Law Case Study Essay

QUESTION On 1 October, Buyer saw a courier van with a FOR SALE sign that included a telephone number and a price of â€Å"$25,000 cash.† That night, Buyer called Seller. Buyer explained that he would have to borrow the money but could get it next week. Seller provided his address to Buyer and told Buyer, â€Å"If you want the van, mail me a cheque for $5000. Pay the balance by1 November.† Later that day, Buyer mailed Seller a $5000 cheque. The next night, at Buyer’s 18th birthday party, Buyer discussed the deal with Investor. After buying the van, Buyer planned to start a document courier service, and he had spent $1200 on business cards, flyers and a cellular phone. Buyer projected a profit of $50,000 in the first year. Investor was impressed with Buyer’s plans and agreed to loan Buyer $20,000 to buy the van. On 25 October, Buyer called Seller to pick up the van. Seller refused and said someone had offered him $35,000 for the van. Seller had not cashed Buyer’s cheque as yet. Seller offered to deposit the cheque and give him the van if Buyer would pay Seller $20,000 now plus $400 a month for 25 months. Buyer laughed and said, â€Å"Yeah, right.† But without a van, Buyer would not be able to start his courier service. Investor wants to hire you to give Buyer legal advice. Prepare a memorandum addressing the following matters in detail, and including relevant case law to support your arguments: What are Buyer’s potential claims against Seller? What are Seller’s potential defences? Who is likely to prevail in the event this case goes to court? Assume Buyer prevails in his lawsuit against Seller. What damages is Buyer likely to receive from the court? SUMMARY AND RELEVANT FACTS In this case Buyer is plaintiff whereas Seller is defendant. October 1: Buyer saw courier van FOR SALE with a telephone number at the price of  $25000. Buyer called seller later at night and told him that he could borrow money by next week. Seller demanded $5000 by cheque and to pay remaining by November 1. Buyer mailed the cheque. October 2: Buyer became a major. Buyer spent $1200 on courier service advertisement. Investor loaned buyer $20,000. October 25: Seller refused as he had gotten a better offer of $35,000.Seller offered to deposit the buyer’s un-cashed cheque on conditions for the buyer to pay $20,000 for van + $400 for the next 25 months. Buyer refused his new offer. ISSUE(S) The main issue is this scenario is whether it is a valid contract or not. If yes, then what are the rights and damages available to buyer on breach of contract by seller? The following sections of Australian contract law should be satisfied in order to make this contract valid. (see below) These elements need to be explored to determine whether it is applicable. RULE/ RELEVANT LAWS All the agreements are contracts if they are made by the free consent of the parties competent to contract, for a lawful consideration and with a lawful object and are not expressly declared to be void. The person making the offer is known as the offerer, proposer, or promisor and the person to whom it is made is called the offeree or proposee. When the offeree accepts the offer, he is called the acceptor or promise. When at the desire of the promisor, the promisee or any other person has done or abstained from doing, or does or abstains from doing , or promise to do or to abstain from doing something, such act or abstinence or promise is called a consideration for the promise. Every person is competent to contract if he  is an age of majority, Is a sound mind, And is not disqualified from contracting by any law to which he is subject. APPLICATION A contract is formed valid if there is an offer, acceptance and consideration. FORMATION OF THE VALID CONTRACT OFFER VS. INVITATION TO OFFER There are some kinds of activities which appear to be making offer but legally are not, for instance, distributing broachers and circulars, display of goods for sale and advertising. So the seller could raise the point that he didn’t make an offer. He only made an invitation to make an offer. Partridge vs. Crittenden [1968][1] The FOR SALE sign would not considered as an offer since it is an invitation to make an offer. In this case, buyer made an offer by calling the seller. ACCEPTANCE For making a valid contract following elements should be essential: offer, acceptance and intention/consideration (Graw, S. (2002). An introduction to the law of contract. (4th ed) chapter 2, page 94). Buyer made an offer to the seller but was unable to enter into a contract since he did not have money until the next week. But the seller shows a manifestation of an intention that he wanted to accept his offer. Seller made a counter offer by asking buyer to send him $5000 on the same day by cheque through post and the rest of amount until November 1. The postal rule of acceptance is applied. In this scenario, buyer accepted the offer when he mailed the $5000 the next day because this way seller wanted the acceptance. A valid contract is formed which is irrevocable until November 1. [Routledge v. Grant, (1828) 4 Bing. 653] [2] INTENTION AND CONSIDERATION For the agreement to be viewed as a contract, it must either be supported by consideration or be a formal contract. This is the third essential element required to form a valid contract. (M.L Barron, fundamental of business law, chapter 7, page 207) The consideration is this case is $5000 from the promisor to the promisee to keep the option open [Currie vs. Misa 918750 L.R. 10 ex.153][3]. CAACITY OF PARTIES The buyer was minor at the formation of contract October 1. This could be the seller defends against the buyer that he was a minor at that time and the agreement is ab initio since the consideration would not counted. According to the Australian Consumer Law some people are under a disability when it comes to making contracts (e.g. minors); their capacity to contract is restricted. (M.L Barron, fundamental of business law, chapter 7, page  193). Consideration which passed under the earlier contract cannot be implied into a contract which the minor enters on attaining majority. Thus, the consideration given during the minority is no consideration. If it is necessary a fresh contract may be entered into by the minor on attaining majority provided it is supported by fresh consideration. [Lesile V. Shiell, (1914) 3 K. B. 607][4]. The completion of agreement was November 1 and buyer turned into a major on October 2. And both the parties were agreed till October 24. Seller could not accu se that the contract is ab-initio because they have mutual consideration till October 24. It makes the contract voidable at the option of buyer not the seller at the time since the seller is unaware of the fact that he is a minor. But in the completion period buyer becomes a major. Therefore, seller cannot terminate the contract on basis of that. There is a valid consideration from both of the parties- from buyer that he will pay him until November 1 and sellers agreed on it. The contract becomes irrevocable. In spite of whether seller sending the cheque back, or didn’t cash the cheque. He can argue that he didn’t accept it. But the acceptance is made at the time when he received the cheque. If it is a valid contract and someone does not perform it on their part of bargain. In other words, he is repudiating it, and then the words must be certain. When buyer calls the seller he rejected to sell his van. But buyer has an option available to purchase it until November 1. Seller can argue that there wasn’t a proper contract it was preliminary negotiations . He can argue that he made a counter offer. If the case goes to the court buyer will prevail the law suit. Damages available to buyer  Breaches of contract are normally remedied by an award of â€Å"damages†- an amount of money that is paid as compensation, fairly and reasonably considered to arise naturally from the breach itself. It is reasonably supposed to have been in the contemplation of both parties at the time they made the contract, as the probable result of the breach (Gillies, P. (2004). Business law. (12th Ed.) Chapter 8, page 325). If the court gives decision in favour of buyer and it concludes that the contract is valid. Then buyer can sue the seller and immediately return of his $5000 cheque and for any actual, consequential and special damages [Hadley vs. Baxendale][5]. In  order to obtain consequential damages seller must have known about the losses that are caused by his breach. Buyer will argue that he has lost $1200 on cards, flyers and cell phone call as well as $50,000 that he can generate annually from that van. Seller could argue that buyer is not entitled for these damages since there is nothing mention in the contract retaining to these loses. The court will favour seller over here since it is not a unique van that buyer cannot do the business without it. When a contract has been broken, the injured party can recover from the other party such damages as naturally and directly arose in the usual course of things from the breach. This means that the damages must be the proximate consequence of the breach of contract. These damages are known as ordinary and/ or actual damages. Buyer can sue for actual damages, which would be the difference in price of the van and the comparable prevailing price in market. He can also obtain the special damages which would be costs curtailing from the breach like wastage of time and money from searching a new one. CONCLUSION Seller made an inviting gesture for an offer for his good. Buyer made an offer by calling the seller for his good; however he could not enter the contract for lack of money. Seller made a counter offer by asking for a mailed $5000 cheque. Buyer accepted the offer and therefore got into contract. The contract was made on the 2nd of October, one day before the buyer became a major, and was standing until the 1st of November, before which the seller backed out of the contract at the 25th of October. Seller may argue that the contract was not ab initio as the buyer was a minor at the time of contract. However, the buyer may argue that since the seller agreed to the contract, by accepting the mailed cheque, after the buyer was a major the contract is not ab initio and in fact does exist. In case the case goes to court the buyer will prevail in the law suit as the injured party. REFERENCES TEXT BOOK (Graw, S. (2002). An introduction to the law of contract. (4th ed) chapter 2, page 94) (M.L BARRON, fundamental of business law, chapter 7, page 207) (M.L Barron, fundamental of business law, chapter 7, page 193) (Gillies, P. (2004). Business law. (12th Ed.) Chapter 8, page 325) Gibson, A. and Fraser, D, (2007). Business law (3rd ed.) Chapter 7, page 293 CASES Partridge vs. Crittenden [1968][1] Partridge v Crittenden was a landmark 1968 British Court ruling that set legal precedent in that country. The case focused on the nature of advertisements in regard to the obligation of those who post them. Specifically, this case involved the sale of a bird, which the buyer, Crittenden, claimed was misrepresented in the ad. While Partridge initially lost the case, he later won on appeal. The significance of this ruling relates not to the sale of birds in particular, but whether an ad is an offer for sale or an ‘invitation to treat. [Routledge v. Grant, (1828) 4 Bing. 653] [2] Defendant (D) offered to buy plaintiff’s (P) house for a specific price with a definite answer to be given within six weeks. D was not bound to keep the offer open Best CJ if six weeks are given on one side to accept an offer, the other has six weeks to put an end to it. One party cannot be bound without the other. Currie vs. Misa [1875] L.R. 10 ex.153][3] Even relatively trivial things can be sufficient consideration e.g. chocolate wrappers but a promise not to bore someone cannot, because it has no value. [Lesile V. Shiell, (1914) 3 K. B. 607][4]. Defendant obtained loans from plaintiff by fraudulently misrepresenting that he was of full age at the time of contract. Defendant sued him to recover the money. [Hadley vs. Baxendale][5] A shaft in Hadley’s (P) mill broke rendering the mill inoperable. Hadley hired Baxendale (D) to transport the broken mill shaft to an engineer in Greenwich so that he could make a duplicate. Hadley told Baxendale that the shaft must be sent immediately and Baxendale promised to deliver it the next day. Baxendale did not know that the mill would be inoperable until the new shaft arrived. Baxendale was negligent and did not transport the shaft as  promised, causing the mill to remain shut down for an additional five days. Hadley had paid 2 pounds four shillings to ship the shaft and sued for 300 pounds in damages due to lost profits and wages. The jury awarded Hadley 25 pounds beyond the amount already paid to the court and Baxendale appealed.

