The Life of Gertrude Bell, English Explorer in Iraq

The Life of Gertrude Bell, English Explorer in Iraq Gertrude Bell (July 14, 1868 – July 12, 1926) was a British writer, politician, and archaeologist whose knowledge and travels in the Middle East made her a valuable and influential person in British administration of the region. Unlike many of her countrymen, she was regarded with considerable respect by the locals in Iraq, Jordan, and other countries. Fast Facts: Gertrude Bell Full Name: Gertrude Margaret Lowthian BellKnown For: Archaeologist and historian who gained significant knowledge of the Middle East and helped shape the region post-World War I. She was particularly influential in the creation of the state of Iraq.Born: July 14, 1868 in Washington New Hall,  County Durham, EnglandDied: July 12, 1926 in Baghdad, IraqParents: Sir Hugh Bell and Mary BellHonors: Order of the British Empire; namesake of the mountain Gertrudspitze and the wild bee genus  Belliturgula Early Life Gertrude Bell was born in Washington, England, in the northeastern county of Durham. Her father was Sir Hugh Bell, a baronet who was a sheriff and a justice of the peace before joining the family manufacturing firm, Bell Brothers, and gaining a reputation for being a progressive and caring boss. Her mother, Mary Shield Bell, died giving birth to a son, Maurice, when Bell was only three years old. Sir Hugh remarried four years later to Florence Olliffe. Bell’s family was wealthy and influential; her grandfather was ironmaster and politician Sir Isaac Lowthian Bell. A playwright and children’s author, her stepmother was a major influence on Bells early life. She taught Bell etiquette and decorum, but also encouraged her intellectual curiosity and social responsibility. Bell was well-educated, first attending Queen’s College, then Lady Margaret Hall at Oxford University. Despite the limitations placed on female students, Bell graduated with first-class honors in just two years, becoming one of the first two Oxford women to achieve those honors with a modern history degree (the other was her classmate Alice Greenwood). World Travels After completing her degree, in 1892, Bell began her travels, first heading to Persia to visit her uncle, Sir Frank Lascelles, who was a minister at the embassy there. Only two years later, she published her first book, Persian Pictures, describing these travels. For Bell, this was only the beginning of over a decade of extensive travel. Bell quickly became a bonafide adventurer, going mountaineering in Switzerland and developing fluency in several languages, including French, German, Persian, and Arabic (plus proficiency in Italian and Turkish). She developed a passion for archaeology and continued her interest in modern history and peoples. In 1899, she returned to the Middle East, visiting Palestine and Syria and stopping in the historic cities of Jerusalem and Damascus. In the course of her travels, she began to become acquainted with the people living in the region. In addition to simply traveling, Bell continued some of her more daring expeditions. She climbed Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, and even had one peak, the Gertrudspitze, named after her in 1901. She also spent considerable time in the Arabian Peninsula over the course of more than a decade. King of Saudi Arabia, Ibn Saud, meets with British diplomat Sir Percy Cox and political advisor Gertrude Bell in Basra, Mesopotamia. The LIFE Picture Collection / Getty Images Bell never married or had any children, and only had a few known romantic attachments. After meeting the administrator Sir Frank Swettenham on a visit to Singapore, she kept up a correspondence with him, despite their 18-year age gap. They had a brief affair in 1904 after his return to England. More significantly, she exchanged passionate love letters from 1913 until 1915 with Lieutenant Colonel Charles Doughty-Wylie, an army officer who was already married. Their affair remained unconsummated, and after his death in action in 1915, she had no other known romances. Archaeologist in the Middle East In 1907, Bell began working with archaeologist and scholar Sir William M. Ramsay. They worked on excavations in modern-day Turkey, as well as the discovery of a field of ancient ruins in the north of Syria. Two years later, she shifted her focus to Mesopotamia, visiting and studying