The Future of Computer Crime in America Essay Example For Students

The Future of Computer Crime in America Essay The Future of Computer Crime in AmericaSociology Research PaperSociology per. #210/8/96Sociology Topics:Future SocietySocial ChangeSocial and Enviromental IssuesDeviant BehaviorCrime/CorrectionsName: Brandon RobinsonPeriod: # 2The proliferation of home computers, and of home computers equipped withmodems, has brought about a major transformation in the way American societycommunicates, interacts, and receives information. All of these changes beingpopularized by the media and the wide increased personal and private sector useof the Internet. All of these factors plus the fact of more and more businessand government institutions are jumping to make the use of these services hasput a much wider range of information at the finger tips of those, often selectand few individuals whom know how to access, understand and use theseinformation sources. Often times today this information is of a very sensitiveand private nature on anything from IRS Tax returns, to Top Secret NASA payloadlaunch i nformation. Piled on top of that many times the individuals accessingthese information sources are doing so by illegal means and are often motivatedby deviant and illegal means. It is said that at any given time the averageAmerican has his name on an active file in over 550 computer informationdatabases of which nearly 90% are online, and of the 550 databases the numbercomes no where close to how many time your personal information is listed insome database in an unactive file. The Average American could simply sit inhis/her home doing nearly nothing all day long and still have his/her name gothrough over 1,000 computers a day. We will write a custom essay on The Future of Computer Crime in America specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now All of these vast information files all hold the crucial ones and zerosof data that make up your life as you and all others know it. All of these databits, at the hands 100,000s of people. With little or NO central control orregulatory agency to oversee the safe handling of your precious little ones andzeros of information. As it would seem Arson Wells was little late with histitle of 1984 . BIG BROTHER is INDEED WATCHING, US ALL and as it would seemour BIG BROTHER is alot bigger then Mr. Wells could have ever imagined. And thatour BIG BROTHER is EVERYWHERE! The 100,000s of people that do have thisinformation make up our modern BIG BROTHER in the form of governmentinstitutions to private advertising companies, these people are all thetrusted ones who use our information everyday for legal and useful purposesbut what about the others who use their skills and and knowledge to gain theirown personal and illegal access to these vast depositories of information?These individuals populariz ed and demonized by the media are often referred toas Hackers or One who obtains unauthorized if not illegal, access to computerdata systems and or networks. or the media definition maladjusted losersforming high-tech street gangs that are dangerous to society (Chicago Tribune,1989) Which ever one is best fitted they are indeed becoming a very seriousissue and worry to some in our ever and constantly changing American TechnoSociety. Because of the serious delection by our elected representatives whomhave valiantly once again failed to keep up with the ever changing times, thereis if any major or clear and easy to understand CONSTITUTIONAL (The recent 3to 1 over turn of the not only controversial but deemed UNconstituional lawculled the Communications Decency Act) laws as to the governing of the vastlywild and uncharted realms of cyberspace. The flagrant and serious if notslightly laughable attempts of our technologically illiterate and ignorantmasses of elected officials. Sends a cl ear S.O.S. message to the futuregenerations of America to not only LOCK you PHYSICAL DOORS but also LOCK anddouble LOCK all or your COMPUTER DOORS as well. In order for this society toevolve efficiently with our ever changing technology rate. We as the masses aregoing to have to keep abreast with the current events that are lurking out inthe depths of cyberspace. Before we, as a result of our inability to adapt andour arrogance and ignorance, are all products of our own technological overindulgence. So to avoid the tragic and ending collision of our own selfmanufactured technological self-destruction and the break-down of our society,in every tangible aspect, as we know of it today. .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784 , .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784 .postImageUrl , .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784 , .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784:hover , .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784:visited , .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784:active { border:0!important; } .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784:active , .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784 .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u36d29efa58870e8be8b0875010f14784:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Critical Thinking EssayI believe that in the future we are headed towards you will see oursociety divided into Two major parts 1.) Those whom pose the knowledge andcapability to obtain the knowledge/information i.e.. the LITERATE and 2.)Those who dont pose the skills necessary to obtain that crucialknowledge/information, i.e.. the ROAD KILL Because in the future, the powerstructure will not be decided by who has the most guns or missiles or weaponsbut the powers structure will be made up of little tiny ones and zeros, bits ofdata giving to those whom ever poses the power of the knowledge and the power tomanipulate who has that knowledge. The rich and elitist will be thekno wledge posers and givers and the poor will be those with the lack ofknowledge. Knowledge will bring power and wealth and the lack of willbring..well the lack of power, wealth and knowledge. Sources1.Thesis by Gordon R. Meyer The Social Organization of the ComputerUnderground2.2600 Magazine The Hacker Quarterly3.The Codex Magazine Monthly Security and Technical Update. 4.Secrets of a Super Hacker by the Knightmare5.Personal Knowledge, Brandon Robinson

