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

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

Who’s Responsible for Obesity?

Obesity is everybody’s responsibility – the parents and the school authorities, the fast food companies, and the government. Since the issue is now a societal problem after reaching epidemic proportions, it deserves no less than the attention of everybody to deal with obesity. (Raley & Burnor, n.d.)Hence, it is only proper to point out the individual accountabilities of these sectors of society and compel them to do their share in combating the problem.While the responsibility of providing a healthy diet to children primarily belongs to the parents, school authorities are also duty-bound to inculcate into the minds of schoolchildren the correct values of nutrition.Such are the duties assigned them by society: the former being the persons who have the obligation, under the laws of God and country, of nourishing their offsprings, the latter being the individuals who are in the best position to influence the young minds of children. If only the parents and the teachers hav e been doing their duties faithfully, fast food outlets would not have succeeded in causing obesity.Even as fast foods companies have the right to advertise their products, such right does not free them of their moral obligation to warn the public about the adverse effects of their foods. The U.S. constitution itself would only allow the exercise of one’s rights as long as doing so does not deprive others of their own rights. In this context, fast foods companies are within their right to engage in gainful enterprise but they should not do so at the expense of the public’s health.Even if the court exempted them from any legal liability after observing that everybody knows that fast foods contain â€Å"high levels of cholesterol, fat, salt and sugar, and that such attributes are bad for one,† the court’s legal opinion is not a moral judgment. The harmful effects of cigarettes are also well-known, but the law compels cigarette manufacturers to continuously warn the public. Why not oblige fast foods companies to do the same? (Raley & Burnor, n.d.)ReferenceRaley, Y. & Burnor, R. (n.d.). Case 1: Who’s Responsible for Obesity? (Article provided with  

Luca Pacioli

Fra Luca Bartolomeo de Pacioli (sometimes Paciolo) (1445–1514 or 1517) was an Italian mathematician and Franciscan friar, collaborator with Leonardo da Vinci, and seminal contributor to the field now known as accounting. He was also called Luca di Borgo after his birthplace, Borgo Santo Sepolcro, Tuscany. Luca Pacioli studied in Venice and Rome and became a Franciscan friar in the 1470s. He was a travelling mathematics tutor until 1497, when he accepted an invitation from Lodovico Sforza (â€Å"Il Moro†) to work in Milan. There he collaborated with, lived with, and taught mathematics to Leonardo da Vinci. In 1499, Pacioli and Leonardo were forced to flee Milan when Louis XII of France seized the city and drove their patron out. After that, Pacioli and Leonardo frequently traveled together. Upon return to his hometown, Pacioli died of old age in 1517. Pacioli published several works on mathematics, including: Summa de arithmetica, geometria, proportioni et proportionalita (Venice 1494), a synthesis of the mathematical knowledge of his time, is also notable for including the first published description of the method of keeping accounts that Venetian merchants used during the Italian Renaissance, known as the double-entry accounting system. Although Pacioli codified rather than invented this system, he is widely regarded as the â€Å"Father of Accounting†. The system he published included most of the accounting cycle as we know it today. He described the use of journals and ledgers, and warned that a person should not go to sleep at night until the debits equalled the credits. His ledger had accounts for assets (including receivables and inventories), liabilities, capital, income, and expenses—the account categories that are reported on an organization's balance sheet and income statement, respectively. He demonstrated year-end closing entries and proposed that a trial balance be used to prove a balanced ledger. Also, his treatise touches on a wide range of related topics from accounting ethics to cost accounting.

Animal Assisted Therapy Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Animal Assisted Therapy - Research Proposal Example More recently, clinicians, nursing professionals and therapists are implementing animal-assisted interventions in working with geriatric population. The increase in numbers of elders living in nursing homes and exhibiting various symptoms and behaviors, such as depression, apathy and anxiety, which decrease their quality of life, is anticipated to demonstrate a corresponding growth within the long-term care setting. Nursing homes and similar institutions can expect to house more and more individuals who could benefit from an improved quality of life if therapeutic interventions were implemented to change these behaviours and consequently improve residents' quality of life. Current research indicates that the need for therapeutic interventions to improve quality of life for elders is readily recognised, and alternatives and options for implementation are often suggested with solid empirical evidence to support their effectiveness. Animal assisted therapy is cited in the literature as a therapeutic intervention that holds promise as one such modality. ... STUDY OBJECTIVES This study is empirically based and allowed for the investigation of effects within individual subjects. The study is designed with a philosophy that animal assisted therapy is an adjunct to an already established therapeutic discipline with its own standards of practice and methods, and acknowledged that the therapist is an integral aspect to the therapeutic intervention. The study acknowledges that while animals may be therapeutic, they are not therapists, and that animal assisted therapy cannot be implemented without a therapist specifically trained in a particular discipline, such as recreation therapy or psychology. Additionally, the design allowed for the application of nursing reasoning, a clinical assessment, a deliberately developed and implemented therapeutic intervention, and exploration of the effects of individualised animal assisted therapy on elders residing in nursing homes and its impact on their quality of life. Particularly, the goal is to examine the effect AAT ha s on self-reported quality of life in nursing home residents. Research studies in AAT have been conducted by various disciplines such as anthropology, psychology, gerontology, and veterinary medicine. To date, academic nursing has devoted limited effort to gathering information on the role of nurses in providing AAT. Currently, there is no nursing theory, and there is limited research on the benefits of animals to the elderly. The problem of quality of life among the elderly in long-term care facilities and nursing homes is common and is a problem that falls into the realm of nursing to monitor and address. It is also within the

Financial resources and decisions management Essay

Financial resources and decisions management - Essay Example equity and debt, comes with their advantages and disadvantages. Several factors, such as statutory rules and requirements, terms and conditions imposed by the counter party and general economic conditions are analyzed before selecting one of the options. The downside of acquiring financing through issuance of equity is that the procedure is quite complicated as compared to acquiring funds by approaching any bank. In most cases, a loan is acquired from any bank or financial institution by filing an application for the sanctioning of the loan. The bank or any other financial institution, after evaluating the necessary details such as credit history, financial outlook for assessing the ability of the entity to repay the loans in future, and the purpose of the project for which the loan application was filed, sanctions the loan. Whereas in the case of raising finances through issuance of equity shares, the company has to fulfill several requirements such as issuing a predefined number of shares, issuing shares to the existing shareholder in proportion to their existing shares and appointing a financial advisor for conducting a due diligence of the entity’s operations. ... In contrast, in equity financing, the company has to wait for a considerable longer period of time for the funds to become available for their utilization. 1.2 The two modes of finance available to the company would be raising funds through issuance of equity or acquiring loan in the form of a mixture of a long term and short term debt. Let us assume that the total requirement of funding for Quality windows Ltd is for ? 100,000. As provided in the scenario, 40% of the funding requirement can be met through internally generated funds, whereas for the remaining 60% the company has to decide about the mode of funding. Thus the amount of fund required to issue is ? 60,000. Option 1: Raising the fund through the issuance of shares The company decides to issue 6,000 shares at ? 12 (par value is ? 10 and premium is ? 2). As per the current market knowledge, the issuance cost per share is ? 1. Other administrative cost pertaining to the issuance of share is ? 5,000 in total which relates to publishing prospectus and appointing an under-writing agent. Thus the total cash inflows to the company for the first financial year would be as under: Particulars Amount in ? Shares issued 72,000 Issuance cost (6,000) Other costs (5,000) Total inflow 61,000 Option 1: Acquiring loan from a financial institution The company decides to acquire loan from a financial institution amounting to ? 70,000. The principal repayment will start two years from the end of the current financial year. In return, the financial institution will charge interest rate at the rate of 12%. Thus, following is the net cash inflow at the end of the financial year: Particulars Amount in ? Loan acquired 70,000 Interest cost (8,400) Total inflow 61,600 Thus it is apparent from the above analysis, that acquiring

