How College Students Use Wikipedia for Course-Related Essay

Why then are academics so wary about the use of Wikipedia within universities? There are a number of related reasons. Before outlining them we should acknowledge that there may be differences according to academic discipline in attitudes towards Wikipedia. Speaking to academics from the natural and medical sciences over the last year, it seems that those subjects are less concerned with issues of originality of source than the arts and social sciences. It also may be [pic] and this is genuine speculation [pic] that academics in the English speaking world, where most of the academic controversy over Wikipedia use has been, are more sensitive to the source than in other parts of the world. These qualifications aside, there are definite reasons why Wikipedia use is, at the very least, contentious in universities. First, it is the product of anonymous individuals rather than known authorities, Wales is quite explicit on this: One of the fastest things we’re beginning to lose is the view of the world that there are a handful of thoughtful, intelligent people that should be broadcasting their views to everyone. And then the public is some sort of crazed rabble, easily swayed by rhetoric and so forth. Now we have to have a more nuanced understanding. Wikipedia is not necessarily anti-academic but it is anti-elitist as evidenced by the short shrift given to eminent academics in debates when they expected deference (see Keen 2007, 43[pic]4). Second, the non-proprietary nature of Wikipedia cuts against academic culture which valorises the rights of the author and publisher. Third, the anonymity of Wikipedia articles is alien to the cache of the named writer of the journal article or book. Fourth, the collaborative process challenges the norm of individual creation, prevalent in the arts and social sciences. Fifth, as intimated, Wikipedia departs from the standard mode of vetting by peer review. It is not true that articles are not reviewed. On the contrary, they are scrutinised by far more editors than for any journal. However, as the contributor is generally not an academic expert, so the reviewer is not generally an academic expert. So Wikipedia rejects academic custom in the compilation of knowledge. In addition, there are a number of what might be termed ‘learning and teaching’ issues pertaining to its use within universities. First, there is the issue of the accuracy of Teaching in Higher Education 651 Downloaded by [University of Glasgow] at 05:27 12 December 2012 Wikipedia entries, something that relates to the lack of formal expertise and peer review. Reviews of the accuracy of Wikipedia entries by formal expert(s) have actually been generally positive (for natural sciences see Giles 2005; American history Meier 2008). Despite this, the suspicion still surrounds Wikipedia that it cannot be trusted. O’Sullivan’s (2009, 119) assertion that ‘most people probably have an ambivalent attitude toward Wikipedia, thankful for its existence, using it frequently, but with reservations about its total reliability’ seems valid. Some academics would no doubt sympathise with the sardonic observation of comedian Frankie Boyle that Wikipedia entries should begin with ‘I reckon’. Second, some have questioned whether Wikipedia’s determination for studied neutrality is convincing. O’Sullivan (2010) complains that as Wikipedia only displays one voice, diversity is not incorporated and therefore articles become bland. Wales’s response is unapologetic: ‘Guilty as charged, we’re an encyclopedia’ (in Read 2006). Not that his approach to knowledge is without theory, it derives rather from his admiration for the convoluted ‘objectivist philosophy’ of Aryan Rand, the Russian e?migre? philosopher and novelist (Younkins 2007). A third learning and teaching concern is that, regardless of the reliability of Wikipedia, it is in itself an illegitimate form of research. Here the thinking would be that a student who culls Wikipedia for assignments does not understand scholarship. This consists of the consideration of various sources: a judicious sifting and ordering of knowledge, rather than lifting bite sized chunks of text that purport to capture a subject. On this Wales concurs, telling students: ‘For God sake, you’re in college; don’t cite the encyclopedia’ (in Young 2006). Some universities in the US have banned Wikipedia use, whilst others recommend a more discriminating approach (Jaschik 2007; Murley 2008). The latter is what Wales and others within Wikipedia advise: it should be used only as a starting place in academic research, a references source and a revision aid. What, however, is the evidence on Wikipedia use by students and academics at universities?

