Why Did the West Imperialize East Asian Countries Essay Example

Why Did the West Imperialize East Asian Countries? Essay Why Did the West Imperialize East Asian Countries? : A positive or negative effect. Claire Lay East Asian History Rogers 10-1-2012 It was Marco Polos tales of encountering China for the first time, and talk of Asian spices, accounts of exotic raw materials, agriculture, new technology, and a large consumer population that that first enticed western ideals. Since the late 13th and early 14th centuries, missionaries have been back and forth through Asia spreading the Christian word; all though it was truly was Polo’s grand tales that spiked westerners’ interests in Asia. According to the dictionary imperialism is defined as, the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies, though some mite define it as an unequal and possible an unwanted dominative relationship between one nation and another. The true question is; did imperialism have a positive or negative effect on these East Asian countries? According to our book Westernization became popular and in 1890 Japan, from the style of clothing to even writing a western style constitution, also leading China to do the same. Imperialism, while invasive, did bring civilization and economic affluence to many third-world countries. â€Å"Modern transportation and communications technologies, such as the steamship, the railway, and the telegraph, knit the planet together, more tightly than ever before†[1]Western Imperialism introduced Asia to new western technologies, philosophies, and commercial markets. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Did the West Imperialize East Asian Countries? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why Did the West Imperialize East Asian Countries? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why Did the West Imperialize East Asian Countries? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Some could say that at the time the majority of East Asia was willing to accept the west’s intrusion, having a seemingly positive effect on the area. Originally Western Imperialism in Asia was intended for establishing new colonies, but in time it became way to secure new commercial markets for western made products and raw materials to feed back to their industrial industries[2]. â€Å"In eighteenth-century wave of westernization foreshadowed the current phenomenon of globalization in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries†[3]. By the 19th century, there was vast western imperialism throughout Asia; this is when westernization and imperialism began to take a negative turn ecologically for both Asia and the West. It was the large military presences used reinforce Imperialism throughout the world that put financial stress on many western nations. The overall cost of keeping up a foreign military and governments, and the time and money put into reinforcing them, left a financial burden on the West. The Chinese did not buy enough western products to counterbalance the flow of income leaving western markets. The west even put money into schools and institutions for Asians to learn western knowledge, and it was this mistake that made it only a matter of time before these suppressed societies used that knowledge to break free from western imperialism, Some Asian nations developed anti-western/anti-imperialism sentiment, eventually leading to many outbursts of economical and political confrontations such as the Opium Wars, domestic rebellions, all the way to the 1911 Revolution. In East Asia, the peak period of Westernization actually did not arrive until the early 20th century, but the deep forces underlying these changes had intruded much earlier[4]. The ecological and political effects of imperialism were different throughout the world, and led to the disruption and dislocation of many small societies throughout East Asia and the rest of the world, Europeans basically drew haphazard and illogical lines on their colonial maps of East Asia to establish their own territories, built massive manufacturing factories, and disrupted East Asia’s’ natural territories and pristine environment; the traditional societies were replaced by European businessmen, European militia, and investors. At first when it occurs it may seem to be positive effect, but in the long run, for example in this case it was a negative effect, but by the end of the 20th century the West was left with a large monetary deficit, and East Asia suffered with basically a dictatorship from the West, both were left with an up and coming war on their hands. Colonies in East Asia were heavily exploited and were given no rights to do anything, even though the West gave them modern culture. Colonies inside colonies would fight because they wanted independence and have their own government and rule. There were many ethnics group that had nationalistic feelings but could not accomplish anything and become a free nation because of Imperialism. In conclusion, there were many pros and cons of imperialism for both East Asia and the West. In my opinion both the West and East Asia suffered mostly negative effects of Westernization and imperialism. Works Cited Michael Schroeder. The Twentieth Century and Beyond: A Global History. McGraw-Hill Companies,Inc. , 2007. Holocombe, Charles. A History of East Asia: From the Origins of Civilization to the Twenty-First Century. Cambridge University Press, 2010. [ 1 ]. Holcombe, A History of East Asia, 191. [ 2 ]. Goff, Moss, Terry, Upshur, the 20th Century: A Brief Global History, 68. [ 3 ]. Holcombe, A History of East Asia, 191. [ 4 ]. Holcombe, A history of East Asia, 191.

