Islam Quran Life - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2312 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Religion Essay Tags: Islam Essay Did you like this example? Islam The Quran and its Different Uses in Everyday Life In the world we live in today there are many different religions. Islam is a religion that has over one billion followers worldwide. It teaches that one must submit to God (Allah) in heart, soul, and deed. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Islam Quran Life" essay for you Create order A person that follows Islam religion is called a Muslim. Islam is based on the teachings of Muhammad, the central figure in Islam. He symbolizes to Muslims the perfect man that shows what it means to be a Muslim. The Quran is the book of Allah and it is written in Arabic. The word Quran means recitation in Arabic. All Muslims must recite the Quran in Arabic, regardless of their national language. The Quran consists of one hundred and fourteen chapters of six thousand verses, originally revealed to Muhammad over a period of twenty-two years (Esposito, Islam 17). These chapters which are called surahs are arranged according to length, from the longest being some twenty-two pages of Arabic text for sura two, through the shortest being only a single line for sura one hundred and eight (Rippin19). The name of Allah appears more than two thousand five hundred times in the Quran (Esposito, Islam 22). The Quran emphasizes service to God. It envisions a society based on the unity and equality of believers, a society in which moral and social justice will counter balance oppression of the weak and economic exploitation (Esposito, Islam 29). The Quran is the central religious text used by most Muslims to guide their prayer rituals, worship services, and family traditions. Muslims have many different forms of prayer rituals that they perform on a daily basis. To them, prayer is very important in their way of life and they use the Quran for many of their prayers. They perform prayer rituals called Salat five times each day. They pray at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening. These five prayers, in the order of which they are performed, are called salat al-subh, salat al-zuhr, salat al-asr, salat al-maghrib, and salat al-isha (Rippin 101). Since Muslims live all over the world, there are Muslims praying all the time because of the time differences. Prayer is always done in the direction of the Kaaba shrine in Mecca. Kaaba is the House of God and Mecca is the holiest city of Islam and the birthplace of Muhammad (Esposito, What Everyone 24). The prayers are said in Arabic and they combine meditation, devotion, moral elevation, and physical exercise (Esposito, What Everyone 24). Their basic physical positions for prayer are standing, bowing, sitting or kneeling, and prostration (Zepp 82). The prayers take about five to ten minutes each (Ahmed 33). The whole sequence of the ritual is repeated twice in the morning, three times at sunset, and four times in the noon, afternoon and evening prayers (Rippin 101). This equals to seventeen daily prayers. Additional prayers can also be performed. There is the witr prayer which is performed at night (Rippin 102). Also, the wird prayer is a private prayer based on the recitation of the Quran (Rippin 102). Before Muslims pray they must perform ablution. Ablution is a spiritual and physical cleaning. They begin by cleaning their minds from thoughts and concerns and concentrate on God and his b lessings. Then they wash their hands, face and feet. The arms they wash up to the elbows. Then they say, I bear witness that there is no god but God; He has no partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger (Esposito, What Everyone 25). The person that recites this must say the statement with an honest intention. If a person is under ceremonial impurity, then he must wash his whole body. The cause of this impurity is any seminal emission or contact with sexual organs (Williams 98). Worshippers may also use sand when water is not available. This process is called tayammum. The person places the hands on the soil and rubs the face with the hands (Williams 98). There are two types of ablution. They are ghusl and wudu. Ghusl is done after acts of great defilement like sexual intercourse. Wudu is done after small defilements like going to the bathroom, sleep, and simple contact with the opposite sex (Farah 138). Muslims also follow the Quran as a guide to do their worship services. They follow the Five Pillars of Islam to Worship Allah. The first pillar is daily confession of the faith called shahada. A Muslim must say, There is no god but God (Allah) and Muhammad is the messenger of God (Esposito, What Everyone 17). This proclamation confirms to Muslims that there is only one God and to idolize others is an unforgivable sin. The second pillar is daily ritual prayer called salat. They are performed five times a day. The prayers are recitations of the Quran in Arabic. The prayers are done with physical movements. These movements are: standing, bowing, kneeling, touching the ground with ones forehead, and sitting. The recitation and movements demonstrate submission, humility, and the adoration of God (Esposito, What Everyone 19). At the conclusion of the prayer, they recite the shahada and they repeat their peace greeting twice. This peace greeting says Peace be upon all of you and the mercy and blessings of God (Esposito, Islam 89 ). The third pillar is paying the alms tax called zakat. Muslims are required to pay an annual contribution of two and a half percent of their individual wealth and assets. This money is used to help the poor, orphans, and widows. Zakat is an obligation to respond to the needs of the less fortunate. It is an act of worship, or thanksgiving to God, and of service to the community (Esposito, Islam 90). The fourth pillar is fasting during the month of Ramadan and is called sawn. It is done once a year on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this month, Muslims that are healthy must abstain from dawn to sunset from food, drink, and sexual activity. Families eat before sunrise to sustain them until sunset. Then they eat a light meal at dusk and eat a late evening meal (Esposito, Islam 91). Fasting lasts for twenty-nine or thirty days. Ramadan is a time of spiritual discipline and of expressing gratitude towards God (Esposito, Islam 90). Total abstinence reminds the Musli m that each life is one of sacrifice, dependent on God (Zepp 88). Muslims recite a special prayer that is only recited during Ramadan (Esposito, Islam 91). The Eid al-Fitr is the Feast of the Breaking of the Fast of Ramadan and is a celebration that lasts three days (Esposito, Islam 91). The fifth pillar is a pilgrimage to Mecca called hajj. At least once in their lifetime, a Muslim must make the sacrifice to make this pilgrimage which is done after Ramadan. The conditions to go are that they must pay for themselves without burrowing the money and be able to afford it (Ahmed 37). They are from different classes, colors, nationalities, and races and they are in the same dress performing the same rituals (Zepp 90). About two million Muslims go every year. Pilgrim men must wear two seamless white sheets and the women must cover their whole body except for their hands and face. These coverings symbolize purity as well as the unity and equality of all believers (Esposito, What Ever yone 22). As Muslims arrive in Mecca they go to the Kaaba where they move counterclockwise around the Kabba seven times symbolizing their entry before God. The Kaaba is known as the House of God. It is a cube-shaped house in which the sacred black stone is embedded (Esposito, Islam 91). In the coming days, the pilgrims participate in several ritual ceremonies that symbolize important religious events. They also visit the Plain of Arafat where they stand before God in repentance for forgiveness for all Muslims (Esposito, Islam 92). The Eid al-Adha is the Feast of Sacrifice which lasts four days and symbolizes the annual completion of the pilgrimage to Mecca. Here they sacrifice animals and most of the meat is given to the poor (Esposito, Islam 92). Also, during daily prayers, the faithful go to the mosque to pray. The mosque is a place of peace and serenity without images or idols of worship. The mosque has a carpet on which to stand or sit and meditate. If a mosque is unavaila ble, a prayer rug may serve as a mosque, and each rug will have a point in its design to orient the prayer to Mecca (Zepp 81). Muslims stand and bow before God. Worshippers begin by raising their hands and proclaiming Gods greatness, Allahu Akbar, or God is most great (Esposito, What Everyone 25). Then, passages of the Quran are recited. On Fridays a great congregational prayer is done in the afternoon called juma. The men and women worship in separate groups (Esposito, What Everyone 33). This prayer is led by a leader who is called imam. There is also a sermon called khutba which combines religious advice on social and political issues based on the Qurans teachings (Esposito, What Everyone 33). Muslims use the Quran as a guide to worship Allah. They invoke the name Allah (God) on an average of no less than twenty times a day (Farah 6). Worshipping Allah has many effects on their actions. Muslims shed the attire of daily life for a plain white linen cloth as a symbol of equali ty. A person must profess the Shahadah, or open testimony which states their belief in Allah. The words of the Shahadah are said fourteen times a day if a Muslim does all daily prayers. The Shahadah is heard at every significant occasion from birth to death (Zepp 80). Al-Islam signifies the total submission to the will of God. Muslims also have obligations they must follow. For instance, they have obligations such as obedience to Allah, kindness, consideration, and chastity (Farah 127-28). They also have a social morality that requires them to place duty before right, as well as ceremonial duties (Farah 128). These duties are incumbent regardless of their status in society. Their most important act of faith in their ceremonial duties is There is no god but God, or al-Shahadah (Esposito, Islam 88). Muslims also use the Quran to guide their family traditions. To them, marriage is the basis of a family. Although to have a valid Muslim marriage, a marriage contract or marriage pro posal must be mutually agreed upon by the bride and the groom (Zepp 99). The man must give the bride a mahr, or gift, as a form of surety. This gift is usually money, but it can be any other thing. Two Muslim men must be witnesses to the offer and to the acceptance (Zepp 99). Unlike other religions, marriage is not a sacrament but a social contract to establish family unity (Zepp 99). Marriage is preferred to be between two Muslims and within the extended family, even though men are allowed to marry non-Muslim women (Esposito, Islam 94). The Quran permits a man to marry up to four wives, provided that he is able to support and treat them equally (Esposito, Islam 95). On the other hand, The vast majority of men are monogamous (Ahmed 152). The marriage emphasizes the great significance attached to family life as a force for unity in Islamic society (Farah 166). Divorce and remarriage is allowed as a last resort. A requirement stated in the Quran says that a husband must pronounce I divorce you three times for a period of three months to allow time for reconciliation (Esposito, Islam 96). Nowadays, in many countries, Muslim women can request a divorce from the courts based on different grounds. Also, in a marriage, the men must pay the household expenses and he has the final decisions on family matters. The wife takes care of the house and the children and supervises their religious and moral training (Esposito, Islam 96). On the other hand, the wife obeys her husband. The birth of a son is a joyful event for every Muslim family. When the son reaches the age of seven, the circumcision rite is performed and strictly observed (Farah 167). Male circumcision is required in Islam according to tradition and Muhammads example (Sunnah) (Esposito, What Everyone 101). Circumcision symbolizes submission to Gods will. It is an important part of a boys life showing a transition to adulthood that includes male responsibilities and attendance to public prayer. This cir cumcision rite launches the boys formal study of the Quran at school (Farah 167). The daughter on the other hand stays close to the house where she receives her education. The girl is taught to become a good housewife and mother. The parents main concern is about a properly arrange marriage (Farah, 167). For Muslims, the Quran is the central religious text that guides their prayer rituals, worship services, and family traditions. Memorization of the entire Quran brings immense prestige and merit. The Quran provides rules that guide a person in relation to modesty, marriage, divorce, inheritance, feuding, intoxicants, gambling, diet, theft, murder, fornication, and adultery (Esposito, Islam 29). The Quran emphasizes service to God because is their belief that it is on earth and in society that Gods will is to govern and prevail (Esposito, Islam 28). Islam is not only a religion but an all-embracing way of life (Farah, 14). The Quran is the sacred text that is most widely read i n the world today (Farah 79). As a result, Muslims use it to help guide their spiritual life all over the world. Works Cited Ahmed, Akbar S. Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World. London: I.B.Tauris, 1999. Esposito, John L. Islam: the Straight Path. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 1998. Esposito, John L. What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam. New York: Oxford UP, 2002. Farah, Caesar E. Islam: Beliefs and Observances. 7th ed. Hauppauge: Barrons, 2003. Rippin, Andrew. Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Vol. 2. London: Routledge, 2001. Williams, John A., ed. Islam. New York: Washington Square P Inc., 1961. Zepp Jr., Ira G. A Muslim Primer: Beginners Guide to Islam. 2nd ed. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas P, 2000.

