CASE STUDY OF A LARGE RATCHET WRENCH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CASE STUDY OF A LARGE RATCHET WRENCH - Essay Example In terms of shape, it is a flat tapering part in the lower end and has an expanded closed head-end with precise dimensions. Head-end requires to be sufficiently hard to resist wear during use. The material specifications, product size and weight of the handle are important factors in the selection of the right combination of materials and production process. a. Fabrication & machining method: The head-end and the long arm can be fabricated as separate parts. The head-end itself can be made in two halves using press machines, to be assembled and welded to form the final shape. The arm part can be produced by gas cutting or on profile cutting machine and welded to the base of the head-end. The finished assembly is then annealed, machined on shaping machines to the required profiles and hand-finished by grinding for obtaining smooth finish. The completed component is then sent for heat treatment and chrome plating. This process is elaborate and time consuming and is not suitable for production in large numbers. It can not also be used for non-weldable materials. However, when small quantities are to be produced this method is economical since investment in casting and forging facilities and special tooling can be avoided. b. Casting: The part can be produced by the simple process of sand casting when the required volumes of production are not too high. Castings are easy to produce since technology is well established. Investment costs are not high and the same facilities can be used for any number of differently shaped castings of different materials. c. Forging: This method is most suitable and is common for producing large numbers of very high quality pieces. Recurring expenses on costly dies is one consideration. On the other hand, we can get uniformly high quality product that requires little finishing. Considering the yield strength and elongation specifications given, we can use alloy carbon steel materials for all the three processes. Alloy carbon

Preparation and analysis of inorganic and organic compounds Essay Example for Free

Preparation and analysis of inorganic and organic compounds Essay Task 1 titration of sodium hydroxide with hydrochloric acid In this experiment the sodium hydroxide is neutralized with Hydrochloric acid to produce sodium chloride (the soluble salt) it is then crystallized in a dish. The equation for the above reaction is →NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H20(l) Method Add 25cm3 of sodium hydroxide into a conical flask then add couple of drops of methyl orange indicator Next fill the burette with HCL using a funnel to the 0 mark Add HCL to sodium hydroxide in small amounts swirling constantly keep adding until the solution changes to a red colour record your result Using the same volume of HCL now add it to another 25 cm3 of sodium hydroxide to produce a neutral solution Use a Bunsen burner and an evaporating dish to reduce the volume to half Finally leave to evaporate in a crystallizing dish to produce a white crystalline solid Average Volume = 26. 35 Mass of Evaporating dish = 53.86 (Mass = 55.04 – 53.86 = 1.18g) Mass = n x Mr = 0.025 x 58.5 = 1.4625 Calculating Percentage Yield 1.18 x 100 = 80.7 % 1.4625 Test for ions present Sodium Na+ test carried out = flame test – result golden yellow This happens as the electrons move to higher energy level and then fall back down when heated which gives out yellow light. Chloride test → test carried out = add silver nitrate – result white precipitate of silver chloride was formed Task (e) Purity analysis of NaCl In this task I will be showing the purity analysis of NaCl the same procedure will be carried out as before but this time 0.1 moldm-3 of sodium chloride is titrated with 0.05 moldm-3 silver nitrate the indicator will be the chromate indicator The chemical formula for the following reaction is:NaCl(aq) + AgNO3(aq) → AgCl(s) + NaNo3(aq) RESULTS These are the results obtained for the following experiment: Rough 1 2 Final burette reading 19.9 20.5 20.6 Initial Burette Reading 0.00 0.00 0.00 Titre 19.9 20.5 20.6 Average Volume = 20.55 Converted to dm3 /1000 1)calculate no of moles of silver nitrate N= C x V =0.05 x 0.02055 = 0.010275 moles 2)answer = no of mole of NaCl (1 : 1 ratio) 3) Calculate the actual concentration of NaCl C= n/V = 0.010275 = 0.10275moldm-3 0.01 4)percentage purity ppurity = 0.1 x 100 = 97.3%) 0.010275 Task 2 Method: 1)shake 2g of 2- hydroxybenzoic acid with 4 cm3 of ethanoic anhydride in a 100cm3 conical flask 2) add five drops of concentrated sulphuric acid agitating the flask for about 10 mins the whole wil form a crystalline mush 3) Dilute by stirring it in 4cm3 of cold glacial ethanoic acid and cool by placing in a water bath containing crushed ice 4) filter off the crystals using a Hirsch funnel and wash once with ice cold water 5) place the crude aspirin in a 100cm3 beaker add hot water not boiling water till it dissolves 6)cool and filter of crystals this process is known as recrystallisation 7) Take 4 test tubes add 2cm3 of distilled water in each and in 1 tube add one crystal of the product before recrystallisation and shake 8) Second tube add one crystal of the recrystallised product and shake 9) Third tube add one crystal of 2-hydroxybenzoic acid and shake 10) In last tube add one crystal of known pure aspirin and shake 11)To each tube add 2 drops in turn of neutral iron (III) chloride and shake Following this method I got the following results Mass at start was 2.04 Finishing mass was 2.08 Amount of yield: 138 →180 1 →180/138 1 →1.3 2.04 → 2.652 2.08 x 100 = 78.4% 2.652 Organic testing To test for a phenol group Method: Add neutral iron III chloride(if a phenol group is present it will change into purple complex and if theres no purple then the aspirin is pure) Using the following method my result showed a purple complex showing that my aspirin was impure Melting point analysis

Small farmers

Small farmers Small farmers produce most of the food that we consume globally. But North and South, smallholder producers are leaving the land and food production is becoming increasingly the concern of big business. Does it matter? On 31 March fourteen international panelists considered the most salient issues confronting small farmers today in the IFAD-supported debate Failing the farmer? on BBC World. How important is small scale farming? How can development of small scale farming contribute to poverty reduction? Why should we care about small scale farming? What problems are encountered in implementing effective policies that should support small scale farmers? How important is global market access? The global discussion about poverty reduction is usually strictly related with farmers with small land holdings because the majority of the worlds poor belong to such households. Secondly, it has been estimated that about 70 percent of worlds poor are concentrated in rural areas where two out of three billion rural people reside in about 450 million small farms. Furthermore, the UN Millennium Project Task Force on Hunger estimates that in