Famous Stones and Their Legends and History

Certain stones started out as dumb common boulders, like all the rest. But one day they got a lucky break, and now theyre genuine rock stars. Here are a few of them. Famous Stones Family pride leads me to start with Plymouth Rock, that sturdy icon of American strength and faith. Its a chunk of Dedham Granodiorite that, the legend goes, was sitting where John Alden of the Plymouth Colony first stepped on American soil in 1620. The legend isnt actually true either. In fact, Plymouth Rock is a fraction of its old self, having suffered many indignities during its up-and-down history. We prefer the idealized image of the rock in its better days, as shown on a souvenir plate from the John Alden Shop in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Surely no humbler-looking object has ever been depicted by the porcelain artists at Jonroth Co., England unless they made a plate to commemorate mashed potatoes (which would be a good idea). Somewhat more exalted, if only in being higher off the ground, is the Blarney Stone, set in the battlement of Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland. Kissing the stone gives you the gift of persuasive speech. Legend has it that this boulder is half of the Stone of Scone, awarded to the great Cormac McCarthy for supporting Robert the Bruce in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The Stone of Scone itself is the rock upon which the kings of Scotland were crowned, and the Scots know it as the Stone of Destiny. The English took it in 1296 when they conquered Scotland and had the stone-built into the royal coronation chair to keep the tradition alive. You see already that if the English took it in 1296, then Robert the Bruce could not have split it with Cormac McCarthy in 1314. The Stone of Destiny is a block of yellowish sandstone of uncertain origin. Legend traces it to ancient times as the very stone upon which Jacob laid his head in Genesis chapter 28, and thus it is a solid symbol of the Promised Land. But a legend says the stone the English took in 1296 was a fake! That would solve the discrepancy with the Blarney Stone if we assume that one is also a fake. Perhaps the most exalted rock in every sense is the Black Stone of the Kaaba, a dark boulder set in silver on the wall of Islams central shrine, the Kaaba, in Mecca. It marks the starting point of the walk around the Kaaba at the heart of the holy pilgrimage called the hajj. Islamic experts make it clear that the Black Stone is not holy in itself. For instance, the Black Stone was once taken away for many years, and the hajj was not affected. The Black Stone has its own story, a good one. It is said that when the patriarchs Abraham and Ishmael were building the Kaaba, the stone was delivered to them by the archangel Michael. That story is consistent with the Black Stone being a meteorite, and indeed meteorites have been prized and revered by many different peoples around the world. But we wouldnt ask anyone to waste one second of their hajj examining the stone to satisfy my curiosity. Scientists too have given names to stones; even geologists, who you think might know better. For example, there are the rocks on Mars, sitting around the landers. But my favorite example is the roster of 162 sliding rocks of Racetrack Playa, in the California desert. Each one is being mapped with GPS technology by geologist Paula Messina of San Jose State University, and each of them bears a womans name. Every year the stones are found sitting on the vast dry lakebed, but not in the same position. Behind each one is a shallow track in the cracked playa mud, proof that some rare combination of wind, water, and physics animates them when no one is there to see.

Medieval Kings and Popes Essay - 658 Words

The Pope was the title give to the head of the church, to which he was changed with the religious care taking of the clergy and other believers. For military aid and expansion, early popes looked to medieval kings like Clovis of the Franks, but by the time of Charlemagne’s coronation by Pope Leo III, it became questionable whether the pope or the king was the higher authority. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was decentralized with the development of feudalism, and this allowed the only unifying establishment, the Church, to become more powerful. Though the Pope and medieval kings originally held separate roles, with the rise of feudalism the popes gained greater political power despite challenges from kings and lay investiture.†¦show more content†¦During this time, feudalism developed. In the feudal system, weak kings granted lands to greater lords in return for military aid. Greater lords in turn granted lands to lesser lords below them. These nobles gove rned all people, including clergyman to whom they granted a ‘fief† of land. When a clergyman, who were to pay their loyalty to the pope, became a vassal, or under the charge of a lord who granted him land, it gave the nobles and kings power. But because the papacy had the unified support of the larger peasant class and there were no strong kings to challenge him, the pope gained greater secular power than the nobility in addition to religious influence. Not only could he banish people from the Church through religious excommunication, but he could establish secular decrees like the Peace and Truce of God, which limited the appropriate locations and days for war. Secular powers such as these were previously reserved to kings, and illustrate that the pope due to the weakening of kings in the feudal system, held greater authority. Originally medieval popes and kings held separate roles: the pope was a religious