Meaning Of Life Essays - Abrahamic Mythology, Bereshit,

Meaning of Life In approaching the meaning of life we have to examine the nature of meaning itself. Meaning is by definition the point, or the intended goal. Consider the point of humans and the universe as seen from monotheistic religion. If life and the universe is some sort of toy or form of entertainment for some prime mover, his point, his own entertainment, would then be the meaning of humans and the universe. Consider the goals of the deities of various cultures. Some strive for a balance between the forces of 'good' and 'evil'. This balance seems to simply be a choice of the deity, the way he thinks it ought to be. The concept of a prime mover as a source of the meaning of life is flawed, because in talking about an actual point to absolutely everything, we are simply considering the goals of a being more powerful than ourselves who has chosen one of many possible goals that humans can conceive of. This is to say that, if a god like this exists, his goal for life and the universe is not nece ssarily valid as a meaning of life, the universe, and himself. For instance, the Bible claims that the Christian deity created the universe and placed humans in it that they might be in awe of his power. If this is so, why is worship the correct response? The meaning of the universe as created by God is the entertainment of God, but what is the meaning of the larger system containing God and his creations? We could conceive of an even 'primer' mover, but that simply takes us all the way back into the wall of infinite regression. When I first read the Bible, it struck me as neutral on the idea of worship. The Bible flat out tells you that God created humans so that they would be in awe of him, which amounts to saying God created us to inflate his ego. We are to God as our pets are to ourselves, sources of unconditional love. In the book of Job, God essentially makes a gentleman's bet with Satan that Job's worship is genuine and not inspired by God's kindness. In other words, you throw a rock at my dog and I'll swing my arm so it looks I threw it, and we'll see if he still comes when I call him. In the end, Job is not simply the dog, because he questions God's throwing of the rock. God's response is consistent with his goal of inspiring awe. Even though the idea of a bet with Satan is well within Job's grasp, God claims that his purpose was inconceivable to Job. God is simply fortifying the concept that is critical to the continuance of human worship: that with inconceivable power comes incredible intelligence and unknowable purpose. The narrator of the Bible, which is supposedly God himself, speaking through humans, never directly says that he should be worshipped. This is merely the interpretation of humans, who may be created in God's image with one crucial difference, the need to worship. Perhaps then, God is after the meaning of life. Imagine a being so powerful as to be able to create and mould the universe, who, like Roman and Greek gods, is only marginally more intelligent than his creations. Perhaps God, in all his ridiculous power, cannot change himself. In order to find the meaning of his own existence he creates the human race so that we might evolve to an intelligence greater than his own, in much the same way that a computer programmer wishes to create true AI, an intelligence greater than human, which might 'evolve' within a computer. We are given the title of pet and the instinct of worship while the creator waits for a companion in the search for meaning. Of course this is wrong, or I would have been struck by a lightning bolt during that last sentence and brought to God's side. Or perhaps God is not aware of his own success yet, or perhaps I am not the first to uncover God's purpose, and my predecessor is debating meaning with God as we speak. Or perhaps I am intended to

