What Type of Nurse Are You

What Type of Nurse Are You There are so many different types of nurses. These include registered nurses, travel nurses, nurse practitioners, and operating room nurses just to name a few. Have you ever wondered what type of nurse you might be if you decide to pursue nursing as a career? Or maybe if you are in the right field of nursing based on your wants? This quiz is perfect to help you decide based on your likes.  Source [ Playbuzz ]

Federal debt Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Federal debt - Research Paper Example all the state loans whether it is incurred for exploiting the natural resources of a country or for meeting or preparing for the war, or any commercial purposes, etc. is termed as Government Debt. (Hansen, 1941) The federal debt is created because the annual deficit of the government when the receipts of the government in a current year falls below the government spending. (Butler) This deficit is the amount that the government has to finance from other sources. The nature of the government debt is such that it is the debt of the people of the country which is why it is also known as the public debt as the government has to repay that debt by the amount it generates from the public in form of taxes. Therefore, it can be said to be the taxpayer’s indirect debt. (Peavler) State can raise loans in different forms. It may obtain loans from people within the country or from other states or by issue of inconvertible paper currency. There is always a limit of borrowing in each case whichever method is adopted by the state. If that limit is crossed, the country is bound to suffer. We discuss below the various forms of state borrowing and also the limit to which the state can borrow. When the state finds it difficult to raise its revenue by taxation then it resorts to borrowing from citizens and financial institutions within the country. That may fall into short term loans or long term loans or both. Now, it depends upon the socio-economic conditions of the country that how much loan the state will obtain. The state can also raise loans from the Central Bank of the country. The Central Bank purchases the government securities, bonds and debentures from the government and advances loans against them. It is that loan which is raised through international money markets, foreign governments and international agencies such as IMF. When state requires wealth, it makes effort to get as much loan as it can from other states. Foreign governments take into account many

Economy of Bahrain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economy of Bahrain - Essay Example Petroleum production and processing are the main exports of Bahrain. The economic conditions of the country have depended on the price of oil. Bahrain's infrastructure is highly developed. Many multinational firms have their head offices in the country. The country also exports petroleum products. The construction industry is also a major source of revenue for the government. Bahrain has a GDP per capita of $20,500 according to research conducted in 2005. It has a purchasing parity of $14.08 billion. Bahrain is a prosperous country by regional standards. It has pursued a neutral foreign policy and is famous for its tolerance. It is the fastest growing economy in the Arab world. It has a large population of international expatriates. Despite an impressive standard of living, Bahrain suffers from poverty and poor living conditions. At least 20,000 families receive financial assistance from Ministry of Labor and private organizations. Recent studies have found that the poverty income threshold is Bahraini Dinar 209 per month. The poverty level for Bahrain is at least a quarter of the total population. At least 200,000 people suffer from poor living conditions. Many people do not have decent housing. More than 30,000 families with low incomes have inadequate housing facilities. The average income has been increasing but the poverty rate has also increased. The The rise in poverty has been attributed to corruption, poor planning, low wages, influx of foreign workers and income inequalities. Further a small group of wealthy and powerful people dominate the economy. These are considered as major obstacles to real reforms. Large areas of land have been taken over by powerful people. This has caused property prices to increase and put tremendous pressure on low income people. Poverty is clearly causing an adverse impact on society. Crime, divorce rate and increase in workers working in poor conditions are direct results of poverty (Moore, 45). Income distribution Compared with other regional countries, Bahrain has a low poverty rate. However most of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of the Sunni minority. The average daily expenditure is US$13.9 per person in Bahrain. This is compared with an average income of 12.8 dollars. The reason is that Bahrain has a negative savings level at the national level. Bahrain's population does not suffer from poverty compared with regional countries. Research has shown that 12 percent of the population has an average income of less than five dollars per person. The expenditure required by a Bahraini to sustain basic expenses is an estimated US$42 per month. Majority of Bahrain's population lives in apartments while the remaining owns their houses. The average Bahraini also has ownership of electronic appliances and amenities which show that the majority of families enjoy an impressive standard of living (National Accountant, 34). Economic growth rate Bahrain's economic growth rate has increased in 2007. It has been bolstered by high oil prices and increase in non oil exports. The financial sector remains the main part of the economy. The government is also addressing issues like unemployment and rising crime. The economy has registered a 7.0% growth in 2007. The growth rate is expected to

