Human Nature in Chapter Four of Lord of the Flies Essay -- William Gol

Goldings views about human nature ar displayed and developed instead extensively in chapter four. This essay is going to research what they ar and how they are portrayed throughout the duration of this chapter.The chapter reveals that Golding feels that humans enjoy, or are at least fascinated with insureling things. This is first shown when atomic number 1 was sitting at the beach and tried to control the motions of the scavengers, with a stick. He became absorbed beyond mere happiness as he snarl himself exercising control over living things, here, instead of looking subsequently nature and fetching responsibility for things as you would do in a society, all he is doing is trying to control them. This is shown again when Jack brings covert a pig, count on Weve killed a pig, we stole up on them, we got in a circle, they enjoyed scare the pig and controlling its movements by limiting it in a circle. When infuriated by Piggy and his own hunters, Jack is control to violen ce, He took a step, and able at last to hit someone, stuck his fist into Piggys stomach. Jack smacked Piggys head. Piggys ... Human Nature in Chapter Four of Lord of the move Essay -- William GolGoldings views about human nature are displayed and developed quite extensively in chapter four. This essay is going to explore what they are and how they are portrayed throughout the duration of this chapter.The chapter reveals that Golding feels that humans enjoy, or are at least fascinated with controlling things. This is first shown when Henry was sitting at the beach and tried to control the motions of the scavengers, with a stick. He became absorbed beyond mere happiness as he felt himself exercising control over living things, here, instead of looking after nature and taking responsibility for things as you would do in a society, all he is doing is trying to control them. This is shown again when Jack brings back a pig, Look Weve killed a pig, we stole up on them, w e got in a circle, they enjoyed frightening the pig and controlling its movements by limiting it in a circle. When angered by Piggy and his own hunters, Jack is driven to violence, He took a step, and able at last to hit someone, stuck his fist into Piggys stomach. Jack smacked Piggys head. Piggys ...

Poems from the Kokinshu: A Literary Analysis Essay

Poems from the Kokinshu is an anthology of metrical compositions from the Japanese medieval times (Lawall. ed, 2002). The anthology is divided into different poems depicting human sensations as they vary season after season, or as people c ampaign into an entirely new environment. The principal theme of the poems revolve around the conceit of lovethe progression of feelings, the entire course of the love affair, early yearnings, torrid meetings, sadness and regret (Rodd and Henkenius, 1996). As each(prenominal) season, starting from spring, progresses, the emotions entailed in each poem also changes and develops.One of the principal stylistic features in the anthology is simile, wherein the reason compares his feelings to his observation of what is happening in his environment. An specimen of simile is expressed in Poem II, 73 like the world hollow as a cicadas cast-off reprimand oh cherry blossoms you too volition fade away on the nose as we catch sight of your violator In this particular poem, the author compares his object of affection to a decaying shell of the cicada as the day turns into night. Simile occurs in several poems just like the said example.Another striking stylistic feature presented in the poem is antithesis, wherein the author expresses his emotions in contrast to his environment. In several poems wherein the predominate emotion is grief, the author contrasts his feelings to the beauty of his environment. Here is an example from Poems 7 and 8 from the Spring Poems of the Kokinshu so longingly have I awaited the odoriferous flowers of spring, that they have dyed my understanding and I see puff as clustered blooms on branches though I bask in the cheering warmth of springs light how melancholy to think that my blur now wears a crown of wintertime snow Aside from the aforesaid(prenominal) poems being examples of antithesis, part of them also suggest allegory. The phrases they have dyed my soul and to think that my hair now we ars a crown of winter snow mean that the character in the poem is old and has white hair. The antithesis comes as he describes the warmth of spring in contrast to the cold winter which his body and soul are experiencing, i. e. , his old age.Given that the anthology was written and compiled in the Japanese medieval times, the thoughts or theme presented in The Kokinshu are mate to other literary works done in different parts of the world, such as the Medieval Lyrics of the English Literature. Though a monumental number of these lyrics talk about Christianity and religion, most works are also written in the concept of love with a pretext of nature. An example of a Medieval Lyric similar to the theme of a Kokinshu poem is Westron Wind (Western Wind)Westron wind, when will thou blow? The small rain subject can rain. Christ, if my love were in my arms, And I in my bed again. As said earlier, the customary concept tackled in the anthology is love and its accompanying emotions that w ere assumption color and described in comparison/contrast to nature and its seasons. The concept of love, though internationally recognized throughout the centuries and millennium, is somewhat a substitute(prenominal) concept in the 21st century.In this day and age, with all the prevailing issues such as technology, globalization and others, the concept of love is deemed unimportant to be tackled, although, it is indeed, as cliche dictates, the universal language. As Mario Vargas Llosa said, literature is one of the communal denominators of human experience through which human beings may recognize themselves and intercourse with each other, no matter how different their professions, their life plans, their geographical and ethnical locations, their personal circumstances. Although the concept of love is not deemed as important as business or political concepts nowadays, it still is a ruling emotion that affects each person. Any person who has loved or wanted to love, or even des pised love, can relate to the verses of the Kokinshu, including myself. References Lawall, S. N. (Ed. ) (2002). The Norton Anthology of World Literature. New York WW Norton & Co, Inc. Rodd, L. R. , & Henkenius, M. C. (Eds. ) (1996). Kokinshu A Collection of Poems Ancient

Peerless Laser Processors Questions Essay

Question 1 Describe the business functioning of matchless before the purchase of the state-of-the art punch presses in 1991 and afterwards that? (2.5 points).AnswerIn 1981, the play along faced a do or die conclusiveness that forced them to use sassy technology. If the lasers failed, the social club would pick out had nonhing to fall back upon. There was no exhaustively economic justification available at the succession upon which to base the finding. By occupation in 1984 the company had a track record with the technology, had a good feel for the market and its potential growth, and was in a much stronger state of affairs financially. Ted can be much more comfortable devising this decision because of the reduction in uncertainty. The decision is harder on one way though. When the company had its back to the wall, it was clear that something incompatible had to happen and quickly. When the company is in a more comfortable position, the pressure to make a decision is greatly reduced, making it easier to procrastinate.Question 2 What factors made Ted decide to purchase three punch presses in 1991? Were these factors also what Ted believeed for buying the 1,200-watt laser sour tool? (2.5 pts).AnswerThe decision Ted faces now is purchase the 1200-watt laser cutter, with the decision he faced in 1991 when he was considering the three punch presses. There argon some potential factors with the peeled laser Peerless will be creating products that are unfamiliar to them. Peerless has no way of knowing if the new market will respond as well as the apothegm mark market did to the anticipated improvements in quality and cycle time coming from the laser. The new product line will require divergent distribution channels, different marketing techniques, and will draw new and different competition.Peerless may not be able to attract affluent business to keep the system productive. The potential benefit is, of course, a new large market to successfully apply Peerlesss laser tart date. A significant strategic striping star that Peerless should consider is the long-term viability of the saw blade market. The success of laser cutting (as Peerless has experienced) and other technologies has the potential to reduce the overall market for mechanical cutting devices over the long term.Question 3 Of the three major types of turn back systems cybernetic, go/no-go, and postcontrol which would have been the intimately useful with the first laser and why? With this new laser and why? (2.5 pts).AnswerThe laser itself would use cybernetic systems to control the cutting process. The first murder project would have benefited most from cybernetic processes as well because of Peerlesss unique position. Since they were in a do or die position, they would not have wanted to kill the project for the conventional reasons. In fact, based on the typic parameters used for go/no-go controls, Peerless would have been justified in killing the first laser project. Instead, because of their dire circumstances, they stuck to their guns and eventually achieved success. The second implementation project would benefit from go/no-go controls because it is being conducted in a much more stable business environment in which where the company could back away from the project if necessary.Question 4 Calculate the variable price per blade of laser cutting with this new system. Assume that the variable cost of the laser is $4/hour, that the laser custs at the rate of 40 inches per minute, that a typical blade of 14 inches diameter sells for $25, and the same ready reckoner and software will be used as currently. Material preventative time for a 10-blade sheet of steel is one minute. Use a 3-inch arbor hole size and assume that a cut tooth manifold the cut distance. (2.5 pts).AnswerThe potential problems might be in purchase the 1200-watt laser following steps are needed to estimate the retribution 1. Estimate the amount of las er cutting needed using a 14 inches saw blade as a typical product. The blade would have approximately a 44 inches circumference. 2. Based on the cutting speed of 40 inches/minute, the cutting would take 2.4 minutes. Adding time to handle the blade, and manage the workstation, estimate the total time at 3 min/blade. 3. Estimates the operate cost of a 1200 watt laser at $ 10/min, making the lasers portion of the blade cost $ 30/blade, it is not a particularly significant amount for a $25 blade. 4. Estimates the cost of the laser to be about $200,000. Assume an additional $100,000 for computers and training saving the total to $300,000. 5. If the laser can produce a blade each 3 minutes, than it could produce 160 in eight hours at $25 a unit.Based on Exhibit 1, the current profit boundary line is 12%, so its safe to assume that the single shift daily profit would equate to 160 X $25 X 12% or $480. 6. Given the $300,000 cost of the laser, the single shift payback period would be 625 days or half that amount for a two-shift operation. In addition to the brisk payback, the laser improves quality, cycle time and flexibility in responding to customer demand. The new laser system adds to the high tech image of the company and reinforces the employees pride. The original laser system was in all likelihood viewed as a threat to jobs when it was first implemented. Now that the company has experience with the benefits of laser cutting, they are in a better position to shrive the investment both on non-economic and economic grounds.

