The Lost Symbol Chapter 44-47

CHAPTER 44 New York editor Jonas Faukman was just turning off the lights in his Manhattan office when his phone rang. He had no intention of picking up at this hour–that is, until he glimpsed the caller- ID display. This ought to be good, he thought, reaching for the receiver. â€Å"Do we still publish you?† Faukman asked, half serious. â€Å"Jonas!† Robert Langdon's voice sounded anxious. â€Å"Thank God you're there. I need your help.† Faukman's spirits lifted. â€Å"You've got pages for me to edit, Robert?† Finally? â€Å"No, I need information. Last year, I connected you with a scientist named Katherine Solomon, the sister of Peter Solomon?† Faukman frowned. No pages. â€Å"She was looking for a publisher for a book on Noetic Science? Do you remember her?† Faukman rolled his eyes. â€Å"Sure. I remember. And thanks a million for that introduction. Not only did she refuse to let me read the results of her research, she didn't want to publish anything until some magical date in the future.† â€Å"Jonas, listen to me, I don't have time. I need Katherine's phone number. Right now. Do you have it?† â€Å"I've got to warn you . . . you're acting a little desperate. She's great looking, but you're not going to impress her by–â€Å" â€Å"This is no joke, Jonas, I need her number now.† â€Å"All right . . . hold on.† Faukman and Langdon had been close friends for enough years that Faukman knew when Langdon was serious. Jonas typed the name Katherine Solomon into a search window and began scanning the company's e-mail server. â€Å"I'm looking now,† Faukman said. â€Å"And for what it's worth, when you call her, you may not want to call from the Harvard Pool. It sounds like you're in an asylum.† â€Å"I'm not at the pool. I'm in a tunnel under the U.S. Capitol.† Faukman sensed from Langdon's voice that he was not joking. What is it with this guy? â€Å"Robert, why can't you just stay home and write?† His computer pinged. â€Å"Okay, hold on . . . I got it.† He moused through the old e-mail thread. â€Å"It looks like all I have is her cell.† â€Å"I'll take it.† Faukman gave him the number. â€Å"Thanks, Jonas,† Langdon said, sounding grateful. â€Å"I owe you one.† â€Å"You owe me a manuscript, Robert. Do you have any idea how long–â€Å" The line went dead. Faukman stared at the receiver and shook his head. Book publishing would be so much easier without the authors. CHAPTER 45 Katherine Solomon did a double take when she saw the name on her caller ID. She had imagined the incoming call was from Trish, checking in to explain why she and Christopher Abaddon were taking so long. But the caller was not Trish. Far from it. Katherine felt a blushing smile cross her lips. Could tonight get any stranger? She flipped open her phone. â€Å"Don't tell me,† she said playfully. â€Å"Bookish bachelor seeking single Noetic Scientist?† â€Å"Katherine!† The deep voice belonged to Robert Langdon. â€Å"Thank God you're okay.† â€Å"Of course I'm okay,† she replied, puzzled. â€Å"Other than the fact that you never called me after that party at Peter's house last summer.† â€Å"Something has happened tonight. Please listen.† His normally smooth voice sounded ragged. â€Å"I'm so sorry to have to tell you this . . . but Peter is in serious trouble.† Katherine's smile disappeared. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"Peter . . .† Langdon hesitated as if searching for words. â€Å"I don't know how to say it, but he's been . . . taken. I'm not sure how or by whom, but–â€Å" â€Å"Taken?† Katherine demanded. â€Å"Robert, you're scaring me. Taken . . . where?† â€Å"Taken captive.† Langdon's voice cracked as if he were overwhelmed. â€Å"It must have happened earlier today or maybe yesterday.† â€Å"This isn't funny,† she said angrily. â€Å"My brother is fine. I just spoke to him fifteen minutes ago!† â€Å"You did?!† Langdon sounded stunned. â€Å"Yes! He just texted me to say he was coming to the lab.† â€Å"He texted you . . .† Langdon thought out loud. â€Å"But you didn't actually hear his voice?† â€Å"No, but–â€Å" â€Å"Listen to me. The text you received was not from your brother. Someone has Peter's phone. He's dangerous. Whoever it is tricked me into coming to Washington tonight.† â€Å"Tricked you? You're not making any sense!† â€Å"I know, I'm so sorry.† Langdon seemed uncharacteristically disorientated. â€Å"Katherine, I think you could be in danger.† Katherine Solomon was sure that Langdon would never joke about something like this, and yet he sounded like he had lost his mind. â€Å"I'm fine,† she said. â€Å"I'm locked inside a secure building!† â€Å"Read me the message you got from Peter's phone. Please.† Bewildered, Katherine pulled up the text message and read it to Langdon, feeling a chill as she came to the final part referencing Dr. Abaddon. â€Å"`If available, have Dr. Abaddon join us inside. I trust him fully . . .' â€Å" â€Å"Oh God . . .† Langdon's voice was laced with fear. â€Å"Did you invite this man inside?† â€Å"Yes! My assistant just went out to the lobby to get him. I expect them back any–â€Å" â€Å"Katherine, get out!† Langdon yelled. â€Å"Now!† At the other side of the SMSC, inside the security room, a phone began ringing, drowning out the Redskins game. The guard reluctantly pulled out his earbuds one more time. â€Å"Lobby,† he answered. â€Å"This is Kyle.† â€Å"Kyle, it's Katherine Solomon!† Her voice sounded anxious, out of breath. â€Å"Ma'am, your brother has not yet–â€Å" â€Å"Where's Trish?!† she demanded. â€Å"Can you see her on the monitors?† The guard rolled his chair over to look at the screens. â€Å"She hasn't gotten back to the Cube yet?† â€Å"No!† Katherine shouted, sounding alarmed. The guard now realized that Katherine Solomon was out of breath, as if she were running. What's going on back there? The guard quickly worked the video joystick, skimming through frames of digital video at rapid speed. â€Å"Okay, hold on, scrolling through playback . . . I've got Trish with your guest leaving the lobby . . . they move down the Street . . . fast-forwarding . . . okay, they're going into Wet Pod . . . Trish uses her key card to unlock the door . . . both of them step into Wet Pod . . . fast- forwarding . . . okay, here they are coming out of Wet Pod just a minute ago . . . heading down . . .† He cocked his head, slowing the playback. â€Å"Wait a minute. That's odd.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"The gentleman came out of Wet Pod alone.† â€Å"Trish stayed inside?† â€Å"Yes, it looks that way. I'm watching your guest now . . . he's in the hall on his own.† â€Å"Where is Trish?† Katherine asked more frantically. â€Å"I don't see her on the video feed,† he replied, an edge of anxiety creeping into his voice. He looked back at the screen and noticed that the man's jacket sleeves appeared to be wet . . . all the way up to his elbows. What in the world did he do in Wet Pod? The guard watched as the man began to move purposefully down the main hallway toward Pod 5, clutching in his hand what looked like . . . a key card. The guard felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, we've got a serious problem.† Tonight was a night of firsts for Katherine Solomon. In two years, she had never used her cell phone inside the void. Nor had she ever crossed the void at a dead run. At the moment, however, Katherine had a cell phone pressed to her ear while she was dashing blindly along the endless length of carpet. Each time she felt a foot stray from the carpet, she corrected back to center, racing on through the sheer darkness. â€Å"Where is he now?† Katherine asked the guard, breathless. â€Å"Checking now,† the guard replied. â€Å"Fast-forwarding . . . okay, here he is walking down the hall . . . moving toward Pod Five . . .† Katherine ran harder, hoping to reach the exit before she got trapped back here. â€Å"How long until he gets to the Pod Five entrance?† The guard paused. â€Å"Ma'am, you don't understand. I'm still fast-forwarding. This is recorded playback. This already happened.† He paused. â€Å"Hold on, let me check the entry event monitor.† He paused and then said, â€Å"Ma'am, Ms. Dunne's key card shows a Pod Five entry event about a minute ago.† Katherine slammed on the brakes, sliding to a halt in the middle of the abyss. â€Å"He already unlocked Pod Five?† she whispered into the phone. The guard was typing frantically. â€Å"Yes, it looks like he entered . . . ninety seconds ago.† Katherine's body went rigid. She stopped breathing. The darkness felt suddenly alive all around her. He's in here with me. In an instant, Katherine realized that the only light in the entire space was coming from her cell phone, illuminating the side of her face. â€Å"Send help,† she whispered to the guard. â€Å"And get to Wet Pod to help Trish.† Then she quietly closed her phone, extinguishing the light. Absolute darkness settled around her. She stood stock-still and breathed as quietly as possible. After a few seconds, the pungent scent of ethanol wafted out of the darkness in front of her. The smell got stronger. She could sense a presence, only a few feet in front of her on the carpet. In the silence, the pounding of Katherine's heart seemed loud enough to give her away. Silently, she stepped out of her shoes and inched to her left, sidestepping off the carpet. The cement felt cold under her feet. She took one more step to clear the carpet. One of her toes cracked. It sounded like a gunshot in the stillness. Only a few yards away, a rustle of clothing suddenly came at her out of the darkness. Katherine bolted an instant too late and a powerful arm snagged her, groping in the darkness, hands violently attempting to gain purchase. She spun away as a viselike grip caught her lab coat, yanking her backward, reeling her in. Katherine threw her arms backward, slithering out of her lab coat and slipping free. Suddenly, with no idea anymore which way was out, Katherine Solomon found herself dashing, dead blind, across an endless black abyss. CHAPTER 46 Despite containing what many have called â€Å"the most beautiful room in the world,† the Library of Congress is known less for its breathtaking splendor than for its vast collections. With over five hundred miles of shelves–enough to stretch from Washington, D.C., to Boston–it easily claims the title of largest library on earth. And yet still it expands, at a rate of over ten thousand items per day. As an early repository for Thomas Jefferson's personal collection of books on science and philosophy, the library stood as a symbol of America's commitment to the dissemination of knowledge. One of the first buildings in Washington to have electric lights, it literally shone like a beacon in the darkness of the New World. As its name implies, the Library of Congress was established to serve Congress, whose venerated members worked across the street