caretaker and the king was a secular head. Beginning with the b aptism of Clovis of the Franks in 481 A.D., a mutual alliance grew between the two powers, and throughShow MoreRelatedThe Medieval Period Of The Middle Ages1183 Words   |  5 Pagespowers comes great responsibility. The Medieval period began from the 5th century when the Western Roman Empire collapsed, to 15th century. During the Medieval Period the Roman Church was the dominated church. The church controlled religion, philosophy, morals, politics, art and education. In addition, many practices from the Middle Ages laid the foundations to today’s modern world. Charles the Greats of the franks, also known as Charlemagne was a Medieval Emperor during 800. Ruling majority ofRead MoreThe Structure Of Medieval Society Essay1238 Words   |  5 Pageson the structure of medieval society . The Structure of Medieval Society This essay is a revision of the first chapter in ‘The flowering of the Middle Ages’ edited by Joan Evans, published in 1966. This chapter ‘The Structure of the Medieval Society’ was written by Cristopher Brooke’. This takes the original medieval pyramid and talks about is in detail with several stories and he also expresses his own thoughts on what was going on during that time. When discussing Medieval European society, feudalismRead MoreCity, Church, And The Empire1627 Words   |  7 PagesEmpire Many often depict medieval Europe as times of kings, knights, and epic battles that end in great bloodshed and loss. While these things are true, the medieval Europe was much more than that. It was a time of controversy, strong and terrible leaders in politics as well as the church, and many changes in population and how the Europeans structured their societies. Writers and historians throughout this time period produced many works that told of the events in medieval Europe. A few overarchingRead MoreThe Roman Catholic Church in Medieval Times Essay1295 Words   |  6 Pages In the Medieval times, the Roman Catholic Church played a great role in the development of England and had much more power than the Church of today does. In Medieval England, the Roman Catholic Church dominated everyday life and controlled everyone whether it is knights, peasants or kings. The Church was one of the most influential institutions in all of Medieval England and played a large role in education and religion. The Churchs power was so great that they could order and control knightsRead MoreFeudalism1025 Words   |  5 PagesExplain how the system known as â€Å"feudalism† worked in Medieval Europe. The bases of feudalism is best described as a social system in Europe throughout the Middle Ages where individuals worked and battled for upper class who gave them protection and the use of the land in return for their services (Merriam-Webster). â€Å"Feudalism† is not a medieval term and not even a translation of a medieval concept (Abels 2010; Brown 2010; Bouchard 1998). In our day and time Feudalism would be difficult and bafflingRead MoreThe Importance of the Clergy during the Middle Ages1039 Words   |  4 Pagesthe middle ages like? What were the religions they believed in? What was the* Medieval Feudalism like? What was Medieval Feudalism? These questions will all be answered and a more that you might ask. In these pages you will learn about the Middle ages and mostly about the Clergy, one of the most important and busiest parts of Medieval Feudalism.*First, what was Medieval Feudalism? Medieval Feudalism was when the King was the most powerful person who also contr olled all the land. But he couldn’tRead MorePostive Effects of Medieval Social Classes Essay752 Words   |  4 Pagesclasses in medieval England affected life for the people in many positive ways. It served as a means of organization to base their daily lives off of, and also gave the peasants and trade classes protection from the rulers and the clergy class in return for their labor and allegiance (â€Å"Quizlet†). Life in the Middle Ages was based on the framework of social classes so they could flourish socially and economically. The British class structure was a configuration of five main classes. The King ownedRead MoreMedieval Vs. Medieval Era1506 Words   |  7 PagesThe Medieval, or Middle, Ages in Europe have often been called the Dark Ages, since they seem to have been lacking in many ways. However, the Church was always shining the light of the Gospel in even the darkest of places. â€Å"In the very bosom of this doomed society, a power remained which was capable of giving meaning to the drama, of bringing order out of disorder, of integrating the Barbarians into civilization and of using their youthful energies to restore the world to vigor and health. ThisRead MoreHow Does Machiavelli Bring Us From A Medieval View Of Politics Of Power And Interests?1402 Words   |  6 Pagesexcellent work and ideas but I dub incomplete without the added works of Niccolo Machiavelli. Furthering this discussion, what is the new road Machiavelli sets out on, how does he differ/compare to Aristotle and how does M achiavelli bring us from a medieval view of politics to a modern view of nation state politics of power and interests? Machiavelli, unlike many philosophers and historians before him, embarked on a trail less traveled. He did this by the nature of his studies on how to keep a republicRead MoreThe Christian Church in the Middle Ages Essay1114 Words   |  5 PagesAges The Christian Church in the Middle Ages played a significant role in society. Unfortunately though, the church is often regarded as the capital of corruption, evil, and worldliness. Today, so many people depict the medieval church as being led by materialistic popes, devouring tithes from poverty-stricken peasants, having various illegitimate children, and granting indulgences for money from wayward believers. Yes, circumstances like this may have been the case, and is often hard to disapprove

