The Lost Symbol Chapter 19-21

CHAPTER 19 Director Inoue Sato stood with her arms folded, her eyes locked skeptically on Langdon as she processed what he had just told her. â€Å"He said he wants you to unlock an ancient portal? What am I supposed to do with that, Professor?† Langdon shrugged weakly. He was feeling ill again and tried not to look down at his friend's severed hand. â€Å"That's exactly what he told me. An ancient portal . . . hidden somewhere in this building. I told him I knew of no portal.† â€Å"Then why does he think you can find it?† â€Å"Obviously, he's insane.† He said Peter would point the way. Langdon looked down at Peter's upstretched finger, again feeling repulsed by his captor's sadistic play on words. Peter will point the way. Langdon had already permitted his eyes to follow the pointing finger up to the dome overhead. A portal? Up there? Insane. â€Å"This man who called me,† Langdon told Sato, â€Å"was the only one who knew I was coming to the Capitol tonight, so whoever informed you I was here tonight, that's your man. I recommend–â€Å" â€Å"Where I got my information is not your concern,† Sato interrupted, voice sharpening. â€Å"My top priority at the moment is to cooperate with this man, and I have information suggesting you are the only one who can give him what he wants.† â€Å"And my top priority is to find my friend,† Langdon replied, frustrated. Sato inhaled deeply, her patience clearly being tested. â€Å"If we want to find Mr. Solomon, we have one course of action, Professor–to start cooperating with the one person who seems to know where he is.† Sato checked her watch. â€Å"Our time is limited. I can assure you it is imperative we comply with this man's demands quickly.† â€Å"How?† Langdon asked, incredulous. â€Å"By locating and unlocking an ancient portal? There is no portal, Director Sato. This guy's a lunatic.† Sato stepped close, less than a foot from Langdon. â€Å"If I may point this out . . . your lunatic deftly manipulated two fairly smart individuals already this morning.† She stared directly at Langdon and then glanced at Anderson. â€Å"In my business, one learns there is a fine line between insanity and genius. We would be wise to give this man a little respect.† â€Å"He cut off a man's hand!† â€Å"My point exactly. That is hardly the act of an uncommitted or uncertain individual. More important, Professor, this man obviously believes you can help him. He brought you all the way to Washington–and he must have done it for a reason.† â€Å"He said the only reason he thinks I can unlock this `portal' is that Peter told him I can unlock it,† Langdon countered. â€Å"And why would Peter Solomon say that if it weren't true?† â€Å"I'm sure Peter said no such thing. And if he did, then he did so under duress. He was confused . . . or frightened.† â€Å"Yes. It's called interrogational torture, and it's quite effective. All the more reason Mr. Solomon would tell the truth.† Sato spoke as if she'd had personal experience with this technique. â€Å"Did he explain why Peter thinks you alone can unlock the portal?† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"Professor, if your reputations are correct, then you and Peter Solomon both share an interest in this sort of thing–secrets, historical esoterica, mysticism, and so on. In all of your discussions with Peter, he never once mentioned to you anything about a secret portal in Washington, D.C.?† Langdon could scarcely believe he was being asked this question by a high-ranking officer of the CIA. â€Å"I'm certain of it. Peter and I talk about some pretty arcane things, but believe me, I'd tell him to get his head examined if he ever told me there was an ancient portal hidden anywhere at all. Particularly one that leads to the Ancient Mysteries.† She glanced up. â€Å"I'm sorry? The man told you specifically what this portal leads to?† â€Å"Yes, but he didn't have to.† Langdon motioned to the hand. â€Å"The Hand of the Mysteries is a formal invitation to pass through a mystical gateway and acquire ancient secret knowledge– powerful wisdom known as the Ancient Mysteries . . . or the lost wisdom of all the ages.† â€Å"So you've heard of the secret he believes is hidden here.† â€Å"A lot of historians have heard of it.† â€Å"Then how can you say the portal does not exist?† â€Å"With respect, ma'am, we've all heard of the Fountain of Youth and Shangri-la, but that does not mean they exist.† The loud squawk of Anderson's radio interrupted them. â€Å"Chief?† the voice on the radio said. Anderson snatched his radio from his belt. â€Å"Anderson here.† â€Å"Sir, we've completed a search of the grounds. There's no one here that fits the description. Any further orders, sir?† Anderson shot a quick glance at Sato, clearly expecting a reprimand, but Director Sato seemed uninterested. Anderson moved away from Langdon and Sato, speaking quietly into his radio. Sato's unwavering focus remained on Langdon. â€Å"You're saying the secret he believes is hidden in Washington . . . is a fantasy?† Langdon nodded. â€Å"A very old myth. The secret of the Ancient Mysteries is pre-Christian, actually. Thousands of years old.† â€Å"And yet it's still around?† â€Å"As are many equally improbable beliefs.† Langdon often reminded his students that most modern religions included stories that did not hold up to scientific scrutiny: everything from Moses parting the Red Sea . . . to Joseph Smith using magic eyeglasses to translate the Book of Mormon from a series of gold plates he found buried in upstate New York. Wide acceptance of an idea is not proof of its validity. â€Å"I see. So what exactly are these . . . Ancient Mysteries?† Langdon exhaled. Have you got a few weeks? â€Å"In short, the Ancient Mysteries refer to a body of secret knowledge that was amassed long ago. One intriguing aspect of this knowledge is that it allegedly enables its practitioners to access powerful abilities that lie dormant in the human mind. The enlightened Adepts who possessed this knowledge vowed to keep it veiled from the masses because it was considered far too potent and dangerous for the uninitiated.† â€Å"Dangerous in what way?† â€Å"The information was kept hidden for the same reason we keep matches from children. In the correct hands, fire can provide illumination . . . but in the wrong hands, fire can be highly destructive.† Sato took off her glasses and studied him. â€Å"Tell me, Professor, do you believe such powerful information could truly exist?† Langdon was not sure how to respond. The Ancient Mysteries had always been the greatest paradox of his academic career. Virtually every mystical tradition on earth revolved around the idea that there existed arcane knowledge capable of imbuing humans with mystical, almost godlike, powers: tarot and I Ching gave men the ability to see the future; alchemy gave men immortality through the fabled Philosopher's Stone; Wicca permitted advanced practitioners to cast powerful spells. The list went on and on. As an academic, Langdon could not deny the historical record of these traditions–troves of documents, artifacts, and artwork that, indeed, clearly suggested the ancients had a powerful wisdom that they shared only through allegory, myths, and symbols, ensuring that only those properly initiated could access its power. Nonetheless, as a realist and a skeptic, Langdon remained unconvinced. â€Å"Let's just say I'm a skeptic,† he told Sato. â€Å"I have never seen anything in the real world to suggest the Ancient Mysteries are anything other than legend–a recurring mythological archetype. It seems to me that if it were possible for humans to acquire miraculous powers, there would be evidence. And yet, so far, history has given us no men with superhuman powers.† Sato arched her eyebrows. â€Å"That's not entirely true.† Langdon hesitated, realizing that for many religious people, there was indeed a precedent for human gods, Jesus being the most obvious. â€Å"Admittedly,† he said, â€Å"there are plenty of educated people who believe this empowering wisdom truly exists, but I'm not yet convinced.† â€Å"Is Peter Solomon one of those people?† Sato asked, glancing toward the hand on the floor. Langdon could not bring himself to look at the hand. â€Å"Peter comes from a family lineage that has always had a passion for all things ancient and mystical.† â€Å"Was that a yes?† Sato asked. â€Å"I can assure you that even if Peter believes the Ancient Mysteries are real, he does not believe they are accessible through some kind of portal hidden in Washington, D.C. He understands metaphorical symbolism, which is something his captor apparently does not.† Sato nodded. â€Å"So you believe this portal is a metaphor.† â€Å"Of course,† Langdon said. â€Å"In theory, anyway. It's a very common metaphor–a mystical portal through which one must travel to become enlightened. Portals and doorways are common symbolic constructs that represent transformative rites of passage. To look for a literal portal would be like trying to locate the actual Gates of Heaven.† Sato seemed to consider this momentarily. â€Å"But it sounds like Mr. Solomon's captor believes you can unlock an actual portal.† Langdon exhaled. â€Å"He's made the same error many zealots make–confusing metaphor with a literal reality.† Similarly, early alchemists had toiled in vain to transform lead into gold, never realizing that lead-to-gold was nothing but a metaphor for tapping into true human potential– that of taking a dull, ignorant mind and transforming it into a bright, enlightened one. Sato motioned to the hand. â€Å"If this man wants you to locate some kind of portal for him, why wouldn't he simply tell you how to find it? Why all the dramatics? Why give you a tattooed hand?† Langdon had asked himself the same question and the answer was unsettling. â€Å"Well, it seems the man we are dealing with, in addition to being mentally unstable, is also highly educated. This hand is proof that he is well versed in the Mysteries as well as their codes of secrecy. Not to mention with the history of this room.† â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"Everything he has done tonight was done in perfect accordance with ancient protocols. Traditionally, the Hand of the Mysteries is a sacred invitation, and therefore it must be presented in a sacred place.† Sato's eyes narrowed. â€Å"This is the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol Building, Professor, not some sacred shrine to ancient mystical secrets.† â€Å"Actually, ma'am,† Langdon said, â€Å"I know a great number of historians who would disagree with you.† At that moment, across town, Trish Dunne was seated in the glow of the plasma wall inside the Cube. She finished preparing her search spider and typed in the five key phrases Katherine had given her. Here goes nothing. Feeling little optimism, she launched the spider, effectively commencing a worldwide game of Go Fish. At blinding speed, the phrases were now being compared to texts all over the world . . . looking for a perfect match. Trish couldn't help but wonder what this was all about, but she had come to accept that working with the Solomons meant never quite knowing the entire story. CHAPTER 20 Robert Langdon stole an anxious glance at his wristwatch: 7:58 P.M. The smiling face of Mickey Mouse did little to cheer him up. I've got to find Peter. We're wasting time. Sato had stepped aside for a moment to take a phone call, but now she returned to Langdon. â€Å"Professor, am I keeping you from something?† â€Å"No, ma'am,† Langdon said, pulling his sleeve down over his watch. â€Å"I'm just extremely concerned about Peter.† â€Å"I can understand, but I assure you the best thing you can do to help Peter is to help me understand the mind-set of his captor.† Langdon was not so sure, but he sensed he was not going anywhere until the OS director got the information she desired. â€Å"A moment ago,† Sato said, â€Å"you suggested this Rotunda is somehow sacred to the idea of these Ancient Mysteries?† â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† â€Å"Explain that to me.† Langdon knew he would have to choose his words sparingly. He had taught for entire semesters on the mystical symbolism of Washington, D.C., and there was an almost inexhaustible list of mystical references in this building alone. America has a hidden past. Every time Langdon lectured on the symbology of America, his students were confounded to learn that the true intentions of our nation's forefathers had absolutely nothing to do with what so many politicians now claimed. America's intended destiny has been lost to history. The forefathers who founded this capital city first named her â€Å"Rome.† They had named her river the Tiber and erected a classical capital of pantheons and temples, all adorned with images of history's great gods and goddesses–Apollo, Minerva, Venus, Helios, Vulcan, Jupiter. In her center, as in many of the great classical cities, the founders had erected an enduring tribute to the ancients–the Egyptian obelisk. This obelisk, larger even than Cairo's or Alexandria's, rose 555 feet into the sky, more than thirty stories, proclaiming thanks and honor to the demigod forefather for whom this capital city took its newer name. Washington. Now, centuries later, despite America's separation of church and state, this state-sponsored Rotunda glistened with ancient religious symbolism. There were over a dozen different gods in the Rotunda–more than the original Pantheon in Rome. Of course, the Roman Pantheon had been converted to Christianity in 609 . . . but this pantheon was never converted; vestiges of its true history still remained in plain view. â€Å"As you may know,† Langdon said, â€Å"this Rotunda was designed as a tribute to one of Rome's most venerated mystical shrines. The Temple of Vesta.† â€Å"As in the vestal virgins?† Sato looked doubtful that Rome's virginal guardians of the flame had anything to do with the U.S. Capitol Building. â€Å"The Temple of Vesta in Rome,† Langdon said, â€Å"was circular, with a gaping hole in the floor, through which the sacred fire of enlightenment could be tended by a sisterhood of virgins whose job it was to ensure the flame never went out.