All Conflict in Literature Is, in Its Simplest Form, a Struggle Between Good and Evil Essay

â€Å"All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil. † This statement means that all the themes and struggles in literature, when broken down to their most simplest forms, are a conflict between good and evil. Usually in conflicts, there are two sides that fight over one thing. One side is considered good, while the other side is considered bad. The people that are good do it for the right thing while the people that are bad do it for the wrong reasons. This is considered to be in every conflict when carefully analyzed. This statement is not valid because a conflict does not have to be about good and evil. A conflict can be internal, where a struggle takes place in the character’s mind. Something can happen to a character that emotional scars him or her, or cause mental instability. Also, there can be a conflict between two sides but it does not mean either one is good or evil. For example, two sides are fighting each other to gain territory from the other. Neither is good or bad because they fight for the same reason, defeating the other to take what they have. One example of a book that proves this is The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger. In this book, the main character Holden Caulfield is faced with several conflicts. Some of these conflicts include conflicts with himself and conflicts with society. Holden has a hard time dealing with everyday life and secludes himself from the outside world. He believes everyone around him is phony but in actuality, Holden is the biggest phony. Most of this is caused from the death of his brother which made him mentally instable. The conflict in this story is not about good and evil, but the fact that the main character is unable to deal with others because of the way he views things. Another book that proves this is The Iliad, by Homer. There is no good or bad in this story, because each of the characters are caught in their own conflicts. On the Greek side, Menelaus wants to defeat the Trojans and take Helen back while Agamemnon wants to take over Trojan territory. On the Trojan side, Hector wants to get rid of the Greeks while Paris wants to keep Helen. Achilles does not want to get involved in the war but he fights for the Greeks to avenge his cousin’s death. These chain of conflicts all start from Helen leaving the Trojans for Paris, which leads to the war between the Greeks and Trojans. Although most conflicts are between good and evil, they do not have to be. The first example used shows that conflicts can be internal, where a problem occurs in the character’s mind through which the character reaches a new understanding of things. The second example shows that conflicts do not have to have a good or evil in them, conflict is caused because of personal reasons. The statement given may seem true but after analyzing several books, it can be proved to be false.

Research Data Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Data Memo - Essay Example It is calculated as: As we can see most of the variables have relationships with the price of the apartments. The price of the apartments is most strongly related to the number of bedrooms. The lower limit of the 95% confidence interval of the correlation between price and the number of bedroom is 0.30 whereas the upper limit for the same is 0.61. The positive value of r indicates that the price increases as the number of bedrooms increase in the flat. As expected from intuition, the price is inversely related to the distance of the apartment from the town. As the distance from the town increases, the price of real estate decreases. Both the lower limit and the upper limit of 95% confidence interval of r is in the negative region. The number of pools is also inversely related to the price of real estate. The upper limit and lower limit of the correlation coefficient is both in the negative region which implies that in 95% of the samples, the two variables will have a negative relationship amongst them. The variable Township is positively related to the price of the real estate for the data set given. But, the lower limit of the correlation coefficient between the two variables is negative indicating that in certain data sets, the relationship between the two variables might be negative indicating that the price of the real estate decreases as the number of township increases. Possible reason for the same might be the increase in the congestion levels which may result with increased number of townships. Generally, Pearsons r coefficient is significant when it is higher than 0.2 with degrees of freedom 103 and p

Reflective writing on health promotion during nursing clinical Essay

Reflective writing on health promotion during nursing clinical placement - Essay Example This paper employs Gibb’s reflective model to analyses the issue of health promotion while nursing clinical placements. This is because the model is particularly useful in helping people learn from situations that they regularly experience. It follows through a cycle of description, feelings (main), evaluation, conclusion and action (Gibbs 32). The cycle ensures that one does a deep self-analysis. The focus of this paper shall be on health promotion in the course of the placement in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) ward. â€Å"The A&E ward is usually the most action-packed section of a hospital, where things have to be done at a fast rate in order to save lives or relieve patients of their pain† (Jones 10). The A&E ward is the initial point of treatment of patients having severe injuries or illnesses that require immediate medical attention. Patients to the A&E ward are, in most cases, brought in by ambulances when in critical condition, or may come on their own if their condition is not all that bad. Whichever the case, the medical staff at the A&E ward always endeavors to put their best foot forward in treating the patients with the urgency that their injuries or illnesses demand (Jones 10). As such, this ward usually accommodates a patient only for a limited period before they are transformed to other wards in the hospital such as the intensive care unit (ICU). They may also be discharged home if it is safe. The Accident and emergency ward is a quick response ward that demands a wealth of prompt-action skills from the medical personnel (Sbaih 50). Any placement in the ward sharps one’s skills in as far as responding quickly to situations is concerned. Before the placement, one would view and conceptualize the profession as a very calm and slow one, given that it involves dealing with sick individuals. The A&E ward changes that narrow mindset. It opens up a person to the other side of nursing that requires on dropping their slow nature and

International marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 8

International marketing - Essay Example This article aims at addressing the various styles used by organisations in building relationships as well as providing a comparison between Britain and India with some recommendations concerning the best practice for dealing with cultural differences for an international marketer. The various reasons for entering in B2B relationships influence the style used by the organisation in building the relationship. These styles may take the form of partnerships, strategic alliances, joint ventures, interlocking directorates, trade associations as well as the establishment of trade networks (Bagdoniene & Zilione 2009). Currently, because of the process of globalisation of world trade, most companies tend to diversify their operations and operate in more than one country and hence the establishment of networks continues to gain more popularity over the other methods. However, the organizations that intend to establish networks require the skills required for building and maintaining such networks. This means that the ability and the capability of establishing networks depend largely on the knowledge and experience of the management team. An organization deeply rooted in a country like Britain where the labour is more skillful is thus likely to develop networks more eas ily than an organisation deeply rooted in India where labour is less developed. This means that the necessity to acquire more skills in Britain is less than in a country like India. This means that in Britain, the move to acquire more managerial skills is lower and hence less likely going to engage in partnerships with the aim of gaining knowledge and skills. While organizations operating in India are most likely going to collaborate with a substantial organisation to acquire skills to deal with the managerial problems, it faces in the current globalised economy in which intense competition is the most describing feature (Ghemawat &

Technology Studies Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Technology Studies Case Study - Essay Example It is no surprise that moisture is one of the main dilemma of the hotel maintenance department because UK copes up with something like 25,000 gallon of water annually. Nearly all moisture problems are much less severe than they actually look. Moisture can be very dangerous to our health. It can intensify respiratory problems and it can even encourage mites and moulds to grow. The properties of moisture can be very serious and even makes the whole surrounding cold and unpleasant to see. Moisture can be anywhere. They could be on the roof, on the walls, on the floors, windows, doors and pipeline. Oftentimes, the presence Saturated up through permeable materials like concrete hollow blocks into the floors and walls of the home, and it usually occurs in building which did not have any waterproofing in the track of its construction. Consequently, rising moisture can be detected easily. We can conclude that there is rising moisture in the area if, the wall is in contact with the ground, if the walls feel dampy and cold to touch and if there are stains on wall decorations. Nevertheless, rising moisture rarely goes up above one meter on the wall. Penatrating moisture is frequently caused by the building plumbing. The trouble comes in when the water is tolerable to enter the property. Symptoms of rising moisture frequently becomes noticeable during the rainy season. It usually affects roofs, ceilings and walls. Water marks appear if water continues to enter the house. It can be caused by groove or roof problems which had allowed rainwater to trickle in and soak area of walls. This is frequently seen in old houses that has solid wall. Penetrating moisture is very Not easy to find and may require proficient help. There are many ways of treating moisture. Rising moisture is worse at the bottom of a wall than at the top. Aside from blocked airbricks, the most frequent cause is 'bridging", this is when soil from the garden climbs up directly on the house wall and trap moisture. This problem is frequent and it can be easily worked out. Excavate the soil from the house so that the soil can no longer knock against the wall. A technique used in old properties is the inoculation of chemical in the problem areas. If the moisture is getting higher through the floorboard, a moisture-proof membrane maybe frayed so it is best to have a refitting. Penetrating moisture More often than not forms when water get into the property. Check up in details grooves, downpipes, flashings and window frames. It will be best to check everything inside and around the property area. Check the sealing of window frames to make sure that there must be a drip groove to get rid of rainwater. If there are blocks, clear them comprehensively. An ill-fitted roofing on a flat roof will probably cause moisture and a fractured wall can let water in. Repair a fractured wall with protective material and fit insulation rubber to all door frames. Application of Outdoor water proofing fluid will be helpful if the outdoor brickwork is already absorbent. A moisture proof track is also one means of avoiding increasing moisture. This is a process where in two layers of bricks with a space between can avoid moisture. This is frequent

Social media in marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social media in marketing - Research Paper Example With the introduction of the concept of E-commerce, the outlook of business changed entirely. Now a day, maximum extent of the entrepreneurs desire to promote the features and benefits of the product lines of their brands through online sites or social media such as face-book, twitter, LinkedIn and others. By doing so, the entrepreneurs might reach a wide range of customers in a very small time span that improved its position and ranking in the entire globe. Along with this, due to the use of social media sites, the level of awareness of the customers also enhances to a significant extent that may enhance the trust and reliability of the brand in the market among other rival contenders (Macdonald, 2013). Apart from this, due to the introduction of mart phones or electronic devices such as tablets, the intensity of purchase or access of the social media sites increased. As a result, all sorts of updates regarding any product or service or brand are easily viewed by the customers. Due to which, the scope of success is extremely high in this age as compared to previous era that improved the total sale and demand of the products or brands. Thus, E-commerce or social media helped the brands or entrepreneurs to create a market presence or improve the existing position or ranking. This research paper tries to attract the attention of the viewers over the importance and role of social media in marketing. However, in order to describe this topic, the paper is divided into five sections. Social media is the way of communication platform with the help of which, an individual may easily share information or ideas through online sites like face-book, twitter, you-tube etc. It also acts as a source of engaging with a wide range of customers that may enhance the profitability and productivity of the organization. Moreover, it is a medium with the help of which, the rate of reach of the customers might be enhanced that may increase the sustainability and competitive

