Informative Paper Essay

Presentation I. Eye catching presentation: Staple focus, Los Angeles, California. Friday November, fourth 2013 1:24PM The Championship coordinate. Following an end of the week brimming with high points and low points, curve and turns everything results in these present circumstances. multi week sooner, the past Friday thousands have flown down to the core, all things considered, Gathered around the occasion lobby entryways, individuals all over the place, onlookers tingling to get the best seats. Players going over in game forms, timings, and techniques only once again until the entryways at long last open. 8 groups of 5 players to a group were situated into the week long competition and now just two remain. Imperial Club and SK Telecom are season veterans of League of Legends and now they sit on furthest edges large and in charge title fundamental stage. Prepared to contend no holds barred for the fantastic prize of 1 million dollars before 1000s in that spot in Los Angeles and millions viewing from all around the globe. II. Point: These millions from around the globe have produced their adoration for gaming into a tremendously famous wonders known as Electronic games or otherwise called of E-Sports. Viewership has seen touchy development in 2013 is as yet developing with no indication of prevention. Presently with the reconciliation of innovation into our way of life another sort of competitor has risen. One that doesn’t accomplish triumph intensely dependent on the bronze that is outfitted yet with the basic reasoning and reflex of the brain. An outcast may locate this such an idea absurd yet these genius gamers are a long way from any negative generalizations you may have. III. Ethos and Audience Adaptation: My name is Jonathon Allen and I have been a fan and individual from the E-Sports people group for almost 10 years. I have had chances to play expertly at the MLG North American Regionals in Columbus and New Yorkâ in 2012 which I have put second and third in out of 30 groups. Throughout the years I have likewise leading broad exploration on E-Sports going from players and groups to the innovation side of running and repairing occasions in the business. E-Sports can be a great deal to process for somebody searching in just because so I’ll clarify precisely what and how large E-Sports truly is including the potential E-Sports needs to extend and develop. Before we go any further I’d like to introduce this video to outwardly show you precisely what E-Sports is and above all what it feels like. Visual Aid! Body I.This is E-Sports, rivalry at its best. Players vieing for money prizes running from thousands to millions. Top players make 6 figure salaries and are even supported by enormous partnerships, for example, Monster, Intel, Redbull, Asus, and Kingston. Master gamers are secured in straight on battle in games like League of Legends. A DOTA-MMO style game that’s played as a group of 5 individuals VS 5 individuals. The object of the game is planning on the most proficient method to win by taking the adversaries base while step up and producing gold. Most games typically last around 40 minutes. II.You may ask; for what reason would somebody watch another person play a computer game? That’s basic; the energy from watching others play computer games remains as a similar fervor we get from viewing different competitors perform at sports, for example, football. T.J. Heffer from PC gamer Magazine states â€Å"What makes any opposition fascinating is observing extremely talented people battle for triumph in a setting where the result is unsure and the second to second to and fro keeps you on your toes.† Heffer consistent â€Å"Rather or not you need to call them sports they feature individuals with astounding basic reasoning, arranging, and dynamic abilities and honestly cruel reflexes too. The degree of expert level in a game falsehood League of Legends is mind boggling.† Professional gamers put their central core into the game. They have drive, enthusiasm, difficult work and commitment simply like any expert competitor you can consider. III.As I’m accepting E-Sports might be strange to a large number of you however in countries like South Korea games, for example, StarCraft have just become something of a national game. Paul Tassi of Forbs Magazine said â€Å"Overseas, top players are dealt with like proficient Athletes.† Though South Korea has become made amends to the thought of messing around expertly North America in all honesty is the place the greatest enthusiasm for star gaming lies. In North American E-Sports, groups and associations have risen and developed in the previous 3 years. In of these associations the greatest E-Sports association is Major League Gaming or MLG. Established in 2002 Major League Gaming highlights various competitions in a year where different gamers fly out to significant urban areas over the US like Columbus to contend. In MLG’s Annual Viewership Report for the 2013 season they announced 15 million one of a kind watchers tuned into watch web based during the 2013 season. As those 15 million watchers tuned in a year ago it’s clear that E-Sports has just handled an entirely steady balance into the hearts of Americans over the United States. Yet, maybe much all the more exciting and energizing is the development that E-Sports has just appeared. Between 2010 †2013 MLG has seen a 733% development in viewership from 1.8 million to 15 Million. Contrasting that with the NFLS record development of 18% in the previous 3 years that’s 715% more than the NFL. Let’s not down play the viewership of the NFL which has recorded a record of 28.1 Million watchers for their 2013 †2014 season. Be that as it may, you begin to see therefore to how much potential E-Sports has when MLG an organization that’s just been around for a long time has obtained a viewership of 15 million. Only somewhat above portion of the NFLS record watcher tally 28.1 an association that has been around for almost a 100 years. End With these insights of development and with how abroad treats E-Sports like a national game and with ace gamers having a similar arrangement of excellencies that any expert competitor has along the millions around the world thatâ already are a piece of the network just drives E-Sports. It’s not so much an issue of is it, it’s actually an issue of when! At the point when gotten some information about where he sees E-Sports going and what's in store of the business. MLG Co-Founder Sundance DiGiovanni in a place that puts him at the hellfire of the whole E-Sports industry revealed to Forbs Magazine in 2012 â€Å"that in 5 years he expects E-Sports to be a comprehensively perceived wonders. A genuinely settled worldwide sport.†

Worship Of Hindu Gods Now And Then Religion Essay

Love Of Hindu Gods Now And Then Religion Essay Hinduism: Hinduism or Sanatan (which means a widespread religion) is viewed as the universes most seasoned religion that began on the Indian sub-mainland. As indicated by its Vedic records, its history of inception is dated between to 6,000 to 10,000 years and that is the reason it is considered as one of the old religions of the world. It is the local religion of India and it has neither a particular human originator nor a solitary book of respect but instead established its frameworks on old hallowed sacred writings that were passed down the ages by a verbal exchange and later recorded into contents and messages structures (Zavos, 2001). Hinduism has an enormous number of devotees coming to up to one billion worldwide with lion's share of them (95%) being from Indian and the rest in United States ,Europe and different pieces of the world. Demographically, it is the world third biggest religion after Christianity and Islam. Hinduism comprises an intricate method of love going from the fantastic celebrations like Kumbhela, which is a strict enormous social event of up to 45 million individuals to the basic Darshan, the reverential finding in home holy places. Hindus adore in the various old and contemporary mandirs and holy places. Hindus respect Vedas (antiquated writings) as the most old and the most definitive writings of the religion and henceforth they structure the establishment of all parts of Hinduism. Hindu has three trinity which incorporate Shiva, Brahman and Vishnu not at all like Christian who have just a single trinity. These divine beings speak to the pattern of resurrection and rebirth where Vishnu is capable of protecting the universe, Shiva wrecks the re-maker of the universe and Brahman make the Universe. The three goddess are the second trinity of Hindu just as the divine beings spouses of the primary trinity. Be that as it may, all the goddesses and divine beings have their types of manifestations. Hinduism include the love of God and its various gods with the significant ones being Brahma (maker) Vishnu (the preserver) and Siva (the destroyer), so relying upon ones conclusion Hinduism can be supposed to be polytheistic, monotheistic or henotheistic (which includes commitment to a solitary God while tolerating the presence of different divine beings) (Zavos, 120). Current Hinduism is sorted into two significant gatherings: Vaishnavism (the individuals who adore Vishnu and all other living things docile to him) and Shaivism (stream of Hinduism who venerate Shiva and accepts that Shiva is the destroyer and the maker of the universe). Hinduism depends on the guideline of Brahman that expresses that the universe is the