Gifted Children and Poverty Sociology Essay

Gifted Children and Poverty Sociology Essay Gifted Children and Poverty Sociology Essay Gifted Children and Poverty Sociology Essay Poverty is the universal issue, which is affecting many areas of life in the zones of political and economic instability and in emerging and developed countries. In particular, poverty may be the most important factor impacting attainment of high achievements in education amongst other student differences. While not all schools have students of diverse ethnicity, race, and religion background, almost all schools would have some students who are living in poverty conditions. Hence, there is a need to give individual support to high-ability, low-income students (Burney Beilke, 2008). This topic is important to research because poverty is not so easily identifiable as a factor in the field of gifted education. There are numerous research studies on the impact of such elements as ethnicity, race, gender, cultural background, language, or school location on students’ high achievement. The importance to research the topic of the paper lies in the fact that it is not easy to identify prospective high-achieving students who, in addition, may be living in poverty. This is detrimental to the principals of equal opportunities given in education and the complication is that poverty may have a high impact on students’ performance. This research can be justified by its practical use in classrooms, in particular, supporting the belief in one’s own ability to master tasks, which can be influenced by motivating activities. It is very important to give stimulation in order to boost confidence of gifted students in poverty, for instance, by giving them challenging tasks. It has been determined that for those students who demonstrate high ability, their personal beliefs of own competence are often at the core of gaining motivation and, therefore, leading to exercising control in achieving high performance (Burney Beilke, 2008). The Impact of Poverty on Students’ Achievement The up-to-date research in the area of the impact of poverty on gifted students’ achievement contains philosophical beliefs and empirical research applicable to the issue. It also contains recommendations to help teachers boost the confidence of gifted youth and ensure the equity of education as an important part of equity in the democratic society, which nurtures its future. This analysis is particularly relevant in the field of gifted education. For the purpose of this research, four current scholarly articles have been selected, summarized, and analyzed. Burney and Beilke (2008) have focused on the definition of poverty as it relates to various areas of family life and argue that its implication is by far broader than purely financial limitations. The case under analysis is comprised of a socially underprivileged locality school with statistically 65 per cent of students living under the established poverty line and almost 100 per cent of students of Afro-American background. These students were given a chance to attain a cost-free college education, but only under the condition that they successfully graduate from school. Surprisingly, the outcome of such program was far from expected: in that particular year less students successfully graduated from school in comparison to the previous years (Burney Beilke, 2008). Some of the limiting circumstances, which are directly connected to poverty, have been identified in relation to gifted students with the main one being limited access to the resources that are required to build foundational skills for successful further studies and motivation. This refers to financial resources and common family interests and moral support required to support gifted children. In the ethnically and culturally diverse community, the myth of difference in values in different cultures may prompt an unnecessary belief and stereotype that a representative of certain cultural background places less value on education and success, which may lead to overlooking gifted children from those cultures. It is interesting that the findings of Burney and Beilke of Ball State University (2008) are confirmed in the earlier research of Baldwin of Connecticut State University (2004), precisely that children from poor households are underrepresented in the state and school Gifted Program s and various rigorous courses. Baldwin refers to the professional magazine Gifted Child Quarterly where there was an ongoing discussion and dialogues devoted to the lack of culturally diverse and underrepresented community groups’ students over the past five decades. Although this clearly demonstrates that there is a major concern about this issue, there was only a superficial analysis of many influential issues and variables. These issues can be grouped into three major topics: identification and selection of gifted students, curriculum and programming, and the choice of teaching staff along with their professional development (Baldwin, 2004). Baldwin has conducted a case research with the outcome, which has largely undermined the scoring of IQ and overall attitudes existing in education towards underprivileged children. This case study has shown the outcome of stimulating students in the classroom on the basis of 100 per cent Afro-American group of students who previously did not reach the IQ score of gifted students. It has turned out that the research has undermined the validity of IQ scores results, which basically determines if students are gifted. In this particular case, 24 students were identified who would not have been admitted to a Gifted Program, but for the teacher who would have advocated them by recognizing their potential and developing a motivational environment to pursue their innate abilities (Baldwin, 2004). It is worth noting that this case study can be applicable to a mixed group of students, not only of Afro-American descent. The key to the research is that with the motivation, the potential of stude nts can be identified and encouraged to flourish, thus bringing them to the Gifted Program. Later in this paper, it will be recommended in what ways this motivation can be applied in the conventional classroom approach. The grey area is the approach to giftedness and conceptions about the ways intelligence is demonstrated. Students with poor background may have such talents and gifts that might manifest in other ways, which are not recognized in the system of traditional values and behaviors. For instance, some of these manifestations may be in the field of creativity and expression, but due to the student’s vocabulary choice and poor grammar and the lack of social experience, their talent may not be acknowledged as one of the indicators of their potential talent. Some of the knowledge of students from poor background like, for example, sports, music, and other culture may not be considered as a valuable knowledge. Complex domestic environment may stimulate development of negotiation and communication skills, which are used to solve problems and avoid conflict, but are not recognized in the criteria for Gifted Programs (Slocumb Payne, 2000). Even when students from poverty are placed in the Gifted Program, risks exist, which can impede on their learning and progression in these programs. Some of them are the feeling of inadequacy as compared to wealthier students, low confidence, and poor self-image and they may stay in the way of student’s academic success. Not less important is the students’ lack of financial resources to gain access to learning materials, which are necessary to perform up to the academic expectations of the Gifted Program. Social status in the group of gifted students and the fact that some of the established friends are not in this program present further constraints on the ease of access of gifted education for the poor. There are many hidden undercurrents to poverty, which are not directly obvious to teachers and they can lead to teachers trying to remove the child from the program for the benefit of a group rather than trying to make necessary adjustments. The possible lack of help a nd support from family members may be another complication when any issues need a three-way discussion with the teacher, student, and family (Slocumb Payne, 2000). Critique and Recommendations Designing a suitable Gifted Program in school is often dependable on the identified number of gifted students and, therefore, on financial and other resources. While some areas have schools with enough students to offer such special Gifted Program within the school, others may have identified a small number of their students as gifted and this may be related to the community where this school operates. Some schools may have additional pull-out hours for gifted students, which may be insufficient to address the need and not serve the purpose of the Gifted Program. Even those schools that have a full Gifted Program face challenges, in particular, in the way of support for teachers. In terms of developing the potential of gifted students, their awareness of their own high potential is required for their high performance; at the same time, it is not a guarantee of such performance. A stronger motivation is needed from teachers to help students develop and up-keep their efforts and hard work to attributing high achievements. High grades and achievement are potentially leading to the likelihood of enrolling students to post-secondary courses and further lead to improved chances for obtaining a well-paid job and overall increased earnings, thus breaking the cycle of poverty. Better education can give prospects for students to escape the limitations of poverty not only for themselves, but for their families, parents, and future generations. Strategies for success in reviewing the Gifted Education Program include the importance of early identification and intervention in the overall improved general school program, changed perceptions of intelligence, and allowing for more flexible access to Gifted Programs. On an individual level, developing strength and resilience of students who are prepared to exercise high efforts and commitment along with attracting and recognizing the important role of the family support are important points to be stressed in the improvement of the Gifted Program strategy. Along with recognizing the need for improvement of the Gifted Education policy, the following recommendation can be made in the existing programs: Ensure effectiveness of identification and then placement of students from minority groups and possible preparatory classes for gifted programs; Review flexibility of teaching strategies and curriculum design, which would be the most effective for students from various cultural backgrounds; Involve the community in supporting poorer students demonstrating high ability; Review the current IQ tests and, possibly, remove its major role as an indicator for the giftedness; Review the role of creativity as one of the assessment tools for high potential identification. It should be said that poverty is the world issue and it will undoubtedly take many years to be resolved. The new globalized environment has brought along the faster pace, increasing technical progress and making the world smaller with integrated borders. One of the benefits of globalization is the fact that it has increased wealth, however, not for everyone and not everywhere. The existing poverty generates poor nutrition, poor hygiene living conditions, less employment chances, and more diseases. In the social sphere, which can also be evident in schools, children from poor background can experience bullying due to† low status† and depression, to name a few. British politician Peter Hain said that globalization presented opportunities. When well managed, it will help in driving forward efforts for building prosperity and diminishing poverty. Badly managed, it is bound to increase the gap between the rich and the poor (Cole, 2012, p. 7). Educators have to put their best efforts in order to help reduce this gap between the rich and the poor on the foundation level.

American Revolution and the Battle of the Chesapeake

American Revolution and the Battle of the Chesapeake The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes, was fought September 5, 1781, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Fleets and Leaders Royal Navy Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves19 ships of the line French Navy Rear Admiral Comte de Grasse24 ships of the line Background Prior to 1781, Virginia had seen little fighting as the majority operations had taken place far to the north or further south. Early that year, British forces, including those led by traitor Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, arrived in the Chesapeake and commenced raiding. These were later joined by Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis army which had marched north following its bloody victory at the Battle of Guilford Court House. Taking command of all British forces in the region, Cornwallis soon received a confusing string of orders from his superior in New York City, General Sir Henry Clinton. While initially campaigning against American forces in Virginia, including those led by the Marquis de Lafayette, he was later instructed to establish a fortified base at a deep-water port. Assessing his options, Cornwallis elected to utilize Yorktown for this purpose. Arriving at Yorktown, VA, Cornwallis constructed earthworks around the town and built fortifications across the York River at Gloucester Point.    Fleets in Motion During the summer, General George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau requested that Rear Admiral Comte de Grasse bring his French fleet north from the Caribbean for a potential strike against either New York City or Yorktown. After extensive debate, the latter target was chosen by the allied Franco-American command with the understanding that de Grasses ships were necessary to prevent Cornwallis escaping by sea. Aware that de Grasse intended to sail north, a British fleet of 14 ships of the line, under Rear Admiral Samuel Hood, also departed the Caribbean. Taking a more direct route, they arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake on August 25. That same day, a second, smaller French fleet led by the  Comte de Barras departed Newport, RI carrying siege guns and equipment. In an effort to avoid the British, de Barras took a circuitous route with the goal of reaching Virginia and uniting with de Grasse. Not seeing the French near the Chesapeake, Hood decided to continue on to New York to join with Rear Admiral Thomas Graves. Arriving at New York, Hood found that Graves only had five ships of the line in battle condition. Combining their forces, they put to sea heading south towards Virginia. While the British were uniting to the north, de Grasse arrived in the Chesapeake with 27 ships of the line. Quickly detaching three ships to blockade Cornwallis position at Yorktown, de Grasse landed 3,200 soldiers and anchored the bulk of his fleet behind Cape Henry, near the mouth of the bay. The French Put to Sea On September 5, the British fleet appeared off the Chesapeake and sighted the French ships around 9:30 AM. Rather than swiftly attack the French while they were vulnerable, the British followed the tactical doctrine of the day and moved into a line ahead formation. The time required for this maneuver allowed the French to recover from the surprise of the British arrival which had seen many of their warships caught with large portions of their crews ashore. Also, it allowed de Grasse to avoid entering battle against an adverse wind and tidal conditions. Cutting their anchor lines, the French fleet emerged from the bay and formed for battle. As the French exited from the bay, both fleets angled towards each other as they sailed east. A Running Fight As wind and sea conditions continued to change, the French gained the advantage of being able to open their lower gun ports while the British were prevented from doing so without risking water entering their ships. Around 4:00 PM, the vans (lead sections) in each fleet opened fired on their opposite number as the range closed. Though the vans were engaged, a shift in the wind made it difficult for each fleets center and rear to close within range. On the British side, the situation was further hampered by contradictory signals from Graves. As the fighting progressed, the French tactic of aiming for masts and rigging bore fruit as HMS Intrepid (64 guns) and HMS Shrewsbury (74) both fell out of line. As the vans pummeled each other, many of the ships to their rear never were able to engage the enemy. Around 6:30 PM the firing ceased and the British withdrew to windward. For the next four days, the fleets maneuvered within sight of each other. However, neither sought to renew the battle . On the evening of September 9, de Grasse reversed his fleets course, leaving the British behind, and returned to the Chesapeake. Upon arriving, he found reinforcements in the form of 7 ships of the line under de Barras. With 34 ships of the line, de Grasse had full control of the Chesapeake, eliminating Cornwallis hopes for evacuation. Trapped, Cornwallis army was besieged by the combined army of Washington and Rochambeau. After over two weeks of fighting, Cornwallis surrendered on October 17, effectively ending the American Revolution. Aftermath and Impact During the Battle of the Chesapeake, both fleets suffered approximately 320 casualties. In addition, many of the ships in the British van were heavily damaged and unable to continue fighting. Though the battle itself was tactically inconclusive, it was a massive strategic victory for the French. By drawing the British away from the Chesapeake, the French eliminated any hope of rescuing Cornwalliss army. This in turn allowed for the successful siege of Yorktown, which broke the back of British power in the colonies and led to American independence.

