Pfizer-Pharmacia Merger

Problem statement: Pfizer, Inc. announced the acquisition of the company Pharmacia, Corp. In the months leading up to the merging of the two companies, there were issues with the employees of Pharmacia. The announcement of 2. 5 billion in cost savings as a result of the merging of the two companies, had staff worried because it would be in form of labor costs, which would potentially cause disclosure of local operations. Staff was concerned about their financial futures, loosing their income would not just affect their personal lives, and families but the community in general.A â€Å"trickle down effect†, would effect businesses that provide products, and services to the consumers, as well as the tax bases of local communities (Stamper, 2). The issue of having to potentially seek a financial bailout, and also possible bankruptcy of the city if Pfizer were to close down the operations of Pharmacia was a larger issue as well. The core mission of typical pharmaceutical company is drug discovery, clinical development, manufacturing, and sales and marketing. Before the merging of the company, the core mission of the company was met.Now the issue is, due to the merging of the companies, there was a loss of discovery, clinical development, and sales marketing. Why did the problems occur? The problem of staff being worried about their financial future, and the future of the company mainly aroused because of the 2. 5 billion dollar in total cost savings that would be implemented as a result of merging the two companies. Emotions were a major concept that was overtaking the staff at Pharmacia, everyone was in a certain state of readiness at times, due to the uncertainty of jobs, and the uneasiness with staff members caused mainly from the distributed memo.Misunderstanding of the memo, giving the impression that Pfizier was going to pull out of downtown Kalamazoo, was a â€Å"misunderstanding†. This caused uncertainty avoidance within the company, people fel t threatened by ambiguity and uncertainty. It also caused stress; the well being of staff members was at stake. The problem of staff being overwhelmed by the memo was due to the fact that Pfizer did not take the time to properly explain the meaning of the cost savings, from the very beginning.Loosing core essential missions for the company due to the merger occurred because the team at Kalamazoo was extremely effective; the decline of efficiency within the newly merged company could have been caused by the new collectivism of the company. With the merging, people got swapped around the concept of â€Å"job rotation†, and moving employees could be seen as a bad thing in this situation, because the Pharmacia had a very successful company to begin with, now with the merging it caused the company to have to work with less resources than prior to the merge. Alternatives:In assessing the case, the main problems with the merging of the company were communication. The lack of communi cation with the two companies, and the staff created a lot of problems, not only with staff but with government. If there was more communication within the companies from the beginning, it would have saved a lot of emotion, and stress due to the potential job loss and financial problems trickling to the whole community. To fix this initial problem, CEO of Pfizer Hank Mckinnell could have re-assessed the memo going out, and maybe spent more time thinking about the staff of the company, and how it would affect them when writing it.Within the newly devolved company, they could adapt high-performance-work-practices that could help the company get to where it was before the merge. Gathering the knowledge and skills and abilities that all the employees have, and trying to built them so the company can be successful. Conclusion: The Internal Subsystems could have been looked at more in depth, looking at how the company worked as a whole, instead of automatically making changes to the syste m. In order to have a successful company, you need to be able to have not only efficient, but adaptive and innovative.There could have been organizational efficiency, so when merging the two companies, it was helping the company grow and develop instead of putting it behind on its mission statements. Before the merging of the company, they should have taken a better look at the Internal Systems, and how well the company was operating internally. If this was done, they could have maybe found alternative ways for savings, and realized that the organizational efficiency of the company to begin with, was extremely strong.

People for companionship Essays

People for companionship Essays People for companionship Paper People for companionship Paper By the time we meet Stephano and Trinculo we see a new side of Caliban. In the scene when we first see them we realise that they are in fact drunkard fools. We first think that Caliban is very gullible as he starts to worship Stephano and swears to kiss thy foot. This shows his absolute devotion to people. Some might say that he is dependant on others, yet I disagree. I feel that he is capable of being independent, in spite of that he prefers to be around other people for companionship, as he gets lonely. His kindness is also shown as he says to Stephano: Ill show thee the best spring. Ill pluck thee berries.  Ill fish for thee and get thee wood enough.  A plague upon the tyrant that I serve;  Ill bear him no more sticks, but follow thee,  Thou wondrous man. (II, ii, 161-165)  This speech shows that what he did when Prospero came to the island was not a one off incident for Caliban to do. In these lines he talks about showing Stephano where the best springs are and about fetching wood. This is very kind as often even tamed human beings arent this kind. At this point the audience start to like Caliban. However during this quote we realise how intelligent Caliban actually is:  The dropsy drown this fool. What do you mean  To dote on thus luggage? Lett alone,  And do the murder first. If he awake,  From toe to crown hell fill our skin with pinches,  Make us strange stuff. (IV, i, 229-233)  This is taken from the part of the play when Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo are going to murder Prospero. This shows Calibans intelligence as in the cave he is not fooled by the rich garments and senses that they are a trick. This shows his intelligence is above Stephanos and Trinculos as they are fooled by the clothing. This makes the audience actually start to respect Caliban. We also see his intelligence when he feel that to kill Prospero they must obtain his books as with them he is a threat and without them he is not. From the lines at the top of this essay (A devil..never stick[IV, i, 189-190]) we can really understand one of the plays main themes. This is of course the nature/nurture argument. This is based on the fact that even though Prospero has supposedly tamed Caliban he feels that he has been unsuccessful. He feels this as Caliban really still relies on his natural instincts, even though he has supposedly been nurtured. Prospero feels that this is bad and that to be considered good and liked by people you must have been nurtured. You can however argue that even though Caliban relies on his natural instincts he is infact better than Antonio. This is true as Antonio is planning to kill Alonso and he has already overthrown Prospero and basically left him for dead. These deeds have all been achieved by planning and scheming, and not by natural instincts like all of Calibans deeds have been. This was an argument that was being debated at the time of the play and most people at that time thought that nurture was better than nature. I feel that Shakespeare felt the opposite way about this argument and by doing this play he was showing a new side to the argument. In the closing stages of the play Caliban realises that Stephano and Trinculo are not worthy of worship as at the end he says:  What a trice double ass  Was I to take this drunkard for a god,  And worship this dull fool. (V, i, 295-297)  After this Caliban is set free. This is lucky for him, as Prospero has mistreated him for a very long time. You also could argue that it was to avoid trouble that Caliban apologised, however this is unlikely as I feel that Caliban is a kind creature that is misunderstood. I think that Shakespeare wanted us to like him too; and for his audience at the time, he wanted them to realise their prejudice against people that looked unusual or different and change their views. Therefore Shakespeare didnt want us to have the same opinion of Caliban as Prospero.

