Privacy Act of 1974 essays

Privacy Act of 1974 essays Introduction: The original version of the Privacy Act of 1974 (S. 3418 Public Law 93-579) according to the Department of Justice (www.usdoj.gov/oip/1974intro.htm) was actually singed into law on September 27, 1975. It was called an omnibus (meaning that it packaged together several pieces of legislation in one bill) code of fair information practices and it set out to regulate the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination... of information through and from the federal executive branches that is personal and should be restricted from general circulation. (This directive of course soon related to educational institutions in addition to federal agencies, and that information will be reviewed later in this paper.) The Department of Justice (DOJ) account of why the bill was necessary explains that the bill was passed ...in great haste toward the conclusion of the Ninety-third Congress. Elected officials who streamlined the process for this bill included Senators Sam Ervin (who headed the Watergate hearings in the U.S. Senate) and Charles Percy, and Congressmen Moorhead and Erlenborn. No conference committee was brought together as is nearly always the case; normally there is a House version and a Senate version and a committee convenes to resolve differences between the two bills. But in this case, there was a sense of urgency because the Ninety-Third Congress was about to be dismissed and, the DOJ reports, Congress was concerned with curbing the illegal surveillance and investigations of individuals by federal agencies that had been exposed during the Watergate scandal. In fact, in 1974 President Richard Nixon who had just resigned his presidency in shame following widely publicized examples of abuse of power in his administration had been found to have tapped phones of political opponents (he had an enemies list); and further, Congress was w...

Heritage Quest Online - US Census Records from Proquest

Heritage Quest Online - US Census Records from Proquest Available free through subscribing libraries, Heritage Quest Online packs in an intuitive interface, fast downloads, and crisp census images. If your library doesnt subscribe, youre missing out! Pros Free to members of subscribing librariesEasy to use interface and crisp, enhanced imagesNotebook feature helps you keep track of searches Cons Not available for an individual subscriptionNo soundex or wildcard search optionsHead of household indexes only Description Includes census images for all decades 1790 to 1930.Head of household indexes for 1790 to 1820, 1860, 1870, 1890, 1900 to 1910 and 1920 to 1930 (partial).Available only as a library subscription, but offered free by participating libraries to members.Advanced search options also include state, county, age, and birthplace, but no wildcard or soundex.Census indexes prepared by Heritage Quest are much more accurate than the common AIS indexes.Images appear in an HTML viewer, with no extra software required.Full-screen, enhanced census images load quickly and are easy to read.Black and white enhanced census images make viewing easier, but could possibly affect quality.Census images are also available as negative images as an alternate opportunity for readability.Handy notebook feature allows you to save census images and citations, and take online notes. Guide Review Developed specifically for library patrons, Heritage Quest Online offers an intuitive, easy-to-use interface and clear, crisp census images. Searching is simple and offers a lot of options, although it lacks the ability to use wildcards or soundex to search for misspelled names. Available census indexes are highly accurate - much more so than commonly used AIS indexes. Census images download quickly and appear as full-screen, enhanced images, though some people claim that this enhancement could introduce errors. Images can be quickly downloaded and saved or printed in Tiff (non-compressed) or PDF format. Overall, Heritage Quest Online is the most flexible census offering available, if you can convince your library to subscribe!

Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Argument - Essay Example Therefore, despite Socrates and Crito consider that a death sentence was unjust, nothing unjust can be done in return. Next, Socrates makes Crito confirm, that when one makes a contract, the true way would to keep the contract. Then, Socrates explains, that he willingly made such a contract (social contract) about sticking to Athenians decisions, and philosopher lived a whole life willingly keeping the contract. Now, in refer to the same state laws Socrates is sentenced to death, and despite the death sentence may be unjust, the injustice would be to betray the contract by escaping the prison. Such unjust decision will only confirm that Socrates deserves the sentence, and logically, will deprive Socrates life of value. The conclusion Socrates and Crito come with is that Socrates ought not to escape prison against Athenians will. To argue the matter, Socrates firstly found premises, which Crito cannot deny, and then accurately referred a whole argument to those premises. Since Socrates argument was logical, Crito agreed with Socrates point of

DISCUSSION REPLY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DISCUSSION REPLY - Essay Example Supporters of the Replacement Model do not believe that interbreeding was common or likely and would not be relevant on an evolutionary level (Clarke, 1-2). There is no perfect theory. The only disagreement that I have with this theory is that it so staunchly argues that interbreeding is not a factor in the origins of modern humans and their populating of the planet. I think that may be a bit short sited. This would be entirely believable if the distinction between the African stock was vastly superior to the products of evolution that has occurred in Europe and Asia. However, if there were enough similarities and interaction it seems inevitable that inbreeding would most certainly occur. This favors the Partial Replacement Theory (Clarke 2-3). However, either perspective is stronger than the idea that all human developed only in Africa and is solely the result of mass migration. Most people have been taught that Neanderthals were the quintessential â€Å"cave-man.† Slow moving, slower thinking, and died off due to an inability to adapt, allowing Homo sapiens to become the ultimate dominant species of Hominid. However, modern researchers are changing that perspective and putting the myth to rest that Neanderthals were slow-witted and little or no real interaction with the African Modern humans migrating into Europe and Asia. Recently remains were discovered that confirm that inbreeding between did occur between Homo sapiens and Neanderthal. This lends credence to the theory that Partial Replacement took place. Neanderthal is presently being found in the modern populations of human beings throughout Asia and Europe at a ratio of %1to %4 presences of Neanderthal ancestry (Viegas 1). The skeletal remains found date back 30,000 to 40,000 years ago; they belong to an individual who shows cranial signs of inherited traits of their mixed heritage. For example, the lower jaw is neither jutting as in

