Love. Narration English Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Love. Portrayal English Paper - Essay Example My dad was driving and my mom was perched on the front seat. I was perched on the secondary lounge with my sibling and we were getting a charge out of by tuning in to music and taking pictures along the street. When our vehicle turned towards the roadway, a truck that had messed up came and struck our vehicle. Our vehicle spun lastly stopped. I was trembling as I saw blood pouring down from my brother’s face. My folks and my more youthful sibling were oblivious. It was a terrifying sight and I was in a condition of stun. Before long ambulances came to and we were taken to the medical clinic. My sibling and my mom supported wounds however they were released following two days. The mishap was the most terrifying event of my life. Till this day, the recognition of the mishap makes me shudder as I can't overlook the situation when I felt defenseless and didn't have a clue what to do. I had bad dreams of the mishap and it took a very long time for me to recoup from the

AC/DC - Black Ice free essay sample

In October 2008, Australian hard rock band AC/DC discharged its first studio collection in quite a while entitled Black Ice. After its discharge, the collection shot to number one on 29 graphs around the world, selling 784,000 duplicates in the United States and over 1.7 million worldwide in its first week. The track Rock N Roll Train was discharged as a solitary and keeps on being a top played tune on many radio broadcasts. Air conditioning/DC was shaped in 1973 by siblings Angus and Malcolm Young, who are the groups guitarists, alongside drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams. Lead vocalist Brian Johnson joined the band in 1980 after the lamentable demise of artist Bon Scott. They have created an aggregate of seventeen collections to date, including their 1980 discharge Back in Black which sold more than 200 million duplicates. The band has endure the trial of time by keeping a dependable fan base and a predictable melodic style. Other exemplary groups have frequently surrendered to the weights of present day popular music, getting delicate, smooth and less intricate. We will compose a custom exposition test on Air conditioning/DC Black Ice or then again any comparative subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page This can draw in new fans, yet incenses a lot progressively faithful fans. Air conditioning/DC despite everything gives its supporters what they need, which is noisy awesome with a lot of amazing harmonies, riffs and drumming. On Black Ice, they have made fifteen new and interesting tracks while as yet having the option to shake as they did in the early years. Subsequent to giving the collection an underlying tuning in, the tunes Anything Goes, Smash N Grab, and Money Made were the most engaging due to their incredible and noticeable guitar, bass and vocals. The vast majority of different tunes take a couple of more tunes in to genuinely appreciate. Generally speaking, this collection gets a rating of 4.5 out of 5, since fans will acknowledge AC/DCs trustworthiness to adhere to their foundations for thirty-five years. It is a decent proposal for any fanatic of hard rock or substantial metal to look at this collection. Dark Ice is a collection that will be famous and impact the music business for a considerable length of time to come.

Ultimate Guide to Paleo Diet

Ultimate Guide to Paleo Diet These days, it appears that more and more people are becoming more concerned about being healthy and not simply being lean by losing weight. Losing weight can be done in various ways, the most recommended of which is working out at the gym or engaging in sports and other physical activities. Combine that with a balanced diet, and you can be sure to lose weight, be fit, and get the body you want.The types of diets are becoming diverse, with so many diet and food programs cropping up left, right and center, claiming to be the “best” and “most effective” weight loss and health programs. These diet programs quickly become popular trends, but many of them also end up fizzling out quickly, joining the heap of “diet fads” that seemed to work at first, but do not really last long enough to take a permanent hold in the consciousness of the public. This could be because they aren’t really as effective as they claimed to be, or some other food program or diet plan has emerged to t ake its place in the rankings.Weight loss is no longer the only reason why diets are getting the amount of attention that they are getting. In addition to looking slim and flexibility while being able to fit in smaller-size clothes, good health and long life are slowly becoming bigger concerns. People now take these into consideration when choosing the type of diet to follow.South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet, DASH Diet, Jenny Craig Diet, Weight Watchers Diet, Mediterranean Diet… these are only a few of the most popular and enduring food programs today. However, there is another diet that has been around for quite a while now, and is still getting a lot of support from health buffs and medical professionals. We can comfortably say that this diet has stood the test of time. It is the Paleo Diet. © Shutterstock | MaraZeIn this guide, we explain 1) what is the Paleo Diet, 2) what are the Paleo principles, 3) pros and cons, and 4) what to eat and what not according to the Paleo Diet.WHAT IS PALEO?You’ve probably heard of the Caveman Diet and the Stone Age Diet. These are actually one and the same, and are simply alternative names for what is known as the Paleo Diet. But what is Paleo?The more complete and accurate name for Paleo is actually “Paleolithic diet”, in reference to the prehistoric era when cavemen, or Paleolithic humans, lived. It was called as such because it operated on the premise that you should eat what our ancestors â€" the cavemen during the Stone Age â€" ate. That is why we also often hear Paleo being described as the “hunter-gatherer” diet.The origins of the Paleo diet can be traced to the growing awareness that the current diets, particularly in first-world countries, are seen as the main culprits in many health and medical problems, such as obes ity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, and various types of cancer.These â€" heart diseases and Type 2 diabetes, in particular â€" have become referred to as “diseases of civilization” or “lifestyle diseases”, because they became more prevalent as modern age was ushered in and the Stone Age was left behind. They are also mostly traceable back to how one leads his lifestyle, specifically the components of the western diet that he mostly follows.As such, many diets are focusing on cutting down or regulating one’s calorie intake and increasing the consumption of specific foods that provide specific nutritional components. Still, some of these do not seem to be enough, and the high number of contradictions tends to confuse us even more. Paleo is gaining a lot of ground, because it encourages us to go “back to the basics”, or go back to the beginning. The lifestyle diseases that are now very common were non-existent   during the Stone Age, and this is the ins piration that advocates of the Paleo diet are going with.From the little that we know about people back then, we know that the average Stone Age man was tall, agile, athletic, muscular, and healthy. This is not something that we can say for the average man during this modern day and age, where this or that disease is a threat, and they are under a lot of stress and sleep deprivation.They took a look at what the people during the Paleolithic era ate, how they lived and the activities they were engaged in. People back then didn’t have junk food, pasta or processed foods. Regardless of this, they lived long, fit and healthy lives. So why not do the same today?PRINCIPLES OF PALEOThe primary claim of Paleo is a healthier and disease-free life, since it focuses on the prevention and control of many chronic degenerative diseases. In addition, it is also recommended for weight loss and the maintenance of a lean body after weight loss as long as you implement a balance between your food pl an, calorie intake, and physical exercise. Keep in mind, however, that weight loss is not really the goal of Paleo. Improved overall health is.The core principles of paleo can be summed up in one sentence: “eat what the cavemen ate, and avoid what they didn’t.” It’s as simple as that. Take note that the Stone Age era was way before agriculture and modern techniques in farming were introduced, so the food products that were produced through these techniques are excluded from the food list.To this end, we can further simplify Paleo as going without grains, sugar, and processed foods. This will be discussed in more detail later in this article. One thing that must be made clear, however: Paleo is not the diet alone, although it cannot be denied that it gained popularity because of its diet and food plans. Paleo, as a whole, refers to a lifestyle that has been in existence from way back during the prehistoric times. It is only in recent years that it is being taken seriously. On e integral part of this lifestyle is the diet, which we will be looking into in the succeeding discussion.PROS AND CONS OF PALEOIt may help you to understand Paleo further if we take a look at its noted advantages and disadvantages.Advantages+ Easy to follow. The specific dos and don’ts are laid out, all you have to do is to follow them. The foods to avoid and foods to eat are clear, and so are the restrictions.+ Helps weight loss. This is due to its “no sugar” characteristic. Yes, going Paleo means almost completely eliminating sugar from your food list. Sugar, or glucose, is a source of energy and a component that we actually need in order for our body to function. However, natural sugars, particularly those from fruits, are recommended. Unfortunately, we get sugar from other sources, and often in excessive amounts too. Intake of too much sugar can cause an energy spike, since it has to be processed by the body immediately. Otherwise, these sugars will turn to fat that is st ored under the skin. With no sugar on your diet, your weight loss regimen is aided.+ Does not limit meat. People who love to eat meat need not be concerned about completely cutting it out of their diets. They can still enjoy meat; after all, the hunter-gatherers during prehistoric times ate meat too, didn’t they?Disadvantages Expensive. Most of the popular diets cost money if followed strictly, and it is no different with Paleo. In fact, it is quite pricey, since they mostly focus on produce and meat, and these do not come cheap, especially if they are unprocessed. Removes grains. Paleo eliminates grains from the diet, which can be a bummer to many people. However, it is a fact that grains are composed mainly of carbohydrates that are turned into glucose which may, in turn, be stored as fat if not used by the body for energy. Again, we will look into grains further later. Say goodbye to (some) dairy. Are you the type that loves processed milk and dairy products such as cheese? The n you’ll be sorry to hear that going Paleo means giving up on dairy as well. This may be a little hard, especially for those who literally grew up having these for breakfast. Requires a lot of discipline. Aside from following the food plan, you have to combine it with exercise and physical activity â€" just like how people lived during the Stone Age.PALEO FOOD PALEO DIETNow it is time to take a closer look at the foods that you should include in your Paleo diet. Of course, it is equally important to identify those that you have to avoid.What To EatThe key point to remember when picking foods to add on your Paleo food list is that they must be unprocessed (or, even if they have undergone processing, only at a minimal, barely significant rate) and they must also occur naturally.MeatsYes, the carnivore in you can breathe easy, because you can still enjoy meats and get your animal protein fix in Paleo. However, you have to be mindful of the meats that you eat.You must choose meat fro m livestock that has been fed with grass, instead of grains. Why? Because eating grain-fed meats is an indirect way of consuming grains, and we have already established that grains are an absolute no-no in Paleo. It wouldn’t hurt to do some research on whether the meats are obtained from pasture-raised animals, since these are the ones that are most likely to be grass-fed.Aside from red meat and pork, you may also include animal organs such as liver and kidney in your Paleo meal plan. Meats from poultry or fowls, such as free range chicken, turkey and duck, are also great choices. If you are going to be eating chicken, look for ones that are derived from free range chicken.[slideshare id=58550973doc=thelazypeoplewaytopaleodiet-160222115014type=dw=640h=330]SeafoodSeafood is another excellent source of animal protein. As the name implies, stick to those that actually came from the sea, instead of “farmed seafood”, or those that have been raised in a cultured and controlled envir onment such as fishponds. These controlled environments often make use of some substances that are potentially toxic to the farmed seafood andby extension, to the one that consumes them.Wild fish, or fish caught directly from the ocean, is preferred.Shellfish, also preferably caught in the wild.Fruits, nuts and seedsLook at most other types of diets, and fruits are sure to be present. This is because they are excellent sources of natural sugar, which is the best type of sugar. However, try to stick with the fruits that have low sugar content. Berries are also highly recommended because of their antioxidant properties.If you are trying the Paleo diet with the ultimate goal of losing weight, you will have to regulate your fruit intake. Remember, too much sugar â€" even if it is the natural and the best kind â€" will still not be good if you want to keep excess fats at bay.It is also all right to include nuts and seeds in your list, but consume in moderation. If your goal is to lose we ight, however, you should just eliminate nuts altogether. In fact, peanuts should be avoided entirely.VegetablesJust like fruits, vegetables are also staples in almost every diet program. The great thing about them is that you can basically go all-out with them, since they are rich in nutrients that your body needs.Still, you have to be careful when choosing the types of vegetables you eat, paying particular attention to how it is served or cooked. Deep-fried vegetables are not ideal since they may be steeped in too much oil and the deep-frying process can easily remove all those nutrients that you wanted to get in the first place.Root vegetables and tubers also fall under this category. Undoubtedly, one of the most known tubers is the sweet potato, which is also recognized as one of the best sources of natural carbohydrates and starch. Yams are not far behind on the list.Natural oils and fatsBelieve it or not, paleo does not shun fats. In fact, it encourages high fat levels, but we are not talking about just any kind of fat. It must be the good kind of fat, or saturated fats and natural fats.“Natural” being the operative word, choose the oils that are sourced from natural and unprocessed foods. Excellent examples are olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, fish oil, flaxseed oil and macadamia oil.Saturated fats are obtained from coconut oil, as well as butter. (Butter, but not margarine.) So, yes, some processed dairy products are acceptable. Animal fat is not frowned on, either, provided that it comes from grass-fed animals that are healthy and raised and treated well. Examples are lard, duck fat, and beef tallow.Be careful and watch out for the following:Some of these oils may have undergone a lot of processing, thus stripping them of their natural properties.Beware of hydrogenated and semi-hydrogenated vegetable oils, as they have undergone processing. Examples are canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil.Take note of the usage of the oils. So me are meant for cooking while others are for drizzling only or for mixing with dressings and dips. Examples are avocado oil and olive oil.EggsIn the same way some butters are allowed in the paleo diet, eggs also are allowed. Again, the eggs should be produced by free-range poultry in order for it to be Paleo-compliant.What Not To EatThe first impression that newbies have about paleo is that all carbs are bad. That is not the case, because Paleo still recognizes the importance of carbs for the body. However, there are certain considerations, such as the type of carb (or, more specifically, its source) and the amount of carb intake.Paleo gives a nod to carbs obtained from vegetables and fruits, and a popular favorite is the sweet potato. Therefore, going Paleo does not mean eliminating carbs completely from your food list.Here are the other food items that you should also avoid eating (because, hey, our ancestors who lived in caves certainly avoided them as well!).Cereals and grainsA s mentioned earlier, grains are very rich in carbohydrates. We all know that carbohydrates are sources of energy for the body once they have been transformed into glucose, which is a type of sugar. Excess fats, which lead to obesity, come from any unused glucose. This means that, with the intake of grains, there are higher chances of fat being accumulated in the body.Grains are also known for containing gluten, a type of protein that most people develop an intolerance against, leading them to suffer conditions such as joint pains, acid reflux, and even reproductive problems.Lectins, which are natural toxins that can damage the gastrointestinal tract, is also abundant in many types of grains.Avoid these grains: barley, corn, wheat, oats, rye and brown rice. This may be confusing, especially at the beginning, for those who have tried other diets beforehand, particularly those that incorporate wheat in the diet. But in Paleo, grains are to be avoided.LegumesJust like cereals and grains , legumes must be cut out from your diet. These include, but are not limited to black-eyed peas, kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, and soy.Dairy productsExcept for some butters, remove all dairy products from your food list. This is often a confusing aspect of Paleo, since some dairy products are good while others simply have no place in your Paleo diet. For one thing, dairy has high carbohydrate content and the lactose they contain are also identified as causes of weight problems, issues on insulin control and certain conditions such as Crohn’s disease.Not all dairy are bad, however. If you cannot completely cut out milk or yogurt, look for the full-fat or fermented products or, better yet, raw milk from pasture-fed animals.Fruit juices and sodasThese contain, in abundance, the sugar that we want so much to avoid: refined sugars.Packaged snacks and treatsAgain, these foods include refined sugars and artificial sweeteners, not to mention a lot of sodium and salt. These are al so sure to have undergone a lot of processing, which makes them unhealthy in Paleo’s standards.While it is true that Paleo may seem like it has a lot of restrictions, it still leaves a wide room for you to move around. There are still a lot of food choices that you can go through when creating your Paleo food list and, best of all, you will still enjoy good food while looking out for your health and well-being.

