How Michael Phelps Body Type Made Him a Strong Swimmer

When you look at Michael Phelps body, its easy to see some of the features that made the lanky guy with the long arms and big feet the most accomplished Olympic swimmer in history. But how exactly did all those parts work together? Phelps retired from competitive swimming in 2016 after winning five gold medals and a silver medal in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Hes the most decorated competitive swimmer in history, having won eight Olympic gold medals in 2008 and four gold and two silver medals in 2012. Hes known as an intense competitor who practiced tirelessly to be in top form for Olympic competition. But he had more than a few physical advantages over fellow swimmers. Simply put, Phelps has the anthropometrics of the perfect swimmer. From head to toe, his body type and proportions are uniquely suited for swimming with both speed and endurance. Phelps Is Tall With a Huge Wingspan First, hes tall, but not too tall. At 6 4 Phelps probably would be about average for a professional basketball player, but as a swimmer, his height (or more accurately, his length) gives him enough glide in the water to provide a little extra forward momentum. Next, his arm span (or wingspan as some call it) of 6 7 is exceptionally wide even for a man of his height. His arms act almost like oars on a rowboat, giving him incredible pulling power in the water. His wingspan is a big reason for Phelps success with the butterfly stroke, which relies heavily on the upper arms and back to push and pull a swimmer through the water. Then theres his unusually long upper body, roughly the length one would expect to see on a man who is 6 8 tall. His long, thin and triangle-shaped torso helps him with his reach, especially on strokes like the butterfly and the freestyle. His torso is more hydrodynamic than the average swimmers, meaning its able to move through the water with less drag. But Phelps Short Legs Are Perfect Too Phelps lower half is hydrodynamic too. But while his arms give him an advantage by being longer, his legs give him an extra kick (literally) by being a little shorter than one would expect for a guy of his size. Phelps legs, which are roughly those of a man about 6 tall, help with kicks and give him more power in turns at the wall, where crucial seconds can be lost or won during competitions. We havent even factored in Phelps enormous hands and flipper-like size 14 feet. Both let him push and pull more water than other swimmers, adding to his overall speed.   Phelps Body Is Double-Jointed If all that isnt enough, Phelps also is double-jointed. He doesnt have extra joints as the term implies, but his joints have more mobility than average. Most swimmers —and some dancers— work hard to stretch their joints to make themselves more agile, which in turn makes performance easier. With his more flexible joints, Phelps can whip his arms, legs, and feet through a greater range of motion than most swimmers. Phelps Produces Less Lactic Acid But Phelps unique build isnt his only advantage in competitive swimming. Most athletes need recovery time after exerting themselves because the body produces lactic acid, causing muscle fatigue. Phelps body produces less lactic acid than the average person, so he has a much faster recovery time. In the Olympics, being able to bounce back quickly and compete again are distinct advantages for any athlete. When you add up all the parts, its easy to see what makes Phelps the perfect swimmer. Its amazing to consider that someone so well-built for the sport managed to find his way into swimming, but not at all surprising that Phelps was as good as he was.

Nature Vs. Nurture And How Studying Psychology Can Improve...

The need to study the past; in order, to understand and improve the future is the inherent mission of history. The study of psychologies past endeavors to help future generations of psychology-minded individuals how the past discoveries that were implemented, and altered within the field. As with any history, knowing the successes, and possible mistakes in the within the field development can only assist future experiences. In examining the history of the psychology, upcoming psychology students are able to talk over the age-old debate of nature versus nurture. The beliefs of Darwinism still pervade the field. Researchers still stand by their positions in the ongoing argument of nature vs. nurture and how studying psychology can improve critical thinking (cite book). Instead of becoming a physician, Charles Darwin chooses to go on a five-year voyage studying the fossil transformation of various species. Darwin’s field research aided in developing his ideas that organisms were hardwired to behave, or respond to their environment in a particular way. He studied numerous fossils of different species noticing particular changes as the species evolved. In his field research, he found that the evolution of a species produced selective biological changes in adjusting to their environment. Similar to computers, organisms pre-programed to respond, and to possible evolve to handle different environmental situation. This idea differed from the belief that humans were just aShow MoreRelatedSantrock Edpsych Ch0218723 Words   |  75 Pagesand more continuous? †¢ How do children develop physically, and how does this affect their behaviour and learning? †¢ What is the best way to characterize students’ cognitive development? How might knowledge of students’ cognitive development influence the way you teach? †¢ How does language develop? What is the best way to teach students to communicate verbally? 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BEWARE OF SMOOTH WATER Essay Example For Students

BEWARE OF SMOOTH WATER Essay A monologue from the play by Pedro Calderon de la Barca NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from Eight Dramas of Calderon. Trans. Edward Fitzgerald. London: Macmillan Co., 1906. DONNA CLARA: Not to spareYour father even, Eugenia! For shame!Tis time to tie your roving tongue indeed.Consider, too, we are not in the country,Where tongue and eyes, Eugenia, may run wildWithout offence to uncensorious woods;But in a city, with its myriad eyesInquisitively turnd to watch, and tonguesAs free and more malicious than yoursTo tellwhere honours monument is wax,And shames of brass. I know, Eugenia,High spirits are not in themselves a crime;But if to men they seem so?thats the question.For it is almost better to do illWith a good outward grace than well without;Especially a woman; most of allOne not yet married; whose reputationOne breath of scandal, like a flake of snow,May melt away; one of those tenderest flowersWhose leaves evn the warm breath of flatteryWithers as fast as envys bitterest wind,That surely follows short-lived summer praise.Evn those who praise your beauty, grace, or wit,Will be the first, if you presume on them,To pull the idol down themselves set up,B eginning with malicious whispers first,Until they join the storm themselves have raised.And most if one be given oneself to laughAnd to make laugh: the world will doubly yearnTo turn ones idle giggle into tears.I say this all by way of warning, sister,Now we are launched upon this dangerous sea.Consider of it.

Symbolism In Heart Of Darkness Essay Example For Students

Symbolism In Heart Of Darkness Essay Intro (context/ thesis): this passage is taken from the end portion of part one of Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness in it, Marlow anticipates the arrival of the rivets, but instead the Eldorado Explorers who are intent on exploiting the land, appear We will write a custom essay on Symbolism In Heart Of Darkness specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now through the use of absurdity, modifiers, extensive imagery, and juxtaposition, nature and the serene land is contrasted with the disordered, chaotic environment created by the colonizers this portrays to the readers the negative impact which the colonizer have towards the land Absurdity: -occurs pertaining to the colonizers to emphasize the disordered atmosphere they create i put a fingertried a jig portrays a sense of disruption due to the loss of seriousness in the situation where Marlow is still waiting for the delayed rivets the dark figure vanished, and then the doorway itself vanished: depicts loss of sanity, disorder in the mind donkey carrying a white man in new clothes and tan shoes an annomalie, doesnt seem to fit the environment/ setting around him; the passage seems to be as disordered as nature is due to the presence of the colonizers Modifiers (adjectives, verbs, adverbs, nouns): To describe the colonizers: frightful clatter, Stamping of our feet (represents a sense of noise, chaos) dark figure, obscured depicts a sense of unclarity, and disorder once again invasion, quarrelsome, footsore further supports the idea of disruption reckless, greed, cruel portray their heartless actions, they simply tear the treasure out of the bowels of the land; have no sympathy, or guilt for their actions it seems: no moral purpose and they contribute to disorder within the land To describe nature: virgin forest (young, gives the land a sense of innocence) silence, motionless, soundless life creates a calming serene tone exuberant -nature depicted through a positive outlook Nature Imagery: disruption of the forest in the presence of colonizers is shown through the auditory imagery of the thundering roll which echoes through the forest a rolling wave of plants and it moved not creates a sense of ambivalence, nature is mighty and also has the ability to cause disorder to sweep every little man of us out of his little existence, however it remains calm great wall of vegetation nature is depicted as a form of defence against the colonizers and the chaos Juxtapositions: entangled mass of trunks, branches, leaves.. although there is slight disorder present in nature as well, it is one which is reversible, in other words, can be untangled inextricable which contradicts entangled (used to describe nature) and it may imply that the impacts of the colonizers creates disorder, and a chaotic environment which is however irreversible juxtaposition on rioting invasion of soundless life as rioting is contrasted with soundless and this contrasts the actual rioting and chaotic invasions which occur between the colonizers to the soundless, peaceful invasion of nature Conclusion: -this passage gives readers the distinction between the tranquil nature of the untouched land, with the hectic, disorderly environment enveloping the colonizers as a result it reflects a mood of wonder and awe towards the land, juxtaposed with disgust and negativity towards the injustice of colonialization

Spending Time with Goran essays

Spending Time with Goran essays He stood there staring intently at me. I smiled apprehensively, unsure of how to approach him. My eyes traced over his frail body, his oversized clothes, his lopsided glasses and the slight drool on the side of his mouth. I was scared. How should I introduce myself? Does he even know I am standing here? How would he react? Slowly I bent down to eye level with him and awkwardly held out my arms to him. Slowly but deliberately, I said, "Goran, my name is Stephanie...we will spend the next few days together to chat and play." His eyes keenly studied the contours of my face, but he remained motionless. The seconds ticked by, though it seemed like a lifetime. Finally, he flashed me a goofy grin which melted my heart and broke the ice between us. Spending time with Goran gave me the most profound experience of my life. He is a mentally handicapped ten-year-old boy with barely the IQ of a three-year-old. Unable to take care of himself or perform simple tasks, he is helpless in our society. With constant asthma attacks and frequent nosebleeds due to dehydration, Goran's daily life is one of never-ending struggle and frustration. Yet despite the adversities he faces daily, his optimism and spirit have not been dampened. Goran has a keen sense of compassion and immeasurable capacity to love. He shows this through his warm hugs and the way he offers his hand for me to hold. He has even mastered the skill of blowing fly kisses. Spending time with Goran made me respect him for who he is and made me realize that in spite of his inadequacies, he too is a human being, capable of crying, laughing, and of feeling joy and sadness. The happy moments I spent with Goran were vividly etched in my mind. Through sharing experiences together, I gave him the feeling that he was wonderful and loved, and he taught me how to strive under adverse situations, to create and cherish happy moments in life. I remember one experience when we made a kite out of c...

