Joy of My Life

Joy of My Life Shirley Evans English 121 Professor Jen Miller January 20, 2013 Joy of My Life I never considered myself blessed in anything, or knew the purpose of my life, until the birth of my grandson. Robert is my first grandchild and greatest blessing God has given me, and the center of my universe for which I give thanks every day. His life started with difficulties, but his unquenchable elan has brought joy to those who meet him. Robert entered my life on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 2:28 in the afternoon; weighing 2lbs. 4 ounces and measuring 16 inches long. He arrived two months premature, and reminded me of a baby doll with wrinkled skin covering his tiny arms and legs. Set below perfectly arched blonde eyebrows were eyes so dark as to appear black, and opened wide to make them look enormous. A conical shaped head covered with platinum blonde hair made his sunken cheeks stand out; giving him the appearance of an alien. I fell in love the instant I saw him and my love grows immeasurably with every passing day. Robert developed at a rapid pace despite being born prematurely.During a stay with us one weekend, I laid him on his back atop a blanket spread on the floor for him to roll on. He rolled onto his stomach raising his head up; arms swinging out at his sides with legs kicking trying to crawl. He reminded me of a turtle poking out of its shell, slowly inching his way off the blanket. To this day my daughter still calls him turtle after witnessing his attempt to crawl. Once he learns to walk, there is no holding him back; he joyfully goes through life with smiles on his face and laughter in his voice.Robert is growing to be a precocious child who quickly turns independent. He stands proud with arms akimbo as he proclaims he can dress himself, and I settle back into my chair to watch him put his arms in the sleeves of his shirt, and tuck his shirt tails into his jeans. I am shocked to realize how quickly he is growing as he struggles with fastening his jeans, but is quite adamant in doing it himself; he asks for help with his belt only after trying to buckle it on his own. One of the things I enjoyed teaching Robert was bedtime prayers.I have shown him how to interlace his fingers and clasp his hands together. Closing our eyes as we bowed our heads together, I recited his prayers as he repeated after me. He no longer allows me to say prayers with him, and he does not know all of the words yet, but ends his prayer blessing everyone he loves in the sweetest tiniest voice. He looks up at me with a smile on his angelic face and says â€Å"now it is your turn grandma. † Pictures of Robert depict how cute he is, but in person he leaves you with a more accurate portrait of how adorable he actually is.Robert brings smiles and happiness to everyone he meets with his robust attitude. Sporting a child sized black Stetson cowboy hat perched atop his blonde head, down to feet encased with green and yellow John Deere boots, he exudes im pish joy. He will nonchalantly say he is not my little man, but everyone’s little man. I do not argue with his statement as it is true. Robert loves everyone in his life and they love him. People say the greatest joy of being a grandparent is spoiling the child then sending them home.I am no exception to this rule, although I never want to send him home. Time speeds by like a blink of an eye when I have him, and it feels like he just arrived when it is time for him to leave. It fills my heart close to bursting when he sees me and comes running with his arms stretched wide to throw his petite frame into my arms to hug my neck screaming â€Å"grandma! † The joy he brings to my life is truly a blessing from God above, and one I treasure more than life itself. I contemplate if having my son, who helped create my joy called Robert, has been the purpose for my life.

Miranda Priestly OB

Locus of control: It can be observed throughout the movie how Miranda tried to control ever thing around her. Every decision taken by her was considered to be final. There is a dialogue â€Å"Her opinion is the only opinion that matters†, it show how she controlled everything around her. Self Esteem: (Tendency to rate one very high) Miranda rated herself above everyone. She likes to believe that, if it's for her then anything is possible. She never allows anyone to ever ride lift with her. A person leaves lift as soon as Miranda enters lift for her and waits for the other en to arrive.Lack of emotional Intelligence: Miranda lacks emotional intelligence. During many of the incidences she tends to ignore the emotions of the people around her. For instance when her assistant fails to book flight for her, she makes her feel very bad even though it was not her mistake. In one of the incidences even though she knew her first assistant was looking forward for the trip to Paris, and h as been dieting and planning for over months, even though she neglects her and takes a new assistant with her. She never cared to learn the name of her employee and called by any name she felt .Job Fit: She is the most job fit for her job. She has knowledge of her domain and she makes sure job is done at all cost. A famous designer displays his designs before Paris show to Miranda. He thinks it was his best work but Miranda directly rejects the collection and the designer changes his collection to receive applaud during the main show. Pygmalion Effect: The process of bringing the best out of others. Miranda always expected the best out of each and every of her employee. When a new assistant joins, Miranda pushes her to extreme always expecting the result out of her.She sometimes gave impossible task to her employee like booking flight during storm or procuring an unpublished Harry potter book. Due to her constant supervision she always brings out the best in people. Andrea â€Å"An dy' Cash land an interview with an fashion industry magazine which is names as a job â€Å"a million girls would kill for†. The job is as junior personal assistant for editor of Runway fashion magazine. Andrea is a fresh out of college and is looking for a job to jump start her career, even though he dislikes fashion industry, she accepts the job.

