Elizabethan Poetry Analysis - 1292 Words

The Female Figure in Elizabethan Drama and Poetry The Elizabethan era was marked by a flourishing of the arts, particularly literature. Many famous poets and writers such as Shakespeare and Marlowe were prevalent in this time and they all sought to be unique from one another. Through this race to be the best, they used common themes while taking a wide variety of approaches towards each subject. Even works done by the same author hold different values in an attempt to stand out among the crowd. For Example, in Elizabethan dramas and poetry, female figures have commonly played the parts of the beloved, the desired, and the dangerous. Throughout my analysis, I will be discussing these different views of women as seen in Shakespeare’s†¦show more content†¦In the sonnet, his mistress is his beloved and he loves her more due to her unique and interesting appearance compared to stereotypical beauty, which he breaks down throughout the poem. Likewise, in the Twelfth Night, Viola is the beloved of Olivia, and Olivia the beloved of Orsino. Although Viola was guised as a man, Olivia still tells her/him â€Å"I love thee so, that, maugre(despite) all thy pride, nor(neither) wit nor reason can my passion hide† (Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, p. 1222). Olivia’s confession does not come as a surprise to the reader since according to Ake, â€Å"Olivia does seem, at least initially, to find Cesario/Violas youthful, feminine demeanor intriguing, but their interview reveals the extent to which Olivias desire for Cesario/Viola emerges not from similarity (in speech or conduct), but precisely from the differences s/he embodies and the poetic alternatives s/he offers† (Ake). Cesario is Olivia’s beloved and her passion for Cesario (Viola) is one that is due to her being a female although Olivia is unaware of this. She is attracted to Viola’s poetry which differs from Orsino’s since Viola speaks beyond surface appearances and in stead, directly discusses her personality while Orsino’s poetry makes her, Olivia, vague and allows it to be interpreted in a variety of manners (Ake). Ake says,Show MoreRelatedCritical Analysis of Shakespeares Sonnet 1301111 Words   |  5 PagesCritical analysis of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 compares the speaker’s lover to a number of other beauties—and never in the lover’s favor. Her eyes are â€Å"nothing like the sun,† her lips are less red than coral; compared to white snow, her breasts are dun-colored, and her hairs are like black wires on her head. In the second quatrain, the speaker says he has seen roses separated by color (â€Å"damasked†) into red and white, but he sees no such roses in his mistress’s cheeks; andRead MoreWho ever loved that loved not at first sight ? analysis1629 Words   |  7 Pagesof the value of her sacred chastity, attempts to hold Leander off for a time. Eventually they are overcome by their feelings, and, though they are both a little unsure of how to proceed, they consummate their love. The poem ends as morning dawns. Analysis Hero and Leander is a poem – an epyllion, that is, a short epic poem – which Marlowe composed based on work by the sixth-century poet Musaeus. The story, of course, is much older, based on various versions of a Greek myth. The narrative itself isRead MoreWorld Events Influencing Shakespeare ¨s The Tempest Essay example1277 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"What’s past is Prologue† – William Shakespeare Shakespeare lived and produced much of his famous works during the time when Queen Elizabeth ruled England and Ireland. This era was known as the Elizabethan Era. The world and its people were quickly evolving. It was the â€Å"golden age† of poetry, music and literature. It was in the midst of European exploration that Shakespeare wrote, The Tempest. It would be safe to suggest that many of the worldly events during this time, such as the shipwreck ofRead MoreEssay on Analyzing Poetry2868 Words   |  12 PagesAnalyzing Poetry It is possible to compare and contrast poetry from different literary periods by selecting a poem from each period and examining its use of structure, style, and imagery to enhance its theme. In the Elizabethan period, Lullaby, by Richard Rowlands; in the Romantic period, Samuel Taylor Coleridges Youth and Age; in the Victorian period, A Childs Laughter, by Algernon Charles Swinburne; and in the Modern period, Jessica Hagedorns Sorcery, the reader will come toRead MoreMetaphysical Poetry of John Donne1441 Words   |  6 PagesHendricks November 1, 2012 Literary Analysis of John Donne This examination of John Donne’s metaphysical poetry includes analysis of Donne’s use of topic, structure, scansion, style and theme. John Donne is known as one of the best writers of metaphysical poetry, a genre of poetry that is characterized specifically by themes of knowledge, intellect, and having a somewhat unrecognizable meter or rhyme. Metaphysical poetry forsakes pure and genial nature of other Elizabethan poets. Paradox, juxtapositionRead MoreTHE MAIN FEATURES OF THE METAPHYSICAL POETRY ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN DONNE1637 Words   |  7 Pages THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE METAPHYSICAL POETRY ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN DONNE The term metaphysical poetry is used to describe a certain type of 17th century poetry. Metaphysical poetry is concerned with the whole experience of man. It means that the poetry is about showing knowledge and thoughts from different areas of experience, especially about love, romantic and sensual; about mans relationship with God and about pleasure, learning and art. Read More Analysis of film Shakespeare in Love Essay1158 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of film Shakespeare in Love The film Shakespeare in Love shows that even in the 21st century Elizabethan drama impacts its audience as it did in the 1500s. The film captured England and the important influence of Elizabeth I during the Renaissance period. Even though Queen Elizabeth didnt have a major role in the film, her characteristics were displayed through the main heroine, Lady Viola. Lady Viola and Elizabeth were both courageous, well-educated women of the upperRead MoreAnalysis Of Ezra Pound s 1146 Words   |  5 PagesEzra Pound’s (1885-1972) Homage to Sextus Propertius has stirred controversies after its first publication in Harriet Monroe’s Poetry magazine in March 1919. The poem is consisted of twelve sections and it was based on Propertius, a great Latin elegiac poet who lived during the first century. Pound’s poem provides a new interpretation of Propertius that differs from his predecessors. Pound finds a voice to critique the corrupted politics of his time. The poem, However, has enraged the ClassicistsRead More An Analysis of Shakespeares Sonnet 73 Essay example1241 Words   |  5 PagesAn Analysis of Shakespeares Sonnet 73      Ã‚   Sonnet 73 by William Shakespeare is widely read and studied. But what is Shakespeare   trying to say? Though it seems there will not be a simple answer, for a better understanding of Shakespeares Sonnet 73, this essay offers an explication of the sonnet from The Norton Anthology of English Literature:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That time of year thou mayst in me behold   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   UponRead MoreThe English Renaissance : The Golden Age1861 Words   |  8 PagesBritish history being held for the success of literary, cultural and scientific inventions that signaled expanded new ideas and led to achievements. Renaissance ideas in England slowly impacted a lot , making the second half of the 16th century, the â€Å"Elizabethan Era†, the highlight of the English Renaissance. The time of Shakespeare was also the time of one of the most memorable monarchs, Elizabeth I. The reign of Queen Elizabeth was a comparison with the English Renaissance partially being held for

We Have Sexual Contact With The Natives Essay - 832 Words

â€Å"Did you have sexual contact with the natives?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Did you share needles or have any open cuts I should be aware of?† â€Å"No . . . † I said. The masked doctor examined the hundreds of boils on my face and body. A week prior, I got into a bus accident in Tanzania. I was delivering a bag full of medical supplies to a rural hospital. A tropical storm hit the night before, making the gravel road slippery. My vehicle lost control and slammed into a palm tree. I hit the front seat hard, and a dental pick pierced through my backpack, slicing my arm. I bled profusely. The next day, I flew back to Washington, D.C. only to discover boils on my body. â€Å"We’re gonna run some blood tests and update you in two days,† said the doctor as he left my quarantine room. I threw up in a bucket right after. The following hours were the loneliest, most miserable in my life. Born in the UK to a military dad, I lived in a total of 12 cities across 3 continents. I left friends, family, and belongings every two years. With my life in flux, the only constant was my education. Information I learned from school textbooks was applicable wherever I lived. Because of this, I saw the benefit of participating in an academic field like medicine. But here I was, in a quarantine room after volunteering for three months with doctors and nurses. I felt paranoid. What if the dental pick had HIV on it? Am I gonna die? My worries soon transformed into life regrets. SinceShow MoreRelatedWe Have Sexual Contact With The Natives? Essay833 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Did you have sexual contact with the natives?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Did you share needles or have any open cuts I should be aware of?† â€Å"No . . . † I said. The masked doctor examined the hundreds of boils on my face and body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     A week prior, I got into a bus accident in Tanzania. I was delivering a bag full of medical supplies to a rural hospital. A tropical storm hit the night before, making the gravel road slippery. My vehicle lost control and slammed into a palm tree. I hit the front seat hardRead MoreHiv / Aids : A Growing Problem Among American Indians And Alaska1731 Words   |  7 PagesIndians and Alaska Natives (CDC). Some groups have higher rates of HIV in their communities, hence the rising of the new infections with each sexual or drug use encounter (CDC). Social, economic, and demographic factors including stigma, discrimination, revenue, education, and geographic regions- affect their risk for HIV. Due to American Indians and Alaska Natives small population the affects of HIV are not at all times obvious (CDC). According to the CDC, these two groups have the highest percentageRead MorePositive And Negative Impacts Of The Columbian Exchange1271 Words   |  6 Pagesan easier way to travel great distances for the natives, but also a new food source for the Americas. The horse becomes a very important factor of life in the new world, they assisted in everything from farming to a more efficient way of transportation. J. R. McNeill states, In the North American great plains, the arrival of the horse revolutionized Native American life, permitting tribes to hunt the buffalo far more effectively. Before the Native Americans were introduced to the horse, they carriedRead MoreNegative Effects Of The Columbian Exchange1498 Words   |  6 Pagesoutbreaks in both the Old and New world, Europeans started to abduct and force over 12 million Africans to the New world and sold or traded them into slavery in the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, and finally it is estimated that 80-95 percent of the native American population was decimated within the first 100-150 years following 1492. The lasting effects of these negative results left long lasting effects on the world and for the future. During the time of the Columbian exchange there were many goodsRead More Uncertain Reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people of Australia688 Words   |  3 Pagesintroduced a Land Rights Act which made governments more aware of the issues of Aboriginal Cultural Land. With the aid of this policy Eddie Mabo was able to lead a case that was known as the Native Title. This was one of the most famous cases, the Mabo v Commonwealth, and it was declared in the High Court in 1992. The Native Title provided Aboriginal people with the rights to make claims for land that they claimed to be theirs, through a traditional association. After white settlement, thousands of AboriginalRead MoreThe Yanomami And Gender : The Unique Development Of A Society1549 Words   |  7 PagesThe Yanomami and Gender Today we live in a globalized world, the world is interlinked on so many social, political, and economic levels that everyone’s culture has somewhat bled into each other’s. So it is extremely rare for anthropologist to find tribes like the Yanomami. â€Å"The Yanomami are a tribe of roughly twenty thousand Amazonian Indians living in 200 to 250 villages along the border between Venezuela and Brazil.† (Borofsky, R., Albert, B. 2005). The Yanomami have been studied by anthropologistRead MoreNative Americans And Western History1299 Words   |  6 PagesNative Americans are the original inhabitants of the West, and have played an important role in Western history and continue to do so in today’s society. Their role has changed many times over, both good and not so good, and most of the time it was not in their favor. The Indians were descendants of ancient hunters that migrated from Asia to America thousands of years ago, and the differences between the Nati ves and Europeans are monumental. From the Natives lack of individual ownership of land toRead MoreEssay on Canadian National Identity: Native Canadians853 Words   |  4 Pages Native Canadians play an important role in our national identity, unfortunately, the culture has been slowly dying out for the past century as advancing generations lose the spoken language. Less identify themselves as a true Native for the little knowledge they have of their culture, especially those who live in an urbanized city. One of the greatest contributing factors to this outcome were residential schools, a tragic and critical part of Canadian history. The first government operated residentialRead More Lakot Woman Essay926 Words   |  4 Pagesone of the hardest trials faced by Mary Crow Dog was not only that of being a Native American but of being a female in a world predominately dominated by Caucasian men. Since the white man came to â€Å"America† he has done nothing but take and take and take. He has lied to the point where one cannot tell where one lie ends and another begins. The United States government signed more than four hundred treaties with Native Americans and managed to violate every single one. The white man systematicallyRead MoreA View Into The Yanomami People1640 Words   |  7 Pagesinto the Yanomami People Today we live in a globalized world, the world is interlinked on so many social, political, and economic levels that everyone’s culture has somewhat bled into each other’s. So it is extremely rare for anthropologist to find tribes like the Yanomami. â€Å"The Yanomami are a tribe of roughly twenty thousand Amazonian Indians living in 200 to 250 villages along the border between Venezuela and Brazil.† (Borofsky, R., Albert, B. 2005). The Yanomami have been studied by anthropologist