small scale farms reside about half of worlds hungry people including three quarters of Africas malnourished children (WDR, 2008). Improvement in the situation of the small scale farmers will likely result in a decreasing of the population living in poverty. Therefore in order to reduce rural poverty, policies are needed to support small-scale farming and have to be addressed in particular to women and children. The concept of Food Sovereignty provides an important framework for policy makers to design such measures. The association Via Campesina defines Food Sovereignty as the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems. It puts those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations. It defends the interests and inclusion of the next generation. It offers a strategy to resist and dismantle the current corporate trade and food regime, and directions for food, farming, pastoral and fisheries systems determined by local producers. Food sovereignty prioritizes local and national economies and markets and empowers peasant and family farmer-driven agriculture, artisanal fishing, pastoralist-led grazing, and food production, distribution and consumption based on environment al, social and economic sustainability. Food sovereignty promotes transparent trade that guarantees just income to all peoples and the rights of consumers to control their food and nutrition. It ensures that the rights to use and manage our lands, territories, waters, seeds, livestock and biodiversity are in the hands of those of us who produce food. Food sovereignty implies new social relations free of oppression and inequality between men and women, peoples, racial groups, social classes and generations (Via Campesina, 2008). The idea of Food Sovereignty points out the fundamental right of the human being to be able to consume and produce food locally, according to the local environment conditions and cultures. The agro food industry and the rapid globalization of markets are the main drivers of these changes in the food-chain structure: the production strategies in the agro food business are defined mainly by economic terms; moreover, a long-term view in food and agricultural sy stems is needed and has to keep in count the efficiency, quality and sustainability of the production. Nowadays the international society is aware of the damage caused by industrial farming system all over the planet: it is a major contributor to global warming through intensive use of fossil fuels for fertilizers, agrochemicals, production, transport, processing, refrigeration and retailing; crop and livestock genetic diversity has been lost through the spread of industrial monocultures reducing resilience in the face of climate; agrochemical nutrient pollution causes biological dead zones and other relevant environmental problems; human activity produces more nitrogen than all natural processes combined (FAO, 2008). According to the stated reasons the current model of industrialized food production appears to be not sustainable. It makes farmers increasingly dependent on external inputs (pesticides, fertilizers, veterinary support, hormones, etc.) and big amount of external capita l. This industrialized production system is usually intensive and not linked to a correct soil management or conservation strategy. The export oriented production systems are not created to respect local ecological conditions or to meet local food needs and farmers lose control over production decisions. The National Commission on Small Farms reported the following, Small farms contribute more than farm production to our society. Small farms embody a diversity of ownership, cropping systems, landscapes, biological organization, culture, and traditions. Since the majority of farmland is managed by a large number of small farm operators, the responsible management of soil, water, and wildlife encompassed by these farms produce significant environmental benefits. Decentralized land ownership produces more equitable economic opportunity for people in rural communities, and offers self employment and business management opportunities (National Commission on Small Farms, 1998). The survival of small scale farming it is a crucial issue because small farming system often permits an higher differentiation of the production, relies on a long historic experience with local resources (water, soil, climate, plant and animal varieties) and farmers are capable to produce the optimal quantity and q uality of food with less external inputs. Products are mainly grown for their own families and consumers of the same region and tend to meet local food needs. This model, based on small scale farms, is also labour intensive, a resource that is available in abundance in most regions of the world, instead of capital intensive like the extensive farms production system. Moreover, the outputs of production are deeply linked to the soil and therefore its correct management in a long term perspective will be more likely pursued. Smallholders face significant challenges that obstacle their participation in new marketing opportunities. Markets in the developing world are characterized by imperfections such as lack of information on prices and technologies, high transaction costs, and credit constraints. Moreover, the modern production systems often expect larger supply volumes, favoring larger farmers. With the increasing number of free trade agreements affecting both national and international commodity markets, smallholder farmers are forced to compete not only with their local producers, but also with farmers from other countries as well as domestic and international agribusinesses. Sharpen marketing skills are also needed by small scale farmers: the opportunity for smallholders to raise their incomes from agricultural production, natural resource management, and related rural enterprises increasingly depends on their ability to sell their goods not just at local, but also regional and even international ma rkets. Nowadays, technological advances require investments in human and physical capital, as well as advanced relationships with a wide network of suppliers and traders of inputs and services. In this environment, small scale farmers are difficult to locate the required financial resources and integrate. Seems to be hard to point out the reasons why effective policies are not being implemented: many economic interests are involved and usually in the society small scale farmers are stakeholders with limited power. One possible solution could come from changes in the demand in the agro food market: we assist in a raise of the demand of high quality local product from the consumers, in particular in Europe; secondly, the value for rural services (rural tourism, social farming and other activities) is rapidly increasing, bringing more opportunities for small scale farmers. These changes can be the drivers for the implementation of sound policies directed in particular to rural areas and to small scale farmers. List of participants in the debate Kevin Cleaver Assistant President, IFAD and farmer Working to enable small farmers, we can slow down the migration from rural to urban areas. Pedro