State about your story Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

State about your story - Assignment Example Unlike many other subjects, mathematics is among the subjects that find application in almost all areas of life. As a student interested in a career involving mathematics, I find it necessary to pursue mathematics major in country where mathematics is a flourishing field of research. The skills and knowledge one acquires by studying mathematics apply to all aspects of life, and are not just limited to the career chosen. I believe that by studying mathematics, I have the chance to grow into a competent individual who can contribute positively to the society. In addition, studying in the United States gives me an opportunity to interact with students from different backgrounds. This is important for my development not only as a mathematician but also as a social being. Given that I have an ambition to work in the insurance field, I believe that taking mathematics major will prepare me adequately to work in this sector. One of the skills acquired through the study of mathematics is data acquisition and analysis. This is an example of the skills that can be applied in the field of insurance and finance. By solving mathematics problems, I will develop analytical skills that help grow my mind and thinking processes. Mathematics will enhance my ability to pay attention to detail, and this will be important for my future career in the insurance field. As an analyst, the knowledge acquired through the study of mathematics will be critical. Analysts are required to analyze large volumes of data, and make conclusions and decisions based on this data. By studying mathematics, I will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to become an analyst in future. Mathematics is a subject that mainly involves numbers and figures, and understanding how they are applied. For example, as an analyst, I need skills such as linear regression in order to effectively analyze financial data. Mathematics major provides the necessary foundation for acquiring such skills and also

Research paper in Internet Activism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research paper in Internet Activism - Essay Example Thus besides entertainment, such information is critical for education and informative purposes. The use of social networks has particularly had diverse impacts on the populations’ perceptions of relative social themes. The objectivity and reliability of relative information has been in most cases compromised by the subjective nature of the contributions made by various factions of the society. Most importantly, this tendency has had direct impacts on the social ties that the society holds in high regard. Through face-book, you-tube, my space and other social networks, important information has been relayed to populations across the globe. Apart from educators, activists have employed social media to reach various factions of the population and communicate important issues to these. Through these, they have been able to understand and appreciate the views of the global populations about emergent social issues. Perhaps the most critical information pertains to that relating to sensitive issues that affect the populations in different ways. Besides being instrumental in informing the public, these social networks have in most cases undermined the credibility of the information relayed across. It is against this background that this paper provides an explicit review of internet activism in light of the Kohn 2012 video. To address inherent concerns, it greatly relies on secondary research. The internet has become the latest technological tool through which information is passed on to the population within the shortest time possible. According to research, it only requires a single click to publish important information about emergent issues and concerns within the society. It is pervasive as exemplified by Giridharadas who cites the Kenyan Ushahidi initiative stating it has â€Å"been used in India to monitor elections; in Africa to report medicine shortages; in the Middle East to collect reports of wartime violence; and in Washington† (Giridharadas, 3). Through social networks, this is visible to a diverse population who have subscribed to the relative services. Likewise, these are able to present their views on the particular issue within the shortest period possible. It only requires access to internet and knowledge about its use to utilize this facility. The first world countries have taken immense practical steps to ensure that their populations have access to the electronic infrastructure. Although the third world countries such as Kenya and Uganda have not readily succeeded in enhancing the use of internet, use of phones has really been useful. According to Zuckerman â€Å"the most important activist technology of the last five years is the mobile phone â€Å". Specifically, the use of Short Text messaging provision has been important in information dissemination in third world economies. Through this, populations are able to communicate useful insights regarding wide ranging issues to a diverse population base. The lau nch of Kony 2012 video in March, 2012 triggered various arguments and controversies about the credibility of use of social media in activism. Initially, the intention of this online video was to raise awareness about the leader of Lord’s resistance army, Joseph Kony. Towards the end of the video, viewers were requested to help in different was to capture the war lord so that he could face the law. The video spread so fast and within six days, it had been viewed by a significant one

English Legal System vs Inequalities between Individuals and Groups Essay Example for Free