Solar Energy Systems Analysis Essay Sample

Solar Energy Systems Analysis Essay Sample Solar Energy Systems Analysis Essay Example Solar Energy Systems Analysis Essay Example Currently, the question of the energy future of the world is one of the most considered and urgent problems of the humanity. It would seem that the solution to this problem is obvious: more power plants should produce more power. However, usage and maintenance of existing and built-to-be power plants need more fuel, which is derived from the natural resources of oil, gas, and coal that are not infinite. Nowadays, scientists and engineers around the world are searching for new sources of energy that could not only maintain and replace exhaustible natural resources, but also improve the ecological picture of the planet. Energy has numerous branches, depending on the main source type: nuclear, coal, gas, hydropower, and alternative, which is based on the use of renewable energy sources. Alternative energy includes wind, geothermal, biomass, tidal wave and solar energy. Comparing all these energy industries on the basis of environmental and economic criteria and indicators of safety, it is possible to conclude that solar power is the most promising. Current paper examines the problem of modern humanity that is the crisis of energy resources. In this regard, using new sources like alternative energy becomes necessary. Main attention is given to the areas of solar energy’s application as a clean and renewable source of energy. Besides, the paper describes existing inventions, their design and function. Solar Power Systems and Devices The most appropriate type of energy for the majority of autonomous objects is the energy of the sun. At the moment, solar energy is almost the only one, the reserves of which are completely inexhaustible. The amount of energy received by the Earth from the sun in one hour is equal to the total energy consumed by people in a year and at the same time this type of energy has almost no economic constraints (Tsao, Lewis. and Crabtree). It is quite natural that the development of solar energy and the attempts of its practical use, especially in the US and Western Europe, are extremely intense in the whole range of possible applications, ranging from micro electric for a few tens of watts for a variety of independent members to solar power plants for the industrial use, including applications such as spacecraft and solar powered cars. The amount of solar energy reaching the Earth is greater than the energy of the worlds reserves of coal, gas, oil, and other energy resources. Usage of only 0.0125% of solar power could provide all the needs of today’s global energy (Kravchenko). Advantages of the technologies using solar energy are seen by the fact that solar installations do not provide heat added into the surface layers of the atmosphere where the greenhouse effect is not generated and there is no air pollution. However, there is a lack of solar energy. In particular, it is dependent on the state of the atmosphere, time of a day, and season. Use of solar energy mainly goes in two ways: in the form of thermal energy through the use of various thermal systems or by photochemical reactions. The most widely used technology in the world to use solar energy is hot water supply and heating. For this purpose, low-temperature energy is sufficient. Plants and solar heating systems are divided into passive and active (Fricke). In passive systems, absorption and storage of solar energy are provided directly by the elements of building constructions with little use of additional devices or without them. Throughout the history, the humanity has learnt how to use the sun’s heat during the construction of houses. In many countries, buildings are characterized by thick walls, accumulation of energy, and orientation of windows on the sunny side. Even at the current time, there are new methods developed, which improve such system. The wall facing the south is black, before a wall there is a glazed surface, and there is air between them, which is heated and then circulated in the building by convection. A water wall can be used instead of the stone one formed by water-filled containers from fiberglass. Active systems are based on the use of solar thermal collectors that convert solar energy into heat. Usually, a solar collector consists of energy absorbing plate glass and tubes disposed between the plate and the glass. Heated liquid circulates through pipes by a pump. Solar collectors can be used in a variety of low-temperature processes. For example, those can be used in the food industry for pasteurization of products, cleaning of cans, bottles, laundry in laundries, drying of agricultural produce, and so on. Reflecting solar collectors that concentrate the heat and light of the sun by chasing the sun’s movements are used for getting higher temperature or for implementing any mechanical work. Such collectors have either mirrors or lenses. Mirrors can be parabolic, spherical, or paraboloid. The concentrated sunlight falls on the central heat sink and heats the liquid, which is then pumped. This system includes the storage tank for the heated fluid. The main problem of the widespread usage of solar thermal systems is related to their economic efficiency and competitiveness as compared to traditional systems. The cost of energy generated by solar installations is higher than the cost of the energy obtained when using traditional fuels. However, the use of solar is more cost-effective for areas remote from centralized power supply (Corkish, Green, Watt and Wenham). A more efficient way of using solar energy is its direct conversion into electrical energy using solar cells. Photovoltaic cells are light-sensitive plates made of semiconductor material: selenium, silicon, gallium arsenide, silicon, diselenide, etc. (Corkish, Green, Watt and Wenham). Photovoltaic is produced when light particles (photons) create an electric current that is absorbed by the semiconductor. Solar panels can be of different capacities, from portable units in a few watts to power wattage, covering millions of square meters. In order not to depend on seasonal and diurnal solar cycle and atmospheric conditions, there are technical energy storage methods such as electrochemical storage batteries and mechanical accumulation (using rotating flywheels) in the form of hydrogen. It is also possible to mix cells with other energy sources such as the most likely combination with wind turbines, as well as systems with fossil fuels. Photovoltaic systems (solar panels) require minimal maintenance and they do not use water. Thus, they are well-suited for remote and desert regions. This method of converting solar energy is durable and environmentally friendly. It can also be used to improve environmental conditions at the place of use and in the future to regulate environmental conditions in large areas. Basic needs in solar cells include: lighting, functioning of electronics (radio, TV, refrigerator), and pumps for lifting water in remote rural areas. It also helps to provide energy supply to environmentally friendly public recreation areas and treatment, as well as for radio and telecommunication systems, lighthouses, buoys. Installations of solar energy are not only environmentally friendly, but also have a positive impact on other areas of life. For example, the use of solar panels in hot desert regions such as a sun umbrella provide favorable conditions for growing underneath melons and citrus fruit, for which intense sunlight is not advisable. Another example is the use of solar panels or solar collectors as building elements for facades (Chiras). Production of Solar Equipment In many countries, there is a constant increase in the production of solar collectors. Their current global installed capacity is estimated at 15 GW (Sterner). The total area of solar collectors in the world, according to incomplete data, exceeds 21 million of square meters, while annual production of solar collectors exceeds 1.7 million of square meters. At this point, leading countries are (in millions of square meters): Japan 7, USA 4, Israel 2.8, and Greece 2. Photoelectric conversion of solar energy is one of the fastest growing trends in the domain of renewable energy. Currently, the total installed capacity of solar photovoltaic systems is over 938 MW. The annual growth rate has been 30% during the last 5 years. At this point, leading countries are: Japan 80 MW, the United States 60 MW, and Germany 50 MW (Kalogirou). The extent of the use of photovoltaic solar cells are limited to the higher cost of electricity generated as compared to the energy produced by the use of traditional energy sources. The unit cost of power flat solar modules on the world market is 4 5 $/W and the cost of photovoltaic installations is 7 10 $/Wt (Wolfe). The cost of electricity generated by the modules ranges from 0.2 to 0.3 / $/kWh, which is significantly higher than the cost of electricity from conventional sources. However, worldwide there are large areas with centralized energy supply experiencing an acute shortage of energy, thus resulting in significant losses, including material and financial ones. There are regions remote from centralized power like individual settlements, villages, and operating points. The use of renewable energy sources, including solar energy, would solve social and economic problems of these regions and remote locations. Therefore, the question of economic opportunity and efficiency must be addressed taking into account socio-economic conditions, including energy deficiency, the cost of fuel, as well as geographical and climatic conditions. Main Inventions Scientists estimate that a small percentage of solar energy is sufficient to provide transport and industrial and domestic needs both now and in the future. The energy balance of the Earth and the state of the biosphere are not to be affected irrespective of whether or not the energy is used. However, one cannot overlook one major drawback. Solar radiation falling on the Earth’s surface does not have a fixed place of concentration. Thus, it is necessary to catch and turn this energy into a form that could be possibly used for human needs. In addition, there is a need in some way to stock solar energy to maintain the power supply at night and on cloudy days. At present, this problem is easily solved. The main thing is a correct usage of this resource to reduce its cost to a minimum. Moreover, taking into account day-by-day improvement of technology that becomes more expensive and, most importantly, traditional exhaustible resources, solar energy will find more fields of applica tion. Thus, below are the main of them. The task of solar collectors is accumulation of solar energy as efficiently as possible. Several well-known principles have been used in the design of the solar collector. For example, the heater is based on the property of solar rays, which freely pass through the transparent medium into the closed space and, being converted into thermal energy, are no longer able to come back through the transparent roof installation. The hydraulic system works by the principle of thermosiphon effect. That is known by the property of the liquid being heated to climb up, displacing the colder water and forcing the latter to move to a place of heat. It should also be noted that the development of solar energy has considered the effect of the accumulation and preservation of heat. Accumulated solar energy converts into heat energy that persists for a long time. There are different types of solar collectors differentiated by the external form of surfaces or by principles of absorbing surfaces and accum ulating methods. A flat solar collector is the most common type of solar collectors used for domestic water heating and heating systems. This solar collector has a glazing panel encasing the absorber plate. Absorber plate is made of metal with a good heat capacity (Kalogirou). The most frequently used metal is copper as it conducts heat better and is less susceptible to corrosion than aluminum. The plate is treated with a special highly selective absorber coating, which keeps better absorption of sunlight. This coating consists of a very strong thin amorphous semiconductor layer deposited on the metal base and has a high absorptivity in the visible region of the spectrum and low emissivity in the long wavelength infrared region. Heat loss reduces due to the glazing since frosted glazing glass with a low iron content that transmits only light is typically used in flat solar collectors. The bottom and side walls of the solar collector are coated with a heat insulating material, which further reduces he at loss. In the vacuum solar collector with direct heat transfer water, vacuum tubes are arranged at a certain angle and connected to the storage tank (Kalogirou). From it, water from a loop heat exchanger flows directly to tubes, heats up, and comes back. Advantages of this system concern a direct transfer of heat to water without other elements. Thermosiphon systems work on the principle of natural