Greek Grave Steles essays

Greek Grave Steles essays The portals to immortality-Greek Grave Steles To us who live in modern times the melancholic look that we find in the sculpture of cemeteries throughout the world is something we take for granted. Although its authenticity has been lost to us, this so-called look can be traced back to 5th century Greek funerary sculpture. For us it is only natural to associate such a look with death. However, as the above verse elaborates, the Greeks viewed death somewhat differently from the way we do. To them death freed their souls and brought true happiness: then why does their grave sculpture look so pensive and thoughtful? It is because unlike today where the dead are only represented figuratively in a sobbing angel or mournful cherub, the Greeks depicted their dead as they were in life - life which was full of uncertainties and burdens but also with simple pleasures that made it all worth while. The Greeks successfully combined these two juxtaposed experiences, and harmonized its contradictions to portray in steles the individual, whose simplicities and complications was a reflection of the bitter-sweetness of life. No where is this combination more successful than in the Greek grave stele of the 5th century before Christ. The 5th B.C. encompassed two distinct periods: the early classical and the high classical. However both these periods shared the uniquely contradicting, constantly explorative, and modestly idealistic vision of life, which made the subjects of the stele, at their moment of death, all the more human to the observer. Neither the previous Archaic period, nor the following 4th century, or the preceding civilizations quite so convincingly capture for the observer the poignancy of death the way a fifth century BC stele could. The period of the 5th century B.C. is sometimes referrd to as the golden age, which is the height for Greek art and civilizations; and ironically has its beginning and ending in war! ...

Themes of Sam Shepards Plays True West, Buried Child, and Others

Themes of Sam Shepards Plays True West, Buried Child, and Others Although the Cain-and-Abel style of sibling rivalry this play focuses on is admirable, True West is another Sam Shepard drama that perplexes much more than enlightens. (Although as far as Bible stories goes, perhaps its more like the prodigal son and a really annoyed younger brother.) True West: Summary This kitchen sink drama begins with a young, successful brother diligently working on his next screenplay while watching his mothers house. His older brother has encroached upon the place as well. Austin (the screen writer) does want to upset his brother at first. In fact, despite his older brothers dead-beat ways, Austin seems to admire him, though he doesnt trust him. Though Austen appears civilized at the beginning of the play, he will go off the deep end by Act Three, drinking, thieving, and fighting- traits of his wandering, alcoholic father. Character Development Lee, the older brother, is oxymoronically a champion loser. He bums around in the desert, following the same life choices as his drunkard father. He drifts from one friends house to another, crashing wherever he can. He out a living by stealing appliances or gambling in dogfights. He simultaneously disdains and envies his younger brothers successful lifestyle. yet, when he gets the chance, Lee manages to enter the Hollywood elite, golfing with a movie producer and convincing him to conjure up $300,000 for a script synopsis, even though Lee doesnt know the first thing about developing a story. (This, by the way, is yet another stretch away from reality.) As often happens when erratic characters nearly reach the end of their troubles, catching a glimpse of paradise just around the corner, their own flaws prevent them from attaining happiness. Such is the case with Lee. Instead of writing a script treatment, Lee becomes severely intoxicated and spends the morning smashing the typewriting with a golf club. Austin doesnt fare much better, having spent his evening robbing the neighborhood of its many toasters. If this sounds amusing, it is. But humor never lingers long in Shepards plays. Things always turn ugly, and most of his family dramas end with a lot of objects being hurled to the floor. Whether its whiskey bottles, China plates, or heads of rotten cabbage, theres always a lot of smashing going on in these households. Themes in Sam Shepards Plays In addition to being a successful playwright, Shepard is also an Oscar-nominated actor. He stole the show from the rest of an incredible ensemble of actors in the historical drama about the Mercury astronauts, The Right Stuff. In his brilliant portrayal of Chuck Yeager shows that Shepard has a knack for playing brave, stalwart characters that exude integrity. As a playwright, however, he creates many characters that lack integrity- which is precisely the point of many of his plays. Shepards main message: Humans are not in control of their own emotions, thoughts, personalities. We cannot escape our culture or our family bonds. In Curse of the Starving Class, those who try to escape their dismal surrounding are immediately destroyed. (Poor Emma is literally destroyed in a car bomb explosion!) In Buried Child, the grandchild tried to drive as far away from his dysfunctional home, only to return to become its new supine patriarch. Finally, in True West we witness a character (Austin) who has achieved the American Dream of a great career and a family, and yet he is compelled to throw everything away in exchange for a solitary life in the desert, following in the footsteps of his brother and father. The theme of an inherited, inescapable downfall recurs throughout Shepards work. However, it does not ring true for me personally. Its understood that some children never escape the influence of their familys dysfunction. But many do. Call us optimistic, but the Vinces of the world dont always take their grandfathers place on the couch, sipping from a whiskey bottle. The Austins of America dont always turn from a family man into a thief in a single night (nor do they attempt to strangle their brother). Bad, crazy, messed-up stuff happens, in real life and on the stage. But to process the evil that men do, maybe audiences might connect more with realism rather than surrealism. The play doesnt need avant-garde dialogue and monologues; violence, addiction, and psychological abnormality are bizarre enough when they occur in real life.

Sherwin Williams (SHW0 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sherwin Williams (SHW0 - Research Paper Example There are various methods which have been postulated by scholars such as Gordon; Gordon postulated a growth model which is used to ascertain or estimate the value of stock in the future. In the Gordon growth model it is assumed that the company cash flows experiences constant growth t to perpetuity from the period immediately proceeding the valuation date. In the Gordon method the present value of the terminal benefit is then added to the summation of the present value of all project cash flows so as to arrive at the total value of stock (Stavans, 2007). The second approach to stock valuation in order to ascertain the total returns to the investor is the constant growth model. Using model it is assumed that earnings of the stock a constant growth, that is, dividend experience a constant which is usually ascertained from the growth in the earnings of the company then using a capitalization rate which is given by the difference between the company cost of equity and the growth. Then, the expected earning to the stock (then multiplied by one plus the growth rate) is divided by the capitalization rate so as to arrive at the total earnings attributed to the stock. Then, this figure is added to the current market so as to ascertain the total returns that would accrue to the investor at the end of the five year period. In order to achieve the objectives of this paper we will employ a hybrid of Gordon growth model so as to arrive at the total returns that the stocks of Sherwin Williams company. This method was adapted due to it is consideration of the time value of money concept. Moreover, this method is more efficient than the constant growth assumption method. Total present value of earnings = 8.3431 plus 86.00 assuming the market price of shares grows at the same rate like the dividend such that the market price per share at the end of five years will be 86 (1.11)5 = 145.57 the present value would be 145.57 x 0.5428 = 79.02. Therefore, the total return