whole gang truths are a solidarity, Devine substance that is at the same time at one with the universe who rises above it too. In Hinduism people are saved to be caught a Samsara which is a trivial pattern of birth demise and resurrection with karma ;ones amassed total of good and terrible deeds and these decides on which level in the standing framework will one be conceived in the home cycle life. Old Hindus loved and collaborated with their divine beings in a marginally extraordinary manner when contrasted with contemporary method of Hinduism. As indicated by antiquated Hindu contents old In the Vedic religion, there were no sanctuaries of love when contrasted with contemporary Hinduism where there are a huge number of sanctuaries and mandirs work for revere. Hindus venerated in the open and sanctuaries were first built in Quite a while in 200 years and it denoted the progress of Hinduism from the Vedic religion of ceremonial penances to the religion of Bhakri or love and a commitment to an individual god. Old sanctuaries were built of wood and block however in later occasions, utilization of stone turned into a favored structure material. Sanctuaries developed in the medieval time fluctuated in design styles and frequently represented the ruler at that point and his wealth and commitment. In old Hinduism, the supporters loved nature and had divine beings that spoke to every component of nature for example the lord of wind, divine force of fire, lord of the ocean and lord of light. Increasingly finished, Hindus venerated bestial divinities (Sacred creatures that spoke to different gods).they accepted that creatures simply like human shad soul and soul. Hallowed creatures in Hinduism are bovines, monkeys, tortoises and elephants. As per old Hindu writings, Hindus venerated mother goddess with extraordinary love than it is in present day Hindu religion. Contemporary Hindu adherents put an extraordinary respects in revering of individual divinities who speak to their God who is the general god. As indicated by old Hindu writings, there is proof that proposes that old divine beings intermarried with people and that divine beings had human characters and would come to people in a few symbols. These divine beings had spirits not diverse with that of people and connected openly as the two of them loved the Brahma who is their general god. There is no such sort of connection between Hindu divine beings and its admirers. The kind of human associations with divine beings relied upon singular situation in the station framework and those in higher caster were respected to be more near divine beings than those in the lower position levels. There was no holy class in antiquated Hinduism yet today cleric are the ones answerable for driving the admirers in sanctuaries. In old Hinduism, social portability in the standing framework was permitted however it was very trouble. The social station framework was included of two powerful social frameworks one dependent on age (Varna) and the other Asrama that obviously characterized people jobs and duties sin the general public. Occasionally individuals could move starting with one station then onto the next or build up another one. In the contemporary Hinduism, the developing standing got out of line to those in the most minimal request and was continuously ignored as it supposedly was biased (Ghanshyam, 45). Standing framework however still plays a significant factor in present day in organizing of Hindu relationships. The legislature in 1947 nullified standing framework and henceforth position segregation is currently illicit in India. In current Hinduism, the social framework has been debased and not, at this point a fundamental significant strict trait of Hinduism. Antiquated Hinduism was not abusive to ladies and most researchers accept that ladies had to some degree significant jobs they played in the ceremonies of the early Vedic period, yet with time the Vedic ceremony turned out to be increasingly unpredictable and the significance of jobs ladies played decreased step by step. Additionally during this period, there were other ceremonial conventions that ladies were permitted to take an interest in. In old Hindu religion, some sacrosanct customs and services for example the custom of terrified move and music offering were polished. A portion of these conventional sacrosanct ceremonies (upacharas), changed with time. An exemplary case of an adjustment in Hinduism old customs and ceremonies in the previous barely any hundred years, is the substitution of the music offering and moves which are consecrated which were recommended by Agama Shastra, with the cutting edge contributions of rice and desserts. In old Hinduism the Vedic rituals of fire-oblation (yajna) were frequently polished yet are a little while ago just periodic practice in the cutting edge Hindu religion, these practices are anyway are profoundly loved in principle. As indicated by Vedic contents, in antiquated Hinduism, butcher of creatures was allowed yet this ceremonial has for all intents and purposes vanished in present day Hinduism. It is in the nineteenth and twentieth hundreds of years that, unmistakable figures of Indian otherworldliness like Swami Vivekananda, Swami Sivananda and Ramana Maharshi stressed the significance of ahimsa. In old Hinduism, the Brahmins never permitted individuals from the lower standing to appreciate equivalent status benefits. There is little resilience for the most part for lower area of the Hindu people group which in any reality their own kin. This has been the standard throughout the years that it is as of not long ago such lower areas of the network were permitted to peruse Vedas which was another significant strict sacred writings. Notwithstanding that, these people were not at all they were likewise not permitted to enter the sanctuaries, where Brahmins were adored, and venerate god. These class of individuals didn't also permitted to attract water a similar well with others and neither would impart their nourishments to higher ranks. This guidelines were relevant either in social or strict get-together. In antiquated Hinduism, penances were offered to God through its subordinate divine beings yet in present day Hinduism, food is rather offered to individual divine beings or people before eating. By offering of food to god and gods, disguise of penances were accomplished by eating what is being relinquished, which is being accepted as making the people body being a penance to god. It is likewise broadly accepted by Hindu people group that offering divine beings with food is an indication of dedication or self acquiescence. It is additionally accepted that the individuals who eat food being scarified to divine beings would not be hurt by any tamasic or rajasic which would be in the food. (Houben Et al, 45) In antiquated Hinduism, there were a less number of Hindu groups and divine beings when contrasted with present day Hindu religion where numerous organizations have risen with expanded opportunity on an individual revering any god the person in question wishes. A considerable lot of these are because of shifting has confidence in the understanding of the Hindu writings. Present day Hinduism include intermittent particularly during strict celebrations going to sanctuaries for adore yet many incline toward venerating at home where one frequently makes a holy place with symbols devoted to their picked structure or types of god. As a rule, sanctuaries are devoted to a god that is essential while related divinities to most numerous gods Hindus play out their love through symbols (murtis) which every symbol fills in as a substantial connection between the admirer and their preeminent God. The picture or the assigned is regularly viewed as an indication of God, as God is characteristic. As per the Hindu messages the Padma Purana clarifies that the mã… Â «rti isn't to be thought of similarly as minor stone or wood yet as a show type of the Divinity. In old H

SIPA Honors Distinguished Guests, Raises Fellowship Funds COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

SIPA Honors Distinguished Guests, Raises Fellowship Funds COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog An audience of 300 luminaries, faculty, alumni, students, and special guests gathered at the historic Plaza Hotel in New York on April 2 for SIPAs 14th Annual Global Leadership Awards Gala. The event honors individuals who, through their work in public policy and administration, have made innovative or otherwise extraordinary contributions to the global public interest, with a focus this year on economic development and sustainability in particular. These leaders exemplify what SIPA can do for individuals and for the world: provide students with the international perspective, academic background, and practical experience to solve the most pressing global challenges. Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger introduced SIPA Dean Merit E. Janow, who presented awards to this years honorees: Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever; Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation; and Joan Spero MIA 68, a Trustee Emerita and senior research scholar at Columbia University. Highlights of the program included remarks from SIPA students Jessi Jou Tseng MPA 14 and Joe Lemaron Sadallah MIA 15. The event raised a record amount of $450,000, which will be used for student fellowships.     So thats good news for our incoming first year students.

