Reflections of the First Amendment Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Reflections of the First Amendment Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Reflections of the First Amendment Reflections of the First Amendment Reflections of the First Amendment University of Phoenix HIS/301- The United States Constitution Reflections of the First Amendment The First Amendment, also called the Great Amendment, is in many ways the cornerstone of America?s free, open, and tolerant society. The First Amendment is the basis of a democracy that values individual liberty. The amendment protects the freedom of religion, press, speech, assembly, and petition. It guarantees that Americans can share the information they need for a strong public debate on the issues, and to act on the issues. The five freedoms specifically protected in the First Amendment are not mutually exclusive, so there has been considerable overlap in real-life cases. Freedom of Religion The First Amendment guarantees that the government will not prefer one religion over another. It also guarantees that the government will not prefer religion in general over nonreligion or the lack of religion. The protections for religion in the First Amendment are two-sided. The Establishment Clause says, ?Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion?while the Exercise Clause says, ?or prohibiting the free exercise thereof .The Establishment Clause is considered absolute; the government cannot prohibit anyone from establishing or following their own religion. In one of the first religion cases to come before the Supreme Court, a Utah man asked the justices to overturn a federal law prohibiting polygamy; he said having more than one wife was part of his Mormon religion. The court held up the polygamy law, reasoning that religion was not a license for extreme behavior (The Christian Monitor). The Supreme Court had seen a raise in First Amendment cases in the mid-twentieth century, many of them involving Jehovah?s Witnesses appealing against local laws aimed at keeping them from practicing the ?witness? part of their faith by going door-to-door and handing out leaflets. One law that was overturned required them to have permits, and another let authorities charge them with littering for leaving their leaflets around town. (NewsMax.com Wires2002) School Prayer In 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that the New York Board of Regents violated the First Amendment by requiring a prayer, written to be non-denominational, to be recited in public schools. The following year, the court ruled that public schools cannot require daily Bible readings or recitations, including the Lord?s Prayer (FindLaw 2011). A 1985 Supreme Court case overturned an Alabama law allowing schools to have a one-minute of silence at the start of the school day; it might have permissible if the minute of silence was for nonreligious purposes. Subsequent cases have held that invocations at public school graduation ceremonies are unconstitutional, even if attendance is voluntary and the students vote to have an opening prayer, and so are student-initiated prayers before public-school football games (FindLaw, 2011). Religious Displays A religion-oriented display, such as the manger scene at Christmas, is not necessarily a violation of church and state. The Supreme Court has held that it is, depending on whether it seems to be presented to benefit or promote a particular view of religion, or whether it is part of a more secular display to celebrate the season. A manger scene in a county courthouse has been held unconstitutional, for example, while a Christmas tree and a menorah have been allowed. Similarly, displays of religious symbols such as the Ten Commandments may or may not violate the First Amendment. The court pointed out the distinction, by a pair of five to four rulings, in two cases in 2005. The cases were distinguished by a single swing vote, Justice David Souter. Souter said a Ten Commandments monument in a Texas park at the state capitol in Austin was all right because there were other nonreligious symbols of law and justice in the park. On the other hand, he said Ten Commandment plaques placed in Ken tucky courthouses appeared to be religious symbols because they stand alone, rather than as a part of a larger secular display (Marus 2005, Associated Baptist Press). One of the most highly publicized cases involving religious symbols began in 2001, when Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore installed a large monument in the state judicial building. The ACLU and others filed a suit, claiming the monument violated the separation of

Return of the native; a complex chracterisation

Return of the native; a complex chracterisation 'In Eustacia, Hardy creates a woman who challenges conventions of her society' How do you respond to Hardy's presentation in 'Return of the native' of the conventions surrounding the relations between men and women?Contemporary readers tend to take for granted the notion that literature does not convey, or even attempt to convey, absolute truth. Since the modernist movement at the beginning of the 20th century, literature has tended to pose questions rather than define answers. One of the hallmarks of modern literature can be said to be unreliability: authors and readers recognize that literature is difficult; it is not to be trusted, or to be taken at its face value. In 1878, when The Return of the Native was first published, ambiguity was hardly understood to be the cornerstone of the novelistic edifice. And yet, while The Return of the Native is formally conventional, thematically it thrives on doubt and ambiguity.100_2238With its extensive narrative description, abundant classica l and scriptural references and stylized dialogue, the book adheres closely to the high Victorian style. Thematically, however, the novel is original and ingenious: not trusting perceptions, the book questions moral and ethical truths, implying the superiority of relative to absolute truth. It is an eminently unreliable novel, peopled with unreliable characters; even its narrator cannot be trusted.Take, for instance, the example of Egdon Heath, the first "character" introduced into the book. The heath proves physically and psychologically important throughout the novel: characters are defined by their relation to the heath, and the weather patterns of the heath even reflect the inner dramas of the characters. Indeed, it almost seems as if the characters are formed by the heath itself: Diggory Venn, red from head to toe, is an actual embodiment of the muddy earth; Eustacia Vye...

