Philippine Revolution and Jose Rizal Essay

Paciano without a doubt was a great hero. He was just kinda outshined by his younger brother, jose. I’d say our national hero’s patriotism was highly influenced by him, he was an idol kuya in the eyes of Jose Rizal. Father Jose Burgos was a close friend of Paciano (whose death, together w/ Zamora and Gomez’s, according to rizal himself, had â€Å"opened his eyes† re the sad plight of our country back then), so we can clearly visualize the imprint of Paciano on Rizal’s nationalism. He (paciano) was the one who financed Rizal’s education in europe. We wouldnt have the great Jose Rizal if it hadnt been for the unsung heroism of Paciano.   Paciano joined and actively supported Propaganda Movement for social reforms, and supported the Movement’s newspaper, Diariong Tagalog. An avid supporter of the movement, he did tasks such as collecting funds to finance the said organization, and solicited money for the nationalist paper. As a Katipunero, he influenced people in Laguna with the revolutionary ideals. Despite the tortures he had in the hands of the Spaniards, he refused to implicate his younger brother who was kept in tight security in Fort Santiago. In January 1897, after his younger brother’s execution, Paciano joined General Emilio Aguinaldo inCavite. He was appointed brigadier general of the revolutionary forces, and was elected Secretary of Finance in the Departmental Government of Central Luzon.[1] During the Philippine-American War (1899–1913), he commanded the Filipino forces in Laguna. U.S. troops captured him in Laguna on 1900.[1] He was released soon after, and he settled in the town of Los Banos, Laguna. Not many Filipinos are aware that Paciano Rizal, the older and only brother of Josà © Rizal, was an active and passionate member of the Katipunan. As a katipunero, Paciano was no less heroic than his very famous brother. So little is known of Paciano. Yet, he is one of the unsung heroes of the Katipunan. Paciano was Rizal’s model for Pilosopong Tasio, one of the important and very interesting characters in his novel Noli me tangere. In his letter to Blumentritt dated 23 June 1888, Rizal wrote †I don’t know why I forgot to introduce you to my brother. You who wish to know good men will find in him the most noble of the Filipinos. My friend Taviel de Andrade said that he was the only man in the Philippines – the young Philosopher Tasio. When I think of him, though an Indio, more generous and noble than all the present-day Spaniards put together.† As the the elder son, Paciano helped the family in managing their farm and was like a. Not only did he help finance Rizal’s education in Europe, he did his best to save money to have his brother’s two novels printed, collected financial contributions for the Propaganda Movement, and solicited subscription for the Diariong Tagalog, a nationalist newspaper. He also supported the Katipunan by propagating its ideals in Laguna. When Josà © was jailed in Fort Santiago in 1896, Paciano was also arrested and tortured to force him to give testimony that would prove his brother guilty of sedition. After Rizal’s execution at Bagumbayan, Paciano went to Imus, Cavite to offer his services to Emilio Aguinaldo. He become the military commander of the revolutionary forces in Laguna and continued. He continued fighting as a katipunero in the Filipino-American War. In an interview for an article featured in the Philippine Centennial in the Francisco Rizal Lopez, one of Paciano’s grandsons, told of his grandfather’s days a a revolucionario. Lopez said that Paciano nearly died of the torture. â€Å"His whole body was swollen and bloody because of the torture he received. The authorities brought him to my grandmother Narcissa because they thought he was going to die. After a week, he recovered. But he was actually at death’s door.† â€Å"My aunt told us a story about my Lolo Paciano whe n he was a revolucionario. She told us that everyday, my Lolo and the other revolucionarios would count the money they had collected. One day, my aunt was so tired and her hands were malansa so she asked my grandfather, ‘Puede po bang makakuha ng cinco centimo diyan para makabili ng sabon dahil malagkit po at malansa ang kamay namin?’ (Could we get five cents to buy soap because our hands are sticky and putrid?) My Lolo got very angry and he said, ‘Huag ninyong galawin ang perang ‘yan!’ (Don’t ever touch that money. That’s for the revolution!)† Sometime in 1900, Paciano was captured by the Americans and ordered to swear allegiance to the American flag. According to his grandson, Paciano said, â€Å"I cannot swear to any other flag because my allegiance belongs to the Filipino flag. But I can assure you, since we have lost and I have surrendered, I am going to leave you in peace.† After the revolution, it was almost impossible for the Rizals to live in Calamba. They have been stripped of everything they owned and they felt persecuted, so they chose to live in Los Baà ±os, the town next to Calamba. Paciano Rizal’s home stands near the Los Baà ±os municipal hall, beside the fire station. There he lived the rest of his life until he died of tuberculosis on April 30, 1930. Francisco Lopez described Paciano’s physical appearance and character, â€Å"My Lolo was a very humble, a very simple man. He never talked to us about his sacrifices in the Revolution. We did not even know up to the time of his death that he was a general in Aguinaldo’s army.† Paciano was a very thrifty man but not with his nephews to whom he always gave money to buy â€Å"tsampoy†. Of the two known pictures of Paciano, one was taken by one of Mr. Lopez’s uncle and the other was a picture of him as lay in his coffin. Paciano had a daughter, Emiliana who is Francisco Lopez’ mother, but he was never married because he could not marry under the Dominican priest. Emiliana, married her first cousin, Antonio Lopez. He was Narcissa Rizal’s son. Paciano lived a peaceful life during the American occupation. and kept his promise that he would leave the Americans in peace. He must have intensely disliked the Americans from an anecdote that Lopez told: † There was a certain Governor-General Leonard Wood and my grandfather did not like him. He had a dog and he named the dog Wood. So every time he felt like cursing the Americans, he would curse the dog† Paciano Rizal was buried in Cementerio del Norte in Manila but his bones were transferred to his home in Los Baà ±os in 1985. were he was given complete military honors. Paciano Rizal, Josà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s kuya, or older brother by a decade and protà ©gà © of Fr. Burgos, had witnessed the garroting of the three curates and been, along with his generation, radicalized by it. His retelling to the sensitive eleven-year-old in Calamba in turn left an indelible impression on the young man, about to leave for Intramuros to study at the Ateneo. Later on Rizal said of the martyrdom, â€Å"Without 1872 there would be now neither Plaridel nor Jaena nor Sancianco, nor the valiant and generous Filipino expatriates in Europe. Without 1872, Rizal would have been a Jesuit and instead of writing the Noli Me Tangere would have instead written something entirely different.† Rizal dedicated his second novel El Filibusterismo (really a continuation of the Noli) to the memory of the three martyrs. Last year saw the commemoration cum celebration of the younger Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary, but not much has been said (at least, not much that I am aware of) about Paciano’s invaluable role in shaping the path his younger brother took, always there to lend a hand, a quiet, rock-solid presence Pepe could rely on. Paciano arranged, along with an uncle, for Pepe to embark for Europe in 1882, whose heady Enlightenment zeitgeist further sharpened Rizal’s critique of Spanish colonial rule. For at least five years Paciano sent him a monthly stipend, and once the Propaganda Movement had gotten off the ground helped raise funds for it. In 1896 he was imprisoned and tortured, to force him to implicate Josà © in the revolution that had begun that August but the stouthearted Paciano would not break. He was released and once Josà © was executed, Paciano volunteered for Aguinaldo’s army, and was made a general, his field of operations being Central Luzon. The revolution against the Spanish metamorphosing into the 1899 war against the U.S., General Rizal continued to fight, but was captured in 1900. Thereafter, despite offers of a government position as well as entreaties from prominent Laguna politicians to run for public office, Paciano, already married, chose the quiet life of a gentleman farmer, and died in 1930 at his home in Los Baà ±os, not far from Calamba, at the age of 79. Paciano’s love for and devotion to his younger brother meant a life behind the scenes, dramatic certainly in many instances but rarely in the limelight, never in the scene-stealing manner of Josà ©. Kuya Paciano’s life made the latter’s transformation into the icon every Filipino knows possible. He would have distanced himself from the label but in my book Paciano Mercado Rizal y Alonso is every bit the hero. Paciano Rizal, whose contribution to the Philippine revolution has been overshadowed by the greatness of his younger brother, Jose Rizal. When Jose Rizal decided to leave the Philippines for advance studies, Paciano, without the knowledge of their parents, asked Antonio Rivera, an uncle, to help in facilitating the travel of Jose Rizal abroad. Paciano himself engaged in the propaganda movement. When Marcelo H. del Pilar founded the Diariong Tagalog, a nationalist vernacular paper, in 1882, Paciano eagerly assisted those behind the paper. He helped the paper by soliciting subscription in his province (Laguna) and in the neighbouring towns of Batangas. During this time Paciano kept Jose Rizal informed about events happening in the country. Aside from attending to the needs of the Rizal family, Paciano regualarly corresponded with Jose in Europe regarding such local problems as land troubles, crop failure, increased land rentals, the decrease in the price of sugar and even the worsening agrarian disputes in Calamba. Paciano’s land dispute with the friars resulted in his exile to Mindoro for one year in 1890. During Jose Rizal’s away abroad, Paciano met and fell in love with Severina Decena, a beautiful lass from Los BaÅ„os, Laguna. They had two children–a boy, who died during infancy, and a girl they named Emiliana. When Jose Rizal was arrested in 1896 Paciano was also arrested and detained. This was to insure the incrimination of Jose Rizal. The older Rizal was tortured and asked to sign a statement linking his younger brother to the Katipunan and to the Philippine Revolution, which had broken out in August of that year. After three days of fruitless interrogation Paciano was released. Before the end of 1896 the Philippine Revolution spread like wildfire to the province south of Manila. Laguna joined the fight for liberty. The emergence of Paciano Rizal as a revolutionary leader was something that could not but draw attention. The Spanish forces gained momentum in the pursuit of the revolutionists, for which reason General Paciano followed General Aguinaldo to Bulacan. The general and his men transferred their camp to Biyak-na-Bato. In December of 1897 the famous truce of Biyak-na-Bato was signed, ending the 1896 Philippine Revolution. In pursuance to the provisions of the agreement, General Aguinaldo and several ranking officers of the revolution surrendered their arms and exiled themselves to Hong Kong. The revolutionary leader left in the country were instructed to comply with the other provisions of the treaty, like the surrender of arms and ammunitions. In this connection General Aquinaldo’s generals were sent to various provinces to arrange for the surrender of the remaining revolutionists who were now scattered. General Artemio Ricarte was sent to Cavite, Gen. Jose Natrividad to Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga, General Miguel Malvar to Batangas, and Gen. Paciano Rizal to Laguna. Complying with orders, General Paciano Rizal, on 14-15 January 1898, surrendered the following to Spain’s General Ricardo Monet for the province of Laguna: 1 Mauser, 3 Remingtons, 46 muskets, 42 blunderbuss, 3 lantakas, 21 saber and 26 bolos. The truce failed, however, resulting in General Aguinaldo’s return to the Philippines. The United States and Spain declared war on each other. Flipinos who had returned to their place under the Spanish government and those who had settled down in their farms activated their fight against the Spanish government and became part of the forces of General Aquinaldo. Among the revolutionary generals who responded was General Paciano Rizal. He again led the fighting in Laguna as the military commander of the area.   Battles were fought openly in Spanish-held towns. In the fastness of Laguna, General Paciano Rizal actively led the onslaught against the Spanish troops.On 31 August, two weeks after the surrender of Manila to the Americans, the Spanish civil official of Laguna Province and a group of Spanish soldiers surrendered to General Paciano Rizal in Santa Cruz, the provincial capital.   On 12 June 1898, the revolutionary leaders proclainmed to the whole world the birth of the Philippine Republic, the first republic in Asia.   The following year the Filipino- American War broke out. Well-trained and well-armed American soldiers prevailed over the ill-quipped Filipino revolutionists. The fight was one-sided.   The loss of many battles was attributed to the revolutionists’ life of hunger and sickness. General Paciano Rizal was affli cted with malaria and he had become weak, he was captured in Laguna by the Americans. The year was 1900. After the war Paciano led a passive private life and retired to his farm in Los BaÅ„os, Laguna. He passed away on 13 April 1930, at the age of 79.   Pedro Patero’s account of his negotiations peace between Spain and the Filipinos revolutionaries, â€Å"El Pacto de Biak na Bato† , Paciano relates: â€Å"What do you want? That we make peace with Spain? That we be the bearer and acceptor of peace, when they have shot my brother, Pepe, banished my parents and relatives, falsely accused us to the last of my family, confiscating our lands and hurling a thousand horrors on our faces? Ah, Don Pedro, dig a deep well. Fill it from the top to bottom with all the bolos and lances that you wish. Then, command me to throw myself into it and I Paciano Rizal, will do just that, but do not ask me for peace because that, Don Pedro, is impossible- absurd!† Paciano exploits reveal getting the Spaniards to surrender in Calamba, by using firecrackers to show the Filipinos were heavily armed. After 3 days the Spaniards surrendered. In his letter to the PIR seen at the National Library Paciano requested for the status of the Americans if they were allies or enemies. Their suspicious actuation in the area proved right, August 13, 1898, Filipinos was tricked by the Americans, they fought another battle. 1900, weakened by malaria, Paciano was captured by the Americans and is said to have refused to swear allegiance to the flag of the USA. While Apolinario Mabini the paralytic was exiled to Guam because he refused allegiance to America. May unanswered questions left, but nothing is definite as of now, except that Paciano Rizal proves like other heroes of the Revolution of 1896 and 1898, should be rescued from obscurity and given the rightful place in our history Characteristics Of A Hero Courage For a hero, courage is as important as a shell is to a tortoise. Without courage, a hero is just as vulnerable as any other man walking down the street. Courage here stands to signify that firmness of the spirit and ‘mettle’ of the soul to stare at danger and trouble right in the eye. Courage here stands to signify the valor it takes to overcome adversities and adversaries. It’s like a soldier rushing into battle knowing well that death awaits him. In all reality, this is what courage is all about! Sacrifice A hero does not become a hero by simply beating up a thousand goons and riding into the sunset victoriously with his lady love. If this was all it took to become a hero, every other Romeo beating up rivals and stealing away his love in the still of the night can be branded a hero. It really is more than that! Sacrifice is what helps a mere mortal make that journey from a mediocre life to one filled with greatness. Sacrifice, by definition, can be described as the giving up of something highly valued for a purpose of greater importance. Thus, in order to achieve greatness and the status of a hero, it is extremely essential for an individual to sacrifice. Determination A hero cannot be considered one, if he possesses a will as bendable as a tube of rubber. A hero truly becomes just that when he exercises his will or determination to come out on top at any cost. Determination can be best described as a hero’s resolve or firmness of purpose to achieve what his heart desires most. It’s all about staying focused and not resting until the task on hand is executed. In life it may not be easy to achieve any given thing, but it is with determination that a man can ultimately achieve what he desires most and turn himself into a champion. Conviction Conviction here does not refer to a person’s skill at convincing another, but it rather refers to a person’s firm belief in any particular thing. It can refer to an unshakeable way of looking at life and all its variables. In a way, the convictions that a man holds can go a long way in determining if he has what it takes to become a hero. In fact, no man can truly become a hero, if he does not possess conviction that is impenetrable as well as unbending. Dedication Do you think that a person can make a man out of himself without being dedicated to any particular thing in life? Obviously not! This is because in life in order to enjoy a permanent taste of success it is extremely important to exercise dedication. If you desire to master an instrument, you have got to be dedicated to master it and shouldn’t really rest until you do. True dedication shouldn’t be forced; it in fact is the direct result of true desire. It is this dedication that can help distinguish a man as a hero.

