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.

How to Compose an Effective Paragraph

How to Compose an Effective Paragraph Paragraphing, says William Zinsser, is a subtle but important element in writing nonfiction articles and books- a road map constantly telling your reader how you have organized your ideas (On Writing Well, 2006). If youre prepared to go beyond conventional formulas for dividing a text into paragraphs, consider these observations by experienced authors, editors, and teachers. Enlightening ReadersThe breaking up into paragraphs and the punctuation have to be done properly but only for the effect on the reader. A set of dead rules is no good. A new paragraph is a wonderful thing. It lets you quietly change the rhythm, and it can be like a flash of lightning that shows the same landscape from a different aspect.(Isaac Babel, quoted by Konstantin Paustovsky in The Story of a Life: Years of Hope. Pantheon, 1968) ExperimentingParagraphing is often taught in English classes with the same sort of false dictums that poisons much of writing instruction. . . . [Encourage] students to experiment with paragraphing in their own essays, looking to see how paragraphing develops their intended rhythm and tone.(Paul Lee Thomas, Reading, Learning, Teaching Kurt Vonnegut. Peter Lang, 2006) Following InstinctA clever man might successfully disguise every element of his style but one- the paragraphing. Diction and syntax may be determined and controlled by rational processes in full consciousness, but paragraphing- the decision whether to take short hops or long ones, whether to hop in the middle of a thought or action or finish it first- that comes from instinct, from the depths of personality.(Rex Stout, Plot It Yourself. Viking, 1959) Practicing the Art[P]aragraphing is ultimately an art. Its good practice depends on feel, voice and instinct rather than on any formula or techniques that can be dutifully learnt.(Richard Palmer, Write in Style: A Guide to Good English, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2002) Editing by EarWe think of paragraphing as an organizational skill and may teach it in conjunction with the prewriting or planning stages of writing. I have found, however, that young writers understand more about paragraphing and cohesive paragraphs when they learn about them in conjunction with editing. When developing writers know the reasons for paragraphing, they more readily apply them in the editing stage than in drafting.Just as students can be trained to hear end punctuation, they can also learn to hear where new paragraphs start and when sentences are off the topic.(Marcia S. Freeman, Building a Writing Community: A Practical Guide, rev. ed. Maupin House, 2003) Punctuating ProseWe must stop asking what a paragraph is and start asking what paragraphing (i.e., the initiation of a new paragraph) signals to readers; we must think of paragraphing as a kind of macro-punctuation mark that guides readers interpretation of passages much as commas guide readers interpretation of sentences.(Richard M. Coe, Toward a Grammar of Passages. Southern Illinois University Press, 1988) Taking BreathsIn general, I would suggest, the paragraph could be understood as a sort of literary respiration, with each paragraph as an extended- in some cases very extended- breath. Inhale at the beginning of the paragraph, exhale at the end. Inhale again at the start of the next.(Francine Prose, Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them. HarperCollins, 2006) Using Common SenseEffective paragraphing is based on common sense. Most readers dont prefer reading extremely long paragraphs or strings of very short paragraphs. Neither helps them to get the most out of what they are reading.(Thomas Tyner, Writing Voyage: A Process Approach to Writing, 8th ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2008) Catching the EyeKeep your paragraphs short. Writing is visual- it catches the eye before it has the chance to catch the brain. Short paragraphs put air around what you write and make it look inviting, whereas a long chunk of type can discourage a reader from even starting to read. . . .But dont go berserk. A succession of tiny paragraphs is as annoying as a paragraph thats too long.(William Zinsser, On Writing Well. Collins, 2006) Catching a RestThe purpose of paragraphing is to give the reader a rest. The writer is saying to him: Have you got that? If so, Ill go on to the next point. There can be no general rule about the most suitable length for a paragraph . . .. The paragraph is essentially a unit of thought, not of length.(H.W. Fowler, Modern English Usage, 2nd edition, revised by Ernest Gowers. Oxford University Press, 1965) More About Paragraphs in Essays Paragraph BreaksParagraph LengthParagraph Unity

