Monday, September 30, 2019

How has technology affected your life Essay

Technology is an essential need in everybody’s life . Without technology , many things would not be able to materialize . As for me , technology has made my life more enjoyable and easy . What is technology ? Technology is a body of knowledge devoted to creating tools , processing actions and extracting of materials . In my life there have many great changes in technology . Many of these changes have affected my life greatly . They have made it both easier and faster to do things . The one piece of technology that has affected my life is the computer and all its programs . The computer and all its programs have made my life so much easier . Before the computer was invented you either had to write out what you wanted to say or typewrite it on the typewriter . However this was not always easy because if you made a mistake there was no way to fix it but to write it over again or use white out . With the computer though , mistakes could be made and fixed before I print it out . These mistakes could be solved within seconds by doing a spelling and grammar check . Also the computer I can save my work so if something happens to the first copy another copy could easily be made . With the typewriter and plain old writing it if the original copy was damaged you had to write it over again . Another great thing about the computer is that it is fast . If I were to write this essay by hand it would take me about twice the time because I would have to write the letters instead of just pressing buttons to get the letters on the screen . Next the computer has many programs on it like all of the Microsoft Office programs so that I could do all of my school work and it sometimes has games on it . One of the useful products of technology would be the television . Usually , my family would sit together in the living room to watch television programmes together after dinner . During this time , we would occasionally talk about the shows that are being broadcasted . This allows my family to interact with each other more often . In the twenty-first century , one of the most important technologies would be the internet . The internet is a system  which allows people to communicate globally . I personally use the internet on a daily basis and find it useful in many ways . Also the computer usually has an internet connection . The internet is the one thing that saves me a boat load of time . On the internet I could research a topic for an essay I am supposed to write for school . This takes the place of going to the library and spending the whole day to find the same information that I could find on the internet in 5 minutes . With the information from the internet I could copy and paste the important info into a word document and use that information to create my reports , but with books I would have to copy the page that has good information on a copier or copy it by hand . Also I could communicate with people on the internet through email right from home while I am doing my reports . The internet makes me feel like the world is at my finger tips all I need to do is explore . The computer has made my life easier and free to do fun stuff by lessoning the time that is spent doing school work . Online gaming is also another big part of my life when I play games over the internet . I am able to make friends with people from other countries . Another part of technology in my life would be the mobile technology . In the olden days , people who wanted to communicate with their relatives in far away places would have only two choices . One was to personally take the trouble to travel to their relatives’ place and another would be via sending letters . Both ways needed huge amount of time , with mobile technology , people’s lives are made easier as they can contact each other anywhere and anytime they want to . Ever since I was a child I have been interested in technology . I remember when I got my first phone . This phone did nothing except keep an alarm and call people . At the time it didn’t have a SIM Card or no service so all I could do was pretend to make calls . Of course I was a child at the time the joy of having a device that had the power to connect to people’s conversations wirelessly  amazed me . When I received my first phone I started to stay more connected with my friends and occa sionally update my schedule each day . When I entered High School , our coach had a â€Å" thing † for writing emails . This kept me up to date with our workout schedule . Now I have a habit of preparing for things weeks before I need to to even worry about them . When I started Facebook I started to stay connected with my friends . I was on it almost everyday , however I started to stop using Facebook before my SPM year . Without information technology I don’t think I would be anywhere as organized as I am now . I personally have a mobile phone too and it has become more than a necessity in my life . With all the technology we have nowadays we dont’t need to get out of the house anymore , you can do everything from the comfort of your home . Almost everything resolves around technology now . What do most people do when they come back from school ? They usually go watch TV , go on the computer or something else like that . People take all of this for granted , what would they do if there was a power cut and they couldn’t watch TV or go on the computer ? Most people would just laze about doing nothing until the power come back on . Not many would pick up a book or do any of the things they would have done when none of these things were round . As a conclusion , technology changed our life into a simple and easy situation without questions . Technology does a lot to make things in life easier , faster , and more efficient . This is so we can do more things in a shorter amount of time , expending the least amount of physical and mental energy possible . At last , technology has certainly revolutionised communication between people , but not all of the outcomes of this revolution have been positive . Technology has changed my life so much and I love it . The world of technology is always changing and I can’t wait to see what is made next .

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Analysis of the Article: “The New Psychology of Leadership” Essay

Analysis of the Article: â€Å"The New Psychology of Leadership† Scientific American Mind Journal, August 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article by Stephen D. Reicher tells us about how the definition of â€Å"Leaders† has been changed over time, and how it transformed to suit today’s society (Reicher, Platow and Haslam). It tells about how this effective leadership contradicted the conventional notion of what a leader should be, how a leader should act. It gave the September 11 bombing, where President George W. Bush has stepped up to give us a clear definition of what today’s leaders are like. Bush was merely an example, and that there are other aspects that would give a meaning to the â€Å"leaders† of today, redefining the belief that it only takes willingness and character to become a successful leader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first point that was stressed, and that was manifested by President Bush during the 9/11 bombing was that leaders have been remodeled by the society today. It is not only willingness and character that the people need. Today’s leaders should also be able to act or be like them, be one with the people. Through that, there will be unity; and with a unified following, the leader can then mobilize these people to achieve the changes, as for the time of the bombing, was the call for America to act as one against terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the article, there are several changes that have been shown when it comes to a characteristic that a leader should possess. The first of these changes was about charisma, evolving to a consensus. The notion about how leaders should possess charisma in order to attain success have been slowly shadowed by the fact that charismatic leaders are not effective leaders if they wont be able to get something going. It was then replaced by how well a leader adapts to his situation, and how he is able to lead people, which defines him as a leader. He should not be defined as how many people he can convince, instead he should be defined by how many people he was able to mobilize and bring out changes with his leadership.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another defining character that an effective leader should possess is to be able to blend in with the crowd, the very people he is leading and supervising. He should be one of the gang, and not to be seen as the high-and-mighty sovereign ruler of the land. This is to gain the confidence and the respect of the people. If he is able to be seen as someone like them or someone who understands them, then the leader would definitely have their trusts and be able to mobilize these people toward the goals and objectives of the leaders which are also for the people’s interests.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The leader should also be fair with his constituents or to those who are in lower positions from them. This is to maintain the trust and the positive outlook from these people, for them to think that these leaders are not taking advantage of their position, or that these leaders do not deserve their position at all. It is through their followers that the leader will be able to determine what to do, which is usually dependent on how the group thinks. Fairness can be observed by effective leaders in resolving problems between members, wherein there should be no favoritism shown. The leader should also be able to verbalize their leadership, being able to wield words and deliver them correctly to the people. This is one way of strengthening his command and building the respect of his followers, so that they can be effectively mobilized by the leaders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This article is a useful source of information on how a person can be an effective leader. This also updates us of how the society today defines an effective leader. This is because an effective leader doesn’t have a constant or concrete definition, of what should possess to become an effective leader. It still lies on his constituents, in his followers, that would define him on how a leader should be. This is because a leader is also a servant, and that is why a leader also has to be of service to others, which are the general public. Reicher, Stephen D., Michael J. Platow, and S. Alexander Haslam. â€Å"The New Psychology of Leadership†.   2007.   Scientific American Mind. August 9 2007. .

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Airplane accidents causes and prevention Research Paper

Airplane accidents causes and prevention - Research Paper Example The improved aviation operations enabled the aircraft to go on extended flights which it did not before this Act because there were more accidents in the early nineteenth century and no detailed investigation was performed. However, it is still important to understand what the main causes of airplane accidents are and what steps can be taken to improve the aviation so that air accidents can be avoided. Most often, it is the human error that causes crashes (Mello et al., 2008). Sometimes, the pilots are very experienced due to which they get over confident and tend to be careless. For example, running out of gasoline while the plane is on flight is a result of human carelessness when he thinks that he has enough to fly to the destination. There are a lot of issues while flying that may demand more gasoline than usual. This makes the pilot force landing which is in no way out of danger. McCormick and Papadakis (2003, p.4) state that there are a lot of reasons that cause aircraft components to fail and become a cause for airplane accident. Either there is a fault in the manufacturing of a certain part or more load than usual has been placed on it that causes it to malfunction. The structure may have been poorly designed so as to stimulate stress concentrations which result in fatigue collapse (McCormick & Papadakis). The authors assert that: Any aircraft flying can be torn apart by pulling back hard on the wheel at an excessive speed and thereby producing loads exceeding the ultimate values for which it was designed. A pilot may fly through severe turbulence, like a thunder storm, thereby causing high loads (p.4). It may happen that the aircraft design is such that an average pilot finds it hard to operate it. The controls may be improperly placed inside the cockpit enhancing the probability that the pilot mistakenly gives an incorrect control input. Mechanical components like gearboxes and couplings may

