Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and...

HIPAA Ruling in Tennessee Court LAW 531/Business Law November 10, 2014 HIPAA Ruling in Tennessee Court Failure to adhere to regulatory compliance can impact a litigation process, which in the case of Stevens vs, Hickman Community Hospital was prominent when the Tennessee Court of Appeals dismissed the case based on failure to comply with Tennessee’s Medical Malpractice Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This paper will include an IRAC Brief that will explain the case in detail followed by a brief explanation of governmental principles of regulatory compliance requirements, a brief explanation of methods for managing the legal risks that arise from regulatory compliance issues, and how this†¦show more content†¦This is done with five requirements; one of these requirements is a HIPPA-compliant medical release form. The plaintiff did not provide this specific form and as such did not meet the requirements to file suit against the Hospital leading to dismissal of the case. Analysis Christine Stevens filed a malpractice lawsuit against Hickman Community Hospital and the courts thoroughly observed the laws and considered all sides of the arguments that was on hand before them, but in order for the courts to determine the problems he or she had to interpret the significance of several provisions of the Tenn. Code Ann. 29-26-121, as well as evaluate de nova. The court had to determine, as well as effectuate the legislature’s intent (FindLaw). Christine Stevens provided a written report to Hickman Community Hospital stating a potential health care liability claim in which was based on neglectful treatment of Mark Stevens which was essential by the Tennessee Code Annotated, as well as sent notices to everyone in which it included an authorization form in which would allow everyone the right to use the medical records in which was a requirement under the Tennessee Code Annotated. The medical form was not totally in compliance with the â€Å"Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (â€Å"HIPAA†), even though the claimant had a written notice there was no effort put forth in order to secure an approved medical authorization andShow MoreRelatedRegulatory Standards Of The Federal Information Systems Management Act911 Words   |  4 Pagesfollowing regulatory requirements comprise of the Federal Information Systems Management Act (FISMA), Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Payment Card Industry Standards (PCI DSS), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Intellectual Property Law. I will also discuss security methods and controls which should be applied to ensure compliance with the standards and regulatory requirements. I will explain the guidelines established by the Department of Health and HumanRead MoreEssay On Public Need For Health Care1023 Words   |  5 Pages Public Need for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was signed into a federal law in 1996. During the early 1990’s there was a public need to alter the way that medical records were discussed between insurance, doctors and patients. Prior to the advancement of computers into the medical world, the industry was mainly paper records that were written and stored in file rooms. Only people who were authorized could get toRead MoreWhat Is The Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act860 Words   |  4 PagesHealth Insurance Portability and Accountability Act HIPAA is the acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that was passed by Congress in 1996, Federal law that restricts access to individuals private medical information: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 was enacted by the United States Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996. . HIPAA does the following: Provides the ability to transfer and continue health insurance coverageRead MoreGuidelines Of Regulations And Emerging Trends Of Privacy And Security Essay984 Words   |  4 Pagesincluding personal identification information such as patients health data, it is considered and protected based on the level of risk connected. There is several regulations establish for protect confidentially, privacy and security of health data including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. The primary goal of this regulation is to make it easier for people to keep health insurance, protect the confidentiality and security of healthcare informationRead MoreThe Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 1032 Words   |  5 PagesThe Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) affects every aspect of health care from patient privacy to insurance coverage. The federal act was first passed in 1996, yet the first maj or rule did not go into effect until 2003, protecting patient privacy. HIPAA ultimately came into effect due to the issues regarding patient privacy, security and coverage. Another major concern for both health care workers and the public was the exchange of patient information from oneRead MoreA Evolving Information Assurance Landscape764 Words   |  4 Pagesand regulatory bodies who share the responsibility of safeguarding the consumers and organizations from various threats, have formulated various policies and compliances like HIPAA, PCI, FTC, GLBA etc., which aims to aid organizations anticipate new risks and minimize its impact. These policies could be implemented by two models namely risk based model and checklist model. The checklist model is a very straight forward model which lists and specifies what is to be done to achieve compliance withRead MoreNavigating DOL Health Benefits Website1147 Words   |  5 PagesNavigating DOL Health Benefits Website Navigating DOL Health Benefits Website Features of the Website The succeeding paragraphs will describe the major features of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) website at http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/cobra.htm. The first feature of this website is a short explanation of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Act (COBRA). This explanation includes defining who is eligible and provides a general idea of the cost for continuing health benefits coverageRead MoreRole Of Auditing And Regulatory Compliance1558 Words   |  7 Pages ROLE OF AUDITING IN REGULATORY COMPLIANCE BY: SHEFALI VERMA (A-20325809) ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CHICAGO ABSTRACT Risk, compliance and governance activities are by nature interconnected and rely on common sets of informationRead MoreConsolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act Essay1176 Words   |  5 PagesConsolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Rebecca, T. (n.d) states that COBRA was, â€Å"†¦established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to help workers who lose their jobs maintain their employer-sponsored health insurance.† This section of the website is broken down into sections for employees, employers, posters and flyers, videos, and general information The second feature is that it also provides consumer information on health plans from the department’s Employee BenefitsRead MoreThe Role Of Internal Audit Departments On The Business Community On How Their Work Adds Value1201 Words   |  5 Pagesprovide assurance on technology controls and to ensure regulatory compliance with federal or industry specific requirements. As investments in technology grow, IT auditing can provide assurance that risks are controlled and that huge losses are not likely. An organization may also determine that a high risk of outage, security threat or vulnerability exists. There may also be requirements for regulatory compliance such as the Sarbanes Oxley Act or requirements that are specific to an industry. Below

The Death Of The Hospital - 947 Words

The Hospital The narrow mountain road leading down to the hospital was a sheet of ice. I was going to the mental hospital to visit my nine year old son, Andy. Although Andy was just a child, he had a very disturbed mind. He had murdered both my husband and his older sister, yet I couldn’t see him as the monster that everyone else perceived him as. Neither my husband or my daughter were ever very nice to Andy. They called him names and told him he was a worthless, freak. I loved my husband and my daughter, but they were bullies in my eyes. They treated Andy like such an animal and would constantly tell me that I shouldn’t trust my sweet boy. â€Å"There’s something not right about him, Mom† my daughter, Mandy, would complain. Granted Andy growing up was always a strange kid, but I never did think that my sweet little boy was that demented in the head that he would actually resort to murder. The doctors would not let me visit more than once a week. When asked why th ey would inform me that it was for my own â€Å"safety†. Why did everyone else but me see this little, misunderstood, quite boy as a danger? When I would visit, I asked my son  ¨Andy, why would do such a thing? ¨. Andy never did give me an answer he always just shrugged it off like it was no big deal. I was the only one ever there for Andy. None of our other family members paid either of us much attention since the death of Mandy and my husband. They too were afraid of Andy. I knew that he would never hurt me, orShow MoreRelatedThe Death Of A Hospital958 Words   |  4 Pageslives beginning on the first of January last year. I expected to celebrate the New Year with friends; however, unexpectedly, I was crying in the arms of my father at a hospital. I was not prepared for what had happened, but thankfully, the staff at the University of Iowa Hospitals was. My family still clung to each other, scared to death. Sometimes the memories still force me awake at night. To begin the night, my mother grew very weak. After refusing to go to the emergency room all day, her stubbornRead MoreThe Death Of The Hospital Essay1052 Words   |  5 PagesThe hallways in the hospital seemed long, dark, and lonely as my husband and I walked behind two paramedics. No one said a word to one another. I felt like I was in a trance, putting one foot in front of the other yet not understanding why I was doing so. The pictures along the wall showcased happy things; a picture-perfect nursery, a proud mother and father looking lovingly at their newborn bundle, infant toys. In my mind I turned them all into lenticular paintings. The perfect nursery becameRead MoreLife And Death Of A Hospital953 Words   |  4 Pageswere crying, parents were panicking, and I was just standing in the middle of it all and observing it quietly. I ll never forget the summer of 2014 where I shadowed various departments of a hospital and gained experiences that ll last a lifetime. In this hospital, I had witnessed two vast extremes: life and death. Both scary in their own unique way. Witnessing such extremes allowed me to develop a new perspective about the amazing doctors and nurses who see it on a day to day basis. This newly foundRead MoreThe Death Of Carthage Hospital1732 Words   |  7 Pagesmade in me. 1. As I arrived at the hospital everything seemed normal, but for some unapparent reason I felt different. Today was the start of my new career in Wyoming, a career that would foreshadow the reputation of my past. I’m here to escape the horrors of Carthage hospital, to start over. I made my way through the crowd of rushing nurses, doctors assisting patients, and EMTs bringing more people finally making my way to the main hallway of the hospital. Once through I headed towards theRead MoreCase Study Of In-Hospital Cancer Deaths1094 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract The medical records of 246 in-hospital cancer deaths were reviewed to explore the relation between palliative care (PC) timing and the frequency and timing of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) designation. The rate of DNR designation was 100% in patients referred to PC and 82% in those never referred (P (-- removed HTML --) 90 days from PC referral to death), intermediate PC (30-90 days), late PC (30 days), and no PC. The median DNR to death time was 96, 41, 11, and 3 days, respectively (P Read MoreA Brief Note On Wrongful Death Lawsuit Of Ard V. East Jefferson General Hospital1206 Words   |  5 Pages Wrongful Death Lawsuit Sonja S. Kennedy MHA 622 (NDB 1435A): Health Care Ethics and Law Instructor: Jared Rutlege September 15, 2014 Abstract: The plaintiff in Ard v. East Jefferson General Hospital, stated on 20 May, she had rang the nurses station to inform the nursing staff that her husband was experiencing symptoms of nausea, pain, and shortness of breathe. After ringing the call button for several times her spouse received his medication. Mrs. Ard noticed that her husband continuedRead MoreThe Third Leading Cause Death Of America May Surprise You. Hospitals And Healthcare Organizations1783 Words   |  8 PagesThe third leading cause of death in America may surprise you. Hospitals and healthcare organizations dedicate their branding to reflect a place of hope, comfort, and healing when ones health is compromised. Sadly, medical errors do exists in the realm of healthcare. The National Center for Biotechnology Information defines medical error as â€Å"an act of omission or commission in planning or execution that contributes to or could contribute to an unintended result.† Medical errors may include incorrectRe ad MoreClinical Community Health Workers ( Cchw ) Integration Into Clinical Workforce1024 Words   |  5 Pages# 1: HOSPITALS IN THE AREA There are several major hospitals in the San Bernardino County that cater to the medical needs of its residents. The following major hospital are: Loma Linda University Medical Center; Loma Linda Children’s Hospital, Redlands Community Hospital, St. Bernardine Hospital, Kaiser Permanente Hospital, San Bernardino Community Hospital, Arrowhead Community Hospital, Riverside Community Hospital, Riverside County Regional Medical Center, Parkview Community Hospital, San GorgonioRead MoreAn External Market Research Analysis Is The Process Of820 Words   |  4 PagesTREND # 1: HOSPITALS IN THE AREA Knowing the hospital in the San Bernardino County will help the organization to know the target audience, which is the hospital administrator that will make the campaign successful. There are several major hospitals in the San Bernardino County that cater to the medical needs of its residents. The following major hospital are: Loma Linda University Medical Center; Loma Linda Children’s Hospital, Redlands Community Hospital, St. Bernardine Hospital, Kaiser PermanenteRead MoreHundreds Of People Die Essay954 Words   |  4 Pagescareless mistakes and lack of attention by staff members at VA hospitals. The big question everyone want to ask, is this actually the VA’s fault or is it the patient? In 2015 there had been a report of over 307,000 veterans dying just by awaiting VA health care. Of course this is an awful problem, but if they would own up to it or do there job and pay attention to their patients like they should, there wouldn’t be so many problems. Over 1 000 deaths of our veterans in 2014 have been summed up to the malpractice