† Sato shrugged. â€Å"This Rotunda is a circle, but I see no gaping hole in this floor.† â€Å"No, not anymore, but for years the center of this room had a large opening precisely where Peter's hand is now.† Langdon motioned to the floor. â€Å"In fact, you can still see the marks in the floor from the railing that kept people from falling in.† â€Å"What?† Sato demanded, scrutinizing the floor. â€Å"I've never heard that.† â€Å"Looks like he's right.† Anderson pointed out the circle of iron nubs where the posts had once been. â€Å"I've seen these before, but I never had any idea why they were there.† You're not alone, Langdon thought, imagining the thousands of people every day, including famous lawmakers, who strode across the center of the Rotunda having no idea there was once a day when they would have plunged down into the Capitol Crypt–the level beneath the Rotunda floor. â€Å"The hole in the floor,† Langdon told them, â€Å"was eventually covered, but for a good while, those who visited the Rotunda could see straight down to the fire that burned below.† Sato turned. â€Å"Fire? In the U.S. Capitol?† â€Å"More of a large torch, actually–an eternal flame that burned in the crypt directly beneath us. It was supposed to be visible through the hole in the floor, making this room a modern Temple of Vesta. This building even had its own vestal virgin–a federal employee called the Keeper of the Crypt–who successfully kept the flame burning for fifty years, until politics, religion, and smoke damage snuffed out the idea.† Both Anderson and Sato looked surprised. Nowadays, the only reminder that a flame once burned here was the four-pointed star compass embedded in the crypt floor one story below them–a symbol of America's eternal flame, which once shed illumination toward the four corners of the New World. â€Å"So, Professor,† Sato said, â€Å"your contention is that the man who left Peter's hand here knew all this?† â€Å"Clearly. And much, much more. There are symbols all over this room that reflect a belief in the Ancient Mysteries.† â€Å"Secret wisdom,† Sato said with more than a hint of sarcasm in her voice. â€Å"Knowledge that lets men acquire godlike powers?† â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† â€Å"That hardly fits with the Christian underpinnings of this country.† â€Å"So it would seem, but it's true. This transformation of man into God is called apotheosis. Whether or not you're aware of it, this theme–transforming man into god–is the core element in this Rotunda's symbolism.† â€Å"Apotheosis?† Anderson spun with a startled look of recognition. â€Å"Yes.† Anderson works here. He knows. â€Å"The word apotheosis literally means `divine transformation'–that of man becoming God. It's from the ancient Greek: apo–`to become,' theos–`god.' â€Å" Anderson looked amazed. â€Å"Apotheosis means `to become God'? I had no idea.† â€Å"What am I missing?† Sato demanded. â€Å"Ma'am,† Langdon said, â€Å"the largest painting in this building is called The Apotheosis of Washington. And it clearly depicts George Washington being transformed into a god.† Sato looked doubtful. â€Å"I've never seen anything of the sort.† â€Å"Actually, I'm sure you have.† Langdon raised his index finger, pointing straight up. â€Å"It's directly over your head.† CHAPTER 21 The Apotheosis of Washington–a 4,664-square-foot fresco that covers the canopy of the Capitol Rotunda–was completed in 1865 by Constantino Brumidi. Known as â€Å"The Michelangelo of the Capitol,† Brumidi had laid claim to the Capitol Rotunda in the same way Michelangelo had laid claim to the Sistine Chapel, by painting a fresco on the room's most lofty canvas–the ceiling. Like Michelangelo, Brumidi had done some of his finest work inside the Vatican. Brumidi, however, immigrated to America in 1852, abandoning God's largest shrine in favor of a new shrine, the U.S. Capitol, which now glistened with examples of his mastery–from the trompe l'oeil of the Brumidi Corridors to the frieze ceiling of the Vice President's Room. And yet it was the enormous image hovering above the Capitol Rotunda that most historians considered to be Brumidi's masterwork. Robert Langdon gazed up at the massive fresco that covered the ceiling. He usually enjoyed his students' startled reactions to this fresco's bizarre imagery, but at the moment he simply felt trapped in a nightmare he had yet to understand. Director Sato was standing next to him with her hands on her hips, frowning up at the distant ceiling. Langdon sensed she was having the same reaction many had when they first stopped to examine the painting at the core of their nation. Utter confusion. You're not alone, Langdon thought. For most people, The Apotheosis of Washington got stranger and stranger the longer they looked at it. â€Å"That's George Washington on the central panel,† Langdon said, pointing 180 feet upward into the middle of the dome. â€Å"As you can see, he's dressed in white robes, attended by thirteen maidens, and ascending on a cloud above mortal man. This is the moment of his apotheosis . . . his transformation into a god.† Sato and Anderson said nothing. â€Å"Nearby,† Langdon continued, â€Å"you can see a strange, anachronistic series of figures: ancient gods presenting our forefathers with advanced knowledge. There's Minerva giving technological inspiration to our nation's great inventors–Ben Franklin, Robert Fulton, Samuel Morse.† Langdon pointed them out one by one. â€Å"And over there is Vulcan helping us build a steam engine. Beside them is Neptune demonstrating how to lay the transatlantic cable. Beside that is Ceres, goddess of grain and root of our word cereal; she's sitting on the McCormick reaper, the farming breakthrough that enabled this country to become a world leader in food production. The painting quite overtly portrays our forefathers receiving great wisdom from the gods.† He lowered his head, looking at Sato now. â€Å"Knowledge is power, and the right knowledge lets man perform miraculous, almost godlike tasks.† Sato dropped her gaze back down to Langdon and rubbed her neck. â€Å"Laying a phone cable is a far cry from being a god.† â€Å"Perhaps to a modern man,† Langdon replied. â€Å"But if George Washington knew that we had become a race that possessed the power to speak to one another across oceans, fly at the speed of sound, and set foot on our moon, he would assume that we had become gods, capable of miraculous tasks.† He paused. â€Å"In the words of futurist Arthur C. Clarke, `Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' â€Å" Sato pursed her lips, apparently deep in thought. She glanced down at the hand, and then followed the direction of the outstretched index finger up into the dome. â€Å"Professor, you were told, `Peter will point the way.' Is that correct?† â€Å"Yes, ma'am, but–â€Å" â€Å"Chief,† Sato said, turning away from Langdon, â€Å"can you get us a closer look at the painting?† Anderson nodded. â€Å"There's a catwalk around the interior of the dome.† Langdon looked way, way up to the tiny railing visible just beneath the painting and felt his body go rigid. â€Å"There's no need to go up there.† He had experienced that seldom-visited catwalk once before, as the guest of a U.S. senator and his wife, and he had almost fainted from the dizzying height and perilous walkway. â€Å"No need?† Sato demanded. â€Å"Professor, we have a man who believes this room contains a portal that has the potential to make him a god; we have a ceiling fresco that symbolizes the transformation of a man into a god; and we have a hand pointing straight at that painting. It seems everything is urging us upward.† â€Å"Actually,† Anderson interjected, glancing up, â€Å"not many people know this, but there is one hexagonal coffer in the dome that actually swings open like a portal, and you can peer down through it and–â€Å" â€Å"Wait a second,† Langdon said, â€Å"you're missing the point. The portal this man is looking for is a figurative portal–a gateway that doesn't exist. When he said, `Peter will point the way,' he was talking in metaphorical terms. This pointing-hand gesture–with its index finger and thumb extended upward–is a well-known symbol of the Ancient Mysteries, and it appears all over the world in ancient art. This same gesture appears in three of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous encoded masterpieces–The Last Supper, Adoration of the Magi, and Saint John the Baptist. It's a symbol of man's mystical connection to God.† As above, so below. The madman's bizarre choice of words was starting to feel more relevant now. â€Å"I've never seen it before,† Sato said. Then watch ESPN, Langdon thought, always amused to see professional athletes point skyward in gratitude to God after a touchdown or home run. He wondered how many knew they were continuing a pre-Christian mystical tradition of acknowledging the mystical power above, which, for one brief moment, had transformed them into a god capable of miraculous feats. â€Å"If it's of any help,† Langdon said, â€Å"Peter's hand is not the first such hand to make an appearance in this Rotunda.† Sato eyed him like he was insane. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† Langdon motioned to her BlackBerry. â€Å"Google `George Washington Zeus.' â€Å" Sato looked uncertain but started typing. Anderson inched toward her, looking over her shoulder intently. Langdon said, â€Å"This Rotunda was once dominated by a massive sculpture of a bare-chested George Washington . . . depicted as a god. He sat in the same exact pose as Zeus in the Pantheon, bare chest exposed, left hand holding a sword, right hand raised with thumb and finger extended.† Sato had apparently found an online image, because Anderson was staring at her BlackBerry in shock. â€Å"Hold on, that's George Washington?† â€Å"Yes,† Langdon said. â€Å"Depicted as Zeus.† â€Å"Look at his hand,† Anderson said, still peering over Sato's shoulder. â€Å"His right hand is in the same exact position as Mr. Solomon's.† As I said, Langdon thought, Peter's hand is not the first to make an appearance in this room. When Horatio Greenough's statue of a naked George Washington was first unveiled in the Rotunda, many joked that Washington must be reaching skyward in a desperate attempt to find some clothes. As American religious ideals changed, however, the joking criticism turned to controversy, and the statue was removed, banished to a shed in the east garden. Currently, it made its home at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, where those who saw it had no reason to suspect that it was one of the last vestigial links to a time when the father of the country had watched over the U.S. Capitol as a god . . . like Zeus watching over the Pantheon. Sato began dialing a number on her BlackBerry, apparently seeing this as an opportune moment to check in with her staff. â€Å"What have you got?† She listened patiently. â€Å"I see . . .† She glanced directly at Langdon, then at Peter's hand. â€Å"You're certain?† She listened a moment longer. â€Å"Okay, thanks.† She hung up and turned back toward Langdon. â€Å"My support staff did some research and confirms the existence of your so-called Hand of the Mysteries, corroborating everything you said: five fingertip markings–the star, the sun, the key, the crown, and the lantern–as well as the fact that this hand served as an ancient invitation to learn secret wisdom.† â€Å"I'm glad,† Langdon said. â€Å"Don't be,† she replied curtly. â€Å"It appears we're now at a dead end until you share whatever it is you're still not telling me.† â€Å"Ma'am?† Sato stepped toward him. â€Å"We've come full circle, Professor. You've told me nothing I could not have learned from my own staff. And so I will ask you once more. Why were you brought here tonight? What makes you so special? What is it that you alone know?† â€Å"We've been through this,† Langdon fired back. â€Å"I don't know why this guy thinks I know anything at all!† Langdon was half tempted to demand how the hell Sato knew that he was in the Capitol tonight, but they'd been through that, too. Sato isn't talking. â€Å"If I knew the next step,† he told her, â€Å"I'd tell you. But I don't. Traditionally, the Hand of the Mysteries is extended by a teacher to a student. And then, shortly afterward, the hand is followed up with a set of instructions . . . directions to a temple, the name of the master who will teach you–something! But all this guy left for us is five tattoos! Hardly–† Langdon stopped short. Sato eyed him. â€Å"What is it?† Langdon's eyes shot back to the hand. Five tattoos. He now realized that what he was saying might not be entirely true. â€Å"Professor?† Sato pressed. Langdon inched toward the gruesome object. Peter will point the way. â€Å"Earlier, it crossed my mind that maybe this guy had left an object clenched in Peter's palm–a map, or a letter, or a set of directions.† â€Å"He didn't,† Anderson said. â€Å"As you can see, those three fingers are not clenched tightly.† â€Å"You're right,† Langdon said. â€Å"But it occurs to me . . .† He crouched down now, trying to see up under the fingers to the hidden part of Peter's palm. â€Å"Maybe it's not written on paper.† â€Å"Tattooed?† Anderson said. Langdon nodded. â€Å"Do you see anything on the palm?† Sato asked. Langdon crouched lower, trying to peer up under the loosely clenched fingers. â€Å"The angle is impossible. I can't–â€Å" â€Å"Oh, for heaven's sake,† Sato said, moving toward him. â€Å"Just open the damned thing!† Anderson stepped in front of her. â€Å"Ma'am! We should really wait for forensics before we touch–† â€Å"I want some answers,† Sato said, pushing past him. She crouched down, edging Langdon away from the hand. Langdon stood up and watched in disbelief as Sato pulled a pen from her pocket, sliding it carefully under the three clenched fingers. Then, one by one, she pried each finger upward until the hand stood fully open, with its palm visible. She glanced up at Langdon, and a thin smile spread across her face. â€Å"Right again, Professor.†

Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas

Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night† by Dylan Thomas BY Lolo-H poem â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night† by Dylan Thomas Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, And you, my father, there on that sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Dylan Thomas was a Welsh poet who died tragically young but left a powerful legacy of work. This poem, written to Thomas's dying father, has a strict structure, but an unconventional message. Thoma s encourages his father to rebel and struggle against death, what he calls the â€Å"dying of the light. † Although written for his father, Dylan Thomas himself ironically died the year after his father.Poetry-poem 12. 1 2010: This lesson plan is the property of the Mensa Education ; Research Foundation, www. mensafoundation. org. It is provided as a complimentary service to the public. Reproduction and distribution without modification are allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities. Taking it apart Thomas sees lite as a day – death is the closing ot that day, and the dying of the light is the sunset and coming night. Notice the pairing of lines 1 ; 3. Gentle matches rage; good with dying; and night with light.This is a mythological allusion to the gods who could throw lightning bolts and have the skies tremble at the sound of their voice. In this stanza, Thomas says that even though men accept that they are mortal and should die (â€Å"Death is right†), he still encourages a rebellion against it. Stanza 2 talks about how wise men approach death. This stanza is about how â€Å"good† men do. They see the things they did in life reflect like light off of a bay. Rather than being useless, it is the old, near dead, â€Å"grave† men who can really see. â€Å"Gay' here means â€Å"happy' or â€Å"carefree. â€Å"Notice the oxymorons here: â€Å"blinding sight† and â€Å"blind eyes. † There is also a simile comparing eyes that â€Å"blaze like meteors. † Curse, bless, me now witn your tierce tears, I pray. From the general men discussed in the previous stanzas, Thomas narrows to his father in this stanza, pleading with him to fight against death, pleading with him to still be â€Å"fierce. † The lines that have been separated throughout the poem come together in the last couplet to reinforce the theme of the poem. Poetry-poem 12. 2 Memorizi ng it The form of this poem is called a villanelle. It has only two end rhyme sounds.The irst and third lines of the stanzas rhyme, and the second line rhymes with all other second lines. A villanelle ends with a rhyming couplet, and has nineteen lines – divided into five tercets and one quatrain at the end. The strict villanelle structure and rhyme scheme make this poem particularly easy to memorize, particularly since the last line of the tercets are repetitive: you get five lines memorized for the price of two! You actually get more than that because the line â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night† appears in the poem four times. Using a highlighter or colored pencil, underline the lines that are repeated.

Henry Lee Lucas Essay

Henry Lee Lucas On July 11th 1983, a drifter named Henry Lee Lucas was arrested for illegal possession of a fire arm by a felon. Lucas was not at all happy about being locked up, because they were supposedly depriving him of cigarettes and coffee. After being locked up for 4 days, he admitted to one of the jailers that he had â€Å"done some bad things†. He told that he had killed for the last 10 years. He was already a suspect in 2 murders, and the offices were sure that they would soon have enough information to close these 2 cases. Lucas admitted that he had killed Kate Rich and Becky Powell. While in court for these murders, he admitted that he’d had sex with the body, cut it into pieces and burned it in a wood stove. He also said that he had killed at least a hundred more. Police started questioning Lucas about other unsolved murders all over the country. He would admit to them and tell them some details about the crime that would link him to it. Over a period of time, he started offering more information about murders that he had not even been questioned about. He said that he usually picked up hitchhikers then he would quickly kill them and have sex with the body because he preferred sexual contact with a corpse. He generally used a knife or strangulation, but said that he liked to try different methods so that he didn’t leave a pattern for the police to follow. Lucas also later confessed to killing his mother. He said that she was an alcoholic and was mean to him. Some claims say that she supported the family by bootlegging and prostitution. Lucas claimed that his mother made him watch her entertain her clients. He claims that after walking out of the room one time because he was disgusted with her actions, she found him and hit him in the head with a wooden board. He said that after that, he had dizzy spells and headaches. On January 11, 1960, Lucas and his mother got into an argument and Lucas grabbed a knife and plunged it into her neck. He was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 20 years. He served 10. Another claim that he made was that of one of his mother’s clients. He said that this man turned him on to bestiality by showing him how to have sex with the corpse of a dog or sheep. He said that he first killed someone just before he turned 15. He said that the reason was so that he could see what it felt like to have sex with a human. Lucas had a traveling companion/lover named Odis Toole. Toole supposedly assisted Lucas in these heinous crimes. Toole’s niece, Becky Powell, began to travel with them. Lucas began to fall in love with her. He decided to take Becky for himself, so he and Becky left Toole and went to TX. Toole was not happy about them leaving. He had lost his longtime lover and his niece. He supposedly killed several people over a 6 month period of time. He also confessed to kidnapping and killing a small boy named, Adam Walsh. Adam’s father was inspired after the killing of his son, to start the popular show, America’s Most Wanted. After living in TX for a while, Becky wanted to come home. Lucas resisted, but later told her to gather her things. They began to hitchhike. He continued trying to get her to change her mind. She did not. At one point, they got into an argument and she slapped him. He took his knife and stabbed her in the heart. He drug her off over and embankment and had sex with her corpse. He cut her up into 9 pieces and spread them over a field. He later returned and gathered the pieces and buried them under a tree. He then returned to where they were living in TX, and to a lady named Kate Rich. He wanted to kill again. He asked Kate if she wanted to help him look for Becky (knowing that she was dead). She agreed and went with him. He drove to the end of a dirt road and stabbed Kate in the side, puncturing her heart. He was immediately aroused. He dragged her from the car and had sex with her body. He cut her up, also, and took her back to where they were living in TX and put her in a stove to burn her remains. After much investigation, and examination of the times and places that some of the murders took place that Lucas had admitted to , police began to question whether or not he was telling the truth. They later figured out that he was lying about several of the instances, because some of them were even committed when he was locked up for other crimes that he had committed. It was also found that he was known to be in a different place when he claimed to have killed in another state many miles away. Lucas claimed to have committed over 360 murders. It was eventually claimed that the police were so interested in closing some of their open murder cases that they would show Lucas the case files to â€Å"refresh his memory†. He in turn used it to his benefit by tying himself to the murders by telling evidence that was never released to the public. The police actually cleared around 213 cases through Lucas’ confessions. He was convicted of only 11 homicides; although some criminologist say that he was responsible for between 40-50 murders. In 1998, Gov. George W. Bush of TX commuted the death penalty that Lucas was handed, to a sentence of life.

