The Baader Meinhof Gang

The Baader Meinhof Gang, also known as the Red Army Faction, was one of the most active militant left-wing groups of postwar West Germany that gained prominence in the 1970s and 80s. Like may other radical communist groups of its time, it was formed with the objective of overthrowing social and political order to give rise to a totalitarian socialist state. Although the group described itself as a ‘Communist Urban Guerilla Group engaged in armed resistance’ its use of arms and weaponry quickly gained it the reputation of being one of the most deadly terrorist groups in Europe at that time.By the end of the 70s the group was responsible for over 30 killings and a series of bombings and kidnappings that aroused severe social and political unrest in the country. The Backdrop of Social & Political Unrest The formation of the Baader Meinhof Group or Gang can be traced back to the social and political instability in West Germany in the late 1960s. As in many industrialized nat ions, young students and workers disillusioned with the ‘oppressive’ regimes of the capitalist government began to stage massive protests.Their objective was to fight for freedom and human rights and they brought issues such as anti-imperialism, racism and the Vietnam War to the forefront of radical politics. The ‘German student movement’ as it was later termed was fuelled by a series of events that took place in the arena of German politics. In 1956, the Communist Party of Germany was banned. Government positions were occupied by ex-Nazis resulting in anger and frustration at the ineffectiveness of de-Nazification after World War II.The media was considered biased as it was controlled by anti-radical conservatives. The mid 1960s saw the merging of the country’s two major political parties- the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SDP) and the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) to form a new government. This was referred to as the ‘gran d coalition’ in Germany in 1966, with a former Nazi, Kurt Georg Kiesinger, as chancellor. This development was received with outrage from the radicals who viewed it as a collusion of capitalist power as a convenient way to block out the left-wing opposition parties.Since 95% of the Bundestag (West German Parliament) was controlled by the coalition, a new opposition party was formed called the Ausserparlamentarische Opposition (APO) or Extra Parliamentary Opposition, with the objective of carrying out political activity and protests independent of the government. The APO provided a platform for student radicals to wage resistance against the coalition and played a central role in the German student movement.What started out as peaceful demonstrations turned into violent protests on June 2, 1967 when the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, visited West Berlin. During one such demonstration outside the opera house where he was visiting, German student, Benno Ohnesorg was shot i n the head and killed. The police officer responsible for the shooting was later acquitted. Outrage of the radicals led to the creation of a new militant group called ‘Movement 2 June’, named after the date of Ohnesorg’s death.Formation of The RAF It was against the backdrop of this social and political environment and the impact of Ohnesorg’s death that led to the formation of an alliance between Thorwald Proll, Horst Sohnlein, Gudrun Ensslin and Andreas Baader. Together they detonated home made bombs in several Frankfurt department stores to protest against the Vietnam War. All four were subsequently arrested on April 2, 1967 and later convicted of arson and sentenced to three years imprisonment.Three of the members including Baader and Ensslin managed to escape during a special parole for political prisoners. Baader was soon recaptured, while the remaining members fled to France and Italy and hid underground. During his stay in prison, Andreas Baader ga ined permission to write a book on ‘organizing young people on the fringes of society’. For this he was granted the privilege of visiting a library accompanied by uniformed armed guards. It was during one such library visit in 1970 that Baader managed to escape with the help of left-wing journalist Ulrike Meinhof.It was here that the Baader-Meinhof duo came together, referring to their alliance as the Red Army Faction. Soon after, several members of the group went to Jordan where they received training in the use of arms by a military camp run by the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The Rise of the RAF Hereafter the RAF slowly grew to become one of the most prominent left-wing militant groups in West Germany and was engaged in numerous killings, bombings and robberies in attempt to get their message across through force.It attracted members and supporters from several other radical groups across the country such as the ‘Revolutionary Cells’, ‘Move ment 2 June’, the ‘Situationsists’ and the ‘Socialist Patients’ Collective’. Its rules and mission were partly modeled after a revolutionary group in Uruguay called the ‘Tupamaros Movement’ which succeeded in bringing guerilla war against imperialist oppression, under Che Guevara’s government, from rural areas to metropolitan cities. To avoid capture, most members operated under code names and carried out terrorist activities under a single contract.In June 1972, Baader was recaptured along with his accomplice Jan-Carl Raspe, followed by his girlfriend Ensslin and later Meinhof. Although kept in solitary confinement in a high security prison – Stammheim Prison in Stuggart, the group members devised a means of communicating with one another through letters delivered through their lawyers. With the core members of the group in prison, the group’s activities were taken over by a second generation of militants who se aim now was to secure the release of its leaders.This led to some of the worst terrorist attacks in the group’s history. The German Autumn On April 24, 1975, the RAF occupied the German Embassy in Stockholm where it demanded the release of its leaders in return for the freeing of hostages. When the German government refused, the RAF murdered two of the hostages. Baader and his fellow accomplices were finally put on trial in May 1975 – one of the most long drawn out and costly trials in West German history.Exactly a year later in May 1976, Ulrike Meinhof was found dead in her prison cell after an apparent suicide in which she had hung herself with a rope of towels. As the trial progressed, a number of high profile attacks took place. These involved the killing of Federal Prosecutor Siegfried Buback at a traffic signal, along with his driver and body guard, by two members of the RAF in April 1977. Three months later, in July 1977, Juergen Ponto, the CEO of Dresdner Ba nk was shot and killed outside his home in the German town of Oberursel.The following September, Hans Martin Schleyer, head of the German Association of Employers and one of the most powerful industrialists in the country, was kidnapped after his driver and bodyguards were shot dead by RAF militants. After taking Schleyer hostage, the RAF demanded the release of eleven prisoners including the leaders of the RAF at Stammheim Prison. Under the advice of Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, the government decided not to accede and instead set up a crisis committee to investigate the whereabouts of Schleyer.Before the situation could be resolved, another attack took place which marked the culmination of terrorist activities associated with the RAF. This attack took place in October 1977 when Lufthansa flight 181 from Majorca to Frankfurt was hijacked by a group of Arabs who appeared to have close links with the RAF as they also demanded the release of the same prisoners as in the Schleyer case. T he crisis committee again refused to give in to the hijackers demands, after which the flight captain was murdered and his body disposed of on a runway.A rescue operation was quickly put in motion led by under-secretary Hans Jurgen Wischenewski, during which the elite force of the German Federal Police were finally able to free the aircraft by shooting down all four hijackers. Shortly after, success of the rescue operation, with not a single passenger hurt, was made public by the media. The same night, three of the imprisoned RAF members – Baader, Ensslin and Raspe were found dead in their cells in what appeared to be a planned and collective suicide.The same night Schleyer was shot dead and the location of his executed body was communicated to the French press the following day. It was this string of bloody events that is frequently referred to as the German Autumn (Der Deutsche Herbst) The Downfall The ideology behind the 70s killings is still unclear and by the end of the 1970s the group’s sole objective appeared to be the release of its imprisoned leaders. The second generation of RAF members remained active in the 1980s gaining some East German support in the form of shelter and funding.The group continued to target prominent industrialists and executives and in 1985 murdered Ernst Zimmerman, CEO of a German engineering company. This was followed by a bombing at a US airforce base near Frankfurt which killed three. Seimen’s executive, Karl-Heinz Beckurts was killed by a car bomb in 1986. In 1989, Duetsche Bank chairman, Alfred Herrhausen was also killed by a car bomb planted by the RAF. As attacks continued throughout the 1980s and early 90s, the RAF attracted increasingly fewer supporters and less sympathy from the left.Its popularity quickly waned after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and after a long silence the group announced its dissolution in April 1998. References Alpert, Jane. (1987) The Baader-Meinhof Group: The Inside S tory of a Phenomenon. Translated by Anthea Bell. London: Bodley Head. Becker, Jillian. (1977) Hitler's Children: The Story of the Baader-Meinhof Terrorist Gang. Philadelphia: Lippincott. Katsiaficas, George. (1987) The Imagination of the New Left: A Global Analysis of 1968. Boston: Beacon Press.