Solar energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Solar energy - Essay Example Solar power is the transferring of sunlight into electrical energy, either directly by means of photovoltaic, or indirectly by means of concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP structures utilize â€Å"lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. PV converts light into electric current using the photoelectric effect† (Chiras, 2009). Thermal mass is any substance that can be utilized to accumulate heat from the Sun. General thermal mass substances consist of ‘stone, cement and water’. In the past, they have been utilized in dry weathers or mild humid areas to keep buildings stay cool by soaking up solar energy throughout the daytime.Agriculture seeks to optimize the storage of solar energy for the yield of plants. Methods â€Å"such as timed planting cycles, tailored row orientation, staggered heights between rows and the mixing of plant varieties can improve crop yields† (Bradford, 2008). Solar sanitization can be u tilized to make salty water drinkable. The initial recorded case of this was taken place in 16th century. â€Å"A large-scale solar distillation project was first constructed in 1872 in the Chilean mining town of Las Salinas. The plant, which had solar collection area of 4,700 m2, could produce up to 22,700 L per day and operated for 40 years† (Chiras, 2009).. Solar water disinfection involves placing plastic polyethylene terephthalate bottles, filed with water, in sunlight for couple of hours. Duration of time differ according to climate and type of weather.... Thermal mass is any substance that can be utilized to accumulate heat from the Sun. General thermal mass substances consist of ‘stone, cement and water’. In the past, they have been utilized in dry weathers or mild humid areas to keep buildings stay cool by soaking up solar energy throughout the daytime. Agriculture seeks to optimize the storage of solar energy for the yield of plants. Methods â€Å"such as timed planting cycles, tailored row orientation, staggered heights between rows and the mixing of plant varieties can improve crop yields† (Bradford, 2008). Solar sanitization can be utilized to make salty water drinkable. The initial recorded case of this was taken place in 16th century. â€Å"A large-scale solar distillation project was first constructed in 1872 in the Chilean mining town of Las Salinas. The plant, which had solar collection area of 4,700 m2, could produce up to 22,700 L per day and operated for 40 years† (Chiras, 2009).. Solar water d isinfection involves placing plastic polyethylene terephthalate bottles, filed with water, in sunlight for couple of hours. Duration of time differ according to climate and type of weather from at least ‘five hours to two days’ in completely cloudy situation. It is a suggestion from the World Health Organization (WHO) as a practical way for domestic water handling as well as protected storage. More than three million people in developing nations apply this technique for their everyday drinking water. Advantages and Disadvantages Solar Energy is uncontaminated, renewable and sustainable, facilitating to safeguard the atmosphere. It does not contaminate the air by the discharge of ‘carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide or mercury’ into the air

Assignment 5 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

5 - Assignment Example f dependent variables are fatalities rate, night time fatalities and frequency of accidents based on drunken driving (Benson, et al., 1999; McCarthy & Pedersen, 2009). Frequency of accidents based on drunken driving has a number of attributes such as acquiring a driver’s license by youngsters that can eventually affect the frequency of substance abuse and different male and female drinking ratio affecting the overall frequency (McCarthy & Pedersen, 2009). The examples of independent variables are legal drinking age of people, anticonsumption laws and preliminary breath test laws (Benson, et al., 1999). Enforcement of laws related to drinking is advantageous for the people of any age whether they are youngsters or adults. Legal drinking age of people is an independent variable that has many possible attributes such as deterring drunk driving of youngsters, the legal age is usually twenty one years old in most of the states and the defined legal age for drinking decreases the drinking experience of youngsters while driving (Benson, et al., 1999). Anticonsumption laws are independent variables that have possible attributes like banning usage of alcoholic drinks in automobiles, deterrence of drunk driving and role of police in abstaining people from increasing the probability of alcoholic usage (Benson, et al., 1999). Anticomsumption laws are effective in controlling the issue of drunk driving because of implementation of laws that keep a check on drunk driving and deter dangerous limit of alcoholic usage. The preliminary breadth test laws have possible attributes such as suspension of driving license after identification of alcohol usage by the drivers, deterring future driving after drinking and imposing minimum fines for the law breakage and ensuring future limited usage (Benson, et al., 1999). The law enforcement officials conduct a preliminary breadth test that shows whether the driver is drunk or not. This test makes sure that the driver is not drunk and

The Importance of Marketing Department in Telecommunication Business Essay

The Importance of Marketing Department in Telecommunication Business - Essay Example Analysis of the key factors of a successful marketing plan will be part of the study. The report will try to understand potentiality of target market from the view point of product centric segmentation. Finally the study will try to prove the importance of marketing department to create a successful business strategy.Marketing Department.Every organization needs a well designed marketing department to create brand equity among customers. Strategic marketing works as a deciding force for a company to survive in hyper competitive business environment. Marketing works as a promotional and distribution tool for company. Marketing strategy differs according to the nature of product. Marketing department of any company focuses on four things to create a successful offering which can be classified as 1-Product (manufacturing product, maintaining the quality standard of product, optimum utilization of resources during production process), 2- Price (deciding the price of the product in accord ance with the demand among customers, setting high price or low price for the product is an important part of pricing strategy), 3-Place (designing distribution network for the product. Company creates distribution network to expand the reach of the product.... Above the line promotion and below the line promotion is part of advertising strategy). Marketing strategy for service industry comprises of additional three types of activities. 1-People (customer relationship management plays a cordial role to increase customer base for any particular brand. Staff of the company is the important assets for any company. They are responsible for providing value for money services to customers and they can help the company to increase service efficiency), 2- Process- (company needs to maintain a proper system of service delivery to be successful in long run. Companies take help of different software systems like RFID, Enterprise Resource Planning, Tally, Oracle to deliver efficient service to customers, 3- Physical Evidence (well designed interior of service delivery place creates a positive brand image of the company from the view point of aesthetics. Restaurants use physical evidences to create the wow factor among customers. Chinese restaurants in America use dragon framework to design interior of the food store. They do it to increase visibility factor of the service among customers). A business can not fulfill demand of all customers due to lack of resources (Financial, Human Resource, Technology etc). For this reason any company needs to identify their potential customer. Segregating the whole customer group into smaller division with more or less common requirements and further filtering down customers in terms of their potentiality (purchase power, urgency of requirement, buying behavior) is known as segmenting and targeting. Perception of a brand in the mind of customer is known as

