Access to the Dome of the Rock Essay Example

Essays on Access to the Dome of the Rock Essay The paper "Access to the Dome of the Rock" is a wonderful example of an essay on tourism. Jerusalem is home to the world’s greatest sects, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, for its famous structures including the Dome of the Rock. This paper embarks on discussing the current access to the Dome of the Rock, including its security measures. Initially, the paper will provide a short discussion of the significance of the site to various religious beliefs. Dome of the Rockâ€Å"Qubbat al-Sakhra,† commonly known as the Dome of the Rock or â€Å"Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary)† by Muslims, is a shrine built in the city of Jerusalem, specifically on a platform at the top of the Holy House or Mount Moriah (Islam and Al-Hamad 109). Although built on top of the most sacred site of Judaism, it is considered as Islam’s third holiest place (Blair 7). Mount Moriah, according to Jewish belief, is the exact location of Abraham’s sacrificial offering of his son Isaac, but according to the Islamic faith, it is where Mohammed ascended to heaven after a journey from Mecca and Jerusalem (â€Å"About Dome of the Rock† 6-7). Current AccessEveryone is allowed to visit, but for non-Muslims, the site is open only from Sundays to Thursdays, from seven to eleven o’clock in the morning and from 1:30 to 2:30 in the afternoon (â€Å"Noble Sanctuary: The Dome of the Rock† 11). Notably, non-Muslims can access only the Temple Mount (ramp to the right of Western Wall), and they are prohibited in the Dome of the Rock. On the other hand, only Muslims are allowed to enter the Dome of the Rock. Jews and Christians are permitted to visit the site as tourists, through the Mugrabi Gate (located above to the left of Western Wall plaza), but they are prohibited from making religious displays, singing and praying, even in silence (Booth and Eglash 10). Security measures are taken in place on the site as the freedom to access is enshrined as law. Visitors are required to wear a modest dress and bring the passport. Backpack or any items brought to the site will undergo ocular inspection by policemen before anyone can enter the Mount.ConclusionThe Dome of the Rock accounts as one of the holiest places on Earth. Only Muslims are granted full access to the site every day while non-Muslims, although allowed to visit as tourists from Sundays to Thursdays, are allowed only in the Temple Mount and banned in the Dome of the Rock. Security measures, such as passport and bag inspections by policemen, are put in place to secure the safety and reduce tension in the area.

Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 7 Free Essays

Chapter 7 And the angel said, â€Å"What prophet has this written? For in this book is foretold all the events which shall come to pass in the next week in the land of Days of Our Lives and All My Children.† And I said to the angel, â€Å"You fabulously feebleminded bundle of feathers, there’s no prophet involved. They know what is going to happen because they write it all down in advance for the actors to perform. We will write a custom essay sample on Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 7 or any similar topic only for you Order Now † â€Å"So it is written, so it shall be done,† said the angel. I crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed next to Raziel. His gaze never wavered from his Soap Opera Digest. I pushed the magazine down so the angel had to look me in the face. â€Å"Raziel, do you remember the time before mankind, the time when there were only the heavenly host and the Lord?† â€Å"Yes, those were the best of times. Except for the war, of course. But other than that, yes, wonderful times.† â€Å"And you angels were as strong and beautiful as divine imagination, your voices sang praise for the Lord and his glory to the ends of the universe, and yet the Lord saw fit to create us, mankind, weak, twisted, and profane, right?† â€Å"That’s when it all started to go downhill, if you ask me,† Raziel said. â€Å"Well, do you know why the Lord decided to create us?† â€Å"No. Ours is not to question the Will.† â€Å"Because you are all dumbfucks, that’s why. You’re as mindless as the machinery of the stars. Angels are just pretty insects. Days of Our Lives is a show, Raziel, a play. It’s not real, get it?† â€Å"No.† And he didn’t. I’ve learned that there’s a tradition in this time of telling funny stories about the stupidity of people with yellow hair. Guess where that started. I think that we all expected everything to go back to normal after the killer was found, but it seemed that the Romans were much more concerned with the extermination of the Sicarii then they were with a single resurrection. To be fair, I have to say that resurrections weren’t that uncommon in those days. As I mentioned, we Jews were quick to get our dead into the ground, and with speed, there’s bound to be errors. Occasionally some poor soul would fall unconscious during a fever and wake to find himself being wrapped in linen and prepared for the grave. But funerals were a nice way to get the family together, and there was always a fine meal afterward, so no one really complained, except perhaps those people who didn’t wake before they were buried, and if they complained – well, I’m sure God heard them. (It paid to be a light sleeper, in my time.) So, impressed as they might have been with the walking dead, the next day the Romans began to round up suspected conspirators. The men in Maggie’s family were hauled off to Sepphoris at dawn. No miracles would come to bring about the release of the prisoners, but neither were there any crucifixions announced in the days that followed. After two weeks had passed with no word of the fate or condition of the men, Maggie, her mother, her aunts, and her sisters went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and appealed to the Pharisees for help. The next day, the Pharisees from Nazareth, Japhia, and Sepphoris appeared at the Roman garrison to appeal to Justus for the release of the prisoners. I don’t know what they said, or what sort of leverage they could possibly have used to move the Romans, but the following day, just after dawn, the men of Maggie’s family staggered back into our village, beaten, starving, and covered with filth, but very much alive. There was no feast, no celebration for the return of the prisoners – we Jews walked softly for a few months to allow the Romans to settle down. Maggie seemed distant in the weeks that followed, and Josh and I never saw the smile that could make the breath catch in our throats. She seemed to be avoiding us, rushing out of the square whenever we saw her there, or on the Sabbath, staying so close to the women of her family that we couldn’t talk to her. Finally, after a month had passed, with absolutely no regard for custom or common courtesy, Joshua insisted that we skip work and dragged me by the sleeve to Maggie’s house. She was kneeling on the ground outside the door, grinding some barley with a millstone. We could see her mother moving around in the house and hear the sound of her father and older brother Simon (who was called Lazarus) working the forge next door. Maggie seemed to be lost in the rhythm of grinding the grain, so she didn’t see us approach. Joshua put his hand on her shoulder, and without looking up, she smiled. â€Å"You are supposed to be building a house in Sepphoris,† she said. â€Å"We thought it more important to visit a sick friend.† â€Å"And who would that be?† â€Å"Who do you think?† â€Å"I’m not sick. In fact, I’ve been healed by the touch of the Messiah.† â€Å"I think not,† said Joshua. She finally looked up at him and her smile evaporated. â€Å"I can’t be friends with you two anymore,† she said. â€Å"Things have changed.† â€Å"What, because your uncle was a Sicarii?† I said. â€Å"Don’t be silly.† â€Å"No, because my mother made a bargain to get Iban to convince the other Pharisees to go to Sepphoris and plead for the men’s lives.† â€Å"What kind of bargain?† Joshua asked. â€Å"I am betrothed.† She looked at the millstone again and a tear dripped into the powdered grain. We were both stunned. Josh took his hand from her shoulder and stepped back, then looked at me as if there was something I could do. I felt as if I would start crying at any second myself. I managed to choke out, â€Å"Who to?† â€Å"To Jakan,† Maggie said with a sob. â€Å"Iban’s son? The creep? The bully?† Maggie nodded. Joshua covered his mouth and ran a few steps away, then threw up. I was tempted to join him, but instead I crouched in front of Maggie. â€Å"How long before you’re married?† â€Å"I’m to be married a month after the Passover feast. Mother made him wait six months.† â€Å"Six months! Six months! That’s forever, Maggie. Why, Jakan could be killed in a thousand heinous ways in six months, and that’s just the ones I can think of right now. Why, someone could turn him in to the Romans for being a rebel. I’m not saying who, but someone might. It could happen.† â€Å"I’m sorry, Biff.† â€Å"Don’t be sorry for me, why would you be sorry for me?† â€Å"I know how you feel, so I’m sorry.† I was thrown for a second. I glanced at Joshua to see if he could give me a clue, but he was still absorbed in splattering his breakfast in the dirt. â€Å"But it’s Joshua who you love?† I finally said. â€Å"Does that make you feel any better?† â€Å"Well, no.† â€Å"Then I’m sorry.† She made as if to reach out to touch my cheek, but her mother called her before she made contact. â€Å"Right now, Mary, in this house!† Maggie nodded toward the barfing Messiah. â€Å"Take care of him.† â€Å"He’ll be fine.† â€Å"And take care of yourself.† â€Å"I’ll be fine too, Maggie. Don’t forget I have an emergency backup wife. Besides, it’s six months. A lot can happen in six months. It’s not like we won’t see you.† I was trying to sound more hopeful than I felt. â€Å"Take Joshua home,† she said. Then she quickly kissed me on the cheek and ran into the house. Joshua was completely against the idea of murdering Jakan, or even praying for harm to come to him. If anything, Joshua seemed more kindly disposed toward Jakan than he had been before, going as far as to seek him out and congratulate him on his betrothal to Maggie, an act that left me feeling angry and betrayed. I confronted Joshua in the olive grove, where he had gone to pray among the twisted tree trunks. â€Å"You coward,† I said, â€Å"you could strike him down if you wanted to.† â€Å"As could you,† he replied. â€Å"Yeah, but you can call the wrath of God down upon him. I’d have to sneak up behind him and brain him with a rock. There’s a difference.† â€Å"And you would have me kill Jakan for what, your bad luck?† â€Å"Works for me.† â€Å"Is it so hard for you to give up what you never had?† â€Å"I had hope, Josh. You understand hope, don’t you?† Sometimes he could be mightily dense, or so I thought. I didn’t realize how much he was hurting inside, or how much he wanted to do something. â€Å"I think I understand hope, I’m just not sure that I am allowed to have any.† â€Å"Oh, don’t start with that ‘Everyone gets something but me’ speech. You’ve got plenty.† Josh wheeled on me, his eyes like fire, â€Å"Like what? What do I have?† â€Å"Uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I wanted to say something about a really sexy mother, but that didn’t seem like the sort of thing he wanted to hear. â€Å"Uh, you have God.† â€Å"So do you. So does everyone.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Not the Romans.† â€Å"There are Roman Jews.† â€Å"Well, you’ve got, uh – that healing-raising-the-dead thing.† â€Å"Oh yeah, and that’s working really well.† â€Å"Well, you’re the Messiah, what’s that? That’s something. If you told people you were the Messiah they’d have to do what you say.† â€Å"I can’t tell them.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I don’t know how to be the Messiah.† â€Å"Well, at least do something about Maggie.† â€Å"He can’t,† came a voice from behind a tree. A golden glow emanated from either side of the trunk. â€Å"Who’s there?† Joshua called. The angel Raziel stepped out from behind the tree. â€Å"Angel of the Lord,† I said under my breath to Josh. â€Å"I know,† he said, in a â€Å"you seen one, you seen ’em all† way. â€Å"He can’t do anything,† the angel repeated. â€Å"Why not?† I asked. â€Å"Because he may not know any woman.† â€Å"I may not?† Joshua said, not sounding at all happy. â€Å"He may not in that he should not, or that he cannot?† I asked. The angel scratched his golden head, â€Å"I didn’t think to ask.† â€Å"It’s kind of important,† I said. â€Å"Well, he can’t do anything about Mary Magdalene, I know that. They told me to come and tell him that. That and that it is time for him to go.† â€Å"Go where?† â€Å"I didn’t think to ask.† I suppose I should have been frightened, but I seemed to have passed right through frightened to exasperated. I stepped up to the angel and poked him in the chest. â€Å"Are you the same angel that came to us before, to announce the coming of the Savior?† â€Å"It was the Lord’s will that I bring that joyful news.† â€Å"I just wondered, in case all of you angels look alike or something. So, after you showed up ten years late, they sent you with another message?† â€Å"I am here to tell the Savior that it is time for him to go.† â€Å"But you don’t know where?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"And this golden stuff around you, this light, what is this?† â€Å"The glory of the Lord.† â€Å"You’re sure it’s not stupidity leaking out of you?† â€Å"Biff, be nice, he is the messenger of the Lord.† â€Å"Well, hell, Josh, he’s no help at all. If we’re going to get angels from heaven they should at least know what they are doing. Blow down walls or something, destroy cities, oh, I don’t know – get the whole message.† â€Å"I’m sorry,† the angel said. â€Å"Would you like me to destroy a city?† â€Å"Go find out where Josh is supposed to go. How ’bout that?† â€Å"I can do that.† â€Å"Then do that.† â€Å"I’ll be right back.† â€Å"We’ll wait.† â€Å"Godspeed,† Joshua said. In an instant the angel moved behind another tree trunk and the golden glow was gone from the olive grove with a warm breeze. â€Å"You were sort of hard on him,† Joshua said. â€Å"Josh, being nice isn’t always going to get the job done.† â€Å"One can try.† â€Å"Was Moses nice to Pharaoh?† Before Joshua could answer me, the warm breeze blew into the olive grove again and the angel stepped out from behind a tree. â€Å"To find your destiny,† he said. â€Å"What?† I said. â€Å"What?† Joshua said. â€Å"You are supposed to go find your destiny.† â€Å"That’s it?† Joshua said. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"What about the ‘knowing a woman’ thing?† I asked. â€Å"I have to go now.† â€Å"Grab him, Josh. You hold him and I’ll hit him.† But the angel was gone with the breeze. â€Å"My destiny?† Joshua looked at his open, empty palms. â€Å"We should have pounded the answer out of him,† I said. â€Å"I don’t think that would have worked.† â€Å"Oh, back to the nice strategy. Did Moses – â€Å" â€Å"Moses should have said, ‘Let my people go, please.'† â€Å"That would have made the difference?† â€Å"It could have worked. You don’t know.† â€Å"So what do you do about your destiny?† â€Å"I’m going to ask the Holy of Holies when we go to the Temple for the Passover.† And so it came to pass that in the spring all of the Jews from Galilee made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover feast, and Joshua began the search for his destiny. The road was lined with families making their way to the holy city. Camels, carts, and donkeys were loaded high with provisions for the trip, and all along the column of pilgrims you could hear the bleating of the lambs that would be sacrificed for the feast. The road was dry that year, and a red-brown cloud of dust wound its way over the road as far as one could see in either direction. Since we were each the eldest in our families, it fell on Joshua and me to keep track of all our younger brothers and sisters. It seemed that the easiest way to accomplish this was to tie them together, so we strung together, by height, my two brothers and Josh’s three brothers and two sisters. I tied the rope loosely around their necks so it would only choke them if they got out of line. â€Å"I can untie this,† said James. â€Å"Me too,† said my brother Shem. â€Å"But you won’t. This is the part of the Passover where you reenact Moses leading you out of the Promised Land, you have to stay with the little ones.† â€Å"You’re not Moses,† said Shem. â€Å"No – no, I’m not Moses. Smart of you to notice.† I tied the end of the rope to a nearby wagon that was loaded high with jars of wine. â€Å"This wagon is Moses,† I said. â€Å"Follow it.† â€Å"That wagon isn’t – â€Å" â€Å"It’s symbolic, shut the hell up and follow Moses.† Thus freed of our responsibilities, Joshua and I went looking for Maggie and her family. We knew that Maggie and her clan had left after us, so we fought backward through the pilgrims, braving donkey bites and camel spit until we spotted her royal blue shawl on the hill behind us, perhaps a half-mile back. We had resolved to just sit by the side of the road to wait until she reached us, rather than battle the crowd, when suddenly the column of pilgrims started to leave the road altogether, moving to the sides in a great wave. When we saw the red crest of a centurion’s helmet come over the top of the hill we understood. Our people were making way for the Roman army. (There would be nearly a million Jews in Jerusalem for Passover – a million Jews celebrating their liberation from oppression, a very dangerous mix from the Roman point of view. The Roman governor would come from Caesarea with his full legion of six thousand men, and each of the other barracks in Judea, Samar ia, and Galilee would send a century or two of soldiers to the holy city.) We used the opportunity to dash back to Maggie, arriving there at the same time as the Roman army. The centurion that led the cavalry kicked at me as he passed, his hobnail boot missing my head by a hair’s breadth. I suppose I should be glad he wasn’t a standard-bearer or I might have been conked with a Roman eagle. â€Å"How long do I have to wait before you drive them from the land and restore the kingdom to our people, Joshua?† Maggie stood there with her hands on her hips, trying to look stern, but her blue eyes betrayed that she was about to burst into laughter. â€Å"Uh, shalom to you too, Maggie,† Joshua said. â€Å"How about you, Biff, have you learned to be an idiot yet, or are you behind in your studies?