Dispatches Paper Essay

As I read Dispatches by Michael Herr, there is an overwhelming sense of fear and horror. His dispatches are populated by soldiers called ‘grunts’, whose enemy was everywhere and nowhere. Their maps were blank; their names for the enemy, ‘Charlie’ or ‘VC’, told them nothing. How do you recognize them? They all wear black pajamas; they are all alien to us. They are everywhere. That’s where the paranoia began. Herr’s dispatches are disturbing because he writes from inside the nightmare, with all the tension and terror that turned these young men into killing machines. It is all the more frightening because, emptied of any concerns for justice, or ethics, or solidarity, they opened fire anywhere, everywhere. After all, who could know where or who the enemy was? Herr’s use of brutal imagery absorbed me into his savage surroundings. From the soldier who can’t stop drooling as a result of a particularly dreadful gun battle, to the scenes of the dead, American and Vietnamese, adult and infant, on battlefields and village streets. The characters are real people in a situation that most of them neither like nor understand. They are young men who invoke the same shortcomings we all have. They are professional soldiers and act that way despite their misgivings. They push past the boundaries of fear and into the realms of heroism or insanity or death. Everyone that he introduces is individual. There are no carbon copy soldiers here. They are funny or musical or religious or delusional. I felt as though I was being introduced to people I knew throughout the book. From time off in Saigon and Hong Kong to his time spent in a bunker during the siege of Khe Sanh, Herr covers every aspect of the war. He shows how so many soldiers were so drastically affected by the war. He describes the strange, fearful moments when at night the jungle suddenly goes silent. Herr tells tales of Marines throwing themselves on top of him with incoming fire, people he has only just met minutes or hours before that are risking their lives to protect his. This book is very descriptive and one of the best examples of this is this sentence, â€Å"Every fifth round was a tracer, and when Spooky was working, everything stopped while that solid stream of violent  red poured down out of the black sky.† In this sentence Herr is retelling the feelings felt by everyone as they watched the gunships flying overhead, unleashing the fury of gatling-guns that could fire thousands of rounds per minute. Not only does Herr convey the impact of such a sight; he does it in such a manner that a vivid image is formed in the reader’s mind. One of the more disturbing and insightful quotes in the book comes when a Marine at Khe Sanh learns that his wife is pregnant, but not with his child. Herr retells with this account, â€Å"†Oh don’t worry,† Orrin said. â€Å"There’s gonna be a death in my family. Just soon’s I git home.† And then he laughed. It was a terrible laugh, very quiet and intense, and it was the thing that made everyone who heard it believe Orrin.† This quote shows how badly some soldiers were transformed during the war. A man who used to be very peaceful and calm would now snap at the slightest provocation. He would now plan the death of his wife for cheating on him. With these examples I would definitely say that one of the strengths of this book is its vivid descriptions. The other strength of this book is probably how it covers the emotional and physical aspects of the war. Still it is difficult to reconcile Herr’s disregard for the grunts’ brutality and his apparent admiration that surfaces. Herr feeds on the death and carnage of the battlefield. It is difficult to grudge a person for their attachment to the most exciting times of their life. Herr’s is almost an addiction to the life of the thrill seeker, but as he frequently mentions, unlike the grunts, he could always take the next chopper back to an air-conditioned hotel room in Saigon, or leave altogether. (Not that an air-conditioned room in Saigon would be necessarily safer than Khe Sahn†¦) He describes Vietnam as a jumbled, confused, mess of a living hell. Herr also wrote the narration for â€Å"Apocalypse Now,† so what more do you need to know? It is crucial to understand that this book is not a political or military history of the war. Instead, Herr tried to portray the â€Å"experience† of what it was like to be in Vietnam; you won’t find a handy map and glossary in the back. (If you honestly don’t know what words like di di, zip, grunt, 16, and DMZ mean, I suggest you bone up on your history.) There are two major downfalls to this book: rambling and fiction. His writing style, disjointed and confused, makes the book a little hard to get used to. But when you do get used to it only then can you see that Herr is trying to give the reader an accurate account rather than a moral lecture. In terms of fiction the problem with writers is that they are writers. As such they are basically dishonest. This is not Vietnam as told by a soldier. This is Vietnam as told by a journalist who is â€Å"in-country† to the precise extent he cares to be and hotfoots it out of there when the going gets rough. In the beginning of the book Herr describes the horrors of night patrol by describing his own fear. He then informs the bewildered reader that this is a bit too much for him and therefore takes his journalistic eye somewhere else. The difference between a journalist and a soldier is that the soldier can’t leave when he feels like it and so he doesn’t have the luxury of drama. Unfortunately, most of this book is drama.

Atlantic Cape Community College Essay

Reading every word in this letter is equivalent to having greater chances of you attaining your goal of having a successful career in the future. There are just two hundred and one words in this letter for you to get to know about what opportunities Atlantic Cape Community College offers you after you finish high school. Established since 1966, Atlantic Cape Community College (ACCC) is a nonprofit publicly supported organization that aims to provide its students with only the superior academic, technical and training programs.   Accredited by several institutions such as the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, the college places value to continuous learning.   Also, we encourage a multi-cultural and diverse environment through our non-discrimination policy.   With over 6,500 credit students at its three locations, we are sure you can find what suits your needs the most here at Atlantic Cape Community College. Sounds good?   What are you waiting for?   Every minute counts so start planning your future and check out our degree programs at our website http://www.atlantic.edu/ or you can just call up us at these numbers for further inquiries. Mays Landing – ( 609) 343-5000 or (609) 625-1111, ext. 5000 Atlantic City – (609) 343-4878 Cape May County – (609) 463-3958 or 463-4774, ext. 3958 We would be thoroughly pleased to hear from you soon!

Alcon Gove PTY Limited

The economic valuation principles highlights the bottom line of any energy efficient or cost saving measure that will determine whether to proceed with a specific implementation (Anon n. d. ). The company ensures that in all cases when necessary they prevent, minimise, mitigate and remediate potential harmful effects of the Group's operations on the environment (Rio Tinto 2010). The company has been very much proactive with the program of Greenhouse Challenge and since 2001 they even voluntarily submitted its annual greenhouse gas emissions inventory.Since Rio Tinto Alcan Gove’s operations as a whole expends a lot of energy they continuously identify energy efficiency improvement projects prior to the of the Energy Efficiency Opportunities Act (Australian Government Dept of resources, energy and Tourism 2009). According to the company on their Sustainable development review, their focus on providing sound governance and high standards of conduct in which they felt that this wo uld give a competitive advantage over the industry.They are an active member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) for the purpose of providing leadership on scientific and policy matters, consistent communication with all stakeholders and promote applying the sustainable development principles to promote best practice performance standards (Rio Tinto 2010). Just recently an example of this activity was displayed.When the company plans to invest $340 million in a molybdenum facility, in which has the capability of processing a lower-grade molybdenum concentrate to be processed more efficiently than through conventional roasters, basically this facility is much more safer and reliable to use for its employees and produces a more high quality product that even its by-products can be utilized which will be also beneficial for Rio Tinto (Utah Pulse 2010). 2- What will be the impact on the consumer of the product or serviceThe impact based on these strategies and polic ies employed internally by Alcan Gove will actually benefit all consumers for its products and services. By being cautious regarding safety and mitigating risks for environment, Rio Tinto displays its integrity by building this foundation of compliance with relevant local laws and regulations and international standards. Consumers tend to choose a company that offers a good quality product that also has done measures to ensure that overall business operations reduces or better yet prevent risks to safety and damaging effects on the environment.3-How might consumer behaviour affects the business's profitability in general terms Consumer behavior definitely has great effects on any overall business profitability. People’s needs and expectations drive demand, and based on statistics on industries especially for developing economies the growth rate in terms of this market can be related to potential significant sales for Alcan Gove (United Nations 2005).Another thing that may imp act demand is the perception of Alcan Gove’s consistent measures to ensure safety for its employees and reduction on environmental impacts, this will create a reflection on how concerned the company is on its surroundings which translates better to the behavior of overall consumers to purchase from them. 4-How could the business respond to these changes to minimise their impact and maximise the benefit to stakeholdersThe company should maintain their strategy on sustainable development, and guarantee that their operations and products as well will be continuously used and developed appropriately throughout their lifecycle. Another strategy that can be employed is on reduction of environmental footprint of their operations, which includes making sure that balancing the impact of overall operations with enhanced environmental outcomes, economic development and overall efficiency of operations.For various types of stakeholders, instant and significant monetary gains may not be e xpected as early as now, but with the continuous improvements focusing on sustainable development and steady growth, stakeholders will reap those rewards soon. References Anon (n. d). Economic Evaluation Principles. [Online] Available from . [27 May 2010] Rio Tinto. (2010). Environmental stewardship.[Online] Available from < http://www. riotinto. com/ourapproach/17194_environmental_stewardship. asp> [27 May 2010] Australian Government Dept of resources, Energy and Tourism (2009). Alcan Gove Pty Limited, Energy Efficiency Opportunities Public Report 2009. [PDF] United Nations (2005). World Population Prospects. [PDF] Utah Pulse. (2010). Rio Tinto to invest $340m in molybdenum facility. [Online] Available from >. [27 May 2010]

Operation management within maintenance operation in Maersk Oil Qatar Essay

Operation management within maintenance operation in Maersk Oil Qatar - Essay Example The intention of this study is an operations management as a segment of business that focuses on the production of goods and services. It focus is to make sure that business operations are efficient in that it uses as little resources as possible and effective in terms of meeting customer requirements and expectations. It focuses on managing the process that transfers inputs (in the forms of materials, labor and energy) into outputs (in the form of goods and services). Major operations management and problem solving techniques pertaining to the oil and gas industry include: estimating, organizing, modeling, planning and controlling resources and schedules with the aim of optimizing project performance and quality. Due to intense competitiveness, companies need to look for differentiating elements in the products and services they offer. After the business and service strategies have been identified, the management of productive and logistic operations plays a crucial role in the deve lopment of products and services to be supplied. Once the requirements of various clients have been identified, the operations management is applied to assess, define, schedule and monitor the resources and capacities needed to provide the solutions they want. Operations management is needed so as to make sure the efficiency and effectiveness of the flows of materials from the supplier, through the productive and distribution systems, to the customer, along with the related information flows.