Al Maqasid Al Sharia

CIFP – SH1002 SHARI’AH ASPECTS IN BUSINESS AND FINANCE AL-MAQASID AL-SHARI’AH THE OBJECTIVES OF ISLAMIC LAW DEFINITION OF MAQASID AL SHARI ’AH The word â€Å"Maqsid† (plural: Maqasid ) reflects a meaning of purpose, objective, principle, intent, goal. Maqasid comprise the wisdom and knowledge behind rulings, the objectives of particular actions. As for the term â€Å" Shari’ah †, some scholars define the word as following strictly the injunctions of Allah or the way of Islam ( din ). Hence, Maqasid al-Shari’ah represents â€Å"the objectives and the rationale of the Shari’ah.It encompasses all disciplines, laws, regulations, policies, instructions, obligations, principles, beliefs, devotion and actions designed to protect the interest of human beings in all segments and aspects of life. Various scholars have tried to elucidate the purposes and the objectives of Shari’ah upon which it is established. Among these th e exceptional individuals are the Malikite Abu Ishaqal-Shatibi, the Shafite al-‘Izz ibn ‘Abd al-Salam, and the Hanbalite Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah.According to Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Shari‘ah aims at safeguarding people’s interest in this world and the Hereafter. Referring to the maqasid al-Shari‘ah , al-Ghazali said: â€Å"The objective of the Shari‘ah is to promote the welfare of human beings, which lies in safeguarding their faith, their life, their intellect, their posterity, and their wealth. Whatever ensures the safeguard of these five fundamentals serves public interest and is desirable†. Al-Shatibi approves al-Ghazali’s list and sequence,hereby indicating that they are the most preferable in terms of their harmony with essence of Shari’ah .Finally, Ibn Ashur provides a broader definition stating that: Both its general rules and specific proofs indicate that the all-purpose principle(maqsad ‘amm) of Islamic legis lation is to preserve the social order of the community and insure its healthy progress by promoting the well-being and righteousness ( salah ) of that which prevails in it, namely, the human species. The well-being and virtue of human beings consist of the soundness of their intellect, the righteousness of their deeds as well as the goodness of the things of the world where they live that are put at their disposal.Maqasid al-Shari’ah : An Overview Maqasid al-Shari’ah calls for establishment of justice, elimination of unfairness and alleviation of privation. It endorses relationship and mutual support within the family and community in general. This has for outcome a preservation of public interest (maslahah) as the most important objective of the Shari’ah. Shari’ah recognizes three areas which constitute well- being, namely, endorsing benefits (maslahah ) to people, educating individual and establishing justice.One of the objectives and the underlying pr inciple of the Shari’ah is endorsing benefits (maslahah) to the people. It is associated with people livelihood in this world and the Hereafter Qur’anic verse: â€Å"†¦ and establish regular prayer: for prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing In life) without doubt. and Allah knows the(Deeds) that ye do. † ( Al-Qur’an , Al-Ankabut: 45). Every verdict in Shari’ah appears with reasoning and with a purpose, which is to shelter and protect public interests (maslahah ) in all aspects and segments of life.It should also be observed that in specific occasions emergence of arguments between endorsement of benefit and avoidance of evil arise. If none appears to be preferable, then avoidance of evil takes precedence over the recognition of benefit. Educating individuals is an essential objective of Shari’ah, too. Education encourages people with faith and Taqwa (consciousness of Allah s. w. t. ) in order to accomplish public objectives. A truthful and moral person can emerge as representative of others and bearer of the ruling of Shari’ah related to ibadah , mu’amalah and jinayah.Lastly, one of the objectives of the Shari’ah is to maintain the standards of justice (‘adl ). It must be based on creation of equilibrium which accomplishes rights and responsibilities on one side, and abolishes unfairness and inequality on the other. It must embrace both individual and social justice, regardless whether it is a case of friend or foe, Muslim or non-Muslim, personal or public. Illicit behaviors and wrongdoings are disapproved and punished in order to avoid injustice as it is undesirable and contradictory with the philosophy of Qur’an and the Maqasid al-Shari’ah.IDENTIFICATION OF THE MAQASID As already indicated the ulema have differed in their approach to the identification of the maqasid. The first approach to be noted is the purely t extualist approach, which confines the identification of the maqasid to the clear text, the commands and prohibitions, which are in themselves the carriers of the maqasid. The maqasid, according to this view, have no separate existence as such. Provided that a command or prohibition is tasrihi (explicit) and ibtida’i (normative) it in itself conveys the maqsud of the Lawgiver.Although it is generally accepted that textual injunctions must be respected and observed as manifestations of the intentions of the Lawgiver, the majority approach to the identification of the maqasid takes into consideration not only the text but also the underlying ’illah or rationale of the text. 10 The chief exponent of Al-Maqasid, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Shatibi , spoke affirmatively of the need to respect and observe the explicit injunctions, but added, that adherence to the obvious text must not be so rigid as to alienate the rationale and purpose of the text from its words and sentences.Such rigidity could, of course, then be just as much contrary to the maqsud of the Lawgiver as would be in the case of a conscious and direct neglect of that law. The preferred approach then is to read the text, whether it is of a command or a prohibition, in conjunction with its rationale and objective, for this is most likely to bear the greatest harmony with the intention of the Lawgiver. 11 Al- Shatibi elaborated that the maqasid that are known from such a comprehensive reading of the text are of two types, asliyyah (primary) and tab’iyyah (secondary).The former are the essential maqasid, or the daruriyyah, which the mukallaf must observe and protect regardless of his personal predilections, whereas the latter, the supplementary maqasid, or the hajiyyat, are those regarding which the mukallaf has some flexibility and choice. The comprehensive approach to the textual injunctions of the Shari’ah has given rise to two important questions. Firstly, the question that seeks to establish whether the means to a command, a wajib (obligation) or a haram (prohibition), should also be seen as integral to the goal and objective that is sought by that command.The general response given to this question is that supplementary aspects of commands and prohibitions are indeed integral to their objectives. Thus, it is generally accepted that whatever might be necessary for the completion of a wajib is also a part of that wajib, and that whatever may lead to a haram is also haram. There has, however, been some disagreement on this, emerging from certain areas of detail. The second question concerns the silence of the Lawgiver in respect of certain conducts, especially where a general reading of the relevant evidence casts light on the value of that conduct.The question may be formulated as follows: We know that the maqasid can be known from clear injunctions, but can they also be known from a general reading of the nusus (clear textual rulings) by way of induction? A l-Shatibi’s response to this question is possibly the most original. Page 5 of 7 Istiqra’ (induction), according to al-Shatibi, is one of the most important methods for identifying the maqasid of the Shari’ah. There may be various textual references to a subject, none of which may be in the nature of a decisive injunction.Yet their collective weight is such that it leaves little doubt as to the meaning that is to be obtained from them. A decisive conclusion may thus be arrived at from a plurality of inclining expressions. Al-Shatibi illustrates this with an important example. Nowhere in the Qur’an is there a specific declaration to the effect that the Shari’ah has been enacted for the benefit of the people, and yet, this must be the definitive conclusion that is to be drawn from the collective reading of a variety of textual proclamations. 12 To illustrate the point further we may give two more examples.There is no specific declaration in the textu al sources on the classification of the maqasid into the three categories of daruriyyah, hajiyyah and tahsiniyyah or on the conclusion that the Lawgiver has intended that these maqasid must be protected — and yet, through istiqra’, this classification and conclusion has generally been accepted by the ulema. Again, there is no specific textual declaration espousing the claim that the protection of the five values of life, intellect, faith, lineage and property is of the most primary importance to the Shari’ah — but once again, through istiqra’, this has also been generally accepted by the ulema.It is also to be noted that the inductive method is not confined to the identification of maqasid-cum-masalih alone, but extends to commands and prohibitions. 15 Conclusions arrived at through istiqra’, such as those in the above paragraph, are of great overall importance to the understanding and implementation of the Shari’ah. They are not to b e seen as being subject to doubt or lacking in credibility by way of being based on speculative reasoning. 14 In fact, al-Shatibi’s own position on this was to go so far as saying that the conclusions and positions established through istiqra’ are he general premises and overriding objectives of the Shari’ah, over and above the level of the specific rules. Al-Shatibi’s approach to the method of induction is reminiscent of knowledge that is acquired of the personality and character of an individual through a sustained association and observation of conduct of that individual. This kind of knowledge is broad and holistic as it is enriched with insight, and is likely to be more reliable compared to, say, knowledge based only on the observation of odd and isolated incidents in the daily activities of that individual.AL-MAQASID AND IJTIHAD Having expounded his theory of Al-Maqasid, al-Shatibi advocated and accentuated the need for knowledge of the science of A l-Maqasid as a prerequisite to the attainment of the rank of a mujtahid (jurist). Throughout Muslim history, those who neglected acquiring mastery over the science of Al-Maqasid did so at their own peril, as it made them liable to error in ijtihad. Included amongst these were the ahl al-bida’ (the proponents of pernicious innovations), who only looked at the apparent text of the Qur’an without pondering over its ultimate aims and objectives.These innovators (an allusion to the Kharijites) held steadfastly to the literal text of even the mutashabihah (the intricate segments of the Qur’an) and premised many conclusions on them. They took a fragmented and atomistic approach to the reading of the Qur’an, which failed to tie up the relevant parts of the text together. The leading ulema have, on the other hand, always viewed the Shari’ah as a unity, in which the detailed rules were to be read in the light of their broader premises and objectives. 6 Ibn à ¢â‚¬â„¢Ashur, the author of another landmark work on Al-Maqasid, also stressed that knowledge of the science of Al-Maqasid was indispensable to ijtihad in all its manifestations. 1 Some ulema, who confined the scope of their ijtihad only to literal interpretations, found it possible, ibn ‘Ashur observed, to project their personal opinions into the words of the text, but fell into error as they were out of touch with the general spirit and purpose of the surrounding evidence. We may illustrate this by reference to the differential views taken by the ulema with respect to whether the Zakah on commodities, such as wheat and dates, must be given in kind or could also be given in their monetary equivalent. The Hanafis validated the possibility of this substitution, but some ulema held otherwise. The Hanafi view was founded on the analysis that the purpose of Zakah was to satisfy the needs of the poor, which could just as easily be achieved with the monetary equivalent of the commod ity.Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah likewise observed that where the ahadith on the subject of sadaqah al-fitr (the charity due on the Eid after Ramadan) sometimes referred to dates and at other times to raisins or food grains, the common purpose in all this was to satisfy the needs of the poor, which could be done with any of these staple foods of Madinah and its environs at that time. The purpose in any of these ahadith was not to confine the payment of the sadaqah to a particular commodity.A similar example relates to the issue of whether a person may pay his Zakat ahead of time, that is, prior to the expiry of the one year period when it becomes due, and whether he is liable to pay again if he has already paid before that time. Imam Malik, drawing an analogy with Salah, ruled affirmatively that the person would be liable to pay again. Subsequent Maliki jurists, including Ibn al-‘Arabi and Ibn Rushd, however, disagreed with this position and ruled that early payment of Zakah was pe rmissible.Indeed, if someone performs his Salah before its due time, he must perform it again at its proper time. But, there is a difference between Salah and Zakah, in that the former is time-bound to specific times but the latter is not in any such similar ways. Hence, Zakah may be paid earlier, especially if it is prepaid by only a few weeks. Scholars who have taken a non-literalist approach, on the other hand, have often been criticised for departing from certain parts of the textual sources.Imam Abu Hanifah, for example, was criticised by the Ahl al-Hadith (the Traditionalists), for having departed on occasions from the wordings of particular ahadith. It turns out upon closer inspection, however, that such scholars departed from the text only when they had reached a different conclusion by reading that particular text in the context of the of the other relevant evidence in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Disharmony and conflict between the aims and objectives of the Shari’ ah and its specific rulings may arise latently.A mujtahid or a judge may issue a ruling or a decision which appears at that time to be consistent with the text and maqsud of the Shari’ah. With time and further scrutiny, however, it may prove to be not so consistent. A judge may, for example, uphold a duly signed contract and make it binding on the parties. With time, however, the contract may prove to be grossly unfair on one of the parties. In such an eventuality the judge or the mujtahid can hardly ignore the attendant unfairness and insist on the strict adherence to the letter of the contract.Indeed, according to the Shari’ah laws of obligations, a contract is no longer a governing instrument between the shari’ah al-‘aqidayn (the contracting parties) if it becomes an instrument of injustice. The judge must therefore, in order to uphold the maqsud of justice, a primary and all-pervasive characteristic objective of the Shari’ah, set aside the contr act. The judge or the mujtahid must, likewise, give priority to the maqasid whenever there is such a latent discord. These discords or conflicts are most likely to occur where the specific rulings have been arrived at through the doctrine of Qiyas (Analogy).Thus, where a rigid adherence to Qiyas may lead to unsatisfactory results, recourse may be had to Istihsan (Juristic Preference) in order to obtain an alternative ruling that is in greater harmony with the objectives of the Shari’ah. An important feature of the ‘Maqasidi’ (objectives-based) approach in relation to ijtihad and the formulation of specific rules is the attention that the mujtahid must pay to the consequences of his rulings. Indeed, an ijtihad or fatwa would be deficient if it failed to contemplate its own ma’alat (consequences).The importance of such contemplation is demonstrated by the Prophet’s Sunnah. Therein, we note instances where the Prophet paid much attention to the possibl e consequences of his rulings, often in preference to other considerations. Thus, for example, although acutely aware of the treason and subversive activities of the Munafiqun (the Hypocrites), without and within the Muslim community, we find that he decided not to pursue them, stating simply that â€Å"I fear people might say that Muhammad kills his own Companions†.Similarly, although he personally would have liked very much to accept and execute ‘A’ishah Siddiqah’s suggestion to restore the Ka’bah to its original proportions, as founded by the patriarch Prophet, Ibrahim, again, we find that he decided not to, saying â€Å"I would have done so if I didn’t fear that this may induce our people into disbelief†. In both these instances, therefore, the Prophet did not take what would have been thought to be the normal course because of a foresight of the potential adverse consequences. Finally, we must turn to ijtihad in the context of cri mes and penalties.Of course, the normal procedure here is to apply the punishment whenever the cause and occasion for it is present. There may, however, be instances where to pardon the offender would be a more preferable course to take. The mujtahid and the judge must remain open and alert to such possibilities and reflect them in their judgements whenever so required. Al-Shatibi has in this connection drawn a subtle distinction between the normal ’illah that invokes a particular ruling in a given case and what he terms as ‘illah tahqiq manat al-khas (the verification of the particular) in the issuance of ijtihad and judgement.The mujtahid (scholar) may investigate the normal ‘illah and identify it in the case, for example, of a poor person who qualifies to be a recipient of zakah, but such an enquiry may take a different course when it is related to a particular individual as to what might seem appropriate or inappropriate to be applied in a particular case. The mujtahid needs therefore to be learned not only of the law and specific evidence but must also have acumen and insight to render judgements that are enlightened by both the overall consequences as well as the special circumstances of each case.CLASSIFICATION OF MAQASID AL SHARI’AH Although there are different classifications of maqasid al-Shari‘ah , Muslim cholarsgenerally classified them into three main categories: daruriyyat (essentials), hajiyyat (needs)and tahsiniyyat (embellishments). The essentials ( daruriyyat ) are particulars that are required and considered as vital for the founding of wellbeing in this world and the Hereafter. If society in some way neglects them, the outcome will be anarchy together with disorder of the functionality of the society which will result in total collapse.The essential masalih (plural of maslahah) or daruriyyat are further divided into five: (i) Preservation of faith/religion (Din); (ii) Preservation of the life(afs); (iii) Pres ervation of lineage/descendents/procreation (asl ); (iv) Preservation of property ( Mal ); and (v) Preservation of intellect/reason (‘Aql ). The embracement of the mentioned values is obligatory to ensure normal functioning of society and welfare of individuals. It is an obligation of society and people to implement all necessary measures to prevent or eliminate all the barriers that will hinder the realization of these values.The Shari’ah constantly seeks to embrace and endorse these values and enhance procedures for their continuation and progression. Furthermore, Islam as religion is greatly concerned with eradication of poverty and hardship of individuals and community, which is in consistency with the aims of Shari’ah. This is to ensure that people have prosperous life and that there will be no disruption to their normal life. The needs (hajiyyat ) serve as complementary to the essentials. Without the needs, people will face hardship.However, non-existence o f the needs will not create complete disruption of the normal order of life as is the case with the essentials. Ibn Ashur defined the meaning of complementary necessities in the following manner: â€Å"It consists of what is needed by the community for the achievement of its interest and the proper functioning of its affairs. If it is neglected, the social order will not actually collapse but will not function well. Likewise, it is not on the level of what is indispensable (daruri ). The embellishments ( tahsiniyyat ) relate to matters which bestow enhancement in the societyand guide to improved life.The admirable illustrations are Shari’ah ’s guidelines as clean body and attire for purpose of prayer, offering charity and avoiding lavishness and recommendation of supererogatory prayers (‘ibadat ). The rationale of all these are the accomplishment of integrity and perfection in entire fields of a person’s behavior. However, without these values the society will still be able to function and normal life process will not be interrupted. The illustrations of these matters are: voluntary ( sadaqah),and ethical and moral rules, and others. MAQASID AL-SHARI’AH AND ISLAMIC FINANCEThe significance of the Maqasid al-Shari’ah in Islamic finance originates from the perspective of the wealth in Islamic law. This significance relates also to the objectives of the Islamic law in finance and business transactions and to the overall goals of Shari’ah in wealth. The protection and preservation of the wealth is categorized in the sphere of necessary matters (daruriyyat). In previous section it has been elaborated that essentials necessities are those which, without their preservation, there would be disorder and anarchy in society.The abolishment of preservation for these matters would have for result loss of everything that we embrace as valued (Ibn Ashur, 2006). This characterization and classification of Maqasid al-Shariâ€℠¢ah demonstrates the most important position of the wealth and the substance of the finance in Islamic law. Therefore, it must be highlighted here that the finance is recognized by Maqasid al-Shari’ah as valuable aspect of life. Furthermore, the finance is preserved by Islamic law in form of Islamic lawful decisions and guidelines.It is essentially important to stress on the realization of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in the current Islamic finance transactions because of the several important reasons. First, there is a strong relationship between the objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah and the objectives of business transactions, as can be observed from the position of the wealth within Islamic law and Maqasid al-Shari'ah that requests the preservation of wealth in everyday business activities and the promotion of socially responsible activities.As a result, if objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in business transactions are neglected, it may result in poverty and an archy. Second, the business transactions in domestic and international trade should be based on the principles of Islamic law, and the fundamental objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in finance and business shall be applied as core guidelines to implement all types of financial transactions. Third, the particular objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in business transactions must have perpetuity and constant outlook of the universal objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah .Last but not the least, the regulations of business transactions should be within the rules and the requirements of Maqasid al-Shari’ah and Islamic law. In other words, Maqasid al-Shari’ah must administer and regulate the Shari’ah principle of the Islamic finance. CONCLUSION The purpose of every civilization is to promote peace, prosperity, and freedom for its own members and for all others through compassionate justice.The challenge for all of us therefore is how to do this. Hence, T he One (Allah) Who creates knows, surely the One Who knows will speak. Since He will speak, surely He will speak to those who possess consciousness and thought, and those who will understand His speech. Since He will speak to those who possess thought, surely he will speak to mankind, whose nature and awareness are the most comprehensive of all conscious beings and indeed He has done by revealing the Quran.As much as we understand Maqasid al-Shari’ah which are undoubtedly rooted in the textual injunctions of the Qur’an and Sunnah, we will achieve the goal and purpose that is advocated and upheld. 1. MAQASID AL-SHARI’AH IN ISLAMIC FINANCE: AN OVERVIEW, by mirza vejzagic 2. AL-MAQASID AL-SHARI’AH THE OBJECTIVES OF ISLAMIC LAW, Mohammed Hashim Kamali 3. Maqasid al Shari’ah: Strategy to Rehabilitate Religion in America by Dr. Robert D. Crane 4. The Collection of Risale-i Nur, The Letters by Said Nursi

