Film Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Film Review - Essay Example t and only movie I have seen to have shown the mindless portrayal of blonde people, only to have the blonde actually prove herself to all her detractors. This movie in effect, empowers the blondes to break out of the mold and show the world that the color of one’s hair does not define intellect or personality. Legally Blonde was first shown in cinemas in 2001 and starred Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, the titular blonde. Based on the novel by Amanda Brown, Director Robert Luketic helmed the picture that also starred Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge, Holland Taylor, and Ali Larter. In the movie, Witherspoon plays Elle Woods, a typical blonde who seems to be an airhead but proves to be knowledgeable about more than just fashion once given a chance to shine in the courtroom. Although shot along the vein of Clueless, another dumb blonde triumphs movie, Legally Blonde stands alone in its genre as being the first movie of its kind to have pushed its female lead to succeed in order to prove a point to those who had been putting her down because of her hair color and its accompanying stigma. With the resurgence of female empowerment movies in our present day, it is important to note that Legally Blonde was not just trying to deliver the basic point that anything a man can do, a woman can do better. Instead, this film has proven to be intelligent in its own right. Not once does the film ever veer into sexual joke territory. Although the plot is ridiculous to most people, the comedic timing of those acting in the film is simply divine. Not a single joke ever fell flat nor lost its meaning. The movie dares to tackle serious issues relating to the trials and tribulations of people who do not fit into a certain social mold or opinion. Elle is the embodiment of every woman who has found herself in such a situation. Finding herself on the receiving end of bullying at Harvard Law School, Elle manages to teach a lesson along her way to discovering

Characteristics of Business Leadership Research Paper

Characteristics of Business Leadership - Research Paper Example It is after this that Steve struggle with the board for directors and left for NEXT Company which is, a computer plat-form development firm that specializes in higher education and business markets. Apple Computer Company was invented and established by Steven Jobs and Wozniak who formed it in his won garage since there was a challenge in raising more funds for its expansion compelling the company to look for more funds and resources for its expansion. Another challenge was insufficient competent personnel, and in this case, the Apple Two companies began looking for an experienced and a competent executive who could help them manage its expansion (Linzmayer, 2004). Therefore, the success and the growth of Apple Company at that time were met severely by insufficiency of both human and financial capital. As a consequent, Steven Jobs encountered a personality challenge of indiscipline and temperament which adversely affected the relationship between him, his workers and the general soci al environment within the company which incapacitated him on the daily running of the business. This led to a decline in the output of the company resulting to a slump in 1980s. Leadership Styles Used By Steve Jobs Steven Jobs throughout his life depicted an autocratic leadership style which realized especially because of him not making any assumptions and down to earth leader. Moreover, based on his leadership and managerial style, he was not boisterous and thus, he understood clearly the need for strong personal relations (Arnold, 2012). Steve Jobs were also identified as a transformational leader due to the fact that he is passionate and enthusiastic about his work. He is also known for creating visions and injects energy and motivation into his stream to ensure effective management. Apple Company developed a competitive culture especially at the work place, and this was as a result of jobs competency. Jobs control extended as far as the structure and design of the company bus an d necessities such as food served at the cafeteria. Within the company, Steven Jobs practiced and encouraged the concept of strictness that resulted into greater accountability into the entire organization. This was carried out through the frequent meetings especially on Mondays with various executives to set the main objectives for the week (Beahm, 2011). Similarly, to put this in place, the executives formed some agenda and at the same time the meetings also reviewed each and every product that was under development. This therefore, led to high out put in terms of quality and competence among the employees in the organization. Employees were recruited into the firm as specialists and were assigned duties based on their specific abilities and strengths, and this also helped in making feel motivated as they enjoyed whatever they were doing in the organization (Young & Simon, 2005). As a result of honesty accountability and transparency, the organization started to enjoy the global m arket. Steve jobs was also strict and encouraged competent work among his employees hence this created an environment for competent work, producing quality products that sell easily in the global market encouraging Jobs to exert all his control over every aspect of the business. As a Consequent, Steve jobs encouraged a working culture whereby there was a devoted employer-employee relationship and rapport in areas such as communication between the management and the employees, problem

The Reflection Of Reading And Writing Experiences English Literature Essay

The Reflection Of Reading And Writing Experiences English Literature Essay On the first day of my Freshman high school English, I entered the classroom with an extremely self-assured, even intermediate, sort of feeling. I signed in late and tiptoed to the last seat in the classroom, comfortably supporting my feet on the seat in front of me. Every year, English has been my worst subject and I failed at it. I had to work hard for every grade I earned in that class and thus far proved to be a real challenge in my mind. Every time I complete an assignment, I procrastinated and eventually end up writing ten page essays the night before or the day of and still would average an A- on all of them. This was definitely the worst thing I could do to improve my Reading and Writing, since I felt no confidence or remorse towards my actions. I would stay up late or wake up 2 hours in the morning, just to finish a paper that I loathed writing. This bad nature of staying up to finish a paper led me to believe that I was untouchable, when it came to writing that is. This asp ersion led me to ask the question, what is there that I dont already know? I thought I was an english god. Too bad I was in for a major eye-opener. One big problems that I found constant throughout all my writing pieces and projects was the difficulty answering the why is it important? question. When I wrote something, I knew exactly what my thoughts and ideas meant, but the problem was, I assumed that my audience did too. I also never clarified the common knowledge that I would find by researching. I would increasingly display vague information and would assume that my audience felt the same kind of sympathy towards say, my memoir, as I did. This problem still progresses in all of writings to this day, but its not in the worst phase it could possibly be in. As I had started my freshmen year in high school, my writing was unreadable because it had no intentions, no moral. I would finish the paper just to get the A I need, and nothing more. But all that has changed as I progressed through my junior and senior years. Besides my slight writing deformities, I have accomplished many pieces that has made me content of my writing. Such as my excellent introductions, that not only catch the readers attention, but also to get them hooked into reading my entire pieces. In all my pieces, the introduction, for me, is the most important part, so I make it very descriptive and inspiring. They force the audience into a phase of wonder, and make them research about a certain topic even after theyve reviewed my paper. I love to put big words and complex looking sentences, just to make my audience happy, excited, and even in disbelief right from the start. If it wasnt for the constant peer reviews and teacher conferences during my junior and senior year, I would have had never been made aware of my strengths and weaknesses. At first, I hated peer reviews. I felt like it was a waste of my time and effort. But soon after I got the gist of the whole thing, my essays always came back with a Good job! or a smiley face, demonstrating my writing accomplishments. Peer reviews helped me see what I can improve on and where exactly I make my paper sound awkward or just plain weird. After all the experience, I like to say, peer reviews, thanks for everything. When it comes to Reading, my journey just takes a new route every single year. Even when I entered high school, I wasnt much of a readerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦nope, not even one book that I would actually want to read during my pastime. I felt so jaded from any kinds of reading materials, whether it was a book, a magazines, or even the Sunday comics. I felt very detached because most of my years I spent watching TV was when I shouldve picked up a book and plowed through it, if not even the first page. Even summer reading! I was never motivated to read those lame pieces of writing because they were a waste of my time (as I thought). Peer pressure on books, like Harry Potter, never seemed to induce me into reading either. At this point I had no idea what my future would be like without reading. But just as I had lost hope, just as I was about to stop, I gained moral reason through a system I like to called read and reward. For every book I read, I was awarded with a little extra credit or a pi ece of a snicker bar (sophomore year). I felt as if I was in a contest, and the rewards were sweet! As a result, I started reading more and more books, especially during my junior year. Such as, Of mice and men, The Great Gatsby, and little excerpts from Moby Dick. I may not have loved all of them, but at least I felt like I earned the grade I received through hard work (through actual reading). From that point on, I started to read and most importantly, began to feel more confident. With every page I read, I would clinch my dictionary in one hand and would sit there, reading and searching for an elongated word that I could add to knowledge. That for me was like playing a video game; turn the page (press the buttons) and search (look for a win). Now I felt like I was spending my time in the best way possible. Not just improving my reading skills, but also fitting into the society today. As I progress throughout my senior year in high school, I will always remember the strategies I have learned and taken from previous years. Reading and Writing may not be my best subjects, but so far they have been my best improvements. Im proud to say that now I have truly accelerated in my Reading and Writing career and will further due so.

Misery of Sylvia Plath Essay -- Poetry

Sylvia Plath: Slanting the Scale of Misery It is often the dismal and gloomy poems that compel us as readers to wonder what was occurring in the poet’s mind, rather than the rhymes of flowers and sunshine. Poems about despair and sadness induce our own emotions and generate speculation as to how such negative thoughts transfer from one’s own mind to the paper, maintaining their sense of torment. Sylvia Plath’s inner suffering is effectively conveyed by way of her disturbing images and noticeable language. To communicate her private pain, she uses a mass event, the Holocaust, as her own expression and by doing so she is robbing the true victims of this historically tragic event for her personal representation. Plath is a Massachusetts native who sustained an exterior perfection throughout her childhood and into her early years at Smith College. However, the death of her father years before seemed to hold lasting distress upon her and a few years into her college career she attempted to commit suicide, which proved to be only the start of her emotional trepidations. After college, she married the English poet, Ted Hughes, with whom she moved back and forth from London to Massachusetts and eventually had two children. After suspicions of infidelity their unstable marriage came to an end. Plath remained in London with her children where she continued writing. Ultimately, during one of the coldest winters on record, her loneliness overcame her ambition and Sylvia Plath killed herself. It was a tragic end to an even more tragically forlorn life, but she left the world with admirable literary works to remember her by. (www.sylviaplath.info) Plath’s poems are recognized for their personally honest annotations of he... ...lved in the Holocaust. To say that Sylvia Plath is a Holocaust writer is incorrect. To say that she attempted to compare her sorrows to that of years of severe suffering by millions accurate. To say that Sylvia Plath’s comparison is shocking and offensive is correct. Works Cited Kutner, Bob. "Bob Kutner: Lamp Shade Made Out of Skin." Holocaust Memorial Day. 26 Nov. 2007 _kutner/lamp_shade_made_out_of_skin.htm>. Olidort, Shoshana. "Sylvia Plath and the Holocaust." The Commentator. 22 Nov. 2005. 26 Nov. 2007 Culture/Sylvia.Plath.And.The.Holocaust-1058400-page2.shtml>. Steinberg, Peter K. "A Celebration, This Is." Biography. 5 Nov. 2002. 26 Nov. 2007 .

