There Is Another Sky

Poem: There is another sky by Emily Dickinson There is another sky, Ever serene and fair, And there is another sunshine, Though it be darkness there; Never mind faded forests, Austin, Never mind silent fields — Here is a little forest, Whose leaf is ever green; Here is a brighter garden, Where not a frost has been; In its unfading flowers I hear the bright bee hum: Prithee, my brother, Into my garden come! * Theme: depression, death * Imagery: Visual imagery * Tone: dark * She is inviting people into her â€Å"garden,† perfectly.I think that the poem itself can be interpreted as a forest that is always green since when you write something down it's going to stay that way. However, I think that what Emily really tries to refer to is her soul of warmth and compassion which always wants to offer itself to those who are suffering. I think that this is the true forest that is never withered or cold because it's always there. Even with her dead, one gets a sense that if this type of compassion can exist from a person then at least someone at some point cared.Emily had a very special spirit in my opinion and a searingly powerful inner beauty – almost one that is so full of this inner radiance that it spills out for others as well. And the very act of trying to reach out to another and show him/her how deeply you care is enough to comfort a person and invite them into that warm acreage of soothing. Austin is her brother. It is him she is talking to throughout the whole poem. Prithee means prey thee, so the line is ‘prey thee, my brother, Into my garden come! ‘ She is praying for her brohter to come in to her world of peace and tranquilty rather than stay in his dark one.

Online Marketplace

WHAT IS ONLINE MARKETPLACE? The online payment marketplace is experiencing an explosion of innovative ideas, plans, and announcements, which one commentator has likened to a â€Å"goat rodeo†, a chaotic situation in which powerful players with different agendas compete with one another for public acceptance, and above all, huge potential revenues. Others liken the payment marketplace to a battle among the four platform titans Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon.Each of these titans have their own versions of a future payment system that challenges the other players. And let’s not forget PayPal, the reigning power in alternative online payment, or the credit card companies who process over 70% of online payments, or the telecommunication wireless carriers Verizon and AT&T who make it all happen. All of these players are also competing for a share of the online payment stream. They all want to help us spend money, for a fee.The continuing double-digit growth of e-commerce is certainly one factor driving market participants, but a more important factors is the emergence of the mobile platform of smartphone and tablets that opens the door for new firms to enter the online payment marketplace based on newer technologies and control of the mobile platform itself. WHAT IS PayPal ? PayPal is a global e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. Online money transfers serve as electronic alternatives to paying with traditional paper methods, such as checks and money orders.PayPal is an acquirer, performing payment processing for online vendors, auction sites, and other commercial users, for which it charges a fee. It may also charge a fee for receiving money, proportional to the amount received. The fees depend on the currency used, the payment option used, the country of the sender, the country of the recipient, the amount sent and the recipient's account type. In addition, eBay purchases made by credit card t hrough PayPal may incur extra fees if the buyer and seller use different currencies HOW TO BUY The easiest way to remember your credit card number is not having to.Remembering 16 digits isn’t easy and typing them in to pay for something isn’t always secure. Now you don’t need to do either. 1 Sign up for free, and add a bank account or a debit/credit card. 2 Speed through checkout at millions of online stores. Just look for the PayPal button. 3 Stay protected from checkout to delivery with our Buyer Protection. Figure 1. 1 show Ebay the example of website use PayPal. Figure 1. 2 show Hop-shop-go example for PayPal. PAYMENT METHODS Choose how you want to pay. Set up your payment methods quickly and easily. 1 Confirm your email address.This helps protect you if someone tries to register a PayPal account using your email address 2 You can add multiple credit/debit cards and have the flexibility to set one as your default payment source 3 You have the option to withd raw any payments received to your bank account. Simply add a bank account to facilitate it. Add a card You can add a credit or debit card to your PayPal account to make payments instantly. To add a card, 1. Log in and click  Profile. 2. Select  Add or Edit Card for payments. 3. Click  Add card  or  Add another card  and follow the prompts.Top-up my PayPal account You can use PayPal to make payments online card-free. Simply top-up your PayPal balance from your bank account. * 1. Log in and click  Top-up. 2. Select Top-up via RHB bank* account. Withdraw funds to a bank account When you receive payments, you can keep the money in your PayPal account for future purchases or add a bank to withdraw it to your bank account. To withdraw your funds, 1. Log in and click  Withdraw. 2. Select  Withdraw funds to your bank. 3. Enter the amount and follow the prompts. TYPES ONLINE PAYMENT Google Checkout ) Wallet One wallet for online and in-store shopping * Buy online with your phone or computer Make purchases at thousands of online shops by signing in to your Google Account. * Buy in-store with the mobile app Tap your phone to pay and redeem offers, using NFC (near-field communication). NFC payments are currently only available in the United States. * Manage your account Sign in to manage your payment information and view your transaction history. 2) Checkout Increase online sales using Google Wallet New! Google Checkout is now Google Wallet for buyers.Google Wallet is a fast, secure checkout process that helps increase sales by bringing you more customers and allowing them to buy from you quickly and easily with a single account, online or in-store. Sell worldwide. Attract buyers in over 140 countries to purchase your goods and services online using their Google Wallet. Convert more sales. A fast, convenient checkout process helps Google users convert more than shoppers who have not used Google before. Protect yourself from fraud. The Payment Guarantee P olicy protects 98% of orders on average – when an order is guaranteed, you get paid even if it results in a chargebackAMAZON Figure 1. 3 show Amazon website Amazon Services works with businesses of all sizes to provide products and solutions backed by the power of Amazon. For example, your business can reach millions of Amazon shoppers by selling on the Amazon Marketplace and then leverage Amazon's fulfillment services to manage shipping and provide trusted customer service. Or, if your business already has a website, you can advertise your products to Amazon. com shoppers to drive qualified traffic to your website, and then improve conversion by making it easy for them to buy on your site with their Amazon account through Amazon Payments.If you need a website, or would like to upgrade your current website, Amazon Webstore makes it easy to build a branded eCommerce website. Whether you'd like to Sell on Amazon. com or make your own website more successful, Amazon Services has solutions to help you build your business successfully online. Increase your business capabilities. Get on board with Amazon. If taking your business to the next level includes selling online, or improving your internet-based business, getting to know Amazon Services could make all the difference in your success.Imagine having Amazon, with its world-class technologies, as an ally in meeting your business goals. Think how much simpler things could be if you could leverage the power of Amazon tools and services for your business. Reach Customers Amazon Services offers two solutions that give you access to tens of millions of Amazon customers. You can sell your products directly on Amazon, or reach Amazon customers through our site display advertisements. Sell on the Amazon Marketplace By joining  Amazon Marketplace, you give customers a familiar, trustworthy shopping experience even as you avoid the time and costs of developing a standalone website.Use the Amazon Marketplace soluti on to help make your business what you dream it could be. Advertise on Amazon Get your products in front of millions of Amazon customers with  Amazon Product Ads  or display ads fromAmazon Media Group. With Product Ads, you get placement in targeted locations across our detail pages, search and browse options, the buy box, and tower ads. With display ads, your marketing messages can reach just the right audience in the numbers and channels where you want to be seen. Build a website with Webstore Build your eCommerce site on Amazon Webstore and put the security and scalability of Amazon's cloud behind your site.Robust site design and inventory management tools, plus easy integration with the other Amazon Services products, make Amazon Webstore the right eCommerce platform for businesses of all sizes. List your products on the Amazon Marketplace When you list and sell your products on Amazon, you can quickly take advantage of the same robust and reliable Amazon site infrastructure , including the many seller features and functionality we have worked hard to build. No matter how many products you list, you're eligible to use Amazon's world-class seller technologies. CASE STUDY QUESTIONS ) What is the value proposition that PayPal offers consumers ? How about merchants ? Do any of the competing proposals match the benefits of PayPal ? ANSWER a. PayPal offers consumers How to buy The easiest way to remember your credit card number is not having to. Remembering 16 digits isn’t easy and typing them in to pay for something isn’t always secure. Now you don’t need to do either. * Sign up for free, and add a bank account or a debit/credit card. * Speed through checkout at millions of online stores. Just look for the PayPal button. * Stay protected from checkout to delivery with our Buyer Protection.Buying is free It's free to use PayPal for online purchases in Malaysia. It's the PayPal sellers who are charged a small fee for each transaction. Your eligible purchases are protected Your eligible purchases are protected wherever you shop and pay with PayPal – at no cost to you. Just in case your item didn't arrive or is significantly different from how it was described, we can help you get a full refund. More ways to pay online You can store your bank details and credit/debit cards more safely with PayPal and choose your preferred way to pay the next time you shop.And you can even do it on your mobile. Accepted Worldwide Shop anytime, anywhere from millions of online stores that accept PayPal. b. PayPal offers merchants Solutions for business We have a wide range of solutions for your business. Sell globally and get paid quickly. Looking to sell occasionally on eBay or through your blog? PayPal helps you get paid faster. Fees at 3. 4% + RM2. 00 MYR With our simple and transparent pricing, you'll never be surprised by hidden fees when you receive commercial domestic payments for goods and services at 3. 4% + RM2. 00 MYR. Keeping every seller saferOur industry-leading anti-fraud technology and a team of specialists help to keep you more secure. We provide all sellers with a convenient process for responding to buyer disputes. c. PayPal Competitor Google Checkout is quite similar to PayPal, but it has grown to only 7% of the alternative payment market. Google Checkout a) Wallet * One wallet for online and in-store shopping * Buy online with your phone or computer Make purchases at thousands of online shops by signing in to your Google Account. * Buy in-store with the mobile app Tap your phone to pay and redeem offers, using NFC (near-field communication).NFC payments are currently only available in the United States. * Manage your account Sign in to manage your payment information and view your transaction history. b) Checkout * Increase online sales using Google Wallet * New! Google Checkout is now Google Wallet for buyers. Google Wallet is a fast, secure checkout process that helps increase sales by bringing you more customers and allowing them to buy from you quickly and easily with a single account, online or in-store. * Sell worldwide. Attract buyers in over 140 countries to purchase your goods and services online using their Google Wallet. Convert more sales. A fast, convenient checkout process helps Google users convert more than shoppers who have not used Google before. * Protect yourself from fraud. The Payment Guarantee Policy protects 98% of orders on average – when an order is guaranteed, you get paid even if it results in a chargeback 2) Why would the telecommunications carriers like AT&T and Verizon want to move into the payment business? What chance do they have to compete against Google? What’s their advantage?. ANSWER i)Why would the telecommunications carriers like AT&T and Verizon want to move in to the payments business?The reason why the telecommunications carriers like AT&T and Verizon want to move into the payment business is because of the h uge potential of revenues and another factors is the emergence of the mobile platform of smartphones & tablets that opens the door for new firms to enter the online payments marketplace based on newer technologies and control of the mobile platform itself ii)What chance do they have to compete against Google? Their percentage of chance that they probably have to compete against Google is 30%-70%,from our opinion. Google system is much familiar to the user than AT&T and Verizon.Google also one of four platform titans and already get the public acceptance. Yet, they still have the chance to compete against Google because Google is much familiar with search engines system. iii) What’s their advantage? AT&T and Verizon advantage is that they are from mobile telecommunications (phone company) which is give them the advantage to get public acceptance that in many parts of the world, the phone company is widely used as a payment system, after they announced a mobile phone-based paym ent system called Isi. Unlike Google, AT&T and Verizon is more to payment that makes by smartphone.So, it is their advantage to make step in Electronic payment market. 3) The smartphone giants Apple and Google control the operating systems and technological features of the devices. Google exercises this control not by actually making the devices but licensing its Android system and demanding device makers include certain features. Which of these smartphones firms has the greatest chance of successfully developing a Web-wide wireless payment service? Why? ANSWER Apple advantages is, like Google has already developed an online payment system to support salles ath the iTunes Store.Unlike Google Checkout and PayPal, Apple has not to date developed an online merchant payment system that could be used across the Web. Some analysis believe Apple is considering the idea of extending its existing iTunes payment system to third-party vendors selling digital goods on the Internet. iPhone users can already use their iTunes account to buy some third-party virtual and subscription goods. Apple’s iTunes Store, which could serve as the mobile digital wallet used to store payment information on a consumer’s payment-enabled device,generated net sales of music, software (apps) and content of about $5 billion in 2010.There are approximately 225 milliom iTunes users worldwide with credit card accounts at iTunes. Apple disadvantages is, Apple does not have a presence in the online merchant payment process, a critical weakness. Four instance, you can use PayPal and Google Checkout at thousands of online retailers, but there is no similar Apple digital wallet that can be used across the Web. It only works at the iTunes Store. This may be a case where Apple’s penchants for building walled gardens of hardware and software like the iPhone and iTunes Store has limited its future growth.Google already made its first foray into the merchant payment market with Google C heckout in 2007. Google Checkout is quite similar to PayPal, but it has grown to only 7% of the alternative payment market. Google Checkout stores a user’s financial information, including credit card information, and then presents this information to merchants when the user checks out. Google advantages is, the customer does not have to fill out forms or reveal credit information to online merchants, but instead clicks on a Google Checkout icon on the merchant’s site, and payment is made through Google’s site.As with PayPal, the user stores value on the Google Checkout site in the form of a verified credit card, or a bank account, and the merchant does not have access to the customers credit card information. Google firms has the greatest chance of successfully developing a Web-wide wireless payment service because, the customer does not have to fill out forms or reveal credit information to online merchants, but instead clicks on a Google Checkout icon on the merchant’s site, and payment is made through Google’s site.As with PayPal, the user stores value on the Google Checkout site in the form of a verified credit card, or a bank account, and the merchant does not have access to the customers credit card information. QUESTION 4) What strategies would you recommend that PayPal pursue in order to maintain its dominant position over the next five years? . ANSWER Strategies to maintain PayPal dominant position over next 5 years Intro : Scott Thompson , president of PayPal outlined a strategy to expand PayPal globally, strengthening its dominant position over the next five years. Here the strategies. 1.Increase penetration on eBay – Projected growth on eBay is a function of seller coverage and consumer preference. A one-percent share increase within eBay results in $17 million in incremental revenue for PayPal. While market share in No America is 79%, it is only 41% Internationally so there is still plenty of room to grow on eBay. And new PayPal users on eBay (growing at a rate of 3 million new accounts per quarter) use PayPal across the Internet 2. Grow share in merchants services – PayPal helps merchants to sell more online – those that enable PayPal Express Checkout experience up to a 14% increase in sales.Today, eBay has approximately a 5% share of global merchant services, as much as 9% if you include eBay volume. PayPal has specific strategies for each segment of the market: sole proprietors, small/medium business, and large merchants. Consumers are increasingly global, and increasingly security conscious. They prefer to use PayPal when they shop online. Note the significant growth among SMEs and large businesses. Merchants have discovered the value of payment choice in encouraging incremental sales and higher transaction values, particularly via Bill Me Later.PayPal anticipates that it will achieve 14% merchant services market share in No America by 2011. International market sh are is estimated to be 5-6% by 2011, citing PayPal’s â€Å"unmatched facility for cross border transactions. † PayPal’s global e-commerce market share is projected to be 12-14% (on and off eBay) by 2011. 3. Adjacent payment markers The third element of PayPal’s growth strategy is expansion outside e-commerce. Thompson estimated the non-retail marketplace online as $1 Trillion. He specifically noted mobile, social networks, and non-profits (government opportunities were cited by Donahoe earlier).PayPal has demonstrated early leadership in mobile payments, experimenting with solutions in lots of mobile segments until there is industry consensus where consumers will go. Although non-profits were positioned as an adjacent opportunity, there are over 100,000 non-profits currently using PayPal. We’ve watched as PayPal has customized its services for non-profits with special on-boarding process, special features, and special pricing. Will this be the appr oach used for other verticals? Not unlike Amazon, PayPal fosters a close relationship with developers that are creating applications for use online and on the go via mobile devices.The PayPal global Internet payments network can be used to exchange value not just on eBay and within e-commerce but beyond. Thompson acknowledged that opening up the developer network while maintaining a secure environment is challenging and that’s why none of the other payment platforms out there has done it [While Amazon has done this, and done it for payments, PayPal does not consider Amazon to be a global payments platform]. PayPal’s global reach, closed loop network, and risk management/anti-fraud capabilities uniquely position it to â€Å"accelerate innovation on the web† with â€Å"PayPal as the engine in the middle. CONCLUSION The online payment marketplace is experiencing an explosion of innovative ideas, plans, and announcements, which one commentator has likened to a â₠¬Å"goat rodeo†, a chaotic situation in which powerful players with different agendas compete with one another for public acceptance, and above all, huge potential revenues. Others liken the payment marketplace to a battle among the four platform titans Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Each of these titans have their own versions of a future payment system that challenges the other players. And let’s not forget PayPal, the reigning power in alternative