Digital Fortress Chapter 81-84

Chapter 81 Becker stood bleary-eyed beside the telephone booth on the terminal concourse. Despite his burning face and a vague nausea, his spirits were soaring. It was over. Truly over. He was on his way home. The ring on his finger was the grail he'd been seeking. He held his hand up in the light and squinted at the gold band. He couldn't focus well enough to read, but the inscription didn't appear to be in English. The first symbol was either a Q, an O, or a zero, his eyes hurt too much to tell. Becker studied the first few characters. They made no sense. This was a matter of national security? Becker stepped into the phone booth and dialed Strathmore. Before he had finished the international prefix, he got a recording. â€Å"Todos los circuitos estan ocupados,† the voice said. â€Å"Please hang up and try your call later.† Becker frowned and hung up. He'd forgotten: Getting an international connection from Spain was like roulette, all a matter of timing and luck. He'd have to try again in a few minutes. Becker fought to ignore the waning sting of the pepper in his eyes. Megan had told him rubbing his eyes would only make them worse; he couldn't imagine. Impatient, he tried the phone again. Still no circuits. Becker couldn't wait any longer-his eyes were on fire; he had to flush them with water. Strathmore would have to wait a minute or two. Half blind, Becker made his way toward the bathrooms. The blurry image of the cleaning cart was still in front of the men's room, so Becker turned again toward the door marked damas. He thought he heard sounds inside. He knocked. â€Å"Hola?† Silence. Probably Megan, he thought. She had five hours to kill before her flight and had said she was going to scrub her arm till it was clean. â€Å"Megan?† he called. He knocked again. There was no reply. Becker pushed the door open. â€Å"Hello?† He went in. The bathroom appeared empty. He shrugged and walked to the sink. The sink was still filthy, but the water was cold. Becker felt his pores tighten as he splashed the water in his eyes. The pain began to ease, and the fog gradually lifted. Becker eyed himself in the mirror. He looked like he'd been crying for days. He dried his face on the sleeve of his jacket, and then it suddenly occurred to him. In all the excitement, he'd forgotten where he was. He was at the airport! Somewhere out thereon the tarmac, in one of the Seville airport's three private hangars, there was a Learjet 60 waiting to take him home. The pilot had stated very clearly, I have orders to stay here until you return. It was hard to believe, Becker thought, that after all this, he had ended up right back where he'd started. What am I waiting for? he laughed. I'm sure the pilot can radio a message to Strathmore! Chuckling to himself, Becker glanced in the mirror and straightened his tie. He was about to go when the reflection of something behind him caught his eye. He turned. It appeared to be one end of Megan's duffel, protruding from under a partially open stall door. â€Å"Megan?† he called. There was no reply. â€Å"Megan?† Becker walked over. He rapped loudly on the side of the stall. No answer. He gently pushed the door. It swung open. Becker fought back a cry of horror. Megan was on the toilet, her eyes rolled skyward. Dead center of her forehead, a bullet hole oozed bloody liquid down her face. â€Å"Oh, Jesus!† Becker cried in shock. â€Å"Esta muerta,† a barely human voice croaked behind him. â€Å"She's dead.† It was like a dream. Becker turned. â€Å"Senor Becker?† the eerie voice asked. Dazed, Becker studied the man stepping into the rest room. He looked oddly familiar. â€Å"Soy Hulohot,† the killer said. â€Å"I am Hulohot.† The misshapen words seemed to emerge from the depths of his stomach. Hulohot held out his hand. â€Å"El anillo. The ring.† Becker stared blankly. The man reached in his pocket and produced a gun. He raised the weapon and trained it on Becker's head. â€Å"El anillo.† In an instant of clarity, Becker felt a sensation he had never known. As if cued by some subconscious survival instinct, every muscle in his body tensed simultaneously. He flew through the air as the shot spat out. Becker crashed down on top of Megan. A bullet exploded against the wall behind him. â€Å"Mierda!† Hulohot seethed. Somehow, at the last possible instant, David Becker had dived out of the way. The assassin advanced. Becker pulled himself off the lifeless teenager. There were approaching footsteps. Breathing. The cock of a weapon. â€Å"Adios,† the man whispered as he lunged like a panther, swinging his weapon into the stall. The gun went off. There was a flash of red. But it was no tblood. It was something else. An object had materialized as if out of nowhere, sailing out of the stall and hitting the killer in the chest, causing his gun to fire a split second early. It was Megan's duffel. Becker exploded from the stall. He buried his shoulder in the man's chest and drove him back into the sink. There was a bone-crushing crash. A mirror shattered. The gun fell free. The two men collapsed to the floor. Becker tore himself away and dashed for the exit. Hulohot scrambled for his weapon, spun, and fired. The bullet ripped into the slamming bathroom door. The empty expanse of the airport concourse loomed before Becker like an uncrossable desert. His legs surged beneath him faster than he'd ever known they could move. As he skidded into the revolving door, a shot rang out behind him. The glass panel in front of him exploded in a shower of glass. Becker pushed his shoulder into the frame and the door rotated forward. A moment later he stumbled onto the pavement outside. A taxi stood waiting. â€Å"Dejame entrar!† Becker screamed, pounding on the locked door. â€Å"Let me in!† The driver refused; his fare with the wire-rim glasses had asked him to wait. Becker turned and saw Hulohot streaking across he concourse, gun in hand. Becker eyed his little Vespa on the sidewalk. I'm dead. Hulohot blasted through the revolving doors just in time to see Becker trying in vain to kick start his Vespa. Hulohot smiled and raised his weapon. The choke! Becker fumbled with the levers under the gas tank. He jumped on the starter again. It coughed and died. â€Å"El anillo. The ring.† The voice was close. Becker looked up. He saw the barrel of a gun. The chamber was rotating. He rammed his foot on the starter once again. Hulohot's shot just missed Becker's head as the little bike sprang to life and lurched forward. Becker hung on for his life as the motorcycle bounced down a grassy embankment and wobbled around the corner of the building onto the runway. Enraged, Hulohot raced toward his waiting taxi. Seconds later, the driver lay stunned on the curb watching his taxi peel out in a cloud of dust. Chapter 82 As the implications of the Commander's phone call to Security began to settle on the dazed Greg Hale, he found himself weakened by a wave of panic. Security is coming! Susan began to slip away. Hale recovered, clutching at her midsection, pulling her back. â€Å"Let me go!† she cried, her voice echoing though the dome. Hale's mind was in overdrive. The commander's call had taken him totally by surprise. Strathmore phoned Security! He's sacrificing his plans for Digital Fortress! Not in a million years had Hale imagined the commander would let Digital Fortress slip by. This back door was the chance of a lifetime. As the panic rushed in, Hale's mind seemed to play tricks on him. He saw the barrel of Strathmore's Berretta everywhere he looked. He began to spin, holding Susan close, trying to deny the commander a shot. Driven by fear, Hale dragged Susan blindly toward the stairs. In five minutes the lights would come on, the doors would open, and a SWAT team would pour in. â€Å"You're hurting me!† Susan choked. She gasped for breath as she stumbled through Hale's desperate pirouettes. Hale considered letting her go and making a mad dash for Strathmore's elevator, but it was suicide. He had no password. Besides, once outside the NSA without a hostage, Hale knew he was as good as dead. Not even his Lotus could outrun a fleet of NSA helicopters. Susan is the only thing that will keep Strathmore from blowing me off the road! â€Å"Susan,† Hale blurted, dragging her toward the stairs. â€Å"Come with me! I swear I won't hurt you!