Strategic Marketing of Giordano

University of La Verne BUS 567 Service Sector Marketing Giordano placement for International Expansion Sheng-I, Chang (Becky)Chang-Ta, Yang(Frank)Chieg-Chiung, Chen (Jeff)September , 15th, 2011 Introduction Giordano established in 1981 by Jimmy Lai. It is a Hong Kong- based retailer of casual clothes targeted at men, women and children via its four federation snitchs, Giordano, Giordano Ladies, Giordano Junior and Blue Exchange (Bitner & Zeithaml, 2011).Giordano is iodin of the best kn suffer and established app arl retailers in the Asia Pacific region, employing over 8,000 friendly staff with over 2,400 shops operating in 30 territories world(a) (Ab step forward Giordano, 2011). They argon leaveted to delivering feeling reapings and good to their guests in the worldwide commercialize. Their lot is to be the best and the biggest world brand in apparel sell with the mission of make people feel good & depend great. This paper starts with a corporate profile of Giordano.The primary(prenominal) voice of the case is strengthing the international expansion of Giordano and a detailed compendium of its warring environment and alternative solutions. Further to a greater extent, the orders growth strategies are discussed with recommendations provided to conclude the case. Company Profile The Giordano Group is a leading international retailer of mens, womens and childrens apparel and accessories. Giordanos return is measured by the companys relentless focus on its five corporate none set of flavour, knowledge, innovation, simplicity and armed service.The company has its own apparel manufacturing division where many of its own clo occasion styles are produced. Giordano is too renowned for its basic and practical mens, womens, and childrens T-shirts and trousers, especi eachy denims. In comparison, Giordano is very similar to the Ameri sess based popular retailer The Gap. Responding to the indisposed barters in the past, Giordano changed its placement outline in 1987 which the company intractable to shift its focus to maximizing sales instead of maximizing expenditure margin via a mensurate-for-m iodiney policy with selling discounted casual unisex apparel, and increase loyalty to guest service.The shift in dodge was boffo. The management values and style leads Giordano to be triumphful, which including a go forthingness to try cutting and unconventional ship canal of doing agate line and to learn from past mistakes, and considering front- personal credit line workers to be its customer service heroes. Giordanos commitment to service began with its major customer Service Campaign in 1989. in that respect are three tenets in this campaign which is we welcome bottomless try-ons we flip no questions asked and we serve with a smile.Giordanos philosophy of quality service could be observed not only in Hong Kong, but alike in its oversea outlets. There are many companies in the food merchand ise selling casual apparel. The way in which Giordano diverseiates itself from diverse(a) companies to fetch warring advantage is critical to its success. Giordanos Strategies Giordano distinguishes itself from the others through its high-quality service and superior customer value. However, Giordano is unflurried a long way off from creation rise cognise brand compared to other international brand.Giordano is a label that doesnt shape opinion, after 2005, when the garment quota is abolished, imports into the Asia region will become more rivalrous. This change could postulate Giordanos position and growth potential. Philosophy And Value System Regarding to Giordanos philosophy and value system, they believe that mistakes are unavoidable because of the rapid changes in the market. The critical thing is to learn from the mistakes. Giordano has made his employees comfortable about making mistakes.They believe in empowering people through providing a supportive, fibericipa tive environment in which employees feel salutary when mistakes are made. In Giordano philosophy, they feel that with contribution and participation of all employees, mistakes will be minimized. commonwealth only make mistakes when they confirm decision-making ability. Employees As An summation Training is an important part of Giordanos strategy. It is provided on a continuous nates in order to support Giordano philosophy that employees are key to the companys success.However, even so the most sophisticated gentility program will not batten the best customer services and satisfaction. It is the people who deliver that gives it from and meaning. Giordano has stringent enlisting and endurance procedures to match its value and service requirements which refers to maintain top-level service to customers. transaction Evaluations Performance evaluations are conducted frequently at the store level, as well as for individual employees. Stores are evaluated for customer satisfacti on twice each month, while individual employees are evaluated once every two months.Internal competitions are designed to motivate their employees and stores intend to do their best in percentage their customers. Product Strategy & Quality Services Giordano is able to coordinated a high level of customer service as part of its harvests through a concerted effort, which involved every employee of the company. The company focuses on the concept of value-for money which constantly improves the value of the products and what the products mean to their customers.However, it is excessively crucial to recognize the importance of the management and leaderships commitment to be customer-oriented and to provide high quality service. Product strategy is to sell a small number of core products in its stores. Giordanos limited product line is seen as a strength. It has no more than 100 items and no more than 17 core items in the store while other retailers turn out 200-300 items. Becau se the company believes that merchandising a wide shake off of products will hazard retailers to take a long-run time to response to the market changes. constraint, flexibleness and speed as values at Giordano is reflected in several ways which allowing company to react rapidly to the market changes, and quick decision making and well communication through its plain organizational complex body part. Competitive favour The competitive advantages those worked as key success factors for Giordano to achieve a transparent position in the competitive markets are as following * electronic computerization The POS terminals that are apply to record and transmit flows of stocks to a mainframe computer which then aids in controlling stock flow of inventory. A tightly controlled menu It mainly focus on a some items whose demand and desirability can be closely monitored. * Frugality Curbed expending on advertising and tight inventory control * Value set Value for money apparel. * A dedicated workforce in all outlets that provides quality service In order to maintain this Giordano follows stringent selection procedures to ensure only desired employees are chosen, conduct workshops on berth training, follows rotational on the job training method and performance related pay systems on the basis of periodic performance evaluations. Simplicity and speed of operations Giordano maintained a flat organizational structure and this facilitated easy communication between people at bottom the organization, helped to make flying decision and to manage the project efficiently. * A recognized brand Giordano has original awards such as The American Service Excellence Award, ISO 9002 Award and People Developer Award which helped Giordano to establish their brand as a familiar one in over 30 countries.All these competitive advantages and sources should be maintained by Giordano in order to keep its current competitive position and there are some other competitive advant ages that should be developed by Giordano in future. The future competitive advantages can be gained through investment funds into the discipline of employees and continued development of a learning organization which whitethorn not be gained by the other competitors. (Giordano K-10, 2010) Giordanos Problems We swallow indicated some problems and considerations regarding to the position for international expansion.If at all, Should Giordano store itself against its competitors in its current and virgin markets, and should it have unlike spatial relation strategies for various geographic markets? Does the company need to give different HR strategies to suit different countries? Analysis & Solutions I. Should Giordano reposition itself against its competitors in its breathing and new markets, and should it have different positioning strategies for different geographic markets?Regarding to the Giordanos positioning of international expansion, should Giordano reposition itsel f against its competitors in its existing and new markets, and should it have different positioning strategies for different geographic markets? According to Osama Taha- A positioning strategy results in the stick out you want to draw in the melodic theme of your customers, the picture you want him/her to visualize of what you offer, in relation to the market situation, and any competition you may have Giordanos current positioning strategy is based on providing value-for-money or quality merchandise of discounted casual unisex appeal.The company also emphasized on the merchandise that is comparatively mid-priced which nub inexpensive yet contemporary and trendy, and offers quality, value and excellent customer services. The reasons for Giordanos success in market place are filling a gap in the market for trendy with reasonable price and quality unisex apparel, and the delivery of quality customer service. Now the fact is whether or not Giordano should reposition itself against i ts competitors in its current and new markets.Moreover, after xxx years of operation, Giordanos brand name and value have been in the customers mind clearly. If Giordano changes its positioning strategy, it will be very thorny to obtain high-end customers credenza in this intensive global apparel competition, and may lose the existing low-end customers at the akin time. Therefore, we believe that Giordano should not change its existing positioning strategy. Repositioning is not necessary for the entire company because Giordanos relatively mid-priced positioning worked well in the past decades. The Inexpensive Yet moodable clothing appealed to Asias frugal customers in the Asia market. However, Giordano could alter their brand image into a more high-value, high-quality, and high-end market. This could mean primarily repositioning Giordano as a higher priced and higher value brand in extra markets in the world. The price may can increase at bottom 5 10 %, but not too high. Ac cording to the statistics, ad honest the middle range of clothing prices within 5 10% will not stir the consumers sensitivity of the price. Giordano must continue to be creative in their promotions.Perhaps they should pop off more on traditional advertising, as they spend less on advertising and promotion than close competitors. However, compared to other international brands, Giordano still doesnt shape opinion. One of the Giordanos competitors is Esprit who are seen as more up-market than Giordano, while being stylish and trendy. Besides, Esprit promoted a lifestyle image, even though it is positioned similarly to Giordano. Therefore, Giordano could re-launch its image, to be more stylish and thus promoting a lifestyle and not just a brand.It is not necessary for Giordano to follow same positioning strategies for different market but it will depend on the market measure up of a particular whether to follow standardized or customized strategy. The company can go after with stan dardized positioning strategies value-for-money merchandise for different markets within the same region like South East Asian countries. but before implementing this standardized positioning strategy Giordano needs to understand the particular market on the basis of consumers tastes and preferences about the products and promotional activities.On the other hand, the other successful strategies of Giordano in proving excellent quality customer services, study system and efficient logistics and human resource policies and practices should be implemented tactically for different markets. It means customized strategies should be developed for different countries even within Asia because there are some variations between countries in terms of their economic, heathen and social factors. II. What are Giordanos key success factors and sources of competitive advantage?Are its competitive advantages sustainable, and how would they develop in the future? The company is establishing a good key success factors. They serve their clients with good quality service and having other company as a reference for bench mark. The company emphasizes the service and the value-for-money which has a big impact to the company source of success. When they are selling their products, they are selling service which is half the price and the other half goes to the exertion cost. They are not only for goods but they also sell services.Moreover, Giordano have other key success factors like shortstop product development cycle and fast market-driven new product development, chastity in managements swift cost-control strategies, good in trade and strong brand positioning, excellence service with no questions asked exchange and unlimited try-on policy, good location primarily in good grade areas, drawing high-volume traffic and facilitating shopping, browsing, and impulse buying. By all of these key successful factors, they have strong competitiveness in the clothing retail market.However , in the long run, sustainability of key success factors of Giordano highly depend on creativity and innovative of the organization. Some competitive advantages can be Giordano key success factors now, but it may not be in future. For example, information was disseminated to production facilities in real time by IT system but if Giordanos competitor installed the similar system as Giordano did, it will no longer Giordanos competitive advantages and cannot become the key success factor of Giordano.Giordano should neer satisfy itself in such rapid changing current market situation. As the results, Giordano should look into new ways of improving and strengthening its competitive advantages. Creativity and innovative play an important role in continue to gain competitive advantages as people are the key to pretend value to organization or so called organization culture which is difficult to hook up with by its competitors in market.Although Giordano might lose some of competitive ad vantages in future, investment in human resources will help Giordano to make water new competitive advantages to contribute in the key success factors of Giordano and assuage ahead in future market. Besides this, Giordano should keep on commit to its excellent customer service orientation philosophy and well supervise with their market competition. These key success factors would develop in certain training and more research about the service and the products the target market wants to have.Innovation of product and service is a must for a company to develop and gain profit in a long period of time. Also, Giordano should rapidly development in profits and Intranet technologies, solutions such as MS Office, point of sale (POS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, and supporting telecommunications service (e. g. broadband Internet access), Giordanos competitor could acquire integrated IT and logistics technology more well and more cost- strongly than ever before. III . A third issue to be considered was Giordanos growth strategy in Asia as well as crosswise continent.Would Giordanos competitive strengths be transferable to other markets ? Would strategic allowance to IT strategy and merchandise concoction be required or would tactical moves suffice? Giordano Companys main competitive strengths which can be transferred to other market are the experience of the employees, inventory controlled system, HRM practices but the policies should be different for each country and can use the established distribution, marketing and inbound channels members in order to market their product outdoor(a) the home country.IT strategy which is currently used by Giordano, it should not adopt the same strategy for other countries where they are planning to expand their agate line. Because the IT al-Qaida for each country in Asia and other continents may not be the same and the current IT strategy of Giordano may not be back up by that particular countrys tech nological structure. Giordano needs more efficient, cost effective, and secure internal communication platform which will unite its many puts in Hong Kong and other host countries.As the cross border business of Giordano is increasing, the company essential a comprehensive communications tool that would help Giordano employees conduct multisite management meetings, share documents and collaborate for fast business decisions and quality customer service. In such scenario Giordano can go for partnership with the IT company (Like Microsoft), through which they can install such a server and software through which they can equipped their staff with real time teamwork and bearing capabilities that dramatically increased productivity.At the same time they can decrease its multi-national operate dialing and travel cost, as well as IT management costs. The marketing mix strategies that are followed by the Giordano for the existing market should not be the same for new markets where the c ompany is willing to enter. The marketing mix strategies mainly mess with arrangements of the 4 Ps. So the strategies regarding product price, price, place and promotion should not be the same for all target countries as the market differs in terms of their economic, cultural, social and political environment.But the successful strategies which are currently used for other market can be used by Giordano as guidelines and can develop tactical strategies for different market according to the market situation and customers requirements. Recommendation In the past, Giordano has relied on a consistent strategy across retail outlets in the Asian countries that it transacts with. The success strategies include the companys positioning and quality service, recruitment and selection policy, training and development, above-market reward and compensation system, flat structure, quick decision making.We believe that the same brand in different regions should not apply different positioning str ategy, which should keep the same business strategy consistency. Due to the intensive competitions in the global market, same brand name with different positioning strategy will cause the awe of customers worldwide. Customers in these markets may become confused as to what Giordano stands for, and this inconsistency makes effective service strategy implementation difficult, particularly as consumers are nice increasingly mobile and travel more frequently between Giordanos core markets.Moreover, Giordano might can develop a new high-end brands in order to satisfy the demands of high end markets. From the above analysis we have some recommendation for expansion in the international market for Giordano. First, it is congenital to start promotions to increase brand awareness when starting businesses in new market. Second, the location and site selection for establishing Giordanos outlet in different country will be critical. The company should carefully select the site to position th eir stores which will be convenient for the customers. Third, customer is the key and main factor for differentiation is customer care.The company needs to follow customized customer service strategy for each market segment. Fourth, Giordano needs to find out possibility of outsourcing to maintain low costs. Fifth, extensive market research is needed to investigate designs and fabrics required by the target customers. Giordano has perfectly focused in the value-for-money concept and everything they do is managed at a world-class standard. The management conducted their business in such an excellent and professional manner which helped this brand to evanesce from Asia to the Middle East and India, Australia, Eastern Europe, and now in North America.Reference Giordano (2011). intimately Giordano. Accessed Sep 15 , 2011 from http//www. giordano. com. hk/web/HK/ourCompany. html Giordano (2011). Giordano International Limited annual Report 2010. Kowloon, Hong Kong. Accessed Sep 15 , 2 011 Bitner, Zeithaml, Gremler (2011). Service Marketing Integrating Customer Focus Across the File 5th edition. McGraw Hill. Accessed Sep. 15, 2011. Tam, F. Y. , Chan, T. S. , Chu, P. W. , Lai, T. C. , Wang, L. L. (2005). Opportunities and challenges Hong Kong as Asias fashion hub. J.Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 9(2), 221-231. Accessed Sep. 15, 2011 Tyler, D. , Heeley, J. , Bharma, T. (2006). Supply chain influences on new product development in fashion clothing. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 10(3), 316-328. Accessed Sep. 15, 2011 Taha, O. (2000). How to concept Your Positioning Strategy. Retrieved Sep. 23, 2011, from http//www. dime-co. com/marketing/positioning. htm Giordano International Limited (Hong Kong). (2011). Retrieved Sep. 25, 2011, from http//www. giordano. com. hk/web/HK/index. html

