Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Offering Free Classes For Adults Can Help Prevent Illness
Offering free classes for adults can help prevent illness and promote overall health. Exercise not only helps with your health but it also helps with loneliness. Many of these women have lost their husbands and are now living alone. The exercise classes at Silver Sneakers gives them a chance to receive their daily exercise, but gives them a chance to socialize. This program ââ¬Å"is the leading population health management solution, delivering innovative physical activity and preventive health innervations designed specifically for older adults,â⬠(pg. 83). Because this program is targeted for older adults they are more likely to join. It originated in the early 1900s in California and made its way throughout the rest of the united states, andâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Aging in general is a difficult process but added a disability makes it much harder. Eddy contracted polio in the 1950s when there was an outbreak. Because of this disease he lost one leg, he grew up having t o use crutches his whole life. His family was very involved with sports, his father wanted to keep his kids strong and mentally tough. He grew up with a normal life, being involved and not felling any different. He is thankful that his dad pushed him to do his best in life with his academics and sports. He has won a gold and silver medal nine-times in the Paralympics and in the pan American Lifting Games. Growing up with a disability is difficult but it made him stronger. While in high he was involved in football and rowing, his teammates welcomed him and this made him happy. His parents were his roll models, he was a view president at a company in Philly, until losing his job. Following in his dadââ¬â¢s footsteps he built a gym in their house at the age of 14. Kids from around the neighborhood would come over to train, from ages 16-20. This is when he began his journey for weight lifting began. Living day by day helped him deal with the health issues he faced. Staying positive i s very important with living with a disability. Eddy has experience may things in his life that could have held him back but he kept going. Sport has helped him push boundaries and learn self-determination, his new mottoShow MoreRelatedImpact of the Economy on Suicide1255 Words à |à 6 Pages Do economic classes affect the percentage of suicide rates? All types of people, rich and poor commit suicide, but suicide and suicide prevention are growing. The lives of about 4600 young people are lost because of suicide every year (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014). So what is the country offering to help? There are many programs and treatments to help those who have resorted to or contemplated suicide. Specialized programs have been created, but not all are accessibleRead MoreTaking a Look at Childhood Obesity1842 Words à |à 7 PagesWhat does childhood obesity means? Obesity can be defined as a condition in which the body carries abnormal or unhealthy amounts of fat tissue, leading the individual to weigh in excess or 20 percent more than his or her ideal weight (Health Illness).Obesity in America is an ever-growing problem and has boosted America to the number one spot in terms of obese population. It also stands as the most prevalent medical issue in American Children. In the past thirty years, obesity has affected manyRead MoreThe Summers Are Hot, And The Winters s Unique Year Round Culture Of Entertainment1695 Words à |à 7 Pagessummers are hot, and the winters are mild. Enjoying Houston s unique year round culture of entertainment, shopping, and dining may spare little time to attend to your fitness goals. Luckily, Houston presents a variety of exciting (and tasty) ways to help you stay focused, while having fun all at once. 1. Houston offers 109 Meet-Up groups in the metro area, who gather for the sole purpose of maintaining healthy lifestyles while encouraging each other along the way. These groups offer interest for variousRead MoreEmotional Wellness1692 Words à |à 7 Pagesspirit weeks, activities, sports. * The way we are treated as mature adults * The amount of time spent in classes is pretty accurate; allows us to learn more in a shorter period of time. * There is three more years before school is done, and now I can enter university and pick the career I most enjoy, and no more suffering of boring subjects. * My relationship with God is getting better, especially that I need his help this year. * I seem to be discovering who I am, and what role everyRead MoreFamily Entertainment Center ( Hffec )2200 Words à |à 9 PagesCenter (HFFEC) is in the industry of Family Entertainment Centers also known as FECs. Family entertainment is a very profitable business because families are always looking for affordable local facilities to enjoy their time together. We want to help restore the broken bond between families caused by many outside forces, the busyness of life, and common distractions that drive them apart. We plan to make fun cool again. Starting out in Beaumont, Texas we have the advantage of entering into a placeRead MoreDiabetes Teaching Plan3653 Words à |à 15 Pagesdiabetes Before you begin your teaching plan be sure to define the characteristics of the clinical site and patient population. The teaching plan should be customized to this population. This is a sample teaching plan that you can use and customize to your needs. You may want to design a pre-test and post-test to give your patients would are attending the teaching program. Based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control website, 17.0 million people in the United States, approximatelyRead MoreTeaching Plan for Diabetes Mellitus4129 Words à |à 17 PagesLehigh Valley Wellness Center Before you begin your teaching plan be sure to define the characteristics of the clinical site and patient population. The teaching plan should be customized to this population. This is a sample teaching plan that you can use and customize to your needs. You may want to design a pre-test and post-test to give your patients would are attending the teaching program. Based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control website, 17.0 million people in the United StatesRead MoreChronic Disease Of The United States Essay2220 Words à |à 9 Pagesappropriate prescription or vaccine. Chronic conditions are developed through unhealthy lifestyles and behaviors such as a lack of exercise, poor nutrition, poor sleeping habits, and substance use (e.g. tobacco). Consequently, seven in ten of every death can be prevented with changes in lifestyle. The CDC states that these conditions, ââ¬Å"are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health problemsâ⬠(ââ¬Å"Chronic Diseaseâ⬠1). Although these conditions have clear and definite causes (knowing the exactRead MoreThe Leading Causes Of Childhood Obesity2675 Words à |à 11 PagesProposal For my research project, I will be looking into the leading causes in childhood obesity. Obesity can be defined as when an individual is really overweight in which can affect their overall health. It has come to our concern that obesity among children has become a major problem, which needs to be confronted. Childhood obesity is continually expanding instead of decreasing, which is frustrating because itââ¬â¢s a difficult task for children to eat healthier in society with obesity hazards. ChildhoodRead MoreHiv : Hiv And Hiv2192 Words à |à 9 Pagesindividuals in South Africa infected with HIV is larger than in any other single country in the world. The 2007 UNAIDS report estimated that 5,700,000 South Africans had HIV/AIDS, or just under 12% of South Africa s population of 48 million. In the adult population the rate is 18.5%. Page 2 HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Itââ¬â¢s the virus that causes HIV infection. The human immunodeficiency virus causes HIV infection and over time acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS means Acquired
Monday, December 16, 2019
Hughes Promotes the African Civilization Essay Free Essays
Still recognized as one of the literary giants of America. Langston Hughes played an of import function as a author and mind of the Harlem Renaissance. This was an artistic motion of African Americans that arose during the 1920s to observe the lives and civilization of Africans in the United States ( ââ¬Å"Langston Hughesâ⬠) . We will write a custom essay sample on Hughes Promotes the African Civilization Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Because most of the African Americans had been brought to the New World as slaves of white Masterss. it was poets and authors like Hughes. an African American adult male. that helped to alter the perceptual experience of African Americans in the heads of the Whites one time bondage had been abolished. Hughesââ¬â¢ verse forms. ââ¬Å"The Negro Speaks of Riversâ⬠published in 1926. and ââ¬Å"Negroâ⬠published in 1958. hence depict African Americans as ordinary human existences like everybody else. and yet richer in civilization and civilisation than many others. seeing that they have participated in the building of the great ââ¬Å"pyramids. â⬠mentioned in both verse forms ( Hughes. 2007 ; Hughes ) . Hughes was direct and unfastened about the fact that his Hagiographas were meant to elate the conditions facing Africans in the United States ( Hughes. 1923 ) . They had been slaves. so therefore the Whites did non esteem them plenty even after the abolition of bondage. ââ¬Å"The Negro Speaks of Riversâ⬠was published five old ages after the Tulsa Riot and during the Harlem Renaissance ( ââ¬Å"Race Riot. Lynchings. and other Forms of Racism in the 1920sâ⬠) . ââ¬Å"Negro. â⬠on the other manus. was published at a clip when racism was considered a bigger job than earlier. In fact. during the 1950s racism was at the head of American idea ( Lewis. 2002 ) . Many conflicts were fought to put inkinesss equal to Whites in the heads of all Americans. Hughesââ¬â¢ part of the fiftiess. his verse form ââ¬Å"Negro. â⬠was merely different to the extent that it was an artistââ¬â¢s part. Countless other Africans were contending on the streets of America to put things right one time and for all. Both verse forms. ââ¬Å"The Negro Speaks of Riversâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Negro. â⬠are looks of African American individuality. The first verse form begins therefore: ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ve known riversâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ( Hughes ) . In the 2nd as in the first. although the poet has made clear that the storyteller is a negro ââ¬â the verse form. ââ¬Å"Negroâ⬠begins with the words. ââ¬Å"I am a Negroâ⬠( Hughes. 