Marketing strategies of the mass-market chocolate industry Essay

This report is an evaluation of the marketing strategies used in the mass-market chocolate confection industry in the United Kingdom (UK). The four brands this report studies in detail are Cadbury, Galaxy, Kit Kat, and Maltesers. The UK mass-marker chocolate confectionary market is the biggest in the European Union and sales are heavily reliant on a solid marketing strategy. Using the four brands mentioned above this report investigated the following, segmentation, targeting and positioning, consumer buyer behaviour, promotion, pricing, product, and placement, social media strategies, and communication strategy. Finally, this report gives critiques on the effectiveness of the marketing strategy for the four selected brands and recommendations on how they might improve. Of the four brands studied, only Galaxy uses demographic segmentation by focusing on women but all four use behavioural segmentation by focusing on benefits sought from eating chocolate. Cadbury targets creative individuals, galaxy targets the indulgent types, Kit Kat targets tired employees, and Maltesers targets those in search of guilt free chocolate. Cadbury positions itself as a creative brand, galaxy as a treat, Kit Kat as a break bar, and Maltesers as the lighter way to enjoy chocolate Chocolate is an impulse good and need recognition is usually stimulated upon seeing the packaging, where as information search is usually omitted or happens very quickly. When it comes to evaluating alternatives consumers, positioning and brand personality come into play. Finally, the choice to buy or not to buy happens very quickly. Cadbury was the only brand found stay in contact with consumers post-purchase by sharing recipes that one could make with Cadbury products. Each of the four brands use adverts, sales promotion, sponsorship, and social media to increase brand awareness. However, no promotional material gives information about pricing because retail outlets set their own prices. Most mass-market chocolate bars are around the same price and can be found near tills at retail supermarket outlets as well as off-license stores across the nation. All four brands are connected to their consumers via social networks, with the exception of Galaxy and Maltesers who do not have twitter accounts. Each brand uses social networks to reinforce their positioning strategy. Cadbury uses it to encourage creativity and audience participation, Galaxy uses it to remind women of the irresistibility of chocolate, Kit Kat uses it to remind its fans to take a break, and Maltesers uses it to celebrate is 75th birthday. This report concludes by recommending that Cadbury should identify a clear branding message because currently its adverts are always open to interpretation. Galaxy should stay in touch with customers post-purchase with recipes for irresistible chocolate desserts. Kit Kat should continue having a strong focus for all communication material and Maltesers should communicate its original message, a lighter way to enjoy chocolate, more explicitly.

