Facts and Brief History of Oman

Facts and Brief History of Oman The Sultanate of Oman long served as a hub on the Indian Ocean trade routes, and it has ancient ties that reach from Pakistan to the island of Zanzibar. Today, Oman is one of the wealthiest nations on Earth, despite not having extensive oil reserves. Capital and Major Cities Capital: Muscat, population 735,000 Major Cities: Seeb, pop. 238,000 Salalah, 163,000 Bawshar, 159.000 Sohar, 108,000 Suwayq, 107,000 Government Oman is an absolute monarchy ruled by Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said. The Sultan rules by decree. Oman has a bicameral legislature, the Council of Oman, which serves an advisory role to the Sultan. The upper house, the Majlis ad-Dawlah, has 71 members from prominent Omani families, who are appointed by the Sultan. The lower chamber, the Majlis ash-Shoura, has 84 members who are elected by the people, but the Sultan can negate their elections.   Population of Oman Oman has about 3.2 million residents, only 2.1 million of whom are Omanis. The rest are foreign guest workers, mainly from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco, and the Philippines.  Within the Omani population, ethnolinguistic minorities include Zanzibaris, Alajamis, and Jibbalis.   Languages Standard Arabic is the official language of Oman. However, some Omanis also speak several different dialects of Arabic and even entirely distinct Semitic languages. Small minority languages related to Arabic and Hebrew include Bathari, Harsusi, Mehri, Hobyot (also spoken in a small area of Yemen), and Jibbali. About 2,300 people speak Kumzari, which is an Indo-European language from the Iranian branch, the only Iranian language spoken on the Arabian Peninsula. English and Swahili are commonly spoken as second languages in Oman, due to the countrys historical ties with Britain and Zanzibar. Balochi, another Iranian language that is one of the official languages of Pakistan, is also widely spoken by Omanis. Guest workers speak Arabic, Urdu, Tagalog, and English, among other languages. Religion The official religion of Oman is Ibadi Islam, which is a branch distinct from both Sunni and Shia beliefs, that originated just about 60 years after the Prophet Mohammeds death. Approximately 25% of the population is non-Muslim. Religions represented include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Bahai, and Christianity. This rich diversity reflects Omans centuries-long position as a major trade depot within the Indian Ocean system. Geography Oman covers an area of 309,500 square kilometers (119,500 square miles) on the southeast end of the Arabian Peninsula. Much of the land is a gravel desert, although some sand dunes also exist. Most of Omans population lives in the mountainous areas in the north and the southeast coast. Oman also possesses a small piece of land on the tip of the Musandam Peninsula, cut off from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Oman borders on the UAE to the north, Saudi Arabia to the northwest, and Yemen to the west.  Iran sits across the Gulf of Oman to the north-north-east.   Climate Much of Oman is extremely hot and dry. The interior desert regularly sees summer temperatures in excess of 53 °C (127  °F), with annual precipitation of just 20 to 100 millimeters (0.8 to 3.9 inches). The coast is usually about twenty degrees Celsius or thirty degrees Fahrenheit cooler. In the Jebel Akhdar mountain region, rainfall can reach 900 millimeters in a year (35.4 inches). Economy Omans economy is perilously reliant on oil and gas extraction, even though its reserves are only the 24th largest in the world. Fossil fuels account for more than 95% of Omans exports. The country also produces small amounts of manufactured goods and agricultural products for export - primarily dates, limes, vegetables, and grain - but the desert country imports much more food than it exports. The Sultans government is focusing on diversifying the economy by encouraging manufacturing and service sector development. Omans per capita GDP is about $28,800 US (2012), with a 15% unemployment rate. History Humans have lived in what is now Oman since at least 106,000 years ago  when Late Pleistocene people left stone tools related to the Nubian Complex from the Horn of Africa in the Dhofar region. This indicates that humans moved from Africa into Arabia around that time, if not earlier, possibly across the Red Sea.   The earliest known city in Oman is Dereaze, which dates back at least 9,000 years. Archaeological finds include flint tools, hearths, and hand-formed pottery. A nearby mountainside also yields pictographs of animals and hunters. Early Sumerian tablets call Oman Magan, and note that it was a source of copper. From the 6th century BCE forward, Oman was usually controlled by the great Persian dynasties based just across the Gulf in what is now Iran. First it was the Achaemenids, who may have established a local capital at Sohar; next the Parthians; and finally the Sassanids, who ruled until the rise of Islam in the 7th century CE. Oman was among the first places to convert to Islam; the Prophet sent a missionary south around 630 CE, and the rulers of Oman submitted to the new faith. This was prior to the Sunni/Shia split, so Oman took up Ibadi Islam  and has continued to subscribe to this ancient sect within the faith. Omani traders and sailors were among the most important factors in propagating Islam around the rim of the India Ocean, carrying the new religion to India, Southeast Asia, and parts of the East African coast. After the Prophet Mohammeds death, Oman came under the rule of the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates, the Qarmatians (931-34), the Buyids (967-1053), and the Seljuks (1053-1154). When the Portuguese entered the Indian Ocean trade  and began to exert their power, they recognized Muscat as a prime port. They would occupy the city for almost 150 years, from 1507 to 1650. Their control was not uncontested, however; the Ottoman fleet captured the city from the Portuguese in 1552 and again from 1581 to 1588, only to lose it again each time. In 1650, local tribesmen managed to drive the Portuguese away for good; no other European country managed to colonize the area, although the British did exert some imperial influence in later centuries. In 1698, the Imam of Oman invaded Zanzibar and drove the Portuguese away from the island. He also occupied parts of coastal northern Mozambique. Oman used this toehold in East Africa as a slave market, supplying African forced labor to the Indian Ocean world.   The founder of Omans current ruling dynasty, the Al Said  took power in 1749. During a secession struggle about 50 years later, the British were able to extract concessions from an Al Said ruler in return for supporting his claim to the throne. In 1913, Oman split into two countries, with religious imams ruling the interior while the sultans continued to rule in Muscat and the coast.   This situation grew complicated in the 1950s  when likely-looking oil formations were discovered. The sultan in Muscat was responsible for all dealings with foreign powers, but the imams controlled the areas that appeared to have oil. As a result, the sultan and his allies captured the interior in 1959 after four years of fighting, once again uniting the coast and interior of Oman. In 1970, the current sultan overthrew his father, Sultan Said bin Taimur  and introduced economic and social reforms. He could not stem the uprisings around the country, however, until Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, and Britain intervened, bringing about a peace settlement in 1975. Sultan Qaboos continued to modernize the country. However, he faced protests in 2011 during the Arab Spring; after promising further reforms, he cracked down on activists, fining and jailing several of them.

