding a vessel’s operational ability during a maritime enterprise. Since marine perils are a risk that the ship owner assumes each venture. Improper design and the improper selection and use of materials is the primary cause of most non-damage related structural failures. Contrary to common belief, actual manufacturing defects only rarely figure into structural failures. It should come as no surprise to any surveyor that the ship building industry, much like the automotive industry which, after more than 70 years of mass production, backed up with their enormous financial resources, is still fraught with frequent design defects. Body Efforts have been quite significant in quantifying the force required to cut a single plate, but do not account for the effects of stiffeners and inner hull that exist in the actual geometry of ships. In order to adequately predict the lift and drag forces in a ship undergoing a grounding accident and the subsequent extent of damage. Global lifting of the ship against gravitational forces is done. There are Friction forces between the bottom hull plating and the grounding surface, plastic deformation of the hull girder, and forces required to fracture the hull structure. In grounding, the ship initially lifts and rides over the rock causing only hull indentation. Once the force due to the weight of the ship overcomes the plating membrane strength,   the hull plating ruptures. Kinetic energy of the ship is given up to friction forces, plastic deformation, and fracture as tearing over a length of the hull plating ensues. The work in this book report it does not account for the lifting and subsequent rupture of the ship, but assumes that the tearing of the hull plating is well progressed. The indentation and rupture of a ship hull is the structural design of a ship typically starts by determining the loading conditions that the ship will be experiencing during its service life. Normal operation includes loading conditions such as bending of the hull girder (hogging, sagging, and still water), cargo live loads, structural dead loads, liquid loads, cyclic fatigue, and exterior hydrostatic loads. The ship is also subjected to infrequent loads such as flooding and dry docking, and in the case of naval vessels, combat loads such as underwater explosions. The structure is designed, analyzed, and optimized to withstand the normal loads to some allowable stress level, and to remain intact under extreme loads subjected to a vertical load is considered a separate mechanism. Mission characteristics such as payload capacity and endurance determine the size of the ship. This establishes the length, beam, and depth of the ship, and, hence, the structural dimensions. Modern ships make use of this principle of construction. The said construction is the sum of its many parts while a fiberglass boat hull is essentially one component. The combination of molded hull and deck joined together creates a unified whole that is much stronger than the sum of its parts. But ships are proportionately far heavier and are subjected to different stresses. While the bottoms of hulls take the major brunt of stresses, and must be designed to withstand them, the construction still plays a major role in providing strength to the overall structure. In actual operation under heavy conditions, the hull sides of most boats will deflect to greater or lesser degrees depending on how well it is designed. This is the result of impact loading, bending and torsional loading on the hull caused by high velocity over waves, porpoising and so on. If you’ve ever wondered why there are ships have rub rails falling off and weak and damaged hull/deck joints, you probably thought that this was primarily due to hitting up against dock pilings. But the real reason is that there are ships who have poorly designed hull/deck joints that are simply lap joints screwed together. It is the stress transferred from the hull bottom to the hull sides and thence to hull/deck join that causes the screws that join these parts together to break loose. Putting screws into fiberglass is a terrible means of making connections. Screw joins are simply too weak to work effectively. Partial bulkheads are really nothing more than frames and do not serve any greater function than frames. It is a mistake to call a hull partition with two doors in it a bulkhead, for it is really only a partition or a partial bulkhead at best. Surveyors often mistake partitions for bulkheads. Remember that to be classified as such, a bulkhead must be serving the purpose of tying the four sides of the hull together (bottom, deck and sides). If the shot full of holes and openings, it’s not achieving that purpose. Conclusion It is important to be aware of the nuances and exclusions from Hull and Machinery cover as well as to be aware of cover options and requirements. For instance, although the ship, equipment and spare parts are covered by the Hull and Machinery insurance, loose items that accompany the ship in its trade, but which cannot be deemed to be a part of it, e.g. stores and supplies are covered under the ITCH, but not under the Plan. As a result, the ship owner may consider purchasing additional insurance cover for items falling outside of the Plan’s cover provisions. However, many times, the loss and/or damage of such items fall well below the deductive. Another important consideration is cover of items that are not normally on board the ship for an indefinite or prolonged period of time. The Plan’s prerequisite for covering equipment and spare parts under the Hull and Machinery cover is that they are normally on board. Therefore, an individual assessment should be made. Even less did I anticipate the effect on how the hull would handle with a 41% overall weight reduction. Scale model testing revealed the boat to be so light that it would pitch and roll so violently that it would be uninhabitable to human beings. It developed a whip-snap roll in a 3†² sea that would literally throw people off the deck. Or when pitching, launch them like a trampoline. However, there has been some extension into production building mainly so-called niche markets such as race boats, both power and sail. And to the extent that it is clear that the production boat building industry does not possess the necessary capital resources, nor the profit margins to sustain them, their incorporation of this technology into production building is very likely to continue along the lines of trial and error. What this portends for the surveyor are the risks of failing to locate design failures during surveys, failures involving design, materials and construction techniques that fall into the realm of the experimental. Make no mistake about it experimentation with new materials directly into a product is the norm, not the exception. With this basis understanding of the principles of good hull design, we can now begin to study the effects of what happens when these principles are violated. References Branch, Alan E. Elements of Shipping 7th Ed. Routledge Publication. N.Y. ISBN 0748760393 US Cost Guard Guide to Regulations for Passenger Vessels. (2001). http://www.uscg.mi/ng/9-m/nvic/301/n3-01.pdf Kahloism. (1971). Ship Construction. http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3625174.html Shipping Container. (1974). http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3782619.html

Life of Orphanage Essay

A lot happens within our environment. It may be hard to believe but yet true that the life orphan children live is of big challenge. I fail to know why it happens in such a way that after the parent(s) pass away, their children start testing the wrath of their death, as these people who remain to take care of the children, they again make them pass through regrettable experiences. These children suffer a lot, to the extent of missing out schooling because no one is willing to pay their school dues. What is more hurting is that even the little the parents leave for their children, the relatives (uncles and aunties) start sharing them among themselves in equal ratios. Children are exposed to child labour; young girls are forced to get in marriages, taken like they are not humans, which make them live unhappy. In your own way, just imagine a situation where you can pass through a day with nothing for your stomach. This is what the orphan child experiences as most of them take days only getting one meal a day and at times move out with totally nothing to eat. They are expected to work a lot throughout the day, mistreated and at the end of the day when time for sharing benefits comes they are considered last. This result into poor performance at school, most of them end up dropping out of school. Others decide to leave home and go to streets thus become street kids whereas some end up losing their lives for they feel no body is there to stand on their side for support, hence yielding a negative feeling in the life of orphans regretting as to why they were born.

Strategic Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Management - Research Paper Example Stable political situation in America and economic relations with Europe supported development and growth of international operations. Government policies and employment law have a positive impact on company's performance, its market position and organizational structure. Economic factors included stable economic development of the region, low interest rates and low inflation rates; regional and international cooperation, high record of airline industry growth. Social/demographic included lifestyle changes (involve aging of population), and increasing number of travelers. Technological forces generate problem-solving inventions. Airline target was on average as dependent on reliable information technology as any other businesses. Improvements in cargo ships and handling equipment, increasing containerization, applications of IT to scheduling and controlling shipments and to customs procedures, new plains, and a host of other technological advances and innovations have reduced the cos ts of services and information. On the other hand, airline technology cost is one of the highest among other industries (Rinehart, 2005; Meyer 2003). After 9/11 Delta Airlines experienced profit loss and lost it market share. ... Many potential passengers prefer to use alternative transport even if it takes more time to get to the place of destination. In this case the bargaining power of customers is not crucial. The ultimate aim of customers is to pay the lowest possible price to obtain the services that they require. Events of 9/11 forced many carriers including Delta Airlines invest in security systems and increase safety of airplanes (Meyer 2003; Delta Air Lines 2007). Porter's 5 P's (forces) include: the threat of entry of new competitors; the threat of substitutes; the bargaining power of customers; the bargaining power of suppliers; the degree of rivalry between existing competitors (Porter 45). Before 9/11, new entrants to an industry raised the level of competition, thereby reducing its attractiveness. Competition did not have a great impact on Delta Airlines obtaining a string market position and brand image. The presence of substitute services like trains, ships or automobiles transportation did not influence the industry and the price levels. A source of customers' power was the willingness and ability to achieve backward integration. Supplier power in the airline industry was the converse of buyer power. Suppliers had enough leverage over industry firms, and raised prices high enough to significantly influence the profitability of their organizational customers (Delta Air Lines 2007; Marks 2007). After 9/11, the threat of substitutes and the bargaining power of customers were the main 'drivers' in this industry. Many customers use alternative transport because of safety concerns. The high fuel prices do not allow Delta Airlines to decrease prices and attract wider target