Philosophy of Science - Does Creationism qualify as science Essay

Philosophy of Science - Does Creationism qualify as science - Essay Example This new aspect erroneously emphasizes that both the earth and universe were born some 10,000 years ago and the present life form of the earth is the outcome of catastrophes like floods. Some creation scientists again hold that human beings were born out of divine intervention for the presence of intelligence absent in others. The creationism aspect of science on account of the above examples is countering problem for the proper teaching of science. (Skehan & Nelson, 1-2). Thus, the activities of creation scientists are aiming to draw a rift between experimental nature of science and a scientific approach based on false dogmas and religious ideologies. Creationism which fails to impart an experimental outlook fails to be qualified as Science. Controversial Theories of Creation Science against Science Scientific Creationism is observed to largely mingle religious ideologies with scientific doctrines causing the formation of erroneous facts which cultivate an environment of misinformat ion. In fact, the doctrines rendered by Creation Science which states that the formation and destruction of life forms on the planet were the outcome of a deluge were observed to bear close resemblance to Biblical theories. These facts rendered by Creation Science draw controversies for Science has already stated the age of the earth as amounting to some billions of years. With regards to the development of the large diversity of flora and fauna Science has successfully shown that these diversities sprouted out owing to the effects of evolution. The facts stated by Science gain ground for being supported by experimental observations conducted through the study of fossils which claims that evolution is a spontaneous phenomenon and not merely a theory. An endeavor to intensify the realm of Creation Science to reach the Science classrooms was largely contested on several grounds. The Law of the land observed such moves of Creation Science as totally unconstitutional due to mainly three aspects. Firstly, it was observed that such a drive affected the secularity of the region and legislation. It is because the approach of Creation Science is considered to have strong linkages to the Catholic religion. Secondly, it was held that the Creation Science’s approach was involved more in spreading religion than centered on imparting knowledge. Thirdly the approach made by Creation Science was also felt as anti-governmental activity and thus an endeavor was made to restrict its further development. Several schools of the American region were strictly directed to disallow the professing of the doctrines of Creation Science. The activities of Creation Science however did counter less halt as it came out with the doctrine of ‘Intelligent Design’. The theory of ‘Intelligent Design’ is considered to be propounded by the Creation Science theorists to counter the strength of legislative actions imposed upon it. The theory of ‘Intelligent Desi gn’ propounded by the Creation Scientists presents itself in two parts. The first part aimed at totally criticizing the theory of evolution framed by Charles Darwin. It aimed at stating that the theory of evolution was totally wrong and practically suffered from absence of a strong base. In the second part the concept of ‘Intelligent Design’ tried to focus that each of the different life forms on earth including the intelligent human beings were the actions of some

The Opposite Sex Essay Example for Free

The Opposite Sex Essay In the modern era, males may become unfair in giving out comments to females for their actions, while women may also become bias in their judgment to men. It’s funny sometimes how our judgment fails us. Our ability to see into things depreciates into lesser chunks of stupidity. We end up being stubborn, just so we could be inconsistent. We blindly will our way to rash verdicts and absurdities. Now that things are little hazy, clarifications are expected more than anything else. Yet the most that could clarify this issue is the essay â€Å"Opposite Sex† by Seven Dorloff. The characters from the essay were students who were given the chance to write down their experiences if they were to alienate themselves from their own identity and act as their opposite sex for one day. Various reactions came out. Some were excited about it, while others were pacified. The author entitled his students the chance to become their opposite sex. Likewise, he gave his class the option to make his/her wise preference as to what gender they most likely wanted to become after a one-day experience of becoming their opposite sex. The essay also showed a comparison of gender. But it does not suggest discrimination between the two because no one suffered ridicule why they were experiencing to become their opposite sex. He did not limit the options available to his students like someone who may prefer to have a different gender than his/her usual (Gumisai Mutume). He neither curtailed the democratic rights to write and to choose by decreasing the availability of the options. But the author did not intend to drastically modify his students’ tastes. In the same way that a person with a different orientation must not be treated any different from person with other orientation just because we think they’re different. No matter how they stand out in their choice of orientation, in fashion sense and in whatever means of comparison; still they are not any different from us. True enough, having born as their gender, they will always be the gender they were initially. If they will defy their gender, they will run the risk of losing their identity because they will be ostracized and casted away from their community. They enjoy a degree of freedom in their gender adherence but they can’t completely detach and get away from their original gender. Let’s understand that being a different gender is another category; it’s another quality that needs separate space. It’s not being indifferent; it’s being a manifestation of who you really are and who you wanted to become (Julie Mullins). Being a different gender however does not mean that the person you have been before is unlikeable, it’s being enjoying what life can possibly offer. Since, the students were given the chance to become their opposite sex; they took the opportunity despite the fact that they can only become males / females through pen. Lastly, the author was able to explain that no matter how different your gender is, you can still live in a world without minding critics. If we don’t mind our genders, that would do us more good. It’s respect that we all need. Its respect that we claim generously, it’s respect we give grudgingly. Work Cited Mullins, Julie. â€Å"Gender Discrimination.† 2008. Children In Need, Inc. 15 September 2008 http://www.childreninneed.org/magazine/gender.html#Anchor-Girls-35882 â€Å"Gender Equality.† 31 March 2008. Canadian International Development Agency. 15 September 2008 http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/CIDAWEB/acdicida.nsf/En/REN-218125542-Q37

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Learning Development Essay

Critical thinking and problem solving are skills required to increase the growth in children’s learning and development, especially if our goal is to prepare a community of effective life-long learners. Researchers find that the definitions of each of these skills vary among the education community, but the necessity of student acquisition of these skills is demanded in the learning process. Critical thinking and problem solving offer an extensive, fundamental skill to the educating of children. This skill set is necessary for student understanding, development, and learning. It has been found that the internalization and automatic use of these skills would greatly increase student opportunity as future learners provide insight of understanding of concepts and provide an alternative way of thinking to a demanding world of self-monitoring, reflecting, and knowing. If these skills are necessary, we ask, why is it that all students don’t have them? In my paper, I will define critical thinking and problem solving. Then I will elaborate on the necessity of teachers teaching students critical thinking and problem solving. I will conclude with the importance of these skills as it pertains to the development of student learning and effectiveness of student performance. Provided are the three working definitions of critical thinking and problem solving. In 2008, Sezer’s research defined critical thinking as, â€Å"the evaluation and reflecting of what you know to be true† (p. 349). Later McCollister and Sayler (2010) defined it as, â€Å"carefully analyzing the way we think, with the purpose of improving it† (p. 41). The definition for problem solving will stand alone and is simply stated by Martinez (2006) as â€Å"problem solving is what y... ... K., & Sayler, M.. (2010, January). Lift the Ceiling: Increase Rigor With Critical Thinking Skills. Gifted Child Today, 33(1), 41-47. Retrieved 23 Nov. 2015, from Education Periodicals. (Document ID: 1950190601). Sezer, R. (2008). Integration Of Critical Thinking Skills Into Elementary School Teacher Education Courses In Mathematics. Education, 128(3), 349-362. Retrieved 21 Nov. 2015, from Education Periodicals. (Document ID: 1460776461). Shure. M. (2006, April). Helping Children Solve Problems. Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 20(6), 10-11. Retrieved 23 Nov. 2015, from Education Periodicals. (Document ID: 1013090421). Zemelman, S., Daniels, H. & Hyde, A. (2005). Best Practice Todays's Standards for Teaching & Learning in America's Schools Third Edition. In H. D. Steven Zemelman, The Principles of Best Practice Learning (p.7-22). Portsmouth: Heinemann.