† Those laughing eyes, even as the Romans passed by only an arm’s length away. God, I miss her. â€Å"I’m learning,† I said. Maggie put down the jar she’d been carrying and threw her arms out to embrace us. It had been months since we’d seen her other than passing in the square. She smelled of lemons and cinnamon that day. We walked with Maggie and her family for a couple of hours, talking and joking and avoiding the subject that we were all thinking about until Maggie finally said, â€Å"Are you two coming to my wedding?† Joshua and I looked at each other as if our tongues had suddenly been struck from our mouths. I saw that Josh was having no luck finding words, and Maggie seemed to be getting angry. â€Å"Well?† â€Å"Uh, Maggie, it’s not that we’re not overjoyed with your good fortune, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She took the opportunity to backhand me across the mouth. The jar she carried on her head didn’t even waver. Amazing grace that girl had. â€Å"Ouch.† â€Å"Good fortune? Are you mad? My husband’s a toad. I’m sick at the thought of him. I was just hoping you two would come to help me through the ceremony.† â€Å"I think my lip is bleeding.† Joshua looked at me and his eyes went wide. â€Å"Uh-oh.† He cocked his head, as if listening to the wind. â€Å"What, uh-oh?† Then I heard the commotion coming from ahead. There was a crowd gathered at a small bridge – a lot of shouting and waving. Since the Romans had long since passed, I assumed someone had fallen in the river. â€Å"Uh-oh,† Josh said again, and he began running toward the bridge. â€Å"Sorry.† I shrugged at Maggie, then followed Josh. At the river’s edge (no more than a creek, really) we saw a boy about our age, with wild hair and wilder eyes, standing waist-deep in the water. He was holding something under the water and shouting at the top of his lungs. â€Å"You must repent and atone, atone and repent! Your sins have made you unclean. I cleanse you of the evil that you carry like your wallet.† â€Å"That’s my cousin, John,† Joshua said. Trailing out of the water on either side of John stood our brothers and sisters, still tied together, but the missing link in the string of siblings was my brother Shem, who had been replaced by a lot of thrashing and bubbling muddy water in front of John. Onlookers were cheering on the Baptist, who was having a little trouble keeping Shem under water. â€Å"I think he’s drowning Shem.† â€Å"Baptizing,† Joshua said. â€Å"My mother will be happy that Shem’s sins have been cleansed, but I have to think we’re going to be in a lot of trouble if he drowns in the process.† â€Å"Good point,† Josh said. He stepped into the water. â€Å"John! Stop that!† John looked at him and seemed a little perplexed. â€Å"Cousin Joshua?† â€Å"Yes. John, let him up.† â€Å"He has sinned,† John said, as if that said it all. â€Å"I’ll take care of his sins.† â€Å"You think you’re the one, don’t you? Well, you’re not. My birth was announced by an angel as well. It was prophesied that I would lead. You’re not the one.† â€Å"We should talk about this in another place. Let him up, John. He’s cleansed.† John let my brother pop out of the water and I ran down and dragged him and all the other kids out of the river. â€Å"Wait, the others haven’t been cleansed. They are filthy with sin.† Joshua stepped between his brother James, who would have been the next one dunked, and the Baptist. â€Å"You won’t tell Mother about this, will you?† Halfway between terrified and furious, James was tearing at the knots, trying to untie the rope from around his neck. He clearly wanted revenge on his big brother, but at the same time he didn’t want to give up his brother’s protection from John. â€Å"If we let John baptize you long enough, you won’t be able to tell your mother, will you, James?† Me, just trying to help out. â€Å"I won’t tell,† James said. He looked back at John, who was still staring as if he’d dash out and grab someone to cleanse any second. â€Å"He’s our cousin?† â€Å"Yes,† Joshua said. â€Å"The son of our mother’s cousin Elizabeth.† â€Å"When did you meet him before?† â€Å"I haven’t.† â€Å"Then how did you know him.† â€Å"I just did.† â€Å"He’s a loony,† said James. â€Å"You’re both loonies.† â€Å"Yes, a family trait. Maybe when you get older you can be a loony too. You won’t tell Mother.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Good,† Joshua said. â€Å"You and Biff get the kids moving, will you?† I nodded, shooting a glance back to John. â€Å"James is right, Josh. He is a loony.† â€Å"I heard that, sinner!† John shouted. â€Å"Perhaps you need to be cleansed.† John and his parents shared supper with us that evening. I was surprised that John’s parents were older than Joseph – older than my grandparents even. Joshua told me that John’s birth had been a miracle, announced by the angel. Elizabeth, John’s mother, talked about it all through supper, as if it had happened yesterday instead of thirteen years ago. When the old woman paused to take a breath, Joshua’s mother started in about the divine announcement of her own son’s birth. Occasionally my mother, feeling the need to exhibit some maternal pride that she didn’t really feel, would chime in as well. â€Å"You know, Biff wasn’t announced by an angel, but locusts ate our garden and Alphaeus had gas for a month around the time he would have been conceived. I think it might have been a sign. That certainly didn’t happen with my other boys.† Ah, Mother. Did I mention that she was besought with a demon? After supper, Joshua and I built our own fire, away from the others, hoping that Maggie would seek us out, but it turned out that only John joined us. â€Å"You are not the anointed one,† John said to Joshua. â€Å"Gabriel came to my father. Your angel didn’t even have a name.† â€Å"We shouldn’t be talking about these things,† Joshua said. â€Å"The angel told my father that his son would prepare the way for the Lord. That’s me.† â€Å"Fine, I want nothing more than for you to be the Messiah, John.† â€Å"Really?† John asked. â€Å"But your mother seems so, so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Josh can raise the dead,† I said. John shifted his insane gaze to me, and I scooted away from him in case he tried to hit me. â€Å"He cannot,† John said. â€Å"Yep, I’ve seen it twice.† â€Å"Don’t, Biff,† Josh said. â€Å"You’re lying. Bearing false witness is a sin,† John said. The Baptist started to look more panicked than angry. â€Å"I’m not very good at it,† Joshua said. John’s eyes went wide, now with amazement instead of madness. â€Å"You have done this? You have raised the dead?† â€Å"And healed the sick,† I said. John grabbed me by the front of my tunic and pulled me close, staring into my eyes as if he was looking into my head. â€Å"You aren’t lying, are you?† He looked at Joshua. â€Å"He’s not lying, is he?† Joshua shook his head. â€Å"I don’t think so.† John released me, let out a long sigh, then sat back in the dirt. The firelight caught tears sparkling in his eyes as he stared at nothing. â€Å"I am so relieved. I didn’t know what I would do. I don’t know how to be the Messiah.† â€Å"Neither do I,† said Joshua. â€Å"Well, I hope you really can raise the dead,† John said, â€Å"because this will kill my mother.† We walked with John for the next three days, through Samaria, into Judea, and finally into the holy city. Fortunately, there weren’t many rivers or streams along the way, so we were able to keep his baptisms to a minimum. His heart was in the right place, he really did want to cleanse our people of their sins, it was just that no one would believe that God would give that responsibility to a thirteen-year-old. To keep John happy, Josh and I let him baptize our little brothers and sisters at every body of water we passed, at least until Josh’s little sister Miriam developed the sniffles and Joshua had to perform an emergency healing on her. â€Å"You really can heal,† John exclaimed. â€Å"Well, the sniffles are easy,† Joshua said. â€Å"A little mucus is nothing against the power of the Lord.† â€Å"Would – would you mind?† John said, lifting up his tunic and showing his bare privates, which were covered with sores and greenish scales. â€Å"Cover, please cover!† I yelled. â€Å"Drop the shirt and step away!† â€Å"That’s disgusting,† Joshua said. â€Å"Am I unclean? I’ve been afraid to ask my father, and I can’t go to a Pharisee, not with my father being a priest. I think it’s from standing in the water all of the time. Can you heal me?† (I have to say here that I believe that this was the first time Joshua’s little sister Miriam ever saw a man’s privates. She was only six at the time, but the experience so frightened her that she never married. The last time anyone heard from her, she had cut her hair short, put on men’s clothes, and moved to the Greek island of Lesbos. But that was later.) â€Å"Have at it, Josh,† I said. â€Å"Lay your hands upon the affliction and heal it.† Joshua shot me a dirty look, then looked back to his cousin John, with nothing but compassion in his eyes. â€Å"My mother has some salve you can put on it,† he said. â€Å"Let’s see if that works first.† â€Å"I’ve tried salve,† John said. â€Å"I was afraid you had,† said Joshua. â€Å"Have you tried rubbing it with olive oil?† I asked. â€Å"It probably won’t cure you, but it might take your mind off of it.† â€Å"Biff, please. John is afflicted.† â€Å"Sorry.† Joshua said, â€Å"Come here, John.† â€Å"Oh, jeez, Joshua,† I said. â€Å"You’re not going to touch it, are you? He’s unclean. Let him live with the lepers.† Joshua put his hands on John’s head and the Baptist’s eyes rolled back in his head. I thought he would fall, and he did waver, but remained standing. â€Å"Father, you have sent this one to prepare the way. Let him go forth with his body as clean as his spirit.† Joshua released his cousin and stepped back. John opened his eyes and smiled. â€Å"I am healed!† he yelled. â€Å"I am healed.† John began to raise his shirt and I caught his arm. â€Å"We’ll take your word for it.† The Baptist fell to his knees, then prostrated himself before Joshua, shoving his face against Josh’s feet. â€Å"You are truly the Messiah. I’m sorry I ever doubted you. I shall declare your holiness throughout the land.† â€Å"Uh, maybe someday, but not now,† Joshua said. John looked up from where he had been grasping Josh’s ankles. â€Å"Not now?† â€Å"We’re trying to keep it a secret,† I said. Josh patted his cousin’s head. â€Å"Yes, it would be best not to tell anyone about the healing, John.† â€Å"But why?† â€Å"We have to find out a couple of things before Joshua starts being the Messiah,† I said. â€Å"Like what?† John seemed as if he would start crying again. â€Å"Well, like where Joshua left his destiny and whether or not he’s allowed to, uh, have an abomination with a woman.† â€Å"It’s not an abomination if it’s with a woman,† Josh added. â€Å"It’s not?† â€Å"Nope. Sheep, goats, pretty much any animal – it’s an abomination. But with a woman, it’s something totally different.† â€Å"What about a woman and a goat, what’s that?† asked John. â€Å"That’s five shekels in Damascus,† I said. â€Å"Six if you want to help.† Joshua punched me in the shoulder. â€Å"Sorry, old joke.† I grinned. â€Å"Couldn’t resist.† John closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, as if he might squeeze some understanding out of his mind if he applied enough pressure. â€Å"So you don’t want anyone to know that you have the power to heal because you don’t know if you can lie with a woman?† â€Å"Well, that and I have no idea how to go about being the Messiah,† Josh said. â€Å"Yeah, and that,† I said. â€Å"You should ask Hillel,† John said. â€Å"My father says he’s the wisest of all of the priests.† â€Å"I’m going to ask the Holy of Holies,† Joshua said. (The Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant – the box containing the tablets handed down from God to Moses. No one I knew had ever seen it, as it was housed in the inner room at the Temple.) â€Å"But it’s forbidden. Only a priest may enter the chamber of the Ark.† â€Å"Yes, that’s going to be a problem,† I said. The city was like a huge cup that had been filled to its brim with pilgrims, then spilled into a seething pool of humanity around it. When we arrived men were already lined up as far as the Damascus gate, waiting with their lambs to get to the Temple. A greasy black smoke was on the wind, coming from the Temple, where as many as ten thousand priests would be slaughtering the lambs and burning the blood and fatty parts on the altar. Cooking fires were burning all around the city as women prepared the lambs. A haze hung in the air, the steam and funk of a million people and as many animals. Stale breath and sweat and the smell of piss rose in the heat of the day, mixing with the bleating of lambs, the bellowing of camels, the crying of children, the ululations of women, and the low buzz of too many voices, until the air was thick with sounds and smells and God and history. Here Abraham received the word of God that his people would be the Chosen, here were the Hebrews delivered out of Egypt, here Solomon built the first Temple, here walked the prophets and the kings of the Hebrews, and here resided the Ark of the Covenant. Jerusalem. Here did I, the Christ, and John the Baptist come to find out the will of God and, if we were lucky, spot some really delicious girls. (What, you thought it was all religion and philosophy?) Our families made camp outside the northern wall of the city, below the battlements of Antonia, the fortress Herod had built in tribute to his benefactor, Marc Antony. Two cohorts of Roman soldiers, some twelve hundred strong, watched the Temple courtyard from the fortress walls. The women fed and washed the children while Joshua and I carried lambs with our fathers to the Temple. There was something unsettling about carrying an animal to its death. It wasn’t that I hadn’t seen the sacrifices before, nor even eaten the Passover lamb, but this was the first time I’d actually participated. I could feel the animal’s breathing on my neck as I carried it slung over my shoulders, and amid all the noise and the smells and the movement around the Temple, there was, for a moment, silence, just the breath and heartbeat of the lamb. I guess I fell behind the others, because my father turned and said something to me, but I couldn’t hear the words. We went through the gates and into the outer courtyard of the Temple where merchants sold birds for the sacrifice and moneychangers traded shekels for a hundred different coins from around the world. As we passed through the enormous courtyard, where thousands of men stood with lambs on their shoulders waiting to get into the inner temple, to the altar, to the slaughter, I could see no man’s face. I saw only the faces of the lambs, some calm and oblivious, others with their eyes rolled back, bleating in terror, still others seeming to be stunned. I swung the lamb from my own shoulders and cradled it in my arms like a child as I backed out toward the gate. I know my father and Joseph must have come after me, but I couldn’t see their faces, just emptiness where their eyes should have been, just the eyes of the lambs they carried. I couldn’t breathe, and I couldn’t get out of the Temple fast enough. I didn’t know where I was going, but I wasn’t going inside to the altar. I turned to run, but a hand caught my shirt and pulled me back. I spun around and looked into Joshua’s eyes. â€Å"It’s God’s will,† he said. He laid his hands on my head and I was able to breathe again. â€Å"It’s all right, Biff. God’s will.† He smiled. Joshua had put the lamb he’d been carrying on the ground, but it didn’t run away. I suppose I should have known right then. I didn’t eat any of the lamb for that Passover feast. In fact, I’ve never eaten lamb since that day. How to cite Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 7, Essay examples

