Sunday, December 29, 2019

ACT I Questions 1 Macbeth - 1082 Words

ACT I Questions 1. As the play opens, you find the witches casting spells, chanting Fair is foul, and foul is fair./ Hover through the fog and filthy air. This paradox will occur many times in the play. How can something be fair and foul at the same time? Situationally, I think this makes more sense when you consider it in the sense of an outcome. War can be foul, but the outcome fair†¦depending what side you are on. 2. The reader s first impression of Macbeth actually comes not from meeting him, but from hearing about him through the character of the captain. What kinds of things does the captain reveal about Macbeth that make Macbeth an admirable character? He seems valiant. He is described to be a war†¦show more content†¦Greddy, she wants the throne as much as her husband. 11. Lady Macbeth goes further in asking the spirits to unsex me here,/ And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full / Of direst cruelty! Make thblood, . . . Why does she do this, and what does it show about her character? She asking to hve her character as a women removed and her self be transformed into the man her husband cant be. 12. As Lady Macbeth proclaims O, never Shall sun that morrow see! in reference to killing King Duncan, how does Macbeth react? What does this indicate about him? Weak spirit, guilty, regretful, also very bad poker player. 13. In Act I, scene vi, what irony do you see as Duncan admires the castle? It is a fair place, where there is no ledge that 14. In Act I, scene vii, this is one of Shakespeare s great soliloquies in which Macbeth voices his indecision and possibly his conscience. What are his four conflicts? To what conclusion does he come about killing Duncan? 15. What reasons does Macbeth give his wife as to why he will proceed no further? The king has honored him with so much, people have rtust and respect now for him, he wants to enjoy what that feel like. 16. Lady Macbeth uses what points of woe to persuade her husband to change his mind? What lies does she resort to, and what does this show about her character? She calls him a hypocrite and a women because he simply had a small drinkShow MoreRelatedEssay about Macbeth Act 4 Questions946 Words   |  4 PagesAct I Study Questions Name __Sara Sirull__ 1. What atmosphere is established in Scene 1? A dark, creepy, evil atmosphere is established in Scene 1. 2. How does Banquo describe the Witches when he first sees them upon the heath? He describes them as looking like Aliens. They look shriveled up and wrinkled and they have beards so he is not sure if they are male or female. 3. Macbeth is reported to be a valiant soldier in Act I. The line, â€Å"Till he unseamed him from the nave toRead MoreAnswers Macbeth 4acts1696 Words   |  7 PagesAct1 1. What atmosphere is established in Scene 1? The three witches enter. They discuss the next meeting and hear the calls of their spirits (2) 2. How does Banquo describe the Witches when he first sees them upon the heath? From Bonquos description of the three witches you understand that he was both surprised and discussed by their appearance. (13) 3. Macbeth is reported to be a valiant soldier in Act I. The line, â€Å"Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’chops And fixed his headRead MoreThe Reasoning For Shakespeare s Macbeth1028 Words   |  5 PagesThe reasoning for Shakespeare to include Lady Macbeth was for her to question Macbeth’s manhood whether if he was willing to do anything to become the next king of Scotland. To become the next king, the quickest way was to kill the current king. (King Duncan.). Macbeth was disusing the witches’ prophecy of how he would rule Scotland one day. Lady Macbeth urged him to get rid of King Duncan. However, Macbeth saw no point in killing him because Duncan has never done anything wrong to him and on topRead More Lady Macbeths Strategy in William Shakespeares Play Macbeth1612 Words   |  7 PagesStrategy in William Shakespeares Play Macbeth In the seventh scene of act one Macbeth has left the banquet, and expresses his doubts about murdering Duncan in a monologue. Lady Macbeth comes in, and argues with Macbeth, until she manages to convince him, that he has to murder Duncan. To do that Lady Macbeth uses mainly two arguments. Letting I dare not? wait upon ?I would? like the poor cat i? the adage? (lines 43-44). Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth here that he shouldn?t let his chanceRead MoreImagination In Macbeth849 Words   |  4 Pagesimagination has the predominance to prompt us to commit horrendous acts? From The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare in Acts 1 and 2 unquestionably answers these prior questions. Imagination is almost personified as a person prompting evil in this tragedy. The Tragedy of Macbeth is about a soldier named Macbeth   who defeats a traitor, the present Thane of Cawdor, in a great battle, in the outskirts of Scotland. Before Macbeth returns to Scotland as a victorious hero, he encounters three witchesRead MoreThe Use of the Supernatural in Macbeth by William Shakespeare983 Words   |  4 PagesThe Use of the Supernatural in Macbeth by William Shakespeare In this essay I am going to explore the use of the supernatural in the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare. This is going to be done by showing how much power the supernatural elements had and how it influenced peoples mind. The supernatural elements are the use of the witches, the dagger, Banquos ghost and the apparitions in the play. Firstly, the use of the witches in the play is a key elementRead MoreEssay William Shakespeares Macbeth671 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth William Shakespeare lived in an era where women possessed few political and private rights. Women were subjected to the will of men as men were thought to be greater morally, physically and intellectually. Shakespeare, as he was living in this hierarchical and patriarchal world, was subjected to this value system. His powerful and tragic play Macbeth, reflects aspects of this world but also challenges the very basis of its foundations withRead MoreSympathy for Macbeth1715 Words   |  7 Pageshave any sympathy for Macbeth at the end of the play? Our first impressions of Macbeth are that he is a hero, he is brave and fearless, and although we get this impression we also get the feeling that he is ruthless. We get this impression from the way he is referred to when his name is first mentioned. Macbeth has just been in battle against The merciless Macdonwald and a Captain is talking about how Macbeth and his fellow Captain, Banquo, performed in battle. While Macbeth is in battle the ThaneRead MoreWhat Dramatic Techniques Does Shakespeare Use to Create a Sense That Macbeth Is Not in Control of His Own Thoughts and Deeds?1434 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare Use To Create A Sense That Macbeth Is Not In Control Of His Own Thoughts And Deeds? During the 16th century the amazing writer, William Shakespeare, wrote the genius play Macbeth. There are many different uses of dramatic techniques in his work and I will try to identify them now. Act 1 Scene 7 Question 1 In the first few lines of his soliloquy, Macbeth says If it were done when tis done, then twere well it were done quickly; I think what Macbeth meant by this, is that if the murderRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth Essay757 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth Macbeth was a â€Å"butcher†, however he became that way as a result of Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth was a fiend-like queen whose evilness declined after the murders. In the end of the play, however, Macbeth’s transformation was complete and he was a butcher. Main Body Topic 1 ================= Macbeth’s transition from good to evil by Lady Macbeth:  · Ambition was his only reason for killing the king – â€Å"I have no spur To prick

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Macroeconomics Healthcare - 1553 Words

Macroeconomics of Healthcare Douglas A. Propp, MD, MS, FACEP, CPE Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine Advocate-Lutheran General Hospital Clinical Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine University of Chicago As Emergency Physicians, we are frequently peripherally exposed to healthcare economic statistics, policies, and debates with little concern for mastering these concepts, feeling that they have little to do with our practice of Emergency Medicine. Although a working knowledge of microeconomics will not aid in arriving at the diagnosis for the elderly patient with mental status changes who we are evaluation at 3 A.M., an understanding of these principles will enhance our roles in positively contributing to the healthcare†¦show more content†¦Whereas indemnity insurance was formerly the prevalent means to fund healthcare expenses in this country, the increasing impact of co-payments and deductibles assumed by the consumer has limited resource demand. In addition, capitation which provides an upfront fixed payment to the provider, allowing them to manage the financial risk associated with subsequent expenditures for their patients gained popularity over the past decade. Many ha ve questioned whether the behavior required of the provider in order to balance the revenues and expenses inherent in a capitation arrangement could be appropriately managed within the context of the overriding patient-physician relationship and might even violate the ethical principle of patient beneficence. One should be able to see that different provider (physician or hospital) behavior can be incentivized based on the payment methodology utilized. For example, if a hospital was paid a fixed