† As Susan fought him, Hale realized he had new problems. Even if he somehow managed to get Strathmore's elevator open and take Susan with him, she would undoubtedly fight him all the way out of the building. Hale knew full well that Strathmore's elevator made only one stop: â€Å"the Underground Highway,† a restricted labyrinth of underground access tunnels through which NSA powerbrokers moved in secrecy. Hale had no intention of ending up lost in the basement corridors of the NSA with a struggling hostage. It was a death trap. Even if he got out, he realized, he had no gun. How would he get Susan across the parking lot? How would he drive? It was the voice of one of Hale's marine, military-strategy professors that gave him his answer: Force a hand, the voice warned, and it will fight you. But convince a mind to think as you want it to think, and you have an ally. â€Å"Susan,† Hale heard himself saying, â€Å"Strathmore's a killer! You're in danger here!† Susan didn't seem to hear. Hale knew it was an absurd angle anyway; Strathmore would never hurt Susan, and she knew it. Hale strained his eyes into the darkness, wondering where the commander was hidden. Strathmore had fallen silent suddenly, which made Hale even more panicky. He sensed his time was up. Security would arrive at any moment. With a surge of strength, Hale wrapped his arms around Susan's waist and pulled her hard up the stairs. She hooked her heels on the first step and pulled back. It was no use, Hale overpowered her. Carefully, Hale backed up the stairs with Susan in tow. Pushing her up might have been easier, but the landing at the top was illuminated from Strathmore's computer monitors. If Susan went first, Strathmore would have a clear shot at Hale's back. Pulling Susan behind him, Hale had a human shield between himself and the Crypto floor. About a third of the way up, Hale sensed movement at the bottom of the stairs. Strathmore's making his move! â€Å"Don't try it, Commander,† he hissed. â€Å"You'll only get her killed.† Hale waited. But there was only silence. He listened closely. Nothing. The bottom of the stairs was still. Was he imagining things? It didn't matter. Strathmore would never risk a shot with Susan in the way. But as Hale backed up the stairs dragging Susan behind him, something unexpected happened. There was a faint thud on the landing behind him. Hale stopped, adrenaline surging. Had Strathmore slipped upstairs? Instinct told him Strathmore was at the bottom of the stairs. But then, suddenly, it happened again-louder this time. A distinct step on the upper landing! In terror, Hale realized his mistake. Strathmore's on the landing behind me! He has a clear shot of my back! In desperation, he spun Susan back to his uphill side and started retreating backwards down the steps. As he reached the bottom step, he stared wildly up at the landing and yelled, â€Å"Back off, Commander! Back off, or I'll break her-â€Å" The butt of a Berretta came slicing through the air at the foot of the stairs and crashed down into Hale's skull. As Susan tore free of the slumping Hale, she wheeled in confusion. Strathmore grabbed her and reeled her in, cradling her shaking body. â€Å"Shhh,† he soothed. â€Å"It's me. You're okay.† Susan was trembling. â€Å"Com†¦ mander.† She gasped, disoriented. â€Å"I thought†¦ I thought you were upstairs†¦ I heard†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Easy now,† he whispered. â€Å"You heard me toss my loafers up onto the landing.† Susan found herself laughing and crying at the same time. The commander had just saved her life. Standing there in the darkness, Susan felt an overwhelming sense of relief. It was not, however, without guilt; Security was coming. She had foolishly let Hale grab her, and he had used her against Strathmore. Susan knew the commander had paid a huge price to save her. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said. â€Å"What for?† â€Å"Your plans for Digital Fortress†¦ they're ruined.† Strathmore shook his head. â€Å"Not at all.† â€Å"But†¦ but what about Security? They'll be here any minute. We won't have time to-â€Å" â€Å"Security's not coming, Susan. We've got all the time in the world.† Susan was lost. Not coming? â€Å"But you phoned†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Strathmore chuckled. â€Å"Oldest trick in the book. I faked the call.† Chapter 83 Becker's Vespa was no doubt the smallest vehicle ever to tear down the Seville runway. Its top speed, a whining 50 mph, sounded more like a chainsaw than a motorcycle and was unfortunately well below the necessary power to become airborne. In his side mirror, Becker saw the taxi swing out onto the darkened runway about four hundred yards back. It immediately started gaining. Becker faced front. In the distance, the contour of the airplane hangars stood framed against the night sky about a half mile out. Becker wondered if the taxi would overtake him in that distance. He knew Susan could do the math in two seconds and calculate his odds. Becker suddenly felt fear like he had never known. He lowered his head and twisted the throttle as far as it would go. The Vespa was definitely topped out. Becker guessed the taxi behind him was doing almost ninety, twice his speed. He set his sights on the three structures looming in the distance. The middle one. That's where the Learjet is. A shot rang out. The bullet buried itself in the runway yards behind him. Becker looked back. The assassin was hanging out the window taking aim. Becker swerved and his side mirror exploded in a shower of glass. He could feel the impact of the bullet all the way up the handlebars. He lay his body flat on the bike. God help me, I'm not going to make it! The tarmac in front of Becker's Vespa was growing brighter now. The taxi was closing, the headlights throwing ghostly shadows down the runway. A shot fired. The bullet ricocheted off the hull of the bike. Becker struggled to keep from going into a swerve. I've got to make the hangar! He wondered if the Learjet pilot could see them coming. Does he have a weapon? Will he open the cabin doors in time? But as Becker approached the lit expanse of the open hangars, he realized the question was moot. The Learjet was nowhere to be seen. He squinted through blurred vision and prayed he was hallucinating. He was not. The hangar was bare. Oh my God! Where's the plane! As the two vehicles rocketed into the empty hangar, Becker desperately searched for an escape. There was none. The building's rear wall, an expansive sheet of corrugated metal, had no doors or windows. The taxi roared up beside him, and Becker looked left to see Hulohot raising his gun. Reflex took over. Becker slammed down on his brakes. He barely slowed. The hangar floor was slick with oil. The Vespa went into a headlong skid. Beside him there was a deafening squeal as the taxi's brakes locked and the balding tires hydroplaned on the slippery surface. The car spun around in a cloud of smoke and burning rubber only inches to the left of Becker's skidding Vespa. Now side by side, the two vehicles skimmed out of control on a collision course with the rear of the hangar. Becker desperately pumped his brakes, but there was no traction; it was like driving on ice. In front of him, the metal wall loomed. It was coming fast. As the taxi spiraled wildly beside him, Becker faced the wall and braced for the impact. There was an earsplitting crash of steel and corrugated metal. But there was no pain. Becker found himself suddenly in the open air, still on his Vespa, bouncing across a grassy field. It was as if the hangar's back wall had vanished before him. The taxi was still beside him, careening across the field. An enormous sheet of corrugated metal from the hangar's back wall billowed off the taxi's hood and sailed over Becker's head. Heart racing, Becker gunned the Vespa and took off into the night. Chapter 84 Jabba let out a contented sigh as he finished the last of his solder points. He switched off the iron, put down his penlight, and lay a moment in the darkness of the mainframe computer. He was beat. His neck hurt. Internal work was always cramped, especially for a man of his size. And they just keep building them smaller, he mused. As he closed his eyes for a well-deserved moment of relaxation, someone outside began pulling on his boots. â€Å"Jabba! Get out here!† a woman's voice yelled. Midge found me. He groaned. â€Å"Jabba! Get out here!† Reluctantly he slithered out. â€Å"For the love of God, Midge! I told you-† But it was not Midge. Jabba looked up, surprised. â€Å"Soshi?† Soshi Kuta was a ninety-pound live wire. She was Jabba's righthand assistant, a razor-sharp Sys-Sec techie from MIT. She often worked late with Jabba and was the one member of his staff who seemed unintimidated by him. She glared at him and demanded, â€Å"Why the hell didn't you answer your phone? Or my page?† â€Å"Your page,† Jabba repeated. â€Å"I thought it was-â€Å" â€Å"Never mind. There's something strange going on in the main databank.† Jabba checked his watch. â€Å"Strange?† Now he was growing concerned. â€Å"Can you be any more specific?† Two minutes later Jabba was dashing down the hall toward the databank.