English Legal System vs Inequalities between Individuals and Groups Essay English Legal System vs Inequalities between Individuals and Groups Introduction Does The English Legal System Do Enough To Address Inequalities Between Individuals And Groups?            Addressing inequalities are a vital aspect of any government legal system, not only for the economic growth and for the development of the goals such as the millennium goals, but also for security and peace perspective. The legal system of English has not been left aside in the fight against inequalities among its citizens. This is the system of law that has developed in England. Horizontal inequalities have developed and increased among people globally and England has been affected. The inequalities are taken as increasing factor to the risk of violence, conflict, which can in turn worsen the inequalities among people or groups (Haskel Slaugther, 1999).            This paper looks into how and what the English Legal System is undertaking in the fight against inequalities among groups of people or individuals. There are increasing concerns about persistent and often rising inequalities. These inequalities includes aspects such as age, pregnancy and maternity, disability; race, gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership, religion or sexual orientation among other grounds where discrimination can occur. All these grounds of inequalities are applicable to both individuals and groups people. However, each and every legal system in different countries is tasked with the fight against any form of inequality among individuals or groups of people in the society. The English Legal system has been as well on the forefront in the fight against the inequality menace among its people (Pontusson, 2005).            The law has been and continues to be a tool through which essential democratic ideals have been expressed not only in the English legal system but also in other legal systems around the globe. The egalitarian ideals expressed include the same employment chances, equal right of entry into schooling among many other aspects. Simultaneously, the legal system is on its own a site of unusual discrimination, as discovered in different degree of access of first-class legal aid, discrepancy in arrest rates, or disparity in sentencing. The researches within this field attend show how good has the English legal system done to address the issues of inequalities between individuals and groups of people. Hence, law can be used as a mechanism for equalization and in turn can produce or express inequality as well (International Labor Office, 2007).            Disparity in the legal system, the main question behind the issue of inequality is whether the law is applied fairly to all members of any group? Courts appointed attorneys providing a sufficient protection for their needy clients? Is the death judgment more likely to be forced on African Americans than on whites? Who bears the brunt of the notable increase in the detention rate? When the prisoners re released from the jails, do their potential employers discriminate against them this creating an even larger underclass? In addition, how has the increase in the number of privatized prisons affected how captives are handled? How has it altered the political process (e.g. Entrance by the prison industry) that manages how large our imprisoned residents will be? Discrimination could be integrated as a concern into goals and targets on different sectoral/thematic issues such as (politics, security, justice, poverty, education and health), through speech stressing additio n, fairness, accountability and responsiveness to all social groups throughout the framework is essential in the English legal system (Witte Green, 2012).            There is numerous discrimination by type that is experienced amongst people in the United Kingdom. These include: age, disability, equal pay or compensation, religion, retaliation, sex and sexual harassment, genetic information, harassment, national origin, pregnancy, race/color,. One of the major areas of concern in the English legal system is the issue of inequality among the disabled people in the community. Not only in the United Kingdom, there has been a unison call from all the corners of the world from the people and groups of people for the disabled people to be respected in the society just like the normal individuals in the community. There have been campaigns all over the globe fighting for the rights of the disabled people. This has been dubbed as disability discrimination, which has resulted in inequality between different people in the society. According to Equality Act 2010, disability discrimination is when a disabled person is treated less favorabl y than a non-disabled person, and is treated in this way for a reason arising from their disability, and the treatment cannot be justified (Keister et all, 2012).            The fight against disability discrimination, in the United Kingdom has been defined by numerous acts in the English legal system. These include ‘The Equality Act 2010’ this provides disabled people with protection from discrimination in the workplace. England and Wales have had laws against, against discrimination since the 1960’s. For example, the Race Relations Acts of 1965, 1968 as well as that of 1976, all of which outlawed race inequity among groups of people or individually. In addition, there is also the 1970 Equal Pay Act and the ‘Sex Discrimination Act’ of 1975 which themselves proscribed discrimination in the line of gender. Moreover, there was the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which outlawed disability discrimination. Putting all of these acts together, in the year 2010, all, the anti-discrimination laws were confined together under one Act, namely the Equality Act 2010 (Chant, 2010).            The English Legal System comprises one of the greatest tools for people with disabilities, in order to ensure and also protect their fundamental rights. According to the ‘Equality Act 2010’ section 6 disability is defined as a ‘person who have an impairment either physically or mentally, however, the impairment should have substantial adverse as well as the lasting effects on their capability to perform their normal daily activities’. Under the act, there is direct disability discrimination as well as indirect form of discrimination. Section 15 of the Equality Act forbids the  unfavorable treatment  of a disabled person where the reason for the unfavorable treatment is not the disability itself, but something that comes up as a result of the disability (Partington, 2014).            Despite the wide and all inclusive act in the fight against disability inequality in the United Kingdom, there have been numerous cases reported of disability inequality among people, more so in the private sector of employment. The government has, however, embarked on the massive implementation of disability discrimination laws. Some of the achievements that have been beneficial to the fight against disability inequality in the United Kingdom are the implementation of the required facilities for the disabled in order for them to access services. This includes laws in building and constructions, whereby public buildings should be accessible to the disabled; this is through revision of the relevant facilities and services such as no stairs, washrooms for the disables among others. In addition, an important issue for some disabled people is the provision of adaptations of dwellings to improve safety, mobility and quality of life. Effective adaptations can lead to red uced pain and enhanced well being, self-esteem and control. Hence it can be said that the English legal system has done quite a lot in the fight against inequality among the disabled people or groups and in turn more should be implemented in terms law, implementation for the complete acceptance of the disabled people. The most affected sector where inequality is most felt is through employment (Fafinski Finch, 2008).            Another aspect that has given rise to inequality is the United Kingdom is the religious identification or differing peoples beliefs. According to human rights and anti-discrimination legislation in the UK, every person has the right to hold their own beliefs as well as any other philosophical beliefs that are similar to religion or beliefs. Under the Equality Act 2006, it is or prohibited or illegal for someone to differentiate or discriminate against another person or a group of people because of their religion or belief or else for the reason that, they have no religion or belief (Elliott, 2012).            There has been a case of religious discrimination in the United Kingdom, especially the issue of Britain’s divided schools that has been a disturbing portrait of inequality. With the increased differences between the Middle East countries and the western especially between the Muslims and other religions groups. In many cases, there has been a correlation between the increasing trend in terrorism and the Muslim religion. This has resulted in the inequality between the Arabs/Muslims in the UK and other people especially whites. Advance in achieving liberty of religion or belief and thwarting inequity based on religion or belief in the place of work and in public services has been widely advocated in the United Kingdom. Equally, the capability to draw conclusion continues to be stalled by Government’s reluctance to distinguish between the various Christian denominations, when recording people’s religious profession, either in the population censu s or the Labor Force Survey (Boaler, 2011).            Generally, the act on equality, human rights and religion or belief has been interpreted watchfully in domestic tribunals and courts as according to section 5.3 of the equality act. While some indirect inequity claims relating to dress codes and working hours have been successful, most claims based on religion have failed. This is largely because courts have mostly found that intrusion with the autonomy of belief or religion under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is not easily recognized. Over the years, religious conviction has played a less leading role in public culture. Temporarily, the rival status hierarchies have fallen away. The meritocratic ladder of specialized success is pretty much the only one left standing. We can see a correlation between inequality and religious faith (Warren, 2006).            The presence of religious diversity in today’s times in the United Kingdom has resulted in increased contact between religious, which has sometimes revealed deep-rooted stereotyping and prejudice, which in turn leads to tension and sometimes conflict between individuals or groups of people in the community. Indeed, religion is an indispensable component in the identity of some of the groups that make up our society, however, it has also been connected with stereotypes or depressing preconception, including the assumption of a so-called ‘clash of civilizations. Political events and popular discourse have repeatedly been revealed in the media and have negatively linked terrorism and Islam. This has in turn prejudiced social attitudes and led to a Renaissance of religious and racial discrimination in the community and most public places. A latest information on the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) found that Muslims are often fat alities of inequity, negative stereotyping and of manifestations of prejudice and hatred. These take the form of verbal threats and physical attacks on people and property and racial and mostly religion affiliation profiling (Oliva, 2008).            The growing visibility of religious and belief variety in Europe and especially United Kingdom has been depicted by an increase in unfairness, inequity, and prejudice against religious and ethnic minorities. While a great deal of development has been achieved, biasness on grounds of racial or ethnic origin and religion is still a problem for many people in our societies, even though this is tricky to accurately measure due to short of data on the religious composition of the inhabitants of the UK, mainly in regard to minority religions. The English Legal system has created a structure of legal tools, policies, and initiatives for fighting religious and racial unfairness and in turn promoting fairness. Nevertheless, it could be argued that the principles of equality and non-discrimination and the respect for the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion have not been fully implemented in all Member States (Lansley, 2012).            Despite the tremendous effort by the government and the vast established English legal law, there are still cases of religion inequality and discrimination within individuals and the UK citizens towards either an individual or a specific group or community. People affiliated to religious minorities, especially migrants; also, experiences disproportionately lower incomes and higher rates of unemployment, as they face problems accessing housing and in turn living in poor environs. They suffer from prejudice and experience exclusion or marginalization in social, political, and economic activity and from unfair treatment in public or social services (Blanden Machin, 2013).            The enactment of the Equality act 2010 in United Kingdom has redefined people’s rights regardless of their religion affiliation. The introduction of the law has targeted all people in the country, and in turn offering the right protection to people. In addition, the human rights movements have been active in fight for the people’s rights and in turn bringing along equality among the countries populace. English Legal system has been deemed as one of the all-inclusive legal system and has been a positive aspect in the fight for equality among the United Kingdom citizens. The ‘Equality Act 2010’ has been drawn-up to deal with inequality and also prevent prejudice against all sorts of people on the basis of ‘protected characteristics’. It brings together several presented laws and aims to make understanding the law simpler. It also introduces a new single public sector equality duty, which requires public bodies to actively advan ce equality. This has enabled the UK government to be able to handle the numerous issues of inequality in the society. In accordance to the question posed ‘whether the ‘English Legal System’ is doing enough to address Inequalities between Individuals and Groups, the answer is YES. Although there has been numerous handles in the full achievement of equality, the government has been able to implement laws that has been effective in curbing inequality. Moreover, the legal system has developed an effective criminal justice system which has enabled in the fight against inequality (Keister et al, 2012).            In conclusion, there are many experiences that remain invisible and ignored within the wider agendas in the fight against inequalities within the English legal system. While the inequalities are widespread and all-encompassing, the legal systems have tried to be all inclusive in solving all forms of inequalities that are experienced within the individuals, and groups in the society. It is clear that there can be an experience of far-reaching inequality, prejudice, favoritism and racism from politicians, the media, and the public. However, numerous recommendations have been made in different chapters for the introduction of ethnic monitoring, for example in health, social work, substance use services and criminal justice. In many of these domains, existing equality and human rights law provides the framework for addressing these injustices, but it needs to be proactively and effectively implemented. References Haskel, J., Slaugther, M. J. (1999).  Trade, technology and U.K. wage inequality. Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research. Pontusson, J. (2005).  Inequality and prosperity: Social Europe vs. liberal America. Ithaca, NY [u.a.: Cornell Univ. Press. International Labour Office. (2007). Equality at work: Tackling the challenges : global report under the follow up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Geneva: International Labour Office. Witte, J., Green, M. C. (2012). Religion and human rights: An introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Keister, L. A., McCarthy, J., Finke, R. (2012). Religion, work, and inequality. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Pub Limited. Chant, S. (2010). The International Handbook of Gender and Poverty. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Pub.Partington, Martin. (2014). Introduction to the English Legal System 2014-2015. Oxford Univ Pr.Fafinski, S., Finch, E. (2008). English legal system. Harlow: Longman. Elliott, C. (2012). English legal system. Harlow: Pearson. Stephenson, M., Harrison, J. (2011). Unravelling Equality: The Impact of the United Kingdoms Spending Cuts on Women.Political Quarterly,  82(4), 645-650. doi:10.1111/j.1467-923X.2011.02256.x Boaler, J. (2011). Mathematics and science inequalities in the United Kingdom: when elitism, sexism and culture collide.  Oxford Review Of Education,  37(4), 457-484. Warren, T. (2006). Moving beyond the gender wealth gap: On gender, class, ethnicity, and wealth inequalities in the United Kingdom.  Feminist Economics,  12(1/2), 195-219. doi:10.1080/13545700500508502 Oliva, J. (2008). Religious Symbols in the Classroom: A Controversial Issue in the United Kingdom.  Brigham Young University Law Review,  2008(3), 877-896. Lansley, S. (2012). Inequality, the Crash and the Ongoing Crisis.  Political Quarterly,  83(4), 754- 761. doi:10.1111/j.1467-923X.2012.02357.x Blanden, J., Machin, S. (2013). Educational Inequality and The Expansion of United Kingdom Higher Education.  Scottish Journal Of Political Economy,  60(5), 597-598. doi:10.1111/sjpe.12031 Source document