Statistics Research and Business Methods

Question: Explain about the statistics research and business methods. Answer: 1.0 Introduction The employee and workforce of any organization hold paramount importance to an organization. The success of any organization is dependent on the efficiency and the skill of a worker. In the current scenario, the competition level has drastically increased among the business organization. The productivity of an organization is directly correlated to the efficiency, skill and productivity of an employee. Every company realizes the importance of employees and deriving full efficiency from workers. Basically workers are the main pillar of the business organization. It can be seen that managing employees is a discipline. There a code of conduct is prepared for such employees. The Government prepares certain policies and plan keeping the socio economic development of the country in mind. Therefore, every organization has to maintain code of conduct and policies in direct alignment with the policies and regulations of the government (Willison and Warkentin 2013). This leads the topic to Employee Policy Revision. This is an important aspect in terms of performance of the company and the evaluation of work environment and procedures and methodology followed by the company. The research article is propounded on the research needed to be conducted for evaluating and assessing employee policy revision. 1.1Background of the Study It has been noted and inferred that employee play a major part in the efficient functioning and operation of an organization. It can be seen that the impact of the employees on an organization is very high. High productivity of the employees positively affects the organization with high productivity and profitability. Low productivity negatively affects the organization. Therefore, careful strategies and revision in the policies regarding the employees need to be made. These revisions and changes made in the employee policy holds strategic and critical importance as it significantly impacts the organization and it has deep rooted implications in the longer run. However, it has been contradicted by scholars and experts that many changes and amendment of the management policies is done at the cost of the social community and the external environment (Andries and Czarnitzki 2014). The government is established and chosen for serving the public and working efficiently for the public. Socio-economic policies are made for the people and for the betterment of the people. It is made with the intention of improving and raising the living standards of the social community. Socio- economic policies are made with the best intention of the public, which underlines the importance of economic development and the overall development of the social community and the economy of a place. Socio-economic plans are prepared with the intention of benefitting the society on the whole and enhancing the economy of a place. Overall development of the society and the sustained increase in the growth of the economy is the main motive of the government as it is prepared with the intention of uplifting the position of the society and making sure that the public benefits from the plans and policies made by the government. However, organizations and corporate houses have opposite purpose and objectives. Profitability and maximizing the turnover is the objective of organizations. This is only possible through labor and workforce. One can observe that workforce is the tangible property of an organization and an indispensible force of the organization. The productivity of the employees directly affects the productivity and profitability of the organization. Organizations often exploit the workforce for meeting their ends. This can be seen from cases like increasing the working hours of the labor, in order to increase the production and ultimately increase the productivity. This is increase in working hours is not matched with fair remuneration. The remuneration of employees is adversely amended by organizations during period of low productivity and profitability. There are adverse market condition during which, polices and plans regarding employees are amended and revised. These plans and policies of the organizations exploit the employees and hinder the process of development of the society and the economic conditions of the society (Willison and Warkentin 2013). Rationales of the Study Taking the evidence of past evidence and Fujairah Cement Industries and corporate practices by organizations on a whole, it has been witnessed and inferred that the management policies and plans have contravened and interfered with the plans and policies of the Government. Therefore, one can infer the clash of interests and the unethical practice that management can at times undertake to meet its ends and needs. This does imply making profit at the cost of the interest and benefit of the social community. This has led to a gap between the policies and purposes of the government and the policy and purpose of the management policies and plans (Reynolds 2014). There should be direct alignment between the plans and policies of the management and the government. Ideally, there should not be any contraventions and clash between an organization and the government. Henceforth, the study focuses on the correlation and the level of effect employee revision policy has on the government policies and what method and approach can be adopted to bring about an alignment between the two forces. 1.2 Aims of the Research The aim of the research is to understand and propose a suitable employee revision policy of The Fujairah Cement Industries Dibba. The research study aims on proposing a suitable employee revision policy of the organization, which does not contravene and contradict with the policy of the government. 1.3 Research Objectives To formulate an appropriate employee revision policy for Fujairah Cement Industries Dibba. To reduce and bridge the gap between management policies and the government. To provide the HR department of the organization with ways and methods of creating a strong workforce and a healthy work atmosphere in the organization. To provide suitable recommendations to the organization for maintaining a balance between purpose of management and purpose of the government. 1.4 Research Questions How to formulate an appropriate employee revision policy for Fujairah Cement Industries Dibba? How to reduce and bridge the gap between management policies and the government? How to provide the HR department of the organization with ways and methods of creating a strong workforce and a healthy work atmosphere in the organization? How to provide suitable recommendations to the organization for maintaining a balance between purpose of management and purpose of the government? Reference List Andries, P. and Czarnitzki, D., 2014. Small firm innovation performance and employee involvement.Small business economics, 43(1), pp.21-38.Butts, M.M., Casper, W.J. and Yang, T.S., 2013. How important are workfamily support policies? A meta-analytic investigation of their effects on employee outcomes.Journal of Applied Psychology,98(1), p.1.Caldas, A.R., 2014.The employee policy manual(Doctoral dissertation, NSBE-UNL).Chen, R.R., Chou, T.K., Lin, H.C., City, T. and Long, M., 2013.Examining Expensing Employee Compensation Policy: Theory and Evidence.

Irish Home Rule free essay sample

This paper examines why Irish Home Rule was finally accepted in 1914 and not before, as expected. This essay looks at why the Irish Home Rule bill was accepted in 1914, and why it was rejected earlier in both 1886 and 1893. The author discusses the political situation of the time in Britain and Ireland, examining closely the major people and parties involved and why they came to the decisions they arrived at. The issue of Home Rule and other Irish issues dominated British politics during the late 19th century and early 20th century, but the reason it was allowed to dominate was because the British parliament and population was not interested in Ireland, or solving its problems. Land Acts were passed, coercion failed and welfare support was slow and cumbersome, partly hampered by being a minority group, the Irish Nationalists were always going to find it hard to get the full benefits pushed through to advance Ireland further. We will write a custom essay sample on Irish Home Rule or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In a parliament where the Tories were not interested in Irish issues and the Lords dominated by Tories, the only party Irish Nationalists could gain help from was the Liberals and they were split over the Irish Question.