the ruins of ancient cities. In 1913, she became only the second foreign woman to journey to Ha’li, a notoriously unstable and dangerous city in Saudi Arabia. When World War I broke out, Bell tried to obtain a posting in the Middle East but was denied; instead, she volunteered with the Red Cross. However, British intelligence was soon in need of her expertise in the region to get soldiers through the desert. During her expeditions, she forged close relationships with locals and tribe leaders. Starting from there, Bell gained remarkable influence in shaping British policy in the area. Bell became the sole female political officer in the British forces and was sent to areas where her expertise was needed. During this time, she also witnessed the horrors of the Armenian genocide and wrote about it in her reports of the time. The delegates of the Mespot Commission at the Cairo Conference. The group was set up by Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill to discuss the future of Arab nations. Gertrude Bell on the left, second row. Corbis Historical / Getty Images Political Career After British forces captured Baghdad in 1917, Bell was given the title of Oriental Secretary and ordered to assist in the restructuring of the area that had previously been the Ottoman Empire. In particular, her focus was the new creation of Iraq. In her report, â€Å"Self Determination in Mesopotamia,† she laid out her ideas about how the new leadership should work, based on her experience in the region and with its people. Unfortunately, the British commissioner, Arnold Wilson, believed that the Arab government needed to be overseen by British officials who would hold the final power, and many of Bell’s recommendations were not implemented. Bell continued on as Oriental Secretary, which in practice meant liaising between the various different factions and interests. At the Cairo Conference of 1921, she was critical in discussions on Iraqi leadership. She advocated for Faisal bin Hussein to be named the first King of Iraq, and when he was installed in the post, she advised him on a wide variety of political matters and supervised the selection of his cabinet and other positions. She gained the moniker al-Khatun among the Arab population, signifying a â€Å"Lady of the Court† who observes to serve the state. Bell also participated in the drawing of borders in the Middle East; her reports from that time proved to be prescient, as she remarked on the likelihood that none of the possible borders and divisions would satisfy all factions and keep long-term peace. Her close relationship with King Faisal also resulted in the founding of the Iraqi Archaeological Museum and an Iraq base of the British School of Archaeology. Bell personally brought artifacts from her own collection and supervised excavations as well. Over the next few years, she remained a key part of the new Iraqi administration. Death and Legacy Bell’s workload, combined with the desert heat and a slew of illnesses, took its toll on her health. She suffered from recurrent bronchitis and began losing weight rapidly. In 1925, she returned to England only to face a new set of problems. Her family’s wealth, made mostly in industry, was in rapid decline, thanks to the combined effects of industrial worker strikes and economic depression across Europe. She became ill with pleurisy and, almost immediately after, her brother Hugh died of typhoid fever. On the morning of July 12, 1926, her maid discovered her dead, apparently of an overdose of sleeping pills. It was unclear if the overdose was accidental or not. She was buried at the British cemetery in the Bab al-Sharji district in Baghdad. In the tributes following her death, she was praised for both her achievements and her personality by her British colleagues, and she was posthumously awarded the Order of the British Empire. Among the Arabic communities she worked with, it was noted that â€Å"she was one of the few representatives of His Majestys Government remembered by the Arabs with anything resembling affection.† Sources Adams, Amanda. Ladies of the Field: Early Women Archaeologists and Their Search for Adventure. Greystone Books Ltd, 2010.Howell, Georgina. Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006.Meyer, Karl E.; Brysac, Shareen B. Kingmakers: The Invention of the Modern Middle East. New York: W.W. Norton Co., 2008.

