The door to December Review Essay Example

The door to December Review Paper Essay on The door to December Dean Koontz fascinated me from the first page. There was a time when I could not tear myself away from the books. They forced me to grow cold with horror, not allowed to sleep at night because I often could not go into the arms of Morpheus, not having read another horror story of this American. And the beginning of our relationship with the book doors in December ». familiarity with the works of Dean Koontz, and specifically with this work I owe my classmate, however, she did not even suspect. Once at a seminar on editing fiction prepodsha asked what book now reads every one of us. It was then that I first heard the unfamiliar name Dean Koontz On the same evening, immediately after school went to the bookstore.. Glozhit curiosity: How could I, a bookworm with the experience and the first time I heard about this author ?! Complete chaos! . On a shelf, as if by order of creation stood Dean Koontz doors in December. I grabbed the book and rushed to cash in anticipation of the pleasure of reading. And I was not disappointed! However, it was quite a long time and now it is difficult to remember what kind of emotions overwhelmed me when I closed the last page. But one thing I will never forget as I was sorry for the poor little Melanie, over which so humiliated The book is just wonderful. Impossible to put down! We will write a custom essay sample on The door to December Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The door to December Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The door to December Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer After that, Dean Koontz for a long time has become one of my favorite authors. I like crazy, I started buying his books, which were many. Since then, several years have passed. My attitude to the work of this author is not changed. I continue to read his book, which I very, very much. Although not consecutive, and alternating with other favorite writers, which in my list a lot.

Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating Free Online Research Papers Eating the right things and knowing what to choose can be difficult if you do not know what you are looking for. To eat healthy one has to choose the right fruits and vegetables which can be tricky. Healthy eating can be pricey. If you have ever been to the store and seen the prices there one would know. Healthy eating is hard for most people and can be expensive. It’s not your imagination eating right is costly. In fact you pay more than $30 more per day on food if you make healthy choices. Researchers at the University of Washington recently put together a study to consider food prices based on dollars per calories to help consumers understand the prices between healthy and not-so-healthy foods. Generally speaking, the foods highs in nutrients are low in calorie count while junk food tends to be calorie dense. The bottom line in this study was that high calorie foods jingle in at a cost of $3.52 per person per day compared to $36.32 for low calorie selections. Most consumers do a bit of balancing and plunk down $7 per day for food for each person(allison2008). With today’s society and the way people are losing jobs most can’t afford to eat none the less try to eat healthy. Many try to cut back by looking for the cheaper food which doesn’t mean the best food for you. People cut coupons, look through ads they receive in the mail also know as junk mail. Anything they can do to try and eat healthy; People just really need to think about what they are going to eat and how much to eat. We have all heard of portion control. Just try to cut down your portions into smaller ones than you are use to. As Americans we love to eat out at fast food places. The trick to eating at these places are order a salad with dressing on the side or maybe a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a breaded one. And the one thing we all love the most is soda try substituting water instead. These are just some ideas and they are really common sense. Here are some things that you should eat and what you should avoid. You should eat fruit that is fresh, dried without sulfur, preservatives, additives and sweeteners. Fruits that should be eaten are frozen without preservatives and additives. What you should avoid in fruit canned with heavy syrup or light syrup. Vegetables that should be eaten are fresh, raw, lightly steamed and baked. Vegetables to avoid are canned and overcooked. Grains that are good for you are whole grains that are unprocessed sugar free. Some grains to avoid are all products with white flour, white rice and instant oatmeal’s. Some legumes to may eat are dry beans and peas. Some legumes to avoid are canned and prepared with animal fat and pork and beans (Healthy eating Advisor, 2002-2009). The list can go on and on but these are just some examples so that one might understand. All this healthy eating should be considered in children especially. Many children are obese today because their parents choose not to feed them healthy foods. The guidelines to feeding children healthy food are about the same as an adult but have different portion sizes and may need more in certain areas than an adult. Parents need to realize that children can and should not live off of junk food just because they are lazy. Parents should offer their children a wide variety of foods like fruits and vegetables and dairy products. Like and adult just watch the amount you give them. The people particular that should be highlighted is the children and any person in poor health. Today people are getting healthy. If people where not getting healthy today they would be in poor health. Health eating present situation is better than many year ago but there are still many out there in poor health. The current range of public opinion on healthy eating is not known at this time. Any persons view could effectively represent one extreme. Anyone could represent an opposite view of the subject. Anyone in the public experience can serve to represent the majority of those directly involved in healthy eating. The public’s perception of the healthy eating differ from the experience of those directly involved with it because they think it is just easy to eat healthy but they don’t understand how hard it is to do. The future of healthy eating might hold that many people will be healthy and in good health if they continue to eat healthy. People might stay healthy if they continue to eat healthy because that is what happens. If a person does not eat healthy they can have a relapse and gain the weight they loss back or go back to poor health. The headline that might appear in a newspaper that would not be surprising to read or hear in the future is that many Americans are still obese. For the time being, the aspect of healthy eaten that reporters should be looking at is that many Americans are changing their lives and becoming healthy. Reader should be following the way that Americans are becoming healthy. The major conclusion about healthy eating that should be reported to my readers is that if they don’t take care of themselves and their children they will be in poor health and possibly overweight? Also children that are overweight have low self-esteem and get teased much. Why put a chil d in a place like that when it can be avoided. References Healthy Eating Advisor, (2002-2009). Retrieved Aug.16, 2009, From Healthy foods Do you know which foods are Healthy which are not.www.healthyeatingadvisor.com Allison,C.(2008, April 1). Eating Healthy is Expensive. Retrieved Aug. 16, 2009. From suite101.com. Website www.Suite101.com ? Research Papers on Healthy EatingGenetic EngineeringThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductDefinition of Export QuotasLifes What IfsPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyResearch Process Part OneThe Hockey GameAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The food crisis of 2008 had been threatening for a few years, mostly Essay