Isolation And Isolation Of Frankenstein By Mary Shelley

Isolation comes from the word isolate which means to cause someone or something to be alone or to be apart from others. Social isolation is the lack of contact between people or things in a society. Thomas H. Schmid says that â€Å"it also emerges within larger discourses of isolation†. He is correct: there are many types of isolation, but social isolation is very common. (â€Å"Addiction and Isolation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) In the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the main character Victor Frankenstein creates a â€Å"monster† that comes to life. Victor becomes terror-stricken by the creature due to it’s hideousness, and he flees from his home, leaving the creature alone and isolated. The creature becomes very lonely and angry toward his creator. He then vows to make Victor’s life miserable for creating, abandoning, and isolated him. (Shelley) Isolation not only has grave effects on the monster’s human interaction and social development, but on h umans, too. Isolation can cause someone to be or become emotionally unstable. In the book Frankenstein, Victor creates a creature that comes to life, and he later abandons the creature. The creature then becomes isolated. Because of this isolation, the creature seeks revenge and wants to get back at Victor for even creating him in the first place. An example of the creature’s revenge is demonstrated in the book after the creature has found him and is sharing his story with Victor: â€Å"Frankenstein! You belong then to my enemy-to him towards whom I haveShow MoreRelatedIsolation Plays A Major Role Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein1519 Words   |  7 PagesIsolation plays a major role in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The central characters of the gothic novel, Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and Frankenstein’s creature, are isolated for the majority of each of their narratives. While Walton and Frankenstein willfully isolated themselves from family and o thers for exploring uncharted territories and following dreams of grandeur through scientific creation, respectively, the creature is pushed into isolation due to outright rejection from every personRead MoreMary Shelley and Flannery OConnor: Gothic Isolationists1724 Words   |  7 Pagesdeveloped into a 19th century phenomenon. The success of this dominant genre in England is frequently attributed to Mary Shelley. Despite its success during this time period, gothic fiction ceased to be a dominant genre by the Victorian Era. However, in many ways it had now begun to enter into its most ingenious phase. This paper will analyze the influence of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein on Flannery O’Connor’s work, specifically her novel Wise Blood. Flannery O’Connor emerged as a crucial and contemporaryRead More Isolation in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essays1399 Words   |  6 PagesIsolation in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Mary Shelleys novel, Frankenstein, has several themes imbedded in the text. One major theme is of isolation. Many of the characters experience some time of isolation. The decisions and actions of some of these characters are the root cause of their isolation. They make choices that isolate themselves from everyone else. However, other characters are forced into isolation for reasons that are not in their control. The actions of another cause themRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein: A Gothic Novel1595 Words   |  7 Pages Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is one of the greatest Gothic novels to come out during the Romantic Period. Frankenstein is a prime example of what a Gothic novel should present to its reader through the genre’s twisted themes. Even though it was written in the Romantic period, Mary Shelley still wrote Frankenstein to be a Gothic work of literature. Many characteristics of Gothic novel can be seen within this novel. Mary Shelley’s outstanding novel Frankenstein is a prime example of a Gothic novelRead MoreTheme Of Isolation In Frankenstein1077 Words   |  5 PagesIsolation in Frankenstein The consequences of isolation can be both physical and emotional. For the characters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, isolation does both in varying degrees.Through Victor’s self-destructive path for knowledge and revenge, the creature’s descent from curiosity and benevolence to misery and revenge, and Walton’s journey to the Arctic, Mary Shelley explores the theme of isolation in that whether it is intentional or not, isolation only leads to negative consequences. Read MoreFrankenstein, By Mary Shelley1650 Words   |  7 Pagesbook of Frankenstein does one just think of a mythical science fiction book that really has no meaning? Frankenstein can have numerous meanings depending on how a person perceives it. Frankenstein can be analyzed into many themes; some say religion, feminism, or scientific symbolization, it all depends on ones own perception. When one analyzes further into Mary Shelly’s life and then interprets the novel it is obvious that is a sociological theme. One can simply assume that Mary Shelley creates FrankensteinRead MoreFrankenstein Influences1358 Words   |  6 Pagesof Mary Shelley’s Personal Life in the Story of Frankenstein The authors that are most successful in creating vivid emotions of fear, anguish and heartache are those that have experienced such emotions in their own lives. Mary Shelley in her gothic fiction novel Frankenstein presents her personal challenges through the literary work and characters. First, Mary’s own birth and the death of her mother are re-created in the fictional novel as the creation of the monster by Victor Frankenstein. ThroughRead MoreEmotional Isolation in Mary Shelleys Life and in Frankenstein1159 Words   |  5 Pages Emotional isolation in Frankenstein is the most pertinent and prevailing theme throughout the novel.   This theme is so important because everything the monster does or feels directly relates to his poignant seclusion.   The effects of this terrible burden have progressively damaging results upon the monster, and indirectly cause him to act out his frustrations on the innocent.   The monsters emotional isolation makes him gradually turn worse and worse until evil fully prevails.   This theme perpetuatesRead MoreMary Shelley s Frankenstein - Original Writing1489 Words   |  6 Pagesrecurred, but I was unable to solve them (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein).† Mary Shelley’s book, Frankenstein, parallels her own experiences. Shelley’s mother died in childbirth, and she was left â€Å"dependent on none and related to none.† Her father, William Godwin, abandoned his daughter emotionally when he remarried a woman who treated Mary poorly. Shelley often searched for an understanding of who she was. She did not have a mother to give her an education, so Mary taught herself by seeking answers toRead MoreEssay on Alienation and Isolation in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1110 Words   |  5 PagesAlienation and Isolation Alienation and isolation have been apparent in society since the beginning of man. When an individual stumbles outside the realm of social normality they are viewed as degradation to society or a threat to normal society.(â€Å"Truthmove† 2012) In the gothic tale of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley frequently displays the many different forms of alienation. Victor Frankenstein and his creation were two of the characters in this book that went through alienation and isolation. Victor

Should The Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered Again - 878 Words