Apples Performance Management Methodology

Apples Performance Management Methodology Introduction Apple Inc. is a successful American company, which has been in existence since 1976 (Reuters, 2012, p. 1). Over a span of three decades, Apple Inc. has been able to establish itself as a force to reckon with in the electronics market. The company has received a lot of admiration (both locally and globally) after it was ranked by Fortune magazine as the most admirable company in America (in 2008), and the most admirable company globally (since 2009) (Reuters, 2012, p. 1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Apple’s Performance Management Methodology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apple Inc has a global presence in 10 countries around the world and it runs 357 retail stores in these locations. Apple is engaged in the manufacture of hardware products such as Macintosh, portable music players, personal computers (PCs) and software, networking solutions, third party digital content and related software. The company’s most notable products include Macintosh computers, ipods, ipads and the Apple TV. Apple’s online presence is also firm, especially with the existence of a virtual marketplace where the company sells digital content through App store, itunes, iBookstore among other online platforms (Reuters, 2012, p. 1). This paper critically evaluates Apple Inc. to establish its trends in training and how such a critical component of the company’s existence can be improved. To accomplish this objective, this paper assesses existing training strategies and identifies the most appropriate training strategy for Apple Inc. In addition, this paper evaluates the best ways the above strategy can be supported and implemented in the organization. Since employee performance is a critical component of Apple’s success, this paper also develops an outline of a learning, motivation, and performance improvement strategy for the company. To do this effectively, existing the ories (associated with learning, motivation, and employee performance) will be evaluated. Training Trends Different companies adopt different training trends depending on their objectives, capabilities and organizational structures. However, existing training trends fall within the confines of a few training methodologies used by most companies today. A notable trend in training is the multimedia and online training method, which many virtual companies have adopted (Heathfield, 2010, p. 2). However, like other training methodologies, the multimedia and online training methodology has different advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is the fact that it is relatively inexpensive and easy to manage. However, the multimedia and online training method has a high dropout rate (because it is often self-managed) and it has a high inability to develop an effective interface for the trainers and the trainees (Heathfield, 2010, p. 2).Advertising Looking for essay on business econ omics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Performance consulting is also another emerging trend, which is being quickly adopted by major companies across the globe as a credible training methodology. Few companies around the world are therefore adopting trainer-led and generic methodologies for improving their human capital because the focus is currently shifting towards providing a comprehensive and all-rounded review of human capital training. Heathfield (2010) explains that, â€Å"Alternatives to training offered by progressive human resource departments include coaching, organizational development or planned change consultation and interventions, facilitated planning sessions and large group processes† (p. 3). Often, these types of training are highly programmed to incorporate the overall direction of the business and its goals. However, for purposes of identifying the right training strategy for Apple Inc., it is vi tal to point out the performance management training methodology as an important training technique for the technological company. The main advantage that Apple Inc. stands to benefit from this training methodology is the integration of the human capital development into the overall performance management system of the company (Heathfield, 2010, p. 2). This performance criterion eliminates the traditional practice of undertaking performance appraisals at least once a year. The performance management methodology also provides increased opportunities for personal and professional development. Furthermore, this training methodology is superior to other training methodologies because it is holistic. It includes the input of peers, staff members and management. Employees are therefore able to receive constant feedback from the most important stakeholders in their journey to employee excellence. To explain this training methodology, Heathfield (2010) elaborates that, â€Å"The performanc e management system also integrates a performance development plan for the individual. This plan assists the employee to continue to develop his skills and abilities. For these plans, preference is accorded to integrated corporate university courses and internally custom designed and presented training† (p. 3). In 1995, the US government used the performance management technique to improve its regulations and to provide a sound management criterion for its employees. During the implementation process, it was observed that the new training methodology should not clash with existing government programs (U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Apple’s Performance Management Methodology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Throughout the entire process, it was also observed that, communication