Economics of Organizations Essay

IntroductionCoca-Cola is one of the world largest beverage companies in the world. The telephoner offers its consumers with more than than 500 sparkling and noneffervescent grimes.  The c onlyer-up is best known for its flagship intent of the product coca-cola which was invented in the in 1886 John stitch Pemberton. The management of the confederation has committed efforts toward ensuring that the union continues to offer quality products to its consumers. The fellowship has managed to grow and pass where it now operates in over 200 countries worldwide with a client base of approximately 1.7 billion. In this case the coca cola alliance mainly produces the syrup concentrate, which is later sold to the various bottlers company worldwide.The company has engaged into legion(predicate) corporate complaisant obligation projects globally (CSR).  The CSR projects ar efficiently important to the company as they improve chore telling between the management and the s takeholders.  The company has established numerous globalization policies which ar in line with the company mission to refresh the world two in the body and in the spirit. In sum, the management of the company depends at ensuring that the company perform value and make a difference everyplace they engage.  Most importantly, the company also aims at ensuring that they introduce brand that jock to satisfy the con tips of all flock. The company has been one of the most salient(ip) companies in the beverage industry worldwide. bodily companionable ResponsibilityCoca-Cola operates in more than 200 countries globally.  Ultimately, there is need for the company to engage in galore(postnominal) activities which have economic welfare to the communities around their business. Ultimately, organizations be judge to observe economic components that are they should conduct their business in much(prenominal) a way that they are consistent maximise earnings per pct (Asong u 84).Coca-cola is not unexceptional, hence the company should determine perfectly how they conduct their business so that to remain in the competitive edge hence maximizing the amount of profits they make.  It is economically important to for companies in this sector should assure that they maintain strong but health competitions for a common purpose of the shareholders.  Evidently, the only possible means to maintain a healthy affinity with the stakeholders is by engaging them through corporate social responsibilities projects (Asongu 84).  In addition the company should be defined by its consistent profitability of its original output productivity.The objectives behind the coca-cola company engaging in Corporate complaisant Responsibility activities it to guarantee sustainability.  Basically, the company bases it operations on the business morals such as initiating development projects, contribution to training, facilitating economic growth among others (In Idowu 201).  It is straightforward that is if a company is economically stable it offers many benefits to the shareholders and the larger arena in general. For instance, if a company is economically stable it will hold people and it will greatly contribute towards building a stronger economical country.  Coca-cola Company is always keen to ensure it has followed the due process and theories concerning how it operates corporate social responsibility projects or activities.Ultimately, Social responsibility has four dimensions that the company should be socially responsible. These include, legal, economic, voluntary and ethical.  Coca-cola Company is more focused to create profits but should aims to ensure the wellbeing of the society at the alike time ensuring the set laws and regulations by the legal systems. Voluntary responsibilities for a company incriminate the ability of companies to initiate programs and other activities that aims to ensure wellbeing of the bo rder community. In business context, companies which ensure ethics and social responsibility in all levels of their operations are likely to have better outcomes than those which do not ensure social responsibility and ethics.For many years now, coca-cola company has followed and maintained the basic economic rules governing the manner at which Corporate Social Responsibility is carried out.  Many of its activities and programs are long term which has the aim to affirm the sustainability of the company (Idowu & Leal 46).  Basically, the company has established many cakes which ensure they are in line with the rules and model. Analysis of the company organizational structure and its modus operandi it is evident that the company has managed to achieve their objectives. This is because the despite the fact that the company is organized into several regions the top management has implemented control measure of ensuring that the company in all the regional groups produce the same brands. fit in to the report released in 2008 there is an indication that the company is performing spectacularly in the corporate responsibility sector.  The most areas which the company performs perfectly are issues concerning water issues carbon dioxide emission and product packaging. Corporate responsibility or sustainability is the key factors for companies to achieve exhaustively productivity (Idowu & Leal 46).  beneficial ethics and social performance go yield in hand in ensuring that the company achieves good performance.  The fact that the company engages in many social corporate responsibility activity dishs the company to enhance its brand image and reputation. Evidently, customers habitually are attracted to brands and companies having good reputations in corporate responsibility areas.The tables below show the performance of coca-cola in relation corporate social responsibility activities.In this context, the company uses appropriate social acco unting procedures which help the company to handle properly all matters concerning accountability.  The company uses annual audits from conjectural firms and inspections to ensure success of these programs.  For instance the statistics indicates a positive growth in the green house project footprint. Ultimately, this project has many economic advantages to the people and world in general (Asongu 86). Reduction of green house gases helps to kill harmful gases which are the major threats to the economy of all countries in the world. As a matter of fact, Coca Cola Company appears to have good strategies which guarantee long term CSR programs irrespective of the mother country.ConclusionFrom the preceding(prenominal) discussion it is evident that, Coca-Cola operates in more than 200 countries globally.  Ultimately, there is need for the company to engage in many activities which have economic benefit to the communities around their business. The fact that the organization more than 500 sparkling and still brands gives it a better chance to engage in many activities which tend to benefit the society where they operate in.  These projects are economically important to twain society in general and the company.  Basically, voluntary responsibilities for a company entail the ability of companies to initiate programs and other activities that aims to ensure wellbeing of the surrounding community. In business context, companies which ensure ethics and social responsibility in all levels of their operations are likely to have better outcomes than those which do not ensure social responsibility and ethicsReferencesAsongu, J.J. Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility in Practice. Lawrenceville, GA    Greenview             Publishing, 2007. Print.Idowu, Samuel O, and Filho W. Leal. Global Practices of Corporate Social Responsibility.        Berlin custom    &nbs p     Berlin, 2008. Print.Idowu, Samuel O. Professionals Perspectives of Corporate Social Responsibility. , 2009. Print.

Intellectual Auto Biography Essay

Unlike galore(postnominal) a(prenominal) of my colleagues or a nonher(prenominal)s who oblige majored in history before, my intellectual background has been influenced by 2 major finiss in the world. As a twenty three well-nigh old age old student living in America entirely origin e genuinely(prenominal)y from Japan, the foundation of my intellectual being was shaped by the Japanese culture and education since the offset printing 18 years of my disembo fall apartd spirit and breeding took erupt in Tokyo Japan. Later I moved to America, atomic number 20 where I entertain been under victorious my degree course, majoring in History.This does non mean that my intellectual story is diametrical or unique save I eat to admit that, it is in some manner interesting since many the great unwashed and many things reserve played a part in it. From the quantify I started schooling, I check always had an interest in history. honorable like America, Japan is really rich in history which is somehow different from the Ameri lot maven. The curiosity and the thirst to know more close to my native country and the world at large formed the basis of my interest in history. In some other words, I know why I am pursing history and sometimes I think taking this course of study was inevitable since it has really shaped my sp rightliness.It is a fountain star known fact that Buddhism is whizz of the major pietys in the world oddly in Japan and from a historical point of realise the righteousness has shine to be identified with the country. It has shaped its culture, economy and political aspects. I am a self confessed Buddhist brought up by Buddhist p atomic number 18nts and the whole of my life has been characterized by Buddhist doctrines. My beliefs and how I view life outho use up save be attri stilled to the religion. As a history major, I film one of the most interesting topics in history is religion and how it shapes hoi pollois lives.I mov e over always taken myself as an example, trying to analyze how it has really affected my life and my views about everything. I t ratiocination to agree that Buddhism is a philosophy more than religion because it defines lives of those who accept in it. Philosophers have defined the word philosophy as the slam of learning and Buddhism propagates that. I myself love wisdom and that is why I chose to do history in the first place just to know virtually everything that has shaped this world from the time it came into existence. A nonher thing I turn over in is in effect(p)y.For me it is a very important virtue and has a major role to play in this world in regards to clean-livingity. Honesty, according to my taste and beliefs can scarce be achieved the moment one is authorized to himself and to theology/gods, depending on whom one godlinesss or cerebrates in. Being consecutive to oneself forms the basis of ingenuousness which go forth be followed by other forms of hones ty for example, being honest to others and to divinity/gods. Those who ar familiar with Buddhism religion get out agree that, this view has somehow been influenced by the religion and that is why I began by verbalism that Buddhism is part of my life.As a Buddhist, I am so-called to be aw ar of my thoughts before I do anything. This also applies to serves. Before confinement any action, one is supposed to be aware of it and to have wisdom and understanding on how to go about it . When all these are combined, they all add up to being true to oneself and that is what I call honesty in other words. This belief has really shaped my life in particular in regards to my relationships with others. The moment one adopts this view of honesty, it is very difficult to precipitation out with anyone since one will always be open- pointed.Being true to oneself will only mean that, you will do what you moot is true and it will be very difficult to be pressurized maybe by the peers into doi ng something against your will. When it comes to ease upling others, it will be very easy. For example, if one sees a ally doing something one is not comfortable with and maybe that friend complimentss you to join him/her, since you are true to yourself, you will be able to express your concerns and at the end of the day, that friend will see that your concern is actually genuine since it is access from deep within you.It is not forced, not a pretence or expression of fear but your true self expressed in words. This will actually be felt by another someone and it will eventually influence his thinking. I remember mentioning earlier that I am Buddhist and some may question whether I believe in one God or gods. I know in the modern days there are those Buddhists who believe in one God and there are others who do not for they believe in many gods. The question always poses some problems to me especially when it comes to explaining to others, especially my friends.They have always known the religion that I profess and what it says about the numeral of God and gods but they are neer sure about my stand. first-class honours degree I have to clarify something, Buddhism is a way of life and that is what makes it different from other religions. It emphasizes so practically on how people are supposed to live and as a Buddhist there is that kind of life that I am supposed to live. There is no mention in my religion that Buddha worshipped or believed in any one God.That does not mean we are atheists in fact there are so many Buddhists who believe in that one God of the Jews, we call Him, the God of the desert. Personally, I dont have problems with those Buddhist who profess a kind of God in their lives even though it is not in Buddhism doctrines. Sometimes I play to think that I will head there someday. Right now, from what I have read and seen, I tend to think that, there is a supernatural power that is in dominance of the world. I have been skeptical about t he issue for a very long time and sometimes I do not want to talk about it.I have read so ofttimes regarding the matter, I have been exposed to so many religions and I have even been following what is happening in this world and to some extent, I think there could be actually a supernatural hand behind it all. Can I be regarded as an atheist and so? I leave that judgment to ones discretion but as I said earlier, I am true to myself and what I believe in, but maybe one day I may change my mind no one knows. I believe that Buddhism is a well unionized religion. In fact, it has never been heard before that Buddhists have fought with any religion over religious matters and that is what I love most about the religion. backside is the most interesting part of the religion as far as I am concerned. Buddha was born(p) in an affluent family but he decided to leave all that to suffer. He manly focused on suffering. The religion is not about God but suffering as a way of life and that God h as no solution to suffering. The only thing can bring sufferings to an end is the teachings of Buddha whereby only wisdom and forgiveness can end ones problems. I really believe in these concepts which continue to shape my life. Wisdom has always been a unprompted force behind everything that I do.The course that I am pursue is my way of becoming wise especially of the things of his world coupled with other ways for example meditation which is a requirement of my religion. One has to accept everything that comes in the way. That is how I mainly live my life and this has really helped me to come to terms with my problems. The pains that we go finished as mankind beings can only be solved the moment we accept them. Some people have always mis soundless Buddhism as a religion, some of them claiming that we worship a human being. I dont blame them because they are acting out of ignorance.Even though we really hold Buddha with soaring esteem that does not mean that we worship him. In fact I have so much respect for him and this should not be misquoted that I worship him. I have always tried to apply his principles in my life and so far I do not have any complaints. Another thing that interests me about Buddhas teachings is that, he says that moral and ethical verticalness will end suffering forever. Many will definitely differ on the definition of the phrase morally uprightness because the word morally is relative depending on ones culture and background.However, according to me, being true to oneself constitutes moral uprightness. Sometimes it is argued that ones life is foreordained and I find myself asking, since human life is characterized by so much suffering, were we predestined to suffer? If that is so, why then do we have to sputter to improve life? Is there anything like deliver will? In the course of my study, I have come across so many stories and events that have characterized human beings from the time they came into existence and one thing we can agree on is that life has not been smooth sailing for human beings.It has always been about diseases, wars and rumors of wars, poverty among others. Sometimes I ask myself, if we use the concept of preordination to explain this, does that mean that we were predestined to go through all these? If we agree on this, then that means we have no control whatsoever and the actions that we carry out are also predestined. and so why does human being try to look for solutions to solve these problems or bar them from repeating themselves in the future? If we believe that everything is predestined, then vigor matters because it means we are not in control of anything.I have read about almost all the wars that have characterized the world right from world wars and major civil wars and some countries have justified some of these wars, giving so many reasons. Lets consider two wars World War II and the Vietnam War. These two wars have been surrounded by controversies right from the sta rt, and some have argued that, they were not to happen in the first place. The US has been regretting of its decision of going to war with Vietnam for so many years and if we adopt the concept of predestination, it will only mean that, they do not have a reason to regret because everything was predestined.The war had to happen and they had no control over it. Why then should they blame themselves? Even though the world has been trying to prevent another World War, then its efforts are meaningless because if it is predestined to happen, then no one can prevent it. The concept of predestination will only mean that, we are not answerable for the mistakes that we do and we owe no one an apology. If we believe that everything in the world is pre-designed, then, that means we are just existing to fulfill our purposes in life and not living our lives the way we would want.So does that mean that drop out will is at work and not predestination? The more I tend to think about these two conce pts, the more I buzz off confused. If we say that free will is at work, then as human beings we are to blame for everything that we go through because the power of making free choices is in our hands. Every thought that we harbor in our heads and every action that we undertake, will be determined by us. Should we blame ourselves for all those wars that took place? Sometimes I tend to think that free will and predestination are both at work.There are some areas of our lives which have been predestined for example death and birth of children. No one wants to die any day but at one point we will all have to die. When I was young, still in primary school, I wondered what brought about twins. After learning some biology I understood but I used to ask myself why I was not born with a twin sister or brother and the only answer I could think of is predestination. I was destined to be born alone. Where does free will come in then?I believe that human beings can choose to live their lives th e way they want to live, for example, one can choose to be successful or to be a failure, one can choose to pass exams or not, marry or not to marry, have children or not among others. Even though I believe this to some extent, I think that free will and predestination are both at work. I am always left(a) with so many questions regarding the two concepts and thus I agree with those who aim that, free will and predestination are two concepts that can never be understood and are not conclusive enough.I am well aware of the concept of predestination according to Buddhism religion that every human beings destiny is determined by ones own(prenominal) actions. This means that, ones thoughts and words will determine what he will become in the future. I do not hostility that in fact, it forms the foundation of my faith. However, I also believe that human beings have a choice to make when it comes to the actions they decide to carry out. In other words, if one chooses to do wrong action s, that will determine his or her destiny, and that is why I believe that free will and predestination work together.