Sanchez Director of Tropical Agriculture, Earth Institute, Columbia University The crucial factor is to fertilize the soil and manage water supplies. GM is a political issue, with no proven risk. Paul Nicholson European co-coordinator, La Via Campesina Via Campesina coined the expression and is working to promote food sovereignty (national food security). Makanjuola Olaseinde Arigbede Union of Small and Medium Scale Farmers of Nigeria and farmer Smallholder farmers labour on their farms, not merely to feed their beleaguered families but entire nations, despite the great obstacles placed in their way at all levels. Simeon Greene Relationship Director, Windward Banana Development Without Fair Trade, the Windward Islands would be out of the banana market. Theyre able to survive because consumers in the UK have taken the decision to buy Fair Trade Produce. Esther Penunia Secretary General, Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) Farmers tend to be poorly organized only 10 per cent are organized into farmers groups. So, although they represent a large constituency, they have little influence politically. This must change! Peter Robbins Ex-commodities trader, author and activist Liberalization and the collapse of international commodity agreements has led to the impoverishment of farmers in producing countries. We need to reinstate international commodity agreements. Duncan Green Head of Policy, Oxfam Oxfam is now looking to develop policy on the wider agricultural debate not just on trade. Specifically were looking at how to support and empower farmers. Norah Olembo Executive Director, Africa Biotech Stakeholders Forum The big issue is acceptance. Worldwide this type of science has been seen as humans tampering with Gods work. Science becomes hard for ordinary people to comprehend, but one can move a gene from one plant to the other. Its all about education. We have not seen any harm to humans. Andrew Bennett Biotechnology Marketing Lead, Europe-Africa, Monsanto Each year the global population grows by more than 70 million and agriculture is required to produce more food with limited land and water resources. But biotechnology can help. Over the next decade biotechnology promises to deliver products that address land and resource limitations, with qualities such as drought tolerance, as well as deliver products with direct consumer benefits. Crawford Falconer Agriculture Chairman, World Trade Organization (WTO) International trade works if you have the right social and economic policies in place within countries already. Countries cant isolate themselves forever. Louise Fresco Professor, Sustainable Development, University of Amsterdam Small farmers around the world are leaving the land because life is too hard and they need other sources of income as well. Globalization brings opportunities for the developing world, but markets will not take care of poor people. Catherine Kainja Kaluluma Minister for Education, Government of Malawi Anthony Gooch Head, Media and Public Diplomacy, European Commission

Potential Problems When Healthcare Professionals Accept Gifts from Pati

The role of doctors, nurses and physicians in general is to help out their patients and make them healthy. The patients pay for their treatment, but some may feel that their payment is not enough or may want to give extra. This exchange of money for service is extremely personal since this service is the provider of their continued health, or at least genuine attempts to do so. Since it is so personal, patients may feel that they are still in debt to their healthcare providers even if proper payment was done. These patients may give their healthcare professional a gift to show their thanks. Should the healthcare professional accept or reject these gifts? Currently, it seems that the decision is up to the healthcare professional’s discretion. To begin with, some sort of loose definition must be set for the types of gifts that are being discussed. Gifts that would be deemed as just a thanks between a healthcare professional and a patient are also the most common types of gifts (Spence). These are chocolate and liquors, which have low monetary value and cannot be exchanged easily for their face value; meaning, once the healthcare professional receives these gifts they are most likely stuck with them. This is important, because gifts other than money usually have some thought process behind them and requires more effort to go out and accquire them. This would mean that the patient is thinking about the doctor and that their thanks are most likely genuine. There can still be hidden motives behind these ‘genuine’ gifts, but both sides of the argument have to be laid down before it can be further discussed. If a gift were to be accepted it may taint the rest of the healthcare procedure. As Weijer writes: â€Å"The physician-patient rel... ...el Bible. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. . Lavine, Jay. "The Thirteen Principles of Jewish Medical Ethics." Jewish Medicine. 15 Apr. 2008. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. . Meir, Asher. "Self-Respect or False Pride." Aish. 23 Feb. 2008. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. . Proverbs. King James Bible. Online Parallel Bible. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. . Spence, Sean A. "Patients Bearing Gifts: Are There Strings Attached?" British Medical Journal 331.7531 (2005): 1527-529. BMJ. 24 Dec. 2005. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. . Weijer, Charles. "Should Physicians Accept Gifts from Their Patients? Yes" Western Journal of Medicine 175.2 (2001): 77. PubMed. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. .

Historical Awareness and the Interpretation of the Bible Essay

Christianity holds the largest followers worldwide and holds its authority through what they claim as actual events in history. However, the study of the historicity of the Bible has made liberal critics question the authenticity and the validity of the events and teachings that are found in the Scriptures. Liberal critics claim that the Scripture is full of historical errors, human biases, religious prejudices and fictional stories. Everything from the Virgin Birth to the resurrection of Christ, and from papacy to priesthood, are being rejected, based on the â€Å"historical critical† approach to Scripture. The interpretation of the Bible has therefore developed from its literal sense to a symbolic interpretation of its passages. Interpretations of the Bible The Bible is interpreted in different ways but could be categorized into two methods: the conservative and liberal interpretation. Conservatives hold the Bible as God’s divine words from which they interpret it by the letter unless the passage is clearly intended as an allegory, poetry or some other genre. Interpreting the Bible by the letter encompasses a strict interpretation of the passages—that is to say conservatives interpret the Bible literally. The International Council on Biblical Inerrancy (1978), a group of conservative Christians hold that â€Å"the literal sense is the†¦ meaning which the writer expressed† and â€Å"deny the legitimacy of any approach to Scripture that attributes to it meaning which the literal sense does not support.