Sophie’s World

Philosophy 101 Mr. Trembley While reading Sophie’s World Jostein Gaarder identifies and tackles large philosophical questions. Using Sophie as the â€Å"fresh† child mind, Gaarder attempts to portray how a young mind would react to large philosophical questions. By the time I got to page 13 in the text, I noticed that the major philosophical questions were simply stated by the mysterious teacher of Sophie. One major question that Sophie asks and tries to answer is â€Å"who are you? At first, on page 3, Sophie blatantly focuses on the physicality of the question. She is the girl staring back at her self-reflected image on the mirror. She then concluded by saying â€Å"you are me,† and â€Å"I am you,† to her mirror image. Once again, it was a very obvious and physical truth in regards to who she was. However, by page 7 she takes a more philosophical approach and understands that there are many levels after she ponders about it more. After pondering, she e ssentially concludes that the questions are riddles.Yet, coming from narrator verbatim, â€Å"For the first time in her life she felt it wasn’t right to live in the world without at least inquiring where it came from. † She went from a mentality of specific perspective to understanding the general concept that finding a philosophical answer isn’t the purpose†¦but pondering and asking questions about who she was and where the world came from was more beneficial. In my perspective, the acknowledgement of these philosophical questions is a massive step for Sophie.I definitely agree with Sophie because sometimes the questions are very annoying, because no one will really know the answers to the questions the teacher asked her. The narrator states on page 7 that the questions â€Å"jolted Sophie out of her everyday existence and suddenly brought her face to face with the great riddles of the universe. † I find this particularly interesting because to me t he questions asked by philosophers are not meant to be confusing, time wasting questions. Instead, the questions spark of wonder that leads to creative, varied perspectives on extremely large questions. Sophie’s World The book review that I will be doing is about the book Sophie’s World (Norweigan: Sofies verden), a 1991 novel written by Norwegian writer Jostein Gaarder. According to the book itself, Sophie’s World is Gaarder’s first book to appear in English because he is a Norweigan. . It was originally written in Norwegian and became a best seller in Norway. The novel was later translated into fifty-three languages, with over thirty million copies in print. It follows the events of Sophie Amundsen, a teenage girl living in Norway and Alberto Knox, a middle aged philosopher who introduces her to philosophical thinking and the history of philosophy. II. SUMMARY: Sophie Amundsen is fourteen years old when the book begins, living in Norway. She begins a strange correspondence course in philosophy. Every day, a letter comes to her mailbox that contains a few questions and then later in the day a package comes with some typed pages describing the ideas of a philosopher who dealt with the issues raised by the questions. Although at first she does not know, later on Sophie learns that Alberto Knox is the name of the philosopher who is teaching her. He sends her packages via his dog Hermes. Alberto first tells Sophie that philosophy is extremely relevant to life and that if we do not question and ponder our very existence we are not really living. Then he proceeds to go through the history of western philosophy. Alberto teaches Sophie about the ancient myths that people had in the days before they tried to come up with natural explanations for the processes in the world. Then she learns about the natural philosophers who were concerned with change. Next Alberto describes Democritus and the theory of indivisible atoms underlying all of nature as well as the concept of fate. At the same time as she takes the philosophy course, Sophie receives a strange postcard sent to Hilde Moller Knag, care of Sophie. The postcard is from Hilde's father and wishes Hilde happy birthday. Sophie is confused, and moreso when she finds a scarf with Hilde's name on it. She does not know what is happening but she is sure that Hilde and the philosophy course must somehow be connected. She learns about Socrates, who was wise enough to know that he knew nothing. Then Alberto ends her a video that shows him in present day Athens and somehow he seems to go back in time to ancient Athens. She learns about Plato and his world of ideas and then about Aristotle, who critiqued Plato, classified much of the natural world, and founded logic and our theory of concepts. Then, as Sophie's education continues, the Hilde situation begins to get more complicated. She finds many more postcards to Hilde, and some of them are even dated on June 15, the day of Sophie will turn 15. The problem is t hat June 15 is still over a month away. She discovers some of this with her best friend Joanna, and one of the postcards tells Hilde that one day she will meet Sophie and also mentions Joanna. Strange things are happening that the girls cannot figure out. Sophie's relationship with her mother becomes somewhat strained as she tries both to cover up the correspondence with Alberto and to practice her philosophical thinking on her mom. Meanwhile, Alberto teaches Sophie about Jesus and the meeting of Indo-European and Semitic culture. She learns about St. Augustine, St. Aquinas, and the christianization of Greek philosophy that occurred in the Middle Ages. By this time, Sophie has met Alberto and he begins hinting that the philosophy is about to get extremely relevant to the strange things that are happening to her. Sophie learns about the focus on humanity in the Renaissance and the extremes of the Baroque and then Alberto focuses on some key philosophers. Urgently, he teaches her about Descartes, who doubted, and by doing so knew at least that he could doubt. They move on to Spinoza as it becomes clear that Hilde's father has some awesome power over them. Then Sophie learns about the empiricists. Locke believed in natural rights and that everything we know is gained from experience. Hume, an important influence on Kant, showed that our actions are guided by feelings and warned against making laws based upon our experiences. But Berkeley is most important to Sophie because he suggested that perhaps our entire lives were inside the mind of God. And Alberto says that their lives are inside the mind of Albert Knag, Hilde's father. At this point the story switches to Hilde's point of view. On June 15, the day she turns fifteen, Hilde receives a birthday gift from her father entitled Sophie's World. She begins to read and is enthralled. We follow the rest of Sophie's story from Hilde's perspective. Hilde becomes certain that Sophie exists, that she is not just a character in a book. Alberto has a plan to escape Albert Knag's mind, and they must finish the philosophy course before that can happen. He teaches Sophie about the Enlightenment and its humane values and about Kant and his unification of empiricist and rationalist thought. Things in Sophie's life have become completely insane but she and Alberto know they must figure out a way to do something. It will have to occur on the night of June 15, when Hilde's father returns home. They learn about the world spirit of Romanticism, Hegel's dialectical view of history, and Kierkegaard's belief that the individual's existence is primary. Meanwhile, Hilde plans a surprise for her father on his return home. They rush through Marx, Darwin, Freud, and Sartre, desperate to come up with a plan to escape even though everything they do is known by Hilde's father. Then at the end of Sophie's World, the book that Hilde is reading, while at a party for Sophie on June 15, Alberto and Sophie disappear. Hilde's father comes home and they talk about the book, and Hilde is sure that Sophie exists somewhere. Meanwhile, Sophie and Alberto have a new existence as spirit—they have escaped from Albert Knag's mind but they are invisible to other people and can walk right through them. Sophie wants to try to interfere in the world of Hilde and her father, and at the end of the book she is learning how to do so. III. PROPER BOOK REVIEW: The day that this book was handed to me, I thought it was boring at all because it’s about philosophy. But then, when I started reading, I became interested and even more interested in the plot of the story in which Sophie Amundsen received a letter from an anonymous sender. I became to wonder who it came from. Did it come from a suitor or maybe from school? Those were just the things that came up to my mind while reading the first page of the book. When the questions were revealed, such as such as â€Å"Who are you? † and â€Å"Where did the world come from? , I myself were interested to know the answers too. It was like it was me who was in Sophie’s situation. It’s really funny how I became attached with the story though I don’t really read novels. As the story progresses, the reader becomes attached to Sophie and follows her on the quest for answers. We are reminded of the beauty in the genuine thirst for knowledge and f or answers that we often devalue as we get older. This book can be approached in different ways. It is on one hand the story of a few individual lives, and on the other a philosophy book. Seeing it only as the story of Sophie Amundsen brings little satisfaction, but regarding it only as a reference on philosophy does not fulfill its purpose. To me, its theme is an expression of people's propensity to become caught up in their daily lives and lose the desire to question. And though the characters seem two-dimensional at times, I viewed them as tools of the writer, commenting on what Gaarder saw in the world. The style of the novel is similar to a detective story which emphasizes Gaardner’s idea that philosophy’s search for answers to the fundamental questions of life is much like a detective’s investigation. Throughout the book, we are reminded that philosophy is not the pursuit of someone who has spare time to sit and ponder; rather, it is essential for every living, thinking human being. This novel is a great substitute for a boring philosophy book. Sophie’s World is probably the best way to learn about philosophy. Even more redeeming is the fictional portion of the novel, so although readers may grow bored and want to skip over the philosophy lesson bits, you'll still find yourself being pulled in enough to finish the entire lengthy book. Sophie’s world took me in a wild and crazy ride while also learning about the history of philosophy. I liked this book because it was never preachy and is not trying to force any grand idea down my throat. Instead it gave me a bunch of really good ideas and let me form my own philosophy and let me choose the ideas I wanted to believe. I also loved the crazy plot twists of the story. Just like when the story revealed that Sophie and Alberto Knox were just part of another story and when Hilde wanted to believe that Sophie and Alberto were real people as opposed to some characters in a book written for Hilde’s 15th birthday. I think it was great how the author just kept making the story weirder and weirder. First Sophie kept getting mysterious post cards, then they started popping up everywhere, then a banana said â€Å"Happy Birthday Hilde†, then the dog talked and when she found out she was in a book she started seeing Winnie the Pooh and Little Red Riding Hood. This book was just a bunch of jumbled insanity that kept my attention every step of the way. I absolutely loved it I think everybody on the planet should read this book. Personally I thought the philosophy lessons were boring, but Jostein Gaarder paints such a beautiful picture and story that Sophie's World truly is compelling.

