Global Positioning System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global Positioning System - Essay Example The system calculates the position of the receiver by Triangulation method, which is similar to manner in which a seismologist locates position of an earthquake epicentre using arrival time of seismic waves. When distance from one satellite is measured, the position gives us radius of a sphere. Similar measurement from another satellite gives another sphere intersecting the first in an overlapping region of a circle. The third measurement gives another sphere intersecting the circle at two points. Now one of the two points can be eliminated by either a fourth measurement, or due to unreasonable location or speed. Thus we have an accurate position of the GPS receiver. This position can be determined by just two measurements at sea level due to a well defined datum, and software assisted elimination of unreasonable datum. Now with known speed of signal and extremely accurate time keeping, the distance from the satellites can be calculated accurately. With more than four satellites normally visible at any given time, position calculated becomes more accurate with each additional satellite. Satellite Configuration Geometry causes the position information to be suspect due to position of satellites themselves, if they are bunched together the position accuracy will suffer negatively and if they are more or less well spread out in space, the accuracy is much better. This aspect is called Dilution of Position (DOP). GPS Signa Limitations and Future of GPS There are some inherent limitations of the GPS as given below: GPS Signal Reception. Accurate functioning of a GPS receiver requires at least four GPS satellites. These signals cannot penetrate water or soil. Hence, GPS cannot be used for underwater marine navigation or underground surveys like mines or tunnels. Similarly, in areas of skyscrapers or high surrounding terrain, the number of visible satellites or signal strength can fall below acceptable strength hampering GPS functioning. GPS Signal Integrity Monitoring. Since the datum for all calculations is GPS satellite, wrong satellite positions or wrong range measurements from satellites can be potentially disastrous. Thus GPS Integrity Channel (GIC) and Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) are two schemes to accurately monitor integrity of signal information and warn the receiver whenever a conflict situation exists. GPS Signal Accuracy. A GPS receiver normally measures time taken for a signal to arrive at the receiver and converts it into range information. This measurement can be corrupted in many ways called collectively as User Equivalent Range error (UERE). These are corrected by directly deducting the known error from the calculations or reduce these errors by changing the way we make measurements. Uncorrected errors creep into the calculations causing different kinds of inaccuracies or errors affecting performance of the receiver. The future looks good with intense competition among world players to have their own GPS, mainly due to security aspirations. Russia, Europe and Japan are currently in advanced stage of system development/testing and many other regional countries are thinking about their own GPS. This would also lead to better accuracy and world wide acceptance of GPS for commercial and city use. The advantages would be better prices, more redundancy especially in the field of aviation and extensive market penetration due to hand held ground based GPS. The

Literature Review On Green Logistics

Literature Review On Green Logistics The United States consumes 20.8 million barrels of oil everyday which leads the world; China is a distance second with 7.5 million barrels per day (Oil consumption, retrieved 8 Apr 2011). The number one transportation fuel used in the United States is gasoline and that fuel is used to keep our approximately 250 million vehicles running. Today there are about 250 million vehicles on the roads that use gasoline with the average miles driven at about 12 thousand per year (Gasoline explained, retrieved 8 Apr 2011). It doesnt take a rocket scientist to understand how dependent Americans are on their vehicles and that we will only change our habits if given an affordable choice. The auto maker that provides the cheapest and most reliable options to go green is the one who will reap the benefits of profit. Even though many loyal consumers may continue to purchasing GM vehicles regardless of fuel prices, GM must change its current business model by going green to stay competitive because fuel prices are on the rise and competitors are passing them up by providing more fuel efficient options. There are many challenges facing todays automakers. A dilemma has developed in the auto industry as it pertains to profit and or moral responsibility. Auto production is not as profitable as before because of a flood of choices in vehicles. The auto industry makes money by mass producing a style of vehicle the consumer is asking for. On top of all that the government continues to introduce strict environmental regulation that auto makers must conform to. A perfect storm has developed between the auto makers and environmental responsibility in an effort to meet the challenges of producing a sustainable and profitable industry for the future (Nieuwenhuis, P., Wells, P., and retrieved 8 Apr 2011) The transition to a new business model has not come easily. In 2008 the General Motors Corporation sat on the edge of going into bankruptcy needing the United States government to bail it out with a $13.4 billion loan. President Bush expressed his concern fearing that liquidating the company would cause even more economic hardship in America (Hinton, C., 2008). In mid-2009 GM finally declared bankruptcy even