The food crisis of 2008 had been threatening for a few years, mostly affecting the poor. A variety of causes but mostly mad-made - Essay Example 5-19, 2008). This crisis was one of the threatening incidents that not only affected a big faction of the human race who died of hunger and malnourishment but also grabbed the attention of the developed nations to the fact that with their increase in wealth, they are not performing adequately to surmount the world’s dilemmas and concerns. It has been an observation that the prosperous, successful, and developed countries have the least priority to nourish the starving population, though they have sufficient amount of food that they can provide to the entire inhabitants of the globe. One cannot ignore the reality that governments and United Nations need to put a lot of endeavor in such crises to embark on the problem of hunger. As there is a connection between different problems, resolving of one will lead to solve others as well. The food crises resulted in the sky-high prices of food. As an outcome of it, the fuel prices augmented due to the growing demand from the emergent n ations. With the increase in cost of commodities like food, fuel etc, and the unchanging income pattern of the individuals, it became difficult for them to pay for the basic and fundamental needs like food. The people that fall in the category of most effected sufferers are the poor natives like farmers and laborers and other low-income people (Shiva & Sagbo, pp. 5-19, 2008). It is a foremost right of all the natives of a country that government provides them with food security. This phenomenon refers to a condition where sufficient food is available for all the citizens, whether they are poor or rich. According to the research, it came under indication that due to the financial crisis and change in climate/weather the world has experienced, the supply of food to the natives has seen a drastic turn down subjecting food security to jeopardy. The result of the crisis may have a grave effect on the political steadiness and may result in wars to obtain food for one self. According to th e reports of United Nations World Food Program, "For the world's most vulnerable, the perfect storm [caused by climate, poverty, environmental degradation and political instability] is hitting with a vengeance† (Cribb, pp.1-14, 2010). This statement reflects the idea about the crisis that the world is undergoing unprecedented food shortage leaving an indelible imprint on the lives of many. Due to its effects, nobody is in a condition to provide an aid to each other. The short-term factors that caused the food crises in the years 2008 and 2011 were innumerable. However, only few came under investigations, which are as follows: some countries, known for only wheat agriculture, which is one of the staple foods for the majority of the population, observed famine in past years resulting in disappearance of wheat crops (Karrer, pp. 45-69, 2008). Another reason for the crisis was the increase in the consumption of meat in developing countries resulting in shortage of meat products. F urthermore, according to studies, the fact has revealed that the proportion of the population who are obese is increasing resulting in over consumption of food worldwide. Due to the increase in oil prices, the transportation cost for carrying foods from farm to market has also risen, adding to the food prices (Karrer, pp. 45-69, 2008). Where global recession has terribly crushed the powerful economies,

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) - CAM Therapies Assignment

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) - CAM Therapies - Assignment Example are applied in place of the conventional medicine and the intention behind their use is a treatment or curing of a health related condition which would still be achieved using the mainstream medicine. The difference between complementary treatment and alternative treatment is that in complementary treatment, medicine may be used while in alternative treatment, mainstream medicine is not used. Conventional and alternative treatment methods are many and are usually even administered by highly trained persons. These methods include: acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, aromatherapy, massage therapy, meditation, and yoga. Conventional medical practices or allopathic medicine is a term which is usually used by supporters of alternative treatment methods to denote mainstream use of manufactured agents or interventions to cure or to overwhelm symptoms or pathophysiological developments or even disorders. This treatment approach is a wide subdivision in the medical practice field which is used to refer to western medicine and medical practices. This method is also referred to as biomedicine or evidence based medicine or sometimes, modern medicine. These modern medical treatment practices have various importances: they are best when it comes to the treatment of traumatic conditions such as accident cases which would otherwise be hectic to treat using the alternative methods of treatment. These methods are also very flexible, they are flexible in that they can be administered online, where patients say their symptoms and then trained personnel can recommend the drugs to be taken. This is not available to most alternative treatment methods which majorly need strict observance by a trained instructor. However, this practice also has their drawbacks in that they are costly to access and requires training of the doctors. As pointed out earlier, acupuncture is one of the convectional and alternative methods of treatment. This