convection phenomena when warm water aspires upwards. In thermosiphon systems, the tank should be located above the collector. When water in tubes of the solar collector heats up, it becomes lighter and naturally rises to the top of the tank. Cooler water in the tank flows down into the tube; thus, it is circulated throughout the system. In smaller systems, the tank is integrated with solar collectors and is not designed for rail pressure. Therefore, thermosiphon systems need to use either water supply from upstream capacity or through reduction of pressure reducers. This type of solar collector has a minimum flow resistance. The system is required to be non-pressurized (open expansion tank) for tubes to avoid pressure. The drawback of such system is a slightly larger volume of water loop heat exchanger. There could also be a case of leaking water if the tube of solar collector is broken. However, the main advantage is low cost with all the benefits of a solar collector with vacuum tubes. The first prototype of a solar vehicle appeared in 1955 in Chicago thanks to William Cobb (Freestone). The model had a design with a length slightly larger than a foot and consisted of thirteen selenium solar cells on the roof and a small electric motor. It was the first attempt at creating silent and environmentally friendly transport. In the late 80-ies of the 20th century, the idea spread around the world. The idea is certainly unique, but also quite expensive. To make a solar power car able to compete with the motor car, one must use the most lightweight and durable construction materials, as well as a high-performance drive system, the latest achievements in the field of electronics, electrical engineering, and aerodynamics. Mobile station photoelectric is an autonomous energy source that can be used both in an open remote place and for the stationary use. However, of course, the main purpose of the station is the battery charging. The principle of operation of mobile photovoltaic plant is direct conversion of sunlight into electricity through solar cells. The station consists of modular solar panels, collapsible structures, and inter-module cable. Solar cells used in the modules are protected with light-resistant film on the front side and on the back side they have a rigid substrate. All this helps to protect them from mechanical damage and environmental influences. Solar modules are suitable for storage and transport as they are created in a convenient folding design. Concerning power characteristics of such installation, the cable can switch in parallel all the modules for charging a nominal voltage of 12 V, while series-parallel to the voltage of 24 V. In order to achieve voltage of 48 V, one must c onnect all modules with their own current leading in a daisy chain (Kalogirou). Portable solar power system is intended primarily for energy supply to DC house and special equipment with power up to 60 W and is based on solar photovoltaic modules. The structure of the portable system includes: a solar battery, a sealed rechargeable battery with charge controller-level, a warning device, a network adapter, and a lamp with a fluorescent lamp. Features of the system are the following: Accumulation of energy from different sources, including thermoelectric solar batteries and charger power; Ease of use and assembly of the technology implemented through the use of electrical connectors; Light weight and undeniable compactness that are important for the mobility of the system. Solar kitchen is household solar plants intended for cooking. The main element is a solar concentrator that focuses the sun’s rays on the surface of the radiation detector dishes in which food is prepared. Often, solar concentrators used for solar dishes have a low accuracy of the focusing solar radiation; however, it is enough for everyday usage’s convenience. Rotation after the apparent motion of the sun is carried out by hand and efficiency of the plant reaches 55-60% (Hesselbach and Herrmann). Benefits of solar kitchen are its compactness for the use in open space conditions, indispensability of the absence of gas, and, of course, budget of the installation. Lamps with solar batteries: today, there cannot be a huge surprise in case someone uses photovoltaic systems for night illumination of streets, highways, and other areas. These systems are autonomous power supply, which are based on solar module that allows making the lighting less expensive. The principle of operation of such systems is reliable and simple. During the daylight hours, the photovoltaic cell recharges batteries, turning solar energy into electricity. At night, the light automatically comes on and stays on until dawn. Intensity of solar radiation does not affect charging abilities of the battery; it can be recharged even in cloudy weather, not to mention the winter season. The structure of the photovoltaic system includes: PV module that converts sunlight into electricity; Battery that accumulates energy. Sealed and maintenance-free batteries are commonly used, the service life of which does not exceed 10 years; Controller, which optimizes the level of charge/discharge of the battery and automatically switches on the light at night and turns off the light in the daytime; An inverter, which converts direct current into alternating; Lighting unit, including the ceiling and the lamp. Of course, all electronic devices equipped with a photovoltaic system are protected against short circuit, overload, and overheating, while providing reliability and efficiency of the system. In conclusion, the main thing is that solar energy is one of the most renewable and readily available sources of energy. The fact that sunlight and heat are available for free in large quantities and do not belong to anyone makes them one of the most important alternative energy sources. Currently, the potential of solar energy is extremely high in addition to a large number of positive aspects in favor of the use of this resource in comparison with conventional energy. However, as mentioned in the beginning, there is one major drawback. Despite the fact that the amount of solar energy is enough to supply all the energy needs of the world, unfortunately these huge potentials will hardly be ever implemented on a large scale. This is impossible because of the low intensity of the solar lighting. Moreover, the use of a large number of collectors involves considerable material costs. Perhaps, the situation will change for the better in case cheaper materials for collectors are created an d applied.