By Reference to three poems in the Tracks anthology Essay Example for Free

By Reference to three poems in the Tracks anthology Essay In the poems Not My Best Side, Reports, and You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly, U.A Fanthorpe explores the theme of authority through the often satirical analysis of her observations and experiences within society. Fanthorpe uses her poetry as a way of expressing her feelings and opinions, and we can learn a great deal about her attitudes towards authority by reading and analysing the three poems chosen. Each poem shows a different aspect of the way authority affects people, and it becomes clear when reading the poems Fanthorpes belief in the ability of power and authority to corrupt people who possess it, and suppress people under it. In the first poem, Not My Best Side, Fanthorpe uses parody to look at the way people are stereotyped by authority according to their gender or status, and challenges their conventional representation within society. She succeeds in doing so by taking three separate characters (each represented by a different stanza), and giving them very different personalities and characteristics to what typical society would expect, and, indeed, what authority has forced upon them. Fanthorpe used Uccellos painting of St George and the Dragon as a source of inspiration: I thought it might be interesting to find voices for characters conventionally seen as good, bad or helpless. Fanthorpe chose this painting because it portrays mythological characterisations very clearly, and Fanthorpe wished to challenge these typical fairytale stereotypes. Fanthorpe has attempted to emphasise a point that authority does not allow enough individuality and simply expects people to conform to pre-conceived opinions of how someone should behave, based on their gender or the position society has placed them in. The poem begins with the conventionally bad character, the Dragon, speaking. In this part of the poem Fanthorpe attempts to show the dragon as an articulate and understanding character, as opposed to the fierce and evil character that he is traditionally expected to be. The dragon appears to be upset about the way he is shown in Uccellos painting, as he believes that he has been portrayed in such a way as to make him seem weak and easily conquered. Why, I said to myself, should my conqueror Be so ostentatiously beardless? The dragon feels that he has been made to look inferior to the very young-looking St George by Uccello, in order for the painting to portray the traditional idea that good (St George) always triumphs over evil (the dragon). However, in this poem, the dragon appears to be a considerate, caring character, and in no way evil. He seems to have accepted the fact that he has (unfairly) been stereotyped as bad, but is upset that in addition to being shown by Uccello as evil, he has also been shown to be defenceless. I dont mind dying Ritually, since I always rise again, But I would have liked a little more blood, To show they were taking me seriously. The dragon is of the opinion that he has been unfairly represented in this painting, as his character has been stifled in all aspects of his character. He wasnt even shown to have a dramatic death, and there was little to blood to signify the defeat of such a (supposedly) malicious character. Although upset, the dragon realises that he has no opinion in the way he is portrayed in the painting, or in fact the whole of society, and therefore concedes to the pressure that has been placed on him to be the conventionally bad character. Poor chap, he has this obsession with Triangles, so he left off two of my Feet. I didnt comment at the time, (What, after all, are two feet to a Monster?) Despite the fact that Uccello left off two of his feet was because the art at the time of the painting was experimenting with drawing in 3D, and the dragons feet were left off by accident, Fanthorpe cleverly uses the mistake to make a very valid point that however the character (the dragon in this case) is in actuality, the characterisations that are placed on them by authority are still always prioritised when people are judging the person, causing their individuality to be lost. The next character Fanthorpe chooses to explore is that of the stereotypically helpless character, the maiden. In Uccellos painting, she is depicted as a pale-faced, frail, damsel in distress. However, in Fanthorpes poem, these perceptions are totally contradicted. The maiden appears to be a very independent, pro-active, calculating individual. The maiden begins her monologue by stating that she does not actually want to be rescued, breaking the stereotype immediately. At the time that Uccello painted this image, women were highly pressured within society to marry the person they were made to marry. However, in this poem, the maiden seems to prefer the dragon to St George. Its hard for a girl to be sure if She wants to be rescued. I mean I quite Took to the dragon. The fact that the maiden would have the audacity to make a statement like this would be shocking, as women in medieval society were expected to conform to the instructions they were given. Fanthorpe also uses sexual innuendo as a way of showing that the maiden is not as innocent as she appears. He made me feel he was all ready to Eat me. And any girl enjoys that. By using this, Fanthorpe makes a statement that the apparently virgin maiden is not actually as innocent as Uccello makes her appear to be, and that women have as much right to sexual freedom and free thought as men do, and are not as naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve or helpless as authority would like to make them. The final part that Fanthorpe chooses to make in this stanza is that the maiden is very independent and focused on her future. Although the thought of being rescued by the young St George is not a desirable one, she still agrees to him rescuing her, as she knows that the long term prospects of going with St George outweighed the ones of staying with the dragon. The dragon got himself beaten by the boy, And a girls got to think of her future. By showing the pro-active attitude of the maiden, Fanthorpe accentuates the fact that women can be as manipulative and as independent as men, and that they are not simply trophies for men, but intelligent, business minded people. Although she prefers the dragon, she concedes to being rescued by St George, not because she want to be with him, but because she feels it would enable her to achieve this she could not with the dragon. Despite conventionally bein portrayed as a brilliant individual, and the patron saint of England, in the final stanza of this poem, St George appears far from a saintly figure. Fanthorpe has chosen to make St George arrogant and inconsiderate. In doing this, Fanthorpe reveals her own critical voice, and emerges as a highly feminist character. St George appears, from the start of his monologue, as very puerile and boastful. My horse is the latest model with Automatic transmission and built in Obsolescence. St George makes a big deal of showing off his state of the art gadgets, showing how important he is. I feel Fanthorpe has included this because she wanted to emphasise the fact that men often adopt an egotistical attitude over women, and flaunt their superiority by the amount of materialistic possessions they have. As we continue to read the stanza, St Georges attitude changes from that of exhibition to one of arrogance and selfishness. He believes that his inferiors should conform to the roles that they have been given to them in society. Dont you want to be killed and/or rescued In the most contempory way? Dont You want to carry out the roles That sociology and myth have designed for you? By including this, Fanthorpe has succeeded in proclaiming the fact that men are seen as the absolute authority when it comes to judging how a person should act or behave within society, and men have gradually inherited the attitude of superiority over women, which will take a long time to rectify. The poem ends with an emphatic statement of Fanthorpes perception of male attitudes towards women. St Georges real, self-centered personality is revealed when he ends his monologue with these words. What, in any case, does it matter what You want? Youre in my way. Fanthorpes opinion of men in societal authority is truly revealed in these final lines. St George is only interested in his image, and he gives no consideration for the other characters in the poem (the maiden and the dragon), and he simply wants to increase his reputation. This point can be related to wider society, where men will not listen to the opinions of women, and do not consider their ideas, as they are not seen as worthy of a voice. Quintessentially, Not My Best Side is a poem that has been written in order to make the point that societal authoritys expectations do not allow individuality, as people are placed under so much pressure to comply to the particular parameters forced upon them, involuntarily, by factors out of anyones control, such as gender. Similarly to Not My Best Side, the poem You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly explores the theme of authority. However, in this instance, U.A Fanthorpe chooses to ridicule the process of attending a job interview. She uses this setting to challenge the authority of the interview panel to make judgements about peoples lives based on prejudices or pre-conceived ideas. The title of the poem, You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly immediately indicates that the applicant failed to get the job because the phrase is clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d as a polite let down at the end of an interview. In my opinion, this phrase may also have been placed as the title of the poem because Fanthorpe is attempting to show the reader that the candidate was not going to be successful in getting the job, no matter how successful the interview went. The poem is an ongoing monologue, with new stanzas beginning after the response of the applicant. From the beginning of the poem, it become clear that the interview panel possess a range of prejudices towards the candidate. These appear to have already influenced the panel enough for them to decide that the applicant is not suitable for the job, and it seems as though the interview is being carried out simply as a formality, which must be endured by the applicant. It is evident that the candidates answers are seen as insignificant by the interviewing panel from the very beginning, as their response to the panels questions are not included. I believe Fanthorpe has done this to show that the candidate is voiceless when in an interview, and to display the pointlessness of interviews, when the outcome has been decided before the interview even takes place. The only way we have of knowing the answer to the interviewers questions are by making an educated guess from the response of the panel, which, in most cases, is a single, unenthusiastic phrase such as Ah or indeed It is clear that the interviewers have no interest in the persons justifications for why they are suitable for the job; they simply make impertinent comments on the information displayed on their application form. Let us consider your application form This quote from the poem shows the disinterest in the actual person, and more interest on their class, gender, and other factors displayed on their application form. The panel spend little time discussing the candidates impressive qualifications, and almost immediately moves on to focus on the negative aspect of them, and their possible use within the job for which the applicant is applying. The candidate is asked to justify the use of their qualifications very early in the interview. Would you care to defend their [the applicants qualifications] relevance? This