2007 ) . Because the Whites had been Masterss over African slaves. they were inclined to look down upon Africans. Since the Whites were proprietors of belongings in America and surely richer. the inkinesss longed to be like the Whites. But. Hughes would wish the Africans to experience at place in their ain teguments. With images of rivers every bit expansive as of the Euphrates. the Nile and the Mississippi ââ¬â the verse form. ââ¬Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers. â⬠reminds the African of his or her historical roots or the history of the great African peoples who have traveled across all of these rivers adding value to the historical watercourse of civilizations. The verse form has irregular. long lines without beat because it is doing a basic point: the African psyche is every bit deep as any human psyche could be. The African single indulges in deep thought as he travels across antediluvian rivers. What he must brood on is his ain individuality on foreign dirt. Remembering the history of his civilisation. he must maintain in head that life carries on. Whatââ¬â¢s more. the poet reminds his fellow African that the black race has survived despite all odds ( Hughes ) . Because ââ¬Å"The Negro Speaks of Riversâ⬠was published during the extremum of Harlem Renaissance. it refers to depth of the African psyche. given that art is frequently understood as the voice of the psyche and the Harlem Renaissance was all about advancing African art and civilization in the United States. Using soft images such as the Mississippiââ¬â¢s bosom ââ¬Å"turning aureate in the sundown. â⬠the poet uses his accent on rivers to stand as a symbol for the deepness of the African psyche ( Hughes ) . ââ¬Å"Negro. â⬠published during the 1950ââ¬â¢s besides references ââ¬Å"depthsâ⬠( Hughes. 2007 ) . As in ââ¬Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers. â⬠the deepnesss mentioned by Hughes in both verse forms most likely refer to the deepness of African knowledge excessively. After all. both verse forms refer to the history of Africans. ââ¬Å"Negro. â⬠with its sentence agreements depicting either what had happened to Africans or what they have done in the history of the African civilisation ââ¬â besides makes reference of the experiences and/or accomplishments that set Africans apart. for illustration. bondage and vocalizing ( Hughes. 2007 ) . The poet represents all Africans in both his verse form. ââ¬Å"The Negro Speaks of Riversâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Negro. â⬠What is more. both poems reference the fact that the Africans were portion of the labour force that built the ancient pyramids. In ââ¬Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers. â⬠it was the African who ââ¬Å"looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above itâ⬠( Hughes ) . In ââ¬Å"Negro. â⬠the pyramid is said to hold arisen under the African manus. implying that the African was greatly skilled even at the clip of ancient pyramid building ( Hughes. 2007 ) . The chief difference between the two verse forms. ââ¬Å"The Negro Speaks of Riversâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Negroâ⬠is. doubtless. the spirit of hope felt through the first verse form versus the sense of desperation assorted with hope in the 2nd verse form. Hughes must hold composed ââ¬Å"The Negro Speaks of Riversâ⬠in a different frame of head wholly. The verse form clearly promotes the African American civilization and art as originating in the deep history of humanity ( Hughes ) . Although ââ¬Å"Negroâ⬠makes reference of universe history excessively. it does non needfully advance African American art. apart from its mention to vocalizing. The African American may be considered as more of a labourer or low paid worker than an creative person in ââ¬Å"Negroâ⬠( Hughes. 2007 ) . Possibly the verse form was non written to advance African American art at all. As mentioned antecedently. the 1950s saw the Whites and inkinesss of America contending over the inquiry of equal rights of Africans in about all major countries of province operation. including instruction. There were terrible jobs related to racism during this period of American history. Clearly. inkinesss were being looked down upon. It was in the temper of that hr that Hughes composed ââ¬Å"Negro. â⬠The verse form speaks of the mundaneness of the African person while depicting the good utilizations that Africans have been made of. for illustration. in the building of the ââ¬Å"Woolworth Buildingâ⬠( Hughes. 2007 ) . ââ¬Å"The Negro Speaks of Riversâ⬠is surely non blue or dejecting like ââ¬Å"Negro. â⬠chiefly because it does non do reference of bondage and victimization as the 2nd. After all. Hughes is contending against unfairness toward African Americans in the 1950s. In the 1920s. his cause was wholly different. If ââ¬Å"The Negro Speaks of Riversâ⬠had made frequent reference of darkness as does ââ¬Å"Negro. â⬠the Harlem Renaissance could non hold been considered a forerunner of hope ( Hughes. 2007 ) . References Hughes. L. ( 2007. Dec 2 ) . Negro. Retrieved Mar 15. 2009. from hypertext transfer protocol: //amandafa. blogspot. com/2007/12/negro-by-langston-hughes. hypertext markup language. ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â . ( 1926. Jun 23 ) . The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain. The State. Retrieved Mar 15. 2009. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/45a/360. hypertext markup language. ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â . The Negro Speaks of Rivers. Retrieved Mar 15. 2009. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. wmrfh. org/dcrews/index_files/Hughes_The % 20Negro % 20Speaks % 20of % 20Rivers. physician. Langston Hughes. Americaââ¬â¢s Story from Americaââ¬â¢s Library. Retrieved Mar 15. 2009. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. americaslibrary. gov/cgi-bin/page. cgi/aa/hughes. Lewis. C. H. ( 2002 ) . The Rise of the Civil Rights Movement in the fiftiess. Retrieved Mar 15. 2009. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. Colorado. edu/AmStudies/lewis/2010/civil. htm. Race Riot. Lynchings. and other Forms of Racism in the 1920s. Retrieved Mar 15. 2009. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. premise. edu/ahc/raceriots/default. hypertext markup language. How to cite Hughes Promotes the African Civilization Essay, Essay examples
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Basic Sentence Structure free essay sample
Using Basic Sentence Structure Within a Paragraph Abstract This paper displays basic sentence structure by the comparison and contrasting of two different style paragraphs. The first is the opening of a resume and the second the introduction of a web site. I will then go on to explain the difference of the two in regards to sentence length and style. Using Basic sentence structure within paragraphs Please accept my resume for the Management position at Multicorp International. I am a dynamic, team-spirited, and task oriented professional offering outstanding qualification in all areas of leadership. With twenty six years national and international experience, my leadership has spanned from a small task oriented team to strategic leadership of a multi level worldwide group. Born in the rigors of armed combat my crisis management of stressful situations is beyond reproach. Combine this with patience and temper, gained only after years of multi level leadership, and you will find a leadership style unmatched by anyone without my military background. We will write a custom essay sample on Basic Sentence Structure or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After review of this resume you will find a leader, a warrior, and an upstanding citizen, instilled with the special trust and confidence of our nation, ready to take your corporation to the next level. Tired of sending your money overseas? At buyusa. com you will find nothing but products made in the US. For over 10 years buyusa. com has been making shopping for US products simple. Wander round this virtual mall and find products and services of all types. Not only will you find US favorites but you will be surprised how many items that can be bought within our borders. While both paragraphs need to be brief and quickly catch the readerââ¬â¢s attention, I feel the website needs to be even more to the point. A member of the human resources staff, at times, has to view 20 plus resumes and pick the best candidate. A web viewer, on the other hand, has unlimited data at their finger tips and with the click of a mouse can be ââ¬Å"light yearsâ⬠away from your opening paragraph. With this in mind the resume paragraph is constructed of complex professionally based sentences while the web add is quick concise and to the point. I feel the internet age has added a whole new challenge to writers and what once was considered a tight and to the point paragraph is now a virtual novel. Simple things like eliminating the periods and spaces of the abbreviation U. S. , although not grammatically correct, make the paragraph read quicker and may help to ââ¬Å"clickâ⬠the attention of the web surfer.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Learning Preferences free essay sample
Describe your strongest dimension on the personality spectrum. My strongest dimension on the personality spectrum is a giver (32). Every word on the list of giver describes me. My honesty is probably one my strongest. As I get older and being the mother of two terrific boys, I just feel at this exact moment in my life there is no need to lie. Honesty is the key, but sometimes I feel I am a little too honest and may hurt someoneââ¬â¢s feelings, but not intentionally. I just feel ââ¬Å"it is what it isâ⬠. I love promoting peace whether itââ¬â¢s a world issue or family. I just think that everyone would be a lot happier in their lives if we can be honest with one another and promote positivity. I hate drama. 2. Describe how each practice activity reinforced or contradicted something about yourself. In the Personality Spectrum Assessment it contradicted me on being a visual learner. We will write a custom essay sample on Learning Preferences or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the Multiple Pathways to Learning Assessment it resulted in me being under-developed, but in one of the activities in the Personality Spectrum it said that I was fine in this area. I must say it left me a little baffled, but at the same time I feel my answers can vary to certain situations that can me contradict myself in this case. I feel that I can adapt to different learning environments quite well, just like Iââ¬â¢m learning the OLS. This is definitely an contradiction. The Barsch Learning Style Inventory activity made me realize that I am more proficient in the kinesthetic learning style than I am a visual learner. This activity made me think hard and deep about what my learning abilities are and what I thought they were. I definitely love working hands on and encouraging others. I am usually the one that normally starts dishing out ideas first when I am grouped up with others. .