Business law (pick one of 5) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business law (pick one of 5) - Research Paper Example t September the call for the regulations regarding overhauling the ruling and making those practices transparent started and those regulations became effective for the 2010 tax year effective December 15. The new law affects corporations (foreign and domestic) and insurance companies with assets in excess of $500 million, gradually reduced to $10 million by 2014. Kocieniewski seems to side with the corporations, but there are at least two valid reasons why the Government is justified in ending this money pit. (Kocieniewski) The one major argument the IRS uses to support the new â€Å"transparency† ruling is that its tax agents spend far too much time researching these claims as to their legitimacy and the agents’ time could be better spent going after tax cheats and proprietary information would not be shared. Another major problem is that during these austere times and Federal budget cuts, Congress is pressuring the tax people to collect more revenue and with more and more US jobs going overseas the bolstering the economy and creating jobs arguments of the major companies is flimsy at best. In conclusion, the new law is a difficult pill for the big companies to swallow. The previous IRS rule allowed the companies to keep any Uncertain Tax Position monies that weren’t audited within the three year statute of limitations. That was a lot of money for some of the major players, resulting in millions to billions of dollars in reserve â€Å"just in case†. For example Sheraton owner Starwood Hotels had almost a billion dollars in reserve, 21 per cent of its total 2009 earnings. The Fortune 500’s biggest companies like GM and Microsoft had reserves of $5.4 billion! Therefore if the corporations do business in the United States, they should be held to the same accountability as their employees are and pay Federal income tax at whatever rate they should. Grumbling for sure, but like the public they will learn to live with

A rhetorical analysis about People Like Us(by David Brooks) Essay

A rhetorical analysis about People Like Us(by David Brooks) - Essay Example This is probably because David Brooks wishes to explain to people about their denial. Throughout this article, David Brooks suggests that people do not accept that they engage in discrimination on a frequent basis (Brooks 1). These people talk about the issue of diversity but they never practice it. For example, the same people who suggest to others that they should appreciate diversity live close to people who resemble them. They live next to people who work in the same places as they do or those who have the same education as they do. David Brooks has a fascinating context for his article because of several reasons. First, David Brooks approaches the issue of diversity from a modernized perspective. He introduces the notion of current neighborhoods in which there can never be diversity. David Brook also admits that he wishes that there would be neighborhoods where people with significant diversity would live together in unity (Brooks 1). David Brooks realizes that he cannot convince his desired audience in an easy manner. He ensures that there are several rhetoric strategies to persuade his desired audience. Brook engages in an intense critic of the existing ideas on diversity. The entire article is a critique of the views, which modern people have on the issues of diversity. For example, Brook blames the nature of all the people who live in the current society. He says that the nature, which these modern people have, encourages them to practice extreme levels of segregation. David Brooks persuades his entire audience that there needs to be less discriminatory cases. This is because Brooks understands the negativity of segregation from his experiences (Brooks 132). David Brooks continues to criticize the ideas on diversity in a strategic manner. In the article "People like Us", Brook mentions some of his personal experiences. The experiences that he mentions in the article clarify certain issues to his audience. For example, readers notice Brooks’

Compare and contrast modern conservatism and modern liberalism Essay

Compare and contrast modern conservatism and modern liberalism - Essay Example The paper tells that one of the major requisites of the comparative analysis of modern conservatism and modern liberalism is a thorough understanding of the underlying principles of both these ideologies. In an attempt to classify the major arguments of modern conservatism, one may recognize that the body of opinion called conservatism does not have a clear-cut dogma or ideology. Rather than a system of ideological dogmata, it is mainly a body of sentiments which upholds the attitude we call conservatism. As Russell Kirk remarks, â€Å"Perhaps it would be well, most of the time, to use this word â€Å"conservative† as an adjective chiefly. For there exists no Model Conservative, and conservatism is the negation of ideology: it is a state of mind, a type of character, a way of looking at the civil social order.† However, a clear understanding of the major tenets of modern conservatism suggests that it is an ideology which shows respect for the institutions of law, Consti tution and the rights of the people. Although it has changed many of the traits of true conservatism, modern conservatism has played a crucial role in the equality, liberty, justice, and education of the people in the modern states. This fact is clear from Russell Kirk discussion of the ten principles that have loomed large during the two centuries of modern conservative thought, and he specifies that the conservative understanding of justice, education, etc have similar significance in the modern world. ... Rather than a system of ideological dogmata, it is mainly a body of sentiments which upholds the attitude we call conservatism. As Russell Kirk remarks, â€Å"Perhaps it would be well, most of the time, to use this word â€Å"conservative† as an adjective chiefly. For there exists no Model Conservative, and conservatism is the negation of ideology: it is a state of mind, a type of character, a way of looking at the civil social order.† (Guide, pg. 40) However, a clear understanding of the major tenets of modern conservatism suggests that it is an ideology which shows respect for the institutions of law, Constitution and the rights of the people. Although it has changed many of the traits of true conservatism, modern conservatism has played a crucial role in the equality, liberty, justice, and education of the people in the modern states. This fact is clear from Russell Kirk discussion of the ten principles that have loomed large during the two centuries of modern conser vative thought, and he specifies that the conservative understanding of justice, education, etc have similar significance in the modern world. In his comparison of the ideologies of modern conservatism and modern liberalism Russell Kirk considers that the former has more relevance than the latter. According to him, the great line of demarcation in modern politics is between the ultimate principles of these ideologies: â€Å"on one side of that line are all those men and women who fancy that the temporal order is the only order, and that material needs are their only needs, and that they may do as they like with the human patrimony. On the other side of that line are all those people who recognize an enduring moral order in the universe, a constant human nature, and

A critical evaluation of contemporary leadership skills required for a Essay - 1

A critical evaluation of contemporary leadership skills required for a large multi-department organisation. 2,000 words - Essay Example Making decisions and implementing those in organisations is the responsibility of the managers and leaders. Organisations are facing intense challenge in the global market and they are supposed to create more strategies to increase compatibility. In the current study, contemporary leadership skills are critically evaluated on the basis of the multidepartment organisation. Globalised business activities are increasing competition among different firms. Multidepartment firms consist of employees from different backgrounds, so managers face various complexities in order to implement strategies among the team members. Therefore, leaders must implement cross cultural development strategies and increase interaction among the employees. According to Pinnington (2011), trustworthiness is one of the important factors of developing leaders. Some leaders think that trust among the employees will help in merging decisions and strategies for operations of employees. Leaders must treat the employees equally. Such trait of the leaders will remove workplace fatigue among the employees and they will feel more valued2. Dennis (2014) stated that humble behaviour is expected from the leaders so that they can guide employees and discuss strategic goals. However, ego and arrogance of leaders or managers will create complicacy in leading their peoples in multiple departments of the organisation. Dion (2012) has argued that leaders must communicate with the employees and team members to identify problems and develop solutions. Fluent communication will help leaders to reduce the gap between employees and management. Leaders must be activist in nature so that they can present a feasible solution to any problem faced by the organisations3. Allio (2012) stated that analytical skills are required to manage people or team members and different circumstances faced by a multi department firms4. Leaders are taking initiative

Was William Shakespeare the author of his plays and sonnets Essay

Was William Shakespeare the author of his plays and sonnets - Essay Example It is difficult to determine the identity of the young man, which is apparent from references made in individual sonnets (Baxter, 1917). As the most important the documents of the time did not mentioned such name such as a Shakespeare. During the Renaissance period, poets were not allowed to publish poetry, so it is possible to assume that one of the poets took a pseudonym "William Shake-speare". Critics suppose that his true name was Edward de Vere. Edward de Vere was better educated than Shakespeare which allowed de Vere to describe events and manners of those times in details. On the other hand, the main problem is that there is no evidence that Shakespeare was an actor. "For example, there is no record of any part he may have played, and only two posthumous traditions to bit parts" (A Beginner's Guide, n.d.). The main fact against Shakespeare's authorship is that no manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays survive. Indeed, there are very few manuscripts available to scholars of plays of the Elizabethan and Jacobean period. Also, many editions, used as a basis for making modern texts into performances in modern theatres, have been put together by editors from early (sixteenth and seventeenth century) printed versions of the plays, published in small editions after the play itself had ceased to be regularly performed. In these editions the text is not always divided into acts and scenes, and when it is, the work, together with the punctuation, spelling and stage directions, is that of the first compositors who set the type from a manuscript probably supplied by the theatre. The first eight plays of Shakespeare to be published did not bear his name, but this was standard practice at the time, since few editions of plays bore the name of the author. It is important to note that this was normal pra ctice at the time, for once a dramatist had sold his play to a theatrical enterprise, he gave up his ownership and copyright of the work. So, it is possible to say that the plays were not written by Shakespeare. In a preface to their work, the editors claim that their texts are more reliable than those to be found in the quartos, many of which were illegally or hastily prepared. (Lancashire, 1998). Other facts against Shakespeare's authorship state that some of the earliest printed versions of the same Shakespeare play differ, quite significantly, in the text that they print. The question then arises as to which of the different versions is the 'correct' one. The main problem is that there is no definitive, generally excepted edition. Also most all texts have been reconstructed by generations of scholars from several of the earliest printed editions of the play. In the practice of Shakespeare's theatre, the authority of the written text was secondary to that of the spoken and the visual, and what was considered to be theatrically effective - what made people actually want to pay money to visit the theatre - was the paramount consideration of the actors and dramatist. The Elizabethan theatre did not possess a huge repertory of classic plays from the past. Almost all the plays shown on the public stages were being shown for the first time, this meant that there was tremendous pressure on dramatists such as Shakespeare to go on producing new plays, because audiences wanted, above all, to see new work. The players, or certainly

