Ethic Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethic Challenges - Essay Example The current elderly population is as a result of the boom in births between the year 1946 and 1964. The medical services at that time were excellent and consequently many children born survived. A requirement for more healthcare providers and services emerges for rationing health care services to serve the sick population (Raingruber, 2014). The legislature must embrace rationing soon to ensure maximum utilization of the available resources. Otherwise, the federal government must spend more in employing more providers and procurement of more equipment that may consequently suppress other sectors in the state. The American healthcare services should be available for all its citizens. The American population comprises mostly Judaism and Christians who value life as a precious gift (Kelly, Magill, & Have, 2013). The medical ethics state that the nurses should offer the best healthcare services to the patients in their hour of need (Eileen, 2013). The nurses and the patients who already have insurance covers, however, may get the universal health care slogan challenging since it will compromise on the quality of the services. The increased population that requires medical services will stress on the limited available nurses and medical equipment. However, the government can implement the universal medicare by budgeting more on the equipment and

The Myers-Briggs Essay Example for Free

The Myers-Briggs Essay The Myers-Briggs type indicator is a widely used to help individuals gain insight into there personality type and communication patterns. This tool will help the career counselor as well as the client have a better understanding on how the client judges and perceives the world. The type indicator is a beneficial tool for gaining insight into future career endeavors. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was developed by Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs in order to have a better understanding of differences and similarities in human personalities. The instrument is based on the psychological theory of Carl Jung, who strongly suggested in the 1920s that personality traits are inherited or innate. Myers and Briggs used Jungs theory to develop a list of four ranges of personality traits. They refined their definitions over and over again during the 1940s and 1950s by administering thousands of assessments (Gordon Martin, 2004). The MBTI identifies preferences rather than competencies it is designed to help you understand your unique personality and the way you relate to others around you. Backed by thousands of research studies, the MBTI assessment is both reliable and valid in assessing personality traits. The eight characteristics that are defined in the MBTI are not traits that vary in quantity; they are dichotomous constructs that describe equally legitimate but opposite ways in which we use our minds (Briggs-Myers, McCauley, Quenk, Hammer, 2003). The MBTI describes a dynamic personality system such that the 16 types are greater than the sum of their parts. This instrument is the most widely used personal instrument in the world-2 million administrations are given each year (Martin, 1997). Today their personality assessment instrument is more widely used by educators in the US than any other. It is not like other psychological tests in that it does not uncover illness or psychosis (Briggs-Myers, McCauley, Quenk, Hammer, 2003). It was designed to help normal people understand normal human behavior. Therefore, it could be used as an assessment instrument to help individuals select careers that suite their type preferences. There are eight types arranged in four continuums or scales. Everyone uses each of the types but there is an innate preference for one. The different types explain how individuals communicate and see the world. The MBTI uses these four separate dichotomies; two of these S-N and T-F, describe functions and reflect basic preferences for use of perceptions and judgment, the other two E-I and J-P, reflect attitudes or orientations. Together these functions and orientations influence how a person perceives a situation and decides on a course of action. The scales are explained below: Extravert-Introvert: In the extraverted attitude the energy flow is outward, and the preferred focus is on people and things, whereas in the introverted attitude the energy flow is inward, and the preferred focus is on inner thoughts and ideas. Extraverts (E) are energized by interaction with others such as they love to talk, participate, organize, and party. Extroverts like action. Es are pulled into life’s social interaction and may find it difficult to due things such as; settle down, read, or concentrate on written work. It is suggested that extravert due not to enjoy listening and would prefer to talk to work out their ideas. They would find tasks such as reading, research, or writing challenging because they are solitary endeavors (Briggs-Myers, McCauley, Quenk, Hammer, 2003).. Introverts (I) are energized by the inner world of reflection though thought and contemplation. They need space and time alone. Introverts like activities such as; reading, lectures, written, or oral work. They usually have a longer attention span and prefer to think things through before acting (Briggs-Myers, McCauley, Quenk, Hammer, 2003). . Sensing-Intuitive (S-N) Sensing and Intuition are the perceiving functions. They indicate how a person prefers to receive data from the environment around him. These are the non-rational functions, as a person does not necessarily have control over receiving data, but only how to process it once they have it. Sensing prefers to receive data primarily from the five senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch), and intuition prefers to receive data from the unconscious, or seeing relationships via insights. Often it is called sixth sense or gut feel†. This scale suggests how you take in information and reported to have the biggest impact on how we learn (Briggs-Myers, McCauley, Quenk, Hammer, 2003). Sensing (S) people depend heavily on their five senses to ingest information. They base knowledge on concrete facts, organization, and structure. They tend to be good at memorization, usually realistic, and relatively conventional. Ss are focused and oriented on the present, the concrete, and the here and now. Sensing people have a tendency to like outlines, clear guidelines, and specifics. They have difficulty relying on theories. Intuitive (N) individuals see the world through intuition. They learn by hunches, look at the big picture verse small details. They want to know the theory before deciding that facts are important. They have a tendency to be creative, innovative, and work with bursts of energy. Intuitive people ask why before anything else (Briggs-Myers, McCauley, Quenk, Hammer, 2003). Thinking-Feeling: Thinking and Feeling are the rational functions. They are used to make rational decisions concerning the data they received from their perceiving functions. Thinking is characterized as preferring to be logical and analytical and thinking in terms of true or false. Thinking decisions tend to be based on more objective criteria and facts. Feeling, which refers to subjective criteria and values, strives for harmonious relationships and considers the implications for people. Feeling decisions tend to be based on what seems more good or less bad according to values. This range tells how people make decisions (Briggs-Myers, McCauley, Quenk, Hammer, 2003). . Thinking (T) people make decisions based of logic, analysis, and reason. They follow their head rather than heart, they tend to value truth. At times thinkers can appear blunt and uncaring about the feelings of others. Ts usually have strongly held principles, value fairness over everything, and need purpose in their life. People who must make decisions that negatively effect many individual lives (surgeons and corporation presidents) are often thinking types. Feeling (F) individuals follow their heart rather than their head. They decide on the basis of their feelings, personal likes and dislikes. They tend to want others to like them therefore they find it difficult to say no or disagree with others. Fs need and value kindness. Feeling type’s value harmony and are distressed by interpersonal friction. Feeling types are often found in social work, elementary school teaching, and other helping professions. They will feel rewarded when they can help others (Briggs-Myers, McCauley, Quenk, Hammer, 2003). Judging-Perceiving: This range suggests the type of life style and work habits we prefer. It shows how people relate to the world around them. The J person tends to prefer to create and live in an ordered environment. Words like structured and controlled come to mind. Js tend to plan their work and work their plan. They often come across as decisive. The P individual tends to prefer a flexible, wait-and-see environment. Words like spontaneous and adaptable and open-minded best describe him or her. Judging (J) types try to order and control their world. They are decisive, may be closed-minded, and are usually well organized. The meet deadlines, like planning, and prefer to work on only one thing at a time (Briggs-Myers, McCauley, Quenk, Hammer, 2003). Perceiving (P) types are spontaneous and do not enjoy to be boxed in by deadlines or plans. They want to gather more information before making a decision. They tend to multitask or have a variety of activities in their lives. Ps are flexible and often good in emergencies when plans are disrupted. Their biggest problem tends to be procrastination. They may make a calendar of things to do, but will probably lose it (Briggs-Myers, McCauley, Quenk, Hammer, 2003). Jung originally developed his theory of types as part of his counseling with his clients. Distinguishing type can shed light on issues of self-esteem, relationship difficulties, life development and transitions, as well as decision making. As Jung suggests human behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, due to the basic differences in the way individuals prefer to use their judgment and perception. Perception involves all the ways of becoming aware of things, people, happenings, and ideas (Briggs-Myers, McCauley, Quenk, Hammer, 2003). Judgments involve all the ways of coming to conclusions about what has been perceived. Every individual could be described as unique. Each of us is a product of heredity and environment and, as a result, is different from everyone else. The idea behind uniqueness, however, gives no practical help in understanding the people whom we must educate, counsel, work with, or interact with in our personal lives. The assumption of similarity, therefore can promote misinterpretations and misunderstandings of humans because peoples minds operate differently. People’s perceptions and judgments are all choices, in accordance with principles of human development (Gordon Martin, 2004). According to Jung’s theory the instrument can be beneficial in organizational development as well as career development. Through the instrument individuals can gain self understanding which leads to self awareness (Briggs-Myers, McCauley, Quenk, Hammer, 2003). When individuals have self awareness they gain knowledge on personal preferences and dislikes. MBTI suggests that when people understand how they communicate with others there can be a wealth of positive outcomes such as; increased appreciation for colleges, improvement in communication, a better understanding of how to deal with conflict, enhancement in problem solving, and better decision making (Gordon Martin, 2004). Dr. Charles Martin suggests that research clearly has shown that people are attracted to careers choices that will allow them to make use of their natural type preferences. He also suggests that through all the four letters of the final personality types can affect the kind of career that interests you (Martin, 1997). A person’s combination of the two middle letters has particular importance on the career choice you pick. That is the combination of perception (sensing or intuition) and judgment (thinking and feeling) seems to have the most influence on which kinds of careers will attract you (Martin, 1997). The individual’s type can provide the career counselor with useful information as well as the client on a variety of issues related to career choice. Based on I verse E, this will determine a persons need for social interaction, J verse P can interpret how organized an individual needs to be verse how flexible they can be (Gordon Martin, 2004). Obviously there is more to an individual them there type so it is also necessary for the individual to make decisions for a career choice. Under the assumption a career counselor would have knowledge and be educated on the Myers Briggs assessment this specific tool could be beneficial for job placement of career choice. If people gain insight in to what motivates them, possibly they could choose a career that would satisfy that need.