within the organization improved, everybody understood the rules, and there was bet ter recording of government programs (U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2011). These were commendable outcomes of the performance management process. Support for Training Initiative Support for the performance management program can be offered in several ways. However, most of the expectations for supporting the training program rest with the company’s management. Apple Inc. has had a good record of supporting productive employee initiatives and therefore, this understanding is expected to provide a good platform for future support initiatives. However, the most important and open way that the company’s management can support the performance management training initiative is providing the required financial support for the program. Providing adequate financing will go a long way towards ensuring the entire training process is a success. In fact, the realization of commendable program outcomes rest with proper financing (U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2011). An other area of support that the organization can adopt is opening up more opportunities for employee professional growth. These opportunities for growth can be manifested through promotions, wage or salary increases, increased responsibilities (and the likes). This window of support is vital for the survival of the program management technique because it would be fruitless for the employees to undergo a rigorous employee-training program without realizing its rewards. Moreover, it is in the best interest of Apple Inc. to create more opportunities for employee growth (within the organization) because if they fail to do so, their trained employees may decide to pursue other growth opportunities in other companies. Providing the right support for the training program is therefore of utmost importance. Outline for Learning, Motivation, and Performance Improvement For purposes of developing an outline for learning, motivation and performance improvement for Apple Inc., we will rely on Mas low’s hierarchy of needs because it defines the need theories of motivation. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs stipulates that some form of deficiency (in the employees’ personal or professional lives) motivate employees to work harder (Koontz, 2006, p. 290). Though other theories such as the scientific management approach emphasize on financial and other forms of material rewards as the main motivators for employees, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is more holistic and encompasses different aspects of employee lives. This is the main justification for the use of this theory.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Based on the above facts, it is important to outline the learning, motivation and performance improvement strategies on the five levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (physiological needs, safety needs, love/belonging needs, self-esteem needs and self-actualization needs) (Koontz, 2006, p. 290). In designing the training program, the five levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs need to be highlighted in the program. It is also equally important for Apple’s management to realize at which point of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs do their target employees stand so that they identify the right motivations for the employees. Once management has identified which level of need their employees are in, they can introduce a higher level of need to motivate the employees to attain a higher level of satisfaction. For instance, once Apple’s management has identified that their employees have satisfied the physiological level of need, they may introduce some elements of safety in the training program to motivate their employees to continue with the program. This outline is therefore set to ensure employees feel satisfied with the entire program Conclusion After weighing the findings of this study, it is important to note that, the performance management methodology is likely to improve Apple’s chances of developing highly effective employees. However, the realization of this goal depends on the financial and logistical support of management towards the program. Nonetheless, the program can significantly improve the odds of the technological giant to realize effective organizational success (at least with respect to its human capital). References Heathfield, S. (2010). Training  Trends. Web. Koontz, H. (2006). Essentials Of Management. London: Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Reuters. (2012). Apple Inc. Web. U.S. Office of Personnel Management. (2011). Performance Management. Web.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Leadership - Essay Example As mentioned above, schools obviously function as an open system, taking input from the environment, putting it through a transformative process and producing the changed product back into the environment. The second major frameworks schools function in is rational. A rational system is a system which attempts to achieve a specific goal with maximum efficiency. Though schools have a wide variety of goals, they are often very specific: they want to educate students to the point that they meet required standards (whether the standards are set by a school board, an accredited body, or the school itself). They seek to give students a balanced life, by providing access to education (in the form of physical education classes) and food along with academic pursuits. So clearly schools meet the first part of the definition of a rational system: they have specific goals. Schools also try to meet these goals in as efficient methods as possible; they employ teachers with enough experience to cov er multiple subject areas (such as physical education and another subject), they try to economize by using textbooks which will not become outdated quickly or can be used for multiple classes. So clearly they meet the second definition of a rational system.