Asiatic Society of Japan Essay

Japanology or the study of the Asiatic Society of Japan from 1853 was actually the records of the Expeditions sent by the American nation to negotiate with Japan to open their economy to international community. Although before the 1853, Perry Expedition, the Americans had attempted several times to establish economic relations with Japan but all the efforts failed as Japan maintained its Close-Door Policy to international community. As the United States earlier Expeditions suffered humiliation due to Japan’s refusal to their intentions, and because of reports about Japanese barbarous attitude heard from survivors of ship wreck in Japanese waters, the United States had gotten a keen interest in Japan sending a large expeditionary force under Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853 to force Japan to open their economy and to demand them kind treatment of the American castaways and shipwreck survivors. Thus, the Perry Expedition was rather business oriented than any other purpose though there were also others who joined for scientific exploration and still others for less noble purpose or for personal advancement. As this paper dig more on the many books about Asiatic Society of Japan, as well as into the Perry Expedition. The writer found out that most of the authors of those books talk about how Japan reacted on the forcible intrusion of United States ships merely to force Japan to open their economy and do business with the Americans and in the international arena. Thus, this paper discussed Japanology and the Asiatic Society of Japan based on the perspective of the majority of authors towards the subject. Though, it also provides information on the activities of the Western men while in Japan during this period, but it is quite brief due to limited sources. The main information would be on the effect of Perry and the American men on the Asiatic society of Japan and how Japan viewed the Western arrogance and intrusion on Japanese soil particularly the Perry Expedition. In the book ‘With Perry to Japan,’ William Heine disclosed that the purpose of the USS Columbus and the USS Vensennes of sailing half way around the world was to find answer whether Japan would end â€Å"two hundred years of isolation and become friends and begin trade† (p. 1). But these American sailors were pushed back with remarked from the authorities to â€Å"depart as quickly as possible, and not come anymore in Japan† (p. 1). But the stubborn Americans made more attempts to do business with Japan but Japan seemed to be determined to close its door to foreign relations. Heines puts it â€Å"Japan seemed determined to remain as it had been since 1638: shut† (p. 1). With much of rejection and humiliation, the United States sent a large force under Commodore Matthew Perry as a show of force to force them to open their economy in international community. Heine pointed out that the Americans â€Å"wanted exploration, surveys and charts, and protection for castaways and trade† (p. 2). But Perry’s show of force was quite a show of arrogance of the American nation as they would bring such armada of ships merely to compel Japan to open their economy. Heines noted that â€Å"Perry’s order was assertive and could be taken as pugnacious† (p. 3). Heines further said that Perry was instructed â€Å"to shoot his way out if it is needed† (p. 3). Because of such a large force comprising of eight ships, over two hundred cannon and heavy gun, and more than two thousand men, Japan was forced to comply and Perry’s expedition broke into Japanese Island forcing them into international arena (p. 4). In the eyes of Western countries, Japan’s attitude towards the West’s attempt to penetrated Japan with their social, cultural and religious and industrial influence was tyranny. Japan was accused of mistreating Americans and other foreigner and of insulting Christianity and so forth. Heines pointed out that the prevailing Western opinion that Japan halted â€Å"the advancement of science and hindered navigation by blocking exploration, preventing survey and refusing to exchange information† (p. 5). Japanese internal policies and actions were viewed as â€Å"unjust, as wrongs to right prima facie, and their own as right to be asserted de facto† (p. 5). Indeed, Japan was merely protecting itself from Western influence under the banner of nationalism. In the words of Heines, â€Å"a country sought to be left alone and bothered nobody unless bothered by somebody† (p. 5), was suddenly intruded by foreigner. Japan was dragged into international arena mainly because of one sided interest, that of America. Japan had to choose either to accept the American terms or risk their country of losing in battle. In the words of Heines, Japan carefully studied the terms and decided to â€Å"grant the request of those people to trade and communicate with them, learn their drills and tactics, and go abroad to prepare [themselves]† (p. 5). According to an article entitled ‘Transaction of the Asiatic Society of Japan’ revealed the American’s coming in Japan was through the invitation of a Japanese named Neriaki. The article said that Neriaki was able to send letter to a Japanese who managed to get away to American inviting Americans to come to Japan (p. 111). It was this letter that became the prelude to Commodore Dewey to make assertion to Japanese authorities of his coming in 1853. The letter indeed was in arrogant tune. William Gerald Beasley stated that although the American intention was to establish â€Å"friendship and intercourse between the people of two respective countries, yet it was a one-sided transaction. Beasley pointed out that the United States’ statement in the letter, â€Å"we desire to explain to you how great is the United States, and if you refuse to enter into an arrangement, we shall commence hostilities† (Beasley, p. 3). During this time Japan was living in peace and had no internal troubles as Beasley puts it, the â€Å"military class enjoyed a long peace and neglected military arts; they had given themselves up to luxury and pleasure, and there were very few who had put on armor for many years† (p. 3). Thus, the visit of the American ships intended to make peace and friendship brought troubles and confusion on a country living in peace and their citizens living in prosperity. The visit was indeed a little of short to be described as an aggression, because as Beasley described the nature of how the Americans made their entry. Beasley writes, â€Å"In the autumn of the year 1864, during the reign of the 122nd sovereign of the human dynasty, a disturbance took place at Kyto the like of which had not accord since the first origin of Japan. Arms were resorted to and bullets flew about the imperial palace; nay more than half of it was burnt in a conflagration which arose out of the fight. The fierce flames lighted up the heavens, and huge waves overwhelmed the earth† (p. 1). No wonder, the Japanese viewed both the Americans and the British Barbarians. Beasley noted the Japanese authorities were aware of the plunder made by the English Barbarians during the Opium War and the incursion of the US ships a warning and to avoid war, they hard better grant though Japan gave into American demand but in their mind â€Å"the Americans were watching their country with greedy eye for many years† (Beasley, p. 5). As Japan was drag into the international arena Japan was forced to abandon policies of seclusion. Marius B. Jansen noted that Japan was compelled to â€Å"enter the international order on terms defined by the West† (Jansen, p.294). Jansen pointed out that Japan struggled to regain its sovereignty and was forced to â€Å"embarked on policies of centralization and institutional innovation in order to build a modern nation-state and the basic restructuring of domestic society† (Jansen, p. 294). Jensen further said that as Japan moved on further in their new order of domestic reconstruction, what has began as defensive steps to head a perceived Western threat was soon followed by membership in that military and economic order that had first challenged them (Jansen, p. 294). Jansen also pointed out that in the course of Perry and Harry’s negation with the Shogunate of Japan to open their economy to the international community Tokugawa Nariaki which previously sent the letter to America inviting them to come to Japan, â€Å"played a prominent role in opposition to the way Japan responded to the demands of Perry and of Harries (Jansen, p. 295). As more developments taking place in Japan with the presence of the Western forces on the shore of Japan, the foreigners made more contributions to the demolition of Japan’s social and cultural values in the areas where they were to be found. Jansen said â€Å"Japanese entrepreneurs were not slow to set up places of amusements for sailors. And the prints Sadahide provide colorful documentation of partying in the Yokohama Genkiro and other brothels† (Jansen, p. 317). The Wild Wild West behavior of these foreigners not only puzzled ordinary Japanese by these self-confident outsiders but also disrupted moral order of the Japanese life. Jansen puts it, â€Å"no one can question the advisability of men’s providing themselves with pistols, but picnic excursions to islets in Edo Bay that ended with target shooting (p. 317), that even the bravest Samurai for all their courage were helpless to do anything and forced to accept the reality and humiliation that unconscionable behavior was an infuriating reminder of inferiority (Jansen, p. 317). Japanese thought that Westerners will destroy Japanese political structure through the â€Å"diffusion of Christianity, while others felt that these are desecrating sacred soil by their presence and they feared that tolerating their entry invited a form of colonialism. † Thus, during the Western’s first attempts, Japan treated them indifferently which was a normal and ordinary reaction but the US viewed it as tyranny.

Personality psychology Essay

Major Constructs in Jung’s Theory Libido (the psyche’s source of energy) Persona (the masks we wear in life) Personal Unconscious (much like Freud’s notion of the unconscious) Collective Unconscious (the inherited force behind our existence) Archetypes (forms for expressing portions of the content of the collective unconscious) 8/6/2009 Personality # 1 expresses the personal and the self (note small case â€Å"s† in self) Personality #2 is more in touch with the collective unconscious Examples of archetypes Shadow (the dark side of the conscious ego or persona) Anima (the feminine aspect of the male psyche) Animus (the masculine aspect of the female psyche) The Self (the â€Å"real deal† discussed at near the end of the lecture) Jung’s theory is a theory of oppositional forces Two fundamental â€Å"Attitudes† Extraversion Introversion 8/6/2009 Four Psychic Functions Thinking Feeling Sensation Intuition Psychological Types Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Go to http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgiwin/JTypes1.htm if you are interested in exploring the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. You can take the test, read the result, and Look up what the results mean. No extra credit for doing that. Concepts pertaining to growth and development Equilibrium Free flow of energy across opposites Individuation Becoming familiar with and ability to use and synthesize all functions and other in-born capacities The Self The â€Å"mother† of all archetypes. The goal of personality development is the full realization of Self Mandala Major symbol of Self