Electronic Commerce and Mary Kay Essay

Founded in 1962, Mary Kay (marykay. com) has about 1. 8 million consultants selling its cosmetics and fragrances in 34 countries. In 2008, the company had about $2. 4 billion in wholesale sales. As a company that has based its reputation on personal contacts through door-to-door visits and home gatherings, one might think that Mary Kay would not benefit from EC. Actually, the opposite is true. Currently, more than 95 percent of Mary Kay’s independent salespeople place orders via the Internet. The Problem The cosmetics market is very competitive, but it is growing rapidly, especially in developing countries. Mary Kay is trying to capitalize on this trend. The Mary Kay business model enables rapid growth into new markets. By the early 2000s, consultants found that more and more customers wanted to shop online. With a long and global supply chain and the need to manage almost 2 million consultants, it was clear that automation was needed, but Mary Kay’s existing computer system was old and lacked Web or e-commerce applications. Therefore, a major overhaul of the information systems was needed. Finally, it became clear that the emergence of social computing might provide a golden opportunity for Internet marketing by the company. The Solution Mary Kay’s IT department is now split into three divisions: e-commerce, supply chain, and back-office support. Because of pressure from the consultants, the restructuring focused on e-commerce. The company’s goals and objectives were set based on industry best practices. Goals and objectives determine what, how, and when the company is operated, and these also apply to EC initiatives. Mary Kay’s EC solution included the creation of an electronic service desk that supports consultants in 30 countries in a standardized way. Mary Kay also introduced a global electronic ordering system, called Atlas, that allows the consultants to communicate with company warehouses. An intelligent data repository that dynamically maintains a logical model of the EC environment can be accessed by Mary Kay IT staff. Mary Kay and its consultants are also making extensive use of social computing. The following are some representative examples of how Mary Kay uses social computing: The company posts job opening announcements on several sites, including MySpace Jobs ( classifieds. myspace. com/job). Movies and videotapes are available on YouTube (youtube. com) and on movies. go. com. Several blogs are available, both for and against the company (e. g. , marykayandrews. com/blog). Auctions and fixed-price items are available for sale on eBay. Mary Kay provides a consultant locator on the Internet. All of these developments are supported by an extensive hardware and software infrastructure, including a wireless remote management system at the 760,000 square-foot corporate headquarters, an extensive wide area network (WAN, see Chapter 8), and a large data center. Some of the EC systems are used enterprise wide (e. g. , service desk, ticketing system for consultants attending events, and service requests made by consultants). Others are functional (e. g. , accounting, finance, marketing, and inventory control). The company uses an intranet for internal communications as well as dozens of other EC applications. In addition to providing better support to consultants, the EC initiatives produced other benefits, such as greater efficiency, reduced costs and downtime, and improved service. In terms of human resources, it enabled the company to handle its rapid growth without a substantial increase in staffing. The changes also have allowed EC personnel to focus on strategic tasks. Mary Kay found that its engineers and technical people now have time to spend on new innovations. References: Bowman, Mary Kay, et al. â€Å"Intelligent and firm currency conversion.† U.S. Patent No. 7,747,475. 29 Jun. 2010. Meuter, Matthew L., et al. â€Å"The influence of technology anxiety on consumer use and experiences with self-service technologies.† Journal of Business Research 56.11 (2003): 899-906. Dholakia, Ruby Roy, and Nikhilesh Dholakia. â€Å"Mobility and markets: emerging outlines of m-commerce.† Journal of Business research 57.12 (2004): 1391-1396. Kay, Jeffrey, et al. â€Å"Information objects system, method, and computer program organization.† U.S. Patent No. 6,473,893. 29 Oct. 2002. Finn, Mary Kay, Karen Lahey, and David Redle. â€Å"Policies Underlying Congressional Approval of Criminal and Civil Immunity for Interactive Computer Service Providers Under Provisions of the Communications Decency Act of 1996-Should E-Buyers Beware.† U. Tol. L. Rev. 31 (1999): 347.