would succeed in belittling the applicant, particularly when the interviewers response to their well though out answer is a sceptical indeed After the polite, (if inhospitable) beginning to the job interview, the meeting soon descends into a personal battering of the applicants self esteem by the authoritative figure of the interviewer. The first matter the interviewing panel broaches is the age of the applicant. Perhaps you feel able to make a comment about that, Too? We are conscious ourselves Of the need for a candidate with precisely The right degree of immaturity These comments, although sugar-coated by the authoritative figure, succeed in alienating the candidate, and forcing them into assent. We can tell that the interviewee has been pressured into agreeing with the panel from the interviewers response after the applicants unheard comments. So glad we agree This indicates that the interviewing panel has repressed the candidate so much that they have simply begun to agree with the rhetoric statements made by the interviewer. Fanthorpe has included this to show that in wider society, authority influences people to conform to its rules and ideas, and does not allow free though or speech. Also, Fanthorpe has arisen the point that authoritative figures abuse the power they have been given, and this leads to corrupting the individual in possession of the power. In the next stanza, the interviewer reveals another prejudice; that of the looks of the applicant. The panel is very rude during this stanza: You do appreciate this work involves Contact with the actual public? Might they, Perhaps, find your appearance Disturbing? This reveals the blunt, inconsiderate nature of the interviewing panel, and, in Fanthorpes opinion, the whole of society. The interviewing panel has succeeded in making the candidate feel small, simply because of the way they are, and I believe that Fanthorpe is trying to illustrate a point that sexism, racism, ageism and other prejudices succeed constantly in repressing often valuable members of society into conforming to authoritys ideals. In the next stanza, the interview panel seem to fire a barrage of questions at he applicant about their background, particularly their accent. Fanthorpe uses the clever technique of making one of the interviewers accidentally use the wrong phrase, to deliver a highly offensive insult. Were you educated? We mean, of course, Where were you educated? This is a comical way of accentuating the prejudice the interview shows when choosing a suitable candidate to take the job. The accent an applicant has obviously influences the choice a lot, although in actuality, the accent of a person has no effect on their intelligence. The panel were evidently considering the reactions of people using their company, who may think that they employ people of a lower intellect, which would make the company look sub-standard. This shows the way that people within society automatically judge others on the way they speak, as the panel simply assumed the candidate had little education because of their accent. In the final stanza, the interview descends yet further into a sequence of offensive statements. The rhetoric questions have ceased, and the true nature of an interview, in Fanthorpes eyes, is revealed; a pointless meeting aimed purely at belittling the applicant, and enforcing authoritys stance on society. In this stanza, it becomes implicit that the candidate is female, as the interview panel focus strongly upon family background. Married, children, We see. The usual dubious Desire to perpetuate what had better Not have happened at all. The fact that the candidate was asked about her family would tend to indicate that the applicant is female, as the panel would then begin to worry about the children, and whether they would need looking after. This may be a problem for the company. The panel are also rude to the applicant in this part of the poem, as they insinuate that they cannot understand why the applicant would even consider having children, when, in fact, it would be better for the world if the candidate had never been born. The poem ends emphatically, with the satirical statement And you were born-? Yes. Pity. This is a witty use of word play by Fanthorpe. The interviewer is actually asking when the applicant was born, but in the absence of any dialogue, it seems as though the interviewer is saying that it is a pity that the candidate was born. With this final stanza, particularly the final line, I feel Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that authoritative figures are of the opinion that anybody who does not fall within their ideals should not even exist. In conclusion, the poem You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly is a poem aimed at bringing into relief the discrimination that has been ingrained into society. Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that certain people, particularly women, are considered as useless, and are seen as undeserving of a voice within society by authoritative figures. She successfully proves that people of authority exploit the power they have over the masses, by belittling them, and repressing them to such an extent that they are forced to conform. Authority makes judgement on people not by the way they are individually, but base their judgements on factors that are not, in actual fact, of any relevance. In the poem Reports, Fanthorpe offers yet another aspect to the role of authority and the way authoritative figures exploit people within society. In this instance, the poem is a simulated conversation between an older, more experienced teacher, and a newer teacher, focusing on the correct way to write a school report. Fanthorpe has deliberately written the report very cynically, in an attempt to portray authoritative figures as cold and impersonal. In the final stanza, the poem adopts a tone of irony, when Fanthorpe compares the reports we receive at school to the way we live our lives. Being a former teacher herself, Fanthorpe would have known the perils of report writing, and likewise would have known the attitudes that some teachers take towards who they see as their inferiors, the pupils. Fanthorpes reason for leaving the teaching profession was that I saw that the power was having a negative effect on me. This shows Fanthorpes negative opinions on the authority that teachers have, and the way some of them abuse it. The poem contains several short stanzas, using short, snappy phrases, which all make a separate point. In the first of these, there is a fundamental warning to teachers about the language they should use. The teacher writing the report is advised to use dull phrases so that the report does not generate any unwanted interest or complications from parents. Dont give them anything To take hold of. Even Pronouns are dangerous. The teacher is being warned not to use pronouns because the teacher may mistake the gender of the pupil, therefore exposing the teachers lack of knowledge of individual pupils; essentially, the report could be given to any student. The next stanza focuses on the impersonal nature of the reports once again, when Fanthorpe implies that the good pupils are not necessarily known from the bad. The good have no history Satisfactory should satisfy them. This stanza is included, I feel, to illustrate the fact that the good students are often ignored while the teacher is attempting to control the more disobedient pupils. This would mean that the teacher would have very little knowledge of the pupil, and therefore would not know, in actual fact, whether the pupil was good or not. The teacher is advised, instead of using good, to use a more universal phrase; satisfactory. By using safe phrases such as this, teachers guard themselves from provoking high expectations from parents and higher authorities. Stanza 3 makes another point about the way reports are depersonalised by the teachers. The teacher writing the report is advised to use terms that can relate to any pupil: Fair and quite good, Multi-purpose terms, By meaning nothing, Apply to all. This shows the way teachers make reports appear personal, but are actually simply using universal terms that could relate to a range of students. The reason the teacher has chosen to do this is to prevent any unwanted backlash from parents. In the first three stanzas, I feel that Fanthorpe is proclaiming that the authoritative figure does not see the people placed under their authority as individuals, but as a large group. This emphasises the fact that authority causes the identity and individuality of a person to be lost. The teachers in this poem are also aware of the need to make themselves look as though they are not to blame for the pupils problems at school. Unmanageable oaf cuts both ways. Finds the subject difficult, Acquitting you, Converts oaf into idiot, usher to master. Such phrases as Unmanageable oaf reflect badly on the teacher, and suggests that the teacher may not be able to cope. To avoid this, the teachers use clever euphemisms to make it seem as though it is the pupil failing, and not the teacher. This illustrates the exploitation of the teachers authority over their pupils. The next stanza warns that people will try to read into the reports, so they must remain as simple as possible, to avoid any complications. Set them no riddles, just Echo the common-room clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½: Must make more effort. The teachers are acutely aware of the need to keep the reports similar, as this will avoid confusion. Using common phrases such as Must make more effort means that the parent, head and child accept the report, and they will not feel compelled to question the report further. Although the poem is based around teachers relationships with pupils, in the final stanza, Fanthorpe uses school as a metaphor for life. Remember your high calling: School is the world. Fanthorpe uses irony to indicate that the way we live our lives is similar to our school reports. Born at Sound beginning We move from satisfactory To fair, then Find The subject difficult, Learning at last we Could have done better. In this final part of the stanza, I feel that Fanthorpe is attempting to make a statement that during life, you endeavour to be the best you can be, but ultimately realise that the decisions you have made may not have been the right ones. Moreover, she may be trying to make the point that one is pushed into inconspicuousness by authority, which causes one to feel disappointed, and insignificant. In the poem, we have no way of knowing whether Fanthorpe is referring to herself, or people in general, but the slightly bitter tone in the final three lines, and, indeed, the final stanza, is evident. Stone only, final instructor, Modulates from the indicative With rest in peace. By this, Fanthorpe means that the only time that we avoid the report system of life is when we die, and our epitaph is inscribed onto our grave. To conclude, the poem Reports is illustrating the way that teachers depersonalise pupils, in order to prevent problems for them. The pupils are seen as one whole state, and the fact that the education system does not allow individuality leads to a sense of disappointment later on in life. This shows that individuals are repressed by society, and do not feel able to follow their own paths, as they are constantly being grouped with others. Quintessentially, the poems Not My Best Side, You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly, and Reports all emphasise that UA Fanthorpe believes that power corrupts, and that people of authority usually use it to their advantage, to belittle others or to make them feel sub-standard. It is also clear that Fanthorpe believes that authority within society leads to depersonalisation of a character, and the stifling of individuals into conformity.