The Growth of Jazz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Growth of Jazz - Essay Example Joachim-Ernst Berendt wrote â€Å"Jazz has always been the concern of a minority—always† (3). In 1700s, music played a significant role in African American culture. The roots of jazz can be traced back to the times of slavery where slave work songs were created in the form of ‘call-and-response’ to tell a story, and pass the time, a song leader would call out a line and the rest of the workers would respond to his call†¦ Soulful songs called â€Å"spirituals† were also sung by slaves. These expressed their strong religious beliefs as well as their desire for freedom (Jazz History). Work songs and spirituals were part of the establishment of jazz and these twin elements laid the foundation for this genre of music. The pleasant-sounding music of the black community known as â€Å"Ragtime† impacted the American scene in the 1800s. Many European communities were migrating to different cities of America, by now known as the â€Å"land of opportunities.† Multiplicity of musical traditions arrived with immigrants. The African American composer Scott Joplin combined these traditions with the melodious music of the black community and provided it with a profound soul-force. â€Å"Ragtime† was born thus. ... When in 1920, black people began migrating to cities like Chicago and New York to improve their financial prospects, they brought along with them jazz. The combustible younger generation of America liked this music. They rebelled against the old-fashioned ideas of their parents, surprisingly though! Jazz culture was responsible in a big way to the creation of genre of women known as â€Å"flappers†, who cut their hair and took to shorter dresses. Berendt wrote â€Å"Many great jazz musicians have felt the connection between their playing styles and the times in which they live† (4). Jazz music responded to the societal changes that were taking place, due to political, cultural, social and ideological developments that impacted the people. Thus â€Å"In the turn of the century around 1920, many artists made their mark by playing in the discreet underground nightclubs known as "Speakeasies" which are high class , "Blind pig" lower class or "Smokeasy" for smokers†(J aaz Music). Jazz was on the move. The Breakthrough for Jazz New musical innovations were flooding the market and they brought music to the reach of the common man. Jazz music got shot in the arm. American airwaves, dance halls, auditoriums and homes reverberated to the melodies of jazz notes. In 1930s many jazz bands were formed and it became the most popular music. Its bouncing beat and swing music made the people rush to dance floors on a recurring basis. â€Å"However, thing were beginning to look up for Jazz Music once the invention of the record player or phonograph was made to play jazz albums. In addition, radio stations helped promote Jazz music, and made it popular among the public. Jazz Music became music of class that earned the era a nick name known as the "Jazz Age† (Jazz

The Analysis of Unknown Citizen Essay Example for Free

The Analysis of Unknown Citizen Essay The Unknown Citizen seems to describe story about the Unknown Soldier, a term used to recognize people whose bodies are found after a battle but cannot be identified. This poem begins by the word â€Å"He was found by the Bureau of Statistics† It is describing a person referred to as, simply, He. We take this to be The Unknown Citizen, which makes sense because his name isn’t known, the ordinary average citizen in the modern industrialized urban society who has no individuality and identity. The concept of this poem suggests that the lives of many normal people are so conventional and uneventful that they might as well be unknown or anonymous. There is a message that the writer wants to be told to the readers, it is â€Å" you don’t want to end up like the Unknown Citizen†. In the final of the poem, the writer asks two questions, they are â€Å"Was he free? Was he happy?†. By asking these questions, the poet is drawing our attention to the question of freedom and happiness. It’s interesting that these two questions are referred to in the singular, as the question, as if being free and being happy were the same thing. The Unknown Citizen uses the old-fashion style, eventhough it is written in modern era. The writer, Auden, is known as a master of of the rhyming couplet (AA, BB), the simplest rhyme scheme in English. Auden is considered a modernist writer, but his work is unlike that of any other poet of the past century. The Unknown Citizen deserves a central place in our nation’s capital, considering all his huge accomplishments like having five kids. It will be right down the street from the Bureau of Statistics, a huge, drab marble building.

