An Analysis of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 Essay

As a response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the United States government established a separate agency within the federal system to prevent future terrorist activities. Hence, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created, along with the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HSA). The HSA identified and explained the principle, jurisdiction and duties of the Department of Homeland Security. The HSA also reinforced sentences for transgressing national security laws and expanded federal control of local law enforcement agencies. However, critics argued that the HSA instead promoted American global dominance at the expense of civil liberties. For instance, Title II pushed for the establishment of a Directorate of Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, tasked with the creation and maintenance of a database containing public and private information on virtually any individual in the United States. Telephone records, banking transactions, school records, employment history – these can be gathered to piece together a profile that can be used against innocent people suspected as terrorists. In the HAS’ Title V: Emergency Preparedness and Response, there is no specific mandate of federal control over the â€Å"local first responders† – the police, the firemen and the emergency personnel. The provision simply called for â€Å"federal supervision, funding and cooperation. † (Van Bergen, 2002) Although centralization is perfect for emergency preparedness on a sufficiently large scale, it could also lead to the loss of local control and to potential federal militarization. (Van Bergen, 2002) According to the United States Northern Command (USNC), â€Å"Prohibiting direct military involvement in law enforcement is in keeping with long-standing U. S. law and policy limiting the military’s role in domestic affairs. † (Van Bergen, 2002) In addition, the Posse Comitatus Act (18 USC 1385) â€Å"generally prohibits U. S. military personnel from interdicting vehicles, vessels and aircraft; conducting surveillance, searches, pursuit and seizures; or making arrests on behalf of civilian law enforcement authorities. † (Van Bergen, 2002) The four statutory exceptions to this prohibition are the following: counter-drug assistance (10 USC 371-81); Insurrection Act (10 USC 331-34); crimes using nuclear materials (18 USC 831); and chemical or biological weapons of mass destruction (10 USC 382). (Van Bergen, 2002) One of the most serious consequences of the HAS is the Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002 (CIIA). The CIIA offered corporations confidentiality and immunity from civil liability with respect to the â€Å"critical infrastructure information† (CII) that they submitted â€Å"voluntarily† to the DHS. CII may include virtually any information about physical or cyber infrastructure that can be useful to terrorists or other parties that intend to cause damage to the facility. (Steinzor, 2003) No one may use it in any civil action arising under federal or state law without obtaining the written consent of the company. Government officials who will violate the CIIA will face up to a year in prison. The CIIA is very dangerous, as it would immunize corporations and their employees from malfeasance in their operations, from racial discrimination to embezzlement, violations of environmental regulations and negligence that will harm the public physically and or financially. Hence, the CIIA might also end up granting immunity to enterprises that were guilty of negligence in the face of terrorist attacks, allowing them to escape accountability for putting other people’s lives in danger. Terrorist groups such as the Al Qaeda might use the CIIA to their advantage, because their operatives assume quiet and unobtrusive Western lifestyles and identities to avoid capture and to successfully carry out missions. But with the misleading nature of the HSA, the question ordinary Americans should be asking is: Who should they be afraid of, the terrorists or their own government? References Van Bergen, Jennifer. (2002, December 2-4). Homeland Security Act: The Rise of the American Police State. Retrieved January 2, 2008 from http://www. ratical. org/ratville/CAH/HSA_RoAPS. html. Steinzor, Rena. (2003, March 12). ‘Democracy Dies Behind Closed Doors:’ The Homeland Security Act and Corporate Accountability. PDF File. Retrieved January 2, 2008 from http://www. progressiveregulation. org/perspectives/secrecy_white_paper. pdf.