Creative Technology V Huawei International â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Creative Technology V Huawei International? Answer: Introducation The present case is based on the provision of breach of contract, misrepresentation of fact and misstatement. Creative Technology Ltd (CTL) against the acts of the Huawei International Pty Ltd. makes the suit. It was stated by CTL that a contract was made in between the parties in the year 2009 where Huawei gave its consent to operate WiMAX network on behalf of CTL. In Singapore, WiMAX network is popular for its mobile network. Creative had demanded to build a network that can provide 1mbps for the downlink and asked for the design from Huawei. After getting the proposal, Huawei had chalked out certain plans regarding the same, delivered radio sites ranging from 184 to 360, and sent the costing of the same to Creative. Creative had ordered for 225 radio sites and the project costing was US$20m. A supply contract was signed in between Creative and Huawei in the year 2010 and the dispute arose regarding the annexure 6 of the contract agreement. However, in the year 2011, problem regard ing the connectivity arose in the WiMAX networking system. After an investigation made by Creative, it was found that the products delivered by Huawei are disputed in nature. Huawei had made an inspection too and the result was quite confusing to them. They to install another 619 radio sites to fix the problem contended it. After hearing the matter, Creative had decided to terminate the contract between them (Chen-Wishart, Loke, Ong, 2016). The reason showed by Creative is the failure of Huawei to meet the criteria of the contractual agreement. accounting to the representatives of creative, Huawei had made a breach regarding the contractual terms as they had stated to provide a good quality of product to Creative Technology (Landa, 2014). Another allegation made by the Creative Technology is that Huawei had told to the company that 225 radio sites are enough to meet the requirements of the Creative Technology and those sites will be able to provide a data connection as demanded by Creative Technology. The facts are supported by many documents (Thanasegaran, 2016). However, after one year, it has been observed that Huawei failed to meet all the requirements and therefore, Creative Technology brought an action under Misrepresentation Act against Huawei. Huawei opposed the fact and told to the court that they had never given any statement of fact to Creative Technology and according to the principle laid down in Tan Chin Seng v Raffles Town Club Pte Ltd [2003] 3 SLR (R) 307, they will not be liable for the misrepresentation of fact (Wong, 2014). However, the counsel of Creative Technology that it is important to decide the actionable claim regarding the misstatement by Huawei pointed it out. It was held that the problem regarding the connection of the networks were took place due to technological problem and Huawei was solely responsible for the fact. Huawei had failed to presume that 225 radio sites could not meet the requirements of Creative Technology. In Esso Petroleum Co Ltd v Mardon [1975] 2 WLR 147, it was held by the court that if any of the contractual party have failed to meet the pre-contractual statement, he shall be liable for misrepresentation and action should be taken against him (LEE CHEN, 2016). It was further observed that Huawei had given a wrong statement to creative Technology that 225 radio sites can be able to tackle the WiMAX system nationwide. It was observed on subsequent event that Huawei had made an additional requirement of 619 radio sites for the same purpose. Therefore, misstatement regarding the Huawei got proved. Courts decision: After hearing and examined all the witnesses and the relevant documents, the court has dismissed the counter claim made by Huawei. The reason behind the same was that there was sufficient proof regarding the fact that Huawei had misrepresented the contractual elements and made a wrong statement regarding the number of radio sites. The court had imposed certain pecuniary penalties on Huawei and dismissed the claim made by Huawei. procedure code and the provision of murder has been enlightened in this case. Brief summary: In this case, one Chan Lie Sian was convicted under the Criminal Procedure Code and convicted under section 300 (a) and section 302 (1) of the said Act. It was held by the court that he was involved in the flesh trade and the deceased was a pimp who works for him. Many witnesses stated it that the accused was beaten the deceased up badly that caused death to him and the subject matter of the brawl was an amount of money. The witnesses presented by the prosecution were worked under the accused and reveal their experience on the fateful day before the court. The accused thought that the deceased had stolen his money and the accused was beaten him with an iron rod on his head. Accused had concocted stories before the police officers and paramedics. According to the neurologists, the deceased had several head and spinal injuries. The forensic pathologist, Dr Wee Keng Poh, assured the same. Seven days later of the death of the deceased, the accused had surrender himself and confessed his guilt. During the trial of the case, Business action was taken by the accused to support his innocence. As there was no positive action was taken by the accused, the court was pleased to held him liable under section 300 (a) of Cr. P. C and delivered judgment under section 302 (1) for the punishment of murder. Differences: The first case is civil in nature, while the second one is criminal in nature. The first case had been preceded before the District judges court and the second one is preceded before the Magistrate court. The penalties in the first case are different from the second case. In the first case, provision of the Contract Act was applied and in the second case, provision of the Criminal Procedure Code has been applied. Similarities: The trial process of both the cases was ended up in the High Court. In both the cases, certain penalties were imposed on the guilty party. In both the case, the Court interpreted the provisions of the respective law and the evidence of the witnesses was examined thoroughly. Personal observation: Both the cases are helpful to understand the various dimensions of the contractual breach and provision of the Criminal Code regarding murder. There are a number of cases cited in both the cases and the essence of such cases is also helpful regarding the issue. The similarities and differences of the cases helped to analyze the basic facts of the cases and it is possible to gain knowledge on different provisions of the civil and criminal laws at a time. Reference: Chen-Wishart, M., Loke, A., Ong, B. (Eds.). (2016).Studies in the Contract Laws of Asia: Remedies for Breach of Contract. Oxford University Press. After hearing and examined all the witnesses Grimme, J., Waltermann, R. D., Wetsel, P. H., Knox, J. G., management, S. M., Chen, L. (2013).U.S. Patent Application No. 14/091,844. Landa, J. T. (2014). A theory of the ethnically homogeneous middleman group: an institutional alternative to contract law (with an Afterword).Handbook of East Asian Entrepreneurship, 82. LEE, P. W., CHEN, C. C. (2016). Modernising Company Law: The Singapore Experience.Company and Securities business Law Journal,34(2), 157. Thanasegaran, H. (2016). Pre-contractual Duty of Disclosure and Misrepresentation. InGood Faith in Insurance and Takaful Contracts in Malaysia(pp. 47-108). Springer Singapore. Wong, R. J. (2014). Judging between Conflicting Expert Evidence--Understanding the Scientific Method and its Impact on Apprehending Expert Evidence.

