How does Kant support God’s existence? Essay

Immanuel Kant feels that no-one, human or otherwise, can â€Å"know† that God exists. This is due to various flaws and necessities for humanity. For one, when we cannot have an a posteriori proof for God’s existence due to the fact that it is completely dependent on our personal experience of the world and, therefore, our senses. This is not to be relied upon as we can never see the world for what it really is; only what it appears to us. Kant names the real world, the world we cannot see, the Noumenal World. The world which we perceive through our senses is known to him as the Phenomenal World. The Phenomenal World is the way it is as we cannot help but see the world in a spatio-temporal state of mind, as we are spatio-temporal beings ourselves. The Noumenal World is inexperienceable to us because it really is completely unknowable. Therefore, we cannot know God’s existence as we cannot make correct a posteriori arguments for it, due to our biased and incorrect perception of the world around us. However, Kant also feels that God must always remain a â€Å"necessary postulate of practical reason†. This means that although we cannot, in any way, prove God’s existence, the world will only ever make sense if we postulate, or assume, that God exists. Kant also felt that God’s existence is beyond the experience of our five senses, and so we cannot ever know that He exists through either our senses and, through them, our mind. It is amongst these principles that Kant’s â€Å"moral† argument for the existence of God is based. Kant’s argument for the existence of God is as follows: firstly, it must be understood that the aim of all morality is the â€Å"Summum Bonum†, or the highest good. This highest good is both moral perfection and perfect happiness. For the Summum Bonum to be achieved, these must both be present, as one cannot be without the other. Morality, a universal concept, demands of us that we must aim for this Summum Bonum. We must all strive to be perfectly good, attain moral perfection and the perfect happiness. However, we cannot possibly achieve this ultimate good. This is due to the fact that we are flawed, weak and contingent beings, prone to mistakes and filled with imperfections. Although we may be able to strive towards virtue in our thought and conduct, we cannot achieve true happiness along with it to ensure perfection. We cannot achieve what we deserve for our efforts because we are not omnipotent. Therefore, we cannot hope to achieve this Summum Bonum. However, in Kant’s point of view, â€Å"ought implies can†. This means that if we are obliged to achieve the Summum Bonum, or highest good, then it must mean that it is achievable. Kant says it is â€Å"a necessity connected with duty as a requisite to presuppose the possibility of this highest good†. This means that because we are required by our sense of duty to try to bring about the Highest Good, it must, therefore, be a possibility; it must be attainable. However, this poses a natural contradiction: we cannot possibly hope to do something, and yet we are expected to do it, because we can. This means that we cannot achieve this ultimate good alone, but we must have outside help, from an external and omnipotent agency, or God. We also have an unlimited time to achieve this good in, immortality, which gives way to a definite afterlife. â€Å"Therefore†, Kant concludes, â€Å"it is morally necessary to assume the existence of God†. In this argument, there are two major assumptions upon which the argument rests upon. These are that, firstly, there is an absolute moral order within the world. This is shown to us through both the Bible and Church teachings. Another of the major assumptions is that we, humanity as a whole, are responsible to some transcendent self, in our unconsciousness. This means that we do not feel guilt, do to morality, to our superior, equals or inferiors in society. Rather, all our guilt is towards God. We all account towards him. Therefore, although Kant feels that we cannot possibly prove God’s existence, he feels that His existence must be a necessary postulate for the world to make sense. He, therefore, doesn’t necessarily make sense of God’s existence and support it using his moral argument, but, instead, he uses it to make sense of, and support, morality and why it exists. He had no intention of ever arguing towards the existence of God. Instead he vehemently opposed it, using our senses as our drawback in our arguments.

SOP for International Business Management in Fleming College

Pursuing a post Graduate in International Business Management is a dream, a goal and often a path to a future career. For inc, it is also a responsibility that I owe to myself and a commitment I have to-others. I have realized in the tOday's world that originality is ofte-n sacrificed for time and money. ] want to fully explore the knowledge of Ex p-orts,Imports and Business Management, fully expand on-the insights that it provides and_get my career started. Choosing IBM (International Business Management) as'a career would help launch ray career with a decent business. hich involves interacting with people_ I like to communicate with poople, act like a mediato. r, and solve their problems whether it may relate to rec rui ti ng or dealing with employees. I would like to oversee the business of managing people in an organization. Basically. I am a Mathematics Major. Majority. of my courseivork included fundamentals, derivation, evolutioniproblems and solutions. International Business Mana. gemcnt was on6d lily favorite subject. It is this liking for the subject, which inclines me,toTursue a Post Graduate diploma in International Business Management in your college.Business Management Study Guide Moreover, it is highly in demand in today's modern and competitive world. As a International Business professional has become:important part:of successful company with a-wide-variety of responsibilities. I would consider myself fortunate enough, if. I get to become a part of the team. Additionally, I strongly believe teamwork I choose International Business Management because the current need of the present and the future depends on the placements of business in the right direction. Your program with its,tlexibility and strength of curricultirmand couisework would allow me to further my understanding in this interdisciplinary approach to these complex of business issues that people face daily in their work environment. I am confident I can enhance the scholarly debate in the discipline of conflict resolution. â€Å"We live only once, but if we live right, once is enough†. The same truth applies to one's career decision because the career you choose is going to live with you through out your life and the education you perceive was, is and will be you're most loyal friend and which will help you achieve your career goals. Moreover, education is an investment that will reap rich dividends in the future ; will never go a waste. So one has to make wise career decisions in life for which he may not have to repent in the future. International business management refers to the effective management of business transactions that are to be performed across various countries. This is done to satisfy the objectives of people and organizations. Thus a firm should he aware of various issues while entering foreign markets. There are key political, cultural, social, legal and environmental issues that every organization must fully cover to ensure the smooth running of its business in foreign shores. Failure to do so may lead to may obstacles. It is always effective to take a proactive measure while conducting business in foreign markets. MY interest towards International Business and the knowledge gathered through college at my Master's in Business administration created a passion towards business field education tempted inc to act as a entrepreneur . Since we had only few specialization in my campus j could take only Finance and Marketing. I was first exposed with sales nature were i could find lots of customer relationship activity. At present am fit in Axis Bank Pvt Ltd as a Officer. I realize it is tough for a returning student; however. I do not believe in quitting. Lastly. I always want to succeed. Success here is twofold. First, it is personal success for me in the program. Next, it is my commitment to give you my very best, by learning International Business Management theory and taking it to the classroom and beyond. If I am accepted. I am sure you will not be disappointed. You will find me to be a committed and capable student and an enthusiastic advocate of business.

