Should Smoking Be Restricted in Public Places essays

Should Smoking Be Restricted in Public Places essays Smoking has been an issue for many years now. Questions as to when and where smoking should be permitted are usually the concerns of the public health. In some places, such as the restaurants and offices, non-smoking regulation is sometimes a strict rule. However, in other public places, smoking does not post an illegal act to smokers. Up to what extent should smoking really be restricted in public places' Many governments in many nations are taking actions in discouraging the habit of smoking. Health institutions promote health warnings and advertisements to discourage people from smoking. According to Daniel, Rosen, and Allen, however, in their Attitudes, Information, and Behavior of College Students Related to Smoking and Smoking Cessation, the government's action of influencing people in their crusade against smoking will only reach the support of the non-smokers, those who quit smoking, and those who have never smoked. Somehow, this is true. Smokers, especially those who have been addicted to smoking, cannot easily give up their habit. Despite of the government's deep concern and major encouragements, a smoker will still cling to his tendencies of smoking. If this is the case, so how can the government pursue an effective method of minimizing smoking' One answer to minimize smoking is the proposition of many anti-smoking crusades to restrict smoking in public places. If such law is passed and implemented in all public areas, this would not only help the smokers but the rest of the non-smoking group as well. In recent years, the effects of smoking have been visible in the many diseases that were proven to be caused by cigarette smokes. Such includes lung cancer and heart diseases. smoking has also tolled the lives and health of many smokers. This was a report indicated by the Surgeon General of the United States, and was pointed out in Joseph Califano's article ...

Free sample - Neoclassicism To Minimalism. translation missing

Neoclassicism To Minimalism. Neoclassicism To MinimalismAn art movement is a style in art with explicit common philosophy which is adhered to by a group of artists during a restricted period of time or its heyday. Over the years, various art forms have been developed. Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Surrealism, cubism, Futurism, Post-Impressionism and Realism has been discussed here-in on a basis of characteristics, themes and examples of artwork. Neoclassicism was an art and style developed during the late 1700’s in the French revolution. It has various visual characteristics: It is solidly modeled using strong direct lights and darks to show form, the compositions are rational in that they are balanced and orderly, presence of strong acidic colors, there are no marks left by the artist since brush strokes are carefully controlled to hide individual strokes and it stresses virtues of classical civilizations of the Greeks and Romans such as discipline, athleticism, education, and moral principles, honesty and charity. Angular and sculptural shapes are normally assigned to males while soft and curvilinear forms depict women. Neoclassical themes are normally centered on classical stories heroic acts and virtues carried out by males who are depicted as gallant and stoic. Felinity in women, on the other hand, is depicted and confined to the domestic and private realm. Neoclassicism is therefore depicted as masculine whereby the male body depicts topical issues on politics, society and sexual attributes. The Neoclassic painting of the famous violinist Paganini by Ingres shows this form perfectly. (Brumfield, 1991) Romanticism was an art style during the mid 1800s that was a resultant of the revolt against Neoclassicism. The major characteristics of Romanticism are: It attempts to display ideal beauty through dramatic scenes, individual marks of the artist can be viewed, it is a form of art that is based on feelings basically of love rather than thoughts hence gets the viewer to experience strong emotions and it is based on an exotic subject matter. In its theme, it is normally based on atmospheric landscapes with a nostalgic depiction of the past especially the Gothic with a bias towards the primitive such as traditional folk culture, cult of individual heroic figures who are often revolutionaries in art or politics, mysticism, the cult of sensibility that emphasizes on women and children, passion for romance and a fascination with death. The romantic painting of Paganini by Turner attempts to show the feeling of his music through the emotional qualities of the man and physical traits of the c omposer. (Tekiner, 2000) Impressionism is an art movement or style that started in the mid 1800s in France. There are various characteristics of Impressionism such as: Asymmetrical balance whereby the plunging perspective, cropped forms   and art work compositions are balanced asymmetrically; use of pure color whereby pure, prismatic colors fresh from the new tin tubes unmixed on the palette are laid directly on the canvas; use of Impasto or thick paint applied in thick raised strokes   to create a roughened uneven texture; use of a high horizon line in order to create a plunging perspective; use of colored shadows and the use of broken color and broken brushstrokes. The theme expresses perceptions of nature by covering rural landscapes, maritime landscapes, pastoral landscapes, bucolic visions of nature and aquatic art. Neo-Impressionist paintings have gone further to entail urban scenes and joyous modern life in working class scenes. One of the famous pieces of art was Girl with a Hoop done by Pierre-A uguste Renoir in 1885. (Denvir, 1990) Surrealism is a form of art and a cultural movement that started in the 1920s which drew elements from both Cubism and Expressionism. Over the years, the members have produced great works in visual artworks and writings. There are various characteristics of this style which entail a blend of the depictive, the abstract, and the psychological. Some devices applied are levitation, changing of scale in an object, transparency and use of repetition in creating a typical art form. The juxtaposition of objects that would otherwise not be grouped together is also used in order to convey a certain message or show a metaphor.   Most artworks have simple titles that simply state the subject matter for easy comprehensibility. The major theme is the ability of love to overcome reason which has been widely depicted by the French surrealist Desnos’s in Deuil pour Deuil whereby the narrator is in a ruined desert city close to a river yet he insists on ‘us’. This illustrates a blind quest for love. Other themes covered are sexuality as depicted by Metamorphosis of Narcissus painted in 1937; artistic intention, chance and fatalism; relation between dream and reality and taboos. (Breton, 1924) The basics of cubism can be seen in another art movement such as pointillism and fauvism. Cubism is the art form entailing creation of abstract shapes in three dimension on a two dimensional surface.   Artists such as Pablo Picasso have popularized this art form. The artist's attempt to show several views on multiple planes of a particular subject is the most distinguishable feature. Cubist art forms are also shallow in depth and perception. It preserves a warped two-dimensional look via a presentation of subjects that are broken up along geometric planes. Analytic Cubist art applies monochromatic color scheme while synthetic cubism adopts multiple color schemes. The most popular theme is still life as depicted by the Still Life with Open Window painting by Rue Ravignan in 1915. This is a work of art that depicts inanimate subject content, commonplace objects such as flowers and manmade objects such as jewellery. Religious and allegorical symbolism is attached to the art. (Cooper, 1970) Futurism is an art form that emerged in Italy under the Italian poet, Filippo Marinetti . There are various essential characteristics of futurism such as it includes irregular, agitated lines communicating the movement’s energy and images being displayed as if in perpetual motion. Futurism is based on a theme of violence, war, anarchy, technology and speed based on an urban background which is conveyed through the artwork’s energy. Paintings and sculptures glorify life and the changes in technology that transforms objects.   Carr's Funeral of the Anarchist Galli displays police attacks and the riot aftermath in 1904 Italy. Broken panes and diagonals rendered energetically distinguish this art form. (Conversi, 2009)Post-Impressionism is a resultant art form as a widely felt reaction against impressionism. These paintings apply the bright Impressionist palette but create art in a formalized order and structure. Paint application technique applied enables the viewer to s ee the image from multiple angles. In the art work, one can easily see brushstrokes, the style used and the personal experience of the painter over fidelity, multiple viewing angles and the personal expressiveness of the painter. Paintings are based on realistic scenes of modern life which are displayed by visual effects rather than inclusion of details. This is particularly the case in Alfred Sisley’s 1872 painting Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne. (Rewald, 1978) Realism is an art form that aims at faithfully representing reality and various aspects of actualities in life. It mainly represents the middle class without any prejudice, romance or idealism. It is characterized by a representation of reality in comprehensive detail with characters being of more importance than the action or plot. There is a complex relationship between characters, nature, social class and their past. The diction applied in the compositions is natural but poetic. This art form deals with ethical issues and choices in its themes. The socio-economic class conflict is addressed in these compositions as a major theme. The widening gaps between rich and poor are depicted by the characters used. Charles Dicken’s work on David Copperfield, the suffering of impoverished children who have to work in industries illustrates realism explicitly.   (Morris, 2003) References Breton. (1924). Manifesto of Surrealism. Pierre Reverdy . Brumfield, W. C. (1991). The Origins of Modernism in Russian Architecture. University of California Press. Conversi, D. (2009). Art, Nationalism and War: Political Futurism in Italy. Sociology Compass. Cooper, D. (1970). The Cubist Epoch. Phaidon Press Limited. Denvir, B. (1990). The Thames and Hudson Encyclopaedia of Impressionism. London: Thames and Hudson. Morris, P. (2003). Realism. Routledge. Rewald, J. (1978). Post-Impressionism: From Van Gogh to Gauguin. London : Secker Warburg. Tekiner, D. (2000). Modern Art and the Romantic Vision. University Press of America.

Evolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evolution - Essay Example There is an overwhelming body of evidence which supports the theory that life on this planet started from a single living microorganism which evolved and adapted into the multitude of living creatures that inhabit the earth. Furthermore, other than the fact that there is strong evidence to conclude that the theory of evolution is sound and valid, the author does not feel that there is similar empirical support for other existential theories. This paper will begin by presenting an introduction into the topic of evolution, including pertinent definitions and a brief history on the issue. Then, the paper will move on to presenting necessary and sufficient evidence that backs up the author’s position on evolution. This paper will also include the presentation of an objection to the author’s position and a corresponding refutal of this objection. Evolution: Definition and History Evolution is the change in the form and behavior of organisms between generations. According to Ridley’s book entitled Evolution, evolutionary changes in living things do not proceed in a predictable manner; instead, the details of evolution depend on the environment that a population happens to live in and the genetic variants that happen to arise by almost random processes in that population (2004). A great majority attributes the evolution theory to Charles Darwin, who, in the 1800s, was the first to present a convincing explanation of how evolution works in his classic work, On the Origin of Species. However, it was the ancient Greeks who had the first known discussions about some concepts that later became part of evolutionary theory. In particular a Greek scientist named Anaximander who lived during the sixth century BC said all life began in the sea. Later on, sea creatures crawled onto dry land and over time, their bodies slowly changed, evolving into reptiles, mammals, and even people (Nardo, 2009). Evolution may be biological or organic, but the key point is t hat there is a modification in the descendants of organisms over generations. It has to be noted that the unit of evolutionary change is the population, not the individual, which is why changes are manifested in a widespread manner. Evolution: Supporting Evidence Science requires the testing of explanations of the natural world against nature itself, and discarding those explanations that do not work. What distinguishes science from other ways of knowing is its reliance upon the natural world itself as the arbiter of truth. It is for this reason that the theory of evolution presents such a strong argument --- because it is deeply rooted in scientific foundations. Thus, its reliability has been proven time and again by a number of empirical studies, done by a number of respected personalities in the field of science. There are main pieces of evidence that support the theory of evolution. The first is concerned with similarities between organisms that one would not expect if they had independent origins. These similarities are found on all levels, from the molecular to the anatomical. Second, organisms can be classified in a hierarchical fashion in a nested pattern of groups within groups, as predicted by evolutionary theory. Third, biogeography plays a great role in defense of the theory of evolution. Biogeography is the study of the distribution of organisms across the world. The observation that the most closely related species are found close together geographically, regardless of their habitat or their

The Islamic Association of Raleigh and First Presbyterian Church Essay

The Islamic Association of Raleigh and First Presbyterian Church - Essay Example I was eager to find out the similarities and the differences in the mode of worship, contents of their summons and how they address various critical issues facing the community such as security. Worship at First Presbyterian Church is based of several religious facets. They include actions that put the word of God as the principal reference. Some of these actions are; proclaiming the word of God, acting around the word, sealing the world and also spreading the word to non-believers. The First Presbyterian Church regards prayer as the most important avenue through which communication with God is done. Several prayer sessions are created during the session. The church believes that prayer brings the Holy Spirit closer to the congregation and there is high possibility that their needs and problems will be heard and determined. The service entails regular periods of song worship. The church believes that song unites the congregation in common prayer session where the Holy Spirit can descend to each one of them. Most songs are extracted from designated hymn books. The worship songs in the hymn books are categorized into several parts and applied depending on the part of the service. There are prayer songs, praise songs, thanksgiving songs and also inspirational songs. All the songs are added in order to supplement other element of the service such as prayers and preaching. Preaching at First Presbyterian Church is based on the bible. It involves interpretation of the bible verses based on the conviction through the Holy Spirit. The message is interpreted to the congregation by a preacher through a simplified interrelation that blends with a specific situation. For example, on the 30th March, 2014, the preacher at First Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, Dr Ed McLeod, prepared a sermon on ‘Why’. The sermon was aimed at incorporating the scriptures and real-life situation. The preacher gave real life scenarios that improve the quality of the