Top 80s Songs of American College Rock Band Violent Femmes

Analysis Of The Poem Anthem For Doomed Youth Essay

The most successful text is one which challenges us to re-asses out thinking. â€Å"Anthem for doomed youth† According to Google dictionary, an anthem is, â€Å"a rousing or uplifting song,† whereas this poem is more like a dismal song about mourning the deaths of those lost at war. Owen’s description of adolescent male soldiers being doomed augments his interpretation of young soldiers being extremely at risk within combat. ‘Doomed’ is a word that carries the effect and imagery of these young men being sent to their doom by propagandists and recruiters, and becoming denied of the remembrance they deserve as they lose their lives to the ruins of war. Aim at Propagandists: â€Å"die as cattle’ This simile allows Owen to immediately establish his full judgment of war which is that every soldier who participates within the ruins of war is participating in being herded like cattle to a certain and barbaric death almost immediately. â€Å"monstrous anger of the guns† Owen’s personification of the anger of the guns as being monstrous not only implies the guns being loud, destructive, and terrifying, but also that the events that occur within war were caused by a variety of inhuman acts. Through this utilization, Owen is successful in conveying the reality of one of the many horrendous facts of warfare. â€Å"riffles’ rapid rattles† This line indicates the rat-a-tat-tat of the riffles in which fire consistently until there is no one to kill. Owen’s utilization of this line allows him to underpin theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Owen s Poem Anthem For Doomed Youth 831 Words   |  4 PagesIn Owen’s poem, â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth†, the speaker meditates on both the brevity and value of life. From the very beginning of the poem, it is evident that Owen (the author and speaker) has a negative view of the war, believing that the political powers that are using the soldiers do not value them either as people or as soldiers, either when they are living or as they die. As he reflects on how little effort is put forth to honor the death of the soldiers with funeral rites, he also pondersRead MoreAnalysis Of Poem Anthem For Doomed Youth By Wilfred Owen And Trench Duty927 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout history, wars have been an important factor affe cting many people’s lives. The two sonnets â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† by Wilfred Owen and â€Å"Trench Duty† by Siegfried Sassoon are two tales inspired by their experiences fighting in WW1 and all the horrors that war made them experience. Both poets use different sonnet structures, yet convey quite similar messages. In addition, these poets develop powerful images and metaphors, but in subtly different ways. Sassoon and Owen use structure, imageryRead MoreAnalysis of Anthem for Doomed Youth1382 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† Originally published in 1920, shortly after World War I, â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† demonstrates the horror of the unjust deaths of young soldiers. â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† is a poem about Owen’s distain towards the honourless way in which young soldiers pass on, and the impact their deaths have on the loved ones they leave behind. The following essay will show that in the anti-war poem, â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth†, Owen uses sensational descriptionRead MoreEssay about WWI Sources1632 Words   |  7 Pagesindividuals to better understand the facts, feeling and context of the home front and battlefield of World War One. Autobiographies, diaries, letters, official records, photographs and poems are examples of primary sources from World War One. The two primary sources analyzed in this essay are the poems, â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† by Wilfred Owen and â€Å"In Flanders Fields† by John McCrae. Primary sources are often personal, written from the limited perspective of a single individual. It is very difficult forRead MoreEssay about Analysis of Anthem For Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen937 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of Anthem For Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen The first poem that I am to analyse is Anthem for Doomed Youth, written by Wilfred Owen. This poem is a sonnet. It has fourteen lines. In this poem, the first and fourth lines rhyme, as do the second and third. The first stanza is mainly about the battlefield, whereas the second stanza is more about the feelings of friends and family back at home. This poem starts off at a quick pace, and then slows down throughout Read MoreAnthem for Doomed Youth - Analysis1143 Words   |  5 PagesAnthem for Doomed Youth - Analysis The very title that Wilfred Owen chose for his war poem, Anthem for Doomed Youth is an apt representation of what he wanted the poem to encapsulate and the emotions he wanted to evoke in the readers. The word anthem and doomed youth is a stark juxtaposition when placed in the same sentence. An anthem is supposed to be something revered, something that represents the glory of a country and is bursting with national pride. However, when placed rightRead More Consider changes Owen made in Anthem For Doomed Youth. How effective1664 Words   |  7 PagesConsider changes Owen made in Anthem For Doomed Youth. How effective do you find them in presenting the Pity of War? In this essay I intend to analysis how effective the redrafts of the poem Anthem For Doomed Youth by comparing the first and final drafts. I will go about this task by comparing and contrasting the parts of the poem, which have been change to the ones, which appeared in the final draft. The first change that one is confronted with is the change of the title. Owen beginsRead MorePoetry and War1681 Words   |  7 Pagesby: vdg How does Owen explore the themes of war through the power of his poetry? Answer Q Owen expresses the themes of war through the unique power of poetry. Both the mental and physical brutality of war is emphasised in the poems, â€Å"The Send off,† â€Å"Anthem for doomed youth† and â€Å"Spring Offensive,† furthering the responder’s understanding of a soldier’s life on the western front. Owen employs various poetic devices such as imagery, symbolism and sound techniques, and powerful language features, togetherRead MoreWilfred Owen Techniques1135 Words   |  5 Pagesabove i will provide an analysis of his poetry in general. Matter All of Owens poetry we have studied is based around the horrors of war and the physical and emotional trauma that it caused to those that experienced it firsthand. The themes that are strongly expressed are those of horror, pain and ultimately death. Owen effectively expresses feeling that helps to create an emotional response for the reader by the depressing sometimes even shocking nature of his poems that depict the overallRead MoreAnalysis of The Charge Of The Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson553 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of The Charge Of The Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson The second poem I an going to analyse is The Charge Of The Light Brigade, it is about the Crimean War. It is a famous Regiment of 600 men. The poem was written by Alfred Lord Tennyson. The poem was based on a newspaper account describing a battle. The article glorified the slaughter of men. The commander didnt understand the orders given to him to replace some guns held by the Russians and he