Refugee protection in International Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Refugee protection in International Law - Essay Example The essays together give a broad overview of the dimensions of refugee protection, especially setting out to what extent and how refugee protection is at present grounded in international law. It also points out the paradox that despite an emerging ‘theory of race’ that stipulates that race is not biological, in order to achieve protection, membership of a certain group, and thus race, has once again to be established – often based on biological criteria.The publication will be particularly helpful because of the breadth of its cover and also due to the legal aspects that are covered. When looking at the question of refugees, it is often unclear what means are legally open to people who are fleeing their country and how effective these avenues may be. There is often evidence that refugee-seekers are not following established pathways, with blame often attached to these people as ‘not genuine’ or as ‘queue-jumpers’.... The Editor in Chief is Professor Edward Craig and the source has become an essential research tool for university faculties and students alike. The definition sought from this source was that of ‘theory of race’, for which an entry by Michael Banton was available. In his article, he argues that race is not pure , as stipulated by Cuvier, nor does it develop over time, as Darwin suggested. Both these views mark racial discrimination as an integral part of race. Banton argues instead that racial discrimination is ‘learned’ and that race does not constitute ‘genetic or social’ difference and that there is no biological evidence that such a distinction exists in nature. For his summation, he draws on the findings of scientists as well as social scientists, including Freud, Linden, Martin and Jupp). At the outset of research into ‘races’ it is vital to understand what is meant by this term, as the word ‘race’ has been and st ill is used in a multitude of ways and understanding (including my own) has been quite ambiguous. It is startling to find to what extent we are taking for grated that ‘race’ is a fact and to what degree the ‘certainty’ of belonging to a race pervades communication. Refocusing this issue is therefore of paramount importance before writing about it. From this new perspective, it is possible to approach the task of ‘races and refugees’ with a deeper understanding of the problems of identification that exist in the home countries of those who flee. Suhrke, Astri. â€Å"Human security and the protection of refugees†, in Edward Newman and Joanne van Selm (eds.), Refugees and Forced Displacement: International