Chase Strategy OPS571 Week 3 Essay

This week a portion of our study focused on sales and operations planning. The sales and operations planning process helps companies provide better customer service, lower inventory, shorten customer lead times, stabilize production rates, and give top management a better view of the business (Chase & Jacobs, 2011). Sales and operations planning evolved into aggregate planning that stresses the importance of cross-functional teamwork and tightly integrated efforts between sales, distribution, logistics, operations, finance, and product development (Chase & Jacobs, 2011). Aggregate planning focuses on intermediate-range (three to 18 months) plans that target lowering costs and using capacity most efficiently. The main purpose of an aggregate plan is to determine the best combination of production rate, workforce level, and inventory (Chase & Jacobs, 2011). Chase Strategy The chase strategy is one of three production strategies for aggregate planning in use today. According to Hamlett (2013), the chase strategy, or demand matching strategy, sets production to meet or match the demand for products. It is an appropriate strategy for production situations with variable demand and little to no inventory. To handle variations in demand, a company matches the production rate to the order rate by hiring and firing employees. The chase strategy is used mostly in service industries that focus on meeting forecasted demand and adjust the workforce accordingly. Meeting demand can come in the form of workforce adjustments that include the use of day labor, contractors, seasonal workers, and overtime pay. Advantages and Disadvantages A primary advantage is the flexibility to meet demand fluctuations. Another advantage is keeping inventory low, freeing up cash to buy other items such as raw materials or components, thus reducing inventory carrying costs that are associated with holding inventory in stock. The cost of capital, warehousing, depreciation, insurance, taxes, obsolescence, and shrinkage are all inventory carrying costs (Hamlett, 2013). Due to variations in product demand a company using the chase strategy can experience fluctuating workforce levels in response to changing demand. The impact to the company is increased hiring and training costs and a decrease in employee morale (Ritzman & Krajewski, 2003). Examples of Chase Strategy The combination of improved productivity and flat or declining global demand has businesses requiring supply chain re-engineering. The result of these efforts has made them more efficient than ever before. Finding demand to absorb the supply generated is a growing challenge that has affected companies large and small, including the iconic chocolate company Hershey’s (Kash, 2011). After years of growth and success, Hershey’s hit a rough period in which senior management saw diminished financial results. Management realized they were not properly aligned to compete effectively, requiring an overhaul in strategy. Research and employee surveys revealed senior management was not aligned in their beliefs about how the company should compete in the future. The result was conflicting messages across the entire operation. Marketing had not responded to retailers growing need for lower inventories, better use of shelf space, and less product packaging complexity (Kash, 2011). The changes in the marketplace caused Hershey’s to review every aspect of its â€Å"demand chain† without impacting the current supply chain in place. Hershey discovered that many products were not aligned with consumer demand and retailers were not happy about carrying increasing inventory due to confusing product offerings (Kash, 2011). The company identified the need to move from a supply-driven approach to a demand-driven, consumer-focused strategy based on a pull versus push model (Kash, 2011). It was clear Hershey could no longer win pushing more variations of supply into the market; instead it needed to employ a customer focused supply approach. The resulting transition to a demand-driven model exceeded expectations with the company, in February 2010, announcing record cash flows from 2009 operations doubling 2008 cash flows and 35 percent higher than 2004 record cash flows (Kash, 2011). Another example of a company using the chase strategy is retailer Neiman Marcus that ramps up temporary employment to meet an increase in holiday sales. The increased employees are utilized both in-store and in the warehouse to meet customer demand. Neiman Marcus mails out their â€Å"Christmas Book† in mid-September and sees a large increase in orders immediately afterward. Sales volume begins a steep ascent that peaks in early December (Auguston, 1992). The September demand represents 52 percent of peak shipments, and October represents 91 percent of peak shipments. Demand in November and December are in excess of 100,000 shipments per week reaching a peak demand volume of 28,000 orders per day translating to more than double normal sales (Auguston, 1992). Neiman Marcus meets this enormous demand shipping 90 percent of holiday sales within 1 day and 99 percent within 2 days with 99.4 percent accuracy. Achieving these extraordinary results requires advanced planning that includes hiring 300 additional people to work in their distribution center during the holiday season. Twenty percent of these temporary workers return each year (Auguston, 1992). Conclusion The chase strategy helps companies match production to demand by hiring and firing workers as necessary. The chase strategy is a best fit for companies that require manufacturing flexibility and change capacity on a frequent basis. The major cost of this strategy is the hiring and firing of workers and the associated decline in morale. For industries that require highly skilled labor, or where there is strong competition for labor, this strategy is not an optimal choice. This strategy is effective when low-skilled labor is acceptable and during periods of high unemployment. References Auguston, K. (1992, December). Neiman Marcus Plans Picking to Meet Peak Holiday Demands. Modern Material Handling, 10(25), 44-48. Chase, R., & Jacobs, F. R. (2011). Operations and Supply Chain Management (13th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Hamlett, K. (2013, Spring). Strategies Used in Production Planning & Scheduling. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron/strategies-used-production-plannig-scheduling-1808.html Kash, R. (2011, April). The Hershey Company: Aligning Inside to win on View as multi-pages

