Edmund Emil Kemper III: A Case Study

Edmund Emil Kemper III was born on December 18, 1948, in Burbank, California to Clarnell and Ed Kemper Jr. He was the only son of the family. Edmund's childhood was anything but normal. While most other little boys were playing games pretending they were super heroes, Edmund was pretending he was in a gas chamber and his sister was throwing the switch. Once the switch was thrown he would wiggle around on the floor as if he were dying of asphyxiation. Edmund also enjoyed cutting the heads and hands off of his sisters' new dolls. He had trouble relating to his peers because he was afraid of them, afraid of any intimate contact between himself and another. During his childhood years, Edmund also found it amusing to torture the family cats. He buried the first cat up to its neck then kept the severed head as a trophy. His mother replaced the cat. With the new cat Edmund decided to continue his torturing spree by cutting it with a machete, exposing its brains and dissecting the body. These ants resulted in numerous pieces of trophies for him to keep. Until his mother discovered them in his closet. From this point on is when his mother truly began to express her opinions of him as having a â€Å"weirdo† personality. lf his home life was not weird enough, Edmund had a crush on his second grade teacher, Whom his sisters teased him about relentlessly. With this crush developed fantasies of killing his second grade teacher. Edmund's reply to his sister's teasing was, â€Å"If I kiss her, l'd have to kill her first. † On numerous occasions Edmund visited her house with his father's bayonet and his fantasies. With Edmund's home life already a rough one and the fantasies of killing already in his head, the news of his parents divorce did not sit well. His parents fought constantly leaving Edmund, now age 9, to bounce back and forth between them. After his mother became fed up with him she sent him to live with his father, Ed Jr. , and his stepmother. However, this did not last long before he was sent to live with his paternal grandparents at the age of thirteen in rural North Folk, Ca. Edmund did not get along with his grandparents any better than he did with his mother or father. In fact, Edmund lasted with them until August 27, 1964, at age fourteen, when he shot his grandmother in the back of the head with a . 2 caliber rifle after an argument. He later stabbed her lifeless body numerous times with a kitchen knife, and then he shot his grandfather as he returned home. He called his mother and told her what had happened and waited patiently for her and the police to arrive. Once the police arrived and they questioned him about what had happened, Edmund's only response was, â€Å"I just wondered how it would feel to shoot grandma. † Edmund later explained that grandpa was shot out of mercy, a way to spare him from the discovery of his wife. As a punishment for the murder of his grandparents, the courts sentenced Edmund to Atascadero State Hospital where he was placed in the criminally insane unit. Atascadero State Hospital is an all-male, maximum security, forensic facility serving the entire state of California. Upon entering the facility the psychiatrists there examined and tested Edmund's level of intelligence and came up with the findings that he had an IQ of about 145 and possessed the personality disordered titled personality trait disturbance, passive-aggressive type. While in ASH Edmund became such a model inmate that the doctors trained Edmund in how to administer the tests. Knowing how the tests worked allowed Edmund to learn ways in which to provide the doctors with appropriate responses that would pave the way for him to be later deemed no longer a danger to society. Once Edmund passed the tests, he was released back into the world under his mother's care. Now age twenty-one, Edmund returned to his mother's house and fell right back into the tormented ways. Edmund's mother blamed him for everything. She would repeatedly yell at him that it was his fault she had not been with a man for a number of years. With Edmund's new found way of life, he decided he would try to find work. His mother saw how intent he was on getting a job so she tried to have his juvenile records sealed. He first worked at a Green Giant canning plant as a laborer before he applied with the State Division of Highways in 1971; a job that would allow Edmund to hang out with law enforcement. He tried hard to get a job in law enforcement but was rejected due to his large size, of six foot nine inches, and weighing almost 300 pounds. But his new found friends supplied him with handcuffs, a training badge and gun. Part of Edmund's release agreement was to visit with a psychologist regularly. Edmund did this, however as he began to get close with the police officers, and attend his weekly sessions, he began training himself for his next kill. That is he would pick up hitchhikers and provide them with the necessary ride, putting on the â€Å"gentle giant† charade so as to provide a sense of genuine sincerity for those whom he picked up. This manipulation and control over the situation are primary talents of this psychopathic serial killer. Edmund's first kill did not happen until May of 1972, in which he picked up two college women, Mary Anne Pesce and Anita Luchessa, on a freeway ramp. Edmund knew the area so well that he was able to get the car turned around without the girls having any clue that their direction had changed. Edmund then drove to a remote area he learned about from his interaction with the highway department. Upon arriving to the area, Edmund handcuffed Pesce in the backseat and placed Luchessa in the trunk of the car. Edmund returned to Pesce and placed a plastic bag over head, and tied it on with the belt of a bathrobe. However, the belt broke and Pesce had managed to bite through the bag, so Edmund drew his knife and began stabbing her inthe back. These stabbings did not seem to have any effect on her because she was still wiggling around and fighting back. Then Edmund grabbed her by the chin, pulled back her head, and slit her throat. After killing Pesce, Edmund went back to the trunk and began stabbing Luchessa repeatedly in the throat, eyes, heart and forearms. Now that these women were dead, he took them back to his apartment where he dissected their bodies, took Polaroid pictures, and cut off their heads. I remember there was actually a sexual thrill. You hear that little â€Å"pop' and pull their heads off and hold their heads up by the hair. Whipping their heads off their body sitting there. That'd get me off† (Vronsky). Edmund took the remainder of the two women and put them into plastic bags, of which he buried in the Santa Cruz hills, their torsos and limbs in one area, their hands in another. All the while disguising the burial ground with techniques he had learned as a Boy Scout. With the excitement of the killing behind him, Edmund began to return to his normal routine of attending bars filled with law enforcement personnel. All the while he was attending these local gatherings; he was remaining one step ahead of all clues about the cases. In September 1972, Edmund struck again, only this time it was a fifteen year old girl, Aiko Koo, on her way to dance class in San Francisco. Edmund took her to a remote location where he strangled her into unconsciousness, raped her, and then placed her body in the trunk of his car. On his way home however, he stopped off for a beer. When he returned to his car he opened the trunk and, admiring my catch like a fisherman's looked in at the little girl. The next day Edmund buried the body in his typical fashion, but kept her head. With the head of Koo in the trunk of his car he drove to the psychiatrist's office for his regularly scheduled appointment. While at the appointment, the psychiatrist is quoted as saying, â€Å"If I were seeing this patient without any history available or without getting the history from him, I would think that we're dealing with a very well adjusted young man who had initiative, intelligence and who was free of any psychiatric illness†¦ In effect, we are dealing with two different people when we talk of the 15 year old boy who committed the murder and of the 23 year old man we see before us now. . . it is my opinion that he has made a very excellent response to the years of treatment and rehabilitation. . . † (Vronsky). No one knows for sure what the psychiatrists would have said that day if they had known of the head in Edmund's trunk. After living on his own for a while, Edmund decided to move back home with his domineering mother. Since the last killing in September Edmund was doing well, that is until he picked up college student Cindy Schall. Edmund shot Schall in the head and brought her body back to his mother's house, and when she wasn't looking he carried her up to his room and put her in his closet. The next day while his mother was at work Edmund took the corpse to bed and had sex with it. After this he drained the body of blood in his mother's bathtub, cut the body into pieces, bagged them and threw them off of a cliff. He kept the head, this time repeatedly having sex with it. When he grew tired of the head Edmund buried it in the backyard facing up towards his mother's bedroom window. The local university at this time had gotten word of a string of unsolved murders and warned its students not to take rides from strangers. Lucky for Edmund his mother worked at the university and frequently needed him to pick her up, so he ended up with a decal for the university to allow for his easy access. His mother was well liked, respected, and known for her kindness at the university. Edmund used the decal on his car to pick up two more unsuspecting college women. He then took these women back to his mother's house where he decapitated one of them in the trunk of his car. Later that night while his mother was sleeping he carried the headless body up to his room. Edmund has been quoted as saying, in â€Å"†¦ the head is where everything is at, the brain, eyes, mouth. That's the person. I remember being told as a kid, you cut off the head and the body dies†¦. that's not quite true. With a girl, there is a lot left in the girl's body without the head. Of course, the personality is gone (Vronsky). Edmund went from the kill of the two college women until one fatal Easter weekend in 1973. On this weekend Edmund had finally conquered what had driven his hatred all these years, Edmund killed his mother. While his mother lay sleeping in her bed the night before Easter Sunday, Edmund went in with a claw hammer and smashed his mother's head in. Edmund then decided, what's good for my victims was good for my mother's He then proceeded to decapitate her, and raped her headless corpse. He then removed her larynx and tried to run it through the garbage disposal only to have it jam and spit the larynx back at him. Edmund later recalled to police as saying, â€Å"even when she was dead, she was still bitching at me. I couldn't get her to shut up. † This same evening Edmund called and invited his mother's best friend over for a â€Å"surprise† dinner party. Upon her arrival however, Edmund punched her, strangled her, and again cut off the head which he placed in his bed. He then slept in his mothers bed. The next day Edmund got in his car and began to drive aimlessly. He drove all the way from Santa Cruz, Ca. to Colorado. A11 the while listening to the radio hoping for some sort of news flash to come out of the killing he had just committed. But since no such thing happened, and he had grown tired of waiting, Edmund called the Santa Cruz police confessing to all of the crimes. They however, knowing Edmund as friend, did not believe him, forcing him to call several times before they took his word. Which then lead local authorities to his destination where he surrendered willingly. While awaiting trial, Edmund attempted twice to commit suicide by slashing his mists, and was soon transferred to a solitary cell. The trial itself was rather short – the evidence was there, and it showed clear premeditation. A1l of the psychiatrists asked, testified that Edmund was sane at the times he committed his crimes. Edmund was put into prison, where he calmed down and became a well-behaved inmate. At the trial he was asked what he thought would be an appropriate punishment for his actions, his response was â€Å"death by torture. † He was sentences to response was death by torturers He was sentenced to eight concurrent life-prison terms with possibility of parole. Edmund has been up for parole since 1980, but has been denied every time he's applied. Edmund Kemper is said to have been a egotistic lust killer. That is these people set out not with the interest to kill or hurt anyone, but with the intention of wearing your skin or eating your liver, or in the case of Edmund to have sex with your severed head and decapitated corpse. lts just that your life gets in the way of their fanta sy. In Edmund's instance he explained that the actual killing of each victim had little to do with his fantasies, he goes on to say, â€Å"but what I needed to have was a particular experience with person, and to possess them in the way I wanted to: I had to evict them from their human bodies. (Vronsky). When it comes to classifying Edmund as a psychopath, it can be done but in the broadest sense of a definition. A psychopath derives their tendencies from biological predispositions. Including, but not limited to faulty family enviro ends, aloof parents, and inconsistent rewards and punishments. In Edmund's life his parents w re never really there for him, they just shuffled him back and forth before finally sending him to live with extended family. The punishments were inconsistent because his mother locked him in his basement â€Å"bedroom† due to the fear felt by his sister even though he did nothing to provoke the fear. I believe more appropriately Edmund Kemper fits the definition of having a Homicidal Pattern Disorder. Which according to the future volume of the DSM will be defined as deliberate and purposeful murder or attempt at murder of strangers on more than one occasion; tension or affective arousal at some time before the arts; and pleasure, gratification, or relief in commission or reflection of the ants. In the end, I believe that all Edmund truly wanted was a woman's love. Something he wished for greatly, but was always an illusion, never attainable. It is clear what Edmund's purpose for killing these women was, the need to feel a close intimate connection with a member of the opposite sex, more specifically a connection between himself and his mother. Once this conquest was fulfilled, the intimate connection between him and his mother, Edmund willingly turned himself in because his mission was over.

