Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essay -- Fitzgerald Great Gatsby 20s Es

Fitzgeralds The capital Gatsby In my presentation, I will be discussing how the 20s played a major role and affected the story, characters, and ultimately, the outcome of the novel, The Great Gatsby.The first topic I will be discussing are the women of the Great Gatsby.The 20s were a time of change in the views of women. They became more open and outgoing in many things. These included not only womens rights, but also their sexuality. This was the age of the flapper. A flapper was a women who was very outgoing at parties. She smoked, drank, danced, and couldnt hold only i man. Think Chicago for a very good example. Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones both played flappers. -Now, technically Daisy wouldnt be classified as a so called flapper, but she was exceedingly influenced by them. When Gatsby returns, Daisy is still in love with him and, even though she is married, runs away with him, but only for a short period of time. Before the roaring 20s, this would be unthought of, but as the womens rights movements set in, it is not so uncommon of a sight. -Myrtle was also sort of a flapper, though as I state with Daisy, not the best representation in the book. She was also married, and was very poor, yet she was having a long running affair with Tom, Daisys husband. She was fat, loud, and tried to be as juicy as she could, yet everyone saw right though that. Myrtles ideals played a very important part in The Great Gatsby.-The best representation of...

Media Influence on the Youth Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Meda Es

Media Influence on the YouthMedia strongly affects youth culture. The media executives ar quick to defend their role in youth violence and bullying while selling millions of dollars in adds focused on youth. TV producers, network executives, deed picture companies and others in the media deny any impact of their programs on the attitudes and actions of youth. Meanwhile they continue to spend millions on special effects and marketing geared to attach appeal to youth markets. While corporations spend millions on market research and advertising to create products and campaigns targeted at a youth demographic, they still deny their great power to influence youth. If this were true to fact, would NIKE continue spending millions every year on product development, marketing and advertising? Would McDonalds still be using cartoon alike(p) characters to sell hamburgers? Would music labels be increasing the level of violence and sexual content in the music geared towards the youth audienc e? Would liquor companies be using youth oriented activities in their advertising? Of course it works on influencing youth and its ideals advertising would not be a multi-billion dollar a year business. If it had no influence, M-TV would not have consultant on staff spending huge amounts of money to ensure they keeping up with youth culture. robes companies are spending millions to get young good-looking individuals to make plain and boring clothes look appealing to youth. Youth respond t...

Existentialism :: essays research papers

ExistentialismExistentialism is a concept that became normal during the second humanness War inFrance, and just after it. French hornswogglerights have often used the stage toexpress their views, and these views came to surface even during a Nazioccupation. Bernard Shaw got his play "Saint Joan" past the German censorsbecause it appeared to be very Anti-British. French audiences howeverimmediately understood the real meaning of the play, and replaced the Britishwith the Germans. Those sorts of "hidden meanings" were common end-to-end theperiod so that plays would be able to pass censorship.Existentialism proposes that man is full of anxiety and despare with no meaningin his life, just simply existing, until he made decisive choice about his ownfuture. That is the way to achieve dignity as a human being. Existentialistsfelt that adopting a sociable or political cause was one way of giving purpose toa life. Sartre is well known for the "Theatre engage" or T heatre commited,which is supposedly commited to social and/or political action.On of the major playwrights during this period was Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre hadbeen imprisoned in Germany in 1940 but managed to escape, and become one of theleaders of the Existential movement. Other popular playwrights were Albert Camus,and Jean Anouilh. Just like Anouilh, Camus accidentally became the spokesman forthe French Underground when he wrote his famous essay, "Le Mythe de Sisyphe" or"The Myth of Sisyphus". Sisyphus was the man condemned by the gods to roll arock to the top of a mountain, only to have it roll back down again. For Camus,this related heavily to everyday life, and he saw Sisyphus an "absurd" hero,with a pointless existance. Camus felt that it was necessary to wonder what themeaning of life was, and that the human being longed for some sense of clarityin the world, since "if the world were clear, art would not exist". "The Myth ofSisyphus" be came a prototype for existentialism in the theatre, and eventuallyThe Theatre of the Absurd.Right after the Second World War, Paris became the theatre big(p) of the west,and popularized a new form of surrealistic theatre called "Theatre of theAbsurd". Many historians contribute the sudden popularity of absurdism in Franceto the gruesome revelations of gas chambers and warfare atrocities coming out ofGermany after the war. The main idea of The Theatre of the Absurd was to pointout mans helplessness and pointless existance in a world without purpose. AsRichard Coe described it "It is the freedom of the slave to crawl east along the

Teaching Critical Reflection :: Education Educational Essays

Teaching Critical ReflectionThe ability to reflect critically on ones experience, integrate knowledge gained from experience with knowledge possessed, and take action on insights is considered by some adult educators to be a distinguishing feature of the adult prentice (Brookfield 1998 Ecclestone 1996 Mezirow 1991). Critical reflection is the process by which adults identify the assumptions governing their actions, locate the historical and cultural origins of the assumptions, question the meaning of the assumptions, and develop alternative ways of acting (Cranton 1996). Brookfield (1995) adds that part of the critical ruminative process is to challenge the prevailing social, political, cultural, or professional ways of acting. Through the process of critical reflection, adults come to interpret and make believe saucy knowledge and actions from their ordinary and sometimes extraordinary experiences. Critical reflection blends culture through experience with theoretical and tech nical larn to form new knowledge constructions and new miens or insights. Learning by critical reflection creates new understandings by making conscious the social, political, professional, economic, and ethical assumptions constraining or funding ones action in a specific context (Ecclestone 1996 Mackintosh 1998). Critical reflections appeal as an adult learning strategy lies in the claim of intellectual growth and improvement in ones ability to see the need for and effect personal and system change. Reflection can be a learning tool for directing and informing practice, choosing among alternatives in a practice setting, or transforming and reconstructing the social environment (Williamson 1997). crumb critical reflection be taught in a classroom? Does the new knowledge created foster change? This Myths and Realities investigates the extent to which critical reflection can be taught to adult learners. How Do Adults Learn to Be Critically Reflective?Without agreement on what re flective practice is, it is difficult to decide on teachinglearning strategies. Reflective practice may be a developmental learning process (Williamson 1997), may have different levels of attainment (Wellington 1996), and may be stirred by a learners cognitive ability (James and Clarke 1994), willingness to engage in the process (Bright 1996 Haddock 1997), and orientation to change (Wellington 1996). However, there does seem to be some agreement that critical reflection consists of a process that can be taught to adults. Brookfield (1988) identified four processes central to learning how to be critically reflective assumption analysis, contextual awareness, imaginative speculation, and reflective skepticism. Assumption analysis describes the activity adults engage in to bring to awareness beliefs, values, cultural practices, and social structures regulating behavior and to assess their impact on daily activities.

Domestic Violence in America Essay -- Violence Against Women Essays

Domestic horror in the United States is a large and complex social and health problem. The home is the most violent setting in America today (Lay, 1994). Sadly enough, the majority of people who are remove are not likely killed by a stranger during a hold-up or similar crime but are killed by someone they know. non surprisingly, the Center for Disease Control and prevention has identified interpersonal violence as a major public health problem (Velson-Friedrich, 1994). Current estimates draw out that three to four million women are the victims of physical abuse by their intimate partners (Harris & Cook, 1994). According to the FBI, some form of domestic violence occurs in fractional of the homes in the United States at least once a year (Dickstein, 1988). In reality one out of every six marriages the married woman is physically abused. Every fifteen seconds a women is battered in the United States. Daily, four American women lose their lives to their husbands or boyfriends, eq ualing more than one-third of all female homicide victims (WAC, 1994). These come report that too much violence is directed toward women. Historically, domestic violence has been a downplayed and, oftentimes, culturally condoned, American tradition. In the colonial period, laws derived from English common-law permitted a man to beat his married woman when she acted in a manner that he believed to be inappropriate. For example, the so-called Rule of Thumb law, which permitted a husband to beat his wife with a stick that could be no larger than the circumference of his thumb, was in effect until the end of the nineteenth century (Dickstein, 1988). The issue of domestic violence, especially wife abuse, first gained national attention in 1974 with the publishing of Scream Quietly or the Neighbors Will Hear by Erin Pizzey, the founder of Chiswicks Womens Aid, a shelter in England for battered women. Pizzeys work helped to stimulate feminist concern and outrage over wife beating, verbal abuse, financial restrictions and social isolation of women by their husbands (Utech, 1994). Shortly thereafter, the womens liberation movement, through the National Organization for Women ( today), advocated for the end of violence against women and sought improved social services for battered wives. NOW also was actively engaged in promoting shelter homes and lobbying congressional leaders for legislation that would... ...t? Because they dont have the protection they need. The criminal justice ashes needs to start a victim relocation program for domestic abuse victims. This would ensure their safety and allow them enough courage to leave a horrible situation. In a nation that detests racism and protests animal cruelty then why are women and children still subject to torture and violence in their own homes at the hands of their husbands and fathers? In a politically correct world too many of us still view women and children as inferior, as property. The media portrays women as s ex symbols and often with a very noticeable lack of intelligence. Often doctors turn their backs on damage left as the result of abuse because of the fear of embarrassing their patients (WAC, 1994). It is time to declare war on domestic violence. Domestic violence will always be a part of our culture. Women are still not considered equal and historically it was acceptable to beat your wife if she was out of line. With todays broken marriages and extensive abuse of alcohol and drugs, the offspring will only get worse. If strong initiatives are not instilled now, there will be many unnecessary deaths due to the rise in abuse.

Domestic Violence in America Essay -- Violence Against Women Essays

municipal crime in the United States is a large-scale and complex social and health problem. The home is the most violent setting in America today (Lay, 1994). Sadly enough, the majority of people who are murdered are not likely killed by a stranger during a hold-up or similar crime but are killed by someone they know. Not surprisingly, the Center for Disease Control and prevention has identified interpersonal violence as a major public health problem (Velson-Friedrich, 1994). Current estimates suggest that three to four million women are the victims of physical abuse by their sexual partners (Harris & Cook, 1994). According to the FBI, some form of domestic violence occurs in half of the homes in the United States at least once a year (Dickstein, 1988). In reality one forbidden of every six marriages the wife is physically abused. Every fifteen seconds a women is battered in the United States. Daily, four American women lose their lives to their husbands or boyfri turn backs, eq ualing more than one-third of all female homicide victims (WAC, 1994). These numbers report that too much violence is directed toward women. Historically, domestic violence has been a downplayed and, oftentimes, culturally condoned, American tradition. In the colonial period, laws derived from English common-law permitted a man to beat his wife when she acted in a manner that he believed to be inappropriate. For example, the so-called Rule of Thumb law, which permitted a husband to beat his wife with a stick that could be no larger than the circumference of his thumb, was in strength until the end of the nineteenth century (Dickstein, 1988). The issue of domestic violence, especially wife abuse, first gained national attention in 1974 with the publishing of Scream Quietly or the Neighbors Will Hear by Erin Pizzey, the founder of Chiswicks Womens Aid, a shelter in England for battered women. Pizzeys work helped to stimulate feminist match and outrage over wife beating, verbal abuse , financial restrictions and social isolation of women by their husbands (Utech, 1994). Shortly thereafter, the womens liberation movement, through the National Organization for Women (NOW), advocated for the end of violence against women and sought improved social services for battered wives. NOW also was actively engaged in promoting shelter homes and lobbying congressional leaders for polity that would... ...t? Because they dont have the protection they need. The criminal justice system needs to start a victim relocation program for domestic abuse victims. This would ensure their safety and allow them enough courage to leave a horrible situation. In a nation that detests racism and protests animal cruelty thence why are women and children still subject to torture and violence in their own homes at the hands of their husbands and fathers? In a politically correct land too many of us still view women and children as inferior, as property. The media portrays women as sex symbols and often with a very noticeable lack of intelligence. ofttimes doctors turn their backs on damage left as the result of abuse because of the fear of embarrassing their patients (WAC, 1994). It is time to declare war on domestic violence. Domestic violence bequeath always be a part of our culture. Women are still not considered equal and historically it was acceptable to beat your wife if she was out of line. With todays broken marriages and extensive abuse of alcohol and drugs, the matter will only get worse. If strong initiatives are not instilled now, there will be many unnecessary deaths due to the rise in abuse.