Strategy as Revolution by Gary Hamel Literature review

Strategy as Revolution by Gary Hamel - Literature review Example Hamel argues in his article that while change may not be welcomed so easily, it should take the courage and initiative of the rule breakers or those in favor of new approaches to present clearly their positions to the senior management for subsequent adoption as policies. Worth noticing is that while Hamel encourages revolutionary approach in policy formulation and demand for change, he nevertheless points out that organizational hierarchy should be respected and a good method which incorporates everyone should be adopted as the best way forward. Introduction For a longtime, many business enterprises have been concerned about the direction of the business, normally employing the tested methodologies that work, or at least the ones that have been approved or put into practice by old establishments. Management is normally concerned with where the business is making an effort to get to in the long run, which, I must say, is not bad only that every other business has the same dream: dire ction. By the same token of concern for business direction, so are they also concerned about which market a business should venture into and what competition strategies are anticipated to work in their best interest? Not only will you find these businesses also doing research on what resources in terms of assets, facilities, technical competence and even finance, but also on what to expect in the external environment. Well planned, that is the trend, unaltered as propounded by many old theories of economics. This is not to dispute the validity of these theories, because when they were formulated, they laid the foundation of the current market scenarios that we see today. To put it differently, suffice it to say that this is what management has for a long time accepted as strategy. So then, what is strategy? Johnson and Scholes define strategy as the direction and scope an organization takes to achieve long term market goals. Strategy exists under different levels such as corporate s trategy, business unit strategy and operational strategy. Article Critique Hamel (Hamel, 1996, p. 69) observes that in the recent past, business firms are all struggling to expand in what he terns as a fight for incrementalism. He also observes that in the current time and space, success is being achieved by how fast firms respond to customers' desires. In addition to this, Hamel also finds out that while this strategy is being adopted by firms, not all, business firms have earned themselves positions in the competitive market either as rule-makers or rule-breakers (Hamel, 1996, p.70; Choe Maker, 1995: 31). That either business firms set rules on how they want to operate in the market or as would be campaigned for, revolutionize the whole system of conformity to predetermined set of rules of the early economists. His view is both divergent and emergent in the sense that he deviates from the norms and presents emerging issues around strategizing in an organization. Anderson (1999, p. 217) and Beinhocker (1999, p. 98) agree with Hamel that organization change is fundamental for laying strategy. With this in mind, Hamel rightly argues that while rule-setters may survive now, rule-breakers, also known as revolutionaries, have a futuristic strategy that will propel them to be the market leaders in the future. He goes on to explore how organizations have conducted themselves towards success or stagnation and assesses this through what he classifies as the ten principles of liberating revolutionary spirit for the success of an organization (Hamel, 1996, p. 70). Like to

The war against global terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The war against global terrorism - Essay Example So, no, the war against terrorism can never be won in absolute terms. For instance if religious fanaticism is analyzed, the emotional and spiritual motives can push a person to take lives, even their own. The course book lists beliefs and perceptions (Kegley & Wittkopf 177) that become an excuse for religious radicals to do anything in setting the world straight on the correct path. If they find any government secular or not religious friendly, they can start an open war with them. The problem is that it is not a conventional war to stop or destroy an advancing enemy. It is an ideological war. The terrorists will certainly score great sympathy from common people and regional power brokers, because they are the ones showing them the path of righteousness. Killing the leaders of these terror campaigns create martyrs, and the remaining lot almost worships them as their heroes. This only strengthens their cause. One doesn’t need to study ancient war history to understand this plague. Chapter 7 of the book paints brief history of the twenty first century so far. The World Trade Centre incident, Afghanistan War, Iraq’s invasion, Madrid Bombing (2004), London Bombing (2005), Israel’s bombing in Lebanon (2006) and many other incidents demolishing any hopes for a peaceful century (Kegley & Wittkopf 197). The same paragraph also mentions the 2011 Arab demonstration for democratization as a ray of hope. This is highly debatable. The case of Egypt is enough to understand that terrorism can never be defeated in absolute terms. Despite the Arab Spring and powerful (bloody) protests against dictatorships, Egypt still yearns to see democracy in its true form. One needs to ask this question; have the Egyptian demonstrators been successful in achieving their goal? Toppling a dictatorship was just one part of it, true democracy is their destination? Is Egypt a true democracy today? If only military deals decide the