Typical Course of Study for 12th Grade

Typical Course of Study for 12th Grade In their last year of high school, most students are wrapping up required courses, shoring up any weak areas, and using electives to explore potential career options.   College-bound seniors may need guidance  in selecting the best courses to support their secondary-education plans. Some students may be planning a gap year to allow themselves time to figure out their next steps while others may be going directly into the workforce. Because 12th-graders plans can vary so widely, its essential to help them customize their coursework for their final high school credits.   Language Arts Many colleges expect a student to complete four years of high school language arts. A typical course of study for 12th grade includes literature, composition, grammar, and vocabulary. If a student has not completed British, American, or World Literature, senior year is the time to do so. A focused study of Shakespeare is another option, or students may choose from other books recommended for high school seniors. It is common for students to spend a semester each researching, planning and writing two in-depth  research papers. Students should learn how to complete a cover page, cite sources, and include a bibliography.   It is also wise to use the time when theyre writing their research papers to ensure that students have a strong working knowledge of standard computer software and programs used to format and print their document. This may include word processing, spreadsheet, and publishing software. Students also need to continue writing a variety of essay styles across the curriculum on a wide range of topics. Grammar should be incorporated in this process, ensuring that students understand the difference between formal and informal writing, when to use each, and how to use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation in all types of writing. Math By 12th grade, most students have completed Algebra I, Algebra II, and geometry. If they have not, they should use their senior year to do so.   A typical course of study for 12th-grade math includes  a solid understanding of algebra, calculus, and statistics concepts. Students may take classes such as pre-calculus, calculus, trigonometry, statistics, accounting, business math, or consumer math. Science Most colleges expect to see only 3 years of science credit, therefore a fourth year of science is not required for graduation in most cases, nor is there a typical course of study for the subject. Students who have not already completed 3 years of science should work on completion during their senior year. Students who are going into a science-related field may wish to take an additional science course. Options for 12th-grade science include physics, anatomy, physiology, advanced courses (biology, chemistry, physics), zoology, botany, geology, or any dual-enrollment college science course.   Students may also wish to pursue purely interest-led courses in the science field, such as equine studies, nutrition, forensics, or horticulture. Social Studies As with science, most colleges expect to see only 3 years of social studies credit, so there is no standard course of study for 12th-grade social studies. Students may be interested in elective courses that fall under the category of social studies such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, geography, world religions, or theology. If they have not previously studied them, the following topics are good options for 12th grade: principles of U.S. government; primary documents of the U.S.; United States agriculture; urbanization; conservation; business and industry in the U.S.; propaganda and public opinion; comparative governments; comparative economic systems; consumer education; economics; and taxation and finance. Students may also wish to study topics such as international relations and organizations and  American foreign policy or take a dual-enrollment college course. Electives Most colleges expect to see at least 6 elective credits. College-bound students should consider courses such as foreign language (at least two years of the same language) and the visual and performing arts (at least one year of credit).   Students who are not college-bound should be encouraged to earn elective credit in areas of potential career interest. Students can study almost any topic for elective credit.   Some options include graphic design, computer programming, digital media, typing, public speaking, debate, home economics, test prep, or drafting. In many cases, students can count work experience for elective credit. Many colleges also expect to see at least one year of physical education credit and one semester of health or first aid.

Islamic history Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Islamic history - Term Paper Example The Rise of misunderstandings between the Crusaders and the Muslim was mainly because few Muslims, even those in Andalus, had any contact with the Franks before the era of the Crusades. There was a wide spread of assumption among the Muslims, even those who are educated. According to, â€Å"the Franks through Muslim eyes† in Egger text, the Ibn Munqidh, Usama regarded them as being slow because they lived in cold climates.1 The misunderstanding arose because the Crusaders and the Muslims had different cultures A good example is in the legal process, the Franks believed in trial by combat where the accused could challenge tha accuser theough a fight. The community believed that the righteous person will be favoured by God. The theory also believed that a person can also name someone to take his place in the fight and God will favour the righteous. This theory is different as compared Muslim legal system. The Muslims had developed ruled of procedure and evidence under the sharia law. The Franks also dis not make any effort to understandIslam or learn Arabic and therefore, did not make any contribution to the cross-cultural understanding. On the other hand, the Muslim groups were divided in a countercrusade against the Franks. Individual Muslims led campains against the Franks and those who were not affected by the crusades had little interest in the conslicts. These interactions clearly shows that there are differences in the state of medicine between the crusaders and the Muslims. In the memoirs of Usamah Ibn-Munqidh, the Franks are seen to have more sophisticated medicines that could even cure scrofula and they are willing to share medicine for free.2 This is clear when a Frank prescribed this medication to Abu al-Fath. The interaction between the Franks and the Muslims also show a difference in the relationship between the sexes. The muslim, specifically Usamah