Brothers Case Analysis Essay

Brothers Case Analysis Essay Brothers Case Analysis Essay When faced with a question like this I can’t help but to think about what has happened in someone’s life where they would put their life in danger and other people’s lives in danger just for a few hours of fun. I once read an article about alcoholics and there was a quiz at the end of the article asking so many questions and if you answered â€Å"yes† to any of the questions then you were considered an alcoholic. One of the questions were â€Å"Do you drive after alcohol intake†, therefore statistically you are considered an alcoholic if you drink and drive. Reason being is because you basically don’t care what happens to you or anyone around you as long as you get a drink and that is what I think makes an alcoholic. With this being said I do not think that jail and/or prison is an effective deterrent against drinking and driving. Alcoholism is a disease; even though technically the person is excessively drinking by choice it is a result of d epression, being neglected and different issues within oneself which makes it a disease. People shouldn’t be punished for a disease where they essentially can’t control it; they need help in controlling themselves and getting better. I think a better solution would be to require people that are caught drinking and driving to go to a rehabilitation center or Alcohol Anonymous meetings opposed to jail time. This would be a better choice, because they will actually be working to better themselves instead of staring at four walls waiting to get out and get another drink. This will also decline the amount of drunk drivers and/or alcoholics in the future, because it wouldn’t be environmentally passed down to their children and younger family members. In most states today the penalties include lengthy license suspensions, possibly a little jail time, and a felony charge if you have over three DUI charges. The last consequence is the most detrimental, because there are many sub consequences that go along with it. People with felonies lose most of their civil rights, such as being able to vote or own a weapon as well as losing their license for many years or permanently. People under these circumstances have to go through a lot of in order to

Inventors of the Spark Plug

Inventors of the Spark Plug Internal combustion engines need three things to run: spark, fuel, and compression. The spark comes from the spark plug.  Spark plugs consist of a metal threaded shell, a porcelain insulator, and a central electrode, which may contain a resistor. According to Britannica a spark plug or sparking plug is, a device that fits into the cylinder head of an internal-combustion engine and carries two electrodes separated by an air gap, across which current from a high-tension ignition system discharges, to form a spark for igniting the fuel. Edmond Berger Some historians have reported that Edmond Berger invented an early spark plug on February 2, 1839. However, Edmond Berger did not patent his invention. Spark plugs are used in  internal combustion engines  and in 1839 these engines were in the early days of experimentation. Therefore, Edmund Bergers spark plug, if it did exist, would have had to have been very experimental in nature as well or perhaps the date was a mistake. Jean Joseph Étienne Lenoir ​​ This Belgian engineer developed the first commercially successful internal combustion engine in 1858. He is credited for developing the spark ignition system, which is described in US Patent #345596. Oliver Lodge Oliver Lodge invented the electric spark ignition (the Lodge Igniter) for the  internal combustion engine. Two of his sons developed his ideas and founded the Lodge Plug Company. Oliver Lodge is better known for his pioneering work in radio and was the first man to transmit a message by wireless.   Albert Champion During the early 1900s, France was the dominant manufacturer of spark plugs. Frenchman, Albert Champion was a bicycle and motorcycle racer who immigrated to the United States in 1889 to race. As a sideline, Champion manufactured and sold spark plugs to support himself. In 1904, Champion moved to Flint, Michigan where he started the Champion Ignition Company for the manufacturing of spark plugs. He later lost control of his company and in 1908 started the AC Spark Plug Company with backing from Buick Motor Co. AC presumably stood for Albert Champion. His AC spark plugs were used in aviation, notably for the trans-Atlantic flights of Charles Lindbergh  and Amelia Earhart. They also were used in the Apollo rocket stages. You may think the current-day Champion company that produces spark plugs was named after Albert Champion, but it was not. It was a completely different company that produced decorative tile in the 1920s. Spark plugs use ceramics as insulators, and Champion started producing spark plugs in their ceramic kilns. Demand grew so they switched completely to producing spark plugs in 1933. By this time, the AC Spark Plug Company had been bought by GM Corp. GM Corp was not allowed to continue using the Champion name as the original investors in Champion Ignition Company set up Champion Spark Plug Company as competition. Years later, United Delco and the AC Spark Plug Division of General Motors combined to become AC-Delco. In this way, the Champion name lives on in two different spark plug brands.