Blizzard the Century

Blizzards, the most dangerous of all winter storms are characterized by 20 degrees Fahrenheit and winds of at least 35 miles per hour. Along with low temperatures and wind, blizzards also bring in heavy snowfall (Blizzards, 1999). The second week of March 1993 is a significant date in the history of the Eastern United States because it is the day when it was struck by one of the most intense blizzards ever known. Record low pressures, wind speeds, low temperatures and snowfall amounts guaranteed that this storm would win the title â€Å"Storm of the Century† even while it lasted.Later, it came to be referred to as â€Å"Superstorm '93† or â€Å"The 1993 Superstorm† (Wendland, 1993). This was a highly devastative storm that killed over 250 people and resulted in the canceling of almost 25% of the United States flights for two days. It simultaneously affected the lives of 130,000,000 people in the United States. While it may not be the worst storm ever, it did affe ct a large area. On the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale it would have been a category 3. The storm affected 26 states and 50% of the US population. Formation:From March 12th to the 15th, 1993, the blizzard of the century caused huge damage to the Easter United States. According to computerized information from the National Weather Service, an intense winter storm was beginning to form and grow significantly in the Gulf of Mexico. It was found that the storm was the outcome of three different atmospheric disturbances: a major cluster of thunderstorms in the Gulf of Mexico, a band of snow and rain from the Pacific, and gusty winds with light snow from the Arctic Circle (Sander and Conner, 2006). Weather forecasters described the phenomenon as a â€Å"disorganized area of low pressure†.As they observed it closely, they predicted that a terrible storm can bubble up from the Gulf of Mexico, if the low pressure area happens to meet colder air over the northern areas of the United St ates. This happened very soon. The low pressure area was met by an arctic high pressure system in the Midwestern Great Plains, brought into the mid-latitudes by an unusually steep southward jet stream. When the powerful high-pressure system entered the Great Plains through the unusually southward polar jet stream, the cold weather moved into the eastern part of the United States naturally.Because of this temperatures dropped to below freezing point of water and snow fall occurred. A cyclonic low pressure system that happened to be spinning directly to the south of Nova Scotia added to the low temperatures and snowfall and this set the stage for the truly fearsome storm. By Thursday, March 12th, the storm became very perceptible on the Florida coast due to its high winds, tornadoes and a storm surge twelve feet above normal. The next day, the storm moved across the southeastern states, leaving destruction and total chaos all along its path and paralyzing Eastern Kentucky (Sander and Conner, 2006).Description: The storm caused wide and varied effect across the nations. There were thunderstorms in Texas. Usually, Texas has only rain and not much snow. The blizzard of 1993 brought to Texas in March, a lot of snow fall. In the state of Florida the barometric pressure dropped to record lows, and as the thunderstorms swept across the state, eleven tornadoes claimed seven lives. A mild snowfall began over upstate New York and New England between 6:00 and 7:00 am Saturday, March 13. This increased in intensity and soon the blizzard raced through the Mid Atlantic states.Snowflakes the size of a person’s fist was reported for a time with the passage of one of the thunder snow bands at Bridgeport, CT (UCAR, 2006). Due to the combination of heavy snow and high winds, there was zero visibility at most places. New York and the six New England States all declared disaster emergencies during the height of the storm. Most of the major roads were closed to travel and thes e included the Northway, I-88, Thruway, and Massachusetts turnpike. Secondary roads were already blocked by snow.Almost all airports were shut down. Snow piled up to record levels for many cities in the Northeast (UCAR, 2006). Impact of the Blizzard: The blizzard of 1993 was one that broke many records in the history of Kentucky, through the amount of snowfall and size. The travel department was the most affected and over 4,000 motorists were stranded. To cope with this crisis situation, emergency shelters were set up over much of Eastern Kentucky. High school gyms and public facilities were opened up for stranded people to sleep in.The National Guard was brought in for their services in order to clear roads, and to open twenty armories as additional shelters for motorists. There needed to be immediate disaster relief. Public Works met this challenge by plowing and removing snow, salting streets and checking for icy conditions (PPW, 2006). Crews worked around the clock to restore sa fe driving conditions, and Pittsburgh streets quickly returned to normal (PPW, 2006). Record low temperatures were predominant in the land area stretching from the Gulf Coast to Maine. Every major airport along the east coast was forced to close.Homes also fell into the sea or received damage by wind or waves on the west coast of Florida, along the outer banks of North Carolina, and on Long Island. Fallen tree limbs and power lines left 3 million people along the storm’s path in the dark (Sherman, 2006). The blizzard caused dramatic weather changes in many places such as Birmingham, Alabama, Atlanta, Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee which were buried by paralyzing snows and frozen by unseasonable cold. The severe cold following the storm preserved much of the snow, prolonging travel nightmares for a couple days over the south where most roads were never plowed.The combined effects of high wind and heavy wet snow downed thousands of miles of power lines leaving millions of people in the dark for up to a week in some cases over the south. Tornadoes struck Tennessee and Ohio valleys, as well as the Appalachians on Friday night March 12 (UCAR, 2006). The tornadoes along with highly powerful straight line winds from the parent severe thunderstorms, and the massive storm surge along the west coast, inflicted millions of dollars in property damage. During the peak of the storm, roughly 1/3 of the country was simultaneously being affected by harsh winter weather.Insurance claims from Texas to Maine tallied damage estimates in the billions of dollars. The toll in human life was extensive. Approximately 285 fatalities nationwide can be directly attributed to the storm. The psychological impact in the Southern states, where average high temperatures in March tend to run into the 60s Fahrenheit, was magnified by the fact that it struck a week before spring. A NASCAR event at Atlanta Motor Speedway had to be postponed a week due to the storm. Many factory roofs c ollapsed due to weight of the snow.Snowdrifts on the leeward sides of buildings resulted in the falling of poorly anchored decks in houses. Many people had to be rescued from the Appalachians and many of them were on the Appalachian trail, or visiting cabins and lodges in remote locales. Boone, North Carolina was surprised by 24 hours of sub zero temperatures along with storm winds, which gusted as high as 110 miles per hour. Electricity was not restored to many isolated rural areas for a week or more. Farther to the South, numerous super cells developed over the state of Florida, leading tornadoes and lightning strikes. Impact Data:This blizzard was the largest in terms of the area it affected. More than half of the country's population in twenty-six different states was affected by the blizzard of 1993. 44 deaths in Florida were attributed either to the tornadoes or other severe weather (Lott, 1993). During the storm, school activities and government services in 30 counties were a ffected. In fact 73 out of Kentucky's 120 counties were found to be eligible for reimbursement for the cost of emergency snow removal. The massive March 1993 blizzard killed five people in Kentucky and over 270 people nationwide (Lott, 1993).The damage costs exceeded 1. 6 billion dollars. Hence, the blizzard of 1993 became the fourth costliest storm in U. S. history. At least 18 homes fell into the sea on Long Island due to the pounding surf. About 200 homes along North Carolina's Outer Banks were damaged and may be uninhabitable. Over 160 people were rescued at sea by the Coast Guard in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic. At least 1 freighter sank in the Gulf of Mexico (Lott, 1993). Scientific Data: The storm stretched from Canada to Central America. But the main impact was felt in the Eastern United States and Cuba.Areas as far south as Atlanta, Georgia received 5 to 50 inches (13 to 130 cm) of snow, accompanied by hurricane-force wind gusts and record low barometric pressures. Prior to the storm, the record for a single day's snowfall had been 18 inches in Kentucky. This snowfall covered most of Eastern and Southeastern Kentucky with about 30 inches of snow. London, Kentucky measured a depth of 22 inches, while Jackson and Closplint both had 20 inches of snow on the ground. The maximum snowfall was measured at Perry County – 30 inches.Powerful winds raged across Kentucky blocking any kind of relief effort put up by people. Winds up to 43 miles per hour were recorded in Pike Co. , and a 30-mph clip blew over much of the state. The heavy snows, coupled with high winds created large snow drifts – 8-10 feet in many places such as Pikeville and London – over roads and highways. I-75 from Lexington to the Tennessee border was shut down for two days, as was I-64 from Lexington eastward. All state and federal highways south of I-64 and east of I-75 were also closed.The maximum snow depth recorded from the blizzard was 56 inches on Mt. Leconte in T ennessee. Millions of people woke up to snowfalls as deep and frequently deeper than 3 feet (1 meter), and in places high winds had heaped drifts to depths of 30 feet (9. 5 meters). It was later measured that the snowfall put down by the storm was nearly 12. 91 cubic miles (53. 96 cubic kilometers). As the storm moved northward, it became stronger and stronger and caused severe drops in pressure. The barometric pressure in parts of New England dropped to record low levels – 28. 35 inches Hg (960 mb).Such low reading is usually seen only in the centers of extraordinarily strong hurricanes. Across may parts of New England, temperatures on the worst blizzard day (March 13, 1993) failed to exceed 14 °F (-10 °C), which was a unusual phenomenon in this region. Birmingham recorded a record low of 2 degrees Fahrenheit during the storm. Fifteen tornadoes in Florida killed 44 while 6 inches of snow fell on the Florida Panhandle. Mount LeConte in Tennessee received 56 inches of snow . 43 inches fell at Syracuse, NY, 27 in Albany, NY, 20 inches at Chattanooga, TN, 16 in Roanoke, VA.Winds over 100 were reported on the Dry Tortugas (west of Key West, FL), in North Carolina on Flattop Mountain while winds over hurricane force were reported from Louisiana and Florida to New York and New England (Sherman, 2006). The storm also set records for snowfall in places such as Birmingham, Alabama, where 33 centimeters fell, and Cooperstown, New York, which had 71 centimeters. Powerful winds that were stronger than many hurricane forces smashed the gulf coast, Appalachians, and eastern seaboard. Equipment on oil drilling platforms off the Louisiana coast measured the wind power as close to 99 mph on Friday evening, March 12.Winds estimated up to120 mph blasted the Florida west coast early Saturday, March 13, producing a six to ten foot storm surge. Winds up to 100 mph were measured over the mountains of North Carolina Saturday afternoon, March 13. And, 81 mph winds measured a t Boston's Logan International airport Saturday evening, March 13, closed the facility and aided in the shut down of the city. Snowfall Records: The incredible data can be summarized as follows (UCAR, 2006): †¢ 35. 6 inches of snow in twenty four hours (10am Saturday – 10am Sunday. ) The previous record was 27. 2 inches set in January 1925.†¢ 22. 1 inches of snow on Saturday, March 13, breaking the old snowfall record for that date which was 4. 1 inches set in 1961. †¢ 19. 9 inches of snow on Sunday, March 14, breaking the old snowfall record for that date which was 8. 6 inches set in 1956. †¢ Seasonal snowfall by March 14 measured 174. 8 inches making the 1992-'93 season the snowiest on record, breaking the old record of 166. 9 inches set in the winter of 1991-'92 †¢ March snowfall totaled 49. 3 inches as of March 14 making March 1993 the snowiest on record at Syracuse breaking the old record of 41.4 inches set in 1932. Thunderstorms and Lightning: O n Saturday morning, March 13, 1993, people in the Eastern United States heard the raging sound of strong wind and the crashing sounds of thunder. They could see flashes of light amidst heavy blowing snow. They were perplexed. How could there be thunder and lightning in the middle of a blizzard. Although it is an unusual occurrence, thunderstorms can accompany a snowstorm. This weather phenomenon is known as thundersnow. Snow falls are produced when warm rising moist air meets too cold air close to the earth’s surface.Most snowstorms do not produce thunder and lightning because the dynamics in the atmosphere are not unstable enough to create this interesting phenomenon. Only an extremely powerful winter storm system, if accompanied by intensely cold air in the upper regions of the troposphere, can produce thundersnow. The blizzard of 1993 also produced an unusually large number of lightning flashes – up to 5000 an hour. Richard Orville, of Texas A & M University, has st udied this blizzard lightning (Orville, 1993)), examining data from a network of magnetic direction finders.These devices were used to record the characteristics of lightning flashes from cloud to ground across the US. Each of the flashes recorded in Orville's survey was reported by at least two direction finders within 600 kilometers of the flash. At this range, the detectors can distinguish between flashes carrying negative charge downwards, which accounts for most of them, and those carrying positive charge downwards which produce the remaining 13 per cent. There was maximum lightning near Florida, probably because of the warmth of the waters of the Gulf Stream.Overall, the storm produced 59 000 cloud-to-ground flashes, with a peak of 5100 flashes an hour and a maximum density of strikes of 0. 16 per square kilometer just south of Tampa, Florida. Orville in the New Scientist, dated 11 September 1993 said: â€Å"The reasons for the high flash rates [and] the apparent rapid cessat ion of cloud-to-ground lightning as the storm propagated north of the Carolinas is still to be determined. † Subtropical Derecho: In addition to the blizzard, a serial derecho occurred in the U. S. state of Florida on March 12 and 13, 1993.The derecho moved into Florida and Cuba around midnight on March 13 and moved out of Cuba just before sunrise. During its stay, the derecho resulted in ten tornadoes one of which killed three people when it struck a home. In Cuba wind gusts ranged between 100 to 130 mph according to a research team from the Institute of Meteorology of Cuba. The derecho resulted in 10 deaths in Cuba and caused US$1 billion in damage in Cuba alone (Wikipedia, 2006). The Human Angle: Media reporting on the Blizzard of 1993 have helped to keep the memories of that historical day alive.â€Å"†¦ The Blizzard of '93 is about to commence †¦ All preparations should have been made †¦ I wonder what the forecaster who sat here 105 years ago today [was th inking]. † – Warren Snyder, Senior Forecaster for the National Weather Service Office in Albany, New York typed these words in his early morning state forecast discussion on March 13, 1993 (Smith, 2006). Eric Thomas on WBTV-Charlotte declared that â€Å"†¦ this may not be just the storm of the century†¦ but the strongest storm in the history of mankind.† The New York Times reported: â€Å"The Blizzard of 1993 became a blizzard in the metropolitan region during a three-hour stretch at midday yesterday when visibility dropped below a quarter of a mile from falling and blowing snow and winds blew at least 35 miles an hour† (NYT, 1993) Apart from media reporting, citizens have also shared their experiences on that historic day. Emily Flowers remembers marching in the St. Patrick's parade of 1993 with the Brashear High School marching band. She recollects that there was really no one to witness the parade and the marchers were covered in snow by parad e's end.She was then stuck up at her boyfriend’s house for three days. Terry Griffith recollects that on that stormy day, â€Å"the busses and streetcars stopped running. The taxi cabs stopped service. The parkway and all ways out of the city were closed. All the hotels were booked and if you were still downtown by 4 pm you were really stuck† (Griffith, 2006). Conclusion: The Blizzard of 1993 was truly the Storm of the Century in terms of its intensity, area covered and record snowfalls. Such natural disasters as the blizzard of 1993 awaken man to his own vulnerability in the face of nature’s immense powers.These disasters also enable the growth of science and help in bringing mankind together to study, understand and learn coping strategies for the future. Bibliography: Lott, Neal (1993). The Big One! A Review of the March 12-14, 1993 â€Å"Storm of the Century†. National Climatic Data Center: Research Customer Service Group. May 14, 1993. ftp://ftp. ncd c. noaa. gov/pub/data/techrpts/tr9301/tr9301. pdf PPW (2006). Blizzard of 1993. Pittsburgh Public Works. http://www. city. pittsburgh. pa. us/pw/html/blizzard_of_1993. html Griffith, Terry (2006). The Pittsburgh St.Patrick's Day Parade remembers the blizzard of 1993. http://www. pittsburghirish. org/parade/Blizzard/index. htm. Orville, E. Richard (1993). Cloud-to-ground lightening in the blizzard of 1993. Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 20, Issue 13, p. 1367-1370. http://adsabs. harvard. edu/abs/1993GeoRL.. 20. 1367O Sander, David and Conner, Glen (2006). Fact Sheet: Blizzard of 1993. http://kyclim. wku. edu/factSheets/blizzard. htm Wendland, Wayne. Weather and Climate Impacts in the Midwest. March 1993: Midwestern Climate Center. Vol. III, No. 4. â€Å"Blizzards†. http://www. weather.com/breaking_weather/encyclopedia/winter/blizzard. html. (October 21, 1999). Sherman (2006). Storm of the Century. http://snrs. unl. edu/amet498/sherman/blizzard93. html UCAR (2006). The Bl izzard of 93. http://eo. ucar. edu/webweather/blizzardstory. html NYT (1993). THE BLIZZARD OF '93; It Was, Indeed, Blizzard of '93. http://query. nytimes. com/gst/fullpage. html? res=9F0CE3D81F39F937A25750C0A965958260 Smith, Tony (2006). Storm of the Century. http://www. valdostamuseum. org/hamsmith/thunderflood. html#blizzard Wikipedia (2006). 1993 North American Storm Complex. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/The