Benefits of Distance Learning Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Distance Learning Essay The benefits of distance learning are apparent as distance learning aims at meeting student’s needs. The offered outline is composed according to student’s needs and abilities. The most important factor affecting many future students who are willing to study is financial problems. Therefore firstly they consider financial benefits of any type of learning. Ability to take part-time job along with ability to save money plays an important role in choosing studying course. Students having financial problems also consider benefits in time management and distance learning gives the opportunity to study when it is convenient for a student. Therefore time management benefits have to follow financial ones. Furthermore, effectiveness of studying process is also a matter of concern for future students. Ability to correspond with teachers and other students via e-mail, telephone and chat rooms offers wide range of studying opportunities. Constant access to on-line libraries and data bases affects student’s choice. Students having full-time and part-time jobs would be able to pass exams during their available time. Finally, social benefits take the last place, because considerations about financial and studying benefits are more important in modern society as education is very expensive and one firstly thinks abut the ability to pay for the course and only then about the opportunities to lead social life. References Distance Learning Benefits. (2005). Retrieved October, 27, 2006, from http://www. distance-learning-college-guide. com/distance-learning-benefits. html

William Faulkner’s Barn Burning: Abner Snopes Character Analysis Essay

William Faulkner’s short story â€Å"Barn Burning† describes a typical relationship between wealthy people and poor people during the Civil War. The main character, Abner Snopes, sharecrops to make a living for his family. He despises wealthy people. Out of resentment for wealthy people, he burns their barns to get revenge. Abner’s character over the course of the story is unchanging in that he is cold hearted, lawless, and violent. First, Abner’s unchanging character shows his cold heartedness. After being sentenced to leave the country for burning a man’s barn, he shows no emotions to his family. During the story, there was not a time when he apologized or offered a word of encouragement to them. His tone of voice when talking to them is bitter and bossy, and he never said thank you. Later in the story after they had arrived at their next house, he orders his wife, her sister and his two daughters to unload the wagon. He walks with his son to DeSpain’s house where he entered without given permission, and proceeded to wipe his feet that was covered with horse manure, thus staining the rug. â€Å"Abner moves through life with no regard for his fellow humans and with no respect for their right to material possessions† (731). After being told to clean the rug, Abner took a rock and further ruined it. His coldness is shown when he demands his two daughters to clean the rug in pots of lye and then hanging it to dry. Later in the evening Abner calls his son to get to retur...

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 27

Chapter 27 The angel and I watched Star Wars for the second time on television last night, and I just had to ask. â€Å"You've been in God's presence, right, Raziel?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Do you think he sounds like James Earl Jones?† â€Å"Who's that?† â€Å"Darth Vader.† Raziel listened for a moment while Darth Vader threatened someone. â€Å"Sure, a little. He doesn't breathe that heavy though.† â€Å"And you've seen God's face.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Is he black?† â€Å"I'm not allowed to say.† â€Å"He is, isn't he? If he wasn't you'd just say he wasn't.† â€Å"I'm not allowed to say.† â€Å"He is.† â€Å"He doesn't wear a hat like that,† said Raziel. â€Å"Ah-ha!† â€Å"All I'm saying is no hat. That's all I'm saying.† â€Å"I knew it.† â€Å"I don't want to watch this anymore.† Raziel switched the channel. God (or someone who sounded like him) said, â€Å"This is CNN.† We came up to Jerusalem, in the gate at Bethsaida called the Eye of the Needle, where you had to duck down to pass through, out the Golden Gate, through the Kidron Valley, and over the Mount of Olives into Bethany. We had left the brothers and Matthew behind because they had jobs, and Bartholomew because he stank. His lack of cleanliness had started to draw attention lately from the local Pharisees in Capernaum and we didn't want to push the issue since we were walking into the lair of the enemy. Philip and Nathaniel joined us on our journey, but stayed behind on the Mount of Olives at a clearing called Gethsemane, where there was a small cave and an olive press. Joshua tried to convince me to stay with them, but I insisted. â€Å"I'll be fine,† Joshua said. â€Å"It's not my time. Jakan won't try anything, it's just dinner.† â€Å"I'm not worried about your safety, Josh, I just want to see Maggie.† I did want to see Maggie, but I was worried about Joshua's safety as well. Either way, I wasn't staying behind. Jakan met us at the gate wearing a new white tunic belted with a blue sash. He was stocky, but not as fat as I expected him to be, and almost exactly my height. His beard was black and long, but had been cut straight across about the level of his collarbone. He wore the pointed linen cap worn by many of the Pharisees, so I couldn't tell if he'd lost any of his hair. The fringe that hung down was dark brown, as were his eyes. The most frightening and perhaps the most surprising thing about him was that there was a spark of intelligence in his eyes. That hadn't been there when we were children. Perhaps seventeen years with Maggie had rubbed off on him. â€Å"Come in, fellow Nazarenes. Welcome to my home. There are some friends inside who wanted to meet you.