Zinn Ch. 6 RR Essays - Gender Studies, Womens Rights, Housewife

Zinn Ch. 6 RR Women, mostly African American women went through so much when they were slaves and because they were women in general. They experienced the worst anybody could go through, such as, sexual abuse and denial of needs and privacy. They were expected to fulfill men's needs and wants just because they were told to. Women were prosecuted, humiliated, and constantly told they were inferior to men and they made sure they knew it. Things got so bad for these women that it got to the point where they had to give birth while being chained to corpses. There were many women who stood up and fought for women rights and equality. A woman named Anne Hutchinson went against the authorities and even though she lost the case, she had many supports follow her and believed in her. Although they were treated differently by many, not all cultures were oppressive to women. For example, the Plains Indian tribes gave them roles to heal and give advice to others. They even learned how to do things only men would know how to do such as, "shoot small bows, and they carried knives," when men would pass away calling them "chieftains." (Zinn, 104) Education was very important, and women knew so. Even though colleges were very hard to get into, they fought till they made it happen. In 1750, men were way more literate than women. But as the years went by, the literacy rate for women was starting to increased dramatically. Harriot Hunt, one of the first female physicians led a difficult way to becoming what she knew she was capable of. After being refused twice to an all male school, she didn't give up her dream in becoming a physician. Her practice in medicine kept going by assisting other women and children. Women were starting to advertise in newspapers to meet and were gaining more power organizing these acts for change in the world. Women fought for change and equality, not only for themselves but for all. "The women's job was to keep the home cheerful, maintain religion, be nurse, cook, cleaner, seamstress, flower arranger." (Zinn, 133) This really stood out to me because even though things have changed from the past, I still feel a lot of men see women as only being capable of doing these things. Many women now are stay at home moms, that cook and clean for their husbands and it resembles a lot to how things used to be. Which is not necessarily a bad thing but it makes men think they are superior to women because they bring home the money when in reality were all equal.

Focus on the Learner- Celta Essay Example

Focus on the Learner Focus on the Learner- Celta Essay Focus on the Learner- Celta Essay Focus on the Learner- Questionnaire 1) What is your name? _______________________________________ 2) What is your age? _______________________________________ 3) What country are you from? _______________________________________ 4) What languages do you speak? _______________________________________ 5) Did you go to school /university in †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦? _______________________________________ 6) Have you studied English before? Where? _______________________________________ 7) Why do you want to learn English? ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ______ 8) Who do you speak English with and where? ____________________________________________________________ _____________________ ____________________________________________________________ _____________________ 9 ) Did you work in your country? What was your job? ____________________________________________________________ _____________________ 10) How long have you been in the UK? ______________________________________ 1) Do you like it here? Why/why not? ____________________________________________________________ _____________________ 12) What are your interests? ____________________________________________________________ _____________________ ____________________________________________________________ _____________________ 13) On a scale of 1-3, (1=no 2=ok 3=yes) which one helps you learn best a. Looking at books, pictures, board b. Listening to the teacher or CD c. Doing hands on activities d. All of the above 14) What do you want to learn from this course? ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________ 15) What skills do you think you need to improve? __________________ __________________________________________ ___________________ 16) On a scale of 1-3 (1=no 2=ok 3=yes)which activities do you enjoy the most when learning English? e. Speaking f. Listening g. Reading h. Writing 17) For the following areas below, please describe your strengths and weaknesses in your English skills: Reading Strengths:____________________________________________________________ ____ Weaknesses:____________________________________________________________ ____ Writing Strengths:____________________________________________________________ ____ Weaknesses:____________________________________________________________ ____ Listening Strengths:____________________________________________________________ ____ Weaknesses:____________________________________________________________ ____ Speaking Strengths:____________________________________________________________ ____ Weaknesses:____________________________________________________________ ____ Grammar Strengths:____________________________________________________________ ____ Weaknesses:____________________________________________________________ ____ Vocabulary Strengths:____________________________________________________________ ___ Weaknesses:____________________________________________________________ ___ Pronunciation Strengths:____________________________________________________________ ___ Weaknesses:____________________________________________________________ ___ Tell me about this picture? What is your favourite food? :

Do the Financial Institutions Affect the Economic Growth of A Region Essay

Do the Financial Institutions Affect the Economic Growth of A Region of Not - Essay Example This theory was the base of Lucas's neutrality-of-money paper. The neoclassical tradition emphasizes that the demand for a product in the market and the quantity supplied determine the employment and labour cost. Milton Friedman had also constructed mechanisms with a similar view. The minor misconceptions in the Friedman's theory were corrected by Lucas by establishing a perfect balance between the "long-run" and the "short-run" non-neutrality essential for money based business cycles. The basis of both their constructs is that money is "exogenous†. They simply mean the central authority handling it can easily determine the constant supply of money. We all know the institution of banking is the above mentioned authority in the modern economy. By analysing the banking sector further, with the Lucas's theory, we will be able to determine whether the modern day money-creating systems lean towards neutrality or non-neutrality of money. Both the scholars did not consider the relatio n of bank assets and money as well as the borrower’s use of these assets. The banking sectors operate actively by investing on assets and lending the profits earned to others. We all know how influential the banking sector innovations can be on the core business management strategies. The best example is the 1985 game of mergers and acquisitions. Schumpeter said, innovation is the base of market power which will provide great temporary powerful positions, but this monopoly power will erode soon. It is true. We see the rise and fall of several banks, boosting the economy of a region considerably and disappearing like a bubble in a short time. The reason for this is, several banks spring up following one successful model, without any proper goal. They are just â€Å"lured imitators† according to Schumpeter and they are the main factors causing the short term monopoly in the market. Certain scholars like Hicks argue these quick profits created by the short term monopolies are quite important to keep the market active, inspired and running. Schumpeter’s innovation concept doesn’t fit the banking sector alone. In fact, they fit all technological and developing sectors. Innovations in finance will increase investments on the other sub sectors, creating a more technically sophisticated world. The role of speculators or middle men who act as a bridge between the financial sectors and the industries requiring investment also plays an important role in determining the actions of the financial institutions. Keynes’s words stating speculators are not mere bubbles, but they are capable of making a whole institution become bubble in the speculation whirlpool is worth consideration. According to Schumpeter strong financial institutions are the base of a countries economic growth, as it is innovative and kindles growth. But, Lucas, Levine and many other authors just considered the role of such organizations like banking have been â€Å"badl y over-stressed† in relations to economical growth of a country. There are some key questions to answer 1. How do the financial institutions emerge and why? 2. Under what circumstances do the financial institutions develop rapidly? 3. Are they really necessary and do they actually affect the money flow of a region or country? Any innovative organization wants more money to grow. They are the drivers behind these financial instit

War (1919) by Luigi Pirandello Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

War (1919) by Luigi Pirandello - Research Paper Example Pirandello uses his understanding of psychoanalysis to highlight the difference between each character’s superficial acceptance of the reality of war, and his or her own deep level inability to come to terms with the suffering that war brings. Seen through the lens of psychoanalysis, this story is not about a train journey to Rome, but rather it is about human life and the journey to true understanding of the unbearable horror of war. The story was written in 1919, immediately after the end of the First World War. Pirandello himself had a son who was sent to war, and who was taken prisoner. One can assume that there are some autobiographical elements in the depiction of parental reactions to the enforced separation from their sons at a time of great danger. The First World War had been a terrifying for the whole of mainland Europe, and the high numbers of casualties shocked the people to the core. Never before had such an efficient mechanised war taken so many lives. The focus of the opens with the description of an unnamed middle aged couple settling into a train carriage full of other people. The woman is silent, and her role as mother shocked by the imminent departure of her son to the front is sketched in by her apologetic husband. The role of the suffering mother is very deeply embedded in Western culture. From the heroines of classical Greek and Roman tragedies - to the suffering of the Mother of God at the crucifixion, there is a long tradition of women with their faces covered in grief. Pirandello’s mother figure does this, silently anticipating, the death of a son, or sorrowing this event when it has occurred. It is the epitome of love without return, for the beloved creature is taken away and the mother must grieve for ever because of that. It seems that with this introduction Pirandello wants to present the classical interpretation of how loss of a

DETERMINING IF A BURGLARY SUSPECT WAS GUILTY Essay

DETERMINING IF A BURGLARY SUSPECT WAS GUILTY - Essay Example Burglary can be committed in any building, tent or vessel used as a â€Å"human dwelling†. The words â€Å"human dwelling† must be noted as it connotes a wider meaning than the term â€Å"dwelling house†. (Tudor Jackson, The Law of Crimes, 3rd Edition). Once it is established that there has been a â€Å"breaking and entering†, it must still be proved that there was intent to commit a felony therein. Usually a felony has been committed on the premises e.g. theft, otherwise the intent to commit a felony must be established. This is the mens rea in the offence. The intent must exist at the time of breaking and entering. Therefore to determine that the suspect of burglary is guilty, the courts must establish the guilty mind or intention (mens rea) of the accused which shall be followed by the actual act committed i.e. breaking and entering into the house. To constitute burglary, it is not necessarily that the suspect must after breaking into or entering the house has to steal something. Having the intention of stealing even if he/she did not find what she intended to steal and left without taking anything is itself an offence of burglary committed. In Benton v. Maryland, 395 U.S 784 (1969), the petitioner was tried in a Maryland state Court for burglary and larceny. He was acquitted of larceny but convicted of burglary and sentenced to 10 years in prison. On retrial the petitioner was found guilty of both offences and concurrently sentenced to 15 years for burglary and 5 years for larceny. The appellate court ruled against petitioner on the double jeopardy issue.