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Role of the audit committee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Role of the audit committee - Essay Example The paper will discuss the roles, the responsibilities and the effectiveness of the audit committee in details. The independence of the audit committee and how its independence is ensured will be explored. The current issues that are being faced by the audit committee in the context of various accounting misrepresentations will also be analysed. Role of Audit Committee The Role of Audit Committee in the US and the UK and Oversight of Internal and External Auditors and Overseeing Financial Reporting The audit committee has the responsibility of judging the validity of financial statements. The internal financial controls of the company and the company’s risk management system are reviewed by the audit committee (Financial Reporting Council, 2010). The audit committee is responsible for hiring the external auditors. They have the right to fire the external auditors if their performance is not satisfactory. ... The audit committee has the authority to hire as well as terminate the independent auditors. They approve the fees of engaged auditors. They conduct discussion with the independent auditors regarding the approach that will be taken in conducting the audit. They conduct a review of the audit that is done by the independent auditor to understand the areas of concern and make suggestions. They conduct an annual review of the audit report of the independent auditor. The audit committee reviews the company’s accounting controls internally along with the risk management policies of the company. They monitor the financial reporting and financial disclosures in the company. The financial statements that are audited are discussed with the management and the auditors. The audit committee reports regularly to the board of directors regarding their inference from audit reports (Singh, 2005). The audit committee is responsible for ensuring independence of both internal and external auditor s. The audit committee has a liaison with internal and external auditors. The external auditors underwrite the validity of accounting information. The audit committee has the responsibility of ensuring the independence of the internal auditors. They provide resources to the internal auditors to ensure quality of the information. The internal auditors report to the audit committee. The compliance with standards and code of ethics of the internal auditors make things easier for the audit committee (The Institute of Internal Auditors, 2004). Importance and Effectiveness of Audit Committees The rising scandals and fraudulence activities in the corporate world have increased the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH PROGRAMS (Module 2 SLP Topic - Quality Essay

MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH PROGRAMS (Module 2 SLP Topic - Quality Management) - Essay Example The Arizona Department of Corrections Division of Health Services, even in the face of the questions posed above and many more, established a Total Quality Management (TQM) model in 2000 (2008). Several benefits have been reaped already due to this move including large savings to a constrained budget. It can be appreciated that under such dynamic conditions as being under a correctional facility, the departments under this division host several cultures and the issue of diversity cannot be ignored. Health Services offers comprehensive services covering medicinal, dental, mental health, occupational health and pharmaceutical help just to name a few. These services are carried out as per TQM policies, are well documented and backed up with continuous staff development programs (Shriro, 2003, p. 4). The use of modern technology in services such as the Remote Correctional Pharmacy System Access (CIPS) and Telemedicine reduces constrains on the labor force. These systems make it possible for secure transfer of medical details of transferred inmates from the county office to the requisite correctional facility without need for the physical presence of a corrections officer cutting down on internal failure costs. Video conferencing under the telemedicine program make it possible to gain medical interventions for provision of professional care to patients without actually leaving the facility thus reducing the exposure of the general populace in conventional clinics and hospitals to i nmates, a saving on prevention costs. e-Business solutions reduce travel and time as well as promotes continuity of care (24 - 31). The division competes for services of health care professionals with all other government departments and has not been spared from staffing problems. This increases the cost of care due to contraction of services to part-time staff that require higher

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Re- write a Silent Movie- Blue Angel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Re- write a Silent Movie- Blue Angel - Essay Example The woman imitates Lola’s shape on the poster by posing in a similar way. The main character is Emil Jannings who is referred to as Professor Rath in the film but commonly abbreviated as Prof. Rath. The audience first encounters him through a shot at the door that bears his common abbreviation. Professor Rath is preparing the lesson for a class presentation. The pupils quickly run to class in a Helter skelter after the bell rings. The professor appears to concentrate on preparing for a lesson while the caretaker who is in charge of the house reminds him of his breakfast. She then goes about her daily chores of cleaning the house. After taking his breakfast, the Professor leaves and begins to call his pet. Surprisingly, the bird does not respond and this forces him to check on it only to find that it is dead. These events bring a situation that is a little confusing because while the death of the bird appears to sadden the Professor, the housekeeper picks the bird and discards it into an open boiler. When doing this, she only mentions that the bird stopped singing sometimes back. This means that she was aware that the bird was dead but was not interested in checking its condition. The Professor, however, ignores her and continues taking his breakfast. The film moves to the next level by introducing the Professor’s class. ... He picks the professor’s lecture guide and changes it to read ‘Professor Garbage’. This appears to be very simple because in German, the boy only needs to add the prefix ‘un’ to the Professor’s sir name. The boy proceeds to draw a funny picture of Professor Rath and only stops after the pencil breaks. These things happen in class because the Professor has not arrived. It is at this moment that he appears to be resuming classes. The pealing of a big clock that looks like a cuckoo follows this scene. The film treats the audience to an ironical situation where the clock together with a bird perched on it moves from end to end round the clock as it clicks. The events capturing the attention of the audience break immediately one of the pupils screams at others to be on the lookout and watch for the old man. This is in reference to the Professor. The pupils quickly take their respective seats as Professor Rath instructs them to sit down and have thei r notebooks ready for the lesson. When the Professor blows his nose after using his handkerchief after taking his seat, he discovers that pupils have defaced his notebook. After carrying out a thorough search of the culprit from amongst his pupils, he identifies Angst, the most naughty of all his pupils. The Professor does not take into consideration that Angst may not have committed the offense but instructs him to rub the added prefix. Coincidentally, Angst is an apt character in a play by Rolf Muller, an original script where the author of Blue Angel picked his theme. The Professor begins his lesson by discussing an excerpt from Hamlet, the third Act in the first scene. This line is a famous soliloquy by Shakespeare. The Professor

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Management - Essay Example It must be noted that the revenues generated by these non profit making organization are retained in the organization for self preservation or even for expansion (Worth 2011). In most countries, nonprofit making organizations are exempted from taxation. The Nonprofit making organizations employs many people and offers services to the masses freely. It is in this regard, that the Government pardons them and exempts them from the compulsory tax (Gary 2006). An example of a nonprofit making organization is the Nature Conservancy. It is a charitable association based in the United States of America that works to preserve animals, plants and the natural communities which represent Earth’s diversity. They do this by protecting the environment. The organization has helped plant over a billion trees all over the world and it intends to plant 2 billion trees by the year 2015. It has an effort to reclaim 2,500,000 acres and make the place habitable for animals. It selects areas it seeks to preserve by analyzing what is needed in those areas and what can be done to ensure that the preservation of local ecosystems is done. A nonprofit making organization should work with almost all sectors of society in order to achieve its goals (Worth 2011). This includes businesses, partner organizations, government agencies and individuals. The company has also embraced Debt swaps. This is a tool which is used to encourage third world countries to set land aside for conservation in exchange for forgiveness of foreign debt. In the past, nonprofit organizations have relied on donor giving and public funding as their main source of revenue (Hartigan 2006). However, after the 1970’s the many of the nonprofit making organizations have become increasingly involved in the selling of services and many other commercial activities (Worth 2011). This trend has been referred to by many as the commercialization of nonprofit organizations. This trend of commercialization has resulted i nto a fierce debate which up to now remains unsolved (Gary 2006). There are those who support commercialization and there are those who reject it. Those who are in favor of commercialization argue that, commercialization has allowed the nonprofit organizations to be more self sufficient at this time when government funding for nonprofit organizations has been drastically reducing (Worth 2011). On the other hand, those against commercialization have argued that with commercialization, nonprofit organizations will focus on making more money and thus deviate from their original goal which was to offer services to the masses (Hartigan 2006). The risks associated with having a nonprofit enterprise are many. For example, due to the tax exemption the managers of nonprofit making organization can fraudulently steal money from the association as the organizations are not audited by the IRS (Gary 2006). On the other hand, the societies can also lose sight of their mission by engaging too much in business. The benefits of having a nonprofit organization are also many for example, the organizations can sufficiently run their own activities without the need for donor funding (Alvarado 2000). It becomes hard for nonprofit organizations to sufficiently plan for certain activities because donor funding is not constant. However, with sales they can predict the patterns and thus sufficiently plan for the future (Hartigan 2006). Part III: Long Essay Question In this study we are going to review the nonprofit organization Nature conservancy. The organization had an income of approximately $925,817,441. The organization used approximately $525,789,657. The fundraising costs thus seemed balanced. The expenses used in fundraising should not be more than the

Monday, September 23, 2019

A Donors Major Gift Path with the Seven Faces Assignment

A Donors Major Gift Path with the Seven Faces - Assignment Example According to the mission, Tzu Chi does not discriminate people but it provides gifts to people without consideration of the religion. The organization is a Buddhist foundation but provides the gifts to members of other religion because it does not require the person receiving the gift to disclose the religious practice (Tzu Ch 2). Tzu Chi has many sub-organizations located in different part of the world. The sub-organizations include international medical association and the college youth association. The foundation was established in 1966 by Master Cheng Yen in Hualien, Taiwan. Other branches for Tzu Chi are located in Asia, Europe, Africa and North and South America. The organization provides services with the help of paid and volunteer staffs. The staffs are recognized in the world with their color of the uniform they ware while providing services. They ware white and blue informs known as the blue angels. The salary for the paid staff is obtained from the gifts provided by the donors. The volunteer are not paid but are given tokens for lunch and personal needs. Tzu Chi undertakes many tasks and it has different workers who provide different services. The services provided by the organization are education, medical, case management and disaster relief. The organization has staff workers who provide services in those departments. The volunteers are given task in respect to their qualification while the paid workers are employed to fill the vacant position which needs specialist or professional (Tzu Ch 5). Most of the donors come from Taiwan. Tzu Chi does not target the rich but accepts a donation from people of different class. The founder, Master Cheng Hen states that giving is the sincere privilege and not privilege of the rich. The donor who was giving out the gift was a man and due to the privacy, his name was not disclosed by the development officer.  