† He led us through the door into a large great room, large enough in fact to fit any two of the houses we shared at Capernaum. The floor was paved in tile with turquoise and red mosaic spirals in the corners of the room (no pictures, of course). There was a long Roman-style table at which five other men, all dressed like Jakan, sat. (In Jewish households the tables were close to the ground and diners reclined on cushions or on the floor around them.) I didn't see Maggie anywhere, but a serving girl brought in large pitchers of water and bowls for us to wash our hands in. â€Å"Let this water stay water, will you, Joshua?† Jakan said, smiling. â€Å"We can't wash in wine.† Jakan introduced us to each of the men, adding some sort of elaborate title to each of their names that I didn't catch, but which indicated, I'm sure, that they were all members of the Sanhedrin as well as the Council of Pharisees. Ambush. They received us curtly, then made their way to the water bowls to wash their hands before dinner, all of them watching as Joshua and I washed and offered prayer. This, after all, was part of the test. We sat. The water pitchers and bowls were taken away by the serving girl, who then brought pitchers of wine. â€Å"So,† said the eldest of the Pharisees, â€Å"I hear you have been casting demons out of the afflicted in Galilee.† â€Å"Yes, we're having a lovely Passover week,† I said. â€Å"And you?† Joshua kicked me under the table. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"By the power of my father I have relieved the suffering of some who were plagued by demons.† When Joshua said â€Å"my father† every one of them squirmed. I noticed movement in one of the doorways to Jakan's back. It was Maggie, making signals and signs like a madwoman, but then Jakan spoke. Attention turned to him and Maggie ducked out of sight. Jakan leaned forward. â€Å"Some have said that you banish these demons by the power of Beelzebub.† â€Å"And how could I do that?† Joshua said, getting a little angry. â€Å"How could I turn Beelzebub against himself? How can I battle Satan with Satan? A house divided can't stand.† â€Å"Boy, I'm starving,† I said. â€Å"Bring on the eats.† â€Å"With the spirit of God I cast out demons, that's how you know the kingdom has come.† They didn't want to hear that. Hell, I didn't want to hear that, not here. If Joshua claimed to bring the kingdom, then he was claiming to be the Messiah, which by their way of thinking could be blasphemy, a crime punishable by death. It was one thing for them to hear it secondhand, it was quite another to have Joshua say it to their faces. But he, as usual, was unafraid. â€Å"Some say John the Baptist is the Messiah,† said Jakan. â€Å"There's nobody better than John,† Joshua said. â€Å"But John doesn't baptize with the Holy Ghost. I do.† They all looked at each other. They had no idea what he was talking about. Joshua had been preaching the Divine Spark – the Holy Ghost – for two years, but it was a new way of looking at God and the kingdom: it was a change. These legalists had worked hard to find their place of power; they weren't interested in change. Food was put on the table and prayers offered again, then we ate in silence for a while. Maggie was in the doorway behind Jakan again, gesturing with one hand walking over the other, mouthing words that I was supposed to understand. I had something I wanted to give her, but I had to see her in private. It was obvious that Jakan had forbidden her to enter the room. â€Å"Your disciples do not wash their hands before they eat!† said one of the Pharisees, a fat man with a scar over his eye. Bart, I thought. â€Å"It's not what goes into a man that defiles him,† Joshua said, â€Å"it's what comes out.† He broke off some of the flatbread and dipped it into a bowl of oil. â€Å"He means lies,† I said. â€Å"I know,† said the old Pharisee. â€Å"You were thinking something disgusting, don't lie.† The Pharisees passed the â€Å"no, your turn, no, it's your turn† look around the room. Joshua chewed his bread slowly, then said, â€Å"Why wash the outside of the urn, if there's decay on the inside?† â€Å"Yeah, like you rotting hypocrites!† I added, with more enthusiasm than was probably called for. â€Å"Quit helping!† Josh said. â€Å"Sorry. Nice wine. Manischewitz?† My shouting evidently stirred them out of their malaise. The old Pharisee said, â€Å"You consort with demons, Joshua of Nazareth. This Levi was seen to cause blood to come from a Pharisee's nose and a knife to break of its own, and no one even saw him move.† Joshua looked at me, then at them, then at me again. â€Å"You forget to tell me something?† â€Å"He was being an emrod, so I popped him.† (â€Å"Emrod† is the biblical term for hemorrhoid.) I heard Maggie's giggling from the other room. Joshua turned back to the creeps. â€Å"Levi who is called Biff has studied the art of the soldier in the East,† Joshua said. â€Å"He can move swiftly, but he is not a demon.† I stood up. â€Å"The invitation was for dinner, not a trial.† â€Å"This is no trial,† said Jakan, calmly. â€Å"We have heard of Joshua's miracles, and we have heard that he breaks the Law. We simply want to ask him by whose authority he does these things. This is dinner, otherwise, why would you be here?