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Flannery OConnors A Good Man is Hard To Find Essay

Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find is one of the most well-known short stories in American history. A Good Man Is Hard to Find is a disturbing short story that exemplifies grace in extremity as well as the threat of an intruder. The story tells of an elderly grandmother and her family who embark on a road trip to Florida. The grandmother is a stubborn old woman with a low sense of morality. While on the trip, the grandmother convinces her son to take a detour which results in a broken down car and an encounter with a convicted fugitive, The Misfit. Although the grandmother pleads for mercy, The Misfit kills off the rest of her family. Through the grace she finds in her extreme circumstance, the grandmother calls The†¦show more content†¦The Misfit is a looming threat according the grandmother and his eventual appearance causes a dramatic change to the family and to the grandmother’s stubborn views on life. O’Connor may have play ed on the United States’ fears at the time and used the time period to influence her plot. Flannery O’Connor was born to a devout Christian couple in Southern Georgia in 1925 (Gordon). Georgia is where she would spend much of her life and therefore acquire an excellent understanding of Southern life and mores. Flannery O’Connor was raised as a Catholic, which resulted in her strong sense of spirituality; which she incorporated into much of her work. Flannery O’Connor studied social sciences while in college before she began to participate in writing workshops and joined a masters’ program for creative writing (Gordon). When O’Connor began to write short stories and novels, she used an unconventional and rather dark approach which intended to shock readers in mid-1900 America. Flannery O’Connor claimed that Catholicism was at the heart of many of her writings and that the stories were only as harsh as the reality that is Christianity (Shmoop Editorial Team). O’Connor used this dark approach while writing A Good Man Is H ard to Find, portraying the grandmother’s cruel murder as the source of her salvation. O’Connor’s strong spiritual upbringing may have given her reason to write about the idea of grace andShow MoreRelatedFlannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard to Find Essay1418 Words   |  6 PagesThe Dysfunctional: Psychoanalysis of Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† Murder of women, children, and even a baby is a harsh image used by Flannery O’Connor in â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find.† The imagery is an effective literary device used to convey ironic tragedy, the struggle of female characters, and the family unit. The story follows a family on a trip to Florida when their journey, interrupted by an ill-fated detour resulting in a car wreck, ends in murder after they cross pathsRead MoreFlannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Revelation1436 Words   |  6 Pagesand racism, which is observed in the perspective of black and white individuals. Some of the most familiar southern authors are William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, and Cormac McCarthy. One author in particular, Flannery O’Connor, is a remarkable author, who directly reflects upon southern grotesque within her two short stories, â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† and â€Å"Revelation.† These two short stories are very similar to each other, which is why I believe that O’Connor often writes with violent charactersRead MoreFlannery OConnors A Good Man is Hard to Find1171 Words   |  5 Pages When one first begins to read A Good Man is Hard to Find, by Flannery O’Connor, one is assailed by the humorous petty grievances of a mother living under her son’s roof disrespected by her grandchildren and lonely in a house filled with people, clutching at memories of days long passed similar to the Tennessee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie. As the story unfolds one begins to see the indifference of Bailey toward his family in general and especially his mother—rightly so, as the ‘old lady’Read MoreFlannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find Essay1071 Words   |  5 PagesFlannery O’Connor had her roots set in Milledgeville, Georgia, which happens to be one of many states that when combined, form what is known as the â€Å"Bible Belt† of America. I n respect to this, O’Connor talks about her beliefs: â€Å"This means that for me the meaning of life is centered in our Redemption by Christ and what I see in the world I see in relation to that† (O’Connor 482-483). As O’Connor was a devout Catholic, violence was not a direct preaching, but Joyce Carol Oates writes that â€Å"succumbingRead More The Misfit in Flannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard to Find466 Words   |  2 PagesThe Misfit in Flannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard to Find I feel that the Grandmother in the story A Good Man is Hard to Find suffers from psychological conditions. She does not care at all about anyone but herself. I feel that she may even be narcissistic. It is ironic because she would be expected to look out for her family. The Cambridge Dictionary defines narcissism as too much interest in and admiration for your own physical appearance and/or your own abilities It is ironic becauseRead MoreIrony and Foreshadowing in Flannery OConnors A Good Man is Hard to Find1604 Words   |  7 PagesAs I read Flannery O’Connor’s short story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†, I find myself being completely consumed by the rich tale that the author weaves; a tragic and ironic tale that concisely and precisely utilizes irony and foreshadowing with expert skill. As the story progresses, it is readily apparent that the story will end in a tragic and predictable state due to the devices which O’Connor expertly employs and th usly, I find that I cannot stop reading it; the plot grows thicker with everyRead MoreA False Reality in Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find537 Words   |  3 Pages In most of Flannery O’Connor’s short stories a number of characters have a hard time seeing an ultimate reality in their life. They tend to have a distorted grasp on reality but not all in the same way. In the story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find,† the Misfit and the Grandmother are prime examples. The actions and the way of life of the Misfit and Grandmother are mostly due to the fact that they are living in an false reality where they are in their own little world, where in the Misfit’s worldRead More Flannery OConnors A Good Man is Hard to Find Essay example1357 Words   |  6 Pages Flannery OConnors A Good Man is Hard to Find A Good Man is Hard to Find presents a masterful portrait of a woman who creates a self and a world through language. At least that is what Mary Jane Shenck thinks of the Flannery OConnor story. Several different people have several different views of this controversial and climatic work of OConnors. In this paper I will take a look at these different views of different situations and characters in this book. First we will take a look atRead MoreLiterary Analysis of Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†755 Words   |  4 PagesThe concept of being a â€Å"good† person has painted the picture of how people have handled their lives throughout history. On the same note, this concept has also been the subject of much debate; such is the case in Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†. The protagonist, the unnamed grandmother struggles to find the â€Å"good† in others and herself. O’Conner uses foreshadowing, characterization, and a distinct point of view to make her point. In my interpretation, her point is that only throughRead More Turns and Twists in Flannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard to Find1230 Words   |  5 PagesTurns and Twists in Flannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard to Find Irony is a useful tool for giving stories unexpected turns and twists. In Flannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard to Find, irony is used as a very effective literary tool; to guide the story in and out of what we think will happen. OConnor uses irony in this story to contradict statements and situations to expose a truth very much different from what we the reader would think to be true. OConnor use irony in several different

Customer Service in Restaurant Management

Question: Discuss about the Customer Service in Restaurant Management. Answer: 1. Identify the possible causes for the complaint and how it impacts on the customer Possible Cause Impact on Customer Undesirable service in spite of being a regular in the restaurant. The customer was before-handedly dissatisfied with the service as because they frequently visited the restaurant and didnt get served with the desired service, so they needed a major reason to make their complaint strong. So with the non-availability of the seat for some time made their complaint more substantiated. On the other hand, not every customer demand service worth of money, but they at least demand some good treatment for their money. So with the waiter who let them the space being blas and not apologetic gave them the chance to make their complaint more credible (Akroush et al. 2013). It was not a major reason but still to some customers it does matter. The impact of such a service often lets down the customer. Every customer demands a good service where he can enjoy it whenever he wants. The level of satisfaction is never complete but still to some extent it needs to be fulfilled. This was not so done in this case, and hence the customer demands a reply for such a service. This type of service also destroys the image of the restaurant in the eyes of the customer (Moreira and Silva 2016). Blas and not unapologetic behavior on the part of staffs of the restaurant. The customers did not have the desired dish they ordered, but the order which arrived eventually was not upto the mark. Non-availability of side sauce with the dish which did not appear at the time of service. This was also a major reason for their complaint. 2. Describe a communication technique that would be most appropriate for this situation Communication Technique Reason for Appropriateness Immediate response and communication to be performed from the end of restaurant. The communication technique which would be more appropriate in this would be as follows. The waiter must be responsive as soon as the customer arrives. May be the seats are not available, but if the waiter continuously talks with the customer and make him comfortable, that would put a good impression on the face of the restaurants. Moreover, the waiter needs to be alert and well responsive as soon as space becomes available because this would make the customer feel that he is given a level of importance which is a most important item when you want to satisfy your customer. The waiter should also be well-mannered and polite in his replies as because this would hide the faults in the eyes of the customer even if he commits one (Siu et al. 2013). Lastly, the waiter must be interactive about the dish provided to the customer and ask for any changes required in the future. This would put a better impression about the restaurant's feedback details. 3. Describe 3 strategies organizations can employ to reduce the severity and number of complaints Record and organizing meaningful complaints and grievances: More often than not one would see customers are always in a hurry. They may place an order in the eleventh hour and want the restaurant to deliver in a jiffy. The factual reality is frequent such requests often turn into demands. Helping customers are right in the context but haphazardly following their demands may not be a good idea (Marinkovic et al. 2014). Multiple messages from multiple clients with recurring concerns in somewhat challenging as far as the organization is concerned. The volume of complaints not only raises problems but also makes things tough for the management about what to do next. The organization needs to sort this type of feedback. The key is to prioritize the complaints according to the degree. The management should offer its team a meaningful way to take stock of meaningful complaints and take corrective actions over those. The rest may seem to be futile; hence those should be managed with less precedence (Llach et al. 2013). CARP Method: A useful method of dealing with upset clients can be best practices which are termed as CARP method. The CARP theory consists of C (Control), A (Acknowledge), R (Refocus), P (Problem solving). In other words, the management should take control stock of the situation with revealing measures that discloses the managements intention that they are willing to address the client concerns and grievances and resolve those. Acknowledge would mean that the administration perceives the client concerns and not washing hand off from the issue. Refocus is something that the firm should contemplate. It means that the management should refocus away from clients emotions to the doable solution at hand (Laperrire et al. 2016). In fine, solving the problem should be done, confirming that everything had been taken care of. Considering customers complaints seriously: This is where most of the entities falter. The management should learn to deal with client complaints or for that matter grievance. The team should maintain a professional approach when it comes to customer support. On the other hand, support may require support. It must be accepted that not all customers may be made happy. So the bottom-line is upholding a positive outlook which would ensure pleasant times to come by (Kokkinou and Cranage 2013). 4. What is the importance of organizations having a Customer Service Policy? The customer service policy should determine the relationship the entity may have which in turn would help the firm to retain the valued clients and function properly. Customer service departments require various ways to measure their success. Policies lay down service guidelines and train staffers to accomplish the set guidelines (Liang and Zhang 2012). Clients like to be treated like their money matters. Thus having a policy is imperative in this case. A service client policy is a way to formulate a standard that surpasses beyond expectations. A customer service policy is an effective tool to impart valuable guidance to the resources of the organization on how to implore information from clients aimed to improve services. Thus framing a customer policy would have the company in consideration to detect the problems that the firm may have missed and to resolve those problems before it escalates to a level where clients are lost due to derisory services. The firm should train its staffers to be problem-solvers and take into consideration various tactics required for retention of customers and improve word-of-mouth. The firms should involve all the employees as they interact with the customers more than the management. Hence, they would have a fair idea of what the clients expect from their experiences with the firm (Choi and Choi 2014). 5. Outline three reasons to welcome complaints Need of feedback: Firstly, every restaurant needs feedback from the customer so that they can improve their customer satisfaction skills on their part. So thats the reason the restaurants needs to welcome the complaints because if they dont, they will not find ways to improve their skills. Improvement in Branding: The major reason why the restaurants should welcome the complaint is that this would put a better branding in the face of the customer (Hudson and Hudson 2013). Customer handling complaints are the major merit for restaurants to have a long run future in the market and would enable them to earn more profits. Enhancement of business: The restaurant should welcome the complaint because that would bring him more customers which are so much required for his business. If the customer gets his complaint satisfied in his next visit, then that would enable the customer to bring his relatives as well as his friends on his next visit and would thus enable the restaurants to earn more customers. 6. As a manager how would you train your staff to best deal with customer complaints? Client complaints are a reality in food and beverage business. The manager of the firm should devise various plans of training the staffs to best deal with customer complaints. At the outset, the management should form a protocol that addresses common complaints and forms procedures to resolve the complaints (Dabholkar 2015). Staff members should be provided with copies of etiquette, and a training session may be conducted to facilitate them to respond appropriately to various complaints. Exercises may be conducted by the managers by asking the waiters and other staffs to collaborate with supervisors who would act as an unhappy client. Regular weekly meetings should be held to discuss client complaints and issues and concerns that the client servicing team may have encountered (Zhang et al. 2013). 7. As the Customer Relations Manager, draft a reply to this complaint 29/08/2016 Dear Mr. Smith, Thank you for taking time out to contact us for explaining the issues that you have encountered recently. We earnestly regret the inconvenience you have experienced and please be informed that we are sincere to retain you as our valued client. Based on our compliant and feedback our customer relations team is reviewing the information you have sent us. We vouch that our designated team is conducting a thorough investigation for resolving this issue. We are aware that you had to wait for as much as fifteen minutes for a table to be vacated. Secondly, our waitress offered blas behavior while serving the salmon dish you had ordered for. Also, the deserts and coffee were not offered which is a signature complimentary service on our end. Moreover, you were charged with a double bill for the salmon dish. We have taken cognizance of your issues and assure you of best services in your next visit. In fine, once our investigation gets over, please allow us to contact you and apprise you of the findings. We look forward to serving you in the coming months. Once again, thank you for reporting this incident. Yours Sincerely, Robert Dawson (Customer Relations Manager) Reference List Akroush, M.N., Abu-ElSamen, A.A., Samawi, G.A. and Odetallah, A.L., 2013. Internal marketing and service quality in restaurants. Marketing Intelligence Planning, 31(4), pp.304-336. Choi, B. and Choi, B.J., 2014. The effects of perceived service recovery justice on customer affection, loyalty, and word-of-mouth. European Journal of Marketing, 48(1/2), pp.108-131. Dabholkar, P.A., 2015. How to improve perceived service quality by increasing customer participation. In Proceedings of the 1990 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference (pp. 483-487). Springer International Publishing. Hudson, S. and Hudson, L., 2013. Customer service for hospitality and tourism. Goodfellow Publishers. Kokkinou, A. and Cranage, D.A., 2013. Using self-service technology to reduce customer waiting times. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 33, pp.435-445. Laperrire, ., Messing, K. and Bourbonnais, R., 2017. Work activity in food service: The significance of customer relations, tipping practices and gender for preventing musculoskeletal disorders. Applied Ergonomics, 58, pp.89-101. Liang, R.D. and Zhang, J.S., 2012. The effect of service interaction orientation on customer satisfaction and behavioral intention: The moderating effect of dining frequency. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 24(1), pp.153-170. Llach, J., Perramon, J., del Mar Alonso-Almeida, M. and Bagur-Femenias, L., 2013. Joint impact of quality and environmental practices on firm performance in small service businesses: an empirical study of restaurants. Journal of Cleaner Production, 44, pp.96-104. Marinkovic, V., Senic, V., Ivkov, D., Dimitrovski, D. and Bjelic, M., 2014. The antecedents of satisfaction and revisit intentions for full-service restaurants. Marketing Intelligence Planning, 32(3), pp.311-327. Moreira, A.C. and Silva, P.M.F.D., 2016. Complaint behaviour by third parties: exploring service quality, customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth in health clubs. International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 16(3-6), pp.152-171. Siu, N.Y.M., Zhang, T.J.F. and Yau, C.Y.J., 2013. The roles of justice and customer satisfaction in customer retention: A lesson from service recovery. Journal of business ethics, 114(4), pp.675-686. Zhang, Z., Zhang, Z. and Law, R., 2013. Regional effects on customer satisfaction with restaurants. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 25(5), pp.705-722.