A Comparison of Religion in Sir Gawain and Green Knight and Othello Ess

Role of Religion in Sir Gawain and Othello      Ã‚   Respect for religion and government is an important part of any country, but what happens to a country when these values begin to change?   England was beginning to go through this change in 1603 when Othello was written by William Shakespeare.   Comparing the religious themes and heroes of Othello to the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight which was written during the Middle English era, will demonstrate just how far England had come.   Both heroes are clearly religious, but Gawain maintains his faith until the end, while Othello falls into the snare of temptation.   The spiritual hero of Middle English is quite different from the tragic hero of the Machiavellian era.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To begin, look at a night in the life of Sir Gawain.   It is Christmas Eve and Gawain is in need.   He needs a place to stay in his search for the Green Knight's castle and he has traveled a long way.   What does he do?   Gawain could boast of his great ability to find his way and gallop on.   He could give up and go home as many others would.   He could become so completely discouraged after all his hard work with no results, that he wishes someone would just thrust a sword into his side and put him out of his misery. Gawain doesn't do any of those things though.   That is just not Sir Gawain of Camelot.   He is not that kind of hero.    And at that holy ride He prays with all his might That Mary may be his guide Till a dwelling comes in sight. (736-739)    If that wasn't enough, Gawain continues praying when he realizes that it is Christmas Day and he is missing mass:    I beseech of Thee, Lord, And Mary, thou mildest mother so dear, Some harborage where... ...troduction" Modern Critical Interpretations, Othello Ed. Harold Bloom, Pub. Chelsea House New Haven CT 1987. (1-6)    Dinney, Larry. Religion and Tradition in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1995.    Gardner, John. The Complete Works of the Gawain Poet. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1965.    Gawain Poet. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams et al. 6th ed. 1 vol. New York: W.W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. 1:200-254    Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (39-55)    Snyder, Susan. "Beyond the Comedy: Othello" Modern Critical Interpretations, Othello Ed. Harold Bloom, Pub. Chelsea House New Haven CT 1987. (page 23-37)

Angels Demons Chapter 32-35

32 Langdon held his breath as the X-33 spiraled into Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport. Vittoria sat across from him, eyes closed as if trying to will the situation into control. The craft touched down and taxied to a private hangar. â€Å"Sorry for the slow flight,† the pilot apologized, emerging from the cockpit. â€Å"Had to trim her back. Noise regulations over populated areas.† Langdon checked his watch. They had been airborne thirty-seven minutes. The pilot popped the outer door. â€Å"Anybody want to tell me what's going on?† Neither Vittoria nor Langdon responded. â€Å"Fine,† he said, stretching. â€Å"I'll be in the cockpit with the air-conditioning and my music. Just me and Garth.† The late-afternoon sun blazed outside the hangar. Langdon carried his tweed jacket over his shoulder. Vittoria turned her face skyward and inhaled deeply, as if the sun's rays somehow transferred to her some mystical replenishing energy. Mediterraneans, Langdon mused, already sweating. â€Å"Little old for cartoons, aren't you?† Vittoria asked, without opening her eyes. â€Å"I'm sorry?† â€Å"Your wristwatch. I saw it on the plane.† Langdon flushed slightly. He was accustomed to having to defend his timepiece. The collector's edition Mickey Mouse watch had been a childhood gift from his parents. Despite the contorted foolishness of Mickey's outstretched arms designating the hour, it was the only watch Langdon had ever worn. Waterproof and glow-in-the-dark, it was perfect for swimming laps or walking unlit college paths at night. When Langdon's students questioned his fashion sense, he told them he wore Mickey as a daily reminder to stay young at heart. â€Å"It's six o'clock,† he said. Vittoria nodded, eyes still closed. â€Å"I think our ride's here.† Langdon heard the distant whine, looked up, and felt a sinking feeling. Approaching from the north was a helicopter, slicing low across the runway. Langdon had been on a helicopter once in the Andean Palpa Valley looking at the Nazca sand drawings and had not enjoyed it one bit. A flying shoebox. After a morning of space plane rides, Langdon had hoped the Vatican would send a car. Apparently not. The chopper slowed overhead, hovered a moment, and dropped toward the runway in front of them. The craft was white and carried a coat of arms emblazoned on the side – two skeleton keys crossing a shield and papal crown. He knew the symbol well. It was the traditional seal of the Vatican – the sacred symbol of the Holy See or â€Å"holy seat† of government, the seat being literally the ancient throne of St. Peter. The Holy Chopper, Langdon groaned, watching the craft land. He'd forgotten the Vatican owned one of these things, used for transporting the Pope to the airport, to meetings, or to his summer palace in Gandolfo. Langdon definitely would have preferred a car. The pilot jumped from the cockpit and strode toward them across the tarmac. Now it was Vittoria who looked uneasy. â€Å"That's our pilot?† Langdon shared her concern. â€Å"To fly, or not to fly. That is the question.† The pilot looked like he was festooned for a Shakespearean melodrama. His puffy tunic was vertically striped in brilliant blue and gold. He wore matching pantaloons and spats. On his feet were black flats that looked like slippers. On top of it all, he wore a black felt beret. â€Å"Traditional Swiss Guard uniforms,† Langdon explained. â€Å"Designed by Michelangelo himself.† As the man drew closer, Langdon winced. â€Å"I admit, not one of Michelangelo's better efforts.