Should the legal drinking age remain at age 21? For almost 40 years most states voluntarily set their minimum drinking age law at 21, some states were 18 in accordance to the military age requirement (18) and the voting age. In those states, drunk driving and alcohol related deaths were increasing significantly. But it didn’t just happen in those states, it also happened in the bordering states called â€Å"blood borders.† As a result to these problems, President Ronald Reagan in 1984 signed into law the Uniform Drinking Age Act. This act made it mandatory for all states to adopt 21 as the legal drinking age. By 1988 all states had set 21 as the minimum drinking age. Since the states set this age it was estimated that it has saved about 900 lives per year (MADD). Many believe that the drinking age should be lowered again to 18 because we are considered adults at 18 and we can vote and go into the military. But that’s not why the age requirement is 21. Its 21 because your brain isn’t fully developed until age 21 and drinking can have harmful effects on a developing brain (â€Å"Dangers of Teen Drinking† FTC). As of January of 2006 approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. To break it down a little more, this included about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 from homicides, 300 from suicides, and others from injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings (National I nstitute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). The legal drinkingShow MoreRelatedFor Years, The Debate About Deciding A Minimum Legal Drinking1638 Words   |  7 Pagesyears, the debate about deciding a minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) has plagued the United States. The arguments can include that intoxicated driving accidents will increase if the MLDA was lowered or that the current MLDA is not decreasing drinking among young adults at all. The torn arguments between ages eighteen and twenty-one have not proven one age to be the right answer to the problem of deciding a drinking age, but if the MLDA was lowered to age eighteen, it would be the most beneficial choiceRead More The Drinking Age Should NOT Be Lowered Essay1006 Words   |  5 Pagesminimum legal drinking age. Choose Responsibility, a group founded by John McCardell, proposes that upon completion of a 40 hour course to educate young people about alcohol, 18, 19, and 20 year old people should be licensed to drink. The Amet hyst Initiative, part of Choose Responsibility, is a petition to Congress to rethink the minimum legal drinking age. Several college leaders have signed this petition in the belief that lowering the minimum legal drinking age will reduce binge drinking on collegeRead MoreDrinking Age Drinking847 Words   |  4 Pagesthe drinking age should be lowered to eighteen like most of the world or if it should stay at twenty-one. Underage drinking has been a major questionable issue for years, yet why is it not under control? Teenagers are continuing to buy alcohol with fake identification cards, getting into bars and drinking illegally. As a recent teen, I have proof that these things are going on not only in college but in high school as well. There are a lot of factors that come together to why the drinking age shouldRead MoreThe Generations Of People Who Were Born After 1984 Have1284 Words   |  6 Pages1984 have only known the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) to be 21 years old. But, it was not so long ago when the minimum legal drinking age was 18. In 1984 Congress passed the MLDA Act as a result of the rise in drunk driving accidents involving teens and alcohol related deaths. This Act ultimately made the states raise their MLDA to 21 from 18 for fear of losing federal highway funds. There have been many debates about it and whether or not it should be lowered again. Many organizations, like StudentsRead MoreMinimum Legal Drinking Age Should Remain at the Age of 21 Essay1310 Words   |  6 PagesWithout a doubt, the United States has been facing serious national problems with underage drinking. Depending on personal ideologies, some people might not agree that the current minimum drinking age of twenty-one is based on scientific facts rather then ideology of prohibitionism. For example, since 1975 over seventeen thousand lives have been saved since the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) was changed to age twenty-one (Balkin 167). This shows that even over a short amount of time, a higher MLDARead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered973 Words   |  4 Pages The Legal Age for Drinking Alcohol Should Not Be Lowered To 18 In the United States. Every state has the right to set its own legal drinking age. However, according to George Will in an article he wrote in the Washington Post about the legal drinking age, â€Å"drinking age paradox† â€Å"lowering the drinking age will cost the state ten percent of its federal highway funds and cause a significant uproar from contractors and construction unions.† It is therefore in the best interest of every citizenRead More The Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered Essay1711 Words   |  7 Pagespile of empty beer cans filled the kitchen sink, and the deafening music rattled the window panes. A group of girls managed to stumble past us. They waved goodbye to the host, who was handing drinks to me and my sister. It was not my first time drinking. In fact, everyone there was quite experienced – after all, it’s college. Half of the guests were completely drunk, and I had no problem with it. That is, until later that night when my siste r locked herself in a room with a guy she had met onlyRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age ( Mlda )1428 Words   |  6 Pagesabout a party. You would think that it’s another college party that could get out of hand fast, but he decides to go. People will party, and drink, whether it’s legal or not, so wouldn’t we want to make them as safe as possible for them? Since 1984 the legal drinking age has been 21, but that hasn’t stopped many of the younger adults, ages 18-20, from partying with their friends, and consuming alcoholic beverages. It has lasted over the years as a popular way to rebel against parents, or other authorityRead MoreThe Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered1639 Words   |  7 PagesMost people would concur that alcohol should not be given to teenagers. Despite the fact that we concede to this essential truth, underage drinking is still a noteworthy issue in our nation. Since adolescents need development and information with regards to liquor , they put themselves, as well as others in incredible danger when they decide to consume. Regardless of the risk, there are individuals out there who believe that the drinking age should be lowered. However, their argument is weak, andRead MoreShould The Drinking Age Be Lowered?994 Words   |  4 PagesShould the Drinking Age Be Lowered? Approximately 2 out of every 3 high school students have drank to the point of getting intoxicated (binge drink), in more than one occasion (Centers for Disease and Control Prevention [CDC], n.d.). Binge drinking has become increasingly common for youth under the minimum legal drinking age, making it increasingly dangerous because of the lack of supervision that young adults have that can consequently, lead to death because of fear of the law (Bonnie O’Connell

The Lost Symbol Chapter 4-6 Free Essays

CHAPTER 4 The U.S. Capitol Building stands regally at the eastern end of the National Mall, on a raised plateau that city designer Pierre L’Enfant described as â€Å"a pedestal waiting for a monument. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lost Symbol Chapter 4-6 or any similar topic only for you Order Now † The Capitol’s massive footprint measures more than 750 feet in length and 350 feet deep. Housing more than sixteen acres of floor space, it contains an astonishing 541 rooms. The neoclassical architecture is meticulously designed to echo the grandeur of ancient Rome, whose ideals were the inspiration for America’s founders in establishing the laws and culture of the new republic. The new security checkpoint for tourists entering the Capitol Building is located deep within the recently completed subterranean visitor center, beneath a magnificent glass skylight that frames the Capitol Dome. Newly hired security guard Alfonso Nunez carefully studied the male visitor now approaching his checkpoint. The man had a shaved head and had been lingering in the lobby, completing a phone call before entering the building. His right arm was in a sling, and he moved with a slight limp. He was wearing a tattered army-navy surplus coat, which, combined with his shaved head, made Nunez guess military. Those who had served in the U.S. armed forces were among the most common visitors to Washington. â€Å"Good evening, sir,† Nunez said, following the security protocol of verbally engaging any male visitor who entered alone. â€Å"Hello,† the visitor said, glancing around at the nearly deserted entry. â€Å"Quiet night.† â€Å"NFC play-offs,† Nunez replied. â€Å"Everyone’s watching the Redskins tonight.† Nunez wished he were, too, but this was his first month on the job, and he’d drawn the short straw. â€Å"Metal objects in the dish, please.† As the visitor fumbled to empty the pockets of his long coat with his one working hand, Nunez watched him carefully. Human instinct made special allowances for the injured and handicapped, but it was an instinct Nunez had been trained to override. Nunez waited while the visitor removed from his pockets the usual assortment of loose change, keys, and a couple of cell phones. â€Å"Sprain?† Nunez asked, eyeing the man’s injured hand, which appeared to be wrapped in a series of thick Ace bandages. The bald man nodded. â€Å"Slipped on the ice. A week ago. Still hurts like hell.