Religion, Morality, and the Good Life Free Essays

Religion, Morality, and the Good Life Does morality depend on religion? Many believe the fundamental aspects of morality and religion join to form the basis on how one chooses to live their life. Some would define morality as a system we humans use to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. Morality could derive from a number of different factors including, religion, culture, and upbringing. We will write a custom essay sample on Religion, Morality, and the Good Life or any similar topic only for you Order Now Those that believe that morality derives from religion or God’s commands trust in the Divine Command Theory. The Divine Command Theory is the idea that morality is dependent on God; that one’s moral obligation be determined by their obedience to God’s commands. This theory has been and probably will continue to be controversial to many. Morality must have a purely secular foundation. Although religion might not be the concrete basis for morality, it is certain that religion is needed sometime when dealing with specific aspects of morality. There are 2 types of morality, justified and unjustified. Justified morality is common sense and does not require intense interpretation. For example, â€Å"Do not steal† is a justified moral command because when one steals they are bringing evil to someone and that is immoral. Unjustified morals are much harder to find reason for than justified morals which can be easily justified by common knowledge. â€Å"Do not have sex before marriage,† is an example of an unjustified morality. It is difficult to explain why doing the act is immoral. This moral standard is irrational in that there is no reasonable answer why one should not do this act in order to remain moral. Religion comes in handy when dealing with grey areas of morality. Those grey areas are known as the unjustified moral commands or unjustified morality. Given the example for an unjustified moral command, one could answer the question â€Å"Why should I not do this in order to remain moral,† by saying it is immoral to have sex before marriage because God commanded us not to because he will punish one who does not follow his commandments. There is no central harm because if this action but one’s self-interest or fear of God’s wrath will keep one from committing this immoral act. The use of God and religion to justify these issues is only useful when dealing with a God-fearing and moral person. Although using religion with morality, in this case, may cause one to agree that morality needs religion and that the Divine Command Theory explains why, it does not justify that religion is the basis for morality. Are right and wrong actions commanded by God? The Divine Command Theory states that good and bad are created by God, not by humans. It has been illustrated that the Divine Command Theory cannot be logically true. The Divine Command Theory states that if God commands â€Å"A,† his commands by itself are sufficient to make â€Å"A† good. â€Å"A is good† just means â€Å"A is commanded by God. † God’s commands are good simply because God commands it. If there were no God, or if God did not issue any commands, then there would be no such thing as moral right or wrong. However, if actions are good on their own without influence from God, then the Divine Command Theory is false because it is naturally commanded that we do things which are good and avoid those in which we know to be wrong. One’s belief in the existence of a god or gods may cause one to believe that morality assumes God’s existence. Their beliefs seem to give their lives purpose and clear understanding. In Genesis 1:27 it says, â€Å"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. † (NIV) According to Christianity, God created us in his likeness as to fulfill the plan or purpose that he had intended for us. With this idea, the Catholic Church developed the concept of natural law. This natural law concept stated that by working out what one’s purpose is, we will be able to see how we should act and/or behave; it would be apparent in the way in which we have been designed. Within the Catholic Church, the Pope’s condemnation of homosexuality is an example of the natural law theory at work. The natural result to sex is conception, and any other sexual act that is not available to this possibility would be an immoral rejection to the plan God had intended for them. It is obvious that this natural law approach to ethics can cause controversy. It might be perceived as a poor imitation of morality in that it fails to provide justification for many basic moral principles. The supposed link between God and morality provides the idea because God is omnipotent and our creator; we have an obligation to obey his commands. With him being our creator, we owe him our existence. Many ask the obvious question, â€Å"Why do we have this obligation? † Although this view has not stood up to reflection, people once believed that children owed the act of obedience to their parents only because children depended on their parents. This view is remarkably similar to the reasoning given for feudalism. In feudalism, in exchange for the protection of the lord, the vassal would give some sort of service to the lord. The obligation between the lord and the vassal regarding the fief or land forms the basis of the feudal relationship. The weakness in this political system was that the vassals never agreed to this plan. By answering the above question in saying that our obligation to obey God’s command is because obedience is morally right, the assumption has been made that morality exists independently of God. Why things are right in the first place is justified and explained by the Divine Command Theory. The Divine Command Theory shows an apparent resemblance to the natural law approach as discussed just before. Rather than focusing on features of his assumed creation as with the natural law theory, the Divine Command Theory implicates a focus on God’s orders. An obvious example of God’s orders would be the Ten Commandments. The most common objection to this approach is that it makes morality seem somewhat subjective. It implies the theoretical likelihood of rape being right simply because God commands this. Some may say that God would never command such an act as rape. God has not, in fact, commanded that rape is good. Assuming that the Divine Command Theory is, in fact, true, it would see God’s goodness in that he will not do anything wrong. But it does not follow that he won’t be unjust or cruel. As long as he is not violating any of his commands, no matter what God does, he will not be doing anything wrong. God is omniscient and morally perfect. Surely this gives us exact reason to why we ought to obey his commands. God’s moral perfection, after all, guarantees that he will issue only those commands that he thinks are right. His overall insight and expertise assures that he will never be wrong in what he believes is right to command of us. It sees God as the highest possible moral guide, giving us reason to always obey his commands. Although this is correct, it does not support the Divine Command Theory. To argue this point is to assume that the greater moral quality is dependent of God’s will, in which the basis for what he commands is. Some thinkers like Immanuel Kant and John Newman, just to name a few, have argued that a sense of conscience is evidence of God. With morality and religion being independent of one another, the independence is considered to be compatible with the existence of God. If we accept that the existence of conscience assumes a being to whom we owe responsibility, God would seem like the only candidate. He is the only person with omnipotent power to see and judge our every action. Newman furthered this thought by asking why people would feel guilty if they did not think they were being watched. In conclusion, there is something wrong with every way of linking morality to religion. I am not claiming that religion cannot have things to say about morality or that it is incapable of helping people do what is morally right. Instead, my claim is that ethics is enhanced with a religiously neutral foundation. Religion can be defined a set of practices independent of a belief system. Religion is the way in which you worship. Some people have participated in religious worship for a while without giving a great deal of thought to a belief system. Morality can be based on religion, but it also can be independent of one’s religion or faith. Although it is possible to hold a religion and not hold to any strong moral principles and vice versa for holding just moral principles, many people hold religious and moral principles. As with Christianity, religion is doing what you are told to do regardless of what is right, and morality is doing what is right regardless of what you are told to do. Although morality and religion are used at times to justify one another, they are not dependent of one another. . Works Cited â€Å"Genesis 1 NIV – The Beginning – In the beginning God – Bible †¦ † Bible Gateway. Web. 15 Apr. 2013 http://www. biblegateway. com/passage/? search=genesis+1version=NIV. â€Å"The Internet Classics Archive | Euthyphro by Plato. † The Euthyphro. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013 How to cite Religion, Morality, and the Good Life, Papers

What Is Popular Music free essay sample

The biggest group of the British Invasion was the Beetles. The Beetles sometimes sang songs with catchy lyrics and melodies. This would be the centerpiece of pop music through the next several decades. 5. Bands featured between three and six young males who sang, but did not play instruments. 1. Yes music is still used for protest things such as gay rights and abortions. 2. Music has become more commercial because artist can become millionaires with just one song. Some artist do songs to express their ideas and beliefs. 3. Amps and pods have artist selling songs even faster. Automate lets anyone sound like they have talent. TV lets artist advertise 24/7. 4. Young adults look forward to love and romance and pop adheres to it. Nearly every song it about love and heartbreak. 5. Bruno Mars most of his songs shush as Grenade When I Was Your Man are about love like most generic pop songs. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is Popular Music? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Girls love his pretty face.