Communication skills Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Communication skills - Research Paper Example The media like television and newspaper has the ability to reach the public in a strong way and communication is the foundation to it. Good communicators are not born but they are made with the help of proper training and knowledge. It is not just easy to thrive in today’s a competitive and demanding world and communication is one factor which is under our control. If one can be best at its communication skill, then he can make things work at his will and favor. The importance of communication in this business world is so great that the success of a company and employee solely depend on it. To become a successful employee in any field, apt communication skill is of utmost importance. Good communication skill is immensely important to work jointly with employees of an organization. To be a good communicator one need to also be a good listener. In his books (Guffey,23)â€Å"Communication does not take place unless the sender encode meaningful message that can be decoded and und erstood by the receivers†. The Importance of Communication Skills The importance of communication skill is highest when it comes to any sphere of human life. When it comes to career, communication stands as a key factor in employee’s job placement, career advancement, performance and organizational success. In hiring a candidate, communication skill is considered as the most needed competency. ... It is very important for people to understand the skills and techniques required to communicate effectively to each other. According to (Wilhelm)â€Å"Communication has two parts. The first is the communicator and how effectively she can convey her message to the listener. The second is how well the listener of the communication receives the message. If there is misunderstanding, misinterpretation or confusion – then the communication is not successful†. The success can be achieved by the communicator only if he is well versed with communication skills and techniques. Communication skill is completely beneficial as it creates effective flow of thoughts and information from one party to another as well as minimizes the chances of confusion and misunderstanding. If a person lack in communication skill, then he cannot promote himself and also the organization he is working for. In communication there is exchange of information, thoughts and ideas with the help of dialogues and conversation. It is always a two way process which included gesticulation and vocalization. The importance and value of communication skill never can be disregarded. In all walks of life, good communication skill is extremely important. A poor communication skill can have a negative effect on both the professional and personal life of a person. A good communication skill is very essential in fields like medicine, teaching and media where in the main focus is on the understanding of patients, students and the mass population respectively. Even for a salesperson, communication is of key importance as his profession is entirely depended on his verbal skills. In the same way verbal communication is vital,

Frank Lyod Wright and Louis Sullivan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Frank Lyod Wright and Louis Sullivan - Essay Example Louis Sullivan, one of the great architects of the last half of the 19th century, was a brilliant artist with both practical office experience and a year at the famed cole des Beaux-Arts in Paris before entering a partnership with Dankmar Adler in 1879. Credited with being the first to give an appropriate form to the steel skyscraper, he was a precursor of American modernism and managed to produce the only forward-looking design of the 1893 World's Colombian Exposition in Chicago.1 Unfortunately and unfairly, this designer of dozens of lauded buildings, who helped reshape the manner of building structure and aesthetics, is primarily known today for one thing-his role as Frank Lloyd Wright's Sullivan's famous motto of "form follows function" influenced Wright immensely and was a major reason why Wright considered Sullivan his only influence. That the relationship was mutual is demonstrated by the events of 1889. In that year Wright married Catherine Lee Clark Tobin, and Sullivan loaned him the enormous sum of $5,000 to buy property in Oak Park, Illinois and build a house.4 His willingness to help Wright illustrates the mutual respect between the employer and employee at this time. Although one of his early works, the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park can be considered a workshop, used by the architect to begin developing some intriguing concepts. The initial construction phase of 1889 "exhibits features that portend the mature Wright's philosophy of architecture: the emphasis on pure geometric forms, the broad, sheltering roof, the use of natural materials and the unity of building and site".5 These features blurred the distinctions between inside and outside, and marked a growing integration of landscape and construction. In addition, the interior was focused around the fireplace and astonishingly open in design, with none of the Victorian hierarchy of divided spaces evident. Wright continued designing houses in Oak Park on the side, and this conflict of interest led to Sullivan firing him in 1893.6 Never one to stop working, Wright simply opened his own office and specialized in domestic architecture. By 1902 he designed his first Prairie house, a style defined by horizontal orientation, rows of small windows, low-pitched roofs featuring overhanging eaves and an open interior plan with a central fireplace.7 With its definitive wood and stucco exterior, it also works in conjunction with the suburban setting. Its cruciform plan is designed so that the movement from one wing to the next is diagonal, and these 45 degree angles are featured in other parts of the house.8 This epoch construction, completely distinct from Sullivan's verticality, would not have been possible had he not been fired. Decades of both personal and professional trouble followed, but Wright weathered the strenuous difficulties and re-emerged in the 1950's. His most famous project from this final stage is undoubtedly the Wright, Frank Lloyd, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of 1956-1959. Completed after his death and considered Wright's "great swansong",9 it is an exercise in pushing concrete to the limits of plasticity. After entering the inverted swirl, visitors move to the top via elevators and proceed "downward at a leisurely pace on the gentle slope of a continuous ramp".10 This final monument vividly illustrates how far Wright progressed from the early stages of his career. However, the first Wright building to feature an internal spiral ramp was the V. C. Morris Gift Shop of 1949, designed concurrently to the Guggenheim project.11 Inside are display cases and shelves that follow

Curriculum Design and Evaluation; Standards -Based Education Essay

Curriculum Design and Evaluation; Standards -Based Education - Essay Example Critics assail standards-based education in two fronts – content and implementation. For instance, Hamilton et al. (2002, p. 27) argued that in standards-based curriculum development, there is a difficulty in deciding how many performance levels should be created, what method should be used to set those levels, how high they should be set, and what they should be called. Also, a number of research educators and students themselves disagree with the policy of passing a rigorous test just to get a high school diploma. There are also those who criticize the implementing agency of being vague as to the academic content and with being lax with schools in terms of following standards. (Cizek 2001, p. 418) Certainly, good arguments are also coming from similar sectors stressing the expectation from all students to perform in the same way since the fact is, there are ordinary students and there are academically talented ones. The former name of standards-based education is outcome-based education. This is not without reason because this system focuses on achieving optimum learning outcome and the performance of students. I believe this is essentially what education is all about. This example shows how standards-based education offers the most impact because it allows the students to explore on their own, creating learning opportunities where theories are applied in the process. Learning is more rigorous and the methodologies employed are more strategic in terms of meeting students’ learning needs. It is in my opinion that students receive and retain more learning content in this process due to the environment and the standard. Another point about standards-based curriculum is the fact that it works within the premise that education requires continuous improvement. So where in the traditionalist setting the grade of A is the same today and tomorrow, students in standards-based education must pass a test that is benchmarked 10 years from

The Difference Between Two Orphans Essay Example for Free

The Difference Between Two Orphans Essay Last week, every newspaper in Korea printed two American names with two Korean faces. But Toby Dawson and Jae Harrell made the newspapers for very different reasons. Every year, Korean orphans are being adopted by American parents. Last year alone, an estimated thousand six hundred and thirty children were taken in from South Korea to America. This is not so surprising, considering that Americans have been adopting orphans from South Korea from a long way back. This is where Toby Dawson and Jae Harrell’s stories begin. Both of them have been born in Korea, and both have left their country when they were adopted by Americans. They both felt loneliness and isolation: suddenly, they found themselves in another country with nobody they knew, with a language they do not understand, and with people who looked so different. They grew up realizing that it was them who looked different in this world of Caucasian people – they were Americans, but their faces revealed their heritage.   We can imagine how they suffered – not only with the fact that they knew they were adopted and were having issues with their identity as to who their biological parents were and where were they and why they were separated from them, but growing up in a different country and being reminded of that fact everyday as they look in the mirror, they must have felt the pang of isolation more vividly. But whatever pain they felt, the similarities they shared ended there. Toby Dawson was born Bong-seok in Pusan, South Korea. His father, Kim Jae-su, was a truck driver. On one fateful day, his mother lost him in the market. By the time his father got home from work, it was already too late to look for him. His father searched for him in the market and nearby places, in different orphanages, but to no avail. Defeated, his father gave up looking for him. But the fates must have smiled at Bong-seok, because soon an American couple, ski instructors Mike and Deborah Dawson. The couple took him to their home in Vail, Colorado. He was three. Toby did not know English, and for the first year that he stayed in the country he had nightmares, screaming in his sleep almost every night. Everything was so different – the culture was different, and he was living with adoptive parents when he knew he used to have parents back in Korea. He struggled with his sense of identity, with being different, with being adopted, with being a minority in this part of the world. He accepted his situation and decided to make the best of it. He attended summer camp for adopted children from South Korea and other Asian countries, and made friends and shared bonds with other children like him who were going through the same ordeal. He learned to ski at a young age, although probably because his parents wanted him to learn how to ski, but eventually skiing became an outlet for his aggression. Toby worked hard on his skiing – he has had his share of accidents and broken bones, but still he keeps at it to become the best in his field. He has competed in the major skiing competitions like the World Cup Circuit, and even won a bronze in the Olympics. He also has not forgotten the pain he endured in his childhood – whenever he has time, he spends it with the kids, volunteering for the summer camp that helped him so much before. It seems that everything is going his way, and the only thing left is to make peace with his past. And after his Olympic fame, Toby finally decided to meet his parents. With his new status, a lot of Koreans came forward to claim him as their own, but genetics has a way of clearing things up, and soon Toby found out who his real father was. Toby and Kim met, together with his younger brother. He did not reproach his father for abandoning him – instead, he even told him: I have been waiting a long time, Father. And Kim was moved and proud to see that despite everything, his son has grown up to be a wonderful man. Toby Dawson’s story is made known to all of America last Tuesday in Oprah. But with all the good fortune that has come his way, it must be remembered that Toby worked hard to make the best out of what life has to offer. He faced life and all its challenges bravely, and for that he is reaping the fruits of his labor. On the other hand, things did not fare as well with Jae Harrell. Adopted when he was a newborn baby by Ruth Harrell and her husband, Toby must have felt isolated just like Toby when he was growing up when he realized that he did not look like his parents, that he looked different. Unlike Toby, Jae took a different path. Whereas Toby spent his time in summer camp to cope with all the things that are happening to him, Jae turned to drugs and alcohol. Whether for fun or consolation or he just needed to forget, Jae’s reliance on alcohol and drugs did him no good, and soon he was on a list for mental health watch. He let remorse and hatred overcome him, and perhaps he felt anger towards his parents in Korea who sent him away, and maybe he felt anger too with the position he found himself in this country, and he had no productive outlet for his aggression. Charged and found guilty of retail theft in November, he was sentenced to three years in jail but was granted parole last January. But he did not stop there. His anger took over him and he ended up killing his mother, the one who adopted him and raised him up. Jae had been charged with battering his mother Ruth a year ago, but the charges were dropped after his mother declined to show up in court. This time, she was not so lucky. After an argument with Ruth, Jae struck his mother with a hammer on the head and then strangled her. He put her in her car and drove her to local school’s parking lot, and checked back if somebody found her. Seeing that the body was not discovered, he drove the car to I-290 and left it there. The car and the body were found by a worker from the Illinois Department of Transportation, and Jae Harrell has been arrested and bail set at $ 300 million. Toby Dawson and Jae Harrell were both orphans, both adopted from South Korea. They both had a difficult time adjusting to their situation here in the United States. However, they led significantly different lives. It was the decisions they made that took them where they are now. Toby’s effort, hard work and optimistic attitude made him a successful skier and gave him happiness. Jae’s negative attitude, his reliance on drugs and alcohol, and his failure to see the good things in life gave him disgrace and this tragic affair. In the end, it does not matter where we are from or what we look like because what matter is what we are inside.

