Community Health Nusing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Community Health Nusing - Essay Example I learnt to design and implement health education campaigns and diseases prevention activities such as immunization, sex education, abstinence and screenings. To do this, I had to monitor health trends by looking at students’ past health records in order to identify heath risk factors that were unique to Cesar Chavez High School. I believe a person’s health is affected by factors like environmental changes, lifestyle and genetic composition. Effective prevention measures would include health care education, proper nutrition, efficient safety practices, and early detection of common diseases (Appleby et al, 2005). I learnt how to identify and respond to potential health issues. I also learnt about the importance of patient-doctor confidentiality; hence I was able to encourage the students to come for medication irrespective of their medical conditions. Admittedly, the students have changed substantially since I got to Cesar Chavez High School. Most of them have dropped their bad habits. Usually, high school students are curious and tend to pursue satisfaction of their curiosity by experimenting on new things. Some of them were into drugs while others were just naughty and would fake sickness in order to avoid exams. Teen pregnancies were also rampant. Most of them did not take their health seriously because those who were sick would take up to a week before seeking medical attention. This delay was making treatment difficult for me as a nurse. In addition, cleaning the environment was perceived as a punishment to students. I set out to address these issues on the grounds that prevention was better than cure by educating both the staff and the students on the importance of getting rid of health prejudice. In addition, I stressed the importance of disease prevention. For instance, maintaining high hygienic conditions would lower the chances of contacting diseases such as dysentery.

Using Critical Thinking When Believing in Extrasensory Perception Essay

Using Critical Thinking When Believing in Extrasensory Perception (Psychology course) - Essay Example Mike used the success of a fortuitous prediction as a basis to ignore previous failures. Thus, this scenario demonstrates some of the features associated with the fallacy of positive instances. Mike has recalled and relied on a solitary event (the â€Å"hit†), in this case a phone call from his old sweetheart, to justify his assertion that he has extrasensory perception. There is no evidence that Mike can accomplish this feat regularly; indeed, there is no evidence that he has ever done this before. The analysis, therefore, must rest on this single occurrence. The second major characteristic of the fallacy of positive instances is also evident; in this case, for instance, Mike seems to ignore or assign as irrelevant the fact that he was incorrect in predicting the identity of many callers in the past (â€Å"misses†). In this way, Mike is relying on an extraordinarily selective event to assert a larger truth. In this case, his assertion is not justified because he relies on a single hit to the exclusion of many more misses. The romantic attractions of extrasensory perception are present in this scenario. That a psychic can appear in an educational setting, adorned with the trappings of intellectual discipline, and then successfully predict that two students will share the same birthday is impressive. A consequent sense of awe is natural. It is natural because of the statistical improbability of the psychic being correct. This scenario, because of this statistical characteristic, demonstrates the fallacy of innumeracy. The fallacy of innumeracy assumes that individuals may opt to believe that a chance occurrence cannot be explained through any rational means; more particularly, lacking an understanding of statistics or probabilities, people may choose to believe that an event is impossible absent some extrasensory power or insight. This type of fallacy can be applied to this scenario. In this case, there are twenty-four