Richard Branson – Paper

Hence, Brannon has very strong leader-member relations. Second, task structure must be analyzed In a course of four 1. Can a decision be demonstrated as correct? Steps: 2. Are the requirements of the task understood by everyone? 3. Is there more than one way to accomplish the task? 4. Is there more than one correct solution? Based on the environment that Brannon has created at Virgin, assumptions can be made about situational traits. Brannon makes sure that he acknowledges his employees' hard work.That means when a decision Is correct, the appropriate staff ill be praised for making the correct decision. Brannon also encourages his management to continue to challenge employees to come up with new creative ideas to attack the present situation. This means not only will employees understand the task requirements, but they will also be encouraged to find alternate ways to accomplish the task as well as alternate solutions. Using the Graph below, when Richard Brannon keeps a situation at moderate control his effectiveness as a leader and fearlessness as a leader Is maximized.If you have a demoralized staff your company will soon disappear† (Management Skills 1: leadership and motivation). Motivation is the process that accounts for an individual's intensity, direction and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal. Richard Brannon has never lacked self motivation as a result of continuously creating and seeking new challenges to overcome. Brannon transcends his natural self motivation into his unique, hands off management style which emphasizes employee Job happiness and comfortable relationships.Self motivation was never an issue in Abrasion's career as an entrepreneur and business man. From starting Student magazine at age 16 to creating a dominant rower in the recording industry, Brannon always had a desire to seek out new challenges. This may have rooted from his parents because they did not view his learning troubles as a limitation and encouraged him to find and pursue his venture, Student Magazine, his convictions were the underlying motivator. Brannon wanted people to hear his views and was willing to exude hard work in order to assure this happened.Brannon soon began to feel a sense of enjoyment and purpose–a major theme in all of Abrasion's motivation techniques– which transitioned his efforts into the music and recording business. Of course, love and passion is not always a the best self motivator if success is never attained. Thus, Abrasion's second key to self motivation is moving forward, rather than moving back. For example, in the wake of the U. KS recession of the sass's Brannon had a choice to consolidate or keep growing.In response Brannon bought two night clubs and invested profits back into his music industry in order to create success and limit losses. The third key for Brannon was to always have goals. Once current goals are attained, new goals must be formed. This is demonstrated as Abrasion's go als were reddened from creating one of the world's most respected brand to investing in large-scale philanthropic endeavors such as the creation of Virgin Unite. Finally, perhaps the most appropriate rule to Abrasion's success: â€Å"Screw it. Let's do it† (Brannon)!When one man owns a record company, a soft drink company, and is pursuing space tourism there self motivation must never be deficient. Abrasion's self motivation is an extension of how he motivates others. Despite running such an extensive array of companies, he takes on a very â€Å"hands-off,† management style. He says, â€Å"l don't look at any figures or projections, if he [Patrick Ezekiel] wants to do it that's fine by me. That's very much the approach we take, there's a lot of trust† (Management Skills 1: leadership and motivation). The trust he displays in his management demonstrates that Brannon is a Theory Y manager.Theory Y managers assume employees can view work as being natural behavior a nd are committed to the objective. They tend to be less controlling and have a more hands-off approach. As a result, Brannon believes that his management can do their Jobs to the best of their ability without his constant supervision. In addition, Brannon has a knack for surrounding himself with a very capable staff and creating a work environment in which they thrive. † Although Brannon is â€Å"hands-off,† he does create a particular environment that is very affective in motivating his employees.He does this by participating in lots of direct personal communication with his employees. Even though he is a corporate leader, he displays compassion for all employees in the Virgin family and pushes them to become leaders themselves. An example of this is Abrasion's involvement in public relations. Whether its extreme stunts or press leases, Brannon sets aside 25% of his time for public relations. He explains, â€Å"If your staff works enormously hard to create something t hey are proud of, it's foolish if you don't let the world know about it. This social involvement gives his employees the impression that Brannon greatly appreciates his employees' success and hard work. Certainly an employee will be more motivated to work extremely hard for Brannon and Virgin, if Brannon is doing the same for that employee. Analyzing Abrasion's motivational techniques more closely, Mascots Needs Pyramid comes to mind. Brannon looks past physical needs and safety needs, or at least assumes these will be taken care of. Instead, Brannon focuses his efforts most on social and esteem needs.For example, Virgin attempts to fulfill employees' social needs by holding a party employees, whether they are security guards or executives. This not only gives employees a chance to associate socially outside of a work environment, but also links employees regardless of social status. He also targets esteem needs. According to Richard Brannon, â€Å"Junior people are as important as senior employees. Staff should e praised, not criticized they know when they have done something wrong† (Management Skills 1: leadership and motivation).

Business Case Assessment-Marketing in Healthcare Research Paper

Business Case Assessment-Marketing in Healthcare - Research Paper Example In addition, the short and long term projections have also been listed along with the evaluation of the plan. The procedure that is used for evaluating the coronary as well as the peripheral disease is regarded as cardiac imaging. The investigations that are performed under cardiac imaging include Electrocardiography (EKG or ECG) stress tests and resting echocardiograms tests among others. Tests regarding specific vascular diseases such as carotid arterial, extremity arterial as well as the renal arterial are also performed under the cardiac imaging process. The other benefit of cardiac imaging center can be identified in terms that the non-toxic dye used for the purpose of imaging does not affect the kidneys of the patient. Through this process, the researcher can view the heart from a 360-degree angle which was earlier considered to be impossible with catheterization. Moreover, in comparison to the traditional means, the process of cardiac imaging is painless along with being cost-effective as well. The cardiac imaging procedure is also considered to be risk free with almost no complicati ons (Restrepo & Bardo, 2010). Based on these virtues of cardiac imaging, the demand for such processes has increased substantially over the past years. Considering these aspects and the increasing number of people being affected by such diseases, the primary intention of the plan would be to facilitate a wider reach of the treatment. Hence, the strategic goal of marketing the product will be to serve an increasing customer base with the assistance of efficient medical practitioners. However, as the product tends to focus on the health issues concerning the society, making further contributions to the overall well-being of the community, sales and revenue generation will not be treated as a primary objective. In addition, greater significance will be rendered towards fund allocations from various governmental and private sector

Communication in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Public law special study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Public law special study - Essay Example This is an approach consistent with the asymmetry thesis. The asymmetry thesis, takes the position that the imposing sex discrimination prohibitions on religions would amount to excessive restraints on freedom of religion.4 International academic debate centres round either defending or attacking the asymmetry thesis.5 This paper argues that the liberalized thinking occupying international debate is more suited to resolving the tensions between sexuality-based equalities and faith-based equalities. Liberalized thinking in today’s egalitarian society argues that neither religious nor â€Å"quasi-religious† beliefs have a role to play in defining the parameters of civic duty and democratic participation.6 This paper analyses the tensions implicit in sexuality-based equalities and faith-equalities by reference to both British case law and in the context of international academic debate. ... previous statutes defining and regulating the states obligation to ensure equal treatment and protection of the law for all citizens regardless of race, gender, sexuality, religion, disability, nationality and so on.7 In particular, sexuality, gender and religion are â€Å"protected characteristics† within the ambit of the 2010 Act.8 Freedom of religion is likewise statutorily protected in the UK by virtue of the Human Rights Act 1998 which incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights 1953 (Hereinafter ECHR).9 Article 9 of the ECHR provides that all citizens have â€Å"the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion† as well as the right to observe, practice, teach, worship and â€Å"manifest his religion or belief†.10 Article 9(2) however goes on to impose conditions to freedom of religion by providing that the freedom of religion is limitations imposed by law: ...And are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for t he protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedom of others.11 The Court of Appeal explained the importance of Article 9(2) of the ECHR in Ladele v Islington. In this case there was a conflict in competing equality claims: sexuality-based and faith-based equalities. On the facts of the case a registrar who professed to be a Christian declined to register a civil partnership between a same-sex couple on the grounds that same-sex partnerships were against her religious beliefs. The Court of Appeal, in considering Article 9(2) of the ECHR held that the law recognizes that in a modern democratic society it is necessary to prohibit discrimination with respect to the delivery of â€Å"goods, facilities and services on the grounds of sexual orientation† with only exceptional

Trends, Issues and Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Trends, Issues and Community - Essay Example However, neoclassical approaches are also not without their flaws and thus practical policymaking ought to be about ensuring that the government is driven hard to deliver that which is the best from available resources. This brief essay presents a discussion about the neoclassical and the Keynesian or the welfare state approaches to policy making and presents an examination of the impact of neoclassical approaches to policymaking in Australia. I certify that, except where cited in the text, this work is the result of research carried out by the author of this study. The main content of the study which has been presented contains work that has not previously been reported anywhere. Individuals and communities in Australia and in other developed nations are often perplexed at the demise of the so called welfare state which had done far more to try to look after the individual than what is often observed today. Thus, government policies are now forcing individual citizens to take on far more responsibility in nearly everything, ranging from welfare, education to health despite a certain lack of satisfaction with this approach from the citizens (Centre for Policy Development, 2008, â€Å"Real World Economics†). The new policymaking is explained in terms of the limited ability of the community to care for the individual due to resource constraints and a shift from the Keynesian / Welfare state approach to the neoclassical or the new right approaches that are designed not only to provide but also to alter individual behaviour in a manner that is likely to be less of a burden to the society at large. The change that is now observed is often disturbing for those who had seen far better days when government really cared and help was always available in difficult times. Thus, it makes sense to try to understand what guides the new policymaking that has had an impact on nearly all facets of individual’s existence within the community and why Australians and others

Comparison Report Target and Wal-Mart Research Paper

Comparison Report Target and Wal-Mart - Research Paper Example Nonetheless, appropriate use of social media might turn out to be highly advantageous to a company. There are different forms of social media; but Facebook remains the most popular social media channel among people today. Therefore, most companies have adopted this as a platform for their communication with customers. Through Facebook, a company can post videos and photos of their products, address the concerns of their customers, and target new customers. For these reasons, companies have signed up for Facebook, by creating their Facebook pages. This paper compares and contrasts the Facebook pages of Target and Wal-Mart Companies. Walmart is the world’s largest retailer, which operates 10 773 stores across the globe. With over 2.2 million employees, including full time and part time employees, Walmart ranks as the biggest employer. In addition, this company is known for its low pricing and wide selection of products. The sales of Walmart are known to increase each fiscal year . Walmart utilizes different communication strategies, including television, radio, internet, and direct mail. The main message Walmart passes to customers is the value they will have, if they shopped in Walmart stores Graf (n.d). With regard to internet, Walmart utilizes social media, as a communication tool with customers. ... The high number of likes for this company page shows the level of popularity of the company. On the other hand, Target, which is also headquartered in the U.S.A, specializes in consumer goods and consumer services. This company, unlike Walmart, primarily serves the U.S.A market, and has 1 763 stores. Target puts emphasis on merchandise style and the store design, unlike Walmart, which emphasizes on low prices Graf (n.d). However, like Walmart, Target also utilizes social media as a communication strategy. This company too has a Facebook page, which it uses to reach out to its customers. However, there are major differences in the ways Target and Walmart uses Facebook as their communication strategy. One of the main differences between the Facebook page of Walmart and Target lies in the number of followers. For Walmart, there are more than 30 million followers. On the other hand, Target has a close to 22 million followers. Therefore, this means that Walmart is more popular among the F acebook community, as compared to Target. On WalMart’s Facebook page, different products are advertised. Additionally, customers post about their concerns and different issues, which they need to be addressed. These posts then receive response from the administration of the page, as well as other fans of the page. In addition, various events, promotions, and competitions by the company are posted on the page to make customers aware of them. On the other hand, Target also uses its Facebook page to advertise its products, promotions, and events, as well as customer concerns. Walmart has developed different Facebook pages for its different stores. This way, it is easier to address the concerns of customers of a specific store. In addition, unlike Target, Walmart has developed strict

How the Legalization or Decriminalization of Marijuana Can Optimize a Essay

How the Legalization or Decriminalization of Marijuana Can Optimize a Drug Situation in a Country - Essay Example Although not legal in the Netherlands, cannabis is openly tolerated and can be both purchased and consumed in one of several Amsterdam ‘coffee houses.’   Inexplicably, the city has not been thrown into anarchy which, evidently, is what the opponents of cannabis legalization are afraid of.   The evidence demonstrates that legalizing cannabis for medicinal in addition to general purposes would prove a benefit to society, evidence which is well-known throughout the scientific, political and public arena but this collective knowledge has yet to be acted upon.  Eleven states allow the use of marijuana for medicinal use, Rhode Island the most recent joining California, Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Montana, Washington and, Vermont and Maine.   However, laws enacted by the federal government supersede those of the states.   Therefore, the physician within the borders of the U.S. cannot lawfully dispense marijuana nor can a patient legally possess it. †Å"The U.S. Supreme Court said federal law preempts any efforts by the state to authorize the use of marijuana for any purpose, including medicinal† (Schweitzer, 2005).   Most Americans are not against the medicinal use of marijuana and states are legalizing the practice but any use of marijuana remains against federal law which generally translates to stiffer sentences if caught. The U.S. government has recently softened its position on allowing marijuana dispensaries located in states where it is legal but other than that small waiver has continued its absolute prohibition of Marijuana, a method that is one of the most common policies utilized but has evidently not succeeded as intended.   This practice has not eliminated drug traffic.   It has, however, altered the arrangement of supply and demand by forcing the illegality of this market. Illegal marijuana makes criminals of the sick. Many medical benefits are well known.   