Crime and Hurricane Katrina Essay

Hurricane Katrina caused many a(prenominal) forms of distress, displacement and disruption to the residential district of bleak siege of siege of Orleans and the citizens most certainly were forced to act in drastic shipway for survival. The response by the people has been considered forms of criminal activity and in solitary(prenominal) senses of legal activity has been defined as criminal offense. Acts of plunder and hysteria were account by many reporters of various news media. Crimes were not whole attached by everyday citizens of new Orleans, but volunteer workers as easily and til now, what people saw as the most shocking display of violence and betrayal of trust, by the Law Enforcement Officials as well.What is as well interesting is how this mordant event altered the residents perception of what is curse and what can be considered criminal. What was at one time considered to be a betrayal of trust towards another member of the community had been transformed into an activity that was now a means of survival. Some of the acts alter from a need to steal because they had to (i. e. , stealing from Bath and Body whole shebang for soap, supermarkets for food, pee, clothes, etc. ) and then increasing to other side of the spectrum to murder of strangers, friends, and even family.Hurricane Katrina caused a massive social disruption to the people of New Orleans and this catastrophic event would eventually lead to their partition of societal rules and values. And it is this breakdown that would not be lost to the eyes of the news media and would be post everywhere, all across the world (of Katrina, apocalypse 2005). The New York Times gave many accounts of the violence, destructive and slide into anarchy that was happening in New Orleans. cardinal article, published September 29th, 2005, After Katrina, crimes of the imagination, detailed the mass amount of looting and violent crimes in the area.The article details the fears and horrors of be coming a bemused society and living in fear of your once loved neighbor. another(prenominal) thing this article seemed to touch on was that it was possible that fear was in reality caused by a trick of the mind. Some, but not all, of the most grand stories were figments of frighten imaginations, the product of no reliable communications, and perhaps the residue of cutting transaction between some constabulary officers and members of the public. Speaking of the raw relations between some police officers and members of the public, these supposed raw relations were only further hurt and ripped apart by actions made by the police department themselves. Five police officers were accused and convicted (six years later) of shooting and cleaning defenseless citizens attempting to cross a bridge in search of food, water and shelter. These same officers along with the help of their department attempted a bright mastermind plot to cover up their crime.This included made-up witnesses, falsified reports, and a planted gun to prove that they were under fire by the citizens and were only trying to protect themselves. This news article Jury Reaches Guilty finding of fact in Hurricane Katrina Shootings Trial by Fox intelligence shows the corruption and conceal brutality of the rightfulness enforcement department of New Orleans. In association with police corruption and brutality, there was a similar crime committed by five different police officers a mere two days before the crime previously mentioned. An injured 31 year senile priapic was taken to the temporary headquarters of police by his friends in search of help.The officer drove off with the car with the injured male still in the back seat and his remains were form in the torched car. The implicated officer, for shooting the injured male and attempting to cover up by burning the car with the body still inside (oddly enough) was charged with a civil rights violation and the remaining four were charged w ith obstruction of bonnyice. This just yet another article (5 cops charged in post-Hurricane Katrina shooting, burning death) found in the Daily News archives describing the corruption and brutality of law enforcement in the face of disaster.However the actual brutality of the police governing body is not entirely at fault on its own. In a New York Times article More Horrible Than Truth News Reports published September 19th 2005, described of the crimes of the people against each and against law enforcement. at that place were gangs shooting at rescue crews, emergency room physicians were be confirming the rising amount of murders and rapes, and there were eye witness accounts of police officers being shot at while trying to help bring out a group of helpless victims.While there is no excusing the horrifying brutalization by the police department, it is clear to see that all of it is not always unprovoked. There have also been many other forms of crime in the wake of Hurricane Katrina that do not involve looting and murder. There have also been crimes by the state and government which have impact the residents of New Orleans. In Time Runs Out for St. Bernard Parish, an editorial in The New York Times, the housing and racial discrimination was brought to light.The parish was banning anyone who was not a affinity relative from seeking shelter at the parish. Since being in a predominantly white neighborhood this was implied to many any people of comment was banned from the church. There were also crimes against the government through insurance parody and lawsuits. Insurance companies were defrauding their clients (Attorneys arrive for opening of first Katrina insurance lawsuit, 2006) and then also evacuees of New Orleans were attempting to fraud insurance money away from FEMA and FBI grants (Katrina quatern Years Later, 2009).The aftermath of Katrina was no match for the crime that occurred during and after it. The crime destroyed the faith and rationa lity of the people which prolonged and deepened the chaos of New Orleans. The news media as always played a big intention in the hype of the crime wave but without the media the true earnestness of the crime would have never been investigated and given proper consideration to improve.

Identify Factors That Help Your Company to Survive and Prosper

Well-structured descent views that the business processes flow smoothly, and every problem that they face which hindrances their process can be solved immediately. kingdom Bank restructured the organization in 2001, and according to their strategic plan they pass on restructure in the future, to make sure the business to advance with the times. * account statement and information As commonwealth Bank enters the global market the report for their function is vital.This is not only because of different cultures and languages in foreign markets, simply also for the expanding in those markets through thorough explanation and providing information which includes the base on balls itself, price, conditions, rewards, benefits, etc. * Diversification and innovation During the 1970s, the Commonwealth bound diversified its business into areas like insurance and travel. After 1974, the bank also became more severely involved in foreign currency trading and international banking in ge neral.Commonwealth Bank created the first credit card in Australia in 1974 when it established Bankcard. In later years the bank began offering MasterCard (1984) and endorse (1993) cards as well. It is very for a firm in a service industry to be heavily innovative in lodge to survive in this fast growing demanding world. * Leadership, strategy and competitive advantage Commonwealth bank has a team of experienced people in its management which helps in organizing the workforce strategically.It also organizes leadership and talent base programs which allow the employees to learn the correct work attitude which they should adopt at work. Apart from this, it has also opened centers for the development of the advisors. CBA has a number of products and function which stand out from another(prenominal) banks. This is why at present products and services which Commonwealth has to offer have won numerous awards. On the other hand, it holds the number one position in the retail manageme nt gillyflower of Australia and life insurance. * Maximize product satisfaction for customersCBA always makes a antecedence to provide products that satisfy their customers. Take credit card as an example, CBA has introduced a credit card for students with little or absolutely no income at all. By applying online for this credit cards the customers (students) get $50 cash bank into the account after activation. This can increase satisfaction level for customers and in turn make them loyal. (Commonwealth Bank, 2011). * Ethics In terms of the respectable and juristic responsibilities, Commonwealth Bank has shown a firm commitment in maintaining an ethical workplace.The policy anticipates from the employees that they can easily raise their voice against the fraud and unseasonable conduct and bad administration done by others. The bank gives imputable attention to the implementation of these policies. These standards are communicated to the staff and employees from time to time. Ap art from this, on the official website for Commonwealth Bank, there is a special link that lists the codes of conduct, which ensure the organization provides customers with a professional level of services.

Ladder 49 vs. the Real Fire Department Essay

Ladder 49 is a fire-swallower icon which gives us a better picture of the echt deal in firefighting. Several facets ar drawn in the picture show which takes us to the more(prenominal) intimate level of the lives of firefighters where they do their job, and the personal lives they have that argon entirely affected by their universe firefighters. We pay off a picture of how firefighters create long lasting bonds inside the confines of the rigorous job and alike the consequences that the job imposes to the family members. The movie may in all probability be the most hardheaded depiction of firefighting scenarios in the US by far in consume history.Theoretically, the creator of the film has engaged firefighter circumstances and made it as real as it discharge possibly locomote. There ar, of course, some differences made delinquent to the cinematic take onments enforce by the film industry. But everywhereall Ladder 49 may barely be about the closest look into the r ealities of firefighting. The story revolves approximately seafarer Morrison, as compete by Joaquin Phoenix, who worked as a firefighter for a Baltimore station. The plots of the story are basically just about twat Morrisons career, his personal bread and butter, and the sad tied(p)t which lead to his unfortunate demise.The movie plants every stage of his career as a firefighter. The highlights of the initial section of the process of being a firefighter showed immediate camaraderie within Jack and his colleagues. This is portrayed in scenes where the firefighters pull pranks within each other, fasten into fights with each other, and just plainly have fun together. The movie establishes the manakin of relationship that the profession brings into the lives of these people a certain bond of wedlock that is highly needed in the nature of a profession which is evermore in a high try of jeopardy.Also the movie presents pitiable fatalities and injuries as it is present in the line of work of firefighters. Jacks personal life aspect, however, revolves around his family. The movie showed his courtship with Linda, played by Jacinda Barrett, to their marriage and to having their own family. The more personal level of the movie gets into scenes where the it shows the personal effects of Jacks being a fire fighter to the family members. unity ex angstromle is when Linda gets too affected with the line of work of her husband as she came into her senses when she was in a funeral of Jacks colleague.Then the movie and shows her distress in scenes where she, while pregnant, sees her husband on the television performing a highly dangerous stunt while saving a life. This likewise presents the kind of trouble the marriage gets into as they fight over the danger of his career and the fear that it entails. Eventually thereafter, they had children of their own and built a family while Jack pursues a higher, more hazardous post in the department. One of the most moving storylines of the film is where Linda declares her fear of seeing the violentdish car showing up outside their house.In real life, the red car means that the firefighting department is to report not just the termination of the family member working for the department but it abide also be an injured family member. Thereafter, in the latter part of the film, it did show up and it is probably one of the most moving portrayals of how the consequences of the line of work of firefighting can heavy affect personal relationships. The movie basically revolved around a scene where Jack struggles to resist in one very tragic happening amidst an instance where he was doing his job. He was trapped in amongst a closed space and a heavy amount of fire.During these times, the movie just draws flashbacks of all the highlights of Jacks career as a firefighter, his relationship with his colleagues, and his personal life with his family. The movie started with this scene and practically end in it as well. It shows scenes where Jack talks to his chieftain, mike Kennedy, as played by John Travolta, while he was struggling to escape from the fire. It also showed the moving, and tragic scene where Jack gave up and declared that he should be left alone inside the burning building and have his headwaiter command the tranquility of the firefighters to evacuate.Subsequently, his death marked a tremendous bolshie in Baltimore as it was presented in scenes of Jacks funeral ceremonies. Although this movie is deemed to be a very good depiction of the real life scenarios of firefighters, there are still some temporaryities in the movie that can be addressed. Some of the scenes may even seem to be unrealistic and are obviously integrated in the movie to add to certain levels of the film industrys entertainment standards. One manifestation of this irregularity is when Mike Kennedy, Jacks captain, orders his firefighters to go inside the burning building to get Jack.This wou ld seem very appropriate for the movie as a mediocre of telling the audience that Jack needs help. However, the truth is in real life firefighting situations, there are no protocols whatsoever that requires the captain to prognostic a command to get their fellow firefighter out of danger. Firefighters are trained to be highly independent on pursuing their tasks amidst unbecoming conditions. This is because most of the time communication between each other and even with the captain is not easily accessible.This consequently trains the firefighters to act based on their instincts which also mean that if a fellow firefighter is in danger there should not be thinking twice and waiting for commands. kind of instinct should take its toll to just try to save the life of the fellow fire fighter in danger in either way possible. Another inconsistency is when Mike Kennedy tries to exert as a good deal sympathy as possible to the loss of one of their colleague due to a fire incidence. He tells his subordinates to take as much rest as they need.However, in a real firefighting scenario, bereavement does not require time off as the responsibilities entailed in firefighting are broad and cannot just be neglected easily. There can be no disclosures of irregular time offs with firefighters as it is very important that they report to their stations adequately and on time. As shown in the film, there is a scene where they show the firefighters in the station resting in their beds, and when there is a call for art they just instantly position themselves to get ready for work.This just goes to show that time is indeed important in the firefighters duties and responsibilities. This movie also missed hitting it in a much more sensible treatment in such case as Jacks declaration of a hopeless situation. This is when he deliberately asked his captain to stop the rescue and just have the rest of the team vanish the premises because there is no destiny that he can survive the c ircumstances. In real life situation however, there is no chance that the captain will fall for the command of his subordinate and just permit the firefighter in danger burn.The real life situation would be less dramatic, and more action-oriented. The firefighters will do just about everything to save the life of their fellow man even if the said person in danger asks for him to be left alone. This is what the camaraderie and brotherhood brings about which is discussed before However, above all these irregularities in the film are also many another(prenominal) great and truthful depictions of the real life firefighting scenarios. One of which that made a clear portrayal of the firefighting scene is the quick death of one of the firefighters.The fast death is very similar to how it really happens in real life. The upper of the events in life and death situations is just as fast as it is depicted in the movie. Also, the scenes where Jack was amidst a burning house searching for s omeone who is in trouble of getting burnt inside is a good depiction of real life firefighting. The actions and happenings inside have a genuine feel to it. In other movies which show fire scenes, sens conditions are not really as heavy as it truthfully is because audience will not be able to see anything if the realistic amount of smoke is integrated in the film.But Ladder 49 made a really good representation of how the smoke can be inside the burning building. This also shows how Jack struggle to get through with the situation in ways such as go in the dark and knocking some things over. Generally, the film may be perceived as just another drama portraying the valiance of firefighters. But more than anything else, this movie portrays everything that is good and bad in the firefighting profession. This also makes us appreciate that such people who are ready to risk lives for the welfare of everyone still exists in our society.ReferencesOchieng, F. (2004). Ladder 49. The Top Box posture Movies. Retrieve December 19, 2008 from http//www. theworldjournal. com/special/movies/2004/ladder49. htm Scott, D. (2004). Review Ladder 49 burn With Heated Action. Joaquin Phoenix Gives Sincere Performance. Retieved December 19, 2008 from http//www. 4029tv. com/entertainment/3775785/detail. html Bolton, G. (Producer, & Russell, J. (Director). (2004). Ladder 49 Motion picture. United States Touchstone Pictures & beacon Communications.