Three Elements of Sustainable Design Research Paper

Three Elements of Sustainable Design - Research Paper Example In the similar manner, the utilization of recycling and reusing different things can also make the clear reduction in the green house emissions (Connectingthecoast.uwex.edu, n.pag.). On the other hand, the cutting down of forests is also producing endangering the environmental stability of the earth, as forests play an important role in maintaining the oxygen level in the atmosphere and maintaining the biodiversity of the planet. Besides that, forests also help is sustaining the water on the planet. In this paper I will examine the sustainable ideas employed by the ‘Green Print Solutions’ that is working as a paper printing company. The company ‘Green Print Solutions’ is a printing company that prints various kinds of banners and printed advertisements. The size of the prints may vary according to the order. Company is capable of proving all available sizes utilizing green and renewable resources thus impacting the environment as less as possible. The compan y is such designed to use the natural resources that can be grown or made available from the environmental sources. The word ‘design’ is to interpret the process from where the process starts to the end product. For any industry to be considered as the green industry, it must pass the criteria to green design. In green design, the industry mast have to utilize as less energy as possible, it must have the capability to utilize the natural resources and it must have no or less environmental impacts. The utilization of energy can be limited by utilizing the natural solar light for the lightening purposes, other methods may include the utilization of alternative resources like solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, etc for the generation of energy; however, the architecture also matters a lot. The utilization of natural resources, which can be locally available, can reduce the transportation costs and emissions. However, the environmental impacts can be minimized by making a cle ar reduction in the waste, reusing or recycling the wastes and utilizing the materials that are biodegradable. The whole process maintains the health of the environment and thus the health of the humans. The company has no or fewer environmental impacts and all the strategies the company is utilizing are environmentally friendly. The major aim of the company is to run the printing business by utilizing the green resources like the wood required for the printing of the paper come from the sustainably managed forests. Wastes from the industry are managed in such a way that the wastes no longer remain dangerous for the environment. Wastes are recycled for increasing the efficiency of the company not only in the economic sense but also considering the environmental aspects. The end products and nearly all types of the wastes omitted by the industry are biodegradable. The utilization of such the strategies not only reduces the green house emissions and environmental impacts but also give rise to the profits the company generates by selling the prints to various dealers and customers. The three important elements of the sustainable design are the environment, economy and society. Any company that has a sustainable design must maintain the three elements of the sustainable design. Any design that has the environmental sustainability but lacks the environmental sustainability would be not feasible (Exinfm.com, n.pag.). In the similar way, sustainable design

Mergers, Acquisitions, and International Strategies Research Paper

Mergers, Acquisitions, and International Strategies - Research Paper Example The second company is selected on the merit that it is a public corporation with no history of mergers and acquisition and it operates solely within the United States market; the company that was selected under this merit is the Buffalo Wild Wings. The researcher paper will evaluate the strategy that led to the mergers and acquisitions undertaken by McDonald’s Corporation and it will stipulate whether the mergers and acquisitions were wise choices. In addition, the research paper will evaluate McDonald Corporation’s international business-level strategy and corporate-level strategy and then provide recommendations for improvements. Secondly, the research paper will identify one company that would be a profitable candidate for Buffalo Wild Wings to merge with or acquire. Lastly, the paper will propose one business-level strategy and one corporate-level strategy that can be effective and profitable for Buffalo Wild Wings. McDonald’s Corporation According to Warwick (2013), McDonald Corporation is the largest publicly traded hamburger fast food restaurant chain in the world, which serves averagely 60 million customers in over 115 countries across the world on a daily basis. The McDonald brothers originally started the company in 1940 but it was fully acquired by Ray Kroc who joined the company as a franchise agent in 1955, and this marked the first experience of the company with mergers and acquisitions. Among the companies that the McDonald Corporation has acquired or merged within its years of operations, including the Piles Cafe, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Donatos Pizza but it has sold off the two latter subsidiaries (Warwick, 2013). The McDonald’s restaurants offer a wide menu to their customers, which consist of French fries, hamburgers, chicken, cheeseburgers, soft drinks, breakfast items, desserts, milkshakes, fruits, smoothies, wraps, salads, and fish. Presently, the company boasts of total assets worth over $32 billion and tot al revenue of over $27 billion and a net income of over $ 5 billion in the past financial year. Buffalo Wild Wings Warwick (2013) wrote that Scott Lowery and James Disbrow opened up the first Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in 1982 at Columbus, Ohio. As of 2013, the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant chain, which trades at the NASDAQ, had established its operations in approximately 910 locations mostly in North America and currently, there are ongoing talks about the expansion of the restaurant chain. The menu of Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants mainly consists of Buffalo wings and sauces. In the last financial year, the company generated $748 million in revenues from across its entire business operations. Strategy for McDonald’s mergers and acquisitions According to Warwick (2013), McDonald’s boosts of more than 34,000 locations worldwide and this has been facilitated by the franchising strategy that has so far enabled the corporation to have representation in many countries a nd further enabling it to become among the most popular brands in the world. Besides the franchising strategy, McDonald’s has been able to have a wide market presence because of acquisitions and mergers with other restaurant chains. Concerning this Warwick (2013) stated that McDonald’s undertook various mergers and acquisitions deals during the 1990’s which enabled it to significantly increase its market share, revenue level, and the net income.

Entrepreneurship - Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Entrepreneurship - Portfolio - Essay Example â€Å"The entrepreneur is the innovator who implements change within markets through the carrying out of new combinations. The carrying out of new combinations can take several forms; 1) the introduction of a new good or quality thereof, 2) the introduction of a new method of production, 3) the opening of a new market, 4) the conquest of a new source of supply of new materials or parts, 5) the carrying out of the new organization of any industry†(Kukoc and Regan, 2008, www.treasury.gov.au). The modern resurgence in the interest of investigating entrepreneurial culture and its attendant socio-economic dimensions has shed new light on its many ill-explored facets. This portfolio will briefly focus on some of these aspects and make insightful comments on its varied, complex and seminal conceptual dynamism. However, its primary objective is to profile its foremost elements in a manner for easier understanding. The modern business organization requires entrepreneurs who are not only farsighted but also shrewd strategists. Thus the challenge faced by modern entrepreneurs is not based merely on ‘risk’ but also on a more complex, fluid and hostile environment Strategic challenges include such factors as risk involved in making decisions about the nature and dimension of threats posed by competitors and the probable response to such threats. Schumpeter’s concept of creative destruction plays here a significant role by enabling the daring entrepreneur to innovate. Thus continuous innovation is a preemptive strategy that forestalls rivals’ anticipated moves (Eggert, 1998, p.209). Next there are functional challenges such as problems associated with production, marketing, finance, quality management, technology, public relations and communications. Each functional area needs the entrepreneur’s attention. Strategic approach enables the entrepreneur to integrate

International Quality Certification Essay Example for Free

International Quality Certification Essay Quality certification or product qualification is the process of certifying that a certain product has passed performance tests and quality assurance tests, and meets qualification criteria stipulated in contracts, regulations, or specifications (typically called certification schemes in the product certification industry). These standards provide a general framework to the assessing authority to assess a company’s Quality Management System. The term quality management has a specific meaning within many business sectors. This specific definition, which does not aim to assure good quality by the more general definition, but rather to ensure that an organization or product is consistent, can be considered to have four main components: quality planning, quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement. [1] Quality management is focused not only on product/service quality, but also the means to achieve it. Quality management therefore uses quality assurance and control of processes as well as products to achieve more consistent quality. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) The International Organization for Standardization widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promotes worldwide proprietary, industrial, and commercial standards. It has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO is a voluntary organization whose members are recognized authorities on standards, each one representing one country. ISOs main products are international standards. ISO also publishes technical reports, technical specifications, publicly available specifications, technical corrigenda, and guides. ISO has 162 national members, out of the 205total countries in the world. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards. International Standards give state of the art specifications for products, services and good practice, helping to make industry more efficient and effective. Developed through global consensus, they help to break down barriers to international trade.