Could machines have minds ( in answering, explain what you mean by Essay

Could machines have minds ( in answering, explain what you mean by mind) - Essay Example When the computer was in its early development stages, it was thought of as an electronic, thinking device, the mechanical equivalent of the human brain. This misconception is a gross oversimplification of the seemingly limitless boundaries of the human mind. The potential of machines were thought to be able to eventually encompass â€Å"an inductive and creative mind, capable of taking initiative, to which human beings could confide all their problems and obtain instant solutions in return† (Ifrah, 1997: 1679). This misconception in the early days of the computer has carried over even to today. This discussion examines the functions of the computer brain along with the similarities and differences to the human brain in addition to the meaning of knowledge and the limitations of machines as compared to the human mind. It also delves into the complex definition of consciousness in some depth so as to illuminate the distinctions between the human mind and the ‘mind’ of the machine. Simply stated, computers are machines which effectively carry out algorithmic functions. The machine discerns formalized input through a sequence of fixed stages through a predetermined, straightforward set of rules of a standardized and exacting description. This allows computers to perform procedures in a precise number of steps. Mechanical computers, unlike the functions of the computer-like brain do not have the capability to determine right from wrong nor can they make judgments, have no feelings and cannot think on their own. It cannot be denied that some types of intelligence can be attributed to computers but this capacity is very limited when balanced against the boundless intricacies in a human’s brain. However, the computer is superior when considering its capability to process information at a higher speed. This has provided humans a useful tool for a myriad of endeavors. Nevertheless, computers cannot reason, imagine, invent, create, express

A Down-to-Earth Approach Essay Example for Free

A Down-to-Earth Approach Essay The postindustrial revolution is defined by computer technology. Since 1950, a third technological transformation has been unleashed by the development of the computer. The crucial technology of a postindustrial age concerns information. Computer technology forms the core of an Information Revolution. And, just as the Industrial Revolution did, the Information Revolution is now generating a host of new, specialized occupations. From a worker’s point of view, in the same way that the acquisition of technical skills held the key to success in the past, now workers must enhance their literacy skill as that is valued in the marketplace. The economic reality is that people unable to speak, write, or otherwise communicate effectively face declining economic opportunity. Computer technology has reduced the role of human labor in production. But to those that are able to rise to the challenge of the Information Age, however, the coming decades will bring new opportunities. The information Revolution is changing not just what people do but where they do it. The last economic revolution centralized the work force in factories, a pattern demanded by energy sources and the enormity of the new machinery. Today, however, consultants, salespeople, architects, writers, and other employees in â€Å"new cottage industries† can work virtually anywhere so long as they are equipped with computers, facsimile (fax) machines, electronic notebooks, and other new information devices that are increasingly lightweight and portable. Today’s more educated and skilled workers also no longer require-and often do not tolerate – the close supervision that marked yesterday’s factories. Further, the Postindustrial economy, a productive system based on service work and high technology is by nature an ongoing process. REFERENCE Henslin, James M. (2006). Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach, Core Concepts (2nd ED). New York: Allyn Bacon.

The Strike of 1934 :: United States History Essays

The Strike of 1934 On May 9th 1934 a organized labor strike started in San Francisco that would snowball into a city crippling strike. The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) declared a strike for all longshoremen on the west coast, until they received better wages, a union-administered hiring hall, and union membership as a prerequisite for employed longshoremen. The Strike of 1934 lasted for three months, stopping maritime trade in the ports of the Western United States, from San Diego to Seattle. The clash was between the Industrial Association (IA), composed of big business and employers wanting to break the strike, and the ILA, along with other unions that dealt with maritime trades. The Strike of 1934 displayed the power the organized labor had, and how the mistreatment of labor can shut down an entire city and coast. The timing was just right for the maritime workers to strike. The grips of the Great Depression fueled laborers to maintain and improve their quality of life and security for their families. Congresses investigation into the 1934 San Francisco Strike concluded that â€Å"the aspirations of labor which led to the strike were directed from the change in public opinion expressed in the National Industrial Recovery Act. The potentialities of a protected right to bargain collectively were quickly perceived by waterfront workers.†[1] The shift in public opinion came from the need for the government to be more socially responsible to insure survival of the nation during the depression. The depression was as devastating as it was due to the lack of government involvement, a welfare state was needed. According to the Congressional investigation, â€Å"The first notice that forceful demands would be made by the longshoremen appeared in December [1933] when the local voted on the question of participating in a coast-wide strike. Lee J. Holman, then president of the local, stated the longshoremen would demand a 6-day, 30-hour week at a minimum rate of $1 per hour.†[2] Such demands were modest when considering the necessity of waterfront workers to a maritime based economy. This was at a time when the Bay and Golden Gate bridges were still under construction. Before the bridges, overland travel in the San Francisco Bay Area was longer, slower, and couldn’t carry as heavy loads as sailing across the bay.