Free Essays on Jorge Luis Borges

Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Luis Borges nacià ³ el 24 de agosto de 1899 en Buenos Aires, Argentina, en casa de su abuelo Isidoro Acevedo. Borges aprendià ³ a hablar y a leer en ingles antes que aprendià ³ a leer en castellano con la ayuda de su abuela que tenia origen ingles. Cuando Borges tenà ­a apenas seis aà ±os le dijo a su padre que querà ­a ser un escritor. Siendo un nià ±o de solo siete aà ±os, à ©l escribià ³ un resumen de la mitologà ­a griega. A los ocho anos escribià ³ ,†La Visera Fatal,† que fue inspirado por un episodio del Quijote. Cuando tenia nueve aà ±os, el traduzco al ingles,†El Prà ­ncipe Feliz† de Oscar Wilde. Cuando tenia nueve anos, el traduzco â€Å"El principe fleiz† de Oscar Wilde. a los nueve traduce del inglà ©s "El prà ­ncipe feliz" de Oscar Wilde. En 1914, y debido a su ceguera casi total, el padre se jubila y decide pasar una temporada con la familia en Europa. Debido a la guerra, se instalan en Ginebra donde Georgie escribir algunos poemas en francà ©s mientras estudia el bachillerato (1914-1918). Su primera publicacià ³n registrada es una reseà ±a de tres libros espaà ±oles escrita en francà ©s para ser publicada en un perià ³dico ginebrino. Pronto empezar a publicar poemas y manifiestos en la prensa literaria de Espaà ±a, donde reside desde 1919 hasta 1921, aà ±o en que los Borges regresan a Buenos Aires. El joven poeta redescubre su ciudad natal, sobre todo los suburbios del Sur, poblados de compadritos. Empieza a escribir poemas sobre este descubrimiento, publicando su primer libro de poemas, Fervor de Buenos Aires (1923). Instalado definitivamente en su ciudad natal a partir de 1924, publicar algunas revistas literarias y con dos libros ms, Luna de enfrente e Inquisiciones, establecer ya en 1925 su reputacià ³n de jefe de la ms joven vanguardia. En los treinta aà ±os siguientes, Georgie se transforma en Borges; es decir: en uno de los ms brillantes y ms polà ©micos escritores de nuestra Amà ©r... Free Essays on Jorge Luis Borges Free Essays on Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Luis Borges nacià ³ el 24 de agosto de 1899 en Buenos Aires, Argentina, en casa de su abuelo Isidoro Acevedo. Borges aprendià ³ a hablar y a leer en ingles antes que aprendià ³ a leer en castellano con la ayuda de su abuela que tenia origen ingles. Cuando Borges tenà ­a apenas seis aà ±os le dijo a su padre que querà ­a ser un escritor. Siendo un nià ±o de solo siete aà ±os, à ©l escribià ³ un resumen de la mitologà ­a griega. A los ocho anos escribià ³ ,†La Visera Fatal,† que fue inspirado por un episodio del Quijote. Cuando tenia nueve aà ±os, el traduzco al ingles,†El Prà ­ncipe Feliz† de Oscar Wilde. Cuando tenia nueve anos, el traduzco â€Å"El principe fleiz† de Oscar Wilde. a los nueve traduce del inglà ©s "El prà ­ncipe feliz" de Oscar Wilde. En 1914, y debido a su ceguera casi total, el padre se jubila y decide pasar una temporada con la familia en Europa. Debido a la guerra, se instalan en Ginebra donde Georgie escribir algunos poemas en francà ©s mientras estudia el bachillerato (1914-1918). Su primera publicacià ³n registrada es una reseà ±a de tres libros espaà ±oles escrita en francà ©s para ser publicada en un perià ³dico ginebrino. Pronto empezar a publicar poemas y manifiestos en la prensa literaria de Espaà ±a, donde reside desde 1919 hasta 1921, aà ±o en que los Borges regresan a Buenos Aires. El joven poeta redescubre su ciudad natal, sobre todo los suburbios del Sur, poblados de compadritos. Empieza a escribir poemas sobre este descubrimiento, publicando su primer libro de poemas, Fervor de Buenos Aires (1923). Instalado definitivamente en su ciudad natal a partir de 1924, publicar algunas revistas literarias y con dos libros ms, Luna de enfrente e Inquisiciones, establecer ya en 1925 su reputacià ³n de jefe de la ms joven vanguardia. En los treinta aà ±os siguientes, Georgie se transforma en Borges; es decir: en uno de los ms brillantes y ms polà ©micos escritores de nuestra Amà ©r...

Natron and its Use in Preserving Egyptian Mummies

Natron and its Use in Preserving Egyptian Mummies Natron is a chemical salt (Na2CO3), which was used by the ancient Bronze Age societies in the eastern Mediterranean for a wide range of purposes, most importantly as an ingredient in making glass, and as a preservative used in making mummies.   Natron can be created out of ash from plants that grow in salt marshes (called halophytic plants) or mined from  natural deposits. The main source for Egyptian mummy-making was at Wadi Natrun, northwest of Cairo. Another important natural deposit used primarily for glass-making was at Chalastra, in the Macedonian region of Greece.   Oh, mummy! Ahmose-Nefertari still looks good today. G. Elliot Smith (1871-1937)/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons Mummy Preservation Beginning as long ago as 3500 BCE, the ancient Egyptians mummified their wealthy dead in various ways. During the New Kingdom (ca. 1550-1099 BCE), the process included the removal and preservation of internal organs. Certain organs such as the lungs and intestines were placed into decorated Canopic jars that symbolized protection by the Gods.  The body was then preserved with natron while the heart was typically left untouched and inside of the body. The brain was often physically discarded.   Natrons salt properties worked to preserve the mummy in three ways: Dried the moisture in the flesh thereby inhibiting the growth of bacteriaDegreased the body fats by removing moisture-filled fat cellsServed as a microbial disinfectant. Natron  was stripped from the bodys skin after 40 days  and the cavities were filled with items such as linen, herbs, sand, and sawdust.  The skin was coated with resin, then the body was wrapped in resin-coated linen bandages. This entire process took about two and a half months for those that could afford to embalm. Earliest Use   Natron is a salt, and salts and brines have been used in all cultures for a number of uses. Natron was used in Egyptian glass-making at least as long ago as the Badarian period of early 4th millennium BCE, and likely in mummy-making about the same time. By 1000 BCE, glass makers throughout the Mediterranean used natron as the flux elements.   Knossos Palace on Crete was built with large blocks of gypsum, a mineral related to natron; the Romans used NaCl as money or salarium, which is how English got the word salary. The Greek writer Herodotus reported natrons use in mummy-making the 6th century BCE.   Making or Mining Natron Natron can be made by collecting plants from salt marshes, burning them until they are at the ash stage and then mixing it with soda lime. In addition, natron is found in natural deposits in Africa in places such as Lake Magadi, Kenya, and Lake Natron in Tanzania, and in Greece at Lake Pikrolimni. The mineral is typically found alongside  gypsum and calcite, both also important to Mediterranean Bronze Age societies. Natron Glass - Unguent Bottle - New Kingdom 18th or 19th Dynasty. Claire H Characteristics and Use Natural natron varies in color with the deposit. It can be pure white, or darker grey or yellow. It has a soapy texture when mixed with water, and was used anciently as a soap and mouthwash, and as a disinfectant for cuts and other wounds.   Natron was an important component for making ceramics, paints- it is an important element in the recipe for the paint known as Egyptian blue- glassmaking, and metals. Natron was also used to make faience, the high-tech substitute for precious gems in Egyptian society.   Today, natron is not used as readily in modern-day society, having been replaced with commercial detergent items along with soda ash, which made up for its use as a soap, glass-maker and household items. Natron has decreased dramatically in use since its popularity in the 1800s. Egyptian Etymology The name natron comes from the term Nitron, which derives from Egypt as a synonym for sodium bicarbonate. Natron was from the 1680s French word which was derived directly from Arabics natrun. The latter was from Greeks nitron. It is also known as the chemical sodium which is symbolized as Na. Sources Bertman, Stephen. The Genesis of Science: The Story of Greek Imagination. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books, 2010. Print. Dotsika, E., et al. A Natron Source at Pikrolimni Lake in Greece? Geochemical Evidence. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 103.2-3 (2009): 133-43. Print. Noble, Joseph Veach. The Technique of Egyptian Faience. American Journal of Archaeology 73.4 (1969): 435–39. Print. Tite, M.S., et al. The Composition of the Soda-Rich and Mixed Alkali Plant Ashes Used in the Production of Glass. Journal of Archaeological Science 33 (2006): 1284-92. Print.

Sum of Squares Formula Shortcut

Sum of Squares Formula Shortcut The calculation of a sample variance or standard deviation is typically stated as a fraction. The numerator of this fraction involves a sum of squared deviations from the mean. In statistics, the formula for this total sum of squares is ÃŽ £ (xi - xÌ„)2 Here the symbol xÌ„ refers to the sample mean, and the symbol ÃŽ £ tells us to add up the squared differences (xi - xÌ„) for all i. While this formula works for calculations, there is an equivalent, shortcut formula that does not require us to first calculate the sample mean. This shortcut formula for the sum of squares is ÃŽ £(xi2)-(ÃŽ £ xi)2/n Here the variable n refers to the number of data points in our sample. Standard Formula Example To see how this shortcut formula works, we will consider an example that is calculated using both formulas. Suppose our sample is 2, 4, 6, 8. The sample mean is (2 4 6 8)/4 20/4 5. Now we calculate the difference of each data point with the mean 5. 2 – 5 -34 – 5 -16 – 5 18 – 5 3 We now square each of these numbers and add them together. (-3)2 (-1)2 12 32 9 1 1 9 20. Shortcut Formula Example Now we will use the same set of data: 2, 4, 6, 8, with the shortcut formula to determine the sum of squares. We first square each data point and add them together: 22 42 62 82 4 16 36 64 120. The next step is to add together all of the data and square this sum: (2 4 6 8)2 400. We divide this by the number of data points to obtain 400/4 100. We now subtract this number from 120. This gives us that the sum of the squared deviations is 20. This was exactly the number that we have already found from the other formula. How Does This Work? Many people will just accept the formula at face value and do not have any idea why this formula works. By using a little bit of algebra, we can see why this shortcut formula is equivalent to the standard, traditional way of calculating the sum of squared deviations. Although there may be hundreds, if not thousands of values in a real-world data set, we will assume that there are only three data values: x1 , x2, x3. What we see here could be expanded to a data set that has thousands of points. We begin by noting that( x1 x2 x3) 3 xÌ„. The expression ÃŽ £(xi - xÌ„)2 (x1 - xÌ„)2 (x2 - xÌ„)2 (x3 - xÌ„)2. We now use the fact from basic algebra that (a b)2 a2 2ab b2. This means that (x1 - xÌ„)2 x12 -2x1 xÌ„ xÌ„2. We do this for the other two terms of our summation, and we have: x12 -2x1 xÌ„ xÌ„2 x22 -2x2 xÌ„ xÌ„2 x32 -2x3 xÌ„ xÌ„2. We rearrange this and have: x12 x22 x32 3xÌ„2 - 2xÌ„(x1 x2 x3) . By rewriting (x1 x2 x3) 3xÌ„ the above becomes: x12 x22 x32 - 3xÌ„2. Now since 3xÌ„2 (x1 x2 x3)2/3, our formula becomes: x12 x22 x32 - (x1 x2 x3)2/3 And this is a special case of the general formula that was mentioned above: ÃŽ £(xi2)-(ÃŽ £ xi)2/n Is It Really a Shortcut? It may not seem like this formula is truly a shortcut. After all, in the example above it seems that there are just as many calculations. Part of this has to do with the fact that we only looked at a sample size that was small. As we increase the size of our sample, we see that the shortcut formula reduces the number of calculations by about half. We do not need to subtract the mean from each data point and then square the result. This cuts down considerably on the total number of operations.

