Toy Soldiers Essays - Uniforms, Childrens Clothing, Military Uniform

Toy Soldiers Ever since the beginning of time people have been dressing in ways that describe their cultural background, social status, and sometimes even their religion. I do not see why this deep tradition should be changed, throwing children of different backgrounds all into the same unifying clothing. I did not go to a school where I had to wear a uniform, so I do not exactly have a firsthand idea of what it would be like to wear one. I do know though, that I would feel uncomfortable. The way I dress is something that I take pride in and put effort into. That might sound corny, or strange, but I really do not give a damn! I enjoy looking good, everybody does, however not everybody will admit it. As a senior in high school I was voted best dressed, a huge accomplishment if you went to the school that I did. All of my friends, all of the girls that I was interested in, and even most of the teachers dressed with a certain passion, the passion to impress others with their outward appearance. While reading a recent article in the Chicago Tribune by Lauren Waters, I found that Dr. Harold Goldstein held the same opinions on the subject of school uniforms as I do. Dr. Goldstein is the school superintendent of the Bethlehem Trinity Lutheran School System, in Poughkeepsie, NY. Dr. Goldstein was asked to make a speech for the National Reading Council on the topic of school uniforms, in the article he was quoted as saying: "In all of the fifteen years I have been teaching, I have never seen a school that resembles an institution atmosphere as much as the B.T.L.S.S. At first we believed that the school uniform would improve academics and increase order in the classroom, but in reality, we now have an UN-spirited group of children who no longer enjoy attending their own school"(Waters, 121). In this case, the school not only had a decrease in academics, it was turned into an almost drone like atmosphere. I feel that if school uniforms were implemented, this passion and desire to look good would be diminished. I mean, how much control can you possibly have with your appearance, when you are told what to wear. Originality is something that would also be destroyed. There would be no more trend setters, or fashion experimentation. Thus, style would come to a complete halt! Now I know that I am making this all sound very dramatic, but I am trying to make a point here. Also, as I said in the introduction, many people dress in affiliation with their religion or culture. If school uniforms were brought into effect, what would happen to the Jewish kids that had to wear a Yamalka? Could Muslim children wear head wraps, or could Christians even wear crosses? This is another problem that would arise. Christopher Bishop, a writer for Time Magazine, researched the idea of having school uniforms in several Texas public schools. Bishop found the biggest problem was for the children of the Middle East, who were unable to wear their traditional wraps and cultural robes. "...in most cases the children were forced to just up and change schools, and move to different community"(Bishop, 77). Kids would always be trying to squeeze a little more freedom out of the system. Where do you draw the line? What is wrong with kids dressing in all black with fishnet stalking on their arms? In my opinion, nothing, it is just different. Let kids express themselves. Let the Indians wear their full body sheets, and the cowboys wear their oversized belt buckles. The child's clothing is not what's causing the problem; it is their upbringing. The final problem that I see with school uniforms, or atlas the last one I can think of, is money. I do not have the faintest idea how some people can see school uniforms as being cheaper. It is not like the kids are going to wear those ugly things everywhere. What kind of social leper is going to wear blue trousers and penny loafers to play ball on the weekend? Parents are still going to have to fork out money for regular clothes. Also, what happens when an article of the uniform gets ripped, torn, or stained? There goes a bunch more money for replacements. In a recent pole taken in New York of 1,000 parents who had to wear school uniforms in the past and are now faced with dilemma of

Tuning a guitar essays

Tuning a guitar essays Musicians are known to be people of a musical knowledge. Whether it may be playing guitar, drums, or piano, we all know that in order for the instrument to sound good it must be tuned to its right notes. The guitar would be the perfect instrument when it comes to a constant repetition of tuning. In order to be a great musician, there are certain steps that must be taken. If some steps are not followed, the outcome of the sound most likely will not match what you are looking for. A better way for musicians or beginners to follow up on is to make sure that the instrument is clean, strings are in good condition, and tuning device is present to help assist in your process. To avoid damage to your guitar the first thing to keep in mind is its maintenance. Electric guitars are usually easier to keep clean, but for acoustic guitars, different supplies are needed because of its material. Acoustic guitars are made of wood. Depending on the kind of wood, your sound may vary with others. The first step to cleaning your guitar is to buy the cleaning solution. Water and a piece of clothe are usually used by most people but you will always find smudge marks and scratches on the surface. A scratch less cleaning cloth and solution is the basic thing you need. Wipe the front of the guitar first, followed bye the back, and ending with the neck. Since the solution is different from water you will need to rest the guitar for at least an hour before you begin to play. Well condition strings would be the second most important thing for a musician. Depending on a Spanish guitar or a steel string guitar, there is a big difference of the two. With a Spanish guitar, if you were to closely examine them you can see that out of the six they are bigger and have a plastic feel to them. On the other hand, a steel string guitar requires a little more inspection. Steel strings, if not properly taken care of can rust, stretch, or even snap apart. The most popul...