Example Sentences Using the Verb Go for ESL

Example Sentences Using the Verb Go for ESL If English students are going to memorize irregular verb forms, theyll need to include the verb go. This page provides example sentences of the verb go in all tenses including active and passive forms, as well as conditional and modal forms. Youll notice that there are many tenses where there is no form of go. Test your knowledge with the quiz at the end. Example Sentences Using 'Go' for All Tenses Base Form go / Past Simple went / Past Participle gone / Gerund going Present Simple Peter goes to church on Sundays. Present Simple Passive None Present Continuous We are going shopping soon. Present Continuous Passive None Present Perfect Peter has gone to the bank. Present Perfect Passive None Present Perfect Continuous Susan has been going to classes for three weeks. Past Simple Alexander went to Denver last week. Past Simple Passive None Past Continuous We were going to visit some friends but decided not to go. Past Continuous Passive None Past Perfect They had already gone to the show so we didnt go. Past Perfect Passive None Past Perfect Continuous We had been going to that school for a few weeks when it was chosen as the best school in the city. Future (will) Jennifer will go to the meeting. Future (will) passive None Future (going to) Peter is going to go to the show tonight. Future (going to) passive None Future Continuous We will be going to dinner this time tomorrow. Future Perfect She will have gone to visit her parents by the time you arrive. Future Possibility Jack might go out this weekend. Real Conditional If she goes to the meeting, I will attend. Unreal Conditional If she went to the meeting, I would attend. Past Unreal Conditional If she had gone to the meeting, I would have attended. Present Modal You should go out tonight. Past Modal They might have gone out for the evening. Quiz: Conjugate With Go Use the verb to go to conjugate the following sentences. Quiz answers are below. In some cases, more than one answer may be correct. Peter _____ to the bank.Alexander _____ to Denver last week.They _____ already _____ to the show so we didnt go.Jennifer _____ to the meeting.If she _____ to the meeting, I will attend.We _____ but decided not to go after all.Peter _____ to church on Sundays.Susan _____ to classes for three weeks.Peter _____ to the show tonight.She _____ to visit her parents by the time you arrive. Quiz Answers has gonewenthad gonewill gogoeswere going to gogoeshas been goingis going to gowill have gone

Planning and Operational Processes of Apple Company Essay

Planning and Operational Processes of Apple Company - Essay Example Yet, as we look forward to a happy ending, earnings taper off and it appears as though the saga may be over after all. However, a feeling of quiet confidence gradually takes over the observer, as both Apple Computers and Jobs negotiate through each downturn with aplomb. Must a company’s journey through time be so turbulent? This document tries to draw lessons from the Apple experience and to suggest stable ways for commercial firms to manage their planning and operational processes. There are two overreaching factors that seem to have influenced strategic change at Apple Computers. The first is the frenetic pace of technological change. No other industrial sector has witnessed the continuous and rapid improvements in processor speeds, storage capacity, transmission options and software development. This has been a source of strength and an opportunity for the entrepreneurial culture of Apple Computers, but it has proved to be a handful for people such as Sculley who laboured so hard to bring a semblance of order and discipline to the highly individualistic style of functioning to which die-hard company employees have become accustomed. A second factor which has affected strategy in this company has been the tumultuous and disorderly change of guard at the top. There is no precedent for such a striking founder to leave his creation while remaining in the business. Even more unusual has been the return of Jobs as a mere consultant to the company which he once owned. These moves, and indeed the manner of Sculley’s departure has posed special challenges for the company. Systematic and regular environmental scanning seems to be a lacuna in the planning process at Apple Computers. Every enterprise needs a deep understanding of the values that its products and services delivered in an environment of global competitiveness (Ohmae, 1991, 61-74). The success of Jobs to see the opportunity in the graphic user interface which Xerox apparently missed, did not repeat itself when the company invested resources in Newton.

The State of Working America Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The State of Working America - Assignment Example Tax rates were also drastically cut for all income sectors. The national debt was cut by one third, as quoted by one economic historian, â€Å"Despite the severity of the contraction, the Fed did not move to use its powers to turn the money supplies around and fight the contraction.† Therefore, by the summer of 1921 visible signs of recovery began to show. Unemployment was back to 6.7 percent and down to 2.4 percent by 1923. (Mataconis, 2009). According to Slichter high wage practices were adopted in the 1920s due to the threat of labor trouble, employers being unwilling to reduce wages in comparison to wholesale pricing, and realizing how important moral and efficiency had become to labor. (Slichter, 2005). Labor trouble threats began to peak in 1920, and the six-years prior saw a double of membership in trade unions. Unionism had established itself in the Chicago Packing Plants, the US Steel Corporation and the Pennsylvania Railroad as well. Employers seemed to have the beli ef that labor was in danger of becoming radical. (Slitter, 2005). New methods were used in industry to attempt to make workers more efficient and contented. 1. Helping employees acquire property, 2. Helping employees acquire a â€Å"stake† in the companies which employed them. 3. Protecting them from arbitrary treatment. 4. Rewarding continuous service with the company. 5. Giving them advancement opportunities and more responsibility. 6. Offering them security. These things resulted in a rise of around 11 percent in hourly wages for factory workers between 1920 and 1925. Thus, wage earners began to save money, which was encouraged by businessmen. (Slichter, 2005). The 1920s known as the â€Å"roaring twenties† gained its name from being pictured as a time of American prosperity and optimism. However, it is also seen as a time of cultural change, a decade of the Model T, $5 work days, airplanes, movies, and provocative dress. The nation shifted from urbanism to commerci alism and brought with its prohibition, the Ku Klux Klan, strict immigration laws, and gangsters. Quoted by Jerrie Cheek from the Kennesaw University, â€Å"The powerful economy might of America from 1920 to October 1929 is frequently overlooked†¦the strength of America was generated and driven by its vast economic power.† (Cheek, 2005). The happening on October 1929 on a Tuesday, know as â€Å"black Tuesday† became the beginning of the Great Depression. Two months after the stock market crash stockholders had lost more than $40 billion dollars in investments. Economists and historians both believe that the economic downturn that showed up in early 1929 lead to the crash. The market did improve somewhat by the end of 1930; however, it was not enough to keep America from entering the Great Depression. (Kelley, 2012). By 1933 11,000 of America’s 25,000 banks had failed, and because deposits were uninsured, funds were simply lost. Banks, being unsure of the ec onomy, stopped issuing new loans, which contributed to the situation. (The Great Depression, 2012).  

Jose de San Martin Essay Example for Free

Jose de San Martin Essay In Argentina war of independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine forces under Jose de San Martin against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown. On July 9, 1816, an assembly met in San Miguel de Tucuman, declared full independence with provisions for a national constitution. Chile This war of independence was an armed conflict between the people of Chile and Spanish colonial authorities, which started on September 10, 1810 and extended until 1821. A declaration of independence was officially issued by Chile on February 12,1818 and formally recognized by Spain in 1840, when full diplomatic relations ( conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states) were established. Peru The Napoleonic invasion of the Iberian Peninsula should have led to a degradation of royal power, but since nearby Upper Peru was under the attack of armies from Buenos Aires, the Peruvian oligarchs supported the royalist cause. Fear of indigenous rebellion also remained from the 1780-1781 revolt that was headed by Jose Gabriel Tupac Amaru Condorcanqui. Finally, the viceroys of Peru traditionally had the support of the Lima oligarchs because of their opposition to the commercial interests of Buenos Aires and Chile. Therefore, the Viceroyalty of Peru became the last redoubt of the Spanish Monarchy in South America. Nevertheless, a Creole rebellion arose in 1812 in Huanuco and another in Cusco between 1814 and 1816. Both were suppressed. These rebellions were supported by the armies of Buenos Aires. Peru finally succumbed after the decisive continental campaigns of Jose de San Martin (1820–1823) and Simon Bolivar (1824). While San Martin was in charge of the land campaign, a newly built Chilean Navy led by Lord Cochrane transported the fighting troops and launched a sea campaign against the Spanish fleet in the Pacific. San Martin, who had displaced the royalists of Chile after the Battle of Maipu, and who had disembarked in Paracas in 1820, proclaimed the independence of Peru in Lima on July 28, 1821. Four years later, the Spanish Monarchy was defeated definitively at the Battle of Ayacucho. After independence, the conflicts of interests that faced different sectors of Creole Peruvian society and the particular ambitions of the caudillos, made the organization of the country excessively difficult. Only three civilians—Manuel Pardo, Nicolas de Pierola and Francisco Garcia Calderon—acceded to the presidency in the first seventy-five years of Perus independence. The Republic of Bolivia was created from Upper Peru. In 1837 a Peru-Bolivian Confederation was also created but was dissolved two years later due to Chilean military intervention

AMERICANS GETTING TOUGH :: essays research papers

In a time that Americans are feeling very unsure about our safety, I fully agree with the Patriot act, which was passed only six weeks after September eleventh. It is time we start protecting America. The patriot act is crucial to national security.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I do not feel that the war on terror has opened the doors to abuse of civil rights of the prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay Naval base in Cuba. I feel that we need to be more cautious of who we let walk our streets. We have to remember the visions of September eleventh, they were not pretty and many innocent people died. Had we been more cautious then on who we let into our country, we would not have been as vulnerable and the incident of September eleventh might not have happened. If we detained some of these prisoners for a long period of time, until we can be completely sure that they are not a threat to us Americans, than so be it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to CNN.com prisoners at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base which is referred to as â€Å"Camp x-ray† are provided with an eight-by-eight foot outdoor cell with a concrete floor, roof and surrounded by a chain linked fence. On arrival they are given a mat to sleep on, a towel for showers and a towel for praying . They are given soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush and they are able to take a shower each day. They get served three meals a day with water. Two meals are hot and one meal meets the Muslim religious requirements. On entry they are provided with medical care. According to US Attorney General John Ashcroft, â€Å"They have the right food, shelter and the right environment to avoid injury†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think we are providing these prisoners more comfort than the many homeless people living in the United States. It is sad that we worry more about the prisoners who are a potential threat to all Americans than we do for our own people who have been American citizens all of their life. We need to get a grip on reality... this is war!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Eugene Fidell, these detainees who are labeled enemy combatants will be able to have what is called a revue tribunal. The purpose of this will decide whether the detainees qualify for this label. The board who will decide this is made up of three military officers, people who had no prior involvement in the decision to label enemy combatants.