Answering questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Answering questions - Essay Example I think, this is the main ambivalence of the first paragraph. Also, the author calls this desire a â€Å"shame†, but at the same time he is angry that his wood is intercepted by a public foot-path. His feelings of a property owner are interfered with his consciousness. Forster assumes that â€Å"creation, property, enjoyment form a sinister trinity in the human mind† (Forster 263). According to the author, a man owning property â€Å"ought to do something to it†. Property brings restlessness, which is different from the same restlessness accompanying the act of creation. Property can substitute the material basis needed for creation and enjoyment (which are both good, as the author writes). He thinks that our world is â€Å"material and carnal† and that we should learn how â€Å"to manage our materialism and carnality†. I can’t agree with the author on that. Forster, for example, mentions Tolstoy and his negative attitude to property. But, as a matter of fact, Tolstoy was an earl; he owned a large estate with slaves and was definitely a man of property. Property allowed him to obtain a good education and a material basis to create, i.e. he could waste no time on earning his living, but spend it on thinking and wr iting. Therefore, possessing property does not always mean â€Å"restlessness† about it. However, there are exceptions, but it only means that one should not be so categorical in this issue. II. In her essay Toynbee elaborates on Richard Wilkinson’s idea that inequality is the main peril of society. For her â€Å"equality for its own sake† means a better and healthier society. This opinion is based on Wilkinson’s assumptions that â€Å"social environment can be more toxic than any pollutant† (cited in Toynbee 365). In simple words, poor people see the rich and it leads to envy and other negative emotions, which, in their turn, lead to unhealthy life. It can be proved, the author argues, by the experiments with animals. And since

Bullying in the Workplace Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bullying in the Workplace - Assignment Example From this paper it is clear that organizational justice laws clearly indicate the space that an employer should give an employee and highly discourage any act that may be considered as bullying. Any act that is aimed at hurting the employee directly or indirectly and hence lead to reduced work should be reported and appropriate steps taken against the employer. In our case Kara should have reported that to the appropriate discipline for it to stop. This study highlights that wWhere workplace bullying can be taken as just a norm or a light act that will have no deep effects on the employee, at extreme cases one can experience the following;- high blood pressure, heart attack, overwhelming anxiety and panic attack, constant loss of memory and concentration, tension and constant headaches, mood swings and loss of appetite. This can highly reduce your motivation at the workplace and it is at such times that one can decide to take a retaliatory step to end it all. This can be in different forms where one can decide to quit the job and work where you will be okay working. Other people may decide to handle it in a different way where they can report the employer for the indecent approaches and intimidation.  The first factor that leads to workplace bullying is job insecurity. Team Field claims that a weak manager who is afraid of the employees will always try to impact actions that intimidate the employees. This can be curbed by cre ating good cohesion in the workplace and reducing the tension. This will stop the efforts of suppression by the boss. Female employees are 70% more often bullied than their male experts. This is mainly because of their soft nature. They should address the situation early as it could even lead to sexual harassment as it has been witnessed in some situations.  

Value Chain Model for PSU in Order to Receive Raw Materials from South Research Paper

Value Chain Model for PSU in Order to Receive Raw Materials from South Korea and China - Research Paper Example Having a shared vision enables the workers in all the locations to collaborate in delivering value. The process of receiving spare parts, storage, general inventory control, shipping scheduling should be managed with an aim of cutting any time delays. Immediately an order is registered, a process of simulation from the production plant should be initiated. 1.4 Operations. The assembling, packaging, equipment maintenance, product-testing as well as other activities must be streamlined with an aim of creating efficiency in delivering the final desired product. In fact, all necessary output measures should be aimed at enabling workflow as well as delivery performance to include dependable stock safety levels to avoid delays and understocking. This is where a forecast comes in to ensure the scheduling of end items. In reference to the activities needed to deliver goods to the market, the different locations need to share information as well as to operate in guidance by same policies so as to translate their cooperation into a synergetic relationship. Other areas of key concern are ordered fulfilment, the logistics involved in shipping as well as Material Requirements Planning or Distribution Requirements Planning system. By using a centralized in-formation model any demand changes will be detected well in advance and preemptive measures taken in advance. There need to be many resources committed to wooing buyers to purchase the cutting technology product. On top of that, how the distributors and dealers are selected goes a long way to determine whether sales targets will be achieved or not.  

