Outline the Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God (21)

Outline the cosmological argument for the existence of God (21) The Cosmological argument is an argument that attempts to prove the existence of God, it is also known as the causation argument which argues that as all events require a cause, if the universe is an event it must have a cause and that cause is God. The argument is a posteriori because its based on evidence that already exists in the universe. The cosmological argument is also inductive because the conclusion is what is most probable, it is also synthetic because the truth can only be determined by experience. Cosmological’ comes from the Greek words ‘kosmos’ and ‘logos’ translated as ‘cosmos’ synonymous with ‘universe’ and ‘Logos’ meaning ‘blueprint’ or ‘plan’. Therefore, ‘cosmology’ refers to the ‘blueprint of the universe’. The Cosmological argument originated from Plato and Aristotle however it was mainly later developed by St. Thomas Aquinas. Their arguments both began with the idea that motion needs a prior agency. Plato then identified the first cause of the chain of events as the need for an unmoved mover which started off the chain.Aquinas' main argument is well known as ‘Aquinas' third way'; the argument from contingency and necessity. The first of Aquinas' ways was ‘from motion,' this follows the idea that all objects move and a change of quality is movement. Nothing can move itself, which then leads to the idea of a chain of movement but the chain cannot be infinate, therfor there must be an unmoved mover to begin the chain. This first mover is God. The second of Aquinas' ways was ‘from efficiant causes,' this follows the idea that all things are caused by something else because they cant cause themselves or they would exist before themselves.However this would mean that there cant be an infinite chain of causes, meaning there must be a 1st cause that caused all causes, then this 1st cause is God. The third of Aquinas' ways is ‘from contingency and necessity. This follows the idea that everything is dependant of factors outside itself, therefor everything is contingent. If this is correct then there must be a necessary being upon which everything is dependant on. The necessary being is God.Another part to the cosmological argument is the Kalam argument which was developed by Al Ghazali and recently developed by Craig. The Kalam argument rejects the idea of an actual infinite because an actual infinite past of the universe is impossible. Craig developed the Kalam argument and added that it is logically unsound to propose an infinite series because for this to actually occur we would have to have travelled an infinite length of time and so still wouldnt be in the present yet.However, some would critique Aquinas’ theory, for example; Hick pokes holes in aquinas's ‘three ways. ’ Hick says that Aquinas p resent us with two alternatives; that the universe is either â€Å"a fact†, or there is a ‘first cause’. Aquinas' argument can only be proven if there is evidence of a first cause of the universe. (ii )Consider the view that the strengths are more convincing than the weaknesses (9) Leibniz argued that there had to be a sufficient reason for the universe to exist which supports Aquinas's theory.Leibniz says that even if the universe had always been in existence, it would still require an explanation for its existence so we can establish that there is something rather than nothing. Since there is nothing within the universe to show why it exists the reason must therefor exist outside of it. However Hume disagrees with Aquinas and observes that to arrive at the existance of god from the premises of the cosmological argument, this requires an inductive leap which ineffectively guesses without having actual evidence that allows for the assumption to be made.This then means that you cannot make an inductive leap about the universe because we cannot make conclusions about something outside our exerience. In contrast to Hume copelston suports Aquinas' rejection of infinite regress based on the idea that an infinite chain of contingent beings would only consist of contingent beings therefor meaning they could never be able to bring themselves into existence. However like Hume, Mackie disagrees with Aquinas' inductive leap by stating hat ‘ everything at some time must exist' to ‘at some point sometime everything does not exist' here there is a clear overlap of things that just dont make sense to put after eachother as there is clearly something missing in the middle. Taking these points into consideration we can make the assumption that the weaknesses are in actual fact stronger than the strengths because the strenghts agree with the inductive leap aquinas has made, however the leap clearly looks as if something in the middle is missing a s you just cant make an assumption on something bigger than us that we have no expience of.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 14