amount of money for a hospitalization (e.g., DRG), it would be incentivized to limit both the length of stay and intensity of services for the patient. On the other hand, if the payment methodology was fee for service, the institution might attempt to increase both the length of stay and intensity of services. A per diem arrangement where the hospital receives a fixed daily payment would incentivize a longer lengthShow MoreRelatedJohn Maynard Keynes : The Father Of Macroeconomics1502 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract John Maynard Keynes, also known as the ‘Father of Macroeconomics’, is a twentieth century economist, whose impact on economic theories has proven substantial contribution to reconstructing of economical values. He had influential individuals who helped intrigue and develop his interests in economic. Keynes interests were beyond economics; he took active stance on proposing post-war monetary funds, important for Germany’s reparation and reconstruction funds after World War II. Through hisRead MoreEssay on ECO/372 Week 3 Learning Team Assignment1255 Words   |  6 Pagesare laying off workers or closing their doors due to many regulations that have been passed by our government. A lot of employers have had to cut down on their workforce due to a higher cost to do business and cost of healthcare. In the long outlook of this situation if healthcare costs are not lowered more businesses will be leaving the United States or just closing their doors. This will drive up the unemployment rate again. The forecast for jobs leaving the United States keeps growing the moreRead MoreJohn Maynard Keynes And The Classical Model Essay1167 Words   |  5 Pagesrelief programs temporarily for those individuals most affected by the previous recession and invest in several different necessary expenditures. The major expenditures involved in the ARRA act were: †¢ Tax Incentives (which is classified as taxes) †¢ Healthcare (which is classified as a transfer payment) †¢ Education (which is classified as government spending) †¢ Aid to low income workers, unemployed and retirees (which is classified as a transfer payment) †¢ Infrastructure Investment (which is classifiedRead More10 years GDP report on Singapore1119 Words   |  5 Pagesby the increasing share of the financial and business sectors of the economy. Another contribution factor is a set of sound macroeconomic policies aimed at maintaining a conducive environment for long-term investment in the economy. By constantly reevaluating Singapore s longer-term economic strategies and policies together with Singapore s political and macroeconomic stability, infrastructure, strategic geographical location and a skilled and educated workforce, Singapore had developed intoRead MoreVietnam : The Global Economic Crisis Greatly Affected Vietnam1385 Words   |  6 Pagescalled Doi Moi and since Doi Moi has been initiated, Vietnam has grown at an annual average rate of 6.3% between the years 2007-2012 (World Trade Organization). The global financial crisis greatly affected Vietnam because it led to more tightly macroeconomic policies that were implemented in 2011. However, the official unemployment rate remains very low, even though inflation dropped by 23% in 2008 and 18.6% in 2011(World Trade Organization). The global economic crisis also dropped foreign exchangeRead MoreEconomic Policies Of Every Country Essay964 Words   |  4 PagesTherefore, this is crucial to understand how these macroeconomic indicators are interconnected, such as for example output and unemployment, unemployment and inflation, and the mechanism of policy actions in each case. Thus, the aim of this essay is to explain how the government should conduct the economic policy in order to achieve the aims, focusing particularly on the unemployment. Actually, the unemployment rate is one of the most crucial macroeconomic indicators of the country. The unemployment rateRead MoreAngry Americans : How The 2008 Crash Fueled A Political Rebellion, Victoria Stilwell And Sarah Mcgregor872 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica’s economy at a more fundamental level than other candidates. Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, focuses on the internal disparities. He’s promised to break up the largest banks, raise taxes on the wealthy, and provide more healthcare and free education. Since the 1970s, the income gap has been widening. Narrowing the gap will take a lot of time, more than a year or a single presidential term. Sanders may not get the chance to fulfill his promises because Hillary Clinton is aheadRead MoreThe rapid rise of economies in Asia over the past few decades has been phenomenal. According to1200 Words   |  5 Pagessuggest that Asia will continue to account for more than 50% of the global world growth in the coming decade, surpassing the advanced global economies in purchasing power parity terms to become the world’s largest economic region by 2020.