Lies My Teacher Told Me free essay sample

A fascinating and informative book, Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen, takes a look at twelve popular American history textbooks and concludes that the information is false, viewed primarily from an European perspective, and made up to credit national myths. In addition, James Loewen presents many key historical events that he feels are missing from many of these textbooks and should be included. Published in 1995 by The New Press, Lies My Teacher Told Me rapidly became a multi-award winning novel. In roughly 400 pages, Loewen unfolds an engrossing critique that is bound to hook any reader interested in history or education. In the novel, James Loewen provides his readers an in-depth understanding of how the information in U. S. history textbooks is often incomplete and/or even misleading. Loewen makes a compelling argument that what is taught today in history classes consists of only the succession of one president to the next and a few â€Å"important† wars. We will write a custom essay sample on Lies My Teacher Told Me or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He argues that most textbooks portray many events, situations, and people less unpleasant than the reality. Moreover, Americans are always shown to be the hero and they are never in the wrong – bad things just happen to them. Loewen focuses on several major events/people in our history that are incorrectly portrayed: Columbus, Thanksgiving, slavery, Lincoln, the Vietnam War, etcetera. None of these textbooks mention that Thomas Jefferson owned slaves and also raped some of his slave women or that Japanese Americans were confined in concentration camps during World War II. James Loewen blames textbook editors, writers, publishers, and even teachers for students not knowing enough accurate information, too much inaccurate information, and not caring about any information. Along with his critique, he also suggests some historical events that might add to existing themes and also some themes that might serve as replacements to inaccurate information. Lies My Teacher Told Me was a work of simple brilliance. Although it was not the fastest read in the world, I found that it was definitely an important read; it was definitely an eye-opener. Countless times while reading this novel, I realized how much U. S. history books cover up parts of a complete picture of historical events that founded this very nation. James Loewen acknowledges the information inside of these history textbooks, corrects most of the wrong information presented in these textbooks, and advises how we might want to move in a direction where history is more likely to give students a more realistic picture of who Americans are and who Americans were. As a student, reading this book really made me angry at all the textbook publishers, editors, writers, and even history teachers who are all giving countless number of children across America an education that is made up of lies. I have to admit this book has had a profound impact on me. It really made me question the authority and power we give our education system in America – obviously it is not always accurate and we should not always trust the information that is blatantly handed to us. I hope Loewen’s criticism will reach out to all educators in the American history department and will have a real impact on changing the standardized U. S. textbooks. The writing in Lies My Teacher Told Me was fairly decent and Loewen does deserve much credit for taking on such a difficult project and, for the most part, succeeding in creating an informative novel and relaying his message to his readers/ audience. You can easily tell that he clearly knows what he is talking about, whether he is talking about the mistreatment of the American Indians by European settlers or how Helen Keller was a radical socialist and also a member of the Socialist Party. Loewen is a very engaging author, who understands how to emphasize his points effectively and captivate his readers. His writing is simple and straightforward and extremely descriptive. Below is one of my favorite passages from the novel, and goes to show you that he, Prof. Loewen, is one amazing writer: â€Å"Racism became dominant in the United States between 1890 and 1920 when African Americans were again put back into second-class citizenship In the 1880s and 1890s minstrel shows featuring bumbling, mislocuting whites in blackface grew wildly popular from New England to California. By presenting heavily caricatured images of African Americans who were happy on the plantation and lost and incompetent off it, these shows demeaned black ability (Loewen 160-164). James Loewen proves himself to be a superb writer, showing off both his skill and talent as a novelist, but also being very intelligent in the numerous topics he writes about. However, I felt that there were a few areas where he could have worked a littler harder on to make the book a much stronger read. In many sections of the novel, Loewen seemed to get a little crazy with punctuation, such as exclamation points – literally every sentence ended in one for a straight page. It was very distracting as a reader; it was the equivalent of writing in all caps, which loses the readers attention and makes the point he is trying to convey seem silly and irrelevant. Another problem I had with a few sections of the novel was that the writing did not always flow. Many sentences in a paragraph were awkward and disrupted the point Loewen was trying to make. In addition, the chapters did not really fit with one another; he could have rearranged them to fit more accordingly. There were some major ups and some major downs in this novel. Starting off on a high note, I enjoyed how James Loewen did not just give exciting and intriguing content, but also helped the reader foster a questioning mind. Countless times I was struck by how little I actually knew about American history, and that I should never take a piece of knowledge for granted. Another strength for me was the way Loewen presented the content with a lot of wit and sarcasm, which made for a very enjoyable and great read. Once I was hooked, I could not put the book down. Furthermore, I was really surprised at what a good analysis he provided on all the major subjects he touched on. I liked how he did not promote only one point of view, as many textbooks do, but insisted that history should be left for interpretation by students. The major weakness, in my opinion, was probably when Loewen offered the reader his biased opinions. Although James Loewen attacked U. S. history textbooks for being too biased and opinionated, Loewen did not refrain from giving his own. I believe that no history textbook is going to be written without some slant or bias, so I did not completely understand why Loewen would even bring it up, while he was offering his own political opinions (i.e slamming down the Reagan/Bush administrations). This is a novel that I would recommend to a selected audience. This books prime focus would appeal to readers who are interested in history, specifically American history. This well-written novel will also appeal to people who are interested in how the education system works in the United States. Lies My Teacher Told Me gives you an incredible insight on the reality of American history and how it is taught. Although it has its share of flaws, you will not be greatly disappointed. As a whole, I would give this novel a 4 out of 5 stars.

Transpiration Lab Essays (1142 words) - Plant Physiology

Transpiration Lab Introduction Water is essential to plants in many ways. It first provides the major substance for living, to keep cells from shriveling up and dying. The second major function is to keep the plants rigidity. As plant cells become turgid, full of water, the cells expand, filling the extent of their cell walls, which are kept taught with turgor pressure. If the cells lose water, two problems occur. First, the cells dehydrate, causing the organism to die. Second, turgor pressure is lost as cells become flaccid, limp and unfilled, causing a loss of support for the plants structure which makes it appear wilted. As aquatic plants evolved into large complex land plants, an adaptation occurred in the center of plants to allow full growth without the problem of water loss. A system of vascular bundles extending from the tips of the furthest leaves to the deepest roots of each plant developed, carrying water in xylem sap and sugar in phloem. While phloem can transport sugar in any direction within the plant, xylem can only move water up, from root to leaf. Once in the leaf, the water evaporates through stomata?tiny gaps in the lower epidermis of each leaf, which are regulated by guard cells?a process called transpiration The movement of water into and out of the xylem involves water pressure factors in different sections of the plant. As water slips into the roots through osmosis, a positive water pressure gently pushes the water into the plants roots and supplies a jumpstart for the water's journey up the vascular bundle. However, it is not this pressure that supplies a great force towards the upward movement of water; it is the evaporation of water from the stomata that pulls water upward and out. When the stomata are open to take in carbon dioxide for carbohydrate production, water begins to evaporate and seep out of the tiny holes in each leaf. With a constant pull of water outward, other water molecules are pulled up to replace it. The pull is provided by the cohesive properties of water molecules as each leaving molecule pulls on another molecule which is hydrogen bonded to it. The process continues as a series of movements until all the water molecules in the xylem sap are being pulled upward by their hydrogen bonds to the water molecules ahead of them. Thus the slight negative pressure occurs. Different environmental factors can have impacts on the intensity of water evaporation, and thus the rate of plant transpiration. Just like water in an open environment, a dry environment would increase the evaporation of water, and the rate of transpiration. A hot or very bright environment would do the likewise. Conversely, moist, dark, or cool environments would allow for a slower rate of transpiration because water would not be as readily evaporative. When testing the rate of transpiration for any given plant, I hypothesize that plants exposed to copious quantities of light will transpire more rapidly than those in a regular environment. Methods We selected a bean plant on which to test varied environmental factors on transpiration. The different environments included excessive sunlight?a floodlight one meter from the plant, wind/dry air?a stationary fan approximately one meter away from the plant on low speed, humid/rainy climate?leaves misted, then covered with a clear plastic bag (open at the bottom for air exchange). Normal room conditions were also tested for the control. One bean plant was used for each simulated environment. To set up the experiment, four pieces of Tygon clear plastic tubing were cut to sixteen inches. Inside each was placed the tip of a 0.1-mL pipette. Taking four ring stands, one paired with each tube/pipette set, each end of the tubing was clamped, so that the tubing made a ?U? shape. Next the tubing was filled with water so that no air bubbles were present and that water completely filled the tubing and pipette. The four bean plants were each placed into the open end of their respective tubing, then sealed with petroleum jelly around the sides (to prevent accidental water evaporation). The plants were allowed to sit for ten minutes before the initial reading was made, to allow for equilibration. After recording levels of water for all

Healthcare in the US Essay Example

Healthcare in the US Essay Example Healthcare in the US Paper Healthcare in the US Paper Essay Topic: In the Us According to an article written by Utresky,   the US spends more of its GDP on healthcare than any other developed nation. In 2001, the US spent 13.9% of its GDP on healthcare, compared with 7.8% for Japan, 9.4% for Canada, and 7.6% for the United Kingdom. In the United States, the healthcare system is not fully-publicly funded but is a mix of public and private funding. Certain publicly funded health care programs help to provide for the elderly, disabled, military service families and veterans, children, and the poor. US has several types of privately and publicly funded health insurance plans that provide healthcare services. The US Census Bureau reports that in 2003, 60.4% of the population was covered by employment-based health insurance, 26.6% was covered by government-based insurance, while 15.6% had no health insurance at all. However the federal law ensures public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay but a system of universal health care has not been implemented. Furthermore, Utresky points out that â€Å"the cost of care is the greatest patient concern, particularly for the elderly. Medicare (the program for patients over 65 and those on disability) has limitations and does not, in its basic form, cover prescription drugs. The United States along with South Africa is one of the few industrialized nations without universal coverage. There is currently an ongoing debate on the need to achieve universal coverage as well as the best methods for improving the U.S. health care system†. Healthcare in Japan In the Japanese health care system, according to Ward Piccolo, healthcare services, including free screening examinations for particular diseases, prenatal care, and infectious disease control, are provided by national and local governments. Unlike the US, payment for personal medical services is offered through a universal health care insurance system that provides relative equality of access, with fees set by a government committee. People without insurance through employers can participate in a national health insurance program administered by local governments. Since 1973, all elderly persons have been covered by government-sponsored insurance. Costs covered in part or in full by health insurance include in- and out-patient care, home care, and dental care; prescription drugs; long-term care expenses; home nursing expenses for the elderly; prosthetics; and cash benefits for childbirth. Ward Piccolo believes that like most industrialized countries, Japan is planning for fundamental reforms in their current healthcare system, including a review of the current drug pricing system, the system for covering medical fees, methods of evaluating medical technologies, and the ideal combination of fee-for-service and fixed-fee payment systems. : Ward, J., Piccolo, C., Healthcare in Japan. August 11, 2007 from medhunters.com/articles/healthcareInJapan.html Uretsky, S., Healthcare in the United States. August11, 2007 from medhunters.com/articles/healthcareInTheUsa.html