Racism Essays (731 words) - Racism, Politics, Identity Politics

Racism "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character" (Martin Luther King Jr.) Ku Klux Klan. Neo Nazis. The Aryan Nations. The American Nazi Party. What are these groups? Why are they present in a land of supposed equality of all men? They are there because there are millions of Americans that believe in their message of white pride. The African American population is growing and Americans are now a mixed group of people. Black people are white people's neighbours, doctors, friends. With a growing unity between the two races, why does racism continue? The answer is simple. Racists from many years ago raise their kids in clans and white supremacy groups and teach them the ways of hatred. These kids grow up "brain-washed" that black people are their enemies and, taught by example, will continue this trend (The Volume Library; 1988). The Ku Klux Klan has been around since the end of the civil war. It is a roller coaster of a history. From extreme power, to rapid decline, and slow reemergence (Software Toolworks Encyclopedia; 1992). The clan, who is notorious for its violence, has a relatively innocent beginning. It was formed from some veterans from the confederate army and was first called the Kuklos Clan which, in Greek, meant Circle Clan. One person thought it would be a good idea to call it the "Ku Klux Klan" as a parody of the fraternity names which always had three Greek alphabet letters in it. They created the Clan to be mischievous and to do it without anyone knowing who they were which accounts for their costumes and masks. They, like most whites, were upset that the black people were free because black people were a constant reminder of the bitter defeat of the South. So to have fun they terrorized black people. Eventually the group grew, fluctuating, but grew to become the first white supremacy group in America and with that growth, their hatred grew as well into what was seen in the early and middle 1900's and what is seen today. Along with the KKK, other anti-black, pro-white groups formed and stemmed out all over the U.S.A. The Neo Nazis who are more commonly know by the term "Skin Heads", are a growing force in hate groups. There hatred of Hispanics, Jews, Blacks, and others are now the fastest growing force in America. The Skin Head movement is usually done by the younger kids. These kids are drawn to the Aryan Nations and Neo Nazis by the promise of free drugs, free booze, heavy metal music, ultimate freedom and rebellion. A lot of these kids stay because of family troubles at home and, like in a gang, feel like they have a family with the group and feel loved. "The skinheads are a family... A lot of us don't have what you'd call a home" commented Joshua, who is a 16 year old recruiter in California (United They Hate; Michael Kronenwetter). The race war was in full force by the 1960's. With the growth of white supremacy and their groups, black too had a weapon. Martin Luther King Jr. lead his people to march in Washington to end segregation and to form black unity for an equal and better America. Malcolm X, who was a Muslim, may have come from a different religion than his Christian counterpart, but had a very similar message and a similar fate. Both were assassinated. Today the hate groups of America have spread into Canada and are particularly common in Manitoba. The major sects are of the same name as their American cousins with a very similar message. Racism, despite much opposition, will never end. As long as there is fighting among a Jew and a Palestinian or hatred between a white and a black, Racism will be there. Only a utopian society can achieve such a dream. It is in human nature to have a few people that do not understand or possibly hate those who are different but, in fact, we are not different, we are judgmental and we are discriminatory,

Attitude Toward Women free essay sample

Even though in today’s society women play a major role in just about every career available, such acknowledgement hasn’t always existed. When Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller was written women played a totally different role. During this time period men have always been favored and believed to be superior of woman; still existing in such a way in some third world countries and even in Latin communities. In this story Miller tends to portray women in two different categories: the whores and the housewives. In this play Miller portrays women as extremely disrespected and merely used as sex slaves. The main female character, Linda Loman, is the typical wife of the early 20th century. She is there for her husband to offer her full support no matter what decision he makes. She is portrayed as being a patient, tactful, and considerate wife by showing her husband the lovely gesture of taking of his shoes to make him more comfortable. We will write a custom essay sample on Attitude Toward Women or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Willy even states that Linda is his â€Å"foundation and [his] support† (Pg #). Also Willy doesn’t seem to fully appreciate the wife he has. Whenever Willy complains about his arch supports killing him, Linda responds by telling him to â€Å"[take] an aspirin† and even goes as far as to ask him if she should get it for him, so it can soothe him ( Pg #). Yet Willy just ignores her suggestion and continues on with his story about him being fine while driving and observing the scenery. That conversation brings a dismissive attitude towards Linda. She does everything she can to fulfill her husband’s needs, yet she doesn’t receive the same treatment. Linda seems to be accepting of the role she plays in the Loman household. Miller portrays her as a very gullible woman who believes that her husband will provide everything she needs. That’s why when Biff finds out that his father has been having an affair with another woman he hides it from Linda, because he knows that such news would devastate her. Also this woman that Willy is having an affair with has the illusion that Willy will leave his wife for her. Apparently Willy is just using her as a sex slave because no matter what he always comes back to his wife and sons. Miller uses this woman along with two other women, Miss Forsythe and her friend, as sexual slaves, or whores. Due to the father figure that Happy has, he is bound to treat women the same way. Happy only cares about fulfilling his sexual need and does not want to be tied down in anything serious throughout his young age. (Pg#) So when he meets Miss Forsythe, he immediately puts his charm on and invites her to cancel on her date and join him later on that night for dinner. Even though he does not care anything for her he orders her to follow his suggestion because he knows that she can’t deny the fact that this charming man is trying to â€Å"meet up† with her later on that night. He also orders her to bring a friend so they can accompany him and his brother, Biff, as well as his father who would later be showing up to the dinner invitation, but have an early leave. The simple fact that she accepted and showed up to this â€Å"dinner† gives him the satisfaction of having power of these women. It can be assumed that Miss Forsythe along with her friend are both whores, and will later fall under the charm of Happy and give him sexual pleasure. (Pg #) Also in Act 1, both Biff and Happy, talk about women as trophies, or badges of honor. This seems to be the general attitude of men towards women, one of arrogance. As well as being ignored by her husband at certain times, Linda is not allowed to give her opinion unless Willy asks her, which based on the play it hardly ever happens. Linda tries to give her opinion on the whole Swiss/American cheese incident. Willy asks her why she got American instead of the Swiss cheese that he so ever liked. When she responds that maybe he would like the change he cuts her off and yells at her stating that he doesn’t want a change, and all he wanted was Swiss cheese. He even goes as far as saying that the room stinks and orders Linda to open the windows. Due to all his anger, he doesn’t realize that the windows are open, and Linda takes all this with infinite patience (Pg #). Anytime she tries to give her opinion she is always interrupted or she is shut down by her husband. Linda’s intelligence only goes as far as that of Willy’s because the man of the house is supposed to be the smart one. Being influenced by society she is always on the outside looking in. When she is around her sons her insight on things is clear but when she is around her Willy her vocabulary diminishes to, â€Å"Yes Dear. or â€Å"What, Dear? † In conclusion women may be considered a minority and not be acknowledge as capable of making any decision, such as Linda is. At the same time they can bring a great deal of power to this society, which as of today, has been proved very efficient. On the other hand, not much has change on the whole perspective on women used as sex slaves. As of today women are still giving sexual favors to many single and married men. Such things have not change but yet nothing in life ever changes completely.