Management of Law Office Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management of Law Office - Assignment Example There are several forms of business organizations that a person may venture into among them sole proprietorship, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, law corporations and group law practices.Each of these forms has their own specific differences, as well as, the features upon which each can be evaluated so as to suit the organizational needs of Ms Seow. In this paper, I seek to discuss in brief these forms and then select on one upon which I shall make a recommendation about and the justifications for the same. In a sole proprietorship, a person decides to operate on a particular business venture on their own. The main advantage with this form is that one gets the opportunity to manage and enjoy the profits/benefits from the business alone. However, the costs are enjoyed alone as well which may be detrimental. However, this form would not be essential for Ms Seow considering the nature and form of organization and clientele she serves (Roper, 2007.p.85). On the other hand, a partnership would be when she joins hands with another lawyer and pools resources and clientele base together. In such an arrangement, the benefit would arise from the fact there will be shared responsibility in terms of management and even sourcing of capital for the firm. This arrangement would appear essential considering the financial challenges faced by Ms Seow’s firm. Above all, there are joint deliberations in the making of decisions thus, ensuring their concreteness. However, this would not seem feasible as the same has not worked with the current partnership with Mr. How. Consequently, this form of business may prove unproductive taking into consideration the likely disagreements that may arise between the partners or even the fact that they will be subjected to unlimited or limited liability based on the nature of the partnership. Additionally, a partnership in spite of being flexible and allowing for sharing of losses will also involve the sharing of profits by th e partners. This seems to be the case of Ms Seow in which case the options to her appear as though she should part ways with Mr. How. In the case of a law corporation, the situation facing Ms Seow and her law firm may not prove fruitful. This is because law corporations are usually considered as large scale operational units. Usually, the institutional set-ups as, as well as the structural nature of such may not warrant the organisation run by Ms Seow to be classified as such. This is considering that Ms Seow for one has limited office space, limited number of staff, and above all limited, or inadequate capital to finance her firm’s operations. This is worsened by the ideal situation of the market in which due to the competition, the profits levels have decreased hence, lawyers are not able to make many earnings in the business. For instance, Mr. How, despite being specialised in conveyancing, the same poses a major challenge in the face of the stiff competition with most fir ms opting to charge lower fees (Nollkamper, 2013.p.205). In all these situations, the most feasible and achievable option for Ms Seow and her law firm that will also ensure the achievement of enhanced profitability would be to engage in a Group Law Practice. As the adage goes, ‘there is strength in numbers.’ As such, it would be beneficial for Ms Seow to enter into a Group Law Practice with other firms of similar sizes and enjoy the benefits of extended employees’ network. Group Law Practices are continuously providing effective strategies through which the demands in the ever evolving law demands can be met. As has been reasoned by most seasoned lawyers in private practice, the strength in the seasoned legal bench enables the firms to offer an extensive assortment of services to customers. This is so because group law practice will enable Ms Seow to build a team of sophisticated and dedicated lawyers with diverse knowledge on the benefits of the clients. Clearly , this seems to be much possible

Compare Two Deontological Theories Essay Example for Free

Compare Two Deontological Theories Essay Deon means duty in ancient Greek and a deontological theory is concerned with the morality of an act rather than its consequences (or the motive/intention behind the act). Kants theory of categorical imperatives (I ought to do X rather than a hypothetical; if I want to achieve X then I should do Y) consists of three main principles. The first of these is the universal law which states that you must only act on the maxim (principle) when you can at the same time will it to become a universal law. This means that you must be content that if everybody took the same action as you chose in similar situations, it would remain a moral action. The second of his principles asks you to act in a way that treats others as an end in themselves rather than a means to an end. This relates to Jesus teaching to Do to others what you would have them do to you (Matthew 7:12) and says humans should not use other humans to gain something for themselves, as we would not like to be treated in this way. The final categorical imperative is the Kingdom of Morals which says that we should always act as though we were the legislators for the kingdom of morals we are in charge of what is fair and just. Kant placed great faith on human beings as being able to work rationally to such a conclusion and act according to principles. This contrasts with the Natural Moral Law theory which claims that we must find the purpose God has set for us and follow this path accordingly; our own personal beliefs are irrelevant. Natural Moral Law was coined by Thomas Aquinas (influenced by Aristotles idea of the final cause) and the theory states that every action must work to fulfil its purpose; every action against it is immoral. According to the theory natural law is accessible through the natural order of the world and is unchanging. It is arguable that part of the theory is teleological as it is concerned with our end by trying to fulfil our God-given purpose. Both Aquinas and Kant agree that our morals are absolute, a priori truths, however Kant believes that our reason will lead us to these truths whilst Aquinas has set primary and secondary precepts which he believes humans should follow. His primary precepts are to self-preserve and preserve the innocent, reproduce, learn, order society and worship God. These are absolutist as he believes all societies should share these values. He believes that these are universal and so he is fulfilling Kants first imperative. However the theories, when applied work very differently. An example of this is the case of abortion, a girl that is thirteen years old gets raped and becomes pregnant; she cannot care for the child and feels like she would be wrong in keeping it. According to Kants theory she would not be able to abort as she could not will every woman who became pregnant to abort their child, if they did then the human race would not survive, making this a contradiction of the Laws of Nature. Kant also argued that all humans have intrinsic worth and therefore by aborting so that she has an easier life the girl is treating the foetus as a means to an end. As for natural law, abortion goes against two of Aquinas primary precepts, largely the precept of reproduction. But also preservation of the innocent suggests that issues such as euthanasia and abortion would not be permitted. The only acceptance to abortion in the natural law theory would be if the mothers womb had to be removed to save her life consequently aborting the foetus (this is the doctrine of the double effect). Both Aquinas and Kant assume God, Kant says that we must presuppose God, immortality and freedom in order for his theory to function whilst Aquinas believes that God gave us the ability to reason to find our morals which God set. Whilst on surface level they appear similar theories, both being absolutist and deontological, when applied to ethical decisions they usually counteract each other with the viewpoint given. Assess the strengths weaknesses of one of these theories (9 Marks) An obvious problem for the natural moral law theory is that it provides us with legalistic morality, because it is absolutist it means that it does not accommodate for individual circumstances. An example of this is a homosexual couple. According to the theory, the purpose of all sexual acts is to reproduce; any sexual act which does not fulfil this purpose is immoral. We can see that we are biologically set up to reproduce in this way, and so Aquinas believes that masturbation, contraception and homosexual intercourse are all immoral because they do not perform the function that they are destined for. However the fact that it is an absolutist theory also has its advantages it is a source of clear values and moral certainty, it would be very easy to follow, without considering the complexity of circumstances or consequences. Its focus on reason and universalism also helps the simplicity of the theory and can help it to transcend over a variety of cultures and religions. The only problem with it being a religious theory rather than a secular one is that the primary precept of worshipping God will not come naturally to those who do not believe in the Christian God, or to atheists/agnostics. The fact that Aquinas maintains that the absolute laws come from God and that we ought to obey them may lead him into the trap of the naturalistic fallacy obeying God is a value judgement and therefore he is turning and is into an ought. However an advantage is that the theorys emphasis on the purpose of humanity gives people a structure and meaning in their lives, it is humanistic in its assertion that we all have intrinsic worth. Overall I believe that the weaknesses outweigh the strengths of this theory it fails in its precepts which determine how people should live people do not all hold the same values and therefore it is presumptuous to say that our morals were given by God and we all share them. It is also interesting that Aquinas himself went against his primary precept of reproduction by being a celibate priest.

Knowledge is Everlasting Essay Essay Example for Free

Knowledge is Everlasting Essay Essay One may ask, â€Å"What is knowledge?† I understand Knowledge to be the intellectual ability of being able to understand the events in the world based on principles learn from one’s experiences. Once Knowledge is truly gained, can it be lost? I believe that if one is truly knowledgeable about something it is rather impossible that such knowledge can merely vaporize into thin air. Many people claim that they have indeed â€Å"lost knowledge†but sadly all they lost was information they memorized. Conversely, knowledge involves the careful observation of events, reasoning as to how and why these observations occur, and also learning through experiencing. Furthermore, I have come to recognize the eternal quality of knowledge based on biological facts, and also during my own daily experiences. From a biological point of view, the permanency of knowledge has been proven to be true, through the realization of the brain’s vast characteristics such as memory cells. When an individual learns something for the first time, this information gets stored by memory cells in the brain. Then the next time the individual is encountered with a situation involving or requiring such knowledge, for its interpretation, the brain accesses the stored datafrom the memory cells. This data it had gained from prior experiences. For example, the scenario of the first time one peels an orange. Individuals were not created with the instructions of how to peel an orange imprinted in their DNA. Rather, it must be learned from experience. Therefore,the first step in peeling an orange is gathering information from a source about the necessary method of success.After which, one acquires the apparatus (the knife and orange) and sinks the blade into the peel slightly, so the blade goes just beneath the surface. Then gently glides the blade through the peel to reveal the white layer underneath. After removing all the peel, the orange is sliced into two halves revealing the pulp. Of course, on the first try one might make mistakes and not peel the orange so perfectly. However, upon each ot her trial of peeling an orange one’s technique become more  mastered.Soon,a point is reached where it is possible to peel an orange without thinking how to do it. Clearly, knowledge is always permanently stored in the brain’s memory cells for future use. Additionally, knowledge also becomes magnified each time it is applied and verified in different situations. Often time, true knowledge gets confused with its close relative, memorizing. The fact stands that memorizing and being knowledgeable about something are two completely different concepts. Speaking from my own experiences, studying for an exam is a typical example where memorizing and obtaining knowledge interact closely and may become intertwined. For instance, during the course of studying for an exam there are some definitions of theories that I merely memorized. The result was that I forgot them after the exam since all I did was replicate the definitions on the exam paper. Still, there were some cases in which I had gained knowledge of things I still remember. This was because, I read about the concepts in greater detail beyond their definition and actually understood the concepts and applied them to real life situations. The misperception of memorizations for knowledge is very common among people and so they tend to misinterpret the principle of knowledgeable, thereby failing to see the permanent nature of knowledge relative to the temporary and limited character of memorizing. I believe rather than dying, knowledge grows with experience and constantly metamorphosis into an even higher level of knowledge. It is intensely evident that knowledge is perpetual. Moreover, knowledge is limitless as it goes beyond mere memorizing of data and events, towards developing an understanding of the observations made during life’s experiences. My belief is reflected in the common rhyme I was taught in school, â€Å"silver and gold may vanish away, but a good education will never decay†. Thus, the lifetime of knowledge is so vast and unlimited that it is given higher value above even the most precious minerals on Earth, such as silver and gold.Wouldn’t you agree that the truly most valuable trea sure known to mankind is knowledge? Works Cited Quindel, Emilie. our local history. 02 December 2012. WordPress. 10 September 2013 .