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Late 20th century United States history - Essay Example Truman operated on the policy of containment through war by proxy. This was due to the Truman doctrine that said that the United States would supply aid and weapons to those people in nations that were being threatened by communist pressures. In addition, the Truman administration made great use of the CIA, Central Intelligence Agency. This was in order to gain intel on the enemy and combat their espionage program, the KGB. Thus, the Truman administration took a far greater stance on containment than did any other president, most notably with the failed attempt in Vietnam. The Regan administration, seeing the response and failures of his predecessor, took a different route on containment. He was more in favor of peaceful coexistence, which was achieved through diplomatic channels. Rather than aiding forces directly with American troops, the Regan doctrine allowed the United States to supply enemies of communism with weapons and economic support. Because the United States had a stronger economy, Regan built up a nuclear stockpile in which the Soviets could not keep up. Ultimately, this along with other internal failures, lead to the fall of the Soviet Union and the survival of the world’s last superpower. Between the two presidents, there was a lot learned from the differing strategies on the policy of containment. Adaptive leadership helped the United States adapt and overcome obstacles, which lead to the fall of the Soviet

My Lai Massacre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My Lai Massacre - Essay Example Beyond the leaping jade plates of the sea was an overhand of cliffs and the sight of a valley so large it contained sun, smoke, rain, and cloud—all at once—independent quantities of color. I had been unprepared for this beauty; it surprised and humbled me†¦.† But soldiers are but spikes in the giant military wheel. The â€Å"preamble† to the massacre reads thus, as described by the authors. â€Å"The order that was given was to kill everyone in the village. Someone asked if that meant women and children. And the order was: everyone in the village†¦.It was quite clear that no one was to be spared in that village†. One can see each syllable of this order was the harbinger of the impending massacre. A disciplined soldier had no other alternative but to obey the order and be a part of the massacre. I entirely agree with the observations and findings of the authors that what happened in My Lai was a blunder. Not a military action but the massacr e of the innocents. Majority of those killed were civilians, estimated some 400-500. Policymakers and anti-war movement activists were aware that they were being briefed with doses of fiction, as part of the cover-up operations. But the findings of the authors are on unassailable grounds and they have tendered 68 primary documents and have relied upon General Peer’s inquiry findings and they have chronicled the events systematically from the pre-operations details, the actual operation and the developments subsequent to the massacre.... One can see each syllable of this order was the harbinger of the impending massacre. A disciplined soldier had no other alternative but to obey the order and be a part of the massacre. I entirely agree with the observations and findings of the authors that what happened in My Lai was a blunder. Not a military action but massacre of the innocents. Majority of those killed were civilians, estimated some 400-500. The public, policymakers and anti-war movement activists were aware that they were being briefed with doses of fiction, as part of the cover-up operations. But the findings of the authors are on unassailable grounds and they have tendered 68 primary documents and have relied upon General Peer’s inquiry findings and they have chronicled the events systematically from the pre-operations details, the actual operation and the developments subsequent to the massacre. Black and white photos add further credential to the report. Without doubt, the soldiers were in an agitated s tate of mind, but that doesn’t provide one license to shoot at the defenseless men, women and children at will merely on the suspicion that they were Viet-Cong supporters. My Lai, is a hamlet, 335 miles northeast of Saigon, supposed to be a Viet-Cong dominated territory. The early morning action of about 70 infantrymen which resulted in the total destruction of the villagers, their residences and the livestock—can it be termed as military warfare? The Charlie Company of the 11th Brigade, American Division, landed in the village with the express intent to kill. The Officers had their own reasons, and they considered it as a retaliatory action. Firstly the area was a stronghold of Viet

History of German Films and Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History of German Films and Cinema - Essay Example Fassbinder's success in German theatre allowed him leverage when it came to ascending the rungs in mainstream cinema which he considered in greater esteem than theatre. But the German bourgeois always valued the older German theatre more highly than the younger cinema (Barnett p.137). He continued to make an impression in German theatre, and this improved his chances of being recognised and accepted in popular cinema which he did with films on a diverse range of prevalent issues. One such film that explored the issue of individuals resisting traditionalism was Ali: Fear Eats the Soul. A storm outside forces a middle-aged cleaning lady named Emmi into a local German bar. The place is filled with Arabic regulars who gaze at her entrance. This bar is one of the select few public spots where foreigners are openly received. It's owner fills the jukeboxes with Arabic music but when Emmi enters, she is no longer a welcome visitor but is looked on as a stranger. The owner prods a former lover, a Moroccan man named Ali, to engage Emmi in a dance. Soon after, they become close companions, sharing common internal conflicts and emotions, along with feelings of loneliness and isolation. As their union develops, they find that society turns harsher towards them more so now than when they were isolated individuals. Emmi's neighbours chitchat continuously about her companion who is living with her and this provokes the landlord to question their living arrangements. Ali fac es further embarrassment when a local grocer refuses to serve him until he improves his German. When Emmi meets her family and divulges her relationship with the Moroccan, she is met with cynicism and ridicule. The quarrel finally ends up with her TV set being destroyed. Later after Emmi's co-worker visits her at her apartment and finds Ali there, the following day she is spurned by her cleaning squad. She is then left to wallow in her predicament. In this film, Fassbinder explores the experiences of people who do not conform to society's norms. His cinematography uses space and framing of the nonconforming individual to mirror his or her isolation and seclusion from the rest of society. When Emmi and Ali dance on the floor, a long shot of them amplifies their isolation. The confined kitchen also highlights the suffocation she feels about her life. At a bistro, the vacant surrounding tables overstated by the staff's distance from the present visitors also reflects her isolation. Fassbinder, referring to use social commentary rather than melodrama, produces a narrative that reveals the depth of exclusion that the two protagonists are faced with. He shows that although they learn to deal with unwelcome pubic scrutiny, the pressures of society continually eats the soul of both Emmi and Ali. This fractures their delicate relationship and the question begs, will the two survive their union. There are no simple answers in the real w orld. In his 1979 film, The Marriage of Maria Braun, Fassbinder crafts a darkly comic and contemptuous portrayal of the revitalization program undertaken by Germany. The story is of Maria Braun whose wedding happened as a result of a swift two week courtship and a hastily conducted marriage ceremony during the last period of the second world war when

Intellectual Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Intellectual Property - Essay Example The United Kingdom has had matters to do with intellectual property as well as rights for the same. This paper looks into some of the implications on the same with reference to technical protection measures as well as anti-circumvention provisions as captured in certain sections of UK’s legislation on property rights. Copyright monopoly refers to the private ownership of a product by the producer. The government protects the right of the ownership through written acts to safeguard the production of counterfeits by unauthorized owners. In order to obtain the copyright monopoly, the government requires the producer to do an original registration of the full details of the product. The produces must have a license for the product for him or her to have the property right. The effect is that whenever a counterfeit to the same product appears in the market, the producer has the right to complain and even sue the counterfeit producers. Upon primary and secondary infringement of copy right 16-21, the perpetrator is liable for a legal suit in the UK intellectual property law. The same infringement attracts termination of the product from the market. Infringement of the laws applies to the licensed products, whose owners had been conferred with the full ownership license and rights. Murungi, Michale. Report from the law via internet conference. Vol,6 No.3. 2013, November, pp. 12-113. Cyber Law Issues concerning law and jurisdiction are currently taking a new course that employs the current technological advancements. Nowadays, internet has turned out to be part of the largest communication network that is becoming increasingly indispensable for every one across the globe to take part in social, cultural, and political discourse. In addition, internet has recently been deduced to be the linchpin of the democratic society as well as the social media platforms, which are being necessitated, in participatory democracy. Legal actions can, off late, comfortably be handl ed using the online services. Most online databases and data mining techniques can be used to harvest data from different sources. The counsel pursuant may end up carrying the burden due to the added costs of every part of the processes, which begins from the study and the case of support to planned giving. In such a case, it is usual for the personal jurisdiction to be improper in terms of the venue. The imageline’s complaint should completely be dismissed leaving the pursuant to carry the double cost. However, this can be quite different if the personal jurisdiction as well as the venue is found to be proper. The conveniences of the witnesses and parties will work in line with the concerns of efficiency. Simma, Bruno.Universality of International Law from the Perspective of a Practitioner. 2013, October. Legal perspective Similarly, the involvement of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to uncover the undertakings brings in a legal aspect whereby factors such as fraud are i nvestigated and initiators prosecuted. Similarly, one gets exonerated on the basis that he corporate with the investigating authorities to nail the stork brokers fraud schemers. However, for instance, his father is not prosecuted for the role he played in concealing his illegal business a factor not blending well with effective legal systems. This emanates from the constitutional directive that protecting anyone who breaks the law is practicing crime as well. Nate, Raymond U.S. judge weighs penalties after Bank of America fraud verdict. 2013, December Frauds Despite being a vital invention in the modern world, the business technology and its users have in the recent past been a target

Assignment requires you to perform a strategic review of Asda Essay

Assignment requires you to perform a strategic review of Asda - Essay Example The system also tracks individual customer’s consumption pattern and offers them suggestions and special offers and discounts on products that they often buy. Asda realises that its major work force is dependent on human resources, so they provide extensive training to their employees. Acquisition by Walmart has enhanced its presence in the non-food retail market. Within five years, Asda’s non-food retail chain has increased its offering to more than 12,000 merchandize. 5 Asda is one of the leading supermarket chains in Europe, which was acquired by Walmart in 1999. It operates as one of the largest grocery store and it also sells a variety of products including apparels, household items, books, etc. After its acquisition by Walmart, Asda is supported financially and also in its operations by providing cheaper resources. Asda has its core competence in food retail, but it has now expanded in to the non-food sector as well. The company faces steep competition from fellow companies like Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrison’s. The product offering in the retail sector is highly standardized, so the companies try new ways to differentiate themselves on the basis of service quality and brand valuation. Market environmental factors like tax imposition and business regulations often pose hindrance on retail business. Asda Stores Ltd., headquartered in Leeds, West Yorkshire, is a British retail supermarket chain which caters in sections like food, clothing, toys, general merchandise and financial services. In 1999, Walmart wanted to penetrate into the British market, so they lobbied with the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair and acquired Asda for  £ 6.7 billion, winning a bid from rival Kingfisher plc. The main competitors of Asda are J Sainsbury plc, Tesco plc and WM Morrison Supermarket plc. Over the years, Asda has managed to position itself as UK’s cheapest retail supermarket. As of 2012, Asda’s operating profit increased by  £51 million to  £857

