When Bad Things Happen To Good People Essays (598 words) - Theodicy

When Bad Things Happen To Good People There have been many times in life when I have turned to a "God" with problems and wanted answers or solutions and received nothing. When this happens I take the time to reflect and ask myself, "Why, when I do some many good things, do I not receive any answers or solutions to my problems?" The book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, written by Harold S. Kushner, has brought some answers to my problems. This book explained and help clarify why even though I am not a bad person, that sometimes bad things are bound to happen. When Kushner wrote this book I feel that the meaning of his writings were that God does not mean to punish us, he just means to test us and present us with problems and see how we react to them. As put best he wrote, "The God I believe in does not send us the problem; he gives us the strength to cope with it."(127). Kushner makes many references to the bible and his belief in a higher power, "God". I personally may not think there can be one and only one God but I do believe in a higher being or power and I like how Kushner makes sure to point out that he is not calling it the God but "his" God. It shows an almost non-biast opinion and it shows a lot of respect towards all groups of people. I remember one time specifically when my great-grandpa recently passed away I turned to God for answers. Instead of getting an answer I got more problems. My great-grandma and grandma both had strokes, my long-standing girlfriend and I broke up, my parents got split up and divorced, along with all of the other normal problems that go on in live that we, as humans, have learned to expect in everyday life. My belief in one and only one "God" diminished. I felt that there was no one up there looking out for me and then in reading this book answered a bunch of my questions on why "God" didn't give me any specific answers. It showed me that perhaps God has given me the strength to move on and realize that everything will go on and how to cope with everything. Kushner also had a good point in saying that, "Could it be that God does not cause bad things that happen to us?.....but rather stands ready to help them?"(29-30). I agree with what he is saying in this quote. My God helped me through those rough times just like his God helped him through everything that was going on with his son. Even though the person that meant the most to him was suffering of a bad disease, and eventually passed away, he trusted in God and understood what God was doing and that everything that happened was a test and made things better in the long run. He understood and helped me understand that God does everything for a reason and has a "master plan" that he wants each of us to abide by and to follow. This book gave me a lot of insight on life and what everything means to me and what I should expect with life. Even though I do not believe in the same God as Kushner, I still believe that there is a more powerful being up there watching over us and making sure that we are ready to experience an enlightening afterlife. I thought that Kushner did a good job of not offending me in the fact that he had a wider opinion on God and his beliefs and not being narrow-minded about the fact that people are different in their opinions.