Physician Assisted Suicide

Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and euthanasia is a widely debated and controversial topic in our confederation. It is believed that the principle of PAS and euthanasia portrays, merciful acts that deliver terminally ill perseverings from harmful and protracted death (page 477, towboat 2). In the paper, Physician-Assisted Suicide A tragical View, John D. tapestry discusses the subject and states that while he agrees with forbearings making decisions, implementing laws reinforcement PAS and euthanasia is a huge threat to our social order.However, John D. Arras also concludes that he does not disapprove with the curtain raising of having a legislative policy in favor of PAS/euthanasia, lonesome(prenominal) if there is sufficient shew of reliability of various safeguards (page 477, column 2). To begin, it is important to look at the possibility of PAS and euthanasia being a positive pull in our health check profession. John D. Arras looks at a situation which poses a patie nt suffering from uncontrolled incommode by having the mendelevium ignore their decisions amongst flavor and death.He mentions that physicians may contribute to suicide and suicidal ideation (page 478, column 1) which is statistically shown in over fifty percent of cancer patients who suffer from uncontrolled pain that is often brought on by untreated depression. In this situation however, if patient is given control of their own lives and obtain adequate psychiatric and alleviator care to treat depression, it is assumed that most would lose interest in PAS/euthanasia. Using a similar deterrent example, there will always be a small amount of patients who may have pain that cannot be treated, for these patients J.Arras believes that present law on PAS/euthanasia can represent an out of the question barrier to a distinguished and decent death. In comparison to the wrinkle above, there are more objections towards the legalization of PAS and euthanasia because it is widely seen a s inherently immoral, as violations of the moral rule against killing the innocent (page 477, column 2). With this being said, J. Arras argues that objections cumulate through having a patient reconcile if they should live or die and having liberalization occur.His first argument concludes that, the practice of PAS would be almost impossible to keep within reasonable boundaries and that there must be a line drawn between lively euthanasia. Instead, legalization of PAS entails a wholesomely modest policy agenda, (page 478, column 1) that limits reforms to only a certain group of several(prenominal)s therefore excluding those who are actually terminally ill and are suffering. In fact, legalization poses a threat towards how society looks at patient autonomy and mercy, because fatal illnesses would be hard to confirm. An example of this situation is mentioned by J.Arras as he evaluates the fact that if one individual does not find value to living his life how does that differ from a patient who is ill with cancer. Proving that situation, it is seen that legalization of PAS has many flaws, one of which includes discrimination against patients if officious euthanasia is banned. It would also cause more harm than good if the physician does not take into consideration the patients state of mind. By allocating patients with suitable palliative care, physicians would be able to distinguish fact from simile in the ethics and law of pain relief (page 482, column 2).

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Technology on Family Life

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Technology on Family flavor Is technology tearing apart family liveliness? Text messaging, social net executeing, and online painting be changing the way p bents and children see the worldand each early(a). there ar many technologies in todays world that are widely used not fair as a want, hardly as a necessity of life. This term paper will rivet on relationship between family life and computer technologies, which gain move the most widely used technology in the world callable to its variety of functions including SNS, mailing, online feeling-to-face video chatting, and assignment completing tools.Computer technologies overhear both corroborative and negative heart and souls on family life. As to a greater extent and to a greater extent(prenominal) families are beginning to own their own computers (computer internet users in North America reached to about 78. 3 %) , the effects of technologies on family life is becoming more easi ly identifiable. This term paper will gravel across both the benefit and negative effects of victimization technologies on family life. There are the negative effects which include the isolation of family members, and parents delivery their work sept.On the some other(a) hand, linking relatives together is whiz optimistic effect that technologies attain on family life, and being instantly updated on other family members situation is besides a huge benefit. Overall, the benefits of using technologies outweigh the negative effects. ace negative effect of computers on family life is less face-to-face pertain between family members. In most families, each family member has their own computers or smart straits that are kept in their own rooms.Nowadays, the functions of computers and smart phones are not just limited to internet surfing, and assignment tools. They are also widely used for social networking service (SNS), such as Facebook, Skype, and chitter just to name a fe w. As a result of the shift magnitude quantify consumption of using the functions on computers, family members are now more isolated from each other and dirty dognot talk to each other face to face as often as before when technologies were not as important in day to day living. Even when there is save one computer per family, there is an interruption with family life.If one soulfulness is using the computer, then other family members do not want to just check while the computer is being used, so they will go to a different room and each person will end up using the computers at their own leisure. The use of computer games is another occasion that has reduced human fit between family members. Before computers were used in the al-Qaeda, if someone wanted to mash a game, they usually had to set about at least one other family member to play a control panel game or card game with them. That forced families to set down more time talking to each other.Now if someone wants to play a game that requires more than one person, they can just go on the computer and either play online against another person, or they can play against the computer. Playing games on the computer makes it easier to be isolated from physical contact with other family members. Now that you dont energise to ask person in your family to play a game, most families dont spend as much time talking to each other and instruction about each other. Another negative cause that computers defend on family life is that many people now bring their work home with them instead of leaving it at work the way they used to. states work is now invading the privacy of their home. People find that it is easier and more convenient to work at home, so they bring their work home allowing it to invade their home. When people bring home their work, it separates families by cause parents to spend more time at home working, and less time with their family causing parents to not know as much about what is ac quittance on in their childrens lives. Bringing work home separates families, reservation them not as close knit as they would be if they played out more time together talking.Computer technologies have not just had negative effects on families they have also had some positive ones. The use of cordial Networking Service (SNS) through computer is one of the positive effects that technologies have had on families. With the use of computer functions such as e-mail, Messengers, Twitter, and Skype, families can take care of things that they would otherwise have to leave the home to take care of. Using SNS also allow families to communicate with other family members who might not live close by.For example, I Skype (free online webcam chatting) my father in Korea at least twice a week. Without the use of SNS I wouldnt be able to communicate with him nearly as much because phone bills would be too expensive for me to afford. So, because of SNS I am able to abide close to my father chang e surface though he is in Korea, and I am in Canada. A second positive effect that technologies have had on families is the use of instant texting service. This allows families to talk to each other and have a fairly normal conversation with each other even though they might not be in the vicinity.I personally use instant text messaging services to talk to my parents, my sister, and my relatives on a regular basis because it keeps them updated on what is happening with me on a daily basis. While I am at school, I am still able to bewilder in touch with everyone back home without having to call each one of them separately. For many people who are away at school, instant texting services allow them to stay in touch with friends and family even though they are not at home. A third positive effect that technologies have had on families is computer web pages (Facebook).Web pages allow families to post pictures of themselves and other family members so that everyone in the family can go to the web page and expectation the pictures. My sister has a web page that explains things about her, and it has pictures of her and friends. One of my other uncles who lives in Korea also has his own web page. On his web page, he has pictures of his baby daughter. By going to my uncles web page, I have been able to see pictures of my baby cousin as she has grown and changed. umteen other families have web pages similar to my families that they use to watch their families change even though they are not in the same country.In conclusion, the negative effects of using technologies posed can essentially be overcome by use of SNS technology through computer or phone. When there is lack of human contact between the family members, then Skype can be used to perform online face-to-face chatting. The use of technologies also prove to be more efficient when each family member want to be updated on each others status. Without the use of technology, instant messaging system would not be possible, so the relatives or family members would not be able to act with each other as easily.APA 6th edition reference 1. Miniwatts marketing Group (MARCH 31, 2011). WORLD INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICS. Retrieved from http//www. internetworldstats. com/stats. htm 2. Chris Barylick (June 21, 2001). Technology and Social Isolation. Retrieved from http//www. irchelp. org/irchelp/misc/tech. html 3. Gary Small, M. D. (June 19, 2009). Is Technology Fracturing Your Family. Retrieved from http//www. psychologytoday. com/blog/brain-bootcamp/200906/is-technology-fracturing-your-family.

Technology, Human Beings and the Fate of the Earth: a Social Critique of Modern Life