† I was wondering that myself, but Joshua answered me by pushing me down in my seat and proceeding to answer their accusations for another two hours, crafting parables and throwing their own piety back in their faces. While Joshua spoke the word of God, I did sleight-of-hand tricks with the bread and the vegetables, just to mess with them. Maggie came to the doorway and signaled me, pointing frantically to the front door and making threatening, head-bashing gestures which I took to be the consequences for my not understanding her this time. â€Å"Well, I've got to go see a man about a camel, if you'll excuse me.† I stepped out the front door. As soon as I closed it behind me I was hit with the spraying girl-spit of a violently whispering woman. â€Å"YoustupidsonofabitchwhatthefuckdidyouthinkIwastryingtosaytoyou?† She punched me in the arm. Hard. â€Å"No kiss?† I whispered. â€Å"Where can I meet you, after?† â€Å"You can't. Here, take this.† I handed her a small leather pouch. â€Å"There's a parchment inside to tell you what to do.† â€Å"I want to see you two.† â€Å"You will. Do what the note says. I have to go back in.† â€Å"You bastard.† Punch in the arm. Hard. I forgot what I was doing and entered the house still rubbing my bruised shoulder. â€Å"Levi, have you injured yourself?† â€Å"No, Jakan, but sometimes I strain a shoulder muscle just shaking this monster off.† The Pharisees hated that one. I realized that they were waiting for me to request water so I could go through the whole hand-washing ritual before I sat down to the table again. I stood there, thinking about it, rubbing my shoulder, waiting. How long could it possibly take to read a note? It seemed like a long time, with them staring at me, but I'm sure it was only a few minutes. Then it came, the scream. Maggie let go from the next room, long and high and loud, a virtuoso scream of terror and panic and madness. I bent over and whispered into Joshua's ear, â€Å"Just follow my lead. No, just don't do anything. Nothing.† â€Å"But – â€Å" The Pharisees all looked like someone had dropped hot coals into their laps as the scream went on, and on. Maggie had great sustain. Before Jakan could get up to investigate, there came my girl – still shrieking, I might add – a lovely green foam running out of her mouth, her dress torn and hanging in shreds on her blood-streaked body and blood running from the corners of her eyes. She screamed in Jakan's face and rolled her eyes, then leapt onto the table and growled as she kicked every piece of crockery off onto the floor where it shattered. The servant girl ran through screaming, â€Å"Demons have taken her, demons have taken her!† then bolted out the front door. Maggie started screeching again, then ran up and down the length of the table, urinating as she went. (Nice touch, I would never have thought of that.) The Pharisees had backed up against the wall, including Jakan, as Maggie fell on her back on the table, thrashing and growling and screaming obscenities while splattering the front of their white cloaks with green foam, urine, and blood. â€Å"Devils! She's been possessed by devils. Lots of them,† I shouted. â€Å"Seven,† Maggie said between growls. â€Å"Looks like seven,† I said. â€Å"Doesn't it, Josh?† I grabbed the back of Joshua's hair and sort of made him nod in agreement. No one was really watching him anyway, as Maggie was now spouting impressive fountains of green foam both out of her mouth and from between her legs. (Again, a nice touch I wouldn't have thought of.) She settled into a vibrating fit rhythm, with barking and obscenities for counterpoint. â€Å"Well, Jakan,† I said politely, â€Å"thank you for dinner. It's been lovely but we have to be going.† I pulled Joshua to his feet by his collar. He was a little perplexed himself. Not terrified like our host, but perplexed. â€Å"Wait,† Jakan said. â€Å"Festering dog penis!† Maggie snarled to no one in particular, but I think everyone knew who she meant. â€Å"Oh, all right, we'll try to help her,† I said. â€Å"Joshua, grab an arm.† I pushed him forward and Maggie grabbed his wrist. I went around to the other side of the table and got hold of her other arm. â€Å"We have to get her out of this house of defilement.† Maggie's fingernails bit into my arm as I lifted her up and she pulled herself along on Josh's wrist, pretending to thrash and fight. I dragged her out the front door and into the courtyard. â€Å"Make an effort, Joshua, would you,† Maggie whispered. Jakan and the Pharisees bunched at the door. â€Å"We need to take her into the wilderness to safely cast out the devils,† I shouted. I dragged her, and Joshua for that matter, into the street and kicked the heavy gate closed. Maggie relaxed and stood up. A mound of green foam cascaded off of her chest. â€Å"Don't relax yet, Maggie. When we're farther away.† â€Å"Pork-eating goat fucker!† â€Å"That's the spirit.† â€Å"Hi, Maggie,† Joshua said, taking her arm and finally helping me drag. â€Å"I think it went really well for short notice,† I said. â€Å"You know, Pharisees make the best witnesses.† â€Å"Let's go to my brother's house,† she whispered. â€Å"We can send word that I'm incurable from there. â€Å"Rat molester!† â€Å"It's okay, Maggie, we're out of range now.† â€Å"I know. I was talking to you. Why'd you take seventeen years to get me out of there?† â€Å"You're beautiful in green, did I ever tell you that?† â€Å"I've got to think that that was unethical,† Joshua said. â€Å"Josh, faking demonic possession is like a mustard seed.† â€Å"How is it like a mustard seed?† â€Å"You don't know, do you? Doesn't seem at all like a mustard seed, does it? Now you see how we all feel when you liken things unto a mustard seed? Huh?† At Simon the Leper's house Joshua went to the door first by himself so Maggie's appearance didn't scare the humus out of her brother and sister. Martha answered the door. â€Å"Shalom, Martha. I'm Joshua bar Joseph, of Nazareth. Remember me from the wedding in Cana? I've brought your sister Maggie.† â€Å"Let me see.† Martha tapped her fingernail on her chin while she searched her memory in the night sky. â€Å"Were you the one who changed the water into wine? Son of God, was it?