The legal system and its structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The legal system and its structure - Essay Example The market for legal and judicial services revolves around the function of these courts. Legal and judicial assistance is required by individuals as well as businesses to resolve issues in their daily lives. The legal services industry in the UK includes solicitor firms’, barrister chambers, representative groups, regulators as well as businesses outside of the legal profession that provide consultancy services to individual and corporate clients. The legal service market in the UK generated revenues over  £14.3 billion in 2005 and continues to show potential for growth (Business and Consumer Services). But growth does not necessarily mean in terms of revenues for the industry to grow, it must improve upon its existing infrastructure and provide people with better opportunities and results. These markets are inefficient because of numerous reasons, the most important one’s are as follows.Reasons for inefficient marketsThe most important reason for inefficiency of the market is the high levels of profitability by mid-tier firms. Since firm’s charge a lot more than they should and without proper competition from other law firms the market suffers from imperfect competition. Another factor that accounts for inefficiency is the lack of review of business models for individual law firms, law firms that were established a long time ago still rely on the same business models as they did half a century ago. Another reason that contributes to inefficiency is the traditional approach of large law firms.

Utilitarianism and Greatest Happiness Essay Example for Free

Utilitarianism and Greatest Happiness Essay Utilitarianism begins with the work of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), an English political and social reformer. Educated at Oxford, Bentham eventually headed up a small group of thinkers called the â€Å"Philosophical Radicals. † This group, which included James Mill (father of John Stuart Mill, more on him later), was dedicated to social reform and the promulgation of Bentham’s ideas. Bentham based utilitarian ethics on the so-called â€Å"greatest happiness principle,† an idea originally enunciated by Frances Hutcheson (16941746), one of the founders of the Scottish Enlightenment. Put simply, Bentham believed that the goal of ethics was to promote â€Å"the greatest happiness of the greatest number. † Interestingly enough, Bentham went on to say that happiness consists in experiencing more pleasures than pains. That is, Bentham connects the welfare of the greatest number to a hedonistic view that values pleasure over pain. He then constructed what he termed a â€Å"hedonistic calculus† as an objective measure of the value of various pleasures or pains in terms of such categories as â€Å"intensity, duration, certainty, proximity, productiveness, purity, and extent. † Using such quantitative measures, Bentham felt he could calculate the â€Å"happiness factor† of various proposed courses of action. The action promoting the greatest happiness for the greatest number in a particular situation would be morally best. Notice two things about Bentham’s approach. First, implicit in his argument is the belief that the only way to measure the moral worth of an action is to evaluate its consequences: Will it produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number or not? Whatever does produce the greatest happiness in a particular situation, Bentham claims, will be morally correct. Second, the contrast to Kant could not be more clear. For Kant, the moral worth of an action lies strictly in the motive for taking the action, never its consequences. Only a good will, properly apprehending its duty through use of the categorical imperative and then acting to fulfill that duty, is capable of performing a morally good action. Bentham himself was an ardent political reformer, arguing tenaciously for a number of, what were for the day, radical views, including equality for women, prison reform, decriminalization of homosexuality, and animal rights. The more philosophical development of his ethical ideas fell to his followers, particularly James Mill and, later, Mill’s son John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). The younger Mill, aggressively educated by his father from ages three to fourteen, grew to be one of the 2 great thinkers of the nineteenth century. In the process, John Stuart Mill considerably refined Bentham’s utilitarianism. Writing in his 1861 essay Utilitarianism, Mill modifies Bentham’s view of pleasure and pain. Bentham had sought to distinguish pleasures and pains quantitatively (e. g., more or less intense, more or less in duration, more or less in extent, etc. ). Mill, by contrast, sought to include qualitative features, arguing, for instance, that the experience an intellectual or aesthetic pleasure (like reading a good book) might be more pleasurable than the physical pleasure of something like a good meal. Mill otherwise seeks to defend Bentham’s basic ideas. In doing so, Mill tries to resolve a conflict in Bentham’s thought. This conflict arises because of a difference between Bentham’s account of (1) hedonism for the individual and (2) hedonism as an ethical theory. An individual acts, Bentham says, solely out of a desire for happiness (i. e. , more pleasures than pains). This account could be termed descriptive in that it claims to explain why a person acts. But