Hybrid Electric Cars, Combustion Engine driven cars and their Impact on Environment Essay

Fig. 1. Estimated grows of Planet Earth Population But the evaluate grow of automobiles will grow ofttimes rapidly. The growth will be caused in the main with inevitable living standard improving in many countries like Africa, South Asia and South America together with enlarging of population in these regions. The estimated grows of automobiles over whole Earth is shown in Fig. 2. From comparison of both figures results that the population may grow in the midst of years 2000 to 2050 from 6 to 10 milliards that means 1. 7 times, but the expected vehicle number will grow from 0. 7 to 2. 5 milliards that is 3. 6 times.This work was supported by search Center of Combustion Engines and Automobile Technology. 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1980 Rada1 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 years Fig. 3. Total world production of gondola railcarbonic acid blow out These problems argon so serious that they became very important theme of international discussions. Results of these discussions were settle d in the Kyoto Protocol. Kyoto Protocol is an agreement made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Automobiles produce approximately a half of the total world production of carbon dioxide. Let us imagine that a good freshly automobile produces approximately 160 g of CO2 pro each km.There be many possibilities how to diminish this terrible amount. Electric cross elevator cars ar produced in enlarging numbers and they reach enlarging popularity among customers. They bring a new possibility how to diminish the world CO2 production. II. ELECTRIC HYBRID CAR SYSTEMS crossbreed galvanic vehicles combine galvanizing automobile and internal blaze railway locomotive apparent motion. Hybrid galvanising vehicles combine the zero contamination benefits of electric locomotes with the high fuel muscularity density benefits of the thermal railway locomotive. Hybrid electric drives adjust the combustion railway locomotive load and revolutions into the point of best motor efficiency and lowest motor emissions.1, 4, 6, 7. A. sanctioned jab Configurations Series hybridizing drive in Fig. 4 presents a combination of different cleverness sources. In the picture the pushing sources are the combustion engine and the barrage. The internal combustion engine tripe propels a generator. Total fountain in form of the generator electric power and the battery electric power are summed in the traction motor. There is no mechanical connection between nut and wheels. internal combustion engine generator ICE gear box GB battery traction motor TM BAT ICE Fig.5 Parallel hybrid drive G battery Combined switched hybrid drive in Fig. 6 is viled on series hybrid drive with mechanical coupling using a mickle between generator and traction motor. It is series hybrid drive when the clutch is off. BAT traction motor internal combustion engine ICE TM generator G battery BAT coupling Fig. 4. Series hybrid drive Battery acts as energy buffer. Adv antage of series hybrid drive is the possibility to operate the thermal engine ICE in optimal revolutions quite free from the car velocity. That results in low specific fuel economic custom and in low gas emission for any traction load and car velocity. Efficiency of energy conversions in the dodging must be interpreted in account.Parallel hybrid drive in Fig. 5 is a combination of ICE and electric traction motor on the same shaft. grip motor is supplied by battery and its output is separated from the ICE output. Final traction torque is sum of both motors torque. Power transmission is more effectual than in series hybrid drive because the mechanical ICE output is not transformed in electrical output. But the ICE cannot work in optimal load regime because its speed is not free from the car velocity. traction motor internal combustion engine TM Fig.6. Combined switched hybrid drive The generator supplies the electric energy to the traction motor. When the car speed and ICE speed and power are high but the difference between ICE speed and car speed is small, it is better to operate the scheme as parallel hybrid drive and the clutch is on in such a case. On this regime the ICE power and speed are high and the ICE can operate with small output changes. The difference between desired traction output and ICE optimal output is stored in or discharged from the accumulator. The drive is depicted in Fig. 9. It consists with gasoline engine, double rotor DC generator, and traction motor. traction motor Combined hybrid with wandering(a) gear in Fig.7 is a topology where mechanical power ripping is used. The splitting is performed in the planetary gear. In this scheme the generator rotates with speed, which is difference between the ICE and car speed. This solution allows splitting the ICE output into two parts. rotating stator control unit generator generator gasoline engine traction motor ICE planet gear Fig. 7. Combined hybrid with planetary grar The introdu ctory part is proportional to the difference between the ICE and car speed and the second is proportional to the car speed.The first part is transformed into electric energy in the generator and supplied to the traction motor. The second part is transferred by the output planet shaft directly to car wheels. This scheme allows controlling the engine speed and torque and this is the way how to minimize fuel uptake. Electric power splitting drive using DC machines was used on Czechoslovak tell motor cars in the year 1936. The patent document was emitted in Czechoslovakia with Nr 53 735 on 25. February 1936. 1, 2, 3. DC machines were usual on railway vehicles at that time. The vehicle was called Slovenska Strela and remained in portion till the year 1950. It should be reconstructed and modernized later on.But electrification of the main railway connection between Prague-Kosice replaced this very interesting vehicle with express electric locomotives. Fig. 8. Express railway car Sloven ska Strela clutch rotor output shaft Fig. 9. Electric power splitting drive of express car Slovenska Strela The ICE drives a DC generator which stator and rotor can rotate separately. The stator is firmly coupled with the ICE shaft. The rotor is coupled with car wheels. On the car shaft is mounted a DC electric traction motor supplied by the voltage induced in the generator. The splitting is performed in the generator.The relation speed between generator stator and rotor is difference between the ICE and car speeds. This solution allows split the ICE output into two parts. The first part is proportional to the difference between the ICE and car speed and the second is proportional to the car speed. The first part is transformed into electric energy in the generator and supplied to the traction motor. The second part is transferred directly by means of electromagnetic torque in the generator air gap to the car wheels.This scheme allows controlling the ICE speed independently from th e car speed and this is the way how to minimize fuel consumption. Model of Electric Power Splitting Drive Using AC Machines was implemented in the laboratory of Josef Bozek Research Center of Engine and Automotive Technology at the Technical University in Prague. The physical mannikin of the drive is seen in Fig. 10. It is experimental electric hybrid car drive of a small power. 5, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15. The output is 7. 5 kW, 0 6000 min-1.. Electronic converters and supercapacitor EC are integrated in the circuit between electric power partitioning SPGM and traction motor TM. The super capacitor as a peak energy storage has 100F, 56V and 400 A.It is able to accept the kinetic energy during braking the vehicle of the mass 1500kg from the velocity 60km/hour and regenerate it during next speeding up. Principle of the system is depicted in Fig. 10. The combustion engine COM ENG drives the electric power divider SGPM. The power divider is a special double rotor synchronous imperishable magnet generator. The first rotor is firmly connected with the combustion engine shaft. The second rotor is firmly connected with the traction motor TM and with car wheels. The traction motor is supplied with electric power induced by differential velocity between first and second rotors.Parameters of this electric power (voltage, current and frequency) are changed in electronic converter in EC. Power of the combustion engine is divided into two parts. used for evaluation and comparison of cars performance, pollution production, efficiencies etc. Simulations were performed on New European Driving Cycle NEDC. The NEDC is shown in Fig. 11. Total distance 10,9km Speed (km/hour) EC ELM CLUTCH COM ENG TM SGPM base Fig. 10. Physical model of Electric Splitting Drive Using AC Machines The incoming power P1=T1* ? 1 is the power of combustion engine producing torque T1 at angular velocity ?1. Torque T1 is transferred with electromagnetic force to the second rotor, rotating at angular velocit y ? 2 which is the same as car velocity. Power transmit to car wheels by this torque is therefore Pm=T1*? 2. Remaining power is induced by magnetic field into the electric winding arranged on the second rotor. Neglecting losses this power is Pel=P1-Pm=T1*(? 1-? 2). Power Pel is transferred via electronic converter in EC to the traction motor TM and finally added to power Pm on car wheels. Incoming power P1 from combustion engine is by this technique divided into two parts Pm and Pel.Combustion engine can rotate with angular velocity which does not depend from the car velocity III. SIMULATION OF FUEL CONSUMPTION OF HYBRID ELECTRIC CARS Main good of electric hybrid cars is the diminishing of fuel consumption. The production of CO2 depends on the fuel consumption and on the working conditions of the ICE. The working conditions of the ICE are much better in electric hybrid cars than in conventional cars generally. Simulations were done with the mathematical model of Electric Power Spl itting Drive Using AC Machines. Measured parameters and features obtained in the laboratory 11, 13, 14 were used for the simulation.The mathematical model of a conventional car and hybrid electric car with electric power divider was established in 15 16 Comparisons of this art are usualy done on different standard driving cycles. Standard driving cycle represents a driving warning of a certain geographic region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific). These driving cycles are Time (s) Fig. 11 New European Driving Cycle Parameters of compared cars and results of simulation are shown in Tab. 1 TABLE I SIMULATION RESULTS Vehicle type, manufacturer Driving Cycle Total mass (kg) Specific Consumption during total NEDC (l/100km).Total emissions CO2 (g) Specific emissions (g/km) First case Second case NEDC Skoda 1. 2HTP NEDC 1450 1120 5. 1 5. 9 1333 1540 122. 9 142 Model Fabia Two cases are shown. In both of them the New European Driving Cycle was simulated. Case first Hybrid electric car wi th electric power divider. The mass of the car respects the additional mass of electric part of the powertrain. Case second Conventional car Skoda Fabia 1. 2 HTP.The results shown in Tab. 1 allow to make following conclusions When comparing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions between hybrid car with electric power divider versus conventional car of the same class (that means the same primary ICE engine power and respecting additional mass of the electric powertrain machines), we can conclude that the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are significantly lower at the hybrid car. interbreeding of such cars brings not only fuel savings but also is much more environmentally friendly. I. CONCLUSION The production of dangerous greenhouse gas emissions and consumption of world energy resources become a serious problem. Especially CO2 emissions can influence the climate stability of Planet Earth. The automobile ancestry contributes to this development a lot. But the automobile technology has space to be improved.The electric and hybrid electric vehicles can contribute to diminishing of fuel consumption and green gases production. The hybrid electric vehicles makes it possible to operate the combustion engine in more suitable regimes with better fuel combustion conditions. Some hybrid systems even enable to operate the combustion engine in best relation between power and revolutions. Systems with power dividers allow the engine to operate in revolutions that are quite independent from the car velocity. Simulations were done with the mathematical model of Electric Power Splitting Drive Using AC Machines. Measured parameters and features obtained in the laboratory were used for the simulation. Simulations were performed on New European Driving Cycle NEDC.Results of one commercial car and one hybrid electric car with electric power divider are published. Fuel consumption of the hybrid car on the new European Driving Cycle was 5,1 l/km. The commercial car consumed 5,9 l/km. The hybrid car consumption is 13. 6% lower then at commercial car. Similar numbers were obtained with respect to CO2 production. The hybrid car produced 1333 g CO2 on the New European Driving Cycle. Commercial car produced 1540 g CO2. Hybrid car with electric power divider produced 13.5% less CO2 . REFERENCES 1 V. Klima Electro-mechanic drive DELKA and its comparison with Dieselelectric drive. (Elektro mechanicky pohon DELKA a jeho srovnani s normalnim Diesel-elektrickym pohonem. ) Elektrotechnicky obzor 1949, Nr. 19, Pg. 489-496 2 J. Sousedik Patent document Czechoslovakia Nr 53 735 from 25. February 1936. 3 J. Bilek Electric drive of motor cars Slovenska strela (Elektricka vyzbroj motorovych vozu Slovenska strela). Elektrotechnicky obzor 1937, Nr16, Pg249-253, Nr. 21 Pg. 331-336. 4 J. MierloSimulation parcel for comparison and design of electric, hybrid electric and internal combustion vehicles with respect to energy, emission and performances. Vrije Universiteit Brussel. 5 Z. Cerovsky, P. Mindl, S. Fligl, Z. Halamka and P. Hanus Power Electronics in Automotive Hybrid Drives, 10th International Electronics and action Control concourse EPE-PEMC Cavtat- Dubrovnik Croatia, September 2002, ISBN 953-184-047-4 6 T. Denton Automobile Electrical and Electronic Systems, SAE International ISBN 0 340 73195 8. 7 Michael H. Wesbrook The Electric and Hybrid Electric Car, The Institution of Electrical Engineers, 2001, London 9 Lettl, J. , Fligl, S. matrix Converter in Hybrid Drives.Proceedings of 8th International Conference Problems of Present-day Electrotechnics PPE 2004, vol. 3, pp. 77-80, Ukraine, Kyiv, June 7-10, 2004, ISSN 0204-3599. 10 Lettl, J. , Fligl, S. Matrix Converter Control System. Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium PIERS 2005 Proceedings, pp. 395-398, China, Hangzhou, August 22-26, 2005, ISBN 1-933077-07-7. 11 Cerovsky Z. , Mindl P. Super-capacitor in hybrid drive. International Symposium on Electric Machinery in Prague ISEM 2003 , s tr. 110-111, ISBN 80-01- 02828-3 12 Zdenek,J. Vibrationless Drive Controller Software Design. Proc. of XI. int.symp. ISEM2003. Sept. 2003.Prague, pp. 158-165. 13 Cerovsky,Z. Mindl,P. Hybrid Drive with Supercapacitor Energy Storage, FISITA Conference Barcelona. F193m 2004. 14 Cerovsky Z. , Mindl P. Efficiency of Hybrid Electric Vehicle Powertrain using Electric Power-Splitting Synchronous Generator with Permanent Magnets. IPEC-Niigata 2005 15 Mildorf M. Mathematical model of a drive and fuel consumption of hybrid vehicle. Diploma thesis. 2007, Czech Techn. Uni. Prague. Faculty of El. Eng. 16 Simkova L. Mathematical model of hybrid car. Bachelor thesis 2004. Czech Techn. Uni. Prague. Phaculty of El. Eng.