The Impact of Cross Border Mergers between the Other Countries and the Dissertation

The Impact of Cross Border Mergers between the Other Countries and the UK - Dissertation Example For instance, when the Daimler-Benz and Chrysler merged, both the companies stopped to exist and in their place DaimlerChrysler was formed. Cross border mergers are those mergers where the involved companies are set up in different countries. They comprise of a growing percentage of all the mergers. The cross border mergers are of two kinds, viz., the inward cross border mergers and the outward cross border mergers. In the inward cross border merger, the entire or parts of domestic companies are put up for sale to overseas investors, which result in inward movement of capital. In the case of an outward cross border merger, the domestic companies purchase the entire or segments of foreign companies resulting in outward flow of capital (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Economic Analysis and Statistics Division, 2003). Cross-border mergers are a very significant occurrence in the global economy. They encompass greater than 50% of all the foreign direct investment taking place in the world (Gugler & Et. Al., 2003). Companies engage in cross border merger activities for various motives, such as intensification of their market position, growing their business, getting hold of the other company’s complementary resources, and to improve their efficiency by global business reorganization among others. During the period from 1995-2001, the United Kingdom was the second target nation after the United States for cross border inward mergers. During the same period, the United Kingdom was leading acquiring country, with most number of outward overseas mergers (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Economic Analysis and Statistics Division, 2003). Cross Border Mergers continued to contribute for a major percentage of annual global foreign direct investment flows till 2007. The overseas mergers were the chief mode of foreign direct investment entry to other countries, and consequently the primary reason for the boom in the global foreign direct investment market during the phase from 2003 to 2007. However, during 2008, due to the impact of the global financial crisis, the number of cross border mergers as well as acquisitions plunged. The decline in the overall cross border mergers has had a considerable effect on the Foreign Direct Investment flows. This was because, the flow of Foreign Direct Investment are strongly interrelated with the worth of the overall overseas merger transactions. There was a major reduction in the cross border merger activities in both the manufacturing as well as the services sector from 2008 to 2009. There was also an apparent relative swing towards the non-financial services, such as the food, beverages sector, during the same period. An impressive rise in the investments in agriculture and other associated activities through cross bo rder mergers was recorded during 2007-2008 (Burksaitiene, 2010). The research objective of this study is to analyze the impacts of the 2008 financial crisis that led to a global economic depression on the field of cross border mergers as an important investment method in the United Kingdom. The study also explores the major expansion opportunities and also the difficulties relating to the cross border mergers in the United Kingdom. The study also discusses the cross border mergers in details, including the advantages of investing through

Structured decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Structured decision making - Essay Example Disagreements, if any, are made transparent, thus enabling the stakeholders to use new perspectives or knowledge for re-evaluation. The process also helps come up with decisions that are of higher quality, transparent, informed and respond to the values of stakeholders involved. It also evaluates and identifies alternative options for resource management through the engagement of experts, stakeholders and decision-makers in the process while addressing the uncertainty in management of resources in a transparent and proactive manner. The scholars note that the results from associated technical, social and economic analyses that should predict the performance of a particular solution make more relevance when measured in regard to what makes the most sense according to the stakeholders. This makes it easier, over time, to make responses to changes within a system of management. This tool would be best used where there is difficulty in making a decision regarding a resource management, for instance improving water quality, the main end objective being the restoration of ecosystem health. The decision makers involved would explore other objectives such as the traditionally scientific like the maintenance of environmental health and the value based like creating recreational opportunities before coming up with the ultimate decision (Wilson & Arvai, 2011). Other objectives would include restoration of vegetation and also provision of habitat for

Culture Influence of the Food Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture Influence of the Food - Assignment Example The ingredients used are leftovers of a sheep after it has been slaughtered and meat extracted. Some people would have to be drunk or drugged in order to take haggis while it remains a cultural delicacy in Scotland. Different religious groups are known to use food as an expression of their faith. Fasting is believed to improve spiritual disciple among the Christians. Muslims are also known for not eating pigs. They consider pigs to be cursed and unholy. Hindus do not eat beef. They believe that the cow is holy(Kao and Elizabeth 87). The young generation has taken fasting to whole new level. Girls are known to fast so as to maintain their perfect physique. This is part of the food culture in today’s world and cannot be ignored. Chinese are known to use chopsticks to eat their food. In some countries around the world, the main meal is taken during the day. That is at noon. However, in America the main meal of the day is taken in the evening shortly before 7 P.M. The evening meal is referred to as dinner. In Spain, the evening meal (supper) is taken around 10 P.M. Some cultures prefer their food to be spicy. E.g. the Chinese. Some will enjoy their food more if it is either bitter, sour or sweet. Some cultures will also like their food to be boiled or fried. While some cultures like eat raw food. Some cultures like the French like eating in groups and holding festivals while some cultures leg Denmark people are allowed to eat alone and eating is not considered a social activity. However, in Denmark people emphasize eating healthy while in France people are more concerned with taste (Kao and Elizabeth 56). There are also some other factors that determine food culture. For instance, sportsmen and women have been known not to eat heavily.