Luna Pen Case Writeup

Report on Luna Pen case PA major 0420830 Lee Joo-Hyun Q1. If you were in Erika’s position, what steps might give you the best chance of achieving your goals? First of all, I think it’s rather dangerous to prepare negotiation plan solely based on stereotype of specific race/nationality. But still it’s foolish to ignore cultural difference. Since negotiation counterpart Feng is not from mainland China but from Taiwan, I believe there would be little or no disadvantage of Erika being female.But in case DGG is planning a bigger picture (for example, sharing distribution system of Global Service in Asia region) than just resolving trademark right issue, I think it is better to consider the fact Taiwanese regard Guan-Xi (relationship) as important aspect in terms of long term, friendly relationship. Therefore it would probably be a good idea to prepare a male represent with similar position to Erika along with her. Secondly Erika needs to gather more information about the counterpart; Feng and Global Service.After all, negotiation process is to find compromise or creative option between my constraint conditions/needs and their constraint conditions/needs. I’ll discuss about it more in following Question #2. Thirdly, Erika needs to build up negotiation plan. She need to determine what DGG intend to/should earn and how far DGG can back down. After defining goals & constraints (or setting Maginot Line), assuming the worst case scenario is also important step.In this case, the worst case possible could be something like this; â€Å"Feng & Global Service refuses to negotiate, pointing out that DGG abandoned and stop making product under the name of Luna. Thus DGG is left with no other choice but to file an uncertain lawsuit which would be both time consuming and costly. † To prevent this from happening, it would be unwise to start the first contact with firm stand like writing Feng that his company must cease its unauthorized use of he L una name, and that DGG is prepared to file lawsuit if necessary. Instead, I think it’s better to mention that DGG is aware of the fact that Luna pen is selling well under the marketing and distribution power of Feng and Global Service and DGG is more than willing to negotiate about the usage of Luna name. Q2. What further information might you need before contacting Feng; and how might you realistically obtain it? First of all, DGG need to figure out brand value (or brand power) of Luna by doing brief market research.By doing so, DGG can tell how much the brand power affected the total sale of Feng’s Luna pen and use it as a sharable standard in negotiation. I believe this data can be obtained rather simply. All DGG have to do is to run series of survey to group of customers, asking their willingness to pay for given pen with/without brand name Luna. Secondly, it would be a good idea to find potential buyers that are willing to buy the trademark Luna. The information o f potential buyers could later be used as a mean to pressure Feng and Global Service if necessary.Since selling Luna brand would not harm DGG, by contacting company in pen making business, DGG can obtain information of potential buyers while spreading news that DGG is trying to sell Luna name as well. And as a last resort, DGG should investigate the legal position of DGG in this case. (Especially in terms of Taiwanese court) If DGG files a lawsuit, what are the odd of winning the case, how long will it take, and how much is the estimated cost of lawsuit?The answers to these questions are key factors to decide whether to file a lawsuit or not. If odds are against DGG, it will be more reasonable to approach this negotiation in more cooperative, soft stand. On the other hand, if the odds are in favor of DGG, DGG can use lawsuit both as leverage to pressure Feng and last resort to settle this matter. Such data can be obtained via corporate legal department.

Mlk Nobel Peace Prize Speech Analysis

Elizabeth Potoa’e Ms. Casberg AP English P. 3 15 January 2012 AP Essay MLK Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. has always been a great public speaker because of the amount of passion instilled in his words and his extreme mastery in putting images in the minds of his audience. Not to mention, his message is explicitly conveyed to the audience. Martin Luther King Jr. establishes his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize with powerful insight of the Civil Rights Movement, and the must to overcome segregation through the use of figurative language and repetition/example/parallelism/imagery to show that our battle with racism has yet to be over. Martin Luther King uses figurative language to emphasize the importance of the meaning behind his words. He says in his speech over and over â€Å"I am mindful that only yesterday† to demonstrate that racism and discrimination is still going on. He discusses the struggles and conflicts blacks faced due to the hatred and violence that is occurring in the world. King repeats the horror of the current situations to allow his audience to understand that something still needs to be done. He feels, maybe if he says it enough times, people will actually do something about it, because the award he is receiving simply means nothing without action. To show that he will not give up until a change comes, he repeats the words â€Å"I refuse to accept† and goes on to tell of the excuses people use as why not to change. Martin Luther King Jr. believes that action will lead us down a road where love and hope await. Here we can find a world of freedom and justice. Martin Luther King uses imagery with his figurative language. He uses it to not only tell but show his audiences how the current ways of people are not helping pave the way to a brighter future, which encompasses no discrimination, only peace. He compares racism to a starless night to illustrate that racism is a dark and very inhumane part in the lives of many people. He says â€Å"beauty is truth and truth beauty† to depict in the minds of audience that once they’ve acknowledged that the truth is the truth in the ircumstances they face, it will be a much more beautiful tomorrow than they could ever imagine. Martin Luther King wants everyone to honestly ponder about the conflict we have and decide whether we want to take part of the solution or add to the problem when he says â€Å"this faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future [and] give us new strength to continue forward. † And by doing so, people will work and build a better future for all of us, where there is no racism, but peace.

Free Essays on Robert Blake

â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper,† from Robert Blake’s Songs of Innocence, is a poem typical of the themes present in the Songs of Innocence and Experience. The main character is pathetically unfortunate, and yet diligently fulfills his societal obligations. This poem has a severely ironic tone, and is clearly a mockery of a society that would perpetuate the inhumane use of its weaker members. The speaker of â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† is a young boy who is himself a chimney sweeper. He shares with a fellow child-chimney sweeper named Tom Dacre, the focus of the poem. The poem is addressed, essentially, to whom it may concern, and as such the poem seems to be a vehicle for the boy to declare who he is. He seems to be decrying his position, perhaps to a passerby. His mother died when he was very young, and although it says his father sold him, this probably means simply that he works as a chimney sweeper, in order to help support his family. Then the reader begins to learn about little Tom Dacre, who had to have his head shaved. The narrator, despite his own horrible situation, finds the ability to comfort Tom. Tom has a dream in which thousands of chimney sweepers are trapped in coffins, and what must be the angel of death comes along and lets them out of the coffins and into gorgeous, â€Å"heavenly,† meadows and streams. Then, after cleaning the soot off of themselves in a river, the chimney sweepers ascend into heaven upon clouds. In his dream, the angel directly addresses Tom, and tells him that if he continues to dutifully sweep chimneys, God will smile upon him. The speaker relates that following the dream, all of the chimney sweepers got up and went to work. In the final lines, the speaker first describes Tom as being comforted by his dream, and then makes the direct philosophical statement that â€Å"if all do their duty, they need not feel harm.† This poem is clearly written sarcastically by Blake, and thi... Free Essays on Robert Blake Free Essays on Robert Blake â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper,† from Robert Blake’s Songs of Innocence, is a poem typical of the themes present in the Songs of Innocence and Experience. The main character is pathetically unfortunate, and yet diligently fulfills his societal obligations. This poem has a severely ironic tone, and is clearly a mockery of a society that would perpetuate the inhumane use of its weaker members. The speaker of â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† is a young boy who is himself a chimney sweeper. He shares with a fellow child-chimney sweeper named Tom Dacre, the focus of the poem. The poem is addressed, essentially, to whom it may concern, and as such the poem seems to be a vehicle for the boy to declare who he is. He seems to be decrying his position, perhaps to a passerby. His mother died when he was very young, and although it says his father sold him, this probably means simply that he works as a chimney sweeper, in order to help support his family. Then the reader begins to learn about little Tom Dacre, who had to have his head shaved. The narrator, despite his own horrible situation, finds the ability to comfort Tom. Tom has a dream in which thousands of chimney sweepers are trapped in coffins, and what must be the angel of death comes along and lets them out of the coffins and into gorgeous, â€Å"heavenly,† meadows and streams. Then, after cleaning the soot off of themselves in a river, the chimney sweepers ascend into heaven upon clouds. In his dream, the angel directly addresses Tom, and tells him that if he continues to dutifully sweep chimneys, God will smile upon him. The speaker relates that following the dream, all of the chimney sweepers got up and went to work. In the final lines, the speaker first describes Tom as being comforted by his dream, and then makes the direct philosophical statement that â€Å"if all do their duty, they need not feel harm.† This poem is clearly written sarcastically by Blake, and thi...