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Fashion Essays - Equipment, Clothing, Sports Equipment, Free Essays
Fashion Essays - Equipment, Clothing, Sports Equipment, Free Essays Fashion Fashion is everywhere these days. If youre not wearing something fashionable, youre just not cool. Most people realize this in the good old U.S.; but there are the occasional bad apples. This is where I come in. Im here to help some of these people out with choosing fashionable attire. And what better way to show it than in snowboarding, one of the most popular sports in the world. Here Ill show you how to choose everything from underclothing to goggles. Most people would say that underclothing has nothing to do with fashion, its only meant to keep you warm. But if you really get into the sport and you want to take your jacket off because youre hotter than a donkeys ass in a Texan summer, you want layers underneath your coat that will be fashionable, yet still keep you relatively warm. You need to remember that you must wear warm clothing underneath your outer layers, this is what really keeps you warm. Without these warm underlayers, you could have the worst day on the mountain because you will be freezing and be crabby all day. But the outerlayers are the fun part because they are your main fashion statements. Lets start with the coat; your coat needs to be the best. Youll want lots of pockets and plenty of room to move and lots of ventilation. You have to think fashion; no one likes an ugly coat. You should always pick a color that you like; however it needs to be easy on the eyes and something you can live in for a few years during the winter months. It also should be waterproof because a wet coat is a wet body, which forecasts a bad day ahead. Pants are much like the coat, something youll have to live in for a few years. These also, absolutely, need to be waterproof. If you sit on your ass a lot and it gets wet, thats just another opportunity for a terrible experience. Youll need a few pockets for money, keys or other objects that you want to have instant access to while on the slopes. Also, size is an issue. If your pants are too big, you have the danger of running yourself over, creating an extremely e mbarrassing moment for you, especially while you are trying to impress the girls with your fierce skills. On the other hand, if your pants are too small, you may not make it to the bathroom in time because you couldnt move from your seat while you were enjoying your lunchtime beer. While pants and a coat are your main fashionable paraphernalia, accessories can add to or take away from your statement. Gloves, for instance, cannot be underestimated. They must be warm and waterproof, because if your fingers are frozen, you cannot put on your board or write down that hotties phone number. Also choose one with a snot pad. These are for wiping your nose when its oozing so your snot wont get all over your coat. While your hands are busy writing down phone numbers, keep her attention on your head with a fashionable hat or beanie. Choose one that is thick for warmth and make sure it is in compliance with your coat and pants. If you have a red coat, fluorescent brown pants and a bright yellow beanie, people will be talking about you and the hot chicks will think you are a dork, so then it wont matter if your fingers are frozen because youll have no numbers to write down. In order to scope out the ladies, youll need your vision to be intact. Goggles are one of the most im portant objects for snow-loving people. Picture yourself going down a hill faster than a wild goose falling asleep after being shot with a tranquilizer dart. Thats fast enough to make tears come out of your eyes and onto your beanie and freeze into little icicles on the side of your head. Now imagine not having your goggles, your eyes are dryer than the Moab desert. Goggles wont prevent tears shooting out of your eyes; however, your eyes will be able to stay at a normal and constant moisture
Friday, November 22, 2019
The Technology and History of the Atlatl Spear Thrower
The Technology and History of the Atlatl Spear Thrower An atlatl (pronounced atul-atul or aht-LAH-tul) is the name used primarily by American scholars for a spear thrower, a hunting tool that was invented at least as long ago as the Upper Paleolithic period in Europe. It may be much older. Spear throwers are a significant technological improvement on simply throwing or thrusting a spear, in terms of safety, speed, distance, and accuracy. Fast Facts: Atlatl The atlatl or spearthrower is a hunting technology which was invented at least 17,000 years ago by Upper Paleolithic humans in Europe.à Atlatls give additional velocity and thrust compared to spear-throwing, and they allow the hunter to stand farther away from the prey.à They are called atlatls, because thats what the Aztecs were calling them when the Spanish arrived. Unfortunately for the Spanish, the Europeans had forgotten how to use them. The American scientific name for the spearthrower is from the Aztec language, Nahuatl. The atlatl was recorded by Spanish conquistadors when they arrived in Mexico and discovered that the Aztec people had a stone weapon that could pierce metal armor. The term was first noted by the American anthropologist Zelia Nuttall [1857ââ¬â1933], who wrote about Mesoamerican atlatls in 1891, based on drawn images and three surviving examples. Other terms in use around the globe include spear thrower, woomera (in Australia), and propulseur (in French). What is a Spearthrower? Atlatl Display, Gold Museum of Bogota, Colombia. Carl Ann Purcell / Getty Images An atlatl is a slightly curved piece of wood, ivory, or bone, measuring between 5 and 24 inches (13ââ¬â61 centimeters) long and between 1ââ¬â3 in (2ââ¬â7 cm) wide. One end is hooked, and the hook fits into the nock end of a separate spear shaft, itself between 3 to 8 feet (1ââ¬â2.5 meters) in length. The working end of the shaft may simply be sharpenedà or be modified to include a pointed projectile point. Atlatls are often decorated or painted- the oldest ones we have are elaborately carved. In some American cases, banner stones, rocks carved into a bow-tie shape with a hole in the middle, were used on the spear shaft. Scholars have been unable to find that adding the weight of a banner stone does anything to the velocity or thrust of the operation. They have theorized that banner stones may have been thought to act as a flywheel, stabilizing the motion of the spear throwing, or that it was not used during the throw at all, but rather to balance the spear when the atlatl was at rest. How To... The motion used by the thrower is similar to that of an overhand baseball pitcher. The thrower holds the atlatl handle in the palm of her hand and pinches the dart shaft with her fingers. Balancing both behind her ear, she pauses, pointing with her opposite hand toward the target; and then, with a movement as if she were pitching a ball, she flings the shaft forward allowing it to slip out of her fingers as it flies towards the target. The atlatl stays level and the dart on target throughout the motion. As with baseball, the snap of the wrist at the end imparts much of the velocity, and the longer the atlatl, the longer the distance (although there is an upper limit). The speed of a properly flung 5 ft (1.5 m) spear equipped with a 1 ft (30 cm) atlatl is about 60 miles (80 kilometers) per hour; one researcher reported that he put an atlatl dart through his garage door on his first attempt. The maximum speed achieved by an experienced atlatlist is 35 meters per second or 78 mph. The technology of an atlatl is that of a lever, or rather a system of levers, which together combine and increase the force of the human overhand throw. The flipping motion of the throwers elbow and shoulder in effect adds a joint to the throwerââ¬â¢s arm. The proper use of the atlatl makes spear-assisted hunting an efficiently targeted and deadly experience. Earliest Atlatls The earliest secure information concerning atlatls comes from several caves in France dated to the Upper Paleolithic. Early atlatls in France are works of art, such as the fabulous example known as le faon aux oiseaux (Fawn with Birds), a 20 in (52 cm) long carved piece of reindeer bone decorated with a carved ibex and birds. This atlatl was recovered from the cave site of La Mas dââ¬â¢Azil, and was made between 15,300 and 13,300 years ago. Atlatl Spear Thrower, Carved as a Bison, La Madeleine, Dordogne Valley, France, ca 15,000 BP. Print Collector/Getty Images / Getty Images A 19 in (50 cm) long atlatl, found in the La Madeleine site in the Dordogne valley of France, has a handle carved as a hyena effigy; it was made about 13,000 years ago. The Canecaude cave site deposits dated to about 14,200 years ago contained a small atlatl (8 cm, or 3 in) carved in the shape of a mammoth. The very earliest atlatl found to date is a simple antler hook dated to the Solutrean period (about 17,500 years ago), recovered from the site of Combe Sauniere. Atlatls are necessarily carved from organic material, wood or bone, and so the technology may be much older than 17,000 years ago. The stone points used on a thrust or hand-thrown spear are larger and heavier than those used on an atlatl, but thats a relative measure and a sharpened end will work as well. Simply put, archaeologists do not know how old the technology is. Modern Atlatl Use The atlatl has lots of fans today. The World Atlatl Association sponsors the International Standard Accuracy Contest (ISAC), a competition of atlatl skill held in small venues all over the world; they hold workshops so if youd like to learn how to throw with an atlatl, thats where to start. The WAA keeps a list of world champions and ranking master atlatl throwers. The competitions have also been used along with controlled experiments to gather field data concerning the effect of the different elements of the atlatl process, such as the weight and shape of the projectile point used, the length of the shaft and the atlatl. A lively discussion can be found in the archives of the journal American Antiquity about whether you can safely identify whether a particular point was used in bow and arrow versus atlatl: the results are inconclusive. If you are a dog owner, you may have even used a modern spearthrower known as the ââ¬Å"Chuckit. Study History Archaeologists began to recognize atlatls in the late 19th century. The anthropologist and adventurer Frank Cushing [1857ââ¬â1900] made replicas and may have experimented with the technology; Zelia Nuttall wrote about Mesoamerican atlatls in 1891, and anthropologist Otis T. Mason [1838ââ¬â1908] looked at Arctic spear throwers and noticed that they were similar to those described by Nuttall. More recently, studies by scholars such as John Whittaker and Brigid Grund have focused on the physics of atlatl throwing, and trying to parse out why people eventually adopted the bow and arrow. Sources Angelbeck, Bill, and Ian Cameron. The Faustian Bargain of Technological Change: Evaluating the Socioeconomic Effects of the Bow and Arrow Transition in the Coast Salish Past. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 36 (2014): 93ââ¬â109. Print.Bingham, Paul M., Joanne Souza, and John H. Blitz. Introduction: Social Complexity and the Bow in the Prehistoric North American Record. Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews 22.3 (2013): 81ââ¬â88. Print.Cain, David I., and Elizabeth A. Sobel. Sticks with Stones: An Experimental Test of the Effects of the Atlatl Weight on Atlatl Mechanics. Ethnoarchaeology 7.2 (2015): 114ââ¬â40. Print.Erlandson, Jon, Jack Watts, and Nicholas Jew. Darts, Arrows, and Archaeologists: Distinguishing Dart and Arrow Points in the Archaeological Record. American Antiquity 79.1 (2014): 162ââ¬â69. Print.Grund, Brigid Sky. Behavioral Ecology, Technology, and the Organization of Labor: How a Shift from Spear Thrower to Self Bow Exacerbates Soc ial Disparities. American Anthropologist 119.1 (2017): 104ââ¬â19. Print. Pettigrew, Devin B., et al. How Atlatl Darts Behave: Beveled Points and the Relevance of Controlled Experiments. American Antiquity 80.3 (2015): 590ââ¬â601. Print.Walde, Dale. Concerning the Atlatl and the Bow: Further Observations Regarding Arrow and Dart Points in the Archaeological Record. American Antiquity 79.1 (2014): 156ââ¬â61. Print.Whittaker, John C. Levers, Not Springs: How a Spearthrower Works and Why It Matters. Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Stone Age Weaponry. Eds. Iovita, Radu and Katsuhiro Sano. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2016. 65ââ¬â74. Print.Whittaker, John C., Devin B. Pettigrew, and Ryan J. Grohsmeyer. Atlatl Dart Velocity: Accurate Measurements and Implications for Paleoindian and Archaic Archaeology. PaleoAmerica 3.2 (2017): 161ââ¬â81. Print.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
The UK Medical Law - the Ethical Dilemma of Euthanasia Research Paper