Wat waren de belangrijkste atoomprojecten

Wat waren de belangrijkste atoomprojecten Het Manhattan Project Op 2 augustus 1939 schreef Albert Einstein een brief aan de Amerikaanse president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, wat de aanzet zou hebben gegeven voor het Manhattan Project. In deze brief meldde Einstein dat de Duitsers bezig waren een atoombom te ontwikkelen. Amerika besloot om ook een atoombom te ontwikkelen en er alles aan te doen om de Duitsers voor te blijven in de ontwikkeling. Het Manhattan Project is een codenaam voor een geheime operatie tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Dit project heeft geleid tot de ontwikkeling van de eerste atoombom. Het project werd geleid door de Verenigde Staten in samenwerking met Canada en het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Formeel werd het project aangewezen als het Manhattan Engineering District (MED). Dit verwijst specifiek naar de periode van 1941 tot 1946 toen het onder controle stond van het US Army Corps of Engineers met als leider generaal Leslie R. Groves. De onderzoeken stonden onder leiding van de joods-Amerikaanse natuurkundige J. Robert Oppenheimer. Hij werd dan ook wel gezien als ‘De vader van de atoombom. Dit project was begonnen vanwege de angst die wetenschappers hadden sinds nazi-Duitsland in de jaren 30 een onderzoek was begonnen naar nucleaire wapens. Het Manhattan Project is tot stand gekomen uit een klein onderzoeksprogramma in 1939. Het groeide uit tot een groot project met meer dan 130.000 werknemers en het kostte uiteindelijk bijna 2 miljard dollar, wat voor die tijd heel veel was. Het resulteerde in verschillende onderzoeken en productieplaatsen met geheime onderzoeksmethoden. De onderzoeken vonden plaats op meer dan dertig locaties in de Verenigde Staten, Canada en het Verenigd Koninkrijk. De drie belangrijkste onderzoek- en productieplaatsen van het project waren de plutonium productie faciliteit wat nu Hanford (Washington) heet, de uraniumverrijking faciliteiten bij Oak Ridge (Tennessee), en het wapen onderzoek en ontwerp laboratorium wat nu bekend is als Los Alamos National Laboratory (New Mexico). Op 16 juli 1945 vond de eerste atoomproef plaats, deze werd tot ontploffing gebracht op een stalen toren bij de luchtbasis Alamangordo in New Mexico. Het had een enorme kracht en de hitte was zo verschroeiend dat de toren helemaal verdween en het woestijnzand in een straal van 700 meter in glas veranderde. Voor de proef wist niemand of de bom zou werken, maar het was zeker succesvol. Uranverein Het Duitse nucleaire project in nazi-Duitsland, bekend als het Uranverein (uranium club), begon in april 1939. Dit was slechts een paar maanden na de ontdekking van kernsplijting in januari 1939. Het programma heeft tot de volgende uitvindingen geleidt: de Uranmaschine (nucleaire reactor), uranium en het scheiden van uraniumisotopen. Het hoogtepunt was het moment dat ze erachter kwamen dat met kernsplitsing de oorlog niet beà «indigt zou worden. In januari 1942 droeg het leger het project over aan het Reich Research Council, maar ze bleven er wel mee verbonden door het te financieren. Vanaf dit moment is het project opgesplitst in 9 grote instituten waar de leiders van die instituten hun eigen doelstellingen nastreefden. Ook nam het aantal wetenschappers dat werkte aan dit project enorm af. De meest invloedrijke mensen binnen het Uranverein waren Kurt Diebner, Abraham Esau, Walther Gerlach en Erich Schumann. Schumann was een van de meest krachtige en invloedrijke fysici in Duitsland. Diebner werkte al zijn hele leven aan het nucleaire energie project en had er veel controle over. Abraham Esau werd aangesteld als leider van het kernfysica onderzoek in plaats van Hermann Gà ¶ring in december 1942; Walther Gerlach volgde hem in december 1943 weer op. Door het aanscherpen van de regels van de Duitse academische wereld onder het nationaalsocialistische regime, vertrokken vele natuurkundigen en wiskundigen uit Duitsland in 1933. De Joden die het land nog niet hadden verlaten werden hierna snel verwijderd uit Duitse instellingen, dus ook uit de academische wereld. Aan het einde van de oorlog, streden de geallieerden om de overgebleven onderdelen van de nucleaire industrie (personeel, faciliteiten en materiaal). Het Sovjetproject De Sovjet-Unie begon interesse te krijgen in nucleaire fysica in de vroege jaren 30, een tijdperk waarin een aantal belangrijke nucleaire ontdekkingen en resultaten werden gedaan, namelijk de identificatie van het neutron en proton als fundamentele deeltjes en de eerste atoomsplitsing door John Cockcroft en Ernest Walton. Het Sovjetproject voor de ontwikkeling van een atoombom werd gestart nadat Jozeph Stalin gehoord had van de Amerikaanse inspanningen om een atoombom te ontwikkelen. Hij werd door Georgii Flerov geÃÆ' ¯nformeerd in april 1942. Het was erg verdacht dat er niets werd gepubliceerd in het nieuws en dus drong Flerov Stalin aan om een atoomproject te beginnen. Omdat de Sovjet-Unie nog steeds betrokken was bij de oorlog met Duitsland op het thuisfront, was een project op grote schaal nog niet mogelijk. Toch was het noodzakelijk een atoomproject te beginnen om teveel achterstand te voorkomen. De leider van het project was in eerste instantie minister van Buitenlandse Zaken Vjatsjeslav Molotov, maar hij werd in 1944 vervangen door Lavrentii Beria. De wetenschappelijk leider van het project was de kernfysicus Igor Kurchatov. Andere belangrijke personen waren Yuli Chariton, Yakov Zeldovich en de theoretisch ontwerper van de waterstofbom, Andrei Sacharov. Het Sovjet atoom project profiteert van de zeer succesvolle spionage inspanningen van de Sovjet militaire inlichtingendienst (GRU) en de buitenlandse geheime inlichtingendienst NKVD. Bewijs dat afkomstig was van het Verenigd Koninkrijk had een rol gespeeld in de beslissing van de Sovjet staat in september 1942, om de resolutie 2352 goed te keuren. Dit was het begin van het Sovjet atoom project. Door de bronnen die men had in het Manhattan project, onder wie Klaus Fuchs, kreeg de Sovjet inlichtingendienst belangrijke informatie over de voortgang van de Amerikaanse atoombom. De rapporten werden getoond aan de wetenschappelijk leider van het project, Kurchatov, wat een belangrijke invloed had op zijn eigen onderzoek. Een voorbeeld hiervan is dat de Amerikanen de mogelijkheid hadden om plutonium te gebruiken in plaats van uranium in een kernsplijtingwapen. Op deze manier leerde Kurchatov veel van het Manhattan project. De Sovjet-Unie testte zijn eerste kernwapen in augustus 1949. De RDS-1 (Russisch: -1) (ook bekend als de eerste Lightning) werd voor het eerst nucleaire de Sovjet-Unie het wapen te testen. In het westen, was het code-Joe-1 genoemd, een verwijzing naar Stalin. Het was test-ontplofte op 29 augustus 1949 om Semipalatinsk, Kazachse SSR, na een top-secret R D project. [1] Het wapen werd ontworpen in het Kurchatov Instituut-op het moment dat officieel bekend staat als â€Å"Laboratorium 2,† maar aangewezen als het â€Å"kantoor† of â€Å"basis† in interne documenten-te beginnen in april 1946. Een uranium-235 werd gebouwd in de buurt van Chelyabinsk in 1948 [1]. De RDS-1 explosie leverde 22 kiloton TNT, vergelijkbaar met de Amerikaanse Gadget en Fat Man bommen. Op aandringen van Lavrenti Beria, werd de RDS-1 bom is ontworpen na de Fat Man bom op Nagasaki, Japan. De Russen noemden het eerste Lightning (Pervaya Molniya). Om de effecten van het nieuwe wapen, de werknemers gebouwde huizen gemaakt van hout en baksteen, samen met een brug en een gesimuleerde metro in de buurt van de test site te testen. Armor hardware en ongeveer 50 vliegtuigen werden ook aan de proeftuinen, evenals meer dan 1.500 dieren van de bom effecten op het leven te testen. [1] De resulterende gegevens bleek dat de RDS-explosie tot 50% meer destructief dan oorspronkelijk geraamd door de ingenieurs [1]. Er zijn verschillende verklaringen voor de USSR code-naam van het RDS-1, meestal een willekeurige aanduiding: een backronym â€Å"Special Jet Engine† (Reaktivnyi Dvigatel Specialnyi), of â€Å"Stalins Jet Engine† (Reaktivnyi Dvigatel Stalina), of â€Å"Rusland doet het zelf† (Rossija Delayet Sama). [1] Later werden ook wapens aangewezen RDS, maar met verschillende modelnummers. Reactie in het Westen Wanneer de radioactieve splijtingsproducten uit de test werden gedetecteerd door de US Air Force, de VS begon op het spoor van de nucleaire fallout puin te volgen. [2] President Truman kennis in de wereld van de situatie op 23 september 1949: â€Å"We hebben bewijzen dat binnen de afgelopen weken een atomaire explosie deed zich voor in de Sovjet-Unie †[3] Deze verklaring was een keerpunt in de Koude Oorlog, die net was begonnen. De Groene Run werd een geheime test uitgevoerd om de luchtmacht verkenningsvluchten voor toekomstige detecties van de Sovjet-kernproeven te helpen. [4] Nadat de Sovjet-Unie werd bevestigd in het bezit van de atoombom, de druk gemonteerd op de ontwikkeling en productie van de eerste waterstofbom