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Critical Analysis of Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical Analysis of Research - Essay Example This document explores in detail, the purpose of the research, the techniques used in data collection and data analysis, findings of the research, the limitations of the study and finally gives the conclusion of the research. The document starts by giving an introduction to the study. In the introduction, the study provides a definition of power and then explores the various dimensions of power as brought out by different studies in the past. The document then explains how the research was conducted. It includes the qualifications and originality of the original researcher involved in the study and the methods of data collection and analysis. The document then goes ahead to give a detailed account of the findings of the study in relation to the three dimensions of power. The paper finally gives the limitations of the study and finally gives a clear conclusion from the study. Like any other study conducted before, this study has its strengths, weaknesses and assumptions that character ize it. These strengths and weaknesses manifest in the various stages of the study as outlined. In the introduction, the document gives a clear definition of terms as used in the study to enable any reader to understand the material as intended. It also provides a historical background of the study of the various dimensions of power, outlines the three aspects of power and how they manifest in society in general. It then gives a description of the different modes of public participation to prepare the reader for the case studies that form the backbone of the study (Culley & Hughey 2008: 100). The study uses a variety of techniques to collect the data required for the study. It is a major strength of the study since it is easy to determine the consistency of the obtained data from the various sources before making a meaningful conclusion. Interview was one of the methods of data collection

Saturday, September 21, 2019

White Noise Essay Example for Free

White Noise Essay There are certain land marks that if a person where to go to the same image is with them forever. Think about the empire state building, people tend to think about the helicopter view drifting around the building. They could have worked there or just visited it in real life yet the image is kept with them. In the novel White Noise by Don DeLillo it mentions the most photographed barn in the world which murray states that â€Å"it is impossible to see the barn for what it really is. It is impossible to escape it aura. Which can mean that because it has been so photographed it becomes impossible to have a memory about it that someone one hundred percent created, yet only mentally captured the printed image into one’s mind. Also, when such a large amount of people have seen an object, it is impossible to make a unique opinion on it. It would fall into a generic overview of the barn. Then there is the aura of the tourist, which in Murrays opinion â€Å"are taking pictures of taking pictures†(pg12). There is a good chance that they have seen the barn before yet are still taking images of it so they can have their own â€Å"claim† of it which puts them away of the reality of the barn and is in a way a form of voyeurism. Imagine the effile tower or the empire state building, two images that define the city’s which they call home. It is hard to think about Paris or New York City without them located in the city. Most people have never even seen these marvels of modern architecture but the image is seared like a hot iron into ones brain. There is a condition called Paris syndrome (^1) where people who visit the city become psychotic because the city did not meet the image of advertising or perceived ideals. When people come to see the barn Muarry states, they don’t see it. They see the pictures and the t. v adds that have been implanted in their minds. This makes sense from all the advertising in the novel and in real life. When something has the label of being captured by film more than anything in the united states it is impossible for at least one of those images to not be stuck bouncing around in one’s head as they think about the barn. Its â€Å"aura† is that it is captured in a certain way and impossible to overthrow. When people go on vacation they always take pictures. It is claimed that I helps keep the memories of the trip; to capture the moment. Yet, how often do people remember actives on a trip that were not photographed. Murray tries to state that photographs standardize the memory and make it so it is uniform. Which is un-relevant why someone wants to do that? It is unimportant to standardize memories when the unique sensations that people experience are what make the memory great. The photos of the barn only apply to one of the five senses. Being there add’s all of them the smell of the air around it, the sound of the creaking of the wood, the feel of the barn door being opened and if that person is it to it they can even lick the barn to find out the taste. That is what makes the moment of a memory. When something is captures so many times it is impossible to form a unique idea about it or to have a memory. It is thought of the same way for every person. Muary was trying to state that exact idea. What is special about the memory is what makes it a memory.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Impact of Information Architecture

Impact of Information Architecture In recent years, as the technology is changing to our society, people are more relying on Internet to find out the solutions for their everyday needs. As some instances, online shopping, learning, processing transactions, watching movies and making easy communications are usual activities today for most of the modern people. In between, there is no doubt about that government related issues are important for the residents or locals and foreigners of the country. There is no way to avoid those transactions if the person is visiting or living in a country and those transactions are also time consuming if try to process manually, for the reasons of travel time, waiting time and other unexpected matters (forgetting of important document and etc). So, governments try to provide the most of the transactions to be able to process via online partly for some of the transactions and some completely. But, there are some difficulties for the expect and the persons who are not familiar with internet so, it is really important to be user friendly and having simple layout in order to be able to use easily by both novice and expert user. In this paper, the studies regarding Information Architecture and Design required to consider when we are to going to develop a user-friendly and good-quality website. I chose the Immigration Checkpoints Authority (ICA) e-government website ww.ica.gov.sg and made justification the site according to my studies regarding information architecture and design concepts especially usability views. Literature Review There are many different views on information architecture with many different areas. Information architecture is the practice of structuring information (knowledge or data) which are structured according to their context in user interaction or larger databases. Rosenfeld expresses the basic concept of IA as the interlinking of three major components: users (who they are, what their information-seeking behaviors and needs are), content (metadata, volume, formats, structure, and organization), and context (business value, business model, culture, politics, resources and resource constraints). Most of the website are developed emphasize on the users requirements and goal. It is essential to consider the information architecture concepts in most of the website in order to let the user with usefulness, usability, efficiency and effectiveness when using the site. While designing the portal site, the first things to think about the target user and user groups and should consider what the user needs, what kind of task are user perform. Moreover, the mental/cognitive aspects should think such as attention (structuring information, use of alert mechanisms and colors,), memory (short-term memory, iconic memory, long-term memory), and the behavioral aspects such as information needs should be well thought-out to match with the usability concepts for the portal website. Furthermore, the interaction design are need to consider in order to let the site is attractive and well-designed especially navigation, search system. Case studies based on ICA website The Immigration Checkpoints Authority (ICA), e-government site, provides many services and functions including issuing of travel documents and identity cards to Singapore citizens and issuing various immigration passes and permits to foreigners. In this site, e-appointment, registration the IC online, applying the students pass for the foreign student via electronically and more services can be performed via this site. Figure-1 ICA website 1. Focus user group This ICA website targets different user groups such as citizens, permanent residents and visitors of the country (Singapore) and information are placed under the different user groups. 2. User Mental/ Cognitive Aspects 2.1 Perception and Attention In this site, the developer uses the alert mechanisms to grab reader attention for example; there is a flash image in the middle centre of the home page to be attractive to user. As information is presented with ample spaces, and text is legible and distinguishable from the background, so the website can be perceived easier by user. (According to the type of users, patterns are used with consistent text size and different colors to attract the users focus). 2.2 Memory Iconic memory In this portal, the images and icons are used in terms of improvement of iconic memory. Short term memory (working memory) mental processing Information is well categorized to support the user short-term memory. So, the user can emphasize on relevant information and do not need to confuse with non-related information. Long term memory knowledge The design supports the long term memory by the recognition of user with using consistent menus, navigation. 3. Interaction design 3.1 Navigation The navigation system is consistent and the global navigation system, persistent navigation, is provided in the whole transaction process. In figure-2, it helps the user navigate the site to find the areas of interest to them and shows users where they are within the site and how to get other page. Furthermore, local navigation uses the within a specific site section, for example, visitors service, entry visa, visit pass, students pass and birth pass. This portal support, breadcrumbs, horizontal list of labels which shows current site location and the path the user go through within this site, and helps user where on website they are and enable user to go back previous page throughout the hierarchical navigation. Breadcrumbs Contextual Navigation Local NavigationFigure-2 3.2 Search Figure -3 This site provides the powerful search feature for the user to find the information which is more desired information of the users. In figure-3, there is search box to find the information and also provide advanced search with the drop down list lets the user chooses within this site or within all government site. Choosing the latter option will help the user to be able to search among all of the Singapores government websites such as Ministry of Health and Ministry of Manpower. 3.3 Categorization In ICA site, there are different categorization for user group and the information and services are categorized for each user group. As an example, a permanent resident can find the related information and services under the category of Permanent Residents. 4. Suggestion for improving site Although the ICA website is nice and user-friendly, still there are some features and technologies to comment perfect. I believe the transactions will be more easier if the website support the user account control feature because a user will only need to fill in their personal information for very first time only and will be stored in the database and later the information will be retrieved when the user login and that data will be able to use for the transactions need. Getting updated is really important in the Information Technology. In addition, very latest technologies will not only help the web-site to be looked well but also provides the new and convenient features such as auto-complete function and real-time announcements. Moreover, the network navigation links which are useful other government sites links that may be related to this site should be support in this site. The features described above are not the vital features. However, it is really better to have those features than doesnt have. I believe that implementing those will make the web-site become more and more perfect. Conclusion In conclusion, the government related issues are essential for every country and the government and people turn into use the e-government website for processing their transaction vial online. In between, those websites should have usability and usefulness for both expect and novice user (e.g. ICA website). So, it should be aware to consider the information architecture in designing and developing the website. According to my literature review, I studied a case, ICA website, in the point of usability concepts especially users, the interaction design between user and the system. According to my studies, user can get more satisfaction when using this ICA website than going physically to ICA building and process the transactions manually. I realize that the website will be more usability, effectiveness and efficiency by focusing on my suggestion base on information architecture issues.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Ben Carson with Cecil MurpheyGifted Hands The Ben Carson Story :: Essays Papers