Buddhism Versus Greek Mythology Essay Example for Free

Buddhism Versus Greek Mythology Essay â€Å"[A human being] experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness, â€Å"said Albert Einstein. â€Å"Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty† (â€Å"Heart Quotes†). Einstein’s view on nature is similar to that of Indian Buddhists. Life-giving Indian weather inspired the Buddhist cyclic view of rebirth while the rugged terrain of Greece inspired their harsh outlook on nature. Buddhists believe man is one with nature while Greek mythology emphasizes the all-importance of man. Buddhists live in harmony with nature whereas the Greeks show violence towards it and all its creatures. However, as the Greek mindset shifted towards philosophy, so did it shift towards similar reverence towards nature. The defining distinction between these two perspectives on life is that the outlook on nature of Buddhists show values from the belief that all is in harmony with Atman, whereas the Greek outlook on nature shows that man is above nature. India is a country of lush plains, striking mountains, beautiful deserts, and dazzling bays. 2, 545 years ago, this incredible scenery served as the backdrop to Buddha’s life and eventual Enlightenment, from which Buddhist teachings would one day grow (Eckel 6). The impact of Buddha’s surroundings on Buddhist thinking is obvious, especially when one takes into consideration India’s dramatic seasonal climate changes. Every summer in India, the monsoons arrive. Every summer in India is monsoon season, a time of torrential downpours raging uninterrupted for months. Before these monsoons, the earth is dried and parched; food and water are scarce. It is, in every way, a season of death. Then, however, the rain arrives, harsh and relentless, but life giving nonetheless. The rain is the amniotic fluid catalyzing the re-entrance of life unto the barren earth. This annual cycle of death and rebirth presents the native people with a dire ultimatum: they must either obey nature or not survive. If they try to go against nature’s course, they will inevitably fail. Nature controls life. Observing this phenomenon, Buddhists learned from nature and realized that this cycle can be found everywhere. They realized that humans undergo an equivalent cycle called samsara, or reincarnation. - â€Å"He could no longer distinguish the many voices, the cheerful from the weeping, the children’s from the men’s: they all belonged together. The lament of the knower’s yearning and laughing, the screaming of the angry, the moaning of the dying- everything was one; everything was entwined and entwisted, was interwoven a thousand fold. And all of it together, all voices, all goals, all yearnings, all sufferings, all pleasures, all good and evil-the world was everything together. Everything together was the river of events, was the music of life. And when Siddhartha listened attentively to this river, listened to this song of a thousand voices, when he did not listen to sorrow or laughter, when he did not bring his soul to any one voice and did not enter them with his ego, but listened to all of them, heard the wholeness, the oneness- then the great song of the thousand voices consisted of a single word, which was ‘om’: perfection†¦belonging to the oneness† (Hesse 118-119). At the core of Buddhism lies an important lesson about maya and Enlightenment. To reach Enlightenment, one must understand all. One of the first steps towards such understanding is to understand maya, or illusion. Everything that one sees, feels, and tastes belongs to the world of maya. Even one does not exist but in the world of maya. Thus, if all does not exist, then all is equal. One is equal to everything in the surrounding world, especially nature. All are one in Atman, which is the heart of all of Buddhism. Everything is one. All of this separation from nature and from one another is simply maya, or an illusion. Consequently, in Buddhism, any injustice done to nature is an injustice to oneself. To reach Enlightenment, peace and oneness with nature are essential. Man and nature are one. Therefore, everyone and everything, especially nature, should be treated as so. â€Å"[Siddhartha said,] ‘This stone is a stone, it is also an animal, it is also God, it is also the Buddha, I love and honor it not because it would become this or that someday, but because of this because it is a stone, because it appears to me now and today as a stone, it is precisely because of this that I love it and see worth and meaning in each of its veins and pits, in the yellow, in the gray, in the hardness, in the sound it emits when I tap it,  in the dryness or dampness of its surface. [T]hat is precisely what I like and what seems wonderful to me and worthy of worship†¦I love the stone and the river and all these things that we contemplate and also a tree or a piece of bark. These are things and things can be loved† (Hesse 126-127). In harmony with the principle of reincarnation, any plant, creature, or other aspect of nature is a part of the cycle of rebirth. Therefore, any of these can one day become a man, for when something in nature dies, it undergoes the cycle of rebirth and can be reborn as anything. One day, it will become a human. Nature holds the ability within itself to be a human and, for that reason, should be considered as an equal. The true magnitude of nature’s presence in Buddhism is truly portrayed by the distinct mentioning of Siddhartha reaching enlightenment under a tree, specifically the Bodhi tree or the Asiatic fig tree (Gach 16). The scriptural account of the Enlightenment of Buddha gives this significance to nature when Buddha sits under the Bodhi tree for seven whole days. After the seven days, the Buddha gets up only to sit down again at an Ajapala banyan-tree for another length of time. He rises once again just to sit down once more at the foot of a Mucalinda tree (â€Å"Bodhi Leaf†). Nature is therefore made clear as one of the most important aspects of Buddhism. As Buddhists have such a deep reverence for nature, they believe in keeping peace with every aspect of nature. This does not just mean plants but also animals and other living creatures. However, that does not mean that all Buddhists must be vegetarians although it is strongly suggested to do so. It is said that the act of eating meat is a form of karma that will lead a person farther from Enlightenment. Therefore, the more meat one eats in one’s various lives, the more times one will have to experience the cycle of death and rebirth. On the other hand, some Buddhists believe in another view of meat eating. One is allowed to eat meat that one receives unless one knows or suspects that the meat in question was killed especially for one (Epstein). As far as sacrificial practices, meat is not sacrificed but instead herbs and incense are given up in prayer. Peace is a very important aspect of treating nature. Peace comes in many forms: peace towards environment, towards creatures, towards man, etc. A Buddhist definition