Compatibility Of Divine Foreknowledge With Human Freedom Philosophy Essay

Compatibility Of Divine Foreknowledge With Human Freedom Philosophy Essay In this essay I will discuss Leibnizs position that divine foreknowledge of all events is compatible with human freedom and why it is that I agree with his position. To do so, I will first discuss Leibnizs position. Next, I will discuss what divine foreknowledge is and what human freedom is, so that it will be much easier to understand Leibnizs position. Following these descriptions I will provide Leibnizs conclusion and then show that his position is in fact correct due to the lack of contradiction between the two concepts that would have made divine foreknowledge and human freedom incompatible. Leibniz believes that divine foreknowledge, meaning Gods prior knowledge of every action, occurrence or event, is compatible with human freedom (Schlà ¶sser) which means that there is no contradiction between the two and that they go hand-in-hand. This mention of compatibility shows that Leibniz believes that divine foreknowledge works with human freedom and does not disrupt freedom in any manner. Before venturing on with Leibnizs position, it is best to first describe the two concepts in which Leibniz is considering which is Divine foreknowledge and human freedom. Divine foreknowledge is the knowledge of the world and everything within it which is preordained by a divine figure, which in this case is God (Schlà ¶sser). This concept of divine foreknowledge assumes that everything in the past and things in the future, that have not occurred yet, have already been seen and put in place by God. The concept of divine foreknowledge can be related to a priori truths (Leibniz 31) because the ability to know and see everything prior to its occurrence leaves no room for truth without all possible facts. What I mean by this is that, since God has created all and has the ability to see everything in that past, present and future, it is impossible for the truth/knowledge to be without factual backgrounds and is therefore a priori. Divine foreknowledge also follows the principle of contradiction which relates to all truths that concern possible or essences and the impossibility of a thing or its necessity (Leibniz 19). There is quite a difference in terms of human knowledge as human knowledge contains both a priori and non a priori truths. The reason for this is because humans do not possess the unlimited knowledge as divine foreknowledge does. This means that humans are incapable of knowing everything in the past, present and future which deems their knowledge very limited and cannot possess the ability to know everything with complete factual backing. There are truths in human knowledge which are a priori such as there is no effect without a cause (Leibniz 31) but there are also non a priori truths that humans are subject to such as, a hundred people on Earth, weigh the same as a hundred people in an unknown universe, which cannot be proved because this unknown universe has no factual backing to it to prove this claim, yet the truth/claim still exists. A good example of divine foreknowledge, given by Leibniz, is Julius Caesar and his rise to dictator and emperor of Rome (45). Leibniz writes that it is within Caesars notion, or natu re, as predetermined by God, that Caesar would overthrow the Roman Empire (45). Leibniz does not say that to do the opposite (i.e. not overthrow the Empire) would be impossible but seeing that it has been predetermined it is impossible (45). That may seem confusing, but what Leibniz means is that Caesar always had the choice to do the opposite but chose to overthrow the Empire, and the foreknowledge of this event is irrelevant in the choice that was made. Leibniz states that to find a connection between the subject, Caesar, and the predicate, his successful undertaking, he would in fact be showing that Caesars future dictatorship is grounded in his notion or nature (45), which is a predetermination of God but still is founded on free will as the decision to [cross] the Rubicon and [win] rather than [lose] at Pharsalus was based purely on reason and not cause (45). With this example, Leibniz is able to show not only how divine foreknowledge works, but also its connection and compatib ility with human freedom. Human freedom, as described by Leibniz, is any action that is committed purely out of personal views, beliefs, goals, et cetera (Schlà ¶sser). This action cannot be influenced by any other source outside of ones own self, else the action cannot be deemed as free (Schlà ¶sser). Also, it is merely reasons that guide us rather than the cause, which means we do things based primarily on a reason to do so instead of committing actions consistently for the same cause as everyone else, which is to say we were being controlled at every moment. Human freedom is different, in a sense, than that of divine freedom. Human freedom is limited purely by the person committing the action and his/her morals, beliefs and values (Schlà ¶sser) that back the action, while divine freedom is somewhat similar in its limits where the actions are limited purely by doing the right thing and not the wrong. Overall both freedoms are similar in that they are limited by some form of morality or belief, one of the only differences being that there is still the free will to choose ones action (Schlà ¶sser) over preordained divine freedom which is already set in stone. Therefore if free will is based primarily on ones own self and nothing else, then it is safe to assume, still, that Gods foreknowledge of these events is compatible. Leibniz has shown what it means to have free will and what divine foreknowledge is, as I have discussed. What must now be discussed is what makes divine knowledge so compatible with human freedom? At first, it seems as if God already knows whats going to happen before it even occurs, but then it couldnt be possible for humans to have free will as their every action had been preordained. However, this is not the case. It may be the case that God does has foreknowledge of every event, even prior to its creation, but what allows for human freedom to exist is that it is the person who commits the action at that point and time (Schlà ¶sser). God may have pre-existing knowledge of what you are going to do, but God does not control your actions every step of the way. It is still the person who makes the choice based on their own reason (Schlà ¶sser). Unlike a machine (Schlà ¶sser), humans have the option to choose a different path regardless of divine foreknowledge. This can be seen in t he world everyday with overbearing amounts of sin. These sins were also predetermined but not prevented by God (Schlà ¶sser), because if all foreseen sinful acts were prevented than there would be no existing human freedom and therefore divine foreknowledge would, instead, not be compatible with human freedom as the two concepts would create a contradiction. That being said, since there is sin in the world, it means that God has allowed for humans to make their own decisions based on their own reasons, beliefs, nature, et cetera, which means that human freedom does exist, even when the event at hand had been foreseen by God. Therefore, Leibniz can conclude that divine foreknowledge is in fact compatible with human freedom. I am in complete agreement with Leibnizs position on human freedom and divine foreknowledge. Leibnizs concept of divine foreknowledge not interfering with human freedom appears to be sound in its explanation. There would be more issues concerning freedom if divine foreknowledge had any effect directly on human decision in real-time. This means that as the decision to act is being made, a divine being is there to bend our choices to the right decision (i.e. a puppeteer). If this is the case then there would not be any free will in existence because, as Leibniz notes in his explanation of free will, our will is being governed by some external force (Schlà ¶sser). Therefore the action committed is not a free choice but a controlled one. I believe Leibniz is correct in saying that divine foreknowledge is not a problem for human freedom because this knowledge of all events is predetermined long before the existence of such events and therefore has no direct effect on human freedom to cho ose between the right and wrong decision. There is another way to look at this scenario that may better solidify Leibnizs claims (other than the Caesar example). To stray away from divinity for a moment, lets say that there is an ordinary man who can see into the future. This man has a vision that a teenage thug is going to steal a purse from a store in downtown Toronto. Moments later a teenager walks into a purse store. At this very moment, the teenager has the choice to do the right thing and rather purchase a purse or leave the store empty handed. The other option is to do the wrong thing and steal the purse. This choice is what determines the existence of free will. The teenager chooses to steal the purse for her own reasoning and leaves the store. I will now pose the following question: is the mans ability to foresee this theft a disruption of the existence of this teenagers freedom? The answer is simply, no. This vision, or foreknowledge, is simply an ability to foresee other humans making their choices to do good and bad things and not the ability to command or change a persons mind to choose right over wrong, as this would disrupt human freedom. This example provides a well-rounded and more up to date explanation of Leibnizs claim. The only difference would be that the man with visions could choose to stop the person from doing what is wrong, which is a little different from God, who has known about all events prior to their creation but will not interfere with free will. To make the example a little more satisfying, we can say that the time between the vision and the action is mere milliseconds, so that no disruption will be provided to intervene with free will. All-in-all the mere fact that God allows for sin to occur and that he is all knowing shows that this divine figure does not wish to intervene in human free will and change the outcomes. Just like the man with the visions, God has foreseen a humans every action but what God sees is free will in action as the person chooses to commit right and wrong actions. By no means does foreseeing an event occur, grant that that something or someone is being controlled. If it were the case that foreseen actions were tampered with, then human freedom would not exist. The same can be said for the man with visions. If the man decided to assist those people he foresaw in charging their ways to the right decision (not taking into account the very minute time gap put in place between vision and action) he would also be interfering with another persons free will, but at the same time is making use of his freedom of choice in order to help this person. This means that the man must implement his free will in order to do the right thing (although it can be argued whether interfering with another persons free will can in fact be considered the right thing to do). Therefore this example shows that the mere foreknowledge of an event does not mean that it contradicts free will, which means that div ine foreknowledge is in fact compatible with human freedom and also that Leibniz is correct. In conclusion, I have discussed Leibnizs position, that divine foreknowledge of all events is compatible with human freedom, by providing an explanation of what divine foreknowledge is and what it means to have free will in accordance with Leibniz. I then grouped the two concepts and explained why Leibniz thought they were compatible and then provided Leibnizs example of Julius Caesar and divine foreknowledge to show this. I then concluded this essay with why I agree with Leibnizs position and provided an example of my own, regarding a man who has visions of the future, to provide a better understanding of Leibnizs position without the use of divine characters. After careful consideration of Leibnizs position and reasoning I have concluded that Leibniz is correct in his position and divine foreknowledge poses no contradiction to human freedom and is indeed compatible with it.