Organizational Focus and Goals Essay

Forte is a nonprofit organization in its infancy. The organization is only three years old and has already seen substantial changes to its structure and business strategy. Currently, Forte is mostly unknown. However, this past year the organization took a huge leap in firing its Artistic Director and choreographer and hiring a new Artistic Director and choreographer. Both new additions bring a wealth of knowledge of the performing arts industry that has catapulted Forte to setting their sights higher than the two performances a year. In the past two years the organization was funded primarily through parental donations, which were small and only allowed the organization to perform twice a year. This past year with the addition of the new employees, the organization saw ticket sales increase tremendously and interest from many more students in joining. CURRENT FOCUS AND GOALS Forte is focused on gaining a reputation within the performing arts community. As a young organization located in a small community, it is imperative that the organization remain focused on establishing the company’s reputation. The goals of Forte are now to be able to increase the student membership, increase the amount of performances per year, and to increase funding to make the other two goals possible. TRAINING NEEDS Forte is a very young organization with a board of directors that are in desperate need of training. The knowledge that is lacking within this board of directors is staggering. â€Å"Training refers to a planned effort by the company to facilitate employees’ learning of job-related competencies† (Noe, 2008, p. 4). The board handles all the business end of the organization with little knowledge of what is available to them. Training in two areas is suggested. Those two areas are educating the board on best practices in producing a production and in communication standards and ethics. As no current board member is educated in the performing arts, they are hemorrhaging money on expenses that are not needed. Training in where to buy and rent production equipment is an area with huge opportunity to cut costs and improve the quality. By improving the quality of production equipment and cutting costs, the organization will have more money to spend in other areas such as set design and costumes as well as space rentals for performances. By educating the board on proper communication standards schedules can be met and instruction from the artistic director and choreographer will improve. As it stands now, far too much rehearsal time is spent with the board asking questions and interrupting rehearsals. By training in effective communication between the employees and board, the time taken away from instruction will increase, increasing the talent of the organization. EFFECTS THE FOCUS AND GOALS HAVE ON PRIORITIZING THE TYPE AND AMOUNT OF TRAINING Forte’s focus and goals affect the type of training and amount of training  needed. Because Forte desires to gain a wider reputation and increase available performances, the training needs to be comprehensive and happen quickly. Both the new Artistic Director and choreographer have taken several board members into a sort of internship for this year. This on the job training will accomplish in a short amount of time the massive training needed. PRIORITIZING TRAINING NEEDS Forte will prioritize those areas that will direct the finances of the winter season first. Gaining a handle on the hemorrhaging funds is a top priority in order to allow those funds to be put to better use. In order to progress to the goals of the organization, it is suggested the training prioritize the financial aspects of training first. As it stands now, this is the largest area of opportunity for training and the largest area of opportunity for growth. CONCLUSION Training develops the skills needed to perform job-related tasks efficiently and effectively which directly affects the organization. (Noe, 2008) Training also creates a positive work environment. Creating a positive work environment attracts talented employees and customers. Forte seeks to attract more talented performers. In order to this, training in how to produce a performing arts production properly needs to happen, or the talent will not join. Reference Noe, R. A. (2008). _Employee Training and Development_ (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin..

On Being A Real Westerner

The adult individual is oftentimes defined by a childhood image of himself so that even if he tries to move away or change his personality, the old personality still emerges again and again so that ultimately it becomes hard to lie to the self. Furthermore, one cannot regret one’s childhood or past as much as one cannot bring them back and change what happened. The individual is only left to deal with what has become of him because of his experiences during childhood. These truths are what Woolf imparts to the reader in his essay, On Being A Real Westerner.He explicitly states this idea in the final paragraph when he confesses that â€Å"all my images of myself as I wished to be were images of myself armed. Because I did not know who I was, any image of myself, no matter how grotesque had power over me. But the man can give no help to the boy, not in this matter nor in those that follow. † The entire essay focuses on a single experience which the writer believes defined him throughout life. This was the moment when he assumed the image of a rifle-toting Westerner. The introductory paragraph begins the story: the day when the author receives the rifle.The introduction hooks the reader who likes action in his stories because it presents the image of a young boy and a rifle. One would get intrigued as to what a young boy would do with a rifle and sense a foreboding tragedy coming on. Wolff follows through the episode with chronological scenes, as events happened from the time his brother gave him the Winchester rifle to the time he succumbed to the burning desire to pull the trigger and experience both the pleasure and guilt of killing a living thing even if it is only a squirrel.This single experience is narrated through a series of eight separate cut-scenes: Roy gives him the rifle but his mother asks him to give it back; his mother eventually relents after much convincing and cajoling; the author is cleaning the rifle and then marching around the house with it while dressed in Roy’s army uniform; he is crouched by the drawn shades, following the people on the street and pretending to shoot; he takes some real bullets, loads the rifle and practices cocking; he pulls the trigger and kills a squirrel; he tells his mother about the dead squirrel and he helps her bury it; and, lying in bed at night while thinking about what he had done earlier. Presenting these series of images cued by phrases like â€Å"after a few days† or â€Å"for a week† moves the story along and makes the reader understand that the child grows up emotionally through the succession of scenes until the final realization of what that episode in childhood has affected him in life.It is notable to mention one scene that sticks out in the sense that it talks about a different time, that of the author as a grown-up and herding Vietnamese prisoners during the war. This one paragraph introduced halfway through the narrative makes the reader unde rstand that the story being narrated refers to the author’s past. The only other time when this point is reiterated is during the last paragraph. Except for these two instances, the entire essay is a narrative of a single experience in the author’s childhood. The mention of the Vietnam War scene is included for the author to illustrate the feeling of how it is like to hold a rifle but not to use it.According to him, both as a child and as an adult with a rifle aimed at others, the satisfaction is to have these people being aimed at to be aware that they are facing the possibility of death so that they might fear the power of the one holding the rifle. He inserts the image of him as a grown-up while describing the same act being done by himself as a child, for the reader to compare the similarities of both images. Both the child and the man holding a rifle are supposed to evoke the same emotions on the part of the reader, further reiterating the theme of the essay. The concluding paragraph summarizes for the reader the meaning and purpose of the entire narrative. The boy has become a man but somehow, he has not been able to shake off the childhood image of himself as a rifle-toting Westerner.

Continuing with the plan development, this part will focus on the Essay

Continuing with the plan development, this part will focus on the marketing, operations and insurance components. It needs to pr - Essay Example These components are essential since they can determine the success of the restaurant in its operations. Additionally, the plan will outline how I will provide insurance for all employees, and insurance for my restaurant. II. Marketing Plan: In general, I have four methods that will be used to carry out marketing activities for my new restaurant and these include the following: the traditional way by words of mouth, online media, banner & brochures, and redemption door prize& discount. I believe that these methods would increase the popularity of my Hawaiian restaurant and this strategy can also contribute towards attracting a lot of customers. II.1.Words of Mouth One of the crucial aspects in business is the use of traditional method of marketing where the word of mouth will be utilized. The members of society often respond in different ways to a market offering where they may be surprised, disgusted or complain due service failure. Therefore, words of mouth are essential since they can be used as the initial strategy to respond to the concerns of the members of society and the targeted consumers. With this opportunity at hand, I anticipate that my restaurant will be one of the hottest spots in Washington D.C. since it will be the only Hawaiian restaurant. ... I am pretty sure that this word of mouth marketing strategy will help me to attract a lot of loyal customers because of family relationships and ties with the employees. This strategy will positively contribute to the success of the restaurant in its operations since it will mainly involve direct interaction with the potential customers. II.2.Online Media During the current period, it can be seen that the media particularly social media have been transformed into an effective platform for people to discuss various current issues, and events. I will hire people with good public relations, and communication skills to organize and manage my social media campaigns for my Hawaiian restaurant. First of all, I am going to concentrate on Yelp, and Trip Advisor because people often refer to these websites when they are looking for a restaurant in their area. I should try to create and maintain trust among the customers that will visit my restaurant. I will also make sure that we give feedback to the customers through Yelp, and Trip Advisor. In addition, my public relations division should update the restaurant website, Facebook pages, Instagram, and Twitter with current events, new menu, and any changes with our office hours every week. This will attract people to visit my restaurant to see upcoming events such or musicians who will entertain my Hawaiian restaurant customers. II.3. Banner & Brochures This is one of the marketing strategies that I will use for my restaurant. I will create attractive banners and place them on the streets, and I will also hire students from college and high school to spread the brochures at the Metro station, and public grocery stores. There would also be a frequent brochure that will highlight my restaurant’s future