Imperial Power and the Post-Colony Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Imperial Power and the Post-Colony - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and extent of these changes within the broader context of the politics and theoretical understanding of the imperial age. Essentially, economic interests drove the colonial relationship between the imperial power and the colony, where the flow of capital was from the latter to the former. Indeed, by 1900, the forces had capital had pervaded the global economic process so deeply that it was difficult to imagine a time when an economy was still local and driven by consumption and not profit. The Industrial Revolution in 18th century Britain has placed it at the pinnacle of global economic power; Britain used this economic prowess to fuel its military might and develop the most formidable navy in the world, utilizing it with telling effect to colonize more than half of the planet (Zakaria 2008: 167-171). It is important to understand that the colonial hierarchy was maintained not only by force but also by the superior technology of the West, which was able to absorb and reap the benefits of the Industrial Revolution. ... This coincidence of economic advantage and technological superiority drove forward the imperial mission and secured the ascendancy of Europe, and especially Britain, throughout the world. As the 20th century unfolded, the demise of the age of imperialism looked more and more a certainty. While the crucial events of the first half of the century - the First and Second World Wars - changed the economic and geo-strategic imperative of colonial powers significantly, Vladimir Lenin and John Hobson penned two telling critiques of the imperial movement to stir sentiments against the economic and political exploitation of the colonies. Lenin, the celebrated leader of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in Russia, claimed that the spread of imperialism would bring about the eventual decline of the capitalist world (1916). He argued that the forces of capitalism had created monopolies in the production, leading to grave consequences for economic life. The gradual shift of focus from global production to global finance, and the trade in capital - as opposed to commodities - had ushered in a system characterized by chronic imbalance and exploitation of the working classes. As a result, a few industrially advanced nations and "capitalist associations" dominated the world economy: "The development of capitalism has arrived at a stage when, although commodity production still 'reigns' and continues to be regarded as the basis of economic life, it has in reality been undermined and the bulk of the profits go to the 'geniuses' of financial manipulation. At the basis of these manipulations and swindles lies socialized production; but the immense progress of mankind, which achieved

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

Sexual Dysfunctions - Research Paper Example Some of the very common sexual dysfunctions or disorders are: sexual desire disorders, sexual arousal disorders, orgasmic disorders, sexual pain disorders, paraphilias (in which the person experiences intense sexual urges toward non-human things, children, etc.), gender identity disorder (in which the person wishes to be of the opposite sex due to dissatisfaction of the gender roles assigned to his/her sex), and many more. Also, sexual dysfunctions may be classified as primary or secondary in nature. A primary sexual dysfunction is one which a person has always been experiencing. A secondary sexual dysfunction is one which a person has started experiencing after being normal all his life. A woman who has always experienced pain during intercourse has a primary sexual dysfunction; while, a woman who has started feeling pain with a current partner and did not experience it with any of the previous partners has a secondary sexual dysfunction. This paper intends to elaborate upon one spe cific kind of sexual arousal dysfunction in men: erectile dysfunction. Erectile Dysfunction Videbeck (2010) defines erectile dysfunction (ED) as â€Å"a persistent or recurrent inability to attain or maintain, until completion of the sexual activity, an adequate erection, which causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty† (p.156). ... The blood flow sustains in the penis for such a brief time period that is not enough for the man to achieve and maintain a firm erection. This also results in an inability to ejaculate. For a perfect erection, the nervous system must be healthy enough to conduct sexual impulses from the brain through the spinal cord to the penis. Also, the arteries located in the neighborhood of corpora cavernosa must also be functioning properly. A malfunctioning nervous system or imperfect arteries near corpora cavernosa may cause ED. Moreover, ED can also occur if the muscles and tissues that are located inside the corpora cavernosa are not smooth, or if there is an insufficient supply of nitric oxide inside the penis. Some of the most important risk factors that are likely to cause ED are: advanced age, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, recreational drug use, depression, psychiatric disorders, and stress (MedicineNet Inc., 2011). Symptoms The symptom of ED is not being able to achieve and maintain an erection. Since, it has been described above, let’s jump onto the diagnosis section. Diagnosis Diagnosis requires that the patient and the physician share a good communicative relationship so that the cause of ED is identified and its severity is taken into account. During diagnosis, the physician brings into consideration questions like: is it really ED or the patient is confusing it with loss of libido or premature ejaculation? Are there any psychological factors involved? Is the patient being able to maintain involuntary erections in the morning or during sleep (which are usually maintained by men having psychogenic ED)? Are there any physical factors causing atherosclerosis resulting in ED? Is ED a result of any

Journal for American History Seminar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journal for American History Seminar - Essay Example Mary chestnut’s â€Å"civil war† gives a profoundly annotated picture at the political and social atmosphere in South Carolina from 1861-1866. One of the most interesting bits about this book is brought by the personal commentary of Mary Chestnut and her observations on what was being said on the Medias on daily basis. The many nuggets of observations make this book interesting and worth reading. Mary Chestnut was a prominent politician’s wife and she had communication and contact with numerous renowned politicians during those times. In addition, Mr. Woodward’s wide-ranging annotations assist the contemporary day scholar to seize literary allusions and disparities in language made by Mary Chestnut. This also aids in the determination of all personalities she engrosses in her observations. As one reads through this book, he or she can observe how Mrs. Chestnut puts efforts to be more purposeful than prejudiced and takes her narratives as a possible signifi cant aspect of history in the future. This gives the reader an immense sense of an authentic person; a person who depicts hopes one day and despairs the next day. Marry Chestnut, as depicted in her book â€Å"Mary Chestnut’s Civil War†, may be regarded as a pseudo, and it is only through her opinions, news, gossip and personal tasks that she came up with the wide-ranging everyday account of life in the confederation that is used by the contemporary readers. Reading through this manuscript is similar to going back to history and having an everyday coffee and gossip session with the author. Though the book is presented more as a diary and a later overhaul of earlier narratives, Chestnut makes everything look like a first-hand dialogue. The book reveals that she loved tittle-tattle and flourished on consideration, where she had a seat in the front at all functions during this period. For instance, Chester notes â€Å"Robert E. Lee is regarded as a traitor by numerous ind ividuals after his military defeats†1. On Gen. Joe Johnston, Chestnut asserts â€Å"Being such a good hater, it is a pity he had not elected to hate somebody else than the president of our country†2. As a distinct and an interesting feature, Chestnut makes what happened in the past appear instant. Chestnut’s accounts on the preliminary jubilation of southern sovereignty and then the realism of adversity are poignant, even to anyone who would not empathize with her ideals. Mary Chestnut interestingly brings out the point of death in the society. During periods of war, it is anticipated that the people to die most are the soldiers, the men in the society, and children and women. In this book, shows that it is not only men who die at war but women and children who are subjected to adverse living conditions. Such endurances brought death upon the women and children, leaving everyone susceptible to death. In addition, this period was characterized by tribulations whic h would keep anyone off writing. It is interesting how, amid the troubles that she and her husband went through, she could still write. During this war, everything was crashing down around her and her husband, deaths around them, food scarcity, loss of lifestyle and culture, money shortages and lack of decent clothes to wear. She shows their tribulation when she indicates â€Å"the weight that hangs upon our eyelids is of lead†

MBA Operation Management Problemsolving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MBA Operation Management Problemsolving - Essay Example b) The lower capital intensity of the mentioned type of firms is explained by the stability of working processes when serving a focus customer. Crews do not need retraining because they do the same thing, for the same customer, all of the time. The machinery factor is also to be regarded: for example, the folding and gluing machine at Focus Packaging handles only one size box, so it never has to be reset. The press stops only to install a new roll of the thin cardboard on which it prints [12]. a) The necessity of the firms with a product focus to plan production and inventory levels further into the future is explained by the vitality of the production plan and inventories for successful supply chain management. It is necessary to plan thoroughly the production basing on the demand forecasts and according to this to make up the corresponding inventories. For the firms with focused production it is especially essential, because their performance depends on demands of particular customers, or one major customer [12]. b) All the above mentioned relates also to the necessity to have more formalized supplier relationships. ... b) All the above mentioned relates also to the necessity to have more formalized supplier relationships. In order for the firm to secure the manufactured product's future sale it is essential to develop clear terms of supplier/customer relationship and validate it formally. c) The low level of inventory accumulation at the work-in-process stage is explained by the simplified scheme of supply chain affording to avoid the overloading of the warehouses by unsold goods (the firm knows more or less precisely what number of goods it should produce). Describe four multi-plant location strategies The four principal location approaches are as follows: Land Use - optimal agricultural land uses based on transport costs to market; optimal distances of residential and commercial land uses from CBD; Industrial Location / Production Orientation - transport-cost minimizing location, profit maximization, optimal combination of inputs & optimal level of production at optimal location (allowing for scale economies and substitutability at any one level of production); Central Places / Market Areas - optimal market areas choosing; Spatial Competition - optimal response in the face of locational competition [11]. Why Colgate Palmolive, and not Campbell Soup be concerned about NAFTA The North American Free Trade Agreement, known usually as NAFTA, is a free trade agreement among Canada, the United States, and Mexico [7]. Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL) is a multinational corporation in the business of the provision of products such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products such as toothpaste and toothbrushes. Under its "Hill's" brand, it is also a manufacturer of veterinary products [3]. Campbell Soup Company