in the Capitol Building. This age-old bond between library and Capitol had been fortified recently by the construction of a physical connection–a long tunnel beneath Independence Avenue that linked the two buildings. Tonight, inside this dimly lit tunnel, Robert Langdon followed Warren Bellamy through a construction zone, trying to quell his own deepening concern for Katherine. This lunatic is at her lab?! Langdon didn't even want to imagine why. When he had called to warn her, Langdon had told Katherine exactly where to meet him before they hung up. How much longer is this damned tunnel? His head ached now, a roiling torrent of interconnected thoughts: Katherine, Peter, the Masons, Bellamy, pyramids, ancient prophecy . . . and a map. Langdon shook it all off and pressed on. Bellamy promised me answers. When the two men finally reached the end of the passage, Bellamy guided Langdon through a set of double doors that were still under construction. Finding no way to lock the unfinished doors behind them, Bellamy improvised, grabbing an aluminum ladder from the construction supplies and leaning it precariously against the outside of the door. Then he balanced a metal bucket on top. If anyone opened the door, the bucket would crash loudly to the floor. That's our alarm system? Langdon eyed the perched bucket, hoping Bellamy had a more comprehensive plan for their safety tonight. Everything had happened so fast, and Langdon was only now starting to process the repercussions of his fleeing with Bellamy. I'm a fugitive from the CIA. Bellamy led the way around a corner, where the two men began ascending a wide staircase that was cordoned off with orange pylons. Langdon's daybag weighed him down as he climbed. â€Å"The stone pyramid,† he said, â€Å"I still don't understand–â€Å" â€Å"Not here,† Bellamy interrupted. â€Å"We'll examine it in the light. I know a safe place.† Langdon doubted such a place existed for anyone who had just physically assaulted the director of the CIA's Office of Security. As the two men reached the top of the stairs, they entered a wide hallway of Italian marble, stucco, and gold leaf. The hall was lined with eight pairs of statues–all depicting the goddess Minerva. Bellamy pressed on, leading Langdon eastward, through a vaulted archway, into a far grander space. Even in the dim, after-hours lighting, the library's great hall shone with the classical grandeur of an opulent European palace. Seventy-five feet overhead, stained-glass skylights glistened between paneled beams adorned with rare â€Å"aluminum leaf†Ã¢â‚¬â€œa metal that was considered to be more precious than gold at one time. Beneath that, a stately course of paired pillars lined the second-floor balcony, accessible by two magnificent curling staircases whose newel posts supported giant bronze female figures raising torches of enlightenment. In a bizarre attempt to reflect this theme of modern enlightenment and yet stay within the decorative register of Renaissance architecture, the stairway banisters had been carved with cupidlike putti portrayed as modern scientists. An angelic electrician holding a telephone? A cherubic entomologist with a specimen box? Langdon wondered what Bernini would have thought. â€Å"We'll talk over here,† Bellamy said, leading Langdon past the bulletproof display cases that contained the library's two most valuable books–the Giant Bible of Mainz, handwritten in the 1450s, and America's copy of the Gutenberg Bible, one of only three perfect vellum copies in the world. Fittingly, the vaulted ceiling overhead bore John White Alexander's six-panel painting titled The Evolution of the Book. Bellamy strode directly to a pair of elegant double doors at the center rear of the east-corridor wall. Langdon knew what room lay beyond those doors, but it seemed a strange choice for a conversation. Notwithstanding the irony of talking in a space filled with â€Å"Silence Please† signs, this room hardly seemed like a â€Å"safe place.† Located dead center of the library's cruciform- shaped floor plan, this chamber served as the heart of the building. Hiding in here was like breaking into a cathedral and hiding on the altar. Nonetheless, Bellamy unlocked the doors, stepped into the darkness beyond, and groped for the lights. When he flipped the switch, one of America's great architectural masterpieces seemed to materialize out of thin air. The famous reading room was a feast for the senses. A voluminous octagon rose 160 feet at its center, its eight sides finished in chocolate-brown Tennessee marble, cream-colored Siena marble, and apple-red Algerian marble. Because it was lit from eight angles, no shadows fell anywhere, creating the effect that the room itself was glowing. â€Å"Some say it's the most striking room in Washington,† Bellamy said, ushering Langdon inside. Maybe in the whole world, Langdon thought as he stepped across the threshold. As always, his gaze first ascended straight up to the towering central collar, where rays of arabesque coffers curled down the dome to an upper balcony. Encircling the room, sixteen bronze â€Å"portrait† statues peered down from the balustrade. Beneath them, a stunning arcade of archways formed a lower balcony. Down at floor level, three concentric circles of burnished wood desks radiated out from the massive octagonal circulation desk. Langdon returned his focus to Bellamy, who was now propping the room's double doors wide open. â€Å"I thought we were hiding,† Langdon said, confused. â€Å"If anyone enters the building,† Bellamy said, â€Å"I want to hear them coming.† â€Å"But won't they find us instantly in here?† â€Å"No matter where we hide, they'll find us. But if anyone corners us in this building, you'll be very glad I chose this room.† Langdon had no idea why, but Bellamy apparently wasn't looking to discuss it. He was already on the move toward the center of the room, where he selected one of the available reading desks, pulled up two chairs, and flipped on the reading light. Then he motioned to Langdon's bag. â€Å"Okay, Professor, let's have a closer look.† Not wanting to risk scratching its polished surface with a rough piece of granite, Langdon hoisted his entire bag onto the desk and unzipped it, folding the sides all the way down to reveal the pyramid inside. Warren Bellamy adjusted the reading lamp and studied the pyramid carefully. He ran his fingers over the unusual engraving. â€Å"I assume you recognize this language?† Bellamy asked. â€Å"Of course,† Langdon replied, eyeing the sixteen symbols. Known as the Freemason's Cipher, this encoded language had been used for private communication among early Masonic brothers. The encryption method had been abandoned long ago for one simple reason–it was much too easy to break. Most of the students in Langdon's senior symbology seminar could break this code in about five minutes. Langdon, with a pencil and paper, could do it in under sixty seconds. The notorious breakability of this centuries-old encryption scheme now presented a couple of paradoxes. First, the claim that Langdon was the only person on earth who could break it was absurd. Second, for Sato to suggest that a Masonic cipher was an issue of national security was like her suggesting our nuclear launch codes were encrypted with a Cracker Jack decoder ring. Langdon was still struggling to believe any of it. This pyramid is a map? Pointing to the lost wisdom of the ages? â€Å"Robert,† Bellamy said, his tone grave. â€Å"Did Director Sato tell you why she is so interested in this?† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"Not specifically. She just kept saying it was an issue of national security. I assume she's lying.† â€Å"Perhaps,† Bellamy said, rubbing the back of his neck. He seemed to be struggling with something. â€Å"But there is a far more troubling possibility.† He turned to look Langdon in the eye. â€Å"It's possible that Director Sato has discovered this pyramid's true potential.† CHAPTER 47 The blackness engulfing Katherine Solomon felt absolute. Having fled the familiar safety of the carpet, she was now groping blindly forward, her outstretched hands touching only empty space as she staggered deeper into the desolate void. Beneath her stockinged feet, the endless expanse of cold cement felt like a frozen lake . . . a hostile environment from which she now needed to escape. No longer smelling ethanol, she stopped and waited in darkness. Standing dead still, she listened, willing her heart to stop pounding so loudly. The heavy footsteps behind her seemed to have stopped. Did I lose him? Katherine closed her eyes and tried to imagine where she was. Which direction did I run? Where is the door? It was no use. She was so turned around now that the exit could be anywhere. Fear, Katherine had once heard, acted as a stimulant, sharpening the mind's ability to think. Right now, however, her fear had turned her mind into a tumbling torrent of panic and confusion. Even if I find the exit, I can't get out. Her key card had been lost when she'd shed her lab coat. Her only hope seemed to be that she was now a needle in a haystack–a single point on a thirty- thousand-square-foot grid. Despite the overwhelming urge to flee, Katherine's analytical mind told her instead to make the only logical move–no move at all. Stay still. Don't make a sound. The security guard was on his way, and for some unknown reason, her attacker smelled strongly of ethanol. If he gets too close, I'll know it. As Katherine stood in silence, her mind raced over what Langdon had said. Your brother . . . he's been taken. She felt a bead of cold sweat materialize on her arm and trickle down, toward the cell phone still clenched in her right hand. It was a danger she had forgotten to consider. If the phone rang, it would give away her position, and she could not turn it off without opening it and illuminating the display. Set down the phone . . . and move away from it. But it was too late. The smell of ethanol approached on her right. And now it grew stronger. Katherine struggled to stay calm, forcing herself to override the instinct to run. Carefully, slowly, she took one step to her left. The faint rustle of her clothing was apparently all her attacker needed. She heard him lunge, and the smell of ethanol washed over her as a powerful hand grabbed at her shoulder. She twisted away, raw terror gripping her. Mathematical probability went out the window, and Katherine broke into a blind sprint. She veered hard to the left, changing course, dashing blindly now into the void. The wall materialized out of nowhere. Katherine hit it hard, knocking the wind from her lungs. Pain blossomed in her arm and shoulder, but she managed to stay on her feet. The oblique angle at which she had collided with the wall had spared her the full force of