† On the other hand, liberal critics interpret the Bible symbolically or allegorically—that is they treat the Bible as a collection of fictional stories. They use the historical-grammatical approach to uncover the meaning of the text by taking into account cultural and historical background and the literary genre. Problems Relating to the Literal Interpretation of the Bible There is little doubt that the Bible has been interpreted in its literal sense before science has explored and discovered concepts that are in relation with some Biblical passages. The story of creation, as a basic example, could no longer be accepted in its literal sense, which would otherwise contradict with scientifically proven principles and generally accepted theories. The knowledge that scientific discoveries and research has provided over the past millennium reveals that God could not have made the world as it is in seven earth days. Human logic and reason would dictate that there must be some other explanation why the Bible, as God’s inspired words, are written in such a manner. God, as the creator of all things and who has knowledge all things, could not have erred and must have intended something else in specifying that the world was created in seven days. Hence, it is not only evident but also necessary to say that literally interpreting at least some portions of the Bible are no longer sufficient. Historical Criticism Historical criticism is the art of analyzing the factuality of written documents and the supposed facts handed down. It makes use of written documents, unwritten evidence and tradition as the source of information. The historical critic must also be guided chiefly by an ardent love of truth and must be free of any prejudice—religious, national or domestic—that may otherwise affect the historian’s judgment. The authenticity and integrity of a written document is investigated before it could be passed as a genuine source of evidence. Authenticity includes verifying whether or not it was from the author who claims it to be, whether such individual existed, and whether or not the document or individual belonged to the specific time of history in question. Integrity, on the other hand, verifies whether or not the document is in the shape or form from which the author has produced it—that is, whether or not the document is complete, free of corruption and the complexities of translation. It is generally suffice to determine the approximate age of a document using the nature of the material, i.e. papyrus, parchment, cotton, etc., and the character of the writing. It is often very rare that a document that is purported to be an original or an autograph leaves room for reasonable doubt when it passed a series of tests regarding its authenticity. However, it is also generally held that to translate a word correctly does not necessarily give its meaning in the context of the particular era to which the manuscript belongs. The investigator must then be careful with interpreting the meaning of the document. The difficulty in analyzing Biblical documents is that they survive only in form of copies, or copies of copies. In these cases, manuscripts of similar content or subject are often compared to each other, sometimes revealing variations in the readings. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls while providing some of the oldest and the only known copies of Biblical documents have challenged the theories of the development of the modern Biblical text—specifically those of textual criticism. There are a few of the Biblical manuscripts in the Dead Sea Scrolls that differ with Masoretic texts, and most of them differ only slightly. The fact that Biblical documents have slightly changed over the course of at least three centuries provide confidence on the content of the modern Bible. However, the real question arises not in the actual content of the Bible but on the meaning of its content. Another problem regarding authenticity and integrity of the Biblical manuscripts is the question regarding the knowledge of the author concerning his work: Does the author have proper, first-hand knowledge of the purported fact? Is he altogether sincere in his disposition concerning the purported fact? As an example, the integrity of the Gospels is raised as it has become apparent that the earliest writings of this type dates 65 years after Jesus’ resurrection. Historicity of the Bible There are basically two main schools of thought regarding the historicity of the Bible: the fundamentalists who believe that everything that is written in the Bible actually happened as it is stated; and the liberals who believe that the Bible had no historical value—that is, historical events purported in the Bible did not really happen. There are two schools of thought on giving weight to the historical accounts presented in the Bible: Biblical maximalism assumes that Biblical narratives are accurate unless proven otherwise; and Biblical minimalism. Biblical maximalists tend to interpret the Bible literally. They view accounts specified in the Bible as a starting point for constructing history and correct and reinterpret it when archaeological evidences prove contradicts their viewpoint. On the other hand, Biblical minimalists start from archaeological findings and only consider Biblical accounts of value only when they are consistent with these findings. In relation to Jesus, there are but few historical manuscripts that provide evidence that he is an actual historical figure. His name is briefly mentioned in the works of Josephus, Pliny the Younger, Tacitus and Suetonius, but aside from a brief mention and description of the early Christians, only the accounts specified in the New Testament gives a basis for the existence of a man named Jesus. The Gospels are the only sources of information about the life and works of Jesus and even those are criticized for its historical accuracy. There exists what is known today as the Synoptic Problem which revealed the diversity in the Biblical texts. What catches the interest of critics, however, is not the differences in the versions of the accounts in the life of Jesus, but the striking similarity of the texts itself. Considering that the Gospels had been written during different times at different locations, questions such as whether the authors of the Synoptic Gospels were using a common source, perhaps written or from oral tradition, or not. If there exists an earlier source from which the authors of the Synoptic Gospels based their work, then why where the new Gospels written? Furthermore, if indeed the authors share a common source, why where there differences? Did the authors feel free to interpret and apply the Jesus tradition as they wrote? Most theologians would answer that each Gospel writers have their own purpose and interpretations of Jesus from which the differences in similar accounts are attributed. Nevertheless, there is no one solution that offers sufficient enough explanation on the Synoptic Problem. While resolving this issue would not verify the existence of the historical Jesus, questions