Essential Skills for Management and Business

Essential Skills for Management and Business Introduction Managerial skills are important attributes for employees, managers and executives to possess. Without several basic fundamental skills, a business will never achieve its objective. Skilful staff represents the capital of any successful business and are, and will always be an important reason for its success. This report discusses some of the essential managerial and business skills acquired by companies. Firstly, leaderships importance and significant role is well highlighted in this report, for the belief that, in addition to any other business skills that you possess, possessing leadership attributes is crucial, because it will benefit your associates, managers, staff and even customers. People in General are influenced by leaders and sometimes, unconditionally follow their thoughts. Leaders are the primary target for marketers for they know, for the reasons mentioned above those leaders are more likely capable of increasing their market segmentation more than any other average person. Besides leadership, critical and creative thinking is an important attribute that every successful manager has to have. Critical thinkers main role starts when there are no solutions in the horizon for certain problems. Their creativity and the experience they gained assist in this process. Moreover, another vital skill a manager wont survive without technology. Technology is the moderns world tool of communication and not having enough knowledge about it will not end up with good results for the company. Based on my studying in Kent University and doing two degrees in Electronics and Communication Engineering and Financial accounting, there are important skills that I learned attending these courses which I also think will be of much significance for my career. New product development guarantees more success for the company because it relies on market analyses and innovative ideas to produce something new. In addition, financial management is a fundamental skill for any type of profession a person might chose. Any type of business has to be organized and sources of money received and spent have to be kept, otherwise the company will just be performing randomly. Leadership as a concept Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership is influencing peoples behaviors so that they become willingly prepared to work more towards achieving mutual objectives .consequently, an inspirational organizational culture will be created (Kotelnikov, 2001).The ability to inspire people to attain greater heights and dimensions of performance and consistent success is a skill acquired by Leaders in the new century. Passion and effective communicating are important attributes to make the leader inspirational, which will reflect on the organizations culture, making the employees more committed as we as turning the workplace into a thrilling environment (Heathfield, nd) Type of Leaders Leaders are the engine of a work, the motivation for employment, and the face of a company, thats why it is important t o choose the right leader into the right position. 3.1 Executive leaders (CEOs) shoulder the responsibility of clarifying the vision, mission and direction of the firm (Couler, 2010). CEOs participate in formal event; they also make speeches, but in fact have little impact on the daily business operation (Radcliffe, 2010). 3.2 Line leaders are the connections between low and top levels; especially in organizations with high hierarchy They have the power of presenting the executive leaders message to his/her staff. They are very influential in organizations, not only they can stop or alter any project, but also they can take a leadership position and promote change (Fletcher, 2010). 3.3 Network-leaders They are the invisible strength behind how the real firm operations. Whether they were Union Representatives or technical experts, These Leaders create a network of relationships that allow them to know much about the organization, and thus gain real knowledge about the organizations operations (Radcliffe, 2010). Creative and Inspirational Leadership In a survey that involved more than thousand and a half employees which asked those employees what attribute would they like to see most in their managers . More than half of the survey takers answered inspiration (DTI, nd). An inspired workforce is fundamental for any ambitious business that hopes to be ahead of its competitors. Inspiring people motivates them, makes them more objective oriented and enhance their creativity (Northouse, 2010). Our environment is shifting quickly and unpredictably. Creative employees are those who are capable of foreseeing future opportunities and are also able to change the workplace in which they work to a positive atmosphere (Northouse, 2010). Creative leaders are mostly needed in vital moments, where the organization cant find convenient solutions. They seek and find opportunities, bring in positive change and make huge efforts towards creating new products/services through new processes and innovative techniques (Kotelnikov, 2001). In addition creative thinkers have the capability to transform ambiguous problems to business opportunities. Besides their ability to analyse the environment, they also take part in building relationships, alliances and encouraging creativity (Fletcher, 2010). According to Jack Welch, the previous legendary CEO of General electric, a good leader is one who is capable of making people feel that they are real a contribution to the organization. Welch adds that working toward a shared and worthwhile goal can produce huge positive energy. In his Beginnings, Jack Welchs goal was to make General Electric the worlds most competitive multinational enterprise. He, therefore realised that only can revolutionary thoughts turn his dream to actual reality (Kotelnikov, 2001). The American corporate business model in the United States had not changed since 1980.Employees did their job, managers managed , and everybody knew his/her place. Those days were ruled by rules and forms and bureaucracy (Fletcher, 2010).. Welchs revolution meant changing the old ways of doing Business in the company and restructuring the company entirely. As a result of his inspirational influence and charismatic attributes, Today, General Electric stands as one of the worlds most admired and unique companies (Kotelnikov, 2001). Welchs successful techniques are applicable to small, growing and large companies. Those techniques mainly focus once again on articulating the companys vision, since creative managers inspire their employees with obvious visualizations of how things can be achieved better. Welch also recommends that the manager has to be simple. Simplifying things is a key factor of business (Kotelnikov, 2001). Simple messages travel faster, simpler designs reach the market faster and the elimination of clutter allows faster decision making., according to John Welch Clarifying and sampling things makes it easier for employees to know their position better, as a result they become more energized and focused on achieving objectives. Furthermore, Welch advices managers to always face reality, and act according to the actual situation. Ignoring reality means shifting away from long term objectives. Also, a company should seek any opportunity of change. Change is a big part of the reality in business, and readiness to change is a strength, even if it involves temporary confusion within the company, however in certain circumstances, it is a necessity. In addition Creative, Inspirational leaders are known as Risk Takers, they have a clear affinity to break the rule and take considerable risks, towards producing this change (DTI, nd). Critical Thinking Critical thinking is the procedure by which an individual comes arises with a new innovative idea (Powell, 2010). The process involves actively and proficiently gathering, analysing and evaluating information, based on an individuals observations, knowledge and past experiences. To be able to think creatively you have to be clear, precise, consistent and fair (The Critical Thinking Community, 2009) Critical thinking could involve integration of ideas which have not been combined before. Brainstorming is one significant form of creative thinking: it works by the unification of two or more peoples ideas in order to create a new innovative one (Powell, 2010). Besides the cooperative efforts taken to produce a new idea, however this process could sometimes be accidental (Brainstorming, 2006). This occurs when a certain circumstance arises and leads someone to start thinking about situations in a different manner, and sometimes leads to a valuable change(Powell, 2010). Nevertheless, new ideas are usually produced through pure use of mutual intelligence and logical sense to come up with something new, this is what could be referred to as a deliberate critical thinking situation. When a group of people share their knowledge and experiences, particularly if those people come from different cultures, new ideas start to appear in the horizon, because people from different cultural backgr ounds have experienced different situations and obstacles, hence, grouping the efforts in this manner will most likely produce this change (Brainstorming, 2006).Nevertheless, with continuous practice, (ongoing investigation, questioning and analysis) will develops an individuals general knowledge and understanding, resulting in a better perspective and forth seeing in sticky situations (Brainstorming, 2006). Critical thinking is the process in which of reasoned and disciplined thinking to a certain subject are implemented. In order to succeed in your studies future career you must be able to think critically about the things you have read, seen or heard. And in order to develop your critical thinking, there are certain levels (The Open University, 2009). Procession receiving information (i.e. in what you have read, heard, seen or done). Understanding Comprehend the key aspects, assumptions and evidence presented. Analyses Examining how those key aspects fit together and are related to each other. Comparison realizing the similarities and dissimilarities between the ideas you are developing. To Synthesise Bring together several sources of information to create an argument or an idea you are building. Also, it includes your ability to make logical associations between the various sources that help you outline and support your ideas. Evaluation Assessing the value of an idea in terms of how is it relevant its to your needs, the facts on which it is based and how it relates to other applicable ideas. Application Transforming the understanding you have gained from the evaluation level in order to use it in response to questions, assignments or projects. Justification Using critical thinking to develop your own arguments, draw conclusions and identify implications (The Open University, 2009). 6. Technology Skills Knowing only how to use basic technology skills such as internet browsing or e-mailing is not enough anymore. Possessing solid technological skills, on the other hand, will put you a step above your colleagues (Pavlina, 2006) In general, companies are extremely reliant on IT that they cant lay off the people who keep their data centre operations running, and neither they are willing let go of their developers, who will be familiar with the forthcoming technology. In general those are the most essential IT skills an employee, who is chasing a good career shall has: 1. Database Database expertise is an important skill that employers would love to see in their employees. Companies are looking for IT workers with experience, particularly in Microsoft SQL Server and the Oracle Developer Suite. According to a survey in 2008 which was conducted bye the Society for Information Management and was intended to know which skills do CIOs prefer for their job candidates. Expertise in databases was one of only four technological skills listed by CIOs, who besides, database also listed other attributes such as teamwork, problem solving and communication in hiring recent college graduates (Marcan, 2009). 2. Messaging/Communications Messaging and communications is one of few skills that experienced a pay raise in the fourth quarter of 2008. Firms are for the most part interested in hiring staff with experience in unified communications and messaging systems. Efficient communication saves time, expenses and energy. Also it promotes a cooperative environment where people can communicate easily (Turner, 2005). 3. Project management SIMs 2008 CIO survey listed project management as one of the top 10 skills needed for mid-level employees. Companies require project planning leaders. Someone who has the ability to plan, schedule, and gets the results done.Project management skills are going to be more important over the next few years, according to Henry Eckstein, senior vice president of strategic technology at York Insurance Services Group (Marcan, 2009). 4. Networking Every company plans to increase its profits. And that could be done more conveniently whenever the company has more customers, partners and friends. Furthermore, the individuals own circle of people contributes to the overall companys network. Therefore, an employee with networking capabilities is another attribute job employers seek while recruiting (Turner, 2005). 5. Security Its true that there are many benefits for technology, but also it has some other disadvantages that can sometimes cause real obstacles in the firms track towards development. Hacking, Spamming and data system crashes can sometimes be very costly. Hence, the security of your data is worth money (Turner, 2005). Financial Management Through the past few years, and exactly starting from the electronics department at Kent University, the idea of business was gradually crossing my mind, since business field is very important now days, and because I always wanted to study this subject and improve my knowledge about it, the idea came to specialize in this major and learn about the management techniques and strategies to be able to combine my engineering degree in electronics and communications with the business skills I earned through this year, which contains valuable information on how to manage my life style, how to deal with others and be successful in the practical life, and last but not least to connect everything to business. I really believe that business management is a priority subject to be taught, and in my case I can combine my business MSc degree with my previous degree, and look for more opportunities like the consulting field for example, rather than looking into one direction only. It has been concluded that management accounting is a crucial when it comes to a company making vital and well-timed management decisions about their business (Abraham, 2008). However, it is obvious that different types of businesses will acquire different management accounting requirements. Financial management is important when considering the following areas: The sales process: which includes distribution, debtors and pricing. The purchasing process: includes records of stock levels and creditors. Records regarding employees. A fixed asset registers (Collier, 2009). Financial management is a very important major as I mentioned before, but personally I prefer to be specialised in the accounting finance sector and risks, because I think the accounting field is a sensitive one, also managing risks as well, because it helps ordinary people to understand the market, especially stock exchange market, by using the income and financial statements anyone with a bit knowledge about accounting and finance will be able to figure out the real prices per shares, dividends, return risks and more readings, which will lead us to think more realistic about facts and how to deal with them. Financing risks also very important, it prevents from falling into business traps and circumstances related to it, as well as crisis which can happen anytime and cause big manufactures to collapse, so being aware from risks is a benefit itself; James porter once said avoiding risks is more valuable than the income earned by that risk. There is no legal obligation for companies to draw up management accounts; however, many companies find that it makes running the business much simpler if they do prepare the accounts. In fact, many companies produce account reports monthly, quarterly and yearly to keep track of the financial transaction (Abraham, 2008). Management accounts are useful for analysing the previous and present performances, in order to visualise future trends. This includes looking at profit forecasts, income and cash flow statements in addition to sales (Abraham, 2008). The actual numbers collected from the analysis shall be continuously compared against numbers that have been previously predicted while designing the budget. The information collected for the management accounting is usually broken down so that the performance of different departments of the company can all be measured individually to make sure that all these departments capabilities are exploited (Collier, 2009). A convenient plan to start with is to design a fitting budget, which represents a roadmap for managers to constantly know where their businesses are actually standing. In order to design the budget the financial team has to design income and expenses tables, which will assist financial managers to notice where does the money come from and where does it go, so they can afterwards focus on those products that are generating products for the company, at the same time, getting rid of extra expenses (BBB, 2009). For businesses who are engaged in selling a selection of products, they are advised to produce a financial breakdown for each of them. This will allow you to make sure that very gainful products are not subsidising those that are failing to sell as well. By organising the financial side of the company in this manner, managers will have the ability to supervise trends in the business, consequently indicating any variations in income and spending that may require alternation (Collier, 2009). ANT is a global packaging supplier that provides equipment to the food industry. The company developed a computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) machine for packaging. And even though it was two to three times more expensive than its competitors, but it operates twice as fast. Worthy to be note than 10% of ANTs annual sales are invested in research and development (Abraham, 2008).. The company has branches in US, Europe, Australia in addition to the Middle East. Normally, the manufacturing of the CNC project is outsourced to less expensive labour countries to reduce the capital investments (Abraham, 2008). 8. New Product Development Another skill I was able to develop during my studying in the University of Kent is the importance of new product development. Product development is the integrative process which includes the strategic organization, concept generation, product and marketing plan creation and estimation, and afterwards the commercialization of the new product (Ulrich, 2009).New product development is the energy that pumps the organizations innovation engine, and it is impossible for a firm to grow without developing new products (Ulrich, 2009). 8.1 LAUNCHING A NEW PRODUCT Once the product-line structure has been initiated and a new product is being developed, it is time for the company to consider how the product could be successfully launched to its target market (Reference for Business, 2010). This is the phase where an advertising or public relations agency can participate, especially for small businesses that lack the internal resources needed to handle such a job by them. However, when utilising an outside agency to launch a product, a company should firstly, have a well-defined product concept, also provide the agency with background information about its products and aims. Thirdly the firm has to have an official business plan. Lastly marketing and advertising plans should also be determined (Reference for Business, 2010). With annual sales that exceed  £4.5 billion, Kelloggs is the worlds leader of cereal products and convenience foods products, such as cookies, crackers and frozen waffles (The Times 100, 2010). Kelloggs is a multinational organisation. Its products are manufactured in 19 countries globally and sold in more than 180 countries. Kelloggs realize the importance of maintain positions in manufacturing products they are good at. However, the worldwide companys executives suggest that in such an uncertain world there is a continuous need for chance and production of new products. New product Development depends on the marketing mixture, so that the company analyses the products characteristics (The Times 100, 2010). 1, Product: This element is related to how the company offers meets the continuous shifting needs and wants of consumers. In this particular industry, the growth in healthier lifestyles creates opportunities for Kelloggs to increase the number of products for this segment. 2. Price: The sum a company charges for its product is imperative in influencing the sales number, and giving the firm an idea about it. Big Brands like Kelloggs can charge a premium because of the quality of its product and the fame of its brand. 3. Place: Where customers can find the product is also an essential factor in determining sales. Your products have to be available where customers are most likely willing to buy them. This depends on the market analyses (Ulrich, 2009). 4. Promotion: Kelloggs uses above the line promotion like TV advertising as well as below the line promotion like on-pack promotions and sampling. Managers can take a decision on when to make key changes to core products by analysing its position within the product life-cycle. Life-cycle analysis accepts that products have a limited life, and analysts makes charts for products performance through several phases, starting with its launch stage through various phases of growth until it finally reaches development maturity and ultimately decline. An average products life cycle may last for few months, for instance food products. Nevertheless for super products it could last for years like the car industry (The Times 100, 2010). 9. Conclusion: This report is a reflection of the managerial skills obtained from studying at the University of Kent in both the Engineering and the Business departments. Doing both degrees supplied me with a flow of very essential skills which i think about as a future investment. Firstly, this report discussed the role of leadership and critical thinking in taking the companys success to another dimension. Those two attributes are crucially important. Leadership implies seeing and being able to analyze circumstances before it arises so that you are always ready to face them. Critical thinking is the mechanism that you use to produce innovative solutions in complex situations. These two attributes require expertise and cannot be acquired easily. Furthermore, this report discussed the importance of Technology in our modern world. There is no doubt about the fact that technology has already and will have a more significant role within which people will communicate with each other. Technology facilitates the way we live and communicate. Technology, when used efficiently will be a huge assistance for the company. The benefit of technology doesnt only stop at facilitating communication within the organization, but also it has a significant role for new product development. To produce a new product you need to be innovative and you also need the required technology to be available so the process of new product development is formed. And even if sometimes the new product is more expensive, but if it has good quality it can still be sold. Finally, Financial Management and budgeting skills are required by both small firms and giant Multi National Enterprises. Cash flow is the actual capital of the organization. It is important to realize how this capital is built accurately, thats why you have to keep track of all the money you spend in addition to the money you received. Appropriate Financial Management keeps the company away or at least lessen the risks it may face in the future. Looking at previous years trends can sometimes, but not always be useful. Circumstances change regularly, thus a successful manager is one who analyzes the whole environment strategically before taking and business decision. Successfully and efficiently managing is an integrative process. It is true that nobody can be excellent in every skill, being good in some of them, however, and always working on developing the other skills you are not very familiar with will improve your attributes as an individual, an employee or a manager. As a result, possessing business skills and developing them will end you up with a better career and a better life.