Seth shot up from the chair, face filled with hurt and fury. It was surreal. For a moment, he looked like a stranger . . . and yet, he also looked like everyone I'd ever known. Everyone I'd loved. Everyone I'd hurt. â€Å"You,† he exclaimed, striding toward me. â€Å"How could you do that to me? How could you do that to me?† I had never heard Seth yell like that. I cringed against my chair, too stunned to react. Meanwhile, Hugh seemed to come to life. He had been as shocked by Seth's initial reaction as me, particularly since Hugh understood even less than I did about what was going on. He was still undoubtedly confused, but some instinct spurred him to action when he saw Seth advance. I didn't think Seth would've hurt me, but he was kind of scary just then. Hugh grabbed a hold of Seth's arm. â€Å"Whoa, whoa,† said Hugh. â€Å"Easy there. Everyone calm down.† Roman likewise seemed to suddenly realize something was wrong here. He'd been so excited by the developments, his face aglow as all his theories fell into place. Now events were moving in a direction he hadn't foreseen. He rose, mirroring Hugh's fighter's stance. Only, Roman was doing it defensively, coming to stand in front of me, in case Seth broke Hugh's hold. That didn't seem very likely. The imp was strong. â€Å"How could you do that to me?† repeated Seth, voice still roaring with fury. â€Å"I trusted you! I trusted you and I loved you!† I had witnessed all of this unfolding but hadn't dared allow myself to really and truly accept it. I had seen the impossible. I had seen Seth relive the lives of men he hadn't known – men he couldn't have known – walking back through the centuries of my long existence. Some voice inside of me kept saying, No, no, this isn't happening. This can't be real. It's some trick of Hell's. I was working hard not to process what I'd heard because processing it meant accepting it. But with those last words, Seth penetrated something inside of my numb self. He broke through, and I snapped. â€Å"I didn't! I didn't do anything to you!† I cried. I had to peer around Roman to meet Seth's eyes and almost wished I hadn't. They were cold. So terribly cold and hurt. â€Å"You cheated on me,† said Seth, straining against Hugh. â€Å"Cheated on me with my best friend. . . .† Yet, even as he spoke, I could see him falter. The feelings he'd felt as Kyriakos were real, but he was examining it now as Seth Mortensen. The mixed realities were confusing him. It was understandable. They confused me. â€Å"Seth,† I said desperately. â€Å"I didn't do that to you. Think about it. I love you. I love you so much.† Seth stopped struggling, though Hugh didn't relinquish his grip. Seth's features were still filled with hurt and confusion. â€Å"Not to me . . . to him. But I am him. I'm all of them.† Seth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. What had been reasonable and clear under hypnosis was becoming more difficult to grasp. â€Å"How? How is that possible?† â€Å"Past lives,† said Roman. â€Å"You're right. You were all of them. You lived all of those lives, long before you were born into this one.† â€Å"Reincarnation? That . . . that's impossible,† said Seth. â€Å"Is it?† asked Roman, regaining some of his confidence now that the situation was no longer escalating. â€Å"How do you know? Do you have a direct line into the way the universe works?† â€Å"So, wait . . . what about you guys?† asked Seth. â€Å"Are Heaven and Hell not real?† â€Å"Oh,† said Hugh wryly, â€Å"they're real.† â€Å"All of it is real,† said Roman. â€Å"And vastly more complex than any faulty human system can understand.† He turned to me, expression softening. I must have looked terrified. â€Å"What Seth saw . . . what he lived through. You knew all of them, didn't you? All of those identities?† I focused on Roman, afraid I'd lose my nerve if I looked at Seth again. I nodded. â€Å"Yes . . . they were all people . . . all men I knew in my life.† Hugh frowned. â€Å"How is that possible? I can get on board with reincarnation. I've seen enough to believe it can happen. But him always being reborn around you? You running into him – what was it, ten times? That's statistically impossible.† â€Å"The things we're dealing with aren't really governed by statistics and probability,† said Roman. â€Å"There are other forces at work here, forces that guide his rebirth. It was part of his contract, the deal you made as Kyriakos. What can you tell us about it?† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about. . . . I don't remember . . . I . . .† Seth shook his head, the anger returning. â€Å"I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let me go. I need to get out of here. I need to get away from her!† â€Å"Seth . . .† I said. â€Å"But you're the key!† exclaimed Roman. â€Å"The key to unlocking Georgina's problems. You're the other contract, the one Erik was talking about. You're tied to her, tied to everything that's been going on with her.† â€Å"I don't care,† said Seth. He seemed to just barely be able to keep his emotions in check. â€Å"I don't care about your various and sundry plots! Do you have any idea what I just saw? What I just went through? I'm still not even sure I understand any of it! I don't understand who I am! All I know is her – and what she did to me.† â€Å"Seth,† I tried again. Or should I address him as Kyriakos? I didn't know. â€Å"Please . . . I love you. I've always loved you. What happened . . . it was . . . it was an accident. . . .† The look Seth gave me was dark and wary. â€Å"It sure didn't seem like an accident when I walked in on you.† â€Å"I never meant to . . .† â€Å"To rip my heart out?† he cried. â€Å"To destroy my world? My life?† â€Å"Roman,† said Hugh carefully. â€Å"Maybe we should give him some time to process this.† â€Å"We don't have time,† said Roman. â€Å"Hell can move fast – especially if they find out what we know. If we're going to save Georgina – â€Å" â€Å"I don't care!† said Seth again, this time with more vehemence. â€Å"I don't care what happens to any of you, and I certainly don't care about what happens to her. It's probably less than she deserves.† â€Å"She didn't do anything to you,† said Roman. â€Å"She's been a pretty solid girlfriend, from what I've seen.† â€Å"Seth,† I pleaded, knowing Roman wasn't quite getting it yet. â€Å"I . . . I'm sorry. It was a long time ago.† My words were terribly, terribly inadequate, but Seth was tapping into things I'd forced myself to block out – because they were too painful. â€Å"For you, maybe,† said Seth. â€Å"It happened over the course of centuries. One life for you. But for me . . . whatever you guys did with the hypnosis, it's all here now. All of those lives . . . those memories. Here in my head at the same time. It didn't happen ‘a long time ago' for me. It's like it just happened yesterday! All those feelings, all that pain . . .† â€Å"It'll fade,† said Hugh, not sounding as though he was certain. â€Å"What you regressed through is still fresh, and you weren't brought out of the trance properly. Give it time. Or . . . if you want, I can put you back under and make you forget this.† â€Å"And forget her?† demanded Seth. â€Å"So I can forget what a faithless, conniving bitch she's been to me?† â€Å"Seth . . .† I could feel tears forming in my eyes. â€Å"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. If I could take it back, I would.† â€Å"Which part?† he asked. â€Å"The part where you proved our marriage meant nothing to you? Or the countless other times you lied to me and broke my heart? Do you have any idea how I feel? What it feels like to be experiencing all of that at the same time? Maybe you've moved past it all and don't care anymore, but it's real for me!† â€Å"It is for me too. I . . . I love you.† They were the only words I managed to get out, and they still weren't enough. Where was all my usual glib charm? My ability to talk my way out of anything? I was still too choked up on my emotions, still reeling from the fact that looking into Seth's eyes meant looking into the eyes of every man I'd ever loved. I wanted to convince him how sorry I was and explain that having a long life hadn't dulled the feelings inside me. If anything, it had only provided more time for those feelings to sink in and punish me. I wanted to explain to him how I'd felt during that first transgression and how it had been a poor reaction to feelings I didn't know how to process as a scared young woman. I wanted to explain that most of my actions since then, especially the times I'd pushed away other lovers, had been weak attempts at protecting them. There was so much I wanted to say, but I just didn't have the words – or courage – to get any of it out. So, I remained silent, and the tears spilled out of my eyes. Seth took a deep breath, forcing. â€Å"Let me go, Hugh. I won't hurt her. I don't want anything to do with her. I just want to go home. I need to get out of here.† â€Å"Don't,† said Roman. â€Å"We need him. We need more answers, so that we can understand the contracts.† â€Å"Hugh, let him go.† I barely recognized the voice as my own. Roman looked at me incredulously. â€Å"We need him,† he repeated. â€Å"He's done enough,† I said flatly. In my head, Seth's words echoed: I don't want anything to do with her. â€Å"We've done enough to him.† When nobody reacted, I met Hugh's gaze squarely. â€Å"Do it. Let him go.† Hugh glanced between Roman and me and then made a decision. Still keeping hold of Seth's arm, Hugh steered him away from us and walked him to the door. Roman made more protests and took a few steps toward them, but I remained frozen where I was. I didn't look behind me, not even when I heard the door slam. Hugh returned, and Roman slumped back into his chair, sighing with frustration. â€Å"Well,† he said. â€Å"Once he calms down, we'll get him back and talk things out.† â€Å"I don't think he's going to calm down,† I said, staring off at nothing. I don't want anything to do with her. â€Å"He's just in shock,† said Roman. I didn't answer. Roman didn't know. Roman didn't understand the full scope of our history together. He hadn't seen Kyriakos's face after my betrayal, the grief that had been so deep it had nearly driven him to suicide. That was part of why I'd become a succubus, using my soul to purchase peace for him in the form of forgetfulness. It was the only way to save him. But if he remembered everything now, if he really was Kyriakos reborn . . . then, no. He wasn't â€Å"just in shock.† I had done a terrible, terrible thing to him, and his outrage wasn't unfounded. A shiver ran through me as I thought about the instant connection I'd had with Seth, the feeling like I'd always known him. It was because I had always known him. Life after life. I'd always felt like we were bound into something greater than ourselves . . . and we were. Something great and terrible. Hugh dragged up a chair and sat across from me. He caught hold of one of my hands. â€Å"Sweetie, I swear to you, I had no clue any of that would happen.† I gave him a halfhearted squeeze back. â€Å"What . . . what did you think would happen?† Hugh glanced at Roman. â€Å"He asked me if I could hypnotize Seth and attempt some past life regression. I had no idea what it was for. Fuck, I had no idea it would really work, let alone walk us through nine emotionally damaged lives. Ten, since we now seemed to have fucked up this one.† I felt hollow inside, hollow and aching. I turned to Roman, astonished I could manage any sort of reasonable discussion when my world had just been destroyed. â€Å"How did you know it would happen? How did you figure all of this out?† â€Å"I only figured some of it out,† said Roman. â€Å"It was actually your stupid Santa stuff that tipped me off. About how that guy was worried about Santa being in two places at once?† He scoffed and raked a hand through his hair. â€Å"I started thinking about how everyone says your contract is fine and how Erik had mentioned a second contract. We'd already deduced Hell wanted you and Seth apart, but why? And I thought, what if it's like the Santa thing? There's nothing wrong with your contract or Seth's in and of themselves, but together, something goes wrong.† â€Å"How did you even know Seth had a contract?† asked Hugh. â€Å"Well, that's the thing. I didn't. And since Seth had never mentioned it before, it seemed he didn't know he had one either. And how could that be? I started thinking maybe it was because he hadn't made the contract in this life. I thought maybe Hell had a long game going on with him across lives, and hence . . . the hypnosis.† â€Å"Jesus Christ,† said Hugh, shaking his head. â€Å"You made a fuckload of deductions there.† â€Å"And they were right,† said Roman. â€Å"Georgina and Seth both have contracts with Hell. And those contracts don't work together.† â€Å"Why not?† I asked. That zealous gleam was back in Roman's eye. â€Å"What were we able to deduce about Seth's contract? What did he get?† The only thing I'd deduced was that Seth was never going to speak to me again. When I refused to answer, Hugh obligingly played student to Roman's teacher. â€Å"He got ten lives instead of one. The gift of reincarnation.† â€Å"Why?† asked Roman. â€Å"To find Georgina,† said Hugh. He paused, and I guessed he was replaying what Seth had described. â€Å"It sounds like he died in that first life, and when the time came for his soul to move on, he was aware of missing her. I'm guessing Hell wouldn't have gotten his soul then, so they made the deal to give him nine more chances to find Georgina and be reunited with her.† â€Å"He did find me,† I said flatly. â€Å"Over and over.† Betrayal after betrayal. â€Å"Yes,† said Roman. â€Å"And you were drawn to him without even realizing it. He certainly seemed to fit your dreamy artistic type each time. But you never made it work out.