Pros and Cons of Synchronous Collaboration Essay

Pros and Cons of Synchronous Collaboration - Essay Example It is manifested through online chat, virtual meetings, pep talks, or even in a team huddle. Because of the advancement of science and technology, synchronous collaboration has also improved the way it is being performed. As stated above, online chat and virtual meetings are just some of the newest forms of synchronous collaboration. Albeit, information technology has helped elevate our communicative lifestyle, there are still pros and cons or advantages and disadvantages of synchronous collaboration, especially, with the inclusion of information technology. Some of the key advantages are it hastens the communication process especially on situations when an immediate response is direly needed. Another key advantage is that it would promote a more spontaneous interaction between individuals. On the other hand, its key advantages are, first, it is not ubiquitous or is not present everywhere. The access on online chat and virtual meetings are available only to those who are located on highly developed societies and not all of us use it. Another key disadvantage is that it is not pliable. Seen this way, it is sometimes best to not communicate synchronously because it precludes us from thinking over a certain thing before we give out our

Herman Harold Potok Essay Example for Free

Herman Harold Potok Essay Herman Harold Potok was born in the Bronx on the 17th of February in the year of 1929 (McCauley, 1E). It was later on in his life when he started using his Hebrew name, Chaim (McCauley, 1E). As a teenager, Chaim was drawn to the Conservative branch of Judaism, which caused problems in his family because both of his parents raised the family in Orthodox tradition (McCauley, 1E). All these problems in his life eventually inspired him to write one of his greatest books of all time, My Name is Asher Lev, in 1972 (McCauley, 1E). According to Chaim Potok, arts were seen as a distraction to the true purpose of Orthodox Jews. Their main purpose is to study the Torad and Talmud (McCauley, 1E). He went on to some religious and secular schools (Kremer, 202). He earned his B. A. summa cum laude in English literature from Yeshiva University in 1950 (Kremer, 202). He then went on to study at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America where he earned his M. H. L. degree, rabbinic ordination, the Homiletics Prize, the Hebrew Literature Prize, and the Bible prize in 1954 (Allen). And lastly in 1965, he received his Ph. D. in philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania (Allen). Chaim Potok was also a professor at Penn, Bryn Mawr, and at John Hopkins University from 1995 to 1998 (McCauley, 1E). And although Chaim Potok enjoyed teaching, his true passion was what he did best-writing novels. Over 34 years of his life, he wrote fourteen novels, four plays, and a few children’s books (McCauley, 1E). A novelist, Cynthia Ozick, stated â€Å"Chaim Potok wrote directly from the interior of the Jewish theological experience, rather than from the social experience. And they were best sellers. † Chaim Potok was a great universal writer who appealed to everyone. He lived in Pennsylvania with his wife of 44 years, Adena, and his three children, Rena, Naama, and Akiva until his passing on July 23, 2002 at the age of 73 due to brain cancer (Allen). One of Chaim Potok’s best sellers was his novel, Davita’s Harp. This novel is a story about a young girl, Ilana Davita Chandal, whose parents are involved with the Communist Party and keep up with the happenings of the Spanish Civil War (Potok). Her father, Michael Chandal, is a reporter for the local newspaper and gets sent to Spain to cover the war while Ilana and her mother, Anne Chandal, stay home and wish for the best outcome and his return (Potok). While over in Spain, a bomb goes off in the hotel where Michael Chandal is staying and he passes away (Potok). When Ilana and her mother were informed about Michael’s passing, they both handled it in different ways (Potok). Looking for answers, Ilana becomes interested with the Yiddish songs and saying Kaddish and starts to visit the synagogue even more often than before with her friend Ruthie Helfman and her cousin, David Dinn (Potok). Anne does not entirely agree with Ilana going to the synagogue all the time and so Ilana and Anne had many disagreements when Ilana wanted to start saying Kaddish for her deceased father, who was