Iraq War Military History - Battle of Fallujah

Iraq War Military History - Battle of Fallujah The Second Battle of Fallujah was fought November 7 to 16, 2004, during the Iraq War (2003-2011). Lieutenant General John F. Sattler and Major General Richard F. Natonski led 15,000 American and Coalition troops against approximately 5,000 insurgent fighters led by Abdullah al-Janabi and Omar Hussein Hadid. Background Following escalating insurgent activity and Operation Vigilant Resolve (First Battle of Fallujah) in the spring of 2004, U.S.-led Coalition Forces turned fighting in Fallujah over to the Iraqi Fallujah Brigade. Led by Muhammed Latif, a former Baathist general, this unit ultimately collapsed, leaving the city in the hands of the insurgents. This, along with the belief that insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was operating in Fallujah, led to the planning of Operation Al-Fajr (Dawn)/Phantom Fury with the goal of retaking the city. It was believed that between 4,000–5,000 insurgents were in Fallujah. The Plan Located approximately 40  miles west of Baghdad, Fallujah was effectively surrounded by U.S. forces by October 14. Establishing checkpoints, they sought to ensure that no insurgents were able to escape the city. Civilians were encouraged to leave to prevent being caught in the coming battle, and an estimated 70–90 percent of the citys 300,000 citizens departed. During this time, it was clear that an assault on the city was imminent. In response, the insurgents prepared a variety of defenses and strong points. The attack on the city was assigned to the I Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF). With the city cordoned off, efforts were made to suggest that the Coalition attack would come from the south and southeast as had occurred in April. Instead, I MEF intended to assault the city from the north across its entire breadth. On November 6, Regimental Combat Team 1, consisting of the 3rd Battalion/1st Marines, 3rd Battalion/5th Marines, and the U.S. Armys 2nd Battalion/7th Cavalry, moved into position to assault the western half of Fallujah from the north. They were joined by Regimental Combat Team 7, made up of the 1st Battalion/8th Marines, 1st Battalion/3rd  Marines, the U.S. Armys 2nd Battalion/2nd Infantry, the 2nd Battalion/12th Cavalry, and 1st Battalion 6th Field Artillery, which would attack the eastern part of the city. These units were joined by about 2,000 Iraqi troops as well.   The Battle Begins With Fallujah sealed, operations began at 7:00 p.m. on November 7, when Task Force Wolfpack moved to take objectives on the west bank of the Euphrates River opposite Fallujah. While Iraqi commandos captured Fallujah General Hospital, Marines secured the two bridges over the river to cut off any enemy retreat from the city. A similar blocking mission was undertaken by the British Black Watch Regiment south and east of Fallujah. The next evening, RCT-1 and RCT-7, backed by air and artillery strikes, commenced their attack into the city. Using Army armor to disrupt the insurgents defenses, the Marines were able to effectively attack enemy positions, including the main train station. Though engaged in fierce urban combat, Coalition troops were able to reach Highway 10, which bisected the city, by the evening of November 9. The eastern end of the road was secured the next day, opening a direct supply line to Baghdad. Insurgents Cleared Despite heavy fighting, Coalition forces controlled approximately 70 percent of Fallujah  by the end of November 10. Pressing across Highway 10, RCT-1 moved through the Resala, Nazal, and Jebail neighborhoods, while the RCT-7 assaulted an industrial area in the southeast. By November 13, U.S. officials claimed that most of the city was under Coalition control. The heavy fighting continued for the next several days as Coalition forces moved house-to-house eliminating insurgent resistance. During this process, thousands of weapons were found stored in houses, mosques, and tunnels connecting buildings around the city. The process of clearing the city was slowed by booby-traps and improvised explosive devices. As a result, in most cases, soldiers only entered buildings after tanks had rammed a hole in a wall or specialists had blasted a door open. On November 16, U.S. officials announced that Fallujah had been cleared, but that there were still sporadic episodes of insurgent activity. Aftermath During the Battle of Fallujah,  51 U.S. forces were killed and 425 seriously wounded, while Iraqi forces lost 8 soldiers with 43 wounded. Insurgent losses are estimated at between 1,200 to 1,350 killed. Though Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi was not captured during the operation, the victory severely damaged the momentum the insurgency had gained before Coalition forces held the city. Residents were allowed to return in December, and they slowly began rebuilding the badly damaged city. Having suffered terribly  in Fallujah, the insurgents began to avoid open battles, and the number of attacks again began to rise. By 2006, they controlled much of Al-Anbar province, necessitating another sweep through Fallujah in September, which lasted until January 2007. In the fall of 2007, the city was turned over to the Iraqi Provincial Authority.

A Debate that is related to Microeconomics Essay

A Debate that is related to Microeconomics - Essay Example It is important for economies to determine whether such ventures as minimizing IT will mean reduced operational costs and increased profits (which forms the core aim of all businesses) (Hubbard and Anthony, 377). Those who see IT as obsolete and replaceable say that the fact that almost all companies have embraced IT has removed the competitive edge it offers as a result of this ubiquity and is no longer important. IT, according to them, is therefore no longer a tool that a business can use as a tool for competition in the markets to advance itself above the rest. They therefore see it fit that companies that are wise and that have studied the times begin to swiftly reduce their spending on IT and focus on other ideas and innovations that can lead to originality and therefore serve as strength of a particular business against all the other market competitors. IT to them has simply become too old and basic and therefore expendable (Gravelle and Ray, 312). On the other hand, there are equally those who have vehemently argued against such claims of IT obsolescence. They state that IT comes with a plethora of benefits both to the consumer and the business itself. According to these proponents of IT, IT is irreplaceable in linking businesses and its consumers through the click of a button, a phone call or even email just to mention a few, while also offering a relatively easy source of information on the market trends, needs and preferences. It enables a company improve on service delivery and gain competitive advantage over others if superiorly utilized. IT also enables fast and efficient money transactions that are vital in the smooth running of any business set up, failure to which many businesses have crumbled prematurely (Hubbard and Anthony, 411). In my opinion therefore, IT remains important in businesses as it saves time and offers an

Smoking Cessation Therapy during Pregnancy Article

Smoking Cessation Therapy during Pregnancy - Article Example The contemporary NRT during pregnancy mitigates the delivery of toxins despite the fact that nicotine intake is profound during pregnancy. Such therapy is effective as it gradually eliminates withdrawal symptoms; hence, aids in the smoking cessation process (Cressman, et al., 1). The study indicates that behavioral counseling is suitable for pregnant women smoking less than five cigarettes per day because their nicotine intake is high (Cressman, et al., 2). Bupropion and Varenicline are among the contemporary NRT measures. The research conducted by Cressman, et al., convincingly argues that NRT enhances smoking cessation among pregnant women. It is prudent to concur with the research. However, the research fails to end the ambiguity inherent in the fact that the external environment that the women are exposed to has a significant influence on the process. As such, cessation may not be entirely attributed to NRT. The external environment presents psychological stressors that may contradict with the smoking cessation process. In addition, the gestation period lasts for nine months among human beings. Therefore, the period of subjecting the pregnant women to NRT is undefined. The research fails to indicate the negative effects of NRT on pregnancy. Bupropion and Varenicline are foreign to the body and may have negative effects on the pregnancy despite their efforts to mitigate smoking among the women. The research topic â€Å"smoking cessation therapy during pregnancy† encompasses the study of life. With much interest focused towards such a study, the article acts as a stepping stone towards providing insight into the onset of life as required in Biology. The conventional functions of the body during pregnancy are quite delicate, and women ought to create an environment conducive to the development of the baby.

Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Human Rights - Essay Example The FGM is shown to be common due to deep faith and tradition. It is carried out in the name of promoting chastity, religious responsibility, and makes one ready for marriage (Guerin 1). In the country, the procedure is usually carried out on girls between the age of nine and thirteen years (Guerin 1). However, it is said to be done on girls as young as six years of age. In my opinion, the article demonstrates the worst form of human rights violation that continues to take place uncontrolled in some parts of the world. This is because it is done to minors who are not aware of the consequences. The minors are denied the rights of physical integrity. Moreover, the girls lack right to access good standard of health. This is because uneducated people with no knowledge on a good standard of health do FGM. Such girls are also denied right to life as the procedure sometimes leads to death. Therefore, there should be education on effects of procedure and implementation of laws that outlaws the