Health effects of air pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health effects of air pollution - Essay Example Inhalation of air pollutants causes distress to the respiratory system, which lead to development of chronic respiratory infections, and aggravation of ailments affecting the system. The air pollutants cause respiratory problems in various ways including blocking the air pathways after being deposited in the lungs, irritation and inflammation of the respiratory tract resulting to production of mucus and coughing. These effects increase the vulnerability of the affected person to developing infections of the respiratory system. Numerous medical research studies on the effect of air pollution on children indicate that their health is more prone to the emissions than adults are (WHO, 2005). Polluted air causes adverse effects to the growth and development of both unborn and born children. Several factors contribute to the increased vulnerability of children’s health to air pollution. These include the continuing growth and development process of the lungs, incomplete metabolic systems and undeveloped immune systems that makes them susceptible to respiratory infections (WHO, 2005). These factors could lead to higher exposure of the children to air pollutants and increase the toxicity of the substances once they enter into the respiratory system. According to WHO (2005, p18) the effectiveness of the detoxification system in children improves with time, during prenatal and postnatal period. Hence, children at prenatal stage are most susceptible to air pollution because the lungs and the respiratory syste m are at critical stage of growth and development. When the developing lungs are exposed to air pollution, their optimal functional ability reduces and the abnormality continues to adulthood, causing reduced functional reserve of the lungs (WHO, 2005). Reduced functional reserve in adulthood increases the vulnerability of infections due to ageing and exposure to other pollutants, such as smoking and work related exposures (WHO, 2005,

Write article pitch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Write article pitch - Essay Example The research basically aimed at knowing the attitude of Americans and what they think would characterize future innovations that they mostly see in science fiction movies. The findings of the research were interesting. While most people generally considered technological innovations in the next half of the century to be beneficial, 59% thought that human life will be impacted in a very positive manner while 30% think that the technological advancement will lead to more social negatively impacted population than it is today (Haller 7). Many Americans believe that scientific revolution will impact medicine in a very positive way, such as growth of custom organs in the lab, scientists will be able to predict, change and control the weather patterns and also do a lot of space explorations to discover the possibility of life on other planets (Haller 6). 8. There has been the controversial issue of the probability to come up with designer babies who are genetically altered DNA to produce smarter an intelligent person. Will parents accept this to be done to their

Middle East changing demographics and its effect on us national Case Study

Middle East changing demographics and its effect on us national security - Case Study Example The same organization was involved in WTC attacks of 9/11. Osama Bin Laden urges the Muslims, living in the pole-apart regions of the world, to take notice of the heinous crimes being committed by the Judo-Christian Alliance ruling over the world through the USA, Israel and their allies. He instigates the sentiments of the Muslims by reminding them the atrocities and cruelties have been being exercised against them since long in almost all countries and states. He alludes to the series of tortures applied by the non-Muslims upon the Muslims in the Russian territories, the CARS, Chechnya, Bosnia, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon and other parts of the globe. He argues the very fact that the Muslims are looked down upon in Europe and are seriously suspected in the USA and Australia as well as the rest of the west. Since the atrocities of the non-Muslims are increasing day by day, jihad is the only way to eradicate these violations of Muslim rights and break into their powerful network. Bin Laden cites the holy verses of the Noble Quran, where the Muslims have been urged and invoked to strive against the evil wherever they find it within their environment. In other words, Bin Laden states violent struggle against the infidels as the jihad, which is the essential pillar of the faith of Islam. The Jews and Christians have inflicted lots of pains and sufferings upon the Muslims and apply social and cultural injustices and discriminations on the basis of their age-old biased ness and prejudice against Muslim. Since there is no possibility of stopping the Jews and Christians from displaying their atrocities on helpless Muslims, jihad (i.e. terrorist attack) is the only way to...Rather, she is eager to sustain her domination over all the economies of the world, and implement her own political and economic order on all independent states. Consequently, some of the racial and religious groups started a revolt against the US policies, which resulted in a state of constant conflict all over the world. Being the centre of warring religious groups, the Middle East turned out the worst possible land for the US dreams, and the fast changing demographic and strategic situation of the region left negative impact on the USA, where the USA had to allocate a huge amount of men, money and resources in order to subjugate the rebel forces. It applied negative affects on the US economy by putting it into the state of jeopardy. Before embarking upon the topic under study, it would be advisable to elaborate the Middle East and the terrorist organisation of Al Qaeda in brief. It has aptly been observed that geographical boundaries, strategic position, economic conditions and security strength determine the level of strengths of a nation, and the international community develops its relations with the nation keeping in view all these factors and assessments. Dakake, on the contrary, maintains quite different opinion of jihad. He associates jihad with mere strife against the evil temptations of the satanic forces. Jihad does not mean, according to him, the aggressive attitude and violence against one’s enemies.

Critically evaluate the extent to which the role of leaders and Essay

Critically evaluate the extent to which the role of leaders and managers contributes to employee motivation and engagement with - Essay Example Managers should engage in motivation as it eases unnecessary fears among the employees. Statistics reveal that workers perform poorly under oppression as compared to when motivated. The following script outlines the importance of motivation, relevant theories, and the essence as to why leaders should use the tool (Lauby, 2005:69). Mangers role in employee motivation An employee is one of the most critical factors of production. This is because; they have the duty to carry out all tasks, irrespective of whether machinery or manual operation. The essence is that, no matter the employees competence to a task, shortcomings may arise due to monotony, frustration, and oppression. Managers must try to curb behaviors that tend to mislead the company, and practice behaviors that will gear up progression and prosperity (Kusluvan, 2003:340). Bearing in mind that, every set of human beings does exhibit distinct cultures, managers should observe and tame that culture which favors the company more . Culture comprises of personal beliefs, attributes, needs, and behaviors. On addressing these issues properly, the company pursues its objectives and strategically beats competition. Managers should simply address issues in a friendly way and welcome views from the employees. They should avoid ideologies of drawing attention from the employees that they should recognize them by their positions (Podmorof, 2005:67). Role of leadership and managers An employee will perceive a motivating factor whenever it affects his welfare. Decades ago, managers and leaders experienced the same issues that occur in modern businesses; this led to the development of various theories that can actively apply in solving human related problems in organization. Among them was Abraham Maslow who distinguished human needs in the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs pyramid. The pyramid elaborates needs from the most pressing, those one cannot do without, to those perceived as defining class in the society. The pyramid addresses as; biological and physiological, safety, belongingness and love, esteem, and self-actualization (Bruce, 2006:80). The pyramid describes necessities as biological and social needs. It states that an employee will work to cater for his necessities, which are; air, food, shelter and clothing. It argues that, the reason as to why human beings strive in their daily chores is to ensure that they are able to meet their needs effectively (Levesque, 2008:59). No one can survive without food since hunger is a recurring problem. For example, after feeding, people do not sit back and assume that they have made a solution to hunger eternally. Similarly, shelter poses as a pressing need as all people strive to live in houses to avoid bad weather conditions and enhance privacy. Due to evolution, the modern man finds clothing crucial as it is also ethical and moral to dress-up (Doyle, 2005:180). On achieving all basic needs, human beings will find that they need safety in their lives. Therefore, they seek protection from all societal vices and device security channels that will cover their lives from dangers (Kusluvan, 2003:340). Since all humans may enforce their feelings in handling different threats, the modern man has sort to come up with laws that accommodate all virtues, laying down procedures to handle different problems. There are limits within the society under which one can act in his own

The legend of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving Research Paper

The legend of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving - Research Paper Example It is also worth noting that the comedic and foolish nature of Ichabod is detectable from the strength of his imaginations. The writer uses this story for the main purpose of accentuating the fact that imaginations form a significant part of human life. Just like any other aspect of life, imaginations can lead to failure or success of the subject individual as depicted by Ichabod. The story shows that imaginations can have influence on lifestyle of an individual and may end up alienating him or her. Further the writer also shows the impotence nature of Ichabod as an element of his much involvement in imaginations. This research paper cites some of the instances used by Irvins to illustrate the power imagination in â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow†. Imaginations reinforce a lifestyle Irving also uses the allegory to show that imagination may also reinforce a way of life into an individual. As depicted in the story, Ichabod’s imagination about ghosts, demons and witches, acts as the main reason for his preference in reading the ghost stories. His imaginations make him feel that the ghosts are real thereby increasing interest for knowing about them. Most of his life he sits down to read and hear about the ghostly stories. Intuitively, these stories make him believe that anything around him is supernatural. His affection for the stories is also evident when he goes to apply everything he reads about in the real world. He walks out during the night believing that there are ghosts roaming in the midst. Just as stated by the stories he always read. The writer also depict his love for the ghostly stories, when instead of contributing to the harvest party, he divert his attention to listening to ghostly legends told by Brom (Damon-Bach & Lucinda, 38). Even though owning the farm and proposing to Katrina was the major aim for attending the harvest party, Ichabod wholly diverts to his darling stories about the ghosts. Just like the environment and family ba ckground can shape individual’s lifestyle, Ichabod’s imaginations models his love for the ghostly stories. He believes that reading the ghostly stories is the only fulfilling way he can live his daily life. The incidences show that there is no day Ichabod would have changed his lifestyle because of the belief that the ghost exist in the real world. As shown through Ichabod’s experience, in the whole story, it is true that the imaginations held by individuals can serve in alienating their life from the usual. Ichabod, whose imaginations concentrates around the existence of ghosts, lives a tough life albeit living among other human beings. He easily gets frightened at littlest things which a normal human being will always assume. When walking home during the darkest hours, he gets frightened most of the time, by the invisible thing because his imaginations had made him believe that there is a headless horseman who usually rides back in quest for his head. This sho ws a clear alienation of Ichabod from the reality just because of the imagination he holds. His alienation is also detectable in the relic that people of the society associate to him. His brand in the society was a wandering horse, trampled saddle, discarded hat, and a mysterious shattered pumpkin (Irving & Jane 56). Naturally, an individual can only associate these paraphernalia to an insane person who has lost in his societal ways. However, it is worth noting

Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 15

Reading response - Essay Example Craft is a very important component that helps people to be creative as well as promotes culture. Craft has been narrowly considered based on what is cute and what is not. The perception that craft entails ugly, old-fashioned and things made by some old man or woman is misplaced and does not hold any water. Craft is supposed to be more of creativity and use of ones hands to facilitate that creativity. The scope of craft is unlimited; it can range from simple things such as developing a picture frame to complex aspects such as decorating huge structures. The objective of doing all these things is not solely to make a place look cute and neat but to add some reasonable value to the place. What matters is the creativity that has been utilized. Eliminating the view that craft is some big and complex thing that should be done for the sake of competitions and embracing it in daily activities can help save. Handmade craft is cost effective and it helps an individual customize their environment depending on what they are pleased with. However, it should not always cost effective; sometimes it may be necessary to develop a less costly product after destroying a more costly one. The bottom line should be, what is it that pleases an individual and they are able to afford it. Taking care of individual taste is very beneficial since it dives a personal satisfaction as well as promotes longevity of use. It is difficult to judge a piece of crafted based on any parameters. The first thing is that craft has a lot of biasness depending on the individual. For example, the â€Å"Craft Wars† show is biased because it relies on the judgment of two or three judges who give their own personal view. To eliminate this biasness, all the participants can do a vote on such a show so that the will of the majority prevails. It is not right to narrow down the works of craft on the perception of a few. Craft is very beneficial and every person should attempt to develop some work of

The Holocaust Essay Example for Free

The Holocaust Essay The Pianist is a historically based film that captivates the audience with its intense, riveting scenes. The movie outlines Hitler’s policies against the Jewish race during the holocaust in the late 1930’s. It focuses on the lives of one particular Jewish family during the period in which Hitler invades and occupies the Polish community of Warsaw. The title was inspired by the career of the main character before and after the Holocaust. The film chronicles the experiences of a Jewish pianist and his survival through the Holocaust with determination and the help of others, while millions of other Jews perish. The theme is portrayed effectively throughout the movie. The merciless treatment of the Jewish people convinces the audience to empathize with the characters in the movie. The movie begins with the pianist, Szpilman, in the studio playing the piano while the community of Warsaw is being bombed. A woman who will help him later in the movie approaches The Pianist’ is a cinematic masterpiece by the Polish director Roman Polanski. One of the key ideas that appear throughout much of the film is that of ‘hope being instrumental in our survival’. This idea is portrayed through Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish pianist, as he struggles for survival in Warsaw as everybody that he once knew and everything that he once had is lost. The idea of ‘hope being instrumental in our survival’ is worth learning about as it allows the audience to realise the importance of hope in todays society – and to understand how Polanski uses music to symbolise ‘hope’ for Szpilman in the film. Polanski effectively utilises an array of visual and oral text features such as music, dialogue, and lighting to build further emphasis on this theme. ‘The Pianist’ is an honest depiction of the events that occurred during the Holocaust, through the eyes of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Jewish concert pianist living in Warsaw, Poland. As the movie starts we see him in a radio studio beautifully playing the piano. But then the tanks start shooting, the bombs start falling, and the studio is damaged. He can no longer avoid the rapidly escalating situation. Germany is invading his homeland. His time as a concert pianist and radio performer has come to a sudden end. The first half of the movie focuses on the impact of the war on him and his family’s lives and the suffering of others, whilst the second half purely revolves around Szpilman’s struggle for survival and the hope in which he draws from music. Polanski heavily emphasises this idea, getting across the message that Szpilman would not be alive if were not for the hope in which he holds to – even if at times if at times it is by a tiny thread. The most obvious feature used to enhance the idea of ‘hope being instrumental in our survival’ is that of music. After being forced to desert his family and having to live in isolation with his survival being questioned almost every day, it is perhaps only the

All Quiet on the Western Front Essay Example for Free

All Quiet on the Western Front Essay In the novel ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ by Erich Maria Remarque, the main character Paul Bà ¤umer’s development shows the horrors of the First World War and the effect it had on the young men who fought in it. Paul Bà ¤umer is the main character whom is nineteen years old, Bà ¤umer volunteered for the army along side four of his classmates. Some parts in the novel is written in past tense when Paul Bà ¤umer is collecting his thoughts. Most of the novel is written in Present tense. During the novel we see Paul Bà ¤umer changing as a person, he has just left school and is a young boy with no experiences. By the end of this novel end even half way through he had become a well experienced man. Paul Bà ¤umer is the main character and also the narrator. At just nineteen years of age, Bà ¤umer volunteers for the German Army. Before war is a young creative and passionate person who had lots of love for his family. As the war went on Bà ¤umer changed as a person. Bà ¤umer and four of his classmates joined because they felt it was their patriotic duty. After a while of being in the trenches Bà ¤umer starts to get visions of being in Kantoreks class as he gave his great ‘iron youth speech.’ He soon realises Kantorich persuaded the class to join. â€Å"During the drill time Kantorek gave us long lectures until the whole of our class went under his shepherding to the District Commandant and volunteered.† Bà ¤umer felt he was doing right by his country but he soon feels he can’t tell anyone about his experience in the army and where his families are concerned he feels like an outsider. People like Kantorek are hypocrites, urging young pupils to join up whilst not volunteering himself. Kemmerich dies. This is the first death we experience as readers in the novel which is very upsetting. â€Å"I became faint, all at once I can not do anymore†¦ He is dead. The face is still wet from the tears. The eyes are half open and yellow like old horn buttons.† Bà ¤umer feels upset and dark inside, he has just lost his best friend, and they grew up together, school buddies. He is almost like a brother to Bà ¤umer. I feel sorry for Bà ¤umer at this point in the novel because I would hate to lose any of my friends or classmates if I was in the army because I think you would need a lot of friends and good people around to keep your spirits high. This is one of Bà ¤umers most important memories because they got revenge on Himmelstoss. Himmelstoss was a postman before he enlisted in the war. He is a corporal who trains the recruits. Himmelstoss likes punishing the young recruits and is very harsh and strict. â€Å"Tjaden wets his bed†¦ Himmelstoss maintained that it was sheer laziness and invented a method worthy of himself for curing Tjaden†¦ with mattress of wire netting.† The young men ended up unwell or with the cold because of this they ended up sleeping on the floor. Bà ¤umer and his friends got revenge by getting him from behind with a big white bed sheet and they covered his mouth with a pillow so he could not scream. Tjaden pulled down Himmelstoss’ trousers with a whip in his mouth. The training camp is harsh and full of sadness, I would not like to be there. Baume describes the front line as a mysterious whirlpool. â€Å"I am in still water far away from its center. I feel the whirl of the vortex sucking e slowly, irresistibly, inescapably into itself. The front line is a line along which apposing armies face each other and is horrific because you are face to face and it is very hard to stay alive. Bà ¤umer feels different from everyone else in his hometown because he feels he is different, they are different. He has been away for so long he does not feel at home anymore. He’s not just a boy anymore, he’s now a man. I feel so much respect for Bà ¤umer by this stage because he has done so well and all army men deserve respect. When Bà ¤umer returns home from leave he feels obliged to volunteer for a dangerous night patrol. Whilst in ‘No-Man’s Land’ Bà ¤umer gets lost. Paul hides in a shell – hole but a bomb goes off behind him when he is alone. â€Å"This is the first time I have killed with my hands†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bà ¤umer feels so guilty for killing the French man. He starts to think about the French mans life and his family. â€Å"If only he had run two yards further to the left, he might now be sitting in the trench over there and writing a letter to his wife.† This changes Bà ¤umers character for the better because he now realises how precious life is. Bà ¤umer feels hatred against the war and realises it’s a bad thing. I personally think war should be illegal because what is the point in killing human beings for victory. I don’t think that’s a victory, it’s a crime to kill. If we are not at war you would be sent to prison and just because its war that makes it ok? The situation has got a lot worse for the German Army by this late stage in the Novel. In this part Bà ¤umer and Katazinsky are the last two soldiers alive from all the characters whom were introduced at the beginning of the Novel. Kat gets hit by a shrapnel at this point leaving him with a smashed shin. Bà ¤umer carried him back to camp on his back, only to discover on their arrival that a splinter had hit Kat on the back of the head and killed him on the way. Kats death makes Bà ¤umer careless to weather he dies in war or not and also he can now face the rest of his life without any fear. I feel sorry for Bà ¤umer at this point because he must feel so alone. Bà ¤umer is now alone without a friend in the trenches because the war has taken all of them away and now Bà ¤umer is all alone. â€Å"Let the months and years come, they can take nothing from me, they can take nothing more. I am so alone, and so without hope that I can confront them without fear.† At the end of the novel Bà ¤umer is careless of his life. He has changed dramatically since the beginning. At the beginning Paul was a young boy with lots of dreams, now he is a man who is careless. I feel very lucky that none of my family died during the war and it’s a very emotional thing to go into. This book is important and should be read by future generations to show how life was and that they should realise how life was and that they should notice how lucky they are. This book makes you have so much for our soldiers.