Volunteering with Hancock Christian Clearing House (HCCH) Essay

Volunteering with Hancock Christian Clearing House (HCCH) - Essay Example HCCH is a cooperative effort involving 42 Churches in Hancock County with a mission to help those who, under ordinary circumstances, may not qualify for the assistance from regular charitable and other social organizations. HCCH is mostly run by the volunteers like me who interact with the clients in order to determine their needs and assist them in finding proper solution for their needs. HCCH also provides training to its volunteers who need it. The main sources of funding for HCCH come in the shape of donations and contributions made by the members of the Churches and other individuals. According to one estimate, approximately $13000 is disbursed monthly to those in need. These funds are disbursed in terms of fulfilling the needs of needy for their housing rentals, medical aid, food support, transportation as well as fulfilling other needs. HCCH is a small organization but its efforts and endeavors are much bigger in their scope and impact on those who are rejected or refused help . My volunteer work with HCCH was based on different assignments which were given to me, or which I believed I could do to the best of my abilities and with highest efficiency. I participated in preparing a dinner at HCCH as a part of its efforts to provide food to its clients. I almost participated in every activity. First of all, I started with arranging the tables for dinner so that food when ready can be readily served to the people coming for dinner. After that I helped prepared the cakes which were going to be served besides helping other volunteers to label the cakes made by me and others. After the dinner was finished, I helped other volunteers to clean the tables as well as throwing the garbage also. Further, I helped the senile people, who came to dinner, to carry their dinner dishes so that a positive and healthy attitude can be developed in them. I also helped other staff members by

Mnging people in retil Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mnging people in retil - Case Study Example In most retil orgniztions, these chnges come in the fce of reltively little premerger plnning. lthough mny firms consider the implictions of structurl chnge on their orgniztion, often such nlysis is cursory nd superficil. This pper will introduce the elements of structure within the retil orgniztion, then explore the reltionship mong structure, strtegy, nd culture. Finlly, the structurl chnges within retil orgniztion strtegy is presented in the previous pssges of the pper. Retil orgniztionl structure hs numerous dimensions: formliztion, speciliztion, stndrdiztion, hierrchy of uthority, complexity, centrliztion, professionlism, nd personnel rtios. mong them, complexity, formliztion, nd centrliztion re focl to our discussion of retil orgniztion (see Figure 1). Complexity refers to the number nd vriety of hierrchicl lyers, job titles, nd divisions nd deprtments within n orgniztion. The more lyers nd divisions, the higher the complexity of n orgniztion. (Bddeleys, Jmes, 1990) It is needed to sy tht the level of complexity vries within the retil orgniztion. Within Tesco, the legl deprtment hs mny lyers of lwyers nd stff members servicing the legl needs of different regions of the country, wheres mnufcturing my hve only one loction with two hierrchicl levels. Formliztion refers to the number nd content of rules nd regultions present within n retil orgniztion. The more written rules, stndrd operting procedures, nd policy mnuls, the more forml n orgniztion. The degree of formliztion determines how mny decisions re preprogrmmed, since rules nd mnuls cn replce mngeril decision mking. Highly formlized structures led to routine work nd ctivity. In forml orgniztions, behviors nd ctivities re predetermined since they re described in some document. Employee freedom in decision mking nd behvior is therefore highly limited. dditionlly, formliztion often leds to impersonlity for both employees nd customers Centrliztion The compny tht is being discussed hs decentrlized retil dministrtion. It is counted to be the cornerstone of orgniztionl policy tht is crucil when it comes to compny's retil success nd some difficulties to overcome every now nd then. The ltter my relte to the locl overpricing of goods, poor service, out-of-stock conditions, nd excessive nd unblnced inventories. t the mentime, compny officers ssume tht the dvntges of decentrliztion previl over its disdvntges. Centrliztion Centrliztion refers to the distribution of power nd decision mking within n orgniztion. The less the number of groups nd levels involved in decision mking, the more centrlized firm. In centrlized orgniztions, lrge mjority of ll decisions re mde by top mngers. In decentrlized orgniztions, on the other hnd, decisions re delegted or pushed down to lower levels. DETERMINNTS OF STRUCTURE There hs been considerble reserch regrding the fctors tht determine, nd re determined by, the structure nd design of n orgniztion. The fctors considered most often re size, technology, strtegy, externl environment, nd most recently, culture nd ledership. Evidence cn be found supporting the position tht these elements determine structure nd tht structure determines them. So there is circulr reltionship mong them. They ll mutully

Research and present how Aflac practices social responsibility and Paper

And present how Aflac practices social responsibility and ethics. Your should uncover how it successfully uses - Research Paper Example The key CSR practises that have enabled Aflac to often rank high among most of the sustainability index such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) amongst others include the multi-purpose recycling program for plastics, office papers among other wastes such aluminium metals (Aflac, 2012a; Forster, Loughran & Mcdonald 2009, p.129). Aflac has come to understand the crucial role played by CSR and ethical practises and conformity programs in promoting the brand of a company and this explains why it been in the Ethisphere list of socially responsible companies continually. This recognition is further attributed to the company dedication to engaging in activities that mutually benefit the communities in which the company operates and enhances is success while maintaining high ethical standards. Aflac focuses on three key areas; compassion, multiplicity and the ability to uphold its purpose, it is dedicated to looking after its own congregation and is mainly concerned with its miscel laneous work force. Consequently, individuals in the societies in which the company operates in have come to have expectations that, it assumes more responsibilities to the public, and this is based on the assumption that the company makes so much money at the expense of the public. It is believed by the management of Aflac that these expectations will continue to increase in the future as the company goes on expanding its activities all over the globe. In addition, the company has come up with environmentally friendly plans to ensure that its negative impact on the environment remains minimal. Thus, its participation in corporate social responsibility can be said to have increased the role of this company in the society by making sure that it participates in making the environment a better place in which to live. Because of this, the company has come to adopt the theory of corporate social responsibility, which is an approach it utilizes when dealing with the impact its business ac tivities have on the societies and the environment, in which it is involved. Corporate Social Responsibility Implementing Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate social responsibilities refer to the actions undertaken by a corporation in order to cater for the welfare of all its stakeholders i.e. its clients, employees and especially to the communities they operate in promoting social welfare. Recently, there has been questioning of the current statements about the advantages of corporate social responsibility and the declarations that companies make on behalf of their corporate social responsibility programs. In particular, it has been suggested that the use of corporate social responsibility for the sake of public relations raises ethical predicaments over the motivation of companies. There have also been warnings concerning the justifications that either companies employ may be dishonest or imprecise with regard to the practical substantiation obtained from small-scale qualitat ive researches undertaken in the 1980s, a period when the exercise of corporate social responsibility was growing rapidly (Brown 2011, p.78). There has been the suggestion that companies only

War Against Terrorism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

War Against Terrorism - Assignment Example The war is now affecting even the people who are not directly involved (non-combatants) in its path, and this leads one to question the constitutional rights being violated by the American war on Iraq. This paper will examine the constitutional issue being impacted by this war, and what can be done to eliminate all possible constitutional violations on both sides. After the 9/11 attacks, the American government opted to take away or amend some constitutional rights enjoyed by the American people. It is believed that after the attack, Americans were asked to give up some fundamental rights in order to address the war on terror. Due to fear and uncertainty, people were willing to give these up, not thinking of the future days. It is sad that free people had to give up their civil liberties in order to acquire temporary safety and liberty. This is what most people are up in arms against today, and if the continuous wars are anything to go by, more lobby groups are going to stand and fight for the long forgotten American freedoms. Sadly, America’s allies are also feeling the pressure placed on them by the United States, and are being forced to do the same in their home countries in order to ‘protect’ their citizens from unforeseen threats (Nabeel, Howell & Shryock, 2011). Internationally, the United States is affecting the constitutional rights of the Iraqi government and people by attacking their national sovereignty. There might be a pretext that there is fostered co-operation between the two nations, but this is only what the American government wants people to think. The Iraqi government may be strong-armed to accept the conditions of the American government, while its people are being killed and maimed in the name of the war on terror (Herman, 2011). The trammeling of rights on both sides is alarming, and with advancement in technological fields, there is no telling

Does the amout of Solution effect the Crystalization of Copper Sulfate Research Paper

Does the amout of Solution effect the Crystalization of Copper Sulfate - Research Paper Example The experiment requires the following; Boiling tube, thermometer, Source of heat and 8.5g of CuSO4 Procedurally, transfer 8.5g of CuSO4 into a dry clean beaker. To the boiling tube, add distilled 20cm3 water and warm the mixture until all the solid has dissolved. Place the thermometer in the boiling tube and remove the flame and allow the solution to cool while stirring with the thermometer. Note the temperature at which crystals appears. Add 6cm3 distilled water into the mixture in the boiling tube and repeat the procedure. Continue adding 6cm3 portions of distilled water until the total volume of water is 50cm3. Record the temperature at which crystals appear in each case. It’s noted that is noted that crystal appear faster, in the beaker that is highly concentrated than those that are highly diluted. A solid that dissolves in a solvent is a solute. Solvent of a given mass dissolves a fixed amount of a given solute at a particular temperature. The fixed amount of solute form s a saturated solution at that particular temperature. ... When temperature increases more solute dissolves because of the increase in molecular energy of water molecules that increases the interaction of water and solute particle (Giulietti, 1996) However, the amount of solution does not either increase or decrease the rate of crystallization. This is because volume is a constant and has no effect on the rate of crystallization. The rate of crystallization varies when the temperature and concentration of the solution are altered. When the concentration is decreased the capacity to hold on water molecules is increased because of large surface area of intermolecular spaces between water molecules. This is therefore increases the capacity of water molecules to hold the solute thereby decreasing the rate at which crystals form from a cooling solution. However, when the solute concentration of the solution is increased, the capacity of liquid molecules to hold solutes decreases because of reduced intermolecular spaces. This therefore increases t he ease with which crystals reform from the solution thereby increasing the rate of crystallization. A crystal formed consists of the various atoms or molecules arranged in a uniform repeating pattern based on its unique shape. This results in the material having a specific shape and color, and having other characteristic properties. Crystals may be big or little, but they all have the same "shape" Water can only hold a certain amount of solute at a given temperature. When the temperature of the solution is increased, the capacity of water to hold solids substance is increased than cold water because increased energy, making room for more solid substance to dissolve. When no more of the solid substance can be dissolved, the solution termed as saturated. As the solution