† â€Å"Which Hell was probably hoping for,† said Hugh. The imp in him was coming out, puzzling over how a contract like this would have been designed. â€Å"Hell has to be fair, but they always want an advantage. So, they probably went into the deal thinking a guy hoping to make amends with his soul mate could never do it if she was a succubus. Seth – or whoever – certainly didn't know that. He only knew that he was supposed to have forgotten her.† He thought about it a few moments more. â€Å"There's nothing wrong with that, though. That's hedging your bets on a contract. There's no violation.† â€Å"You're right,† said Roman. â€Å"And that's not the problem.† He focused back on me. â€Å"What was your deal? What was your contract for becoming a succubus?† â€Å"You already know it,† I said wearily. I was tired of the scheming and fallout. I want to crawl off, curl up in my bed, and sleep for the next five centuries. I wanted to renegotiate my contract and have my memory and heart purged of all pain. â€Å"Humor me,† he said. â€Å"Just tell me the basics again. The deal Niphon made with you.† â€Å"Roman, leave her alone,† said Hugh. I waved him off. â€Å"Fine. I sold my soul and became a succubus in exchange for everyone I knew as a mortal forgetting about me.† Roman looked so supremely satisfied and triumphant that I wanted to punch him just then. He nodded to Hugh. â€Å"And tell me Seth's again, to the best of your guessing.† â€Å"At a guess? He gets to live ten lives, all of which will put him near her, giving him the chance to find her and make amends with her. Hell gets his soul at the end of the tenth life.† â€Å"And why did Seth make the deal?† prompted Roman, practically trembling with excitement. â€Å"Because he remembered that – † Hugh cut himself off, eyes widening. â€Å"Exactly,† said Roman. He shook me in his excitement when I didn't react right away. â€Å"Don't you get it? Your contracts contradict each other! In fact, Seth's should never have even been written! He remembered you. He knew that you were gone from his life.† â€Å"He knew his ‘soul mate' was gone,† I said bitterly. â€Å"I don't think he remembered specifics. You saw how much trouble he had.† Roman shook his head. â€Å"Doesn't matter. I'm guessing your contract specifies forgetting you entirely. He remembered. By that happening, Hell violated your contract. Then, they wrote an impossible contract for him, claiming he'd have the chance to reunite with you – which again, implies a degree of remembering you.† â€Å"We don't know that exactly,† warned Hugh. â€Å"We haven't seen the contract and didn't get all the details from him. I couldn't follow if he got anything for patching things up with her or not.† â€Å"We know enough,† said Roman. â€Å"Seth wanted to be reunited with her and make amends. For that to happen, it would contradict Georgina's contract – specifying he forget her.† â€Å"I'd want to see the wording,† said Hugh. â€Å"I'm not trying to dash your hopes. I just know how these things work.† â€Å"Fair enough,† said Roman. â€Å"But can you deny that when Seth called her ‘Letha' last month, that was most definitely in violation of her contract? He remembered. Not consciously. But some part of him, deep inside, remembered her.† My thoughts were still moving sluggishly, but something clicked into place. â€Å"The transfer . . . the transfer came through the morning after I told Jerome about Seth calling me Letha.† â€Å"Yes,† said Roman. â€Å"That's why things were mucked up with it. I guarantee my dear father has always known about your contracts and has accepted them grudgingly, especially if Seth's contract allows for you two to keep running into each other. But, when you told the gang about the name, Jerome had a serious problem. He recognized the violation and tattled to his superiors as fast as he could, making them panic and act quickly – too quickly – to get you out of here.† â€Å"But . . . it already happened. Seth remembered. The violation took place,† I said, scarcely able to believe it. â€Å"It's like a tree in the woods,† remarked Hugh. â€Å"It only happens if they're called on it. Neither you nor Seth would have known about the contracts or any violation. You were oblivious. Jerome needed to keep it that way, get you guys apart and kill any chance of you figuring out what had happened.† â€Å"Hence the Vegas dream job,† said Roman. â€Å"It's like we talked about before. Forbidding you guys to be together would've drawn too much attention. A run-of-the-mill transfer, however, would've seemed like business as usual – if not for the screwup. Hell was so anxious to get it going that they sent you the memo before Jerome had a chance to meet with you. I guarantee everything you saw in Vegas was thrown together on a day's notice.† I drew my hand back from Hugh's and buried my face in my palm. â€Å"Oh God.† Roman patted my shoulder in a way that was probably supposed to be comforting but mostly made me grit my teeth. â€Å"God's not the one you've got to look to right now. Do you realize what you've got here, Georgina? A once in a millennium opportunity to thwart Hell! You can challenge them, call your contract into dispute. And Seth's. All you need to do is talk to him, get the exact details of – â€Å" I jumped up from my chair, finally giving way to all my own grief and fury. â€Å"No! Didn't you see his face? Didn't you hear him? He won't talk to me! Not now, not ever. And don't say he's just in shock again,† I warned, seeing Roman about to speak. â€Å"You don't know what I did, what it was like for him . . . back then. There's a reason I made him forget! He's not going to forgive me for this. Never. He didn't then and isn't going to now. Oh Lord. Why did we have to do this? Why did we have to make him remember? We should've just let him forget. . . . Everything was fine. . . .† My frantic pacing led me over to the living room window, where I drew back the curtains. It was late in the day now, the sunset turning the clouds orange. â€Å"Fine?† asked Roman, coming to stand beside me. â€Å"Hell was creating elaborate ploys to separate you and cover their asses! And they were killing his sister-in-law to do it. That is not fine. You and Seth have done nothing but play into Hell's hands all these centuries. Over and over, you find each other and lose each other, you bicker and fight, throw it all away on mistrust and lack of communication. Are you going to let that continue? Especially when they didn't even give you what you were promised?† I rested my cheek against the glass, taking comfort in the coolness, refusing to listen to Roman's logic. â€Å"But Seth didn't remember until we made him.† â€Å"Not true. He remembered before that,† said Roman. â€Å"On his own, when he called you Letha. That's how this all started. Nothing we did here changed that.† â€Å"He hates me,† I said, fully aware of how whiny I sounded. Roman didn't try to deny it. â€Å"People forgive.† I scoffed. â€Å"Do they?† â€Å"They do,† said Hugh, coming to stand on my other side. â€Å"Seth must have – or whomever he used to be. Your husband. Why else would he have made that bargain in the first place to find you?† â€Å"Because he didn't remember what I'd done,† I said. I met Hugh's eyes. â€Å"He only knew that I was missing from his life.† â€Å"You answered your own question, sweetie. His love for you was stronger than his hate, if he was able to remember the one and not the other.† I wanted to argue with that but didn't know how. â€Å"I can't . . . I can't face him. You don't know what this is like. It's . . .† My lifelong fear? My greatest sin? â€Å"I just can't.† â€Å"We need to know about the rest of his contract,† said Roman. â€Å"We need all the details if we're going to see this through.† Hugh sniffed. â€Å"You keep saying ‘we,' but somehow I don't see you being the one filing the paperwork with Hell to challenge her contract.† When Roman didn't answer, Hugh added, â€Å"Which, by my estimate, we don't need any more of Seth's information for. We already have enough to question her contract's integrity.† â€Å"Question its integrity?† exclaimed Roman. â€Å"We have enough evidence to blow it wide open.† There was that metaphor again. Roman loved the dramatic. â€Å"Hell failed to hold up their end of the bargain. They told you they'd make everyone forget. Obviously, they didn't.† â€Å"It may not be quite that simple. Hell will question what you call evidence,† said Hugh. â€Å"But it can be done, right?† asked Roman. â€Å"You know how to do it – to file the necessary paperwork?† â€Å"Well, I've never done it before,† said Hugh. â€Å"Jesus. I don't know anyone who's done it.† I dragged my gaze from the window. â€Å"Don't,† I told Hugh. â€Å"It's not worth it. You don't know anyone who's done it because no imp who values his job or his life would ever try to get a contract revoked. I don't want you doing that for me.† â€Å"Hugh,† said Roman, looking over me like I wasn't even there. â€Å"You could free her. You could get her soul back for her. You could end this life she has – sleeping with strangers for eternity.† â€Å"Stop it,† I snapped. â€Å"Stop trying to guilt him into it. I made this choice. No one tricked me into being a succubus. They told me what it entailed and what I'd get.† â€Å"And you didn't get it,† said Hugh quietly. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said. If I didn't have Seth, one form of Hell was as bad as another. â€Å"I would do it for you,† said Hugh. â€Å"I'll file the paperwork. Maybe you knew what you were getting into, but that doesn't mean you don't have the right to change your mind – especially if you were played. If you want it, I'll help you do it.† â€Å"Why?† I asked, recalling all the times Hugh had become uneasy whenever we'd talked of challenging the status quo. â€Å"Why would you risk it?† â€Å"Because you're my friend,† Hugh said, his lips twisting into a bitter half smile. â€Å"And that still means something to me. Besides, give your pal Hugh some credit here. I might be able to pull this off with minimal punishment for myself.† A strange feeling welled within my chest, tight at first and then loosening. This day had become one impossible thing after another. Somehow, hearing Hugh say it made it more real. I was so used to Roman's ideas and dreams for undermining Hell that at times, it was easy to ignore them. But to hear Hugh saying this might actually work . . . I swallowed, feeling more tears were on the way. â€Å"I can't even imagine that. A world where I don't belong to Hell. I don't know what my life would look like.† â€Å"Like anything you want it to,† said Hugh, wrapping me in a hug. Behind me, I heard Roman sigh. â€Å"Well. I'll settle for one contract blowing up in Hell's face. I mean, Seth was already Hell-bound anyways, wasn't he? With or without any of this?† I winced. It was true. Seth's soul – once so bright and shining – had darkened when he cheated on Maddie with me. He'd come to my bed out of love but had still felt guilty over what he'd done. The mark of sin had tainted his soul enough that were he to die right now, Seth would go to Hell. Hugh cleared his throat and let go of me, suddenly looking uncomfortable. â€Å"It's funny you mention that. . . .† â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"I hadn't seen him in a while and nearly didn't notice . . . but today when he was here, his soul . . .† Hugh shook his head. â€Å"I don't know what all he's done, but it's lightened. It's not the spotlight it used to be, but something's changed. Enough of the taint's gone now that I don't think he's marked for Hell anymore.† â€Å"Except, he is because of his contract,† I realized. â€Å"That was the price for all those lives. It doesn't matter how good he is.† I felt my legs grow weak again and had to struggle to stay up. Seth had redeemed himself for his sin. How? Probably through the sacrifices he'd made for his family. He'd given up the things he loved most for them – writing, even me. It was a remarkable feat, something few humans were able to rebound from. Usually, those who were damned stayed damned. But it didn't matter. Seth's soul could shine like a supernova and he would still go to Hell, because it was the same soul he'd had as Kyriakos, the one that had made the bargain to come and find me. â€Å"We don't know for sure,† I said. â€Å"He didn't make it clear if he definitely signed his soul over or if there was a wager, like he'd get to keep it if he made amends with me.† â€Å"Which doesn't really seem like it's going to happen at the moment,† said Roman. â€Å"So either way, he's damned.† â€Å"Unless we can break his contract too,† I said. â€Å"And we need his help for it.† Hugh gave me a sympathetic look. â€Å"Do you want me to try to talk to him?† I had hated myself for what I'd done to Kyriakos all those years ago, hated myself so much that I'd paid the ultimate price to be wiped from his memory. And after seeing the look in Seth's eyes earlier . . . well, honestly, if given the chance, I might very well have asked to be erased again. I couldn't stand seeing that hate, that disappointment in the eyes of someone I'd loved. I'd hurt him. I'd let him down. I wanted to hide and never see him again because if I faced him, I would have to face the failings within myself. That had always been a problem for me, I realized. I hated confrontation – especially when I was the one at fault. I'd continually run away from that my entire life. I forced a weak smile for Hugh, who stood there offering me a cowardly way out. No, I decided. If we were going to get Seth's help, it would be better coming from me. Would he talk to me? I didn't know, but I had to try. For nothing else would I have risked facing that hate and sorrow again . . . but for Seth's soul, I would. â€Å"I'll go to him,† I said.