Employment relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employment relations - Essay Example The inequalities in society normally fall under the above mentioned heads (Andrews, 2007, Livesey, 2006). Discrimination of employees or inequalities of employees means treating an employee different from others. This is a very serious offence and is illegal for companies to treat employees differently. A company can be faced with a lot of legal issues and employees have the rights to even sue the company (Epstein, 1995). The next section focuses on the different basis of inequalities among employees at work places. Explanations of the causes for these issues are also discussed. Direct Discrimination: This type of discrimination refers to when employees discriminate among employees because of their sex, martial status or because of gender reassignment. This type of discrimination does not have a strong basis and employers tend to discriminate for reasons that are unlawful and invalid (Direct Gov, 2008). Indirect Discrimination: This type of discrimination is when employers put down certain invalid reasons to build certain working practices or rules within an organization. Rules such as fixing a minimum height which might discriminate against most women or even cases where employers refuse to employ part time workers for no valid reason (Direct Gov, 2008). Harassment: This is a very common sight in a lot of offices. This however is now being taken very seriously and laws relating to this have been tightened over the past few years. In this kind of discrimination the employees face offensive behaviour from employers or others within the organization. There can be passing of sexual remarks or gestures, or allowing of sexually explicit material to be displayed or distributed within the organization. Some employees also face the issue of being offensively nick named because of gender (Direct Gov, 2008). Victimization: This form of discrimination is seen in many offices when an employee has had the courage to

International Organizations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Organizations - Assignment Example In addition, the IGOs influence the issues of peace and security such that they are deals with inter-nations conflicts and enhance the resolution process s of conflict between states that in return reflect towards improved international security and peace. International non-governmental organizations act as an important watchdog over issues concerning peace and security globally and have a limited capability and strength to enforce international peace and security because of their financial dependence on the respective governments. The NGOs influence the issue of security and peace by forwarding recommendations of new measures in the international agenda on peace and security and constant pressure on the actors to act on the new approach towards a peaceful and secure globe. The multinational organizations are non-profit organization, which operate independently whereby the forces under their command are recruited from various nations that are used to keep peace in nations having civi l wars. Consequently, the multinational have a considerable strength and capability towards the achievement of international peace and security. Hover, these organizations are limited by their dependency on the various nations to provide them with troops. The multinational organizations have achieved the restoration of peace in nation experiencing civil wars for example in Haiti. Development Development is a general term used to describe the growth of a nation in terms of economy, and infrastructure. The various actors contribute to the development issues in different ways and capabilities. The state organizations has the highest percentage in ensuring development because it is responsible too... The paper tells that international organizations refer to an organization that has a global scope in the issues it deals with and operate on international basis. The various international organizations including states, intergovernmental organizations, international non-governmental organizations, and multinational corporations compromise of issue areas with diversified and relative strengths and influence towards the actors. International Peace and Security is an issue that deals with the measures taken by the states to ensure that the world is not under the attack from terrorists located in designated nations. The various actors towards international peace and security present various strength and influence towards attaining the common goal of protecting the world against attacks and peaceful correlation of different states. Development is a general term used to describe the growth of a nation in terms of economy, and infrastructure. The various actors contribute to the development issues in different ways and capabilities. The state organizations has the highest percentage in ensuring development because it is responsible too coordinate all the development strategies pioneered by the other actors such as NGOs, IGOs and multinational organizations. The human right issue is a main international issue whereby all the actors take responsibility in ensuring that it is upheld. The state organizations have a considerable strength in ensuring that the human rights are upheld. As a result, the state organizations set the bills on human rights.

The Dreaming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Dreaming - Essay Example It defines their values, beliefs and relationships. Knowledge of the Dreaming has promoted the development of the land. The aboriginals have many dreaming stories, which describe their own origins and how the landscape was formed. They also serve to teach children about various things, such as the world of nature and spirit, right and wrong behaviour, and social norms. As such, they are not merely stories, but expressions of their belief system that once also involved ritual and totemic associations (Tunbridge, 1988). In fact, they describe the history of the people, which was rich in culture and oral literature. Behavioural lessons include examples for demonstrating the importance of good manners, sharing, honesty, respect for elders, etc. The American ethnographer, Deborah Bird Rose, observed, â€Å"the inherent ethos of the Dreaming regarding human behaviour can be summarised as four basic laws †¦ [which] emphasise balance, response, symmetry and autonomy† (McBride, 20 00: 4). Balance is necessary for a system to be able to enhance the quality of life, and each part shares responsibility for sustaining itself and for balancing the others. Response emphasises the reciprocity of communication, and it reminds of the obligation to learn, understand, pay attention and respond. Symmetry ensures the parts in a balance are equivalent and that no one dominates another. Autonomy stresses, â€Å"authority and dependence are necessary within parts, but not between parts (Rose, 1993: 4-5 in McBride, 2000: 5), so no species, group or country should lead over another. A number of further important aspects of The Dreaming also deserve attention. One of these is that it assumes a considerable knowledge on the part of listeners. In particular, â€Å"there are allusions which can only be understood by those with comprehensive linguistic and cultural knowledge† (Tunbridge, 1988: xxx). Even an outsider who is culturally immersed would find some points difficul t to grasp, and some would only be able to be understood by the initiated. However, this shows the need to study a narrative within the context of its roots. Another aspect is change and ‘death’, which are dynamic qualities. For example, there are some accounts of the substitution of species, some site locations become lost due to changes in the social environment, and the accounts too sometimes change as they do in space. The latter demonstrates the need for adaptation due to both physical and social changes. As far as the characters in The Dreaming are concerned, the spirits (nguthuna) feature a lot besides people (yuras), animals, etc. They can assume a variety of forms including mammals and birds, but they have human powers and more besides. They also appear in various social relationships. Sometimes they appear as first stage initiates (vardnapas), sometimes with adult responsibilities, whereas sometimes they are punished for unacceptable behaviour. The Dreaming al so leaves behind certain ‘signs’ as evidence of the reality of events. These indicate the spiritual ancestors’ presence or passing. Sometimes a character could even leave multiple images behind during an event, which are different manifestations. These include marks such as in the form of rock carvings. All of these provide evidence that a Dreamtime Spirit has passed through the place and that the places â€Å"

Computer networks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Computer networks - Essay Example When the size W of the window gets to 0, transmission is stopped. Increasing the size of the windows enhances the bandwidths and makes the connection more efficient. Considering the basic functionality of the window size, that is holding the data by a device from its peer at any one time, increasing the size will then make the device to hold more data in the buffer at a time. This will enhance efficiency of communication. Over reliance on cumulative acknowledgements can cause data transfer inefficiency due to packet loss. Selective acknowledgement allows the receiver of the packets to be able to accept packets that are discontinuous but received correctly. This is in addition to the last successful contiguous byte that was received. This is the same situation that happens in a basic acknowledgement. In this mode, the acknowledgement specifies the SACK blocks and they are then conveyed through starting and ending sequence numbers. The SMTP processes the email address of the recipient in the same domain. When the names correspond, the message is directly routed to the POP3 server or the IMAP server. In this case, it is routed to the SMTP. In the case of the local client who is sending an email over the network, there will be no communication with another domain server. This communication will be from the internal mail server 10.1.0.10 from 10.1.0.10/8. On getting the email address, the SMTP server can connect to the recipient SMTP server. For the local client, this communication is maintained within the same server. For sending an email over the internet, the information is passed over to the border router. b) A DNS lookup occurs when a device supporting an IP asks the DNS server for the IP address that is associated with a certain domain name. When looking for postmaster@myertor.com, the series of lookups that will take place include; the primary DNS server will be seeking to establish the IP address for postmaster@myertor.com. The first request will

To avoid running late Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

To avoid running late - Essay Example 23-29) have pointed out that majority of people remember 50% of the things that they observe; however, one remembers 70% of the things if it involves observing, as well as, loud reading. From this aspect, it is very imperative to plan things before commencing a day, or for a week that helps an individual in avoid running late. However, although one will be writing the plan by himself/herself, still, it is significant that this practice includes loud reading that is fundamental for remembering things efficiently. Besides planning, ‘move ahead’ is an interesting slogan that can be very helpful in managing time effectively. It is a usual practice of keeping the alarm clock near the bed that may allow the individual to hit the snooze button; however, move ahead inclines a person to keep the alarm clock far away of the bed that will enforce the individual to go & find out the clock, and until then, there would be no sleep left amusingly. Lastly, it is imperative to keep notice of every day habits from shower to breakfast, and such observations allow individuals to divide their ten or twenty minutes in effective