Psychological Analysis of the Film High Fidelity Movie Review

Psychological Analysis of the Film High Fidelity - Movie Review Example During the time when she said that, specifically after the funeral of her father, she even asked Rob to make out with her (out of her anxiety). Thus, throughout the scene, they had a confrontation, which soon led to getting back together. More so, Rob displays his liking for Laura as he talks to himself, stating top five reasons why he likes Laura, that to include: her habit of rubbing her feet while sleeping, her laugh, her looks, her getup, and just the way she carries herself. In fact, Rob's anxiety throughout the plot was caused by their breakup, leading him to conclude that she may be the one he wants to spend his life with forever and does everything he could to get her back. He also reiterated that he is so miserable without her that it is not worth thinking about alternatives. He constantly thought of whether or not Laura ever had the chance to make out with Ian and even got to the point of frustration because of sexual thoughts of Laura and someone else. In social exchange theory, rewards and costs are of high regard. The female, who most likely receives intimacy and concern from the male, out of love, gives herself sexually to her partner. On the other hand, the male, who has the angst for sexual pleasure, also receives what he desires. Hence, the theory also pays high regard to the equivalent of the reward, which most of the time turns out to be a sacrifice for both parties. However, since they really acquire their hearts' deepest desires through the exchange, they both find their relationship worth those costs (Wang 2). Moreover, because of this theory, people experience feeling like there is no one to replace his or her significant other (Gire). The framework that exists in the social exchange theory is vital to understand the workings of the... During and after viewing the film, as I applied the concepts of Social Psychology to the instances portraying particular theories and hypotheses, I learned the forces responsible for the actions of the characters, as well as the different motivations possibly to influence the thoughts of each one.It seems that whatever one experiences is brought by particular instances rolled into interweaving situations as they connect to the lives of one another. Furthermore, it became really evident why Rob was acting like he did in the film. I understand now that the reason why Rob keeps on being dumped by women or vice versa because at his 30’s, he still hasn’t found peace within. His environment, wherein peer pressure was really clearly shown (during his adolescent years), contributed to his thoughts that happiness is just within if only he will get what he wants. Now, at an age when one usually marries and already has children, he keeps on asking himself why he just cannot settle on.

Does the amout of Solution effect the Crystalization of Copper Sulfate Research Paper

Does the amout of Solution effect the Crystalization of Copper Sulfate - Research Paper Example The experiment requires the following; Boiling tube, thermometer, Source of heat and 8.5g of CuSO4 Procedurally, transfer 8.5g of CuSO4 into a dry clean beaker. To the boiling tube, add distilled 20cm3 water and warm the mixture until all the solid has dissolved. Place the thermometer in the boiling tube and remove the flame and allow the solution to cool while stirring with the thermometer. Note the temperature at which crystals appears. Add 6cm3 distilled water into the mixture in the boiling tube and repeat the procedure. Continue adding 6cm3 portions of distilled water until the total volume of water is 50cm3. Record the temperature at which crystals appear in each case. It’s noted that is noted that crystal appear faster, in the beaker that is highly concentrated than those that are highly diluted. A solid that dissolves in a solvent is a solute. Solvent of a given mass dissolves a fixed amount of a given solute at a particular temperature. The fixed amount of solute form s a saturated solution at that particular temperature. ... When temperature increases more solute dissolves because of the increase in molecular energy of water molecules that increases the interaction of water and solute particle (Giulietti, 1996) However, the amount of solution does not either increase or decrease the rate of crystallization. This is because volume is a constant and has no effect on the rate of crystallization. The rate of crystallization varies when the temperature and concentration of the solution are altered. When the concentration is decreased the capacity to hold on water molecules is increased because of large surface area of intermolecular spaces between water molecules. This is therefore increases the capacity of water molecules to hold the solute thereby decreasing the rate at which crystals form from a cooling solution. However, when the solute concentration of the solution is increased, the capacity of liquid molecules to hold solutes decreases because of reduced intermolecular spaces. This therefore increases t he ease with which crystals reform from the solution thereby increasing the rate of crystallization. A crystal formed consists of the various atoms or molecules arranged in a uniform repeating pattern based on its unique shape. This results in the material having a specific shape and color, and having other characteristic properties. Crystals may be big or little, but they all have the same "shape" Water can only hold a certain amount of solute at a given temperature. When the temperature of the solution is increased, the capacity of water to hold solids substance is increased than cold water because increased energy, making room for more solid substance to dissolve. When no more of the solid substance can be dissolved, the solution termed as saturated. As the solution

The Body Shop Essay Example for Free

The Body Shop Essay Body Shop is a brand with a difference. Marketers consider this brand as an Icon. Body Shop has created a brand image without the aid of conventional advertising. 2006 saw this iconic brand draw up serious business plans for India. Body Shop brand was created in 1976 in Brighton United Kingdom. The brand and the brand owner share a common personality that is very much linked to each other. Anita Roddick the legendary founder of the Brand created this brand from a small shop in UK started to support her family. Body Shop in India is sold through the master franchise Planet Sports . The brand is expecting to ramp up the operations to major metros by the year 2008. Body Shop is differentiated from other conventional cosmetics by the values that the brand adheres to and the brand image created through the unique association with those values. The brand is famous for its association with ethical practices and the environment friendly world view. The products reflects these values through the use of only natural ingredients and the products are never tested on animals. The ackaging and the merchandising are carefully prepared to highlight the brand values. For example , Body Shop uses refillable packs and recycled [recyclable papers. Although the use of refillable packs were used to keep the price low, it evolved into an element that reinforced the brand positioning. The brand also was careful in the messages displayed in the shop and other POP merchandises. The messages were simple, enthusiastic and informative. These elements made Body Shop a different cosmetic brand. The brand was essentially an extension of the founder herself. Anita Roddick is an ardent environmentalist and naturalist. Her views about the nature supported with her activities and associations created a positive reinforcement for the brand. Customers were seeing a brand that does things while others Just give hope. More over Body Shop was able to communicate with the customers at a higher level rising above beauty and fairness that other cosmetics talked about. There was honesty associated with the brand. The shops also reinforced this attribute. All the shops reflected an environment of honesty, excitement and fun. It is reported that Ms Anita Roddick takes personal interview with the franchises to ensure that they share the same passion with Body Shop principle. Although Body Shop is starting serious business with Indian consumers only now, the association with India dates back to the initial years itself. India was a sourcing partner for Body Shop during the creation of the brand. The success of the brand was because of the unique business model of Body Shop. The brand relies on PR and word of mouth to make sales. The Indian launch was also

Hills Like White Elephants, Ernest Hemingway Essay

Hills Like White Elephants, Ernest Hemingway Essay This story consists of two main characters who are the girl and the American man. The waitress and people in the bar are the other characters who have superficial roles in the story. In my opinion the girl is the most important character and she has salient role in this story because the operation is going to happen for her and her decision is important in this case. The man said, its not really an operation at all (Hemingway: 2) .She is a protagonist who worries a lot about the future of her relationship. For instance she asks the man whether he will be happy and things will be like the past and he will love her again, if she did it (Hemingway: 1). Consequently, She has a round character because we get a lot of information about her and there are lots of gaps to fill (Abbott: 133). She is the person who cares a lot about keeping this relationship and being loved by the man. For example it can be traced in the following sentence in the story: Then Ill do it because I dont care about me (Hemingway: 2). She is also a type, She is dependent and emotional character. Whatever she wants to do she asks the mans idea. What should we drink? or could we try it? (Hemingway: 1). She is also very emotional because we see that she changes her mind constantly not according to logical principles and she makes decision by her heart not her mind. For example she says then Ill do it because I dont care about me (Hemingway: 2). Another round character is the man who seems to be selfish in forcing the girl to do abortion because he likes his current life style. The tags on the bags show that he enjoys travelling and seeing the world and he thinks having a baby doesnt let him follow his dreams. For instance he says that is the only thing that bothers us (Hemingway: 2). He tries to persuade the girl by repeatedly saying that its perfectly simple (Hemingway: 2, 3). He seems so worried and he wants to get to the conversation about abortion so when the woman talks about the other things he just gives short responses to show that he is not interested but when he starts to convince the girl to do the abortion he talks a lot and he becomes more active in the conversation. Unlike Jig who wants to be intimate, the man doesnt care about that and only worries about the unborn baby. He can also be a type because he is dominant and he wants to control the girl by telling her what to do. Its an awfully simple operation, J ig (Hemingway: 2). He wants to force the girl to do the operation. The woman and people in the bar are flat characters because we dont get much information about them and they dont play an important role in story. As Porter Abbott mentions that in flat characters there is not any complexity and depth feeling in their behaviors (Abbott: 133). They just give us a sense of setting in which the story happens. The most visible influence that the woman has in the story is when she comes and says about the time of next trains arrival. Hemingway tries to draw the readers attention towards the theme of the story which is abstract and can be extracted from the conflict of the main characters action. The technique applied in the story is conflict regarding values, ideas, feelings and ways of seeing the world in a society. (Abbott: 55). In the dialogue between the girl and the man, I got the impression that they had an ongoing conflict with each other, the man tries to persuade the girl that having a baby will make them unhappy and bother them but the girl thinks that if they lose the baby they will lose everything and they will never get it back (Hemingway: 2). By considering this issue, the theme focuses on different views towards the different worlds of the girl and the man. Escaping of responsibility and grasping the passing pleasure are the main issues that the readers have construed from the mans behavior through the narration. The main characters of this story who have controversial debate about getting rid of t he carrying baby. The man knows baby as a major obstacle to reaching long term happiness, also he insists on the choice of abortion to make him free from the responsibility. Its just to let the air in (Hemingway: 2). the fallowing example shows that the man disagrees with the birth of the baby. On the other hand, the girl shows uncertainty about abortion. She wants to keep this baby because she thinks this issue is an element for reaching stability in her love and life. If I do it youll be happy and things will be like they were and youll be happy and things will be like they were and youll love me? (Hemingway: 2). She thinks by losing the baby she may miss the fortune for having a family that can save her from rootlessness. By figuring out the motif in the story, the technique offered by Porter Abbott was used; looking at the subjects that repeatedly said throughout the story (Abbott: 95). Regarding this definition, it can be mentioned that drinking alcohol is as a motif which is repeated through the story, by hoping to get out of trouble and changing the atmosphere of conversation. Should we have another drink? All right (Hemingway: 1). They order beer again and they drink, they feel better and change atmosphere and the man starts to take the dialogue forward. The curtain that we mentioned above as a symbol is another motif which is a subject for communication between the couple with waitress and the way of passing. He went out through the bead curtain or The woman came out through the curtains (Hemingway: 3). Two is another motif, stopping of the train for two minutes, the station was between two lines of rail, carrying two bags (Hemingway: 1, 2, 3).In other words, it refers to existence of different desires and opinions between two characters of the story which, in a way, has caused the conflict through the story. There are a number of symbols which reader can realize the theme of the story by means of these symbols. At the beginning of story the girl looks at the line of hills and said: They look like white elephants. (Hemingway: 1). Hills symbolize the problem that the couple are involved in; the white color represents the innocence of unborn baby, elephant is a symbol of the belly of a pregnant woman. When the girl looks at the hills, she hopes to find the solution; meanwhile the American man looks at the hills and doesnt find any solution. Ive never seen one (Hemingway: 1). The lines of rails is another symbol which can show two choices of the decision by the different point of view of the couple. On one hand she sees fields of grains along the banks of the Ebro. Far away, beyond the river, were mountains. (Hemingway: 2). This part symbolizes fruitfulness and fertility and making hope in Jig by keeping the baby because after seeing this scene she says we could have all things. (Hemingway: 2). On the other hand there is lack of passion in life and everything is brown and dry by losing the baby there is no shade and no trees. (Hemingway: 1). The girl should choose an option by selecting the track of train during the limited time. When talking about forms of narration, it is important to stress out that narrator of this story is an omniscient , the direct and indirect styles are applied to the representation with shifts from direct to indirect style and, finally into the free indirect style (Porter Abbott : 71,77). The impressive feature of the story, is narrated almost by dialogue, also narrator uses quotation marks and then shifts from direct to indirect style: Ill scream, the girl said. The woman came out through the curtains (Hemingway: 3). We can observe third person narrator obviously narrates the story by means of free indirect style. In conclusion, the story posses with characters, themes, motifs and the conflict between the couple who are main characters in dialogue. As mentioned above the girl (Jig) and the American man have different types of characters. Narrator by repeating some symbols and describing the landscape of place draws attention of reader to the theme of the story. Hemingway illustrates different ways of thinking between the girl and American man on abortion; it also shows miscommunication between them. Regardless of the theme in this story the couple in the rail station should decide about their future whether leading to a new life, fertility and making family, or ending up to death and losing the opportunity in future. I suppose at the end, the girl found herself satisfied and joyous based upon the decision that they made. It brought her comfort in mind and happiness in soul as she said: I feel fine (Hemingway: 3). In my idea Hemingway has left some space in this story for the reader to think ab out different aspects of modern life in a consumer society and the conflicts that modern people experience in their lives in their ways to reach happiness.

