Women and the Public Sphere in the Age of the French Revolution by Essay - 1

Women and the Public Sphere in the Age of the French Revolution by Joan Landes - Essay Example She based her arguments on the fact that women were not excluded incidentally but rather central to an incarnation of the public sphere since their participation in politics broke up once they demanded rights as citizens of the new republic. The female image in this context constructs a specific sort of national identity. In her book, Landes was concerned with France and its revolution, which was regarded as an advancement period for men, doing no good to women. During this age, the republican ideology of universal and equal citizenship created a danger to patriarchal supremacy; a sharper division of gender and forceful gendering of split spheres neutralized this threat. During the ancient regime, aristocratic salonnieres and women of the court influenced politics and could participate in public debates. In contrast to the new republic, women were barred from the bourgeois civic sphere and their voices prohibited. They were perceived to be irrational, motivated by personal emotions, and specific preferences practiced through bedroom or backstairs influence, would distort the public sphere expected to be neutral and concerned with the common good. Private sphere acted as the dominion of particularism, feminine, and emotion, while the public sphere was characterized by universality, masculinity, and reason. Moreover, republican dialogue downgraded females’ local sphere such that, duty to the state was prioritized than family loyalty. Landes gave an example of Wollstonecraft, a radical woman who failed to challenge these ideologies; she approved a masculine public sphere conception and offered women a chance to enter it, particularly through assuming masculine features. Her aim was to enlighten men to take an initiative in allowing women to participate in politics as she noted that women could not speak as citizens devoid of their womanhood. The arguments in this book has contributed

Gene Silencing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gene Silencing - Essay Example In this research, review of literature pertaining to gene silencing and development of cancer was conducted. The articles were retrieved from PUBMED using suitable terms. Qualitative analysis of the results proved that gene silencing plays a significant role on the development of various cancers. It can thus be concluded that gene silencing through alteration of certain components of tumor suppression genes is one of the means of development of cancers and further research in this aspect may provide information for early detection and novel management of cancers. The soaring rates of cancer has made experts extend their research to ascertain various changes in DNA of certain genes. This is with an intention to know the various mechanisms of evolution of each type of tumor. Understanding of the development of tumor helps in the radical detection of cancer. Recent reports have suggested the importance of both genetic and epigenetic events in the evolution of cancer1. Extensive research has led to the discovery of gene silencing and its role in cancer progression. Various screening methods for cancer with respect to genetic alterations, which are available as of now are not universal tumor markers and thus early detection becomes difficult2. Research has shown that certain alterations like hypermethylation of certain parts of the gene the gene promoters, cause silencing of tumor suppression and this mechanism can be used for universal screening . Currently, further research is in progress to use gene silencing as a molecular marker for early de tection of cancer. Gene silencing is one of the mechanisms of gene regulation during which the expression of gene is either interrupted or suppressed at transcriptional or translational levels. For the past 30 years, researchers have been working on manual methods of gene silencing as a mode of treatment for some diseases. Current research has identified the role of gene silencing in the development of certain

History (Fifteen Year War in Asia) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History (Fifteen Year War in Asia) - Essay Example This essay will address the responses of African Americans and Japanese Americans before and during the World War II. Many influential African descendants began admiring Japan after Japan’s defeat of Russia. W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey and Harry Dean all wrote and spoke about their high regard for the Japanese. These men considered Japanese to be a people of color. For a people of color to vanquish a country ruled by a white monarchy gave African Americans hope. If Japan could triumph over Russia, why could Japan not defeat America? Marcus Garvey believed the wind of change had started blowing. His organization the Universal Negro Improvement Association began supporting pro-Japanese causes in American and Britain. The African descendents and African Americans did not only admire the Japanese for their victory in the Russo-Japan war. The Japanese were admired for their acceptance of people of color. Many Japanese speakers in America at that time brought an African American wife or mistress to address the African Americans. In a time of Jim Crow laws to have a Japanese man affiliate himself with African Americans proved that Japan could provide a more racially equal environment than America. The thought of a society with little or no racial tension appealed to African Americans. To boost the pro-Japanese stance, Elijah Muhammad, a Nation of Islam leader, Marcus Garvey and Harry Dean, Paul Cuffe’s grandson, put forth the theory that Africans and Japanese were related by blood. A theory was put forth that Africans and Japanese were related by blood. Harry Dean, a sailor by profession, brought a tale back from Africa. This tale, the Teo Saga, claimed a chief, more Japanese than Africa, told how South Africa, Madagascar, Sumatra, Java, Korea and Japan once were connected by land. After the great flood these places were separated by water. Elijah Muhammad pointed out the

Cadbury Dairy Essay Example for Free