Whats a Good SAT Score for 2018

What's a Good SAT Score for 2018 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Another year, another chance to take the SAT! If you're taking the SAT this year, you might be wondering: just what is a good SAT score for 2018? Is there a particular score I should be aiming for to make sure I get into the colleges I want to go to? To answer the question of what good SAT scores for 2018 are, this article looks at a few different definitions of what makes a good SAT score, and how this has changed over time. We also explain why SAT score goals should be specific to each student and give you step-by-step instructions for choosing your target SAT score. What Is a Good SAT Score for 2018 Overall? On an individual level, a good SAT score is any score that gets you into at least one of the schools you want to go to. To figure out what a good 2018 SAT score is for all students, however, we'll need to take a broader view of SAT score data. The best way to do this is to take a look at the most recent data for the average SAT score and SAT score percentiles and see how your scores and percentiles compare. As a general rule, good SAT scores are ones that place you in the top half of test-takers; the farther above average your score is, the better. Similarly, a not-so-good SAT score is one that lands you in the bottom half of test-takers (and the further below average your score is, the worse). The latest College Board data indicates that the average SAT score for graduating seniors was 1060 (533 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), 527 Math), which means that good SAT scores for 2018 are those above the average SAT score of 1060/1600. To take a closer look at the different levels of performance on the SAT, we've created a chart with SAT percentiles and scores using data from students who took the new SAT and graduated in 2017. Remember that a percentile score tells you what proportion of students performed at or below your level (e.g., a 50th percentile score means 50% of students performed as well as or worse than you). Percentile EBRW Math TOTAL 90th percentile (excellent) 670* 680* 1340* 73rd percentile (good) 600 590 1180 50th percentile (average) 530** 520** 1050** 25th percentile (poor) 460 450 910* 10th percentile (very poor) 400 390 810* Source: SAT Understanding Scores 2017 *Score is one percentile higher than percentile listed (e.g. 91st or 24th percentiles).**Score is one percentile lower than percentile listed (e.g. 49th percentile). (Note that the percentiles of the total scores aren't always equal to the percentiles of the sum of the section scores. This is most likely due to score rounding, since scores are reported in increments of 10; for instance, the real 91st percentile EBRW and Math scores might be 665 and 675 respectively, which sum up to a total 91st percentile score of 1340, but round up to 670 and 680.) One (potentially surprising) number jumps right off the top of the chart- your SAT score doesn't need to break 1500, or even 1400, to put you in the top 10% of students. As the chart above indicates, a score of 1340 is in the 91st percentile! Thus, any score at or above 1340 is extremely impressive. On the lower end, any total score between 400 and 810 (a pretty wide range) puts you in the bottom 10 percent of test takers. If you raise your score to a 910, you'll still be performing worse than 75 percent of test takers. Because of this, it's pretty safe to say that any score at or below 910 is a bad SAT score. As we said earlier in this article, comparing your performance on the SAT to all other students who took the SAT is a fairly general way to look at things. After all, the main reason you want to perform well on the SAT is not just to have bragging rights that you got a high score, but to get into college. Depending on what colleges you apply to, a 91st percentile score could be way more than you need- or it could be lower than the score of the lowest-scoring accepted student. So how do you figure out what a good SAT score is for your specific circumstances? What's a Good 2018 SAT Score for You? In the end, when it comes to figuring out what a good SAT score is, what really matters is finding the score that's good for you. This means calculating what score you'll need to have a good chance of admission to the schools you want to get into. At PrepScholar, we refer to this as your target score. What you choose as your target score should depend entirely on what schools you're applying to. For example, for a student applying to highly competitive schools like Caltech (1560 average SAT score) or Yale (1540 average SAT score), a good SAT score will be at or just below 1600. But for a student applying to schools like UC Merced, a solid target score might be something closer to 1250. Where are these specific numbers coming from? Find out in the next section that will take you through calculating your target SAT score, step by step. Choosing an SAT Score Goal for 2018 Below, we'll walk you through the three vital steps to follow to determine your score goal. You can download a PDF of a blank chart from this ebook, or create one yourself. Here's an example of what your chart might look like: School Name 25th Percentile SAT Score 75th Percentile SAT Score Step 1: Fill In Your Schools The first step is to list the schools you know you want to apply to in the far left column, like this: School Name 25th Percentile SAT Score 75th Percentile SAT Score Wellesley College Wesleyan College Ohio Wesleyan University Wells College Note: This is just an example list. We don't recommend picking schools solely based on the fact that their names sound similar. If you're not sure what schools you'll be applying to yet, you can still list the ones that have been suggested to you by guidance counselors, parents, teachers, and friends. To arrive at the most accurate target score, though, it's better to take the time to research schools and figure out which ones you're interested in, then add them to your list. Think about what schools you plan to apply to, then write the names down in your target score chart. Victor van Werkhooven/Flickr. Step 2: Find SAT Score Information for Your Schools The next step is to find out the 25th and 75th percentile out-of-1600 SAT scores for your schools. (If you want to figure out what scores you should aim for in Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing as well, go to this link to download the charts.) A quick way to do this is to look for your schools in our PrepScholar college database. Start by searching for "[School Name] prepscholar sat or "[School Name] prepscholar". You can then go to either the admissions requirements page or the SAT and GPA page- both have SAT score information. Scan the page for the school's new SAT score information; specifically, you're looking for the 25th and 75th percentile scores. This information is important because it will tell you the SAT scores of the middle 50 percent of admitted applicants for that specific school. If you can't find your school in our database, you can search each school's website for their most recent admissions information (usually in their Common Data Set or Incoming Class Profile pages). However, because no two college websites are organized the same way, this is a long and arduous task, particularly if you're looking at 10+ schools (which is why we recommend using the PrepScholar database first). You'll also need to make sure the scores on the school pages are for the new SAT and not the out-of-2400 SAT; if they are for the old SAT, you can convert them to the new SAT scale using these conversion charts. Here's our sample target score chart again, now with SAT score information filled out for each school: School Name 25th Percentile SAT Score 75th Percentile SAT Score Wellesley College 1370 1530 Wesleyan College 1340 1520 Ohio Wesleyan University 1090 1320 Wells College 1020 1240 Step 3: Calculate Your Target SAT Score Finally, it's time to calculate your target score. For your best shot at getting into your schools, you'll want this score to be the highest 75th percentile score in your chart (since that will mean you're scoring as well as or better than at least 75% of all admitted students in all the other schools as well). In our sample chart, this score is an extremely high 1530- a 99+ percentile score! If this target score is so high as to seem completely unobtainable and hopeless, you can aim for a slightly lower score. Ideally, this score will be the second-highest 75th percentile score (in our sample chart, a 1520- not much different), or in between the second-highest and highest 75th percentile scores. You can also always go with the median of the 75th percentile score column in your chart (in our sample chart, (1520+1320)/2=1420), although this may pull down your chances of getting into the schools with higher 75th percentile scores. Alternatively, you can start out by aiming for this lower score, then upping your goals once you attain it. Once you have your target total SAT score, you can also calculate your rough target section scores by dividing your total target score by two and rounding up. In our example of a 1530 target total score, this gives us target section scores of 770 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math. (If you do want to calculate exact target scores for each section, follow the instructions in this article.) Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! Are Good SAT Scores in 2018 Different From Past Years' Good SAT Scores? We've now gone through three different criteria that can be used to determine what a good SAT score is: a score higher than the average SAT score, a score higher than 90% of students' scores, or a score higher than scores of 75% of students admitted to the schools you're applying to. But you might still have the lingering question: are good SAT scores in 2018 different from what good SAT scores were in past years? The short answer to this question: no, there's not really a difference between good SAT scores in 2018 vs. good SAT scores in past years. The longer answer involves getting back down into the details of SAT score data. Because 2017 was the first year the College Board released information about performance on the new out-of-1600 SAT, any comparison of those scores with past years' SAT scores requires score conversion. In the table below, I've converted the 2017 SAT score averages to the old SAT format for ease of comparison. Average SAT Scores 2006-2017 Year Total Critical Reading Writing Math 2006 1518 503 497 518 2007 1508 501 493 514 2008 1507 500 493 514 2009 1505 499 492 514 2010 1506 500 491 515 2011 1500 497 489 514 2012 1498 496 488 514 2013 1498 496 488 514 2014 1497 497 487 513 2015 1490 495 484 511 2016 1484 494 482 508 2017* 1450* 500* 450* 500* Table data taken from College Board's Total Group Reports 2016 and 2017.*Data converted from new 1600 SAT format to old SAT format. At first glance, it might seem like there's been a slight decline in average SAT scores over the last ten years, with a huge drop this past year for Writing in particular. If you go by averages alone, then it's easy to conclude that a good SAT score is lower for 2018 than it was in the past. However, there are a couple of important factors that you need to take into account when looking at this data. Converting between the old and new SAT is tricky because of how different the tests are, and Writing scores are particularly difficult to compare between the old and new SAT because old SAT Writing scores took your essay score into account, while new SAT Writing scores don't. It's possible that the 30-point Writing score drop in 2017 because the College Board didn't get the conversion quite right when removing the essay. Furthermore, averages are just one way of tracking changing scores. Another isthe distribution of SAT scores. Let's look at how the range of scores changed from 2011- 2016. (I've left out scores on the new SAT scale for clarity's sake.) SAT Score Percentiles 2011-2016 Year # tested 90th %ile 75th %ile 50th %ile 25th %ile 10th %ile 2011 1,647,123 1930-1940 1720 1490 1280 1110 2012 1,664,479 1930-1940 1720 1490 1280 1100 2013 1,660,047 1930-1940 1720 1490 1280 1100 2014 1,672,395 1930-1940 1720 1490 1270 1090-1100 2015 1,698,521 1930-1940 1720 1480 1260 1080-1090 2016 1,637,589 1930-1940* 1710-1720* 1470-1480* 1260-1270* 1090-1100* *2016 percentiles are approximate and based on PrepScholar's calculations, as the College Board did not release percentile data that year. Number of test takers for that year is from the College Board. As with averages, some of the percentile scores (mostly the 10th-50th percentile scores) have gone down a little bit over time. Over the years, as more students took the SAT each year, fewer test takers were reaching certain scores each year, which lowered the percentile scores. The changes in percentile scores, however, are fairly slight: of the percentile scores that decreased, almost all dropped by only 10 or 20 points, which is not enough of a change to indicate a significant trend. Interestingly, some of the percentile scores didn't change at all over the same period of time. From 2011 to 2016, the 90th percentile scores remained exactly the same, and the 75th percentile score nearly so, meaning that the same percentage of test takers were scoring at or near these scores each year. The overall consistency in SAT score percentiles, coupled with the fact that students may take the SAT over multiple calendar years (e.g., fall and spring junior year) suggests that what's a good SAT score hasn't changed much in the last few years. In Conclusion: What Are Good SAT Scores for 2018? There are multiple ways to define what is a good SAT score for 2018. The broadest comparison means looking at your SAT score and comparing it to the average SAT score (1060). If you scored at or above the average SAT score, you did well; if you scored below this score, you did not. A slightly more nuanced view takes into account different score percentiles and lets you compare your score against categories like the top 10% and the bottom 10% of students (1340 and 910 total SAT scores, respectively). If your score is equal to or above 1340, then congratulations- you're part of the top 10% of students who took the SAT! If your score is at or below 910, then you're in the bottom 10% of all students who took the SAT, and will probably need some dedicated studying to bring your SAT score up to your target score. While averages and percentiles give you an objective way to compare your score to the scores of other students, however, the most helpful way to think about it is to compare your score to the scores of students admitted to colleges you want to attend. To do this, you'll need to pick a target score, and then shape your SAT studying around meeting that goal. Ultimately, a good SAT score is one that gets you into the colleges you want to go to. If you follow our guidelines for choosing a score goal and work hard to attain it, you'll guarantee yourself a strong chance of being admitted to the schools you want to get into. Hitting your target SAT score takes you one more step up the ladder to reach your college admission goals. What's Next? Figuring out your target score is just the first step of planning out your test prep schedule. To find out what other steps you need to take, follow our guide to building your very own SAT study plan. If you haven't scheduled your SAT yet, you'll want to get on that (or at least get an idea of when the test is offered this year). Use our guide to choosing an SAT test date to see what your options are. Not quite hitting your target score yet? We have two sets of strategies, tailored to students at different skill levels. If you're regularly getting a 600+ on Math and EBRW but aren't quite hitting the score you need, be sure to read our articles on how to get a perfect SAT score and perfect Math, Reading, and Writing scores. If you're aiming for a 1200 total SAT score but aren't there yet, then our articles on how to improve low Math, Reading, and Writing SAT scores will be a better fit. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Geology formation in the oil fields Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Geology formation in the oil fields - Essay Example Crude oil is a product of pressure, organic matter from ancient living creatures and certain formation of the rocks in the strata. The porous and permeable rock reservoirs are the collection point of the hydrocarbon fuels. This is possible due the accumulation of these liquid oil and gases such as methane and shale gas. There are however some important factors that ensure the conditions are right for the formation of the crude oil. These factors include the existence of what are referred to as source rocks, reservoir rocks, traps and oil and gas seals. Each of the named features should definitely be present in order for the conditions to be optimal and to allow the proper formation of crude oil. Oil and naturally occurring gas come from certain types of rocks. These rocks are sedimentary in type and were deposited in water during the changing phases of the transformation of the Earth. These rocks are known as source rocks. Mineral fragments, remains of organic substrates, and moistur e. When this type of rocks experience a lot of pressure and heat from the compressing by other layers of rock. The term sedimentary comes from the characteristic of the rock to be formed from sediments, these include organic matter. The sedimentary rocks were usually deposited as soil or mud at the bottom of lakes and oceans. This excessive pressure forces the organic matter from the sedimentary rocks to start to be heated and when the right temperatures reach oil and gases are expelled from these rocks.