Why I Want to Become a College Student Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Why I Want to Become a College Student - Essay Example People that complete a college degree have better higher paying jobs. During my tenure in high school, I demonstrated the ability to work with other classmates and provide support to my teammates during group assignments. I always pay close attention to the lectures provided by the teachers and I take good notes that help me study for exams. The most important aspect of education is the knowledge gained from the lessons by the students. It is important for me to obtain a college degree. My parents have always helped me with my studies and they fully support me in my college aspirations. Both my parents attended college and I want to follow in their footsteps. Today getting a college degree is imperative because the new wave of jobs in the knowledge economy of the 21st century requires people that are well trained and have advanced knowledge. I am fully committed to starting a new stage in my life where education becomes the primary focus of my day to day routine. Students in college have to attend class as well as countless hours in the university surrounding studying, reading, and performing research in the library. I have always been a good student. To me, education is very important. I also believe a lot in the value of helping others. During my high school years, I spend a lot of time volunteering for different activities and community service. I worked in homeless shelters and other community initiatives. I liked providing a helping hand to others in need. As a student, I also on many occasions helped my classmates with their studies by providing tutoring sessions. Upon acceptance into a university, I plan on getting involved in the alumni community by volunteering my time. College is a tremendous experience that goes beyond the time spent in class.  Ã‚  

UK employment law on unfair dismissal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

UK employment law on unfair dismissal - Essay Example 2006) and it is necessary to refer to the common law test for defining the status of employee. The statutory provision is bolstered by the Ready Mixed Concrete test (Ready Mixed Concrete (South East) Ltd v Minister of Pensions & National Insurance [1968] 2 QB 497), which requires an examination of the â€Å"overall picture† (Jupp, 2005) The starting point for determining whether an individual is an employee is the â€Å"control† test (Honeyball & Bowers. 2006). This was established in the case if Yewens v Noakes (1880 6 Q.B.D. 530), where Bramwell LJ asserted that â€Å"A servant is a person subject to the command of his master as to the manner in which he shall do his work† (at p.532-533). However, socio-economic developments in the labour market have changed the shape of employment status, thereby undermining the suitability of the control test as a sole determinant of employment status (Pitt, G. 2007). This was further acknowledged by the Court of Appeal in the case of Walker v Crystal Palace FC ([1910] 1 KB 87), where the control test was given a different slant by focusing on whether the employer had the right to control the background arrangements for the work such as when and where the work was done, payments and holiday entitlements. However, the Walker extension of the control test was further developed into the â€Å"integration† test as propounded by Lord Denning in the case of Stevenson Jordan and Harrison v MacDonald & Evans ([1952] 1 TLR 101) â€Å"†¦under a contract of service, a man is employed as part of the business and his work is done as an integral part of the business; whereas under a contract for services, his work, although done for the business, is not integrated into it but is only accessory to it† (at p.111). Alternatively, factors pertaining to the working arrangement between the Mandox household vis-à  -vis Bill and the nannies will also be important in determining employee status such as responsibility for tax, national

Is Genre a useful category for the understanding of films made in Essay

Is Genre a useful category for the understanding of films made in China and Japan - Essay Example A scholar that suggests that there is an American genre would be immediately attacked by his colleagues for oversimplifying an obviously complex, multifaceted gamut of movies. So the question of whether there is a Chinese or Japanese genre of film may be answered in the affirmative if one sees "genre" in merely the audience short-hand manner. If, that is, the audience is American or British. The definition of "genre" in this sense will be "having a preponderance of Chinese or Japanese actors, and in either Mandarin or the Japanese language". This is rather simplistic, and might be regarded as offensive or even racist, but it does reflect one of the most simple definitions of genre. China can be divided between Hong Kong, the mainland controlled by the nominally Communist government and then Taiwan, which represents a whole other development both politically and artistically. So it can be said that a "Chinese genre" is redundant beyond the audience-expectation type of definition. Turning to Japanese cinema, while more culturally homogenous, Japan also presents difficulties for the simple definition. Donald Richie, the leading Western scholar of Japanese cinema, states that many Japanese films indeed have a sense of what he calls "Japaneseness". He describes this as "the celebration of evanescence".4 This evanescence is shown by Japanese film-makers within a paradoxical desire to have their films be temporary rather than permanent. Thus Richie quotes the director Ozu, who stated, "the attractive thing about film is this transience, this mist-like vanishing quality."5 The director Naruse goes even further, suggesting that films should "always vanish a few weeks after release, perhaps this is what films should be, things that live on only in the audience's memory, or vanish into thin air."6 The wish to have their films vanish into thin air is rather ironic for two reasons. First, it counters the traditional advantage that film is said to have over theatre: its permanence as opposed to mutability. Second, in darkly humorous irony, this rather intellectual wish has been granted to the vast majority of Japanese film-makers, whether or not they desired the honor. Thus the majority of Japanese films (more than 90% of pre-WWII movies) have vanished because they did not survive the film chemistry or the war of the time. Even with film production since 1945, a majority of Japanese films now no longer exist and can only be referenced within the memories of actors, writers etc.

Books and novels Essay Example for Free

Books and novels Essay Books and novels are constant sources of story or plot for so many movies. It is as if the books reinvented themselves with a new face. Though adaptation of books or novels is a prevailing reality, the question of fidelity to the original details of the story has always been the criterion for comparison. Ella Enchanted, a book by Gail Carson Levine was made into film directed by Tommy OHaver. The most obvious similarity of the book and the movie is that it is about Ella, a girl who found love and the power of self-determination as she tries to reverse the ‘gift’ of obedience bestowed on her by the fairy, Lucinda. Though there were similarities between the book and movie, there are also glaring differences between the two. Here are the differences between the book and the movie: Time Period In the book, the story was set on the traditional and typical era of magic and awe; the same medieval setting that famous fairy tales used. The book’s time period had a striking semblance with the setting of Cinderella. While in the movie, pop culture dominated the story as if the seemingly dreamy and magical set up was modernized to give the film the teen spirit. Of course this aims to attract and please the moviegoers. Noticeably there are elements of contemporary time which obviously intend to relate with the target audience of the film. Among those elements are: the use of escalator, the shopping mall, the Frell Community College, the phenomenon of teens joining fans club (of prince Char), the 70’s, and 80’s soundtrack that includes the Queen’s â€Å"Somebody to Love† and . Though these are welcome additions in a teen’s perspective, the move sacrificed the book’s classic look. It was a move to enhance the visual attractiveness of the movie. These changes also contributed to the addition of singing and dancing which are very evident in the movie. New Characters In the movie, the audience saw the birth of new characters that were not present in the book. The new villains are Prince Edgar who intends to kill Prince Char for him to ascend to the kingship of Frell; and there is Heston, the talking snake, who partners with Prince Edgar in his evil plans. These two characters also contributed to the change of scenes and plot. In the book, the father of Prince Char is alive but in the movie he was killed by Prince Edgar who eventually plans to kill the heir to the throne, Prince Char. The changes also brought about the political tone of the movie. Ella was a crusader of the welfare of the fairy creatures which were maltreated by Prince Edgar’s way of governance. So the changes added twist to Ella’s character and added new elements to the story. References to other movies One can also see semblances of the movie to other well-loved films namely: â€Å"Shrek†, and â€Å"The Princess Bride†. It is an observation that the book also patterned its story and details from other stories; very obviously, from the story of â€Å"Cinderella†. If the movie has â€Å"Shrek† and â€Å"The Princess Bride†; the book has â€Å"Cinderella†. Comic Infusion Gail Carson Levine made a dreamy and fairy tale which for some, was considered a great version of the Cinderella story. For some, â€Å"Ella Enchanted† became a classic tale not only for children but also for book lovers who feasts on their imagination. But the movie departs from that perspective. Instead, the film version added a comic spirit that takes away that classic feel of the book. That is why; the romantic – magical feel is sacrificed for the entertaining value of the comic parts of the movie. Even with this effect, the funny parts of the movie added a very relax feeling for the viewers. Focus In the book, Ella’s focus was to lift the gift or curse given by Lucinda. The story progressed with this focus which climaxed with the Ella’s realization that she alone can be the master of her destiny and need not assistance or dependence from somebody else. But in the movie version, a lot of elements are added which makes one confused about the focus of the story. There are political standpoints which Ella feels very strong about. There is the romantic link with Prince Char. There were family situation that distracts Ella. Since the movie aims to entertain and not just present a classic story, the addition of such twist and turns clouded somehow the real and main focus of Levine’s work. Ending of the Story and Other Elements In the book, when Ella met Prince Char they became friends at once but in the movie, it did not happen that way. The parents of Prince Char were both alive in the book; but in the film they were dead. The book ended with the triumph of Ella against her ‘curse’ of obedience and she eventually lived happily ever after with Prince Char. In the movie, the ending was quite dramatic since it highlights the dilemma given before Ella: the choice between death to Prince Char and following the gift of obedience. The ending of the movie somehow affirms the another focus of the film which is the romantic love that has been shared by Ella and Prince Char. Conclusion Even if the visual representation of a book is easier on the imagination; even if it aids one’s creative confusion or curiosity; still the book leaves a lasting impression for it tickles one’s creative capacity and builds a story with such planned pace.Therefore, the book Ella Enchanted outdid its movie version in terms of its overall impression on the readers/ audience. BIBLIOGRAPHY Hollis, K. 2004. Book vs. Movie: Ella Enchanted. Box Office Prophets. Available from: www. boxofficeprophets. com. Accessed on April 7, 2009. Levine, G. C. n. d. Ella Enchanted. BellaOnline: The Voice of Women. Available from: http://www. bellaonline. com. Accessed on April 7, 2009. Burr, T. 2004. Ella is less than enchanting. Available from: www. boston. com. Accessed on April 7, 2009.