The UK Medical Law - the Ethical Dilemma of Euthanasia - Research Paper Example There are some cases that will be identified and included in this research to fully discuss the true meaning in behind if euthanasia is considered legally and illegally permissible in medical cases where the patient is terminally ill.à Also, the emphasis is given as to when medical treatment can be legally withdrawn due to the futility of the medical illness.à In the conclusion, this research points out that although there are legal restraints preventing doctors to engage in treatments that result in the patientsââ¬â¢ life being taken, there are numerous ethical considerations that have to be taken into account as well.à Within cases like these, nothing is ever easy, especially when it involves someone who is terminally ill and has no hope of survival.à à Euthanasia has been in heated debate for a good while now within the UK.à However, there have been numerous changes taking place within its concept but one must ask do these changes go along with the old idea that insinuates any doctors or family members who engage in treatment regimens that are ultimately meant for ending the patients life should still be held legally liable in a court of law and from there face criminal charges from prosecution?Unfortunately, within the UK there are still legal grounds that are enforced in regards to anyone who ends anotherââ¬â¢s life regardless of whether it was for a medical reason or whether the individual wanted assistance in ending their life period.à It is not legally permissible or ethical to carry out medical cases such as these but it is being done anyway.à However, those who want to die will search for any means possible such as with cases where patients have traveled to Switzerland to have doctors there perform assisted suic ides or euthanasia procedures because it is legal in that country (Spinney 2005).à The point is that no one wants to have to suffer unbearable and excruciating agony with an illness that has no hope of a cure or adequate treatment program available.à In this regard, the UK needs to realize that its citizens deserve to have the right to die in a dignified fashion when they deem it is appropriate, not when the government states it is logical.à In this case, there is no fallible reason found in the statement that medical treatment should be legally impermissible if it is being carried out in correlation with the patientsââ¬â¢ right to die.Ã
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
International business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4
International business - Essay Example Their expectation is that these additional aircraft will allow Ryanair to double in size to over 84 million passengers each year by 2012. Moreover, Ryanair currently employs a team of 4,200 people, comprising over 25 different nationalities (About Ryanair). Ryanairââ¬â¢s competitive strategy is quite simple. The company offers the lowest fares of any airline operating in Europe. The firm has succeeded by holding its average fare below â⠬50, which is about a third lower than even EasyJetââ¬â¢s, its strongest low-price competitor. The company sells seats on a one-way basis. Fares are set on the basis of demand for particular flights and by reference to the period remaining to the date of departure of the flights; higher fares are charged on flights with higher levels of demand made nearer to the date of departure. The secret of Ryanairââ¬â¢s success in their business could be drawn out of how they were able to narrow the value network by eliminating non core activities and to shorten the value network by eliminating processes that are part of the value chain. The companyââ¬â¢s aircraft handling, ticketing and other services at certain airports are handled by third party contractors, which is Servisair. The company has its own internet booking facility and reservation centre, and generates the majority of its sales through direct selling (through website and telephone reservations). Ryanair also provides various ancillary services and engages in other activities connected with its core air passenger service, including non-flight scheduled services; in-flight sale of beverages, food and merchandise; and internet-related services. As part of its non-flight scheduled and internet-related services, Ryanair offers accommodation services, car rentals, rail tickets, and travel insurance through both its website and its traditional telephone reservation
Saturday, November 16, 2019
A Hugo Boss Essay Example for Free
A Hugo Boss Essay The print advertisement that I chose for this paper, is a Hugo Boss advertisement for the sale of its menââ¬â¢s perfume line particularly the menââ¬â¢s gift set. Hugo Boss is a company that was started in Metzingen Germany and was founded by Hugo Ferdinand Boss after whom the brand was named. Hugo Boss is known for specializing in high-end menswear apparel, and has expanded like most other brands to include shoes, accessories and fragrances. I chose this particular print advertisement because after viewing several other print advertisements, this one attracted my attention the most. I was drawn to it because it was colorful and had many images that not only caught my eye, but also seemed to be very dynamic and at the same time able to catch my attention. When you first look at the advertisement, the images seem to jump from the page; at first, it actually looks like a messy piece of artwork or a picture that someone doodled on while they were bored. But when you take a closer look at the advertisement and dissect its different components, the underlying message that it gives to its viewers is actually very interesting and quite alluring. The advertisement is composed of three main images, a young man, standing with his finger to his lips, a Hugo boss perfume bottle with images coming out from the lip of the bottle and at the bottom of the advertisement an image of a sample Hugo Boss Menââ¬â¢s Gift Set. Aside from the images, there are printed words, one is a stamped text of ââ¬Å"HUGOâ⬠the perfumes brand and the other is the tagline, which says,à ââ¬Å"itââ¬â¢s just a fragrance. The rest is up to you.â⬠I think that this particular print advertisement appeals to a young market. You have only to look at the images used and the words uttered to see that this is geared towards a younger age group. This particular advertisement targets both men and women ages twenty five to thirty five years old, who are young and excited because they are either just beginning their lives or beginning to rise up in their respective endeavors. I say this because of the composition of the print advertisement. First of all, the man used for the advertisement is a man who looks like he is in his mid to late twenties. Admittedly, when advertisers portray their products they get models that will most appeal to the age group they are targeting and usually they get their models from that precise group. The appearance of the man in the advertisement evokes a feeling of casualness that makes you think of fresh graduates, young, hot and out to get the world. This assessment is based not only on the male image model but the images that can be found beside him, which is the Hugo Boss perfume bottle that seems to be overflowing with other images. The images that are coming out of the bottle make me think of the circus coming into town. I am not sure why that particular image popped into my head, but I suppose it is because as a child, the circus represented a childââ¬â¢s dreams in life and this particular advertisement seems to sell that very image to the public. The bottle spewing these images reminds me of the time when the circus would come into town and as the main tent would unfold you would suddenly see a swarm of animals, animal trainers and performers going about. These animals, animal trainers and performers at first seem to have no direction, but as the unfolding of the main tent continues you begin to realize that they all have a purpose and they are not just randomly moving about. This is what seems to be happening with the Boss advertisement. Upon first glance, the image seems not to make any sense but if you take the time to look at it, the images coming out of the bottle are actually images that correspond to the different aspects of a personââ¬â¢s life. Among the images that can be seen are buildings, people, apartments, and a vinyl record among others. These images as I earlier mentioned correspond to the different parts of a personââ¬â¢s life. How is this you might ask? The answer is actually very simple. If you take a look at all of the images that are placed in the advertisement, you see that the buildings could correspond to the business aspect of a personââ¬â¢s life, their careers or work, while the throngs of people could be interpreted as those people that they interact with every day at work, or out on the streets or even while on a gimmick or night out with friends. In addition to these images, what strengthens my belief that this advertisement was made to target a young group is the tagline that the advertisers used. Itââ¬â¢s simple, witty and straight to the point, ââ¬Å"itââ¬â¢s just a perfume. The rest is up to you.â⬠I love that the company used this tagline because it makes you think that anything is within your reach. I feel like the advertisement is telling me that all you need is Hugo Boss, a spray of this is like putting one foot in the door and the rest to quote the advertisement ââ¬Å"is up to you.â⬠The purpose of the advertisers in using this particular tagline in my opinion is to give that ego boost that men and women generally need in order to keep moving forward. We all should be honest enough to admit that we do not want change if we are not sure that we are headed in the right direction. Very few people are actually willing to take uncalculated risks when it comes to their future. This advertisement makes you feel that if you use the product advertised, all the confidence that you need in order to do the things that you want to do will magically appear. It makes you feel that one whiff of this and things will go your way. Your work life will improve because your presence seems to be more pleasing, and this may give you that opportunity to make that sales pitch that you need, or get on the good side of your boss who you have been dying to corner in order to give your ideas on the latest project that you are working on. What is so great about this advertisement is that in spite of the fact that it is actually geared more towards men, the advertisers have found a way of drawing in the women as well. If you think about it, although men are obviously being targeted, not all men will purchase this scent for themselves. This advertisement and its packaging is also perfect for the woman in a manââ¬â¢s life. This advertisement is like candy to a baby. Although women generally know what to give their man, this particular advertisement is something that will attract women who have given the men in their lives practically everything.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Freedom of Speech -- Bill of Rights
Freedom of speech, ones right to say what they please without fear of being punished, is among one of the most treasured freedoms throughout America. Protected by the relevant constitutional provision, this freedom was also deemed most important by the founders. The first inhabitants of North American colonies, whom were controlled by the British, did not have the legal right to speak out against government policies or issues such as unfair laws and taxes, English speech regulations were quite restrictive. After several prosecutions of speaking out against the government, the trial of John Peter Zenger, who was convicted of opposing the government, marked the beginning of a greater tolerance of free speech. In response to the American Revolutionary War, the Constitution of the United States was created. In addition to that, the Bill of Rights was proposed to further protect individualââ¬â¢s rights. Which stated that ââ¬Å"Congress shall make no law â⬠¦abridging the freedom of speech.â⬠This raises the question over if freedom of speech should be protected or if it should be deemed positive and necessary by the majority of the rulers. Some believe that free speech should be protected because of clearly stated rights in the constitution and because it helps contribute to a society; while others believe that it should be limited to only say positive things about the government because that contributes to the protection of national security and the government legally has the right too. Argument for the protection of free speech Those who support the protection of free speech base their ideas on the principles of democracy. They argue that Protection of free speech is implied in the Bill of rights and therefore should be ... ... ate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010118266&mode=view&userGroupName=sand5583 2&jsid=979a851da1c5d039ecde9c4a85c897f9>. Luft, Eric V.D. "Fitche Advocates Free Speech." Salem History. Ed. John Powell. N.p., 2006. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. 10.3331/ GE18_1299?prevSearch=free%2Bspeech&searchHistoryKey=&queryHash=f6130e02ebbd1de190 0d63db6ae40f95>. Steffens, Bradley. The Free Speech Movement. N.p.: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Print. Tead, Tom. Civil Liberties. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Van Mill, David. "Free Speech." N.p., n.d. freedom-speech/#PatJusForLimSpe>. Rpt. in Standford Encyclopedia Of Philosophy. Ed. Edward N. Zalto. Stanford, CA: The Metaphysics Research Lab , 2009. N. pag. http://plato.stanford.edu/. Web. 27 Feb. 2011.