Public Administration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Administration - Research Paper Example The Hamiltonian School of thought holds that power rests with the executive. A perfect public administration according to Hamilton was one that was developed under a dynamic centralized executive control system. He frequently opposed state power in favor of centralized federal power (Milakovich and Gordon 441). The Jeffersonian Tradition of Public Administration was mainly developed during Thomas Jefferson’s latter years. This tradition dwells on the effects of political processes on government administration as well as the importance of connecting contemporary public policy with republican principles that are found in the constitution. Jefferson once stated that he knew of â€Å"no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves†¦every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone† (Farmer 76). To Jefferson, power resides in the people being governed and not to those doing the governing. The Madisonian school of thought holds that the best public administration practices are to be achieved through the separation of powers between national government and the state. To Madison power should be shared between the central and federal governments. The Madisonian Tradition of Public Administration focuses on the need of proper representation under a constitutional institution is the basis that should be used to share power (Warwick and Reed 156). Woodrow Wilson referred Public Administration to as a â€Å"government in action†. He also added that public administration was the executive, the operative and â€Å"the most visible side of government†. The Wilsonian Public Administration tradition emphasizes that public administration should function separately from the interests of the leaders. This school of thought says that power should be left in the hands of an active central government (Farmer 27). Public administration has greatly evolved over the years. The first