The Mexican American War By Daniel Timi - 1492 Words

Union County College Mexican War Daniel Timi His. 201-United States History to 1865 Professor Margiotta The Mexican American War began on April 25, 1846. This placed the first U.S. armed conflict chiefly fought on foreign soil. It marked politically dividend and militarily unprepared Mexico against its expansionists-minded administration of U.S. President James K. Polk. Polk strongly believed the United States had an evident future to go across the continent in the Pacific Ocean. The border encountered along the Rio Grande, which began with a fight, followed by a series of numerous victories the United States. When the dust cleared, Mexico had lost roughly one-third of its region. The regions included all the states such as Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Utah. At the end of the U.S. Mexican War, historians have divided into their explanations. Some historians hold United States accountable while others put the blame on Mexico. The studies of the literature show majority of writers have taken into consideration that neither country entirely unimpeachable. Throughout the Mexican War there are several of causes, some which were minor and others of

Screaming For Vengence by Judas Priest free essay sample

By now, Judas Priest should be far from new. Judas Priest is one of the many legends of the metal universe and I think that they still stand by it today as one of the greats. Although, not the best of the NWOBHM scene, that would be Iron Maiden they are still here and ready to kick some butt. Having been around for over forty years, this is kind of an accomplishment for them. Screaming For Vengeance is one of the fan favorites if the band along with British Steel, Hell Bent For Leather/Killing Machine, Sad Wings of Destiny and Painkiller. Having some pretty popular tracks and a very cool looking hellion as the album art is also a sign youre in for something special. We start the album with Hellion/Electric Eye, my first Judas Priest tracks, and from there, our journey begins. I personally like every track on here although my least favorites have to be Take These (Chains) and Devils Child if you had to ask me. We will write a custom essay sample on Screaming For Vengence by Judas Priest or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are some great songs in here as like Fever, Riding On The Wind and the fan favorites on here. Plus, this was back in the 80s where cassettes somehow couldnt handle anything longer than 45 minutes so it isnt very long, as well as most of these tracks. Glen and K. K. Downing do done awesome shredding work on this as well and Rob Halford uses his high pitched, almost, screams a bit more especially in Scream For Vengeance, Riding On The Wind and to some extent, Electric Eye. The drums are also quick and not to hard to follow which is perfect for this album and he gets a drum solo in Riding On The Wind, kind of like the drum intro to Painkiller except that one had more time and more double bass kicks and thus, much faster. One of my favorites although so far, nothing beats Painkiller. Sorry. I give this a 9/10. I am the Grim Reaper, signing off.

Losing Us Essays - BookThe Supremes, The Singles,

Losing Us How can you help someoone when you can't? Do you watch them walk by and sit there and cry? Do you reach out in fear while you wipe away a tear? How do you stop someone when they won't let you? Do you sit there and pray while the sun fades for that day? You must LET THEM GO! I sit here, I cringe and I cry, eventually I feel as though I should also die, but why? What will I do if it's true? He can't leave me in this world all alone and go own all on his own I Wanna be by his side so much to live, so much time to give, why can't he see that? The only person that I have felt close to now must leave me--I must say no. In my dreams I reach out to grab his hand only to feel the air brush by my hands Why must we love so musch? Why must we lose what we love? If he must go I must let him, for I can't break our trust But grant me one wish and it will be for him to rest in heaven along side all of the good, for I have never met someone better then him. I hope I always stay a part of him for he is part of me indefinitely..and all I ask of him is to watch over me and to be my....be my ANGEL!

How To Help Struggling Readers free essay sample

This paper examines the diagnosis and remediation of reading problems. This paper discusses different types of reading disorders. Diagnosis and remediation of reading and reading comprehension problems are outlined. A review of the related literature is included. Aaron, Malatesha and March (1999) defined a reading disability as below-average achievement in reading comprehension as assessed by a standardized test. That definition seems too narrow, as it ignores the early difficulties of emergent readers. Felton (2001) adopted Gough and Turmers simple definition of reading as the combination of word identification and language comprehension, with both components necessary for literacy. Teachers and remedial reading instructors agree that it is not enough for students to acquire the ability to unlock unknown words. The final goal of reading is to read new information and understand what the writer is trying to communicate. While comprehension is the final goal, many students need specific instruction in the word recognition skills that will allow them to gain that meaning. We will write a custom essay sample on How To Help Struggling Readers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is also universally recognized that some students will have marked difficulty either in acquiring those word attack and word recognition skills, or in getting the meaning of what theyve read, or in remembering what they have read.

Society During the Industrial Revolution essays

Society During the Industrial Revolution essays Due to the new technology, the humans were divided. It was a terrible, vicious circle. Those who were successful and had a lot of capital took advantage of the change. They bought machines, built up a factory with which they had profits. With the new profits, they were able to buy more supplies, it went on and on like this. Capital has never before grown this quickly. Meanwhile, the poor people, had no capital and were dependent on the people providing work. They were exploited and got poorer and poorer. They had to work hard but were underemployed. The middle class for example people with their own little businesses, like weavers, engineers, sank terribly, as their work was no longer needed. Social classes and the so-called poverty gap developed. This is the huge gap between the now really rich capitalists and all the poor ones. The people that controlled the enterprises were one of those classes- the industrial capitalist. When you wanted to produce something, in the pre-industrial time, it took Long time and every task was 'fueled' by the energy of humans or animals. With the new machinery, mass production was possible. This was something totally new. Now, the people were unnecessary, as the power-driven machines could also fulfill the work leading to terrible unemployment. The farmer could work at home and on his little farm. Only the need for money drove him to real work. As the smog ruined ecology, the farmers grasped that farming would not be a good-enough occupation to feed his whole family and pay the taxes. This caused a lot of farmers to turn to manufacturing centers for work. This changed the society a lot, as millions of people moved from the countryside to industrial centers to look for work. Industrialization also promoted the disappearance of slaves, who were commonly occupied before. The political system was called laissez-faire. This meant that the ...

Czech Republic Conversion to the Euro Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Czech Republic Conversion to the Euro - Essay Example Investments in property have been greatly reduced. Thousands of advertisements for selling properties are seen in newspapers daily. Negotiations with the Czech National Bank (CNB) to lower the interest rate by 1.5 percent are in process so as to lessen the impact and stress on economy. Czech Republic: Importance of Euro Adoption Since Euro is the second largest currency distributed and used worldwide, following points will emphasize on how beneficial it will be to Czech to adopt Euro as its official currency. Minimizing Transaction Costs: - People in Czech, with 'Koruna' (CZK) as their currency, have to first convert their currency to dollar to pay their bills. The latest conversion rate is 1.00 CZK = 0.0499510 USD. Banks and exchange companies charge an extra amount for this conversion. Euro, if adopted as the national currency in EU, will definitely minimize such transaction costs leading the Czech economy to progress. Eliminating Exchange Rates: - Since, conversion from one currency to other in between European states will be eradicated on the adoption of Euro, the exchange rates will no longer affect the economy and the risks for the appreciating or depreciating currency will also be eliminated. Increasing Competition: - Transparency refers to knowing and seeing much of something; a product, price or service. Euro is transparent and will benefit the consumers to understand what they actually need and how much by paying fewer prices for products and services. It will also increase the wages thereby creating competition among the European states with Euro as their national currency. Capital Distribution: - All the European states including Czech... The paper describes the Czech economy and the importance of Euro adoption in it. Since the whole world is going through the period of recession, the economy is being tremendously affected. The economy of Czech Republic, more of a struggling state, is totally dependent upon the development of the Western Europe for the next two years according to the latest poll published by the Czech News Agency. Investments in property have been greatly reduced. Thousands of advertisements for selling properties are seen in newspapers daily. Negotiations with the Czech National Bank (CNB) to lower the interest rate by 1.5 percent are in process so as to lessen the impact and stress on economy. Since Euro is the second largest currency distributed and used worldwide, following points will emphasize on how beneficial it will be to Czech to adopt Euro as its official currency. All the European states including Czech Republic will have a fair allocation of capital in financial markets. The Czech Republi c government first decided the introduction of Euro in 2009. But due to the stressed circumstances all around the world, it has been reported by the Czech News agency that the plan of introducing Euro as the national currency of the Czech Republic has been postponed until 2012. For this, CNB has time to work on its monetary policies. It also plans to research more on the European framework to improve the economic situation of the Czech Republic.