Dickens Elicit Sympathy for His Protagonist Pip Essay

Charles Dickens was born in 1812 and past away in 1870. Dickens was born into quite a poor family. He attended a small school until he was 12 and got a job sticking the labels onto the sides of bottles. He did not enjoy this job to the presence of vermin on the premises. His parents and siblings got arrested for being in deep debt so Dickens visited them in jail. This led him into a route of life where he had no friends and no reliable mindded player of money. After this he got a job at a solicitor which made him fell even more strongly towards his views that lie and law were unjust. He may have thought this originally because of his parents arrests.Working at the solicitor made Dickens realise that money made life a sens easier and that lack of money brought poverty and sadness. Dickens started his writing career by writing for magazines and newspapers. Most of his money came from a periodical magazine. This is where a part of his invention would be published in each cut of th e magazine and the next part of the record book is in the next issue. This encouraged the endorsers to buy the next issue and this brought Dickens his wealth. Although he was wealthy just then he would never forget the time in his life when he was force to brook in poverty. I think that these life experiences of poverty and sadness may have inspired him to write about them. Such books as majuscule Expectations and Oliver Twist both(prenominal) refer to a poor child with no parents. This very shows that he is relating these novels to his proclaim experiences.I think that Dickens may have wrote this book to really show the world was like for him but disguising himself at the same time. Maybe he wasnt meaning to refer to his past life experiences but because he allow never forget these times it probably came out in his writing even if he didnt mean it to. When Dickens wrote for a monthly magazine he probably thought, if he left the story in a cliff hanger or left the reader fee ling that they want to sack out more, then the magazine would sell more copies. He may have used whisk for this purpose, by, in the way that he makes us feel aristocratical for him in places where the magazine issue may have ended. He would have used things like still it was all vileness, and only the candle lighten up us. If the issue ended here then the reader will have just found out about Pip having to go to Satis House and will have just learned about Estella.The reader would want to know what the rest of the field of operations is like and what happens to Pip while he is there. This quotation leaves the reader wandering if anything out to get Pip lies in the aristocratic corridors. Dickens could be using the dark passageways as a way of showing how Pip felt about being in Satis House he knows no-one he is on his own and he doesnt know what might happen to him. The dark corridors may be his thoughts about the place he s in and the way he feels about it all- very alone an d not sure where he stands with the candle being his only hope, but there is hope.This could relate to when Dickens parents got arrested and he was left all alone in the dark, the corridors, with only the hope of eyesight them and the chance of their release at heart, which could resemble the candle. Satis house would be laid out in a darker way than it would be today de to the time that the book was written. This was during the gothic era during which other books such as Mary Shellys Frankenstein and Bram Stokers Dracula were written. This gives you a feel of the time in which Great Expectations was written in.When Pip enters Satis house he is probably very afraid. This wasnt helped by the treatment he faced from Estella.Though she called me boy so often, with a carelessness that was far from complimentary, she was of about my own age. She seemed much older than I, of course, being a girl, and beautiful and self-possessed and she was as scornful of me as if she had been one-and-tw enty, and a queen.This gracious of grown-up and almost insulting behaviour from someone his own age must have made Pip feel very intimidated and worried of the whimsey he would give as he clearly likes her when he says being a girl, and beautiful. He may think that if he does not exile in a way that she would consider as appropriate and accepted behaviour of an adult then he would stand no chance in getting to know her better. This makes us feel sorry for him because he is, again, the under-dog. This time to a person, who happens to be the same age as him as apposed to the building and the environs that he is in.As Pip gets over the original shock of being put somewhere he has never been with people he has never met before, he begins to take in the house and its surroundings. The house is a very scary place for Pip because he is not used to the vastness and also the dark corridors and hallways. The first thing I noticed was that the passages were all dark and that she had left a candle burning there. Had Pip been used to these surroundings in a great house then he would not have noticed these things but thought it to be normal. Pip comes from a poor family who live in a small house in the country which, again, shows that he would really not feel comfortable in a great house with dark rooms and corridors.During Pips visit to Satis House he meets a woman called Mrs Haversham. Pips first impression of Mrs Haversham are that she is a strange wench who does nothing but sit in her room and feel sorry for herself. I found myself in a pretty large room, well lighted with wax candles. No glimpse of daylight to be seen in it. This is the first thing Pip says in the book when he enters the room. He was probably expecting to go into an open room with large windows letting in the bright day from outside. Pip would definitely have been shocked to see Mrs Haversham sitting on her own in the dim light provided by many candles.When he sees Mrs Haversham he does think she is strange because he says, With her head leaning on that hand, sat the strangest chick I have ever seen, or shall ever see. This was probably quite an awkward moment for Pip as he almost certainly didnt know how to react to seeing her, as he said, Sat the strangest lady I have ever seen, or will ever see. His views of Mrs Haversham are quite likely to be changed as he sees that everything that she has by her or on her is aged and yellow. Everything within my view which ought to be white, and had been white great ago, had lost its lustre, and was faded and yellow.This would seem very strange to Pip as most of the things in his house, that were meant to be white, were white and not allowed to age and go yellow as his strict sister-come-mother would not allow it. When Pip enters the room he says nothing of a greeting as he is so interpreted a-back by his surroundings and the woman sitting in the chair. When Mrs Haversham finally speaks and breaks the silence she does so in a way tha t shows to affection or welcoming. Who is it? This is what Mrs Haversham says in pleasant to Pip. Its not really what you would expect as a greeting so he probably felt a bit bashful.

Notes on Skinners behavioural theory

Operant condition is the condition of responses Parents have long known that children respond to a system of rewards and punishments. While to say that this is a simplification of the theories of celebrated American behaviourist B. F. Skinner would be an understatement, it is accurately descriptive of the most basic aspect of his beliefs. Operant behaviour and operant conditioning, Skinners most widely acclaimed work, is establish on a system of both positive and negative reinforcement.While it is commonly known that behaviour is affected by its consequences, Skinners heory of operant conditioning further states that the member does not require repeated efforts, but is instead an immediate reaction to a familiar stimulus. Positive Reinforcement Beginnings of the Rat & Food Experiment In an experiment with a rat using food as a reward The rat was set in a box Over the lam of a few days, food was occasionally delivered through an automatic dispenser Before long, the rat approached the food tray as soon as the sound of the dispenser was heard, clearly anticipating the arriver of more foodThe Rat Experiment and Negative Reinforcement Skinner again experimented with rats to show how negative reinforcement can also strengthen behaviour. Skinner placed the rat inside the box and a sent electric current into the box, as the rat moved around the box it would knock the lever by accident and the electric current would stop. The rats soon learned that when they were placed in the box to go straight to the lever to turn off the electric current. intimate they could escape the electric current caused the rats to repeatedly go to the lever.Not only were the rats taught to stop the electric current but also to avoid it completely. The foundations of child development can buoy Oates Chapter 1 pt3 Behaviorism has had a great impact on education, partly because it stresses the importance of the external world and development, and there for gives grounds for believing that childrens learning and port can be hugely influenced by their teachers use ot the right methods . Behaviorist theories see human universes as machines, reacting in a predictable way to stimulant drug from outside them. s evelopment progresses people accumulate knowledge but there is no major change in the structure of their minds. How Does All This Relate to Children? unmatchable of the aspects important to human behaviour, though, is the feelings associated with behaviour that is controlled by conditioning. When previous behaviours have been rewarded, children are likely to repeat those behaviours happily and willingly, feeling that they are doing what they want to be doing.If, on the early(a) hand, children choose behaviours in order to avoid a repeat of negative reinforcement, they ay behave appropriately, but will be inclined to feel that their freedoms are being suppressed. In reality, the actual freedom still exists, of course. Children, like the rest of us, are free to behave in any manner that they choose, as long as they are willing to accept the consequences of their actions. Link PavloVs Dog Stimulus conditioning Pavlov showed the existence of the unconditioned response by presenting a dog with a drum roll of food and the measuring its salivary secretions.However, when Pavlov iscovered that any object or event which the dogs learnt to associate with food (such as the lab assistant) would trigger the same response, he cognise that he had made an important scientific discovery, and he devoted the rest of his career to studying this type of learning. In his experiment, Pavlov used a bell as his neutral stimulus. Whenever he gave food to his dogs, he also rang a bell. After a number of repeats of this procedure, he tried the bell on its own. As you major power expect the bell now, on its own, caused an increase in salivation.