The Scientific Possibilities of Time Travel

The Scientific Possibilities of Time Travel Stories regarding travel into the past and the future have long captured our imagination, but the question of whether time travel is possible is a thorny one that gets right to the heart of understanding what physicists mean when they use the word time.   Modern physics teaches us that time is one of the most mysterious aspects of our universe, though it may at first seem straightforward. Einstein revolutionized our understanding of the concept, but even with this revised understanding, some scientists still ponder the question of whether or not ​time actually exists or whether it is a mere stubbornly persistent illusion (as Einstein once called it). Whatever time is, though, physicists (and fiction writers) have found some interesting ways to manipulate it to consider traversing it in unorthodox ways. Time and Relativity Though referenced in H.G. Wells The Time Machine (1895), the actual science of time travel didnt come into being until well into the twentieth century, as a side-effect of Albert Einsteins theory of general relativity (developed in 1915). Relativity describes the physical fabric of the universe in terms of a 4-dimensional spacetime, which includes three spatial dimensions (up/down, left/right, and front/back) along with one time dimension. Under this theory, which has been proven by numerous experiments over the last century, gravity is a result of the bending of this spacetime in response to the presence of matter. In other words, given a certain configuration of matter, the actual spacetime fabric of the universe can be altered in significant ways. One of the amazing consequences of relativity is that movement can result in a difference in the way time passes, a process known as time dilation. This is most dramatically manifested in the classic Twin Paradox. In this method of time travel, you can move into the future faster than normal, but theres not really any way back. (Theres a slight exception, but more on that later in the article.) Early Time Travel In 1937, Scottish physicist W. J. van Stockum first applied general relativity in a way that opened the door for time travel. By applying the equation of general relativity to a situation with an infinitely long, extremely dense rotating cylinder (kind of like an endless barbershop pole). The rotation of such a massive object actually creates a phenomenon known as frame dragging, which is that it actually drags spacetime along with it. Van Stockum found that in this situation, you could create a path in 4-dimensional spacetime which began and ended at the same point - something called a closed timelike curve - which is the physical result that allows time travel. You can set off in a space ship and travel a path which brings you back to the exact same moment you started out at. Though an intriguing result, this was a fairly contrived situation, so there wasnt really much concern about it taking place. A new interpretation was about to come along, however, which was much more controversial. In 1949, the mathematician Kurt Godel - a friend of Einsteins and a colleague at Princeton Universitys Institute for Advanced Study - decided to tackle a situation where the whole universe is rotating. In Godels solutions, time travel was actually allowed by the equations if the universe were rotating. A rotating universe could itself function as a time machine. Now, if the universe were rotating, there would be ways to detect it (light beams would bend, for example, if the whole universe were rotating), and so far the evidence is overwhelmingly strong that there is no sort of universal rotation. So again, time travel is ruled out by this particular set of results. But the fact is that things in the universe do rotate, and that again opens up the possibility. Time Travel and Black Holes In 1963, New Zealand mathematician Roy Kerr used the field equations to analyze a rotating black hole, called a Kerr black hole, and found that the results allowed a path through a wormhole in the black hole, missing the singularity at the center, and make it out the other end. This scenario also allows for closed timelike curves, as theoretical physicist Kip Thorne realized years later. In the early 1980s, while Carl Sagan worked on his 1985 novel Contact, he approached Kip Thorne with a question about the physics of time travel, which inspired Thorne to examine the concept of using a black hole as a means of time travel. Together with the physicist Sung-Won Kim, Thorne realized that you could (in theory) have a black hole with a wormhole connecting it to another point in space held open by some form of negative energy. But just because you have a wormhole doesnt mean that you have a time machine. Now, lets assume that you could move one end of the wormhole (the movable end). You place the movable end on a spaceship, shooting it off into space at nearly the speed of light. Time dilation kicks in, and the time experienced by the movable end is much less than the time experienced by the fixed end. Lets assume that you move the movable end 5,000 years into the future of the Earth, but the movable end only ages 5 years. So you leave in 2010 AD, say, and arrive in 7010 AD. However, if you travel through the movable end, you will actually pop out of the fixed end in 2015 AD (since 5 years have passed back on Earth). What? How does this work? Well, the fact is that the two ends of the wormhole are connected. No matter how far apart they are, in spacetime, theyre still basically near each other. Since the movable end is only five years older than when it left, going through it will send you back to the related point on the fixed wormhole. And if someone from 2015 AD Earth steps through the fixed wormhole, theyd come out in 7010 AD from the movable wormhole. (If someone stepped through the wormhole in 2012 AD, theyd end up on the spaceship somewhere in the middle of the trip and so on.) Though this is the most physically reasonable description of a time machine, there are still problems. No one knows if wormholes or negative energy exist, nor how to put them together in this way if they do exist. But it is (in theory) possible.