Zoe’s Tale PART III PROLOGUE

I lifted up my dad's PDA and counted off the seconds with the two thousand other people in the room. â€Å"Five! Four! Three! Two! One!† And then there was no noise, because everyone's attention – and I mean everyone's – was glued to the monitors peppered around the Magellan's common area. The screens, which had held starry skies in them, were blank and black, and everyone was holding their breath, waiting for what came next. A world appeared, green and blue. And we all went insane. Because it was our world. It was Roanoke, our new home. We would be the first people to land there, the first people to settle there, the first people to live our lives there. And we celebrated seeing it for that first time, we two thousand settlers of Roanoke, all crammed into that common area, hugging and kissing and singing â€Å"Auld Lang Syne,† because, well, what else do you sing when you come to a new world? A new world, new beginnings, a new year, a new life. New everything. I hugged my best friend Gretchen and we hollered into the microphone I had been using to count down the seconds, and hopped up and down like idiots. When we stopped hopping, a whisper in my ear. â€Å"So beautiful,† Enzo said. I turned to look at him, at this gorgeous, beautiful boy who I was seriously considering making my boyfriend. He was a perfect combination: heart-flutteringly pretty and apparently entirely ignorant of the fact, because he'd been spending the last week trying to charm me with his words, of all things. Words! Like he didn't get the teenage boy manual on how to be completely inarticulate around girls. I appreciated the effort. And I appreciated the fact that when he whispered his words, he was looking at me and not the planet. I glanced over at my parents about six meters away, kissing to celebrate the arrival. That seemed like a good idea. I reached my hand behind Enzo's head to draw him to me and planted one right on his lips. Our first kiss. New world, new life, new boyfriend. What can I say. I was caught up in the moment. Enzo didn't complain. â€Å"‘O brave new world, that has such people in it,'† he said, after I let him breathe again. I smiled at him, my arms still around his neck. â€Å"You've been saving that up,† I said. â€Å"Maybe,† he admitted. â€Å"I wanted you to have a quality first kiss moment.† See. Most sixteen-year-old boys would have used a kiss as an excuse to dive straight for the boobs. He used it as an excuse for Shakespeare. A girl could do worse. â€Å"You're adorable,† I said, kissed him again, then gave him a playful push and launched myself into my parents, breaking up their canoodling and demanding their attention. The two of them were our colony's leaders, and soon enough they would barely have time to breathe. It was best I get in some quality time while I could. We hugged and laughed and then Gretchen yanked me back toward her. â€Å"Look what I have,† she said, and thrust her PDA in my face. It showed a vidcap of me and Enzo kissing. â€Å"You evil little thing,† I said. â€Å"It's amazing,† Gretchen said. â€Å"It actually looks like you're trying to swallow his entire face.† â€Å"Stop it,† I said. â€Å"See? Look,† Gretchen tapped a button, and the vidcap played in slow motion. â€Å"Right there. You're mauling him. Like his lips were made of chocolate.† I was trying very hard not to laugh, because she was actually right about that. â€Å"Wench,† I said. â€Å"Give me that.† I snatched the PDA from her with one hand, erased the file, and handed it back. â€Å"There. Thank you.† â€Å"Oh, no,† Gretchen said, mildly, taking the PDA. â€Å"Learned your lesson about violating the privacy of others?† I said. â€Å"Oh, yes,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Good,† I said. â€Å"Of course, you already forwarded it to everyone we know before you showed it to me, didn't you?† â€Å"Maybe,† Gretchen said, and put her hand to her mouth, eyes wide. â€Å"Evil,† I said, admiringly. â€Å"Thank you,† Gretchen said, and curtsied. â€Å"Just remember I know where you live,† I said. â€Å"For the rest of our lives,† Gretchen said, and then we did embarrassingly girly squeals and had another hug. Living the rest of your life with the same two thousand people ran the risk of being dead-bang boring, but not with Gretchen around. We unhugged and then I looked around to see who else I wanted to celebrate with. Enzo was hovering in the background, but he was smart enough to know that I'd get back to him. I looked over and saw Savitri Guntupalli, my parents' assistant, conferring with my dad very seriously about something. Savitri: She was smart and capable and could be wicked funny, but she was always working. I got between her and Dad and demanded a hug. Yes, I was all about the hugs. But, you know, look: You only get to see your new world for the first time once. â€Å"Zoe,† Dad said, â€Å"can I have my PDA back?† I had taken Dad's PDA because he'd set the exact time the Magellan would skip from the Phoenix system to Roanoke, and used it to count off the last few minutes before the jump. I had my own PDA, of course; it was in my pocket. No doubt the vid-cap of me smooching Enzo was waiting for me in my in-box, just like it was in the in-boxes of all our friends. I made a note to myself to plot revenge against Gretchen. Sweet, merciless revenge. Involving witnesses. And farm animals. But for now I gave Dad back his PDA, gave him a peck on his cheek, and found my way back to Enzo. â€Å"So,† Enzo said, and smiled. God, he was even charming when monosyllabic. The rational part of my brain was lecturing me about how infatuation makes everything seem better than it is; the irrational part (meaning, most of me) was telling the rational part to get well and truly stuffed. â€Å"So,† I said back, not nearly as charmingly, but Enzo didn't seem to notice. â€Å"I was talking to Magdy,† Enzo said. â€Å"Uh-oh,† I said. â€Å"Magdy's not so bad,† Enzo said. â€Å"Sure, for certain values of ‘not so bad,' meaning ‘bad,'† I said. â€Å"And he said that he was talking to some of the Magellan crew,† Enzo said, forging along (charmingly). â€Å"They told him about an observation lounge on the crew level that's usually empty. He says we could get a great view of the planet there.† I glanced over Enzo's shoulder, where Magdy was talking animatedly to Gretchen (or at her, depending on one's point of view). â€Å"I don't think the planet is what he's hoping to view,† I said. Enzo glanced back. â€Å"Maybe not,† he said. â€Å"Although to be fair to Magdy, certain people aren't exactly trying hard not to be viewed.† I crooked an eyebrow at that; it was true enough, although I knew Gretchen was more into the flirting than anything else. â€Å"And what about you?† I said. â€Å"What are you hoping to see?† Enzo smiled and held up his hands, disarmingly. â€Å"Zoe,† he said. â€Å"I just got to kiss you. I think I want to work on that a little more before moving on to anything else.† â€Å"Ooh, nicely said,† I said. â€Å"Do these lines work on all the girls?† â€Å"You're the first girl I've tried them on,† Enzo said. â€Å"So you'll have to let me know.† I actually blushed, and gave him a hug. â€Å"So far, so good,† I said. â€Å"Good,† Enzo said. â€Å"Also, you know. I've seen your bodyguards. I don't think I want them to use me for target practice.† â€Å"What?† I said, mock-shocked. â€Å"You're not frightened of Hickory and Dickory, are you? They're not even here.† Actually, Enzo has a perfectly good reason to be utterly terrified of Hickory and Dickory, who were already vaguely suspicious of him and would happily cycle him out an airlock if he did anything stupid with me. But there was no reason to let him know that yet. Good rule of thumb: When your relationship is minutes old, don't freak out the new squeeze. And anyway, Hickory and Dickory were sitting out this celebration. They were aware they made most of the humans nervous. â€Å"I was actually thinking of your parents,† Enzo said. â€Å"Although they seem to be missing, too.