Audrey Flack, Pioneer of Photorealism

Audrey Flack, Pioneer of Photorealism Audrey Flack, born May 30, 1931, is an American artist. Her work, primarily painting and sculpture, has placed her at the forefront of pop art and photorealism. Fast Facts: Audrey Flack Full Name:  Audrey L. FlackOccupation: ArtistKnown For: Pioneering the photorealist genre of art, particularly with portrayals of women, everyday objects, and moments in relatively recent history.Born: May 30, 1931 in New York CityNotable Works:  Kennedy Motorcade (1964), Marilyn (Vanitas) (1977), World War II (Vanitas) (1978) Early Life and Education Flack was born in New York City in 1931, in the northern Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights. As a teenager, she attended a specialized arts public institution, the High School of Music and Art. Her formal art education began in 1948, when she began her studies at New York’s Cooper Union. Flack remained there until 1951 and was then recruited to Yale, largely thanks to the influence of German-American artist Josef Albers (who was then in charge of Yale’s art department). While at Yale, Flack continued developing her own style while being influenced by her teachers and mentors. In particular, her early work demonstrated an Abstract Expressionist style in the vein of Albers’ work. Flack graduated with her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1952. The following year, she returned to New York and studied art history for a year at New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts. Abstract to Realism At first, Flack’s work in the 1950s was a clear offshoot of her training with abstract expressionists. She also embraced â€Å"kitschiness† in a self-aware, ironic way. However, as time went on, she began to feel that the abstract expressionist style she was utilizing was not achieving what she felt was an important goal: communicating with audiences. Because of this desire to create art that was clearer to viewers, Flack began moving towards realism. Portrait of artist Audrey Flack sits next to a painting of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy riding in the back of a limousine on the day he was assassinated.   Nancy R. Schiff / Getty Images She enrolled in the Art Students League (ASL), where she studied anatomy under the tutelage of Robert Beverly Hale, and began finding inspiration in artists from past eras rather than more recent movements. Her work began to be categorized in the â€Å"New Realism† movement, and, eventually, shifted all the way into photorealism, in which an artist attempts to reproduce a photographed image as realistically as possible in a different medium. Flack was one of the first students at the ASL to fully embrace photorealism and use photographs as reference for her work. Photorealism, in many ways, is a sister genre to pop art: depicting ordinary, mundane items, often as still-lifes that imitate the realism of photography as closely as possible. In 1966, Flack became the first photorealist painter to have work in the collection at the Museum of Modern Art.   Increased Influence In some cases, Flack’s work moved past the typical still life paintings and depicted historical events. One of her most famous works is Kennedy Motorcade, November 22, 1963, which, as its title suggests, depicts a scene from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Her historical paintings, including her Vanitas works, often featured some kind of socio-political commentary. Her still life paintings often did as well; for instance, her paintings of female-coded items such as makeup and perfume bottles tended to involve some commentary on gender roles and constructs. Portrait of gallery owner Louis Meisel and artist Audrey Flack and her hyper-realist painting of Marilyn Monroe, New York, New York, March 10, 1978. Allan Tannenbaum / Getty Images In the early 1970s, Flack developed a new technique for her paintings. Instead of just using a photograph as a reference, she actually projected it as a slide onto the canvas, then developed an airbrushing technique to create the layers of paint. The 1970s also saw Flack paint her Vanitas series, which depicted everything from jewelry to scenes of WWII concentration camps. By the 1980s, however, Flack had switched her primary medium from painting to sculpture. She is entirely self-taught in sculpture, as opposed to her significant formal training in painting. There are also other significant differences in her sculptural works versus her paintings. For instance, where her paintings focused on ordinary objects or historical scenes, her sculptures tend to depict religious and mythological subjects. For the most part, women are depicted in her sculptures, representing somewhat idealized but imperfect and diverse variations on the female form and femininity itself. Contemporary Work In the 1990s and 2000s, Flack had a fair amount of work commissioned. At one point, she was commissioned to create a statue of Catherine of Braganza, the British queen after whom the New York City borough of Queens was named; the project met with several objections and was never completed. More recently, her statues Recording Angel  and  Colossal Head of Daphne  (both completed between 2006 and 2008) were commissioned by and installed in Nashville, Tennessee. Audrey Flacks Recording Angel statue stands outside the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee.   Raymond Boyd / Getty Images In more recent years, Flack has returned to her roots. Finding the photorealist movement rather â€Å"restricting,† she shifted back to Baroque influences. She wrote a book in 1986, collecting her thoughts on art and being an artist. Flack has also taught and lectured both in America and abroad. Currently, she is an honorary professor at George Washington University and a visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She is based out of New York, where she splits her time between New York City and Long Island. Sources Blumberg, Naomi and Ida Yalzadeh. â€Å"Audrey Flack: American Painter and Sculptor.† Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Audrey-Flack.Flack, Audrey.  Art Soul: Notes on Creating, New York, Dutton, 1986.Morgan, Robert C. â€Å"Audrey Flack and the Revolution of Still Life Painting.† The Brooklyn Rail, 5 Nov. 2010, https://brooklynrail.org/2010/11/artseen/audrey-flack-and-the-revolution-of-still-life-painting.

Drilling Into Faults

Drilling Into Faults Geologists are daring to go where they once could only dream of going- right to the places where earthquakes actually happen. Three projects have taken us into the seismogenic zone. As one report put it, projects like these put us at the precipice of quantum advances in the science of earthquake hazards. Drilling the San Andreas Fault at Depth The first of these drilling projects made a borehole next to the San Andreas fault near Parkfield, California, at a depth of about 3 kilometers. The project is called the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth or SAFOD, and its part of the much larger research effort EarthScope. Drilling began in 2004 with a vertical hole going down 1500 meters then curving toward the fault zone. The 2005 work season extended this slanting hole all the way across the fault, and was followed by two years of monitoring. In 2007 drillers made four separate side holes, all on the near side of the fault, that are equipped with all kinds of sensors. The chemistry of fluids, microearthquakes, temperatures and more are being recorded for the next 20 years. While drilling these side holes, core samples of intact rock were taken that cross the active fault zone giving tantalizing evidence of the processes there. Scientists kept up a website with daily bulletins,  and if you read it youll see some of the difficulties of this kind of work. SAFOD was carefully placed at an underground location where regular sets of small earthquakes have been happening. Just like the last 20 years of earthquake research at Parkfield, SAFOD is aimed at a part of the San Andreas fault zone where the geology seems to be simpler and the faults behavior more manageable than elsewhere. Indeed, the whole fault is considered to be easier to study than most because it has a simple strike-slip structure with a shallow bottom, at about 20 km depth. As faults go, it is a rather straight and narrow ribbon of activity with well-mapped rocks on either side. Even so, detailed maps of the surface show a tangle of related faults. The mapped rocks include tectonic splinters that have been swapped back and forth across the fault during its hundreds of kilometers of offset. The patterns of earthquakes at Parkfield have not been as regular or simple as geologists had hoped, either; nevertheless SAFOD is our best look so far at the cradle of earthquakes. The Nankai Trough Subduction Zone In a global sense the San Andreas fault, even as long and active as it is, is not the most significant type of seismic zone. Subduction zones take that prize for three reasons:    They are responsible for all the largest, magnitude 8 and 9 earthquakes we have recorded, such as the Sumatra quake of December 2004 and the Japan earthquake of March 2011.Because they are always under the ocean, subduction-zone earthquakes tend to trigger tsunamis.Subduction zones are where lithospheric plates move toward and underneath other plates, on their way into the mantle where they give rise to most of the worlds volcanoes. So there are compelling reasons to learn more about these faults (plus many more scientific reasons), and drilling into one is just within the state of the art. The Integrated Ocean Drilling Project is doing that with a new state-of-the-art drillship off the coast of Japan. The Seismogenic Zone Experiment, or SEIZE, is a three-phase program that will measure the inputs and outputs of the subduction zone where the Philippine plate meets Japan in the Nankai Trough. This is a shallower trench than most subduction zones, making it easier for drilling. The Japanese have a long and accurate history of earthquakes on this subduction zone, and the site is only a days ship travel away from land. Even so, in the difficult conditions foreseen the drilling will require a riser- an outer pipe from the ship to the sea floor- to prevent blowouts and so that the effort can proceed using drilling mud instead of seawater, as previous drilling has used. The Japanese have built a brand-new drillship, Chikyu (Earth) that can do the job, reaching 6 kilometers below the sea floor. One question the project will seek to answer is what physical changes accompany the earthquake cycle on subduction faults. Another is what happens in the shallow region where soft sediment fades into brittle rock, the boundary between soft deformation and seismic disruption. There are places on land where this part of subduction zones is exposed to geologists, so results from the Nankai Trough will be very interesting. Drilling began in 2007.   Drilling New Zealands Alpine Fault The Alpine fault, on New Zealands South Island, is a large oblique-thrust fault that causes magnitude 7.9 earthquakes every few centuries. One interesting feature of the fault is that vigorous uplift and erosion have beautifully exposed a thick cross-section of the crust that provides fresh samples of the deep fault surface. The Deep Fault Drilling Project, a collaboration of New Zealand and European institutions, is punching cores across the Alpine fault by drilling straight down. The first part of the project succeeded in penetrating and coring the fault twice just 150 meters below the ground in January 2011 then instrumenting the holes. A deeper hole is planned near the Whataroa River in 2014 that will go down 1500 meters. A public wiki serves past and ongoing data from the project.

Assessment of Risk Management Perceptions and Practices of Dissertation

Assessment of Risk Management Perceptions and Practices of Construction Contractors - Dissertation Example 7 Methodology †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 Ethical considerations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 Introduction The construction industry is a source of risks and uncertainties. This is true in any country, especially in Saudi Arabia, which has experienced a construction boom these past three decades because of the vast oil revenues poured into government coffers. Risks account not only in physical terms, but also in abstract terms like financial and economic outcomes. Contractors devise plans to manage risks and to pre-empt problems and risks during and after construction. Managing risks involves taking care of the safety and security of the construction project or the finished building and the workers and em ployees therein. Risk management also involves analysing problems or surprises that will occur during and after project construction. Risks include environmental hazards caused by construction and demolition wastes, the health and safety of the workers, and risks associated with the design of the structure whether it can withstand natural disasters. Other risks include insurance and value for money or the business side of the construction project. Saudi Arabia has a long, hot summer, with a short, cool, winter season with very minimal rain. Some parts of Saudi Arabia have some of the extreme climatic conditions, which are most unfavorable for contractors to work with. This is very detrimental to the operations of any project, and could lead to loss of productivity on the part of the owners and contractors. Risk management should consider this aspect. (Shublaq, 1999, p. 277) Another aspect contractors have to include in risk management is the importation of laborers who are from othe r countries. Laborers have to adjust to the kind of unique culture Saudi Arabia has. Culture shock on the part of the laborers affects the kind of work they produce. Significance of the study This paper provides a brief assessment of how construction contractors in Saudi Arabia employ risk management perceptions and practices. The significance of the study brings to light the common practices of contractors in managing risks, and future problems and possible delays that may occur while construction is ongoing. The research will therefore seek to answer the following questions What risk management techniques are available to construction contractor in Saudi Arabia? What is the level of usage of these risk management techniques by the construction contractors? What is the importance of organizational risk management among construction companies in Saudi Arabia? What are the challenges faced be construction contractors in Saudi Arabia in using risk management techniques? Aim of the res earch The aim of this paper is to determine the extent to which risk management techniques are used construction contractors in Saudi Arabia and also determine the perception of construction professional to various construction risks. Objectives To identify risk management techniques used by contractors in Saudi Arabia To determine the level of usage of identified risk management techniques among Saudi construction companies To determine the importance of organizational risk management among Saudi construction companies To identify challenges faced by Saudi construction companies in using risk management techniques To recommend effective ways to limit the challenges identified in the

