The Golden Compass Chapter Two Free Essays

string(65) " put the first slide into the frame and slid it behind the lens\." Chapter Two The Idea Of North â€Å"Master,† said Lord Asriel. â€Å"Yes, I’m back. Do bring in your guests; I’ve got something very interesting to show you. We will write a custom essay sample on The Golden Compass Chapter Two or any similar topic only for you Order Now † â€Å"Lord Asriel,† said the Master heavily, and came forward to shake his hand. From her hiding place Lyra watched the Master’s eyes, and indeed, they flicked toward the table for a second, where the Tokay had been. â€Å"Master,† said Lord Asriel. â€Å"I came too late to disturb your dinner, so I made myself at home in here. Hello, Sub-Rector. Glad to see you looking so well. Excuse my rough appearance; I’ve only just landed. Yes, Master, the Tokay’s gone. I think you’re standing in it. The Porter knocked it off the table, but it was my fault. Hello, Chaplain. I read your latest paper with great interest.† He moved away with the Chaplain, leaving Lyra with a clear view of the Master’s face. It was impassive, but the daemon on his shoulder was shuffling her feathers and moving restlessly from foot to foot. Lord Asriel was already dominating the room, and although he was careful to be courteous to the Master in the Master’s own territory, it was clear where the power lay. The Scholars greeted the visitor and moved into the room, some sitting around the table, some in the armchairs, and soon a buzz of conversation filled the air. Lyra could see that they were powerfully intrigued by the wooden case, the screen, and the lantern. She knew the Scholars well: the Librarian, the Sub-Rector, the Enquirer, and the rest; they were men who had been around her all her life, taught her, chastised her, consoled her, given her little presents, chased her away from the fruit trees in the garden; they were all she had for a family. They might even have felt like a family if she knew what a family was, though if she did, she’d have been more likely to feel that about the College servants. The Scholars had more important things to do than attend to the affections of a half-wild, half-civilized girl, left among them by chance. The Master lit the spirit lamp under the little silver chafing dish and heated some butter before cutting half a dozen poppy heads open and tossing them in. Poppy was always served after a feast: it clarified the mind and stimulated the tongue, and made for rich conversation. It was traditional for the Master to cook it himself. Under the sizzle of the frying butter and the hum of talk, Lyra shifted around to find a more comfortable position for herself. With enormous care she took one of the robes – a full-length fur – off its hanger and laid it on the floor of the wardrobe. â€Å"You should have used a scratchy old one,† whispered Pantalaimon. â€Å"If you get too comfortable, you’ll go to sleep.† â€Å"If I do, it’s your job to wake me up,† she replied. She sat and listened to the talk. Mighty dull talk it was, too; almost all of it politics, and London politics at that, nothing exciting about Tartars. The smells of frying poppy and smoke-leaf drifted pleasantly in through the wardrobe door, and more than once Lyra found herself nodding. But finally she heard someone rap on the table. The voices fell silent, and then the Master spoke. â€Å"Gentlemen,† he said. â€Å"I feel sure I speak for all of us when I bid Lord Asriel welcome. His visits are rare but always immensely valuable, and I understand he has something of particular interest to show us tonight. This is a time of high political tension, as we are all aware; Lord Asriel’s presence is required early tomorrow morning in White Hall, and a train is waiting with steam up ready to carry him to London as soon as we have finished our conversation here; so we must use our time wisely. When he has finished speaking to us, I imagine there will be some questions. Please keep them brief and to the point. Lord Asriel, would you like to begin?† â€Å"Thank you, Master,† said Lord Asriel. â€Å"To start with, I have a few slides to show you. Sub-Rector, you can see best from here, I think. Perhaps the Master would like to take the chair near the wardrobe?† Lyra marveled at her uncle’s skill. The old Sub-Rector was nearly blind, so it was courteous to make room for him nearer the screen, and his moving forward meant that the Master would be sitting next to the Librarian, only a matter of a yard or so from where Lyra was crouched in the wardrobe. As the Master settled in the armchair, Lyra heard him murmur: â€Å"The devil! He knew about the wine, I’m sure of it.† The Librarian murmured back, â€Å"He’s going to ask for funds. If he forces a vote – â€Å" â€Å"If he does that, we must just argue against, with all the eloquence we have.† The lantern began to hiss as Lord Asriel pumped it hard. Lyra moved slightly so that she could see the screen, where a brilliant white circle had begun to glow. Lord Asriel called, â€Å"Could someone turn the lamp down?† One of the Scholars got up to do that, and the room darkened. Lord Asriel began: â€Å"As some of you know, I set out for the North twelve months ago on a diplomatic mission to the King of Lapland. At least, that’s what I pretended to be doing. In fact, my real aim was to go further north still, right on to the ice, in fact, to try and discover what had happened to the Grumman expedition. One of Grumman’s last messages to the academy in Berlin spoke of a certain natural phenomenon only seen in the lands of the North. I was determined to investigate that as well as find out what I could about Grumman. But the first picture I’m going to show you isn’t directly about either of those things.† And he put the first slide into the frame and slid it behind the lens. You read "The Golden Compass Chapter Two" in category "Essay examples" A circular photogram in sharp black and white appeared on the screen. It had been taken at night under a full moon, and it showed a wooden hut in the middle distance, its walls dark against the snow that surrounded it and lay thickly on the roof. Beside the hut stood an array of philosophical instruments, which looked to Lyra’s eye like something from the Anbaric Park on the road to Yarnton: aerials, wires, porcelain insulators, all glittering in the moonlight and thickly covered in frost. A man in furs, his face hardly visible in the deep hood of his garment, stood in the foreground, with his hand raised as if in greeting. To one side of him stood a smaller figure. The moonlight bathed everything in the same pallid gleam. â€Å"That photogram was taken with a standard silver nitrate emulsion,† Lord Asriel said. â€Å"I’d like you to look at another one, taken from the same spot only a minute later, with a new specially prepared emulsion.