What Is Whistle Blowing Philosophy Essay

What Is Whistle Blowing Philosophy Essay Whistle-blowing is a disclosure by organization members of illegal, immoral or unethical practices under the control of their employer, to persons or organizations that may affect action. Immoral practices can be violation of law, violation of public interest such as fraud, violation of health/safety, corruption etc. the organizations that may affect this action can be media, public interest groups, enforcement agencies etc. TYPES OF WHISTLEBLOWING: Internal whistle-blowing: To report misconduct to a fellow employee or senior management within the company. External whistle-blowing: Report misconduct to outside entities or general public. ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO WHISTLE-BLOWING: The generally prevailing view of the whistleblower within business on the part of the management and colleagues is that this person is the traitor to the organization. (Richard DeGeorge) Employees have both moral and legal obligations to be loyal to their employees. (Beauchamp and Browie) Whistle-blowing is a conflicting matter in terms of employee loyalty. On one hand it may be seen as loyal and on another, disloyal. It is assumed that employees have a vow to protect the dealings of the organization. External whistle-blowing is wrong because an employee has a contractual duty to be loyal to corporation he is working in. Whereas Ronald Duska says: One does not have an obligation of loyalty to a company, even a prima facie one, because companies are not the kind of things that are properly objects of loyalty. This means it is impossible to associate loyalty with a company because it is an abstract entity. Because company does not have a mind of its own, instead, it is made up of people working towards the same goal. A whistle-blower is not disloyal in reality. We can make an argument that a whistle-blower shows greater loyalty as compared to the person who ignores any malpractices in the organization. Whistle-blowing is a brave act of conscience and a person who blows the whistle may carry heavy personal costs. One should do what is right, lost income can be replaced but lost self-esteem is difficult to retrieve. IS THERE A RIGHT TO BLOW THE WHISTLE? Nobody can answer whether blowing whistle is good or bad because the problem is that it has effects, good as well as bad. Sometimes whistle-blowing causes more problem than good. If there is an issue that has to be addressed to the top authorities then it should be channeled through right authorities. If a whistle-blower starts talking to his co-workers about some malpractices, the office environment gets effected. And also the claims of whistle-blower are not always genuine. As a result other employees get dragged into it unnecessarily and company gets involved in lawsuits. By the time the company proves its innocence it has already suffered a loss of thousands of dollars. Whistle-blower should approach the internal authority prior to externally blowing the whistle. Because sometimes the top management is not aware of the problem and employees make the situation worse by blowing the whistle. An employee has an ethical obligation to blow the whistle. It is beneficial for him to act ethically and show loyalty by not only obeying the rules and regulations of the company but also reporting genuine wrongdoings that may affect the public at large. ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON WHISTLE-BLOWING: DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS: For example, a company is making unsafe consumer products in order to save some money. An employee working in that organization sees this as immoral and reports the media about it. A whistle-blower would do this according to Kants duty-based ethics. Moral obligations have nothing to do with consequences. RIGHTS THEORY: Whistle-blowing is not morally required according to rights theory. Everyone has a welfare right to make income and support themselves and their family, so they cannot do this without a job. By blowing the whistle he/she may get fired so it is better to ignore any malpractices in the organization. UTILITARIANISM: Utilitarianism is based on principle to predict the consequences of an action. Utilitarianism is more clearly understood by cost-benefit analysis. Whistle-blowing has many moral venues. On one side the welfare of employees must be considered and on the other side the consumer. Utilitarian simplify whistleblowing by pleasure versus pain issue. If whistle-blowing will generate less pain than pleasure then it is a good act. If not, then it is wrong and unethical THE FORD PINTO CASE: In the Ford Pinto case it is a well-known fact that before the production of this car Ford engineers were aware of Pintos potential for catastrophe. They had a crash test at a top secret site and every test at 25mph resulted in ruptured gas tank of the car. Ford employees under the oath denied this fact and this car flooded the market for about eight years. An internal cost-benefit analysis illustrated that it was not profitable for the company to make changes sooner. Thus, they placed monetary worth on human life. Total benefit was $49.5 million and total cost was $137 million. Therefore, none of the employees blew the whistle because they had a fear of being fired from the job. ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE: Prophet Mohammad PBUH said: Discussions are confidential (not subject to disclosure) except in three places: shedding unlawful blood, unlawful cohabitation and unlawful accumulation of wealth. (Abu Dawud) Prophet of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said: He who saw Munkar (wrongdoing) amongst you should prevent it with his hand, if unable to, then with his mouth (i.e. whistle blowing), if unable to, then (dislike it) in his heart and that is the least of faith. (Abu said al khudri) These sayings of Prophet Muhammad proved that whistle-blowing is also encouraged by Islam. Richard De Georges Theory of Whistleblowing The philosopher Richard DeGeorge proposed that external whistleblowing is morally permissible when three conditions are fulfilled. Whistleblowing is termed as acceptable by DeGeorge when following three conditions are met: If any product or policy cause serious harm for the general public. If an employee realizes an intense danger to the consumer of a product he or she should report it to his supervisor. Therefore manager responsible for the manufacturing of the product should be aware of its threat. If an employees immediate supervisor does not take the moral concern regarding the product into account, thus the internal chain of command has been exhausted. The firstcriteria explain the intensity of issue. The explanation of harm can be assessed in terms of physical, emotional or financial harm. The second and third criteria can be interpreted that employee tried hi level best to address via internal means. DeGeorge holds that whistleblowing becomes morally required when in addition to the previous three conditions the following two conditions are met: There is sufficient accessible documented evidence available to convince an impartial individual. The employee must have valid and strong reason that by going public, necessary changes will be brought. Moreover, benefits of whistleblowing must be worth the risks one takes and the dangers to which one is encountered. WORLDCOMS WHISTLEBLOWER Cynthia Cooper Case: In March 2002, when WorldCom was struggling tocoordinate and integrate the complex mess created by the 65 companies it had acquired, World-Coms highly respected chief financial officer,Scott Sullivan, moved $400 million from a reserve account and recorded it as income in the companys public financial reports. Alerted to this, CynthiaCooper, the perfectionist head of WorldComs internal audit department, began to secretly examinethe companys books. She  soon discovered that Scott Sullivan and David Myers, for years had publicly reported billionsof dollars as capital expenditures when they were in real the operating costs. Uncollectible receivables were ignored, and reported as  income what were reallyreserve funds, and did all this with the help of ArthurAndersen, the companys auditor and accounting firm. Though angrily threatened by Sullivan, andrisking her job and career, on June 20, 2002, Cynthia Cooper courageously met with the auditcommittee of WorldComs board of directors and   toldthem what had been going on. On June 25, World-Coms directors announced the company had  inflatedits profits by over $3.8 billion-an amount later  roseto $9 billion-is the greatest accounting fraud in history. Sullivan and Myers were arrested; WorldComs shareholders lost $3 billion; 17,000 WorldCom workers lost their jobs.It was the biggest fraud in U.S. corporate history. WorldCom declared bankruptcy in July 2002, after its stocks value had declined by $180 billion and its founder; Bernard Ebbers had left the company. CynthiaCooper was later recognized as one of the three Persons of the Year by Time Magazine. Analysis Based on Kantian Ethics Philosopher Immanuel Kant is renowned for his ethical theory which is categorized under Deontological ethics. According to his theory it can be assessed that it is the intention behind an action rather its consequences that make an action good. Deontological Moral system is based on the categorical imperative. According to Kant to act from a good will is to act from a duty. The act of Cynthia Coopers whistleblowing fits into this categorical imperative of duty to do the right thing. The sole motive of the action is report financial crime; there are no monetary gains or self-interested motives. A Kantian view justifies Cynthia Coopers whistleblowing as reporting financial crime is morallyright thing to do, thus moral obligation has nothing to do with consequences. Since Kant believed that every action has a maxim, we need to ask what would happen if the principle (maxim) of an action were a universal law (one that everyone acted on). Would a world where everyone acted on that principle be possible? If it can, then the decision to act would be morally permissible (Bowie, 1999). Therefore the proposed act of whistleblowing passes Kants test of universizability. If whistleblowing were a universal principle, all would benefit from the transparency and investor confidence would be maximized; therefore, according to Kant, the act of whistleblowing is morally permissible. Analysis based on Kohlbergs Moral theory of Development   Kohlbergs theory is useful because it helps us understand how our moral capacitiesdevelop and reveals how we may mature in our understanding of our own moralstandards. According to Kohlberg Cynthia reached the sixth stage of moral development: Universal Moral Principles Orientation. This is because at thisPost conventional stage, right  action  comes  to be defined  in terms  of moral  principles chosenbecause of their reasonableness, universality, and consistency. Cynthia believed that manipulation of financial accounts is a universal crime and therefore she reported the misconduct based on the moral principle orientation. Cynthia Cooper justified her choices on the basis of moral principles and obligations as during the interview with Times Magazine she said: There is a price to be paid. [But] it comes back to the values and ethics that you learnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..The fear of losing my job was secondary to the obligation I felt. WHISTLE BLOWING IN PAKISTAN Whistle blowing internal and external is usually not practical for employees in Pakistan because they dont posses the resources either within the firm or within the civil society. They lack strong moral beliefs, confidence, will power and commitments and are scared of the consequences. Today, media especially journalism is acting as a whistleblower to the public. The current political environment in Pakistan threatens whistle blowers in a corporation from upholding their voices against illegal practices of their organization. Employees who blow whistle are refrained from doing so and observe difficulties and barriers such as life threats, political insecurity, risk of career and family insecurity. In our country, unsafe medical practices and unethical behavior is at such a high level and widely spread that blowing a whistle to alarm the authority would be simply inaudible. Health care fraud is very common in Pakistan. False claims, patients required paying illegal fees, absence of staff and refusing to see patients in government hospitals and referring them to private clinics are violating ethical spheres. 95% of the population in Pakistan holds the view that our health sector is corrupt. The fear of been victimized, loosing the job and career, is the main concern very often trainee doctors keep quiet and do not raise their voice against their seniors. RICHARD BARLOWS CASE Richard Barlow  is an  American  intelligence analyst and a former senior member of the  Central Intelligence Agency. He lost his job and was charged of being disloyal to CIA. Barlow learned that the top US officials were allowing the sale of the F-16 fighters to Pakistan in 1989. It was against the 1985  Pressler amendment of the  Foreign Assistance Act  which prohibited the sale of any  material or armaments which might assist in the development or manufacturing of nuclear weapons. He also found that the officials were concealing this information from Congress since telling the truth would have legally obligated US government to restrain from giving military aid to Pakistan at the time when it was being provided, through Pakistan, to Afghanistan against Soviet Union. Barlow therefore blew a whistle without considering the consequences. As a result he was asked to prove himself before Congress and court. He was charged of being a traitor and an adulterer. He lost his job. It was life altering experience for him which damaged his marriage, career and left irreparable dents on his character. He is quoted as saying: They smeared my name in truly extraordinary ways that no one had ever seen before If he had been listened to, many people believe that our country would have never got its nuclear bomb. ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS KANTIAN ETHICS: Immanuel Kant is the founder of deontological ethics. He states that ethical behaviors are those which are duty oriented. A person must perform what is his duty, not whats good. The act of Richard Barlow is justified on Kantian grounds. Sacrifice of self interest for the greater interest of the society was the act performed by Barlow. LOYAL AGENT ARGUMENT: Loyal agent argument reduces an employee from being human to just being an organ of the organization. Loyalty does not imply that we have a duty to refrain from reporting the immoral actions of those to who we are loyal. An employer who is acting unethical is not acting in his own best interests and an employee is not acting disloyally in blowing the whistle. LEGAL PROTECTION TO WHISTLE BLOWERS One of the early laws that protected whistleblowers was the 1863 United States  False Claims Act  (revised in 1986), which tried to counter fraud by the US government during the  Civil War. Under the 1st and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, state and local government bureaucrats are prohibited from opposing whistleblowers. Boards like Civil Service Reform Act are created Whistle blowing has gone high tech; therefore steps are taken to ensure safety of them. There are different websites available which guide employees on ethical issues like national whistle blowing centre(NWC) Federal (equal employment opportunity) laws also have protection provisions for whistle blowers. If you observe a  prohibited discrimination  against employees you may report the concerned authorities. Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan has stated the unavailability of protection to whistle blowers and lack of transparency as the major causes of corruption in our state. Therefore, it has created an interface in the form of Freedom of Information Bill 2008. Summarizing: Whistleblowers not only provide the initial stimulus for improving organization efficiency and effectiveness, but also they are often the source of solutions to organization problems (Miceli et al., 1991). Whistle blower observes a dilemma between serving as a loyal agent and preventing social harm. This implies that he should reconcile his own interest with the general interest of the organization. Utilitarian considerations therefore cannot furnish a definitive guide in this context. Whistle blowing must be institutionalized. This means that there must be a set of procedures for employees to report the fraud internally before they raise the matter in the outside world

The Moral Development of Huckleberry Finn Essays -- The Adventures of

Huck Finn, a narcissistic and unreliable young boy, slowly morphs into a courteous figure of respect and selflessness. After Pap abducts the young and civilized Huck, Huck descends into his old habits of lies and half-truths. However, upon helping a runaway slave escape, Huck regains morality and a sense of purpose. Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck lies to characters, casting the authenticity of the story into doubt but illustrating Huck’s gradual rejection of lying for himself and a shift towards lying for others. Huck rejects lying early in the novel, a testament to his successful training bestowed upon him by the Widow Douglass and other townspeople. Huck begins the story by lecturing the reader that The Adventures of Tom Sawyer contained lies about him, and that everyone has lied in his or her lives (11). Huck’s admittance of the lies contained in the previous book about him demonstrates his early dedication to truth in the novel. Later, Tom forces Huck to return to the Widow Douglass where he continues learning how to be â€Å"sivilized† (11). When Huck returns, the Widow Douglass teaches him the time when lying is appropriate, improving Huck’s sometimes unreliable moral directions. After Huck spends enough time with the Widow Douglass and her sister, Miss Watson, Huck begins enjoying the routine of his new life (26). Huck, a coarse character prior to the beginning of the novel, enjoys his education more and more, and displays promise for a cultured future. Pri or to the arrival of Pap, Huck sells his money to Judge Thatcher avoiding telling his father a lie (27). Even though his father is an appalling man and an alcoholic, Huck respects him and avoids lying to him by selling Ju... ...e to Miss Watson (224). Huck’s own morals replace the belief society gave him and convince him that turning in Jim would be wrong. As a result, he resolves that he will set Jim free again, and continues helping him. While Huck’s constant lies while narrating the novel makes the authenticity of certain events doubtful, it serves a much greater purpose of allowing the reader to indirectly see the continued improvements and declines of Huck’s moral judgment. At some points, he serves only himself; at other key events in the story, he creates elaborate lies that help others. The moral development of Huck makes itself apparent in the changing lies of Huck, allowing readers to observe the events taking place within Huck’s mind with ease. Work Cited Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Ed. Guy Cardell. New York: Penguin Classics, 2002. Print.

