The making of Doctor Zhivago

Arguably one of the most famous epic films of the last fifty years, David Lean’s 1965 adaptation of Boris Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago still continues to garner acclaim world-wide and was recently voted number thirty-nine in the recent AFI (American Film Institute) poll of the best hundred films of all time (‘100 films, 100 years’ www. AFI. com ), yet the road to the silver screen was not a smooth one.That the novel itself was ever published is the result of both luck, determination and civil disobedience. Semi-autobiographical in nature, an attempt perhaps on Pasternak’s behalf to make sense of some of the horrors he witnessed during the Russian Revolution, even though his limp prevented his being called for active service, Pasternak’s own love of art, beauty and poetry and the ability to discover those things even in a land shadowed by tragedy was mirrored in his protagonist Yuri Zhivago.Like Zhivago, Pasternak’s own poetry, while affording him a highly respected reputation also resulted in problems with the politicians of the day, with his 1932 autobiographical poem ‘Spectorsky’ resulting in accusations of anti-sociability and leading him to concentrate his time thereafter mainly to the translation of foreign playwrights and poets. (Press Book, Doctor Zhivago, Turner Entertainment Co).Although parts of Doctor Zhivago were written during the revolution, and also into the 1920s (Wikipedia) it was not until 1954 that the completed novel was to be ready for publication, originally submitted to (and declined by) the Russian journal Novyi mir, the manuscript was smuggled out of the country in 1957 by the Italian publisher Giacomo Feltrinelli , who despite receiving orders form the communist Russian government to return the manuscript unprinted, published the novel in Russian, with English and Italian translations appearing the following year.Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 195 8, but like his hero Zhivago, could not conceive of leaving his beloved Russia and so, due to the communist principles of the ruling state was forced to decline his prize, explaining ‘I am bound to Russia by my birth, my life and my work. For me to leave my country would be to die. ’ (Press Book, Doctor Zhivago, Turner Entertainment Co). Pasternak was to die just two years later, eighteen years before his magnum opus was be published in his home nation.Acclaimed British film director David Lean, known for such masterpieces as ‘The Bridge Over the River Kwai’ and ‘Lawrence Of Arabia’ saw in Pasternak’s story more than simply a story about the Russian revolution, but a highly complex love story, what he himself termed as ‘†¦the drama, the horror, the turbulence of the Revolution simply provides the canvas against which is told a moving and highly personal love story. ’ (Press Book, Doctor Zhivago, Turner Entertainment Co) .With an estimated budget of eleven million dollars, filming took place between December 1964 and October 1965 with a principle cast including Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Tom Courtenyy and Rod Stieger. (IMDb) The press book for the film claims that over a six month period, around 780 men, including 120 carpenters were responsible for transforming a ten acre area of the Madrid suburb of Canillas into an accurate representation of Revolutionary Moscow.Filming for the demonstration scene, and the revolutionary chanting accompanying it was said to have been so convincing that local residents at first thought that the demonstration was real and that Spanish Dictator Generalissimo Franco had been deposed, leading to subsequent filming of the scene to be closely monitored by the police. (IMDb)The two other most famous locations in the film could be said to be the ‘ice palace’ at Varakyno which in reality was fashioned from a specially formed type of wax and the snowy plains of Finland doubling for the Russian Steppes, shown during the long train journey which lead in turn to one of the film industries most famous urban legends – namely that a stuntwoman fell under the train during filming, losing both of her legs. (Snopes.com) In reality though, although she did indeed fall, and was injured, the injuries were not severe and she returned three weeks later to re-shoot the scene. Above all else though, what is remembered about the film itself is the love triangle of three ordinary people just trying to make sense of love, life and the terrible times they are living in and although the premise of the film itself is in no way a happy one, it stands as a testament to the endurance of the human spirit.References: Doctor Zhivago Special Edition 2 disc DVD (Warner Home Video) IMDb – The Internet Movie Database – http://www. imdb. com Wikipedia – http://www. en. wikipedia. org Press Book, Doctor Zhivago, Turner Enter tainment Co – From the BFI (British Film Institute) http://lean. bfi. org. uk/material. php? theme=1&type=Press%20Book&title=zhivago&folder=dr_zhivago_1&fcount=2 American Film Institute (AFI) http://www. AFI. com Snopes. com – http://www. snopes. com

Job Description

Planning Creates annual operating plans that support strategic direction set by the board and correlate with annual operating budgets; submits annual plans to the board for approval Collaborates with the board to define and articulate the organization's ision and to develop strategies for achieving that vision Develops and monitors strategies for ensuring the long-term financial viability of the organization Develops future leadership within the organization 2.Management Promotes a culture that reflects the organization's values, encourages good performance, and rewards productivity Hires, manages, and fires the human resources of the organization according to authorized personnel policies and procedures that fully conform to current laws and regulations Oversees the perations of organization and manages its compliance with legal and regulatory requirements Creates and maintains procedures for Implementing plans approved by the board of directors Ensures that staff and board have suf ficient and up-to-date information.Evaluates the organization's and the staffs performance on a regular basis 3. Financial management Oversees staff in developing annual budgets that support operating plans and submits budgets for board approval Prudently manages the organization's resources ithin budget guidelines according to current laws and regulations Ensures that staff practices all appropriate accounting procedures in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Provides prompt, thorough, and accurate Information to keep the board appropriately Informed of the organization's financial position 4.HR management Recruitment and contracting of company and project staff, Employee development, and training; Policy development and documentation; Employee relations; Performance management and improvement systems; Employment and compliance to regulatory concerns and reporting; Company-wide committee facilitation Including planning, production, staff and Board of Di rectors, including arranging meetings and agendas, attending and minuting meetings; Manage advertising opportunities in other theatre program, press and at venues.Organize the availability of company members for media/PR events as necessary. Oversee content, production and distribution of all marketing and publicity materials (posters, program, flyers, mail outs, brochures etc) with director, designer and project anager. Manage press development; Co-ordinate the invitation of potential future promoters and supporters of the company. 7.Community Relationships Serves as the primary spokesperson and representative for the organization Assures that the organization and its mission, programs, and services are consistently presented in a strong, positive image to relevant stakeholders Actively advocates for the organization, its beliefs, and its programmatic efforts Acts as a liaison between the organization and the community, building relationships with eer organizations when appropriate 8.Programmatic Effectiveness Oversees design, delivery, and quality of programs and services Stays abreast of current trends related to the organization's products and services and anticipates future trends likely to have an impact on its work Collects and analyzes evaluation information that measures the success of the organization's program efforts; refines or changes programs in response to that information 6.Fund Raising Serves as a primary person in donor relationships and the person to make one-on- ne fund raising solicitations Develops fund raising strategies with the board and supports the board in fund raising activities Oversees staff in the development and implementation of fund raising plans that support strategies adopted by the Development Committee Oversees staff in the timely submission grant applications and progress reports for funders. Job description Planning & Control Reports to Head of Planning & Control Summary of role Ensure Factory System set-ups function correctly and client data is processed accurately and on time. Record and report all problems encountered and ensure their resolution. Monitor clients' schedules, priorities release of work to Production and ensure the work is completed on time.Specific responsibilities Involvement in all aspects of technical support including networks, desktop, UNIX administration, backups, disaster recovery, internal/external interfaces, security and software, Help Desk support. Monitor clients' schedules for all incoming transmissions and ensure all scheduled Jobs are processed correctly. Escalate file processing failures via ‘SMS for investigation and communicate the failure with client and/or Client Services Representative. Monitor Master Server log, report and track all issues.Process and release Sample Request and End to End test files as required. Complete all new and change r equests for client set up in Factory including new Corps, Plan Templates and Custom Plans. Complete all new and change requests for client set up In Factory such as Plan Templates and Custom Plans. Priorities release of work to the shop floor ensuring client data sign off Instructions and any other mailing requirements are met, and ensure that correct DOD Is assigned. Proactive involvement in any special projects on an ad hoc basis as and when required. Attend and comply with all training.Undertake other work time to time as requested by the Team Leader. References The Open University (2012) BIBB/BOX. Managing 1: Organizations and people, Module Activities, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Table 10. 1 Job description By Petersen processing failures via ISMS for investigation and communicate the failure with client client set up in Factory such as Plan Templates and Custom Plans. Priorities release of work to the shop floor ensuring client data sign off instructions and any other mailing requirements are met, and ensure that correct DOD is assigned. Proactive Job description Planning & Control Reports to Head of Planning & Control Summary of role Ensure Factory System set-ups function correctly and client data is processed accurately and on time. Record and report all problems encountered and ensure their resolution. Monitor clients' schedules, priorities release of work to Production and ensure the work is completed on time.Specific responsibilities Involvement in all aspects of technical support including networks, desktop, UNIX administration, backups, disaster recovery, internal/external interfaces, security and software, Help Desk support. Monitor clients' schedules for all incoming transmissions and ensure all scheduled Jobs are processed correctly. Escalate file processing failures via ‘SMS for investigation and communicate the failure with client and/or Client Services Representative. Monitor Master Server log, report and track all issues.Process and release Sample Request and End to End test files as required. Complete all new and change r equests for client set up in Factory including new Corps, Plan Templates and Custom Plans. Complete all new and change requests for client set up In Factory such as Plan Templates and Custom Plans. Priorities release of work to the shop floor ensuring client data sign off Instructions and any other mailing requirements are met, and ensure that correct DOD Is assigned. Proactive involvement in any special projects on an ad hoc basis as and when required. Attend and comply with all training.Undertake other work time to time as requested by the Team Leader. References The Open University (2012) BIBB/BOX. Managing 1: Organizations and people, Module Activities, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Table 10. 1 Job description By Petersen processing failures via ISMS for investigation and communicate the failure with client client set up in Factory such as Plan Templates and Custom Plans. Priorities release of work to the shop floor ensuring client data sign off instructions and any other mailing requirements are met, and ensure that correct DOD is assigned. Proactive