Discuss the Roles of Language and Reason in History Essay Example for Free

Discuss the Roles of Language and Reason in History Essay History as the area of knowledge is virtually indivisible from language and reasoning. Language is one of the most potent means of interpreting and reporting historical information that is derived from the sources pertinent to the events and occurrences. The sources themselves, in their turn, are frequently presented by the written documents, recorded anecdotal experiences, and works of art, archeology, anthropology and photography which, yet again, are interpreted through the language in conjunction with the context of a historical event. It appears to be an endless loop, where language is the alpha and omega, the main vehicle of conveying history. However, to arrive to the valid interpretation of a certain historical event or development, historians frequently use reasoning to connect the factual data of the tangible sources since the latter ones often come in the form of fragments, related to a particular aspect of the happening. Ideally, reasoning, applied to the interpretation of historical data, should be impersonal, unaffected by predominant views and opinions and completely untainted by political agenda. Yet, it is hard to imagine that throughout the centuries those who held power would willingly allow the contemporary historians relate to the masses the adequate information on the details of their governing techniques and actions. As Winston Churchill pointed out, â€Å"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.† Therefore, it is up to an individual to interpret the language, deduce information through applying reasoning, incorporate other areas of knowledge such as science, sociology, psychology and arrive to conclusions in attempts to comprehend historical developments in question. It is important to point out that we frequently perceive historical events as they are presented by those who hold some form of authority: the individuals whom we refer to as experts or the mass media and research bodies who are entrusted with the responsibility to convey information to masses. And here comes the essential aspect: the validity of the statements and projections made by the mentioned authorities. In other words, in search for the truthful perspective of a historical event one needs to remember about the language that is used for such interpretations, the language of power. Truth in history is a dubious concept since any event which involves certain outcomes would be interpreted by a number of experts. The outcomes of the events be it revolutions, wars, or reigns of monarchs and are usually appear in form of facts: toppling of governments, changes in ideologies and laws that societies are to adhere to, development or stagnation of the economy in a given country. These are the facts that are presented in the form of explanations, commentaries, and justifications. And here the language of power might play the crucial role in the way this information is to be perceived. To distinguish the motives behind the language that is used for presenting the event, one needs to look for other sources that interpret the same development, but from a different angle. For instance, the attack on the World Trade Center, New York City, in 2001 is vastly believed to be executed by the group of terrorists known as Al-Qaeda, and hence perceived as â€Å"the terrorist attack†. The mass media of the entire world presented the fact that over 2,700 people perished during the atrocious bombing which involved the hijacked airplanes driven into both towers which collapsed within a short period of time. However, the independent sources point at the undeniable facts that the World Trade Center towers were â€Å"designed to take the impact of the Boeing 707 hitting the building at any location† (Les Robertson, WTC Structural Engineer) and â€Å"could sustain multiple impacts of jetliners† (Frank A. Demartini, Manager of WTC Construction) and still survive (Aaron Swirsky, WTC Architect)1. Other sources, such as a scientific research conducted by Dr Steven Johns, Professor of Physics, BYU, state that the way the buildings collapsed precisely follows the scenario of a controlled demolition. Here, historical event calls for the help of reasoning, which can raise further questions to authorities that put the entire responsibility on the Al-Qaeda. The more scientific and factual evidence emerges from the research, the more controversial this event seems to be. But it is for an individual to arrive to a conclusion provided he or she is concerned with the issue. However, the prevailing opinion that was projected into the minds of the public by mass media remains adamant: the terrorist group dealt a tremendous blow to the democracy of the United States and must pay for it. Hence, there is a fully justifiable war with Iraq, the country which has a doubtful connection with Al-Qaeda, apart from the fact that it is run by a dictator and constitutes a predominantly Muslim society. But the non-Muslim world has already been contaminated by the fear of Muslims who seem to be nearly synonymous with â€Å"terrorists†. â€Å"Thus, [†¦] crowds have come,[†¦] to acquire a profound antipathy for the images evoked by certain words†2 and fully accepted the justification for the war in Iraq. Reasoning is an indispensable tool for those who wish to form a personal opinion on historical events which are presented through language. Yet this process entails searching for the information from the alternative sources. Language is used as a powerful vehicle in creating certain views among various groups of societies, and such language is frequently applied by those who are concerned with power. History is abound with examples in which governing bodies used language to impose ideology and ensure that the masses are entirely convinced in the righteousness of such propaganda: the Soviet Union, China and socialism, Germany and Nazism, the United States and democracy. However, upon a simple application of reasoning, a series of questions arise: how a nation that was claimed to be fed by pure ideology could exist for more than 75 years and build one of the most successful, self-sustaining industries and sciences that are still recognized, though grudgingly, throughout the entire capi talistic world? How could a nation develop such a potent economy that is still burgeoning while the other one is desperately trying to recover from the economic meltdown that has affected nearly the entire world? What could make a nation believe a mentally ill person3 and empower it to conquer the entire Europe? It is indubitable that the language of power and the power of language were effectively used by the leaders of those nations. However, it is reasoning that can help an independent researcher or a concerned individual in the quest of constructing a clear picture on what forces were involved in such profound changes on such vast scales. Of course, it is naà ¯ve to presume that reasoning alone might provide clarifications to the historical events under scrutiny. Reasoning in history is a second step in interpreting historical developments after pertinent to them materials were selected and carefully studied. These materials would include evidence from various fields and areas of knowledge, and the greater the scope of those areas, the more comprehensible and significant the features of events would emerge before the eyes of the researcher. Language might play the roles of obscuring the conditions and implications of historical events; yet the same language might be used in explaining the factors that led to the consequences produced by those events. However, it is the effort in applying reasoning and logic that would eventually create an unobstructed perspective on the historical developments and occurrences in question. References and works cited: 1. Joseph, Peter. 2007. Zeitgeist. Online. Accessed: Dec 21, 2010. www.zeitgeistmovie.com. 2. Le Bon, Gustave. 1841-1931. The Crowd: A study of the Popular Mind. 1841-1931. Translation: Psychologie des foules. Cherokee Publishing Company. Atlanta, Georgia. 1982. Pg. 100 3. The International Campaign for Real History. Hitler’s Last Illness. Online. Accessed: Dec 23, 2010. www.fpp.co.uk/Hitler/docs/Parkinsonism/VancouverSun170599.html

Free To Kill a Mockingbird Essays - The Families of Maycomb :: Kill Mockingbird essays

The Families of Maycomb    In the novel there are two families in the town of Maycomb that are very different. The Cunningham's and the Ewells have contrasting and opposite reputations. The Cunningham's are very respected in the town while the Ewells very much despised by the community. The Cunningham's show the respectability of hard worker or, where as Ewells are considered lazy. Miss Maudie is another character in the town who lives next to the Finch family. She is similar to the Cunningham's because she is a trusted figure who faces hard times very bravely and works hard in her garden.    The Cunningham's have pride, and are very respected by the citizen's of Maycomb County. The Cunningham's are given special privileges because there trusted. For example the Cunningham's paid Atticus Finch, a lawyer, for some legal work that Atticus did with their farm. They paid him not with money, but with food, and other services. The population of Maycomb County accepted this form of payment because they knew that the family had no money but was very honest, and extremely hard working. The Cunningham's would never take anything that they couldn't payback equally or with greater something of value. They were always considerate and would help you, and never consider about what was in it for them. The Cunningham's renewed their resources by doing this, people were glad to help them.    The Ewells were very different from the Cunningham's. Bob Ewell was a total drunk. He took what money he earned or stole and he drank it away. Mr. Ewell very rarely or if ever bought or cooked for his family a hot and total nutritious meal in his life. The Ewells used up the resources of the community. They scrounged around taking, and taking from others. People were disgusted when they helped the Ewells. The Ewells were liars, and were too ashamed to stop the slandering of Tom Robinson before it came uncontrollable, costing Tom his life.    Miss Maudie is a neighbor to the Finch Family. She shows more qualities of the Cunningham's and was a role model. Maudie respects others and minds her own business. She worked in her yard during the daytime and spent her evening on her front porch.