Best Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Best Workplace - Essay Example Similar to its name, Genentech, the company utilizes genetic human information to come up with the new medicine. This medicine is manufactured and sold to hospitals and other pharmaceuticals to help in the treatment of patients suffering from chronic ailments or medical conditions that generally, threaten an individual’s life. Why did Genentech emerge top six in the hundred? This question rings a bell every time someone visits the Fortune website. However, Genentech manages to emerge top six because of ninety- five percent employee rating in: challenges, atmosphere, rearwards, pride, communication, and bosses. Genentech is a company where workers enjoy team building through parties and similar events that bring all the workers together to celebrate in their success and work hard. This enables the entire staff to feel appreciated and to have increased motivation as well as willingness of working as a team (â€Å"Accel† n.d; â€Å"Fortune† 2014). In support of, George Homan’s theory of exchange, the company uses reward system, as a way of motivating their workers. This is by rewarding the employees with a six-week paid break for every six years an employee works for the company. Such benefits have enabled the employees to take pride in their job and help patients acquire the kind of treatment they deserve. Additionally, the employees are not discriminated because accountability is maintained among all employees. The managers at the company, promotes good communicating among workers where complaints can be voiced and problems solved soon before they advance into a crisis that causes risks in a working place. Patients that have been served by the company’s employees are living proof that the conducive environment provided for the employees is reciprocated by the good services and great commitment offered (â€Å"Fortune† 2014; Inc. staff 2014). Burns & McDonnell is located in Kansas City, founded in the year 1898.

The Inadequacy of US Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan Literature review

The Inadequacy of US Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan - Literature review Example 1). This research work aims at assessing the effectiveness of the counterinsurgency measures adopted by the U.S. in Afghanistan. Background of the Problem The principal argument of this study is that the US should deploy its resources in a manner that promote capabilities, which improve the competence of the Afghan government and its security forces, in conducting counterinsurgency operations. There have been several instances, wherein the US forces have enraged the Afghan villagers. This has been attributed to the ignorance among these soldiers, regarding the cultural and social traditions of the Afghans. It has been suggested that the US forces should abstain from interacting with the people and permit the Afghan authorities to take the necessary steps (Jones, 2008, p. 93). A major feature of counterinsurgency (COIN) warfare is the battle to win over the hearts and minds of the target population. This has been attempted even with the most seemingly isolated members of the populatio n, in remote villages and rural regions. For this purpose shortwave radio has been employed. This initiative would further alienate the Afghans towards the Karzai government, which is detested in the extreme; local politicians; governors; tribal chiefs; warlords and militia commanders, who are supporters of the highly unpopular Karzai administration (Kilcullen, 2009, pp. 50 – 51). Assistance has been scanty if not totally absent, in the rural areas. These areas had been at the greatest risk from the Taliban, and had been totally dissatisfied with the almost non – existent change. The fate of counterinsurgency in Afghanistan will be determined by what happens in rural Afghanistan. The developments in the urban regions will have little if any bearing on the success of failure of counterinsurgency (Jones, 2008, p. 4). Consequently, counterinsurgency has to reach such people. Rationale How effective was the U.S. Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan? I have examined the relevan t literature pertaining to the present topic, by eminent scholars, like Jones, Kilcullen, Ganesh Sitaraman, Mark, Johnson, Schreer, for answering the question. I have examined strategies, such as the traditional social hierarchies and the different forms of legitimacy, local, specialised knowledge trumps doctrine and theory. I have obtained information regarding the actual state of affairs with regard to fair elections, rule of law, and economic development in Afghanistan. The opinion of the authorities in this area, has contributed to the assessment of the situation. Issues, such as the exercise of power by the government, harmonisation of development, governance and security were provided by Mark. Positive elements in the extant literature, with respect to counterinsurgency are the unbiased opinion of eminent scholars and the provision of the true picture regarding the present situation, regarding the governance of Afghanistan. I will further investigate these issues, after applyi ng the relevant theories and strategies, pertaining to the counterinsurgency measures. As such, I can expand my research on the issues discussed in the literature, and arrive at better conclusions regarding the current problem. Hypothesis The counterinsurgency measures adopted by the US in Afghanistan have proved to be inadequate. This synopsis of insurgency in Afghanistan, brings to the fore the factors that had ensured the success of insurgencies in the past; external support, variations in the quality of the security forces, and challenges to governance. Research Questions What is insurgence?

Personal Worldview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Worldview - Essay Example This essay discusses that since we used to attend that camp with our church I know that most of the kids from various churches only get to go because it is free to those in need. I used to see firsthand the excitement on the children’s faces as they heard stories from the Bible for the first time. God placed that upon my heart to donate monthly and I know my small donation might plant a seed in a heart that otherwise would not have been planted. By following God’s will to live a life of obedience and to serve others, I can live freely as God intended me to live (Smith, 1999).Other ways I am called as a Christian is to respond with openness and honesty, but also with grace towards those, I differ with (Smith, 1999). Living in a secular world requires me to deal with people who may not feel the same way I feel about different topics or choices. It is always important for me to treat them with respect even though I may disagree. Without being judgmental I can make my own p osition known. Knowing that there may not be a meeting of the minds on some issues, grace and respect should always be apparent. The Jesus in me that people see will hopefully plant a seed of a life they wish to have.If we share the world of the Gospel, it will become evident that to worship the One God, love the Christ, obey parents, show kindness toward our fellow beings, escape from debauchery and strictly observing chastity, honesty and integrity, that these are essential to make the world a peaceful and prosperous world (Smith, 1999).

History of Eastern Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Eastern Philosophy - Essay Example They believe that religion and philosophy are mutually exclusive and drastically different (Carr, pp. 241-243). They have various arguments in this regard. First, the most important difference between these two is the fact that philosophy aims at uncovering the truth about the universe through a systematic and logical process of rational inquiry and even if any knowledge obtained from some other source or object cannot meet the rational requirements would be discarded. On the other hand, religion promotes rationality to the extent to which it does not collide or negate the existence of a supernatural force or its Holy books. Furthermore, the â€Å"knowledge† gained through the holy books or prophets, is also a consideration as the ultimate truth without testing it through any rational or logical means. Second, religion is not complete in the absence of rituals (Ram-Prasad, pp. 85-89). Every religion requires its followers to follow some practices, norms, ceremonies and others, which complete his followership. However, a philosopher can endorse philosophy without having to practice any ceremonies. Third, a closer look would reveal that philosophy is a thinking, which has a beginning but no end. Despite the fact that the whole premise has its basis on awareness the problem, that outweighs the search of a final answer (Bretzke, pp. 141-145). In fact, every answer in philosophy gives rise to new problems and questions. On the other hand, religion takes an approach, which aims at finding a specific answer that puts a full stop to all the discussion. This paper is an attempt to look at the various eastern philosophies such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. The paper will explore these religions and the link with the philosophies, which they have founded over the period. Discussion Taoism, also known as â€Å"Daoism, is an eastern religion and philosophy† (Bretzke, pp. 141-145), which is more than two millenniums old. Statistics reveal tha t there are more than 225 million followers of this religion; however, the numbers is doubtful since many of its followers accept it as a philosophy and associate himself or herself with Confucianism or Buddhism as well at the same time. The founder of this school of thought, Loa Tzu lived a few years before Confucius (Bretzke, pp. 141-145). A comparison of Confucianism and Taoism would reveal that Confucius has actually build upon many of the teachings of Lao Tzu has many of his teachings are an evolved form of Taoists ideals. Loa Tzu believed that the best way of achieving happiness is to stop complaining about the way thing are going, sit back and let nature take care of things (Bretzke, pp. 141-145). His way of doing things is not by doing anything. He believed that everything in the nature has a life and shared a force in the total universal force. Therefore, humans should align their forces and power with that of the universe to achieve satisfaction. Taoism believes that every person has a Yin (the dark side) and Yang (the light side). The best way is to keep them balanced in order to lead the best life. Furthermore, Taoism also appears to be in line with anarchism which believes that there should be no rules or regulations formed by the government. Some Taoists have gone to say that there should be no governments at all since it is against the principle of â€Å"doing by doing nothing† (Leaman, p. 74-76). People should have the right to decide everything for themselves.

