Thursday, October 3, 2019

Platos Cave Analysis

Platos Cave Analysis Imagine a subterranean cave in which humans are shackled by their necks to a single place. They have been held there all of their lives. Fires placed behind the group by unseen forces have left these prisoners to see their own shadows play upon a screen. Those held are not even aware that the images and shadows that they see are themselves. Yet, these shadows hold sway; the prisoners are fascinated. The illusion so effective, that the prisoners do not recognize their imprisonment and are satisfied to live their lives in this way. What would happen if one of these prisoners would be set free? The prisoner would be helpless, his eyes would be overloaded, and he could not stand up on his own. Inundated with sensory information, his mind would refuse to accept what the senses were submitting as true. It would not be surprising if anyone released from such a prison would wish to stay. Stay with the known. Stay with what is comfortable. Not for our prisoner though. Our prisoner, forced to turn away from the fire, begins a long uncomfortable journey through a tunnel toward a blinding light coaxed by the liberator toward the uncomfortable. The light is blinding. Finally emerging from the cave, eyes burning, senses raging, the prisoner soon finds a new, unimaginable world. No longer fascinated by shadow, the prisoner is free to learn about the world, and more importantly, themselves. This paper will explore how this story has been translated to modern audiences through the film, The Matrix (Wachowski Bros 1999). Platos cave myth has been a wonderful allegory for the quest for knowledge for 2,400 years. Plato published this cave myth in The Republic; the allegory of the cave is arguably the most famous section of this work. What may come as a surprise to many is that there are parallels to the cave myth in many of todays contemporary stories. One of which, is the tale of Neo in The Matrix (Wachowski Bros 1999). Who can forget the image when Neo wakes to find himself bound in a tube, he struggles free, released from his prison, he is made to grasp the truth of his life and the world. He finds that all of his life up to that point has been an elaborate illusion created for him to hide him from the fact that he been held prisoner his entire life. This paper will show that both of these stories reflect a Socratic search for knowledge and a deeper understanding of the good. The myth of the cave is an allegory in which we follow our prisoner on his quest for what Socrates, Platos teacher, referred to as the just life (Plato: The Republic). Socrates primary concern was that our souls be in the best condition possible (Plato: Phaedo). The way in which this is accomplished is through examination and questioning ones place within the world. The cave myth gives a literary account of the Socratic Method, as well an example as to the logic and approach of Socrates relentless questioning. In this way, we have a view into Socrates methodology, and furthermore, into Socrates notion for care of the soul (Plato: Phaedo). Socrates care of the soul is comprised of these four elements: beliefs in meaning, admission of ignorance, questioning of reality, and hope in an answer, or to put it another way, trust in the knowledge of the good (Plato: Phaedo). On this subject of care of the soul, there is a deep comparability between The Matrix (Wachowski Bros 1999)and Platos a llegory (Plato: The Republic). We can make a closer examination into the comparison between Neo and our prisoner on his quest for the care of the soul. Like the allegory of the Cave, The Matrix dramatically conveys the view that ordinary appearances do not depict true reality and that gaining the truth changes ones life. Using the ideas of care of the soul, we are asked to examine belief in meaning. Saying this differently we are asked to believe what we hold to be true. The prisoners can differentiate shadows and sounds, apply names to the shadows depicting things and even discern the patterns in their presentation. To this extent, they have some true beliefs and some false assumptions, but before the discussion regresses into a metaphysical exercise; whether or not a thing is a thing because we name it so, or whether or not the thing has its own inherent thingness it is safe to say that we can all hold some things to be true. However, there are things that are mysterious to all in the case of the cave and in The Matrix. In both stories, there is omnipresent image of the unseen hand at work; those who are responsible for the structure of the cave and the world in which the matrix exists. In an online posting, John Partridge, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College, explores the correlation between these two stories. He suggests that, Many contemporary readers recoil at the awful politics of the Cave. Who, after all, are the puppeteers? Why do they deceive their fellow cave dwellers (Partridge)? It is only through the understanding and realization that there is an unseen hand, or truths with which we had been oblivious, that we can fully come to learn the truth. For the prisoner, it is through his release that he comes to realize that his notion of truth is skewed. For Neo, he had been suspicious of his reality for some time and seeks understanding. The fascinating thing for Neo is that when his situation comes to a head and he finally meets Morpheus, his liberator and teacher, he is informed that he cannot be told what is untrue, he must be shown. Interestingly, Neo is afforded a choice, the path of ignorance in the form of a blue pill or the path of knowledge in the form of a red pill. The taking of the red pill is an admission of ignorance. In this way, the notion of admission of ignorance is forced on him in the form of a choice. The prisoner and Neo are similar, they must be brought into the light of knowledge, and into the admission of their own ignorance. The similari ties continue, they both share a common path to understanding that their notions of truth have been given to them and that reality itself is not what it seems. Conversely, there are some differences between the two stories by way of the coming to admission of ignorance and the understanding of truth. Neos path to understanding truth is one that starts out with him living comfortably with the sneaking suspicion that there is a something not quite right with the world. His quest to understand what is wrong with the world leads him inexorably into a very dark and dystopian reality filled with conflict and misery. Their only purpose is as food for the machines. Furthermore, it is a world with people forced underground. His quest literally leads him into the cave. By contrast, we have the story of the prisoner. The prisoner is released from bondage. He/She did not actively seek to understand their world or acquire new knowledge. He/She would have been just as happy watching shadows on the screen. The path to understanding may have been difficult and uncomfortable, but in the end, the prisoner is lead to the light of knowledge, a utopian world wi thin which the prisoner is now truly free. Neo, knowing what being a prisoner means, has his greatest fears realized when he discovers that he has always been a slave and is now relegated to a fearful existence. The prisoner, on the other hand, comes to the realization of what being a prisoner means, and is delighted with his/her new life. Thus, we have the juxtaposition of the