Free sample - Argue or accept. translation missing

Argue or accept. Argue or acceptAny language at any time is prone to changes and development. Such evolution may have its pros and cons since it has power either to cause increase or decrease of language nature. After all, should the flow of thoughts be flawless and what is ‘good language’? These thorny questions concern English as well the modern variant of which makes linguists reveal the influential factors and the effects of such tendencies. Thus, concluding from George Orwell, English language has undergone and still continues to, evolutionary turn which is marked by ‘slovenliness’, ‘imitation’, ‘ugliness’ and on the whole ‘prefabricated hen-house’. The author points out that contemporary writing is full of mental faults and badly lacks any precision and sense. He provides a number of such misusage tools among which he names dying metaphor, orators or verbal false limbs, pretentious diction and meaningless words. The scope of these ‘tricks’ makes language expression stale and vague. Orwell mentions a dead metaphor which is actually neither an ordinary word nor a vivid one since a transferred image has lost its power as in â€Å"to fish for compliments†, â€Å"branch of government†, â€Å"to fall in love† etc. Such metaphors became trite with the time and no longer produce the effect of freshness and expressiveness. Let’s take an example â€Å"to give a hand of help† which initially did render the metaphorical meaning â€Å"to help somebody† and was really bright and fresh-colored because hand is viewed as sort of support when a person tries to console a friend. For now the phrase no longer needs the word ‘help’ as the meaning becomes clear enough for everyone. Moreover, the writer focuses on another type of metaphor which he calls ‘worn-out’ because it is not as expressive and ‘evocative’ as they previously used to be. He believes the reason why people continue to use them lies in t heir not willing to think of and produce new imaginary patterns. So, we still have at our disposal the phrases like Cassandra’s warning, Hercules’ labor, to sow the sand, seeds of evil etc. The author insists that inconsistent use of metaphors is often caused by the person’s lack if not absence of understanding what he or she really wants to say. This altogether is supposed to indicate the user’s indifference in the issue. Still, a question is dubious. In my opinion, such overlapping and miscomprehension are the result of ignorance and scarce literacy that is why we watch the examples which are blurry. People just don’t thoroughly understand what these or those words mean. I think the use of even dead metaphors must be appropriate and up to a point then the reader or a listener won’t be misled as in to tow the line instead if toe the line. Another point that the writer touches is excessive verbosity that provokes inflated speech pattern. Why not simply say for instance to â€Å"attract† for â€Å"grip one’s attention† or â€Å"conclude† for â€Å"to arrive at conclusion†? There is plenty of clear well-known ‘general-purpose verbs’ to express the same idea without needless long-chain phrases. Surprisingly, such verbosity may entail striking and controversial gobbledygook which means â€Å"inflated, jargon-cluttered prose that fails to communicate clearly†(About.com). Thus, let’s look through some astonishing examples of words reconsidered usage that can’t but impress many of us. There was conducted a sort of survey where the participants were asked to provide situations of weird language use which totally put them out of temper. Some of the surveyed included errors in word usage, clichà ©, misspelling, abundance, jargon, slang into this group of oddities but there were those who were even shocked by the way their language can be reversed – the most ardent representatives of English defenders. Here are some of the cases: @ (instead of "at"), aks but not â€Å"ask†, a lot for â€Å"a lot†, decimate (to mean the total annihilation of something, rather than a tenth), mispronunciation of â€Å"definitely† which acquired the for ms of definly, defaly, and definally, ex cetera instead of "et cetera", grammatically incorrect use of ‘has’ for "have," as in â€Å"there’s been two accidents†. The list of such language jeer-and-sneer application may be continued but I’m afraid I won’t endure it either! Whether such novelties are caused by fashionable twist of mind or maybe we so much lack of entertainment in our everyday hustle and bustle life that we are forced to bring jollity into language? Who knows. However, I am more than convinced that the vast set of tools a language can provide us with should be used reasonably not to spam the language at all. Another not least amusing process of language use which Orwell discussed in his work as pretentious diction is represented by euphemism – a tool to replace offensive or disagreeable remarks or statements. The ways of how these language mean can be coined is really diverse. The role of euphemisms can be helpful if used in cases like â€Å"not too slender† for â€Å"fat†, Afro-American for â€Å"Niger† etc. taking into account ethic and political reasons or even more humoristic like to â€Å"powder one’s nose: "Where can I powder my nose?" in case of ‘restroom’, â€Å"full and frank discussion† to render the meaning of â€Å"argument† – we had a full and frank discussion with my business partner. But there are too much more mind-tangling examples as in the circumlocution (periphrasis). The actual meaning of this instrument is to ‘talk around’, that is to say something but totally hide what you have said for instance when a person wants to conceal what he or she really thinks an intricate figure of speech accismus can help which is also called the oh-you-shouldn't-have figure. To be more precise we sometimes get into situations when we are presented with a gift but you refuse as if of modesty saying ‘the gift is not necessary, a check will be quite enough’ (Figures of speech served fresh. Monday, October 10, 2005). All in all, I am more inclined to think that there can’t be univocal assertion that modern English is really in state of decline. Many men many minds, so to my mind it is more a matter of overall literacy and erudition that signifies right or wrong language usage and relevance of these or those figures of speech, since an educated person has a wit to analyze the information he or she receives and therefore is able to decipher the hidden codes.

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 64

Summary - Essay Example The impact of the violation of the local independence assumption on both reliability and information function was also evident where the study results showed that if the items were treated as a locally independent (which is in fact in violation of the items local independence), the reliability coefficient would then be biased to the top as well as the information for the test function. According to (Chen & Wang, 2007) they used index Q3 in the study to detect the items which including violation of local independence assumption. Then through simulation data according to the three parameter model , the results indicate that if it appeared that a violation of the local independence assumption between the items were corrected, then they were locally independent. This affects the estimated parameter discrimination where if the violation is positive, then to answer the first item correct increases the probability of the correct answer on the other item. The discrimination parameter estimate will then be biased upwards while at the same time, if the violation of local independence between items will be negative, then the discrimination parameter estimate will be biased to the downwards. Chen and Thissen (Chen & Thissen, 1997) used Q3,, to examine the local independence of items and a test was generated. As the results indicate, there are two types of local dependence between the items. First one is known as (ULD) Underlying Local Dependence and this type of local dependence is shown by the items there. There are some separate traits for items groups showing local dependence, but not for all the test items. This means that there is another traits which is not the general trait measured by the test. The second type of local dependence is known as (SLD) Surface Local Dependence, and this type of local dependence of items is shown in the