Travel Writing Resources

Travel Writing Resources Travel Writing Resources Travel Writing Resources By Sharon I love travel writing, but the strangeness of the internet marketplace means that sometimes I have to write travel articles about places that Ive never been to. Ive now done several of these, and heres what I have learned from the process. As a writer you can make connections between what you have done and what you are writing about. Okay, so you may not have visited a water park in Tenerife, but you might have visited one in Disneyworld. You can use your memories of that experience to add local color and a bit of excitement to your writing about the new location. No matter where you go in the world, water parks, museums, parks and other places of interest have many of the same features, which you can use as a way of getting started. Its essential to do your research. Normally, I dont recommend Wikipedia as a research resource, but I have found that their profiles of countries and cities are generally well researched, with verifiable sources. If you want a starting point for an overview of the history, climate, industry and main attractions, Wikipedia works well. I always double check the information there with information from the destinations city or country guide site. These sites are also great places to find out about local amenities and annual events. A site that provides a good overview of these is Eventguide.com. When it comes to describing the attractions and knowing what people really felt about them, you cant do much better than TripAdvisor.com. You get a capsule description of the attraction and lots of great reviews. If 300 people found the same location amazing or awesome, then you are on firm ground when using those adjectives in your travel piece. You can usually find links to the attraction websites to get more information. This site also helps with nightlife, eating out and other aspects of a successful trip. Other resources I find useful are Yahoo Travel and the Lonely Planet site. Once you have the right research resources, its relatively easy to put together a piece that will give readers information about the place of interest. Ive travelled a lot, so I can use that experience to create some excitement for readers who are looking for information about a particular place. And since I love to travel, I am interested in learning about new places and excited about what they offer, so I dont have to fake that fizz. Ive also found some great new destinations as a result. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Direct and Indirect ObjectsHomonyms, Homophones, Homographs and HeteronymsComment, Suggestion, and Feedback

Angelica Kauffmann PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Angelica Kauffmann - PowerPoint Presentation Example According to Sortais (1910): Angelica showed a great aptitude for music and singing, and some of her fathers friends strongly urged her to give up painting, but in vain. This episode in her life she has represented in a picture, showing herself, between Painting and Music, bidding farewell to Music. There was no question it was in painting that she showed much progress. And before she even completed her twelfth year, she had become a notability, with bishops and nobles for her sitters. The bishop of Milan summoned her to paint his portrait. Due to her immense talent and personal charms, Francis the III of Este, Duke of Modena and Governor of Milan, declared himself her protector. Also, Cardinal Roth invited her to Constance and commissioned her to paint his portrait (Sortais 1910). Kauffman lost her father in 1782; and in 1795, her husband. These blows to her personal life did not deter her to continue with her passion in painting and continued at intervals to contribute to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, the academy’s purpose of which is to professionalize the artists working for the French court and give them a stamp of approval, her last exhibit being in 1797. She has produced a few of her works after this time. On a fateful day, November 5, 1807, she died in Rome. She was honored by a wonderful funeral under the direction of Canova, an Italian sculptor who became famous for his marble sculptures. Numerous prominent personalities were in attendance during her funeral procession, following her to her tomb, including the entire Academy of St. Luke, several ecclesiastics and virtuosi, with two of her pictures carried in procession. Kauffman was an advocate of neo-classicism in her works. What neo-classicism depends on most fundamentally is a consensus about a body of work that has achieved canonic status, or that which asserts a compendium of the greatest works of artistic merit

Liability for Economic Loss Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Liability for Economic Loss - Essay Example Bar, U. Drobnig & Guido Alpa. â€Å"The Interaction of Contract Law and Tort and Property Law in Europe: A Comparative Study.† (2004). Rome: Guido Alpa 12 M. Schneier & American Bar Association. â€Å"Construction accident law: A comprehensive guide to legal liability and insurance claim.† (1999) Boston: American Bar Association 12 Shanley â€Å"Comparative negligence and jury behavior† New York: Rand Corp 12 L. McDougal, R. Felix & R. Whitten. â€Å"American Conflicts Law: cases and material† (2004) New Jersey: LexisNexis 12 Cullen I. & NSW Young Lawyers. â€Å"Civil Liability Act 2002† (2002) New York: NSW Young Lawyers 13 M. Drury. â€Å" Clinical Negligence in General Practice† (2000). Houston: Radcliffe Publishing 13 Todd A. DeMitchell â€Å"Negligence: What Principals Need to Know about Avoiding Liability† (2007). Washington: Rowman & Littlefield Education 13 Arthur Martin C. â€Å"Negligence: Instruction Paper† (2010). Ne w York: BiblioBazaar 13 Bob P. â€Å"Professional Negligence in Construction† (2003). New York: Taylor & Francis 13 Schrage E. J. H. â€Å"Negligence: The Comparative Legal History of the Law of Torts† (2001) Detroit: Duncker & Humblot 13 Lewis K., Linda D. â€Å"Negligence† (1995) Texas: Carswell 13 Tony K. â€Å"Negligence: Origins† (2009). ... arises pertaining to failure by a party to â€Å"exercise reasonable care and skill†1 Further guidelines stipulate that harm is any kind of harm laid upon damage of property or any harm that is inflicted upon damage of property. Therefore, liability for economic loss seeks to make judgment on the party that is to endure losses occurring from the loss suffered. Tort law assigns the liability for economic loss to either parties of the case, in accordance to the law guidelines and according to the damage suffered by either party. Cases arising from economic losses are far-reaching and go beyond a certain limit, regarding many entailments. A scenario example would arise due to a contractual obligation, a construction concern or negligence in meeting the requirements of guide. Construction defects arising from defective installation or derisory material will normally amount to breach of contract, and the economic liability will lie towards the contractor. Tort law however makes exc eptions for certain cases arising from negligence by the owner of the property to fulfill their obligation as a result of negligence. If the contractor made it known that the materials used by the contractor were faulty and that the owner submitted to the allegations, then the liability for economic loss will be awarded to the owner. Another attribute of the tort law is that a contractor may suffer liability for economic loss if the contractor makes appropriations limiting certain actions allocated by the contractual agreement. Cases relating to liability for economic loss are dynamic. They rely on a set of tort law, common law and case law. Case law answers the question of how it is applied mostly. Cases arising from prior disagreements suit a large part of the case law aspects regarding liability

Message to Garcia Synopsis Essay Example for Free

Message to Garcia Synopsis Essay The message to Garcia describes the average human mindset, action and reactions toward a given task. Many men and women from past to present want work, status, money and reputation; but feel work is not needed. It describes not all but many situations pertaining to people having lack of initiative. In this book Elbert Hubbard states people on average will ask one or many question about the task being given to them. How I do it, where can I find it, who can I get to help, what time does it have to be done; are all examples. People get lazy and complacent, instead of getting some initiative and finding out the answers to their questions themselves. Message to Garcia isn’t saying every task has to be accomplished but, rather ideations of how problems could be solved through statistics and opinions. Many situations Hubbard has explained have facts about men and woman in today’s society. How many times have we heard â€Å"Go take this to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and the person being tasked asks multiple questions about the task the he himself could very well find. By asking questions the employer or task giver is being held up from completing other tasks he has been issued, to explain to this person where, when, why, how. In a lot of cases today, by the time we have completed explaining the task; we ourselves could’ve completed it. By no means is Hubbard expressing to us readers we shouldn’t task out our subordinates but do our jobs as well. On the other hand he is also elaborating on his belief no matter the details, many or few, the task should be done when given to. I feel Message to Garcia was trying to get a point across to us readers; that many of us desire great things but, in order to achieve great things we must do great works. We cannot want and not give anything; little effort will bring little fortune. I don’t believe the book is trying to tell us how we should go about our business day to day, yet allowing us to ponder ideas on how to eradicate these issues. Make pragmatic decisions during tasks given rather than giving up early or not doing it at all. By giving our undivided attention to our job, and not stopping until it is complete or no other outcome is possible to accomplish it. I believe everybody plays a role in a job; it is everyone’s duty to do their part and not pass it to another person or not complete it. When we all do our jobs an elliptical motion continues, rolling smoothly.

Review of The Black Death Essay -- Papers

Review of The Black Death The Black Death discusses the causes and results of the plague that devastated medieval Europe. It focuses on the many effects it had on the culture of medieval Europe and the possibility that it expedited cultural change. I found that Robert S. Gottfried had two main theses in the book. He argued that rodent and insect life cycles, as well as the changing of weather systems affect plague. He claimed that the devastation plague causes is partly due to its perpetual recurrences. Plague ravaged Europe in cycles, devastated the people when they were recuperating. As can be later discovered in the book, the cycles of plague consumed the European population. A second thesis, which he described in greater detail, was that the plagues expedited the process of cultural change. The plagues killed a large percentage of each generation, leaving room for change. The Black Death covers the affects that numerous plagues had on the culture. The cycle of the plagues struck each generation. After a p lague ravaged Europe from 599-699, plague killed in 608, 618, 628, 640, 654, 684-686, 694-700, 718, and 740-750. In the early stages of the above series, intervals are apparent. These intervals demonstrate the cycles of the rodent and insect life. Robert S. Gottfried also argues, rightfully so, that plague may have hastened cultural change. Along with plagues came the need for a cure. Plague destroyed the existing medical systems, and was replaced by a modern heir. Previous to the plague, scientists based their knowledge on early scientists such as Hippocrates and Galen. Scientists knew little about what they were doing. The medical community was divided into five parts. These divisions were physicians, surgeons, barber-... ...r in the book. Gottfried also made it obvious that others supported his theories. At the end of each important point, he marked it with a number corresponding to the reference in the back of the book. In conclusion, The Black Death successfully proves that a great deal of tragedy in the 13th century had much to do with animals in the environment. It also conveyed that plague accelerated the progress of culture, bringing the need for modern medicine. Gottfried makes it apparent that man did not understand enough about the environment to prevent plague, maybe a message to the world today. Dense population, as Gottfried suggested, breeds plague. Early plague has educated us, and we should focus on this, plague seems to be inevitable with certain circumstances and lack of knowledge. Not only did Gottfried educate us on the past, but may have prepared us for the future.