WalMart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

WalMart - Essay Example The city council in Chicago has even passed an ordinance disallowing Wal-Mart from opening within city limits. This paper argues whether Wal-Mart is a destructive force or is good for the local economy. Wal-Mart has 3,400 stores in the US and is largest employer in US second only to the Federal Government. It is the largest grocer and plans to open 100 Supercenters in the next five years. It is sheer size, growth and profitability of Wal-Mart that it is in a position to define corporate trends. It is now in a position that it can dictate and perfect the nature of discount stores. Wal-Mart has the image of a friendly, all-American company employing happy workers and smiling greeters who are eager to help and grateful to work at Wal-Mart (Bianchi & Swinney, 2004). As a globalizing force, Wal-Mart exerts influence on the regional, local and national economy. It has restructured the American workforce and consumer behavior (Lavallee & Boyer, 2006). Its basic strategies revolutionized the global retain industry and led Wal-Mart to unprecedented heights. Wal-Mart never avoids critics. On the contrary they respond actively as they did when the city council of Los Angeles proposed to ban the store from the city. Wal-Mart revealed through a study of the economic impact that average savings per family per ear would be $500 if Wal-Mart opened a store in Los Angeles (Bianchi & Swinney). Apart from this, new jobs would be created which further boosts the local economy as spending power goes up. Wal-Mart counters its critics with two words – low price. Its low price policy helps millions to buy more from their meager pay checks. They can even indulge in minor luxuries. This makes the entire economy more efficient and productive. In the micro level this translates into low prices with better product. At the macro level it means economic growth, more jobs and higher tax revenues. Wal-Mart has helped to hold down inflation in US. A McKinsey & Co. study

Nuclear Power :: essays research papers

Nuclear Power Producing energy from a nuclear power plant is very complicated. The process of nuclear energy involves the fission of atoms, the release of energy from fission as heat, and the transfer of heat to electricity in power plants. The process of splitting the atom is called nuclear fission. Fission can take place in many different kinds of atoms. This explanation uses Uranium - 235, the atom most commonly used in nuclear reactors. The Uranium atom has many protons, thus making it unstable. Since the nucleus of the atom is so unstable it wants to split itself apart, causing a spontaneous fission. When the nuclei of a Uranium atom splits apart, it splits into two atoms. Commonly the nucleus splits into Barium and Krypton; however, it can split into any two atoms as long as the number of protons equals the original amount of the protons found in the Uranium. In addition, a mass amount of energy is released along with two or three neutrons. It is these neutrons that can begin a chain reaction, each neutron that is given off could collide with another Uranium atom splitting it apart. Each of these fissioning atoms releases a very large amount of energy, and some more neutrons. This process continues causing a chain reaction withut any outside assistance, and the Uranium has "gone critical"(Martindale, 794-195). This chain reaction is the basis for how nuclear power is made. The amount of the energy that is given off in nuclear fission is astronomical. To equal the amount of energy given off when splitting some uranium the size of a golf ball, one would have to burn approximately twenty-five train cars full of coal. Presently, the planet contains twenty-five times more nuclear fuel compared to fossil fuel. On average, an atomic power plant can produce half a million kilowatts of power. As a comparison, a hair dryer takes about one kilowatt (Jenny, 1-2). The producing of energy from nuclear fission is very similar to using a very common fossil fuel boiler. The difference lies in the reactor, where the heat is generated by fissioning material. The most common of reactors is the pressurized water reactor; however, there are many other types. The pressurized water reactor is the most common reactor in the United States. The reactor of a nuclear power plant is where the fissioning takes place. The Uranium is contained in fuel rods, each rod is sealed so no contamination occurs. Many of these rods are then contained in a fuel assembly. All the fuel assemblies are separated by control rods. The control rods limit the amount of

The Ethical Pillars of Jainism

Jains believe that people are reborn again and again until they have freed themselves from samsara, which is the wheel of birth and death. The gradual process by which the souls learns to extricate itself from the lower self and its attachments to the material would involve purifying one’s ethical life until nothing remains but the purity is of jiva. Jains also believe that the universe is without beginning and that there is no creator or destroyer and that they can only be saved by their own efforts. They believe that the world operates by the power of nature, according to natural principles, Jains do believe in gods in demons, but as a form of humans. Jains believe in karma which is a subtle matter—minutes particle that we accumulate as we act and think. Also, Jains believe that our actions influence what happens in the future course of our life and that souls wonder until they free themselves from karma. In order to provide perfection and purification in their lives, Jains try to eliminate any false mental impressions, negative tendencies, or passions and to develop pure thoughts and actions. The three basic principles that Jains adopt to avoid accumulating karma are ahimsa (non-violence), aparigraha (non-attachment), and anekantwad (non-absolutism). Ahimsa is the non-violence principle and it is very strong in Jain teachings, and through Jainism it is influenced by Mahatma Gandhi. Jains believe that it is difficult not to harm other creature and that by simply breathing; Jains believe that tiny organisms are being killed by us inhaling them. Aparigraha is a non-attachment principle to all things and people and that people should cut one’s living requirements to a bare minimum. Possessions posses us; their acquisition and loss drive our emotions. Anekantwad, â€Å"manifold aspects† is the third principle. Jains try to avoid anger and being judgmental because that try and keep an open-mind about people by remembering that any issue can be seen from different angles.

Adoptees Have The Right Of Original Birth Certificates

My mother was adopted, along with her twin sister. Now, my mom wants to know who her parents are., bBut, there are laws preventing her from doing so. The big question in this essay is, â€Å"Should adoptees have the right to know who their biological parents are,† You could also phrase it asking the question, â€Å"Do adoptees have the right to access original birth certificates?† This question covers much more, and will be what the information in this essay circles around. This essay covers three things: adoptees have the right to access to original birth certificates because they have questions, because of equality issues, and because of the doors it opens to adoptees that have empty holes in their history. First, adoptees have the right to have access to original birth certificates because they have questions. Questions about their health, questions about who they came, who they got their blue eyes from, and other such things. As Melinda Elkins Dawson, one of 200 newborns relocated to other states for adoption in Georgia in the 50’s and 60’s says, â€Å"Every adopted child has questions.† Adoptees, especially adoptees who are older, feel empty spaces in their history, and they want to be able to fill them. â€Å"We don’t have a history. Our history begins the day we were adopted into a new family†¦ It’s important to know where you came from.† Bob MacNish says, of how not knowing your past, which makes an empty slate until you get adopted. As it says above, all adoptees have questions, and anShow MoreRelatedAdoption Is A Popular Choice1301 Words   |  6 Pagescome across their paths later. Not having access to birth records means not havi ng access to their history. To be able to unlock these records, many requirements need to be met in order to have their case considered by a judge who may or may not grant the adopted person the requested records. In order to gain an understanding of what they have come from and what might affect their futures, adoption records should not be sealed for adults who have been adopted. The U.S. has numerous laws regardingRead MoreAdoptees and Birth Certificates Essay1649 Words   |  7 PagesHave you ever been to a new doctor and filled out the required paperwork on family medical history? After moving recently, I went to a new doctor. I had to have all those papers filled out. It was easy because I know all of the information or can get it. Most people know who their biological family is and therefore also know about medical history. However, in the 1940s many birth certificates of adoptees were sealed. This continued to occur for four decades. Now depending upon the state the adoptedRead MoreShould Children Parents Be Allowed? Their Biological Parents?1751 Words   |  8 Pagestheir parents were. Others say no because it may cause problems for either of the family or the adoptee. This is the wrong idea, because of the benefits from knowing their biological parents. Adoptees do have the right to know their biological parents. Many people make the argument that it would make adoptees see if their parents were nothing, then they may think that they will become the same way. This is making a point because some parents gave up their child because of tough times, while othersRead MoreEssay about The Psychological Effects of Adoption 2435 Words   |  10 Pagesâ€Å"James and Martha Brown went to Mrs. White’s office the next day and found waiting for them a bouncing baby girl with soft brown eyes and a happy smile. Right away they said, ‘We love this baby already’† (Wasson). As is stated in the classic children’s book, The Chosen Baby, this story serves as a common introductory tool that some adoptive families use to explain to their children the way their family was created. The Chosen Baby shares the absolute joy that parents experience when adopting aRead MoreOutline Of An Adopted Child1842 Words   |  8 PagesArika Wells English II Dr. Beatty Research Paper An Adopted Child has the Right to Know His Birth Parents Many adoptees feel out of place, they struggle finding a place to settle and when they do they often times feel as though they need to work to prove their worthiness. As an adoptive shield grows he as long The begins to question. He question why his birth parents didn t want him and why he wasn t good enough for them. He may begin to wonder why he act and looks the way he does. BeingRead MoreSources of Ethics20199 Words   |  81 Pagesgenes influence behaviour and ethics: 52 2.3- PHILOSOPHICAL: 55 2.31- Contribution Of In Ethics By The Source Of Philosophical Systems: 55 2.32- Contribution of Aristotle: 57 2.33- Contributions By Other Important Philosophers: 58 2.34- Rights Theory: 64 2.35- Contribution By KANT: 65 2.36- Contribution By ROSS: 66 2.4- CULTURAL: 68 2.5- LEGAL SYSTEM: 71 2.6- CODES OF ETHICS: 74 2.61- Company Codes: 74 Code of ethics (corporate or business ethics) 74 code of ethics(business

The Ethical Issue Of Software Piracy - 1530 Words

Introduction In this paper we are going to examine why personal morality is an oxymoron and how a moral system is analogous to a game. Then we are going to analyze how the ethical issue of software piracy is seen from the notion of common moral system according to Gert. Personal morality is an oxymoron So let’s first see why Gert believes that the notion of ‘personal morality† is an oxymoron. According to Gert, a moral system is public because everyone should know and be familiar with the rules that define it. Those set of rules which define a moral system apply to all of the members of that system, thus the system cannot be simply reduced to being private or personal. We all know that morality is a system of normative rules and†¦show more content†¦So, if we accept a notion of private morality, no one could have a fair and meaningful ethical discussion about an issue, because everyone would have their own views and perspectives on what is morally right or wrong. That is why according to Gert, the notion of personal morality is contradictory to itself. Moral system analogous to a game Another point and comparison Gert make about moral system, is how a moral system is both similar to, and different from, a game. As a game has a goal and corresponding set of rules, the same way a moral system has a set of rules and a goal. The rules are understood by all the players, and the players use those rules to guide themselves in achieving the goal of the game. The players are also able to use the rules to judge the behavior of other players in the game. The one difference we have is that not everyone is required to participate in a game, but we are all obligated to participate in a moral system. Gert’s notion of a moral system and a concrete ethical issue in cybertechnology seen from the perspective of that notion As we have already seen, the notion of personal morality is contradictory according to Gert. So we cannot talk about a moral system seen from personal standpoint. Rather we can say that there are four characteristics to a moral system, and they are: the system has to be public, informal,

Rudyard Kipling s `` If `` And Not Make Dreams Your...