Value Added Tax Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Value Added Tax - Essay Example The concern for the measure is not limited to its monetary or financial impacts on trade and commerce but also in the overall all competitiveness of industries and markets. The objective of this paper is to be able to assess current opinion regarding the VAT measures and determine areas of concern. The opinion of various stakeholders on the issue, EU objectives and the state of global markets will also be taken into consideration. The paper will then conclude with a summation of the issues that dominate current discussion and weigh the legitimacy of projections on the issue. Lszl Kovcs' opening statement to the 2006 Joint Conference forum of the European Commission (EC) and the European Banking Federation (EBF) regarding the modernization of the VAT Rules for Financial Services and Insurances, acknowledged the interest of the issue to a number of sectors and industries. He reiterates to the assembly that the reviews of the VAT rules are motivated by the desire to simplify them to enhance and unify pan-European trade, particularly financial services (Tabellini 2003). ... n the assessment done by the 1973 Hutchinson Report: objections raised against the directive were concerned the lack of actual infrastructures to facilitate the application of the measures which impairs consumer credit levels. In response to the challenges of determining taxable amounts and VAT deductions in these industries, the industries were given exemptions due to the lack accounting and fiscal methods to implement measures. The lack of capacity was not based on the lack of fiscal or accounting skills but rather on the lack of justification of administrative charges and the complication of legal and accounting jurisprudence. It was only in the middles of the 1990's that efforts to implement full taxation were picked up. The Commission together with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) determined that it was possible to charge VAT using cash flow methods of financial services, known as the truncated cash flow method (TCA). Technical feasibility tests were conducted in financial institutions and yielded within acceptable parameters as well. Using the system, there would be no VAT or zero rating on business-to-business (B2B) transactions and will be considered as customer charges in business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions. However, there was still opinion that the systems was still to complex for actual implementation and migration to TCA was inhibitive because of the cost. In response to these continuing concerns, the Commission has identified three key issues for resolution (EC 2006, pp. 3-4): 1. Mitigation of administrative cost of implementation and fiscal supervision for economic operation and fiscal compliance 2. Establishment of related budget security and legal certainty for Member States and economic operators respectively 3.

Wireless Deployment Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wireless Deployment Plan - Assignment Example As for the student population, there will be a very necessary access to the internet which aids in easing congestion in the learning areas, above increasing efficiency to the populace. It is very essential that the authorities having the responsibility of deploying the wireless network are aware of the solutions they are seeking from the new network that is not readily available in the traditional wired network architecture (Trulove, 2002). In most cases, mobility is the most appealing wireless feature. The through-the-air connection from a wireless AP to any enable device calls for other issues to. Key amongst them is the essence of mobility to the institution, in this case the campus. Other issues that emanate are the mode of connection to be spelt out on the ground, essence of remote connection, voice calls and such. Planning of the network set up determines the best suited WLAN architectural adoption with regards to the surrounding environment (Syngress, 2002). Benefits gained from well-suited different environments from stand alone and centrally coordinated architectures available. Depending on deployment area, age of wired infrastructure, building architecture and types of applications to be supported both stand alone and centrally coordinated architectures have advantages and disadvantages. It is essential to have effective and efficient way to manage network regardless of the chosen approach. Site survey is critical before expansion and deployment of the network it enables identification of appropriate technologies to deploy, elimination and avoidance of obstacles, user needs, capacity required to carry out the exercise, expertise needed, area coverage and resources required to successfully ensure project implementation up to its decommissioning. The purpose of this research is to provide recommendations for installation of this network. It aims at achieving

Technological Progress in Science, Arts and Literature

Technological Progress in Science, Arts and Literature Introduction Technology has an influence on the existence of human beings because it brings new risks as well as improving our lives. Technology has impacted a vast range of sectors ranging from health, sports, communication, and entertainment among other parameters. For instance, today individuals are anticipated to live longer as compared to the olden days due to the impacts of new technology in the medical sector. Scientific discoveries are made day by day thereby changing our world. Discussion Just like any other sectors, literature and arts field has also been significantly affected by the advancement in science and technological aspects in our world today. The manner in which art and literature works are presented has become completely different as compared to the early days before technological developments. Some of the rapidly growing art and literature aspects that have been affected by the advancement of science and technology include art application, graphic design; computer generated paintings, art blogs, Photoshop, 3D hacking, E-book, digitally created music, 3D scanning among others (Garcia Calantone, 2002). To begin, one of the literature industries that scientific and technological development has impacted significantly is the film and movie sector. Both digital and mechanical innovations have affected everything from production, distribution, and exhibition of film products. For instance, under production, the advanced technology has changed the manner in which films are shot especially with the use of some special effects. For example, the Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) is a technology that which implicates the computer graphics to unique effects. It is mainly used for visual effects since it makes the scenes controllable. For example, instead of employing the use of thousands of extras in a given scene as before, today CGI would be used for easier and simpler control. Also, many technologies today affect the distribution of films. For example, it is possible for individuals to view movies on portable devices in every location across the world. It is also possible to upload films on small devices and watch them at your discretion. The use of the internet has also simplified the viewing process of films both in legal and illegal means. For instance, an individual can download and view pirated copies free of charge on the internet. Finally, under film industry, the exhibition process of videos has been influenced as well. For instance, special effects have affected the manner in which videos are exhibited through the creation of new motives for the audience due to the special effects that are provided by the CGI technology. Besides, the digital technology has facilitated the creation of bigger and better films with numerous scenes which result into visceral pleasure for the viewers. Another key area in literature that has been transformed by the technological and scientific advancement is our reading and publishing of books. In this sector, self-publishing has been developed, and it has changed the world of books in various ways. For example, today, there is a broader understanding of publishing as compared to before. For an extended period, the publishing industry has suffered the irony that there is the only evidence of publishing when it is invisible. Today, since it is possible to publish brochures for fundraising or sports or even school cookbooks, individuals have learned the steps that are involved in publishing. Besides, due to the emergence of science and technological skills, the role of an author has continuously changed. As a result of media fragmentation in the recent years, publishers were dependent on the authors for marketing reasons, and this is a way of empowering. Because authors can meet their readers during the marketing process more so at literary festivals, or by tweeting or running blogs, they get to know their readers well and do not have to rely on publishers for relationship mediation purposes. The duty of agents has as well changed due to this type of advancement. Initially, the role of agents was to introduce the ingenuine authors to potential investors then associating with them in building long-term careers. However, due to the emergence of many self-publishing authors, agents have found it difficult since the self-publishing authors interact with the readers themselves and therefore agents are expected to identify other areas in which to direct their efforts. Finally, as a result of technological and scientific improvements, the issue is not only about making money. Self-publishing means that an individual assumes a personal responsibility to manage and produce their content which can be effectively achieved through one copy which is kept at home as the sale of many copies online. In other words, self-publishing means that a person recognizes and preserves the content which has value for another person; however, the process does not have to result in earning an income solely. Technological and scientific advancements have also altered the manner in which authors of various items do their work. According to Nietzsche, our writing instruments also work on our thoughts (Carr, 2008). Therefore, Nietzsche acquired a writing ball which compensated for his failed eyesight. This is one instance in which technology changed the manner in which literature works can be presented. The emergence of writing tools and machines has transformed writing to a great extent. Technology has not only changed an individuals styles of writing, but it also has pronunciation on literary establishment entirely. Style can be something that is tangible, but it is built from an individuals words and phrases with academic specialization of stylometry which is intended to its study and elusively associates with the authors unique feel and voice of their prose. With the invention of computers, word processing programs have entirely changed everything. For example, revision has become a considerably easy task. In fact, the difference between composition and revision has completely eroded. For example, today there are writing devices which direct the user through a draft without any stoppage for revision. Word processors have as well found their way to settings and plots in a similar way that typewriters did. Also, literary production circumstances have also changed. For example, in 1983, John Updike dismissed his secretary since he got a word processor (Kirschenbaum, 2014). Apart from style, the sense of the text has also changed due to technological advancement. For example, word processing has enabled writers to grasp manuscripts wholly. Initially, the manuscript was available through search functions. In fact, entire passages could be moved at the users will thereby reordering chapters and sections. The advancement in technology and science has also led to the development of modern literature. There has been an evolution from the gramophone and telegraph to cyberspace and cinema due to technological changes. Each technological breakthrough is accompanied by its changes in literature. Tablet computers, TV and Smartphone have threatened the cultural authority of books thereby shattering the attention or destroying reading. New communication technologies always produce new frameworks that often adjust the appearance of literature i.e. file window, website or even the screen and page. For example, with the help of technology, Walter Benjamin, a commentator, incorporated a technique of rapid intercutting g and jump cuts into a particular form of writing. This was a way in which traffic literature absorbed the film technologies. Concerning art, technology has redefined it in a strange and new ways. Individuals have created works by moving through laser beams or common data that has been gathered from the air pollution. Technology has improvised new ways through which artists express themselves. For instance, the lasers i.e. which are brush strokes, particularly in London one, is known as Assemblance whose design is aimed at encouraging visitors to create light structures and drawings of the floor through the use of colored lasers beams together with smokes. An experience known as Petting Zoo is another favorite digital revolution in the art arena. This involves the snake-like tubes which hung from the ceiling. These tubes may bend move and change colors depending on the way that they have read your sound, movement, and touch. If an individual is simply standing, the tubes will also stand bored. This artwork was developed by Minimaforms which is a design group with the aim of providing a glimpse of future when robots will be capable of reading our moods and react with kindness (Pschera, 2016). The progression of science and technology has also remarkably changed film animation. Several years back, the only way in which an individual would come up with cartoons was hand making frame by frame. However, today many cartoons are made with flash after some software which has interpolation features. In other words, this would mean that an individual doesnt have to draw all the frames for the production of movement illusion. The invention of zoetrope and the current technology has enabled the creation of graphic animation and the evolution of cartoons from 2D to the 3D format and stereoscopic 3D (Adar, Dontcheva, Fogarty Weld, 2008). It is possible to release animated movies across the globe which has become the top-grossing movies over the years. Technological advancement has brought massive changes in this sector, and if a comparison is made between the first cartoon that was made and the current animation, an individual would be convinced that a period is coming when everything would be possible. Technology continuously continues their development, and it has created the movement on a flat screen by making flat images to constantly and rapidly pass on the screen one after the other so that illusion is created. It is possible for a person to catch their favorite cartoons online in their laptops, Smartphone or iPad in high quality due to this technology. Many new cartoons are also made with the 3D software. However, creativity and studies and psychology character definition are required to achieve this. Technology has also improved the difference between modern and classical animated cartoons. For instance, a person who was born in the past century can evidently notice the difference and the unique nature between the old and new cartoons. However, the characters and features of cartoons are almost similar only that those for today are fancy as compared to those for the olden days. Animators and the animation studios continuously combine the latest technological and scientific advances with the naturally born and creative talents to push and raise the levels of possibilities especially to ensure that they come up with the most recent versions of cartoons which are fancier as compared to cartoons of the earlier generations. The final area that has been considerably impacted by the new scientific and technological advancement methodology is writing literary works. Some literary techniques have been improvised to deepen the fiction that an individual has and also to facilitate adequate communication of the intended meaning. The writer is free to use as many techniques as they would want to their literature work as long as they effectively relay their intended information or message. First, there is the use of allegory in which the writer comes up with a story whereby the characters and events bring out a system of symbolic meaning. Symbolism is another technique that can be used in presenting literary work by authors. In this instance, the writer is free to use n action, object, character or word within the story to suggest something but its not its actual dictionary meaning. Irony can also be used, and it has three types. First is verbal irony in which the intended meaning of a statement varies from the actual meaning. It is in most instances referred to as sarcasm. Secondly is the situational irony which occurs when the intended outcome of a particular action is different from the real result. The final type of irony is dramatic. In this case, the audience is more aware of the situation of the character than the characters does. Finally, due to advancement in todays literary works, there is also use of figurative language which creates a meaningful and exciting story. This type of language makes a comparison between different things. The figurative language includes simile, metaphor, personification and hyperbole. The use of figurative language is essential since it gives the audience a clear image of what is being referred to by the performer or the author of an article. This, therefore, makes it easier for the public to synthesize and visualize what the author is talking about. Conclusion It is evident that science and technological advancement has not left out any sector when it comes to its application in various fields. Just like all other areas, art and literary has experienced a vast impact as a result of technological advancements. As the research paper has provided, numerous changes have been noticed especially in the video and film industries. The processes of production, distribution, and exhibition of a video film have substantially improved due to the introduction of CGI which has made it easier to combine many effects easier and more quickly as compared to the initial days. I think that technological advancement is a good thing since it has enhanced innovation and creativity thereby simplifying tasks to be much easier as opposed to olden days when it could take long before completing a particular task. References Adar, E., Dontcheva, M., Fogarty, J., Weld, D. S. (2008, October). Zoetrope: interacting with the ephemeral web. In Proceedings of the 21st annual ACM symposium on User interface software and technology (pp. 239-248). ACM. Carr, N. (2008). Is Google making us stupid? What the Internet is doing to our brains (Vol. 1). July. Garcia, R., Calantone, R. (2002). A critical look at technological innovation typology and innovativeness terminology: a literature review. Journal of product innovation management, 19(2), 110-132. Kirschenbaum, M. (2014). Operating Systems of the Mind: Bibliography After Word Processing (The Example of Updike). The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, 108(4), 380-412. Pschera, A. (2016). Animal Internet: Nature and the Digital Revolution. New Vessel Press.