Personal Narrative in Game Maplestory Essay -- Online Roleplaying Game

Warriors: Wizards :: Mushrooms: Pigs The sun shone brightly as I stared off into the distant grass, swaying unrelentingly as the winds lashed upon it. But within the silky surface of the monotonous sea of green, I spotted an interruption – a staccato in the melody of the breeze. From afar, I could see only see a vague outline, but I knew it was approaching me, mindlessly yet fervently as if I were a light and it were a bug. And so it began. I tightly wielded my club. I could feel the coarseness of the wood beneath my battle-worn fingers. I lifted the weapon and situated it in front of me, grasping it firmly with both hands. I was a warrior, ordained by the venerable Chief Sitting Bull under the auspices of the proud tribe of Perion; I was not going to disappoint them. Honor above life, and killing enemies above all. Yeah†¦ I painfully watched my brother play his third hour of Maplestory, an online interactive game made by Korean programmers where the whole purpose is to defeat monsters to acquire new levels, magic, items – stuff you want, basically. He had just started what was soon to be his utmost craze and had just spoken to Chief Sitting Bull, an elderly man who appeared to be Native American, as he was adorned with elaborate feather-work and his clothing was of tanned skin. He was the typical Native American, you might say, and everything seemed to be in place. Almost too perfectly in place – except for the random black people that sporadically appeared among members of the Perion tribe. â€Å"Why don’t you head south east?† Perion was located in the northwest, and, seeing as he had a lot more training to do, I suggested that he explore the vast world. He headed south towards Henesys, which was a small uneventful, unimp... ...that it logically looked completely harmless – I was not ready to underestimate it because of my preconceptions. In this world, it was either kill or be killed. I swung at it with the heavy club, and, within moments, it closed its eyes serenely and dissolved. Works Cited Barash, David P. â€Å"Sociobiology and Behavior 2nd edition†. Elsevier: New York, 1982. Boehm, Christopher. â€Å"Hierarchy in the Forest : The Evolution of Egalitarian Behavior†. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, 1999. Breuer, Georg. â€Å"Sociobiology and the human dimension†. Cambridge Press: Cambridge, 1982. â€Å"racism.† Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online. 16 Oct. 2007 . Tseng, Roger. Personal Interview 10 Oct. 2007. Willson, Peter J. â€Å"The Domestication of the Human Species†. Yale University Press: New Haven, 1988.

Sparta :: essays research papers

It's hard for textbooks to say anything nice about the Spartans. one may find that the Spartans described as "an armed camp," "brutal," "culturally stagnant," "economically stagnant," "politically stagnant," and other fun things. The reality, of course, lies somewhere behind the value judgements. In 725, the oligarchy of Sparta needed land to feed a dramatically growing population, so the Spartans went over the Taygetus mountains and took over Messenia, where a fertile plain was enough to support themselves and their newly conquered people. However, like all conquered people, the Messenians fought back in 640 BCE and almost destroyed Sparta itself. Almost defeated, the Spartans invented a new political system as dramatically revolutionary by turning their state into a military state. The Messenians were turned into agricultural slaves called helots, "serfs", where they worked small plots of land on estates owned by Spartans. There's no question that the life of the helots was a miserable life. Labor was long and hard and the helots always lived right on the border of subsistence. But Spartan society itself changed, evolving into a city-state. The state determined whether children, both male and female, were strong when they were born, leaving the weak in the hills to perish. At the age of seven, every male Spartan was sent to military and athletic school teaching discipline, endurance of pain, and survival skills. At twenty, the Spartan became a soldier spending his life with his fellow soldiers to live in barracks with his fellow soldiers. Only at the age of thirty, did the Spartan become an "equal," and was allowed to live in his own house with his own family, although he continued to serve in the military. Military service ended at the age of sixty. The life of a Spartan male was a life of discipline, self-denial, and simplicity as the Spartans viewed themselves as the true inheritors of the Greek tradition. This key to understanding the Spartans. The ideology of Sparta was oriented around the state as the individual lived (and died) for the state. Their lives were designed to serve the state from their beginning to the age of sixty. The combination of this ideology, the education of Spartan males, and the disciplined maintenance of a standing army gave the Spartans the stability that had been threatened so dramatically in the Messenean revolt. Paradoxically, this soldier-centered state was the most liberal state in regards to the status of women.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 26