System Analysis and Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

System Analysis and Design - Essay Example With the use cases, UML enables us to study existing objects to see if they can be reused or adapted for new uses, and to define new or modified objects that will be combined with existing objects into a useful business computing application. This identification objects within the systems environment, and the relationships between those objects makes the drawing of the diagrams much faster and easier. For example, in our case we identify the objects (member), their data attributes (member no, firstname), associated behavior such as booking for a tennis court, and relationships which support the required business system functionality. Also we employ Use Case Modeling which is the process of identifying and modeling business events, who initiated them, and how the system responds to them. Another comparison comes in that SSADM adopts the Waterfall model of systems development, where each phase has to be completed and signed off before subsequent phases can begin while the use of UML the no phases of development are defined thus as long as the classes and objects are clearly identified any diagram can be drawn. Finally, SSADM uses three key techniques, namely Logical Data Modeling, Data Flow Modeling and Entity/Event Modeling. In all this modeling techniques we can use UML to produce the diagrams such as the data flow diagrams and entity relationship diagrams. The success of SSADM may lie in the fact that it does not rely on a single technique. Each of the three system models provides a different viewpoint of the same system, each of which are required to form a complete model of the system. Within SSADM each of the three techniques are cross-reference against each other to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the complete model Advantages of UML UML is window based thus it is easy to use The graphical user interface provides an interaction with the user reducing the time and effort UML helps software practitioners visualize their ideas and hence communicate and analyze them more effectively UML developed systems have reduced lifetime maintenance because of the aforementioned system quality improvements combined with better documentation Improved productivity (through automation of tasks and rapid application development) Disadvantages of UML Technical for business analysts Requires training for one to use UML With the use of UML key operational considerations are often overlooked Advantages of SSADM Appropriate for big systems such as government projects Good documentation i.e. it is document driven Systems produced are easy to maintain Consist of phases that are to be completed hence sequence and flow of modules is clear Feedback loops that ensure cohesiveness of a system being produced and also reduce errors Provide maximum management control Ensures that system requirements can be traced back to stated b/s needs Disadvantages of SSADM It is tedious User not able to visualize how the final product would look like Requirements process not well established Cannot accommodate new user

UK Law Degree legal Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

UK Law Degree legal Systems - Essay Example He wants to address civil litigation problems by recommending that parties should enjoy equal financial footing; emphasis on separation of judicial and administrative responsibilities; that the courts and judges are more litigant-oriented; more efficient use of judges; and the civil justice system should swiftly address litigants' needs. The implementation of the first part of the civil justice reforms forwarded by Lord Woolf, began on 26 th April 1999 which included the new Civil Procedure Rules, signed by the Lord Chancellor on 10 th December 1998. In this historic day we see the implementation of the most basic reforms to the English civil justice system for centuries, as proposed by Lord Woolf. To remedy the situation, he suggested reforms to the civil justice built around three important concepts designed to address the problems: speed, economy and proportionality. His reforms aim to 1) lessen considerably the advantage of those with money or "deep pocket;" 2) lay the blame on judges thru the "active case-management;" and 3) demand that litigants help the court attain the "Over-Riding Objective" of handling cases fairly. The court should apply the rules to serve the overriding objective end. To attain fair haTo attain fair handling of a case requires includes making sure, as much as possible, that the parties must have equal footing; reducing expenses; handling the case "proportionately;" making sure that it is dealt with speedily; and giving it due attention at the court by allotting appropriate court resources at the same time taking care of other cases well. The reforms are intended to prevent unnecessary litigation which is exemplified by the "sue now, decide on your case later" view. To do this, more work is demanded right at the very start. Claims are also outline in greater detail at the start. Litigants are required to sign "statements of truth" confirming the facts contained in the claim or defense document. Criminal penalties are imposed on statements which are found to be false. Aspects of the Woolf Reforms The Issue of Costs and Proportionality. One of the most important aspects introduced in the Woolf reforms is the steps taken to be sure that the cost of litigation is decreased. The idea of "proportionality" is vital to the Woolf Reforms: the fees payable by the parties in any legal action must be proportional to the issues in dispute and the amount that the claim is worth. As a result, courts are required to handle each case, if possible, in ways which are proportionate with regards to the following criteria: the amount of money involved; the importance of the case; the complexity of the issues; and the financial capabilities of each party. Two bases are used to recover costs: the "standard basis" and the "indemnity basis." If the amount of costs is assessed using the standard basis, the court will: (1) only permit costs which are proportionate to the case; and (2) determine whether costs are reasonable and proportionate. Conditional Fee

Bonaventures art - Christian artists Assignment

Bonaventures art - Christian artists - Assignment Example The essay "Bonaventure’s art - Christian artists" discovers Christian artists and focuses on the art of Bonaventure. Bonaventure strived to have a personal meeting with Francis’ companions; still alive as early as in 1260. Although Bonaventure really sought for the Saint’s companions, it is hard for one to conclude that Bonaventure’s intention was to present a trustworthy figure of Francis the Saint. A school of theology has argued that Bonaventure’s effort was to realize a theological history, that made him an icon of Francis’ background; this was the Bonaventure’s intended paint; â€Å"a stigmatized saint.† Additionally, Bonaventure brings out Francis as the founder of â€Å"a new religious order.† He also presents a conformity image between Francis the Saint and Christ. According to Bonaventure, St.Francis had a visionary experience while praying on top of a mountain in alone. During the experience, St.Francis was impr inted the wounds of Christ at the crucifixion; Christ’s wounds were referred to as the stigmata, while the experience the stigmatization. Consequently, Bonaventure a Franciscan’s leader wrote about St.Francis, and thereby making St.Francis canonical. This piece of work can also be analyzed by dividing it into three sections: foreground, middle-ground, and the background. Every figure, symbolically communicates to the observer. Additionally, the positioning of each figure is an important attribute of the artist. The wall painting and the panel painting reveal similar features.

Partnership approach in providing safer communities Essay

Partnership approach in providing safer communities - Essay Example Since in so providing safer communities, partnerships must be evaluated on the basis of minimized violence or potential sources of violence, this paper will also attempt to provide statistical analysis which will profile the role violence plays in the relation with the night time economy. The paper will therefore formulate a conclusion and recommendations that would either support the continuation or abolition of these partnerships. 2.1 Are these statutory and voluntary agencies including probation, health, local authorities, and police really working in partnership to provide safer communities? What is the proof, if any, to show that communities are now safer after the partnership or partnerships? The answer here of course is in the affirmative. In fact partnerships in crime prevention at UK are created by law. Maldon District Community Safety Strategy (2005 – 2008) reported Essex Police Crime Reduction Targets 2005-08 to prove its accomplishments as follows: During 2002-2005 overall crime fell in the Maldon District. Thefts from motor vehicles reduced by 63% and reports of domestic violence fell by 24%. However, criminal damage increased 56% and theft of motor vehicles by 77%. Historically, the District has not suffered from large numbers of vehicle thefts and the large percentage increase must be considered against that background with thefts rising from 95 to 170 in the past 12 months. High value cars have been targeted by displaced thieves believed to be operating in the District following successful campaigns to reduce car thefts in neighbouring areas. Maldon District Council (n.d.) represents itself as a partner Responsible Authorities Group (RAG) which actually includes the following: Essex Police – Division, Essex Police Authority, Maldon District Council, Essex Fire Service, Essex County Council and Maldon PCT. Steering Group includes member of the RAG and representatives, drawn from many statutory and voluntary organisations operating in

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

Film - Essay Example Working in film industry can be very stressing and many times demanding. One is normally expected to film for long hours and likewise spend time away from home. This is where I score most for I am always available whenever needed. This has made me achieve a lot and make a lot of strides in the film industry. My passion and personality of patients has likewise blends well with the industry. Film requires patients and most importantly asking question and consulting a lot. The industry is very dynamic and with patience, one is always in a position not only better himself but help build the industry through continuous consultation. Despite the fact that very little is today documented about this hero, Martin Scorsese still remains to be my main role model in the film industry. Through critical analysis, every filmmaker from back in the 70s has been influenced in one way or another by this genius in various different ways. I have also admired the manner in which he merged quality and content. This makes him stand out. This man’s path to growth in film industry also inspire me a lot and I always feel that I can learn a lot from him still. In spite of this, there are various reasons that make me admire film industry in many ways. Key among them is that film offers one with practical skills like no other. Film industry is always a continuous learning process that equips learners with real time practical skills. The unique skills are the same skills that are needed to make it in the industry and career growth. Second reason why I admire film industry so much is the fact that the industry is worldwide. The excitement enjoyed by film personalities in my country is a diversion enjoyed by many other people around the world. This implies that the industry is wide and there are a lot of opportunity for growth and competition this makes the

Race Relations in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Race Relations in the United States - Essay Example For example, we know that by definition a species is essentially composed of organisms with the same number and pairs of chromosomes. This is also true for human beings. We are all within one species though gene expression and allele acquisition from parents, may differ slightly throughout populations. The old saying â€Å"knowledge is power† is incredibly useful in this explanation as we are living in a time where there is little room for the arguments of the past which served to segregate human beings based on the color of their skin. Due to recent scientific breakthroughs of the past twenty years, we now know skin color is little more than a variation of the amount of melanin (skin pigmentation) which an individual happens to produce or express. Science has given us the power of knowledge which reminds us that quantitative and non subjective data is indisputable and will permanently outlast any argument which ignorantly tries to suggest that human beings are not created or evolved equally. Race relations of the present in the United States are certainly not perfect but are progressively evolving with time. The genome project as well as other evolutions of contemporary knowledge has essentially laid the foundation for a society which is more inclined to frown upon those who hold strongly to racist ideology and belief systems, rather than to frown on varying cultures or ethnicities. We are living in a sociological and political climate which embraces knowledge, education and information. Because of this, the marginal.