Multicultural backgrounds Essay Example for Free

Multicultural backgrounds Essay Both of these poets John Agard and Sujata Bhatt write poems about their multicultural backgrounds. In John Agards poem half-caste he starts off with Standard English. But as he goes on through out the poem he uses Caribbean dialect. His poem is about his feelings towards being multicultural. He feels angry, sad and is questioning his audience. In Sujata Bhatts poem search for my tongue she has many feelings about her mother tongue and how she doesnt want to lose her first language. She is feeling sad because she thinks she is loosing her mother tongue but it comes back in her dream and she feels happy again. John Agard was born in Guyana but moved to England in 1977 so he has lived in England for 30 years. John Agard finds the term half-caste insulting and wants people to know how he feels about being mixed raced. Sujata Bhatt is like John Agard because she was born in India but moved when she was young. Sujata Bhatt moved to the United States. This is where she learned her English. She married a person from Germany, where she later then moved to. She wrote this poem search for my tongue because she was afraid of loosing her mother tongue Gujarati. In half-caste John Agard demonstrates a lot of emotions. He is angry in his poem he says ah rass this is a term of discust. John Agard is being ironic when he says I offer you half a hand you would expect him to offer you a whole hand. How can you offer half a hand? John Agard is also trying to be humours, when he refers to things as half. Like the English weather yu mean when light on shadow mix in de sky is a half-case weather John Agard is trying to put across that the English sky is never one colour its a mixture of colours like blue, white, grey. This links in with his multicoloured background because they are different colours just like he is. Sujata Bhatt also uses a lot of emotions in her poem. Sujata Bhatt feels sad when she says If you had two tongues in your mouth, and lost the first one, the mother tongue she feels like she didnt get to know her mother tongue and feels sad that she dont know her first language. Sujata Bhatt thinks that her mother tongue would not come back to her in the first part of the poem. So the first two stanzas of her poem are about her sadness. However when she realises her mother tongue is back she feels happy it grows back, a stomp of a shoot she is feeling pleased that she can remember Gujarati again. Sujata Bhatt felt that she had lost her mother tongue forever but when she realised that it came back she was relieved that she still knows Gujarati. No one would want to there mother tongue. The tone in John Agards poem half-caste is said in an angry tone. John Agard is warning those people who call him half-caste, as John Agard finds the word half-caste offensive. John Agard says explain yuself wha yu mean its as if someone as called John Agard half-caste and he wants to know the reason why they have called him half-caste. John Agard is thinking that being half-caste doesnt mean he should be called something different. Through out the poem John Agards tone does change. He starts being perplexed. He has given the audience reasons in which being half-caste is such a beautiful thing. Like Picassos paintings when yu say half-caste yu mean Picasso Picassos paintings are colourful and bright. In Sujata Bhatts poem search for my tongue her tone is sad. As he thinks her mother tongue has gone. Through a long period of time her tone is sadness. However after the Gujarati Sujata Bhatts tone changes. Her tone becomes happier as her mother tongue comes back to life the bud opens, the bud opens in my mouth her tone becomes a happier. This style of tone carries on. Sujata Bhatts tone changes just like John Agards tone. They both start off in a sad way but as the poem progresses the tone changes to a more happier tone.

Effect Of The Environment On Western Settlers Essay -- essays research

Effect of the Environment on Western Settlers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the country grew and expanded, the American people where always one to push their bounds. In 1763, we proudly, defied England's proclamation of the year, and settled west of the Appalachian mountains. A little later, the westward people pushed Indians, animals, and society to a place where no American person had gone before. But all the while, one important factor determined where they transported themselves, where they settled, and what they did when they got there. This factor, the environment, profoundly affected the settlers way of life, and other factors, such as the Indians and the railroad, only aggravated a pre-existing condition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The settlers of the late 1800's had only one way to get to the west- along the pre-existing routes established by the courier-de-bois, Spanish settlers, and the Indians of the past. These routes, which flowed through the only passable areas of the Rockies, naturally led to Oregon and California, which caused an increase in the population of these regions at the time. These trails, such as the Oregon Trail to the north, the Mormon and Spanish Trail to the south, and the California and Overland trails in between were very rough and bumpy, making the trek no easy task.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the home front, the environment played an important role on the family life as well.. Women had a more prominent role in society as w...