Christian Stewardship and Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Christian Stewardship and Sustainability - Essay Example When God created man in the Garden of Eden, He gave him authority over all the earth. This authority involves taking care of the environment, and all its constituents. Consequently, Christian stewardship refers to a moral obligation conferred on human beings by God over the natural resources. It includes using the natural resources in ways that benefit humanity, and the perpetuation of such resources. Promoting the continuity of the resources maintains order in the universe as the resources allow man to meet his various needs and aspirations successfully. In addition, future generations get to enjoy quality resources in abundance, thus boosting their earthly experiences. God holds Christians accountable for their actions on earth. The accountability falls in many categories, including the environment. God ordained man to take care of the earth, and the responsibility goes with accountability. Consequently, Christians endeavor to safeguard the biodiversity in a compassionate and respectful manner. These attitudes also characterize the concept of sustainability as it bears the future generations in mind. More to this, sustainability aims at countering the environmental crisis, and ensuring that humanity enjoys the goodness of nature in future. Christian stewardship recognizes that natural resources serve as resources (Robinson, 20). Resources help in fulfilling the daily needs of humanity, hence the need for their conservation. Absence of such resources would lead to inadequate provision of the required needs, which would contravene God’s will for our lives. Likewise, sustainability realizes the need for resource protection. It encourages the proper utilization of such resources with an intention of providing the current and future society with a good life. More to this, Robinson (21) asserts that â€Å"stewardship is a value to be passed from generation to generation†. This means that Christian stewardship, just like

John Maynard Keynes, the Father of Modern Theoretical Economics Essay Example for Free

John Maynard Keynes, the Father of Modern Theoretical Economics Essay John Maynard Keynes (5 June 1883 – 21 April 1946), a British economist known also as the father of modern theoretical economics, had made a great impact on contemporary economic as well as political theory. His ideas were tapped by governments for their fiscal policies. He is most well known on his interventionist policy when it comes to fiscal and monetary measures, specifically, to mitigate the undesirable effect of recessions, depressions, and even booms. An article from Time magazine on the 100 Most Important People of the Century, contend that â€Å"[h]is radical idea that governments should spend money they dont have may have saved capitalism† (Reich, no date). As an economist, his first share of international fame was when he was selected as a delegate of the Paris Peace Conference of 1918–1919. It was during this conference that the victors of the World War 1 (specifically, Woodrow Wilson, Georges Clemenceau, and David Lloyd George) imposed war reparations on Germany. Keynes held his tongue during the conference but let out a roar as soon as he returned to England (Reich, no date). He wrote a book entitled The Economic Consequences of Peace. He wrote that the Germans would not be able to pay the victors. He called Wilson a â€Å"blind, deaf Don Quixote†, Clemenceau a xenophobe with â€Å"one illusion — France, and one disillusion — mankind†, and Lloyd George a â€Å"goat-footed bard, this half-human visitor to our age from the hag-ridden magic and enchanted woods of Celtic antiquity. † Keynes predicted that the reparations demanded by the victors would keep Germany impoverished and might ultimately threaten the neighboring countries if not all of Europe (Reich, no date). And we know that he is indeed right as if it was a prophecy. The book sold almost a hundred thousand copies on that period. But it was only later on after three decades that the real effect of his treatise was felt. After the end of World War II, both US and Britain (as victors of the war) remembered Keynes admonition. The best way to attain a lasting peace is by helping the vanquished start all over again – public investing to create trading partners and building solid democracies (like n the case of Germany, Italy, and Japan during that war; Reich, no date). Keynes founded that branch of economics that is termed â€Å"macroeconomics† today. This is his greatest influence in the history of economics. This actually came from a book he wrote during the depths of the Great Depression. The book was called â€Å"The general theory of employment, interest and money† (published on 1936). The idea is pretty much easy to understand: Governments should not leave the market alone when, and especially, the economy is running slow (interventionist policy of the government). It is during periods of dull economy or recession that markets are saturated and businesses either do not invest or reduce their investment. Such situation, according to Keynes, is a prologue for a very dangerous cycle: â€Å"less investment, fewer jobs, less consumption and even less reason for business to invest† (Keynes, in Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia). In 1942, John Maynard Keynes was raised to the House of Lords and was accord the title Baron Keynes of Tilton, County of Sussex. Keynes played a crucial role in the negotiations that transpired in the creation of the Bretton Woods system (the system/conference that created the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization, as we know it today). He was the head of the British Commission and the chairman of the World Bank Commission. He was the brainchild behind the management of currencies between and among countries. He advocated the creation of a world central bank, the International Clearing Union, that will be responsible for the common world currency unit (Reich, no date; Keynes, in Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia).

Daimlerchrysler Ag Change Management Business Essay

Daimlerchrysler Ag Change Management Business Essay Change management means to plan, initiate, realize, control, and finally stabilize change processes on both, corporate and personal level. Change may cover such diverse problems as for example strategic direction or personal development programs for staff. Change is the continuous adoption of corporate strategies and structures to changing external conditions. Today, change is not the exception but a steady ongoing process. On contrast business as usual will become the exception from phases of turbulence. Change management comprises both, revolutionary one-off projects and evolutionary transformations Introduction to DaimlerChrysler AG DaimlerChrysler AG-the third-largest car maker in the world-is the product of the November 1998 merger of Daimler-Benz AG of Germany and Chrysler Corporation of the United States. Vehicles built by the resultant powerhouse include Mercedes-Benz luxury passenger cars; a micro compact car sold under the name Smart; Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge cars, pickup trucks, minivans, and sport utility vehicles; and commercial vehicles, including vans, trucks, and buses, under the brand names Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Sterling, Setra, and Western Star Trucks. The companys revenue stream is heavily weighted toward the United States and Europe-the Mercedes Car Group and the Chrysler Group divisions account for the majority of company sales. The company has been plagued with problems in recent years related partly to its investment in Mitsubishi Motors. Its troubled Chrysler division experienced a $637 million loss in 2003 due to restructuring costs and slowing U.S. sales. In addition to its vehicle manufacturing operations, DaimlerChrysler is a leading provider of information technology services in Germany and offers a variety of financial services-including vehicle sales and leasing financing, dealer financing, and insurance services-primarily in North America and Europe. The European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), which is 33 percent-owned by DaimlerChrysler, operate as the worlds second-largest aerospace and Defense Company. Models of change management Lewins model Unfreeze the current paradigm of the organization. This involves understanding the need for change. Then communicating that need to the people. People should be open to change in structure, behavior and thinking. Change the organization paradigm by introducing new theories in the organization. This is a lengthy process as the new method will take time to sink in. people will question the new method thus it is important that there is a strong channel for feedback. Refreeze the changed paradigm. This is the stage where the change is inculcated into the organization and people followed the changed methods as a part and parcel of the organization. Kotters 8 steps creating a vibe of change into the members gather supporters to guide change create a vision explain the vision to the supporters empower people to follow and spread the vision create shot objective or milestones improvements and feedback Inculcation of change by making it a part of structure and system. Complex model which recognize the need of individual organizations. Johnson Scholes and Whittingtons model identifies the variables that the organization faces. Time is how quickly change is needed. This can be identified by the Balogun and Hailys model. Scope is the degree of change that is necessary. Continuity what is the incremental factor History is the past experience of change Skills what capabilities are required and what do we have. Resources which are available for change management. Readiness is the willingness of people to accept change. Power is where the of the organization lies i.e. with management employees, stakeholders etc. McKinsey 7S framework identifies the areas that management need to focus on in order to manage change effectively Structure is the hierarchy and the departmentalization of the organization before and after the change. Strategy is the plans that organization makes i.e. when to compete? Where to compete? And when to compete? System is the alignment of the strategy with the business objective and at what level evolutionary stage the organization stands. Shared values is what type of culture prevails in the organization Style is the leadership style of the management. How are decisions made? Staff is the human resource of the organization. How trained they are and what staff is needed? Skill is the organizations ability to use its resources. Thus measure of the efficiency of the organization. Need for strategic change in Chysler Chysler has been to the top and now has lost most of its profit. Strategic intervention techniques The purpose of intervention techniques is to improve the efficiency and the effectiveness of the organization. Strategic intervention techniques focus on improving the processes through which ideas are generated and then gain feedback on the ideas. These techniques make some thing happen and also focus on what is happening French Bell Jr (1994). The reasons for interventions can be To gain feedback To educate people To invoke rapid change in the organization. Rapid and sudden change in the external environment Intense competition Driving forces for change in GM Driving forces are the reason that GM requires to change its strategy and align itself with the environment. Few of the forces that pressure Gm to change are as follows Low economic growth in the car manufacturing business has stumped most of the manufacturers. Car manufacturers on government support are making cars at a loss but yet there cars are in the market and cutting the market share of other companies. Japanese car manufacturers are making better cars at low price which is the main competition for GM. Change in technology in the industry has been an issue. Honda and Toyota have advanced in technology at a higher rate than GM. Rising oil prices have also caused the industry to rethink there strategy. Resource implications for GM GM CEO Rick Wagoner has put in a lot of effort to turn around GM since 1992.but his response to change in the environment was too slow. The resources of GM can be evaluated using 5 Ms model Money has been the problem for GM for sometime now but government is ready to help them but they do not have a turn around strategy. Manpower of GM has not been able to generate new ideas which show dulled motivation, and poor creativity skills by the management and other employees. Also GM is stuck in contacts with employees with huge pensions. Minutes time frame for adaptation has always been short for GM and it has always lagged behind the need of time. Material has very special item oil which has sky rocketed. So the price of car manufacturing is rising as well as the price of maintaining a car. Machinery has been the major issue for GM as its competitors have acquired new machinery and processes which are better than that of GM. Due to these factors GM has not been able to change. These are the forces that create resistance for change. Change and stakeholders Stakeholders are an integral part of the organizational paradigm. To bring change in the organization, stakeholders should own the change. The process of change should start from within the stakeholders. To change the culture stakeholders should realize that there is a need for change. Then they should be directed into the right direction. In Kotters 8 steps model for change the role of stakeholders can be incorporated. The model pushes the organization to make its own decision and define its process of change. Kotters model for change for GM Kotter gives a model of change in the organization in which the stakeholders are empowered to make change for themselves. I shall use this model to explain how GM can bring about change in the organization with the help of its stakeholders. Step 1: Create urgency For change to occur it is necessary the whole organization realizes the need for change and puts its effort in making the change. For this purpose managers can paint a grim picture of the future if continued on the same path. Explain to the shareholders the increase in ability of the organization to exploit its resources. There should be feed back from the stakeholders and there ideas should be incorporated in the change process. In case of GM it is not very difficult to paint a grim picture because the next step to bankruptcy is liquidation. The decline in the performance of the company has been a question mark for a long time now. So in GM people are ready for change and stakeholders support the management. Now there is need for discussions so that the ideas and the wills of the stakeholders can be incorporated in the change process. Step 2: Coalitions This is the point where the leadership emerges; people among the stakeholder should take charge of the groups. It is necessary that to identify the key leadership and make them commit to the change in the organization. This is necessary that people who are selected for the leadership believe in the change. In case of Chysler they have to find leaders in order to bring change. Recognition of the people who will help GM to evolve and to accept the changed processes is necessary, if it wishes to make any type of change in its strategy. Step 3: Vision for change When the process of change starts there are many idea of floating. All these ideals need to be linked together if in order to form a vision. This vision needs to be simple and understandable. The vision gives people a sense of direction; they understand the purpose of the change. For change to be successful you need to know the main idea behind the change. For this purpose prepare a summary of the future endeavors of the company. Knowing about the future helps people to support the organization. In case of Chysler the mission statement is quite clear G.M. is a multinational corporation engaged in socially responsible operations, worldwide. It is dedicated to provide products and services of such quality that our customers will receive superior value while our employees and business partners will share in our success and our stock-holders will receive a sustained superior return on their investment. But unfortunately Chysler has not been able to deliver. The vision of the Chysler needs to be communicated effectively through the organization. Every stakeholder needs to believe in the mission statement of Chysler. Step 4: Communication of vision Every person in the organization needs to know the objective of the change. The previous paradigm of the company will produce resistance against the new method. The New Mission statement needs to overcome the resistance and unite the organization on a single path to success. For this the management needs to address all the doubts and problems of the people. Divide the vision into smaller objectives and tie the performance of individual with the achievement of these objectives. In Chysler the management should take responsibility of communicating process of change through the organization. A process of change developed from the input of stakeholders is easier to communicate back. Step 5: Remove obstacles In the process of change, there will always be resistance. The objective of the management is to minimize this resistance and bring the stakeholders to a common platform on which everybody can express their opinion. As the process of change moves forward, there should be constant checks for any barriers to change. In Chysler the inner management has failed to provide change in the organization. The change in GM can be induced from the outside; perhaps a change agent will help GM over come change barriers. Another good way to bring about change is to award the people who embrace the change. Step 6: Create short term objectives For the process of change to work people need to know that it is working. For this management can divide the main objective in to simpler objectives. The management should thoroughly analyze the short term objectives such that they are achievable and motivation. For the achievement of every objective the employees should be rewarded. In Chysler that management need to step up and divide their long-term objectives into the short term goals. The management should make the stakeholders believe that they are capable of changing the business for the better. The most important stakeholder of GM is the government. The government needs to know that that GM can stand on its feet, for it to bail out the company. Step 7: Build on the change The process of change is not complete he unless and until the change culture has inculcated into the organization. Changes in many organizations fail because they do not fully implement the changed processes. The changed processes should become part and parcel of life in the organization. The people of the organization need to build on the changed processes and achieve even more success. The management of Chysler should not stop at making the government believed that they deserve a bailout, but should make efforts to build on the changed processes. Step 8: Change in corporate culture The most difficult thing to do in bringing about change into the organization is to change the culture of the organization. In history many of the mergers in companies have failed because they unable to merge the culture of the companies. Changing the culture of the company is a very long and hard process. Chysler will need to change the culture and introduce a fresh method to succeed in an unattractive industry. At this point the employees of General Motor will not be motivated; the management needs to bring faith back into the employees. Monitoring progress and conclusion The final step in the management of change would be to monitor the performance of the company. For this purpose appraisal of each of the activities of the company will be performed. The justification of activity will provide grounds by which the productivity of the activity will be measured. The idea of kaizen should become a part of the activities of the business. The process of change is very lengthy; it takes years for change process to become part of the culture. The management of the organization needs to be very patient and need to prioritize their objectives. In Chysler it is necessary that people accept the change and once the changed processes have settled in there should be continuous evaluation and revaluation. The U.S market has become very saturated thus not allowing the companies to grow as fast as they would like. For the companies to survive they need to use there resources with utmost efficiency.