Impact of Technology Essay Example for Free

Impact of Technology Essay Abstract The information technology investments have increased significantly with time and advancement in technology. In this study, an attempt is made to highlight how the information technology influences the organization productivity. The correlation between the information technology (IT) and productivity was very argumentative. Many studies were conducted to identify the impact of IT on productivity conclude different results. It is impossible to estimate the productivity growth due to the availability of so many advanced computer technologies, as it’s tough to consider all parameters involved while calculating productivity growth. Several researches and studies were documented stating positive effects of IT on productivity growth. But still there were few against this statement. Introduction The advancement in the information technology made both consumers and business enterprises to use it. Computers, laptops, wireless communications etc. are all part of IT and incorporated in every industry. Enterprises invest in these technologies because it was assumed technologies will enhance productivity. Companies aim to generate more business and high turnovers through less investment. In a race to gain more efficiency, the enterprises are adapting new technologies. Huge investments are made on new technologies to survive in industry. The major challenge is to produce high quality goods and services at low prices. Some enterprises understood the  value and importance of information technology and used it to deliver more products in less time and more reliable and convenient services at lower cost. This will also help to gain competitive advantage over rivals. It was illustrated in a study to generate high productivity growths from information technology; enterprises should cha nge the existing infrastructure as well as business practices (Brynjolfsson Brown, 2005). Many enterprises changed the organizational structure to exploit the full potential of information technology and its applications. Brynjolfsson and Hitt (1998) linked productivity with living standards to understand it better. They mentioned that value of productivity can be easily understood when related with our living standards. They highlighted the significance of productivity by comparing it with our living standards and mentioned that, â€Å"productivity growth determines our living standards and the wealth of nations.† This reflects the customers’ behavior to consume more in less money. They also point out that the concept of productivity is simple and vast but tough to measure with accuracy. Information Technology and Productivity Productivity was described as the amount of output generated for a certain amount of input (Brynjolfsson, 2003; Hitt Brynjolfsson, 1995). Productivity can also be defined as the measure of the quantity of outputs in goods and services per unit of input (Muriwai, 2006). Productivity can be measured either by keeping the output static or input. Productivity can be increased with increase in output keeping input constant or by decreasing the input keeping the output static. The term information technology was defined narrowly as the expenditures made on the computing hardware (Brynjolfsson, 2003 and Hitt Brynjolfsson, 2005). It was elaborated a little more as. All the computer software and hardware, tools and services used in the business processes and operations are a part of information technology. The investments in information technology were defined as the expenses on the computer hardware and software and all other devices related with IT (Morrison, 1997). The main purpose of these investments is developing a modern infrastructure within the organization to boost productivity of both organization and employees (Dehning, Dow, Stratopoulus, 2003). It was documented by Mahmood and Mann (2005) that  investment in IT was not sufficient enough to increase productivity. Strategic decisions had to be made whether investment in IT would help to accomplish objectives and goals set. A harmony must occur between IT investments and changes in business process to have high productivity growth, even greater than investment in information technology. Keller (2004) also stated that when IT is utilized appropriately at workplace that also helps a lot in productivity growth. Just investing in information technology is not sufficient to gain growth in productivity; but organization can visualize changes brought by information technology (Brynjolfsson Hitt, 1998; Dedrick, Gurbaxani Kraemer, 2003). A significant relation between IT investments per employee and overall productivity of company was found by Brynjolfsson (2003). The enterprises gained high productivity growth who invested huge sum in information technology effectively. But pattern of productivity growth across the enterprises varied no doubt the return from IT investment were positive (Brynjolfsson Hitt, 1998). It takes time to realize productivity gains from investments in information technology. It was supported by Mahmood and Mann (1988) that productivity growth and performance of the organization improves in time period of two or three years after investing in information technology. Dedrick et al. (2003) also believed that productivity gains are realized after a long time period. It was highlighted in their research that information technology payoffs are high when firms’ effectively apply information technology in long run. It’s easy to measure productivity when tangible products and goods are produced as in the manufacturing sector. An input alteration in the manufacturing process can bring substantial changes in productivity. For instance, the use of automation technology and robotics produce outputs of good quality (Kao Liu, 2005). On the contrary, it’s tough to measure and improve productivity in service sector. It’s next to impossible to evaluate the productivity of an employee. A method was proposed by Tallon and Kraemer (2006) to measure precisely the impact of information technology on productivity. A method of perceptual measures was recommended by them. Perceptual measures would bring new scope to study impact of technology on productivity. They described it as â€Å"perceptual measures, if structured around information technology impacts at the process-level, can yield richer insights than objective criteria alone†. Authors’ Agree and Disagree: The research was done by many to study the impact of IT on productivity (Brynjolfsson Brown, 2005; Brynjolfsson Hitt, 1998; Melville, Kraemer Gurbaxani, 2004 and Kudyba, 2004). The expectation that productivity will certainly increase by utilizing the IT were not always true. But researches ended up with different conclusions, some stated positive impacts of IT on productivity and others negative. Information technology had negative impact on productivity. Mahmood and Mann (2005) mentioned in their study that there is no adequate evidence available in past researches showing the positive effects of IT on productivity. It was also supported by Dedrick et al. (2003) stating, â€Å"Studies have failed to identify a relationship between information technology investment and firm profitability.† The term productivity paradox was introduced by Robert Solow in 1987 explaining the inability of the information technology contributing towards firm productivity (Solow. 1987). He made a statement that growth in productivity was not accompanied by the information technology. He also discussed that the companies didn’t had expected results in productivity after investing in Information technology. He quoted, â€Å"You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics†. In my opinion and during my research I realized that impact of IT on productivity had mixed reviews from different authors, researchers and economists. Researchers used new approach to reveal the hidden positive effects of IT on productivity. Brynjolfsson and Hitt (1998) illustrated that â€Å"Information technology has a positive and significant impact on firm output, contradicting the claims of a productivity paradox (p52).† This was also supported by Brynjolfsson (2003) and Dedrick et al. (2003) that productivity including the output per worker annually had increased significantly with use of information technology. It was mentioned by Kudyba (2004) that the output can be upraised with increased information technology skills. The new information technology and techniques effectively when used by the companies, those companies are productive than who don’t use it (Brynjolfsson Brown, 2005). When the technologies and techniques were used perfectly and timely, yield high level of productivity. The three ways were  discussed by Brynjolfsson (2003), Keller (2004) and Brynjolfsson Hitt (1998) to recognize productivity growth from IT: by decreasing the cost on Information technology and keeping the benefits from business stagnant; increase the benefits from business and keeping the investment in Information technology constant; or reduce the cost of information technology and benefits increase from business. The information technology is important and valuable for organization (Melville et al., 2004). They also stated that effective and efficient use of information technology can yield potential benefits, like cost reduction, improving quality and at last productivity. The companies, who used information technology effectively, had also observed an increase in price of their market share more than others. It had been reported by Mahmood and Mann (2005) that both IT labour and computer resources contribute towards return on investments. They also mentioned in their report that effective enterprises have developed and improved their infrastructures and investing highly in information technology. Information technology is a medium through which the information can be distributed easily within organizations. The highly advanced IT infrastructures create an atmosphere within organization that encourages decentralized process of decision making (Brynjolfsson Brown, 2005). When modification of the business processes is done within organizations, it becomes necessary to integrate information technologies. The productivity can be enhanced by integrating information technology investments with decentralize process of decision making (Melville et al., 2004). The integration of information technology investments and other investments within business also proves to be beneficial (Brynjolfsson Hitt, 1998). The operations and business processes within the organization must be evaluated and ensure that existing business environm ent can adapt the new technology, before future information technology investments made (Zhou Chen, 2003). The predictable and estimated outcomes can be realized from IT investments through integration of technologies and current business processes (Kudyba, 2004). It becomes important to restructure the business processes with the changing business environments when new information systems are set up (Zhou Chen, 2003). McNamara and Watson (2005) also reported that the integration of the existing technology systems with new technologies within organizations yields the expected productivity growth.  They also discussed how the existing technologies can be employed in various business operations, it equally productive as investing in new information technologies. Brynjolfsson and Hitt (1998) found that â€Å"The greatest benefits of computers appear to be realized when computer investment is coupled with other complementary investments; new strategies, new business processes and new organizations all appear to be important in realizing the maximum benefit of information technology† . The companies must integrate all daily activities, decentralize decision process, flow of information from high to low level, this will enhance productivity growth and all these attributes directly or indirectly contribute to information technology (Brynjolfsson, 2003). The organizations use various methods and measures like product quality, profitability, and value of market shares to measure productivity (Dedrick et al., 2003). There is a possibility that productivity can also be gained through effective management. It was observed that productivity can be increased by information technology and make worth for consumers (Hitt Brynjolfsson, 1995). Devaraj and Kohli (2003) proposed a method which requires elevation of the IT usage at the employees’ level individually and then finally investigating its effect on organizational performance. Employees’ of modern organization may call it push or pull of IT investments. This phenomenon of push or pull in IT investments may inspire employees’ for using new technologies and this may lead to productivity improvements. Kudyba (2004) mentioned that competitive advantage can be gained by hiring skilled and experienced employees. In my view, the employees must be trained to use new technologies or companies should hire skilled and experienced employees. It also depends how the new technologies are being utilized by the enterprises to enhance their productivity. Only those companies will maximize their productivity that will use the technology perfectly and timely. I have also learned during my research that productivity doesn’t depend on one factor, there are number of parameters that affect the overall productivity of the organizations. The accurate methods are required for calculating the productivity, to recognize the growth of productivity. Rather than focusing on productivity only, enterprises should develop new strategies to integrate t echnologies with new opportunities. The barriers to entry can be easily terminated by raising the firm’s efficiency and gaining competitive advantage. Benefit to Manager There is a big challenge ahead for all the mangers and decision makers how to consume the information technologies at best and have maximum benefits. It’s not compulsory that the companies will have same levels of productivity if provided with same information technology, it depends how the technology is utilized to have high growth in productivity (Brynjolfsson, 2003). To maintain competitive advantage in the industry, the managers had to find new ways in which they can exploit the full potential of technologies differently from their rivals. Melville et al. (2004) mentioned the competitive advantage gained through human resource and technical synergies cannot be maintained for long. A strategy or mechanism had to develop to gain competitive edge for long periods and which is not easy to imitate. The competitive advantage can be maintained until others don’t follow what you are doing, once others start following your techniques it’s tough to sustain competitive advantage (Brynjolfsson, 2003). I believe that managers should examine future values of all IT investments when productivity results were not up to the level of expectations. The organizational leaders are not ready to invest more on technologies, when results from previous IT investments are not beneficial enough (Devaraj Kohli, 2003). A big challenge for the leaders to justify future investments in technologies when there is no significant evidence of productivity improvement from previously investments in information technologies (Dehning, Dow, Stratopoulus, 2003). Managers should focus on other aspects of business process also rather than on productivity alone. Hitt and Brynjolfsson (1995) discussed that managers should concentrate more on how information technology can be used to improve product quality and customer service. Information technology has the potential to reduce the expenses on such services and change the mode of production and delivery of the goods and services so can’t be easily imitated by competitors (Hitt Brynjolfsson, 1995). The uniqueness in utilizing the information technologies in business operations and processes is the key to stay ahead of the competitors in the market. This not only provides competitive advantage but also increases the overall growth in productivity. Conclusion The conclusion can be drawn that investing in information technology doesn’t  have any positive impact on productivity growth until utilized properly and effectively. The impact of investing in technologies can be realized how organizations utilize technologies effectively depending on the current situations of organizations and derive expected productivity results. The invention of telecommunication, computer software and hardware had totally changed operations within the organizations. The use of these forms of technology was extensively popular and in-demand among the various industrial sectors. The enterprises had changed their existing infrastructures to adapt these new technologies. The meaning both consumption and productivity have changed with innovation of information technology. Organizations across the globe are implementing new technologies to enhance the daily business activities with the purpose to survive and compete in this new global world of information tec hnology. References Brynjolfsson, E. (2003). ROI valuation :The IT productivity gap. (21). Retrieved from http://ebusiness.mit.edu/erik/Optimize/pr_roi.html. Brynjolfsson, E., Brown, P. (2005). VII pillars of IT productivity. Optimize Manhasset.4(5), 26-35.Retrived from http://www.georgeschussel.com/wpcontent/uploads/articles/NY6420050502_erik.pdf. Brynjolfsson, E., Hitt, L. M. (1998). Beyond the productivity paradox. Communications Of The ACM, 41(8), 49 55. Retrived from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.195.1657rep=rep1type=pdf Dedrick, J., Gurbaxani, V., Kraemer K.L. (2003). Information Technology and Economic Performance: A Critical Review of the Empirical Evidence. ACM Computing Surveys ,35(1),1-28.Retrived from Business Source Complete. Dehning, B., Dow, K. E., Stratopoulos, T. C. 2003. The info-tech â€Å"Productivity Paradox†dissected and tested. Management Accounting Quarterly,5(1),31-39. Retrieved from Business Source Complete. Devaraj, S., Kohli, R.(2003). Performance impacts of information technology: Is actual usage the missing link?. Management Science, 49(3),273-289. Retrieved from Business Source Complete. Hitt, L. Brynjolfsson, E. (1995). Productivity, profit and consumer welfare: Three different measures of information technologys value. MIS Quarterly, 20(2), 121 -143. Keller, E. (2004). What Is Your IT Productivity. MSI 22(2), 33 34. Kudyba, S. (2004). The productivity pay-off from effective allocation of IT and non- IT labour.