Ben Carson with Cecil MurpheyGifted Hands The Ben Carson Story The book is about a kid who grew up in a harsh area, in other words a â€Å"ghetto†. The books starts out when Ben is in fifth grade when he is failing all his classes because he couldn’t see anything without glasses that his family couldn’t afford. But after Ben got glasses he became the smartest student in all his classes. He was a very smart and good student until he reached the beginning of high school. When he entered the ninth grade year he began to be embarrassed of his social standing because people would â€Å"cap† on him and also because he wore old clothes. He was in this period until the middle of the 10th grade when his mom and the ROTC straightened him out. After that he graduated high school and attended college at Yale. While at Yale he had money problems and barely had enough money to survive. He graduated and married his wife Cookie and became a neurosurgeon. He his known as one of the top neurosurgeons if not the top neu rosurgeon because he took difficult cases which all other neurosurgeons wouldn’t take the risk to do. The message of this book is basically never give up and always try to do your best no matter what the situation and you should remember that God is with one and he should be the priority in ones life. Well for different people the message of this book could be considered important or unimportant. The ideas of this book are of importance to certain people and these certain people should consider it. There are expressions of the author shown through certain incidents like when mid-terms came during a year at Yale he was unprepared because of his procrastinating studying techniques but the night before the exam while reviewing his notes he prayed for god to help him do good on the test and he had a dream about the test and the answers were in front of him, this expressed his philosophy of god helping one if they ask. The author never tried to convince me of a point of view but he gave different examples of situations and how he settled those situations. After reading this book I found some similarities of my daily life.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

student :: essays research papers

1 'Taking A Brand Global: Ten Steps To Success'; I. Introduction: The Importance of Being Global A strong global brand is a powerful weapon. These days, however, it may also be an indispensable one, even as the economy challenges our faith in brands to deliver a profit. According to Interbrand's 'World's Most Valuable Brands 2000'; study, for example, although Amazon's share price has declined, its brand value has increased by 233%. On the other hand, international power player Coca-Cola, although still the world's #1 brand, saw its value drop by 13%. And technology brands did quite well— Microsoft, IBM, Intel, and Nokia placed second through fifth—not at all foreshadowing the precipitous crash in their stock prices about half a year after the study findings were released. Overall, notes marketing writer Jane Bainbridge in Marketing [20 July 2000], Interbrand's second annual study of this kind reveals not only that global brands are 'stable assets,'; but also that 'the most valuable brands are global.'; In fact, she argues, 'to have a billion-dollar brand, a company has to be global.'; II. Branding As The New 'Universal Language'; Based on a recent survey of more than forty-five thousand people across nineteen countries, Young & Rubicam makes a rather startling claim. In its newest Brand Asset Valuator report, issued in March 2001, the firm asserts that brands have taken on a godlike status: consumers find greater meaning in them and the values they espouse than in religion. As Conor Dignam reports in Ad Age Global [12 March 2001], the study claims that superbrands like Calvin Klein, Gatorade, IKEA, Microsoft, MTV, Nike, Virgin, Sony PlayStation, and Yahoo! can therefore also be called 'belief brands.'; Although Dignam argues against the idea that consumers would treat brands as gods (because they will not be dictated to by them), he does accept the implications of the argument and make a different analogy. Brands, he says, are more like 'best friends,'; in that they are an important part of people's lives, do carry specific meanings for the consumer, and they are respected or rejected based on how well they keep their promises. Yet whether one calls them gods or 'best friends,'; brands have clearly started to take on greater importance in consumers' lives. In fact, they have gone from objects with identity to identities in the guise of objects. The trend has gone so far, in fact, that people are beginning to speak the language of brands and even to market themselves as brands in their own right. There is more than one book in print along the lines of Brand Yourself [Ballantine, 2000] devoted strictly to the notion that the

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Comments on Society in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman :: Death Salesman essays

Comments on Society in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman Often times when we read literature, we can derive certain ideas or messages that the author of the work is trying to illustrate. After reading the play Death Of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, it is evident that he is trying to comment on our society . These comments on society being expressed are demonstrated in several examples throughout the play.   I think the idea that Miller is trying to get across to the audience is that, today's society is filled with people who don't get the credit they deserve for the "little things" they do in life.   These people in society are like "unsung heroes" because the hard work they do might be overlooked. If others around you see that you are not living up to their expectations or their standards, they may put you down instead of giving you the credit you deserve. Other times we do not appreciate the "little things" that our loved ones do for us until it is too late. Usually these little things impact us the most.   In this play, I think the "unsung hero" is no doubt Willy Loman, an aging salesman, father, and husband to the Loman Family. For example in the play, Willy is getting old and his success in business is suddenly declining. His salary was even taken away, leaving him to depend only on commission. Because of this, his two sons Biff and Happy, along with others that knew him, constantly put him down for not always being on top, saying how he didn't have any character, and that he was crazy. No one knew him at work anymore and no one showed Willy the respect he needed. Others looked down on him not realizing how exhausted he was trying to make a living just for his family. In reality,   Willy would drive 700 miles to work and come home without even earning a cent. He had to borrow money from Charley just to provide food on the table so that he could provide a future for his sons. I think that Willy should've been acknowledged for that in itself but instead, his two sons never even t ook the time out to thank him for just going out everyday trying to make it in the world. Unfortunately, Biff and Happy could only fully realize this when Willy was at the end of his rope, secretly trying to kill himself.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Foundation and Empire 2. The Magicians

FOUNDATION†¦ With forty years of expansion behind them, the Foundation faced the menace of Riose. The epic days of Hardin and Mallow had gone and with them were gone a certain hard daring and resolution†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica There were four men in the room, and the room was set apart where none could approach. The four men looked at each other quickly, then lengthily at the table that separated them. There were four bottles on the table and as many full glasses, but no one had touched them. And then the man nearest the door stretched out an arm and drummed a slow, padding rhythm on the table. He said, â€Å"Are you going to sit and wonder forever? Does it matter who speaks first?† â€Å"Speak you first, then,† said the big man directly opposite. â€Å"You're the one who should be the most worried.† Sennett Forell chuckled with noiseless nonhumor. â€Å"Because you think I'm the richest. Well – Or is it that you expect me to continue as I have started. I don't suppose you forget that it was my own Trade Fleet that captured this scout ship of theirs.† â€Å"You had the largest fleet,† said a third, â€Å"and the best pilots; which is another way of saying you are the richest. It was a fearful risk; and would have been greater for one of us.† Sennett Forell chuckled again. â€Å"There is a certain facility in risk-taking that I inherit from my father. After all, the essential point in running a risk is that the returns justify it. As to which, witness the fact that the enemy ship was isolated and captured without loss to ourselves or warning to the others.† That Forell was a distant collateral relative of the late great Hober Mallow was recognized openly throughout the Foundation. That he was Mallow's illegitimate son was accepted quietly to just as wide an extent. The fourth man blinked his little eyes stealthily. Words crept out from between thin lips. â€Å"It is nothing to sleep over in fat triumph, this grasping of little ships. Most likely, it will but anger that young man further.† â€Å"You think he needs motives?† questioned Forell, scornfully. â€Å"I do, and this might, or will, save him the vexation of having to manufacture one.† The fourth man spoke slowly, â€Å"Hober Mallow worked otherwise. And Salvor Hardin. They let others take the uncertain paths of force, while they maneuvered surely and quietly.† Forell shrugged. â€Å"This ship has proved its value. Motives are cheap and we have sold this one at a profit.† There was the satisfaction of the born Trader in that. He continued, â€Å"The young man is of the old Empire.† â€Å"We knew that,† said the second man, the big one, with rumbling discontent. â€Å"We suspected that,† corrected Forell, softly. â€Å"If a man comes with ships and wealth, with overtures of friendliness, and with offers of trade, it is only sensible to refrain from antagonizing him, until we are certain that the profitable mask is not a face after all. But now-â€Å" There was a faint whining edge to the third man's voice as he spoke. â€Å"We might have been even more careful. We might have found out first. We might have found out before allowing him to leave. It would have been the truest wisdom.† â€Å"That has been discussed and disposed of,† said Forell. He waved the subject aside with a flatly final gesture. â€Å"The government is soft,† complained the third man. â€Å"The mayor is an idiot.† The fourth man looked at the other three in turn and removed the stub of a cigar from his mouth. He dropped it casually into the slot at his right where it disappeared with a silent flash of disruption. He said sarcastically, â€Å"I trust the gentleman who last spoke is speaking through habit only. We can afford to remember here that we are the government.† There was a murmur of agreement. The fourth man's little eyes were on the table. â€Å"Then let us leave government policy alone. This young man†¦ this stranger might have been a possible customer. There have been cases. All three of you tried to butter him into an advance contract. We have an agreement – a gentleman's agreement – against it, but you tried.† â€Å"So did you,† growled the second man. I know it,† said the fourth, calmly. â€Å"Then let's forget what we should have done earlier,† interrupted Forell impatiently, â€Å"and continue with what we should do now. In any case, what if we had imprisoned him, or killed him, what then? We are not certain of his intentions even yet, and at the worst, we could not destroy an Empire by snipping short one man's life. There might be navies upon navies waiting just the other side of his nonreturn.† â€Å"Exactly,† approved the fourth man. â€Å"Now what did you get out of your captured ship? I'm too old for all this talking.† â€Å"It can be told in a few enough words,† said Forell, grimly. â€Å"He's an Imperial general or whatever rank corresponds to that over there. He's a young man who has proved his military brilliance – so I am told – and who is the idol of his men. Quite a romantic career. The stories they tell of him are no doubt half lies, but even so it makes him out to be a type of wonder man.† â€Å"Who are the ‘they'?† demanded the second man. â€Å"The crew of the captured ship. Look, I have all their statements recorded on micro-film, which I have in a secure place. Later on, if you wish, you can see them. You can talk to the men yourselves, if you think it necessary. I've told you the essentials.† â€Å"How did you get it out of them? How do you know they're telling the truth?† Forell frowned. â€Å"I wasn't gentle, good sir. I knocked them about, drugged them crazy, and used the Probe unmercifully. They talked. You can believe them.† â€Å"In the old days,† said the third man, with sudden irrelevance, â€Å"they would have used pure psychology. Painless, you know, but very sure. No chance of deceit.† â€Å"Well, there is a good deal they had in the old days,† said Forell, dryly. â€Å"These are the new days.† â€Å"But,† said the fourth man, â€Å"what did he want here, this general, this romantic wonder-man?† There was a dogged, weary persistence about him. Forell glanced at him sharply. â€Å"You think he confides the details of state policy to his crew? They didn't know. There was nothing to get out of them in that respect, and I tried, Galaxy knows.† â€Å"Which leaves us-â€Å" â€Å"To draw our own conclusions, obviously.† Forell's fingers were tapping quietly again. â€Å"The young man is a military leader of the Empire, yet he played the pretense of being a minor princeling of some scattered stars in an odd comer of the Periphery. That alone would assure us that his real motives are such as it would not benefit him to have us know. Combine the nature of his profession with the fact that the Empire has already subsidized one attack upon us in my father's time, and the possibilities become ominous. That first attack failed. I doubt that the Empire owes us love for that.† â€Å"There is nothing in your findings,† questioned the fourth man guardedly, â€Å"that makes for certainty? You are withholding nothing?† Forell answered levelly, â€Å"I can't withhold anything. From here on there can be no question of business rivalry. Unity is forced upon us.† â€Å"Patriotism?† There was a sneer in the third man's thin voice. â€Å"Patriotism be damned,† said Forell quietly. â€Å"Do you think I give two puffs of nuclear emanation for the future Second Empire? Do you think I'd risk a single Trade mission to smooth its path? But – do you suppose Imperial conquest will help my business or yours? If the Empire wins, there will be a sufficient number of yearning carrion crows to crave the rewards of battle.† â€Å"And we're the rewards,† added the fourth man, dryly. The second man broke his silence suddenly, and shifted his bulk angrily, so that the chair creaked under him. â€Å"But why talk of that. The Empire can't win, can it? There is Seldon's assurance that we will form the Second Empire in the end. This is only another crisis. There have been three before this.† â€Å"Only another crisis, yes!† Forell brooded. â€Å"But – in the case of the first two, we had Salvor Hardin to guide us; in the third, there was Hober Mallow. Whom have we now?† He looked at the others somberly and continued, â€Å"Seldon's rules of psychohistory on which it is so comforting to rely probably have as one of the contributing variables, a certain normal initiative on the part of the people of the Foundation themselves. Seldon's laws help those who help themselves.† â€Å"The times make the man,† said the third man. â€Å"There's another proverb for you.† â€Å"You can't count on that, not with absolute assurance,† grunted Forell. â€Å"Now the way it seems to me is this. If this is the fourth crisis, then Seldon has foreseen it. If he has, then it can be beaten, and there should be a way of doing it. â€Å"Now The Empire is stronger than we; it always has been. But this is the first time we are in danger of its direct attack, so that strength becomes terribly menacing. If it can be beaten, it must be once again as in all past crises by a method other than pure force. We must find the weak side of our enemy and attack it there.† â€Å"And what is that weak side?† asked the fourth man. â€Å"Do you intend advancing a theory?† â€Å"No. That is the point I'm leading up to. Our great leaders of the past always saw the weak points of their enemies and aimed at that. But now-â€Å" There was a helplessness in his voice, and for a moment none volunteered a comment. Then the fourth man said, â€Å"We need spies.† Forell turned to him eagerly. â€Å"Right! I don't know when the Empire will attack. There may be time.† â€Å"Hober Mallow himself entered the Imperial dominions,† suggested the second man. But Forell shook his head. â€Å"Nothing so direct. None of us are precisely youthful; and all of us are rusty with red-tape and administrative detail. We need young men that are in the field now-â€Å" â€Å"The independent traders?† asked the fourth man. And Forell nodded his, head and whispered, â€Å"If there is yet time-â€Å"