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 28

Chapter 28 Joshua's ministry was three years of preaching, sometimes three times a day, and although there were some high and low points, I could never remember the sermons word for word, but here's the gist of almost every sermon I ever heard Joshua give. You should be nice to people, even creeps. And if you: a) believed that Joshua was the Son of God (and) b) he had come to save you from sin (and) c) acknowledged the Holy Spirit within you (became as a little child, he would say)(and) d) didn't blaspheme the Holy Ghost (see c), then you would: e) live forever f) someplace nice g) probably heaven. However, if you: h) sinned (and/or) i) were a hypocrite (and/or) j) valued things over people (and) k) didn't do a, b, c, and d, then you were: l) fucked Which is the message that Joshua's father had given him so many years ago, and which seemed, at the time, succinct to the point of rudeness, but made more sense after you listened to a few hundred sermons. That's what he taught, that's what we learned, that's what we passed on to the people in the towns of Galilee. Not everybody was good at it, however, and some seemed to miss the point altogether. One day Joshua, Maggie, and I returned from preaching in Cana to find Bartholomew sitting by the synagogue at Capernaum, preaching the Gospel to a semicircle of dogs that sat around him. The dogs seemed spellbound, but then, Bart was wearing a flank steak as a hat, so I'm not sure it was his speaking skills that held their attention. Joshua snatched the steak off of Bartholomew's head and tossed it into the street, where a dozen dogs suddenly found their faith. â€Å"Bart, Bart, Bart,† Josh said as he shook the big man by the shoulders, â€Å"don't give what's holy to dogs. Don't cast your pearls before swine. You're wasting the Word.† â€Å"I don't have any pearls. I am slave to no possessions.† â€Å"It's a metaphor, Bart,† Joshua said, deadpan. â€Å"It means don't give the Word to those who aren't ready to receive it.† â€Å"You mean like when you drowned the swine in Decapolis? They weren't ready for it?† Joshua looked at me for help. I shrugged. Maggie said, â€Å"That's exactly right, Bart. You got it.† â€Å"Oh, why didn't you say so?† Bart said. â€Å"Okay guys, we're off to preach the Word in Magdala.† He climbed to his feet and led his pack of disciples toward the lake. Joshua looked at Maggie. â€Å"That's not what I meant at all.† â€Å"Yes it is,† she said, then she took off to find Johanna and Susanna, two women who had joined us and were learning to preach the gospel. â€Å"That's not what I meant,† Joshua said to me. â€Å"Have you ever won an argument with her?† He shook his head. â€Å"Then say amen and let's go see what Peter's wife has cooked up.† The disciples were gathered around outside of Peter's house, sitting on the logs we had arranged in a circle around a fire pit. They were all looking down and seemed to be caught in some glum prayer. Even Matthew was there, when he should have been at his job collecting taxes in Magdala. â€Å"What's wrong?† asked Joshua. â€Å"John the Baptist is dead,† said Philip. â€Å"What?† Joshua sat down on the log next to Peter and leaned against him. â€Å"We just saw Bartholomew,† I said. â€Å"He didn't say anything about it.† â€Å"We just found out,† said Andrew. â€Å"Matthew just brought the news from Tiberius.† It was the first time since he'd joined us that I'd seen Matthew without the light of enthusiasm in his face. He might have aged ten years in the last few hours. â€Å"Herod had him beheaded,† he said. â€Å"I thought Herod was afraid of John,† I said. It was rumored that Herod had kept John alive because he actually believed him to be the Messiah and was afraid of the wrath of God should the holy man perish. â€Å"It was at the request of his stepdaughter,† said Matthew. â€Å"John was killed at the behest of a teenage slut.† â€Å"Well, jeez, if he wasn't dead already, the irony would have killed him,† I said. Joshua stared into the dirt before him, thinking or praying, I couldn't tell. Finally he said, â€Å"John's followers will be like babes in the wilderness.† â€Å"Thirsty?† guessed Nathaniel. â€Å"Hungry?† guessed Peter. â€Å"Horny?† guessed Thomas. â€Å"No, you dumbfucks, lost. They'll be lost!† I said. â€Å"Jeez.† Joshua stood. â€Å"Philip, Thaddeus, go to Judea, tell John's followers that they are welcome here. Tell them that John's work is not lost. Bring them here.† â€Å"But master,† Judas said, â€Å"John has thousands of followers. If they come here, how will we feed them?† â€Å"He's new,† I explained. The next day was the Sabbath, and in the morning as we all headed to the synagogue, an old man in fine clothes ran out of the bushes and threw himself at Joshua's feet. â€Å"Oh, Rabbi,† he wailed, â€Å"I am the mayor of Magdala. My youngest daughter has died. People say that you can heal the sick and raise the dead, will you help me?† Joshua looked around. A half-dozen local Pharisees watched us from different points around the village. Joshua turned to Peter. â€Å"Take the Word to the synagogue today. I am going to help this man.† â€Å"Thank you, Rabbi,† the rich man gushed. He hurried off and waved for us to follow. â€Å"Where are you taking us?† I asked. â€Å"Only as far as Magdala,† he said. To Joshua I said, â€Å"That's farther than a Sabbath's journey allows.† â€Å"I know,† Joshua said. As we passed through all of the small villages along the coast on the way to Magdala, people came out of their houses and followed us for as long as they dared on a Sabbath, but I could also see the elders, the Pharisees, watching as we went. The mayor's house was large for Magdala, and his daughter had her own sleeping room. He led Joshua into the bedchamber where the girl lay. â€Å"Please save her, Rabbi.† Joshua bent down and examined the girl. â€Å"Go out of here,† he said to the old man. â€Å"Out of the house.† When the mayor was gone Joshua looked at me. â€Å"She's not dead.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"This girl is sleeping. Maybe they've given her some strong wine, or some sleeping powder, but she is not dead.† â€Å"So this is a trap?† â€Å"I didn't see this one coming either,† Joshua said. â€Å"They expect me to claim that I raised her from the dead, healed her, when she's only sleeping. Blasphemy and healing on the Sabbath.† â€Å"Let me raise her from the dead, then. I mean, I can do this one if she's only sleeping.† â€Å"They'll blame me for whatever you do as well. You may be their target too. The local Pharisees didn't devise this themselves.† â€Å"Jakan?† Josh nodded. â€Å"Go get the old man, and gather as many witnesses as you can, Pharisees as well. Make a ruckus.† When I had about fifty people gathered in and around the house, Joshua announced, â€Å"This girl isn't dead, she's sleeping, you foolish old man.† Joshua shook the girl and she sat up rubbing her eyes. â€Å"Keep watch on your strong wine, old man. Rejoice that you have not lost your daughter, but grieve that you have broken the Sabbath for your ignorance.† Then Joshua stormed out and I followed him. When we were a ways down the street he said, â€Å"Do you think they bought it?† â€Å"Nope,† I said. â€Å"Me either,† Joshua said. In the morning a Roman soldier came to Peter's house with messages. I was still sleeping when I heard the shouting. â€Å"I can only speak to Joshua of Nazareth,† someone said in Latin. â€Å"You'll speak to me or you'll never speak again,† I heard someone else say. (Obviously someone who had no desire to live a long life.) I was up and running in an instant, my tunic waving unbelted behind me. I rounded the corner at Peter's house to see Judas facing down a legionnaire. The soldier had partially drawn his short sword. â€Å"Judas!† I barked. â€Å"Back down.† I put myself between them. I knew I could disarm the soldier easily, but not the legion that would follow him if I did. â€Å"Who sends you, soldier?† â€Å"I have a message from Gaius Justus Gallicus, commander of the Sixth Legion, for Joshua bar Joseph of Nazareth.