Stakeholders Analysis On Nintendo In 2006 Media Essay

Stakeholders Analysis On Nintendo In 2006 Media Essay Nintendo has implemented a strategy, which encourages people around the world to play video games regardless of their age, gender or cultural background (Nintendo, 2006) and appeal even to people who arent interested in games (Business Week, 2006) and smiles on peoples faces (Nintendo, 2008). Nintendo Co Ltd (Nintendo) and its new president Satoru Iwata believed due the complexity of games there are a lot of potential for gaming by other segments. Originally the games were built merely on action and targeted towards traditional over 18 year old male population (ESA, 2006). Nintendo decided to bring in the non-gamers and create an all-new consumer segment. Simplicity was the game and uses real live situations in the game such as Wii Fit. Nintendo designed and marketed Wii as an entertainment centre for the family. The average age of those purchasing games was 33 in 2005 compared to 38 in 2006 and 2007, 40 (ESA, 2006, 2007 and 2008). The games are devised to involve all age and gender groups including those who would like to spectators. It also seems that this had encouraged not only young people of the family asking parents to buy gaming devises, but the elders as well started to show keen interest in buying Wii. ESA (2007) indicates that 67% of American head of households play a video or computer game. Further it indicates that only 28.2% of the games are below the age of 18 and 62% of the total games are male. Wii created a competitive advantage by luring female and NPD (2009) indicated that 5% point increase in female gamers during 2009 compared to previous year and underscores the successes of Wii and other adult population who has not yet entered the gaming experience. Moreover Nintendo, also look of attracting customers above 50 years old and therefore they must create games that attract these groups. Health conscious people has also bought in gaming as they integrate into their life style and found to be beneficial. It has move from the notion that games create couch potatoes (obesity). Company Following the entrance of Sony and Microsoft into the industry, as new players there were not many success stories but rather fights over who would become the number one game. Nintendos net sales stagnated since 2004 and shot up with the introduction of Wii in November 2006. The vision of the new leadership was very crucial and was tested with launch of Nintendo DS and its other variants with the biggest change happening with Nintendo Wii in November 2006 (Joshi and Tsang, 2009). The company financial results grew tremendously with net income tripling by end of 2008 (914.9 M US$ in March 2006 to 2.393.3 M US$ by March 2008) (Joshi and Tsang, 2009)). Cash dividends of 1,260 Japanese yen in 2008, almost 3 times higher than year 2006 (390 Japanese yen) (Nintendo, 2009 and 2006). Companys stock prices rose to 64,500 Japanese Yen by end of 2008 from 17,880 Japanese Yen in year 2006 (Nintendo, 2009). Since the November launch of Wii until September 2009, company has sold over 53.97 M representing 48% of the total hardware sales by three main competitors (X Box 360, PS3 and Wii). Nintendo doesnt manufacture all of its own parts but depend on others. It usually buys parts from companies such as IBM (processors) and Panasonic (batteries) and so on. Nintendo has to keep good relations with these companies. Nintendo also focus on technology that would achieve more with less. The software designers where at the helm of the hardware development that ensure there are sufficient games and that they suit the development concepts. Competition The irony is that instead of going head to head with Microsoft and Sony Nintendo more or less created its own niche market. Sony and Microsoft have pursued that combination of computing power and graphics of its game, which Nintendo viewed it as a limiting factor to success and targeting the non-gamers. Nintendo to all our surprise used a combination of blue tooth technology, infrared, and motion sensor instead to create a user friendly and easy set up console. Moreover the simplicity reduced the cost and made it easy for its developers to design new games, which gave Nintendo a competitive advantage over its rivals. Nintendo gave a feeling of personalization by allowing users to create characters. The lack of high-end graphics such as HD could have been a competitive threat, but turned out to be an advantage since HD would take year to be established in homes. A threat to Nintendo is the ever increasing online and computer games market. During 2006 51% of the frequent game players were also seen to be gaming online as well (ESA 2006). The Low price of Nintendo has proved to be its biggest competitive advantage. There is a huge threat on the supply and demand of Wii, which could damage the market share of Nintendo through customer frustrations although Nintendo is quite comfortable with the current limited supply of the console. In the latest figures from NPD (NDP, 2010), sales of games are recovering from -20 to 5 in term of % change in dollars sales from Oct 2009 to December 2009. These present significant opportunities for Nintendo. Community From the information available there was no major regulatory restriction on the major markets areas. The market seems free to operate and to take the full advantage to capture a high market share in Europe and the US. The simplicity of the games made it easy for the programmers to design more and more games at very low cost. Nintendo has also open up Nintendo to private engineers and has now over 792 games. In terms of standards and guidelines for the industry The Commission of the European Communities announced to impose a fine of EUR149 million on October 30, 2002 referring that Nintendos past trade practices in Europe until 1998 fell upon limitation of competition within the EU common market which is prohibited by Article 81 in the EU treaty (Nintendo, 2006). The media can at times be a businesss enemy or a friend. Regardless which side it is on at any given time, the publicity the media gives helps position Nintendo and its products into the minds of consumers. Nintendo doesnt make all of its own components for the game. It buys parts from companies such as Panasonic, IBM and ATI. In addition, Nintendo may sell some of its own products online, but the majority of it sells is through other retailers (Walmart, Amazon, airport duty free shops, etc. are responsible for selling Nintendos products like the Wii. The product is a simple console with a simple wand. The wand type thing was the unique feature that was able to recognize the human body motions. It requires physical movement from players, which was good for health conscious parents especially for the kids. It is one of the reasons why this product was excellent for the family. The motion detectors would turn the hand movements into an on screen action simulating a real life experience. The product further evolved and included keeping fit as well whereby there is a combination of action on the screen together with physical exercise. The games were simpler to understand with a shallow learning curve. Price Nintendo was indeed right to understand that we do more with the little technology. Wii did not require heavy graphics and came with only a small 512MB flash drive. This enabled Nintendo to keep its console production cost low. Couple with that was a lower software cost as well. Wii was launched for USD 250 only, well below USD 399 being charged for XBOX 360 and USD 499 for a PS3 (Joshi and Tsang, 2009). Recently it is understood that they have reduce the Wii by USD 50. Nintendo due to lower cost generated profits from both hardware and software. Furthermore Nintendo was able to generate profits of up to USD 49 per console in US, Sony and Microsoft were loosing USD 300 and USD 125 per console at their respective launch prices (Joshi and Tsang, 2009). Place Wii were able to place and display the product at major super markets and shopping malls. However, after a year of its launch Nintendo failed in meeting the demand for the game. Nintendo has realized the uniqueness of the product, the willingness of consumers to wait to buy this product rather than look for alternatives. It seems the experience with Wii is unique that it is a game in a different league. Promotion Wii was designed for all age and gender and its advertisement reflected this philosophy. Nintendo used word of mouth (Joshi and Tsang, 2009) as its advertisement strategy. They made families (father to the child), hard-core gamers and modern moms as their ambassadors. They would play and share experiences with others. A number of kiosks were set up at many shopping malls show casing its features. Moreover their Commercials always showed groups of people, including generations of families, playing and interacting with each other. A classic example was the grandfather who mistook the Wii for the TV remote control and got stuck with the Wii. Nintendo has used all the classic methods of sales promotions, such as discount voucher and holidays give-ways. According to Sliwinski (2006) Nintendo expected to spend over USD 200 m in all of its promotional activity over the next year and is the largest advertising campaign in Nintendos history. About 80 percent of the budget will be spent convincing adults to purchase the system and shaking off Nintendos traditional consumer perception of being for children and teens. 4. If you were the VP of Marketing for Sony, how would you respond to the Wii. In its current state, the gaming industry is an attractive one with a total market opportunity of over $49.9 billion projected for 2001 and $85.7 billion in 2006 Joshi and Tsang, 2009) In the short term as the VP for Marketing is convince the developers to see how reduce the cost of X Box without diminishing its high quality. It might be an excellent to do like Nintendo bridge the gap between hardware and software development. New games should be introduced to attract women players. In the long-term as the VP for Marketing X-box should move in the same direction as Nintendo, the motion sensor technology and compete directly with Nintendo. This would be an additional functionality on the X-Box. We should move on the basis for doing more with X-box for less. The X-box should also be able to integrate with Windows operating system allowing interoperability between the system and become one.

Our Italian Tradition Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

Our Italian Tradition It was Christmas Eve. I sat, huddled in a ball, behind the armchair in my living room. I was trying to be as still and patient as I could be. I remember moments where I held my breath thinking if she heard me breathe, she would leave and I would never get a chance to see her. I could feel myself drifting off to sleep, but I tried to resist. All I wanted was to see her just once. Usually, I would be scared at the thought of a witch, but she was different. She was a magical witch who flew on a broom from house top to house top, visiting children and filling their shoes with candy and chocolates. Sure enough, I awoke the next morning to find myself still huddled in the same ball; I had fallen asleep before La Befana arrived. As I stood up yawning, I took a big stretch and noticed my Christmas shoes lying by my feet full of goodies. La Befana is the Italian version of America’s Santa Clause. In fact, the idea of Santa Clause stems from the legend of the La Befana. On the night that baby Jesus was born, the Three Wise Men stopped at her hut asking directions to Bethlehem, and invited her to go along with them but she refused. Later, a shepherd boy stopped to ask her for directions. He invited her to join him in his journey to Bethlehem, but again, she refused. Later that night she saw a large star in the sky and reconsidered going to look for the stable where baby Jesus lay. She wanted to bring him the toys of her child who had died. But she did not find the stable, and now each year she looks for baby Jesus. Since she can not find him, she leaves gifts for the good children of Italy, and coal for the bad ones. The story of La Befana is just one of the m... ...† (Myers 119). I have, for as long as I can remember, been aware of the cultural winds. With each Italian tradition that my family embraces, we are fighting the winds of a more mainstream tradition that seeks presence in our home. But I am glad that we have fought these winds. I am glad that I did not spend my Christmases in the same way that many other children did. I am glad that I believed that my Christmas presents were left by La Befana while all the other kids believed they had come only from Santa Clause. I believe that living in America is about embracing difference. My family forces me to embrace difference through our Italian traditions each Christmas, and it has taught me how beautiful and valuable difference can truly be. Buon Natale! Works Cited Myers, David. Psychology Seventh Edition in Modules. Holland, Michigan: Hope College, 2004.