Reflective Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Reflective Paper - Essay Example Workers were given directives by their bosses and, therefore, creativity was limited. Workers climbed up the seniority ladder with time. If there were layoffs, the seniors were affected less than the juniors since lay- offs were based on the principle of ‘last in, first out. There was no close tie between the pay that one got and their performance, and there were no significant differences among the workers (Michael, 23). In the 1820s, twenty percent of the population worked for wages and salaries but by the year 2000, 90 % worked for organizations, half of them working for big companies. ‘In the 1950s, the relationship between the employees and the companies involved commitment and reciprocity; workers were dedicated to the job in return for wages and promotion, and the company was committed to its workers in return for their hard work and loyalty’ (Michaels,21). Firms invested in their employees by training them, developing their skills and promoting them. This encouraged loyalty by enabling the employees plan on owning their homes and sending their children to schools. For this reason, people stuck with the same company for years. In the case of occasional long working hours, the impact was relatively easy to absorb, since women, not in the workforce assisted them with domestic duties. However, this story changed. There was a stable relationship between companies and the employees. B y regularly promoting their employees, the companies were able to maintain the stability of this relationship (Michaels 27). With time, the state of business changed and the priorities of the companies, as well as the employees, changed. In a global economy, corporations are always competing. Investors are always on the run to get new opportunities that have higher rates of return, to invest their funds. This makes investors keep moving their funds in and out of countries, companies (Michael’s Countries and businesses, therefore, are

The Universal Subordination Of Women To Men Essay

The Universal Subordination Of Women To Men - Essay Example Female subordination is universal in that it transcends every type of social and economic arrangement in societies of every degree of complexity. Ortner argues that the cultural logic behind the assumption of female inferiority is so highly persuasive that people inevitably subscribe to it. For example, in China, the ideology of Taoism equates both yin (the female principle) and yang (the male principle). The opposition or the interaction and alteration of these two forces influence all the phenomena in the universe. Based on this principle, one would assume that males and females are universally valued in the ideology of Chinese culture. However, looking at the social structure, one observes the strongly emphasized patrilineal descent principle, advocating the importance of sons and the absolute authority of fathers in the family. Thus, we can conclude that China is the archetypical patriarchal society (Ortner, 1974, P.69). Considering the actual roles played, power and influence wielded, and the material contributions made by women in Chinese society, which are a one would observe that women are allotted a high status in the system. For instance, the goddess Kuan Yin is the prominent deity, in terms of worship and depiction, in Chinese Buddhism. Thus, in reference to goddess-worshiping in China, like most prehistoric and early historical societies, is a form of matriarchy. Ortner asserts that in her investigation of cultures, she found women to be subordinate to men in every known society. For example, among the matrilineal Crow society, women had highly honorific offices in the Sun Dance. They could become directors of the Tobacco Ceremony and played a more conspicuous part in it than men. They could sometimes play hostess in the Cooked Meet Festival, and were not

Education Essay Example for Free

Education Essay In United Kingdom and Europe, the adults and volunteers working around the school, paid or not, have various names: learning support assistant, classroom assistant, special needs assistant, but the most common term is the one of teaching assistant. The teaching assistants are very important in primary schools, so much that at the moment it is nearly impossible to imagine things running as efficiently as they do, without the help of the teaching assistants. In the present there is a big deficit in the number of teachers available in primary schools, especially in the number of men working close to children of a young age. Skilled teaching assistants bring a very valuable contribution to pupils achievements within the learning environment, but their main purpose states from their name, as the term of teaching assistant indicates their role of supporting the teacher and working under his guidance. This is done by supporting pupils during the teaching of the curriculum . Teacher assistants support the pupils by understanding their learning support needs. In order to do that, the teaching assistant needs to listen to the children, respect and value them. They will gain the sense of independence, with the help of the school staff, especially those working close to them, such as teacher or teaching assistant. The teaching assistant has to enable the pupils access to the curriculum at all times and to encourage them by using plenty of praise and rewards. Also, every pupil must participate fully in every lesson, and the teaching assistant must ensure that, by reminding pupils of teaching points made by the teacher, and also by organising them in appropriate play activities or games. Younger pupils should be encouraged to take turns and speak and to follow simple written instructions. The teaching assistant has to encourage the children to use the school library at all the time and also to use spelling aids, when necessary. All of these will encourage the pupils to gain the sense of independence and to develop their independent learning. The teaching assistant needs to ensure that the children knows, understands and applies class and school rules. The younger pupils should be able to make choices on their own about the books and to be able to select resources independently. Older pupils should be encouraged to develop their skills and to work independently when the case, to manage own reading book and help keeping reading record up to date. The teaching assistant must help the pupils work cooperatively and encourage them to use the library independently. Children should learn to use information from various sources and include references and to complete all tasks set in a given time. The teaching assistant must make sure that all the pupils have access to information from artefacts, charts, diagrams, and that they are able to organise and keep tidy their own work. The teaching assistant must provide support for the teacher, as stated from the term itself. The teacher takes full responsibility for the interactions that take place between pupils and the helping staff. The teaching assistant needs to provide general classroom help, including preparations of rooms, materials and equipment. The pupils need to be supervised by the teaching assistant and by the teacher, working together, as a team. Also, the teaching assistant needs to assist in monitoring the pupils progress as required by the school and in the production of teaching aids and preparation of work for pupils.

A Rose for Emily Essay Example for Free

A Rose for Emily Essay The short story begins by telling the end of it; the story begins with the funeral of the aristocratic Miss Emily Grierson during the time period of the civil war. The funeral turnout so big, the whole town of Jefferson attended. The town felt responsible for Miss Emily because they felt that she was a â€Å"tradition, a duty and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town† (287). â€Å"The men of the town respected Miss Grierson and viewed her as a fallen monument† (287), whereas the women of the town haven’t been in the house for years and was viewed by the narrator to have attended the funeral just to get a peek of the inside of Emily’s home to see how she lived. The house sits on a street that was once the town’s most prestigious areas. With all the other homes replaced with garages and cotton gins Miss Grierson’s house was the last one standing. The house was described as â€Å"a big, squarrish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on what had once been our most select street† (287). Now, time has taken toll, and neglect of the maintenance has distorted its once beautiful structure. The main conflict in the story was Emily facing reality, she didn’t know how to let go of her past â€Å"I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained it to me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselves† (288). Agitated by her tactics, the town is getting tired of taking care of her, â€Å"So the next day, â€Å"She will kill herself†; and we said it would be the be st thing† (291). The townspeople think she is stuck up and arrogant because she thinks that everything revolves around her. Isolation from the society caused her to become depressed, unhappy and crazy, leading up to her destroying Homer. Emily was a heavy set woman â€Å"She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water and of that pallid hue† (288). She was an old, secretive woman, who was devastated and alone in a growing society, forcing her to stay in her role. Emily sunk into a deep mental depression and limited others to see her true identity by remaining hidden,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"When we next saw Miss Emily, she had grown fat and her hair was turning gray† (292). She lived most of her life in isolation and was intimidated by her controlling father. When Miss Emily was alive, the townspeople considered her as a financial obligation because she never paid taxes. She hadn’t paid in years, and she wasn’t forced to pay â€Å"See Colonel Sartoris, I have no taxes in Jefferson† (288). Her nonpayment dated back to 1894 when the mayor of the town, Mayor Colonel Sartoris, told the story that her father loaned the town money and as payment back to her father they allowed her not to pay taxes. Her father died and left Miss Emily with no money to live off of and the inheritance of a decaying house. As time passed and generations came and went, the arrangement became a discontent with the people so they made many attempts to collect the long time debt but as adamant as they were, so was Emily. She would not respond to their efforts. Finally after numerous failed notifications, the town’s board decided to make a trip to her house hoping to get an agreement to satisfy the debt. Emily hadn’t had visitors in years, but greeted by her old house servant, the board was permitted to enter into the damp stenched home and waited in the room until Miss Grierson was summoned. When Emily enters; small, round and dressed in black, not nearly as appealing as she was once described, the visitors affirmed their purpose. They requested compensation for her taxes, but Emily’s harsh and bold demanded that she didn’t have taxes and instructed Tobe, her house servant, to escort them out, â€Å"I have no taxes in Jefferson. Tobe!† The Negro appeared. â€Å"Show these gentlemen out.† (288). Emily always wanted a home where she can feel loved and free in, but it didn’t turn out that way as the complaints poured in from neighbors and townspeople about a smell lingering around the home and demanded the new mayor to take action. Judge Stevens, old in his years, didn’t know what he could do to fix the problem. He thought the smell might have been a dead rodent that the caretaker must have killed in the yard, â€Å"It’s probably just a snake or a rat that nigger of hers killed in the yard† (289). To quiet down the complaints, he said he would send the message to Ms. Emily’s servant. As more complaints came in and the problem persisted, a group of men decided to take matters into their own hands and made a visit to Miss Emily’s house, â€Å"They broke open the cellular door and sprinkled lime there, and in all the out buildings† (289). After some time, the smell went away. During her younger years, people felt bad for Miss Emily. Her great-aunt old lady Wyatt had gone mad and her father sheltered her so much that he didn’t allow her too far from his sight. He drove everyone away. He felt that there was no young man good enough for his Emily, so she never married and didn’t have any friends. The Griersons believed they were a higher class than most. Emily didn’t have a relationship with her family in Alabama because her father had a fallen out with them over Aunt Wyatt’s property. When Mr. Grierson died, Emily denied he was dead and left him in the house for three days. After many failed attempts by the townspeople to persuade her to get rid of his decomposing body, she let go and buried her father. Now she was all alone and didn’t come out much. Time passed and it was a long time before anyone had seen Emily, â€Å"When we saw her again, her hair was cut short, making her look like a girl with a vague resemblance to those angels in colored church windows† (290). Emily’s new look made her seem younger. After Emily’s father’s death, the town paid a construction company to pave the sidewalks. The foreman, Homer Barron, was from up north and grew to know the townspeople. He was â€Å"a big dark, ready men, with a big voice and eyes lighter than his face† (290). Homer was Emily’s secret lover, â€Å"Miss Emily and her lover Homer Barron, had been carrying on for the better part of two years† (Scherting398), whether that meant he was dead or alive. Rumors in the town said Homer would not get married, â€Å"Homer himself had remarked-he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks Club-that he was not a marrying man† (291). When Emily requested arsenic from the druggist, the town started to become curious whether she was going to kill herself or not, â€Å"I want some poison,† she said to the druggist† (290). Little did they know that it was for Homer, â€Å"Emily feels so disillusioned and desperate th at she manages to poison him, feeling that in this way she can keep him forever with her† (Yang 73). People often saw Homer and Emily together on Sunday afternoons driving in a buggy. Some of the town’s ladies weren’t too pleased with the sight. As Homer and Miss Emily spent more time together, the ladies thought it was a dishonor to the town and a terrible example to the young folks so they reached out to her family in Alabama to see if they can come and stay with her. During the cousins stay, Emily went to the store and bought jewelry, a toilet set,  men’s clothing and a nightshirt. They were thought to surely be married now with Emily preparing for his stay, but while the cousins were at the house, Homer left. Soon after her relatives left Homer returned. After his last sighting entering Miss Emily’s house, Homer was never seen again as well as Miss Emily, but from time to time she would be seen by her window. People thought Miss Grierson went crazy. It was years before she would be seen again, â€Å"When we next saw Miss Emily, she had grown fat an d her hair was turning gray† (292). Emily got ill and died downstairs in one of the rooms. The funeral was held days after Miss Emily’s death. Her family and the townspeople came to make their final view. Ladies all about, men in their confederate uniforms, on the porch and in the yard, they waited after Emily was buried before they went in the room that hadn’t been visited in decades. When the door was broken down, dust filled the room. Inside, it looked like a preparation for a wedding; decorated with faded rose color curtains and lights. Across the room stood a dressing table with crystal set in row and a man’s tarnished, silver toilet set. There also rest a collar and tie. Hanging on a chair, a suit cautiously folded and accompanied by some shoes and socks. To the spectators surprise, lying amongst everything rest Homer. Underneath his nightshirt, his body was molded to fit an embrace. Imprinted on a pillow next to his decayed remains; caressed by time, laid an indentation of a head. In the crest of the indentation rest a single long, gray strand o f hair from Miss Emily head. It was not until her final day of death that the readers could fully picture Emily as being insane. Having being denied male companionship by her father, she was desperate for love. She was so crazy that she killed the man she loved and used her aristocratic position to cover up the murder. By killing Homer, she didn’t realize that she was sentencing herself to total isolation, no contact with anything or anyone from the outside world. The narrator persuaded the reader to believe that Emily killed Homer and then preserved his body in the moment of her most anticipated day. To her, she sealed her love, preventing the stroke of loneliness. Always being comforted by his touch, she laid with him until she became ill and overcome by death. Work Cited SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on A Rose for Emily.† SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2007. Web. 14 Mar. 2013 Dliworth, Thomas. â€Å"A Romance to Kill For: Homocidal Complicity in Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily.† Studies in Short Fiction 361999 251-62. 21 Nov 2008. Yagcioglu, Semiramis. â€Å"Language, Subjectivity and Ideology in â€Å"A Rose for Emily†.† Journal of American Studies of Turkey 2(1995) 49-59. 21 Nov 2008. Faulkner, William. â€Å"A Rose for Emily.† In The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. 2160-2166. New York: W.W. Norton, 2003.