Oneness Of Being Unity With God Religion Essay

Oneness Of Being Unity With God Religion Essay In attempting a study on Sufism one cannot ignore the theology and life of Ibn Arabi. Knà Ã‚ ¾wn by some aц¢ thà Ã‚ µ grà Ã‚ µatà Ã‚ µÃƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬ ¢t of Muslim philiosophers, Ibn à Ã‚ rabi waц¢ bà Ã‚ ¾rn in MurÑ ia in ц¢Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾uth-à Ã‚ µaц¢tà Ã‚ µrn à Ã¢â‚¬ ¦pain, during the time of the development of à Ã‚ ndaluц¢ian Mà Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾riц¢h Ñ ulturà Ã‚ µ. He was born in a situation and moment in time which Jewish, Muslim and Christian intellectuals gained knowledge from each other. Depicting the most sophisticated metaphysical and theoretical philosophy of his era, Ibn Arabi generated an astonishing mystical theology that fundamentally developed from his own spiritual realization. He has been recognized for 800 years as the Sheikh al-Akbar, or the Greatest Master, because the sophisticated characteristics of his wisdom. In these works he presented some unique theological perspectives. One of the most pivotal is his teaching about humanitys unity with God. It is the goal of this paper to attempt to explain why Ibn Arabi stressed this concept as being essential to ones spiritual life. To understand the oneness of being with God, one must first comprehend what Ibn Arabis beliefs were between of the universe and ontology. Ontology for him consisted of three different levels of existence. These were rendered as: Absolute Being, or the unrestricted existence of God, the necessary; the Self Existent, the Absolute non-Being Page 2 which is non-Self Existent; and the Mediator or Separator whereby these two are distinguished one from the other.  [1]   God is the only necessary being. All of the rest of creation depends on God for existence. Creation reflects Gods attributes. Ibn Arabi believes that all things pre-exist as ideas in the knowledge of God. The world is merely an outward aspect of that which in its inward aspect in God.  [2]     Creation should not be confused with God himself, however it is a reflection of God. When you look at creation you realize that is upheld by God but in its very nature buried in it is Gods own nature. It is natural to say that all that exists has a connection with God. This has to be balanced with still acknowledging tanzih as well. This might suggest that this is almost a pantheist view. But Ibn Arabi was not claming that God and the Universe are identical. God created the world that is very different from himself but he still wants to hold a relationship with it. This ends up with humankind seeking union with God. In his manuscript, the Bezels of Wisdom, Arabi makes the claim that what we see and experience is only a dream. While nearly all people are ignorant that we aren not seeing reality, everything that we perceive and sense is an delusion, we know what we see only a representative manifestation of what is the one genuine Reality. Ibn al-Arabi writes, All Page 3 men are asleep; only when they die, do they wake up.  [3]  Ibn Arabi does not signify that one has to expire so one can recognize true Reality. However it is showing that the progression human beings have had to undertake so they can understand apparent actuality to reveal the Reality. It was Ibn al-Arabis estimation, this divine development is a self-annihilation analogous to ones demise. Following the alteration making residence, humans awaken to an totally dissimilar world, liberated of the rationale that conceals the absolute Reality. This death or awakening which Arabi comprehends as reality directs to a new state of knowning the Reality. It is inaccurate to articulate that the two are not connected because the absolute Reality is unlike that we perceive to be as reality. Actually Ibn Arabi upholds that they are very much interconnected. We might think that which we perceive as real is not fully worthless, but is a symbolic representation of the Reality. Both our imaginings or reality are not what they appear to be. The theory concerned in the employment of symbols is a indispensable one. Ibn Arabi labels this as tawil, which can be defined as bringing something back to its foundation. Nothing is what it appears to be. In Islamic terms, every exterior (Zahir) must have an enterior (batin). Tawil means going from Zahir to the batin, outward reality to the inner one. The Universe articulates to him in the language of symbols. The progression of tawil can be relevant to all the wonder of Nature and all that encloses humans in this life. The precepts of religion and the experience within the heart of man are also responsible for the Page 4 deep-seated method of personal interpretation. One must undergo five levels of Divine self- manifestation for this death or conversion that one must experience to interpret these symbols. For Arabi there are five levels of Divine self-manifestation. They are: The plane of the Essence (dhat), the world of the absolute non-manifestation (al-ghayb al-mutlaq) or the Mystery of Mysteries The plane of the Attributes and the Names, the Presence of Divinity (uhulhiyah) The plane of the actions, the presence of Lordship (rububiyah) The plane of Images (amthal) and Imagination (khayal) The plane of senses and sensible experience (mushahadah)  [4]   Together these create completion, however the exacting planes mirror the stages recorded above. The same as was conveyed previously, everything contained by these stages are a depiction of facet of Divine Existence. The entire entity is a revelation, an instruction, or a communication from God.  [5]  To be capable of discovering the uppermost plane, we need to discover the connection that exists even within the transcendence and immanence of God. We can find this possible if one rejects the corporeal nature but also with some of the sense of reason to reach a level of unadulterated intelligence. While understanding this position we will recover the reason we discarded, just the reason we recover with be an entirely different Page 5 type then the one that was thrown away. Liberated of corporeal confines, thethe entirety things on all the planes will be disclose concerning their proper nature. When we distinguish that every of these descriptions are purely diverse varieties of the Divine Being, according to Ibn al-Arabis theology, we will have arrive at ed the uppermost plane of Being. We will be faultless. Regrettably, though it is achievable to attain this plane and get the capability to know Reality on the greatest sacred point, Muhammad is the only one that has accomplished such consciousness. Even though Ibn al-Arabi deems every part of of existence is a dream, he too believes it is feasible to arouse from this dream and discover the unqualified Reality. By freeing ourselves from reason and our corporal nature, we are capable to fuse the transcendence and immanence of God. This permits us to deduce the figurative descriptions of the Divine Existence reflected at the distinctive planes of Being, ultimately directing us to recognize that they are entirely one and the same. Each dream, and all of existence, are a expression of the Absolute. Actuality is the Absolute. Ibn al-Arabi deem that what we see as reality and what we understand of Reality is achievable throughout the course of our minds prospects. Imagination oversee every thing: complete nothingness, the unattainable, the Necessary, and the possibility, and makes them clear through symbols that we can understand. Imagination provides the outline to where all aspects of the Divine Existence, despite whether reason informs us they can or cannot exist. Yet opposites and contradictions, even being in two distinctive places at the same instance, turn out to be reasonable with imagination. Anything that is rational is created by ones imagination. Every part that is reasonable should be interpret. Imagination makes the Page 6 sensible world of reality connect with the spiritual. Accepting imagination role is the solution to interpreting the metaphors imagination generates and unleases what they are aiming to communicate. Humans were originally made in the form of Allah but have forgotten this knowledge and ultimate position that it puts them. Arabi thought that there existed a Perfect Man that remembered and acknowledge the relationship with God and humankind. One should try to become like this person. Ibn Arabi claimed that Muhammad was this Perfect Man. The Quran portrays Muhammad as a highly moral man. He saw clearly who he was by through the actualization of divine names.  [6]  He stands as an example of knowing God and therefore knowing himself. This means of realization connects God and our place in the universe. One must follow the path of takhalluq, or assuming the traits of Muhammad.  [7]  The knowledge of the oneness of God is not just for the Perfect Man but one who receives the idea and is affected by it. But it is through striving to be the Perfect Man that this can happen. One must be able to extinguish the self into the presence of God. This happens within the human heart. This changed person achieves unity with God and becomes a reflection of God in humans. For Ibn Arabi, the soul attains a state of self-annihilation and is able to perceive the unity of all things especially God and its creation. God reveals himself because God wanted to be known. Page 7 It seems that the idea of oneness is almost shirk for a Muslim but Ibn Arabi made a distinction between God as the transcendent and the God that related to the cosmos. Humans were only able to draw near to the God that related to the world. This only happens as one becomes perfected. Then one may be able to acknowledge Gods presence within oneself. Man as barzakh, the connection involving Being and non-Being, is important to Ibn Arabi. Humans are given the important role of being the link between God and creation. When God created Adam and breathed his spirit into him, he placed all of his attributes in humans. We all have the potentional of reflecting Gods nature, living the realities of the Divine Names. Humans reflect Gods Divine Names. This is comparable to Christians claiming that we are made in Gods image. Humankind may have been created with all of Gods attributes in them but we have somehow lost this knowledge. This would correspond with traditional Islamic belief that we have a tendency for forgetfulness. The only path to open up our eyes is through revelation from God. Unity comes when one has realized that our very existence belongs to God. One must be completely absorbed in God. We are limited but we can be connected to God the absolute. To connect with God is the aim of the Sufis life. Within all of us is the desire for God. When we finally come to the knowledge of how the cosmos works and pondering the Divine Names can one attain unity with God. One might even say you must get lost in God. Page 8 This can only happen by certain means. Humanity can draw near to God through the experience of oneness through asceticism. There must be self-purification and self-stripping as well as abstinence and solitude. In this environment real conversation can take place with God. There must be certain guidelines that must be followed. Arabi wrote, do not enter your cell until you are aware of your station and of the extent to which you able to oppose the power of the imagination. If your imagination has power over you, you must go into retreat only under the guidance of a teacher.  [8]  People must have the capacity to receive and encounter God on such a deep level. For the Sufi, it is not to be taken lightly. There is a connection between ones preparedness and the measuring out or ones destiny. This is determined by Allah. Before God brought us to be, he knew the qualities we would need to be able to have the capacity to receive. He brings humans from nonexistence to existence. We cannot worship God in His very Essence only by what is allowed by are preparedness and our destiny. The practice of the dhirk is tremendously important. Dhirk does not simply mean repeating the names of God for a Sufi. It is a liturgy of sorts that includes recitation but also music and dance. These acts will bring to remembrance who God is and what over relationship to him is. At some point in his days, Muhammad predicted that Islam would be divided just as Christianity had started to be separated. Certainly this prophecy was accurate which can be Page 9 seen through the commonness of many sects and atypical viewpoints that are found in the faith of those who assert to be Muslim. One of these division is seen with those who call themselves Sufis. They began engaging in some different behaviors. A number of people initiated in unusual types of devotion and worship. Some began to reject the world surrounding them by way of ascetic exercises. Originally they were regarded as Muslims, though what they were engaged in was an fresh and different. After awhile, a Sufi practice and philiosophy began to advance. Some began to deem those who practiced it to be beyond the religion of Islam. There are similar fanatical Sufi practices that have similarities in Christianity. Equally Christianity and Sufism have roots in a supernatural outlook of God and the religious experience. It is a personal practice concerning an inner voyage of the person to God, not just an practice of relating truths. It is rooted on spirituality more than reason. The understanding is somewhat purposely fashioned by participant through bodily and intellectual exercises, as the encounter does not manifest itself. One must participate in the exercise. There is an stress put on in encountering a personal God. This discovery comes through prayer, meditation, music and even chating and meditation. Another place of common ground is the belief that God addresses people directly to in both Christian and Sufi circles. Christians accept as true that God articulates revelation to them directs them through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is one aspect of the trinity, the other essences of God being the Father and also Jesus. Most Christians would agree that they can obtain a relationship with God by communing with the Holy Spirit. This happens through prayer and reflection. Most would say that the Holy Spirit is present in each person Page 10 as part as a outcome of Jesus atonement on the cross to rescue and save humankind. The Holy Spirit was sent after Jesus ascension. The Holy Spirit can articulate openly to people whether they are wide awake or during dreams. Sufis also claim that God communicates directly to them and divulges to special hidden knowledge to them that is not known to others. This idea derives itself from the Sufi belief that Allah inhabits in their souls and that people have divine characteristics. This is precisely the equivalent as the Christian thought of the individual soul that is enlightened and steered by the Holy Spirit. Sufis have created a specific tafsir of the Quran in which they utilize, which exposes the concealed connotation of language and terms of passages that are not clear when trying to uunderstanding them. For instance, Ibn Arabi deduces that the verse Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearings to mean that They hear not except from Him (Allah) and understand not except from Him. They see not except by Him, and they neither turn to you nor to what you have because of what We have made and placed with them.  [9]  Ibn Arabi purports that Allah has sealed the hearts and hearing of Sufi s to everything except from what Allah shows them candidly through their prayers and meditation. Ibn Arabi trusts that his tafsir was divinely inspired and inscribed by way of Divine transcription and Allah placing the implication in his heart. Because there is a focus on personal relationship with the Divine, directly through the Holy Spirit, both religions seem to take on a especially personal manner about them. On the whole the focal point is distracted from the others and society. Their association with God as a whole, only seems to concentrate on the connection to the individuals relationship with Page 11 God. The mystical path can become a distinctively individual solitary way to find God, all relying on the self. The Christian and Sufi prays and mediatates; they may even attend worship, whether in a mosque or other group gathering. Nevertheless, the prominence of thought is generally constantly on the self. The accountability to the others is makes one indifferent and narrowed the importance of others appreciably. This is in disagreement to the overall rationale of religion, as God sent prophets to the people and countries not to just individuals. Islam and Christianity both should integrate the society or atleast others from different ways of life. We are all diversely joined and should be inseparable. When focus is taken off the individual the whole scheme of belief changes. Religion should not be something every individual does absent from the society on his or her own; it is also displayed through every deed that the person makes. There is not enough to emphasis on the community and together their relationship to God. One worries about getting people saved and not how live in community. If one mainly concentrates on their own individual bond with God, the church and the world populace is lacking because of it. Another problem that arises from an individualistic way of expressing religion, every person can develop their own system and beliefs supported by anything they sense God fancies them to do, not what God says they should do. This somewhat explains the mystical understanding where imagination, not reason is implemented. This personal tone of Sufism and Christianity is too often the outcome, whether it has been intentional or not, which can isolate people from God, since they are not following there own way not the way God gave them. Page 12 In trying to evaluate Ibn Arabi individually from a Christian perspective, he makes some claims one can seem to agree with. Christians tend to claim to want a relationship with God and that we are made in the image of God. At first glance this seemed to be similar to Christian thought. This is different for the Christian because it was not just forgetfulness that separates us from God but rebellion. We cannot do anything to bridge to gap between us and God. One needs a savior to pay the atonement for ones sins which make it possible for relationship. Knowledge is not path to get someone there. Christians do talk about how someone must decrease and God increase in their lives. This is very similar to the oneness that is spoken in Sufism. The more someone becomes like God, the less we are like themselves. An attempt is made to leave the carnal nature behind. Those that follow the teachings of John Wesley speak of working towards perfection. Wesley taught that perfection, or sanctification, was possible in this lifetime, though he never claimed to achieve total perfection. This could only happen by intentional behaviors meant to hone in your carnal nature. This is also completemented by first the working of the Holy Spirit in ones life. Most Christians would say that perfection is an unattainable goal. Only Christ was the perfect man. We still need to mature in our faith. That will change us into better people. Sufis have always honored Jesus as the ultimate contemplative. Jesus achieved the ultimate ideal for intimacy by displaying the ascetic life and love for God. Jesus had long Page 13 periods of fasting and prayer retreats that many Sufis would consider a good model. Many Christians shrug off fasting and retreat as unnecessary even though it is commanded by Jesus. This paper sought to explain how for Ibn Arabi, union with God is a pivotal theological concept. This can only be understood by looking at the way he viewed the world including symbolism. These all influence how one sees creation and how one relates to God. For Christianity, Sufism brings some challenges as well as at time places of agreement. It is important for one to understand other concepts to be able to understand ones one theological framework better. We both agree on a personal loving God. Some other ways, like prayer and meditation, are exceptionally important to both groups. One can be challenged as we try to understand each other so there can be more peace. Only in that environment can Christianity be heard and understood. Christianity can not make as much an impact if we do not strive to understand other religions. Christ would want us to observe and interact with people of other religions so others could see Christ through us. Page 14