† â€Å"Sorry to hear that. Walk through, please.† The visitor limped through the detector, and the machine buzzed in protest. The visitor frowned. â€Å"I was afraid of that. I’m wearing a ring under these bandages. My finger was too swollen to get it off, so the doctors wrapped right over it.† â€Å"No problem,† Nunez said. â€Å"I’ll use the wand.† Nunez ran the metal-detection wand over the visitor’s wrapped hand. As expected, the only metal he detected was a large lump on the man’s injured ring finger. Nunez took his time rubbing the metal detector over every inch of the man’s sling and finger. He knew his supervisor was probably monitoring him on the closed circuit in the building’s security center, and Nunez needed this job. Always better to be cautious. He carefully slid the wand up inside the man’s sling. The visitor winced in pain. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"It’s okay,† the man said. â€Å"You can’t be too careful these days.† â€Å"Ain’t that the truth.† Nunez liked this guy. Strangely, that counted for a lot around here. Human instinct was America’s first line of defense against terrorism. It was a proven fact that human intuition was a more accurate detector of danger than all the electronic gear in the world–the gift of fear, as one of their security reference books termed it. In this case, Nunez’s instincts sensed nothing that caused him any fear. The only oddity that he noticed, now that they were standing so close, was that this tough-looking guy appeared to have used some kind of self-tanner or concealer makeup on his face. Whatever. Everyone hates to be pale in the winter. â€Å"You’re fine,† Nunez said, completing his sweep and stowing the wand. â€Å"Thanks.† The man started collecting his belongings from the tray. As he did, Nunez noticed that the two fingers protruding from his bandage each bore a tattoo; the tip of his index finger bore the image of a crown, and the tip of his thumb bore that of a star. Seems everyone has tattoos these days, Nunez thought, although the pads of his fingertips seemed like painful spots to get them. â€Å"Those tats hurt?† The man glanced down at his fingertips and chuckled. â€Å"Less than you might think.† â€Å"Lucky,† Nunez said. â€Å"Mine hurt a lot. I got a mermaid on my back when I was in boot camp.† â€Å"A mermaid?† The bald man chuckled. â€Å"Yeah,† he said, feeling sheepish. â€Å"The mistakes we make in our youth.† â€Å"I hear you,† the bald man said. â€Å"I made a big mistake in my youth, too. Now I wake up with her every morning.† They both laughed as the man headed off. Child’s play, Mal’akh thought as he moved past Nunez and up the escalator toward the Capitol Building. The entry had been easier than anticipated. Mal’akh’s slouching posture and padded belly had hidden his true physique, while the makeup on his face and hands had hidden the tattoos that covered his body. The true genius, however, was the sling, which disguised the potent object Mal’akh was transporting into the building. A gift for the one man on earth who can help me obtain what I seek. CHAPTER 5 The world’s largest and most technologically advanced museum is also one of the world’s best- kept secrets. It houses more pieces than the Hermitage, the Vatican Museum, and the New York Metropolitan . . . combined. Yet despite its magnificent collection, few members of the public are ever invited inside its heavily guarded walls. Located at 4210 Silver Hill Road just outside of Washington, D.C., the museum is a massive zigzag-shaped edifice constructed of five interconnected pods–each pod larger than a football field. The building’s bluish metal exterior barely hints at the strangeness within–a six-hundred- thousand-square-foot alien world that contains a â€Å"dead zone,† a â€Å"wet pod,† and more than twelve miles of storage cabinets. Tonight, scientist Katherine Solomon was feeling unsettled as she drove her white Volvo up to the building’s main security gate. The guard smiled. â€Å"Not a football fan, Ms. Solomon?† He lowered the volume on the Redskins play-off pregame show. Katherine forced a tense smile. â€Å"It’s Sunday night.† â€Å"Oh, that’s right. Your meeting.† â€Å"Is he here yet?† she asked anxiously. He glanced down at his paperwork. â€Å"I don’t see him on the log.† â€Å"I’m early.† Katherine gave a friendly wave and continued up the winding access road to her usual parking spot at the bottom of the small, two-tiered lot. She began collecting her things and gave herself a quick check in the rearview mirror–more out of force of habit than actual vanity. Katherine Solomon had been blessed with the resilient Mediterranean skin of her ancestry, and even at fifty years old she had a smooth olive complexion. She used almost no makeup and wore her thick black hair unstyled and down. Like her older brother, Peter, she had gray eyes and a slender, patrician elegance. You two might as well be twins, people often told them. Their father had succumbed to cancer when Katherine was only seven, and she had little memory of him. Her brother, eight years Katherine’s senior and only fifteen when their father died, had begun his journey toward becoming the Solomon patriarch much sooner than anyone had ever dreamed. As expected, though, Peter had grown into the role with the dignity and strength befitting their family name. To this day, he still watched over Katherine as though they were just kids. Despite her brother’s occasional prodding, and no shortage of suitors, Katherine had never married. Science had become her life partner, and her work had proven more fulfilling and exciting than any man could ever hope to be. Katherine had no regrets. Her field of choice–Noetic Science–had been virtually unknown when she first heard of it, but in recent years it had started opening new doors of understanding into the power of the human mind. Our untapped potential is truly shocking. Katherine’s two books on Noetics had established her as a leader in this obscure field, but her most recent discoveries, when published, promised to make Noetic Science a topic of mainstream conversation around the world. Tonight, however, science was the last thing on her mind. Earlier in the day, she had received some truly upsetting information relating to her brother. I still can’t believe it’s true. She’d thought of nothing else all afternoon. A pattering of light rain drummed on her windshield, and Katherine quickly gathered her things to get inside. She was about to step out of her car when her cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID and inhaled deeply. Then she tucked her hair behind her ears and settled in to take the call. Six miles away, Mal’akh was moving through the corridors of the U.S. Capitol Building with a cell phone pressed to his ear. He waited patiently as the line rang. Finally, a woman’s voice answered. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"We need to meet again,† Mal’akh said. There was a long pause. â€Å"Is everything all right?† â€Å"I have new information,† Mal’akh said. â€Å"Tell me.† Mal’akh took a deep breath. â€Å"That which your brother believes is hidden in D.C. . . . ?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"It can be found.† Katherine Solomon sounded stunned. â€Å"You’re telling me–it is real?† Mal’akh smiled to himself. â€Å"Sometimes a legend that endures for centuries . . . endures for a reason.† CHAPTER 6 Is this as close as you can get?† Robert Langdon felt a sudden wave of anxiety as his driver parked on First Street, a good quarter mile from the Capitol Building. â€Å"Afraid so,† the driver said. â€Å"Homeland Security. No vehicles near landmark buildings anymore. I’m sorry, sir.† Langdon checked his watch, startled to see it was already 6:50. A construction zone around the National Mall had slowed them down, and his lecture was to begin in ten minutes. â€Å"Weather’s turning,† the driver said, hopping out and opening Langdon’s door for him. â€Å"You’ll want to hurry.† Langdon reached for his wallet to tip the driver, but the man waved him off. â€Å"Your host already added a very generous tip to the charge.† Typical Peter, Langdon thought, gathering his things. â€Å"Okay, thanks for the ride.