Family life in the Mauritius

Family life in the Mauritius Mauritius has seen tremendous changes during the past few decades in the socio-economic environment. Globalisation and technological changes have also opened new avenues to Mauritians which were previously unavailable to them. It is becoming a society where women are coming out of the private spheres of the home into the public sphere of the economy and politics. Nevertheless while having adapted to the new economic opportunities, there has been an increase in the participation of women in the formal wage. The proportions of women in workforce in Mauritius from year 2009-2012 have increased considerably from 18,500 to 191,600 (Economic Social Indicators, statistics Mauritius). Women have benefited significantly from the upgrading of their economic status but at the same time have succumbed to stresses and strains of coping with their new roles in the new age society. Moreover, The White Paper on Women in Development emphasises on the increasing employment of women in the labour market and the greater sense of individuality and how freedom felt by women themselves have brought about positive development. Such being the case, it is too much of a glorification to say that this reflects the changing roles of women in the Mauritian society. 1.2 Womans triple role within the family Women play a very crucial role within the family and the society. They are the pillar of the house and they accordingly contribute in sustaining the family. Thus, women are associated with the triple role of productive (work outside the home), reproductive which is related to household tasks associated with children and family and community management. In the same context, Dunscombe and Marsden (1995) stated that women in paid employment bear the burden of working a triple shift. 1.3 Changing functions of the family Modernization and industrialization have brought about the breakdown of the extended family to the emergence of the nuclear family, where families are more independent and there is less contact with kins. Nowadays, another form of family which is becoming very popular with the rising rate of divorce is the single-parent family. The past two- decades have brought a great increase in the number of families with responsibilities both at work and at home. Nowadays, single-parents, working women and dual-earner couples are heavily involved in parenting (Carnier et al., 2004). Therefore, today families are stressed by the pressure of work, family and community demands. It is argued that the family in industrial society is losing many of its functions. Sociologist like Fletcher (2000) claims that, the familys functions have increased in detail and importance. The role of the family has changed from a producer to a consumer. Goods and services are increasingly being bought and consumed houses, cars, furniture and education. Hence, the highly materialistic world demands that both husband and wife go out to work. The controversy is that women would then contribute to the family budget while men would not contribute to the household work. The result is that less time is spent in the family. At times, children are unattended and social problems crop up leading to instability and turbulence in the family. 1.4 Changing status of women across times The main thing today is that there has been a gradual improvement in the status of women. They have indeed achieved more political equality with men and they have equal rights in education. Most types of job are suitable for women today. Equal opportunity act has helped discard discrimination. The Economic Miracle of Mauritius is largely dependent on the growth of the manufacturing sector which was introduced in 1970s. It has been the main engine of economic development in Mauritius and has absorbed large numbers of unemployed labour. The traditional women who were uneducated represented a fundamental pool of labour for the industrialists. The new economic leverage has welcomed the earning of second salary amidst the family. Everyone at all levels of society is becoming aware of the stress families face these days so as to struggle to balance their responsibilities at home and at work. This is evidenced from the fact that too often families have to choose between the demands of work and family, elderly parents and relatives. In Mauritius the two demographic trends in the increase participation rates for working mothers and dual-career couples have a profound effect on the spheres of work and family. It is generally recognized that the extensive pressure arising from work environment and from family environment can produce high-levels of work-family conflict for many employees. In brief, development is good for any country but at the same time it has added extra burden on women particularly balancing the conflicting demands of family life and career. 1.5 Functionalist perspectives on work and family According to functionalist, families are living in a post modern way of living which is very good for the society as they prefer not to have children because of their career and some prefer to stay-single and they are going according to the needs of the society. P and B Bergers argue that the bourgeois family already teaches children what the society want for instance, strict moral values and value economic success. E.Leach (1996) argues that the Nuclear family is stressed. They are exploited by the capitalist and they are alienated; they work because they have no choice. Family are nowadays privatized, they do not want people to know what is happening in their yard. 1.6 Problem statement It is principally through the family that social values and knowledge are transmitted from generation to generation and hence this reinforces the social fabrics. Like any other country, the Mauritians Government is playing a fundamental role in trying to maintain the balance between work and family life. If the family is stable, this will have a direct impact on the society and hence on the country. On one hand, the family life in Mauritius is being eroded in the face of the demands of work and increasingly long hours in at work. Practically, many members of the Mauritian family return home after work at different times and the traditional family meals that were customary in the past, are now reserved for weekends. Many parents strive to find time to spend with their children during the working week. The twin pressures of work and family life are raising stress levels within the home and creating much pressure. Parents are struggling to fit all their chores into shorter time frames because of lack of time. Due, to the constraint of time imposed by work schedule, various social problems have cropped up. Infact there is increasing divorce rate (0.47 per 1000 people) and going by this, it is assumed that children are having recourse to drug, alcohol and cigarette smoking. On the other hand, despite the so called equality of sexes advocated by feminists, it is seen that the responsibility of looking after the family relies mostly on women. Hence, housework and looking after children remain predominantly womens work. Womens works have been marginalised throughout the history. Women are more likely to concentrate on their work than family. Therefore, family being a basic institution it is very necessary to know what is causing the breakdown of the family, how children are able cope with it and its negative effects on children especially adolescents. 1.7 Aim This project aims to make an assessment on the impact of the relationship between work and the situation of children within the modern family. 1.8 Objectives To probe into different occupational sectors in Mauritius to measure the impact of work on family life balance; To see whether women are able to handle their triple role within the modern family; To see whether the notion of family being functional in the society as advocated by functionalist really stand in the Mauritian society, To see whether children belonging to single-parent families more affected than other children; Find out respondents views on does social problems like Juvenile Delinquencies are occurring due to lack of supervision of parents in the modern family; and Propose findings and solutions.

