The Great Divorce Essay Example for Free

The Great Divorce Essay The Great Divorce, the narrator suddenly, and inexplicably, finds himself in a grim and joyless city (the grey town, representative of hell). He eventually finds a bus for those who desire an excursion to some other place (and which eventually turns out to be the foothills of heaven). He enters the bus and converses with his fellow passengers as they travel. When the bus reaches its destination, the people on the bus — including the narrator — gradually realize that they are ghosts. Although the country is the most beautiful they have ever seen, every feature of the landscape (including streams of water and blades of grass) is unbearably solid compared to themselves: it causes them immense pain to walk on the grass, and even a single leaf is far too heavy for any of them to lift. Shining figures, men and women whom they have known on earth, come to meet them, and to persuade them to repent and enter heaven proper. They promise that as the ghosts travel onward and upward, they will become acclimated to the country and will feel no discomfort. These figures, called spirits to distinguish them from the ghosts, offer to assist them in the journey toward the mountains and the sunrise. Almost all of the ghosts choose to return instead to the grey town, giving various reasons and excuses. Much of the interest of the book lies in the recognition it awakens of the plausibility and familiarity, along with the thinness and self-deception, of the excuses that the ghosts refuse to abandon, even though to do so would bring them to reality and joy forevermore. The narrator is met by the writer George MacDonald, whom he hails as his mentor, just as Dante did when encountering Virgil in the Divine Comedy; and MacDonald becomes the narrators guide in his journey, just as Virgil became Dantes. MacDonald explains that it is possible for a soul to choose to remain in heaven despite having been in the grey town; for such souls, their time in hell has been a period of testing, and the goodness of heaven will work backwards into their lives, turning even their worst sorrows into joy, and changing their experience on earth to an extension of heaven. Conversely, the evil of hell works backwards also, so that if a soul remains in, or returns to, the grey town, even its happiness on earth will lose its meaning, and its experience on earth would have been hell. None of the ghosts realize that the grey town is, in fact, hell. Indeed it is not that much different from the life they led on earth: joyless, friendless, and uncomfortable. It just goes on forever, and gets worse and worse, with some characters whispering their fear of the night that is to eventually come. According to MacDonald, heaven and hell cannot coexist in a single soul, and while it is possible to leave hell and enter heaven, doing so implies turning away (repentance); or as depicted by Lewis, giving up paltry worldly pleasures and self-indulgences — which have become impossible for the dead anyway — and embracing ultimate and unceasing joy itself. In answer to the narrators question MacDonald confirms that what is going on is a dream. The use of the chess game imagery as well as the correspondence of dream elements to elements in the narrators waking life are reminiscent of Lewis Carrolls Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The narrator discovers that the vast grey town and its ghostly inhabitants are minuscule to the point of being invisible compared with the immensity of heaven and reality. This is illustrated in the encounter of the blessed woman and her husband: she is surrounded by gleaming attendants while he shrinks down to invisibility as he uses a collared tragedian to speak for him. Toward the end of the narrative the terror of the dreaming narrator of remaining a ghost in the advent of full daybreak in heaven is that of the man with his dream of judgment day in the House of the Interpreter of The Pilgrims Progress. The book ends with the narrator awakening from his dream of heaven into the unpleasant reality of wartime Britain, in conscious imitation of The Pilgrims Progress, the last sentence of the First Part of which is: So I awoke, and behold, it was a Dream. Main Characters The Narrator (it is implied that this is Lewis himself) — main focus of the narrative George MacDonald — the writer, who acts as guide to the narrator. And also many other small characters that play some pretty important roles in explaining Lewis ideas. Allusions/references to other works Lewis consciously draws elements of the plot from Dante (The Divine Comedy) and Bunyan; for example, comparing his meeting with MacDonald to the first sight of Beatrice. He also credits the idea that hell exists within heaven but is smaller than one atom of it to his scientifiction readings; travel by shrinking or enlargement is a common theme in speculative fiction, and the narrator alludes to its presence in Alice in Wonderland. In the preface, Lewis explains the origin of his idea that heaven is immutable to the ghosts from hell, referencing an unnamed science fiction work which gave him the notion of a character being unable to affect matter around him because he ha d traveled back in time to the unchangeable past.