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 18

Chapter 18 I have been out among you, eating and talking and walking and walking and walking, for hours without having to turn because of a wall in my way. The angel woke me this morning with a new set of clothes, strange to the feel but familiar to the sight (from television). Jeans, sweatshirt, and sneakers, as well as some socks and boxer shorts. â€Å"Put these on. I'm taking you out for a walk,† said Raziel. â€Å"As if I were a dog,† I said. â€Å"Exactly as if you were a dog.† The angel was also wearing modern American garb, and although he was still strikingly handsome, he looked so uncomfortable that the clothes might have been held to his body with flaming spikes. â€Å"Where are we going?† â€Å"I told you, out.† â€Å"Where did you get the clothes?† â€Å"I called down and Jesus brought them up. There is a clothing store in the hotel. Come now.† Raziel closed the door behind us and put the room key in his jeans pocket with the money. I wondered if he'd ever had pockets before. I wouldn't have thought to use them. I didn't say a word as we rode the elevator down to the lobby and made our way out the front doors. I didn't want to ruin it, to say something that would bring the angel to his senses. The noise in the street was glorious: the cars, the jackhammers, the insane people babbling to themselves. The light! The smells! I felt as if I must have been in shock when we first traveled here from Jerusalem. I didn't remember it being so vivid. I started to skip down the street and the angel caught me by the shoulder; his fingers dug into my muscles like talons. â€Å"You know that you can't get away, that if you run I can catch you and snap your legs so you will never run again. You know that if you should escape even for a few minutes, you cannot hide from me. You know that I can find you, as I once found everyone of your kind? You know these things?† â€Å"Yes, let go of me. Let's walk.† â€Å"I hate walking. Have you ever seen an eagle look at a pigeon? That's how I feel about you and your walking.† I should point out, I suppose, what Raziel was talking about when he said that he once found everyone of my kind. It seems that he did a stint, centuries ago, as the Angel of Death, but was relieved of his duties because he was not particularly good at them. He admits that he's a sucker for a hard-luck story (perhaps that explains his fascination with soap operas). Anyway, when you read in the Torah about Noah living to be nine hundred and Moses living to be a hundred and forty, well, guess who led the chorus line in the â€Å"Off This Mortal Coil† shuffle? That's where he got the black-winged aspect that I've talked about before. Even though they fired him, they let him keep the outfit. (Can you believe that Noah was able to postpone death for eight hundred years by telling the angel that he was behind in his paperwork? Would that Raziel could be that incompetent at his current task.) â€Å"Look, Raziel! Pizza!† I pointed to a sign. â€Å"Buy us pizza!† He took some money out of his pocket and handed it to me. â€Å"You do it. You can do it, right?† â€Å"Yes, we had commerce in my time,† I said sarcastically. â€Å"We didn't have pizza, but we had commerce.† â€Å"Good, can you use that machine?† He pointed to a box that held newspapers behind glass. â€Å"If it doesn't open with that little handle, then no.† The angel looked perturbed. â€Å"How is it that you can receive the gift of tongues and suddenly understand all languages, and there is no gift that can tell you how things work in this time? Tell me that.† â€Å"Look, maybe if you didn't hog the remote all the time I would learn how to use these things.† I meant that I could have learned more about the outside world from television, but Raziel thought I meant that I needed more practice pushing the channel buttons. â€Å"Knowing how to use the television isn't enough. You have to know how everything in this world works.† And with that the angel turned and stared through the window of the pizza place at the men tossing disks of dough into the air. â€Å"Why, Raziel? Why do I need to know about how this world works? If anything, you've tried to keep me from learning anything.† â€Å"Not anymore. Let's go eat pizza.† â€Å"Raziel?† He wouldn't explain any further, but for the rest of the day we wandered the city, spending money, talking to people, learning. In the late afternoon Raziel inquired of a bus driver as to where we might go to meet Spider-Man. I could have gone another two thousand years without seeing the kind of disappointment I saw on Raziel's face when the bus driver gave his answer. We returned here to the room where Raziel said, â€Å"I miss destroying cities full of humans.† â€Å"I know what you mean,† I said, even though it was my best friend who had caused that sort of thing to go out of fashion, and not a moment too soon. But the angel needed to hear it. There's a difference between bearing false witness and saving someone's feelings. Even Joshua knew that. â€Å"Joshua, you're scaring me,† I said, talking to the disembodied voice that floated before me in the temple. â€Å"Where are you?† â€Å"I am everywhere and nowhere,† Joshua's voice said. â€Å"How come your voice is in front of me then?† I didn't like this at all. Yes, my years with Joshua had jaded me in regard to supernatural experiences, but my meditation hadn't yet brought me to the place where I wouldn't react to my friend being invisible. â€Å"I suppose it is the nature of a voice that it must come from somewhere, but only so that it may be let go.† Gaspar had been sitting in the temple and at the sound of our voices he rose and came over to me. He didn't appear to be angry, but then, he never did. â€Å"Why?† Gaspar said to me, meaning, Why are you talking and disturbing everyone's meditation with your infernal noise, you barbarian? â€Å"Joshua has attained enlightenment,† I said. Gaspar said nothing, meaning, So? That's the idea, you unworthy spawn of a razor-burned yak. I could tell that's what he meant by the tone in his voice. â€Å"So he's invisible.† â€Å"Mu,† Joshua's voice said. Mu meaning nothing beyond nothingness in Chinese. In an act of distinctly uncontrolled spontaneity, Gaspar screamed like a little girl and jumped four feet straight in the air. Monks stopped chanting and looked up. â€Å"What was that?† â€Å"That's Joshua.† â€Å"I am free of self, free of ego,† Joshua said. There was a little squeak and then a nasty stench infused us. I looked at Gaspar and he shook his head. He looked at me and I shrugged. â€Å"Was that you?† Gaspar asked Joshua. â€Å"Me in the sense that I am part of all things, or me in the sense of I am the one who poofed the gefilte gas?† asked Josh. â€Å"The latter,† said Gaspar. â€Å"No,† said Josh. â€Å"You lie,† I said, as amazed at that as I was at the fact that I couldn't see my friend. â€Å"I should stop talking now. Having a voice separates me from all that is.† With that he was quiet, and Gaspar looked as if he were about to panic. â€Å"Don't go away, Joshua,† the abbot said. â€Å"Stay as you are if you must, but come to the tea chamber at dawn tomorrow.† Gaspar looked to me. â€Å"You come too.† â€Å"I have to train on the poles in the morning,† I said. â€Å"You are excused,† Gaspar said. â€Å"And if Joshua talks to you anymore tonight, try to persuade him to share our existence.† Then he hurried off in a very unenlightened way. That night I was falling asleep when I heard a squeak in the hall outside of my cell, then an incredibly foul odor jolted me awake. â€Å"Joshua?† I crawled out of my cell into the hall. There were narrow slots high in the walls through which moonlight could sift, but I saw nothing but faint blue light on the stone. â€Å"Joshua, is that you?† â€Å"How could you tell?† Joshua's disembodied voice said. â€Å"Well, honestly, you stink, Josh.† â€Å"The last time we went to the village for alms, a woman gave Number Fourteen and me a thousand-year-old egg. It didn't sit well.† â€Å"Can't imagine why. I don't think you're supposed to eat an egg after, oh, two hundred years or so.† â€Å"They bury them, leave them there, then dig them up.† â€Å"Is that why I can't see you?† â€Å"No, that's because of my meditation. I've let go of everything. I've achieved perfect freedom.† â€Å"You've been free ever since we left Galilee.† â€Å"It's not the same. That's what I came to tell you, that I can't free our people from the rule of Romans.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because that's not true freedom. Any freedom that can be given can be taken away. Moses didn't need to ask Pharaoh to release our people, our people didn't need to be released from the Babylonians, and they don't need to be released from the Romans. I can't give them freedom. Freedom is in their hearts, they merely have to find it.† â€Å"So you're saying you're not the Messiah?† â€Å"How can I be? How can a humble being presume to grant something that is not his to give?† â€Å"If not you, who, Josh? Angels and miracles, your ability to heal and comfort? Who else is chosen if not you?† â€Å"I don't know. I don't know anything. I wanted to say good-bye. I'll be with you, as part of all things, but you won't perceive me until you become enlightened. You can't imagine how this feels, Biff. You are everything, you love everything, you need nothing.† â€Å"Okay. You won't be needing your shoes then, right?† â€Å"Possessions stand between you and freedom.† â€Å"Sounded like a yes to me. Do me one favor though, okay?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Listen to what Gaspar has to say to you tomorrow.† And give me time to think up an intelligent answer to someone who's invisible and crazy, I thought to myself. Joshua was innocent, but he wasn't stupid. I had to come up with something to save the Messiah so he could save the rest of us. â€Å"I'm going to the temple to sit. I'll see you in the morning.† â€Å"Not if I see you first.† â€Å"Funny,† said Josh. Gaspar looked especially old that morning when I met him in the tea room. His personal quarters consisted of a cell no bigger than my own, but it was located just off the tea room and had a door which he could close. It was cold in the morning in the monastery and I could see our breath as Gaspar boiled the water for tea. Soon I saw a third puff of breath coming from my side of the table, although there was no person there. â€Å"Good morning, Joshua,† Gaspar said. â€Å"Did you sleep, or are you free from that need?† â€Å"No, I don't need sleep anymore,† said Josh. â€Å"You'll excuse Twenty-one and I, as we still require nourishment.† Gaspar poured us some tea and fetched two rice balls from a shelf where he kept the tea. He held one out for me and I took it. â€Å"I don't have my bowl with me,† I said, worried that Gaspar would be angry with me. How was I to know? The monks always ate breakfast together. This was out of order. â€Å"Your hands are clean,† said Gaspar. Then he sipped his tea and sat peacefully for a while, not saying a word. Soon the room heated up from the charcoal brazier that Gaspar had used to heat the tea and I was no longer able to see Joshua's breath. Evidently he'd also overcome the gastric distress of the thousand-year-old egg. I began to get nervous, aware that Number Three would be waiting for Joshua and me in the courtyard to start our exercises. I was about to say something when Gaspar held up a finger to mark silence. â€Å"Joshua,† Gaspar said, â€Å"do you know what a bodhisattva is?† â€Å"No, master, I don't.† â€Å"Gautama Buddha was a bodhisattva. The twenty-seven patriarchs since Gautama Buddha were also bodhisattvas. Some say that I, myself, am a bodhisattva, but the claim is not mine.† â€Å"There are no Buddhas,† said Joshua. â€Å"Indeed,† said Gaspar, â€Å"but when one reaches the place of Buddhahood and realizes that there is no Buddha because everything is Buddha, when one reaches enlightenment, but makes a decision that he will not evolve to nirvana until all sentient beings have preceded him there, then he is a bodhisattva. A savior. A bodhisattva, by making this decision, grasps the only thing that can ever be grasped: compassion for the suffering of his fellow humans. Do you understand?† â€Å"I think so,† said Joshua. â€Å"But the decision to become a bodhisattva sounds like an act of ego, a denial of enlightenment.† â€Å"Indeed it is, Joshua. It is an act of self-love.† â€Å"Are you asking me to become a bodhisattva?† â€Å"If I were to say to you, love your neighbor as you love yourself, would I be telling you to be selfish?† There was silence for a moment, and as I looked at the place where Joshua's voice was originating, he gradually started to become visible again. â€Å"No,† said Joshua. â€Å"Why?