Management and Organization in Global - Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Management and Organization in Global Environment System. Answer: Introduction: All humans are social beings. We tend to spend time with others. Instead, we like to spend time with others. We dont feel living alone somewhere. There is a sense of happiness as well as security when someone is in a group. It is a primary tendency which human beings feel from centuries. It helps them to feel protected when from outside attacks (Bandura, 2015). The actions of becoming social is inbuilt in human genes from centuries. If all the above is a fact, then the very fact that living in a group make us think in accordance of the group, is true. Soloman Asch conducted various experiments based on these theories (Rock, 2014). The experiments were conducted by him near 1950s. However, still many psychologists are using the same details and experiments to know about the functioning of the people in a group. The experiment studied that individuals tend to give in to the opinions if that is different from the group majoritys opinions. They tend to feel low and thats when they leave their own opinion and follows the groups opinion. The reason for doing this can vary. Either the person thinks that he is wrong and the group collectively is right or he dont want to be a subject of criticism in front of the entire group. We might have seen several cases where the concept works. Mob mentality is one of the catchphrase which is used for the cases where peoples are influence from an ongoing trend. The Mob Mentality situation can be well seen in Protests, Stadiums during a match etc. These situations depict the mentality of the people when they are in a group. Situations may go sideways if some people goes against the group (Walker, 2013). It can even be tried in s simple shopping activity. Suppose a group of friends from any organization went on for shopping in a shopping mall. One of the guy picks a t-shirt and thinks that he would look good in that. However, his other colleagues were of different opinion. This made him rethink twice and ultimately leave the t-shirt which he liked so much. In another group, a few colleagues said a dress will look pretty on one of their friends. They collectively thought that it would be best of her and purchased it instead of the different opinion of the person for which it was being purchased. Thus, the groups opinion can sometime override our own opinion and ultimately we start to think that the groups thoughts are right (Niu, 2013). In the above case, if the guy went alone for shopping, he must have purchased that t-shirt. It is not necessary in all cases. The person above may show some confidence and go ahead with the purchasing of T-shirt. However, he still have some confusion i n the back of his mind whether he did correct or not. Linear Programming Word Problem Linear Programming has long been used for making decisions. It is a technique to maximize or minimize a function with factoring in certain constraints available at the time. It is a technique which is used for the optimization of various functions with the help of graphical methods and provides the best solutions to use to reduce efforts in terms of cost and labor (Dorfman, 2012). Linear Programming was reportedly used during the World War II. At that time, it was used for the calculation of scheduling time, transportation related issues and many more. Linear programming helped the armies to solve certain bottleneck issues. Linear Programming can be related to as a branch of Math. In this technique, certain mathematical calculations are done and solutions are put forward to the organizations so that the management can take decisions based on the solutions. The manufacturing companies gain a lot from this technique as it helps in scheduling, planning the production, planning of resources, material management etc. There are certain constraints everywhere and this technique takes into consideration all the constraints while calculating (Cleman, 2013). The video in the activity was a good source to get the required details regarding the product mix problem. From the application point of view, the chemical and the pharmaceutical industry makes best use of the linear programming to factor in all constraints and calculate the data during the synthesis and production of drugs and chemicals. The focus of using the linear programming model is the maximize the profits by minimizing the costs (Ficken, 2015). The technique helps the organization to get alternative options in case one of the options fails to deliver the required output. The constraints and the variables can be tweaked to get the results based on the organizational need. The application of the Linear Programming technique is wide in manufacturing industries. They tend to use the same in their daily operations. Production planning and scheduling uses the linear programming to fine tune their planning so that no stones are left unturned. The technique is used here to run various jobs at the same time which reduces the effort and time. Linear programming model can be used only in case of linear equations. However, most of the industrial issues are quadratic in nature. The constraints also need to be a constant value to calculate the results. Linear programming usually tends to provide fractional answers which cannot be applied in industrial situations, such a labor and machinery calculation (Vanderbei, 2014). Though linear programming has limitations, its use in the industrial data derivation is still extensive. These drawbacks are there but still this is one of the most used technique in manufacturing industries. The technique is centuries old but stil l proving its point and is one of the widely used mathematical technique by the organizations. References Bandura, A., Ross, D. and Ross, S.A., 2015. Social Skills Training. Phobias: The Psychology of Irrational Fear: The Psychology of Irrational Fear, 8, p.358. Clemen, R. and Reilly, T., 2013. Making hard decisions with DecisionTools. Cengage Learning. Dorfman, R., Samuelson, P.A. and Solow, R.M., 2012. Linear programming and economic analysis. Courier Corporation. Niu, H.J., 2013. Cyber peers influence for adolescent consumer in decision?making styles and online purchasing behavior. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 43(6), pp.1228-1237. Rock, I. and Rock-DECEASED, I., 2014. The legacy of Solomon Asch: Essays in cognition and social psychology. Psychology Press. Walker, A., 2013. What can a crowd do?: revisiting Tarde after the demise of the public. Distinktion: Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory, 14(2), pp.227-231 Ficken, F.A., 2015. The simplex method of linear programming. Courier Dover Publications. Vanderbei, R.J., 2014. Linear programming. Springer

Pantheon Essays - Domes, Pantheon, Rome, Ancient Roman Architecture

Pantheon Introduction I chose to report on the pantheon because I've seen pictures and I am also very fascinated by all the Roman monuments. I looked all around the internet and libraries. The Pantheon was very hard to find information about. It was very challenging but I found enough information to complete this report. This famous building stands in the business district of Romemuch as it was built some 18 centuries ago. Amazingly, it has withstood the ravages of both the elements and war permitting a firsthand view of a unique product constructed by Roman hands. Now, it is exposed to acid rain and fumes from passing automobiles and overshadowed by buildings of inferior taste; but, with trust in the future, the Pantheon will survive. Unrecognized, the design of this ancient concrete building reveals unparalleled features not encountered in modern design standards. Recent studies reveal several major cracks in the dome, but it still functions unimpaired. This condition will surely excite the curiosity of our structural engineers. The building was built entirely without steel reinforcing rods to resist tensile cracking, so necessary in concrete members, and for this concrete dome with a long span to last centuries is incredible. Today, no engineer would dare build this structure without steel rods! Modern codes of engineering practice would not permit such mischief. No investor with knowledge of concrete design would provide the funding. Additional constraints when attempting to build a structure as large as the Pantheon will be discussed later, but briefly they include the use of inadequate hand tools and unsafe lifting devices. I believe we can learn from this activity. Workers can build from a plan and can successfully use their proven practices only if construction quality controls are maintained. History tells us that the Pantheon is a Greek word meaning to honor all Gods (particularly the Olympian divinities). It is ironic that our building has existed throughout many wars while being dedicated to all Gods; one can readily perceive this to be a temple for our one God. And, the Church has claimed this holy structure as a resting place for its most famous Popes, so we continue to honor its magnificent divinity. The first incarnation of this ancient temple was built by Agrippa, the son-in-law of the Roman Emperor Augustus, about 27 B.C. Today, above the entrance carved in stone are the words M. AGRIPPA L. F. COS. TERTIUM FECIT which is translated, Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, in his third consulate, made it. Indeed, it is worth mentioning that Agrippa's engineering talents were used in building the famous Pont de Gard aqueduct in France. As with many cities, tragedy in the form of large fires such as those of 60, 64, 79, 100 and 110 A.D. seemed to strike Rome. Originally, many Roman buildings contained travertine (limestone rock) which easily cracked in fires. The first Pantheon was severely damaged and required replacement except for some pa rts of the lower porch section and foundation. The Pantheon was rebuilt by the Emperor Hadrian during the period 118 to 128 A.D. (a time given by Ward-Perkins).2 But the Ward-Perkins's period is disputed by, Lugli who said the building was started sometime after 123 A.D. and was finished by Emperor Pius about 140 A.D.3 However, most of the bricks were made and placed in the Pantheon in 123 A.D., a date that the maker stamped on his bricks. This was discovered in 1892 by the French archaeologist, George Chedanne. It appears the construction of the rotunda walls took a period of 4 to 5 years, and the dome required a like period because of its height and the meager tools the Romans used. This long construction period was fortunate as it gave this pozzolan concrete ample time to cure and gain strength. Was the second temple like the first? Yes, the fundamental principle of the old Roman religion required that the temples be rebuilt without changes in original form. Tradition required th at the main entrance face north, and thus the whole building was oriented on the north-south axis of the building. A description of its structural features is separated into the configuration, foundation ring, circular walls, and dome to more clearly define various