of peace is â€Å"softening what is rigid in our hearts† (Chodron 17). In keeping with their attitude towards nature, Buddhists also believe that a man should not kill another man for any reason. In Buddhism, war is never the answer. In fact, the first few lines of the Dhammapada, a Buddhist scripture, state â€Å"For love is not conquered by hate: hate is conquered by love. This is a law eternal† (Chappell 81). Therefore, instead of fighting hate with hate, Buddhists believe in fighting hate with love. That is the only way to overcome and to reach Enlightenment. â€Å"’When someone seeks,’ said Siddhartha,’ then it easily happens that his eyes see only the thing that he seeks, and he is able to find nothing, to take in nothing because he always thinks only about the thing he is seeking, because he has one goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal. You, Venerable One, may truly be a seeker, for, in striving toward your goal, you fail to see certain things that are right under your nose. † (Hesse, 121-122) As previously stated, to reach Enlightenment, Buddhists believe all that is needed is understanding. The ultimate goal of Buddhists is to attain this understanding, this meaning, this Enlightenment. However, one must be aware that spending a life seeking is not the way to reach Enlightenment. To be a faithful Buddhist, one must understand that the key is not to seek. For, in seeking, as this quote says, the obvious is not seen. Buddhism then teaches that to reach Enlightenment, one must find not seek. Therefore, Buddhists do not seek to explain nature (Hanh 78). They are content with nature as it is- unexplained, for nature’s explanations can be found without seeking. â€Å"’Is this what you mean: that the river is everywhere at once, at its source and at its mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the rapids, in the sea ,in the mountains, everywhere at once, and only the present exists for it, and not the shadow of the future? ’ ‘That is it,’ said Siddhartha. ‘And when I learned that, I looked at my life, and it was also a river and the boy Siddhartha was separated from the adult Siddhartha and from the old man Siddhartha only by shadow, not by substance. Nor were Siddhartha’s earlier births the past, and his death and his return to [Atman] are no future. Nothing was, nothing will be; everything is, everything has being and is present† (Hesse 94). A final important aspect of Buddhism is the concept that time does not exist. Time is a man-made notion that does nothing but bring about worries. All sufferings in life can be attributed to time. Buddhists believe that once the concept of time is released, life will hold no more problems, worries, or stresses. Only then can Enlightenment be truly reached. When the concept of time is destroyed inside oneself, it allows for a completely new philosophy to surface. Greece is a country lined with hostile, jagged mountains, in which there are very few arable location surrounded by threatening seas. There is no cycle, no preconception, no structure. To the Ancient Greeks, it seemed that nature was not kind; nature was no friend to them. Therefore, their logic decided that they should be no friend to nature. Such was the physical and mental location of this people, and the beginning of many differences between Greek thought and Buddhism. Greeks living about six hundred years ere the birth of Christ were very religious, as well as very diverse spiritually. All the answers to their questions were found in different religions. Ancient Greeks passed down their religious traditions orally through myths. A myth is â€Å"a story about the gods which sets out to explain why life is as it is† (Gaarder, 22). Greek mythology was an integral part of Greek culture. The ‘miracle of Greece’ is a phrase that describes the awakening of Greek culture and its effects on the rest of the world. One way the Greeks accomplished this was through their focus on man’s importance. They put mankind at the center of their world so that man was all-important. The Greeks even created the gods in their own image, complete with very human qualities. This was the first time in history that a god was made into a recognizable, tangible form. Erstwhile, gods had no lucidity about them. â€Å"Greek artists and poets realized how splendid a man could be, straight and swift and strong. He was the fulfillment of their search for beauty. They had no wish to create some fantasy shaped in their own minds† (Hamilton, 9). Man was put on a pedestal and made the most prominent being in the world, so that he was made into a deity. Any human could be the son of a god, thereby half-divine, an idea unheard of before this time. This idea of man being the ultimate authority is in complete contradiction to Buddhism, where man was equal to nature, not above it. â€Å"And soon as the men had prayed and flung the barley, first they lifted back the heads of the victims, slit their throats, skinned them and carved away the meat from the thighbones and wrapped them in fat, a double fold sliced clean and topped with strips of flesh. And the old man burned these over dried split wood and over the quarters poured out glistening wine while young men at his side held five-pronged forks. Once they had burned the bones and tasted the organs they cut the rest into pieces, pierced them with spits, roasted them to a turn and pulled them off the fire† (Homer 93) Myths were also used for other purposes than learning. â€Å"But a myth was not only an explanation. People also carried out religious ceremonies related to the myths† (Gaarder, 25). Like most other religions at the time, the Ancient Greeks’ religions consisted of brutal rituals and rites that contrasted greatly to the thoughts of Buddhism (Connolly 87). Buddhism teaches of kindness to animals whereas Greek religion utilized animal cruelty as part of their holy worship to the gods. The gods of Olympus, who were created in the ultimate image of the Greek people, used the forms of innocent animals to manipulate and get what they wanted. In many instances, Zeus used the guise of animals when he wanted to capture a woman and gain her trust. â€Å"[T]hat very instant [Zeus] fell madly in love with Europa [ H]e thought it well to be cautious, and before appearing to Europa he changed himself into a bull† (Hamilton 101). However, rather than setting an example to revere animals, this teaches people to use animals in any way possible to reach the desired end. Even more opposed to Buddhism was the fact that a Greek hero was someone who had extreme strength or other physical features that he could use against animals. Hercules is one of the best examples of this notion. He is considered the greatest Greek hero ever to live. Through a tragic sequence of events, he killed his sons and wife, but was doomed to live on in order to undergo a series of trials to redeem himself. His first predicament was to â€Å"kill the lion of Nemea. Hercules solved [that] by choking the life out of [the lion]† (Hamilton 231). Hercules also