a Christian (Potok). Her mother then basically devoted her life to the Communist Party where she met and later got engaged to Charles Carter (Potok). Anne Chandal soon starts to question the Party she is in and leaves the Party (Potok). It was at this time when Charles Carter breaks off their engagement, which leaves Anne Chandal devastated and leads her to marry her cousin, Ezra Dinn (Potok). Jakob Daw, a long-term friend of Anne, and a close family friend whom Ilana calls â€Å"Uncle† Jakob, gets deported from the United States back to Europe where he dies shortly after (Potok). It was then that Anne Chandal decided to say Kaddish her dead friend, Jakob Daw (Potok). Time went by and Ilana continued to study Judaism and went to the Jewish junior high school where she graduated with honors. Ilana sometimes would lay on her bed and just day dream of her father and Uncle Jakob. She missed them very much, and eventually had to move on. Her mother becomes much happier after getting married to Ezra Dinn and going to the synagogue every Shabbos, the Sabbath Day. A little after Ilana’s graduation, her mother delivers a new baby girl whom they named Rachel. In this book, Chaim Potok uses the religion of Judaism to help mend Ilana Davita’s heart and structure her complicated life. Finding her culture in being Jewish and practicing Judaism was such an excitement to Ilana. She loved the Yiddish songs that her neighbors had always sung and was very curious to find out about the synagogue and the different practices that go along with Judaism. It was her religion of Judaism that truly gave her closure of losing her father due to the Spanish Civil War in Spain. In Davita’s Harp, Ilana Davita gradually becomes interested in her Jewish culture as more bad things in her life start to happen, like the death of her father and uncle Jakob. Ilana first started to wonder about Judaism when she had lived next door to her friend, cousin, and soon to be step-brother, David Dinn (Potok). She had heard David Dinn and his family singing songs in a different language; she did not know what they were but she wanted to find out. Then, after she moved into a new apartment, she met a little girl named Ruthie, who also sang these songs. Ilana would hear these songs being sung, and loved the melody and tune of the songs but could not understand them because they were in Yiddish. Yiddish is a German dialect that made its way to be a full language which had parts of Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic, and Romance languages in it (Shyovitz). For almost a thousand years, Yiddish was known as the main and sometimes the only language that Jews spoke (Shyovitz). Yiddish, at one point in time was spoken by many Jews of different nationalities all around the world (Shyovitz). Around the twentieth century was when the Yiddish language stopped being a world-wide spoken language and began to be an exclusive language spoken only by very few, older Jews (Shyovitz). The decline in the speakers of the Yiddish language was due to the Holocaust that killed nearly six million European Jews. The ones that escaped being murdered during the Holocaust made their best efforts to learn the Yiddish language and make it their secondary language (Shyovitz). No one ever expected for Yiddish to become a dead language (Shyovitz). Every morning and every night, David Dinn and his father would get up extra early and head to the synagogue to say Kaddish. Upon seeing this day after day and night after night, Ilana Davita started to ask questions about where David Dinn and his father were going at such early times in the morning and what they were doing exactly. Her mother then explained to her that after someone in the family dies, the family goes every day continually for the next year to the synagogue to say Kaddish. Later in the story, Ilana’s father dies while being in Spain to report about the Spanish Civil War, and at this time her mother cannot get over the fact that he had really passed away, so her mother had spent more time away from home as possible (Potok). During all this time, Ilana decides to start going to the synagogue where she starts to say Kaddish. The type of Kaddish that David Dinn and his father are going to the synagogue to recite was called the Mourner’s Kaddish. The Mourner’s Kaddish was to be recited every day and night from the day of the death to the one year anniversary of the day of the death (Schoenberg). The reason for doing this every day and