The link between physical and human resources against the population density and distribution of population in the UK

The world's population is unevenly spread across the land surface. The explanation for the uneven distribution lies in a mixture of physical and human factors as well as the historical development of the area. Factors having a positive impact are likely to encourage a high population density whereas those having a negative impact are likely to deter population leading to sparsely populated areas. Within any one country there are also variations. The UK is one such country. The densely populated conurbations and south east of England contrast sharply with the sparsely populated uplands in the north and west of the UK. Before the industrial revolution in the UK was quite even, although the more fertile agricultural areas such as East Anglia were able to support much higher densities of population than the cold, wet uplands which were sparsely populated. This pattern can still be seen today. The north of the UK is very sparsely populated with the west coast of Scotland having 0- 10 people/ per sq km and a thin line around the east coast having 11- 150 people/ sq km. This is mainly due to their unsuitability for agriculture and their remoteness. Read this Ch. 22 Respiratory System The land is too steep for farm machinery, the soils are often thin and rocky and there are few lines of communication. The economic potential is low, i. e. there are few opportunities for farming and industry. Occupations are most likely confined to extensive hill sheep farming, forestry, tourism, and quarrying and water companies. However there is an exception to this trend. The valley between the lowlands of Scotland and the beginning of the English mountains has a very high population density of over 500 people per/ sq km. This is because the area has a positive relief of lowlands and gently undulating terrain with the soils being fertile and easily worked e. g. loams and alluvium. The vegetation is easy to clear and it has valuable grasslands. The valley has well drained soils with adequate water supply for domestic, industrial and agricultural uses. There is also the presence of coal in the area accessible to the outside world and for trade. This presence of coal led to mass rural to urban migration during the industrial revolution giving it a high population density. The area also has good infrastructure with good export trade and wealthy markets due to the two ports on both the east and west coasts of the area. The east port makes trade to Europe easy and the west Ireland and beyond. The north part of England is fairly sparsely populated with a population density of 0-10 people/ per sq km in the upland areas of the region and 11-50 in the lower areas. This is again due to the unsuitability for agriculture and their remoteness. The land is too steep for farm machinery; the soils are too thin and rocky with a poor infrastructure. However as with Scotland there is an exception on the east coast and on the west. These two areas are the old industrial core regions of England. The high population densities are a result of the coal and iron ore resource for base of heavy industry which developed during the industrial revolution. This was aided by port access. The focus on technology and enterprise led to continued prosperity. The north east is the most dynamic of the old northern cores, attracting foreign investment and service growth. East Anglia and East Midlands, as part of lowland Britain, have comparatively fertile loam soils and moderate rainfall with sunny summers. These areas are favoured for agricultural prosperity and as market centres as a result they have a population density of 11-150 people/ sq km. East Anglia is the fastest growth area in the UK aided by the electrification of rail line for computer growth and science park developments. The East Midlands and West Midlands established engineering and automobile industrial areas are also being revived by high technology and service growth. In south England the area around London has the highest population density with over 150 people/ sq km and Greater London having 6. 3 million people living in the area. The greatest initial resource was London's location on the Thames estuary, facing the continent. The UK's incorporation into the EU and the completion of the Channel Tunnel remain significant factors in its growth. London has exerted strong long term influence as the capital and centre for administration and finance. The area is of national and international importance, setting of cumulative causation and multiplier effect. It is the hub of a national route network. Its expanding population provides prosperous market, helping towards making it the greatest entrepreneurial centre in the UK. It has benefited from a shift in economy from heavy industry to light, service industry, including banking and insurance, especially since the mid- 1930s. the focus is now high technology industry and further service growth. Prosperity has spread especially since the 1960s. People's desires and higher core costs led to decentralisation of population and economic activity into the more spacious rural areas, particularly along the M4 and M3 growth corridors into East Anglia. The south west has a sparse population density of 11- 150 people/ sq km. However this is set to change. The south west was part of the more remote upland fringe until recently. Now with lower cost, rural setting and developing motorway and commuter train links, it attracts both retirement and working households, service and high technology growth, as well as tourists.