the blow, but it was little comfort now. The sound had echoed everywhere. He knows where I am. Doubled over in pain, she turned her head and stared out into the blackness of the pod and sensed him staring back at her. Change your location. Now! Still struggling to catch her breath, she began moving down the wall, touching her left hand quietly to each exposed steel stud as she passed. Stay along the wall. Slip past him before he corners you. In her right hand, Katherine still clutched her cell phone, ready to hurl it as a projectile if need be. Katherine was in no way prepared for the sound she heard next–the clear rustle of clothing directly in front of her . . . against the wall. She froze, stock-still, and stopped breathing. How could he be on the wall already? She felt a faint puff of air, laced with the stench of ethanol. He's moving down the wall toward me! Katherine backed up several steps. Then, turning silently 180 degrees, she began moving quickly in the opposite direction down the wall. She moved twenty feet or so when the impossible happened. Once again, directly in front of her, along the wall, she heard the rustling sound of clothing. Then came the same puff of air and the smell of ethanol. Katherine Solomon froze in place. My God, he's everywhere! Bare-chested, Mal'akh stared into the darkness. The smell of ethanol on his sleeves had proven a liability, and so he had transformed it into an asset, stripping off his shirt and jacket and using them to help corner his prey. Throwing his jacket against the wall to the right, he had heard Katherine stop short and change direction. Now, having thrown his shirt ahead to the left, Mal'akh had heard her stop again. He had effectively corralled Katherine against the wall by establishing points beyond which she dared not pass. Now he waited, ears straining in the silence. She has only one direction she can move–directly toward me. Even so, Mal'akh heard nothing. Either Katherine was paralyzed with fear, or she had decided to stand still and wait for help to enter Pod 5. Either way she loses. Nobody would be entering Pod 5 anytime soon; Mal'akh had disabled the outer keypad with a very crude, yet very effective, technique. After using Trish's key card, he had rammed a single dime deep into the key-card slot to prevent any other key-card use without first dismantling the entire mechanism. You and I are alone, Katherine . . . for as long as this takes. Mal'akh inched silently forward, listening for any movement. Katherine Solomon would die tonight in the darkness of her brother's museum. A poetic end. Mal'akh looked forward to sharing the news of Katherine's death with her brother. The old man's anguish would be long- awaited revenge. Suddenly in the darkness, to Mal'akh's great surprise, he saw a tiny glow in the distance and realized Katherine had just made a deadly error in judgment. She's phoning for help?! The electronic display that had just flickered to life was hovering waist high, about twenty yards ahead, like a shining beacon on a vast ocean of black. Mal'akh had been prepared to wait Katherine out, but now he wouldn't have to. Mal'akh sprang into motion, racing toward the hovering light, knowing he had to reach her before she could complete her call for help. He was there in a matter of seconds, and he lunged, arms outstretched on either side of her glowing cell phone, preparing to engulf her. Mal'akh's fingers jammed into a solid wall, bending backward and almost breaking. His head collided next, crashing into a steel beam. He cried out in pain as he crumpled beside the wall. Cursing, he clambered back to his feet, pulling himself up by the waist-high, horizontal strut on which Katherine Solomon had cleverly placed her open cell phone. Katherine was running again, this time with no concern for the noise her hand was making as it bounced rhythmically off the evenly spaced metal studs of Pod 5. Run! If she followed the wall all the way around the pod, she knew that sooner or later she would feel the exit door. Where the hell is the guard? The even spacing of the studs continued as she ran with her left hand on the sidewall and her right out in front of her for protection. When will I reach the corner? The sidewall seemed to go on and on, but suddenly the rhythm of the studs was broken. Her left hand hit empty space for several long strides, and then the studs began again. Katherine slammed on the brakes and backed up, feeling her way across the smooth metal panel. Why are there no studs here? She could hear her attacker lumbering loudly after her now, groping his way down the wall in her direction. Even so, it was a different sound that scared Katherine even more–the distant rhythmic banging of a security guard pounding his flashlight against the Pod 5 door. The guard can't get in? While the thought was terrifying, the location of his banging–diagonally to her right–instantly oriented Katherine. She could now picture where in Pod 5 she was located. The visual flash brought with it an unexpected realization. She now knew what this flat panel on the wall was. Every pod was equipped with a specimen bay–a giant movable wall that could be retracted for transporting oversize specimens in and out of the pods. Like those of an airplane hangar, this door was mammoth, and Katherine in her wildest dreams had never imagined needing to open it. At the moment, though, it seemed like her only hope. Is it even operable? Katherine fumbled blindly in the blackness, searching the bay door until she found the large metal handle. Grasping it, she threw her weight backward, trying to slide open the door. Nothing. She tried again. It didn't budge. She could hear her attacker closing faster now, homing in on the sounds of her efforts. The bay door is locked! Wild with panic, she slid her hands all over the door, feeling the surface for any latch or lever. She suddenly hit what felt like a vertical pole. She followed it down to the floor, crouching, and could feel it was inserted into a hole in the cement. A security rod! She stood up, grabbed the pole, and, lifting with her legs, slid the rod up and out of the hole. He's almost here! Katherine groped now for the handle, found it again, and heaved back on it with all her might. The massive panel seemed barely to move, and yet a sliver of moonlight now sliced into Pod 5. Katherine pulled again. The shaft of light from outside the building grew wider. A little more! She pulled one last time, sensing her attacker was now only a few feet away. Leaping toward the light, Katherine wriggled her slender body sideways into the opening. A hand materialized in the darkness, clawing at her, trying to pull her back inside. She heaved herself through the opening, pursued by a massive bare arm that was covered with tattooed scales. The terrifying arm writhed like an angry snake trying to seize her. Katherine spun and fled down the long, pale outer wall of Pod 5. The bed of loose stones that surrounded the entire perimeter of the SMSC cut into her stockinged feet as she ran, but she pressed on, heading for the main entrance. The night was dark, but with her eyes fully dilated from the utter blackness of Pod 5, she could see perfectly–almost as if it were daylight. Behind her, the heavy bay door ground open, and she heard heavy footsteps accelerating in pursuit down the side of the building. The footsteps seemed impossibly fast. I'll never outrun him to the main entrance. She knew her Volvo was closer, but even that would be too far. I'm not going to make it. Then Katherine realized she had one final card to play. As she neared the corner of Pod 5, she could hear his footsteps quickly overtaking her in the darkness. Now or never. Instead of rounding the corner, Katherine suddenly cut hard to her left, away from the building, out onto the grass. As she did so, she closed her eyes tightly, placed both hands over her face, and began running totally blind across the lawn. The motion-activated security lighting that blazed to life around Pod 5 transformed night into day instantly. Katherine heard a scream of pain behind her as the brilliant floodlights seared into her assailant's hyper dilated pupils with over twenty-five-million candlepower of light. She could hear him stumbling on the loose stones. Katherine kept her eyes tightly closed, trusting herself on the open lawn. When she sensed she was far enough away from the building and the lights, she opened her eyes, corrected her course, and ran like hell through the dark. Her Volvo's keys were exactly where she always left them, in the center console. Breathless, she seized the keys in her trembling hands and found the ignition. The engine roared to life, and her headlights flipped on, illuminating a terrifying sight. A hideous form raced toward her. Katherine froze for an instant. The creature caught in her headlights was a bald and bare-chested animal, its skin covered with tattooed scales, symbols, and text. He bellowed as he ran into the glare, raising his hands before his eyes like a cave-dwelling beast seeing sunlight for the first time. She reached for the gearshift but suddenly he was there, hurling his elbow through her side window, sending a shower of safety glass into her lap. A massive scale-covered arm burst through her window, groping half blind, finding her neck. She threw the car in reverse, but her attacker had latched on to her throat, squeezing with unimaginable force. She turned her head in an attempt to escape his grasp, and suddenly she was staring at his face. Three dark stripes, like fingernail scratches, had torn through his face makeup to reveal the tattoos beneath. His eyes were wild and ruthless. â€Å"I should have killed you ten years ago,† he growled. â€Å"The night I killed your mother.† As his words registered, Katherine was seized by a horrifying memory: that feral look in his eyes–she had seen it before. It's him. She would have screamed had it not been for the viselike grip around her neck. She smashed her foot onto the accelerator, and the car lurched backward, almost snapping her neck as he was dragged beside her car. The Volvo careened up an inclined median, and Katherine could feel her neck about to give way beneath his weight. Suddenly tree branches were scraping the side of her car, slapping through the side windows, and the weight was gone. The car burst through the evergreens and out into the upper parking lot, where Katherine slammed on the brakes. Below her, the half-naked man clambered to his feet, staring into her headlights. With a terrifying calm, he raised a menacing scale-covered arm and pointed directly at her. Katherine's blood coursed with raw fear and hatred as she spun the wheel and hit the gas. Seconds later, she was fishtailing out onto Silver Hill Road.