† He lifted out the first slide and dropped another into the frame. This was much darker; it was as if the moonlight had been filtered out. The horizon was still visible, with the dark shape of the hut and its light snow-covered roof standing out, but the complexity of the instruments was hidden in darkness. But the man had altogether changed: he was bathed in light, and a fountain of glowing particles seemed to be streaming from his upraised hand. â€Å"That light,† said the Chaplain, â€Å"is it going up or coming down?† â€Å"It’s coming down,† said Lord Asriel, â€Å"but it isn’t light. It’s Dust.† Something in the way he said it made Lyra imagine dust with a capital letter, as if this wasn’t ordinary dust. The reaction of the Scholars confirmed her feeling, because Lord Asriel’s words caused a sudden collective silence, followed by gasps of incredulity. â€Å"But how – â€Å" â€Å"Surely – â€Å" â€Å"It can’t – â€Å" â€Å"Gentlemen!† came the voice of the Chaplain. â€Å"Let Lord Asriel explain.† â€Å"It’s Dust,† Lord Asriel repeated. â€Å"It registered as light on the plate because particles of Dust affect this emulsion as photons affect silver nitrate emulsion. It was partly to test it that my expedition went north in the first place. As you see, the figure of the man is perfectly visible. Now I’d like you to look at the shape to his left.† He indicated the blurred shape of the smaller figure. â€Å"I thought that was the man’s daemon,† said the Enquirer. â€Å"No. His daemon was at the time coiled around his neck in the form of a snake. That shape you can dimly see is a child.† â€Å"A severed child – ?† said someone, and the way he stopped showed that he knew this was something that shouldn’t have been voiced. There was an intense silence. Then Lord Asriel said calmly, â€Å"An entire child. Which, given the nature of Dust, is precisely the point, is it not?† No one spoke for several seconds. Then came the voice of the Chaplain. â€Å"Ah,† he said, like a thirsty man who, having just drunk deeply, puts down the glass to let out the breath he has held while drinking. â€Å"And the streams of Dust†¦Ã¢â‚¬  † – Come from the sky, and bathe him in what looks like light. You may examine this picture as closely as you wish: I’ll leave it behind when I go. I’m showing it to you now to demonstrate the effect of this new emulsion. Now I’d like to show you another picture.† He changed the slide. The next picture was also taken at night, but this time without moonlight. It showed a small group of tents in the foreground, dimly outlined against the low horizon, and beside them an untidy heap of wooden boxes and a sledge. But the main interest of the picture lay in the sky. Streams and veils of light hung like curtains, looped and festooned on invisible hooks hundreds of miles high or blowing out sideways in the stream of some unimaginable wind. â€Å"What is that?† said the voice of the Sub-Rector. â€Å"It’s a picture of the Aurora.† â€Å"It’s a very fine photogram,† said the Palmerian Professor. â€Å"One of the best I’ve seen.† â€Å"Forgive my ignorance,† said the shaky voice of the old Precentor, â€Å"but if I ever knew what the Aurora was, I have forgotten. Is it what they call the Northern Lights?† â€Å"Yes. It has many names. It’s composed of storms of charged particles and solar rays of intense and extraordinary strength – invisible in themselves, but causing this luminous radiation when they interact with the atmosphere. If there’d been time, I would have had this slide tinted to show you the colors; pale green and rose, for the most part, with a tinge of crimson along the lower edge of that curtain-like formation. This is taken with ordinary emulsion. Now I’d like you to look at a picture taken with the special emulsion.† He took out the slide. Lyra heard the Master say quietly, â€Å"If he forces a vote, we could try to invoke the residence clause. He hasn’t been resident in the College for thirty weeks out of the last fifty-two.† â€Å"He’s already got the Chaplain on his side†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the Librarian murmured in reply. Lord Asriel put a new slide in the lantern frame. It showed the same scene. As with the previous pair of pictures, many of the features visible by ordinary light were much dimmer in this one, and so were the curtains of radiance in the sky. But in the middle of the Aurora, high above the bleak landscape, Lyra could see something solid. She pressed her face to the crack to see more clearly, and she could see the Scholars near the screen leaning forward too. As she gazed, her wonder grew, because there in the sky was the unmistakable outline of a city: towers, domes, walls†¦Buildings and streets, suspended in the air! She nearly gasped with wonder. The Cassington Scholar said, â€Å"That looks like†¦a city.† â€Å"Exactly so,† said Lord Asriel. â€Å"A city in another world, no doubt?† said the Dean, with contempt in his voice. Lord Asriel ignored him. There was a stir of excitement among some of the Scholars, as if, having written treatises on the existence of the unicorn without ever having seen one, they’d been presented with a living example newly captured. â€Å"Is this the Barnard-Stokes business?† said the Palmerian Professor. â€Å"It is, isn’t it?† â€Å"That’s what I want to find out,† said Lord Asriel. He stood to one side of the illuminated screen. Lyra could see his dark eyes searching among the Scholars as they peered up at the slide of the Aurora, and the green glow of his daemon’s eyes beside him. All the venerable heads were craning forward, their spectacles glinting; only the Master and the Librarian leaned back in their chairs, with their heads close together. The Chaplain was saying, â€Å"You said you were searching for news of the Grumman expedition, Lord Asriel. Was Dr. Grumman investigating this phenomenon too?† â€Å"I believe he was, and I believe he had a good deal of information about it. But he won’t be able to tell us what it was, because he’s dead.† â€Å"No!† said the Chaplain. â€Å"I’m afraid so, and I have the proof here.