Globalization Is Not New A Phenomenon Economics Essay

Globalization Is Not New A Phenomenon Economics Essay Globalization is not new a phenomenon, for thousands of years people acting on their own and later corporations used to buy and sell products and services (trade) to each other on lands, shores and seas at great distances, great example is the famous Silk Road across Central Asia that connected China and Europe during the Middle Ages. Under the term of Globalization political scientists promote the process of interaction and integration amongst the people, companies and governments of different nations, a process which is driven by international trade and investment and aided through media and modern technologies. This process influences directly or indirectly the environment, culture, political system, economic development and prosperity of every human nation and every single person in the world. There are different types of Globalization or combination of these types. To understand better the purposes and procedures that took place in each circumstance, we have to analyze each type separately. Financial Globalization/Integration Financial Globalization is the process through which financial markets in an economy become more closely integrated (related) with those in other economies or those in the rest of the world through the financial flows. Types of integration Integration of the public sector based on borrowing. There are two types: the issuance of foreign currency debt, and the issuance of the local currency debt Integration based on foreign direct investment, which is direct investment into the production or business in one country by a company from another country Integration of the corporate sector where the investors buy or sell the stocks and bonds of other countries firm in domestic asset market The integration of the Banking sector through the interbank market, banks can borrow or lend temporarily Economic Globalization International economy improved due to the effect of globalization. Many countries remove their borders or create trade agreements in order to increase the inflow of trade as the consequence markets become more efficient, productive, competitive and cooperative. Examples of economic globalization are: NAFTA, EU and MNCs. Technological Globalization New and advanced technologies take part in making globalization possible, using airplanes, satellites, telephones, televisions and computers it is possible to transfer information from one place to another, with greater efficiency and effectiveness which characterizes the modern world. In this way not only technologies are being transferred, but at the same time people are able obtain information, knowledge and skills. Political Globalization Economical and cultural globalization has as a consequence countries to become more interconnected politically. Regular movement of people, money and information creates a lot of fortunes but also misfortunes, such as crime, for that reason in 2002 the International Criminal Court was established to fight those sorts of problems. Other political issues that have been discussed on global bases are that of global climate change, the terrorism, drug traffic etc. Cultural Globalization Today the ease of expansion of traditional customs has brought Globalization of cultures, where people from different parts of the world can get closer to each other much easier. The symbol of the cultural globalization is the well known American fast food chain McDonalds, it has more than 31,000 restaurants in 118 countries. Some menu products, such as the Big Mac, are the same all over the world. Other menu products may be specific to a particular region. McDonalds in Japan features a green-tea flavored milkshake. At McDonalds in Uruguay, a McHuevo is a burger topped with a fried egg. Globalization has brought McDonalds billions of customers-consumers worldwide. Other cultural trends that someone can find common in many countries are the music, clothes, film industries etc. Ecological Globalization Ecological Globalization refers to the collective impact that the diverse processes of Globalization have on the health of the natural systems. Due to Globalization people, money, ideas and pollution travel at high speeds and rates in every corner of the world. To address these issues, from Stockholm Declaration 1972-till date, lots of discussions have taken place of the needs and strategies for the protection of ecology and environment on a Global level. The UN Conferences from Stockholm proclaimed certain fundamental principles of international environmental law, such as Polluter Pays Principle, Precautionary Principle, Sustainable Development, Intergenerational Equity and responsibility, Common but differentiated responsibilities, Rights of individuals, equality of access to procedures and non-discrimination in environmental matters etc. These principles have been proclaimed after extensive investigations done by experts in their fields. Sociological Globalization The term social globalization refers to the impact of the globalization on the life and work of people, their families and their societies. Important issues like employment, working conditions, income and social protection are often raised and connected with this part of globalization. PRO ET CONTRA So far, we examined the types of global integrated nations, it means that every union (included two or more nations) may follow some of these specific patterns separately, or may include all the assortment of Globalizations types, it all depends on the contracts between the members. From now on, we will examine the advantages and disadvantages that union members enjoy during the process of Globalization. 2.1 Advantages Free Trade: is a way of easier exchange of goods and services. The basis of the trade agreement is the elimination of import and export borders, through the reduction of any levies, duties, taxes, subsidies and quotas. The absence or reduction of some or all of those factors, usually leads to a significant increase of exchange of goods and services between the member states. Another important benefit of the trade agreement is the concept of comparative advantage. According to David Ricardo countries increase their economic well-being if and only if they are specialized in the production of goods at which they are best at and after on exchange the surplus of production with other goods of other countries. Greater Competition: due to the ease of free entrance in any member state, there is a tendency for private organizations from any field to enter free market, of course the purpose behind such action is only to gain more profit, but the whole problem is that to be competitive, companies have to reduce their prices to gain more and new customers since the more companies enjoy being in the market the more competitive and effective they have to be, firstly to be able to stay in the market and make sells and secondly to be able to make profit out of the whole process. Free movement of labor: free movement of labor force gives an external support to huge industrial entities to reach a higher level of efficiency (at lesser costs), it is not a secret that the biggest industrial companies in developed countries employ many foreign workers who are members of less developed states. In this case both parts are in gain the makers maybe because of deficit of domestic force or may be because of unwillingness of domestic labor to perform the specific tasks and jobs. On the other hand, labor force from less developed countries because of lower quality of life and maybe very high rate of unemployment are more willing to perform heavy or dirty jobs to cover their basic needs. Both of these phenomena show how important the free movement of labor can be. Increased Economies of Scale: as noted before, free trade leads to a comparative advantage (any country specialized at a particular subject at which it is most efficient). It can be also added that the specialization in one sector can lead to a better working mechanism (human/machinery) and achieve as better efficiency as possible. The result of specialization and better mechanization normally reaches larger productivity with lower costs (economy of scale) because of more effective use of resources. Investments: One other very important advantage of globalization is the investment. So when we talk about investment from the financial point of view, we mean the process of placing money into something with the expectation of gaining profit after specific or none specific period of time. Some examples of investment may be some sort of foreign equity, property and fixed interest securities. Corporations invest a lot of money into developing countries for personal reasons and very often transfer their production power to those countries. These kinds of actions give a huge incentive to both of the parties to achieve more profit (tax). 2.2 Disadvantages As we said before, free trade offers some very good advantages but at the same time there is one very important disadvantage of domestic inefficiency. To be clearer nowadays it is very difficult to create and sustain any new organization, even domestically. Huge international corporations simply do not give a chance to any new firm to operate in their fields, they usually produce products and services at much lower prices and bigger ranges than any new firm is able to. Great example of the kind organization is Microsoft, at the present Microsoft is one of the biggest corporations which specializes in anything that has to do with electronics, computers, hardware, software, electronic games and so on. Generally speaking, in some sectors Microsoft has nearly monopolized the world market and its very difficult for any new and small corporation to survive in this kind of competition. Environmental costs: there is another big disadvantage of globalization, the increased use of non renewable resources. Due to better and easier ways of communication between states, there is a tendency for more and cheaper resources. Every year millions of tons of raw material (rock-oil, gas, coal) is excavated from the depths of the ground and introduced for global consumption while nobody can predict what will be the real cost that people will have to pay in near future for such practices. Also one other problem of globalization is that corporations which transfer their operations to places where environmental standards are less strict. For example, this kind of problem is very common in China where foreign manufacturers that produce and utilize, occasionally follow practices that harm not only the environment but also the health of their employees. Labor Drain: may be the most important problem for the developing and developed countries. As we said before, one of the benefits of globalization is the movement of labor force. Although at first side it may not affect directly if labor leaves one country and migrates to one another, but if think of it thoroughly someone can see that along this labor force may also be potential or future potential intellects that may alter the world as we know today. As an example, we can mention the U.S.A who spends large amounts of money to attract and keep the most talented scientists from all over the world, its no coincidence that they are the biggest military power and invest a lot of money in new technologies. Less Cultural Diversity: one other problem of globalization is the global centralization of culture based on western ideology from the very young age. Unfortunately this is the reality, people from generation to generation are moving away from their traditional culture. People tend to emulate the behavior, the lifestyle, the way of life of the western civilization. They grow up watching the Simpsons, eating in McDonalds, drinking Coca-Cola, wearing jeans and speaking in English. After few decades, most European citizens will be people with common values, behavior, moral and ideologies. CONCLUSIONS From all of the above it can be concluded that globalization can offer many positive trends but at the same time many negatives, in a way it represents the old saying of one coin with two completely different sides. It may promote economies to grow, produce products and services that may have never been available in some parts of the world before, but at the same time it may endorse human exploitation, inequality and environmental unconsciousness.