Preserving land for wildlife Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Preserving land for wildlife - Essay Example Although wildlife is the greatest beneficiary of land preservation, it is imperative for everyone to involve him or herself in land preservation measures. Certainly, wildlife is a great heritage of every society due to the socio-economic benefits that it brings forth. It essentially means that both wildlife and humans ought to coexist peacefully without one interfering with the habitat of the other (Libresco, Balantic, & Kipling, 2011). Unfortunately, human activities have led to the degradation of land, which is the natural habitat of wild animals (Brewer, 2003). For example, such activities as human settlement, deforestation, and industrialization have greatly interfered with land thus posing a huge threat to the survival of most animal species. In this respect, there have been robust campaigns and sensitizations to preserve land and subsequently wildlife (Gustanski, & Squires, 2000). The campaign has been especially intense in the United States where deforestation has taken place on a massive scale. Indiana is one of the states that suffer the biggest damage because of deforestation. Various Land trusts and other environmental agen cies have spearheaded a campaign to rehabilitate derelict land (Benson et al., 2005). In as much as the government bear the greatest responsibility of preserving land that is found within its jurisdiction, it is important to note that individual citizens are also taxed with equal responsibility (Environmental Law Institute, 2003). It means that no one is immune when it comes to matters pertaining with environmental conservation. Perhaps it is instructive to highlight that any adverse impact on land rages equally on wildlife and man. Therefore, citizens ought to take up an active role in land conservation in order to preserve the endangered species and in the process, make the world a better place to

The travel and tourism sector Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The travel and tourism sector - Coursework Example Leisure tourism was a common thing even in the Egyptian and Babylonian empires. Most of the travelling had to do with visiting religious temples. In those days most people travelled by foot, with only the wealthy being borne in litters from place to place. Many centuries later, in the fourth century, even had advertisements posted on city walls which informed people travelling to religious festivals about the available inns in the towns of Sparta, Athens and Troy. During the era of the Roman Empire, Roman soldier patrols allowed Roman citizens to be able to travel in relative safety within the empire’s jurisdiction. The Roman Empire also built high quality roads to places like Rhodes and Sicily- thus easing the travelling expeditions of its citizens. From 300 AD, many people from all over the world would travel to the Holy Land on spiritual pilgrimages. The Romans were the first civilization to use (itineraria) guidebooks which had lists of inns and different marks indicating varying quality. The areas near the city, Rome, even had homes that were constructed to house the multitudes of visitors who came to the city in springtime to enjoy the entertainments that were common at this time. The tourist resorts around ‘Naples’ were mainly favoured by Roman intellectuals as well as retired wealthy citizens. The region of ‘Baiae’ was more frequented by the lower elements of Roman society and was notorious for all- night singing. With the collapse of the Roman Empire, travel became much more dangerous for people as there were no patrols to keep the roads safe. The Pre-Industrial Age Between the 16th to 18th centuries in Europe, the citizens of many nations were more mobile than was the case during the Middle Age s (Veal 2006). The Northern European landed gentry often sent their sons to places like Greece and Italy to learn more about different cultures as part of the "Grand Tour". For the most part, people still walked to different places; it is only the wealthy who used carriages to travel. When travelling longer distances, citizens from different nations would also use horses and ships. The ships did not have motors, but used the wind’s power. Due to the fact that the speed of travel was limited most governments authorized the building of cities near the major waterways so as to make trade easier. The Industrial Revolution started in the 1700s in England and subsequently spread North America and Europe. Nations in Western Europe stopped being cantered around agricultural activities began to identify as industrial societies. When manufacturing facilities began to engage in mass production many citizens moved into the cities. To facilitate this, canals were developed to ease water t ravel and railways were created to speed travel into the main cities. These alterations made it easier for people to be able to travel over long distances. The subsequent creation of the combustible engine, the automobile, and the airplane further enabled more effective and faster travel across both water and land, while also increasing the number of regions in which people could engage in trade. While this increased the incidences of tourism, it is not until the 1950s when commercial jets became affordable for ordinary citizens that masses of people were able to visit tourist destination that they had only previously read about. The 1960s so the beginning of a new trend- backpacking- in Europe and America. Hippies would travel to areas of interest such as Morocco, Guatemala, Bali, and, most often, India. Backpackers wanted to experience life as citizens of different nations and so did not want to be secluded from the populations of the citizens they travelled through. The 1980s saw other nations outside Europe and America start to take a keen interest in travelling for leisure. Today,

Film review about Infernal Affairs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Film review about Infernal Affairs - Essay Example Before its official release, this film generated a lot of interest among the prospective audience because of the difference in concept to the other films that had recently come from Hong Kong. It can be said that the concept, upon which the film is based, is unique and extraordinarily few films have been created using the same concept. This film employs a vibrating abruptness that is usually found in the work of the writer and director Michael Mann. The theme of this film uses the techniques, which Mann used in the film Heat, and this theme can be seen almost to the last detail. It has the same cold bloodedness that was displayed in the latter film and this, indeed, makes it one of a kind. When the film was released, it did not disappoint those who had expected it to have the qualities that were unique, fun, and at the same time made the film a serious picture to watch. It looks at the relationship between the police and the criminal underworld in a new perspective that many would co nsider impossible. It set a new record, which many Hong Kong films of the same genre from that time on have been trying to reach. This film is, therefore, worthy of the adoration that many of its fans have had, and continue to have, for it. The film gives the viewer a glance into the criminal underworld that is dominated by the Triad, where criminal mastermind Hon Sam believes that he can make his gang live outside the law. To achieve this feat, he sends a group of young men to join the police academy so that when they become police officers, they will be able to keep any attention from his activities from the police (Marchetti 95). The main aim is to keep ahead of the police, by getting to know what moves the police are planning against him before those plans can be executed. In this way, he will be able to run his operations safely without any fear of being caught. Unknown to Hon, the police are planning almost the exact thing against him. They want to place a mole within his orga nization so that the mole can tell them the moves that Hon makes, hence ensuring that he is caught red-handed. Under the supervision of Superintendent Wong, Chan is chosen to become the mole in Hon’s triad organization, and to achieve this, there is a public demonstration where Chan is kicked out of the Academy despite being the best student. This leads him to enter the criminal underworld as an undercover cop, with only two people in the police department knowing his identity. The duty, which has been assigned to Chan, is a perilous one indeed, because he is tasked to remain with the triads until such a time as they are brought down, no matter how long it takes. Within the same academy as Chan is one Lau, who is a Triad mole tasked with keeping Hon up to date about the police movement against him. The entire movie is based on the parallel lives, which Lau and Chan live as moles in each other’s organizations and how these lives come to profoundly affect them personally (Bradshaw). There is a sense, around the main characters of the film, of being disconnected and alienated and this helps to increase the excitement that one feels when watching it. This feeling keeps one wondering what is going to happen next, ensuring that one fully concentrates on the film, so the latter scenes are not missed out. These two characters are, unknowingly, brought together at the beginning of the film, each not having a hint