† asked Gaspar. â€Å"Love thy neighbor as thou lovest thyself† – and here there was a long pause when I could imagine Joshua looking to the sky for an answer, as he so often did, then: â€Å"for he is thee, and thou art he, and everything that is ever worth loving is everything.† Joshua solidified before our eyes, fully dressed, looking no worse for the wear. Gaspar smiled and those extra years that he had been carrying on his face seemed to fade away. There was a peace in his aspect and for a moment he could have been as young as we were. â€Å"That is correct, Joshua. You are truly an enlightened being.† â€Å"I will be a bodhisattva to my people,† Joshua said. â€Å"Good, now go shave the yak,† said Gaspar. I dropped my rice ball. â€Å"What?† â€Å"And you, find Number Three and commence your training on the posts.† â€Å"Let me shave the yak,† I said. â€Å"I've done it before.† Joshua put his hand on my shoulder. â€Å"I'll be fine.† Gaspar said: â€Å"And on the next moon, after alms, you shall both go with the group into the mountains for a special meditation. Your training begins tonight. You shall receive no meals for two days and you must bring me your blankets before sundown. â€Å"But I've already been enlightened,† protested Josh. â€Å"Good. Shave the yak,† said the master. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised when Joshua showed up the next day at the communal dining room with a bale of yak hair and not a scratch on him. The other monks didn't seem surprised in the least. In fact, they hardly looked up from their rice and tea. (In my years at Gaspar's monastery, I found it was astoundingly difficult to surprise a Buddhist monk, especially one who had been trained in kung fu. So alert were they to the moment that one had to become nearly invisible and completely silent to sneak up on a monk, and even then simply jumping out and shouting â€Å"boo† wasn't enough to shake their chakras. To get a real reaction, you pretty much had to poleax one of them with a fighting staff, and if he heard the staff whistling through the air, there was a good chance he'd catch it, take it away from you, and pound you into damp pulp with it. So, no, they weren't surprised when Joshua delivered the fuzz harvest unscathed.) â€Å"How?† I asked, that being pretty much what I wanted to know. â€Å"I told her what I was doing,† said Joshua. â€Å"She stood perfectly still.† â€Å"You just told her what you were going to do?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"She wasn't afraid, so she didn't resist. All fear comes from trying to see the future, Biff. If you know what is coming, you aren't afraid.† â€Å"That's not true. I knew what was coming – namely that you were going to get stomped by the yak and that I'm not nearly as good at healing as you are – and I was afraid.† â€Å"Oh, then I'm wrong. Sorry. She must just not like you.† â€Å"That's more like it,† I said, vindicated. Joshua sat on the floor across from me. Like me, he wasn't permitted to eat anything, but we were allowed tea. â€Å"Hungry?† â€Å"Yes, you?† â€Å"Starving. How did you sleep last night, without your blanket, I mean?† â€Å"It was cold, but I used the training and I was able to sleep.† â€Å"I tried, but I shivered all night long. It's not even winter yet, Josh. When the snow falls we'll freeze to death without a blanket. I hate the cold.† â€Å"You have to be the cold,† said Joshua. â€Å"I liked you better before you got enlightened,† I said. Now Gaspar started to oversee our training personally. He was there every second as we leapt from post to post, and he drilled us mercilessly through the complex hand and foot movements we practiced as part of our kung fu regimen. (I had a funny feeling that I'd seen the movements before as he taught them to us, then I remembered Joy doing her complex dances in Balthasar's fortress. Had Gaspar taught the wizard, or vice versa?) As we sat in meditation, sometimes all through the night, he stood behind us with his bamboo rod and periodically struck us on the back of the head for no reason I could discern. â€Å"Why's he keep doing that? I didn't do anything,† I complained to Joshua over tea. â€Å"He's not hitting you to punish you, he's hitting you to keep you in the moment.† â€Å"Well, I'm in the moment now, and at the moment I'd like to beat the crap out of him.† â€Å"You don't mean that.† â€Å"Oh, what? I'm supposed to want to be the crap I beat out of him?† â€Å"Yes, Biff,† Joshua said somberly. â€Å"You must be the crap.† But he couldn't keep a straight face and he started to snicker as he sipped his tea, finally spraying the hot liquid out his nostrils and collapsing into a fit of laughter. All of the other monks, who evidently had been listening in, started giggling as well. A couple of them rolled around on the floor holding their sides. It's very difficult to stay angry when a room full of bald guys in orange robes start giggling. Buddhism. Gaspar made us wait two months before taking us on the special meditation pilgrimage, so it was well into winter before we made that monumental trek. Snow fell so deep on the mountainside that we literally had to tunnel our way out to the courtyard every morning for exercise. Before we were allowed to begin, Joshua and I had to shovel all of the snow out of the courtyard, which meant that some days it was well past noon before we were able to start drilling. Other days the wind whipped down out of the mountains so viciously that we couldn't see more than a few inches past our faces, and Gaspar would devise exercises that we could practice inside. Joshua and I were not given our blankets back, so I, for one, spent every night shivering myself to sleep. Although the high windows were shuttered and charcoal braziers were lit in the rooms that were occupied, there was never anything approaching physical comfort during the winter. To my relief, the other monks were not unaffected by the cold, and I noticed that the accepted posture for breakfast was to wrap your entire body around your steaming cup of tea, so not so much as a mote of precious heat might escape. Someone entering the dining hall, seeing us all balled up in our orange robes, might have thought he stumbled into a steaming patch of giant pumpkins. At least the others, including Joshua, seemed to find some relief from the chill during their meditations, having reached that state, I'm told, where they could, indeed, generate their own heat. I was still learning the discipline. Sometimes I considered climbing to the back of the temple where the cave became narrow and hund reds of fuzzy bats hibernated on the ceiling in a great seething mass of fur and sinew. The smell might have been horrid, but it would have been warm. When the day finally came for us to take the pilgrimage, I was no closer to generating my own heat than I had been at the start, so I was relieved when Gaspar led five of us to a cabinet and issued yak-wool leggings and boots to each of us. â€Å"Life is suffering,† said Gaspar as he handed Joshua his leggings, â€Å"but it is more expedient to go through it with one's legs intact.† We left just after dawn on a crystal clear morning after a night of brutal wind that had blown much of the snow off the base of the mountain. Gaspar led five of us down the mountain to the village. Sometimes we trod in the snow up to our waists, other times we hopped across the tops of exposed stones, suddenly making our training on the tops of the posts seem much more practical than I had ever thought possible. On the mountainside, a slip from one of the stones might have sent us plunging into a powder-filled ravine to suffocate under fifty feet of snow. The villagers received us with great celebration, coming out of their stone and sod houses to fill our bowls with rice and root vegetables, ringing small brass bells and blowing the yak horn in our honor before quickly retreating back to their fires and slamming their doors against the cold. It was festive, but it was brief. Gaspar led us to the home of the toothless old woman who Joshua and I had met so long ago and we all bedded down in the straw of her small barn amid her goats and a pair of yaks. (Her yaks were much smaller than the one we kept at the monastery, more the size of normal cattle. I found out later that ours was the progeny of the wild yaks that lived in the high plateaus, while hers were from stock that had been domesticated for a thousand years.) After the others had gone to sleep, I snuck into the old woman's house in search of some food. It was a small stone house with two rooms. The front one was dimly lit by a single window covered with a tanned and stretched animal hide that transmitted the light of the full moon as a dull yellow glow. I could only make out shapes, not actual objects, but I felt my way around the room until I laid my hand on what had to be a bag of turnips. I dug one of the knobby vegetables from the bag, brushed the dirt from the surface with my palm, then sunk in my teeth and crunched away a mouthful of crisp, earthy bliss. I had never even cared for turnips up to that time, but I had just decided that I was going to sit there until I had transferred the entire contents of that bag to my stomach, when I heard a noise in the back room. I stopped chewing and listened. Suddenly I could see someone standing in the doorway between the two rooms. I drew in my breath and held it. Then I heard the old woman's voice, speaking Chinese with her peculiar accent: â€Å"To take the life of a human or one like a human. To take a thing that is not given. To claim to have superhuman powers.† I was slow, but suddenly I realized that the old woman was reciting the rules for which a monk could be expelled from the monastery. As she came into the dim light from the window she said, â€Å"To have intercourse with anyone, even down to an animal.† And at that second, I realized that the toothless old woman was completely naked. A mouthful of chewed turnip rolled out of my mouth and down the front of my robe. The old woman, close now, reached out, I thought to catch the mess, but instead she caught what was under my robe. â€Å"Do you have superhuman powers?† the old woman said, pulling on my manhood, which, much to my amazement, nodded an answer. I need to say here that it had been over two years since we had left Balthasar's fortress, and another six months before that since the demon had come and killed all of the girls but Joy – thus curtailing my regular supply of sexual companions. I want to go on record that I had been steadfast in adhering to the rules of the monastery, allowing only those nocturnal emissions as were expelled during dreams (although I had gotten pretty good in directing my dreams in that direction, so all that mental discipline and meditation wasn't completely useless). So, that said, I was in a weakened state of resistance when the old woman, leathery and toothless as she might have been, compelled me by threat and intimidation to share with her what the Chinese call the Forbidden Monkey Dance. Five times. Imagine my chagrin when the man who would save the world found me in the morning with a twisted burl of Chinese crone-flesh orally affixed to my fleshy pagoda of expandable joy, even as I snored away in transcendent turnip-digesting oblivion. â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!† said Joshua, turning to the wall and throwing his robe over his head. â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!† I said, roused from my slumber by the disgusted exclamation of my friend. â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhh!† said the old woman, I think. (Her speech was generously obstructed, if I do say so myself.) â€Å"Jeez, Biff,† Joshua stuttered. â€Å"You can't†¦I mean†¦Lust is†¦Jeez, Biff!† â€Å"What?† I said, like I didn't know what. â€Å"You've ruined sex for me for all time,† Joshua said. â€Å"Whenever I think of it, this picture will always come up in my mind.† â€Å"So,† I said, pushing the old woman away and shooing her into the back room. â€Å"So†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Joshua turned around and looked me in the eye, then grinned widely enough to threaten the integrity of his ears. â€Å"So thanks.† I stood and bowed. â€Å"I am here only to serve,† I said, grinning back. â€Å"Gaspar sent me to look for you. He's ready to leave.† â€Å"Okay, I'd better, you know, say good-bye.† I gestured toward the back room. Joshua shuddered. â€Å"No offense,† he said to the old woman, who was out of sight in the other room. â€Å"I was just surprised.† â€Å"Want a turnip?† I said, holding up one of the knobby treats. Joshua turned and started out the door. â€Å"Jeez, Biff,† he was saying as he left.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Meaning Behind Aussie Battler Essay