The Advantages Of Being Physically Attractive Philosophy Essay

The Advantages Of Being Physically Attractive Philosophy Essay Nowadays attractive people rule the world. We see them on television, on the covers of magazines, they are everywhere. They dominate all the fields that include a certain degree of public exposure. What is beautiful is good. This is the stereotype that plays an active role in our lives. Physical attractiveness influences our relationships with other people. It influences social acceptance and the employment process. People consider that less attractive children are more likely to grow up with bad behavior, but if an attractive child grows up with such bad behavior, people perceive this event like an unusual one. On job interviews, attractive people seem to be more efficient. They are good communicators they speak faster and fluently; they enjoy social interactions and exchanges. These people show more confidence and develop more favorable images of them. It is a fact that attractive people tend to be more successful than the less attractive ones. Attractive individuals are more sociable and happier. They tend to be more socially skillful because the favorable expectations of attractive people lead to better social exchanges, more favorable self-images, and better social skills. 2.2. Head Positions Head shaking has its origins in bowing to appear superior. It can be a powerful persuasion tool; you can encourage someone to talk or to make him stop, only by nodding three to four times in certain intervals of time. The speed of nods determines the listeners patience or the lack of it. If the listener is interested in what the speaker is saying he will give a slow deliberate nod. Fast nodding tells us that the listener wants to interfere or he is not interested anymore. Head nodding can be contagious, if someone nods, you will return the nod, even if you dont agree with what he is saying. Head nodding is also an excellent tool to get someones cooperation and agreement; it is an unconscious outward reflection of our inner emotions so when you feel optimistic about something and you feel affirmative your head will start to nod as you speak. Positive emotions cause head nods and it goes the other way around, affirmative head nods can cause positive emotions. If you start to nod intentionally, you will experience those emotions. In different cultures head nodding signifies yes, yes you agree other persons point of view. This is not the case of Bulgaria where positive head nodding means no. In Japan, for example, head nodding doesnt necessarily mean agreement; it can signify yes, I hear you. In other countries, like India, the head movement differs; here people move their head from side to side to signal agreement. There are three basic head position. Head up In this position, the head remains still; the conversation can be slightly punctuated by small nods. Usually, this position takes a person who has neither positive nor negative attitude about what the interlocutor says. If someone lifts the head with the chin jutting forward, he signals arrogance and fearlessness. Anyone who adopts this position is intentionally exposing the throat to gain some height so they can look down their nose. The Head Tilt The head tilt displays the vulnerable necks; it makes a persons look smaller and less threatening. It is believed that this position has its origins in the baby resting its head on his parents shoulder or chest, its submissive meaning is understood by everyone, especially women. Many women use this position in order to get attention from man they fancy because a submissive woman is attractive to most men. It is recommended using head tilt along with head nods during presentation or while delivering a speech because you will appear nonthreatening and the listeners will begin to trust you. Head Down People who have judgmental and negative attitude tend to keep their head down. It shows disapproval or disappointment. Sometimes, conference speakers confront situations when the listeners adopt this position, to make them lift their heads they involve them in action, they invite them to participate into a conversation before their actual presentation. If the method is successfully the next head position of the audience will be the tilt head. 2.3 Eye contact The eyes are the windows of the soul. They are highly expressive region; their movement is allowing various expressions. We keep our eyes open, turn a blind eye to certain events, or we choose not to bat an eye. Our eyes show what we think about a person, how we feel toward him, if we are comfortable or not. Eye contact is one of the most primitive ways of communication, during social interaction all good communicators look at each other in the eye, without the gaze even if it is for several seconds, they dont feel like they are fully into the conversation. Georg Simmel described the phenomenon as a wholly new and unique union between two people and that it represents the most perfect reciprocity in the entire field of human relationship (Simmel). The eye gaze may have a variety of meanings, such as friendship, submission, hate or attraction. The sources of variation are: Point in the conversation: if a person is listening there is more eye contact than the situation where he is speaking. When people speak they tend to look up at the end of the speeches and phrases. Nature of the topic. Topics of personal matter usually avoid the eye contact. Catholic confessionals and psychiatric couches for example are built in such manner, that the person who talks wouldnt be inhibited by the eye contact. The contact between the priest or the therapist and the individual in both of these locations is reduced; the individual can feel, but not see the presence of the priest or the doctor so when he discuss shameful and embarrassing things those who are listening could not stare at them. Relations between a pair of people. When two people like each other there is more eye contact than usual. The pupils are dilating when you look at a person whom you like more. Besides attraction, the gaze could mean threat, when one is cutting off or averting his gaze this signal could mean appeasement. Cooperation. There is also more direct gaze when two people tend to cooperate rather than competing. In this case, an important role plays the quantity of eye contact; a high level of it usually means that the gazer is interested in the subject. However, combined with other expressions it also means threat. Personality. Depending on ones personality, he could look more or less. Extroverts look more often and for longer than their interlocutors and the introverts. There are also people that avoid the gaze; these are schizophrenic patients, depressed people and autistic children. Distance. It is a certainty that eye contact is reduced when proximity is greater, in busses or elevators, for example it ceases at all. Reducing eye gaze helps us reduce the level of discomfort produced by invading our intimate zone. 2.3.1 The Functions of Eye Contact The meanings of eye contact are various, and beside the hate, joy and domination signals that they could express there are several function that they have as well. These functions are: Information-Seeking. Our social behavior is an open book for others to read, it tells the world who we really are. We are the one that give information so it is important to us to receive a properly feedback. The speech could be a way, but sometimes if you look closely to the others face you can find a lot more than he says, especially if you look at his eyes. At the end of the speech he looks at you to see how the information was received. Signaling that the channel is open. When you communicate and maintain the eye contact the speaker will understand that all your attention is his, and he may proceed further with the conversation. On the other hand, a simple flicker of the eye toward a third person indicates that the channel is closed. Concealment and Exhibitionism. Some people look to get attention and to keep it. These people according to Laing suffer from lack of such feelings like self-regard and ego-identity, they need to be seen so they could be loved and confirmed as a person (Laing). The eye contact is the only they need. Establishment and Recognition of Social Relationship. Argyle explained this function through the example of an A and B person. The eye contact plays a central role in the establishment of their relationship. If there is eye contact between A and B it means that there is attraction. If A wants to dominate B: A will stare at B with the appropriate expression, if B accepts As dominance he will adopt a submissive expression and he will look away; If some people want to see and to be seen some of them dont want to have eye contact at all. They hide communication signals and disguise the gaze by wearing sunglasses. Glasses are also used by blind people they wear tinted glasses to avoid the embarrassment of not being able to look a person in the eye whenever it is necessary. Mirrored glasses stay between traffic policeman and the drivers, by avoiding the eye contact policemen can reduce the possibility of an argument; the nervous drivers can be put off a confrontation if they are not seeing the officers eye but, forced to see their own. 2.4 Facial Expressions The interest in human expression of emotion dates from more than a century ago when Charles Darwin published his book The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. Darwin believed that humans emotional expressions are defined by our evolution; therefore he couldnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t understand the human emotions without understanding the emotional expressions of animals. Darwin returned to fundamentals, he built his theory of emotional expressions in animals, in infants and children, and in adults from different countries. Although everybody read his book, it hadnt much impact on the scientific community over years. Only recently the scientists agreed that Darwins ideas, his theoretical interpretations and forecasts are the premise of current knowledge in the field of humans facial expressions. Scientists relate facial expressions with emotions they represent. Many anthropologists like Margaret Mead believed that the cultures of the world control these emotions. Paul Ekman on the contrary proved that facial expressions have natural origins therefore, they are universal. Surprise Something unexpected triggers this emotion; it is the shortest one and it takes two or three seconds. It could last if the surprises continue. It is not a surprise when you have time to think if you are surprised or not, because this emotion feels like an explosion. A surprised individual will raise the eyebrows so that the skin below will be more visible than usual. He will have wrinkles on his forehead; wrinkles that everyone shows except young children. The individual will also have the mouth opened; his lips will be smooth and relaxed. His mouth may be partly open or widely open it depends on how intense was the surprise. The raised eyebrows, the relaxed open mouth can occur in combination with other expressions like neutral face, but it will no longer signify surprise, but doubt, fascination, or an astonishing moment. Anger Anger is the most dangerous emotion of all. When you are angry you can say things or worse do things that later you will regret. When you are angry you are not yourself, your blood pressure increases, the veins on your neck and forehead become more visible, your muscles tense and you may move slightly toward the offender. This emotion may be developed step by step, from a simple irritation, to rage or fury, it can be accumulated or it may occur suddenly. Angers appearance can be determined when there are significant changes on the face. The angry person has his inner corners of the eyebrows lowered and drawn together. His eyelids are tense and his eyes look like he stares. The mouth has two basic types: The lip-pressed-against-lip mouth: it occurs when someone is starting some form of violence or when a person is trying to control his verbal anger; he presses the lips to prevent saying something unpleasant. The open-mouthed anger happens when someone is expressing anger or when this person yells during a speech. 2.4.3 Fear Fear is the innate emotion induced by a certain threat or sense of danger. We learn how to avoid the possibility of harm by analyzing what occurs around us. However we canà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t anticipate everything and even it can be prevented we still fear any events or ideas that seems dangerous. Fear is a sudden emotion just like surprise, you cant pause a moment to think if you are afraid or not, it occurs immediately something harms you and you are afraid. Unlike surprise fear is a terrible experience even a mild fear is unpleasant ant it is the most traumatic of all emotions. Another difference between fear and surprise consist of its duration. Fear if it is unexpected it can have short duration but it can also occur gradually, you can know very well the fear-inspiring event and still be afraid of it. During fear there are distinctive appearances in the three areas of the face. The eyebrows appear raised and straightened with the inner corners drawn together, there are also wrinkles but not on the entire forehead. When the brows are held in the fear position the meaning of the expression is either worry or controlled fear. Fear eyebrows are joined by fear eyes and fear mouth. Eyes during fear are tense, the upper eyelid is raised the lower eyelid is also tense. In both fear and surprise the upper eyelid is raised but these emotions differ in regard to the lower eyelid which in surprise is relaxed and in fear is tense and raised. In fear the mouth also may be opened the difference between surprise and fear are the lips in surprise they are relax, but in fear they are tense and also may be drawn back. 2.4.4 Disgust and Contempt Disgust is an emotion of aversion. There are many things that may cause this aversion, the taste of something that you dont like, the smell of it sometimes even the thought could cause disgust. Not only the tastes or the smell can bring someone disgust but also the actions and the appearance of another person. Some people feel disgust when looking a deformed or an ugly person. You may be disgusted by what a person does for example if that someone is torturing an animal. Even if the emotion of disgust is universal, the things that one person thinks disgusting are not universally. What in one culture is disgusting in another culture may seem attractive and the other way around. These kinds of things are not the exactly in the same culture or in the same family. A disgusted person has lowered eyebrows and raised cheeks. However, the important clues that show disgust happen in the nose and mouth area. The upper lip may be raised, and the nose has wrinkles. Disgust may range from a slight form of disgust to an extreme one. The difference between these forms is that in the slight type, the wrinkles on the nose and raised lip are less pronounced. A close form of disgust is the contempt facial expression. This emotion is triggered by other peoples actions not smells, food or touches. Contempts appearance consists of a closed mouth with corners a little bit raised, and lips pressing each other. 2.4.5 Happiness Happiness is a positive emotion that everyone wants to experience. We like when we are happy, it feels so good that we search it, and we try to build our lives around this emotion. Most of the people think that the signal of happiness is the smile. It is not quite true. Sometimes, behind a smile there is pain hiding or even fear. Smiling in these cases, you make the unpleasant situations more comfortable for you. Happiness intensity is determined by the position of the lip; this position is always accompanied by deepening the region between the lips and the nose also by more pronounced lines under the lower eyelid. The intensity of happiness varies from a simple smile to an abroad one from ear to ear. The extreme form of happiness is laughter with tears. 2.4.6 Sadness Sadness means suffering. People when are sad have a distinct way of showing it, they dont cry they dont yell they just suffer in silence. Anything can make a person sad but in the most of cases what triggers this feeling is the loss of somebody. Sadness appearance has distinctive clues in each area of the face. A sad person will lower his face; the inner corners his eyebrows are will be raised. The inner corner of the upper eyelid is drawn up, and the lower eyelid may appear raised. The corners of the lips are drawn down, or the lips appear to tremble. (Ekman and Friesen p121) All the emotions mentioned above can blend with each other creating more ways to express our feelings, to underline or punctuate something in a conversation. It is known that people learn to control their facial expressions and sometimes you can be misled. Gestures Hands arms and even legs can produce a variety of signals. These signals are used either to help you improve your interaction skills or to negotiate. As we grow up our signals become more subtle and less obvious and that is making them harder to read. There is a debate among the researchers wherever some gestures are genetic or they are learned. The conclusion they got is that gestures are learned and they are culturally determined. The open palm Hands have been an important tool in human evolution and it is believed that there are more connection between the brain and the hand than between the brain and any over part of the body. If you try to see if a person is honest or not, an important thing is to look at palm displays. The open palm was associated with truth and honesty throughout history. In ancient times open palms used to show that there are no weapons concealed and therefore there is no threat. Nowadays different kinds of oaths are taken in this way by placing the palm over the heart, in courts when somebody testifies the right palm is held up for the member of the court to see while in the left hand is the Bible. There are three main palm gestures: the submissive palm position, the palm is facing up and it is used as a non-threatening gesture if you ask something from a person he will not feel the pressure of the request like in a superior situation. You will gain authority if you turn the palm to face downwards, the person whom you addressed the request will feel it like an order. The third gesture and the most irritating is that in which the palm is closed into a fist except the pointed finger, with whom the speaker creates a negative effect on other people he beats them into submission. Rubbing the palms together This gesture is the way in which people communicate their positive expectations. Before the dice are threw the thrower rubs them between palms, it signals his positive expectation of wining. Also a positive expectation signals a waiter at the end of the evening when he is asking anything else, sir while rubbing his palms, this usually is the non-verbal sign of a tip. However when a person rubs his palms while he is expecting the bus in freezing winter it means that his hand are cold not that he is expecting the bus. It is all about the context in which these gestures are made. Hands clenched together. This gesture seems to be a confidence one because people are smiling and sound happy when using it. The research showed however that behind that smile the person is holding back a negative attitude and therefore it is a gesture of frustration. The person may hold his hands clenched in three main positions: hand clenched in front of the face, resting on the desk or on the lap when seated. Steepling hands All gestures come in groups that are called clusters. This gesture represents an exception. It can be used in isolation from other gestures by people who use minimal or restricted body language. When it used it signals confident attitude. The gesture has two versions: the raised steeple used when the steepler is doing the talking and the lowered steeple when he is listening. The Mouth Guard This is a gesture learned from childhood and it is as obvious as it was then. The hand covers the entire mouth and the thumb is presses the cheek. What is happening is that the brain automatically tries to block deceitful words. As we grow up we try to disguise it by giving a fake cough or to minimize this gesture, instead of hand slapping over the mouth the finger rub around it. Folded Arms Folded arm gesture stands for a barrier against threatening situations. When a person has a nervous, negative or defensive attitude, he will fold his arms firmly on his chest, a strong signal that he feels threatened. (Pease) The researchers have found that the person who folds his arms has not only a negative attitude toward the speaker but he also is paying less attention to what is being sad. Many people said that they fold their arms because it is cozy. Any gesture will feel comfortable when you have the corresponding attitude; that is if you have a negative, defensive or nervous attitude, the folded arms position will feel good. (Pease) Standard arm-cross gesture This is a gesture that signifies the same universally negative attitude that people have in public events, meetings where they are surrounded by strangers; they have their both arms folded across the chest, it feels like an attempt to block an unfavorable situation. Beside the negative attitude this gesture also means that the person who folds his arms may disagree with what the speaker says. To bring this person into a more open position you have to make him unfold his arms and reach forward. Sometimes this gesture comes in cluster with clenched fists, clenched teeth, it indicates a hostile attitude and it makes possible a verbal or even a physical attack. To make the arm barrier less obvious people disguise their arm-cross gestures. These people dont want for other to know their insecurity or nervousness so their instead of folding their arms or grasping the other arm they just touch some of their personal objects like; handbags, bracelets watches everything near the arm. The standard leg-cross position Arms are not the only body part that can be used to form a barrier between you and the world. In most of European countries in Australian and New Zeeland cultures the right leg is neatly crossed over the left one. It is a gesture that shouldnt be read out of context because people use it when they sit for a long time in uncomfortable chairs or when it is freezing outside. Leg-cross positions may indicate that a defensive attitude exists but not so negative and obvious like arm-crossed gesture. Used together these gestures indicate that the person is not paying attention that he is withdrawn from the conversation. The same meaning of negative attitude has the ankle lock gesture. This gesture is different in male and female version. In male version it appears together with clenched fists placed on the knees or with hands grasping the chairs arms. In womens case the knees are held together, the hands are resting side by side or one on the top of the other on the upper legs. When individuals start to feel comfortable in a certain group they start to open up through a set o movements. This set has five stages: Stage: the arms and legs are crossed in the defensive position. Stage: the feet are placed in a neutral position. Stage: the arm that is folded on top comes out and the palm is flashed during the conversation. Stage: arms unfold and they can be placed either in pockets or on the hips. Stage: the person is leaning forward to the speaker whom he finds interesting and not a stranger anymore. It is important to know that all kind of gestures or facial examples should be considered in the context that they occur, because it is really easy to misread a signal. If for example a man has a soft handshake you most likely will be tented to accuse him of having a weak character, not taking into consideration that he may be a surgeon or a musician and he has to be delicate with his hands in order to protect them.