7 Deadly Sins Of Fantasy :: essays research papers

Seven Deadly Sins of Fantasy Imagination is the key to the universe. In order for one to use it, they may create a world of their own. Fantasy literature uses imagination as its key source, and everyday life as its secondary. Not one element can bring a piece of the art form together. Society lives on both factors as well. Fantasy art can either make or brake a world, just by the ideas and thoughts that are used with the imagination. This fantasized world is mainly inspired by reality and especially religious beliefs. Considering that fantasy literature is one of the oldest works, that any period of history can relate to; many stories seem to be fictional, if analyzed they become parallel to any cultural society. The characters in fantasy art works may represent actual people in everyday life, for example an evil witch may be compared to a mean motherly figure. One major contribution to fairy tales is the religious influence of all societies. Gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, wrath, pride, and lust are the seven most deadliest sins of the Biblical universe, all these examples are related to the idea of temptation, which brings the fairy world happiness. Chesterton wrote, "The whole happiness of fairyland hangs upon a thread, upon one thread. Cinderella may have a dress woven on supernatural looms and blazing with unearthly brilliance; but she must be back when the clock strikes twelve. The king may invite fairies to the christening, but he must invite all the fairies of frightful results will follow. Bluebeard's wife may open all doors but one. A promise is broken to a cat, and the whole world goes wrong. A promise is broken to a yellow dwarf, and the whole world goes wrong. A girl may be the bride of the God of Love himself if Green 2 she never tries to see him; she sees him, and he vanishes away. A girl is given a box on condition she does not open it; she opens it, and all the evils of this world rush out at her. A man and woman are put in a garden on condition that they do not eat one fruit; they eat it, and lose their joy in all the fruits of the earth," (256). "Wrath 1: violent anger: RAGE 2: divine punishment," (Web. dictionary, 609), in other words, revenge. Take Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the wicked stepmother hated her stepdaughter with such anger that she became angry enough to commit violence.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 22-23