Sample Rhetorical Analysis Essay Introduction - Writing Effective Intro Samples

Sample Rhetorical Analysis Essay Introduction - Writing Effective Intro SamplesA sample rhetorical analysis essay introduction should be well thought out and contains the right combination of words. Having a well written essay introduction can also mean having a successful first impression. Here are some tips to make sure that your introduction is not only written well but also presented in the right way to help your first impression come out right.First of all, do not use the wrong key words or combinations of words. You should also be able to use the right keywords in conjunction with the correct key words to give the reader a good feel for what you are trying to say. Use the right words to attract the reader's attention and allow them to engage in the debate with you.For example, if you want to talk about a political point of view then you should write using words such as 'your perspective'your approach.' You should also use words such as 'you could argue'the politics are complica ted.' This will help to bring about the right amount of confusion will lead to more interest.Second, do not give too much information at once and try to keep it all in a logical progression. Remember that what you want to do is draw attention to one thing at a time. You will want to persuade them to take action with this particular piece. If you make them think too much at once, it will hinder you from being persuasive.You should try to make sure that your essay introduction has the right time period to be effective. You will be speaking about a political argument at your lecture so you need to have a formal tone for this type of speech. On the other hand, if you are writing to a professor and writing a paper then you can use conversational tones.You should also put some personal skills into your essay introduction as well. This is not as important as the formal style you use but you will still want to find a way to convince the reader that they should take action. Here are some exa mples of this style:Instead of speaking with a dry bookish tone in an essay which is a political point of view, speak with a very friendly voice. You can also use the personal skills you learned in your personal life to apply to the essay you are writing.You should always be careful when applying what you know to the material you are reading and writing as you will need to make sure that you use all the techniques you learned in the classroom to get the material you are writing to be grammatically correct. If you do not then your essay introduction will probably be rejected by the university. Please remember that you are doing this to help you get into college and graduate school so that you can learn from others who are there before you.

Advantages and Disadvantages of being a sole trader

Advantages and Disadvantages of being a sole trader Sole traders are the most common form of business organizations. One person provides the permanent finance and, in return, has full control of the business. Sole traders have a variety of advantages and disadvantages.Firstly, sole traders have limited liability which means that their personal possessions and property can be taken to pay off the debts of the business if it fails. A sole trader organization is easy to set up, as there are hardly any legal formalities. The owner has complete control of the business and is able to keep all profits made. Since a sole trader manages their business completely on their own, they do not have to answer to anybody else as they would in a partner ship situation. They are able to choose times and patterns of working that are suitable for them. The business can be based on the interests or skills of the owner, rather than working as an employee for a larger firm.English: Sole Trader - Petty CuryDecision purelyHowever, although the advantages of be ing a sole trader make this organization structure seem very appealing, it also comes with a number of drawbacks and disadvantages. Sole traders have unlimited liability meaning that all of the owner's assets are potentially at risk. This makes it difficult for the owner to raise additional capital is they are purely dependant on their own savings, profits made and loans for injections of capital. Even though a sole trader can choose times and patterns of working, longs hours are often necessary ti make business pay.Another major disadvantage is that the owner is unable to specialize in areas of the business that are most interesting. They are responsible for all areas of management. This can be a tough and effort consuming duty. As many sole traders remain small in order to remain...

Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Proposal - Essay Example In addition to this topic being of interest from a researcher’s point of view, it also represents a social issue. Are home school laws being followed in households? What kind of homeschooling laws are in place to ensure that these children get the best possible education? Do these laws need any changes or amendments? These questions are the basis of this research paper. The homeschooling laws across all the states in USA need to be uniform, thus they need to be reviewed on a national level and implemented (Sykes, Schneider, & Plank, 2012). This research will explore the topic â€Å"Should Regulations for Home Schools Be Changed?† The research is going to be organized as follows. The literature review will examine the homeschooling laws which are already in place in the country. As mentioned before, these laws differ across different states. Thus, the major states of the country will be covered and the laws will be examined. In addition, this section will review previous researches or papers written on the prevailing homeschooling laws and regulations in the United States. The â€Å"Methodology† will explain how effective and satisfactory the regulations regarding home schools are through qualitative data collection. Questionnaires will be distributed to parents of home schooled children and those children themselves. â€Å"Results† will give the findings of the research. â€Å"Conclusion and Recommendations† will then analyze the results and discuss possible ways of making amendments to the home school regulations so that the entire system can benefit (Denicolo & Becker, 2012). The research is going to be useful for the parents of home schooled children. It will help them understand the dynamics of the home schooling system and how it can be improved by making the required changes in the regulations so that their child gets the best possible education. The audience for this research is not only these parents but also policy ma kers. Government officials are the ones who devise these policies to begin with. These people have official positions in the government; they have the required decision making authority so as to make sure that the suggested changes are pondered upon, if not actually implemented. The officials responsible for the education sector already have a view on the topic. They are aware of the dynamics of this sector and how home schools work. This research, however, will provide them with a fresh point of view and probably a new angle of looking at how things are being run in this sector (Saliger, 2010). The research on the whole will encompass ways in which the regulations can be amended in a way so that home schools across the country will benefit from it. The research does not aim at changing the entire system of home education. It just aims at analyzing the existing laws and gaining public opinion about the effectiveness of those laws. The research aims at finding out the extent to which these laws are being implemented in the country, and in cases where they are not, the research aims to find out the possible reasons for it. Are the laws too difficult to adhere to? Are they impractical? Are parents just being ignorant of their child’s education needs? (Imber & Geel, 2004) These are some additional questions which will be addressed by the research. This research will shed some light on the problems in the home education system and will help