In his poem â€Å"If†, Rudyard Kipling explains all the things that one must endure in order to become a gentleman. Kipling describes what would happen â€Å"if you can dream--and not make dreams your master† that one would be a Man. The qualities that Kipling describes show a stoic person, but not someone who is flashy. The person describes can take the good with the bad--they â€Å"can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same† while â€Å"keep[ing] their head [about them].† A Man can â€Å"force your heart and nerve and sinew.. and so hold on when there is nothing in you†. A Man will embrace the things that make life worth living. He will recover quickly from his losses, knowing that he can learn from them. Another quality that Kipling emphasizes is willpower, that â€Å"the Will which says to them! Hold on!† Trust in life and that everything will work out is also a quality that one must have to be a Gentl eman, and to really embrace life. To attain this wisdom and outlook on life, one must have had experience with at least a portion of life, having the necessary experience to draw from mistakes and repeat the actions one showed in triumphs. Even though life is not fair and one has no idea why he is being punished, one must take it gracefully and accept the absence of such a reason as part of the grand design of life and humankind. But the essence of â€Å"If† is that if one can embrace the challenges and absurdity that life throws at oneself, then one can succeed andShow MoreRelated##ment. :If By Rudyard Kipling And The Paradoxical Commandments1369 Words   |  6 Pagesgenders? This question does not have an interpretation as there is an abundance of aspects, the points of view, opinions and more; but we can look at the different pieces of recommendation given to males and the generic suggestions. â€Å"If†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ by Rudyard Kipling and â€Å"The Paradoxical Comman dments† written by Dr. Kent M. Keith encloses similarities and differences in the way the author’s grant information to their addressed masses, on the other hand, they are different in their targeted readers. â€Å"If† isRead Moreâ€Å"If† In his poem â€Å"If,† Rudyard Kipling is writing to his son, John, about the most important600 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"If† In his poem â€Å"If,† Rudyard Kipling is writing to his son, John, about the most important virtues that a good human being possesses. Through the years of his life, Kipling often traveled around the U.S., and sometimes to other countries. In his travels, Kipling met one of his greatest friends, Leander Starr Jameson, a colonial politician. It is believed that, although it was addressed to Kipling’s son, â€Å"If† was actually about Jameson. By using themes Kipling saw in his friend Jameson, such asRead MoreImpact of Emerging Markets on Marketing15122 Words   |  61 Pagesfaithbased sociopolitical institutions in which public policy matters. They also suffer from inadequate infrastructure and chronic shortage of resources. Most of the competition comes from unbranded products or services, and consumption is more of a make versus buy decision and less about what brand to buy. Therefore, many beliefs that are fundamental to marketing, such as market segmentatio n, market orientation, and brand equity, are at odds with the realities of emerging markets. At the same timeRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesChulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. He received a B.A. in psychology from Claremont McKenna College and a Ph.D. in management from State University of New York at Buffalo. He is a certified project management professional (PMP) and Scrum Master. Clifford F. Gray CLIFFORD F. GRAY is professor emeritus of management at the College of Business, Oregon State University. He continues to teach undergraduate and graduate project management courses overseas and in the United States; he has personallyRead MoreCase Studies67624 Words   |  271 Pagesachieving strategic competitiveness and earning above-average returns. The case method that we are recommending to you has a rich heritage as a pedagogical approach to the study and understanding of managerial effectiveness.2 As an active learner, your preparation is critical to successful use of the case analysis method. Without careful study and analysis, active learners lack the insights required to participate fully in the discussion of a firm’s situation and the strategic actions that are appropriate

