The Incarceration Of The Correctional System - 1193 Words

There are many options a judge might choose as punishment or rehabilitation for an offender other than having the offender complete his or her whole sentence in jail or be sent to jail or prison all together. Some options the judge might decide to use are parole, probation, community correction, and many other forms of sentencing him or her might hand down to an offender. There is always a better solution to the current methods of parole process, probation system, and the community corrections options. Like everything else the only way to improve a system is to continue to come with better solutions or more effective and affiant ways to run each sentencing options. The correctional system started to look at alternative then just†¦show more content†¦This also allows for offenders to use community programs and resources within the community to help with rehabilitations. In order for an offender to stay on community correction he or she must abide by specific conditions (S eiter, 2011). The use of parole and probation are two popular community based corrections that is often used. Parole is the release or temporarily release of an offender before he or she has completed their prison or jail sentence (Seiter, 2011). The offender is released and he or she promises to follow good behavior while they are out of jail or prison. Offenders also have to follow the conditions of his or her parole. Any violation of an offender’s parole will land him or her back into prison. Mandatory release is when an offender has fulfilled his or her sentence in jail or prison and has been released. There are no conditions of release because the offender has met the sentence obligation for his or her crime (Seiter, 2011). Probation is when an offender’s jail sentence is suspended and the offender remains in the community instead of going to jail (Seiter, 2011). The court will set certain orders that an offender has to follow while he or she is on probation. Some conditions that may be set is the offender must perform community service, meet with his or her probation officer, stay or continue to be drug free and alcohol free, only to travel so far from where he or she lives, and appear to court every time it is requested of

Suicide in Greenland and Denmark - 2694 Words

Suicide in Greenland and Denmark: a Cross-cultural Comparison Introduction The topic of suicide of interest because socially it is not quite understood yet and mostly, the attitudes towards the act are generally negative or perceived as taboo. The focus on Greenland was chosen because of the folklore story called â€Å"Qivittoq† that illustrates a different attitude towards suicide than one is used to. Therefore, it would be interesting to explore whether this folklore story explains suicide in Greenland and how it compares to a country with a historical link to Greenland: Denmark. The countries in focus will be Greenland and Denmark, mainly because of their link through colonisation in the 1700s, but also Greenland is still part of the Kingdom of Denmark today, thus there are still ties connected the two cultures. Therefore, there should be a basis of similarities, as well as some differences between the two. Which leads to the question: How do attitudes towards suicide differ between habitants of Greenland compared to Denmark? The paper will delve into some of the differences between the two countries and then outline some causes for the high suicide rate in Greenland, namely; social and cultural change, alcohol consumption, seasonal variation and â€Å"Qivittoq†. Background Information Although Greenland is the largest island in the world, it is mostly covered in permanent ice and snow. What is left of this large island is a narrow strip of land by the coasts, where peopleShow MoreRelatedMarketing Strategy of Carlsberg4661 Words   |  19 Pagesis demanded in order to be successfully managed. When Carlsberg set prices, it took into consideration the income per capital and the standards of living of each market. By instance, Carlsberg Pilsner and Tuborg in Romania are much cheaper than in Denmark, the reason being that the purchase power in each country differs. Another factor that seems to be adapted is the way Carlsberg and Tuborg’s marketing communication is created in each country, more exactly, the advertising. It is only rational theyRead MoreApproved EPR Bullets9088 Words   |  37 Pageslives - Deployed/Joint Base Balad (JBB); ECP ops supporting OIF--secured $20B warfighting assets/28K personnel - Executed 50 Close-in Security Patrols; deterred counter surveillance/probing attempts--seized enemy initiative - First on scene to suicide attempt; quickly assessed individual/prevented further harm--vital AF life saved - Z-Backscatter Van operator; conducted 1K+ vehicle/personel screenings--mitigated contraband/VBIED threat - Deplyd to Thumrait AB, Oman; shieldd strategic jt transport

Evaluation Of Workshops And Dante Inferno - 1624 Words

Evaluation Of Workshops And Dante Inferno This evaluation dissects and explores the strategies we used during the workshops to investigate the Seven Deadly Sins and Dante’s Inferno. The sins are; Pride, an excessive belief in one s own abilities. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity.Envy is the desire for others traits, status or situation. Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one needs. Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures. Anger is manifested in the individual who hates love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath. Greed is the desire for materialistic wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness. Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. Additionally we learnt about â€Å"Dante’s Inferno† which tells a story of Dante whose girlfriend had been taken away from him by Lucifer or Satan.Dante then met Virgil a famous poet born before Christ therefore he was stuck in limbo which is not hell or heaven. Dante and Virgil entered the wide gates of Hell and descended through the nine circles.. In each circle they saw sinners being punished for their sins on earth. We also explored William Blake’s poem the Proverbs of Hell including quotes in our narration using it to present the Seven Deadly Sins with accuracy. For our first workshop we explored and evaluated the use of Still Images and Transitions. The class was split