† Despite the man's garish attire, Langdon could tell the pilot meant business. He moved toward them with all the rigidity and dignity of a U.S. Marine. Langdon had read many times about the rigorous requirements for becoming one of the elite Swiss Guard. Recruited from one of Switzerland's four Catholic cantons, applicants had to be Swiss males between nineteen and thirty years old, at least 5 feet 6 inches, trained by the Swiss Army, and unmarried. This imperial corps was envied by world governments as the most allegiant and deadly security force in the world. â€Å"You are from CERN?† the guard asked, arriving before them. His voice was steely. â€Å"Yes, sir,† Langdon replied. â€Å"You made remarkable time,† he said, giving the X-33 a mystified stare. He turned to Vittoria. â€Å"Ma'am, do you have any other clothing?† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† He motioned to her legs. â€Å"Short pants are not permitted inside Vatican City.† Langdon glanced down at Vittoria's legs and frowned. He had forgotten. Vatican City had a strict ban on visible legs above the knee – both male and female. The regulation was a way of showing respect for the sanctity of God's city. â€Å"This is all I have,† she said. â€Å"We came in a hurry.† The guard nodded, clearly displeased. He turned next to Langdon. â€Å"Are you carrying any weapons?† Weapons? Langdon thought. I'm not even carrying a change of underwear! He shook his head. The officer crouched at Langdon's feet and began patting him down, starting at his socks. Trusting guy, Langdon thought. The guard's strong hands moved up Langdon's legs, coming uncomfortably close to his groin. Finally they moved up to his chest and shoulders. Apparently content Langdon was clean, the guard turned to Vittoria. He ran his eyes up her legs and torso. Vittoria glared. â€Å"Don't even think about it.† The guard fixed Vittoria with a gaze clearly intended to intimidate. Vittoria did not flinch. â€Å"What's that?† the guard said, pointing to a faint square bulge in the front pocket of her shorts. Vittoria removed an ultrathin cell phone. The guard took it, clicked it on, waited for a dial tone, and then, apparently satisfied that it was indeed nothing more than a phone, returned it to her. Vittoria slid it back into her pocket. â€Å"Turn around, please,† the guard said. Vittoria obliged, holding her arms out and rotating a full 360 degrees. The guard carefully studied her. Langdon had already decided that Vittoria's form-fitting shorts and blouse were not bulging anywhere they shouldn't have been. Apparently the guard came to the same conclusion. â€Å"Thank you. This way please.† The Swiss Guard chopper churned in neutral as Langdon and Vittoria approached. Vittoria boarded first, like a seasoned pro, barely even stooping as she passed beneath the whirling rotors. Langdon held back a moment. â€Å"No chance of a car?† he yelled, half-joking to the Swiss Guard, who was climbing in the pilot's seat. The man did not answer. Langdon knew that with Rome's maniacal drivers, flying was probably safer anyway. He took a deep breath and boarded, stooping cautiously as he passed beneath the spinning rotors. As the guard fired up the engines, Vittoria called out, â€Å"Have you located the canister?† The guard glanced over his shoulder, looking confused. â€Å"The what?† â€Å"The canister. You called CERN about a canister?† The man shrugged. â€Å"No idea what you're talking about. We've been very busy today. My commander told me to pick you up. That's all I know.† Vittoria gave Langdon an unsettled look. â€Å"Buckle up, please,† the pilot said as the engine revved. Langdon reached for his seat belt and strapped himself in. The tiny fuselage seemed to shrink around him. Then with a roar, the craft shot up and banked sharply north toward Rome. Rome†¦ the caput mundi, where Caesar once ruled, where St. Peter was crucified. The cradle of modern civilization. And at its core†¦ a ticking bomb. 33 Rome from the air is a labyrinth – an indecipherable maze of ancient roadways winding around buildings, fountains, and crumbling ruins. The Vatican chopper stayed low in the sky as it sliced northwest through the permanent smog layer coughed up by the congestion below. Langdon gazed down at the mopeds, sight-seeing buses, and armies of miniature Fiat sedans buzzing around rotaries in all directions. Koyaanisqatsi, he thought, recalling the Hopi term for â€Å"life out of balance.† Vittoria sat in silent determination in the seat beside him. The chopper banked hard. His stomach dropping, Langdon gazed farther into the distance. His eyes found the crumbling ruins of the Roman Coliseum. The Coliseum, Langdon had always thought, was one of history's greatest ironies. Now a dignified symbol for the rise of human culture and civilization, the stadium had been built to host centuries of barbaric events – hungry lions shredding prisoners, armies of slaves battling to the death, gang rapes of exotic women captured from far-off lands, as well as public beheadings and castrations. It was ironic, Langdon thought, or perhaps fitting, that the Coliseum had served as the architectural blueprint for Harvard's Soldier Field – the football stadium where the ancient traditions of savagery were reenacted every fall†¦ crazed fans screaming for bloodshed as Harvard battled Yale. As the chopper headed north, Langdon spied the Roman Forum – the heart of pre-Christian Rome. The decaying columns looked like toppled gravestones in a cemetery that had somehow avoided being swallowed by the metropolis surrounding it. To the west the wide basin of the Tiber River wound enormous arcs across the city. Even from the air Langdon could tell the water was deep. The churning currents were brown, filled with silt and foam from heavy rains. â€Å"Straight ahead,† the pilot said, climbing higher. Langdon and Vittoria looked out and saw it. Like a mountain parting the morning fog, the colossal dome rose out of the haze before them: St. Peter's Basilica. â€Å"Now that,† Langdon said to Vittoria, â€Å"is something Michelangelo got right.