Cadbury Dairy Essay Cadbury Dairy milk is in the mature stage of the product life cycle, the reason being is that it is a well-established product since 1905. The maturity point is generally reached when about half the potential users have adopted the product. Since Cadbury Dairy Milk is Australia’s favourite chocolate, it is safe to say that there is already consumer trust and loyalty to the brand. However customers still need continued satisfaction and loyalty, built on lower cost, differentiation or customer service. Seeing that Cadbury chocolate is considered a common brand name in households all over Australia, there is nothing within the external environment that should be modified and it will remain in a strong steady position in the confectionery industry. Product: In order to continue generating sales, Cadbury took into consideration one of the threats that the confectionery industry is facing today. Consumers are becoming more health conscious; therefore Cadbury will support and promote physical activity by giving away mountain bikes to 100 lucky winners around Australia! The promotion will only feature in the Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate block range: including the Fruit and Nut, Hazelnut etc†¦ Featured on the wrapping will be, â€Å"WIN A MOUNTAIN BIKE† with a picture of the bike that will be won. Price: The pricing of Dairy Milk Chocolate will also maintain the same pricing strategies to remain competitive with its competitors Nestle and Mars. Place: The distribution of Cadbury Dairy Milk should be at its maximum capacity, remaining readily available in supermarkets, convenience stores, seven elevens and kiosks. Promotion: Cadbury should continue to generate promotions to remind and encourage consumers to purchase Dairy milk chocolate. In order to maintain the sales of Dairy Milk, sales promotion should be implemented to generate growth. This is done by creating advertisements on Television and in-store promotional posters to display the promotion that is running. The television and in-store promotion is to inform consumers of the promotion that is currently running. The sales promotion will be â€Å"WIN A MOUNTAIN BIKE† This promotion is for the Cadbury Dairy Milk block chocolate range. Every consumer that purchases a block range from Cadbury’s will have the opportunity to enter the competition by text via SMS a code that is given inside the wrapper. f. ) Marketing Action Plans: A key objective is to hold current customers and to maintain and increase the retail and brand market share to make sure that the Cadbury brand and products remain one of the top selling confectionery brands in Australia. Since Cadbury Dairy Milk is in the top five selling chocolates list, there will be no need for any tremendous change. A good way to promote The other Cadbury block chocolate range such as Fruit and nut and Hazelnut†¦etc will also have his competition. Price: Cadbury’s human resources department will need to find a place that will provide us with the mountain bikes. The costing of the bikes and the overall promotions will need to be considered, as Cadbury does not want to spend so much on promotions, when Cadbury Dairy Milk is not declining any time soon. Promotion: Pictures of this new competition will need to be put in magazines such as: Women’s day, News Idea, newspapers†¦. etc†¦designers will be needed to create the advertisements for this promotion. However, to promote Cadbury Dairy Milk’s new competition, television is the key to ensure that viewers all around Australia will know about the â€Å"WIN A MOUNTAIN BIKE† promotion. As television is the main and preferred type of advertising, it is certain that consumers will know about the competition faster. And in addition to that, the Cadbury chocolate commercials will still be showing, to heighten promotions. It is best to air the promotion on television between 4:00 pm – 9:00pm, since that is the time when consumers are most likely to be at home. Place: The exposure of Cadbury Dairy Milk promotion will need to be more publicized in convenience stores and kiosks in the form of a poster. g. ) Management of the marketing effort and the marketing function: In order to make sure that they marketing effort and function works accordingly a few steps have to be taken in regards to the management of the planning. The three step process that will have to be put in place will be based around †¢Marketing Implementation –The process of putting marketing strategies into action †¢Intended Strategy The strategy that the company decides on during the planning phase †¢Realized Strategy – The strategy that actually takes place Cadbury must be able to respond and adapt to its internal marketing department. Coordinating internal exchanges between the firm and its employees to achieve successful external exchanges between the firm and its customers is very important as it allows for a gauge or a measure to be received as a result of acceptance and understanding. In regards to the marketing activities it all starts within the Cadbury management team. The ability to motivate marketing personnel plays a large part in the initial process to get the promotional idea off the ground, once the team is able to have a grip of the idea that tackles the current health issue and that a bike will be awarded as a prize and health product then extreme communication within the marketing unit will be essential. Openness and responsiveness from other marketing departments will be just as important to make sure that the management and strategy travels across all channels. This will be indispensable to the organizing and coordinating of marketing activities which then lead to a schedule for implementation. The marketing control process consists of three steps; Establishment of control standards, Evaluation of actual performance relative to established standards and corrective action if necessary. A few key guidelines that will help Cadbury in controlling marketing activities: Within the Marketing Control Process †¢Establishing performance standards and trying to match actual performance to those standards Establishing Performance Standards Expected levels of performance †¢Taking Corrective Action oImprove actual performance oReduce or change the performance standards oDo both †¢Problems in Controlling Marketing Activities oLack of the information required to control activities oUncontrollable influence of market environment changes on marketing activities oTime lag that occurs between marketing campaigns and their results delays corrective actions A few problems can also occur in the controlling of marketing activities, however the ability to act on these problems will only make the campaign more successful and responsive.

Measuring Skin Blood Flow and Vascular Permeability

Measuring Skin Blood Flow and Vascular Permeability The aim of this experiment is to compare the dose-related inflammatory response demonstrated by the skin following injection of histamine and bradykinin two inflammatory mediators. Methods used will demonstrate a non-invasive, quantitative way to measure blood flow and vascular permeability in the skin. INTRODUCTION The acute inflammatory reaction occurs to protect the body in response to a pathogen or other noxious substance. There are two components: adaptive immunological response (which is described as a more specific immune response) and the innate response which occurs immediately upon infection and consists of both vascular and cellular effects (Rang and Dale, 2007). The innate response will be studied in this experiment, specifically in the skin. Bradykinin and histamine are inflammatory mediators involved in the innate response and will be studied at different doses. The results can be used to provide a potential target for therapeutic use: further experimentation would allow the addition of inflammatory mediator antagonists to potentially reduce the four cardinal signs of inflammation: pain, heat, redness and swelling. The local oedema and vasodilation give rise to the wheal and