Reacting against Victorian optimism and to the horrors of the 20th :: English Literature

Reacting against Victorian optimism and to the horrors of the 20th Century, William Golding chose to express his anti-Utopian views about humanity in Lord of the Flies (1954). Explore how Golding crafts his narrative in order to voice his philosophical views about man's essential illness. To what extent do you agree with his views? Golding's dystopian views of 'man's essential illness' are derived from his experience of 20th Century warfare. 'Lord of the Flies' is a fable in which Golding displays man's flaws inside a microcosm. This didactical work shows us that we have far to go, but there is hope. I will study his novel to discover his views, and will decide if I concur with them. Golding was born in Cornwall in 1911, and brought up in Wiltshire. His father was a teacher and a socialist and his mother actively supported the campaign for votes for women, so from an early age he was aware of social and political systems and their influence on people. During the Second World War, Golding joined the Royal Navy and took part in the sinking of the Bismarck and the Normandy landings on D-Day. His experience of the war had a profound effect on his view of the world. He learnt how brutal people can be. Although he was appalled by the evils of Nazism and the Third Reich, he said in an interview in 1963 that everyone was capable of inhumanity, not just the German or the Japanese. He saw Nazism as an evil system, and so horrifying that it could not be explained through reason alone. Later on he looked for an explanation in the nature of human beings, in their capacity for brutality and inhumanity. He read adventure stories such as 'The Coral Island', (1858), to his children, and wondered what would really happen to children stranded on a desert island. He took the idea of an innocent experience on an island and saw it in relation to the experience of Nazism and World War Two. In 'Lord of the Flies' Golding refers twice to R.M Ballantyne's 'The Coral Island'. The writer deliberately wrote 'The Lord of the Flies' in direct contest with the 'The Coral Island'. This is known because of an unpublished letter Golding wrote to his wife: 'Wouldn't it be a good idea to write a book about real boys on an island, showing what a mess they'd make?' Golding then went ahead and wrote the book to turn Ballantyne's simplistic assumptions and optimistic hopes on its head. Golding is even bold enough to use identical names as Ballantyne's for his main characters: Jack and Ralph in both books are protagonists, and are Reacting against Victorian optimism and to the horrors of the 20th :: English Literature Reacting against Victorian optimism and to the horrors of the 20th Century, William Golding chose to express his anti-Utopian views about humanity in Lord of the Flies (1954). Explore how Golding crafts his narrative in order to voice his philosophical views about man's essential illness. To what extent do you agree with his views? Golding's dystopian views of 'man's essential illness' are derived from his experience of 20th Century warfare. 'Lord of the Flies' is a fable in which Golding displays man's flaws inside a microcosm. This didactical work shows us that we have far to go, but there is hope. I will study his novel to discover his views, and will decide if I concur with them. Golding was born in Cornwall in 1911, and brought up in Wiltshire. His father was a teacher and a socialist and his mother actively supported the campaign for votes for women, so from an early age he was aware of social and political systems and their influence on people. During the Second World War, Golding joined the Royal Navy and took part in the sinking of the Bismarck and the Normandy landings on D-Day. His experience of the war had a profound effect on his view of the world. He learnt how brutal people can be. Although he was appalled by the evils of Nazism and the Third Reich, he said in an interview in 1963 that everyone was capable of inhumanity, not just the German or the Japanese. He saw Nazism as an evil system, and so horrifying that it could not be explained through reason alone. Later on he looked for an explanation in the nature of human beings, in their capacity for brutality and inhumanity. He read adventure stories such as 'The Coral Island', (1858), to his children, and wondered what would really happen to children stranded on a desert island. He took the idea of an innocent experience on an island and saw it in relation to the experience of Nazism and World War Two. In 'Lord of the Flies' Golding refers twice to R.M Ballantyne's 'The Coral Island'. The writer deliberately wrote 'The Lord of the Flies' in direct contest with the 'The Coral Island'. This is known because of an unpublished letter Golding wrote to his wife: 'Wouldn't it be a good idea to write a book about real boys on an island, showing what a mess they'd make?' Golding then went ahead and wrote the book to turn Ballantyne's simplistic assumptions and optimistic hopes on its head. Golding is even bold enough to use identical names as Ballantyne's for his main characters: Jack and Ralph in both books are protagonists, and are