Family Assessment Assignment Essay

A family nursing assessment was done on the Lois G. family during three nursing visits over a period of one month. The family lives at 1234 Main St. and their home phone number is 314-987-6543. This is a lower- middle class (Friedman, Bowden & Jones E.G., 2003), African American, Baptist, single-parent, career, divorced family that is child-oriented and not geographically mobile. Lois is 45 and has three children, Carmen, a 16 year old girl, Emille and Camille, twin 9 year old girls. The mother is the sole custodial parent of the oldest child. Carmen has minimal contact with her father, Wayne, whom her mother divorced when she was 2 years old. The twins’ father, Sherman, has joint custody and shares full parental responsibilities for their care. Lois does not have a relationship with either Wayne or Sherman. The twins live with their father 3 to 4 days a week and then spend equal time with their mother. The family is in Duvall’s 5th life cycle stage. The potential task and transitions for this family are changes in roles and status; career changes; loss of parent in family of origin and changes in physical health (Friedman, et al., 2003). In addition to these developmental tasks, the family is currently facing the tasks of balancing freedom with responsibility and problems with parent-teenager communication. The family nursing diagnosis for this family is â€Å"Parental Role Conflict† and â€Å"Deficient Health Care Knowledge† which is related to the family’s current health care concerns. Lois has a master’s in education and mathematic. She is a high school math teacher and values education and good grades. Carmen is social, active, but quite. Carmen does assisted with the care and supervision of the twins, but now is involved in more school and social activities that take up most of her free time. She has a mild interest in establishing a relationship with her father and states he is attending sports activities and making same efforts to be a part of her life. She is an A student and participates in high school sports and church activities.  Camille and Emille are both very outgoing and enjoy being around their older sister and being the center of attention. Camille and Emille like living with both of their parents, but say it would be nice if they could just stay at one home and still have both parents there. Emille does very well in school, and although Camille is working at grade level, she has been struggling in some subjects. The family is very active i n their church and attends services every Sunday and bible study on Wednesdays with her sister and her family. In Lois’ family of origin, there are five children and she is the middle child. She has an older sister, an older brother and two younger brothers. Her grandparents on both side of her family are from Mississippi, but later moved to St. Louis to raise their families in better living and working conditions. Her parents are from St. Louis. Lois’ mother, Catherine, died of colon cancer when Lois was 28. Lois’ father, JC, is in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease but is able to stay in his home because his second wife, Ms. Verdell, provides him 24 hour care. This illness has been very difficult for the family but they have a lot of faith in God and this has assisted them in dealing with his slow decline. Lois states she is very thankful that her father has the support of his wife, because she doesn’t feel she and her sister would be able to provide him the type of care he receives from her. Lois states she has a very good relationship with all of her immediate and extended family members. She is very close to her sister and sees her and her sisters’ family at least on a weekly basis, if not more often. Her three brothers, who are unmarried, live out of town but come to St. Louis to visit frequently. She is also close to her extended family on both her mother and fathers side of the family and will travel to Mississippi several times a year to visit them. Lois states that she is not aware of any health issue with her siblings although she thinks her oldest brother may have high blood pressure. She had aunts on both sides to die from cancer (unknown type) and two uncles to die from heart disease. The nuclear family has no special needs, is not experiencing any major illnesses, nor is there an immediate family member with disabilities. Lois is experiencing a lot of stress contemplating a hysterectomy this summer due to uterine fibroids and menorrhagia. Carmen has been experiencing irregular menses, but now is on birth control pills (BCP) to regulate her cycle. She however, doesn’t want to take the BCP’s. The  twins have mild to moderate eczema, which is being treated w ith a prescription topical steroid, but this is inconsistent because when the twins are with their father he doesn’t always apply the daily ointment as ordered. There is no history of surgeries, chronic or prolonged illnesses, asthma or allergies in the family. Lois states she needs more information on treatment options for her fibroids; treatment options for Carmen’s’ irregular menses and a better way to make sure the twins are using their medication for their eczema when they’re at their father’s home. Lois has lived in the St. Louis area all of her life and now she and her family live in Hazelwood MO, a middle-class, culturally diverse suburban area in St. Louis County, MO. Her home is easily assessable to highways, schools, hospitals, shopping and entertainment. She is able to easily get to her sisters’ and fathers’ homes and to church. She doesn’t have a lot of interaction with her neighbors; her community is centered more on where her family and church are located and not necessarily on where she lives. Lois lives in a nicely decorated, well maintained, three bedroom ranch home, with a fenced yard on a low traffic street. Lois and Carmen have their own bedrooms and the twins share a bedroom with twin beds. She has a finished basement that the children utilize for their recreational activities. There are several TV’s and computers in the home and each person has access to these for both leisure and school work. The family room is just off the kitchen and this is the center of family interaction. The family’s communication is didactic and usually occurs around the kitchen table at meal times. The twins review their day at school and Carmen relates what her upcoming activities are. Lois reviews their progress in school, or addresses issues specific to each child. She does have one-on-one with each child, although not every day, it is several times a week. Lois states communication with Carmen has become more difficulty over the last 6 months. Lois and Carmen have always been very close, but as the twins have required more of Lois’ attention and Carmen has gained more independence, she feels this is changing. Although Lois states that she has always been able to talk with Carmen, she now feels there are more disagreements and some lack of communication. Lois feels Carmen doesn’t show her the expected amount of respect when she is told to do something or reminded to do chores and her tone is not acceptable to Lois. Carmen talks freely with her mother  to negotiate her wants and needs or to express her feelings, but gets angry when she feels her mother is unre asonable in her expectations. She states she wishes her mother would listen more and not raise her voice and then get angry at her when she does the same. Lois states there are areas that she makes the sole decision, like home rules and behavior expectations; some areas that are negotiable, like social activities and the use of BCP’s for irregular menses; and then there are areas that Carmen makes her own decisions, like clothes and hair styles. I explained to Lois this is a normal pattern for adolescent development and that some research has shown that when the child is young they are more likely to have value agreement with the parent, but it seems relatively uncharacteristic of families with middle and late adolescents (Edgar-Smith, 2010). Currently Carmen does not want to take BCP’s because she said it makes her feel â€Å"funny†. She isn’t able to give a broader description of the feeling and hasn’t voiced any specific physical complaint or symptom, but just states she wants to stop taking the BCP’s. Lois and Carmen had a discussion around this issue and agreed that Carmen would take the BCP’s for 6 months and then follow up with her doctor to see if continuing or stopping the BPC’s would be the best option for her. Lois is able to communicate openly with both Camille and Emille and they are responsive to the rules and expectations that Lois has laid out for the household and individually. Carmen will talk to the twins, but it’s usually to give correction or instruction, not to inquire. Lois states the twins share their own style of communication which is verbal and non-verbal when interacting with each other. With others, Camille will usually start the communication and then Emille will join in. Lois prepares all the meals and is very aware of the importance of a balanced meal plan. She makes breakfast and lunches for everyone in the morning and then cooks dinner every night. She usually cooks the meals while the girls are doing homework, watching TV or playing games. She said she needs more help at meal times. I asked her if she could assign task for each child to do so everyone would have a part in meal preparation and she said she would start a routine that involves all the children in this. Carmen is capable of independent meal preparation (but does not initiate this), so she will be the one to set up the food preparation and organize items for the twins. Lois will give specific instructions on what she wants everyone to do, so she won’t have  the entire responsibility of meal preparation for every meal every day. Lois, as the mother and only parent in the home, is the sole p ower source for decision making in the family and has reward and coercive power over the children, although she will confer with the twin’s father due to the legal agreement of joint custody. Carmen, as the oldest child, has inferred power over the twins. The twins, as the two youngest children, are on an equal power base. When asked about the closeness in the family structure, Lois feels she is closest to Carmen and Camille. Carmen is closest to her mother and Camille. Emille is closest to Camille and her father. Camille is closest to her mother and Emille. Lois doesn’t feel there is a lack of bonding with any of the children. The family exhibits the traditional middle class African-American values of strong family bonds; support from kin and friendships; flexibility in family roles; and strong religious commitment and participation. She has the middle class values of honesty, hard work, progress, achievement and respectability (Friedman, et al., 2003). Individualism and equality are valued, but she stresses respect for God, family and elders; good grades and academic achievement above all else. Health care for the children is important to her. She utilizes her health care insurance to makes sure they have all the needed physicals, immunizations, eye and dental care recommended by their pediatrician. She has delayed her own routine health and dental care and screenings to meet work or family commi tments. I explained to Lois that in a recent study a questionnaire was given at both men and women to evaluate family burdens; domestic responsibilities; the appraisal of work and family; and values involved in work-family balance. The results of this study show that, in the present economic and cultural context, assuming family burdens and domestic responsibilities increases the positive appraisal of work and family (Cantera, Cubells, Martinez & Blanch, 2009). Lois sees her family as very healthy since there are no illnesses or major health crises; but also sees how delaying her health care could directly affect the health status of the family. The children are active in sports, but Lois feels she has been neglecting herself by not getting the exercise she has been used to even though her weight remains consistent and within normal limits. The family’s diet consists of all food groups and is appropriate for each child’s growth needs. All the children are within their normal body mean index (BMI). Meal  times are structured and usually occur at home, although she will have one or two nights a month after church where the family eats out. I educated Lois regarding several studies that have invest igated the effects of diet on the growth of fibroids. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), recent findings from a study of more than 22,000 African American women showed that women who consumed milk, cheese, ice cream, or other dairy products at least once a day were less likely to develop fibroids than were women who consumed dairy less frequently (National Institute of Health, 2013). Lois states one thing she makes sure she does is get enough rest; she sleeps about 7 hours each night. If she feels she needs more rest, she goes to bed earlier. She doesn’t drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, use illicit or recreational drugs, nor do any of the children engage in any of these practices. The main stressor the family is experiencing is the parent-adolescent relationship which Lois is aware is a normal developmental task that the family will progress through. Another area of stress Lois expressed is lack of knowledge related to treatments for uterine fibroids. She was given educational material from the NIH website factsheet on uterine fibroids and current studies and treatment options. Also Lois wanted information on current treatment options for teenagers with irregular menses. Lois was given information from the PebMed website on a study to determine the effectiveness and acceptability of progestogens alone or in combination with oestrogens in the regulation of irregular menstrual bleeding. The study results state there is no consensus about which regimens are most effective and further research is needed (Hickey, M., Higham J.M., Fraser I. 2012). I encouraged her to follow up with Carmen’s doctor after the 6 month course of BCP’s and then discuss her options. Lois was also given information on treatment options for eczema (Weston, 2011). I encouraged her to have the twin’s father apply the medication to them daily and if he wasn’t able to adhere to the treatment schedule, she could have the twins apply their own ointment. The family handles stressors well; overall family adaptation is appropriate; and the family is meeting all the expected developmental task of this stage. See attachment for genogram. References Cantera, L., Cubells, M., Martà ­nez, L., & Blanch, J. (2009). Work, family, and gender: Elements for a theory of work-family balance. The Spanish Journal Of Psychology, 12(2), 641-647. Edgar-Smith, S. E. (2010). Family relational values in the parent-adolescent relationship. Counseling & Values, 54(2), 187-200 Friedman, M. M., Bowden, V.R., & Jones, E. G. (2003). Family nursing: Research, theory, and practice. (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Hickey, M., Higham J.M., Fraser I. (2012). Progestogens with or without oestrogen for irregular uterine bleeding associated with anovulation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD001895. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001895.pub3. National Institute of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. (2013). Uterine fibroids. Retrieved from United States Government website: http://report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=50&key=UWeston, W.L., (2011). Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of atopic dermatitis (e czema). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html.