The Issue Of Cultural Relativism Human Rights Essay

The Issue Of Cultural Relativism Human Rights Essay When it comes to human rights, the issue of cultural relativism is widely discussed. Majority of the human rights literature encompasses the western and non-western argument on what best illustrates what human rights should be. As a result of these debates, comes the discussion of cultural relativism. Cultural relativism, at first glance, seems like quite a reasonable argument towards safeguarding different cultural groups. However when we begin to analyse the cultural relativism theory, we come to find that it is not quite as reasonable or even as practical as it seems to be. Cultural relativism seems to not only ignore human rights violations, but actually seems to approve them. Furthermore, it hardly disapproves any cultural or religious practices. Cultural relativism ignores the necessity to oppose violations and other human rights, and also ignores the freedom of choice to do so. This paper seeks to prove that there is no conceivable claim in supporting cultural relativism, and will discuss and analyse the issue of conflict between human rights and cultural relativism. This will provide some insight on how some scholars, anthropologist, philosophers, and political scientists have debated over this issue and how some of them have questioned the validity of cultural relativism in relation to human rights. I will discuss both cultural relativism and universal human rights and analyse the conflicts that have risen between them and their ensuing practices, as well as give examples to show the absurdity of the cultural relativist claim. I will conclude by p roviding evidence that shows that cultural relativists are indeed human rights violators, as well as show that their notion on cultural relativism proves to be highly contradictory and unreliable, now and in the future. The Human Rights Debate: Cultural Relativism versus Universalism 2.1 What is Cultural Relativism? The idea of Cultural relativism was developed by Franz Boas (1858-1942) in 1911. Robert Redfield described cultural relativism as values expressed in any culture are to be both understood and valued only according to the way people who carry that culture see things. Melville Herskovits gives an even more elaborate definition of cultural relativism as a philosophy which, in recognizing the values set up by every society to guide its own life, lays stress on the dignity inherent in every body of custom, and on the need of tolerance of conventions though they may differ from ones own. He continues by going on to say that each culture is said to constitute a total social world that reproduces itself through enculturation, the process by which values, emotional dispositions, and embodied behaviours are transmitted from one generation to the next. From the descriptions above, we can therefore say that cultural relativism is the principle by which a human beings beliefs should be perceived in accordance with his or her own culture. This concept of cultural relativism came about during discussions about the origin of human rights. There are quite a few ideas and claims that have led to the concept of cultural relativism, one of them being Kants argument that human beings are incapable of gaining unmediated knowledge of the world, and that the human mind interferes with all our experiences of the world, thus structuring our perceptions universally. However Herder disagreed with Kants argument saying that human experiences were mediated by cultural structures as well. As a result of this debate between Kant and Herder, came the belief of ethnocentrism. The Universal Human Rights Doctrine The Universal Declaration of Human Rights set the pattern for the contemporary conception of human rights.It was established as a result of the World War II atrocities as a means of protecting citizens and residents of various states. The conflict between the universal human rights doctrine and cultural relativism came about during the establishment of the Universal human rights doctrine in 1948. The conflict arose due to the theory that there was some kind of dominance over some cultures, and that the universal human rights doctrine come from European or Western philosophy. This doctrine was the Universalist approach to human rights that placed value on individuals. On the contrary, some theorists believe that the enactment of these human rights is not the only way that human rights exist. There is the theory that people are born with natural, God-given rights and that God is the absolute law-maker who bestowed upon us some basic human rights. For this reason itself, cultural relativism critics therefore argue that there should be no exception to the universal claim to human rights as some of these rights are already natural and God-given. 2.3 Cultural Relativism versus Universalism Now that we have defined cultural relativism and the universal declaration of human rights, one question comes to mind based on the two theories. Can universal human rights exist in a multicultural world? In other words, can the concept of cultural relativism really coexist with the notion of universal human rights? Naturally, cultural relativists argue that there are indeed moral justifications underlying the claim that various practices and beliefs differ from society to society and should be accepted as being relative to other cultural beliefs. For example, women in some cultures that undergo female genital mutilation are regarded as clean and pure. One culture may believe that there is indeed some moral justification towards this practice, as women who dont go through the cut are considered unclean and are seen as outcasts in their societies. On the other hand, a different cultural group may practice eating of dead bodies as a ritual. Cultural relativists would therefore claim that one cannot justly say which culture is right or wrong as this proves to be relative within different cultures. It is therefore possible to say that, from the cultural relativist point of view, there is no particular truth in what is right or wrong but rather the truth depends on what a particular culture believes is right or wrong. This observation in turn then brings me to my next point. If the views of the truth on what is right or wrong is relative, then the issue of morality definitely plays a huge role in this debate. Our moral beliefs indicate the kind of environment or culture we grew up in. Therefore, if we were born in Somalia, we would believe that it is morally right to go through female circumcision as a rite of passage. However, if we grew up in the western world, then we would not believe in female circumcision. We can therefore see the relativists argument of cultural relativism in this case, because if cultural relativism exists, then naturally, morality will also be relative. Additionally, to support his stance, the relativist will also argue that tolerance comes into play when it comes to cultural relativism. Contemporary society is often referred to as a multicultural world, with people from various cultures increasingly becoming accustomed to interacting with people from other cultures. As a result of this, the ability to learn to respect and tolerate different cultural practices and beliefs has developed. In todays society, people have shown an increased reluctance to criticise other cultures for various reasons. One of these reasons could be the fear of history repeating itself. An example of this is the European invasion of different parts of the world, including Africa, Asia and America, in the name of spreading Christianity and education. The aftermath of this resulted in slavery, apartheid and many other violations. The reluctance to criticise other cultures in this case arises from the fear of making the same violations as in the past. Another reason why there is the reluctance to criticise other cultures is that people feel the need to be tolerant of other cultures. Truth be tol d, tolerance is indeed essential for the sake of living in this multicultural world of ours peacefully. However, one should not feel obligated to tolerate particular cultural beliefs, especially if it involves some form of human rights violation. However, relativists can argue that tolerating these different cultural practises has led to the acceptance of some of these various practices especially in the western world, for example, the Muslim veil. The contradiction here comes about when these same Muslim women are undergoing various human rights violations as a result of their cultural beliefs, for example, female genital mutilation. In this particular case, is it possible for relativists to defend human rights as well as justify cultural relativism? This surely indicates some contradiction in the cultural relativism theory, for one cannot support cultural relativism and defend human rights at the same time. It is true that people from different cultures have different ideas of what is right and what is wrong. Warburton describes moral relativism as values held by a particular society at a particular time.However, moral relativism, just like cultural relativism can also be perceived in different ways by different cultures. In other words, relativists see that moral values are valid only within some cultural boundaries. Some examples illustrated by anthropologists as morally acceptable in some cultures and condemned by others are polygamy, genocide and sexism. Consequently, the moral difference in these cultures brings about the issue of ethics. Ethical relativism also promotes the belief that morality is, and cannot be universal. Moral relativism is therefore justified by relativist through various examples. For instance, practices regarding clothing and decency. This can be justified by one culture in that it is their moral obligation and duty to have women dress in a decent manner so a s not to compromise their ethics. Some cultures would therefore agree with these practises under the moral principle that it is the duty of society to protect the women of their society. With that beings said, I do not believe that there is any logical connection between cultural relativism and tolerance as is illustrated in the relativism point of view. Furthermore, I disagree with moral relativism because despite some moral beliefs being culturally relative, there are other beliefs that are not relative. Practices such sexism and dressing depend on the local customs and traditions. However, violations such as torture, slavery and genocides, should definitely have universal moral standards. Therefore not all practices should be deemed as being relative just because some practises are deemed as being so. The Asian Values Argument Today, there has been a tremendous improvement over the years towards the universal system of human rights. There is now the increased need for accountability and responsibility for individuals and society. However, this is not the case in Asian societies. The Asian society claims to come from a culture with an exceptional set of values. This was done while they criticised western ideas and culture. According to Asian values, human rights are culturally specific, communities take precedence over individuals, social and economic rights take precedence over political and civil rights, and rights are a matter of national sovereignty.This concept has therefore been celebrated by relativists, and used as an example to support the relativist theory of cultural relativism. The issue of Asian values was brought about during discussions by East and South Eastern government leaders. The Journal of Democracy explains that the basis of Asian values is said to contribute to high growth rates to certain cultural traits. These characteristics include hard work, frugality, discipline and team work. Western democracy hinders rapid development.With that being said, it was easier for relativists to justify their rejection towards universalism because there was an increase in economic growth in the Asian region that accompanied this debate. In the 1970s, some countries in the Sub Saharan region had tried to oppose these liberal views of the Western world. This proved to be unsuccessful as they did not harbour the same economic results as their Asian counterparts. In addition to this, as a result of the tremendous economic growth in the Asian region, the Asian values debate received the attention and even admiration of the international community. Asian authoritaria ns argue from a position of economic and social success. This has therefore presented a challenge towards the universal theory of human rights because developmentalists have used the concept of Asian values to justify cultural relativism, and have even presented evidence that has shown tremendous success in some Asian states. In spite of this, the Asian values argument has still proven to promote various human rights violations. An example of these human rights violations is the situation of the Harijans, or the people outside the Indian caste system, who had the lowest social status? The Harijans, are also referred to as the untouchables of the Caste System. In more economically advanced Asian states, the use of soft authoritarianism is said to be sufficient. Additionally another way in which cultural relativism in conjunction with the Asian values argument poses a threat toward universalism is the issue of technology. As we embrace the growth of information technology, we see that this improves globalisation as communication and other forms of interaction are enhanced. However, in states such as Malaysia and Singapore, there has been an establishment of authoritarian interferences by the government, where services such as the internet are being monitored or even blocked. This poses a potential risk and hindrance towards globalisation. In spite of the Asian values seemingly strong argument, the Asian regions success seems to have been short-lived as the decline in economic growth has somewhat changed the way in which the international community views their Asian values argument. With that said, if we really take all this into consideration, it is possible to see that it is ridiculous to create standards of morality based on these societies as every society perceives morality according to their own interests and interpretations. It is also quite impossible to permit these major differences in the interpretation of human rights standards, if they are to protect individuals. The Asian Values argument is therefore highly irrelevant, as we can see, because the Asian society places its citizens lives at risk as it violates various human rights in the name of Asian values and attempting to justify their actions as being culturally relative. Criticism of Cultural Relativism We live in a world where cultural relativism is constantly questioned and debated. As earlier stated, relativism came about as a result of arguments on ethical issues. In support of cultural relativism, Benedictexplains that cultures are coexisting and equally valid patterns of life, which mankind has created for itself from the raw materials of existence.According to Benedict, all cultures are equally valid as they embrace different views on morality and ethics. However, Kluckhohndisagreed with Benedicts doctrine on cultural relativism saying that this excluded any kind of moral criticism, his argument being that if one accepted Benedicts theory, then they could not, complain about any kind of evil against humanity including slavery, communism, terrorism and many other forms of evil.The perception of cultural relativism is that peoples rights depend on their nationality, culture, and religion. Therefore according to relativist, the rights of people in Nigeria are different from thos e in China or anywhere in the world. Namazie gives the following examples to demonstrate the absurdity of these cultural relativist claims; [1] An 18-year-old woman was burnt to death by her father after having refused to marry the man he had chosen, in Germany. The courts gave her father a reduced sentence, saying he was practicing his culture and religion. [2] In Iran, women and girls are forcibly veiled under the threat of imprisonment and lashes, and cultural relativists say that it is their religion and must be respected. [3] In Holland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that Irans prisons are satisfactory for third world standards, allowing the forcible return of asylum seekers. With each of these examples, among all other forms of evil against humanity, we can clearly see that cultural relativism promotes these crimes. Namazie goes on to argue that the basis of the cultural relativist debate opposes the imposition of western views onto non-westerners. How, then, is it that when it comes to using the telephone, or the car, the mullah does not say it is western and incompatible with Muslim society?It is therefore safe to say that these countries are using the claim to cultural relativism as an excuse to get away with various human rights violations. Relativists using the imposition of western culture as an excuse does not hold water as these same countries still use western ideas in different aspects of their lives. Furthermore, these countries are, in fact, quite westernised societies. The fact that these are former colonies of the British and French empires, who now speak western languages, is proof of their westernisation. In addition to this, Namazie goes on to say that in respect to cultural relativists, there should be a clear distinction between human beings and human beliefs and cultures. She adds that human beings are the element of importance in the universalism-relativism argument and not their beliefs. She adds that human beings are sacred and worthy of the highest respect and it is human beings that are meant to be equal and not their beliefs.The reason as to why cultural relativism is deemed as racist and discriminatory is because, while the universal human rights doctrine aims to protect human beings as being the most sacred creature, relativists are seen as merely choosing to forgo the human being and are only worried about protecting their culture, which in most cases harms the human beings in their societies. Cultural relativism also promotes minoritism, as different cultures embrace the classification of people in their societies. For example, the Caste system of Hinduism which rejects equal treatment of different caste members in Hindu society. As stated earlier, these individuals are denied various rights such as education, healthcare and jobs. Cultural relativism, in turn, denies the victims of these situations any access to universal standards. Furthermore, since cultural relativism supports groups of cultures, it logical to say that individual rights in these cultures are disregarded. This means that individuals have no say in anything as society speaks for them and decides what is right or wrong for the individual. Moreover, Universalists believe that cultural relativism has caused more harm than good towards cultures. An example of this is the war in between Israel and Palestine. The Israeli culture claims that they are fighting to get their holy land, Jerusalem, back. However, th is war has killed thousands of Muslims in the name of doing what is culturally right in accordance with the relativist theory. In the past, anthropologists were not afraid to show their discontentment about various unjust practises such as Apartheid against South Africans and the acts of genocide performed by the Nazi. Today, however, they have not spoken against similar practises that endanger human life such as female circumcision and even genocide in Rwanda and Sudan. How, then is it possible for one to rely on a theory that contradicts itself in this manner? If we therefore reflect on these relativist theories, cultural relativism just seems very unrealistic and impractical. Conclusion All in all, although we learn about the virtue of tolerance from the cultural relativism theory, it is safe to say that the reason why we believe it is so important to be tolerant of other cultures is because we are also want to experience our own freedom, thus we do not want other cultures to criticize our own. Nobody wants to have their freedom restricted, and therefore if we want to enjoy the freedom to enjoy our beliefs we would not dare to limit the freedom of the beliefs of cultures we do not agree with. Furthermore, we can clearly see how overall, the cultural relativism theory seems to make sense. However, under careful scrutiny, it does not make for sound argument. It is obvious to see, just as Rachels argues, that the mere fact that there is no real truth when it comes to morality due to the difference in cultural beliefs, proves to show that the cultural relativism argument attempts to extract the definition of morality from the simple basis that people do not agree with it in the first place. While different countries have the right to demand their rights in various ways, there are fundamental doctrines that should be made universal. Dress, Language, food and other minor beliefs and traditions can vary, and cultures should be allowed the freedom to practice them. However practices such as slavery, sexism, female genital mutilation, and infanticide, among other human rights violations must be held up to universal standards. Cultural relativism is therefore not an answer to human rights concerns, nor will it be in the future.