The Fashioned Body Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Fashioned Body - Essay Example The essay "The Fashioned Body" discusses the topic of Gender Identity and Social Norms. These include biological factors such as genetic constitution. Social factors also influence gender identity. This paper discusses how one set of social factors, namely social norms, influences a person's perception of being a man or a woman. In order to accomplish this task, backgrounds on gender identity and social norms will be discussed. Thereafter, specific aspects of social norms and how they affect gender identity will be examined. Sigmund Freud is largely held as the father of modern psychoanalysis. In 1905, Freud presented their theory of psychological development in a publication titled Tree Essays on the Theory of Sexuality. Freud claimed and purported to prove that prior to birth, infants do not distinguish between the sexes(Elgstrom, 2000). To them, both the father and the mother have the same reproductive organs and abilities. Based on this, Freud inferred that that originally, a per son is wired to be bisexual. They added that heterosexuality was the result of repression during infancy when gender identity becomes embedded in the infant. According to Freud, at this stage, the child experiences sexual fantasies for the parent of the opposite sex while developing hatred for the parent of the same sex. The problem with Freud is that they tried to explain everything in terms of sex and sexuality. For instance, they are on record for claiming that the reason a farmer engages in crop farming.

Entreprenuership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Entreprenuership - Essay Example Similarly, customers are issued with â€Å"thank you† messages, letters and even phone calls. Therefore, this makes a person to feel valued and an important member of the business (Kivetz, Urminsky and Zheng, 2006). Also, such retail outlets provided an environment conducive to me, and this attracted my attention. The sales people were customer friendly and they always approach each and every customer with the right offer in a right way. However, Wal-Mart or Supervalu have the strategy of bringing back the â€Å"lost sheep†. These grocery retail outlets provided extraordinary customer services. All their products were delivered on time, and they ensure that they meet their deadline. The most important thing is that they deliver zero-defect product, and they also have an outstanding people who offer their services. They have complaints procedure whereby customers can place their dissatisfaction about the retail outlet. Additionally, after receiving complaints, they act on them promptly by issuing a letter of apology or call their customers, and also making follow-up actions. Lastly, the three retail outlets always respond to customers’ concern. For example, there was a time when the products from most groceries were too expensive to most customers. The real thing they did was to offer a discount. Therefore, such kind of services to customers made me pick Wal-Mart, Whole Foods and Supervalu over other groceries retail outlets. Kivetz, Ran, Oleg Urminsky, and Yuhuang Zheng. "The goal-gradient hypothesis resurrected: Purchase acceleration, illusionary goal progress, and customer retention." Journal of Marketing Research 43.1 (2006):

Review of Related Literatures and Studies Essay Example for Free

Review of Related Literatures and Studies Essay Local Studies: One of the past local studies that is relevant to our research was made way back 2009. I think it has something to help in our current issues about our researches.   On December 5, 2009, Mapua Institute of Technology finalized their research named â€Å"The effects of Computer Addiction to the Academic Performances of Mapua Institute of Technology First year Students†. It seems like familiar or should I say Same Title but in our research we include Computer Games Addiction and also its effect on academic performance on selected freshmen CCIS students. This research was made by 4 Mapua Students. In their research, they interviewed 16 first year students about study habits and computer addiction. As the survey results, 11 participants were classified computer addicts. The results of that survey back 2009 showed that computer addicts spends more time playing computer than studying. Their research also concluded that computer addiction have lead students to have a declining grade on their academic performances of first year students in the said University. With the help of this past research, we can make our research stronger and more useful. It will give us more information and ideas that are related to what are the goals we want to achieve. Philline Kate Vera C. Palaà ±a, Juan Paolo D. Rabacio,Marjorie Maralit, Nidia P.D.C. Andrade. The-Effects-of-Computer-Addiction-to-the-Academic-Performances-of-Mapua-Institute-of-Technology-First-Year-Students. 5 December 2009. http://www.scribd.com. Philline Kate Vera C. Palaà ±aJuan Paolo D. RabacioMarjorie Maralit Nidia P.D.C. AndradeMapua Institute of Technology. Local Literature: â€Å"Video games will ruin your children’s future†- Cesar Tolentino, a Market Research Analyst and Consultant here in the Philippines. In his blog/ article on http://www.gdap.org.ph, where the title of his featured blog is â€Å"Turning the tide: Changing the Filipino Outlook Towards Gaming†. He stated there that â€Å"there are cases of overuse and abuse among gamers for online games in the country, we should advocate responsible gaming†. In this case, many students failed in their academic performance because of too much playing or becoming addict in computer games. He stated also, † It’s all a matter of mind conditioning. Often those who became so addicted to games and suffered low grades or failures in school also have family problems. Responsible gamers know their priorities. There are actually many valedictorians and dean’s listers who play video and computer games too.† I think this will help us in finding the reason why many students keep playing computer games at all. Tolentino, Cesar. features/turning-the-tide-changing-the-filipino-outlook-towards-gaming/. 6 July 2011. http://www.gdap.org.ph. http://www.gdap.org.ph/features/turning-the-tide-changing-the-filipino-outlook-towards-gaming/.