† Langdon had never seen St. Peter's from the air. The marble faà §ade blazed like fire in the afternoon sun. Adorned with 140 statues of saints, martyrs, and angels, the Herculean edifice stretched two football fields wide and a staggering six long. The cavernous interior of the basilica had room for over 60,000 worshipers†¦ over one hundred times the population of Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. Incredibly, though, not even a citadel of this magnitude could dwarf the piazza before it. A sprawling expanse of granite, St. Peter's Square was a staggering open space in the congestion of Rome, like a classical Central Park. In front of the basilica, bordering the vast oval common, 284 columns swept outward in four concentric arcs of diminishing size†¦ an architectural trompe de l'oiel used to heighten the piazza's sense of grandeur. As he stared at the magnificent shrine before him, Langdon wondered what St. Peter would think if he were here now. The Saint had died a gruesome death, crucified upside down on this very spot. Now he rested in the most sacred of tombs, buried five stories down, directly beneath the central cupola of the basilica. â€Å"Vatican City,† the pilot said, sounding anything but welcoming. Langdon looked out at the towering stone bastions that loomed ahead – impenetrable fortifications surrounding the complex†¦ a strangely earthly defense for a spiritual world of secrets, power, and mystery. â€Å"Look!† Vittoria said suddenly, grabbing Langdon's arm. She motioned frantically downward toward St. Peter's Square directly beneath them. Langdon put his face to the window and looked. â€Å"Over there,† she said, pointing. Langdon looked. The rear of the piazza looked like a parking lot crowded with a dozen or so trailer trucks. Huge satellite dishes pointed skyward from the roof of every truck. The dishes were emblazoned with familiar names: Televisor Europea Video Italia BBC United Press International Langdon felt suddenly confused, wondering if the news of the antimatter had already leaked out. Vittoria seemed suddenly tense. â€Å"Why is the press here? What's going on?† The pilot turned and gave her an odd look over his shoulder. â€Å"What's going on? You don't know?† â€Å"No,† she fired back, her accent husky and strong. â€Å"Il Conclavo,† he said. â€Å"It is to be sealed in about an hour. The whole world is watching.† Il Conclavo. The word rang a long moment in Langdon's ears before dropping like a brick to the pit of his stomach. Il Conclavo. The Vatican Conclave. How could he have forgotten? It had been in the news recently. Fifteen days ago, the Pope, after a tremendously popular twelve-year reign, had passed away. Every paper in the world had carried the story about the Pope's fatal stroke while sleeping – a sudden and unexpected death many whispered was suspicious. But now, in keeping with the sacred tradition, fifteen days after the death of a Pope, the Vatican was holding Il Conclavo – the sacred ceremony in which the 165 cardinals of the world – the most powerful men in Christendom – gathered in Vatican City to elect the new Pope. Every cardinal on the planet is here today, Langdon thought as the chopper passed over St. Peter's Basilica. The expansive inner world of Vatican City spread out beneath him. The entire power structure of the Roman Catholic Church is sitting on a time bomb. 34 Cardinal Mortati gazed up at the lavish ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and tried to find a moment of quiet reflection. The frescoed walls echoed with the voices of cardinals from nations around the globe. The men jostled in the candlelit tabernacle, whispering excitedly and consulting with one another in numerous languages, the universal tongues being English, Italian, and Spanish. The light in the chapel was usually sublime – long rays of tinted sun slicing through the darkness like rays from heaven – but not today. As was the custom, all of the chapel's windows had been covered in black velvet in the name of secrecy. This ensured that no one on the inside could send signals or communicate in any way with the outside world. The result was a profound darkness lit only by candles†¦ a shimmering radiance that seemed to purify everyone it touched, making them all ghostly†¦ like saints. What privilege, Mortati thought, that I am to oversee this sanctified event. Cardinals over eighty years of age were too old to be eligible for election and did not attend conclave, but at seventy-nine years old, Mortati was the most senior cardinal here and had been appointed to oversee the proceedings. Following tradition, the cardinals gathered here two hours before conclave to catch up with friends and engage in last-minute discussion. At 7 P.M., the late Pope's chamberlain would arrive, give opening prayer, and then leave. Then the Swiss Guard would seal the doors and lock all the cardinals inside. It was then that the oldest and most secretive political ritual in the world would begin. The cardinals would not be released until they decided who among them would be the next Pope. Conclave. Even the name was secretive. â€Å"Con clave† literally meant â€Å"locked with a key.† The cardinals were permitted no contact whatsoever with the outside world. No phone calls. No messages. No whispers through doorways. Conclave was a vacuum, not to be influenced by anything in the outside world. This would ensure that the cardinals kept Solum Dum prae oculis†¦ only God before their eyes. Outside the walls of the chapel, of course, the media watched and waited, speculating as to which of the cardinals would become the ruler of one billion Catholics worldwide. Conclaves created an intense, politically charged atmosphere, and over the centuries they had turned deadly: poisonings, fist fights, and even murder had erupted within the sacred walls. Ancient history, Mortati thought. Tonight's conclave will be unified, blissful, and above all†¦ brief. Or at least that had been his speculation. Now, however, an unexpected development had emerged. Mystifyingly, four cardinals were absent from the chapel. Mortati knew that all the exits to Vatican City were guarded, and the missing cardinals could not have gone far, but still, with less than an hour before opening prayer, he was feeling disconcerted. After all, the four missing men were no ordinary cardinals. They were the