NuComm Company in China

Is Duncan Cowie right in his view that China is an â€Å"ideal market† for NuComm? Is  this the right time to enter? In today’s world, it has been noted that the internal market in any given single country has been shrinking by the day, hence forcing the firms to search for markets outside their country.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on NuComm Company in China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consequently, globalization has come in handy to help these firms with the much-needed demand for their goods and services, therefore, decreasing their operating costs and increasing the profit margins through economies of scale. Contrary to many people’s views, going outside one’s country of origin is not an easy task, and it requires strategic planning together with good timing not forgetting enough and extensive research to be sure that the investment is worthy, since the initial costs ar e high. NuComm management is faced by the dilemma of determining whether investing in China is a feasible option, and if it is to choose the location and mode of entry. Duncan Cowie the financial manager of the company who worked in China for around two years, and has some experience in the Chinese business atmosphere, proposed that China is the ideal market for Nucomm. NuComm needs to diversify from the American and the Canadian markets where it has based its operations for years due to the volatility of the currencies there hence affecting its profit margins. The idea of investing in China was the best at the time given the prevailing conditions. 1. The Chinese workers in North American represent a significant number yet they are not covered by any call center firm, and that would make a good opportunity as they will be more ready to associate themselves with a company which would serve them even when they are back in China.Advertising Looking for case study on business econ omics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More 2. China is still an upcoming industrial country where a service industry is just but gaining foot, and that would be advantageous, if NuComm becomes one of the first firms to start offering the communication service. 3. There are a lot of opportunities that are available in China and highlights the meager number of call centers available compelling one call center seat to serve 100, 000 people compared to America’s 700 people. 4. The government of the people’s Republic of China has recently promised to support foreign firms that have the intention of investing in the telecommunication sector, since they want to develop this sector. The government has indicated the possibility of relaxing laws that regulate foreign investment, including the requirement that a foreign firm must have some percentage of local ownership in order to operate in China, to attract foreign firms. This is an idea that NuComm should take advantage of because though it is only directed to a specific city, Dalian, the Chinese government has a reputation of implementing all its promises and putting all necessary machineries in place whenever it wants something done. 5. The idea of not going where the market is but where the market is expected to be helped NuComm to succeed in the Philippines. In China, Cowie notes also that the call center service businesses are not so much pronounced, which means that there is a lot of potential, when people there would come to know the usefulness of the services offered. 6. NuComm needs to expand very fast in order to save itself from the financial problems that are imminent. The possibility of growth in China is projected to be just what NuComm needs to be able to set pace for financial sustenance.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on NuComm Company in China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Le arn More Industrial analysts have projected that the call center seats will increase at a rate of 40 per cent per year, which is higher than even in America, where the market is fast becoming saturated. 7. Besides, the cost of operations in China would be far much lower than those of America because wages in China are comparably lower than in the US, and wages make the bulk of NuComm’s recurring expenses. The most expensive town in China is Shanghai, where the wages are $282 compared to America’s $2500. 8. NuComm’s efforts in India failed and going back would be more of gambling given that there is nobody who is experienced as to how business is run there. On the other hand, Cowie has been working in China albeit with another company and therefore, knows how to go about with business in that country. The timing could not be more perfect than now because the government has just pledged support, infrastructure is good and the upcoming Olympic Games will increase business opportunities. The Olympic Games will bring a lot of people from various parts of China as well as other parts of the world, and it would be just perfect opportunity to create contacts with various firms which would become the customers. The government is also encouraging the development of the telecommunication sector and has even promised support to foreign firms that are willing to locate in specific places. Assess Cowie’s five-step entry strategy for China. Does the sequence make sense? Duncan Cowie suggests a five-step entry strategy which if applied by NuComm will be of great help, according to him. It is important to focus on the Chinese people working in America as the main target, because they are bound to be more willing to have service, since they have been in the American market and have probably used the service at one point in time, therefore, they know how important it is. The workers also, being Chinese, have information about Chinese’s firms and individuals who may be interested in the service and therefore, will help a lot in giving referrals and enabling NuComm to take opportunities a head of time.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is also important to have clients that will enable the firm to break even in the early stages of entry. On that note, the Chinese workers in America stand to be the most dependable at the moment given that they have embraced the advancement in technology. The Chinese workers will also be delighted to be associated with a company that operates in China and which is ready to offer them services that they have not been receiving. On top of that, more and more American firms are entering the Chinese market, while others have already established there, and they will all require call center services. These firms will be looking for a more credible company available to contract for the services. Given the popularity that NuComm has in the US and Canadian markets, it will stand a greater chance of securing deals for most American firms, which based in China. As it is in America, many firms prefer out sourcing call center services and will therefore, definitely need the services even when in the foreign market, more so when it is another American firm that is offering the service. It should be noted, however, that dependency on American firms only can be catastrophic given that the number of American firms entering Chinese market might not enough to support NuComm’s business. A large number of the inhabitants of Chinese cities are the natives of China, who also happen to own a substantial number of businesses, which mostly serve the Chinese people, and to some extent, foreigners. China is also densely populated, if population is an indicator of the market that is available. Therefore, tailoring some of the products for the Chinese businesses will be of great importance to NuComn, if they want to earn from the investment. It should be noted that in China, English or French is not used, and people there use Chinese language for communication. It will be therefore, a limiting factor, if NuComm does not improvise a way that they will provide services in Chinese l anguage and in fact, this should be done as early as possible. China is the center for Asian development, and it has put in place a conducive business environment for economic development other than the fact that it is centrally located in the Asian continent. It is, therefore, possible to use it as a center to serve other Asian countries as Cowie is suggesting. Hong Kong which is one of the cities of China is identified as the epitome of business with various parts of the world leave alone Asia, hence it would not be difficult for NuComm to serve other countries, especially from Asia using China as their point of operation. Though the five-point strategies make sense, the order is not very convincing to people. I agree that using the Chinese who work in America as the first strategy in entry is quite good given that they present the easiest people of Chinese origin to convince on the importance of call centers. It is also important to aim at American firms as the second strategy si nce they have the ideas of the advantages of the services offered by NuComm, and the two strategies have taken into consideration the language barrier that is bound to affect the operations of NuComm. But at the same time, the Chinese people who are the natives and who are the majorities should not be sidelined for long because Chinese people have a higher tendency of copying, and they might adopt NuComm’s idea to start their own businesses, which will compete with NuComm. Therefore, the strategy of China for China should come in the third, or second, if possible, to reduce the chances of competition from the Chinese people, and also to prepare for the strategy of supporting American firms to invest in China through Chinese voice services. What are the risks facing NuComm in entering China at this time? Though the Chinese venture seems to be profitable, there are a lot of risks that may face NuComm on entry. 1. Chinese people are known to have a culture of copying, if they re spect somebody’s idea, which NuComm is not used to and which increases competition. Intellectual rights are protected in Canada and US, where NuComm is based, but that is not the case in China. The probability of several companies springing up a few years or months after NuComm has set up is high. 2. The Chinese people after realizing that their people have come up with companies that offer the same services as NuComm may choose to deal with their people therefore, decreasing the market for NuComm. 3. The Chinese might customize the services into Chinese language before NuComm does that which will further shrink the chances of NuComm getting hold of the market. It is, therefore, upon Nucomm to move with speed after entry to ensure they increase their scale as fast as possible so that they get to enjoy economies of scale before competition stiffens. 4. Moreover, the Chinese system of government has proven to be very corrupt and to get assistance one needs to know somebody in a position of influence as opposed to either America or Canada, where corruption is minimal, if not absent. This is made clear by Duncan Cowie, when he says that he had to party the whole night with Chinese families to get things done his way. The ruling party officials had ties with the so called private firms and offered them favorable business conditions hence an upper hand amongst competitors. Therefore, it might be difficult for the NuComm firm to operate without having a god father to help in pushing things given that America and Canada are places where protocols are observed. It is also not clear if there might be someone who is very influential and who might want to copy the NuComm idea and therefore, manipulate the authorities to push regulations against NuComm. But on the same note, Cowie had been in China and knows who is who and how they are approached and what is required for one to succeed in that country therefore, he will be able to help. 5. On top of that, most firms , which had entered China early on have not broken even in the market and hence, they were yet to even recover the initial cost of investment. NuComm’s case as it is has financial problems and could not afford to tie down any amount of money for a long period of time without realizing any returns from it. It therefore, has to strategize on how to make returns from the very first moment they enter the Chinese market. 6. For service delivery to be efficient and thus, reduce operating costs staff must deliver to their best and this can be through employing well educated and highly qualified people. In China, the call center services are relatively new to some places, where labor is cheap therefore, finding a well trained employee may be difficult. NuComm should, therefore, choose a method of training employees, so as to get maximum output from them, while maintaining the quality of their services and at the same time keeping operating costs at a minimum. Though wage rate might b e lower in China compared to Canada or America, getting the right employee might be an uphill task leading to decreased rate of delivery. 7. It is China’s regulation that a foreign firm cannot operate, if it is fully owned by foreigners which means that any international firm setting up in China must collaborate with the natives. This means NuComm has to look for another firm in China to enter into joint venture with, in order to be allowed to set up in China. The problem of finding the right company or securing favorable terms of operation sets in and NuComm has to strive to get a company, which is ready to enter into the call center business and give the best terms and conditions. Entering China can be done through any of the four cities that Cowie suggests but the most convenient city should be chosen for this is a risky process. The situation should be one where the costs are low while income is high and given the financial position of NuComm the returns should be realize d as early as possible. Which of the possible Chinese locations should the company choose, and what should be the mode of entry? Beijing is the capital city and expects to host Olympic Games besides having reduced costs compared to Shanghai and probability of getting highly educated staff is high. There will be many people coming during the Olympic Games, but this is periodical and after the games business will go back to normal, hence the viability of income after the Olympic Games is not very clear. Coupled with that is the fact that so far there has not been a firm that NuComm will partner with, in order to start its operations in Beijing. It is also evident that Beijing is the capital of the communist part, whose leaders are known to be very corrupt therefore, increasing the possibility of corrupt deals against NuComm should it be seen that NuComm will succeed. On the other hand, Shanghai is directly under the control of the central government; hence most of its activities are o verseen by government officials. The possibility of the government interfering with the operations of a firm located in shanghai is therefore, very high. Being a commercial town and a hub of industries in China, it has many businesses, which increase competition and therefore, people are striving to improve their performance hence they will be more receptive to any idea that will help in boosting productivity. Dalian has come into question due to the outright efforts by the government to boost development in the region thus, offering relaxation in regulations. Many foreign firms have been located there due to the policy that allows foreign investment and more are yet to come given that most policies limiting foreign investment can be relaxed. Most of the firm there are those, which are likely to offer support to NuComm and the government can be willing to facilitate the registration process. Furthermore, infrastructure is developed and it has the capability of meeting NuComm’ s demands. Hong Kong is the best city to enter china because: Hong Kong has had ties with the west for a long time now and has the entire infrastructure and other needs for full operation of NuComm. English is the official language of business therefore, language barrier will not be a problem. There are many companies, which are ready to assist NuComm in starting up given that collaborating with a local firm is a requirement in China. Returns to capital are realized at a faster rate in Hong Kong than any other city and this is what NuComm highly needs. The entry mode will be a joint venture because: China has a requirement that foreign firms must not be owned 100 per cent by foreigners, thus, leaving collaboration with local firms as the only viable option. A joint venture will help in minimizing the risks that faces NuComm, if it enters on its own in the new market. Due to corruption, relationship with top government officials is important in operation in China, therefore, a loc al firm will help in dealing with issues of relationships. The cost of entering as a joint venture is also minimal compared to the costs of entering in other means and NuComm is facing financial problems. This case study on NuComm Company in China was written and submitted by user Neil Guy to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Securing a Vessel With Cleats Chocks Bits and Bollards

Securing a Vessel With Cleats Chocks Bits and Bollards At some point early in your maritime career, someone is going to ask you to tie a boat to something solid so it doesn’t float away. There are specific fixtures on all vessels and docks made for this purpose. We will take a short look at four of the most common and save the specialty fixtures for a little later. Cleats These are fixtures found on docks and vessels. They are shaped like a very wide and short capital letter T. Closed types have a solid base while open types have two closely spaced legs in the center. A line with a loop on the end can be passed through the legs and secured over the horns the name of the horizontal piece of the cleat. This allows it to pull tight without the chance of working loose as it would if the loop were just placed over the cleat. Some Dock Masters frown on this because the line can abrade the dock. The best way to tie to a cleat is with a hitch at the end of a line. They come in all sizes from the size of your little finger to the size of your leg. Chocks These are fixtures that hold a line rather than using it as a tie point. It is found near a cleat and keeps the line in position so it does not move laterally and chafe or abrade. They are flattened loops that have a narrow opening at the top to accept and remove the line. Like cleats, these come in all sizes but are usually found aboard vessels and not on docks. Bits These fixtures are a solid column which is sometimes square and sometimes cylindrical. They have a crossbar that is of lesser diameter and forms a lowercase letter t. These are also called Samson posts because they are so strong. You tie to them with a hitch around the crossbar or they accept a looped line well. Bits are mostly found on vessels near the bow and stern, they appear infrequently on docks but it isn’t unheard of if there is a need to use something taller than a cleat in order to accept large diameter lines. Bollards These are the things that look like short metal mushrooms. You can find them on docks and large ships and almost never on smaller vessels. They are made for a loop of line that is placed over the top and the slack is taken up on the other end to make the line tight. Each of the fixtures above has a preferred method of tying. Some of the methods, such as passing the loop through the legs and over the horns of an open cleat, are suitable for heavy weather situations with strong wind and waves. Other methods like a loop should be used in calmer conditions but a hitch can be used at any time. If you want to learn more go to our maritime glossary where you can find more than a simple definition of a term and get some insight into the context and rich maritime history.