Exploring Community Health Nursing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Exploring Community Health Nursing - Assignment Example On the other hand, the concept of health is broadly defines as a state of well being that results from the harmonious interactions of the body, soul and the mind. Therefore the term community health is defined by meeting the particular needs and wants of a community by identifying the problems they face and managing the interactions within the community (Cradduck, 2000). The community health nurses are generally primary health care providers in various places often working in an expanded role in conjunction with other medical care professionals. In addition to homecare, public and community health care service, community health nurses provide treatment and emergency care services, x-rays and crisis management within the community. Their main purpose is to provide community health promotion services in a specific community in accordance with the philosophy and objectives of the authority and to promote the prevention of diseases, maintain health and the overall health as well as wellb eing of the community. This paper therefore seeks to have an insight on the nature, scope and role of community health nursing, and an analysis of the impact of Public Health Care and the Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards. Community health nurses play a pivotal role in the community as far as health provision is concerned. They may extend these services to within the health centre, schools, community halls or in patient homes, especially the elderly and are intended to provide a healthy way of living whilst reducing the incidences of death and diseases significantly. Community health nursing services may be provided either on an individual basis or a multi disciplinary team. Mostly they work in cross boundary teams to effectively provide sufficient health care to the society. They work with individuals, families, populations, groups, systems and/or society, with the focus being the health of a person or community and from which motivations nursing actions flow. The nursing standards of practice are applied in different settings where people work, live, play, learn and even worship (Warren et al, 2012). This involves working with a diverse array of people who have different backgrounds. For example, they may work with children (infants, school age and adolescents), children with long term disabilities, families, pregnant women, elderly people whose health is deteriorating, individuals with chronic diseases, disadvantages individuals or groups as well as community organizations such as schools, churches and social services agencies. Community health nurses therefore need to have a broad perspective of the roles they play within the community as regards health provision and promotion. In order to perform their tasks in the most professional way CHN need to posses some characteristics and attributes that are useful especially in the field. These attributes assist the nurses to identify and manage any health hazards while containing problems that are exis tent. Therefore they need to be very flexible and be highly adaptable to the different environments. This is because the environments keep changing as well as the pandemics that strike. This calls for nurses with physical and emotional stamina, good communication skills, problem solving skills as well as critical thinking abilities (Goottschalk, 2000). Another characteristic that is crucial is the ability to motivate as well as supervise

Computer Ethics and Its Issues That Concern IT Professionals Essay

Computer Ethics and Its Issues That Concern IT Professionals - Essay Example Computer professionals need to know the boundaries of using the confidential information to avoid invasion of the people's privacy. The basics still settles down into knowing what is good and evil. One of the most basic and the most significant requirement of man is ethics. In order for him to understand the nature of good and evil, he has to have ethics that would explain to him these two opposing ideas. Doing what is right and what is wrong is determined by a person's ethics. Bahm (1994) defines ethics as a science that involves theory and practice. The theories derived out of a person's behaviour should as well be tested and clarified based from the resulting situation. At the same time, both personal and social aspects of man are interdependent such that each individual has his or her own values that enable him to tell whether the choices he made are right or wrong. Because of his values innate in him - for which the concept of ethics was drawn from - is dictated by man's oughtness which "consists in the power that an apparently greater good has over an apparently lesser good, or an apparently lesser evil has over an apparently greater evil, or an apparent good had over an apparent evil, in compelling choices" according to Bahm. Thus, man's choices are dictated by his values for which ethics evaluates and judges, and eventually be practised by his oughtness. (Bahm, p 27, 1994) Ethics isEthics is used to criticise, defend, promote, justify and suggest moral concepts and to answer the questions that concerns morality. (http://www.galilean-library.org/int11.html, para 2, Sept. 21, 2006) Moreover, Baase's (2003) concept of ethics is as simple and as basic as "doing the right thing." Therefore, behaving ethically goes down to the most common and the simplest basis of human good - that is being honest, keeping promises, doing the job well, and not stealing. Ethics had become popular in studying philosophy even during the ancient times. Furthermore, it has been continuously studied and given as much attention since it plays a major role in the formation of man's personality and the society as well where man is a member of. The role of man in the society, therefore, made ethics an important issue that needs to be given as much attention. Since ethics is generally an extensive theme, philosophers break it into several branches that cater to the different aspects of life. Some of these branches of ethics are business ethics, medical ethics, educational ethics, law and order ethics, and so on. Depending on the nature of the ethical branch, a set of codes are identified. Computer Ethics A. History In the 1940's, during the World War II, MIT professor Norbert Wiener saw the social and ethical consequences concerning the technologies used at that time. Therefore, he decided to create a new field of research he called "cybernetics" - the science of information feedback system. He was well aware even before the atomic

Multilingual learners in Primary classrooms Essay

Multilingual learners in Primary classrooms - Essay Example The result is one which creates a disadvantage to students that are bilingual and in a specific environmental setting. Analyzing the policies, practices and educational needs of students that are in a bilingual setting helps to establish a stronger relationship to what it takes to work within this setting. Observations of the Bilingual Classroom The first concept approached is one which comes from observations of the classroom and the way in which students interact in a bilingual setting. When observing the classroom, I found that there were welcome signs and procedures used to guide students. These were in different languages, which showed a specific level of assistance and ability to embrace diversity. The signs extended to different learning materials, such as body parts and days of the week, all which were established in different languages. The next representation was of the teachers and staff. There was no background languages of staff employed outside of English. The first lan guage was used all of the time in all instances. It was also noted that there were not books in other languages, with the expectation that students should be able to read in English. To try to keep with the diversity of the classroom, students were placed in groups named by planets, all which were based on the evaluation of learning. This allowed students who did not speak English as a first language to have he ability to work at their own pace. This shows that there is an embracing of diversity and culture in the classroom. However, the teacher competence and ability to meet the needs is one that is currently not being met. Policies for Bilingual Children The diversity in classrooms follows with policies which are expected for bilingual children. The policies that have been used for the education of bilingual children are based on the observations created through meeting standards and statistics which have been observed within this. Through a recent analysis, it was noted that bili ngual children who had already advanced in the language had stronger results and improvements than other children. More important, schools which were advancing into higher numbers in terms of performance were able to meet more of the needs of bilingual children while creating mainstream results within the needs for students. The study conducted by the Department of Education also indicated that the gap with bilingual students came from the ability for teachers to have a sense of confidence and expertise with the students. This particular aspect would begin to close the gaps of learning while creating more possibilities with the learning initiatives for bilingual learners. Similar to observations in the classroom, this shows that the gap is with teacher diversity, lack of learning materials and substitute materials that lead to the learning gaps (Department of Education, 2007). The creation under the Primary National Strategy in 2004 has tried to alter the gaps with policies and prog rams which are required by region. The strategies have combined with finding different ways to work with teachers while offering new programs for students who are bilingual to learn the needed materials. The policies are based on strategically finding new solutions that don’t allow children to be left behind within the school system while setting standards and requirements for children of diverse backgrounds to have the same achievements. The concept used is based on

Virtue ethics Essay Example for Free

Virtue ethics Essay Unlike morals, which are deeply held convictions held by an individual in regards to right and wrong behavior, ethics are recognized rules of conduct in regards to a specific action or a particular group of people. In short, ethics come from an external social structure whereas morals come from within – a person’s own perceptions of right and wrong regardless of what society’s rules say. The three primary schools of ethics that can be used in discussing ethical problems and dilemmas are care-based ethics, rule-based ethics, and end-based ethics. In the case of ethical dilemma number 2, if one were to apply care-based ethics, then both of the adult parties in the situation would yield to what would be best for the child. Care-based ethics involves having the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes and see a situation from his or her point of view. The ethical dilemma clearly states that the girl was taken away from her foster parents against her will after her biological parents sobered up and wanted to regain custody. To abide by care-based ethics, the adults would need to let the girl make the decision; everyone would have to consider how the child feels. ; care-based ethics is not determined by law, courts, or duty. Utilitarian ethics looks to solve a dilemma by producing the greatest good for the greatest number. In ethical dilemma number 2, utilitarian ethics would most likely favor the girl living with the foster parents because it would be the case of three people against two. The girl spent her entire life with her foster parents, growing up to love and respect them. In addition, her foster parents more than likely developed mutual feelings for her. Her biological parents have had absolutely no connection to the girl and so by a court ruling in their favor they are setting up a family of strangers. In addition, it is unfair to the foster parents who were probably under the impression that they would raise the girl throughout her entire childhood. Both of the laws applied to ethical dilemma rule in favor of the girl living with the foster parents and not the biological parents. However, care-based ethics does so out of genuine concern for the child’s interest. It doesn’t really consider what the outcome for other parties would be. End-based ethics, though coming to a similar conclusion did so by a different route. All parties in the situation were considered and the pros and cons are weighed out based on what is most fair for those involved. I think that though the schools of ethics can be applied to many real life situations and provide a good springboard for making judgments; I believe that applying formulaic standards to something life like could ultimately be hazardous. Life isn’t a math problem where you can plug and chug a situation into an ethical framework and get only one correct outcome. There are many different factors and feelings that need to be considered when making decisions on real life matters. Aristotle’s idea of virtue factored in the uncertainties of everyday life. To Aristotle, to be virtuous was to practice practical wisdom. In other words, he believed that making ethical decisions was dependent on choosing the right thing at the right time for a situation. I think Aristotle would have agreed with the both of the decisions to let the girl live with the foster parents because it would be the most practical choice to keep a loving family together than to tear it apart by giving the girl back to her biological parents.