The role of the mother in Islam

The role of the mother in Islam ROLE OF THE MOTHER IN ISLAM TABLE OF CONTENT Acknowledgement Preface Introduction Role of the mothers in Islam Respect in the world Holy Quran about mothers Qualities of the mothers Love for her children Sacrifice and dedication Protection and security Role of the mothers during Life A window of the child to the world Model for the child Strength of the mother Awareness of responsibility Setting Goals Encourage children according to their potential Conclusion References PREFACE I learnt a lot during the research on the ‘Role of the Mothers in Islam’. There were many new things which I had grasped during my thesis. Most importantly, I tried to understand what does Islam think and say about the mothers. I hope my research proves to be the productive and helpful for those who want to be taught about the ‘Role of the mother in Islam’. INTRODUCTION As we know that, Islam has empowered woman more than any other religion and they have more rights than any man. A woman has a very key and important role when she becomes a mother. Since the mothers have a very valued and dignified role in Islam. Their contribution is acknowledged and applauded. Once a man asked Prophet (PBUH) about the status of mother, Muhammad (SAW) replied, â€Å"Paradise lies beneath the feet of mothers.† In other words, gates of heaven are open for those who cherish and respect their mothers. ROLE OF THE MOTHERS IN ISLAM Respect in the world: A mother has a great respect in her entire family. She is to be obeyed. There are many verses of the Holy Quran which talks about the rights of the mother. However, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) has enjoined goodness to the mother. A man came for the advice to Prophet (SAW) as to who should be treated well. The Prophet (PBUH) advised him to be good with mother. Three times the man asked, and three times Prophet (PBUH) told him to do good to his mother. At the fourth time, the Prophet (PBUH) told him to do good to his father. This illustrates the position of the mother in Islam. Allah’s messenger (SAW) says, â€Å"It is one of the greatest sins that a man should curse his parents.† Holy Quran about mothers: Allah has only discussed about the two mothers in the Holy Quran by name; Bibi Maryam, mother of Hazrat Isa (A.S) and mother of Prophet Musa (A.S). Holy Quran mentions the incident of Hazrat Maryam after the birth of Isa (A.S) when people started labeling her with the bad words. At a point, she wished to be dead. But Allah consoled her and told her not to grieve. Then she was given the dates and water. However, she was also ordered to take fast of not speaking for the three consecutive days. After three days, baby started speaking and it proved that Hazrat Isa (A.S) was a miraculous baby.(19:23-26) The other incident is related to Hazrat Musa’s mother who was forced to put her child in the river but was simultaneously assured that the baby will be returned. Allah knew the love of mother for the child. The baby was picked up by Firwan’s wife from river, but baby refused to suck the milk of foster mother. So Hazrat Musa’s sister suggested to try her mother, this united the child and mother back. (Surah Taha 37-40 and Surah Qasas 7-13) Following are the verses of the Holy Quran about the parents (mother). Treat your parents with great kindness;if either or both of them attain old age, do not even say ‘uff’ to them;nor rebuke them;but speak to them kind words.Treat them with humility and tenderness and pray, â€Å"O our Lord,be merciful to them, just as they brought me up with kindness and affection in my childhood.† (Surah Bani Israel 23-24) QUALITIES OF THE MOTHERS Love for her children: The love of the mother towards the child is unmatchable. Whether the child is obedient or troublemaker, old or young, healthy or ill, the love remains the same for her child. A mother shows her love in different forms, sometimes she also scolds her child just because she cares and doesn’t want the child to be involved in any chaotic activity. However, that is why the children feel good at home because of their mother. Holy Quran says, â€Å"Worship God and join not any partners with Him; and be kind to your parents.† In other words, we must not treat our parents harshly even if they beat or scold us. Many of the children put their pleasure above mother’s happiness. This is what she gets after bearing so much pain and sacrifice Sacrifice and dedication: Sacrifices of the mother for the child are unmatchable in the world; she gives up her sleep as well just to make her child all right. A good mother places the needs of the child, both physical and emotional needs. There is no other relation other than mother who gives away all her peace just to make her child in peace. This is the reason why Islam has ordered woman to stay home, to look after their children but nowadays usually women are busy in making their own career instead of looking after their child which should be her first priority. The Quran says, And We have enjoined on man [to be good] to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him and his weaning was over two years. Be thankful to Me and to your parents, unto Me is the final destination. [Noble Quran 31:14] However Shaykh Abdur Rahman As-Sa’ad views on the verse is following: Be kind to your parents, shower love, affection and piety, both in words and deeds, treat them softly and never harm them verbally or physically. Then, Allah explains why we should treat our parents nicely. He says, the mother bore constant suffering, pain and hardship from the first moments she felt the child moving in her womb to the worst pangs during the time of delivery. And the weaning of two years, that is, during these two years the mother breast-feeds her child and looks after him/her. So after all the years of suffering, hardship, love and care, could we not, at least, compensate our mothers for what they have done for us and pay them back their rights. Protection and Security: A mother always tries to safeguard her child in every difficulty. However, few mothers are over-protective for their child which is not good. Because of it, children face too many problems in their practical life when they have to deal it alone. Pampered children are unaware of many realities of the world. Many children get fed up of their parent over-protection, yet they must not misbehave since Allah’s messenger (SAW) says, Shall I inform you of the biggest of the Great Sins? They said, Yes, O Allahs Messenger (saws)! He (saws) said, To join partners in worship with Allah,and to be undutiful to ones parents. (Sahih Al-Bukhari) THE ROLE OF THE MOTHERS DURING LIFE The window of the child to the world: When a baby is born, he is not unaware of the outside world. The mother plays a key role in introducing him to the world. The child life totally depends on the mother. His views, his behavior – religion or other – and his goals and mission. Later the views changes after he becomes mature, but what he has learnt in the beginning will always have a lasting impression on his mind. A man came to the Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship? The Prophet (PBUH) said: Your mother. The man said, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man further asked, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man asked again, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your father. (Bukhari, Muslim) In this hadith Prophet (SAW) has clearly mentioned the importance of mother more than the father by repeating ‘your mother’ thrice. Model for the Child: Since a mother play key role in upbringing of the child, so she is greatly esteemed. Her habits, behavior, lifestyle and whatever a child observes from her will have an impact. There’s a famous quote, ‘A mother is better than hundreds of teacher’. This means, mothers have a strong control on their child. Therefore, mothers have an important responsibility on their shoulders to set an example for their child. Sometimes it becomes difficult for the mothers. However, it is not perfection which Islam demands but a willingness to accept the responsibility for gesturing good behavior. Most importantly, a man will be picked up from his/her mother name on the Resurrection Day. A Grand Mufti of Pakistan, Shaykh Muhammad Shafy wrote, â€Å"Mothers have more rights than father.† STRENGTH OF THE MOTHER Awareness of Responsibility: Motherhood is the most difficult job. A mother has to look into different techniques and strategy for parenting. There are nowadays many Islamic magazines in which articles are published related to the upbringing of the children. Mothers must read it to increase the awareness. This surely helps in dealing a child from different tactics. Command your children to make salah (prayer)when they become seven years old, and spank them for it (salah) when they become ten years old, and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.(Abu Dawud) However it is the responsibility of the mother to make the child punctual towards prayer and make him habitual to it. Setting Goals: A mother should know what she expects from her child and then explain that to them. The children must know what is expected from them. For example, if a mother ask a child to lay the table. And the child does not do because of laziness, it means the mother has not asked him in a proper way because the children do the way they feel better. At end, child is blamed for either doing it wrong or not doing it. Similarly goes in the academic, mother must explain what she wants her child to be. Encourage children according to their potential: Every child is skilled in different professions. Allah has given children the ability to show the achievements. Holy Prophet (PBUH) says, â€Å"Human beings are like mines of gold and silver.† Many of the mothers compare their child with another one, which is simply wrong. As I mentioned above every children has the ability to hold great achievement. This act of mother takes many children towards depression, and they get tensed. Instead of it, mothers must rectify their weaknesses and develop the skills in which the child is good. CONCULSION In my research, I tried to explain about how much Islam respects the relation of a mother and what are role of the mothers in upbringing of the child. The mothers have the capability to either give a better future to the child or to damage it. So if we sum up the whole topic we understand, the mothers are the guardian of the whole family at home. However, it is utmost duty of every child to respect their mothers. Since it is the hadith of Allah’s messenger (SAW), â€Å"Be kind with your mother.† Therefore, a person will not enter a paradise if he/she scorns the parents (mother). REFERENCES http://islam.ru/en/content/story/what-does-islam-say-about-mothers http://www.islamhelpline.net/qa/parents-quran-and-sunnah http://www.al-islam.org/raising-children-tahera-kassamali/lesson-2-role-mother#role-mother http://insideislam.wisc.edu/2012/05/the-importance-of-the-mother-in-islam/ http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-the-scholar/family/children-a-parenthood/175504-muslim-womans-role-as-a-mother.html?Parenthood= 1 | Page