Speech of Pericles :: essays research papers

(63) 'Once more, you are bound to maintain the imperial dignity of your city in which you all take pride; for you should not covet the glory unless you will endure the toil. And do not imagine that you are fighting about a simple issue, freedom or slavery; you have an empire to lose, and there is the danger to which the hatred of your imperial rule has exposed you. Neither can you resign your power, if, at this crisis, any timorous or inactive spirit is for thus playing the honest man. For by this time your empire has become a tyranny which in the opinion of mankind may have been unjustly gained, but which cannot be safely surrendered. The men of whom I was speaking, if they could find followers, would soon ruin a city, and if they were to go and found a state of their own, would equally ruin that. For inaction is secure only when arrayed by the side of activity; nor is it expedient or safe for a sovereign, but only for a subject state, to be a servant. (64) 'You must not be led away by the advice of such citizens as these, nor be angry with me; for the resolution in favour of war was your own as much as mine. What if the enemy has come and done what he was certain to do when you refused to yield? What too if the plague followed? That was an unexpected blow, but we might have foreseen all the rest. I am well aware that your hatred of me is aggravated by it. But how unjustly, unless to me you also ascribe the credit of any extraordinary success which may befall you!36 The visitations of heaven should be borne with resignation, the sufferings inflicted by an enemy with manliness. This has always been the spirit of Athens, and should not die out in you. Know that our city has the greatest name in all the world because she has never yielded to misfortunes, but has sacrificed more lives and endured severer hardships in war than any other; wherefore also she has the greatest power of any state up to this day; and the memory of her glory w ill always survive. Even if we should be compelled at last to abate somewhat of our greatness (for all things have their times of