† A ripple of excited apprehension ran round the Retiring Room as, under Lord Asriel’s direction, two or three of the younger Scholars carried the wooden box to the front of the room. Lord Asriel took out the last slide but left the lantern on, and in the dramatic glare of the circle of light he bent to lever open the box. Lyra heard the screech of nails coming out of damp wood. The Master stood up to look, blocking Lyra’s view. Her uncle spoke again: â€Å"If you remember, Grumman’s expedition vanished eighteen months ago. The German Academy sent him up there to go as far north as the magnetic pole and make various celestial observations. It was in the course of that journey that he observed the curious phenomenon we’ve already seen. Shortly after that, he vanished. It’s been assumed that he had an accident and that his body’s been lying in a crevasse all this time. In fact, there was no accident.† â€Å"What have you got there?† said the Dean. â€Å"Is that a vacuum container?† Lord Asriel didn’t answer at first. Lyra heard the snap of metal clips and a hiss as air rushed into a vessel, and then there was a silence. But the silence didn’t last long. After a moment or two Lyra heard a confused babble break out: cries of horror, loud protests, voices raised in anger and fear. â€Å"But what – â€Å" † – hardly human – â€Å" † – it’s been – â€Å" † – what’s happened to it?† The Master’s voice cut through them all. â€Å"Lord Asriel, what in God’s name have you got there?† â€Å"This is the head of Stanislaus Grumman,† said Lord Asriel’s voice. Over the jumble of voices Lyra heard someone stumble to the door and out, making incoherent sounds of distress. She wished she could see what they were seeing. Lord Asriel said, â€Å"I found his body preserved in the ice off Svalbard. The head was treated in this way by his killers. You’ll notice the characteristic scalping pattern. I think you might be familiar with it, Sub-Rector.† The old man’s voice was steady as he said, â€Å"I have seen the Tartars do this. It’s a technique you find among the aboriginals of Siberia and the Tungusk. From there, of course, it spread into the lands of the Skraelings, though I understand that it is now banned in New Denmark. May I examine it more closely, Lord Asriel?† After a short silence he spoke again. â€Å"My eyes are not very clear, and the ice is dirty, but it seems to me that there is a hole in the top of the skull. Am I right?† â€Å"You are.† â€Å"Trepanning?† â€Å"Exactly.† That caused a murmur of excitement. The Master moved out of the way and Lyra could see again. The old Sub-Rector, in the circle of light thrown by the lantern, was holding a heavy block of ice up close to his eyes, and Lyra could see the object inside it: a bloody lump barely recognizable as a human head. Pantalaimon fluttered around Lyra, his distress affecting her. â€Å"Hush,† she whispered. â€Å"Listen.† â€Å"Dr. Grumman was once a Scholar of this College,† said the Dean hotly. â€Å"To fall into the hands of the Tartars – † â€Å"But that far north?† â€Å"They must have penetrated further than anyone imagined!† â€Å"Did I hear you say you found it near Svalbard?† said the Dean. â€Å"That’s right.† â€Å"Are we to understand that the panserbj0rne had anything to do with this?† Lyra didn’t recognize that word, but clearly the Scholars did. â€Å"Impossible,† said the Cassington Scholar firmly. â€Å"They’d never behave in that manner.† â€Å"Then you don’t know lofur Raknison,† said the Palmerian Professor, who had made several expeditions himself to the arctic regions. â€Å"It wouldn’t surprise me at all to learn that he had taken to scalping people in the Tartar fashion.† Lyra looked again at her uncle, who was watching the Scholars with a glitter of sardonic amusement, and saying nothing. â€Å"Who is lofur Raknison?† said someone. â€Å"The king of Svalbard,† said the Palmerian Professor. â€Å"Yes, that’s right, one of the panserb)0me. He’s a usurper, of sorts; tricked his way onto the throne, or so I understand; but a powerful figure, by no means a fool, in spite of his ludicrous affectations – having a palace built of imported marble – setting up what he calls a university – â€Å" â€Å"For whom? For the bears?† said someone else, and every-one laughed. But the Palmerian Professor went on: â€Å"For all that, I tell you that lofur Raknison would be capable of doing this to Grumman. At the same time, he could be flattered into behaving quite differently, if the need arose.† â€Å"And you know how, do you, Trelawney?† said the Dean sneeringly. â€Å"Indeed I do. Do you know what he wants above all else? Even more than an honorary degree? He wants a daemon! Find a way to give him a daemon, and he’d do anything for you.† The Scholars laughed heartily. Lyra was following this with puzzlement; what the Palmerian Professor said made no sense at all. Besides, she was impatient to hear more about scalping and the Northern Lights and that mysterious Dust. But she was disappointed, for Lord Asriel had finished showing his relics and pictures, and the talk soon turned into a College wrangle about whether or not they should give him some money to fit out another expedition. Back and forth the arguments ranged, and Lyra felt her eyes closing. Soon she was fast asleep, with Pantalaimon curled around her neck in his favorite sleeping form as an ermine. She woke up with a start when someone shook her shoulder. â€Å"Quiet,† said her uncle. The wardrobe door was open, and he was crouched there against the light. â€Å"They’ve all gone, but there are still some servants around. Go to your bedroom now, and take care that you say nothing about this.† â€Å"Did they vote to give you the money?† she said sleepily. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"What’s Dust?† she said, struggling to stand up after having been cramped for so long. â€Å"Nothing to do with you.† â€Å"It is to do with me,† she said. â€Å"If you wanted me to be a spy in the wardrobe, you ought to tell me what I’m spying about. Can I see the man’s head?† Pantalaimon’s white ermine fur bristled: she felt it tickling her neck. Lord Asriel laughed shortly. â€Å"Don’t be disgusting,† he said, and began to pack his slides and specimen box. â€Å"Did you watch the Master?† â€Å"Yes, and he looked for the wine before he did anything else.† â€Å"Good. But I’ve scotched him for now. Do as you’re told and go to bed.† â€Å"But where are you going?† â€Å"Back to the North. I’m leaving in ten minutes.† â€Å"Can I come?† He stopped what he was doing, and looked at her as if for the first time. His daemon turned her great tawny leopard eyes on her too, and under the concentrated gaze of both of them, Lyra blushed. But she gazed back fiercely. â€Å"Your place is here,† said her uncle finally. â€Å"But why? Why is my place here? Why can’t I come to the North with you? I want to see the Northern Lights and bears and icebergs and everything. I want to know about Dust. And that city in the air. Is it another world?