Skin Cancer :: essays research papers

Skin Cancer What is it and how to prevent it Skin cancer is the most prevalent of all cancers. There are three types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma. In this presentation I plan to discuss a little about each of these cases as well as tell ways to prevent and treat them. The first most common skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma. This cancer develops in the basal or bottom layer of the epidermis, which is the top layer of the skin. The cause of this cancer is a gene called patched or PTC, which helps to control cell growth and development. If this gene is missing, defective, or damaged by ultra violet radiation, unrestrained cell proliferation may result. Basal cell carcinoma usually appears as a small, fleshy bump, which most often appears on the head, neck, or hands. This type of cancer seldom occurs in African Americans, but they are the most common skin cancers found in fair- skinned persons. These tumors don’t spread quickly. It could take months or years for one to grow to a diameter of one- half inch. If untreated the cancer could begin to bleed, crust over, heal and then the cycle repeats. The second most common skin cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. This cancer develops in the upper layers of the epidermis. Although this cancer is more aggressive than basal cell cancer, it is still relatively slow growing and is more likely to spread to other locations, including internal organs. Squamous cell cancer is usually found on the rim of the ear, the face, the lips and mouth. However, the disease is usually painless, but may become painful with the development of ulcers that do not heal. This cancer often originates from sun- damaged skin and usually begins at age 50. When found and treated early as well as properly, the cure rate by dermatological surgery is 95%. The third and most deadly skin cancer is malignant melanoma. This cancer develops in the pigment cells, which are found throughout the basal layer. Although melanoma is almost always curable when detected early, it is responsible for three quarters of all skin cancer deaths. About 48,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the United States. About 7,700 people die from this disease each year. Melanoma may suddenly appear without warning but it may also begin in or near a mole or other dark spots in the skin.

Analysis of She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron Essay -- Poem Poetry Lor

Analysis of She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron She Walks in Beauty is a poem in which the author speaks of the physical beauty of a woman; a female who the author encountered. This encounter lead him to visualize a great distinct physical image of her so he began to speak of this phenomenal attractiveness. A special quality in her was being able to be identified with the heaven. Beautiful like the stars and clearly visible as a cloudless night. The poem ?She Walks in Beauty? came by as an inspiration to the author. This occurred at an event attended by the author where he meet his cousin which is the woman the author speaks about in the poem. The author lord Byron wrote this poem which is found in the Hebrew Melodies. This publication is found with many other lyrics completed in 1815. The poem speaks through the usage of imagery. The poem is highly rhythmic with meaningful tones. Essentially the female in this poem is evaluated in terms of the physical world. For example, the author does not provide a detailed appearance of the woman. She is instead shown responding to the world around her. George Gordon was born in London in 1788. Gordon was the son of Captain John ?Mad Jack? Byron and his second wife, Catherine Gordon, a Scots heiress. The next ten years were difficult for George. One of the reasons was because of his clubfoot. The second reason was because of his mother displaced resentment against his father onto him, and George Gordon had later been tended by a Calvinist nurse whom awakened his sexuality. In 1798 his great-uncle the fifth Baron Byron, died childless, and just after his tenth birthday Byron inherited his title. In 1801 Byron was sent to school at Harrow; in the same year he ... ...imself. The rhyme scheme shows a different pattern on each stanza; and its meter shows a consistent beat on each line. The tone perceived in Byron?s poem is of romanticism inspired by the woman?s beauty; and its theme is of the immediate impression of a man towards a beautiful lady. There are also many poetic devices like alliteration , simile and internal rhyme shown throughout the poem. Thus making of this poem a delight to the mind, and an enjoyable literary masterpiece. Bibliography: Robert Di Yanni, Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay (Boston, Massachusetts: Mc Graw Hill, 1998). The Penguin Group. ?World of Classics.? The Longman Anthology of British Literature. 24, Sep. 2000 . ?Poetry Series Supplement.? Masterplots II, Vol. 9 (Pasadena, California: Salem Press, 1998).