Angels Demons Chapter 58-61

58 â€Å"Seven-forty-six and thirty†¦ mark.† Even speaking into his walkie-talkie, Olivetti's voice never seemed to rise above a whisper. Langdon felt himself sweating now in his Harris tweed in the backseat of the Alpha Romeo, which was idling in Piazza de la Concorde, three blocks from the Pantheon. Vittoria sat beside him, looking engrossed by Olivetti, who was transmitting his final orders. â€Å"Deployment will be an eight-point hem,† the commander said. â€Å"Full perimeter with a bias on the entry. Target may know you visually, so you will be pas-visible. Nonmortal force only. We'll need someone to spot the roof. Target is primary. Asset secondary.† Jesus, Langdon thought, chilled by the efficiency with which Olivetti had just told his men the cardinal was expendable. Asset secondary. â€Å"I repeat. Nonmortal procurement. We need the target alive. Go.† Olivetti snapped off his walkie-talkie. Vittoria looked stunned, almost angry. â€Å"Commander, isn't anyone going inside?† Olivetti turned. â€Å"Inside?† â€Å"Inside the Pantheon! Where this is supposed to happen?† â€Å"Attento,† Olivetti said, his eyes fossilizing. â€Å"If my ranks have been infiltrated, my men may be known by sight. Your colleague has just finished warning me that this will be our sole chance to catch the target. I have no intention of scaring anyone off by marching my men inside.† â€Å"But what if the killer is already inside?† Olivetti checked his watch. â€Å"The target was specific. Eight o'clock. We have fifteen minutes.† â€Å"He said he would kill the cardinal at eight o'clock. But he may already have gotten the victim inside somehow. What if your men see the target come out but don't know who he is? Someone needs to make sure the inside is clean.† â€Å"Too risky at this point.† â€Å"Not if the person going in was unrecognizable.† â€Å"Disguising operatives is time consuming and – â€Å" â€Å"I meant me,† Vittoria said. Langdon turned and stared at her. Olivetti shook his head. â€Å"Absolutely not.† â€Å"He killed my father.† â€Å"Exactly, so he may know who you are.† â€Å"You heard him on the phone. He had no idea Leonardo Vetra even had a daughter. He sure as hell doesn't know what I look like. I could walk in like a tourist. If I see anything suspicious, I could walk into the square and signal your men to move in.† â€Å"I'm sorry, I cannot allow that.† â€Å"Comandante?† Olivetti's receiver crackled. â€Å"We've got a situation from the north point. The fountain is blocking our line of sight. We can't see the entrance unless we move into plain view on the piazza. What's your call? Do you want us blind or vulnerable?† Vittoria apparently had endured enough. â€Å"That's it. I'm going.† She opened her door and got out. Olivetti dropped his walkie-talkie and jumped out of the car, circling in front of Vittoria. Langdon got out too. What the hell is she doing! Olivetti blocked Vittoria's way. â€Å"Ms. Vetra, your instincts are good, but I cannot let a civilian interfere.† â€Å"Interfere? You're flying blind. Let me help.† â€Å"I would love to have a recon point inside, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But what?† Vittoria demanded. â€Å"But I'm a woman?† Olivetti said nothing. â€Å"That had better not be what you were going to say, Commander, because you know damn well this is a good idea, and if you let some archaic macho bullshit – â€Å" â€Å"Let us do our job.† â€Å"Let me help.† â€Å"Too dangerous. We would have no lines of communication with you. I can't let you carry a walkie-talkie, it would give you away.† Vittoria reached in her shirt pocket and produced her cell phone. â€Å"Plenty of tourists carry phones.† Olivetti frowned. Vittoria unsnapped the phone and mimicked a call. â€Å"Hi, honey, I'm standing in the Pantheon. You should see this place!† She snapped the phone shut and glared at Olivetti. â€Å"Who the hell is going to know? It is a no-risk situation. Let me be your eyes!† She motioned to the cell phone on Olivetti's belt. â€Å"What's your number?† Olivetti did not reply. The driver had been looking on and seemed to have some thoughts of his own. He got out of the car and took the commander aside. They spoke in hushed tones for ten seconds. Finally Olivetti nodded and returned. â€Å"Program this number.† He began dictating digits. Vittoria programmed her phone. â€Å"Now call the number.† Vittoria pressed the auto dial. The phone on Olivetti's belt began ringing. He picked it up and spoke into the receiver. â€Å"Go into the building, Ms. Vetra, look around, exit the building, then call and tell me what you see.† Vittoria snapped the phone shut. â€Å"Thank you, sir.† Langdon felt a sudden, unexpected surge of protective instinct. â€Å"Wait a minute,† he said to Olivetti. â€Å"You're sending her in there alone.† Vittoria scowled at him. â€Å"Robert, I'll be fine.† The Swiss Guard driver was talking to Olivetti again. â€Å"It's dangerous,† Langdon said to Vittoria. â€Å"He's right,† Olivetti said. â€Å"Even my best men don't work alone. My lieutenant has just pointed out that the masquerade will be more convincing with both of you anyway.† Both of us? Langdon hesitated. Actually, what I meant – â€Å"Both of you entering together,† Olivetti said, â€Å"will look like a couple on holiday. You can also back each other up. I'm more comfortable with that.† Vittoria shrugged. â€Å"Fine, but we'll need to go fast.† Langdon groaned. Nice move, cowboy. Olivetti pointed down the street. â€Å"First street you hit will be Via degli Orfani. Go left. It takes you directly to the Pantheon. Two-minute walk, tops. I'll be here, directing my men and waiting for your call. I'd like you to have protection.† He pulled out his pistol. â€Å"Do either of you know how to use a gun?† Langdon's heart skipped. We don't need a gun! Vittoria held her hand out. â€Å"I can tag a breaching porpoise from forty meters off the bow of a rocking ship.† â€Å"Good.† Olivetti handed the gun to her. â€Å"You'll have to conceal it.† Vittoria glanced down at her shorts. Then she looked at Langdon. Oh no you don't! Langdon thought, but Vittoria was too fast. She opened his jacket, and inserted the weapon into one of his breast pockets. It felt like a rock dropping into his coat, his only consolation being that Diagramma was in the other pocket. â€Å"We look harmless,† Vittoria said. â€Å"We're leaving.† She took Langdon's arm and headed down the street. The driver called out, â€Å"Arm in arm is good. Remember, you're tourists. Newlyweds even. Perhaps if you held hands?† As they turned the corner Langdon could have sworn he saw on Vittoria's face the hint of a smile. 59 The Swiss Guard â€Å"staging room† is located adjacent to the Corpo di Vigilanza barracks and is used primarily for planning the security surrounding papal appearances and public Vatican events. Today, however, it was being used for something else. The man addressing the assembled task force was the second-in-command of the Swiss Guard, Captain Elias Rocher. Rocher was a barrel-chested man with soft, puttylike features. He wore the traditional blue captain's uniform with his own personal flair – a red beret cocked sideways on his head. His voice was surprisingly crystalline for such a large man, and when he spoke, his tone had the clarity of a musical instrument. Despite the precision of his inflection, Rocher's eyes were cloudy like those of some nocturnal mammal. His men called him â€Å"orso† – grizzly bear. They sometimes joked that Rocher was â€Å"the bear who walked in the viper's shadow.