Tony Robbins Use Of Teams Essay Example for Free

Tony Robbins Use Of Teams Essay Tony Robbins use of teams is novel and seeks to enhance leadership potential by a process of self empowerment and team learning. Thus the high potential of individuals is used to empower teams as a whole which in turn improves leadership potential of individuals. Thus a virtuous cycle of team based learning is achieved. This is done by enhancing potential of team members through intense coaching before exposure to the team, rigorous strategy sessions are held with each of them, to increase the faith of members within a team which in turn contributes to team efforts. This technique is most effectively used by Tony Robbins in his program, Date with Destiny to improve leadership. (www.tonyrobbins.com). Date of Destiny is a two stage training program which uses teams for building leadership potential. In the first stage empowerment is achieved by coaching individuals using expert trainers. In the second stage these empowered individuals are formed into teams which through a process of learning from each other further hone up their skills, thereby achieving their true potential. It is seen that team members overwhelmed by the contribution that they make selflessly to the each other partake of the joy of team participation. These experiences are said to be life changing for those striving to be leaders. On the other hand by interaction and leading a team, even those who are good leaders in their own right are particularly benefited by the program, Date with Destiny as they get to learn from leading new teams and are exposed to different experiences in interacting with people in a structured team environment. This is a novel and powerful concept of self learning used by Tony Robbins. References http://www.tonyrobbins.com/solutions/EventsDetail.aspx?ProductID=640