after the $13.4 billion dollar loan given by the government a year before. The bankruptcy would only negatively affect a portion of the organization that would later be called the bad GM that included the undesirable parts of GM like older factories, unpopular brands, and healthcare and pension liabilities. The Good GM that included the more desirable modern factories and popular auto brands would be spared in the downsizing and reemerged in the new GM in July 2009 (McCracken, J., 2009). Most realize that supply and demand is the backbone of any for profit organization. In the case of GM or any other supplier, production is driven by the customer or consumer. If the customer wants hybrids-electric vehicles the auto manufacturer will supply them if they dont there will not be any regardless of any perceived moral responsibility of the auto maker. With that understanding the need to look into GM further to find the trigger events is necessary. Remember trigger events are the things that cause an organization to change (Spector, 2010, p.18). With General Motors some of the triggers came in the form of the commodities needed to produce the vehicles. With the increased costs of materials needed to produce vehicles like steel and aluminum GMs profit margins were reduced. The expensive material needed to produce vehicles cannot easily be replaced with a cheaper material so the auto maker is stuck. One interesting perceived trigger for change by GM is oil prices. Keep in min d that oil prices may not be a trigger in the view of GM but is a trigger in the view of the government (who now holds a large part of GMs stock) based on the U.S. oil consumption each year. So in GMs case oil prices are a direct change trigger. The fact is that oil prices affect the day-to-day cost that the consumer pays out more than it affects the auto maker who can absorb the year-to-year cost of rising oil prices. Besides the issue with production cost GM experienced a lot external change triggers through the pressure from the government and the media. With recent attention on the environment and the high cost of fuel GM just as all the other auto manufacturers are now answering the call from customers for less polluting more fuel efficient vehicles. Because GM was known for its large gas guzzling SUVs, luxury cars while other auto manufacturers like Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen were already making fuel efficient vehicles high gas prices became a change trigger for GM. Not only did GM need to make a business model change based on these triggers but they would need to do so in a catch-up mode because the before mentioned organizations already had began developing the technology needed for the change (GM Corporation, 2008). Even though some consumers may continue purchasing GM vehicles regardless of fuel prices, GM must change its current business model by going green just to stay competitive because public opinion, pressure from the government and rising fuel costs. The most important reason GM must change its current business model by going green is because their competitors will pass them by and steal their customer base if they dont. As a result of public pressure and the politics of the auto industry GM is simultaneously making progress and history. This year General Motors produced the first production version of a hybrid vehicle called the Chevy Volt. The sale will serve as a test in America to see if consumers will be willing to spend their hard earned money in the name of helping the environment. The event will also serve to test which of two marketing concepts Americans prefer, one is the before mentioned hybrid vehicle with batteries that can be plugged in at your home and recharged and two the series hybrid production car. The Volt is the first to pop through the hybrid-electric market but BMW is ready to release their version hybrid- electric concept. Later this year BMW plans to release the Fisker Karma, a luxury sports sedan (Voelc ker, J., 2011). There are many different approaches to change and just as many opinions of which change model or redesign to use. The answer to which way to go is dependent on the end goals of the organization. General Motors desperately needed to rethink and turnaround their sinking business because they were running out of money and feeling pressure from sluggish sales. As mentioned the GM organization was in need of a change based on the need to stabilize and increase its profits. Part of what GM decided to do fits firmly into the definition of a turnaround which is when an organization doesnt look to change its current business practices to meet the expectations of the stakeholders or consumers but instead reevaluates its assets in an effort to cut the fat. When an organization implements turnaround they streamline and reprioritize the areas critical to increase profits. This was displayed in the actions of GM through their decision to close out dated factories, draw downs, reducing health insur ance, and pension benefits (Spector, 2010, p.15). In many cases turnaround alone is not enough to meet the organizational goals and in the case of GM they needed to look at changing in their organizational business plan. Based on rising oil prices and political pressure from the government and the public through the media the days of gas guzzling SUVs and luxury sedans may be in the past. General Motors now must look at reducing its vehicles dependence on gasoline and branch through organizational redesign into the hybrid-electric vehicle market. One of the triggers that have motivated General Motors to make a change was pressure from the United States government based on their agreement to bailout GM. In a statement on auto industry restructuring by the new CEO of General Motors Frederick Henderson the government has given