Monday, November 11, 2019
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 Japanââ¬â¢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 ââ¬ËWith Perry to Japan,ââ¬â¢ 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 ââ¬Å"two hundred years of isolation and become friends and begin tradeâ⬠(p. 1). But these American sailors were pushed back with remarked from the authorities to ââ¬Å"depart as quickly as possible, and not come anymore in Japanâ⬠(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 ââ¬Å"Japan seemed determined to remain as it had been since 1638: shutâ⬠(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 ââ¬Å"wanted exploration, surveys and charts, and protection for castaways and tradeâ⬠(p. 2). But Perryââ¬â¢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 ââ¬Å"Perryââ¬â¢s order was assertive and could be taken as pugnaciousâ⬠(p. 3). Heines further said that Perry was instructed ââ¬Å"to shoot his way out if it is neededâ⬠(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 Perryââ¬â¢s expedition broke into Japanese Island forcing them into international arena (p. 4). In the eyes of Western countries, Japanââ¬â¢s attitude towards the Westââ¬â¢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 ââ¬Å"the advancement of science and hindered navigation by blocking exploration, preventing survey and refusing to exchange informationâ⬠(p. 5). Japanese internal policies and actions were viewed as ââ¬Å"unjust, as wrongs to right prima facie, and their own as right to be asserted de factoâ⬠(p. 5). Indeed, Japan was merely protecting itself from Western influence under the banner of nationalism. In the words of Heines, ââ¬Å"a country sought to be left alone and bothered nobody unless bothered by somebodyâ⬠(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 ââ¬Å"grant the request of those people to trade and communicate with them, learn their drills and tactics, and go abroad to prepare [themselves]â⬠(p. 5). According to an article entitled ââ¬ËTransaction of the Asiatic Society of Japanââ¬â¢ revealed the Americanââ¬â¢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 ââ¬Å"friendship and intercourse between the people of two respective countries, yet it was a one-sided transaction. Beasley pointed out that the United Statesââ¬â¢ statement in the letter, ââ¬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 hostilitiesâ⬠(Beasley, p. 3). During this time Japan was living in peace and had no internal troubles as Beasley puts it, the ââ¬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 yearsâ⬠(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, ââ¬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 earthâ⬠(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 ââ¬Å"the Americans were watching their country with greedy eye for many yearsâ⬠(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 ââ¬Å"enter the international order on terms defined by the Westâ⬠(Jansen, p.294). Jansen pointed out that Japan struggled to regain its sovereignty and was forced to ââ¬Å"embarked on policies of centralization and institutional innovation in order to build a modern nation-state and the basic restructuring of domestic societyâ⬠(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 Harryââ¬â¢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, ââ¬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 Japanââ¬â¢s social and cultural values in the areas where they were to be found. Jansen said ââ¬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 brothelsâ⬠(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, ââ¬Å"no one can question the advisability of menââ¬â¢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 ââ¬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. â⬠Thus, during the Westernââ¬â¢s first attempts, Japan treated them indifferently which was a normal and ordinary reaction but the US viewed it as tyranny.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Angels Demons Chapter 134-137
134 Camerlegno Ventresca's white robe billowed as he moved down the hallway away from the Sistine Chapel. The Swiss Guards had seemed perplexed when he emerged all alone from the chapel and told them he needed a moment of solitude. But they had obeyed, letting him go. Now as he rounded the corner and left their sight, the camerlegno felt a maelstrom of emotions like nothing he thought possible in human experience. He had poisoned the man he called ââ¬Å"Holy Father,â⬠the man who addressed him as ââ¬Å"my son.â⬠The camerlegno had always believed the words ââ¬Å"fatherâ⬠and ââ¬Å"sonâ⬠were religious tradition, but now he knew the diabolical truth ââ¬â the words had been literal. Like that fateful night weeks ago, the camerlegno now felt himself reeling madly through the darkness. It was raining the morning the Vatican staff banged on the camerlegno's door, awakening him from a fitful sleep. The Pope, they said, was not answering his door or his phone. The clergy were frightened. The camerlegno was the only one who could enter the Pope's chambers unannounced. The camerlegno entered alone to find the Pope, as he was the night before, twisted and dead in his bed. His Holiness's face looked like that of Satan. His tongue black like death. The Devil himself had been sleeping in the Pope's bed. The camerlegno felt no remorse. God had spoken. Nobody would see the treacheryâ⬠¦ not yet. That would come later. He announced the terrible news ââ¬â His Holiness was dead of a stroke. Then the camerlegno prepared for conclave. Mother Maria's voice was whispering in his ear. ââ¬Å"Never break a promise to God.â⬠ââ¬Å"I hear you, Mother,â⬠he replied. ââ¬Å"It is a faithless world. They need to be brought back to the path of righteousness. Horror and Hope. It is the only way.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"If not youâ⬠¦ then who? Who will lead the church out of darkness?â⬠Certainly not one of the preferiti. They were oldâ⬠¦ walking deathâ⬠¦ liberals who would follow the Pope, endorsing science in his memory, seeking modern followers by abandoning the ancient ways. Old men desperately behind the times, pathetically pretending they were not. They would fail, of course. The church's strength was its tradition, not its transience. The whole world was transitory. The church did not need to change, it simply needed to remind the world it was relevant! Evil lives! God will overcome! The church needed a leader. Old men do not inspire! Jesus inspired! Young, vibrant, powerfulâ⬠¦ Miraculous. ââ¬Å"Enjoy your tea,â⬠the camerlegno told the four preferiti, leaving them in the Pope's private library before conclave. ââ¬Å"Your guide will be here soon.â⬠The preferiti thanked him, all abuzz that they had been offered a chance to enter the famed Passetto. Most uncommon! The camerlegno, before leaving them, had unlocked the door to the Passetto, and exactly on schedule, the door had opened, and a foreign-looking priest with a torch had ushered the excited preferiti in. The men had never come out. They will be the Horror. I will be the Hope. Noâ⬠¦ I am the horror. The camerlegno staggered now through the darkness of St. Peter's Basilica. Somehow, through the insanity and guilt, through the images of his father, through the pain and revelation, even through the pull of the morphineâ⬠¦ he had found a brilliant clarity. A sense of destiny. I know my purpose, he thought, awed by the lucidity of it. From the beginning, nothing tonight had gone exactly as he had planned. Unforeseen obstacles had presented themselves, but the camerlegno had adapted, making bold adjustments. Still, he had never imagined tonight would end this way, and yet now he saw the preordained majesty of it. It could end no other way. Oh, what terror he had felt in the Sistine Chapel, wondering if God had forsaken him! Oh, what deeds He had ordained! He had fallen to his knees, awash with doubt, his ears straining for the voice of God but hearing only silence. He had begged for a sign. Guidance. Direction. Was this God's will? The church destroyed by scandal and abomination? No! God was the one who had willed the camerlegno to act! Hadn't He? Then he had seen it. Sitting on the altar. A sign. Divine communication ââ¬â something ordinary seen in an extraordinary light. The crucifix. Humble, wooden. Jesus on the cross. In that moment, it had all come clearâ⬠¦ the camerlegno was not alone. He would never be alone. This was His willâ⬠¦ His meaning. God had always asked great sacrifice of those he loved most. Why had the camerlegno been so slow to understand? Was he too fearful? Too humble? It made no difference. God had found a way. The camerlegno even understood now why Robert Langdon had been saved. It was to bring the truth. To compel this ending. This was the sole path to the church's salvation! The camerlegno felt like he was floating as he descended into the Niche of the Palliums. The surge of morphine seemed relentless now, but he knew God was guiding him. In the distance, he could hear the cardinals clamoring in confusion as they poured from the chapel, yelling commands to the Swiss Guard. But they would never find him. Not in time. The camerlegno felt himself drawnâ⬠¦ fasterâ⬠¦ descending the stairs into the sunken area where the ninety-nine oil lamps shone brightly. God was returning him to Holy Ground. The camerlegno moved toward the grate covering the hole that led down to the Necropolis. The Necropolis is where this night would end. In the sacred darkness below. He lifted an oil lamp, preparing to descend. But as he moved across the Niche, the camerlegno paused. Something about this felt wrong. How did this serve God? A solitary and silent end? Jesus had suffered before the eyes of the entire world. Surely this could not be God's will! The camerlegno listened for the voice of his God, but heard only the blurring buzz of drugs. ââ¬Å"Carlo.â⬠It was his mother. ââ¬Å"God has plans for you.â⬠Bewildered, the camerlegno kept moving. Then, without warning, God arrived. The camerlegno stopped short, staring. The light of the ninety-nine oil lanterns had thrown the camerlegno's shadow on the marble wall beside him. Giant and fearful. A hazy form surrounded by golden light. With flames flickering all around him, the camerlegno looked like an angel ascending to heaven. He stood a moment, raising his arms to his sides, watching his own image. Then he turned, looking back up the stairs. God's meaning was clear. Three minutes had passed in the chaotic hallways outside the Sistine Chapel, and still nobody could locate the camerlegno. It was as if the man had been swallowed up by the night. Mortati was about to demand a full-scale search of Vatican City when a roar of jubilation erupted outside in St. Peter's Square. The spontaneous celebration of the crowd was tumultuous. The cardinals all exchanged startled looks. Mortati closed his eyes. ââ¬Å"God help us.