How to Sell A Website :: Sell Websites Buy Websites

How to Sell A Website Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com It is a joyous time when you are ready to sell your website. While you will be fraught with questions and unknown variables when ultimately you decide to sell your website it can be like winning a jackpot and a big change to your life. You might have been building your web business for years, consistently working on it day after day and night after night. When it finally sells you get a (hopefully) big cash injection and move on to new projects feeling renewed and excited about your future prospects. But before this can happen you have to make the sale, which in and of itself is a tricky task. I sold a website back in 2004 and at the time it was a pretty big deal for me. I had built the site for a hobby in 1998. The funny thing was I didn’t really think about selling my site because it was making money so consistently. It had become so routine that it was just part of my life. One day it dawned on me - Why can’t I sell it? It produces revenue so has a value - let’s give it a go! I really wanted to move on to other projects and just the idea of not having to look after the site was a huge relief - I knew selling it was the right thing to do. But how on earth do you sell a website? How To Sell A Website I’m going to recount the processes I went through to sell my site. By no means should you consider what I did as hard and fast rules but they should give you some guidelines. Remember that there are many ways you can go about the process and you should explore all your options before deciding to sell. How Much Is Your Site Worth? Your site is worth as much as someone is willing to give you for it. Simple answer really. I know, that doesn’t help when you go out advertising a site for sale and everyone is asking how much you want for it and you don’t know what to say. You don’t want to undercut yourself especially after years of hard work, but then again, you are selling a website - virtual property - it just seems a little bit strange doesn’t it.

Foundation’s Edge PROLOGUE

The first Galactic Empire was falling. It had been decaying and breaking down for centuries and only one man fully realized that fact. He was Hari Seldom the last great scientist of the First Empire, and it was he who perfected psychohistory – the science of human behavior reduced to mathematical equations. The individual human being is unpredictable, but the reactions of human mobs, Seldon found, could be treated statistically. The larger the mob, the greater the accuracy that could be achieved. And the size of the human masses that Seldon worked with was no less than the population of all the inhabited millions of worlds of the Galaxy. Seldon's equations told him that, left to itself, the Empire would fall and that. thirty thousand years of human misery and agony would elapse before a Second Empire would arise from the ruins. And yet, if one could adjust some of the conditions that existed, that Interregnum could be decreased to a single millennium – just one thousand years. It was to insure this that Seldon set up two colonies of scientists that he called â€Å"Foundations.† With deliberate intention, he set them up â€Å"at opposite ends of the Galaxy.† The First Foundation, which centered on physical science, was set up in the fuel daylight of publicity. The existence of the other, the Second Foundation, a world of psychohistorical and â€Å"mentalic† scientists, was drowned in silence. In The Foundation Trilogy, the story of the first four centuries of the Interregnum is told. The First Foundation (commonly known as simply â€Å"The Foundation,† since the existence of another was unknown to almost all) began as a small community lost in the emptiness of the Outer Periphery of the Galaxy. Periodically it faced a crisis in which the variables of human intercourse – and of the social and economic currents of the time – constricted about it. Its freedom to move lay along only one certain line and when it moved in that direction a new horizon of development opened before it. All had been planned by Hari Seldon, long dead now. The First Foundation with its superior science, took over the barbarized planets that surrounded it. It faced the anarchic warlords who broke away frog, a dying, empire and beat them. It faced the remnant of the Empire itself under its last strong Emperor and its last strong general – and beat it. It seemed as though the â€Å"Seldon Plan† was going through smoothly and that nothing would prevent the Second Empire from being established or, time – and with a minimum of intermediate devastation. But psychohistory is a statistical science. Always there is a small chance that something will go wrong, and something did – something which Hari Seldon could not have foreseen. One man, called the Mule, appeared atom nowhere He had mental powers in a Galaxy that lacked them. He could mold men's emotions and shape their minds so that his bitterest opponents were made into his devoted servants. Aries could not, would not, fight him. The First Foundation fell and Seldon's P1an seemed to lie in ruins. There was left mysterious Second Foundation, which had been caught unprepared by the sudden appearance of the Mule, but which was now slowly working out a counterattack. Its great defense was the fact of its unknown location. The Mule sought it in order to make his conquest of the Galaxy complete. The faithful of what was left of the First Foundation sought it to obtain help. Neither found it. The Mule was stopped first by the action of a woman, Bayta Darell and that bought enough time for the Second Foundation to organize the proper action and, with that, to stop the Mule permenently. Slowly they prepared to reinstate the Seldon Plan. But, in a way, the cover of the Second Foundation was gone. The First Foundation knew of the second's existence, and the First did not want a future in which they, were overseen by the mentalists. The First Foundation was the superior in physical force, while the Second Foundation was hampered not only by that fact, but by being faced by a double task: it had not only to stop the First Foundation but had also to regain its anonymity. This the Second Foundation, under its greatest â€Å"First Speaker,† Preem salver, manages to do. The First Foundation was allowed to seem to win, to seems to defeat the Second Foundation, and it moved on to greater and greater strength in the Galaxy, totally ignorant that the Second Foundation still existed. It is now four hundred and ninety-eight years after the First Foundation had come into existence. It is at the peak of its strength, but one man does not accept appearances –