GM 60-days to come up long-term viability of the company including restructuring of the financial obligations to the bond holders, unions, and other stakeholders. Henderson went on to say General Motors was one or two generations behind in the development of green technologies. He added that hybrids will be one direction GM will go in the new business model and that GM must move quickly to catch up with Toyota and Honda while at the same time advancing the development of their electrically-powered vehicles like the Chevy Volt (WSJ Staff, 2009). General Motors is currently working with over 30 utility companies in the U.S. to work through any issues dealing with the required electrical access in anticipation to its roll out of new electrical vehicles that will be ready in about two years. The partnership includes some big players in the field include Duke Energy, Southern California Edison and the Electrical Vehicle Institute. All the main players will figure out the details such as tax and tax incentives and the locations and times an electric car owner can plug in for a charge or recharging. General Motors engineers are working towards building an enduring infrastructure for green vehicles that will be used in the future. Britta Gross a GM engineer saysWe know that when the vehicle is in the showroom and ready for sale, its got to work seamlessly with the infrastructure. Its the whole picture. We got to make sure the infrastructure is ready. General Motors is getting in on the ground floor with its partnership with the utilities. The groups will develop policies, tax incentives on the expensive green vehicles. The idea is to design electric cars that will be low demand type usage vehicle traveling only abut 40 miles between charges. Other issues GM and their partners will need to work out is the speed in which a vehicle can recharge, voltage, and amperage (Krisher, T., 2009). This month General Motors will be the first of the big three American auto makers to roll out a new electric car known as the Volt. GM is committed to ensuring the Volt is marketed well because they understand how much America needs this type of vehicle. The worlds first mass produced production electrical vehicle will be released in Boston Mass. The Volt is a hybrid-electric vehicle with a gas engine that is only engaged after about 35 miles which is the current one charge battery life. After the 35 miles the electric engine will be replaced by the internal combustion engine. For those Americans who travel the 35 miles or less in their daily travels to work will get indefinite gas mileage. Just in time to charge/track the infinite mileage the Environmental Protection Agency has developed a way to measure the energy used by electric vehicles. The EPA figures the amount of electricity needed to charge the Volts rechargeable battery gives the Volt a fuel rating of about 93 miles per ga llon. The 93 miles per gallon is the highest rating of any vehicle in history for any US car manufacturer. As far as the looks of the Volt which is very important to the American consumer the vehicle looks just like a traditional gas powered vehicle until you open the hood. Under the hood are two electric motors, a four-cylinder gas engine and a huge T-shaped battery pack that runs the vehicle. In 2009 the U.S. government bailed out General Motors and in turn they have pinned their hopes on the Volts success. The Volt is GMs future as far as its advancement in green technology (Kronenberg, J., 2011). Now that General Motors has identified the need to change through the triggers discussed earlier and they then redesigned their business model as well as made some hard choices that fit under the turnaround concept that meet their current and future needs it now time to look at if the changes have been successful. In March 2004 President Obama invested billions of dollars to assist GM and to keep the organization from falling through. The U.S. government also guided GM through a uniqueness of a divided bankruptcy that kept the good GM and cut lose the parts of GM that were losing money. Its widely accepted that GMs bailout has developed into a great success. Just in recent weeks General Motors has announced its highest returns since 1999 a $4.7 billion profit, the first time thats happened since 2004. A year ago sales were 46% lower that present day sales. The expectations are that GM will continue to increase their Market share and their profit margines even in the face of rising fuel prices. In addition to the new growth/profits GM has begun paying back the billions of dollars it owes the U.S. government. The future looks bright as well with GM producing two more new vehicles but the star is the most electric Chevrolet Volt the plug-in-play hybrid car. GM has also advertised that they have m ore new vehicles and technologies on the way (Editorial, 2011). With any organizational change the requirement to reflect objectively to the changes is a must. The importance of revisiting the changes is to ensure the changes made have stuck and that the old habits havent resurfaced. Just because an organization has developed a great strategy that should be successful doesnt mean it will be successful. One way to look back in an effort to identify successes in a winning strategy is to answer a few well thought out questions. The first question should be; does the strategy fit the organizations situation? In the case of GM the change in their business model was designed partly by their external situation in that the U.S. government forced them into developing a strategy that would sustain the organization long term. The strategy also satisfied the internal needs of GM because they needed to reduce the bad GM that was keeping them from turning a profit. The bad side of GM was of course the old factories, unpopular