â⬠For the second time that evening, the College of Cardinals flooded onto St. Peter's Square. Langdon and Vittoria were swept up in the jostling crowd of cardinals, and they too emerged into the night air. The media lights and cameras were all pivoted toward the basilica. And there, having just stepped onto the sacred Papal Balcony located in the exact center of the towering fa;ade, Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca stood with his arms raised to the heavens. Even far away, he looked like purity incarnate. A figurine. Dressed in white. Flooded with light. The energy in the square seemed to grow like a cresting wave, and all at once the Swiss Guard barriers gave way. The masses streamed toward the basilica in a euphoric torrent of humanity. The onslaught rushed forward ââ¬â people crying, singing, media cameras flashing. Pandemonium. As the people flooded in around the front of the basilica, the chaos intensified, until it seemed nothing could stop it. And then something did. High above, the camerlegno made the smallest of gestures. He folded his hands before him. Then he bowed his head in silent prayer. One by one, then dozens by dozens, then hundreds by hundreds, the people bowed their heads along with him. The square fell silentâ⬠¦ as if a spell had been cast. In his mind, swirling and distant now, the camerlegno's prayers were a torrent of hopes and sorrowsâ⬠¦ forgive me, Fatherâ⬠¦ Motherâ⬠¦ full of graceâ⬠¦ you are the churchâ⬠¦ may you understand this sacrifice of your only begotten son. Oh, my Jesusâ⬠¦ save us from the fires of hellâ⬠¦ take all souls to heaven, especially, those most in need of thy mercyâ⬠¦ The camerlegno did not open his eyes to see the throngs below him, the television cameras, the whole world watching. He could feel it in his soul. Even in his anguish, the unity of the moment was intoxicating. It was as if a connective web had shot out in all directions around the globe. In front of televisions, at home, and in cars, the world prayed as one. Like synapses of a giant heart all firing in tandem, the people reached for God, in dozens of languages, in hundreds of countries. The words they whispered were newborn and yet as familiar to them as their own voicesâ⬠¦ ancient truthsâ⬠¦ imprinted on the soul. The consonance felt eternal. As the silence lifted, the joyous strains of singing began to rise again. He knew the moment had come. Most Holy Trinity, I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soulâ⬠¦ in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferencesâ⬠¦ The camerlegno already felt the physical pain setting in. It was spreading across his skin like a plague, making him want to claw at his flesh like he had weeks ago when God had first come to him. Do not forget what pain Jesus endured. He could taste the fumes now in his throat. Not even the morphine could dull the bite. My work here is done. The Horror was his. The Hope was theirs. In the Niche of the Palliums, the camerlegno had followed God's will and anointed his body. His hair. His face. His linen robe. His flesh. He was soaking now with the sacred, vitreous oils from the lamps. They smelled sweet like his mother, but they burned. His would be a merciful ascension. Miraculous and swift. And he would leave behind not scandalâ⬠¦ but a new strength and wonder. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his robe and fingered the small, golden lighter he had brought with him from the Pallium incendiario. He whispered a verse from Judgments. And when the flame went up toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. He positioned his thumb. They were singing in St. Peter's Squareâ⬠¦ The vision the world witnessed no one would ever forget. High above on the balcony, like a soul tearing free of its corporeal restrains, a luminous pyre of flame erupted from the camerlegno's center. The fire shot upward, engulfing his entire body instantly. He did not scream. He raised his arms over his head and looked toward heaven. The conflagration roared around him, entirely shrouding his body in a column of light. It raged for what seemed like an eternity, the whole world bearing witness. The light flared brighter and brighter. Then, gradually, the flames dissipated. The camerlegno was gone. Whether he had collapsed behind the balustrade or evaporated into thin air was impossible to tell. All that was left was a cloud of smoke spiraling skyward over Vatican City. 135 Dawn came late to Rome. An early rainstorm had washed the crowds from St. Peter's Square. The media stayed on, huddling under umbrellas and in vans, commentating on the evening's events. Across the world, churches overflowed. It was a time of reflection and discussionâ⬠¦ in all religions. Questions abounded, and yet the answers seemed only to bring deeper questions. Thus far, the Vatican had remained silent, issuing no statement whatsoever. Deep in the Vatican Grottoes, Cardinal Mortati knelt alone before the open sarcophagus. He reached in and closed the old man's blackened mouth. His Holiness looked peaceful now. In quiet repose for eternity. At Mortati's feet was a golden urn, heavy with ashes. Mortati had gathered the ashes himself and brought them here. ââ¬Å"A chance for forgiveness,â⬠he said to His Holiness, laying the urn inside the sarcophagus at the Pope's side. ââ¬Å"No love is greater than that of a father for His son.â⬠Mortati tucked the urn out of sight beneath the papal robes. He knew this sacred grotto was reserved exclusively for the relics of Popes, but somehow Mortati sensed this was appropriate. ââ¬Å"Signore?â⬠someone said, entering the grottoes. It was Lieutenant Chartrand. He was accompanied by three Swiss Guards. ââ¬Å"They are ready for you in conclave.â⬠Mortati nodded. ââ¬Å"In a moment.â⬠He gazed one last time into the sarcophagus before him, and then stood up. He turned to the guards. ââ¬Å"It is time for His Holiness to have the peace he has earned.â⬠The guards came forward and with enormous effort slid the lid of the Pope's sarcophagus back into place. It thundered shut with finality. Mortati was alone as he crossed the Borgia Courtyard toward the Sistine Chapel. A damp breeze tossed his robe. A fellow cardinal emerged from the Apostolic Palace and strode beside him. ââ¬Å"May I have the honor of escorting you to conclave, signore?â⬠ââ¬Å"The honor is mine.â⬠ââ¬Å"Signore,â⬠the cardinal said, looking troubled. ââ¬Å"The college owes you an apology for last night. We were blinded by ââ¬â ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Please,â⬠Mortati replied. ââ¬Å"Our minds sometimes see what our hearts wish were true.â⬠The cardinal was silent a long time. Finally he spoke. ââ¬Å"Have you been told? You are no longer our Great Elector.â⬠Mortati smiled. ââ¬Å"Yes. I thank God for small blessings.â⬠ââ¬Å"The college insisted you be eligible.â⬠ââ¬Å"It seems charity is not dead in the church.â⬠ââ¬Å"You are a wise man. You would lead us well.â⬠ââ¬Å"I am an old man. I would lead you briefly.â⬠They both laughed. As they reached the end of the Borgia Courtyard, the cardinal hesitated. He turned to Mortati with a troubled mystification, as if the precarious awe of the night before had slipped back into his heart. ââ¬Å"Were you aware,â⬠the cardinal whispered, ââ¬Å"that we found no remains on the balcony?â⬠Mortati smiled. ââ¬Å"Perhaps the rain washed them away.â⬠The man looked to the stormy heavens. ââ¬Å"Yes, perhapsâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ 136 The midmorning sky still hung heavy with clouds as the Sistine Chapel's chimney gave up its first faint puffs of white smoke. The pearly wisps curled upward toward the firmament and slowly dissipated. Far below, in St. Peter's Square, reporter Gunther Glick watched in reflective silence. The final chapterâ⬠¦ Chinita Macri approached him from behind and hoisted her camera onto her shoulder. ââ¬Å"It's time,â⬠she said. Glick nodded dolefully. He turned toward her, smoothed his hair, and took a deep breath. My last transmission, he thought. A small crowd had gathered around them to watch. ââ¬Å"Live in sixty seconds,â⬠Macri announced. Glick glanced over his shoulder at the roof of the Sistine Chapel behind him. ââ¬Å"Can you get the smoke?â⬠Macri patiently nodded. ââ¬Å"I know how to frame a shot, Gunther.â⬠Glick felt dumb. Of course she did. Macri's performance behind the camera last night had probably won her the Pulitzer. His performance, on the other handâ⬠¦ he didn't want to think about it. He was sure the BBC would let him go; no doubt they would have legal troubles from numerous powerful entitiesâ⬠¦ CERN and George Bush among them. ââ¬Å"You look good,â⬠Chinita patronized, looking out from behind her camera now with a hint of concern. ââ¬Å"I wonder if I might offer youâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ She hesitated, holding her tongue. ââ¬Å"Some advice?â⬠Macri sighed. ââ¬Å"I was only going to say that there's no need to go out with a bang.â⬠ââ¬Å"I know,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"You want a straight wrap.â⬠ââ¬Å"The straightest in history. I'm trusting you.â⬠Glick smiled. A straight wrap? Is she crazy? A story like last night's deserved so much more. A twist. A final bombshell. An unforeseen revelation of shocking truth. Fortunately, Glick had just the ticket waiting in the wingsâ⬠¦ * * * ââ¬Å"You're on inâ⬠¦ fiveâ⬠¦ fourâ⬠¦ threeâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ As Chinita Macri looked through her camera, she sensed a sly glint in Glick's eye. I was insane to let him do this, she thought. What was I thinking? But the moment for second thoughts had passed. They were on. ââ¬Å"Live from Vatican City,â⬠Glick announced on cue, ââ¬Å"this is Gunther Glick reporting.â⬠He gave the camera a solemn stare as the white smoke rose behind him from the Sistine Chapel. ââ¬Å"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now official. Cardinal Saverio Mortati, a seventy-nine-year-old progressive, has just been elected the next Pope of Vatican City. Although an unlikely candidate, Mortati was chosen by an unprecedented unanimous vote by the College of Cardinals.â⬠As Macri watched him, she began to breathe easier. Glick seemed surprisingly professional today. Even austere. For the first time in his life, Glick actually looked and sounded somewhat like a newsman. ââ¬Å"And as we reported earlier,â⬠Glick added, his voice intensifying perfectly, ââ¬Å"the Vatican has yet to offer any statement whatsoever regarding the miraculous events of last night.â⬠Good. Chinita's nervousness waned some more. So far, so good. Glick's expression grew sorrowful now. ââ¬Å"And though last night was a night of wonder, it was also a night of tragedy. Four cardinals perished in yesterday's conflict, along with Commander Olivetti and Captain Rocher of the Swiss Guard, both in the line of duty. Other casualties include Leonardo Vetra, the renowned CERN physicist and pioneer of antimatter technology, as well as Maximilian Kohler, the director of CERN, who apparently came to Vatican City in an effort to help but reportedly passed away in the process. No official report has been issued yet on Mr. Kohler's death, but conjecture is that he died due to complications brought on by a long-time illness.â⬠Macri nodded. The report was going perfectly. Just as they discussed. ââ¬Å"And in the wake of the explosion in the sky over the Vatican last night, CERN's antimatter technology has become the hot topic among scientists, sparking excitement and controversy. A statement read by Mr. Kohler's assistant in Geneva, Sylvie Baudeloque, announced this morning that CERN's board of directors, although enthusiastic about antimatter's potential, are suspending all research and licensing until further inquiries into its safety can be examined.â⬠Excellent, Macri thought. Home stretch. ââ¬Å"Notably absent from our screens tonight,â⬠Glick reported, ââ¬Å"is the face of Robert Langdon, the Harvard professor who came to Vatican City yesterday to lend his expertise during this Illuminati crisis. Although originally thought to have perished in the antimatter blast, we now have reports that Langdon was spotted in St. Peter's Square after the explosion. How he got there is still speculation, although a spokesman from Hospital Tiberina claims that Mr. Langdon fell out of the sky into the Tiber River shortly after midnight, was treated, and released.