cardinals. The chosen four. As overseer of the conclave, Mortati had already sent word through the proper channels to the Swiss Guard alerting them to the cardinals' absence. He had yet to hear back. Other cardinals had now noticed the puzzling absence. The anxious whispers had begun. Of all cardinals, these four should be on time! Cardinal Mortati was starting to fear it might be a long evening after all. He had no idea. 35 The Vatican's helipad, for reasons of safety and noise control, is located in the northwest tip of Vatican City, as far from St. Peter's Basilica as possible. â€Å"Terra firma,† the pilot announced as they touched down. He exited and opened the sliding door for Langdon and Vittoria. Langdon descended from the craft and turned to help Vittoria, but she had already dropped effortlessly to the ground. Every muscle in her body seemed tuned to one objective – finding the antimatter before it left a horrific legacy. After stretching a reflective sun tarp across the cockpit window, the pilot ushered them to an oversized electric golf cart waiting near the helipad. The cart whisked them silently alongside the country's western border – a fifty-foot-tall cement bulwark thick enough to ward off attacks even by tanks. Lining the interior of the wall, posted at fifty-meter intervals, Swiss Guards stood at attention, surveying the interior of the grounds. The cart turned sharply right onto Via della Osservatorio. Signs pointed in all directions: Palazzio Governatorio Collegio Ethiopiana Basilica San Pietro Capella Sistina They accelerated up the manicured road past a squat building marked Radio Vaticana. This, Langdon realized to his amazement, was the hub of the world's most listened-to radio programming – Radio Vaticana – spreading the word of God to millions of listeners around the globe. â€Å"Attenzione,† the pilot said, turning sharply into a rotary. As the cart wound round, Langdon could barely believe the sight now coming into view. Giardini Vaticani, he thought. The heart of Vatican City. Directly ahead rose the rear of St. Peter's Basilica, a view, Langdon realized, most people never saw. To the right loomed the Palace of the Tribunal, the lush papal residence rivaled only by Versailles in its baroque embellishment. The severe-looking Governatorato building was now behind them, housing Vatican City's administration. And up ahead on the left, the massive rectangular edifice of the Vatican Museum. Langdon knew there would be no time for a museum visit this trip. â€Å"Where is everyone?† Vittoria asked, surveying the deserted lawns and walkways. The guard checked his black, military-style chronograph – an odd anachronism beneath his puffy sleeve. â€Å"The cardinals are convened in the Sistine Chapel. Conclave begins in a little under an hour.† Langdon nodded, vaguely recalling that before conclave the cardinals spent two hours inside the Sistine Chapel in quiet reflection and visitations with their fellow cardinals from around the globe. The time was meant to renew old friendships among the cardinals and facilitate a less heated election process. â€Å"And the rest of the residents and staff?† â€Å"Banned from the city for secrecy and security until the conclave concludes.† â€Å"And when does it conclude?† The guard shrugged. â€Å"God only knows.† The words sounded oddly literal. After parking the cart on the wide lawn directly behind St. Peter's Basilica, the guard escorted Langdon and Vittoria up a stone escarpment to a marble plaza off the back of the basilica. Crossing the plaza, they approached the rear wall of the basilica and followed it through a triangular courtyard, across Via Belvedere, and into a series of buildings closely huddled together. Langdon's art history had taught him enough Italian to pick out signs for the Vatican Printing Office, the Tapestry Restoration Lab, Post Office Management, and the Church of St. Ann. They crossed another small square and arrived at their destination. The Office of the Swiss Guard is housed adjacent to Il Corpo di Vigilanza, directly northeast of St. Peter's Basilica. The office is a squat, stone building. On either side of the entrance, like two stone statues, stood a pair of guards. Langdon had to admit, these guards did not look quite so comical. Although they also wore the blue and gold uniform, each wielded the traditional â€Å"Vatican long sword† – an eight-foot spear with a razor-sharp scythe – rumored to have decapitated countless Muslims while defending the Christian crusaders in the fifteenth century. As Langdon and Vittoria approached, the two guards stepped forward, crossing their long swords, blocking the entrance. One looked up at the pilot in confusion. â€Å"I pantaloni,† he said, motioning to Vittoria's shorts. The pilot waved them off. â€Å"Il comandante vuole vederli subito.† The guards frowned. Reluctantly they stepped aside. Inside, the air was cool. It looked nothing like the administrative security offices Langdon would have imagined. Ornate and impeccably furnished, the hallways contained paintings Langdon was certain any museum worldwide would gladly have featured in its main gallery. The pilot pointed down a steep set of stairs. â€Å"Down, please.† Langdon and Vittoria followed the white marble treads as they descended between a gauntlet of nude male sculptures. Each statue wore a fig leaf that was lighter in color than the rest of the body. The Great Castration, Langdon thought. It was one of the most horrific tragedies in Renaissance art. In 1857, Pope Pius IX decided that the accurate representation of the male form might incite lust inside the Vatican. So he got a chisel and mallet and hacked off the genitalia of every single male statue inside Vatican City. He defaced works by Michelangelo, Bramante, and Bernini. Plaster fig leaves were used to patch the damage. Hundreds of sculptures had been emasculated. Langdon had often wondered if there was a huge crate of stone penises someplace. â€Å"Here,† the guard announced. They reached the bottom of the stairs and dead-ended at a heavy, steel door. The guard typed an entry code, and the door slid open. Langdon and Vittoria entered. Beyond the threshold was absolute mayhem.