† Many macroeconomic factors have led to the rapid growth of economies in Asian countries over the past few decades resulting in .. The 08 HIPAEs are diverse in Illustration on Singapore 1. Introduction This paper intends to provide a short history of Singapore afterRead MoreThe Exploration Of Apples Historical Background1115 Words   |  5 Pagesof the U.S. dollar. Other factors that could influence worldwide or regional demand include increases in fuel and other energy costs, conditions in the real estate and mortgage markets, unemployment, labor and healthcare costs, access to credit, consumer confidence and other macroeconomic factors affecting consumer spending behavior. These and other economic factors could materially adversely affect demand for the Company’s products and services. In the event of financial turmoil affecting the bankingRead MoreThe Gap Between the Rich and the Poor in America Essay1580 Words   |  7 Pages2011). Housing is the largest portion of consumption presently with 18% of budget consumption, in 1950 Americans only spent 13% of their budget on housing (Time). The greatest increase in consumption is in the area of healthcare. In 1950, the average household only spent 3% on healthcare, now they spend 16% of their budget (Time). Consumption has made up 71% of the total GDP, but as consumer spending changes and slows, the challenge will be to make up the reduction in GDP in another component of GDP

Friday, December 13, 2019

Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 30 Free Essays

string(28) " until he dropped his hand\." Part VI Passion Nobody’s perfect†¦. Well, there was this one guy, but we killed him. ANONYMOUS Sunday Joshua’s mother and his brother James found us outside of the Golden Gate of Jerusalem, where we were waiting for Bartholomew and John, who were looking for Nathaniel and Philip to return with James and Andrew, who were off trying to find Judas and Thomas, who had been sent into the city to look for Peter and Maggie, who were looking for Thaddeus and Simon, who had been sent to look for a donkey. We will write a custom essay sample on Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 30 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"You’d think they’d have found one by now,† Mary said. According to prophecy, Joshua was supposed to enter the city on the colt of a donkey. Of course, no one was going to find one. That was the plan. Even Joshua’s brother James had agreed to be part of the conspiracy. He’d gone ahead to wait inside the gate, just in case one of the disciples had missed the point and actually came back with a donkey. About a thousand of Joshua’s followers from Galilee had gathered on the road to the Golden Gate. They had lined the road with palm fronds for Joshua’s entrance to the city, and they were cheering and singing hosannas all afternoon in anticipation of his triumphant entrance, but as the afternoon wore into evening, and no colt showed, the crowd gradually dispersed as everybody got hungry and went into the city to find something to eat. Only Joshua, his mother, and I were still waiting. â€Å"I was hoping you might talk some sense into him,† I said to Mary. â€Å"I’ve seen this coming for a long time,† Mary said. She wore her usual blue dress and shawl, and the usual light in her face seemed faded, not by age, but by grief. â€Å"Why do you think I sent for him two years ago?† It was true, she had sent Joshua’s younger brothers Judah and Jose to the synagogue at Capernaum to bring him home, claiming he was mad, but Joshua hadn’t even gone outside to meet them. â€Å"I wish you two wouldn’t talk about me like I’m not here,† Joshua said. â€Å"We’re trying to get used to it,† I said. â€Å"If you don’t like it, then give up this stupid plan to sacrifice yourself.† â€Å"What do you think we’ve been preparing for all of these years, Biff?† â€Å"If I’d known it was this I wouldn’t have helped. You’d still be stuck in a wine amphora in India.† He squinted to see through the gate. â€Å"Where is everyone? How hard can it be to find one simple ass?† I looked at Joshua’s mother, and although there was pain in her eyes she smiled. â€Å"Don’t look at me,† she said. â€Å"No one on my side of the family would ever sacrifice a straight line like that.† It was too easy, so I let it go. â€Å"They’re all at Simon’s house in Bethany, Josh. They aren’t coming back tonight.† Joshua didn’t say a word. He just climbed to his feet and walked off toward Bethany. â€Å"There is nothing you can do to stop this from happening!† Joshua screamed at the apostles, who were gathered in the front room of Simon’s house. Martha ran from the room crying when Joshua glared at her. Simon looked at the floor, as did the rest of us. â€Å"The priest and the scribes will take me, and put me on trial. They will spit on me and scourge me and then they will kill me. I will rise from the dead on the third day and walk among you again, but you cannot stop what must happen. If you love me, you will accept what I’m telling you.