flare. The reddening represents vasodilation of small arterioles, and the increased permeability of the post capillary venules is represented by the wheal. The flare occurs due to stimulation of sensory nerves causing release of vasodilators. This is known as the triple response. It will be the wheal and flare that will be measured and used to describe the action of the two inflammatory mediators. METHODS The methods used were in-vivo; the doses of inflammatory mediators (and saline control) were injected into 10 volunteers. It was confirmed there were no known allergies to either bradykinin or histamine and all correct health and safety procedures were followed. Each of the 10 subjects were injected first with 25ÃŽ ¼L of saline solution, used as a control to show there was nothing in the saline (that the inflammatory mediators were diluted with) causing an inflammatory response. This was followed by doses of 10, 30, and 100ÃŽ ¼M histamine for 5 subjects and the same doses of bradykinin for the other 5 was added, all at 30 second intervals. These were administered using a sterilised syringe which contained the correct concentration. The doses were injected into forearm intradermally and care was taken to ensure the complete volume of 25ÃŽ ¼L was taken up by the skin. Each successive administration was slightly further up the arm giving space for each of the four doses and to try and prevent the flares from overlapping. At periods of 2, 5, 10 and 15mins a clear sheet of acetate was placed over the centre of injection and the wheal and flare were circled using a non-wipe pen and repeated for each respective dose. This provided the area of the wheal and flare at each of the given concentrations at each of the given periods of time following injection, for each respective inflammatory mediator. The flare was cut from the acetate and weighed accurately to 4 decimal places. Subsequently, the wheal was cut from the centre of the flare and was also weighed. This process was repeated for each of the doses of inflammatory mediator (bradykinin and histamine) and for the saline control also. A 2cm2 square was ruled onto the acetate which was also cut out and weighed. This provided a conversion between weight and area, allowing the area of the wheal and flares to be calculated (credit to Dr. Dean Willis).This data was tabulated and can be found in the appendix and illustrated in the results. The data was checked for any anomalous values that could be defined as incorrect based upon logical criteria. Group 1 for the histamine set had flare sizes of 0cm2 however, had wheal sizes greater than this. Therefore this data was removed to all analysis as it is clearly incorrect. The data was then averaged for each of the 5 subjects for both histamine and bradykinin. There were two independent variables: time and concentration; and two dependant variables: wheal and flare areas. The independent variables were illustrated on separate graphs and the wheal and flare sizes were imposed on the same. To produce graphs to illustrate the change in area with concentration, first the largest average value recorded for each concentration was selected and tabulated. This allows comparison not only between different concentrations of the same mediator, but also between bradykinin and histamine. This also means time was irrelevant because it did not matter at which time recording the values were selected The increase in wheal or flare size due to inflammatory mediator was calculated (i.e. the difference between the wheal or flare recorded and saline). This increase in wheal or flare was plotted against the respective concentration and the concentration was plotted in log scale to illustrate a dose-response curve. To illustrate the change in area with respect to time, firstly, the data was scanned to select a concentration at which the change in wheal and flare was best illustrated. This concentration was taken to be 100ÃŽ ¼M (for both mediators to ensure continuity and to allow comparison). The Average wheal and flare size was then plotted against time for both bradykinin and histamine. RESULTS Removed data: (see appendix) Group 1 of the histamine section has a flare size of 0.000 recorded with a wheel size of greater than this. This is likely to be a systematic error in not realising the flare is indeed underneath the wheel and not visible, in this case the flare is the same area of the wheel. However this is just speculation, and in order to ensure all data used is correct saline recordings for each time interval both wheel and flare areas for group 1(histamine) were removed from analysis. The wheal size only increased slowly with increased concentration of bradykinin to a maximum of 0.414 at 100ÃŽ ¼M. The value at 10ÃŽ ¼M was actually lower than that for saline. This is not a significant decrease however as it was taken as a decrease of 0.04cm2, which is a small area and the limitations of the experiment are likely to be the cause. The flare size, however, increased more with increasing concentration. The size of the flare is likely to represent a dose-response curve with a classic sigmoid shape if the concentration of bradykinin were to be increased further. However, due to the nature of the experiment this would not be practical as a much large concentration of inflammatory mediator could be dangerous for the subject. It is also shown that the maximum flare area at 100ÃŽ ¼M was recorded at 10mins. It can therefore be deduced that it was relatively slow acting; however it cannot be determined whether the maximum value was indeed at 10mins recorded as 7.808cm2. Equally the flare area could have rose to a maximum between 5-10mins and decreased, or rose to a maximum after 10mins and reduced to that recorded at 15mins. It can be shown that at the lowest concentration (10ÃŽ ¼M) of histamine that there is only a small difference of 1.194cm2 between the maximum flare-area recorded by bradykinin. It can therefore be deduced that histamine caused a larger flare than bradykinin at the same concentrations. Ahe general trend is similar to that of bradykinin: small increase in wheal area, large increase in flare area. The maximum wheal area was only 0.03m2 larger than that recorded by bradykinin. Again, the wheal area had very little variation with time: increase of 0.2cm2. The flare area was at a maximum recording of 18.625cm2 after just 2mins. Therefore, it is likely to have been at the maximum area before 2mins. This shows that histamine is faster acting than the bradykinin. There is a relatively linear decrease with time to a minimum value of 9.120cm2 recorded at 15mins. The flare area did of course continue to decrease after the 15minute period until there was no apparent inflammation, likewise for bradykinin. DISCUSSION As mentioned previously, the innate inflammatory response consists of both vascular and cellular effects. Vascular events begin by dilation of post capillary venules, causing an increased blood flow. Vasodilation is caused by the action of histamine (and other inflammatory mediators), leading to increased local blood flow and an increased vascular permeability causing a local