Visit to Court

I have got a chance to visit court on 2, January 2014 with my group members Biagio Mauri for our law assignment. This is the first time of my life visiting to court and we went to magistrate court around 1pm. That court is located in 363 George Street Brisbane QLD 4001, opening and closing hours is 8:30-4:30. When we arrived infront of the court I feel alittle nervous because I have never been to any court. My group members asked me to turn off all of my electronic devices. In entrance there are some sign of no food /drink and turn off electronic devices. I stepped into the entrance and the first thing I see is security woman with desk in front of the court. She was friendly and asked us to step back to x-ray machines which is use in airport or any other security check.Then she asked us to come one by one, so that my group member would go first and I was waiting him outside of the entrance.After she checked my group member’s bag with metal detectors as she asked me to come in and she did the same way. After security check, we ahead to information counter and we saw some people were asking about the court room that related to their cases. So we qued for a little while and we got reach our trun.My group member requested to receptionist that we are student doing law assignment and which room we need to go.Then she said room 36 is just started and pointed us to get there. I felt so excited to get into the room as I saw auto double door to get into the room. I became noticed everyone is quiet and we took chair in last place. Although I knew that I need to be quiet but my group member remind me to be quiet.After we sat down,I started to discover the circumstances.There were few people sitting with us.The name of the judge was Carmody T and he looked greate on his formal black suit with the white collar.His place was the highest positon of the room and he was sitting.At the second positon, I saw a typist women and she was typing about the case.At the last posit on I saw one lawyer and one policeman who standing were had conversation with the judge.I saw around 4 or 5 police infront of the 2 small glass room that they made with protective glass for protect people from the accuse abuse I guess. After I did sightseeing, the first accuse was already got judgement.So I started focus on second accuse case and listened carefully.Before the accuse come, the lawer talked about the case.That case was nature of crime about theft case, the police woman took the accuse man from the door behind that glass room. The judge asked that accuse man that he feel gulity or not.He said he felt  gulity so that judge continue ask about what he did steal.He admited that he stolen $4658 cash from the high school.Finally the judge made the decision that he needed to give fine $2000 and sent to prison for 6 months. In conclusion, I got a lot of knowledges about the court by visiting magistrate court in brisbane Australia.I experienced about how the judge and lawyer analysis the case and the court procedure.When I left that room I did bow my head down as other people did.I realized how court is important for a countrty, if court does not exist we cannot exactly know what is justice.

The Wider Application of vertical roller mill

Vertical roller mill occupies an essential place from the non-ferrous metal production, and this kind of tools is utilized to sinter and roast ore, ore concentrate and intermediate merchandise. The dimension with the kiln is among the primary indicators to present its production capability. With all the vigorous improvement with the non-ferrous metallurgy sector in China, far more and more vertical roller mills and larger and greater specifications are desired. The initial step of metallurgy should be to create aluminum oxide.In alumina oxide production with sintering process, we need to first create the raw materials compounded by bauxite, limestone and alkali into clinker. The sintering process is completed within the vertical roller mill whose inner temperature is 1300;C. The final phase of aluminum oxide manufacturing is to roast aluminum hydroxide into alumina oxide. The inner temperature is about There really are a good deal of wastes in aluminum production – red mud, th at's primarily applied to produce the red mud moment.So there's generally a large-scale red mud cement plant near alumina oxide manufacturing producer with sintering process. The vertical roller mill is the primary products to sinter cement clinker and has become widely used in cement, metallurgy and chemical marketplace. This vertical roller mill is largely composed of rotary physique, supporting gadget, belt wheel, transmission device, movable kiln head, sealing device, burning gadget, and so on and has rewards like basic construction, beatable functioning and controllable processing.Additionally It Is utilized to sinter clay, limestone and slang. In the non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy, the vertical roller mill is adopted to sinter resources like Iron, aluminum, copper, zinc, tin, nickel, tungsten, chromium, file, and so forth. By way of example, we will sinter aluminum hydroxide Into alumina oxide and generate pellet ore for blast furnace Rainmaking. In the vertical roller mil l system, we are able to use vertical roller mill to conduct generating roast to lean Iron ore and make It modify from weak magnetic to sturdy magnetic, which Is helpful for magnetic separating.In environmental protection process, we will use vertical roller mill to Incinerate the unsafe wastes and recognize their harmlessness and recycle. Http://www. Slaughterer. Com/products/grandly- mill/lump-alternate-vertical-roller-mill. HTML The Wider Application of vertical roller mill in Nonferrous Metallurgy By Livingston reputable functioning and controllable processing.Additionally it is utilized to sinter ill is adopted to sinter resources like iron, aluminum, copper, zinc, tin, nickel, hydroxide into alumina oxide and generate pellet ore for blast furnace rainmaking. Magnetized roast to lean iron ore and make it modify from weak magnetic to sturdy magnetic, which is helpful for magnetic separating. In environmental protection process, we will use vertical roller mill to incinerate the unsafe wastes and recognize their harmlessness and recycle.

bad effect of technology to children Essays

bad effect of technology to children Essays bad effect of technology to children Essay bad effect of technology to children Essay Technology Assurance Student Research Paper Contest Computer technology is embedded in our Western society in a way that the majority of people seem to forget that it is a relatively new development. The mainstream of this society has quickly adopted computer technology as part of their daily life, and in doing so openened up to all the possibilities this technology has to offer. The ever growing group of elderly people (age 60 and older) in our society, which will grow from being 20 per cent of the population in developed countries to being 32 per cent y 2050 [1], seems to have been forgotten in this matter. With this growth and the fact that we all grow older in mind, the opportunities that computer technology could give this group should be considered. The ongoing advance of technology suggests that younger peoples experience with computers will not be a curcial advantage when they grow older. It is not hard to imagine that, looking at a random website or imput devices such as the mouse and keyboard, elderly people might have trouble in using them. Heller et al. 2] say about aging: As people grow older, their abilities change. This change inludes a decline in cognitive, physical and sensory functions, each of which will decline at different rates relative to one another for each individual. This makes it hard to define the elderly as one consistent group, and presents a challenge for designers of computer technology. Facing this challenge, however, can ultimately provide benefits for both elderly people and the society. I have chosen to write this essay about computer technology and elderly people ecause, as a student in Information Science, I have the opinion that it does not get enough attention from Information Science students. It is a subject that offers great potential in helping people in a all sorts of ways with and trough the use of computers, therefore standing out against the business-focused majority of research subjects in Information Science. This paper will describe the effects of computer technology on elderly people, and give an outline of possibilities in this area. First age-related changes and their effects on computer use 2 by elderly people will be described.

What theme or themes have you found in a feature film you ha essays

What theme or themes have you found in a feature film you ha essays What theme or themes have you found in a feature film you have studied this year, which are relevant to a modern audience? The film, Blade Runner: Directors Cut, (BRDC) directed by Ridley Scott, explores a major theme that is relevant to us as a modern audience. The main theme is the questioning of humanity. This film forces the viewer to really wonder what humanity actually is, and how human we are. It forces us as the viewer to question our values, and to ponder over the difference between human and inferior beings. In, BRDC, the main theme is the question of what is humanity? One of the ways we wonder this, is through the replicants. Replicants are genetically engineered beings, or clones that are illegal on Earth. A number of rebel replicants have escaped from their off-world colony to Earth, where they wish to seek more life from their creator. They are only given a four-year life span. The film follows Deckard (Harrison Ford) as he is given the task of finding the replicants and retiring or killing them. This forces us as the viewer to question the humanity issues of this. We wonder if it is right to kill something that will only last four years. For example, the replicants appear to be human as is seen at the beginning, when the replicant Leon cares so much about his mother that he shoots another man for trying to talk about her. In fact, replicants do not have a mother but are implanted with the memory of one. The fact that the subject of his mother provoked such an emotional response from Leon, shows that he does possess human qualities, despite claims from the creator Tyrell that replicants can not experience human emotion. Leon shows in this scene that he does possess emotions, and while the viewer questions his humanity as he kills another man, they are also forced to question the humanity issues of killing them. They appear to be normal human beings, yet they m ...