My Hobby- Kayaking Essay

Ladies and gentlemen, I have come here to talk to you about one of my hobbies, kayaking. A common misconception is that a kayak is the same as a canoe, but this is not the case. There are a number of differences between a kayak and a canoe, the main difference is that in a kayak, you are enclosed, unlike in a canoe, whose cockpit is much like a boat. Also, a kayak is normally for one person only and a canoe is for a number of people. Finally, in general, a canoe has only one paddle. While a kayak has two that are joined together with one shaft. The word kayak means â€Å"hunter’s boat†. The kayak was developed by cultures in the arctic of North America for hunting. To these people, the kayak meant survival. Without it they couldn’t get food. There wasn’t much time for recreation. To obtain food they used kayaks to hunt in extremely harsh conditions. Archaeologists have found evidence that indicates kayaks to be at least 4000 years old. Hunting in a kayak was very dangerous. Sometimes a wounded animal wound attack the kayak, and walrus and whales were especially dangerous when injured. Occasionally the harpoon line would tangle and damage the kayak. Because the escaping normally was so hazardous, these people became quite proficient in the â€Å"Eskimo Roll† (where if you get flipped upside down, this is called capsizing, you flip yourself up again instead of exiting the kayak). The reason for this is that in emergencies, exiting the kayak into the water was very perilous; the animal that they were trying to hunt could be even more dangerous if they were attacked while inside of the water. Rolls that are thought of as tricks now were based on actual survival techniques. The hunter may have been hurt by a wounded animal or have their hand tangled in the harpoon line, and therefore the Eskimo roll is essential to avoid drowning These paddlers used jackets made from waterproof skins and seal intestines. Today, these waterproofs are also used as well, they are called cagoules,  but they are fortunately made of fabric! I like kayaking because it gives you a sense of freedom. The fresh air and water can be very refreshing and relaxing. A great thing about kayaking is its great diversity. The number of things that you can do and the many ways that you can do it is overwhelming. You can go with as many or as little people as you want. You can go in almost any weather as long as you wrap up warm in colder circumstances. You can do tricks such as the Eskimo roll. You can race your friends and even play games such as bulldog. Finally you can go on long sightseeing tours. The scenery is frequently breathtaking, you can get close to wildlife such fish swimming and it is not uncommon to see the adorable sight of a duck and a line of chicks following its mother. There is a large sense of satisfaction when you get better or learn something new. Today, these hunters have replaced their kayaks with motorboats, but kayaking has become a very popular form of recreation in other parts of the world. Today’s kayaks are mainly made of plastic and wood. Their design runs from small white-water boats to 20 foot long touring kayaks that can carry several week’s provisions. The reasons we paddle may have changed, but the kayak remains a quiet, efficient and fun means of transportation whose design has stood the test of time. Thank you for listening

Business Reforms Essay

Business Reforms Essay Business Reforms Essay In this assignment I will be looking at the main physical and technological resources required in the operation of Barclays. Firstly I will be describing the main physical resources of Barclays then after this I will be looking at the technological resources used within my organization. Physical resources are what the business needs to maintain in order to carry out its activities. They include things like the buildings, facilities, plant and machinery. Management of physical resources involves planning maintenance and refurbishment, this includes organising insurance to keep those resources safe. Buildings and Facilities Barclays will need to have premises from where it can operate, this can be anywhere ranging from a persons home to tower block offices over the world. The buildings play an important role in the image of the business and can make potential customers want to work with the business even more. An example of this being the building that Lloyds use is now so famous that it has become a tourist attraction around London. Barclays and many other financial institutions still have their head offices in central London close to the stock exchange so that they maintain links with clients in other leading companies. The layout of the facility is also key, when a customer enters a building the facilities must be arranged, such as a meeting room or front desk of the building. Banks often have desks or rooms where clients can talk to an advisor about financial products such as mortgage loans as well as a screened area where cash is exchanged. For some businesses the attractiveness of the building itself is not half as important as the on goings on the inside. For a company such as Amazon they will use large industrial warehouses using a lot of machinery. The public do not visit these buildings so they are designed to be as efficient as possible and may not necessarily look attractive. Other business such as Barclays may use the building facility to market the type of product or service that they are offering. Materials and Waste Materials that are needed by a business will very much depend on the type of operation that it is running and the people that are working within the organisation. Barclays will need lots of computing equipment, phones, printers and paper for the employees to use. Some of the materials used within Barclays will be recyclable material such as paper, while other companies uses non recyclable materials such as oil. Every business needs to be wary of how much materials they use and try to avoid wasting materials, this will also keep the costs lower within the company. The waste that is produced by the business has to be taken away by another agency such as the council or a private company. It makes good business sense to reduce the amount of waste as this cuts waste disposal costs, which should help lead to higher profits for the business. The government sees mass reduction as important for the environment and has funded the envirowise campaign, this is giving tips on ways to do this. Plant and Machinery Just like materials and buildings, each business has specific requirements for the type of plant and machinery that it may need. A business may spend thousands and thousands of pounds on its factory machinery and buying everything that is needed in order to make the business a success. For other businesses it may be easier and more cost effective to lease what is needed. Emergency provision The health and safety at work act 1974 requires organisations to drag up policies and provisions for what should happen in the event of an emergency within the building. This means that each employee must be given evacuation training, in the event of an emergency the employee with have clear instructions provided about what to do in the event of a fire. The organization must also provide equipment for the safety of the

How Oobleck Works

How Oobleck Works Oobleck gets its name from the Dr. Seuss book called  Bartholomew and the Oobleck, because, well, oobleck is funny and strange.  Oobleck is a special type of slime with properties of both liquids and solids. If you squeeze it, it feels solid, yet if you relax your grip, it flows through your fingers. If you run across a pool of it, it supports your weight, but if you stop in the middle, youll sink like its quicksand.  Do you know how oobleck works? Non-Newtonian Fluids Oobleck is an example of a non-Newtonian fluid. A Newtonian fluid is one which maintains constant viscosity at any given temperature. Viscosity, in turn, is the property that allows liquids to flow. A non-Newtonian fluid does not have a constant viscosity. In the case of oobleck, viscosity increases when you agitate the slime or apply pressure. Why? Oobleck is a suspension of starch in water. The starch grains remain intact rather than dissolving, which is the key to the slimes interesting properties. When a sudden force is applied to oobleck, the starch grains rub against each other and lock into position. The phenomenon is called shear thickening and it basically means particles in a dense suspension resist further compression in the direction of shear. When oobleck is at rest, the high surface tension of water causes water droplets to surround the starch granules. Water acts as a liquid cushion or lubricant, allowing the grains to flow freely. Sudden force pushes the water out of the suspension and jams the starch grains against each other.

Reading Response 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading Response 3 - Essay Example As a matter of fact, it is hard in America to imagine and portray a school jock without a cheerleader girlfriend. This kind of stereotyping takes the focus away from the fact that cheerleading could be considered a rigorous sport in itself. This is further supported by the fact that, today, there are already competitions that validate it as a sport. More importantly, however, it fosters the same benefits that sports like basketball and soccer such as teamwork and fair play. Yabroff was able to underscore the need to evaluate our perspective cheerleading, including how cheerleaders view what they do. Also, she was able to explain how the activity was emerging as legitimate sport. This is important because it will help to correct mistakes and develop cheerleading further as a sport in the future. The article is successful in contributing in this respect. Yabroff’s evidences leave her readers thoughtful and amenable to new insights about the issue she focused

Types of Business Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Types of Business Organisations - Essay Example The very best thing you can do for a superintended is not to give him more money, more buildings, or a better contract. Instead, give him a tool to make his average teachers just a little bit better and you will see a vastly greater impact across the district than any model school or blue-ribbon program will ever bring. Our coaches are master teachers who are comfortable in any classroom. They love children and love working with children in schools. They possess energy and a positive outlook, making them the kind of people that others enjoy being around.Above all, they are able to communicate their deep, honest belief in teachers, even as they suggest ways for teachers to improve Preparing the stakeholders, which includes the classroom teachers, for the new instructional facilitator’s positions is essential. According to Water’s and Grubb (2004), leadership initiating a change, such as the instructional facilitator positions, must understand the magnitude of the change implemented to use the correct leadership practices. Strategically planning and outlining expectations of the new roles can provide powerful support for the new positions. When the destination is clear and goals loaded with specifics, there is little question about what work is completed or unfinished. According to Heifetz (1994), knowing how hard to push and when to let up is central to leadership. Some teachers may need more time to adapt to the idea of a professional development opportunity that exists in their district and classroom. ... There is no guarantee that the state of Wyoming will fund the instructional facilitator positions past the two-year time frame. The intent being that if a district decides the positions positively affect student achievement after the two-year time frame, the district will provide the funding for instructional facilitators and plan for their sustainability. The sustainability of the instructional facilitator positions will be greatly impacted by the attitude of the teachers towards the instructional facilitators, and what percentage of the teachers invite the instructional facilitators to help them. Researchers at the Kansas University Center for Research on Learning have been refining and evaluating instructional coaching programs. Researchers at the Kansas University Center for Research on Learning, (2004) reports that there are less tangible qualities that impact the success of instructional facilitators. Our coaches are master teachers who are comfortable in any classroom. They love children and love working with children in schools. They possess energy and a positive outlook, making them the kind of people that others enjoy being around. Above all, they are able to communicate their deep, honest belief in teachers, even as they suggest ways for teachers to improve. (p.1) An instructional facilitator's success will depend greatly on how receptive the classroom teachers are to welcoming the instructional facilitators in their classroom. Teacher's attitudes towards the instructional facilitators are crucial. According to Knight (2006) at the University of Kansas, "If teachers like a coach, they usually will try out what the coach suggests. If they don't like the coach, they will even resist helpful

The Four Components of Strategic Management and How They Interact with Essay

The Four Components of Strategic Management and How They Interact with Each Other - Essay Example The first component of strategic management is planning. Planning involves determining the organizational goals and how they are going to be achieved (Rothbauer-Vanish, 2009). Managers can utilize planning to forecast sales levels, inventory requirements, and labor necessities. The second component of strategic management is organizing. The managers of a company must organize all its resources in order to implement the course of action it determined in the planning process (Associatedcontent, 2011). Organizing helps companies in the implementation process of its plans. The third component of strategic management is controlling. Controlling is the process of establishing performance standards based on the firm’s objectives, measuring and reporting actual performance, comparing the two, and taking corrective and preventive action (Erven). The final component of strategic management is leading. Leading involves motivating and helping workers achieve the organizational goals of th e company. In the hospitality industry the four components of strategic management can be put to good use. Hotels have to plan how many resources such as labor are needed in order to comply with the demand of customers. For example there are more guests staying in hotels during summer season than in autumn.