A.I. - Complex and Rich :: Movie Film comparison compare contrast

A.I. the Movie - Complex and Rich      Ã‚  Ã‚   The pastime of viewing films has enraptured me for all of my memorable life. No director has provoked my attention and incisively touched me at the most extreme and deep levels as Stanley Kubrick. To call Kubrick my favorite filmmaker would be an understatement. In 1994 Stanley Kubrick called up his longtime friend Steven Spielberg and asked him to come over to his home, just outside London, as he had something important to discuss with him. Spielberg flew out that night. The following day Kubrick told Spielberg he wanted him to direct A.I. as a Stanley Kubrick Production with Kubrick producing. Kubrick provided Spielberg with the reasoning that the film would be better suited to his directing style and his computer special effects fluency (Stanley Kubrick: LIP). As Kubrick had been working on A.I. since the 1980s he had difficulties in several areas with the project. He never found a writer to his satisfaction that he could collaborate with and form a screenplay. Kubrick also could not solve certain issues with the film such as the portrayal of Gigolo Joe and other core elements of the story (Daly, Harlan). Additionally Kubrick was not satisfied with the state of technology and computer graphics and he knew that if he waited just a few years, making a much better film would be possible. A.I. remained a work in progress and Spielberg went on to other endeavors as he "opted not to" direct A.I. a few months later (Daly 28). Nevertheless Kubrick still consulted with Spielberg on A.I. and shelved it for a bit so he could make the interim film, Eyes Wide Shut. Kubrick died shortly thereafter. A.I. was passed down in a sense, and Spielberg picked it back up and attempted to do in two years what Kubrick was struggling to do for a good decade and a half. There is a lot to like about the finished product of A.I. I choose to not be bothered by the parts of the film that I feel are 'glossy'. I found watching it to be a captivating experience. Let no mistake be made, A.I. is a Steven Spielberg film. Sure, Spielberg utilized the numerous conversations he had with Kubrick as well as "Kubrick's copious but scattershot preparatory outlines, notes, and drawings" but I can only imagine what A.I. would have been had Kubrick made the picture (Daly 30).

Prostitution: Brothel and Strong Religion Essay

Social effects that usually happens to individuals is that individuals will continue to be involved with symptoms of brothels. Future individuals will be destroyed by evil issues. Among them are regarded by society despised around. Usually prostitutes will be isolated when not whore himself due to age, health and others. In the family, the prostitutes will be sorted from the lives of family members with normal. This is because family members can not receive part of the family of prostitutes and it can be embarrassing if erudition by family contacts and the general public. This contempt because prostitutes regarded by the community east of specific communities that have a strong religion. This has been proven when a child in a family in Kuala Lumpur recently been removed because at the time the young mother, her mother has been in the brothels. This is shown family members wanted the family name clean from prostitution. In society, the prostitutes are considered as a polluting pariah image of a place. For example, around Jalan Haji Taib is known for prostitution since the first again. In addition, the number of cases to remove children is increasing. Some people do not give the family past by the road and they approach the area although other aims. Name the country will also be contaminated and will be the focus of the public. National social problems will continue to increase with many activities because prostitution happens this will lead to symptoms such as rape, murder and so forth. This can worsen the situation. In the economic system, the effects of prostitution can bring good and bad. for example, in Malaysia adverse effects arising from prostitution area is known for prostitution will not be visited by the family customers. This is because parents do not want their children near the area of prostitution. In addition, the area will be filled with prostitute- prostitute and the customer waiting area into the cause of black people who have a strong religion. Malaysia in the area if possible will always be a concern for the authorities and led to fewer young customers do business there. government also had to spend some money to treat the diseases caused by HIV prostitution directly or indirectly. This case, causing the government provision of education, welfare and others reduced. If countries in Asia other, prostitution is a major source of income. For example, Thailand has made the activity of prostitution as a pull tourists from within and outside the country. This will lead to the establishment of Thailand is famous for its house of prostitution are controlled by the government. People overseas who wish to obtain services to prostitutes to visit Thailand. It also introduces various side effects with other tourism products. Beside that also, prostitution affects the lifestyle of poor communities. For example, prostitution can cause disease outbreaks or epidemics of HIV among comumitty. Spread of the disease can spread if individuals who do not follow how to avoid sexual diseases such HIV. A person who has been infected with HIV have to produce more spending to treat this disease. Fitness level of people who are infected this will result in decreased productivity and produced no worthwhile and less quality. For example, individuals who are infected with HIV do not work with the spirit and focus on something jobs will be lost.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 127-128