objective versus the subjective. The next tenet of understanding Socrates care of the soul is the questioning of reality. Released from the illusory world, our prisoner is lead down the path of understanding. Socrates states, and then conceive some one saying to him, that what he saw before was an illusion, but that now, when he is approaching nearer to being and his eye is turned towards more real existence, he has a clearer vision, what will be his reply (Plato: The Republic)? What would his reply be? He would be drawn into questioning everything after he now believes that he had been mystified all this time. This is where we would find Neo brought back into the matrix for training by Morpheus, again we have an inverse of realities but the aims are the same. The prisoner is coming to question and understand the real world. Neo is coming to question and understand the unreal world of the matrix. Now we are diving into the world of the metaphysical. Discerning whether we can determine reality in either of these two worlds is a real problem. Partridge states, Since the real world and the simulated world are worlds in which the senses receive information, the practical problem is not that they are discontinuous, but that they are indiscernible (Partridge). This is a real problem for Neo; as we find after his kung fu training with Morpheus, when his teacher questions Neos understanding of reality, You believe your really breathing? He is later told, coming upon a child bending spoons with his mind in Yuri Gellar fashion, that he will only come to understand the real nature of the matrix once he comes to understand that in the matrix, there is no spoon (The Matrix). It seems as though the differences between the two tales on a metaphysical level does not inhibit them from sending a similar message. They both send the message of the unreliability of the epistemological information gathered through the senses. They stress a need to disconnect from the senses in order to attain genuine knowledge. The stories also wonderfully illustrate the psychological hardship that is placed on the characters having to do so. Thus, the question, by what means does Neo come to discover hope in an answer or trust in his knowledge of the good. For our prisoner, the question is answered very succinctly, Last of he will be able to see the sun, and not mere reflections of him in the water, but he will see him in his own proper place, and not in another; and he will contemplate him as he is Clearly, he said, he would first see the sun and then reason about him (Plato: The Republic). For Neo hope in answer comes in a much more personal form. After many trials, the film climaxes with Neo coming to grips with the fact that he has been The One all along. Coaxed into questioning his reality by Morpheus, he is left to follow the path of self-realization on his own. In this way, he can develop his own care of the soul. He overcame the introduction of self-doubt in the form of the oracle. He overcame the overpowering force of the agents to become reborn, phoenix like, to the understanding of himself. This revelation would prove to be extremely transformative. Clearly, he has come to grips with his knowledge and belief in the good. Partridge claims, There is a single item the knowledge of which makes the knower more integrated and more powerful, and for Neo it is self-knowledge. The same message holds true for our prisoner. It is through the knowing of the true self, which causes the prisoner to become productive, a savior of himself and others. After the prisoners revel ation of the good, his first thoughts are of the others in the cave. They both have come to know of Socrates primary concern of care of the soul, trust in the knowledge of the good. Finally, we look to ourselves concerning what these stories tell us. It is the path of knowledge that is placed before us and the stakes are for the care of the soul. For Neo, his quest was to take him through the trials and hardships of self-realization that he would have to endure so that he might come to know for himself that he was indeed The One. Our prisoners quest mirrors this. Ultimately, we are drawn to Socratic questions; in what ways are we living diminished lives? Are we resting on our own ideas of knowledge? Are we even asking the right questions? It is through the stinging realization of our own ignorance that we are finally able to start our own paths toward the understanding of the good. Plato makes it plain when he uses Socrates to tell us that we are all prisoners in the cave. If any doubt this, recall the position we are in when go to see movies such as The Matrix itself. Imagine a dark world filled with people watching shadows on a screenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

The Name Of The Rose :: essays research papers

In the title of the novel, The name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco, the 'rose' can signify many ideas. By making this the title of the book, Eco has attracted the attention of a reader because it suggests a number of things. A rose can be all of nature, the most beautiful of it, a girl, etc. Just as the title suggests several answers, so can the implications in the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The rose can be the Church, the richest and most powerful organization in the entire world. As each of its most devoted die, a little bit of the doctrine is forgotten until the 'name becomes bare', it can no longer be understood as its whole. In return, the most learned abbey in Europe burns to the ground, much like the martyrs it exalted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Instead of seeing the deaths for what they are (just random acts, committed by several people, not one depraved person, but individual curious ones) William goes on wild goose chases, i.e. trying to find Adelmo's murderer before realizing that it was a suicide. He looks for evidence that simply is not there, then finding the next real clue, usually a body, searches in vain for what he wants to be the truth. Blinded by what he thinks is true, instead of what is right in front of his face, he searches and searches not judging by 'names' so much as placing the wrong meaning on them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Near the end of the novel, William gives Adso the following advise ' Fear prophets, Adso, and those prepared to die for the truth…he loved his truth so lewdly that he dared do anything to destroy falsehood…the truth lies in learning to free ourselves from insane passion for truth' (491). Thus, the theme of the novel is the truth. William searches for it and searches for it, and finally finds it when, infuriated, he sees the clues for what they really mean, instead of what they desired them to mean.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Semiotics teaches that each element is meaningless until it is differentiated from the other elements. This can be applied several places in the novel, first as each death cannot be solved on it own, but only in conjunction with the other murders. In addition, William singles out the library as the common denominating factor not, for example, sleeping quarters or the Church.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The title 'The Name of the Rose' can apply in this fashion: William comes across a bud, as he searches for clues, the petals continue falling off, as the rose dies, when enough petals have dropped, he can see what makes the flower.