Abortion is it The Right Thing to Do Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Abortion is it The Right Thing to Do - Essay Example In the USA, the debate is predominantly between pro-life and pro-choice groups, which oppose and support abortion respectively. The contention in this paper will be to examine both sides of the debate with the intention to determine which side has a more solid argument on the matter. Since the legalization of abortion in 1973, its opponents have brought forward several arguments to protest against it, most of them being based on moral and religious as well as health grounds, and many of these have been and are still quite compelling. One of the most common arguments against abortion is that it is tantamount to murder,and inducing an abortioninvolves ending a human life; this is because most anti-abortionists mostly hold that life begins at conception. Pro-life groups often cite the fact that since there have been over 52 million abortions in the USA alone over the last forty years, abortion has quintessentially claimed more lives than most of the wars in modern times. As such, it is argued that those who procure and provide abortions are in essence conspirators in murder and should get the same treatment meted out to convicted murders. In addition, another reason why abortion is opposed is the danger involved in its procurement, owing to the fact that there are many parts of the world where abortion is either illegal or the facilities are not available. In addition, in comparison with other medical procedures, abortion is often unregulated, and as a result there are many instances of botched up abortions leading to severe complications, especially when it is procured illegally by unqualified personal (Vlassoff et al. 114). Despite the fact that abortions carried out legally and by qualified medical professionals are considered generally safe, it is estimated that since the legalization of abortion in 1973, over 347 women have been killed while undergoing abortion. It has also been speculated that abortion increases one’s risks of getting breast cancer by at least 50 percent in addition to being possible cause of complications and difficulty when giving birth in future. However, as long as abortion is legal and carried out in health facilities, women are informed of all the potential side effects before they agree to the procedure. That way they make an informed decision out of their own free will in more or less the same way the government respects smokers’ right to smoke despite the potential risks (Kilerbert). Pro-lifers have also been very vocal in propagating the argument that abortion is offensive to God, and since he is the only one who can create life, he should be the only one who can take it away; therefore, abortionists try to play God, which is both immoral and sinful. As aforementioned, several of the arguments put forward in opposition of abortion are actually quite tenable; however, they do not tell the whole story and many of them, especially the ones based on religion and morality, are highly subjective and often emotional. For instance, despite the beliefs of several religious organizations that abortion is illegal and despite the fact that none of the religiou s books such as the Bible or the Koran mentions it, not everyone comes from the same religious background or is a believer at all. As such, arguing

Cultural group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural group - Essay Example eritage, I dream and find piece of mind in my life.The dream is so sweet and if dreams werethe same, then all would see the rich taste of food I have whenever I dream of my culture. I hate what foreigners are trying to do to my culture. They are bent on destroyiong the sweet dreams and good moments that my culture has made me enjoy. Because of culture I have reached out to the outer space and danced to the awesome sounds of our rich music. In addition, my heart has been collected by the rich taste of food that my culture provides. Their taste is like eating in paradise itself. Not to forget is the sacredness by which my culture holds families and issues revolving around it like sex. Each time I am brought forward to my elders or parents to correct my wrong ways, I always feel at the end of the odeal that great justice has been done to me. When given a chance, I would stop foreigners completely from destroying my culture. This is because many visitors in my region do not understand most of our cultural practices and symbolics and are often found at the wrong side of the law as our interest are not aligned. Alternatively, I would educate foreingners on the significance of my culture within the society and introduce fines to those found destroying the rich heritage within my community. This will curb the rise on cultural offences perpatrated by foreigners who are ignorant of