Analysis of Act II, Scene I of Othello: Iago’s Character, Motivations,

The most horrific thing a villain can do is commit a crime that results in several casualties and provide no explanation for the anguish he causes. Human nature drives people to yearn for the knowledge of why something occurred, and when a person thinks he is in possession of such knowledge, the illusion that controlling future events to prevent any further disruption in the natural order of things arises. If such a thing were possible, the answers criminals have provided over centuries past would have allowed governments to completely rid society of crime. However, people do not see this and still desire complete control, which, in turn, brings comfort to the soul. Unfortunately for the characters in William Shakespeare’s Othello, none of them are in control. The infamous villain Iago controls the other characters with such precision that they might as well be marionettes. He is the cause of several deaths at the conclusion of the play, and commits the ultimate crime by refus ing to provide an explanation for his actions. Since Shakespeare’s Othello was printed in 1622, critics have gone back and forth about what Iago’s motives were, about who he was, and about why he was so very successful in carrying out his devious plans. So many countless people, so many countless ideas, and so many countless hours have been spent trying to answer these questions when Shakespeare answers them all in Act Two, scene one of Othello. Act Two, scene one of Othello provides insight into Iago’s motives, character, and reasons for success through character interactions. Many spectators view the scene between Iago, Desdemona, and Emilia as a simple exchange of wit-combat that was common in Shakespeare’s day, or as another scene in which Iago express... ...ny longer. The manipulation of the insecurities of these characters allowed him to gain back his confidence. The last thing Iago does to gain confidence and power over people was to keep his motives a secret, for the insecurities of the remaining characters is that they yearn for answers as to why he committed his crimes in hopes to control the future. They are searching for comfort, and he refuses to give it to them. He gains his power and validity back in this last heinous act. Once the victim of villains who stole his self-worth, Iago turns the tables and becomes the villain himself. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Othello. Penguin Group Inc., 2001. Sproat, Kezia Vanmeter. "Rereading "Othello", II, I." The Kenyon Review (1985): 44-51. Zender, Karl F. "The Humiliation of Iago." Studies of English Literature 34 (1994): 323-339. April 2014.

Drug Use and Addiction :: Drug Use and Addiction

Have you ever dealt with the effects of drugs firsthand? A drug is a substance which has a psychological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. The causes of drug use can vary depending on the person. According to â€Å"Causes and types of narcotic addiction: A Psychosocial View† in the Psychiatric Quarterly it says, â€Å"The causes of drugs stem from the manner of which you were introduced to it whether it be by abnormal curiosity, chance encounters with addicts and narcotic peddlers, or prolonged illness† (Ausubel). So in other words its somewhat bad luck if you become addicted. The effects of drugs can be different in certain people as well whether it be for pleasure or to take away the pain. Most of the effects of drugs occur in the brain, where it increases the level of dopamine at a specific site possibly giving the addict the pleasure they were feigning for (Robbins). I believe I was around the age of six when I started noticing the sign s of my Aunty Wendy becoming extremely skinny and looking somewhat unhealthy. As a child I didn’t know much about drugs except for what your parents and teachers at school tell you which is,â€Å"Just Say No.† The signs of a drug addiction consist of a high craving of drugs with no regard for the way in which it is acquired (Plos). Those signs are exactly the signs she showed in the kitchen that day besides how she physically looked. For awhile my aunt went missing due to drugs and then one day she turned up at the backdoor of my grandpa’s home. As I was playing on the steps of grandparents’ home I recognized my aunt. She was begging to come inside the house. Conveniently, enough, my Aunty Sharon, her sister, was in the kitchen and let her in, but my grandfather quickly put her back outside because he didn’t want her in his house if she was on drugs. Not too long after that day my Aunty Wendy got into trouble with drugs and was sent to rehab. According to â€Å"Drug Addiction Treatment Methods† on Drug-rehabs.com it says, â€Å"There are several types of drug abuse treatment programs. Short-term methods last less than 6 months and include residential therapy, medication therapy, and drug-free outpatient therapy. Longer term treatment may include, for example, methadone maintenance outpatient treatment for opiate addicts and residential therapeutic community treatment† (Drug).