† Enzo motioned with his head to where John and Jane had been standing a few minutes before; now neither of them were there. I saw Savitri leaving the common area as well, as if she suddenly had someplace to be. â€Å"I wonder where they went,† I said, mostly to myself. â€Å"They're the colony leaders,† Enzo said. â€Å"Maybe now they have to start working.† â€Å"Maybe,† I said. It was unusual for either John or Jane to disappear without telling me where they were going; it was just a common courtesy. I fought back the urge to message them on my PDA. â€Å"So, the observation lounge,† Enzo said, getting himself back to the topic at hand. â€Å"You want to check it out?† â€Å"It's on the crew deck,† I said. â€Å"You think we might get in trouble?† â€Å"Maybe,† Enzo said. â€Å"But what can they do? Make us walk the plank? At worst they'll just tell us to get lost. And until then we'll have a heck of a view.† â€Å"All right,† I said. â€Å"But if Magdy turns into all tentacles, I'm leaving. There are some things I don't need to see.† Enzo laughed. â€Å"Fair enough,† he said, and I snuggled into him a little. This new boyfriend thing was turning out just fine. We spent some more time celebrating with our friends and their families. Then, after things had settled down enough, we followed Magdy and Gretchen through the Magellan and toward the crew observation lounge. I thought sneaking into the crew area might be a problem; not only was it easy, but a crew member coming out of an entrance held it open for us. â€Å"Security is not a huge issue here on the Magellan,† Gretchen said, back to me and Enzo, then looked down at our clasped hands and smiled at me. She was evil, sure, but she was also happy for me. The observation lounge was where it was advertised to be, but alas for Magdy's nefarious plans, it was not empty as promised; four Magellan crew members sat at a table, intent in a conversation. I glanced over to Magdy, who looked like he had just swallowed a fork. I found this rather amusing myself. Poor, poor Magdy. Frustration became him. â€Å"Look,† Enzo said, and still holding my hand, guided me to a huge observation window. Roanoke filled the view, gorgeously green, fully illuminated with her sun behind us, more breathtaking in person than she was on the monitors. Seeing something with your own eyes makes a difference. It was the most beautiful thing I think I'd ever seen. Roanoke. Our world. â€Å"Wrong place,† I heard, barely, from the conversation at the table to the left of me. I glanced over at the table. The four Magellan crew there were so engaged in their conversation and so closed in to each other that it looked like most of their bodies were actually on the table rather than in their seats. One of the crew was sitting with his back to me, but I could see the other three, two men and a woman. The expression on their faces was grim. I have a habit of listening in to other people's conversations. It's not a bad habit unless you get caught. The way not to get caught is to make sure it looks like your attention is somewhere else. I dropped my hand from Enzo's and took a step toward the observation lounge window. This got me closer to the table while at the same time keeping Enzo from whispering sweet nothings in my ear. I kept myself visually intent on Roanoke. â€Å"You don't just miss,† one of the crew members was saying. â€Å"And the captain sure as hell doesn't. He could put the Magellan in orbit around a pebble if he wanted to.† The crew member with his back to me said something low, which I couldn't hear. â€Å"That's crap,† said the first crew member. â€Å"How many ships have actually gone missing in the last twenty years? In the last fifty? No one gets lost anymore.† â€Å"What are you thinking?† I jumped, which made Enzo jump. â€Å"Sorry,† he said, as I turned to give him an exasperated look. I put a finger to my lips to shush him, and then motioned with my eyes at the table now behind me. Enzo glanced behind me and saw the table. What? he mouthed. I shook my head a tiny bit to tell him he shouldn't distract me anymore. He gave me a strange look. I took his hand again to let him know I wasn't upset with him, but then focused my attention back to the table. † – calm. We don't know anything yet,† said another voice, this one belonging (I think) to the woman. â€Å"Who else knows about this?† Another mutter from the crew member facing away from me. â€Å"Good. We need to keep it that way,† she said. â€Å"I'll clamp down on things in my department if I hear anything, but it only works if we all do it.† â€Å"It won't stop the crew from talking,† said someone else. â€Å"No, but it'll slow down the rumors, and that's good enough until we know what's really happened,† the woman said. Yet another mutter. â€Å"Well, if it's true, then we have bigger problems, don't we?† said the woman, and all the strain she was experiencing was suddenly clear in her voice. I shuddered a little; Enzo felt it through my hand and looked at me, concerned. I gave him a serious hug. It meant losing the rest of the conversational thread, but at the moment, it's what I wanted. Priorities change. There was the sound of chairs pushing back. I turned and the crew members – it was pretty clear they were actually officers – were already heading toward the door. I broke away from Enzo to get the attention of the one closest to me, the one who had had his back to me earlier. I tapped him on the shoulder; he turned and seemed very surprised to see me. â€Å"Who are you?† he said. â€Å"Has something happened to the Magellan?† I asked. The best way to learn stuff is not to get distracted, for example, by questions relating to one's identity. The man actually scowled, which is something I'd read about but had never actually seen someone do, until now. â€Å"You were listening to our conversation.† â€Å"Is the ship lost?† I asked. â€Å"Do we know where we are? Is something wrong with the ship?† He took a step back, like the questions were actually hitting him. I should have taken a step forward and pressed him. I didn't. He regained his footing and looked past me to Enzo and Gretchen and Magdy, who were all looking at us. Then he realized who we were, and straightened up. â€Å"You kids aren't supposed to be here. Get out, or I'll have ship's security throw you out. Get back to your families.† He turned to go. I reached toward him again. â€Å"Sir, wait,† I said. He ignored me and walked out of the lounge. â€Å"What's going on?† Magdy asked me, from across the room. â€Å"I don't want to get in trouble because you've pissed off some random crew member.† I shot Magdy a look, and turned to look out the window again. Roanoke still hung there, blue and green. But suddenly not as beautiful. Suddenly unfamiliar. Suddenly threatening. Enzo put his hand on my shoulder. â€Å"What is it, Zoe?† he said. I kept staring out the window. â€Å"I think we're lost,† I said. â€Å"Why?† Gretchen asked. She had come up beside me. â€Å"What were they talking about?† â€Å"I couldn't hear it all,† I said. â€Å"But it sounded like they were saying we're not where we're supposed to be.† I pointed to the planet. â€Å"That this isn't Roanoke.† â€Å"That's crazy,† Magdy said. â€Å"Of course it's crazy,† I said. â€Å"Doesn't mean it might not be true.† I pulled out my PDA from my pocket and tried to connect with Dad. No answer. I tried connecting to Mom. No answer. â€Å"Gretchen,† I said. â€Å"Would you try calling your dad?† Gretchen's dad was on the colonial council my parents headed up. â€Å"He's not answering,† she said, after a minute. â€Å"It doesn't mean anything bad,† Enzo said. â€Å"We did just skip to a new planet. Maybe they're busy with that.