Negative Impact of Advertisement Essay

Advertising is a tool widely used by businesses and the media to promote their products. Unfortunately, advertising is pushing America more and more into a quick downward spiral. Advertisement acts like a fish hook for consumers. They have baits about the interest and wants of their consumers. Then when consumers grab a hold of it, advertisers reel them in on buying the products. The majority of advertisements are alarmingly misleading. They also convey an unrealistic view of certain products. Companies pay millions of dollars a year on advertising and go beyond the limit to persuade their customers. Little do consumers know they are indulging in this unnecessary luxury with nothing to gain. Advertising is unethical due to its negative impact on children, false images, and unrealistic expectations; however, advertisements do perform an important role on providing services to society. Without a doubt children are affected the most by advertising. At a young age, a child allows their mind to be molded and constructed. They don’t have much understanding of all the negative effects of the media and its advertisements. Children grow up to be everything they are surrounded by, as they are very susceptible to all outside influences. In many cases, children are most likely tended to misinterpret the messages conveyed through the advertisement. They end up having misinformed beliefs about many issues, which creates a desire to own a particular product being advertised. Joseph McLaughlin, a researcher from Fordham University, stated that â€Å"Children younger than 6 are especially susceptible to television advertising because many of them can’t tell the difference between a commercial and a program.† Because they are not able to distinguish the difference, glossy images in magazines, billboards, or flashy advertisement on television only create the im pulse for excessive desire to buy. Eric Schlosseris a well-known journalist that wrote the article â€Å"Kids Kustomers†. Along with McLaughlin, Schlosser shares a similar statement about advertising toward children. He  says, â€Å"The aim of most children’s advertising is straight forward: get kids to nag their parents and nag them well† (521). This means that advertisers are trying to focus their attention to make kids want their products and nag their parents until they get it for them. Children are the future, and an important part of the present as well. With these kinds of effects of advertising on them, this only creates a very wrong impression on their young minds about living without the needs of materialistic joys. Above all else, advertising is unethical. It creates an unrealistic image that urges people to buy in on the product. It gives them a natural high from the initial â€Å"new† or â€Å"delicious† feeling and leaving them unsatisfied after the feeling has worn off. Fast food advertisements are well known for exaggerating their products. Katie Robbins from Delish, wrote an article called â€Å"Fast Food: Truth behind Advertising†. In the article she says, â€Å"It looked so juicy and hearty, piled high with crunchy pickles and onions and resting on a soft, pillowy bed of a bun. But the actual sandwich that greeted when we ordered it at the Golden Arches didn’t look quite like the images we’d been seeing on billboard. Tired and limp, it was the anemic younger brother of the plucky McRib of our dreams† (Robbins). This means that people invest in a product they believe they saw in the advertisement but in reality, it’s just a pathetic excuse for fast food joints to make money. False beauty in advertising and pressure to look good caused many women to strive for the ideal perfection. Like Robbins, Jo Swinson, a writer from CNNopinion also wrote an article about how advertising contains false images. She stated: For some, the desire to look as perfect as these models can become all-consuming, and a wealth of evidence suggests that people in the UK are experiencing serious body image problems — a trend undoubtedly replicated around the globe. People unhappy about their bodies can develop eating disorders, turn to diet pills or steroids, or try cosmetic surgery and Botox injections. This means that women everywhere are willing to starve themselves or go beyond the limit to get the perfect body, to make them look like their favorite celebrities even. Advertising create unrealistic expectations. Ads for prescription drugs aimed directly toward consumer have resulted in unrealistic expectations  about the effectiveness of the drugs and its side-effects. In these kinds of advertisements, the visual images only show healthy, happy people. It never truly shows the actual downside effects of the drugs. Beauty and health products share a similar component by not living up to their promises; therefore, resulting in wasting consumer’s money once again. Herman CP, a psychologist from PubMed stated, â€Å"The false-hope syndrome suggests that unrealistic expectations in advertising about dieting set dieters up for failure.† This shows that fitness and health ads set consumers up to failure when they don’t see a change in their body, thus lead them to lose hope and give up. Gina-Marie Cheeseman from TriplePundit, shares a similar argument with Herman about unrealistic expectations. She says, â€Å"One of the implicati ons is that is creates an unrealistic expectation about the product that the company is advertising. Airbrushing sure does create unrealistic expectations, and U.S. women are shelling out money to meet those expectations.† This means that women everywhere are spending money on products to enhance their beauty to look like the one they see in the advertisements. Little did they know, advertisers used Photoshop and airbrushing to enhance the look of their models. Advertising however, still plays an important role on providing services to society. It offers social benefits. Along with that, advertising can be used to promote free speech since it is free speech: â€Å"This is especially true in countries where free speech has been suppressed. Advertising there, especially when it comes from the Western world where free speech is embraced, can encourage the idea that free speech is important,† says by Miranda Morley, a writer from SmallBusiness. This shows that advertising can be influential to foreign country that doesn’t allow freedom of speech. Like Morley, John E. Calfee also talks about how advertising is useful. He says, â€Å"But advertising does much more. It routinely provides immense amounts of information that benefits primarily parties other than the advertiser. This may sound odd, but it is a logical result of market forces and the nature of information itself† (98). Through providing information, it gives it a reason for research, and that research is backed-up by a firm sponsor thus creates credibility through its products. Although advertising plays an important role in society, unfortunately it is one of the major reasons why America is spinning into a downward spiral, doing major harm with little positive intention. Murray Lunn, a writer from Helium says, â€Å" Deceitful advertising, over the years, have caused consumers to associated the majority of advertising as a â€Å"sleazy† attempt to make them buy a product or service; participating in these types of advertising methods can cause a â€Å"black eye† on a business to the marketplace.† This means that businesses may put themselves in danger in the marketplace if they participate in these deceitful advertising. An article written by Shelly Frost, a writer from SmallBusiness, talks about how advertising affects businesses. She stated, â€Å"The Company is sometimes charged a fine for both current false advertising and any future incidents of deceptive advertising. If the company is sued, additional expenses come in the form of legal fees and money that must be paid to consumers who filed the suit.† Companies could lose more many than what they spend on making the advertisements if they’re caught false advertising. Advertising has long been seen as a way to convince consumers to spend their dollars on products or services they may not truly need. It is unethical. Women, who would see beauty ads, would want to emulate the thinness and beauty of such models. Today’s society has become cultures of consumerisms, and it is teaching children the false sense of self-worth. Also those consumers that were given the false impression about a product through various forms of media tend to suffer the most from society’s portrayal of the perfect body. Advertising is unethical and if not monitor carefully, it can affect and individual more negatively than for the better. Works Cited Calfe, John. â€Å"How Advertising Informs to Our Benefits.† Common Culture: Reading and Writing about American Popular Culture. 4th Edition. Ed. Micheal Petracca and Madeleine Sorapure. Upper Saddle River, NJ. 2004. 97-109. Print. Lunn, Murray. â€Å"The Negative Effects of Advertising.† Helium. N.p., 03 Feb. 2011. Web. 04 Apr. 2013. Frost, Shelley. â€Å"Negative Effects of False Advertising.† Small Business. Chron, 05 June 2010. Web. 02 Apr. 2013. McLaughlin, Joseph. â€Å"Researcher Shows Negative Effects of Advertising on Children.†Fordhamn.edu. Fordham University College, 17 May 2010. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. Morley, Miranda. â€Å"The Positive Effects of Advertising.† Small Business. Chron. N.p., 11 June 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. Robins, Kate. â€Å"Food in the News.Fast Food: Truth in Advertising?† Delish. N.p., 16 Nov. 2010. Web. 02. Apr. 2013. Swinson, Jo. â€Å"False Beauty in Advertising and the Pressure to Look ‘good'† CNN. Cable News Network. 10.Aug. 2011. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. CP, Herman. â€Å"Effects of expose to unrealistic promises about dieting.† PubMed. National Center for Biotechnology Information, 25 Mar. 2009. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. Cheeseman, Gina-Marie. â€Å"British Regulatory Agency Bans Christian Dior Mascara Ad.†TriplePundit. N.p., 25 Oct. 2012. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. Schlosser, Eric. â€Å"Kid Kustomer.† From Inquiry to Academic Writing A Text and Reader. 2nd Edition. Ed. Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 519-526. Print.