How to Prepare for Pre-Med in High School

How to Prepare for Pre-Med in High School SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you a high school student with dreams of studying pre-med in college and becoming a doctor? Maybe you’ve heard how difficult it can be to get into med school and are trying to plan ahead in order to raise your chances of acceptance? Well, you’ve come to the right place! This guide will go over everything you can do in high school to make yourself more prepared to begin a pre-med program in college. I’ll go over the classes you should be taking, the extracurriculars you should be participating in, and what you need to be thinking about as a high school student. Feature Image Source: Flickr/ Ilmicrofono oggiono The Importance of Having a Game Plan Preparing for pre-med also means looking ahead to med school as well. In high school, you should be setting yourself up to succeed as a pre-med college student so that you can present your strongest application to med schools down the line. You likely know that, unless you’re applying for a BS/MD or BA/MD program, you don’t start med school until after you graduate college, when you’re about 22 years old. That’s years away! Why do you need to be thinking about med school now? The reason is that getting accepted into med school is notoriously competitive, and med schools will be looking for candidates with an obvious commitment to medicine. Think about it: if you needed to have an operation or a broken bone set or an illness diagnosed, you’d want someone who really cared about medicine, learned all they could about the subject, and were dedicated to their work, right? Not someone who became a doctor because they couldn’t think of a better job. Similarly, med schools also want to accept people who are passionate about medicine. So, while it’s not required to start planning for med school while in high school, starting pre-med off on the right foot and being able to show med schools that your interest in and commitment to medicine was obvious even back in high school will go a long way in showing them that this is a career you’re genuinely interested in and excited about. You want to be well prepared for pre-med by the time you start college and have already begun to gain the knowledge and skills necessary for being a great doctor. In the following sections, I’ll go over exactly how to do this! Skills and Knowledge You Need to Prepare for Pre-Med Again, being a great pre-med student means that, when the time comes to apply, you’ll be impressive to med schools and able to show them that you’re an ideal candidate. So, in high school, you’ll want to be thinking about how to be both a strong med school candidate as well as a strong pre-med candidate. What exactly do med schools look for in applicants? The best way to figure this out is to look directly at what med schools are saying. Here’s a sample of what three med schools are looking for in candidates. Their responses are similar to the majority of med schools across the country. NYU School of Medicine states that they take into account "excellence in coursework at the college level; capabilities as judged by college instructors and premedical committees; the results of the Medical College Admissions Test; and the results of an interview at the School." Additionally, they recommend courses in English, Biology, Chemistry (organic and inorganic), Physics, Biochemistry, and Genetics. The University of Michigan Medical School "holistically evaluates candidates for admission across a range of attributes necessary for successful development into a compassionate, skilled physician serving the needs of a diverse and changing population. These attributes include: Academic excellence Altruism Written and verbal communication Desire to learn Integrity and ethics Leadership Reliability and dependability Resilience and adaptability Social/interpersonal skills and teamwork" Stanford University School of Medicine states that, "Desirable candidates for admissions are academically ready to succeed in our curriculum, have life experiences that will enrich our learning environment, and have personal qualities that will serve them, their colleagues and their patients well in their professional lives." Now, obviously, some of those things, like MCAT scores and extensive college coursework you can’t really complete as a high school student. However, there’s still a lot you can start working on. As a high school student preparing for pre-med and eventually med school, you will want to focus primarily on three things: Preparing yourself for college classes Gaining experience relevant to med school Demonstrating personal qualities desirable in med school students and doctors Working on each of these three areas in high school will make it easier for you to succeed in college and impress med school admissions committees when it comes time to apply. Read on to learn how to accomplish each of these things! Using Your Classes to Prepare for Pre-Med Med schools won’t look at your high school grades when they review your application (although some allow AP credits earned in high school to cover certain entrance requirements), but colleges definitely will, so you shouldn’t slack off in high school. Doing well in your high school classes is important because, not only will it help you get accepted to your top colleges and their pre-med programs, it will also help give you the discipline and knowledge necessary to do well in college, when your grades really do matter for med school. If you have a pattern of getting high grades in high school, that will make it much easier to get high grades in college! Let’s look more specifically at the areas you should be focusing on. Science Classes In pre-med and med school, you’ll definitely be taking a lot of science classes, so it’s important to have a strong foundation in this subject by the time you enter college. Doing so will likely allow you to take more advanced science classes in college and get higher grades since you’re starting with solid background knowledge. If your school offers them, taking AP Biology and/or AP Chemistry are two of the best classes you can take to help you be prepared, since you’ll be taking multiple biology and chemistry classes in college. AP Physics is also useful since pretty much all med schools have a physics requirement as well. The MCAT also has numerous questions in each of these three subjects, so getting a firm foundation on them early on will help you when it comes time to study for that exam in college. Keep your notes from these classes, as well as any finals or comprehensive exams you took in them. They may come in handy later on if you need to quickly review basic information on a subject. Also, pay particular attention during labs. It can be tempting to zone out and let your lab partners take over every now and then, but lab work is something you’ll be doing throughout college and med school (and sometimes beyond), so it’s critical that you understand how to set up, run, and analyze an experiment. Additionally, the MCAT has a question type, called Research Design, that specifically tests your knowledge of research projects. If you have room in your schedule for science electives, see if your school offers any classes in biochemistry, human physiology, or a related class. Math Classes In addition to science, math is the other subject you should be focusing on in high school if you want to be pre-med. Like science, take advanced math classes, and the higher the level (i.e. AP Calculus BC over AB), the better. You’ll be taking multiple math classes as a pre-med, and, as your science classes become more advanced, they’ll begin to incorporate more higher-level math as well. Pre-med students often have rigorous course schedules, so you don’t want to fall behind or get overwhelmed because your math skills aren’t where they should be. The best classes to take to be prepared are pre-calculus and calculus, but if those aren’t offered, or you have extra room in your schedule, a statistics class will also be useful to take since statistics is used in many areas of medicine. In your math classes, pay particular attention to how to analyze graphs and data tables, since these topics will be specifically tested on the MCAT in its Graphical Analysis and Data questions, and you will often be asked to interpret visual data like these in your future classes. Taking challenging math classes can help prepare you for college pre-med classes and beyond. Other Subjects Even though math and science are the two most important subjects to focus on to prepare yourself for pre-med, you shouldn’t let your other classes suffer. Aim for solid, if not spectacular, grades across the board in your other subjects. In particular, you should also work to do well in your English classes. Strong writing and communication skills are important for both college and med school, and many med schools have an English requirement for their applicants. So, doing well in your high school English classes can only benefit you down the road. You may also want to consider social science classes in psychology and/or sociology. The MCAT has multiple questions on both of these subjects, and they can help you understand different areas of medicine better, even if you don’t specialize in psychology. This is because understanding why people behave the way they do and make the choices they do will help all doctors who work with patients and need to be understanding and supportive. Being an Exceptional Student For all of your courses, particularly your math and science classes, make sure you talk to your teacher if there is a concept you are struggling with. High school classes are usually much smaller than college classes, and you can use that additional one-on-one time to ask for help and clarification. This can be much more difficult to do in college because courses generally move at a faster pace, teachers are working with more students, and you’re often expected to come in with sufficient background knowledge. In order to do your best in your college classes, you want to minimize all the content gaps you have. So, if you don’t understand a particular chemistry lab or are baffled by your calculus homework, speak up! It’ll help you be more successful when you’re a pre-med student. Additionally, in your classes you should work to be a model student, not just through your grades but through the way you act as well. Make an effort to always complete work on time, encourage cooperation and teamwork when working in a group, and offer help when a teacher or classmate needs it. Most colleges require you to submit letters of recommendation from your teachers, and if a teacher can point to an instance where you helped a classmate who was struggling with homework or got your group to work together when people were disagreeing, that will make your application stand out much more than if they could only talk about your grades. Acting in a responsible, mature, and helpful way in high school will make it an easy pattern to follow by the time you start pre-med. Having strong letters of recommendation will help you get into your top pre-med schools of choice and will help you know what to expect when you need letters of rec for med school. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Using Your Extracurriculars to Prepare for Med School Your extracurriculars are also an important way to prepare for pre-med in college. Getting involved in extracurriculars that relate to medicine, or even just working directly with people, can help you decide if pre-med is really the best choice for you, and it’ll show schools that you’re serious about studying medicine. Additionally, if you do well in your extracurricular and impress your coaches or supervisors, they can help write you letters of recommendation when college admissions roll around. The best extracurricular to get involved in if you want to prepare for pre-med is volunteering at a hospital. This is because, even though you won’t be personally performing any medical work, it’ll give you the best idea of what being a doctor is like because you’ll be in a hospital, be working with patients, and be able to learn more about medicine by observing doctors and other medical professionals. As a college student, having hospital volunteering experience will give your med school applications a boost, and it will look even better if you began this work in high school. We have a complete guide to being a hospital volunteer which you should read through if you’re thinking about volunteering at a hospital. To get started, talk to your advisor or contact nearby hospitals to see if there are open volunteer positions. Other volunteer options include volunteering at a retirement home, homeless shelter, even a school. Basically any place where you interact regularly with people will help prepare you for working with patients. There are also clubs you can join that will help prepare you for pre-med, including science-related clubs like Science Olympiad or Science Fair that you can participate in. Over the summer, you may consider participating in a medical program specifically for high school students. These programs often take place at colleges or universities, and they give participants a chance to conduct research, observe doctors working, and/or learn how to conduct simple medical procedures. While they often have hefty price tags, they can be a great way to help decide if becoming a doctor is what you really want to do. Just like you are doing in your classes, strive to be a great member of whatever extracurriculars you choose to participate in. Take leadership opportunities whenever you can, whether that means gaining a leadership position in the club/activity, taking charge of a new event, or suggesting new ideas for the future. Additionally, be a team player whom people can trust to be on time, get their work done, and work well with others. Your coaches and supervisors are a great resource for letters of recommendation and, as with your classes, it’s never too early to show that you have the type of character a doctor needs and people who can attest to that. What If You Don't End Up Applying to Med School? So, what happens if things change and you decide that med school isn't for you? That's fine and actually very common. Most people who, at some point in their life, decide they want to be a doctor, end up changing their mind. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as discovering a different career that interests you more, learning you can't handle the sight of blood, or deciding that you don't want to be in school that long. Attending med school and working as a doctor requires a lot of long, hard hours, and, if you find yourself disliking the above activities or losing interest in the idea of med school, you absolutely should not become a doctor just out of fear of having wasted your time preparing for med school. Being a doctor when you love the profession is hard enough, and if you choose to become a doctor despite disliking the job, trust me, you'll be miserable. The good news is that, even if you follow all the above advice to the letter, you won't be behind your peers or at a disadvantage if you choose a completely different path than your original plan of med school. As I mention below, following the advice in this guide will help prepare you for any future major and career, perhaps with a slight math/science slant. That's because the steps you need to follow to prepare for med school - get good grades in a variety of subjects, obtain leadership experience, cultivate relationships with teachers and classmates - will serve you well in the future no matter what you end up majoring and what career you end up pursuing. Looking Ahead Now you know how preparing for pre-med in high school can help you be confident and successful when you begin college and eventually apply to med school. Taking higher-level classes, particularly in math and science, will help you be more prepared for your pre-med classes, the grades of which will be carefully scrutinized by med school admissions officers. Participating in extracurriculars related to the medical field will help you get skills you’ll use down the line and show med schools that you’re committed to being a doctor. All of that advice is useful no matter which med school you want to attend or what type of doctor you want to become. But, should you be doing more work in high school? Should you already be figuring out which med schools are your top choices and what you want your specialty to be so that you can tailor your classes and extracurriculars even more? The short answer is no. Trying to figure these things out so far ahead of time will only put added stress on you, and they won’t help you get accepted. Most pre-med students apply to over a dozen med schools, and, once you get into med school, many people don’t choose a specialty until their third year, after they've completed rotations and gotten a better sense of what different specialties are like. This means that no one is expecting you to have these things figured out as a high school student. Additionally, even if you are certain right now that you want to attend, say, John Hopkins for med school and become a pediatrician, there is a high chance that will end up changing your mind at some point in time, so trying to prepare exactly for that path can end up hindering you down the line. Instead of trying to have everything planned out, just follow the above steps which will help prepare you regardless of which med school and specialty you end up choosing. You can think about these things, but remember that you have plenty of time to keep your options open! What's Next? Curious about what classes you'll have to take in college for pre-med? Our article on the requirements for med school has you covered. Plus, check out our list of the seven books every pre-med student should read here. Wondering exactly which classes you should be taking in high school? We have guides that'll walk you through the math and science classes you should enroll in. You'll need top standardized test scores to get into the college of your choice. Read our guides, written by a perfect-scorer, on how to get a perfect score on the SAT and the ACT. Want a great extracurricular? Learn how to volunteer at a hospital and get a first-hand look at the work doctors do. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Critical Anaysis of The Stranger by Albert Camus Essay