The Lost Symbol Chapter 4-6 Free Essays

CHAPTER 4 The U.S. Capitol Building stands regally at the eastern end of the National Mall, on a raised plateau that city designer Pierre L’Enfant described as â€Å"a pedestal waiting for a monument. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lost Symbol Chapter 4-6 or any similar topic only for you Order Now † The Capitol’s massive footprint measures more than 750 feet in length and 350 feet deep. Housing more than sixteen acres of floor space, it contains an astonishing 541 rooms. The neoclassical architecture is meticulously designed to echo the grandeur of ancient Rome, whose ideals were the inspiration for America’s founders in establishing the laws and culture of the new republic. The new security checkpoint for tourists entering the Capitol Building is located deep within the recently completed subterranean visitor center, beneath a magnificent glass skylight that frames the Capitol Dome. Newly hired security guard Alfonso Nunez carefully studied the male visitor now approaching his checkpoint. The man had a shaved head and had been lingering in the lobby, completing a phone call before entering the building. His right arm was in a sling, and he moved with a slight limp. He was wearing a tattered army-navy surplus coat, which, combined with his shaved head, made Nunez guess military. Those who had served in the U.S. armed forces were among the most common visitors to Washington. â€Å"Good evening, sir,† Nunez said, following the security protocol of verbally engaging any male visitor who entered alone. â€Å"Hello,† the visitor said, glancing around at the nearly deserted entry. â€Å"Quiet night.† â€Å"NFC play-offs,† Nunez replied. â€Å"Everyone’s watching the Redskins tonight.† Nunez wished he were, too, but this was his first month on the job, and he’d drawn the short straw. â€Å"Metal objects in the dish, please.† As the visitor fumbled to empty the pockets of his long coat with his one working hand, Nunez watched him carefully. Human instinct made special allowances for the injured and handicapped, but it was an instinct Nunez had been trained to override. Nunez waited while the visitor removed from his pockets the usual assortment of loose change, keys, and a couple of cell phones. â€Å"Sprain?† Nunez asked, eyeing the man’s injured hand, which appeared to be wrapped in a series of thick Ace bandages. The bald man nodded. â€Å"Slipped on the ice. A week ago. Still hurts like hell.† â€Å"Sorry to hear that. Walk through, please.† The visitor limped through the detector, and the machine buzzed in protest. The visitor frowned. â€Å"I was afraid of that. I’m wearing a ring under these bandages. My finger was too swollen to get it off, so the doctors wrapped right over it.† â€Å"No problem,† Nunez said. â€Å"I’ll use the wand.† Nunez ran the metal-detection wand over the visitor’s wrapped hand. As expected, the only metal he detected was a large lump on the man’s injured ring finger. Nunez took his time rubbing the metal detector over every inch of the man’s sling and finger. He knew his supervisor was probably monitoring him on the closed circuit in the building’s security center, and Nunez needed this job. Always better to be cautious. He carefully slid the wand up inside the man’s sling. The visitor winced in pain. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"It’s okay,† the man said. â€Å"You can’t be too careful these days.† â€Å"Ain’t that the truth.† Nunez liked this guy. Strangely, that counted for a lot around here. Human instinct was America’s first line of defense against terrorism. It was a proven fact that human intuition was a more accurate detector of danger than all the electronic gear in the world–the gift of fear, as one of their security reference books termed it. In this case, Nunez’s instincts sensed nothing that caused him any fear. The only oddity that he noticed, now that they were standing so close, was that this tough-looking guy appeared to have used some kind of self-tanner or concealer makeup on his face. Whatever. Everyone hates to be pale in the winter. â€Å"You’re fine,† Nunez said, completing his sweep and stowing the wand. â€Å"Thanks.† The man started collecting his belongings from the tray. As he did, Nunez noticed that the two fingers protruding from his bandage each bore a tattoo; the tip of his index finger bore the image of a crown, and the tip of his thumb bore that of a star. Seems everyone has tattoos these days, Nunez thought, although the pads of his fingertips seemed like painful spots to get them. â€Å"Those tats hurt?† The man glanced down at his fingertips and chuckled. â€Å"Less than you might think.† â€Å"Lucky,† Nunez said. â€Å"Mine hurt a lot. I got a mermaid on my back when I was in boot camp.† â€Å"A mermaid?† The bald man chuckled. â€Å"Yeah,† he said, feeling sheepish. â€Å"The mistakes we make in our youth.† â€Å"I hear you,† the bald man said. â€Å"I made a big mistake in my youth, too. Now I wake up with her every morning.† They both laughed as the man headed off. Child’s play, Mal’akh thought as he moved past Nunez and up the escalator toward the Capitol Building. The entry had been easier than anticipated. Mal’akh’s slouching posture and padded belly had hidden his true physique, while the makeup on his face and hands had hidden the tattoos that covered his body. The true genius, however, was the sling, which disguised the potent object Mal’akh was transporting into the building. A gift for the one man on earth who can help me obtain what I seek. CHAPTER 5 The world’s largest and most technologically advanced museum is also one of the world’s best- kept secrets. It houses more pieces than the Hermitage, the Vatican Museum, and the New York Metropolitan . . . combined. Yet despite its magnificent collection, few members of the public are ever invited inside its heavily guarded walls. Located at 4210 Silver Hill Road just outside of Washington, D.C., the museum is a massive zigzag-shaped edifice constructed of five interconnected pods–each pod larger than a football field. The building’s bluish metal exterior barely hints at the strangeness within–a six-hundred- thousand-square-foot alien world that contains a â€Å"dead zone,† a â€Å"wet pod,† and more than twelve miles of storage cabinets. Tonight, scientist Katherine Solomon was feeling unsettled as she drove her white Volvo up to the building’s main security gate. The guard smiled. â€Å"Not a football fan, Ms. Solomon?† He lowered the volume on the Redskins play-off pregame show. Katherine forced a tense smile. â€Å"It’s Sunday night.† â€Å"Oh, that’s right. Your meeting.† â€Å"Is he here yet?† she asked anxiously. He glanced down at his paperwork. â€Å"I don’t see him on the log.† â€Å"I’m early.† Katherine gave a friendly wave and continued up the winding access road to her usual parking spot at the bottom of the small, two-tiered lot. She began collecting her things and gave herself a quick check in the rearview mirror–more out of force of habit than actual vanity. Katherine Solomon had been blessed with the resilient Mediterranean skin of her ancestry, and even at fifty years old she had a smooth olive complexion. She used almost no makeup and wore her thick black hair unstyled and down. Like her older brother, Peter, she had gray eyes and a slender, patrician elegance. You two might as well be twins, people often told them. Their father had succumbed to cancer when Katherine was only seven, and she had little memory of him. Her brother, eight years Katherine’s senior and only fifteen when their father died, had begun his journey toward becoming the Solomon patriarch much sooner than anyone had ever dreamed. As expected, though, Peter had grown into the role with the dignity and strength befitting their family name. To this day, he still watched over Katherine as though they were just kids. Despite her brother’s occasional prodding, and no shortage of suitors, Katherine had never married. Science had become her life partner, and her work had proven more fulfilling and exciting than any man could ever hope to be. Katherine had no regrets. Her field of choice–Noetic Science–had been virtually unknown when she first heard of it, but in recent years it had started opening new doors of understanding into the power of the human mind. Our untapped potential is truly shocking. Katherine’s two books on Noetics had established her as a leader in this obscure field, but her most recent discoveries, when published, promised to make Noetic Science a topic of mainstream conversation around the world. Tonight, however, science was the last thing on her mind. Earlier in the day, she had received some truly upsetting information relating to her brother. I still can’t believe it’s true. She’d thought of nothing else all afternoon. A pattering of light rain drummed on her windshield, and Katherine quickly gathered her things to get inside. She was about to step out of her car when her cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID and inhaled deeply. Then she tucked her hair behind her ears and settled in to take the call. Six miles away, Mal’akh was moving through the corridors of the U.S. Capitol Building with a cell phone pressed to his ear. He waited patiently as the line rang. Finally, a woman’s voice answered. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"We need to meet again,† Mal’akh said. There was a long pause. â€Å"Is everything all right?† â€Å"I have new information,† Mal’akh said. â€Å"Tell me.† Mal’akh took a deep breath. â€Å"That which your brother believes is hidden in D.C. . . . ?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"It can be found.† Katherine Solomon sounded stunned. â€Å"You’re telling me–it is real?† Mal’akh smiled to himself. â€Å"Sometimes a legend that endures for centuries . . . endures for a reason.† CHAPTER 6 Is this as close as you can get?† Robert Langdon felt a sudden wave of anxiety as his driver parked on First Street, a good quarter mile from the Capitol Building. â€Å"Afraid so,† the driver said. â€Å"Homeland Security. No vehicles near landmark buildings anymore. I’m sorry, sir.† Langdon checked his watch, startled to see it was already 6:50. A construction zone around the National Mall had slowed them down, and his lecture was to begin in ten minutes. â€Å"Weather’s turning,† the driver said, hopping out and opening Langdon’s door for him. â€Å"You’ll want to hurry.† Langdon reached for his wallet to tip the driver, but the man waved him off. â€Å"Your host already added a very generous tip to the charge.† Typical Peter, Langdon thought, gathering his things. â€Å"Okay, thanks for the ride.† The first few raindrops began to fall as Langdon reached the top of the gracefully arched concourse that descended to the new â€Å"underground† visitors’ entrance. The Capitol Visitor Center had been a costly and controversial project. Described as an underground city to rival parts of Disney World, this subterranean space reportedly provided over a half-million square feet of space for exhibits, restaurants, and meeting halls. Langdon had been looking forward to seeing it, although he hadn’t anticipated quite this long a walk. The skies were threatening to open at any moment, and he broke into a jog, his loafers offering almost no traction on the wet cement. I dressed for a lecture, not a four-hundred-yard downhill dash through the rain! When he arrived at the bottom, he was breathless and panting. Langdon pushed through the revolving door, taking a moment in the foyer to catch his breath and brush off the rain. As he did, he raised his eyes to the newly completed space before him. Okay, I’m impressed. The Capitol Visitor Center was not at all what he had expected. Because the space was underground, Langdon had been apprehensive about passing through it. A childhood accident had left him stranded at the bottom of a deep well overnight, and Langdon now lived with an almost crippling aversion to enclosed spaces. But this underground space was . . . airy somehow. Light. Spacious. The ceiling was a vast expanse of glass with a series of dramatic light fixtures that threw a muted glow across the pearl-colored interior finishes. Normally, Langdon would have taken a full hour in here to admire the architecture, but with five minutes until showtime, he put his head down and dashed through the main hall toward the security checkpoint and escalators. Relax, he told himself. Peter knows you’re on your way. The event won’t start without you. At the security point, a young Hispanic guard chatted with him while Langdon emptied his pockets and removed his vintage watch. â€Å"Mickey Mouse?† the guard said, sounding mildly amused. Langdon nodded, accustomed to the comments. The collector’s edition Mickey Mouse watch had been a gift from his parents on his ninth birthday. â€Å"I wear it to remind me to slow down and take life less seriously.† â€Å"I don’t think it’s working,† the guard said with a smile. â€Å"You look like you’re in a serious hurry.† Langdon smiled and put his daybag through the X-ray machine. â€Å"Which way to the Statuary Hall?† The guard motioned toward the escalators. â€Å"You’ll see the signs.† â€Å"Thanks.