â⬠Glick arched his eyebrows at the camera. ââ¬Å"And if that is trueâ⬠¦ it was indeed a night of miracles.â⬠Perfect ending! Macri felt herself smiling broadly. Flawless wrap! Now sign off! But Glick did not sign off. Instead, he paused a moment and then stepped toward the camera. He had a mysterious smile. ââ¬Å"But before we sign offâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ No! ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ I would like to invite a guest to join me.â⬠Chinita's hands froze on the camera. A guest? What the hell is he doing? What guest! Sign off! But she knew it was too late. Glick had committed. ââ¬Å"The man I am about to introduce,â⬠Glick said, ââ¬Å"is an Americanâ⬠¦ a renowned scholar.â⬠Chinita hesitated. She held her breath as Glick turned to the small crowd around them and motioned for his guest to step forward. Macri said a silent prayer. Please tell me he somehow located Robert Langdonâ⬠¦ and not some Illuminati-conspiracy nutcase. But as Glick's guest stepped out, Macri's heart sank. It was not Robert Langdon at all. It was a bald man in blue jeans and a flannel shirt. He had a cane and thick glasses. Macri felt terror. Nutcase! ââ¬Å"May I introduce,â⬠Glick announced, ââ¬Å"the renowned Vatican scholar from De Paul University in Chicago. Dr. Joseph Vanek.â⬠Macri now hesitated as the man joined Glick on camera. This was no conspiracy buff; Macri had actually heard of this guy. ââ¬Å"Dr. Vanek,â⬠Glick said. ââ¬Å"You have some rather startling information to share with us regarding last night's conclave.â⬠ââ¬Å"I do indeed,â⬠Vanek said. ââ¬Å"After a night of such surprises, it is hard to imagine there are any surprises leftâ⬠¦ and yetâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ He paused. Glick smiled. ââ¬Å"And yet, there is a strange twist to all this.â⬠Vanek nodded. ââ¬Å"Yes. As perplexing as this will sound, I believe the College of Cardinals unknowingly elected two Popes this weekend.â⬠Macri almost dropped the camera. Glick gave a shrewd smile. ââ¬Å"Two Popes, you say?â⬠The scholar nodded. ââ¬Å"Yes. I should first say that I have spent my life studying the laws of papal election. Conclave judicature is extremely complex, and much of it is now forgotten or ignored as obsolete. Even the Great Elector is probably not aware of what I am about to reveal. Nonethelessâ⬠¦ according to the ancient forgotten laws put forth in the Romano Pontifici Eligendo, Numero 63â⬠¦ balloting is not the only method by which a Pope can be elected. There is another, more divine method. It is called ââ¬ËAcclamation by Adoration.'â⬠He paused. ââ¬Å"And it happened last night.â⬠Glick gave his guest a riveted look. ââ¬Å"Please, go on.â⬠ââ¬Å"As you may recall,â⬠the scholar continued, ââ¬Å"last night, when Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca was standing on the roof of the basilica, all of the cardinals below began calling out his name in unison.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes, I recall.â⬠ââ¬Å"With that image in mind, allow me to read verbatim from the ancient electoral laws.â⬠The man pulled some papers from his pocket, cleared his throat, and began to read. ââ¬Å"ââ¬ËElection by Adoration occurs whenâ⬠¦ all the cardinals, as if by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, freely and spontaneously, unanimously and aloud, proclaim one individual's name.'â⬠Glick smiled. ââ¬Å"So you're saying that last night, when the cardinals chanted Carlo Ventresca's name together, they actually elected him Pope?â⬠ââ¬Å"They did indeed. Furthermore, the law states that Election by Adoration supercedes the cardinal eligibility requirement and permits any clergyman ââ¬â ordained priest, bishop, or cardinal ââ¬â to be elected. So, as you can see, the camerlegno was perfectly qualified for papal election by this procedure.â⬠Dr. Vanek looked directly into the camera now. ââ¬Å"The facts are theseâ⬠¦ Carlo Ventresca was elected Pope last night. He reigned for just under seventeen minutes. And had he not ascended miraculously into a pillar of fire, he would now be buried in the Vatican Grottoes along with the other Popes.â⬠ââ¬Å"Thank you, doctor.â⬠Glick turned to Macri with a mischievous wink. ââ¬Å"Most illuminatingâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ 137 High atop the steps of the Roman Coliseum, Vittoria laughed and called down to him. ââ¬Å"Robert, hurry up! I knew I should have married a younger man!â⬠Her smile was magic. He struggled to keep up, but his legs felt like stone. ââ¬Å"Wait,â⬠he begged. ââ¬Å"Pleaseâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ There was a pounding in his head. Robert Langdon awoke with a start. Darkness. He lay still for a long time in the foreign softness of the bed, unable to figure out where he was. The pillows were goose down, oversized and wonderful. The air smelled of potpourri. Across the room, two glass doors stood open to a lavish balcony, where a light breeze played beneath a glistening cloud-swept moon. Langdon tried to remember how he had gotten hereâ⬠¦ and where here was. Surreal wisps of memory sifted back into his consciousnessâ⬠¦ A pyre of mystical fireâ⬠¦ an angel materializing from out of the crowdâ⬠¦ her soft hand taking his and leading him into the nightâ⬠¦ guiding his exhausted, battered body through the streetsâ⬠¦ leading him hereâ⬠¦ to this suiteâ⬠¦ propping him half-sleeping in a scalding hot showerâ⬠¦ leading him to this bedâ⬠¦ and watching over him as he fell asleep like the dead. In the dimness now, Langdon could see a second bed. The sheets were tousled, but the bed was empty. From one of the adjoining rooms, he could hear the faint, steady stream of a shower. As he gazed at Vittoria's bed, he saw a boldly embroidered seal on her pillowcase. It read: HOTEL BERNINI. Langdon had to smile. Vittoria had chosen well. Old World luxury overlooking Bernini's Triton Fountainâ⬠¦ there was no more fitting hotel in all of Rome. As Langdon lay there, he heard a pounding and realized what had awoken him. Someone was knocking at the door. It grew louder. Confused, Langdon got up. Nobody knows we're here, he thought, feeling a trace of uneasiness. Donning a luxuriant Hotel Bernini robe, he walked out of the bedroom into the suite's foyer. He stood a moment at the heavy oak door, and then pulled it open. A powerful man adorned in lavish purple and yellow regalia stared down at him. ââ¬Å"I am Lieutenant Chartrand,â⬠the man said. ââ¬Å"Vatican Swiss Guard.â⬠Langdon knew full well who he was. ââ¬Å"Howâ⬠¦ how did you find us?â⬠ââ¬Å"I saw you leave the square last night. I followed you. I'm relieved you're still here.â⬠Langdon felt a sudden anxiety, wondering if the cardinals had sent Chartrand to escort Langdon and Vittoria back to Vatican City. After all, the two of them were the only two people beyond the College of Cardinals who knew the truth. They were a liability. ââ¬Å"His Holiness asked me to give this to you,â⬠Chartrand said, handing over an envelope sealed with the Vatican signet. Langdon opened the envelope and read the handwritten note. Mr. Langdon and Ms. Vetra, Although it is my profound desire to request your discretion in the matters of the past 24 hours, I cannot possibly presume to ask more of you than you have already given. I therefore humbly retreat hoping only that you let your hearts guide you in this matter. The world seems a better place todayâ⬠¦ maybe the questions are more powerful than the answers. My door is always open, His Holiness, Saverio Mortati Langdon read the message twice. The College of Cardinals had obviously chosen a noble and munificent leader. Before Langdon could say anything, Chartrand produced a small package. ââ¬Å"A token of thanks from His Holiness.â⬠Langdon took the package. It was heavy, wrapped in brown paper. ââ¬Å"By his decree,â⬠Chartrand said, ââ¬Å"this artifact is on indefinite loan to you from the sacred Papal Vault. His Holiness asks only that in your last will and testament you ensure it finds its way home.â⬠Langdon opened the package and was struck speechless. It was the brand. The Illuminati Diamond. Chartrand smiled. ââ¬Å"May peace be with you.â⬠He turned to go. ââ¬Å"Thankâ⬠¦ you,â⬠Langdon managed, his hands trembling around the precious gift. The guard hesitated in the hall. ââ¬Å"Mr. Langdon, may I ask you something?â⬠ââ¬Å"Of course.â⬠ââ¬Å"My fellow guards and I are curious. Those last few minutesâ⬠¦ what happened up there in the helicopter?â⬠Langdon felt a rush of anxiety. He knew this moment was coming ââ¬â the moment of truth. He and Vittoria had talked about it last night as they stole away from St. Peter's Square. And they had made their decision. Even before the Pope's note. Vittoria's father had dreamed his antimatter discovery would bring about a spiritual awakening. Last night's events were no doubt not what he had intended, but the undeniable fact remainedâ⬠¦ at this moment, around the world, people were considering God in ways they never had before. How long the magic would last, Langdon and Vittoria had no idea, but they knew they could never shatter the wonderment with scandal and doubt. The Lord works in strange ways, Langdon told himself, wondering wryly if maybeâ⬠¦ just maybeâ⬠¦ yesterday had been God's will after all. ââ¬Å"Mr. Langdon?â⬠Chartrand repeated. ââ¬Å"I was asking about the helicopter?â⬠Langdon gave a sad smile. ââ¬Å"Yes, I knowâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ He felt the words flow not from his mind but from his heart. ââ¬Å"Perhaps it was the shock of the fallâ⬠¦ but my memoryâ⬠¦ it seemsâ⬠¦ it's all a blurâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ Chartrand slumped. ââ¬Å"You remember nothing?â⬠Langdon sighed. ââ¬Å"I fear it will remain a mystery forever.â⬠When Robert Langdon returned to the bedroom, the vision awaiting him stopped him in his tracks. Vittoria stood on the balcony, her back to the railing, her eyes gazing deeply at him. She looked like a heavenly apparitionâ⬠¦ a radiant silhouette with the moon behind her. She could have been a Roman goddess, enshrouded in her white terrycloth robe, the drawstring cinched tight, accentuating her slender curves. Behind her, a pale mist hung like a halo over Bernini's Triton Fountain. Langdon felt wildly drawn to herâ⬠¦ more than to any woman in his life. Quietly, he lay the Illuminati Diamond and the Pope's letter on his bedside table. There would be time to explain all of that later. He went to her on the balcony. Vittoria looked happy to see him. ââ¬Å"You're awake,â⬠she said, in a coy whisper. ââ¬Å"Finally.â⬠Langdon smiled. ââ¬Å"Long day.â⬠She ran a hand through her luxuriant hair, the neck of her robe falling open slightly. ââ¬Å"And nowâ⬠¦ I suppose you want your reward.â⬠The comment took Langdon off guard. ââ¬Å"I'mâ⬠¦ sorry?â⬠ââ¬Å"We're adults, Robert. You can admit it. You feel a longing. I see it in your eyes. A deep, carnal hunger.â⬠She smiled. ââ¬Å"I feel it too. And that craving is about to be satisfied.â⬠ââ¬Å"It is?â⬠He felt emboldened and took a step toward her. ââ¬Å"Completely.â⬠She held up a room-service menu. ââ¬Å"I ordered everything they've got.