† Maggie got up and ran out of the house, snatching the communal purse from Judas as she went. The Zealot started to rise to go after her but I pushed him back down on his cushion. â€Å"Let her go.† We all sat there in silence, trying to think of something to do, something to say. I don’t know what everyone else was thinking, but I was still trying to formulate some way for Joshua to make his point without giving his life. Martha returned to the room with wine and cups and served each of us in turn, not looking at Joshua when she filled his cup. Joshua’s mother followed her back out of the room, I presumed to help her prepare supper. In time, Maggie came back, sliding through the door and going directly to Joshua, where she sat down at his feet. She took the communal purse out of her cloak and from it she pulled a small alabaster box, the sort that was used to store the precious ointments that women used to anoint the bodies of the dead at burial. She tossed the empty purse to Judas. Without a word, she broke the seal on the box and poured the ointment on Joshua’s feet, then untied her long hair and began to wipe the oil from his feet with it. The rich aroma of spices and perfume filled the room. In an instant Judas was on his feet and across the room. He snatched the box of ointment off the floor. â€Å"The money from this could have fed hundreds of the poor.† Joshua looked up at the Zealot and there were tears in his eyes. â€Å"You’ll always have the poor, Judas, but I’m only here for a short while longer. Let her be.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Let her be,† Joshua said. He held out his hand and Judas slammed the alabaster box into it, then stormed out of the house. I could hear him shouting out in the street, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. Maggie poured the rest of the oil on Joshua’s head and drew patterns on his forehead with her finger. Joshua tried to take her hand but she pulled it away from him and stepped back until he dropped his hand. You read "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 30" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"A dead man can’t love,† she said. â€Å"Be still.† When we followed Joshua to the Temple the next morning, Maggie was nowhere to be seen. Monday On Monday Joshua led us through the Golden Gate into Jerusalem, but this time there were no palm fronds laid on the road and no one was singing hosannas. (Well, there was this one guy, but he was always singing hosannas at the Golden Gate. If you gave him a coin he’d stop for a while.) â€Å"It would be nice to be able to buy a little something for breakfast,† Judas said. â€Å"If the Magdalene hadn’t spent all of our money.† â€Å"Joshua smells nice, though,† Nathaniel said. â€Å"Don’t you think Joshua smells nice?† Sometimes you find yourself grateful for the most unlikely things. Right then, when I saw Judas grit his teeth and the vein stand out on his forehead, I said a quick prayer of thanks for Nathaniel’s na;vet. â€Å"He does smell nice,† said Bartholomew. â€Å"It makes one want to reassess one’s values regarding the material comforts.† â€Å"Thank you, Bart,† said Joshua. â€Å"Yes, there’s nothing like a good-smelling man,† said John dreamily. Suddenly we were all very uncomfortable and there was a lot of throat-clearing and coughing and we all walked a few paces farther apart. (I haven’t told you about John, have I?) Then John started to make a great and pathetic show of noticing the women as they passed. â€Å"Why, that little heifer would give a man some strong sons,† John said in a booming and falsely masculine voice. â€Å"A man could surely plant some seed there, he could.† â€Å"Please shut up,† James said to his brother. â€Å"Maybe,† said Philip, â€Å"you could have your mother come over and tell that woman to cleave unto you.† Everyone snickered, even Joshua. Well, everyone except James. â€Å"You see?† he said to his brother. â€Å"You see what you’ve started? You little nancy.† â€Å"There’s a nubile wench,† exclaimed John unconvincingly. He pointed to a woman who was being dragged toward the city gates by a group of Pharisees, her clothes hanging in shreds on her body (which indeed appeared to be nubile, so credit to John for working outside of his element). â€Å"Block the road,† Joshua said. The Pharisees came up to our human blockade and stopped. â€Å"Let us pass, Rabbi,† the oldest of them said. â€Å"This woman has been caught in the act of adultery this very day and we’re taking her out of the city to be stoned, as is the law.† The woman was young and her hair fell in dirty curls around her face. Terror had twisted her face and her eyes were rolled back in her head, but an hour ago she had probably been pretty. Joshua crouched and began writing in the dust at his feet. â€Å"What’s your name?