CHAPTER 127 The breeze felt cold outside CIA headquarters in Langley. Nola Kaye was shivering as she followed sys-sec Rick Parrish across the agency's moonlit central courtyard. Where is Rick taking me? The crisis of the Masonic video had been averted, thank God, but Nola still felt uneasy. The redacted file on the CIA director's partition remained a mystery, and it was nagging at her. She and Sato would debrief in the morning, and Nola wanted all the facts. Finally, she had called Rick Parrish and demanded his help. Now, as she followed Rick to some unknown location outside, Nola could not push the bizarre phrases from her memory: Secret location underground where the . . . somewhere in Washington, D.C., the coordinates . . . uncovered an ancient portal that led . . . warning the pyramid holds dangerous . . . decipher this engraved symbolon to unveil . . . â€Å"You and I agree,† Parrish said as they walked, â€Å"that the hacker who spidered those keywords was definitely searching for information about the Masonic Pyramid.† Obviously, Nola thought. â€Å"It turns out, though, the hacker stumbled onto a facet of the Masonic mystery I don't think he expected.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Nola, you know how the CIA director sponsors an internal discussion forum for Agency employees to share their ideas about all kinds of things?† â€Å"Of course.† The forums provided Agency personnel a safe place to chat online about various topics and gave the director a kind of virtual gateway to his staff. â€Å"The director's forums are hosted on his private partition, and yet in order to provide access to employees of all clearance levels, they're located outside the director's classified firewall.† â€Å"What are you getting at?† she demanded as they rounded a corner near the Agency cafeteria. â€Å"In a word . . .† Parrish pointed into the darkness. â€Å"That.† Nola glanced up. Across the plaza in front of them was a massive metal sculpture glimmering in the moonlight. In an agency that boasted over five hundred pieces of original art, this sculpture–titled Kryptos–was by far the most famous. Greek for â€Å"hidden,† Kryptos was the work of American artist James Sanborn and had become something of a legend here at the CIA. The work consisted of a massive S-shaped panel of copper, set on its edge like a curling metal wall. Engraved into the expansive surface of the wall were nearly two thousand letters . . . organized into a baffling code. As if this were not enigmatic enough, positioned carefully in the area around the encrypted S-wall were numerous other sculptural elements–granite slabs at odd angles, a compass rose, a magnetic lodestone, and even a message in Morse code that referenced â€Å"lucid memory† and â€Å"shadow forces.† Most fans believed that these pieces were clues that would reveal how to decipher the sculpture. Kryptos was art . . . but it was also an enigma. Attempting to decipher its encoded secret had become an obsession for cryptologists both inside and outside the CIA. Finally, a few years back, a portion of the code had been broken, and it became national news. Although much of Kryptos's code remained unsolved to this day, the sections that had been deciphered were so bizarre that they made the sculpture only more mysterious. It referenced secret underground locations, portals that led into ancient tombs, longitudes and latitudes . . . Nola could still recall bits and pieces of the deciphered sections: The information was gathered and transmitted underground to an unknown location . . . It was totally invisible . . . hows that possible . . . they used the earths magnetic field . . . Nola had never paid much attention to the sculpture or cared if it was ever fully deciphered. At the moment, however, she wanted answers. â€Å"Why are you showing me Kryptos?† Parrish gave her a conspiratorial smile and dramatically extracted a folded sheet of paper from his pocket. â€Å"Voila, the mysterious redacted document you were so concerned about. I accessed the complete text.† Nola jumped. â€Å"You snooped the director's classified partition?† â€Å"No. That's what I was getting at earlier. Have a look.† He handed her the file. Nola seized the page and unfolded it. When she saw the standard Agency headers at the top of the page, she cocked her head in surprise. This document was not classified. Not even close. EMPLOYEE DISCUSSION BOARD: KRYPTOS COMPRESSED STORAGE: THREAD #2456282.5 Nola found herself looking at a series of postings that had been compressed into a single page for more efficient storage. â€Å"Your keyword document,† Rick said, â€Å"is some cipher-punks rambling about Kryptos.† Nola scanned down the document until she spotted a sentence containing a familiar set of keywords. Jim, the sculpture says it was transmitted to a secret location UNDERGROUND where the info was hidden. â€Å"This text is from the director's online Kryptos forum,† Rick explained. â€Å"The forum's been going for years. There are literally thousands of postings. I'm not surprised one of them happened to contain all the keywords.† Nola kept scanning down until she spotted another posting containing keywords. Even though Mark said the code's lat/long headings point somewhere in WASHINGTON, D.C., the coordinates he used were off by one degree–Kryptos basically points back to itself. Parrish walked over to the statue and ran his palm across the cryptic sea of letters. â€Å"A lot of this code has yet to be deciphered, and there are plenty of people who think the message might actually relate to ancient Masonic secrets.† Nola now recalled murmurs of a Masonic/Kryptos link, but she tended to ignore the lunatic fringe. Then again, looking around at the various pieces of the sculpture arranged around the plaza, she realized that it was a code in pieces–a symbolon–just like the Masonic Pyramid. Odd. For a moment, Nola could almost see Kryptos as a modern Masonic Pyramid–a code in many pieces, made of different materials, each playing a role. â€Å"Do you think there's any way Kryptos and the Masonic Pyramid might be hiding the same secret?† â€Å"Who knows?† Parrish shot Kryptos a frustrated look. â€Å"I doubt we'll ever know the whole message. That is, unless someone can convince the director to unlock his safe and sneak a peek at the solution.