† â€Å"Maybe they're still celebrating,† Magdy said. Gretchen smacked him upside the head. â€Å"You really are childish, Magdy,† she said. Magdy rubbed the side of his head and shut up. This evening was not going anything like he had planned. Gretchen turned to me. â€Å"What do you think we should do?† â€Å"I don't know,† I said. â€Å"They were talking about keeping the crew from talking. It means some of them might know what's going on. It won't take long to get to the colonists.† â€Å"It's already gotten to the colonists,† Enzo said. â€Å"We're colonists.† â€Å"We might want to tell someone,† Gretchen said. â€Å"I think your parents and my dad need to know, at least.† I glanced down at her PDA. â€Å"I think they might know already,† I said. â€Å"We should make sure,† she said. So we left the observation lounge and went looking for our parents. We didn't find them; they were in a council meeting. I did find Hickory and Dickory, or rather, they found me. â€Å"I think I should go,† Enzo said, after they'd stared at him, unblinking, for a minute. It wasn't meant as intimidation; they don't blink at all. I gave him a peck on the cheek. He and Magdy left. â€Å"I'm going to listen around,† Gretchen said. â€Å"See what people are saying.† â€Å"All right,† I said. â€Å"Me too.† I held up my PDA. â€Å"Let me know what you hear.† She left. I turned to Hickory and Dickory. â€Å"You two,† I said. â€Å"You were in your room earlier.† â€Å"We came looking for you,† Hickory said. It was the talker of the two. Dickory could talk, but it was always a surprise when it happened. â€Å"Why?† I said. â€Å"I was perfectly safe before. I've been perfectly safe since we left Phoenix Station. The Magellan is entirely threat-free. The only thing you've been good for this entire trip is scaring the crap out of Enzo. Why are you looking for me now?† â€Å"Things have changed,† Hickory said. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked, but then my PDA vibrated. It was Gretchen. â€Å"That was fast,† I said. â€Å"I just ran into Mika,† she said. â€Å"You won't believe what she said a crew member just told her brother.† The adult colonists may have been either clueless or tight-lipped, but the Roanoke teenage rumor mill was in full swing. In the next hour, this is what we â€Å"learned†: That during the skip to Roanoke, the Magellan had wandered too close to a star and had been thrown out of the galaxy. That there was a mutiny and the first officer had relieved Captain Zane of command because of incompetence. That Captain Zane shot his own traitorous first officer right there on the bridge and said he'd shoot anyone who tried to help him. That the computer systems had failed just before the skip, and we didn't know where we were. That aliens had attacked the ship and were floating out there, deciding whether to finish us off. That Roanoke was poisonous to human life and if we landed there we'd die. That there was a core breach in the engine room, whatever that meant, and that the Magellan was this close to blowing up. That ecoterrorists had hacked into the Magellan's computer systems and sent us off in another direction so that we couldn't ruin another planet. No, wait, it was wildcat colonists-turned-pirates who hacked in, and they were planning to steal our colony supplies because their own were running low. No, wait, it was mutinous crew members who were going to steal our supplies and leave us stranded on the planet. No, wait, it wasn't thieving crew, wildcat pirates or ecoterrorists, it was just some idiot programmer who messed up the code, and now we don't know where we are. No, wait, nothing's wrong, this is just the standard operating procedure. There's not a thing wrong, now stop bothering the crew and let us work, damn it. I want to be clear about something: We knew most of this was crap and nonsense. But what was underneath all the crap and nonsense was just as important: Confusion and unease had spread through the crew of the Magellan, and from them, to us. It moved fast. It told any number of lies – not to lie but to try to make sense of something. Something that happened. Something that shouldn't have happened. Through all of this, nothing from Mom or Dad, or Gretchen's dad, or any of the colony council, all the members of which had suddenly found themselves called into a meeting. The common room, previously deserted after the new world celebrations, began to fill up again. This time people weren't celebrating. They looked confused, and concerned and tense, and some of them were beginning to look angry. â€Å"This isn't going to turn out well,† Gretchen said to me when we reunited. â€Å"How are you doing?† I said. She shrugged. â€Å"Something's happening, that's for sure. Everyone's on edge. It's putting me on edge.† â€Å"Don't go crazy on me,† I said. â€Å"Then there won't be anyone to hold me back when I lose it.† â€Å"Oh, well, for your sake then,† Gretchen said, and rolled her eyes dramatically. â€Å"Well. At least now I'm not having to fight off Magdy.† â€Å"I like how you can see the bright side of any situation,† I said. â€Å"Thanks,† she said. â€Å"How are you?† â€Å"Honestly?† I asked. She nodded. â€Å"Scared as hell.† â€Å"Thank God,† she said. â€Å"It's not only me.† She held up her thumb and finger and marked the tiny space between them. â€Å"For the last half hour I've been this close to peeing myself.† I took a step back. Gretchen laughed. The ship's intercom kicked on. â€Å"This is Captain Zane,† a man's voice said. â€Å"This is a general message for passengers and crew. All crew will assemble in their respective department conference rooms in ten minutes, 2330 ship time. All passengers will assemble in the passenger common area in ten minutes, 2330 ship time. Passengers, this is a mandatory assembly. You will be addressed by your colony leaders.† The intercom went dead. â€Å"Come on,† I said to Gretchen, and pointed to the platform where, earlier in the evening, she and I counted down the seconds until we were at our new world. â€Å"We should get a good place.† â€Å"It's going to get crowded in here,† she said. I pointed to Hickory and Dickory. â€Å"They'll be with us. You know how everyone gives them all the space they want.† Gretchen looked up at the two of them, and I realized that she wasn't terribly fond of them either. Minutes later the council came streaming in from one of the common area side doors and made their way to the platform. Gretchen and I stood in the front, Hickory and Dickory behind us, and at least five feet on every side. Alien bodyguards create their own buffer zone. A whisper in my ear. â€Å"Hey,† Enzo said. I looked over to him and smiled. â€Å"I wondered if you were going to be here,† I said. â€Å"It's an all-colonist meeting,† he said. â€Å"Not here, in general,† I said. â€Å"Here.† â€Å"Oh,† Enzo said. â€Å"I took a chance that your bodyguards wouldn't stab me.† â€Å"I'm glad you did,† I said. I took his hand. On the platform, John Perry, the colony leader, my dad, came forward and picked up the microphone that still lay there from earlier in the evening. His eyes met mine as he reached down to pick it up. Here's the thing to know about my dad. He's smart, he's good at what he does, and almost all the time, his eyes look like he's about to start laughing. He finds most things funny. He makes most things funny. When he looked at me as he picked up the microphone, his eyes were dark, and heavy, and as serious as I had ever seen them. When I saw them I was reminded, no matter how young he looked, how old he really was. For as much as he could make light of things, he was a man who had seen trouble more than once in his life. And he was seeing it again. Now, with us. For all of us. Everyone else would know it as soon as he opened his mouth to tell them, but right then was when I knew – when I saw the truth of our situation. We were lost.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Quotes