The Role of the Farm Assurance Scheme in Food Safety

The Role of the Farm Assurance Scheme in Food Safety Name: Huan Yu Farm assurance In the UK, farm assurance schemes provide consumers and businesses with guarantees that food has been produced to particular standards. Farm assurance aims at certification for agricultural products and emphasises the principles of quality assurance. All farm assurance schemes are mainly to ensure high standards of animal welfare, and it may include standards and certification for traceability, production methods, transport as well as supplies in order to monitor the agricultural food from farm to pack. This protocol is necessary to certify that all farm foods reach required standard for food safety (Gov.uk, 2012). A typical example is the UK’s Red Tractor scheme, which was started by the UK farmers, food producers and retailers and was launched in 2000. The Red Tractor is a food assurance scheme which covers production standards developed by experts on safety, hygiene, animal welfare and the environment amongst other factors. All suppliers in the red tractor food chain are inspected and certified by an independent professional body. The red tractor certifies that food has been produced to these independently inspected standards right across the food chain-from farm to pack. The Red Tractor logo on the pack means the food or drink has met these responsible production standards and is fully traceable back to independently inspected farms in the UK (Assured Food Standards, 2015). Other schemes that are affiliated to the red tractor include soil association, quality British turkey and quality meat Scotland. Herd health plan Many organisations such as soil association and RSPCA Freedom Food develop, describe and use the herd health plan as an individual farm management tool to identify and control the particular health problems of an individual farm. Thus, improving and maintaining animal welfare, gain financial as well as increase farm efficacy (Anon, 2015). Herd health plan in farm assurance schemes includes designing plan of housing, feeding and pasture management, bio-security, health recording and monitoring as well as control measures of disease. Farmers set the health plan and it is advised to get the veterinarian involved in the elaboration as a team, and as a live document it will cover a series of record keeping policies and protocols to reduce the incidences of sickness and to make a more prolific herd. Brief summary / outline of the minimum required content of the farm assurance scheme and dairy herd health plan Minimum requirements for RTA dairy herd health plan T covers as a general three important aspects: A. Routine Preventive Measures; Treatment Plans and Management Procedures B. Health and Performance Monitoring C. Health and Performance Review The minimum set standard under the farm assurance as well as keeping an update herd held plan are as follow: Plans and procedures in place to ensure safe and legal food production Staff training with on-going courses on animal handling, welfare, hygiene etc. Clear identification of livestock to deliver food chain traceability Effective and responsible control of birds, rodents, insects and other animals to prevent contamination and food safety risk. Sick or injured animals should have good management Feed and water management with a good feeding programme adequate access to clean drinking water. Records of mixing formulas should be kept to ensure that the foodstuff was acquired from another assured source Safe, comfortable and hygienic housing for all livestock, including young animals as well as new birth animals and stocking density should suitable Appropriate and well maintained facilities, conditions are available for animals Effective bio-security measures to prevent the spread of disease and protect food safety and animal health Responsible use of medicines and veterinary treatment, prevent food contamination Livestock transport with adequate vehicles to maintain the welfare during transport, prevents spread of diseases Environmental impact evaluation and protection management of waste, to make sure no contamination, pollution or spread of disease. (Anon, 2015) Outline of where the farm assurance scheme and herd health plan sits in the food chain (pre-farm; farm; post farm) They aim to ensure that each step in the supply chain for farm production, such as meat and dairy, are food safety assured, furthermore, they provide safely produced farm food products means much lower chances of zoonotic agents present in the product when consumers purchase them. First, the aspect of agricultural supply sector (drugs, residues and hormones) attracts consumer concerns about the food they eat. Second, with on-farm, the production process (free range, organic), slaughter method, food safety aspects, such as farm bio-security measures, proper housing space etc are the role of assurance to provide information and satisfy consumers. Red Tactor assurance have a range of post-farm schemes that provide effective assurance to recognised standards and a fundamental link in an integrated chain of assurance in the food chain from farms to supermarkets. It covers legislative requirements, scientific evidence, and good practice in the industry and consumer concern, such as proper vehicles, certification requirement, keep records for traceability as well as maintain sanitary conditions (Assured Food Standards, 2015). Highlight aspects of the farm assurance scheme particularly associated with food safety. The farm assurance scheme has made a great contribution to food safety and protected public health from food-borne diseases. Simultaneously, it has raised the confidence of customers on agricultural production and the awareness to monitor the safety of food. The dairy industry takes food safety seriously, pasteurization is an essential tool for ensuring that milk and dairy products are safe. Moreover, every tank load of milk entering dairy processing plants is strictly tested for animal residues. Cleanliness of farm; quality of farm flooring and walls are also the consideration factors based on the schemes ensures food safety. Highlight aspects of the health plan particularly associated with food safety Food safety is also ensured via some parts of the herd health plan by preventing disease occurrence and spread via vaccination and treatment. Salmonella and E. coli, have caused incidences of food poisoning and infected humans from food animals. Thus, increasing control on farm there is a reduced risk of contamination of farm products. Moreover, isolation facility to reduce spread of potentially zoonotic infectious diseases. Bio-security reduces the likely introduction of potentially zoonotic infectious diseases. Named antibiotics for use in common conditions and, therefore, increases discussion with vet of use of antibiotics in food production. DHHPs also help assess risks for both zoonotic and non-infectious diseases, as every herd at a farm has a chance of obtaining a disease. This helps VPH issues as it gives farmers and veterinarians. Furthermore, this also ensures that when the cattle reach abattoirs and food industries, the chances of them being infected with zoonotic agents is lowered. Highlight some limitations of the scheme The scheme require close cooperation between farmers, government, industry and other relevant sectors, in order to find a solution which can minimize the negative public health impact whilst ensuring safe and effective food-producing animals. -Difficulty in certifying compliance beyond the annual inspection -Reluctance in farmers and vets to engage the program with genuine intentions beyond a bureaucratic paper exercise The relationship between credibility of quality signals and reductions in consumer’ quality discovery costs still needs to be considered Concluding paragraph and personal opinion on the role of the scheme and the herd health plan Farm assurance and herd health plan are the most effective measures for supervision to provide safe agricultural production to public and simultaneously the limitations are the goals that the farm assurance scheme needs to improve and achieve. Because they reduce the incidence and impact of food-borne diseases by ensuring that food reaching the consumers is safe, health, of food quality while ensuring protection of animal welfare. Therefore, they can boost consumer confidence on the farmers and food products and adherence to the scheme should be strictly enforced. References Assured Food Standards, (2015)About us Assured Food Standards [online]Available at: http://www.redtractor.org.uk/about-us[Accessed 12 May 2015] Anon, (2015)[online] Available at: http://orgprints.org/13406/1/13406.pdf[Accessed 12 May 2015] Anon, (2015) [online] Available at: http://www.assuredfood.co.uk/resources/000/965/981/DAIRY_standards_ONLINE.pdf [Accessed 25 May 2015] Gov.uk, (2012)Food certification and assurance schemes Detailed guidance GOV.UK[online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/kitemarks-in-farmed-meat-and-produce[Accessed 12 May 2015]