Palladium Doors Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Palladium Doors - Case Study Example The cost associated with the chosen alternative has also been shown. The projected Gross Profit and Net Profit figure have also been reflected here. The study will reflect the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the company. It will highlight the analysis of the Political, Environmental, Social, and Technological environment of the operational market in which the company is operating. Problem Statement Palladium Door, Inc. is one of the privately owned producers of different commercial and residential garage doors. In its product line, the company manufactures both insulated and non insulated cables, steel garage doors, supplies, rollers, springs and the side roller tracts. The company wanted to increase the sales by 36 percent in the year 2004. Robert Hawly, the director of sales & marketing, was concerned that whether the present distribution strategy which was used by Palladium would be able to achieve the goal. Although the company has shown a steady growth from p ast 10 years, but the market share of Palladium was only 2.6 percent. The senior executives of the company were made to believe that this sales goal was justified and would help the company in attaining a large sales volume for the preservation of its buying position with the suppliers. During its growth period, Palladium has even exceeded the industry growth. Three new plans have been chosen for the achievement of the company’s goal. There are four different point of views related to the marketing decisions. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis will help to analyze various organizational issues (Mintzberg et al., 1998; Ansoff, 1965). It is a traditional method for making strategic plans (Dickson, 2002; Glaister & Falshaw, 1999). The SWOT analysis will help in selecting the best strategic option followed by the decision making after understanding the inter relationship between the company and its respective environment (Pahl & Richter, 2009; Ferrel & Hartline, 2010). Strengths 1. When Palladium was in its growth stage, it had a sales growth which was even higher than the industry growth. This is a significant strength of the company which has helped it to achieve a remarkable position in the market. 2. The company has a good partnership associated with the exclusive dealers. The exclusive dealers are responsible for almost 70 percent of the company’s sales. This will help the company to achieve the targeted sales goal. 3. The company is one of the biggest steel door manufacturers. Weaknesses 4. Although Palladium has shown a steady growth from past 10 years but the market share of the company was only 2.6 percent. 5. The company had only 50 additional dealers in previous 10 years. This was counted as one of the weaknesses of the company. Opportunities 6. Palladium has high opportunities by expanding its operations in the North West and West markets, where the houses build are aging. 7. There exists low brand awareness in the market where Palladium operate s. This gives the company an opportunity to attract the customers who are not brand conscious. 8. Palladium has the opportunity to extend the total number of exclusive dealers which