The Ultimate Study Guide for ACT Science Tips, Practice, and Strategies

The Ultimate Study Guide for ACT Science Tips, Practice, and Strategies SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We've written the best ACT Science guide available anywhere.This is not an exaggeration- we've studied dozens of ACT prep books and online resources, both paid and free, and we believe this is the best resource available right now, by far. In this guide, we cover every question type on the ACT Science section and give you strategies to attack them. In addition, we provide you with our best ACT Science tips and teach you how to get the most out of your ACT Science practice and ACT prep. If you're serious about raising your ACT Science score, read through every link. Bymastering all the key concepts, engaging with realistic practice questions, and reviewing your mistakes, you'll dramatically improve your ACT Science score. I've organized the guides logically, based on how you'll proceed through your ACT Science prep. We'll start off by looking at the ACT at a high level and getting yourself in the right mindset. Next, we'll dive into the individual skills tested on ACT Science. Finally, we'll explore study plans and explain how you should spend your time in order to maximize your score improvement. In your first pass, try to read these guides roughly in this order. As you study, you can then come back and use this article as a reference to keep your ACT Science prep on track! High-Level Guidance for ACT Science These guides set the stage for your learning. How should you think about ACT Science? What high-level strategies should you keep in mind? In addition, we'll go over the overarching structure of the ACT as well as the types of content you'll see on it. What's Actually Tested on the ACT Science Section? Skills and Topics The first step is to make sure you understand the basic format and requirements of ACT Science. It might be different from what you think! This article explains what kinds of concepts you'll see on it and how questions will look on test day. The 3 Types of ACT Science Passages: What You Must Know The ACT Science section has the same number and types of passages on every single test, so it's important to familiarize yourself with what these might look like. Read this guide to learn the three types of Science passages and the types of questions that are unique to each one. The Big Secret of ACT Science: It's More Reading Than Science It's a common misconception that ACT Science requires you to be a science genius. This is 100% false!In reality, you simply need to know how to read scientific passages effectively as well as how to interpret data. With this guide, learn how to excel on the ACT Science section through reading comprehensionand focused practice. How to Do Well on ACT Science for Non-Science People Are you intimidated by ACT Science because you haven't done that well in your high school science classes? Don't fret! In this guide, weshow you how you can excel on this section, even if you don't know anything about quantum physics. The 5 Best Strategies for Reading ACT Science Passages Doing well on the ACT Science section doesn't require just answering questions well- it involves approaching the reading passages both efficiently and effectively. Learn how you should be reading the ACT Science passages and answering the questions that follow them using this guide. How to Get 36 on ACT Science: 13 Strategies From a Perfect Scorer If you're already doing well on ACT Science but want perfection, this is the article for you. Written by a perfect scorer, this essential guide will give you tips on motivation, strategies, and everything else you need to know in order to get your Science score to the highest level possible. ACT Science Skills and Topics These guides break down every single question type on ACT Science. You'll learn how questions work, get strategies and tips on how to answer them, and work with real ACT practice problems. Working With Data Factual Questions in ACT Science: How to Read Graphs, Tables, and Data This is the most fundamental skill you'll need for ACT Science. If you can't read graphs reliably, it's impossible to do well on this section. Read this guide to ensure you know the best strategies for interpreting data from Science reading passages. Interpreting Trends in ACT Science: Relationships Between Data Points ACT Science questions often ask you to understand how data points relate to each other. Are they directly or inversely correlated? What are the trends? Learn the patterns of how data appears with this guide. Calculating Questions on ACT Science: Interpolating and Extrapolating From Data You'll also get questions dealing with finding values that don't actually appear on the graph. You'll need to infer what the values are from the data. Read this guide to learn how to do it right. Understanding Experiments Experimental Design Questions in ACT Science The ACT Science section tests your understanding of the scientific method.You need to be able to understand why an experiment was set up in a certain way, and what the experiment is meant to show. We teach you how to do all of this here. Interpreting Experiments Questions in ACT Science When you conduct an experiment, understanding the results and conclusion is the final goal. Therefore, you'll often run into questions asking you to interpret conclusions from an experiment and decide whether the data supports those conclusions or not. Learn the skills with this guide. Special Guides Conflicting Viewpoints in ACT Science: Strategies and Tips There's always one conflicting viewpoints passage on ACT Science, and many students find it the most difficult of all. Multiple scientists will share their theories and you need to find the differences and commonalities between them. The Only Actual Science You Have to Know for ACT Science On every ACT, there are always a few questions (three to four) that require you to know alittle basic science outside of what's given in the passage.While thesearen't hard concepts, you do need to be familiar with them. We've studied dozens of tests and compiled all the facts you need to know in this guide. ACT Science Strategies and Tips Now that you understand how the ACT Science works in-depth, it's time to put together everything you've learned and start to work on improving your skills. These guides take you through how to structure your ACT Science prep, focus your studying, and perform your best on test day. The Best Way to Study and Practice for ACT Science You only have a limited number of hours to prep for ACT Science; thus, you'll need to maximize the efficiency of your prep so you don't waste time. Read our core study principles here. ACT Science Practice Tests: What to Use and What to Avoid It's important to practice for ACT Science using the right materials. If you were training for baseball, you wouldn't practice with Wiffle balls, right? Find out what practice questions and tests you should be using so you can train yourself correctly. Time Management Tips and Section Strategy on ACT Science Constantly running out of time on ACT Science? This is a common problem. Try these strategies to save yourself time on every passage and as you answer questions. The 11 ACT Science Strategies You Must Be Using More than any of the other sections on the ACT, the Science section rewards strategy more than knowledge. Read this article to learn the top 11 strategies you should definitely implement in your ACT Science prep. How to Improve ACT Science Scores: 6 Tips From a Perfect Scorer The strategies you’ll need to use if you’re aiming for a 26 on ACT Science arenotthe same as those you'll need if you're aiming for a perfect 36. If you’ve already taken an official ACT practice test and are currently scoring below 26, read this article to learn how to boost that score and get yourself to the level at which you want to be. The 9 Reasons You Miss ACT Science Questions We all make mistakes. The important part is understanding why you made a mistake and how you can avoid making it again in the future.Here, we break down the most common reasons test takers miss ACT Science questions and offer advice on what to do. The Hardest ACT Science Questions and Strategies to Solve Them Over the many years of ACT Science, some questions have been truly difficult and head-scratching for even the most experienced test takers. We've collected the most difficult Science questions we've ever seen on real ACT tests and present them here. Go ahead and challenge your skills! The Top 6 ACT Science Tips You Must Use Need a quick fix to improve your ACT Science score? Read our expert tips to quickly improve your score without deep prep. Want to learn more about ACT Science? Check out our new ACT Science prep book. If you liked this lesson, you'll love our book. It includes everything you need to know to ace ACT Science, including deep analysis of the logic behind ACT Science questions, a full breakdown of the different passage and question types, and tons of expert test-taking and study tips. Download our full-length prep book now: Conclusion: How to Use This Ultimate ACT Science Guide This is a lot to take in- I know. But there's a lot to understand about the ACT Science section if you want to do well on it. After you read these guides, the hard work starts. You need to gather high-quality resources to work with and diagnose your specific weaknesses on every practice test you take. You also need to train these weaknesses through focused practice and then adjust your study plan accordingly so that every hour is giving you results. Above all, you need to stay motivated and be held accountable for your prep. What's Next? Need help on other ACT sections? Take a look at our ultimate study guides for ACT English, ACT Math, ACT Reading, and ACT Writingto get the best tips and resources available anywhere. Not sure what ACT score to aim for? Read our in-depth guide to learn what a good ACT score is based on the schools you're applying to. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Uncertainty Avoidance and Country Risk Ratings Dissertation

Uncertainty Avoidance and Country Risk Ratings - Dissertation Example Despite the importance of these country risk ratings, the utility of these measures for predicting market volatility has been called into question (DiGregorio, 2005; Oetzel et al, 2001) while global debt crises have occurred that have been likened to a heart attack for the international financial system (Gokay & Whitman, 2010).   Current literature on country risk ratings indicates a focus on political, financial, and economic factors without inclusion of social or cultural factors (Miroshnik, 2002). Description of the Population and Sample In selecting the sample size three factors into consideration and the study came up with a sample size which will consist of a total of 49 countries including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.   This sample surpasses the minimum required sample size as computed from G*Power, which should reduce the possibility of committing Type II errors when running the analyses.   Data from the samples will be collected from the International Country Risk Guide database, Euro money Country Risk score database, Hofstede Uncertainty Avoidance Index databas e, and the World Bank databases. Table 4.1 Economic indicators and the previous year country risk ratings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Years compared    Predictors 2007 ? 2008 2007 ? 2009 2008 ? 2009 2008 ? 2010 2009 ? 2010                      Euromoney .998*** .906*** .908***          Intl Country Risk Guide .982*** .959*** .965***          Economic indicators                                     Export growth       .132   Ã‚  Ã‚   .090 -.240    Ratio current account to GDP       .878*** .826*** .910***    Growth foreign exchange       .039*** .181*** .695***    Inflation       .892*** .867*** .950***    GDP per capita       .994*** .991*** .994***    Combined indicators       .528*** .445** .732***    **p< .01, ***p< .001, all 2-tailed. Source: International Country Risk Guide database To confirm the applicability of factor analysis a t-test was carried out at 95% confid ence level. The table above shows all the identified economic factors that could probably affect a country’s risk ratings. The test results are only significant if the p-value or the significance value of the test is lower than .05.   The t-test statistics (table above) shows that all identified

From book Matilda by Roald Dahl. Chose 1 quote from chapters 1-8 and Essay

From book Matilda by Roald Dahl. Chose 1 quote from chapters 1-8 and write a personal reflection on it - Essay Example Disappointed with the provincialism of her parents, Matlida finds an emotional escape by reading books. Her parents, however, fail to recognize that Matilda’s intellect was far above her years. They expressly oppose the idea of any books in the house, emphasizing that she should follow her brothers example of investing all the time in television. Through this fictional portrayal of parenting in the contemporary world, Roald Dahl directs the attention of the audience to this grave and largely unnoticed issue. Family, the basic unit of a society is fundamental in nurturing children in order to prepare them for future roles. Unfortunately, today’s modern families are failing to fulfil this obligation. This quote highlights how parents nowadays are engrossed in their own lives, with little interest and attention towards children. It reflects the adverse effects of technological developments in majority of households. Today, child abuse and neglect has become a serious menace to society. This can be solely attributed to change in parental preferences. In today’s age, modern inventions such as televisions, computers, and cell phones have become an imperative component of everyday life. By and large, people fail to establish healthy and beneficial use limits for these inventions. Not surprisingly, time completely drained in such useless pursuits has resulted in dramatic decline in the relative importance of relations of all sorts. Family structures collapse as modern inventions replace parents. Matilda’s parents pay no attention to her needs and only castigate her further for developing habits different from theirs such as reading books. Mr Wormwood constantly denounces her for wasting her time in books as evident from this quote. Similarly, Mrs. Wormwood also explains to her daughter how brainy girls dedicated to studying

Every Act of Terrorism is a Wrongful Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Every Act of Terrorism is a Wrongful Act - Essay Example   The first question is "what is terrorism" and the second question is " can the act of terrorism be morally justified" or to put it on the focus of the paper, whether terrorism is always wrong or not. Philosophers have presented a variety of positions on both questions. With regards to the definition of terrorism, their dominant view looks to allow the core meaning "terrorism" has in universal use. Terrorism is considered as a form of violence (Brzoska 2014, p. 67). A number o definitions stress the experience of fear or terror as the main of that violent act. Neither terror nor violence is inflicted for its own personal sake, but instead for the sake of an unrelated aim like coercion or political goal (Primoratz 2012, p. 23). However, there are definitions, as well, which sever the abstract connection of terrorism with terror or with violence (Wright 2007, p. 21). With regards to the moral stance of terrorism, many philosophers have different opinions on how that is to be determi ned, as well as what the determination is. Consequentialists recommend viewing terrorism, like everything else, taking into consideration its consequences (Walzer 2006, p. 3). Nonconsequentialists claim that its moral stance is not just a matter of what effects, on balance, terrorism has, but is instead determined, whether only or mainly, by what it is. Stances on the ethics of terrorism vary from justification when its effects on balance are upright, or when some deontological moral needs have contended, to its almost absolute, absolute or rejection (Honderich 2004, p. 14). The essay is going to discuss whether terrorism is always wrong.  