TV Addiction Problem

TV Addiction Problem Running head: TV ADDICTION: A GROWING PROBLEM TV addiction- A Growing Problem Most people of my generation have never known life without television. We have grown up sitting in the living room in front of the flickering TV screen. It is hard for us to see how television affects our lives. The belief that television is destructive to communication among family and friends is quite common. On the other hand, television has increased the speed at which information travels, and it can transfer circumstances and images into our homes that previous generations never had. People tend to idealize the past; they imagine a group of family and friends entertaining themselves by playing games and telling stories around a warm fireplace, but I do not think that TV can be blamed for the lack of communication among family and friends. Without a doubt, television is one of the most powerful means of communicating in the past decade, competing with other forms of communication such as the Internet, telephone, movies, cellular phones, and of course, our speech. Due to its extensive availability and enriched media with images and sounds, it is very difficult to keep it away from our lives. Television is a necessity of our lives like our meals, clothing, and home. At first, the broadcasting industry was started for public purposes. Nowadays, as to the influences of television, some people say that television offers a relaxing time and useful information to us while others argue that television does not always have a good effect on us because of its hindrance to communication among people. However, television provides us with rich topics to talk about and a chance to get together with each other. Most of all, television helps us communicate with others. We watch television almost every evening with our family. For example, my father and I enjoy watching news or knowledge-based documentary programs. Watching these programs we sometimes discuss current affairs such as the Presidential election or economic problems. Likewise, hot issues on television like news or trendy programs are the most common topics among my friends in my college. If some of them did not watch television the previous night, they cannot even take part in the discussion becaus e they have nothing to talk about. In this respect, since television provides us with various topics related to our lives, it helps us form our sense of intimacy with family or friends. Next, television promotes our communication because it offers a chance to get together with families or friends. Nowadays, most people are so busy that they do not have much time to spend with family and friends. However, through TV programs, we can have a chance to get along with them. For instance, when the 2002 World Cup was held in Korea, many people had a great time with their family or friends. To watch soccer games, we gathered in front of TV with friends or family who we were alienated from for a long time. Consequently, such TV programs help us build up closer human relationships among people. Thus, I think television plays an important role in promoting communication with family or friends. â€Å"Children are more likely to become actively engaged with anything that attracts them. Especially, television provides great interests with its variety of sounds and images to children†. They immediately desire for watching it whether content is neither too easy not too difficult to understand. By its providing some challenge, television allows them to gain an abundant vocabulary. Just like our muscles, the brain gets stronger when it is used, and declines when it isnt used. Television is so commonly criticized as being bad for children that an important fact sometimes gets overlooked†. (ScienceDaily, 2001) Some types of television viewing may actually enhance childrens intellectual development. Television contains an enormous variety of forms and content. In a study, the effects of television viewing depended on program content.† There are always bad effects on children watching TV. Children who are TV viewers increasingly view life as an entertainment extravaganza in which they are fond of playing role in TV show, and there are aggressive content of current broadcasting that greatly affect children. Besides, it is inevitable to watch TV without facing revolting violence. Once more, the effects of television viewing depend on program content and genre. Children are required to be advised what right TV program to watch by their parents. (Carter Bill, 1996) Children have no ability of choosing what is good or bad.Parents and teachers restrain childrens watching TV which is just ignoring their needs. Parents and teacher should be responsible for teaching how to manage their time and what benefits children acquire while watching TV. (Austin W.P, 2003) â€Å"This problem was less severe before cable and the advent of hundreds of channels. The increase in choice has increased the probability of every family member being addicted to a different program on some channel and this eventually leads to time conflicts when two channels show their programs at the same time and there are different viewing demands. Among high-income families this results in more than one television in the house and the physical togetherness of the middle-class family is sacrificed to television addiction. Television addiction increases because in a given family there are people of different ages, genders, with differing levels of education, personal beliefs, intellectual orientation, and personal tastes.† (Television addiction, 2007) Therefore, family members are obsessed with watching their favorite channels. Naturally, their watching time gradually increases and they become addicted to it after all. Most of the people prefer spending time with their families and friends rather than spending time watching television. Television plays an important role in peoples lives. However, most people would definitely choose family and friends over television. Moreover, most knowledgeable people are aware of the harmful effects of watching too much television. Through my experience, after a long day at school, I had plenty of time talking with my parents. For me and my family, our precious time together can not be compared to anything. In addition, the effect of television is simply not so great that it could be said to have â€Å"destroyed† communication among family and friends. Granted, communication among people in industrialized countries has decreased in recent years. It might be tempting to blame this problem on television since its rise roughly coincided with the decrease in time we spend with our families. However, I believe this situation is more likely due to increased pressures relating to work, school, and the economy. In my case, for example, I find that my pressures from studying are so great that I must often sacrifice time at home so that I can meet the challenges of achieving my own goals. In some situations, however, it is true that TV is responsible for decreasing communication among family members. In my childhood in the countryside, I frequently saw parents and children watching television for hours every day, and they barely talked with one another. It seemed for them that television was a way to escape from when they were sad or in a miserable mood. However, admittedly television brought on bad circumstances However, even in this case, I would say that television merely contributed to the bad situation, but it did not cause it; if television were nonexistent, surely these people would have found other escapes, alcohol or gambling, for example. In other words, people always find a way to do want they want to do. Likewise, we need to realize that nobody forces us to sit in front of the TV. We can choose to turn it off and spend more time communicating with our loved ones. Instead of thinking of ourselves as victims of television, we should see how TV can be a good tool for us to use as we see fit. Also, we are able to use it to learn about the world or simply to entertain us when we are bored. â€Å"Television addiction becomes a problem when a subject does not want to watch TV, but experiences an uncontrollable compulsion to start or continue watching.† It is common beliefs that stop watching TV is the fastest method to quit TV addiction. Addicted people just turn off TV screen and try to never approach to it when they find out first time. It may seem work at the beginning. However, as time goes on, they get stressed out by what they are restricted to. They should find out root cause of it and at least show some efforts. Even though it takes long to quit TV addiction, the main purpose is to find you feel free from TV watching. It is common a belief that the fastest method to quit TV addiction by stop watching TV. Addicted people just turn off the TV and try to never approach it. It may seem work at the beginning. However, as time goes on, they get stressed out by what they are restricted to. They should find out the root cause of the addiction and at least show some efforts. Even though it takes a long to quit TV addiction, the main purpose is to be free from TV watching. There are five steps that help us to deal with TV addiction. First of all, you keep a record of how much TV you watch every time you do. You need to know how much time you spend watching TV. Next, compare the amount of time you watch TV to average time people spending on TV. If you do more than the average, try to reduce the amount of time. Secondly, List all the other fun activities you can do at home instead of watching TV. Place your list on your refrigerator so you can check this list before you turn on the TV. Consider fun activities to do as family, household projects you would like to complete, outside activities, reading, exercise, etc. Third, set a limit for how much TV you will watch in later on. Fourth, record your time and stick to your commitment. You can control yourself spend watching time within limited time, Fourth, commit to exercising whenever you watch TV by walking on a treadmill, or riding a stationary bike. If you do so, you will feel less guilty about wasting your time watching TV. Last, Consider removing your TV for a set period of time. You might find yourself talking to your family again instead of watching the TV too much. (N/A, 2007) From these beliefs, I strongly believe that television has not damaged or harmed interpersonal communication among families and most people. Most people think that television is simply a temporary means of spending time, and they do not use it to substitute for interpersonal communication. The damage is attributable to other social factors, not television. Therefore, all of us must choose what we want to do with our free time. We should quit thinking of ourselves as victims of technology and realize that technology offers us choices. Let us take control of technology and use it to improve our lives. Only we can decide how much time we want to spend communicating with friends and loved ones. The television does not decide this for us, we decide it by ourselves.

Learning to Cook: Awakening Queer Tastes :: Sexuality Homosexuality Essays

Learning to Cook: Awakening Queer Tastes The initial stages of vegetarian desire are characterized by what may be termed 'epicuriosity' on the part of the food consumer -- an inclination towards food pleasures beyond the meat-centred menus favoured by North Americans -- but often, the transition to a vegan or vegetarian diet is made difficult by the centrality of omnivorism within popular culture. From frozen TV dinners to foie gras, meat's accessibility as a convenient pre-packaged commodity means that animal products are the accepted norm. And, since popular adherence to the principles of omnivorist consumption culture dictates that the rejection of meat-eating be viewed as a cultural transgression, the choice to adopt a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle is often met with hostility (not surprising given that aggression and defensiveness seem to be standard responses to the suggestion of difference within western social orders). However, this hostility is especially evident towards young vegetarians for whom the choice to adop t an alternate diet is interpreted as an affront to the 'compulsory carnivorism' that is the social and parental expectation of the adolescent. Therefore, the challenge facing the bold vegetarian is one of articulating her appetites to a meat-oriented populace. Queer Subjectivities in formation A similar obstacle faces the adolescent subjects in Leontine Sagan's Machden in Uniform and Sadie Benning's Me and Rubyfruit, who are forced to express their sexual identities and desires from positions defined as marginal in relation to the normative paradigm of heterosexuality. What these characters are faced with is the supremacy of one model of sexuality that pathologizes all other forms of sexual preference as deviance. The importance of these films is that not only do they represent characters whose expressed desires destabilize dominant expectations of adolescent sexuality but that further, by performing such challenges they offer the potential to contest the very system of socialized heterocentrism which impedes the acceptance of queer sexualities. In Machden in Uniform we are offered a peek into the bourgeoning of such illicit desires amongst a group of girls sharing a dormitory at a German boarding school. The girls are represented as exploring a number of erotic fantasies -- some revolving around male film stars but others centred around their teacher, Fraulein von Bernburg. Within the closed environment of the school, the expression of any type of desire is considered a sinful indulgence but it is the expression of homosexual affection that is the least tolerated transgression.