Developing Artificial Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Developing Artificial Intelligence - Essay Example This is because it is yet unclear as to what comprises a human being’s thoughts, and what is the driving force behind his/her intelligence. Is it a manifestation of the immortal soul or is it just a complex network of nerves comprising the nervous system? To create an intelligent machine or a computer, it is necessary to grant it with thinking capabilities that are at par with humans. If such an intelligent machine is ever created, how can we test whether it can think on its own? How can it be certified as Artificial Intelligence? Alan Mathison Turing, a computer analyst, mathematician and cryptoanalyst, provided a simple solution to this problem. In a paper published in the Journal Mind, in 1950, Turing suggests that rather than creating complications by using the word â€Å"think†, defining it, or asking whether machines can â€Å"think†, it is easier to develop a task that requires thinking, and testing whether a machine can succeed in that task. Alan   Math ison   Turing,   a   computer   analyst,   mathematician   and   cryptoanalyst,   provided   a   simple   solution   to   this   problem.   In   a   paper   published   in   the   Journal   Mind,   in   1950,   Turing   suggests   that   rather   than   creating   complications   by   using   the   word   â€Å"think†,   defining   it,   or   asking   whether   machines.... Turing put forth the idea that machines could be devised to think and be capable of â€Å"rivaling human intelligence†. He writes: The original question, "Can machines think?" I believe to be too meaningless to deserve discussion. Nevertheless I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted (p. 440). This idea was revolutionary and contrary to the popular notions and beliefs of his time (â€Å"The Alan Turing Internet Scrapbook†). Turing suggested an imitation game that could be used to test whether a computer is as intelligent as a human being. The directions of the game are as follows: A human and a machine, labeled ‘X’ and ‘Y’ are placed in separate rooms. Another human, who is the judge/interrogator/observer, is placed in another room and is unaware of who is in which room. He only knows t he human and the machine by the labels, ‘X’ and ‘Y’. The judge/interrogator will have to find out who is the human and who is the machine based on the responses he gets from both, the human and the machine. The machine will try to make the judge conclude that the other human is the machine. The human will try to help the judge in identifying the machine (Turing, 1950). In simple words, a computer and a human should be placed in two separate rooms and should communicate through textual messages with a third human, who is the judge or the observer. The judge would interrogate both, the human and the machine. The judge will then decide who is in which room. If the judge fails to make the right judgment and fails to distinguish between the human and the machine, the machine is said to be successful and will have

Curriculum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Curriculum - Essay Example teaching), the information which is used to facilitate such a process is the second most important determinant on the extent and scope to which education will indeed take place. In this way, designing a curriculum necessarily involves the attention and participation of several key participants. Although it is rarely the determination of the end educator as to the precise means by which he/she will attempt to engage the students and effect the determined end, the educator has no small part in engaging with the other shareholders within this process and voicing his/her concerns/beliefs/desires with reference to seeking to provide a better and more fully nuanced vehicle for the impartation of knowledge to the student (Hinde 2005). With regards to how this student approaches the issue of curriculum, this can be understood as a function of two distinct responses. Firstly, the curriculum that I am faced within my own institution is something that is outside of my control and something that has been predetermined by shareholders to impart the very best level of education and knowledge onto me the student. In much the same way, it is my eventual intent to seek to have at least some stake in this process as I complete my degree and begin to practice teaching as an educator. In this way, I will then be able to exact a small amount of direction upon the way in which my students will be introduced to certain key elements of

Dissent about nuclear safety Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dissent about nuclear safety - Case Study Example The performance of the heat exchangers is substandard, but the loss of one can lead to heat exchange problems in future. Alison is well aware of this fact and also of another reality that continued operation of both heat exchangers can cost her company millions of dollars. But, going along with the JCO means that Alison does something which does not maximize utility in an even manner and which is also worthy of punishment because problems are anticipated despite good intentions to save the company. When the time to vote arrives, Alison should not vote in favour of the JCO for the same reasons expressed already in this discussion. It would not be wrong for her to cast a dissenting vote even if future calculations show that using a single heat exchanger does not cause any heat exchange problems for two reasons. First, outcomes of an act matter the most and second, intellectual pleasure which would result from safe outcomes supersedes physical pleasure which members of PNSRC would exper ience from cost

Environmental Influences On Human Behavior Essay Example for Free

Environmental Influences On Human Behavior Essay Eating disorder is a condition wherein an individual’s eating behavior of eating or not eating is influenced by a psychological impulse, instead of a physiological need. Individuals with eating disorders generally choose to ignore the signals their bodies send out that nourishment is needed for maintenance or that enough food has already been consumed. One general feature commonly observed in an individual with an eating disorder is abnormal weight, which may be either above or below the normal weight. Normal weight has been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as having a body mass index (BMI) of 18. 5 to 24. 9 kg/m2 (Deurenberg and Yap, 1999; Weisell, 2002). BMI is the ratio of an individual’s weight in kilograms (kg) to his heights in meters squared (m2). An individual with a BMI of 25 to 29 kg/m2 is classified as overweight, those with BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 are categorized as moderately obese, and people with BMI of 40 kg/m2 and above are identified as morbidly obese. Obesity was earlier considered as an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Today, obesity is regarded as a disease that is strongly influenced by genetic, physiologic and behavioral factors (Jequier and Tappy, 1999). The global estimate of overweight people is currently 1. 2 billion, of which at least 300 million are classified as obese. Obesity has been identified as a preventable health risk, but unfortunately, the mortality rate of this disease is still high, contributing to approximately 300,000 deaths each year in the United States alone. Since the cases of overweight and obesity are continually increasing without any preference to economic status of a country, health governing bodies have put in a significant effort to promote awareness of this disease and intervention programs that would teach the public of the risks of being overweight and/or obese. A major factor that influences such excessive weight gain is the poor lifestyle choices individuals make, in terms of their eating, exercising and physical activities. Binge eating is another eating disorder that is characterized by consuming huge amounts of food in order to achieve the strong feeling of being full. This disorder is generally involved with eating bouts even when an individual is not hungry. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is recognized in two forms- the restricting type and the binge-eating/purging types (APA, 1994). The restricting type of anorexia nervosa involves the absolute inhibition of food consumption and does not accompany any purging or binge-eating actions. The binge-eating type of anorexia nervosa is commonly characterized by cycles of binge-eating and purging. The classic symptom of anorexia nervosa is subjecting one’s self to a starvation condition, with the main goal of preventing or avoiding gaining weight or sensing that any fat is deposited in the body. The psychological angle with anorexia nervosa is that the individual perceives himself as overweight yet actually, their weight is already below normal. The extreme condition of anorexia nervosa usually involves death due to severe malnutrition. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that is characterized by cycles of binge eating, purging and the employment of laxatives to remove any food that has been consumed (APA, 1994). Bulimia nervosa may be differentiated from anorexia nervosa through the feature that the individuals afflicted with this eating disorder typically have normal or above-average weights. In addition, individuals with anorexia nervosa can strongly inhibit their food intake, while individuals with bulimia nervosa find difficulty in avoiding food consumption. Bulimic individuals commonly carry a psychological feeling of guilt and shame of eating so much food, hence they try to appease themselves of their eating faults through purging and chemical elimination of the food they ate through the use of laxatives. They consider such activities as remedies or cleansing rituals so that they can immediately purify themselves of the disgrace they made from eating huge amounts of food. To date, the exact cause of bulimia remains unknown, yet there are theories that this eating disorder is strongly associated to depression and anxiety, however, a precise correlation of this cause still has to be investigated. Another theory involves the motivation of the bulimic individual to escape from reality, by treating for as a comfort instead of a source of energy and nutrition for their bodies. Childhood experiences may also possibly play a role in the cause of bulimia, because young children are often given different types of food in order to pacify them or to reward them for particular activities. Society may also play a role in bulimia, because the media strongly endorses that being thin is good, beautiful and acceptable. It has been suggested that eating disorders may be physiologically influenced by serotonin and norepinephrine. It has also been suggested that anorexia is more frequently observed in females in the Western world (Suematsu, 1986). Several theories have been proposed to explain the mechanism behind hunger and eating in overweight and obese individuals. The internal-external theory of Schachter (1971) states that hunger is influenced by external signals such as time, as shown in their experiments involving manipulation of clock rates and counting the consumption of crackers by the subjects. The research showed that faster ticking clocks that would reach meal times earlier would influence the subjects to eat earlier, while slower ticking close would influence subjects to eat later during the day. This theory strengthened the hypothesis that obese people tend to â€Å"feel† hungry based on the time of the day, and not based of the real sensation of hunger. The sensation of hungry in normal individuals is generally induced by internal signals such as an increased appetite or need to eat. The boundary theory of hunger considers the cognitive influence of hunger and satiety, wherein an individual determines the amount of food he should take in, as their limit or boundary (Hermand and Polivy, 1984). During diet regimes, the amount of food an individual eats is a little less than the set amount or boundary and in turn, the body physiologically adapts to the available sources of energy. In overweight and obese individuals, the boundary of food intake is significantly higher than an individual of normal weight. A third theory explaining the relation between excessive weight gain and eating is the set point theory, which is essentially based on the control of the hypothalamus on the body’s predetermined weight. Such set point of weight will be biologically maintained through the natural way, regardless of efforts to loss weight through diets and other weight loss regimens. A decreased intake of calories will not perturb the hypothalamus in its self-regulation of body weight. These theories are comparatively similar in terms of their goal of attempting to describe the mechanisms of obesity. The theories all emphasized that obesity is not influenced by a single factor, such as plain and simple overeating. These theories actually describe external influences of factors that result in overeating. In the external-internal theory identifies the time of the day as the major factor that triggers hunger. For the boundary theory, the individual himself, most probably with the cerebellum as the major organ, determines the amount of food he will eat. As for the set point theory, the hypothalamus controls the individual’s body weight. It is interesting to note that what the society has perceived as overweight is not really caused by a simple excessive hunger that stems from the need of the stomach to carry more food, but actually a more complex network involving the digestive system, the central nervous system and the immediate environment. Treatment for eating disorder often involves physical and psychological approaches. Psychotherapy serves as the main treatment for eating disorders, which often involves sessions with a therapist to discuss issues such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and body image concerns. The therapist generally emphasizes the relationship of one’s thoughts and eating activities, as well as teaching the patient that food is a source of nourishment and not a source of comfort or escape. Antidepressants may be prescribed to an individual with an eating disorder, to regulate the emotions of the depressed individual. The physician will also need to regularly check the physical vital signs of the patient, in order to monitor whether the patient is gaining weight and to determine whether any other complications may be present in the individual. Dieticians will design a well-balanced diet for an individual with an eating disorder, as well as educate the person of the nutritional value of every type of food that is consumed. The theories of hunger and eating disorders are based on the concept of primary motivation, which is mainly an interplay between psychology and the biological need to provide energy to the proper functioning of the human body. It is more complicated than the straightforward feeding mechanisms in other organisms because eating in the other species is singly influenced by the need to provide food for the normal physiology of the body. In human beings that have a more complex brain system due to evolution, we have acquired the additional capability to feed our minds, and even our souls, so to speak figuratively. It is important to individuals to understand that the mind is a powerful organ that can influence the actions and activities of the rest of the body but it is also more important to know that such choices of eating the right amount of food, as well as the right type of food, is a conscious and voluntary choice, and the consequences should be seriously considered.