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Reactions to Death in Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying :: Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying

Reactions to Death in Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying Eventhough As I lay Dying is a story revolved around the death of a mother, Addie Bundren, the true content of the story develops from information given to the audience through a multitude of narrators. The relationship between each family member and their association with Addie's death differentiates from person to person. Through her husband, Anse, we are introduced to his philosophy that man should keep stationary. Anse explains, "The lord put roads for travelling; why he laid them down flat on the Earth. When he aims for something to be always a-moving, he makes it long ways, like a road or a horse or a wagon, but when he aims for something to stay put, He makes it up and down ways, like a tree or a man" (24). In comparing a tree to a man, Anse feels that eventhough alive, man was not created to move about. This idea exhibits a lack of suspense within Anse, which may or may not have been Annie's desire to have an affair which lead to the birth of her child Jewel. Interestingly, A nse contradicts his own beliefs to fullfill his wife's wishes to be layed to rest next to her own family. This act can also be seen as selfish when Anse really desires a new set of teeth. Other narrators's ideas on life are presented through the death of Annie. For example, DArl represents seperation from the rest of the world. Riding with Jewel, DArl suggests that, "It takes two people to make you, and one people to die. That's how the world is going to end" (27). In this thought, Darl explains that even though a person is created by the life of two people, in the end, that life will die on its own. The fact that Darl is so open to talk about his surety of Annie's approaching death, distinguishes him from Jewel or Dewy Dell, who cannot speak about it. Darl therefore is an outcast of the family, which is later explained by his participation in the war. By writing As I Lay Dying through the thoughts of a variety of narrators, William

Corporate Responsibility and Marketing Strategies Essay

I believe Apple Inc. [mostly referred as â€Å"Apple† in this document] has met the ethical and social responsibility towards general public, employees, customers and shareholders/investors. Apple positions itself to be very environment conscious and continuously working to reduce the foot print of the company and its products on the planet (Apple Inc.). Apple has a recycling program for its used products; it sends gift cards to customers in return for the used products, if the products do not have any monetary value they recycle them responsibly. Apple reports the environmental foot-print of each of its product on their website to show how much energy efficient they are and how Apple is choosing more biodegradable elements in its products, packaging and facilities. Apple has multiple offices and datacenters in United States and as of March 2013 seventy five percent of them are fully powered through renewable energy sources (Kastrenakes, 2013). Apple is continuously trying to improve the situation and aiming to rely entirely on renewable energy sources in future. To improve ethical awareness within its employees, Apple has a business code of conduct published and easily available via intranet website within the company and to its investors via shareholder website (Business code, 2012) which explains in detail on various topics including its well known secretive way of releasing its products. Apple also has a Business conduct helpline available for its employees to resolve ethical dilemmas, report conflicts of interest and seek direction in making ethical decision. Recently Tim Cook, Apple CEO has reminded all employees to review Apple’s business conduct policy via corporate email (Marie, 2013) which shows the  importance Apple gives to Ethics within the company. Apple treats its employees very well; pays pretty good salaries to employees and rates to contractors, Apple’s has a very good benefit program for its employees, even the part-time employees are entitled to benefits at apple (Fiegerman, 2012), it provides shuttle servi ce to many locations from many places in Bay area to campus. Apple products are very safe compared to many other competitor products, Apple pays attention to details, e.g.: To avoid tripping over a charging cable, Mac book charger has a magnet instead of a hard stick in plug as we observe in many Windows PCs. All of its products are well thought and provide lot of convenience and consider customer health and safety, as we see in the case of latest ear phones from Apple, they have the speakers going sideways instead of directly in to ears as most of the conventional ear plugs do, this restricts music directly hitting the ear drum and long term exposure may have adverse impact on the ears. Apple products are well sealed and static resistant, the materials used in production are not cheap and low quality parts, which improves the durability of its products. Apple provides lot of variations in products to choose, to a customer which attracts customers at all levels. There are about ten to twelve flavors of latest iPhone based on color, size of memory and external material. Apple has a very good refund policy, items can be returned online or returned in store, there is about 14-30 days to return items, Apple provides full refund instead of charging for re-stocking fee. If there is a part malfunction, apple product can be exchanged for a new one within one year of purchase for nominal or zero price. Apple considers customer’s complaints and response rapidly by multiple means and aims to delight the customers (Denning, 2011). Apple listens to customers at the stores, online and also via telephone and improvises on its services, customer support and also their products. It is very obvious that Apple takes good care of its shareholders; we can clearly observe that from Apple’s revenues and profits from past several quarters, Apple’s share has gone up five times within past five years. Apple provides all of its quarterly, annual reports along with financial statements and exhibits with SEC and complies with SEC policies. Question 2: Publications of ethics and social responsibility violations of its suppliers, mainly at Hon Hoi Precision, also known as FoxConn had impact on Apple’s reputation and mainly no impact on sales and share value. In 2011 there were fourteen suicides at FoxConn and later on there were many riots, suicide protests by workers against the very long working hours, lack of insurance, workplace safety, horrible facility maintenance , incidents of using Child labor, lack of injured workers compensation, army camp style management and others (McGrath, 2012). Apple has handled things very carefully and assigned right people and started remediation methods, published supplier code of conduct, increased audits in its supplier firms, provided training, to improve situation and reputation; Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple talked about Foxconn and how his company is trying to improve the working conditions for employees and workers in its suppliers’ factories and how seriously Apple is taking t he allegations (Knibbs). Apple’s reputation had an impact during the time of events, created a buzz in media world; Apple got a bad name within its investors and stake holders. Later on, Apple was able to manage out of the situation very well. Overall there is no impact to sales or revenue or Apple’s share value. Apple shares might have taken a small hit for few days when there were publications by media, but overall share value was growing in 2010 and 2011 when all of reports were being published. Apple is still considered the most admired company in the whole world as per Fortunes World’s most Admired companies for 2008-2013; six years in row (Shaughnessy, 2013). Apple products are very well received in the market; there are no aversions or hatred towards Apple’s products based on the allegations. We usually see the drop in sales when there are negative allegations on companies, we have seen this in case of Paula Deen based on her racial comments and also with Duck Dynasty and i ts products when Phil