Japanese tea room :: essays papers

Japanese tea room Japan is a small country, however most people know this country. One of the reason is that the manufacturing industry is world-famous. Especially, cars and appliances which are small, functional and also economical. And these products show exactly Japanese spirit which can say Japanese culture. When we discuss about Japan, we can't forget considering traditional Japanese culture. I will discus about the tea ceremony (cha-no-yu), which one of the most important Japanese culture. The tea ceremony began to reach maturity in the early Muromachi period when the shogun and select menders of his aesthetic circle met to admire choice Chinese tea wares and game at guessing the provenance of various types of tea. But its transformation into a true art form with spiritual dimensions is due to the influence of three men. The fist was Murata Juko, a student of Zen and curator of Chinese art for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. He and Yoshimasa would meet at the latter 's silver Pavilion and drink tea in Chinese utensils in the Dojinsai room of the Togudo. Tea, and especially the collectiing of utensils, was also popular among the wealthy merchants of Sakai City (Osaka). One of these merchants, Takeno Joo, took his interest in tea far beyond acquisition into the influence of Juko 's thought, did much to develop the wabi ideal of refined rusticity that became one of the central elements of tea taste. Wabi tea reached its mature expression under the third of these great tea masters, Sen no Rikyu. There is a story of Rikyu, which well illustrates the ideas of cleanliness entertained by the tea-masters. Rikyu was watching his son Sho-an as he swept and watered the garden path. "Not clean enough," said Rikyu, when Sho-an had finished his task, and bade him try again. After a weary hour the son turned to Rikyu: "Father, there is nothing more to be done. The steps have been washed for the third time, the stone lanterns and the trees are well sprinkled with water, moss and lichens are shining with a fresh verdure; not a twig, not a leaf have I left on the ground." "Young fool," chided the tea master, " that is not the way a garden path should be swept." Saying this, Rikyu stepped into the garden, shook a tree and scattered over the garden gold and crimson leaves, scraps of the brocade of autumn! What Rikyu demanded was not cleanliness alone, but the beautiful and the natural also.

Personnel Five-Year Development Plan: How to Be a Qualified Accountant

Personnel Five-Year Development Plan: How to be a qualified accountant Xingyi Wu 1591926 Personnel Administration V3 Dr. Bahareh Assadi March 07 , 2013 Personnel Five-Year Development Plan: How to be a qualified accountant In the modern society, the developing speed of economy is very fast, which means the world is becoming a business world. As a result of this trend, the role of financial management is getting more and more important.That is why more and more people and companies require accountants with good accounting skills, especially in Canada, in which the tax is so complicated that almost all the peolple need an accountant to take responsbility for their tax. Career goals and objectives There are many successful accountants in the world. For example: Daryl Ritchie, CEO of Meyers Norris Penny LLP, got his start in 1978 as an articling student at the firm,and because of Ritchie’s hard work in 20 years, Ritchie was promoted to CEO and has since led the firm in leadership and growth.Another good instance is Bill Thomas, who is the CEO and Senior Partner of KPMG Canada, started his career with a bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia in 1989. Thomas began at KPMG in 1990 in Audit practice. Quickly recognized, Thomas soon after moved up to become Audit Leader. Appointed to CEO in 2009, Thomas is now head of the 4,500 employee company(Kristin, 2011). These people are the final goals and objectives to most of the accountants, so do I. My terminal goals and objectives are to be a qualified accountant.I will work in an accounting firm at the beginning time, and after having lots of experience and many clients, I will set up my own accounting firm, that is the ultimate goal and objective in my career. The possible opportunities for career growth In the business world, the importance of accounting has been promoted in recent years. To companies, accountants are essential. They are trained in accounting and are taught to measure, establis h and maintain financial records of great accuracy for companies or individuals, records that have great value for managers, tax authorities and investors.In any business the accountant plays an important role and has many duties. Accountants are responsible for evaluating records provided by the book keepers in order to establish whether the business is progressing or not, and where it lacks improvement. Accountants record financial transactions that take place within the company and prepare financial statements. The most important role of accountants is predicting the cost effectiveness of company strategies and help the overall development of any business through knowledge and technical skill.They are key to the success of any organization, working hand in hand with those who run it(Nacpaf, 2012). To individuals, as I mentioned before, in Canada, almost everyone needs an accountant to help themselves to clarify the items and details of the financial statement, otherwise, they may pay a high price for their financial behaviour because of the strict and complicated tax law in Canada. Considering these two reasons, to set up my own accounting firm has a good prospect. Besides, this business action must have a large number of clients and a huge amount of potential clients, due to this, this action can ensure a very high profit.Therefore, it is a good choice for people who want to be successful. The inventory of current skills, abilities, training, and education It is not very easy to be a qualified accountant. First of all, this person should be good at math and calculating, because being an accountant, this person has to deal with a large amount of numbers. Secondly, this person should be smart enough so that he can try his best to reduce the clients' tax and not break the tax law at the same time.Finally, this person should have abundant knowledge in accounting area. However, there is no company will waste their time on testing whether this person is qualifie d or not, considering of this, this person had better has passed CGA exam. A CGA is an accounting professional with expertise in finance, taxation, business strategy, auditing, management, and business leadership. CGAs must meet the education, experience and examination requirements established, and regularly enhanced, by CGA-Canada(Wikipedia, 2013).After passing all the courses which CGA requires, this person will be qualified enough to do an accounting job. Job satisfaction attributes What attribute people to have an accounting job? For the first reason, getting an accounting job can offer people a stable salary. Some people are not interested in the jobs which are very flexible, they prefer to do things followed some laws or rules, they do not need to think about how they should do this thing, they should only care about what they should do.For the second reason, to have an accounting job is really more than getting a job. People use accounting in their daily lives when they stud y financial statements to make investment decisions, assess interest rates to pay off their house mortgages, and calculate rates for car payment. The last reason is that this job is comparably easy. Firstly, people do not have to work day and night. Secondly, people can even work at home instead of going to their work place. Thirdly, this job is very safe, people won't risk their lives when doing this work.Three action steps to reach the stated career goals and objectives For the first 2 years, the most important thing is collecting the accounting knowledge, starting learning CGA courses and passing the CGA exam. This is also the fundamental period during one's accounting career. A good beginning is half the success. For the following 2 years, after graduating from university, I will enter a small accounting firm. Because of lacking in the accounting experience, probably the big accounting firms will not hire people who just graduate from university.However, as a CGA, to find a job in a small company is not very hard. I will spend these 2 years to accumulate work experience, save money and try to know lots of clients to lay the foundation for setting up my own accounting firm. For the fifth year, after having enough funds and clients, I will set up my own company. This is the ultimate goal and objective in my career. I believe this step will be a milestone in my career life. Potential barriers To be a qualified accountant is a very long and hard period for an international student.For one thing, as I come from China, there are sigificant differences between Canadian and Asian universities, especially when it comes to accounting education. These differences, in conjunction with differences in cognitive and linguistic patterns, constitute formidable barriers that initially prevent successful participation in the Canadian accounting courses(Mary, Matthew& Panadda, 1999). For another, even if Asian students have studied English for a long time or have passed some basic English tests, the language is still the biggest problem during their study time.What is more challenging for Asian students is that they have adapted to their own country's tax law. However, in Canada, they have to learn a totally new tax law in their second language, which is also a intractable trouble for them. Conclusion Being an accountant has many advantages. For instance, people can get a stable salary from this job, they don't have to day and night. Besides, accounting offres people an absolutely good potencial opportunity in business. Therefore, if they can overcome the barriers mentioned before, it's really a good choice to start an accounting firm. ReferencesKristin, Craik. (2011). Canada's Best Accountants. Retrieved from http://www. businessreviewcanada. ca/money_matters/canadas-best-accountants Nacpaf. (2012). Accountants in the company. Retrieved from http://www. nacpaf. com/role-of-accountatns-in-a-company. html Wikipedia. (2013). Certified General Accountant. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Certified_General_Accountant Mary, Beaven. , Matthew, Calderisi. , & Panadda Tantral. (1999). Barriers to Learning Experienced by Asian Students in American Accounting Classes. Retrieved from http://www. fdu. edu/newspubs/barriers. html

Sociolgical Imagination

Sociological Imagination Sociological Imagination can be defined as the ability to notice a difference in people due to their social circumstances, how their â€Å"social norms,† influence their lives. Sometimes these situations can lead to an outcome and it gives you an understanding as to why things happen the way they do. You understand what causes led to that specific outcome. Basically, you understand peoples lives because you can see how the outcome effects their lives and the people around them.Having an understanding of sociological imagination helps in the field of sociology because it alps you have a different perspective on peoples lives. I started dating a guy at the beginning of my senior year of high school. Not long after, we become inseparable. It didn't take very long for me to think I was in love. When I felt like it was the right time, we decided to have sex. I never thought that I would get pregnant the first time because we were safe, and I was on birth co ntrol. Fortunately, I didn't. As the months went on we would risk not using protection and I was still not getting pregnant.Stupidly, I thought well maybe I Just can not get pregnant since it has not happened to me yet. After about a year of dating, I missed my birth control for a week. About eight weeks after that I get really sick and can not keep any food down. My grandmother takes me to the doctor and I will never forget that moment when the doctor came back in and said the words I thought I would never hear. I was pregnant. My sister had gotten pregnant while she was still in high school, so my mother really depended on me to be the daughter that finished college and then started a life of my own. She was so disappointed in me.But the rest of my family viewed it as normal that I had gotten pregnant at 18. Many of my cousins started a family instead of going to college. 9 out of 11 of my cousins were teen parents. Along with the younger generation, my grandparents, aunts, and un cles also started their families very early. While I did not purposely try to start a family at my age, my family did not see it as a bad thing. My boyfriend stepped up in this situation and decided early on that he was not going to be like every other young dad and run off. He has changed every part of his life to give our baby the best life possible.A long time ago getting married at a very young age was socially acceptable, now it is morally wrong in many ultras. Since girls were married at a young age, teen pregnancy was accepted, also. In this generation teen pregnancy is still Just as common as it was then, but without the girls being married or even in a relationship. â€Å"1 . 3 in 10 teen American girls will get pregnant at least once before ago 20. That's nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies every year. 3. Less than 2 percent of teen moms earn a college degree by age 30. 5. The United States has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the western industrialized world. 10.Al most fifty percent of teens have never considered how pregnancy would affect their lives. (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy) Due to teen pregnancy rates being so high, Americans have to learn to accept and adapt to this being a new custom. â€Å"Based on a teen survey his organization conducted in 2009, a vast majority (eighty-seven percent) of teens who watched the MAT show 16 and Pregnant reported that they felt the show helped demonstrate to them the true hardships that teenage pregnancy can bring to both girls and boys. In contrast, very few (seventeen percent) felt the show actually glorified teen pregnancy. (Silvers) These shows help to show the struggles that all he young girls starring in them face. By putting their stories out there they are helping to reduce teen pregnancy rates. Even though there are shows to help try to reduce teen pregnancy, there are also movies and shows that make being sexually active teens look â€Å"cool,† or â €Å"popular. † Many movies show the virgin being made fun of for not being sexually active. Making sex look fun or cool results in teens having sex, which may lead to teen pregnancy. The social norm for young people is to graduate high school, go to college, get a career, and start a life of their own.