Harm Reduction and Abstinence Based Treatments

Harm Reduction and Abstinence Based Treatments This essay will be constructed into four parts, harm reduction, abstinence based reatments, substance misuse and recovery. There will be a discussion on the history of harm reduction and what harm reduction is in the substance misuse field, for example problematic or harmful behaviour that is caused to the individual or others either socially, psychologically, physically or legally brought on by substance misuse. Secondly an explanation on abstinence based treatments, what they are and what the relationship is between them and harm reduction. Thirdly referring to recovery and what it means in the substance misuse field and what the implications are for the service users. Last but not means least a discussion about the two different approaches and how it impacts on the service user. To conclude a summary of the main points will be made. (136 Harm reduction pilot schemes started back in the 1980s and were a response to reduce the risk associated with harm caused by alcohol problems and injecting drug use, in response to the HIV and AIDS prevention strategy. Harm reduction is a process and not a treatment and should be integrated with other forms of intervention, it reduces the negative consequences of drug use. It is about educating the individuals, carers, partners and family members about the risks involved with their drug use and helping them take responsibility and learn to accept it rather than to ignore it. Most harm reduction interventions are aimed at preventing diseases due to blood- borne viruses (BBV) as well as overdose and other drug related deaths (Tatarsky Marlatt 2010). Harm reduction services include needle exchange services methadone and buprenorphine programmes. Needle exchange provides services where the users have the opportunity to dispose of their old needles, syringes and spoons for example. Moreo ver they will also receive advice and support on safer injecting, reducing injecting and prevention of overdose, they will receive a pack which contains clean injecting equipment to take away, reducing the risk of them sharing equipment with others (NTA 2006). Substitute prescribing such as methadone and buprenorphine programmes, buprenorphine and methadone are licensed for use in opioid dependence where methadone is dispensed in liquid form and buprenorphine is administered by tablet form sublingually (Connock, Juarez-Garcia Jowett, et al 2007). (236) Abstinence based treatment Abstinence means refraining from an activity which is known to be harmful and addictive or reducing this activity with the ultimate goal of being abstinent (McKeganey et al 2006). Doing this involves not taking a particular substance, avoiding areas where this is likely to be on offer or adopting a healthier lifestyle. Abstaining can be difficult to do especially when the substance has been part of their life for so long, this is where the individual has to look at healthier ways to deal with their substance use. This can include a range of abstinence based treatments to help the individuals with alcohol or drug such as Non-drug interventions the twelve step programme (self help) and Psychosocial interventions such as motivational interviewing or CBT. The twelve step programme is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioural problems, it was originally proposed by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a method of recover y from alcoholism. Motivational Interviewing is usually offered to achieve and maintain abstinence, it was originally used with problem drinkers but has also been applied to the treatment of illicit drug misuse (Raistrick et al 2006). There are several Pharmacological interventions available to treat alcohol dependence which are disulfiram, acamprosate and naltrexone. These all work in different ways Disulfiram is used for individuals who wish to abstain altogether, if taken with alcohol it can cause some very unpleasant effects; vomiting, headache, palpitations and breathlessness. Acamprosate and naltrexone are an anti-craving drugs used in the maintenance of abstinence (SIGN 2003). However there is an increased risk of overdose or death due to a relapse after a period of abstinence as tolerance levels will have changed to that particular substance (REF). (288) Substance misuse Substance misuse is defined as the use of a substance for a purpose not consistent with legal or medical guidelines (WHO, 2006). It is a misuse of all psycho-active substances including illicit drugs, non-prescribed pharmaceutical preparations and alcohol misuse. People use substances because it makes them feel good, feel different and makes them more sociable. Using substances only becomes misuse when a problem arises such as it having a negative impact on health or functioning and may take the form of drug dependence causing problematic or harmful behaviour to the individual or others either socially, psychologically, physically or legally. (99) Recovery The Recovery Model as it applies to mental health is an approach to mental disorder or substance dependence that emphasises and supports each individuals potential for recovery. Recovery is seen within the model as a personal journey, that may involve developing hope, a secure base and sense of self, supportive relationships, empowerment, social inclusion, coping skills, and meaning. For someone who misuses substances recovery may not be about being totally abstinent it may simply mean still using drugs but in a safe way, for instance having clean works for injecting or substitute prescribing for opioid misuse. Recovery principles bring about the change in the way a service user thinks and aims to produce a change in behaviour, however before these changes can only happen if the person is ready to change, ambivalence may be experienced by the service user and this can affect motivation on a daily basis. Motivational interviewing techniques go hand in hand with the harm reduction mode l as one of the key factors with motivational interviewing is dealing with ambivalence. Prochaska and DiClemente 1983 provide a framework to understand the change process it was originally created to help understand what individuals go through in changing their behavior. it uses 5 principles, precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance (Hansen et al 2008). Service users with little or no motivation and who are not engaging in any attempts to change are seen as being in the pre-contemplation stage as they do not see their behaviour as a problem and there is no need to change it, this could be due to an attempt to change in the past without success and may feel demoralised so may become resistant to change. It is important to engage service users at this stage and build a trusting rapport so that in the future they will be able to turn to the practitioner for help. The contemplation stage is when a person acknowledges that they may have a problem and work towa rds developing motivation to change but could become ambivalent, engaging with the service user in discussion about their ambivalence is the goal at this stage getting them to think about what their problem is and how it is affecting them. Individuals in the preparation stage may want to change and have a plan but need help to do so, the reason individuals may seek treatment could be that their problem is having negative effects on life for example, criminality or job loss. The action stage comes next this is where the service user is actively setting goals to change and will be developing skills to do so, supporting the service user in making these goals achievable are key here, goals need to be small and achievable to the service user. In the maintenance stage the service user sustains changes in behaviour and works towards preventing relapse by identifying the supports around them, at this stage the service user may decide to make long term goals and problem solve how to best acc omplish them. Prochaska and DiClemente 1983 describe a sixth stage and it is the relapse stage the service user reverts to the behaviour they were trying to change, the practitioner should provide support for the individual in a non-judgemental way as they may be feeling ashamed and guilty for relapsing, re-evaluate the stage of change the individual is at explore the relapse episode trying to discover if the relapse was shorter or longer than previous relapses and were they able to reduce their use, this may be an opportunity for the service user and practitioner to work on other relapse prevention techniques. (Prochaska Diclemente 1983). However service users may move back and forth between the stages. This does not represent failure, but rather the nonlinear nature of the model. Recovery is about making the best out of their life and having quality of life and as nurses we should provide support and advice to achieve their goals (Network 26 2009). (660) Both the abstinence model and the harm reduction model have similar goals. The goal in this case is to create a better quality of life for the person receiving the service. Harm reduction approaches are often perceived to be the opposite of abstinence based approaches to drug use and sometimes even as condoning drug use. This is not the case, harm reduction complements abstinence based drug treatment approaches by providing Injecting drug users with the knowledge and tools to stay healthy and alive until they are able or willing to achieve abstinence. Abstinence remains the most effective way of reducing the negative consequences of drug use. For injecting drug users who are unable to remain abstinent, harm reduction measures such as methadone maintenance treatment and needle and syringe programs are ways to reduce negative consequences. For example the abstinence approach to caring for an individual who uses heroin and has HIV service users would find that they would be encouraged t o stop using heroin completely and to abstain from sex. While with the harm reduction programme the individual may be taught how to use heroin more safely i.e. clean needles and spoons and other paraphernalia or to substitute methadone for heroin and to practice safer sex. It can be argued that because abstinence based services were not providing HIV education and preventive tools such as condoms and syringes, individuals using these services would remain unaware of the risks of HIV and how to protect themselves from it. (247) Conclusion In conclusion, the integration of harm reduction and abstinence based treatment is more powerful than either model separately. The abstinence goal provides more room for the more abstract harm reduction work to occur. The accepting atmosphere of harm reduction with the addition of the clarity of the goal of abstinence promote patient retention better than either separately. The implications of this integration is that harm reduction can be more accepted and powerful in the public sector. It is important to look at the wider context of why people use drugs. Taking away a coping mechanism from a drug user may do more harm than good unless the core issues that led to drug use are dealt with in the first, hence the reason the motivational interviewing approach is more empowering for the service user (134

Majority or Minority Influence :: Politics, Compliance, Conversion

This essay concerns social influence in general. Aspects of social influence as such as majority influence and minority influence will be discussed in terms of their underlying psychological processes and how they differ. Majority influence or conformity refers to the desire to belong or to fit in within a particular group which involves adopting certain attributes, behaviour and attitudes of a particular group. As a result individuals consequently experience group pressure (in Baron, Branscombe & Byrne 2008). Minority influence on the other hand, refers to the influence that the minority exert over the majority in that the majority come to accept the beliefs and behaviours of a minority (in Baron et al. 2008). A considerable body of research has been injected into the nature and impact of both majority and minority influences. Moscovici (1980 in Hogg and Vaughan 2007) claimed that both majorities and minorities exert influence in different ways. One psychological process underlying majority influence is through direct public compliance. The dual-process dependency model which was postulated by Deutsch and Gerard, (1955 in Hogg and Vaughan 2007) proposes two important motives for conformity: normative social influence and informational social influence. Normative social influence refers to the need to be accepted and approved by society. This involves individuals to modify their behaviours and to adopt new/current ones that are associated with the particular social group so that they are not rejected (in Hogg & Vaughan 2007). An example of this situation can be reflected in Asch’s (1956 in Baron et al. 2008) study of conformity in which participants conformed to the majority group but at the same time maintained their own private opinions and disagreed. This process is known as compliance (in Bailey, J.et al. 2008). The second motive that explains why people conform according to Deutsch and Gerard, (1955) is based on informational social influence. According to Festinger, (1950, 1954 in Hogg & Vaughan 2007) this type of influence is associated with uncertainty. Here individuals are uncertain and lack knowledge as to how to behave in certain situations. Festinger referred to this as social comparison in which individuals are not fully confident about their beliefs, attitudes and opinions and therefore yield to majority in order to be correct. This occurs particularly under ambiguous conditions and is clearly demonstrated in Asch’s (1956 in Hogg and Vaughan 2007) and Sherif’s (1936 in Hogg and Vaughan 2007) studies in which participants converged on similar answers particularly when the tasks became extremely difficult for them to be able to rely on their own judgments (in Bailey et al.