† He glared at Judas over my shoulder. â€Å"But there is nothing in my orders to keep me from killing this dog while delivering it.† I turned to face Judas, whose face was on fire with anger. I knew he carried a dagger in his sash, although I hadn't told Joshua about it. â€Å"Justus is a friend, Judas.† â€Å"No Roman is the friend of a Jew,† said Judas, making no effort whatever to whisper. And at that point, realizing that Joshua hadn't reached our new Zealot recruit with the message of forgiveness for all men, and that he was going to get himself killed, I quickly reached up under Judas' tunic, clamped onto his scrotum, squeezed once, rapidly and extremely hard, and after he blasted a mouthful of slobber on my chest, his eyes rolled in his head and he slumped to his knees, unconscious. I caught him and lowered him to the ground so he didn't hit his head. Then I turned to the Roman. â€Å"Fainting spells,† I said. â€Å"Let's go find Joshua.† Justus had sent us three messages from Jerusalem: Jakan had indeed divorced Maggie; the Pharisees' full council had met and they were plotting to kill Joshua; and Herod Antipas had heard of Joshua's miracles and was afraid that he might be the reincarnation of John the Baptist. Justus' only personal note was one word: Careful. â€Å"Joshua, you need to hide,† said Maggie. â€Å"Leave Herod's territory until things settle down. Go to Decapolis, preach to the gentiles. Herod Philip has no love for his brother, his soldiers won't bother you.† Maggie had become a fiercely dedicated preacher herself. It was as if she had channeled her personal passion for Joshua into a passion for the Word. â€Å"Not yet,† said Joshua. â€Å"Not until Philip and Thaddeus return with John's followers. I will not leave them lost. I need a sermon, one that can serve as if it was my last, one that will sustain the lost while I'm gone. Once I deliver it to Galilee, I'll go to Philip's territory.† I looked at Maggie and she nodded, as if to say, Do what you have to, but protect him. â€Å"Let's write it then,† I said. Like any great speech, the Sermon on the Mount sounds as if it just happened spontaneously, but actually Joshua and I worked on it for over a week – Joshua dictating and me taking notes on parchment. (I had invented a way of sandwiching a thin piece of charcoal between two pieces of olive wood so that I could write without carrying a quill and inkwell.) We worked in front of Peter's house, out in the boat, even on the mountainside where he would deliver the sermon. Joshua wanted to devote a long section of the sermon to adultery, largely, I realize now, motivated by my relationship with Maggie. Even though Maggie had resolved to stay celibate and preach the Word, I think Joshua wanted to drive the point home. Joshua said, â€Å"Put in ‘If a man even looks at a woman with lust in his heart, he has committed adultery.'† â€Å"Really, you want to go with that? And this ‘If a divorced woman remarries she commits adultery'?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Seems a little harsh. A little Pharisee-ish.† â€Å"I had some people in mind. What do you have?† â€Å"‘Verily I say unto you' – I know you like to say ‘verily' when you're talking about adultery – anyway, ‘Verily I say unto you, that should a man put oil upon a woman's naked body, and make her go upon all fours and bark like a dog, while knowing her, if you know what I mean, then he has committed adultery, and surely if a woman do the same thing right back, well she has jumped on the adultery donkey cart herownself. And if a woman should pretend to be a powerful queen, and a man a lowly slave boy, and if she should call him humiliating names and make him lick upon her body, then surely they have sinned like big dogs – and woe unto the man if he pretends to be a powerful queen, and – ‘† â€Å"That's enough, Biff.† â€Å"But you want to be specific, don't you. You don't want people to walk around wondering, ‘Hey, is this adultery, or what? Maybe you should roll over.'† â€Å"I'm not sure that being that specific is a good idea.† â€Å"Okay, how 'bout this: ‘Should a man or a woman have any goings-on with their mutual naughty bits, then it is more than likely they are committing adultery, or at least they should consider it.'† â€Å"Well, maybe more specific than that.† â€Å"Come on, Josh, this isn't an easy one like ‘Thou shalt not kill.' Basically, there you got a corpse, you got a sin, right?† â€Å"Yes, adultery can be sticky.† â€Å"Well, yes†¦Look, a seagull!† â€Å"Biff, I appreciate that you feel obliged to be an advocate for your favorite sins, but that's not what I need here. What I need is help writing this sermon. How we doing on the Beatitudes?† â€Å"Pardon me?† â€Å"The blesseds.† â€Å"We've got: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness; blessed are the poor in spirit, the pure in heart, the whiners, the meek, the – â€Å" â€Å"Wait, what are we giving the meek?† â€Å"Let's see, uh, here: Blessed are the meek, for to them we shall say, ‘attaboy.'† â€Å"A little weak.† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Let's let the meek inherit the earth.† â€Å"Can't you give the earth to the whiners?† â€Å"Well then, cut the whiners and give the earth to the meek.† â€Å"Okay. Earth to the meek. Here we go. Blessed are the peacemakers, the mourners, and that's it.† â€Å"How many is that?† â€Å"Seven.† â€Å"Not enough. We need one more. How about the dumbfucks?† â€Å"No, Josh, not the dumbfucks. You've done enough for the dumbfucks. Nathaniel, Thomas – â€Å" â€Å"Blessed are the dumbfucks for they, uh – I don't know – they shall never be disappointed.† â€Å"No, I'm drawing the line at dumbfucks. Come on, Josh, why can't we have any powerful guys on our team? Why do we have to have the meek, and the poor, the oppressed, and the pissed on? Why can't we, for once, have blessed are the big powerful rich guys with swords?† â€Å"Because they don't need us.† â€Å"Okay, but no ‘Blessed are the dumbfucks.'† â€Å"Who then?† â€Å"Sluts?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"How about the wankers? I can think of five or six disciples that would be really blessed.† â€Å"No wankers. I've got it: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake.† â€Å"Okay, better. What are you going to give them?† â€Å"A fruit basket.† â€Å"You can't give the meek the whole earth and these guys a fruit basket.† â€Å"Give them the kingdom of heaven.† â€Å"The poor in spirit got that.† â€Å"Everybody gets some.† â€Å"Okay then, ‘share the Kingdom of Heaven.'† I wrote it down. â€Å"We could give the fruit basket to the dumbfucks.† â€Å"NO DUMBFUCKS!† â€Å"Sorry, I just feel for them.† â€Å"You feel for everyone, Josh. It's your job.† â€Å"Oh yeah. I forgot.† We finished writing the sermon only a few hours before Philip and Thaddeus returned from Judea leading three thousand of John's followers. Joshua had them gather on a hillside above Capernaum, then sent the disciples into the crowd to find the sick and bring them to him. He performed miracles of healing all morning, then coming into the afternoon he gathered us together at the spring below the mountain. Peter said, â€Å"There's at least another thousand people from Galilee on the hill, Joshua, and they are hungry.† â€Å"How much food do we have?† Joshua asked. Judas came forward with a basket. â€Å"Five loaves and two fish.† â€Å"That will do, but you'll need more baskets. And about a hundred volunteers to help distribute the food. Nathaniel, you, Bartholomew, and Thomas go into the crowd and find me fifty to a hundred people who have their own baskets. Bring them here. By the time you get back we'll have the food for them.† Judas threw down his basket. â€Å"We have five loaves, how do you think – â€Å" Joshua held up his hand for silence and the Zealot clammed up. â€Å"Judas, today you've seen the lame walk, the blind see, and the deaf hear.† â€Å"Not to mention the blind hear and the deaf see,† I added. Joshua scowled at me. â€Å"It will take little more to feed a few of the faithful.