† â€Å"There's no need to be that way,† Joshua said. I popped my head around Josh's shoulder. â€Å"I gave your sister a powder that sort of foamed her up all red and green. She's a bit nasty-looking right now.† â€Å"I'm sure that becomes her,† said Martha, with an exasperated sigh. â€Å"Come in.† She led us inside. I stood by the door while Joshua sat on the floor by the table. Martha took Maggie to the back of the house to help her clean up. It was a large house by our country standards, but not nearly as big as Jakan's. Still, Simon had done well for the son of a blacksmith. I didn't see Simon anywhere. â€Å"Come sit at the table,† Joshua said. â€Å"Nope, I'm fine by the door here.† â€Å"What's the matter?† â€Å"Do you know whose house this is?† â€Å"Of course, Maggie's brother Simon's.† I lowered my voice. â€Å"imon-Say the eper-Lay.† â€Å"Come sit down. I'll watch over you.† â€Å"Nope. I'm fine here.† Just then Simon came in from the other room carrying a pitcher of wine and a tray of cups in his rag-wrapped hands. White linen covered his face except for his eyes, which were as clear and blue as Maggie's. â€Å"Welcome, Joshua, Levi – it's been a long time.† We'd known Simon as boys, spending as much time as we did hanging around Maggie's father's shop, but he had been older, learning his father's craft then, and far too serious to be associating with boys. In my memory he was strong and tall, but now the leprosy had bent him over like an old woman. Simon set the cups down and poured for the three of us. I remained against the wall by the door. â€Å"Martha doesn't take well to serving,† Simon said, by way of apologizing for doing the serving himself. â€Å"She tells me that you turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana.† â€Å"Simon,† Joshua said, â€Å"I can heal your affliction, if you'll allow me.† â€Å"What affliction?† He lay down at the table across from Joshua. â€Å"Biff, come sit with us.† He patted a cushion next to him and I ducked in the event that fingers started flying. â€Å"I understand that Jakan used my sister as bait for a trap for you two.† â€Å"Not much of a trap,† Joshua said. â€Å"You expected that?† I asked. â€Å"I thought there would be more, the whole Pharisee council perhaps. I wanted to answer them directly, not have my words passed through a dozen spies and rumormongers. I also wanted to see if there would be any Sadducees there.† Just then I realized what Joshua had already figured out: the Sadducees, the priests, weren't involved in Jakan's little surprise inquisition. They had been born to their power, and were not as easily threatened as the working-class Pharisees. And the Sadducees were the more powerful half of the Sanhedrin, the ones who commanded the soldiers of the Temple guard. Without the priests, the Pharisees were vipers without fangs, for now anyway. â€Å"I hope we haven't brought the judgment of the Pharisees down on your head, Simon,† Joshua said. Simon waved a hand in dismissal. â€Å"Not to worry. There'll be no Pharisees coming here. Jakan is terrified of me, and if he really believes that Maggie is possessed, and if his friends believe it, well, I'd bet he's divorced her already.† â€Å"She can come back to Galilee with us,† I said, looking at Joshua, who looked at Simon, as if to ask permission. â€Å"She may do as she wishes.† â€Å"What I wish is to get out of Bethany before Jakan comes to his senses,† Maggie said, coming from the other room. She wore a simple woolen dress and her hair was still dripping. There was still green goo on her sandals. She came across the room, knelt down, and gave her brother a huge hug, then a kiss on the eyebrow. â€Å"If he comes by or sends word, you'll tell him I'm still here.† I sensed Simon was smiling under the veil. â€Å"You don't think he'll want to come in and look around?† â€Å"The coward,† Maggie spat. â€Å"Amen,† I said. â€Å"How did you stay with a creep like that all of these years?† â€Å"After the first year he didn't want to be anywhere near me. Unclean, don't you know? I told him I was bleeding.† â€Å"For all those years?† â€Å"Sure. Do you think he would embarrass himself among the members of the Pharisee council by asking them about their own wives?† Joshua said, â€Å"I can heal you of that affliction, if you'll allow me, Maggie.† â€Å"What affliction?† â€Å"You should go,† Simon said. â€Å"I'll send word about what Jakan has done as soon as I know. If he hasn't done it already, I have a friend who will plant the idea that if he doesn't divorce Maggie his place on the Sanhedrin might be questioned.† Simon and Martha waved to us from the doorway, Martha looking like a compact ghost of her older sister and Simon just looking like a ghost. And thus did we become eleven. There was a full moon and a sky full of stars thrown over us as we walked back to Gethsemane. From the top of the Mount of Olives we could see across the Kidron Valley to the Temple. Black smoke streamed into the sky from the sacrificial fires which the priests tended day and night. I held Maggie's hand as we walked through the grove of ancient olive trees and out into the clearing near the oil press where we camped. Philip and Nathaniel had built a fire and there were two strangers sitting by it with them. They all stood up as we approached. Philip glared at me, which baffled me until I remembered that he'd been with us at Cana, and seen Joshua and Maggie dancing at the wedding. He thought I was trying to steal Joshua's girl. I let her hand go. â€Å"Master,† said Nathaniel, tossing his yellow hair, â€Å"new disciples. These are Thaddeus and Thomas the Twins.