Defining And Analysing Personhood

Defining And Analysing Personhood Person hood has always been an ill-defined term. The gray area between animal and person being one targeted and argued over since its original conception. It all seemed to begin with a proposition by John Locke, which constitutes that the rules governing personhood are: a thinking intelligent being, that has reason and reflection, and can consider itself as itself, the same thinking thing, in different times and places; which it does only by that consciousness which is inseparable from thinking.(MHR, p. 134) Then many philosophers began to develop, and retake Lockes definition and make it their own. Though, all of these people seemed to follow suite that the gray areas border lays upon the idea of our mind, our thoughts, and our memory. However, one person seems to completely disagree with the tradition Locke notions of personhood. Paul Snowdon is instead a member of the animalist belief. This belief is seemingly more straightforward when compared to Lockes ideas, as rather than putting its focus on the continuity of the mind; instead he believes it is the continuity of the body that defines one person now, as the same person later. Snowdon figured that if one tried to define the separation between the person and then animal in all of us, a grave issue would unfold. This is due to the ideas of one being able to separate the animal from the person, for if this idea is to happen, then one must also define the mental capability of the animal within the person. This is seemingly impossible. Thus the animalist believes that we are all organisms, and rather than create an identity separation between animals and persons, rather we are all animals on a scale of being. This idea has a very small following when compared to Lockes theory; however, there are still a few philosophers that disagree with Lockes rules and have come up with their own definition for personhood. Still many of these theories have disagreements with Snowdons principles, but there are a few I believe Snowdon has many agreements with. The one I think Snowdon would agree with the most is Annette Baier. Her ideas on personhood are against the principles of Locke, moreover statements show her disagreement with not only Locke, but many philosopher representing theories similar in Lockes belief Baier says that person tests too often reflect the narrow values of those who design them. (MHR, p.135). Both philosophers agree in their disagreement with Locke. Snowdon believes that one cannot decompose a person into a person and an animal without deficient results; likewise Baier believes that, due to person tests being set-up to reflect human nature, often philosophers put too much focus on the mental aspect of the creature, in many cases over the social interactions. Snowdons idea that separating a person into two is closely related with Baiers theory in that, they both represent the idea that animals and persons are one and the same, that it is only our human hierarchal needs that seemingly force us into the thought process that there must be a defining barrier between us, and the rest of creature kind. Furthermore, Baier says the emphasis of the tests on the cognitive conditions of personhood seems to imply that people can float free of their own history, dependency, mortality, and biology. (MHR, p. 135) all of these ideas she disagrees with. Snowdon would also surely disagree with all of these ideas, as he spoke of the impossible reasoning behind the transplanting of ones brain, not from a scientific viewpoint but from a theoretical one. Thus both philosophers agree in their own disagreements with the modern system of defining personhood. Finally, Baier decided to create her own naturalist view, of persons as embodied, interpersonally responsive, and dependent creatures. (MHR, p. 135) Though her view does not completely discredit the idea of persons, it does share many of its merits with Snowdons principles, whilst expanding his ideas to encompass a new form of personhood. For instance, with the mention of persons as embodied à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ creatures she is showing a similar opinion to that of Snowdons. The belief in that the continuity of our very bodies is a quite important aspect in the continuity of ourselves. One may also infer from her statements, that she believes it impossible to separate the person from the animal. That shows another level of agreement with Snowdons reasoning. With all this research on other philosophers ideas on personhood, it seems impossible to have not developed a theory of my own. However, my theory is more based upon the underlying structure philosophers should be forced to realise before arguing their ideas of personhood, rather than my own opinion on the matter. It seems that the consistent underlying structure among all these theories is based on separate classes of personhood, and what answers these classes wish to define. It seems though that most philosophers ignore these separate classes, and end up arguing that one theory holds illogical reasoning, even though this reasoning only seems illogical due to the theory attempting to solve an entirely different problem from their own. It seems that all this began due to Lockes overly generalised theory; he covered the classes of identity tests, person continuity, as well as ethical standings. Whereas realistically all these issues should be dealt with separately. The classes of personhood as I see them are answers to the following questions. What separates me now from me then? What separates me from an animal? When does personhood begin? (These are only a few personhood questions, however they seem to make up the common definitions, and would well enough for an example of my theory.) Now the real issue is that these questions are often attempted to be answered with the same solution, even though these questions have very different ethical backgrounds. One attempts to develop a way of making identity checks, whereas another tries to define a hierarchy of the species, finally one is trying to define when life begins. As an example of the confusion this error can often cause I will examine Lockes definition. a thinking intelligent being, that has reason and reflection, and can consider itself as itself, the same thinking thing, in different times and places; which it does only by that consciousness which is inseparable from thinking.(MHR, p. 134) He tries to solve the identity check question with the same thinking thing, in different times and places, or as discussed on Philosophy Bites, the memories of past events in ones life. However, he also tries to produce a solution to the problem of, what separates me from an animal? in saying a thinking intelligent being, that has reason and reflection, and can consider itself as itself. Thus even in Snowdons very own argument, many of his reasons are flawed, do to comparing one question to another. It is my belief that each of the questions should be answered separately, rather than trying to develop a solution that fails in answering all of them at once.