The Crimean War :: European Europe History

The Crimean War The Crimean War started because France and Russia wanted control over the Middle East and surrounding areas. The war lasted from 1856 to 1858, just under two years. The more important parts of the war are the causes and events that led up to it, the battle of the Alma, the naval wars of various seas and Sevastopol, the heavily fortified base of the Russian fleet. MLV Ffrench Blake states that the main cause of the war was "Russia's desire for territorial expansion, particularly towards a port in the Mediterranean." (Blake 1). He also believes that the inevitable drift into the war was aggravated by the back and forth nature of the rulers of the opposing countries and bad diplomacy. The immediate excuses of the war were for protection of oppressed minorities and retaliation against the death of nationalists in religious riots. Philip Warner believes that the main cause of the war was that Britain and Russia were both large countries and only one of them would be able to prevail. At the time, Britain was a country that stretched all the way to India and they couldn't afford to have line of communication through the Middle East cut. Russia spanned an entire eight million square miles. "However, the looseness and backwardness of their territories did not stop the Russians from wishing to extend their influence." (Warner 5). Albert Seaton believes that the Tsar Nicholas did not want war, but it was part of his political strategy to bring Europe to the brink of hostilities in order to intimidate those who opposed him. "He would undoubtedly have taken even greater risks if only France and Turkey had been involved, but he was worried by the close interest taken by the British in the Middle East, for the islanders were already openly assessing the armed strengths there and did not conceal their low opinion of the value of the Black Sea Fleet." (Seaton 42). Philip Warner believes that the battle of the Alma occurred because Sebastopol, Russia's heavily fortified base, had no proper defences and it was decided that the part of the Russian army would be sent to completely stop or at least slow down the Allied Army at Alma. The Russians and the Allies both set up very planned out and strategic formations, but they just ended up attacking each other head on. For some reason, Menschikov, the commander of the Russian army, didn't bring in his reserves.