What causes lead to the statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What causes lead to the statistics - Essay Example Chile records high growth in developments in the agricultural sector; the level and number of industries have since grown in Chile. The high economic growth creates opportunity for most citizens improving the income. Education is also a sector in which the Chilean government is keen on. Gender equality is scoring low despite having had a female president; the women get fewer opportunities in job markets and leadership positions. The women fail to take up competitive opportunities like in science and engineering ending up on low salaries. Life expectancy in Mexico sets at 77.5 percent below the OECD standards, and it’s below the level in most countries. The level is dependent on the rate of government commitment to quality health. The Mexican government commits 6.2 percent of the GDP on health services. The standard of obesity and other chronic diseases is at 32.4 percent affecting the Life expectancy levels (World Bank publication 2014 11). Rate of substance abuse is also a contributor. Mexico is one of the largest economies with the purchasing power higher. Mexico has over time invested in industrialization with high diversity, large numbers of manufacturing firms and increases in the level of exports. The high industrialization has improved the gross income rate per individuals because of increased employments. The balance in the educational sector in urban and rural areas shows much parity (Lara 121-132). The government allocations in the education sector have since improved the area. Gender equality has since improved, but there are still high levels of imbalance in leadership, pay gap disparities and levels of domestic violence. Life expectancy is far below the world standard set levels due to the low standards of health service provision in the country. The number of health service facilities available for the population is small. Most rural people have difficulty in accessing health

Communication Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Communication - Assignment Example They are of the view that much of the information about the customers is personal in nature such as their leisure activities and family lives; that cannot be made available to all as that carries the risk of falling in wrong hands and may lead to some kind of a legal dispute in future. I am pleased to learn through your letter that the Manitoba Philanthropic Society will be holding its annual charity telethon on February 15 lasting for two days during next year. I am fully aware about the charity activities carried out by your organization to assist the victims of disaster within Manitoba province and do appreciate it. I also recognize the fact that you were inducted into the order of the Buffalo Hunt last year for your long charitable work and you greatly deserved the award. All our seasonal kitchen and cleaning staff are laid off during the winter season until April 15 each year and the resort has only a few maintenance workers during the period. Water in the resort is also turned off in winter for conservation and access roads are not plowed by then to make them usable. It is also not possible and economical to rehire workers for just two days period during the days you want to organize your charity show. However, I would like to draw your attention that some resorts do remain open all winter and Moose Horn Resort in the Riding Mountains is one of such kind. You can check with them if they are eager and ready to accommodate your charity