Ordinary People and Good Will Hunting

Ordinary People and Good Will Hunting Both movies, Ordinary People and Good Will Hunting, describe the relations between therapists and their patients. Ordinary People represent the life of the family which tries to return to normal life after their teenage son Conrad makes a suicide attempt. After returning home from hospital Conrad decides to see psychiatrist Dr. Berger. Dr. Berger finds the source of suicidal behavior. He realizes that Conrad blames himself in the death of his older brother, Duck. Conrad suffers because of guild and posttraumatic stress. Conrad can not come in terms with his loss and suicide becomes his attempt to run away from pain and grief. Conrad was overshadowed by the talents and bright personality of Buck when he was alive and he can not overcome the feeling of guilt and estrangement from his friend and family when his brother is dead. In Good Will Hunting the main character is also haunted by the feeling of guilt and personal imperfection. This feeling is rooting in his difficult childhood and abusive parents. In both movies the main reasons of sense of guild and low self-esteem and estrangement from the people are result of family relations. In Good Will Hunting these feelings are the result of hard childhood and abusive parents, and in Ordinary People these feelings and provoked by terrible tragedy. In Ordinary People Dr. Berger makes everything possible to help Conrad to overcome his feeling of guild and to find strength to continue living. Personal talk and analysis are main methods the doctor uses. In Good Will Hunting Sean also makes everything possible to help his character to overcome the feeling of guilt and to come in touch with his real dreams and desires. Will: So what does it say? Will has an attachment disorder? Fear of abandonment? Is that why I broke up with Skylar? Sean: Didnt know you had. Wanna talk about it? [Will shakes his head, stares off] Sean: Will, you see this, all this shit? [Holds up the file, and drops it on his desk] Sean: Its not your fault. Will: [Softly, still staring off] I know Sean: No you dont. Its not your fault. Will: [Serious] I know. Sean: No. Listen to me son. Its not your fault (IBDM). In Good Will Hunting the protagonist, Will Hunting also goes the session of psychotherapy with Doctor Sean Maguire. Professor Gerald Lambeau takes patronage of ordinary janitor when he finds out about his extraordinary gift in mathematics. Session with the psychotherapist is one of Lambeaus necessary conditions he puts to Will in exchange for his help. Professor turns to the help of his childhood friend Sean. Sean does everything possible to find the reason of Wills behavior, his motifs and reasons. They use the method of psychoanalysis and personal talk. Their meetings also contain the elements of person-centered therapy and cognitive therapy. Doctor Sean wants to find the deepest reasons of his patients behavior. In the beginning of their professional relations Will does everything possible to sabotage the work of Sean. He does not want to come in Doctor Sean finds himself in difficult situation when he finds out that his patient has experienced same domestic violence and abuse as he himself did in the childhood. Now he has to deal with the problem he has experienced himself and from the one side it simplifies the task but from the other side makes it more difficult. Will: [Sean is going through Wills profile. Inside we see are pictures of Will after brutal assaults by his foster parents] You ever have any, uh, experience with that? Sean: Twenty years of counseling, Ive seen some pretty awful shit. Will: No. I mean, have you ever had any experience with that? Sean: Personally? Yeah. Yeah I have. [Sean looks away for a moment] Sean: Im sure it aint good (IBDM). Sean finally discovered deep feeling of guild which directs all thought and actions of Will. This feeling is rooted in childhood abuse and Sean wants his patients to get rid of this feeling. Will influences Sean as well. He became the driving force which makes the doctor to face his own problems and fears. Dr. Berger also meets a kind of moral dilemma while working with his patient. Conrads family can not provide him necessary support after the death of his brother, same like after his attempt to commit a suicide. Dr. Berger finds himself in a difficult situation and meets a kind of a moral dilemma. While he makes everything possible to prove Conrad that his parents really care for him and truly love him, he gradually finds out that Conrads mother Beth does not show any good attitude to her younger son. Beths feelings are frozen if any, and even when Conrad follows Dr Bergers advice and tells his mom about his feeling and hugs her she distances from him. To my opinion, despite both therapists show high professional level, they both make mistakes in their actions. Dr. Berger does not recognize the essence of relations between Conrad and his mother. He pushes the boy to reveal his feeling to his mother in order to be rejected again. Despite it finally clears up the situation, this experience is too hard for the teenager who experiences hard trauma after the death of his older brother. Dr. Maguire starts too personal relations with the patient. The patient provokes him to start dealing with his personal problems. Despite these facts are good for the plot of the movie, they do not correspond to the medial ethics. Probably I would choose non of the therapists. When speaking about the patients, I think that Conrads case is interesting and challenging. I would be interested to help him to pass through the feeling of loss and to build normal relations with his parents.

A Case Review On The Shining English Literature Essay

A Case Review On The Shining English Literature Essay Jack Torrence, loving father when sober and aspiring playwright and author accepts a winter caretaker job at an old, large and isolated hotel in Colorado. Jack, his wife Wendy and their clairvoyant son Danny move into the Overlook hotel. Dannys clairvoyance makes him sensitive to super-natural forces and shortly after their arrival at the Overlook he experiences premonitions about the danger the hotel poses to his family, he begins seeing ghosts and frightening visions about the hotels past. Knowing that the caretaking job is important to his father and to the familys future Danny avoids telling his parents about the visions. As winter closes in and the small family become completely isolated Danny realises that his presence in the hotel makes it more powerful, the hotel has difficulty possessing Danny, so it begins to posses Jack, frustrating his need and desire to work. Jack becomes increasingly unstable and the ghosts of the hotel gradually begin to overtake him. With the heavy winter snow leaving them all totally isolated a true horror story unfolds as the hotel attempts to use Jack to kill Wendy and Danny in order to absorb Dannys psychic abilities. Characters: #. Danny Torrence The 5-year-old son of Jack and Wendy, he has the Shining ability which empowers him with various psychic abilities which render him sensitive to super-natural forces; this is what makes him the target of the hotel. Danny has a psychic guide, named Tony taken from his middle name Anthony through which he can see past and future events. At first Tony seems to just be an imaginary playmate but soon becomes a source of fear to Danny, followed by a source of strength towards the end of the novel. Being 5 years old Danny is only just learning to read, so he often becomes confused after some of his visions as they require some reading skill to be fully understood; this motivates Danny to achieve a higher than usual reading skill before he has even started school. With his Shining ability Danny can tap into peoples thoughts but as mentioned above, his age limits his understanding of them. Danny is most definitely a likeable character, he is sweet, caring and has the inno cence and ignorance of a 5 year old, yet he is also very intelligent for his age as he is forced to mature with the insight he has from his shining ability. His psychic insight gives him confidence at times but also scares him. He is enquiring and curious, always trying to further his understanding of things. #. Jack Torrence Jack Torrence is a recovering alcoholic, he lost his teaching position after beating up a student for slashing his cars tires. When he drinks he is very erratic and has an extremely short temper, one night after coming home drunk he broke Dannys arm because Danny would not stop crying; ever since the event his marriage had devalued and him and Wendy were contemplating divorce. However Jacks fatherly instinct took over and he managed to quit drinking and arrange a winter caretaking job at the Overlook, this was all an attempt to prove himself in order to save his marriage. Jack has a certain arrogance and stubbornness about him, he does not like being under authority and often compromises himself or his job by retaliating to it. The above and drinking are his weaknesses and the hotel identifies and uses them to turn Jack against his family and into a monster. Jack seems to be quite a likeable character at the beginning of the novel but as it progresses and the reader witnesses how Jack acts under pressure and his history is revealed one begins to dislike him, yet there is always a bit of pity for him because he tries so hard to make up for his past. #. Wendy Torrence Wendy is Jacks wife and Dannys mother, a likeable, kind, friendly and genuine lady. She had/has a bad relationship with her mother which has influenced her to be the best mother she can to Danny. She is extremely strong and capable; she sticks with Jack despite his alcoholism and short temper. When Jack is possessed she tries to balance staying alive, protecting her son and trying not to completely abandon her husband. Her actions are not always what would seem to be clever but she never disappoints, always keeping the reader in suspense. Her strength is evident in that she seems to be almost immune to the Overlooks evil. Wendy is also a very practical person, this contributes to her saving herself, Dick Hallorann and Danny at the end of the novel. #. Dick Hallorann Dick Hallorann is the chef of the Overlook Hotel and shares the shining ability with Danny. Dick is a true hero in the novel, he is summoned to the hotel telepathically by Danny where he almost loses his life help save Wendy and Danny from Jack. He is also important to Dannys future well-being as he is the first person to verify Dannys shining ability and to name it. Dick is a very kind, likeable, friendly man and is the only character introduced, besides Danny, who possesses the shining ability. #.Horace Derwent Horace Derwent was a self-made millionaire and former owner of the Overlook Hotel and is responsible for most of the Overlooks notorious history. Although it is not clear whether he is alive or not he appears to Jack in the Colorado Lounge as one of the apparitions at the ball. His current involvement in the Overlook is not clear but he comes across as a bad guy. Themes: The Shining is the story of a desperate family, they believe the Overlook is their last chance of making it together. The Overlook however is all about destruction, destroying families by twisting the love within them. The family theme is quite complex, Jack is battling with his own childhood where he had an abusive alcoholic father, Wendy has a bad relationship with her mother who blames her for her parents divorce, Wendy has little family contact other than with Jack and Danny this runs into the other theme of isolation. The isolated Overlook hotel is quite like the family, both have their share of unsavoury pasts and like the hotel these also contribute to the familys isolation (isolation from their extended family and isolation within themselves due to Jacks short temper and drinking). Dannys shining ability isolates him from everyone else, he has to deal with a lot more than the average 5 year old let alone adults, when he meets Dick Hallorann also a shiner his isolation is s lightly lessened. Violence is quite prominent in the novel, the Overlook hotel feeds on violence. Jack is quite vulnerable to it after battling with a violent childhood and still battling with his own violent temper. We see the Overlook take advantage of Jacks weakness as we watch him lose his battle to control his own violence becoming a slave to the hotel. Setting: The novel is set at The Overlook Hotel in Colorado, September 30 December 3, 1975. The Overlook has a long history of violence and questionable deaths. The date sets the novel in the fall and winter of 1975, just post the Vietnam War. The date 1945 is brought up in the novel quite often, with reference to the Overlooks history. 1945 marks the end of World War 2 and the beginning of the Cold War, both 1975 and 1945 were years of extreme post-war anxiety and relief. Making the setting in quite emotion-provoking times. The Overlook however intertwines different time periods, bringing together all of its horrific past. The hotel has so many settings within itself Room 217, the ballroom, the cellar, the boiler room etc that it provides the perfect platform for King to unleash a hell of a horror. Style, form and structure: Written in third person and including perspectives from all the characters with their thoughts included, the novel gives a nice all-round image of each characters personality and character. As perspectives change all the time, you feel as if you are watching a movie; I think this style and structure is why this novel has made such a successful film. My response: I really enjoyed the novel, it was my first Stephen King read and my first horror novel. It was quite difficult to get hooked in the beginning but once the true horror started it was a book I could not put down, the suspense was great. I found it to be truly original and so entertaining with a well-thought out sophisticated plot that will still be great when its re-read for the 5th time. Id say definitely a masterpiece and it lives up to all the praise it has received. Stephen King is truly talented, cant wait to read another one of his books.