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology †Summary Essay

How does Language affect the meanings we assign to our experience? The Ideas of Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf demonstrate that the vocabulary of a language may direct perception to certain features of the environment, and the grammar of a language may encourage certain ways of looking at the world. The selection of metaphors also has an impact on the meanings we assign to experience. By taking language from one experience and applying it to another, we carry the meaning of one experience to the other. Robbins then explores the ways in which symbolic action reinforces a particular view of the world. Ritual, for example, symbolically depicts a certain view of reality in such a way that it convinces us of the truth of that reality. Examples include the Cannibal Dance of the Kwakwaka’wakw, which shows the values of Kwakwaka’wakw society and provides members with a way to control their lives, and the rituals of contemporary English magic and witchcraft, which convince persons of this society that mental forces can influence the material world. Walter Benjamin’s Surrealism essay explains how these competing political aims manifest themselves at the level of aesthetic form: â€Å"Here due weight must be given to the insight that in the Traite du style, Aragon’s last book, required a distinction between metaphor and image, a happy insight into questions of style that needs extending. Extension: nowhere do these two — metaphor and image — collide so drastically and so irreconcilably as in politics. For to organize pessimism means nothing other than to expel moral metaphor from politics and to discover in political action a sphere reserved one hundred percent for images. Only when in technology body and image so interpenetrate that all revolutionary tension becomes bodily collective innervation, and all the bodily innervations of the collective become revolutionary discharge, has reality transcended itself to the extent demanded by the Communist Manifesto. For the moment, only the Surrealists have understood its present commands. They exchange, to a man, the play of human features for the face of an alarm clock that in each minute rings for sixty seconds. † Benjamin’s analysis here provides the scattered fragments of a political-aesthetic diagnosis of surrealism which would differentiate this movement from conservative romantic traditions. While such traditions trade in â€Å"moral metaphor† and the â€Å"play of human features† — idealized human forms which are meant to serve as soothing allegories of the supposedly homogenous and unified social body — surrealists circulate what Benjamin elsewhere terms â€Å"dialectical images. † In his writings regarding the Cultural Industry, Adorno continues to emphasis the theories of the Frankfurt school and the concepts of Marx. The terms ‘mass deception’ and ‘social control’ seem to most accurately describe the ideas and theories that Adorno prescribe. He further suggests the notion that socially, we are conditioned to think rationally, reasonably and through a scientific approach, which when structured to appease the larger cultural industry, functions by disallowing the potential for human individuality, and re-emphasizing the myth that such individuality could even exist. According to the text we are conditioned to be obedient to the great social hierarchy, thus the opportunity for any social change is limited, is it not? The notion that culture is entertainment is also introduced, and that as individuals, we can only accept out work/roles knowing that pleasure will ultimately be rewarded. 2. Summarize what you consider to be the relationship between the assigned readings. How do the readings speak to each other? – All three authors I believe have a relationship with expressing metaphors in their texts. A thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else, especially something abstract. Throughout each reading society, cultural, language, politics, thinking, and social change is present in all three readings and in all three these words are represented with symbolic meaning and/or have a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action. Through these metaphors I believe is the way that these texts speak to one another. Each text you can find similar symbolic meaning and a word or phrase that is attached to an object or action. . Identify one or more passages that you feel are especially provocative, suggestive, dubious or illustrative of the author’s argument. – In the Richard Robbins text one passage especially was provocative to the author’s argument in symbolic action reinforces a particular view of the world and the reality we as human beings live in. â€Å"Ritual, for example, symbolically depicts a certain view of r eality in such a way that it convinces us of the truth of that reality†. In the Walter Benjamin Text one passage especially was provocative to the author’s argument in explaining how competing political aims manifest themselves at the level of aesthetic form. â€Å"Here due weight must be given to the insight that in the Traite du style, Aragon’s last book, required a distinction between metaphor and image, a happy insight into questions of style that needs extending. Extension: nowhere do these two — metaphor and image — collide so drastically and so irreconcilably as in politics. † In the Theodor Adorno text one passage especially was provocative to the author’s argument in the notion that socially, we are conditioned to think rationally, reasonably and through a scientific approach, which when structured to appease the larger cultural industry, functions by disallowing the potential for human individuality, and re-emphasizing the myth that such individuality could even exist. â€Å"The notion that culture is entertainment is also introduced, and that as individuals, we can only accept out work/roles knowing that pleasure will ultimately be rewarded. Thus, must not culture and society be forced to change, as it was also interpreted that pleasure without change becomes a sort of work, and then our understanding/defining of pleasure must be constantly changing in order for the mass society to maintain social obedience. 4. Briefly compare the texts you have read or some aspect of it/them, with a previous selection or selections read in this course. – I reread â€Å"A Berlin Chronicle† in Reflections and then read the whole of Berlin Childhood around 1900. I thought about how he had not been able to return, and how he had written Berlin Childhood around 1900 precisely as a way of dealing with the irrevocable loss of the world of his childhood and its security. Benjamin knew by 1932 that he would never be able to return to Berlin his home again. Benjamin immortalized the cities that had rejected him, writing about his memories of earlier and safer times. Benjamin is recalling a lost world. He selects a variety of places and spaces that contain or prompt memories of his childhood and the high bourgeois world that nourished his fantasies and predilections. By 1932 this world was gone, or at least inaccessible to Benjamin and other Jews like him. Reading this text I can compare it to Richard Robbins chapter 4 material when he writes â€Å"demonstrate that the vocabulary of a language may direct perception to certain features of the environment, and the grammar of a language may encourage certain ways of looking at the world. † Reading this helped me understand â€Å"A Berlin Chronicle† and how Walter Benjamin’s language and vocabulary were in direct result of the environment he was living in and how that encouraged his view on Berlin. Also, Comparing â€Å"A Berlin Chronicle† to Theodor Adorno’s The Culture Industry I found a passage that directly relates to Walter Benjamin and his time in Berlin. â€Å"He further suggests the notion that socially, we are conditioned to think rationally, reasonably and through a scientific approach, which when structured to appease the larger cultural industry, functions by disallowing the potential for human individuality, and re-emphasizing the myth that such individuality could even exist. According to the text we are conditioned to be obedient to the great social hierarchy, thus the opportunity for any social change is limited. † After reading this passage you can relate this to the larger cultural as the Nazis as they were the ones disallowing the potential for human individuality against the Jews, while reemphasizing the myth that such Jewish individuality could even exist. 5. Offer a brief critical assessment of the texts and its ideas: Do you find that it opens up new avenues of inquiry or reveals new knowledge? What question does it raise for you? How would you evaluate them overall? -Out of the three texts I found an interesting passage out of Walter Benjamin’s Surrealism text that opens up new avenues of inquiry and reveals new knowledge for the reader. â€Å"There is always, in such movements, a moment when the original tension of the secret society must either explode in a matter of fact, profane struggle for power and domination, or decay as a public demonstration and be transformed. Reading this passage and the author’s use of the word illumination throughout the essay, the reader could easily open a new avenue on a secret society named the Illuminati. The author even stats â€Å"And the most passionate investigation of the hashish trance will not teach us half as much about thinking, as the profane illumination of thinking about the hashish trance. The reader, the thinker, the loiterer, the flaneur, are types of illuminati just as much as the opium eater, the dreamer, and the ecstatic. And more profane. Not to mention that most terrible drug –ourselves- which we take in solitude. With so many references or should I say hidden references I can only ask if Walter Benjamin is referring to this secret society the Illuminati. Overall all three texts had their strong points but from day one when I began Walter Benjamin’s readings he has captured me in ways other authors haven’t. It could be that he writes essays while intoxicated or how it seems there is always secret meaning in his writings. If not secret then definitely meaning that could be explored even further and spend a whole class just decoding this topic.

Analysis of Their Eyes Were Watching God - The American Dream essays

Analysis of Their Eyes Were Watching God - The American Dream essays This story's title come from the passage, "They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God" (God 151). Dreams are an important part of this book, and they represent the ideas, values, goals, and topics that are essentially American. The author shows that men and women often have different dreams and different goals, and that is why many relationships do not work. She believes that women's dreams symbolize truth, and men's dreams symbolize hope and often resignation. The author is saying that the American dream may come true right away, but often the dreams amount to nothing. She writes, "Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all those things they don't want to remember, and remember everything they don't want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly" (God 1). Ultimately, her theme and goal is to show that the American dream is the "truth" of the American spirit, and that dreaming of happiness and success is what keeps many Americans going every day. This is a very American theme, because it has happened repeatedly in America. People with nothing come here, become successful, and begin new lives, just as Janie earns her freedom and happiness by the end of the novel. She has lived a hard life, and that is essential in the American dream, too. Finding a dream is never easy, and Jamie's life shows that. However, she has persevered, and outlived two men who were not the ideal man, and she has learned about herself in the process. That is also a very American goal in finding happiness and fulfillment. Learning about yourself in the process is important and can make the success even more fulfilling. ...

J. K. Rowling - Biography of Harry Potter Author

J. K. Rowling - Biography of 'Harry Potter' Author Who Is J.K. Rowling? J. K. Rowling is the author of the hugely popular Harry Potter books. Dates: July 31, 1965 Also Known As Joanne Rowling, Jo Rowling J. K. Rowling's Childhood J.K. Rowling was born at Yate General Hospital as Joanne Rowling (with no middle name) on July 31, 1965, in Gloucestershire, England. (Although Chipping Sodbury is often mentioned as her birthplace, her birth certificate says Yate.) Rowlings parents, Peter James Rowling and Anne Volant, met on a train on their way to join the British navy (the navy for Peter and the Womens Royal Naval Service for Anne). They married a year later, at age 19. At age 20, the young couple became new parents when Joanne Rowling arrived, followed by Joannes sister, Diane Di, 23 months later. When Rowling was young, the family moved twice. At age four, Rowling and her family moved to Winterbourne. It was here that she met a brother and sister who lived in her neighborhood with the last name Potter. At age nine, Rowling moved to Tutshill. The timing of the second move was clouded by the death of Rowlings favorite grandmother, Kathleen. Later, when Rowling was asked to use initials as a pseudonym for the Harry Potter books to attract more boy readers, Rowling chose K for Kathleen as her second initial to honor her grandmother. At age eleven, Rowling began attending the Wyedean School, where she worked hard for her grades and was terrible at sports. Rowling says that the character Hermione Granger is loosely based on Rowling herself at this age. At age 15, Rowling was devastated when given the news that her mother had become seriously ill with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease. Instead of ever entering remission, Rowlings mother grew increasingly sick. Rowling Goes to College Pressured by her parents to become a secretary, Rowling attended the University of Exeter beginning at age 18 (1983) and studied French. As part of her French program, she lived in Paris for a year. After college, Rowling stayed in London and worked at several jobs, including at Amnesty International. The Idea for Harry Potter While on a train to London in 1990, having just spent the weekend apartment-hunting in Manchester, Rowling came up with the concept for Harry Potter. The idea, she says, simply fell into my head. Pen-less at the time, Rowling spent the remainder of her train-ride dreaming about the story and began to write it down as soon as she arrived home. Rowling continued to write snippets about Harry and Hogwarts but wasnt done with the book when her mother died on December 30, 1990. Her mothers death hit Rowling hard. In an attempt to escape the sorrow, Rowling accepted a job teaching English in Portugal. Her mothers death translated into more realistic and complex feelings for Harry Potter about his parents deaths. Rowling Becomes a Wife and Mother In Portugal, Rowling met Jorge Arantes and the two married on October 16, 1992. Although the marriage proved a bad one, the couple had one child together, Jessica (born July 1993). After getting divorced on November 30, 1993, Rowling and her daughter moved to Edinburgh to be near Rowlings sister, Di, at the end of 1994. The First Harry Potter Book Before starting another full-time job, Rowling was determined to finish her Harry Potter manuscript. Once she had completed it, she typed it up and sent it to several literary agents. After acquiring an agent, the agent shopped around for a publisher. After a year of searching and a number of publishers turning it down, the agent finally found a publisher willing to print the book. Bloomsbury made an offer for the book in August 1996. Rowlings first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone was the U.S. title) became hugely popular, attracting an audience of young boys and girls as well as adults. With the public demanding more, Rowling quickly got to work on the following six books, with the last one published in July 2007. Hugely Popular In 1998, Warner Bros. bought the film rights and since then, extremely popular movies have been made of the books. From the books, the films, and the merchandise bearing Harry Potter images, Rowling has become one of the richest people in the world. Rowling Marries Again Between all of this writing and publicity, Rowling remarried on December 26, 2001, to Dr. Neil Murray. In addition to her daughter Jessica from her first marriage, Rowling has two additional children: David Gordon (born March 2003) and Mackenzie Jean (born January 2005). The Harry Potter Books Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (June 26, 1997, in U.K.) (called Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone in the U.S., September 1998)Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (July 2, 1998, in U.K.) (June 2, 1999, in the U.S.)Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (July 8, 2000, in both U.K. and U.S.)Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (June 21, 2003, in both U.K. and U.S.)Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 16, 2005, in both U.K. and U.S.)Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (July 21, 2007, in both U.K. and U.S.)