Medication in health and social care Essay

The report that follows is a review of the final report from the LA, that I will present in the next team meeting. In the discussion I will refer mostly at the National Standards regarding the administration of medication (current UK standards and current legislation, national enquiries). To produce a good report, I need to include the risks of medication to service users, staff and organisation using examples from our context. In order to achieve the best results for my promotion, I need to structure clearly my report in such a manner that invites team members to express their opinion and to bring useful contribution through examples, for the best interest of our organisation. Good practice in the administration of medication is essential for users of health and social care services. For that, the social workers need to know the National standards requirements regarding the administration of medicines and the principles and policies on medicines handling and records. see more:who is responsible for medication in a social care setting Handling of medication requires knowledge on ordering, maintaining, administration, storage, recording and disposal of medication; the National standards refer to current standards and legislation, codes of practice and policies, national enquiries, ethical issues and risks for the service user. The current legislation that apply to the handling of medication comprises: The Medicine Act 1968, The Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973, The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (1999) (COSHH), Hazardous Waste Regulations (2005). All care organisations and nursing services are regulated and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and they must comply with the Care Standards Act 2000 and the National Minimum Standards. From the National Minimum Standards (NMS), the legislation that refers the most to the specific needs of our organisation regarding the medication is the Standard 9 of the NMS for care homes for ol der people, which gives information to the staff about the procedures of recording, storage, handling, administration and disposal of medicines, and also to the service users in concerns of their responsibility and risks for taking their own medication. Our organisation provides services for vulnerable people from diverse backgrounds, such as people with mental problems, with mental difficulties, and people with acquired brain damage. The mental condition of our clients imposes to the staff to be very careful  regarding the management of medicines and the risks associated with unsafe use of medication. First of all, the staff needs to have the necessary knowledge about medicines and the classification of medicines. Some of them, like Oramorph Concentrated Solution or Morphine, are very dangerous Controlled Drugs, so the care workers need to know the medicines indications, the necessary dosages and the side effects. The controlled Drugs must be kept in a locked metal cupboard and it can be administered by appropriately trained staff or by a registered nurse, in case that the patients receives nursing care. Older people can take several medications and errors can happen; to avoid any misuse of medicine, there should be kept a record of current medication for each service user. Regarding the Controlled Drugs, there is a register where there are recorded information about their administration and disposal. In the case that the staff monitoring the patients seizes any change in their condition, they need to announce the GP in order to review the medication. Between our patients, there are few that take their own medication, so we need to ensure that we provide them the necessary information in understanding their medical prescription properly. However, having in view that they have learning difficulties, they are assessed and monitored all the time in order to ensure that the process of taking their medicine is done accordingly.

Disney vs. Pocahontas essays

Disney vs. Pocahontas essays There are many different versions of the famous story of John Smith and his relationship with Pocahontas. John Smith was a very famous explorer. He traveled to America in the Name of England to settle new lands for England. One of these lands that he went to settle was Jamestown. Pocahontas was the daughter of Chief Powhatan. It is rumored that she saved John Smith s life. She was an adventurous young woman who was not scared of much. She liked to take risk and did not blink twice. It seemed that she was a very compassionate person. During one of his many explorations, it is rumored that John Smith encountered a beautiful woman named Pocahontas. Although we do not really know much about when, how, and exactly where was there initial meeting, there are many different stories about their relationship. John Smith was always known as a tall tale writer, so his version of the relationship with Pocahontas has to be analyzed carefully. In The General History of Virginia John Smith wrote of his first landing on Jamestown and of his relationship with Pocahontas. He described that Jamestown was laid out on swampy, unhealthy ground. His company came to Jamestown for the fruit fullest soil and to establish homes there. He made them out to be people who were nice to the savages and he made the savages to be people who were mean to the settlers. John Smith said that the savages captured him. It seemed that he did nothing to them. He then continues to when the Chief Powatan summoned two savages to grab stones and put his head on a rock to stone him. Then this is when he first speaks of Pocahontas. How she put her head on top of his to save his life. This is the relationship that he had with Pocahontas. This is the only part that he speaks of a woman named Pocahontas, there isnt much written about her. ...

Robby Gamble Essays (193 words) - Gerald Graff, Murray, Free Essays

Robby Gamble Essays (193 words) - Gerald Graff, Murray, Free Essays Robby Gamble Professor Kelly English 1102-024 February 8, 2017 Are Too Many People Going to College Rhetorical Precis Murray, Charles. "Are Too Many People Going to College?" "They Say / I Say": The MovesThat Matter in Academic Writing, with Readings, 3rd ed., edited by Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst, W.W. Norton, 2017, pp. 234-253. Charles Murrays essay, "Are Too Many People Going to College"(2008), argues that not every person is made to attend college, but because of the norms of our society, many people feel that college is a cut and dried method of obtaining a career with substantial pay. Murray defends his argument through discussing education and its role in development and society, liberal education on a collegiate level, the traditional four year college, and the truths behind college and obtaining a four year degree. Murray wrote this article in order to shed light on some of the misconceptions many have about post-secondary education, and propose a change to the post-secondary educational system. Murray's intended audience consists of scholars, and those who are not sure that college is the correct path for them.

MidTerm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MidTerm - Essay Example The state department uses the security strategy to obtain the resources required to enhance security nationally and internationally. The pentagon is also effective in formulating national security policy. More recently, the Pentagon has concentrated on the climate change aspect of national security, in additional to the enhanced risks associated with terrorism, food scarcity, international poverty and infectious diseases (Roger & Harvey 133). The policy also forecasts the increasing need for military disaster responses during the cases of extreme weather that enhances the level of international humanitarian crises. The personal strategy illustrates the strategy adapted by the military to address security challenges like; rising sea levels, increased violent storms, and enhanced droughts. The defense department initiates strategies for mitigating climate change risks in all operational areas; for example, military planning processes. The White House spearheads the National Security Council (NSC) in foreign and also security policy areas. The NSC comprises the President and other key cabinet members and security officials. The main responsibility of the NSC is to give advice to the president in the areas of foreign policies and also national security policies. The president also coordinates the policies in various agencies through the NSC. The NSC was initiated through the National Security Act (1947). In the reorganization plan of 1949, the NSC was initiated under the Executive Office. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was initiated through the National Security Act (1947). The Director of the Central Intelligence is the leader of the intelligence community. He/she is responsible for advising the president on national security intelligence. CIA addresses security policy issue through several concepts. The agency develops several multidisciplinary centers that tackle high priority areas like

Al Qaeda in Yemen Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Al Qaeda in Yemen - Assignment Example This paper looks into the multiple dimensions of the problem ranging from its threat to the stakeholders, the history, current scenario and other dynamics of the problem at hand (Rollins 2010,p. 10). The overall threat comes in a multiple manner. The first is that to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia shares its borders with Yemen. The potential control of Al- Qaeda in Yemen would lead to its expansion and reach out towards the borders of Saudi- Arabia. Saudi Arabia itself feels highly threatened and vulnerable by the ambitions of Al- Qaeda. It is a threat to the regional peace and poses serious threats to the gulf that exists between the Shiite and Sunni population which is being exploited by external sources. Another threat that is faced by the Yemen itself. Since Yemen’s elected government has been ousted in form of control over the office of President Mansur Hadi. Al- Qaeda being a globally banned outfit and radical in its outlook, the people of Yemen are at a direct threat in this regard since they are not only hostile to the locals but the outside world. Secondly, Al Qaeda’s actions have often been seen with high concern and fear by the Shiite population of Middle East. Given the fact that their slogan is religious in nature and they claim to be the protective guardians of the Sunni community, the over forty five plus percent Shiite population of feels directly exposed to this threat. The concerns of United States of America come about in the form of the spread of Al- Qaeda and its agendas and ideals. Since United States of America has initiated a global war on terror and aims at reaching out to any part of the world where Al- Qaeda may be operational, it therefore is a new front for United States of America to engaged in Yemen. United States of America is already engaged in mitigating the challenge thrown by Al- Qaeda in Iraq. This would lead to a new front (Davis 2008,p.144). While the traces of Jihadi elements