Marketing Strategy Essay Example for Free

Marketing Strategy Essay Discuss the type of product the company will offer and identify its primary characteristics The type of product the company will offer is a bracelet called Life Alert band. The characteristics of this device are size and the ease of use along with a lifetime guarantee. The Life Alert band is light and portable that no one will even know it’s on his or her wrist. It’s the size of a thick rubber band and comes in different wrist sizes. It has one easy to access button with an emergency icon that only needs to be pushed once to alert the Life Alert call center in the event of an emergency. The bracelet has several hidden sensors that monitor a person’s pulse and blood sugar and wirelessly sends this information to the Life Alert monitoring centers. If a change is detected in any of the monitors the bracelets sends a signal to the centers for immediate action. The Life Alert medical counselors immediately call the patient to see if they are ok. If no response is received they dispatch emergency responders right away. The bracelets uses flash memory to keep the device slim and flexible. It has a flexible band that can bend slightly. The material of the bracelet is a made of hard rubber that protects the electronics and its sensors. The bracelet requires a one-time setup much like a cell phone has to be programmed by Life Alert in order to ensure communication is occurring with their monitoring centers. The device has wifi built in for local communication. Users who have a wireless network can browse directly to the bracelet using a web browser. This gives them access to all the information the bracelet is recording. Discuss the product branding strategy Entrepreneur magazine states that a branding strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is part of your brand strategy (Enterpreneur, 2011). In this case a brand is name that consumers associate with a device or service. Life Alert has many devices, all which bare its name on it. For example wireless companies such ATT sell cell phones from different manufactures but all of them have the name ATT on them and their logo. This goes for any large company that sells multiple products even if the products are manufactured by another company. Another good example is Apple. Apple has mp3 players, desktops, laptops, and other computer peripherals, all have the Apple logo on them. Therefore, the branding approach for the Life Alert bracelet will be the umbrella branding approach. The umbrella approach will help Life Alert in promoting their popular name even further. In a survey taken by ACNielsen International Research, 87% of Life Alert members said that Life Alert’s protection is a main or important factor in their decision to keep living at home rather than going to a retirement institution (lifealert911, 2011). Life Alert members on an average spend 6 more years living alone because of their services. The bracelet will not only enhance their product line but attract more customers. The introduction of this bracelet will increase their customer base and maybe appeal to those who have a serious illness. The bracelet will become the main entity of the product line with Life Alert’s name and logo. Discuss how the product fits within a product line and the depth and breadth of the line. Life Alert’s bracelet is a unique product that has carved a niche in the medical devices industry. It fits into health care products that offer emergency services for monitoring and addressing health related issues. It addresses a void in the industry and aims to support independence in aged adults by providing state of the art monitoring and emergency services. The distinctive aspect of the Life Alert bracelet is that it is both broadens and intensifies in scope in terms of its breadth and depth. It fits well into the product line Life Alert offers. It’s an extension of the current product offerings. Some of the functionality the bracelet offers cross’s over to other product categories. For example the bracelet now becomes competitive with blood glucose meters. Regardless, the bracelet extends the depth and breadth of the company. Explain how the product and target market strategies fit with the organizational strategy. The organizational strategy is based around a few key factors. The company’s business domain is clearly defined and is focused towards Mature 50+ adults who wish to live an independent lifestyle. The factors that are considered are mainly geographical location, age, retirement lifestyle and medical needs. The strategy is effective as it concentrates on a few key product and ervices. Life alert employs niche marketing to devise a product strategy aimed at that targets mature 50+ adults residing mostly in Florida, which is a popular retirement destination, who are currently living a retired lifestyle and desire a degree of independence and who may or may not have specific medical needs. The Life Alert bracelet fits into the organizational strategy for Life Alert. Introducing the bracelet will solidify the stance in the market. The organizational strategy for Life Alert is to be most innovative company in assisting the elderly. Life Alert can take advantage of its existing organizational strategy to support and market the bracelet. The company can further expand its diversified portfolio of services by using its existing infrastructure and the multifaceted use of its core resources. By including and expanding on existing product offerings the company can reduce cost and maximize return on resources. Life alert bracelet can utilize the infrastructure for Life Alert Necklace, security, monitoring and emergency response services with minor additions. All of these services employ the same core organizational set up, which is the monitoring center, which maximizes service offering with minimal investment. The marketing strategy includes Ads in local newspapers or niche publications, Opt-in web sites that make use of keywords to connect with potential customers, direct mail campaigns, as well publicity through Television developed for mature audiences. The bracelet can be incorporated under these existing marketing tools since it’s directed towards the same target audience. The ease of competitors’ entry into Life Alert’s market segment is minimal as the company employs a profitable business model where users pay an initial set-up charge for the systems and the company generates revenues each month through subscription-based monitoring costs. The company also distributes medical alert system to more than 300 resellers and is one of the largest wholesale medical alarm distributors in the nation, with over 200,000 medical alert devices in service. The bracelet can be an adjunct to the existing portfolio and use the same monitoring system and distribution strategies in use. The business strategy also supports innovation and product development and at present only a couple companies offer a medical alarm with two-way voice. With an additional service such as the bracelet the company will be a step ahead of its competitors and can utilize its RD budget to support the new product. The company’s ability to customize services and marketing different price points for packages will allow customers to use the bracelet with other Life Alert products and services. The new product aligns well with the company’s organizational strategy and the same marketing strategy can be applied towards the Life Alert bracelet.

machiavelli Essay -- essays research papers

The Church accused Niccolo Machiavelli of being Satan for writing his book The Prince. Machiavelli completed The Prince in 1513. He wrote it as a gift to Lorenzo Medici, called the Magnificent, ruler of Florence. The political views Machiavelli expressed in his book went against the theology of the Church, specifically the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. Machiavelli wrote to gain control of a principality one must be brutal. (I)f you are a prince in possession of a newly acquired state and deem it necessary. . . to annihilate those who can or must attack you. . . . , you must do so to protect your principality. He gave the example of Duke Valentino's slaying of his nobles to maintain order, saying if Valentino had not killed his men, Valentino would have lost power. The Bible strongly forbids the killing of anyone. The Sixth Commandment states You shall not murder. In what is known as the Beatitudes, from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, the Bible also says those who are meek shall inherit the earth. A meek person certainly does not kill others for standing in his or her way like Machiavelli is suggesting to be done. Another verse from the Beatitudes says those who are peacemakers will be called sons of God. Peacemakers do not kill either. For Machiavelli to say if killing a person is for the betterment of your principality, then to do so went against God's rule and the Church's. True followers of the Church abide by the Church beliefs, because if you are not for God, ...