Discussion Questions Week One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Questions Week One - Essay Example the data set, while the alternative hypothesis is a claim of â€Å"difference in the population† (Introduction to Hypothesis Testing n.d.) After this, the test statistic for the data is calculated according to the type of test which is conducted. When the test statistic has been estimated, it is converted into a p-value which is also known as the level of significance. Lastly, the researcher makes a conclusion according to the result of the test. Hypothesis testing is very much important and is now widely utilized in coming up with significant business decisions. It should be noted that this technique can be utilized both for quantitative and qualitative analyses. One of the applicability of hypothesis testing is in predicting whether there would be an increase in the productivity of the workforce with the proposed performance based salary scheme. This is a very important issue which can be resolved using hypothesis testing noting that business organizations are now on the lookout for various techniques in order to motivate employees to excel in their respective posts. Monetary and non-monetary benefits are both used in order to increase employee productivity. Productivity can be measured through the average per hour production of employees which can be indicated by the dollar per hour that they contribute to the organization. A two-tailed hypothesis test can be conducted with the null hypothesis claiming that average produc tivity will not change or will still be equal to the previous average

Marketing Week 4 Discussion Questions & Summary Essay

Marketing Week 4 Discussion Questions & Summary - Essay Example However, hailing from a highly disciplined family and community where such practices are strictly shunned and their negation had become a part of my belief; I decided not to copy the report. My colleague on the other hand did not hesitate to do so because this was a part of her belief system. I have been enlightened on the concepts of education and lifelong learning. I have realized the significance of a graduate degree and the learning that accompanies it. Today, people respect my view more than ever before. As a well-informed person my opinions are sought after. DQ2: Please describe where you have experienced a professional team conflict Explain what happened and its resolution I prefer you share a situation where you did not like the outcome of the decision, what would you have done differently We were a group of three people for our report. It required a lot of work and effort. We had distributed the work accordingly. However, one member of our group was just not cooperating. He(A) did not even bother to sit down and talk with us about the report. We were so bogged down by the work that we could not run after him. Therefore; we let him be and completed the work ourselves. So much so that he did not even accompany us when we had to conduct interviews of industry personnel. We were really angry at him but had no time to deal with him. At last, the report was ready. However, we did not put his name on the report. We felt that it was only fair since he had done no work. Because of this A failed the course! I feel that this situation could have been handled differently. We could have taken out time to force A to do some work for the report. As a team this was the least we could have done. What we did was a violation of team spirit. We should have counseled him, and tried to ma ke him work by giving him logical reasons. It would have made things different! DQ3: Describe the changes you have gone through while enrolled at the University of Phoenix While at the University of Phoenix I have matured. I have begun to see the world in a totally different light. Before, my views and ideas were skewed. I used to have a one-track mind and would often jump to conclusions. Now, I have become enlightened. University of Phoenix has helped me develop as an individual. It has made me look at things with an open mind. To look at all perspectives and to be confident and positive about things. It has taught me to respect others for what they and accept them with their faults and drawbacks. It has made me understand that what is important is what I have given to the society and not what the society has given to me. Earlier, I used to see a university degree as a means of better financial achievement. It has taught me the value of education beyond a means of earning money. It has molded me into a confident and inquisitive young woman who is not scared of challenges. From someone who would barely ever question and was used to taking things at fac e value. It has helped in my overall development. It has harnessed my potential and made me reach new heights. It has impelled me aspire and dream! SUMMARY paragraph based on answering the above questions and the class topics and courses completed for BS in marketing. At University of Pheonix I have learnt the concepts of

S. B. Cottone Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

S. B. Cottone Inc - Essay Example In this case, the firm has not enough capacity to capture all of these markets so that a target market in the segment is needed. A target market must have the potential to be viable customer. Target market of the firm are contractors in the construction business. This was principally selected due to construction developments in Scranton and the developers’ need for contractors in the construction business. Contractors are the first-line connection to developers. They are also considered specialist by developers so their expert advice is followed. Contractors’ profiles were compiled into a database of the company for the last twenty years for easy reference and follow up. Positioning is the market strategy of how company communicates to customers. Web defines it as â€Å"effort to influence consumer on a brand relative to a competing brand.† Purpose of positioning is to have an advantageous position to consumer. To start positioning the firm, has to know the needs of the target market, and understand why they need it, and its budget. Buyers’ needs are known through interviews, research and attending events such real estate openings. Based on this approach company has identified buyers’ needs as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning of rooms and building. Buyers go through a process (Linton, Ian, 2014) wherein the very first stage is recognition of a need. Needs of buildings are caused by standard requirements. Next step is the information search wherein buyer looks for sources to solve his need. Next is the evaluation process where buyer inspects different brands and offers – and evaluate it according it to product attributes and the ability of supplier to deliver. Process involves buyers’ high participation particularly if there are many proposals, and low if there is only one company to be evaluated. The last

Nucor Competitive Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Nucor Competitive Strategy - Case Study Example The problems Nucor faces are manifold. First, Nucor should worry about how to compete in the domestic and global markets in the steel industry. Additionally, Nucor also has a basically weak managerial hierarchy and human resources system, and it is flawed for multiple reasons-which will be discussed further at length in the "Worry List" section. Although Nucor has a four-fold strategy that is designed to implement growth, this strategy, too, is riddled with dilemmas all unique unto itself (new acquisitions, new plant construction, continued plant upgrades and cost reduction efforts, and joint ventures). Nucor must address policy issues within its operations and whether they are expedient to uphold, or whether new policies should be instituted to foster a more conscientious and people-driven company than it already is. The workforce compensation practices seem to be excessive, which will be explained in-depth in the "Worry List." Finally, common-sense issues, like pricing and markeing , and the actual production logistics of how steel is made, are obviously factors that must be seriously evaluated if Nucor is expected to remain not only a vital competitor but a leader in the steel industry in the U.S. and abroad. In order to continue... issues, like pricing and markeing, and the actual production logistics of how steel is made, are obviously factors that must be seriously evaluated if Nucor is expected to remain not only a vital competitor but a leader in the steel industry in the U.S. and abroad. In order to continue being a superior organization, Nucor must as a company reevaluate its primary focus and then set its goals according to the following suggested solutions. First, regarding competition, Nucor must seriously decide where it wants to be in relation to other steel companies and take action to corner the global market on the need for exported steel, an look into supporting measures that would strengthen Nucor having an edge on the industry-a competitive advantage if you will-by making sure that U.S. and international law encourages and protects free trade, which stands to benefit Nucor Corporation. In order to be domestically competitive, Nucor should consider adjusting some of its underlying policies related to management, human resources, and compensation in order to stay abreast of the changing times. One problematic aspect about Nucor which must be altered is its seemingly laissez-faire approach to management which affects the two other aspects of the company (hu man resources and compensation). Additionally, the delicate dance of new acquisitions by the company has prospects, but there are also other entities to consider. Is the company culture and hierarchy being set forth in new acquistions manageable, and reasonable If not, this must be tweaked also. Further, the liabilities involved in new acquistitions as well as the construction of new plants and their impending operations and workforce must be evaluated. Although this company compensates its employees well for the no

On time plz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On time plz - Essay Example Supervisors and managers are under the scope of responsibilities of HR professionals insofar as overseeing the accomplishment of their respective tasks in view of the overall accomplishment of organizational goals. A job is a group of positions having similar or related duties and responsibilities. The tasks and responsibilities of each group are distinctly different from those of other groups. (Martires 446) Before hiring workers, available jobs have to be classified and corresponding job information described mainly in terms of duties and responsibilities. The concept of culture in organization is critical since it influences the philosophy and practices of management which works through people. It is vital that managers understand the people’s values, beliefs, needs and motivation. Managing corporate culture is a skill which every top officer should learn since culture change is a complex and long process involving coordinated efforts by top leadership which is very visible to their subordinates. Executives must change their behavior and through role modeling send signals to their constituents. If the culture is not what the organization members want, it can be turned around to fit the mission and vision, strategy, structure, resources and technology of the organization. The well run corporations have developed cultures that are distinctive and responsible for creation, implementation and maintenance of their world leadership positions. In this regard, all phases of operations, strategy and staffing, and organizational culture have to be considered by human resources for the efficient and effective accomplishment of organizational goals. Part 4: You are the HR staffing specialist at a very successful 25 year old company that manufactures home entertainment products: HDTVs, home-theatre equipment, etc. The manager of the marketing division has just left

Organisation Management System Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Organisation Management System - Coursework Example tain sustainability in the changing global environment through the implementation of efficient strategies aimed at minimizing the different environmental impacts of the operations, especially in the Siberian region. The major production operations of the company are concentrated in the Siberian and the Yamal peninsular region where the environmental hazards are gaining much focus from the environmentalists and other experts in the field. The oil and gas drilling and production activities are known to drive major climatic changes in the Yamal and Siberian regions. Therefore, the company has been forced to implement an effective environment management system (EMS) to comply with the different environmental regulatory policies and benchmarks set by the governments and the international authorities. Since the Russian government owns major stakes in the company, it concentrates on boosting the sustainability of the company by mitigating the environmental impacts of the operations of the o il and gas giant. Gazprom uses a variety of techniques in order to measure, control and monitor the different environmental impacts of the activities of the organization. The company has recognized the increasing importance of investing sufficient capital in the clean energy projects that are incorporated across the globe. The company has started to become engaged in the different CDM projects being launched with an aim to improve the environmental conditions in the least developed regions of the world. The company has started to work on various programmatic projects in the perspective of measuring and controlling the various environmental impacts of its operations. One of the measures taken to control and monitor the environmental impacts has been the active partnerships created by the company with the local NGOs in the different regions of the world. This helps the company to meet the different political and regulatory risks associated with each of the regions. The company has