Chapter 26 You can travel the whole world, but there are always new things to learn. For instance, on the way to Capernaum I learned that if you hang a drunk guy over a camel and slosh him around for about four hours, then pretty much all the poisons will come out one end of him or the other. â€Å"Someone's going to have to wash that camel before we go into town,† said Andrew. We were traveling along the shore of the Sea of Galilee (which wasn't a sea at all). The moon was almost full and it reflected in the lake like a pool of quicksilver. It fell to Nathaniel to clean the camel because he was the official new guy. (Joshua hadn't really met Andrew, and Andrew hadn't really agreed to join us, so we couldn't count him as the official new guy yet.) Since Nathaniel did such a fine job on the camel, we let him clean up Joshua as well. Once he had the Messiah in the water Joshua came out of his stupor long enough to slur something like: â€Å"The foxes have their holes and birds have their nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head.† â€Å"That's so sad,† said Nathaniel. â€Å"Yes, it is,† I said. â€Å"Dunk him again. He still has barf on his beard.† And so, cleansed and slung over a camel damply, Joshua did by moonlight come into Capernaum, where he would be welcomed as if it were his home. â€Å"Out!† screeched the old woman. â€Å"Out of the house, out of town, out of Galilee for all I care, you aren't staying here.† It was a beautiful dawn over the lake, the sky painted with yellow and orange, gentle waves lapped against the keels of Capernaum's fishing boats. The village was only a stone's throw away from the water, and golden sunlight reflected off the waves onto the black stone walls of the houses, making the light appear to dance to the calls of the gulls and songbirds. The houses were built together in two big clusters, sharing common walls, with entries from every which way, and none more than one story tall. There was a small main road through the village between the two clusters of homes. Along the way were a few merchant booths, a blacksmith's shop, and, on its own little square, a synagogue that looked as if it could contain far more worshipers than the three hundred residents of the village. But villages were thick along the shores of the lake, one running right into the next, and we guessed that perhaps the synagogue served a number of villages. There was no central square around the well as there was in most inland villages, because the people pulled their water from the lake or a spring nearby that bubbled clean chilly water into the air as high as two men. Andrew had deposited us at his brother Peter's house, and we had fallen asleep in the great room among the children only a few hours before Peter's mother-in-law awoke to chase us out of the house. Joshua was holding his head with both hands as if to keep it from falling off his neck. â€Å"I won't have freeloaders and scalawags in my house,† the old woman shouted as she threw my satchel out after us. â€Å"Ouch,† said Joshua, flinching from the noise. â€Å"We're in Capernaum, Josh,† I said. â€Å"A man named Andrew brought us here because his nephews stole our camels.† â€Å"You said Maggie was dying,† Joshua said. â€Å"Would you have left John if I'd told you that Maggie wanted to see you?† â€Å"No.† He smiled dreamily. â€Å"It was good to see Maggie.† Then the smile turned to a scowl. â€Å"Alive.† â€Å"John wouldn't listen, Joshua. You were in the desert all last month, you didn't see all of the soldiers, even scribes hiding in the crowd, writing down what John was saying. This was bound to happen.† â€Å"Then you should have warned John!† â€Å"I warned John! Every day I warned John. He didn't listen to reason any more than you would have.† â€Å"We have to go back to Judea. John's followers – â€Å" â€Å"Will become your followers. No more preparation, Josh.† Joshua nodded, looking at the ground in front of him. â€Å"It's time. Where are the others?† â€Å"I've sent Philip and Nathaniel to Sepphoris to sell the camels. Bartholomew is sleeping in the reeds with the dogs.† â€Å"We're going to need more disciples,† Joshua said. â€Å"We're broke, Josh. We're going to need disciples with jobs.† An hour later we stood on the shore near where Andrew and his brother were casting nets. Peter was taller and leaner than his brother, and he had a head of gray hair wilder than even John the Baptist's, while Andrew pushed his dark hair back and tied it with a cord so it stayed out of his face when he was in the water. They were both naked, which is how men fished the lake when they were close to the shore. I had mixed a headache remedy for Joshua out of tree bark, and I could tell it was working, but perhaps not quite enough. I pushed Joshua toward the shore. â€Å"I'm not ready for this. I feel terrible.† â€Å"Ask them.† â€Å"Andrew,† Joshua called. â€Å"Thank you for bringing us home with you. And you too, Peter.† â€Å"Did my mother-in-law toss you out?† asked Peter. He cast his net and waited for it to settle, then dove into the lake and gathered the net in his arms. There was one tiny fish inside. He reached in and pulled it out, then tossed it back into the lake. â€Å"Grow,† he said. â€Å"You know who I am?† said Joshua. â€Å"I've heard,† said Peter. â€Å"Andrew says you turned water into wine. And you cured the blind and the lame. He thinks that you are going to bring the kingdom.† â€Å"What do you think?† â€Å"I think my little brother is smarter than I am, so I believe what he says.† â€Å"Come with us. We're going to tell people of the kingdom. We need help.† â€Å"What can we do?† said Andrew. â€Å"We're only fishermen.† â€Å"Come with me and I'll make you fishers of men.† Andrew looked at his brother who was still standing in the water. Peter shrugged and shook his head. Andrew looked at me, shrugged, and shook his head. â€Å"They don't get it,† I said to Joshua. Thus, after Joshua had some food and a nap and explained what in the hell he meant by â€Å"fishers of men,† we became seven. â€Å"These guys are our partners,† Peter said, hurrying us along the shore. â€Å"They own the ships that Andrew and I work on. We can't go spread the good news unless they are in on it too.† We came to another small village and Peter pointed out two brothers who were fitting a new oarlock into the gunwale of a fishing boat. One was lean and angular, with jet-black hair and a beard trimmed into wicked points: James. The other was older, bigger, softer, with big shoulders and chest, but small hands and thin wrists, a fringe of brown hair shot with gray around a sunburned bald pate: John. â€Å"Just a suggestion,† Peter said to Joshua. â€Å"Don't say the fisher-of-men thing. It's going to be dark soon; you won't have time for the explanation if we want to make it home in time for supper.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, â€Å"just tell them about the miracles, the kingdom, a little about your Holy Ghost thing, but stay easy on that until they agree to join up.† â€Å"I still don't get the Holy Ghost thing,† said Peter. â€Å"It's okay, we'll go over it tomorrow,† I said. As we moved down the shore toward the brothers, there was a rustling in some nearby bushes and three piles of rags moved into our path. â€Å"Have mercy on us, Rabbi,† said one of the piles. Lepers. (I need to say something right here: Joshua taught me about the power of love and all of that stuff, and I know that the Divine Spark in them is the same one that is in me, so I should have not let the presence of lepers bother me. I know that announcing them unclean under the Law was as unjust as the Brahmans shunning the Untouchables. I know that even now, having watched enough television, you probably wouldn't even refer to them as lepers so as to spare their feelings. You probably call them â€Å"parts-dropping-off challenged,† or something. I know all that. But that said, no matter how many healings I saw, lepers always gave me what we Hebrews call the willies. I never got over it.) â€Å"What is it you want?† Joshua asked them. â€Å"Help ease our suffering,† said a female-sounding pile. â€Å"I'll be over there looking at the water, Josh,† I said. â€Å"He'll probably need some help,† Peter said. â€Å"Come to me,† Joshua said to the lepers. They oozed on over. Joshua put his hands on the lepers and spoke to them very quietly. After a few minutes had passed, while Peter and I had seriously studied a frog that we noticed on the shore, I heard Joshua say, â€Å"Now go, and tell the priests that you are no longer unclean and should be allowed in the Temple. And tell them who sent you.† The lepers threw off their rags and praised Joshua as they backed away. They looked like perfectly normal people who just happened to be all wrapped up in tattered rags. By the time Peter and I got back to Joshua, James and John were already at his side. â€Å"I have touched those who they said were unclean,† Joshua said to the brothers. By Mosaic Law, Joshua would be unclean as well. James stepped forward and grabbed Joshua's forearm in the style of the Romans. â€Å"One of those men used to be our brother.† â€Å"Come with us,† I said, â€Å"and we will make you oarlock makers of men.† â€Å"What?† said Joshua. â€Å"That's what they were doing when we came up. Making an oarlock. Now you see how stupid that sounds?† â€Å"It's not the same.† And thus we did become nine. Philip and Nathaniel returned with enough money from the sale of the camels to feed the disciples and all of Peter's family as well, so Peter's screeching mother-in-law, who was named Esther, allowed us to stay, providing Bartholomew and the dogs slept outside. Capernaum became our base of operations and from there we would take one- or two-day trips, swinging through Galilee as Joshua preached and performed healings. The news of the coming of the kingdom spread through Galilee, and after only a few months, crowds began to gather to hear Joshua speak. We tried always to be back in Capernaum on the Sabbath so that Joshua could teach at the synagogue. It was that habit that first attracted the wrong sort of attention. A Roman soldier stopped Joshua as he was making the short walk to the synagogue on Sabbath morning. (No Jew was permitted to make a journey of more than a thousand steps from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday – all at once, that is. One way. You didn't have to add up your steps all day and just stop when you got to a thousand. There would have been Jews standing all over the place waiting for Saturday sundown if that were the case. It would have been awkward. Suddenly I'm thankful that the Pharisees never thought of that.) The Roman was no mere legionnaire, but a centurion, with the full crested helmet and eagle on his breastplate of a legion commander. He led a tall white horse that looked as if it had been bred for combat. He was old for a soldier, perhaps sixty, and his hair was completely white when he removed his helmet, but he looked strong and the wasp-waisted short sword at his waist looked dangerous. I didn't recognize him until he spoke to Joshua, in perfect, unaccented Aramaic. â€Å"Joshua of Nazareth,† the Roman said. â€Å"Do you remember me?† â€Å"Justus,† Joshua said. â€Å"From Sepphoris.† â€Å"Gaius Justus Gallicus,† said the soldier. â€Å"And I'm at Tiberius now, and no longer an under-commander. The Sixth Legion is mine. I need your help, Joshua bar Joseph of Nazareth.† â€Å"What can I do?† Joshua looked around. All of the disciples except Bartholomew and me had managed to sneak away when the Roman walked up. â€Å"I saw you make a dead man walk and talk. I've heard of the things you've done all over Galilee, the healings, the miracles. I have a servant who is sick. Tortured with palsy. He can barely breathe and I can't watch him suffer. I don't ask that you break your Sabbath by coming to Tiberius, but I believe you can heal him, even from here.† Justus dropped to his knee and kneeled in front of Joshua, something I never saw any Roman do to any Jew, before or since. â€Å"This man is my friend,† he said. Joshua touched the Roman's temple and I watched the fear drain out of the soldier's face as I had so many others. â€Å"You believe it to be, so be it,† said Joshua. â€Å"It's done. Stand up, Gaius Justus Gallicus.† The soldier smiled, then stood and looked Joshua in the eye. â€Å"I would have crucified your father to root out the killer of that soldier.† â€Å"I know,† said Joshua. â€Å"Thank you,† Justus said. The centurion put on his helmet and climbed on his horse. Then looked at me for the first time. â€Å"What happened to that pretty little heartbreaker you two were always with?† â€Å"Broke our hearts,† I said. Justus laughed. â€Å"Be careful, Joshua of Nazareth,† he said. He reined the horse around and rode away. â€Å"Go with God,† Joshua said. â€Å"Good, Josh, that's the way to show the Romans what's going to happen to them come the kingdom.† â€Å"Shut up, Biff.† â€Å"Oh, so you bluffed him. He's going to get home and his friend will still be messed up.† â€Å"Remember what I told you at the gates of Gaspar's monastery, Biff? That if someone knocked, I'd let them in?† â€Å"Ack! Parables. I hate parables.† Tiberius was only an hour's fast ride from Capernaum, so by morning word had come back from the garrison: Justus's servant had been healed. Before we had even finished our breakfast there were four Pharisees outside of Peter's house looking for Joshua. â€Å"You performed a healing on the Sabbath?† the oldest of them asked. He was white-bearded and wore his prayer shawl and phylacteries wrapped about his upper arms and forehead. (What a jamoke. Sure, we all had phylacteries, every man got them when he turned thirteen, but you pretended that they were lost after a few weeks, you didn't wear them. You might as well wear a sign that said: â€Å"Hi, I'm a pious geek.