Stress and Academic Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stress and Academic Stress - Essay Example e stressful events that have inclined experts to consider stress as one of the major causes of deaths globally, as nowadays, stress is resulting in high blood pressure, headache, mental disorder, etc. In the result, a huge number of researchers are now putting efforts to analyze different factors of stress, in order to implicate their solutions to deal effectively with it. It is observation that youth or specifically, students are becoming the foremost victims of this phenomenon. Psychologists (Peffer, pp. 51-57) believe that extra load of studies and pressure of examinations has been some of the significant factors that put students in stress during their academic lives. In contrary to the motive of education, today’s students are endeavoring to acquire education to get good marks or grades in the examination that will ensure their job in the market. This pressure of failure and losing chances of getting a good job has resulted in experts to focus more on students. Nowadays, many organizations are offering stress therapies to young individuals that may help them in managing effectively with the stress. However, besides therapies, I believe that study techniques play a crucial role in the phenomenon of stress, and a student can avoid or reduce stress levels by planning and applying study schedules prior to examinations. It is an understanding that students usually do not study on daily basis, and examination schedules only bring them to the study tables that automatically showers a huge list of topics and subjects that becomes the cause of stress. In this regard, proper planning for studying surely makes a huge difference, and is beneficial in avoiding any effects of academic stress. In brief, water is another source that helps in dealing with stressors effectively. Thus, heavy intake of water during the whole day is another efficient way of staying healthier, and away from stress. In addition to study techniques, experts have identified and introduced four

Written Assignment #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Written Assignment #2 - Essay Example Donatello’s version of David is estimated to have been created around 1440. It was a rather unique and famous statue owing to two facts; that one, it was the first unsupported bronze sculpture of the 15th century, and two, it was one of the earliest â€Å"nude† sculptures known to the Renaissance. It has the figure of a David who seems quite young, like a seventeen-year-old, wearing only a hat and some knee-height boots. The rest of his body is nude. He is holding a large sword (seemingly Goliath’s), in his right hand, and his left hand akimbo. Beneath his feet is Goliath’s head, badly severed. One of the Renaissance aspects of this work is in proportion. The Renaissance artists, focussed on realism, and that meant capturing their subjects accurately; as they appeared in nature. As is evident here, David is wholly proportional. The second aspect is texture. The body has been made smooth as should be in nature, and the hair has its texture simulated in a similar manner. The boots he is wearing also have the â€Å"leathery† appearance achieved through texture creation. The other outstanding Renaissance art feature is the capturing of fine details, such as his face in which one can see the smile on him. It displays a happy emotion. Finally, the body has been molded such that the light falling on it will create shading so some parts of David will be dark and others lighter; creating depth. Verrocchio’s David was created in bronze in the given period between 1473 and 1475. Similar to Donatello’s, it was commissioned by the Medici family for placement at the Medici Pallazo (Pallazo della Signoria). The David here is older than Donatello’s, seemingly in his early to mid-twenties. He has no hat on his head, wears a decorated battle vest, and a knee-length skirt. His hair falls freely and he is a little more muscular than Donatello’s David. The sword he holds in his right

Assingment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Assingment 2 - Essay Example These organisations are different in terms of their culture, design, structure and human performance (Lichtenstein and Alexander, 2004). This paper will provide insight into how two different cultures, structures and their designs will impact on individuals, groups and structures within the organisation and ultimately towards improving organisation’s effectiveness. A work team can bring differences in organisation through coordination. Team combined effort always results in greater effort compared to individual work. Teams can do complex tasks together. Through teams organisations can increase their work performance with less cost. This combined effort will always results in outstanding performance and goal achievement. They can provide new product ideas, provide customer services, make contracts, coordinate projects, offer valuable deals, and make decisions (Lichtenstein and Alexander, 2004). Teams within organisations have more independent approach and positive attitude towards changing environment than are traditional types of working conditions or other forms of permanent groupings. Teams are more beneficial if multiple skills are needed to perform a job. Teams can be made on urgent basis have ability to be disband on quick basis as well (Chan, 2002). Case 1 Biogenia plc have a cross-functional teams while Case 2 Sleepeasy Hotels have problem –solving teams. In Case 1 company has created teams made up of employees from four different functional areas Research and Development, Manufacturing, Sales and marketing and, finally, Support (covering financial services, human resources and legal services) to work on different projects. They are using cross-functional teams. Employees within teams are gathered from the same hierarchical level, but they belong to different departments to work together on company’s assigned project (Parker, 2003). Employees are from diverse backgrounds

Hydrocephalus Disease Essay Example for Free

Hydrocephalus Disease Essay There are many birth defects being discovered all around the world. However, the birth defect I found to be most interesting was hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is one of the single most common birth defects and most people have never heard of it. What happens is, the brain is producing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) normally and fluid is drained from the brain into the spinal canal and is reabsorbed by the body, keeping the amount in the brain balanced. But when normal drainage doesn’t occur, the brain produces too much CSF fluid to be able to drain normally which leads to the build-up of fluid in the ventricles of the brain and causes pressure and enlarging of the head. Hydrocephalic skulls can be found in ancient Egyptian medical literature from 2500 BC to 500 AD but was described more clearly by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates in the 4th century BC. Hydrocephalus may be caused by genetic defects or certain infections during pregnancy. If the mother has infections such as the chicken pox or mumps during pregnancy it makes the risk of the baby having hydrocephalus greater because the infection creates a blockage in the brain which doesn’t allow the CSF fluid to drain properly and when this happens it starts to put pressure on the brain causing the embryos head to enlarge. Some malformations of the brain may cause hydrocephalus such as spinal bifida and dandy-walker syndrome as well. Also it can occur when the ventricles produce too much CSF fluid or when the bloodstream cannot reabsorb the fluid that was produced. â€Å"Each year, 1 in 1,000 children are born and diagnosed with hydrocephalus.† This is fairly large number especially when the latest statistics reveal that a child is born in the U.S. every 8.1 seconds, meaning that a child is born with hydrocephalus every 135 minutes. Many cases of hydrocephalus are most likely detected in the utero or at birth as early as the first trimester. The doctors can somewhat tell whether or not the baby in the utero has hydrocephalus or not by doing multiple ultrasounds throughout the months but it may not show the obstruction precisely. There are limited studies available on the long-term prognosis of those with prenatal hydrocephalus. There aren’t any treatments to treat this birth defect while in the utero but there are some after birth. One of the treatments is called â€Å"Shunting†. Shunt procedures, involve surgically implanting one end of a catheter (flexible tube) into a ventricle of the brain and placing the other end in the abdominal cavity, chambers of the heart, or space around the lungs where fluid is drained and absorbed by the bloodstream. A valve in the shunt system regulates the flow to prevent over-draining and under-draining. This procedure can be quite dramatic because the head circumference can shrink as much a 7-8 centimeters in the first week. However, there are risks such as infection when performing this procedure. Infections occur in 5-10% of shunting operations. Hydrocephalic skulls can be found in ancient Egyptian medical literature from 2500 BC to 500 AD but was described more clearly by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates in the 4th century BC. Hydrocephalus cases were originally described by Hippocrates who believed that this disease was cause by an extra cerebral accumulation of water. Hydrocephalus and its side effects can cause many common side effects such as confusion, loss of vision, headaches, problems driving a car, and diabetes. â€Å"Approximately one third of patients who are treated for hydrocephalus will attain a normal intelligence level (i.e., a mean score of between 80 and 100 points on an IQ test) or higher. These patients are more apt to be self-sufficient and capable of leading a normal life.† Some people have success with the outcome of hydrocephalus and some do not. â€Å"A thorough neuropsychological examination can cost up to $2,000, particularly if the findings are reviewed with you afterwards.† It cost a lot of money just for an examination to be done. But when they are examining you they can help you develop strategies to maximize performance of various tasks and to help make you more conscious about the conditions and its effects. The long-term outlook for a child born with hydrocephalus depends on how serious the problem is and other associated abnormalities. Doctors recommend that children receive follow up care and evaluations to prevent infection and monitor the functions of the shunt. Normal pressure hydrocephalus was found to be significantly more seen in males. It can occur at any age group. With good, early treatment, a normal lifespan with few limitations can be reached. After surgery, trained medicals professionals monitor the patient. Headaches may start to disappear because of the release of pressure on the brain. People may improve quickly or it might take weeks or months to improve and in some patients little or no improvement is possible. The length of time that a person will stay at hospital depends on how fast they recover. Hydrocephalus is a common disease not many people know about and should take time to learn about. It can have some serious side effects if you don’t have it treated right away. There are limited treatments today to cure hydrocephalus but it doesn’t mean people aren’t trying to find more.

Journalism Errors: Double Check The Spelling of Names and Other Facts

When Emilie Davis, a newspaper journalism professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, picks up her nametag at an event, she often stares down at the more common spelling of her name, â€Å"Emily.† She is used to people misspelling her name, so she usually leaves it the way it’s written to not make it a big deal. As Steve Davis, Emilie Davis’s husband, explained his wife’s silent frustration when people misspell her name, he said, â€Å"it never hurts to just double check.† Steve Davis, also a newspaper journalism professor, as well as chair of the newspaper department at the Newhouse School, is very familiar with spelling mistakes and factual errors when it comes to news writing. Before coming to Newhouse, Davis had been the executive editor for the Public Opinion, the Chambersburg, Pa., community newspaper, and both national editor and Washington editor at USA Today. â€Å"It’s a miracle how few mistakes there are when you consider the hundreds and thousands of articles published every day,† Davis said. But even though he knows about all the hard work put toward error-free articles, he has still come to understand how unforgiving people can be when a journalist does make a mistake. When a person’s name is spelled wrong an article, â€Å"the reaction can be deadly,† Davis said. In a business where one must present his work to people who will examine it, and after one mistake deem it â€Å"crap,† Davis said, â€Å"it takes bravery to do that every day.† This harsh reality of the news writing industry provoked the thought process behind the Newhouse School’s spelling/grammatical/factual error grading policy in news writing and editing classes. In the first half of the introductory news ... ...licy that reveals itself during the second half of the semester. Students no longer receive an F for one error, but rather one letter-grade less than they would have received for an article with no mistakes. Students who have gotten two or three F’s on articles have still ended up getting an A in the course, Davis said, since the second half of the semester counts more than the first. â€Å"It’s all about learning,† Davis said. â€Å"If they show improvement, often the F’s from the beginning will get thrown out.† Sometimes the professors come together and say, â€Å"Should we change the policy?† Davis said. But in the end, they always agree it’s for the best. Since they won’t be changing the policy any time soon, Davis gives out a warning to students using someone’s name in an article. â€Å"Don’t take nametags for granted,† Davis said. â€Å"Remember, it never hurts to just double check.†