Coyote Blue Chapter 32~33

CHAPTER 32 A Doctorate in Deception According to Pokey, at the time the white men came, there were seven sacred arrow bundles. Each had been made by four medicine men who had the same vision at the same time. Once the bundles were made, the medicine men vowed never to gather again, afraid that if their combined power were stolen by one, he would become invincible and abuse the power. These bundles contained the most powerful of warrior medicine, able to protect the carrier from an enemy's weapon, give him the ability to travel swiftly, and escape to the Underworld in an emergency, to return later, unharmed. Of the original seven bundles, two had been destroyed by fire, two by flood, two were locked away in museums in Washington, and the last to leave the reservation was in the hands of a private collector in Billings, who had bought it from a family who had been converted to Christianity and thought the bundle might jeopardize their salvation. At first Sam suspected Pokey's story. His choice finally to believe it was based more on heart than logic. Whether the story of the bundles was true or not didn't matter as much as the hope it inspired. Action based on hope just felt better than the paralysis of certainty. When Sam came through the door of the Hunts Alone house, Cindy hardly recognized him. When she had first met him he seemed weak, wasted, and without reason to live. Now he was moving and talking with purpose. Sam said, â€Å"Cindy, I'm sorry about before. I don't want to impose.† â€Å"You're family,† she said, and that was all the explanation needed. â€Å"Thanks,† Sam said. â€Å"We went to see Pokey. He's doing fine.† â€Å"Did they say when he can come home?† â€Å"We're bringing him home tonight, if things go the way they should. Can I use the phone?† Cindy waved toward the kitchen table, where the phone sat amid a stack of cereal boxes and bowls. Sam checked on Grubb, found him sleeping, and went to the phone. The first call went out to the Museum of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Yes, they knew a serious collector of Indian artifacts in Billings; they had bought several pieces from him over the years. His name was Arnstead Houston. The next call was to his office in Santa Barbara. â€Å"Gabriella, I need you to take the key I gave you and go to my house. In my closet there's a corduroy jacket with suede elbow patches. Load it in my garment bag with the khaki pants, a flannel shirt, and that goofy Indiana Jones hat that Aaron gave me for Christmas. Put in my blue pinstripe suit – shirt, shoes, and tie to match. Then grab my briefcase and get it all on the next plane to Billings, Montana. Buy a seat for it if you have to. Put it on the corporate card. And run the name Arnstead Houston through all our companies' client files – go to the Insurance Institute if you have to. It's a Billings address.† He waited while Gabriella put the name through the computer and came back with the name of Houston's home-owner's insurance carrier. â€Å"Give me the agent's number.† Sam scribbled it down. â€Å"Call me back at this number as soon as you confirm the arrival time of my stuff in Billings.† He gave her the Hunts Alone number. He dialed the number of Houston's insurance agent in Billings and spoke in an Oklahoma accent. â€Å"Yes, I'm interested in insuring some valuable Indian artifacts. Arnie Houston recommended you.† Sam waited. â€Å"I didn't figure you handled that sort of thing. Do you remember who you referred Arnie to? Boulder Casualty? You got a number for them? Thanks, pardner.† Sam hung up the phone and it rang immediately. â€Å"Hello. Five today? That's the earliest? Thanks, Gabriella. Oh, I forgot – call and reserve a car at the Billings airport. Something with four-wheel drive. A Blazer or a Bronco or something. White if they have it. I'll pick it up at five. Yes, the corporate card. Fuck Aaron. Tell him I'm on a hunting trip. And Gabby, you are incredible, you really are. I know I've never told you that before. Because it was time I did. Take care.† He disconnected and dialed another number, waited, then spoke with an English accent. â€Å"Yes, Boulder Casualty. This is Samuel Smythe-White with Sotheby's, London. So sorry to bother you, but we've a bit of a problem that you may be able to help us with. It seems we've recently acquired some Red Indian items – a bit unusual for us – and we're at a loss as for someone to authenticate them. The owner, who must remain anonymous I'm afraid, has suggested that you insure this sort of thing and might know of an appraiser. Yes, I'll wait.† Sam held the phone aside and lit a cigarette. â€Å"No, no, location is not a problem. Sotheby's will fly him to London.† Sam scribbled something. â€Å"Jolly good. Yes, thank you.† He disconnected and dialed Arnstead Houston's number. â€Å"Hello, Mr. Houston. This is Bill Lanier. I'm the new head of Ethnic Studies at the University of Washington. Yes. The reason I'm calling is that I just got a call from Boulder Casualty. It seems that there is an item in your collection that has been severely undervalued and they'd like us to take a look at it to make sure the schedule of coverage is in line. Of course, the new appraisal would increase the price if you should ever want to sell it.† Sam paused and listened. He continued, â€Å"A Crow medicine bundle. Yes. This one's a cylinder, a hollowed-out cedar log. That's right. Well, sir, we'll need to take a look at it in person. We happen to have a tribal expert visiting the campus right now. We could be in Billings by five thirty tonight. No, I'm afraid he has to fly to a dig in Arizona tomorrow. It will have to be tonight. Yes, I have your address. Thank you, sir.† Sam hung up, sat back, and let out a long sigh. The whole process had taken less than five minutes. When he turned around both Cindy and Coyote were staring at him. Cindy's mouth was hanging open. â€Å"What was that?† Coyote asked. â€Å"You,† Sam said, â€Å"are now working, indirectly, as an artifacts expert for the Boulder Casualty Insurance Company and I am now a professor of anthropology at the University of Washington,† â€Å"I've been looking for a job,† Cindy said, shaking her head. â€Å"They always make me fill out an application.† Coyote looked at Cindy. â€Å"He has shifty eyes, don't you think?† -=*=- Arnie Houston sat in his den looking at the arrow bundle on the coffee table before him: a hollowed-out log full of junk. But there was nothing quite so exciting as turning junk into money, and he was so excited now he could have peed his Wranglers. God bless archaeology. God bless museums. God bless historic preservation. God bless America! Where else could a piece of oil-field trash with a fourth-grade education be living in a twenty-room house with a new Corvette in the garage, wearing thousand-dollar sea-turtle-skin boots and two pounds of silver and turquoise jewelry? And all of it from buying and selling Indian junk. God bless every eggheaded, gopher-hearted anthropologist that ever wrote a paper or dug a hole. Damn! Arnie got up and went over to his bar, where he poured himself a snifter of Patron tequila – thirty bucks a bottle, but the finest cactus juice ever burned hair off your tongue. And it calms you down. Can't let them think you're in it for the money, the dumb shits: most of 'em could say howdy in thirty-seven dead languages, tell you the time a day a shaman shit two hundred years ago plus the ritual that went with it, but couldn't tell a nickel from a knothole when it came to money. They always went to the tribal council or a medicine man when they wanted to buy something – that was their big mistake. You got to do your research. Find out what family's got something and then find the one in the family who drinks the most. When he's feeling his firewater, you be there with the cash. Presto, you got yourself a priceless Indian artifact for dirt cheap. Arnie had just picked up a whole basket of heirloom beadwork over at the Yakima res – a hundred bucks. The Yakima were just getting into crack cocaine and Arnie was in on the ground floor with investment capital. The beads had been in the families for hundreds of years and he'd already had an offer of ten thousand for them from the Museum of the West – upon authentication, of course. Anthropologists, here's to 'em! Arnie thought. He toasted the fish in the aquarium by the bar and tossed back the Patron, then took a gamble by looking out the front window. A white Blazer pulled into the circular driveway and two men got out, both of them tall – one, an Indian in a suit, and the other in a corduroy jacket and khakis: the anthropologist. The Indian must be the expert he talked about on the phone. City Indian: making a living off of being Indian, going on about exploitation and such. Worthless troublemakers: wouldn't shoot one if I needed to unload my gun. Arnie stashed the snifter under the bar and went to the front door. He brushed back the sides of his hair with his fingers – careful not to disturb the five strands combed over the top – and opened the door. â€Å"Mr. Houston, I'm Dr. Lanier from the University of Washington. This is Running Elk, the gentleman I mentioned on the phone.† The Indian nodded. â€Å"Come on in,† Arnie said, waving them into the tiled foyer. â€Å"I took it out of the safe and put it on the table for you.† He didn't really have a safe, but it sounded good. He led them into the den and stood by the coffee table. â€Å"Here she is.† The Indian moved to the fish tank and peered in. The professor walked around the table looking at the log, as if he were afraid to pick it up. â€Å"Have you opened it?† Arnie had to think. What was the best answer? These fellows liked playing detective, finding their own clues. â€Å"No, sir. The fella I got it from told me what was inside, though. Four arrows, an eagle skull, and some, er†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damn, how do you describe it? It was just brown powdery shit. â€Å"And some sacred powder.† â€Å"And who did you get it from?† â€Å"Fellow on the res. Old family, but he didn't want me to say. He's afraid of the Traditionals getting revenge on him.† â€Å"I'm going to have to open it to determine the value.† â€Å"Quite so,† the Indian said, still looking in the fish tank. The anthropologist shot him a nasty look. What was up with these two? An Indian who talks like a Brit; if that didn't just beat the ugly off an ape. â€Å"It's okay with me,† Arnie said. â€Å"Looks like them ends just come off like bottle caps.† That's exactly how they had come off when he opened it. â€Å"Jolly good, old chap,† the Indian said. â€Å"The fish say that it's been opened before.† â€Å"Thank you, Running Elk,† said the professor. He seemed kinda ticked. He set his briefcase on the table next to the bundle, snapped open the lid, and removed some white cotton gloves. â€Å"We don't want to disturb the integrity of the contents,† he said, slipping on the gloves. â€Å"I'd prefer to do this in the lab, but I assure you I'll be careful.† You can blow the damn thing up for all I care, Arnie thought, as long as the price is right. But what was the deal with the Indian and the fish tank? The professor removed the end of the wooden cylinder and placed it on the table. He removed one of the four arrows and studied its length. When he looked at the point his face lit up. â€Å"My God, Running Elk, do you see what I see?† â€Å"What? What?† Arnie said. Was this good or bad? The Indian looked up from the fish tank. â€Å"Oh, capital! He's promised them one of those plastic bubbling scuba divers if he sells it.† â€Å"What?† Arnie said. The professor scowled at the Indian and held the arrow up for Arnie to see. â€Å"Mr. Houston, you see this arrow point?† â€Å"Uh-huh.† â€Å"This is a small-game point, and the flaking is not the pattern you find on Crow points from the buffalo days.