Profit Pathology and Disposable Planet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Profit Pathology and Disposable Planet - Essay Example Both â€Å"Flow† and â€Å"Pathology† address crucial problems that endanger people’s lives. â€Å"Flow† is a documentary directed by Irene Salina in 2008 and introduces the difficulty many people around the world have in finding clean water and how chemicals have contaminated drinkable water around the world. It is common knowledge that water is indispensable for survival; however, the reality is that water is becoming scare throughout the world. As stated in â€Å"Flow†: â€Å"The world is running out of fresh water.† This dramatic observation represents a real threat to millions of people around the world compelled to drink dirty water. This scarcity of fresh water is related to the pollution caused by companies whose chemical products contaminate the water. â€Å"Flow† presents examples from Mexico, Bolivia, India and South Africa where people die after drinking contaminated water. This pollution is a point Michael Parenti denounce s in his article. He indeed presents pollution as s threat to people’s health and survival. Indicating the companies’ involvement in the pollution, he states: â€Å"This corporate system of capital accumulation treats the Earth's life-sustaining resources (arable land, groundwater, wetlands, foliage, forests, fisheries, ocean beds, bays, rivers, air quality) as disposable ingredients presumed to be of limitless supply, to be consumed or toxified at will†. ... He indeed presents pollution as s threat to people’s health and survival. Indicating the companies’ involvement in the pollution, he states: â€Å"This corporate system of capital accumulation treats the Earth's life-sustaining resources (arable land, groundwater, wetlands, foliage, forests, fisheries, ocean beds, bays, rivers, air quality) as disposable ingredients presumed to be of limitless supply, to be consumed or toxified at will† (Parenti). He clearly denounces the destruction of the world’s resources and the toxic chemicals companies discharge in them therefore threatening people’s health and lives. Similarly â€Å"Monsanto† and Parenti’s article also share the same concern about the deadly effects of chemicals and the invincibility of the multinationals that have total control over the organizations supposed to regulate the fields. This documentary directed by Marie-Monique Robin in 2008 presents Monsanto, a multinational agri cultural biotechnology corporation, involved in the production of herbicide and genetically engineered seeds. Even though Monsanto claims â€Å"to help farmers produce better crops† (Monsanto) there is a growing controversy concerning the health risks that the products constitute. In fact, some studies find that the herbicide, Round up, and other chemicals â€Å"Provoke the first stages that lead to cancer† (Monsanto). Because of these health risks, workers and researchers raise the question of safety; however, their concerns did not find easy answers since they soon found out that the company was very powerful and well-grounded. Their priority was not the safety of their workers or the environment but to make profit. One of the company’s reports indicates: â€Å"We cannot afford to lose

Organic vs. non organic Essay Example for Free

Organic vs. non organic Essay Organic vs. non organic There is a vast majority of food in our world today, when we consume this food we must stop to think about what exactly it is made of. In today’s society we are always looking for the best healthy foods that are available to us. We want good, nutritious, healthy foods so that we can live a long and healthy life. We live in a world where we have fast, cheap and processed foods all around us. Have you ever considered going a different route? Organic is a different way to eat, a way that could change the way you live your life. While all types of foods are beneficial to the body, organic and non organic foods differ in the way that they are farmed, grown, and packaged. This information can hopefully give you an insight to a better way of life. America is slowly becoming a nation of a population of obese sick people. What we are eating everyday affects our health. Foods are full of preservatives and unhealthy that people eat more junk than food. Did you know that foods are packed with preservatives, sugars and fats that make people addicted to the foods? We are always seeking the quickest cheapest foods even though they are not healthy for us just to save some time. People become overweight do so because of poor eating habits not knowing that there are consequences in doing so. There are diseases that come along with making these poor eating choices. Some of the diseases related to overweight are heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes; breathing problems and trouble sleeping. Some people seem that we are stuck eating foods that make us overweight and obese. There are however ways to eat healthier. There are foods that are all natural, they are called organic foods. Organic foods are farmed in natural ways than non organic foods. Non organic food has to be grown very quickly to meet the consumer demand and there for is grown with chemicals that make it grow faster. Non organic farmers are allowed by the FDA to use steroids, pesticides and fertilizers in their food products. Even the soil gets contaminated with these harmful products. Non organic farmers contaminate the soil with the over use of fertilizers and pesticides and have polluted our waterways. On the other had organic farmers can use a farming method that does not harm the environment. Organic famers use the natural way in their farming systems. Organic farmers use the land that has not had any pesticides or fertilizers in the soil in the past three years. Crops are rotated from field to field instead of growing the same crop over again. There are alternative ways to eat food. There are foods that are grown all natural, they are called organic foods. When you think of organic, do you think it has to be held to a certain standard? Certain requirements have to be met for a food product to be certified organic. When a farmer grown their crop their crop differs from the way non organic foods are grown. Organic food tends to have more insect damage that non organic food because since no pesticides are being used on their crop it is harder to keep the insects from damaging the crop. Non organic food can grow at a much faster rate and have less damage done to the food because it is grown with pesticides. One of the standards to be certified organic is to be cage free. Cage free is when the animal is not confined to a cage; it is allowed to roam freely. Non organic animals are mostly in cages so they can be able to produce more food faster. Many people do not like the fact that animals are caged up and are sometimes treated badly in order to produce the food they need. When you go to the grocery store and buy a food product you should stop to see what the packaging material is made of. Most producers use recycled products to package their food products. Organic foods and non organic foods differ in the way that they do their packaging. One bad thing that comes to mind about organic food is that it can travel hundreds of miles to get to the grocery store. Non organic food can have the convenience of coming from local farmers that may not grow organic but are grown locally. Non organic food on the other hand may travel to get to the store because there are really not that many locally organic farmers. When we think about our planet we try to think of ways to be less wasteful. Organic foods try to use less wasteful materials concerning packaging their foods. Organic producers try to use recycle material and try to use eco friendly material. Non organic producers can sometimes use recycle materials but are not considerate of the waste they produce in the making of the packaging material. As where organic producers they consider every last detail to make sure they do not affect the environment as little as they can. This is a good thing because we want to make sure we do not affect our planet with all our trash we accumulate in our life time. We must eliminate the trash we leave behind in order to leave our planet clean for our children and their children. If we do not do something about the wasteful material we leave behind we might leave a big mess for our children and grand children to clean up long after we are gone. There has been much controversy about whether organic food is better than non organic food. Honestly one has to make their own personal decisions about what they choose to eat. No one can make that decision for you. Organic is less harmful to the environment and non organic has to produce such large amounts that it can be hard to do that without having some effects on the environment. Remember what we put in our body is important because we want to do whatever it takes to be as healthy as we can be in order to live longer. So if organic food is the right choice for you then you should do it in order to live a long and healthy life.

The Vision Of Dominos Pizza Commerce Essay

The Vision Of Dominos Pizza Commerce Essay Dominos Pizza is the well known company that delivers pizza and operates through a network of company-owned and franchise-owned stores in the United States and international markets including Malaysia, India, Canada, and Australia. Dominos Pizza was started out small by brothers Tom and James Monaghan at Michigan, United States with just one store called DomiNicks in 1960. After the few years, James Monaghan trades his half of the business to Tom Monaghan and Tom changed the company name to Dominos Pizza in 1965. Dominos Pizza today is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has more than 10,000 owned and franchised stores in the United States and more than 65 international markets. The Dominos menu features a variety of Italian-American entrees and slide dishes such as pizza, pasta, bread bowls, salads, chicken wing, and breadsticks. Having so many retail shop and variety type of food means keeping the stock and logistic is not easy task. Dominos Pizza sure have some unique way on keep it supply chain running smooth and tidy. Vision The vision of Dominos Pizza is, illustrates a company of exceptional people on a mission to be the best pizza delivery company in the world.(Dominos Pizza, 2008) Mission The mission of Dominos Pizza is, committed to an inclusive culture which values the contributions of their customers, team members, suppliers, and neighbors. 2.0 Strength of Dominos Pizza Effective inventory management Dominos Pizza took a major advantage in supply chain efficiency in 2002 when it centralized inventory management operations at its headquarters. The centralized operation allowed the company to standardize sourcing, planning, inventory management and replenishment on each distribution center across the national network. Dominos pizza is using software from Prescient Applied Intelligence; a provider of supply chain and advanced commerce solutions to help them achieve the centralized inventory management operations. In this operation, the entire distribution operation uses only 9 planners with the help of the Prescient Applied Intelligence software. The Prescient distribution planning suite works as modules for inventory and demand planning optimized order management and advanced time-phase replenishment. However, the centralized operation needs support from a new method because Dominos have a lot of retail stores around the world, the size of the distribution centers are quite small c ompare to other company. And still not only receive all ingredients and supplies, but they also prepare the dough, so it can be shipped fresh to the stores. Domino introduces matched receipts to demand module to help solve this problem. The idea is made by the Prescient Applied Intelligence software. The system monitor inventory on each distribution center and determines which product have higher demand. The data is gathering through the company PeopleSoft enterprise resource planning system and then combine with Prescient Applied Intelligence software. When the stock in the distribution center is not enough to meet the need of the retail store, the raw material will be ordered more. If the supply is adequate, the stock will not be order and the next order will be consider what was placed on the prior order and go through the same process. Though this way, the freshness of the stock also can be preserve and increase the food quality. Besides that, Dominos want its truck with smaller quantities of multiple items and let the staggered ordering system to balance inbound receipts just the way Dominos need them. Dominos also can build bigger warehouse or distribution center to keep more stocks so it can reduce to cost from ordering and reduce labor cost on daily routine in the distribution center. Automation Benefits Dominos also have a system that automates much of the standard ordering and replenishment planning, instead of spending three-quarters of the week manually putting orders together. This helps the Dominos planners to focus more time and attention on making better strategic decisions. For instance, planner review previous data indentify exception and learn the accuracy from the prior week. Planners can skip unnecessary job and make direct adjustments with this. Then the order is transmitted to Dominos ERP system and on the next day after receiving the order confirmation, planner can simply repeat the process for freight orders. Dominos growing ranks of retail stores are being replenished with a 24-hour service guarantee, even during the heaviest promotion periods, while the network of compact distribution center operates at lean levels few companies can match. This system had gain Domino a lot of advantage on preserving better stocks level and maintaining it. Delivery Tactic In the highly competitive pizza business, Dominos have to create various strategies to make sure itself comparable with other pizza company. With their long time experience on pizza business, they know that time take for the food arrive to customer door is crucial. Dominos Pizza introduced a 30 minutes delivery guarantees and free delivery idea. Dominos is the only pizza company that guarantees customers order will arrive within 30 minutes with free delivery. If the order cannot make it within 30 minutes, then Dominos Pizza will give you a free Regular Pizza Voucher. When delivering pizza, Dominos use a special heat wave bags to keep the pizzas hot during transit. These deals have significantly attracted customer to consume at dominos pizza. Dominos GPS (Great Pizza Service) Tracker Domino also creates a unique service that call Domino GPS Tracker. This GPS tracker had provides a step-by-step update on the status of customer order when customer is online order the pizza. Customer can login with username and password or customers phone number to track the online order. The GPS tracker will shows seven steps throughout the food preparation and delivery process for give customers convenient. The seven steps of tracker are including Order placed, Preparing, Baking, Boxing, Packing, Ready for delivery and the last one is delivering. This GPS tracker can gain competitive advantage because this system makes the more customers friendly and convenient to customer. 4.0 Conclusion Dominos Pizza is a great pizza company to be study. It had proved itself as a world leading pizza company as it has a lot of advantage against other pizza company. The competitive advantages are including Effective inventory management, Automation Benefits, Delivery Tactic and Dominos GPS (Great Pizza Service) Tracker. Dominos pizza has done a great job on satisfying customer needs and maintaining it pizza quality. However, through this assignment, we have learnt how Dominos Pizza gain competitive advantages compare to another pizza seller. This also will give us increase a lot of knowledge about the business logistics operations that we might face in the future.