† Nola nodded. It was all coming back to her now. When Kryptos was installed, it arrived with a sealed envelope containing a complete decryption of the sculpture's codes. The sealed solution was entrusted to then – CIA director William Webster, who locked it in his office safe. The document was allegedly still there, having been transferred from director to director over the years. Strangely, Nola's thoughts of William Webster sparked her memory, bringing back yet another portion of Kryptos's deciphered text: IT'S BURIED OUT THERE SOMEWHERE. WHO KNOWS THE EXACT LOCATION? ONLY WW. Although nobody knew exactly what was buried out there, most people believed the WW was a reference to William Webster. Nola had heard whispers once that it referred in fact to a man named William Whiston–a Royal Society theologian–although she had never bothered to give it much thought. Rick was talking again. â€Å"I've got to admit, I'm not really into artists, but I think this guy Sanborn's a serious genius. I was just looking online at his Cyrillic Projector project? It shines giant Russian letters from a KGB document on mind control. Freaky.† Nola was no longer listening. She was examining the paper, where she had found the third key phrase in another posting. Right, that whole section is verbatim from some famous archaeologist's diary, telling about the moment he dug down and uncovered an ANCIENT PORTAL that led to the tomb of Tutankhamen. The archaeologist who was quoted on Kryptos, Nola knew, was in fact famed Egyptologist Howard Carter. The next posting referenced him by name. I just skimmed the rest of Carter's field notes online, and it sounds like he found a clay tablet warning the PYRAMID holds dangerous consequences for anyone who disturbs the peace of the pharaoh. A curse! Should we be worried? 🙂 Nola scowled. â€Å"Rick, for God's sake, this idiot's pyramid reference isn't even right. Tutankhamen wasn't buried in a pyramid. He was buried in the Valley of the Kings. Don't cryptologists watch the Discovery Channel?† Parrish shrugged. â€Å"Techies.† Nola now saw the final key phrase. Guys, you know I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but Jim and Dave had better decipher this ENGRAVED SYMBOLON to unveil its final secret before the world ends in 2012 . . . Ciao. â€Å"Anyhow,† Parrish said, â€Å"I figured you'd want to know about the Kryptos forum before you accused the CIA director of harboring classified documentation about an ancient Masonic legend. Somehow, I doubt a man as powerful as the CIA director has time for that sort of thing.† Nola pictured the Masonic video and its images of all the influential men participating in an ancient rite. If Rick had any idea . . . In the end, she knew, whatever Kryptos ultimately revealed, the message definitely had mystical undertones. She gazed up at the gleaming piece of art–a three-dimensional code standing silently at the heart of one of the nation's premier intelligence agencies–and she wondered if it would ever give up its final secret. As she and Rick headed back inside, Nola had to smile. It's buried out there somewhere. CHAPTER 128 This is crazy. Blindfolded, Robert Langdon could see nothing as the Escalade sped southward along the deserted streets. On the seat beside him, Peter Solomon remained silent. Where is he taking me? Langdon's curiosity was a mix of intrigue and apprehension, his imagination in overdrive as it tried desperately to put the pieces together. Peter had not wavered from his claim. The Lost Word? Buried at the bottom of a staircase that's covered by a massive, engraved stone? It all seemed impossible. The stone's alleged engraving was still lodged in Langdon's memory . . . and yet the seven symbols, as far as he could tell, made no sense together at all. The Stonemason's Square: the symbol of honesty and being â€Å"true.† The letters Au: the scientific abbreviation for the element gold. The Sigma: the Greek letter S, the mathematical symbol for the sum of all parts. The Pyramid: the Egyptian symbol of man reaching heavenward. The Delta: the Greek letter D, the mathematical symbol for change. Mercury: as depicted by its most ancient alchemical symbol. The Ouroboros: the symbol of wholeness and at-one-ment. Solomon still insisted these seven symbols were a â€Å"message.† But if this was true, then it was a message Langdon had no idea how to read. The Escalade slowed suddenly and turned sharply right, onto a different surface, as if into a driveway or access road. Langdon perked up, listening intently for clues as to their whereabouts. They'd been driving for less than ten minutes, and although Langdon had tried to follow in his mind, he had lost his bearings quickly. For all he knew, they were now pulling back into the House of the Temple. The Escalade came to a stop, and Langdon heard the window roll down. â€Å"Agent Simkins, CIA,† their driver announced. â€Å"I believe you're expecting us.† â€Å"Yes, sir,† a sharp military voice replied. â€Å"Director Sato phoned ahead. One moment while I move the security barricade.† Langdon listened with rising confusion, now sensing they were entering a military base. As the car began moving again, along an unusually smooth stretch of pavement, he turned his head blindly toward Solomon. â€Å"Where are we, Peter?† he demanded. â€Å"Do not remove your blindfold.† Peter's voice was stern. The vehicle continued a short distance and again slowed to a stop. Simkins killed the engine. More voices. Military. Someone asked for Simkins's identification. The agent got out and spoke to the men in hushed tones. Langdon's door was suddenly being opened, and powerful hands assisted him out of the car. The air felt cold. It was windy. Solomon was beside him. â€Å"Robert, just let Agent Simkins lead you inside.† Langdon heard metal keys in a lock . . . and then the creak of a heavy iron door swinging open. It sounded like an ancient bulkhead. Where the hell are they taking me?! Simkins's hands guided Langdon in the direction of the metal door. They stepped over a threshold. â€Å"Straight ahead, Professor.† It was suddenly quiet. Dead. Deserted. The air inside smelled sterile and processed. Simkins and Solomon flanked Langdon now, guiding him blindly down a reverberating corridor. The floor felt like stone beneath his loafers. Behind them, the metal door slammed loudly, and Langdon jumped. The locks turned. He was sweating now beneath his blindfold. He wanted only to tear it off. They stopped walking now. Simkins let go of Langdon's arm, and there was a series of electronic beeps followed by an unexpected rumble in front of them, which Langdon imagined had to be a security door sliding open automatically. â€Å"Mr. Solomon, you and Mr. Langdon continue on alone. I'll wait for you here,† Simkins said. â€Å"Take my flashlight.