A great earthquake Essay Example for Free

A great earthquake Essay The magnitude 8. 8 earthquake that occurred a month ago in Chile, as well as the impending tsunami along the Pacific Rim is the product of a fortuitous event. These are events which cannot be foreseen or which though foreseen are inevitable. The quake struck at 3:34 a. m. in central Chile. The capital Santiago is about 200 miles from the epicenter and Concepcion, Chile’s second-largest metropolitan area, is roughly 70 miles from the quake’s center. A magnitude of 8. 0 or greater is classified as a great earthquake which results to communities being destroyed. The 8. 8 magnitude earthquake in Chile has killed lesser people compared to the 7. 0 magnitude that struck Haiti on January 12 that killed more than 200,000 people. It was 32 times the energy higher and 64 times greater than what took place in Haiti. The difference in the death toll lies in the buildings’ structures and their construction. Unless a building is designed and engineered specifically to withstand an 8. 0 or greater earthquake it’s going to sustain considerable damage. Even buildings that are well built sustain significant damage. Buildings that are poorly built are completely destroyed. Chile, being a more industrialized nation came up with more stringent building codes. By designing a more flexible structure, we can lessen the effect of the disaster. It makes the buildings slide or sway but not crumble to the ground. Engineers who work on earthquake resistant buildings said that current technologies prevent well-designed buildings from cracking when the ground shakes beneath them Natural disasters such as floods, tsunami and earthquakes do occur. There is nothing we can do to prevent it. However, there is something we can do to lessen its impact. Earthquakes alone don’t actually kill people; it is the collapsed structures that do the damage. Disaster preparedness as well as earthquake-proof buildings are the keys to lessen the impact of such disaster.