Financial Crisis Of The United States - 1999 Words

Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 originated in the United States spread to the financial systems of many other countries, including CIS countries, by means of the domino effect. Bankruptcy of one of the largest Americans Bank, Lehman Brothers Holdings PLC, in someway was a launcher of this global crisis the scope of that can be compared with the Great Depression of the 30s of the last century. No one could have even believed that a crisis in the local market of subprime mortgage loans in the USA would have such enormous affect on the financial systems over the world and crash banking sectors of many countries one by one. In the era of intensive globalisation financial crisis of USA followed by crises in other countries as well, starting from†¦show more content†¦Literature Review The crisis that stressed lots of economies and financial systems originated in US mortgage lending markets. First signals of possible problems came in early 2007, when the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation announced about its inability of purchasing high-risk mortgages, after what New Century Financial Corporation - a leading mortgage lender to riskier customers - filed for bankruptcy (John Marshall, 2009). In the research paper of 2009 he claims that source of the crisis emanated from the rise of house pricing, called housing bubble. â€Å"US house prices rose dramatically from 1998 until late 2005, more than doubling over this period, and far faster than average wages. Further support for the existence of a bubble came from the ratio of house prices to renting costs which rocketed upwards around 1999..â₠¬  (John Marshall, 2009, p 10). Housing bubble was also fully analyzed by Dean Baker in his research â€Å"The housing Bubble and the financial crisis† in 2008. Dean noticed that, by the middle of 2007, house prices had peaked and began to head downward. This was clearly stated in the following paragraph: â€Å"By the end of 2007, real house prices had fallen by more than 15 percent from peak.House prices in many of the most over-valued markets, primarily along the two coasts, had fallen by more than 20 percent. Furthermore, the rate of price decline wasShow MoreRelatedFinancial Crisis Of The United States951 Words   |  4 PagesFinancial Crisis in the United States American debt held by households is rising ominously, plus our economic policies change. That debt balloon powered by radical income inequality will become the next bust. It drives by spending on domestic demand or more likely consumer spending not just by the wealthy, but by everyone else. An important explaining about the unity that emerged from our latest research has shown as relatively that ten percent were prosperous, saving, and investment in which naturalRead MoreFinancial Crisis Of The United States1000 Words   |  4 PagesFinancial Crisis in the U.S. In 2008, the world experienced a horrific financial crisis which has been considered one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression of the 1930s. After posing an enormous negative effect on the U.S. economy, the financial crisis started to spread across Europe and the rest of the world. The financial crisis ruined economies, crumbled financial corporations and deprived lives. Over the past several years, financial innovation has presented U.S. households withRead MoreThe Financial Crisis Of The United States Essay1468 Words   |  6 PagesWhile 2008 neared its close, financial institutions capsized worldwide. Earlier that year the main American stock index, The Dow Jones, began a downward spiral that ended up peaking the following March; a historic market low comparable to its 1997 levels and despite a sizeable recession, the dot com bust, occurring in between the two troughs (1). More broadly, the International Monetary Fund recorded a 1.7% decrease in global GDP during th e approximately two-year period (2). This global contractionRead MoreThe Financial Crisis Of The United States1574 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscuss the financial crisis that occurred in the U.S. in 2008 which precipitated one of the largest catastrophe within the housing market causing a collapse amongst the financial institutions. I will also discuss about how the banks were at fault for giving out loans to individuals who were not capable of affording to pay these loans back and all financial institutions that should have had regulations on the loans that were dispensed as well. Though, the collapse with the financial institutionsRead MoreThe Financial Crisis Of The United States Economy Essay1113 Words   |  5 PagesThe financial crisis was something very few people saw coming. We were in what seemed to be a good economic place before it, the housing market appeared to be healthy and our economy seemed strong. The financial crisis rocked not only the American people and the United States economy to its core, but the rest of the world as well. It was on the borderline of being a true catastrophic event. A myriad of unforeseeable events occurred leaving policy makers around the globe in a plight, reeling to figureRead MoreUnited States Economic Financial Crisis1639 Words   |  7 Pagesoil crisis in the ‘70s negatively affected the economy just as bad as the Gulf War did in 1990. On the other side, the end of other wars had a positive effect on the economy, for example World War 2, which boosted the stock market and ended the Great Depression. When multiple negative effects occur at the same time, or when crises last for a long time allowing other negative effects to surface, crises tend to last longer and prevent a pick-up in growth. The current economic-financial crisis wasRead MoreImpact Of The Financial Crisis On The United States1090 Words   |  5 PagesThe impact of the financial crisis in 2008 is so far , it has resulted in various industries have revived a shock, even many large companies have been forced into bankruptcy.Inflation is a result of the decline in the quality of life, the weakening of people s ability to pay. The outbreak of the financial crisis from the United States and then spread to the world,so this essay analyzes the reason of the US financial crisis, it is equally applicable to the countries in the world and take warningRead MoreThe Global Financial Crisis Of The United States1932 Words   |  8 PagesThe last decade has been a period of much economic reform for individuals, institutions and societies alike. With increasing rates of globalization, financial markets and foreign trade have been a direct beneficiary of the free market, thus resulting in an interlinked and a rather inter dependent global economy. Despite this advantage, the opportunity for failure loomed as human error and ill-conceived economic regulations became more frequent in some of the world s most sophisticated economies.Read MoreThe Financial Crisis Of The United States Government1878 Words   |  8 PagesIn response to the 2007-2008 financial crisis, the United States government was charged with reforming many financial systems. One area of concern was credit cards. Namely, many Americans faced financial troubles with credit debt and other credit card related issues. In 2009, Congress passed the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (Credit CARD Act). The goal of the Credit CARD Act was to protect consumers from dubious credit card issuers. The legislation enacted intendsRead MoreFinancial Crisis Of 2008, The United States Economy1086 Words   |  5 Pagesthe bust of the dotcom bubble, and accounting scandals, the fear of recession really preoccupied everyb ody s minds. http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/financial-crisis-overview Financial crisis of 2008, started in 2001 after the U.S. economy went through â€Å"a mild, short-lived recession† (Financial Crisis 2007/2008 Overview). To start things off, the crisis happened because of one major reason; mortgages. When someone is trying to buy a house, they need to take out a huge sum of money from the bank. In