Caught in the Yellow Wallpaper -- Yellow Wallpaper essays

Caught in the Yellow Wallpaper      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "The pattern is torturing. You think you have mastered it, but just as you get well underway in following, it turns a back-somersault and there you are. It slaps you in the face, knocks you down, and tramples upon you."    As her madness progresses the narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper becomes increasingly aware of a woman present in the pattern of the wallpaper. She sees this woman struggling against the paper's "bars". Later in her madness she imagines there to be many women lost in its "torturing" pattern, trying in vain to climb through it. The woman caught in the wallpaper seems to parallel the narrator's virtual imprisonment by her well-meaning husband. While the narrator's perception of the wallpaper reveals her increasing madness, it effectively symbolizes the struggle of women who attempt to break out of society's feminine standards.    The narrator writes furtively in her room, having to hide her writing from her family. They feel that her only road to recovery is through total R & R, that she should not have to lift a finger, let alone stimulate a single neuron in her female brain. While she appreciates their concern she feels stifled and bored. She feels that her condition is only being worsened by her lack of stimulus, but it is not simply boredom that bothers her. She is constantly feeling guilty and unappreciative for questioning her family's advice. This causes her to question her self-awareness and her own perception of reality. "I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus; but John says the very worst thing I can do is to think about my condition, and I confess it always makes me feel bad." She also faults... ... it. The pattern also represents the limits society places on women and the resistance of society to women, such as her, who are trying to break free.    Works Cited and Consulted Lipman-Blumen, Jean. Gender Roles and Power. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1984. Mitchell, Weir S. "Wear and Tear, or Hints for the Overworked." Charlotte Perkins Gilman: "The Yellow Wallpaper." Ed. Dale M. Bauer. Boston: Belford Books, 1998. 134-141. Papke, Mary E. Verging on the Abyss: The Social Fiction of Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton. New York: Greenwood P, 1995. Roland, Alan, and Barbara Harris. Career and Motherhood: Struggles for a New Identity. New York: Human Sciences P, 1979. Welter, Barbara. "The Cult of True Womanhood: 1820-1860." The American Family in Social Historical Perspective. Ed. Michael Gordon. New York: St. Martin's P, 1978. 373-392.