Advertising and Older Consumers: Image and Ageism

In past years the market that most advertisers aimed towards was the Gen X group. Now many advertisers are shooting at the even younger Generation Y. The interesting thing is that many of these products advertised are items that all generations use, such as food, soft drinks, clothing, cars, entertainment, etc. Rarely are older generations revealed using these products in print ads or commercials. The Issue: This creates the issue to advertisers that they stereotype older generations and reinforce society's misconception that people over 50 are feeble, pitiable, or incompetent. In many cases advertisers do just this. Remember the commercial for Lifecall emergency alert device in the early 90's where the elderly Ms. Fletcher fell in her bathroom and, while lying there helpless, she calls out, â€Å"I've fallen and I can't get up.† Despite the importance of this product to seniors who live alone, the commercial quickly became the brunt of many jokes, including skits on Saturday Night Live and the Tonight Show. Could Lifecall have designed a better advertising campaign that would not have alienated or mocked its target market? This brings up the question of whether advertisers have a responsibility to change the mindset that being over 50 is old? Are they responsible to change the way society views 50+? Can they even change society's views of 50+? Absolutely! By utilizing cross-generational advertising, marketers can benefit the consumers, companies, advertisers, and society as a whole. The Stakeholders: 50+ Consumers – The nature of the 50+ age group is rapidly changing. Humans are living longer and are more active than ever before. They don't feel old and feeble, so why would they want to support product advertising that makes them appear weak and vulnerable? They don't. Advertisers/Corporations – Advertising is the primary source that companies use to inform and educate the public about their product while influencing consumers to purchase it. In the past marketers have primarily advertised towards younger generations because they have more impulsive buying behaviors. Also, according to the case, many executives in the marketing field are from younger generations; therefore, they create advertising campaigns with which they can identify. Society – The overall public, including the target market, views marketing campaigns. Almost everyone has access to publications and television that contain advertising directed at specific groups. For example, children watch the programs their parent's watch and parents watch children's programming. We are all exposed to advertising that might or might not be directed towards our generational market and it influences our opinions about those groups. Utilitarianism Theory: Cross-generational advertising is a method of marketing that illustrates many generations using the same products without segregating or degrading any generational groups. This will produce the greatest long-term benefits to the most number of stakeholders. First, using models from Generation Y through the GI Generation will create awareness and a better understanding of age diversity in the consumer market. In turn, stereotypes of older generations will be broken. This could lead to a social and economic breakthrough. Older generations will feel more accepted in society and will have the urge to be more active. As they become more active, greater consumer spending is generated which benefits the corporation's overall profits and its stockholders. Free Market Theory: According to the IPC Magazine survey identified in the case, 62% of women prefer to see women their own age advertising products towards them1. In addition the over-50 age groups claim the majority of wealth and generate over 51% of consumer spending in the United States2 (see Graph). If companies would advertise using over-50 models and actors, brand recognition would be established because the older consumers would identify with the advertisement and therefore purchase the product. If you look at this from a company's perspective, there is a substantial market vying for cross-generational advertising. Since the company exists to make money for its shareholders, what would be better than to target the market that possesses the greatest wealth and majority of consumer spending? Rights Theory: Companies have the right to advertise their products to the target markets of their choice. At the same time the consumer has a right to be informed without being misled or deceived. In many cases the messages that advertisements relay give consumers misperceptions about a particular generational group. For example, the majority of pharmaceuticals are advertised using 50+ models. Rarely are these models used for products such as apparel, soft drinks, or new cars. This gives the general public the misconception that anyone over 50 is sick, weak, and unable to use the products that â€Å"everyone† else uses. Justice Theory: When reviewing ageism in advertising, the over-50 population is treated less equitably. A cross-generational marketing strategy would allow 50+ models to advertise everyday products while still appealing to younger markets. This would compensate for past injustices to older generations by finally giving them an accurate portrayal in the media. Marketing campaigns could also incorporate models from different generations to distribute equal time and equal representation in advertising. In the end, future retribution will be given to millions of older Americans as age discrimination in the media is diminished. Social Contract Theory: In the end, advertisers need to gain the trust of their consumers. As long as they continue to mock older generations or ignore them all together, they run the risk of â€Å"punitive reactions – consumer boycott, regulation, media hostility, financial loss, and above all loss of reputation1.† They also owe society a picture of reality when it comes to the aging population. The Baby Boomer generation, with a population of 76 million, is the largest and most economically powerful demographic group in the US3. As a majority of this group has already passed the 50-year mark and the rest are soon to follow, an accurate depiction of our modern day aging process is needed because eventually everyone will pass through these same life stages.

immigration irish essays

immigration irish essays Like most of the Irish, Kearneys family probably lived as farmers on a tiny farm they didnt own. Potatoes were grown because they took so little land and they grew well in the moist soil of Ireland. Potatoes were probably the main food of the Kearney family. Therefore, when the potato blight hit, the family probably had as little food to eat as the rest of the Irish. The famine lasted over 10 years. The worst years were from 1840 to 1850, when over a million in Ireland died of starvation. It was in 1840 that 12 year old Martin and his family left County Mayo, Ireland for a better life. Travel to America at that time was horrifying. Many sailed in coffin ships or fever ships. They were called that because a lot of ships werent seaworthy, and typhoid fever and other diseases killed man passengers. The ships were cargo ships, not passenger ships. The conditions were filthy. The food was disgusting. Passengers were crowded below deck, and there wasnt enough water to wash. The trip often took 3 months. The conditions on some ships have been compared to those of slave ships. When they arrived in America the Irish immigrants were treated very harshly. So many Irish arrived during the famine years that America couldnt absorb them. They were a different religion. They were unskilled in labor. They tended to remain in the large Eastern cities. They lived in slums, the poorest are of the cities. They were hired for only the lowest jobs. The men worked as unskilled laborers building railroads and canals and working in the coal mines. The women were hired as maids. But even so, many advertisements for jobs said things like, Wanted: A woman for a maid. Any color or religion but NO IRISH. Kearney probably entered the United States in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We know he settled in Pittston, where the family remained for 3 and a half generations. Many Irish from County Mayo s ...