Feudalism :: Economy, History, Medieval Europe

Feudalism was created in the 9th century to eliminate social chaos and put social classes into order. Kings would also use it to expand their land. In return they would get protection, money, crops, and court duties. It also used in war times so that the Knights were obligated to fight. They centralized government to organize power and land. Feudalism was used to give out land by the king, organize social standing and in return get military services and protection. Feudalism was a set of political and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries (â€Å"Feudalism†). â€Å"The feudal system was not planned but, rather grew and developed in response to the social chaos that followed the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It provided order where there no longer was any, and it created new chains of command to replace those that were gone† ( James 58). Feudalism was introduced by King William I to England; this system organized power, land, and divided people into classes. The king, who owned all the land, gave some land to the church and to the barons in return for large blocks of land, the barons promised to fight for the king. Lent land to the knights and also common people (Susie 5). Feudalism test was also to defend against invaders (John 32). In the absence of centralized government authority, people look to personal relationships to bind society together. An individual with military pow er to offer gave his services to a feudal lord (Hay 170). Feudalism was created to put society, land, and power into order. In the economic system, landlords would force laborers to work on the lord’s manor to the lord’s profit (Medieval 65). Feudalism cultured many aspects of Europe that remained in place (Hay 39). â€Å"The feudal system was invented by 16th and 17th century lawyers and legal historians who were investigating the origins of the most common form of noble landholding in their own time (The Brown Reference Group 64). The feudal system was used in many aspects to making society and country simpler. Before the king would give out his land to the Barons, the barons would have to take an Oath of Fidelity. Nobel property was subdivided among a multitude of co sharers. The feudal system was founded upon a more and less complicated hierarchy of barons and vassals, united by ties of homage and fidelity by a sworn oath and by certain obligations which were defined in the contract.

Puritans and Puritanism Essay -- American History

Puritans and Puritanism This essay addresses the questions: What is Puritanism. What is the meaning of puritanism in American history? What is the Covenant as Puritans understood it. How were their ideas about the Covenant applied to their experience in America? Puritanism is one of the most important aspects of the American culture. Many of this country’s beliefs come from puritanism background. What is Puritanism and the meaning of it in American history? Puritanism is a term that originates from the religious group called the Puritans. They were a denomination formed by the great Protestant Reformation in Europe. They were known as nonconformists and dissenters because of their refusal to submit to the Church of England. Because of this, the Puritans and their theology soon died out in Europe. However, the puritan ideas and beliefs flourished in the New World. Puritanism starts with the theology of the Puritans. First they believed in the sovereignty of God. That is, only God had the highest power or rank. This meant that a man did not have the power to hold authority over other men. In essence, this belief coincides with the concept of the divine nature of kings. The English monarchy wanted its people to believe that the king was appointed by God Himself. Therefore, the king was responsible only to God. The first concept of Puritanism states that all Christian men are responsible only to God. Another concept of puritanism and probably the most important is the idea of Salvation by Grace. In Puritan theology, God created mankind and cosmos. He gave mankind a beautiful garden to live, the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately, mankind committed sin and was banished. However God, sent His grace to mankind. He gave His... ... was to give African slaves their freedom. Then, there was the westward movement to expand land. During the 20th century, the United States fought to protect the world from the Axis, the Communists, and the Iraqis. In each case, America has always had this special mission which they fulfilled sometimes using questionable methods. We can see how puritanism relates to the beliefs of America by studying the history of America. And we can see the prominent role puritanism has played to American society. Just look at the remnants of the Indian culture. Using the name of God, the Americans stole their land, wiped out their people, and destroyed their culture. Perhaps the sovereignty of God isn’t such a good idea after all. It seems as though with no authority to answer to except God, America was able to do almost anything and state that it was for the â€Å"greater good.†

Reliabilty and Validity

Test Reliability and Validity: Evaluation of the GRADE A+ Standardized Reading Assessment Assessment is the key to instruction and intervention, but according to Salvia, Ysseldyke and Bolt (2007), â€Å"reliability is a major consideration in evaluating an assessment procedure† (p. 119). Reliability refers to the stability of a tests’ results over time and test reliability refers to the consistency of scores students would receive on alternate forms of the same test, for example Test form A and Test form B. If a test is reliable then one would expect a student to achieve the same score regardless of when the student completes the assessment, but if it’s not reliable then a students’ score may vary based on factors that are not related to the purpose of the assessment. An assessment is considered reliable when the same results occur regardless of when the assessment occurs or who does the scoring, but a good assessment is not only reliable but minimizes as many factors as possible that could lead to the misinterpretation of the tests’ results. It is important to be concerned with a tests’ reliability for two reasons: First, reliability provides a measure of the extent to which a students’ score reflects random measurement error. If there is relatively little error, the ratio of true-score variance to obtained score variance approaches a reliability index of 1. 00 (perfect reliability); if there is a relatively large amount of error, the ratio of true-score variance to obtained score variances approaches. 0 (total unreliability) (Salvia et al. , 2007, p. 121) Therefore, it is warranted to use tests with good measures of reliability to ensure that the test scores reflect more than just random error. Second, reliability is a precursor to validity, which I will go more into detail about later. Validity refers to the degree to which evidence supports the fact that the test interpretations are correct and that the manner in which these interpretations are used is appropriate and meaningful. However, a formal assessment of the validity of a specific use of a test can be a very lengthy process and that is why test reliability is often viewed as the first step in the test validation process. If a test is deemed unreliable, then one need not spend time examining whether it is valid because it will not be, but if the test deems adequately reliable, then a validation study would be worthwhile. The Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE) is a normative diagnostic reading assessment that determines developmentally what skills students have mastered and where they need instruction. Chapter Four of the GRADE Technical Manual focuses on three sections: reliability, validation and validity; but I will only be evaluating the first and last sections which are reliability and validity. The first section presents reliability data for the standardization sample by test at 11 levels (P, K, 1-6, M, H and A) and 14 grade enrollment groups (Preschool- 12th) to describe the consistency and stability of GRADE scores (Williams, 2001, p. 77). In this section, Williams addresses Internal Reliability- which addresses consistency of the items in a test, Alternate Form Reliability- which are derived from the administration of two different but parallel test forms, Test-Retest Reliabilities- which tells how much a students score will change if a period of time has lapsed between test and Standard Error of Measurement- which represents a band of error around the true score. The GRADE Technical Manual reported 132 reliabilities in table 4. that presents the alpha and split half total test reliabilities for the Fall and Spring. Of these, 99 were in the range of . 95 to . 99; which indicates a high degree of homogeneity among the items for each form, level and grade enrollment group (Williams, 2001, p. 78). In the GRADE alternate form reliability study, Table 4. 14, 696 students were tested. The forms were given at different times and ranged anywhere from eight to thirty two days. The coefficients in the table ranged from . 81 to . 94 with half being higher than . 9 indicating that Forms A and B are quite parallel (Williams, 2001, p. 85). In the GRADE test- retest reliability study, Table 4. 15, 816 students were tested. All students were tested twice, the test took place during the Fall and ranged anywhere from three and a half to forty two days. Form A of the various GRADE levels appeared similar in stability over time to performance on Form B. However since most of the sampling was done with Form A, further investigation of the stability of scores with Form B may be warranted (Williams, 2001, p. 7). The standard errors of measurement listed in Table 4. 16 of the GRADE was computed from Table 4. 1, but due to the variances in total test reliability, the SEMs ranged from low to high and due to the fact the measure of error is observable, there will always be some doubt about one’s true score. Overall it will be acceptable to assume that the reliability aspect of all levels of the GRADE Technical Manu al provides a significant amount of established evidence between test forms A and B. As noted earlier, validity refers to the degree to which evidence supports the fact that the test interpretations are correct and that the manner in which these interpretations are used is appropriate and meaningful. For a test to be fair, its contents and performance expectations should reflect knowledge and experiences that are common to all students. Therefore, according to Salvia et al. (2007), â€Å"validity is the most fundamental consideration in developing and evaluating test† (p. 143). A valid assessment should reflect actual knowledge or performance, not just test taking skills or memorized equations and facts, it should not require knowledge or skills that are irrelevant to what is actually being assessed and more so, it should be as free as possible of cultural, ethnic and gender bias. The validity of an assessment is the extent to which the assessment measures what it intended or was designed to measure. The extent of a test’s validity determines (1) what inferences or decisions can be made based on test results and (2) the assurance one can have in those decisions (Williams, 2001, p. 2). Validation is the process of accumulating evidence that supports the appropriateness of student responses for the specified assessment and because tests are used for various purposes, there is no single type of evidentiary validity that is apt for all purposes. Test validation can take many forms, both qualitative and quantitative, and in an assessment case such as the GRADE, can be a continuing process (Williams, 2001, p. 92). As stated previously, I will be evaluating two sections from Chapter Four. Section one is complete so it brings me to the last section, which deals with validity. In this section, Williams addresses Content Validity- which addresses the question of whether the test items adequately represent the area that the test is supposed to measure, Criterion- Related Validity- which addresses the relationship between the scores on the test being validated and some form of criterion such as rating scale, classification, or other test score and Construct Validity- which addresses the question of whether the test actually measures the construct, or trait, it purports to measure. The content validity section of the GRADE Technical Manual addressed 16 subtests in various skill areas of pre-reading and reading and documents that adequate content validity was built into the reading test as it was developed. Therefore, if the appropriate decisions can be made, then the results are deemed valid and the test measures what it is suppose to measure. For the GRADE criterion-related studies, scores from other reading tests were used as the criteria and included both concurrent and predictive validity. For the concurrent validity study, the section compares the GRADE Total Test scores to three group administered test and an individual administered test. They were administered in concurrence with the Fall or Spring administering of the GRADE, with data being collected by numerous teachers throughout the U. S. and all correlations being corrected using Guilford’s formula. The three group administered test given in concurrence with the GRADE Total Test suggested they all measured what they were suppose to but the individual administered test showed evidence of discriminative and divergent validity. For the predictive validity study, the section compared how well the GRADE Total Test from the Fall predicted performance on the reading subtest of a group administered achievement test given in the Spring. Three groups totaling 260 students were given the GRADE in the Fall and the TerraNova in the Spring of the same school year, but the final samples were a little small because some of the students that tested in the Fall had moved so the scores were correlated and corrected for both assessments using Guilford’s formula. Instead of 260 there were now 232 and Table 4. 2 list the corrected correlations between the GRADE and TerraNova which indicates that the GRADE scores in the Fall are predictive of the TerraNova reading scores in the Spring. The construct validity of the GRADE focuses on two aspects which are convergent validity shown by higher correlations and divergent validity shown by lower correlations. In the GRADE/PIAT-R study, shown in Table 4. 21, convergent validity is demonstrated by the high correlation coefficients of the GRADE and PIAT-R reading scores and divergent validity is demonstrated by the lower correlation between the GRADE and PIAT-R general information subtest (Williams, 2001, p. 7). Performances on reading tasks is represented by the first set of correlations and for the second set of correlations the GRADE represents performance on reading and the PIAT-R represents world knowledge. Convergent/divergent information was also provided for the GRADE/ITBS study shown in Table 4. 23. Evidence of higher correlations for the GRADE convergent validity was provided with the ITBS reading subtest, but evidence of extensively lower correlations for the GRADE divergent validity was provided with the ITBS math subtest, which would be expected for divergent validity because reading was minimal. Overall the validity data provided a considerable amount of evidence to show that in fact the GRADE Technical Manual measures what it purports and apt conclusions from test can be correctly made. So according to my judgment in evaluating the GRADE Technical Manual in the areas of reliability (internal, alternate form, test-retest and SEM) and validity (content, criterion-related and construct), the content provided by the authors in the manual and cross referenced with the content provided in the text book denotes the manual is consistent, has acceptable correlation coefficients and measures what it is suppose to measure. References Salvia, J. , Ysseldyke, J. E. , & Bolt, S. (2007). Assessment In Special and Inclusive Education (10th ed. ). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Williams, K. T. (2001). Technical Manual: Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation. Circle Pine: American Guidance Service, Inc.