Its some(prenominal) funny and sad that as soon as citizenry leave their kn stimulate comfort z 1, when they atomic number 18 alone, say at a coffee shop or delay in run for a bus, they automatic andy, al virtu ally reactively, reach for the cell echo to c both or textbook almostone who get out reconnect them with the safe and familiar manly concern from which they harbor momentarily wandered a ain manner.The average persons lack of great exponent, or willingness, to regain an unkn accept built in bed or territory reveals their lack of tolerance for universe alone, as strong as their lack of curiosity or list to simply rule and appreciate their surroundings as if their bodily reeks had been annul into a capabilityity danger zone in which their real perceptual constancy of self would ripe(p) a behavior fragment should they permit go a undersized, happen and potenti wholey act with the unfolding solid ground near them.Yes, weve lettered to per sonify in junior-grade bubbles of safety which cut us off from our fellow- gracious bess we no longer await in the echt domain, that in our ingest self-created orbs, via the latest urinate of applied science. I suspect that our young sense of certificate has been entrained to operate in collusion with these technical devices that demand slyly entrapped our minds point as they take offered us incredible sunrise(prenominal) possibilities.Our reliance on clean and ever-advancing technologies, some(prenominal)(prenominal) as the ready phone which in a hardly a(prenominal) bypassly years has similarly obtain a active photo album, roving internet, camera, video machine and multi-media entertainment center has heightsly-developed into quite a habit, an unconscious addiction that is shaping the very temper of our ainities, both personal and bodied, and stock-still, deity forbid, our souls. What quest admit we, the public public, for an resource when so umteen limit slightly stimulating devices argon available in our military personnel?Who c on the whole for an familiar dry land at every when the tabuer world of our get creations has turn over so evocative, so seducing, so ever-demanding, evasive and totalitarian? We ar continu entirelyy inundated with advertisements and societal pressures to postulate new scientific distractions and modes of external stimulus. intent under such conditions, how is it possible for us to have got or turn much of an home(a) world, or a soul, whatsoever?The underlying nub of our media is commercial-grade in enforcing the demands of commerce upon us, we ar delineate primarily as consumers, persuaded non to lithesomek for ourselves, but to join in the latest embodied frenzy of technological adventures that continu everyy reinterpret the answer of our constitutes. This never remnant flood of media proclamations, period pop outing as a material liberation, serves as a psy chological oppression of the individual soul. capitalist economy sells new versions of veracity that may take aim nada to do with ones feature honest compulsions or sensibilities. However, it is the advertisers labor to prevail on _or_ upon us new(prenominal)(a)wise.So uttermost they atomic number 18 doing a pretty good job The rude(a) world, the terra firma itself the demeanor, the trees, the vast realms of animals, plants, oceans, deserts and mountains atomic number 18 increasingly losing means and apprize in the self-hyp nonized, narcissistic actives of mechanized merciful cosmoss. Although it is certainly an odium of our immanent heritage, we be ever-entrained to focus microscopical and little on the inwrought world in which we endure, and of which we argon but one aspect lest we stop and more than and more to focus on the world as forge make the minds and custody of men.Its sad and so when we brush aside what is beneficial before our l ook, i. e. our actual surrounding environment, and instead lodge culled to a corporal techno-vision of the ideal synthetical bread and butter. Its as salubrious as sad when we ignore those human bes who atomic number 18 stand right in reckon of us because wed prefer to text or talk with someone miles a expressive style, when we must stay put overly-attached to those we k instanter because weve bewildered our human capacity for interrelationship with our expanded world of fellow citizens who we at once dismiss as strangers.Our advance in engineering has engendered a compensating up end point in our capacity for compassion and community which is to say, the throw out we develop our applied science, the little(prenominal) we appear to maintain the qualities of a loving, caring and captive human society. universe advised in the mystery of the present moment, tolerating the unkn witness, and tolerating states of non-stimulation is the source phase in moving towards a more attuned state of receptiveness and potential fundamental interaction with the actual, non- practical(prenominal), world close to us.However, we film been so conditioned by a perpetual battery of electronic stimuli radio, television, com instalers, video games, lively phones/entertainment centers, etc that it has do difficult, albeit unappealing, for us to re-focus our attention on our actual physical, subjective environment. A check outcome of our desensitization to the physical, intrinsic world in which we live, is the ensuant abjection of our ecology, which entails our lack of emphasis or aw arness on its vivacious/ brea keeng/fragile/ radical nature.The danger of this, as umteen of us recognize, is potenti exclusivelyy catastrophic as we create and live in an increasingly husynthetical and virtual world wherein we believe we atomic number 18 safer, happier, more satisfied, etc we to a fault increasingly ignore the actual and natural honesty in which we be encompassed, and risk the quenching of the environment finished the excessive taint, raiding and defo remaination of the major satellite that we get d convey witnessed since the rise of the industrial-technological age.The humiliation of the natural world is involved in some(prenominal) ship pratal. Firstly, it appears to be morally and ethi plowy wrong at least(prenominal) to those of us whose ethics and ethical motive outweigh our imperialistic presss to destructively wallop the reason, its ecosystems, i. e. rivers, oceans and fo lie downs, as head as animals, plants, trees, etc. 1 business blend iner ask, What right turn in we serviceman to destroy the hide out, simply for our own do good? Is this not egoistic and un required? M every(prenominal) of us render asked this caput, though it seems that the overall f atomic number 18 of our technologically based capitalism remains grudging to curtail its encroachments and usurpations of nature, or to halt its path of destruction for the sake of morals or ethics. Where the horse bill is concerned, questions of right and wrong hatch thin and ineffectual, nearly meaningless. Secondly, the debasement of the natural environment is increasingly affecting the relaxation of the artificial satellite itself, which in turn contaminates our own quality of life.For a constitutional overview of how human technology is damaging the orbiter, one has unless to search done a superfluity of books, TV specials, or movies on this topic (i. e. An inconvenient Truth, by Al Gore). I will here watch over tho a few ways in which artificial satelliteary abasement affects human life. In a juvenile trip to Lima, Peru I larn that Peruvians predominantly oblige older used cars, from the 80s or 70s, which emit utmost gear levels of visible secrete fumes devising the air both cyanogenetic and putrid to breathe.Driving around town thither is often no pretermit from these fumes which de r ear endt out of the car precisely in precedent of you. The land site is respectable as bad in some(prenominal) former(a) developing tercet base world countries around the globe. Even here in the United States, where we throw away increasingly stricter emissions controls on our vehicles, the air quality in some cities is very poor, and on certain days people are advised to debar personnel casualty out of doors, or allowing their children to play alfresco at all.In legion(predicate) an(prenominal) countries, air pollution is severe and debilitating, and only acquire worse. In accession to increasing the risk of respiratory disease, the eroding of the ozone mold has as well change magnitude the risk of skin put forwardcer, and its live wonted(a) to slather on gobs of sunscreen lotion before tone ending out of doors on a sunny day for any continuance of time. Industrial pollution has make our pee supplies turdy, so they are zapped with chlorine, devising our wa ter not very enjoyable, or umpteen would say, healthy to drink.As for our food, as genetic engineering takes hold, what we eat becomes increasingly tasteless and less nutritious. Although these are only a very few examples of the many problems made by technology, there is no denying that the degradation of the natural world leads to our own degradation. The troika major relate of the degradation of nature is spiritual. As we become less attuned to the world of nature, which is gradually breaking down, our inherent connection to the macrocosm dissipates.We become less the caretakers of the earth, or character referenceicipants in Her splendor of glory, and moreover the survivors of a synthetic holocaust inflicted upon nature. We apologise our disconnect from nature those of us who are assured of it with the heralding of a new age of technological transcendence. In comparison with all our own astonishing discoveries, inventions and developments, we cannot believe that th e earth is all that important. How can a handful of dirt interchangeablen to the glory of an I-phone?Our attitudes reveal a consensual depression that we are superior to and above the earth as similarly evidenced by our scientific investigations into creating hospitable conditions on another(prenominal) planets, as wellspring as expanded, city-size space stations in which we could begin to hold out the greater universe, where we would, even more so, live in human-made, virtual worldly concern realms. The sppetroleumedger question is whether our spirits can survive or inflate in states of marginal disconnection from the earth, our origin and planetary source of being This sort of metre and futuristic evolution is in communication channel with our reign eligion of Christianity, in which our mischievous earthbound lives are to be potentially change through belief in Christ, when, upon the moment of our expiration, we are to line up high into the heavens, into a cloud- uniform ratio above and beyond all the untidy entanglements of this planet earth. With such a cosmo-vision, such a context of the ending of life, its no wonderment the sanctity of the earth has lost its advocate to impel our actions. It seems only the portended nemesis of our own extinction will swear out to encourage us to deliver differently.For if we are only to inhabit this earth for such a drawing span of time until our transcendence into a perfect eternity in another dimension then whats the magnanimous deal if we expert forthwith abuse Her until were gone, because in the gallant scheme of things She doesnt exit much anyways. Christianity also teaches that, of all the creatures and life- lay downs upon this planet, only human beings confuse souls that can be let offd, and thus make the transmigration beyond a mortal death into an immortal and eternal after-life.Since, in the Christian view, nothing else upon this planet has a soul, or is capable of re demption, we justify our own paramount importance, and it becomes exclusively plausible to view all things as besides our own resources. In this way, we set down a perspective of value and reverence for the natural world around us while worshipping our own agendas. It becomes bare that many areas of our lives our economy, our technology and assiduity, our religion, and our general philosophy of nourishment depict our own implicit superiority confused over the natural world of creation.And yet, by and by, we get glimpses of the truth that it is unfeasible for humanity to become superior to nature, because we are really an intrinsic character of the earth which we seek to dominate and control. In actuality, the world of nature is indeed superior to humankind, as we are unless one aspect of its terrific panorama. However, we continue to ignore our interconnectedness with nature, our true identity as an entrust or expression of nature, and be energise as if we have the r ight and ability to continue dominating the earth without in conclusion destroying ourselves. tho what goes around comes around, and sooner or later you get what you create, or to put it in technological basis you input what you output. Why have we proceed on in this, less than intelligent, manner? You could say that we ultra innovative-day humans are simply softened and indifferent, which is partially true from a holistic perspective. But beneath that we are really out of control, so matter to by our own invented polish that we fail to recognize the greater organic and historic context in which we live. everywhere the ult 500 years or so, the peoples of Europe have invaded, conquered, annex and replaceed virtually every other continent, people and farming upon the planet were currently working soaked on the Middle eastern hemisphere with our imperialistic inquisitions, our Christianity and our capitalism. In the words of Martin Prechtel, designer of Secrets Of The Talking Jaguar, and an initiate of the Mayan shamanic mysteries Over the encouragemost two or triad centuries, a heartless culture-crushing wag has incremented its progress on the earth, devouring all peoples, nature, imagination, and spiritual knowledge.Like a big mechanized slug, it has left behind a flat, homogenized steak of civilization wherever it passed. Every human on this earth African, Asian, European, Islanders, or from the Americas has ancestors who at some point in their history had their stories, rituals, ingenuity, language and lifeways taken away, enslaved, banned, exploited, twisted or destroyed by this force. Our modern technological way of life is a vast and dramatic change from the vastly more earth-friendly modes of human worldly concern that preceded this rapid world(prenominal) development for thousands of years.It is a sad and unpopular position that, as Western civilization has progressed, countless other civilizations have regressed, have inde ed been ravaged and undone by the coercion of our own ideas and powers upon them. To this day, we any disregard their suffering and continue on our own path to orbiculate domination, or we view them through the eyes of sympathetic charity, regarding ourselves, our own culture, as the superior and dominant people who will now help, aide and wait on these less fortunate people whom we devastated in the front place to acquire the modes of our own elevated survival and sustenance.The misleading hypocrisy of our impact upon, and subsequent response to, third world countries is confounded by our own bare lack of responsibility for our actions, both past and present, that debilitate these people. For instance, in the countries of underlying &038 South America, our oil production facilities lead to massive destruction of both the land and the lives of the innate peoples. In the mid(prenominal) 1990? s, author Joe Kane documented the dread(a) impacts of corporate oil companies upon essential cultures and the old viragoian rainforest of Ecuador in his marvellously written book, Savages.In the book, Kane describes the struggle of one of the last be indigenous tribes the Huaorani who look themselves to have not been conquered by modern Western culture, against the impending invasion of corporate oil. Referencing his colleague Judith Kimerling from her book Amazon Crude, Kane states In 1967 Texaco discovered commercial oil in the Oriente the Ecuadorian rainforest. In 1972 it completed a 312-mile business line from the Oriente to Ecuadors Pacific coast. From its inception until just 1989, the Texaco pipeline had ruptured at least twenty seven times, squishing 16. 8 gazillion gallons of raw crude(a) most of it into the Orientes delicate web of rivers, creeks and lagoons. As a witness himself to a colossal oil spill into the native Ecuadorian rainforest, Kane writes, While I was in Tonampare a valve in an oil well near the Napo broke, or was left open, and for two days and a night raw crude streamed into the river at least 21,000 gallons and perhaps as many as 80,000, creating a slick that stretched from bank to bank for forty miles. Due to this oil spill, a state of emergency was declared downriver in both Peru and Brazil, although, check to Kane, the oil company responsible for the spill disregarded the incident and did nothing to improve the situation. While in Ecuador, Kane visited several(a) Huaorani communities and received further firsthand reports of extensive and extreme contamination, via oil spills, of their water supplies resulting in unruly health epidemics, severe illnesses and deaths.However, the problems of oil drilling extend beyond the awful impacts upon Huaorani and Indian health in general, as the settlements made by the oil companies result in drastic disruption, deviation and desecration of traditional Indian culture. It is a complicated process, because the imperialistic thrust of big oil coincides with all sorts of modern Western byproducts including colonization, change to Christianity, and re-education of native Indians in which no element of Huaorani culture was allowed to enter the curriculum. This enforced process of socialising to Western ways results in the obliteration of the value, the history, and the very existence of traditional culture for all Indians affected. During the months that Kane worn-out(a) roaming through Ecuador, mainly with the Huaorani tribe, he experient the traditional self-sufficient way of life that the Huaorani as well as many other indigenous South American tribes have lived for millennia. aft(prenominal) visiting colonized areas as well, he reports that Indians who have succumbed to a conversion to Western ways appear much worse off than those who have held to their traditional ways.Of these colonized Huaorani, Kane writes the people were waitent on goods brought in from outside, and many of them had become wage slaves to a culture they c ould never hope to be truly a part of to a culture that, in fact, considered them little more than animals. The convergence of the different aspects of capitalism, colonization and conversion to Western ways and Christianity upon the various Indian tribes who are impacted all amount to ethnocide.The fact that such corruption initiated by Western imperialistic drives based on capitalistic gains is belt up leaving on, only reveals that we have not progressed very far, at least globally speaking, in our path to graceful a more humane society. But the typical modern world citizen doesnt care close to any of this and has very little knowledge of the historical European conquests that have transformed spiritually and functionally intact cultures into materially indigent, chaotic and violent third world countries. Most of us are more or less plodding along our own novice paths of self-serving materialism.When we do give any consideration to cultures of a lesser material status, we judge and compare their shabby way of life to ours, in which running water, electricity, cars, central heating, air conditioning and 24 hour market stores are essential. We devalue their modes of living through our own ignorance and ingrained sense of superiority, as we seek to save them, not by helping them to restore their own valued way of life, but by converting them to ours which only reinforces our own paradigm of economic, technological and sacred superiority. We frequently fail to realize that not every human being on this planet deficiencys r needs to be hooked into the roll of technological progress with which we are so completely mesmerized. Not only does our enchantment with technology threaten our humanity, our society, and our planet, it also through our continued pressures upon non-Western, non-technologically-based cultures to convert to the ways of the modern Western world threatens to destroy the few remaining earth-based, indigenous peoples on this plan et who would kinda not be fazed by us or our buttoned-down ways. Do we really need to continue to conquer the earth with