Effect of Employee Satisfaction of Driving Customer Satisfaction Essay

â€Å"Its common sense when people feel great about the place where they work†¦ they provide better customer service† Dick Clark, Group leader of Financial services at Monsanto Customer satisfaction is the main aim of every organization running a business everywhere. Various level managers consider the importance of customer satisfaction and try to pass this issue to the lower levels that have direct contact with the customers. Those front-line employees should be satisfied themselves in order to deliver customer value. (bulgarella, 2005). Some researchers and business pioneers went further to include employees as â€Å"internal customers† whom they seek to satisfy their needs in order to make sure that they will do the same with the external customers (Harrison, 2003) and this highlights the direction towards the study on the employee satisfaction and its factors. In Egypt, employee satisfaction should be one of the most highlighted topics in every business field and should gain wider interest day after day. The emphasis on these kinds of studies will help improve the service standards and, consequently, raises the satisfaction levels of employees and external customers of any organization. From this perspective, the researchers decided to investigate the sense of career development and its effect on employee satisfaction (Research1 or R1). The second part of the research will be devoted to measure the effect of employee satisfaction on delivering customer satisfaction (Research2 or R2). The main research questions are designed as: Q1: How can the sense of career development affect employee satisfaction? Q2: what is the effect of employee satisfaction on customer satisfaction? Hypotheses: H1: Sense of career development has an effect on employee satisfaction. * Components of career development on this research paper are: * Quality of Employees ‘Lives. * Social and economic contribution to society. H2: sense of employee satisfactions affects Customer satisfaction. R1: The relation between sense of career development and employee satisfaction. When the researchers decided to define employee satisfaction, they called back the definition of the word â€Å"satisfaction† from the dictionary and it was found as â€Å"gratification of an appetite and pleasure† (Wilson Learning, 2006). Satisfaction researchers can never ignore Maslow’s human satisfaction pyramid that starts with physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, self-esteem and self-actualization needs (Parvin, 2011) Scholars vary in their definitions to employee satisfaction; Reilly defines job satisfaction as â€Å"the feeling that a worker has about his job or a general attitude towards work or a job and it is influenced by the perception of one’s job†. (C.R.Reilly, 1991). Some employee-satisfaction theories depends mainly on the individual factor or the employee himself; employee’s objectives, age, social status, gender and education level have the major impact on determining the degree of his satisfaction and loyalty in his job (Ann, 1992) while others, such as Alan Witt, go in deeper analysis to study â€Å"Fit or Lack of Fit† or the â€Å"Want-Have Dilemma† between the employee’s requirements and the organizational offerings (Ann, 1992) Papers agree on a main drive for employee satisfaction in any organization; employers must work on enhancing the sense of career development for their employees. However, career development itself is a broad concept that needs to be clarified. Sears defined career development as the total group of physiological, sociological, educational, physical and economic factors that direct the individual’s career (Patton & McMahon, 2006). This definition classifies the components career deve lopment to: 1. Physiological component 2. Sociological component 3. Educational component 4. Physical component 5. Economic component When going to a deeper practical definition, Careers England, one of the most recognized organizations in career guidance industry that has a wide variety of partnerships with various associations (Careers England, 2012), defined career development as follows: â€Å"Career development is the lifelong process of managing progression in learning and work. The quality of this process significantly determines the nature and quality of individuals’ lives: the kind of people they become, the sense of purpose they have, the income at their disposal. It also determines the social and economic contribution they make to the communities and societies of which they are part† (Careers England, 2012) This definition analysis â€Å"Career Development† terminology to the following components * Quality of individuals’ lives * Social and economic contribution to society When linking both definitions together, the researchers can identify the main components of career development to two main categories 1. Quality of individual lives: a. Salary paid to employees b. working conditions c. physiological and safety needs d. the purpose they have 2. Contribution to society * Achievements and contribution to society economically and socially R2: the relation between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. To measure the degree of employee satisfaction’s effect on customer satisfaction, the meaning of customer satisfaction should be clear for the researches and the readers; A comprehensive definition of customer satisfaction in terms of pleasurable fulfillment is given by Oliver (1997): â€Å"satisfaction is the consumer’s fulfillment response. It is a judgment that a product or service feature, or the product or service itself, providing (or is providing) a pleasurable level of consumption-related fulfillment, including under or over fulfillment† (Siskos, 2010) According to an exhaustive review of Yi (1991), customer satisfaction may be defined into 2 basic ways: either as an outcome, or as a process: 1- The first approach defines satisfaction as a final situation or as an end-state resulting from the consumption experience. 2- The second approach emphasizes the perceptual, evaluative and psychological process that contributes to satisfaction. (Siskos, 2010) (R2) will try to measure the degree of dependence of both factors on each other through surveys with employees and customers. Bibliography Ann, M. (1992). A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP. SOUTHWEST TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY, Political Science. Texas: The Digital Library. attia, s. (2008). Healthcare quality and moder. emerald insight, 3. bulgarella, C. (2005). Employee Satisfaction & Customer Satisfaction. Guide Star rerearch. C.R.Reilly. (1991). Organizational Behavior. Annual Review of Psychology, pp. 427- 458. Careers England. (2012). MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT. Careers England. Careers England. Careers England. (2012). Why Career Development Matters. 1. Harrison, C. (2003, 11). Turning Customer Service Inside Out! Retrieved 10 1, 2012, from expressionsofexcellence.com: http://www.expressionsofexcellence.com/ARTICLES/InsideCS.html Parvin, M. (2011, December). FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEE JOB SATISFACTION OF PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR. Australian Journal of Business and Management Research, 1, 115. Patton, W., & McMahon, M. (2006). Career Development and Systems Theory. QueensLand university, Faculty of Education. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers. Siskos, E. G. (2010). Customer Satisfaction Evaluation. Greece: Springer Science+Business Media. Wilson Learning. (2006). Redefining employee satisfaction: business performance, employee fullfilment and leadership practices. Edina: Wilson Learning Inc.

Semester Reflection

As the semester started, I had set my mind that I was destined to achieve a lot. During the start of the semester, I had several difficulties writing English assignments especially in terms of grammar. During the first week of the semester, I sat down, organized my thoughts and comprehended that throughout the semester, I had to achieve all that I had planned for. As a student of English, I had planned that throughout the semester, I had to improve my skills as a scholar, writer and critical thinker. Now that the semester has ended, I can reflect all the semester activities to depict how my writing skills and critical thinking skills have drastically improved. This paper presents a reflection paper of how this semester’s assignments have shaped me as a writer, critical thinker and scholar. Since the start of this semester, I have encountered many aspects of English that I can now understand. There are several ways through which I have shaped my writing skills over the course of the semester but one major activity of the semester that has helped me a lot especially in my writing and critical thinking skills is the semester writing assignments. During this semester, I got the opportunity to write several assignments. The two major writing assignments that helped me a lot in comprehending about the several aspects of writing were writing on â€Å"Obama’s acceptance speech† and â€Å"Downloading from torrent. † During these semester writings, it was quite interesting to learn the use of English writing skills under different circumstances. First, writing a paper on â€Å"Obama’s acceptance speech† instilled me with knowledge on how to analyze a speech and present the ideas and themes of the speaker. This assignment was also critical in shaping my critical thinking skills since I was able to critically analyze Obama’s speech in relation to its purpose and context. Writing this speech also enabled me acquire the skills of writing papers from first person context. I acquired the skills to use strong introductory phrases that hold the capability of capturing the reader. Flateby (p 190) argues that critical and creative writers must use descriptive words. I am now able to utilize descriptive words in my writings that are capable of creating a scenic imagination to the reader. I am also able to write a reported speech. These are writing skills that I gained after writing the paper on Obama’s acceptance speech. I believe that these are very critical skills that will help me throughout my entire course and even after my studies. Throughout the semester, I have gained skills necessary for understanding and utilizing logic while writing. I am now aware that for any writing to be scholarly, it must possess an introductory section, a body and a conclusion section. Further, I am now able to understand as well as utilize most of the basic techniques useful in pre-writing, revision and editing. Through writing the â€Å"downloading from torrents† paper, I acquired skills in word processing, sentence elements, and punctuation. Further, I developed some special skills in writing a website analysis which is a critical aspect in contemporary learning as argued by Flateby (p 182). As the semester folds, I believe that I have gained the prerequisite skills in writing and critical thinking. However, I need to improve much on some of the common problems in writing that seems to disturb me especially grammar. In regard to the development of my critical thinking aspects which cannot be depicted from my writings, I have gained several critical thinking skills from my writing assignments throughout the semester. Through writing assignments such as â€Å"downloading from torrents† and â€Å"Obama’s acceptance speech† I gained the skills necessary in summarizing a given reading using my original thoughts. When I was writing â€Å"Obama’s acceptance speech†, it was a required that one had to read and understand the speech then analyze it using own thoughts and perceptions. This helped in shaping my critical thinking aspects. As denoted by Flateby (p 190), critical thinkers must have the ability to form opinions. This is a skill that I have also gained through the semester’s writing assignments. This was acquired through writing the â€Å"downloading from torrents† assignment that required the students to form personal opinions about the website. I can now form opinions with ease as well as express it with precision and clarity through writing. Further, I am also able to deduce the premise of most writers after reading a number of scholarly writings. In deed, this semester’s assignments have shaped my writing and critical thinking skills. I am now able to understand the meaning of several written works, conduct a rhetoric examination, write opinion papers, and analyze speeches, write critical analysis papers as well as effectively reference my assignments. Though I found it challenging throughout the semester, I am now able to use several examples while writing my assignments. The semester’s activities have really paid me out. As the semester started, I had a mediocre performance but I can now ascertain that as the semester ends, I am now among the best students in the whole class. To improve my grammar in the coming semester, I aim at visiting the university English writing center where I will get help on grammar. I am also planning to enroll in a part time grammar class. Though the semester’s assignments helped me in improving my performance, I still owe it the efforts of my instructor and my fellow students who tirelessly helped me in my path to becoming a great writer, a better critical thinker and a scholar.

Reflection reaction 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection reaction 2 - Assignment Example In fact, the country is recorded to have been wealthy and dominated by the Islamic culture at that time; in addition, the country also had large populations of the Jewish people that were prevalent in Europe. The Christian and Muslim religions had shared the Iberian Peninsula, which is the current homeland to Portugal and Spain. During this time, it is recorded that these regions enjoyed relative peace and calm, something that played a role to their wealth and prosperity. When people live together in peace and understanding, they can do great things that can influence the course of life. This was evidence during this time that relative peace and calm characterized these regions. It is believed that the Jewish scholars and their Muslim counterparts collaborated in many things (Hannon 2). For instance, they worked together in the process of compiling great and important works of as well as making translations to this information. The same was applied in other disciplines like mathematics, science and sociology among others. It is believed that the period during and after 1469, saw Spain begin to make important and bold advances towards building its empire. During this period, Ferdinand and Isabella were united as king and Queen setting the pace for these developments. It is believed that the unison of these two people led to the union of Aragon and Castle, which were the most powerful kingdoms at that time (Moore 1). The support for Columbus by these rules played an essential role in bringing some many kingdoms under the Spanish rule. Columbus and other American possession remained under the custody and check of the Spanish rule and were passed to Charles I, who was the grandson of Ferdinand after his death in 1519 (Moore 3). Charles was very famous, history records that by this time, he had already conquered vast lands including Luxembourg,

Communications between Group Members Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communications between Group Members - Essay Example The author of the paper states that solving the problem involves taking on a leadership role, one where the group leader tries to bridge differences between group member principles. By setting a vision for the group, which is a constant reminder of the goals set for discussion, everyone can remember to stay focused and not let individual differences guide decision-making or problem-solving. It is necessary, I have found, or the group to have a solid leader with strong emotional intelligence. Actions to take include role playing, which allows a person in the group to understand the needs and emotions of others by pretending to walk in their proverbial shoes. A leader acts as the moderator for others to ensure discussion stays on topic. Another action is role modeling or setting the example for others by maintaining professionalism and using empathy to show others that they are understood and their suggestions considered. This brings group harmony.