For love of country Essay

With everything that has happened in our outlandish in the last few years many people are becoming much patriotic. Since 9/11, our nations flag has flown high, more students are saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and many cars now carry symbols of support for our serviceman. However, even with this new candidate on patriotism, some people are beginning to wonder if our actions are even patriotic at all in all, including our servicemen and women. Is it patriotic to match in a fight that many deem unjust? Or is more patriotic to flee to another(prenominal) country in protest without finishing your military contract? Our troops have been in Iraq for five and a half years now and there is no sign of retreat. However, this does not give our military personnel an lighten to just give up and throw in the towel. I believe the only way for our troops to show patriotism is to stay in our country and fulfill their military contractual agreement.Since 9/11 there have been many reports of s oldiers fleeing the country. According to CBS News, the estimates are between 100 and 250 to date (Soldiers). When certain soldiers were asked why they fled, the answer was always the same. They just couldnt take it. If this was the case, then why did they join in the first place, especially if they joined after the attacks? Every unitary in the country knew we were liberation to fightfare, and everyone knows why our military exists. How patriotic is it to join the service only to flee your family, friends, and, most importantly, your country when things get a little rough? Fleeing like a dog with its tail in between its legs only shames yourself, and, in some measures, America for producing such a fine citizen.Many people deem the war at hand unjust, and some would go to the extent that war itself is unjust. It claims the lives of many of our best citizens, creates inflation, and causes civil unrest and arguments between our authorities officials. Although some claim this war i s unjustified, it is necessary. Do we want our country to be full of tyranny, ran by money-hungry, power-tripping dictators who dont care about our well being, but only about the amount of money in their bank account? Our men and women serving this country are doing the best they can to preserve the freedoms our forefathers worked so hard to win ten scores past (Wiesel). Our countryis so great that people can flee this country without being shot for it. So why go? Is it just because you dont agree with the war? Running off is a great demonstration of protest against the war, that is, if you are talking with the other handful of individuals that ran off with you. In the larger scheme of things all you are doing is being pointed and laughed at.An outstanding portrayal of patriotism is in our own Pat Tillman. He gave up a $3.6 million contract to go and fight for our country (Reid). Selflessly, he gave up everything he had, and eventually his life, to go and support America when she n eeded it the most. Some may think his death was just another wasted life, but the majority of Americans look upon him as a hero (Sudborough). It is not because of all the sacrifices he made, or because he played for the NFL, but that because of him, on with many others, I am able to write this essay today for a class that I am taking at the college of my choice so I can grow up to do what I want to do. Not everyone has the opportunities that Americans have, and it is due in full respect to our military, or at least(prenominal) the ones that stay and fight for our country.The biggest argument of all is that this war is for our government, not for our freedom or America (Zinn). This is true to an extent, but if you think about it our country is our government and vice versa. Without our country there would obviously not be an American government, but without our government there is no America. Our government is what protects our freedoms, and it is that freedom that we fight so pass ionately for.It is easy to argue for both sides of this argument. Both fleeing the country and fighting in a war take guts, but you must ask yourself which is more patriotic. Leaving the country you love, or fighting to your death to make sure that your children and grandchildren can enjoy the same freedoms you did growing up? There is only one answer to this question. You fight until the end, whether it is your end or the wars end. If someone has a hard time understanding the answer to this question they should ask his or herself, Am I really proud to be an American?Works CitedSoldiers Against Iraq Desert to Canada. CBS Sunday Morning. 28 Jan. 2007.Zinn, Howard, Dying for the Government, America Now, ed. Robert Atwan(Boston Bedford, 2005) 158-161Wiesel, Elie, The America I Love, America Now, ed. Robert Atwan(Boston Bedford, 2005) 164-167Reid, Matt, The Extraordinary conduct of an Ordinary Man, America Now, ed. RobertAtwan (Boston Bedford, 2005) 172-174Sudborough, Gary, Pat Tillman Hero or Wasted Life, American Now, ed. RobertAtwan (Boston Bedford, 2005) 174-177

Injustice and Justice

Injustice anyplace is a threat to nicety everywhere In the name of ALLAH the most gracious the most merciful, the Omnipresent and Omnipotent. Mr. President sir, august chief guest, worthy opponents and future scholars. O believers Be firm in justice as witnesses for God, even in cases against yourselves, your p arnts or your kin Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. These powerful words were said by one of American best known advocate of equal rights Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. check to him, all humans are caught in a patent network of sympathy.Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Hence injury with one individual of a confederacy can affect the life of other individuals of the partnership. Dear audience lets first talk about what justice really is. Justice is the ideal, morally correct express of things and persons. Justice is action in accordance with the requirements of some law. Whether these rules are grounded in human consensus or socia l norms, they are supposed to ensure that all members of society receive fair treatment. Justice is distinguished from other ethical standards as required.Justice is linked conceptually, to the idea of justification having and giving decisive reasons for ones beliefs and actions. So, attempts to understand justice are typically attempts to discover the justification the source or basis of justice, and therefore to account for (or disprove) its vast importance. Justice is the foundation on which the edifice of the society stands. Justice,Pakistan. Justice is perhaps the most important of the supreme values of Islam. In fact, it can be said that the main purpose of disclosure and the tasks of Prophets (alayhum salam) has been to establish Justice.Justice is the building pulley block of the society and it is directly proportional to the truth, in order to keep check and balance in the society it is essential to maintain justice. Justice so called as ADAL can be seen in the early Ara bian era when Hazarat Umar (R. A) was the governor General of Islamic Society. The whole society was propagated due to justified principles and teaching of Islam. He was the only ruler ever to admit that even if a dog died of hunger on the banks of river Tigris during his rule, he would be held answerable to Almighty ALLAH.It was the true opinion of justice, what the leaders of the modern world lake. Justice is like the life blood of the society which can be thick or thin, periodically, but its viscosity present a great impact in the life of the people. Justice is the first principle of social life. It can be shown to govern all relations in life between ruler and ruled, rich and poor, husband and wife, parents and children. In all our dealings, we are required to stand firmly for justice even if it is against our own benefits.Dear youngsters of twenty-first century, our country, Pakistan, is facing a severe problem of bloodshed, illegal killings, suicide bomb blast, terrorism etc . only due to the unjustified policies. Economic injustice involves the states trial to provide individuals with basic necessities of life, such as access to adequate food and housing, and its maintenance of huge discrepancies in wealth. In the most extreme cases of misdistribution, some individuals grow from poverty while the elite of that society live in relative luxury.Such injustice can stem from unfair hiring procedures, lack of available jobs and education, and insufficient wellness care. All of these conditions may lead individuals to believe that they have not received a fair share of the benefits and resources available in that society. Political injustice involves the trespass of individual liberties, including the denial of voting rights or due process, infringements on rights to freedom of speech or religion, and inadequate protection from cruel and unusual punishment.Such injustice very much stems from unfair procedures, and involves political systems in which some but not others are allowed to have voice and representation in the processes and decisions that affect them. This sort of procedural injustice can contribute to serious social problems as well as political ones. any procedures that are carried out in a biased look are likely to contribute to problems of religious, ethnic, gender, or race discrimination. In Pakistan our law is like a cobweb it sticks to the weaker ones but the stronger ones break it off.When the procedure in skepticism has to do with employment or wages, such issues can lead to serious economic and social problems. In the nutshell, by setting examples of injustice we are real creating fear in the society to fight for their basic rights. This fear is one of the major causes of our poor economy and this is the vital reason, why we are left pot from other countries. We have to make firm believe on it that Allah. It is an old saying that absence of war does not mean peace, its only due to straw man of justice. Than kyou

Pulp Fiction: Shortcomings of a “Neo-Noir” Essay

The remarkable stylistic conventions of classical film noir have made it one of the most memorable and recognizable film genres to this day. Each film noir picture is uniquely told though it use of degrees of darkness, contrasting lighting, rain-covered city streets, isolated protagonist, and devious dames that effortlessly lure hands into a cold trap of criminal deeds. slop legendalisation, a film by Quentin Tarantino, is said to be one of film noirs strongest root with its mount of a dark, criminal underworld. While the film does play around the edges of traditional film noir, it can non be accurately be claimed a neo-noir due to several variances it takes with several(prenominal) of the most fundamental elements of film noir. Many opthalmic and narrative devices have taken a different route in such a behavior that one cannot classify it as conventional film noir. One of the most obvious breaks that Pulp Fiction makes from traditional film noir is the film being shot prim arily in the day period.When one thinks of film noir, they automatically think darkness because it is always the films visual theme. The symbolic use of heavy shadows and light upon lighting is what makes film noir so great and gives the overall grim mood to the picture. When the murders occur the lighting is very dark, and most of the time, nevertheless illuminates the killers grammatical construction as he is firing the bullets such as in The Killers when the two assassins come and kill the Swede. This style shows how emotionless the murders are as we only focus on their face from the lighting, thus giving the audience a very cold and dark sapiditying. We never take off this feeling or stain in Pulp Fiction as all of the killing is done in the daytime, with the room well lit. There are no murders at night in fact at that place are only two night scenes shot in the entire movie. There is not as much emotion or overall visual effect that we usually see with murders in film no ir.A similarity we see between classic film noir and Pulp fiction that adds to the visual lucubrate of the film is constant smoke. Almost every character in Pulp Fiction smokes and they do it every chance they get. In classical film noir this smoking added to the effect of the darkness and lighting because the rooms where always filled with smoke which increased the feeling of uncertainty and gloom. In Pulp fiction, it has a greatly faded symbolic effect because of the shots always being in the daytime. The only scene that compares to classic film noir is the shot of Butch in the taxicab with Esmarelda. This shot is the only one in the entire film that comes closest to a typical noir setting. This scene is shot at night in a cab change of location in the city streets of Los Angles. There is heavy contrast lighting from the streetlights and the camera angle is shot from the third-person facing the two characters in the car. From this persuasion the audience gets a great visual p icture of their faces because of the contrast of light that only illuminates both Butch and Esmarelda.Butch asks for a cigarette and Esmarelda gives him one right away, striking the chalk up on the dash as we see in most noir films. Now the setting is dark and the car is filling with smoke, which gives a great setting for Esmarelda to ask, what does it feel manage to kill a man? This moment is a perfect resurrection of classical film noir because we see the murderer and a questionable femme fatale having strong absorb on what it is like to take a life. As Butch claims that he did not know that he killed the man until she told him, there is a pause, and then he tells her that he does not feel a damn thing.This is the cold moment we see from the noir style but they usually last much longer in traditional film noir. In contrast, the scene in Pulp Fiction ends abruptly as Butch leaves the taxi and goes home to Fabienne, whom he is having an intimate family with. The mood of the movi e completely changes and all possible questions about Esmarelda being the femme fatale are erased as she is now out of the story. This scene is as close as we get to a typical noir setting with all the elements of darkness, lighting, and smoke combined to create a better feeling of how cold Butch is towards killing other man.A film noir with out a femme fatale is hardly a film noir at all. Often called spider woman they play the most important routine in all film noir as they weave a trap to which our male antagonist always falls into creating the plot and crime of the story. Independence is her tendency but her nature is fundamentally and irredeemably sexual in film noir (Place 6). In Pulp fiction, the audience is drawn in to believe that Mia is our femme fatale as the first time we are introduced to her all we hear is her seductive voice and then the camera flashes to a shot of just her lips, covered in fresh red lipstick. The abutting shot we see of her is only her feet as sh e tells Vincent it is time to go. This is a typical visual style we see in noir as it shows how the man begins to get seduced such as the shot of Phyllis legs as she goes down the staircase in Double Indemnity. With the background knowledge of Mia being the millionaires, Marsellus Wallaces wife, we are led to think that she is a typical femme fatale who wants to escape like Kathie in Out of the Past.As they go out on their date, Vincent and Mia have some of the same back and forth coquettish dialogue that we see in film noir such as when Mia says, Thats when youve found somebody really special, when you can just shut the fuck up for a minute, and comfortably share a silence. They have a good time, win a dance competition, and it seems as if Mia is certainly seductive enough towards Vincent to get him trapped when they get home. It is exactly at this point that the typical principles of film noir begin to fall apart. Vincent takes himself in the bathroom and has a self-debate on wh ether or not to sleep with the bosss wife. In traditional film noir, rational is completely taken over by impulse and the male-lead always falls into some kind of trap.In Pulp fiction, Vincent decides that he is just going to say goodbye and rejects the advances of the femme fatale, which is completely out of line if we want to classify this film as noir. Immediately after, Mia overdoses which completely changes the entire mood of the movie. We are no longer thinking about Mia seducing Vincent, it has now turned into a climactic struggle to observe Mias life. Although Mia has her juicy red lips, smooth voice, and powerful sexuality, her fall proves that there is no place for a character such as a femme fatale in this movie. Her failure as an actress and her later overdose leaves her weak, powerless and deathly pale, a far cry from the sexually potent and glamorous fatales of the classical noir period (Em L, subscribe in way).A feature in Pulp fiction that related to classic film noir was the use of a non-sequential narrative structure. Although Pulp fiction did not use the exact same structure, the events were seen out of chronological order. The structure typically seen in noir is encompassed by on overall flashback that gives detail and explanation of the downfall of the male protagonist. Stories in film noir typically begin at the end or middle, and the flashback us usually narrated by the protagonist. In these fist-person voice-over narrations we learn how the protagonist got to the situation he is in now. Since the character is relating the story directly to the audience, we are able to create a friendship with the character, and understand his disturbed thoughts. Pulp fiction takes a different approach, as there is no specific male protagonist in the film. Instead of one person illustrating events from past to present, we are given sevenfold characters experiences in various timeframes. The audience is show different points of departure from each ch aracter in the story and the story rewinds and we experience the same timeframe but from individual elses point of view.This continues until we come full circle to the robbery scene, where now, all of the pieces of the puzzle have been put together. Director Quentin Tarantino said he was aiming to make a trilogy taking elements of the old crime stories and mixing them together (Blake, Linear Narrative). Part of the trick is to take these movie characters, these genre characters and these genre situations and actually book them to some of real lifes rules and see how they unravel (Tarantino). Although this was a great style to put the movie together it is unclear if it could be use to show the downfall of the protagonist. The flashback marks the solidified fate of the noir heroes, showing how he was doomed from the start. If the audience has to relate to many characters rather than just one, the powerful connection we get in film noir is lost.The most noticeable and prominent varia tion from the framework of film noir in Pulp Fiction is the rejection of pessimism expected from the conclusion of the film. all(a) noir heroes are doomed from the start. Since the flashback structure is completely different than classic film noir we do not see how any of the characters are trapped in a fate they cannot escape. In fact, almost everyone does get a happy ending. Jules decides he is done being a hit man after is divine interpolation and says that he is not going to kill a man again but become a sheppard for the lord.Butch is free to go after he comes back for Marsellus who was getting raped by Zed. Vincent does die but with the timeline out of order he is killed in the middle in the movie rather than in the end where he walks out of the restaurant with Jules. Even Ringo and Yolanda have a happy ending as Jules teaches them a lesson and they still get away with slews of money. Noir films are supposed to leave the audience with a dark and cold feeling, which was defini tely not the case here. The pessimistic tone we get from the confessional nature of the flashback creates the view of negativity that last the entirety of the film.Film noir may even be called its own genre because of its many visual and narrative elements that made it like no other style. It was a world of darkness and violence, with a central figure whose motives are usually greed, lust and ambition, whose world is filled with fear (Higham 27). Although Pulp Fiction carries some of these elements it should not be classified as a neo noir as it lacks some of the greatest aspects that made film noir so special. If it is the roots of film noir, it greatly undermines the movement that was like no other ever scene in American cinema.Works CitedEm L. Film in Focus Suburban Noir & Pulp Fiction. Film Student Central. N.p., 11 Oct. 2009. Web. 20 June 2012. .Higham, Charles, and Joel Greeburg. Noir Cinema. Film Noir Reader. newborn Jersey Limelight Editions, 1996. 27. Print.Place, Janey. Women in Film Noir. N.p. n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.Blake, CG. Linear vs. Non-linear Narrative. A New Fiction Writers Forum. N.p., 6 Dec. 2011. Web. 21 June 2012. .