About Type 2 Diabetes Essay Example for Free

About Type 2 Diabetes Essay Around 2.6 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with diabetes. About nine in 10 of these people have type 2 diabetes. It usually affects people over the age of 40, but can develop at any age. People of African-Caribbean or South Asian origin are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. It usually affects them earlier in life, from about the age of 25. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common, particularly in children. Type 2 diabetes develops when your body can’t produce enough insulin or if your body doesn’t respond to insulin as it should. Insulin regulates the level of glucose in your blood. Glucose is a simple form of sugar found in foods and sugary drinks. It’s absorbed by your body as a natural part of digestion and is carried around your body in your blood. When glucose reaches your body tissues, such as muscle cells, its absorbed and converted into energy. Insulin is secreted into your blood by your pancreas, which is a gland located behind your stomach. If your cells dont respond properly to insulin, it can cause glucose to build up in your blood. This is called insulin resistance. If this happens, your pancreas needs to produce more and more insulin to overcome the resistance and control your blood glucose levels. Types of diabetes There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. There are about two million people in the UK who have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the common form, affecting nine out of every 10 people with diabetes. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes Many people with type 2 diabetes have no obvious symptoms. Its often discovered during a routine medical check-up with your GP.If you do have symptoms of type 2 diabetes, you may: †¢pass more urine than usual See more: My Writing Process Essay †¢be constantly thirsty †¢have unexplained weight loss †¢be extremely tired †¢have blurred vision †¢have itchy skin around your genitals or get regular infections, such as thrush †¢notice that wounds such as cuts heal slowly If you have any of these symptoms, see your GP. nitially, some people find they don’t have any symptoms. So if you think you may be at risk of type 2 diabetes, speak to your GP about having a screening blood test.  Complications of type 2 diabetes If type 2 diabetes isn’t diagnosed or controlled properly, you can develop blood glucose levels that are either too high (hyperglycaemia) or too low (hypoglycaemia). Hyperglycaemia If type 2 diabetes is poorly controlled or you get an infection, glucose can build up in your blood and rise to high levels. This can cause you to: †¢be thirsty †¢pass urine excessively †¢have blurred vision †¢feel tired Very rarely, if you become dehydrated and your blood glucose rises to very high levels, you can develop a condition called hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state. This can cause you to become drowsy and potentially unconscious. Hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state is a medical emergency and needs to be treated in hospital. In the long-term, uncontrolled high blood glucose levels can increase your risk of: †¢kidney failure †¢blindness †¢nerve damage †¢heart disease †¢stroke Hypoglycaemia Sometimes, if your medication is too strong or you miss a meal, your blood glucose levels can become too low (hypoglycaemia). This only happens if you’re taking certain medicines such as gliclazide (or others of the same type), repaglinide or insulin (of any type). If your blood glucose is low, you may go pale, feel sweaty and become confused. If you develop hypoglycaemia, it’s important to eat or drink something containing glucose, for example fruit juice or some sweets. Causes of type 2 diabetes There are several risk factors that make you more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, including if you: †¢are overweight or obese – in particular, if you’re an apple shape with lots of fat around your abdomen (tummy) †¢have a close family member with the condition †¢are of African-Caribbean or South-Asian origin †¢are over 40 – your risk increases with age †¢have high blood pressure or have had a heart attack or stroke †¢don’t exercise regularly †¢have severe mental health problems †¢are a woman and have polycystic ovary syndrome and are overweight †¢are a woman and have had diabetes that developed during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) If you have a condition such as impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glycaemia, this means the level of glucose in your blood is naturally higher than normal and you’re more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes Your GP will ask about your symptoms and examine you. He or she may also ask about your medical history. You may need to have some of the following tests. †¢Urine test. You will need to give a sample to be tested for glucose. †¢Fasting blood glucose test. You will have a sample of blood taken from your arm to test for glucose. You will need to fast overnight before having this test. You may have this with a glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C) test. HbA1C is a protein that is produced when you have high blood glucose levels over a long period of time. †¢Glucose tolerance test. This may be needed if your fasting blood glucose test is borderline. It measures how your blood glucose level changes over time after you have a sugary drink. You will need to fast overnight before having this test. Treatment of type 2 diabetes There isnt a cure for type 2 diabetes but it can be controlled. Some people can control their condition with lifestyle changes alone. Others need to take medicines or use insulin injections. Self-help By making the following lifestyle changes, you can help control your blood glucose levels. †¢Eat a healthy balanced diet with regular meals, three times a day. Include carbohydrates, such as pasta or potatoes in each meal. †¢Aim to do 150 minutes of moderate exercise over a week in bouts of 10 minutes or more. This will help you to stay a healthy weight and control your blood glucose levels. †¢Only drink alcohol in moderation and stick within the recommended limits. †¢If you smoke, give up. Smoking is unhealthy for everyone, but its especially important to stop if you have diabetes because you already have an increased risk of developing circulatory problems and cardiovascular  disease. Oral medicines If lifestyle changes alone don’t keep your blood glucose levels under control, you may be prescribed medicines. Some examples are listed below. †¢Metformin works by reducing the amount of glucose that gets released into your bloodstream from your liver. It also improves the way glucose is used by your muscles. †¢Gliclazide, glipizide, glimepiride and tolbutamide help your pancreas to produce more insulin. †¢Repaglinide and nateglinide also help your pancreas to produce more insulin, but work more quickly and last for a shorter time. †¢Acarbose lowers your blood glucose by slowing down the rate at which some carbohydrates are absorbed by your body. †¢Pioglitazone reduces your bodys resistance to insulin. †¢Sitagliptin, saxagliptin and vildagliptin help your body to produce more insulin at mealtimes. These medicines are usually taken between one and three times a day. Injections You may be prescribed other medicines such as exenatide or liraglutide. These medicines are given by injection and work by helping your body to make more insulin when it’s needed. They can also reduce your appetite and help you lose weight. If lifestyle changes and medicines can’t keep your blood glucose levels under control, you may need to have insulin injections as well as, or instead of, tablets. You will usually inject yourself with insulin once or twice a day, using either a small needle or a pen-type syringe with replaceable cartridges. There are several different types of insulin that work at different rates and for different lengths of time. Ask your GP for advice on which type is best for you. If you have insulin injections, you will need to monitor your blood glucose levels with a home test kit. This involves taking a pinprick of blood from your finger and putting a drop on a testing strip. A meter will read the result automatically. Your GP or diabetes specialist nurse will show you how to monitor your blood glucose levels and tell you how often you need to check it. Monitoring your blood glucose level You may also need to have your levels of HbA1C tested at least twice a year. The test is done by taking blood from a vein in your arm or sometimes a drop of blood from a fingerprick. It’s used to see how well you’re controlling your blood sugar  levels.