† â€Å"You’re not coming, child. Put it out of your head; the times are too dangerous. Do as you’re told and go to bed, and if you’re a good girl, I’ll bring you back a walrus tusk with some Eskimo carving on it. Don’t argue anymore or I shall be angry.† And his daemon growled with a deep savage rumble that made Lyra suddenly aware of what it would be like to have teeth meeting in her throat. She compressed her lips and frowned hard at her uncle. He was pumping the air from the vacuum flask, and took no notice; it was as if he’d already forgotten her. Without a word, but with lips tight and eyes narrowed, the girl and her daemon left and went to bed. The Master and the Librarian were old friends and allies, and it was their habit, after a difficult episode, to take a glass of brantwijn and console each other. So after they’d seen Lord Asriel away, they strolled to the Master’s lodging and settled in his study with the curtains drawn and the fire refreshed, their daemons in their familiar places on knee or shoulder, and prepared to think through what had just happened. â€Å"Do you really believe he knew about the wine?† said the Librarian. â€Å"Of course he did. I have no idea how, but he knew, and he spilled the decanter himself. Of course he did.† â€Å"Forgive me, Master, but I can’t help being relieved. I was never happy about the idea of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Of poisoning him?† â€Å"Yes. Of murder.† â€Å"Hardly anyone would be happy at that idea, Charles. The question was whether doing that would be worse than the consequences of not doing it. Well, some providence has intervened, and it hasn’t happened. I’m only sorry I burdened you with the knowledge of it.† â€Å"No, no,† protested the Librarian. â€Å"But I wish you had told me more. The Master was silent for a while before saying, â€Å"Yes, perhaps I should have done. The alethiometer warns of appalling consequences if Lord Asriel pursues this research. Apart from anything else, the child will be drawn in, and I want to keep her safe as long as possible.† â€Å"Is Lord Asriel’s business anything to do with this new initiative of the Consistorial Court of Discipline? The what-do-they-call-it: the Oblation Board?† â€Å"Lord Asriel – no, no. Quite the reverse. The Oblation Board isn’t entirely answerable to the Consistorial Court, either. It’s a semiprivate initiative; it’s being run by someone who has no love of Lord Asriel. Between them both, Charles, I tremble.† The Librarian was silent in his turn. Ever since Pope John Calvin had moved the seat of the Papacy to Geneva and set up the Consistorial Court of Discipline, the Church’s power over every aspect of life had been absolute. The Papacy itself had been abolished after Calvin’s death, and a tangle of courts, colleges, and councils, collectively known as the Magisterium, had grown up in its place. These agencies were not always united; sometimes a bitter rivalry grew up between them. For a large part of the previous century, the most powerful had been the College of Bishops, but in recent years the Consistorial Court of Discipline had taken its place as the most active and the most feared of all the Church’s bodies. But it was always possible for independent agencies to grow up under the protection of another part of the Magisterium, and the Oblation Board, which the Librarian had referred to, was one of these. The Librarian didn’t know much about it, but he disliked and feared what he’d heard, and he completely understood the Master’s anxiety. â€Å"The Palmerian Professor mentioned a name,† he said after a minute or so. â€Å"Barnard-Stokes? What is the Barnard-Stokes business?† â€Å"Ah, it’s not our field, Charles. As I understand it, the Holy Church teaches that there are two worlds: the world of everything we can see and hear and touch, and another world, the spiritual world of heaven and hell. Barnard and Stokes were two – how shall I put it – renegade theologians who postulated the existence of numerous other worlds like this one, neither heaven nor hell, but material and sinful. They are there, close by, but invisible and unreachable. The Holy Church naturally disapproved of this abominable heresy, and Barnard and Stokes were silenced. â€Å"But unfortunately for the Magisterium there seem to be sound mathematical arguments for this other-world theory. I have never followed them myself, but the Cassington Scholar tells me that they are sound.† â€Å"And now Lord Asriel has taken a picture of one of these other worlds,† the Librarian said. â€Å"And we have funded him to go and look for it. I see.† â€Å"Quite. It’ll seem to the Oblation Board, and to its powerful protectors, that Jordan College is a hotbed of support for heresy. And between the Consistorial Court and the Oblation Board, Charles, I have to keep a balance; and meanwhile the child is growing. They won’t have forgotten her. Sooner or later she would have become involved, but she’ll be drawn in now whether I want to protect her or not.† â€Å"But how do you know that, for God’s sake? The alethiometer again?† â€Å"Yes. Lyra has a part to play in all this, and a major one. The irony is that she must do it all without realizing what she’s doing. She can be helped, though, and if my plan with the Tokay had succeeded, she would have been safe for a little longer. I would have liked to spare her a journey to the North. I wish above all things that I were able to explain it to her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"She wouldn’t listen,† the Librarian said. â€Å"I know her ways only too well. Try to tell her anything serious and she’ll half-listen for five minutes and then start fidgeting. Quiz her about it next time and she’ll have completely forgotten.† â€Å"If I talked to her about Dust? You don’t think she’d listen to that?† The Librarian made a noise to indicate how unlikely he thought that was. â€Å"Why on earth should she?† he said. â€Å"Why should a distant theological riddle interest a healthy, thoughtless child?† â€Å"Because of what she must experience. Part of that includes a great betrayal†¦.† â€Å"Who’s going to betray her?† â€Å"No, no, that’s the saddest thing: she will be the betrayer, and the experience will be terrible. She mustn’t know that, of course, but there’s no reason for her not to know about the problem of Dust. And you might be wrong, Charles; she might well take an interest in it, if it were explained in a simple way. And it might help her later on. It would certainly help me to be less anxious about her.† â€Å"That’s the duty of the old,† said the Librarian, â€Å"to be anxious on behalf of the young. And the duty of the young is to scorn the anxiety of the old.† They sat for a while longer, and then parted, for it was late, and they were old and anxious. How to cite The Golden Compass Chapter Two, Essay examples