† The one he wore on his forehead was a little leather box, about the size of a fist, that held parchments inscribed with prayers and looked – well – as if someone had strapped a little leather box to his head. Need I say more?) â€Å"Nice phylacteries,† I said. The disciples laughed. Nathaniel made an excellent donkey braying noise. â€Å"You broke the Sabbath,† said the Pharisee. â€Å"I'm allowed,† said Josh. â€Å"I'm the Son of God.† â€Å"Oh fuck,† Philip said. â€Å"Way to ease them into the idea, Josh,† I said. The following Sabbath a man with a withered hand came to the synagogue while Joshua was preaching and after the sermon, while fifty Pharisees who had gathered at Capernaum just in case something like this happened looked on, Joshua told the man that his sins were forgiven, then healed the withered hand. Like vultures to carrion they came to Peter's house the next morning. â€Å"No one but God can forgive sins,† said the one they had elected as their speaker. â€Å"Really,† said Joshua. â€Å"So you can't forgive someone who sins against you?† â€Å"No one but God.† â€Å"I'll keep that in mind,† said Joshua. â€Å"Now unless you are here to hear the good news, go away.† And Joshua went into Peter's house and closed the door. The Pharisee shouted at the door, â€Å"You blaspheme, Joshua bar Joseph, you – â€Å" And I was standing there in front of him, and I know I shouldn't have done it, but I popped him. Not in the mouth or anything, but right in the phylacteries. The little leather box exploded with the impact and the strips of parchment slowly settled to the ground. I'd hit him so fast that I think he thought it was a supernatural event. A cry went up from the group behind him, protesting – shouting that I couldn't do such a thing, that I deserved stoning, scourging, et cetera, and my Buddhist tolerance just wore a little thin. So I popped him again. In the nose. This time he went down. Two of his pals caught him, and another one at the front of the crowd started to reach into his sash for something. I knew that they could quickly overrun me if they wanted to, but I didn't think they would. The cowards. I grabbed the man who was pulling the knife, twisted it away from him, shoved the iron blade between the stones of Peter's house and snapped it off, then handed the hilt back to him. â€Å"Go away,† I said to him, very softly. He went away, and all of his pals went with him. I went inside to see how Joshua and the others were getting along. â€Å"You know, Josh,† I said. â€Å"I think it's time to expand the ministry. You have a lot of followers here. Maybe we should go to the other side of the lake. Out of Galilee for a while.† â€Å"Preach to the gentiles?† Nathaniel asked. â€Å"He's right,† said Joshua. â€Å"Biff is right.† â€Å"So it shall be written,† I said. James and John only owned one ship that was large enough to hold all of us and Bartholomew's dogs, and it was anchored at Magdala, two hours' walk south of Capernaum, so we made the trip very early one morning to avoid being stopped in the villages on the way. Joshua had decided to take the good news to the gentiles, so we were going to go across the lake to the town of Gadarene in the state of Decapolis. They kept gentiles there. As we waited on the shore at Magdala, a crowd of women who had come to the lake to wash clothes gathered around Joshua and begged him to tell them of the kingdom. I noticed a young tax collector who was sitting nearby at his table in the shade of a reed umbrella. He was listening to Joshua, but I could also see his eyes following the behinds of the women. I sidled over. â€Å"He's amazing, isn't he?† I said. â€Å"Yes. Amazing,† said the tax collector. He was perhaps twenty, thin, with soft brown hair, a light beard, and light brown eyes. â€Å"What's your name, publican?† â€Å"Matthew,† he said. â€Å"Son of Alphaeus.† â€Å"No kidding, that's my father's name too. Look, Matthew, I assume you can read, write, things like that?† â€Å"Oh yes.† â€Å"You're not married, are you?† â€Å"No, I was betrothed, but before the wedding was to happen, her parents let her marry a rich widower.† â€Å"Sad. You're probably heartbroken. That's sad. You see those women? There's women like that all the time around Joshua. And here's the best part, he's celibate. He doesn't want any of them. He's just interested in saving mankind and bringing the kingdom of God to earth, which we all are, of course. But the women, well, I think you can see.† â€Å"That must be wonderful.† â€Å"Yeah, it's swell. We're going to Decapolis. Why don't you come with us?† â€Å"I couldn't. I've been entrusted to collect taxes for this whole coast.† â€Å"He's the Messiah, Matthew. The Messiah. Think of it. You, and the Messiah.† â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"Women. The kingdom. You heard about him turning water into wine.† â€Å"I really have to – â€Å" â€Å"Have you ever tasted bacon, Matthew?† â€Å"Bacon? Isn't that from pigs? Unclean?† â€Å"Joshua's the Messiah, the Messiah says it's okay. It's the best thing you've ever eaten, Matthew. Women love it. We eat bacon every morning, with the women. Really.† â€Å"I'll need to finish up here,† Matthew said. â€Å"You do that. Here, I'd like you to mark something for me,† I looked over his shoulder at his ledger and pointed to a few names. â€Å"Meet us at the ship when you're ready, Matthew.† I went back over to the shore, where James and John had pulled the ship in close enough for us to wade out to. Joshua finished up blessing the women and sent them back to their laundry with a parable about stains. â€Å"Gentlemen,† I called. â€Å"Excuse me, James, John, you too Peter, Andrew. You will not need to worry about your taxes this season. They've been taken care of.† â€Å"What?† said Peter. â€Å"Where did you get the money – â€Å" I turned and waved toward Matthew, who was running toward the shore. â€Å"This good fellow is the publican Matthew. He's here to join us.† Matthew ran up beside me and stood grinning like an idiot while trying to catch his breath. â€Å"Hey,† he said, waving weakly to the disciples. â€Å"Welcome, Matthew,† Joshua said. â€Å"All are welcome in the kingdom.† Joshua shook his head, turned, and waded out to the ship. â€Å"He loves you, kid,† I said. â€Å"Loves you.† Thus we did become ten. Joshua fell asleep on a pile of nets with Peter's wide straw fishing hat over his face. Before I settled down to be rocked to sleep myself, I sent Philip to the back of the boat to explain the kingdom and the Holy Ghost to Matthew. (I figured that Philip's acumen with numbers might help out when talking to a tax collector.) The two sets of brothers sailed the ship, which was wide of beam and small of sail and very, very slow. About halfway across the lake I heard Peter say, â€Å"I don't like it. It looks like a tempest.† I sat bolt upright and looked at the sky, and indeed, there were black clouds coming over the hills to the east, low and fast, clawing at the trees with lightning as they passed. Before I had a chance to sit up, a wave broke over the shallow gunwale and soaked me to the core. â€Å"I don't like this, we should go back,† said Peter, as a curtain of rain whipped across us. â€Å"The ship's too full and the draft too shallow to weather a storm.† â€Å"Not good. Not good. Not good,† chanted Nathaniel. Bartholomew's dogs barked and howled at the wind. James and Andrew trimmed the sail and put the oars in the water. Peter moved to the stern to help John with the long steering oar. Another wave broke over the gunwale, washing away one of Bartholomew's disciples, a mangy terrier type. Water was mid-shin deep in the bottom of the boat. I grabbed a bucket and began bailing and signaled Philip to help, but he had succumbed to the most rapid case of seasickness I had ever even heard of and was retching over the side. Lightning struck the mast, turning everything a phosphorus white. The explosion was instant and left my ears ringing. One of Joshua's sandals floated by me in the bottom of the boat. â€Å"We're doomed!† wailed Bart. â€Å"Doomed!† Joshua pushed the fishing hat back on his head and looked at the chaos around him. â€Å"O ye of little faith,† he said. He waved his hand across the sky and the storm stopped. Just like that. Black clouds were sucked back over the hills, the water settled to a gentle swell, and the sun shone down bright and hot enough to raise steam off our clothes. I reached over the side and snatched the swimming doggy out of the waves. Joshua had laid back down with the hat over his face. â€Å"Is the new kid looking?† he whispered to me. â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"He impressed?† â€Å"His mouth is hanging open. He looks sort of stricken.† â€Å"Great. Wake me when we get there.† I woke him a little before we reached Gadarene because there was a huge madman waiting for us on the shore, foaming at the mouth, screaming, throwing rocks, and eating the occasional handful of dirt. â€Å"Hold up there, Peter,† I said. The sails were down again and we were rowing in. â€Å"I should wake the master,† said Peter. â€Å"No, it's okay, I have the stop-for-foaming-madmen authority.† Nevertheless, I kicked the Messiah gently. â€Å"Josh, you might want to take a look at this guy.† â€Å"Look, Peter,† said Andrew, pointing to the madman, â€Å"he has hair just like yours.† Joshua sat up, pushed back Peter's hat and glanced to the shore. â€Å"Onward,† he said. â€Å"You sure?† Rocks were starting to land in the boat. â€Å"Oh yeah,† said Joshua. â€Å"He's very large,† said Matthew, clarifying the already clear. â€Å"And mad,† said Nathaniel, not to be outdone in stating the obvious. â€Å"He is suffering,† said Joshua. â€Å"Onward.† A rock as big as my head thudded into the mast and bounced into the water. â€Å"I'll rip your legs off and kick you in the head as you crawl around bleeding to death,† said the madman. â€Å"Sure you don't want to swim in from here?† Peter said, dodging a rock. â€Å"Nice refreshing swim after a nap?† said James. Matthew stood up in the back of the boat and cleared his throat. â€Å"What is one tormented man compared to the calming of a storm? Were you all in the same boat I was?† â€Å"Onward,† Peter said, and onward we went, the big boat full of Joshua and Matthew and the eight faithless pieces of shit that were the rest of us. Joshua was out of the boat as soon as we hit the beach. He walked straight up to the madman, who looked as if he could crush the Messiah's head in one of his hands. Filthy rags hung in tatters on him and his teeth were broken and bleeding from eating dirt. His face contorted and bubbled as if there were great worms under the skin searching for an escape. His hair was wild and stuck out in a great grayish tangle, and it did sort of look like Peter's hair. â€Å"Have mercy on me,† said the madman. His voice buzzed in his throat like a chorus of locusts. I slid out of the boat and the others followed me quietly up behind Joshua. â€Å"What is your name, Demon?† Joshua asked. â€Å"What would you like it to be?† said the demon. â€Å"You know, I've always been partial to the name Harvey,† Joshua said. â€Å"Well, isn't that a coincidence?† said the demon. â€Å"My name just happens to be Harvey.† â€Å"You're just messing with me, aren't you?† said Josh. â€Å"Yeah, I am,† said the demon, busted. â€Å"My name is Legion, for there are a bunch of us in here.† â€Å"Out, Legion,† Joshua commanded. â€Å"Out of this big guy.† There was a herd of pigs nearby, doing piggy things. (I don't know what they were doing. I'm a Jew, what do I know from pigs, except that I like bacon?) A great green glow came out of Legion's mouth, whipped through the air like smoke, then came down on the heard of pigs like a cloud. In a second it was sucked into the pigs' nostrils and they began foaming and making locust noises. â€Å"Be gone,† said Joshua. With that the pigs all ran into the sea, sucked huge lungfuls of water, and after only a little kicking, drowned. Perhaps fifty dead pigs bobbed in the swell. â€Å"How can I thank you?† said the big foaming guy, who had stopped foaming, but was still big. â€Å"Tell the people of your land what has happened,† Joshua said. â€Å"Tell them the Son of God has come to bring them the good news of the Holy Ghost.† â€Å"Clean up a little before you tell them,† I said. And off he went, a lumbering monster, bigger even than our own Bartholomew, and smelling worse, which I hadn't thought possible. We sat down on the beach and were sharing some bread and wine when we heard the crowd approaching through the hills. â€Å"The good news travels quickly,† said Matthew, whose fresh-faced enthusiasm was starting to irritate me a little now. â€Å"Who killed our pigs?† The crowd was carrying rakes and pitchforks and scythes and they didn't look at all like they were there to receive the Gospel. â€Å"You fuckers!† â€Å"Kill them!† â€Å"In the boat,† said Josh. â€Å"O ye of little – † Matthew's comment was cut short by Bart grabbing him by the collar and dragging him down the beach to the boat. The brothers had already pushed off and were up to their chests in the water. They pulled themselves in and James and John helped set the oars as Peter and Andrew pulled us into the boat. We fished Bart's disciples out of the waves by the scruffs of their necks and set sail just as the rocks began to rain down on us. We all looked at Joshua. â€Å"What?† he said. â€Å"If they'd been Jews that pig thing would have gone over great. I'm new at gentiles.† There was a messenger waiting for us when we reached Magdala. Philip unrolled the scroll and read. â€Å"It's an invitation to come to dinner in Bethany during Passover week, Joshua. A ranking member of the Sanhedrin requests your presence at dinner at his home to discuss your wonderful ministry. It's signed Jakan bar Iban ish Nazareth.† Maggie's husband. The creep. I said, â€Å"Good first day, huh, Matthew?†