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 29

Chapter 29 When it was all finished, Simon looked great, better than I'd ever seen him look. Joshua had not only raised him from the dead, but also healed his leprosy. Maggie and Martha were ecstatic. The new and improved Simon invited us back to his house to celebrate. Unfortunately, Abel and Crustus had witnessed the resurrection and the healing, and despite our admonishments, they started to spread the story through Bethany and Jerusalem. Joseph of Arimathea accompanied us to Simon's house, but he was hardly in a celebratory mood. â€Å"This dinner's not exactly a trap,† he told Joshua, â€Å"it's more like a test.† â€Å"I've been to one of their trials by dinner,† said Joshua. â€Å"I thought you were a believer.† â€Å"I am,† said Joseph, â€Å"especially after what I saw today, but that's why you have to come to my house and have dinner with the Pharisees from the council. Show them who you are. Explain to them in an informal setting what it is that you are doing.† â€Å"Satan himself once asked me to prove myself,† said Joshua. â€Å"What proof do I owe these hypocrites?† â€Å"Please, Joshua. They may be hypocrites, but they have great influence over the people. Because they condemn you the people are afraid to listen to the Word. I know Pontius Pilate, I don't think anyone would harm you in my home and risk his wrath.† Joshua sat for a moment, sipping his wine. â€Å"Then into the den of vipers I shall go.† â€Å"Don't do it, Joshua,† I said. â€Å"And you have to come alone,† said Joseph. â€Å"You can't bring any of the apostles.† â€Å"That's not a problem,† I said. â€Å"I'm only a disciple.† â€Å"Especially not him,† said Joseph. â€Å"Jakan bar Iban will be there.† â€Å"So I guess it's another night sitting home for me, too,† said Maggie. Later we all watched and waved as Joseph and Joshua left to go back to Jerusalem for the dinner at Joseph's house. â€Å"As soon as they get around the corner you follow them,† Maggie said to me. â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Stay close enough to hear if he needs you.† â€Å"Absolutely.† â€Å"Come here.† She pulled me inside the door where the others wouldn't see and gave me one of those Maggie kisses that made me walk into walls and forget my name for a few minutes. It was the first in months. She released me and held me at arm's length, then, â€Å"You know that if there were no Joshua, I wouldn't love anyone but you,† she said. â€Å"You don't have to bribe me to watch over him, Maggie.† â€Å"I know. That's one of the reasons I love you,† she said. â€Å"Now go.† My years of trying to sneak up on the monks in the monastery paid me back as I shadowed Joshua and Joseph through Jerusalem. They had no idea I was following, as I slipped from shadow to shadow, wall to tree, finally to Joseph's house, which lay south of the city walls, only a stone's throw from the palace of the high priest, Caiaphas. Joseph of Arimathea's house was only slightly smaller than the palace itself, but I was able to find a spot on the roof of an adjacent building where I could watch the dinner through a window and still have a view of the front door. Joshua and Joseph sat in the dining room drinking wine by themselves for a while, then gradually the servants let in the other guests as they arrived in groups of twos and threes. There were a dozen of them by the time dinner was served, all of the Pharisees that had been at the dinner at Jakan's house, plus five more that I had never seen before, but all were severe and meticulous about washing before dinner and checking each other to make sure that all was in order. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I really didn't care. There seemed to be no immediate threat to Joshua, and that was all I was worried about. He could hold his own on the rhetorical battlefield. Then, when it seemed that it would end without incident, I saw the tall hat and white robe of a priest in the street, and with him two Temple guards carrying their long, bronze-tipped spears. I dropped down off the roof and made my way around the opposite side of the house, arriving just in time to see a servant lead the priest inside. As soon as Joshua came through the door at Simon's house Martha and Maggie showered him with kisses as if he had returned from the war, then led him to the table and started interrogating him about the dinner. â€Å"First they yelled at me for having fun, drinking wine, and feasting. Saying that if I was truly a prophet I would fast.† â€Å"And what did you tell them?† I asked, still a little winded from the running to get to Simon's house ahead of Joshua. â€Å"I said, well, John didn't eat anything but bugs, and he never drank wine in his life, and he certainly never had any fun, and they didn't believe him, so what kind of standards were they trying to set, and please pass the tabbouleh.† â€Å"What did they say then?† â€Å"Then they yelled at me for eating with tax collectors and harlots.† â€Å"Hey,† said Matthew. â€Å"Hey,† said Martha. â€Å"They didn't mean you, Martha, they meant Maggie.† â€Å"Hey,† said Maggie. â€Å"I told them that tax collectors and harlots would see the kingdom of God before they did. Then they yelled at me for healing on the Sabbath, not washing my hands before I eat, being in league with the Devil again, and blaspheming by claiming to be the Son of God.† â€Å"Then what?† â€Å"Then we had dessert. It was some sort of cake made with dates and honey. I liked it. Then a guy came to the door wearing priest's robes.† â€Å"Uh-oh,† said Matthew. â€Å"Yeah, that was bad,† said Joshua. â€Å"He went around whispering in the ears of all the Pharisees, then Jakan asked me by what authority I raised Simon from the dead.† â€Å"And what did you say?† â€Å"I didn't say anything, not with the Sadducee there. But Joseph told them that Simon hadn't been dead. He was just sleeping.† â€Å"So what did they say to that?† â€Å"Then they asked me by what authority I woke him up.† â€Å"And what did you say?† â€Å"I got angry then. I said by all the authority of God and the Holy Ghost, by the authority of Moses and Elijah, by the authority of David and Solomon, by the authority of thunder and lightning, by the authority of the sea and the air and the fire in the earth, I told them.† â€Å"And what did they say?† â€Å"They said that Simon must have been a very sound sleeper.† â€Å"Sarcasm is wasted on those guys,† I said. â€Å"Completely wasted,† said Joshua. â€Å"Anyway, then I left, and outside there were two guards from the Temple. The shafts of their spears had been broken and they were both unconscious. There was blood on one's scalp. So I healed them, and when I saw they were coming around, I came here.† â€Å"They don't think you attacked the guards?† Simon asked. â€Å"No, the priest followed me down. He saw them at the same time that I did.† â€Å"And your healing them didn't convince him?† â€Å"Hardly.† â€Å"So what do we do now?† â€Å"I think we should go back to Galilee. Joseph will send word if anything comes of the meeting of the council.† â€Å"You know what will come of it,† Maggie said. â€Å"You threaten them. And now they have the priests involved. You know what will happen.† â€Å"Yes, I do,† said Joshua. â€Å"But you don't. We'll leave for Capernaum in the morning.† Later Maggie came to me in the great room of Simon's house, where we were all bedded down for the night. She crawled under my blanket and put her lips right next to my ear. As usual, she smelled of lemons and cinnamon. â€Å"What did you do to those guards?† she whispered. â€Å"I surprised them. I thought they might be there to arrest Joshua.† â€Å"You might have gotten him arrested.† â€Å"Look, have you done this before? Because if you have some sort of plan, please let me in on it. Personally, I'm making this up as I go along.† â€Å"You did good,† she whispered. She kissed my ear. â€Å"Thank you.† I reached for her and she shimmied away. â€Å"And I'm still not going to sleep with you,† she said. The messenger must have ridden through several nights to get ahead of us, but when we got back to Capernaum there was already a message waiting from Joseph of Arimathea. Joshua: Pharisee council condemned you to death for blasphemy. Herod concurs. No official death warrant issued, but suggest you take disciples into Herod Philip's territory until things settle down. No word from the priests yet, which is good. Enjoyed having you at dinner, please drop by next time you're in town. Your friend, Joseph of Arimathea Joshua read the message aloud to all of us, then pointed to a deserted mountaintop on the northern shore of the lake near Bethsaida. â€Å"Before we leave Galilee again, I am going up that mountain. I will stay there until all in Galilee who wish to hear the good news have come. Only then will I leave to go to Philip's territory. Go out now and find the faithful. Tell them where to find me.† â€Å"Joshua,† Peter said, â€Å"there are already two or three hundred sick and lame waiting at the synagogue for you to heal them. They've been gathering for all the days you've been gone.† â€Å"Why didn't you tell me?† â€Å"Well, Bartholomew greeted them and took their names, then we told them that you'd be with them as soon as you got the chance. They're fine.† â€Å"I lead the dogs back and forth by them occasionally so we look busy,† said Bart. Joshua stormed off to the synagogue waving his hands in the air as if asking God why he had been plagued by a gang of dimwits, but then, I might have been reading that into his gesture. The rest of us spread out into Galilee to announce that Joshua was going to be preaching a great sermon on a mountain north of Capernaum. Maggie and I traveled together, along with Simon the Canaanite and Maggie's friends Johanna and Susanna. We decided to take three days and walk a circle through northern Galilee that would take us through a dozen towns and bring us back to the mountain just in time to help direct the pilgrims that would be gathering. The first night we camped in a sheltered valley outside a town called Jamnith. We ate bread and cheese by the fire and afterward Simon and I shared wine while the women went off to sleep. It was the first time I'd ever had a chance to talk to the Zealot without his friend Judas around. â€Å"I hope Joshua can bring the kingdom down on their heads now,† Simon said. â€Å"Otherwise I may have to look for another prophet to pledge my sword to.† I nearly choked on my wine, and handed him the wineskin as I fought for breath. â€Å"Simon,† I said, â€Å"do you believe he's the Son of God?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"You don't, and you're still following him?† â€Å"I am not saying he's not a great prophet, but the Christ? the Son of God? I don't know.† â€Å"You've traveled with him. Heard him speak. Seen his power over demons, over people. You've seen him heal people. Feed people. And what does he ask?† â€Å"Nothing. A place to sleep. Some food. Some wine.† â€Å"And if you could do those things, what would you have?† Here Simon leaned back and looked into the stars, as he let his imagination unroll. â€Å"I would have villages full of women in my bed. I'd have a fine palace, and slaves to bathe me. I would have the finest food and wine and kings would travel from far away just to look at my gold. I would be glorious.† â€Å"But Joshua has only his cloak and his sandals.† Simon seemed to snap out of his reverie, and he wasn't happy about it. â€Å"Just because I am weak does not make him the Christ.† â€Å"That's exactly what makes him the Christ.† â€Å"Maybe he's just naive.† â€Å"Count on it,† I said. I stood and handed him the wineskin. â€Å"You can finish it. I'm going to sleep.† Simon raised his eyebrows. â€Å"The Magdalene, she's a luscious woman. A man could lose himself there.† I took a deep breath and thought about defending Maggie's honor, or even warning Simon about making advances on her, but then I thought better of it. The Zealot needed to learn a lesson that I wasn't qualified to teach. But Maggie was. â€Å"Good night, Simon,† I said. In the morning I found Simon sitting by the cold ashes of the fire, cradling his head in his hands. â€Å"Simon?† I inquired. He looked up at me and I saw a huge purple goose egg on his forehead, just below the bangs of his Roman haircut. A spot of blood seeped out of the middle. His right eye was nearly swollen shut. â€Å"Ouch,† I said. â€Å"How did you do that?† Just then Maggie came out from behind a bush. â€Å"He accidentally crawled into Susanna's bedroll last night,† Maggie said. â€Å"I thought he was an attacker, so naturally, I brained him with a rock.† â€Å"Naturally,† I said. â€Å"I'm so sorry, Simon,† Maggie said. I could hear Susanna and Johanna giggling behind the bush. â€Å"It was an honest mistake,† said Simon. I couldn't tell whether he meant his or Maggie's, but either way he was lying. â€Å"Good thing you're an apostle,† I said. â€Å"You'll have that healed up by noon.† We finished our loop of northern Galilee without incident, and indeed, Simon was nearly healed by the time we returned to the mountain above Bethsaida, where Joshua awaited us with over five thousand followers. â€Å"I can't get away from them long enough to find baskets,† Peter complained. â€Å"Everywhere I go there are fifty people following me,† said Judas. â€Å"How do they expect us to bring them food if they won't let us work?† I had heard similar complaints from Matthew, James, and Andrew, and even Thomas was whining that people were stepping all over Thomas Two. Joshua had multiplied seven loaves into enough to feed the multitude, but no one could get to the food to distribute it. Maggie and I finally fought our way to the top of the mountain where we found Joshua preaching. He signaled the crowd that he was going to take a break, then came over to us. â€Å"This is excellent,† he said. â€Å"So many of the faithful.† â€Å"Uh, Josh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know,† he said. â€Å"You two go to Magdala. Get the big ship and bring it to Bethsaida. Once we feed the faithful I'll send the disciples down to you. Go out into the lake and wait for me.† We managed to pull John out of the crowd and took him with us to Magdala to help sail the ship back up the coast. Neither Maggie nor I felt confident enough to handle the big boat without one of the fishermen on board. A half-day later we docked in Bethsaida, where the other apostles were waiting for us. â€Å"He's led them to the other side of the mountain,† Peter said. â€Å"He'll deliver a blessing then send them on their way. Hopefully they'll go home and he can meet us.† â€Å"Did you see any soldiers in the crowd?† I asked. â€Å"Not yet, but we should have been out of Herod's territory by now. The Pharisees are hanging on the edge of the crowd like they know something is going to happen.† We assumed that he would be swimming or rowing out in one of the small boats, but when he finally came down to the shore the multitude was still following him, and he just kept walking, right across the surface of the water to the boat. The crowd stopped at the shore and cheered. Even we were astounded by this new miracle, and we sat in the boat with our mouths hanging open as Joshua approached. â€Å"What?† he said. â€Å"What? What? What?† â€Å"Master, you're walking on the water,† said Peter. â€Å"I just ate,† Joshua said. â€Å"You can't go into the water for an hour after you eat. You could get a cramp. What, none of you guys have mothers?