Identity Theft And Phishing As Cybercrimes Criminology Essay

Identity Theft And Phishing As Cybercrimes Criminology Essay Cybercrimes can be defined as criminal activities which take place or occur within cyberspace. These crimes are common and ever increasing as cybercriminals continue to find new ways of taking advantage of unwary internet users (Mitchell, 2010). A frequently practiced form of cybercrime includes identity theft, which is the use of an individuals private details without their knowledge or approval (Ombudsman for Banking Services, 2009). This essay will discuss phishing as a form of identity theft with the use of various articles as examples to enhance the understanding of identity theft and phishing as cybercrimes. In addition, a criminological theory will be applied to identity theft in order to gain further insight into this particular cybercrime. Defining Cybercrime Cybercrime is used generally to describe a variety of illegal offences of which only a few are specifically associated with computers and the telecommunications infrastructure that supports their use. This specific crime type involves the utilization of digital technologies in the task of the offence or is specifically directed at computing and communications technologies, or is incidental to the commission of other crimes (Smith et al. 2004:7). Identity theft and phishing can be described as forms of cybercriminal activity. These crimes are defined as hybrid crimes. Hybrid crimes are those which can exist online as well as offline. Specifically, these crimes work with the worldwide scope that cyber environments provide (Muncie et al. 2010:77). Currently, cybercrime is an extremely profitable business and will no doubt continue to be for a very long time. The main reason for this is because many people are not aware of how rife it is and of how susceptible they are to the threat of this crime. The best possible way that consumers and corporations can protect themselves from cybercrimes and cybercriminal activity is to alert themselves and those around them with the use of awareness campaigns and also, people should make sure that their systems are protected with Anti-Malware and Anti-Virus software kits which have precise virus definition and regular software updates to decrease the risk of being under threat of cybercriminal activity (Microzoneg, 2009). Identity Theft Identity theft is defined as a crime that happens when someone wrongfully gains access to and uses the personal information of another individual in a way that involves fraud or dishonesty. Usually, this crime is carried out in order to gain access to an individuals personal funds. Victims of identity theft normally become aware when they note that they are frequently being charged for items that they never purchased, or when they realise that there has been an opening of a new credit card after viewing their credit reports (Jasper, 2006:1). Annually, 10 million consumers are the victims of identity theft. There are many ways in which cybercriminals can obtain an individuals personal information, and these are generally very cleverly disguised. Criminals can intercept personal information that is freely shared over the Internet and can also easily obtain information such as the victims account details by emailing them and falsely acting as their bank (Jasper, 2006:1-3). Because of the fact that individuals are so afraid that they will fall prey to cybercriminals, at times they do not think rationally when asked for their personal details. When provided the chance of being able to protect themselves, individuals will willingly give all the details needed if the bank requires them to do so. Thus, cybercriminals do not find it immensely difficult to obtain all the beneficial information that they need. Some examples of identity theft crimes are the run-up of costs on the victims credit cards, opening a new credit card account making use of the victims name, birth date and social security number, establishing a telephone or wireless facility using the victims name, opening a bank account and writing bad cheques on the account and obtaining employment by making use of the victims personal identity (Jasper, 2006:3-4). Phishing as a Cybercrime Phishing is a form of identity theft which includes the deceitful endeavour to gain the personal details of an individual with the use of text messages and emails. The criminal will act as the victims bank, for example, and will request personal information from the consumer (such as the PIN number) in order to gain access to the funds in the account. (Ramsamy, 2009) As explained before, the consumer makes it easy for the cybercriminal to gain access to their personal funds and resources as they are so adamant on keeping themselves safe from cybercrime that they very readily give out their information without thinking sensibly. Cases of Cybercrime Over the years, cybercrime has become much more frequent in nature. These cases can be found occurring throughout the world, and will probably continue to occur for a very long time as it is such a profitable business (microzoneg, 2009). Theft of Virtual Characters In the month of November 2009, a man was arrested for stealing virtual characters from a web based role-playing game. The man apparently obtained the log-in information for Runescape, reportedly the worlds largest multi-player online game, to embezzle their virtual characters. The article, published in The Times, states that the man who is from Avon and Somerset Area had already had a number of computer mistreatment offences on his criminal record (Ahmed, 2009). These types of crimes do occur quite often, as a similar case occurred in the Netherlands in 2008. Reportedly, a group of fourteen and fifteen year olds were convicted for the assault of a fellow Runescape player. The boys had threatened the player with a knife, pressuring him to give them a mask and an amulet within the game (Ahmed, 2009). Online gaming seems to be the cause of a lot of recent violent behaviours amongst youth, and the stealing of virtual characters may not seem to be such a tremendous crime, but thinking of all the time and effort that has been put into creating that specific character, this crime shouldnt be, according to Mark Gerhard, the chief executive of Jagex Games, treated differently to the theft of any other valuable possessions (Ahmed, 2009). Credit and Debit Card Information Hackings Another case of cybercrime was highlighted in May 2008, when a Mr Albert Gonzalez was arrested for one of the largest hackings in all of US history. The computer hacker aided with the theft of tens of millions of credit card numbers from major retailers (AP, 2009). He is reportedly going to be spending between 17-25 years behind bars as a result of the seriousness of this criminal offence. Gonzalez did, however, confirm that he had used a number of drugs and consumed large quantities of alcohol preceding his arrest. He admitted to using various narcotics such as marijuana, LSD and cocaine and he has also been said to have behavioural patterns which are very consistent with that of Aspergers Syndrome, which is a form of autism (AP, 2004). According to Dr Barry Roth, a member of the defence commission, Albert was an internet addict who was often associated with awkwardness, had troubles when it came to connecting with people and had an odd fixation with machines and technology in general (AP, 2009). Because drugs and alcohol are so often associated with violent behaviour and aggressiveness, it can be said that they warp the minds of many people and cause them to do things that generally are not expected of them. Since Albert Gonzalez did make use of drugs and alcohol frequently, it could perhaps be said that it caused him to become fixated with technological things and the Internet specifically because it also gave a sense of escaping reality and, since alcohol causes people to believe they can do anything, could have led Albert to believe that he could steal money and still get away with it. With all crimes, the psychological and behavioural background of the offender needs to be taken into consideration. Military Computer Hacking In 2002 a man named Gary McKinnon was arrested for what is described as the greatest military computer hack of all time (The Sunday Times, 2009). McKinnon was allegedly blamed for $700,000 of destruction when he hacked into 97 military computers at the Pentagon and NASA and stole 950 passwords, as well as erased files from the Earle naval armaments post in New Jersey. McKinnon stated in an interview to The Sunday Times that he had not meant for the hackings to seem malicious, but that he was simply curious and wanted to find out information about UFOs. He also openly admitted that he sees himself as a nerd and a loner and that he used to drink beer and smoke dope while hacking into the military systems (The Sunday Times, 2009). This perception of himself could arise from the fact that Gary has Aspergers syndrome. This syndrome does not affect the mental intelligence of the person because the sufferer is in fact very intelligent, but it does leave the sufferer feeling uncomfortable in social situations (The Sunday Times, 2009). This crime could leave Gary McKinnon spending 60 years in prison, which is a very high price to pay for simply being curious. Due to the fact that he has Aspergers syndrome and often resorts to drinking and smoking marijuana, it could be assumed that perhaps these elements wrongfully influenced him to engage in illegal activities, and in addition with his illness could have made matters even worse. Perhaps, due to his loneliness and inability to socialise, he resorted to finding company with the Internet and hacking to gain information that interested him. The Role of Gender in Cybercrime Generally, males are known to display higher rates of abnormal behaviour as compared to females. Although small, the gap between the rates of male and female criminal behaviour is constant. Historically, most forms of crime such as violence, aggressiveness, and freedom of speech were carried out by men, but with the case of cybercrime we cannot simply state that males perform these criminal activities more than females because there is not enough evidence of this; it has not been explored to a very great extent. However, a test done by a few undergraduate students concludes that existing theories of crime may apply similarly to males and females in predicting digital crimes (Morris, 2009:393-404). Criminological Theory Applied to Cybercrime A criminological theory that can be applied to the act of cybercrime is the theory of Routine Activities. This theory states that criminal actions take place when there is an intersection of space and time of a stimulated criminal, a desirable target and an absence of competent supervision (Cullen, 2002). The two important people who were responsible for the proposal of this theory are Larry Cohen and Marcus Felson in 1979. Their theory is very strongly related to that of the Rational Choice theory. This is because both theories concentrate on the features of the crime as opposed to the features of the offender (DeMelo, 1999). The Routine Activities theory states that offences are linked to the nature of everyday patterns of social interaction (DeMelo, 1999). Felson and Cohen believed that changes in society had and is still leading to social disorganisation and thus to broader crime opportunities (DeMelo, 1999). In the cases of the cybercriminals, Albert Gonzalez, Gary McKinnon and the virtual character thief, this criminological theory is applied very well. They had begun their cybercrimes (hackings) with enthusiasm and determination, had found attractive targets to fulfil their desires, and had no one to tell them that it was wrong, illegal and could get them into a lot of trouble. Conclusion Therefore, it is quite clear that cybercrime is a rather serious crime and is continuing to increase in frequency as time goes by and society constantly changes. Also, the nature of these crimes is becoming more and more violent, especially amongst the youth of our world. Societies need to become more self-disciplined, and both offenders and victims need to be more aware of the dangers and consequences of these criminal behaviours, especially phishing and identity theft. Phishing and identity theft as forms of cybercrime can be classified under the Routine Activities criminological theory as they rise in frequency as society changes and a disorganised society opens up greater crime opportunities for offenders. Cybercrimes should not be taken lightly, and if not dealt with correctly, will continue to be on the rise for many years to come. Word Count: 2088

Cultural Identity and the Language of Food Essay example -- Cultural Id

Cultural Identity and the Language of Food Food is integral to cultural identity and is as much a part of culture as religion and language. Indeed, some cultures elevate food to a level nearing, if not exceeding, the status of their religion. Because I love to cook, to combine flavors in a way that results in something unexpected and wonderful, this paper will discuss various words related to food. Not actual food words, but words surrounding food. Interesting words like â€Å"gastronomy† and â€Å"feast.† Often there is much symbolism related to these words; from the fundamental idea that to eat is to live to the possibility that there are religious connotations to the etymology of some of these words. Given their reputation for affairs of the heart, as well as being the purveyors of cuisine, it is not surprising that many of our food words come from the French -- such as gastronomy, saute, banquet and garnish. â€Å"Gastronomy,† refers to the art or science of good eating. It comes from Greek French gastronomie, from Greek gastronomi, gastro-, + -nomi, -nomy. Its Indo-European root word, gras, (Shipley, 133) simply means to devour. According to the American Heritage Dictionary (AHD), the word banquet has been fluctuating for a long time. The Old French word banquet, the likely source of our word, is derived from Old French banc, â€Å"bench,† ultimately of Germanic origin and originally from the Indo-European *bheg (Shipley, 31). The sense development in Old French goes from â€Å"little bench† to â€Å"meal taken on the family workbench† to â€Å"feast.† The AHD cites the English word banquet as first recorded in a work possibly composed before 1475 with reference to a feast held by the god Apollo, and it appears to have been used from the 15th to ... ...w York, NY. 1983. Davidson, Alan. Oxford Companion to Food. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1999. Elkort, Martin. The Secret Life of Food: A Feast of Food and Drink History, Folklore, and Fact. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc. 1991. Foley, Tricia and Catherine Calvert. Having Tea. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1987 Jaspers, Karl. The Great Philosophers. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1993. Kiple, Kenneth F., and Kriemhild Conee Ornelas, eds. The Cambridge World History of Food. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Oates, Whitney Jennings. The Stoic and Epicurean Philosophers. New York: Random House, 1940. Shipley, Joseph T. The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1984. Tannahill, Reay. Food in History. New York: Random House, 1988.

Year without Oil :: essays papers

Year without Oil OPEC Oil Embargo There are several things that come to mind when presented with the picture and topic, but the one that stands out most is shortage. However, shortage is an ironic word to use for it. It wasnÕt really a shortage in the fact that the world is out of oil, which being a non-renewable resource will be one day, but it was an incredible 130% increase in price by OPEC, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. This forced the petroleum market to head into a tailspin. OPEC, started by the major oil producing countries in the Middle East, was designed to give price control to the oil producers, instead of the oil manufacturers. Formed in 1960, OPEC was only a middleman for 10 years, but in the 1970Õs, they found the right time to drive up the price of gas. One viewpoint can say it was about time that we started paying these countries for what they were up to that point, "giving us," but from the other standpoint, OPEC is no more than a cartel and monopoly. A cartel is two or more parties, the oil producing countries, hurting an innocent third party, oil consumers. OPEC was created to hurt the oil manufacturers who were taking advantage of the oil producers, but unfortunately the one that got hurt from the agreement are the oil selling stations and us, the consumer. There are several reasons why it isnÕt the manufacturers didnÕt get affected by any of the price raises. First of all, no matter how high the price of crude oil goes, the world still has to keep buying oil products. In fact, the world is using more petroleum products now than it ever has before, and can only get it from a few manufacturers, which means a monopoly is feeding an oligopoly. Monopolies are when the economy relies on one source for all of a product, also called a trust. Monopolies are banned in the United States by Anti-Trust Laws. Oligopolies are products, that the economy relies on, that are only available from a few sources. In a large market, the oil market, these companies can raise prices for consumers and receive massive increases in their profits. "To really understand the hardships that happened in the 1970Õs, and not being around in that time, we can look at the situation we are experiencing today.