Emergency Management Essay

The 9/11 tragedy has left a mark on history. In fact, there are many researches and investigative studies that are yet to unveil the truth and flaws behind this tragic event. This unfortunate turn of events has indeed led to controversies and debates on multiple levels hanging too many questions at the back of our minds that are yet to be answered. Yet, this also led to our consciousness in terrorism and how we can effectively prevent it. This research aims to give the readers concise details with regards to the 9/11 tragedy and provide a better understanding concerning this issue. Looking back: 9/11 attacks September 11, 2001– the day when the world witnessed a horrifying and unbearable scene as a terrorist plot was executed to bring terror in the country. Terrorists associated with al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger aircraft and used it as weapons for terrorism acts with New York and Washington DC as their main targets. The first two aircraft, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were plummeted into the twin towers of the renowned World Trade Center in New York City. The third aircraft, American Airlines Flight 77 then punctured a hole at the Pentagon leaving nearly 3000 lifeless bodies on the spot. The fourth airliner, United Airlines Flight 93 on the other hand, crashed into a field near Shanksville after the attempt of passengers and crew members to take control of the plane as revealed on its black box recordings. Sadly, there are no known survivors from any of the flights. Minutes after the appalling attacks, New York City fire companies and crews were sent to the site to give further assistance to the victims and affected civilians. Almost 200 units were deployed by the FDNY and more than 400 firefighters to help them. Paramedics and medical assistance also stand by on the scene. Unfortunately, a total of 411 emergency workers died as they perform their duties. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) lost 341 firefighters and 2 paramedics. The New York City Police Department on the other hand lost 23 officers. The Port Authority Police Department also lost 37 officers while EMS lost 8. It took months to complete the recovery. Amidst the grief of this tragic event, speculations started to arise as to who, why and how this unfortunate tragedy marked the history. Behind the Plot: Revealing the people involved The tragic 9/11 attacks showcased an evident act of terrorism. It was said to be associated with a terrorist group al-Qaeda. Al Qaeda dated way back 1979 when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan as headed by Osama Bin Laden. The idea of the 9/11 attacks came from a certain Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who presented the idea to Bin Laden in 1996. During that time, Bin Laden and Al Qaeda have just transferred to Afghanistan from Sudan. In late 1998 to early 1999, the terrorist group leader gave approval to Mohammed to pursue the plot. Together with Mohammed Atef, Bin Laden and Mohammed had several meetings concerning their plot. Bin Laden even provided leadership and financial support for the plot. He was also responsible for choosing Mohammed Atta as the lead hijacker. As many as 27 members of the said group participated in this terrifying plot. The attacks were consistently holding on the mission statement of al-Qaeda, â€Å"Slay the Pagans wherever ye find them† as quoted in the Koran. Bin Laden interpreted the said quote in his â€Å"Letter to America† of October 2002: â€Å"you are the worst civilization witnessed by the history of mankind. You are the nation who, rather than ruling by the Shariah of Allah in its Constitution and Laws, choose to invent your own laws as you will and desire. You separate religion from your policies, contradicting the pure nature which affirms absolute authority to the Lord and your Creator. † Thus leading to the execution of the terrifying 9/11 attacks. After the attacks, Bin Laden initially denied any involvement in the said incident. But after further investigation, Bin Laden publicly acknowledged Al-Qaeda’s involvement in the said attacks. In 2004, shortly after the U. S. Presidential Elections, Bin Laden stated his direct connection to the attacks via video-taped statement. The Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) The Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) also known as the New York City Fire Department has played a huge role during the 9/11 tragedy particularly in providing emergency medical services and technical rescue. With approximately 11,400 officers and firefighters and over 2,500 EMTs and paramedics, the department pledge to perform their tasks and face challenges the best way possible. This without a doubt clearly reflects their motto â€Å"New York’s Bravest†. New York Firefighters rushed to the scene on that very day of the attack. Brave as they can be, the FDNY deployed their men to snake through stairwells and hallways of the collapsing structure. While the rest of the people are struggling their way out of the building, some firefighters were racing their way up to reach people trapped on the upper floors. They never made it out. More than 300 firefighters and paramedics have lost their lives saving others. It was perhaps the most traumatic respond ever made by the FDNY. The New York City Police Department, which was established in 1844, also extended their help to victims of the 9/11 attacks. Being the largest police force in North America and considered as one of the first â€Å"modern† style police departments in America, the NYPD just like any other department came rushing to the scene to provide assistance needed. They also conduct further investigation after the attacks. What went wrong? During the 9/11 attacks, evident flaws occurred, which definitely created a huge impact in the said incident. Some of which took place due to technical difficulties, unpreparedness and lack of cooperation from the people involved. Take for instance, the flawed radio communication. This drew problems especially to the part of the firefighters. Troubled radio communications caused commanders to lose contact with many firefighters who waited for evacuation orders inside the building. There was also no communication with the police who had helicopters at the scene. There were claims of fatal confusion regarding command and control. With defective communication, at least 121 firefighters died helplessly when the north tower fell. During the final minutes, most firefighters inside the north tower had no idea that building had started to fall down. They were waiting for orders in the lobby which obviously didn’t come or at least fell short. Mr. Thomas Von Essen, city’s fire commissioner from 1996 through 2001, and a former president of the main fire union, believes that the number of firefighter casualties in north tower is a serious matter. The fact that more than a third of the 343 firefighter deaths were from the north tower even though it stood 29 minutes longer than the south baffles the department Amidst the crisis, the two largest emergency departments barely spoke to coordinate strategy thus creating speculations that tribal feud is also one of the flaws that severely affected the incident. Problems involving the police also arise-jammed phone lines, missing radio, unavailable personnel to pick up the calls to name some. Yet it was pointed out by Chief Pfeifer that there was no police supervisors at the lobby command posts set by the fire department to coordinate efforts. Instead, the police established their command post three blocks away. Not a single firefighter was able to board the police helicopters as well. And when police pilots reported â€Å"large pieces† falling from the south tower, only police officers had seen it and heard their warnings leaving the firefighters uninformed. But police officials blame the firefighters’ lack of paramilitary discipline. Although there were several talks between the police and fire departments during the previous years, there was no final agreement making it more complicated for the two. Another flaw is the lack of concrete plan and control. Although it was not evident in the footages, some firefighters talked about aimlessness of the respond. Obviously, it has exceeded anybody else’s expectation. The report also pointed out that the police department’s disaster plans in large scale measures failed. These technical difficulties and other issues added to the burden of surviving the turmoil of the attacks. After the traumatic incident and the harsh lesson, some changes have been made to at least prevent another disaster. Emergency medical workers can now create contact to the police directly via radio. Fire officials can now use information from police helicopters and law enforcement officers and emergency service agencies came hand-in-hand in holding joint drills at high-rise buildings, jails and the city’s tunnels. After the said attacks, a safe and secure network has become a priority since the Police and Fire Departments could not communicate properly at the rescue. There were plans of improving the technology of communication as well as the improvement of strategic skills in rescuing. In fact, the Fire Department has conducted more than 10 drills in the past two years at high-rise office buildings to practice their rescue skills. Emergency Management or Disaster Management Emergency Management, also known as Disaster Management is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks by preparing for disaster before it happens. It also involves disaster response (e. g. emergency evacuation, quarantine, and mass decontamination), as well supporting and rebuilding the society after a certain disaster-whether it is natural or human-made- have occurred. It is a process by which the society manages to at least lessen the burden of the disasters’ impact by taking proper actions. Every activity being conducted at each level is interconnected and might affect each other. There are four phases of emergency management. One is the so-called Mitigation. Mitigation involves exerting attempts to prevent hazards from being disasters or to reduce the effect of a certain disaster when it occurs. Compared to other phases, the mitigation phase focuses on long- term measures for reducing or eliminating risk. Applied recovery process after a disaster can be considered a part of mitigation strategies while actions that reduce or eliminate risk are considered mitigation efforts. In mitigation, measures can be structural or non-structural. Structural measures use technological solutions while the Non-structural includes legislation, land-use planning and insurance. One of the essential activities in mitigation is the identification of risks. It is the process of identifying and evaluating hazards such as earthquakes, floods, and riots which pose a risk to community within the area assessed. Next phase is the so-called Preparedness. In this phase, emergency managers develop plans of action when disaster hits a certain area. Some of the preparedness measures include the communication plans with easily understandable terminology and chain of command; development and practice of multi-agency coordination and incident command; proper maintenance and training of emergency services; development and exercise of emergency population warning methods; as well as stockpiling, inventory, and maintenance of supplies and equipments needed. Aside form the