How do you think that the Legal Services Act 2007 will change the Essay

How do you think that the Legal Services Act 2007 will change the Legal Profession - Essay Example To note, lawyers are duty-bound to preserve the respectable reputation of their profession. Also, it has been observed that restrictive legal practices prevent professional competition among legal practitioners (Mortensen, Bartlett, & Tranter, 2010). As such, in 2003, the Blair administration commissioned Sir David Clementi to conduct a review of the profession’s regulatory structure (Mortensen et al., 2010). Clementi’s report envisioned three major reforms which were adopted under the act: (1) the creation of the Legal Services Board (LSB); (2) the establishment of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC); and (3) the authorization of alternative business structures. This set-up has actually been described as consumer-focused and competition-based. The LSB is meant to supervise or oversee the present professional bodies (Mortensen et al., 2010). It can only exercise its intervention power upon finding that the approved regulators have seriously failed or persistently fail ed in its responsibilities (Mortensen et al., 2010). The OLC on the other hand acts as the single handler of all complaints due to unsatisfactory legal services (Mortensen et al., 2010). This body accords the Ombudsman the power to issue orders against erring legal practitioners (Mortensen et al., 2010). ... n a store of knowledge that was more than ordinarily complex†; (2) secure a theoretical understanding of the field with which it tackles; (3) apply its complex and theoretical body of knowledge to the practical and feasible solution of social and human dilemmas; (4) â€Å"strive to add to and improve its stock knowledge†; (5) transmit the knowledge to newcomers formally and deliberately; (6) provide requirements for admission, proper conduct and legitimate practice; and (7) be imbued with altruism (cited in Bowie, 1988, p. 743). Law complies will all the aforementioned requisites. The most important quality is having an altruistic spirit -- the concern for public good. This separates law from the other occupations. It is the core of the profession. In this context, if altruism is absent, then law becomes a business. Business has never been regarded as a profession (Bowie, 1988). Business people are self-centered (Bowie, 1988). They are primarily motivated by self-interes t (Bowie, 1988). This description is clearly in contrast with the seventh quality which Flexner suggested. There is a need to emphasize this point since the Legal Services Act works opposite to the cited principle. The third envisioned reform will make the legal profession a business. Allowing alternative business structures between lawyers and non-lawyers is not the kind of competition that can solve the problem on poor legal services. The change will not lower the number of customer complaints. Stated in another sense, the ends will not justify the means. It is against the basic theory of professionalism (Moorhead, Sherr, & Paterson, 2003). It would be better to implement rules which can enhance the ability of lawyers and enlighten them of the importance of public service. The legal profession must

Mills Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Mills Utilitarianism Essay In the beginning of Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill states that throughout history very little progress has been made towards developing a set of moral standards to judge what is morally right or wrong. Although a certain disagreement about such foundations can also be found in the most â€Å"certain† sciences, in those areas truths can still have meaning without understanding the principles underlying them. On the other hand, in philosophy, where all actions exist to proceed towards a particular end, statements unfounded upon a general principle have very little validity. Therefore Mill says that in order to know what morality dictates, it is necessary to know by what standard human actions should be judged. He rejects the idea of a moral instinct inherent in human mind, which supplies us with this ability to judge. Even if such a sense would exist, it wouldn’t show us whether something is right or wrong in a particular matter. Instead, Mill assumes that right and wrong are questions of experience and he tries to show that the principle of utility or â€Å"the greatest happiness principle† is the foundation of this distinction. In Chapter two, Mill tries to reply to some common misconceptions about utilitarianism. He claims that many people mistake utility as the rejection of pleasures, whereas in reality, it is pleasure itself, promoting happiness. He thus defines utilitarianism as the creed which â€Å"holds that actions are right in the proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness†. Accordingly pleasure and absence of pain are the only goals that are inherently good and desirable in themselves. Every other action or experience is only insofar good as it promotes pleasure. However, it is wrong to assume people should only do what makes them personally happy. Instead the standard of judging an act is the happiness of all people. Therefore people shouldn’t distinguish between their own happiness and the happiness of others. The motives underlying a certain act are of no importance in utilitarianism. Instead only the results of our conduct, or more specifically the impact on the general happiness, are to consider. In continuing, Mill states that some pleasures are more valuable than others, so not only the quantity but also the quality of pleasures resulting from a certain act determines its moral rightness. We can experience this difference in quality when we give one pleasure a clear preference over another, although it comes along with a greater amount of discomfort, and would not dismiss it for any quantity of the other pleasure. Mill claims that, given equal access to all kinds of pleasures, every man or woman gives priority to those employing their higher faculties. Appropriately he writes that †it is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, is of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question. Thus only people who have experienced both the higher and the lower pleasures are qualified to judge the quality of a pleasure. But by what extent are pleasures measurable or comparable? And what is it that makes a â€Å"higher† pleasure superior over a â€Å"lower†? Another criticism Mill responds to is that happiness can’t be the goal of human actions, since it’s unattainable. Moreover, detractors of the utilitarian moral state that a life without happiness is quite possible, and all noble beings have become virtuous by renunciation. Mill objects that if happiness is defined as moments of rapture, â€Å"in an existence made up of few and transitory pains† and not as a â€Å"continuity of highly pleasurable excitement† happiness is quite attainable. The only reason why mankind is not yet in this condition of happiness is because our education and our social arrangements are inadequate. Concerning the objection that virtuous men renounced happiness Mill asserts that those noble men acted as martyrs, sacrificing their own happiness in order to increase the happiness of other people. However, such a sacrifice is not in itself an act of good but only insofar as it helps others. Mill presents a couple of other misapprehensions of utilitarian ethics, which he says are obviously wrong but which many people nevertheless believe. First, utilitarianism is often accused to be godless, because its foundation is human happiness, and not the will of god. But if we assume that god desires in the first instance the happiness of his creatures, then utilitarianism is more profoundly religious than any other doctrine. Another objection holds that there is not enough time to outweigh the effects on the general happiness prior to every action taken. Mill replies that such a claim also implies that if our conduct is guided by Christianity we’d have to read the Old and New Testament every time before we act. Obviously this is not possible. Instead he asserts that we had the entire duration of human existence to learn by experience which actions lead to certain results. The last critique Mill responds to is that utilitarianism legitimates immoral tendencies by justifying the break of rules by referring to an increase of utility. He replies that this problem can not only be found in utilitarianism but also in every other creed. Does this argument really dispel misconceptions about utilitarianism? In the beginning of chapter three Mill asserts that every moral philosophy needs some source of obligation in order to be binding. Regarding utilitarianism this binding force consists of internal and external sanctions. External sanctions include â€Å"the hope of favour and the fear of displeasure from our fellow creatures or from the Ruler of the Universe†. Internal sanctions on the other hand, are feelings in our own conscience and create a pain if we violate duty. This second type of sanction is considered to be more powerful. Thus to provide a force which is binding enough to influence people’s conduct, utilitarianism needs to appeal to people’s inner sentiment. Mill claims that in fact every moral sentiment could be cultivated, no matter how bad it is. However such â€Å"artificial† feelings, will eventually crumble when they are analyzed thoroughly. The utilitarian morality on the other hand, emerges as a particularly strong foundation because it’s consistent with the social nature of human sentiments: every one of us has an innate â€Å"desire to be in unity with our fellow creatures†. Mill finally emphasizes that this natural sentiment needs to be nourished through education and law. [ 1 ]. John Stuart, Mill, Utilitarianism, ed. Mary Waldrep (Mineola: Dover Publications, Inc. , 2007), 1. [ 2 ]. Mill, 6. [ 3 ]. Mill, 8. [ 4 ]. Mill, 11. [ 5 ]. Mill, 11. [ 6 ]. Mill, 24. [ 7 ]. Mill, 27.

Climbing Rocks and Dreams :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

I am the bravest guy I know. I don't mean to brag, but that's just the way it is. Granted, I'm not great pals with any prisoners of war or any cowboys, but I am a climber, and climbers are hardcore. By sheer will, climbers scale overhanging rock faces, risk life and limb in the pursuit of the summit, and just generally go all out all the time. Aside from being able to handle the risk, climbers latch onto the sharpest and most painful handholds for the simplest reward of having climbed a particular rock wall. No, climbers don't seek attention from the crowds or big bucks for competing; they climb with the pure, unadulterated motivation of being brave enough to achieve their dreams. What places me in the upper most tier of bravery among climbers, aren't the bold routes I've conquered, but rather my willingness to commit to my dreams with irrefutable impetuousness. Throughout my 17 years of life, I've always had an affinity for adventure. The same irrational craving I had as a child for extended power outages fueled my desire to be a climber-in particular my desire to climb at America's most famous bouldering area, Hueco Tanks, Texas. While I had done a significant amount of climbing beforehand, including a weeklong Southern climbing tour with the Adventure Guild, I had only gotten my foot in the door of the climbing scene. I had to have more. My participation in this trip to Hueco not only placed me on the road to becoming a prominent climber, but also enlightened me to my outstanding bravery. There wasn't a single thing that scared me there. Even from the very beginning, I started out on the courageous path. I had been sick the week leading up to the trip, but no, I didn't let the fear of being stranded sick in a tent in the middle of the dessert hold me back. It was a beautiful early afternoon after the last half-day of school before spring break, and I was getting in my car totally distraught over my parent's decision that I would not go on the trip. (After all, they had only let me come to school that day because I had to take a math test.) After tossing my books in the back seat of my car, I casually cruised over to the microbus where Stuart, the trip leader, and the rest of the climbers were busily making final preparations for their departure.