† Commander Olivetti was the viper. Rocher was just as deadly as the viper, but at least you could see him coming. Rocher's men stood at sharp attention, nobody moving a muscle, although the information they had just received had increased their aggregate blood pressure by a few thousand points. Rookie Lieutenant Chartrand stood in the back of the room wishing he had been among the 99 percent of applicants who had not qualified to be here. At twenty years old, Chartrand was the youngest guard on the force. He had been in Vatican City only three months. Like every man there, Chartrand was Swiss Army trained and had endured two years of additional ausbilding in Bern before qualifying for the grueling Vatican prva held in a secret barracks outside of Rome. Nothing in his training, however, had prepared him for a crisis like this. At first Chartrand thought the briefing was some sort of bizarre training exercise. Futuristic weapons? Ancient cults? Kidnapped cardinals? Then Rocher had shown them the live video feed of the weapon in question. Apparently this was no exercise. â€Å"We will be killing power in selected areas,† Rocher was saying, â€Å"to eradicate extraneous magnetic interference. We will move in teams of four. We will wear infrared goggles for vision. Reconnaissance will be done with traditional bug sweepers, recalibrated for sub-three-ohm flux fields. Any questions?† None. Chartrand's mind was on overload. â€Å"What if we don't find it in time?† he asked, immediately wishing he had not. The grizzly bear gazed out at him from beneath his red beret. Then he dismissed the group with a somber salute. â€Å"Godspeed, men.† 60 Two blocks from the Pantheon, Langdon and Vittoria approached on foot past a line of taxis, their drivers sleeping in the front seats. Nap time was eternal in the Eternal City – the ubiquitous public dozing a perfected extension of the afternoon siestas born of ancient Spain. Langdon fought to focus his thoughts, but the situation was too bizarre to grasp rationally. Six hours ago he had been sound asleep in Cambridge. Now he was in Europe, caught up in a surreal battle of ancient titans, packing a semiautomatic in his Harris tweed, and holding hands with a woman he had only just met. He looked at Vittoria. She was focused straight ahead. There was a strength in her grasp – that of an independent and determined woman. Her fingers wrapped around his with the comfort of innate acceptance. No hesitation. Langdon felt a growing attraction. Get real, he told himself. Vittoria seemed to sense his uneasiness. â€Å"Relax,† she said, without turning her head. â€Å"We're supposed to look like newlyweds.† â€Å"I'm relaxed.† â€Å"You're crushing my hand.† Langdon flushed and loosened up. â€Å"Breathe through your eyes,† she said. â€Å"I'm sorry?† â€Å"It relaxes the muscles. It's called pranayama.† â€Å"Piranha?† â€Å"Not the fish. Pranayama. Never mind.† As they rounded the corner into Piazza della Rotunda, the Pantheon rose before them. Langdon admired it, as always, with awe. The Pantheon. Temple to all gods. Pagan gods. Gods of Nature and Earth. The structure seemed boxier from the outside than he remembered. The vertical pillars and triangular pronaus all but obscured the circular dome behind it. Still, the bold and immodest inscription over the entrance assured him they were in the right spot. M AGRIPPA L F COS TERTIUM FECIT. Langdon translated it, as always, with amusement. Marcus Agrippa, Consul for the third time, built this. So much for humility, he thought, turning his eyes to the surrounding area. A scattering of tourists with video cameras wandered the area. Others sat enjoying Rome's best iced coffee at La Tazza di Oro's outdoor cafe. Outside the entrance to the Pantheon, four armed Roman policemen stood at attention just as Olivetti had predicted. â€Å"Looks pretty quiet,† Vittoria said. Langdon nodded, but he felt troubled. Now that he was standing here in person, the whole scenario seemed surreal. Despite Vittoria's apparent faith that he was right, Langdon realized he had put everyone on the line here. The Illuminati poem lingered. From Santi's earthly tomb with demon's hole. YES, he told himself. This was the spot. Santi's tomb. He had been here many times beneath the Pantheon's oculus and stood before the grave of the great Raphael. â€Å"What time is it?† Vittoria asked. Langdon checked his watch. â€Å"Seven-fifty. Ten minutes till show time.† â€Å"Hope these guys are good,† Vittoria said, eyeing the scattered tourists entering the Pantheon. â€Å"If anything happens inside that dome, we'll all be in the crossfire.† Langdon exhaled heavily as they moved toward the entrance. The gun felt heavy in his pocket. He wondered what would happen if the policemen frisked him and found the weapon, but the officers did not give them a second look. Apparently the disguise was convincing. Langdon whispered to Vittoria. â€Å"Ever fire anything other than a tranquilizer gun?† â€Å"Don't you trust me?† â€Å"Trust you? I barely know you.† Vittoria frowned. â€Å"And here I thought we were newlyweds.† 61 The air inside the Pantheon was cool and damp, heavy with history. The sprawling ceiling hovered overhead as though weightless – the 141-foot unsupported span larger even than the cupola at St. Peter's. As always, Langdon felt a chill as he entered the cavernous room. It was a remarkable fusion of engineering and art. Above them the famous circular hole in the roof glowed with a narrow shaft of evening sun. The oculus, Langdon thought. The demon's hole. They had arrived. Langdon's eyes traced the arch of the ceiling sloping outward to the columned walls and finally down to the polished marble floor beneath their feet. The faint echo of footfalls and tourist murmurs reverberated around the dome. Langdon scanned the dozen or so tourists wandering aimlessly in the shadows. Are you here? â€Å"Looks pretty quiet,† Vittoria said, still holding his hand. Langdon nodded. â€Å"Where's Raphael's tomb?† Langdon thought for a moment, trying to get his bearings. He surveyed the circumference of the room. Tombs. Altars. Pillars. Niches. He motioned to a particularly ornate funerary across the dome and to the left. â€Å"I think that's Raphael's over there.† Vittoria scanned the rest of the room. â€Å"I don't see anyone who looks like an assassin about to kill a cardinal. Shall we look around?† Langdon nodded. â€Å"There's only one spot in here where anyone could be hiding. We better check the rientranze.† â€Å"The recesses?† â€Å"Yes.† Langdon pointed. â€Å"The recesses in the wall.† Around the perimeter, interspersed with the tombs, a series of semicircular niches were hewn in the wall. The niches, although not enormous, were big enough to hide someone in the shadows. Sadly, Langdon knew they once contained statues of the Olympian gods, but the pagan sculptures had been destroyed when the Vatican converted the Pantheon to a Christian church. He felt a pang of frustration to know he was standing at the first altar of science, and the marker was gone. He wondered which statue it had been, and where it had pointed. Langdon could imagine no greater thrill than finding an Illuminati marker – a statue that surreptitiously pointed the way down the Path of Illumination. Again he wondered who the anonymous Illuminati sculptor had been. â€Å"I'll take the left arc,† Vittoria said, indicating the left half of the circumference. â€Å"You go right. See you in a hundred and eighty degrees.† Langdon smiled grimly. As Vittoria moved off, Langdon felt the eerie horror of the situation seeping back into his mind. As he turned and made his way to the right, the killer's voice seemed to whisper in the dead space around him. Eight o'clock. Virgin sacrifices on the altars of science. A mathematical progression of death. Eight, nine, ten, eleven†¦ and at midnight. Langdon checked his watch: 7:52. Eight minutes. As Langdon moved toward the first recess, he passed the tomb of one of Italy's Catholic kings. The sarcophagus, like many in Rome, was askew with the wall, positioned awkwardly. A group of visitors seemed confused by this. Langdon did not stop to explain. Formal Christian tombs were often misaligned with the architecture so they could lie facing east. It was an ancient superstition that Langdon's Symbology 212 class had discussed just last month. â€Å"That's totally incongruous!† a female student in the front had blurted when Langdon explained the reason for east-facing tombs. â€Å"Why would Christians want their tombs to face the rising sun? We're talking about Christianity†¦ not sun worship!