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So, I think this bundle is from the time before the Crows split from the Hidatsa. If that's the case, this bundle may be priceless.† Arnie saw a swimming pool appearing in his backyard, with a whole shitpot of girls in bikinis sitting around it, rubbing oil on his back. â€Å"How can you be sure?† â€Å"I'll have to take it back to the university to have it carbon-dated.† The professor put the arrow back into the bundle. From his briefcase he pulled out a sheaf of forms. â€Å"I hope you'll understand, Mr. Houston, the university can't bond something like this for its full value, but I could write a guarantee of perhaps two hundred thousand until the return.† The professor waited, his pen poised over the form. Arnie pretended to think about it. In fact, he was thinking about the new swimming pool. Now it was indoors and had a big hot tub full of dollies. â€Å"I guess that will be all right,† he said. The professor began writing on the form. â€Å"We should have it back to you within the week. I'll see to it personally that it's handled carefully. If you'll just sign here.† He pushed the form over to Arnie. There it was, $200,000.00 in big black numbers. It was all he needed to see. Arnie signed and pushed the paper back to the professor. The professor closed his briefcase and got up. â€Å"Well, I'd like to get this back to the lab by tonight and start the work on it. I'll call you as soon as we know for sure.† He picked up the bundle and headed for the door. â€Å"You take care now. Thanks,† Arnie said, holding the door for them. â€Å"No, thank you, Mr. Houston.† â€Å"Cheerio,† the Indian said as they climbed into the Blazer. â€Å"Oh yes, your mates said they'd like a Flipper video and a bit of brine shrimp to eat.† Arnie watched the Blazer pulling away. Boy, the old professor was sure giving Running Elk hell for something. Eggheads. He wondered for a minute why the Blazer had mud on the license plates when it was so clean everywhere else. Hell with it, it was time to celebrate. A buddy had given him the number of a little dolly who for two hundred dollars would come over in her cheerleader outfit. He'd been saving it for a special occasion and it looked like it was time to dig out that ol' number and see if she really could suck the furniture out of a room through the keyhole. -=*=- As soon as they were out of sight of Arnie's house, Sam took the Indiana Jones hat off and smacked Coyote with it. â€Å"What were you thinking? You almost blew it.† â€Å"The fish said he tricked someone to get that bundle.† â€Å"And what did we just do?† â€Å"That's different. It was a Crow bundle.† â€Å"You wanted to blow it, didn't you? Why didn't you just hump his couch or something? Why didn't you just tell him the truth?† â€Å"Well,† Coyote said, â€Å"if your trick worked it would make a good story.† â€Å"I'll take that as as compliment.† Sam was no longer angry. They had the bundle; now it was time to think about the next part of the plan. He believed what Pokey had told him about the power of the bundle, and all Pokey had ever asked of him was to be believed. He said, â€Å"Coyote, will you help me get Pokey out of the clinic?† â€Å"Another trick?† Coyote asked. â€Å"Of sorts.† â€Å"I'll help, but I won't go to the Underworld with you.† CHAPTER 33 Doors Some of the color had returned to Pokey's face and someone had taken the braids out of his hair and brushed it. He opened his eyes when Sam entered the room. â€Å"You got it?† Pokey said. â€Å"It's in the car,† Sam said. Coyote came in behind him. Pokey grinned. â€Å"Old Man Coyote.† â€Å"Howdy,† Coyote said. â€Å"How many times you died now, old man?† â€Å"A bunch. It's plumb wearing me out,† Pokey said. â€Å"The medicine man got tired of singing the death song and went home. I think he got scared.† Pokey pulled a cassette out from under his covers and held it up. â€Å"I got it on tape for the next time.† Sam said, â€Å"Pokey, we have the arrow bundle. What do we do now?† â€Å"Ask him,† Pokey said, pointing to Coyote. â€Å"I ain't going,† Coyote said. â€Å"He has to go alone.† â€Å"Samson needs a medicine man to sing the bundle song.† â€Å"That's why we're here,† Sam said. â€Å"You want me? I didn't think you believed I had medicine, Samson.† â€Å"Things change, Pokey. I need you.† â€Å"Well then, get me out of here.† Pokey started to sit up. Sam pushed him back. â€Å"I don't think you should be walking.† â€Å"Samson, I done told you, I had my death vision. I don't die in no hospital, I get shot. Now help me get up.† He struggled to a sitting position and Sam helped him turn so his feet hung off the bed. â€Å"You're right, I don't think I can walk.† Sam turned to Coyote. â€Å"You promised to help.† -=*=- The clinic was officially closed for the day, but the skeleton staff of two nurses was still on. Adeline Eats sat in the waiting room with her six children, who were all green with flu, insisting that she wasn't going anywhere until they got treatment, even if she had to wait all night. For the twentieth time, the nurse at the window was explaining that the doctor had gone home for the night, when she heard the hoof beats on the stairs. She dropped her clipboard and ran out of the office to see a black horse coming down the stairs, an old, half-naked man bouncing on its back. She ducked back into her office to avoid being trampled and looked up in time to see a man in a corduroy jacket running behind the horse out the front door. The nurse ran out into the waiting room to the front door, which dangled in pieces on its hinges. She watched the horse stop beside a white Blazer and rear up. The old man, his gray hair streaming in the wind, let out a war whoop and fell into the arms of the man in corduroy. Then, as she watched, the horse started bubbling and changing until it was a man in black buckskins. The nurse stumbled back in shock. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped a foot off the ground. She came down holding her chest. Adeline Eats said, â€Å"You got room for my kids now, or what?† -=*=- Riding in the Blazer, Pokey said, â€Å"Old Man Coyote, how do I send Samson to the Underworld?† â€Å"Just open the bundle and sing the song. He will go.† Sam said, â€Å"What happens then? What do I do?† â€Å"My medicine ends when you get there. You will see the one that weighs the souls. Don't be afraid of him. Just ask him if you can bring the girl back.† â€Å"That's it?† â€Å"Don't worry about the monster. The Underworld is not what you think.† Coyote rolled down the car window. â€Å"I have something that I want to do. I'll be there when you return.† Coyote dove out the car window, changing instantly into a hawk and flying off into the night sky. â€Å"Wait!† Sam said. â€Å"What monster?† He stopped the car. Pokey giggled like a child. â€Å"A horse and a hawk in one night. Samson, do you know how lucky we are?† Sam leaned forward and put his head against the wheel. â€Å"Lucky wasn't the world that came to mind, Pokey.† -=*=- Pokey had called Harlan and the boys down from Hardin. While they prepared the sweat, Sam stood at the door of the Airstream trailer trying to make himself open it. For the first time in years he was aware of his childhood fear of the dead and unrevenged ghosts and he hesitated. Since Pokey had given him hope of bringing Calliope back, he hadn't really thought of her as dead. He wanted to see her before he went to the Underworld, but he was afraid. Strange, he thought, after all these years of selling the fear of death, talking about it every day, now I'm afraid. She's not dead, not really. He threw the door open and stepped into the trailer. Calliope's body was lying on the built-in cot by the door amid camping equipment and fishing rods. Coyote had covered her with a blanket, leaving her face exposed. She could have been sleeping. Sam sat on the cot by her and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. She was cold. He looked away. â€Å"I wanted you to know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't know what to say. There was no face to put on to meet this face. If she would just open her eyes. He swallowed hard. â€Å"I wanted you to know that I would do anything for you. That all this craziness was – will be – worth it if I can bring you back. I've been hiding out for my whole life, and I don't want to live that way anymore. Anyway, I wanted you to know that Grubb will be okay. My family will take care of him. I'll be with you, one way or another.† Sam leaned over and kissed her. â€Å"Soon,† he said. He got up and walked out of the trailer. Across the yard, the fire crackled and licked the sky, heating the rocks for the sweat. Pokey sat on a lawn chair, the arrow bundle in his lap, his eyes glistening orange in the firelight. Harlan was carrying rocks from the fire to the pit inside the sweat lodge. Sam stood by with Harry and Festus, watching. After the initial surprise that Sam was still alive, Harry and Festus simply fell into their normal roles of listening to their father argue with Pokey. Sam noticed that they had the lean, muscular frame of their father, the same square-set jaw. Harlan was a little thinner now, and his hair had gone gray, but otherwise, to Sam, he seemed the same. â€Å"The boys and me have to go to work in the morning,† Harlan said. â€Å"We can't stay late, Pokey. No drinking.† â€Å"I ain't going to drink,† Pokey said. Harlan dropped a hot rock into the pit and wiped sweat from his forehead. â€Å"I can't believe that doctor let you come home. Just yesterday he was puttin' your death on my hands for not moving you to the hospital in Billings.† â€Å"He's a pissant,† Pokey said. â€Å"How's it coming?† Harlan scraped another rock out of the fire and scooped it up with the pitchfork. â€Å"This ought to do it.† He unbuckled his pants and began to get undressed. The others followed his lead, hanging their clothes on Pokey's chair. Sam took the bundle from Pokey and put it in the sweat lodge, then helped the old man out of his hospital gown. Pokey crawled into the sweat lodge, where the others sat in a semicircle facing him. â€Å"Before I drop the door, I got to open this here bundle. It's a real old one, so no one knows the right song. I'm going to have to make it up as I go along. Okay?† Pokey held up the bundle and sang a prayer song, thanking the spirits for the gift of the sweat. He laid out a square of buckskin for the objects in the medicine bundle. â€Å"I don't know what's going to happen here, but Harlan, you and the boys got to pray that Samson has a safe journey. He's going on a kind of vision quest, but he ain't going to the Spirit World.† Pokey looked at Sam. â€Å"You've seen her since you got here, right?† â€Å"Yes,† Sam said. â€Å"And she's still in the trailer?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Who?† Harry asked. â€Å"Never mind,† Pokey said. They hadn't told Harlan and the boys about Calliope or Coyote. â€Å"Here we go.† He threw a handful of sage onto the stones. When the smoke rose he held the bundle in it, then took off the cap. He began singing as he took each object from the bundle and set it on the buckskin. Sam closed his eyes and concentrated on going to the Underworld and what he had to do there. â€Å"Heya, heya, heya, an arrow. Heya, heya, heya, another arrow Heya, heya, heya, another arrow Heya, heya, heya, the last arrow. Heya, heya, heya, an eagle skull. Heya, heya, heya, some brown stuff.† â€Å"Some brown stuff?† Harlan said. â€Å"Well, I don't know what it is,† Pokey said. â€Å"It looks like brown stuff to me.† â€Å"Whatever it is, it's working,† Festus said, pointing to Sam, who was shivering, even in the heat of the sweat lodge. His eyes were open but rolled back in his head, showing no pupils. â€Å"I'm dropping the door,† Pokey said. â€Å"Now pray for his return like you never prayed before.†