Critical Anaysis of The Stranger by Albert Camus - Essay Example The sun is the motif of the novel, where it affects the personality of Meursault and his reaction to his setting and conditions in life. The sun represents the existentialist philosophy of Meursault, where the natural absurdity of the setting and its plot are designed to illustrate that detachment is a natural response to the meaninglessness of human existence. The sun stands for the existentialist philosophy of Meursault, a philosophy that Camus himself believes in. Christian argues that Camus believes in an existentialist philosophy of â€Å"the Absurd† (92). He stresses that for Camus, the world and man per se are not absurd, and instead, the relationship of man with his environment is absurd (92). He maintains that people demand things from a world that cannot fulfill them, and so to exist with true hope for the fulfillment of dreams is â€Å"absurd† (92). Meursault lives life like a sun, where to exist is to accept whatever happens without any attachment to them. H e has an extremely disconnected attitude towards his mother’s death, for instance. He says at the beginning of the novel: â€Å"MOTHER died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure† (Camus 4). He does not care for details when it comes to death. He values his mother enough to attend her funeral, but he does it out of duty, as a son. He does not even peek into his mother’s coffin, which people in the funeral find troubling. Strangers cry for her, while her own son does not even shed a tear. In addition, Meursault is not overly concerned of the prospect of dying himself. Death is not something that can stir him from his realization that nothing in life is worth pouring his passion over. His existence has come from nothing and will end up as nothing and that is the way life is. The sun heats up the setting and melts away any possible meaning in human action and agenda. The sun is a natural element of life’s natural cycle. The blackness of the fune ral of Meursault’s mother is distinguished because of the sun. Meursault, nevertheless, finds no meaning in these rituals and beliefs about the dead. The black colors of the hearse and horse and the noxious scents of the environment only serve to dull Meursault’s senses. In short, the funeral makes him want to sleep it away. Blackness means nothing, while sleeping is something that is more directly experienced. Furthermore, the sun also increases the temperature enough to make people live without concern for their actions. Meursault tumbles in his life in a state of coma and existence, because he always feels hot and uncomfortable. He wants to hurry up the funeral, because he feels the physical discomfort of standing under the sun. The Marengo landscape is illustrated as â€Å"something inhuman, discouraging† (Camus 11). Camus indicates that Meursault cannot be completely blamed for his absurdist approach to life, because his environment is disconcerting too. Vo n Dehsen calls it the â€Å"unreasonable silence of the world† to people who want to find meaning in life (39). Meursault realizes that his boss dislikes the fact that he will have several days off. His boss is only after making more money from his employees and is not truly concerned for him to attend his mother’s funeral and go over his grief. The society is not concerned of meaningful human existence too. Meursault’s relationships are important events in his life, as the plot reveals, but he

To what extent is the fate of the protagonist in Woman at point Zero Essay

To what extent is the fate of the protagonist in Woman at point Zero (Nawal El Saadawi) and Chronicles of a death foretold dictated by the moral values of the culture in which they live - Essay Example These values determine the characters actions and thereby shape their fates. In Woman at Point Zero, the protagonist is manipulated and dishonored by a number of people in her life. She has no power over the events that happen to her. She gradually learns the value of power and money which enables one to gain control over others and that becomes the utmost aim in her life. Similarly honor as a moral value affects the lives of all the major characters in Chronicle of a Death Foretold as they exist in relation to a single major event. Santiago pays the price for supposedly dishonoring Angela. Angela pays the price for not being a virgin. The Vicario brothers have to commit a crime to defend the honor of their sister. Roman has to discard his wife because honor means everything to him. All the characters display a variety of emotions. They show both negative and positive streaks in their personalities. Although much of the narrative is focused on him, Santiago Nasar is an ambiguous character throughout the novel. The narrator says that â€Å"he was a child of a marriage of convenience† and that he is open hearted. His appreciation of valor, prudence, firearms and falconry comes from his father, who is no longer alive. The narrator also says that Santiago would have seduced Divina Flor, just as his father seduced her mother, Victoria Guzman. As the narrator says Angela Vicario can be said to be the main character of the story. She is center of the mystery that the narrator is trying to unravel, since she is the only one who knows who truly took her virginity, and she remains mysterious at the end of the story because she never reveals whether or not Santiago was guilty. As a young girl, she was the most beautiful of her four sisters. However, the narrator says she had a "helpless air and a poverty of spirit that augured an uncertain future for her." The narrator says that her "penury of spirit had been aggravated by the years."

Creative Spark Talk Analysis Essay Example for Free

Creative Spark Talk Analysis Essay What defines you as a person? Who do you say that you are? These are questions that are often hard to answer because we have yet to understand or realize who we are as a person. Many times those questions are answered with a job title or a characteristic like I am a mom, a lawyer, or a caring person. But what truly defines you? Within this paper, we are going to look at Debra Jarvis’ story about how she chose to claim her experience and not allow it to define her. Debra like many women around the world has heard the dreaded â€Å"C† word, cancer, and was gripped by fear. One of the first stages of creativity is searching for the challenges. â€Å"The essence of creativity is meeting challenges in an imaginative, original, and effective way.† (Ruggiero, 2012) In Debra’s situation she did not have to search for the challenges; the problems was evident. However, not all challenges are obvious challenges they will require critical thinking to discover. Sometimes the problems and issues are so small or subtle that they are not always noticeable. (Ruggiero, 2012) The challenge for Debra was not succumbing to pressure of identifying herself as a victim of cancer. The second stage of creativity; expressing the problem or issue, was one that was not hard for Debra. â€Å"The objective of this stage is to find the best expression of the problem or issue, the one that will yield the most helpful ideas.† Debra’s diagnosis of breast cancer was a shock to many. She was bombarded with all types of questions and statements like, â€Å"You’re a Chaplin, you should be immune to cancer†; or â€Å"Now you are really going to find out what is important†. These statements were the very catalyst that pushed Debra to embrace her concept of not allowing cancer to define her identity. â€Å"Feeling faith, finding your identity and strengths in the midst of chaos, brings one to the realization that the most important things are not things but relationships.† (Ted Talk, 2014) The third stage of creativity is investigating the problem or issue. The third stage is necessary to deal with the problem or issue effectively. â⠂¬Å"In some cases, this will mean merely searching your past experiences and observations for appropriate material and bringing it to bear on the current problem.† (Ruggiero, 2012) During the fourth stage, we begin to produce ideas. The objective is to generate enough ideas to decide what action to take or what  belief to embrace. (Ruggiero, 2012) Debra was able to choose the option to have a mastectomy and then put in a saline implant. Debra’s use of creativity allowed her to define what her experience meant, and that meaning can be quiet or introverted. What the experience means today can change years from now. Most people have a hard time adopting their imagination, not because they lack imagination, but because they fear the reaction their ideas will receive. Debra embraces her imagination by moving from victim to victor. She chose to not become trapped by the negative stigma of cancer but evolve and share with the world on how to overcome. Debra’s choice to process her feelings instead of feeding them allows her to satisfy the curiosity of daring to be different. Instead of walking in the annual cancer walks, buying the keychain, shirts, and other cancer survivor symbolic items she processes it uniquely. Debra expresses, â€Å"that with any resurrection you must die first.† (Ted Talk, 2014) The Ted talk made several points that allow me to look at personal traumas as victorious instead of being the victim. Debra’s story was an eye opener on how so many survivors within our society have embraced the trauma as their identity, instead of claiming the experience. Debra’s example of â€Å"the resurrection and one dying first and embracing the tomb as a place to do our deep inner work to allow ourselves healing† was a defining moment for me. We have to let the crucified self die so the truer story can evolve. The message of claiming your experience and not allowing it to claim or define you was the key message of her Ted talk. If there were no survivors, it would be an end to being trapped in our wombs. References Ruggiero, V. R. (2012). The Art of Thinking (10th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson. Ted Talk. (2014). Yes, I Survived Cancer but that doesnt define me. Retrieved from http://ted.com/talks/debra_jarvis_yes_i_survived_cancer_but_that _doesnt _define_me#t-253086