Are Ghosts An Illusion Of The Mind Philosophy Essay

Are Ghosts An Illusion Of The Mind Philosophy Essay Ghosts are just one of the many subtopics that reside within the topic of paranormal. Paranormal experiences are studied using parapsychology: a scientific approach to supposedly â€Å"paranormal† experiences. With the use of H. J. Irwin’s brilliant book called, â€Å"An Introduction to Parapsychology Third Edition†, and Bobby Elgee’s article called, â€Å"‘Evidence’ of the Paranormal and Ghosts†, we are able to deduce a theoretically sound explanation of what is paranormal and since when has the topic been studied. Then, we analyze the survival hypothesis and the ability of a soul to live outside the body. After, we proceed to the definition of ghosts and their usual whereabouts while setting the conditions that they usually appear in as well as to who they appear. Finally, we go on to claiming that these experiences are not really ghosts, but either hallucinations or just simply paranormal due to the witnesses’ wild conclusion that it couldn’t be anything other than a ghost. Ghosts: An Illusion of the Mind Ghosts are not what you think they are, far from it. They aren’t the friendly little ghost you see in â€Å"Casper†, nor are they the â€Å"Bloody Baron† from SpongeBob Squarepants who haunts the ocean for eternity. They might not even be anything at all, just a word people exploit to an unknown object which might have a logical explanation. Yet, most cultures in the world believe in the body having a soul which like the heart, can exist and survive in another body. Yet, even if such an idea is generally believe by a large population of the world, it may not be true. Thought or belief proves nothing, for if it were, then a group could believe in radioactive helicopter bunnies and it would be fact. Yet, people need proof, therefore, to believe ghosts, we need proof that they exist. Life isn’t neither what people see in movies, read in books nor see in pictures. Therefo re, neither are ghosts. In order to prove ghosts don’t exist, we have to analyze the parapsychological and the paranormal, the survival theory, the situations in which ghost usually appear and how most experiences are most likely fakes. According to Bobby Elgee, â€Å"the word ‘paranormal’ simply means ‘not scientifically explainable.'† (Elgee, 2009, pg 1) Meanwhile, parapsychology is known â€Å"as the study of apparent anomalies of behavior and experience that exist apart from currently known explanatory mechanisms that account for organism-environment and organism-organism information and influence flow† (Irwin, 1999, pg 1). Therefore, it is the commutation of a being to another, or a being to a surrounding. In other words, parapsychology is using a scientific approach to study experiences that may be paranormal and â€Å"to determine whether or not the evident paranormal quality of a given class of parapsychological experience is authenti c or ontologically real.† (Irwin, 1999, pg 9) According to Irwin, â€Å"recorded instances of parapsychological experiences of course may be found among all cultures and in all historic periods.† (Irwin, 1999, pg 13) Yet, the testing of such experiences for accuracy and authenticity was slower to emerge. Some, â€Å"such as Henry More and Joseph Glanvill showed themselves alert to the possibility of fraud, delusion, and unreliable observation†, but their views more religious than scientific as they were â€Å"endeavoring to ascertain the earthly presence of the devil and diabolical forces.† (Irwin, 1999, pg 14) It was later that Francis Bacon made a call â€Å"for objective scrutiny of parapsychological experiences† (Irwin, 1999, pg 14) which was more scientific than More and Glanvill, but â€Å"at the time society was not receptive to such a view and Bacon’s arguments went unheeded.† (Irwin, 1999, pg 14) Then, a center in England call ed the Society for Psychical Research where parapsychologists are â€Å"united in their conviction that the objective investigation of parapsychological phenomena was called for, despite the prevailing disinterest in such research among the established divisions of science.† (Irwin, 1999, pg 13) Even today, most of society disregards the subject as scientific, yet â€Å"parapsychology is under taken as a scientific endeavor regardless of its subject matter, flaws in any of its research procedures, and the skeptical rhetoric of its critics.† (Irwin, 1999, pg 2) Therefore, Irwin states that, â€Å"All ESP experiences thus are parapsychological, but we require proof that any of them could be paranormal.† (Irwin, 1999, pg 2)

Assignment 1-5-2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment 1-5-2 - Essay Example Though this is very unusual in a business, we have to respect the prevailing culture and we cannot impose our own set of cultural background. Such, this research will describe the differentiation of national cultures using metaphors of cultural artifacts specific to seventeen different countries. This will also attempt to answer the question of how cultural dimensions can manifest themselves with concrete examples of traditions. 1. Christianson, Gale E. Greenhouse: Theoretical and Practical Considerations for Virtual Learning Environments in Technical Communication . New York: Walker & Company, 1999 This journal research helps technical communicators explore the potential of virtual-learning environments to simulate what will happen in the future. This research will also help to understand how we can put all the knowledge we learned to understand on how to achieve a high sales figure. In addition, we will also be able to determine the driving forces of the above question that is econ omical, both politically and socially, with the usage of science and technology that is not harmful to the environment. Also it provides a structured overview of approaches on how to conceptualize, design, develop, and evaluate virtual-learning environment. ? 3. Bate, Barbara, and Judy Bowker. Organizational and Intercultural Communication.

The Ageing population Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Ageing population - Research Paper Example The study of ageing population has been important to policy makers because of its implications to the burden of the retirement system, health care provisions and caring for this population Life expectancy can also be a measure of a potential return on investment in human capital and is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial measures. Review of literature Are there really some reasons why some people age faster than others? According to researches and studies, there are really factors that lead to early ageing of populations and some of these have impact on socio economic and health consequences. In the reports of Gosh, 2011, Homeschooling website 2011, BBC News 2011, and Reuters 2011, there is evidence that people with lower education are prone to age more quickly than those with higher education. This evidence points to the researchers from Britain and the United States that examined the length of sections of DNA telomers of 450 people who took part in a long term health y study. Findings of the study showed people who did less well at school had shorter telemores suggesting they may age faster. Stibich (2009) defines telemores â€Å"as bits of â€Å"junk DNA† at the end of chromosomes that protect your real DNA every time a cell divides. What happens is that, due to how cells divide, the very last bit of a chromosome can’t be copied 100% - a little bit gets cut off. It was thought that, as cell divide, the telomeres get shorter each time, until they are gone. At that point, the â€Å"real DNA† cannot be copied anymore and the cell simply ages and no longer replicates†. Further research showed chronic HIV infection speeds up aging by as much as 20 to 30 years (Rickabaugh et al. 2011) According to WHO, the risk of HIV infliction in South Africa, shortens the lives of people wherein 10% of its population with ages 50-54 are living with HIV. On this, study of Pebody (2009) on life expectancy of people with AIDS in US is redu ced by 21 years. Comparing this with black and white’s life expectancy of those diagnosed with HIV, study showed white men have higher years of 25.5 years than black men of 19.9 years and Hispanics with 22.6 years. However, these figures showed an improvement and an increased over the 1969 figures which are relatively shorter. The socio economic consequences are some of the reasons for early ageing as seen in the report of Park of CNN (2011) that said baby boomers are aging faster than previous generations. Park posed the observations that senior population are less healthy and heavier than their parents were at their age; boomers think of themselves as young, but they’re aging physiologically faster, and more often, they are bothered with stress, obesity, health care, brain function and arthritis Methodology The study will use exploratory research in order to discover general information on the ageing population. When the goal of a study is to gain an insight to a par ticular topic or situation, an exploratory research is an appropriate design for the study (KnowThis.com). This approach has been selected because the research is new and it is hard to pinpoint the research direction. So in using this, result of study may be used for a more formal research direction. Data collection will be gathered from secondary sources of published articles and studies. Discussions A comparison of life expectancy in selected countries is presented in Table 1 to show differences among developed, emerging and third world countries. Table 1. Demographic comparison, by country 2011 Country POPULATION AGE STRUCTRE65 Yrs & above FERT.