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Quotes The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a supernatural tale by Washington Irving. Here are a few famous quotes from the story. Quotes The chief part of the stories, however, turned upon the favorite specter of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman, who had been heard several times of late, patrolling the country; and, it was said, tethered his horse nightly among the graves in the churchyard. I profess not to know how women’s hearts are wooed and won. To me, they have always been matters of riddle and admiration. Some seem to have but one vulnerable point, or door of access; while others have a thousand avenues, and may be captured in a thousand different ways. It is a great triumph of skill to gain the former, but a still greater proof of generalship to maintain possession of the latter, for a man must battle for his fortress at every door and window. He who wins a thousand common hearts is therefore entitled to some renown; but he who keeps undisputed sway over the heart of a coquette, is indeed a hero. On mounting a rising ground, which brought the figure of his fellow-traveller in relief against the sky, gigantic in height, and muffled in a cloak, Ichabod was horror-struck on perceiving that he was headless! – but his horror was still more increased on observing that the head, which should have rested on his shoulders, was carried before him on the pommel of his saddle! It was, as I have said, a fine autumnal day; the sky was clear and serene, and nature wore that rich and golden livery which we always associate with the idea of abundance. The forests had put on their sober brown and yellow, while some trees of the tenderer kind had been nipped by the frosts into brilliant dyes of orange, purple, and scarlet. Local tales and superstitions thrive best in these sheltered, long settled retreats; but are trampled under foot, by the shifting throng that forms the population of most of our country places. Besides, there is no encouragement for ghosts in most of our villages, for they have scarce had time to finish their first nap, and turn themselves in their graves, before their surviving friends have traveled away from the neighborhood, so that when they turn out of a night to walk the rounds, they have no acquaintance left to call upon. This is perhaps the reason why we so seldom hear of ghosts except in our long-established Dutch communities. As the enraptured Ichabod fancied all this, and as he rolled his great green eyes over the fat meadow-lands, the rich fields of wheat, of rye, of buckwheat, and Indian corn, and the orchards burthened with ruddy fruit, which surrounded the warm tenement of Van Tassel, his heart yearned after the damsel who was to inherit these domains, and his imagination expanded with the idea, how they might be readily turned into cash, and the money invested in immense tracts of wild land, and shingle palaces in the wilderness. Nay, his busy fancy already realized his hopes, and presented to him the blooming Katrina, with a whole family of children, mounted on the top of a wagon loaded with household trumpery, with pots and kettles dangling beneath; and he beheld himself bestriding a pacing mare, with a colt at her heels, setting out for Kentucky, Tennessee, or the Lord knows where! Ichabod only lingered behind, according to the custom of country lovers, to have a tete-a-tete with the heiress; fully convinced that he was now on the high road to success. What passed at this interview I will not pretend to say, for in fact, I do not know. Something, however, I fear me, must have gone wrong, for he certainly sallied forth, after no very great interval, with an air quite desolate and chopfallen- Oh these women! these women! Could that girl have been playing off any of her coquettish tricks?- Was her encouragement of the poor pedagogue all a mere sham to secure her conquest of his rival?- Heaven only knows, not I! The mysterious event caused much speculation at the Church on the following Sunday. Knots of gazers and gossips were collected in the churchyard, at the bridge, and at the spot where the hat and pumpkin had been found. The stories of Brouwer, of Bones, and a whole budget of others, were called to mind; and when they had diligently considered them all and compared them with the symptoms of the present case, they shook their heads, and came to the conclusion that Ichabod had been carried off by the galloping Hessian. As he was a bachelor, and in nobody’s debt, nobody troubled his head any more about him, the school was removed to a different quarter of the hollow, and another pedagogue reigned in his stead. This neighborhood, at the time of which I am speaking, was one of those highly favored places which abound with chronicle and great men. The British and American line had run near it during the war- it had, therefore, been the scene of marauding, and been infested with refugees, cowboys, and all kinds of border chivalry. Just sufficient time had elapsed to enable each storyteller to dress up his tale with a little becoming fiction, and in the indistinctness of his recollection, to make himself the hero of every exploit. The schoolmaster is generally a man of some importance in the female circle of a rural neighborhood, being considered a kind of idle gentlemanlike personage, of vastly superior taste and accomplishments to the rough country swains, and, indeed, inferior in learning only to the parson. There was something extremely provoking in this obstinately pacific system; it left Brom no alternative but to draw upon the funds of rustic waggery in his disposition, and to play off boorish practical jokes upon his rival. It was a matter of no little vanity to him, on Sundays, to take his station in front of the church gallery, with a band of chosen singers; where, in his own mind, he completely carried away the palm from the parson. Certain it is, his voice resounded far above all the rest of the congregation; and there are peculiar quavers still to be heard in that church, and which may even be heard half a mile off, quite to the opposite side of the mill-pond, on a still Sunday morning, which are said to be legitimately descended from the nose of Ichabod Crane. Thus, by divers little make-shifts in that ingenious way which is commonly denominated â€Å"by hook and by crook,† the worthy pedagogue got on tolerably enough, and was thought, by all who understood nothing of the labor of headwork, to have a wonderfully easy life of it. The old country wives, however, who are the best judges of these matters, maintain to this day that Ichabod was spirited away by supernatural means; and it is a favorite story often told about the neighborhood round the winter evening fire.