Seminole Patchwork Essay Research Paper Example For Students

Seminole Patchwork Essay Research Paper ?Cross? or ?sacred fire?, ?arrow?, ?zigzag?, ?bird?, ?wave?, ?mountains? and ?diamondback rattlesnake? all have something in common. What do all of these names have in common? They are all names of Seminole patchwork designs. What exactly is patchworking? It can be defined as the process of sewing pieces of solid colored cloth together to make long rows of designs, which are then joined horizontally to other bands of cloth to form a garment (Downs, 1995, 88). This Native American artwork is closely associated with the Florida Seminoles. The history of this tribe and how they came to make patchwork garments is rather interesting. In making patchwork garments, things to be considered include how it is done (process), what elements of design are used, whom the garment is to be made for and who actually makes it. Presently, there are less artists in this craft and the future of patchwork may be at risk. Seminole patchwork has been done for over a century, and its beauty and uniqueness ne eds to be revealed and recognized by Americans. The Seminole Indians were not always located in Florida. In the early 19th Century the Seminoles lived in the cool areas of Georgia. They wore animals hides and furs to keep warm. This all changed in 1830, when President Andrew Jackson passed the Indian Removal Policy of 1830, which forced the Seminoles to flee to Florida. In fleeing to Florida they left behind their homes, some relatives who refused to leave and their cool climate. In Florida, there was no longer a need for the warm furs and hides and they turned to the use of cloth. In 1840, they disappeared into the Everglades and lived there in peace, with no influences from other tribes. The Everglades were rich with exotic items that were worth a lot in trade markets. Once a year, the Seminoles would take a voyage on the Miami River to Miami. In Miami they could trade items such as alligator hides and egret plumes for rolls of cotton cloth. The Seminoles would use the cotton to m ake various pieces of clothing. One year, a voyage could not be made to Miami to attain more cloth and the Seminoles were forced to use scraps of cloth, sewing them together to make a large piece of cloth or garment. These scrapped together garments were then called ?Taweekaache?, better known as patchwork. (Westermark ?Many Bad Horses) These patchwork garments brought tourists to the lush, tropical setting of the Everglade area. Tourists flocked to see the Seminole Indians and to buy their patchwork pieces. The process of making these garments was rather slow and somewhat complicated (Blackard and West, Downs, 1995, 85). A Seminole patchwork requires the maker to take/cut many pieces of clothe and then sew them together. The process of sewing, cutting, sewing and so on results in the making of complex geometric designs. There is a six-step process that illustrates how patchwork is done. This process is that of Nea Dodson, a modern day patchwork artist. The pattern is very simple, but is one that is good to get your feet wet in patchmaking. This process is the same used by the original Seminoles. 1.) Cut scraps into equal sized squares, making sure to be accurate. 2.) Next, cut a neutral fabric into long strips, which are as wide as the scrap squares. 3.) Sew the scrap squares between two strips of neutral fabric, like this. 4.) Cut strips apart so you now have a rectangle made of three squares: a square of neutral, a scrap square and another square of neutral. It is important that the edges are straight and the two neutral sides are even. 5.) Shift one rectangle down so that the top edge of the uppermost neutral square on the right is even with the top edge of the scrap square on the left. Sew the rectangles together. Keep adding rectangles in this manner. You will get a strip that looks like this. 6.) Keep adding rectangles until you have a strip as long as you want. Turn the strip so that the scrap squares are all on point (standing on one corner). Trim the upper and lower corners off the neutral squares (see the dotted line in the first picture). The resulting piece of patchwork should look like this:Being a woman herself, Nea Dodson must know what it was like for the women of the Seminole tribe. All that cutting and hand sewing must have been very tedious. It wasnt until the 1880s that the hand operated sewing machine made its debut into Seminole villages. This made the process much easier and patchwork soon flourished. The sewing machine could do more tasks and incorporate more features into Seminole clothing. Around 1900, women were putting ?built in? belts into mens shirts. (Blackard and West) Then around 1920, the Seminole women began to put bands of contrasting colors into their clothing. A Seminole named Judy Bill Osceola remarks: ?There wasnt any designs then, there was just pieces of cloth . . . When they put all of the pieces together, they saw it was colorful and that was that (Downs, 1995, 89).? Design plays important part in the making of any craft or piece of artwork. The elements of design in patchworking can b e easily seen. Book Report 1. The Terminal Man By Crichton, Michael. Published By Alf EssaySeminole patchwork in the 90s has been somewhat disappointing. There was once a time when the art of sewing was the most important event in a young girls life and their mother, aunt, grandmother or other family member still loved to keep the tradition alive. Present day Seminole women have moved into the job market and do not have time to make the patchworks by hand. Instead they buy rolls of pre-made patchwork or already assembled outfits. Thus the history and tradition of patchworking slowly fades away with each passing year. Fortunately those like Effie Osceola, Irene Cypress and Pauline Doctor have taken the time to create new complex patterns and keep the old way of making patchwork garments alive in the 1990s. In source ten, eleven and twelve, you can see the work of Effie, Irene and Pauline respectively. It is easy to see the complexity