Optical Computing Essay Example for Free

Optical Computing Essay Jainam Shah Kalol Institute Of Technology, Kalol, Gujarat, India. [emailprotected] Abstract—Optics has been used in computing for a number of years but the main emphasis has been and continues to be to link portions of computers, for communications, or more intrinsically in devices that have some optical application or component (optical pattern recognition, etc). Optical digital computers are still some years away, however a number of devices that can ultimately lead to real optical computers have already been manufactured, including optical logic gates, optical switches, optical interconnections, and optical memory. The most likely near-term optical computer will really be a hybrid composed of traditional architectural design along with some portions that can perform some functional operations in optical mode. Computing applications as a consequence of faster processing speed, as well as better connectivity and higher bandwidth. II. NEED FOR OPTICAL COMPUTING The pressing need for optical technology stems from the fact that today’s computers are limited by the time response of electronic circuits. A solid transmission medium limits both the speed and volume of signals, as well as building up heat that damages components. One of the theoretical limits on how fast a computer can function is given by Einstein’s principle that signal cannot propagate faster than speed of light. So to make computers faster, their components must be smaller and there by decrease the distance between them. This has resulted in the development of very large scale integration (VLSI) technology, with smaller device dimensions and greater complexity. The smallest dimensions of VLSI nowadays are about 0.08mm. Despite the incredible progress in the development and refinement of the basic technologies over the past decade, there is growing concern that these technologies may not be capable of solving the computing problems of even the current millennium. The speed of computers was achieved by miniaturizing electronic components to a very small micron-size scale, but they are limited not only by the speed of electrons in matter but also by the increasing density of interconnections necessary to link the electronic gates on microchips. The optical computer comes as a solution of miniaturization problem. Optical data processing can perform several operations in parallel much faster and easier than electrons. This parallelism helps in staggering computational power. For example a calculation that takes a conventional electronic computer more than 11 years to complete could be performed by an optical computer in a single hour. Any way we can realize that in an optical computer, electrons are rep laced by photons, the subatomic bits of electromagnetic radiation that make up light. I. INTRODUCTION With the growth of computing technology the need of high performance computers (HPC) has significantly increased. Optics has been used in computing for a number of years but the main emphasis has been and continues to be to link portions of computers, for communications, or more intrinsically in devices that have some optical application or component (optical pattern recognition etc.) Optical computing was a hot research area in 1980’s.But the work tapered off due to materials limitations that prevented opt chips from getting small enough and cheap enough beyond laboratory curiosities. Now, optical computers are back with advances in self-assembled conducting organic polymers that promise super-tiny of all optical chips. Optical computing technology is, in general, developing in two directions. One approach is to build computers that have the same architecture as present day computers but using optics that is Electro optical hybrids. Another approach is to generate a completely new kind of computer, which can perform all functional operations in optical mode. In recent years, a number of devices that can ultimately lead us to real optical computers have already been manufactured. These include optical logic gates, optical switches, optical interconnections and optical memory. Current trends in optical computing emphasize communications, for example the use of free space optical interconnects as a potential solution to remove ‘Bottlenecks’ experienced in electronic architectures. Optical technology is one of the most promising, and may eventually lead to new III. SOME KEY OPTICAL COMPONENTS FOR COMPUTING The major breakthroughs on optical computing have been centered on the development of micro-optic devices for data input. A. VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) VCSEL (pronounced ‘vixel’) is a semiconductor vertical cavity surface emitting laser diode that emits light in a cylindrical beam vertically from the surface of a fabricated wafer, and offers significant advantages when compared to the edge-emitting lasers currently used in the majority of fiber optic communications devices. The principle involved in the operation of a VCSEL is very similar to those of regular lasers. Fig. 2. Optical Interconnection Of Circuit Boards Using Vcsel And Photodiode VCSEL convert the electrical signal to optical signal when the light beams are passed through a pair of lenses and micromirrors. Micromirrors are used to direct the light beams and this light rays is passed through a polymer waveguide which serves as the path for transmitting data instead of copper wires in electronic computers. Then these optical beams are again passed through a pair of lenses and sent to a photodiode. This photodiode convert the optical signal back to the electrical signal. B. SLM (Spatial Light Modulators) SLM play an important role in several technical areas where the control of light on a pixel-by-pixel basis is a key element, such as optical processing and displays. 1) SLM For Display Purposes Fig. 1. Two semiconductor materials sandwiching an active layer There are two special semiconductor materials sandwiching an active layer where all the action takes place. But rather than reflective ends, in a VCSEL there are several layers of partially reflective mirrors above and below the active layer. Layers of semiconductors with differing compositions create these mirrors, and each mirror reflects a narrow range of wavelengths back in to the cavity in order to cause light emission at just one wavelength. For display purposes the desire is to have as many pixels as possible in as small and cheap a device as possible. For such purposes designing silicon chips for use as spatial light modulators has been effective. The basic idea is to have a set of memory cells laid out on a regular grid. These cells are electrically connected to metal mirrors, such that the voltage on the mirror depends on the value stored in the memory cell. A layer of optically active liquid crystal is sandwiched between this array of mirrors and a piece of glass with a conductive coating. The voltage between individual mirrors and the front electrode affects the optical activity of liquid crystal in that neighborhood. Hence by being able to individually program the memory locations one can set up a pattern of optical activity in the liquid crystal layer. C. Smart Pixel Technology Smart pixel technology is a relatively new approach to integrating electronic circuitry and optoelectronic devices in a common framework. The purpose is to leverage the advantages of each individual technology and provide improved performance for specific applications. Here, the electronic circuitry provides complex functionality and programmability while the optoelectronic devices provide high-speed switching and compatibility with existing optical media. Arrays of these smart pixels leverage the parallelism of optics for interconnections as well as computation. A smart pixel device, a light emitting diode under the control of a field effect transistor can now be made entirely out of organic materials on the same substrate for the first time. In general, the benefit of organic over conventional semiconductor electronics is that they should lead to cheaper, lighter, circuitry that can be printed rather than etched. D. WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) Wavelength division multipl exing is a method of sending many different wavelengths down the same optical fiber. Using this technology, modern networks in which individual lasers can transmit at 10 gigabits per second through the same fiber at the same time. which interact with light and modulate its properties. Several of the optical components require efficient-nonlinear materials for their operations. What in fact restrains the widespread use of all optical devices is the in efficiency of currently available nonlinear materials, which require large amount of energy for responding or switching. Organic materials have many features that make them desirable for use in optical devices such as 1) High nonlinearities 2) Flexibility of molecular design 3) Damage resistance to optical radiations Some organic materials belonging to the classes of phthalocyanines and polydiacetylenes are promising for optical thin films and wave guides. These compounds exhibit strong electronic transitions in the visible region and have high chemical and thermal stability up to 400 degree Celsius. Polydiacetylenes are among the most widely investigated class of polymers for nonlinear optical applications. Their subpicosecond time response to laser signals makes them candidates for high-speed optoelectronics and information processing. To make thin polymer film for electro-optic applications, NASA scientists dissolve a monomer (the building block of a polymer) in an organic solvent. This solution is then put into a growth cell with a quartz window, shining a laser through the quartz can cause the polymer to deposit in specific pattern. V. ADVANCES IN PHOTONIC SWITCHES Logic gates are the building blocks of any digital system. An optical logic gate is a switch that controls one light beam by another; it is ON when the device transmits light and it is OFF when it blocks the light. Fig. 3. a. Wave length division multiplexing b. A WDM System WDM can transmit up to 32 wavelengths through a single fiber, but cannot meet the bandwidth requirements of the present day communication systems. So nowadays DWDM (Dense wavelength division multiplexing) is used. This can transmit up to 1000 wavelengths through a single fiber. That is by using this we can improve the bandwidth efficiency. IV. ROLE OF NLO IN OPTICAL COMPUTING The role of nonlinear materials in optical computing has become extremely significant. Non-linear materials are those, Fig. 4. Optical AND-logic gate To demonstrate the AND gate in the phthalocyanine film, two focused collinear laser beams are wave guided through a thin film of phthalocyanine. Nanosecond green pulsed Nd:YAG laser was used together with a red continuous wave (cw) He-Ne beam. At the output a narrow band filter was set to block the green beam and allow only the He-Ne beam. Then the transmitted beam was detected on an oscilloscope. It was found that the transmitted He-Ne cw beam was pulsating with a nanosecond duration and in synchronous with the input Nd:YAG nanosecond pulse. This demonstrated the characteristic table of an AND logic gate. A. Optical and Gate In an optical NAND gate the phthalocyanine film is replaced by a hollow fiber filled with polydiacetylene. Nd:YAG green picoseconds laser pulse was sent collinearly with red cw He-Ne laser onto one end of the fiber. At the other end of the fiber a lens was focusing the output on to the narrow slit of a monochromatic with its grating set for the red He-Ne laser. When both He-Ne laser and Nd:YAG laser are present there will be no output at the oscilloscope. If either one or none of the laser beams are present we get the output at the oscilloscope showing NAND function. faster read-out rates. This research is expected to lead to compact, high capacity, rapid-and random-access, and low power and low cost data storage devices necessary for future intelligent spacecraft. The SLMs are used in optical data storage applications. These devices are used to write data into the optical storage medium at high speed. Fig. 6. Optical Disk More conventional approaches to holographic storage use ion doped lithium niobate crystals to store pages of data. For audio recordings ,a 150MBminidisk with a 2.5- in diameter has been developed that uses special compression to shrink a standard CD’s640-MB storage capacity onto the smaller polymer substrate. It is rewritable and uses magnetic field modulation on optical material. The mini disc uses one of the two methods to write information on to an optical disk. With the mini disk a magnetic field placed behind the optical disk is modulated while the intensity of the writing laser is held constant. By switching the polarity of the magnetic field while the laser creates a state of flux in the optical material digital data can be recorded on a single layer. As with all optical storage media a read laser retrieves the data. A. Working The 780nm light emitted from AlGaAs/GaAs laser diodes is collimated by a lens and focused to a diameter of about 1micrometer on the disk. If the re is no pit where the light is incident, it is reflected at the Al mirror of the disk and returns to the lens, the depth of the pit is set at a value such that the difference between the path of the light reflected at a pit and the Fig. 5. Optical NAND-logic gate VI. OPTICAL MEMORY In optical computing two types of memory are discussed. One consists of arrays of one-bit-store elements and other is mass storage, which is implemented by optical disks or by holographic storage systems. This type of memory promises very high capacity and storage density. The primary benefits offered by holographic optical data storage over current storage technologies include significantly higher storage capacities and path of light reflected at a mirror is an integral multiple of halfwavelength consequently, if there is a pit where light is incident, the amount of reflected light decreases tremendously because the reflected lights are almost cancelled by interference. The incident and reflected beams pass through the quarter wave plate and all reflected light is introduced to the photodiode by the beam splitter because of the polarization rotation due to the quarter wave plate. By the photodiode the reflected light, which as a signal whether, a pit is on the disk or not is changed into an electrical signal. VII. APPLICATIONS 1) High speed communications: The rapid growth of internet, expanding at almost 15% per month, demands faster speeds and larger bandwidth than electronic circuits can provide. Terabits speeds are needed to accommodate the growth rate of internet since in optical computers data is transmitted at the speed of light which is of the order of 3.10*8 m/sec hence terabit speeds are attainable. 2) Optical crossbar interconnects are used in asynchronous transfer modes and Shared memory multiprocessor systems. 3) Process satellite data. VIII. MERITS 1) Optical computing is at least 1000 to 100000 times faster than today’s silicon machines. 2) Optical storage will provide an extremely optimized way to store data, with space requirements far lesser than today’s silicon chips. 3) Super fast searches through databases. 4) No short circuits, light beam can cross each other without interfering with each other’s data 5) Light beams can travel in parallel and no limit to number of packets that can travel in the photonic circuits. 6) Optical computer removes the bottleneck in the present day Communication system IX. DRAWBACKS 1) Today’s materials require much high power to work in consumer products, coming up with the right materials may take five years or more. 2) Optical computing using a coherent source is simple to compute and understand, but it has many drawbacks like any imperfections or dust on the optical components will create unwanted interference pattern due to scattering effects. Incoherent processing on the other hand cannot store phase information. X. SOME CURRENT RESEARCH High performance computing has gained momentum in recent years, with efforts to optimize all the resources of electronic computing and researcher brain power in order to increase computing throughput. Optical computing is a topic of current support in many places, with private companies as well as governments in several countries encouraging such research work. A group of researchers from the University of Southern California, jointly with a team from the University of California, los angles, have developed an organic polymer with a switching frequency of 60 GHz. This is three times faster than the current industry standard, lithium niobate crystal based device. Another group at brown university and the IBM, Alma den research center has used ultrafast laser pulses to build ultra fast data storage devices. This group was able to achieve ultra fast switching down to 100 picoseconds. In Japan , NEC has developed a method for interconnecting circuit boards optically using VCSEL arrays .Another researchers at NTT have designed an optical backplane with free-space optical interconnects using tunable beam deflectors and mirrors. The project achieved 1000 interconnections per printed circuit board; with a throughput ranging from 1 to 10 Tb/s. XI. FUTURE TRENDS The Ministry of Information Technology has initiated a photonic development program. Under this program some funded projects are continuing in fiber optic high-speed network systems. Research is going on for developing Fig.7. Use of optical devices in future New laser diodes, photo detectors, and nonlinear material studies for faster switches. Research efforts on an particle thin film or layer studies for display devices are also in progress. At the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai, efforts are in progress to generate a white light source from a diode case based fiber amplifier system in order to provide WDM communication channels. XII. CONCLUSION Research in optical computing has opened up new possibilities in several fields related to high performance computing, high-speed communications. To design algorithms that execute applications faster, the specific properties of optics must be considered, such as their ability to exploit massive parallelism, and global interconnections. As optoelectronic and smart pixel devices mature, software development will have a major impact in the future and the ground rules for the computing may have to be rewritten. XIII. REFERENCES [1] [2] See for example: Chemical and Engineering ews, Photonic Crystals. Assembled on Chip, 79(47), 31 (2001). P. Boffi, D. Piccinin, M.C. Ubaldi, (Eds.), Infrared Holography for Optical Communications— echniques,MaterialsandDevices,SpringerTopics in Applied Physics: Vol 86, July 2002. Alain Goulet, Makoto Naruse, and Masatoshi Ishikawa, Simple integration technique to realize parallel optical interconnects: implementation of a pluggable two-dimensional optical data link, Applied Optics 41, 5538 (2002) Tushar Mahapatra, Sanjay Mishra, Oracle Parallel Processing, OReilly Associates, Inc., Sebastopol, California, USA, 2000. S. J. van Enk, J. McKeever, H. J. Kimble, and J. Ye, Cooling of a single atom in an optical trap inside a resonator, Phys. Rev. A 64, 013407 (2001). A. Dodabalapur, Z. Bao, A. Makhija, J. G. Laquindanum, V. R. Raju, Y. Feng, H. E. Katz, and J. Rogers, Organic smart pixels, Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 142 (1998). Henning Sirringhaus, Nir Tessler, and Richard H. Fr iend, Integrated Optoelectronic Devices Based on Conjugated Polymers, Science 280, 1741 (1988).