Robertson has made anti-gay comments and cause big dent in their reputation, we have not seen this with Apple. When iPhone 5s was released in September of 2013, stores reported people standing in long lines at Apple and its partner stores to get the first piece. Today there are hardcore fans to Apple products than for any other company. Apple products are growing popularity even in China where the allegations of horrible working conditions have been  reported. Based on my personal observation, Apple stores are among the most crowded stores at local malls. Even with heavy competition for Samsung, LG, Nokia (now Microsoft) and Motorola, Apple iPhones are still most commonly used smart phones in United States. Apple’s App store has more than a Billion applications available to end users. By observing the Apple’s growth pattern, it is safe to say that the impact of supplier violations is minor. Question 3: To improve the working conditions and abide to Fair Law Association (FLA) policies Apple has come up with and published â€Å"supplier code of conduct† (â€Å"Apple supplier,† 2012) for all its suppliers to adhere who provide parts to its products. To ensure that its suppliers adhere to wage and benefits standards going forward, Apple has to strictly enforce the â€Å"supplier code of conduct† and also increase the supervision and auditing of the supplier factories, HR and pay roll systems up to allowed by the local and international laws. Many of the rules and regulations which are illegal in US are acceptable in other countries. As Apple’s suppliers are mainly in other countries than US, Apple can set up strict rules and guidelines more close to US laws in addition to local government policies and Fair Law Association (FLA) laws, as most of its products are used by consumers in US. Apple can also open up complaint/suggestion boxes (online, in factory and via phone) from workers in supplier factories to understand and closely monitor the working conditions and get feedback on wages and benefits. Apple can restrict the number of hours a worker can work in its supplier factories. Apple can create guidelines in its code to have onsite help to talk with workers and understand their problems and work with supplier factories to solve them. Apple can guide its suppliers to setup onsite and close to campus medical facilities for workers working in its supplier factories. Apple can work with local media and government to do surveys from general public about their supplier practices at factory facilities. Apple should request the ethics code of conduct as one of the primary pre-requisite from their suppliers as part of the initial RFP – Request for proposal. Apple should get feedback suppliers’ employees to understand how well the code is  followed by its upper management in the company and should enforce supplier to improve it before renewal of contracts. Apple should stop buying parts from suppliers with tainted reputation, or suppliers with weak or no ethical code of conduct. Apple should compare the working conditions and wages of workers in its supplier factories to competitor factories in the area and pass regulations to improve the wages to meet market standards. Question 4: Apple customers would be willing to pay more for its products to provider better wages and benefits to suppliers’ workers. Apple can make this happen by showing the reasons behind increase in prices, and how additional money will be utilized for worker compensation and benefits. Apple should advertize in TV, publish articles on its website and provide information to Media on how the additional money will be utilized. This is much similar to Ms. Lee Rhodes and her Glassybaby in the case study, Glassybaby gives 10% of its revenues for cancer treatment. Another suggestion that I can make is that, some percentage of increase in salaries for workers should also come from Apple’s profits to show consumers that Apple is not only charging more for products but also taking a cut in their profits to provide better working conditions for workers. Apple and its main founder Steve Jobs do not have very good name as Philanthropist, there is no public record that Steve Jobs has donate d any money (Sorkin, 2011). After Tim Cook took over Apple’s CEO position, he has made some donations but compared with other companies with high revenues and profits; the donations made by Apple are very negligible compared to its revenues and profits (Emerson, 2012). Apple can improve its image and reputation in the world by giving some percentage of profits to suppliers’ workers through multiple programs and incentives. Today Apple’s products are most popular in the market; iPhone is the best selling smart phone out there in market. Apple and its products have huge fan base and many of the competitor smart phones from Samsung or Microsoft are not comparable to iPhone. With such a popularity, increasing a minor percentage E.g.: 3-5% of price will not have any impact on product sales. Most of the Apple products are sold with network connection also known as data plan, the minimum data plan is very expensive and costs up to $40 per month for many carriers. Some of Apple’s iPhone customers take data plan because they are intrigued with iPhone and Apple products. When customers  are willing to pay additional money for seldom used data plan as they stay home mostly where there is Wi-Fi connection as an alternative to data plan. Customers should be willing to spend a bit more money to improve working conditions and salaries for suppliers’ workers. Question 5: Apple has excellent market strategy for its products; Everyone remembers those PC and Mac comparison commercials, which used to portray Apple’ Mac computers as cool and trendy for Generations X and Y and for everyone at home where as Microsoft PC was shown as business computer with bugs. In reality, Microsoft operating system is more flexible and customers can customize and make modifications and create applications relatively easy, where as you need to go to App Store for installing/upgrading any iOS applications. Microsoft or Samsung devices allow users to copy MP3 files, and play them without any intermediary software such as iTunes, a mandatory application for Apple to copy songs in to iOS applications. Even with less flexibility Apple’s products are highly sold in market today due to its design and performance of its products and mainly it’s Marketing strategy. Apple does not really advertize new versions of iPhone releases, rather it keeps it secret, there are no beta releases, and there are no pictures or commercials in the market before a new version iPhone is released. It creates buzz in the market which generates mystery about its product. In addition to its own marketing, Apple’s iPhones are also advertized by other companies such as network providers such as AT&T, Verizon and other companies which make protective cases and other accessories for iPhones. Apple maintains such secrecy before releasing its iPhone products; it has worked greatly for them. Another way Apple products are advertized is by word of mouth. Today many of smart phones in the market from Samsung, LG and Microsoft have similar functions as iPhone, but in my view the secrecy/mystery and word of mouth advertizing for iPhone has helped to maintain its leadership in the market. To improve competitive advantage over global market place, Apple should sell its products more in other countries; expand its base out of US. The usage  of smart phones is at verge of getting saturation in United States, consumers in US are tied to data and voice plans from network providers in US. Until latest generations of iPhones, iphones were sold at a later release dates in Europe, India and China than in United States. There is a lot of fan base for Apple in China and India, Apple should en cash that by making products affordable in those countries. Customers in US do not replace their phones until their contract ends with he network provider, which is usually two years from the contract start date. Most of the countries outside of US are not bound to network/data plans for the phones as they use GSM technology; this provides flexibility to consumers to buy more than one phone in two years. Smart phones are getting more popular in India and china where the population is very high. Population of India and China combined is more than