The film industry determines the way we view our films. Australian films often backup the idea of the ‘Aussie battler/hero’. A battler/hero is known as someone who fights for what they believe in, their country, their heritage, their family, friends, dignity and pride. A battler’s job is to protect and hold onto what they are fighting for, whether it is for the good or for the bad. The Aussie Battler is known for being a working class citizen who commits there heart and soul into their work, land, culture and family. Many Australian films explore the concept of ‘Overcoming Adversity’ and explore into the idea of the ‘Aussie Battler/hero’. Wonderful examples of films that directly look into this idea of the ‘Aussie Battler/hero’, is Ned Kelly (2003) and The Castle (1997). Ned Kelly is a film based in the 70’s/80s about a group of young men, Ned Kelly (Heath Ledger), Joseph Byrne (Orlando Bloom), Dan Kelly (Laurence Kinlan) and Steve Hart (Philip Barantini), also known as ‘the Kelly gang’, fighting to preserve their heritage and remain true to their family. The director of Ned Kelly ‘Gregor Jordan’ has contributed the idea of how overcoming adversity can be problematic and difficult, but can also change society. The Castle a film directed by Rob Sitch is about a man, Darryl Kerrigan (Michael Caton) facing the authority because he believes in fighting for his right to not lose everything he has worked for, for unnecessary government requests. The film industry determines the way people view films. Australian films often backup the idea of the ‘Aussie Battler’. An Aussie battler is referred to as someone who fights for what they believe in, their country their heritage, family, friends, dignity and pride. A battlers job is to protect and hold onto what they believe is worth fighting for, whether is is for good or bad. The Aussie battler is known to be a working class citizen who commits their sweat, blood and time into their work, land, culture and family. Many Australian films explore into the concept of ‘overcoming adversity’, and look deeply into the understanding the idea of the ‘Aussie battler’. Wonderful examples of films that directly look into this concept of the ‘Aussie Battler’ is ‘Ned Kelly’ (2003) and ‘The Castle’ (1997). ‘Ned Kelly’ is a Film based in 1880’s about a group of men (Ned Kelly (Heath Ledger), Joseph Byrne (Orlando Bloom), Dan Kelly (Laurence Kinlan) and Steve Hart (Philip Barantini), also known as ‘The Kelly Gang’. The gang’s objective is to fight, preserve their heritage and change how the authority treats the Irish. The director of ‘Ned Kelly’, ‘Gregor Jordan’ has contributed the idea of how overcoming diversity can be problematic and difficult, but can also change society’s views and ways. The Castle’, a film directed by ‘Rob Sitch’, is about a man, ‘Darryl Kerrigan’ (Michael Caton) facing the authority because he believes in fighting for his right to not lose something that is a big part of his life and some thing he has worked for his whole life. The events that arise in both films revolving around the characters, reiterate this idea of ‘Overcoming Adversity’ and the ‘Aussie Battler/hero’ is emerged through a variety of techniques incorporated from their respective directors. In the first scene of Ned Kelly he is portrayed as a great contribution to society by saving his class mates life from drowning in a river. He received a green hero’s sash. Another scene that also really shows Ned as a battler is where he is chasing one of the authorities through the bushes. Ned shoots the authority multiple times and once he finally stops Ned tells him ‘he would not have shot if he hadn’t kept running’; he also tried to stop him from bleeding but in the end couldn’t and was forced to put a bullet through his heart. A scene where Ned’s image is turned around is where he steals the horse and gets caught from the authority; Ned loses it and threatens the authority which then lands him in jail and from this point on Ned falls into the role of ‘The Aussie Battler’. Ned Kelly belongs to an Irish heritage that immigrated to Australia for a better life, but not realizing what laid ahead for them they were pushed low down in society and struggled to keep an income. The Kelly’s were given a piece of land by the selectors where they were allowed to grow their own crops, producing their own food and founder animals for income. The authorities in Ned Kelly were self-centred and, self-indulged. The way the authority treated the Irish was different to how they treated their own. That’s where the Kelly Gang and the authority differed. Ned was pleasant to everyone he came across, he didn’t chose to harm them, gave them respect and the rights they deserved wether they were his own people or not. The events that arise in both films revolving around the two main character ‘Ned Kelly’ and ‘Darryl Kerrigan’, reiterate this idea of ‘overcoming adversity’ and the ‘Aussie battler’ is emerged through a variety of different techniques that have been incorporated by their respective directors’. In a scene towards the start of the film that shows Ned as a battler is where he is hunting a policeman through the bush lands because he ran. Ned finally guns down the policeman and finds the man lying on the ground in immense pain. Ned tells the policeman ‘he would not have shot him if he had not run’. This scene shows the battler side of Ned because further on in this scene Ned is forced to kill the policeman because there was nothing he could do to save him. The Castle is a classic Australian film the stereotypes the Aussie image but also conveys the message that Australians are tough and fight for right. The Kerrigan family is an admirable representation of the average Australian family. They are tight-knit, willing to help and passionate about sticking together as a family. There is a scene that particularly shows off the characteristics of a battler/ fighter within the castle. This scene is were Darryl is at his court hearing. When the Jury goes on break, Darryl sends out his message to his lawyer who then uses what he says in his debate. By Darryl really expression his true emotions, they win. Darryl Kerrigan resembles the typical Australian father. Although his family isn’t well off and don’t particularly live in a great spot (beside an airport), its home, it all comes from the heart. Darryl is a battler; he supports everyone’s opinions but in the end makes his decisions based upon his beliefs. He doesn’t particularly have a high status in society with him working as a tow truck driver but still manages to stay positive because he doesn’t care what people think of him, he’s a proud Australian. He works and fights for the things he needs and can appeal to ones emotions. He uses his power to battle against the bad to win the good. The directors of both Ned Kelly and The Castle have incorporated a variety of different cinematic techniques that make both films memorable in their own manner. Techniques that come under the branch are Setting, Dialogue, and Costuming, Camera angles and movement and sound. Ned Kelly desires the affect for its audience to become entangled within the films story line and to do this the film must include a range of different and somewhat unusual techniques to gather attention. The setting for Ned Kelly is rather stereotypical to the era the film is set in. Most scenes where the Kelly gang do major work is set on the authority’s side. This is the brighter, more classic, rich side, whereas most other scenes such as fighting and war is done in the bushlands, outback where the Kelly’s feel safe and indulged in their own culture. The lighting in Ned Kelly is very much so leaned to low key lighting. If you notice high key lighting comes into play when the Kelly’s are in the authority’s territory and low key lighting for the rest. The dialogue used in Ned Kelly is very traditional and formal. The authority take on a different role in there dialogue as they used different words, words that come off more offensive and cruel. Costuming is also another very outmoded label. The Kelly’s customarily wore old, scrawny, filthy unwashed clothes. They also were mostly seen in dark long pants and jackets, not a lot of skin was shown which contributed to the aspects of low key lighting. The outcast side of people had scrawny hair, beards and were dressed in dirty clothing. Whereas the upper-class side were dressed in clean cut, brighter coloured clothing that resembled there place in society. In both Ned Kelly and the Castle similar camera angles and movements were used. High Angles where used to show power i. e. the authority standing over Ned making him look weaker and more vulnerable. Particularly towards the start of both films you notice low angles and high angles being used to show authority, but as the films progressed you start to notice the change in angles and where the cameras are positioned. Throughout both films you will notice an establishing shot being used at the start of most scenes followed by either a close up or mid shot, depending wether the scene was to include dialogue where then they would need a close up or just a mid-shot. There were many cuts during dialogue which also showed great importance in what the characters were saying. The castle resembled typical Australian dress standards for that time (Flannelettes, Jeans and bowl cuts). The Authority seemed to be dressed in smart clothing the reminded you of control and responsibility. Dialogue in The Castle was stereotypically an Australian accent. The slang, the way the words are slurred and how the pronunciations of words are carried out. The authority defiantly takes on another type of channel of communication, they talk more proper, formal and tend to shorten their words to sound like they aren’t slurring. The setting in the castle is bright and cheerful. It creates a friendly environment that also shows a real Australian household. They do this by creating a rundown house, not much money and living right next to an airport. The lighting the frames this film is high key. Even when darkness controls the time of the scene light still manages to be the key element to the shots. Both films show and encourage messages about Australia in two completely different but similar ways. Ned Kelly shows a message that stealing is wrong and fighting is not the answer, but fighting for what you believe in, fighting for the right to not let others contradict your life is ok. On the other hand the message about The Castle is exactly the same but carried out differently. The castle shows the fact that Australians are not very materialistic and in general are quite simplistic and positive. Both films also conveyed the message that family is important and supporting that idea of love and trust is what makes life worth living for. Ned Kelly chose reveal the idea of using violence, crime and death to portray its message, whereas The Castle did not. The Castle showed its message through family values, gratitude and reverence. Both of these films had the authority against them, they stuck together and became united as one. By the end of both films we were left with the feeling of knowing and understanding how both families’ fought together. If one was going down they were all going down. What was also so great about these two films is that we could watch them grow from battlers into heroes. Ultimately both films were devised to create a sense of understanding about the Australian culture. For certain message and concepts to be conveyed a range of different techniques had to be used, from characterization, to cinematography. The plots direction leaded to the audience grasping different emotions and challenged the audience to experience a film unlike most modern productions.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Muslim Night Essay