† â€Å"Thank you,† Solomon said. â€Å"We won't be long.† Flashlight?! Langdon's heart was pounding wildly now. Peter took Langdon's arm in his own and inched forward. â€Å"Walk with me, Robert.† They moved slowly together across another threshold, and the security door rumbled shut behind them. Peter stopped short. â€Å"Is something wrong?† Langdon was suddenly feeling queasy and off balance. â€Å"I think I just need to take off this blindfold.† â€Å"Not yet, we're almost there.† â€Å"Almost where?† Langdon felt a growing heaviness in the pit of his stomach. â€Å"I told you–I'm taking you to see the staircase that descends to the Lost Word.† â€Å"Peter, this isn't funny!† â€Å"It's not meant to be. It's meant to open your mind, Robert. It's meant to remind you that there are mysteries in this world that even you have yet to lay eyes upon. And before I take one more step with you, I want you to do something for me. I want you to believe . . . just for an instant . . . believe in the legend. Believe that you are about to peer down a winding staircase that plunges hundreds of feet to one of humankind's greatest lost treasures.† Langdon felt dizzy. As much as he wanted to believe his dear friend, he could not. â€Å"Is it much farther?† His velvet hoodwink was drenched in sweat. â€Å"No. Only a few more steps, actually. Through one last door. I'll open it now.† Solomon let go of him for a moment, and as he did so, Langdon swayed, feeling light-headed. Unsteady, he reached out for stability, and Peter was quickly back at his side. The sound of a heavy automatic door rumbled in front of them. Peter took Langdon's arm and they moved forward again. â€Å"This way.† They inched across another threshold, and the door slid closed behind them. Silence. Cold. Langdon immediately sensed that this place, whatever it was, had nothing to do with the world on the other side of the security doors. The air was dank and chilly, like a tomb. The acoustics felt dull and cramped. He felt an irrational bout of claustrophobia settling in. â€Å"A few more steps.† Solomon guided him blindly around a corner and positioned him precisely. Finally, he said, â€Å"Take off your blindfold.† Langdon seized the velvet hoodwink and tore it from his face. He looked all around to find out where he was, but he was still blind. He rubbed his eyes. Nothing. â€Å"Peter, it's pitch-black!† â€Å"Yes, I know. Reach in front of you. There's a railing. Grasp it.† Langdon groped in the darkness and found an iron railing. â€Å"Now watch.† He could hear Peter fumbling with something, and suddenly a blazing flashlight beam pierced the darkness. It was pointed at the floor, and before Langdon could take in his surroundings, Solomon directed the flashlight out over the railing and pointed the beam straight down. Langdon was suddenly staring into a bottomless shaft . . . an endless winding staircase that plunged deep into the earth. My God! His knees nearly buckled, and he gripped the railing for support. The staircase was a traditional square spiral, and he could see at least thirty landings descending into the earth before the flashlight faded to nothing. I can't even see the bottom! â€Å"Peter . . .† he stammered. â€Å"What is this place!† â€Å"I'll take you to the bottom of the staircase in a moment, but before I do, you need to see something else.† Too overwhelmed to protest, Langdon let Peter guide him away from the stairwell and across the strange little chamber. Peter kept the flashlight trained on the worn stone floor beneath their feet, and Langdon could get no real sense of the space around them . . . except that it was small. A tiny stone chamber. They arrived quickly at the room's opposite wall, in which was embedded a rectangle of glass. Langdon thought it might be a window into a room beyond, and yet from where he stood, he saw only darkness on the other side. â€Å"Go ahead,† Peter said. â€Å"Have a look.† â€Å"What's in there?† Langdon flashed for an instant on the Chamber of Reflection beneath the Capitol Building, and how he had believed, for a moment, that it might contain a portal to some giant underground cavern. â€Å"Just look, Robert.† Solomon inched him forward. â€Å"And brace yourself, because the sight will shock you.† Having no idea what to expect, Langdon moved toward the glass. As he neared the portal, Peter turned out the flashlight, plunging the tiny chamber into total darkness. As his eyes adjusted, Langdon groped in front of him, his hands finding the wall, finding the glass, his face moving closer to the transparent portal. Still only darkness beyond. He leaned closer . . . pressing his face to the glass. Then he saw it. The wave of shock and disorientation that tore through Langdon's body reached down inside and spun his internal compass upside down. He nearly fell backward as his mind strained to accept the utterly unanticipated sight that was before him. In his wildest dreams, Robert Langdon would never have guessed what lay on the other side of this glass. The vision was a glorious sight. There in the darkness, a brilliant white light shone like a gleaming jewel. Langdon now understood it all–the barricade on the access road . . . the guards at the main entrance . . . the heavy metal door outside . . . the automatic doors that rumbled open and closed . . . the heaviness in his stomach . . . the lightness in his head . . . and now this tiny stone chamber. â€Å"Robert,† Peter whispered behind him, â€Å"sometimes a change of perspective is all it takes to see the light.† Speechless, Langdon stared out through the window. His gaze traveled into the darkness of the night, traversing more than a mile of empty space, dropping lower . . . lower . . . through the darkness . . . until it came to rest atop the brilliantly illuminated, stark white dome of the U.S. Capitol Building. Langdon had never seen the Capitol from this perspective–hovering 555 feet in the air atop America's great Egyptian obelisk. Tonight, for the first time in his life, he had ridden the elevator up to the tiny viewing chamber . . . at the pinnacle of the Washington Monument.