regarding the authority of the accounts, particularly that of Jesus and his teachings, will be eliminated. Effects of Historical Criticism on the Interpretation of the Bible Today, Christianity holds the largest followers worldwide. If Christianity derives its authority from actual historical events, then that claim must be investigated by the most austere standards of historical judgments. The advent of scientific research, particularly that of historical criticism, has put the historicity, as well as the authority and interpretation of the Bible in serious question. Samuel George Brandon (1955) explained that â€Å"the historical character of Christianity, which was once proclaimed apologetically as the greatest argument for the validity of that faith, has gradually been found to be a source of great perplexity if not of weakness† (156). Raymond Brown (1975) explained that â€Å"physical, historical and linguistic methods, known to us in only approximately the last one hundred years, has produced a scientifically critical study of the Bible, a study that has revolutionalized views held in the past about the authorship, origin and dating of the biblical books, about how they were composed, and what the authors meant†¦ No longer did they (Catholic exegetes) hold that Moses was the substantial author of the Pentateuch, that the first chapters of Genesis were really historical†¦, that Matthew was the first Gospel written by an eyewitness†¦ etc.† Robert Sungenis held that â€Å"The historical critic will try to convince you that, since Scripture contains â€Å"historical errors, human biases, religious prejudices and fictional stories,† and since Scripture is only free from error when it deals with â€Å"matters of salvation,† then in non-salvific matters (e.g., women priests and homosexuality), the Bible is nothing more than an expression of the religious preferences and cultural biases active during the time of the biblical author’s writing. Since we in modern times have come of age, as it were, and know that such biases are unecumenical and judgmental, then it is high time we change our interpretation of Scripture. Historical criticism is just the needed tool to do the job.† Resolving the Conflict Previously, culture was understood to static and unchanging. However, historical data reveal culture to be more guided by human experience that creates changing values and meanings as predicted by the way of life. It must only be necessary therefore that faith is expressed and understood in terms of our particular setting. It is in contrast to the sola scriptura principle of conservative Protestants. They claim that faith is to be based on the Bible alone. However, interpreting the Bible in relation to present events does not necessarily imply the interpreter to be a liberal critic. Progressive interpretation look upon the Bible as historically shaped and culturally conditioned. It analyzes the culture from which the authors lived, interpret what is stated in relation to the circumstances of the time it was written, and apply the meaning of the passage in relation to the present circumstances. After all, Lonergan held that â€Å"theology mediates between a cultural matrix and the significance and role of a religion in that matrix.† While it is apparent that some passages in the Bible are clearly not intended to be interpreted in its literal sense, there is still the question whether some of the passages must be taken in its literal meaning or if any passage is to be taken in its literal sense at all. However, taking into consideration the accounts in the Synoptic Gospels which appear to be similar have different versions. Theologians justify these differences through specifying the intents of the authors. In this case, it is only plausible to dismiss the particular event as an accurate version in history. Nevertheless, it does not necessarily imply that the event had not taken place at all. Lonergan (1971, 179) held that â€Å"experience is individual while the data for history lie in the experiences of many.† Furthermore, the same event is sometimes interpreted by different individual who have experienced that particular event depending on their perception. The fact that the event is related to us on different accounts, probably by different individuals, may prove that such an event may have occurred. Regardless of the factual historicity of the event specified in the Synoptic Gospels, the justifications made by theologians on the different accounts on Jesus’ life make it clear that the accounts are not to be interpreted in its literal sense. Lonergan held that â€Å"the discoveries of the historian are expressed in narratives and descriptions that regard particular persons, places and times. They have no claim to universality: they could, of course, be relevant to the understanding of other persons, places and times; but whether in fact they are relevant, and just how relevant they are, can be settled only by a historical investigation of the other persons, places and times† (180). Furthermore, Lonergan explained that â€Å"because they have no claim to universality, the discoveries of the historians are not verifiable in the fashion proper to the natural sciences; in history verification is parallel to the procedures by which interpretation is judged correct† (180). On the other hand, faith has nothing to do with history. Regardless of whether Christian traditions gain its authority from its historicity or not, what matters is the belief that Christians hold. Faith is a product of the fulfillment that â€Å"brings a radical peace, the peace that the world cannot give† without which â€Å"opens the way to the trivialization of human life† (Lonergan, 1971, 105). That fulfillment, according to Lonergan (1971, 106), â€Å"is not the product of our knowledge or choice.† There is therefore always room to interpret the Scriptures that is not entirely based on historical criticism. Relying on faith alone, the Scriptures should be interpreted basing on the experience of mystery to develop a type of consciousness that deliberates, makes judgments of value, decides, and acts responsibly and freely. Works Cited Brandon, Samuel George Frederick, â€Å"The historical element in primitive Christianity.† Numen vol. 2, no. 1, 156-167 Brown, Raymond E. Biblical Reflections on Crises Facing the Church. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1975 International Council on Biblical Inerrancy. â€Å"The Chicago statement on Biblical inerrancy.† 1978. The Spurgeon Archive. 17 March 2009 Lonergan, Bernard. Method in Theology. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1971 Sungenis, Robert. â€Å"Fr. Raymond Brown and the demise of the Catholic Scripture Scholarship.† Catholic Apologetics International. 17 March 2009.

Bloodlines Chapter Twenty-Six