Rocket Boys Memoir Passage Analysis

Rocket Boys Throughout the memoir about his youth, Homer Hickam in Rocket Boys demonstrates excellence in prose. Hickam, a former aerospace engineer from NASA, credibly and masterfully crafts his memoir so as to bring the reader into his mindset. His insightful descriptions of action enable the reader to experience the moment firsthand with him through their imagination. He carefully selects his words in order to create an image in the mind of the reader through his deliberate syntax, powerful diction, literary devices, and imagery. The following passage is an example of his powerful prose: Sherman wanted to light the fuse, but I worried whether he could get away from it fast enough. ‘Don’t you worry about me,’ he said with such intensity that I instantly gave in. In a lot of ways, Sherman was the least handicapped person I’d known. He lit the fuse and ran back to a rock. Flames burst from Auk II. It sat for a moment spewing smoke and sparks and rocking on its fins. Then it jumped ten feet into the air, turned and zipped into the woods behind us, ricocheted off an oak tree, rebounded back to the slack, twisted around once, twanged into the boulder Quentin and I were hiding behind, jerked twenty feet into the air, coughed once, and dropped like a dead bird. (Hickam 91) This passage is excellent because it displays literary excellence while also revealing a moment of self awareness in Hickam’s thoughts. There are two key portions to this quotation. The first is the momentary reflection that Hickam had concerning his friend, and the second being the description of Auk II’s flight. In the first half of the passage Hickam displays a moment of self awareness. Sherman Siers, a member of Hickam’s BCMA, had a left leg that had been damaged due to polio. Hickam states that at first he worried that Sherman that Sherman might not be able to retreat quickly enough after lighting the fuse to Auk II, but he gave in due to the confidence and zeal that Sherman possessed. In retrospect he writes â€Å"In a lot of ways, Sherman was the least handicapped person I’d known. † (91) Here Hickam realizes that what many people label as handicaps may be in fact the opposite. Sherman’s handicap caused him to rise to the challenge and in doing so he gained a confidence that empowered him through other challenges that everyone in life may face; to Sherman handicaps were merely a state of mind. The second half of the portion, which describes the flight of the rocket, is teeming with literary goodies; the first of which being the syntax of the sentences. The first of the goodies is the sentence syntax. In the sentences leading up to the rockets takeoff, you can see the sentence lengths are short and excited. Then it changes when it reaches the sentence: â€Å"It sat for a moment spewing smoke and sparks and rocking on its fins† (91). Just as the rocket is delayed sitting for a moment on the ground, the sentence length increases from that of the past sentences to show the delay through syntax. The final sentence is lengthy and jumbled with verbs all throughout it. The constant usage of verbs each following the other gives a very staccato rhythm making the sentence very quick paced and full of action. This final sentence has a whopping total of ten verbs that show the actions and path of the rocket. By looking at the structure of the sentence, one can almost see the rocket flying all over the place jerking this way and that and finally hitting the ground with a thud at the period. Other goodies in the later portion of the passage include the strong choice in diction and literary devices he employs. Hickam superior choice in diction is evident in the final two sentences. Hickam carefully chose each word according to its sound and meaning. He did not try to sophisticate his word choices to make himself seem intelligent. Instead he searched carefully for words that though simple to understand, create just the description for the rocket’s action. Some of the words like â€Å"twanged† (91) and â€Å"zipped† (91) are even examples of onomatopoeia; that is the words sound like what they mean. At the end of the final sentence Homer employs the simile â€Å"dropped like a dead bird† (91). This simile has a dual purpose as both a simile and a pun. This sentence brings an abrupt end to the crazy flight path of the rocket and creates a visual of the rocket plummeting to ground in the minds of the readers, yet at the same time it is a play on words. A pun is the usage of a word which has two meanings to invoke humor. In this case the word which has two meanings is the word â€Å"bird† (91). The name of the rocket, the Auk II, is an allusion to the Great Auk which is an extinct, flightless seabird. When Hickam used the phrase â€Å"dropped like a dead bird† (91), he meant to show the rocket’s rapid descent while also humorously referring back to the origin of he rocket’s name. The last sentence from the passage is an excellent example of imagery. Instead of merely telling the readers about the rocket’s launch, Hickam shows the rocket’s launch to his readers. Using phrases like â€Å"twanged into the boulder† (91) and â€Å"jerked twenty feet into the air† (91), Hickam invokes the senses of seeing and hearing to bring the reader firsthand into the action. Overall I really enjoyed reading Rocket Boys. The passages really brought me into Hickam’s mindset and I was able to see the world from his point of view. The frequent literary devices entertained my mind, while my imagination was absorbed in the imagery in the book. I was inspired by Sonny’s determination to succeed and make something of himself. I did not find any truly weak parts of this memoir as I personally was absorbed in every moment in it. However I can understand if some people were to find it dull or boring at times due to lack of action. Unfortunately many readers today read only for action and violence, so due to a general lack of these in Rocket Boys, many people might find it unentertaining. I would only recommend this to a person who reads to be inspired and not merely to be entertained. Personally I found myself captivated by the book’s imagery and unknowingly I found myself on a mission to find every little literary device possible. Throughout my reading I always viewed the book positively and eagerly read ahead to find out what would happen next. Rocket Boys is an excellent book that I found to be truly inspirational and has positively impacted on my view on my own life. Now I truly believe that if I work hard enough, I can achieve just about anything.