Genetically modified organism Essay Example for Free

Genetically modified organism Essay My environmental issue is genetically modified foods. I will explain why the foods should not be modified and the dangers of eating modified foods. Why this issue is important Evidence shows that food that has been genetically modified is a danger to the health of humans. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine says that the public should not eat genetically modified foods because several studies have shown that there are a variety of health problems such as organ damage, reproductive disruption, accelerated aging, immune dysfunction and insulin disorders associated with GM foods. The process of genetically modifying food is done by changing the original DNA by adding other organisms to it, also called GMO which stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. Consumers have been eating foods that contain genetically modified ingredients in them not knowing the risk factors. (Doctors Warn About Dangers of Genetically Modified Foods, by David Gutierrez) The FDA claims to have no knowledge that these foods were any different than naturally grown foods and labeled them as being Generally Recognized as Safe or (GRAS). The law says that a substance has to go through a certain amount of peer-reviewed published studies and has to have a certain amount of consensus among the scientific community that agrees that the product is safe. This allows them to be put on the market without any additional testing. Even though the GRAS labeled them to be safe, there are no proven facts that show that Genetically Modified foods are safe; the information that was given to the FDA was altered to expedite the approval of the products at the expense of the safety of the consumers. There has been no credible study done on genetically modified food safety. Evidence in Support of the Thesis In 1998 there was a lawsuit against the FDA for not listening to the warnings of their own scientists who were telling them that GM foods were not safe. The scientists warned that the GM foods could create unpredictable side effects that were hard to detect such as allergies, nutritional problems, toxins and new diseases and said that long-term studies needed to be done, but was ignored. (FDA ignored own scientists’ warnings about GM foods by Ken Roseboro) Even though it may be true that food crops are bio-engineered to produce their own pesticides and herbicides, these traits transfer to weeds and insect, which means that there effects are not long lasting. GM foods have not yet been proven to be safe. Rebuttal of the Evidence that Contradicts the Thesis Genetically modified foods have the potential to help benefit consumers by improving nutritional qualities in fruits and vegetables. Some of the crops are genetically engineered with herbicide resistant so that when the farmer uses herbicides to kill the weeds it doesn’t hurt the crop, which benefits not only agriculture but also the economics. Losing crops due to insects can be a tremendous loss to farmers. Biotechnology also generates crops with genes that are resistant to long periods of drought and frost. Since there is an increase in population, more land will be needed to grow crop on harsh landscapes. Farmers will need to grow crops in places that will be unsuitable for agriculture. With the world population increasing, it will be a challenge in the years to come to make sure that there is enough food for the growing population. Genetically modified foods will help to produce enough crops in these harsh times. It will help to feed malnutrition in third world countries. There is a widespread of undernourishment in the worlds where people are poor. They depend on one main crop which is rice. Rice by itself doesn’t have enough nutrients that a person need. But rice can be genetically modified to contain extra vitamin and minerals. Biotechnology has allowed people to be able to receive crucial vaccines and medicines which are hard to distribute. With vaccines and medicines being so expensive and the need to be stored a special way, they have come up with a way to put vaccines in food products so that they are easier to administer to people and easily transported. (The Benefits of Genetically Modified Food Crops) Rebuttal of the above claims Although malnutrition is a big problem in the world, according to the United Nations World Food Program, there is enough food being produced to feed the world without GM foods. The reasons that people go hungry are, they don’t have enough money to buy it or don’t have access to growing their own. The UN’s world food body is not in favor of using GM foods because of the effects on health and the environment. The Food and Agriculture Organization says â€Å"although GM crops could help with hunger in the world there are still questions about their implications for animal and human health and the balance of the ecosystems. † (Say No to GMOS) Conclusion Genetically modified foods have some pros and cons as I have showed you, but I am still a believer of the traditional way of growing foods. Since the foods will be labeled, that will give people the choice of rather to eat GM foods or naturally grown foods. that also have pro and cons to them. Reference http://www. naturalnews. com/028245_GM_food_side_effects. html http://www. non-moreport. com/articles/october2011/FDAignoredscientistswarningsGMfoods. php http://www. betterhealth. vic. gov. au/bhcv2/bhcarticles. nsf/pages/Genetically_modified_foods http://www. saynotogmos. org/ http://suite101. com/article/the-benefits-of-genetically-modified-food-crops-a218670.