The Role of Women in Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The Role of Women in Organizations - Essay Example In 1980s businesswomen became a powerful force in the European and US economy. The transition to post-industrial society boosted structural changes in the economy and rapid development in the services sector. Women were opening a multitude of service enterprises, which grew and gained public recognition. Society had to admit that small business was made for women. A study, conducted by Coates in Britain, showed that, while women represented a third of overall respondent managers, they nevertheless only represented 4.3% of executive positions against 9.9% of men. By far the largest single group overall was middle managers (47%), even here only 25 of the women studied had attained this level. The vast majority of women were thus junior managers (Coates, 1997). Women are now more than 1% of the Fortune 500 CEOs, yet research shows that companies with the highest percentage of women at the top financially outperform those with the lowest number of women at the top. Companies run by women are as financially sound and creditworthy as the typical firm in the U.S. economy and are more likely to remain in business than the average US firm. In 1987 two million female-owned businesses had $25bn in sales. One year later, five million female-owned businesses had $83bn in sales. Around the world, women-owned firms comprise between one-quarter and one-third of the businesses in the formal economy and are likely to play an even greater role in informal sectors. In Japan, the number of women managers is still small (around 300,000), but it has more than doubled over the past 10 years. In Australia, the proportion of women working in their own business is also growing. Women working in their own business in Australia numbered 216,300 in 1983-84 and 272,400 in 1989-90, an increase of approximately 26 per cent (Milojevic). Why does it happen that companies with women occupying senior positions perform better than those with male leaders One of the reasons may be that women's leadership style, based on openness, trust, sociability, interest in people, caring, ongoing education, compassion and collaboration. Women are more likely to succeed because of their natural qualities and because they admit they need help and surround themselves with good people: they are cautions, strategic risk takers, whose

Sex Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sex Education - Essay Example Though she was older than me, we were very close friends and we could discuss anything in a cordial manner. I like this person and she liked me too. We treated each other like a brother and sister but the closeness was just great. We happened to be alone at her place and we were watching a romantic film. We started off caressing each other and each of us was so erotic such that we could not resist the strong desire to have sex. We were both virgins then and the experience was just painful. I ended up asking myself why people often talk of great pleasure from sex when it was so painful. I also felt sorry for my friend who had all of a sudden become a lover since I realised that I had hurt her. However, the second time we tried it was quite different from the first experience. This time I really enjoyed the sex and my partner also did. I discovered that people who are not in love can still enjoy sex as long as they are aware of what they are doing. I liked it and my friend also liked i t though there were very few chances that we could end up as lovers. I also discovered that breaking virginity during a sexual encounter can be very painful. However, the fallacy I later discovered from the knowledge I had gathered from my friends about sex is that some people believe that the first sexual encounter does not lead to pregnancy. I carried out various researches to establish the authenticity of this claim but I later discovered that it was false. Though I was furious that some people wanted to mislead me, I was not particularly made at anyone. Indeed, my friend did not get any pregnancy. This taught me a lesson that whenever I fail to resist the strong desire to have sex, then I must use protection. This helps to prevent unwanted... This paper approves that the truth of the matter is that people who practice self sex are smart and they are safe from contracting sexually transmitted diseases from other people if they indulge in unprotected sex. It is quite difficult to openly talk about self sex but the truth of the matter is that a lot of people do it even married couples. A lot of studies have shown that people who engage in self sex live a healthier life than those who are sexually active and those who prefer to sleep around with multiple partners. Though people feel shy to openly talk about this practice, it is advocated by many counsellors as it is seen as an effective way of reining the behaviour of the youths in particular so that they can live health lives. This essay makes a conclusion that the subject of sex is widely discussed in different places especially by the youths since it characterises their growth and development. However, there are some myths and fallacies in some of the ideas that are exchanged pertaining to the issue of sex and sexuality. However, there are certain aspects that are real and these help different individuals to gain full understanding of this particular topic. Sex is a need but there are certain precautions that need to be taken especially by the youths in order to ensure that they do not spoil their health by avoiding the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases through sexual intercourse with infected partners.

International human resourses management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International human resourses management - Essay Example To get a better understanding of international HRM, it becomes important to understand the issues that GE faced and then understand the measures taken by GE to control the problems which came up in terms of international HRM. The primary aspect that must be kept in mind with regard to GE is that it is truly one of the few international companies in the world. Its diversity is not only based on the number and variety of people that work for the company but also with regard to the businesses and markets that GE has entered into. GE has eleven separate technology, finance and services related business units each of which could be an international company in their own right. In terms of total employee strength, the company employs more than 300,000 individuals who are spread in more than 150 countries all over the world (GE, 2006). Despite being large and long-established, the values, management systems, culture and the rate of technological adaptation have remained the same wherever GE operations are maintained. GE deals with a variety of products and markets which range from computer systems, aircraft engines, energy plant development, finance and capital services, moulded plastics, illumination devices, health tools and military equipment. Regardless of the nature of business they get into, GE focuses on converting powerful ideas into real products for the collective benefit of their stakeholders (GE, 2006). As a market leader, no company few companies in the world are as well respected as GE (Demos, 2006). Throughout their existence, and more recently in current years, analysts from various fields such as management, business administration, human resource management and those who study organisational behaviour have all given high accolades to GE (Fisher, 2006). A large part of this respect comes from the way GE takes care of the human resources which are recruited by the company. These

What can we learn from the communicative behaviours of aphasic Essay

What can we learn from the communicative behaviours of aphasic children and adults about the role of the brain in the acquisition, production and understanding - Essay Example nguage is an indispensable part of human culture, without which jurisprudence, commerce, science and other human endeavors could not exist in the forms we know them.† Because of this significance of language in individual and societal lives, many researchers and scientists have studied it and the various language disorders in order to better understand the processes that inhibit or stimulate and reinforce its use. The brain is central to the scientific study of language as it is in the brain that language has evolved from mere monkey utterances into words and then coherent phrases and sentences (Deacon 1997). The increasing occurrences of language disorders have also made the brain the focus of language studies in order to ascertain what can be done—if there is indeed something that can be done—to correct or cure these illnesses that debilitate the afflicted from functioning normally in society. This paper will focus on a specific language disorder called Aphasia, as it is through the research and study of language disorders that most findings about the brain, in relation to language, are grounded on (Chudler 2007). Through the discussion of the ins and outs of this type of language disorder, the author aims to present an exposition of the role of the brain in the acquisition, production and understanding of language. For the clarification of the objective of this paper, it is important to note that the acquisition of language will pertain to the different regions in the brain that are designated to be language areas; the production of language concerns Brocas Aphasia research; and understanding is explained through Wernickes Aphasia. The complex structure of the brain and the vast range of its functions have long been a source of interest that has spawned an evolution of theories and scientific facts. Due to this, what is dubbed as â€Å"the mysteries of the brain† can no longer be characterized as wholly mysterious—the neuroscientists have shed light

Compare and contrast 4 poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Compare and contrast 4 poems - Essay Example Unrivaled for its variety and strength, the poetry of the First World War persists to have a powerful impact on readers. The three poems that will be discussed in this paper reflect the diverse experience of those who lived through the war, integrating the words of poets, soldiers and civilians affected by the war. These four poems depict the emotions of those at war, and the unknown lyrics of soldiers’ songs. Furthermore, the poems provide a blend of voices that is both unique and tremendously moving. The poetry that was coming out of the First World War revealed, for the first time in the history of ever, the actual horror of war. The consequence is an extraordinary documentation of passionate emotions and atrocious experiences, written by men and women from extensively different settings, of distinct and lasting significance. Moina Michael influenced by the May 1915 poem â€Å"In Flanders Fields† composed by Canadian doctor and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, publish ed her own poem in Novemember 1918, We Shall Keep the Faith. In her emotional poem Moina Michael swears to at all time don a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for those who were killed in the war. ... tradiction, which is a remembrance that is sub-presumed into the iconography of politeness, and provided with the added baggage of watchfulness, responsibility, and unstipulated trust. Monia’s poem somehow ignores, as do the memorials erected all over the state, is the time of evolution between life and death. The poppy remodelled by Monia is the gesture of the realm into which a generation fell and through which we persist to stumble on as if heaved; we are the future that the demised speaks to. Presently the poppies flutter in the fields of Iraq. The poppy, with its embedded promise of oblivion, has become the appropriate preserve of the despicable. The Monia’s poem also falls short to tell us what that was, however, it serves well adequately to mark the appalling void at its heart. â€Å"1914† is Wilfred Owen’s first poem about the First World War. It has two stanzas with 8 and 6 lines, respectively. These 8 lines and 6 divide the otherwise frequent iam bic meter. The rhymes too are traditional: no restrained pararhymes are present. On the other hand, the most significant thing is how virtually its intent adheres to received perception of the war at that moment, as exemplified by the Rupert Brooke’s poem â€Å"The Soldier.† The comparison between the diction on the lines 1-8 and lines 9-14 is very spotlighted. The octet contains â€Å"whirled†, â€Å"rend†, and â€Å"down-hurled†, words which depict the devastating force. On the other hand, words, such as like â€Å"famine† and â€Å"rots† are indicative of destruction’s impacts. Thus, â€Å"wails† depicts human reaction, all the consequences of that terrifying strained word â€Å"tornado†. All these words are also indicative of a more apt year later during Owen’s experiences in the trenches. How distinct when we

Summarize information from websites Essay Example for Free

Summarize information from websites Essay AIDS has become a universal crisis out of which the sub-Saharan Africa has 2. 1 million of estimated cases. The following are some of the reasons of the impact of AIDS summarized from the AVERT. ORG website. The impact on the Healthcare Sector Increase in the AIDS epidemic has caused an increase in demand for AIDS healthcare workers. According to the website the medical expenses is about US$30 per year for every infected person especially in the sub-Saharan areas. The hospitals find it difficult to accommodate HIV patients and in future it is estimated that AIDS care will account for 60%-70% of all hospital expenditures in South Africa. Hospitals find it difficult to cope with infrastructure as there are not enough beds, leading to shortage in admitted patients. In such cases patients develop complications and the epidemic worsens thereby reducing the standards of care at the hospitals. There are also many healthcare professionals who are affected with AIDS because they are in constant contact with patients. There is therefore an increase in workload, less pay all leading to a scarcity of healthcare workers. The impact on Households AIDS has caused mass impact in the poorer sectors wherein AIDS has been transferred from adults to children. Household income suffers because adults will have to give up their work to look after infected relatives. Children are also forced to stop studying. Families cut expenditures on clothing, electricity and food. There are many families who have abandoned agricultural work due to household illness causing severe food shortage. Looking after patients with illness causes an emotional as well as a financial burden on the household members. Household assets are also sold to meet basic expenses and health needs. The impact on Children Children loose their parents or guardians and are forced to give up their childhood. They are forced to become the breadwinners of the family. They lack nutrition, education and healthcare facilities. Many children are orphaned and they don’t have anyone to take care of them. This makes institutional care a must for such children. These institutions may not be that well equipped to handle the psychological and physiological traumas faced by the children. There are communities that aim to make the children more sociable and to help resolve their problems, but there are too many children and too less healthcare workers. The impact on Education Sector AIDS affects a child’s education which is one of the most cost-effective ways of imparting education. Children may be forced to look after their family members or they themselves may be affected with AIDS. Many of them may not be able to afford the school fees and need to work to afford even their basic necessities. Even the teachers are affected by HIV AIDS. Research shows that teachers have a lack of understanding on the subject and their socio-economic status causes them to get infected. If there are no teachers to teach, then this affects the child’s development. There will be many absent periods because a teacher takes time off to look after their sick relatives or to attend funerals. The impact on Enterprises and Workplaces Many people who are affected with AIDS are people who are employed this affects their socio-economic status. AIDS affects production costs, diverts resources and productivity and has depleting skills. Company costs for funerals, healthcare and pension are likely to increase as people take early retirement or are dying. The demand for products and services also falls. Absent staff also affects the productivity. The recruitment, training and healthcare expenditures constantly increase while productivity declines. There are also very few companies that have a policy to deal with HIV and AIDS.