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 27

Chapter 27 The angel and I watched Star Wars for the second time on television last night, and I just had to ask. â€Å"You've been in God's presence, right, Raziel?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Do you think he sounds like James Earl Jones?† â€Å"Who's that?† â€Å"Darth Vader.† Raziel listened for a moment while Darth Vader threatened someone. â€Å"Sure, a little. He doesn't breathe that heavy though.† â€Å"And you've seen God's face.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Is he black?† â€Å"I'm not allowed to say.† â€Å"He is, isn't he? If he wasn't you'd just say he wasn't.† â€Å"I'm not allowed to say.† â€Å"He is.† â€Å"He doesn't wear a hat like that,† said Raziel. â€Å"Ah-ha!† â€Å"All I'm saying is no hat. That's all I'm saying.† â€Å"I knew it.† â€Å"I don't want to watch this anymore.† Raziel switched the channel. God (or someone who sounded like him) said, â€Å"This is CNN.† We came up to Jerusalem, in the gate at Bethsaida called the Eye of the Needle, where you had to duck down to pass through, out the Golden Gate, through the Kidron Valley, and over the Mount of Olives into Bethany. We had left the brothers and Matthew behind because they had jobs, and Bartholomew because he stank. His lack of cleanliness had started to draw attention lately from the local Pharisees in Capernaum and we didn't want to push the issue since we were walking into the lair of the enemy. Philip and Nathaniel joined us on our journey, but stayed behind on the Mount of Olives at a clearing called Gethsemane, where there was a small cave and an olive press. Joshua tried to convince me to stay with them, but I insisted. â€Å"I'll be fine,† Joshua said. â€Å"It's not my time. Jakan won't try anything, it's just dinner.† â€Å"I'm not worried about your safety, Josh, I just want to see Maggie.† I did want to see Maggie, but I was worried about Joshua's safety as well. Either way, I wasn't staying behind. Jakan met us at the gate wearing a new white tunic belted with a blue sash. He was stocky, but not as fat as I expected him to be, and almost exactly my height. His beard was black and long, but had been cut straight across about the level of his collarbone. He wore the pointed linen cap worn by many of the Pharisees, so I couldn't tell if he'd lost any of his hair. The fringe that hung down was dark brown, as were his eyes. The most frightening and perhaps the most surprising thing about him was that there was a spark of intelligence in his eyes. That hadn't been there when we were children. Perhaps seventeen years with Maggie had rubbed off on him. â€Å"Come in, fellow Nazarenes. Welcome to my home. There are some friends inside who wanted to meet you.† He led us through the door into a large great room, large enough in fact to fit any two of the houses we shared at Capernaum. The floor was paved in tile with turquoise and red mosaic spirals in the corners of the room (no pictures, of course). There was a long Roman-style table at which five other men, all dressed like Jakan, sat. (In Jewish households the tables were close to the ground and diners reclined on cushions or on the floor around them.) I didn't see Maggie anywhere, but a serving girl brought in large pitchers of water and bowls for us to wash our hands in. â€Å"Let this water stay water, will you, Joshua?† Jakan said, smiling. â€Å"We can't wash in wine.† Jakan introduced us to each of the men, adding some sort of elaborate title to each of their names that I didn't catch, but which indicated, I'm sure, that they were all members of the Sanhedrin as well as the Council of Pharisees. Ambush. They received us curtly, then made their way to the water bowls to wash their hands before dinner, all of them watching as Joshua and I washed and offered prayer. This, after all, was part of the test. We sat. The water pitchers and bowls were taken away by the serving girl, who then brought pitchers of wine. â€Å"So,† said the eldest of the Pharisees, â€Å"I hear you have been casting demons out of the afflicted in Galilee.† â€Å"Yes, we're having a lovely Passover week,† I said. â€Å"And you?† Joshua kicked me under the table. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"By the power of my father I have relieved the suffering of some who were plagued by demons.† When Joshua said â€Å"my father† every one of them squirmed. I noticed movement in one of the doorways to Jakan's back. It was Maggie, making signals and signs like a madwoman, but then Jakan spoke. Attention turned to him and Maggie ducked out of sight. Jakan leaned forward. â€Å"Some have said that you banish these demons by the power of Beelzebub.† â€Å"And how could I do that?† Joshua said, getting a little angry. â€Å"How could I turn Beelzebub against himself? How can I battle Satan with Satan? A house divided can't stand.† â€Å"Boy, I'm starving,† I said. â€Å"Bring on the eats.† â€Å"With the spirit of God I cast out demons, that's how you know the kingdom has come.† They didn't want to hear that. Hell, I didn't want to hear that, not here. If Joshua claimed to bring the kingdom, then he was claiming to be the Messiah, which by their way of thinking could be blasphemy, a crime punishable by death. It was one thing for them to hear it secondhand, it was quite another to have Joshua say it to their faces. But he, as usual, was unafraid. â€Å"Some say John the Baptist is the Messiah,† said Jakan. â€Å"There's nobody better than John,† Joshua said. â€Å"But John doesn't baptize with the Holy Ghost. I do.† They all looked at each other. They had no idea what he was talking about. Joshua had been preaching the Divine Spark – the Holy Ghost – for two years, but it was a new way of looking at God and the kingdom: it was a change. These legalists had worked hard to find their place of power; they weren't interested in change. Food was put on the table and prayers offered again, then we ate in silence for a while. Maggie was in the doorway behind Jakan again, gesturing with one hand walking over the other, mouthing words that I was supposed to understand. I had something I wanted to give her, but I had to see her in private. It was obvious that Jakan had forbidden her to enter the room. â€Å"Your disciples do not wash their hands before they eat!† said one of the Pharisees, a fat man with a scar over his eye. Bart, I thought. â€Å"It's not what goes into a man that defiles him,† Joshua said, â€Å"it's what comes out.† He broke off some of the flatbread and dipped it into a bowl of oil. â€Å"He means lies,† I said. â€Å"I know,† said the old Pharisee. â€Å"You were thinking something disgusting, don't lie.† The Pharisees passed the â€Å"no, your turn, no, it's your turn† look around the room. Joshua chewed his bread slowly, then said, â€Å"Why wash the outside of the urn, if there's decay on the inside?† â€Å"Yeah, like you rotting hypocrites!† I added, with more enthusiasm than was probably called for. â€Å"Quit helping!† Josh said. â€Å"Sorry. Nice wine. Manischewitz?† My shouting evidently stirred them out of their malaise. The old Pharisee said, â€Å"You consort with demons, Joshua of Nazareth. This Levi was seen to cause blood to come from a Pharisee's nose and a knife to break of its own, and no one even saw him move.† Joshua looked at me, then at them, then at me again. â€Å"You forget to tell me something?† â€Å"He was being an emrod, so I popped him.† (â€Å"Emrod† is the biblical term for hemorrhoid.) I heard Maggie's giggling from the other room. Joshua turned back to the creeps. â€Å"Levi who is called Biff has studied the art of the soldier in the East,† Joshua said. â€Å"He can move swiftly, but he is not a demon.† I stood up. â€Å"The invitation was for dinner, not a trial.† â€Å"This is no trial,† said Jakan, calmly. â€Å"We have heard of Joshua's miracles, and we have heard that he breaks the Law. We simply want to ask him by whose authority he does these things. This is dinner, otherwise, why would you be here?† I was wondering that myself, but Joshua answered me by pushing me down in my seat and proceeding to answer their accusations for another two hours, crafting parables and throwing their own piety back in their faces. While Joshua spoke the word of God, I did sleight-of-hand tricks with the bread and the vegetables, just to mess with them. Maggie came to the doorway and signaled me, pointing frantically to the front door and making threatening, head-bashing gestures which I took to be the consequences for my not understanding her this time. â€Å"Well, I've got to go see a man about a camel, if you'll excuse me.† I stepped out the front door. As soon as I closed it behind me I was hit with the spraying girl-spit of a violently whispering woman. â€Å"YoustupidsonofabitchwhatthefuckdidyouthinkIwastryingtosaytoyou?† She punched me in the arm. Hard. â€Å"No kiss?† I whispered. â€Å"Where can I meet you, after?† â€Å"You can't. Here, take this.† I handed her a small leather pouch. â€Å"There's a parchment inside to tell you what to do.† â€Å"I want to see you two.† â€Å"You will. Do what the note says. I have to go back in.† â€Å"You bastard.† Punch in the arm. Hard. I forgot what I was doing and entered the house still rubbing my bruised shoulder. â€Å"Levi, have you injured yourself?† â€Å"No, Jakan, but sometimes I strain a shoulder muscle just shaking this monster off.† The Pharisees hated that one. I realized that they were waiting for me to request water so I could go through the whole hand-washing ritual before I sat down to the table again. I stood there, thinking about it, rubbing my shoulder, waiting. How long could it possibly take to read a note? It seemed like a long time, with them staring at me, but I'm sure it was only a few minutes. Then it came, the scream. Maggie let go from the next room, long and high and loud, a virtuoso scream of terror and panic and madness. I bent over and whispered into Joshua's ear, â€Å"Just follow my lead. No, just don't do anything. Nothing.† â€Å"But – â€Å" The Pharisees all looked like someone had dropped hot coals into their laps as the scream went on, and on. Maggie had great sustain. Before Jakan could get up to investigate, there came my girl – still shrieking, I might add – a lovely green foam running out of her mouth, her dress torn and hanging in shreds on her blood-streaked body and blood running from the corners of her eyes. She screamed in Jakan's face and rolled her eyes, then leapt onto the table and growled as she kicked every piece of crockery off onto the floor where it shattered. The servant girl ran through screaming, â€Å"Demons have taken her, demons have taken her!† then bolted out the front door. Maggie started screeching again, then ran up and down the length of the table, urinating as she went. (Nice touch, I would never have thought of that.) The Pharisees had backed up against the wall, including Jakan, as Maggie fell on her back on the table, thrashing and growling and screaming obscenities while splattering the front of their white cloaks with green foam, urine, and blood. â€Å"Devils! She's been possessed by devils. Lots of them,† I shouted. â€Å"Seven,† Maggie said between growls. â€Å"Looks like seven,† I said. â€Å"Doesn't it, Josh?† I grabbed the back of Joshua's hair and sort of made him nod in agreement. No one was really watching him anyway, as Maggie was now spouting impressive fountains of green foam both out of her mouth and from between her legs. (Again, a nice touch I wouldn't have thought of.) She settled into a vibrating fit rhythm, with barking and obscenities for counterpoint. â€Å"Well, Jakan,† I said politely, â€Å"thank you for dinner. It's been lovely but we have to be going.† I pulled Joshua to his feet by his collar. He was a little perplexed himself. Not terrified like our host, but perplexed. â€Å"Wait,† Jakan said. â€Å"Festering dog penis!† Maggie snarled to no one in particular, but I think everyone knew who she meant. â€Å"Oh, all right, we'll try to help her,† I said. â€Å"Joshua, grab an arm.† I pushed him forward and Maggie grabbed his wrist. I went around to the other side of the table and got hold of her other arm. â€Å"We have to get her out of this house of defilement.† Maggie's fingernails bit into my arm as I lifted her up and she pulled herself along on Josh's wrist, pretending to thrash and fight. I dragged her out the front door and into the courtyard. â€Å"Make an effort, Joshua, would you,† Maggie whispered. Jakan and the Pharisees bunched at the door. â€Å"We need to take her into the wilderness to safely cast out the devils,† I shouted. I dragged her, and Joshua for that matter, into the street and kicked the heavy gate closed. Maggie relaxed and stood up. A mound of green foam cascaded off of her chest. â€Å"Don't relax yet, Maggie. When we're farther away.† â€Å"Pork-eating goat fucker!† â€Å"That's the spirit.† â€Å"Hi, Maggie,† Joshua said, taking her arm and finally helping me drag. â€Å"I think it went really well for short notice,† I said. â€Å"You know, Pharisees make the best witnesses.† â€Å"Let's go to my brother's house,† she whispered. â€Å"We can send word that I'm incurable from there. â€Å"Rat molester!† â€Å"It's okay, Maggie, we're out of range now.† â€Å"I know. I was talking to you. Why'd you take seventeen years to get me out of there?† â€Å"You're beautiful in green, did I ever tell you that?† â€Å"I've got to think that that was unethical,† Joshua said. â€Å"Josh, faking demonic possession is like a mustard seed.† â€Å"How is it like a mustard seed?† â€Å"You don't know, do you? Doesn't seem at all like a mustard seed, does it? Now you see how we all feel when you liken things unto a mustard seed? Huh?† At Simon the Leper's house Joshua went to the door first by himself so Maggie's appearance didn't scare the humus out of her brother and sister. Martha answered the door. â€Å"Shalom, Martha. I'm Joshua bar Joseph, of Nazareth. Remember me from the wedding in Cana? I've brought your sister Maggie.