Rip Van Winkle: A Classic Tale of Passive Resistance Essays -- Rip Va

In this classic tale Rip Van Winkle is portrayed as one who is a victim of circumstances beyond his control. A further reading may perhaps reveal a different Rip Van Winkle, one who pursues an avenue of passive resistance in response to a life which he feels is beyond his control. Passive Resistance is usually connected with such famous people as Henry David Thoreau who developed the principal of civil disobedience. For Thoreau, the idea was to choose not to support governmental taxes and policies that he felt were wrong. This theme was later used by Mahatma Gandhi in his fight for Indian independence. In the 1960’s this method was used by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to bring racial injustice to the public’s attention. In all of these cases, the men who followed the ideal of passive resistance were prepared to suffer the consequences of their actions in order to draw attention to their causes. One can find similarities between Rip Van Winkle’s actions and the actions of those who pursue passive resistance. In Rip’s case, the "governing" authority that he was struggling with is represented by the responsibilities in his life. This is very clear when one compares his own farm to those of others at that time. He did not care for his farm as was expected of him. Rather, he pursued a life that one at the time would have considered slothful, discussing current events with his friends, befriending local children and animals and doing various favors for neighbors while his own property suffered. When confronted by his wife, his response was neither to argue nor to change his behavior. A simple silent shrug of the shoulders was all the response he offered. In all of this, Dame Van Winkle has been portrayed as the villain. H... ...urns 20 years later after his wife is dead, he does not take responsibility for his departure. Instead he concocts a story showing how this situation was totally out of his control. Rather than admit that he was not able to fulfill his responsibilities or that his wife was a shrew and he could no longer tolerate it, he makes up a story about being asleep in the woods. He then returns to his previous life. Curiously, the community and even his own daughter do not appear to seriously question his explanation. Whether this is due to their collective superstition or whether they inwardly understood his need to remove himself from a difficult marriage, it is not clear. What is clear, is that Rip Van Winkle failed to support his family and then abandoned them. He chose a path of flawed passive resistance which did not accept the consequences of his actions.

The Renaissance :: essays research papers

The Renaissance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The literal meaning of the word Renaissance is â€Å"rebirth.† This idea of rebirth definitely applies to the music of this period. The Renaissance followed the Middle Ages and spanned from 1400 to 1600. A central characteristic was the rebirth of humanism, which is a way of looking at our world, emphasizing the importance of human beings, their nature, and their place in the universe. One main purpose of the humanistic view was to educate pupils to be the â€Å"ideal gentleman† or â€Å"universal man† that was reminiscent of the Greco-Roman ideal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the Renaissance vocal music was more important than instrumental music, and composers during that period wrote music to enhance the meaning and emotion of the text. (Source: www.thinkquest.org) Renaissance composers often used word painting, a musical representation of specific human emotions. Word painting was used in the madrigal, which is a piece that matches the word of the song with a musical setting. For example if the text had words like â€Å"rising,† â€Å"flying,† or â€Å"soaring† then the music would be fast upward scales. (Source: Jeremy Yudkin â€Å"Understanding Music†) The most famous composer that wrote such madrigals was Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Palestrina, according to most Renaissance scholars, was a master composer. He started out in 1554 performing Masses and sang in the Cappella Sistina. (Source: w3.rz-berlin.mpg) He was so famous that he was actually asked to rewrite the church’s main plainchant books, but had to follow the Council of Trent’s guidelines. His most famous Mass, Missa Papae Marcelli, was in fact in line with the Counter Reformation, which he always was. His conservative attitude towards making the Catholic polyphonic music helped composers down the line to create new music for the church. Even though the polyphonic texts invaded the church, most of the Ordinary of the Mass, which is the Kyrie eleison, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Andus Dei stayed mostly in plainchant for at least some parts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Protestant Reformation actually helped the Catholic Church come to let the Mass become more active with polyphonic hymns. The musical boundaries were expanded because the invention of printing which led to a larger circulation of text. Even though the church grew towards easier hymns music still gradually move to a secular way of creating music. The whole Protestant Reformation started because the king of England and Martin Luther, the king wanted to divorce his first wife and the pope would not recognize this break of the marriage vow.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 122-126