History Essays

History Essays History Essay History Essay During the winter of 1692, in the small village of Salem, Massachusetts, something terrible happened. Salem Massachusetts became the center of a horrible tragedy, which changed the life of many people. It was a time of fear, because of bad crops, Indian raids, and diseases. The people of Salem Village had to blame something, or someone. The people of Salem Village accused people, and called them witches. They were accused of all those terrible things and more. Salem Village was a small, farming community with a population of 550. It was smaller than Salem Town, and about eight miles away. Salem Town was a large port, and was a prosperous fishing community The two towns had the same minister, and used the same church as the people in Salem Village. At that time there was two groups in the village. Those who wanted to be separate from Salem Town, and those who did not. Samuel Parris was the minister of the group that did want to be separate. He helped divide the groups even more by his sermons. He called the group that did not want to separate, evil and bad, and the group that did, good and righteous. Compare with the dynasty of Qing, people was had no cerebration to share money ith strangers so that the problem of extreme disparity between the rich and the poor was very serious and it bought out many refugees indirectly. To the political factors, China has been increased the commercial potential with foreign base on the industry development under the Peoples Livelihood and this make China become more internationalization. The other philosophy of Three Peoples Principle is Democracy. Democracy means strive for the political power of people. Before 1911, China interior government was full of corruptions and the office holders were misuse heir power to hector people. Confront these reasons, people live perplexity because of office holders savage acts and the high taxation. To modify this situation, Sun Yixian address a country abundant or not is base on people. People should have a power to interference government and also partake with governments decision through an election. Sun Yixian hope that everyone is equal under his dominion. In front of this conversion, the relations between government and people has been changed. Governments work position is not depends on authority anymore, everyone an enter the different Jobs of government with their own competence in the civil servant examination system. With the proceed of Democracy, people finally own the right to speak and the efficiency of administrations interior operate was increased substantially. For the last cerebration of Three Peoples Principle is Nationalism which the creation of a strong Chinese state. Nationalism is a way to united different races of China and it also mind to strive for every races are equality. Racial discrimination is familiar nowadays and it always call injured within the argue etween different nations. The problem of extreme disparity between the rich and the poor is not only being in a society, it may also being in a country Just like China. Power and money decided each races value and bought out resentful. Base on Sun Yixians theory, this action is violate the framework of equal. To reform the relation between race and race, Sun Yixian suppose use morality and peaceful to be a groundwork and there are no distinction whatever what race you are. To the smaller nation, we have to help them and support them in every way so that they may ecome more formidable. A united country is a key point to resist enemy and develop society vigorously. For this superiority, foreign will not try to start a war with China easily. To sum up the political situation between 1911 and 1924 which has changed by Sun Yixians theory Three Peoples Principle, China has been more powerful and its station of world has been totally increased. After that, Foreign treat China as ones equal since China became industrialization and started has business connections with China. In the other side, the peoples livelihood of China interior was all receive a good quality and the administration is more upright. To contrast with the period which Sun Yixian was not yet appeared in the political world, China was full of internal revolt and foreign invasion and it is very unstable. For the interior of China, people start uprising always and try to push over Qing government such as Wuchang Uprising and Second Guangzhou Uprising because of they cannot accept the eunuchs monopoly of power intensely. Sun Yixian end up Qings tyrannical system and created a new system which is to hand state power back to the people. He also promoted the freedom of the capitalist system successfully. Through by his theory carry, Chinas political affairs become flourishing and more modern. China is not Just a country which a hole in the wall anymore, China has been solely responsible for one section. Base on these reasons, Sun Yixian has became an important politician affecting the development of China between 1911 and 1924 and bring China toa new page. History Essays History Essay History Essay Chapter 1: The Foundations of Complex SocietiesAbraham Neolithic era Moses Paleolithic era Saul cuneiform David Sargon of Akkad Solomon Mesopotamia King Cyrus the Great Homo sapiens Muhammad Gilgamesh Assyrians Nebuchadnezzar Babylonians Allah YahwehThe Boarder Influence of Mesopotamian Society Metallurgical innovations ranked among the most important developments that came about because of ______________________. About 3500 BCE experimentation with ____________ Metallurgy led to the invention of _______________ when Mesopotamian metalworkers learned to alloy _____________ with tin. Unlike pure copper, _____________ is both hard and strong, and it quickly became the preferred metal for military weaponry as craftsmen turned out swards, spears, axes, shields, and armor made of the recently invented metal. The Best known cases of early Mesopotamian influence involved Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews, who preserved memories of their historical experiences in an extensive collection of ______________________. Israelites formed a branch of Hebrews who settled in Palestine (modern day Israel) after 1300 B.C.E, these early _____________________ who inhabited lands between Mesopotamia and Egypt during the second millennium B.C.E. _______________ descended from the southern Israelites who inhabited the kingdom of Judah. According to the Hebrew scriptures (_______________________________), the Hebrews patriarch ________________ came from the Sumerian city of Ur, but he migrated to northern Mesopotamia about 1850 BCE. About 1300 BCE, this branch of the Hebrews departed under the leadership of ____________ and returned to ___________________. Organized into a loose federation of twelve _____________, those Hebrew, known as _______________, fought bitterly with other inhabitants of Palestine and carved out a territory for themselves. Eventually they would abandon their inherited tribal structure in favor of