Genre Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Genre Analysis - Essay Example Notably, the car started with a three wheeled vehicle that dubbed the Benz parent motor car. This car was unveiled by Karl Benz; however, a month later, a four wheeled vehicle that was powered by Daimler engine was introduced as a product of this company. Other than being a car, since it origin, the Mercedes Benz has since been known for its luxury and refinement with symbol of success, status, and good taste. The first Mercedes Benz was crafted in the year 1901 and car was named after Emil Jellinek’s daughter, Mercedes. Jellinek was one of the primary distributors of the Daimler. In the year 1926, Daimler and Benz merged and formed Daimler Benz AG and this marked the birth of Mercedes Benz. During its foundation, Daimler pointed a signified fact that his engines would be used for vehicle on the land, air, and sea (Adler 35). Notably, this fact came to fact year later, after his death. It is has ever been noted that right from its invention, Mercedes Benz has been synonymous w ith excellence in automotives. For instance, the 1931 Mercedes Benz 170 became a car in its own class since it was the first car in world with an exemplary technology that has remained extraordinary until in the contemporary automobile production. One of these features is the independent suspension provided by its four wheels. From its comfort and luxury, the Mercedes Benz did establish itself a brand of choice among the buyers especially between the 30s and 40s, thanks to the convertible cruisers including the 380 and 540K. Advancement of year led to advancement in series of Mercedes Benz and new model were unveiled. In the 1950s, the company introduced the Mercedes Benz 300 SL that was also known as the â€Å"Gullwing† and was the world ever known supercar (Adler 82). This Mercedes Benz’s model had a dramatic styling as well as race bed technology. Other than the comfort and class, Mercedes Benz Company was and is still concerned with safety technology. For instance, the Mercedes Benz 220 sedans were the first ever vehicles to incorporate â€Å"crumple zone† patented body design that intended to absorb impact in cases of crash. Changes in the market demand and technology ever pushed Mercedes Benz Company to advance in its technology and automotive designs. For instance, in the year 1963, the company launched Mercedes Benz 600 that increased the company’s reputation as one of the home best automotive luxury. Moreover, it unveiled the elegant luxurious sedan limousine and air suspension system that was marked to be a head of its time as well as a V8 engine that produced 300 horsepower. These vehicles were effective especially the same decade’s Mercedes Benz 300 SEL 6.3, a full sized sedan that accelerated from zero to 60 within a time limit of seven seconds. This was the fasted car during its time. Other supercars that have ever been manufactured by Mercedes Benz company include the 1970s S – Class vehicles, coupes, an d opulent that provided users with powerful engines among other features. Despite development and technological demands, the Mercedes Benz has continued to provide end users with cutting edge of technologies that are convincing the users as well as safer (Adler ‘Mercedes-benz: 110 Years of Excellence†¦ 162). Notably, Mercedes Benz was the first car to offer antilock brakes. Moreover, with its continued mindful in safety aspects, Mercedes Benz was the car manufacturer to offer airbags and traction control,

Discussion Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Discussion Board - Essay Example Conversely, "passive" ITS probe vehicles are vehicles that are already in the traffic stream for purposes other than data collection. passenger in the test vehicle; Historically, the manual method has been the most commonly used travel time data collection technique. This method requires a driver and a passenger to be in the test vehicle. The driver operates the test vehicle while the passenger records time information at predefined checkpoints to the transmission of the test vehicle; Technology has automated the manual method with the use of an electronic DMI. The DMI is connected to a portable computer in the test vehicle and receives pulses at given intervals from the transmission of the vehicle. Distance and speed information are then determined from these pulses satellites. GPS has become the most recent technology to be used for travel time data collection. A GPS receiver is connected to a portable computer and collects the latitude and longitude information that enables tracking of the test vehicle. Each of these test vehicle techniques is described in detail in the following sections of this chapter. The following elements are included for each technique: overview, advantages and disadvantages, cost and equipment requirements, data collection instructions, data reduction and quality control, and previous experiences. Since the driver of the test vehicle is a member of the data collection team, driving styles and behavior can be controlled to match desired driving behavior. The following are three common test vehicle driving styles (1): - Average car - test vehicle travels according to the driver's judgement of the average speed of the traffic stream; - Floating car - driver "floats" with the traffic by attempting to safely pass as many vehicles as pass the test vehicle; and - Maximum car - test vehicle is driven at the posted speed limit unless impeded by actual traffic conditions or safety considerations. The floating car driving style is the most commonly referenced. In practice, however, drivers will likely adopt a hybrid of the floating car and average car because of the inherent difficulties of keeping track of passed and passing vehicles in high traffic volume conditions Advantages and Disadvantages The manual method (pen and paper) has the following advantages: - No special equipment needs; - Low skill level (no special hardware training); and - Minimal equipment costs. The manual method (pen and paper) has the following disadvantages: - High labor requirements (driver and observer); - Low level of detail (average speeds for 0.4 to 0.8 km, or 0.25 to 0.5 mi). Average speed and delay are reasonable while queue length and speed profiles are difficult; - Greater potential for human error (potential for marking wrong checkpoints or inaccurate times); - Potential data entry errors (e.g.,

Strategic Marketing & Planning Apple Case Study Essay

Strategic Marketing & Planning Apple Case Study - Essay Example A MOStek 6502 processor was used rather than Intel 8080 processor being used by competitors and TV was used for display. Additionally, it was sold at a lower price and in a demonstration held to showcase Apple 1, 25 units were ordered. More computers were ordered and by 1977, the company’s sales totaled US$774,000 (Di Muro, 2010, p. 2). The computer company has been introducing inventions over time which have seen it position it well to compete with other computer manufacturers such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard. It also competes with Sony, Microsoft, and Nokia. Apple Inc. hardly develops the new type of product but is mostly an expert in refining products developed by other manufacturers (Wooten, 2010, p.2). Presently, Apple Inc. is valued at about $170 billion and this financial performance is not the only indicator of its impressive performance. Apple enjoys a 9 percent market share of the computer market, 73 percent of MP3 player US market and 11% of the global smartphone market. Wooten (2010, p.2) reckons that Apple has been already to win awards as the best company in marketing, innovation, and marketing. This paper will be structured in two sections analyzing strategic marketing and planning adopted by the company. The first section will explore the purpose of the organization and the way such purpose has been developed as a product of the expectations of different stakeholders. Additionally, the paper will discuss strategies used by the organization in adding value and lastly, it will discuss the main issues faced by the company. The operations of Apple Inc. are of interest to many different stakeholders in the industries that it conducts business in. The main stakeholders include company customers buying different products, employees, competitors, shareholders, company managers, and employees.

PORTFOLIO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PORTFOLIO - Essay Example unds that I have made in my journey through this class this semester and explain the methods I used to come up with thought inducing topics but also to be able to express papers through methods in which the assignment was clear but still had a point. When I would first try to determine the topics for which I would write about, I would consider my own personal experiences and the things around me that influence my thinking. The best way to determine a topic for me was to take a subject of interest and conduct research in order to elaborate more on it. When I did some thinking, writing and research my ideas would change and I thought of ways to narrow down a topic and the way in which to portray what I was trying to say. There were several times when I had to determine whether or not the topic that I was most interested in was one that I really wanted to write about or if I could find enough research about it. To decide, I would use library services and also the Internet to find topics that had supporting research. I still wanted to maintain my own voice in these papers because they were of interest to me. When looking at some of the most difficult problems I faced while writing, the fact that I am a non-native speaker and student made it difficult. There were some issues or concepts discussed in writings that I was unfamiliar with. I found that some of my information should focus more on the United States and some of the situations found in the culture and society here. The cultural differences and importances in society made a difference in some of the things that I would write about. My grammar and basic way of thinking is a struggle when compared to American English and it was a bit of a challenge to overcome. I did my best to seek out help in order to write to the best of my ability and still organize papers so that they made sense. When researching, I took the advice of my professor, my tutor and my peers. I was often provided with information

Kandinskys Works Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Kandinskys Works - Essay Example The paper "Kandinsky’s Works" analyzes the works of the famous artist, Wassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky’s works, how they influenced theatre forms in the 20th century and how they commented on wider issues of society, arts culture & politics. Then, Kandinsky begun his career in Munich, 1896, publishing firstly a pamphlet, which summarized the idea of new art.1 During that pamphlet he claimed that art should not be simply the reproduction of nature, and this consideration related to the works of Herman Orbist, which was being inspired by the work of Claud Monet. W1 Accordingly, similarity could be discovered in the early works of Kandinsky and Monet, so regarding the aforementioned similarity the Old town II, 1902, by Kandinsky, was included into the text of essay. Evidently, Kandinsky is more widely known for his works in Expressionism & Abstract movements; however, Kandinsky’s published works did not go straight oils to abstract, and he first failed to be accepted i nto Franz von Stuck’s painting class, after which he was accepted alongside Paul Klee and Hans Purrman.1 Additionally, during this time in Munich Kandinsky came into contact with a multitude of artists, from studio assents to sculptors, and in this thorough study of art Kandinsky became disillusioned with how this scene was supplied and filled with academic scholars of art; subsequently, he considered them as narrow minded and politically coloured artists. On the contrary, it is in his later exhibitions which were named â€Å"Phalanx†.