† â€Å"There are but five loaves!† shouted Judas. â€Å"Judas, once there was a rich man, who built great barns and granaries so he could save all of the fruits of his wealth long into his old age. But on the very day his barns were finished, the Lord said, â€Å"Hey, we need you up here.† And the rich man did say, â€Å"Oh shit, I'm dead.† So what good did his stuff do him?† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Don't worry about what you're going to eat.† Nathaniel, Bart, and Thomas started off to their assigned duty, but Maggie grabbed Nathaniel and held him fast. â€Å"No,† she said. â€Å"No one does anything until you promise us that you'll go into hiding after this sermon.† Joshua smiled. â€Å"How can I hide, Maggie? Who will spread the Word? Who will heal the sick?† â€Å"We will,† Maggie continued. â€Å"Now promise. Go into the land of the gentiles, out of Herod's reach, just until things calm down. Promise or we don't move.† Peter and Andrew stepped up behind Maggie to show their support. John and James were nodding as she spoke. â€Å"So be it,† said Joshua. â€Å"But now we have hungry people to feed.† And we fed them. The loaves and the fish were multiplied, jars were brought in from the surrounding villages and filled with water, which was carried to the mountainside, and all the while the local Pharisees watched and growled and spied, but they hadn't missed the healings, and they didn't miss the Sermon on the Mount, and word of it went back to Jerusalem with their poison reports. Afterward, at the spring by the shore, I gathered up the last of the pieces of bread to take home with us. Joshua came down the shore with a basket over his head, then pulled it off when he got to me. â€Å"When we said we wanted you to hide we meant something a little less obvious, Joshua. Great sermon, by the way.† Joshua started helping me gather up the bread that was strewn around on the ground. â€Å"I wanted to talk to you and I couldn't get away from the crowd without hiding under the basket. I'm having a little trouble preaching humility.† â€Å"You're so good at that one. People line up to hear the humility sermon.† â€Å"How can I preach that the humble will be exalted and the exalted will be humbled at the same time I'm being exalted by four thousand people?† â€Å"Bodhisattva, Josh. Remember what Gaspar taught you about being a bodhisattva. You don't have to be humble, because you are denying your own ascension by bringing the good news to other people. You're out of the humility flow, so to speak.† â€Å"Oh yeah.† He smiled. â€Å"But now that you mention it,† I said, â€Å"it does seem a little hypocritical.† â€Å"I'm not proud of that.† â€Å"Then you're okay.† That evening, when we had all gathered again in Capernaum, Joshua called us to the fire ring in front of Peter's house and we watched the last gold of the sunlight reflecting on the lake as Joshua led us in a prayer of thanks. Then he made the call: â€Å"Okay, who wants to be an apostle?† â€Å"I do, I do,† said Nathaniel. â€Å"What's an apostle?† â€Å"That's a guy who makes drugs,† I said. â€Å"Me, me,† said Nathaniel. â€Å"I want to make drugs.† â€Å"I'll try that,† said John. â€Å"That's an apothecary,† said Matthew. â€Å"An apothecary mixes powders and makes drugs. Apostle means ‘to send off.'† â€Å"Is this kid a whiz, or what,† I said, pointing a thumb at Matthew. â€Å"That's right,† said Joshua, â€Å"messengers. You'll be sent off to spread the message that the kingdom has come.† â€Å"Isn't that what we're doing now?† asked Peter. â€Å"No, now you're disciples, but I want to appoint apostles who will take the Word into the land. There will be twelve, for the twelve tribes of Israel. I'll give you power to heal, and power over devils. You'll be like me, only in a different outfit. You'll take nothing with you except your clothes. You'll live only off the charity of those you preach to. You'll be on your own, like sheep among wolves. People will persecute you and spit on you, and maybe beat you, and if that happens, well, it happens. Shake off the dust and move on. Now, who's with me?† And there was a roaring silence among the disciples. â€Å"How about you, Maggie?† â€Å"I'm not much of a traveler, Josh. Makes me nauseous. Disciple's fine with me.† â€Å"How 'bout you, Biff?† â€Å"I'm good. Thanks.† Joshua stood up and just counted them off. â€Å"Nathaniel, Peter, Andrew, Philip, James, John, Thaddeus, Judas, Matthew, Thomas, Bartholomew, and Simon. You're the apostles. Now get out there and apostilize.† And they all looked at each other. â€Å"Spread the good news, the son of man is here! The kingdom is coming. Go! Go! Go!† They got up and sort of milled around. â€Å"Can we take our wives?† asked James. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Or one of the women disciples?† asked Matthew. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Can Thomas Two go too?† â€Å"Yes, Thomas Two can go.† Their questions answered, they milled around some more. â€Å"Biff,† Joshua said. â€Å"Will you assign territories for everybody and send them out?† â€Å"Okey-dokey,† I said. â€Å"Who wants Samaria? No one? Good. Peter, it's yours. Give 'em hell. Caesarea? Come on, you weenies, step up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thus were the twelve appointed to their sacred mission. The next morning seventy of the people who we'd recruited to help feed the multitude came to Joshua when they heard about the appointing of the apostles. â€Å"Why only twelve?† one man asked. â€Å"You all want to cast off what you own, leave your families, and risk persecution and death to spread the good news?† Joshua asked. â€Å"Yes,† they all shouted. Joshua looked at me as if he himself couldn't believe it. â€Å"It was a really good sermon,† I said. â€Å"So be it,† said Joshua. â€Å"Biff, you and Matthew assign territories. Send no one to his hometown. That doesn't seem to work very well.† And so the twelve and the seventy were sent out, and Joshua, Maggie, and I went into Decapolis, which was the territory of Herod's brother, Philip, and camped and fished and basically hid out. Joshua preached a little, but only to small groups, and although he did heal the sick, he asked them not to tell anyone about the miracles. After three months hiding in Philip's territory, word came by boat from across the lake that someone had intervened on Joshua's behalf with the Pharisees and that the death warrant, which had never really been formal, had been lifted. We went home to Capernaum and waited for the apostles to return. Their enthusiasm had waned some after months in the field. â€Å"It sucks.† â€Å"People are mean.† â€Å"Lepers are creepy.† Matthew came out of Judea with more news of Joshua's mysterious benefactor from Jerusalem. â€Å"His name is Joseph of Arimathea,† said Matthew. â€Å"He's a wealthy merchant, and he owns ships and vineyards and olive presses. He seems to have the ear of the Pharisees, but he is not one of them. His wealth has given him some influence with the Romans as well. They are considering making him a citizen, I hear.† â€Å"What makes him want to help us?† I asked. â€Å"I talked to him for a long time about the kingdom, and about the Holy Ghost and the rest of Joshua's message. He believes.† Matthew smiled broadly, obviously proud of his powerful convert. â€Å"He wants you to come to his house for dinner, Joshua. In Jerusalem.† â€Å"Are you sure it's safe for Joshua there?† asked Maggie. â€Å"Joseph has sent this letter guaranteeing Joshua's safety along with all who accompany him to Jerusalem.† Matthew held out the letter. Maggie took the scroll and unrolled it. â€Å"My name is on this too. And Biff's.† â€Å"Joseph knew you would be coming, and I told him that Biff sticks to Joshua like a leech.† â€Å"Excuse me?† â€Å"I mean, that you accompany the master wherever he travels,† Matthew added quickly. â€Å"But why me?† Maggie asked. â€Å"Your brother Simon who is called Lazarus, he is very sick. Dying. He's asked for you. Joseph wanted you to know that you would have safe passage.