CHAPTER 122 The secret is how to die. Mal'akh knew it had all gone wrong. There was no brilliant light. No wondrous reception. Only darkness and excruciating pain. Even in his eyes. He could see nothing, and yet he sensed movement all around him. There were voices . . . human voices . . . one of them, strangely, belonging to Robert Langdon. How can this be? â€Å"She's okay,† Langdon kept repeating. â€Å"Katherine is fine, Peter. Your sister is okay.† No, Mal'akh thought. Katherine is dead. She must be. Mal'akh could no longer see, could not tell if his eyes were even open, but he heard the helicopter banking away. An abrupt calm settled through the Temple Room. Mal'akh could feel the smooth rhythms of the earth becoming uneven . . . as if the ocean's natural tides were being disrupted by a gathering storm. Chao ab ordo. Unfamiliar voices were shouting now, talking urgently with Langdon about the laptop and video file. It's too late, Mal'akh knew. The damage is done. By now the video was spreading like wildfire into every corner of a shocked world, destroying the future of the brotherhood. Those most capable of spreading the wisdom must be destroyed. The ignorance of mankind is what helped the chaos grow. The absence of Light on earth is what nourished the Darkness that awaited Mal'akh. I have done great deeds, and soon I will be received as a king. Mal'akh sensed that a lone individual had quietly approached. He knew who it was. He could smell the sacred oils he had rubbed into his father's shaved body. â€Å"I don't know if you can hear me,† Peter Solomon whispered in his ear. â€Å"But I want you to know something.† He touched a finger to the sacred spot atop Mal'akh's skull. â€Å"What you wrote here . . .† He paused. â€Å"This is not the Lost Word.† Of course it is, Mal'akh thought. You convinced me of that beyond a doubt. According to legend, the Lost Word was written in a language so ancient and arcane that mankind had all but forgotten how to read it. This mysterious language, Peter had revealed, was in fact the oldest language on earth. The language of symbols. In the idiom of symbology, there was one symbol that reigned supreme above all others. The oldest and most universal, this symbol fused all the ancient traditions in a single solitary image that represented the illumination of the Egyptian sun god, the triumph of alchemical gold, the wisdom of the Philosopher's Stone, the purity of the Rosicrucian Rose, the moment of Creation, the All, the dominance of the astrological sun, and even the omniscient all-seeing eye that hovered atop the unfinished pyramid. The circumpunct. The symbol of the Source. The origin of all things. This is what Peter had told him moments ago. Mal'akh had been skeptical at first, but then he had looked again at the grid, realizing that the image of the pyramid was pointing directly at the lone symbol of the circumpunct–a circle with a dot in its center. The Masonic Pyramid is a map, he thought, recalling the legend, which points to the Lost Word. It seemed his father was telling the truth after all. All great truths are simple. The Lost Word is not a word . . . it is a symbol. Eagerly, Mal'akh had inscribed the great symbol of the circumpunct on his scalp. As he did so, he felt an upwelling of power and satisfaction. My masterpiece and offering are complete. The forces of darkness were waiting for him now. He would be rewarded for his work. This was to be his moment of glory . . . And yet, at the last instant, everything had gone horribly wrong. Peter was still behind him now, speaking words that Mal'akh could barely fathom. â€Å"I lied to you,† he was saying. â€Å"You left me no choice. If I had revealed to you the true Lost Word, you would not have believed me, nor would you have understood.† The Lost Word is . . . not the circumpunct? â€Å"The truth is,† said Peter, â€Å"the Lost Word is known to all . . . but recognized by very few.† The words echoed in Mal'akh's mind. â€Å"You remain incomplete,† Peter said, gently placing his palm on top of Mal'akh's head. â€Å"Your work is not yet done. But wherever you are going, please know this . . . you were loved.† For some reason, the gentle touch of his father's hand felt like it was burning through him like a potent catalyst that was initiating a chemical reaction inside Mal'akh's body. Without warning, he felt a rush of blistering energy surging through his physical shell, as if every cell in his body were now dissolving. In an instant, all of his worldly pain evaporated. Transformation. It's happening. I am gazing down upon myself, a wreck of bloody flesh on the sacred slab of granite. My father is kneeling behind me, holding my lifeless head with his one remaining hand. I feel an upwelling of rage . . . and confusion. This is not a moment for compassion . . . it is for revenge, for transformation . . . and yet still my father refuses to submit, refuses to fulfill his role, refuses to channel his pain and anger through the knife blade and into my heart. I am trapped here, hovering . . . tethered to my earthly shell. My father gently runs a soft palm across my face to close my fading eyes. I feel the tether release. A billowing veil materializes around me, thickening and dimming the light, hiding the world from view. Suddenly time accelerates, and I am plunging into an abyss far darker than any I have ever imagined. Here, in the barren void, I hear a whispering . . . I sense a gathering force. It strengthens, mounting at a startling rate, surrounding me. Ominous and powerful. Dark and commanding. I am not alone here. This is my triumph, my grand reception. And yet, for some reason, I am filled not with joy, but rather with boundless fear. It is nothing like I expect. The force is churning now, swirling around me with commanding strength, threatening to tear me apart. Suddenly, without warning, the blackness gathers itself like a great prehistoric beast and rears up before me. I am facing all the dark souls who have gone before. I am screaming in infinite terror . . . as the darkness swallows me whole. CHAPTER 123 Inside the National Cathedral, Dean Galloway sensed a strange change in the air. He was not sure why, but he felt as if a ghostly shadow had evaporated . . . as if a weight had been lifted . . . far away and yet right here. Alone at his desk, he was deep in thought. He was not sure how many minutes had passed when his phone rang. It was Warren Bellamy. â€Å"Peter's alive,† his Masonic brother said. â€Å"I just heard the news. I knew you'd want to know immediately. He's going to be okay.† â€Å"Thank God.† Galloway exhaled. â€Å"Where is he?† Galloway listened as Bellamy recounted the extraordinary tale of what had transpired after they had left Cathedral College. â€Å"But all of you are okay?† â€Å"Recuperating, yes,† Bellamy said. â€Å"There is one thing, though.† He paused. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"The Masonic Pyramid . . . I think Langdon may have solved it.† Galloway had to smile. Somehow he was not surprised. â€Å"And tell me, did Langdon discover whether or not the pyramid kept its promise? Whether or not it revealed what legend always claimed it would reveal?† â€Å"I don't know yet.† It will, Galloway thought. â€Å"You need to rest.† â€Å"As do you.† No, I need to pray. CHAPTER 124 When the elevator door opened, the lights in the Temple Room were all ablaze. Katherine Solomon's legs still felt rubbery as she hurried in to find her brother. The air in this enormous chamber was cold and smelled of incense. The scene that greeted her stopped her in her tracks. In the center of this magnificent room, on a low stone altar, lay a bloody, tattooed corpse, a body perforated by spears of broken glass. High above, a gaping hole in the ceiling opened to the heavens. My God. Katherine immediately looked away, her eyes scanning for Peter. She found her brother sitting on the other side of the room, being tended to by a medic while talking with Langdon and Director Sato. â€Å"Peter!† Katherine called, running over. â€Å"Peter!† Her brother glanced up, his expression filling with relief. He was on his feet at once, moving toward her. He was wearing a simple white shirt and dark slacks, which someone had probably gotten for him from his office downstairs. His right arm was in a sling, and their gentle embrace was awkward, but Katherine barely noticed. A familiar comfort surrounded her like a cocoon, as it always had, even in childhood, when her protective older brother embraced her. They held each other in silence. Finally Katherine whispered, â€Å"Are you okay? I mean . . . really?† She released him, looking down at the sling and bandage where his right hand used to be. Tears welled again in her eyes. â€Å"I'm so . . . so sorry.† Peter shrugged as if it were nothing of consequence. â€Å"Mortal flesh. Bodies don't last forever. The important thing is that you're okay.† Peter's lighthearted response tore at her emotions, reminding her of all the reasons she loved him. She stroked his head, feeling the unbreakable bonds of family . . . the shared blood that flowed in their veins. Tragically, she knew there was a third Solomon in the room tonight. The corpse on the altar drew her gaze, and Katherine shuddered deeply, trying to block out the photos she had seen. She looked away, her eyes now finding Robert Langdon's. There was compassion there, deep and perceptive, as if Langdon somehow knew exactly what she was thinking. Peter knows. Raw emotion gripped Katherine–relief, sympathy, despair. She felt her brother's body begin trembling like a child's. It was something she had never witnessed in her entire life. â€Å"Just let it go,† she whispered. â€Å"It's okay. Just let it go.† Peter's trembling grew deeper. She held him again, stroking the back of his head. â€Å"Peter, you've always been the strong one . . . you've always been there for me. But I'm here for you now. It's okay. I'm right here.† Katherine eased his head gently onto her shoulder . . . and the great Peter Solomon collapsed sobbing in her arms. Director Sato stepped away to take an incoming call. It was Nola Kaye. Her news, for a change, was good. â€Å"Still no signs of distribution, ma'am.† She sounded hopeful. â€Å"I'm confident we would have seen something by now. It looks like you contained it.† Thanks to you, Nola, Sato thought, glancing down at the laptop, which Langdon had seen complete its transmission. A very close call. At Nola's suggestion, the agent searching the mansion had checked the garbage cans, discovering packaging for a newly purchased cellular modem. With the exact model number, Nola had been able to cross-reference compatible carriers, bandwidths, and service grids, isolating the laptop's most likely access node–a small transmitter on the corner of Sixteenth and Corcoran–three blocks from the Temple. Nola quickly relayed the information to Sato in the helicopter. On approach toward the House of the Temple, the pilot had performed a low-altitude flyover and pulsed the relay node with a blast of electromagnetic radiation, knocking it off-line only seconds before the laptop completed its transfer. â€Å"Great work tonight,† Sato said. â€Å"Now get some sleep. You've earned it.† â€Å"Thank you, ma'am.† Nola hesitated. â€Å"Was there something else?† Nola was silent a long moment, apparently considering whether or not to speak. â€Å"Nothing that can't wait till morning, ma'am. Have a good night.† CHAPTER 125 In the silence of an elegant bathroom on the ground floor of the House of the Temple, Robert Langdon ran warm water into a tile sink and eyed himself in the mirror. Even in the muted light, he looked like he felt . . . utterly spent. His daybag was on his shoulder again, much lighter now . . . empty except for his personal items and some crumpled lecture notes. He had to chuckle. His visit to D.C. tonight to give a lecture had turned out a bit more grueling than he'd anticipated. Even so, Langdon had a lot to be grateful for. Peter is alive. And the video was contained. As Langdon scooped handfuls of warm water onto his face, he gradually felt himself coming back to life. Everything was still a blur, but the adrenaline in his body was finally dissipating . . . and he was feeling like himself again. After drying his hands, he checked his Mickey Mouse watch. My God, it's late. Langdon exited the bathroom and wound his way along the curved wall of the Hall of Honor–a gracefully arched passageway, lined with portraits of accomplished Masons . . . U.S. presidents, philanthropists, luminaries, and other influential Americans. He paused at an oil painting of Harry S. Truman and tried to imagine the man undergoing the rites, rituals, and studies required to become a Mason. There is a hidden world behind the one we all see. For all of us. â€Å"You slipped away,† a voice said down the hall. Langdon turned. It was Katherine. She'd been through hell tonight, and yet she looked suddenly radiant . . . rejuvenated somehow. Langdon gave a tired smile. â€Å"How's he doing?† Katherine walked up and embraced him warmly. â€Å"How can I ever thank you?† He laughed. â€Å"You know I didn't do anything, right?† Katherine held him for a long time. â€Å"Peter's going to be fine . . .† She let go and looked deep into Langdon's eyes. â€Å"And he just told me something incredible . . . something wonderful.† Her voice trembled with anticipation. â€Å"I need to go see it for myself. I'll be back in a bit.† â€Å"What? Where are you going?† â€Å"I won't be long. Right now, Peter wants to speak with you . . . alone. He's waiting in the library.† â€Å"Did he say why?† Katherine chuckled and shook her head. â€Å"You know Peter and his secrets.† â€Å"But–â€Å" â€Å"I'll see you in a bit.