Composers in the 19th Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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De-Stalinization in the Soviet Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

De-Stalinization in the Soviet Union - Essay Example Massive purges and the disappearance of anyone who challenged Stalin were very regular occurrences. Stalin's reign of terror had widespread negative effects on the political system of the Soviet Union and still affects Russian and Eastern European politics today. After Stalin's death in 1953, the committee that was left in charge of the Soviet Union immediately set out to reform the government and limit the influence of Stalinist policies. Khrushchev and Gorbachev were two Soviet leaders who attempted to reform the Soviet System to end authoritarianism. The policies of both were somewhat successful, but neither were able to reform the system. The Soviet Union collapsed when Gorbachev was in power. This was followed by a period of government that was free and democratic but highly corrupt and economically disastrous. In 1998 the authoritarian Vladimir Putin was elected to be the president of Russia. In 1953 Joseph Stalin died. It has been suggested by many that he was assassinated with poison by his opponents but this has not been proven. After his death, there was some confusion as to who was in charge due to the fact that a purge that was done a short time before his death had eliminated many senior officials in the Communist Party. A committee that included the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Nikita Khrushchev and a self appointed Premier of the Soviet Union Georgi Malenkov ended up as the leaders of the USSR. Lavrenity Beria was the First Deputy Prime minister and the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which was merged with the MGB at the time. Beria appeared to be very liberal and instituted liberal policies after Stalin's death, but he was also an official in charge of Stalin's Great Purge, and his power base was the secret police. Stalin's policies were unpopular with most people and the members of the committee promised that many r eforms would be made. A large number of high-ranking officials in the Communist Party secretly opposed Stalin and his policies. There was conflict in the party ranks between those who supported Stalinist policies and the current reformist leadership. Between 1953 and 1955 Khrushchev and Malenkov ordered many liberal reforms. Prices for many goods were reduced, amnesty was given to some political prisoners in the gulag system, forced labor was abandoned and the level of restrictions on private plots was reduced. Beria was accused of being a British agent, given a show trial, and executed in 1953.Malenkov was forced to resign due to blackmail in 1955. After this, Khrushchev became the Premier of the Soviet Union in 1958 and the undisputed leader of the USSR Khrushchev was a major reformist. In 1956, Khrushchev gave a speech to the party leaders called "On the Personality Cult and its Consequences. In this speech he formally attacked the policies of Stalin and exposed his crimes. A policy of de-Stalinization was announced. His plans were to reform the Soviet Union so that it would become a more liberal state and to change the USSR into a pure communist nation that would be economically stronger that the United States over a period of twenty years. The democratic planning ideas of the soviet economist Evsei Lieberman were highly influential in the economic policies of

Thank you for smoking Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Thank you for smoking - Movie Review Example This depicts a frame of Nick’s character and probably explains the reason as to why he does not lose arguments. This is because he reframes the argument till he wins. Also the film highlights a major critique posed by the society. These are the powers which run the government and the industry and are engrossed in playing games rather than bothering about the stakes. In the talk show, Nick wins the argument by announcing the launch of a $50 million campaign to dissuade teenagers from smoking. However, the Captain when hearing about this campaign remarks ‘I hope the campaign is not too effective!’The Captain just hopes that the campaign does not effectively stop teenagers from being aware of cigarettes and not even start smoking. The satirical comedy shows the American Government also trying to win its own argument with the senator; Sen Ortolan Finistirre is the crusader against smoking. The senator further laments after Nick is kidnapped and then laments because â €˜he survived the attack’. Fallacies used by Nick Another conversation between a father and a son in California, where Nick coaches Joey the manner in which one has to win an argument. The setting is for a basic argument as to whether chocolate is good or vanilla. When Joey supports chocolate by remarking that chocolate is what he needs, Nick reframes the argument by retorting ‘well I need more than chocolate, and for that matter I need more than vanilla. I believe that we need freedom’. This displays the fallacy of red herring. In this kind of rhetorical strategy, the emphasis is shifted from the core issue to an unrelated or tangential issue to win an argument. In yet another argument Naylor uses the red herring fallacy. This is explicated when he is asked to testify in front of the senatorial committee. He says ‘Gentlemen, it’s called education ... It is the job of every parent to warn their children of all the dangers in the world, including c igarettes, so that one day when they get older they can choose for themselves.’ Here again, Nick waves from the central topic of cigarettes to that of parental responsibility, education and freedom. He is well aware that Americans love their freedom and thereby plays with these words to control their emotion. Naylor also uses the faulty analogy fallacy in the senatorial committee meeting. He compares the Conglomerated Tobacco’s cigarette funding with the funding for the senate’s campaign contributions. The ad hominem fallacy is used by Naylor when he suggests putting warning signs on certain products like Vermont cheddar cheese, cars and aeroplanes. The red herring fallacy is again used when Naylor points out the negative effects of Vermont cheddar cheese on raising cholesterol levels. In fact, Senator Lothridge has to interrupt to bring back Naylor and Senator Finisterre back on the core topic of whether to put warning labels on cigarette packets. The main prot agonist extensively uses logos to present his arguments in front of the senatorial committee. He logically concludes that if cigarette packets needed to display warning signs like ‘skulls and crossbones’ then other products like cars, airplanes and Vermont cheddar cheese should also have warning signs. He knowingly dissuades from the core topic by quoting ‘Well, the real demonstrated number one killer in America is cholesterol, and here comes Senator Finisterre, whose fine state is, I

Robot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Robot - Essay Example Since then, due to the immense technological development, robots are capable of interacting with people and being involved in various aspects of modern life. Robots have significantly affected the industry technology, involving in both mechanical and medicinal aspects, integrated themselves in society and had ambiguous effects on the protection of the environment. Effects on Industrial development The first aspect that robots involved heavily is the industrial development, facilitating great innovations and successfully replacing human help. After the inception of robots during the 1950’s, the process of using robots as industrial tools was proposed by George Davol and Joseph Engelberger. The first industrial robots manufacturing company named â€Å"Unimate† was made and in 1959, the first industrial robot prototype was made. After the Unimate concept received great interest from companies in Japan, the General Motor automobile factory installed the first Unimate robot in order to serve the assembly line (Engelberger, 2007). The subsequent acquisition of the technology by the Japanese Kawasaki factory marked the development of the first robotic association J.I.R.A (Japanese Industrial Robot Association) in 1971, setting a new milestone for the industrial robot technology. New emerging technologies were implemented to facilitate better control of robots and accelerate production. The positive and negative impacts in the mechanical and medical fields are discussed below. Mechanical involvement Introducing robots in manufacturing companies had a significant advantage both for the companies and the workers. Robots were able to perform repeated and boring tasks for longer periods compared to workers while not needing expensive healthcare insurances and didn’t get sick (Henderson, 2006). This improved many aspects of manufacturing process such as improvement of product quality, avoidance of hazardous accidents by the more precise directions i n dangerous tasks and increased productivity while keeping manufacturing costs low. On the other hand, while small companies were benefited from opening new trade perspectives such as selling specialized equipment, most small businesses that could not afford the new technology were led to foreclosure. In workers, while it was originally feared that jobs could be destroyed by replacing human labour with machines, it was later proved that this had a strongly positive impact on improving the working conditions because robots replaced jobs that were dangerous or toxic to humans. An example of this is the robot ANATROLLER ARI-100 which was developed to clean toxic environments. The requirement of maintenance and supervision for the machines opened up new opportunities for work which had a better working life and benefits for workers. The only negative social impact is the replacement of uneducated workers or workers with limited skills, as they could only perform repeated tasks, which st ill exists until today. Medical involvement When robots were introduced to the medical sector, the first robot-assisted surgery was facilitated in 1985, with PUMA 520 performing a neurological biopsy. As doctors learned to operate the machines better, major operations were made possible by only a few incisions by the robots. The patients benefited from less trauma, decreased healing time and faster release from

Journal opinion article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Journal opinion article - Essay Example This is used to measure the firms’ price changes which they receive by offering their goods and services. However, the declining energy prices along with controlled inflation were mutually agreed upon by 0.1%. There are few economists who rather than accepting that they couldn’t forecast well, put the blame on Labor Department. However, in order to foresee the price pressure expected to build on the economy, PPI is used which shows the sign of inflation. Traditionally it is not monitored so closely as compare to personal consumption and consumer price. Since January, The Labor Department has started including prices for their services along with the goods prices so that they can be able to keep a track of economic activity. As per their one of the economists, this revamped measure increased the PPI coverage but now they feel that their efforts of keeping everything transparent with respect to economy are something they are achieving at the fullest. This also shows that they need to adopt some volatile actions particularly for trade services. There were some changes experienced in sub-index profit margins at retailers as well as whole sellers. On the other hand one of the biggest jumps of 1.5% on record was observed in October. The economist somehow also missed seasonal adjustments, which are a statistical technique used to eradicate the weather impact, holidays etc. All distortions will be removed by the passage of a complete calendar year pertaining to poor seasonal adjustment, and on a monthly basis the seasonal adjustment process over or make the corrections in the raw price changes will result strangely. The Chief Economist quoted that this jump reflects technically and does not indicate and twist in the trend. He also said that he believes that due to statistical quirk they are experiencing increase in trade services. One of the factors causing this scenario might be slim profit margins, due to which minimal boost in profits