â⬠The feast was sumptuous. They dined together by moonlightâ⬠¦ sitting on their balconyâ⬠¦ savoring frisee, truffles, and risotto. They sipped Dolcetto wine and talked late into the night. Langdon did not need to be a symbologist to read the signs Vittoria was sending him. During dessert of boysenberry cream with savoiardi and steaming Romcaffe, Vittoria pressed her bare legs against his beneath the table and fixed him with a sultry stare. She seemed to be willing him to set down his fork and carry her off in his arms. But Langdon did nothing. He remained the perfect gentleman. Two can play at this game, he thought, hiding a roguish smile. When all the food was eaten, Langdon retired to the edge of his bed where he sat alone, turning the Illuminati Diamond over and over in his hands, making repeated comments about the miracle of its symmetry. Vittoria stared at him, her confusion growing to an obvious frustration. ââ¬Å"You find that ambigram terribly interesting, don't you?â⬠she demanded. Langdon nodded. ââ¬Å"Mesmerizing.â⬠ââ¬Å"Would you say it's the most interesting thing in this room?â⬠Langdon scratched his head, making a show of pondering it. ââ¬Å"Well, there is one thing that interests me more.â⬠She smiled and took a step toward him. ââ¬Å"That being?â⬠ââ¬Å"How you disproved that Einstein theory using tuna fish.â⬠Vittoria threw up her hands. ââ¬Å"Dio m?à ¬o! Enough with the tuna fish! Don't play with me, I'm warning you.â⬠Langdon grinned. ââ¬Å"Maybe for your next experiment, you could study flounders and prove the earth is flat.â⬠Vittoria was steaming now, but the first faint hints of an exasperated smile appeared on her lips. ââ¬Å"For your information, professor, my next experiment will make scientific history. I plan to prove neutrinos have mass.â⬠ââ¬Å"Neutrinos have mass?â⬠Langdon shot her a stunned look. ââ¬Å"I didn't even know they were Catholic!â⬠With one fluid motion, she was on him, pinning him down. ââ¬Å"I hope you believe in life after death, Robert Langdon.â⬠Vittoria was laughing as she straddled him, her hands holding him down, her eyes ablaze with a mischievous fire. ââ¬Å"Actually,â⬠he choked, laughing harder now, ââ¬Å"I've always had trouble picturing anything beyond this world.â⬠ââ¬Å"Really? So you've never had a religious experience? A perfect moment of glorious rapture?â⬠Langdon shook his head. ââ¬Å"No, and I seriously doubt I'm the kind of man who could ever have a religious experience.â⬠Vittoria slipped off her robe. ââ¬Å"You've never been to bed with a yoga master, have you?ââ¬
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Alioramus - Facts and Figures
Alioramus - Facts and Figures Name: Alioramus (Greek for different branch); pronounced AH-lee-oh-RAY-muss Habitat: Woodlands of Asia Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (70-65 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 20 feet long and 500-1,000 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Moderate size; numerous teeth; bony crests on snout About Alioramus An awful lot has been abstracted about Alioramus ever since a single, incomplete skull was discovered in Mongolia in 1976. Paleontologists believe this dinosaur was a medium-sized tyrannosaur closely related to another Asian meat-eater, Tarbosaurus, from which it differed in both its size and in the distinctive crests running along its snout. As with many dinosaurs reconstructed from partial fossil specimens, though, not everyone agrees that Alioramus was all that its cracked up to be. Some paleontologists maintain that the fossil specimen belonged to a juvenile Tarbosaurus, or perhaps was not left by a tyrannosaur at all but by an entirely different kind of meat-eating theropod (hence this dinosaurs name, Greek for different branch). A recent analysis of a second Alioramus specimen, discovered in 2009, indicates that this dinosaur was even more bizarre than previously thought. It turns out that this presumed tyrannosaur sported a row of five crests on the front of its snout, each about five inches long and less than an inch high, the purpose of which is still a mystery (the most likely explanation is that they were a sexually selected characteristicthat is, males with bigger, more prominent crests were more attractive to females during mating seasonsince these growths would have been completely useless as an offensive or defensive weapon). These same bumps are also seen, albeit in muted form, on some specimens of Tarbosaurus, yet more evidence that these may have been one and the same dinosaur.
Monday, November 4, 2019
An Analysis Of Postmodern Blackness By Bell Hooks
An Analysis Of Postmodern Blackness By Bell Hooks When the essay was first written during the 1990ââ¬â¢s, the main point was that postmodernism was probably the most well-known trend with scholars and different academic people for its thoughts of heterogeneity, the decentered subjectrecognition of Otherness which was just a number of different ways for saying, culture was attempting to help empower the underestimated and overlooked voices in society. Nonetheless, those main scholars of postmodernism were basically following a do as I say, not as I do display. They would attempt to challenge for better approaches for considering, or challenging against old mindsets, while in the meantime falling prey to their own particular old thoughts regarding there being no significant association between the black experience and critical thinking about aesthetics or culture. Hooks utilizes essentialism as the primary method for uncovering the postmodernist falseness overrunning culture. Essentialism challenges the idea that one truth or standard exists to which every one of us ought to work towards or to submit to. Postmodernism works against essentialism since essentialism takes away the potential outcomes for boundless perspectives or points of view in which we can see the world and live by. Bell trusts that postmodern culture hopes to rid of the idea of essentialism yet still supports its practicality, on the grounds that the discussion being had in postmodernism is fundamentally to a particular gathering of people that offers a common language established in the very master narratives it claims to challenge. In spite of the falseness postmodernism portrays within its perspective of essentialism, in any case, Bell discovers some support in postmodernism. By uncovering essentialism as a false, Bell contends that postmodernism has made a longing that joins everybody who has ever felt devalued or misunderstood. Bell at last considers postmodernism to be doing great, and she sees that the task of removing essentialism can possibly free those who are truly oppressed. They just should see the bounds of their present postmodernist society first. Compared to most theories on postmodernism, Bell sees next to no portrayal of the voices of black individuals especially those voices of black females. Some portion of this is a result of the fundamental racism in the school of thought, which as per Bell Hooks is both a reason and an impact of the conviction of African American researchers that there is little in postmodernism that is applicable to the black experience. The irony of this all is that postmodernism depends on the possibility of specificity and assorted variety of experience, and Hooks challenges that black postmodernist writers have engrossed, acknowledged, and confirmed through their works, the racial oppression that they have tried to challenge. Be that as it may, Bell guarantees that ongoing advancements, particularly deindustrialization, have made the likelihood for compassion across a number of identities. There are white working-class individuals who are encountering the same oppression as the ones which black individuals have to face. However, the focal worry of this paper is that black researchers should utilize the critique of essentialism that is vital to postmodernism without dismissing the possibility of a black experience. Most crucial, African-American researchers, such as Bell Hooks, ought to draw in with individuals in the society, particularly artists, whose work is likewise a type of analysis.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Business plan for a fitness centre Fitness One Coursework
Business plan for a fitness centre Fitness One - Coursework Example The business will be financed with ? 100,000 by a sole proprietor and ? 200,000 through a business loan from a bank. Sales are estimated to reach about ? 52,000 average for the first and second year. A positive cash flow is projected at the end of the first year. 2. Range Of Products To Be Offered Fitness One shall offer club membership for access to various fitness and health programs, to include: a. Swimming b. Tennis c. Fitness Center with cardio vascular and weight training equipment d. Court Sports e. Massage f. Physical therapy 3. Geographical Location I have chosen the Covent Garden area due to its proximity to my hometown in Canterbury. London would be my home base as this offers better market reach. Covent Garden in London is popular for its shops, street performers, bars, restaurants, theatres and the Royal Opera House. It is an Italian style piazza holding restaurants, bars and fashionable boutiques and is known for being the capitalââ¬â¢s premier entertainment and leis ure destination. (Covent Garden Life.Com. 2007). Marlowe Arcade in Canterbury and Westgate Shopping Centre at Oxford are both popular destinations for both local residents and tourists. They are also the best places to put up Fitness One branches as they are situated along busy districts where the hustle and bustle happens. 4. Anticipated Customers, Target Market and their Distribution Fitness One will focus onà the young urban professionals as its primary customer base. The programs will be designed to address the health and fitness needs of this target market. 5. Statement Of Viability/ Keys to Success Fitness One shall rely on the following Internal and External Factors as its Keys to Success: a. Market Knowledge ââ¬â b. Service Quality - c. Targeted Marketing Campaigns ââ¬â Fitness One will prepare and implement promotional campaigns that will create noise in the market. It will utilize its Internet Marketing Channel to ensure that it would be positioned in the right m arket. d. Right Marketing Mix ââ¬â Fitness Oneââ¬â¢s aims to penetrate the target market via Internet Marketing. Its primary location in London assures the company of a solid footing, as this placed is recognized to be Europeââ¬â¢s Best City for Business by the European Cities Monitor 2004. (Visit London. 2007) e. A systematic cash flow ââ¬â Membership costs shall be determined basing on the services offered and the target number of members per month. 6. Staff & Skills Requirements In Early Stages (If Needed) The minimum required skills and experience for the start up crew are as follows: Staff Assistant ââ¬â At least two years experience doing administrative job. Must be skilled in basic accounting and bookkeeping. She is responsible in consolidating information and sales reports from the store and shall provide administrative support as well. Purchasing Staff ââ¬â At least three years doing purchasing work for a retail company. Must be knowledgably in the pro cesses in purchasing and as experience in supplier handling and relations. Store Supervisor ââ¬â At least five years experience in store operations, two years as supervisor, with experience in Marketing and a graduate of any Business course Sales Staff ââ¬â At least six months experience in sales in any kind of store industry Cashier ââ¬â At least one year experience in store cashiering Inventory Staff ââ¬â At least one year experience in Inventory Management 7. Explanation Of Basis For Planned
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