of the patterns in comparison to those of early day patterns suc h as ?fire? and ?rain?. In source ten and twelve the use of metallic material is used giving the garments a flashier more modern day look, but at the same time retaining the orginial process of making patchworks (Downs, 1995, 115-117). In 1995-1996, Lee Tiger, a Public Relations Executive, held a Seminole patchwork exhibition in Berlin, Germany. This exhibition showcased the works of Seminole patchwork throughout time. Showing the progression from around the 1900s to now. This exhibition was held to create awareness of Seminole patchworks, but what exactly does the future hold for Seminole patchwork? (Westermark ?Bad Horses) This question is a good one, because present day Seminoles do not have an answer to this question. The women who know how to sew patchwork together are becoming rather old and they are losing eyesight and memory on how to do it. Seminole women in their forties or younger seem to not have an interest in making patchworks anymore. ?They recognize its importance not only as a mark of tribal identity but as a tangible link to their cultural heritage?, (Downs, 1995, 118). Steps are being taken to keep the tradition alive. Schools are now teaching young girls how to sew and make patchworks, and cultu ral programs are being brought into several tribes to teach the same thing. These efforts should bring a new awareness to their heritage and Seminole patchwork will again thrive throughout the tribes. (Downs, 1995, 118-119)In a sense, it was beneficial for the Seminole Indians to be forced into Florida. If they were to remain in the cool regions of Georgia, then they might have worn furs and hides forever. Instead they were forced to make clothing out of cotton scraps and thus started a tradition known as patchwork. The Seminoles history was very vital to their heritage. When making these patchworks garments, things that were taken into consideration were the process, elements of design, who wears them and who makes them. The future of Seminoles may be at risk, but efforts through education and public relations hopefully will stop absolution of patchwork. Seminole patchwork has been done for over a century, and its beauty and uniqueness has been and further needs to be revealed and recognized by Americans. ?Patchwork has done more than just identify the people of the Seminole tribes: it has reflected their pride in their Indian heritage (Downs, 1995, 119).? Arts Essays

William Bratton Analytical Book Review an Example by

William Bratton Analytical Book Review William Bratton is noted for his exemplary contribution in the Los Angeles Police Department with more than 32 years of law enforcement experience. His book entitled Turnaround which he co-authored with Peter Knobler (1998) is just one of the many achievements under his sleeves. Need essay sample on "William Bratton Analytical Book Review" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The book describes in full detail how a well-managed police effort can actually affect the reduction of crime. Brattons career is peppered with various accomplishments which makes him an efficient crime writer. He is behind the turn around of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA), the Metropolitan Police, which is now part of the Massachusetts State Police, the New York Transit Police, Boston Police, and the New York Police Department (NYPD). People Very Often Tell Us:How much do I have to pay someone to write my essay online?Specialists advise: Get Academic Writing At Reasonable Price With UsPaper Writing Service Get Paid To Write Papers Pay To Write Essay Best Essay Writing Company The Book (Turnaround 1998) shows Brattons belief in the Broken Windows theory, which translates that that acceptance of petty crime establishes an environment that creates more serious crime. He also believes in the analysis of crime statistics by location, time, among others to ascertain how to deploy police resources: originally pins on a map, eventually growing in to the famous CompStat. Bratton learned that by dropping the amount of city-wide petty crime, he was also able to reduce the number of city-wide serious crime. In Turnaround (1998) Bratton illustrates the police efforts that led to these successes. Together with his peers, Bratton used computer mapping to pinpoint crime hot spots and then cleaned up the areas using all the tools of law enforcement. One of the favored tools was "quality of life enforcement" which decreases minor crimes such as panhandling, squeegeeing, and prostitution to make the streets less enticing to worse criminals. He made police commanders from all districts of the city accountable by requiring them to report on progress and problems in their locales during frequent departmental meetings. What makes the book interesting is the mention of various cities where Bratton have worked and references of various people as well. His stint at the Los Angeles Police Department is such a fascinating part of the book. LAPD has been beset by scandal, incompetent leadership, and low morale and high employee turnover. Crimes such as reckless driving, littering and graffiti are ever-persistent which makes his stay more exciting. The book tells the story of Bratton from his childhood years growing up in Boston to becoming the most important police officer in the United States which may inspire many of the readers who may wish to take the same steps Bratton decided to take. Bratton (1998) depicts the type of power politics that are being played in police departments. He described in details the negative things that occur at police headquarters. He pointed the run-ins he had with members of the old guard at the Boston police department, as well as his famous battles with Rudolph Giuliani, while he was head of the NYPD. The book is trying to tell us that crimes can be solved and our cities will be more interesting to live in if we have cops or police department heads who thrive on good policies to make living a little easier. It may take some time before the United States produces another Bratton in its history. But at least he co-authored this book to remind us that it takes efforts to end or at least reduce crimes in the city. It is not enough to have all the best computer-equipments in the planet. What matters is that we learn from history and try to do things a little better. Like everything else, crimes do happen for a reason. Each of us is responsible in making our lives easier. There are other criminal justice