Argument Anlysis of What Makes a Serial Killer by La Donna Beaty :: essays research papers

La Donna Beaty clearly States in her argument, ?What Makes a Serial Killer her opinion and different theories on what causes a human being to become a serial killer. Beaty states that there are many serial killers and victims of them, but she is unsure about what causes a person to become a serial killer. Furthermore, she asked many questions, but there was no definite answer. For example, using examples of serial killers including Jeffery Dahmer and Ted Bundy, but only to draw up more questions. However, she wrote many expert opinions too, using them to her advantage in proving her argument, and giving a statement from a respected author and expert on serial killers named Ann Rule (pg315). Rule states that 3,500 to 5,000 people become victims of serial killers. She also states that 350 serial killers are at large in our society (pg315). Additionally, Beaty also presents an early theory that was completely incorrect. This was about how to identify a serial killer by looks. Beaty then gave her expertise by stating that a serial killer could look like or be anything they choose to become. They are most likely to be males and 92 percents are white (pg316). No doubt, that she appeals to logos by providing evidence about general characteristics of serial killers she quotes that in 1911, an Italian criminologist Cesare Lombrosco concluded that ?murderers as a group [are] biologically degenerate [with] bloodshot eyes, aquiline noses, curly black hair, strong jaws, big ears, thin lips, and menacing grins?. In addition, Beaty also claims that a violent society was the cause of many people becoming serial killers. The reason that Beaty suggests that a violent society is a motive for people to become serial killers is because culture finds violence acceptable and tends to approve it in many circumstances. She also present statistical research done in 1970, which shows that one out of every four men and one out of every five women believed that it was appropriate for a husband to hit his wife under certain situations. Obviously, she appeals to pathos in this paragraph by bringing up the experts feeling about children ?The experts feel that children demonstrate increasingly aggressive behavior with each violent act they view? (pg317). Another theory Beaty used was that family context can be one of the causes that makes a person a serial killer. She stated ?Most killers state that they experienced psychological abuse as children and never established good relationships with the male figures in their lives?.

Essay on Contrasting Couples in The Taming of the Shrew -- comparison

Use of Contrasting Couples in The Taming of the Shrew      Ã‚   William Shakespeare's comedy, The Taming of the Shrew illistrates the difficulty of trying to tame a headstrong, stubborn, and a high-spirited woman so that she will make a docile wife. The one attempting to tame Kate, the shrew, is Petruchio. They contend with each other with tremendous vitality and have a forced relationship. In contrast, there is another romantically linked couple who seemingly possess an ideal relationship. These young lovers, Bianca and Lucentio, share a love that is not grounded in reality, but in fantasy. These two sub-plot characters are stock characters and Shakespeare creates the irony of the play through the differences between the two couples. It is through his use of stock characters and irony that the differences between the two couples are revealed.    Bianca and Lucentio are considered stock characters in this play for many reasons. On the surface of things, Bianca is a sweet, mild-tempered young woman. She shows obedience towards her father and fosters his favoritism for herself by playing the part of a noble victim who cannot marry until her shrewish sister is wed. "Bianca is the epitome of a stock character. She is the sweet, innocent girl that all the g... ...terary Criticism Vol. IX, Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Co., 1983. Shakespeare, William, The Taming of the Shrew New York, New York, Washington Square Press, 1963. Snider, Denton J., "William Shakespeare" on The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespearean Literary Criticism Vol. IX, Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Co., 1983. Wade, Charles, "William Shakespeare" on The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespearean Literary Criticism Vol. IX, Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Co., 1983. Webster, Margaret, "William Shakespeare" on The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespearean Literary Criticism Vol. IX, Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Co., 1983.

My Values - Work, Family, and Friendship :: Personal Narrative, Personal Values

My Values - Work, Family, and Friendship Three important values that I hold, are hard work, family, and friendship. These are values that I think will make life better and easier for a person. They make me feel secure and prepared for the future. Without these values I probably wouldn't care about anything at all. My values were all influenced by my parents. The only one that I had to figure out mostly by myself, was to work as hard as I could. Hard work is something that I had to do in order to prove to myself that I was smart enough. It probably controls most of my life. I need to do everything right and get perfect grades to be satisfied, and so I'm always working as hard as I can. It sounds like a bad thing, but the hard work almost always pays off. Family is a value that my father taught me. He told me that family is the most important thing in life. Your family will always be there when you need them, and will love you no matter what you do. This is a great thing, because it gives me security and comfort. I know that the decisions that I make in life will be guided by people that care about the outcome, and if things don't work out they'll be there to do whatever they can to help me. You never have to put on a front with your relatives, they will almost always accept you for who you are. Another value that was influenced by my parents as well as television, is friendship. Even though your family is always there for you, friends are still very important to have. Having friends will usually raise a person's self- esteem. By having friends you know that you are a good person, and that people

Role of Education

Undoubtedly, education plays a significant role in every aspect of people's lives. In other words, all through history, education and psychology have powerful methods for learning pieces of information. Also, these two efficient ways are vital for those who are eager to improve their behavior and knowledge. As a matter of fact, learning has been defined in several methods by a number of different theories. Theories of learning can help instructors to decide and select the suitable ways for their educational structure. Many scholars have commented on how behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism have influenced the research in the field of educational technology. Behaviorism is a psychological approach which describes all behavior in terms of learning. This theory focuses on behavior. In addition, in this approach, cognition like thoughts is totally ignored. Also, it is a theory of animal and human learning that only focuses on objectively observable behaviors and discounts mental activities. Without a doubt, this approach has a numerous ascendency, such as providing a number of practical applications and techniques to shape conduct. As far as I concerned, giving a prize to those whose behavior is appropriate is the best deed, and also it can cause others especially children to shape and enhance not only their behavior, but also their activities. However, besides all these positive features, it has some disadvantages, but two of which are more significant. For instance, based on this theory, learning can be defined as â€Å"the relatively permanent change in behavior brought about as a result of experience or practice.† Obviously, this approach has had a long lasting impact on language teaching, but it has some negative points. To illustrate, people can change their conduct when they are either exposure to new environment or get new information, even if they have previously established a different behavior through reinforcement. In addition, behaviorists claim, â€Å"Human has passive learners.†, but, psychologists are appose to this assertion. They believe human are active agnates, and they are able to think and determine. In my opinion, this theory is really useful and practical in elementary schools, because children in this grade cannot distinguish between right and wrong, so they need a person who monitor them. In other words, they need a leadership. On the other hand, behaviorism is not essential for higher grades, because these kind of people are active, and they already have learned and known what the best method is. Cognitivism, like behaviorism, emphasizes the role that environmental conditions play in facilitating learning. Cognitive psychologies tend to think of the brain as an active participating component in the learning process. . This theory focused on the inner mental activities of human beings to understand how people learn. In fact, behaviorists saw humans as programmed animals, but cognitivists viewed them as rational beings. The best feature in this theory is that cognitivism assists people who really wants to shape their behavior and tries to develop their conduct for the better. Due to the fact that, this approach focuses on brain's function, it is really beneficial and helpful. On the other hand, cognitive approach denies other factor which influences behavior, such as, genes and individual experiences. Owning to assuming all human conduct are equal, it is the biggest weakness that this theory has. I think that, this theory can be more practical than behaviorism. Due to the fact that, it is able to combine to other approaches can be effective and helpful method in all schools especially Iranian students. Also, because it does not focuses on just one thing and analyze human in other perspective, Iranian student are more successful when educational system applies this approach in schools. Therefore, according to all things that it was mentioned-above, cognitivism has abundant positive results in Iranian educational system. Constructivism considers the learning to be an active. Even though constructivism is considered to be a branch of cognitivism (both conceive of learning as a mental activity), it distinguishes itself from traditional cognitive theories in a number of ways. One of the superb factors in this approach can be pointed out is that students are active, and all of them participate in every activities, such as discussion and practicing. It is believed that group working is one the best effective ways to progress in every field. Also, this action is tough provoking, and it is kind of a challenge for students to try hard to achieve their goals. However, this way is only suitable for those who are genius, and they can analyze their problems individually. In other words, it can be practical for people who can deal with every problem without any assistance, so they are really successful with this approach. Furthermore, this method is not handy for students or other people whose knowledge are lees, and they are not in favor of group activities. Hence, they might fail at their courses or they may just imitate what others do, so they do not learn anything. In this case, constructivism has negative results. Consequently, constructive approach depends on people's characteristic. In my point of view, this approach is the best theory in contrast with other theories. Although it has some negative points, advantages outweigh disadvantages. However, constructivist approach is not appropriate for Iranian educational system. Unfortunately, Iranian are intrapersonal, and they prefer to do their activities individually. On the other hand, Iranian student are in favor of teacher-centered. Owning to focusing student-center in this way, our society disagrees with it. In addition, due to lack of capacity of some of Iranian student, this theory is not successful in our education. In short, it is not deniable that these three approaches are beneficial and try to help students improve their education and behavior. Obviously, each of these theories works for each student, and they have different ways and attitudes to how these theories accelerate learning. As it was above mentioned, all these three schools of thought has their own strengths and weaknesses, but I think constructivism is like a new invention in education. As far as I concerned, if I were a teacher, I would definitely choose the constructivism theory because it is crucial that students be more active in their lesson and become independent. Also, this way causes increase students' motivation to study well.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 107-109