oedema. The fluid contains the components a proteolytic enzyme cascades producing bradykinin. Bradykinin is also an inflammatory mediator causing further vasodilation and vascular permeability leading to local redness and oedema respectively. This gives rise to the cardinal signs of inflammation: redness, swelling, heat and pain (also loss of function). The sensation of heat and pain ascend through sensory neurones via the spinothalamic tract. Upon the presence of a pathogen, pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) are recognised on the surface of bacteria and causing the release of cytokines from macrophages. Cytokines are small polypeptides involved in cell-signalling and orchestrate inflammation. This allows expression of adhesion molecules in the endothelial cells. Phagocytes then adhere to the endothelium and migrate towards the bacteria where phagocytosis takes place. In addition, exudation of fluid occurs in response to an increased vascular permeability due to a combination of cytokine and inflammatory mediator action (as well as increased vasodilation in response to inflammatory mediators). The fluid allows four enzyme cascades to occur producing inflammatory further inflammatory mediators by proteolytic cleavage from their native (inactive) state. One of these cascades gives rise to bradykinin (Pocock and Richards, 2006). Histamine is released in response to products of other enzyme cascade pathways such as C3a and c5a which make up part of the complement system. C3a and C5a bind with receptors on the surface of mast cells, causing a rise in intracellular calcium leading to exocytosis of histamine. Simple injection of bradykinin or histamine mimics these pathways. Bradykinin is a vasodilator and also increases vascular permeability leading to a local swelling. This is consistent with the findings in this experiment. After Intradermal injection of bradykinin, the typical triple-response was apparent; there was a wheel and flare as described by Sir Thomas Lewis. Breakdown is by kininases and it is likely to have cleaved bradykinin at a relatively fast rate due to the short lasting effect at 100ÃŽ ¼M where the flare area began to decrease after just 10mins. Histamine has a similar action to bradykinin but found to act faster and also found to be more potent at each concentration tested. The flare area was at a maximum after just 2 minutes. Histamine acts on H1 receptors to dilate blood vessels, therefore it is likely there is a high expression of H1 receptors at the skin surface, or histamine has a great affinity for its receptor. It is likely to be a combination of both, however to confirm these ideas, experiments could be conducted on other tissue perhaps on organ tissue in-vitro using an animal model. This response is characteristic of the acute inflammatory pathway; however, more recent studies suggest that histamine has a role in chronic inflammation involved in the immune response (Jutel et al., 2009). There is regulation of T-cells (which make up part of the immune response) by H1 and H2 receptors. There is a 4th histamine receptor, H4 and further evidence for the role of histamine in chronic pathways comes from expression of H4 receptors on immune cells (Jutel et al., 2009). It is apparent from figures 1 and 3 that an increase in either inflammatory mediator resulted in an increase in wheel area. As previously described, this is due to release of vasodilators from sensory nerves in response to stimulation. So it can be deduced that a larger concentration of bradykinin or histamine indicates a larger infection and therefore the cascade process is accentuated. The wheal area stays relatively constant in both cases, this could be due to no addition action of inflammatory mediators on the vascular permeability, or indeed there is already a full effect i.e. the post capillary venules are a permeable as possible. However another hypothesis could be that additional permeability would only lead to a further decreased extracellular solute concentration which would simply be reabsorbed by osmosis. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS Strengths of the experiment were in that humans were used and methods were in-vivo. Therefore there is no reliance on animal models to use as a comparison. All subjects were of a similar age and gender was at random, hence, generally similar responses were found between each group. Limitations were found to be in injecting the inflammatory mediator intradermally. There was a tendency for not all of the solution to actually enter the skin, thus decreasing the number of moles of inflammatory mediator. This however did not seem to effect the results too greatly as 5 repeat groups would allow for some small error. It is still clear from the experiment that the aims were met and the mediators compared. Furthermore, measurement of the area was not particularly accurate. Firstly it was hard to judge the size of the wheel and flare and there was a tendency for the flares to overlap and was often left down to judgment of where to define the boundary. There were a few further cases where the w heel size exceed that of the flare (in addition the case described in the results) however these were only small differences and could easily have been to variations in the measurement of the weight. If the wheal and flare were the same size, the acetate could have been weighed twice and hence the small difference. This would not have affected the outcome of the experiment however so the data was accepted. Better methods of measurement of wheel and flare area would be to use an imaging technique and record the change in areas digitally. This would allow for calculation of the change in rate of area with respect to time (via differential equations) which would give a good indication as to the potency and allow for a more in-depth comparison.

Charles Dickens Essay -- GCSE English Literature Coursework

Charles Dickens is the most widely read Victorian writer. The Victorian era, 1837-1901, was an era of new social developments that caused many of the writers of the period to take positions on the new developments in society. Dickens petitioned that social consciousness would overcome social misery. He often wrote in satire of the society around him, a smug and genius approach to the social injustices that he witnessed, making it widely available to the general public, educating them of the abuses that plagued the Victorian age. Dickens’ popularity as a writer gave some importance to his written attacks on the abuses of courts and schools, whose objects were not the education of children or the justice of citizens, but the fortification of the proprietors. Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England in 1812 to John and Elizabeth Dickens. (http://www.helsinki.fi/kasv/nokol/dickens.html) He was the second of eight children and he was raised on the assumption that he would receive an education if he worked hard. Charles Dickens’ father, John, on whom Mr. Micawber in David Copperfield is based, fell into deep financial debt and was arrested and imprisoned. Due to his families financial crisis, Dickens went to work at Warren’s Blacking Factory labeling bottles, but after his father’s debts were paid, he continued his education at Wellington House Academy from 1824 to 1826. After his education was complete, he became a court reporter for various newspaper sources until he devoted his time to writing. Dickens’ first published work appeared in December of 1833 in the Monthly Magazine, followed by nine other works. These writings were collected into two volumes Turner2 and published in 1836. The time spent as a reporter made Dickens familiar with the middle and lower classes of London and his familiarity is displayed in the two volume set of his early works. These volumes also reveal his humor and concern for the less fortunate classes and his desires for social justice, two popular themes that often dominate his novels. Dickens wed Catherine Hogarth and they had ten children before their separation in 1858. Regardless of his wedding vows to Catherine, he was always secretly in love with her younger sister Mary, who lived with the Dickens’ shortly after the honeymoon. Wh... ... It is safe to assume that most of Charles Dickens life shaped the lives of the characters in his novels. Dickens was able to draw from his own experiences and project them into his literary works. Dickens possessed excellent observation, greater than that of any writer at the time and he was able to put his observations into the public eye and cause attention to be drawn to them. He was mostly a political writer, writing about society and how he and his characters fit into it. Charles Dickens is regarded by many to be the greatest writer in the English language. The epitaph on his tombstone in Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey reads: "He was a sympathizer to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world". And it is my belief that the inscription on his headstone sums up why Charles Dickens is significant to literature. He causes his readers to think, and to have cathartic experiences through his char acters to reach a deeper layer of themselves. He encourages us to stand up against social injustice, to remain optimistic and self sacrificing and to never forget those less fortunate than ourselves.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 3

Chapter 3 The angel will tell me nothing of what happened to my friends, of the twelve, of Maggie. All he'll say is that they are dead and that I have to write my own version of the story. Oh, he'll tell me useless angel stories – of how Gabriel disappeared once for sixty years and they found him on earth hiding in the body of a man named Miles Davis, or how Raphael snuck out of heaven to visit Satan and returned with something called a cell phone. (Evidently everyone has them in hell now.) He watches the television and when they show an earthquake or a tornado he'll say, â€Å"I destroyed a city with one of those once. Mine was better.† I am awash in useless angel prattle, but about my own time I know nothing but what I saw. And when the television makes mention of Joshua, calling him by his Greek name, Raziel changes the channel before I can learn anything. He never sleeps. He just watches me, watches the television, and eats. He never leaves the room. Today, while searching for extra towels, I opened one of the drawers and there, beneath a plastic bag meant for laundry, I found a book: Holy Bible, it said on the cover. Thank the Lord I did not take the book from the drawer, but opened it with my back to the angel. There are chapters there that were in no Bible I know. I saw the names of Matthew and John, I saw Romans and Galatians – this is a book of my time. â€Å"What are you doing?† the angel asked. I covered the Bible and closed the drawer. â€Å"Looking for towels. I need to bathe.† â€Å"You bathed yesterday.† â€Å"Cleanliness is important to my people.† â€Å"I know that. What, you think I don't know that?† â€Å"You're not exactly the brightest halo in the bunch.† â€Å"Then bathe. And stand away from the television.† â€Å"Why don't you go get me some towels?† â€Å"I'll call down to the desk.† And he did. If I am to get a look at that book, I must get the angel to leave the room. It came to pass that in the village of Japhia, the sister village of Nazareth, that Esther, the mother of one of the priests of the Temple, died of bad air. The Levite priests, or Sadducees, were rich from the tributes we paid to the Temple, and mourners were hired from all the surrounding villages. The families of Nazareth made the journey to the next hill for the funeral, and for the first time, Joshua and I were able to spend time with Maggie as we walked along the road. â€Å"So,† she said without looking at us, â€Å"have you two been playing with any snakes lately?† â€Å"We've been waiting for the lion to lay down with the lamb,† Joshua said. â€Å"That's the next part of the prophecy.† â€Å"What prophecy?† â€Å"Never mind,† I said. â€Å"Snakes are for boys. We are almost men. We will begin work after the Feast of Tabernacles. In Sepphoris.† I was trying to sound worldly. Maggie seemed unimpressed. â€Å"And you will learn to be a carpenter?† she asked Joshua. â€Å"I will do the work of my father, eventually, yes.† â€Å"And you?† she asked me. â€Å"I'm thinking of being a professional mourner. How hard can it be? Tear at your hair, sing a dirge or two, take the rest of the week off.† â€Å"His father is a stonemason,† Joshua said. â€Å"We may both learn that skill.† At my urging, my father had offered to take Joshua on as an apprentice if Joseph approved. â€Å"Or a shepherd,† I added quickly. â€Å"Being a shepherd seems easy. I went with Kaliel last week to tend his flock. The Law says that two must go with the flock to keep an abomination from happening. I can spot an abomination from fifty paces.† Maggie smiled. â€Å"And did you prevent any abominations?† â€Å"Oh yes, I kept all of the abominations at bay while Kaliel played with his favorite sheep behind the bushes.† â€Å"Biff,† Joshua said gravely, â€Å"that was the abomination you were supposed to prevent.† â€Å"It was?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Whoops. Oh well, I think I would make an excellent mourner. Do you know the words to any dirges, Maggie? I'm going to need to learn some dirges.† â€Å"I think that when I grow up,† Maggie announced, â€Å"I shall go back to Magdala and become a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee.† I laughed, â€Å"Don't be silly, you are a girl. You can't be a fisherman.† â€Å"Yes I can.† â€Å"No, you can't. You have to marry and have sons. Are you betrothed, by the way?† Joshua said: â€Å"Come with me, Maggie, and I will make you a fisher of men.† â€Å"What the hell does that mean?† Maggie asked. I grabbed Joshua by the back of his robe and began to drag him away. â€Å"Don't pay any attention to him. He's mad. He gets it from his mother. Lovely woman, but a loony. Come now, Josh, let's sing a dirge.† I began improvising what I thought was a good funeral song. â€Å"La-la-la. Oh, we are really, really sad that your mom is dead. Too bad you're a Sadducee and don't believe in an afterlife and your mom is just going to be worm food, la-la. Makes you think that you might want to reconsider, huh? Fa-la-la-la-la-la-wacka-wacka.