† The first few raindrops began to fall as Langdon reached the top of the gracefully arched concourse that descended to the new â€Å"underground† visitors’ entrance. The Capitol Visitor Center had been a costly and controversial project. Described as an underground city to rival parts of Disney World, this subterranean space reportedly provided over a half-million square feet of space for exhibits, restaurants, and meeting halls. Langdon had been looking forward to seeing it, although he hadn’t anticipated quite this long a walk. The skies were threatening to open at any moment, and he broke into a jog, his loafers offering almost no traction on the wet cement. I dressed for a lecture, not a four-hundred-yard downhill dash through the rain! When he arrived at the bottom, he was breathless and panting. Langdon pushed through the revolving door, taking a moment in the foyer to catch his breath and brush off the rain. As he did, he raised his eyes to the newly completed space before him. Okay, I’m impressed. The Capitol Visitor Center was not at all what he had expected. Because the space was underground, Langdon had been apprehensive about passing through it. A childhood accident had left him stranded at the bottom of a deep well overnight, and Langdon now lived with an almost crippling aversion to enclosed spaces. But this underground space was . . . airy somehow. Light. Spacious. The ceiling was a vast expanse of glass with a series of dramatic light fixtures that threw a muted glow across the pearl-colored interior finishes. Normally, Langdon would have taken a full hour in here to admire the architecture, but with five minutes until showtime, he put his head down and dashed through the main hall toward the security checkpoint and escalators. Relax, he told himself. Peter knows you’re on your way. The event won’t start without you. At the security point, a young Hispanic guard chatted with him while Langdon emptied his pockets and removed his vintage watch. â€Å"Mickey Mouse?† the guard said, sounding mildly amused. Langdon nodded, accustomed to the comments. The collector’s edition Mickey Mouse watch had been a gift from his parents on his ninth birthday. â€Å"I wear it to remind me to slow down and take life less seriously.† â€Å"I don’t think it’s working,† the guard said with a smile. â€Å"You look like you’re in a serious hurry.† Langdon smiled and put his daybag through the X-ray machine. â€Å"Which way to the Statuary Hall?† The guard motioned toward the escalators. â€Å"You’ll see the signs.† â€Å"Thanks.† Langdon grabbed his bag off the conveyor and hurried on. As the escalator ascended, Langdon took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts. He gazed up through the rain-speckled glass ceiling at the mountainous form of the illuminated Capitol Dome overhead. It was an astonishing building. High atop her roof, almost three hundred feet in the air, the Statue of Freedom peered out into the misty darkness like a ghostly sentinel. Langdon always found it ironic that the workers who hoisted each piece of the nineteen-and-a-half-foot bronze statue to her perch were slaves–a Capitol secret that seldom made the syllabi of high school history classes. This entire building, in fact, was a treasure trove of bizarre arcana that included a â€Å"killer bathtub† responsible for the pneumonic murder of Vice President Henry Wilson, a staircase with a permanent bloodstain over which an inordinate number of guests seemed to trip, and a sealed basement chamber in which workers in 1930 discovered General John Alexander Logan’s long- deceased stuffed horse. No legends were as enduring, however, as the claims of thirteen different ghosts that haunted this building. The spirit of city designer Pierre L’Enfant frequently was reported wandering the halls, seeking payment of his bill, now two hundred years overdue. The ghost of a worker who fell from the Capitol Dome during construction was seen wandering the corridors with a tray of tools. And, of course, the most famous apparition of all, reported numerous times in the Capitol basement–an ephemeral black cat that prowled the substructure’s eerie maze of narrow passageways and cubicles. Langdon stepped off the escalator and again checked his watch. Three minutes. He hurried down the wide corridor, following the signs toward the Statuary Hall and rehearsing his opening remarks in his head. Langdon had to admit that Peter’s assistant had been correct; this lecture topic would be a perfect match for an event hosted in Washington, D.C., by a prominent Mason. It was no secret that D.C. had a rich Masonic history. The cornerstone of this very building had been laid in a full Masonic ritual by George Washington himself. This city had been conceived and designed by Master Masons–George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Pierre L’Enfant– powerful minds who adorned their new capital with Masonic symbolism, architecture, and art. Of course, people see in those symbols all kinds of crazy ideas. Many conspiracy theorists claimed the Masonic forefathers had concealed powerful secrets throughout Washington along with symbolic messages hidden in the city’s layout of streets. Langdon never paid any attention. Misinformation about the Masons was so commonplace that even educated Harvard students seemed to have surprisingly warped conceptions about the brotherhood. Last year, a freshman had rushed wild-eyed into Langdon’s classroom with a printout from the Web. It was a street map of D.C. on which certain streets had been highlighted to form various shapes–satanic pentacles, a Masonic compass and square, the head of Baphomet–proof apparently that the Masons who designed Washington, D.C., were involved in some kind of dark, mystical conspiracy. â€Å"Fun,† Langdon said, â€Å"but hardly convincing. If you draw enough intersecting lines on a map, you’re bound to find all kinds of shapes.† â€Å"But this can’t be coincidence!† the kid exclaimed. Langdon patiently showed the student that the same exact shapes could be formed on a street map of Detroit. The kid seemed sorely disappointed. â€Å"Don’t be disheartened,† Langdon said. â€Å"Washington does have some incredible secrets . . . just none on this street map.† The young man perked up. â€Å"Secrets? Like what?† â€Å"Every spring I teach a course called Occult Symbols. I talk a lot about D.C. You should take the course.† â€Å"Occult symbols!† The freshman looked excited again. â€Å"So there are devil symbols in D.C.!† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Sorry, but the word occult, despite conjuring images of devil worship, actually means `hidden’ or `obscured.’ In times of religious oppression, knowledge that was counterdoctrinal had to be kept hidden or `occult,’ and because the church felt threatened by this, they redefined anything `occult’ as evil, and the prejudice survived.† â€Å"Oh.† The kid slumped. Nonetheless, that spring, Langdon spotted the freshman seated in the front row as five hundred students bustled into Harvard’s Sanders Theatre, a hollow old lecture hall with creaking wooden benches. â€Å"Good morning, everybody,† Langdon shouted from the expansive stage. He turned on a slide projector, and an image materialized behind him. â€Å"As you’re getting settled, how many of you recognize the building in this picture?† â€Å"U.S. Capitol!† dozens of voices called out in unison. â€Å"Washington, D.C.!† â€Å"Yes. There are nine million pounds of ironwork in that dome. An unparalleled feat of architectural ingenuity for the 1850s.† â€Å"Awesome!† somebody shouted. Langdon rolled his eyes, wishing somebody would ban that word. â€Å"Okay, and how many of you have ever been to Washington?† A scattering of hands went up. â€Å"So few?† Langdon feigned surprise. â€Å"And how many of you have been to Rome, Paris, Madrid, or London?† Almost all the hands in the room went up. As usual. One of the rites of passage for American college kids was a summer with a Eurorail ticket before the harsh reality of real life set in. â€Å"It appears many more of you have visited Europe than have visited your own capital. Why do you think that is?† â€Å"No drinking age in Europe!† someone in back shouted. Langdon smiled. â€Å"As if the drinking age here stops any of you?† Everyone laughed. It was the first day of school, and the students were taking longer than usual to get settled, shifting and creaking in their wooden pews. Langdon loved teaching in this hall because he always knew how engaged the students were simply by listening to how much they fidgeted in their pews. â€Å"Seriously,† Langdon said, â€Å"Washington, D.C., has some of the world’s finest architecture, art, and symbolism. Why would you go overseas before visiting your own capital?† â€Å"Ancient stuff is cooler,† someone said. â€Å"And by ancient stuff,† Langdon clarified, â€Å"I assume you mean castles, crypts, temples, that sort of thing?† Their heads nodded in unison. â€Å"Okay. Now, what if I told you that Washington, D.C., has every one of those things? Castles, crypts, pyramids, temples . . . it’s all there.† The creaking diminished. â€Å"My friends,† Langdon said, lowering his voice and moving to the front of the stage, â€Å"in the next hour, you will discover that our nation is overflowing with secrets and hidden history. And exactly as in Europe, all of the best secrets are hidden in plain view.