Computer Crime: A Increasing Problem :: essays research papers fc

Computer Crime: A Increasing Problem ABSTRACT Computer crimes seem to be an increasing problem in today's society. The main aspect concerning these offenses is information gained or lost. As our government tries to take control of the information that travels through the digital world, and across networks such as the InterNet, they also seem to be taking away certain rights and privileges that come with these technological advancements. These services open a whole new doorway to communications as we know it. They offer freedom of expression, and at the same time, freedom of privacy in the highest possible form. Can the government reduce computer crimes, and still allow people the right to freedom of expression and privacy? INFORMATION CONTROL IN THE DIGITIZED WORLD In the past decade, computer technology has expanded at an incredibly fast rate, and the information stored on these computers has been increasing even faster. The amount of money, military intelligence, and personal information stored on computers has increased far beyond expectations. Governments, the military, and the economy could not operate without the use of computers. Banks transfer trillions of dollars every day over inter-linking networks, and more than one billion pieces of electronic mail are passed through the world's networks daily. It is the age of the computer network, the largest of which is known as the InterNet. A complex web of communications inter-linking millions of computers together -- and this number is at least doubling every year. The computer was originally designed as a scientific and mathematical tool, to aid in performing intense and precise calculations. However, from the large, sixty square foot ENIAC (Electronical Numerical Integrator and Calculator) of 1946, to the three square foot IBM PC of today, their uses have mutated and expanded far beyond this boundary. Their almost infinite capacity and lightning speed, which is increasing annually, and their low cost, which is decreasing annually, has allowed computers to stabilize at a more personal level, yet retain their position in mathematical and scientific research1 . They are now being used in almost every aspect of life, as we know it, today. The greatest effect of computers on life at this present time seems to be the InterNet. What we know now as the InterNet began in 1969 as a network then named ArpaNet. ArpaNet, under control by the pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, was first introduced as an answer to a problem concerning the government question of how they would communicate during war. They needed a network with no central authority, unlike those subsequent to this project. A main computer controlling the network would definitely be an immediate target for enemies.