our capitalism until there is a 7-11 and McDonalds in every corner of the world?Until there are bareways chomping through every area of pristine land? Until all the forests have been chop up down and transformed into urban and industrial depart? Cant we contain ourselves with a little respect for the rest of the world? at that place are still people on this planet who enjoy living in the organic environment of nature, where electricity, motor vehicles, cells phones and I-pods arent a necessary aspect of life. They are able to survive, and thrive, quite well without all the modern accoutrements of modern life that we so desire, and many of them would like to remain as they are.And yet our attitude reveals an inner conviction that we have discovered the way of the future and must deliver this pass in force to the rest of the world. Rather than continuing on o ur present be given of a global takeover, we need to ask ourselves what we can learn from non-Westernized cultures that still live in ancient and earth-honoring ways, cultures that we tend to brutalize and greedily destroy. We need to learn to interact with these other cultures respectfully and humanely, allowing them their own way of life and sustenance upon this planet without interfering and coercing our interests and values upon them.Not everyone needs to drive a car on a freeway, to work in an accountability and live in a house in the city if the 7,000,000,000 human beings now alive on the planet lived like this, our environmental devastation would likely expand exponentially. To take care a global conversion of all peoples in all places into an socialisation of our unique modern, technological way of life is stupid, insane and supremely unreasonable. However, like a big, proud, arrogant peacock strutting itself all over the planet, the United States continues devising m oves to engulf the globe with the gluttony of our own capitalistic enterprises, all the while disregarding nd disrupting the dignity of other countries, cultures and peoples. Reflecting upon the impact of our very recent civilization upon other, much older, traditional and earth-based civilizations, as well as the planet itself, we should describe and consider the damages we have done, the violences we have perpetrated, and the miseries we have created We need to move beyond the Christian fantasy that we are a completely good and benign presence on the planet, that we are somehow Gods chosen people with a free pass to do whatever we want regardless of the consequences.We should think about how we can be less ego-centric, and seek to relief our technological advances with precaution to the well-being of the earth, other cultures and one another. We should consider how to create more unison in the world, and a little less profit. Indeed, many individuals and organizations are bec oming increasingly devote to a greater consciousness of how to live in ways that are earth friendly. The overall pro-environmental movements are coming to be known as green movements, and they provide good and necessary developments toward a future in which humans could be of greater arrive at than scathe to the planet. However, very much work and change remains to be done in this area. One problem inherent with these movements is that when we think about delivery the planet, or salvage the polar bears, we are still thinking abstractly. In truth, the planet was doing just fine before the advent of modern industry and technological society. prevent the planet really means Stop the humans from destroying the planet because we are only saving the planet from ourselves. bread and butter our urban, fast-paced and machine-based lives, very few of us have time, energy or ability to keep gardens, burn down livestock, hunt for our sustenance or otherwise live in any kind of experie ntial symbiosis with the planet. We live in suburban and correct concrete jungles where the animals have become cars, and the trees and forests are now banks, department stores and high rise apartment complexes.Because we have created our own touch on environment of roads, cars, industry, buildings, malls, homes an endless urban sprawl that houses an endless supply of manmade things because we live in a world designed by capitalism, a world of incessant advertising, sales and the desperate, frantic pursuit of material things of production and products a world form and defined by television, radio and the chronic bombardment of salesmen we rarely, if ever, experience an well-educated connection with the natural world, with the planet we are hoping to save.Sure we can learn all about the planet, discovering the marvels of the earth in science magazines or through exhibit compelling video footage of nature, we can learn all about the planet in schools, in laboratories or other atomic number 42 hand means, but until we have a sustained, direct encounter with the earth and nature itself, how can we truly know it, and what will it ever really mean to us? And how few of us will ever turn over this?Indeed, as it now stands our civilization is composed of a people, and a culture, that have moved out of nature into man-created worlds based upon the destruction of nature and they call this evolution. Ultimately, its up to us to change the story, to write a new script, to realize who we are, what we have become, and to simply wake up to the realization of how we want our lives, and the life of our blameless planet, to unfold So think about it, and let your thoughts permeate all that you do, for the existence of yourself and every other being around you may depend upon it.Its both funny and sad that as soon as people leave their familiar comfort zone, when they are alone, say at a coffee shop or waiting in line for a bus, they automatically, almost reactively, reach for the cell phone to call or text someone who will reconnect them with the safe and familiar world from which they have momentarily wandered away.The average persons lack of ability, or willingness, to encounter an unknown situation or territory reveals their lack of tolerance for being alone, as well as their lack of curiosity or propensity to simply notice and appreciate their surroundings as if their bodily senses had been nullified into a potential danger zone in which their very stability of self would quickly fragment should they let go a little, observe and potentially interact with the unfolding world around them.Yes, weve learned to live in little bubbles of safety which cut us off from our fellow-humans we no longer live in the actual world, but in our own self-created worlds, via the latest form of technology. I suspect that our modern sense of security has been entrained to operate in collusion with these technological devices that have slyly entrapped our min ds even as they have offered us incredible new possibilities.Our reliance on new and ever-advancing technologies, such as the roving phone which in a few short years has also become a mobile photo album, mobile internet, camera, video machine and multi-media entertainment center has developed into quite a habit, an unconscious addiction that is shaping the very nature of our personalities, both personal and embodied, and even, God forbid, our souls. What need have we, the general public, for an imagination when so many limitlessly stimulating devices are available in our world?Who needs an inner world at all when the outer world of our own creations has become so evocative, so seducing, so ever-demanding, evasive and totalitarian? We are continually inundated with advertisements and societal pressures to acquire new technological distractions and modes of external stimulus. Living under such conditions, how is it possible for us to maintain or lick much of an inner world, or a s oul, whatsoever?The underlying message of our media is commercial in enforcing the demands of commerce upon us, we are defined primarily as consumers, persuaded not to think for ourselves, but to join in the latest collective frenzy of technological adventures that continually reinterpret the purpose of our lives. This never ending flood of media proclamations, while appearing as a material liberation, serves as a psychological oppression of the individual soul. Capitalism sells new versions of reality that may have nothing to do with ones own true needs or sensibilities.However, it is the advertisers job to convince us otherwise. So far they are doing a pretty good job The natural world, the earth itself the air, the trees, the vast realms of animals, plants, oceans, deserts and mountains are increasingly losing meaning and value in the self-hypnotized, narcissistic lives of mechanized human beings. Although it is certainly an abomination of our essential heritage, we are ever-entr ained to focus less and less on the natural world in which we live, and of which we are but one aspect lest we forget and more and more to focus on the world as fashioned through the minds and hands f men. Its sad indeed when we ignore what is right before our eyes, i. e. our actual surrounding environment, and instead remain culled to a collective techno-vision of the ideal man-made life. Its also sad when we ignore those human beings who are standing right in front of us because wed prefer to text or talk with someone miles away, when we must remain overly-attached to those we know because weve lost our human capacity for interrelationship with our expanded world of fellow citizens who we now dismiss as strangers.Our advance in technology has engendered a compensating inversion in our capacity for compassion and community which is to say, the further we develop our technology, the less we appear to maintain the qualities of a loving, caring and solicitous human society. Being aware in the mystery of the present moment, tolerating the unknown, and tolerating states of non-stimulation is the first phase in moving towards a more attuned state of openness and potential interaction with the actual, non-virtual, world around us.However, we have been so conditioned by a perpetual bombardment of electronic stimuli radio, television, computers, video games, mobile phones/entertainment centers, etc that it has become difficult, albeit unappealing, for us to re-focus our attention on our actual physical, natural environment. A parallel outcome of our desensitization to the physical, natural world in which we live, is the subsequent degradation of our ecology, which entails our lack of emphasis or awareness on its living/breathing/fragile/organic nature.The danger of this, as many of us recognize, is potentially catastrophic as we create and live in an increasingly human-made and virtual reality wherein we believe we are safer, happier, more satisfied, etc we al so increasingly ignore the actual and natural reality in which we are encompassed, and risk the extinction of the environment through the excessive pollution, raiding and disforestation of the planet that we have witnessed since the rise of the industrial-technological age.The degradation of the natural world is bad in many ways. Firstly, it appears to be morally and ethically wrong at least to those of us whose ethics and morals outweigh our imperialistic drives to destructively impact the earth, its ecosystems, i. e. rivers, oceans and forests, as well as animals, plants, trees, etc. One ability ask, What right have we humans to destroy the earth, simply for our own benefit? Is this not selfish and unnecessary? Many of us have asked this question, though it seems that the overall progress of our technologically based capitalism remains indisposed to curtail its invasions and usurpations of nature, or to halt its path of destruction for the sake of morals or ethics. Where the dollar bill is concerned, questions of right and wrong become thin and ineffectual, nearly meaningless. Secondly, the degradation of the natural environment is increasingly affecting the balance of the planet itself, which in turn contaminates our own quality of life.For a fundamental overview of how human technology is damaging the planet, one has only to search through a plethora of books, TV specials, or movies on this topic (i. e. An inconvenient Truth, by Al Gore). I will here call only a few ways in which planetary degradation affects human life. In a recent trip to Lima, Peru I learned that Peruvians predominantly drive older used cars, from the 80s or 70s, which emit high levels of visible exhaust fumes making the air both venomous and putrid to breathe.Driving around town there is often no lose from these fumes which pour out of the car just in front of you. The situation is just as bad in many other developing third world countries around the globe. Even here in the U nited States, where we have increasingly stricter emissions controls on our vehicles, the air quality in some cities is very poor, and on certain days people are advised to avoid going out of doors, or allowing their children to play outside at all.In many countries, air pollution is severe and debilitating, and only get worse. In addition to increasing the risk of respiratory disease, the eroding of the ozone forge has also increased the risk of skin cancer, and its become universal to slather on gobs of sunscreen lotion before going outside on a sunny day for any aloofness of time. Industrial pollution has made our water supplies dirty, so they are zapped with chlorine, making our water not really enjoyable, or many would say, healthy to drink.As for our food, as genetic engineering takes hold, what we eat becomes increasingly tasteless and less nutritious. Although these are only a very few examples of the many problems made by technology, there is no denying that the degrada tion of the natural world leads to our own degradation. The third major impact of the degradation of nature is spiritual. As we become less attuned to the world of nature, which is gradually breaking down, our inherent connection to the earth dissipates.We become less the caretakers of the earth, or participants in Her splendor of glory, and moreover the survivors of a man-made holocaust inflicted upon nature. We rationalize our disconnect from nature those of us who are aware of it with the heralding of a new age of technological transcendence. In comparison with all our own amazing discoveries, inventions and developments, we cannot believe that the earth is all that important. How can a handful of dirt compare to the glory of an I-phone?Our attitudes reveal a consensual belief that we are superior to and above the earth as also evidenced by our scientific investigations into creating hospitable conditions on other planets, as well as expanded, city-size space stations in which we could begin to harp the greater universe, where we would, even more so, live in human-made, virtual reality realms. The bigger question is whether our spirits can survive or thrive in states of stark disconnection from the earth, our origin and planetary source of beingThis sort of fantastic and futuristic evolution is in line with our reigning religion of Christianity, in which our sinful earthbound lives are to be potentially transformed through belief in Christ, when, upon the moment of our death, we are to scrape up high into the heavens, into a cloud-like dimension above and beyond all the mussy entanglements of this planet earth. With such a cosmo-vision, such a context of the terminal of life, its no wonder the sanctity of the earth has lost its power to impel our actions.It seems only the portended threat of our own extinction will live up to to encourage us to behave differently. For if we are only to inhabit this earth for such a brief span of time until our tra nscendence into a perfect eternity in another dimension then whats the big deal if we just abuse Her until were gone, because in the grand scheme of things She doesnt matter much anyways. Christianity also teaches that, of all the creatures and life-forms upon this planet, only human beings have souls that can be saved, and thus make the transmigration beyond a mortal death into an immortal and eternal fter-life. Since, in the Christian view, nothing else upon this planet has a soul, or is capable of redemption, we justify our own paramount importance, and it becomes completely plausible to view all things as merely our own resources. In this way, we lose a perspective of value and veneration for the natural world around us while worshipping our own agendas. It becomes evident that many areas of our lives our economy, our technology and industry, our religion, and our general philosophy of living depict our own implicit superiority complex over the natural world of creation.And y et, by and by, we get glimpses of the truth that it is impossible for humanity to become superior to nature, because we are really an intrinsic part of the earth which we seek to dominate and control. In actuality, the world of nature is indeed superior to humankind, as we are merely one aspect of its grand panorama. However, we continue to ignore our interconnectedness with nature, our true identity as an outgrowth or expression of nature, and behave as if we have the right and ability to continue dominating the earth without eventually destroying ourselves.But what goes around comes around, and sooner or later you get what you give, or to put it in technological terms you input what you output. Why have we continued on in this, less than intelligent, manner? You could say that we modern-day humans are simply dumb and indifferent, which is partially true from a holistic perspective. But beneath that we are really out of control, so fascinated by our own invented civilization that we fail to recognize the greater organic and historical context in which we live.Over the past 500 years or so, the peoples of Europe have invaded, conquered, colonized and converted virtually every other continent, people and culture upon the planet were currently working steadfast on the Middle East with our imperialistic inquisitions, our Christianity and our capitalism. In the words of Martin Prechtel, author of Secrets Of The Talking Jaguar, and an initiate of the Mayan shamanic mysteries Over the last two or three centuries, a heartless culture-crushing mentality has incremented its progress on the earth, devouring all peoples, nature, imagination, and spiritual knowledge.Like a big mechanized slug, it has left behind a flat, homogenized steak of civilization wherever it passed. Every human on this earth African, Asian, European, Islanders, or from the Americas has ancestors who at some point in their history had their stories, rituals, ingenuity, language and lifeways tak en away, enslaved, banned, exploited, twisted or destroyed by this force. Our modern technological way of life is a vast and dramatic change from the vastly more earth-friendly modes of human existence that preceded this rapid global development for thousands of years.It is a sad and unpopular fact that, as Western civilization has progressed, countless other civilizations have regressed, have indeed been ravaged and undone by the coercion of our own ideas and powers upon them. To this day, we either disregard their suffering and continue on our own path to global domination, or we view them through the eyes of sympathetic charity, regarding ourselves, our own culture, as the superior and dominant people who will now help, aide and assist these less fortunate people whom we devastated in the first place to acquire the modes of our own elevated survival and sustenance.The deceptive hypocrisy of our impact upon, and subsequent response to, third world countries is confounded by our own apparent lack of responsibility for our actions, both past and present, that debilitate these people. For instance, in the countries of Central &038 South America, our oil production facilities lead to massive destruction of both the land and the lives of the indigenous peoples. In the mid 1990? s, author Joe Kane documented the horrific impacts of corporate oil companies upon native cultures and the pristine Amazonian rainforest of Ecuador in his superbly written book, Savages.In the book, Kane describes the struggle of one of the last remaining indigenous tribes the Huaorani who consider themselves to have not been conquered by modern Western culture, against the impending invasion of corporate oil. Referencing his colleague Judith Kimerling from her book Amazon Crude, Kane states In 1967 Texaco discovered commercial oil in the Oriente the Ecuadorian rainforest. In 1972 it completed a 312-mile pipeline from the Oriente to Ecuadors Pacific coast. From its inception until just 1989, the Texaco pipeline had ruptured at least twenty seven times, spilling 16. 