Comparison of Points of View on the War in Afghanistan

analyse and Contrast The contend in Afghanistan is a constant focalisation for debate. There are those who believe that the joined States is still doing a worthy effort in Afghanistan and that it is essential for the U. S. to clutch a military mien there. On the another(prenominal) hand, there are the people that believe the United States can no eternal achieve its goals if it continues to use military force. Authors Melanie Barton Zoltan and C. Ames Cushman argue both for and against the war in Afghanistan and the benefits each scenario can produce.Both authors focus on the structure of Afghanistans government, the troth of Taliban and Al Qaeda on Afghanistan soil, and the effects the United States involvement would have on the women of Afghanistan. Both Zoltan and Cushman point out in their papers that controlling Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, does not really effect the government of the country. Zoltan argues that sluice with the Taliban removed from power in Kabul, they still hold immense power in Afghanistan.With Afghanistans lack of centralized government, the Taliban easily entrenched in the southern recrudesce of the country and began to rebuild their forces. As the United States attention moved to Iraq after the Taliban were removed from Kabul, they were easily adapted to form a foothold in other parts of Afghanistan. Zoltan points out that if the Unites States does not stay problematic militarily, the Taliban will be able to regroup not only in Afghanistan but also in Afghanistans neighbor, Pakistan.Given enough time, Zoltan believes that the Taliban and any Al Qaeda associated with it will gain access to Pakistans nuclear weapons. Cushman argues that since the original objective of removing the Taliban from power has been achieved, the use of military force is no longer needed. He sees the foreign mission now to be more of an educational mission if the United States really wants to create a upstart system of government. In Cushman s paper, he describes the war as a war on the sharia law law instead of a war on terrorism and that is not a commendable war to fight in a military way.If the United States keeps using military force as a way to achieve reconstruction of the government, than the Afghan people are going to keep turning to somebody who thinks like they do, which would be the Taliban. Again, both authors admit that the Taliban are still a threat living in the Afghanistan outer borders. Zoltan believes that with the Taliban still established in Afghanistan, the United States cannot withdraw militarily. The risk is too considerable that the Taliban will regain control of all of Afghanistan and that once the US and NATO leave, Afghanistan will once again become a safe haven for terrorist groups.Zoltan also says that if the Taliban are able to regain Afghanistan, the Taliban in Pakistan will become bolder and flat unite to create an even larger terrorist threat in the region. This will give the terroris ts a great place to build strength and launch attacks at the US and its allies. Cushman argues that the form of government in Afghanistan require to be decided by the people of that country and it cannot be something decided by the United States. regular if the Taliban regain control of Afghanistan, it should be at the choice of the people.If the Taliban do make a comeback and work control without the support of the people, Cushman believes that it will not last because the Taliban has been weakened enough that they will not be able to sustain themselves. In both papers, womens rights are addressed. Zoltan uses a section of a musical composition by Physicians for Human Rights to show just how badly the women are treated in Afghanistan. She also gives statistics and other facts about how the women in Afghanistan used to be treated prior to the Taliban.She uses these to show that the United States really is doing hygienic in Afghanistan for womens rights and if the US were to pul l out now, all that would be undone. Cushman agrees that Sharia law is a harsh system of justice and that it discriminates against women. However, he says that is the way that Afghanistan is ruled and that the United States has no right to go and try to change this. He claims It is important to step back and realize, however, that what we see as just and bring together is just that a Western notion, colored by our history, faith, and values. even the United States has not made an formalised statement saying that they are in Afghanistan to bring back womens rights, and Cushman believes that until they do, this is no excuse for the US to stay in Afghanistan. In each authors paper, the same topics were discussed but two points of descry were shown. Zoltan showed in her paper that she was in favor of the United States military staying in Afghanistan because it provided the security from future terrorist organizations from using it as training ground.She also believed that it is prov ides a better situation for the people living in Afghanistan. Cushman shows that he does not support the involvement of the United States military in Afghanistan. He argues that it is a waste of time, money, and lives to keep fighting for something that will not last. The US cannot establish a sound government there and even if they did, the people of Afghanistan should have a right to select their own government.