Rap :: essays research papers

Tha Century / 100 Bars Deep Now This's Gonna Be Sticky.... I shapeshift monotonous mockeries into a metamorphisis of melodic monogamy... Im more morbid audibly, smear your extremities with catatonic embalment fluid.. Smoke you for the toxin release! My words constrict airholes until all oxygen is ceased... Kids is tryin to elevate they point of views by studying topography?! Ha! You god-awful emcees.... Watch true suns set across the horizon of your premises... I shadowbox with the reflection of an extra-terrestrial nemesis, to sharpen my depth perception! Intense ressurections of mental sections, to ascend beyond eleven tenths of perfection... I was born when the clock was confused and twelve fell into thirteen... From dusk to dawn my embryo's vitality radiated a pulsing kinetic energy... I disperse beams! 360 degrees of devastation, and six degrees of seperation.. Equals 60 emcees thats gon die from each gamma ray salivation... I still see 20/20 with a cycloptic chromosome, so all mimes manipulated by psionic overtones.. Are overthrown from the underworld overture, over your vocal tone... Undulation, running flows over oval opal stones! Spitting sinister cyclones! If your real or not, its your plot, life behind a twisted doorlock...Amongst wizardous warlocks! Wither in sweltering weather... Swelling cerebellums in cellars, swirling in pools of clorox! Potions pour from my incisors, and inject adrenalin inside words.. In sin curves and blind blurs, reminders of pioneers and rectangularly erected pine boards... The riddle was solved whence it was exposed for its awfulness... I dreamed of an eon long apocolypse, only to wake up and find i was revolving in it... Once i shed my body, its residue will vaporize into cumulonimbus stormclouds... While i study obelist physics, and calculate diabolical arithmetics... Im sicker then cancer victims spittin up tumorous appendiges, then lighting a cigarette.. My aesthetics are acrobatic, the accepted eclectic with savage epileptic habits.. I feed your asses mass laxatives, as to extract gastric acids when the gas passes... Flash flasks of the nastiest wrath, worse then moldy thermoses of birth water contaminate.. Splash that in your eyes and laugh as your sinus collapse, and the virus attacks rampant.. Half of yall are clowns, spiritually vacation bound.. Likely contestants for the neighborhood talent show consolation round.. I put headphones in penetentiaries the way i spit these bars.. Battle? im the head blitzkrieg czar.. I diss emcees hard, thats why bitches be sparse... I slaughter in psychotic spasms like a vicious retard... Visually unscarred... Everytime i kill a victim my ammunition is re-charged... Im rippin seams apart... You couldnt find a rhythm in your weak heart.. OMNI hoe, we reach stars... I was born with my ambillical attached to the sun, and energy has granted me a tongue.. I turn tornadoes twisting 180 degrees from their regular rotation.

Comparing Creation Myths of Ancient Egypt and The Christian Bible Essay

Comparing Creation Myths of Ancient Egypt and The Christian Bible Creation in Ancient Egyptian religion can be much different than the creation account taken from The Bible. Genesis has a set description of â€Å"The Beginning† while there are several different versions and variations in Egyptian mythology. The versions range from a â€Å"one god† myth (Ptah; see picture) to the more common creator out of Nun, which in itself has several derivations. The Ogdoad is a grouping of eight gods that existed before the creator and formed him. This version is taken from Middle Egypt at Hermopolis. The eight gods consisted of Amun, Huh, Kuk, and Nun and their counterparts (i.e. Nun and Naunet). They came together to create an egg that contains the creator (Baines, 1991). This is the point at which variations will occur. Inside the egg there could be gods (Re, Atum, or sometimes even Thoth) or a Blue Lotus. This Lotus would come forth from the egg and rise high into the darkness to a young god, Amen-Re. (The egg was surrounded by Nun which contained the Ogdoad. The Ogdoad consisted of four serpents and four frogs.)(Egyptian Creation Story, pg. 1) The child radiates light and banishes the darkness. He destroyed the silence with his Word and thus creation began. He then constructed a mound for which he could sit upon. (The Benben Stone, which was kept in Heliopolis, was said to have been the mound upon which the creator god, in this case Re, sat.(Redford)) In a different account the mound came forth from the waters of Nun bearing the egg and a falcon emerged. This falcon soared into the air and took its place as the sundisk (Redford). The falcon could also be represented by a winged insect such as a beetle or as a golden falcon. Another variat... ... is reality. If this type of thinking were to be followed one would come to realize that all the gods and goddesses did exist and so did the events told time and again in story. They were alive in the conscience of society. Creation did begin with Nun, yet it also began with God creating the heavens and the earth. Everything depends on time, place, and perception of reality. WORKS CITED Holy Bible. New International Version. Zondervan. Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1984. Genesis Chapter 1. John Baines, Leonard H. Lesko, David P. Silverman. Religion in Ancient Egypt. New York Cornell University Press 1991. Pages 92-100. Ancient Egyptian Religion. http://www.egypt-tehuti.com/religion.html. Pages 2 and 3 of 5. Egyptian Creation Story. http://members.aol.com/kheph777/mideast/mythos/egyptcrt.html. Page 1 of 3. Redford, Professor Donald. Oral Communication

Johne Donnes the Flea Essay -- John Donne

â€Å"The Flea† John Donne observes a typical bar, every Saturday night sweat drenched bodies emitting alcohol and pheromones from every pore, exchange conversation, pleasantries, and yes even sex (perhaps not directly in view but certainly eluded to). Is this animalistic, barbaric behavior acceptable? Should sex be taken so lightheartedly? Or do we take it too seriously, guarding sex like it was the Holy Grail, or the secret to life itself? These questions may be to deep and pointed for most to approach, yet John Donne in his poem â€Å"The Flea† wades through them like the kiddy pool. In this clever poem Donne uses a flea, blood, and the murder of the flea as an analogy for the oldest most primal exchange, sex. Donne, through symbolic images, not only questions the validity of coveting virginity but also the importance of sex as it pertains to life. The metaphors in â€Å"The Flea† are plentiful, but the symbols repeated throughout the poem are clear, beginning with the most prevalent, and the flea. This small parasitic creature is chalk full of symbolic meaning. During the time this poem was written (the Renaissance) the flea was use in many poems about sex. I derive that in this particular poem the flea is symbolic of the act of sex from the speaker’s remark in the beginning, â€Å"Mark but this flea, and mark in this, how little that which deniest me is† the flea is small and inconsequential, his lady denies him sex, which the speaker believes is also petty. The flea is described as a marriage temple and a carrier of life, but in the next stanza as something insignificant and small. The speaker applies a certain duality to the flea and therefore to sex. The metaphor develops more as it relates to the other symbols. Blood is used more than once a... ...e feminine population. In this poem the speaker does not seem to be very respectful of the female he is pursuing. Of course that is conducive to the time but it also says something about the validity of the message of the poem. In synopsis the flea, blood and death of the flea are all used as metaphors for sex, the exchange of life force (a very important thing) within the act of sex (represented as something as insignificant as a flea) and then orgasm, which can feel important and significant for a period of time but is really only as important as the death of a flea. The speaker in this poem hopes to convince his lady to sleep with him by trivializing sex and comparing it to something as insignificant as a flea. Meanwhile I say lady, screw the speaker and the flea you would get more of a commitment from a machine than a guy as afraid of human contact as this one.

A Comparison Between the Bible and The Stone Angel Essay

In addition to the similarities between the two Hagars, John and Marvin, Hagar’s sons, parallel Jacob and Esau, direct descendants of Abram and Sarah. In Hagar’s eyes, John is her Jacob. Hagar protects and favours John the same way that Rebekah favours Jacob. In the Bible, Isaac, a blind man, plans to bestow his final blessings upon Esau, his eldest son. Rebekah, having overheard Isaac’s intentions, instructs Jacob to take Esau’s place and to receive his brother’s blessings. As such, Jacob is blessed by Isaac and flees into the wilderness – upon his mother’s instruction – out of fear of Esau. Similarly, John flees from his family and into his own wilderness, Manawaka. In Manawaka John tends to his dying father, Bram, and receives Bram’s blessing before his death. Marvin never receives Bram’s blessing, even though they were close when Marvin was a child. John, in essence, takes Marvin’s place. More important, however, in this comparison is the relationship each boy shares with Hagar. Hagar, having always been inclined to love John more, wants John to be her Jacob and to want and to receive her blessing. She says, â€Å"I wish he could have looked like Jacob then, wrestling with the angel and besting it† (Laurence 179), as John struggles to lift the stone angel tombstone for Hagar. John dies before Hagar receives a chance to bestow her blessings upon him. It is only in dying that Hagar realizes, through Marvin’s kindness, that Marvin is her Jacob. He is the son that loves and cares for her more than anything else. Hagar states, â€Å"Now it seems to me he (Marvin) is truly Jacob, gripping with all his strength, and bargaining. I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And I see I am thus strangely cast, and perhaps have been so from the beginning and can only release myself by releasing him† (Laurence 304). He will not let Hagar go â€Å"gentle into that good night†(Thomas, prologue). Marvin finally receives Hagar’s blessings, the blessings that John had, for so long, undeservingly taken.