† (It sounded great in Aramaic. Really.) â€Å"You two are silly.† â€Å"Gotta go. Mourning to do. See you.† â€Å"A fisher of women?† Josh said. â€Å"Fa-la-la-la, don't feel bad – she was old and had no teeth left, la-la-la. Come on, people, you know the words!† Later, I said, â€Å"Josh, you can't keep saying creepy things like that. ‘Fisher of men,' you want the Pharisees to stone you? Is that what you want?† â€Å"I'm only doing my father's work. Besides, Maggie is our friend, she wouldn't say anything.† â€Å"You're going to scare her away.† â€Å"No I won't. She's going to be with us, Biff.† â€Å"Are you going to marry her?† â€Å"I don't even know if I'm allowed to marry at all, Biff. Look.† We were topping the hill into Japhia, and we could see the crowd of mourners gathering around the village. Joshua was pointing to a red crest that stood out above the crowd – the helmet crest of a Roman centurion. The centurion was talking to the Levite priest, who was arrayed in white and gold, his white beard reaching past his belt. As we moved into the village we could see twenty or thirty other soldiers watching the crowd. â€Å"Why are they here?† â€Å"They don't like it when we gather,† Joshua said, pausing to study the centurion commander. â€Å"They are here to see that we don't revolt.† â€Å"Why is the priest talking to him?† â€Å"The Sadducee wants to assure the Roman of his influence over us. It wouldn't do to have a massacre on the day of his mother's funeral.† â€Å"So he's watching out for us.† â€Å"He's watching out for himself. Only for himself.† â€Å"You shouldn't say that about a priest of the Temple, Joshua.† It was the first time I ever heard Joshua speak against the Sadducees, and it frightened me. â€Å"Today, I think this priest will learn who the Temple belongs to.† â€Å"I hate it when you talk like that, Josh. Maybe we should go home.† â€Å"Do you remember the dead meadowlark we found?† â€Å"I have a really bad feeling about this.† Joshua grinned at me. I could see gold flecks shining in his eyes. â€Å"Sing your dirge, Biff. I think Maggie was impressed by your singing.† â€Å"Really? You think so?† â€Å"Nope.† There was a crowd of five hundred outside the tomb. In the front, the men had draped striped shawls over their heads and rocked as they prayed. The women were separated to the back, and except for the wailing of the hired mourners, it was as if they didn't exist. I tried to catch a glimpse of Maggie, but couldn't see her through the crowd. When I turned again, Joshua had wormed his way to the front of the men, where the Sadducee stood beside the corpse of his dead mother, reading from a scroll of the Torah. The women had wrapped the corpse in linen and anointed it with fragrant oils. I could smell sandalwood and jasmine amid the acrid sweat of the mourners as I made my way to the front and stood by Joshua. He looked past the priest and was staring at the corpse, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He was trembling as if taken by a chill wind. The priest finished his reading and began to sing, joined by the voices of hired singers who had made the journey all the way from the Temple in Jerusalem. â€Å"It's good to be rich, huh?† I whispered to Joshua, elbowing him in the ribs. He ignored me and balled up his fists at his sides. A vein stood out on his forehead as he burned his gaze on the corpse. And she moved. Just a twitch at first. The jerk of her hand under the linen shroud. I think I was the only one who noticed. â€Å"No, Joshua, don't,† I said. I looked for the Romans, who were gathered in groups of five at different points around the perimeter of the crowd looking bored, their hands resting on the hafts of their short swords. The corpse twitched again and raised her arm. There was a gasp in the crowd and a boy screamed. The men started backing away and the women pushed forward to see what was happening. Joshua fell to his knees and pressed his fists to his temples. The priest sang on. The corpse sat up. The singers stopped and finally the priest turned to look behind him at his dead mother, who had swung her legs off of the slab and looked as if she was trying to stand. The priest stumbled back into the crowd, clawing at the air before his eyes as if it some vapor was causing this horrible vision. Joshua was rocking on his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. The corpse stood, and still covered by the shroud, turned as if she was looking around. I could see that several of the Romans had drawn their swords. I looked around and found the commanding centurion standing on the back of a wagon, giving signals to his men to stay calm. When I looked back I realized that Joshua and I had been deserted by the mourners and we stood out in the empty space. â€Å"Stop it, now, Josh,† I whispered in his ear, but he continued to rock and concentrate on the corpse, who took her first step. The crowd seemed to be transfixed by the walking corpse, but we were too isolated, too alone now with the dead, and I knew it would only be seconds before they noticed Joshua rocking in the dirt. I threw my arm around his throat and dragged him back away from the corpse and into a group of men who were wailing as they backed away. â€Å"Is he all right?† I heard at my ear, and turned to see Maggie standing beside me. â€Å"Help me get him away.† Maggie took one of Joshua's arms and I took the other as we dragged him away. His body was as stiff as a walking staff, and he kept his gaze trained on the corpse. The dead woman was walking toward her son, the priest, who was backing away, brandishing the scroll like a sword, his eyes as big as saucers. Finally the woman fell in the dirt, twitched, then lay still. Joshua went limp in our arms. â€Å"Let's get him out of here,† I said to Maggie. She nodded and helped me drag him behind the wagon where the centurion was directing his troops. â€Å"Is he dead?† the centurion asked. Joshua was blinking as if he'd just been awakened from a deep sleep. â€Å"We're never sure, sir,† I said. The centurion threw his head back and laughed. His scale armor rattled with the tossing of his shoulders. He was older than the other soldiers, gray-haired, but obviously lean and strong, and totally unconcerned with the histrionics of the crowd. â€Å"Good answer, boy. What is your name?† â€Å"Biff, sir. Levi bar Alphaeus, who is called Biff, sir. Of Nazareth.† â€Å"Well, Biff, I am Gaius Justus Gallicus, under-commander of Sepphoris, and I think that you Jews should make sure your dead are dead before you bury them.† â€Å"Yes sir,† I said. â€Å"You, girl. You are a pretty little thing. What is your name?† I could see that Maggie was shaken by the attention of the Roman. â€Å"I am Mary of Magdala, sir.† She wiped at Joshua's brow with the edge of her shawl as she spoke. â€Å"You will break someone's heart someday, eh, little one?† Maggie didn't answer. But I must have shown some reaction to the question, because Justus laughed again. â€Å"Or perhaps she already has, eh, Biff?† â€Å"It is our way, sir. That's why we Jews bury our women when they are still alive. It cuts down on the heartbreak.