† Then she was gone. Langdon sighed heavily. He felt like he'd had enough secrets for one night. There were unanswered questions, of course–the Masonic Pyramid and the Lost Word among them–but he sensed that the answers, if they even existed, were not for him. Not as a non-Mason. Mustering the last of his energy, Langdon made his way to the Masonic library. When he arrived, Peter was sitting all alone at a table with the stone pyramid before him. â€Å"Robert?† Peter smiled and waved him in. â€Å"I'd like a word.† Langdon managed a grin. â€Å"Yes, I hear you lost one.† CHAPTER 126 The library in the House of the Temple was D.C.'s oldest public reading room. Its elegant stacks burgeoned with over a quarter of a million volumes, including a rare copy of the Ahiman Rezon, The Secrets of a Prepared Brother. In addition, the library displayed precious Masonic jewels, ritual artifacts, and even a rare volume that had been hand-printed by Benjamin Franklin. Langdon's favorite library treasure, however, was one few ever noticed. The illusion. Solomon had shown him long ago that from the proper vantage point, the library's reading desk and golden table lamp created an unmistakable optical illusion . . . that of a pyramid and shining golden capstone. Solomon said he always considered the illusion a silent reminder that the mysteries of Freemasonry were perfectly visible to anyone and everyone if they were seen from the proper perspective. Tonight, however, the mysteries of Freemasonry had materialized front and center. Langdon now sat opposite the Worshipful Master Peter Solomon and the Masonic Pyramid. Peter was smiling. â€Å"The `word' you refer to, Robert, is not a legend. It is a reality.† Langdon stared across the table and finally spoke. â€Å"But . . . I don't understand. How is that possible?† â€Å"What is so difficult to accept?† All of it! Langdon wanted to say, searching his old friend's eyes for any hint of common sense. â€Å"You're saying you believe the Lost Word is real . . . and that it has actual power?† â€Å"Enormous power,† Peter said. â€Å"It has the power to transform human kind by unlocking the Ancient Mysteries.† â€Å"A word?† Langdon challenged. â€Å"Peter, I can't possibly believe a word–â€Å" â€Å"You will believe,† Peter stated calmly. Langdon stared in silence. â€Å"As you know,† Solomon continued, standing now and pacing around the table, â€Å"it has long been prophesied that there will come a day when the Lost Word will be rediscovered . . . a day when it will be unearthed . . . and mankind will once again have access to its forgotten power.† Langdon flashed on Peter's lecture about the Apocalypse. Although many people erroneously interpreted apocalypse as a cataclysmic end of the world, the word literally signified an â€Å"unveiling,† predicted by the ancients to be that of great wisdom. The coming age of enlightenment. Even so, Langdon could not imagine such a vast change being ushered in by . . . a word. Peter motioned to the stone pyramid, which sat on the table beside its golden capstone. â€Å"The Masonic Pyramid,† he said. â€Å"The legendary symbolon. Tonight it stands unified . . . and complete.† Reverently, he lifted the golden capstone and set it atop the pyramid. The heavy gold piece clicked softly into place. â€Å"Tonight, my friend, you have done what has never been done before. You have assembled the Masonic Pyramid, deciphered all of its codes, and in the end, unveiled . . . this.† Solomon produced a sheet of paper and laid it on the table. Langdon recognized the grid of symbols that had been reorganized using the Order Eight Franklin Square. He had studied it briefly in the Temple Room. Peter said, â€Å"I am curious to know if you can read this array of symbols. After all, you are the specialist.† Langdon eyed the grid. Heredom, circumpunct, pyramid, staircase . . . Langdon sighed. â€Å"Well, Peter, as you can probably see, this is an allegorical pictogram. Clearly its language is metaphorical and symbolic rather than literal.† Solomon chuckled. â€Å"Ask a symbologist a simple question . . . Okay, tell me what you see.† Peter really wants to hear this? Langdon pulled the page toward him. â€Å"Well, I looked at it earlier, and, in simple terms, I see that this grid is a picture . . . depicting heaven and earth.† Peter arched his eyebrows, looking surprised. â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"Sure. At the top of the image, we have the word Heredom–the `Holy House'–which I interpret as the House of God . . . or heaven.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"The downward-facing arrow after Heredom signifies that the rest of the pictogram clearly lies in the realm beneath heaven . . . that being . . . earth.† Langdon's eyes glided now to the bottom of the grid. â€Å"The lowest two rows, those beneath the pyramid, represent the earth itself–terra firma–the lowest of all the realms. Fittingly, these lower realms contain the twelve ancient astrological signs, which represent the primordial religion of those first human souls who looked to the heavens and saw the hand of God in the movement of the stars and planets.† Solomon slid his chair closer and studied the grid. â€Å"Okay, what else?† â€Å"On a foundation of astrology,† Langdon continued, â€Å"the great pyramid rises from the earth . . . stretching toward heaven . . . the enduring symbol of lost wisdom. It is filled with history's great philosophies and religions . . . Egyptian, Pythagorean, Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Judeo-Christian, and on and on . . . all flowing upward, merging together, funneling themselves up through the transformative gateway of the pyramid . . . where they finally fuse into a single, unified human philosophy.† He paused. â€Å"A single universal consciousness . . . a shared global vision of God . . . represented by the ancient symbol that hovers over the capstone.† â€Å"The circumpunct,† Peter said. â€Å"A universal symbol for God.† â€Å"Right. Throughout history, the circumpunct has been all things to all people–it is the sun god Ra, alchemical gold, the all-seeing eye, the singularity point before the Big Bang, the–â€Å" â€Å"The Great Architect of the Universe.† Langdon nodded, sensing this was probably the same argument Peter had used in the Temple Room to sell the idea of the circumpunct as the Lost Word. â€Å"And finally?† Peter asked. â€Å"What about the staircase?† Langdon glanced down at the image of the stairs beneath the pyramid. â€Å"Peter, I'm sure you know as well as anyone, this symbolizes the Winding Staircase of Freemasonry . . . leading upward out of the earthly darkness into the light . . . like Jacob's ladder climbing to heaven . . . or the tiered human spine that connects man's mortal body to his eternal mind.† He paused. â€Å"As for the rest of the symbols, they appear to be a blend of celestial, Masonic, and scientific, all lending support to the Ancient Mysteries.† Solomon stroked his chin. â€Å"An elegant interpretation, Professor. I agree, of course, that this grid can be read as allegory, and yet . . .† His eyes flashed with deepening mystery. â€Å"This collection of symbols tells another story as well. A story that is far more revealing.† â€Å"Oh?† Solomon began pacing again, circling the table. â€Å"Earlier tonight, inside the Temple Room, when I believed I was going to die, I looked at this grid, and somehow I saw past the metaphor, past the allegory, into the very heart of what these symbols are telling us.† He paused, turning abruptly to Langdon. â€Å"This grid reveals the exact location where the Lost Word is buried.† â€Å"Come again?† Langdon shifted uneasily in his chair, suddenly fearing that the trauma of the evening had left Peter disorientated and confused. â€Å"Robert, legend has always described the Masonic Pyramid as a map–a very specific map–a map that could guide the worthy to the secret location of the Lost Word.† Solomon tapped the grid of symbols in front of Langdon. â€Å"I guarantee you, these symbols are exactly what legend says they are . . . a map. A specific diagram that reveals exactly where we will find the staircase that leads down to the Lost Word.† Langdon gave an uneasy laugh, treading carefully now. â€Å"Even if I believed the Legend of the Masonic Pyramid, this grid of symbols can't possibly be a map. Look at it. It looks nothing like a map.† Solomon smiled. â€Å"Sometimes all it takes is a tiny shift of perspective to see something familiar in a totally new light.† Langdon looked again but saw nothing new. â€Å"Let me ask you a question,† Peter said. â€Å"When Masons lay cornerstones, do you know why we lay them in the northeast corner of a building?† â€Å"Sure, because the northeast corner receives the first rays of morning light. It is symbolic of the power of architecture to climb out of the earth into the light.† â€Å"Right,† Peter said. â€Å"So perhaps you should look there for the first rays of light.† He motioned to the grid. â€Å"In the northeast corner.† Langdon returned his eyes to the page, moving his gaze to the upper right or northeast corner. The symbol in that corner was . â€Å"A downward-pointing arrow,† Langdon said, trying to grasp Solomon's point. â€Å"Which means . . . beneath Heredom.† â€Å"No, Robert, not beneath,† Solomon replied. â€Å"Think. This grid is not a metaphorical maze. It's a map. And on a map, a directional arrow that points down means–â€Å" â€Å"South,† Langdon exclaimed, startled. â€Å"Exactly!† Solomon replied, grinning now with excitement. â€Å"Due south! On a map, down is south. Moreover, on a map, the word Heredom would not be a metaphor for heaven, it would be the name of a geographic location.† â€Å"The House of the Temple? You're saying this map is pointing . . . due south of this building?† â€Å"Praise God!† Solomon said, laughing. â€Å"Light dawns at last.† Langdon studied the grid. â€Å"But, Peter . . . even if you're right, due south of this building could be anywhere on a longitude that's over twenty-four thousand miles long.† â€Å"No, Robert. You are ignoring the legend, which claims the Lost Word is buried in D.C. That shortens the line substantially. In addition, legend also claims that a large stone sits atop the opening of the staircase . . . and that this stone is engraved with a message in an ancient language . . . as a kind of marker so the worthy can find it.† Langdon was having trouble taking any of this seriously, and while he didn't know D.C. well enough to picture what was due south of their current location, he was pretty certain there was no huge engraved stone atop a buried staircase. â€Å"The message inscribed on the stone,† Peter said, â€Å"is right here before our eyes.† He tapped the third row of the grid before Langdon. â€Å"This is the inscription, Robert! You've solved the puzzle!† Dumbfounded, Langdon studied the seven symbols. Solved? Langdon had no idea whatsoever what these seven disparate symbols could possibly mean, and he was damned sure they were not engraved anywhere in the nation's capital . . . particularly on a giant stone over a staircase. â€Å"Peter,† he said, â€Å"I don't see how this sheds any light at all. I know of no stone in D.C. engraved with this . . . message.† Solomon patted him on the shoulder. â€Å"You have walked past it and never seen it. We all have. It is sitting in plain view, like the mysteries themselves. And tonight, when I saw these seven symbols, I realized in an instant that the legend was true. The Lost Word is buried in D.C. . . . and it does rest at the bottom of a long staircase beneath an enormous engraved stone.† Mystified, Langdon remained silent. â€Å"Robert, tonight I believe you have earned the right to know the truth.† Langdon stared at Peter, trying to process what he had just heard. â€Å"You're going to tell me where the Lost Word is buried?† â€Å"No,† Solomon said, standing up with a smile. â€Å"I'm going to show you.† Five minutes later, Langdon was buckling himself into the backseat of the Escalade beside Peter Solomon. Simkins climbed in behind the wheel as Sato approached across the parking lot. â€Å"Mr. Solomon?† the director said, lighting a cigarette as she arrived. â€Å"I've just made the call you requested.† â€Å"And?† Peter asked through his open window. â€Å"I ordered them to give you access. Briefly.† â€Å"Thank you.† Sato studied him, looking curious. â€Å"I must say, it's a most unusual request.† Solomon gave an enigmatic shrug. Sato let it go, circling around to Langdon's window and rapping with her knuckles. Langdon lowered the window. â€Å"Professor,† she said, with no hint of warmth. â€Å"Your assistance tonight, while reluctant, was critical to our success . . . and for that, I thank you.† She took a long drag on her cigarette and blew it sideways. â€Å"However, one final bit of advice. The next time a senior administrator of the CIA tells you she has a national-security crisis . . .† Her eyes flashed black. â€Å"Leave the bullshit in Cambridge.† Langdon opened his mouth to speak, but Director Inoue Sato had already turned and was headed off across the parking lot toward a waiting helicopter. Simkins glanced over his shoulder, stone-faced. â€Å"Are you gentlemen ready?† â€Å"Actually,† Solomon said, â€Å"just one moment.† He produced a small, folded piece of dark fabric and handed it to Langdon. â€Å"Robert, I'd like you to put this on before we go anywhere.† Puzzled, Langdon examined the cloth. It was black velvet. As he unfolded it, he realized he was holding a Masonic hoodwink–the traditional blindfold of a first-degree initiate. What the hell? Peter said, â€Å"I'd prefer you not see where we're going.† Langdon turned to Peter. â€Å"You want to blindfold me for the journey?† Solomon grinned. â€Å"My secret. My rules.†