Conflict Management

If a conflict should arise over the course of the team project, Group 4 has agreed to mitigate the conflict as soon as possible. Based on the situation of the conflict, whether It Is personal or technical for example, the team will come together and discuss the situation. Once all details of the conflict are known, the team will determine the best way to address the conflict by a majority rules team vote. After a decision is made it will take effect immediately to address the conflict. Note: All conflicts and decisions will be thoroughly discussed with the course instructor along he way for suggestions and ultimate authority. B. Motivation and stability are keys for success in the team project. Group 4 possess these qualities and does not foresee a lack of either throughout the length of the project. However, in an unforeseen circumstance where lack of motivation is identified by the team, it will be addressed immediately. The team will address the team member who Is not performing a t the expected level of commitment.This will either be done In a group setting (weekly team call) or an Individual representing the team reaching out to the member after speaking with the other team members. . Address the situation with the team member (either In a group or Individual setting). 2. Determine if the team member needs additional help or other action to bring their motivation back up. 3. Based on the needs, action will be taken by the team to remedy the situation. *Note: All concerns about motivation of a team member will be thoroughly discussed with the course instructor along the way for suggestions and ultimate authority.Based on the situations that follow, the specific action will be taken to address and mitigate the situation. L. Team member falls Into one or more categories below: Non-responsive: If Group 4 Identifies a team member that has become non- responsive (unless previously notified due to travel, business, etc. ); the team will try to reach out to the mem ber by email several times. If there is still no response after 5 days, the team will then contact the team member by phone (contact phone number for emergencies provided to team).If contact is still not made, the team will get the course instructor involved in the situation. – Disruptive: If a team member becomes disruptive to the team (continually derailing team meetings, email discussions, or deliverables), Group 4 will mom together to address the situation immediately. The individual will be address by the team in a team that the Individual's actions are not meeting or group email. The team will state conducive to team activities and the actions need to stop Immediately.If the situation continues after an Nominal conversation or email, the course Instructor will be notified and action will be taken accordingly. – Not actively contributing: If a team member is not actively contributing, Group be address by the team in a team meeting or group email. It will be determ ined if the individual Just needs extra help that the team can provide r if it is another circumstance not related to the course. If the situation cannot be remedied through added help from the team, Group 4 will consult with the course instructor to determine the best course of action. Not participating in weekly conference calls: If a team member is not attending weekly conference calls on a regular basis (unless previously notified due to travel, business, etc. ); the team will reach out to the team member through email first then the emergency phone number provided to discuss the situation. If the issue is not resolved, – Produces low-quality work: If a team member is providing low-quality work recently, Group 4 will come together to address the situation immediately.The individual will be address by the team in a team meeting or group email. It will be determined if the individual Just needs extra help that the team can provide or some other reason. If the member does no t want team help and still provides low-quality work, Group 4 will consult with the course instructor to determine the best course of action. It. If a team member decides to drop the class, Group 4 will come together to address the situation immediately. The remaining members of the team will reassign the work, so everyone in Group 4 will have a fair amount.Depending at what point a team member may drop, Group 4 will reach out to the course instructor if it will greatly impact a deliverable with an approaching deadline. Iii. If a team member has an emergency and cannot participate, Group 4 will come together to address the situation immediately. The remaining members of the team will reassign the work, so everyone in Group 4 will have a fair amount. If the team member will be able to return at some point, the team will again come together and divide the work up so each team member has a fair amount. Throughout this time, communication with the course instructor will also be in effec t. Conflict management Organizations exist to accomplish sine set goals and objectives. NAMP’s main goals is to offer support to the US navy especially in terms of maintenance to fleet and other navy equipment in various settings including combat missions. In the process of execution of its goals an organization is bound to experience conflict, for NAMP these conflicts are real considering the fact that, the organization is comprised of staff from the diverse US culture and the fact that, operations in NAMP calls for team work as opposed to individual efforts.Therefore, conflicts emerge and how such conflicts are managed determines whether NAMP functions effectively. To ensure that, conflicts are resolved to the advantage of the organization, NAMP should use the following conflict resolution strategies. Such strategies include avoidance, accommodating, forcing, compromise as well as problem solving (win-win) strategy.IntroductionOrganizations exist to achieve some set goals and objective. Organizati onal goals and objectives guides any given organization into the achievement of the specific goals and objectives a set out in the organizational policies and procedures.   To achieve organizational objectives and goals, any given organization engages several resources such as man, money, machine, technology and raw materials and knowledge.   Whenever teams are formed, conflicts emerge. Conflicts if managed well through utilization of conflict resolution strategies can benefit the organization a lot. Unless conflicts in teams are well managed, job performance goes down, as well as employee morale and motivation.Background InformationManagement of an organization is responsible for ensuring that all the resources of an organization are utilized so well so as to ensure that the organization achieves its mission.   Where human beings are involved conflicts always come up.   Navy, like any other given organization, conflicts arise and when they do, there is a need for conflict r esolution by applying conflict management principles such as avoidance, accommodating, forcing, compromise as well as problem solving (win-win) strategy (Valley, 2006.231-245).   Conflicts are important to an organization in that if well managed they result into the birth of new ideas.   The Navy relies on teamwork so as to execute its functions well.Where teams exist there is a need for a spirit of cooperation so as to achieve that synergetic function as teams as opposed to operating like individuals.   The Navy recruits officers from all cultural backgrounds in the US and therefore it naturally occurs that the people who end up joining teams in the Navy are comprised of diverse cultural backgrounds.   This can be a leading source of conflict in the Navy and it calls for careful management, which is non-partisan and geared towards achieving a common good for all.   NAMP is responsible for offering logistical support through aircraft maintenance.By the virtue of maintainin g Navy aircraft, NAMP constitutes an integral part of naval operations and therefore any conflicts, which interrupts morale of workers in this department affects the whole Navy force (Bohrer, 2002.24-65).   The staff of NAMP is divided into 3 levels which include the organizational level also referred to as the O-Level, performs maintenance for aircraft as well as aeronautical equipment services, preventive maintenance, inspections as well as corrective maintenance (Bohrer, 2002.48-66).The other levels, which MAMP is organized around, are the intermediate level responsible for combat maintenance and support also referred to as I-Level. The other level of NAMP is the Depot level involved in overhauling obsolete fleet (Bohrer, 2002.55-68).   The fact that NAMP constitutes of officers in several levels such as O-Level, I-Level, D-Level as well as OMD officers implies that officers at NAMP have to constantly function in support to each other, subsequently conflicts are always bound to happen.   The following are some practical conflict resolution, which are applied at NAMP to ensure that conflicts do not disintegrate teams but on the contrary to make sure that conflicts are resolved to the advantage of the organization.BodyConflict resolution is only effective whereby; all efforts bear in mind the sources of conflicts in teams such as, unresolved conflicts, frustration in team members, which all reduce the effectiveness of teams (Schermerhon, Hunt, & Osborn, 2005.35-79). In terms of value, it is important to align team members’ values so that they are in agreements with organizational values. This ensures that employee behavior is in conformity with organizational galls and objectives. This is important and where individual goals are in conflict with organizational goals the latter should take precedence.Collaboration and problem solving is an effective way of handling conflicts in teams. Collaboration calls for the team members to brainstorm the sour ce of conflicts so as to come up with effective solutions to the emerging problems. Members are allowed the freedom to decide on the best solution to the problem which is task oriented (Cranny, Smith, & Stone, 1992.46-66). Collaboration calls for a give and take attitude in which team members can compromise their opinions and ideas for the success of the team.Collaboration allows room for all teams to work together in harmony with resolutions to conflict being suitable and in line with team’s interests. Collaboration as a conflict resolution strategy is ideal for teams in that, it leads to the participation of all team members in the decision making process (Schermerhon, Hunt, & Osborn, 2005.37-78).Avoidance is another conflict resolution strategy, which is very central and important to teams. Avoidance as a strategy is based on the belief that some conflicts arise out of petty and minor differences which are to easy to resolve as long as employees are willing to sit down and act as groups for the common benefit of the organization (Tajfeh, & Turner, 1979.64-81). Avoidance as a conflict resolution strategy is based on the understanding that, human beings are different and therefore differences are inevitable. Where conflicts are solved well, teams regain and strengthen trust in each other as well as trust in the organization .Avoidance strategy therefore advocates for forgiveness in order to achieve slow healing of differences. Avoidance requires conflicting members of a team to engage in less physical contact in order to allow individual differences to heal (Spector, Fox & Van Katwyk, 1999.12-32). Therefore, avoidance of the source of conflict is an effective means of strengthening interpersonal relations in teams.Authoritative command has been found to be an effective conflict resolution strategy. Authoritative command assumes that, team leaders can effectively solve the differences between employees or team members. This is an easy and faster way of resolving conflicts given the fact that, this conflict resolution strategy is the very fast and does not involve a lot of deliberations which may be time consuming. Given the fact that leaders have authority, arbitrating becomes easy hence speeding up the conflict resolution process. Unlike the collaboration approach, authoritative command does not leave room for brainstorming of issues and decisions are left to the discretion of the team leader (Tajfeh, & Turner, 1979.74-81).The other common conflict resolution strategy is accommodation method. Accommodation is especially useful in resolving conflicts resulting from individual differences. It involves team members giving up the possible gains in a conflict situation to accommodate opinions of other team members (Fox, & Spector, 1999.109-126). This method is useful in building effective teams based on mutual understanding. Finally, comprise is also a conflict resolution commonly used by teams to resolve conflicts.Compromise as a con flict resolution strategy calls for the team members to settle for less, for the sake of the team and the organization. In a compromise situation a team member may accept to suffer in order arrive at solutions to challenges and for the sake of the survival of the team (Cranny, Smith, & Stone, 1992.47-65). Compromise is useful in situations, which threaten the very survival of an organization.Conclusion Team building takes a lot of organization resources and conflicts should not be left to bring down the team spirit. To ensure the survival of teams in organization calls for a good understanding of the nature, types, causes and resolution strategies. Whereby conflicts are resolved well, teams move from strength to strength and the organization achieves goals and objectives.RecommendationsIt is recommendable for NAMP to utilize; avoidance, accommodating, forcing, compromise as well as problem solving (win-win) strategy wherever challenges emerge in the process to running the day to day activities of the organization. Conflict resolution can not be well management unless managers’ are well trained. There is a need for NAMP to train its managers in skills related to conflict resolution so as to make sure that, the organization continues to offer its services uninterrupted, and to maintain high staff morale as well as prevent staff turnover which often results if conflicts are not well managed.ReferencesBohrer, D. 2002.24-65. America’s Special Forces.   Minnesota. Zenith press.Cranny, C, Smith, P. and Stone, E.1992.46-66. Job satisfaction. New York: Lexington.Fox, S and Spector, P. 1999.102-142. A model of work frustration-aggression. Journal of organization at Behavior. 20.Spector, P., Fox, S., and Van Katwyk, P. 1999.12-32. The role of negative affectivity in employee reactions to jobs characteristics: Bias effect or substantive effect. Journal of occupational and organizational Psychology, 72.Schermerhon, S., Hunt, J., and Osborn, R. 2005.35-79. O rganizational behavior. 9ed. John Wiley $ Sons Inc.Tajfeh, H., and Turner, J. 1979.64-81. An intergroup conflict in W.G.Austin & S. Worchel (Eds). The social psychology of intergroup relation. Monterey, CA; Brooks/Cole.Valley, P.H. 2006.231-245. Theory and application of managerial communications. United States: McGraw-Hill / Irwin.