Programm

Programming exercises 1. Consider the following incomplete C++ program #include int main() { †¦. } a. Write a statement that include the header files fstream, string, and iomanip in this program. b. Write statements that declare inFile to be an ifstream variable and outFile to be an ofstream variable. c. The program will read data from the file inData. txt and write output to the file outData. txt. Write statements to open both of these files, associate inFile with inData. txt, and associate outFile with outData. txt. . Suppose that the file inData. txt contains the following data: 10. 20 5. 35 15. 6 Randy Gill 31 18500 3. 5 A The numbers in the first line represent the length and width, respectively, of a rectangle. The number in the second line represents the radius of a circle. The third line contains the first name, last name, and the age of a person. The first number in the fourth line is the savings account balance at the beginning of the month, and the second number is th e interest rate per year. (Assume thatp = 3. 1416. The fifth line contains an uppercase letter between A and Y (inclusive). Write statements so that after the program executes, the contents of the file outData. txt are as shown below. If necessary, declare additional variables. Your statements should be general enough so that if the content of the input file changes and the program is run again(without editing and recompiling), it outputs the appropriate results. Rectangle: Length = 10. 20, width = 5. 35, area = 54. 57, parameter = 31. 10 Circle: Radius = 15. 60, area = 764. 4, circumference = 98. 02 Name: Randy Gill, age: 31 Beginning balance = $18500. 00, interest rate = 3. 50 Balance at the end of the month = $18553. 96 The character that comes after A in the ASCII set is B e. Write statements that close the input and output files. f. Write a C++ program that tests the statements in parts a through e. 4. During each summer, John and Jessica grow vegetables in their back yard and buy seeds and fertilizer from a local nursery. The nursery carries different types of vegetable fertilizers in various bag sizes. When buying a particular fertilizer, they want to know the price of the fertilizer per pound and the cost of fertilizing per square foot. The following program prompts the user to enter the size of the fertilizer bag, in pounds, the cost of bag, and the area in square feet, that can be covered by the bag. The program should output the desired result. However, the program contains logical errors. Find and correct the logic errors so that the program works properly. // Logic Errors #include #include iomanip> using namespace std; int main() { double cost; double area; Double bagSize cout