according to hedonism as an ethical theory, however, the individual should seek â€Å"the greatest happiness of the greatest number. † This view is not descriptive, but normative because it tells what the individual should do. This conflict leads to two problems. The first is obvious: if each individual is motivated to act to attain personal happiness, then why would that person have any concern to promote the welfare of others? The second is more theoretical: How to get from a descriptive theory of how individuals act to a normative theory of why individuals should all seek â€Å"the greatest happiness of the greatest number. † To solve the first problem, Mill introduces the idea of external and internal sanctions. These sanctions serve for Mill as the bridge between the world of the individual and the larger social universal of which we are all a part. External sanctions, for example, are social rules and laws that reward or punish persons for particular actions. Individuals view these sanctions in terms of their potential for pleasure or pain and adjust their future behavior accordingly. Mill’s view of internal sanctions is different. There, he sounds a bit like Hume, arguing that obeying a moral law produces a feeling of pleasure (and disobeying such a law produces a feeling of pain). Such feelings can, in turn, be can be observed to develop (in some people, at least) into a deep sympathy for others, thus illustrating the operation of the â€Å"greatest happiness principle† from within such persons. For such persons, their own happiness may truly depend on the happiness of others, which seems 3 to show that the individual desire for happiness can be reconciled with the theoretical demand that individuals act for the welfare of all. Why such connection might occur in some individuals rather than in others remains a question. At this point, contrasting Mill with Hume is instructive. Mill argues that, as can be observed, individuals develop a sense of pleasure or pain associated with obeying or disobeying moral laws and that, at least for some, those pleasures and pains become the basis for a sympathetic connection with others. Hume argues that such sympathetic connection is natural. By growing up in a human society, we intuitively learn to associate a feeling of moral pleasure with some acts and moral pain with others. Thus, for Hume, sentiment (or the particular feelings associated with moral or immoral acts) is a normal part of human development; whereas, for Mill, internal sanctions—and the role of the â€Å"greatest happiness principle†can be observed in people’s behavior, but a general theory of why people do this is lacking. Another place where a general theory is lacking is in the second problem described above: How to get from a descriptive theory of how individuals act to a normative theory of why individuals should all seek â€Å"the greatest happiness of the greatest number. † Mill argues here that there is no way to prove such a first principle as the â€Å"greatest happiness principle. † Indeed, he says, â€Å"No reason can be given why the general happiness is desirable except that each person, so far as he believes it to be attainable, desires his own happiness. † Since Mill’s time, utilitarianism has been widely debated, and an interesting distinction has emerged between Bentham and Mills theories. For Bentham, what makes an action right depends upon whether it contributes to the greatest happiness of the greatest number. That is, Bentham focuses on the happiness-producing potential of each individual action. We can call this act-utilitarianism. Mill, to some extent, seems to subscribe to this view, but he also at points takes a position we might call rule-utilitarianism. From this viewpoint, the morality of an action does not depend on whether it actually produces the greatest happiness; rather, what counts is whether the rule that the action exemplifies in fact satisfies the need for the greatest happiness of the greatest number. These two forms of utilitarianism continue to be debated by ethicists today. To illustrate the distinction between these two forms of utilitarianism, consider the following case. Suppose that a person unknowingly carried a deadly, highly contagious disease. An act-utilitarian might argue that we would be justified in killing such an individual to protect society from the disease (and thereby promote the greatest 4 happiness of the greatest number). A rule-utilitarian, on the other hand, might point out that the rule or principle involved in such an act (that we might kill someone when we found it in the best interest of the greatest number) should be rejected because it was, in fact, a dangerous rule and could ultimately lead to diminishing the greatest happiness of all. (Incidentally, you may have noticed that the rule-utilitarians position is reminiscent of Kant. ) In conclusion, the utilitarian viewpoint championed by Bentham and refined by John Stuart Mill has come to be one of the two major schools of ethical thought among academic philosophers in the United States and elsewhere. Its major competition, of course, comes from Kant’s deontological ethics. It is worth mentioning as well that utilitarianism has also had a powerful impact outside ethical circles. Remember that Bentham himself was primarily a liberal political reformer, so it is fitting that politics and public policy are also areas in which reasoning about the â€Å"greatest good for the greatest number† continues to widely practiced.