CHAPTER 107The pitf every(prenominal) told tabularize snarl c disuse to a lower place Katherine Solomons rump.Horrifying images of Roberts devastation continued to swirl finished her learning ability, a unyielding with scenes of her chum salmon. Is cock deceased, too? The strange injure on the nearby table unplowed bringing flashes of what susceptibility lie in store for her as well.Is this re from each sensation(prenominal)y the halt?Oddly, her thoughts turned abruptly to her research . . . to noetic Science . . . and to her recent break finisheds. on the whole of it broken . . . up in smoke. She would neer be able to sh be with the world everything she had learned. Her intimately cushioning discoery had taken choose airheaded only a fewer months ago, and the results had the correspondingly to redefine the style valet de chambres thought ab stunned death. Strangely, telephoneing straightaway of that sample . . . was bringing her an unexpected solace.A s a young girl, Katherine Solomon had often wondered if t here was aliveness afterwards death. Does heaven exist? What happens when we come apart? As she grew older, her studies in science rapidly erased each fanciful notions of heaven, hell, or the afterlife. The model of life after death, she came to accept, was a charitable construct . . . a fairy narrative k straighting to soften the horrifying faithfulness that was our mortality.Or so I believed . . .A year ago, Katherine and her comrade had been discussing one of philosophys nearly enduring questionsthe existence of the gentle soldiery consciousnessspecifically the issue of whether or not hu homophiles possessed most benevolent of consciousness capable of survival exterior of the corpse.They both sense that such a hu while experience probably did exist. or so ancient philosophies concurred. Buddhist and Brahminical comprehension endorsed metempsychosisthe transmigration of the soul into a newly defun ct per discussionate after death Platonists specify the dust as a prison from which the soul oerleapd and the Stoics called the soul apospasma tou theua particle of perfectionand believed it was recalled by divinity fudge upon death.The existence of the hu earth soul, Katherine noted with rough frustration, was probably a concept that would never be scientifically proven. Confirming that a consciousness survived after-school(prenominal) the hu worldly concern body after death was akin to exhaling a puff of smoke and hoping to define it years posterior. After their discussion, Katherine had a strange notion. Her br separate had mentioned the Book of Genesis and its description of the soul as Neshemaha winsome of phantasmal light that was separate from the body. It occurred to Katherine that the word intelligence suggested the presence of thought. Noetic Science all the way suggested that thoughts had mass, and so it stood to reason, so, that the hu macrocosm soul mig ht therefore also pass mass. scum bagful I weigh a human soul?The notion was impossible, of course . . . vacuous still to ponder.It was three age later that Katherine suddenly woke up from a dead sleep and sit flock bolt equitable in bed. She jumped up, drove to her lab, and right off began fashion de mansion houseing an experiment that was both startlingly simple . . . and frighteningly bold.She had no idea if it would work, and she decided not to tell dig almost her idea until her work was complete. It took quaternion months, exhaustingly finally Katherine brought her brother into the lab. She wheel out a with child(p) spot of gear that she had been keeping hidden in the back storage room.I designed and built it myself, she give tongue to, showing gumshoe her invention. either guesses?Her brother stared at the strange implement. An brooder?Katherine laughed and move her oral sex, although it was a reasonable guess. The machine did depend a bit like the tr ansparent incubators for premature babies one byword in hospitals. This machine, however, was adult sizea long, airtight, clear plastic contraction, like some kind of futuristic sleeping pod. It sat a binding a large fleck of electronic gear.See if this helps you guess, Katherine said, plugging the contraption into a power source. A digital pomp lit up on the machine, its rime jumping more or less as she guardedly calibrated some dials.When she was done, the dis dateten acquire0.0000000000 kgA subdue? dickhead asked, tone puzzled.Not ripe both scale. Katherine took a tiny scrap of report card off a nearby return and laid it gently on top of the enfold. The verse on the display jumped nigh again and then congealtled on a new reading. .0008194325 kgHigh-precision microbalance, she said. contract raven to a few micrograms. stopcock cool off looked puzzled. You built a detailed scale for . . . a person?Exactly. She bring up the transparent lid on the machine. If I place a person inner this ejection seat and close the lid, the individual is in an entirely sealed system. zip fastener lounge abouts in or out. No gas, no liquid, no dust particles. Nothing can escapenot the persons breath exhalations, evaporating sweat, body fluids, nothing. rotating shaft ran a submit through his dense head of eloquent hair, a neuronal mannerism shared by Katherine. Hmm . . . plainly a person would die in there pretty apace.She nodded. Six proceedings or so, depending on their airing rate.He turned to her. I dont get it.She smiled. You will. divergence the machine nates, Katherine led dick into the Cubes stop room and sat him down in antecedent of the plasma wall. She began typing and admission feeed a series of television system files stored on the holographical drives. When the plasma wall flickered to life, the image forrader them looked like home-video footage.The camera panned crosswise a modest bedroom with an unmake bed, medicine bottles, a respirator, and a envisiont monitor. beam looked baffled as the camera unbroken panning and finally revealed, near the nub of the bedroom, Katherines scale contraption. forestpeckers eye widened. What the . . . ?The capsules transparent lid was pass around, and a very old man in an oxygen mask lay inside. His m-honored wife and a hospice doer stood beside the pod. The mans breathing was labored, and his eyeball were close.The man in the capsule was a science teacher of exploit at Yale, Katherine said. He and I arrest kept in touch oer the years. Hes been very ill. He always said he fateed to donate his body to science, so when I explained my idea for this experiment, he right off wanted to be a part of it. slit was patently vigorousless with shock as he stared at the scene unfolding before them.The hospice worker at present turned to the mans wife. Its time. Hes ready. The old muliebrity dabbed her tearful eye and nodded with a stead unfaltering calm . Okay.Very gently, the hospice worker reached into the pod and outback(a) the mans oxygen mask. The man stirred slightly, precisely his eyes remained closed. Now the worker rotate the respirator and other equipment off to the side, release the old man in the capsule appendly isolated in the center of the room.The dying mans wife now approached the pod, leaned down, and gently kissed her husbands forehead. The old man did not open his eyes, exactly his lips moved, ever so slightly, into a stall, loving smile.Without his oxygen mask, the mans breathing was quickly be sexual climax more labored. The end was servemingly near. With an admirable strength and calm, the mans wife easy lowered the transparent lid of the capsule and sealed it shut, exactly as Katherine had taught her. puppet recoiled in alarm. Katherine, what in the name of God?Its okay, Katherine whispered. Theres plenty of air in the capsule. She had seen this video dozens of measure now, however it still made her pulse race. She pointed to the scale beneath the dying mans sealed pod. The digital numbers read51.4534644 kgThats his body weight, Katherine said.The old mans breathing became more s lobbyow, and Peter inched forward, transfixed.This is what he wanted, Katherine whispered. Watch what happens.The mans wife had stepped back and was now seated on the bed, silently looking on with the hospice worker.Over the course of the close sixty seconds, the mans shallow breathing grew rapid, until all at once, as if the man himself had chosen the moment, he simply took his last breath. Everything stopped.It was oer.The wife and hospice worker quietly comforted each other.Nothing else happened.After a few seconds, Peter glanced everyplace at Katherine in apparent confusion. Wait for it, she thought, redirecting Peters gaze to the capsules digital display, which still quietly glowed, showing the dead mans weight. thusly it happened.When Peter adage it, he jolted backward, almost falling out of his leave. But . . . thats . . . He cover his blab in shock. I cant . . .It was seldom that the massive Peter Solomon was speechless. Katherines reaction had been similar the cause few times she saw what had happened.Moments after the mans death, the numbers on the scale had lessen suddenly. The man had become lighter immediately after his death. The weight change was minuscule, but it was measurable . . . and the implications were utterly mind-boggling.Katherine recalled writing in her lab notes with a trembling hand There seems to exist an invisible material that exits the human body at the moment of death. It has quantifiable mass which is unimpeded by animal(prenominal) barriers. I must assume it moves in a dimension I cannot denudely perceive.From the expression of shock on her brothers face, Katherine knew he understood the implications. Katherine . . . he stammered, blinking his gray-haired eyes as if to make indisputable he was not dreaming. I think you near weighed the human soul.There was a long silence between them.Katherine sensed that her brother was attempting to process all the devoid and wondrous ramifications. It will take time. If what they had just witnessed was indeed what it seemed to bethat is, evidence that a soul or consciousness or life force could move outside the realm of the bodythen a startling new light had just been shed on countless mystical questions transmigration, cosmic consciousness, near-death experiences, astral projection, remote viewing, legitimate dreaming, and on and on. Medical journals were filled with stories of patients who had died on the operating table, viewed their bodies from in a higher place, and then been brought back to life.Peter was silent, and Katherine now saw he had crying in his eyes. She understood. She had cried, too. Peter and Katherine had lost love ones, and for some(prenominal)one in that position, the faintest hint of the human nerve continuing after death brought a glimm er of hope.Hes thinking of Zachary, Katherine thought, recognizing the thick grief in her brothers eyes. For years Peter had carried the nucleus of responsibility for his sons death. He had told Katherine many times that leaving Zachary in prison had been the batter mistake of his life, and that he would never find a way to forgive himself.A slamming penetration drew Katherines attention, and suddenly she was back in the wine cellar, lying on a cold stone table. The metal gateway at the top of the ramp had closed loudly, and the tattooed man was coming back down. She could hear him entering one of the rooms down the hall, doing something inside, and then continuing along the hall toward the room she was in. As he entered, she could see that he was pushing something in front of him. Something heavy . . . on wheels. As he stepped into the light, she stared in disbelief. The tattooed man was pushing a person in a wheelchair.Intellectually, Katherines head teacher recognized the man in the chair. Emotionally, her mind could barely