Al Capone Biography :: Biography

â€Å"By Instinct Capone Was A Heartless Mindless Killer†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Considered the most notorious gangster in history, Alphonse Capone, otherwise known as Scarface Al, was born in New York, 1899, in a small apartment in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. Having many run-ins with the police growing up, he was always around the local street gang led my Johnny Torrio. After beating one of his sixth grade teachers, he quit school, and quickly learned the way of the streets, joining the Torrio gang, call the James Street Gang. James Street also included Lucky Luciano, one of Capone’s best friends, who would later also become a notorious gangster (Internet 1, 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As he grew older, Capone was hired by the gang leader, Torrio, to be a bouncer at a bar in Brooklyn, taking his first step up the â€Å"gang ladder†. One night, Capone’s cheek was slashed during a fight at the bar over a girl. It was from then on he was known as Scarface. Later in his life, when asked by reporters where he got this scare, he often lied of serving in the â€Å"Lost Battalion† in WWI, even though he never served in the military (Internet 1, 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Soon Enough, Capone was in trouble in again. He had killed a man in an argument and was on the run. After calling his old friend Torrio, he was invited to come to Chicago   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Barfoot 2 and make a fresh start. At the time, Torrio was working for his uncle, the current leader of the Chicago underground, Big Jim Colosimo. With the prohibition came possibilities for large alcohol based profits. Torrio knew that Big Jim could make extremely large amounts of money, but Colosimo could not be persuaded to try his hand. So, in 1920, Torrio had Capone plan and carry out the murder of Big Jim, making Torrio the new boss of Chicago, with Capone as his right hand man, and manager of bootlegging alcohol (Internet 3, 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As they started their completer takeover of Chicago, few mobs would put up any resistance. One that did was the Irish North Side gang. Capone soon called in Frankie Yale, one of his old gang mates from Brooklyn, and the same man that had done the Colosimo assassination, to murder Dion O’Banion, the head of the North side gang. His death did little to persuade the gang to back down, and they continued to fight on and off for a few years.

The Effects of the Renaissance Essay -- European Renaissance Essays

The Effects of the Renaissance When the Renaissance crept into the world?s social senses people were moved. However, when the Renaissance began to affect the literature of the sixteenth century, the world was changed forever. The Renaissance, meaning a ?re-birth,? was a time of many changes. These changes wrought pandemonium among the civilized people of earth. There was a recovery and discovery of medieval texts in which scholars were deeply impressed by. Those in love with the arts and literature now had more choices to view and read. There was an outpour of those individuals attempting to create paintings that exemplified the feelings that saturated the minds of the brilliant scholars. Most importantly, however, was the huge change of the role of the church in everything. Martin Luther nailed up his ?95 Thesis? and thus began the Reformation of the Catholic Church. With this came a rushing tide of secularization in Europe. This, of course, blew over into literature and the arts. The Faerie Queen is one epic that included the ideals and morals that the excom...

Influence of William Cecil Later Lord Burghley on Elizabeth and his Role in her Government

William Cecil’s influence touched on just about all aspects of policy that occurred during Elizabeth’s long reign. In the Royal Court he brought order and stability. Cecil was also highly influential in foreign policy. He saw France and Spain as threats to. It has also been argued that Cecil was not just the provider of advice and executor of the Queens wishes but also that he could have been the power behind the throne.Plenty of evidence has come to light that suggests that the Secretary regularly attempted to manipulate Elizabeth however it would be inaccurate to assume that all of Cecil’s personal agendas were fruitful, Elizabeth could make her own mind up and often did so. Although Cecil was a prominent figure during this time, Elizabeth was still the person who ruled the country and had her own ideas on how to run the country. Elizabeth was firmly in control of major policies and on many occasions obstinately ignored the Councils advice.The Council conscient iously carried out the Queens wishes even when it had advised otherwise. There is general agreement that, until its decline in the 1590s central government under Elizabeth was successful and that the Queen provided firm direction. According to Neale Parliament was another aspect that had influence over decision making in Elizabeth government He argues that the power of the House of Commons increased throughout Elizabeth’s reign.The number of conflicts Elizabeth had with individual MPs and the problems which the Stuarts experienced with Parliament are evidence for this. These developments were brought by the â€Å"Puritan Choir â€Å"who deliberately planned confrontations to force the issue of parliamentary privilege versus the royal prerogative. It is therefore necessary to investigate not only to what extent Cecil was involved in the decision making process but also the influence of the Parliament on Elizabeth and ultimately the decisions that were taken through this time of how many were Elizabeth’s own ideas.