The Origin of Life :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

How life arose is a question that is fundamental to both philosophy and science. Responses to it enable one, in turn, to answer such questions as, â€Å"Who am I?†, â€Å"Why am I here?†, and â€Å"How do I make sense of this world?† This secondary set of questions can be answered in a myriad of ways for a variety of reasons, but the answer to the first question has only two responses. As Douglas Futuyuma says, â€Å"Creation and evolution, between them, exhaust the possible explanations for the origin of living things† (197). Either we are the product of the chemical and physical laws of nature operating over time, or we have been formed, at least in part, by some supernatural Force or Deity. The acceptance of one of these options as a foundation will determine how one will establish a belief system to determine his place in the world. This is a matter of crucial importance, yet in most biology classes offered at U.C. Davis, we learn that life c ame from nonlife by strictly natural (as opposed to supernatural) processes. The possibility that perhaps the origin of life cannot be explained by a natural mechanism is ignored, and this is disturbing. For if we limit what explanations we are willing to accept for the origin of life, we could be closing our eyes to reality. Francis Crick, co-discoverer of DNA, has said that â€Å"the origin of life appears to be almost a miracle, so many are the conditions which would have to be satisfied to get it going† (Horgan 27).2 Noted evolutionary astronomer Frederick Hoyle has described the chances of life having evolved from nonlife to be about as likely as the chances that â€Å"a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein† (Johnson 106). Why do respected scientists doubt what textbooks teach as fact? It would appear that these scientists know something that current theories describing the origin of life fail to explain. While current theories describe scenarios in which genetic material such as RNA becomes entrapped in a protective cell membrane as a likely recipe for the formation of life, they generally do not focus on the difficulties of forming and concentrating all of these components in the first place.3 To clarify, current theories suffer from what I call the â€Å"cookbook mentality.

Fulcher of Chartes:Pope Urban’s Speech at Clermont Essay

8.4 Fulcher of Chartres, â€Å"Pope Urban II’s Speech at Clermont† As the crusades began, Christians gathered to hear the insightful speech given by Pope Urban II in which he was able take unruly knights and give them a common enemy to fight. The enemies were the Muslims and Turks who were attacking the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Land. Urban II’s speech gave insights to the knightly class who were engaging in warlike tendencies and encouraged them to help people in need. On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II began his influential speech to the church officials and nobles who were in attendance. In the beginning of his speech, Urban II said that he was given permission by God to come and speak to them about what was going on. The situations that were going on in the Christian society included the knightly class fighting each other, raping young women, robbing the churches, and other unseemly activities. Pope Urban II told them that in order to become â€Å"frien ds† with God, they would have to do things that were pleasing to God. These included leaving all matters that revolved around the church to the leaders of the church, and if they [the knights] were to rob the leaders of the church they will be cursed. At this point of his speech Pope Urban II is building up to the main reason for this call to order. Urban II informed his audience that the people of the Byzantine Empire were in need of their help, and it was their duty to help them. He explained to his listeners that the Turks and the Arabs have conquered the Byzantine Empire and taken over the Christian lands. Pope Urban II told the people that Christ commands them to help the Byzantine Empire regardless of their social class. â€Å"On this account I, or rather the Lord beseech you as Christ’s heralds† (358). Pope Urban II went on to say that whoever was to die in battle or die in any other kind of way, they would receive forgiveness for their sins. This is saying that no matter what they have done in the past, they would be forgiven for it all. Urban II continued to convince the people at his speech to help the Byzantine Empire defeat the Turks and Arabs and win back the Christian territory. This would lead to what is now called the First  Crusade. Crusade began in the fall of 1096 in Constantinople where crusaders gathered. The crusaders included the knights and people of Byzantine Empire. The Crusaders began to march through territories controlled by the Turks and Arabs which included Edessa and Antioch. They continued to head to Jerusalem in June 1099. The crusaders the n proceeded on a â€Å"five-week siege of Jerusalem† which fell in July of 1099. Crusaders then took over cities along the Mediterranean coast and built â€Å"fortified castle all over the Holy Land to protect their new territories† (Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History). The crusaders defeated the Egyptian relief army in August 1099. Pope Urban II died on July 29, 1099 and was not able to see the victory of reclaiming Jerusalem. Fulcher of Chartres clearly exemplified that he was bias towards Pope Urban II’s speech. Although he was there to hear the speech, he did not record the speech until years later. This proves that he truly believed in what Pope Urban II was protesting. Not only did Urban II’s speech help to reclaim the Christian lands, it also encouraged the knightly class and others listeners to reconnect with God’s laws and commandments. The First Crusades were not the ending of the battles, there was a second and third crusade. The crusaders failed in the second crusade, and had a dismal failure in the third crusade. These battles show that the Christian warriors had wanted to have what was rightfully Christ’s, and would not stop at any cost until they had it. Works Cited Chartres, Fulcher Of, trans. â€Å"Pope Urban II’s Speech at Clermont† p. 357-359 Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters. â€Å"The Crusades (1095–1291)†. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/crus/hd_crus.htm (October 2001)