Albert Camus the Plague Essay Example for Free

Albert Camus the Plague Essay Can God possibly exist in a world full of madness and injustice? Albert Camus and Samuel Beckett address these questions in The Plague and Waiting for Godot. Though their thinking follows the ideals of existentialism, their conclusions are different. Camus did not believe in God, nor did he agree with the vast majority of the historical beliefs of the Christian religion. His stance on Christianity is summed up most simply by his remark that in its essence, Christianity (and this is its paradoxical greatness) is a doctrine of injustice. It is founded on the sacrifice of the innocent and the acceptance of this sacrifice (Bree 49). Camus felt that Jesus Christ was an innocent man who was unjustly killed. This does conflicts with all of Camus values. However, Camus did not believe that Jesus was the son of God. Camus inability to accept Christian theology is voiced in The Plague by Riex and juxtaposed against the beliefs preached by Father Paneloux (Rhein 42). Panelouxs attitude toward the plague contrasts sharply with Rieuxs. In his first sermon, he preaches that the plague is divine in origin and punitive in its purpose. He attempts to put aside his desires for a rational explanation and simply accepts Gods will. In this way he is not revolting and therefore falls victim to the plague. Father Panelouxs belief that there are no innocent victims is shaken as he watches a young boy die of the plague. Camus purposefully describes a long, painful death to achieve the greatest effect on Paneloux: When the spasms had passed, utterly exhausted, tensing his thin legs and arms, on which, within forty-eight hours, the flesh had wasted to the bone, the child lay flat, in a grotesque parody of crucifixion (215). Paneloux cannot deny that the child was an innocent victim and is forced to rethink his ideas. During his second sermon, a change is seen in Father Paneloux. He now uses the pronoun we instead of you, and he has adopted a new policy in which he tells people to believe all or nothing (224). Father Paneloux, as a Christian, is faced with a decision: either he accepts that God is the ultimate ruler and brings goodness out of the evil that afflicts men, or he sides with Rieux and denies God. The conclusion formed by Camus is that because this is a world in which innocent people are tortured, there is no God. Samuel Beckett does not necessarily deny the existence of God in Waiting for Godot. If God does exist, then He contributes to the chaos by remaining silent. The French philosopher Blaise Pascal noted the arbitrariness of life and that the universe works based on percentages. He advocated using such arbitrariness to ones advantage, including believing in God. If He does not exist, nobody would care in the end, but if He does, a believer is on the safe side all along, so one cannot lose. In this play, either God does not exist, or He does not care. Whichever is the case, chance and arbitrariness determine human life in the absence of a divine power. This ties in with the two tramps chances for salvation. As one critic observes, For just as man cannot live by bread alone, he now realizes that he cannot live by mere thinking or hanging on in vain to a thread of salvation which does not seem to exist (Lumley 203). This explains Vladimir and Estragons contemplation of suicide after Godot remains absent for yet another day. One could also argue, in the absurd sense, that each man has a fifty-fifty chance of salvation. One of the two prisoners who were crucified with Jesus was given salvation. This element of chance for salvation can also be extended to Pozzo and Lucky in Waiting for Godot. When they come across the two tramps, Pozzo is on his way to sell Lucky because he claims that Lucky has grown old and only hinders him. In this way Pozzo is trying to draw that fifty-fifty chance of salvation for himself. One of the ways in which Lucky hinders him is that Lucky could be the one to be redeemed, leaving Pozzo to be damned. Even Luckys speech is concerned with salvation: Given the existence of a personal God outside time without who from the heights of divine apathia divide athambia divide apaia loves us dearly with some exceptions for reasons unknown and suffers with those who for reasons unknown are plunged in torment. (28) After removing all of Luckys nonsensical meanderings, the gist of his speech is that God does not communicate with humans and condemns them for unknown reasons. His silence causes the real hopelessness, and this is what makes Waiting for Godot a tragedy