Friendship in the West & Friendship in Islam Essay

It is natural for people to form friendships with others whom they interact with on a regular basis. Friendships can be formed through growing up in the same neighbourhood, meeting at school, college, university, social gatherings and via a number of other activities. Friendship is something common amongst people, however there are different conceptions of it. Some common conceptions include the following: friends will always stick by your side, you can always rely on a friend, you can speak freely to your friend and tell them your problems, friends like you for who you are, etc. When people have personal problems such as disputes with their family members or if they require advice they usually turn to their friends. Friendship in the West Friendship in the West is based on benefit. Friends come together on the basis of mutual interest, so they will go to the cinema, parties and clubbing together. They talk about the opposite sex freely to each other and hide each others secrets even if they involve evil actions. They often gain comfort in backbiting and winging about other people who they don’t like. Unfortunately some Muslims carry the Western notion of friendship as they follow the crowd rather than to looking to Islam for solutions. Due to the fact that friendship is based on benefit in the West, it is easy for people to ‘break out’ with each other, have rows and even become enemies. This happens when their interests conflict and can be over petty things such as not going for a night out with them or larger things such as betrayal. In many cases people even talk negatively about some of their friends in front of others and even betray them by having affairs with their wife, sisters or girlfriend. Friends even become status symbols, so people long to ‘hang out’ with a particular crowd to look cool. Often crowds have leaders with egos, so staying on the right side of certain people is important if you want to be accepted. For some this means ‘sucking up’ to them, for others it means undertaking actions to make them think you’re ‘cool’. Friendship in the West is based on using each other. The proof of this can be seen in the fact that when friends became unusable they drift apart. Typically, if someone’s friend was to suddenly change and stop clubbing, partying and drooling over the opposite sex at every opportunity they would start treating them differently and normally ‘break out’ with them. Especially if this person begins to account them when they are wrong and advise them upon their actions repeatedly. As an example if someone begins to practise Islam and stops committing Haram and advises his friends to do the same. Those with the Western concept of friendship would change their attitude towards them and they would be distanced and only occasionally spoken to. The reason for this is that it there is no more benefit in their eyes to keep a close relationship with them, in fact it completely contradicts their lust for pleasure as when the person speaks about Islam it is seen as an attack on their lifestyle. Friendship in Western societies is normally false as the society is founded on greed, individualism and following lusts. Friendship in Islam is true as it is based on sincerity, trust and Taqwa (piety). Friendship in Islam Islam recognises that a Muslim will naturally spend more time with certain people and be more comfortable with them in raising their personal problems and issues. This does not mean in any way that the rest of the Muslims are not their brothers and sisters whom they love, rather all that it means that they will be closer to certain people than others just as people are usually closer to their family than others. Islam recognises that friends have a strong influence on people and that their environment will affect the strength of their relationship with Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala). The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"A person follows the Deen (way of life) of his close friend; therefore let each of you look carefully at whom he chooses for friends† [Tirmidhi] A Muslim should choose friends that will advise him and remind him of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) rather than lure him to the path of Shaytan. It has also been narrated that our friends in the Dunya (world) will be our friends in the Akhira (afterlife). It is therefore vital for a Muslim to choose good friends. The love between two Muslim friends is such that they would confide in each other, help each other in times of need and strengthen each other’s commitment to the Deen of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala). The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) encouraged for Muslims who have love for each other not to keep it to themselves. It has been narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Adaabul-Mufrad (no. 191) that Allah’s Messenger (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"If one of you loves his brother for Allah’s sake, then let him tell him since it causes familiarity to endure and firmly establishes love†. Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to something which if you carry out you will love one another. Spread as-Salaam amongst yourselves.† [Muslim] Friendship in Islam is not based on using each other; on the contrary, helping each other to stay away from the Haram is fundamental to it. How could someone watch his brother burn without doing anything to save him? A person who did that would be ones worst enemy rather than a friend. Therefore Muslims always warn and advise each other. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"Each of you is the mirror of his brother, so if he sees any fault in him he should wipe it away from him.† [Tirmidhi] This means the purpose of confiding secrets to each other wouldn’t be as in the Western values where people confide their secrets to feel good knowing that they will not be a comeback. Rather in Islam we confide our secrets to our friends to seek their sincere advice and help. So a Muslim will ask his friends about issues relating to marriage, problems within his family, troubles he feels at work or fears that he has. Friendship has rules in Islam unlike in the West – to visit them especially when they are ill, to inquire about their family, feeding them when they are hungry, attending to their needs, keeping their private affairs to yourself and sharing your wealth with them without hesitation. It is related that Ibn Umar (ra) was looking about from right to left in the presence of the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam), who asked the reason for doing so. Ibn Umar replied, â€Å"There is someone dear to me and I am searching for him, but do not see him†. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) then said, Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra) said, â€Å"Encountering your brothers lifts all grief. If Allah blesses you with good relations with another Muslim, hold fast to it†. Rule of friendship with non-Muslims As Muslims living in the West we interact with non-Muslims on a daily basis whether at work, University, college or in society at large. It is incorrect for us to cut ourselves completely from them and live in isolation. We should aim at building relationships with them in order to give them Da’wa to embrace Islam. Therefore we should have them as acquaintances, however this does not mean that we are allowed to have them as close friends, as Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) says: â€Å"O you who believe, take not into intimacy those outside your ranks: they will not fail to corrupt you.† [TMQ Al-Imran: 118] Not taking them as close friends means that you don’t share with them your innermost thoughts and feelings. For no matter how well you know them, they reject Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) and His Messenger (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam). The bond of Iman is even stronger than that of kinship. An example of this can be seen after the great battle of Badr, the Quraysh prisoners of war were bought to the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) who assigned them to the custody of individual Muslims. The Messenger (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"Treat them well.† Amongst the prisoners was Abu Aziz ibn Umayr, the brother of Mus’ab ibn Umayr (ra). Abu Aziz narrates what happened, â€Å"I was among a group of Ansaar†¦Whenever they had lunch or dinner they would give me bread and dates to eat in obedience to the Prophet’s instruction to them to treat us well. My brother, Mus’ab ibn Umayr, passed by me and said to the man holding me prisoner, â€Å"Tie him firmly†¦ His mother (i.e. Mus’ab’s own mother) is a woman of great wealth and maybe she would ransom him for you.† Abu Aziz ibn Umayr could not believe his ears. Astonished, he turned to Mus’ab and asked: â€Å"My brother, is this your instruction concerning me?† Mus’ab ibn Umayr (ra) replied, â€Å"He is my brother, not you!† pointing to the Ansaari Sahabi holding him, affirming that in the battle between the Haq and the Batil, the bonds of Iman are stronger than the ties of kinship. Prohibition of backbiting, slander, envy, jealousy & grudges The relationship of friendship is one of trust as a good Muslim is trustworthy and not deceitful, betraying or a backbiter. In reality this makes the love between friends in Islam stronger than friendship according to Western values as there is no constant thinking about whether your friend is speaking ill of you to other people or whether they are having a hidden relationship with your sister or wife. Islam has prohibited backbiting and slander and thus removing the cause of suspicion and doubt amongst people. Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) says: â€Å"Neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother. You abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful.† [Al-Hujarat: 12] It is narrated by Abu Dawud on the authority of Anas (RA), the Messenger of Allah said: â€Å"On the night of Isra I passed by some people who had copper nails and they were clawing their faces and chests with them. I asked Jibriel: Who are these persons? He said: These are the people who eat the flesh of human beings and disgrace them.† Islam also forbids envy and jealousy which are the common causes of problems amongst friends in Western societies. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"Do not have malice against a Muslim; do not be envious of other Muslims; do not go against a Muslim and forsake him. O the slaves of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala)! Be like brothers with each other. It is not violable for a Muslim to desert his brother for over three days†. [Sahih Muslim, Tirmithi] Belittling each other is almost a pastime in the West. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"The believer can do no worse than belittle his brother†. [Iyah Uloom ad Deen] A Muslim should not hold grudges against another Muslim even if they are differing personalities. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) warned against this when he said, â€Å"The gates of Paradise will be open on Mondays and on Thursdays, and every servant [of Allah] who associates nothing with Allah will be forgiven, except for the man who has a grudge against his brother. [About them] it will be said: Delay these two until they are reconciled; delay these two until they are reconciled; delay these two until they are reconciled†. [Muslim] Friends should feel at ease with each other without feeling inferior or superior. Ego’s must be tamed according to Islam. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"A man is on a par with the Deen of his friend and there is no good in the fellowship of one who does not regard you as highly as himself†. [Iyah Uloom ad Deen] Concealing faults It is important to conceal a friends faults, this does not mean that we ignore them; it means that we advise them and help them overcome their shortcomings. Uqbah ibn Amir narrated that the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"He who sees something which should be kept hidden and conceals it, it will be like the one who has brought to life a girl buried alive† [Hadith 2292: Abu Dawud] Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah’s Apostle (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"He who conceals (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah would conceal his faults in the world and in the Hereafter. Allah is at the back of a servant so long as the servant is at the back of his brother.† [Hadith 1245: Muslim] Generosity & Kindness Sharing wealth with others is greatly encouraged in Islam. This encourages trust and closeness amongst people. It is sometimes difficult for Muslims to grasp this principle especially when they are affected by Western society which promotes greed and selfishness. Giving someone something without expecting anything in return is uncommon in the West even amongst friends. When the non-Muslims give each other presents such as on Birthday’s, Christmas, New Year’s or when someone leaves the work place it is done more out of tradition and knowing that they will get something in return rather than sincerity. Imam Bukhari narrated that our beloved Messenger Muhammad (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said: â€Å"None amongst you believes (truly) till one likes for his brother, that which he loves for his himself†. Examples of this perspective towards others can be clearly seen in the companions of the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam). It is transmitted by Imam Ahmad, in Al-Bidayah, volume 3, page 228 that Anas (ra) narrated, â€Å"When Abdur-Rahman ibn Auf (ra) immigrated to Medina, the Messenger of Allah (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) established brotherhood between him and Sa’d ibn Al-Ansari (ra). Afterwards Sa’d said to Abdur-Rahman ibn Auf, ‘O my brother! I am a wealthy person of Medina. Look! Here is half of my wealth, take it! I have 2 wives. I will divorce one of them whom you like more so that you may marry her.’ Abdur-Rahman ibn Auf replied, ‘May Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) prosper your family and wealth, just show me the way to the market so that I may make my fortune with my own hands.† The Ansaar of Medina were extremely generous to their brothers, the Muhajireen from Makkah. Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that they once approached the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) with the request that their orchards of palm trees should be distributed equally between the Muslims of Medina and the Muslims of Makkah. But the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) was reluctant to put this heavy burden upon them. It was, however, decided that the Muhajireen would work in the orchards along with the Ansaar and the yield would be divided equally amongst them. Friends should have informality with each other so that they are not hesitant in asking for anything when in need. This can be seen from the example of the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) and his dear friend Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) had stayed at his house when after arriving into Madina whilst he was waiting for the mosque to be built. The Prophet stayed in Abu Ayyub’s house for almost seven months until his mosque was completed on the open space where his camel had stopped. He then moved to the roots which were built around the mosque for himself and his family. He thus became a neighbour of his friend Abu Ayyub. Abu Ayyub continued to love the Prophet with all his heart and the Prophet also loved him dearly. There was no formality between them. The Prophet continued to regard Abu Ayyub’s house as his own. The following anecdote tells a great deal about the relationship between them. Abu Bakr (ra) once left his house in the burning heat of the midday sun and went to the mosque. Umar (ra) saw him and asked, â€Å"Abu Bakr, what has brought you out at this hour? Abu Bakr said he had left his house because he was terribly hungry and Umar said that he had left his house for the same reason. The Prophet came up to them and asked; â€Å"What has brought the two of you out at this hour?† They told him and he said, â€Å"By Him in Whose hands is my soul, only hunger has caused me to come out also. But come with me.† They went to the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. His wife opened the door and said, â€Å"Welcome to the Prophet and whoever is with him.† â€Å"Where is Abu Ayyub?† asked the Prophet. Abu Ayyub, who was working in a nearby palm grove, heard the Prophet’s voice and came hurriedly. â€Å"Welcome to the Prophet and whoever is with him,† he said and went on â€Å"O Prophet of God, this is not the time that you usually come.† (Abu Ayyub used to keep some food for the Prophet every day. When the Prophet did not come for it by a certain time, Abu Ayyub would give it to his family). â€Å"You are right,† the Prophet agreed. Abu Ayyub went out and cut a cluster of dates in which there were ripe and half ripe dates. â€Å"I did not want you to eat this,† said the Prophet. â€Å"Could you not have brought only the ripe dates?† â€Å"O Rasulullah, please eat from both the ripe dates (rutb) and the half ripe (busr). I shall slaughter an animal for you also.†. â€Å"If you are going to, then do not kill one that gives milk,† cautioned the Prophet. Abu Ayyub killed a young goat, cooked half and grilled the other half. He also asked his wife to bake, because she baked better he said. When the food was ready, it was placed before the Prophet and his two companions. The Prophet took a piece of meat and placed it in a loaf and said, â€Å"Abu Ayyub, take this to Fatima. She has not tasted the like of this for days†. When they had eaten and were satisfied, the Prophet said reflectively: â€Å"Bread and meat and busr and rutb!† Tears began to flow from his eyes as he continued: â€Å"This is a bountiful blessing about which you will be asked on the Day of judgment. If such comes your way, put your hands to it and say, Bismillah (In the name of God) and when you have finished say, Al hamdu lillah alladhee huwa ashbana wa anama alayna (Praise be to God Who has given us enough and Who has bestowed his bounty on us). This is best.† [Iyah Uloom ad Deen] In putting others first, the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) demonstrated for us excellent examples. He (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) once entered a thicket with one of his companions and gathered two toothpicks, one of them crooked and the other straight. He gave the straight one to his companion, who said, â€Å"O Messenger of Allah, you are more entitled to the straight one than I!† The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) replied, â€Å"When a friend accompanies a friend, if only for one hour of the day, he will be asked to account for his companionship, whether he fulfilled his duty to Allah therein or whether he neglected it†. [Iyah Uloom ad Deen] On another occasion the Messenger of Allah (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) went out to a well in order to wash. Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman took a robe and stood screening the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) whilst he washed. Then Hudhayfa (ra) sat down to wash himself and Muhammad (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) took the robe and screened Hudhayfa (ra) from view. Hudhayfa objected saying, â€Å"My father be your ransom, and my mother too! O Messenger of Allah, do not do it!† Yet he (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) insisted on holding the robe and said, â€Å"Each time two people are in company together, the dearer to Allah is he who is kinder to his companion [Ihya Uloom ad Deen] The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) also said, â€Å"The companions whom Allah considers best are those who are best to their companions†. [Ahmad & Tirmidhi] Giving of gifts has also been recommended by the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) and he explained that it creates love between people. It was reported by al-Bukhari in al-Adaabul-Mufrad (no. 594) that Rasool-Allah (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said: â€Å"Give gifts and you will love one another†. Kindness to our friends, helping them in need and consoling them in times of grief should become natural for us for everyone needs help, a shoulder to cry on and someone to share their joy. Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) said, â€Å"Pay attention to your brothers for they are your provision in this life and in the hereafter. Do you not listen to the cry of the people of the fire? â€Å"So we have no one to intercede for us nor any dear friend† [Ash-Shu’araa: 100-101] Loving someone for the sake of Allah In the West people love each other for the sake of material benefits whereas in Islam we are encouraged to love each other for the sake of Allah. This means that we would undertake actions with regards to each other that even contradict our personal interests in order aid a friend or further our relationship with them. It was reported by Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said: â€Å"A man went to visit a brother of his in another town and Allah deputed an angel to await him on his way, so when he came to him he said, â€Å"Where are you going?† He replied, â€Å"I am going to visit a brother of mine in this town.† He said, â€Å"Have you done him some favour which you desire to be returned?† He said, â€Å"No, it is just that I love him for Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent.† He said, â€Å"Then I am a messenger sent by Allah to you (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you have loved him for Allah’s sake.† The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) also said, â€Å"Whoever would like to taste the sweetness of Iman (belief) then let him love a person only for Allah’s sake† [Ahmad] It was reported by Abu Dawud that Umar ibn al-Khattab narrated that the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"Indeed from the servants of Allah there are some who are not Prophets, yet they will be envied by the Prophets and the martyrs†. It was asked, â€Å"Who are they? That we may love them†. He (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"They are people who have mutual love through light from Allah, not due to kinship or ancestry, their faces will be enlightened, upon pillars of light, they will not fear when the people fear, or grieve when the people grieve†. Then he (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) recited: â€Å"No doubt! Verily, on the friends of Allah there is no fear nor shall they grieve† [TMQ 10: 62] In conclusion, it should be apparent that we can’t live in isolation and require company. Friendship provides a natural support structure the Muslim community. Therefore we should ensure that the company we keep helps us in remembering Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) and strengthens our commitment to Islam. This is more important for us living in the West as the corrupt society continuously bombards us with its poisonous culture and attempts to catch us in its net.