The Great Levittown Impact Essay -- Urban Sprawl Urbanization Essays

The Great Levittown Impact The third listing for the definition of sprawl in the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary is as follows: â€Å"to spread or develop irregularly†. Unfortunately, this is the pattern, or lack thereof, with which America’s development is following. Every single day the world population rises, and these new babies have to live somewhere. Due to the fact that the birth rate is larger than that of the death rate in America (http://www.bartleby.com/151/a24.html), new homes and communities must be developed to accommodate all of the incoming people. This fundamental concept is coupled by another very powerful driving force prompting people to live in the suburbs of America, and that is greed. The economy makes available to the country a degree of ownership never before matched in our history, and people are taking advantage of it. This idea drives people to move from the congested, smoky, and frantic cities to the serenity of the countryside, where they have t he opportunity to own much more land and live a more peaceful life. For a time this worked very nicely as portrayed in the incredible success of the communities created by William Levitt. Levittown was a dream of William Levitt, which encompassed the idea that all Americans can afford a home in the country. It was a success in the time of its creation, but we are beginning to see the dangers that this type of super growth brings along with it. Urban sprawl is an issue that will require much attention in the future, to prevent the negative effects that are already taking their toll. Expansion has been the trend of human civilization developments ever since agriculture allowed man to settle into permanent communities. The cast... ...gether to create economic and environmental prosperity. Bibliography: Business 2.0, â€Å"The sultans of Sprawl†, Ed Brown, http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,4887,FF.html, 1999 Levittown at Fifty, â€Å"Growing Pains†, Geoffrey Mohan, http://www.lihistory.com/specsec/hslevtwo.htm, 2002 Bartleby.com, World Fact Book 2001, â€Å"Birth Rate†, http://www.bartleby.com/151/a24.html, 2001 Florida Sustainable Community Center, â€Å"The Historical Roots of Sprawl†, Joseph Smyth, Excerpted from "The Economic Power of Sustainable Development: Building the New American Dream", a chapter in Sustainable Cities: Concepts and Strategies for Eco-City Development, Eco-Home Media, http://sustainable.state.fl.us/fdi/fscc/news/world/rtsprawl.htm, 1998 Environmental Protection Agency OMS Fact Sheet #3, â€Å"Automobiles and Carbon Monoxide†, http://www.epa.gov/otaq/03-co.htm, 1993

Transmission of Pain Signals by the Brain at the Spinal Level Essay

Transmission of Pain Signals by the Brain at the Spinal Level Pain has been defined by Coates & Hindle as an unpleasant emotional and sensory experience which signals a potential or actual damage to tissues (2011, p. 213). Pain is a common human experience and can emanate from injury and illness. There are two main types of pain; acute pain is short-lived, lasting for minutes or several days and its onset often takes place rapidly. It results from the activation of pain nerve endings or nociceptors either by internal or external pain stimuli. On the other hand chronic pain is continuous and sometimes recurrent and can last for weeks, months or even years. Chronic pain is usually not located at or related to the tissue undergoing trauma (Draper & Knight, 2007, p. 104). Various theories have been proposed to explain the mechanism underlying the transmission and perception of pain. These include the specificity theory which maintains that specific fibers and pain receptors are activated by injury after which the pain signals are projected via the spinal pathway to an area in the brain that interprets the pain. In this regard, the specificity theory virtually equates the peripheral injury with the psychological experience caused by the pain (Anderson, 2004, p. 355). However, this theory has been found to harbor several limitations as research about pain has intensified with time. In light of this, the gate theory that was proposed by Melzack and Wall has had a major contribution to the understanding of pain transmission and perception (Pain Game Part 2, 2011). Research has demonstrated that pain is affected by psychological and physiological factors which helps to explain the mechanism underlying inhibition and/or facilitaion of pai... ...t has been noted that the gate control theory proposed by Melzack and Wall in 1965 formed the foundation of understanding the process of pain signal transmission. The dorsal horn of the spinal cord is the region of the CNS that controls the passage of pain signals by means of opening and/or closing the gate. Pain can only be perceived if reaches the brain. Events that cause excitation such pain signals and the release of excitatory or facilitatory chemicals cause the gate to open whereas inhibitory events such as competing nerve impulses caused by rubbing trigger closure of the gate. The gate can also be closed due to descending inhibition enhanced by relaxation or the use of pain-relieving medication such as morphine. The brain stem is responsible for controlling the transmission of pain signals via the ascending and descending pain pathways.

In Search of How People Change

How people intentionally change addictive behaviors with and without treatment is not well understood by behavioral scientists. This article summarizes research on self-initiated and professionally facilitated change of addictive behaviors using the key transtheoretical constructs of stages and processes of change. Modification of addictive behaviors involves progression through five stages—precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance—and individuals typically recycle through these stages several times before termination of the addiction. Multiple studies provide strong support for these tages as well as for a finite and common set of change processes used to progress through the stages. Research to date supports a transtheoretical model of change that systematically integrates the stages with processes of change from diverse theories of psychotherapy.REFERENCES Abrams, D. B. , Follicle, M. J. , & Biener, L. (1988, November). Individual versus g roup self-help smoking cessation at the workplace: Initial impact and 12-month outcomes. In T. Glynn (Chair), Four National Cancer Institute-funded self-help smoking cessation trials: Interim results and emerging patterns. Symposium conducted at the annual eeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, New York. Beitman, B. D. (1986).

Natural law approach Essay

â€Å"Natural law is the most reliable approach when making judgements about sex and relationships.† Discuss. (35 marks) When either evaluating or disusing this statement we must first consider the main teachings of natural law. For instance; natural law focuses very much on the purpose the potential and the actuality of things and events. It also talks of and attributes these three things to human beings in particular natural looks at the purpose of human beings. Natural contains two types of precepts, one being primary precepts, these are in natural law precepts in which are always true and they are the fundamental principles of natural law and there are five primary precepts including; the preservation of life, reproduction, education of the young, living peacefully in society and worship god. The second type of precepts are the secondary precepts these are worked out from the primary precepts and are hence dependent of our own judgements and therefore clearly differ from the primary precepts. Natural law is an absolute law, in which is true on all situations and times. Natural law is a deontological, in other words a ethical system in which considers that the moral act itself has moral value, for instance telling the truth is always right even when it might cause pain or harm. Although Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) is given the name as the founder of natural law, natural law owes lots of its existence to Aristotle (384-BCE). As for it was Aristotle who originally had the idea that people like every other natural objects have specific nature purpose and function and then later Aquinas linked these ideas with that of the teachings of the Catholic church. Even still to this day natural law is a basic for Roman Catholic teachings and beliefs. When dealing with the idea of judgements relating to sex and relationships there is many points which need to be given consideration. For instance sexual morality, so here we shall consider how we should all show concern to good and bad in relation to sexual relations. For instance we must consider the following; sex as procreative, sex within marriage and premarital sex, homosexuality and contraception. All of which are ideas and elements in which have to be taken account for, especially when making judgements about sex and relationships. Sex as procreation, is something in which is a very historical view of sex. Sex as procreation is the exact feeling in which natural law has towards sex and relationships as; the purpose of sex according to natural law is to procreate. Natural law believes very strongly also in the idea of sex before marriage, as natural law states that in order for a couple to have sex with one another they must first be married this is also what is believed in the terms of the catholic church. As we can see here again how natural law is in fact the bases for so many of the catholic churches ideas beliefs and teachings. As natural agrees and states that people should be in a marriage before having sex, this forms the idea that natural law does not agree with the suggestion or the act of premarital sex. Homosexuality is another issue in which is nearly always raised within the topic of sex and relationships. As natural law’s perspectives are very similar to that of the Roman Catholic churches, we can state that the view in which these both hold is that one in which states that to have sexual inclinations towards someone of your sex is not a sin but to act on these inclinations would be wrong. Within natural there is also the main statement in which says that sex has to be done in order to create a child. So although sex is said to be allowed to be for pleasurable, the main purpose always has to be an intention to have a baby from it. Hence homosexual couples will not follow this rule when having sex with one another as for this impossible for them and hence natural law is against same couple sex as this can never result in the birth of a baby. Contraception is a very controversial topic. Natural law is against the fundamental principle of contraception (stopping a child being conceived). Contraception quite simply goes against one of natural law’s five principles; reproduction, therefore natural law is against any form of contraception, so too is the Catholic Church. Natural law believes that we should not have the power as humans to interfere with Gods work and as child and babies are his work for us to use contraception we would be interfering with his work, hence why contraception is not something in which natural law agrees with. There are many reasons and examples as to why some may see natural law as the most reliable approach when making judgements about sex and relationships. For instance it is universal, so applies in all situations and there can be no misunderstandings or wrong interpretations along the way as this is a universal clear cut approach. Some will also argue that this is a god given approach as the statements in which have become the rule and teachings/beliefs of natural law often come from the bible also not forgetting that natural law has very strong religious ties with the catholic church and hence many will argue that the fact that natural law is a god given approach, in many people’s eyes, will mean that for many this makes it the best approach. Another reason as to why natural law is the best approach is because it does have very strong beliefs as to when it comes to relationships and these strong views in some people’s minds mean that it is a reliable and good approach to use when in the dilemma of relationship questions. However this may not be the case for everyone, as some will see natural law as out of date in general and this aspect of being out of date shines through for lots of people in the views in which natural law shows towards sex and relationships. For example; of sex before marriage being one of these views. For some this idea in which natural law is out of date will mean that for them natural law really isn’t the best approach especially when making judgements about sex and relationships. Also, we must consider here that natural may also for many seem inflexible. Back to the point made earlier which is that natural law is absolute law, in which is true on all situations and times. Although for many this is the exact reason or one of them for why the like natural law this is also for many a negative point of natural law. As it means that natural law is inflexible, and hence some might argue that natural law being inflexible means that it is not the best approach to use, especially in this situation when we are dealing with a the sensitive topic of sex and relationships. In a question like this one we must make sure that we have a clear cut idea of what all the words mean to make sure that everyone is really making the best judgements about whether or not natural law is the most reliable approach when making judgements about sex and relationships. In this question the word in which we need to make sure we have to know what we mean by it is, reliable. To me reliable means that we can trust it, for an approach to be seemed as reliable, to me that means that we can trust all of what the approach has to say on the topic in which it has been said to have been reliable when making judgements on. Reliable in this context I think can also be associated with being fair and a view in which we can all take and all be happy taking. This theory may seem reliable I believe from the perspective of someone who is religious and especially catholic and the views are very similar. This approach may also seem reliable to a person with the perspective that there should be set rules in life and that life is very clean cut and black and white. Someone with the perspective that life needs set rules and regulations and that these rules and regulations should be fixed and set and little of any flexibility. However, this theory may seem not reliable to those who believe that there can’t be absolutes in terms of personal relationships. For instance these people who think like this may argue, are there really absolutes when it comes to personal relationships? As we all know that no relationship is ever the same as no person is ever the same and hence these people may well argue that for such reasons like these that there just can’t be absolutes in situations really involving people and emotions, in which are both a big part of the topic situation e.g. relationships. However, some who believe strongly in natural law will disagree, no doubt and will argue that there can be absolutes in terms of personal relationships and they may argue that everything in life can have and should have absolutes. And one rule in which applies in one aspect of life and surely then be applied to all aspects of life. Those who argue that there can’t really be absolutes in terms of personal relationships might say that other theories due to this are more reliable. For instance, they might put forward Kant or utilitarianism as being more reliable. This could be because they are seen as being more flexible theories. Especially utilitarianism, as utilitarianism is a teleological theory, one in which argues that moral actions are right or wrong depending on their out as opposed to natural law which is not a teleological theory and is a deontological theory instead therefore is a theory in which is not very flexible and is a theory which is based on moral rules and whether action itself is right or wrong. To conclude, â€Å"Natural law is the most reliable approach when making judgements about sex and relationships†, is a statement in which really depends on your personal views.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 132-133