† Thaddaeus stepped up to Joshua. He was about my height and age, and wore a tattered woolen tunic and looked especially gaunt, as if he might be starving. His hair was cut short like a Roman's, but it looked as if someone had cut it with a dull piece of flint. Somehow he looked familiar. â€Å"Rabbi, I heard you preach when you were with John. I have been with him for two years.† A follower of John, that's where I knew him from, although I didn't remember meeting him. That explained the hungry look as well. â€Å"Welcome, Thaddaeus,† Joshua said. â€Å"These are Biff and Mary Magdalene, disciples and friends.† â€Å"Call me Maggie,† Maggie said. Joshua stepped over to Thomas the Twins, who was only one guy, younger, perhaps twenty, his beard still like soft down in places, his clothes finer than any of ours. â€Å"And Thomas.† â€Å"Don't, you're standing on Thomas Two,† Thomas squealed. Nathaniel pushed Joshua aside and whispered in his ear a little too loudly. â€Å"He sees his twin but no one else can. You said to show mercy, so I haven't told him that he's mad.† â€Å"And so you shall be shown mercy, Nathaniel,† Joshua said. â€Å"So we won't tell you that you're a ninny,† I added. â€Å"Welcome, Thomas,† Joshua said, embracing the boy. â€Å"And Thomas Two,† Thomas said. â€Å"Forgive me. Welcome, Thomas Two, as well,† said Joshua to a perfectly empty spot in space. â€Å"Come to Galilee and help us spread the good news.† â€Å"He's over there,† said Thomas, pointing to a different spot, equally empty. And thus did we become thirteen. On the trip back to Capernaum Maggie told us about her life, about the dreams she had set aside, and about a child that had died in the first year of her marriage. I could see Joshua was shaken when he heard of the child, and I knew he was thinking that if we hadn't taken off to the East, he would have been there to save it. â€Å"After that,† Maggie said, â€Å"Jakan didn't come near me. There was bleeding right after the baby died, and as far as he knew it never stopped. He's always been afraid that someone might think that there's a curse on his house, so my duties as a wife were public only. It's a double-edged sword for him. In order to appear dutiful I had to go to the synagogue and to the women's court in the Temple, but if they thought I was going there while I was bleeding I would have been driven out, maybe stoned, and Jakan would have been shamed. Who knows what he'll do now.† â€Å"He'll divorce you,† I said. â€Å"He'll have to if he wants to save face with the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin.† Strangely enough, it was Joshua who I had trouble consoling about Maggie's lost child. She'd lived with the loss for years, cried over it, allowed it to heal as much as it would, but the wound was fresh for Joshua. He walked far behind us, shunning the new disciples who pranced around him like excited puppies. I could tell that he was talking to his father, and it didn't seem to be going well. â€Å"Go talk to him,† Maggie said. â€Å"It wasn't his fault. It was God's will.† â€Å"That's why he feels responsible,† I said. We hadn't explained to Maggie about the Holy Ghost, the kingdom, all the changes that Joshua wanted to bring to mankind, and how those were at odds, at times, with the Torah. â€Å"Go talk to him,† she said. I fell back in our column, past Philip and Thaddaeus, who were trying to explain to Nathaniel that it was his own voice he heard when he put his fingers in his ears and spoke, and not the voice of God, and past Thomas, who was having an animated discussion with empty air. I walked along beside Joshua for a while before I spoke, and then I tried to sound matter-of-fact. â€Å"You had to go to the East, Joshua. You know that now.† â€Å"I didn't have to go right then. That was cowardly. Would it have been so bad to watch her marry Jakan? To see her child born?† â€Å"Yes, it would have. You can't save everyone.† â€Å"Have you been asleep these last twenty years?† â€Å"Have you? Unless you can change the past, you're wasting the present on this guilt. If you don't use what you learned in the East then maybe we shouldn't have gone. Maybe leaving Israel was cowardly.† I felt my face go numb as if the blood had drained from it. Had I said that? So, we walked along for a while in silence, not looking at each other. I counted birds, listened to the murmur of the disciples' voices ahead, watched Maggie's ass move under her dress as she walked, not really enjoying the elegance of it. â€Å"Well, I, for one, feel better,† said Joshua finally. â€Å"Thanks for cheering me up.† â€Å"Glad to help,† I said. We arrived in Capernaum on the morning of the fifth day after leaving Bethany. Peter and the others had been preaching the good news to the people on the shore of Galilee and there was a crowd of perhaps five hundred people waiting for us. The tension had passed between Joshua and me and the rest of the journey had been pleasant, if for no other reason than we got to hear Maggie laugh and tease us. My jealousy of Joshua returned, but somehow it wasn't bitter. It was more like familiar grief for a distant loss, not the sword-in-the-heart, rending-of-flesh agony of a heartbreak. I could actually leave the two of them alone and talk to other people – think of other things. Maggie loved Joshua, that was assured, but she loved me as well, and there was no way to divine how that might manifest. By following Joshua we had already divorced ourselves of the expectations of normal existence. Marriage, home, family: they were not part of the life we had chosen, Joshua made that clear to all of his disciples. Yes, some of them were married, and some even preached with their wives at their sides, but what set them apart from the multitudes who would follow Joshua was that they had stepped off the path of their own lives to spread the Word. It was to the Word that I lost Maggie, not to Joshua. As exhausted as he was, as hungry, Joshua preached to them. They had been waiting for