† â€Å"It's a miracle,† shouted Peter. â€Å"It's no big deal,† Joshua said, dismissing the miracle with the wave of a hand. â€Å"It's easy. Really, Peter, you should try it.† Peter stood up in the boat tentatively. â€Å"Really, try it.† Peter started to take off his tunic. â€Å"Keep that on,† said Joshua. â€Å"And your sandals too.† â€Å"But Lord, this is a new tunic.† â€Å"Then keep it dry, Peter. Come to me. Step upon the water.† Peter put one foot over the side and into the water. â€Å"Trust your faith, Peter,† I yelled. â€Å"If you doubt you won't be able to do it.† Then Peter stepped with both feet onto the surface of the water, and for a split second he stood there. And we were all amazed. â€Å"Hey, I'm – † Then he sank like a stone. He came up sputtering. We were all doubled over giggling, and even Joshua had sunk up to his ankles, he was laughing so hard. â€Å"I can't believe you fell for that,† said Joshua. He ran across the water and helped us pull Peter into the boat. â€Å"Peter, you're as dumb as a box of rocks. But what amazing faith you have. I'm going to build my church on this box of rocks.† â€Å"You would have Peter build your church?† asked Philip. â€Å"Because he tried to walk on the water.† â€Å"Would you have tried it?† asked Joshua. â€Å"Of course not,† said Philip. â€Å"I can't swim.† â€Å"Then who has the greater faith?† Joshua climbed into the boat and shook the water off of his sandals, then tousled Peter's wet hair. â€Å"Someone will have to carry on the church when I'm gone, and I'm going to be gone soon. In the spring we'll go to Jerusalem for the Passover, and there I will be judged by the scribes and the priests, and there I will be tortured and put to death. But three days from the day of my death, I shall rise, and be with you again.† As Joshua spoke Maggie had latched onto my arm. By the time he was finished speaking her nails had drawn blood from my biceps. A shadow of grief seemed to pass over the faces of the disciples. We looked not at each other, and neither at the ground, but at a place in space a few feet from our faces, where I suppose one looks for a clear answer to appear out of undefined shock. â€Å"Well, that sucks,† someone said. We landed at the town of Hippos, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, directly across the lake from Tiberius. Joshua had preached here before when we had come over to hide the first time, and there were people in the town who would receive the apostles into their homes until Joshua sent them out again. We'd brought many baskets of the broken bread from Bethsaida, and Judas and Simon helped me unload them from the ship, wading in and out of the shallows where we anchored, as Hippos had no dock. â€Å"The bread stood piled like small mountains,† Judas said. â€Å"Much more than when we fed the five thousand. A Jewish army could fight long days on that kind of supply. If the Romans have taught us anything it's that an army fights on its stomach.† I stopped schlepping and looked at him. Simon, who stood next to me, set his basket down on the beach, then lifted the edge of his sash to show me the hilt of his dagger. â€Å"The kingdom will be ours only when we take it by the sword. We've had no problem spilling Roman blood. No master but God.† I reached over and gently pulled Simon's sash back over the hilt of his dagger. â€Å"Have you ever heard Joshua talk about doing harm to anyone? Even an enemy?† â€Å"No,† Judas said. â€Å"He can't speak openly about taking the kingdom until he's ready to strike. That's why he always speaks in parables.† â€Å"That is a crock of rancid yak butter,† said a voice from the ship. Joshua sat up, a net hung over his head like a tattered prayer shawl. He'd been sleeping in the bow of the ship and we'd completely forgotten about him. â€Å"Biff, call everyone together, here on the beach. I haven't made myself clear to everyone, evidently.† I dropped my basket and ran into town to get the others. In less than an hour we were all seated on the beach and Joshua paced before us. â€Å"The kingdom is open to everyone,† Joshua said. â€Å"Ev-ree-one, get it?† Everyone nodded. â€Å"Even Romans.† Everyone stopped nodding. â€Å"The kingdom of God is upon us, but the Romans will remain in Israel. The kingdom of God has nothing to do with the kingdom of Israel, do you all understand that?† â€Å"But the Messiah is supposed to lead our people to freedom,† Judas shouted. â€Å"No master but God!† Simon added. â€Å"Shut up!† said Joshua. â€Å"I was not sent to deliver wrath. We will be delivered into the kingdom by forgiveness, not conquest. People, we have been over this, what have I not made clear?† â€Å"How we are to cast the Romans out of the kingdom?† shouted Nathaniel. â€Å"You should know better,† Joshua said to Nathaniel, â€Å"you yellow-haired freak. One more time, we can't cast the Romans out of the kingdom because the kingdom is open to all.† And I think they were getting it, at least the two Zealots were getting it, because they looked profoundly disappointed. They'd waited their whole life for the Messiah to come along and establish the kingdom by crushing the Romans, now he was telling them in his own divine words that it wasn't going to happen. But then Joshua started with the parables. â€Å"The kingdom is like a wheat field with tares, you can't pull out the tares without destroying the grain.† Blank stares. Doubly blank from the fishermen, who didn't know squat from farming metaphors. â€Å"A tare is a rye grass,† Joshua explained. â€Å"It weaves its roots amid the roots of wheat or barley, and there's no way to pull them out without ruining the crop.† Nobody got it. â€Å"Okay,† Joshua continued. â€Å"The children of heaven are the good people, and the tares are the bad ones. You get both. And when you're all done, the angels pick out the wicked and burn them.† â€Å"Not getting it,† said Peter. He shook his head, and his gray mane whipped around his face like a confused lion trying to shake off the sight of a flying wildebeest. â€Å"How do you guys preach this stuff if you don't understand it? Okay, try this: the kingdom of heaven is like, uh, a merchant seeking pearls.† â€Å"Like before swine,† said Bartholomew. â€Å"Yes! Bart! Yes! Only no swine this time, same pearls though.† Three hours later, Joshua was still at it, and he was starting to run out of things to liken the kingdom to, his favorite, the mustard seed, having failed in three different tries. â€Å"Okay, the kingdom is like a monkey.† Joshua was hoarse and his voice was breaking. â€Å"How?† â€Å"A Jewish monkey, right?† â€Å"Is it like a monkey eating a mustard seed?† I stood up and went to Joshua and put my arm around his shoulder. â€Å"Josh, take a break.† I led him down the beach toward the village. He shook his head. â€Å"Those are the dumbest sons of bitches on earth.† â€Å"They've become like little children, as you told them to.† â€Å"Stupid little children,† Joshua said. I heard light footsteps on the sand behind us and Maggie threw her arms around our necks. She kissed Joshua on the forehead, making a loud wet smacking sound, then looked as if she was going to do the same to me so I shied away. â€Å"You two are the ninnies here. You both rail on them about their intelligence, when that doesn't have anything to do with why they're here. Have either one of you heard them preach? I have. Peter can heal the sick now. I've seen it. I've seen James make the lame walk. Faith isn't an act of intelligence, it's an act of imagination. Every time you give them a new metaphor for the kingdom they see the metaphor, a mustard seed, a field, a garden, a vineyard, it's like pointing something out to a cat – the cat looks at your finger, not at what you're pointing at. They don't need to understand it, they only need to believe, and they do. They imagine the kingdom as they need it to be, they don't need to grasp it, it's there already, they can let it be. Imagination, not intellect.† Maggie let go of our necks, then stood there grinning like a madwoman. Joshua looked at her, then at me. I shrugged. â€Å"I told you she was smarter than both of us.† â€Å"I know,† Joshua said. â€Å"I don't know if I can stand you both being right in the same day. I need some time to think and pray.† â€Å"Go on then,† Maggie said, waving him on. I stopped and watched my friend walk into the village, having absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do. I turned back to Maggie. â€Å"You heard the Passover prediction?† She nodded. â€Å"I take it you didn't confront him.† â€Å"I don't know what to say.† â€Å"We need to talk him out of it. If he knows what awaits him in Jerusalem, why go? Why don't we go into Phoenicia or Syria? He could even take the good news to Greece and be perfectly safe. They have people running all over the place preaching different ideas – look at Bartholomew and his Cynics.† â€Å"When we were in India, we saw a festival in the city of their goddess Kali. She's a goddess of destruction, Maggie. It was the bloodiest thing I've ever seen, thousands of animals slaughtered, hundreds of men beheaded. The whole world seemed slick with blood. Joshua and I saved some children from being flayed alive, but when it was over, Joshua kept saying, no more sacrifices. No more.† Maggie looked at me as if she expected more. â€Å"So? It was horrible, what did you expect him to say?† â€Å"He wasn't talking to me, Maggie. He was talking to God. And I don't think he was making a request.† â€Å"Are you saying that he thinks his father wants to kill him for trying to change things, so he can't avoid it because it's the will of God?† â€Å"No, I'm saying that he's going to allow himself to be killed to show his father that things need to be changed. He's not going to try to avoid it at all.† For three months we begged, we pleaded, we reasoned, and we wept, but we could not talk Joshua out of going to Jerusalem for Passover. Joseph of Arimathea had sent word that the Pharisees and Sadducees were still plotting against Joshua, that Jakan had been speaking out against Joshua's followers in the Court of the Gentiles, outside the Temple. But the threats only seemed to strengthen Joshua's resolve. A couple of times Maggie and I managed to tie Joshua up and stash him in the bottom of a boat, using knots that we had learned from the sailor brothers Peter and Andrew, but both times Joshua appeared a few minutes later holding the cords that had bound him, saying things like, â€Å"Good knots, but not quite good enough, were they?† Maggie and I worried together for days before we left for Jerusalem. â€Å"He could be wrong about the execution,† I said. â€Å"Yes, he could be,† Maggie agreed. â€Å"Do you think he is? Wrong about it, I mean?† â€Å"I think I'm going to throw up.† â€Å"I don't see how that's going to stop him.† And it didn't. The next day we left for Jerusalem. On the way we stopped to rest along the road at a town along the Jordan River called Beth Shemesh. We were sitting there, feeling somber and helpless, watching the column of pilgrims move along the riverbank, when an old woman emerged from the column and beat her way through the reclining apostles with a walking staff. â€Å"Out of the way, I need to talk to this fellow. Move, you oaf, you need to take a bath.† She bonked Bartholomew on the head as she passed and his doggy pals nipped at her heels. â€Å"Look out there, I'm an old woman, I need to see this Joshua of Nazareth.† â€Å"Oh no, Mother,† John wailed. James got up to stop her and she threatened him with the staff. â€Å"What can I help you with, Old Mother?† Joshua asked. â€Å"I'm the wife of Zebedee, mother of these two.† She pointed her staff to James and John. â€Å"I hear that you're going to the kingdom soon.† â€Å"If it be so, so be it,† said Joshua. â€Å"Well, my late husband, Zebedee, God rest his soul, left these boys a perfectly good business, and since they've been following you around they've run it into the ground.† She turned to her sons. â€Å"Into the ground!† Joshua put his hand on her arm, but instead of the usual calm that I saw come over people when he touched them, Mrs. Zebedee pulled away and swung her staff at him, barely missing his head. â€Å"Don't try to bamboozle me, Mr. Smooth Talker. My boys have ruined their father's business for you, so I want your assurance that in return they get to sit on either side of the throne in the kingdom. It's only fair. They're good boys.† She turned to James and John. â€Å"If your father was alive it would kill him to see what you two have done.† â€Å"But Old Mother, it's not up to me who will sit next to the throne.† â€Å"Who is it up to?† â€Å"Well, it's up to the Lord, my father.† â€Å"Well then go ask him.† She leaned on her staff and tapped a foot. â€Å"I'll wait.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You would deny a dying woman her last request?† â€Å"You're not dying.† â€Å"You're killing me here. Go check. Go.† Joshua looked at us all sheepishly. We all looked away, cowards that we were. It's not as if any of us had ever learned to deal with a Jewish mother either. â€Å"I'll go up on that mountain and check,† Joshua said, pointing to the highest peak in the area. â€Å"Well go, then. You want I should be late for the Passover?† â€Å"Right. Okay, then, I'll go check, right now.† Josh backed away slowly, sort of sidled toward the mountain. Mount Tabor, I think it was. Mrs. Zebedee went after her sons like she was shooing chickens out of the garden. â€Å"What are you, pillars of salt? Go with him.† Peter laughed and she whirled around with her staff ready to brain him. Peter pretended to cough. â€Å"I'd better go along, uh, just in case they need a witness.† He scurried after Joshua and the other two. The old woman glared at me. â€Å"What are you looking at? You think the pain of childbirth ends when they move away? What do you know? Does a broken heart know from a different neighborhood?† They were gone all night, a very long night in which we all got to hear about John and James' father, Zebedee, who evidently had possessed the courage of Daniel, the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Samson, the devotion of Abraham, the good looks of David, and the tackle of Goliath, God rest his soul. (Funny, James had always described his father as a wormy little guy with a lisp.) When the four came back over the hill we all leapt to our feet and ran to greet them – I would have carried them back on my shoulders if it would have shut the old woman up. â€Å"Well?† she said. â€Å"It was amazing,† Peter said to us all, ignoring the old woman. â€Å"We saw three thrones. Moses was on one, Elijah was on another, and the third was ready for Joshua. And a huge voice came out of the sky, saying, ‘This is my son, with whom I am well pleased.'† â€Å"Oh yeah, he said that before,† I said. â€Å"I heard it this time,† Joshua said, smiling. â€Å"Just the three chairs then?† said Mrs. Zebedee. She looked at her two sons, who were cowering behind Joshua. â€Å"No place for you two, of course.† She started to stagger away from them, a hand clutched to her heart. â€Å"I suppose one can be happy for the mothers of Moses and Elijah and this Nazareth boy, then. They don't have to know what it is to have a spike in the heart.† Down the riverbank she limped, off toward Jerusalem. Joshua squeezed the brothers' shoulders. â€Å"I'll fix it.† He ran after Mrs. Zebedee. Maggie elbowed me and when I looked around at her there were tears in her eyes. â€Å"He's not wrong,† she said. â€Å"That's it,† I said. â€Å"Well, ask his mother to talk him out of it. No one can resist her – I mean, I can't. I mean, she's not you, but†¦Look! Is that a seagull?†