† Langdon smiled, pacing before the blackboard, chewing an apple. â€Å"Mr. Hitzrot!† he shouted. A young man dozing in back sat up with a start. â€Å"What! Me?† Langdon pointed to a Renaissance art poster on the wall. â€Å"Who is that man kneeling before God?† â€Å"Um†¦ some saint?† â€Å"Brilliant. And how do you know he's a saint?† â€Å"He's got a halo?† â€Å"Excellent, and does that golden halo remind you of anything?† Hitzrot broke into a smile. â€Å"Yeah! Those Egyptian things we studied last term. Those†¦ um†¦ sun disks!† â€Å"Thank you, Hitzrot. Go back to sleep.† Langdon turned back to the class. â€Å"Halos, like much of Christian symbology, were borrowed from the ancient Egyptian religion of sun worship. Christianity is filled with examples of sun worship.† â€Å"Excuse me?† the girl in front said. â€Å"I go to church all the time, and I don't see much sun worshiping going on!† â€Å"Really? What do you celebrate on December twenty-fifth?† â€Å"Christmas. The birth of Jesus Christ.† â€Å"And yet according to the Bible, Christ was born in March, so what are we doing celebrating in late December?† Silence. Langdon smiled. â€Å"December twenty-fifth, my friends, is the ancient pagan holiday of sol invictus – Unconquered Sun – coinciding with the winter solstice. It's that wonderful time of year when the sun returns, and the days start getting longer.† Langdon took another bite of apple. â€Å"Conquering religions,† he continued, â€Å"often adopt existing holidays to make conversion less shocking. It's called transmutation. It helps people acclimatize to the new faith. Worshipers keep the same holy dates, pray in the same sacred locations, use a similar symbology†¦ and they simply substitute a different god.† Now the girl in front looked furious. â€Å"You're implying Christianity is just some kind of†¦ repackaged sun worship!† â€Å"Not at all. Christianity did not borrow only from sun worship. The ritual of Christian canonization is taken from the ancient ‘god-making' rite of Euhemerus. The practice of ‘god-eating' – that is, Holy Communion – was borrowed from the Aztecs. Even the concept of Christ dying for our sins is arguably not exclusively Christian; the self-sacrifice of a young man to absolve the sins of his people appears in the earliest tradition of the Quetzalcoatl.† The girl glared. â€Å"So, is anything in Christianity original?† â€Å"Very little in any organized faith is truly original. Religions are not born from scratch. They grow from one another. Modern religion is a collage†¦ an assimilated historical record of man's quest to understand the divine.† â€Å"Um†¦ hold on,† Hitzrot ventured, sounding awake now. â€Å"I know something Christian that's original. How about our image of God? Christian art never portrays God as the hawk sun god, or as an Aztec, or as anything weird. It always shows God as an old man with a white beard. So our image of God is original, right?† Langdon smiled. â€Å"When the early Christian converts abandoned their former deities – pagan gods, Roman gods, Greek, sun, Mithraic, whatever – they asked the church what their new Christian God looked like. Wisely, the church chose the most feared, powerful†¦ and familiar face in all of recorded history.† Hitzrot looked skeptical. â€Å"An old man with a white, flowing beard?† Langdon pointed to a hierarchy of ancient gods on the wall. At the top sat an old man with a white, flowing beard. â€Å"Does Zeus look familiar?† The class ended right on cue. â€Å"Good evening,† a man's voice said. Langdon jumped. He was back in the Pantheon. He turned to face an elderly man in a blue cape with a red cross on the chest. The man gave him a gray-toothed smile. â€Å"You're English, right?† The man's accent was thick Tuscan. Langdon blinked, confused. â€Å"Actually, no. I'm American.† The man looked embarrassed. â€Å"Oh heavens, forgive me. You were so nicely dressed, I just figured†¦ my apologies.† â€Å"Can I help you?† Langdon asked, his heart beating wildly. â€Å"Actually I thought perhaps I could help you. I am the cicerone here.† The man pointed proudly to his city-issued badge. â€Å"It is my job to make your visit to Rome more interesting.† More interesting? Langdon was certain this particular visit to Rome was plenty interesting. â€Å"You look like a man of distinction,† the guide fawned, â€Å"no doubt more interested in culture than most. Perhaps I can give you some history on this fascinating building.† Langdon smiled politely. â€Å"Kind of you, but I'm actually an art historian myself, and – â€Å" â€Å"Superb!† The man's eyes lit up like he'd hit the jackpot. â€Å"Then you will no doubt find this delightful!† â€Å"I think I'd prefer to – â€Å" â€Å"The Pantheon,† the man declared, launching into his memorized spiel, â€Å"was built by Marcus Agrippa in 27 B.C.† â€Å"Yes,† Langdon interjected, â€Å"and rebuilt by Hadrian in 119 A.D.† â€Å"It was the world's largest free-standing dome until 1960 when it was eclipsed by the Superdome in New Orleans!† Langdon groaned. The man was unstoppable. â€Å"And a fifth-century theologian once called the Pantheon the House of the Devil, warning that the hole in the roof was an entrance for demons!† Langdon blocked him out. His eyes climbed skyward to the oculus, and the memory of Vittoria's suggested plot flashed a bone-numbing image in his mind†¦ a branded cardinal falling through the hole and hitting the marble floor. Now that would be a media event. Langdon found himself scanning the Pantheon for reporters. None. He inhaled deeply. It was an absurd idea. The logistics of pulling off a stunt like that would be ridiculous. As Langdon moved off to continue his inspection, the babbling docent followed like a love-starved puppy. Remind me, Langdon thought to himself, there's nothing worse than a gung ho art historian. Across the room, Vittoria was immersed in her own search. Standing all alone for the first time since she had heard the news of her father, she felt the stark reality of the last eight hours closing in around her. Her father had been murdered – cruelly and abruptly. Almost equally painful was that her father's creation had been corrupted – now a tool of terrorists. Vittoria was plagued with guilt to think that it was her invention that had enabled the antimatter to be transported†¦ her canister that was now counting down inside the Vatican. In an effort to serve her father's quest for the simplicity of truth†¦ she had become a conspirator of chaos. Oddly, the only thing that felt right in her life at the moment was the presence of a total stranger. Robert Langdon. She found an inexplicable refuge in his eyes†¦ like the harmony of the oceans she had left behind early that morning. She was glad he was there. Not only had he been a source of strength and hope for her, Langdon had used his quick mind to render this one chance to catch her father's killer. Vittoria breathed deeply as she continued her search, moving around the perimeter. She was overwhelmed by the unexpected images of personal revenge that had dominated her thoughts all day. Even as a sworn lover of all life†¦ she wanted this executioner dead. No amount of good karma could make her turn the other cheek today. Alarmed and electrified, she sensed something coursing through her Italian blood that she had never felt before†¦ the whispers of Sicilian ancestors defending family honor with brutal justice. Vendetta, Vittoria thought, and for the first time in her life understood. Visions of reprisal spurred her on. She approached the tomb of Raphael Santi. Even from a distance she could tell this guy was special. His casket, unlike the others, was protected by a Plexiglas shield and recessed into the wall. Through the barrier she could see the front of the sarcophagus. Raphael Santi 1483-1520 Vittoria studied the grave and then read the one-sentence descriptive plaque beside Raphael's tomb. Then she read it again. Then†¦ she read it again. A moment later, she was dashing in horror across the floor. â€Å"Robert! Robert!†