IT TOOK DAYS for me to finally get the whole story, both about Lee and about how Eddie and Jill had come to the rescue that night. Once I had Lee as the missing piece, it was easy to connect the murders of Tamara, Kelly, Melody, and Dina, the human girl he'd mentioned. All of them had been killed within the last five years, in either Los Angeles or Palm Springs, and many had documented evidence of knowing him. They weren't random victims. What little we could find out about Lee's history came from Clarence, though even that was muddled. By our best guesses, Lee had been turned forcibly into a Strigoi about fifteen years ago. He'd spent ten years that way until a spirit user restored him, much to Lee's dismay. Clarence hadn't had all his wits about him even then and hadn't questioned how his son had returned home after ten years without aging. He evaded answering our questions about Lee being a Strigoi, and we didn't know if Clarence simply hadn't known or was in denial. Likewise, it was unclear if Clarence knew his own son was behind Tamara's death. The far-fetched vampire hunter theory was probably easier for h im to stomach than the murderous truth about his son. Investigations into Lee's college in Los Angeles showed he hadn't actually been enrolled there since before he became Strigoi. When he'd become Moroi again, he'd used college as an excuse to stay in Los Angeles, where he could more easily pursue victims – and we suspected there were more of them than we had records for. From what we'd observed, he'd apparently tried to drink from a few of each race, in the hopes that one of them would be â€Å"the one† to make him a Strigoi again. Further research into Kelly Hayes had uncovered something I should have thought of right away. She was a dhampir. She'd looked human, but that stellar sports record was the tip-off. Lee had stumbled onto her when visiting his father five years ago. Getting the drop on a dhampir wasn't easy, which was why Lee seemed to have gone to the effort of dating her and luring her in. None of us knew anything about the â€Å"bastard spirit user† who'd converted him, though that was of interest to both the Alchemists and the Moroi. There were very few spirit users on record, and with there still being so much unknown about their powers, everyone wanted to learn more. Clarence was adamant that he knew nothing about this mystery spirit user, and I believed him. Alchemists were in and out of Palm Springs all week, cleaning up the mess and interviewing everyone who'd been involved. I met with a number of them, telling my story over and over, and finally had my last debriefing with Stanton over lunch one Saturday. I'd kind of had a perverse interest in knowing what had happened to Keith but decided not to bring it up in light of everything else going on. He wasn't here, which was all I cared about. â€Å"Lee's autopsy revealed nothing that wasn't ordinary Moroi, according to their doctors,† Stanton told me between bites of linguine carbonara. Eating and discussing dead bodies weren't mutually exclusive, apparently. â€Å"But then, something†¦ magical likely wouldn't show up anyway.† â€Å"But there must be something special about him,† I said. I was simply moving my own food around the plate. â€Å"The fact that his aging slowed was proof enough – but the rest? I mean, he drank from so many victims. And then I saw what Jacqueline did to him. That should have worked. All the correct procedures were followed.† It amazed me that I could speak so clinically about this, that I could sound so detached. Really, though, it was just that second-nature Alchemist mode taking over. Inside me, the events of that night had left a permanent mark. When I closed my eyes at bedtime, I kept seeing Lee's death and Jacqueline feeding him the blood. Lee, who'd brought Jill flowers and taken us all mini-golfing. Stanton nodded thoughtfully. â€Å"Which suggests that those who are restored from being Strigoi are immune to ever being turned again.† We sat in silence for a moment, letting the weight of those words settle over us. â€Å"That's huge,† I said at last. Talk about an understatement. Lee presented a number of mysteries. He had begun aging once he became a Moroi again, but at a much slower rate. Why? We weren't sure, but that alone was a monumental discovery, as was my suspicion that he could no longer use Moroi magic. I'd been too freaked out to notice anything strange about Lee's behavior when Jill had asked him to create fog while we were golfing, but looking back, it occurred to me he'd actually looked nervous about her requests. And the rest†¦ the fact that something had changed in him, protected him, however unwillingly, from becoming Strigoi? Yeah. â€Å"Huge† was an understatement. â€Å"Very,† Stanton agreed. â€Å"Half our mission is to stop humans from choosing to sacrifice their souls for immortality. If there was a way to harness this magic, figure out what protected Lee†¦ well. The effects would be far-reaching.† â€Å"To the Moroi as well,† I pointed out. I knew that among them and the dhampirs, being forcefully turned Strigoi was often considered a fate worse than death. If there was some magical way to protect themselves, it would mean a lot since they encountered Strigoi far more than we did. We could be talking about some kind of magical vaccine. â€Å"Of course,† said Stanton, though her tone implied she wasn't nearly as concerned about that race's benefits. â€Å"It might even be possible to prevent the future creation of all Strigoi. There's also the mystery of your blood. You said the Strigoi didn't like it. That could be a type of protection too.† I shivered at the memory. â€Å"Maybe. It all happened so fast†¦ it's hard to say. And it was certainly no protection from the Strigoi wanting to snap my neck.† Stanton nodded. â€Å"It's certainly something to look into eventually. But first we have to figure out what exactly happened to Lee.† â€Å"Well,† I said, â€Å"spirit has to be a key player, right? Lee was restored by a spirit user.† A waiter came by, and Stanton waved her plate away. â€Å"Exactly. Unfortunately, we have a very limited quantity of spirit users to work with. Vasilisa Dragomir hardly has the time to experiment with her powers. Sonya Karp has volunteered to help, which is excellent news, especially since she's a former Strigoi herself. At the very least, we can observe the slowed aging firsthand. She's only available for a short while, and the Moroi haven't answered my request yet for some other useful individuals. But if we had another spirit user on hand, one with no other obligations to distract him from helping us fulltime†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She looked at me meaningfully. â€Å"Adrian?† I asked. â€Å"Do you think he'd help research this? Some magical way to protect against Strigoi conversion? Like I said, between Sonya and the others, he'd have help,† she added quickly. â€Å"I've spoken to the Moroi, and they're putting together a small group with expertise on Strigoi. They plan on sending them out soon. We just need Adrian to help.† â€Å"Wow. You guys move fast,† I murmured. At the words â€Å"Adrian† and â€Å"research,† my mind had put together images of him in a lab, wearing a white coat, bent over test tubes and beakers. I knew that the actual research wouldn't look anything like that, but it was a hard picture to shake. It was also hard to imagine Adrian seriously focused on anything. Except, I kept having that nagging thought that Adrian would focus if he only had something worth caring about. Was this important enough? I really wasn't sure. It was too hard to guess what purpose might be noble enough to get Adrian's attention. But I was pretty sure I knew some less-thannoble perks that might get him on board. â€Å"If you can get him his own place, I bet he'd do it,† I said finally. â€Å"He wants out of Clarence Donahue's pretty badly.