Filipino people Essay Example for Free

Filipino people Essay Women have always enjoyed greater equality in Philippine society than was common in other parts of Southeast Asia. Since pre-Spanish times, Filipinos have traced kinship bilaterally. A womans rights to legal equality and to inherit family property have not been questioned. Education and literacy levels in 1990 were higher for women than for men. President Aquino often is given as an example of what women can accomplish in Philippine society. The appearance of women in important positions, however, is not new or even unusual in the Philippines. Filipino women, usually called Filipinas, have been senators, cabinet officers, Supreme Court justices, administrators, and heads of major business enterprises. Furthermore, in the early 1990s women were found in more than a proportionate share of many professions although they predominated in domestic service (91 percent), professional and technical positions (59. 4 percent), and sales (57. 9 percent). Women also were often preferred in assembly-type factory work. The availability of the types of employment in which women predominated probably explains why about two-thirds of the rural to urban migrants were female. Although domestic service is a low-prestige occupation, the other types of employment compare favorably with opportunities open to the average man. This favorable occupational distribution does not mean that women were without economic problems. Although women were eligible for high positions, these were more often obtained by men. In 1990 women represented 64 percent of graduate students but held only 159 of 982 career top executive positions in the civil service. In the private sector, only about 15 percent of top-level positions were held by women. According to many observers, because men relegated household tasks to women, employed women carried a double burden. This burden was moderated somewhat by the availability of relatives and servants who functioned as helpers and child caretakers, but the use of servants and relatives has sometimes been denounced as the equivalent of exploiting some women to free others. Since the Spanish colonial period, the woman has been the family treasurer, which, at least to some degree, gave her the power of the purse. Nevertheless, the Spanish also established a tradition of subordinating women, which is manifested in womens generally submissive attitudes and in a double standard of sexual conduct. The womans role as family treasurer, along with a womans maintenance of a generally submissive demeanor, has changed little, but the double standard of sexual morality is being challenged. Male dominance also has been challenged, to some extent, in the 1987 constitution. The constitution contains an equal rights clausealthough it lacks specific provisions that might make that clause effective. As of the early 1990s, divorce was prohibited in the Philippines. Under some circumstances, legal separation was permitted, but no legal remarriage was possible. The family code of 1988 was somewhat more liberal. Reflective of Roman Catholic Church law, the code allowed annulment for psychological incapacity to be a marital partner, as well as for repeated physical violence against a mate or pressure to change religious or political affiliation. Divorce obtained abroad by an alien mate was recognized. Although the restrictive divorce laws might be viewed as an infringement on womens liberty to get out of a bad marriage, indications were that many Filipinas viewed them as a protection against abandonment and loss of support by wayward husbands. http://www. mongabay. com/history/philippines/philippines-the_role_and_status_of_the_filipina. html La Mujer Indigena The Native WomanA description of the Filipino Woman during Pre-Spanish Timeby Lorna S. Torralba Titgemeyer| | Introduction:When Sr. Mary John Mananzan came to Vienna to give a seminar on the comparative role and status of the Filipino woman in the family and society, past and present, initially I was not so sure of participating, for reasons difficult to explain. Partly because I was confident of my status as woman and wife, or maybe I was afraid that my individualism and self-confidence might be influenced or could cause changes in me. But curiosity got the better of me. The day turned out to be very amusing, very interesting and very informative. The following is in part a summary of Sr. Mary John? s one-day lecture, reflecting on the status of the pre-Spanish Filipino woman, as this helped me understand why we sometimes have this strange feeling of being different from how we had been brought up that is, being meek, obedient and humble in short, a good mujer christiana. From Catalona or Babaylan, La Mujer Indigena to La Mujer ChristianaThe Philippines during the pre-colonial period was not a whole entity, the way it is now. It was made up of loosely related principalities with their own separate social, political and economic systems under their own tribal rulers. Community life and social activities were organized mainly on the basis of kinship, beliefs and economic interest. A group of elders were advisers to the tribal ruler and jointly they acted as judge and lawgiver. In some communities, the Babaylan was highly respected as priestess or religious practitioner, as well as healer, counselor and mediator in the tribe. Although differing in name, every tribe had its own religious practitioners, who were preferred to men. In fact, when a male performed the religious office of a Catalona or Babaylan, he was dressed like a woman. With this reference, I would like to present the unknown image of pre-Spanish Filipino woman, la mujer indigena totally in contradiction to the prevailing belief that the elevation of the status of women, was one of the benefits brought by Spanish colonization. The matriarchal society which many of us believed we always had in the Philippines is also a false presumption. The falsely taken patriarchal upbringing with its machismo and a touch of misogyny came uplater with the Spanish colonization. In the eraly Philippines there had always been an egalitarian relationship