CHAPTER 22 Pacing the library, Katherine Solomon pulled back the sleeve of her lab coat and checked her watch. She was not a woman accustomed to waiting, but at the moment, she felt as if her whole world were on hold. She was waiting for Trish's search-spider results, she was waiting for word from her brother, and also, she was waiting for a callback from the man who was responsible for this entire troubling situation. I wish he hadn't told me, she thought. Normally, Katherine was extremely careful about making new acquaintances, and although she had met this man for the first time only this afternoon, he had earned her trust in a matter of minutes. Completely. His call had come this afternoon while Katherine was at home enjoying her usual Sunday- afternoon pleasure of catching up on the week's scientific journals. â€Å"Ms. Solomon?† an unusually airy voice had said. â€Å"My name is Dr. Christopher Abaddon. I was hoping I might speak to you for a moment about your brother?† â€Å"I'm sorry, who is this?† she had demanded. And how did you get my private cell-phone number? â€Å"Dr. Christopher Abaddon?† Katherine did not recognize the name. The man cleared his throat, as if the situation had just become awkward. â€Å"I apologize, Ms. Solomon. I was under the impression your brother had told you about me. I'm his doctor. Your cell number was listed as his emergency contact.† Katherine's heart skipped. Emergency contact? â€Å"Is something wrong?† â€Å"No . . . I don't think so,† the man said. â€Å"Your brother missed an appointment this morning, and I can't reach him on any of his numbers. He never misses appointments without calling, and I'm just a little worried. I hesitated to phone you, but–â€Å" â€Å"No, no, not at all, I appreciate the concern.† Katherine was still trying to place the doctor's name. â€Å"I haven't spoken to my brother since yesterday morning, but he probably just forgot to turn on his cell.† Katherine had recently given him a new iPhone, and he still hadn't taken the time to figure out how to use it. â€Å"You say you're his doctor?† she asked. Does Peter have an illness he's keeping from me? There was a weighty pause on the line. â€Å"I'm terribly sorry, but I've obviously just made a rather serious professional error by calling you. Your brother told me you were aware of his visits to me, but now I see that's not the case.† My brother lied to his doctor? Katherine's concern was now growing steadily. â€Å"Is he sick?† â€Å"I'm sorry, Ms. Solomon, doctor-patient confidentiality precludes me from discussing your brother's condition, and I've already said too much by admitting he is my patient. I'm going to hang up now, but if you hear from him today, please ask him to call me so I know he's okay.† â€Å"Wait!† Katherine said. â€Å"Please tell me what's wrong with Peter!† Dr. Abaddon exhaled, sounding displeased with his mistake. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, I can hear you're upset, and I don't blame you. I'm sure your brother is fine. He was in my office just yesterday.† â€Å"Yesterday? And he's scheduled again today? This sounds urgent.† The man heaved a sigh. â€Å"I suggest we give him a little more time before we–â€Å" â€Å"I'm coming by your office right now,† Katherine said, heading for the door. â€Å"Where are you located?† Silence. â€Å"Dr. Christopher Abaddon?† Katherine said. â€Å"I can look up your address myself, or you can simply give it to me. Either way, I'm coming over.† The doctor paused. â€Å"If I meet with you, Ms. Solomon, would you please do me the courtesy of saying nothing to your brother until I've had a chance to explain my misstep?† â€Å"That's fine.† â€Å"Thank you. My office is in Kalorama Heights.† He gave her an address. Twenty minutes later, Katherine Solomon was navigating the stately streets of Kalorama Heights. She had phoned all of her brother's numbers with no reply. She did not feel overly concerned about her brother's whereabouts, and yet, the news that he was secretly seeing a doctor . . . was troubling. When Katherine finally located the address, she stared up at the building in confusion. This is a doctor's office? The opulent mansion before her had a wrought-iron security fence, electronic cameras, and lush grounds. As she slowed to double-check the address, one of the security cameras rotated toward her, and the gate swung open. Tentatively, Katherine drove up the driveway and parked next to a six-car garage and a stretch limo. What kind of doctor is this guy? As she got out of her car, the front door of the mansion opened, and an elegant figure drifted out onto the landing. He was handsome, exceptionally tall, and younger than she had imagined. Even so, he projected the sophistication and polish of an older man. He was impeccably dressed in a dark suit and tie, and his thick blond hair was immaculately coiffed. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, I'm Dr. Christopher Abaddon,† he said, his voice a breathy whisper. When they shook hands, his skin felt smooth and well tended. â€Å"Katherine Solomon,† she said, trying not to stare at his skin, which was unusually smooth and bronzed. Is he wearing makeup? Katherine felt a growing disquiet as she stepped into the home's beautifully appointed foyer. Classical music played softly in the background, and it smelled as if someone had burned incense. â€Å"This is lovely,† she said, â€Å"although I expected more of . . . an office.† â€Å"I'm fortunate to work out of my home.† The man led her into a living room, where there was a crackling fire. â€Å"Please make yourself comfortable. I'm just steeping some tea. I'll bring it out, and we can talk.† He strode toward the kitchen and disappeared. Katherine Solomon did not sit. Female intuition was a potent instinct that she had learned to trust, and something about this place was making her skin crawl. She saw nothing that looked anything like any doctor's office she had ever seen. The walls of this antique-adorned living room were covered with classical art, primarily paintings with strange mythical themes. She paused before a large canvas depicting the Three Graces, whose nude bodies were spectacularly rendered in vivid colors. â€Å"That's the original Michael Parkes oil.† Dr. Abaddon appeared without warning beside her, holding a tray of steaming tea. â€Å"I thought we'd sit by the fire?† He led her over to the living room and offered her a seat. â€Å"There's no reason to be nervous.† â€Å"I'm not nervous,† Katherine said entirely too quickly. He gave her a reassuring smile. â€Å"Actually, it is my business to know when people are nervous.† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"I'm a practicing psychiatrist, Ms. Solomon. That is my profession. I've been seeing your brother for almost a year now. I'm his therapist.† Katherine could only stare. My brother is in therapy? â€Å"Patients often choose to keep their therapy to themselves,† the man said. â€Å"I made a mistake by calling you, although in my defense, your brother did mislead me.† â€Å"I . . . I had no idea.† â€Å"I apologize if I made you nervous,† he said, sounding embarrassed. â€Å"I noticed you studying my face when we met, and yes, I do wear makeup.† He touched his own cheek, looking self- conscious. â€Å"I have a dermatological condition, which I prefer to hide. My wife usually puts the makeup on for me, but when she's not here, I have to rely on my own heavy touch.† Katherine nodded, too embarrassed to speak. â€Å"And this lovely hair . . .† He touched his lush blond mane. â€Å"A wig. My skin condition affected my scalp follicles as well, and all my hair jumped ship.† He shrugged. â€Å"I'm afraid my one sin is vanity.† â€Å"Apparently mine is rudeness,† Katherine said. â€Å"Not at all.† Dr. Abaddon's smile was disarming. â€Å"Shall we start over? Perhaps with some tea?† They sat in front of the fire and Abaddon poured tea. â€Å"Your brother got me in the habit of serving tea during our sessions. He said the Solomons are tea drinkers.† â€Å"Family tradition,† Katherine said. â€Å"Black, please.† They sipped their tea and made small talk for a few minutes, but Katherine was eager for information about her brother. â€Å"Why was my brother coming to you?† she asked. And why didn't he tell me? Admittedly, Peter had endured more than his fair share of tragedy in his life–losing his father at a young age, and then, within a span of five years, burying his only son and then his mother. Even so, Peter had always found a way to cope. Dr. Abaddon took a sip of tea. â€Å"Your brother came to me because he trusts me. We have a bond beyond that of normal patient and doctor.† He motioned to a framed document near the fireplace. It looked like a diploma, until Katherine spied the double-headed phoenix. â€Å"You're a Mason?† The highest degree, no less. â€Å"Peter and I are brothers of sorts.† â€Å"You must have done something important to be invited into the thirty-third degree.† â€Å"Not really,† he said. â€Å"I have family money, and I give a lot of money to Masonic charities.† Katherine now realized why her brother trusted this young doctor. A Mason with family money, interested in philanthropy and ancient mythology? Dr. Abaddon had more in common with her brother than she had initially imagined. â€Å"When I asked why my brother came to you,† she said, â€Å"I didn't mean why did he choose you. I meant, why is he seeking the services of a psychiatrist?† Dr. Abaddon smiled. â€Å"Yes, I know. I was trying to sidestep the question politely. It's really not something I should be discussing.† He paused. â€Å"Although I must say I'm puzzled that your brother would keep our discussions from you, considering that they relate so directly to your research.† â€Å"My research?† Katherine said, taken totally off guard. My brother talks about my research? â€Å"Recently, your brother came to me looking for a professional opinion about the psychological impact of the breakthroughs you are making in your lab.† Katherine almost choked on the tea. â€Å"Really? I'm . . . surprised,† she managed. What is Peter thinking? He told his shrink about my work?! Their security protocol involved not discussing with anyone what Katherine was working on. Moreover, the confidentiality had been her brother's idea. â€Å"Certainly you are aware, Ms. Solomon, that your brother is deeply concerned about what will happen when your research goes public. He sees the potential for a significant philosophical shift in the world . . . and he came here to discuss the possible ramifications . . . from a psychological perspective.† â€Å"I see,† Katherine said, her teacup now shaking slightly. â€Å"The questions we discuss are challenging ones: What happens to the human condition if the great mysteries of life are finally revealed? What happens when those beliefs that we accept on faith . . . are suddenly categorically proven as fact? Or disproved as myth? One could argue that there exist certain questions that are best left unanswered.† Katherine could not believe what she was hearing, and yet she kept her emotions in check. â€Å"I hope you don't mind, Dr. Abaddon, but I'd prefer not to discuss the details of my work. I have no immediate plans to make anything public. For the time being, my discoveries will remain safely locked in my lab.† â€Å"Interesting.† Abaddon leaned back in his chair, lost in thought for a moment. â€Å"In any event, I asked your brother to come back today because yesterday he suffered a bit of a break. When that happens, I like to have clients–â€Å" â€Å"Break?† Katherine's heart was pounding. â€Å"As in breakdown?† She couldn't imagine her brother breaking down over anything. Abaddon reached out kindly. â€Å"Please, I can see I've upset you. I'm sorry. Considering these awkward circumstances, I can understand how you might feel entitled to answers.† â€Å"Whether I'm entitled or not,† Katherine said, â€Å"my brother is all I have left of my family. Nobody knows him better than I do, so if you tell me what the hell happened, maybe I can help you. We all want the same thing–what's best for Peter.† Dr. Abaddon fell silent for several long moments and then began slowly nodding as if Katherine might have a point. Finally, he spoke. â€Å"For the record, Ms. Solomon, if I decide to share this information with you, I would do so only because I think your insights might help me assist your brother.† â€Å"Of course.† Abaddon leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, as long as I've been seeing your brother, I've sensed in him a deep struggle with feelings of guilt. I've never pressed him on it because that's not why he comes to me. And yet yesterday, for a number of reasons, I finally asked him about it.† Abaddon locked eyes with her. â€Å"Your brother opened up, rather dramatically and unexpectedly. He told me things I had not expected to hear . . . including everything that happened the night your mother died.† Christmas Eve–almost exactly ten years ago. She died in my arms. â€Å"He told me your mother was murdered during a robbery attempt at your home? A man broke in looking for something he believed your brother was hiding?† â€Å"That's correct.† Abaddon's eyes were appraising her. â€Å"Your brother said he shot the man dead?† â€Å"Yes.† Abaddon stroked his chin. â€Å"Do you recall what the intruder was looking for when he broke into your home?† Katherine had tried in vain for ten years to block out the memory. â€Å"Yes, his demand was very specific. Unfortunately, none of us knew what he was talking about. His demand never made sense to any of us.† â€Å"Well, it made sense to your brother.† â€Å"What?† Katherine sat up. â€Å"At least according to the story he told me yesterday, Peter knew exactly what the intruder was looking for. And yet your brother did not want to hand it over, so he pretended not to understand.† â€Å"That's absurd. Peter couldn't possibly have known what the man wanted. His demands made no sense!† â€Å"Interesting.† Dr. Abaddon paused and took a few notes. â€Å"As I mentioned, however, Peter told me he did know. Your brother believes if he had only cooperated with the intruder, maybe your mother would be alive today. This decision is the source of all his guilt.† Katherine shook her head. â€Å"That's crazy . . .† Abaddon slumped, looking troubled. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, this has been useful feedback. As I feared, your brother seems to have had a little break with reality. I must admit, I was afraid this might be the case. That's why I asked him to come back today. These delusional episodes are not uncommon when they relate to traumatic memories.† Katherine shook her head again. â€Å"Peter is far from delusional, Dr. Abaddon.† â€Å"I would agree, except . . .† â€Å"Except what?† â€Å"Except that his recounting of the attack was just the beginning . . . a tiny fraction of the long and far-fetched tale he told me.† Katherine leaned forward in her seat. â€Å"What did Peter tell you?† Abaddon gave a sad smile. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, let me ask you this. Has your brother ever discussed with you what he believes is hidden here in Washington, D.C. . . . or the role he believes he plays in protecting a great treasure . . . of lost ancient wisdom?† Katherine's jaw fell open. â€Å"What in the world are you talking about?† Dr. Abaddon heaved a long sigh. â€Å"What I am about to tell you will be a bit shocking, Katherine.† He paused and locked eyes with her. â€Å"But it will be immeasurably helpful if you can tell me anything you may know about it.† He reached for her cup. â€Å"More tea?† CHAPTER 23 Another tattoo. Langdon crouched anxiously beside Peter's open palm and examined the seven tiny symbols that had been hidden beneath the lifeless clenched fingers. â€Å"They appear to be numbers,† Langdon said, surprised. â€Å"Although I don't recognize them.† â€Å"The first is a Roman numeral,† Anderson said. â€Å"Actually, I don't think so,† Langdon corrected. â€Å"The Roman numeral I-I-I-X doesn't exist. It would be written V-I-I.† â€Å"How about the rest of it?† Sato asked. â€Å"I'm not sure. It looks like eight-eight-five in Arabic numbers.† â€Å"Arabic?† Anderson asked. â€Å"They look like normal numbers.† â€Å"Our normal numbers are Arabic.† Langdon had become so accustomed to clarifying this point for his students that he'd actually prepared a lecture about the scientific advances made by early Middle Eastern cultures, one of them being our modern numbering system, whose advantages over Roman numerals included `positional notation' and the invention of the number zero. Of course, Langdon always ended this lecture with a reminder that Arab culture had also given mankind the word al-kuhl–the favorite beverage of Harvard freshmen–known as alcohol. Langdon scrutinized the tattoo, feeling puzzled. â€Å"And I'm not even sure about the eight-eight- five. The rectilinear writing looks unusual. Those may not be numbers.† â€Å"Then what are they? Sato asked. â€Å"I'm not sure. The whole tattoo looks almost . . . runic.† â€Å"Meaning?† Sato asked. â€Å"Runic alphabets are composed solely of straight lines. Their letters are called runes and were often used for carving in stone because curves were too difficult to chisel.† â€Å"If these are runes,† Sato said, â€Å"what is their meaning?† Langdon shook his head. His expertise extended only to the most rudimentary runic alphabet– Futhark–a third-century Teutonic system, and this was not Futhark. â€Å"To be honest, I'm not even sure these are runes. You'd need to ask a specialist. There are dozens of different forms– Hlsinge, Manx, the `dotted' Stungnar–â€Å" â€Å"Peter Solomon is a Mason, is he not?† Langdon did a double take. â€Å"Yes, but what does that have to do with this?† He stood up now, towering over the tiny woman. â€Å"You tell me. You just said that runic alphabets are used for stone carvings, and it is my understanding that the original Freemasons were stone craftsmen. I mention this only because when I asked my office to search for a connection between the Hand of the Mysteries and Peter Solomon, their search returned one link in particular.† She paused, as if to emphasize the importance of her finding. â€Å"The Masons.† Langdon exhaled, fighting the impulse to tell Sato the same thing he constantly told his students: â€Å"Google† is not a synonym for â€Å"research.† In these days of massive, worldwide keyword searches, it seemed everything was linked to everything. The world was becoming one big entangled web of information that was getting denser every day. Langdon maintained a patient tone. â€Å"I'm not surprised the Masons appeared in your staff's search. Masons are a very obvious link between Peter Solomon and any number of esoteric topics.† â€Å"Yes,† Sato said, â€Å"which is another reason I have been surprised this evening that you have not yet mentioned the Masons. After all, you've been talking about secret wisdom protected by an enlightened few. That sounds very Masonic, does it not?† â€Å"It does . . . and it also sounds very Rosicrucian, Kabbalistic, Alumbradian, and any number of other esoteric groups.† â€Å"But Peter Solomon is a Mason–a very powerful Mason, at that. It seems the Masons would come to mind if we were talking about secrets. Heaven knows the Masons love their secrets.† Langdon could hear the distrust in her voice, and he wanted no part of it. â€Å"If you want to know anything about the Masons, you would be far better served to ask a Mason.† â€Å"Actually,† Sato said, â€Å"I'd prefer to ask someone I can trust.† Langdon found the comment both ignorant and offensive. â€Å"For the record, ma'am, the entire Masonic philosophy is built on honesty and integrity. Masons are among the most trustworthy men you could ever hope to meet.† â€Å"I have seen persuasive evidence to the contrary.† Langdon was liking Director Sato less and less with each passing moment. He had spent years writing about the Masons' rich tradition of metaphorical iconography and symbols, and knew that Masons had always been one of the most unfairly maligned and misunderstood organizations in the world. Regularly accused of everything from devil worship to plotting a one- world government, the Masons also had a policy of never responding to their critics, which made them an easy target. â€Å"Regardless,† Sato said, her tone biting, â€Å"we are again at an impasse, Mr. Langdon. It seems to me there is either something you are missing . . . or something you are not telling me. The man we're dealing with said that Peter Solomon chose you specifically.† She leveled a cold stare at Langdon. â€Å"I think it's time we move this conversation to CIA headquarters. Maybe we'll have more luck there.† Sato's threat barely registered with Langdon. She had just said something that had lodged in his mind. Peter Solomon chose you. The comment, combined with the mention of Masons, had hit Langdon strangely. He looked down at the Masonic ring on Peter's finger. The ring was one of Peter's most prized possessions–a Solomon family heirloom that bore the symbol of the double- headed phoenix–the ultimate mystical icon of Masonic wisdom. The gold glinted in the light, sparking an unexpected memory. Langdon gasped, recalling the eerie whisper of Peter's captor: It really hasn't dawned on you yet, has it? Why you were chosen? Now, in one terrifying moment, Langdon's thoughts snapped into focus and the fog lifted. All at once, Langdon's purpose here was crystal clear. Ten miles away, driving south on Suitland Parkway, Mal'akh heard a distinctive vibration on the seat beside him. It was Peter Solomon's iPhone, which had proven a powerful tool today. The visual caller ID now displayed the image of an attractive middle-aged woman with long black hair. INCOMING CALL–KATHERINE SOLOMON Mal'akh smiled, ignoring the call. Destiny pulls me closer. He had lured Katherine Solomon to his home this afternoon for one reason only–to determine if she had information that could assist him . . . perhaps a family secret that might help Mal'akh locate what he sought. Clearly, however, Katherine's brother had told her nothing of what he had been guarding all these years. Even so, Mal'akh had learned something else from Katherine. Something that has earned her a few extra hours of life today. Katherine had confirmed for him that all of her research was in one location, safely locked inside her lab. I must destroy it. Katherine's research was poised to open a new door of understanding, and once the door was opened even a crack, others would follow. It would just be a matter of time before everything changed. I cannot let that happen. The world must stay as it is . . . adrift in ignorant darkness. The iPhone beeped, indicating Katherine had left a voice mail. Mal'akh retrieved it. â€Å"Peter, it's me again.† Katherine's voice sounded concerned. â€Å"Where are you? I'm still thinking about my conversation with Dr. Abaddon . . . and I'm worried. Is everything okay? Please call me. I'm at the lab.† The voice mail ended. Mal'akh smiled. Katherine should worry less about her brother, and more about herself. He turned off Suitland Parkway onto Silver Hill Road. Less than a mile later, in the darkness, he spotted the faint outline of the SMSC nestled in the trees off the highway to his right. The entire complex was surrounded by a high razor-wire fence. A secure building? Mal'akh chuckled to himself. I know someone who will open the door for me.