Cosmetic Advertisements People Essay

Cosmetic Advertisements People believe cosmetic products are the answers to facial perfection. This often happens because cosmetic advertising creates an illusion that cosmetic products are the source to real beauty. People that are trying to fill that void in their lives took towards cosmetic products to fill the void. People follow cosmetic advertisements in learning that one can achieve true beauty using makeup. Cosmetic advertisements teach that the more cosmetic products a person can wear the more beautiful a person will be. Cosmetic advertisements create an allusion of what real beauty is through lipstick, eyeliners, elongated eyelashes, eye shadows, powder puffs and other cosmetic products. Cosmetic advertisements teach the pursuit of these items will lead to the desired facial appearance that people believe they should have. The truth to this myth is that beauty cannot be determined by the use of cosmetic products because every individual was born beautiful. Still people are naive to the fact that one’s beautiful from birth and they buy what cosmetic advertisements are selling beauty to be. Cosmetic advertisements aim is to demonstrate that one is not beautiful without the use of cosmetic products. One cause of this myth is because it appears that people are at their happiest when they are wearing new mascara or are modeling the newest eyeliner. Cosmetic Advertisements portray that if people want excitement in life people should wear cosmetics. Cosmetic advertisements broadcast how one looks with makeup on. This is telling the public what people are suppose to look like. With examples of societies’ expectations of people; if one fulfills societies’ expectations, then one’s life becomes exciting if one wears makeup. Cosmetic advertisements display how one will have face like Barbie. People now want to become Barbie. â€Å"The power of advertising is indisputable† ( Leslie Ware xii). Cosmetic advertisements have become ideal for what beauty is supposed to be. It no longer is that people wanted to embrace ones natural look, but it come to the point where people now wear cosmetics to bed. People start going out of their way to obtain the necessity to achieve cosmetic beauty; buying expensive makeup, exhaust one’s credit or carrying a cosmetic bag every where one goes. Many people lose understanding of what facial beauty is and make cosmetics their source of beauty. Morals that used to be important in life changed. Generations are losing the value of self appreciation because cosmetic advertising make natural beauty seem pointless to embrace. To enhance one’s beauty a person has to use makeup. As a result people are losing knowledge on how to embrace one’s self without the use of cosmetics. The impact of cosmetic advertisements changed the way people are looking at themselves in recent generations because cosmetic advertisements broadcasting the need for nonessential items that people desire in order to obtain the perfect look, a desirable appearance, rather than the need for items that are essential for life. Regardless if one has the money or not the common belief is for people to have a flawless look achievable with the use of cosmetic products only. Nowadays before children can even say their name correctly they are being introduced to cosmetic products. Young teenagers now persuade their parents in allowing them to wear makeup as cosmetic will catapult their ordinary facial appearance to that of a Barbie. Cosmetic gives teenagers adult appearances if applied properly. Cosmetic advertisements aim to convince society that one cannot function properly without the use of cosmetic products; therefore, cosmetic advertisement affect people by showing what a person should look like and one is inferior if does not undergo the cosmetic metamorphosis. Cosmetic advertisers like Proactiv and Covergirl display compelling messages to sell their cosmetic products. They offer special deals and discounts for more people to purchase their products. These cosmetic advertisements show endless testimonials of their products effectiveness influencing people on the certainty of their bottle beauty. â€Å"Advertisements are more than just appeals to buy; they are windows into our psyches and our culture. They reveal our values, our (not-so-hidden) desires, our yearnings for a different lifestyle† (Six Decades of Advertising 537). Without meaningful standard by which to measure one’s worth, people turns to cosmetic advertisements for affirmation. Cosmetic Advertisements uses makeup as a way of showing what people should look like. Wearing cosmetics show people having flawless faces or immaculate appearances that are perceived to be of utmost importance. Purchasing and wearing these cosmetics are ways of proving to people that one is complete. Cosmetic advertisement send the message that the more cosmetics a person have on the better they are and a way of showing they are more of value than those without. The more time and the more money people spend on cosmetics or makeup make them higher on the list of facial perfection. Cosmetic advertisements prominently attract the wealthy or the ones with low self esteem. People with low self esteem uses cosmetic products to enhance one’s self esteem to be considered as one with an A-list face. Wealthy people with excess money can obtain unlimited makeup and are on the A-list for facial appearance. The ones who cannot purchase unlimited cosmetics to acquire complete facial perfection haven’t made it and are still on the search for such perfection. Despite the fact, cosmetic advertisements always trying to attain more people in favor of cosmetic products; therefore, according to these advertisements people who do not wear cosmetics are considered D-list for facial appearance. As such this becomes people’s constant battle for more cosmetic products because the more makeup someone has the better ranked that person is. In actuality having the best cosmetic or most expensive makeup does not make a person better than another or mean that a person is complete. In actuality these cosmetic advertisements have not accomplished anything of value to benefit the world. Instead they are telling people how unattractive and incomplete they are without the use of makeup. Cosmetic advertising has developed and supported great industries, increased entire economies, and increase the job market. Cosmetic companies such as Proactiv, Maybelline, Clean and Clear, L’oreal and much more, have thousands of employees, vehicles and equipments which contributes to the economic well been. Nevertheless, many people of today’s society are under high stress. They may seem publicly confident but secretly they feel a sense of failure, vulnerability, exhaustion, being overwhelmed, and defeat by society. Apart of being naturally unattractive is the acceptance that, in fact, our age will catch up to us and one will become old. This cause many people to succumb to a state of total and utter depression. Beauty advertising companies hone into these vulnerable feelings and promote their products as though it is a cure for all physical and emotional ailments of human being. Hair dye, creams and wrinkle minimizing makeup are only the start to how far people will go to appear beautiful or young again. Cosmetic Advertisements also portray women as sex objects and define what is popular and what is the â€Å"perfect look†. â€Å"When it comes to cosmetics, advertisements sell very well. Who wouldn’t want skin like Uma Thompson or Queen Latifah as it appears in the plentiful adds of women’s magazines glowing and unlined, without a pimple, crease, or freckle in sight? The desire is even sharper today because women feel younger than their calendar years, and they want to look as good as they feel. † ( Daniel B. Yarosh 31). Modern consumer culture has linked sexuality with beauty to the extent that they cannot be separated. Today, one cannot turn on the television, open a magazine or walk down a public street without being bombarded with images of seductive women or perfectly toned men being used to sell various types of cosmetic products. Why are these images so powerful? These advertising strategies create a desire. How do cosmetic advertisements shape and define the self-concept of both men and women? How does linking beauty with sexuality and desirability influence the way one relates to each advertisement? Finally, Cosmetic Advertisements portray that the void people feel in their lives can be filled through the use of makeup. People loose what happiness is and let Cosmetic Advertisements sell cosmetic happiness. Cosmetic Advertisements are showing people how they should be spending the money they are making in order to obtain beauty. People who do not wear cosmetics are considered to be the losers and the people who wear cosmetics are considered to be the winners. One’s accomplishment should not be judged by how fancy a person’s makeup is or how much cosmetics one has on but by how much a person contributes towards society. Cosmetics products are ultimately dominating people’s lifestyle. Works Cited Laurence and Rosen. â€Å"Six Decades of Advertising† Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 11th Edition. Ed Laurence and Rosen. Boston: Longman, 2011: 538. Print. pg 538. Academic Research Completed. 08 Aug. 2013. Daniel B. Yarosh. â€Å" Skin† The New Science of Perfect Skin. New York: Broadway book, 2008: 31. Print. Academic Work Completed. 10 Aug. 2013. Leslie Ware. â€Å"Introduction† Selling It. New York: Norton, 2002: xii. Print. Academic Work Completed. 11 Aug. 2013.

More Than One Meaning for Poke

More Than One Meaning for Poke More Than One Meaning for Poke More Than One Meaning for Poke By Maeve Maddox One of my favorite country expressions is pig in a poke. For those unfamiliar with the expression, a poke is a sack. To buy something without first looking at it is to buy a pig in a poke. (As we do when we buy things online.) I once used the word with a group of eighth-graders and discovered that poke can be used with a sexual connotation. With that age group, just about any word can be. The OED lists six entries for poke as a noun and three for poke as a verb. Some of the entries have more than one definition, but Ill just list some of them. Poke as a Noun 1 A bag, now esp. a paper bag; a small sack; a beggars bundle (obs.). Also: a bagful. Now regional exc. in pig in a poke 2 A projecting brim or front of a hat or bonnet; the peak of a cap. Now hist. and Brit. regional. NOTE: My Southern grandmother told me that when she worked in the fields, she wore a poke bonnet, This was a cloth hat that tied under the chin. The sides of the bonnet completely protected her face from the sun. Nowadays women go out of their way to get a suntan, even paying to use use tanning beds. In my grandmothers day, girls did all they could to maintain their pallor. Tanned skin was considered unattractive. She said that another name for that type of bonnet was a kiss-me-quick. 3 A plant (of uncertain identity) used by North American Indians for smoking; the dried leaves of this plant. 4 Virginia poke, Virginian poke. Pokeweed, Phytolacca americana. Also (with distinguishing word): any plant of the genus Phytolacca. NOTE: My grandmother, no doubt wearing her poke bonnet, gathered this kind of poke to eat. She called it poke salat. She cooked and ate the leaves and used the red berries to dye clothing. Molly McBee, writing on the Garden Web edible landscapes forum, offers some helpful in-formation about poke salat and the extent to which it is poisonous: Poke salat, when it matures, develops purple colorations on its stalk, flower stem, and berries and seeds. It is the MATURE leaves, and purple stem and seeds that contain the poisonous sub-stances. Young plants are safe, as is the juice. 5 The action of poking (in various senses)An act of poking; a thrust, a push, a nudge. Also colloq.: a blow with the fist, esp. in to take (or have) a poke at. 6 The green heron, Butorides striatus. Also: the American bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus. Poke as a Verb 1 To jab or push (a person) with ones hand or finger, the point of a stick, etc., esp. so as to induce action or movement. Also (regional) (of cattle): to gore, jab with the horns. 2 trans. To put in a bag or pocket. Also with up: to stash away in a bag or pocket; to hoard. In quot. a1400 fig.: to suppress. Now rare. Chiefly Sc. in later use. 3 trans. To put a poke (POKE n.5 6) on (an animal). A few other expressions with poke Cowboys are known as cowpunchers and cowpokes. Children who dont move fast enough for the ones behind them are called slowpokes. One can poke around in an attic or at a garage sale. In mysteries amateur sleuths are warned not to poke their noses into matters that do not concern them. Poke is still taking on new meanings. For example, Facebook has a poke feature. Im not exactly clear as to its purpose. 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Rules for Writing Numbers and NumeralsAnyone vs. EveryoneContinue and "Continue on"