us and he wouldn't disappoint them. He climbed into one of Peter's boats, rowed out from the shore far enough for the crowd to be able to see him, and he preached to them about the kingdom for two hours. When he had finished, and had sent the crowd on their way, two newcomers waited among the disciples. They were both compact, strong-looking men in their mid-twenties. One was clean-shaven and wore his hair cut short, so that it formed a helmet of ringlets on his head; the other had long hair with his beard plaited and curled in the style I had seen on some Greeks. Although they wore no jewelry, and their clothes were no more fancy than my own, there was an air of wealth about them both. I thought it might have been power, but if it was, it wasn't the self-conscious power of the Pharisees. If nothing else, they were self-assured. The one with the long hair approached Joshua and kneeled before him. â€Å"Rabbi, we've heard you speak of the coming of the kingdom and we want to join you. We want to help spread the Word.† Joshua looked at the man for a long time, smiling to himself, before he spoke. He took the man by the shoulders and lifted him. â€Å"Stand up. You are welcome, friends.† The stranger seemed baffled. He looked back at his friend, then at me, as if I had some answer to his confusion. â€Å"This is Simon,† he said, nodding toward his friend. â€Å"My name is Judas Iscariot.† â€Å"I know who you are,† Joshua said. â€Å"I've been waiting for you.† And so we became fifteen: Joshua, Maggie, and me; Bartholomew, the Cynic; Peter and Andrew, John and James, the fishermen; Matthew, the tax collector; Nathaniel of Cana, the young nitwit; Philip and Thaddeus, who had been followers of John the Baptist; Thomas the twin, who was a loony; and the Zealots, Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot. Fifteen went out into Galilee to preach the Holy Ghost, the coming of the kingdom, and the good news that the Son of God had arrived.

English, the Official Language in the U. S.

The researcher stated that English is now the official language in the United States. There are documents that discuss the importance of an official language in America, which supports this statement. In this research there are further details about English as the Official Language in the U. S. and how language can unite people in society, it can be universal as a language, and it also shows that it has the tendency be a challenge, for other cultures to learn as a second language. There should be a way for everyone to co-exist and to function as one nation under God in America. Language is the substance for people to communicate with one another and to co-exist freely. It can be quite difficult to communicate with people from other cultures that do not speak the English language, but the founding fathers set an example to blend English speakers with non-English speakers casually. In the Oxford Handbook on Language and Law by Peter Tiersma, stated, the founding fathers were almost all native speakers of English (Tiersma, P. ) European Languages in Early America (pg. 6). But, at that time, they had not yet deemed English as the official language in the United States. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) comments on prior period efforts on English-only laws that reduced the privileges of non-English speakers, which usually made existence intricate for huge groups of non-English speaking populations. One example cited in Dade County, Florida, where, after a 1980 English-only law was passed, Spanish signs on public transportation were removed. Mount, S. (2010). There were many native speakers from many different countries, who came to the U. S. , and even though most of the founding fathers were native speakers of English, during the early American times, there was no need to consider English as the official language. During this day and age, the government, corporate world, media, and the entertaining industry use English as the customary language for communication. This does not exclude other cultures from using their native languages, but if the y want to communicate with society, they may need to learn English as a second language that they may be able to cope. According to research the U. S. English tongue is a nationalized, independent, non-profit populace assembly, whose assignment is to safeguard the role of the English verbal communication in the United States and erect it to be the representative dialect of the administration, consequently encouraging immigrants to study English (U. S. English). There was a large number of immigrates that came to this country within a ten year span, who spoke the Spanish language and millions came from Asia and Central America. There have been several attempts to make English the official language, although none of the bills were passed in Congress. Recipients of Official English policies, as they are limited and to the point, dispute that English have been the prevailing speech for the superior element of this century and ought to be made the official language in array to make things easier for government processes. In other language contact research, Bond et al. (2006) demonstrated the influence of Russian on Latvian vowels, and Guion (2003) the interaction of Quichua and Spanish on the vowels of bilinguals. In some research on vowels, Bullock and her social group discovered that French spoken in Frenchville, PA, most of the vowels reviewed proved a continuous course of action of meeting through the English vowel structure (Bullock, Dalola, & Gerfen, 2006; Bullock & Gerfen, 2004a, 2004b, 2005. Also see Hualde, 2004 for a response to Bullock & Gerfen). Sometimes it may be a challenge for other cultures to learn English as a second language. Recently English became the official language in the