Christianity and Islam: Beyond the Looking Glass Essay

Christianity and Islam are two of the world’s major religions that are often perceived as largely distinct in doctrines and practices. These two, are being regarded to have contradictory principles. But is the disparity of their beliefs truly that big? To have a deeper understanding of both religions, it would be best to consider their followers in the picture. Sad to say, some people equate the Muslims with terrorists. I have personally talked to friends who are afraid to ride a plane with Muslim co-passengers in it. Are these purely misconceptions because we have already established certain schema against the Muslims? Or are there truths in it on which such beliefs originated? If we are to read Suras 2:190-193, 2:216, 4:76, 5:32-36, 7:96-99, 8:12-14, 8:59, 8:65, 9:5, 9:14, 9:23-29, 9:38-41, 9:123, 47:4, 47:35, 61:4 and 66:9, many passages in the Quran exhort Muslims to kill infidels (non-Muslims), wherever they find them (Faithfacts, 2004). Some Arabic terms are only even softened sometimes by English translators who use â€Å"fight† instead of â€Å"kill†. In fact, Osama bin Laden was quoted as saying â€Å"I was ordered to fight the people until they say there is no god but Allah, and his prophet is Muhammad† in the famous videotape discovered in Afghanistan in the late 2001 (cited in â€Å"Fundamentalism, 2004). These words echo the language in the Quran itself and such calls to violence are not merely distortions of the Quran by extreme radicals who try to twist it for their violent ends because violence is an integral part of Islam. Even Muhammad himself laid the foundation for violence as seen in his deeds and commands, which are traceable in the hadiths. Furthermore, 11 percent of the pages of the Bukhari Hadiths mention the Holy War (jihad), which is a means to use violence in order to spread faith. However, it must be realized as well that violence is not unique to Islam for even the Bible has its share of violence, particularly in the Old Testament. In fact God instructs the Israelites coming out of Egypt to take over the land Christianity and Islam 2 of Canaan and kill all the inhabitants. There is a difference though between this and the Quranic violence because the Bible makes it clear that the Canaanite society deserved it as it was completely polluted by their wretchedly evil practices, including the horrible practice of child sacrifice as found in Deuteronomy 9:1-6, 12:29-31, 18:9-14, 1 Kings 14:24, Chronicles 33: 1-9, Ezra 9:11 (Faithfacts, 2004). Cases like these are particularly limited for a particular purpose established by God unlike the Quran, where we encounter general commands to kill and destroy the enemies of Islam that are applicable for all times, places and groups. Even then the fact remains that none of these religions are spared from committing violence, which proves that their disparity is not that big at all (cited in â€Å"Fundamentalism†, 2004). Another thing to consider is the difference in the practices and teachings of the subject religions’ prophets – Jesus of Christianity and Muhammad of Islam. If the latter has led at least 27 bloody invasions, assassinated many of his opponents during his lifetime and executed hundreds of captured men in his battle against the Quraiza Jews, Jesus’ teachings have remained consistent in maintaining its tone of peace, service, love and humility as found in the biblical passages that could be cited in Mathew 5:1-12, 5:43-44, 9:36, 19:30, 26:50-52, Mark 9:35, Luke 6:27-36, 9:54-55, 10:30-37, 22: 49-51, 23:32-34, John 10:7-18, 13:1-17, Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 2:6-8, 1 Thessalonian 5:15, and 1 Peter 3:8-9 (The New Testament, 2008). There is nothing like the Christian concept of â€Å"love your enemies† or â€Å"turn your other cheek† (Luke 6:27-37) that can be found in Islam. While Christianity teaches its believers to love their neighbors as themselves (Matthew 19:19), the Quran instructs its followers not to even take Christians or Jews as friends (Suras 3:118, 5:51, 60:1-3). Jesus was even aware of this when he warned, â€Å"the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God† as cited in John 16:2-4 (The New Testament, 2008). Another notable point is the difference in both religions’ concept of charity. their followers to give alms to the poor but unlike the biblical concept where charity is not limited to any group (cited in â€Å"Luke† 10:30-37), the Muslims are taught to give alms to the Muslim poor only (cited in â€Å"Islam†, 2008). The two religions also have differences in their concept of justice and forgiveness. In the teachings of the New Testament as cited in Matthew 6:12, 14-15, the act of forgiveness is being given exceptional emphasis, â€Å"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you, but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses†. In the teachings of Islam as cited in Sura 5:38 â€Å"As for the man who steals and the woman who steals, cut of their hands as a punishment for what they have earned, an exemplary punishment from Allah; and Allah is Mighty, Wise†. Muslims do this even to their children if they steal out of hunger. They would not show compassion and feed the child but would instead sever their hands and wrists to drive home the lessons of Allah. Likewise, in the Old Testament as cited in Leviticus 19:11, â€Å"Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie to one another. If we analyze the above teachings, it is evident that both religions consider stealing as evil however, the Christians are more compassionate and subtle in dealing with it since the teachings of Jesus’ wants his followers to be forgiving. Another interesting difference is on how the two religions treat women and marriage. In Islam, a man can have up to four wives at the same time (Sura 4:3) and has the right to beat his disobedient wife until she obeys (Sura 4:34, Bukhari 8:68). Even Muhammad himself had thirteen wives, two concubines, and four women of uncertain relationships. (cited in â€Å"Fundamentalism†, 2004). In the teachings of Christianity, Jesus insisted on the sanctity of marriage (Mark 10:5-12), thus, in the Christian’s current practice, a couple has to undergo the process of divorce before they are allowed to remarry legally. Christianity also condones the abuse of women. The Christian teachings consider the fairness of men and women Christianity and Islam 4 (Matthew 5:32, 1 Corinthians 11:11-12, Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 5:25-33) unlike that of Islam, which does not give the wife the right to divorce her husband (Sura 2: 228). Islam even teaches that majority of the people in hell are women (Bukhari 1:28, 1:301, and 2:161). Christianity and Islam also differ in the way they consider the nature of God. While the former teaches that God is a Trinity – one God revealed in three persons or manifestations, Islam denies vehemently the doctrine and even considers it as blasphemy (Suras 4:171, 5:17, 5:72-75). However, it is interesting to note that Islam has a high regard of Jesus. What it denies is his divinity, and that he is the Son of God (Suras 9:30, 10:68, 19:35, 43:81-83). Another difference is that the God of the Bible is holy – perfect in all respects: moral, just, faithful, loving, all-knowing etc. (Hebrews 7:26), while the God of Quran does not always come as holy. He changes his mind, promises and does not offer assurance of salvation (Suras 4:116, 5:18, 9:15). In other words, he is arbitrary (cited in â€Å"Faitfacts†, 2004). Both religions also vary in their concept of salvation and heaven. Christianity teaches us that man cannot earn salvation. We need a savior to save us from sin thus, he sent Jesus, his only begotten son. As it says in the Bible â€Å"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. † (Isaiah 64: 5-7) â€Å"But God demonstrated his love for us in this: while we were still sinners,Christ died for us. † (Romans 5:8). This belief is totally denied by Islam, even Jesus’ crucifixion (Sura 4:157). On the concept of heaven, the Muslim considers the paradise as a carnal and sensual place, where gorgeous palaces are found and wine are abundant. Christians, on the other hand see it as a place of bliss, where pain, and tears will be gone and men, women, and children will be treated equally. In the previous discussions, we have already noted several differences on the two religions, which in some instances also meet each other. However, we must also note that they are not just different. If we are to take a look at the beliefs of Christians and Muslims, we can see Christianity and Islam 5 that they have some commonalities. Both religions agree in some aspects: that there is one God who created the universe and is sovereign in the lives of men; God is the source of justice and morality; that his ultimate justice is dispensed via life after death in heaven and hell, and that things like pornography and unchaste living are pollutants to the society (cited in â€Å"faithfacts†, 2008). In other words, both religions believed in a supreme being, whether God or Allah. There is also an agreement that he is the creator of all things. Their teachings both acknowledge that there is good and evil, where the former is rewarded and the latter is punished. The forms of reward though, and punishment vary in both religions. Both also emphasizes that following the teachings would let the person experience heaven when he dies. It is clear that Christianity and Islam are not that different at all, neither is Islam an evil belief. The latter may have emphasized the role of violence in its teachings, but it still depends on how such is being interpreted and carried out. They might differ in many ways: nature of God; concept of justice; forgiveness and more, but we still could not discount the fact that both are religions with followers that are humans, Christians and Muslims, no matter what doctrines they follow, also need respect. They may not necessarily agree with each other but there is still a point of agreement as exemplified by their similarities. The issue is therefore, not a question of which belief is right a wrong, nor is it about superiority or inferiority. What matters most is that we are guided by our beliefs and in doing this, we do not do actions that would harm the other. References Daniel, Abu Yusuf. , Isma’il Kaka, Abu Maryam. , & Squires Robert, Abu Iman. (n. d). Misconceptions about Islam. Retrieved February 17, 2008, from http://www.geocities.com/window2islam/miscon.html