Network Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Network Security - Research Paper Example These issues can be dangerous for personal information safety and privacy. Thus, network management procedures are used for the effective management of the network security aspects (Kaminsky, 2012; Cisco, 2000; Huang, MacCallum, & Du, 2010). In addition, network security encompasses a set of rules and actions that an organization or business adopt to secure its computer systems, and it is a major concern for every business that uses a computer network to carry out its business tasks. Hence, compromised network security risk clearly demonstrates that a business competitor or hacker can gain access to sensitive or critical data, probably resulting in total destruction of business or personal information or system or data loss. In this scenario, effective network security can be attained when a user has to face a number of security layers before being capable to get access to the desired business or any information network. Additionally, various researches show that the implementation o f more layers results in more secure network and working environment (Kaminsky, 2012; Cisco, 2000; Huang, MacCallum, & Du, 2010). This paper presents a detailed analysis of network security. This paper will outline some of the major issues regarding internal and external security breaches of a corporate. This paper will also outline the actions and suggestions that should be taken into consideration in order to address these security issues. 2 Main Risks With the passage of time, the trend of adopting new technologies is growing rapidly. Additionally, the computer networks play a significant role in our lives as they are used everywhere. In fact, we regularly use the Internet to carry out our daily tasks. On the other hand, these networks also create various security risks. In addition, network security issues are everywhere whether it is a computer being utilized in a big business/organization or it is a personal computer. In order to ensure network security every computer requires to be protected from the computer network dangers and security fears. Every time we use the new computer system we face some sort of security risks and danger like exposing personal information, credit card theft, identity theft, hacking, data leakage, virus attacks, DoS attacks, and data corruption. In addition, there are also certain other security threats such as various virus attacks and a number of other security problems (Zhang, Xiao, Chen, Zhang, & Deng, 2012; Joshi, 2008; Network Security Threats, 2012). Moreover, in order to determine network security issues a research study was conducted by the event management and security information supplier netForensics, which revealed that more than 80 percent of IT managers anticipate network-borne dangers, which have augmented all through the year 2010 and 2011, and more than 85 percent of IT managers are seeing their corporate network security environment turning out to be more and much harder and complex (Cisco, 2000; Schwartz, 2 010). 3 Internal and External Security Breaches This section outlines some of the major

Epistemology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Epistemology - Essay Example More often than not, when people think about acquisition of knowledge that they possess, their attention is drawn to school or college as the source of that knowledge. However, these are not the only existing ways of acquiring knowledge. For example, the process or onset of acquisition of knowledge is way before school when one is a baby or a toddler. When a baby cries, he gets the attention of the parents or caregivers who seek out what the problem is, and a toddler touching something hot immediately feels the pain. Deviant behaviors exhibited by children are met with punishment while good deeds and manners call for praise and reward. All these examples form parts of the knowledge equation despite the fact that the toddler or the child might not be aware of what is happening in his or her life. As the children grow up, there is more knowledge being acquired as they later learn how to dress themselves, tie their shoes, to talk and read. They also acquire knowledge about social aspect s of life like family life and relationships. In general, everything and all spheres of life including work life is knowledge (Cooper, 1999; Feldman, 2003). Individuals who are interested in acquiring knowledge about certain aspects or subjects can do so through schooling or through acquaintance. The concept of individual epistemology as they are developed and enacted in professional paid work can be elaborated by looking beyond the present ideas of epistemological beliefs (Hofer & Printrich, 1997), and positioning individual epistemologies as being dynamic, deliberate, and derived in individual-specific means through a unique set of socially-derived experiences that are a consequent of a person’s life history or ontogeny. Considering their dynamic and constitutive nature, it is imperative to centrally place these epistemologies in the dual processes of individual development and reshaping of socially derived norms. An illustration of these propositions can be made by drawing upon situations in which a worker, in this case, a GameStop manager, learns through paid work and how the work is remade, in conditions of greater and lesser close social guidance. In essence, personal epistemologies are considered as the primary basis for instigating, monitoring, and evaluating the process and outcome of these enactments. Therefore, it is important to elaborate individual epistemologies in order to understand how people engage in and learn through paid work and their reshaping and alteration of their work activities in certain circumstances and at certain instances. Studies of acquiring socially derived knowledge have often taken place in situations that provide strong direct social guidance and mostly through appraisal of dyads for example expert-novice. Therefore, current understanding about learning through work situations is largely premised on richly social affordances, including the availability of more informed social partners An Account of individual epist emology In my profession, in regard to outside support, trust is the most important factor when making a judgment of the support being offered as valued. Therefore, a lot significant consideration is put on my part on the basis of on which the support is provided. Furthermore, the judgments on the value of the different kinds