† The wooden pews fell dead silent. Gotcha. Langdon dimmed the lights and called up his second slide. â€Å"Who can tell me what George Washington is doing here?† The slide was a famous mural depicting George Washington dressed in full Masonic regalia standing before an odd-looking contraption–a giant wooden tripod that supported a rope-and- pulley system from which was suspended a massive block of stone. A group of well-dressed onlookers stood around him. â€Å"Lifting that big block of stone?† someone ventured. Langdon said nothing, preferring that a student make the correction if possible. â€Å"Actually,† another student offered, â€Å"I think Washington is lowering the rock. He’s wearing a Masonic costume. I’ve seen pictures of Masons laying cornerstones before. The ceremony always uses that tripod thing to lower the first stone.† â€Å"Excellent,† Langdon said. â€Å"The mural portrays the Father of Our Country using a tripod and pulley to lay the cornerstone of our Capitol Building on September 18, 1793, between the hours of eleven fifteen and twelve thirty.† Langdon paused, scanning the class. â€Å"Can anyone tell me the significance of that date and time?† Silence. â€Å"What if I told you that precise moment was chosen by three famous Masons–George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Pierre L’Enfant, the primary architect for D.C.?† More silence. â€Å"Quite simply, the cornerstone was set at that date and time because, among other things, the auspicious Caput Draconis was in Virgo.† Everyone exchanged odd looks. â€Å"Hold on,† someone said. â€Å"You mean . . . like astrology?† â€Å"Exactly. Although a different astrology than we know today.† A hand went up. â€Å"You mean our Founding Fathers believed in astrology?† Langdon grinned. â€Å"Big-time. What would you say if I told you the city of Washington, D.C., has more astrological signs in its architecture than any other city in the world–zodiacs, star charts, cornerstones laid at precise astrological dates and times? More than half of the framers of our Constitution were Masons, men who strongly believed that the stars and fate were intertwined, men who paid close attention to the layout of the heavens as they structured their new world.† â€Å"But that whole thing about the Capitol cornerstone being laid while Caput Draconis was in Virgo–who cares? Can’t that just be coincidence?† â€Å"An impressive coincidence considering that the cornerstones of the three structures that make up Federal Triangle–the Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument–were all laid in different years but were carefully timed to occur under this exact same astrological condition.† Langdon’s gaze was met by a room full of wide eyes. A number of heads dipped down as students began taking notes. A hand in back went up. â€Å"Why did they do that?† Langdon chuckled. â€Å"The answer to that is an entire semester’s worth of material. If you’re curious, you should take my mysticism course. Frankly, I don’t think you guys are emotionally prepared to hear the answer.† â€Å"What?† the person shouted. â€Å"Try us!† Langdon made a show of considering it and then shook his head, toying with them. â€Å"Sorry, I can’t do that. Some of you are only freshmen. I’m afraid it might blow your minds.† â€Å"Tell us!† everyone shouted. Langdon shrugged. â€Å"Perhaps you should join the Masons or Eastern Star and learn about it from the source.† â€Å"We can’t get in,† a young man argued. â€Å"The Masons are like a supersecret society!† â€Å"Supersecret? Really?† Langdon remembered the large Masonic ring that his friend Peter Solomon wore proudly on his right hand. â€Å"Then why do Masons wear obvious Masonic rings, tie clips, or pins? Why are Masonic buildings clearly marked? Why are their meeting times in the newspaper?† Langdon smiled at all the puzzled faces. â€Å"My friends, the Masons are not a secret society . . . they are a society with secrets.† â€Å"Same thing,† someone muttered. â€Å"Is it?† Langdon challenged. â€Å"Would you consider Coca-Cola a secret society?† â€Å"Of course not,† the student said. â€Å"Well, what if you knocked on the door of corporate headquarters and asked for the recipe for Classic Coke?† â€Å"They’d never tell you.† â€Å"Exactly. In order to learn Coca-Cola’s deepest secret, you would need to join the company, work for many years, prove you were trustworthy, and eventually rise to the upper echelons of the company, where that information might be shared with you. Then you would be sworn to secrecy.† â€Å"So you’re saying Freemasonry is like a corporation?† â€Å"Only insofar as they have a strict hierarchy and they take secrecy very seriously.† â€Å"My uncle is a Mason,† a young woman piped up. â€Å"And my aunt hates it because he won’t talk about it with her. She says Masonry is some kind of strange religion.† â€Å"A common misperception.† â€Å"It’s not a religion?† â€Å"Give it the litmus test,† Langdon said. â€Å"Who here has taken Professor Witherspoon’s comparative religion course?† Several hands went up. â€Å"Good. So tell me, what are the three prerequisites for an ideology to be considered a religion?† â€Å"ABC,† one woman offered. â€Å"Assure, Believe, Convert.† â€Å"Correct,† Langdon said. â€Å"Religions assure salvation; religions believe in a precise theology; and religions convert nonbelievers.† He paused. â€Å"Masonry, however, is batting zero for three. Masons make no promises of salvation; they have no specific theology; and they do not seek to convert you. In fact, within Masonic lodges, discussions of religion are prohibited.† â€Å"So . . . Masonry is anti religious?† â€Å"On the contrary. One of the prerequisites for becoming a Mason is that you must believe in a higher power. The difference between Masonic spirituality and organized religion is that the Masons do not impose a specific definition or name on a higher power. Rather than definitive theological identities like God, Allah, Buddha, or Jesus, the Masons use more general terms like Supreme Being or Great Architect of the Universe. This enables Masons of different faiths to gather together.† â€Å"Sounds a little far-out,† someone said. â€Å"Or, perhaps, refreshingly open-minded?† Langdon offered. â€Å"In this age when different cultures are killing each other over whose definition of God is better, one could say the Masonic tradition of tolerance and open-mindedness is commendable.† Langdon paced the stage. â€Å"Moreover, Masonry is open to men of all races, colors, and creeds, and provides a spiritual fraternity that does not discriminate in any way.† â€Å"Doesn’t discriminate?† A member of the university’s Women’s Center stood up. â€Å"How many women are permitted to be Masons, Professor Langdon?† Langdon showed his palms in surrender. â€Å"A fair point. Freemasonry had its roots, traditionally, in the stone masons’ guilds of Europe and was therefore a man’s organization. Several hundred years ago, some say as early as 1703, a women’s branch called Eastern Star was founded. They have more than a million members.† â€Å"Nonetheless,† the woman said, â€Å"Masonry is a powerful organization from which women are excluded.† Langdon was not sure how powerful the Masons really were anymore, and he was not going to go down that road; perceptions of the modern Masons ranged from their being a group of harmless old men who liked to play dress-up . . . all the way to an underground cabal of power brokers who ran the world. The truth, no doubt, was somewhere in the middle. â€Å"Professor Langdon,† called a young man with curly hair in the back row, â€Å"if Masonry is not a secret society, not a corporation, and not a religion, then what is it?† â€Å"Well, if you were to ask a Mason, he would offer the following definition: Masonry is a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.† â€Å"Sounds to me like a euphemism for `freaky cult.’ â€Å" â€Å"Freaky, you say?† â€Å"Hell yes!† the kid said, standing up. â€Å"I heard what they do inside those secret buildings! Weird candlelight rituals with coffins, and nooses, and drinking wine out of skulls. Now that’s freaky!† Langdon scanned the class. â€Å"Does that sound freaky to anyone else?† â€Å"Yes!† they all chimed in. Langdon feigned a sad sigh. â€Å"Too bad. If that’s too freaky for you, then I know you’ll never want to join my cult.† Silence settled over the room. The student from the Women’s Center looked uneasy. â€Å"You’re in a cult?† Langdon nodded and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. â€Å"Don’t tell anyone, but on the pagan day of the sun god Ra, I kneel at the foot of an ancient instrument of torture and consume ritualistic symbols of blood and flesh.† The class looked horrified. Langdon shrugged. â€Å"And if any of you care to join me, come to the Harvard chapel on Sunday, kneel beneath the crucifix, and take Holy Communion.† The classroom remained silent. Langdon winked. â€Å"Open your minds, my friends. We all fear what we do not understand.† The tolling of a clock began echoing through the Capitol corridors. Seven o’clock. Robert Langdon was now running. Talk about a dramatic entrance. Passing through the House Connecting Corridor, he spotted the entrance to the National Statuary Hall and headed straight for it. As he neared the door, he slowed to a nonchalant stroll and took several deep breaths. Buttoning his jacket, he lifted his chin ever so slightly and turned the corner just as the final chime sounded. Showtime. As Professor Robert Langdon strode into the National Statuary Hall, he raised his eyes and smiled warmly. An instant later, his smile evaporated. He stopped dead in his tracks. Something was very, very wrong. How to cite The Lost Symbol Chapter 4-6, Essay examples