My Best Friend essays

My Best Friend essays We have been friends for quite a while now, and I just want to say thank you for being there when times got tough. I know you more than I know anybody and I'm so glad that we started hanging out together. Lately I've been thinking about the way that we always compete with each other and it's really starting to get to me. I know that it's not always intentional, but it just seems like you enjoy getting into those little arguements that we seem to almost always come across. You and I have alot of the same personality traits, yet we also seem like total opposites at times. You are a really funny/crazy guy and that's why I like to hang out with you, but sometimes you really get to me and you push my buttons. Darin, you argue with me about the stupidest things and you always have to get the last word in. Sometimes I know that I'm really the one who's right, but I let you win just so that you'll shut up. Don't take this letter personal, I'm not trying to put you down, I just thought I'd bring it to your attention before it starts to affect our friendship. I don't want to keep my feelings and thoughts all bottled up inside me and I know you've been really busy lately, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to write it all down on paper. We have a really cool friendship and I don't want to continue to have these stupid competitions with you. You are probably one of the coolest, most unique guys I've ever met and I want to keep hanging out and doing normal guy stuff, but you have to be willing to make the effort too. Please try to bite your tongue when you think that you're about to disagree with my opinions and I'll do the same with you. I hope that you don't take this the wrong way, but I just thought it should be put out in the open so that we can cut down on the arguements that we've been having. I won't get mad if you think a girl you like is prettier than a girl that I like, and you shouldn't try to say that you can l ...