A Comparison of Creation Myths from Genesis and Greece

The words myths and legends tend to be used interchangeably, but usually myths have a religious purpose whereas legends are the stories of heroes. Creation myths   have commonalities, because they are all seeking to explain the same things.It is part of human nature to wonder about the unknown and to seek answers. At the foundation of almost every culture is a story that explains how the earth, its creatures and its people came to be.These myths may be dismissed by some modern thinkers, yet continue to have huge influence as a frame of reference. In the case of Judaism and Greek mythology both emerge from the Eastern Mediterranean region, so although there are lots of differences, these are people not so far removed from each other geographically and there would have been some trading links at least and so it is likely that each group would have had some knowledge of the stories of the other.Myths are stories created by a group of people in order to explain some of the great questi ons in life such as ‘Where did man come from and from where did he gain knowledge?’ They originate in oral tradition as people discussed such matters and it would have been many generations before they were committed to script in some form.This goes some way to explain why there may on occasions be slightly different versions extant, as in Genesis 1 and 2 where there are two version of the creation. They are both included because at the time when the canon of Jewish scripture was finally fixed in the early years of the Christian era, beginning in about 90 C.E.[1] both stories had been in circulation for so many years and both were felt to contain something of value.Although myths may have internal chronology i.e. this happened first and then that, but there is no link with modern times.The book of Genesis differs on this point from the general rule in that after the story of the first family, Adam Eve and their sons,   in Genesis 4 and 5 there is a list of the generat ions between Adam and Noah, considered by the Jews to be an historical figure and after the story of Noah, in chapter 9 there are further lists , partly to explain the origins of the various nations of the earth , and in part to provide a link to the story of Abram ( later Abraham), considered to be the founder of the Jewish race.So the stories in Genesis are more particular than the generalised creation myths of the Greeks, which do not mention the founding of the Greek race.There is no such definitive collection of Greek myths, probably because the ancient Greek religion totally disappeared early in the first millennium C.E.[1] What are the Deuterocanonical book s of the Bible? Available from http://www.bluffton.edu/~bergerd/deutero.html accessed 1st December 2008