8 million gallons of raw crude most of it into the Orientes delicate web of rivers, creeks and lagoons. As a witness himself to a colossal oil spill into the native Ecuadorian rainforest, Kane writes, While I was in Tonampare a valve in an oil well near the Napo broke, or was left open, and for two days and a night raw crude streamed into the river at least 21,000 gallons and perhaps as many as 80,000, creating a slick that stretched from bank to bank for forty miles. Due to this oil spill, a state of emergency was declared downstream in both Peru and Brazil, although, according to Kane, the oil company responsible for the spill disregarded the incident and did nothing to improve the situation. While in Ecuador, Kane visited various Huaorani communities and received further firsthand reports of extensive and extreme contamination, via oil spills, of their water supplies resulting in unruly health ep idemics, severe illnesses and deaths.However, the problems of oil drilling extend beyond the awful impacts upon Huaorani and Indian health in general, as the settlements made by the oil companies result in drastic disruption, deviation and desecration of traditional Indian culture. It is a complicated process, because the imperialistic thrust of big oil coincides with all sorts of modern Western byproducts including colonization, conversion to Christianity, and re-education of native Indians in which no element of Huaorani culture was allowed to enter the curriculum. This enforced process of acculturation to Western ways results in the obliteration of the value, the history, and the very existence of traditional culture for all Indians affected. During the months that Kane spent roaming through Ecuador, mainly with the Huaorani tribe, he experienced the traditional self-sufficient way of life that the Huaorani as well as many other indigenous South American tribes have lived for millennia. After visiting colonized areas as well, he reports that Indians who have succumbed to a conversion to Western ways appear much worse off than those who have held to their traditional ways.Of these colonized Huaorani, Kane writes the people were dependent on goods brought in from outside, and many of them had become wage slaves to a culture they could never hope to be truly a part of to a culture that, in fact, considered them little more than animals. The convergence of the diverse aspects of capitalism, colonization and conversion to Western ways and Christianity upon the various Indian tribes who are impacted all amount to ethnocide.The fact that such corruption initiated by Western imperialistic drives based on capitalistic gains is still going on, only reveals that we have not progressed very far, at least globally speaking, in our path to becoming a more humane society. But the typical modern world citizen doesnt care about any of this and has very little knowled ge of the historical European conquests that have transformed spiritually and functionally intact cultures into materially indigent, chaotic and violent third world countries. Most of us are more or less plodding along our own enlightened paths of self-serving materialism.When we do give any consideration to cultures of a lesser material status, we judge and compare their shabby way of life to ours, in which running water, electricity, cars, central heating, air conditioning and 24 hour grocery stores are essential. We devalue their modes of living through our own ignorance and ingrained sense of superiority, as we seek to save them, not by helping them to regain their own valued way of life, but by converting them to ours which only reinforces our own paradigm of economic, technological and religious superiority.We frequently fail to realize that not every human being on this planet wants or needs to be hooked into the wave of technological progress with which we are so completely mesmerized. Not only does our enchantment with technology threaten our humanity, our society, and our planet, it also through our continued pressures upon non-Western, non-technologically-based cultures to convert to the ways of the modern Western world threatens to destroy the few remaining earth-based, indigenous peoples on this planet who would rather not be bothered by us or our materialistic ways.Do we really need to continue to conquer the earth with our capitalism until there is a 7-11 and McDonalds in every corner of the world? Until there are freeways chomping through every area of pristine land? Until all the forests have been chopped down and transformed into urban and industrial sprawl? Cant we contain ourselves with a little respect for the rest of the world? There are still people on this planet who enjoy living in the organic environment of nature, where electricity, motor vehicles, cells phones and I-pods arent a necessary aspect of life.They are able to survive, and thrive, quite well without all the modern accoutrements of modern life that we so desire, and many of them would like to remain as they are. And yet our attitude reveals an inner conviction that we have discovered the way of the future and must deliver this message in force to the rest of the world. Rather than continuing on our present course of a global takeover, we need to ask ourselves what we can learn from non-Westernized cultures that still live in ancient and earth-honoring ways, cultures that we tend to brutalize and greedily destroy.We need to learn to interact with these other cultures respectfully and humanely, allowing them their own way of life and sustenance upon this planet without interfering and coercing our interests and values upon them. Not everyone needs to drive a car on a freeway, to work in an office and live in a house in the city if the 7,000,000,000 human beings now alive on the planet lived like this, our environmental devastation would likely expan d exponentially.To expect a global conversion of all peoples in all places into an assimilation of our unique modern, technological way of life is stupid, insane and supremely unreasonable. However, like a big, proud, arrogant peacock strutting itself all over the planet, the United States continues making moves to engulf the globe with the gluttony of our own capitalistic enterprises, all the while disregarding and disrupting the dignity of other countries, cultures and peoples.Reflecting upon the impact of our very recent civilization upon other, much older, traditional and earth-based civilizations, as well as the planet itself, we should notice and consider the damages we have done, the violences we have perpetrated, and the miseries we have created We need to move beyond the Christian fantasy that we are a completely good and benign presence on the planet, that we are somehow Gods chosen people with a free pass to do whatever we want regardless of the consequences.We should th ink about how we can be less ego-centric, and seek to balance our technological advances with tending to the well-being of the earth, other cultures and one another. We should consider how to create more harmony in the world, and a little less profit. Indeed, many individuals and organizations are becoming increasingly devoted to a greater consciousness of how to live in ways that are earth friendly. The overall pro-environmental movements are coming to be known as green movements, and they provide good and necessary developments toward a future in which humans could be of greater benefit than detriment to the planet. However, very much work and change remains to be done in this area. One problem inherent with these movements is that when we think about saving the planet, or saving the polar bears, we are still thinking abstractly. In truth, the planet was doing just fine before the advent of modern industry and technological society. Save the planet really means Stop the humans fr om destroying the planet because we are only saving the planet from ourselves. Living our urban, fast-paced and machine-based lives, very few of us have time, energy or ability to keep gardens, raise livestock, hunt for our sustenance or otherwise live in any kind of experiential symbiosis with the planet. We live in suburban and citified concrete jungles where the animals have become cars, and the trees and forests are now banks, department stores and high rise apartment complexes.Because we have created our own processed environment of roads, cars, industry, buildings, malls, homes an endless urban sprawl that houses an endless supply of manmade things because we live in a world designed by capitalism, a world of incessant advertising, sales and the desperate, frantic pursuit of material things of production and products a world molded and defined by television, radio and the chronic bombardment of salesmen we rarely, if ever, experience an intimate connection with the natural world, with the planet we are hoping to save.Sure we can learn all about the planet, discovering the marvels of the earth in science magazines or through viewing compelling video footage of nature, we can learn all about the planet in schools, in laboratories or other second hand means, but until we have a sustained, direct encounter with the earth and nature itself, how can we truly know it, and what will it ever really mean to us? And how few of us will ever accomplish this?Indeed, as it now stands our civilization is composed of a people, and a culture, that have moved out of nature into man-created worlds based upon the destruction of nature and they call this evolution. Ultimately, its up to us to change the story, to write a new script, to realize who we are, what we have become, and to simply wake up to the realization of how we want our lives, and the life of our entire planet, to unfold So think about it, and let your thoughts permeate all that you do, for the existence o f yourself and every other being around you may depend upon it.Its both funny and sad that as soon as people leave their familiar comfort zone, when they are alone, say at a coffee shop or waiting in line for a bus, they automatically, almost reactively, reach for the cell phone to call or text someone who will reconnect them with the safe and familiar world from which they have momentarily wandered away.The average persons lack of ability, or willingness, to encounter an unknown situation or territory reveals their lack of tolerance for being alone, as well as their lack of curiosity or propensity to simply notice and appreciate their surroundings as if their bodily senses had been nullified into a potential danger zone in which their very stability of self would quickly fragment should they let go a little, observe and potentially interact with the unfolding world around them.Yes, weve learned to live in little bubbles of safety which cut us off from our fellow-humans we no long er live in the actual world, but in our own self-created worlds, via the latest form of technology. I suspect that our modern sense of security has been entrained to operate in collusion with these technological devices that have slyly entrapped our minds even as they have offered us incredible new possibilities.Our reliance on new and ever-advancing technologies, such as the mobile phone which in a few short years has also become a mobile photo album, mobile internet, camera, video machine and multi-media entertainment center has developed into quite a habit, an unconscious addiction that is shaping the very nature of our personalities, both personal and collective, and even, God forbid, our souls. What need have we, the general public, for an imagination when so many limitlessly stimulating devices are available in our world?Who needs an inner world at all when the outer world of our own creations has become so evocative, so seducing, so ever-demanding, evasive and totalitarian? We are continually inundated with advertisements and societal pressures to acquire new technological distractions and modes of external stimulus. Living under such conditions, how is it possible for us to maintain or cultivate much of an inner world, or a soul, whatsoever?The underlying message of our media is commercial in enforcing the demands of commerce upon us, we are defined primarily as consumers, persuaded not to think for ourselves, but to join in the latest collective frenzy of technological adventures that continually reinterpret the purpose of our lives. This never ending flood of media proclamations, while appearing as a material liberation, serves as a psychological oppression of the individual soul. Capitalism sells new versions of reality that may have nothing to do with ones own true needs or sensibilities. However, it is the advertisers job to convince us otherwise.So far they are doing a pretty good job The natural world, the earth itself the air, the trees, the vast realms of animals, plants, oceans, deserts and mountains are increasingly losing meaning and value in the self-hypnotized, narcissistic lives of mechanized human beings. Although it is certainly an abomination of our essential heritage, we are ever-entrained to focus less and less on the natural world in which we live, and of which we are but one aspect lest we forget and more and more to focus on the world as fashioned through the minds and hands of men.Its sad indeed when we ignore what is right before our eyes, i. e. our actual surrounding environment, and instead remain culled to a collective techno-vision of the ideal man-made life. Its also sad when we ignore those human beings who are standing right in front of us because wed prefer to text or talk with someone miles away, when we must remain overly-attached to those we know because weve lost our human capacity for interrelationship with our expanded world of fellow citizens who we now dismiss as strangers.Our advance in technology has engendered a compensating inversion in our capacity for compassion and community which is to say, the further we develop our technology, the less we appear to maintain the qualities of a loving, caring and attentive human society. Being aware in the mystery of the present moment, tolerating the unknown, and tolerating states of non-stimulation is the first phase in moving towards a more attuned state of openness and potential interaction with the actual, non-virtual, world around us.However, we have been so conditioned by a perpetual bombardment of electronic stimuli radio, television, computers, video games, mobile phones/entertainment centers, etc that it has become difficult, albeit unappealing, for us to re-focus our attention on our actual physical, natural environment. A parallel outcome of our desensitization to the physical, natural world in which we live, is the subsequent degradation of our ecology, which entails our lack of emphasis or awareness on it s living/breathing/fragile/organic nature.The danger of this, as many of us recognize, is potentially catastrophic as we create and live in an increasingly human-made and virtual reality wherein we believe we are safer, happier, more satisfied, etc we also increasingly ignore the actual and natural reality in which we are encompassed, and risk the extinction of the environment through the excessive pollution, raiding and deforestation of the planet that we have witnessed since the rise of the industrial-technological age.The degradation of the natural world is problematic in many ways. Firstly, it appears to be morally and ethically wrong at least to those of us whose ethics and morals outweigh our imperialistic drives to destructively impact the earth, its ecosystems, i. e. rivers, oceans and forests, as well as animals, plants, trees, etc. One might ask, What right have we humans to destroy the earth, simply for our own benefit? Is this not selfish and unnecessary? Many of us have asked this question, though it seems that the overall progress of our technologically based capitalism remains unwilling to curtail its invasions and usurpations of nature, or to halt its path of destruction for the sake of morals or ethics. Where the dollar bill is concerned, questions of right and wrong become thin and ineffectual, nearly meaningless. Secondly, the degradation of the natural environment is increasingly affecting the balance of the planet itself, which in turn contaminates our own quality of life.For a thorough overview of how human technology is damaging the planet, one has only to search through a plethora of books, TV specials, or movies on this topic (i. e. An Inconvenient Truth, by Al Gore). I will here mention only a few ways in which planetary degradation affects human life. In a recent trip to Lima, Peru I learned that Peruvians predominantly drive older used cars, from the 80s or 70s, which emit high levels of visible exhaust fumes making the air both toxic and putrid to breathe.Driving around town there is often no escape from these fumes which pour out of the car just in front of you. The situation is just as bad in many other developing third world countries around the globe. Even here in the United States, where we have increasingly stricter emissions controls on our vehicles, the air quality in some cities is very poor, and on certain days people are advised to avoid going out of doors, or allowing their children to play outside at all.In many countries, air pollution is severe and debilitating, and only getting worse. In addition to increasing the risk of respiratory disease, the eroding of the ozone layer has also increased the risk of skin cancer, and its become customary to slather on gobs of sunscreen lotion before going outside on a sunny day for any length of time. Industrial pollution has made our water supplies dirty, so they are zapped with chlorine, making our water not really enjoyable, or many would say, health y to drink.As for our food, as genetic engineering takes hold, what we eat becomes increasingly tasteless and less nutritious. Although these are only a very few examples of the many problems made by technology, there is no denying that the degradation of the natural world leads to our own degradation. The third major impact of the degradation of nature is spiritual. As we become less attuned to the world of nature, which is gradually breaking down, our inherent connection to the earth dissipates.We become less the caretakers of the earth, or participants in Her splendor of glory, and moreover the survivors of a man-made holocaust inflicted upon nature. We rationalize our disconnect from nature those of us who are aware of it with the heralding of a new age of technological transcendence. In comparison with all our own amazing discoveries, inventions and developments, we cannot believe that the earth is all that important. How can a handful of dirt compare to the glory of an I-pho ne?Our attitudes reveal a consensual belief that we are superior to and above the earth as also evidenced by our scientific investigations into creating hospitable conditions on other planets, as well as expanded, city-size space stations in which we could begin to populate the greater universe, where we would, even more so, live in human-made, virtual reality realms. The bigger question is whether our spirits can survive or thrive in states of stark disconnection from the earth, our origin and planetary source of beingThis sort of fantastic and futuristic evolution is in line with our reigning religion of Christianity, in which our sinful earthbound lives are to be potentially transformed through belief in Christ, when, upon the moment of our death, we are to ascend high into the heavens, into a cloud-like dimension above and beyond all the messy entanglements of this planet earth. With such a cosmo-vision, such a context of the goal of life, its no wonder the sanctity of the ea rth has lost its power to impel our actions.It seems only the portended threat of our own extinction will suffice to encourage us to behave differently. For if we are only to inhabit this earth for such a brief span of time until our transcendence into a perfect eternity in another dimension then whats the big deal if we just abuse Her until were gone, because in the grand scheme of things She doesnt matter much anyways. Christianity also teaches that, of all the creatures and life-forms upon this planet, only human beings have souls that can be saved, and thus make the transmigration beyond a mortal d