night is because it would stop the rush of everyday life before it began and right before it ended (Alexander, 420). A child under the age of thirteen may recite the Mourner’s Kaddish if one of their parents has died, and a girl is allowed to say it even though she is not required to do so (Schoenberg). Even though the words in the Kaddish have nothing to do with death, some say that it is a way of accepting the death than becoming bitter or angry with God for the death of their loved one (Schoenberg). According to Edward Alexander, the Kaddish stems from Psalms 113:2, which says â€Å"May the Name of the Lord be praised from now and forever. † The mourner’s Kaddish only applies to certain relatives like a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, a spouse, or a child (Alexander, 420). It is said that when a child says the mourner’s Kaddish for his parent that he is redeeming them from hell. The word Kaddish actually means sanctification and the prayer of Kaddish is the sanctification of God’s name (Schoenberg). So, what people are doing while they say Kaddish is sanctifying God’s name instead of being mad at Him and insulting Him for taking away their loved one. According to Tracey R. Rich, Jews believe that there is not a set of standards or beliefs that one needs to have in order to be a Jew, but they do believe that actions are more important than beliefs anyway (Rich). Judaism’s main focus is the relationships between God and many different groups including the Jews, human beings, mankind, and the law of Israel (Rich). The Jews have an ideal list of what every person practicing Judaism believes (Rich). This list contains things which make up a Jewish person’s religion of Judaism (Rich). Some of these things on this list include: 1) God exists; 2) God is One; 3) God is the Creator of everything; 4) God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient; 5) the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) were given to Moses as a guide; 6) God knows the thoughts and deeds of men; 7) God will reward the good and punish the wicked; 8) the Messiah will come; and 9) the dead will be resurrected (Rich). There were a few, but important things that drastically make the Jewish religion different than Christianity. This is why it was so bizarre when Ilana Davita thought she could say Kaddish for her Christian father. This is also the reason why Ilana’s mom and she bumped heads about saying Kaddish and also why the church had looked at her funny when she had started to stand up in the synagogue and recite Kaddish with the men. Usually women would not recite it, and Ilana knew that, but did not care at the time. Jews mainly believe everything that Christians believe except that Jews do not believe in the Trinity, like Christians do. Jews believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three different persons. Another main point that Jews believe is that there is no original sin. Jews believe that everyone is born with all purity because if Adam and Ever had to eat from the Tree of Good and Evil to become immortal, then they were born mortal (Judia). Jews believe that death is just a natural part of human existence and we do not die just because of Adam and Eve’s sin (Judia). Although the Jews had some different points than Christianity did, as Ilana’s aunt showed her, Ilana chose comfort in the Jewish religion. Ilana Davita’s main reason for switching to being Jewish was due to her mother’s negligence to her after they both had lost a member of their family. Anne Chandal was extremely hurt and basically tried her best to avoid anything that reminded her of her husband, which led her to stay away from home more. This constant loneliness made Ilana Davita find something that would comfort her. And in this case, it was the religion of Judaism. It was her culture and origin, so she felt as if that is what she was supposed to be doing with her life. It was what her friends practiced and what her mom used to practice. Soon after Ilana’s devotion to the synagogue and Jakob Daw’s passing, Anne Chandal joined her daughter, Ilana Davita, when she went to the synagogue. After Anne Chandal starts remolding her life with her daughter, one could tell that Ilana seems happier to have her mother back in her life, although she never really understood her and most everything that she said. But she looked up to her mother and was delighted when their relationship started to go back to normal, or even better than normal.