† he asked. â€Å"Jamal,† said the leader. I watched Joshua write the man’s name, then next to it a list of sins. â€Å"Wow, Jamal,† I said. â€Å"A goose? I didn’t even know that was possible.† Jamal dropped the adulteress’s arm and stepped back. Joshua looked up at the other man who was holding the woman. â€Å"And your name?† â€Å"Uh, Steve,† said that man. â€Å"His name is not Steve,† said another man in the crowd. â€Å"It’s Jacob.† Joshua wrote â€Å"Jacob† in the dust. â€Å"No,† said Jacob. He let go of the woman, pushing her toward us. Then Joshua stood up and took the stone from the man nearest him, who surrendered it easily. His attention was focused on the list of sins written in the dirt. â€Å"Now let us stone this harlot,† Joshua said. â€Å"Whoever of you is without sin, cast the first stone.† And he held out the stone to them. They gradually backed away. In a moment they had all gone back the way they had come and the adulteress fell to Joshua’s feet and hugged his ankles. â€Å"Thank you, Rabbi. Thank you so much.† â€Å"That’s okay,† said Joshua. He lifted her to her feet. â€Å"Now go, and sin no more.† â€Å"You really smell good, you know that?† she said. â€Å"Yeah, thanks. Now go.† She started off. â€Å"I should make sure she gets home okay,† I said. I started off after her, but Joshua caught the back of my tunic and pulled me back. â€Å"You missed the ‘sin no more’ part of my instructions?† â€Å"Look, I’ve already committed adultery with her in my heart, so, you know, why not enjoy it?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"You’re the one who set the standards. By those rules, even John committed adultery with her in his heart, and he doesn’t even like women.† â€Å"Do too,† said John. â€Å"To the Temple,† Joshua said, pressing on. â€Å"Waste of a perfectly good adulteress, if you ask me.† In the outer court of the Temple, where the women and the Gentiles were allowed to go, Joshua called us all together and began to preach the kingdom. Each time he would get started, a vendor would come by barking, â€Å"Get your doves. Get your sacrificial doves. Pure as the driven snow. Everybody needs one.† Then Joshua would begin again and the next vendor would come by. â€Å"Unleavened bread! Get your unleavened bread! Only one shekel. Piping hot matzo, just like Moses ate on the way out of Egypt, only fresher.† And a little girl who was lame was brought to Joshua and he started to heal her and ask about her faith when†¦ â€Å"Your denariis changed to shekels, while you wait! No amount too large or small. Drachmas to talents, talents to shekels – all your money changed while you wait.† â€Å"Do you believe that the Lord loves you?† Joshua asked the little girl. â€Å"Bitter herbs! Get your bitter herbs!† cried a vendor. â€Å"Dammit all!† Joshua screamed in frustration. â€Å"You’re healed, child, now get out of here.† He waved off the little girl, who got up and walked for the first time in her life, then he slapped a dove vendor, ripped the top off his cage of birds, and released a cloud of doves into the sky. â€Å"This is a house of prayer! Not a den of thieves.† â€Å"Oh no, not the moneychangers,† Peter whispered to me. Joshua grabbed a long low table where men were changing a dozen currencies into shekels (the only coin allowed for commerce inside the Temple complex) and he flipped it over. â€Å"Oh, that’s it, he’s fucked,† Philip said. And he was. The priests took a big percentage from the moneychangers. He might have slid by before, but now he’d interfered with their income. â€Å"Out, you vipers! Out!† Joshua had taken a coil of rope from one of the vendors and was using it as a scourge to drive the vendors and the moneychangers out of the Temple gates. Nathaniel and Thomas had joined in Joshua’s tirade, kicking at the merchants as they scampered away, but the rest of us sat staring or ministered to those who had come to hear Joshua speak. â€Å"We should stop this,† I said to Peter. â€Å"You think you could stop this?† Peter nodded to the corner of the courtyard, where at least twenty priests had come out from the Inner Temple to watch the fracas. â€Å"He’s going to bring down the wrath of the priests on all of us,† Judas said. He was looking at the Temple guards, who had stopped pacing the walls and were watching the goings-on below in the courtyard. To Judas’ credit, he, Simon, and a few of the others had managed to calm the small crowd of the faithful who had gathered to be blessed and healed before Joshua’s tantrum. Beyond the walls of the Temple we could see the Roman soldiers staring down from the battlements of Herod the Great’s old palace, which the governor commandeered during feast weeks when he brought the legions to Jerusalem. The Romans didn’t enter the Temple unless they sensed insurrection, but if they entered, Jewish blood would be spilled. Rivers of it. â€Å"They won’t come in,† Peter said, a tiny note of doubt in his voice. â€Å"They can see that this is a Jewish matter. They don’t care if we kill each other.