six times the population of United States (CIA World Factbook); if Apple can capture a small percentage of the market in those countries it will have more customer base than it does in whole US which bring higher revenues. Apple should start customizing their products and make them consumer friendly in other countries, such as make menus in native languages, create local custom applications etc. As word of mouth advertizing has proven working for Apple, they should start giving some samples of their products to celebrities in India where the common public trend is to follow the celebrities and mimic their product usage. It has worked for other companies and products; it should also work for Apple. Apple should start thinking about making their products more flexible and easy to customize, Apple is very popular among brand, but more savvy users with computer background started to lean more towards Google Android based phones from Samsung and LG as they have more flexibility and customization options. With computer skills and techniques being very common to kids in Generation Y and Z, Apple should think about concentrating on them and their tastes and Apple products more flexible. Apple should innovate more, there have been some improvements and modifications to its products in past 3 years but there has not been a â€Å"WOW†Ã‚  product release. They should enter new markets, start coming up with new products such as long awaited Apple TV or they should get in to wearable gadgets such as wrist watches, glasses, motion controlled devices, devices with flexible screens and devices which look cool but monitor human body’s current health such as temperature, sugar levels, blood pressure etc. Last but not least, Apple should improve its philanthropist image; they should start donating more to needy and charitable foundations. That usually helps in both ways; it improves the reputation and also works as advertisement. References Apple Inc. (n.d.). Apple and the environment. Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/environment/ Apple supplier code of conduct. (2012, JANUARY). Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/pdf/Apple_Supplier_Code_of_Conduct.pdf Business code. (2012, DECEMBER). Business conduct the way we do business worldwide . Retrieved from http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/AAPL/2916593555x0x443008/5f38b1e6-2f9c-4518-b691-13a29ac90501/business_conduct_policy.pdf CIA World Factbook. (n.d.). Country comparison :: Population. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html Denning, S. (2011, AUGUST 26). Another myth bites the dust: How apple listens to its customers. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/08/26/another-myth-bites-the-dust-how-apple-listens-to-its-customers/ Emerson, R. (2012, FEBRUARY 3). Apple’s donations to charity surpassed $50 million: Report. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost .com/2012/02/03/apple-charity-donation_n_1253185.html Fiegerman, S. (2012, JUNE 18). Why working at apple is a dream job. BusinessInsider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-employees-really-love-about-working-for-apple-2012-6?op=1 Kastrenakes, J. (2013, MARCH 21). Renewable energy now powers 75 percent of apple’s facilities. Retrieved from http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/21/4132402/apple-now-using-75-percent-renewabl e-energy-across-operations Knibbs, K. (n.d.). Apple ceo talks foxconn, tries to mend reputation. Retrieved from http://www.mobiledia.com/news/128273.html Marie. (2013, NOVEMBER 21). Tim cook reminds apple employees to review apple’s business conduct policy. Retrieved from http://mobileorchard.com/tim-cook-reminds-apple-employees-to-review-apples-business-conduct-policy/ McGrath, B. (2012, FEBRUARY 7). Apple’s sweatshop supply chain. Retrieved from https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/02/appl-f07.html Sorkin, A. (2011, AUGUST 29). The mystery of steve jobs’s public giving. Retrieved from http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/the-mystery-of-steve-jobss-public-giving/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 Shaughnessy, H. (2013, FEBRUARY 28). Apple remains world’s most admired company, followed by google and amazon. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/haydnshaughnessy/2013/02/28/apple-remains-worlds-most-admired-followed-by-google-and-amazon/

Monday, September 30, 2019

Payroll Accounting Chap. 3 Matching and Questions for Review

CHAPTER 3 Matching Quiz E1. Employee’s FICA Tax Rates D2. Form SS-4 H3. Semi Weekly Depositor J4. Taxable for FICA A5. Non Taxable for FICA I6. Self-Employed’s FICA Tax Rates C7. Form 941 B8. Monthly Depositor G9. Taxable Wage Base F10. Form SS-5 CHAPTER 3 Review Questions 1. If the person employs 1 or more individuals for performances of services in the US unless such services or employment are specifically exempt by law. 2. Defined by the common-law relationship of employer/employee 3. If the business has the right to tell a worker how, when, and where to work 4. a person who follows an independent trade, business, or profession.Where they offer their services to the public the following is the â€Å"test†: Hire, supervise, & pay assistants Determine the sequence of their work Set their own hours Work for as many employers as they wish Are paid by the job Make their services available to the public Have an option for profit or loss Furnish their own tools Have a substantial investment in their trade May be dismissed only under terms of a contract 5a. They must collect the employee’s FICA tax on tips that each employee reports. Then deduct the FICA taxes from other wages due to the employee 5b.Employers are liable for their share of the FICA tax on any tips subject to the employees FICA tax 6. After 6 months of consecutive calendar months the sick pay is not taxed. Period off work MUST be consecutive any return to work restarts the 6 month count. 7. They are subject to FICA tax but the employer’s match portion is tax free. 8. YES!!!! The amount of over payment is credited against the employee’s federal income tax for the year. Instructions are given on the Individual Income Tax Return (Form 1040) that explain how the over payment should be treated. So file your taxes John!!! 9a. 3. 3 % 2013-Projected 10. 4% for OASDI 2. 9% for HI b. Usually the net business income of individual as shown in their income tax returns make up their net earnings from self employment for the purpose of the social security act. The max taxable income for an individual is $110,100 for OASDI but for HI the total income is taxable 10. The EIN’s can be obtained directly from the IRS website. No registration is required and the EIN is recognized by the IRS immediately or they can call the IRS or mail or fax the SS-4 (Application for EIN) 11. The requirements are based on the â€Å"lookback† period.The amount of employment tax the employer reported on the quarterly returns for the 4 quarters in the lookback period determines if they are a monthly or semi monthly depositors. Each Nov. the IRS notifies employers weather they will be monthly or semimonthly depositors. 12. Pretty much all employers except those with a $2,500 or less in ? tax liabilities that pay when they file their returns. 13. Generally by touch tone phone, personal computer, or online 14. Generally 3 months of each calendar year 15a. A certain % of the amount of tax required to be reported will be added to the tax. . 5% of the undeposited taxes c. 2% of the amount (if less than $1,250 then penalty is $25 or the amount of the check, whichever is less) Practical Problems A (please see the Excel file for the rest of the problems and then I am mailing in the forms used for problems 3-11A, 3-12A, 3-13A, 3-14A, & 3-15A) 3-15A LO4,5 b. 1. Jan. 182. Feb. 63. Feb. 204. Mar. 65. Mar. 20 6. Apr. 3 3-16A LO5 1. Apr. 15 2. a250. 52505 * 10% = 250. 50 b. 12. 532505 * ? % = 12. 53 c. 3. 712505 * 3% * (18/365) = 3. 7118 days late d. 266. 74 Total Penalty Imposed

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Importance of Biogas plant Essay