The First Driving-Lesson Day Essay Example for Free

The First Driving-Lesson Day Essay The Cost of Carelessness Driving a genuine car was my initial dream when I was a young child because I really love speed and sports car. Eventually, with a lot of efforts, my dream comes true and the day I got my driver license was one of the happiest days in my life. Hence, I can drive a car and go to everywhere I want, but it also reminds me of the first day I sat behind the wheel. That day was a cool, breezy Sunday with a mild temperature on the morning of February 20, 2011. It was the first exciting driving-lesson I ever took and little did I know, it was about to teach me a practical lesson I will never forget. A week before that day, my mom registered for me a six-driving-lesson package at Pleasant School, a moto school near my house in Chelsea, MA. The first driving-lesson day would be taught next week so I was absolutely excited about what would happen to me in that day. My mind was really possessed with a lot of thoughts about that day and I couldn’t wait to see it coming true. Finally, the day which I dreamed of was about to come. At 7am, I woke up with a happy mood and an eager attitude, and then I had a delicious breakfast with a big bowl of cereals and milk. After that, I changed my clothes and went outside my house to wait for my teacher’s car coming. In front of my house, there is a one-way street with its width that can barely let one car pass another one, and there weren’t a lot of cars rolling on the street at that moment. From outside, I could see that today was really a beautiful day with the vivid sun, the wide-and-high cloudless sky; the breezy wind and the fresh air. That was a good omen for the start of something new. I loosened my whole body, let my mind stay empty, closed my eyes and took a deep breath to enjoy that never-forgotten moment. Finally, my teacher arrived at my house with a black, 2008 model Toyota. I felt really relieved and delighted, and I ran quickly to him with a big smile on my face while he opened the car-door. He was an African-American man in sport clothes with a pair of glasses. He gave me a warm smile and seemed to be a good, patient, experienced instructor because he asked me gently about my information and smiled all the time he talked with me. After that, John, my teacher, told me to get in the car and sit on the driver’s seat position while he sat on my right seat for passenger. I felt absolutely comfortable with the cool air-conditioned system and the soft seat in that car. By seeing my satisfied appearance, John looked at me and asked with a friendly smile, â€Å"Are you ready? † â€Å"Yes, I hope so. I’m actually excited about this moment but I still feel a little nervous and worried about what I’m going to do next,† I answered. â€Å"Well, that’s just a normal feeling because it’s your first time. All you need to do is try your best, stay focused and practice as much as you can. Everything will be fine,† he said. â€Å"Oh, I will, thank you,† I looked at him and said. After that brief and open conversation, John began to teach me about the steering wheel, gearshift, accelerator, clutch, brake, mirror, light signal, etc, and how they work. Then, on the street outside my house, he taught me how to adjust my seat, how to start or stop the car, how to use hand signal, how to check the mirror and the blind spot, how to look over behind my shoulder to check the traffic, how to turn left and right, how to pull over on the right side of the street, etc. He talked slowly to me with a gentle voice. After the verbal instruction, he told me it was time for me to take action about what I just learned. By hearing that, I felt extremely happy because my driving-a-car dream was about to come true, so I couldn’t hold that moment back. Without hesitating, I started the engine; signal left; change the gearshift from P-Park into D-Drive and I did all the preparation before driving a car that was taught by my instructor, except one important step that can cost me my whole life: carefully look over behind your left-shoulder to check the upcoming traffic. Then, without a careful thought, I turned the wheel to the left, directed the head of my car to the traffic lane and try to merge into it. I didn’t see a coming car behind me at a distance of 20 feet. The coming car got to my car closer and closer, and I didn’t realize how terrible it was going to be. But John could foresee what would happen to me next because he kept his eyes carefully to whatever I had done. So he pedaled quickly into the second brake beneath his seat to make the car stop immediately. The coming car just passed my car in a very small space; it seemed like nearly hit the head of my car. By observing what just happened to me, it took my breath away for a while. My whole body was totally and completely frozen, I couldn’t say or do anything else but shivering from head to toe. My face was becoming pale with fear and a lot of goose-pimples rose on my skin. I couldn’t believe that I just got out of an accident which would have hurt me or somebody else badly. After a couple of minutes, I still felt panic about that moment. I tried to take a deep breath and turned my head to my teacher and said, â€Å"I’m so sorry. Thanks for helping me out and saving me. † â€Å"That’s my pleasure and it’s also a lesson for you: You should think carefully and stay focused on what you’re going to do, don’t ever hurry because you always have time to do it,† he said with a beautiful voice just like my father did when he tried to teach me how to ride a bike twelve years ago. â€Å"I appreciate that and I will concentrate more on what I’m doing. Thank you again. Later then, I tried my best to listen to John and to practice what I had learnt from him. And the results not only made him happy but also help me get over that horrible moment. I did all the practices successfully and we had a happy, comfortable time after the incident. Finally, my one-hour driving lesson came to an end and John took me home with a big smile on his face. He seemed so happy right because he kn ew that he did a good job. And to me, I had learned a useful lesson for both my driving skills and my normal life. In conclusion, I never think I can learn a vital lesson from my driving lesson but now I completely change my mind and the way I approach things. So after the first driving-lesson day, I actually grow up my mind with one more experience added to my life to help me pay attention to what I’m doing and what I’m going to do next, and the final purpose is to make me become a good man with better personality. Needless to mention, at the bottom of my heart, I’m really grateful to my driving teacher for what he had taught me that day.