A Teenage Girl Essay

I chose the scenario, A teenage girl is â€Å"in love† with her 17-year-old boyfriend. He is encouraging her to have sex with him saying that he will make sure they only have â€Å"protected† sex. This actually happens often these days with youth; they have the want to experiment a lot. There are five components in which wise judgments could be used. First, there is emotional intelligence which has four components; emotional perception and expression, emotional facilitation of thought, emotional understanding, and emotional management. Emotional perception and expression is the skill to recognize your own emotions and recognizing other emotionstoo. This component involves the ability to both express positive and negative emotions correctly as well. Being a teenage girl is hard;there are so many hard decisions to make. So almost every teen girl thinks she is in love at one point in her teenage life. It is like a must to have a boyfriend when you are a teen and the fact he is 17 years old really makes you seem â€Å"it†. You are not mentally stable when you have â€Å"puppy love† feelings, you do whatever to please this guy you love and when you are young you think that guy is in love with you. Being young you really don’t know how to act on situations like this, you do what you think is right. When I was 14 years old I had a 17 year old boyfriend and wow, the way I acted was insane, I know now I was never in love. I did any and everything for him and now I look back and think, how could I let someone have so much control, but I was just so young, there were a lot of major decisions to make. On top of everything the encouragement from others is hard as well. If Emotional facilitation of thought came about in this teen girl, she could use her emotions to be more able to help with her decision-making. On the other hand, being a teen, she most likely is not emotionally mature. Emotional understanding is to have the ability to recognize emotions with words, to understand the cause and effect of the all different emotions as well have the ability to recognize the relationships between them. Understanding and sometimes have contradictory feelings and how they change over time is an important dimension of emotional intelligence. Personally this is the hardest to overcome when you are young your emotions are everywhere and your changing from a girl into a woman, the feelings and emotions are new to a young teen, I would say they are emotional and impulsive with no understanding. When you are young you think if you’re in love then sex would come next, and so on. But when you’re young you never see the consequences after your actions, they rather just act, and the consequences never come to a young ones mind. Finally, there is emotional management which is self-explanatory which is again hard for teens to achieve because all the emotions combined are overwhelming hard to take on. This makes it much easier for them to act impulsive especially when it comes to sex. The only thing that matters to a teen is what is happening now, not what they would see on the outside looking gin at themselves. The next component would be successful intelligence. Which it is known, successful intelligence you would think fine in three different ways: analytically, creatively, and practically. Creative thinking is more of a personal trait. I think the other two areas, would show one’s maturity level. This scenario is an example of how teens really are; having sex at a young age is very common. Although with the decisions they make they do not think sensible, they think physically more so. Teens have a tendency to think irrational; it is a trait most all of them have. This girl is thinking how to make this guy she thinks she is in love with, happy, so she won’t have boundaries for herself. If she loves him she will do almost anything for him because that is how teen girls think is love. The consequences aren’t ever an issue until after they act upon it. Wearing a condom does not completely protect you what so ever. Last but most definitely not least, there is wisdom itself. When being a â€Å"wise individual† one must be able to balance a variety of self-interests (intrapersonal) with the interests of other people (interpersonal) and of other aspects of the environment in which one lives (extra personal) such as one’s environment. Wisdom is more of the outcome of what decision the girl would make. Dealing with her interpersonal interest would reflect on her interest in having sex or not having sex. Also, she would be dealing with how this decision would affect others around her including her boyfriend’s interest as well; mainly dealing with the consequences could eventually affect the interest of her family and friends. It will affect her environment and/or her extra personal interest counting on what decision the girl makes whether she has sex or not. If she chooses to not have sex it will affect because the guy might not want her and it will hurt her a lot emotionally. Also, she must stay away from the influences that surround her, she will get pulled right back in. If she were to have sex I am not sure she would enjoy the outcome very much, guys tend to get what they want and girls never get what they need, if I said that right it makes really good sense. There are also factors to balance when it comes to wisdom: balancing goals and interests, balancing short- and long-term interests, balancing responses to the environment context, and acquiring and using tactic knowledge. When balancing goals and interests, this teenage girl has to reason with the consequences of every single choice she makes in a situationsuch as this one. Also, looking at how it might affect her future goals, whether it’s long-term or short-term. I would say if she were to have sex possibly the condom breaks she could get an STD or even PREGNANT, which mess everything up mentally and emotionally for the bad. There is balancing short- and long-term interests as well. Teens never think before they act, having sex being the short-term, and the STD’s being the long-term. There are so consequences that are faced with sex, it isn’t even worth it, and really till you 100% understand the concept of it. Balancing a set comeback to the environment goes back to the outcome of her choices and situation. Not having sex with this guy will probably make him not want her in which being in the environment wouldn’t be very healthy for her. Acquiring and using tactic knowledge, say she has good tactic knowledge, she would be able to have her boyfriend understand and explain the possible outcome. In which he will take in consideration, or agree with her. Now if she does not have good tactic knowledge than possibly she doesn’t have much self control, I think personally. A teenage girl is â€Å"in love† with her 17-year-old boyfriend. He is encouraging her to have sex with him saying that he will make sure they only have â€Å"protected† sex. I have personally experienced this situation although today I would have not made that say desision. If I were to step back and look from the outside in, I would of seen what the was a head of me. Being wise is a good trait to have, in which most teens are not. But a wise one analyzes a situation have the knowledge of the bad that could come out of it. Also, seeing that patients are a virtue is also being wise in my eyes personally. Don’t rush into things when you’re young that is the problem with some people today like me, you experience everything, when the real time comes it isn’t as special. Confusing ones emotions with their feelings is rather tough for teens. Don’t risk the consequences; it is so not worth it. You have one but so many major decisions, make the wise decision, and always look at what the outcome could possibly be they are usually never worth it though. Having sex there is too many risks behind it, think before one acts, I would ask for advice if I knew what I knew now a days.