The energy prospect is generally assessed on the basis of available commercial sources of energy i.e., fossil fuel like gas, coal, oil etc. Worldwide, there is a major transition underway in the energy sector. Biogas can be a potential source of renewable energy, Residues from biogas also proven as a significant source of organic fertilizer. If there is proper policy and implementation, Bangladesh’s energy crisis and organic fertilizer demand can be control through biogas plant. 1. Introduction By 2020, the world is throwing into turmoil as demand for energy begins to greatly exceed the supply – crippling many economies and triggering widespread social unrest. Many countries in the West may experience a decline in living standards – with oil rationing and conservation measures introduced by governments and substantial reductions in travel, tourism and aviation. The crisis plays out for nearly two decades, gradually being resolved by a switch to renewable energy and alternative fuel technologies. In Bangladesh context, neither the decision-makers nor the experts pay due importance on proper extraction and use of renewable energy. Here grater population is using natural gas and imported oil, with the present rate of consumption, natural energy resources like gas will be exhausted shortly and this is high time to derive policy and practice for exploration and use of alternative renewable sources if we want to meet energy crisis in near future. Biogas has been fou nd to be a proven renewable energy option. 2. Biogas Biogas, a cheap secondary renewable energy, is a gaseous fuel obtained from biomass by the process of anaerobic digestion or fermentation. Biogas fermentation is the process by which organic materials such as human or animal excreta, domestic wastage, agricultural wastage etc, are degraded, by huge quantities of various microbes of different functions, under anaerobic conditions, to yield methane (about 55-70% content), carbon dioxide (about 3045% content) and low amount of other gases in the end. Biogas can be used as a vehicle fuel or for generating electricity. It can also be burned directly for cooking, heating, lighting, process heat and absorption refrigeration. Cattle dung, agricultural residue, poultry dropping, water hyacinth, human excreta may be used as raw materials for biogas plants. A typical biogas plant consists of a digester in which the slurry (dung mixed with water) is fermented; an inlet tank used to mix the feed and let it into the digester; a gas holder/ dome in which the generated gas is collected; an outlet tank to remove the spent slurry; distribution pipelines to take the gas into the kitchen. 3. How Biogas produced Biogas is produced by the anaerobic digestion or fermentation of biodegradable materials such as biomass, manure, sewage, municipal waste, green waste, plant material, and crops. Biogas comprises primarily methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and may have small amounts of hydrogen sulphide (H2S), moisture and siloxanes. The gases methane, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide (CO) can be combusted or oxidized with oxygen. This energy release allows biogas to be used as a fuel. Biogas can be used as a fuel in any country for any heating purpose, such as cooking. It can also be used in anaerobic digesters where it is typically used in a gas engine to convert the energy in the gas into electricity and heat. Biogas can be compressed, much like natural gas, and used to power motor vehicles. 4. Advantages of Biogas Technology: A potential source of renewable energy. A source of improved organic fertilizer. A mechanism for wastage management. Save environment. 4.1 A potential source of renewable energy. Energy is one of the basic ingredients required to alleviate poverty and socio-economic development. The energy prospect is generally assessed on the basis of available commercial sources of energy i.e., fossil fuel like gas, coal, oil etc. Worldwide, there is a major transition underway in the energy sector. It is happening due to the following three major reasons: (I) A decline in fossil fuel availability, their predicted gradual extinction in the next Few decades and the resultant price volatility due to demand-supply gap. (ii) The need to drastically cut global emissions for mitigating climate change (80% Reduction by 2050). (iii) The need for energy security. In Bangladesh efficient utilization of renewable energy resources is yet to assume commercial dimensions and hence rational policy dissemination on renewable energy usage is essential. The renewable energy includes solar, wind, biogas and biomass; hydro, geothermal, tidal wave etc. Despite of above scenario biogas source can be use as a potential source of renewable energy. 4.2 A source of improved organic fertilizer. Bio product of biogas plant is improved organic fertilizer. This fertilizer contains organic component like Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium &Micro Nutrients: Nitrogen: Producing compost fertilizer Nitrogen losses calculated 50 % in every three months at the time of aerobic fermentation, on the other hand 10 % losses calculated while producing from biogas residues – Figure- 2 shows, Nutrition’s comparison between Chemical fertilizer and biogas residues from Biogas plant (Production in percentage): Biogas can outline sustainable land use. Reduced use of fertilizers and insecticides compared with lands used for row crops, protection of riparian areas, and erosion protection for sensitive land areas. 4.3 A mechanism for Wastage management Municipal waste is the abandoned materials which have been thrown away after use in daily life in the urban area. Municipal waste generally compose of food scrap, packaging materials, used plastic materials, tire etc. Due to the increasing growth of urban population in Bangladesh this municipal waste is getting high concerns from the management perspective. Also the management of this huge amount of waste is a worth of large expense. The huge amount of waste in the urban areas of Bangladesh due the rapid growth of population can be a potential source of biogas production. The calculation shows that by adopting active biogas collection procedure in the major landfills of the main cities can produce 319989.36 KWh of electricity. Recommendations are given to develop this technology within minimized cost and ensuring environmental safety. The unhygienic dumping zones in every city could me turned into a potential source of renewable energy by adopting active gas collection technology instead of spending money to manage the waste in that areas and keeping a huge land area unused. To explore the untouched potential of biogas source of municipal waste following actions are recommended: -To attract the investment in this sector government should demonstrate one pilot project with the help of foreign Development partners. -Private sectors should be given incentives to invest in biogas from municipal waste. -The technologies used in the countries successfully adopted waste to electricity system should be imported with necessary subsidies. -To facilitate the consciousness media should be used properly. 4.4 Save Environment. The greenhouse effect is caused by gases in the atmosphere (mainly carbon dioxide, CO2) which allow the sun’s short wave radiation to reach the earth surface while they absorb, to a large degree, the long wave heat radiation from the earth’s surface and from the atmosphere. Due to the â€Å"natural greenhouse effect† of the earth’s atmosphere the average temperature on earth is 15 °C and not minus 18 °C. The increase of the so called greenhouse gases which also include methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, etc. cause a rise of the earth’s temperature. The World Bank Group expects a rise in sea levels until the year 2050 of up to 50 cm. Flooding, erosion of the coasts, Stalinization of ground water and loss of land are but a few of the consequences mentioned. Until now, instruments to reduce the greenhouse effect considered primarily the reduction of CO2-emissions, due to their high proportion in the atmosphere. Though other greenhouse gases appear to be only a small portion of the atmosphere, they cause much more harm to the climate. Methane is not only the second most important greenhouse gas (it contributes with 20% to the effect while carbon dioxide causes 62%), it has also a 25 times higher global warming potential compared with carbon dioxide in a time horizon of 100 years. The Bio gas plant effectively reduces the amount of methane directly released into the atmosphere, by trapping it and facilitating its use as a green fuel. After burning, methane only releases harmless gases in air. Other uses of biogas: With the help of biogas we can drive gas generator to produce electricity in rural area. We can use gas incubator to produce poultry chicken from egg. We can use gas lantern by using bio gas in night time in village area. Hotel and restaurant can use biogas for cooking purposes by using the residue of vegetable and food waste. We can drive gas hitter for hitting water during winter season. Different poultry and dairy farm can mitigate their need of gas by using their own animal excreta. 