B-52 Stratofortress - Strategic Air Command

B-52 Stratofortress - Strategic Air Command On November 23, 1945, only weeks after the end of World War II, the US Air Material Command issued performance specifications for a new long-range, nuclear bomber. Calling for a cruising speed of 300 mph and a combat radius of 5,000 miles, AMC invited bids the following February from Martin, Boeing, and Consolidated. Developing the Model 462, a straight-wing bomber powered by six turboprops, Boeing was able to win the competition despite the fact that the aircrafts range fell short of the specifications. Moving forward, Boeing was issued a contract on June 28, 1946, to build a mock-up of the new XB-52 bomber. Over the next year, Boeing was forced to change the design several times as the US Air Force first showed concern over the XB-52s size and then increased the required cruising speed. By June 1947, the USAF realized that when complete the new aircraft would nearly be obsolete. While the project was put on hold, Boeing continued to refine their latest design. That September, the Heavy Bombardment Committee issued new performance requirements demanding 500 mph and an 8,000-mile range, both of which were far beyond Boeings latest design. Lobbying hard, the president of Boeing, William McPherson Allen, was able to prevent their contract from being terminated. Coming to an accord with the USAF, Boeing was instructed to begin exploring recent technological advances with an eye to incorporating them into the XB-52 program. Moving forward, Boeing presented a new design in April 1948, but was told the next month that the new aircraft should incorporate jet engines. After swapping out turboprops for jets on their Model 464-40, Boeing was ordered to design a completely new aircraft utilizing the Pratt Whitney J57 turbojet on October 21, 1948. A week later, Boeing engineers first tested the design that would become the basis for the final aircraft. Possessing 35-degree swept wings, the new XB-52 design was powered by eight engines placed in four pods under the wings. During testing, concerns arose regarding the fuel consumption of the engines, however the commander of the Strategic Air Command, General Curtis LeMay insisted the program move forward. Two prototypes were built and the first flew on April 15, 1952, with famed test pilot Alvin Tex Johnston at the controls. Pleased with the result, the USAF placed an order for 282 aircraft. B-52 Stratofortress - Operational History Entering operational service in 1955, the B-52B Stratofortress replaced the Convair B-36 Peacemaker. During its initial years of service, several minor issues arose with the aircraft and the J57 engines experienced reliability problems. A year later, the B-52 dropped its first hydrogen bomb during testing at Bikini Atoll. On January 16–18, 1957, the USAF demonstrated the bombers reach by having three B-52s fly non-stop around the world. As additional aircraft were built, numerous changes and modifications were made. In 1963, the Strategic Air Command fielded a force of 650 B-52s. With the US entry into the Vietnam War, the B-52 saw its first combat missions as part of Operations Rolling Thunder (March 1965) and Arc Light (June 1965). Later that year, several B-52Ds underwent Big Belly modifications to facilitate the aircrafts use in carpet bombing. Flying from bases in Guam, Okinawa, and Thailand, B-52s were able to unleash devastating firepower on their targets. It was not until November 22, 1972, that the first B-52 was lost to enemy fire when an aircraft was downed by a surface-to-air missile. The B-52s most notable role in Vietnam was during Operation Linebacker II in December 1972, when waves of bombers struck targets across North Vietnam. During the war, 18 B-52s were lost to enemy fire and 13 to operational causes. While many B-52s saw action over Vietnam, the aircraft continued to fulfill its nuclear deterrence role. B-52s routinely flew airborne alert missions to provide a rapid first strike or retaliation capability in case of war with the Soviet Union. These missions ended in 1966, following the collision of a B-52 and a KC-135 over Spain. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War between Israel, Egypt, and Syria, B-52 squadrons were placed on a war footing in an effort to prevent the Soviet Union from becoming involved in the conflict. By the early 1970s, many of the early variants of the B-52 began to be retired. With the B-52 aging, the USAF sought to replace the aircraft with the B-1B Lancer, however strategic concerns and cost issues prevented this from occurring. As a result, B-52Gs and B-52Hs remained a part of the Strategic Air Commands nuclear standby force until 1991. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the B-52G was removed from service and the aircraft destroyed as part of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. With the launch of the coalition air campaign during the 1991 Gulf War, the B-52H returned to combat service. Flying from bases in the United States, Britain, Spain, and Diego Garcia, B-52s conducted both close air support and strategic bombing missions, as well as served as a launch platform for cruise missiles. Carpet bombing strikes by B-52s proved particularly effective and the aircraft was responsible for 40% of the munitions dropped on Iraqi forces during the war. In 2001, the B-52 again returned to the Middle East in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Due to the aircrafts long loiter time, it proved highly effective in providing needed close air support to the troops on the ground. It has fulfilled a similar role over Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. As of April 2008, the USAFs B-52 fleet consisted of 94 B-52Hs which operate from Minot (North Dakota) and Barksdale (Louisiana) Air Force Bases. An economical aircraft, the USAF intends to retain the B-52 through 2040 and has investigated several options for updating and enhancing the bomber, including replacing its eight engines with four Rolls-Royce RB211 534E-4 engines. General Specifications of the B-52H Length:  159 ft. 4 in.Wingspan:  185 ft.Height:  40 ft. 8 in.Wing Area:  4,000  sq. ft.Empty Weight:  185,000 lbs.Loaded Weight:  265,000 lbs.Crew:  5 (pilot, copilot, radar navigator (bombardier), navigator, and electronic warfare officer) Performance Power Plant:  8 Ãâ€" Pratt Whitney TF33-P-3/103 turbofansCombat Radius:  4,480 milesMax Speed:  650 mphCeiling:  50,000 ft. Armament Guns:  1 Ãâ€" 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon (remote controlled tail turret)Bombs/Missiles:  60,000 lbs. of bombs, missiles, mines in numerous configurations Selected Sources US Air Force: B-52 StratofortressFAS: B-52 StratofortressGlobal Security: B-52 Stratofortress