CHAPTER 132 Katherine Solomon's heart felt light as she hurried up the hill toward the base of the Washington Monument. She had endured great shock and tragedy tonight, and yet her thoughts were refocused now, if only temporarily, on the wonderful news Peter had shared with her earlier . . . news she had just confirmed with her very own eyes. My research is safe. All of it. Her lab's holographic data drives had been destroyed tonight, but earlier, at the House of the Temple, Peter had informed her that he had been secretly keeping backups of all her Noetic research in the SMSC executive offices. You know I'm utterly fascinated with your work, he had explained, and I wanted to follow your progress without disturbing you. â€Å"Katherine?† a deep voice called out. She looked up. A lone figure stood in silhouette at the base of the illuminated monument. â€Å"Robert!† She hurried over and hugged him. â€Å"I heard the good news,† Langdon whispered. â€Å"You must be relieved.† Her voice cracked with emotion. â€Å"Incredibly.† The research Peter had saved was a scientific tour de force–a massive collection of experiments that proved human thought was a real and measurable force in the world. Katherine's experiments demonstrated the effect of human thought on everything from ice crystals to random-event generators to the movement of subatomic particles. The results were conclusive and irrefutable, with the potential to transform skeptics into believers and affect global consciousness on a massive scale. â€Å"Everything is going to change, Robert. Everything.† â€Å"Peter certainly thinks so.† Katherine glanced around for her brother. â€Å"Hospital,† Langdon said. â€Å"I insisted he go as a favor to me.† Katherine exhaled, relieved. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"He told me to wait for you here.† Katherine nodded, her gaze climbing the glowing white obelisk. â€Å"He said he was bringing you here. Something about `Laus Deo'? He didn't elaborate.† Langdon gave a tired chuckle. â€Å"I'm not sure I entirely understand it myself.† He glanced up at the top of the monument. â€Å"Your brother said quite a few things tonight that I couldn't get my mind around.† â€Å"Let me guess,† Katherine said. â€Å"Ancient Mysteries, science, and the Holy Scriptures?† â€Å"Bingo.† â€Å"Welcome to my world.† She winked. â€Å"Peter initiated me into this long ago. It fueled a lot of my research.† â€Å"Intuitively, some of what he said made sense.† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"But intellectually . . .† Katherine smiled and put her arm around him. â€Å"You know, Robert, I may be able to help you with that.† Deep inside the Capitol Building, Architect Warren Bellamy was walking down a deserted hallway. Only one thing left to do tonight, he thought. When he arrived at his office, he retrieved a very old key from his desk drawer. The key was black iron, long and slender, with faded markings. He slid it into his pocket and then prepared himself to welcome his guests. Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon were on their way to the Capitol. At Peter's request, Bellamy was to provide them with a very rare opportunity–the chance to lay eyes upon this building's most magnificent secret . . . something that could be revealed only by the Architect. CHAPTER 133 High above the floor of the Capitol Rotunda, Robert Langdon inched nervously around the circular catwalk that extended just beneath the ceiling of the dome. He peered tentatively over the railing, dizzied by the height, still unable to believe it had been less than ten hours since Peter's hand had appeared in the middle of the floor below. On that same floor, the Architect of the Capitol was now a tiny speck some hundred and eighty feet below, moving steadily across the Rotunda and then disappearing. Bellamy had escorted Langdon and Katherine up to this balcony, leaving them here with very specific instructions. Peter's instructions. Langdon eyed the old iron key that Bellamy had handed to him. Then he glanced over at a cramped stairwell that ascended from this level . . . climbing higher still. God help me. These narrow stairs, according to the Architect, led up to a small metal door that could be unlocked with the iron key in Langdon's hand. Beyond the door lay something that Peter insisted Langdon and Katherine see. Peter had not elaborated, but rather had left strict instructions regarding the precise hour at which the door was to be opened. We have to wait to open the door? Why? Langdon checked his watch again and groaned. Slipping the key into his pocket, he gazed across the gaping void before him at the far side of the balcony. Katherine had walked fearlessly ahead, apparently unfazed by the height. She was now halfway around the circumference, admiring every inch of Brumidi's The Apotheosis of Washington, which loomed directly over their heads. From this rare vantage point, the fifteen- foot-tall figures that adorned the nearly five thousand square feet of the Capitol Dome were visible in astonishing detail. Langdon turned his back to Katherine, faced the outer wall, and whispered very quietly, â€Å"Katherine, this is your conscience speaking. Why did you abandon Robert?† Katherine was apparently familiar with the dome's startling acoustical properties . . . because the wall whispered back. â€Å"Because Robert is being a chicken. He should come over here with me. We have plenty of time before we're allowed to open that door.† Langdon knew she was right and reluctantly made his way around the balcony, hugging the wall as he went. â€Å"This ceiling is absolutely amazing,† Katherine marveled, her neck craned to take in the enormous splendor of the Apotheosis overhead. â€Å"Mythical gods all mixed in with scientific inventors and their creations? And to think this is the image at the center of our Capitol.† Langdon turned his eyes upward to the sprawling forms of Franklin, Fulton, and Morse with their technological inventions. A shining rainbow arched away from these figures, guiding his eye to George Washington ascending to heaven on a cloud. The great promise of man becoming God. Katherine said, â€Å"It's as if the entire essence of the Ancient Mysteries is hovering over the Rotunda.† Langdon had to admit, not many frescoes in the world fused scientific inventions with mythical gods and human apotheosis. This ceiling's spectacular collection of images was indeed a message of the Ancient Mysteries, and it was here for a reason. The founding fathers had envisioned America as a blank canvas, a fertile field on which the seeds of the mysteries could be sown. Today, this soaring icon–the father of our country ascending to heaven–hung silently above our lawmakers, leaders, and presidents . . . a bold reminder, a map to the future, a promise of a time when man would evolve to complete spiritual maturity. â€Å"Robert,† Katherine whispered, her gaze still fixated on the massive figures of America's great inventors accompanied by Minerva. â€Å"It's prophetic, really. Today, man's most advanced inventions are being used to study man's most ancient ideas. The science of Noetics may be new, but it's actually the oldest science on earth–the study of human thought.† She turned to him now, her eyes filled with wonder. â€Å"And we're learning that the ancients actually understood thought more profoundly than we do today.† â€Å"Makes sense,† Langdon replied. â€Å"The human mind was the only technology the ancients had at their disposal. The early philosophers studied it relentlessly.† â€Å"Yes! The ancient texts are obsessed with the power of the human mind. The Vedas describe the flow of mind energy. The Pistis Sophia describes universal consciousness. The Zohar explores the nature of mind spirit. The Shamanic texts predict Einstein's `remote influence' in terms of healing at a distance. It's all there! And don't even get me started about the Bible.† â€Å"You, too?† Langdon said, chuckling. â€Å"Your brother tried to convince me that the Bible is encoded with scientific information.† â€Å"It certainly is,† she said. â€Å"And if you don't believe Peter, read some of Newton's esoteric texts on the Bible. When you start to understand the cryptic parables in the Bible, Robert, you realize it's a study of the human mind.† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"I guess I'd better go back and read it again.† â€Å"Let me ask you something,† she said, clearly not appreciating his skepticism. â€Å"When the Bible tells us to `go build our temple' . . . a temple that we must `build with no tools and making no noise,' what temple do you think it's talking about?† â€Å"Well, the text does say your body is a temple.† â€Å"Yes, Corinthians 3:16. You are the temple of God.† She smiled at him. â€Å"And the Gospel of John says the exact same thing. Robert, the Scriptures are well aware of the power latent within us, and they are urging us to harness that power . . . urging us to build the temples of our minds.† â€Å"Unfortunately, I think much of the religious world is waiting for a real temple to be rebuilt. It's part of the Messianic Prophecy.† â€Å"Yes, but that overlooks an important point. The Second Coming is the coming of man–the moment when mankind finally builds the temple of his mind.† â€Å"I don't know,† Langdon said, rubbing his chin. â€Å"I'm no Bible scholar, but I'm pretty sure the Scriptures describe in detail a physical temple that needs to be built. The structure is described as being in two parts–an outer temple called the Holy Place and an inner sanctuary called the Holy of Holies. The two parts are separated from each other by a thin veil.† Katherine grinned. â€Å"Pretty good recall for a Bible skeptic. By the way, have you ever seen an actual human brain? It's built in two parts–an outer part called the dura mater and an inner part called the pia mater. These two parts are separated by the arachnoid–a veil of weblike tissue.† Langdon cocked his head in surprise. Gently, she reached up and touched Langdon's temple. â€Å"There's a reason they call this your temple, Robert.† As Langdon tried to process what Katherine had said, he flashed unexpectedly on the gnostic Gospel of Mary: Where the mind is, there is the treasure. â€Å"Perhaps you've heard,† Katherine said, softly now, â€Å"about the brain scans taken of yogis while they meditate? The human brain, in advanced states of focus, will physically create a waxlike substance from the pineal gland. This brain secretion is unlike anything else in the body. It has an incredible healing effect, can literally regenerate cells, and may be one of the reasons yogis live so long. This is real science, Robert. This substance has inconceivable properties and can be created only by a mind that is highly tuned to a deeply focused state.† â€Å"I remember reading about that a few years back.† â€Å"Yes, and on that topic, you're familiar with the Bible's account of `manna from heaven'?† Langdon saw no connection. â€Å"You mean the magical substance that fell from heaven to nourish the hungry?† â€Å"Exactly. The substance was said to heal the sick, provide everlasting life, and, strangely, cause no waste in those who consumed it.† Katherine paused, as if waiting for him to understand. â€Å"Robert?† she prodded. â€Å"A kind of nourishment that fell from heaven?† She tapped her temple. â€Å"Magically heals the body? Creates no waste? Don't you see? These are code words, Robert! Temple is code for `body.' Heaven is code for `mind.' Jacob's ladder is your spine. And manna is this rare brain secretion. When you see these code words in Scripture, pay attention. They are often markers for a more profound meaning concealed beneath the surface.