† â€Å"Just watch Judas and Simon,† I said. â€Å"If one of them starts with that no-master-but-God thing, the Romans will come down like an executioner’s blade.† Finally, Joshua was out of breath, soaked in sweat, and barely able to swing the coil of rope he was carrying, but the Temple was clear of merchants. A large crowd had started to follow him, shouting at the vendors as Joshua drove them out of the Temple. The crowd (probably eight hundred to a thousand people) was the only thing that kept the priests from calling the guards down on Joshua right then. Josh tossed the rope aside and led the crowd back to where we had been watching in horror. â€Å"Thieves,† he said to us breathlessly as he passed. Then he went to a little girl with a withered arm who had been waiting beside Judas. â€Å"Pretty scary, huh?† Joshua said to her. She nodded. Joshua put his hands over her withered arm. â€Å"Are those guys in the tall hats coming over here?† She nodded again. â€Å"Here, can you make this sign with your finger?† He showed her how to stick out her middle finger. â€Å"No, not with that hand, with this one.† Joshua took his hand away from her withered arm and she wiggled her fingers. The muscle and tendons had filled out until it looked identical to her other arm. â€Å"Now,† Joshua said, â€Å"make that sign. That’s good. Now show it to those guys behind me with the tall hats. That’s a good girl.† â€Å"By whose authority do you perform these healings,† said one of the priests, obviously the highest-ranking of the group. â€Å"No master – † Simon began to shout but he was cut off by a vicious blow to the solar plexus from Peter, who then pushed the Zealot to the ground and sat on him while furiously whispering in his ear. Andrew had come up behind Judas and seemed to be delivering a similar lecture without benefit of the body blow. Josh took a little boy from his mother’s arms and held him. The boy’s legs waved in the air as if they had no bones at all. Without looking away from the boy, Joshua said, â€Å"By what authority did John baptize?† The priests looked around among themselves. The crowd moved in closer. We were in Judea, John’s territory. The priests knew better than to challenge John’s authority under God in front of a crowd this size, but they certainly weren’t going to confirm it for Joshua’s sake, either. â€Å"We can’t say at this time,† said the priest. â€Å"Then I can’t say either,† said Joshua. He stood the little boy on his feet and held him steady as the boy’s legs took his full weight, probably for the first time ever. The boy wobbled like a newborn colt and Joshua caught him and laughed. He took the boy’s shoulders and helped him walk back to his mother, then he turned on the priests and looked at them for the first time. â€Å"You would test me? Test me. Ask me what you will, you vipers, but I will heal these people and they shall know the word of God in spite of you.† Philip had moved up behind me during this speech and he whispered, â€Å"Can’t you knock him out or something with your methods from the East? We have to get him out of here before he says any more.† â€Å"I think we’re too late, John,† I said. â€Å"Just don’t let the crowd disperse. Go out into the city and bring more. The crowd is his only protection now. And find Joseph of Arimathea too. He might be able to help if this gets out of hand.† â€Å"This isn’t out of hand?† â€Å"You know what I mean.† The inquisition went on for two hours, with the priests concocting every verbal trap they could think of, and Joshua wiggling out sometimes, and blundering through at others. I looked for some way to get Joshua out of the Temple without him being arrested, but the more I looked, the more I noticed that the guards had moved down off the walls and were hovering around the gates to the courtyard. Meanwhile the chief priest droned on: â€Å"A man dies and leaves no sons, but his wife marries his brother, who has three sons by his first wife†¦[and on] The three of them leave Jericho and head south, going three point three furlongs per hour, but they are leading two donkeys, which can carry two†¦[and on] So the Sabbath ends, and they are able to resume, adding on the thousand steps allowed under the law†¦and the wind is blowing southwest at two furlongs per hour†¦[and on] How much water will be required for the journey? Give your answer in firkins.† â€Å"Five,† Joshua said, as soon as they stopped speaking. And all were amazed. The crowd roared. A woman shouted, â€Å"Surely he is the Messiah.