brands and also costly healthcare and benefits. The change satisfied both GM their customers and the U.S. government. The second question is; has the strategy yielded a sustainable competitive advantage? This question is answered in the fact that GM new strategy is innovative in respect to the development of hybrid-electric vehicles and in producing the first production car that is a hybrid. The third question is; Has the strategy produced good financial performance? The answer to this last quest ion is a thundering yes. General Motors based solely on the organizational redesign and updated business model have produced a 46% market value increase compares to pre-strategy implementation (Gamble, J., Thompson, A., 2011). General Motors was by all accounts forced to change the way they conducted business. The economy and GMs stakeholders both applied their unique pressures that included significant a bailout by the U.S. government. If not for the pressures mentioned above who knows if GM would have ever changed their organizational practices. Supply and demand will always drive organizations to change. So you can see that even although consumers may continue to purchase General Motors vehicles regardless of fuel prices, GM must change its current business model by going green in an effort to stay competitive for two main reasons. First, fuel prices are on the rise. But more importantly, GM vehicle competitors like Honda and Toyota will pass them bye if they dont change.

Benjamin Franklin :: essays research papers

The phrase “true American'; does not have a definition, although the word “American'; does. The definition of American is “belonging to or characteristic of America.'; It is hard to relate Benjamin Franklin to this definition of an American, but it does apply to many of his characteristics. Franklin’s loyalty to America shows greatly throughout his life in his writings and jobs. Franklin’s many jobs included being an inventor, politician, author, statesman, philosopher, soldier, scientist, citizen, and a printer. Franklin helped stabilize America by helping to write the countries declaration of independence, which is only one of his many works. Benjamin Franklin’s leadership did not only influence the people of his time, but this great quality still influences the people of today. Many people today think of Franklin as a proud pillar of our national heritage. Most of Franklin’s education was self-taught through his hard work and dedication to learning. This education helped Franklin in many ways to write many books, outsmart other politicians, and create new inventions. Franklin knows he can not relive his life so decides that writing a book would be the next best thing. In Franklin’s autobiography, which he writes to his son, he tries to retell his mistakes so others will not do the same. One of Franklin’s strongest beliefs includes his religion. Franklin did not believe in organized religion and believed strongly in Deism. This shows his concern for other Americans. One of Franklin’s most contributive works to America besides his diplomacy was the Declaration of Independence. Not only did Franklin help write this document, but he was also the oldest person to sign it. Franklin published an annual book called Poor Richard’s Almanac. In this book Franklin included both important and useless information. Franklin predicted temperatures, told tales, included some of his favorite quotes, and had many fun facts published in this book. This is one of Franklin’s most famous quotes “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.'; (Perkins) This saying shows Franklin’s intelligence on time management. Benjamin Franklin :: essays research papers The phrase “true American'; does not have a definition, although the word “American'; does. The definition of American is “belonging to or characteristic of America.'; It is hard to relate Benjamin Franklin to this definition of an American, but it does apply to many of his characteristics. Franklin’s loyalty to America shows greatly throughout his life in his writings and jobs. Franklin’s many jobs included being an inventor, politician, author, statesman, philosopher, soldier, scientist, citizen, and a printer. Franklin helped stabilize America by helping to write the countries declaration of independence, which is only one of his many works. Benjamin Franklin’s leadership did not only influence the people of his time, but this great quality still influences the people of today. Many people today think of Franklin as a proud pillar of our national heritage. Most of Franklin’s education was self-taught through his hard work and dedication to learning. This education helped Franklin in many ways to write many books, outsmart other politicians, and create new inventions. Franklin knows he can not relive his life so decides that writing a book would be the next best thing. In Franklin’s autobiography, which he writes to his son, he tries to retell his mistakes so others will not do the same. One of Franklin’s strongest beliefs includes his religion. Franklin did not believe in organized religion and believed strongly in Deism. This shows his concern for other Americans. One of Franklin’s most contributive works to America besides his diplomacy was the Declaration of Independence. Not only did Franklin help write this document, but he was also the oldest person to sign it. Franklin published an annual book called Poor Richard’s Almanac. In this book Franklin included both important and useless information. Franklin predicted temperatures, told tales, included some of his favorite quotes, and had many fun facts published in this book. This is one of Franklin’s most famous quotes “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.'; (Perkins) This saying shows Franklin’s intelligence on time management.