IP Addressing Free Essays

When designing the data closet should be located in a non-centralized location but still have easy access for services and upgrades or repairs. I would consider using a class b network set up which would easily allow 145 users, computers or equipment to connect but still provide additional addresses and networks as the company expands within the next two years. As for IP address I would consider static IP address for all local computers and equipment within the company such as printers, routers user computers etc. We will write a custom essay sample on IP Addressing or any similar topic only for you Order Now This will be easier to use and less expensive. With over 16,000 networks and 65,000 host address available there will be plenty of room for the company to grow. I would also consider having a wireless network using dynamic ip addresses leasing addresses to the user’s devices to allow users to connect there wireless devices to the network. All the systems we use today can work well with DHCP so it shouldn’t be a problem. Also you should consider having multiple domain and DHCP servers to provide load balancing, efficiency and safety in case of server failure. DHCP should be used whenever possible DHCP is easier because there is usually not a need to manually assign and track IP addresses across a number of devices where a specific IP is not necessary, and use reservations for the static devices like Printers and A/P’s. And use static addresses for Servers. For example when recovering from a full power outage DHCP WILL be the LAST service to start. So if all servers/printers were DHCP you’d spend a day rebooting/console-login and getting a valid IP – users can do that for themselves. These are just some of the considerations that can be taken into account when creating a small business network. How to cite IP Addressing, Papers

Discuss One environmental problem facing cities and outline some solutions free essay sample