Succubus Shadows Chapter 21

Maddie claimed that even stage sets family didnt fill in where he was. According to her, hed re whollyy bonnievanished. He wasnt say his phone. He wasnt showing up at the bookstore. When flock disappeared, I immediately jumped to supernatural conclusions, nevertheless Maddie and so added through more tears that she used her key to get her belongings from Seths place and found a suitcase and some clothing missing. Feeling guilty ab break through having the key anymore, she then shoved it into my hand and told me to reward it. Or throw it away.I did my best to comfort her some more and then offered to take her over to Dougs. Roman shot me a warning look as we were ab turn out to tolerate.Dont do anything stupid, he verbalise out of Maddies watching.I knew your nice bed berth manner wouldnt last, I returned.Despite Dougs slacker rocker-boy lifestyle, I knew Maddied be in good hands with him. I dropped her off there and found Doug a mixture of personas. To Maddie, he was amazingly kind and gentle the caring brother as opposed to the usual teasing brother. Once she was fiction down in the other room, he make sure I knew but what he horizon of Seth in in truth explicit detail. on that point wasnt much(prenominal) I could say to that except that they should phone me if they needed anything. I left.In spite of Maddies haggle, I drove to Terry and Andreas anyway. Seth ending things with Maddie so abruptly was crazy almost crazier than him proposing to her in the first place. notwithstanding him disappearing without telling his family? No. He wouldnt do that. He was too responsible. Most a resemblingly hed told them not to tell Maddie where he was.Kendall opened the entre when I arrived, her face lighting up like Christmas morning. Georgina Georginas here Morgan and McKenna, who had been watching cartoons, came tearing over and separately wrapped themselves around a leg.Nice to see you guys too, I laughed.Terry had been sitting on the tramp near the twins and came over to me with a little less zeal. Hey, Georgina, he verbalise, face typically friendly. He was shorter than Seth and a few years older, plainly overall, they bore a notable resemblance. Sorry for the mount assault.No problem. I unwound Morgan from me, nevertheless McKenna proved a little more resistant. Glancing back at Terry, I verbalise hesitantly, I was wondering if I could talk to you, uh, about something.Terry wasnt stupid. None of the Mortensens were. Sure, he said. Girls, permit go of Georgina and go back to the cartoons. Were button to go into the kitchen.But we require her to watch TV with usCan we come?Terry laid down firm but friendly fatherly law, and with cracking reluctance, the girls returned to the couch. I was impressed. I wasnt sure I could establish refused that group anything. He led me to the kitchen, but in advance either of us could say anything, Andrea came in from down the hall, smiling in surprise when she saw me. I smi led in surprise correctly back at her, but it was more from her appearance than anything else. It was the middle of the day, but she wore a robe over pajamas. Her mussed blond hair and dark eye circles suggested shed been sleeping.Terry had been leaning against the foresee but jumped up when he saw her. Oh, honey, you should go back to bed.She shrugged him off. I insufficiencyed to see whos here. Hows it outlet?Fine, I said. Then, unable to resist Are you feeling okay?A little under the weather. Fortunately, Terrys manning up today. He does almost as good a job as me with the girls.I laughed politely at the joke, but it soon faded. We stood awkwardly for a moment, everyone feeling why I was here but no one doing anything about it. Finally, I took a deep breath.Ive come to contract you where Seth is.Funny, said Andrea. We were going to solicit you the same thing.I was taken aback. How would I know?They both near stared.I dontWhen this happened a yoke days agothis thing with Maddie Terry glanced uneasily at his wife before continuing. We just assumed, well, that it was because of you.Why would it be because of me? I just found out about this today.Its always been because of you, said Andrea gently. There was never anyone else. We like Maddie. He likes her. But thats the problem. Throughout it all, we could just tell that you were always the one. Now, whatever happened mingled with you guys to make it go bad isnt any of our business. Were just not that surprised to see this new development.We would, however, like to know where he is, said Terry more pragmatically.I dont know, I said helplessly, still a little stunned by Andreas words. Maddie said hed packed up, and I figured you guys were keeping his location a secret from her. I eyed them suspiciously. And me?No, said Terry. We really dont know. I didnt baffle an angels talent, but I believed he was telling the truth.Andrea motionded in agreement. He just called us a couple days ago and said hed end ed things. Didnt give any explanation but well, you know how he is. He doesnt explain much anyway. Then, when Maddie and no one else had seen him, we started to get worried.A couple days ago. Seth had ended things with her a couple days ago when the whole soul retrieval gig had gone down.We actually tried job you, added Terry. But never got an answer.Ah, yeah. Ive been sick this week too. Eyeing Andrea who looked exhausted I suddenly felt bad for victorious up any more of their time. Look, I should go. Thanks for the info. Will youlet me know if you picture from him?Andrea smiled again. Something tells me youll hear from him before we do.I wasnt as confident. Leaving the house was a little tricky since the other girls didnt want me to go, but I managed to escape their adorable clutches at last and make a curb for it. I was walking toward my car when a voice said, Shes sick, you know.I turned, startled, and saw Brandy standing near a gate that led to their backyard. She had t he same sullen look about her shed had for so long. Hey, I said in greeting. Whered you come from?I was around. I heard you talking to Mom and Dad.I replayed Brandys initial words. Your momyou retrieve shes sick, right? I could tell.No, I mean shes really sick. Shes really sick, and they wont talk about it. Brandy gave a nod toward the front door. No one else knows. Not even Uncle Seth knows just how sick she is.A jalapeno breeze stirred dried leaves around my feet, but it was nothing compared to the cold starting to fill me. save how sick are we talking, Brandy?Brandy scuffed her feet against the driveway, look averted. She has ovarian cancer. Its badbut theyre still trying to figure out just how bad it is.She was going to the doctor that day I was here, I recalled aloud. Andrea had been so bright and cheery, Id assumed something routine was going on. I also realized I hadnt technically been here Id seen it in a dream. Fortunately, Brandy was too distracted to notice my slip.Sh es been at the doctor a lot. Dads missing tons of work. Uncle Seths helped out sometimes, and Ive been baby sitting all the time.I suddenly felt incredibly selfish. Id been assuming Brandys moodiness was all over me and Seth recess up. But that was only a symptom of the larger problem. Her mother was dangerously ill, and every part of her reality was destabilizing. Her own life was probably being put on hold to watch her sisters, and even something like her uncles romantic life could ripple what shed regarded as the norm. All the constants in her world were disappearing.Brandy, I I see to go, she interrupted, heading back toward the gate, face stony. Kaylall be up from her nap soon. Im supposed to keep an eye on her today.Brandy disappeared around the corner before I could say anything. I stood there, feeling lost. I didnt know who I felt worse for Brandy and Terry for knowing what was going on or the little girls for being oblivious. I felt bad enough for myself because there w as nothing I could do. There was never anything I could do. I had powers beyond human imaginings, but they were nothing that could actually help humans.I drove downtown with a heavy heart, trying hard and failing not to overreact. Brandy herself had said things were bad but that they were still education the extent of it. Surely there were more tests, tests that would give some hope. And surely there was treatment. Humans could do that much on their own.Jerome was where Id hoped hed be. Really, I decided, the Cellar was nearly as good as him having an office. Carter was by his side at the back table, both of them doing shots from a bottle of Jgermeister. Those two didnt discriminate among their liquor. I wondered if they were intoxication away the hardships of the other day or toasting their success over it.It must have been the last mentioned because Jerome almost smiled when he saw me. Georgie, out among the living and back to your petite self. Yetso blue. raunchy like alway s.Yes, theyd been drinking. Angels and lusus naturaes could sober up at will, and he was apparently indulging in the full effects.I got some bad news, I said, sitting opposite them. What, about losing Mortensen? asked Jerome.How do you know about that?I talked to Roman. He recapped your day the old man checking in, you comforting your romantic rivalit was quite moving.I scowled. Great. You have Roman spying on me.Its not spying. I just demand answers from him. If it makes you feel better, hes never very happy to give up those answers.How often do you do it? I asked incredulously.Not that often. A waiter set down a new bottle. Mostly I wanted to see how you were recovering post-dream.Fine. Im fine. I glanced at Carter. No comments from you today?Leave me out of this, he replied. Im just drinking. So he said, but he was also watching and listening very carefully. He was not letting the alcohol move him.I turned back to Jerome. Ive come to call in my favor.The dark amusement in his eyes turned to suspicion. What favor?The one you promised me for helping save you from Grace, remember?Yes, no amusement at all anymore. I just rescued you from another plane of existence from creatures who were torturing your mind.I flinched but pushed on with my words. You promised a favor, and I didnt call it in for that. Besides, you would have done it anyway so that you wouldnt get in trouble.That favor offer was brought on by the drama at the time, he countered. I probably said all sorts of things.You promised, I repeated.I can picture you just fine without putting italics in your voice, Georgie, he snapped.You did, though, pointed out Carter. Demons could lie and did but certain deals they were bound to. Jerome had said hed accord me a favor out on the beach, and it had been a true promise.Fine, he said irritably, gesturing for another shot. What is it you want? And I dont have to grant it if its something totally unreasonable.I want to know Careful, interrupted Carter. I paused, and Jerome glared at the angel. Carter offered no other insight, but those gray eyes were still watchful and cautious. Which was what I needed to be. Jerome had promised me a favor, and like all demons, he would try to find as many loopholes in it as possible. I had been about to ask where Seth was, but that wouldnt necessarily do me any good. I wouldnt be able to get to Seth.I want you to send me to Seth so I can spend a few days with him.Jerome canvass me, expression shrewd. Theres a couple problems. One is that youve kind of asked for two things. The other is that Im not omniscient. I dont know where he is.You can find out, I said. At least, if hes flown anywhere, you can find out.Seth packing indicated skillful travel. Maddie had said his car was still at the house, implication he hadnt driven someplace. If he had, hed be harder to track. But airports had records, and Hell had its hand in that kind of thing. Jerome could easily get an imp or lesser demon to access Sea-Tacs records this week and see where Seth had gone. I probably could have asked Hugh to do it, but that wouldnt have gotten me leave to actually go to Seth, hence my wording.And we both know itd be stupid for you to send me right there and right back. Asking for a few days makes it worthwhile or else its a fetid favor.Debatable, Jerome replied.It could be worse, said Carter. She didnt ask for world peace or anything.Stay out of this, returned the demon. I know what you want.Carter shrugged and ordered another drink.Fine, said Jerome at last. Ill have Hugh check travel records. You know there top executive not be a paper trail.I know. But if you find him?Then you can go to him. For now, go home. Youre ruining my good mood. Ill find you if theres news.I didnt need to be told twice. Soon, I said. You have to hunt soon.Jeromes lips quirked. You didnt put that into the wording.Carter elbowed him, and I had to take it on faith that Jerome would act in a timely manner. My words had implied that I wanted to be where Seth was now. One could argue that waiting meant Seth would change locations, meaning I couldnt have what I wanted. I also had to believe that Carter had a point in give tongue to this was a relatively easy favor. I could have demanded more.Simple or not, it was hard to wait to hear back. Roman was gone when I returned to my condo, and I had nothing to do but ruminate. Id given myself a leave of absence at work and didnt regret it. Still, being alone with my thoughts was never a good thing, and I had far too many to trouble me the Oneroi, Seth, AndreaOkay, Georgie.It was four hours later when Jerome appeared in my living room with a pop.I sagged in relief. You found him?I did.And youll send me to him for a worthwhile amount of time? trey days, the demon said. He sounded irritable and impatient. Id wondered if hed been drinking this entire time and was angry at the interruption. I want you back here in seventy-two hours, and youre on your own as to how you do it. Do you understand?Yes, I said eagerly. Just send me to him. I had to talk to him. I had to find out exactly what had happened. I had to make sure he was okay.And that settles the favor. Agreed?Agreed, I said. There was power in that word, just as there had been in Jeromes initial promise. I could ask for nothing else.Then go, he said.I vanished from my living roomand reappeared on a busy sidewalk. People swarmed around me, none of them seeming to notice Id appeared out of thin air. The sun was on its way down, but the sky was bright and clear and hot. really hot. The masses around me were dressed in beach clothes and had the feel of tourists. I stepped out of their racecourse and found myself standing in front of a large, resort-type hotel.The abrupt change in location and botheration of teleportation had left me disoriented, and I needed to get my bearings. Taking in more of my surroundings, I could hear people speaking in both Spanish and English. I turned to the closest person near me, a short, deeply tanned man in a hotel uniform who was directing taxis around the buildings driveway.I started to ask where I was and decided that would be a little too stupid sounding. I pointed at the hotel and asked him what its allude was. I knew tons of languages perfectly, and Spanish rolled off my lips easily.El Grande Mazatln, seorita, he replied.Mazatln? This time, I did ask a stupid question Estoy in M?xico?He nodded, giving me the are-you-crazy look Id expected. It was probably made worse by my jaw dropping.Well, I supposed if you were going to run away, you should run away somewhere warm.

Does the first Amendment affect your livelihood? Essay

Does the branch Amendment affect your livelihood? HmmmIm non sureIs water wet? Is the grass putting surface? Do skittles come in different colors? Do we even really gather up to ask? Of course it does.The first Amendment is important for a galvanic pile of reasons, one being that it allows us to learn our individualisation and uniqueness. If we werent allowed to express ourselves, be it in writing dancing, comedy, and some(prenominal) other ways, then our individuality and uniqueness would never be seen. We might as well be mindless drones. We all imply mightys to live our lives the way we want.We could just go through life following whatever everyone else tells us to do, line up to what is the white-dominated government, or we cigaret take a stand to protest our rights with the exemption of peaceably to assemble.This is what the African Americans did only(prenominal) a couple of decades ago, and if they hadnt then the world we live in now would be wholly different. I (being Asian) wouldnt be going to the same school as my friend (which is white). They would separate us and discriminate again me because I would be considered colored. Now thats different I can be friends with whom ever I want, all because of the first Amendment. With disclose it if something bad was going on around you, you wouldnt be able to do anything about it.Another reason why the first Amendment is important is because of the freedom of speech. Without freedom of speech we wouldnt be able to express out feelings. And also I wouldnt be here writing about it by now. Some might think thats a good thing, but think of the alternativeif thither was no first amendment I would be the person I am today, I would of never learned to interpret the world the way I precious to, and analyze occurrences and data of everyday life the way I see fits.I personally, talk out of terms in many situations and say stuff that shouldnt be said, but for my benefit the fact that I can say the stuff an d not be put in jail for it is a good thing. I mean I could go around verbalize I hate the chairwoman if I wanted to and it would yield been ok (by the way I in fact do hope the president is a complete fool but thats beside the point).Just like the people do in shows like MAD and Saturday Night Live. And if they were ban then you know MTV and VH1 would be the next to go. speak out a world where Tupac and Biggie never existed. They were inspiration to many people of today. Their songs and what they wrote about touched a lot of people, it would be terrible if there was a law preventing them from doing their thing.And freedom of speech goes along with freedom of the press. Where the media recognise what they want to say and how they do it. We need the media to determine many things and the media gives us an insight on whats happening around the world and allows us to put our own view on it.Also without freedom of the press we would have never gotten to read Huckleberry Finn. That book was very controversial and it was also banned from many libraries and school, but last year we still were allowed to read it and it has broaden our views on many subjects.Another right that the first amendment gives us is the freedom of pietism. This particular right affects me very personally, because I have chosen not to have a religion. But even if I wanted to have one I could crock up the one I choose and not have to stick with whatever was told to choose. Anyways, if I were to be told what my religion was odds are it would be Christianity, because most people in America is Christian. You see Christianity everywhere, even in our holidays Christmas will never look the same again (doesnt really matter though, Im in it for the presents, as are most children). Above all in that particular religion you have to believe in God and the whole thing about Jesus, so that would be a difficulty considering I dont believe in god.Now people may say that it doesnt matter, they dont watc h TV anyways who cares. Or its not like the read the paper, so it doesnt matter. And they dont listen to music, never petitioned against anything, and blah blah blah.They dont realize that they are taking their rights for granted. What if that day comes where you need to speak out for yourself and youcant because theres a law preventing it, what thenI would just like to end this by saying without freedom of right we would not be able to live in this world. The conditions that would be the effects of no freedom would be unbearable. The first amendment affects our live in more ways than you think.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 119-121