Religion Essays Buddhism in the West

Religion Essays Buddhism in the West There are multitudinous challenges faced by the contemporary Buddhist, not the least of which includes the fact that he is contemporary in the first place. For, the contemporary world is overcome by numerous characteristics, which arealtogether incommensurate with Buddhism. The world of today, insofar as it has been industrialized and further digitized, is one of runaway technology, sound bites, and ubiquitously sought-after shortcuts to everything. The meditative and contemplative nature of Buddhism is rather at odds with the fast-paced West. However, it could not be said that this is the only, nor even the primary, challenge to contemporary Buddhism. There is also a strong sense of its minority nature in the West. TWO UNFORTUNATE OUTCOMES OF THE FAST-PACED WORLD The Anti-Contemplative Nature of the Fast-Paced World Thetraditions of contemplation/meditation in Buddhism are very basic to thereligion itself. When meditation occurs, contemplation seems to go with alongwith it. Meditation is that instrument which allows a Buddhist to withdrawfrom the ceaseless stream of relentless memories, daydreams, fears, andfantasies, (Jeffery Paine, Re-Enchantment, 132). In other words,meditation takes one out of those events and things (such as memories) whichare inextricably bound up in the world of suffering (i.e., of dukkha).But, upon this withdrawal from the world, one is able to engage in a type ofcontemplation, which can be conceived as the ability to perceive things asthey are in themselves. That is, there is a distinction between reality asit is (which an enlightened person can see) and reality as it seems to us(which is how those who are still in the endless cycle of rebirth, known as samsara,see things).It is the very goal of Buddhism to see things as they are. This is precisely inwhat enlightenment of a Buddha consists. The seeing of the whole of realityas it is is the very moment of enlightenment, the very moment of attainingBuddhahood. Therefore, the fast-paced world being not at all amenable to theslow nature of meditation/contemplation shows its inability to mesh withBuddhism. The Necessity of Samsara in a Fast-Paced World In hisconcluding thoughts on Buddhism in the West, religion scholar Roger Corlesstakes note of the intrinsically samsaric nature of a fast-paced world. The industrialized anddigitized world is one of addiction. This is one thing that characterizes itmost truly. People especially in these types of countries are addicted to allmanner of things sought to provide a quick fix a way out of the misery ofsamsara. Whether the addiction is toward greed for money, toward lust, drugs,alcohol, or even to psychotherapy, it makes no fundamental difference. In animportant way, one should see that Buddhism itself teaches that staying insamsara is like being in an addiction. Corless states, For Buddhism, it issamsara itself that is the basic drug, and addiction to samsara is the basicaddiction, (Vision of Buddhism, 81-2). Inasmuch as the contemporaryworld is overrun by various addictions to all manner of things which merelyhelp one cope with the reality of the harshness of samsara, to that extent itr emains at odds with the fundamental goal of Buddhism, which is release fromall addition-release from samsara itself. CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH A MINORITY POSITION IN THE WEST Trying to Advance or Defend Buddhism in the Theistic West Therecould be no used denying or downplaying the overall theistic nature of theWest. Whereas Zoroastrianism is a theistic religion of the East, which seemsnot to have had a very lasting effect (R.C. Zaehner, Encyclopedia of theWorlds Religions, 200), contrariwise, the there have been three greattheistic religions of the West, and they have all thrived. The most basic ofthe three, Judaism, has thrived amidst enormous difficulties (e.g., by being,like Zoroastrianism, in its origin a national religion). It has notthrived in the sense of vast numbers of converts throughout the ages. Rather,it has endured through the ages and its own several dispersions from theland originally inhabited by the people, and today it has tens of millions ofadherents throughout the world. Christianity, especially the ancientChristianity of Catholicism and Orthodoxy, has thrived in all manner of ways,including vast amounts of converts ever since its very modest beginnings. Todayit remains the largest religion of the world and has a strong foothold in bothWest and East. Moreover, a distinctive characteristic of historicChristianityis its own self-understanding as the completion or fulfillment of Judaism. Islam,being the last of the three great theistic religions, has mirrored much ofChristianitys success in terms of size and growth through the centuries, eventhough it has no such self-understanding.Though its Western influence has not been quite as strong as that of theoverall Judeo-Christian underpinnings of many Western European and North/SouthAmerican countries, it nevertheless has become today a religion that gives afurther bolstering effect to the already strong sense of theism in the West. Sincewe are using this term theism so much, it might prove useful to give aworking definition of it. Two American scholars in a general critique of allthings pantheistic (including Zen Buddhism) offer in their glossary thefollowing as a definition of theism: belief in one infinite, eternal, andpersonal God who as Creator is distinct from but rules over creation; distinctfrom atheism, deism, pantheism, and polytheism, (Apologeticsin the New Age, 242). It is true that all three major theistic religions ofthe West would equally assent to this definition as a working one with regardto their respective religions. That is, it is adequate as a definition of Godin Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Buddhism, by stark contrast, could not atall be said to be theistic. In Buddhism, there is no belief in one, infinite,and personal God who exists, with reference to everything outside of himself,as Creator of it all. Buddhism would probably be best described as eitherstrictly atheistic, pantheistic , or perhaps provisionally polytheistic. Finite gods,known as devas and asuras, are said to exist in various branches ofBuddhism (Roger Corless, Vision of Buddhism, 142), hence itsprovisionally polytheistic nature. However, it seems that these days, giventhat the atheism of the West is nearly always linked in with the scientisticmaterialism of it, one could see how in this situation, a Buddhist woulddistance himself from atheism. The New Age Stigma in America AlanWatts, Marilyn Ferguson, and Harvey Cox have each, though in very differentways, been indicating that ever since at least the 1960s the West has beenturning toward the East.However, since many of those who first were the largest advocates of such a recentturning Eastward were of quite varying faiths themselves and/or wereprogressives in their understanding of the development of religion, all the great faiths of theancient East somehow were combined with the contemporary thoughts of thesepopularizers of Eastern thought and what was born was the New Age. Various media advocates ofEastern thought (e.g., George Lucas of Star Wars and George Harrison of theBeatles) also helped to usher in the New Age movement by lending popularsupport to it and a widespread familiarity with it. Theproblem for Buddhism in this cultural climate is to distinguish itself from NewAge as an overarching umbrella under which it goes. Buddhism faces the acutechallenge of distancing itself from that which first brought it recently and enmasse to the West.Buddhism in America, for example, has no intrinsic core, and it is thus relianton falling into one or another foreign tradition of Buddhism in order forBuddhists to find expressions of their practice. This, perhaps, only tends toobscure in the publics mind just what is Buddhism. There are so manyvariations of American Buddhism imported from so many Eastern countries thatthe tendency is to simplify them all and place them under an Eastern or NewAge heading, just to roughly categorize them. Buddhism thus has a dualchallenge in many countries in the West in which it is still relatively new. Ithas to define itself relative to the culture in which it finds itself, and itfurther has to distinguish itself from any generically Eastern religi oussystem. Reincarnation: a Hard Sell to Some Relatedto the Western propensity to simplify things is the doctrine of continuation insamsara, as either reincarnation or rebirth. First, a brief note on the commonWestern view of the soul is in order. Two corollaries of theism (which again,is firmly entrenched in the West) are the ideas that every human person has asubstantial soul and there is a permanent afterlife awaiting everysubstantial soul, whether an afterlife for the good (e.g., Heaven) or one forthe evil (e.g., Hell). Within such a framework, therefore, reincarnation (whichis the re-birth of an individual soul) does not sit well. In fact, likeBuddhisms inherent non-theism, there is an incommensurability here too. Therecan be no resolution between the theistic idea of one life to live and theBuddhistic/Hinduistic idea of everlasting lives to live. As Scheck andGorgens note, It is important for every Western novice to remember thisfundamental difference: The West has always sought eternal life, the BuddhistEast, the end of t he cycle of rebirths, (Buddhism, 183). The Idea that a Person Does Not Have a Substantial Soul Relatedly,to suggest that reincarnation occurs is to have an idea of a substantial soulincarnating over and over. At least, this is the view in Hinduism, whichSiddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) inherits. However, it seems that the Buddhaadvocated a slightly different doctrine, perhaps better phrased as rebirththan reincarnation. In rebirth, it is true that births of the same personsare occurring repeatedly over time. However, whereas reincarnation presupposesthe idea of a substantial soul which is incarnated repeatedly, rebirth does notnecessarily presuppose the idea of a substantial soul. In fact, it is likelytrue that Buddhism sees the idea of a substantial and individual soul a beliefwhich is inherently samsaric.That is, to think myself as a separated individual, apart from the whole andbasic nature of reality, is to believe something which is an illusion. However,the idea that one is truly an individual person is an extremely strongWestern belief, whether the Westerner who holds the belief is committed to onetheistic tradition or not. Concluding Thoughts Buddhismof today is faced by many and daunting challenges, and several have beenexplored in this paper. Its minority status is certainly something thancontributes to the challenges, but it also helps to foster a misperception ofits identity with other religious traditions or umbrellas under which Easternthought goes (e.g., New Age). Its challenges to not only consist it this,however. We have also explored the inherently opposed characteristics of muchof the affluent world, whether Western or not. Those countries that areindustrialized and digitized have many quick fixes for the masses to providethem with all manner of temporary relief from the suffering of samsara. Theirony for the Buddhist to explain is that these various devices thought tobring relief are the very things keeping the ones participating in them withinthe bonds of samsara itself. WorksConsulted Amano, J. Yutaka, and Norman Geisler. TheInfiltration of the New Age. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale HousePublishers, 1989. Anderson, Norman. Christianity and WorldReligions: The Challenge of Pluralism. Downers Grove,IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984. Armstrong, Karen. Buddha. New York:Viking Penguin, 2001. Clark, David, and Norman Geisler. Apologeticsin the New Age: A Christian Critique of Pantheism. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1990. Corless, Roger J. The Vision ofBuddhism: The Space Under the Tree. New York: Paragon House, 1989. Lopez, Donald, ed. A Modern BuddhistBible: Essential Readings from East and West. Boston: BeaconPress, 2002. Ouaki, Fabien, Dalai Lama, and Anne Benson.Imagine All the People: A Conversation with theDalai Lama on Money, Politics, and Life as it Could Be. Boston: WisdomPublications,1999. Paine, Jeffery, ed. Adventures with theBuddha: A Personal Buddhism Reader. New York: Norton,2005. Re-Enchantment: TibetanBuddhism Comes to the West. New York: Norton, 2001. Scheck, Frank, and Manfred Gorgens. Buddhism:An Illustrated Historical Overview. New York:Barrons Educational Series, 1999. Zaehner, R. C., ed. Encyclopedia of theWorlds Religions. New York: Barnes Noble Books, 1997.

Determinants of Productivity :: essays research papers

Determinants of Productivity Determinants of Productivity Productivity is the quantity of output formed by one unit of production input in a unit of time. Inputs used in the production of the goods and services are the major determinants of any country’s productivity they are also called factors of production. There are four major determinants of productivity of any country’s economy.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Land: the land itself, and raw materials such as oil and minerals beneath it. The natural resources that is available without alteration or effort on the part of humans. Land as a resource includes only unique fertility and mineral deposits, topography, climate, water and vegetation. Trees grown are not categorized as land because they have been deliberately grown on the other hand Trees in a natural rainforest are a natural resource and thus classify as land. The reward for letting others use land is called rent.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Labor: In order to produce the things, a human resource must be used. human resources consist of the productive aid of labor made by individuals who work—for instance, miners, artists, and professional baseball players. The contribution of labor to the production process can be amplified. Whenever potential workers obtain schooling and training and whenever actual workers acquire new skills, labor’s contribution to productive output will raise. In other words it is human effort, mental or physical. The reward to labor is label wages.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capital: When labor is applied to land to grow wheat, for instance, something else is used. Generally it is a plow or a tractor. That is to say, land and labor are shared with manufactured resources in order to produce the things that we need. These manufactured resources are called capital, which consists of machines, buildings, and tools. Additionally, capital consists of enhancement to natural resources, such as irrigation ditches. Money is used to buy factors of production – it is not a factor itself. The return for investing in capital is called interest.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Enterprise or Entrepreneurship: The fourth factor of production, involving human resources that carry out the functions of raising capital, organizing, managing, bringing together other factors of production, and making fundamental business policy decisions. Determinants of Productivity :: essays research papers Determinants of Productivity Determinants of Productivity Productivity is the quantity of output formed by one unit of production input in a unit of time. Inputs used in the production of the goods and services are the major determinants of any country’s productivity they are also called factors of production. There are four major determinants of productivity of any country’s economy.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Land: the land itself, and raw materials such as oil and minerals beneath it. The natural resources that is available without alteration or effort on the part of humans. Land as a resource includes only unique fertility and mineral deposits, topography, climate, water and vegetation. Trees grown are not categorized as land because they have been deliberately grown on the other hand Trees in a natural rainforest are a natural resource and thus classify as land. The reward for letting others use land is called rent.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Labor: In order to produce the things, a human resource must be used. human resources consist of the productive aid of labor made by individuals who work—for instance, miners, artists, and professional baseball players. The contribution of labor to the production process can be amplified. Whenever potential workers obtain schooling and training and whenever actual workers acquire new skills, labor’s contribution to productive output will raise. In other words it is human effort, mental or physical. The reward to labor is label wages.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capital: When labor is applied to land to grow wheat, for instance, something else is used. Generally it is a plow or a tractor. That is to say, land and labor are shared with manufactured resources in order to produce the things that we need. These manufactured resources are called capital, which consists of machines, buildings, and tools. Additionally, capital consists of enhancement to natural resources, such as irrigation ditches. Money is used to buy factors of production – it is not a factor itself. The return for investing in capital is called interest.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Enterprise or Entrepreneurship: The fourth factor of production, involving human resources that carry out the functions of raising capital, organizing, managing, bringing together other factors of production, and making fundamental business policy decisions.

computers :: essays research papers

Computers In Our Lives   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the 21st century rolling right along the technology world is becoming highly advanced every year. School in America must teach the basics of computers before computers become too advanced for students to even learn the basics. Once the basics of computers are taught in school, then students will be able to complete a large percentage of assignments over the computer. There are three basic functions that computers will do to help education. Computers will help students to receive learning material in an efficient way. Computers will allow students to accomplish more work using quick research and will allow for increased learning during the students’ education. Computers will allow students to prepare for the new way of life in which computers will be used in every profession.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The computer has an endless supply of possible education aids. Students will be able to research any topic over the computer and the Internet. With all assignments given, all work can be done over the computers. Students can take tests over the computer, they can complete math problems and, of course, students can complete writing assignments. The more students use computers, the quicker work will be completed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Students will be able to do all the research they need without leaving their seat. Students can learn about anything they want using the computer, which will lead to for an advanced education. The more a student researches, the more the student will learn about computers. With education switching to computers, students will learn at an efficient rate and will learn more material. Computers are used for research, writing out ideas, and then typing the paper, which makes writing papers easier for the students and more assignments can be given.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the new way of life quickly changing, computers are going to be needed for everything. In America computers will be the basis of every profession. Computer will be used to write up information, to check background information for police officers, and will be used to even issue fishing licenses at fishing stores. If computers are not used daily in school, then the process for the future of the student will not be completed.