What is the challenge in the healthcare

Improving the quality of the health care system is among one of the prevailing challenges that United States. The health care system plays a major role in the society because the lives of the people depend on it. Improvement in the standard quality of health care as well as increase in medical knowledge enables people to live a fuller lives (Bernanke, 2008). Health care involves the prevention and treatment of ailments as well as the preservation of mental and physical well-being through services offered by the health and medical profession (The Free Dictionary, 2004). The quality of health care is a very significant aspect which affects the country scientifically, socially and economically. Health care is not only confined to the prevention and treatment of sickness but it also covers the health care organizations and associations. Lack of health care access is among one of the many challenges that the health care reform must address. As of 2006, studies show that almost forty seven million Americans or sixteen percent of the population lacks insurance which means to say that they get less health care attention than those people with insurance thereby causing their health to suffer. It is a well-known fact that the quality of medical technology and research in the United States is very high, however, the highest level of effectiveness may only be achieved if there is information dissemination and consistencies in policy implementation(Bernanke, 2008). Since the quality of health care is a global concern, then the answer to the problem should be apt to encompass global barriers. Countries from around the globe should gather to surpass economic and political barriers and unite to form a strategic plan in order to overcome and address this problem.

Worldwide Food Shortage

These new factors are related to economic systems, political issues, alternative energies and fuels or global warming and climate change. As we can read in an article by Lester Brown published in Scientific American Magazine, â€Å"one of the toughest things for people to do Is to anticipate sudden change. † (2009) This quote helps us understanding the crawls In countries affected by flooding or droughts. Other natural disasters hard to predict and having a substantial Impact on basic food production are earthquakes and tsunamis. These phenomenon's have the power to paralyze any agricultural activity among others.When these natural disasters affect countries with a poor economy, the situation is even worse as they do not have enough resources to recover and things are likely to become critical to the point where the population is affected by malnutrition and dies of hunger. Africa has been long known as the continent with the worst problems concerning food shortages In most of their countries, mainly due because of the hot temperatures causing severe uncontrollable droughts and water shortages. The situation in these countries has not only immediate implications on population, but also makes it very official for economies to develop.Unfortunately, because of the lack of food many diseases would easily spread and be difficult to overcome, since the countries are poor. To Illustrate the state of some African countries we will be citing a shocking affirmation published In an article by Marc Gunter, senior writer for Fortune Magazine: â€Å"The average American pet will consume more resources than the average African and have better medical care as well. † (2008) The same poor economical environment in countries of Central and South America had facilitated over the years, food shortages following either droughts or flooding.In 2001 for instance, a severe drought has compromised the crops across Central America. Countries like Honduras, Guatemala and E l Salvador have been seriously affected. (Taylor, 2002) These countries are predominately rural and produce grains and coffee for export. This is the other aspect of local food shortages: it can extend to affect other importing countries as well, forcing the increase in prices for some essential foods. As we could see so far in this analysis, droughts are not the only factors having the power to severely affect food production, but their opposite, flooding has the same vegetating erect. Entries all around ten world , In Europe, Salsa, Australia, ten Americas, they all have experienced food shortages due to flooding. A healthy production depends thus on balanced weather conditions. This might be however difficult to achieve, thinking that for centuries nature has been unpredictable, and it's getting worse due to global warming. An article published in Fortune Magazine presents the Pentagon's weather nightmare, global warming, as a surging problem, and predicts that a cooling in the N orthern Hemisphere will trigger longer and rasher winters in most European countries as well as in the United States.The same conditions will also cause according to the same source, severe droughts which will turn â€Å"farmland to dust bowls and forests to ashes. † (Strip,2004) Food shortages could arise from animal diseases, like the mad-cow disease, which caused a global meat shortage in 1996, and affected mainly the Great Britain, where people have died from consuming the meat coming from infected animals. Same situation has happened with chicken and pork later in the decade. A major issue nowadays is the price of oil.In a global economy heavily relying on amerce, import and export, the price of oil could have a significant impact on the cost of production. Some countries are seriously affected and decide to drop the production for essential foods, since its cost could become higher than the selling price. While some countries, usually developing countries, are strugglin g to survive on a low food supply, dealing with starvation and diseases, others might as well have an overage in production of basic food. We can analyze these countries' food overage from a humanitarian and ethical perspective, depending on what their decision is regarding the surplus.How many countries decide to distribute their overage to unprivileged nations, and how many simply dispose of the extra production? Great Britain for instance, estimates that more than 30% of their food is thrown away and thus UK might be the worst in the world for waste. The cost of the wasted food is estimated to be between 8 and 16 billion pounds a year. (Vidal, 2005) This is Just an example of how food is wasted in some countries or Just individually in certain households. In the context of long time food crisis around the world, this waste is highly unethical and shows low commitment to the global welfare.

A Child Called It Encourage Speech Essay

Hello guys I’m Grace and I am a volunteer of this youth center, below I just to ask do you have these feelings before? Desperate, depressed, desolated. I believe these emotions will bump out in every one of your mind when you think you are in a disadvantaged situation, and sometimes you think the whole world owes you, aren’t you? But indeed, are you really that pathetic? For me, people used to say I’m a pessimism. Yet, after reading a book based on a true story of a boy, it blows my mind. And it changes my mind in way in seeing the world with cherishing and forgiveness, and now I want to share this with all of you and I hope it will change yours too. The boy who gives me such an impact is called Dave Pelzer and he is the author of the book called ‘A child called IT’. He was being abused by his mom since he was a child, starving, pain, hopeless are what he gone through, but in the end, he was being rescued. The state of California said that it may have been the worse case of child abuse in the history of state. I guess you could imagine how tough the life was for Dave. However, despite of all these memories, he still managed to survive and become a bright person. So first of all, the precious of survival is the first thing Dave had taught me. In our daily lives, our often take everything for granted, just take a simple example. When we are eating our cereal breakfast, we would complain from our mom and say ‘ How come it’s the same taste again! I have ate this cereal for whole week! I’m bored of it! while you are complaining with things you are not satisfied, Dave was managing not to starve to die. From the book, his mother rarely treated Dave as a son nor a human being, he is just an ‘it’, a non-existence. Eating is not a normal right for Dave, he had to finished all his chores in order to have a mouth of food, finding food from the trash and stealing food from a grocery store and classmates was the way to keep him alive. Just think about it? We are really l ucky aren’t we? As all us sitting in here and no need to worry about tomorrow’s live and will we survive or not. And it’s time to back to basics, don’t focus on things we don’t have but the things we have! We have friends, families and everyone sitting next to you in this youth center, what we got is far more than survive, and we should better treasure it, and not focus on the dark side. As I about the dark side, you might think Dave’s heart was full of hatred to his mum because her mum treated him so badly. But in contrast, Dave teach me forgiveness—the art of letting go. No matter what lies in their past, they can overcome the dark side and press on to a brighter world and turn tragedy into triumph’ Dave said in the book. How come a person can let go of his anger and bring love to her mum and his loving child, that’s Dave. Look at what happened to us, sometimes people or ourselves makes mistakes and the hatred will last in our heart, but actu ally what’s the point in remembering all those tragedy? Why don’t we move on? Just forgive ourselves and forgive others, your friends, your family. Then, you will find you heart is brighter and clearer than ever, just like Dave. In conclusion, I think this book is remarkable and incredible as Dave’s experience do change my way in looking in the world in more perspective such as survive, forgiveness, love, courage and faith, but the time is limited so I have to stop here. Lastly, I just want to say we could always let go of the bad things happened to us and treasure everything we got, be positive! Everyone in the youth center would support you. Even the darkest will end and sun will rise. Thank you.

Fast Food Nation Paper Essay

Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation is about the fast food industry and all its negative aspects and influences. Schlosser introduces Fast Food Nation with a description of the California orange groves of the past and the fast food influenced urbanization that has replaced the groves. Schlosser concludes through a bold statement, â€Å"The low price of a fast food hamburger does not reflect its real cost ? and should. The profits of the fast food chains have been made possible by losses imposed on the rest of society. † Eric Schlosser is incorrect in his assumption that the price of a hamburger does not reflect its true cost. Its price represents America’s gain from the blessing of fast food. The fast food revolution has aided in the creation of many new technologies. Research sparked by pressure placed on the cattle industry has resulted in new methods of cattle raising. It has been found that grain fed cattle grow at a faster rate than free range cattle. A method of grain feeding has been engineered and perfect, and it has resulted in a larger number of cattle to be raised and an increase in beef consumption. Increased consumption benefits both the fast food chains and the beef suppliers. Fast food has also influenced advertising technology. McDonald’s invented Ronald McDonald in order to attract children; who would bring their parents and grandparents. Many industries have realized the potential in advertisements aimed at children, such as Camel Cigarettes and Marlboro Cigarettes, and beer companies that use slapstick humor to entertain children. The fast food industry employs a large portion of the teenage workforce. Teenagers are often willing to work for minimum wage since they are dependent on their parents. Teenagers do not need benefits; therefore, they are perfect workers to work less than forty hours per week. According to Eric Schlosser the employment of teenagers results in their exploitation and abuse. Abuse and exploitation are prevalent inside industry and outside industry and if anyone searched for abuse in the workplace, he or she would find it in every business and industry. Schlosser writes about the effects of the big business fast food industry on the cattle and poultry industries. He states that the fast food industries’ control over the restaurant market has resulted in the ability to control the prices of meat. By driving down prices, the fast food industry eliminates the farmer rancher and forces poverty on the small farmer. I have had a personal experience that negates Schlosser’s entire argument. Over the course of the last year, my parents and I traveled to Maryland looking for a new home. All throughout the Maryland rural areas, people have small-scale poultry farms. The small scale poultry raising is the result of one of the largest meat packing plants on the east coast being built in Maryland. The only effect fast food has on the small-scale farmer is positive. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser is a one sided argument against fast food restaurants. When the benefits of the fast food industry, such as urbanization, which further aids in industrialization; teenage employment; and a large agricultural industry, are ignored, it is easy to see why Schlosser believes the price of a fast food hamburger doesn’t reflect its cost. The low cost, in reality, represents the many benefits fast food has given America.