Letter vs. Txtn

October 8, 2009 LW 102 9-11 am The Decease of Letter Writing Letter writing has all but disappeared in society today due to technologies such as e-mail and text messaging. Both of these technologies make the process of writing a letter and sending it through the mail much easier. Text messaging refers to messages being sent from one mobile phone to another. E-mail describes a system for sending and receiving messages over a computer network. Texting and E-mail have become part of people’s daily lives. Many people couldn’t imagine living without both. Even though texting and E-mailing are great things they are also making Americans lazy. When writing a letter you have to take the time to sit down and get your thoughts to process on paper. When writing letters you have to worry about correct spelling and vocabulary. Another big part of writing letters is grammar; it takes years sometimes to learn how to properly use the correct grammar and punctuation. Sometimes a major challenge in writing is being able to express an argument or a complete thought on paper. All of these things on top of technology contribute to why people don’t take the time to write letters anymore. E-mail also contributes to letter writing disappearing because even before texting became so popular there was e-mail. E-mail allows not only messages, but documents in little time. E-mail is convenient for PC users who are on the computer 24/7. E-mail allows you to send things like pictures and videos to another computer in less time it takes to mail a letter. E-mail is also cheap because most websites offer free e-mail addresses. Also most people who work in offices or from home rely on their e-mails very much to receive important information from their jobs quickly. Text messaging is another reason why letter writing has disappeared. Some people consider text messaging as their voice or identity. Texting is also one of the least expensive forms of communication and sends messages in less time than it takes to write. People text because it’s convenient and is like an extension of a PC. Unlike writing a letter, in text messaging you don’t have to worry about spelling because you can use short words and not have the correct spelling. Also in texting there is practically no grammar or punctuation. E-mail and text messaging are just two reasons why letter writing has deceased. These two technological advancements are much more convenient and easier to access. People are still communicating and sharing their original and personal thoughts with other people. So even though writing letters has disappeared somewhat people still express themselves in other ways.

5 Ways to Tell if Your Company Cares About Work Life Balance

5 Ways to Tell if Your Company Cares About Work Life Balance We all know that to get where we want to be, certain sacrifices are required–especially when we are starting out and getting the engine going in our career. That means late nights, extra hours, and constantly going above and beyond as a matter of expectation. Still, you can be willing to do all of this extra labor with a smile on your face and still want the possibility of a week of working remotely in the summer, or an afternoon off to see your kid’s recital.So when you’re going for the job, here are 5 ways of finding out (without alerting the hiring manager) whether your potential new company prioritizes work life balance.1. Reverse the reference checkThey’re going to be checking up on you, after all. That’s de rigueur.So why not check up on them? Sift through your online network and see if you know anyone (or anyone who knows anyone) who used to work for that company and might be willing to chat with you. Avoid asking them to answer any of your q uestions in writing, but do ask them to be candid. Ask about the culture, the flexibility, the diversity, and what they would have changed if they had the chance.2. Stake it outTry and schedule your interview for super early or late in the day. If it’s 7 a.m. or 7 p.m. and the office is crammed despite being advertised as a 9-5 job, then you have your answer. Not a lot of family dinners appear to be happening. Then, be sure to look for signs of life outside of work: family photos, vacation memorabilia, etc. If you don’t get past the lobby or the boardroom, ask for an office tour. Evidence that families and outside interests are prized in the office is a very good sign.3. Social media stalkingNot the creepy kind, just the quick search. Try to get a sense of different tiers of employees, from executives to interns. Are people complaining? Working all the time? Taking vacations? Do they have families? What sort of press has been generated by the company or its employees?4 . Do your homeworkRead up on other companies also, to get a sense of work-life balance policies in your industry. Try Maybrooks, Glassdoor, or Fairygodboss for starters. If you don’t get this job, or decide you don’t want this job, then you’ll have a good idea of companies you might try next.5. Ask around itDirect questions can raise suspicions about your work ethic or intentions. Save them for after you receive the offer and are negotiating with HR. And, in the interview process, ask questions that might get the answers you want without tipping your hand–questions like what they love about the company that has nothing to do with their direct work, or the type of person who does best in that environment, or even just asking them to describe the company culture. Pay attention to what they’re saying- and what they aren’t saying.If you keep your wits about you, it is possible to glean quite a bit about a company’s particular work-life ba lance- all without damaging your chances of getting the job.

Atticus Finch Biography

Atticus Finch Biography Atticus Finch is one of the greatest fictional figures in American literature. Both in the book and in the film, Atticus stands larger-than-life, bold-and-courageous against the falsehood and injustice. He risks his life and his career (seemingly without care), as he defends a black man against charges of rape (which were based on lies, fear, and ignorance). Where Atticus Appears (and Inspiration for This Character): Atticus first appears in Harper Lees only novel, ​​To Kill a Mockingbird. He is said to have been based on Lees own father,  Amasa Lee, (which puts a possible autobiographical slant to this famous novel). Amasa held a number of positions (including a bookkeeper and financial manager)he also practiced law in Monroe County, and his writing explored race-relations topics. When he prepared for the role of Atticus Finch in the film version,  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Gregory Peck went to Alabama and met Lees father. (He appears to have died in 1962, the same year the Academy-Award-winning film was released). His Relationships During the course of the novel, we discover that his wife died, though we never find out how she died. Her death has left a gaping hole in the family, which has been (at least partially) filled by their housekeeper/cook (Calpurnia, a stern disciplinarian). There is no mention of Atticus in relation to other women in the novel, which seems to suggest that he is focused on doing his job (making a difference, and pursuing justice), while he raises his children, Jem (Jeremy Atticus Finch) and Scout (Jean Louise Finch). His Career   Atticus is a Maycomb lawyer, and he appears to be descended from an old local family. Hes well-known in the community, and he appears to be well respected and liked. However, his decision to defend Tom Robinson against the false charges of rape lands him in a great deal of trouble. The Scottsboro Case, a legal court case involving nine black accused and convicted under extremely dubious evidence, occurred in 1931when Harper Lee was five-years-old. This case is also an inspiration for the novel.

How do the subject and form contribute to the meaning of an image Essay

How do the subject and form contribute to the meaning of an image - Essay Example One can guess by taking a peek at this painting that the horse is emotionally, psychologically, and physically charged as if being drawn into a battlefield. On the other hand, the image on the right shows a horse’s head with more naturalistic proportions and harmonious rhythms. This ancient Greek sculpture generates a completely different feeling and meaning. One can guess by taking a peek at this sculpture that the horse is at ease and is tranquil. The differences in form create differences in the content. The impact and meaning of an artwork is heavily influenced by the decision the artist makes with respect to the selection of color and value, line and shape, type of balance, and the work’s size. Similarly, the subject drives the meaning of a piece of art because the audience draws inferences about it by consulting the preconceived notions and impressions it has of the