not only between husband and wife, but also in the upbringing of offsprings. The early Filipinos gave equal importance to both male and female offsprings. Inheritance was divided equally among them, distinguishing only primogeniture and legitimacy. Education was an opportunity for both sexes. Arranged marriage was a custom among pre-Spanish Filipinos. The groom and his family gave dowry to the bride? sparents, an amount agreed upon according to their means. When married the woman did not lose her name. In some Tagalog regions, if the woman was especially distinguished, the husband usually took her name. So it was usual to hear people refered to the husband of Ninay or the husband of Isyang. The pre-colonial Filipino wife was treated as a companion, not as slave. She enjoyed freedom in making decisions in the family. Her say was not only confined to domestic affairs like having a baby or not. Giving birth many times was disliked by women, especially those who inhabited towns near the sea, saying that in having many children, they are like pigs. For this reason they practiced abortion after having the desired number of children. What name to give a child was also her prerogative. She enjoyed a key role in the economic stability of the family. Formal contracts were done only in her presence. In fact there were only very few husbands who would dare enter into contracts without the consent or presence of their wives. It was seldom that a woman did not know how to manage the family landholdings. She had the task of agricultural production once the ground had been prepared by the man. She engaged herself in weaving and pottery-making and usually managed the trading of products and wares. The role of women in the political field, especially leadership role is a disputable subject for those who say, this was based merely on legends. Remember the legend of Queen Maniwantiwan, the wife of Datu Marikudo whose consent had to be secured before he could sell his lands to the Bornean immigrants led by Datu Puti. Another queen who is reported to have ruled Cotabato in the seventh century was Queen Sima. The practice of primogeniture with regard to inheritance regardless of sex allowed women to succeed their fathers as rulers of tribes. The most famous of the women leaders of pre-Spanish society was Princess Urduja of Pangasinan. She was supposed to be a beautiful Amazon, courageous and intelligent, possessing knowledge of languages and culture of Old Asia. In Teresita Infante? s documented study, The Woman in Early Philippines and Among Tribal Minorities, there is a description of the role of women among the Kalingas: Kalinga women are not barred from belonging to the highest rank of society, which entitles them to the privileges equal to those of men in similar rank. Some are recognized as pact holders and as she is the one who owns the pact, only her children or relatives have the right to inherit it. Pact holders were those who held agreement with a prominent citizen of another tribe or community in which each party agreed to give protection and aid to all members of each other? s community while they were in his/her territory. Punishment was imposed if any harm had been done to them by his/her tribe member. This important position of being a pact holder was recognized among women in the pre-Spanish society. In the event of divorce caused by childlessness, infidelity, failure to fulfill obligations towards family, etc. the dowry had to be returned by the bride? s family if she was at fault. However, if the husband was at fault, he lost any right of its return. The children were divided equally between the two regardless of sex. The conjugally-acquired property was also divided equally. This way, she possessed equal rights with regard to divorce according to law and custom. To summarize, the pre-Spanish filipino woman, the mujer indigena had an honoured position in the family and society, which was dispensed with by the Spaniards. A new Filipina was formed, a person moulded to the image and likeness of the perfect woman of the Iberian society of her time. She had to follow many rules and regulations on how to lead the life of a good mujer christiana, which meant lesser freedom and rights. | http://www. univie. ac. at/Voelkerkunde/apsis/aufi/wstat/mujer. htm.

Growing up with Technology :: Personal Narrative Papers

Growing up with Technology Born in the eighties, I entered a world of big hair and bad style. In the technological realm there were tape players, VCR’s, and fresh on the market: personal computers. Apple was domination the computer scene with their introduction of the Lisa computer. But not for long, soon computer technology would jump to unimaginable heights. As I grew up the technology around me would continue to grow and advance – quite rapidly I might add. My first encounter with computers (as far as I can remember) was when my next door neighbors got their very first Apple. I can remember going over to their house and begging to play on their computer. All I wanted to play with was the paint-brush program because I thought it was the neatest thing to be able to move something with your hand and have a picture created for you on the screen according to what your hand did. It was very cool! Then came â€Å"computer lab† in elementary school. We had to go with our class once a week down to the computer lab for an hour or two to learn basic computer knowledge. I was always one step ahead of my fellow students, so in fourth grade my computer teacher asked me to be apart of the computer club. I know that sounds pretty nerdy, but this is how I stayed up to date on the newest computer advancements. After all, I didn’t own a computer and I couldn’t always go over to my neighbor’s house all the time. I can still remember the day that my teacher brought in and showed us compact discs. She acted like they were very expensive and had to be handled with extreme care. I was so scared the first time I held one because she had instilled in us the fear of scratching and messing them up permanently. Once oriented with computer through my elementary classes and clubs, my family finally got our