Rights and Status of Women

Overall, the rights and status of women have improved considerably in the last century; however, gender equality has been threatened within the last two decades. Blatantly sexist laws and practices are slowly being eliminated while social perceptions of â€Å"women's roles† continue to stagnate and even degrade back to traditional ideals. It is these social perceptions that challenge the evolution of women as equal on all levels. In this study, I will argue that subtle and blatant sexism continues to exist throughout educational, professional and legal arenas. Women who carefully follow their expected roles may never recognize sexism as an oppressive force in their life. I find many parallels between women's experiences in the nineties and Betty Friedan's, cofounder of the National Organization of Women, in her essay: The Way We Were – 1949. She dealt with a society that expected women to fulfill certain roles. Those roles completely disregarded the needs of educated and motivated business women and scientific women. The subtle message that society gave was that the educated woman was actually selfish and evil. I remember in particular the searing effect on me, who once intended to be a psychologist, of a story in McCall's in December 1949 called â€Å"A Weekend with Daddy. † A little girl who lives a lonely life with her mother, divorced, an intellectual know-it-all psychologist, goes to the country to spend a weekend with her father and his new wife, who is wholesome, happy, and a good cook and gardener. And there is love and laughter and growing flowers and hot clams and a gourmet cheese omelet and square dancing, and she doesn't want to go home. But, pitying her poor mother typing away all by herself in the lonesome apartment, she keeps her guilty secret that from now on she will be living for the moments when she can escape to that dream home in the country where they know â€Å"what life is all about. † (Fetzer, 57) I have often consulted my grandparents about their experiences, and I find their historical perspective enlightening. My grandmother was pregnant with her third child in 1949. Her work experience included: interior design and modeling women's clothes for the Sears catalog. I asked her to read the Friedan essay and let me know if she felt as moved as I was, and to share with me her experiences of sexism. Her immediate reaction was to point out that, â€Å"Betty Friedan was a college educated woman and she had certain goals that never interested me. † My grandmother, though growing up during a time when women had few social rights, said she didn't experience oppressive sexism in her life. However, when she describes her life accomplishments, I feel she has spent most of her life fulfilling the expected roles of women instead of pursuing goals that were mostly reserved for men. Unknowingly, her life was controlled by traditional, sexist values prevalent in her time and still prevalent in the year 2000. Twenty-four years after the above article from McCall's magazine was written, the Supreme Court decided whether women should have a right to an abortion in Roe v. Wade (410 U. S. 113 (1973)). I believe the decision was made in favor of women's rights mostly because the court made a progressive decision to consider the woman as a human who may be motivated by other things in life than just being a mother. Justice Blackmun delivered the following opinion: â€Å"Maternity, or additional offspring, may force upon the woman a distressful life and future. Psychological harm may be imminent. Mental and physical health may be taxed by child care. There is also a distress, for all concerned, associated with the unwanted child, and there is the problem of bringing a child into a family already unable, psychologically and otherwise, to care for it. In other cases, as in this one, the additional difficulties and continuing stigma of unwed motherhood may be involved. † (Goldman, 205) I feel the court decision of Roe v. Wade would not have been made in 1949. Even in 1973, it was a progressive decision. The problem of abortion has existed for the entire history of this country (and beyond), but had never been addressed because discussing these issues was not socially acceptable. A culture of not discussing issues that have a profound impact on women is a culture that encourages women to be powerless. The right of abortion became a major issue. Before 1970, about a million abortions were done every year, of which only about ten thousand were legal. Perhaps a third of the women having illegal abortions – mostly poor women – had to be hospitalized for complications. How many thousands died as a result of these illegal abortions no one really knows. But the illegalization of abortion clearly worked against the poor, for the rich could manage either to have their baby or to have their abortion under safe conditions. (Zinn, 499) A critic of the women's movement would quickly remind us that women have a right to decline marriage and sex, and pursue their individual interests. However, I would argue that the social pressure women must endure if they do not conform to their expected role is unfair. The problem goes beyond social conformity and crosses into government intervention (or lack thereof). The 1980's saw the pendulum swing against the women's movement. Violent acts against women who sought abortions became common and the government was unsympathetic to the victims. There are parallels between the Southern Black's civil rights movement and the women's movement: Blacks have long been accustomed to the white government being unsympathetic to violent acts against them. During the civil rights movement, legal action seemed only to come when a white civil rights activist was killed. Women are facing similar disregard presently, and their movement is truly one for civil rights. A national campaign by the National Organization of Women began on 2 March 1984, demanding that the US Justice Department investigate anti-abortion terrorism. On 1 August federal authorities finally agreed to begin to monitor the violence. However, Federal Bureau of Investigation director, William Webster, declared that he saw no evidence of â€Å"terrorism. Only on 3 January 1985, in a pro-forma statement, did the President criticize the series of bombings as â€Å"violent anarchist acts,† but he still refused to term the acts as â€Å"terrorism. † Reagan deferred to Moral Majoritarian Jerry Falwell's subsequent campaign to have fifteen million Americans wear â€Å"armbands† on 22 January 1985, â€Å"one for every legal abortion† since 1973. Falwell's anti-abortion outburst epitomized Reaganism's orientation: â€Å"We can no longer passively and quietly wait for the Supreme Court to change their mind or for Congress to pass a law. † Extremism on the right was no vice, moderation no virtue. Or, as Hitler explained in Mein Kamph, â€Å"The very first essential for success is a perpetually constant and regular employment of violence. † (Marable, 40-41) This mentality continued on through 1989 during the Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (109 S. Ct. 3040 (1989)) case. â€Å"The Reagan Administration had urged the Supreme Court to use this case as the basis for overturning Roe v. Wade. † (Goldman, 767) It is disturbing that the slow gains achieved by the women's movement are so volatile and endangered when conservative administrations gain a majority in government. To put the problem into perspective: a woman's right to have an abortion in this country did not come until 1973. Less than two decades later, the president of the United States was pushing to take that right away. It seems blatant that society is bent on putting women in their places. From the above examples, it appears American culture prefers women as non-professional, non-intellectual, homemakers and mothers. This mentality is not easily resolved, because it is introduced at a young age. Alice Brooks experienced inequality on the basis of her race and her sex. In her autobiography, A Dream Deferred, she recalls the reaction of her father when she brought up the idea of college to him: â€Å"I found a scholarship for veterans' children and asked my father to sign and furnish proof that he was a veteran. He refused and told me that I was only going to get married and have babies. I needed to stay home and help my mother with her kids. My brother needed college to support a family. Not only was I not going to get any help, I was also tagged as selfish because I wanted to go to college. † (Fetzer, 234) This is another example of women being labeled as selfish for wanting the same opportunities as men. Alice Brooks is seemingly a very courageous woman; having the ability to overcome any oppression she may encounter. She states that â€Å"women who succeed in male dominated fields are never mediocre – they are extraordinary achievers. † Her insight encapsulates much of the subtle sexism that exists today. I feel that no one can truly be equal in a society when only the â€Å"extraordinary achievers† are allowed to succeed out of their expected social role. This attitude of rising blatant and subtle attacks on women's civil rights is further exemplified in recent reactions to affirmative action plans. These plans have been devised to try to give women and minorities an opportunity to participate in traditionally white male dominated areas. However, we see the same trends in legal action for the use of affirmative action plans as we saw in the 1980's backlash against the Roe v. Wade decision. A few interesting points were presented in the case, Johnson v. Transportation Agency, Santa Clara (480 U. S. 616 (1987)). Mr. Paul E. Johnson filed suit against the Santa Clara County Transportation Agency when he was denied a promotion, feeling the company's affirmative action plan denied him of his civil rights. Some interesting facts were presented in this case: â€Å"Specifically, 9 of the 10 Para-Professionals and 110 of the 145 Office and Clerical Workers were women. By contrast, women were only 2 of the 28 Officials and Administrators, 5 of the 58 Professionals, 12 of the 124 Technicians, none of the Skilled Crafts Workers, and 1 – who was Joyce – of the 110 Road Maintenance Workers. † (Goldman, 784) The above statistics show women have been considerably underrepresented at the Santa Clara County Transportation Agency. These numbers are not uncommon and are found throughout business. It is interesting to note the current popular perception is that affirmative action precludes white males from finding employment with companies that implement these plans. The truth is in the numbers, however. The fact that Mr. Johnson felt he was denied his civil rights because an equally qualified woman was given a promotion, instead of him, is just a small window into the subtle sexism that exists today. Most critics of affirmative action do not consider the grossly unequal numbers of men in management and professional positions. Secondly, it never seems an issue of debate that a woman may have had no other previous life opportunities in these male dominated areas. I do not intend to argue that affirmative action is good or bad, but only wish to point out that the current backlash against these programs is heavily rooted in sexism and racism. Often blatant violence or unfair acts against a group of people will cause that group to pull together and empower themselves against their oppressors. The women's movement has made large steps to eliminate many of these blatantly sexist acts in the last century. Now the real difficulty is upon us: subtle acts of sexism and the degrading social roles of women in today's conservative culture. Alice Brooks so eloquently described her experiences with inequality, stating, â€Å"the worst pain came from those little things people said or did to me. † (Fetzer, 236) As these â€Å"little things† accumulate in the experience of a young woman, she increasingly finds herself powerless in her relationships, employment, economics, and society in general. The female child has as many goals as the male child, but statistically she is unable to realize these goals because of the obstacles that society sets in front of her. Society and media attempt to create an illusion that women have every right that men enjoy. However, women will never be equal until the day female scientists, intellectuals, professionals, military leaders, and politicians are just as accepted and encouraged to participate in all of society's arenas as males.