The Lost Ones 8211 Young Chinese Americans essays

The Lost Ones 8211 Young Chinese Americans essays The Lost Ones Young Chinese Americans Due to harsh immigration laws, in American history, Chinese have often relied on illegal means of entering the United States. For example, in 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act (Chinese Exclusion Act, Documents on Anti-Chinese Immigration Policy.) was passed, the first and only act that restricted immigration from one particular ethnicity. This act restricted immigration of Chinese labourers. In 1888, this act was extended to all Chinese immigrants except for officials, teachers, students, tourists, and merchants. However, not all-prospective immigrants made it to the shores of America safely. The United States is well aware of illegal immigration and rings operating these smuggling operations. Therefore increased vigilance at America's doors has led to the capture of many Chinese illegal immigrants. The result of above brief history of Chinese history in America is that these new comers at the time period of illegal entering of America would eventually result the wave of 3rd ge neration Chinese population along with Baby Boomers after World War II. The new generation was in the era of Civil Rights movement in the 1950~1970s. The talented, new 3rd generation possessed not only the despair of having an identity, but also faced the pressure from the elder generation of their origin cultures. It is true and inappropriate that the newer the generation, the more they refuse their own cultures. However, from what it took the elder generations of Chinese/Asian Americans for the younger generation to be able to live under the aegis of liberty, freedom, stable society, and satiating living; I think that the younger generations should be proud of, and respect the elder generation and who they really are. Chinese who still tried to enter the United States needed to pretend that they were merchants. Others pretended to be relatives of people living in the United States. Chinese Ame...

Economic Reform Outcomes in China and Russia Literature review - 5

Economic Reform Outcomes in China and Russia - Literature review Example Of all the reforms that took place in the twentieth century, the ones that took place in China and Russia are known to have been the most dramatic. During the first half of the twentieth century, both countries had communist economic systems. However, it was during the latter half of the 29th century that both countries start formulating reforms that were aimed at changing the manner in which their economies functioned. However, a difference in the exact date in which the reforms commenced in both countries existed. In China, the economic reforms commenced in the late 1970s, while in Russia they commenced in the early 1990s.   However, a notable difference exists at the pace in which the reforms were developed and enacted in the two countries (Lin & Tsai 2004, p. 34). In Russia, the market-oriented reforms were developed quickly, and enacted at the same pace, while in China the whole process of bringing the reforms was a little bit gradual. There are a number of factors that can be said to have contributed to the difference in pace at which the economic reforms took place in China and Russia.                                                                                         One of the things that are believed to have contributed to the difference in the pace of the economic reforms between China and Russia is the fact that China was reluctant to adopt foreign technology especially those from the west. At the beginning of the reforms, China mainly depended on the technologies that were locally available. This made it hard for the country to benefit from the technological advancements that were experienced in Europe, especially during the early stages of the reforms. Russia on the other side was willing to adopt new technology from all over the world as long as the technology being adopted was beneficial to the Russian economy in one way or another (Lin, Cai & Li 2009, p. 325). They made sure that their economy was open to new ideas at the early stages of the reforms making it easier for the reforms to have brought the changes that were experienced in their economy in such a short period.

B2B Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

B2B Marketing - Essay Example Product realization entails the preliminary research towards initiation of products that are to be marketed as well as the actual development and testing of those products over their effectiveness in meeting customer demand. In the framework of new product realization the entire process comprises a number of steps that constitute the procedure efficient in terms of matching the ‘new product’ to be launched with the market demand. However, as Storey and Easingwood (1999) indicate, new product development should be consistent with the market trends and with the firm’s capabilities and resources. In that extend, firms should be highly focusing on designing those characteristics and attaching those features to their new products/ services that are meaningful and ‘desirable’ for both customers and the firms themselves. Adopting a market driven strategy with regards to new product realization is vital in that it eventually allows management to identify and explore the critical stakeholders’ requirements or needs and gradually embed these in the product/service specifications prior to launching a new product/service (Herrmann et al., 2000). Strategic new product realizations offer comparative advantages to organizations mostly due to the fact that they are credited for increasing competence, adding value to the firms’ offerings and eventually strengthen the competitive opposition in the overall market environments (Storey and Easingwood, 1999). However, product realization strategy needs to be market – oriented in order to provide the fundamental basis for successful results. According to Chakravarty (2001) the development of new products is essential only if these new products incorporate and embed the customer requirements, customer needs and generally pertain to addressing customer demand. The author further expands this view by arguing that market driven product realization strategy reflects the strategic fit of the new