† The Roman took off his helmet, ran his hand over his short hair, and flung sweat at me. â€Å"Go on, you two, get your friend into the shade. It's too hot out here for a sick boy. Go on.† Maggie and I helped Joshua to his feet and began to lead him away, but when we had gone only a few steps, Joshua stopped and looked back over his shoulder at the Roman. â€Å"Will you slay my people if we follow our God?† he shouted. I cuffed him on the back of the head. â€Å"Joshua, are you insane?† Justus narrowed his gaze at Joshua and the smile went out of his eyes. â€Å"Whatever they tell you, boy, Rome has only two rules: pay your taxes and don't rebel. Follow those and you'll stay alive.† Maggie yanked Joshua around and smiled back at the Roman. â€Å"Thank you, sir, we'll get him out of the sun.† Then she turned back to Joshua. â€Å"Is there something you two would like to tell me?† â€Å"It's not me,† I said. â€Å"It's him.† The next day we met the angel for the first time. Mary and Joseph said that Joshua had left the house at dawn and they hadn't seen him since. I wandered around the village most of the morning, looking for Joshua and hoping to run into Maggie. The square was alive with talk of the walking dead woman, but neither of my friends was to be found. At noon my mother recruited me to watch my little brothers while she went to work with the other women in the vineyard. She returned at dusk, smelling of sweat and sweet wine, her feet purple from walking in the winepress. Cut loose, I ran all over the hilltop, checking in our favorite places to play, and finally found Joshua on his knees in an olive grove, rocking back and forth as he prayed. He was soaked in sweat and I was afraid he might have a fever. Strange, I never felt that sort of concern for my own brothers, but from the beginning, Joshua filled me with divinely inspired worry. I watched, and waited, and when he stopped his rocking and sat back to rest, I faked a cough to let him know I was coming. â€Å"Maybe you should stick with lizards for a while longer.† â€Å"I failed. I have disappointed my father.† â€Å"Did he tell you that, or do you just know it?† He thought for a moment, made as if to brush his hair away from his face, then remembered that he no longer wore his hair long and dropped his hands in his lap. â€Å"I ask for guidance, but I get no answer. I can feel that I am supposed to do things, but I don't know what. And I don't know how.† â€Å"I don't know, I think the priest was surprised. I certainly was. Maggie was. People will be talking about it for months.† â€Å"But I wanted the woman to live again. To walk among us. To tell of the miracle.† â€Å"Well, it is written, two out of three ain't bad.† â€Å"Where is that written?† â€Å"Dalmatians 9:7, I think – doesn't matter, no one else could have done what you did.† Joshua nodded. â€Å"What are people saying?† â€Å"They think that it was something the women used to prepare the corpse. They are still going through purification for two more days, so no one can ask them.† â€Å"So they don't know that it was me?† â€Å"I hope not. Joshua, don't you understand that you can't do that sort of thing in front of people? They aren't ready for it.† â€Å"But most of them want it. They talk about the Messiah coming to deliver us all the time. Don't I have to show them that he has come?† What do you say to that? He was right, since I could remember there was always talk of the coming of the Messiah, of the coming of the kingdom of God, of the liberation of our people from the Romans – the hills were full of different factions of Zealots who skirmished with the Romans in hope that they could bring about the change. We were the chosen of God, blessed and punished like no other on earth. When the Jews spoke, God listened, now it was God's turn to speak. Evidently, my best friend was supposed to be the mouthpiece. But at that moment, I just didn't believe it. Despite what I'd seen, Joshua was my pal, not the Messiah. I said, â€Å"I'm pretty sure the Messiah is supposed to have a beard.† â€Å"So, it's not time yet, is that what you're saying?† â€Å"Right, Josh, I'm going to know when you don't. God sent a messenger to me and he said, ‘By the way, tell Joshua to wait until he can shave before he leads my people out of bondage.'† â€Å"It could happen.† â€Å"Don't ask me, ask God.† â€Å"That's what I've been doing. He's not answering.† It had been getting darker by the minute in the olive grove, and I could barely see the shine in Josh's eyes, but suddenly the area around us was lit up like daylight. We looked up to see the dreaded Raziel descending on us from above the treetops. Of course I didn't know he was the dreaded Raziel at the time, I was just terrified. The angel shone like a star above us, his features so perfect that even my beloved Maggie's beauty paled by comparison. Joshua hid his face and huddled against the trunk of an olive tree. I guess he was more easily surprised by the supernatural than I was. I just stood there staring with my mouth open, drooling like the village idiot. â€Å"Fear not, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all men. For on this day, in the city of David, is born a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.† Then he hovered for a second, waiting for his message to sink in. Joshua uncovered his face and risked a glance at the angel. â€Å"Well?† the angel said. It took me a second to digest the meaning of the words, and I waited for Joshua to say something, but he had turned his face skyward and seemed to be basking in the light, a silly smile locked on his face. Finally I pointed a thumb at Josh and said, â€Å"He was born in the city of David.† â€Å"Really?† said the angel. â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"His mother's name is Mary?† â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"She a virgin?† â€Å"He has four brothers and sisters now, but at one time, yes.† The angel looked around nervously, as if he might expect a multitude of the heavenly host to show up at some point. â€Å"How old are you, kid?† Joshua just stared, smiling. â€Å"He's ten.† The angel cleared his throat and fidgeted a bit, dropping a few feet toward the ground as he did so. â€Å"I'm in a lot of trouble. I stopped to chat with Michael on the way here, he had a deck of cards. I knew some time had passed, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  To Joshua he said, â€Å"Kid, were you born in a stable? Wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger?† Joshua said nothing. â€Å"That's the way his mom tells it,† I said. â€Å"Is he retarded?† â€Å"I think you're his first angel. He's impressed, I think.† â€Å"What about you?† â€Å"I'm in trouble because I'm going to be an hour late for dinner.† â€Å"I see what you mean. I'd better get back and check on this. If you see some shepherds watching over their flocks by night would you tell them – uh, tell them – that at some point, probably, oh – ten years or so ago, that a Savior was born? Could you do that?† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"Okey-dokey. Glory to God in the highest. Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.