Behavior Management Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Behavior Management Project - Research Paper Example At some point, Brian has difficulties in interpreting academic instructions more particularly in absence of an adult help. When presented with academic instructions or exams, Brian would progressively become angry, uneasy, breaking down and crying profusely. In order to help Brian deal with these problems, the following behaviour intervention plan was designed. For a period of two weeks, Brian will be required to have a full time company of an adult helper while in class who will help him read questions whenever he is unable to read or finds it difficult. The adult will leave at a scheduled three time period every hour. Each break will last utmost 3 minutes in duration. It is expected that during this period, Brian will most likely face individual reading exam and would either get angry or cry uncontrollably causing a halt in exam administration. In addition, he may fail to complete his exam. The behavioural plan designed is aimed at teaching him the essence of self-control in his co nduct while dealing stressful situations in school and life after. During the interaction session, he will be taught how to manage his behaviour. In this regard, on the event he faces difficulty and senses a feeling of anger he will be required to stop whatever he does and raise up his hand for a short break. This would then be followed by a support schedule that would be given consistently and then slowly withdrawn. This is important in instilling in him the expected end behaviour without necessarily using reinforcement. After numerous weeks of implementing the intervention plan, it was found that on average the difficulties experienced in reading reduced considerably. However, some traces of anger would still be witnessed for example Brian would occasionally be noticed frowning during or after the exam or a reading session in class. If this recommended plan is continued, the end result would be desirable. Introduction Target behaviour Brian, a third grade student, is a normal stud ent like others except that he has difficulties in reading and working out questions by himself. This behaviour normally begins some few minutes after the start of examination session and worsens as it nears the end. The tension first rises then followed by a show of frustration and anger and eventual loud cry sobbing uncontrollably. The crying can last for a period of between 5 and 10 minutes and always happens whenever examinations are administered across all subjects. Hypothesis It is hypothesized from his behaviour that Brian engages in crying when he fails to recall what was taught in class prior to exam administration. He therefore thinks the exam given is too difficult and meant to frustrate him. He engages in crying as a means of letting off stress and as a show of frustration on the teachers. This behaviour is normally caused by inadequate preparation and excessive parental expectation. At the beginning of every examination, he actually needs the presence of one of the pare nts or an equivalent helper whose work is to acknowledge every simple step he makes in doing the exam. Rationale In order to assist Brian to do his work independently and deal adequately with his unworthy behaviour, there is a need to design and teach him necessary tools required to enhance self-control. His behaviour of crying whenever he fails to memorize what was earlier taught in class can effectively be minimized by teaching

Intigrating technology in the EFL classroom Essay

Intigrating technology in the EFL classroom - Essay Example Report indicates that about 70% of education funding in Israel comes from the central government while the remaining 30% comes from cities and other sources. This was in a show of the government’s commitment to educating its people to be literate for prosperity and development. So far, Israel has been registering an increase in the number of students enrolling for classes at different levels. Latest report indicates that Israel has about 1.8 million students from pre-school to high school level (Newman, 2012). This is an indication of the country’s commitment to high literacy level. This number also continues to increase as the population continues to grow. Even though teaching Israelis to be literate is a key priority of the Netanyahu administration, it is also the most challenging area in the country’s education system. This is attributable to the changing nature of the classroom. Research indicates that the classroom environment has undergone radical changes i n the 21st century (Cordova and Lepper, 1996). For instance, Israel has experienced an influx of immigrants from immigrants in the country from all over the world. This has resulted in an increase of a large number of people in the country who are not able to speak or write the English language, which is the country’s national language. The fact that a large population of the country cannot speak, read, or writes the English language is posing a huge challenge to teachers in the country. It is an acknowledgeable fact that becoming proficient in a foreign language is very difficult and can be daunting. As a result, a large number of people in the country who do not understand the English language normally find it difficult learning a new language since the English language is new to them (Jonassen, 2000). Therefore, in order for such students to learn and become proficient in the English language, they must be supported as much as possible. Teachers who have had the opportunit y to teach students learning English as their second language understand that such students require language support for their language acquisition. To say that students learning English as their second language have attained the level of proficiency required, they must be able, not only to hear and write the English language, but to speak and read the English language well. However mush this might be a daunting task; we strongly believe that integrating technology such as the use of computers can play a crucial part in increasing a student’s grades in the English language. This discourse examines how the integration of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) can be an important tool for teaching new learners of English language. In addition, the paper will explore the gains that have resulted from the use of computer-assisted instruction in teaching the English language to new learners. Literature Review Verbal Interaction Interaction between new English language learners and th ose who are proficient in English language is key in promoting proficiency in English language. As such, teachers of English language need to provide students learning English as a second language, a language-rich environment where they can continuously engage in the English la