books that have been published to continue to remind us of our responsibilities as citizens. It would be wonderful to also go over these other books and pick up interesting anecdotes and facts to teach us a lesson or two in fighting crimes. William Bratton may have grown up in the suburbs of Boston with humble beginnings but this did not stop him from changing the lives of others in the long run. His being a police officer spelled the difference in other peoples lives. Those who might have been victims of possible crimes which he controlled even before taking place will forever be grateful for him. This book is a living example of a noble person who may or may not be hero to some. Bratton gives us his insights on how to interact well with the press, how to keep employees happy and how to sell a program. It is not clear whether he intended his book to be read from this perspective but this book includes many remarkable pieces of wisdom on how to run and operate a large organization. Bratton's ideas about curbing crime should be of interest to both those involved in law enforcement and regular people who are concerned about crime. Brattons colorful biography will remain an interesting read. His crime-fighting methods are worth emulating. If we try to unearth the real message of Brattons book, we will learn that crime prevention is indeed a responsibility of everyone. It is not just a responsibility of those in the police forces like Bratton but every living taxpayer should learn to cooperate and bring in his share and participate for the success of every endeavor. We should not content in watching the whole thing transpire before our very eyes, we should find out for ourselves what we can do. In doing so, crimes be it petty or major crimes will be easily solved. Reference: Bratton. W., & Knobler, P. The Turnaround: How America's Top Cop Reversed the Crime Epidemic: Random House (Jan 1998)

Words for Saintly Golden Light

Words for Saintly Golden Light Words for Saintly Golden Light Words for Saintly Golden Light By Maeve Maddox Everyones familiar with the word halo in the sense of a circle of light behind or above the head of a saintly person in a painting. The word halo comes from a Greek word meaning disk of the sun or moon. The first recorded use in English of halo with the sense of light around the head of a holy person or deity is 1646. However, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and other non-Christian cultures used the symbol in art to denote divinity or prestige. Gods and rulers were often depicted with halos. In addition to the halo, artists have used other symbols to denote saintliness or divinity. Writers may find some of the terms for these symbols useful in describing not just supernatural characters, but to convey certain effects of light. The word nimbus is sometimes used as a synonym for halo, but it has the primary meaning of a bright or luminous cloud or cloud-like formation supposedly enveloping or surrounding a deity or supernatural being OED The aureole is another word sometimes used as a synonym for halo, but is frequently used to denote a light emanating from the entire body of the holy figure. The OED offers this note on the definition of aureole: Didron (Iconographie Chrà ©tienne p. 109) by a strange blunder takes aureola for a diminutive of aura ‘emanation, exhalation,’ and defines it as a mantle of light emanating from and enveloping the body, as distinct from the nimbus, which he confines to the head. This definition, which reverses the historical use both of aureola and nimbus, is not accepted in France (see Littrà ©), but has been copied by Fairholt, and various English Dictionaries. A diminutive of Latin aureus golden, the aureole was used in medieval Christian art to indicate the heavenly crown earned by martyrs and virgins. The mandorla is an almond-shaped panel or decorative space, usually framing an image of Christ. The name comes from the Italian word for almond. One of the many definitions of glory is the circle of light represented as surrounding the head, or the whole figure, of the Saviour, the Virgin, or one of the Saints. The OED gives the word gloriole as a synonym for both aureole and halo. All of these terms have other uses. For example, nimbus comes from a word for cloud and, like halo, has weather applications as well. You can see illustrations of the different types of saintly symbolism at these Wikipedia sites: aureole and mandorla Apollo with a halo This site mentions an interesting use of the glory in religious art. 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good WithTime Words: Era, Epoch, and Eon9 Forms of the Past Tense

Letter to the Instructor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Letter to the Instructor - Essay Example The lessons have taught us that the writing process involves the conversion of ideas, thoughts and objectives to writings on paper with the audience in mind. One of my biggest challenges was to transform ideas into logical events when writing. Having mentioned one of the strengths I have discovered about myself which is the transformation of ideas and arranging them in some sensible order as in the Bus Stop essay I wrote during the semester. This is one of the ways your essay lessons have enabled me to transform my challenges into strengths. In the beginning focusing on the subject to write about was one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish as I always found my mind drifting away from the main subject. The other problem was that I kept worrying about my sentence structures and grammar and lacked the confidence to be creative in my writing. I managed to overcome all these problems through the lessons I learnt from you. I learned that the lack of confidence in my writing could be easily overcome by sharpening my writing skills and investing more time in thinking and drafting my ideas before beginning to write. I further improved my writing by setting certain standards with timelines to meet these goals such as reducing grammar mistakes in each subsequent essay and improving on the logical sequence of ideas in my writing. In the Bus Stop essay, the first sentence as mentioned earlier gives the reader an idea of what the rest of the paragraph is all about. The first statement on how I find myself in the middle of beauty of sunset which is a positive impression dictates the form that the rest of the paragraph will take. The paragraph underscores the beauty of the place. I have improved my confidence and use of similes and metaphors. For instance, in ‘Bus stop’ I use the simile as â€Å"nimbly as a squirrel† to portray the distinction between the