Champion Is a Transitive Verb

Champion Is a Transitive Verb Champion Is a Transitive Verb Champion Is a Transitive Verb By Maeve Maddox I read the following sentence in a newspaper article: He often champions for the rights of many individuals. As a noun, champion can be followed by the preposition for: â€Å"She is a champion for gender equality.† But as a verb, champion is transitive; it takes a direct object: â€Å"She champions gender equality.† The noun champion is first documented in the 13th century with the meaning â€Å"a brave fighting man.† Because trial by combat was still part of the English legal system, by the 14th century, champion could also mean â€Å"one who fights on behalf of another.† Note: Until the 16th century, it was possible to settle a legal dispute in England by fighting a duel. A litigant unsuited for combat could arrange for someone else- a champion- to fight in his place. In the novel Ivanhoe, the knight Wilfred of Ivanhoe volunteers to be Rebecca’s champion. Apart from its use in the context of competitive sports, the noun champion refers to a person who protects and defends the defenseless or who fights for a worthy cause. For example: Two Champions of Children Are Given Nobel Peace Prize We cannot be both the worlds leading  champion of peace  and the worlds leading supplier of the weapons of war.   World welcomes Pope Francis as humble champion of poor As a verb, to champion is â€Å"to maintain the cause of, stand up for, uphold, support, back, defend, advocate.† Here are examples of champion correctly used as a transitive verb: Now that youve reclaimed your wounded inner child, you need to champion him.   James Brady became a symbol of the fight for  gun control,  championing  tighter regulations. People living with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) will pay tribute later this year to the woman who, for decades,  championed their  cause. Patricia Arquette Champions Gender Equality in Nights Best Oscar Speech Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?50 Nautical Terms in General Use20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings

Bailey Surname Meaning and Origin

Bailey Surname Meaning and Origin Bailey is derived crown official or officer of the king in county or town. Keeper of a royal building or house. A person of high rank. From the Old French for bailiff and/or the Scottish term bailie, a municipal officer corresponding to an English alderman. Bailey is the 66th most popular surname in the United States and the 56th most common surname in England. Surname Origin Scottish, French Alternate Surname Spellings BAILIE, BAILLIE Genealogy Resources for the Surname Bailey 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? Bailey Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Bailey surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Bailey query. FamilySearch - Bailey GenealogyFind records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Bailey surname and its variations. Bailey Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Bailey surname. Cousin Connect - Bailey Genealogy QueriesRead or post genealogy queries for the surname Bailey, and sign up for free notification when new Bailey queries are added. DistantCousin.com - Bailey Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Bailey. References: Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Lesson Plan Creation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lesson Plan Creation - Assignment Example During this lesson, the teacher will have to denote that their students have different capabilities, and come from different cultures. For example, some students are slow learners, while others are fast learners. On this basis, there is a need of developing a program that will carter for all these diverse needs. The standard for passing this unit, is for a child to receive at least a score of 50% and above. The child must also be able to identify not less than seven colors. If a child manages to get these points, then the lesson under consideration will be successful. Asking students questions on the colors of the rainbow, and its composition. This is for purposes of ensuring that they understood the concepts relating to the different colors of the rainbow (Glatthorn, 39). Students will have to undertake an oral assessment, which will contain the different colors that make up the rainbow. The assessment will also test on various colors that do not make up the rainbow, as it is the objective of the lesson for students to identify the various colors that exist. During this lesson, the teacher will have to denote that their students have different capabilities, and come from different cultures. For example, some students are slow learners, while others are fast learners. On this basis, there is a need of developing a program that will carter for all these diverse needs. To pass this paper, a child has to garner a score of at least 50%. These children must also have the capability of verbally identifying various shapes, and the lines that these shapes have the capability of producing. Folding the square shape into a stack of shapes, for purposes of finding out if students can identify a symmetrical shape. In folding these papers, the tutor has to make sure that they are equal on both sides. This is for purposes of achieving symmetry. The teacher should carry on the process with the other shapes under

Argument against sexual harassment policies Essay

Argument against sexual harassment policies - Essay Example Therefore, the following discussion aims at highlighting various incidences that advocate for the abolishment of sexual harassment policies. Men and women interact on a daily basis as they attend to their day-to-day activities. These interactions help them to form relations that make the world a better place to live in as they develop close ties. Given that men and women are sexual beings, it follows that they also get attracted to each other sexually. Consequent to these, either party could make sexual advances to the other party. Such sexual advances help in establishing relationships that may go bad, or succeed, hence benefit both parties. All human beings possess the freedom of speech. They have the right to express themselves based on their independent opinion. Learning institutions, for example, serve as places where lecturers pass on valuable information to their students. Therefore, expression of such information in a manner that may result in a sexually intimidating environment should not be seen as illegal. Regarding such an environment as sexually harassing may hinder the development of valuable information, leading to a sterile learning environment. Consequent to these, sexual harassment policies ought to be abolished, thus allow the free flow of information. Offensive behavior ought to be clear to any party involved, as well as the third parties involved in the situation. Such clarity allows the concerned parties to have an informed perception of the behavior in question. However, sexual harassment constitutes a lot of ambiguity. It constitutes of several interpretations, depending on the people concerned (Tinkler, 2008). People at times use their own values and beliefs to determine whether an act qualifies as sexual harassment. The different cultures that people come from also differentiate what people regard as sexual harassment. An environment, for

Cyber Security Vulnerabilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Cyber Security Vulnerabilities - Essay Example As per Gartner, 70% of security incident occur internally i.e. from the organization premises (Dickerson, 2004). Likewise, in September 2004, HFC bank that is one of the largest banks in the UK sent an email to their 2600 customers mentioning that an internal operational error has made recipients email address visible to everyone within the email. Consequently, ‘out of office’ feature was triggered from some of the customers and their personal phone numbers and other details were shared with each other (Dickerson, 2004). This shows that even simplest of mistakes can lead to an even bigger problem. As information systems are now considered as the fundamental function, every organization acquires information systems for business automation, better customer service and ROI (return on investment). Moreover, electronic commerce has also introduced many businesses that are only virtually present. For instance, Amazon that is an online store for selling books generates revenue from the Internet. Customers pay via credit cards for the purchased books that are delivered to them. In this scenario, any sort of security breach may inject an SQL injection or cross site scripting attack on the website can affect the business as well as customer confidence. ... It is the responsibility of the organization to protect and secure data privacy. However, there is not a single law that states how to handle customer information. For this reason, organizations sell or trade customer information with business partners and even to third parties. Likewise, sometimes the sole purpose of this personal data exchange is funds. Although, every online organization has a privacy policy which states how they will handle and secure customer data but at the same time there is no verification criteria. In the following sections, we will critically evaluate a single most cyber security weakness for IT managers within an organization. Likewise, our main argument will cover different domains i.e. the local area network, applications, hardware, transmission media, enterprise networking, intranet, extranet etc. As per (Libicki, 2009): â€Å"In theory, all computer mischief is ultimately the fault of the system’s owner if not because of misuse or misconfigurat ion, then because of using a system with security bugs in the first place. In practice, all computer systems are susceptible to errors. The divergence between design and code is a consequence of the complexity of software systems and the potential for human error. The more complex the system and they do get continually more complex the more places there are in which errors can hide† Association and Weakness The above mentioned argument is indicating to a vulnerability resides within the system that can be utilized for hackers to gain access and is known as exploit. Apart from this inherent risk resulting from inadequate coding practices, human element is also considered as a serious threat that is not limited to hardware,