† â€Å"The Son of God has come,† said another. â€Å"You guys aren’t helping,† I shouted back at them. â€Å"You didn’t show your work, you didn’t show your work,† chanted the youngest of the priests. Judas and Matthew had been scratching out the problem on the paving stones of the courtyard as the priest recited, but they had long since lost track. They looked up and shook their heads. â€Å"Five,† Joshua repeated. The priests looked around among themselves. â€Å"That’s right, but that doesn’t give you authority to heal in the Temple.† â€Å"In three days, there will be no Temple, for I’ll destroy it, and you nest of vipers with it. And three days after that, a new Temple shall be built in honor of my father.† And then I grabbed him around the chest and started dragging him toward the gate. The other apostles followed the plan and moved around us in a wedge. Beyond that, the crowd pressed in. Hundreds moved along with us. â€Å"Wait, I’m not done!† Joshua yelled. â€Å"Yes you are.† â€Å"Surely the true king of Israel has come to bring forth the kingdom,† one woman shouted. Peter smacked her on the back of the head. â€Å"Stop helping.† By the sheer mass of the crowd we were able to get Joshua out of the Temple and through the streets to Joseph of Arimathea’s house. Joseph let us in and led us to the upper room, which had a high arched stone ceiling, rich carpets on the floors and walls, piles of cushions, and a long low table for dining. â€Å"You’re safe here, but I don’t know for how long. They’ve already called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.† â€Å"But we just left the Temple,† I said. â€Å"How?† â€Å"You should have let them take me,† Joshua said. â€Å"The table will be set for the Passover feast of the Essenes,† Joseph said. â€Å"Stay here for supper.† â€Å"Celebrate the Passover early? Why?† John asked. â€Å"Why celebrate with the Essenes?† Joseph looked away from Joshua when he answered. â€Å"Because at the Essenes’ feast, they don’t kill a lamb.† How to cite Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 30, Essay examples

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Economy of russia Essay Example For Students

Economy of russia Essay The phase in the business cycle that Russia is in is Prosperity. Prosperity is the high point of the business cycle. The Gross DomesticProduct is 796 billion dollars. Russia is partners with Germany inexporting and importing. The number of imports is 33 billion and thenumber of exports are 66 billion. The National Budget is 56.6 billiondollars. They have 1 radio per 2.9 people. They also have 1 Telephone per5.9 people. Russia’s education is free and compulsory through ages 7 to17. The unemployment rate is 8 percent. The inflation rate is 85 percentand possibly more if monetary policy is relaxed. Russia was mostly anagricultural country until the late 19th century, when industrializationbegan, in European Russia. Economic development was then interruptedby World War 1 and the Civil War that followed. Modern developmentwas initiated by Stalin, whose frantic industrialization drive in the 1930’smade the Soviet Union an industrial giant. Under Stalin and hissuccessors, the less settled frontier regions of Central Asia and Siberia weredev eloped. Several of the world’s largest dams were built on in the formerSoviet Union, and the world’s first atomic station was opened in 1954. Bythe 1980’s about 40 nuclear reactors were operating in the Soviet Union. In the late 1970’s the economic backwardness of the Soviet Union hadbecome so self evident that no amount of political propaganda couldobscure it. Western developed countries began to enter the InformationAge, introducing new communication technologies and electronic linksamong institutions and individuals. The Soviet Union still relied on therigid planning and pervasive controls, leaving no room for initiative andinventiveness. When Mikhail Gorbachev became head of the party in1985, the huge country began to move. Gorbachev surrounded himselfwith a number of reform-minded economists and soon formulated themain pillars of economic restructuring called perestroika. The major goalsof perestrioka were to make Soviet enterprises more self-governing and togive them more freedom, while at the same time, more responsibility fortheir performance. In the planned economy before perestroika, allenterprises were totally dependent on central planners, who determinedwhere to buy materials, what to produce, and where to sell it. This systemencouraged inefficiency, because the companies did not have to competewith any other companies. In addition since the workers could not befired , they did not work very hard. A number of new laws were made toproclaim that it was possible for individuals or small groups to start theirown enterprises. Restaurants, taxis, recycling centers and repair shopswere opened in many places, but party bureaucrats often hampered thesenew initiatives. Another goal of peresroika was to fight against cheapproducts. Better quality control was introduced in many companies, butit was often resented by workers and led to drops in production (Whichwould be recession.)