CHAPTER 119In the chamber at the top of the domicile of the Temple, the unitary who c solelyed himself Malakh s managewised before the gigantic altar and gently massaged the virgin skin atop his head. Verbum significatium, he chanted in preparation. Verbum omnificum. The last-place frag custodyt had been found at last. The most precious treasures be often the simplest.Above the altar, wisps of fragrant smoke today swirled, billowing up from the censer. The suffumigations ascended finished the shaft of corn liquor, clearing a channel skyward finished which a liberated soul could travel freely.The time had come.Malakh retrieved the vial of puppets darkened blood and uncorked it. With his captive looking on, he dipped the nib of the crows feather into the crim watchword tincture and raised it to the sacred circle of flesh atop his head. He paused a moment . . . thinking of how long he had waited for this night. His great transformation was finally at hand. When the Lost Wo rd is written on the mind of man, he is then ready to receive unacceptable power. Such was the past promise of apotheosis. So far, man sorting had been unable to realize that promise, and Malakh had done what he could to substantiate it that panache.With a steady hand, Malakh touched the nib of the feather to his skin. He needed no mirror, no assistance, still his sense of touch, and his minds eye. Slowly, meticulously, he began inscribing the Lost Word inside the circular ouroboros on his scalp. rooster Solomon looked on with an musing of horror.When Malakh finished, he closed his eyes, set down the feather, and let the air out of his lungs entirely. For the first time in his life, he mat a sensation he had never faren.I am complete.I am at one.Malakh had worked for years on the artifact that was his body, and now, as he neared his moment of final transformation, he could see e genuinely line that had ever been inscribed on his flesh. I am a true masterpiece. unadulterat ed and complete.I gave you what you asked for. nebs voice intruded. Send help to Katherine. And stop that file.Malakh feeded his eyes and smiled. You and I are non quite finished. He flexed to the altar and picked up the sacrificial prod, running his finger across the glib iron blade. This antique knife was commissioned by God, he said, for use in a tender- partialityed sacrifice. You do itd it earlier, no?Solomons colorize eyes were like stone. It is unique, and Ive heard the legend.Legend? The account appears in consecrated Scripture. You dont believe its true? nib just stared. Malakh had spent a fortune locating and obtaining this artifact. Known as the Akedah knife, it had been crafted over three thousand years ago from an iron meteorite that had fallen to earth. Iron from heaven, as the proto(prenominal) mystics called it. It was believed to be the exact knife used by Abraham at the Akedahthe near sacrifice of his son Isaac on Mount Moriahas depicted in Genesis. The knifes astounding history included possession by popes, Nazi mystics, European alchemists, and private collectors.They protected and admired it, Malakh thought, yet none dared unleash its true power by using it for its real purpose. Tonight, the Akedah knife would fulfill its destiny.The Akedah had always been sacred in Masonic ritual. In the very first degree, Masons celebrated the most august establish ever offered to God . . . the submission of Abraham to the volitions of the supreme universe by proffering Isaac, his firstborn . . .The weight of the blade felt exhilarating in Malakhs hand as he crouched down and used the freshly sharpened knife to sever the ropes binding peckerwood to his wheelchair. The bonds fell to the floor.Peter Solomon winced in pain as he attempted to shift his cramped limbs. Why are you doing this to me? What do you think this go away accomplish?You of all people should understand, Malakh replied. You study the past ways. You know that the power o f the mysteries relies on sacrifice . . . on releasing a human soul from its body. It has been this way since the beginning.You know nonhing of sacrifice, Peter said, his voice seething with pain and loathing.Excellent, Malakh thought. Feed your hatred. It leave only make this easier.Malakhs empty stomach growled as he paced before his captive. There is enormous power in the shedding of human blood. Everyone understood that, from the early on Egyptians, to the Celtic Druids, to the Chinese, to the Aztecs. There is magic in human sacrifice, but modern man has become weak, too fearful to make true offerings, too frail to give the life that is required for spiritual transformation. The ancient texts are clear, though. Only by offering what is most sacred croup man access the net power.You consider me a sacred offering?Malakh now laughed out loud. You really dont understand yet, do you?Peter gave him an laughable look.Do you know why I turn in a deprivation tank in my home? Malak h placed his hands on his hips and flexed his elaborately decorated body, which was still covered only by a loincloth. I bind been practicing . . . preparing . . . anticipating the moment when I am only mind . . . when I am released from this mortal shell . . . when I have offered up this beautiful body to the gods in sacrifice. I am the precious one I am the pure snow-covered lambPeters mouth fell vindicated but no words came out.Yes, Peter, a man must offer to the gods that which he h matures most dear. His purest white dove . . . his most precious and worthy offering. You are not precious to me. You are not a worthy offering. Malakh glared at him. Dont you see? You are not the sacrifice, Peter . . . I am. Mine is the flesh that is the offering. I am the gift. Look at me. I have prepared, made myself worthy for my final journey. I am the giftPeter remained speechless.The secret is how to die, Malakh now said. Masons understand that. He pointed to the altar. You revere the ancie nt truths, and yet you are cowards. You understand the power of sacrifice and yet you keep a safe distance from finish, performing your scoff murders and bloodless death rituals. Tonight, your symbolic altar will bear witness to its true power . . . and its true purpose.Malakh reached down and grasped Peter Solomons left hand, pressing the handle of the Akedah knife into his palm. The left hand serves the darkness. This, too, had been planned. Peter would have no choice in the matter. Malakh could fathom no sacrifice more potent and symbolic than one performed on this altar, by this man, with this knife, plunged into the heart of an offering whose mortal flesh was wrapped like a gift in a shroud of mystical symbols.With this offering of self, Malakh would establish his rank in the hierarchy of demons. fantasm and blood were where the true power fix. The ancients knew this, the Adepts choosing sides consistent with their individual natures. Malakh had chosen sides wisely. Chaos was the natural law of the universe. unemotionality was the engine of entropy. Mans apathy was the fertile ground in which the dark spirits tended their seeds.I have served them, and they will receive me as a god.Peter did not move. He simply stared down at the ancient knife gripped in his hand.I will you, Malakh taunted. I am a willing sacrifice. Your final graphic symbol has been written. You will transform me. You will liberate me from my body. You will do this, or you will lose your sister and your brotherhood. You will truly be all alone. He paused, smiling down at his captive. Consider this your final punishment.Peters eyes rose slowly to meet Malakhs. Killing you? A punishment? Do you think I will hesitate? You murdered my son. My mother. My entire family.No Malakh exploded with a force that startled crimson himself. You are wrong I did not murder your family You did It was you who made the choice to leave Zachary in prison house And from there, the wheels were in motio n You killed your family, Peter, not me Peters knuckles move white, his fingers clenching the knife in rage. You know nothing of why I left Zachary in prison.I know everything Malakh fired spikelet. I was there. You claimed you were try to help him. Were you trying to help him when you offered him the choice between wealth or wisdom? Were you trying to help him when you gave him the ultimatum to join the Masons? What variety show of father gives a child the choice between wealth or wisdom and expects him to know how to handle it What kind of father leaves his own son in a prison instead of flying him home to refuge Malakh now moved in front of Peter and crouched down, placing his tattooed face only inches from his face. But most outstanding(a) . . . what kind of father can look his own son in the eyes . . . regular(a) after(prenominal) all these years . . . and not even recognize himMalakhs words echoed for several seconds in the stone chamber. past silence.In the abrupt sti llness, Peter Solomon seemed to have been jolted from his trance. His face clouded now with a fool of total incredulity.Yes, Father. Its me. Malakh had waited years for this moment . . . to take revenge on the man who had abandoned him . . . to stare into those gray eyes and speak the truth that had been buried all these years. Now the moment was here, and he spoke slowly, hungriness to watch the full weight of his words gradually crush Peter Solomons soul. You should be happy, Father. Your prodigal son has returned.Peters face was now as pale as death.Malakh savored every moment. My own father made the finish to leave me in prison . . . and in that instant, I vowed that he had rejected me for the last time. I was no longer his son. Zachary Solomon ceased to exist.Two glistening teardrops welled unawares in his fathers eyes, and Malakh thought they were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.Peter choked back tears, staring up at Malakhs face as if eyesight him for the very first time.All the warden wanted was money, Malakh said, but you refused. It never occurred to you, though, that my money was just as commonalty as yours. The warden did not care who paid him, only that he was paid. When I offered to pay him handsomely, he selected a sickly inmate about my size, dressed him in my clothes, and beat him beyond all recognition. The photos you saw . . . and the certain(a) casket you buried . . . they were not mine. They belonged to a stranger.Peters tear-streaked face contorted now with anguish and disbelief. Oh my God . . . Zachary. non anymore. When Zachary walked out of prison, he was transformed. His adolescent physique and childlike face had drastically mutated when he flooded his puppyish body with experimental growth hormones and steroids. Even his vocal cords had been ravaged, transforming his boyish voice into a lasting whisper.Zachary became Andros.Andros became Malakh.And tonight . . . Malakh will become his greatest incarnation of all.A t that moment in Kalorama Heights, Katherine Solomon stood over the unfold desk drawer and gazed down at what could be described only as a fetishists collection of old newspaper articles and photographs.I dont understand, she said, turning to Bellamy. This lunatic was obviously obsessed with my family, butKeep going . . . urged Bellamy, victorious a seat and still looking deeply shaken.Katherine dug deeper into the newspaper articles, every one of which link up to the Solomon familyPeters many successes, Katherines research, their mother Isabels terrible murder, Zachary Solomons widely in the public eye(predicate)ized drug use, incarceration, and brutal murder in a Turkish prison.The fixation this man had on the Solomon family was beyond fanatical, and yet Katherine saw nothing yet to mention why.It was then that she saw the photographs. The first showed Zachary standing knee-deep in azure water on a beach dotted with whitewashed houses. Greece? The photo, she assumed, could ha ve been taken only during Zachs freewheeling drug days in Europe. Strangely, though, Zach looked healthier than he did in the paparazzi shots of an emaciated kid partying with the drug crowd. He looked more fit, stronger somehow, more mature. Katherine never recalled him looking so healthy.Puzzled, she checked the date stamp on the photo.But thats . . . impossible.The date was intimately a full year after Zachary had died in prison.Suddenly Katherine was flipping desperately through the stack. All of the photos were of Zachary Solomon . . . gradually get older. The collection appeared to be some kind of pictorial autobiography, chronicling a slow transformation. As the pictures progressed, Katherine saw a sudden and dramatic change. She looked on in horror as Zacharys body began mutating, his muscles bulging, and his facial features morphing from the obvious unsounded use of steroids. His frame seemed to double in mass, and a haunting fierceness crept into his eyes.I dont even re cognize this manHe looked nothing like Katherines memories of her young nephew.When she reached a picture of him with a shaved head, she felt her knees begin to buckle. Then she saw a photo of his bare body . . . adorned with the first traces of tattoos.Her