My Memories of the State Park Essays -- Personal Experience

When I think about my favorite childhood places to visit, one spot stands out above the rest. My parents took my family to the State Park every year on Columbus Day weekend. Cramped in a station wagon between my three other brothers in the back seat, I remember the car ride to seemingly take triple the amount of time it really took. The time that it took to get to the state park was always increased when my parents would stop for lunch at the half way point, something they did each and every time. I knew we were close when I saw a sign for the Mall. It was a very weathered sign on the side of an even more deteriorating barn that could not have been larger than a classroom. I always laughed to myself about this sign because even though the sign advertised the mall was four miles ahead, the lettering of â€Å"4 miles ahead† was in a text size that you could barely make out as a passenger in a car traveling fifty miles per hour. If you were not paying attention, you would mistake this element torn building as the actual mall and feel a slight pity for the poor town. Though, seeing this sign and feeling the pity was a small price to pay for nearly being at your favorite place on Earth and out of your cramped conveyance. Shortly after the sign, there are road signs for the State Park which lead you to a steep, winding mountain road. Going up this incline in an overstuffed, late model station wagon seemed like it took more time than the two hour car ride it took to get to it. Then, finally, a carved boulder on the right side of the road appeared and proclaimed â€Å"STATE PARK.† This rock always had special meaning to me. It was a massive stone that never shifted from where it settled probably several decades ago. Th... ...ss visitors great experiences and upon arrival to it, it will be your turn to have them. The State Park holds many other places that offer different sorts of ventures, but when you truly respect the land, the tiniest encounters often yield the largest rewards. When you forego visiting the popular tourist destinations and decide to make your own exploits, the possibility of experiencing true freedom is increased. Going to a crowded beachfront by the lake, waiting in lines for bathrooms or to buy worms for fishing has less potential for adventure than simply walking into the woods without so much as a destination. There, in the woods, you will forget for hours that you live in society. Shortly after that absence of thought, you will find yourself doing unexpected and fulfilling activities that will shape your mind and outlook on life for as long as you live.

Chad Essay -- essays research papers

Chad Chad is one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world because of its climate, geographic location, and a lack of infrastructure and natural resources. It's main cash crop that is helping it's economy is cotton, which accounts for 48% of exports.1 The industry of Chad is mainly based on processing agricultural products. It is run by a republican government and it's legal system is based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law. The recent president is Idriss Deby and head of government is Prime Minister Joseph Yodoyman Chad had gained its independence from France on August 11, 1960. Its national holiday is held on the same day every year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The geography of Chad is mostly pastures and meadows. Chad is located in Central Africa and is between the Central African Republic and Libya. The total area is 1,259,200 km2, and the land area is 1,259,200 km2.2 The total size in area of Chad is slightly more than three times the size of California. The land boundaries of Chad are; Cameroon (1,094 km), Central African Republic (1,197 km), Libya (1,055 km), Niger (1,175 km), Nigeria (87 km), and Sudan (1,360 km).3 All of these countries total to 5,968 km. Chad is landlocked which has no coastline. It has no marital claims. The disputes between Chad and other countries is that Libya claims and occupies the 100,000 km2 Aozou Strip in the far north. The year around climate is tropical in the south, and desert in the north. The terrain is broad, arid plains in the center, desert in the north, lowlands in the south and mountains in the northwest. The natural resources are petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, and fish. The land use consists of arable land (2%), permanent crops (0%), meadows and pastures (36%), forest and woodland (11%), and other (51%).4 The irrigated land used is 100km2. Its environment is hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in the north, drought and desertification affecting much of the south, and subject to plagues of locusts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The people of Chad rely on agriculture for survival. The total population is 5,350,971 people. The growth rate of the population is 2.13%. The birth rate is 42.21 births / 1,000 population. The death rate is 20.93 deaths / 1,000 population. The migration rate is 0% migrants / 1,000 population. Chad's death at infancy is at a great risk at 134 deaths ... ...s. The exchange rates are communaute Financiere Africaine Francs (CFAF per US $1 - 274.06 in January 1993, 264.69 in 1992, 282.11 in 1991, 272.26 in 1990, 319.01 in 1989, and 297.85 in 1988.8 Chad's fiscal year is a calendar year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The highways in Chad total to 31,322 km, 32 km bituminous, 7,300 km gravel and laterite, and the remainder is unimproved earth.9 Inland waterways are 2,000 km navigable. Airports total to 69. The usable airports total to 55. Permanent-surface runways total to 5 airports. The telecommunications department in Chad is a fair system of radio communication stations for intercity links; broadcast stations - 6am, 1fm, limited television service; many facilities are inoperative; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chad's defense forces consist of the branches, manpower, and defense expenditures. In the branches there is the Army and the Republican Guard. In the manpower availability males age from 15 to 49, total count is 1,246,617; fit for military service 647,908; reach military age is 20 and annually 52,870.10 In defense expenditures the exchange rate conversion is $58 million and 5.6% of GDP.