† Langdon grabbed his bag off the conveyor and hurried on. As the escalator ascended, Langdon took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts. He gazed up through the rain-speckled glass ceiling at the mountainous form of the illuminated Capitol Dome overhead. It was an astonishing building. High atop her roof, almost three hundred feet in the air, the Statue of Freedom peered out into the misty darkness like a ghostly sentinel. Langdon always found it ironic that the workers who hoisted each piece of the nineteen-and-a-half-foot bronze statue to her perch were slaves–a Capitol secret that seldom made the syllabi of high school history classes. This entire building, in fact, was a treasure trove of bizarre arcana that included a â€Å"killer bathtub† responsible for the pneumonic murder of Vice President Henry Wilson, a staircase with a permanent bloodstain over which an inordinate number of guests seemed to trip, and a sealed basement chamber in which workers in 1930 discovered General John Alexander Logan’s long- deceased stuffed horse. No legends were as enduring, however, as the claims of thirteen different ghosts that haunted this building. The spirit of city designer Pierre L’Enfant frequently was reported wandering the halls, seeking payment of his bill, now two hundred years overdue. The ghost of a worker who fell from the Capitol Dome during construction was seen wandering the corridors with a tray of tools. And, of course, the most famous apparition of all, reported numerous times in the Capitol basement–an ephemeral black cat that prowled the substructure’s eerie maze of narrow passageways and cubicles. Langdon stepped off the escalator and again checked his watch. Three minutes. He hurried down the wide corridor, following the signs toward the Statuary Hall and rehearsing his opening remarks in his head. Langdon had to admit that Peter’s assistant had been correct; this lecture topic would be a perfect match for an event hosted in Washington, D.C., by a prominent Mason. It was no secret that D.C. had a rich Masonic history. The cornerstone of this very building had been laid in a full Masonic ritual by George Washington himself. This city had been conceived and designed by Master Masons–George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Pierre L’Enfant– powerful minds who adorned their new capital with Masonic symbolism, architecture, and art. Of course, people see in those symbols all kinds of crazy ideas. Many conspiracy theorists claimed the Masonic forefathers had concealed powerful secrets throughout Washington along with symbolic messages hidden in the city’s layout of streets. Langdon never paid any attention. Misinformation about the Masons was so commonplace that even educated Harvard students seemed to have surprisingly warped conceptions about the brotherhood. Last year, a freshman had rushed wild-eyed into Langdon’s classroom with a printout from the Web. It was a street map of D.C. on which certain streets had been highlighted to form various shapes–satanic pentacles, a Masonic compass and square, the head of Baphomet–proof apparently that the Masons who designed Washington, D.C., were involved in some kind of dark, mystical conspiracy. â€Å"Fun,† Langdon said, â€Å"but hardly convincing. If you draw enough intersecting lines on a map, you’re bound to find all kinds of shapes.† â€Å"But this can’t be coincidence!† the kid exclaimed. Langdon patiently showed the student that the same exact shapes could be formed on a street map of Detroit. The kid seemed sorely disappointed. â€Å"Don’t be disheartened,† Langdon said. â€Å"Washington does have some incredible secrets . . . just none on this street map.† The young man perked up. â€Å"Secrets? Like what?† â€Å"Every spring I teach a course called Occult Symbols. I talk a lot about D.C. You should take the course.† â€Å"Occult symbols!† The freshman looked excited again. â€Å"So there are devil symbols in D.C.!† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Sorry, but the word occult, despite conjuring images of devil worship, actually means `hidden’ or `obscured.’ In times of religious oppression, knowledge that was counterdoctrinal had to be kept hidden or `occult,’ and because the church felt threatened by this, they redefined anything `occult’ as evil, and the prejudice survived.† â€Å"Oh.† The kid slumped. Nonetheless, that spring, Langdon spotted the freshman seated in the front row as five hundred students bustled into Harvard’s Sanders Theatre, a hollow old lecture hall with creaking wooden benches. â€Å"Good morning, everybody,† Langdon shouted from the expansive stage. He turned on a slide projector, and an image materialized behind him. â€Å"As you’re getting settled, how many of you recognize the building in this picture?† â€Å"U.S. Capitol!† dozens of voices called out in unison. â€Å"Washington, D.C.!† â€Å"Yes. There are nine million pounds of ironwork in that dome. An unparalleled feat of architectural ingenuity for the 1850s.† â€Å"Awesome!† somebody shouted. Langdon rolled his eyes, wishing somebody would ban that word. â€Å"Okay, and how many of you have ever been to Washington?† A scattering of hands went up. â€Å"So few?† Langdon feigned surprise. â€Å"And how many of you have been to Rome, Paris, Madrid, or London?† Almost all the hands in the room went up. As usual. One of the rites of passage for American college kids was a summer with a Eurorail ticket before the harsh reality of real life set in. â€Å"It appears many more of you have visited Europe than have visited your own capital. Why do you think that is?† â€Å"No drinking age in Europe!† someone in back shouted. Langdon smiled. â€Å"As if the drinking age here stops any of you?† Everyone laughed. It was the first day of school, and the students were taking longer than usual to get settled, shifting and creaking in their wooden pews. Langdon loved teaching in this hall because he always knew how engaged the students were simply by listening to how much they fidgeted in their pews. â€Å"Seriously,† Langdon said, â€Å"Washington, D.C., has some of the world’s finest architecture, art, and symbolism. Why would you go overseas before visiting your own capital?† â€Å"Ancient stuff is cooler,† someone said. â€Å"And by ancient stuff,† Langdon clarified, â€Å"I assume you mean castles, crypts, temples, that sort of thing?† Their heads nodded in unison. â€Å"Okay. Now, what if I told you that Washington, D.C., has every one of those things? Castles, crypts, pyramids, temples . . . it’s all there.† The creaking diminished. â€Å"My friends,† Langdon said, lowering his voice and moving to the front of the stage, â€Å"in the next hour, you will discover that our nation is overflowing with secrets and hidden history. And exactly as in Europe, all of the best secrets are hidden in plain view.† The wooden pews fell dead silent. Gotcha. Langdon dimmed the lights and called up his second slide. â€Å"Who can tell me what George Washington is doing here?† The slide was a famous mural depicting George Washington dressed in full Masonic regalia standing before an odd-looking contraption–a giant wooden tripod that supported a rope-and- pulley system from which was suspended a massive block of stone. A group of well-dressed onlookers stood around him. â€Å"Lifting that big block of stone?† someone ventured. Langdon said nothing, preferring that a student make the correction if possible. â€Å"Actually,† another student offered, â€Å"I think Washington is lowering the rock. He’s wearing a Masonic costume. I’ve seen pictures of Masons laying cornerstones before. The ceremony always uses that tripod thing to lower the first stone.† â€Å"Excellent,† Langdon said. â€Å"The mural portrays the Father of Our Country using a tripod and pulley to lay the cornerstone of our Capitol Building on September 18, 1793, between the hours of eleven fifteen and twelve thirty.† Langdon paused, scanning the class. â€Å"Can anyone tell me the significance of that date and time?† Silence. â€Å"What if I told you that precise moment was chosen by three famous Masons–George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Pierre L’Enfant, the primary architect for D.C.?† More silence. â€Å"Quite simply, the cornerstone was set at that date and time because, among other things, the auspicious Caput Draconis was in Virgo.† Everyone exchanged odd looks. â€Å"Hold on,† someone said. â€Å"You mean . . . like astrology?† â€Å"Exactly. Although a different astrology than we know today.† A hand went up. â€Å"You mean our Founding Fathers believed in astrology?† Langdon grinned. â€Å"Big-time. What would you say if I told you the city of Washington, D.C., has more astrological signs in its architecture than any other city in the world–zodiacs, star charts, cornerstones laid at precise astrological dates and times? More than half of the framers of our Constitution were Masons, men who strongly believed that the stars and fate were intertwined, men who paid close attention to the layout of the heavens as they structured their new world.† â€Å"But that whole thing about the Capitol cornerstone being laid while Caput Draconis was in Virgo–who cares? Can’t that just be coincidence?† â€Å"An impressive coincidence considering that the cornerstones of the three structures that make up Federal Triangle–the Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument–were all laid in different years but were carefully timed to occur under this exact same astrological condition.† Langdon’s gaze was met by a room full of wide eyes. A number of heads dipped down as students began taking notes. A hand in back went up. â€Å"Why did they do that?† Langdon chuckled. â€Å"The answer to that is an entire semester’s worth of material. If you’re curious, you should take my mysticism course. Frankly, I don’t think you guys are emotionally prepared to hear the answer.† â€Å"What?† the person shouted. â€Å"Try us!† Langdon made a show of considering it and then shook his head, toying with them. â€Å"Sorry, I can’t do that. Some of you are only freshmen. I’m afraid it might blow your minds.† â€Å"Tell us!† everyone shouted. Langdon shrugged. â€Å"Perhaps you should join the Masons or Eastern Star and learn about it from the source.† â€Å"We can’t get in,† a young man argued. â€Å"The Masons are like a supersecret society!† â€Å"Supersecret? Really?† Langdon remembered the large Masonic ring that his friend Peter Solomon wore proudly on his right hand. â€Å"Then why do Masons wear obvious Masonic rings, tie clips, or pins? Why are Masonic buildings clearly marked? Why are their meeting times in the newspaper?† Langdon smiled at all the puzzled faces. â€Å"My friends, the Masons are not a secret society . . . they are a society with secrets.† â€Å"Same thing,† someone muttered. â€Å"Is it?† Langdon challenged. â€Å"Would you consider Coca-Cola a secret society?† â€Å"Of course not,† the student said. â€Å"Well, what if you knocked on the door of corporate headquarters and asked for the recipe for Classic Coke?† â€Å"They’d never tell you.† â€Å"Exactly. In order to learn Coca-Cola’s deepest secret, you would need to join the company, work for many years, prove you were trustworthy, and eventually rise to the upper echelons of the company, where that information might be shared with you. Then you would be sworn to secrecy.† â€Å"So you’re saying Freemasonry is like a corporation?† â€Å"Only insofar as they have a strict hierarchy and they take secrecy very seriously.† â€Å"My uncle is a Mason,† a young woman piped up. â€Å"And my aunt hates it because he won’t talk about it with her. She says Masonry is some kind of strange religion.† â€Å"A common misperception.† â€Å"It’s not a religion?† â€Å"Give it the litmus test,† Langdon said. â€Å"Who here has taken Professor Witherspoon’s comparative religion course?† Several hands went up. â€Å"Good. So tell me, what are the three prerequisites for an ideology to be considered a religion?† â€Å"ABC,† one woman offered. â€Å"Assure, Believe, Convert.† â€Å"Correct,† Langdon said. â€Å"Religions assure salvation; religions believe in a precise theology; and religions convert nonbelievers.† He paused. â€Å"Masonry, however, is batting zero for three. Masons make no promises of salvation; they have no specific theology; and they do not seek to convert you. In fact, within Masonic lodges, discussions of religion are prohibited.† â€Å"So . . . Masonry is anti religious?† â€Å"On the contrary. One of the prerequisites for becoming a Mason is that you must believe in a higher power. The difference between Masonic spirituality and organized religion is that the Masons do not impose a specific definition or name on a higher power. Rather than definitive theological identities like God, Allah, Buddha, or Jesus, the Masons use more general terms like Supreme Being or Great Architect of the Universe. This enables Masons of different faiths to gather together.† â€Å"Sounds a little far-out,† someone said. â€Å"Or, perhaps, refreshingly open-minded?† Langdon offered. â€Å"In this age when different cultures are killing each other over whose definition of God is better, one could say the Masonic tradition of tolerance and open-mindedness is commendable.† Langdon paced the stage. â€Å"Moreover, Masonry is open to men of all races, colors, and creeds, and provides a spiritual fraternity that does not discriminate in any way.† â€Å"Doesn’t discriminate?† A member of the university’s Women’s Center stood up. â€Å"How many women are permitted to be Masons, Professor Langdon?† Langdon showed his palms in surrender. â€Å"A fair point. Freemasonry had its roots, traditionally, in the stone masons’ guilds of Europe and was therefore a man’s organization. Several hundred years ago, some say as early as 1703, a women’s branch called Eastern Star was founded. They have more than a million members.† â€Å"Nonetheless,† the woman said, â€Å"Masonry is a powerful organization from which women are excluded.† Langdon was not sure how powerful the Masons really were anymore, and he was not going to go down that road; perceptions of the modern Masons ranged from their being a group of harmless old men who liked to play dress-up . . . all the way to an underground cabal of power brokers who ran the world. The truth, no doubt, was somewhere in the middle. â€Å"Professor Langdon,† called a young man with curly hair in the back row, â€Å"if Masonry is not a secret society, not a corporation, and not a religion, then what is it?† â€Å"Well, if you were to ask a Mason, he would offer the following definition: Masonry is a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.† â€Å"Sounds to me like a euphemism for `freaky cult.’ â€Å" â€Å"Freaky, you say?† â€Å"Hell yes!† the kid said, standing up. â€Å"I heard what they do inside those secret buildings! Weird candlelight rituals with coffins, and nooses, and drinking wine out of skulls. Now that’s freaky!† Langdon scanned the class. â€Å"Does that sound freaky to anyone else?† â€Å"Yes!† they all chimed in. Langdon feigned a sad sigh. â€Å"Too bad. If that’s too freaky for you, then I know you’ll never want to join my cult.† Silence settled over the room. The student from the Women’s Center looked uneasy. â€Å"You’re in a cult?† Langdon nodded and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. â€Å"Don’t tell anyone, but on the pagan day of the sun god Ra, I kneel at the foot of an ancient instrument of torture and consume ritualistic symbols of blood and flesh.† The class looked horrified. Langdon shrugged. â€Å"And if any of you care to join me, come to the Harvard chapel on Sunday, kneel beneath the crucifix, and take Holy Communion.† The classroom remained silent. Langdon winked. â€Å"Open your minds, my friends. We all fear what we do not understand.† The tolling of a clock began echoing through the Capitol corridors. Seven o’clock. Robert Langdon was now running. Talk about a dramatic entrance. Passing through the House Connecting Corridor, he spotted the entrance to the National Statuary Hall and headed straight for it. As he neared the door, he slowed to a nonchalant stroll and took several deep breaths. Buttoning his jacket, he lifted his chin ever so slightly and turned the corner just as the final chime sounded. Showtime. As Professor Robert Langdon strode into the National Statuary Hall, he raised his eyes and smiled warmly. An instant later, his smile evaporated. He stopped dead in his tracks. Something was very, very wrong. How to cite The Lost Symbol Chapter 4-6, Essay examples