Diverfsity in Small Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diverfsity in Small Business - Research Paper Example One of the main reasons why people start small businesses and their advantages over large business is the fact that their start up requires lower capital than a large business; it can also function on a part time basis than a full time basis. Also small business can cater to niches more than large businesses and without being tied down to any beauracratic hierarchy. Lastly, independence is a factor that appeals to many; the ability to make their own decisions and be flexible in the workplace without looking up to anyone and relying on their decision making. However, small business do lag in some areas; such as the fact that their size makes it difficult for them to obtain loans and other means of capital as well, so there is a chance of bankruptcy or undercapitalization especially on the grounds against large business, small business lose out. Therefore, they need to sharpen their competitive edge in other areas, so that they can remain active and flourish even in competition with la rge businesses as well as small businesses such as them (Fox, 2004). Diversifying is one of the ways in which small business can get an edge over other businesses. Diversity can be taken in the context of workers being from different cultures, religions etc. however, broadly defined as differences between people, be it according to gender, culture, race etc. It brings greater perspective to an organization and fresher ideas to the table, and teaming up and working with different members of the society is beneficial for the organization as they learn to understand and be creative. Diversity is more than a social phenomenon to make an organization have a good feel and a more humane approach to it. It is a crucial aspect of a globalized world, where the world is becoming more and more interconnected every single day with speedier internet and other resources at the disposal of mankind. And since larger organizations can take better benefit of these resources considering their budgets a re usually much larger than those of smaller organizations, smaller organizations can at least become more adept at making themselves as diverse as possible. Consumers are also extremely diverse; and if the company is diverse, they can relate better and consume more consequentially than someone who feels disconnected with a company. Products are now made by a range of people; a product raw material could be bought from a person with a different background, made by someone else, and sold by someone else; and these are just a few basic functions managed by different people, whereas there a million process that go on in making a product. The world of organizations is also becoming more and more consumer oriented than before. Consumers possibly call most of the shots in the making and selling of products; companies cannot force them to buy their products, and they will not make something that doesn’t sell. One of the things that consumers will notice is the reputation of the comp any, what it believes in and projects. And if a company fails that test with consumers; then they have plenty of other companies at their disposal. Which also highlights another fact that consumers are not short of choices; so a company has to work hard and long to keep attracting them in the way that they would like to be wooed, and diversification is a key factor in attracting customers and making your products or services their preferences, over other companies. A big

Developing Mathematic Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Developing Mathematic Thinking - Essay Example How many has he left" may prove more difficult for some beginning students than calculating 5 - 3. Another way to categorise questions is according to the level of thinking they are likely to stimulate, using a hierarchy such as Bloom's taxonomy (Bloom, 1956). Bloom classified thinking into six levels: Memory (the least rigorous), Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation (requiring the highest level of thinking). Sanders (1966) separated the Comprehension level into two categories, Translation and Interpretation, to create a seven level taxonomy which is quite useful in mathematics. As you will see as you read through the summary below, this hierarchy is compatible with the four categories of questions already discussed. The teacher used other students to tackle mathematics hence building confidence in them as this gauges the students' confidence and competence with mathematics tasks. With is kind of an evidence, it is used by the teachers to provide the students with feedback on learning and in turn determine the way students are performing in relation to the outcome.3 The teacher gave a complex sum without developing skills about how to tackle such problems. The teacher ought to have used the mental strategy where he would have asked the student to solve addition or subtraction problems

The Criticism against New York City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Criticism against New York City - Essay Example These include hygiene and health issues, overcrowding, crime, poverty, ethnic conflict, and abysmal housing conditions, particularly in the tenements. A study of the criticisms about the city and the grounds on which it is based is very illuminating. The problem of cleanliness has plagued New York City throughout its history and its association with filth remains to this day. Steinbeck said "New York is an ugly city, a dirty city".1 At one time, it was so dirty, pigs made the city their home and roamed the streets freely. Charles Dickens in his American Notes (1842), 2 gives a humorous account of the "gentlemen hogs" as the city's self - appointed scavengers and contributors of filth and disease. In addition to the disgraceful lack of cleanliness, the city did not have an adequate garbage disposal or sewer system. Therefore the city was susceptible to the attack of infectious diseases. New York has found itself in the grip of epidemic disease more often than it would care to remember. In the words of Lankevich, "Yellow fever visited the city five times between 1795 and 1822, and in 1832, a new strain of cholera swept into New York. Cholera reappeared in 1834, 1849, and 1855, typhoid fever ravaged the immigrants in 1837, and typhus erupted in 1842".3 Frances Trollope in her Domestic Manners of the Americans remarked on the queer practice New Yorkers had of fleeing the city in particular seasons in order to escape the dreaded plague. Over the years as the situation became increasingly serious and disease continued to ravage the city and its populace, public officials and the citizens themselves did everything they could to improve living conditions. Consequently there was considerable improvement in cleanliness levels and killer diseases were kept at bay. It is the general opinion that New York has failed to resolve its hygiene issues to this very day. Most critics insist that the city has not risen to the challenge of sanitation. They point to the slums which remain cesspools of dirt and disease, as evidence to support their claim. Moreover the city continues to wrestle with health issues, particularly the problem of communicable diseases. While diseases like cholera and typhoid have been effectively controlled thanks to the intervention of modern medical science, more threatening diseases like Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) have emerged to plague the populace. At one time it was considered to be hardly a cause for alarm as it was believed to be restricted exclusively to the homosexual community. Statistics however tell a different story of the rapid spread of AIDS in epidemic proportions. Greenfield and Reid state, "New York City ranks number one in the country when it comes to its rate of AIDS cases per population - and has more cases than the four runner - up cities combined".4 Truly a shocking state of affairs! From hordes of swine to deadly viruses the city continues to struggle with hygiene and disease. In the face of things, hygiene and disease seem miniscule issues when compared to the problems that have stemmed from the city's rapidly increasing population. New York City has thrown open its gates to immigrants of various ethnic backgrounds. Russians, Germans, Irish, Jews and Asians have thronged to its shores

Developing Mathematic Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Developing Mathematic Thinking - Essay Example How many has he left" may prove more difficult for some beginning students than calculating 5 - 3. Another way to categorise questions is according to the level of thinking they are likely to stimulate, using a hierarchy such as Bloom's taxonomy (Bloom, 1956). Bloom classified thinking into six levels: Memory (the least rigorous), Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation (requiring the highest level of thinking). Sanders (1966) separated the Comprehension level into two categories, Translation and Interpretation, to create a seven level taxonomy which is quite useful in mathematics. As you will see as you read through the summary below, this hierarchy is compatible with the four categories of questions already discussed. The teacher used other students to tackle mathematics hence building confidence in them as this gauges the students' confidence and competence with mathematics tasks. With is kind of an evidence, it is used by the teachers to provide the students with feedback on learning and in turn determine the way students are performing in relation to the outcome.3 The teacher gave a complex sum without developing skills about how to tackle such problems. The teacher ought to have used the mental strategy where he would have asked the student to solve addition or subtraction problems

Political Science Critique Essay Example for Free

Political Science Critique Essay Why is it to be changed? For as a citizen of the Philippines experiencing simple life can see this problem in our country. It is said in the sections that â€Å"official language is the prescribed medium of communication in the government, courts and schools. It may not be the national language†. Including with this, the official language of the Philippines are Filipino and English. And that is the error of this part of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. We should not include ENGLISH as an official language of our country. First, is it implication that Americans are still in our culture especially in our Constitution. Second, we must have only one official language for us Filipinos will not be confused. It is acceptable that if we will use ENGLISH language in the school because it is a place of learning. But in the government and courts we should not use ENGLISH language. By this act we insult other FILIPINOS. Why? Let us accept the fact that some of the FILIPINOS are trying hard understanding or speaking in ENGLISH and some of the FILIPINOS are what we call â€Å"mangmang†. How can the â€Å"maralitang mga-tiga lungsod† understand these things? We should consider their or should I say our capabilities. For some instance, In having a hearing in the congress by speaking in ENGLISH we think that the whole Philippines got it? NO!, considering that some of the topics are not understandable because we can’t relate because they use such highfaluting words. It is said that Filipinos are the master of the country but how can that be if they can’t understand what we’re trying to implement in their land also how can we get their opinions if they can’t understand it. Second instance, In having trials, mostly fair and poor persons are always convicted due to poverty. If I am in their situation having a trial that I can’t understand, It is a big insult. To sum this up, In Philippines we should consider first our own before anything else. And solving problems should start in little problems like these because we can fixed thing starting in little not in big ones. And some little things like these is the mode and kind of communication in our country. NEW PROVISION: The national and official language of the Philippines is Filipino. As it evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing  Philippine and other languages. Filipino and English languages as a medium of official communication of instruction in educational system but In Government and Courts the medium of communication shall be our national language.