Asset Management at Wolseley Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Asset Management at Wolseley - Essay Example This is in a bid to expand its market and increase its profits in the highly competitive market. However, it is evident that the investment rates have been fluctuating according to the risk factors identified by the company’s experts. Some of the risk that determines whether Wolseley will invest or not include economic factors, new business models, margin pressures, liquidity and funding from financial institutions and other critical risk factors (Hastings 87). In cases where the company recognizes that the investment does not generate the expected profit margins, it considers disposition. One of the recent cases involved the company’s consideration of disposing of its French arm, after the realization that the European markets had become unbearably difficult. Reports indicated that an analysis of the situation revealed that Wolseley would either close down the arm or limit the investment towards it. Other situations include the Danish market, compelling the company to consider disposition. The team of experts assigned the role of strategizing on investment and disposition has done a remarkable task in management (67). This is the reason why the company is a leader among its competitors. As highlighted in the table above, Wolseley had placed increased importance on the importance of goodwill as one of its intangible assets. However, with time, the company has expanded its view of intangible assets to include trade means, customer relationships, and brand. The company has made remarkable efforts of upholding its integrity in a bid to protect its reputation, which has proved to be a significant asset. Wolseley now plans to invest in the other highlighted intangible assets in the future.  Ã‚  

The Influence of Technology on Society and the Economy Essay Example for Free

The Influence of Technology on Society and the Economy Essay The nature of technology possessed by a society happens to be the defining characteristic of the self same society.   Thus, the Stone Age, the Iron Age, the Bronze Age, the Industrial Age, and the Information Age are very appropriate terms used to define the nature of human society in different times (â€Å"Technology,† 2007).    Man’s living standards are to known to have been improving with new technologies cropping up as a result of his own efforts.   Thus, new technologies are also known to have a positive effect on the economy.    At the same time, however, it is a fact that those who do not use the new technologies also do not experience the greatest socioeconomic benefits of the new technologies.   This is the reason why man in the Information Age is presently observing the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots (Friedman, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Iron Age saw man using tools that were superior to those of the Stone Age.   Therefore, both the Iron Age and the Bronze Age increased man’s standard of living.   The tools that were made in the Iron Age and the Bronze Age led to an increase in efficiency as well as productivity.   By knowing how to make different objects with iron and bronze, man was also able to increase trade with his neighbors.   The introduction of new goods and services by way of trade automatically translated into higher standards of living than before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, new technologies must always translate into higher standards of living.   The sixteenth century saw new inventions that revolutionized manufacturing and other features of living.   The wheel-lock musket, the helicopter, the spinning wheel, the pocket watch, the diving bell, the seed drill, the camera obscura, the knitting machine, the compound microscope, the Gregorian Calendar, and the enameling of pottery were all brought into the world in the same century (â€Å"Timeline†).   All of these new technologies were not only used in trade, but also became a part of people’s daily lives.   As a matter of fact, at this point in time we cannot even imagine a world without these objects to help us out with our everyday routines.   Hence, society becomes dependent on technology that it has used successfully in the past.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The late eighteenth and the nineteenth century saw the beginning of the Industrial Revolution – a highly exciting time for man.   During the Industrial Revolution, man learned how to manufacture goods and services faster than before, and at lower costs of production.   The introduction of manufacturing machinery was undoubtedly a gigantic leap in the world of production. More importantly, the enhancement in efficiency and productivity experienced during that time grew the economy by leaps and bounds.   All the same, the industrialized nations at the time were separated from the non-industrialized nations that lacked the expertise for developing machinery.   The industrialized nations had to export the machinery to the non-industrialized nations.   However, they could only sell machinery to the non-industrialized nations when the latter found themselves in a position to pay for them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Technologies developed in the last century have similarly influenced society.   The following passage explains some of the influences of the latest technologies on society:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Technology-driven changes have been particularly evident in the past century.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Automobiles have created a more mobile, spread-out society; aircraft and improved   Ã‚  Ã‚   communications have led to a smaller world and, eventually, globalization; contraception   Ã‚  Ã‚   has revolutionized sexual mores; and improved sanitation, agriculture, and medicine have   Ã‚  Ã‚   extended life expectancy.   A technologically literate person recognizes the rate of technology   Ã‚  Ã‚   in these changes and accepts the reality that the future will be different from the present   Ã‚  Ã‚   largely because of technologies now coming into existence, from Internet-based activities to   Ã‚  Ã‚   genetic engineering and cloning (â€Å"Technology†). Following the Industrial Revolution, the Internet Revolution was the next most exciting technological change experienced by society.   Turning the world into a ‘global village’ where people around the world could communicate with each other at low costs and at any time, the Internet also revolutionized the way business is conducted.   Today, consumers from around the world may purchase goods sold online from almost any nation. This, of course, is in stark contrast to the shopping experiences on people’s travels when people could only be excited about foreign goods whilst traveling in foreign lands.   Businesses from around the world have grown tremendously because of the Internet.   The ex-chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan explained some of the benefits of the Internet and other new technologies back in the year 2000:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The relationship between businesses and consumers already is being changed by the   Ã‚  Ã‚   expanding opportunities for e-commerce.   The forces unleashed by the Internet are almost   Ã‚  Ã‚   surely to be even more potent within and among businesses, where uncertainties are being   Ã‚  Ã‚   reduced by improving the quantity, the reliability, and the timeliness of information.   This is   Ã‚  Ã‚   the case in many recent initiatives, especially among our more seasoned companies, to   Ã‚  Ã‚   consolidate and rationalize their supply chains using the Internet. Not all technologies, information or otherwise, however, increase productivity—that is,   Ã‚  Ã‚   output per hour—by reducing the inputs necessary to produce existing products.   Some new   Ã‚  Ã‚   technologies bring about new goods and services with above average value added per   Ã‚  Ã‚   workhour.   The dramatic advances in biotechnology, for example, are significantly increasing   Ã‚  Ã‚   a broad range of productivity-expanding efforts in areas from agriculture to medicine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Indeed, in our dynamic labor markets, the resources made redundant by better   Ã‚  Ã‚   information†¦are being drawn to the newer activities and newer products, many never before   Ã‚  Ã‚   contemplated or available.   The personal computer, with ever-widening applications in homes   Ã‚  Ã‚   and businesses, is one.   So are the fax and the cell phone.   The newer biotech innovations are   Ã‚  Ã‚   most especially of this type, particularly the remarkable breadth of medical and   Ã‚  Ã‚   pharmacological product development (â€Å"Remarks,† 2000). New technologies are enhancing man’s ability to create products and services of value.   In the boundless ocean of the digital culture, everything should appear as a blessing.   But, there are problems that the economy must face alongside the blessings.   In the music industry, for instance, the digital age has been seen as a mixed blessing.   Because of piracy or MP3’s, whichever name we give to the mixed blessing of the digital economy as it concerns the music industry, the digital economy is presently not in a state to flourish as much as possible even if the steadily rising numerical figures related to the growth of electronic commerce tell us another tale (Muhammad, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As mentioned previously, another problem facing the global economy in our times is the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, similar to the one experienced during the Industrial Revolution.   According to Friedman, those who are able to use the chip technology most productively today are naturally the winners in the global economy.   As compared to these successful nations and businesses are those suffering from the symptoms of Microchip Immune Deficiency Syndrome, which include economic slackness, along with a deficiency to increase the use of knowledge (Friedman). This is the reason why the World Trade Organization acts as a protestor of globalization – which is driven by the World Wide Web – on behalf of the poor nations whenever these nations are threatened by it (Lipsey, 2006).   Also according to Friedman, the wealth of the prosperous Bill Gates was at one point equal to the total net worth of at least a hundred million poorest of Americans. Another fact to explain the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots during the globalized Internet Age is that in the United States, the incomes of one-fifth of the poorest working families dropped between 1979 and 1995 by at least 21%, for the simple reason that they did not know how to adopt the new technology.   What is more, the incomes of one-fifth of the richest Americans increased by almost 30% during the same time period (Friedman).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Still, new technologies are known to be responsible for growing the economy by increasing organizational effectiveness, that is, in the organizations that can afford the new technologies.   Organizational effectiveness is for the organization to be doing everything that it knows how to do, and to be doing it well.   The organization knows how to manage its employees, and to manufacture the products or provide the services that it originally set out to manufacture or provide. However, in order to be effective in its operations, the organization should be managing its employees well, and manufacturing good quality products or providing high quality services to its customers.   In the organizational environment of today, the organization that is effective in its operations must be effectively using information technology.   This is, in fact, one of the requirements of organizational effectiveness in our times (Helms).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The computer software designed for the organization in our time helps to organize plans, letters, legal documents, articles, and countless other files as well as indispensable documents.   In other words, software can help to modernize as well as simplify the whole process of working with computer documents (â€Å"New Software,† 2006).   This helps the organization to do its job well, seeing that computer software is designed to perform routine tasks that humans might perform only with mistakes because they dislike and get easily wearied performing monotonous tasks.   Additionally, time is money in the business world.    By using computer software to handle routine tasks with speed, the rich organization is using its human resources at jobs that only skilled human beings would be able to handle.   Thus, everything at the organization runs well.   The computer software does its own job excellently, while the skilled human beings, without wasting time on routine tasks that computers can handle, perform jobs that computers cannot do.   Hence, computer software adds to the skills and specializations at the workplace, which in turn help to increase production, thereby benefiting the economy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the same time, however, it should be remembered that everybody in society does not benefit when the economy grows thanks to new technology.   Rather, the rich get richer and the poor become poorer.   This is the reason why the Internet Age has failed to raise the standards of living of the poorest people in the globe. References Friedman, T. L. (2000). The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization. New York: Anchor Books. Helms, M. M. Defining Organizational Effectiveness. Retrieved 28 October 2007, from http://www.daltonstate.edu/faculty/mhelms/citizen/2001_10_28.html. Lipsey, R. G. (2006, April 4). Don’t Give Up On WTO: Fix It. YaleGlobal. Muhammad, T. K. (1999, March). Leaders Of The Digital Economy. Black Enterprise, Vol. 29. New software is first of its kind; Solves file organization problems encountered by all computer users. (2006, September 14). M2 Presswire. Remarks by Chairman Alan Greenspan. (2000, January 13). The Federal Reserve Board. Retrieved 28 October 2007, from http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2000/200001132.htm. Technology Shaped By and Shaping Society. (2007). The National Academies. Retrieved 28 October 2007, from http://www.nae.edu/nae/techlithome.nsf/weblinks/KGRG-55SQTT?OpenDocument. Timeline 16th Century. Magic Dragon Multimedia. Retrieved 28 October 2007, from http://www.magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/timeline16.html.