History of Babylonia Essay

Babylon is Akkadian â€Å"babilani† which means â€Å"the Gate of God(s)† and it became the capital of the land of Babylonia. The etymology of the name Babel in the Bible means â€Å"confused† (Gen 11:9) and throughout the Bible, Babylon was a symbol of the confusion caused by godlessness. The name Babylon is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Babel. The Early Growth of Babylon There is evidence that man has lived in this area of Mesopotamia since the beginning of civilization. The first records indicate that Babylon was established as a city around the 23rd century BC. Before this it was a provincial capital ruled by the kings of the city of Ur. Then came the migration of the Amorites. Quick Overview of Babylonian History Babylonia (pronounced babilahnia) was an ancient empire that existed in the Near East in southern Mesopotamia between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers. Throughout much of their history their main rival for supremacy were their neighbors, the Assyrians. It was the Babylonians, under King Nebuchadnezzar II, who destroyed Jerusalem, the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, and carried God’s covenant people into captivity in 587 BC. The Bible reveals much about the Babylonians all the way back from the time of Hammurapi (2000 BC) to the fall of Babylon (about 500 BC). Throughout the Old Testament there are references to the Babylonians, their people, culture, religion, military power, etc. Babylonia was a long, narrow country about 40 miles wide at its widest point and having an area of about 8,000 square miles. It was bordered on the north by Assyria, on the east by Elam, on the south and west by the Arabian desert, and on the southeast by the Persian Gulf. The earliest known inhabitants of Mesopotamia were the Sumerians, whom the Bible refers to as the people of the â€Å"land of Shinar† (Gen 10:10). Sargon, from one of the Sumerian cities, united the people of Babylonia under his rule about 2300 B.C. Many scholars believe that Sargon might have been the  same person as Nimrod (Gen 10:8). Artists Depiction of the Ziggurat at Ur Around 2000 BC Hammurapi emerged as the ruler of Babylonia. He expanded the borders of the Empire and organized its laws into a written system, also known as the Code of Hammurapi. About this time Abraham left Ur, an ancient city located in lower Babylon, and moved to Haran, a city in the north. Later, Abraham left Haran and migrated into the land of Canaan under God’s promise that he would become the father of a great nation (Gen 12). Alongside of Babylonia there must also be a mention of Assyria, which bordered Babylonia on the north. Assyria’s development was often intertwined with the course of Babylonian history. About 1270 BC, the Assyrians overpowered Babylonia. For the next 700 years, Babylonia was a lesser power as the Assyrians dominated the ancient world. Around 626 BC, Babylonian independence was finally won from Assyria by a leader named Nabopolassar. Under his leadership, Babylonia again became the dominant imperial power in the Near East and thus entered into her â€Å"golden age.† In 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar II, the son of Nabopolassar, became ruler and reigned for 44 years. Under him the Babylonian Empire reached its greatest strength. Using the treasures which he took from other nations, Nebuchadnezzar built Babylon, the capital city of Babylonia, into one of the leading cities of the world. The famous hanging gardens of Babylon were known to the Greeks as one of the seven wonders of the world. As previously mentioned, in 587 BC, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and carried the leading citizens of the Kingdom of Judah as prisoners to Babylon. The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah had foretold that the Jews would be free to return home to Jerusalem after 70 years. The Lord had encouraged His people through Ezekiel and Daniel who were also captives in Babylon. During this 70 year period of captivity, the Persians conquered Babylonia, and the Babylonians passed from the scene as a world power. Throughout the long period of Babylonia history, the Babylonians achieved a  high level of civilization that made an impact on the whole known world. Sumerian culture was its basis, which later Babylonians regarded as traditional. In the area of religion, the Sumerians already had a system of gods, each with a main temple in each city. The chief gods were Anu, god of heaven; Enlil, god of the air; and Enki or Ea, god of the sea. Others were Shamash, the sungod; Sin, the moon-god; Ishtar, goddess of love and war; and Adad, the storm-god. The Amorites promoted the god Marduk at the city of Babylon, so that he became the chief god of the Babylonian religion, starting around 1100 BC. Babylonian religion was temple-centered, with elaborate festivals and many different types of priests, especially the exorcist and the diviner, who mainly were trained to drive away evil spirits. Babylonian literature was mainly dominated by mythology and legends. Among these was a creation myth written to glorify their god Marduk. According to this myth, Marduk created heaven and earth from the corpse of the goddess Tiamat. Another work was the Gilgamesh Epic, a flood story written about 2000 BC. Scientific literature of the Babylonians included treatises on astronomy, mathematics, medicine, chemistry, botany, and nature. One of the main aspects of Babylonian culture was a codified system of law. Hammurapi’s famous code was the successor of earlier collections of laws going back to about 2050 BC. The Babylonians used art for the national celebration of great events and glorification of the gods. It was marked by stylized and symbolic representations, but it expressed realism and spontaneity in the depiction of animals. The Old Testament contains many references to Babylonia. Gen 10:10 mentions four Babylonian cities, Babel (Babylon), Erech (Uruk), Accad (Agade) and Calneh. These, along with Assyria, were ruled by Nimrod. Ancient Babylonia – Monarchy The Babylonian political structure was a monarchy. The king ruled through a number of officials who were directly under and responsible to him but he could intervene personally at any level of government and administration. Thus Hammurapi (1792-1750 BC) took a direct hand in dealing with property claims in Larsa after he had captured that city-state. The monarchy  was hereditary and maleprimogeniture seems to have been the guiding principle. Babylonian historians designated a continuous line of kings a â€Å"dynasty†. The king was an absolute monarch and in the very early period there were a few checks to his authority in that he had to respect custom and tradition, private property, the sensibilities of the nobles, religion and divination. The king was the ultimate authority in all areas except religion where he was subject to the dictates of the chief god as represented by his chief priest. Thus in the New Year’s festival the king’s role included being slapped in the face by the chief priest and pulled by the ears as a sign of his subservience to the god. Ancient Babylonia – Communication, Roads and Scribes Efficient administration of the country depended upon good communications through a system of roads and relay stations for messengers. Written communications passed back and forth in great number and required a large body of trained scribes. Most people, including the king and his officials, were illiterate so that they were heavily dependent upon the scribes both to write and interpret their commands and reports in an appropriate manner. Many of these letters have been discovered in modern times and they provide a fascinating glimpse of the real events and human relationships of the day, in contrast to the official versions found in royal inscriptions. Ancient Babylonia – Nebuchadnezzar II Nebuchadnezzar II marched back to Babylon and was crowned king, which inaugurated one of the most powerful periods in Babylonian history. Nebuchadnezzar continued his brilliant campaigns focusing his military maneuvers on the west, which he effectively brought under his control. It was the kingdom of Judah who had called upon Egypt to assist them against the Babylonians. King Nebuchadnezzar continued his attacks and on his second conquest the conquered Jerusalem in 586 BC taking the survivors as prisoners back to Babylon. This was known in Jewish history has â€Å"the Babylonian captivity†and â€Å"the exile†. After he destroyed Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar focused his attacks upon Egypt and he conquered it in 568 BC though there  has been no detailed account of this invasion ever discovered, it remains a tremendous success for the king of Babylon and the first time any Chaldean king had ever conquered Egypt. After Nebuchadnezzar’s death his successors remained obscure untilNabonidus (555-539 BC), the last of the dynasty, ascended the throne. According to history Nabonidus, for some reason, lived throughout 10 of the 17 years that he ruled, at an Arab desert oasis called Tema, which was a vast distance from Babylon. In Babylon he left his son Belshazzar, to rule on his behalf. Nabonidus and his mother were from Harran and claimed to have been a loyal subject to the last of the Assyrian kings. Both he and his mother were zealous worshipers of the moon-god Sin, the tutelary deity of Harran, but when Nabonidus tried to promote this cult in Babylonia, the native priests, especially those who followed Marduk, became enraged. This religious controversy split Babylonia in two. Some of this literary propaganda of the time has been recovered. Babylonian culture flourished during the pax Assyriaca of the 7th century BC and again under the Chaldean dynasty of the sixth century BC. Their god Nabu, son of Marduk and god of writing and learning became very popular throughout that period. The practice of astrology permeated the Babylonian society to the point that there were nightly watches by the astrologers throughout the kingdom. Archeologists have recently recovered massive detailed records of the movements of heavenly bodies. Literature was copied and studied and many new compositions were created. In art and architecture the most impressive remains that have been unearthed by archeologists are in Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. The city apparently had not changed much when the Greek historianHerodotus wrote about it less than a century later and called its Hanging Gardens one of the 7 wonders of the world. In 539 BC Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon. Ancient Babylonia – Houses and Farms Around the temple were clusters of houses made of sun-dried brickand inhabited by farmers and artisans. The populations of the Babylonian cities cannot be estimated with any reasonable degree of accuracy, because the  authorities, so far as extant documents reveal, took no census. The number of inhabitants of a city probably ranged from 10,000 to 50,000. The city streets were narrow, winding, and quite irregular, with high, windowless walls of houses on both sides. The streets were unpaved and undrained. The average house was a small, one-story, mud-brick structure, consisting of several rooms grouped around a court. The house of a well-to-do Babylonian, on the other hand, was probably a two-story brick dwelling of about a dozen rooms and was plastered and whitewashed both inside and out. The ground floor consisted of a reception room, kitchen, lavatory, servants’ quarters, and, sometimes, even a private chapel. Furnitureconsisted of low tables, high-backed chairs, and beds with wooden frames. Household vessels were made of clay, stone, copper, and bronze, and baskets and chests of reed and wood. Floors and walls were adorned with reed mats, skin rugs, and woolen hangings. Below the house was often located a mausoleum in which the family dead were buried. The Babylonians believed that the souls of the dead traveled to the nether world, and that, at least to some extent, life continued there as on earth. For this reason, pots, tools, weapons, and jewels were buried with the dead. Agriculture formed the economic base of Babylonian civilization with production of barley, wheat, fruits, vegetables, with cattle and sheep predominating. The main crop in the time of the ancient Babylonians was barley. The farmer would sow his seed with a tool known as a â€Å"seeder plough† The plough would create a furrow into which a seed would be dropped using a funnel. A man would have to walk beside the seeder plough and drop the seeds in at regular intervals. This would mean that all the seeds would be at exactly the correct depth. It would have taken considerable skill to achieve tasks such as irrigationand the winnowing. If the farmer got the irrigation wrong he could flood the field or let it get too dry to allow the plants to grow. Similarly if the farmer did the winnowing in too strong a wind the grain would also blow away but if he did in too weak a wind there would be chaff and dirt still mixed in. The farmer would have probably followed his father in his trade and would have been taught by him. The farmer would almost certainly have been â€Å"apprenticed† by his father. Ancient Babylonia – Social Hierarchy There were several levels in the social hierarchy with the king at the top and the slaves at the bottom. In between, in descending order, were the nobles, the free citizens and those in military and civil service. The class structure was generally rigid although some mobility from one level to another was possible. The debt slave had the possibility of paying his debts and regaining his freedom but the only hope for the foreign captive was escape or death. Thus in Babylonian society there were mainly three classes in society, theawilu, a free person of the upper class; the wardu, or slave; and themushkenu, a free person of low estate, who ranked legally between the awilu and the wardu. Most slaves were prisoners of war, but some were recruited from the Babylonian citizenry as well. For example, free persons might be reduced to slavery as punishment for certain offenses; parents could sell their children as slaves in time of need; or a man might even turn over his entire family to creditors in payment of a debt, but for no longer than three years. Ancient Babylonia – Schools For the most part the only education that a young Babylonian might have received would have been of a scribal type. Those who were sent to school to train as a scribe had to be children of wealthy or influential parents. Boys were admitted and possibly girls as well. There is no doubt that rich women often had a lot of freedom and influence. By the time of Hammurapi (1792-60) the language of Sumerian had been replaced by Akkadian as the commonly spoken language in Babylonia but Sumerian was  still used for nearly all religious texts. It was therefore necessary to train students, not only in the script, cuneiform, but in the language as well. The students’ education would begin when he was eight or nine years old. Each day he would get up at sunrise and go to school, which was commonly known as the tablet house. At the tablet house there would be a man like a schoolmaster. His title literally meant â€Å"the Expert.† There would be a number of other teachers who would each specialize in a different aspects of Sumerian and its writing. To keep order some of the senior students would be appointed as a helper. A student’s work would consist of copying tablets using a slab of wet clay. Also he would learn various texts by heart. If he successfully passed an examination the student became a scribe. Ancient Babylonia – Astronomy and the Calendar The observations of the astrologers, which were meticulously recorded on a nightly basis over many centuries, led to accurate predictions of various astronomical phenomena and the correct calculation of the solar and lunar year. The Babylonian calendar was based upon the lunar year but, thanks to the astrologer’s knowledge, could be reconciled with the solar year by means of intercalary months. We owe much of our calendar system to the Babylonians. They were probably the first people after the Sumerians to have a calendar. This calendar was very important because without it agriculture could not be planned properly. There were twelve lunar months in the year but as the months were shorter than our months often an extra month would have to be added. This was called the second Elul. Each week was divided into seven days. The day was divided into six parts each of two hours duration and containing thirty parts. The Babylonians measured time with a water or sun clock. One can see from this that the Babylonian calendar has markedsimilarities with our own: for instance the twelve months in the year and seven days in a week. Ancient Babylonia – Medicine Medicine was practiced by two kinds of experts: the physician(asu), and the exorcist (dsipu), and the talents of either or both might be demanded at the sick bed. There was a whole set of diagnostic texts in which a multitude of possible symptoms was listed and the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment given. Surgery was known and even delicate operations on the eye were performed. The Babylonians had a superb knowledge of human and animal anatomy and physiology and were aware, for example, of the circulation of the blood and the pulse. Ancient Babylonia – Cuneiform The script of the Sumerians and all the other inhabitants of Mesopotamia employed to write their language, up to the first century BC was cuneiform. The name cuneiform comes from theLatin word â€Å"cuneus†, meaning wedge. According to Babylonian beliefs Nabu, the god of scribal arts, who was also the city god of Borsippa, gave cuneiform to them. When the Akkadians, Semite invaders from the desert, adopted the Sumerian civilization and part of the Sumerian Territory they also adopted cuneiform. They adapted the script to fit their own. The next wave of Semite invaders, the Amorites, did likewise, but they continued to speak the Akkadian tongue. Thus we find Hammurapi (1792-1760 BC) who was an Amorite, speaking Akkadian and writing cuneiform. Since the time of Hammurapi, successive Mesopotamian empires controlled huge empires in the Near East. Because of this cuneiform, Akkadian became the lingua franca of the Near East, as Latin was of Medieval Europe. This of course ended when Mesopotamian civilization declined so that cuneiform was no longer being used by about the first century BC. When the Sumerians first brought cuneiform into being it was nothing like the script that it was to become. It was an ideogramatical script (a symbol represented by a word). For example a picture of sheep would mean sheep. When the Sumerians came into contact with the Akkadians they needed to adapt their script to fit. This was necessary even to write Akkadian names. Obviously it was far more important for the Akkadians because they needed to write their language in it. Cuneiform then underwent a transformation. It became a syllogramatical script where each symbol represented a sound.  Therefore the symbol for a word such as ‘dig’, if we took an English equivalent would be correctly used in the second syllable of ‘indignant’. This transformation enabled cuneiform to be used with other languages. As cuneiform changed from an ideogramatical to a syllogramatical scriptits symbols were simplified. The original pictograms were complicated and hard to write on clay tablets. The symbols developed, losing many of their lines and the remaining lines were wedge shaped and straight. Cuneiform was originally written with a reed or stick stylus but this was quickly developed into a precision tool. We have derived virtually all our knowledge of the Babylonians from texts written in cuneiform on clay tablets. From these tablets we have been able to learn their law, business, administration, religion and all other aspects of Babylonian civilization. Without these texts we would know little about the Babylonians. http://www.bible-history.com/babylonia/BabyloniaBabylonia00000023.htm HISTORY OF THE HITTITES The first Indo-European empire: 17th century BC A group of tribes, speaking Indo-European languages and collectively known as the Hittites, establish themselves as the dominant power in Anatolia. Their capital is at Bogazkoy, a dramatically fortified city on a steep slope among ravines; its walls and towers enclose no fewer than five great temples. The priest-king who makes this place his capital in the 17th century BC is Hattusilis I. He has ambitions for his people. Moving south and east with his army, he reaches the Mediterranean and continues into northern Syria. Eager to give his empire full credentials, Hattusilis brings back from Syria a team of scribes, expert in cuneiform. They adapt the cuneiform script to a new purpose, the recording of an Indo-European language, and they lay the foundation for an important state archive at Bogazkoy. When the clay tablets of this archive are discovered, in the 20th century, they provide the basis for our knowledge of the Hittites. The magic of iron: from 1500 BC The Hittites are the first people to work iron, in Anatolia from about 1500 BC. In its simple form iron is less hard than bronze, and therefore of less use as a weapon, but it seems to have had an immediate appeal – perhaps as the latest achievement of technology (with the mysterious quality of being changeable, through heating and hammering), or from a certain intrinsic magic (it is the metal in meteorites, which fall from the sky). Quite how much value is attached to iron can be judged from a famous letter of about 1250 BC, written by a Hittite king to accompany an iron dagger-blade which he is sending to a fellow monarch The furthest extent of the empire: 16th – 12th century BC In about 1600 the Hittites reach and destroy Babylon, before retreating again to their Anatolian heartland. In the 14th century they march again to establish an empire which reaches into northern Syria, east of the Euphrates, and extends down the Mediterranean coast to confront the Egyptians. A hard-fought but inconclusive engagement at Kadesh in 1275 stablizes the frontier between the two power blocs. It is followed some years later by a treaty and the marriage of the daughter of the Hittite king (Hattusilis III) to the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II.   In the 12th century the Hittite empire suddenly collapses – overwhelmed, it is thought, by the onrush of the Sea Peoples. These terrifying intruders are described in Egyptian chronicles as raging down the coast to threaten the frontiers of Egypt in about 1218 and again in 1182 BC http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?historyid=ab66#ixzz2HIAKxOZL The Hittites were an Ancient Anatolian people who spoke a language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family and established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in on the central Anatolian plateau in the 18th century BC. The HittiteEmpire reached its height around 1285 BC,  encompassing a large part of Anatolia, north-westernSyria about as far south as the mouth of the Litani River, and eastward into upper Mesopotamia. After ca. 1180 BC, the empire d isintegrated into several independent â€Å"Neo-Hittite† city-states, some surviving until as late as the 8th century BC. The term â€Å"Hittites† was taken from the King James translation of the Hebrew Bible, translating ×â€"× ªÃ—â„¢ HTY, or ב×  Ã—â„¢-×â€"× ª BNY-HT â€Å"Children of Heth† (Heth is a son of Canaan). The archaeologists who discovered the Anatolian Hittites in the 19th century initially identified them with these Biblical Hittites. Today the identification of the Biblical peoples with either the Hattusa-based empire or the Neo-Hittite kingdoms is a matter of dispute. The Hittite kingdom was commonly called the Land of Hatti by the Hittites themselves. The fullest expression is â€Å"The Land of the City of Hattusa.† This description could be applied to either the entire empire, or more narrowly just to the core territory, depending on context. The word â€Å"Hatti† is actually an Akkadogram, rather than Hittite; it is never declined according to Hittite grammatical rules. Despite the use of â€Å"Hatti†, the Hittites should be distinguished from the Hattians, an earlier people who inhabited the same region until the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, and spoke a non-Indo-European language called Hattic. The Hittites themselves referred to their language as Nesili (or in one case, Kanesili), an adverbial form meaning â€Å"in the manner of (Ka)nesa†, presumably reflecting a high concentration of Hittite speakers in the ancient city of Kanesh (modern Kà ¼ltepe, Turkey). Many modern city names in Turkey are first recorded under their Hittite names, such as Sinop and Adana, reflecting the contiguity of modernAnatolia with its ancient past. Although belonging to the Bronze Age, the Hittites were forerunners of the Iron Age, developing the manufacture of Iron artifacts from as early as the 14th century BC, when letters to foreign rulers reveal the demand for their iron goods. Recent excavations, however, have discovered evidence of iron tool production dating back at least as far as the 20th century BC. Hittite weapons were made from Bronzethough; iron was so rare and precious