Strategic Corporate Finance Mod 5 Case Assignment Essay

Strategic Corporate Finance Mod 5 Case Assignment - Essay Example Net Present Value (NPV) method is one of the most important methods used to make capital budgeting decisions by businesses today. NPV method is important because it helps financial managers maximize shareholders’ wealth by making better capital budgeting decisions. Basically we can determine whether a project is worth investing in or not by comparing the present value of inflows and outflows discounted at the rate of cost of capital. If the PV of net flows is positive (PV of inflows is more than the PV of outflows over the life of the project), we consider it a good investment because it will increase shareholder wealth, and vice versa. In other words, must have a positive net inflow. In the given scenario, T-Mobile Corporation is considering a new project that will cost $3,219,000. This is the initial cash outflow. The company has provided the following cash flow figures: Year Cash Flow 0 -$3,219,000 1 350,000 2 939,000 3 1,122,000 4 500,000 5 400,000 We are told that T-Mobil e’s cost of capital discount rate is 4%, and are required to calculate the project's net present value. PV of Cash Inflows = 350000/(1.04)1 + 939000/(1.04)2 + 1122000/(1.04)3 +500000/(1.04)4 + 400000/(1.04)5 350000/1.04 + 939000/1.0816 + 1122000/1.1248 + 500000/ 1.1698 + 400000/ 1.2166 336538.46 + 868158.28 + 997510.66 + 427423.49 + 328785.13 $2,958,416.02. NPV= PV of Inflows – PV of Outflows NPV =$2,958,416.02 – 3,219,000 NPV= (260,583.98) Since the NPV is negative, or the PV of inflows is less than the PV of outflows for the project, investing in it will decrease shareholder wealth. The investment opportunity should be rejected. Even at the higher discount rate of 6%, the PV of inflows would decrease further, and the decision would be the same i.e. it is better not to invest here. Part II: T-Mobile-Sprint Merger Mergers and acquisitions are usually the two routes chosen by corporate entities to expand their businesses in the marketplace. These are often a hot topic in the business press (McClure, 2011). One rumor being floated around is a potential merger between mobile phone giants T-Mobile and Sprint. Mergers between two large companies are usually complicated, even though there may be possible synergies in 4G technologies that might be possible in such an instance. While mergers can bring about great rewards, at the same time they can also entail great risks and pitfalls. Differences in valuation, differences in accounting procedures and operational and administrative difficulties may emerge (Gaughan, (2001). This part of the assignment asks us to do some research concerning the arguments both for and against such a merger from a financial perspective. We are considering the deal from the point of view of whether or not such a merger would be a profitable undertaking that would add value to the shareholders of both corporations or not. Do you think a merger between Sprint and T-Mobile would add value to the shareholders of both corpor ations? Based on your analysis and findings (Part I and Part II), what would you recommend to the shareholders of both corporations? Should both companies merge? Please explain your reasoning. From the point of view of synergistic benefits, there is certainly a lot of merit in seeking to merge Sprint and T-Mobile. As of the date of the article in July 2010, both Sprint

Impacts of Terrorism on Global Events Literature review

Impacts of Terrorism on Global Events - Literature review Example Management issues involved The increasing terror threats demand the stakeholders enforce pragmatic management measures of dealing with the vice. These include enforcing preventive strategies and mechanism for mitigating the ultimate outcomes of terrorism. This project focuses on the impacts of terrorism on global events. It informs the stakeholders of the extensive effects terrorism has had on the sector in the past. To address these effects, I have used the second method of collecting data of past terror attacks targeting global events. I have examined the effects of terror attacks in 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, the attacks at International cricket tournaments in Pakistan in addition to the impacts of September 11 attacks on the attendance of the FIFA World Cup. From the data collected, analyzed relevant themes pertinent to the study. (3c) Statement of the research question The impacts of terrorism on global events (3d) Aims and objective The aim of the study is to examine the eff ects of terrorism on global events. Objectives i. To examine the effects of terrorism on the motivation of tourists attending global events ii. To examine the effects of terrorism on attendance at global events. They were not only carried out in the territory of a global superpower but also by foreigners, who had previously gained entry into a sovereign state. The attack demonstrated the vulnerability of all countries to terrorism and the need to enforce preventive measures became apparent (Baxter and Downing, 2001). Since the attacks, immigration and movement of people across international borders are highly controlled and consequently, the organization of major global events such as sports and musical events was affected. (4a)The significance of hosting global events Events such as sports and music are increasingly becoming an important segment of tourism market (Yuan and McDonald, 1990). According to Bramwell (1998), countries across the world strive to organize global events in order to increase visitations in their countries, mitigate the seasonality of tourist visits and enhance the attractiveness of the destinations to tourism. In addition, organizing global event spurs development in the destination. The achievement of these goals depends on various factors but the numbers of people attending the events play a critical role (Sageman, 2004). Some of the major sports events that attract a high number of people globally include FIFA world cup, Olympic Games, UEFA champions league games, formula 1 racing among others. In addition, music and concerts featuring popular artists such as Live 8 attract numerous audiences across the globe. (4b) History of terror attacks on global events Due to the large number of people that global events attract, terrorists are increasingly targeting them (Toohey, et al 2003).