† â€Å"Right back at you.† â€Å"Thanks. Bye.† And as quickly as he had come, the angel was gone in a shooting star and the olive grove went dark again. I could just make out Joshua's face as he turned to look at me. â€Å"There you go,† I said. â€Å"Next question?† I suppose that every boy wonders what he will be when he grows up. I suppose that many watch their peers accomplish great things and wonder, â€Å"Could I have done that?† For me, to know at ten that my best friend was the Messiah, while I would live and die a stonecutter, seemed too much of a curse for a ten-year-old to bear. The morning after we met the angel, I went to the square and sat with Bartholomew the village idiot, hoping that Maggie would come to the well. If I had to be a stonecutter, at least I might have the love of an enchanting woman. In those days, we started training for our life's work at ten, then received the prayer shawl and phylacteries at thirteen, signifying our entry into manhood. Soon after we were expected to be betrothed, and by fourteen, married and starting a family. So you see, I was not too young to consider Maggie as a wife (and I might always have the fallback position of marrying Joshua's mother when Joseph died). The women would come and go, fetching water, washing clothes, and as the sun rose high and the square cleared, Bartholomew sat in the shade of a tattered date palm and picked his nose. Maggie never appeared. Funny how easy heartbreak can come. I've always had a talent for it. â€Å"Why you cry?† said Bartholomew. He was bigger than any man in the village, his hair and beard were wild and tangled, and the yellow dust that covered him from head to toe gave him the appearance of an incredibly stupid lion. His tunic was ragged and he wore no sandals. The only thing he owned was a wooden bowl that he ate from and licked clean. He lived off of the charity of the village, and by gleaning the grain fields (there was always some grain left in the fields for the poor – it was dictated by the Law). I never knew how old he was. He spent his days in the square, playing with the village dogs, giggling to himself, and scratching his crotch. When the women passed he would stick out his tongue and say, â€Å"Bleh.† My mother said he had the mind of a child. As usual, she was wrong. He put his big paw on my shoulder and rubbed, leaving a dusty circle of affection on my shirt. â€Å"Why you cry?† he asked again. â€Å"I'm just sad. You wouldn't understand.† Bartholomew looked around, and when he saw that we were alone in the square except for his dog pals, he said, â€Å"You think too much. Thinking will bring you nothing but suffering. Be simple.† â€Å"What?† It was the most coherent thing I'd ever heard him say. â€Å"Do you ever see me cry? I have nothing, so I am slave to nothing. I have nothing to do, so nothing makes me its slave.† â€Å"What do you know?† I snapped. â€Å"You live in the dirt. You are unclean! You do nothing. I have to begin working next week, and work for a lifetime until I die with a broken back. The girl I want is in love with my best friend, and he's the Messiah. I'm nothing, and you, you – you're an idiot.† â€Å"No, I'm not, I'm a Greek. A Cynic.† I turned and really looked at him. His eyes, normally as dull as mud, shone like black jewels in the dusty desert of his face. â€Å"What's a Cynic?† â€Å"A philosopher. I am a student of Diogenes. You know Diogenes?† â€Å"No, but how much could he have taught you? Your only friends are dogs.† â€Å"Diogenes went about Athens with a lamp in broad daylight, holding it in people's faces, saying he was looking for an honest man.† â€Å"So, he was like the prophet of the idiots?† â€Å"No, no, no.† Bart picked up a small terrier and was gesturing with him to make his point. The dog seemed to enjoy it. â€Å"They were all fooled by their culture. Diogenes taught that all affectations of modern life were false, that a man must live simply, outdoors, carry nothing, make no art, no poetry, no religion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Like a dog,† I said. â€Å"Yes!† Bart described a flourish in the air with the rat dog. â€Å"Exactly!† The little dog made as if to upchuck from the motion. Bart put him down and he wobbled away. A life without worry: right then it sounded wonderful. I mean, I didn't want to live in the dirt and have other people think me mad, like Bartholomew, but a dog's life really didn't sound bad. The idiot had been hiding a deep wisdom all these years. â€Å"I'm trying to learn to lick my own balls,† Bart said. Maybe not. â€Å"I have to go find Joshua.† â€Å"You know he is the Messiah, don't you?† â€Å"Wait a minute, you're not a Jew – I thought you didn't believe in any religion.† â€Å"The dogs told me he was the Messiah. I believe them. Tell Joshua I believe them.† â€Å"The dogs told you?† â€Å"They're Jewish dogs.† â€Å"Right, let me know how the ball licking works out.† â€Å"Shalom.† Who would have thought that Joshua would find his first apostle among the dirt and dogs of Nazareth. Bleh. I found Joshua at the synagogue, listening to the Pharisees lecture on the Law. I stepped through the group of boys sitting on the floor and whispered to him. â€Å"Bartholomew says that he knows you are the Messiah.† â€Å"The idiot? Did you ask him how long he's known?† â€Å"He says the village dogs told him.† â€Å"I never thought to ask the dogs.† â€Å"He says that we should live simply, like dogs, carry nothing, no affectations – whatever that means.† â€Å"Bartholomew said that? Sounds like an Essene. He's much smarter than he looks.† â€Å"He's trying to learn to lick his own balls.† â€Å"I'm sure there's something in the Law that forbids that. I'll ask the rabbi.† â€Å"I'm not sure you want to bring that up to the Pharisee.† â€Å"Did you tell your father about the angel?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Good. I've spoken to Joseph, he's going to let me learn to be a stonecutter with you. I don't want your father to change his mind about teaching me. I think the angel would frighten him.† Joshua looked at me for the first time, turning from the Pharisee, who droned on in Hebrew. â€Å"Have you been crying?† â€Å"Me? No, Bart's stench made my eyes water.† Joshua put his hand on my forehead and all the sadness and trepidation seemed to drain out of me in an instant. He smiled. â€Å"Better?† â€Å"I'm jealous of you and Maggie.† â€Å"That can't be good for your neck.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Trying to lick your own balls. It's got to be hard on your neck.† â€Å"Did you hear me? I'm jealous of you and Maggie.† â€Å"I'm still learning, Biff. There are things I don't understand yet. The Lord said, ‘I am a jealous God.' So jealousy should be a good thing.† â€Å"But it makes me feel so bad.† â€Å"You see the puzzle, then? Jealousy makes you feel bad, but God is jealous, so it must be good, yet when a dog licks its balls it seems to enjoy it, but it must be bad under the Law.† Suddenly Joshua was yanked to his feet by the ear. The Pharisee glared at him. â€Å"Is the Law of Moses too boring for you, Joshua bar Joseph?† â€Å"I have a question, Rabbi,† Joshua said. â€Å"Oh, jeez.† I hid my head in my arms.