† Stanton's eyebrows rose. She hadn't expected this. â€Å"Well. That's not a huge request, I suppose. And actually, we're already paying the bill for Keith's old apartment since he took out a year-long lease. Mr. Ivashkov could simply move into there, except†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Except what?† Stanton gave a small shrug. â€Å"I was going to offer it to you. After much discussion, we've decided to simply make you the Alchemist on point here, in light of Keith's†¦ unfortunate departure. You could leave Amberwood, move into his apartment, and simply oversee activities from there.† I frowned. â€Å"But I thought you wanted someone with Jill all the time.† â€Å"We do. And we've actually found a better choice – no offense. The Moroi were able to locate a dhampir girl Jill's age, who could not only serve as Jill's roommate but also as a bodyguard. She'll be joining the researchers who are coming out. You don't have to pose as a student anymore.† The world reeled. Alchemist schemes and plans, always in motion. A lot had been decided in this week, it seemed. I considered what this meant. No more homework, no more high school politics. Freedom to come and go when I wanted. But it also meant removing myself from the friends I'd made – Trey, Kristin, Julia. I'd still see Eddie and Jill, but not to the same extent. And if I was on my own, would the Alchemists – or my father – help fund college classes? Unlikely. â€Å"Do I have to leave?† I asked Stanton. â€Å"Can I give the apartment to Adrian and stay on at Amberwood for a while? At least until we figure out if we can get another place for me?† Stanton didn't bother hiding her surprise. â€Å"I didn't expect you'd want to stay on. I figured you'd especially be happy to no longer room with a vampire.† And like that, all the fears and pressure I'd faced before coming to Palm Springs descended on me. Vamp lover. I was an idiot. I should've been jumping at the chance to get away from Jill. Any other Alchemist would. In offering to stay, I was likely putting myself under suspicion again. How could I explain that there was so much more to my choice than just a change of roommate? â€Å"Oh,† I said, keeping a neutral face. â€Å"When you said you were getting Jill a dhampir her own age, I figured she'd be the roommate and I wouldn't have to room with Jill anymore. I thought I'd have my own in the dorm.† â€Å"That can probably be arranged†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And honestly, after some of the things that have happened, I'd feel better still keeping an eye on Jill. It'll be easier if I'm at the school. Besides, if it takes an apartment to make Adrian happy and work on this Strigoi mystery, then that's what we need to do. I can wait.† Stanton studied me for several long seconds, breaking the silence only when the waiter dropped the bill off. â€Å"That's very professional of you. I'll look into the arrangements.† â€Å"Thank you,† I said. A happy feeling welled up in me, and I almost smiled, picturing Adrian's face when he heard about his new place. â€Å"There's just one more thing I don't understand,† remarked Stanton. â€Å"When we investigated the apartment, we saw some fire damage. But none of you who were there reported any.† I put on a contrived frown. â€Å"Honestly†¦ so much of it's a blur with the blood loss and the biting†¦ I'm not really sure. Keith had some candles. I don't know if one got lit†¦ or I don't know. All I keep thinking about is those teeth and how terrible it was when I was bit – â€Å" â€Å"Yes, yes,† said Stanton. My excuse was flimsy, but even she wasn't entirely impervious to the thought of being fed on by a vampire. It was pretty much an Alchemist's worse nightmare, and I was entitled to my trauma. â€Å"Well, don't worry about it. That fire is the least of our worries.† It wasn't the least of my worries. And when I got back to campus later that day, I finally dealt with it and hunted Ms. Terwilliger down where she was working in one of the library offices. â€Å"You knew,† I said, shutting the door. All thoughts of student-teacher protocol vanished from my head. I'd been sitting on my anger for a week and could now finally let it out. I'd spent my life being taught to respect sources of authority, but now one of those had just betrayed me. â€Å"Everything you made me do†¦ copying those spell books, making that amulet ‘just to see what it was like'!† I shook my head. â€Å"It was all a lie. You knew†¦ you knew it was†¦ real.† Ms. Terwilliger took off her glasses and peered at me carefully. â€Å"Ah, so I take it you tried it?† â€Å"How could you do that to me?† I exclaimed. â€Å"You have no idea how I feel about magic and the supernatural!† â€Å"Oh,† she said dryly. â€Å"I do actually. I know all about your organization.† She tapped her cheek, mirroring the one my tattoo was on. â€Å"I know why your ‘sister' is excused from outdoor activities and why your ‘brother' excels in sports. I'm very informed about the various forces at work in our world, those hidden from most human eyes. Don't worry, my dear. I'm certainly not going to tell anyone. Vampires aren't my concern.† â€Å"Why?† I asked, deciding not to acknowledge her outing everything I strove to keep secret. â€Å"Why me? Why did you make me do that – especially if you claim you know how I feel?† â€Å"Mmm†¦ a couple of reasons. Vampires, as you know, wield a sort of internal magic. They connect with the elements on a very basic, almost effortless level. Humans, however, have no such connection.† â€Å"Humans aren't supposed to use magic,† I said coldly. â€Å"You made me do something that violated my beliefs.† â€Å"For humans to do magic,† she continued, as though I hadn't spoken, â€Å"we must wrest it from the world. It doesn't come so easily. Sure, vampires use spells and ingredients occasionally, but nothing like what we must do. Their magic goes from the inside out. Ours comes from the outside in. It takes so much effort, so much concentration and exact calculation†¦ well, most humans don't have the patience or skill. But someone like you? You've been grilled in those painstaking techniques since the time you could talk.† â€Å"So that's all it takes to use magic? An ability to organize and measure?† I didn't bother hiding my scorn. â€Å"Of course not.† She laughed. â€Å"There is a certain natural talent needed as well. An instinct that combines with discipline. I sensed it in you. You see, I have some proficiency myself. It gives me coven status but is still relatively small. You? I can feel a wellspring of power in you, and my little experiment proved as much.† I felt cold all over. â€Å"That's a lie,† I said. â€Å"Vampires use magic. Not humans. Not me.† â€Å"That amulet didn't light itself on fire,† she said. â€Å"Don't deny what you are. And now that we've determined as much, we can move on. Your innate power might be greater than mine, but I can get you started in basic magical training.