Discuss One environmental problem facing cities and outline some solutions The issue of a severe problem called solid waste in Manila and Beijing is becoming a matter of concern. Causes of numerous waste aroused widespread attention. Therefore, the solution to reduce greenhouse gas emission from solid waste management can be regional and international (Ooi, 2009, p.189). It seems that waste has become an important part of the environmental problem in cities. Waste can be divided into two distinct parts, hazardous waste and non-hazardous waste, and the non-hazardous waste is consisted of municipal solid waste, industrial waste and some other types (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). Because of the large amount of waste, government needs to spend more human and financial resources. Therefore, some additional environmental problems in cities are related to waste, such as air pollution, water pollution and the greenhouse effect. This article will introduce the causes of municipal solid waste, industrial waste and hazardous waste, and some effective prevention methods to solve these problems. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss One environmental problem facing cities and outline some solutions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The spawning of municipal solid waste, which including residents living garbage, hospital waste and commercial waste, building waste, leads to the most serious problem. Most of human behaviour could cause the growth of solid waste. Materials which are thrown away by citizens, such as the product bottles, food scraps, newspapers and batteries are the direct causes of solid waste. Consequently, effective methods need to be implemented. The most direct method is to decrease the amount of waste. To perform the principle of waste prevention, the society should focus on the recycling and collecting, which means to withdraw useful and organic materials, then turn these items into new products. This method could reduce the needs of raw materials. In addition, waste can be used as a resource and it will be economical use (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). Manufacturing and industrial procedure are the most direct cause of industrial waste. Stone tools and sickles are difficult to be seen in current-day, because in factories, up-to-the minute production lines that produce numbers of waste per day are used as a substitute for wood and stone. To show an example, by 1990 the amount of industrial waste has raised  up to 265 million tons, which is a shocking figure to the public (Waste Industries, 2013). Hence, the city government should provide a convenient environment for factory managers and convince them that they should undertake the environmental responsibility. Meanwhile, managers should comply with the principle of recycling industrial waste. Therefore, waste management issues in cities should be people-oriented (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). Hugo (2012) stated †Some industrial waste management services companies even emphasize on understanding clients’ industrial processes that produce waste and then supplying the tools for deterring accurate chemical and physical properties.† In addition, hazardous waste is damaged in both human health and the city environment. Solvents, electroplating wastes, heavy metals, and acids, which all produced by laboratory and chemical plant in cities cause substantial accumulation of hazardous waste. In agriculture, citizens’ non-standard behavior of using pesticides can lead to the generation of hazardous waste. Moreover, non-standard behavior in city life can also cause the creation of hazardous waste, such as batteries and some items containing heavy metal thrown away by citizens (Harris et al, n.d.). Thus, cities should take some actions to reduce producing hazardous waste. In industries, numbers of methods need to be done. For instance, melt materials like batteries can be recycled. To recover resource and lean production, Harris (n.d.) claimed â€Å"Zinc can be gathered from smelting furnaces. Used oil, hydraulic fluids, refrigerator compressors and more can be taken from cars and fridges.† Citizens should pay attention to establishing especial collection facilities in cities. Considering the problem of land, the city government needs to find a suitable place in the city where could offer special disposal of toxic waste (Harris et al, n.d.). In recent years, the number of waste becomes a growing tendency, which is a common phenomenon, has aroused wide concern in cities. The causes of waste are the spawning of Municipal Solid Waste, industrial activities and citizens’ and industries’ non-standard behavior. What is more, to decrease the amount of waste, citizens should standardize their behavior and use waste as a resource, and managers should release their environmental responsibility so that factories could reduce the discharge of industrial waste. Government needs to establish especial collection facilities in cities and find a suitable place for toxic waste. In conclusion, the whole society should pay close attention to the problem of recycling and reducing. Citizens of the future may be more environmentally conscious than people in the current society.