Brighton Rock and Sherlock Holmes: A Comparison Essay

In this assignment I will be looking at the differences in writing style between Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock and Arthur Conan-Doyle’s The Man With The Twisted Lip. The style of writing is the main difference that I see between the stories of Greene and Conan Doyle, and not in the plot; partly this is due to the half a century or so time difference between the pieces, Conan Doyle’s, I guess in around 1890 (due to the date given at the start of The Man With The Twisted Lip, â€Å"it was in June ’89†) and Greene’s written in 1938, although partly it is due to the different intentions of the authors. The works of Conan Doyle were mainly popular, short stories written for a Victorian middle-class monthly periodical, â€Å"The Strand† written between 1887 and 1927, although most were written by 1903. Because of this, the structures on all levels, from plot to sentence, are simple, chronological and in the first person. Examples of this are â€Å"Isa Whitney, brother of the late Elias Whitney, D. D. , Principal of the Theological College of St. George’s, was much addicted to opium. † This is a simple statement to open the story with. It introduces a character, actually two, gives a little background information and tells us the point of the sentence, and the story (or so the reader thinks) at the end of the sentence in â€Å"was much addicted to opium†. The plot generally gives no depth to the characters and is a one-track plot due to the story being written in the first person and following the activities of one man. All of this is in striking contrast to Brighton Rock. In the first part of the novel there are three chapters. Greene’s work is not in the first person but the third. This enables Greene to follow a multi-track plot, taking in the actions of three characters; chapter one begins with ‘Hale knew, before he had been in Brighton three hours, that they meant to murder him. ‘ This shows Hale as the focus of the first chapter. Chapter two begins with, ‘The boy paid his threepence and went through the turnstile. ‘ Focussing attention on to ‘the boy’ or Pinkie. And chapter three begins with, ‘Ida Arnold broke her way across the Strand’. Furthermore, where Conan Doyle is very sparing on his description, Greene lavishes in it: ‘trams rocking down to the aquarium, they surged like some natural and irrational migration of insects up and down the front. ‘ Whereas Conan Doyle, writing as Dr. Watson, keeps it to the respectability of the place and its genteelness, much more important to a middle class Victorian than a clever simile, for example, ‘Upper Swandam Lane is a vile alley†¦ ‘ the effect of this is to give the reader an impression of what the alley looks like in their minds, instead of the precise detail Greene employs, it is often cinematic. He did not have to produce a script for the film version, as Brighton Rock reads more like one. One would not expect to find an author looking to join the ranks of world literature simply writing ‘potboiler’ short stories for bourgeoisie light entertainment magazines. In contrast, Brighton Rock is much more complex. It is classed as a modern classic, and therefore does not follow the simple lines of popular, mass produced fiction. Instead, its chapters are presented as from each of the character’s points of view making the plot non-chronological, as some events happen simultaneously but at different pages of the book. For example, the death of Hale and Ida searching for him occur at the same time but at different stages of the book. This adds a more complex level to the narrative. Brighton Rock is written nominally in the third person, as it still only follows each character’s movements in turn but the Sherlock Holmes stories are always in the first person, as Dr. Watson, which gives the reader a definite sense of place in the story but has its limitations. For example, all events must take place while Dr. Watson is present, or they must be recounted to him by another character. In contrast, Greene can make the reader everywhere at once and it allows him to use the cinematic detail in his description that gives his locations the depth and quality that Conan Doyle’s does not due to his use of the first person. This is because if Conan Doyle were to use such complex description and metaphor in his description as Dr. Watson or in the speech of another character, it would make them sound like they had verbal diarrhoea. Greene’s talent, I feel, lies in his ability to use such gushing torrents of description and manage not to bore or alienate his reader, rather he involves them further in the scene. Conan Doyle, as I have said, achieves this in a different way, not through lengthening his description but by the simple act of using the first person to write his stories: he makes the reader Dr. Watson. Another dimension to the description in Brighton Rock is that Greene is biased against more or less everything. The squalor of the Steyne in, ‘The shabby secret behind the bright corsage, the deformed breast. ‘ Words such as ‘shabby’ and ‘deformed’ give the impression to the reader of poverty and mutation, the two going hand in hand. These are things, especially mutation, which society abhors. By using these adjectives, Greene tries to make the reader hate the place as well. Also, in that passage, ‘deformed breast’ is an interesting contrast of words. The breast is usually regarded as being an artistic, beautiful and motherly object of adoration, but by making it deformed, in the reader’s eye Greene is defiling a beautiful object, making the impact greater. In The Man With the Twisted Lip Conan Doyle, by contrast, uses only simple atmospheric description and practical description (the naming of routes street by street, obviously made using a map of London, an unusual feature). An example of this simple description is found at ‘I seated myself in his armchair and warmed my hands before his crackling fire, for a sharp frost had set in, and the windows were thick with ice crystals. ‘ In this quotation two things are explored: the fire and the window. The description is atmospheric because it uses the contrasting words ‘frost’ and ‘warmed’, one being cold, the other hot. The effect on the reader is that they immediately imagine the atmosphere of warmness inside but bitterly cold outside that we all know. The simple description has therefore set up an atmosphere; it is atmospheric. In The Man With The Twisted Lip Conan Doyle does use one unusual device to add depth to his writing: a ruse in the plot at the very beginning to throw the reader off what the true plot is. That ruse is the disappearance of Isa Whitney. Conan Doyle does this to open the story in a mundane way, but surprise the reader with the eventual outcome: the disappearance of Neville St. Clair. Or perhaps Conan Doyle just got sick of the Whitney plot half way through writing. Who knows!? Other than this Conan Doyle sticks to the usual crime story plot: the missing/dead person or thing, the impossible clue, the amazing detective and the twist in the solving of it all. Greene does the same in his plot structure, although with much more focus on the characters in turn, especially on mentality of the criminal Pinkie. Greene tries almost to explain why Pinkie is so evil with the recounting of his scarred childhood (the ‘weekly exercise’), resulting in his misogyny (? ), Catholic godfearing and sadism. Also, Ida Arnold is the ‘detective’ in Brighton Rock, although she is not intelligent or brilliant, just a whore sentimental to Hale’s memory as Greene portrays her. In fact, Greene grudgingly makes Ida the heroine and the force of good, even though the traditional good of Godliness is the real enemy in the book. Ida is a weird choice for a heroine. She personifies every human sin. She is a puritan’s nightmare, as shown in, ‘Death shocked her, life was more important. She wasn’t religious. She didn’t believe in heaven and hell, only in ghosts†¦ ‘ and her ultimate anti-religious statement, ‘to her death was the end of everything. At one with the One – it didn’t mean a thing besides a glass of Guinness on a sunny day. ‘ In all, Greene’s story is one of ‘good’ as the here and now, however demonic and hedonistic, triumphing over evil the eternal whereas Conan Doyle has no such moral depth to his story, just an impossible clue. Brighton Rock is unusual in this way. Greene is writing a crime story, usually the realm of light entertainment (popular fiction) but here, he transforms the whole novel with the psychoanalysis of Pinkie and the subtext of religion, damnation and salvation. Greene sums this up in the phrase that Pinkie comforts himself with, ‘between the stirrup and the ground he mercy sought and mercy found’. Through this quotation Greene explores the hypocrisy of religion and the way the all-forgiving belief enables people to sin and expect God to forgive. The psychosis of Pinkie is explored hand in hand with his love/hate relationship with the idea of Christianity, best shown in Pinkie’s treatment of the doll; ‘holding the Mother of God by the hair’ and ‘His fingers pulled absent mindedly at the doll’s hair’. The simile of the Mother of God being held by the hair reveals Pinkie as the ultimate misogynist; the one woman, as a Catholic and a Christian, he should revere he is holding by the hair.