Health and Socail P1 Essay

P1 – Explain potential hazards and the harm that may arise from each in a health or social care setting Relating to the physical environment The physical environment is everything that is around you, this includes; 1. The building 2. The air 3. The temperature 4. Objects 5. People 6. Pets The physical environment has a huge impact on the staffs and individuals well-being. The spread of Airborne infections are increased when the ventilation is poor, airborne infections such as colds and influenza, so it is important to have fresh air circulating at all times in a health and social care setting, especially in elderly homes as older people tend to catch things more easily as do younger children. Individuals should never be in a draught and should always be warm enough. Older people, babies and people with disabilities find it harder to keep their body at an adequate temperature; you should always cater to their needs. Fumes and smoke shouldn’t contaminate the air that should be clean. The ventilation should remove stale air and provide air movement. All the rooms in the environment should have central heating; each should be able to be controlled to the specific temperature the individual wants. The lighting in each room should be bright enough and in a position for the individuals in the environment to read and participate in other activities. Emergency lighting should also be in place in case a light breaks or electrical problems occur; it should come on if there is a power failure. When the lighting is poor is can cause numerous problems and is hazardous to those who are in that setting, it will affect those with a vision impairment, with people that have limited vision you should make sure that they are in a well-lit area. Equipment Hazards from equipment could include * Untidiness e.g. toys, equipment left in corridors on stairs or blocking fire exits. * Poor maintenance, e.g. frayed wiring or broken equipment * Unsafe practice, e.g. overload sockets or trailing flexes * Lack of awareness of hazards, e.g. hot surfaces or moving parts All equipment must work and function correctly; it must be full maintained at all times. This could include fire fighting equipment, hoists and medical diagnostic equipment such as ECG or x-ray machines, it is very important that these are checked on a regular basis for any faults because the individual could be wrongly diagnosed. Computers and laptops now play as an important role in the care industry as they do in any other aspect of work. If they are positioned in an awkward place the individual can suffer from strain injuries, they can strain their vision if they have too much exposure to the screen, and incorrect sitting can lead to neck strain and back pains. Anything they need should be in reach or this can cau se them to overstretch and this could cause a fall. Infections You should always follow policies and procedures that are put in place; they are they to keep you and others around you safe. If you do not follow them you could cause unnecessary harm to you, your colleagues or individuals in your work place. Babies and older people are at a much greater risk of complications if they catch food borne infections, the incidence of MRSA in hospitals has highlighted the potentially devastating outcomes and effects of poor personal hygiene practices and over-prescription of antibiotics. On the national statistics website it shows that the number of deaths linked to MRSA in the UK from 1993 to 2006 rose to 1,625. But on the death certificates that mentioned it declined, and then in 2008 there was a fall of 23%. If the bacteria are on the skin then they can spread by touch, if it is in the nose or lungs then it can be passed on by droplet spread, by breathing or coughing over someone. But if the person is healthy then when they leave hospital it can just d isappear, this applies for people living with them; if they are healthy special precautions don’t need to be out in place. If it gets into the bloodstream through a wound then it can cause serious illness such as 1. Bone marrow infection 2. Blood poisoning 3. Septic shock 4. Septic arthritis 5. Meningitis 6. Abscesses anywhere within the body 7. Infection of the heart lining 8. Pneumonia Substances The hazardous waste does not stop after disposing of it as if his disposal of hazardous waste is not correct it could damage the health of all in the environment if not disposed of at all it can lead to infection and a spread of infection also. So when dealing with waste especially hazardous you has to make sure you depose of it correctly. Type of waste | Risk| How to dispose of the waste | Sharps (needles or syringes) | Risk of getting an infection off a dirty needle | All dirty needles must be out in a yellow box it can be small or large, it must be shut once it’s at its limit and it will not open once it has been closed. | Clinical dressings | Infection can occur | Must be placed in a yellow box which must be sealed with arrangements of the collection.| Body fluid (blood, urine, faeces, vomit. | A risk of infection | When cleaning up any of the waste you have to ensure gloves are worn it must be flushed down the toilet and then the toilet must be disinfected and if it was on the floor, disinfect where the waste was.| Soiled linen| Another risk of infection | They must be out in the special laundry bags which disintegrate when being washed.| There are a number of substances used in health and social care settings that are hazardous if misused. Cleaning fluids, medications and x-rays are all examples of substances found in health and social care settings. Chemicals can cause burns to the throat and oesophagus if swallowed by accident. Care should be taken at all times when administrating medication as it could be given to the wrong person which could lead to them suffering, or something as simple as the wrong dose. This type of mistake can have a devastating result for example in 2005 2 nurses miscalculated the dose of a drug needed to slow down a baby boys heart rate. He was given 10x the dose and he died. Hazardous working conditions Working conditions are aspects of your job, the hours that you work, the staffing levels and the staff relations. Even though we have tried to improve in the quality of health and social care as a result of regular inspections there are still with staff turnover and staff shortages this can lead to the staff rushing what they are doing with results in them ignoring the policies and procedures, this can lead to a risk of injury or accidents. Pay rates are low for early years workers and health and social care assistants, they are often only paid the minimum wage this can make people feel undervalued and make them less likely to follow policies and procedures. When there are staff shortages it can cause staff to be expected to do overtime, being a care worker or being in care work is physically and mentally demanding and too much of it is likely to cause staff to not perform to the best of their abilities, the more tired the staff are the more likely they are to make mistakes like miscalculating medication does, they will be less alert which could lead to them missing a sign that someone is ill. Stress is another reason of staff shortages, stress can be shown in many different ways people suffer from anxiety, sleep problems, digestive disorders, high blood pressure, and mood swings. None of these are good for a member of staff to be suffering with, it can lead to all sorts of problems in the health and social care setting. The vacancy rates for health and social care are higher than any other employment sectors in England, many care homes cannot recruit sufficient staff, and the shortages of staff have an impact of the quality of care given to those in the environment. Hazardous working practices The jobs you do when caring for people are called working practices. They include: 1. Moving and handling 2. Preparing food 3. Changing nappies 4. Giving injections/supervising 5. Giving injections 6. Supervising individuals with challenging behaviour You should always follow the procedures correctly because if you do not you can out yourself and others at harm. Care workers still suffer injuries related to moving people they care for even despite the manual handling regulations 1992. It was reported in 2003 that 80,000 nurses sustain back injuries at work each year, one third of all reported accidents involve moving and handling. The main hazards with moving and handling are that the handler may slip or trip over, stand in an awkward position, twist and overstretch, this can cause the handler to have neck or back pain, it can cause strain, and sprain or they could fracture a bone this could happen to either the handler or individual. They could end up with a permanent disability. Hazardous security systems Security systems are to keep staff and individuals safe from intruders, security systems are fitted in most health and social care settings. Residential homes normally keep the main door locked and only the people there have special keys and there family, or you have to buzz to get in. although this is a good thing, it could also be a bad thing as in fires it could waste time that could possibly save lives. All confidential information about the residents is withheld on the computer system and should be password protected all the filing cabinets should also be kept locked at all times. Section 2. Residential care There are different types of residential care homes, those for the older generation, people with disabilities and children who are looked after. In each of these settings health and safety has to taken extremely seriously, the carers have to make sure that the residents can escape in a fire, they have to make sure they are not putting one another in danger and that infections do not spread. It is important that the residents are informed about keeping themselves and others safe. In some of the residential homes the residents can come and go as they please but in a place where there may be little children or people that are confused that would not be allowed. They could put themselves in danger of getting ran over or hurt themselves. In winter time or in the colder weather, if they cannot find their way back or they don’t want to go back they could develop hypothermia. Child minder Settings where there are children should be very safe. Little children are curious and want to see and touch everything, they put things into their mouths lie toys or objects, this can cause them to choke or if they swallow a liquid such as a cleaning detergent they could be poisoned. They could open a gate and go wandering, cupboards, drawers could be opened which have poisonous substances in them, and they could climb and get stuck or distressed. When working in a preschool setting you have to be constantly vigilant and always alert and on the lookout for anything dangerous. Staffs is responsible for all activities the children take part in and therefore have to ensure that they are safe and not hazardous. Public environment Most parks are away from busy roads but there are a few which aren’t, in his case there is a danger of the child opening the gate and running out into the road, you have to watch your child at all times to ensure the safety of him/her. You also have to be vigilant of those in the park also, as there could be bigger children which could run into the child. Also if there is a skate park where the older children and teenagers chill you have to be careful for any empty glass bottles, also if older people are unsteady on their feet this can create a hazard for them. Sometimes people like to vandalize the park equipment and leave it in a dangerous state if you are looking after a child you should always check the park equipment before allowing your child on, this can easily stop an accident which may have happened. You may also have to asses if the child is age appropriate, if not you shouldn’t let the child on it in case of an injury, parks do have an impact absorbing floor normally which cushions the child’s fall, but accidents can still happen and you should always keep a close eye on your child. Some parks are frequente d by drug abusers; they may leave needles on the ground which would be extremely harmful to young children, so it would be a good idea to scan the ground. Dog owners tend to walk their dogs in the parks, dog faeces is a threat to children. There is such thing as toxicara which is a roundworm that can be present in dog faeces; this can potentially result in total blindness in one or both eyes. Parks are an idea place to take children to allow them to get some exercise and socialise with other children. Section 3 * Those receiving care, link to an older person and a young child: Young children are unable to recognize hazards themselves, their coordination is still developing. If substances are left lying around the child could get hold of them, this could lead to devastating consequences or even fatal, the child could be poisoned. You should always put locks on drawers and cupboards to ensure the children cannot get hold of hazardous substances. If things are left lying around such as toys a child could get hold of it and put it into their mouths if it too small or a toy is broken the child could choke. An older person could walk into things if they have limited vision or the lights are not bright enough. You should always make sure that the care setting is suitable and fits the residents needs. The main doors should always be locked in case there are residents who are confused, they may try to leave. An older person can be harmed if they need to be lifted into a bath or onto a bed, care should be taken when handling individuals and procedures should always be followed correctly. Workers in a setting: Workers sometimes come across Violent service users, this can put them at harm and they can be hurt. They could potentially fracture a bone. There may be faulty equipment which could be hazardous to the service provider as if they are lifting a service user and the equipment is broken the whole weight could be out on them and themselves and the individual could hurt themselves. If there is a shortage of staff and it is very busy the workers could feel stressed, stress can cause them to have anxiety and lack of sleep. If a member staff has had lack of sleep this will cause them to feel tired and they may not be als alert as they should be which can cause harm to themselves and the individual. If there are staff shortages tsome members of staff will be asked to work overtime, this can cause them to feel tired which again means that are not as vigilant as they would be. Support staff (eg caterers, cleaners, administrative), Cleaners are at a risk of being harmed by hazardous waste, if someone has soiled there bed sheets the cleaners have to take the sheets off the bed and put it into the wash, they come into contact with it which means germs can be passed. They also have to clean after someone has been sick again they can catch a bug or become unwell. Cleaners have to dispose of used dressing and needles they could catch an infection if they come into with them. * Visitors (eg relatives, friends, volunteers) Visitors need to be signed in and out in case of fires, if there was a fire and they are not signed in no one would know that they are there and they could at risk of being trapped in the building. Visitors are also at risk of catching infections or any bugs that are going around within the care setting. They should be informed of any infections before they visit. *

Buddhism: Religion or Philosophy?

Whether or not Buddhism is a religion revolves around the contestation of whether or not it is a philosophy instead. This presents myriad problems of logic, as even the definitions of religion and philosophy are themselves a point of contestation. There is the school of thought that defines religion as a belief system, a firm ascription to a set of rules and utmost truths that therefore make religion of whatever kind dogmatic. To use this definition is to make Buddhism anything but a religion, as Buddhism essentially discourages any sense of rigidity in any belief system.It even does not advocate the supremacy of its own doctrines – the 4 noble truths, the 5 Skandhas, the eight-fold path. There are no parameters. The other thought line on religion defines it as a search for transcendence; a quest for an existence, purpose and authority higher than oneself, as advocated by the likes of Karen Armstrong. In this sense, Buddhism is a religion because it seeks to bring those who pr actice it to a new, profound realization of themselves and the world around them; to ‘see the world as it is’, which is the Buddhist idea of ‘realization’.This probably explains why there are quite a number of brands of Buddhism. Still, others wonder why anyone should be distinguishing between religion and philosophy. According to some, this distinction is a fairly new phenomenon, as recent as the 18th century. Throughout history, it is argued, philosophy and religion have been intertwined; take Plato’s Euthyphro for example. In it, the virtue of piety is inextricably argued from a standpoint of what ‘the gods’ believe is right or wrong, even though the whole discourse follows logic.Similar observations can be made in the Epistles of Apostle Paul in the New Testament. Distinguishing the two, it is said, betrays our own biases rather than clarifies things. Dogmatism v. Reason In following up on the more popular definition of religion bein g a set of beliefs, and therefore inherently dogmatic, religion has been criticized as being irrational – that one is required to have faith in absolute truths that not only make little sense to him, but provide no means through which they can be proven factual or otherwise.I this sense, religion is superstitious and irrational, throwing a spanner into attempts at objective human reasoning. Religions after all, have been the source of the greatest conflicts in world history, more fierce than quests for imperialism or economic dominance. In contrast to religion by popular definition, Buddhism encourages objective discourse through reason in a quest for truth, i. e. it is philosophy, just like Plato and Aristotle practiced it.This is however complicated by the fact that while some brands of Buddhism, such as Zen, do not ascribe to a deity, others actually do have absolute truths. But then again this might only fuel the argument that it is not a religion, seeing as there is no u nifying commonality as is common in other religions – Christ in Christianity, Mohammad in Islam, etc. Mysticism Allowing someone to find their own truth wherever they will is to tell them that whatever direction will take you to your destination, and most Buddhist practices have inevitably ended up in mysticism.Hence, when one asks what Buddhism is, in many cases they are told that they have to experience it, as words cannot sufficiently explain it. This trait is inherently religious rather than philosophical. In the latter, one must be unambiguous, while in the former, things like faith, revelation and prophecy are cornerstones. Being mystical, therefore gives Buddhism the appearance of religion rather than philosophy. All in all, I guess Buddhism is what one makes it.