Exploring The Darkness Within Kurtz English Literature Essay

Exploring The Darkness Within Kurtz English Literature Essay The Heart of Darkness stands as a profound examination of the hypocrisy of imperialism, and the darkness that results from it. This imperialism embodies itself in the form of Kurtz, the antagonist of the story. Kurtz initially exists as a remarkable man, an emissary of light who enters the Congo with noble intentions. (Conrad) However, as he enters the heart of darkness that is the Congo, his own heart becomes dark as well. This novella explores Kurtzs transformation in three consecutive chapters. The darkness foreshadows itself in part one, describes its path in part two, and finally presents itself in part three. Conrad depicts this darkness with his skillful use of imagery and metaphors. Carefully crafting the message of the story, Conrad utilizes imagery and metaphors as the paints to his palette. Foreshadowing permeates every moment of this narrative. Although it can be found in the entirety of the story, it predominates in part one. The foundations for the consistently dark imagery lie in Conrads prolific sentence structure, which tends to meditatively wonder, both in the scenery and his own philosophical speculation. (Lachotta) Through the vivid imagery, many metaphors arise, and contribute to the foreshadowing as well. The foremost metaphor of part one exists as the Congo River itself, which resembles an immense snake uncoiled. (Conrad) One usually associates a snake with evil, which foreshadows the actuality that lies in the Congo. As a metaphor, it represents the European imperialism, and thus, it represents Kurtz. Another metaphor lies within the two woman at the doctors office, who are knitting black wool. Marlow states his uneasiness in regards to them, how they seem to be guarding the door of Darkness. (Conrad) Conrad capitalizes Darkness in this sentence to emphasiz e the imagery of his message. Indeed, these women stand as an omen for the dark months that lie ahead, for once Marlow enters that door, he officially becomes part of the dark world that leads him to Kurtz. Numerous metaphors in part one foreshadow Kurtz transformation into madness. The story of Fresleven, who was the gentlest, quietist creature to ever walk on two legs, exemplifies this dark dissent. After a couple of years engaged in the noble cause, he attempts to assert self respect by beating a native mercilessly, all for the frivolous reason of two black hens. (Conrad) The fact that the doctor wants to measure Marlows head, along with the Swedes story of the man who hangs himself, both serve as key elements of foreshadowing Kurtzs own destiny. (HoD, Symbolism) Once the foreshadowing takes place, Conrad further explores Kurtzs darkness in part two. Now that Marlow physically stands in the Congo jungle, he vividly describes the darkness that part one preludes to. As the managers uncle extends him arm out to the forest, Marlow states that he seems to beckon to the lurking death, the hidden evil, the profound darkness of its heart. (Conrad) This ominous atmosphere of the Congo exists as the same atmosphere that drives Kurtz to madness. Once Marlow and his crew descend up the river to reach the inner station, Conrads vivid imagery presents further metaphors. Marlow explains that going up the river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. (Conrad) Comparing this journey to the beginning of the world represents the colonists journey, which moves away from civilization and towards a primitive existence. As they move away from civilized society, they become cl oser to the heart of darkness that Kurtz physically and psychologically lives in. Another metaphor presents itself with the personification of the trees as kings. This alludes to Kurtzs proclamation of himself as a god to the natives, something of which he accomplishes only through his primitive location. Overall, the imagery of Africa Conrad deploys in part two provides a backdrop for Kurtzs moral dissolution. (Mwikisa) Once the path up the river comes to an end, part three begins. In this final chapter, Conrad presents the core of the darkness Kurtz himself. The entire novella leads up to this point, in which Kurtzs corruption establishes itself. Presiding over the inner station, Kurtz becomes addicted to his power. (Rekue) He grows tired of being a mere man, and through force and violence, transforms himself into an omnipotent figure. The scene where the natives carry him on a stretcher indicates how he completely abandons European morals and norms of behavior. (Lachotta) In the beginning of this chapter, Conrads phenomenal imagery illustrates the inner station. As Marlow observes his surroundings, he assures that never before did this land, this river, this jungle, the very arch of this blazing sky, appear to me so hopeless and so dark. (Conrad) This not only explores Kurtzs darkness, but preludes to his hopeless death. Kurtz gives in to the immoral temptation within the Congo, and thus, his inn er darkness takes over. In further speculation of the chapter, Conrads imagery and metaphors explore the characteristics of darkness itself. Three elements must correlate in order to constitute darkness. These elements include anger, fear, and aggression. (Lachotta) Throughout this chapter, Kurtz exemplifies all three of these characteristics. After Marlow witnesses Kurtz being carried on a stretcher, the harlequin tells the story of how Kurtz threatened to shoot him over a small lot of ivory. Kurtz reasoning was that he could do so, and had a fancy for it. (Conrad) This, along with the chastisement of the manager, represents Kurtzs anger. The heads of the rebels on the sticks represent his aggression in gaining complete power; his ivory hunts represent his aggression in obtaining ivory. In regards to fear, Kurtz fears being taken away from the dark place of which he feels comfortable. In the desperation that arises from his fear, he tries to escape by crawling away the night before the departure. Kurtz ple ads that he has his plans, but his efforts remain futile. (HoD Study Guide) Through these three elements, Conrad explores the darkness of the human soul. Kurtzs moral degeneration in the Congo epitomizes that darkness, which in the end, completely envelops him. Kurtz initially exists as a man of morals, who travels to the Congo full of philanthropic ideals. (HoD, Kurtz) However, these ideals become devoured by the darkness of imperialism. The Heart of Darkness explores this transformation through the three chapters of the novella. The darkness foreshadows itself in part one, describes its path in part two, and presents itself in part three. Conrad depicts this darkness through his aesthetic use of imagery and metaphors, which work to intertwine throughout the entire story. During the last moments of his life, Kurtz, in realization of his darkness, utters the words, The horror! The horror! (Conrad) In the end, he succumbs to the darkness, for once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny; consume you it will. (Yoda Quotes)