† â€Å"Let me see.† Martha tapped her fingernail on her chin while she searched her memory in the night sky. â€Å"Were you the one who changed the water into wine? Son of God, was it?† â€Å"There's no need to be that way,† Joshua said. I popped my head around Josh's shoulder. â€Å"I gave your sister a powder that sort of foamed her up all red and green. She's a bit nasty-looking right now.† â€Å"I'm sure that becomes her,† said Martha, with an exasperated sigh. â€Å"Come in.† She led us inside. I stood by the door while Joshua sat on the floor by the table. Martha took Maggie to the back of the house to help her clean up. It was a large house by our country standards, but not nearly as big as Jakan's. Still, Simon had done well for the son of a blacksmith. I didn't see Simon anywhere. â€Å"Come sit at the table,† Joshua said. â€Å"Nope, I'm fine by the door here.† â€Å"What's the matter?† â€Å"Do you know whose house this is?† â€Å"Of course, Maggie's brother Simon's.† I lowered my voice. â€Å"imon-Say the eper-Lay.† â€Å"Come sit down. I'll watch over you.† â€Å"Nope. I'm fine here.† Just then Simon came in from the other room carrying a pitcher of wine and a tray of cups in his rag-wrapped hands. White linen covered his face except for his eyes, which were as clear and blue as Maggie's. â€Å"Welcome, Joshua, Levi – it's been a long time.† We'd known Simon as boys, spending as much time as we did hanging around Maggie's father's shop, but he had been older, learning his father's craft then, and far too serious to be associating with boys. In my memory he was strong and tall, but now the leprosy had bent him over like an old woman. Simon set the cups down and poured for the three of us. I remained against the wall by the door. â€Å"Martha doesn't take well to serving,† Simon said, by way of apologizing for doing the serving himself. â€Å"She tells me that you turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana.† â€Å"Simon,† Joshua said, â€Å"I can heal your affliction, if you'll allow me.† â€Å"What affliction?† He lay down at the table across from Joshua. â€Å"Biff, come sit with us.† He patted a cushion next to him and I ducked in the event that fingers started flying. â€Å"I understand that Jakan used my sister as bait for a trap for you two.† â€Å"Not much of a trap,† Joshua said. â€Å"You expected that?† I asked. â€Å"I thought there would be more, the whole Pharisee council perhaps. I wanted to answer them directly, not have my words passed through a dozen spies and rumormongers. I also wanted to see if there would be any Sadducees there.† Just then I realized what Joshua had already figured out: the Sadducees, the priests, weren't involved in Jakan's little surprise inquisition. They had been born to their power, and were not as easily threatened as the working-class Pharisees. And the Sadducees were the more powerful half of the Sanhedrin, the ones who commanded the soldiers of the Temple guard. Without the priests, the Pharisees were vipers without fangs, for now anyway. â€Å"I hope we haven't brought the judgment of the Pharisees down on your head, Simon,† Joshua said. Simon waved a hand in dismissal. â€Å"Not to worry. There'll be no Pharisees coming here. Jakan is terrified of me, and if he really believes that Maggie is possessed, and if his friends believe it, well, I'd bet he's divorced her already.† â€Å"She can come back to Galilee with us,† I said, looking at Joshua, who looked at Simon, as if to ask permission. â€Å"She may do as she wishes.† â€Å"What I wish is to get out of Bethany before Jakan comes to his senses,† Maggie said, coming from the other room. She wore a simple woolen dress and her hair was still dripping. There was still green goo on her sandals. She came across the room, knelt down, and gave her brother a huge hug, then a kiss on the eyebrow. â€Å"If he comes by or sends word, you'll tell him I'm still here.† I sensed Simon was smiling under the veil. â€Å"You don't think he'll want to come in and look around?† â€Å"The coward,† Maggie spat. â€Å"Amen,† I said. â€Å"How did you stay with a creep like that all of these years?† â€Å"After the first year he didn't want to be anywhere near me. Unclean, don't you know? I told him I was bleeding.† â€Å"For all those years?† â€Å"Sure. Do you think he would embarrass himself among the members of the Pharisee council by asking them about their own wives?† Joshua said, â€Å"I can heal you of that affliction, if you'll allow me, Maggie.† â€Å"What affliction?† â€Å"You should go,† Simon said. â€Å"I'll send word about what Jakan has done as soon as I know. If he hasn't done it already, I have a friend who will plant the idea that if he doesn't divorce Maggie his place on the Sanhedrin might be questioned.† Simon and Martha waved to us from the doorway, Martha looking like a compact ghost of her older sister and Simon just looking like a ghost. And thus did we become eleven. There was a full moon and a sky full of stars thrown over us as we walked back to Gethsemane. From the top of the Mount of Olives we could see across the Kidron Valley to the Temple. Black smoke streamed into the sky from the sacrificial fires which the priests tended day and night. I held Maggie's hand as we walked through the grove of ancient olive trees and out into the clearing near the oil press where we camped. Philip and Nathaniel had built a fire and there were two strangers sitting by it with them. They all stood up as we approached. Philip glared at me, which baffled me until I remembered that he'd been with us at Cana, and seen Joshua and Maggie dancing at the wedding. He thought I was trying to steal Joshua's girl. I let her hand go. â€Å"Master,† said Nathaniel, tossing his yellow hair, â€Å"new disciples. These are Thaddeus and Thomas the Twins.† Thaddaeus stepped up to Joshua. He was about my height and age, and wore a tattered woolen tunic and looked especially gaunt, as if he might be starving. His hair was cut short like a Roman's, but it looked as if someone had cut it with a dull piece of flint. Somehow he looked familiar. â€Å"Rabbi, I heard you preach when you were with John. I have been with him for two years.† A follower of John, that's where I knew him from, although I didn't remember meeting him. That explained the hungry look as well. â€Å"Welcome, Thaddaeus,† Joshua said. â€Å"These are Biff and Mary Magdalene, disciples and friends.† â€Å"Call me Maggie,† Maggie said. Joshua stepped over to Thomas the Twins, who was only one guy, younger, perhaps twenty, his beard still like soft down in places, his clothes finer than any of ours. â€Å"And Thomas.† â€Å"Don't, you're standing on Thomas Two,† Thomas squealed. Nathaniel pushed Joshua aside and whispered in his ear a little too loudly. â€Å"He sees his twin but no one else can. You said to show mercy, so I haven't told him that he's mad.† â€Å"And so you shall be shown mercy, Nathaniel,† Joshua said. â€Å"So we won't tell you that you're a ninny,† I added. â€Å"Welcome, Thomas,† Joshua said, embracing the boy. â€Å"And Thomas Two,† Thomas said. â€Å"Forgive me. Welcome, Thomas Two, as well,† said Joshua to a perfectly empty spot in space. â€Å"Come to Galilee and help us spread the good news.† â€Å"He's over there,† said Thomas, pointing to a different spot, equally empty. And thus did we become thirteen. On the trip back to Capernaum Maggie told us about her life, about the dreams she had set aside, and about a child that had died in the first year of her marriage. I could see Joshua was shaken when he heard of the child, and I knew he was thinking that if we hadn't taken off to the East, he would have been there to save it. â€Å"After that,† Maggie said, â€Å"Jakan didn't come near me. There was bleeding right after the baby died, and as far as he knew it never stopped. He's always been afraid that someone might think that there's a curse on his house, so my duties as a wife were public only. It's a double-edged sword for him. In order to appear dutiful I had to go to the synagogue and to the women's court in the Temple, but if they thought I was going there while I was bleeding I would have been driven out, maybe stoned, and Jakan would have been shamed. Who knows what he'll do now.† â€Å"He'll divorce you,† I said. â€Å"He'll have to if he wants to save face with the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin.† Strangely enough, it was Joshua who I had trouble consoling about Maggie's lost child. She'd lived with the loss for years, cried over it, allowed it to heal as much as it would, but the wound was fresh for Joshua. He walked far behind us, shunning the new disciples who pranced around him like excited puppies. I could tell that he was talking to his father, and it didn't seem to be going well. â€Å"Go talk to him,† Maggie said. â€Å"It wasn't his fault. It was God's will.† â€Å"That's why he feels responsible,† I said. We hadn't explained to Maggie about the Holy Ghost, the kingdom, all the changes that Joshua wanted to bring to mankind, and how those were at odds, at times, with the Torah. â€Å"Go talk to him,† she said. I fell back in our column, past Philip and Thaddaeus, who were trying to explain to Nathaniel that it was his own voice he heard when he put his fingers in his ears and spoke, and not the voice of God, and past Thomas, who was having an animated discussion with empty air. I walked along beside Joshua for a while before I spoke, and then I tried to sound matter-of-fact. â€Å"You had to go to the East, Joshua. You know that now.† â€Å"I didn't have to go right then. That was cowardly. Would it have been so bad to watch her marry Jakan? To see her child born?† â€Å"Yes, it would have. You can't save everyone.† â€Å"Have you been asleep these last twenty years?† â€Å"Have you? Unless you can change the past, you're wasting the present on this guilt. If you don't use what you learned in the East then maybe we shouldn't have gone. Maybe leaving Israel was cowardly.† I felt my face go numb as if the blood had drained from it. Had I said that? So, we walked along for a while in silence, not looking at each other. I counted birds, listened to the murmur of the disciples' voices ahead, watched Maggie's ass move under her dress as she walked, not really enjoying the elegance of it. â€Å"Well, I, for one, feel better,† said Joshua finally. â€Å"Thanks for cheering me up.† â€Å"Glad to help,† I said. We arrived in Capernaum on the morning of the fifth day after leaving Bethany. Peter and the others had been preaching the good news to the people on the shore of Galilee and there was a crowd of perhaps five hundred people waiting for us. The tension had passed between Joshua and me and the rest of the journey had been pleasant, if for no other reason than we got to hear Maggie laugh and tease us. My jealousy of Joshua returned, but somehow it wasn't bitter. It was more like familiar grief for a distant loss, not the sword-in-the-heart, rending-of-flesh agony of a heartbreak. I could actually leave the two of them alone and talk to other people – think of other things. Maggie loved Joshua, that was assured, but she loved me as well, and there was no way to divine how that might manifest. By following Joshua we had already divorced ourselves of the expectations of normal existence. Marriage, home, family: they were not part of the life we had chosen, Joshua made that clear to all of his disciples. Yes, some of them were married, and some even preached with their wives at their sides, but what set them apart from the multitudes who would follow Joshua was that they had stepped off the path of their own lives to spread the Word. It was to the Word that I lost Maggie, not to Joshua. As exhausted as he was, as hungry, Joshua preached to them. They had been waiting for us and he wouldn't disappoint them. He climbed into one of Peter's boats, rowed out from the shore far enough for the crowd to be able to see him, and he preached to them about the kingdom for two hours. When he had finished, and had sent the crowd on their way, two newcomers waited among the disciples. They were both compact, strong-looking men in their mid-twenties. One was clean-shaven and wore his hair cut short, so that it formed a helmet of ringlets on his head; the other had long hair with his beard plaited and curled in the style I had seen on some Greeks. Although they wore no jewelry, and their clothes were no more fancy than my own, there was an air of wealth about them both. I thought it might have been power, but if it was, it wasn't the self-conscious power of the Pharisees. If nothing else, they were self-assured. The one with the long hair approached Joshua and kneeled before him. â€Å"Rabbi, we've heard you speak of the coming of the kingdom and we want to join you. We want to help spread the Word.† Joshua looked at the man for a long time, smiling to himself, before he spoke. He took the man by the shoulders and lifted him. â€Å"Stand up. You are welcome, friends.† The stranger seemed baffled. He looked back at his friend, then at me, as if I had some answer to his confusion. â€Å"This is Simon,† he said, nodding toward his friend. â€Å"My name is Judas Iscariot.† â€Å"I know who you are,† Joshua said. â€Å"I've been waiting for you.† And so we became fifteen: Joshua, Maggie, and me; Bartholomew, the Cynic; Peter and Andrew, John and James, the fishermen; Matthew, the tax collector; Nathaniel of Cana, the young nitwit; Philip and Thaddeus, who had been followers of John the Baptist; Thomas the twin, who was a loony; and the Zealots, Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot. Fifteen went out into Galilee to preach the Holy Ghost, the coming of the kingdom, and the good news that the Son of God had arrived.