Quotes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quotes - Essay Example However, there is still a life which goes on behind bars and a continuation of life which should be supported. While a prisoner is certainly placed under boundaries of law, s/he does not stop being a human being and it must be noted that s/he has the same right to be treated humanely and with as much importance as those who are not with him/her in prison. The treatments and the rights are controlled by those who are supposed to manage prisons and things such as college degree earning program for prisoners can improve conditions for many prisoners. Instead of simply waiting for their time in prison to pass, they can be educated and taught to enhance their abilities and as a ‘captive’ audience, they would be receptive to the education which is given to them. Simply put, with the program, the prison system can put out educated college graduates while without the program the prison system is only putting out ex-convicts. All true stories become unbelievable as soon as we are told that they are true story or the events which are told to us are based on a true story. While we accept them as the truth, the element of disbelief and wonder is not taken away and we have to keep reminding ourselves that the story itself is true. We can certainly find examples of such stories in the media and even in anecdotes that we tell each other. For example, a baby that survives a burning building, a child who is able to beat grandmasters at chess, a person fighting against unbelievable odds, social stigma as well as other barriers that have been placed in his/her part and becoming successful in their endeavors. Most recently, we saw true events unfold in front of us as jetliners were used by terrorist as weapons against America. However, I feel that the most unbelievable true stories are the ones which take place everyday around us but are simply not reported. For example, a young high school student that does not take

Managing Financial Resources and Decisions Essay - 5

Managing Financial Resources and Decisions - Essay Example Sun and Sand Sports is the most appreciated and most preferred brand in the entire world and known for its unbeatable strategy it uses to capture the market and has launched many products in the entire world. Sun and Sand Sports stands in top 10 sports products manufacturers (sand, n.d.). Its products are diversified and have given a new passion and love to the sportsmen for their favorite sports. It has achieved many milestones from its corporate and has become the most favorite brand in the field of each sport. No other brand has such a wonderful success and more distinguished history from its incorporation as the Sun and Sand Sports had and no other brand is that stronger connection with sport than the Sun and Sand Sports. The main purpose of Sun and Sand Sports is quite simple and interesting: is to make athletes better.  Sun and Sand Sports have targeted all the sports lovers as its customers and all the customers of sub-brand are, with no doubt, are those who are athletics, sports person, sports lover and the one who is directly or indirectly associated with the sports (sand, n.d.). The capital market is a representation of agreement of an organization. Sun and Sand Sports have various kinds of stocks in the capital market and capital exchange. And it receives more of its finance from the share capital and it also has some Common stocks, equity stocks, options, rights, convertibles, bonds, futures, and others are awash in banal markets. As a share of approved well-groomed activities in Investment class (Andreff & Szymanski, 2006). Sun and Sand Sports have shown in its balance sheet about its main External Financing that is Share Capital. Share capital is that amount which a company raise by selling its shares in the capital market and get more shareholders. An increasing number of shareholders means the increased capital of the company. By having a share capital as a major and main source of finance, Sun and

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

Bees - Research Paper Example The tiny bees may appear to be aggressive in nature but, are yielding so many benefits in the form of honey and wax. For all the women out there, one be should be thankful to these tiny insects as they have been taking care of an individual’s skin for a very long time. As one all are familiar with the common role of bees which is the pollination, some other useful role of bees include its antibacterial effect, its skin care benefits and who can forget the sweetest role of bees which is the making of honey. There are approximately 20,000 species of these little insects, the bees. The tiny creatures can be found in every part of the world but not in Antarctica. European honey bee is the most widely known specie of bees. As the human nature forces him to keep himself abreast about everything that happens around so, the human being could not resist to extract the benefits out of the honey bee. Today, beekeeping is being carried out by human beings to manage the benefits out of honey bee. Bee keeping is necessary to take care of the population of these useful creatures. Check out how one can benefit from this little creature but, do not forget to give it some space too. As far as the question is concerned how to give space to bees then the answer to it is simple! Drill deep holes into a large pine block and place a roof over it. The bee box is ready. Later, place this bee box in such an area where pollination is required. After one are done with this kind gesture, it is time to contribute in boosting pollination. This initiative will help one to ensure that maximum number of plants are building an active reproduction and producing fruits. Honey bees are required by the plants for an efficient as well as effective reproduction. Mason bees also actively play their part in pollination but, they do not produce honey. Carpenter bees are very helpful as they pollinate those plants which are not pollinated by honey bees. Please do not get wild upon seeing a bee

Biodiesel in Malaysia Essay Example for Free

Biodiesel in Malaysia Essay In the United States, the majority of biodiesel is made from soybean or canola oils, but is also made from waste stream sources such as used cooking oils or animal fats. Biodiesel is a diesel replacement fuel that is manufactured from vegetables oils, recycled cooking greases or oils, or animal fats. History of biodiesel around the World Transesterification of a vegetable oil was conducted as early as 1853 by scientists E. Duffy and J. Patrick, many years before the first diesel engine became functional. Rudolf Diesels prime model, a single 10 ft (3 m) iron cylinder with a flywheel at its base, ran on its own power for the first time in Augsburg, Germany on August 10, 1893. In remembrance of this event, August 10 has been declared International Biodiesel Day. Diesel later demonstrated his engine and received the Grand Prix (highest prize) at the World Fair in Paris, France in 1900. This engine stood as an example of Diesels vision because it was powered by peanut oil a biofuel, though not biodiesel, since it was not transesterified. He believed that the utilization of biomass fuel was the real future of his engine. In a 1912 speech Diesel said, The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal-tar products of the present time. During the 1920s, diesel engine manufacturers altered their engines to utilize the lower viscosity of petrodiesel (a fossil fuel), rather than vegetable oil (a biomass fuel). The petroleum industries were able to make inroads in fuel markets because their fuel was much cheaper to produce than the biomass alternatives. The result, for many years, was a near elimination of the biomass fuel production infrastructure. Only recently have environmental impact concerns and a decreasing cost differential made biomass fuels such as biodiesel a growing alternative. Research into the use of transesterified sunflower oil, and refining it to diesel fuel standards, was initiated in South Africa in 1979. By 1983 the process for producing fuel-quality, engine-tested biodiesel was completed and published internationally. An Austrian company, Gaskoks, obtained the technology from the South African Agricultural Engineers; the company erected the first biodiesel pilot plant in November 1987, and the first industrial-scale plant in April 1989 (with a capacity of 30,000 tons of rapeseed per annum). Throughout the 1990s, plants were opened in many European countries, including the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden. France launched local production of biodiesel fuel (referred to as diester) from rapeseed oil, which is mixed into regular diesel fuel at a level of 5%, and into the diesel fuel used by some captive fleets (e. g. public transportation) at a level of 30%. Renault, Peugeot and other manufacturers have certified truck engines for use with up to that level of partial biodiesel; experiments with 50% biodiesel are underway. During the same period, nations in other parts of the world also saw local production of biodiesel starting up: by 1998 the Austrian Biofuels Institute had identified 21 countries with commercial biodiesel projects. 100% Biodiesel is now available at many normal service stations across Europe. In September of 2005 Minnesota became the first U. S. state to mandate that all diesel fuel sold in the state contain part biodiesel, requiring a content of at least 2% biodiesel. History of biodiesel in Malaysia One such fuel, which has been gaining prominence in recent years, is biofuel. Clean and renewable, biofuel has been touted as the answer to the issue of the diminishing of energy reserves. It was led by Yang. Berbahagia Tan Sri Datuk Dr Yusof Basiron, former Director General of MPOB, MPOB has been the pioneer and is at the forefront in researching into palm biodiesel project. Since the 1980s, MPOB in collaboration with the local oil giant, PETRONAS, has begun to develop a patented technology to transform crude palm oil into a viable diesel substitute. This process involves the transesterification of crude palm oil into palm oil methyl esters or palm biodiesel. It has also been successfully demonstrated in a 3000 tonnes per year pilot plant located in the MPOB headquarters. Palm biodiesel has been systematically and exhaustively evaluated as diesel fuel substitute from 1983 to 1994. These included laboratory evaluation, stationary engine testing and field trials on a large number of vehicles including taxis, trucks, passenger cars and buses. Exhaustive field trials with 30 Mercedes Benz of Germany mounted onto passenger buses have been successfully completed with each bus covered 300,000 km, the expected life of the engines. Biodiesel in Malaysia In Malaysia, biodiesel called the Envo Diesel was launched by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Tuesday 22 March 2006. Malaysia currently produces 500,000 tonnes of biofuel annually and the government hopes to increase this number this year. Envo diesel blends 5% processed palm oil (vegetable oil) with 95% petrodiesel. In contrast, EUs B5 blends 5% methyl ester with 95% petrodiesel. Diesel engine manufacturers prefer the use of palm oil methyl ester blends as diesel engines are designed to handle 5% methyl esters meeting the EN14214 biodiesel standard, which palm oil cannot meet. Malaysia announced that it will build three plants to produce biodiesel from palm oil, as part of efforts to reduce its dependency on foreign oil and increase demand for domestically produced palm oil. Palm biodiesel is set to become a viable alternative to petroleum diesel, Commodities Minister Peter Chin Fah Kui told an international palm oil congress in Kuala Lumpur. Palm biodiesel is attractive when oil is above $43 he added. Crude oil is currently trading around $65 a barrel. With fossil oil fuel becoming lesser and lesser and ultimately depleting the world over, it might be wise for Malaysia to adopt and implement the use of these renewable fuel resources early, as such the national oil company, PETRONAS, must take the foremost initiative first to tap this resource by making research on the blending palm oil diesel with fossil diesel to the best possible combination so that all diesel engines in this country could start using this blend or just purely palm oil bio-diesel which has been found to be an equally efficient and effective replacement. The initiative will be the first in the world on a national scale, since Malaysia is a gross producer and net exporter of both palm oil and also of fossil oil, there is no disadvantage whether Malaysia export less palm oil or more fossil oil which is value added in the form diesel and petrol. Whether or not it is economical or practical to implement this is purely a matter of policy by the government. If export fossil diesel fuel to be consumed ; used in Malaysia alone including subsidies Malaysia could increase their foreign reserves and offset the opportunity cost created by the palm oil price fluctuation and direct export earnings from palm oil. This policy implementation should be long term and will benefit future generations of Malaysians because palm oil diesel cannot be depleted owing to the fact it is a renewable resource and when in use in diesel engines it will be environmentally friendly. Whereas fossil oil diesel can be depleted and also can cause environmental damage. The cost for producing palm oil diesel could be reduced if used cooking oil from big consumers like KFC, Mc Donalds and other fast food chains could contribute used cooking oil for recycling into diesel for consumption by diesel engines. The cost of producing bio-diesel or palm oil diesel could be a fraction compared to producing fossil diesel, as crude or palm oil of the lowest grade such as soap making fats and also palm oil sludge waste could be used and it could be converted easily into bio-diesel for engine consumption on a very large scale and if there is an economy of scale the production cost could be further reduced. much research have been done by others including the King of Thailand; and the results observed have been proven to be viable and positive and therefore Malaysia should pursue this policy of implementation as the first on the national scale to enjoy the economy of scale. In etrol engines, pure bio-ethanol has been found to be an efficient and effective alternative replacement for the petrol fuel or if necessary also by blending both with less of petrol and more of ethanol as engine fuels, the optimum combination ratio to be determined by further research for all types of petrol engines; much res earch have also been done by others who have found this advantage, recently in china, a province which is a renown corn producer has been successfully producing ethanol from old and outdated stock of corn for consumption by petrol engines in its pure form without blending on large scale, that is consumption by the whole province, they are also burning bio-residues ; wastes from the fermentations plants for distilling the alcohol ethanol. Bio-ethanol could be produced by a local company using proven foreign technology on a large scale, by using bio-mass from wood wastes from forest industries, plants wastes from orchard trimmings ; also all types of wastes from sugar, maize, tapioca, palm oil ; rubber plantations ; also from reeds, grass ; rice husks from padi fields; garbage, rubbish and other wastes in the modern waste disposal incinerators could fuel the distilling of the ethanol and also produce electricity if the excess heat could be further harnessed. most of our fossil petrol and fossil diesel to be used ; consumed in the country could then be exported to earn foreign exchange reserves or the fossil oil reserves themselves be preserved for our future generations or whichever way is truly feasible and viable. Savings and conservation of our natural resources and establishing of Malaysia’s own renewable non-depleting alternative resources of fuels could be achieved using the two methods said above if imple mented by the Malaysian government on a large scale basis could result with whole new industries that could offshoot from these initiatives. These initiatives could be realised to produce and distribute bio-ethanol and palm oil bio-diesel on a large scale, from biomass, made available from the said waste resources mentioned above, this will involve investments of about between US$1 billion to US$10 billion which Malaysia can attract outside investors interested in this program because of the large biomass waste resources available in Malaysia. The end products could even be exported to other countries lacking such resources like for example Singapore at a price cheaper than fossil fuel. Disadvantages of Biodiesel in Malaysia Projects requiring Malaysian and Indonesian palm oil as feedstock have been criticized by some environmental advocates. A Friend of the Earth has published a report asserting that clearance of forests for oil-palm plantations is threatening some of the last habitat of the orangutan. Over the past decade, Malaysia has converted large tracts of tropical rainforest to palm oil plantations on the island of Borneo. Recently, several Malaysian firms were implicated in illegal burning in Indonesia that produced a polluting haze that choked residents of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysias remaining old growth forests are, biologically, some of the richest on the planet and are home to a number of endangered species including forest elephants, rhinos, orangutans, tigers, monkeys, and tapir. The government has been working to encourage ecotourism but still struggles policing its own forests.