Concrete Stitches In Segmental Prestressed Concrete Bridges

Concrete Stitches In Segmental Prestressed Concrete Bridges The in-situ concrete stitches of a segmental prestressed concrete bridge are locations of potential weakness for the entire bridge deck but relatively little work has been carried out in this area. In the current practice, these in-situ stitches are usually designed to be capable of sustaining considerable sagging moment but only minimal hogging moment. Therefore, failure of these joints is possible under exceptional circumstances when the hogging moment is high, which may potentially trigger a progressive collapse. In the light of this, an extensive experimental study on the structural behaviour of the in-situ concrete stitch under different combinations of parameters has been carried out. Two types of specimens are tested in the study, namely the beam specimens and the shear specimens, which both consist of two precast units joined together by in-situ concrete stitch of variable widths. The beam specimens are internally prestressed and subject to different combinations of bending m oment, shear, and prestressing force; while the shear specimens are either internally or externally prestressed and subject to direct shear only. Shear keys are provided to the stitch of several shear specimens to examine the contribution of the keys to the shear strength. The effects of various parameters on the strength of the stitch and ductility of the specimens are investigated. Detailed coverage on the experimental programme and the results of the experimental analyses are presented in this paper. KEYWORDS Experimental study, joints, prestressed concrete, segmental bridges, in-situ stitches. INTRODUCTION Precast segmental concrete bridges have gained popularity over the past 40 years due to their efficiency in coping with difficult site conditions. One of the most commonly used method of constructing this type of bridges is the balanced cantilever method, which essentially involves sequentially extending precast segments outwards from each pier in a balanced manner. A gap of 100 to 200 mm in width is usually provided around the mid-span location between the last two approaching segments to facilitate erection. In-situ concrete is then cast to stitch the segments together, thus making the bridge deck continuous. Under the current practice, the in-situ concrete stitches are usually designed to be capable of sustaining considerable sagging moment but its hogging moment capacity and shear resistance are only nominal. Failure of these joints can only occur under exceptional scenarios when hogging moment is high. However if it really occurs, this could potentially trigger a progressive collapse mechanism because the concrete stitches are locations of potential weakness. Studies on the joints of segmental bridges have been conducted in the past (Buyukozturk et al., 1990; Hewson, 1992; Zhou et al., 2005; Issa and Abdalla, 2007) but the joints studied are either dry or epoxy joints that exists between precast segments and not the in-situ concrete stitching joint that is of interest. As relatively little research work on this area has been conducted, understanding of the actual behaviour of in-situ stitches is limited. In the light of this, an extensive experimental study has been carried out to investigate the behaviour of the in-situ concrete stitches. The study mainly involves a series of loading test on specimens that are comprised of precast units connected by in-situ concrete stitches. The stitch is subjected to different combinations of internal forces by applying loading at different locations along the specimen. Various parameters of the specimens are varied to examine their effect on the strength of the in-situ stitch and its failure mode. These parameters include the width of the stitch, the grade of concrete, the prestressing force, the provision of shear keys, the type of tendon (bonded or unbonded) and the type of prestressing (external or internal). Although the experimental programme is still ongoing, based on the analysis of the current experimental results, several preliminary conclusions have been drawn and are presented in this paper. The experimental programme is also covered i n detail in this paper. TESTING PROGRAMME The experimental study involves load testing on two types of specimens, namely (i) the beam specimens, and (ii) the shear specimens. The beam specimens are used to study the behaviour of the in-situ concrete stitches subjected to different combinations of bending moment and shear, while the shear specimens are used to study the behaviour of the stitches under direct shear. Both the beam and shear specimens consist of two precast units joined together by the in-situ concrete stitches. Control beam specimens have also been fabricated where the entire beam is continuously cast without any stitch along the beam. Typically, the stitch is cast one week after the casting of the precast units. Loading test on the specimens is performed using a testing frame after 28 days from the day of casting of the stitch. Linear variable displacement transducers (LVDTs) are mounted on the specimens at various locations of interest to measure the displacements at these locations. Configuration of the Beam Specimens The length of the beam specimen is 1400 mm with the in-situ concrete stitch at either the mid-span of the beam or offset from the mid-span depending on the internal force that the stitch is subjected to. An actual beam specimen is illustrated in Figure 1. Three cases of internal force at the stitch are examined, namely (i) pure bending moment, (ii) pure shear, and (iii) both moment and shear. The loading test setup to induce the three cases of internal force condition is illustrated in Figure 2. Tendon (a) Case of pure bending moment (b) Case of pure shear (c) Case of moment and shear The section of the beam has an overall depth of 200 mm and a width of 150 mm. A 7-wire steel strand with a nominal area of 100 mm2 is used as the prestressing tendon. The tendon is placed at a depth of 133 mm for Case (i) and Case (ii), and 100 mm for Case (iii). For all beam specimens, Grade 60 concrete is used for both the precast units and the stitch. No shear key is provided to the stitch. Unbonded tendon with an effective prestressing force of 100 kN is applied to all beam specimens. Since the precast units and the in-situ concrete stitch are cast at different time, construction joints exist in the specimen. Prior to casting the in-situ concrete stitch, the laitance at the construction joint area on the surface of the precast unit is removed and the area is roughened by a needle gun until the aggregates are exposed. The construction joint is then wetted for at least 12 hours before casting by laying towels that are completely saturated with water over the joint area. Configuration of the Shear Specimens The shear specimens consist of two L-shaped precast units with the in-situ concrete stitch joining the two units as illustrated in Figure 3. The out-of-plane dimension of the specimen is 200 mm. The specimens are either made of Grade 60 or Grade 45 concrete and both the precast units and the stitch are made of the same grade of concrete. The stitch is subject to a prestress of either 1 MPa or 5 MPa, and stitch widths of 100 mm and 200 mm are examined. The shear specimens are designed in such a way that they are capable of simulating the shear behaviour of box girders of different web configurations. The web of a box girder may or may not be provided with shear keys and some parts of the web may or may not have prestressing tendon running through. Therefore, the specimens are either internally prestressed by bonded tendon or externally prestressed by a clamping device to provide the prestressing force acting on the stitch, while the stitch is either plain or provided with shear keys. For those specimens with shear keys, either one large key with a depth of 50 mm or two smaller keys with a depth of 30 mm are provided. Examples of an externally prestressed specimen with two shear keys and an internally prestressed specimen without shear key are illustrated in Figures 3(a) and 3(b) respectively. For the case where the specimen is internally prestressed, a 7-wire steel strand is used. Prior to casting of the stitch, light roughening is provided at the construction joint area on the precast units to remove the laitance. Similar to the beam specimens, the joint area is wetted for at least 12 hours before casting the stitch. (a) Stitch with shear keys; externally prestressed (b) Stitch without shear key; internally prestressed Figure 4. Examples of setup for shear specimen RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Beam Specimens The load-displacement relationships of the beam specimens tested are plotted in Figures 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c) for the case of the in-situ concrete stitch subjected to pure bending moment (Case (i)), pure shear (Case (ii)), and a combination of moment and shear (Case (iii)), respectively. For the specimens of Cases (b) and (c), only the results of the specimens with 50 mm stitch and 100 mm stitch are available to date. Ductile behaviour is observed for the beam specimens of Case (i). Opening of the construction joints occurs at a load of between 70 kN and 80 kN, while the final mode of failure is concrete crushing in the compression zone at mid-span, as illustrated in Figure 6(a). From Figure 5(a), it is evident that the peak strength of the specimens without stitch (i.e. the control specimen) and those with stitch are approximately the same. The difference in the peak strength between the specimen with a 50 mm stitch and that with a 100 mm stitch is marginal. When the stitch is subject to pure shear, the behaviour of the specimen is brittle. As the peak strength is reached, a large diagonal crack suddenly forms across the stitch (Figure 6(b)) and the strength drops abruptly. It can be seen from Figure 5(b) that regardless of the size of the stitch, the peak strengths of the specimens are nearly the same. (a) Case (i) (b) Case (ii) (c) Case (iii) From Figure 5(c), it is evident that the behaviour of the specimens of Case (c) is ductile. Failure of the specimens is localized at the point of loading where there is significant cracking and crushing of concrete; while at the stitch, slight opening of the construction joint is observed and several diagonal cracks are found propagating from the construction joint towards the point of loading. The condition of the beam at failure is illustrated in Figure 6(c). For the specimen with a 50 mm stitch, the peak strength is approximately 100 kN, while that for the specimen with a 100 mm stitch is approximately 110 kN. The peak strengths of the two specimens are relatively close to each other. The results suggest that the width of the stitch has minimal effect on the strength of the stitch within the maximum width of stitch studied. The ductility of the specimens is also not affected by the width of the stitch but rather by how the specimen is loaded. (a) Case (i) (b) Case (ii) (c) Case (iii) Shear Specimens The load-displacement relationships of the five shear specimens tested are plotted in Figure 7. The shear displacement is the relative vertical displacement between the two precast units. All shear specimens are identified as explained below. Using E-K(M)-100-60-2 as an example, the first field represents the type of prestressing used, with E indicating external prestressing; the second field represents whether the stitch is plain or with shear keys, with K(M) indicating stitch with two shear keys, K(S) indicating stitch with single shear keys, and P indicating plain stitch with no shear key; the third field indicates the width of the stitch in mm; the fourth field indicates the grade of concrete in MPa; and the fifth field indicates the prestress applied to the stitch in MPa. Therefore, a specimen identified as E-K(M)-100-60-2 is composed of Grade 60 concrete with external prestress of 2 MPa applied and two shear keys are provided to the stitch that has a width of 100 mm. The specimens with plain stitch are first discussed. From Figure 7, it can be seen that the behaviour is largely the same for both specimens E-P-100-60-1 and E-P-200-60-1. The peak strengths of the two specimens are between 50 to 60 kN, which once again demonstrates that the width of a plain stitch has little effect on its strength. It is evident that as the prestressing level is increased to 5 MPa (E-P-100-60-5), the peak load-carrying capacity is significantly increased to approximately 220 kN. Therefore, the level of prestressing has marked influence on the load-carrying capacity of the stitch. For specimens with plain stitch, the failure mode is characterized by sudden occurrence of sliding along one or more of the construction joints. Upon failure, the strength of the stitch is mainly contributed by friction from sliding between the surfaces of precast unit and in-situ stitch. As observed from the load-displacement curves, a long smooth plateau is evident in the post peak range for specimens E-P-100-60-1 and E-P-200-60-1, which can be modelled as Coulomb friction. For specimen E-P-100-60-5, the post-peak behaviour as shown in Figure 7 is not as smoothed. Since the prestressing force is substantially higher, the resistance against sliding by the aggregates along the construction joint becomes very large. As the applied load is large enough to overcome that resistance, sudden slippage along the construction joint occurs and the load drops. Subsequently the resistance builds up again and sudden slippage occurs again when the resistance is overcome by the applied load. Therefore the post-peak branch of specimen E-P-100-60-5 has a zig-zag shape. This observation also implies that the roughness of the construction joint should have strong effect on the post-peak strength of plain stitches, which will be examined in due course. Since the post-peak strength of the stitch is mainly contributed by frictional forces, ductility can only be maintained if sufficient pre stressing force is provided. Therefore the presence of adequate prestressing force beyond the peak strength of the stitch is crucial in preventing sudden loss of strength in the stitch. Up to this stage, only two shear specimens with shear keys have been tested. However, the results from the test have already given indication that the behaviour of the stitches with shear keys is quite different from the behaviour of those without shear keys. Upon reaching the peak strength, the stitch of specimen E-K(M)-100-60-1 fails suddenly in a brittle manner by cracking diagonally across the stitch as illustrated in Figure 8 and an abrupt drop in load can be seen in Figure 7. This behaviour is much different from that of the specimens with plain stitches in which the post-peak behaviour is characterized by a long plateau in the load-displacement relationship. This type of stitch has little reserve strength upon reaching the peak load-carrying capacity. No brittle failure is observed for the specimen with one large key and a wider stitch, i.e. specimen E-K(S)-200-60-1. In fact, the specimen was not loaded to failure during the experiment but was stopped at a load of approximately 190 kN because at that load, the prestressing force was increased to a level that had almost reached the capacity of the load cell used to measure the prestressing force. However, at a load of 190 kN, continuous crack had already formed along the construction joint and there was sliding between the precast unit and the stitch along the joint but the stitch still remained intact. From Figure 7, it can be seen that the peak load-carrying capacity of specimens E-K(M)-100-60-2 and E-P-100-60-5 are approximately the same. This observation seems to imply same level of load-carrying capacity can be achieved yet less amount of prestressing can be applied by adding shear keys to the stitch. As aforementioned, there is an increase in prestressing force as load is applied to the specimens with shear keys. This behaviour is caused by dilation in the stitch as the shearing load is applied. Dilation is taken as the displacement between the precast units measured along the horizontal centreline of the stitch. The effect of dilation is much more pronounced for specimens with keyed stitches than those with plain stitches. The relationships between shear displacement and dilation of the various specimens are plotted in Figure 9. For the specimens with plain stitch, dilation is relatively insignificant compared to the dilation in the specimens with keyed stitch. The stress in the tendon can be increased due to dilation. The effect of dilation on tendon stress is rather insignificant for a segmental bridge with unbonded tendon because the strain increase due to dilation will be averaged along the entire length of tendon between end anchorages. However, for segmental bridges prestr essed by bonded tendon, dilation may cause substantial increase in strain at the location of the stitch, which can potentially overstress the tendon. Specimens with stitch prestressed by bonded tendon will be tested in the near future and the effect of dilation on tendon stress will be investigated in due course. CONCLUSIONS Extensive experimental studies have been carried out to investigate the behaviour of in-situ concrete stitches subject to a combination of internal forces and subject to direct shear by conducting a series of loading tests on the beam specimens and shear specimens respectively. Detailed coverage on the setup of the specimens and load testing has been included in this paper. Based on the results of the tests conducted so far, several preliminary conclusions can be drawn: The width of plain in-situ concrete stitch does not appear to have significant effect on the peak-load carrying capacity of the stitch regardless of the combination of internal forces that it is subjected to. The strength of the in-situ concrete stitch is strongly influenced by the level of prestressing applied and the strength of the stitch increases as the level of prestressing increases. For plain in-situ concrete stitches, failure occurs along the construction joint. Strength in the stitch is still present beyond the peak strength and it is mainly contributed by the frictional force from the sliding between the surfaces of precast unit and stitch. By providing shear keys to the concrete stitch, the level of prestressing can be reduced to achieve the same strength as those stitches without key. However, this may result in a brittle failure. For keyed concrete stitches, the amount of dilation is significantly higher than that of plain stitches. For segmental bridges prestressed by bonded tendon, this may have marked effect on the stresses of the tendons. With further testing on the specimens being carried out in the near future, it is expected that more definitive conclusions can be drawn on the behaviour of the in-situ concrete stitches. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The study undertaken is supported by Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (RGC Project No. HKU 710207E).