† I couldn't believe I was hearing this. It wasn't real. It was like something from a movie because no way was this my life. â€Å"No,† I exclaimed. â€Å"You're†¦ you're crazy! Magic's not real, and I don't have any! It's unnatural and wrong. I won't endanger my soul.† â€Å"So much denial for such a good scientist,† she mused. â€Å"I'm serious,† I said, barely recognizing my own voice. â€Å"I want nothing to do with your occult studies. I'm happy to go on taking notes and buying you coffee, but if you keep making these kinds of crazy statement and demands†¦ I'll go to the office and demand to be switched to another teacher. Believe me, when it comes to working bureaucracy and administrative staff, that is something I have innate power in.† She almost smiled, but then it faded. â€Å"You mean that. You'd really reject this amazing potential – this discovery – that you have?† I didn't answer. â€Å"So be it.† She sighed. â€Å"It's a loss. And a waste. But you have my word that I won't bring it up again unless you do.† â€Å"That,† I said vehemently, â€Å"is not going to happen.† Ms. Terwilliger merely shrugged by way of answer. â€Å"Well, then. Since you're here, you might as well go get me some coffee.† I moved toward the door and then thought of something. â€Å"Were you the one calling Nevermore and asking about vampires?† â€Å"Why in the world would I do that?† she asked. â€Å"I already know where to find them.† Great, I thought. Another mystery. I made it to the cafeteria later that day just as Eddie, Jill, and Micah were finishing dinner. Jill was understandably having a difficult time adjusting to Lee's death and all the revelations we'd uncovered – including his desire to make her his undead queen. Both Eddie and I had talked to her as much as we could, but Micah seemed to have the greatest soothing effect on her. I think it was because he never openly addressed the topic. He knew Lee had died but thought it was an accident and naturally knew none of the vampiric connections. While Eddie and I constantly tried our hand at being amateur psychologists, Micah simply tried to distract her and make her happy. â€Å"We have to go,† he said apologetically when I sat down. â€Å"Rachel Walker is going to give us a lesson on one of the sewing machines.† Eddie shook his head at him. â€Å"I still don't know why you signed up for sewing club.† That wasn't true, of course. We both knew exactly why Micah had joined. Jill's face wore the grave look it had had since Lee's death – a look she would carry for a while, I suspected – but the ghost of a smile flickered over her lips. â€Å"I think Micah has the makings of a real fashion designer. Maybe I'll walk in his show one day.† I shook my head, hiding my own smile. â€Å"No modeling of any kind, not for a while.† After the show, Lia and other designers had gotten in touch, all wanting to work with Jill again. We'd had to refuse in order to protect her identity here, but it had made Jill sad to have to do it. Jill nodded. â€Å"I know, I know.† She stood up with Micah. â€Å"I'll see you back in our room later, Sydney. I'd like to talk some more.† I nodded. â€Å"Absolutely.† Eddie and I watched them hurry off. I sighed. â€Å"That's going to be a problem,† I told him. â€Å"Maybe,† he agreed. â€Å"But she knows what she can and can't do with him. She's smart. She'll be responsible.† â€Å"But he doesn't know,† I said. â€Å"I feel like Micah's fallen for her too much already.† I eyed Eddie carefully. â€Å"Among other people.† Eddie was still watching Micah and Jill, so it took him a moment to pick up on my meaning. He jerked his gaze back to me. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Eddie, I'm not going to claim to be any expert in romance, but even I can tell that you're crazy about Jill.† He promptly looked away, though his flush betrayed him. â€Å"That's not true.† â€Å"I've seen it all along, but it wasn't until that night at Keith's that I really understood what I was seeing. I saw how you looked at her. I know how you feel about her. So, what I want to know is: how come we have to keep worrying about Micah at all? Why aren't you just asking her out and saving us all a lot of trouble?† â€Å"Because she's my sister,† he said wryly. â€Å"Eddie! I'm serious.† He made a face, took a deep breath, and then turned back toward me. â€Å"Because she can do better than me. You want to talk about social rules? Well, where we come from, Moroi and dhampirs don't have serious relationships.† â€Å"Yeah, but that's like a class thing,† I said. â€Å"It's not quite the same as humans and vampires.† â€Å"Maybe not, but with her, it might as well be. She's not just any Moroi. She's royal. A princess. And you've seen how she is! Smart and strong and beautiful. She's destined for great things, and one of them isn't being involved with a controversial guardian like me. Her bloodline's regal. Hell, I don't even know who my dad is. Dating her is not even possible. My job is to protect her. To keep her safe. That's where all my attention needs to be.† â€Å"And so you think she deserves being with a human instead?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"Dancing the line of a taboo upheld by both our races?† â€Å"It's not ideal,† he admitted. â€Å"But she can still have a fun social life and – â€Å" â€Å"What if it was another guy?† I interrupted. â€Å"What if some other human asked her out, and they simply went on a casual date? Would you be okay with that?† He didn't answer, and I knew my hunch was correct. â€Å"This is about more than you not feeling worthy of Jill,† I said. â€Å"This is about Micah too, isn't it? About how he reminds you of Mason.† Eddie blanched. â€Å"How do you know about that?† â€Å"Adrian told me.† â€Å"Damn him,† said Eddie. â€Å"Why can't he be as oblivious as he pretends?† I smiled at that. â€Å"You don't owe Micah anything. You certainly don't owe him Jill. He's not Mason, no matter how much they look alike.† â€Å"It's more than looks,† said Eddie, growing pensive. â€Å"It's the way they act too. Micah's the same – outgoing, optimistic, excited. That's how Mason was. There are too few people like that in the world: people who are genuinely good. Mason was taken away from the world too soon. I won't let that happen to Micah.† â€Å"Micah's not in danger,† I said gently. â€Å"But he deserves good things. And even if he's human, he's still one of the best matches I know of for Jill. They deserve each other. They both deserve good things.† â€Å"And so, you're going to let yourself suffer as a result? Because you're so in love with Jill and convinced that she deserves some prince that you aren't? And because you feel it's your duty to support all the Masons in the world?† I shook my head. â€Å"Eddie, that's crazy. Even you have to see that.† â€Å"Maybe,† he admitted. â€Å"But I feel like it's the right thing to do.† â€Å"Right? It's the masochistic thing to do! You're encouraging the girl you want to be with one of your best friends.† â€Å"I want her to be happy. It's worth sacrificing myself.† â€Å"It makes no sense.† Eddie gave me a small smile and a gentle pat on the arm before turning toward an approaching shuttle bus. â€Å"Remember when you said you were no expert in romance? Well, you were right.†