Anti Discriminatory Practice Essay

There are four main ethical ideas that should be taken into account in the health and social care sector. They are: * Justice – People must be treated fairly and equally regardless of their background. * Autonomy – A person’s choice must be respected.  * Beneficence – This involves risks and costs; the health care professional should act in a way that is beneficial to the patient. * Non-maleficence – Any harm caused by treatment should not be greater than the benefits of the treatment. The underpinning principles and values of care practice are centred upon ethical principles and put the individual at the main focus of the health and social care provision. Putting the individual at the heart of service provision To put the individual at the heart of service provision, the health and social care service providers need to: * Provide support consistent with the beliefs, culture and choices of the individual. * Support the service users in the expression of their needs and preferences. * Empower individuals.  * Promote and encourage individual rights, choices and well being. Providing active support consistent with the beliefs, culture and preferences of the individual Active support involves helping an individual as much as possible and taking their beliefs, culture and preferences into account when making choices in a health and social care setting. For example, if you are caring for a Jewish person in a retirement home you would need to ensure that Kosher food is available for them as well as what they would need in order to worship. Another example would be a student joining a teacher’s class who has learning difficulties. The teacher and school would have to ensure that the child is listened to and given any support that they might require with sensitivity and respect. They may also require the support of an advocate. The main forms of support may be: * Advice and guidance * Medical and care planning information * Physical support such as personal care * Social support * Mental health support such as coping strategies Mental health support – coping strategies This has to be treated with thoughtfulness and sensitivity. If someone is identified as needing mental health support, they should have access to services such as social workers, community nurses, occupational therapists and psychiatrists. Other services available are psychologists, counsellors and community support workers such as home helps. These services are in place to take care of the health and social care needs of people who suffer with mental health problems. It’s important that the service users are aware that they must always seek advice from professional services. Supporting individuals to express their needs and preferences This for example could mean the support of an individual who is deaf and needs to find other ways to express their needs and preferences. A health and social care service provider could put the service user in touch with British Sign Language interpreters, Deaf-blind interpreters, lip-speakers, note-takers and speech-to-text reporters. Another reason that an individual may need this kind of support is if they do not speak English and require an interpreter. This is particularly common in hospitals. The interpreter may be a friend or relative or even a person specifically hired to be an interpreter in health and social care settings. Essentially, the interpreter should be anyone who can help the service user express their needs and preferences. All of this is important in the process of keeping the person informed about what is happening to them so they can communicate their preferences and needs. Empowering individuals If everything that needs to be done for an individual’s care is explained and checked over with them, they can be empowered. This gives them the control over the service they receive and leaves them with the confidence that they are the main priority. Empowering an individual ensures that no decisions are made on their behalf, even if it is in their best interests. The service user has to be able to make decisions themselves and it’s important that the health and social care service provider presents them with all the information they need to make an informed decision. The service provider must also respect the choice of the individual regardless of if the decisions and choices they make aren’t necessarily right in their own opinion. Promoting individuals’ rights, choices and well-being Individual rights can be encouraged and promoted through a number of ways. For example, help can be offered with language and communication for those who cannot effectively communicate due to disabilities, illness or the fact that English is not their first language. Information must be provided in a number of forms such as Braille, pictures and in a range of languages. It’s important that a qualified translator is involved in the production of information, for example in medical advice, so that the grammar is correct. If it is wrong, the service user may feel under-valued and silly. Balancing individual rights with the rights of others Balancing an individual’s rights with the rights of others is possible as long as you have good organisational, communication and negotiating skills. Everyone within the health and social care service must work together to come to a solution for individual rights that suites everybody.