above-mentioned, another efficient preparedness measure is an emergency operations center (EOC) and the development of volunteer response capability among civilians. Since there is an increasing number of volunteers and is neither as predictable nor plan able as professional response, they are deployed on the periphery of an emergency. Also, the Casualty Prediction is another essential aspect of preparedness. The study of the number of deaths or injuries to expect on a certain event gives the planners an idea of what resources are needed. The next one is the Response. This includes the necessary emergency services and responds in the affected area. Emergency services such as firefighters, police and ambulance crews can be supported secondary emergency services such as specialist rescue team. There are also volunteers and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) which may provide immediate assistance such as first aid provision. Next to Response is the so-called Recovery. It is the phase wherein the restoration of the affected area took place. Recovery is concerned with issues and decisions that must be made after being addressed. This may include rebuilding destroyed property, re-employment and the repair of other infrastructure. In line with all of the emergency management measures, some International Organizations also provided their assistance to further utilize the disaster management discipline. The International Association of Emergency Managers is a non-profit educational organization which dedicates itself in promoting the goal of saving lives and protecting properties during disasters and emergencies. The group provides information, networking and professional opportunities and advance emergency management profession to its members. Another international organization is the renowned Red Cross/ Red Crescent. This organization is known for its pivotal roles in responding to emergencies and extending help to those who are in need. They also deploy assessment teams to affected countries and specialize in the recovery component of emergency management framework. The United Nations, another international organization also devotes itself in emergency management. They can provide international response to affected countries as requested by the country’s government, by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN- OCHA) and by deploying a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDC) team. The World Bank is another international organization which has approved more than 500 operations related to disaster management amounting to more than US$40 billion. The said operations include post-disaster reconstruction projects, as well as projects aimed at preventing and mitigating disaster impacts in countries like Argentina, Bangladesh, Colombia, Haiti and India. In the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the lead agency for emergency management. FEMA covered one of ten regions of the U. S. and its territories. Emergencies are managed in the most local-level possible but if the emergency is related to terrorism act, it is then declared an â€Å"Incident of National Significance†. The secretary of Homeland Security will then initiate the National Response Framework, which involves federal resources, integrating in with the local, county, state, or tribal group. Another organization involved in emergency management is the Citizen Corp which conducts volunteer service programs, administered locally and coordinated nationally by the DHS. They seek to mitigate disaster and prepare for emergency response through public education, training, and outreach program. The Aftermath After the turn of events of the 9/11 attacks, the United States together with other countries around the globe became more cautious against potential follow-up attacks. Air travels across the United States was almost entirely suspended for three consecutive days. In other countries like the United Kingdom, aircrafts were also prohibited from flying for several days due to the fear of encountering terrorist attacks. Numerous memorials were conducted all over the world. It is as if the whole world became united during the most distressing time. In Berlin, over 200,000 German soldiers marched whole- heartedly to show their condolences and solidarity with the United States. On the other hand, a French newspaper released a front page headline: â€Å"Nous sommes tous Americains†, meaning â€Å"We are all Americans†. A national day of mourning was also held in Ireland on September 14 and the U. S. national anthem was played during the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham palace. All of which aims to show support the best way they can. With all the immediate aftermath, the United States expressed their right to defend themselves gathering support across the world and the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1368. People in the United States also showcased their support in their own little ways. They started gathering around the popularized phrase â€Å"United We Stand† with hopes of being strong and keeping the American spirit alive. Numerous people never hesitate to extend their help to the victims. They also paid tribute to the brave men and women who risk their lives to save others by wearing NYPD and FDNY hats. Even the rescue dogs were paid a tribute during the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Only weeks after the attacks, blood donations climb to its highest point, greater than the corresponding weeks of the previous year. The economic status of the country was also affected due the attacks. The New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange and NASDAQ were closed on September 11up to September 17. It was said to be the longest closure since the Great Depression in 1933. By the end of the week, stock market index fell 1369. 7 points (14. 3%), the largest one-week point drop in the history. United States had lost $1. 2 trillion value for the said week. Health problems also arise after the attacks, mostly respiratory disease. The pulverized concrete on the streets has caused the increased cases of serious lung and cardiovascular disorders as covered in a recent article â€Å"Tracing Lung Ailments that Rose with 9/11 Dust, May 13, 2008†. In 2004, almost 500 screened rescue-and-recovery workers and volunteers were reported to obtain persistent respiratory problems and psychological symptoms. The incident also created a huge emotional impact to children especially to those whose parents are working at the World Trade Center. The U. S. responded to attacks by declaring a War on Terrorism. They launched an invasion of Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban, the place who cater al-Qaeda terrorists. The administration also stick to their goals of bringing Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda down to justice and avoid further terrorists network. Other nations also pushed on strengthening their anti- terrorism laws and expanded its powers. The 9/11 attacks also prompted George W. Bush’s job approval rating soaring up to 86%. The same attacks also created a focus on domestic security issues as well as the creation of a new cabinet-level federal agency called the â€Å"Department of Homeland Security†. Also, the USA Patriot Act of 2001 was passed enabling the law enforcement agencies to impose search and surveillance powers over the U. S. Citizens. This has led to the creation of the Information Awareness Office, headed by John Poindexter. The said office has amended a program called Total Awareness in May 2003 which aims to develop technology that would enable the collecting and processing of information that might help in predicting terrorists activities. On the other hand, the Muslim community had a mixed reaction to the attacks. Majority of the political and religious leaders condemned the attacks. The media even picked up on a number of celebrations of the attacks as if enjoying the every minute of the 9/11 tragedy. But there were some less publicized activities such as public displays of sympathy by candle lighting in Iran. The attacks also triggered some incidents of harassment and hate crimes against Middle Easterners and even those who look like one. Discrimination and false accusations were also experienced by those who were believed to be from the Middle East. Almost 762 suspected Muslims were rounded up by the United States. Reports stated that some 60 Israelis were among them. According to the Federal investigators, the said people were believed to be a part of a long-running effort to spy the American government officials for further plans. But none of them were ever charged with terrorism. Following the attacks, almost 80,000 Arab and Muslims immigrants were asked to be fingerprinted and registered under the Alien Registration Act of 1940. The 9/11 has indeed changed the face of national security. It has created a scar not only to the country, but to the victims and their families as well. Terrifying as it could be, the 9/11 attacks are only some of the numerous violent attacks by terrorists not only in the United States but in other countries too. This calls for the immediate action of the appropriate people. Preparations and awareness has to be addressed to prevent encountering yet another horrific incident. With the fast-paced technology, acts that might bring terror to countries become easier. But being cautious, well-informed, and focused during times of terror will definitely prevent severe aftermath. The 9/11 attacks were way over but the sympathy towards each other remains intact. This incident opened doors to show concern to each other. This incident also proved that during times of terror and hopelessness, people-regardless of their nationalities, beliefs and vision- can become united and stand as one. References Kleinfield, N. R. (September 7, 2007). September 11, 2001. The New York Times from http://topics. nytimes. com/timestopics/subjects/s/sept_11_2001/ Fritsch, Jane, (September 12,2001). A day of terror: The Response; Rescue Workers Rush In, And Many Do Not Return. The New York Times from http://query. nytimes. com/html? res=9F06E2DB1238F931A2575AC0A9679C8B63 Hauser, Christine. (July 31,2008) Police and Fire Radios Are Talking to Each Other. The New York Times from http://www. nytimes. com/2008/07/31/nyregion/31comm. html? partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Neilan, Terence (2001-09-11). 2 Planes Crash Into World Trade Center. The New York Times. Dwyer Jim, Flynn Kevin and Fessenden Ford (July 7, 2002) Fatal Confusion: A Troubled Emergency Response; 9/11 Exposed Deadly Flaws in Rescue Plan. The New York Times from http://query. nytimes. com/gst/fullpage. html? res=9E05E7DA1E31F934A35754C0A9649C Rashbaum, William (July 27, 2002) Report on 9/11 Finds Flaws In Response of Police Dept. The New York Times from http://query. nytimes. com/gst/fullpage. htmlres=9A05E6DC163BF934A15754C0A9649C8B63 Profiles of 9/11 – About 9/11. The Biography Channel. A&E Television Networks September 11: Chronology of terror. CNN Full text: Bin Laden’s â€Å"Letter to America†. The Guardian (2002-11-24). How 9/11 changed America: In statistics. 11 September: Five years on. BBC (2006). Glynn, Simone A. Effect of a National Disaster on Blood Supply and Safety: The September 11 Experience. Journal of the American Medical Association, 289, 2246-2253. George D. ; Jane A. Bullock (2004). Introduction to Emergency Management. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-7689-2.