United States. Twenty-seven states have enacted laws proclaiming English their official language,† (Macmillan, C. Michael, Tatalovich, Raymond), American Review of Canadian Studies, 02722011, Summer2003, Vol. 33, Issue 2. For other states such as California and Georgia, Official English statutes that are more restrictive, i. e. , mandating that all state employees conduct official business solely in English as well as doing away with bilingual state forms is being considered (Torres 1996. ) Eng lish-only proposers like U. S. English oppose that English-only laws commonly have exceptions for community safety and health requirements. They note that the English-only laws aid the government in saving money by allowing publication of certified papers in one language, saving money by not having to translate and on printing costs, and that English-only laws support the education of the English language by non-English speakers. One example is of Canada, who has two official languages, which is English and French. The government of Canadian has addressed this issue, documenting in 1996 – 1997; there was a sum of 260 million Canadian dollars that was spent on bilingual services. According to U. S. English, the so named states currently have authorized language laws in their books: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. A few of them date back as many as a few decades, i. e. , Louisiana (1811) and Nebraska (1920), though most official verbal communication statutes were approved since the 1970's. The most recent attempts to endorse English as the administrative language has become more of the immigration from Spanish-speakers and people from the East (such as China and Vietnam) has brought an flood of foreigners to the U. S. According to the 1990 Census, 13. 8 percent of U. S. people speak some language other than the English language at home. There is a 2. 9 percent, or 6. 7 million of the people that did not speak any English what so ever, or they just could not speak it all that well. The ACLU, who is affiliated with and are in a group has opposed to establishing a nationwide authorized tongue, published a paper about reasons that such a shift ought to be challenged. It starts by acknowledging the exertion by John Adams, in the year of 1780, to institute an administrative academy that would be devoted to English, a move that was cast off at that time as undemocratic. The ACLU notes prior attempts on the English-only laws that limited the rights of non-English communicators or which in general made life complicated for a large group of non-English talking populations. This example is cited in Dade County, Florida, in a place that after a 1980 law was passed for English-only, Spanish signs on public transportation were removed Mount, S. (2010). It is the belief of the ACLU that the law for English-only has the ability to violate the protection of the U. S. Constitution of its due process (more so in courts where the service for translation would not be offered) also equality in protection (for example, where the English-only ballots would be utilized instead of the bilingual ones, when they were made available in the past). In conclusion, it has been determined that English is the official language of the United States. English has been valuable for the government to make it easier to communicate the processes to the people. The research shows that making English the official language has been very beneficial to the government. It helped the government by the English-only laws that did aid the government in saving money by allowing publication of certified documents in one tongue. It saved money by not having to translate and it saved money on the printing costs. Also, the English-only laws support the education of the English language by non-English speakers who in turn finance education through learning English. Though in the early American days, it was a challenge to pass the law to make English the official language, it stood the test of time and has proven to be the language that America would choose to be its representative as the language for the United States. All may not agree that it is necessary for English to be the official language in the U. S. because of the great numbers of non-English speakers that has immigrated here. Nevertheless, it has been decided, that America has an official language that will aid the government in many ways, and English has been established to do America that honor in aiding the government and the communities. References American Psychological Association (http://www. apa. org/) Czubaj, C. (1995). English as a second language–are educators doing a disservice to students? Education, 116(1), 109. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Greenhouse, L. (1996). Supreme Court to Review Law Making State Employees Speak English. New York Times News Service. Available: http://www. latino. com/news/0325sup. html Hellegaard, J. (1996). Official-English Laws Boost Discrimination, Says UF Law Professor. Macmillan, C. , & Tatalovich, R. (2003). Judicial Activism vs. Restraint: The Role of the Highest Courts if Official Language Policy in Canada and the United States. American Review of Canadian Studies, 33(2), 239. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Major, R.. (2010). First language attrition in foreign accent perception. The International Journal of Bilingualism, 14(2), 163-183,275. Retrieved March 7, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID: 2072928711). Mount, S. (2010). Constitutional topic: due process. Retrieved February 23, 2011 from http://www. usconstitution. net/consttop_duep. html â€Å"The Constitution of the United States,† Article 1, Section 8, Clause 5. â€Å"The Constitution of the United States,† Amendment 5. http://www. us-english. org/