Understanding Toxins in Avocado Seeds

Understanding Toxins in Avocado Seeds Avocados are a great part of a healthy diet, but what about their seeds or pits? They contain a small amount of a natural toxin called persin [(R, 12Z,15Z)-2-Hydroxy-4-oxohenicosa-12,15-dienyl acetate]. Persin is an oil-soluble  compound found in the leaves and bark of the avocado plant as well as the pits. It acts as a natural fungicide. While the amount of persin in an avocado pit isnt enough to harm a human, avocado plants and pits can harm pets and livestock. Cats and dogs may become slightly ill from eating avocado flesh or seeds. Because the pits are so fibrous, they also pose a risk of gastric obstruction. The pits are considered toxic to birds, cattle, horses, rabbits, and goats. Avocado pits also cause problems for people who are allergic to latex. If you cant tolerate bananas or peaches, its best to steer clear of avocado seeds. The seeds contain high levels of tannins, trypsin inhibitors, and polyphenols that act as anti-nutrients, which means they reduce your ability to absorb certain vitamins and minerals. In addition to persin and tannin, avocado seeds also contain small quantities of hydrocyanic acid and cyanogenic glycosides, which can produce toxic  hydrogen cyanide. Other types of seeds containing cyanogenic compounds include apple seeds, cherry pits, and citrus fruit seeds. However, the human body can detoxify small amounts of the compounds, so theres no risk of cyanide poisoning to an adult person from eating a single seed. Persin may cause apoptosis of some types of breast cancer cells, plus it enhances the cytotoxic effects of the cancer drug tamoxifen. However, the compound is soluble in oil rather than water, so further research is needed to see whether an extract of the seed can be made into a useful form. The California Avocado Commission recommends people avoid eating the avocado seed (though of course, they encourage you to enjoy the fruit). While its true there are many healthful compounds in the seeds, including soluble fiber, vitamins E and C, and the mineral phosphorus, the consensus is more research is needed to determine whether the benefits of eating them outweigh the risks. How to Make Avocado Seed Powder If you decide to go ahead and try avocado seeds, one of the most popular ways to prepare them is to make a powder. The powder can be mixed into smoothies or other foods to disguise the bitter flavor, which comes from tannins in the seed. To make avocado seed powder, remove the pit from the fruit, place it on a baking sheet, and cook it in a preheated oven at 250 F for 1.5 to 2 hours. At this point, the skin of the seed will be dry. Peel away the skin and then grind the seed in a spice mill or food processor. The seed is strong and heavy, so this is not a task for a blender. You can grate it by hand, too. How to Make Avocado Seed Water Another way to use avocado seeds is for avocado seed water. To make this, mash 1-2 avocado seeds and soak them in water overnight. The softened seeds can be pureed in a blender. Avocado seed water may be added to coffee or tea or to a smoothie, much like avocado seed powder. References Butt AJ, Roberts CG, Seawright AA, Oelrichs PB, MacLeod JK, Liaw TY, Kavallaris M, Somers-Edgar TJ, Lehrbach GM, Watts CK, Sutherland RL (2006). A novel plant toxin, persin, within vivo activity in the mammary gland, induces Bim-dependent apoptosis in human breast cancer cells. Mol Cancer Ther. 5 (9): 2300–9.Roberts CG, Gurisik E, Biden TJ, Sutherland RL, Butt AJ (October 2007). Synergistic cytotoxicity between tamoxifen and the plant toxin persin in human breast cancer cells is dependent on Bim expression and mediated by modulation of ceramide metabolism. Mol. Cancer Ther. 6 (10).

What is a 'conceptual scheme' Do different people have different ones Essay

What is a 'conceptual scheme' Do different people have different ones If so, can they understand each other - Essay Example The moment that one starts discussing ‘conceptual schemes,’ one knows that one is to be dealing with ‘concepts.’ But what are concepts? Philosophers, since perhaps the time of Ancient Philosophy, have tried to understand what concept is. And one of the more common definitions of the term ‘concept’ is that it is the innate, intrinsic ability of man to formulate ideas inside his mind. It presents the idea that the moment that we try to clarify the term ‘concept’ itself it implies that one is going to look into the deep recesses of man’s thoughts, private thoughts. Because that is what concepts are all about, it is how man appreciates things that he perceives. But then, the problem with this is that it is something internal meaning that whatever maybe presents in one’s thoughts may not necessarily be what it is. Why? For the simple reason that concepts are part of man’s internal world. And as such, under this valua tion of concept, it can thus be considered that concepts do not possess any truth-value at all. It can only be considered as right or wrong the moment that concepts are no longer working within boundaries of one’s mind but is now being given an external representation through the utilization of language. The general use of speech, is to transfer Mentall Discourse into Verbal; or the Trayne our Thoughts, into a Trayneof words; and that for two commodities; whereof one is the Registering of the Consequences of our Thoughts; which being apt to slip out of our memory, and put us to a new labour, may gain be recalled by such words as they were marked by. So the first use of names is to serve for Markes or Notes of remembrance. Another is when many use he same words, to signifie (by their connexion and order,) one to another what conceive, or think of the matter;and also what hey desire, feare, or have any other passion for. And for this use they are called Signes.1 Thus, Hobbes looks at language as