Stephen A. Douglas :: essays research papers

Stephen A. Douglas was born in Brandon, Vermont on April 23, 1813. His father, a young physician of high standing, died suddenly when Stephen was two months old, and the widow with her two children retired to a farm near Brandon. This is where Stephen lived with her until he was fifteen years old. He attended school during the three winter months and working on the farm the remainder of the year. He wanted to earn his own living so he went to Middlebury and became an apprentice in the cabinetmaking business. This trade he followed for about eighteen months, when he was forced to stop his work because of impaired health, after this he attended the academy at Brandon for about a year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the autumn of 1830 he moved to New York State and attended the academy at Canandaigua where he began his study of law. Realizing that his mother wouldn’t be unable to support him through his courses, he was determined to go to the west, and on June 24, 1833, he set out for Cleveland, Ohio, where he was dangerously ill with fever for four months. He then visited Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis, and Jacksonville, Illinois, but failed to receive any employment. Feeling Discouraged, he walked to Winchester. Here he found employment as clerk to an auctioneer at an administrator's sale, and was paid six dollars. He studied law at night, and on Saturdays practiced before justices of the peace. In March 1834, he removed to Jacksonville, obtained his license, and began the regular practice of law. Two weeks after that he addressed a large Democratic meeting in defense of General Jackson's administration. In December 1840, he was appointed secretary of state of Illinois, and in the following February elected a judge of the Supreme Court. In 1843 Judge Douglas was elected to congress by a majority of 400, and he was reelected in 1844 by 1,900, and again in 1846 by over 3,000: but before the term began he was chosen U.S. senator, and took his seat in the senate on March 4, 1847. The bill for organizing the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, which Douglas reported in January 1854 reopened the whole slavery dispute and caused great popular excitement, as it repealed the part of the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which excluded slavery from the regions of the Louisiana Purchase north of the Mason-Dixon line, and declared the people of any state or territory free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way, subject only to the Constitution of the United States.

Paranormal: Personality Psychology and Carl Jung Essay

Topic Area: This study looks at the relation between the belief in the paranormal and different personality traits. There are two ways of looking at belief in the paranormal this study will look at the people who believe and those who somewhat believe and analyze their personalities traits. Hypothesis: This study examined two contrasting views of paranormal belief which suggest, in one camp, that belief in the paranormal is indicative of psychopathology. On the other hand, a number of researcher have disagreed with this viewpoint, suggesting that such a belief is not an indicator of psychopathology, but the fulfillment of some other underlying need. This study was designed to assess the personality traits of those we would we would consider to be high and low believers in parapsychology. Method: The participants in this study were undergraduate college students mostly freshmen and sophomores who were enrolled in introductory level psychology classes. There were 105 students involved in the study with an age range from 18 to 44 the gender breakdown of participants consisted of 46 men and 59 women whose average age was 20. 19 years old. The participants were administered the Paranormal Belief Scale (Tobacyk & Milford, 1983), The Anomalous Experience Inventory (Kumar, Pekala, & Gallagher, 1994), the Personality Research Form (Jackson, 1984), and a general questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of basic questions about demographics and any experience or preconceptions about the paranormal. The coefficient alphas for the Paranormal Belief Scale were . 93 and . 91. Alphas for the subscales range from . 69-. 85 and . 49-. 74. Using the Paranormal Belief Scale participants were broken into groups of high and low believer’s base on a scale of 25-125 with high believers obtaining a score of 80 and low believers obtaining a score of 63. Each scale was administered in a class room setting and was untimed although the study took approximately 60 minutes to complete. Upon completion each participant was released and received a debriefing letter after the study. Results and Discussion: The results of this study showed that the high believers of the paranormal were more than likely to have friends with similar beliefs; they also are more likely to watch shows and read books based on paranormal subjects. The study also showed that more of the high believers had imaginary friends as they were growing up. Also high believers attended church less than those in the low believer’s category and didn’t look at themselves as very religious in comparison to low believers. The test also shows a distinct difference in gender with females scoring significantly higher than males on the (PBS) scale. There was also a series of ANOVAs (analysis of variance) that revealed a significant difference on four of the PRF scales Abasement, Aggression, Defendence, and Sentience these finding represent that there was not a strong enough relationship between these scales and the PBS to suggest a significant difference when examining high vs. low believers. However women scored higher than the men on Aggression and Defendence while men scored higher on Abasement. Critique: When initially reviewing this study to make a determination on which research example that I was going to focus on for my paper. I found that I was really interested in what the outcome of this research would be based on the amount of research that I am aware of that has been done on the study of the paranormal. This particular research was really interesting to me as it attempted to assess the personality traits of those who could be considered either high and/or low believers in parapsychology. According to other studies a person who believes in the paranormal is considered psychologically dysfunctional. This study used what I feel was a small segment of the population for such a broad subject that seems to have so many followers. The fact that they used 105 undergraduates from the age of 18 – 44 makes me think that they may have limited themselves when it comes to the broad perspective of people that they could have used. If I were conducting the study I would have opened it up to males and females with age not being a factor in the study. I also would have went outside of the classroom to get my participants by looking for people who were of all different walks of life and backgrounds, from those with a high school education only to those in under graduate and graduate programs. I would have also attempted to recruit people from different professions from warehouse worker to executive. Another thing that I would have looked into would be the ability to get people to participate with whom I knew where members of the Wiccan community and also some people who believe in Psi, Esp. , and others who believe in poltergeist. I feel this would have produced some validity to base the answers of the non-believers against the answers of the known (or high) believers to form some sort of median to the answers instead of just basing the answers off of people with whom are just here for their extra credit in their Psychology class. Another factor of the test that could have affected the outcome was the fact that it was administered in a class like setting. I feel that while the test should be structured maybe they should have administered it in a less formal manner. When looking at the different tests that were administered to the participants there seemed to be one consistent outcome on all of them. This outcome was that there was very little or no difference in the personality traits of believers compared to those of non-believers. The only measurable differences between the groups were the fact that females scored significantly higher than males when it came to the PBS Psi scale and on aggression and defendence. Males scored higher than females on abasement. Once again I believe other than the gender based scores that the other scores could have been affected by the fact that all the participants in this study were college students in the same program at the same school. Even though there was an age difference and there were students of opposite genders the scores seem to close to me to rule out any relevance to this argument. Relationship of the study to personality theory: The central relationship which was studied came in chapter 4 of our textbook, titled Jung: Analytical Psychology. Carl Jung, in my opinion, seemed to be open to many things that could be considered paranormal. Jung related dreams and past experiences to paranormal thoughts as well as ESP and he also associated levels of a person’s personality traits to different levels of the paranormal. Carl Jung was a strong believer in paranormal activity like spirits, e. s. p. , and the occult. Jung was raised around religion and the  occult from an early age, many members of his family were pastors and his mother’s family practiced spiritualism and mysticism. Jung’s grandfather was a believer of the occult, so much so that he kept a chair for the ghost of his dead wife and would often have intimate talks with her. One might conclude that these childhoods encounters shaped Jung’s beliefs lead him to associate personality traits and paranormal beliefs with one other. Jung’s theories were largely based around his study of the interpretations of dreams, both regular and paranormal. â€Å"Jung was puzzled by paranormal dreams. He could not classify them the way normal dreams could be, but the mystery did lead him to expound on his principle of synchronicity. This concept is that events occur together in time but are not linked through cause and effect connections. For instance, a clock might stop at the moment of its owner’s death, but these are purely synchronistic and unrelated events. Jung concluded that perhaps there is some sort of order in the universe, where a manifestation appears psychically while the related manifestation in physical reality happens at the same time. † (Carl Jung) Jung theorized that there were people, based on personality traits that were more likely to be influenced by paranormal thought and ideologies and came to the conclusion that introverts tend to have the best link to the paranormal. â€Å"Besides the levels of the psyche and the dynamics of personality, Jung recognized various psychological types that grow out of a union of two basic attitudes-intro-versions and extraversion-and four separate functions-thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuiting. † (Feist, 2009) Intuiting, in general, is often most associated with the paranormal, as illustrated in our textbook on page 120Ã'Ž Table 4.1, introverted intuition is associated with prophets, mystics and religious fanatics. Hurst states that â€Å"Introverted intuitive people are guided by unconscious perception of facts that are basically subjective and have little or no resemblance to external reality. Their subjective intuitive perceptions are remarkably strong and capable of motivating decisions of monumental magnitude. Introverted intuitive people such as mystics, prophets, surrealistic artist, or religious fanatics, often appear peculiar to people of other types who have little comprehension of their motives. Actually, Jung believed that introverted intuitive people may not clearly understand their own motivations, yet they are deeply motivated by them. †(Feist, 2009) It is my opinion that these personality theories prove that paranormal belief is not something that is only suffered by psychopaths. The study states, â€Å"Paranormal belief is indicative of psychopathology, as suggested by the current study. † (Auton, Pope, Seeger) I think that Jung’s theories illustrate that though a person may experience a paranormal instance it does not necessarily mean that there is a mental disorder present. Paranormal experiences may rather be a result of one’s social environment, as often people who believe in the paranormal have acquaintances that share in that belief. It was also referenced that people with such beliefs tend to watch more television and read more books that are based on the paranormal and occult. Relationship of the study to your own life and personality: Paranormal belief is something that has intrigued me ever since I was a young child. You might say that I am a skeptical believer, as I like to think that everything that happens has a reason for taking place and there is usually a way to explain any situation that people might consider paranormal. I have had many strange experiences throughout my life that one might call paranormal and some I have had explanations for and others I have not. When I began reviewing the article, Paranormal Belief and Personality Traits, for this assignment I was in complete disagreement with the portion that stated that paranormal belief was synonymous with† psychological dysfunction ( i.e. psychotic, neurotic, and depressive. ) (Auton, Pope, Seeger) I found myself identifying with Carl Jung’s theories regarding the paranormal which are a sharp contrast to those presented in this article. I feel and have been categorized by the Big 5 assessment as an extrovert and I feel that this may be the reason why I am so skeptical about paranormal experiences. I tend to look for the rhyme and reason of things that I have experienced in my life and am very skeptical about everything including ghosts, ESP and religion. Whether my paranormal experiences have affected my life or personality has yet to be said, though, I feel that these experiences were most certainly not a symptom of psychopathology. References: Feist, J. & Feist, G. (2009). Theories of Personality (7th Edition). McGraw Hill. Carl jung; his theories on archetypes, dreams, and the collective unconscious. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. ucmeta. org/Pages/Articles/Dreaming/Carl-Jung-His-Theories-Archetypes-Dreams-Collective-Unconscious. phpÃ'Ž