interview of euclid essays

interview of euclid essays Ammar: I want an interview of you Sir for my history teacher. May I get it? Euclid: Yes, sure, why not. So what do you want to ask me? Ammar: If you wont mind, can I ask some personal questions in the beginning of the interview? Euclid: OK! I wont mind unless they are too personal. Ammar: What date were you born, and where were you born? Euclid: I am not sure about my date of birth because in those days there were no birth certificates and our parents dont keep record of the dates of births. I believe I was born around 300 BC. I was born in Alexandria, Athens, Greece. Ammar: Did you marry? How many kids do you have? Euclid: Well, I married and I have two kids. The eldest on is a boy and the younger one is a girl. Ammar: What school you went to? Tell us something about it. Euclid: I went to Alexandria School. It is situated in Athens, Greece. The teachers of that school were the pupils of Plato. After I graduated from that school I started teaching in that school. After working for a while I created a school of mathematics and then I started teaching there. Ammar: Were you interested in mathematics since the beginning of your studies or you changed your mind later? Euclid: At first when I joined school and I had no idea of what I will become. I dont know what happened and I later became interested in math and I thought of becoming a mathematician. Ammar: During the time you were in school, there were very famous Greek Philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato. They also had many different followers, who do you think you follow? Why? Euclid: I think I belong to the persuasion of Plato because I was taught by his pupils and the ideas in me are quite platonist. You could see that by reviewing the results of my researches (Proculs, p. 57[68:19-20]; Bulmer-Thomas, p.415). Ammar: What contributions you made in mathematics? Euclid: You know that I devoted my whole life in the fi...

Definition and Examples of Performative Verbs

Definition and Examples of Performative Verbs In English grammar  and speech-act theory, a performative verb is a  verb  that explicitly conveys the kind of speech act being performed- such as  promise, invite, apologize, predict, vow, request, warn, insist,  and  forbid. Also known as speech-act verb or  performative utterance.   The concept of performative verbs  was introduced by Oxford philosopher J. L. Austin in  How to Do Things With Words  (1962) and further developed by American philosopher J.R. Searle, among others. Austin estimated that a good dictionary contains upwards of 10,000 performative or speech-act verbs. Examples and Observations Performative verbs name actions that are performed, wholly or partly, by saying something (state, promise); non-performative verbs name other types of actions, types of action which are independent of speech (walk, sleep).-Kirsten Malmkjaer, Speech-Act Theory. The  Linguistics Encyclopedia, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2004As your lawyer, your brother, and your friend, I highly recommend that you get a better lawyer.-David Patrick Kelly as Jerry Horne in Twin Peaks, 1990The faculty at Ohios Bowling Green State University vetoed a professors planned course on political correctness. Kathleen Dixon, director of womens studies at the university, explained: We forbid any course that says we restrict free speech.-George Will, Newsweek. December  25, 2000I declare, he said, with the mamma I got its a wonder I turned out to be such a nice boy!-Flannery OConnor, Greenleaf. The Kenyon Review, 1957As your president, I would demand a science-fiction library, featuring an ABC of the genre. Asimov, Best er, Clarke.-Martin Prince in Lisas Substitute. The Simpsons, 1991 ApologizingBy saying we apologize we perform an expressive act simultaneously with the naming of that expressive act. It is for this reason that apologize is called a performative verb, defined as a verb denoting linguistic action that can both describe a speech act and express it. This explains why we can say that we are sorry, but not that we are sorry on someone elses behalf because be sorry only expresses, but does not describe the act of making an apology.-R. Dirven and M. Verspoor, Cognitive Exploration of Language and Linguistics. John Benjamins, 2004Hedged PerformativesGenerally, the performative verb...is in the simple present active and the subject is I, but the verb may be in the simple present passive and the subject need not be I: Smoking is forbidden; The committee thanks you for your services. A test for whether a verb is being used performatively is the possible insertion of hereby: I hereby apologize; The committee hereby thanks you. In hedged performatives, the verb is present but the speech act is performed indirectly: In saying I must apologize for my behavior, the speaker is expressing an obligation to make an apology, but implies that the acknowledgment of that obligation is the same as an apology. In contrast, I apologized is a report, and Must I apologize? is a request for advice.-S. Greenbaum, The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press,  1992