The Power of Appearance in Ben Johnsons Plays Essay -- Physical Appea

The Power of Appearance in Ben Johnson's Plays The very notion of drama depends in part upon the idea that when people dress up in different clothes, it is easier to imagine them as different people. Jonson commonly utilizes this device within his plays; for, when a character pretends to be someone else, he or she merely puts on the other person’s clothes. In â€Å"Volpone,† when Volpone puts on the garb of a commendatore, Mosca, a clarissimo, they are treated as such. When Volpone asks, â€Å"Am I then like him?† Mosca replies â€Å"O, sir, you are he; no man can sever you† (Jonson, Volpone, 5.5, l. 1-2). By putting on the other man’s garment, Volpone essentially becomes the commendatore whose cloak he has put on. Jonson is not suggesting that the audience actually believes that the actors have become their characters. However, he is making fun of this idea that because actor’s dress up in someone else’s clothing, the audience can accept the illusion of a group of lower-cla ss men playing women and kings. In â€Å"The Devil Is an Ass,† and â€Å"The New Inn† Jonson takes the power of appearances one step further. These plays accept as self-evident the idea that social class is defined by appearance. However, men like Fitzdottrel and Ambler who do not properly respect their rights to aristocratic dress, prove themselves less than aristocratic. Women like Prudence, who understand and respect the power of dress to mold appearances, are allowed to assume the role for which they have been costumed. Jonson seems to be suggesting that those characters who know that social class can actually be manipulated by appearance, and thus place the proper value on their appearances, are the true aristocrats – whether they are born to the rank or not.... ... This reading of Jonson’s exploration of the conditions upon nobility leads to an interesting conclusion concerning Jonson’s own life. While Jonson sought to rise within the courtly world, he never achieved nobility. Under this interpretation, Jonson’s failure would have been more satisfying to him than a token title bestowed as a favor by King James or King Charles, for Jonson appears to have considered preserving the worth of nobility to be far more important than his own social station. If actually entering the world of aristocracy meant cheapening it in any way (and one can hardly fail to acknowledge that Jonson’s character left something to be desired by way of a noble heart), then one could argue that Jonson would have preferred to stay always one step away from the aristocracy -- preserving its value both with his desire and with his failure.

Herman Melvilles Billy Budd - Billy Budd as Allegorical Figure :: Herman Melville Billy Budd Essays

Billy Budd as Allegorical Figure An allegory is a symbolic story. Herman Melville's Billy Budd is an example of an allegory. The author uses the protagonist Billy Budd to symbolize a superior being who has a perfect appearance and represents goodness. Melville shows the reader that a superior being can be an innocent victim of evil and eventually destroyed. In, Melville's Billy Budd, the main character is an allegorical figure who symbolizes all goodness in men. Billy Budd's image is symbolic. He symbolizes one who is perfect in appearance. Budd is strong and handsome. He is the center of attention and compared to the "Handsome Sailor." (THAAL, pg. 2512) Melville uses an allusion to compare the "Handsome Sailor" and the eye of the constellation Taurus. His comparison also shows that Billy, like the "Handsome Sailor," is popular. Also, the comparison with the "Handsome Sailor" shows Billy as a handsome character. A comparison is also made between Billy and a "mighty boxer or wrestler." (THAAL, pg. 2513) The author wants the reader to see that Billy has strength as well as beauty. He also goes on to make an allusion between "young Alexander", Alexander the Great, and Billy to create an image of a powerful figure. (THAAL, pg. 2513) Melville compares Billy's physical appearance to that of Alexander the conqueror creating an image of a superior being. Billy is an "honest soul" and wants simple peace and quiet. (THAAL, pg. 2514) The simple peace that he seeks may represent the romantic view of a noble savage, who has goodness because he is untainted by the corruption in society. Melville has interest in the noble savage and creates Billy Budd to represent this idea. Billy seems naturally good with no sins in his character. He lives a simple and serious life. For example, when Claggart makes fun of him, Billy does not understand the "humor" in his statement. (THAAL, pg. 2532) Another example that shows Billy's simple character fearfully witnesses a flogging. Billy has never experienced punishment and is afraid of this unknown. He is also naive about evil. When told, by the Dansker, that Claggart, the master at arms, is down on him, Billy is doubtful of the Dansker's words. He replies by saying: "What for?

Financial Accounting Theory and Analysis Essay

a. What, if any, ethical issue is involved in this case? Legally the financial vice president is not obligated to move to the new standard; however, I do see an ethical issue with this decision. The ethical decision lies in the fact that the vice president is knowingly presenting financial statements that do not reflect the true condition of the company. This is a great example of the line between ethics and law. Technically, if one is not breaking a law, then one is not creating fraud; however, this does not imply that the actions are not controversial, particularly if they impact employees’ well beings. As CPA and auditors, it is not our job to remove risk. FASB gives detailed rules-based guidance because in our current litigious environment companies have proven over and over again that management needs this guidance to ensure that transactions are reported consistently and appropriately. Ethics are suppose to go beyond the court room. In my opinion, in practice when applying principles, one is to meet legal expectations while being trustworthy. b. Is the financial vice president acting improperly or immorally? I do believe that the vice president is acting inappropriately because he knows that the report does not reflect a fair presentation of the company’s financial condition. The objective of general purpose financial reporting is to provide financial information about the business that is useful to present and potential equity investors, lenders, and creditors in making decisions in their capacity as capital providers. Information that is decision-useful to capital investors is also used by managers and executives to make important, impactful determinations about business operations. c. What does Hoger have to gain by advocacy of early implementation? Hoger’s promotion shows her responsibility to the public’s trust, her complex body of knowledge, and her strength and competiveness of work done. Her awareness and forwardness can prevent the company from making unhealthy decisions. Hoger may not see the immediate impact in her career for her actions, but the world of accounting is an industry where good praise will spread quickly and go far. Her unconventional forwardness and emphasis on credibility and dependability is seen by the vice president and all involved. She is a true professional. If the vice president’s final decision is followed through, then hopefully she’ll be permitted to make a note in the financial statements or speak to her point when the deceitfulness of the statements is brought to the surface. I also like to think that she’ll sleep better at night. d. Who might be affected by the decision against early implementation? Those currently invested in the company, potential investors, lenders, and other creditors will be impacted. Information that is decision-useful to capital investors is also used by managers and executives to make important, impactful determinations about business operations. Ironically, by pretending the problem is not present, the vice president is creating a huge revenue-impacting nightmare for his company and setting-up for his own downfall. He is presenting phony information that will cause poor business decisions to be made by managers and executives of the company. The (unknown to be poor at the time) poor decisions can snowball into excess expenses, horrendous operational and production process changes, and lay-offs. This will all fall on the vice president’s shoulders, as explanations will be demanded as to how the company’s position quickly changed. The desired consequence is to always apply sound accounting principles to information and supply results to exte rnal users to show the company’s resource allocation process. Per the text, the objective of a theory is to explain and predict. challenges relates to real or perceived differences between U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and IFRS with respect to their underlying philosophies.