Epic of Labaw Donggon Analysis

The Hinilawod epic tells the story of the exploits of the three demigod brothers, Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon and Dumalapdap of Panay. In its original form the epic would take about three days to perform (including breaks for food and sleep), thus making it one of the longest epics in the world. Anthropologist Dr. F. Landa Jocano recorded a version of the epic from the inhabitants of Central Panay. This is how the story goes: When the goddess of the eastern sky Alunsina (also known as Laun Sina, â€Å"The Unmarried One†) reached maidenhood, the king of the gods, Kaptan, decreed that she should marry.All the unmarried gods of the different domains of the universe tried their luck to win her hand to no avail. She chose to marry a mortal, Datu Paubari, the mighty ruler of Halawod. Her decision angered her other suitors. They plotted to bring harm to the newlyweds. A meeting of the council of gods was called by Maklium-sa-t'wan, god of the plains, where a decision by those present w as made to destroy Halawod by flood.Alunsina and Paubari escaped harm through the assistance of Suklang Malayon, the goddess and guardian of happy homes and sister of Alunsina, who learned of the evil plot and warned the two so they were able to seek refuge on higher ground. After the flood waters subsided, Paubari and Alunsina returned to the plains secretly. They settled near the mouth of the Halawod river. Several months later Alunsina became pregnant and told Paubari to prepare the siklot, things necessary for childbirth.She delivered a set of triplets and summoned the high priest Bungot-Banwa to perform the rites of the gods of Mount Madya-as (the mountain abode of the gods)to ensure the good health of the children. The high priest promptly made an altar and burned some alanghiran fronds and a pinch of kamangyan. When the ceremony was over he opened the windows of the north side of the room and a cold northernly wind came in and suddenly the three infants were transformed into strong, handsome young men.Labaw Donggon, the eldest of the three, asked his mother to prepare his magic cape, hat, belt and kampilan (sword) for he heard of a place called Handug where a beautiful maiden named Angoy Ginbitinan lived. The journey took several days. He walked accross plains and valleys, climbed up mountains until he reached the mouth of the Halawod river. When he finally met the maiden's father and asked for her hand in marriage, the father asked him to fight the monster Manalintad as part of his dowry. He went off to confront the monster and with the help of his magic belt LabawDonggon killed the monster and to prove his feat he brought to Angoy Ginbitinan's father the monster's tail. After the wedding Labaw Donggon proceeded home with his new bride. Along the way they met a group of young men who told him that they were on their way to Tarambang Burok to win the hand of Abyang Durunuun, sister of Sumpoy the lord of the underworld and whose beauty was legendary. Lab aw Donggon and his bride continued on their journey home. The moment they arrived home Labaw Donggon told his mother to take care of his wife because he is taking another quest, this time he was going to Tarambang Burok.Before he can get to the place he has to pass a ridge guarded by a giant named Sikay Padalogdog who has a hundred arms. The giant would not allow Labaw Donggon to go through without a fight. However, Sikay Padalogdog was no match to Labaw Donggon's prowess and skill in fighting so he gave up and allowed him to continue. Labaw Donggon won the hand of Abyang Durunuun and also took her home. Before long he went on another journey, this time it is to Gadlum to ask for the hand of Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata who is the young bride of Saragnayan the lord of darkness.This trip required him to use his biday nga inagta (black boat) on which he sailed across the seas for many months, went across the region of the clouds, passed the land of stones until finally he reached the shores of Tulogmatian which was the seaside fortress of Saragnayan. The moment he set foot on the ground Saragnayan asked him, â€Å"Who are you and why are you here? † To which he answered, â€Å"I am Labaw Donggon, son of Datu Paubari and goddess Alunsina of Halawod. I came for the beautiful Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata. † Saragnayan laughed.He told Labaw Donggon that what he wished for was impossible to grant because she was his wife. Labaw Donggon then challenged Saragnayan to a duel saying that whoever wins will have her. The challenge was accepted and they started fighting. Labaw Donggon submerged Saragnayan under water for seven years, but when he let go of him, Saragnayan was still alive. The latter uprooted a coconut tree and started beating Labaw Donggon with it. He survived the beating but was not able to surpass the powers of Saragnayan's pamlang (amulet) and eventually he gave up and was imprisoned by Saragnayan beneath his house.Back home Angoy Gi nbitinan and Abyang Durunuun both delivered sons. Angoy Ginbitinan's child was named Aso Mangga and Abyang Durunuun's son was called Abyang Baranugon. Only a few days after they were born Aso Mangga and Abyang Baranugon embarked to look for their father. They rode their sailboats through the region of eternal darkness, passed the region of the clouds and the land of stones, finally reaching Saragnayan's home. Saragnayan noticed that Abyang Baranugon's umbilical cord have not yet been removed, he laughed and told the child to go home to his mother.Abyang Baranugon was slighted by the remarks and immediately challenged Saragnayan to a duel. They fought and Abyang Baranugon defeated Saragnayan and won his father's freedom. Labaw Donggon's defeat and subsequent imprisonment by the Lord of Darkness also angered his brothers. Humadapnon was so enraged that he swore to the gods of Madya-as that he would wreak revenge on all of Saragnayan's kinsmen and followers. Humadapnon prepared to go t o Saragnayan's domain. He employed the aid of Buyong Matanayon of Mount Matiula who was well-known for his skill in swordsmanship.For their journey they rode on a sailboat called biday nga rumba-rumba. They travelled through the region of the clouds, passed by the region of eternal darkness and ended up at a place called Tarambang Buriraw. In this place was a ridge called Talagas Kuting-tang where a seductive sorceress named Piganun lived. Piganun changed herself to a beautiful maiden and captured the heart of Humadapnon. Buyong Matanayon begged with Humadapnon to leave the place with him but the latter refused.After seven months passed, Buyong Matanayon remembered that they have brought with them some ginger. One evening at dinner time Buyong Matanayon threw seven slices of ginger into the fire. When Pinganun smelled the odor of burning ginger she left thedinner table because sorcerers hated the odor of ginger. Immediately Buyong Matanayon struck Humadapnon, who became unconscious. He dragged his friend with him and they were able to escape. They continued with their trek and everywhere they went they exacted revenge on all of Saragnayan's people and relatives.One day they reached a place called Piniling Tubig who was ruled by Datu Umbaw Pinaumbaw. There was a big gathering in the village and when they asked what was going on they were told that the datu was giving his daughter for marriage to whoever could remove the huge boulder that rolled from a mountain into the center of the village. Many men tried their luck but no one so far was able to even move the stone. Humadapnon took off his magic cape and used it to lift the stone and threw it back into the mountain. The datu kept his word and Humadapnon married his daughter.During the wedding feast Humadapnon heared about the beauty of the goddess of greed Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan from a guest minstrel who sang at the celebration. After the wedding Humadapnon went to seek the hand of the goddess in ma rriage. Along the way he encountered Buyong Makabagting, son of the mighty Datu Balahidyong of Paling Bukid who was also travelling with the same purpose in mind. Upon learning of Humadapnon's intent, Buyong Makabagting challenged him to a duel. They fought and Buyong Makabagting was no match to Humadapnon's strength and skill.The fight ended when Buyong Makabagting surrendered and even promised to aid Humadapnon in his quest. Humadapnon married the goddess and brought her home. Meanwhile, right after Humadapnon left to seek Saragnayan's followers and relatives his brother Dumalapdap left for Burutlakan-ka-adlaw where the maiden Lubay-Lubyok Hanginun si Mahuyokhuyokon lived. For the trip he brought along Dumasig, the most powerful wrestler in Madya-as. Several months later they came to a place called Tarambuan-ka-banwa where they encountered the two-headed monster Balanakon who guarded a narrow ridge leading to the place where the maiden lived.With the aid of Dumasig, Dumalapdap kil led Balanakon. However, upon approaching the gate of the palace where the maiden lived he was confronted by Uyutang, a batlike monster with sharp poisonous claws. There ensued a bloody battle between the Humadapnon and the monster. They fought for seven months and their skill and prowess seemed to be equal. But on the seventh month, Humadapnon was able to grab on to Uyutang's ankle and broke it. Then he took his iwang daniwan (magic dagger) and stabbed Uyutang under the armpit.Uyutang cried out so loud that the ridge where they were fighting broke into two and there was an earthquake. Half of the ridge became the island of Buglas (Negros) and the other became the island of Panay. Dumalapdap married Lubay-Lubyok Hanginun si Mahuyokhuyokan and then took her home. Datu Paubari was very happy when he was reunited with his three sons and he prepared a feast in their honor. After the celebration, the three brothers left for different parts of the world. Labaw Donggon went to the north, Hu madapnon went south, Dumalapdap to the west and Datu Paubari remained in the east.