Fight Club Essay -- essays research papers

What did the film Distort?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A film adaptation of a book can be like hearsay. The author writes a novel to send a certain message. Someone else reads it interprets it in a different way and talks to a film producer. The film producers then take its, leaves out major events, change the ending and make a film with a completely different message than the author. The author then screams bloody murder then takes his cut from the box office. Joesph Boggs, the author of Problems with Adaptation, says â€Å"We expect the film to duplicate exactly the experience we had seeing the play or in reading the novel. That is, of course, completely impossible† (Boggs 672). No one told this theory to David Fincher, the director of Fight Club. Fincher stuck almost like glue to the novel. He did however, change a few events in the novel and the ending but stills successfully puts Palahniuk’s words on screen that even made Palahniuk happy to earn his profits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of the changes Fincher made to Palahniuk novel were minor and insignificant. One example is the fat Tyler and the narrator used to make soap. In the novel, they steal the fat from Marla. Marla was keeping her mother's liposuction fat for her own plastic surgery. They steal the fat and store it in the Paper Street Soap Company's fridge. In the movie, Fincher had Tyler and the Narrator steal it from a plastic surgery dumpster. In the novels version it could be interpreted as another th...

Harmony and Howling †African and European Roots of Jamaican Music Essa

Harmony and Howling — African and European Roots of Jamaican Music English colonial rule began in Jamaica in the year 1655. The growth of a plantation culture in the West Indies quickly changed the need for labor in the area. Between 1700 and 1786, more than 600,000 African slaves were brought to Jamaica. These slaves were required to work for their English colonial masters who would purchase them from slave traders at various ports around the island. Slaves were abducted from various regions of Africa, and brought over to the New World in large boats, packed to the teeth with the Africans. The slave trade over the Atlantic served as a connection between the West Indies- islands in the Caribbean, and what was to become the United states. In fact there was a large amount of interchange of slaves between these two regions. Therefore, an American reader with an understanding of the Atlantic slave trade in his own history will have some sort of an understanding of how this system worked. Slavery was not a system designed to accomidate freewill. Slaves were literally kidnapped from Africa, and as soon as they were in custody of slave traders they were assigned a submissive position under the white and Arabian merchants. When the slaves entered the New World, they remained in this submissive role and were forced into labor. Any freewill was instantly compromised the moment a shackle was placed around the limb of an African. European, Spanish, and Arab slave traders did not particularly like the Africans who were "volunteered" into slavery. Their actions, which were considered ugly and unacceptable reinforced their submissive position under the Europeans. An example of this kind of thought is the practice some African people had of "picking lice off their heads, with their fingers, putting them in their mouth and eating them." According to this slave trader, monkeys "had a parallel custom." Observations such as these reinforced the stereotype of slaves being monkeys. This is an example of how blacks, in a white mind, could descend to the level of an animal. Today we have a term for this: Ethnocentrism, but in the days of slavery this European view drawn from their own culture only served to further compromise the dignity of the Africans in the slave trade. This degrading view of Africans also made the moral aspect of slavery easier to digest. The E... ...ngs that created Reggae music. This music came out of a struggle between black and white, and the return to Africa reinforces the black nature of the music, almost subjecting the European tradition to a submissive role. In this respect Reggae music is a response to the European traditions that were inflicted onto black slaves in Colonial times in an unjust manner. Listen: The exploitation and eventually liberation of the Jamaican people have produced a very unique social condition. Reggae music is an optimistic answer to the history of oppression that draws upon the past, and uses it as a resource. In order for there to be a good future, the past must be considered and accepted. There is no way to right the wrongs of Jamaican history, but there is a way to promote awareness of these wrongs. The harmony that exists in reggae music between African and European tradition is a symbol for how it should exist in the world, and perhaps it is a map of how to get there. If two different combating traditions can exist in one music, then it is very possible for them to exist in every other facet of our society. Is this possible? What one person considers a howl is another's harmony.

Prof. Arunachalam- Profile Essay

Founder and Chairman, Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Distinguished Service Professor in the Departments of Engineering and Public Policy, Materials Science and Engineering and the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and an Honorary Professor in the School of Engineering, University of Warwick, UK. At CSTEP he is concentrating on emerging technologies in Energy, Infrastructure, security and advanced materials. He is developing strategies for Karnataka in power sector reforms, renewable sources of energy and technologies for anti-terrorism. Dr. Arunachalam is a metallurgist by training and has worked at the Indian R&D laboratories for more than three decades of which for over a decade, he served ten Defence ministers and five Prime ministers of India, including Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Mr. Narasimha Rao, as their Defence Scientific Advisor and Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development. He initiated and headed for many years India’s major defence projects such as Light Combat Aircraft and Integrated Guided Missiles programmes. Dr. Arunachalam advised the Indian government on the definition, assessment and review of a number of major technological and societal programmes such as optical fiber communications for India, electric power issues, scientific and technological missions for the country to eradicate illiteracy, infant mortality and other deprivations, and graduate education in Engineering. He was a key member in a number of policy initiatives of the government. He is a recipient of numerous honours and awards including Padma Vibhushan, the highest civilian award for that year from the President of India, Padma Bhushan and SS Bhatnagar Prize for Engineering Sciences. He is also the first Indian to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, U.K. He was the past President and Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering, Indian Institute of Metals and a Fellow of Indian National Science Academy and Indian Academy of Sciences. Recently, The Indian National Academy of Engineering conferred him with the Life Time Contribution Award in Engineering.

1. Analysis of the Knowledge Management at Tcs Using the Knowledge Management Value Chain Model.

1. Analysis of the knowledge management at TCS using the knowledge management value chain model. *Knowledge acquire -TCS has created communities of practices (CoPs) with an animator expert in an area of knowledge to gather best practice on different area of expertise using business case documenting problem and solution. -Then TCS tried to capture technology, processes and case studies called Process Asset Libraries. So their intent was more on capturing structure data in the first wave. In the implementation of Ultimatix, TCS tried to use captures of intelligent technics or knowledge work system meaning knowledge tools like wizard, templates for software productivity improvement, knowledge training modules and information on tools. *Â  Knowledge storage -Business cases with solutions. For example on mainframe around 1500 business cases. -Process Asset library permit exchanges of around 10000 documents on industry practices and 21000 services practices in six month during 2003. -Line of businesses, line of technology, and projectsTCS has disseminated knowledge by: -Customizing for each are of practice/technology, customer and industries. -Creating an initial training program and a continuous learning program for experience employees based on role and competence definition. -Encouraging people to move and go outside TCS to learn and bring back knowledge. -Using information letter per expert area and tip of day are used. *Marketing knowledge -To create business related document. It can be retrieved by searching similar business case. -To innovate and decide with a tool called TIP and IdeaStorm.The IdeaStorm process is in three steps one idea / question are submitted, people can brain storm on it and after vote. -Just ask process to get direct access to experts TCS has various Portals which permit a uniform access to knowledge. It can be accessed through queries or using taxonomies created by CoPs. Tools and activities were used for managing tacit knowledge: TCS h as created communities of practices (CoPs) with an animator expert in an area of knowledge to gather best practice on different area of expertise using business case documenting problem and solution. -Just ask process to get direct access to experts Encouraging people to move and go outside TCS to learn and bring back knowledge. -Using information letter per expert area and tip of day are used. Tools and acticities used for managing explicit knowledge: -Process Asset library permit exchanges of around 10000 documents on industry practices and 21000 services practices in six month during 2003. -To create business related document. It can be retrieved by searching similar business case. -To innovate and decide with a tool called TIP and IdeaStorm. The IdeaStorm process is in three steps one idea / question are submitted, people can brain storm on it and after vote. Then TCS tried to capture technology, processes and case studies called Process Asset Libraries. So their intent was more on capturing structure data in the first wave. -In the implementation of Ultimatix, TCS tried to use captures of intelligent technics or knowledge work system meaning knowledge tools like wizard, templates for software productivity improvement, knowledge training modules and information on tools LiveMeeting sessions during project for status meeting and after project lesson learned are recorded in the knowledge database 2.Some of the growth of knowledge management systems in TCS and how the sytems helped its business are listed as below KBASES AND GROUPWARE It is a knowledge repository in the corporate and branch servers accessible to all employees through the intranet. It contained wide range of information regarding processes, line of technology and the line of business. The groupware was a body which automated various in house systems such as training and many other functions. CLOSELY KNITS COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICES (COPS)Community of practices was a forum of organizational memor y where teams all over the organization at different times zones communicated and documented the best practices. PROCESS ASSET LIBRARIES (PALS) Process asset libraries was an information database related to technology, processes and case studies. These were made available to all development centers of TCS through the intranet. WEB-BASED ELECTRONIC KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PORTAL (EKM) Knowledge was made globally available. The PAL library, and Kbases hosted on the intranet were merged with Ultimatix.Sub-portals of quality management system, software productivity improvement, training materials and tools information were shared and easily accessed via EKM. COP members widely shared and exchanges industry and service practices. INTEGRATED COMPETENCY AND LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (ICALMS) The system was deployed globally across all offices to promote a culture of learning and growth in the organization. Employees could enhance their skills in many areas. KNOWMAX Developed using Microsoft sharepoint portal server. It supported more than 60 knowledge assets and was accessible via Ultimatix to all TCS associates.Any associate could contribute their knowledge and information for sharing with employees. 3. Some collaboration tools which are need at TCS: IBM same time: client-server application on window that provide real-time, unified communications and collaboration for enterprise. IBM quick place: self-service for non-technical users to easily create a browser-accessible web-workspace to support a task, project. When TCS combine same time with quick place, it took easyly to exchange information on project, technlogy and preparation.Lotus: domino collaboration tools can provide multiple service: Thanks to use these tools, TCS can unprove collabaration among employees and collaboration of overseas and local office 4. Web 2. 0 tools help TCS to manage knowleadge and collaboration among it employees TCS used a wide variety of collaboration tools from taking on account arc hitectural aspects to the usage of Web 2. 0 tools. TCS's development centers have had a special attention to its architecture so that they could be divided into modules of a common area each with its own garden in order for the employees to have informal conversations during their breaks.Naturally TCS could also profit by the fact that many of those conversations were about their employees’ business problems. Propel sessions also brought together employees with similar interests so that they could balance their work and their life and hopefully integrate both as one. Aside from taking into account the employee's personal life TCS also implemented another methods to share knowledge. By recording all of their meetings with LiveMeeting application TCS could arrange a team where all the members knew what was discussed.Knowledge could also be shared directly from their experts by Knowledge Transition sessions and a Tip of the Day mail system. This way knowledge could flow from the ir experts to their beginner workers who in fact need to learn in order perform better for TCS. The implementation of Project Infinity brought alongside VOIP and video conference tools. Using these tools all TCS's branches could communicate and collaborate in realtime keeping focus to the same objective. However Project Infinity also brought along other tools such as Instant Messaging and a news broadcast system.Using these tools TCS could communicate in real time with all of TCS's offices in the world sharing data and knowledge other than using voice or video systems. TCS also used Web 2. 0 tools integrated in their own website such as a Just Ask system, a Blog Platform, TIP and MySite. As in one side The Just Ask system would directly be connected to TCS's business, on the other side The My site would be more related to one's personal life. 5. How do you think KM tools have changed some key operational processes at TCS, such as bidding for new projects, project development and imp lementation, customer service, and so on?TCS core business is to produce project in India to be delivered all around the world. TCS processes have been simplified and communication has been streamed with those KM tools. Three bricks are missing for a 100% effective knowledge sharing: -The collaboration inside a document. For example, during an offering, it is frequent that many people are working on the same document. -The search engine technology. Having Tera’s of document emphasize the need to have a good search engine in order to find relevant document. -The document life-cycle would permit to exclude outdated document.