Individual Critical Reflection On Learning Outcomes Marketing Essay

Individual Critical Reflection On Learning Outcomes Marketing Essay Tag Games is formed in 2006 as an independent game development studio and publisher by 3 game manufacturer veterans eager to bring new experiences to mobile gaming primarily, and then to further platforms. The 1st heading Dead Water was launched on J2ME mobile phones in Sept 2006 to extensive very important praise. Since then the studio has developed a desirable status for modernization and excellence, structure strategic partnerships with several main games developers and development studios all around the world. Having achieved success in the beginning period 2007 Tag raised seed deal from successive Scottish technology industrialist Bill Dobbie and they funded in middle of 2007 to enlarge manufacture ability and to allow a more hostile move toward the licensing and publication activity. Tag Games was featured as no.23 in the 02/ Real business 50 in 2007 to watch in Mobile listing, a greeting acknowledgment of the excellence of the studios games and potential of the business strategy. Marketing Plan for Back on the saddle game. Most of the mobile games developers develop the games basing on the news events. Marketing plan illustrates the market segments and strategies, which we are employing to get customers and create good revenue stream. We always develop the games with real life twist, which always give advantage over our competitors by giving customers a new outlet to enjoy mobile games. We will fund development of our own game by providing consulting services to create similar games for corporations who are looking to create mobile games for promotional purposes. The consulting project will come from advertising sponsorship relationships that we will establish with companies who are interested in embedding their brand and offers inside our other games and would also like something more custom that they can offer as their own game. In first few years of the business, we expect consulting to constitute a large portion of our revenue stream. Vision Our Vision is to provide people with a fun over the course of their normal day. We create games that are easy to play. We develop games basing on the real life situations and on life styles of different country people. This unique feature always helps us in winning the customers. We also help the customers in understanding the various cultures. Our software development team is experienced to create timely games quickly. Our marketing challenge is to attract visibility quickly and we intend to accomplish this by leveraging a multi-pronged approach that involves social media, email marketing and search engine optimization strategies to gain market share. As we gain traction in the marketplace, word of mouth will lift our game downloads significantly Goals Boost sales by 100% by the end of year 1. To be a mile stone in traditional game development within two years. To set up reliability among the clients. Our goal is to establish a reputation for games that poke fun at what many would consider humorous actions by well-known people. Our aim is to create the most innovative and fun casual games in the whole wide world! Target Customers Ideal customers is between the ages of 15 and 25 who enjoys playing video games and has a mobile phone that allows applications to be downloaded, such as the moderate to high end mobile phones. Customers usually have play station or TV-based video game unit at home. Some of the even have a portable gaming unit such as the DS/DSI and other portable gadgets. Most of the customers have access to a home computer, pc or Mac. Most of the customers are teenagers living at home, others are college students or who have joined the workforce in the last 6 years. They have a wide range of disposable income. Market Definition and Segmentation We target two segments: Mobile game users. Organizations that want to reach them. In the above segments, customers enjoy creative experiences and computer and mobile phone savvy. Free mobile games: Some features of free versions are disabled and advertising is displayed in some strategic locations within the game so that users are not bothered or distracted by the ads. For example, a shoes company pays for a sponsorship and we might embed their name as a tappable billboard that appears as if it is part of the game itself. We offer trail versions of our games for free so that users can get a taste of the full game without committing any money up front. Paid mobiles games: Paid mobile games contain a broader set of features. The price was fixed to create very low price resistance for customers. Games are accessible via instant download on their mobile platforms. Paid games are monetized via clickable ad sponsorships embedded within the games. Organizations that want to reach youth: There are customers who purchases custom mobile game development services. Their intent is to promote their brand and products to the demographic that overlaps with mobile game users. Target Market Segment Strategy: Strategies focus on developing an initial set of libraries containing game attributes that can be combined to create new games. After launching the game, we will stay in regular contact with our customers via numerous online methods, including social media and email marketing. After creating these libraries and games, we will be able to market fast-turnaround consulting services to organizations who would like their own promotional games. Target Mobile Game Users: Our mobile games have a timely connection to current news events. Due to which we release new games basing on previous and present news. For example, we created a cow boy character in back to the saddle game. And we create the new versions considering the latest political scandals, celebrity comments. The mobile game users enjoy interacting with games that give them a sense of power and excitement, allowing them in some way to live vicariously through the game. Most of our games are help in increasing the users concentration levels. Needs and Requirements: Mobile games users always get tired quickly and are constantly looking for new games to play. We target the news media so they discuss games related to the stories they are covering. Our target stories are taken from all around the World. Generally teens get money from their parents to purchase games, which can be from low paying jobs or allowances. Teens also have limited financial capacity yet choose to spend part of their disposable income on game as one of their sources of entertainment. Most of the mobile users have limited financial capacity. Customers always talk to each other about which games they enjoy, including strategies for playing and winning. They also participate in online forums and discussion group to gather tips and other information to help them play or to find new challenges. Most of the customers enjoy being listed as the high score when there is a public setting available for players. We intend to offer this public setting by allowing the customer to upload their score to our web site for each game. The highest scores will be posted, giving the player worldwide bragging rights. As a result, the word of mouth potential for timely games is explosive. We emphasize more on focusing on creativity along with spectacular service and speed of development for our consulting clients. It is important for us to get to market quickly in order to capitalize on the news event that is associated with game. The longer the delay between game conception and game release, the less the penetration of that game. Distribution Channels: Approaching senior marketing executives is typically done through a variety of means. Our finances and resources are limited, so we need to manage them effectively. We focus on two aspects: Advertising Networking The advertising will primarily be online via search engine ads so we see the results within days instead of not knowing whether a print ad has effect. We have identified 4 trade shows and 3 conferences that these executives typically attend over the course of a year. Part of our marketing plan is to attend these events to network with these potential buyers. We also will submit response to calls for papers to be speakers at some of the events when possible. Blackberry applications are controlled by Blackberry through Blackberry App world. Their users tend to be older and more focused on business uses for their mobile devices. Because of this, we will not focus our initial efforts on Blackberry. However, we do have the expertise to build Blackberry applications and will create custom games for this device for consulting clients who would like them. iphone games are distributed through the Appstore which is currently controlled by Apple. One of the obstacles we have to overcome is the speed with which apple approves applications for downloading, which will be important for us since our games have a time sensitive nature to them as they will be popular as long as a new story is in circulation. Googles Android offers an open source model so they will likely surpass the iphone in the number of applications available soon. This also eliminates the need for review and allows us to post new applications quickly. As more applications come out for this device, it will gain market share. We want to be positioned so that we provide excellent games for the community. Competitive Forces: There are many mobile game developers. Most games are developed by one person who does not have the marketing savvy to integrate advertising sponsorships into their games as we have outlined in this marketing plan. Our unique twists on the type of the games is also an advantage because we will not have to spend as much time and energy thinking of the game themes. The news of the day will provide that folders so our efforts can be concentrated on developing that real-life story into a game. There are many software developers targeting organizations to build custom games. Some are developing games overseas at lower cost. Even some larger domestic companies outsource portions of their game development. In order to keep up with pricing pressures, we have established ties with one overseas organization to help us with game development as we release new games and create the component libraries. Communications: We leverage word of mouth and social media for the vast majority of our marketing using platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Orkut. These platforms are widely used by the customers in our demographic market. We will make announcements via regular tweets and updates to our fan page on Facebook. We also use email marketing list which is comprised of people who have expressed interest in knowing when we release new games. We have segmented our email list so that we can send appropriate emails to media and different ones to actual gamers, our customers. We also develop an online ad campaign with landing pages containing lead generation forms that visitors can fill out to get whitepapers on using mobile gaming to attract customers. We also network at major trade shows and conferences, including obtaining engagements where we can discuss case studies to expose our concepts and strategies to the right level of buyer. Each game will contain a link to our web site where users can find out about more games and subscribe to our email list and follow us on Twitter and Facebook. To help promote games via word of mouth, each game has the option to notify a friend. So, a user can send a text message to a friend instantly to share their excitement or recommendation about the game. Budget: Marketing expenses are mostly for staff required to do the marketing activities listed. The vast majority of the software tools needed to implement the activities, such as analytics and landing page creation, are available for free. The exceptions to this are for specific tools like email marketing and forums. We do not expect an increase in marketing staff requirements during year 1 because one person can actually do a lot of these activities. Once they have put marketing plan processes into place, the marketing activities upkeep becomes easier and can handle by junior staff. Below is breakdown of marketing expenses by month for year 1. Keys to Success: Many companies leveraged the power of mobile games to reach their market, however we will show case studies which is the primary key to success. This can be tracked using metrics such as the number of times a gamer clicked on an ad embed into a game, the number of times a custom game was downloaded or an increase in sales of the product being promoted. Success can also be tracked by industry buzz. For example, fast food chain burger king created a Facebook application that allowed users to earn points for unfriending one of their friends. This application would show the image of the friend burning. Upon burning 10 friends, the user would be entitled to a free burger. This application spread very quickly and quite a few Facebook users enjoyed participating. This campaign did two things: generated traffic into restaurants and generated a tremendous amount of media buzz. It cost significantly less than a paid advertising campaign involving television time purchases. Our posting to social media sites will include a trackable link so we know how many people click on each post. Using online tools like link redirectors. We can also see how many readers repost or forward such links. We will also include trackable links within our email marketing messages. People who want more information about the game will be directed to landing pages, which are web pages that contain more information about the game, which includes details about the game and the links to download the game. These landing pages will be optimized for search engines so that when internet user search on various keywords, our pages will rank highly in their search results. The usage of online analytics tools helps to enable to see how many people click on various links in our media campaigns to go to the landing pages and how many clicks to download each game. On