Analyse the Political Implications of Concentrated Media Ownership and Control Essay

The media is primarily used to disseminate information. It is a platform for communication between the people and those who hold authority. In today’s world the media has an immense role in the functioning of society and has the ability to reach a mass audience through technologies such as print, Internet, television, film and radio. There has been increasing concern over the growing concentration of media ownership as well as how this increased media control influences and shapes democracy. Concentrated media ownership refers to the number of individuals or corporations who control an increasing share in the mass media market, which at present is very few. For example, eleven out of twelve major Australian Newspapers are owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation or John Fairfax Holdings (Independent Australia, 2011). Society has seen media moguls, such as Rupert Murdoch, dominate cross-media ownership with companies in print, television, film etc. The media and politics are closely intertwined and with an increase in concentrated media ownership and control, issues such as political bias; the trivialisation and sensationalism of political issues in the pursuit of profits; and the decreasing amout of editorial diversity and expression, have become issues of concern for the consumers of this mass media. Street describes bias as â€Å"the idea that the practices of journalists and editors result in articles and programmes that favour one view of the world over another, providing sustenance for one set of interests while undermining an alternative† (Street, 2011). Bias is a large issue within all media, and authorities enforce a myriad of regulations and restrictions on media corporations to try and eliminate it. With an increase in media concentration, and the power that the media yields, eliminating political bias within the media has become an important issue. Since most of the media institutions are owned by corporations, such as Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, the most common assumption is that the media as a whole may be influenced by its owners. For instance, there are times when the owners’ decision may affect the kind of information that media would disclose to the public. Wagner makes the point that â€Å"the news media distribute much of the information we receive about the world around us. Thousands of politicians, policy researchers and opinion makers wish to transmit information to the public at large. The news media serve as intermediaries in this information market, selecting to transmit a fraction of the millions of potential messages to an audience† (Wagner, 1997). For example, Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News channel was been criticised for its right-tilted news coverage. Murdoch has always been seen to favour the conservative side of politics and the Fox News channel has been seen to show preference toward the Republican Government in America. Fox Founder and president Rodger Ailes was a republican political operative in Washington. He helped with The Nixon and Reagan campaigns as well as the elder Bush’s media strategy for his presidentiary campaign in 1988 (Ackerman, 2001). David Asman, The Fox News Channel’s daytime anchor was known for his association with the right- wing Wall Street Journal. Another anchor for Fox News, Tony Snow, was a conservative columnist and also the chief speechwriter for the first bush administration (Ackerman, 2001). The Fox News Channel also hosted employees and presenters such as Eric Breindel, John Moody and Bill O’Reilly, all of whom were known for their conservative, right wing views (Ackerman, 2001). Rupert Murdock stated, â€Å" â€Å"I challenge anybody to show me an example of bias in Fox News Channel. (Ackerman, 2001) However, looking at the individuals that were in charge of disseminating the news at Fox, it is hard to believe that none of the political stories covered by Fox did not favour the more conservative side of American politics. Media conglomerates, such as News Corporation, have the ability to sway public opinion and with the increasing control they have access to, it is naive to think that they would not use this power to influence and sway public opinion to fit with their own agendas and ideologies. The size of the enormous media firms of today exceeds the size of the largest firms fifteen years ago by a factor of ten. (McChesney, 1999). With this increase in the size of the major media corporations also comes the increased pursuit of profits by these firms. Sometimes, this pursuit of profit can be to the detriment of information and in turn democracy. Corporations look for stories that will attract and entertain readers and viewers, sometimes neglecting stories that hold high information content and reflect political policies and agendas. McChesney refers to this need to aximise profits when he states â€Å"With the tremendous pressure to attract audiences but to keep costs down and not take chances, the standard route of the media giants is to turn to the tried and true formulas of sex and violence, always attention getters† (McChesney, 1999, p34). With the increased emphasis on profit maximisation and the commercialisation of news media, there is a risk that consumers of news media will cease to have access to information regarding smaller issues in society such as local political policy/s and other more localised issues. Because these issues are small and aren’t seen as revenue earners, or important issues, they may be sacrificed to make way for big stories and scandals. In other words, profit and revenue may become more important, in the eyes of media conglomerates, than information. The pure size of the media and its influence over information has huge impacts on democracy and politics. Meier (2011) sites Giddens in his work. Giddens talks about the trivializing of political issues and personas and states â€Å" The media†¦ have a double relation to democracy. On the one hand †¦ the emergence of a global information society is a powerful democratising force. Yet, television, and the other media, tend to destroy the very public space of dialogue they open up, through relentless trivializing, and personalizing of political issues. Moreover, the growth of giant multinational media corporations means that unelected business tycoons can hold enormous power† (p 298). In essence, Giddens is stating that while news media and media corporations may broadcast political issues and policies, these views are somewhat destroyed with the constant emphasis on the politicians themselves. Because of this a great deal of emphasis is taken away from the real political issues. An example of this is the constant criticism of Julia Gillard and her lifestyle. For example, she is an unmarried woman; her partner is a hairdresser. There is also constant evaluation of her hairstyle, wardrobe, her figure and her voice. Gillard is constantly known for stabbing Kevin Rudd in the back. She has also been portrayed as untrustworthy as well as a liar. Instead of the media evaluating and critiquing her policies and looking critically at her as a leader, we see the media sensationalising the above trivial issues instead of concentrating on what she is doing for the country politically. As Media concentration and control increases, diversity of expression decreases. In all healthy democracies, a wide range of assorted opinions are offered, and media offer a large variety of different positions, values and biases. No individual is obliged to accept any particular position or argument, but they are encouraged to have put their own views and criticisms forward. The core problem that comes with media concentration is that it diminishes ideological diversity within the media system. Studies have been conducted that show that although there may be more media outlets, there is not necessarily more information or diversity in media. â€Å"Rather than the new platforms leading to a diversity of voices, voices are in fact being snuffed out†¦ An analysis of independent media showed that 96 per cent of stories simply came from recycling stories found in the mainstream press. However, The study also showed that the mainstream press was producing 73 percent less information than 10 years ago† (independent Australia, 2011). Curran states that â€Å"they can use their financial power to drive new entrants out of the marketplace by launching expensive promotional campaigns, offering discounts to advertisers or buying up key creative personnel† (Curran, 2005) Because of the increased power of media corporations, they have the ability to eliminate their competition and therefore decrease the amount of diversity available to the consumer. Robert W. McChesney outlines in his book Corporate Media and the Threat to Democracy that there are three factors that allow democracy to work at its best. The first is â€Å" it helps when there are not significant disparities in economic wealth and property ownership across the society† (1997, p5). The second requires there to be â€Å" a sense of community and a notion that an individuals well- being is determined to no small extent by the community’s well-being† (1997, p5). Finally McChesney states â€Å"democracy requires that there be an effective system of political communication† (1997, p5). Media concentration and control works to the detriment of each of these factors. Firstly the multi billion dollar media corporations, do not represent economic equality within the society, in fact they help to make the gap between the working classes and authority increase. Media concentration disputes McChesney’s second factor as media moguls and corporations have become increasingly focused on the pursuit of large profits and personal gain, and are not heavily influenced around society’s wellbeing. Finally, an effective system of political communication should be based around diversity of news coverage and diversity of political issues, both locally and nationally, large and small. However, with the increasing size of corporations the diversity of expression has steadily decreased. Australia has one of the highest media concentrations in the free world. With the increasing control held by mass media conglomerates various political issues arise such as political bias; the trivialisation and sensationalism of political issues in the pursuit of profits; and the decreasing amount of editorial diversity and expression. The above issues threaten democracy and the media must be regulated and controlled before it threatens how the political system in Australia functions. Governments need to manage media moguls, such as Rupert Murdock before they gain too much power, and control, over political issues and coverage. The key to a democratic society is freedom of information, positive political debate and communication. These key functions of a democratic society are being threatened by concentrated mass media and the increasing control held by these corporations.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 58-61