had to drive out the â€Å"Stymphalian birds, which were a plague to the people of Stymphalus because of their enormous numbers† (Hamilton 232). This shows that, unlike Buddhists, Greeks could not live in peace with nature, but instead hated nature. Ancient Greeks did not want anything to do with nature, let alone be a part of it. Hercules also had to capture many animals in these trials such as the â€Å"stag with horns of gold†, â€Å"a great boar which had its lair on Mount Erymanthus†, â€Å"the savage bull that Poseidon had given Minos†, â€Å"the man-eating mares of King Diomedes of Thrace†, the cattle of Geryon†, and â€Å"Cerberus the three-headed dog† (Hamilton 232-233). Hercules inspired the Greeks not by staying in peace with nature but instead by forcing it to conform to his will in a harsh, cruel way. Hercules made sure he was above nature, a predicament the Buddhists avoided and even condemned. In summary, Greeks wanted to overcome nature whereas Buddhists wanted to be one with nature. â€Å"So by the beaked ships the Argives formed for battle, arming round you, Achilles –Achilles starved for war-and faced the Trojan ranks along the plain’s high ground[†¦T]he Achaeans kept on gaining glory- great Achilles who held back from the brutal fighting so long had just come blazing forth. Chilling tremors shook the Trojans’ knees, down to the last man, terrified at the sight: the headlong runner coming, gleaming in all his gear, afire like man-destroying Ares† (Homer 503, 505). As previously stated, Buddhists lived by the doctrine to fight hate with love. If Ancient Greeks had a concise doctrine about war, it would have been to fight hate with more hate. Ancient Greek civilization centralized around their love of carnage. The majority of Ancient Greek myths revolved around war or other forms of fighting. The Iliad is a 537-page myth about one war and it glorifies all aspects of war. The heroes of The Iliad are not monks or The Buddha like in Buddhism. Instead, the heroes of The Iliad are Achilles and Hector, two soldiers magnificent in warfare and bloodthirsty through and through. In addition, Achilles is most illustrious in The Iliad when he is the most sanguinary. â€Å"[Diomedes] went whirling into the slaughter now, hacking left and right and hideous groans broke from the drying Thracians slashed by the sword-the ground ran red with blood. [†¦]Tydeus’ son went tearing into that Thracian camp until he’d butchered twelve. [†¦]But now the son of Tydeus came upon the king, the thirteenth man, and ripped away his life. [†¦]Patroclus tore [Pronous’s] chest left bare by the shield-rim, loosed his knees and the man went crashing down. [†¦ Then Patroclus] stabbed [Thestor’s] right jawbone, ramming the spearhead square between his teeth so hard he hooked him by that spearhead over the chariot-rail, hoisted, dragged the Trojan out. [†¦Patroclus then] gaffed him off his car [†¦] and flipped him down face first, dead as he fell. Next [†¦] he flung a rock and it struck between [Erylaus’s] eyes and the man’s whole skull split in his heavy helmet. [Patroclus] crowded corpse on corpse on the earth. † (Homer, 292, 426-427) Even more horrific to the eyes of Buddhists would be the battle scenes in The Iliad that truly show the awe and glory the ancient Greeks saw in war. The Iliad was a myth that served more as entertainment than anything else. This shows that Ancient Greeks were amused by this kind of literature. Buddhists believe in not seeking to explain nature. By contrast, Ancient Greeks did precisely this with their myths. â€Å"[A myth] is an explanation of something in nature; how, for instance, any and everything in the universe came into existence: men, animals, this of that tree or flower, the sun, the moon, the stars, storms, eruptions, earthquakes, all that is and all that happens† (Hamilton 12). Ancient Greeks wanted to know how everything happened around them so they could manipulate their environment more easily. This is a central division between Ancient Greeks and Buddhism. Whereas Buddhists believe that time does not exist, Ancient Greeks were engrossed by time. All throughout The Iliad, Homer stresses how long the war has been going on and how it worries and distresses everyone involved. Unlike Buddhists, the Greeks do not disown the belief of time. They stay true to the traditional man-made vision of time instead of throwing out their problems by abandoning the idea of time. â€Å"[The natural philosopher] Heraclitus (c. 540-480 B. C. )[†¦] was from Ephesus in Asia Minor. He thought that constant change, or glow, was in fact the most basic characteristic of nature. [†¦ ]‘Everything flows,’ said Heraclitus. Everything is in constant flux and movement, nothing is abiding. Therefore we ‘cannot step twice into the same river. When I step into the river for the second time, neither I nor the river are the same’† (Gaarder 34). Slowly, Greek culture started to move away from religion and more towards philosophy. It evolved from a â€Å"mythological mode of thought to one based on experience and reason† (Gaarder 27). People could make ideas for themselves and create new beliefs instead of going back to the myths. The world started a shift from relying on religion to analyzing the world with science and philosophy. Surprisingly, this is where similarities between Greek and Buddhist culture were born. At first, the two religions of the ancient Greeks and the Buddhists clashed greatly. However, through the move away from mythical religion the Greek beliefs were brought closer towards the religion of Buddhism. Heraclitus here used the same metaphor for his philosophy as Siddhartha used for his. Although the passages were said in different situations and with different words, both quotes have the same general philosophy that time does not truly exist. A river is usually a sign of separation; a river acts as a divider in most cases. However, this river brings two very different cultures together in a very powerful way that is clear to all. Nature is everything outside and inside a man or a woman or a child. Nature is every breath taken, every step forward, every glance made, every wind blown, and every flower planted. The two cultures of Greece and Buddhism showed great contrasts in the beginning but one resounding similarity was found in something as simple as a river. India shows a cyclic weather that inspired the thought of rebirth while Greece shows a harsh terrain that inspired animosity between man and nature. As a consequence, Buddhists thought that nature and man are one while Greeks were taught to be above nature and manipulate it in any way possible. Buddhists lived in ultimate peace while the ancient Greeks lived in love of carnage. The Buddhist outlook on nature is derived from the belief that man is one with nature whereas the original Greek outlook is derived from the thought that man is above nature. Nature is the essence of the world, the aura of everything around people. These two cultures, although vastly different, impacted human belief and intellect forever.