Benthic Marine Ecosystems

The Earth is a delicate web of ecosystems which are interconnected and intertwined and have an impact on the rest of the system. Changes or disturbances to any component of this complex web can have wide carrying serious effects often even on components that are seemingly unconnected. One of the major and important components of this complex and fragile system is the benthic marine ecosystem which plays an important role in maintaining the ecological balance. The Benthic marine ecosystem exists at the lowest level of a body of water of an ocean or a lake called as the benthic zone.It comprises of ‘benthic organisms’ or ‘Benthos’ that live in close association with the soil at the bottom of the water body which is very essential for all their biological activity. Benthic marine ecosystems are often disturbed because of human activity resulting in disturbance to the entire marine ecosystem and ultimately to the overall Earth’s system. Since Benthic ecos ystems form such an integral and important part of the entire ecosystem and have such far reaching impacts it is essential to understand the potential threats to the benthic ecosystems and its impacts.Threats to the Benthic ecosystems and their impacts and comparison to the pelagic ecosystem Human actvities of trawling and by-catch Trawling has always posed a threat to marine ecosystems as there is a lack of selectivity due to the nature of the trawl net and there is capture of a huge and diverse number of untargetted aquatic life called by-catch. This has a serious impact on the chemical , physical and biological nature of the Benthic marine ecosystem. Huge biomass is removed through trawling.This results in reduced marine fish landings and productivity as Benthic habitats house fauna which serves as food to many marine life and provides shelter and protection to smaller fishes. Eg A single passage of the beam trawl is known to kill 5-65% of the resident fauna and mix the top few c entimeters of the sediment. It has an effect that is similar to forest clear-cutting. (Trawling and by-catch: Implications on marine ecosystem , Biju, A. K. &, Deepti, G. R. (2006)) Trawling causes the most serious physical disturbance on the sea-floor.They can burrow deep furrows on the ocean floor, remove corals rocks , stir up sediments, smother benthic organisms creating havoc and destroying a lot of marine life and biodiversity. Dragging of trawl nets and formation of sediment clouds may affect the natural balance between physio-chemical parameters and decreases the dissolved oxygen and the benthic fauna composition . Trawling is known to flush out nutrients and contaminants and release lethal gases such as methane , ammonia hyydrogen sulphide thus affecting the life and mortality of organisms.Benthic communities also play an important role in remineralisation and release of nutrients in marine ecosystems. All this ultimately affects the entire marine ecosystem and aquatic biod iversity impacting the entire ecoystem. However it is seen that the impact of trawling on the pegalic ecosystem is minimal as they are buffered by their physical environment and phytoplanktons and some other organisms which are a major component of this ecosystem are able to vary their cell nutrient content irrespective of environmental changes due to trawling.However it is somewhat difficult to analyse the imact sometimes as some pelagic species depend on benthic communities for food and shelter during the early stages. Also the effect might just be to increase the population of some species when compared to other species that may not have a very significant impact as these species are relatives at the top of the food chain. Eg The Gulf of Thailand showed an increase in the cephalopod species when trawling was done frequently.Stable states are often returned to over a duration of time when trawling is stopped which may not happen in case of benthic communities. Trophic cascades in Benthic marine ecosystems : Fishing Fishing is one of the most exploitative acts of human beings . There are many indirect impacts of fishing other than just removal of target and non target organisms. There are many fishing tools which disturb the benthic natural environment by taking out benthic sessile organisms that provide a critical structural habitat important for the organisms activities.Fishing can cause mechanical effects to the bottom of the water bed by dragging the fishing gear across it resulting in habitat changes and reduction in refuge for animals. Stellwagen Bank, a heavily fished area, was observed in 1993 and 1994 before and after a certain type of fishing gear was introduced. Benthic communities were adversely affected. (Sustaining Marine Fisheries (1999)). Fishing or harvesting in an unplanned manner leads to changes in the population of aquatic life which can disturb the benthic ecosytem . There is a coupling between benthic and pelagic systems both of which a re affected due to this activity.Since benthic fauna and organisms are the target organisms of fish , reduction in their population can result in increase in density and diversity of infaunal species which is a potential threat to the ecosystem. However once the fishing activity is stopped populations do stabilize and return to normal atleast in case of pelagic systems which easily recover. Climatic changes and global warming environment pollution Global warming and climatic changes have a major impact on Benthic communities . Photosynthesis is inhibited due to global warming and ozone depletion in the benthic zone.Solar UV-B radiations are found to impair the reproductive processes of organisms in the benthic zone. It reduces the size of benthic populatons and reduces their mortality. Coastal areas in many countries which are developing rapidly with major ports, tourist spots and pollution in coastal areas result in deterioration of Benthic populations Eg Lebanon. Persistent Organi c Pollutants(POP’s), Radioactive discharges, PCB’s, Oil and Gas discharges and dumping from ships are potential threats to benthic ecosystems. The ill effects of pollution can be summarised into three main ill effects .It can increase the concentration of Hydrogen ions thus increasing the acidity in those ecosytems, it can reach toxic levels that impair the ability of benthic organisms to grow and reproduce, and it can ultimately disturb the entire food web . ( The Structure of Marine Ecosystems, Steele, J. H. (1974. )) It is also seen that in case of pelagic ecosystems it is not possible to analyse exactly the direct effect of global warming and climatic changes on the pelagic species and they can be misleading and inaccurate and effect would be in terms of predator requirements.However it is seen that in case of pelagic phytoplanktons there is decoupling between photosynthesis and nutrient intake Shift in nutrient and bio-chemical ratios will result in changes in the ecosystem. Oftentimes newly introduced species ,such as from ballast water from ships, also pose a threat to benthic ecosystems of an area as they disturb the complex and the delicate food web. Eg the Svalbard area of Norway lists 11 new species( microalgae and benthic organisms) as per the European Environmental Agency. Oil spills from ships and pipeline as well as land-based pollution pose a threat.In the benthic ecosystem hydrocarbon pollution could cause adverse changes such as destruction of species in the lower trophic level, which could be useful in the breakdown processes of carbon , nitrogen and sulphur cycles and also the disturbance to the food web due to extinction of some species. Studies were conducted during the oil spill from the ocean vessel ‘MV River Princess’ regarding the effect of the oil spill on the benthic organisms. ( Ecotoxicological effect of grounded MV River Princess On Intertidal Benthic Organisms off Goa, Ingole, B &, Sivadas, S &, Goltek ar, R (2006).After research and lab tests it was seen that there were reduced levels of oxygen due to reduced benthic biomass and increased respiratory activity by some aerobic bacteria which can mineralize the Hydrocarbons from the oil spill. Population of various fauna were found to be completely altered thus the biodiversity was adversely affected furthur reducing the concentration and mortality of aquatic life. There was a 60% reduction on the number of species available. All these changes had adverse effect on the marine ecosystem. References 1. Biju, A. K. &, Deepti, G. R. (2006). Trawling and by-catch: Implications on marine ecosystem2. Ingole, B &, Sivadas, S &, Goltekar, R (2006). Ecotoxicological effect of grounded MV River Princess On Intertidal Benthic Organisms off Goa 3. Orheim, O. (2006). Protecting the environment of the Artic Ecoystem 4. Grassle, J. F. 1997. Report to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Workshop to Consider the Scientific and Technical Aspects of a Cens us of Marine Benthic Species. 5. Steele, J. H. (1974). The Structure of Marine Ecosystems. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. 6. Sustaining Marine Fisheries ,(1999), Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources ,Ocean Studies Board