Writing a Movie Review

Writing a Movie Review Writing a movie review is a great way of expressing your opinion of a movie. The purpose of most movie reviews is to help readers in determining whether they want to watch, rent, or buy the movie. The review should give enough details about the movie that the reader could make an informed decision, without giving anyway any essentials such as the plot or any surprises. Similar to the purpose of writing book reviews, movie reviews analyze the effectiveness of the plot, theme, acting, direction, special effects, musical effects, cinematography, and all other elements that created the movie. There are qualities and guidelines that a critique of a movie should possess. Avoid the use of generalized opinions such as oh, it was a great movie or the acting was horrible, but rather give specific reasons and the whys. Here is a good guide to follow. While we dont limit you to a certain style of writing, the number of words you must have in your review, and what you must (or must not) write about, we do provide the following guideline to help you get started in writing a review. Paragraph 1 You will need to include the following: name of the film, prominent stars of the film, basic setting (time and place), and type of film (comedy, adventure, drama, etc.) Paragraph 2 You will need to write a plot summary for the movie. Do not reveal the ending. Discuss at least five events and be sure to cover the entire scope of the movie, except the very end. Paragraph 3 Discuss one aspect of filmmaking. You may choose from acting, direction, editing, and costume design, set design, photography, background music, or anything else you may think of. Be sure that you are specific and cite examples from the movie. Paragraph 4 Discuss another aspect of filmmaking. You may choose from acting, direction, editing, and costume design, set design, photography, background music, or anything else you may think of, but obviously choose something different from what you discussed in the previous paragraph. Be sure that you are specific and cite examples from the movie. Paragraph 5 Give your overall reaction to the film as well as your opinion on the quality of the film. Also, include your recommendations for potential viewers. Remember, the guideline above is just what it is. It is just a guideline, so throw in your own spin and develop your own format if you want to. Steps to Writing a Movie Review: 1. Watch the movie The first step in writing the review is to watch the movie. Watch the movie in a relaxed environment you are familiar with. You do not want to be distracted by an unfamiliar room. Most movie reviewers take notes as they watch the movie. 2. Evaluate the movie Most movie reviewers will give their opinion of the movie. This is important as the reviewer can express the elements of the movie they enjoyed or disliked. However, as in all good journalism, the reviewer should also give impartial details and allow the reader to make their decision over an issue the reader liked or disliked. Opinions should be explained to allow the reader to determine whether they would agree with your opinion. 3. Who is your audience? You need to consider who your audience will be. Writing a movie review for children requires a different approach than if writing for a movie club. Ensure you report on the factors that matter to your likely audience. 4. Give an outline Give the outline of the movie, but do not give away essential details such as the end or any surprises. If there is a big surprise, you want to entice readers by telling them something special happens; just do not say what. 5. Actors If the movie contains actors, as most do, detail who is starring in the movie and how well you think they acted. 6. Structure Did the movie follow a regular predictable story line, or did it get you thinking, like a Quentin Tarantino movie? 7. Cinematography and lighting Give details about how well the movie was shot and directed. Was the lighting good in the moody scenes? 8. Music Did the movie have its own score like The Lord of the Rings or ET, or did it feature songs from popular artists? Did the music align with the time period? 9. Read, read, and read Read and check your review thoroughly. It can be embarrassing to find errors in your work after it has been published. This is especially important for reviews that will be published on the Internet, as search engines are always looking for the correct spellings of key words.

Black and White Friendship in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

The Black and White Friendship in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn To turn Jim in, or not to turn Jim in, that is the question that Huck is faced with in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Whether it is nobler to protect a friend or to give in to the demands of society by ending a friendship. This novel portrays a period in American history where most Southern whites considered blacks as a piece of property. Huck, a white Southern boy, and Jim, a run-away slave, had a friendship that was inappropriate in society. During their adventurous journey, Huck would have to confront the consequences of protecting a run-away slave, if he decided to give Jim protection. Throughout this novel the relationship between Huck and Jim differs in and out of society because of Huck's feelings towards Jim. These two adventurers had planned to leave the Mississippi and go North, but missed their chance. The river took them farther and farther South. If Jim was caught, he would be in big trouble. If Huck didn't turn Jim in, he would also be in big trouble. Huck found himself battling with his conscience, when he realized how close Jim was to his freedom, "...I begun to get it through my head that he was most free-and who was to blame for it? Why, me. I couldn't get that out of my conscience, no how nor no way." (pg.85) Turning Jim in would be difficult, since he was a benevolent and amiable man. It was not righteous that he should be hurt, but if Huck helped Jim run away, he would have to turn his back on his own people. He would be saying slavery, and everyone who believed in it, was wrong. Huck came to the decision to tell someone about Jim that will force him back into slavery. Soon enough they encountered two white men on a skiff. During this incident Huck perceived that his feelings to protect Jim were stronger than his feelings to turn him in. He lied when the men asked if Jim was white or black. Each time they encountered other people who might turn Jim in, Huck was prepared to reveal another untrue story.