5. Biogas significance in Bangladesh As a country of large population and for the convenient environment Biogas might be the potential source of energy. Though recently government has initiated some pilot project with the help of some foreign NGOs, but the utilization of the full potential is yet to reach. The main problem is lying in lack of public awareness and social prejudices. Government should supply the needed equipments to the private organization with less expense to encourage the involvement in this sector. 5.1 Types of Biogas Digester invented by Bangladesh government organization’s LGED: There are three types of basic designs of biogas plants tried in Bangladesh: (I) Floating cover digester: It works on the principle of constant pressure, changing volume. The digester, cylindrical well, commonly made from brick and cement, is covered with a floating steel cylinder with an open bottom (Fig. A). As the cylinder has a constant weight, it moves up when gas production is higher than consumption and comes down under the reverse conditions. (ii) Fixed cover digester: It works according to the principle, constant volume, changing pressure. When the rate of gas production is higher than that of gas consumption pressure inside the digester rises and expels some digester contents into the outlet compartment. When the consumption is higher than production, pressure inside the digester falls and the expelled materials in the outlet compartment run back to the digester (iii) Plastic Cover digester: A long cylindrical polythene/PVC bag, half-buried longitudinally in the ground, is fed with fresh cow-dung slurry at one end and discharged at the other. With the formation of gas, the bag swells like a balloon and the gasis led out to the point of use through a pipe by putting pressure on the balloon form outside In early 80’s, the floating type design was used for biogas plant. But dueto corrosion of the steel dome, the gas leakage problem happened and it could not be removed. Later on BCSIR tried with fixed done type desig n and it has been successful in all biogas plants. The plastic bag type designs not used in Bangladesh it is used in China. In this project, the fixed dome type design has been proposed. 5.2 Availability of biomass in Bangladesh for energy generation. The total annual generation and recoverable amounts of biomass in Bangladesh are about 165 and 9 MT/year respectively. Agricultural residues represent 48% of the total recoverable biomass followed by 23.9% from animal wastes and poultry droppings. In 2006, the biomass consumption for energy in Bangladesh was about 350 pico-Joules (PJ). At an average annual growth rate of 1.3%, the consumption in 2010 will be about 370 PJ. The total recoverable biomass energy of the country in 2006 was about 1250 PJ from which about 820 PJ of biomass energy was available for electricity generation. On the other hand, the total biomass energy consumption in 2006 was about 473 PJ. Assuming the same average annual growth rate of 1.3%, the biomass consumption in 2010 will be about 286 PJ. Therefore, the amount of biomass energy available in 2006 was 777 PJ, which is equivalent to 216 terawatt-hours (TWh). According to these two estimates and considering that the consumption of biomass for non-energy purposes is negligible, the annual available biomass energy potential for electricity generation in Bangladesh is in the range of 216- 250 TWh. 5.3 Present biogas Generation Rate: According to Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) sources, Bangladesh has 215,000 poultry farms and 15,000 cattle farms where electricity could be generated by establishing biogas plants. So far, 35,000 biogas plants have been established for the production of gas for cooking purposes in the rural areas. IDCOL has set a target of establishing 60,000 biogas plants by 2012, each of which could produce, on average, 94.22 square feet of gas. At present, 3.3 million square feet biogas is being produced in the country. 5.4 Affordability Biogas is a proven technology; there is no risk of failure if proper design and supervision can be ensured. Most of the micro finance institutions are now convinced and took decision to provide loan for the construction of Biogas plants. Most of the urban poor can not afford gas connection as it costs Tk. 200 to Tk. 400 per month. Instead they can install Biogas plants with. Bank loan and repay the loan out of their fuel savings ‘domestic’ size Biogas plant of 100 cft capacity cost Tk. 15,000 to Tk.18, 000 and can meet the cooking energy need for a five- member family. Impact on health and environment: Large scale bio energy development in Bangladesh could bring significant environmental benefits. Sustainable bioenergy development could: Reduce higher level of deforestation. Reduce net greenhouse gas emissions. Improve air quality and reduce acid deposition. Improve soil quality and reduce erosion. Reduce land filling by adding value to residues. 5.5 Few case study: Biogas plants in different institution: LGED has constructed 61 Biogas plants in different educational institutes, orphanages, hospitals, school/college hostels for solving the sanitation problems and getting biogas as an alternative energy source. One of these important plants is in Faridpur orphanage. There are 250students and staff in Faridpur orphanage. For their night soil disposal they needed to construct a septic tank for 250 users with Tk.60, 000. LGED in mid 1992 constructed a Biogas plant with Tk. 16,000which served the purpose of septic tank as well as a source of gas and fertilizer. This has reduced the investment by Tk. 34,000 and the mission has been saving Tk. 25,000 against fuel cost per year. Case 1: Ganaktuli Sweeper colony, Dhaka: There are five buildings for sweepers and 40 families reside in each building. The latrines of the buildings were not connected with any septic tank or sewerage system. Previously, night soil was passing through surface drain creating health hazard. To connect the latrines of building No-I to the nearby sewerage line Tk. 60,000 and to construct a septic tank for 221 users of the building Tk. 50,000 were necessary. Instead, LGED constructed a Biogas plant for Tk. 20,000 in 1993which is working till today without any problem giving sufficient gas to meet fuel need of all families of 1 building. There was some maintenance for leakage and Tk. 300 was spent. Observing the performance of the plant, residents of other 4 buildings created pressure on the city corporation to construct similar plant in those buildings. By now Biogas plants have been constructed in all the remaining 4 buildings. Case 2: ‘Ecological Village’ Amgram/Uttar Hogla in Madaripur: LGED took up ‘Ecovillage’ project on experimental basis as pilot programme with the objectives to make the villagers aware about environment and technology, create clear, healthy and acceptable environment in the villages and inspire the people around the villages to accept such project. There are 662 people in the village in 123 families. Besides other socio economic activities, the following facilities were also provided: There was no latrine in the village and 95latrines were constructed. As an alternative source of energy 15  Biogas plants were installed, three persons were trained in the construction of Biogas plant. The Biogas plants are providing energy input to the villagers. 