Free Essays on Simulation In Casino Gambling

Use of Simulation in Casino Gambling With all the hype in gambling these days and especially the television coverage of Texas â€Å"Hold’em† Tournaments, you often wonder whether all the top players are lucky or they have some certain advantage over the other. Some people call it counting cards, some even call it cheating, but when you think about it, the game is just a simulation which the good players can do in their heads. The use of simulation can be incorporated with many aspects of the casino; poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, and even slot machines all can be simulated. Poker When watching the world series of poker you notice all of the percentages flashing up by the person’s hand. That little percentage is the probability of winning the hand. It is done by a computer simulation in which it analyzes what hands have been played and what cards are left. The simulation isn’t perfect due to a few things: Imperfect knowledge is that the Opponent’s hands are hidden. Multiple competing factors are the many different competing players. The risk is the bets and their consequences. The deception of the other players bluffing. Many of the uncertainty can be taken into account using simulation. The computer would likely take in to account many â€Å"likely scenarios to which could happen. The problem however is taking into account the person you are up against. That is where artificial intelligence just isn’t quite sufficient. The use of simulation is to help your play however it would help someone who probably hasn’t played much to let them know how likely they are to win each pot with their specific hand. Many companies recently have been putting together poker simulation software for the ever increasing client pool of poker players throughout the world. The software is often just a crib sheet for players who play online. Online gambling has become common place in the U.S. and yet man... Free Essays on Simulation In Casino Gambling Free Essays on Simulation In Casino Gambling Use of Simulation in Casino Gambling With all the hype in gambling these days and especially the television coverage of Texas â€Å"Hold’em† Tournaments, you often wonder whether all the top players are lucky or they have some certain advantage over the other. Some people call it counting cards, some even call it cheating, but when you think about it, the game is just a simulation which the good players can do in their heads. The use of simulation can be incorporated with many aspects of the casino; poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, and even slot machines all can be simulated. Poker When watching the world series of poker you notice all of the percentages flashing up by the person’s hand. That little percentage is the probability of winning the hand. It is done by a computer simulation in which it analyzes what hands have been played and what cards are left. The simulation isn’t perfect due to a few things: Imperfect knowledge is that the Opponent’s hands are hidden. Multiple competing factors are the many different competing players. The risk is the bets and their consequences. The deception of the other players bluffing. Many of the uncertainty can be taken into account using simulation. The computer would likely take in to account many â€Å"likely scenarios to which could happen. The problem however is taking into account the person you are up against. That is where artificial intelligence just isn’t quite sufficient. The use of simulation is to help your play however it would help someone who probably hasn’t played much to let them know how likely they are to win each pot with their specific hand. Many companies recently have been putting together poker simulation software for the ever increasing client pool of poker players throughout the world. The software is often just a crib sheet for players who play online. Online gambling has become common place in the U.S. and yet man...

Overview of United States v. Susan B. Anthony

Overview of United States v. Susan B. Anthony The United States v. Susan B. Anthony is a milestone in womens history, a court case in 1873. Susan B. Anthony was tried in court for illegally voting. Her attorneys unsuccessfully claimed that citizenship of women gave to women the constitutional right to vote. Dates of Trial June 17-18, 1873 Background When women were not included in the constitutional amendment, the 15th, to extend suffrage to black men, some of those in the suffrage movement formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (the rival American Woman Suffrage Association supported the Fifteenth Amendment).  These included Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Some years after the 15th Amendment passed, Stanton, Anthony, and others developed a strategy of attempting to use the Fourteenth Amendments equal protection clause to claim that voting was a fundamental right and thus could not be denied to women.  Their plan: to challenge limits on women voting by registering to vote and attempting to vote, sometimes with the support of the local poll officials. Susan B. Anthony and Other Women Register and Vote Women in 10 states voted in 1871 and 1872, in defiance of state laws prohibiting women from voting. Most were prevented from voting. Some did cast ballots. In Rochester, New York, almost 50 women  attempted to register to vote in 1872. Susan B. Anthony and fourteen  other women were able, with the support of election inspectors, to register, but the others were turned back at that step.  These fifteen women then cast ballots in the presidential election on November 5, 1872, with the support of the local election officials in Rochester. Arrested and Charged With Illegal Voting On November 28, the registrars and the fifteen  women were arrested and charged with illegal voting. Only Anthony refused to pay bail; a judge released her anyway, and when another judge set new bail, the first judge paid the bail so that Anthony would not have to be jailed. While she was awaiting trial, Anthony used the incident to speak around Monroe County in New York, advocating for the position that the Fourteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote.  She said,  We no longer petition legislature or Congress to give us the right to vote, but appeal to women everywhere to exercise their too long neglected citizens right. Outcome The trial was held in U.S. District Court.  The jury found Anthony guilty, and the court fined Anthony $100. She refused to pay the fine and the judge did not require her to be jailed. A similar case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1875. In Minor v. Happersett,  On October 15, 1872,  Virginia Minor  applied to register to vote in Missouri.  She was turned down by the registrar and sued.  In this case, appeals took it to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the right of suffrage- the right to vote- is not a necessary privilege and immunity to which all citizens are entitled and that the Fourteenth Amendment did not add voting to basic citizenship rights. After this strategy failed, the National Woman Suffrage Association turned to promoting a national constitutional amendment to give women the vote.  This amendment did not pass until 1920, 14 years after Anthonys death and 18 years after Stantons death.

Gender Disparities In Hamlet and The Importance of Being Earnest Essay

Gender Disparities In Hamlet and The Importance of Being Earnest - Essay Example Women such as Cecily, Gwendolen and Ophelia are a good example of that. It is clearly seen that those Women are being taken advantage of or are being forced to do something, in order to benefit other personage. This paper will review this statement. A common undertone of Victorian society was how women were seen as fragile and cowardly things and should be treated differently (more gently) than men. â€Å"My dear fellow, the truth isnt quite the sort of thing one tells to a nice, sweet, refined girl. What extraordinary ideas you have about the way to behave to a woman!† (Wilde, 236). In this quote, Jack explains how women are incapable of handling the truth and thus justifies why he should not feel bad about lying to them. Jack constantly lies to Gwendolen, referring to her as a nice, sweet girl, putting her to a lower class than he is. He justifies this by thinking he is protecting her from the outside world. Gender disparity plays out with major undertones in marriage as demonstrated by Wilde. The ability to choose who and when to marry is a good example of the inequalities between the men and women in Victorian society. â€Å"I am in love with Gwendolen. I have come up to town expressly to propose to her.† (Wilde, 1) Jack sees the marriage as necessary for his social standings, impressing other members of the class. Marx sees society as only in classes, and he defines these classes by the amount of capital. The decision to marry is a normal aspect of a man’s life. â€Å"Lady Bracknell; Pardon me, you are not engaged to anyone. When you do become engaged to someone, I, or your father, should his health permit him, will inform you of the fact.† (Wilde, 172). When Cecily tells Lady Bracknell that she is engaged to Earnest, Lady Bracknell tells Cecily her vision. Lady Bracknell, like many in that society, puts woman lower in social class. From this statement, we see th at Lady Bracknell gives the man the main