Organizing, Researching, and Illustrating your Material Essay

Step 1: Methods Observations: I would observe the individuals in different departments in their own work enviroments to see how they interact with each other and their clients on a day to day basis. I would do this in hopes to see where any and all issues or breakdowns in communication and work procedure and protocols are happening. I hope to have a better understanding of how each department works together after these observations and interviews. Interviews: I will would interview each employee personally, or in groups by department. Whichever I felt would get a better response from the employees. I would plan to explain to them the problems that have been brought to my attention and ask for their input into what they feel the biggest problems are and how they would solve them. Surveys: I would then have them fill out surveys followed by a question and answer session to try to get a personal feel to what is going on. Part 2A: Surveys Employees: Why do you feel some employees have resigned their positions here at Phoenix Advertising in recent months? I hope to find out what employee grievances are and how we as a company can create a better working environment for them. Are we satisfying our clients and what can be done to ensure satisfaction and return business of our clients? I hope to find out if the employees feel they are doing their best for our clients, working to their full ability, what is lacking, and what can be improved. Tell me about yourself and your position here at Phoenix Advertising. Who is the person that you report to when on an assignment? I want to learn what each person  believes their responsibilities are within the company and to whom they report. I also may find some other areas of concerns that have not yet been reported, such as a broken chain of command. 2. Clients: a. What services did you hire Phoenix advertising to do for you? Is there a service you wish we provided or would like to see in the future? Was the price what you expected for the outcome? i. I want to find out exactly what services we are providing most, and what is being offered most. And how our services compare to the prices our clients are paying for them. b. Are you satisfied with the Roanoke Branch staff and the services that have been provided to you on a scale from 0 to 10 (10 being the highest)? i. I want to find out if they are being treated the way they expect to from someone they are essentially paying to work for them. And if they feel like they are they receiving what was promised in their contracts with the company. c. What can we as a company, do better? Would you recommend our services to others? Why or why not? i. I want to know what is most important to our clients and where we need to improve. I also want to find out if our clients would tell others about us, because word of mouth is a great way to gain business, and if it is not I want to know what we can do to change it. Step 2 B: Letter to CEO of Roanoke Branch Phoenix Advertising ATTN: Roanoke Branch 2244 W. 177th Ave Suite 44C Roanoke VA 28135 Phone: (757) 455-2244 Dear Mr. Jonathan Willis: I am writing this letter to inform you that the company president of Phoenix Advertising, Mr. Gregory Forest is sending me to your branch to conduct an investigation into some recent customer complaints we have received. Mr. Forest was concerned after learning that several of our clients from your branch, have complained about the quality, or lack there of, of the work being produced by your advertising department. He is also particularly worried with the news that two of your top, long term, management employees have left the company within the last few months, along with receiving news of several other management and employee issues arising within you branch. For my visit, I am expecting that you to prepare various company documents, such as the company policy manuals you provide for your employees, any production manuals you may have, a list of your hiring and recruitment processes and management approaches, and all other company policies that you may have in place or that you pro vide to your employees. My hopes are that we can sit down together and go over them and try to find a solution to the problems at hand. Please make a copy of all of these available for when I arrive. I would also like to set a time to conduct an interview with some of your newer employees to see how they are being trained and some of your older employees in order to gather their views and opinions of these issues and any concerns they may have, so that we can form a solution to these problems and make your team stronger than ever. Your full support is crucial in resolving these possible problems that are happening in your branch, and more importantly, in coming up with the best solutions to ensure a better future at both your branch and within our company as a whole. I am looking forward to seeing you and your team soon. Thank you for your time and cooperation. Sincerely, Kirstin Krueger VP of Human Resource Management Step 2B – Problems and Illustration Problems: The Phoenix Advertising group is having problems with its employees both in terms of employee work ethic, and in employee morale and motivation. Because of this, a report is needed to find out the economic issues and any managerial issues there may be. Also to look at the relationship of these employees and their management. This report is intended to help the company understand the issues at the Roanoke branch and to find any solutions there may be in order to fix these issues for good. Facts and Causes: Background data: The company that is experiencing the problem is the Roanoke branch of the Phoenix Advertising company, located in Roanoke, Virginia. Phoenix, Advertising is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and has clients that include but are not limited to: banks, insurance companies and retail chains. My job as the Vice President for Human Resources Management at Phoenix Advertising, is to report to the company President. The visit to the Roanoke Branch is to learn the facts and causes of the issues and complaints that have been brought to our attention, and to find the right solutions to the problems and complaints so that these issues do not continue to arise in the future. Relative Information: The problem started when the company President learned that several of our clients have complained of the work performed in the Roanoke, Virginia branch. Every client is very important to the company’s overall success,, as clients are what drive our business. We also learned that two, long term employees and top management people have left the agency in the last few months. There are also other key people in the agency are threatening to leave due to other issues. The company president requires me, to conduct a personal inquiry of the situation. I need to determine and analyze the work condition of the branch. I will interview several, various employees, both new and old to determine the views and opinions of the employees of their  work environment. I will also look at various company documents, manuals, and all employee management training. Impact and Effect: The investigation into the Roanoke Branch of the Phoenix Advertising company showed that they are currently facing problems with both management and employee relations. The Roanoke management problems are significantly affecting their employee performance and work ethic. The overall quality and productivity of the branch is suffering. One of their main problems is the decreasing employee morale and motivation. This was easily observed and shown through the answers I received while conducting my interviews. The employees, both new and old showed a huge decrease in their dedication for their work, which resulted in the decline of the quality of their performance at work and the work they produced. The employees also associated this decline to the fact that they felt dissatisfaction with the services and the performances of their managers and the work environment that they were having to work in. The employees feel stress in their work environment which resulted in an increased rate of the use of sick days and was the main cause of the high employee turnover rate. A lack of or poor communication between the employees and the managers is also another problem raised during the my interviews. Solutions The problems discovered during my investigation have to be resolved, and soon, as this may negatively affect not only the Roanoke branch but Phoenix Advertising as a whole. We need to start by revising the hiring and recruitment process in the branch. Particularly on information relative to work assignments, chain of command, and the rights and privileges of the employees. This solution proposal will hopefully create a clear understanding of the purpose of having an employee, and allowing the superiors to use them accordingly based on their skills set, and responsibilities. As the investigator, I recommend the following solutions: Reducing the overall workload of our full-time employees and adding more  part-time employees to help them out, especially during peak seasons to lower employee tension and to even out the amount of work each individual has to do alone. Establishing a clear communication line between managers and employees. This will allow for a more productive workplace, better collaboration between the clients, artists, helpers and anyone else who is involved in the project. Creating a clearer procedural structure and requirements in future approvals of new clients and contracts, to be able to assure the capabilities of the overall company. By being able to provide a better quality product not just pumping out a higher quantity of products for the Roanoke branch and for the Phoenix Advertising company as a whole.

Statistics – Elements of a Test Hypothesis

Elements of a Test of Hypothesis 1. Null Hypothesis (H0 ) – A statement about the values of population parameters which we accept until proven false. 2. Alternative or Research Hypothesis (Ha )- A statement that contradicts the null hypothesis. It represents researcher’s claim about the population parameters. This will be accepted only when data provides su? cient evidence to establish its truth. 3. Test Statistic – A sample statistic (often a formula) that is used to decide whether to reject H0 . 4. Rejection Region- It consists of all values of the test statistic for which H0 is rejected.This rejection region is selected in such a way that the probability of rejecting true H0 is equal to ? (a small number usually 0. 05). The value of ? is referred to as the level of signi? cance of the test. 5. Assumptions – Statements about the population(s) being sampled. 6. Calculation of the test statistic and conclusion- Reject H0 if the calculated value of the test statistic falls in the rejection region. Otherwise, do not reject H0 . 7. P-value or signi? cance probability is de? ned as proportion of samples that would be unfavourable to H0 (assuming H0 is true) if the observed sample is considered unfavourable to H0 .If the p-value is smaller than ? , then reject H0 . Remark: 1. If you ? x ? = 0. 05 for your test, then you are allowed to reject true null hypothesis 5% of the time in repeated application of your test rule. 2. If the p-value of a test is 0. 20 (say) and you reject H0 then, under your test rule, at least 20% of the time you would reject true null hypothesis. 1. Large sample (n > 30) test for H0 :  µ =  µ0 (known). Z= x ?  µ0 ? ? v n Example. A study reported in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology investigated the relationship of employment status to mental health.Each of a sample of 49 unemployed men was given a mental health examination using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The GHQ is widely recognized measure of present mental health , with lower values indicating better mental health. The mean and standard deviation of the GHQ scores were x = 10. 94 and s = 5. 10, ? respectively. (a). Specify the appropriate null and alternative hypothesis if we wish to test the research hypothesis that the mean GHQ score for all unemployed men exceeds 10. Is the test one-tailed or two-tailed? (b). If we specify ? = 0. 05, what is the appropriate rejection region for this test? c). Conduct the test, and state your conclusion clearly in the language of this exercise. Find the p-value of the test. (Ans. H0 :  µ = 10; Ha :  µ > 10; One-tailed test; Rejection region: Z > 1. 645; Test score: Z = 1. 29; Do not reject H0 , GHQ score does not exceeds 10; p-value = 0. 0985) Example. A consumer protection group is concerned that a ketchup manufacturer is ? lling its 20-ounce family-size containers with less than 20 ounces of ketchup. The group purchases 49 family-size bottles of this ketch up, weigh the contents of each, and ? nds that the mean weight is 19. 6 ounces, and the standard deviation is equal to 0. 22 ounces. (a). Do the data provide su? cient evidence for the consumer group to conclude that the mean ? ll per family-size bottle is les than 20 ounces? Test using ? = 0. 05. (b). Find the p-value of the your test in part (a). (Ans. H0 : = 20; Ha : < 20; Rejection Region is Z < ? 1. 645 (one-tailed test); test score Z = ? 4. 45; Reject H0 at ? = 0. 05, su? cient evidence to say that the mean ? ll per family-size bottle is less than 20 ounces; p-value = 0) Example. State University uses thousands of ? uorescent light bulbs each year.The brand of bulb it currently uses has a mean life of 900 hours. A manufacturer claims that its new brands of bulbs, which cost the same as the brand the university currently uses, has a mean life of more than 900 hours. The university has decided to purchase the new brand if, when tested, the test evidence supports the manufacturer ’s claim at the . 10 signi? cance level. Suppose 99 bulbs were tested with the following results: x = 919 hours, s = 86 hours. Find the rejection region for the test of interest to the State University. ? (Ans. Rejection Region: Z > 1. 28) 1 . Small sample (n ? 30) test for H0 :  µ =  µ0 (known). t= This test requires that the sampled population is normal. x ?  µ0 ? s v n Example. A random sample of n observations is selected from a normal population to test the null hypothesis that  µ = 10. Specify the rejection region for each of the following combinations of Ha , ? , and n. (a). Ha :  µ = 10, ? = 0. 01, n = 14. (Ans. t < ? 3. 012, or t > 3. 012) (b). Ha :  µ < 10, ? = 0. 025, n = 26. (Ans. t < ? 2. 06) Example. According to advertisements, a strain of soybeans planted on soil prepared with a speci? d fertilizer treatment has a mean yield of 475 bushels per acre. Twenty farmers who belong to a cooperative plant the soybeans. Each uses a 40-acre plot and records the mean yield per acre. The mean and variance for the sample of 20 farms are x = 462 and s2 = 9070. ? Specify the null and alternative hypothesis used to determine if the mean yield for the soybeans is di? erent than advertised. (Ans. H0 :  µ = 475; Ha :  µ = 475) Example. A psychologist was interested in knowing whether male heroin addicts’ assessments of self-worth di? er from those of the general male population.On a test designed to measure assessment of self-worth, the mean score for males from the general population was found to be equal to 48. 6. A random sample of 25 scores achieved by heroin addicts yielded a mean of 44. 1 and a standard deviation of 6. 2. Do the data indicate a di? erence in assessment of self-worth between male heroin addicts and general male population? Test using ? = 0. 01. (Ans. H0 :  µ = 48. 6; Ha :  µ = 48. 6; Test score t = ? 3. 63 Rejection Region: t > 2. 797, or t < ? 2. 797 (two-tailed test); Observed t-score falls in the rejectio n region. Reject H0 at ? = 0. 1. Data indicate a di? erence in assessment of self-worth between male heroin addicts and general male population) 3. Large sample test for H0 : p = p0 (known). Z= p ? p0 ? p0 (1? p0 ) n For this test, sample size is considered large if p0  ± 3 p0 (1? p0 ) n falls between 0 and 1. Example. The National Science Foundation, in a survey of 2,237 engineering graduate students who earned their Ph. D. degrees, found that 607 were U. S. citizens; the majority (1,630) of the Ph. D degrees were awarded to foreign nationals. Conduct a test to determine whether the true percentage of engineering Ph.D. degrees awarded to foreign nationals exceeds 50%. Use ? = 0. 01. (Ans. H0 : p = 0. 5; Ha : p > 0. 5; Test score Z = 21. 63; Rejection region; Z > 2. 33 (one tailed test) Reject H0 at ? = 0. 01. True percentage p exceeds 50%. p-value = 0) Example. The business college computing center wants to determine the proportion of business students who have personal computers (PC’s) at home. If the proportion exceeds 30 percent, then the lab will scale back a proposed enlargement of its facilities. Suppose 250 business students were randomly sampled and 85 have personal computers at home.Conduct a test to see if the scale back of the proposed enlargement of its facilities is needed. Use ? = 0. 05. (Ans. H0 : p = . 3; Ha : p > 0. 3; Large sample z-test for proportion; test score: Z = 1. 38; Rejection region; Z > 1. 645; Do not reject H0 at ? = 0. 05. Scale back of the proposed enlargement of its facilities is not needed) 2 Example. A method currently used by doctors to screen women for possible breast cancer fails to detect cancer in 15% of the women who actually have the disease. A new method has been developed that researchers hope will be able to detect cancer more accurately.A random sample of 70 women known to have breast cancer were screened using the new method. Of these, the new method failed to detect cancer in six. Specify the null and a lternative hypothesis that the researchers wish to test. Calculate the test statistic, determine the rejection region if ? = 0. 05, ? nd the p-value, and state the conclusion clearly in the language of this exercise. (Ans. H0 : p = 0. 15; Ha : p < 0. 15; Test score: Z = ? 1. 51; Rejection Region: Z < ? 1. 645; Do not reject H0 ; Insu? cient evidence to conclude that the new method is more accurate than the one currently used. -value= p(Z < ? 1. 51) = 0. 5 ? 0. 4345 = 0. 0655) Example. The Midwest Organization of Retired Oncologists and Neurologists (M. O. R. O. N. ) has recently taken ? ack from some of its members regarding the poor choice of the organization’s name. The association bylaws require that more than 60% of the organization must approve a name change. Rather than convene a meeting, it is ? rst desired to use a sample to determine if a meeting is necessary. A random sample of 60 of M. O. R. O. N. ’s members were asked if they want M. O. R. O. N. to change i ts name. Forty-? ve of the respondent’s said †yes. Find the p-value for the desired test of hypothesis. (Ans. p-value= p(Z > 2. 37) = 0. 0089) Example. Increasing numbers of businesses are o? ering child-care bene? ts for their workers. However, one union claims that more than 80% of ? rms in the manufacturing sector still do not o? er any child-care bene? ts to their workers. A random sample of 480 manufacturing ? rms is selected, and only 27 of them o? er child-care bene? ts. Specify the rejection region that the union will use when testing at alpha = . 05. (Ans. Ha : p > 0. 8; Rejection region: Z > 1. 645) 3