Conjugation of Regular Spanish Verbs in the Subjunctive Mood

Conjugation of Regular Spanish Verbs in the Subjunctive Mood Except for those rare few of us who can learn verb conjugations without effort, mastering them at some point will require rote memorization. While the verb forms can be confusing at first, with use they become natural as conjugations in the native tongue. The lists below show the forms of the subjunctive for regular verbs; see individual listings for irregular verbs. Translations are given for clarity in distinguishing the tenses; in real life, other translations can be used. Present subjunctive, regular -ar verbs: Remove the -o from the singular first-person indicative form and add the appropriate ending: -e, -es, -e, -emos, -à ©is, en. que yo hable (that I speak) que tà º hables (that you speak) que à ©l/ella/usted hable (that he/she/you speak) que nosotros/nosotras hablemos (that we speak) que vosotros/vosotras hablà ©is (that you speak) que ellos/ellas/ustedes hablen (that they/you speak) Present subjunctive, regular -er and -ir verbs: Remove the -o from the singular first-person indicative form and add the appropriate ending: -a, -as, -a, -amos, -is, an. que yo coma (that I eat) que tà º comas (that you eat) que à ©l/ella/usted coma (that he/she/you eat) que nosotros/nosotras comamos (that we eat) que vosotros/vosotras comis (that you eat) que ellos/ellas/ustedes coman (that they/you eat) Imperfect subjunctive of regular verbs: Remove the -on from the third-person indicative plural preterite form and add the appropriate ending: -a, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, an. Put the stress on the last syllable of the stem in the nosotros form. que yo hablara (that I spoke) que tà º hablaras (that you spoke) que à ©l/ella/usted hablara (that he/she/you spoke) que nosotros/nosotras hablramos (that we spoke) que vosotros/vosotras hablarais (that you spoke) que ellos/ellas/ustedes hablaran (that they/you spoke) que yo comiera (that I ate) que tà º comieras (that you ate) que à ©l/ella/usted comiera (that he/she/you ate) que nosotros/nosotras comià ©ramos (that we ate) que vosotros/vosotras comierais (that you ate) que ellos/ellas/ustedes comieran (that they/you ate) There is also a less common form of this tense that is used primarily in writing, especially literature. It is seldom heard in speech in most regions. It is conjugated as above, except the -ra- becomes -se-. It normally is not necessary to memorize this form, but you should be able to recognize it when you see it. que yo hablase (that I spoke) que tà º hablases (that you spoke) que à ©l/ella/usted hablase (that he/she/you spoke) que nosotros/nosotras hablsemos (that we spoke) que vosotros/vosotras hablaseis (that you spoke) que ellos/ellas/ustedes hablasen (that they/you spoke) que yo comiese (that I ate) que tà º comieses (that you ate) que à ©l/ella/usted comiese (that he/she/you ate) que nosotros/nosotras comià ©semos (that we ate) que vosotros/vosotras comieseis (that you ate) que ellos/ellas/ustedes comiesen (that they/you ate) Present perfect subjunctive: Use the present subjunctive form of haber (which is irregular) and follow it with the past participle. que yo haya salido (that I have left) que tà º hayas salido (that you have left) que à ©l/ella/you haya salido (that he/she/you have left) que nosotros hayamos salido (that we have left) que vosotros/vosotras hayis salido (that you have left) que ellos/ellas/ustedes hayan salido (that they/you have left) Past perfect subjunctive (pluperfect): Use the past subjunctive form of haber and follow it with the past participle. Although both the -ra and -se- forms of haber are possible, the former is more common and is shown below. que yo hubiera salido (that I had left) que tà º hubieras salido (that you had left) que à ©l/ella/usted hubiera salido (that he/she/you had left) que nosotros hubià ©ramos salido (that we had left) que vosotros/vosotras hubieris salido (that you had left) que ellos/ellas/ustedes hubieran salido (that they/you had left)

Lebanon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lebanon - Essay Example Early settlement in Lebanon evidence was found in Byblos. In 5000 BC the city was occupied by people. Lebanon was the homeland of Canaanite descendants as it was part of Northern Canaan. The famous colonies of Lebanon rulers were Cadiz and Carthage which are currently known as Tunisia and Spain respectively. The country became one of the succeeding empires in recent times. The empires include Persian, Roman, Assyrian and Crusader among others (Harris 6). Music, literature and art in Lebanon are rooted in Levantine and Mediterranean norms. The art of Lebanon started after the civil war in 1991 in Beirut. The start of the art was marked by alternative Anita Toutikian artwork. Lebanon has more literature writers like Khalil Gibran who wrote the book called, â€Å"The Prophet†. Other local literature writers include Amin Maalouf and Elias Khoury among other. Lebanon mostly practice the traditional folk music. Currently, the society practices the modern music involving Arabic and Western styles and pop (Harris 35). Lebanon is favorable for tourism since it has many places to visit like Mim Museum, Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque and National Museum of Beirut among others. There are hotels for accommodation and they include Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Sonesta Great Bay Beach among others (Harris 10). In conclusion, Lebanon is a country which has undergone many stages of development. The societies in Lebanon have interacted with different communities that participated in brining up the Lebanon culture. The country is a good place to tour since it is peaceful and has many tourism attraction features (Harris

Psychology Adult & aging Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psychology Adult & aging Development - Essay Example isease process that may result from sub-optimal hormone levels, inadequate dietary protein, and other nutritional imbalances, lack of exercise, oxidative stress, and inflammation (Brink 1-4).† As a person grows older, he or she losses a percentage of muscle tone yearly. And as the individual reach the age of 75, the percentage of muscle mass is typically half of what it was during young adulthood. Muscle mass decreases because as people grow older their physical activities become less. Studies likewise show that growth hormones and testosterone levels that helps in muscle development diminishes. And as this happens the muscles cannot contract as fast as before because â€Å"more fast-contracting (fast-twitch) muscle fibers are lost than slow-contracting (slow-twitch) muscle fibers (The Merck Manuals 2).† The lifestyle of an individual plays a major role in his overall health and well being. While there may be studies that show the lifespan of a person basing it on age, gender and race, the possibilities of beating the odds by properly taking good care of one’s self could actually beat the odds. An example of this is: when you start smoking at a young age, say at age 12 or 13, the probability of you acquiring a disease related to smoking is greater that those who smoked at a later age like 25. The explanation here is that at the age of 12 your respiratory system has not still been fully developed to withstand the bad effects of smoking. Thus, at that age most of your lung capillaries were already destroyed and your system is already pumped up with nicotine. Another example is: having a balanced diet and doing regular exercise. By eating properly you nourish your body with nutrients that it needs in order to perform daily activities. And by exerting you tome you muscles and strengthen your overall physique. But if you are a couch potato who simply wants to just lie around and eat junk food – then you could be a candidate for obesity and early stroke –