Notes on Art History

Note: This statue of an Ancient Egyptian woman clearly shows the way of dressing in Ancient Egypt. This statue belongs to the New Kingdome period. Body: The woman is wearing a kalasiris, a typical ancient Egyptian dress. The length of the dress tells us that this woman probably belonged to the upper class, as working woman mostly wore a kalasiris in a shorter variant. The dress is made of linen, which was perfect for Egypt’s hot climate. The dress is undecorated, but does have a lot of pleats going in various directions, which must have been very labour intensive.Head: The woman is wearing a wig, made of human hair or date palm fibres. The hair is curled and was kept together by wax. The wigs were only worn by wealthy people. Accessories: Jewellery was very popular in Ancient Egypt, no matter what you social status was. They were known for wearing lots of jewellery in turquoise metals like gold and silver and small beads. This woman is wearing a gorgerine, which was a typical Egyptian necklace, existing of metal discs, worn on the chest. Minoan Snake Goddess figurine, 1600 BC, Herraklion Archaeological MuseumNote: This is one of a series of figurines, showing a woman holding a snake in each hand. It was found during excavation of Minoan archaeological sites in Crete. It represents a goddess. Little is known about their identity, but it tells us a lot of the way the Minoan women dressed themselves. Body: The goddess is wearing a tight bodice, which leaves the breasts bare. She also wears a long skirt which is comprised of seven overlapping flounces, which are strips of cloth, gathered and sewed on by its upper edge only. The flounces appear to be thick and were probably made of wool, a popular fabric used by the Minoan.Over the hips, she wears a double-apron, which is bordered with stripes and patterned with a simple diagonal grid of lines The skirt and apron are secured by a belt , which emphasizes the figure’s wasp-waist and accentuates the curve of the hips. Head: The headpiece , the goddess is wearing shows a series of three dark-painted, raised medallions. Accessories: The goddess is wearing a tiny bracelet on her right wrist. The Minoan were famous for their beautiful jewellery production. Note: This female Minoan figure is dressed in traditional Minoan clothing.The Minoans were known to have a more advance and complexed culture, which is shown in the artistically designed and skilfully made clothing they wore. The figure of the Minoan woman, with large breasts and hips and a tiny waist, as very similar to that of the late 1800 woman, who wore tight corsets to make their waist small and hoops under their skirts to increase the size of their bottom. Body: The woman is wearing a colourful blouse and skirt that shape the body well. The skirt is tight at the waist and flares out towards the bottom in a bell shape. The skirt consists of several strips of fabric, sewn together.The layers of fabric have a pointed shape in the centre, facing towards the floor. The blouse is close fitted to the body and has a low cut in the front to expose the breasts. Head: The woman has long dark hair, which hangs loose on her shoulders. Accessories: She wears ring shaped earrings and a belt, which was very common in the Minoan culture. Because a tiny waist was prized, some historians believe that Minoans would wear a heavy metal belt since their early childhood, forcing the waist to stop growing. Scene of Sacrifice, c. 540 B. C. Pitsa, National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greese, painting, wood.Note: This painting shows an animal sacrifice in Corinth. It is one of the 4 painted wood slabs of Pitsa that were found in 1934 near Sicyon in a cave above the village of Pitsa in Corinth. Body: The woman are wearing a blue peplos that is decorated with a pattern. It is a rectangular woollen fabric that is folded at the top, so that the top part falls over the body. The peplos is fastened at the shoulders with pins. Over the peplos, the woman are wearing a red cape, a chlaina. It is made up of a rectangular piece of fabric which is draped around the body.The young men in the painting are wearing a blue, short chiton which reaches their knees and is fastened at their left shouder with pins. Head: The woman have their long hair tied back in a ponytail, while the men have short cut hair. Accesoires: The figures are all wearing a wreath, a headpiece made of goldon leaves. Briseis and Phoenix Painting on a cup, Brygos, ca 490 B. C. , Vulci, Louvre Museum, Paris, France Note: This attic red-figure cup shows Phoenix and Briseis. It is an ancient Greek art work from the Classical period. Body: The woman is wearing a long chiton with many folds and pleats.The chiton is made of linen, a light fabric, suitable to the cimate and which makes it easier to form pleats with. The tunic is wrapped around her body and pinned along at the shoulders and arms, forming two loose fitted sleeves. The man is wearing a chiton as well, which reaches his feet. On top of the chiton he wears a himation, large piece of fabric, draped arount the body and used as a mantel. Both chitons are decorated with a playfull motif at the bottom. Head: The woman has her hair tight back into a bun, with some strings of hair falling loosy besides her face.The man has a long beard and his hair cut short. You can clearly see that he is old, due to his undyed white hair colour. Accesoires: Both man and woman wear a hairband. Statue of august, national museum of rome, 100 AC Note: This Ancient Roman statue shows Augustus. A Roman emperor who ruled the Roman Empire from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD. In that era, all men wore the same type of cloth, but the fabric and way it was worn, marked important social differences. Agustus, being an emperor is therefore a clear example of how people of higher social status would wear their clothes.Body: Augustus is wearing a tunica, an essential garment in the warderobe of the ancient Roman man. It consists of two pieces of rectangular fabric, one set on top of the other. It was sewn together at the sides and the top wit holes left for the head and arms. This tunica has long and wide sleeves. On top of the tunica, Augustus wears a toga. A long cloak which is draped around the body. Head: Augustus has short cut hair and his toga is draped around his head to form a hood. Court of Emperor Justinian with Macimian and court officialsand Praetorian Guards, Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, 547 AC, MosaikNote: A clear example of clothing from the Byzantium era. Body: Justinian, in the centre, is wearing an imperial chlamys with a large lozenge shaped goldon panel (tablion) and an opulent brooch. Underneath that he wears a white silk tunic with tight sleeves (Divistion), which is decorated with god stripes and circular roundles and gold embroidered rd shoes. The Dignitaries wear a white chlamys with a purple tablion an an embroidered tunic. The archbishop Maximianus we ars a goldon chasuble and a white dalmatic with very wide sleeves and purple stripes.Head: The figures have slightly long hair at the back. Maximianus is somewhat bold and has a little beard and mustache, just like some other men portrayed. Accesoires: Justinian wears a two-tired gemstone encrusted crown on his head and an opulent brooch that is fastened at his rght shoulder. Maximianus wears a pallium around his neck, a white wool strip which is decorated with a cross. The bikini girls, mosaic, 4th century AD, Roman Villa of Casale, Italy. Note: This piece of art, dating from the Diocletian period (186-305 AD) is evidence that the Romans were one of the first to wear a bikini.Although the woman depicted are wearing a bikini as sportswear and not as swimwear. Body: The female atheltes are wearing a two-piece swimsuit that resembles the bikini as we know it today. The top part covers the breasts and has no elastic bands tied around the arms, but is probably kept in place at the back. The bottom part, looks like it is a piece of fabric that is folded around the womans lower body. Head: The woman have different hairstyles. Most of them have their hair tied back, which is more comfortable when playing sports.Others have long hair that falls on their shoulders. Accessories: One of the woman in the centre is wearing a headpiece made of flowers, she is probably wearing it because she won the competition. The consular diptych of Manlius Boetius, who was consul in 487 AD, Santa Giulia Museum, Brescia, Italy. Note: This artwork resembles the type of clothing worn by the Barberians and Nomads. Their clothing style was more practical than that of the Romans and consisted of loose and simple garments. Body: Boetius wears an embroidered woollen toga which reaches the ankles.The toga has long sleeves, is draped around the body and wrapped around the right hip. Head/ Accesoires. : It looks like Boetius is wearing a diadem of goldon leaves on his head. This is a picture of Cha rlemagne is an example of how the fine linen and silk togas of the Romans disappeared and were replaced by the clothing of the less civilized people, the Romans had called Barbarians and Goths. Charlemagne always wore the traditional costume of the Frankish people. Body: He is wearing a blue silk cloak which is trimmed with bands of decoration. His legs are covered by a hose and he wears shoes at his feet.On top of his cloak he wears a red/brownish mantel that is loosly draped around his shoulders and fastened with a brooche at his right shoulder. The mantel is deorated at the neckline. Head/ Accesoires: On his head he wears a golden crown, embellished ith jewels. This template from the Middle-Ages shows what the knights would wear. The knits are wering under clthes that consists of a linen under-shirt and linen under pants. These would prevent the armor from chafing the Knights skin. They woul also wear a padded garment, known as a Doublet, that consisted of a quilted coat which wa s either sewn or stuffed with linen .It served as padding for additional armour worn over the top. Woollen stockings cover their legs and over their armour they wear a robe which is fastenedaround the waist, known as a Surcoat. The surcoat is emblazoned with the cote of arms or device of the Knight in order to identify the knight in the battle. On their head they were a helmetwhich is slightly pointed at the back. Nicephorus III and Officers, c. 1074-1081, Bibliotheque nationale de France Manuscript Coislin. This painting of the Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus iII, is a good example of Byzantine Imperial costume. The emperor is magnificently attired in Byzantine silk.Over his blue and goldon tunic he wears a darker bue cloak, fastened by a gold-and-ruby brooch and decorated with a large tablion, woven of gold thread. On his head he wears a bejewelled crown and around his neck a superhumeral, which is a imperial decorative collar. The Arnolfini Portrait, Jan van Eyck, 1434, Oil on oak, National Gallery, London. This painting is believed to be a portrait of the Italian merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnofili and his wife. It is a very realistic painting and therefore a good example of Late Medieval costume. The two figures are richly dressed.The man’s tabard, a short sleeveless cape, and woman’s dress are both lined with fur, judging from this we can say that they are both wearing their outerwear. The woman’s dress has elaborate dagging (cloth folded and sewn together, then cut and frayed decoratively) on the sleeves and a long train. Underneath her green dress, she wears a blue underdress which is trimmed with white fur and has long tight sleeves. The man’s tabard is made from purple silk and has long full sleeves which are tight at the wrists. Head: The man wears a hat of plaited straw, dyed black, as often worn in the summer all the time.The woman wears a white cotton wimple on her head. Accesoires: The woman wears a brown leather belt around her waist. The only other jewelry visible are the woman’s plain gold necklace and rings. Rogier van der Weyden, Portrait of a Lady, c. 1460, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C. Van der Weyden portrayed this woman in high fashionable clothing. The woman wears an elegant low-cut black dress with dark bands of fur at the neck and wrists. This type of clothing resembles the then-fashionable Burgundian style, which emphasises on the tall and thin aesthetic of the Gothic ideal.The dress is buckled with a bright red sash below her breasts. The buckle is gold. Head: On her head she wears a buff-coloured hennin headdress that is draped with a large transparent veil, which spills over her shoulders, reaching her upper arms. The veil forms a diamond shape and matches the transparent vest worn under her dress. Her hair is pulled backwards in a tight knot. Accessories: The woman wears a gold necklace and 2 rings around her fingers. Sant’Orsola e le compagne, miniatura , 1380 , Parigi, Biblioteca Nazionale Body: The women are wearing dresses with a low round neckline.The top of the dresses fit closely to the body while the skirt hangs loose and has several pleats. The sleeves are long and wide at the cuffs. The underdress is of a different colour and visible at the wrists and its sleeves fit tightly around the arms. Some dresses have a simple print. Head: The woman wear a hat that consists of a frame of wirework, covered with embroidery or other trimmings. Titian, Portrait of Philip II of Spain (1527-1598), 16th century, oil on canvas. Body: Philip II is wearing a silk doublet in a gold/brown colour with a decorative print.The pants, breeches, he is wearing, falls just above the knees and is of the same fabric as the doublet. Under the breeches he wears a white hose. Philip also wears a mandilion on top of his outfit, a loose hip-length coat that is decorated with a pattern. Head: Phillip has his hair cut very short and a tiny beard and pointed mo ustache. Accessories: Accessories were very important in the 16th century as they represented wealth. Phillip wears several bracelets and rings and a necklace. Shoes: Philip wears simple white silk flat shoes. Marcus Gheerraerts the Younger, Portrait of Elisabeth I, c. 592, National Portrait Gallery, London. Body: Elisabeth I wears a crimson gown that is barley visible on either side of her waist. The gown has a white satin lining that matches the petticoat, bodice and hanging sleeves. Her petticoat is pinned to a cartwheel farthingale. The bodice has a broad, low, square neckline and ends in a V-shape at the front of the waist. The shoulders are very wide and puffed. Head/ Accessories: Elisabeth I wears gloves and a van in her hands. Her jewellery consists of several necklaces of pearls reaching the waist, a flower shaped necklace and some beads in her hair.She also has a high standing ruff around her neck of a transparent fabric and a crown on the back of her head. Giovanni Battis ta Moroni, An Italian Tailor, c. 1570, National Gallery London. Body: The Italian Tailor wears a light pink, tight fitted doublet over a heavily padded red hose. The doublet is fastened by a row of pearl buttons at the centre front. His white blouse, worn underneath the doublet, has some small ruffles at the cuffs and the neckline. Head: His hair is cut short and he has a small beard and moustache. Accessories: The man only wears a brown leather belt around his waist.Manteau, ca. 1685-90, Contemporary fashion plate by Bonnard Body: The woman wears a mantua. Instead of a bodice and skirt cut separately, the mantua hung from the shoulders to the floor. This mantua is looped and draped over a contrasting petticoat. The dress has a low squared neckline and short puffed sleeves that reach just below the elbows. The petticoat is fastened at the centre front with decorative buckles. Both petticoat and mantua are embellished with a print. Head: The woman’s curly hair is worn swept up into a high pile. She also wears a scarf in her hair.Accessories: She has some bracelets around her left wrist and wears a cross formed necklace. Portrait, c. 1660, France Body: The man wears a large simple dark coat that is embroidered on the left shoulder. Underneath this he wears a long-sleeved ruffled white shirt, which can only be seen at the wrists. A small falling collar with round edges, made of lace, hangs around his neck. Head: The man doesn’t wear a wig and shoes his natural long dark fuzzy hair. He has little facial hair around his lips. Fashion plate, Jean de St Jean, 1688, France Body:

Homeland Security Essay

1. Who should be responsible for protecting the public from online identity theft? Why? There is no real answer to this question. Except In my opinion the government should be responsible from protecting the public from online identity theft. I say this because there are certain things that should be monitored. Not the social websites or websites you go into and play games. The government should monitor when people go to certain websites such as Bank of America or Wells Fargo. These websites should be monitored (no more such as when you login you can see your username and password no) they should be monitored in a way to where your bank statements can be kept on track from day to day. 2. Should laws be changed to stop it, or should consumers change behavior? Consumers should change their behavior from time to time if needed be. There are laws that have stopped Identity theft. One of which is The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This law makes it illegal for anyone to distribute or computer code or place it in the stream of commerce. There are many other different laws on Identity theft. Some of which are on a website. 3. What is an appropriate punishment for identity thieves? Considering the expense and problems associated with the crime, it should be addressed as a on less than a felony offense, regardless of the monetary amount of money or goods involved. 4. Given the international nature of the internet, how should foreign identity thieves be handled? There really is no way to handle foreign identity thieves unless they are caught by the police or government first. If by chance they were to be caught, it should be addressed as a felony offense given the fact that they logged into someone’s personal information, which should account on Substantive Due Process. Which is the right to privacy.

Implentation of effective youth justice practice Essay

Implentation of effective youth justice practice - Essay Example This learning journey has enabled me as a practitioner to develop the necessary expertise and also to effectively implement strategies and interventions which lead to the two primary functions of supporting young people who need to re-adjust to lead non criminal lives. This expertise includes applying a variety of strategies and approaches that I have attained as a practitioner in the course of my studies. The knowledge and expertise that one gains from the course is not, however, focused merely on dealing with young offenders but also includes developing my personal capacity to ensure a reflective approach to my work. The youth justice practitioner is trained to develop a discerning and critical attitude towards their area of expertise as well as ensure that the same is fundamentally ethical, sound and based on correct and accurate knowledge. This is achieved by gaining a thorough and extensive knowledge of the England and Wales youth justice system and the immediate application of this knowledge, not only to one’s work as a professional but also within the context of a multi-agency setting. The need to be reflective in our practice and critically analyse outcomes to influence future processes is I believe imperative in the ability to develop our own practice and the delivery of a continually improving service. It emphasizes the need to consciously structure reflection in area s where in the past we as practitioners have perhaps ‘naturally’ carried out our own analysis. The need to formalise this process has been amplified over the years. The truth is that while the main purpose of the adult criminal justice system is to punish the criminal according to the level of his or crime, the aim of the juvenile justice system is to apply rehabilitation or mentoring to juvenile offenders in order to prevent further crimes and to change their delinquent