Review of related literature about billing system Essay

Create editable sequence diagram with Rational Software Architect Create editable sequence diagrams with Rational Software Architect What’s new in Rational Software Architect 8.5 and Design Manager 4 beta Notice the wording in my statement above: â€Å"Adopted 2.0 Draft Specification of UML.† It is true that the specification is still in draft status, but the key is that the Draft Specification has been adopted by OMG, a consortium that does not adopt new standards until they become pretty solid. There will be some changes to the specification before UML 2 is completely adopted, but these changes should be minimal. The main changes will be in the internals of UML–involving features typically used by software companies who implement UML tools. The main purpose of this article is to continue our focus on the essential UML diagrams; this month, we take a close look at the sequence diagram. Please note, again, that the examples provided below are based on the new UML 2 specification. The diagram’s purpose The sequence diagram is used primarily to show the interactions between objects in the sequential order that those interactions occur. Much like the class diagram, developers typically think sequence diagrams were meant  exclusively for them. However, an organization’s business staff can find sequence diagrams useful to communicate how the business currently works by showing how various business objects interact. Besides documenting an organization’s current affairs, a business-level sequence diagram can be used as a requirements document to communicate requirements for a future system implementation. During the requirements phase of a project, analysts can take use cases to the next level by providing a more formal level of refinement. When that occurs, use cases are often refined into one or more sequence diagrams. An organization’s technical staff can find sequence diagrams useful in documenting how a future system should behave. During the design phase, architects and developers can use the diagram to force out the system’s object interactions, thus fleshing out overall system design. One of the primary uses of sequence diagrams is in the transition from requirements expressed as use cases to the next and more formal level of refinement. Use cases are often refined into one or more sequence diagrams. In addition to their use in designing new systems, sequence diagrams can be used to document how objects in an existing (call it â€Å"legacy†) system currently interact. This documentation is very useful when transitioning a system to another person or organization. Back to top The notation Since this is the first article in my UML diagram series that is based on UML 2, we need to first discuss an addition to the notation in UML 2 diagrams, namely a notation element called a frame. The frame element is used as a basis for many other diagram elements in UML 2, but the first place most people will encounter a frame element is as the graphical boundary of a diagram. A frame element provides a consistent place for a diagram’s label, while providing a graphical boundary for the diagram. The frame element is optional in UML diagrams; as you can see in Figures 1 and 2, the diagram’s label is placed in the top left corner in what I’ll call the frame’s â€Å"namebox,† a sort of dog-eared rectangle, and the actual UML diagram is defined within the body of the larger enclosing rectangle. Figure 1: An empty UML 2 frame element In addition to providing a visual border, the frame element also has an  important functional use in diagrams depicting interactions, such as the sequence diagram. On sequence diagrams incoming and outgoing messages (a.k.a. interactions) for a sequence can be modeled by connecting the messages to the border of the frame element (as seen in Figure 2). This will be covered in more detail in the â€Å"Beyond the basics† section below. Figure 2: A sequence diagram that has incoming and outgoing messages Notice that in Figure 2 the diagram’s label begins with the letters â€Å"sd,† for Sequence Diagram. When using a frame element to enclose a diagram, the diagram’s label needs to follow the format of: Diagram Type Diagram Name The UML specification provides specific text values for diagram types (e.g., sd = Sequence Diagram, activity = Activity Diagram, and use case = Use Case Diagram). Back to top The basics The main purpose of a sequence diagram is to define event sequences that result in some desired outcome. The focus is less on messages themselves and more on the order in which messages occur; nevertheless, most sequence diagrams will communicate what messages are sent between a system’s objects as well as the order in which they occur. The diagram conveys this information along the horizontal and vertical dimensions: the vertical dimension shows, top down, the time sequence of messages/calls as they occur, and the horizontal dimension shows, left to right, the object instances that the messages are sent to. Lifelines When drawing a sequence diagram, lifeline notation elements are placed across the top of the diagram. Lifelines represent either roles or object instances that participate in the sequence being modeled. [Note: In fully modeled systems the objects (instances of classes) will also be modeled on a system’s class diagram.] Lifelines are drawn as a box with a dashed line descending from the center of the bottom edge (Figure 3). The lifeline’s name is placed inside the box. Figure 3: An example of the Student class used in a lifeline whose instance name is freshman The UML standard for naming a lifeline follows the format of: Instance Name : Class Name In the example shown in Figure 3, the lifeline represents an instance of the class Student, whose instance name is freshman. Note that, here, the lifeline name is underlined. When an underline is used, it means that the lifeline represents a specific instance of a class in a sequence diagram, and not a particular kind of instance (i.e., a role). In a future article we’ll look at structure modeling. For now, just observe that sequence diagrams may include roles (such as buyer and seller) without specifying who plays those roles (such as Bill and Fred). This allows diagram reuse in different contexts. Simply put, instance names in sequence diagrams are underlined; roles names are not. Our example lifeline in Figure 3 is a named object, but not all lifelines represent named objects. Instead a lifeline can be used to represent an anonymous or unnamed instance. When modeling an unnamed instance on a sequence diagram, the lifeline’s name follows the same pattern as a named instance; but instead of providing an instance name, that portion of the lifeline’s name is left blank. Again referring to Figure 3, if the lifeline is representing an anonymous instance of the Student class, the lifeline would be: † Student.† Also, because sequence diagrams are used during the design phase of projects, it is completely legitimate to have an object whose type is unspecified: for example, â€Å"freshman.† Messages The first message of a sequence diagram always starts at the top and is typically located on the left side of the diagram for readability. Subsequent messages are then added to the diagram slightly lower then the previous message. To show an object (i.e., lifeline) sending a message to another object, you draw a line to the receiving object with a solid arrowhead (if a synchronous call operation) or with a stick arrowhead (if an asynchronous signal). The message/method name is placed above the arrowed line. The message that is being sent to the receiving object represents an operation/method that the receiving object’s class implements. In the example in Figure 4, the analyst object makes a call to the system object which is an instance of the ReportingSystem class. The analyst object is calling the system object’s getAvailableReports method. The system object then calls the getSecurityClearance method with the argument of userId on the secSystem object, which is of the class type SecuritySystem. [Note: When  reading this sequence diagram, assume that the analyst has already logged into the system.] Figure 4: An example of messages being sent between objects Besides just showing message calls on the sequence diagram, the Figure 4 diagram includes return messages. These return messages are optional; a return message is drawn as a dotted line with an open arrowhead back to the originating lifeline, and above this dotted line you place the return value from the operation. In Figure 4 the secSystem object returns userClearance to the system object when the getSecurityClearance method is called. The system object returns availableReports when the getAvailableReports method is called. Again, the return messages are an optional part of a sequence diagram. The use of return messages depends on the level of detail/abstraction that is being modeled. Return messages are useful if finer detail is required; otherwise, the invocation message is sufficient. I personally like to include return messages whenever a value will be returned, because I find the extra details make a sequence diagram easier to read. When modeling a sequence diagram, there will be times that an object will need to send a message to itself. When does an object call itself? A purist would argue that an object should never send a message to itself. However, modeling an object sending a message to itself can be useful in some cases. For example, Figure 5 is an improved version of Figure 4. The Figure 5 version shows the system object calling its determineAvailableReports method. By showing the system sending itself the message â€Å"determineAvailableReports,† the model draws attention to the fact that this processing takes place in the system object. To draw an object calling itself, you draw a message as you would normally, but instead of connecting it to another object, you connect the message back to the object itself. Figure 5: The system object calling its determineAvailableReports method The example messages in Figure 5 show synchronous messages; however, in sequence diagrams you can model asynchronous messages, too. An asynchronous message is drawn similar to a synchronous one, but the message’s line is drawn with a stick arrowhead, as shown in Figure 6. Figure 6: A sequence diagram fragment showing an asynchronous message being sent to instance Guards When modeling object interactions, there will be times when a condition must be met for a message to be sent to the object. Guards are used throughout UML diagrams to control flow. Here, I will discuss guards in both UML 1.x as well as UML 2.0. In UML 1.x, a guard could only be assigned to a single message. To draw a guard on a sequence diagram in UML 1.x, you placed the guard element above the message line being guarded and in front of the message name. Figure 7 shows a fragment of a sequence diagram with a guard on the message addStudent method. Figure 7: A segment of a UML 1.x sequence diagram in which the addStudent message has a guard In Figure 7, the guard is the text â€Å"[pastDueBalance = 0].† By having the guard on this message, the addStudent message will only be sent if the accounts receivable system returns a past due balance of zero. The notation of a guard is very simple; the format is: [Boolean Test] For example, [pastDueBalance = 0] Combined fragments (alternatives, options, and loops) In most sequence diagrams, however, the UML 1.x â€Å"in-line† guard is not sufficient to handle the logic required for a sequence being modeled. This lack of functionality was a problem in UML 1.x. UML 2 has addressed this problem by removing the â€Å"in-line† guard and adding a notation element called a Combined Fragment. A combined fragment is used to group sets of messages together to show conditional flow in a sequence diagram. The UML 2 specification identifies 11 interaction types for combined fragments. Three of the eleven will be covered here in â€Å"The Basics† section, two more types will be covered in the â€Å"Beyond The Basics† section, and the remaining six I will leave to be covered in another article. (Hey, this is an article, not a book. I want you to finish this piece in one day!) Alternatives Alternatives are used to designate a mutually exclusive choice between two or more message sequences. [Note: It is indeed possible for two or more guard conditions attached to different alternative operands to be true at the same  time, but at most only one operand will actually occur at run time (which alternative â€Å"wins† in such cases is not defined by the UML standard).] Alternatives allow the modeling of the classic â€Å"if then else† logic (e.g., if I buy three items, then I get 20% off my purchase; else I get 10% off my purchase). As you will notice in Figure 8, an alternative combination fragment element is drawn using a frame. The word â€Å"alt† is placed inside the frame’s namebox. The larger rectangle is then divided into what UML 2 calls operands. [Note: Although operands look a lot like lanes on a highway, I specifically did not call them lanes. Swim lanes are a UML notation used on activity diagrams. Please refer to The Rational Edge’s earlier article about Activity Diagrams.] Operands are separated by a dashed line. Each operand is given a guard to test against, and this guard is placed towards the top left section of the operand on top of a lifeline. [Note: Usually, the lifeline to which the guard is attached is the lifeline that owns the variable that is included in the guard expression.] If an operand’s guard equates to â€Å"true,† then that operand is the operand to follow. Figure 8: A sequence diagram fragment that contains an alternative combination fragment As an example to show how an alternative combination fragment is read, Figure 8 shows the sequence starting at the top, with the bank object getting the check’s amount and the account’s balance. At this point in the sequence the alternative combination fragment takes over. Because of the guard â€Å"[balance >= amount],† if the account’s balance is greater than or equal to the amount, then the sequence continues with the bank