Expatriation, expenses, advantages and disadvantages

Expatriation, expenses, advantages and disadvantages Expatriation, the practice of sending home country managers to other country locations, is a popular, albeit expensive practice among multinational corporations. Expatriates are charged with facilitating the bidirectional flow of knowledge and resources between company headquarters and overseas subsidiaries. Typically, the company expects its expatriate managers to infuse company philosophy into the local subsidiary, as well as to impose policies and procedures consistent with headquarter operations. They are often responsible for the movement of financial resources, whether this be physical capital or the ability to tap local debt and equity markets. They bring with them managerial as well as technical expertise, functional capabilities, or the training necessary to develop these among the local personnel, and structural and control systems. Among these are appraisal systems and motivational tools and incentives. Either while on assignment or upon repatriation, the expatriate should be able to share information with the parent company regarding local infrastructure, such as roads, housing conditions, and transportation systems. In addition, knowledge regarding the political climate, negotiating techniques, host government concerns, and consumer preferences is passed on to the parent. Finally, expatriates should learn a great deal about business practices specific to the regions where they have been assigned, including holidays and observances, accepted business attire, and the appropriate ways to communicate and socialize with co-workers and locals in general. Background: Given the rapid rise in the internationalization of markets, competition, and technology, expatriates—and in particular long-term expatriates—can provide much of the value-creation opportunities global firms are seeking. But as the numbers of assignments increases, along with their annual cost by some estimates, two-to-four times the individuals base salary, there is need to assure such assignments are being effectively utilized in achieving Companys strategic goals. Only 57 percent of the global firms responding to a 2005 survey by GMAC Relocation Services perceived their return on investment (ROI) in expatriates to be â€Å"good† or â€Å"excellent,† with only 43 percent indicating they had specific programs in place to improve it. Other surveys show that up to 85 percent of managers do not even attempt to demonstrate the ROI of long-term international assignments, nor do they measure it. Thus, expatriate ROI appears to be, not only rarely calculated among global firms but also not widely used as a tool to reduce expatriate costs, despite a growing economic environment of global uncertainty, cost cutting, and risk. Introduction: This report is designed to investigate effectiveness of expatriate remuneration in a multinational organization. For this purpose I have chosen ICI, as this company is operating in many European as well as Asian countries and still in continuation of expanding its operations. Goals for the expatriates in ICI, with the study carried to analyse the effectiveness in achieving those targets are featured in this small study. This study will examine how the expats are remunerated and what bases are used in doing so, furthermore basis opted for rewards system. Others matters considered alongside are considerations for the costs of family residency, insurances, childrens education, properties, and other expenses; including incentives. Gains and nuisances of the expats are issued for the consideration from expats points of view. Moreover explanation of the research methodology coupled with justification for the research is complied in. Due to the nature of the topic, secondary sources of information are used as the primary sources were difficult and time consuming. ICI has many expatriates around the world in various countries of different continents, which includes Asia, Europe- as required by its diverse operations. Sending expatriates on long term assignments is complicated as it triggers diverse needs (i.e. social needs, ethical issues, religions, family commitments and backgrounds, etc). Therefore on one side selecting, enticing, and retaining expatriate staff for long duration of their foreign assignment and on the other designing rewards system for such complex and diverse roles adds difficulties for the organization. Aim and Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of expatriate remuneration at ICI. In order to achieve this aim, the following objectives have been set: * Develop a model for measuring expatriate remuneration. * To assess the current expatriate remuneration for ICI. * To conduct fieldwork and collect data on the effectiveness, ethics, etc. * Analyse the results of the fieldwork and present the results of the investigation. Model for measuring Expatriates Remuneration A large studies conducted by the researchers concluded that only 51 out of many global firms participating in the study desired to obtain an acceptable ROI from their expatriates. ROI determinations should also include nonfinancial costs and benefits in order to capture the long-term, post assignment benefits— such as skills transfer, global leadership capabilities, succession readiness, and other talent management objectives. McNulty and Tharenou have defined expatriate ROI as â€Å"a calculation in which the financial and nonfinancial benefits to the firm are compared with the financial and nonfinancial costs of the international assignment, as appropriate to the assignments purpose.†This definition implies two important conditions: * Managers must know the intent for using expatriates—how the purpose of an international assignment is linked to a firms overall global strategy—in order to then track the benefits and costs. * Managers must include both tangibles and intangibles when calculating and comparing costs and benefits. Accurate rates of return are then more likely to be determined when the benefits are compared with the costs, even if a cost is financial (e.g., the cost of cross-cultural training) and the corresponding benefit is nonfinancial (e.g., the benefit of improved performance). In turn, these conditions imply a robust system for creating, approving, documenting, tracking, and evaluating international assignments. Assessment the current expatriate remuneration for ICI During the course of my study I focused my study plan on remuneration of 10 Individuals designated as expatriates with a responsibility of transferring ICI system IT-based skills to other subsidiaries/ offices located across the regions. The individuals selected were salaried Approx. around  £ 4,000 per month during course of their normal office routine work. When and as employee designated as expat, a separate remuneration model was designed for each keeping in view the following * Working hours * Job specifications * Number of travels/locations to different sites * Period for which the expat assigned for the special assignment The model devised without considering as exception circumstances is illustrated below * If the expat tenure for the special assignment is for a period covering more than 2 years, the expat is allowed to take is family (wife and children) along, at his discretion. The salary package of the said expat will be 180% of his gross salary during this tenure. * If the expat tenure for the special assignment is for a period less than 2 years, the expat is not allowed to take is family at COs expense. However he will be allowed to claim return air tickets thrice a year with 20 days paid leaves and will be remunerated at 140% of his original gross salary. * All the medical and other facilities entitled to the employees during routine office duty shall retain and other expenditure related to the business such as travelling, out of pocket expenses shall be reimbursed to the employees. Problems faced by expatriate while implementing head office system/ rules * Expatriates were charged with either learning the host language or communicating through gestures or other non-verbal methods, or they may invoke the services of translators or interpreters * Psychological types of strains, including the negative psychological reactions of anxiety, anger, and frustration when not been able to deliver or transfer knowledge due to national/ regional differences. * Relationship between sociability and cross-cultural adjustment makes them feel alienated. * Understanding of the values and norms of the local nationals was hard to follow and observe.  · Patience was required to build the relationships and the trust. Fieldwork and Ethics Issues Meeting the Senior Manager Finance Manager during their valuable busy working hours and requesting them to give some guideline by providing knowledge about the Expats and the remuneration model designed for the assignments. Moreover during discussion session with the managers, I insisted on asking more details and insights that were not available documented, for which the senior manager was hesitant of doing so, as in their opinion certain information was very sensitive and arise tax sensitive issues. The analysis also involved use of companys IT resources like internet, desktop and other ancillary equipments. Moreover in gathering information about my research/field work I had to make certain quality compromises, as the information was not readily available and the management was hesitant over concerns regarding its secrecy. Following is the data gathered and analysed of the employees during their services as expats. Name of the Employee/Expat ID # Gross Salary Special Assignment Allotment Salary for m/o Dec ‘09 Medical Travel plus Misc Total John Desusa 345 3,500 140% 4,900 100 450 5,450 Ali Kirmani 6576 3,000 140% 4,200 1,110 367 5,677 Patric Mandela 356 4,000 140% 5,600 521 1,200 7,321 Keith Ronaldo 6787 5,000 140% 7,000 124 290 7,414 John Ferry 754 4,000 180% 7,200 413 300 7,913 Harban Bhaveja 7564 4,500 180% 8,100 20 394 8,514 Research Methodology: Data are analysed through primary and secondary data research. This is where financial value i.e. quantitative data or the brand image i.e. qualitative data for ICI will be inspected in those countries where expats are doing the work. This will be done by individual countries examination of customer base and/or business base; depending on what expats have been sent for and what is meant to be achieved there. Knowledge of all countries is brought together for expats as well as all costs incurred; are part of this study. It has complete similarities and differences within this duration of expatriation. These include currency evaluations differences in other countries and the amount that has been spent in those countries is worth the effort. However, this should mean that the expats are giving identical efficiency level as they would have while being in the UK in the away country depending on the targets being given. In most cases, ICI gives a smaller pay due to the economy being down. However, still pays well even after slump where GBP is strong. Data Collection Methods: Due to the nature of the topic, both primary and secondary sources equally provided appropriate and valuable information. Although using the former source was difficult and time consuming. Primary Source An interview was held with Mr. Zawan Navade Senior Finance Manager ICI. The primary purpose of this interview was to assess the potential benefits expats providing to the Organisation with the cost being incurred. Moreover, a meeting was arranged with the Human Resource Manager to gain information regarding the design of the remuneration packages related to the potential benefits to the entity. Secondary Sources These consisted of the following * Payroll Sheets * Documented Reward system * Special assignment contracts Limitations: Financial data by itself may not be sufficient for the purpose of my research work, therefore expert input from Companys senior executives was required but most of the information in my research report is secondary as I was not able to directly approach the companies executive all the time and have limited use of their valuable time due to their tight official schedules and their reservations.