Perception Dependence Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Perception Dependence Argument - Essay Example For instance, by stating that X=Y and Y=Z, it implies that X=Z. This is an example of logical arguments. However, there are arguments that are based on incorrect principles of logics, leading to logical fallacies and false or illogical conclusions. One type of argument that has attracted a lot of debates and controversy with regards to the truth about its premises and inferences/conclusions is perception-dependent argument. This paper thus evaluates whether the premises of the perception-Dependent Argument are true. In addition, the paper explores whether the argument’s inference are good. Perception Dependent Arguments The awareness or apprehension of one’s environment through senses such as sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste is referred to as perception, a study area that has continued to intrigue not only philosophers but also other scholars since historical times2. One reason perception-dependent arguments have always been considered fallacious is the problem creat ed by the association of perception with hallucinations and illusions. Both hallucination and illusion refer to situations in which a person perceives objects in ways that in which they do not exist. Thus, the possibilities of errors occasioned by illusions and hallucinations make the true nature of arguments based on perception questionable. Because of illusion- and hallucination-related errors, arguments, their premises and inferences, always based on perception, lead to questions on whether perceptions are intuitively what they appear to be. Perceptions could therefore not be directly linked to reality and neither are they necessarily the immediate access to reality. The possibility of hallucination and illusion errors in perception dependent arguments therefore challenges the logical nature of arguments based on perceptions. Illusion refers to a situation in which an object or subject is perceived to appear in way other than it really is. For instance, using a yellow light in a house with white walls make the walls appear have yellow color. Another example of illusion is the sour taste of a sweet drink if consumed immediately after consuming a sweeter drink. It should however be noted that illusion does not imply there is deception since one is not deceived into believing that objects are not what they are. In other words, there is a possibility that one may actually be aware that he/she is experiencing an illusion. From the illusion and hallucination errors that perception dependent arguments are prone to, it is imperative that the obvious truth of peoples’ experiences and the perception-related errors in arguments are reconciled. The perceptual experiences otherwise referred to as openness to the world, which lead to true premises and good inferences in arguments, have been consistently challenged by the existence of illusions and hallucinations. From its definition, it is apparent that basing one’s arguments on illusion will most likely re sult in false premises and bad conclusions/inferences. Arguments based on perceptions (illusions and hallucinations) always occur through certain steps. When one is under illusion, an object appears to have some characteristic or quality F. In reality, the object under view, feel, taste, or touch does not always have the perceived quality. Interestingly, another object encountered or experienced somewhere by the person under illusion possesses the quality/feature F perceived by the person. In

Energy Power as a Soft Weapon in Resurgent Russia's Foreign Policy Coursework

Energy Power as a Soft Weapon in Resurgent Russia's Foreign Policy - Coursework Example Russia has inherited much of the former Soviet Union’s hard power including a powerful nuclear arsenal and a sophisticated army. It is in a position to capitalize on the ever-increasing instability in the Middle East and the consequent dramatic rise in the oil price.The interests of the Russian energy sector and the foreign policy goals of the Russian states are not only interrelated but also closely intertwined. To a great extent, the energy sector in Russia acts as the global carriers of the Russian state’s immensely self-assertive foreign policy. On the other hand, the international expansion of Russia’s premier energy enterprises is enormously assisted by the potentials of the Russian state. Oil companies such as Gazprom and Lukoil have strengthened their markets word wide and secured sensitive energy ventures. Their influence goes cut through strategically important places in Europe. Even the United States has come to rely much upon Russian energy resources. Moreover, Europe’s energy security is considerably depended upon the energy resources of Russia. Hill (2004) makes it clear that â€Å"on the surface, given prevailing concerns about energy security and increasing demand in the rising economies of Asia on Russia’s eastern borders, Russia’s future prospects in energy seem extremely promising† ( Hill, 2004, p.29). Thanks to the increases in oil production since 1999, Russia is now the world’s major non-OPEC, and non-Middle East and the Persian Gulf, oil supplier. As Peter Davies, BP’s chief economist, pointed out in his June 2004 presentation of BP’s annual Statistical Review of World Energy, thanks to its fast growth in oil production, between 1998-2003, â€Å"Russia alone supplied 46 percent of world oil consumption growth †¦ and exceeded Chinese consumption growth by 23 percent†¦ Russia has the resource base and the potential to increase oil and gas production and exports further – to supply a significant proportion of the world’s rising demands ... Russia can – and will – supply an important part of the growing energy needs of Asia†.

How is the AIS (automatic identification system) effective in Kuwait Thesis

How is the AIS (automatic identification system) effective in Kuwait coast guard operation - Thesis Example These systems, particularly the AIS Class A, have provided a wide range of benefits such as effective vessel identification and the provision of accurate information to national security forces and the Vessel Traffic Management Systems, or VTMS. Moreover, the application of ship-to-ship AIS has become an increasingly valuable option for mariners to be used as an efficient instrument that will improve situational awareness (Norris 2006). Regulations to utilise AIS in all vessels fall under the international standards of improving the safety and security among maritime transporters through the provision of information regarding locations and vessel identities. Aside from national security, the AIS can also make its contribution to environmental protections and procedures that require the rescue of vessels vulnerable to threats or attacks (Norris 2006). 1.2 The Role of Kuwaiti Coast Guard Kuwait remains to be a small country that holds a strategic position, increasing its vulnerability. It is surrounded by Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia and is easily within a short distance of missile range from its three major neighbors (CS 2010). Due to Kuwait’s considerable wealth and large oil reserves as well as a lack of safe and secured routes for oil exports, it has become a target for the surrounding countries. Maritime boundaries with Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq have been an important concern for Kuwait, with the country encountering numerous maritime attacks over the years, particularly from Iran and Iraq (Knights 2005). Despite perceiving the hostility of Iraq and other neighboring countries, in 2008, the Kuwait’s naval forces signed the Khawr Abd Allah Protocols, or the KAA Protocols, which referred to a maritime bilateral military agreement for the coordinated use of the KAA waterway and acquire security and stability. Although Kuwait has established defense agreements with United Nations Security Council members and has utilised procurement programmes i n reinforcing these associations, the security of Kuwait has highly relied upon the US and has received from $3 million annually as financial assistance to combat terrorist attacks and meet other security objectives, with the Navy and its coast guards as part of such sanctions. This has allowed units to develop technologies through research and development programmes such as the detection and identification of incoming maritime irregularities (CS 2010). The Kuwaiti Navy includes an estimate of 2,700 personnel including 500 coast guards with its limited naval forces focusing on the protection of their coastline, support of customs, and implementation of missions against infiltration. The Kuwaiti Navy had been established immediately after Kuwait became fully independent from Britain (CSIS 2006). During the Persian Gulf War, the country’s military defenses were highly dependent on foreign contractors to provide their training, logistics, maintenance, and actual operations; cons equently, the readiness of the Navy and the rest of Kuwait’s defenses were at a poor level. At present, their equipment includes fast attack crafts, support ships, special operations patrol boats, interceptor crafts, diving support vessels, hydrographic support vessels and harbor tugs (CIA 2006). Tracking methods have also been emphasized to provide geographical information along

Religion and Theology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Religion and Theology - Essay Example Sufism has a various significance or importance, and they encompass helping to mold big parts of the Muslim society. Sufism pursuits for an unswerving supernatural understanding of God and of his love; its objective is to develop away from plain logical understanding to a supernatural encounter that would immerse man in the immensity of God. Sufism had an essential part in the creation of Muslim communities as it cultivated the multitudes and fulfilled their felt necessities, providing the spiritual significance to their lives and guided feelings. Sufis are vital teachers who transform new constituencies to Islam. Mysticism is an encounter of the straight closeness with Divinity. Mysticism is attractive because it includes the exercise of meditation both in the logical wisdom of the review of reality and in the paranormal sense of having understanding of God through a life of prayer. It is initially practical and not theoretical, where it engages the whole self. It is, thus, true to say that, mysticism is found in all the key religious traditions with the common presumption that all mystical encounters are similar and cannot be illustrated. #2) my answer is; The five pillars of Islam bid an agreement of training in the middle of the civilization`s rich collection. The pillars comprise the affirmation of faith, and according to this pillar, a Muslim is any person who witnesses that there is only one God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God. By declaring this plain statement, which is recognized as the shahadah, a person becomes a Muslim. The initial portion of the shahadah confirms the monotheism of Islam as an inflexible faith in the unity of God, while another pillar involves the prayer, which encourages the Muslims all over the world to adore God (Esposito, Fasching& Lewis, 2012). They are supposed to pray five times a day including daybreak, at noontime, midafternoon, sunset, and in the evening. Prayer is led by a pattern of washings to cleanse the body and to signify the cleanliness of mind and body needed to worshipping God. The next pillar is the almsgiving pillar; this pillar emphasizes that Muslims have the responsibility to attend to the social welfare of their society by remedying differences together with sharing correspondingly all their roles to worship God. This is done together with the yearly contribution of two point five percent of a person`s accumulated richness and assets. The forth pillar is the fasting of Ramadan, where Muslims are supposed to fast during the ninth month of Islam’s lunar datebook. This done by all vigorous Muslims who refrain from having meals, drinks, and sex from morning to evening. The main aim of this period is to encourage self-control, meditation as well as the enactment of great works; this period is ended by a great feast marked as the holy day in the calendar of Muslims. The journey of Mecca is the fifth and the last pillar, which comes after Ramadan; this pillar inspires all Muslims who are economically and substantially able to carry out the trip to Mecca one time in their generation. This journey unites the Islamic society, as it is the spiritual center. #3) my answer is; According to research, both Sunni and Shiite Muslims share the greatest vital Islamic principles and apprenticeships of faith. The variances amid these two main subdivisions within Islamic are primarily not from spiritual variances, but political differences; nevertheless, the political variances have resulted into a number of changing activities and points that have come to carry a divine importance. The separation among Sunni and Shiite formerly began after the expiry of the prophet Muhammad, and