Interpretations of The Road by Cormac McCarthy essays

Interpretations of The Road by Cormac McCarthy essays Cormac McCarthy, author of "The Road," was raised Roman Catholic and attended Catholic High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. He then went to the University of Tennessee in 1951-52 where he majored in liberal arts. McCarthy joined the U.S. Air Force in 1953 where he served four years, spending two of them in Alaska, where he hosted a radio show. He has written ten novels of various genres; Southern Gothic, Western, and Post-Apocalyptic. In 2006, Alfred A. Knopf published "The Road," which won the Pulitzer Prize for literature. McCarthy was granted an interview with Oprah Winfrey, who had chosen "The Road" for her Book Club. Not only did it win a Pulitzer Prize, but it also won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. McCarthy was truly one of America's great writers! "The Road" opens after an apocalyptic event. The first few pages of the novel situate us in the landscape of ash and isolation. The boy and the man are the main characters and McCarthy never discloses their given names. The boy and the man suffering from exposure to cold temperatures and lack of food. They encounter many dangers on the road as they travel south. As they move inland to a pine forest, they come to a point where the man can't go any further. Feeling exhausted and worn out, he lies down beside the road and dies. Before he passes away, he speaks words of encouragement and love to his son. The reader never knows for sure if it's the trauma of the arrow that pierced his leg or his respiratory illness that led to his demise. Much of the book leads up to this event, and the man's interactions with the boy can be seen as an attempt to prepare the boy to live in the world on his own. Luckily, after his father's death, he encounters a family on the road and is welcomed to tra vel along with them. The book seems just to stop there, leaving it to the reader's imagination to find out what is next. Critics love the brain twister ending of the book, and I agree ...

How to Reveal Invisible Ink Messages

How to Reveal Invisible Ink Messages Most invisible ink messages can be revealed by heating the paper on which they are written. The ink weakens the fibers in the paper so the message discolors (burns) before the rest of the paper. The real secret, aside from the message, is how to reveal it without setting your paper on fire. Tip: Dont use a lighter, match, or open fire to reveal your invisible ink message. You can lay the paper over an incandescent light bulb with fairly good results, but it is hard to tell if your paper is hot enough, so you may not know whether your paper is blank or whether you just cant see the message. There Are Other Methods That Work Better You can iron your paper (dont use steam). This is probably the best method, but you may not have an iron or else have no idea where you put it. A hot iron for your hair also works. Another simple method is to wave the paper over a hot stove. If you have a secret invisible ink message, youll start to see some distortion of the paper as it gets hot. If you continue heating the paper, the message will darken to a gold or brown color. If you use a stove, its still possible to ignite your message, but it is a lot less likely than if you used fire. You Can Use Almost Anything to Write an Invisible Ink Message Try using a broken toothpick as a pen and saliva or lemon juice as ink. You can even use plain water to write the message... the message wont darken, but when you first heat the paper the fibers that were moved when the paper absorbed the water will bulge out a bit. Try it!

Changes in Technology and Criminal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Changes in Technology and Criminal Law - Essay Example Nonetheless, custom software is elusive and not taxable. Different stats have developed specific laws that deal with the taxability of computer software transactions. There is so much attention to the changes Information Technology has brought to the criminal law practice. The domination of computers and the internet as well as the development of related electronics is changing and is expected to go on changing and due to this, other aspects of daily life are also affected and changing and particularly the practice of law. Information technology is a very tough, radical force that is pushing for changes in many areas of economy and these changes are paramount. Computers have come with development of a lot of things ranging from flow of information, gadgetry, crime and general sociability of people. The law has nor been spared by these changes and some aspect have seen drastic changes while others have remained relatively constant due to conservative of technology. Several aspects of law that have been affected include patent law, commercial law, and even tax laws. Patent law has not experienced a lot of changes. The US has explained in detail the way patents should be dealt with as well as computers from which these change in criminal law emerged (Noortwijk 2006). The Supreme Court is responsible for this. Copyright law is the most affected aspect of criminal law that draws these changes from the computer technology. The congress created a regulation that was supposed to take care of this issue (national commission on new technological uses of copyrighted works). Reproducing content or designing a program that is similar to another one wi thout the consent of the original creator is illegal yet with advancement in technology, this is very common. There are rules in place that address pre-computer copyright and formation of new laws in connection to computers. In terms of privacy, the law is very clear that selling or intentional exposure of people's personal infringes their privacy and hence it's illegal. Storage of large files of individual information on computers database is very risky. Government files are also a risk to privacy (Noortwijk 2006). There is federal statute on privacy in place. It's evident that the widespread changes in the practice of criminal law are as a result of technology and in particular, the advent of the computer. Most state laws and federal governments' regulation have passed laws that are aimed at curbing computer crimes. On the other hand computers have been very beneficial in the criminal investigations. The use of computer is thought to have refined the federal regulation of evidences as these rules are basically interpreted, assessed, and analyzed with regard to computer technolog