The Art Essay example

The Art Essay example The Art Essay example 16 MARKETING AN INTRODUCTION Armstrong/Kotler Sustainable Marketing Social Responsibility and Ethics Copyright  © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Outline Sustainable Marketing Social Criticisms of Marketing Consumer Actions to Promote Sustainable Marketing Business Actions Toward Sustainable Marketing Marketing Ethics The Sustainable Company 16 - 2 Copyright  © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 1. Sustainable Marketing Sustainable marketing is socially and environmentally responsible marketing that meets the present needs of consumers and businesses while also preserving or enhancing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. 16 - 3 Copyright  © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 1. Sustainable Marketing 14 - 4 Copyright  © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2. Social Criticisms of Marketing - Marketing’s Impact on Individual Consumers High prices Deceptive practices High-pressure selling Shoddy, harmful, or unsafe products Planned obsolescence Poor service to disadvantaged consumers 14- 5 Copyright  © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2. Social Criticisms of Marketing False wants and too much materialism Too few social goods Cultural pollution Acquisitions Creating barriers to entry Unfair competitive marketing practices Marketing’s Impact on society Copyright  © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Marketing’s Impact on other businesses 14- 6 3. Consumer Actions to Promote Sustainable Marketing Consumerism is an organized movement of citizens and government agencies to improve the rights and power of buyers in relation to sellers. 14 - 7 Copyright  © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 3. Consumer Actions to Promote Sustainable Marketing – Seller’s Rights The right to introduce any product provided it is not hazardous, or if it is, to include warnings The right to charge any price for the product, provided no discrimination exists The right to spend any amount to promote the product, provided it is not defined as unfair competition The right to use any product message, provided it is not misleading or dishonest The right to use any buying incentive programs, provided they are not unfair or misleading 14- 8 Copyright  © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 3. Consumer Actions to Promote Sustainable Marketing – Buyer’s Rights Traditional Buyer’s Rights The right not to buy a product that is offered for sale Additional Consumer Rights The right to be well informed about important aspects of the product. The right to be protected against questionable products and marketing practices The right to influence products and marketing practices in ways that will improve the â€Å"quality of life† The right to consume now in a way that will preserve the world for future generations of consumers 14- 9 The right to expect the product to be safe The right to expect the product to perform as claimed 3. Consumer Actions to Promote Sustainable Marketing Environmentalism is an organized movement of concerned citizens and government agencies to protect and improve people’s current and future living environment. 14 - 10 Copyright  © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall The Environmental Sustainability Portfolio 14 - 11 Copyright  © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 4. Business Actions Toward Sustainable Marketing - Sustainable Marketing Principles Consumeroriented marketing Customervalue marketing Innovative marketing Sense-ofmission marketing Societal marketing 14- 12 Copyright  © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall - Sustainable Marketing Principles a) Consumer-oriented marketing is the philosophy of sustainable marketing that

Beowolf - The Epic Poem Essays - Beowulf, Geats, Free Essays

Beowolf - The Epic Poem Essays - Beowulf, Geats, Free Essays Beowolf - The Epic Poem The epic poem Beowulf describes the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. The hero, Beowulf, is a seemingly invincible person with all the extraordinary traits required of a hero. He is able to use his super-human physical strength and courage to put his people before himself. He encounters hideous monsters and the most ferocious of beasts but he never fears the threat of death. His leadership skills are superb and he is even able to boast about all his achievements. Beowulf is the ultimate epic hero who risks his life countless times for immortal glory and for the good of others. Beowulf is a hero in the eyes of his fellow men through his amazing physical strength. He fought in numerous battles and returned victorious from all but his last. In his argument with Unferth, Beowulf explains the reason he "lost" a simple swimming match with his youthful opponent Brecca. Not only had Beowulf been swimming for seven nights, he had also stopped to kill nine sea creatures in the depths of the ocean. Beowulf is also strong enough to kill the monster Grendel, who has been terrorizing the Danes for twelve years, with his bare hands by ripping off his arm. When Beowulf is fighting Grendel's mother, who is seeking revenge on her son's death, he is able to slay her by slashing the monster's neck with a Giant's sword that can only be lifted by a person as strong as Beowulf. When he chops off her head, he carries it from the ocean with ease, but it takes four men to lift and carry it back to Herot mead-hall. This strength is a key trait of Beowulf's heroism. Another heroic trait of Beowulf is his ability to put his peoples welfare before his own. Beowulf's uncle is king of the Geats so he is sent as an emissary to help rid the Danes of the evil Grendel. Beowulf risks his own life for the Danes, asking help from no one. He realizes the dangers but fears nothing for his own life. After Beowulf had served his people as King of the Geats for fifty years, he goes to battle one last time to fight a horrible dragon who is frightening all of his people. Beowulf is old and tired but he defeats the dragon in order to protect his people. Even in death he wished so secure safety for the Geats so a tall lighthouse is built in order to help the people find there way back from sea. The most heroic of traits within Beowulf is that he is not afraid to die. He always explains his death wishes before going into battle and requests to have any assets delivered to his people. "And if death does take me, send the hammered mail of my armor to Higlac, return the inheritance I had from Hrehtel, and from Wayland. Fate will unwind as it must! (18)" He is aware of the heroic paradox; he will be glorified in life or death for his actions. He knows that when he fights an enemy like Grendel or Grendel's mother he will achieve immortality as the victor or the loser. "When we crossed the sea, my comrades and I, I already knew that all my purpose was this: to win the good will of your people or die in battle, pressed in Grendel's fierce grip. Let me live in greatness and courage, or here in this hall welcome my death! (22)" Even with the enormous amount of confidence Beowulf possesses, he underezds that Fate or Wyrd will work its magic no matter what and he could be killed at any point in his life. He faces that reality by showing no fear and preparing for a positive or a fatal outcome. Beowulf is the prime example of an epic hero. His bravery and strength surpass all mortal men; loyalty and the ability to think of himself last makes him reveared by all. Beowulf came openly and wholeheartedly to help the Danes which was an unusual occurrence in a time of war and wide-spread fear. He set a noble example for all human beings relaying the necessity of brotherhood and