† Josh grabbed his satchel and started walking that moment. â€Å"Let's go,† he said. â€Å"Peter, you are in charge until I return. Biff, Maggie, we need to make Tiberius before dark. I'm going to see if I can borrow some camels there. Matthew, you come too, you know this Joseph. And Thomas, you come along, I want to talk to you.† So off we went, into what I was sure were the jaws of a trap. Along the way Joshua called Thomas to walk beside him. Maggie and I walked behind them only a few paces, so we could hear their conversation. Thomas kept stopping to make sure that Thomas Two could keep up with them. â€Å"They all think I'm mad,† Thomas said. â€Å"They laugh at me behind my back. Thomas Two has told me.† â€Å"Thomas, you know I can lay my hands upon you and you will be cured. Thomas Two will no longer speak to you. The others won't laugh at you.† Thomas walked along for a while without saying anything, but when he looked back at Joshua I could see tears streaking his cheeks. â€Å"If Thomas Two goes away, then I'll be alone.† â€Å"You won't be alone. You'll have me.† â€Å"Not for long. You don't have long with us.† â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"Thomas Two told me.† â€Å"We won't tell the others quite yet, all right, Thomas?† â€Å"Not if you don't want me to. But you won't cure me, will you? You won't make Thomas Two go away?† â€Å"No,† Joshua said. â€Å"We may both need an extra friend soon.† He patted Thomas on the shoulder, then turned to walk on ahead to catch up with Matthew. â€Å"Well, don't step on him!† Thomas shouted. â€Å"Sorry,† said Joshua. I looked at Maggie. â€Å"Did you hear that?† She nodded. â€Å"You can't let it happen, Biff. He doesn't seem to care about his own life, but I do, and you do, and if you let harm come to him I'll never forgive you.† â€Å"But Maggie, everyone is supposed to be forgiven.† â€Å"Not you. Not if something happens to Josh.† â€Å"So be it. So, hey, once Joshua heals your brother, you want to go do something, get some pomegranate juice, or a falafel, or get married or something?† She stopped in her tracks, so I stopped too. â€Å"Are you ever paying attention to anything that goes on around you?† â€Å"I'm sorry, I was overcome by faith there for a moment. What did you say?† When we got to Bethany, Martha was waiting for us in the street in front of Simon's house. She went right to Joshua and he held out his arms to embrace her, but when she got to him she pushed him away. â€Å"My brother is dead,† she said. â€Å"Where were you?† â€Å"I came as soon as I heard.† Maggie went to Martha and held her as they both cried. The rest of us stood around feeling awkward. The two old blind guys, Crustus and Abel, whom Joshua had once healed, came over from across the street. â€Å"Dead, dead and buried four days,† said Crustus. â€Å"He turned a sort of chartreuse at the end.† â€Å"Emerald, it was emerald, not chartreuse,† said Abel. â€Å"My friend Simon truly sleeps, then,† Joshua said. Thomas came up and put his hand on Joshua's shoulder. â€Å"No, master, he's dead. Thomas Two thinks it may have been a hairball. Simon was a leopard, you know?† I couldn't stand it. â€Å"He was a LEPER, you idiot! Not a leopard.† â€Å"Well, he IS dead!† shouted Thomas back. â€Å"Not sleeping.† â€Å"Joshua was being figurative, he knows he's dead.† â€Å"Do you guys think you could be just a little more insensitive?† said Matthew, pointing to the weeping sisters. â€Å"Look, tax collector, when I want your two shekels I'll ask – â€Å" â€Å"Where is he?† Joshua asked, his voice booming over the sobs and protests. Martha pushed out of her sister's embrace and looked at Joshua. â€Å"He bought a tomb in Kidron,† said Martha. â€Å"Take me there, I need to wake my friend.† â€Å"Dead,† said Thomas. â€Å"Dead, dead, dead.† There was a sparkle of hope amid the tears in Martha's eyes. â€Å"Wake him?† â€Å"Dead as a doornail. Dead as Moses. Mmmph†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Matthew clamped his hand over Thomas's mouth, which saved me having to render the twin unconscious with a brick. â€Å"You believe that Simon will rise from the dead, don't you?† asked Joshua. â€Å"In the end, when the kingdom comes, and everyone is raised, yes, I believe.† â€Å"Do you believe I am who I say I am?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Then show me where my friend lies sleeping.† Martha moved like a sleepwalker, her exhaustion and grief driven back just enough for her to lead us up the road to the Mount of Olives and down into the Kidron Valley. Maggie had been deeply shaken by the news of her brother's death as well, so Thomas and Matthew helped her along while I walked with Joshua. â€Å"Four days dead, Josh. Four days. Divine Spark or not, the flesh is empty.† â€Å"Simon will walk again if he is but bone,† said Joshua. â€Å"Okey-dokey. But this has never been one of your better miracles.† When we got to the tomb there was a tall, thin, aristocratic man sitting outside eating a fig. He was clean-shaven and his gray hair was cut short like a Roman's. If he hadn't worn the two-striped tunic of a Jew I would have thought him a Roman citizen. â€Å"I thought you would come here,† he said. He knelt before Joshua. â€Å"Rabbi, I'm Joseph of Arimathea. I sent word through your disciple Matthew that I wanted to meet with you. How may I serve?† â€Å"Stand up, Joseph. Help roll away this stone.† As with many of the larger tombs carved into the side of the mountain, there was a large flat stone covering the doorway. Joshua put his arms around Maggie and Martha while the rest of us wrestled with the stone. As soon as the seal was broken I was hit with a stench that gagged me and Thomas actually lost his supper in the dirt. â€Å"He stinks,† said Matthew. â€Å"I thought he would smell more like a cat,† said Thomas. â€Å"Don't make me come over there, Thomas,† I said. We pushed the stone as far as it would go, then we ran away gasping for fresh air. Joshua held his arms out as if waiting to embrace his friend. â€Å"Come out, Simon Lazarus, come out into the light.† Nothing but stench came out of the tomb. â€Å"Come forth, Simon. Come out of that tomb,† Joshua commanded. And absolutely nothing happened. Joseph of Arimathea shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. â€Å"I wanted to talk to you about the dinner at my house before you got there, Joshua.† Joshua held up his hand for silence. â€Å"Simon, dammit, come out of there.† And ever so weakly, there came a voice from inside the tomb. â€Å"No.† â€Å"What do you mean, ‘no'? You have risen from the dead, now come forth. Show these unbelievers that you have risen.† â€Å"I believe,† I said. â€Å"Convinced me,† said Matthew. â€Å"A no is as good as a personal appearance, as far as I'm concerned,† said Joseph of Arimathea. I'm not sure any of us who had smelled the stench of rotting flesh really wanted to see the source. Even Maggie and Martha seemed a little dubious about their brother's coming out. â€Å"Simon, get your leprous ass out here,† Joshua commanded. â€Å"But I'm†¦I'm all icky.† â€Å"We've all seen icky before,† said Joshua. â€Å"Now come out into the light.† â€Å"My skin is all green, like an unripe olive.† â€Å"Olive green!† declared Crustus, who had followed us into Kidron. â€Å"I told you it wasn't chartreuse.† â€Å"What the hell does he know? He's dead,† said Abel. Finally Joshua lowered his arms and stormed into the tomb. â€Å"I can't believe that you bring a guy back from the dead and he doesn't even have the courtesy to come out – WHOA! HOLY MOLY!† Joshua came backing out of the tomb, stiff-legged. Very calmly and quietly, he said, â€Å"We need clean clothes, and some water to wash with, and bandages, lots of bandages. I can heal him, but we have to sort of get all of his parts stuck back together first.† â€Å"Hold on, Simon,† Joshua shouted to the tomb, â€Å"we're getting some supplies, then I'll come in and heal your affliction.† â€Å"What affliction?† asked Simon.