Water Ghost by Alfred Kubin Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Water Ghost by Alfred Kubin. Answer: Every now and then one paints a picture that seems to have opened a door and serves as a stepping stone to other things. The above quoted lines of Pablo Picasso clearly indicates the nature of the painting Water Ghost by Alfred Kubin. Painting had its origin in the Pre-Historic times when the cavemen used to draw figures on the walls of the cave (Arnason and Mansfield 2013). However, in the recent times, the genre of painting has undergone much transformation in a bid to incorporate other branches of study within itself. The present definition of the art of painting has been adequately put into words by Orhan Pamuk in his book My Name is Red, Painting is the silence of thought and the music of sight (Pamuk 2010). Therefore, in the present day scenario painting is used to express the silent thoughts of the soul which cannot be expressed by words (Arnason and Mansfield 2013). To express the inexpressible the artists use various techniques like expressionism, impressionism, formalism and other forms of avant-garde styles (Kohle 2012). Afred Kubin was one of the pioneers of the techniques of Symbolism as w ell as Expressionism and his works are often considered to be potent representatives of these two genres of painting (GLUECK 2018). This essay intends to shed light on the painting Water Ghost of Alfred Kubin from its avant-garde and sublime perspective. Alfred Leopold Isidor Kubin (1877-1959), was an Austrian painter whose works are redolent with the qualities of the avant-garde art movement of his time like Symbolism, Expressionism and others (Galerie-altnoeder.com 2018). Much of his life he suffered from depression with two or three instances of nervous breakdown (Arnason and Mansfield 2013). He even attempted suicide on the grave of his mother. Thus, painting served in his life the same purpose as it did in the life of Frida Kahlo, I don't paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality (Art criticism by eric wayne 2018). However, the real flowering of his art began with the influence of Max Klinger on his art which in his own words, a new art was thrown open to me, which offered free play for the imaginative expression of every conceivable world of feeling. Before putting the engravings away I swore that I would dedicate my life to the creation of similar works (Kubin 1973). This can be seen as his formal introduction to the avant-garde art movement of which he was to become a primary preacher. It is to be noted that most of the critics interpret his works like Water Ghost, Gateway to Hell, One Woman For All and others to be rather dark, spectral and full of his symbolic fantasies (Marks, Kubin and Landesmuseum 1977). Some critics even find influences of authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Kafka, Fyodor Dostoevsky, E.T.A. Hoffmann and others on his art works (Kohle 2012). According to these critics, in his works is found the same morbid reality as well as the infernal ugliness of the present day society as is found in the works of these writers and just like them he also takes the help of gothic machinery to convey his message (Kohle 2012). The Water Ghost is often considered to be the masterpiece of Albert Kubin (Marks, Kubin and Landesmuseum 1977). It is interesting to note that he was the only Austrian artists to be a member of the "Der Blaue Reiter" group and many people consider this painting to a product of the influence of that art group (Galerie-altnoeder.com 2018). In this particular painting, Kubin is trying to vent his own personal emotions through the medium of expressionism. This particular painting of Kubin is based on the ancient lore about the storm (Art criticism by eric wayne 2018). According to the ancient lore, there is one storm in the world and when that storm awakens it destroys everything in its path until its force is spent and it weakens down only to rise up again later when it has regained its strength (Kubin 1973). In this ancient lore, he introduces the figure of the ghost, who is actually the element behind the force of the storm. The ghost seems to be wearing the storm just like one wears a cloak or a garb in everyday life. Many critics believe the ghost to be a representation of the emotional turbulence faced by Kubin right from his childhood and especially after the death of his mother (Arnason and Mansfield 2013). On the other hand, there are others who consider the painting to be mere pastime work of the artist and think that there is no hidden meaning in the work (Arnason and Mansfield 2013). However, Kuhins own opinion about the meaning of the painting is significant here, You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explain his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear thorough the search (Art criticism by eric wayne 2018). On the other hand, there are some critics to consider this painting to be one of the earliest manifestations of Surrealism (Arnason and Mansfield 2013). Therefore, it can be said that this particular painting of Alfred Kubin represents the characteristics which were typical of the avant-garde movement of his time. A work of art is said to be sublime when it is of unparalleled beauty or of great excellence. The painting Water Ghost of Alfred Kubin is one such art work which reaches the genre of sublime (Arnason and Mansfield 2013). It is a sublime work of art not only because of the beauty of the work or for the fine execution of the work but also for the sublime meaning which the artist has tried to conveyed through the painting. In this painting, the artist through the metaphor of the storm and the anecdote of the ghost used in the ancient lore is trying to portray the inner storm which is continuously going on in the inner consciousness of each individual on this planet (Art criticism by eric wayne 2018). The human mind becomes the world in this particular painting and the ghost becomes the representation of the human consciousness. Thus, it can be said that the painting achieves the quality of sublimity by virtue of the meaning which it is trying to portray. Therefore, from the above discussion it becomes clear that Alfred Kubin was one of the greatest painters of Austria who did not receive much of critical acclaim which was his due within his lifetime. He is often considered to be a pioneer of the avant-garde movement in painting and its related movements like Expressionism, Symbolism, Surrealism and various others. His Water Ghost is often considered to be a fine exhibition of his expressionistic techniques. References Arnason, H.H. and Mansfield, E., 2013.History of modern art: painting, sculpture, architecture, photography. Pearson. Art criticism by eric wayne. 2018.Eerie Alfred Kubin: Forgotten Pioneer of Symbolism, Expressionism, and Surrealism. [online] Available at: https://artofericwayne.com/2018/01/29/eerie-alfred-kubin-forgotten-pioneer-of-symbolism-expressionism-and-surrealism/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018]. Artnet.com. 2018.Alfred Kubin | artnet. [online] Available at: https://www.artnet.com/artists/alfred-kubin/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018]. Galerie-altnoeder.com. 2018.Alfred Kubin - Galerie Altnder Salzburg. [online] Available at: https://www.galerie-altnoeder.com/kubin.html [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018]. GLUECK, G. 2018.ART: ALFRED KUBIN SHOW A LESSON IN FANTASY. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/25/arts/art-alfred-kubin-show-a-lesson-in-fantasy.html?pagewanted=all [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018]. Kohle, H., 2012. Nightmareanxietyapocalypse. The Uncanny and Catastrophic in the art of Modernism. Kubin, A., 1973.From my workshop.German paperback publisher. Marks, A., Kubin, A. and Landesmuseum, O., 1977.Illustrator Alfred Kubin: Complete catalog of his illustrations and book art works.Ed.Spangenberg. Pamuk, O., 2010.My name is Red(Vol. 331). Everyman's Library.