Learning in SChool

Throughout all my school years there have been many different teachers that have Impacted my life. But there has been one that has truly changed so much of me today, Professor Duran. When I use to think of the term favorite for a teacher I would see it on a teacher who is easy and does not give a work load, but now its different. A favorite teacher to me is someone who cares for their students and makes their greatest effort to teach you what they know even if it requires true dedication from the students side.Professor Duran was a teacher who wanted her students to see the importance of he unjustly ways society is; well at least in English IA. Am sure she would have wanted us to learn much more but within Just one semester was too much to squeeze In. She is a very unique teacher than what I have ever encountered, there has been professors who really do care about their students and advice them but there is teachers like Duran who can get deeper than your soul.The way she taught and she demolished every single piece of critical thinking within us was what really taught me to see things different. She opened up my eyes to not only see the obvious but also more beyond the surface. I came out of professor Durance's class a whole totally different person who looked at society much more distinct. Maybe she did make us put in more effort than what we were to enforcing in every assignment. Onto know how but this taught me to see everything In a positive way, to wake up every day In the morning with a where I envision myself five years from now. How everyday I am a step closer to where I want to be even if its frustrating, or overwhelming but I have to fight through it. It wasn't the way she taught that made me love her style but the way she put her heart In every single day to teach us. That Is what makes a great teacher, a person who can every day come to class and pour her soul into teaching, who truly cares about her students.Professor Duran has a heart of real, tr ue loving person. Learning in SChool By Jimenez impacted my life. But there has been one that has truly changed so much of me squeeze in. She is a very unique teacher than what I have ever encountered, there assignment. I don't know how but this taught me to see everything in a positive way, to wake up every day in the morning with a where I envision myself five years from heart in every single day to teach us. That is what makes a great teacher, a person

Democracy of U.S. History Essay

Democracy, as it is used today, means â€Å" the people rule.† A democracy is a form of government ruled by the people of the country through elections and representation. A democracy is really a form of republic known as a democratic republic. A republic is a government where officials elected by a small group of people that make the important decisions. Democracy has been around for almost 2500 years since Athens, Greece became the first democracy. The Romans also experimented with democracy, however it was more a republic, and not a democracy. Around 1200 England laid the groundwork to become a republic. Later, in the 1700’s, United States of America became a democracy. During the first decades of our premature nations’ existence, it is hard to imagine that the United States would evolve to become such a great democracy. A democracy others would prefer to believe with hypocrite reasoning. When the U.S. first won its independence it was a united group of people left to defend for themselves. This group was to become a nation and creating it involved more than winning independence from Great Britain. In 1783, the U.S. was a country forming in its premature stages. By 1787, this baby begins to develop, to become a nation. By 1787, people perceived that their constitution represented what the people desired the U.S. to be; well at least the Federalists presumed this. The Anti-Federalists watched for signs that threatened their republican principals for which they so recently had fought the American Revolution. After winning the war the unity and optimism among Americans did not translate easily or smoothly into the creation of a strong central government. The Federalists and Anti-Feds were very opposed to each other’s views. By the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, a deep political division had occurred amongst the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Anti-Federalists were mostly from the South, and were labeled Jeffersonian. Their label came from the fact that they defended slavery and third President, Thomas Jefferson, was known for owning herds of black slaves. Southerners held agreed with many of Jefferson’s views. The Anti-Feds and Republicans believed in strict interpretation of the constitution, peaceful foreign relations, and a reduction of the role of the federal government in the lives of average citizens. They were opposed to a  strong central government and felt states should hold the power to govern. The Federalists believed that the constitution should be loosely interpreted and that America should follow the spirit of it to make laws and judgments. Federalists wanted to organize the states so a strong federal power could govern over them in order to keep enough power for the economy, war and ruling. Many were opposed to this form of government because it so closely mimicked that of Great Britain. Between these two diverse groups, their followers split the nation. The United States was geographically split North from South. The North was home of manufacturers and industry. Farming was not the North’s economic base as was manufacturing. Crops would not grow year around due to freezing weather; therefore slaves were of no need during off-seasons in farming. Here, it was not economically safe or resourceful to own slaves, because of the fact that they were expensive to acquire and maintain. Since slaves were mostly used in manual labor, their use in the North was almost nonexistent. Blacks were not used in factories for fear of them gaining knowledge and accessing power. In the South, large plantations and small farm owners used slaves for their manual labor of the fields and common household work. Not every household in the South owned a slave, as many people may believe. Only the wealthy could afford slaves. These slaves abducted from Africa were characterized and treated equivalent to animals by their owners. Since slaves were owned, they were property, and they were treated however their holders felt fit. This was a great threat to democracy because it went against what democracy supposedly stood for. Slavery, at the time, was disregarded in the constitution and therefore it can be concluded that the government ignored it. There were greater threats to democracy during the first decades of U.S. independence that are far more important to the significance of the period. Americans held an optimistic view of the nation’s manifest destiny. The benefits and pitfalls that go hand-in-hand with a democratic society call for a fluid and amendable constitution. Nevertheless, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses as evidenced by the overall equitable conditions amidst the citizens, and the equal opportunities available to all.

Alcohol Essay

His advice to teens is to not rink at all and stand up to peer pressure. The advice he gives to his children is to Stay clear Of alcohol and if you are brought into a situation involving alcohol excuse yourself from the party or wherever that may be. He explained that even if you aren't drinking and are in an environment with alcohol that new laws in Pennsylvania claim you are still in the possession of alcohol and you can get charged for that. He touched on the fact that it's becoming socially acceptable by some parents to allow their kids to drink in a controlled environment.He is completely against this because you run the risk of them tenting behind the wheel and putting their lives at risk. I think many people need to be aware of Officer Myers view on substance abuse amongst teens. Especially the fact that you can still get charged with underage drinking, if you are in the presence of alcohol at a party, even if you aren't the one drinking it. I'm against this law because I thin k it discourages the idea of designated drivers but do believe people need to be aware of it. The first adult I interviewed had a very strong opinion on substance abuse among adolescents.She stated that people have a genetic predetermined gene that makes them have an addictive personality. If kids start experimenting with alcohol and drugs too early she believes that they will most likely become abusers by adulthood. She stated, â€Å"It runs in families, for example, several men in my family are alcoholics who personally turned me off from drinking. Also, my older brother was a heavy drinker and my niece has had years of alcohol and drug abuse. It eventually got to the point that she lost custody of her 5 children and was put in jail for stealing money to support her habit. Having grown up with an alcoholic grandfather, she explained that watching the negative effects that alcohol had on her family add her feel in a way that she didn't think alcohol was something she needed. She w as extremely curious as to how kids today even obtain alcohol, who gives them the money, and so on. She also thinks it's outrageous that some parents accept drinking among their teens or even allow them to do it at home. She added, â€Å"l have friends that who let their underage kids drink at home and they said it was to teach them to learn to drink responsibly.However, I think that could increase their chances of addiction and should not be tolerated. † I definitely can relate to this persons perspective on alcohol abuse among adolescents. Coming from a family that has had alcohol and drug problems, I completely understand her viewpoint and why she feels that its not only is it unnecessary for her to drink, but that underage drinking should not be tolerated. However, as I do believe that some people may be more prone to becoming an addict I do disagree with her statement about people being born addicts.The second adult I interviewed absolutely had a different view on drinki ng and alcohol abuse among adolescents. She started off by saying â€Å"The way the laws are today, teens cannot drink beer like did when was a teen. Now they rink hard liquor and they can't handle it. It's also so forbidden that it almost makes it attractive. † She continued by saying that drinking vodka as your first experience is a gateway into trying the next bigger thing which could be smoking weed, than taking pills, and then getting into harder drugs and major alcohol and substance abuse problems.She believes the laws have helped with Dud's but not with changing the drinking and substance abuse amongst teens. Experimenting with alcohol, she stated, is something that teens have always done and that is something she doesn't think any law or program loud change and convince teenagers not to drink. She also added, â€Å"l feel it's always going to take something tragic to happen to make somebody say they won't ever drink again. Also feel people are born addicts. I had a f riend in high school who drank beer in his house alone every night and when used to ask him why he did that he said it was because he liked the way it made him feel. That teen ended up becoming an alcoholic. She strongly felt that she there wasn't anything someone could do about it. Starting a habit that young as a teen wreaked havoc on his early adult life. When asked about her experiences with drinking she stated that, â€Å"l personally could never drink again in my life and it wouldn't bother me. I think people are the way they are. † She explained this is why it's hard for her to relate to teens that have us absence issues because she wonders why they can't just stop doing what they are doing.Something I strongly agree with that this second adult stated was that sometimes it takes something tragic to happen for a teen or even an adult to say that they will never drink again. Although this is clearly not the ideal situation I do think that this happens a lot and that some times kids are hard o convince otherwise. Also agree that bad habits of substance abuse as a teen can lead to a troubled adulthood. I also agree with her view on something that seems like a spiral affect. If you start drinking vodka as a young teen, you may keep experimenting with worse things that could have serious negative effects.The teens interviewed had very interesting views on substance abuse amongst adolescents. The first teen started off by saying, â€Å"l think it's ridiculous that the drinking age is 21 to prevent brain damage, injuries, and addiction when an 18 year old can legally buy cigarettes and smoke as many packs a day as they want. Teens can risk their lives fighting for a country in a war but can't have a beer. † His reasoning was that he understands that experimenting with alcohol can be very dangerous can kill you if you drink too much, especially as a teen, but he feels that he is mature enough to drink responsibly.His parents were raised in a house w here they were able to drink wine with dinner; this made drinking seem like less of a deal. To him, drinking in a controlled environment can benefit kids and stop them from binge drinking. He also stated that drinking in a controlled environment can decreases a child's chance of addiction. The zero tolerance by the police for alcohol abuse by teens does not work. They should instead try to teach teens how to drink responsibly,† he stated. His parents rule is that if he comes home too intoxicated then he will be grounded for a month but they understand that he Will be experimenting with alcohol.While they do not encourage it, they are understanding and want him to know that he can call them if him or any Of his friends are in danger and need help. He added, â€Å"l think that's the best way to be because don't have to sneak around and can have an honest relationship with my parents. † I thought that my friend's viewpoint on the fact that if an 18 year old is fighting for our country, risking his life, and can legally buy cigarettes that he should be able to drink a beer was very interesting.It's something that don't hear about a lot and is a bit controversial because it seems like fighting in a war and smoking can be much more harmful to one's health. I agree that the zero tolerance policy by the police with underage drinking does not work in most cases because don't think teens are ever going to stop drinking. Although I'm not sure that his family's rules on him drinking are the best, it's interesting how beneficial they seem to him. â€Å"l think drinking is really fun and that's why teenagers do it.Kids who binge drink and throw up are disgusting but they will learn from their mistakes,† is what the second friend interviewed had to say. Similarly to what my first friend said, my second friend said that although some adults are in denial of this, no alcohol class, citation, or program could make him stop drinking. Alcohol use amongst teens is completely normal to him but what he is against is getting behind the wheel after you have been drinking or getting in the car tit someone who has been drinking.He stated that if adults want to help teens maybe they should educate them about how different types of alcohol affection differently so teens are aware of alcohol poisoning and how easy it could happen to someone. He added, â€Å"l think the kids who drink the most and do drugs have family problems or other deep rooted issues. Most teenagers just want to have a good time on the weekend and get away from the stress of school, sports, Stats, college applications etc. † In conclusion, he stated that these types of kids who drink to have a good time are different hat kids who abuse drugs and alcohol and that those kids have way bigger problems.