CHAPTER 58 The coyly nicknamed explosive Key4 had been developed by Special Forces specifically for opening locked doors with minimal collateral damage. Consisting primarily of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine with a diethylhexyl plasticizer, it was essentially a piece of C-4 rolled into paper-thin sheets for insertion into doorjambs. In the case of the library's reading room, the explosive had worked perfectly. Operation leader Agent Turner Simkins stepped over the wreckage of the doors and scanned the massive octagonal room for any signs of movement. Nothing. â€Å"Kill the lights,† Simkins said. A second agent found the wall panel, threw the switches, and plunged the room into darkness. In unison, all four men reached up and yanked down their night-vision headgear, adjusting the goggles over their eyes. They stood motionless, surveying the reading room, which now materialized in shades of luminescent green inside their goggles. The scene remained unchanged. Nobody made a dash for it in the dark. The fugitives were probably unarmed, and yet the field team entered the room with weapons raised. In the darkness, their firearms projected four menacing rods of laser light. The men washed the beams in all directions, across the floor, up the far walls, into the balconies, probing the darkness. Oftentimes, a mere glimpse of a laser-sighted weapon in a darkened room was enough to induce instant surrender. Apparently not tonight. Still no movement. Agent Simkins raised his hand, motioning his team into the space. Silently, the men fanned out. Moving cautiously up the center aisle, Simkins reached up and flipped a switch on his goggles, activating the newest addition to the CIA's arsenal. Thermal imaging had been around for years, but recent advances in miniaturization, differential sensitivity, and dual-source integration had facilitated a new generation of vision enhancing equipment that gave field agents eyesight that bordered on superhuman. We see in the dark. We see through walls. And now . . . we see back in time. Thermal-imaging equipment had become so sensitive to heat differentials that it could detect not only a person's location . . . but their previous locations. The ability to see into the past often proved the most valuable asset of all. And tonight, once again, it proved its worth. Agent Simkins now spied a thermal signature at one of the reading desks. The two wooden chairs luminesced in his goggles, registering a reddish-purple color, indicating those chairs were warmer than the other chairs in the room. The desk lamp's bulb glowed orange. Obviously the two men had been sitting at the desk, but the question now was in which direction they had gone. He found his answer on the central counter that surrounded the large wooden console in the middle of the room. A ghostly handprint, glowing crimson. Weapon raised, Simkins moved toward the octagonal cabinet, training his laser sight across the surface. He circled until he saw an opening in the side of the console. Did they really corner themselves in a cabinet? The agent scanned the trim around the opening and saw another glowing handprint on it. Clearly someone had grabbed the doorjamb as he ducked inside the console. The time for silence was over. â€Å"Thermal signature!† Simkins shouted, pointing at the opening. â€Å"Flanks converge!† His two flanks moved in from opposite sides, effectively surrounding the octagonal console. Simkins moved toward the opening. Still ten feet away, he could see a light source within. â€Å"Light inside the console!† he shouted, hoping the sound of his voice might convince Mr. Bellamy and Mr. Langdon to exit the cabinet with their hands up. Nothing happened. Fine, we'll do this the other way. As Simkins drew closer to the opening, he could hear an unexpected hum rumbling from within. It sounded like machinery. He paused, trying to imagine what could be making such a noise in such a small space. He inched closer, now hearing voices over the sound of machinery. Then, just as he arrived at the opening, the lights inside went out. Thank you, he thought, adjusting his night vision. Advantage, us. Standing at the threshold, he peered through the opening. What lay beyond was unexpected. The console was less of a cabinet than a raised ceiling over a steep set of stairs that descended into a room below. The agent aimed his weapon down the stairs and began descending. The hum of machinery grew louder with every step. What the hell is this place? The room beneath the reading room was a small, industrial-looking space. The hum he heard was indeed machinery, although he was not sure whether it was running because Bellamy and Langdon had activated it, or because it ran around the clock. Either way, it clearly made no difference. The fugitives had left their telltale heat signatures on the room's lone exit–a heavy steel door whose keypad showed four clear fingerprints glowing on the numbers. Around the door, slivers of glowing orange shone beneath the doorjamb, indicating that lights were illuminated on the other side. â€Å"Blow the door,† Simkins said. â€Å"This was their escape route.† It took eight seconds to insert and detonate a sheet of Key4. When the smoke cleared, the field- team agents found themselves peering into a strange underground world known here as â€Å"the stacks.† The Library of Congress had miles and miles of bookshelves, most of them underground. The endless rows of shelves looked like some kind of â€Å"infinity† optical illusion created with mirrors. A sign announced TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT Keep this door closed at all times. Simkins pushed through the mangled doors and felt cool air beyond. He couldn't help but smile. Could this get any easier? Heat signatures in controlled environments showed up like solar flares, and already his goggles revealed a glowing red smear on a banister up ahead, which Bellamy or Langdon had grabbed on to while running past. â€Å"You can run,† he whispered to himself, â€Å"but you can't hide.† As Simkins and his team advanced into the maze of stacks, he realized the playing field was tipped so heavily in his favor that he would not even need his goggles to track his prey. Under normal circumstances, this maze of stacks would have been a respectable hiding place, but the Library of Congress used motion-activated lights to save energy, and the fugitives' escape route was now lit up like a runway. A narrow strip of illumination stretched into the distance, dodging and weaving as it went. All the men ripped off their goggles. Surging ahead on well-trained legs, the field team followed the trail of lights, zigging and zagging through a seemingly endless labyrinth of books. Soon Simkins began seeing lights flickering on in the darkness up ahead. We're gaining. He pushed harder, faster, until he heard footsteps and labored breathing ahead. Then he saw a target. â€Å"I've got visual!† he yelled. The lanky form of Warren Bellamy was apparently bringing up the rear. The primly dressed African American staggered through the stacks, obviously out of breath. It's no use, old man. â€Å"Stop right there, Mr. Bellamy!† Simkins yelled. Bellamy kept running, turning sharp corners, weaving through the rows of books. At every turn, the lights kept coming on over his head. As the team drew within twenty yards, they shouted again to stop, but Bellamy ran on. â€Å"Take him down!† Simkins commanded. The agent carrying the team's nonlethal rifle raised it and fired. The projectile that launched down the aisle and wrapped itself around Bellamy's legs was nicknamed Silly String, but there was nothing silly about it. A military technology invented at Sandia National Laboratories, this nonlethal â€Å"incapacitant† was a thread of gooey polyurethane that turned rock hard on contact, creating a rigid web of plastic across the back of the fugitive's knees. The effect on a running target was that of jamming a stick into the spokes of a moving bike. The man's legs seized midstride, and he pitched forward, crashing to the floor. Bellamy slid another ten feet down a darkened aisle before coming to a stop, the lights above him flickering unceremoniously to life. â€Å"I'll deal with Bellamy,† Simkins shouted. â€Å"You keep going after Langdon! He must be up ahead some–† The team leader stopped, now seeing that the library stacks ahead of Bellamy were all pitch-black. Obviously, there was no one else running in front of Bellamy. He's alone? Bellamy was still on his chest, breathing heavily, his legs and ankles all tangled with hardened plastic. The agent walked over and used his foot to roll the old man over onto his back. â€Å"Where is he?!† the agent demanded. Bellamy's lip was bleeding from the fall. â€Å"Where is who?† Agent Simkins lifted his foot and placed his boot squarely on Bellamy's pristine silk tie. Then he leaned in, applying some pressure. â€Å"Believe me, Mr. Bellamy, you do not want to play this game with me.† CHAPTER 59 Robert Langdon felt like a corpse. He lay supine, hands folded on his chest, in total darkness, trapped in the most confined of spaces. Although Katherine lay nearby in a similar position near his head, Langdon could not see her. He had his eyes closed to prevent himself from catching even a fleeting glimpse of his frightening predicament. The space around him was small. Very small. Sixty seconds ago, with the double doors of the reading room crashing down, he and Katherine had followed Bellamy into the octagonal console, down a steep set of stairs, and into the unexpected space below. Langdon had realized at once where they were. The heart of the library's circulation system. Resembling a small airport baggage distribution center, the circulation room had numerous conveyor belts that angled off in different directions. Because the Library of Congress was housed in three separate buildings, books requested in the reading room often had to be transported great distances by a system of conveyors through a web of underground tunnels. Bellamy immediately crossed the room to a steel door, where he inserted his key card, typed a sequence of buttons, and pushed open the door. The space beyond was dark, but as the door opened, a span of motion-sensor lights flickered to life. When Langdon saw what lay beyond, he realized he was looking at something few people ever saw. The Library of Congress stacks. He felt encouraged by Bellamy's plan. What better place to hide than in a giant labyrinth? Bellamy did not guide them into the stacks, however. Instead, he propped the door open with a book and turned back to face them. â€Å"I had hoped to be able to explain a lot more to you, but we have no time.† He gave Langdon his key card. â€Å"You'll need this.† â€Å"You're not coming with us?† Langdon asked. Bellamy shook his head. â€Å"You'll never make it unless we split up. The most important thing is to keep that pyramid and capstone in safe hands.† Langdon saw no other way out except the stairs back up to the reading room. â€Å"And where are you going?† â€Å"I'll coax them into the stacks away from you,† Bellamy said. â€Å"It's all I can do to help you escape.† Before Langdon could ask where he and Katherine were supposed to go, Bellamy was heaving a large crate of books off one of the conveyors. â€Å"Lie on the belt,† Bellamy said. â€Å"Keep your hands in.† Langdon stared. You cannot be serious! The conveyor belt extended a short distance then disappeared into a dark hole in the wall. The opening looked large enough to permit passage of a crate of books, but not much more. Langdon glanced back longingly at the stacks. â€Å"Forget it,† Bellamy said. â€Å"The motion-sensor lights will make it impossible to hide.† â€Å"Thermal signature!† a voice upstairs shouted. â€Å"Flanks converge!† Katherine apparently had heard all she needed to hear. She climbed onto the conveyor belt with her head only a few feet from the opening in the wall. She crossed her hands over her chest like a mummy in a sarcophagus. Langdon stood frozen. â€Å"Robert,† Bellamy urged, â€Å"if you won't do this for me, do it for Peter.† The voices upstairs sounded closer now. As if in a dream, Langdon moved to the conveyor. He slung his daybag onto the belt and then climbed on, placing his head at Katherine's feet. The hard rubber conveyor felt cold against his back. He stared at the ceiling and felt like a hospital patient preparing for insertion headfirst into an MRI machine. â€Å"Keep your phone on,† Bellamy said. â€Å"Someone will call soon . . . and offer help. Trust him.† Someone will call? Langdon knew that Bellamy had been trying to reach someone with no luck and had left a message earlier. And only moments ago, as they hurried down the spiral staircase, Bellamy had tried one last time and gotten through, speaking very briefly in hushed tones and then hanging up. â€Å"Follow the conveyor to the end,† Bellamy said. â€Å"And jump off quickly before you circle back. Use my key card to get out.† â€Å"Get out of where?!† Langdon demanded. But Bellamy was already pulling levers. All the different conveyors in the room hummed to life. Langdon felt himself jolt into motion, and the ceiling began moving overhead. God save me. As Langdon approached the opening in the wall, he looked back and saw Warren Bellamy race through the doorway into the stacks, closing the door behind him. An instant later, Langdon slid into the darkness, swallowed up by the library . . . just as a glowing red laser dot came dancing down the stairs. CHAPTER 60 The underpaid female security guard from Preferred Security double-checked the Kalorama Heights address on her call sheet. This is it? The gated driveway before her belonged to one of the neighborhood's largest and quietest estates, and so it seemed odd that 911 had just received an urgent call about it. As usual with unconfirmed call-ins, 911 had contacted the local alarm company before bothering the police. The guard often thought the alarm company's motto–â€Å"Your first line of defense†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ could just as easily have been â€Å"False alarms, pranks, lost pets, and complaints from wacky neighbors.† Tonight, as usual, the guard had arrived with no details about the specific concern. Above my pay grade. Her job was simply to show up with her yellow bubble light spinning, assess the property, and report anything unusual. Normally, something innocuous had tripped the house alarm, and she would use her override keys to reset it. This house, however, was silent. No alarm. From the road, everything looked dark and peaceful. The guard buzzed the intercom at the gate, but got no answer. She typed her override code to open the gate and pulled into the driveway. Leaving her engine running and her bubble light spinning, she walked up to the front door and rang the bell. No answer. She saw no lights and no movement. Reluctantly following procedure, she flicked on her flashlight to begin her trek around the house to check the doors and windows for signs of break-in. As she rounded the corner, a black stretch limousine drove past the house, slowing for a moment before continuing on. Rubbernecking neighbors. Bit by bit, she made her way around the house, but saw nothing out of place. The house was bigger than she had imagined, and by the time she reached the backyard, she was shivering from the cold. Obviously there was nobody home. â€Å"Dispatch?