object sending the addDebitTransaction and storePhotoOfCheck messages to the account object. However, if the balance is not greater than or equal to the amount, then the sequence proceeds with the bank object sending the addInsuffientFundFee and noteReturned Check message to the account object and the returnCheck message to itself. The second sequence is called when the balance is not greater than or equal to the amount because of the â€Å"[else]† guard. In alternative combination fragments, the â€Å"[else]† guard is n ot required; and if an operand does not have an explicit guard on it, then the â€Å"[else]† guard is to be assumed. Alternative combination fragments are not limited to simple â€Å"if then else† tests. There can be as many alternative paths as are needed. If more alternatives are needed, all you must do is add an operand to the  rectangle with that sequence’s guard and messages. Option The option combination fragment is used to model a sequence that, given a certain condition, will occur; otherwise, the sequence does not occur. An option is used to model a simple â€Å"if then† statement (i.e., if there are fewer than five donuts on the shelf, then make two dozen more donuts). The option combination fragment notation is similar to the alternation combination fragment, except that it only has one operand and there never can be an â€Å"else† guard (it just does not make sense here). To draw an option combination you draw a frame. The text â€Å"opt† is placed inside the frame’s namebox, and in the frame’s content area the option’s guard is placed towards the top left corner on top of a lifeline. Then the option’s sequence of messages is placed in the remainder of the frame’s content area. These elements are illustrated in Figure 9. Figure 9: A sequence diagram fragment that includes an option combination fragme nt Reading an option combination fragment is easy. Figure 9 is a reworking of the sequence diagram fragment in Figure 7, but this time it uses an option combination fragment because more messages need to be sent if the student’s past due balance is equal to zero. According to the sequence diagram in Figure 9, if a student’s past due balance equals zero, then the addStudent, getCostOfClass, and chargeForClass messages are sent. If the student’s past due balance does not equal zero, then the sequence skips sending any of the messages in the option combination fragment. The example Figure 9 sequence diagram fragment includes a guard for the option; however, the guard is not a required element. In high-level, abstract sequence diagrams you might not want to specify the condition of the option. You may simply want to indicate that the fragment is optional. Loops Occasionally you will need to model a repetitive sequence. In UML 2, modeling a repeating sequence has been improved with the addition of the loop combination fragment. The loop combination fragment is very similar in appearance to the option combination fragment. You draw a frame, and in the frame’s namebox the text â€Å"loop† is placed. Inside the frame’s content area the loop’s guard is placed towards the top left corner, on top of a  lifeline. [Note: As with the option combination fragment, the loop combination fragment does not require that a guard condition be placed on it.] Then the loop’s sequence of messages is placed in the remainder of the frame’s content area. In a loop, a guard can have two special conditions tested against in addition to the standard Boolean test. The special guard conditions are minimum iterations written as â€Å"minint = [the number]† (e.g., â€Å"minint = 1†) and maximum iterations written a s â€Å"maxint = [the number]† (e.g., â€Å"maxint = 5†). With a minimum iterations guard, the loop must execute at least the number of times indicated, whereas with a maximum iterations guard the number of loop executions cannot exceed the number. Figure 10: An example sequence diagram with a loop combination fragment Larger view of Figure 10. The loop shown in Figure 10 executes until the reportsEnu object’s hasAnotherReport message returns false. The loop in this sequence diagram uses a Boolean test to verify if the loop sequence should be run. To read this diagram, you start at the top, as normal. When you get to the loop combination fragment a test is done to see if the value hasAnotherReport equals true. If the hasAnotherReport value equals true, then the sequence goes into the loop fragment. You can then follow the messages in the loop as you would normally in a sequence diagram Back to top Beyond the basics I’ve covered the basics of the sequence diagram, which should allow you to model most of the interactions that will take place in a common system. The following section will cover more advanced notation elements that can be used in a sequence diagram. Referencing another sequence diagram When doing sequence diagrams, developers love to reuse existing sequence diagrams in their diagram’s sequences. [Note: It is possible to reuse a sequence diagram of any type (e.g., programming or business). I just find that developers like to functionally break down their diagrams more.] Starting in UML 2, the â€Å"Interaction Occurrence† element was introduced. The addition of interaction occurrences is arguably the most important innovation in UML 2 interactions modeling. Interaction occurrences add the  ability to compose primitive sequence diagrams into complex sequence diagrams. With these you can combine (reuse) the simpler sequences to produce more complex sequences. This means that you can abstract out a complete, and possibly complex, sequence as a single conceptual unit. An interaction occurrence element is drawn using a frame. The text â€Å"ref† is placed inside the frame’s namebox, and the name of the sequence diagram being referenced is pl aced inside the frame’s content area along with any parameters to the sequence diagram. The notation of the referenced sequence diagram’s name follows the pattern of: sequence diagram name Two examples: 1. Retrieve Borrower Credit Report(ssn) : borrowerCreditReport or 2. Process Credit Card(name, number, expirationDate, amount : 100) In example 1, the syntax calls the sequence diagram called Retrieve Borrower Credit Report and passes it the parameter ssn. The Retreive Borrower Credit Report sequence returns the variable borrowerCreditReport. In example 2, the syntax calls the sequence diagram called Process Credit Card and passes it the parameters of name, number, expiration date, and amount. However, in example 2 the amount parameter will be a value of 100. And since example 2 does not have a return value labeled, the sequence does not return a value (presumably, the sequence being modeled does not need the return value). Figure 11: A sequence diagram that references two different sequence diagrams Figure 11 shows a sequence diagram that references the sequence diagrams â€Å"Balance Lookup† and â€Å"Debit Account.† The sequence starts at the top left, with the customer sending a message to the teller object. The teller object sends a message to the theirBank object. At that point, the Balance Lookup sequence diagram is called, with the accountNumber passed as a parameter. The Balance Lookup sequence diagram returns the balance variable. Then the option combination fragment’s guard condition is checked to verify the balance is greater then the amount variable. In cases where the balance is greater than the amount, the Debit Account sequence diagram is called, passing it the accountNumber and the amount as parameters. After that sequence is complete, the withdrawCash message returns cash to the customer. It is important to notice in Figure 11 that the lifeline of theirBank is hidden by the interaction occurrence Balance Lookup. Because the interaction occurrence hides the lifeline, that means that the theirBank lifeline is referenced in the â€Å"Balance Lookup† sequence diagram. In addition to hiding the lifeline in the interaction occurrence, UML 2 also specifies that the lifeline must have the same theirBank in its own â€Å"Balance Lookup† sequence. There will be times when you model sequence diagrams that an interaction occurrence will overlap lifelines that are not referenced in the interaction occurrence. In such cases the lifeline is shown as a normal lifeline and is not hidden by the overlapping interaction occurrence. In Figure 11, the sequence references the â€Å"Balance Lookup† sequence diagram. The â€Å"Balance Lookup† sequence diagram is shown in Figure 12. Because the example sequence has parameters and a return value, its label —lo cated in the diagram’s namebox—follows a specific pattern: Diagram Type Diagram Name Two examples: 1. SD Balance Lookup(Integer : accountNumber) : Real 2. SD Available Reports(Financial Analyst : analyst) : Reports Figure 12 illustrates example 1, in which the Balance Lookup sequence uses parameter accountNumber as a variable in the sequence, and the sequence diagram shows a Real object being returned. In cases such as this, where the sequence returns an object, the object being returned is given the instance name of the sequence diagram. Figure 12: A sequence diagram that takes the parameter of accountNumber and returns a Real object Figure 13 illustrates example 2, in which a sequence takes a parameter and returns an object. However, in Figure 13 the parameter is used in the sequence’s interaction. Figure 13: A sequence diagram that uses its parameter in its interaction and returns a Reports object Larger view of Figure 13. Gates The previous section showed how to reference another sequence diagram by  passing information through parameters and return values. However, there is another way to pass information between sequence diagrams. Gates can be an easy way to model the passing of information between a sequence diagram and its context. A gate is merely a message that is illustrated with one end connected to the sequence diagram’s frame’s edge and the other end connected to a lifeline. A reworking of Figures 11 and 12 using gates can be seen in Figures 14 and 15. The example diagram in Figure 15 has an entry gate called getBalance that takes the parameter of accountNumber. The getBalance message is an entry gate, because it is the arrowed line that is connected to the diagram’s frame with the arrowhead connected to a lifeline. The sequence diagram also has an exit gate that returns the balance variable. The exit gate is known, because it’s a return message that is connected from a lifeline to the diagram’s frame with the arrowhead connected to the frame. Figure 14: A reworking of Figure 11, using gates this time Figure 15: A reworking of Figure 12, using gates this time Combined fragments (break and parallel) In the â€Å"basics† section presented earlier in this paper, I covered the combined fragments known as â€Å"alternative,† â€Å"option,† and â€Å"loop.† These three combined fragments are the ones most people will use the most. However, there are two other combined fragments that a large share of people will find useful à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" break and parallel. Break The break combined fragment is almost identical in every way to the option combined fragment, with two exceptions. First, a break’s frame has a namebox with the text â€Å"break† instead of â€Å"option.† Second, when a break combined fragment’s message is to be executed, the enclosing interaction’s remainder messages will not be executed because the sequence breaks out of the enclosing interaction. In this way the break combined fragment is much like the break keyword in a programming language like C++ or Java. Figure 16: A reworking of the sequence diagram fragment from Figure 8, with the fragment using a break instead of an alternative Breaks are most commonly used to model exception handling. Figure 16 is a  reworking of Figure 8, but this time Figure 16 uses a break combination fragment because it treats the balance < amount condition as an exception instead of as an alternative flow. To read Figure 16, you start at the top left corner of the sequence and read down. When the sequence gets to the return value â€Å"balance,† it checks to see if the balance is less than the amount. If the balance is not less than the amount, the next message sent is the addDebitTransaction message, and the sequence continues as normal. However, in cases where the balance is less than the amount, then the sequence enters the break combination fragment and its messages are sent. Once all the messages in the break combination have been sent, the sequence exits without sending any of the remaining messages (e.g., addDebitTransaction). An important thing to note about breaks is that they only cause the exiting of an enclosing i nteraction’s sequence and not necessarily the complete sequence depicted in the diagram. In cases where a break combination is part of an alternative or a loop, then only the alternative or loop is exited. Parallel Today’s modern computer systems are advancing in complexity and at times perform concurrent tasks. When the processing time required to complete portions of a complex task is longer than desired, some systems handle parts of the processing in parallel. The parallel combination fragment element needs to be used when creating a sequence diagram that shows parallel processing activities. The parallel combination fragment is drawn using a frame, and you place the text â€Å"par† in the frame’s namebox. You then break up the frame’s content section into horizontal operands separated by a dashed line. Each operand in the frame represents a thread of execution done in parallel. Figure 17: A microwave is an example of an object that does two tasks in parallel While Figure 17 may not illustrate the best computer system example of an object doing activities in parallel, it offers an easy-to-understand example of a sequence with parallel activities. The sequence goes like this: A hungryPerson sends the cookFood message to the oven object. When the oven object receives that message, it sends two messages to itself at the same time (nukeFood and rotateFood). After both of these messages are done, the hungryPerson object is returned yummyFood from the oven object.