Obamacare. The Achievements of Our Founding Fathers Essay

Obamacare. The Achievements of Our Founding Fathers - Essay Example Discussion Before we embark further into the debate, it is important to learn, understand, and recall the achievements of our founding Fathers and the knowledge and experience that inspired them to establish this nature and type of government. It also important to understand and recall the origins and characters of the United States constitution and the structure of government and the rights and privileges of citizenship that is inherent in the constitution. The American constitution was drafted and promulgated in 1787.1 The early framers and formulators of the United States constitution had experienced dark and hard times under the previous despotic central government system that was dominated by tyranny and oppression. In view of the above, they devised and entrenched a system of government into the constitution that was divided with each having a clear cut jurisdiction and mandate. The framers of the constitution were keen to divide the power of the government through the constitu tion; a three tier system of government structure was established.2 United States constitution created the federal system of government in which power was shared between the federal government and the state governments. It is important to note that the power sharing structure deviates from the centralized government structure that is present in United Kingdom in which the national government maintains and controls power. Free government as proposed and understood by the founders of the nation was to restrict and structure the powers of the government with a view of securing and articulating rights in the declaration of independence, preventing tyranny, and preserving liberty. In order to achieve the above aspirations, the remedy was the creation of a strong, energetic government that had limited authority. Consequently, the powers of the government were enumerated in a written constitution, separated into different functions, responsibilities, and were further divided into the power s of federal/national government and state governments.2 The three forms of government that have been established under the United States Constitution include a federal government with three independent branches: executive, legislative and judiciary.1 The powers and functions of the above branches of the federal government are outlined in the constitution and further specified and delineated through laws that are enacted by the constitution. It is important to understand the circumstances and the reasons that led to the drafting and formulation of the constitution in relation to the functions of the government as regards its citizens. The constitution was drafted at a time when majority of Americans were expressing resentment and distrust in the central government that was authoritarian and tyrant in nature. The problem of a strong and autocratic government was further compounded by the overlapping ideas and rivalry of different states. The role of the United States constitution was , therefore, to limit the power of government over the individual, and the debate has ensued on how far such power may be extended. Initially, all the states in America had their own national congress and continental army, and they controlled their fiscal and political sovereignty.3 The drafters created,

Does Type A behaviour actually exist Assignment

Does Type A behaviour actually exist - Assignment Example It has also been asserted that subjects carrying the Type A behavior are hyperactive in their daily tasks. They are more aggressive, impatient, and competitive than Type B, if assigned with complicated or difficult tasks. Actually, Type As are ambitious or over ambitious than Type B in the psychological understanding. Looking forward to the Type A behavior, which is a cause of abnormalities (high impulse, aggression, hypertension), the researchers have tried to understand this behavior in the holistic manner. Comprehensive studies have been brought to understand of how Type A behavior affects a person’s life carrying it as a condition of psychological tension. Relevant research discussed (Empirical Evidence) The contemporary literature depicts that people with Type A behavior are undergone with both mental and physical health problems. Rosenman (1975) along with continued investigators assert that Type A behavior leads to catecholamine, cholesterol and high blood pressure (Gre gory, 2004, p.515). It is the environmental challenge and demand that results in larger reactions of the Type A people. On further, the empirical studies detail that ischemic heart disease in which there is low supply of blood to heart is caused by the Type A stress behavior. The study by David (2011) claims that persons with Type A are sensitive and they are partially instable than Type B when brought to life’s challenging situations (David, 2011). The study assessed the behavior of industrial employees working in an equivalent stress environment. It found that Type A employees are more emotionally strained than Type B who are calmed and relaxed at the time of work (David, 2011). The quantitative research by Chesney and Rosenman (1981) depicted that psychological behaviors of aggression, extroversion, or high impulsiveness are associated to Type A behavior which is the cause of all such behaviors (Chesney & Rosenman, 1981). Similarly, a meta-analysis review by Hinshaw (1987) associated anxiety, anger, depression and hostility to Type A behavior respectively (Hinshaw, 1987). Friedman and Rosenman (1974) categorized the 3000 healthy men in two groups; Type A and Type B. The investigators who were the starters of the research in the continuum of Type A depicted that Type A persons are vulnerable to stress, as where Type B are more easy going and relaxed people (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2010, p.496). The investigators’ study found that out of 3000 healthy men 257 died due to stress and CHA (Coronary Heart Disease) and they were specifically from the Type A group which associated to such stress function. This research by Friedman and Rosenman became the basis of research for behavioral specialists analyzing the continuum of Type A and its effects (Meyer & Rosenman, 1974). Background linked to the aims with reasons & some detail of method The literature analyzed so far has unfolded the fact that Type A persons are vulnerable to stress. They easily get stressed when brought to life’s challenging experience i.e. a critical task or an assessment. In the behavioral research it is asserted that there is a significant difference between Type A and Type B adaptations, actions and performances. Type As are aggressive, explosive and indulgent to stress as compare to Type B who are calmed and creative to complete their task or objective. This report is an investigation on how Type A behavior