† she called in on her radio. â€Å"I'm on the Kalorama Heights call? Owners aren't home. No signs of trouble. Finished the perimeter check. No indication of an intruder. False alarm.† â€Å"Roger that,† the dispatcher replied. â€Å"Have a good night.† The guard put her radio back on her belt and began retracing her steps, eager to get back to the warmth of her vehicle. As she did so, however, she spotted something she had missed earlier–a tiny speck of bluish light on the back of the house. Puzzled, she walked over to it, now seeing the source–a low transom window, apparently to the home's basement. The glass of the window had been blacked out, coated on the inside with an opaque paint. Some kind of darkroom maybe? The bluish glow she had seen was emanating through a tiny spot on the window where the black paint had started to peel. She crouched down, trying to peer through, but she couldn't see much through the tiny opening. She tapped on the glass, wondering if maybe someone was working down there. â€Å"Hello?† she shouted. There was no answer, but as she knocked on the window, the paint chip suddenly detached and fell off, affording her a more complete view. She leaned in, nearly pressing her face to the window as she scanned the basement. Instantly, she wished she hadn't. What in the name of God?! Transfixed, she remained crouched there for a moment, staring in abject horror at the scene before her. Finally, trembling, the guard groped for the radio on her belt. She never found it. A sizzling pair of Taser prongs slammed into the back of her neck, and a searing pain shot through her body. Her muscles seized, and she pitched forward, unable even to close her eyes before her face hit the cold ground. CHAPTER 61 Tonight was not the first time Warren Bellamy had been blindfolded. Like all of his Masonic brothers, he had worn the ritual â€Å"hoodwink† during his ascent to the upper echelons of Masonry. That, however, had taken place among trusted friends. Tonight was different. These rough- handed men had bound him, placed a bag on his head, and were now marching him through the library stacks. The agents had physically threatened Bellamy and demanded to know the whereabouts of Robert Langdon. Knowing his aging body couldn't take much punishment, Bellamy had told his lie quickly. â€Å"Langdon never came down here with me!† he had said, gasping for air. â€Å"I told him to go up to the balcony and hide behind the Moses statue, but I don't know where he is now!† The story apparently had been convincing, because two of the agents had run off in pursuit. Now the remaining two agents were marching him in silence through the stacks. Bellamy's only solace was in knowing Langdon and Katherine were whisking the pyramid off to safety. Soon Langdon would be contacted by a man who could offer sanctuary. Trust him. The man Bellamy had called knew a great deal about the Masonic Pyramid and the secret it held–the location of a hidden spiral staircase that led down into the earth to the hiding place of potent ancient wisdom buried long ago. Bellamy had finally gotten through to the man as they were escaping the reading room, and he felt confident that his short message would be understood perfectly. Now, as he moved in total darkness, Bellamy pictured the stone pyramid and golden capstone in Langdon's bag. It has been many years since those two pieces were in the same room. Bellamy would never forget that painful night. The first of many for Peter. Bellamy had been asked to come to the Solomon estate in Potomac for Zachary Solomon's eighteenth birthday. Zachary, despite being a rebellious child, was a Solomon, which meant tonight, following family tradition, he would receive his inheritance. Bellamy was one of Peter's dearest friends and a trusted Masonic brother, and therefore was asked to attend as a witness. But it was not only the transference of money that Bellamy had been asked to witness. There was far more than money at stake tonight. Bellamy had arrived early and waited, as requested, in Peter's private study. The wonderful old room smelled of leather, wood fires, and loose-leaf tea. Warren was seated when Peter led his son, Zachary, into the room. When the scrawny eighteen-year-old saw Bellamy, he frowned. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"Bearing witness,† Bellamy offered. â€Å"Happy birthday, Zachary.† The boy mumbled and looked away. â€Å"Sit down, Zach,† Peter said. Zachary sat in the solitary chair facing his father's huge wooden desk. Solomon bolted the study door. Bellamy took a seat off to one side. Solomon addressed Zachary in a serious tone. â€Å"Do you know why you're here?† â€Å"I think so,† Zachary said. Solomon sighed deeply. â€Å"I know you and I have not seen eye to eye for quite some time, Zach. I've done my best to be a good father and to prepare you for this moment.† Zachary said nothing. â€Å"As you know, every Solomon child, upon reaching adulthood, is presented with his or her birthright–a share of the Solomon fortune–which is intended to be a seed . . . a seed for you to nurture, make grow, and use to help nourish mankind.† Solomon walked to a vault in the wall, unlocked it, and removed a large black folder. â€Å"Son, this portfolio contains everything you need to legally transfer your financial inheritance into your own name.† He laid it on the desk. â€Å"The aim is that you use this money to build a life of productivity, prosperity, and philanthropy.† Zachary reached for the folder. â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"Hold on,† his father said, putting his hand on the portfolio. â€Å"There's something else I need to explain.† Zachary shot his father a contemptuous look and slumped back down. â€Å"There are aspects of the Solomon inheritance of which you are not yet aware.† His father was staring straight into Zachary's eyes now. â€Å"You are my firstborn, Zachary, which means you are entitled to a choice.† The teenager sat up, looking intrigued. â€Å"It is a choice that may well determine the direction of your future, and so I urge you to ponder it carefully.† â€Å"What choice?† His father took a deep breath. â€Å"It is the choice . . . between wealth or wisdom.† Zachary gave him a blank stare. â€Å"Wealth or wisdom? I don't get it.† Solomon stood, walking again to the vault, where he pulled out a heavy stone pyramid with Masonic symbols carved into it. Peter heaved the stone onto the desk beside the portfolio. â€Å"This pyramid was created long ago and has been entrusted to our family for generations.† â€Å"A pyramid?† Zachary didn't look very excited. â€Å"Son, this pyramid is a map . . . a map that reveals the location of one of humankind's greatest lost treasures. This map was created so that the treasure could one day be rediscovered.† Peter's voice swelled now with pride. â€Å"And tonight, following tradition, I am able to offer it to you . . . under certain conditions.† Zachary eyed the pyramid suspiciously. â€Å"What's the treasure?† Bellamy could tell that this coarse question was not what Peter had hoped for. Nonetheless, his demeanor remained steady. â€Å"Zachary, it's hard to explain without a lot of background. But this treasure . . . in essence . . . is something we call the Ancient Mysteries.† Zachary laughed, apparently thinking his father was joking. Bellamy could see the melancholy growing now in Peter's eyes. â€Å"This is very difficult for me to describe, Zach. Traditionally, by the time a Solomon is eighteen years of age, he is about to embark on his years of higher education in–â€Å" â€Å"I told you!† Zachary fired back. â€Å"I'm not interested in college!† â€Å"I don't mean college,† his father said, his voice still calm and quiet. â€Å"I'm talking about the brotherhood of Freemasonry. I'm talking about an education in the enduring mysteries of human science. If you had plans to join me within their ranks, you would be on the verge of receiving the education necessary to understand the importance of your decision tonight.† Zachary rolled his eyes. â€Å"Spare me the Masonic lecture again. I know I'm the first Solomon who doesn't want to join. But so what? Don't you get it? I have no interest in playing dress-up with a bunch of old men!† His father was silent for a long time, and Bellamy noticed the fine age lines that had started to appear around Peter's still-youthful eyes. â€Å"Yes, I get it,† Peter finally said. â€Å"Times are different now. I understand that Masonry probably appears strange to you, or maybe even boring. But I want you to know, that doorway will always be open for you should you change your mind.† â€Å"Don't hold your breath,† Zach grumbled. â€Å"That's enough!† Peter snapped, standing up. â€Å"I realize life has been a struggle for you, Zachary, but I am not your only guidepost. There are good men waiting for you, men who will welcome you within the Masonic fold and show you your true potential.† Zachary chuckled and glanced over at Bellamy. â€Å"Is that why you're here, Mr. Bellamy? So you Masons can gang up on me?† Bellamy said nothing, instead directing a respectful gaze back at Peter Solomon–a reminder to Zachary of who held the power in this room. Zachary turned back to his father. â€Å"Zach,† Peter said, â€Å"we're getting nowhere . . . so let me just tell you this. Whether or not you comprehend the responsibility being offered to you tonight, it is my family obligation to present it.† He motioned to the pyramid. â€Å"It is a rare privilege to guard this pyramid. I urge you to consider this opportunity for a few days before making your decision.† â€Å"Opportunity?† Zachary said. â€Å"Babysitting a rock?† â€Å"There are great mysteries in this world, Zach,† Peter said with a sigh. â€Å"Secrets that transcend your wildest imagination. This pyramid protects those secrets. And even more important, there will come a time, probably within your lifetime, when this pyramid will at last be deciphered and its secrets unearthed. It will be a moment of great human transformation . . . and you have a chance to play a role in that moment. I want you to consider it very carefully. Wealth is commonplace, but wisdom is rare.† He motioned to the portfolio and then to the pyramid. â€Å"I beg you to remember that wealth without wisdom can often end in disaster.† Zachary looked like he thought his father was insane. â€Å"Whatever you say, Dad, but there's no way I'm giving up my inheritance for this.† He gestured to the pyramid. Peter folded his hands before him. â€Å"If you choose to accept the responsibility, I will hold your money and the pyramid for you until you have successfully completed your education within the Masons. This will take years, but you will emerge with the maturity to receive both your money and this pyramid. Wealth and wisdom. A potent combination.† Zachary shot up. â€Å"Jesus, Dad! You don't give up, do you? Can't you see that I don't give a damn about the Masons or stone pyramids and ancient mysteries?† He reached down and scooped up the black portfolio, waving it in front of his father's face. â€Å"This is my birthright! The same birthright of the Solomons who came before me! I can't believe you'd try to trick me out of my inheritance with lame stories about ancient treasure maps!† He tucked the portfolio under his arm and marched past Bellamy to the study's patio door. â€Å"Zachary, wait!† His father rushed after him as Zachary stalked out into the night. â€Å"Whatever you do, you can never speak of the pyramid you have seen!† Peter Solomon's voice cracked. â€Å"Not to anyone! Ever!† But Zachary ignored him, disappearing into the night. Peter Solomon's gray eyes were filled with pain as he returned to his desk and sat heavily in his leather chair. After a long silence, he looked up at Bellamy and forced a sad smile. â€Å"That went well.† Bellamy sighed, sharing in Solomon's pain. â€Å"Peter, I don't mean to sound insensitive . . . but . . . do you trust him?† Solomon stared blankly into space. â€Å"I mean . . .† Bellamy pressed, â€Å"not to say anything about the pyramid?† Solomon's face was blank. â€Å"I really don't know what to say, Warren. I'm not sure I even know him anymore.† Bellamy rose and walked slowly back and forth before the large desk. â€Å"Peter, you have followed your family duty, but now, considering what just happened, I think we need to take precautions. I should return the capstone to you so you can find a new home for it. Someone else should watch over it.† â€Å"Why?† Solomon asked. â€Å"If Zachary tells anyone about the pyramid . . . and mentions my being present tonight . . .† â€Å"He knows nothing of the capstone, and he's too immature to know the pyramid has any significance. We don't need a new home for it. I'll keep the pyramid in my vault. And you will keep the capstone wherever you keep it. As we always have.† It was six years later, on Christmas Day, with the family still healing from Zachary's death, that the enormous man claiming to have killed him in prison broke into the Solomon estate. The intruder had come for the pyramid, but he had taken with him only Isabel Solomon's life. Days later, Peter summoned Bellamy to his office. He locked the door and took the pyramid out of his vault, setting it on the desk between them. â€Å"I should have listened to you.† Bellamy knew Peter was racked with guilt over this. â€Å"It wouldn't have mattered.† Solomon drew a tired breath. â€Å"Did you bring the capstone?† Bellamy pulled a small cube-shaped package from his pocket. The faded brown paper was tied with twine and bore a wax seal of Solomon's ring. Bellamy laid the package on the desk, knowing the two halves of the Masonic Pyramid were closer together tonight than they should be. â€Å"Find someone else to watch this. Don't tell me who it is.† Solomon nodded. â€Å"And I know where you can hide the pyramid,† Bellamy said. He told Solomon about the Capitol Building subbasement. â€Å"There's no place in Washington more secure.† Bellamy recalled Solomon liking the idea right away because it felt symbolically apt to hide the pyramid in the symbolic heart of our nation. Typical Solomon, Bellamy had thought. The idealist even in a crisis. Now, ten years later, as Bellamy was being shoved blindly through the Library of Congress, he knew the crisis tonight was far from over. He also now knew whom Solomon had chosen to guard the capstone . . . and he prayed to God that Robert Langdon was up to the job.