Free sample - Descartes Proofs of GodDeception and Error. translation missing

Descartes Proofs of GodDeception and Error. Descartes Proofs of GodDeception and ErrorFrom the beginning of the third meditation, Descartes seeks to establish the existence of god using his initial concept of self awareness. Descartes argued that because he thought, then he lived. Thinking ability at this time was linked to being alive and thought that there must be a god who puts the thoughts in his mind. In his quest for indubitable truth, Descartes came up with the theory of ideas, which classified those things that he considered distinct and clear to be true. Descartes argued that the idea of god should be coming from within him since he cannot experience god himself directly or find any perfection in himself. Firstly, Descartes in the third meditation sets out to prove that God does indeed exist. To begin with, he considered that the source of an idea must be as real as the idea itself.   He thought that since his idea of god had overwhelmingly unlimited content, then the one who caused the idea must be infinite and that it must be god, and thus asserted that what is more perfect cannot arise from what is imperfect.   In his conclusion, Descartes says that god is a substance that is omnipotent, omniscient, independent and infinite. He argued that if the objective reality of an idea could not come from him, then it could have come from something else. The basis for the arguments he put forward lies in the origin of these ideas.   He claimed that the ideas were suggestive that they did not come from inside him, making him to conclude that they must have come from god and therefore, God exists. Secondly, to come up with the second proof of Gods existence, Descartes thought that the power and action that is needed to preserve something is capable of creating something new. He argued that there must be as much power in the cause just as it is in the effect. According to the philosophical writings of Descartes, upon knowing that he did not have power to preserve his own existence because he was just a thinking thing; Descartes concluded that the power must have come from outside him (Descartes, Cottingham and Murdoch 26) And since he is a thinking thing, he claims that the one who created him must also be a thinking thing, possessing all the ideas and attributes of god. In addition, he observed that his parents could not be responsible for creating and preserving his life. Descartes therefore concludes that the one who created him and gave him ideas of a perfect God must be God, therefore God exists. The difference between the two proofs is that the first proof is based on the premise of objective reality and the consideration that the source of an idea must be as real as the content of the idea itself. The second prove is based on causality; that the power and action that preserves lives is capable of creating something new. Both of these proofs of God’s existence are not convincing since they are founded on arguments that can be challenged. The method used by Descartes to come up with the reality he termed as objective reality is not clear.   The proof based on causality has been criticized as being circular (Doney Willis, 2010). This means that it is not possible to claim   that one is proving the existence of God, yet that person is using knowledge he terms as distinct and clear from God to know that God. Descartes claimed to perceive some things distinctly and clearly on the grounds of God’s existence. In addition, the argument that Descartes fronts that to be alive is to be perfect is not true since it will mean then that we are either perfect as humans, or God is also imperfect. Descartes required two proofs of the existence of God so as to appeal both to the religious beliefs of the church during his time as well as a scientific proof of god’s existence in order to appeal to fellow contemporary scientists. These were the two categories of people in Descartes’ society who formed the popular opinions and criticized every new development. Descartes wanted an idea that could be generally accepted by the society. The two proof worked well for Descartes since from his time until today, his ideas are still being used and referred to both in religion and in the scientific fields. In the fourth meditation it is indicated that an error is a moral failing that can be committed when one willfully exercise the powers of believe in excess of their ability to perceive truth. According to Descartes, the ideas, also called judgments can either be true or false, because it is simply about making judgment that likens to the things that are accepted or denied (Descartes, Cottingham and Murdoch 88).   Therefore, if one affirms that an idea corresponds to a thing itself, yet it does not, then an error is said to have occurred.   ‘I do make mistakes by misusing my free will to assent on occasions that my understanding does not have a clear and distinct ideas’   the open influence by God on our thoughts, personal misuse and evil demon renders the account on human error unsatisfactory. The argument that all that thinks is perfect implies that God is also imperfect. In conclusion, the arguments that Descartes presents have several weaknesses that are subject to challenge, for example the fact that one of which is the circular nature of the causality proof.   Doubting of senses and thoughts is also evident in the meditations, indicating that the arguments may not be credible. The imperfect beings arising from the perfect and the god perfect being in the imperfect man invalidates the argument. Descartes, R, Murdoch, D. Cottingham, and J.   Descartes: selected philosophical writings Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Descartes, R, Murdoch, D. Cottingham, J.The philosophical writings of Descartes, Volume 2. Reprint. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985.

7 TED Talks That Will Inspire You

7 TED Talks That Will Inspire You Even if you’re the wisest and most self-confident person around, sometimes it takes a little outside inspiration to dig deep and become the person you hope to be. Check out the 7 TED talks below if you’re in need of a little guidance from the pros on how to reach for the stars when it comes to your career.â€Å"Why you will fail to have a great career† by Larry SmithIf you’re the type who fails to go after your dreams with sufficient vigor or commitment, this talk is for you. It’s funny, bracing, and calls you out on all your crap. Stop making excuses for why you’re not pursuing your ideal career.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Why the best hire might not have the perfect resume† by Regina HartleyA HR exec tells us why and how and in which scenarios she prefers to go for the â€Å"scrapper† candidate and give someone a chance. Listen to how to maximize your chances when your resume is not yet maxed out to its (or your) full potential.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"How t o find work you love† by Scott DinsmoreThis guy wasted years at a job he hated, then a few more figuring out what he really loved. Save yourself the middle steps and listen to what questions you need to be asking yourself in order to do what you love and love what you do.â€Å"5 ways to kill your dreams† by Bel PesceHave a huge dream or a big idea but you’ve convinced yourself you can’t make it happen? Bel Pesce debunks the five myths that are probably holding you back. Get the confidence to make your dream projects happen.â€Å"A kinder, gentler philosophy of success† by Alain de BottonWe all want success, and if we get it, we all think we’ve earned it. It’s a cutthroat world. Mr. de Botton helps us reconfigure the way we look at the concept of success, in hopes we can be gentler on ourselves and others, and make more meaning (and find more pleasure) in the work we do.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"How to get back to work after a career break† by C arol CohenA career re-entry expert helps you strategize how to get back in the game after short and long absences. Find out how to rebrand yourself as return-to-work talent and develop a game plan to get you back on top.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Why we do what we do† by Tony RobbinsThis talk is good enough for Al Gore- who’s sitting in the front row. Listen to a great talk about the â€Å"invisible forces† that motivate us, and how we can use them to maximize, rather than minimize, our potential.Talks to help you find the right job

Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Geography - Essay Example If only we were living in an ideal world, we could solve all our problems. But given that we don’t, we cannot solve all of them due to the fact that resources are scarce, limited and competitive among the various priority choices of which problem to solve first (Bradshaw, Dymond and George). There are several challenges in the world that make us vulnerable to these problems. Some of these are; climate change, communicable diseases, conflicts, education, financial instability, corruption and governance, malnutrition and hunger, population and migration, sanitation and water, subsidies and trade barriers among others. Solutions are also so many and we cannot be able to spend on all of them, that is why we again need to list some of the top priorities which we can work with. This is what I can do better as a UN economist since economists make priorities. Solutions to mitigate big problems like global warming, migration, communicable diseases are rated very expensive yet what we need to do is very little therefore such solutions will come at the bottom of my list. We can instead spend half of this money to solve some basic problems in the world which include giving clean drinking water, good sanitation, basic health care and education to every being on the globe which cost so little. Coming to the top of the list, the problem I can prioritize fourth is the issue of malaria control where mosquito nets and effective medication can reduce the incidence of malaria by half and about $13 billion can be used to do this which will bring four times the benefits more than this cost. This will enable save billions of lives that will be able to deal with other problems and in the long run, deal even with global warming. Third best is free trade by cutting subsidies in the US and Europe where the aggregate benefit of this would be $2,400 billion a year to the global economy. The second best thing is to focus on malnutrition. This is by dealing with