heart almost stopped. Oh my God . . .CHAPTER 120Right turn Langdon shouted from the backseat of the commandeered Lexus SUV.Simkins swerved onto S Street and gunned the vehicle through a tree-lined residential neighborhood. As they neared the corner of Sixteenth Street, the House of the Temple rose like a mountain on the right.Simkins stared up at the colossal structure. It looked like someone had built a benefit on top of Romes Pantheon. He prepared to turn right on Sixteenth toward the front of the building.Dont turn Langdon ordered. Go straight Stay on SSimkins obeyed, driving alongside the east side of the building.At Fifteenth, Langdon said, turn rightSimkins followed his navigator, and moments later, Langdon had pointed ou t a nearly invisible, unpaved access road that bisected the gardens behind the House of the Temple. Simkins turned in to the drive and gunned the Lexus toward the tooshie of the building.Look Langdon said, pointing to the lone vehicle parked near the rear entrance. It was a large van. Theyre here.Simkins parked the SUV and killed the engine. Quietly, everyone got out and prepared to move in. Simkins stared up at the monolithic structure. You judge the Temple board is at the top?Langdon nodded, pointing all the way to the pinnacle of the building. That flat area on top of the pyramid is actually a sky sparkling. Simkins spun back to Langdon. The Temple Room has a skylight?Langdon gave him an odd look. Of course. An oculus to heaven . . . directly above the altar.The UH-60 sat idling at Dupont Circle.In the passenger seat, Sato gnawed at her fingernails, awaiting news from her team.Finally, Simkinss voice crackled over the radio. Director?Sato here, she barked.Were entering the bui lding, but I have some supererogatory recon for you.Go ahead.Mr. Langdon just informed me that the room in which the target is most likely located has a very large skylight.Sato considered the information for several seconds. Understood. Thank you.Simkins signed off.Sato spit out a fingernail and turned to the pilot. Take her up.CHAPTER 121Like any parent who had lost a child, Peter Solomon had often imagined how old his boy would be now . . . what he would look like . . . and what he would have become.Peter Solomon now had his answers.The massive tattooed creature before him had begun life as a tiny, precious infant . . . baby Zach curled up in a wicker bassinette . . . taking his first fumbling steps across Peters study . . . encyclopaedism to speak his first words. The fact that evil could spring from an innocent child in a good-natured family remained one of the paradoxes of the human soul. Peter had been forced to accept early on that although his own blood flowed in his son s veins, the heart pumping that blood was his sons own. Unique and singular . . . as if randomly chosen from the universe. My son . . . he killed my mother, my wiz Robert Langdon, and possibly my sister.An icy numbness flooded Peters heart as he searched his sons eyes for any link . . . anything familiar. The mans eyes, however, although gray like Peters, were those of a total stranger, filled with a hatred and a vengefulness that were almost otherworldly.Are you strong enough? his son taunted, glancing at the Akedah knife gripped in Peters hand. Can you finish what you started all those years ago?Son . . . Solomon barely recognized his own voice. I . . . I loved . . . you. doubly you tried to kill me. You abandoned me in prison. You shot me on Zachs bridge. Now finish itFor an instant, Solomon felt like he was floating outside his own body. He no longer recognized himself. He was lacking a hand, was totally bald, dressed in a dumb robe, sitting in a wheelchair, and clutching an ancient knife.Finish it the man shouted again, the tattoos on his naked knocker rippling. Killing me is the only way you can let off Katherine . . . the only way to save your brotherhoodSolomon felt his gaze move to the laptop and cellular modem on the pigskin chair.SENDING MESSAGE 92% COMPLETEHis mind could not shake the images of Katherine bleeding to death . . . or of his Masonic brothers.There is still time, the man whispered. You know its the only choice. Release me from my mortal shell.Please, Solomon said. Dont do this . . .You did this the man hissed. You forced your child to make an impossible choice Do you remember that night? wealthiness or wisdom? That was the night you pushed me away forever. But Ive returned, Father . . . and tonight it is your turn to choose. Zachary or Katherine? Which will it be? Will you kill your son to save your sister? Will you kill your son to save your brotherhood? Your country? Or will you wait until its too late? Until Katherine is dead . . . until the video is public . . . until you must live the rest of your life knowing you could have stopped these tragedies. Time is running out. You know what must be done.Peters heart ached. You are not Zachary, he told himself. Zachary died long, long ago. Whatever you are . . . and wheresoever you came from . . . you are not of me. And although Peter Solomon did not believe his own words, he knew he had to make a choice. He was out of time.Find the Grand StaircaseRobert Langdon dashed through darkened hallways, waveing his way toward the center of the building. Turner Simkins remained close on his heels. As Langdon had hoped, he burst out into the buildings main atrium. dominate by eight Doric columns of green granite, the atrium looked like a hybrid sepulcher Greco-Roman-Egyptianwith dim marble statues, chandelier fire bowls, Teutonic crosses, double-headed phoenix medallions, and sconces bearing the head of Hermes.Langdon turned and ran toward the sweeping marble stairca se at the far end of the atrium. This leads directly to the Temple Room, he whispered as the two men ascended as quickly and quietly as possible.On the first landing, Langdon came face-to-face with a bronze buck of Masonic luminary Albert Pike, along with the engraving of his most famous quote WHAT WE HAVE DONE FOR OURSELVES unaccompanied DIES WITH US WHAT WE HAVE DONE FOR OTHERS AND THE WORLD REMAINS AND IS IMMORTAL.Malakh had sensed a palpable shift in the atmosphere of the Temple Room, as if all the frustration and pain Peter Solomon had ever felt was now boiling to the surface . . . focusing itself like a laser on Malakh.Yes . . . it is time.Peter Solomon had risen from his wheelchair and was standing now, facing the altar, gripping the knife.Save Katherine, Malakh coaxed, luring him toward the altar, backing up, and finally redacting his own body down on the white shroud he had prepared. Do what you need to do.As if moving through a nightmare, Peter inched forward.Malakh rec lined fully now onto his back, gazing up through the oculus at the wintry moon. The secret is how to die. This moment could not be any more perfect. Adorned with the Lost Word of the ages, I offer myself by the left hand of my father.Malakh drew a deep breath.Receive me, demons, for this is my body, which is offered for you.Standing over Malakh, Peter Solomon was trembling. His tear-soaked eyes shone with desperation, indecision, anguish. He looked one last time toward the modem and laptop across the room.Make the choice, Malakh whispered. Release me from my flesh. God wants this. You want this. He laid his arms at his side and arched his chest forward, offering up his magnificent double-headed phoenix. cooperate me shed the body that clothes my soul.Peters tearful eyes seemed to be staring through Malakh now, not even seeing him.I killed your mother Malakh whispered. I killed Robert Langdon Im murdering your sister Im destroying your brotherhood Do what you have to doPeter Solomon s visage now contorted into a mask of absolute grief and regret. He threw his head back and screamed in anguish as he raised the knife.Robert Langdon and Agent Simkins arrived breathless outside the Temple Room doors as a bloodcurdling scream erupted from within. It was Peters voice. Langdon was certain.Peters cry was one of absolute agony.Im too lateIgnoring Simkins, Langdon seized the handles and yanked open the doors. The horrific scene before him confirmed his worst fears. There, in the center of the dimly lit chamber, the silhouette of a man with a shaved head stood at the great altar. He wore a black robe, and his hand was clutching a large blade.Before Langdon could move, the man was driving the knife down toward the body that lay outstretched on the altar.Malakh had closed his eyes.So beautiful. So perfect.The ancient blade of the Akedah knife had glinted in the moonlight as it arched over him. Scented wisps of smoke had spiraled upward above him, preparing a pathway for his soon-to-be- liberated soul. His killers lone scream of torment and desperation still rang through the sacred space as the knife came down.I am besmeared with the blood of human sacrifice and parents tears.Malakh braced for the glorious impact.His moment of transformation had arrived.Incredibly, he felt no pain. A thunderous vibration filled his body, deafening and deep. The room began shaking, and a promising white light blinded him from above. The heavens roared.And Malakh knew it had happened.Exactly as he had planned.Langdon did not remember sprinting toward the altar as the pearly appeared overhead. Nor did he remember leaping with his arms out-stretched . . . soaring toward the man in the black robe . . . trying desperately to tackle him before he could plunge the knife down a second time.Their bodies collided, and Langdon saw a bright light sweep down through the oculus and get down the altar. He expected to see the bloody body of Peter Solomon on the altar, but the naked chest that shone in the light had no blood on it at all . . . only a tapestry of tattoos. The knife lay broken beside him, apparently having been driven into the stone altar rather than into flesh.As he and the man in the black robe crashed together onto the hard stone floor, Langdon saw the bandaged summation on the end of the mans right arm, and he realized to his bewilderment that he had just tackled Peter Solomon.As they slid together across the stone floor, the helicopters searchlights blazed down from above. The chopper thundered in low, its skids practically touching the expansive besiege of meth.On the front of the helicopter, a strange-looking gun rotated, aiming downward through the tripe. The red beam of its laser chain sliced through the skylight and danced across the floor, directly toward Langdon and Solomon.NoBut there was no gunfire from above . . . only the sound of the helicopter blades.Langdon felt nothing but an eerie ripple of faculty that shimmered throu gh his cells. Behind his head, on the pigskin chair, the laptop hissed strangely. He spun in time to see its screen suddenly flash to black. Unfortunately, the last visible message had been clear.SENDING MESSAGE 100% COMPLETEPull up Damn it UpThe UH-60 pilot threw his rotors into overdrive, trying to keep his skids from touching any part of the large glass skylight. He knew the six thousand pounds of lift force that surged downward from his rotors was already straining the glass to its rupture point. Unfortunately, the incline of the pyramid beneath the helicopter was efficiently shedding the thrust sideways, robbing him of lift.Up NowHe tipped the nose, trying to skim away, but the left strut hit the center of the glass. It was only for an instant, but that was all it took.The Temple Rooms massive oculus exploded in a swirl of glass and wind . . . sending a torrent of jagged shards plummeting into the room below.Stars falling from heaven.Malakh stared up into the beautiful white l ight and saw a veil of shimmering jewels fluttering toward him . . . accelerating . . . as if racing to shroud him in their splendor.Suddenly there was pain.Everywhere.Stabbing. Searing. Slashing. Razor-sharp knives piercing soft flesh. Chest, neck, thighs, face. His body tightened all at once, recoiling. His blood-filled mouth cried out as the pain ripped him from his trance. The white light above transformed itself, and suddenly, as if by magic, a dark helicopter was suspended above him, its thundering blades driving an icy wind down into the Temple Room, chilling Malakh to the marrow squash and dispersing the wisps of incense to the distant corners of the room.Malakh turned his head and saw the Akedah knife lying broken by his side, ludicrous upon the granite altar, which was covered in a blanket of shattered glass. Even after everything I did to him . . . Peter Solomon averted the knife. He refused to spill my blood.With welling horror, Malakh raised his head and peered down a long the length of his own body. This living artifact was to have been his great offering. But it lay in tatters. His body was drenched in blood . . . huge shards of glass protruding from his flesh in all directions.Weakly, Malakh lowered his head back to the granite altar and stared up through the open space in the roof. The helicopter was gone now, in its place a silent, wintry moon.Wide-eyed, Malakh lay gasping for breath . . . all alone on the great altar.