Celtic Druids :: European History Essays

Evidence of the Celts first came about 400 BCE from Northern Italy. More evidence or encounters were found during the young Roman Empire. Many of the accounts we hear of them come from Greek and Roman writers, such as Julius Caesar and Diodorus. There were various tribes to this group, many of them called Galli by the Romans and Galataoir Keltoi by the Greeks, these terms meant Barbarian. The Greek word Keltoi was what Celts came from, this is the reason the C is pronounced as a K. As languages went there was one language that tied all of them together, Old Celtic which is the descendent of the original Ur-Lnaguage. "Welsh, Breton the language of Brittany, in France- and the variants of Gaelic spoken in Ireland and Scotland are all Celtic languages"(Stokstad 485). Celtic Druids Evidence of their culture is basically archeological, it has also come from oral tradition, dating back to shortly before the fifth century AD. Knowledge of all the Druids besides the Celtic ones has been found from and around the third century BC to the fourth century AD. Blacksmithing was an important craft to the Celts. Tools of knives, shears and axe-heads were made to stock patterns across the Celtic World. Iron was also used to make decorative and functional pieces which were very elaborate. Iron again was used for spears, swords and defensive mounting of wooden shields. Bronze workers used a lot of copper and tin to make their intricately designed ornaments. The theme of the Celtic warrior played an important part, with the practice of single combat, the warriors feast and the prize of severed heads of defeated foes. Writing in the Celtic society was sort of restricted, it was not used for imaginative or traditional literature. Before the Roman conquest a state of conditional literacy intermittently existed among the Gaulish upper classes (Piggott 51). Greek letters were occasionally used. However in Celtic societies other than the Druids it seemed opposite. Greek Letters were used in the Book of Mathew, Book Of Kells , in Stoktads book there is an example of how finely the craftsmanship is with the Chi Rho Iota page. This translated into "Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about" (Mathew 1:18).Many abbreviations of Latin words were used as well which had to be memorized by scribes. The page seems abstract at first glance but if you look closely you can see the fine detail of figures in it.

Analyzing Pro Forma Statements Essay

Financial statements that are prepared by a company to consider the effects of potential activity is considered a pro forma statements. A financial statement shows the projected or forecast of operating results and balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. The company XYZ Company Inc. is planning to expand their company in the next five years. This paper will review and discuss XYZ’s Company’s five year plan to expand to their organization. The XYZ Companies pro forma income statement is projected for the next five years which accounts for a 10% increase in gross sales for each of the five years. Financial managers use Proforma statements to assist financial managers to plan accordingly in terms of the company’s financial needs. By acquiring the company’s future income statement and balance sheets, managers can determine how much financing is needed and when it is needed. The Proforma analysis has become the proven tool that can be instrumental for general managers in the planning of employment intensities, inventory and problem solving issues. Proforma can also be used for more than just a forecasting tool. It can also be used for creating mid-stream corrections, evaluate variances, gauge weaknesses, strengths and evaluating performance during the budgeting period. By forecasting Proforma statements are created to predict balances at a certain date followed by combining them with a financial statement format. Acquiring the forces that influence them, one can determined how account balances are forecasted and project how the accounts may be influenced. The following is used to illustrate the ProForma’s five year projection process for XYZ’s Company. Revenue will increase twice in the year 2011 and afterwards continue to increase 10% in the next year. Cost of revenue will be based on total sales percentage. Presented is the Performa statement of the organization for the next five years. XYZ Company Inc.: 2011|2012|2013|2104|2015 It has been established that in the above Proforma balance sheet one has assumed that current liability and current asset has increased in the ratio of sales. In addition, the company has taken on a loan to meet the capital expansion as well as working capital’s needs. Reference University of Phoenix, (2015) â€Å"Analyzing Pro Forma Statements† retrieved from https://newclassroom3.phoenix.edu/Classroom/#/contextid/OSIRIS:44656217/context/co/view/activityDetails/activity/53c06956-87e9-4050-8ecc-815e914705e0/expan

The Educational System Trying

Is the guarantee of safety of others a compelling reason in which to form and maintain policies that make all school aged athletes or anyone who is involved in school based extra curricular activities subject to a mandatory drug screening or does this become a violation of constitutional rights? Can it be said that those in a choir or band recital pose just as much threat as those in vigorous sports and if so what kind of dangers do these people emit?Just how far can schools go in their policies befire they become shut down indefinitely when it comes to making policies â€Å"For the greater good? † It all started in 1995 when an Oregon school won their case in which they chose to make all athletes be drug tested. In an outcry the students filed suit and in the end it was the school who prevailed. Since then more and more schools are adopting or have done so or at least trying to adopt that same policy, many have succeeded with little to no issue while others have acted as the Acton family did in the Oregon case.Schools claim that in having a drug testing policy for athletes that this will help allay future endangerments and promote a healthier stance not only with the athletes but with the other students as well. Furthermore, the Oreogn school won their case for only those who are involved in athletics, not those that are involved in other extra curricular activities such as band or choir. The case in Oregon made in to the Supreme Court contenind violations of the fourth and fourteenth constitutional amendments.The Fourth amendment protects us against unreasonable search and seizures and that we are protected within our homes as well as the schools in which we attend and any other facility. The word reasonable has come into play through the course of arguments when arguing that forcing drug testing with no reasonable grounds went against this. With each case being different, the definition of reasonable also expands.The captain of a football team may be using as well as distributing and in this would lie reasonable cause for drug testing but the argument, as of 2000-2002, from yet another group challenging a school’s policy, is why should drug testing be enforced upon students when there is no reason visible per that student or group of students? But the Fourteenth amendment has also been cited; no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law and in forcing students to submit to drug testing simply because there is a policy allegedly violates this as suddenly they have been deprived of due process.So once again, another group of students have stepped forward, some outraged at the fact of a drug policy being implemented, not only for those who are athletes or in extra curricular activities but for all students, regardless of any exhibits or lack thereof of drug use and regardless of any known or unknown associations with any person who is thought to be a user. Simply, the case of Earls v. B oard of Education of Tecumseh Public School District claimed a definitive violation against them stoutly claiming the fourth amendment.In favbor of the Earls case, the Drug Policy Alliance Network filed a brief regarding this case, also contesting mandatory drug screens for all students. It has been claimed that sports actually is haven for drug free children and thus a protection. According to experts from the â€Å"American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Education Association, the American Public Health Association, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and several other prominent national organizations that thay all disagree with suspicionless drug testing of high school students engaged in extracurricular activities. † (http://www. drugpolicy.org/law/drugtesting/students/ 3rd paragraph). So with all of this, 10th Circuit held that the drug testing policy at issue violated students' Fourth Amendment rights but in 2002 the Supreme Court reversed that d ecision and upheld that school’s policy and then the ACLU took notice of this case and along with other similar cases, is challenging these violations of the violated constitutional rights. While the ACLU and circuit courts strike down the policies of schools with regards to their drug testing policies, the Supreme Court and the National Drug Control agency are for it and each side is pushing forward to be heard.Now the landmark of all of this is the fact that the 10th Circuit Court ruled against the Board of Education, the Supreme Court then came along and ruled back in favor of the Board of Education and in the same month the Supreme Court ruled against the Board of Education. A Supreme Court ruling against each other in the same month, unheard of. Justice Ginsburg in a subtle fashion held the school responsible more for their lack of proper concern and reasons in which to hold every child in punishment form for something that only some have done.He claimed this disregard a s if the tutelary responsibility was being taken a lot to far. To this day, this last decision has not been reversed. Any school intervention or other law enforcement intervention upon a student’s rights while at school must closely abide by the Vernonia, Oregon ruling of reasonableness. With these different factions going back and forth over what is quickly becoming an age old argument both sides have valid points but in the end it needs to be realized that drug testing students just because they can has proven to be of little to no use, not to mention a definite violation of legalities.Expert opinions of kids being driven away from sports due to this policy holds high validity. Where a child might be currently using, sports may also be the place that gets the child to stop using. In the end, regardless of testing, children will use and always have access to drugs should this be their decision and no school policy or court opinion will deter that. It hasn’t in hundred s of years and it isn’t about to start now. WORKS CITED BOARD OF ED. OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DIST. NO. 92 OF POTTAWATOMIE CTY. V. EARLS (01-332) 536 U. S.822 (2002) 242 F. 3d 1264, reversed. June 27, 2002 . http://www. law. cornell. edu/supct/html/01-332. ZD1. html NPR. Nina Totenburg. The Supreme Court and ‘Brown v. Board of Ed. Feb 6, 2009 http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=1537409 Drug Testing Students. Drug Policy Alliance Network. 2009. Http://www. drugpolicy. org/law/drugtesting/students/ Reasonline. com. The Supreme Court's ruling on school drug testing will hurt public schools more than the one on vouchers. July 1, 2002. http://www. reason. com/news/show/32704.