Analysis of Water Quality | Experiment

Analysis of Water Quality | Experiment Teri Reed Water in Crisis Abstract Water filtration methods were examined by using vinegar, oil and laundry detergent. These products were used to determine how well the purification process of water works. The color, smell and consistency changed during testing which allowed the transformation to be visual. Different types of water was tested using chemical strips that evaluated the contamination between them. The data suggested that bottled water was none the less better for drinking than tap water. Fresh water is essential for all living things and contaminated water must be treated before released into the water supply (Bottcher Rex, 2012). Introduction In this lab, the study of water quality was performed which is imperative to our environment as it safeguards and protects all living things. Certain criteria can support and identify problems that may cause incorrect treatment of wastewater from agricultural areas contaminated with sediment, fertilizers, and chemicals. Principles and standards are put into action to attain and protect water quality (EPA, 2012). Poor water quality can negatively affect ecological developments such as healthy rivers, plant life, wetlands, and animals. If the quality of our water systems is not maintained it will negatively impact the environment and influence commercial and recreational values (NSW, 2012). The main objective of these labs was to determine the effects of contaminated water and the impact it has on the quality of living things. By examining the effectiveness of the filtration process, it signified the importance of the quality of drinking water. In these experiments there were different types of water used, tap water and two different brands of bottled water. These lab also required the use of test strips that measured the variety of levels of chemical components within our drinking water (Bottcher Rex, 2012). In the first experiment, there were three hypotheses on how vinegar, oil and laundry detergent contaminated groundwater. The hypotheses for vinegar was if it was mixed with soil it would contaminate the ground water with the acidity, which can lead to dissolving lead or copper in plumbing. The hypotheses for oil was that it would contaminate the ground water and kill plants and wildlife. It is also flammable which would lead to fires. The hypotheses for laundry detergent was it would contaminate the ground water with perfume and dyes, which can get into the drinking water, and this would cause people to get very sick. In the second experiment, the hypothesis of filtration techniques would get rid of all contaminants from the water supply. In the third experiment, the hypotheses was that tap water would have the most contaminants, while both bottled water(s) would have the least amount of contaminants. Materials and Methods This first experiment was conducted to test the effects of groundwater contamination. This test was conducted with eight beakers filled with tap water. In beaker one it had10 ml of tap water, in beaker two 10ml of oil was added to tap water, in beaker three 10ml of vinegar was added to tap water, in beaker four 10ml of laundry detergent was added to tap water and then the smell, color and contents of the water was observed. Next a piece of cheesecloth was used to line the funnel and 60ml of soil was poured into the flue. The first beaker with tap water was poured into the soil allowing it to drain for one minute. Then beaker two vinegar water was poured over new soil, allowing it to drain for one minute. The next step was to pour the oil water from beaker three over new soil with a cheesecloth filter, allowing it to drain for one minute. Beaker four with laundry detergent was then drained in the same manner. Once all the contents were drained into the beakers, the results were examin ed. The next study was the water treatment experiment, and a 250 ml beaker was filled with 100 ml of soil and 200 ml of tap water. Then the mixture was poured back and forth between the two beakers allowing the contaminated water to mix thoroughly. To determine the difference in the water contents from the beginning of the process to the end, 10 ml of the mixture was separated into 100 ml beaker and set aside. In the next step 10 grams of alum was added to the mixture in the original beaker, and then stirred for 2 minutes. Then the contents settled for 15 minutes. In order to create the filtration system a cheesecloth lining sat in the base of the funnel, and then 40ml of sand, 20ml of activated charcoal and 60ml of gravel filled the flue to the top. Next the filtration process began by running clean tap water through the content four times and allowing it to drain. Next the contaminated mixture was poured into the filter, allowing it to drain into the clean beaker. After the water made its way through the filtration process, it was ready to be treated with a few drops of bleach. When the lab was complete, the two beakers were compared to see how much the filtration process cleaned the water free from particles and smells. In the final study drinking water quality, tap water, Dasani bottled water, and Fiji bottled water were all tested with chemical strips for contaminants. The test strips were used to check for Ammonia, Chloride, pH balance, total Alkalinity, total Chlorine, total hardness, Phosphate, and Iron. Three beakers were used and each filled with the water contents and then tested with the chemical strips. After all the strips were used and the results were recorded, the lab was complete. Results Experiment 1: Effects of Groundwater Contamination Figure 1. Experiment 2: Water Treatment Figure 2. Experiment 3: Drinking Water Quality Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. Figure 6. Figure 7. Overall experiment 1 (Fig. 1) shows the results of vinegar, oil and laundry detergent with odors, dirty water, soil particles, and green / yellow water from the contaminants. When looking at Figure 1 the results of 1-8 are listed and it shows a significant difference between each observation. The results from experiment 2 (Fig.2) shows the filtration process is almost free of particles and odors. In experiment 3, (Fig. 3-7) the Ammonia and Chloride test results were 0 mg/L for all three water types. The 4 in 1 test strips showed a wide range of numbers, this may be caused by outside contamination. Phosphate test results shows a range of 0ppm, 10ppm, and 50ppm in table 5, and in table 6 the results from the tap water and Fiji ® Bottled Water was .15ppm and Dasani water was 0ppm. Discussion Based on the test results on the effects of contaminated ground water, the hypothesis was rejected because the oil stayed in the soil. The oil water was filtered through the soil using the funnel and cheesecloth. Once the water was filtered there was no visible oil particles. The hypothesis for vinegar was accepted based on the results from Table 1 where the vinegar seeped through the soil into the water. This test result showed that after the vinegar water was filtered through the soil using a cheesecloth, there was a certain smell of vinegar in the water. Finally, the hypothesis was accepted in experiment three, the laundry detergent seeped through the soil into the water and there was definitely a perfume odor with a soapy appearance. After the water was filtered through the soil using the funnel and cheesecloth, the water was soapy and had a noticeable smell of perfume. In the next experiment water treatment, the hypothesis was rejected because the water appeared to be less polluted with a lesser amount of odor. The water was filtered using a five step filtration process. The filter system was made with sand charcoal, and rocks. Tap water was filtered through the filtration system to clean the charcoal. The contaminated water was filtered. Lastly, there was a comparison of the contaminated water and treated water. The filtration method trapped soil and contaminated particles which allowed the odor to significantly decrease. When the bleach was added to the filtered water, the color of the contaminated water was darker than the filtered water and the odor in the soil was more robust than the contaminated water. In the final experiment drinking water quality, the hypothesis for tap water, Dasani water, and Fiji water was rejected. Based on the results from Tables 2-6, the three water samples were tested using chemical strips to determine if there was any Ammonia, Chloride, pH balance, total Alkalinity, total Chlorine, total hardness, Phosphate, and Iron present in the water examples. Tap water showed the least amounts of contaminates, Dasani water was mid range, and Fiji water had the highest number of existing contaminants. During the water quality experiment, it was important to study how the distribution of tap water traveled through the pipes. Although the tap water was run through a filtration system, it could become contaminated during the traveling process. Oxidization of pipes can cause pathogens to be present in water. Using high speed jets for cleaning can remove these types of contaminants from passing through the filtered water (Doelman, 2014). There are many other questions that can be asked about filters or a water filtration systems. There is Reverse Osmosis which seems like a multifaceted system when really it is a simple water filtration process. Reverse Osmosis is when water density forces molecules through a membrane which leaves contaminates behind and purified water is collected from a clean membrane. Any contaminated water is then flushed into a drain. Reverse Osmosis will remove salts and most inanimate materials. Reverse Osmosis will typically remove microscopic parasites, with th e exception of viruses. Although, reverse osmosis can be slower than a water filtration system, Reverse Osmosis will typically purify more water per day than most distillers (Kent Farahbakhsh, 2011). Conclusions In summary of water quality and contamination, it is critical to make consumers aware of the quality of tap water and bottled water and its contaminants. Three experiments were performed in this lab report, and although many of the hypotheses were accepted, it does show the amount of rejected claims. Doing these experiments allows the consumer to visualize how the filtration process works, and the effects of contamination on soil and groundwater. Further research should be done to prove accuracy and theories. References Bottcher, A., Rex, A. (2012). Environmental science student manual. Sheridan: eScience Labs. Doelman, J. D. (2014). Reducing fouling corrosion in pipelines. Pollution Engineering, 33-35. EPA. (2012, March 6). Why are water quality standards important. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from  http://water.epa.gov/scetech/swguidance/standards/imp.cfm Kent, F. C., Farahbakhsh, K. (2011). Addressing reverse osmosis fouling within water  reclamation-A side-by-side comparison of low-pressure membrane pretreatments.   Water Environment Research, 515-526. NSW. (2012, September 11). Water Quality. Retrieved from NSW Government:  Retrieved from  http:// www.environment.nsw.gov.au/water/waterqual.htm David Hume: Philosophy Analysis David Hume: Philosophy Analysis David Home was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in spring 1711. Hume originally studied law but then changed his mind and decided to focus only on philosophy and learning. He also had no interest in professors, saying there is nothing to be learnt from a Professor, which is not to be met with in Books. He traveled to France at age 23, and it was there that he wrote A Treatise of Human Nature, which is considered to be one of the most important books in Western philosophy. At the time of its publishing, though, it came under criticism for being unintelligible. It was then that he started writing The History of Great Britain. Shortly after, he wrote An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, which was more successful than the Treatise. He was convicted of heresy but because he was thought to be an atheist, he was considered to be outside the Churchs jurisdiction, so he got acquitted. Arguably, this is better than being hung. When Hume was a young boy attending the University of Edinburgh he devoured books written by Voet, Vinnius, Cicero and Virgil. David Hume was heavily influenced by both John Locke and George Berkeley. He was also influenced by French-speaking Pierre Bayle and many prominent figures on the English intellectual landscape such as Issac Newton, Samuel Clark, Francis Hutcheson, who served as his teacher, and Joseph Butler who provided him feedback on his first work. Hume belongs to the philosophical school of British Empiricism. Hume writes his Empiricism with a combination of both positive and negative aims. These aims are strongly cornered on the belief that simple ideas are combined to form complex ideas. The counter philosophical school during this time period were the Continental Rationalists. The British Empiricists put great value in experience whereas the Continental Rationalists worked to break down the views held during the Medieval Ages. Hume spent much of his time writing about religion, but it is difficult to discern his own religious views from the ones he writes about. He was living in a time where being an atheist could bring about harsh consequences in society. Hume never came out and declared himself an atheist and his writings showed nothing but ambiguity on the subject. In many of his writings he attacks many of the basic assumptions of religion and Christian beliefs, yet in other works he claims that, [t]he whole frame of nature bespeaks an intelligent author. It has been said by scholars that perhaps Hume was irreligious as opposed to atheist. Hume did not believe in the God of standard theismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but he did not rule out all concepts of deity. The first half of the eighteenth century in Scotland was fraught with civil discontent, which was expressed in the form of the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite uprisings. When Charles Stuart, the Young Pretender, was chased out of Scotland after trying to conquer Britain, the Scottish were placed under an even tighter British rein and denied by proscription their traditional garb in 1747. In regards to John Locke, Humes philosophy does not explicitly have God as its foundation. This is evident in the chapter Of Refinement in the Arts, in which Hume argues for the value, both to society and the individual, of proper pursuit of luxury and refinement. His theory is not clearly tied to any belief in a deity, but neither does it reject deity. He instead argues from the perspective of whether or not innocent luxury is beneficial, not taking God into account. This difference between Locke and Hume relates to their views on reason and empirical observation. Both philosophers were empiricists, arguing that we arrive at knowledge through sensation. Yet Locke also believes in a law of reason and that certain things can be understood through the exercise of reason. Hume, however, is generally considered anti-rational. He argues that reason consists simply in the prescription of actions based on our passions which are in turn derived from our morals. Thus, reason can prescribe how we should act, what means we should employ, but it cannot prescribe the ends we pursue through those actions. This is fundamentally different from Locke, whose theory of society and government is grounded in the objective laws of nature and God. Again, this fundamental difference is reflected in Of Refinement in the Arts. Whereas Locke argues for a law of reason that prescribes the correct actions of a society and government, Hume argues that the best laws cannot be arrived at except through reason that has been refined by exercise. In other words, knowledge of the art of government does not come from an objective, external law of nature or reason, or from God, but from subjective human experience. Thus, for Locke, the best government is derived from the law of reason and has as its purpose the protection of everyones natural right to life, liberty, and property. Liberty, to Locke, is a natural right that government exists to protect. For Hume, a government that protects liberty is established from a society that is properly cultivated and refined, so that the people have acquired wealth and therefore has the power and the incentive to protect themselves from tyranny through good laws. Liberty and laws that protect it, to Hu me, are secured by motivated people, not established by God or by the law of reason. Another difference can be perceived in their views of education. Locke argues that the point of education is to allow one to understand the laws of nature or of society, and therefore to exercise liberty under those laws; Hume sees education as a major influence in allowing one to pursue those things that bring pleasure and enjoyment. Humes philosophy of the pursuit of pleasure and enjoyment, as the major theme in Of Refinement in the Arts, bears some similarities to Lockes philosophy, but also some important differences. Both philosophies are individualistic but are derived from fundamentally different bases. Locke argues that individuals, by nature, have a right to life, liberty, and property, the protection of which is the purpose of government. Hume argues that individuals should pursue innocent luxury, not as a God-given right, but as something that is beneficial both to individuals and to society.

Nature Imagery and the Life Cycle in Robert Frost’s The Wind and the Ra

Nature Imagery and the Life Cycle in Robert Frost’s The Wind and the Rain In his poem â€Å"The Wind and the Rain,† Robert Frost develops a central theme, presenting a man’s reflection upon his life. As the man ages, he realizes that he spent much of his life worrying about his inevitable death instead of living his life to the fullest. The man expresses his desire to renew life at all costs; he would rather die living than spend the rest of his life concerning himself with death. Robert Frost’s theme in â€Å"The Wind and the Rain,† therefore, is that life should be lived, and one should not worry about his inevitable death, for he does not have the power to control death, only the way he lives his life. Frost uses images of nature throughout the poem to support his central theme. In part I of â€Å"The Wind and the Rain,† the speaker discusses the fact that he is aging, and his death is undeniable. He realizes that he has â€Å"let [his focus on death] drive [him] deathward,† yet he has done little to change his focus. The man regrets that he spent much of his life â€Å"[singing] of death,† wishi...