Death Penalty Should Be Abolished Essay

The death penalty is a cruel and uncivilized way of keeping crime down to a minimum, by killing anyone who commits a horrible crime such as murder. The most common way of being killed while on death penalty is lethal injection. The death penalty does not change murderers minds whether they should kill someone or not. If people have a mental illness and are psychopaths and enjoy killing i’m sure they never think to themselves and say if I do kill someone then I will go to jail and then be killed. They go through with the murder because that’s what they intended to do from the start. Also in Europe there is no death penalty and research shows that the murder rate is drastically lower than the USA. This shows that the death penalty does not scare murderers out of doing what they want to do. The death penalty is not the best protection form a murderer. It may be the best protection from a specific murderer if he is going to be killed with death penalty because he will not live anymore and so he wouldn’t be alive to kill you. But if you are trying to protect yourself from being murdered the death penalty will not help you at all. It would be like telling someone, while they are in the middle of murdering you, that they shouldn’t do it because once the police find out they’re going to have the death penalty! The murderer would not stop at nothing if his mission was to kill you. Justice for the victim is not achieved through the death penalty. Justice is not achieved because if a man murdered a the son of a husband and wife, and the son was killed, the son is already dead. Just because the murderer is sentenced to the death penalty doesn’t mean that their son will magically come back to life and be the same person he was. He is dead and the murder of the murderer will not do anything but give the husband and wife revenge. To conclude the death penalty should not be allowed there is no perks or cons of having it. It gives no justice to anyone, it isn’t a very effective way of scaring anyone and it most likely wont protect you from any murderer.

Ironic Readings, “The Lottery

Ironic Readings, â€Å"The Lottery Shirley Jackson, the author of the short story, "The Lottery," uses the setting to portray an ironic ending to the story. It begins, "The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green" (255). Jackson starts off telling the story by giving the reader a sense of comfort and stability, by creating a typical town to be peaceful and tranquil. When Jackson says, "the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green," she gives the reader a serene feeling about the town (255).Jackson also mentions that school has just recently let out for summer break, which of course allows the children to run around at that time of day. In her story she states, "Bobby martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones" (255).THE MICHAEL JACKSON & JANET JACKSON COLLECTION CDBy this, she fore shadows what is about to happen in the ending, but doesn't completely give it away. She writes, "The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank" (255). In this case, this sentence proves the smallness of the town, also mentioning that the author didn't include describing a church or a courthouse. Furthermore, there seems to be no central governing body for this town, such as a court or a police station.The author then starts to talk about the details of the story by what she sees and knows, but not mentioning what is inside of the reader's minds. "The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool" portraying that there is something bad about the black box that is...

Drafting an Academic Plan of Study for Student Growth

Drafting an Academic Plan of Study for Student Growth An academic plan of study is a way to provide more accountability to students who are struggling academically. This plan provides students with a set of academic goals tailored to their needs and provides them with assistance in reaching those goals. An academic plan of study is best suited for students who may lack the motivation necessary to succeed academically and needs some direct accountability to keep them in check. The motivation lies in the fact that if they do not meet their goals, then the student will be required to repeat that grade the following year. Developing an academic plan of study gives the student an opportunity to prove themselves rather than retaining them in their current grade which could have an overall negative effect. The following is a sample academic plan of study that can be modified to fit your specific needs. Sample Academic Plan of Study The following plan of study takes effect on Wednesday, August 17, 2016, which is the first day of the 2016-2017 school year. It is effective through Friday, May 19, 2017. The principal/counselor will review John Student’s progress at a minimum of a bi-weekly basis. If John Student fails to meet his objectives at any given check, then a meeting will be required with John Student, his parents, his teachers, and the principal or counselor. If John Student has met all of the objectives, then he will be promoted to the 8th grade at the end of the year. However, if he fails to meet all of the listed objectives, then he will be placed back into the 7th grade for the 2017-2018 school year. OBJECTIVES John Student must maintain a 70% C- average in each class including English, reading, math, science, and social studies.John Student must complete and turn in 95% of their classroom assignments per class.John Student must attend school at least 95% of the required time, meaning they can only miss 9 days of the total 175 school days.John Student must show improvement in his reading grade level.John Student must show improvement in his math grade level.John Student must set a reasonable Accelerated Reading goal for each quarter (with principal/counselors assistance) and meet that A.R. goal every nine weeks. Assistance/Action   John Student’s teachers will immediately let the principal/counselor know if he fails to complete and/or turn in an assignment on time. The principal/counselor will be responsible for keeping track of this information.The principal/counselor will conduct bi-weekly grade checks in the areas of English, reading, math, science, and social studies. The principal/counselor will be required to inform both John Student and his parents of their progress on a bi-weekly basis via conference, letter, or telephone call.John Student will be required to spend a minimum of forty-five minutes for three days a week with an intervention specialist specifically focused on improving his overall reading level.If any of John Student’s grades drop below 70%, he will be required to attend after-school tutoring at a minimum of three times per week.If John Student is failing to meet two or more of his grade requirements and/or two or more of his objectives by December 16. 2016, then he will be d emoted to the 6th grade at that time for the remainder of the school year. If John Student is demoted or retained, he will be required to attend a Summer School session. By signing this document, I agree to each of the conditions above. I understand that if John Student does not meet each objective that he may be placed back into 7th grade for the 2017-2018 school year or demoted to the 6th grade for the 2nd semester of the 2016-2017 school year. However, if he meets each expectation then he will be promoted to the 8th grade for the 2017–2018 school year.    __________________________________ John Student, Student __________________________________ Fanny Student, Parent __________________________________ Ann Teacher, Teacher __________________________________ Bill Principal, Principal

Tuberous sclerosis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Tuberous sclerosis - Research Paper Example The most common drugs to control brain and kidney tumors are mTOR inhibitors such as sirolimus and everolimus. Screening tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an ultrasound scan, spirometry, echocardiogram and blood tests can help to identify tumors connected with tuberous sclerosis. Appropriate diagnostic and treatment plans are quite necessary for successful health care and support of patients with tuberous sclerosis. Tuberous sclerosis the other name tuberous sclerosis complex(TSC) is a genetic disease. It is characterized by the formation of benign, noncancerous tumors in the different organs of human body such as kidney, lungs, brain, heart, eyes and skin. Benign tumors formed in the human body when function of cell growth is damaged. Abnormal quantity of cells formed an extra mass surrounded by outer layer and cause different negative health defects. The statistics show that the most common benign tumors caused by tuberous sclerosis occur in the brain and in skin in 9 causes between 10; kidney and eyes 8 cases between 10; in kidney 8 cases out of 10 and more rarely in the lungs 4 cases between10 especially in women. Tumors in the brain can cause different neurological defects and abnormal brain function. The most common disorder of the nervous system during tuberous sclerosis is epilepsy. It is a long-term neurological defect that characterized by repeated spasms, convulsions and loss of consciousness. Tumors in the brain can cause different neurological defects.