† Katherine's words were coming out in rapid-fire succession now, explaining how this same magical substance appeared throughout the Ancient Mysteries: Nectar of the Gods, Elixir of Life, Fountain of Youth, Philosopher's Stone, ambrosia, dew, ojas, soma. Then she launched into an explanation about the brain's pineal gland representing the all-seeing eye of God. â€Å"According to Matthew 6:22,† she said excitedly, † `when your eye is single, your body fills with light.' This concept is also represented by the Ajna chakra and the dot on a Hindu's forehead, which–â€Å" Katherine stopped short, looking sheepish. â€Å"Sorry . . . I know I'm rambling. I just find this all so exhilarating. For years I've studied the ancients' claims of man's awesome mental power, and now science is showing us that accessing that power is an actual physical process. Our brains, if used correctly, can call forth powers that are quite literally superhuman. The Bible, like many ancient texts, is a detailed exposition of the most sophisticated machine ever created . . . the human mind.† She sighed. â€Å"Incredibly, science has yet to scratch the surface of the mind's full promise.† â€Å"It sounds like your work in Noetics will be a quantum leap forward.† â€Å"Or backward,† she said. â€Å"The ancients already knew many of the scientific truths we're now rediscovering. Within a matter of years, modern man will be forced to accept what is now unthinkable: our minds can generate energy capable of transforming physical matter.† She paused. â€Å"Particles react to our thoughts . . . which means our thoughts have the power to change the world.† Langdon smiled softly. â€Å"What my research has brought me to believe is this,† Katherine said. â€Å"God is very real–a mental energy that pervades everything. And we, as human beings, have been created in that image–â€Å" â€Å"I'm sorry?† Langdon interrupted. â€Å"Created in the image of . . . mental energy?† â€Å"Exactly. Our physical bodies have evolved over the ages, but it was our minds that were created in the image of God. We've been reading the Bible too literally. We learn that God created us in his image, but it's not our physical bodies that resemble God, it's our minds.† Langdon was silent now, fully engrossed. â€Å"This is the great gift, Robert, and God is waiting for us to understand it. All around the world, we are gazing skyward, waiting for God . . . never realizing that God is waiting for us.† Katherine paused, letting her words soak in. â€Å"We are creators, and yet we naively play the role of `the created.' We see ourselves as helpless sheep buffeted around by the God who made us. We kneel like frightened children, begging for help, for forgiveness, for good luck. But once we realize that we are truly created in the Creator's image, we will start to understand that we, too, must be Creators. When we understand this fact, the doors will burst wide open for human potential.† Langdon recalled a passage that had always stuck with him from the work of the philosopher Manly P. Hall: If the infinite had not desired man to be wise, he would not have bestowed upon him the faculty of knowing. Langdon gazed up again at the image of The Apotheosis of Washington–the symbolic ascent of man to deity. The created . . . becoming the Creator. â€Å"The most amazing part,† Katherine said, â€Å"is that as soon as we humans begin to harness our true power, we will have enormous control over our world. We will be able to design reality rather than merely react to it.† Langdon lowered his gaze. â€Å"That sounds . . . dangerous.† Katherine looked startled . . . and impressed. â€Å"Yes, exactly! If thoughts affect the world, then we must be very careful how we think. Destructive thoughts have influence, too, and we all know it's far easier to destroy than it is to create.† Langdon thought of all the lore about needing to protect the ancient wisdom from the unworthy and share it only with the enlightened. He thought of the Invisible College, and the great scientist Isaac Newton's request to Robert Boyle to keep â€Å"high silence† about their secret research. It cannot be communicated, Newton wrote in 1676, without immense damage to the world. â€Å"There's an interesting twist here,† Katherine said. â€Å"The great irony is that all the religions of the world, for centuries, have been urging their followers to embrace the concepts of faith and belief. Now science, which for centuries has derided religion as superstition, must admit that its next big frontier is quite literally the science of faith and belief . . . the power of focused conviction and intention. The same science that eroded our faith in the miraculous is now building a bridge back across the chasm it created.† Langdon considered her words for a long time. Slowly he raised his eyes again to the Apotheosis. â€Å"I have a question,† he said, looking back at Katherine. â€Å"Even if I could accept, just for an instant, that I have the power to change physical matter with my mind, and literally manifest all that I desire . . . I'm afraid I see nothing in my life to make me believe I have such power.† She shrugged. â€Å"Then you're not looking hard enough.† â€Å"Come on, I want a real answer. That's the answer of a priest. I want the answer of a scientist.† â€Å"You want a real answer? Here it is. If I hand you a violin and say you have the capability to use it to make incredible music, I am not lying. You do have the capability, but you'll need enormous amounts of practice to manifest it. This is no different from learning to use your mind, Robert. Well-directed thought is a learned skill. To manifest an intention requires laserlike focus, full sensory visualization, and a profound belief. We have proven this in a lab. And just like playing a violin, there are people who exhibit greater natural ability than others. Look to history. Look to the stories of those enlightened minds who performed miraculous feats.† â€Å"Katherine, please don't tell me you actually believe in the miracles. I mean, seriously . . . turning water into wine, healing the sick with the touch of a hand?† Katherine took a long breath and blew it out slowly. â€Å"I have witnessed people transform cancer cells into healthy cells simply by thinking about them. I have witnessed human minds affecting the physical world in myriad ways. And once you see that happen, Robert, once this becomes part of your reality, then some of the miracles you read about become simply a matter of degree.† Langdon was pensive. â€Å"It's an inspiring way to see the world, Katherine, but for me, it just feels like an impossible leap of faith. And as you know, faith has never come easily for me.† â€Å"Then don't think of it as faith. Think of it simply as changing your perspective, accepting that the world is not precisely as you imagine. Historically, every major scientific breakthrough began with a simple idea that threatened to overturn all of our beliefs. The simple statement `the earth is round' was mocked as utterly impossible because most people believed the oceans would flow off the planet. Heliocentricity was called heresy. Small minds have always lashed out at what they don't understand. There are those who create . . . and those who tear down. That dynamic has existed for all time. But eventually the creators find believers, and the number of believers reaches a critical mass, and suddenly the world becomes round, or the solar system becomes heliocentric. Perception is transformed, and a new reality is born.† Langdon nodded, his thoughts drifting now. â€Å"You have a funny look on your face,† she said. â€Å"Oh, I don't know. For some reason I was just remembering how I used to canoe out into the middle of the lake late at night, lie down under the stars, and think about stuff like this.† She nodded knowingly. â€Å"I think we all have a similar memory. Something about lying on our backs staring up at the heavens . . . opens the mind.† She glanced up at the ceiling and then said, â€Å"Give me your jacket.† â€Å"What?† He took it off and gave it to her. She folded it twice and laid it down on the catwalk like a long pillow. â€Å"Lie down.† Langdon lay on his back, and Katherine positioned his head on half of the folded jacket. Then she lay down beside him–two kids, shoulder to shoulder on the narrow catwalk, staring up at Brumidi's enormous fresco. â€Å"Okay,† she whispered. â€Å"Put yourself in that same mind-set . . . a kid lying out in a canoe . . . looking up at the stars . . . his mind open and full of wonder.† Langdon tried to obey, although at the moment, prone and comfortable, he was feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion. As his vision blurred, he perceived a muted shape overhead that immediately woke him. Is that possible? He could not believe he hadn't noticed it before, but the figures in The Apotheosis of Washington were clearly arranged in two concentric rings–a circle within a circle. The Apotheosis is also a circumpunct? Langdon wondered what else he had missed tonight. â€Å"There's something important I want to tell you, Robert. There's another piece to all this . . . a piece that I believe is the single most astonishing aspect of my research.† There's more? Katherine propped herself on her elbow. â€Å"And I promise . . . if we as humans can honestly grasp this one simple truth . . . the world will change overnight.† She now had his full attention. â€Å"I should preface this,† she said, â€Å"by reminding you of the Masonic mantras to `gather what is scattered' . . . to bring `order from chaos' . . . to find `at-one-ment.' â€Å" â€Å"Go on.† Langdon was intrigued. Katherine smiled down at him. â€Å"We have scientifically proven that the power of human thought grows exponentially with the number of minds that share that thought.† Langdon remained silent, wondering where she was going with this idea. â€Å"What I'm saying is this . . . two heads are better than one . . . and yet two heads are not twice better, they are many, many times better. Multiple minds working in unison magnify a thought's effect . . . exponentially. This is the inherent power of prayer groups, healing circles, singing in unison, and worshipping en masse. The idea of universal consciousness is no ethereal New Age concept. It's a hard-core scientific reality . . . and harnessing it has the potential to transform our world. This is the underlying discovery of Noetic Science. What's more, it's happening right now. You can feel it all around you. Technology is linking us in ways we never imagined possible: Twitter, Google, Wikipedia, and others–all blend to create a web of interconnected minds.† She laughed. â€Å"And I guarantee you, as soon as I publish my work, the Twitterati will all be sending tweets that say, `learning about Noetics,' and interest in this science will explode exponentially. † Langdon's eyelids felt impossibly heavy. â€Å"You know, I still haven't learned how to send a twitter.† â€Å"A tweet,† she corrected, laughing. â€Å"I'm sorry?† â€Å"Never mind. Close your eyes. I'll wake you when it's time.† Langdon realized he had all but forgotten the old key the Architect had given them . . . and why they had come up here. As a new wave of exhaustion engulfed him, Langdon shut his eyes. In the darkness of his mind, he found himself thinking about universal consciousness . . . about Plato's writings on â€Å"the mind of the world† and â€Å"gathering God† . . . Jung's â€Å"collective unconscious.† The notion was as simple as it was startling. God is found in the collection of Many . . . rather than in the One. â€Å"Elohim,† Langdon said suddenly, his eyes flying open again as he made an unexpected connection. â€Å"I'm sorry?† Katherine was still gazing down at him. â€Å"Elohim,† he repeated. â€Å"The Hebrew word for God in the Old Testament! I've always wondered about it.† Katherine gave a knowing smile. â€Å"Yes. The word is plural.† Exactly! Langdon had never understood why the very first passages of the Bible referred to God as a plural being. Elohim. The Almighty God in Genesis was described not as One . . . but as Many. â€Å"God is plural,† Katherine whispered, â€Å"because the minds of man are plural.† Langdon's thoughts were spiraling now . . . dreams, memories, hopes, fears, revelations . . . all swirling above him in the Rotunda dome. As his eyes began to close again, he found himself staring at three words in Latin, painted within the Apotheosis. E PLURIBUS UNUM. â€Å"Out of many, one,† he thought, slipping off into sleep.