The Importance of Leadership

The Importance of Leadership It is the belief of many that leadership is the vehicle or direction to both positive and negative change. In fact, leadership often determines the success and/or failure of any organization, whether it be in business, education, religion, government organizations, and society in general.Clear evidence of this is seen in the recent-American Airlines’ woes, the closing of troubled schools across the nation, the public-scandal surrounding Enron Corporation, the positive impact of the Christian community by renowned-evangelist Billy Graham, the devastating-financial crisis of 2008, the re-election of President Barack Obama, and others. With this perspective firmly in mind, and in context of the case study surrounding Sir Richard Branson and his leadership style, this paper seeks to discuss the leadership models addressed in chapters 10 and 11.It will also propose a different leadership style that would enhance Branson’s leadership prowess. Furt her, it will talk about a few strategies that Branson can employ to develop and lead a global team working on a major project. Lastly, it will discuss some of Branson’s leadership qualities and their personal and contemporary applications. Branson’s Leadership Style Illustrated in Chapters 10 and 11 Models Based on the substantial amount of evidence presented in the text, Branson has proved himself to be an effective leader because of his vision, operating philosophy, charisma or appealing influence, and financial success.Much of Mr. Branson’s influence and success has been attributed to his direct-business involvement. Therefore, as illustrated in chapters 10 and 11, Sir Richard Branson’s leadership style is participative. To give emphasis on such revelation, Richard Branson is the Chairman of Virgin Group Limited (Ltd). He operates multinational entities that include air travel, financial services, and retail stores. Also, scores of people work for him. But regardless of the scope of Mr.Branson’s responsibility and work demands; he allocates a great deal of time time to be personally involved with the day-to-day operations of the organization. Moreover, he actively listens to the concerns of his staff and customers in order to generate feedback and capture new ideas. To add to this, Branson’s personal involvement and participating leadership style has also reflected in his business approach and priority. For example, employees and customers are an integral part of his business culture.For this reason, employees are ranked first, customers second, and shareholders last (p. 344). The rationale behind such approach is this—if employees are recognized and feel appreciated, the level of customer satisfaction becomes high, and therefore return on investment (RO1) is realized or positive. In addition to Branson’s personal involvement and participating leadership style, he surrounds himself with a diverse group of people so as to reflect the company’s core beliefs, values, and desired outcomes.To add credence to this idea, in his book entitled, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, (Maxwell, 1998, p. 110) remarked: â€Å"Every leader’s potential is determined by people closer to him. † In other words, leaders can make a significant difference when they associate themselves with competent people, as in the case of Richard Branson. More emphasis on this point will be discussed later on. Another leadership style that reflects Richard Branson is transformational leadership.According to the text, transformational leadership â€Å"involves anticipating future trends, inspiring followers to understand and embrace a new vision of possibilities, developing others to be leaders or better leaders, and building the organization or group into a community of challenged and rewarded learners† (Hellriegel & Slocum Jr, 2011, p. 329). The above perspective certainly captures an d encapsulates Branson’s leadership style—because he persuades many to buy into his inspiring messages. As a result, many have become committed and in this manner are being rewarded.Also, Branson impacts the business community and a large scale. Further, he develops future leaders and entrepreneurs. Developing future leaders and entrepreneurs is essential and it at the core of transformational leadership. An insight of such truth has been noted by the authors (Anthony, M. J. , & Estep Jr. , J. 2005, p. 298), â€Å"Leaders are at their very best when they are raising leaders around them. † In addition to Branson’s transformational leadership style, his business approach is revolutionary.Undeniable evidence of this is seen in the amount and variety of businesses he operates as well as the company’s impressive-annual net sales—$20 billion (p. 344). To add to this, Branson’s hiring practice is also unconventional. That is, he generally hi res people with â€Å"strong communication and teamwork competencies that mesh with the Virgin culture. † Such practice helps Branson to be a better leader, which in turn strengthens the organization and its bottom line. So in brief, Branson’s leadership style in terms of leadership models as presented thus far is participative and transformational.Suggestive Leadership Style to Enhance Branson’s Effectiveness Even though Sir Richard Branson’s leadership style is participative and transformational, his approach and behavior on a few instances is paradoxical. To illustrate, Virgin Group experienced massive losses ($20 million) in a couple of business ventures—because Branson ignored prudent counsel from â€Å"his top management advice† as well as other critical-business measures. It is the opinion of many that transformational leaders have a tendency to be arrogant and even ignored vital signals around them due to their intellectual inspirati on and unchallenged purposes.Such beahvior sometimes produced negative results. An example of this is seen in the horrific genocides or atrocities of the former-dictator Adolf Hitler. Therefore, by way of suggestion, Branson ought to add facilitate leadership style to his leadership competency. An insight on facilitate leadership style has been provided by the text: â€Å"The leader presents the problem to the team in a meeting, acts as a facilitator, defines the problem to be solved, and sets boundaries within which the decision must be made† (p. 308).This leadership style is certainly advantageous for Branson in a number of ways. For example, as chairman of large groups of companies, Branson must not have a stake in every decision. Simply because such beahvior is perceived to be controlling, and the end results can be detrimental or costly as presented in the above example. In light of this, staff members must be empowered and heavily involved in the decision-making process of the organization. As a result, the flow of effective communication would improve, employee productivity would elevate, and the financial health of the organization.Strategies Branson can Employ to Develop and Lead Major Project In today’s ever-changing environment, there is no denying that Sir Richard Branson is a risk taker and he is not afraid of failure. Moreover, his track record and business credentials qualify him to supervise any major projects. So by determining how Branson would develop and lead a global team working on a major project, the following strategic steps ought be employed or activated: (1) choose a research committee or advisory team and oversee it. 2) Empower committee or advisory team to select a diverse group of individuals so as to generate pertinent and creative ideas and thus improve the project. (3) Assess or calculate risk factors and outcomes surrounding the project. (4) Adhere to sound business and management principles. (5) Have an open min dset especially to internal and external change or resistance. (6) Invest a large sum of money on the continued development and research of the project and provide monetary and motivational rewards for research team. 7) Maintain good-internal communication and public relations. (8) Establish effective-feedback mechanisms so as to receive progress reports, and make change/s if necessary. Strict adherence and execution to the aforementioned steps will most likely enable Branson to develop and lead a global team working on a major project. Branson’s leadership qualities and their personal and contemporary applications Within the business world, Sir Richard Branson has definitely experienced much financial success and setbacks. A commentary on this point has been noted by (Scott, 2010, p. 5), â€Å"There’s another side to Branson—the relentless work ethic, the failed companies, and tough times, but people generally don’t want to hear it. † Such experie nced has helped to strengthen Virgin Group Ltd. and set Richard Branson apart in a profound way, and even add to his leadership qualifies. Additionally, Branson’s extraordinary business approach and entrepreneur competencies also complement his leadership qualities. Therefore, drawing on Branson’s leadership qualities, the writer would seek to emulate his unconventional business approach and strong work ethic, especially in today’s business environment and practices.In so doing, the writer’s life would be personally and professionally enriched, and thereby making a positive contribution to society in general. By further drawing on Branson’s leadership qualities, social responsibility would be imitated by the writer. In support of this, â€Å"Branson pledged as much as $3 billion during the next 10 years (through 2017) to tackle global warning† (p. 344). Being socially responsible is commendable and even beneficial. To illustrate, it can attr act investors, promote business growth, and help the physical environment.To further mimic Branson’s leadership qualities, the writer would draw on his visionary approach so as positively impact humankind on a whole. It has been well said, â€Å"Where there is no vision, the people perish† (Proverbs 29:18 King James Version). Other leadership qualities that are worth emulating from Branson are: being an attentive listener, creating an informal environment to address and resolve problems. These qualities are so needed in today’s society, considering that people are often ignored, afflicted, and exploited.As passionately argued throughout this paper, leadership is essential because it can make or mar the direction or success of any organization. More than ever, participative and transformational leadership qualities are needed. Such leadership attributes have aided Sir Richard Branson to develop unique business concepts and establish hundreds of business entities across the globe. In actual fact, they have helped him to gain much financial success. As a result, he has and continues to influence many individuals of all ways of life and spearheads many undertakings.References Anthony, M. J. , & Estep Jr. , J. (2005). Management Essentials for Christian Ministries. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Hellriegel, D. , & Slocum Jr, J. W. (2011). Organizational Behavior (13 ed. ). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Maxwell, J. C. (September 18, 1998). The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Nashville, Tennessee, USA: Thomas Nelson Publishers Scott, P. (2010). The Wisdom of Branson. Herald Sun (Melbourne), (), 85. Retrieved on November 26, 2012, from http://www. ebscohost. com