An event called ‘Muslim Night’ was held on Saturday, May 7, at MLIC 3rd Floor, IUJ. This annual event starting from 7 pm was initiated and implemented by Muslim Student Association (MSA). Some of students at IUJ come from Muslim countries; they are from Soth East countries : Indonesia and Malaysia; Middle East : Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan; South Asia : Bangladesh, Pakistan; and Africa Sudan. Those countries have a value or culture influenced by Islam. Entitled ‘Muslim heritage in our world’, the event is expected to be cross-cultural understanding and value sharing for Muslim. Muslim culture has many heritages to the world, especially some inventions that still used till today. The inventions are from many aspects such as economy, science, engineer,etc. A short opening speech was delivered by Professor Ahmed. He said that more than 3 billion people in the world hold Islam. â€Å"This contributes significant influence to enrich world culture† added he. Islamic values cannot be separated from the way of Muslim life. Islam which means submission brings peaceful to any human beings. This is reflected from Islamic greeting ‘Assalamual’aikum’ which means to give peace upon to the addressee. The President of MSA – Nur Adib Najamuddin in this occasion said that †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (mohon diisi ya mas, maaf waktu saya lagi moto di luar) President of IUJ, Masakatsu Mori through his email is welcome this event. However, he was absent due to his scheduled appointments in Tokyo. This event is open for all IUJ’s community. More than 250 participants – student, staff, and faculty members were joining in. Much information about Islamic values and culture are available in the form of booklet and poster. Nasheed song describing Islamic culture was heard during the event. The Muslim Night 2011 provided some activities such as (1) a short movie presentation with the title â€Å"1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets’ which tells about pioneering scientists and engineers from the history of Muslim civilization, such as Al Zahrawi, Al Jazari, and others. The film starred by Sir Ben Kinsley has won Cannes Festival France 2010 for best educational film and New York Film Festival 2010 as the best movie. (2) Islamic corner provided a free writing name in Arabic calligraphy for the participants and it was recorded that almost 200 participants wanted to be written their name in Arabic, (3) and ethnic food and drinks from various Muslim countries, such as South East Asia, Middle Asia, and South Asia.