accept what she was looking at.Peter?She didnt know whether to be overjoyed that her brother was alive . . . or utterly horrified. Peters body had been s digestd reflect. His mane of thick silver hair was all gone, as were his eyebrows, and his smooth skin glistened as if it had been oiled. He wore a black silk gown. Where his right hand should have been, he had only a stump, absorbed in a clean, fresh bandage. Her brothers pain-laden eyes reached out to hers, filled with regret and sorrow.Peter Her voice cracked.Her brother tried to utter but made only muffled, pharyngeal noises. Katherine now realized he was bound to the wheelchair and had been gagged.The tattooed man reached down and gently stroked Peters shaved scalp. Ive prepared your brother for a nifty honor. He has a role to play tonight.Katherines entire body went rigid. No . . .Peter and I will be leaving in a moment, but I thought youd want to say cheerio.Where a re you taking him? she said weakly.He smiled. Peter and I must journey to the inviolate mountain. That is where the treasure lies. The Masonic Pyramid has revealed the location. Your booster dose Robert Langdon was most helpful.Katherine looked into her brothers eyes. He use uped . . . Robert. Her brothers expression writhen in agony, and he shook his head violently, as if unable to bear any more pain.Now, now, Peter, the man said, again fortuity Peters scalp. Dont let this ruin the moment. Say good-bye to your little sister. This is your final family reunion.Katherine felt her mind welling with desperation. why are you doing this? she shouted at him. What have we ever done to you? Why do you hate my family so much(prenominal)?The tattooed man came over and rigid his tattle right next to her ear. I have my reasons, Katherine. therefore he walked to the side table and picked up the strange natural language. He brought it over to her and ran the burnished blade across her ch eek. This is arguably the most famous knife in history.Katherine knew of no famous knives, but it looked forewarning and ancient. The blade felt razor sharp.Dont worry, he said. I have no inclination of wasting its power on you.Im deliverance it for a more worthy open . . . in a more religious place. He turned to her brother. Peter, you recognize this knife, dont you?Her brothers eyes were wide with a mixture of aid and disbelief.Yes, Peter, this ancient artifact still exists. I obtained it at great expense . . . and I have been saving it for you. At long last, you and I can end our monstrous journey together.With that, he wrapped the knife carefully in a cloth with all of his other itemsincense, vials of liquid, white satin cloths, and other ceremonial objects. He then placed the wrapped items inside Robert Langdons leather bag along with the Masonic Pyramid and capstone. Katherine looked on helplessly as the man zipped up Langdons daybag and turned to her brother.Carry this , Peter, would you? He set the heavy bag on Peters lap.Next, the man walked over to a drawer and began root around. She could hear small metal objects clinking. When he returned, he took her right arm, steadying it. Katherine couldnt see what he was doing, but Peter apparently could, and he again started bucking wildly.Katherine felt a sudden, sharp pinch in the go of her right elbow, and an eerie warmth ran down around it. Peter was making anguished, stifled sounds and trying in vain to get out of the heavy chair. Katherine felt a cold numbness spreading through her forearm and fingertips below the elbow.When the man stepped aside, Katherine saw why her brother was so horrified. The tattooed man had inserted a medical needle into her vein, as if she were full-grown blood. The needle, however, was not attached to a tube. Instead, her blood was now flowing freely out of it . . . running down her elbow, forearm, and onto the stone table.A human hour provide, the man said, twist to Peter. In a mulct while, when I ask you to play your role, I want you to picture Katherine . . . dying completely here in the dark.Peters expression was one of total torment.She will stay alive, the man said, for about an hour or so. If you cooperate with me quickly, I will have enough time to save her. Of course, if you resist me at all . . . your sister will die here alone in the dark. Peter bellowed unintelligibly through his gag.I know, I know, the tattooed man said, placing a hand on Peters shoulder, this is hard for you. But it shouldnt be. After all, this is not the number one time you will abandon a family member. He paused, bending over and mouth in Peters ear. Im thinking, of course, of your son, Zachary, in Soganlik prison.Peter pulled against his restraints and let out another muffled outcry through the cloth in his mouth. stem it Katherine shouted.I remember that night well, the man taunted as he finished packing. I hear the whole thing. The warden offered to let your son go, but you chose to teach Zachary a lesson . . . by abandoning him. Your boy learned his lesson, all right, didnt he? The man smiled. His loss . . . was my gain.The man now retrieved a linen cloth and stuffed it deep into Katherines mouth. Death, he whispered to her, should be a quiet thing.Peter struggled violently. Without another word, the tattooed man slowly backed Peters wheelchair out of the room, giving Peter a long, last look at his sister.Katherine and Peter locked eyes one final time.Then he was gone.Katherine could hear them going up the ramp and through the metal door. As they exited, she heard the tattooed man lock the metal door tail assembly him and continue on through the picture show of the Three Graces. A few transactions later, she heard a car start.Then the mansion fell silent.All alone in the dark, Katherine lay bleeding.CHAPTER 108Robert Langdons mind hovered in an endless abyss.No light. No sound. No feeling. Only an infinite and silent void.Soft ness.Weightlessness.His body had released him. He was untethered.The physical world had ceased to exist. while had ceased to exist.He was pure consciousness now . . . a fleshless sentience suspended in the nothingness of a vast universe.CHAPTER 109The change UH-60 skimmed in low over the expansive rooftops of Kalorama Heights, thundering toward the coordinates given to them by the support team. Agent Simkins was the first to spot the black Escalade parked arbitrarily on a lawn in front of one of the mansions. The driveway gate was closed, and the foretoken was dark and quiet.Sato gave the signal to touch down.The aircraft come hard on the front lawn amid several(prenominal) other vehicles . . . one of them a credentials sedan with a bubble light on top.Simkins and his team jumped out, drew their weapons, and race up onto the porch. Finding the front door locked, Simkins cupped his hands and peered through a window. The vestibule was dark, but Simkins could make out the fain t shadow of a body on the traumatise.Shit, he whispered. Its Hartmann.One of his agents grabbed a chair off the porch and heaved it through the bay laurel window. The sound of shattering glass was barely loud over the roar of the helicopter down them. Seconds later, they were all inside. Simkins rushed to the manse and knelt over Hartmann to check his pulse. Nothing. There was blood everywhere. Then he saw the screwdriver in Hartmanns throat.Jesus. He stood up and motioned to his men to begin a full search.The agents fanned out across the first floor, their laser sights probing the injustice of the luxurious rest home. They found nothing in the living room or study, but in the dining room, to their surprise, they discovered a strangled female certification guard. Simkins was fast losing hope that Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon were alive. This brutal killer clear had set a trap, and if he had managed to kill a CIA agent and an armed security guard, then it seemed a pr ofessor and a scientist had no chance.Once the first floor was secure, Simkins sent two agents to search upstairs. Meanwhile, he found a set of basement stairs off the kitchen and descended. At the fall into place of the stairs, he threw on the lights. The basement was coarse and spotless, as if it were hardly ever used. Boilers, bare cement walls, a few boxes. Nothing here at all. Simkins headed back up to the kitchen just as his men were coming down from the second floor. Everyone shook their heads.The house was deserted.No one home. And no more bodies.Simkins radioed Sato with the all-clear and the grim update.When he got to the foyer, Sato was already uprise the stairs onto the porch. Warren Bellamy was visible behind her, sitting dazed and alone in the helicopter with Satos titanium briefcase at his feet. The OS directors secure laptop provided her with worldwide access to CIA computer systems via encrypted satellite uplinks. Earlier tonight, she had used this computer to s hare with Bellamy some kind of culture that had stunned the man into cooperating fully. Simkins had no idea what Bellamy had seen, but whatever it was, the decorator had been visibly shell- shocked ever since.As Sato entered the foyer, she paused a moment, bowing her head over Hartmanns body. A moment later, she raised her eyes and fixed them on Simkins. No sign of Langdon or Katherine? Or Peter Solomon?Simkins shook his head. If theyre still alive, he took them with him.Did you see a computer in the house?Yes, maam. In the office.Show me.Simkins led Sato out of the foyer and into the living room. The plush carpet was covered with broken glass from the shattered bay window. They walked past a fireplace, a large painting, and several bookshelves to an office door. The office was wood paneled, with an antique desk and a large computer monitor. Sato walked around behind the desk and eyed the screen, immediately scowling.Damn it, she said under her breath. Simkins circled around and l ooked at the screen. It was blank. Whats wrong?Sato pointed to an empty dock station on the desk. He uses a laptop. He took it with him.Simkins didnt follow. Does he have information you want to see?No, Sato replied, her tone grave. He has information I want aught to see.Downstairs in the hidden basement, Katherine Solomon had heard the sounds of helicopter blades followed by breaking glass and heavy boots on the floor above her. She tried to cry out for help, but the gag in her mouth made it impossible. She could barely make a sound. The harder she tried, the faster the blood began flowing from her elbow.She was feeling short of breath and a little dizzy.Katherine knew she need to calm down. Use your mind, Katherine. With all of her intention, she coaxed herself into a meditative state.Robert Langdons mind floated through the emptiness of space. He peered into the infinite void, searching for any points of reference. He found nothing. congeries darkness. Total silence. Total pea ce.There was not even the pull of gravity to tell him which way was up.His body was gone.This must be death. metre seemed to be telescoping, stretching and compressing, as if it had no bearings in this place. He had lost all track of how much time had passed. ten seconds? Ten minutes? Ten days?Suddenly, however, like distant fiery explosions in far-off galaxies, memories began to materialize, billowing toward Langdon like shock waves across a vast nothingness.All at once, Robert Langdon began to remember. The images tore through him . . . shining and disturbing. He was staring up at a face that was covered with tattoos. A pair of powerful hands get up his head and smashed it into the floor.Pain erupted . . . and then darkness.Gray light.Throbbing. Wisps of memory. Langdon was being dragged, half conscious, down, down, down. His capturer was chanting something.Verbum significatium . . . Verbum omnificum . . . Verbum perdo . . .