6. Conclusion: Different implementing agencies in Bangladesh, which are active in promoting bio gasification technology, are not paying sufficient attention to effective and focused groupcollaborative R&D aimed at renovating, optimising and improving the design for adaptation to local conditions. Limited R&D facilities and capabilities and lack of co-ordination among the researchers and implementing authorities may well pose a major stumbling-block towards the success of this endeavour. Moreover, the follow-up action program is also very limited. Sometimes, the plant-owners do not get proper technical guidance for the operation and maintenance of their plants. Thus, the successful application and extension of this option depends on: Institutional measures and close collaboration between sectors involved. This should include, among others, provision for soft loans and/or subsidy; availability of standard prototype for design and construction and site-specific maintenance guidelines; meaningful public involvement which should aim at passing relevant information of this technology to the community to increase awareness and promote acceptability of this technology; Accurate calculation of the benefits of this technology. Biomass could play a role in reducing C02 emissions in both of these sectors. As the slurry remains in the digester for 30-40 days in anaerobic condition, the effluent becomes pathogen free and the output is smell-free combustible gas and organic fertilizer which is improving the environment and preventing diseases. At present Bangladesh meet 46.15% of its energy need by agricultural residue, 10.5% by cow dung, 12.9% by fuel wood and 33% by tree residue. This means that to meet our energy need we are depriving, ourselves from organic fertilizer and creating environmental imbalance by  deforestation. One pragmatic estimate puts that the use of biogas will reduce energy deficit at least by 15%. Reference: Bangladesh Power Development Board. Annual Report of 2006-2007. Dhaka, Bangladesh: BPDB, 2008. Available www.bpdb.gov.bd/download/Annual%20Report-10.pdf Biogas Digest,Vol 1, Information and Advisory Service on Appropriate Technology (ISAT),GTZ (PREGA), Bangladesh Country Report,2003. Obozov, A.D. and Asankulova, â€Å"Biogas in Kyrgyzstan†, Applied Solar Energy, 2007, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 262–265 Waste Concern Database, http://www.wasteconcern.org/database.html M. Alamgir and A. Ahsan,† Municipal Solid Waste and Recovery Potential: Bangladesh Perspective† ,Iran. J. Environ. Health. Sci. Eng., 2007, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 67-76 S. Karapidakis and Anna Tsave,â€Å"Electric Power Production by Biogas Generation at Volos Landfill in Greece† Applied Solar Energy, submitted for publication Dr.M.Eusuf, Technological Feasibility of CDM Project Dhaka City Solid Waste.NTE.Bangladesh JICA (2004) Solid Waste Management Project of Dhaka City Corporation, Final Report of JICA Expert, Bangladesh. Available: www.dhakacity.org/cleandhaka/†¦/CleanDhakaMasterPlanMain.pdf ICAR paper (report issued by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi) http://www5.gtz.de/gate/techinfo/biogas/framecond/environ.html Winrock International, Nepal Biogas Support Program (BSP) Nepal, Accessed from google on 10th September 2012. Official website of Renewable energy information network, Bangladesh. Available at: http://www.lged-rein.org Accessed on 12 September 2012. Biogas program Grameen Shakti http://www.gshakti.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=6 4 Accessed on 12 September 2012. Bangladesh electricity production from renewable sources. Available at: http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/bangladesh/electricity-production-from-renewablesources. Renewable Energy Prospects & Trends in Bangladesh Presented by-Mazharul Islam. Bangladesh Power Development Board. ZakariaMahbub, Husnain-Al-Bustam, SuvroShahriar, T.M. IftakharUddin, AbrarSaad, â€Å"International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA)†, Vol. 2, Issue 2, Mar-Apr 2012, pp.896-902. Md. M. Biswas, Kamol K. Das, Ifat A. Baqee, Mohammad A. H. Sadi, Hossain M. S. Farhad, â€Å"Prospects of Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Systems in Bangladesh and Developing Economics†, Global Journal of researches in engineering , Volume 11 Issue 5 Version 1.0 July 2011. Website of Wikipedia on Renewable energy. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Electricity_sector_in_Bangladesh#Renewable_energy Md. ZunaidBaten, EmranMd.Amin, AnikaSharin, Raisul Islam, Shahriar A. Chowdhury, â€Å"Renewable Energy Scenario of Bangladesh: Physical Perspective†, International Conference on the Developments in Renewable Energy Technology (ICDRT) 2009, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Mir NahidulAmbia, Md. Kafiul Islam, Md. AsaduzzamanShoeb, Md. Nasimul Islam Maruf, A.S.M. Mohsin, â€Å"An Analysis & Design on Micro Generation of A Domestic SolarWind Hybrid Energy System for Rural & Remote Areas-Perspective Bangladesh.† 2010. Website of Wikipedia on biogas. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/biogas. Potential of micro hydro power units in Bangladesh. Available at:http://www.lged-rein.org/ How wind turbine works. Available at:http://www.energymatters.com.au/renewableenergy/wind-energy

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Jesus-ChristI am statement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Jesus-ChristI am statement - Research Paper Example Although the Old Testament manifestly described the characteristics accredited to Christ’s sacred personality, yet a large number of the Jews of Nazareth turned against him out of sheer feelings of jealousy, and thus refused to recognize him as the promised Messiah . Instead of acknowledging the qualities and character of this great holy personality, the people raised unconditional opposition against Jesus for worldly gains, pecuniary benefits and temporary socioeconomic statuses. They not only refuted to comply with the bright teachings Jesus had brought along with him, but also proved themselves as his arch enemies in such a manner that they were determined to assassinate the holy personality in order to sabotage the spread of holy light in the world. Although, they claimed to be the people of God and having command as well as right to interpret and explain the Mosaic laws described in the Ten Commandments revealed on Moses from the Lord, yet they were actually the transgres sors and had gone astray from the right path of glory and righteousness. They used to cite Scriptures for their own purposes, and put aside all the noble teachings in their conduct and mannerism. It is therefore Christ had declared them as the hypocrites, who had separated mercy and justice while making judgments and announcing decisions in the light of Mosaic laws. (Matt, 23, II: 23-24) He was pelted with stones and was tormented and tortured, but his foot never wavered in the face of hardships. â€Å"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.† (Matthew 20:28) Somehow, the sacred message was to get popularized in every corner of the universe. It is therefore the Lord saved Jesus from becoming prey to the nefarious designs articulated by the king and masses of the era for the elimination of the teachings presented by Jesus and his noble message from the very face of the world. Book of John throws light on the same, and t he verses under analysis point out to the Jesus’ last days of his First Arrival on the earth. In the Book of John 7-8, Jesus Christ not only appears to be aware of the hatred and malice the Jews maintained in their minds and hearts for him, but also looks well-acquainted with the very conspiracy well-knitted against his life by the people of Nazareth. He expressively reveals the ill intentions of his enemies, and warns them that they could not reach his destination even devising conspiracies and intrigues against him due to the very reality that they were unaware of Jesus’ journey and destination (in the high heavens). He clearly reveals that his arrival and departure is completely dependent of the will of God (John 7:29), and hence he has been appointed by Him to convey to the people the noble message of God. It is therefore he is not afraid of any threat or challenge arose by the people of Nazareth against Christ. In the verse under-analysis, Jesus rightly declares h imself as the light of the world, which would illuminate all parts and corners of the world by grace of his noble teachings, extreme tolerance, mercy, love, compassion and kindness he always displayed while entering into encounters and interactions with others. His mercy was not confined to one stratum only; on the contrary, he showed great love and meekness