The Doors :: essays research papers

Poet William Blake once said "If The Doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite" (Gilmore 34). From this quote arose a band that even over 20 years after its disbanding still is played and remembered. The Doors started as a little garage band in California back in the early sixties. They were extremely popular due to their lead singer, Jim Morrison. Morrison himself was a real character. Morrison is considered by many critics a modern day poet. Others view him in a different light, George Will wrote "Morrison resembled Byron in one aspect, they both were mad, bad, and dangerous to know" (Will 64). Still others view him as a hero of the 'counterculture'. He was a sort of 'Peter Pan', one of those boys who never grew up. Morrison basically was The Doors. His blatant disregard for law and order made him a very well known figure. He was arrested on a few occasions for charges ranging from inciting riots to indecent exposure. He was also notorious for his drug use and alcohol abuse. His poetry though, justified his lifestyle. There were also three other members of the band: Ray Manzarak (keyboards), John Densmore (drummer), and Robby Krieger (guitarist). They all made up The Doors, but after the death of the lead singer Jim Morrison, the band's popularity dropped significantly. They did though produce three albums after Morrison's untimely demise (all of which were not very popular). Jim Morrison died on July 4th, 1971, in Paris, France. He was 27 years old at the time of death (the same age Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin died at also). He was found in his bathtub with a cute smirk on his face. He had finally "broke through to the other side"(Gilmore 35). The Doors were known for their style of rebellious, psychedelic rock. Their music is poetry (written by Jim Morrison) set to music. Morrison also had many books published just of his poetry. Although not all of The Doors music was written by Morrison, ninety percent of it was. The band was considered a guru by the youngsters of the sixties, and a scourge by the public. The band seemed to fuse music, drugs, and idealism as a way to reform and even redeem a troubled society (Gilmore 34). They were much like the other bands that were emerging in the sixties, but different in one major way.

The ocean at the end of the lane

There are several characters in the novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane. The characters in the book The Ocean at the End of the Lane are Little Hempstead and an UN-named protagonist. The UN-named protagonist is a seven years old boy and is the character that tells the story, on a first person point of view. † I was seven years old, no longer a little child, but I was wetting myself with fear, like a baby, and there was nothing I could do about it, while Ursula Monotone hung in the air above me and watched, dispassionately† (Caiman 75).The second main character is Little Hempstead; she is a twelve ears old girl and is the one who â€Å"invited† The UN-named protagonist to this magical world. For instance she is the one who brought the protagonist to the Hempstead farm and that is where he got the magic worm stuck to his feet. One can see how the principal characters of this novel are the UN-named protagonist and Little. Throughout Neil Gasman's book there has bee n a few settings revealed. Two settings that are in the novel are Sussex, England and the Hempstead Farm. One of the settings is Ileitis's farm because almost the entire volume takes place there.For instance it is where the climax occurred and where most of the symbolic events happened. The main setting is Sussex, England that is where the story takes place. â€Å"l drove along winding Sussex country roads I only half remembered† (Caiman 13). In this quote the character is forty-three years old and is going back to his homeland because the entire story is technically a flashback. To conclude one can see how the main settings are Sussex and the Hempstead Farm. Many element of figurative language have been demonstrated to the readers in this novel. Figurative examples in the story are personification and metaphor.Personification was used in the book because when Little and the protagonist were against the supernatural they gave human characteristics to the weather. â€Å"The g round hit my stomach, and the wind knocked out of me†(Caiman 125). Many metaphors where used throughout the book mostly when Little and the protagonist were fighting with Ursula. â€Å"She was the storm, she was the lighting she was the adult world with all it power and all it's secrets† (Caiman 76). Conclusively the readers can see how some element f figurative language in the book are metaphors and personification.The book has had many symbols presented to us. Symbols proven to the readers during the book were the pond and the Hempstead Farm. The Hempstead farm is one of the symbols because it represents the magical world and how this entire book revolves