Buddhism And Hinduism In Usa Origins And Examples Essay Example For Students

Buddhism And Hinduism In Usa: Origins And Examples Essay The Unites States is home to the most diverse spectrum of religions in the world. There are representations of nearly every religion in the world. There are three basic ways religions arrive in the US: import, export, and baggage. Buddhism and Hinduism are two Asian religions that have made it across the Pacific Ocean and now exist along side many others in America. ISKCON, a form of Hinduism, and Zen, a form of Buddhism, are two such groups. All Indian movements have always had a charismatic leader associated with them. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was no different. Born Abhay Charan De 1896-1977 was the founder and spiritual master of ISKCON, International Society of Krishna Consciousness. He was given this mission as a youth from his spiritual Visnuite leader upon his death. He was a successful businessman who had attended the University of Calcutta. Yet it was not until he was 70 years old and completely broke, that he came to the US. This was the perfect time, for it was the 1960s and it seemed everybody was looking into new forms of spirituality. His beliefs caught on in this time of mind expansionism. In every ISKCON temple there will be a picture of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on an altar-like set up. This shows how much respect ISKCON devotees have for their former leader. Every religion has a given set of guidelines or certain authorities that devotees must follow. ISKCON members have to basically give up their lives to their spiritual master. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada developed four rules that must always be followed: no eating meat, fish, or eggs; no elicit sex; no intoxicants; and no gambling. ISKCON seems to be more focused on the orthopraxy of their ways instead of basing themselves on ancient ways. Members have to proclaim Krishna as their supreme Lord in every form. Temples have altars and many statues or depictions of Krishna in which one can perform puja to Krishna. Mantras are also performed several times daily. These mantras are usually very simple like, ?Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.? Like other forms of Hinduism, ISKCON holds the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita historically true, but does not follow traditional Indian ways. Devotees of Krishna believe that he lives in a paradisal world and with enough love and devotion for Krishna they can br eak free from the karmic cycle and enter into this paradise. ISKCON beliefs are derived from the Chaitanya Krishnaite sect, which was started by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He is believed to have been an incarnation of Radha and Krishna. He taught that with enough love for Krishna, one could burn away from karma to achieve moksha. ISKCON and Chaitanya Krishnaitism differs from other Vishnuite groups, because they do not hold Vishnu as there God, but just one of his incarnations. Moundsville, West Virginia is home to many ISKCON members. These people live and work on communal farms. The spiritual master leads ISKCON members through every detail of their lives. They have definitive schedules in which they follow daily. These schedules are either divided into time spent working on the farms or missionizing, and performing puja or chanting a mantra to Krishna. Although dating is not allowed members may be married, but the master always arranges them. Sex is for procreation only and also has to be granted by the master. ISKCON is always seeking to expand and gain more followers of Krishna, therefore is an export religion. It is not uncommon to see a member on the corner of a street dancing, singing ?Hare Krishna,? and passing out invitations to their meetings. Unlike ISKCON, Zen is an import religion. Zen seems to be associated with the elite of society. This is due mainly to the fact that either only educated people are exposed to it or that many people cannot a fford the cost of retreats and or Zen books. In ISKCON, they basically except anyone who is willing to take on their beliefs. Zen is derived from the type of meditation which is practice. Zen is a form of Mahayan Buddhism, which believes that in a ?great vehicle? which will take everyone to the final destination of Nirvana. Everyone is or has the ability to become a Buddha in Mahayan beliefs. This makes it look very appeasing to possible devotees. Since the Buddha believed in love and compassion, he would not leave anyone behind. Therefore nirvana is achieved through and with everyone. There does seem to be a lot more freedom involved in Mahayan and Zen beliefs then in ISKCON because one does not have a huge set of rules and guidelines, but rather has to have faith in the Buddha. I do see a lot of similarities in the Zen retreats and the ISKCON communes. They both have a definite leader who makes most of the rules and the followers that have specific monastic duties in which they pe rform daily. .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47 , .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47 .postImageUrl , .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47 , .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47:hover , .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47:visited , .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47:active { border:0!important; } .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47 { 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; } .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47:active , .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47 .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; } .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47 .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc74ae961c81a17d2734ba7cea71f7d47:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: American Psycho College Essay PaperZen members do not follow the Buddhas eight-fold path but rather emphasize more on good works. Zen seems to have broken free from more traditional Buddhist ways. Similar to ISKCON they are concerned with the orthopraxy of their ways. They are not concerned with dogmas or a lot of rituals but focus on riddles, known as koans, which are suppose to stimulate the mind. Zen is also similar to ISKCON in the way they each have a spiritual leader that heads up almost all affairs. The Zen master usually will bring up these koans in order to bring a satori or ?surprise? to the mind, which will cause enlightenment. In Zen, reaching Nirvana or achiev ing enlightenment is coming to the realization that one and everything is empty. Similar to ISKCON, Zen can be very group oriented. On retreats, members have certain monastic duties that they have to perform. Zen is also very team oriented in meditation as well as in work and labor. They perform zazen, group meditation, to achieve this sense of emptiness together. This meditation is often very rigorous, and can last long hours. This shock therapy is used to stop the mind dead in its tracks to bring about this state of nirvana, which is really emptiness. They have sutras or sacred texts in Buddism, but Zen devotees look more onto their meditations, mantras, and leaders for authority. Zen teachings are not drawn from text but rather from mind to mind. A great sense of lineage is found in Zen. Every Zen master is thought to be the actual Buddha. The Zen master chooses his successor before his death. The master is held above everyone else. He also conducts a roshi, which are personal interviews with the Zen students. By doing this he can let the student know how they are doing in there studies and thoughts. Both ISKCON and Zen have great appeal to the masses at the ease of achieving happiness or enlightenment. They usually involve a simple mantra or meditation. Retreats and communal affairs seem to be too strict on how they handle all their affairs. I think freedom and basic rights are lost at the expense of the devotee at the retreats or communes. Even though ISKCON and Zen are derived from two very different religions, one can see many similarities between them. I think this may be linked tot he similar time, the way they reached the US, and the ease of achieving success in them. Religion