Morality in Islam Essay

Morals are the standards set by society for an ethical human behavior. It can also be called the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Morality is the adherence to the moral values present in the society, especially the following of good moral conduct. Islam is a comprehensive way of life, and morality is one of the cornerstones Islam. Morality is one of the fundamental sources of a nation’s strength, just as immorality is one of the main causes of a nation’s decline. Islam has established some universal fundamental rights for humanity as a whole, which are to be observed in all circumstances. To uphold these rights, Islam has provided not only legal safeguards, but also a very effective moral system. Thus, whatever leads to the welfare of the individual or the society and does not oppose any maxims of the religion is morally good in Islam, and whatever is harmful is morally bad. Given its importance in a healthy society, Islam supports morality and matters that lead to it, and stands in the way of corruption and matters that lead to it. The guiding principle for the behavior of a Muslim is â€Å"Virtuous Deeds†. This term covers all deeds, not only acts of worship. The Guardian and Judge of all deeds is God Himself. Morals in the general society might have evolved considerably over the centuries but their main purpose remains the same; i. e. to practice good behavior and abstain from ill doings and injustice. The pursuit of justice, tolerance and fairness has been appreciated and upheld by man for centuries, and detest for evil doings and cruelty has been ever present. Morality has a very important role in the religion of Islam and in the life of a Muslim. Islam tells us that the conscience of a person has it in him to do good deeds and refrain from evil. The Holy Quran calls good, maruf-a well known things and evil, munkar-an unknown thing. It means that it is desirable to do good deeds and undesirable to indulge in evil practices. The Quran says: â€Å"By the Soul! And the proportion and order given to it, and its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right- truly he succeeds that purifies it, and he fails that corrupts it. † (91:7-10) The moral values in Islam deal with the relationship of a man with his God, man with his fellow beings and the man’s relationship with his soul. The moral codes given to Muslims to follow are Divine guidance from Allah himself. These codes and values stand the test of time and are universal in their nature. One can realize how much importance and is given to morals in Islam. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said that the good manners and morals were the real test of a man’s excellence. He (pbuh) said: â€Å"The best of you are those who have the most excellent morals. † The moral values of Islam are instrumental towards creating a healthy and a sustainable society. The moral values in Islam emphasize on piety, patience, forgiveness, justice, kindness brotherhood, equality, truthfulness, lawful earning and acquisition of knowledge. The Holy Quran signifying the value of justice says; â€Å"†¦for Allah loves those who are fair and just. † (49:9) The morals in Islam also incorporate the conduct of an individual towards his parents, spouse, relatives and neighbors. Islam instructs the follower to give his fellow beings their due rights and complete his obligations towards them. The guidance for human beings to live their life in Islam comes through Divine commands. The promise of paradise, and the warning from the inexplicably hot fire of the hell, motivates the believer to follow the right path. The Divine guidance sets the standard for the most excellent possible moral behavior. Importance of morality in Islam is beautifully captured in the saying of the Holy Prophet (pbuh): â€Å"The thing which will make the majority of the people enter Paradise is fear of Allah and good manners. † he most fundamental characteristics of a Muslim are piety and humility. A Muslim must be humble with God and with other people: â€Å"And turn not your face away from people (with pride), nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, God likes not each arrogant boaster. And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of the ass. † (Quran 31:18-19) Muslims must be in controls of their passions and desires. A Muslim should not be vain or attached to the ephemeral pleasures of this world. While most people allow the material world to fill their hearts, Muslims should keep God in their hearts and the material world in their hand. Instead of being attached to the car and the job and the diploma and the bank account, all these things become tools to make us better people. â€Å"The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, but only he (will prosper) that brings to God a sound heart. † (Quran: 26:88-89) Principles of Morality in Islam. God sums up righteousness in verse 177 of Surat Al Baqarah: â€Å"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West; but it is righteousness (the quality of ) the one who believes in God and the Last Day and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; who spends of his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, to the needy, to the wayfarer, to those who ask and for the freeing of slaves; and who is steadfast in prayers, and gives Zakah (Alms); and those who fulfill their covenants which they made; and who are patient and perseverant in poverty and ailment and throughout all periods of fighting. Such are the people of truth, the pious. † This verse teaches us that righteousness and piety is based before all else on a true and sincere faith. The key to virtue and good conduct is a strong relation with God, who sees all, at all times and everywhere. He knows the secrets of the hearts and the intentions behind all actions. Therefore, a Muslim must be moral in all circumstances; God is aware of each one when no one else is. If we deceive everyone, we cannot deceive Him. We can flee from anyone, but not from Him. The love and continuous awareness of God and the Day of Judgment enables man to be moral in conduct and sincere in intentions, with devotion and dedication: â€Å"Indeed, the most honorable among you in the sight of God is the most pious. † (Quran 49:13) Then come deeds of charity to others, especially giving things we love. This, like acts of worship, prayers and Zakah (mandatory alms), is an integral part of worship. A righteous person must be reliable and trustworthy. Finally, their faith must be firm and should not wane when faced with adversity. Morality must be strong to vanquish corruption: â€Å"And God loves those who are firm and steadfast. † Patience is often hardest and most beautiful when it’s against one’s own desires or anger: â€Å"And march forth toward forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for the pious. Those who spend (in the way of God) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon people; verily, God loves the doers of the good deeds. † (Quran 3:133) These three acts are among the hardest things for most people, but they are also the key to forgiveness and to paradise. Are they not the best, those who are able to exercise charity when they are in need themselves, control when they are angry and forgiveness when they are wronged? This is the standard by which actions are judged as good or bad. By making pleasing God the objective of every Muslim, Islam has set the highest possible standard of morality. Morality in Islam addresses every aspect of a Muslim’s life, from greetings to international relations. It is universal in its scope and in its applicability. Morality reigns in selfish desires, vanity and bad habits. Muslims must not only be virtuous, but they must also enjoin virtue. They must not only refrain from evil and vice, but they must also forbid them. In other words, they must not only be morally healthy, but they must also contribute to the moral health of society as a whole. â€Å"You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in God; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors. † (Quran: 3:110) The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, summarized the conduct of a Muslim when he said:â€Å"My Sustainer has given me nine commands: to remain conscious of God, whether in private or in public; to speak justly, whether angry or pleased; to show moderation both when poor and when rich, to reunite friendship with those who have broken off with me; to give to him who refuses me; that my silence should be occupied with thought; that my looking should be an admonition; and that I should command what is right. † The love and continuous awareness of God and the Day of Judgment enables man to be moral in conduct and sincere in intentions, with devotion and dedication. The Glorious Qur’an also says:Say: the things that my Lord hath indeed forbidden are: shameful deeds, whether open or secret; sins and trespasses against truth or reason; assigning of partners to Allah, for which He hath given no authority; and saying things about Allah of which ye have no knowledge. [Al-Qur’an 7:33]It is interesting that the Qur’an refers to â€Å"sins and trespasses against truth or reason†. It is an indication of God’s blessing to every human being, of an innate moral sense. Such a moral sense, when uncorrupted by family or society, is what leads people to commendable acts of virtue. Islam aims to enhance and amplify the moral sense in every human being and adorn the individual’s character with the noblest of virtues. The Islamic moral principles therefore, appeal naturally to the human intellect, while elevating the pursuit of morality to the level of worship. This is because Islam holds every action that is done with the goal of attaining of God’s pleasure to be worship. | Morality and the individual The guiding principle for the behavior of a Muslim is what the Qur’an refers to as Al `Amal Assalih or virtuous deeds. This term covers all deeds, not just the outward acts of worship. Some of the most primary character traits expected of a Muslim are piety, humility and a profound sense of accountability to God. A Muslim is expected to be humble before God and with other people. Islam also enjoins upon every Muslim to exercise control of their passions and desires. Islam warns against vanity and excessive attachment to the ephemeral pleasures of this world. While it is easy to allow the material world to fill our hearts, Islam calls upon human beings to keep God in their hearts and to use the material world in moderation and in accordance with God’s guidance. The Glorious Qur’an says: â€Å"The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, but only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart† [Al-Quran: 26:88-89] Charity is one of the most commendable acts in Islam. In fact, Zakah, the annual charity that is obligatory on every Muslim who has accrued wealth above a certain level, is one of the pillars of Islam. Gratitude in prosperity, patience in adversity, and the courage to uphold the truth, even when inconvenient to oneself, are just some of the qualities that every Muslim is encouraged to cultivate. Morality and Society For an individual as well as a society, morality is one of the fundamental sources of strength, just as immorality is one of the main causes of decline. While respecting the rights of the individual within a broad Islamic framework, Islam is also concerned with the moral health of the society. Thus, everything that leads to the welfare of the individual and the society is morally good in Islam, and whatever is harmful is morally bad. Given its importance to a healthy and just society, Islam supports morality and matters that lead to the enhancement of morality, and stands in the way of corruption and matters that lead to the spreading of corruption. The injunctions and prohibitions in Islam are to be seen in this light Conclusion Morality in Islam addresses every aspect of a Muslim’s life, from greetings to international relations. It is universal in its scope and in its applicability. A Muslim is expected to not only be virtuous, but to also enjoin virtue. He/She must not only refrain from evil and vice, but must also actively engage in asking people to eschew them. In other words, they must not only be morally healthy, but must also contribute to the moral health of society as a whole. The Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) summarized the conduct of a Muslim when he said: â€Å"My Sustainer has given me nine commands: to remain conscious of God, whether in private or in public; to speak justly, whether angry or pleased; to show moderation both when poor and when rich, to reunite friendship with those who have broken off with me; to give to him who refuses me; that my silence should be occupied with thought; that my looking should be an admonition; and that I should command what is right. †