around it. For instance Ursula Monotone, she is the main conflict in the novel and she was originally being held in the Hempstead farm. Until the protagonist came and she was able to get inside him. Finally the main symbol is the pond, the pond is what permits tie to stay alive as she sacrificed herself for the prota gonist the pond gave her power to relive.Little says the pond is really an ocean and the protagonist understands why because at the end it is revealed that the lake is an ocean of all the knowledge in the world and represents knowledge and can do everything. â€Å"And it wasn't a pond. It was an ocean. Little Hemlock's ocean† (Caiman 17). â€Å"L knew that when was in the ocean, and knew everything. I understood it all† (Caiman 1 16). To finalize the audience can see how two significant symbols of this novel are the pond and the Hempstead Farm.

St. Francis of Assisi

In the year 1181, a Giovanni Bernardone was born to an aristocratic family in Assisi, Umbria Italy. His father had been abroad, traveling for his businesses, while his child had been born and he came with the displeasing fact that his son was named after what the Italian thought of as the version for John the Baptist. Not wanting his son to be a Son of God, he began referring to his son as Francesco, otherwise known as Frances. Growing up, Frances grew up as a very privileged child, using his father’s money to his advantage.He and a group of boys would run around town stirring up trouble ‘til late, and Frances was known as the party animal . St. Frances of Assisi referred to that time as, â€Å"I lived in sin. † [â€Å"St. Francis of Assisi – Saints & Angels. † Catholic Online] Francis, whose father urged him to join him in his business, wanted more than wealth: power. Eager to receive it, he quickly joined in the battle against Perugia, Assisiâ€⠄¢s long time enemy. Many of the troops were killed, and those who weren’t were taken into captivity to be ransomed.Francis had been kept in captivity for almost a year in a small dungeon with several other men, but once his family had paid the ransom he returned to his old reckless ways. Seizing another opportunity to become a knight, Francis joined the Fourth Crusade boasting that he would return as a great prince. But less than two days into the journey, he received a vision from God that came to him in his dreams telling him that, â€Å"You have mistaken the meaning of your vision. Return to your own town. † [Chesterton, G. K. â€Å"Francis the Fighter. † St. Francis of Assisi,. New York: George H.Doran, 1924. 39. ] Unwilling, he returned back to Assisi, humiliated and ashamed that he had gone away in the first place. In Assisi, he had not returned to his old ways but began to mope around the pastures and streets, believing he had no purpose. One day he had been roaming around an abandoned field when off in the distance he saw a figure, which, as he drew closer, was a leper. And suddenly, a revelation came to St. Francis. This was what he was afraid, being poor and alone. Embracing the leper, he kissed him on both cheeks and gave him all of the money he had on him.Riding on toward the town, he has said that when he turned around the leper had disappeared, nowhere to be found. He always looked at it as a test from God, which he had rightly passed. St. Francis first got his start when he came across the Church of St. Damien which had been neglected to rubble. As he entered the collapsing Church, he heard a voice telling him to restore His house, and Francis realized that God was speaking to him. Like he had always done when he needed financial help, he ran to his father.His father, never being a man of God, put his son away under lock and key, declaring him a thief. Francis was put in front of the bishop, whom declared that Francis had t o repay his father the money. Francis then did something which declared his love for God: He referred to God as his only father, and shed all of his clothes as to repay his Earthly father. Running out into the streets on a snowy winter day, he ran through the streets of Assisi in nothing but rags taking refuge in the run down Church of St. Damien. He became a beggar, the one thing he had always feared, begging for nothing but stones.With the stones had built the Church with his own bare hands. Completing the Church, he began to live the Gospel, which no one had ever done before. Living out in the Church, Francis began to value nature, not looking at it as a whole but individually and as a child of God. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment for he focused most with God on nature and how each and everything, living or nonliving, was a creation of God, therefore a child of God. He’s also a patron saint of merchants, and his own country, Italy. St.Francis , though not a patron saint of, is frequently represented with poverty since he lived as a beggar and hermit, no solid roof over his head. St. Francis’ was canonized on July 16, 1228 by Pope Gregory IX where by that time he had been succumbed to blindness and became crippled with the way he had lived in his younger years. His Feast Day is on October 4th, and is celebrated universally. One of St. Francis’ major shrines is the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy, which is the mother Church for all Franciscan Orders. Locally, we can find a St.Francis of Assisi Church in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. St. Francis has many prayers, both inspired by him and those that he has written himself. One of the prayers he had written when he was nearing his death was the Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, where he prayed to God during a time of need. He was undergoing an eye surgery to restore his sight, where they had to burn most of his face off, and he used this p rayer as a reassurance. One of his most famous prayers which had been inspired by his life was the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.This prayer is considered somewhat of the beatitudes of the Franciscan community. St. Francis of Assisi is one of my favorite saints because of where he had come from. Most saints start off poor and burdened but Francis had everything and still chose to continue with God. He devoted his life to the poor and to nature, not regretting leaving his past life. He practiced what he preached, leaving a life filled with poverty and pain, suffering from the stigmata and blindness. St. Francis served his God throughout his life, though in the beginning unknowing. He was indeed, one of the greatest saints. St. Francis of Assisi In the year 1181, a Giovanni Bernardone was born to an aristocratic family in Assisi, Umbria Italy. His father had been abroad, traveling for his businesses, while his child had been born and he came with the displeasing fact that his son was named after what the Italian thought of as the version for John the Baptist. Not wanting his son to be a Son of God, he began referring to his son as Francesco, otherwise known as Frances. Growing up, Frances grew up as a very privileged child, using his father’s money to his advantage.He and a group of boys would run around town stirring up trouble ‘til late, and Frances was known as the party animal . St. Frances of Assisi referred to that time as, â€Å"I lived in sin. † [â€Å"St. Francis of Assisi – Saints & Angels. † Catholic Online] Francis, whose father urged him to join him in his business, wanted more than wealth: power. Eager to receive it, he quickly joined in the battle against Perugia, Assisiâ€⠄¢s long time enemy. Many of the troops were killed, and those who weren’t were taken into captivity to be ransomed.Francis had been kept in captivity for almost a year in a small dungeon with several other men, but once his family had paid the ransom he returned to his old reckless ways. Seizing another opportunity to become a knight, Francis joined the Fourth Crusade boasting that he would return as a great prince. But less than two days into the journey, he received a vision from God that came to him in his dreams telling him that, â€Å"You have mistaken the meaning of your vision. Return to your own town. † [Chesterton, G. K. â€Å"Francis the Fighter. † St. Francis of Assisi,. New York: George H.Doran, 1924. 39. ] Unwilling, he returned back to Assisi, humiliated and ashamed that he had gone away in the first place. In Assisi, he had not returned to his old ways but began to mope around the pastures and streets, believing he had no purpose. One day he had been roaming around an abandoned field when off in the distance he saw a figure, which, as he drew closer, was a leper. And suddenly, a revelation came to St. Francis. This was what he was afraid, being poor and alone. Embracing the leper, he kissed him on both cheeks and gave him all of the money he had on him.Riding on toward the town, he has said that when he turned around the leper had disappeared, nowhere to be found. He always looked at it as a test from God, which he had rightly passed. St. Francis first got his start when he came across the Church of St. Damien which had been neglected to rubble. As he entered the collapsing Church, he heard a voice telling him to restore His house, and Francis realized that God was speaking to him. Like he had always done when he needed financial help, he ran to his father.His father, never being a man of God, put his son away under lock and key, declaring him a thief. Francis was put in front of the bishop, whom declared that Francis had t o repay his father the money. Francis then did something which declared his love for God: He referred to God as his only father, and shed all of his clothes as to repay his Earthly father. Running out into the streets on a snowy winter day, he ran through the streets of Assisi in nothing but rags taking refuge in the run down Church of St. Damien. He became a beggar, the one thing he had always feared, begging for nothing but stones.With the stones had built the Church with his own bare hands. Completing the Church, he began to live the Gospel, which no one had ever done before. Living out in the Church, Francis began to value nature, not looking at it as a whole but individually and as a child of God. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment for he focused most with God on nature and how each and everything, living or nonliving, was a creation of God, therefore a child of God. He’s also a patron saint of merchants, and his own country, Italy. St.Francis , though not a patron saint of, is frequently represented with poverty since he lived as a beggar and hermit, no solid roof over his head. St. Francis’ was canonized on July 16, 1228 by Pope Gregory IX where by that time he had been succumbed to blindness and became crippled with the way he had lived in his younger years. His Feast Day is on October 4th, and is celebrated universally. One of St. Francis’ major shrines is the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy, which is the mother Church for all Franciscan Orders. Locally, we can find a St.Francis of Assisi Church in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. St. Francis has many prayers, both inspired by him and those that he has written himself. One of the prayers he had written when he was nearing his death was the Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, where he prayed to God during a time of need. He was undergoing an eye surgery to restore his sight, where they had to burn most of his face off, and he used this p rayer as a reassurance. One of his most famous prayers which had been inspired by his life was the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.This prayer is considered somewhat of the beatitudes of the Franciscan community. St. Francis of Assisi is one of my favorite saints because of where he had come from. Most saints start off poor and burdened but Francis had everything and still chose to continue with God. He devoted his life to the poor and to nature, not regretting leaving his past life. He practiced what he preached, leaving a life filled with poverty and pain, suffering from the stigmata and blindness. St. Francis served his God throughout his life, though in the beginning unknowing. He was indeed, one of the greatest saints.

Obamas Second Term

Tattoo Culture and Influence in Society - 1780 Words

Tattoo culture and influence in society Nowadays, tattoo has been regarded as a sign of fashion. â€Å"A trend that started growing in America and Europe in the early 90s, tattooing soon became so popular that 36% of Americans aged 25-29 had at least one body tattoo by 2003(Julie Genser 2007).† However, tattoo could probably bring health risks to tattoo carrier. Historically, tattoo originally is the nation’s cultural and symbolic, different tattoo pictures have own meaning and even it is a symbol of authority. This paper will argue that the ink of tattoo injecting into our skin has lead to increase health risk. And then this paper will discuss why tattoo is so popular even it is harmful people’s health. Finally, the essay will discuss tattoo†¦show more content†¦Other reason for getting a tattoo is rebellious. For example some young adults and teenagers choose to get a tattoo because their parents simply do not allow or want them to. This is a kind of social phenomenon. They enjoyed the influ ence of fashion and popularity. In addition, even the media regularly glorifies tattoo culture, as evidenced by TV shows like The Learning Channel’s Miami Link and LA Ink, as well as frequent magazine sightings of tattoo sporting celebrities like Angelina Jolie. The tattoo marketers always promote tattoos by sexy super star and attractive man to catch young people’s eyes. This misleads young people to believe that tattoos make them attractive just like those super stars. Therefore, tattoo is a product of marketing propaganda and is a blank of education sector. Tattoo’s influence in society Tattoo is considered as a kind of body art, which is popular because it makes a person feel different, attractive, or special. Tattoo can be reminded of a turning point in their life through tattoos. One especially touching example of this is the 9/11 attack. Many firefighters and police officers have stated that that particularly happening inspired them to get a special patriotic tattoo. This is positive influence in society. There are some different negative influences of tattooing. For example, a tattoo is permanent and can only be removed with a special laser operation that can cost thousandsShow MoreRelatedTattoos : A Form Of Expression1520 Words   |  7 Pages Tattoos are one of the many forms of expression commonly used nowadays. They are used to communicate about a person’s individual identity through art; they serve as forms of expression for an individual’s gender identity, their culture and personal background, as well as their religion and personal prefere nces, all of which shape someone to become the person they are meant to become. 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