Inner Smile - Deconstructing the Heterosexual Matrix :: Research Papers Essays

Inner Smile - Deconstructing the Heterosexual Matrix An issue that is gaining in political and social importance is the issue of homosexuality. Reports of homosexuality and societal responses to homosexuality are brought up again and again in media coverage. These past few decades have seen a large increase in awareness of issues concerning homosexuality. Gender is intricately linked to homosexuality and numerous theorists have explored gender and sexuality under the umbrella term of Gay and Lesbian studies or Queer theory. In the music video of their song Inner Smile, the pop group Texas have seemingly adopted a radical image change when the groups front-person, Sharleen Spiteri, appears in drag as Elvis. The director of this video, Vaughan Arnell, utilizes Brechtian techniques of alienation to bring issues of gender to the forefront of a viewer's consciousness. The portrayal of a female singer in the persona of the legendary male sexual icon of Elvis, invokes an awareness of gender and sexuality issues through the subsequent alienati on effect on the viewers, as the video, through editing and cinematography, makes it clear that Spiteri is actually a female in drag. The video by Arnell features Spiteri on stage performing the song Inner Smile, she adopts the entire Elvis persona, from the dressing to the actions and movements that she does on stage. In this video, Arnell recreates the Comeback Special that Elvis himself performed in 1968 ("Elvis"). The significance of this lies in the fact that despite the blatant idolization of Elvis, there are signs indicating that the pop group Texas are still performing this video. The vocals are themselves of a female voice, that of Spiteri's, and numerous other signs are present, such as the huge backdrop of a lighted sign with the word Texas and a few shots of the feminine Spiteri interspersed within the stage performance. This evidence of the group's identity as Texas serves as a reminder that the impersonation is not complete. This is not merely a duplication of Elvis' performance. Spiteri does not completely become Elvis, she merely adopts his persona in order to bring to the fore issues of gender. This is reminiscent of Brechtian concept of alienation. The concept of alienation was conceived by Bertolt Brecht, a politically active playwright who popularized epic theatre in the 1930s. Brecht's Epic theatre is one that aims to increase social awareness, and has Verfremdungseffekt, or alienation effect as its cornerstone. Inner Smile - Deconstructing the Heterosexual Matrix :: Research Papers Essays Inner Smile - Deconstructing the Heterosexual Matrix An issue that is gaining in political and social importance is the issue of homosexuality. Reports of homosexuality and societal responses to homosexuality are brought up again and again in media coverage. These past few decades have seen a large increase in awareness of issues concerning homosexuality. Gender is intricately linked to homosexuality and numerous theorists have explored gender and sexuality under the umbrella term of Gay and Lesbian studies or Queer theory. In the music video of their song Inner Smile, the pop group Texas have seemingly adopted a radical image change when the groups front-person, Sharleen Spiteri, appears in drag as Elvis. The director of this video, Vaughan Arnell, utilizes Brechtian techniques of alienation to bring issues of gender to the forefront of a viewer's consciousness. The portrayal of a female singer in the persona of the legendary male sexual icon of Elvis, invokes an awareness of gender and sexuality issues through the subsequent alienati on effect on the viewers, as the video, through editing and cinematography, makes it clear that Spiteri is actually a female in drag. The video by Arnell features Spiteri on stage performing the song Inner Smile, she adopts the entire Elvis persona, from the dressing to the actions and movements that she does on stage. In this video, Arnell recreates the Comeback Special that Elvis himself performed in 1968 ("Elvis"). The significance of this lies in the fact that despite the blatant idolization of Elvis, there are signs indicating that the pop group Texas are still performing this video. The vocals are themselves of a female voice, that of Spiteri's, and numerous other signs are present, such as the huge backdrop of a lighted sign with the word Texas and a few shots of the feminine Spiteri interspersed within the stage performance. This evidence of the group's identity as Texas serves as a reminder that the impersonation is not complete. This is not merely a duplication of Elvis' performance. Spiteri does not completely become Elvis, she merely adopts his persona in order to bring to the fore issues of gender. This is reminiscent of Brechtian concept of alienation. The concept of alienation was conceived by Bertolt Brecht, a politically active playwright who popularized epic theatre in the 1930s. Brecht's Epic theatre is one that aims to increase social awareness, and has Verfremdungseffekt, or alienation effect as its cornerstone.