Nations Destroyed by Allah

Nations Destroyed by Allah Comparing past and present PREFACE: Allah has mentioned the stories of perished nations in Holy Quran And at some places He has mentioned to learn lesson from them and try to gain knowlege about their sins. Muslims now a days hardly recite Quran daily. My research will help them know about the deeds pf perished natinos and to stay away from those deeds. I didnt find any article or book comparing the perished nations and todays nation. All of the books which i have read only have discussed the stories of demolished nations. This topic is very important for the people now a days, specialy Muslims. All the people should get aware of Allah power. They should know what will be their end if they get themselves involve in the same actions by which previous nations have faced a fierced end. Not only by the sins they did, but we should abide by all the actions Allah and His prophet (s.a.w) mentioned not to do. By this topic Muslims will know that if they will not stop doing the bad activities and will be involved in these deeds, then they will be punished harshly. Past nations were involved in many wronge activities which were prohibited by Allah. Some of the nations were Nuhs (as) nation (was involved in worshiping false gods), Luts (as) nation (was involved in sodomy), people of Ad (were arrogant and boastful), Thamud (rejected warnings of Allah), Pharaoh (was involved in shirk and was a cruel ruler), people pf Madyan (were dishonest in doing business). Todays nation is also involved in same avtivities where as Allah has clearly mentioned the stories of previous nations and told to learn a lesson from them. Today people are involved in such activities like, seeking help from the dead people, having a wronge concept that visiting a shrine of good people and seek help from them, involve in adultery (even with homosexual), involve in doing shirk. INTRODUCTION: Allah has always sent His prophets in every age since the creation of this world to give humans the knowledge about Allah (their creator). Some people followed those instructions told by prophets and majority of them didnt followed. Some of them even not only denied to follow the right path but they also harmed prophets and the people who followed them. The messengers were generally accused slanderously of falsehood, magic, insanity and conceit and leaders of many peoples even sought to have them murdered. Allah gave those nations many chances to belief in truth, but they never did.And then allah perished them.The Muslims are, therefore, given a constant reminder not to follow the path of these nations.because no one can hide from Allah when His chastisement occurs. Allah reveals in Holy Quran: But how many generations before them did We destroy (for their sins) stronger in power than they? Then did they wander through the land: was there any place of escape (for them)? (Surah Qaf: 36) It is noteworthy that these characteristics belong as well as to the current civilisation, which has established an elaborate world-culture through todays technology and science, and has founded centralised states, huge cities, yet denies Allah, forgetting that all is made possible by His power. Most of the people are involved in the false activities and at some sort denies Allah. PAST: Nation of prophet Nuh (a.s): Prophet Nuh (a.s) was sent to teach people the lesson of tauheed and to tell them to worship only Allah. Prophet Nuh (a.s) preached Islam over 950 years of time period but only few follwed his message. Nuhs people were engaged in worshiping false god in the form of statues. Then Allah sent his prophet to bring them to the right path. Allah says: Indeed, We sent Nuh (Noah) to his people and he said: O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other God but Him. Certainly, I fear for you the torment of a Great Day! [Al-Araf 7: 59] For many generations Nuhs people had been worshipping statues that they called gods. They believed that these gods would bring them good, protect them from evil and provide all their needs. They gave their idols names such as Waddan, Suwaan, Yaghutha, Yaauga, and Nasran, (These idols represented, respectively, manly power; mutability, beauty; brute strength, swiftness, sharp sight, insight) according to the power they thought these gods possessed. Originally these were the names of good people who had lived among them. After their deaths, statues of them were erected to keep their memories alive. After sometime, however, people began to worship these statues. Later generations did not even know why they had been erected; they only knew their parents had prayed to them. That is how idol worshipping developed. Since they had no understanding of Allah the Almighty Who would punish them for their evil deeds, they became cruel and immoral. Prophet Nuh (a.s) warned them and invite them to worship only Allah, but they denied. They firstly denied prophethood of Nuh. As they said that he is also a man like us, he just want superiority on us thats why, he is doing this. Allah says: The leaders of his people said: Ah! we see thee evidently wandering (in mind). (Surat al-A‘raf: 60) The chiefs of the disbeliveers among his people said: We see you but a man like ourselves. (11:27 Quran) Prophet Nuh (a.s) warned his people about the punishment of Allah. Allah says: We sent Nuh to his People (with the Command): Do thou warn thy People before there comes to them a grievous Penalty. (Surah Nuh: 1) Nuh continued appealing to his people to believe in Allah hour after hour, day after day year after year. He admonished his people and called them to Allah day and night, in secret and openly. HE gave them examples, explained Allahs signs and illustrated Allahs ability in the formation of His creatures. But whenever he called them to Allah, they ran away from him. Whenever he urged them to ask Allah to forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears. But they didnt listened and Allah told Nuh to prepare a large boat and collect pairs of every specie and every believer to make them safe from the disaster.Prophet Nuh (a.s) was grief about his people that they will be punished. It was revealed to Nuh: None of thy people will believe except those who have believed already! So grieve no longer over their (evil) deeds. (Surah Hud: 36) The ship was constructed, and Nuh sat waiting Allahs command. Allah revealed to him that when water miraculously gushed forth from the oven at Nuhs house, that would be the sign of the start of the flood, and the sign for Nuh to act. The terrible day arrived when the oven at Nuhs house overflowed. Nuh hurried to open the ark and summon the believers. He also took with him a pair, male and female, of every type of animal, bird and insect. Seeing him taking these creatures to the ark, the people laughed loudly: Nuh must have gone out of his head! What is he going to do with the animals? Slowly the level of water increased and every non-believer died in the flood. Nuhs wife and his son who were non-believers didnt join him and were faced to death. Not a single non-believer was left alive. Then the order to stop the rain and to retreat the water was given and once again dry land was shown but flood had cleaned the non-believers from the land. Nation of prophet Lut (a.s): Prophet Lut (as) was sent as a messenger to one of prophet Ibrahims (as) neighbouring communities. These people, as the Quran tells us, practiced a perversion unknown to the world up till then, namely sodomy. When Lut (as) told them to give up this perversion and brought them Allahs warning, they denied him, refused his prophethood, and carried on with their perversion. In the end, these people were destroyed by a dreadful disaster. This city was filled with evil. Its residents waylaid, robbed and killed travelers. Another common evil among them was that men had sex with men instead of with women. This unnatural act later became known as sodomy (after the city of Sodom). It was practiced openly and unashamedly. It was at the height of these crimes and sins that Allah revealed to Prophet Lut (alai salam) that he should summon the people to give up their indecent behavior, but they were so deeply sunk in their immoral habits that they were deaf to Luts preaching. Swamped in their unnatural desires, they refused to listen, even when Lut warned them of Allahs punishment. Instead, they threatened to drive him out of the city if he kept on preaching. Allah says: And his people gave no answer but this: they said, Drive them out of your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure! (Surat al-A‘raf: 80-82) Lut (as) called his people to an obvious truth and warned them explicitly, but his people did not heed any warnings whatsoever and continued to reject him and to deny the penalty of which he told them. Receiving the above answer from his people, Lut asked for the help of Allah: He said: O my Lord! help Thou me against people who do mischief! (Surat al-Ankaboot: 30) Upon Luts (as) prayer, Allah sent two angels in the form of men. These angels visited Ibrahim (as)before coming to Lut (as). Giving Ibrahim (as) the good news that his wife would give birth to an infant, the messengers explained the reason for their being sent: the insolent people of Lut (as) were to be destroyed. Angels came to Lut (a.s) as guest and stayed at his house. This news was spread in town by his wife who was non-believer and in some time the whole town was standing outside his home. They broke the door and came in. Angels said to Lut (a.s) that dont fear as we are angels and they cannot harm you. After listening that non-believers got feared and ran outside.The angels warned Prophet Lut (pbuh) to leave his house before sunrise, taking with him all his family except his wife. Allah had decreed that the city of Sodom should perish. AN earthquake rocked the town. IT was as if a mighty power had lifted the entire city and flung it down in one jolt. A storm of stones rained on the city. Everyone and everything was destroyed, including Luts wife.In the morning, his people were destroyed by the disaster of which Lut (as) had informed them in advance. Allah says: But the (mighty) Blast overtook them before morning, And We turned (the cities) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones hard as baked clay. Behold! in this are Signs for those who by tokens do understand. And the (cities were) right on the high-road. (Surat al-Hijr: 73-76) People of Ad: The people of Ad lived many years in the windswept hills of an area between Yemen and Oman. They were physically well built and renowned for their craftsmanship especially in the construction of tall buildings with lofty towers. They were outstanding among all the nations in power and wealth, which, unfortunately, made them arrogant and boastful. Their political power was held in the hand of unjust rulers, against whom no one dared to raise a voice. They were not ignorant of the existence of Allah, nor did they refuse to worship Him. What they did refuse was to worship Allah alone. They worshipped other gods, also, including idols. This is one sin Allah does not forgive. Allah wanted to guide and discipline these people so He sent a prophet from among them. This prophet was Hud (as), a noble man who handled this task with great resoluteness and tolerance. Hud (as) condemned idol worship and admonished his people. MY people, what is the benefit of these stones that you carve with your own hands and worship? In reality it is an insult to the intellect. There is only One Deity worthy of worship and that is Allah. Worship of Him and Him alone, is compulsory on you. In Quran: To the Ad People (We sent) Hud, one of their own brethren. He said: O my people! worship Allah! ye have no other god but Him. (Your other gods) ye do nothing but invent! Prophet Hud (as) told them He created you, He provides for you and He is the One Who will cause you to die. He gave you wonderful physiques and blessed you in many ways. So believe in Him and do not be blind to His favors, or the same fate that destroyed Noahs people will overtake you. Hud (as) warned them. With such reasoning Hud hoped to instill faith in them, but they refused to accept his message. His people asked him: Do you desire to be our master with your call? What payment do you want?.Hud (as) replied them that he did not want their money nor reward from them. Allah says: O my people! I ask of you no reward for this (Message). My reward is from none but Him Who created me: Will ye not then understand? Hud (as) tried to speak to them and to explain about Allahs blessings: how Allah the Almighty had made them Noahs successors, how He had given them strength and power, and how HE sent them rain to revive the soil.Huds (as) people looked about them and found they were the strongest on earth, so they become prouder and more obstinate. Thus they argued a lot with Hud (as). Hud (as) taught them everything a prophet teaches to his nation. But they used to ask silly questions. Hud (as) used to answer them gently but they never followed his message. Hud (as) warned them if they wont worship only Allah they will destroyed like Nuhs (as) nation. And they declared we will be safe by our gods. Hud (as) told them that these idols will be the reason of your destruction.There is no one who harms or benefits any one except Allah. The conflict between Hud (as) and his people continued. The years passed, and they became prouder and more obstinate, and more tyrannical and more defiant of their prophets message. Furthermore, they started to accuse Hud (as) of being a crazy lunatic. One day they told him: We now understand the secret of your madness you insulted our gods and they harmed you; that is why you have become insane. Almighty Allah repeated their words in the Quran: O my Hud! No evidence have you brought us, and we shall not leave our gods for your mere saying! And we are not believers in you. All that we say is that some of our gods (false deities) have seized you with evil (madness). (11:53-54 Quran) A drought spread throughout the land, for the sky no longer sent its rain. the sun scorched the desert sands, looking like a disk of fire which settled on peoples heads. The drought increased, the trees turned yellow, and plants died. A day came when they found the sky full of clouds. Huds (as) people were glad as they came out of their tents crying: A cloud, which will give us rain!.But the weather changed suddenly from burning dry and hot to stinging cold with wind that shook everything; trees, plants, tents, men and women. The wind increased day after day and night after night. Huds (as) people started to flee. They ran to their tents to hide but the gale became stronger, ripping their tents from their stakes. They hid under cloth covers but the gale became stronger and still and tore away the covers. It slashed clothing and skin. It penetrated the apertures of the body and destroyed it. It hardly touched anything before it was destroyed or killed, its core sucked out to decompose and rot. The storm raged for 8 days and 7 nights. Almighty Allah recounts: Then when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said: This is a cloud bringing us rain! Nay but it is that torment which you were asking to be hastened! a wind wherein is a painful torment! Destroying everything by the command of its Lord! (46:24-25 Quran) That violent gale did not stop until the entire region was reduced to ruins and its wicked people destroyed, swallowed by the sands of the desert. Only Hud (as) and his followers remained unharmed. They