the other hand, online clicks cannot track users who use their mobile phones to download the apps directly, which may comprise the bulk of our downloads. For those, tracking of downloads is provided by the platform such as Appstore. We estimate that one of every ten people who visit the landing page or see a tweet or Facebook post will download a game. The average sale price estimated based on paid downloads as well as sales of advertising sponsorships and custom game development. Sales Forecast: Sales forecast is a difficult area of management. We have three sources for sales: Custom games development: This will be consulting projects to develop promotional games. Game downloads: This includes free and paid downloads. The free downloads are monetized from embedded advertising sponsorships. Embedded advertising sponsorships: ads embedded in both free and paid games. Sales Monitoring: Sales must be constantly monitored to ensure that targets are being reached and revenue is being generated. The best way to do this is by comparing sales against pre-determined targets which we have. The revenue generated from sale should also be tracked against the companys budget. Â  Sale achieved should be reported on a regular basis so monitoring can take place. It is sometimes not always obvious when a deal has been closed, so a reporting template to record sales may be helpful in this process. This template can also capture prospects that are being worked on so there is overall view of the sales pipeline. In monitoring Process, it is good to understand why a sale has been successful, and why a sale was not made. This can help us readjust our approach or learn about competitors so that the sale can be won the next time. Progress Monitoring: We created a variety of key metrics that will measure on a regular basis, to make sure we are on the track. These require many adjustments and fine tuning as we progress. INDIVIDUAL CRITICAL REFLECTION ON LEARNING OUTCOMES The Tag Games Company sets forth a clear mission statement that is outlined with three major principals in mind that outline the companys values and motivates its employees. Their mission statement is divided into two parts: Product mission Economic mission Social mission Further defines the companys outlook on how they should impact the world. By using clear energizing goals and communicative goals, the mission statement of Tag Games provides a motivating ideal that its employees can strive for. The Tag Games Company has a mission statement that motivates its employees to want to produce a good product. The Tag Games mission statement is divided into three subsections that make it simpler to see what the overall goal is. The subsections are product, economic and social missions. Each area addresses energizing goals as well as communicative goals to provide a clear and motivating mission statement. Energizing goals state the intent of the company and what goals the organization would like to achieve. Under the product mission, it is stated that their goal is to make, distribute and sell the finest thought provoking games. This is the primary mission of Tag Games because they are in the business of selling games. It is also the first subsection in their mission statement, they are saying that this is who we are and this is what we do. Tag Games is a games company, so the first line makes sense because it simply states what the primary goal of the company is to make games. Along with this line, there are more lines about serving the society and using the morals. These statements add a sort of validity to the business of making Games. These statements add a sort of validity to the business of creating games. Employees reading this might feel like they are doing the world a service by working for Tag Games. These sorts of statements are designed to make the employees feel like they are making a better product, better for the people who play the game and better for the rest of the world too. A portion of people that work for Tag Games as well as a portion of their customers base will place great importance on the companys outlook on the style and creativity of the games. The goals in the first paragraph are clear organizational goals and will make some of the employees that work there feels good about working there. The next portion of their mission statement goes into their economic mission. The economic mission states that part of their mission is to expand opportunities for development and growth for their employees. This is a sort of communicative goal. By making expansion a part of their economic mission for the purpose of providing opportunity, it becomes in the interest of all employees to work hard for expansion. By adding this section into their mission statement, Tag Games is communicating to every employee that it is their duty to help expand the business to create even more opportunity for current and future employees. Every employ gains from the economic mission includes increasing revenue for investors and making profit. Most companies will include profit making for investors and increasing revenue because stating this in the mission statement can attract investors. The final area that is included in their mission statement is the social mission that Tag Games has outlined for its organization. They state that because business plays a vital role in society that they should initiate ways to improve conditions locally, nationally and internationally. This paragraph basically outlines how to be a good citizen or neighbor within the community. A certain portion of the employee population will feel inspired by this portion of the mission statement and get increased job satisfaction from working at Tag Games. Working in the community and coexisting with neighbors is good for the company as well as being good for the employees. When the whole picture is put together, the values that Tag Games is trying to push in their mission statement is clear. Respect for nature, helping one another and being good neighbors to each other sums up the Tag Games mission statement. Their mission statement is very idyllic, but it is a good idea that many people would take to heart. The mission statement of Tag Games sets the tone for all employees and creates a positive impression of their company. The employees of Tag Games are probably very motivated to work for a company that has so much social conscientiousness and basic love for fellow man. It is definitely a feel good kind of mission statement. I always felt that marketing play a major role in promoting a product. However I never had a clear picture of importance of growth of the company and values. Tag Games, successful employment relations has seen the company become a leader within the gaming and development industry. Marketing and employment relations are equally important aspects to the successful operation of all businesses, through correct marketing businesses can expect to grow and expand, both in size and profitability. Tag games have employed a range of strategies to accomplish its aims and become a more competitive player within the aviation industry. With the development of new game, individual strategies will need to be used to help the business succeed. Role of marketing in the growth of the company The role of marketing is to connect the business with its target market. Marketing is the major link between the business and its customers. As the market changes and becomes more competitive, the business needs to know and understand its target market so it can provide better service to its customers. Successful marketing will identify customers needs, and then, plan price, promote and distribute the products and service that will satisfy these needs. This way the business goals of increased profit and greater share of the market can be achieved. But continually researching customers and monitoring the business environment, marketing provides the information the business needs in order to change direction on adjust its tactics by providing new product or changing existing products. The objectives and strategies of the marketing plan are used to determine the plans of the other functions such as operations, employment relations, and accounting and finance. Management has recognized t he role of marketing in business success and so continually researches its market and modifies its marketing strategies to meet customer needs and wants. Setting Marketing Objectives The next step in the marketing planning process is setting the marketing objectives. The objectives establishes in the business plan will be the guide for the marketing objectives. Tag Games main objective is to make a profit, both in the current and long terms. The overall goal is to provide a satisfactory return to investors and to generate enough profit in reserve to fund growth and the development of the new games. Tag Games main objective is to sell its games at affordable prices that will ensure enough demand to sustain its profit objectives. However there are other objectives, Such as increase sales, increase customer service, decrease operating costs, increase market share. Planning Planning is essential for successful marketing. In order to carry out the marketing program, a business needs a plan that will help it to achieve its objectives. For each business marketing plan is going to be different depending on the size and nature of the business. The marketing plan involves 5 stages these includes: Marketing mix As the gaming industry has become more competitive, the competitors have focused on product planning. Tag Games designs products to be attractive and hold customers from a particular market segment and to do so profitably. This means using its detailed understanding of the needs and requirements of its different market segments. Such understanding is acquired through market research. In gaming industry customer always get bored after completing the levels in the game. They always want something new which is not present in the market. To achieve this Tag Games always comes with creative ideas to develop new games. Price is an important element in any marketing plan. Strategies for promotion the new game. Image of Tag Games in the society. Advertising Sales promotion Strategies of Marketing A business can use a number of different strategies to reach the same objective, and a combination of different strategies can be used. Whichever strategies are used they must meet a number of basic points. Meet the objectives of the business and marketing plans Satisfy the needs of the target markets Work together in achieving marketing objectives. Tag Games uses market segmentation to better meet the needs of all its customers, to compete more effectively, and to attain financial goals more readily. Tag Games is launching new game called Back on the saddle which is targeting on youth and teenagers. Positioning is the image that Tag Games projects in relation to its competitors. Tag Games brings attention to its games by using a variety of positioning strategies. Situational Analysis The situational analysis looks at the market n terms of size and growth, needs of the target market and trends in buyer behavior. The performance of the products or service in terms of sales, profit margins and stage in the product lifecycle are examined. Major competitors are identified and analyzed in terms of marketing and stage in the product lifecycle is examined. Major competitors are identified and analyzed in terms of marketing strategies. A major part of such as market share, loyal customers, level of customer satisfaction and product quality. Marketing Plan Implementation Process of implementing Tag Games marketing plan into action. The marketing department of TagGames continually monitors, controls and adjusts its marketing activities using the following tools; Comparing actual and planned results using a number of tools. Revising market strategies and taking corrective action where appropriate. Developing a financial forecast of revenue using models, past sales data, executive judgment and surveys of customer trends. It then estimates costs such as market research cost, promotion costs. Tag Games marketing plan and strategies are effective because of the following: Focus on market research. Identify and satisfy customer needs. Encourage new product development. Comprehensive marketing plan and strategies. Apart from these, working on various projects has given me varied experience on the basis of which I have decided that marketing is where I would like to base my future. A career in marketing would give me an opportunity to work across boundaries of industry definitions with a number of industries ranging from consumer goods to innovative communication and high tech markets. The project helped me gain exposure, insight, knowledge and hands-on experience with time environment. The Project also helped me in understanding consumer buying behavior entails marketing, relationships, and consumer behavior. Consumer behavior comprises all the consumer decisions and activities connected with the choosing, buying, using and disposing of goods and services. I learned that marketers must pay very close attention to consumer behavior that occurs before the purchase and after the particular product has been used. Studying consumer habits is one of the steps in marketing search and analysis. In add ition to other basic principles of consumer buying habits, marketers also need to study the decision and actions of real people. If companies does not have the correct or necessary information about the competitors and market, bad business decisions occur, leading to companies not making marketing decisions without knowing specific details about their customers. I have understood and learned the planning and implementing marketing promotions to capture the market, within given budget constraints. And various methods of approaching companies marketing head for contracts or business deals. The bottom line of my experience is, every business is to attract customers continuously. It takes more than a good product or service; it takes serious planning and committed people working the plan.