migrated to Hadramaut and lived there in peace, worshipping Allah, their true Lord. Thamud (samood): Prophet salih (as) was sent on people of thamud. People of thamud were also engaged in the same sins in which people of Ad were involved. Thamud rejected the warnings of Allah just as ‘Ad did and perished in consequence.Thamuds denial of the warnings coming to them is an incident which is itself a warning to people of all ages. Prophet Salih (as) was sent to Thamud to warn them. Salih (as) was a recognised person within the Thamud society. His people, who did not expect him to proclaim the religion of truth, were surprised by his calling on them to abandon their deviation. A small part of the community complied with Salihs (as) call, but most of them did not accept what he told. The leaders of the community in particular denied Salih (as) and took an antagonistic stand towards him. They tried to impede those who believed Salih (as) and tried to oppress them. They were enraged at Salih (as), because he called them to worship Allah. This rage was not specific only to Thamud; Thamud were repeating the mistake made by the people of Nuh (as) and by Ad who had lived before them. This is why the Quran refers to these three communities as follows: Has not the story reached you, (O people!), of those who (went) before you? of the people of Prophet Nuh, and Ad, and Thamud? And of those who (came) after them? None knows them but Allah. To them came messengers with Clear (Signs); but they put their hands up to their mouths, and said: We do deny (the mission) on which ye have been sent, and we are really in suspicious (disquieting) doubt as to that to which ye invite us. (Surah Ibrahim: 9) Despite the Prophet Salihs (as) warnings, the people continued in their ways on overcome by doubts. But still, there was a group who believed in the prophethood of Salih (as) and those were the ones who were saved along with Salih (as) when the great catastrophe came. The leaders of the community tried to oppress the group believing in Salih (as). Moreover, a certain group openly denied Salih (as). A group among those who rejected faith supposedly in the name of Allah made plans to kill Salih (as). Salehs people disbelieved and thought he was bewitched. Then they asked him to show them a sign from Allah that he was indeed a prophet. They pointed at a huge rock that was standing by itself, and proposed to him that he ask his God to create a she-camel out of it. They of course thought that it was a good way to dumbfound him and silence him. But Saleh, in turn, took a strong oath from them that if Allah provided them with this sign they would believe in him and follow him. He then fervently prayed to Allah to answer their request. The huge rock moved and split and from it came a wonderful she-camel, which was pregnant and soon to give birth. Allah provided the Thamud people this miracle which was also a test for them, to see if they obey His orders. In Quran: Saleh told them: O my people! This she-camel of Allah is a sign to you. Leave her to feed on Allahs earth, and inflict no harm on her, or a swift punishment will seize you! (Hud, 11:64) The she-camel and her young offspring lived among the Thamud people, she would drink from the water of the well for one day, and leave it to them the second day as Allah ordered: She has a right to drink (water), and you have a right to drink water, each on a day appointed, (Al-Shuara, 26:155). Allah ordered Prophet Saleh to tell his people of the camels rights, saying: And tell them that the water is to be shared between her and them. Each ones right to drink being established by turns, (Al-Qamar, 54:28). On the day the she-camel was to drink from the well, she would have enough milk for all the people of Thamud who would milk her and fill all their containers. She would graze in the valley and she was so huge that when she came near their sheep, they would flee and leave the way for her, and the cattle would not come near the well on the day she would drink from it. The Thamud people were very amazed and some of them believed and followed Prophet Saleh. It was clear that she was not a normal camel but was a miracle from Allah and a blessed animal. The disbelievers, however, were very much bothered by her for she was always reminding them of that oath They plotted to kill her and get rid of her, so that way they would use the well every day. There were nine men in the city who were known for their mischief and crimes, and hence they were trusted with the mission of killing the camel. After making sure that all the disbelievers were in agreement to kill the she-camel, the men went out secretly by night to the well when she came to drink water. They hit her and killed her, then ran to kill the child but he ran away and vanish in the mountain from where she-camel came. When saleh (as) heard of their horrible crime, Prophet Saleh (as) warned them saying: Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days. This is a promise that will not be belied! (Hud, 11:65). This warning was an occasion for them to repent to Allah, but to the contrary, they not only disbelieved in the threat but also decided to kill Saleh as well. After three days Angel Gabriel (as) shaked the walls of their homes and when they came out of their homes, he made a loud sound by which they were caused to death.Except saleh (as) and his believers. The Pharaoh: The pharaoh who ruled Egypt was a tyrant who oppressed the descendants of Musa (as). He used every means to demean and disgrace them. They were kept in bondage and forced to work for him for small wages or nothing. Under this system the people obeyed and worshipped the pharaoh, and the ruling class carried out his orders, thereby authorizing his tyranny and crazy whims.The pharaoh wanted the people to obey him only, and to believe in the gods of his invention. Perhaps, during that time, there were many classes of people who did not believe in or practice polytheism; however, they kept this to themselves and outwardly did as they were expected to do, without revolting or revealing themselves to anyone.Pharaoh came to know that a child will be born who will be cause of his destruction and death. He gave command to kill all the male children among the children of israel. Ibn Abbas narrated: Pharaoh saw in his vision a fire, which came from Jerusalem and burned the houses of the Egyptians, and all Copts, and did not do harm to the children of Israel. When he woke up, he was horrified. He then gathered his priests and magicians and asked them about this vision. They said: This means a boy will be born of them and the Egyptian people will perish at his hands. That is why Pharaoh commanded that all male children of the children of Israel be killed. But that child was born. He was prophet Musa (as). Even he was cherished by pharaoh in his palace. But after the prophethood Musa (as) conveyed the message of Allah. Musa (as) and Harun (as) went to pharaoh in obedience to Allahs command and conveyed to him the message of the religion of truth. They asked him to stop tormenting the Children of Israel and let them go with Musa (as) and Harun (as). It was unacceptable to pharaoh that Musa (as), whom he had kept near him for years and who most probably was to have been his successor on the throne, stood up to him and talked to him in this manner. For that reason, Firawn accused him of ingratitude. In Quran: (Firawn) said: Did we not cherish thee as a child among us, and didst thou not stay in our midst many years of thy life? And thou didst a deed of thine which (thou knowest) thou didst, and thou art an ungrateful (wretch)! (Surat ash-Shuara: 18-19 Out of pride and greed for power, pharaoh did not listen to what Musa (as) said. He tried to make fun of him, attempted to prove his power, and denied him. At the same time, he aimed to portray Musa (as) and Harun (as) as anarchists and accuse them of being politically motivated. Finally, neither Pharaoh nor the leaders of the people within his close circle, except for the magicians, obeyed Musa (as) and Harun (as). They did not follow the religion of truth shown to them. Therefore Allah first of all sent some disasters to them. pharaoh and his close circle were so deeply engaged in their polytheism and their idolatry, that is the religion of their ancestors, that they never considered leaving it. Even the miracles of Musa (as) were not enough to make them move away from their superstitions. Moreover, they expressed this openly. They said: Whatever be the Signs thou bringest, to work therewith thy sorcery on us, we shall never believe in thee. (Surat al-A‘raf: 132) Because of their conduct, Allah sent them a number of disasters as separate miracles to make them taste the torment in this world, before the eternal torment of the next world. The first of these was drought and scarcity of crops. In relation to the subject, it is written in the Quran: We punished the people of Firawn with years (of droughts) and shortness of crops; that they might receive admonition. (Surat al-A‘raf: 130). However, instead of taking heed as they should have, they held all that had happened was because of ill fortune brought by Musa and the Children of Israel. They were overcome by such conviction because of their superstitions, disobedience and devotion to the religion of their ancestors and, as a result, they suffered great distress for years. Allah sent to them a series of disasters, and warned them. These disasters are described as follows in the Quran: So we sent (plagues) on them: Wholesale death, Locusts, Lice, Frogs, and Blood: Signs openly self-explained: but they were steeped in arrogance a people given to sin. (Surat al-A‘raf: 133) In pharaohs time, this kind of chain of disasters appears to have occurred. According to this scenario, when the Nile was contaminated, fish also died, and the Egyptians were deprived of an important source of nutrition. Without predator fish, the frogs could initially breed freely in both ponds and the Nile and thus overpopulate the river, eventually escaping the anoxic, toxic, and putrefying environment by migrating to land, hence dying on land and decomposing along with the fish. The Nile and adjacent lands thus became fouled, and the waters became dangerous to drink or to bathe in. Moreover, the extinction of frog species causes bugs such as locusts and lice to reproduce excessively. Finally, no matter how the disasters took place, and what effect they left, neither pharaoh, nor his people turned to Allah by paying heed, but they continued in their arrogance. Musa (as) set out from Egypt with the Children of Israel who obeyed him. However, pharaoh could not accept their departure without his permission. He and his soldiers followed them . By the time Musa (as) and the Children of Israel reached the shore, pharaoh and his soldiers had caught up with them. Some of the Children of Israel, who saw this, began to complain to Musa (as). This weakness of the community is also described in the Quran in the following verse: And when the two bodies saw each other, the people of Musa said: We are sure to be overtaken.' (Surat ash-Shuara: 61) Allah revealed to Musa (as) that he should strike the sea with his rod. Upon this, it divided, and each separate part became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain. (Surat ash-Shuara: 63). In ordinary circumstances, at the moment when pharaoh saw such a miracle, he should have understood that there was something extraordinary about the situation that he was seeing Divine intervention. The sea opened for the people whom pharaoh wanted to destroy. Moreover, there was no guarantee that the sea would not close back after they passed across. Still, he and his army followed the Children of Israel into the sea. Most probably, Pharaoh and his soldiers had lost their ability to think reasonably because of their insolence and spite, and were unable comprehend the miraculous nature of the situation. The Quran describes the last moments of pharaoh as follows: We took the Children of Israel across the sea: Firawn and his hosts followed them in insolence and spite. At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to Allah in Islam). (Surah Yunus: 90) The People of Madyan: The people of Madyan were Arabs who lived in the country of Maan, part of which today is greater Syria. They were a greedy people who did not believe that Allah existed and who led wicked lives. They gave short measure, praised their goods beyond their worth, and hid their defects. They lied to their customers, thereby cheating them.They led a very happy and a prosperous life. Due to Allahs grace and endowments, they were very wealthy. But instead of thanking Allah for His bounties, they turned greedy and started cheating and betraying people in business. They used to cheat in weighing goods i.e. when they sold goods they weighed less whereas while buying they asked for more. Fraud and deceit were commonplace and the one who was more expert in this field was considered more intelligent and wise. Allah sent His Prophet Shoaib (as) armed with many miracles. Shuaib preached to them, begging them to be mindful of Allahs favors and warning them of the consequences of their evil ways, but they only mocked him. Shuaib remained calm as he reminded them of his kinship to them and that what he was doing was not for his personal gain. In Quran: And to Madyan (We sent) their brother Shoaib. He said, O my people! Serve Allah, you have no god other than Him. Clear proof has indeed come to you from your Lord. Therefore give full measure and weight. And do not diminish to men their things and do not make mischief in the land after its reform. This is better for you if you are believers. (Araaf: 85) Shoaib (as) prohibited the people from committing such contemptible deeds, and also reminded them about Allahs chastisement. But people mocked at him and said, You want us to worship as you worship? You expect us to leave the religion of our forefathers? You expect us to employ some other method in our trade? You want us to deal honestly and suffer losses? Never! Certainly we will never heed you! Since you have become old and also have children, we pardon you. Else we would certainly have stoned you to death! They seized the belongings of Shoaib (as) and his followers, then drove them out of the city. The Messenger turned to his Lord for help, and his plea was answered. Allah sent down on them scorching heat and they suffered terribly. On seeing a cloud gathering in the sky, they thought it would bring cool, refreshing rain, and rushed outside in the hope of enjoying the rainfall. Instead the cloud burst, hurling thunderbolts and fire. They heard a thunderous sound from above which caused the earth under their feet to tremble. The evil doers perished in this state of horror. PRESENT: Todays Muslims are the followers of the last prophet of Allah, Muhammad (s.a.w). He was sent as a seal of prophets. As Allah also declared that Muhammad (s.a.w) is the seals of prophets and after him no prophet will come. He (s.a.w) was the noblest man on earth ever. And no one will come better than him. We are his nation known as Muslims. Todays Muslims are proud to be Muslims. But should they really get proud of it? Todays Muslims are also involved in the activities the previous nations used to be involved in and they cam to no good end. They were perished by Allah. Muslims are involved in different sins like; stealing, killing, greed, not to be thankful to Allah, arrogant, mean, boastful, diminish, and the worst sin shirk. As it