The Base Of Ethical Analysis Of Alcoholism - 1012 Words

Student Name: Turki Alhabashi Professor Name: Elizabeth Petersen Course: ENG 102 Thesis: I have done this task on the base of ethical analysis of alcoholism. Here I have applied Aristotle’s virtue ethics to social-psychological interpretation of one kind of alcoholism. I did it in order to enhance our understanding of the phenomenon of alcoholism and to illustrate the pertinence of Aristotle’s ethics. My finding can further explains understanding of contemporary problems such as alcoholism. After lot of research I have found that alcoholism is not a non-controversial medical debases. I found that social responsibility involves for developing alcoholism and it cannot mitigate. My thesis further explains that it would be the first choice of the person when he/she disappears. Every individual responsible for alcohol consumption. As a human being we must prevent the person to consume alcohol. Drugged high on Alcohol Here I have explored several aspects of the ethics and responsibility of government and the industry of Alcohol from the documentary available on YouTube name â€Å"Drugged high on Alcohol†. This will begin to focus on the underlying ethical theory, initially through reflection on the perspective of public policy. It will first examine the 2007 report by the Nuffield Centre for Bioethics on Public Health Policy. It will then argue for a broader approach that focuses the ethical debate on social responsibility and the theme of shared responsibility. ThroughShow MoreRelatedEpidemiology: Study Notes1775 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Part 1 Cofounding Factors Cofounding factors are extraneous variables that correlate either positively or negatively with both eh dependent and independent variable within a study. Any research method and analysis must account for these variables through the actual design of the study or through statistical means that accounts for them. Operational cofound is one that can occur in both experimental and nonexperimental design when a measure for one variable inadvertently measures something elseRead MoreAlcoholism as a Disability4543 Words   |  18 PagesSituation Description Analysis with Three Ethical Theories Behavior vs. Disability Negligent Hiring/Retention Government Agency Precedent for punishing alcohol abusers Application of Relevant Law At Will Employment Negligent Hiring Expanded Abuse of Legal System Reasonable Accommodations Home Depot Firing Similar to Blazek Situation Alcohol Policies should Match Practice ADAs Potential Misclassification of Alcoholism Recommendation to Employer Conclusion Alcoholism as a Disability Read MoreThe Human Genome Project Essay examples1068 Words   |  5 Pageshas been beneficial to communities alike. As stated, the HGP sought to identify all the genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the three billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, store this information in databases, improve tools for data analysis, transfer related technologies to the private sector, and address the ethical, legal, and social issues that may arise from the project. In favor of achieving these goals, scientists studied the genetic makeup of several nonhuman organismsRead MoreInstrument Used For Measuring Depression1635 Words   |  7 Pages= 0.53) and the higher concerning item No 8A (restlessness, R = 0.96). The coefficient for the total MDI score was very good and equal to 0.91 Comparing the values obtained during test vs. those obtained during retest revealed no differences. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) results review that only 0.01% of total variance is due to differences inherent to the test-retest procedure, with an additional 2.16% attributable to the interaction of this procedure with subjects and the test itself. This isRead MoreThe Importance Of Being A Competent Social Worker1490 Words   |  6 PagesSocial work is a recognised profession with its own code of ethics and professional standards. It is a complex profession, and social workers have to have a sound knowledge base combined with the skills to carry out their tasks effectively and professionally. The process of developing professional capacity, capabilities and expertise, is an essential, crucial and ongoing part of the social work profession. The College of Social Work created the Professional capability framework (PCF) for the purposeRead MoreThe Importance Of Being A Competent Soci al Worker1490 Words   |  6 PagesSocial work is a recognised profession with its own code of ethics and professional standards. It is a complex profession, and social workers have to have a sound knowledge base combined with the skills to carry out their tasks effectively and professionally. The process of developing professional capacity, capabilities and expertise, is an essential, crucial and ongoing part of the social work profession. The College of Social Work created the Professional capability framework (PCF) for the purposeRead MoreGrand Theory Paper: Harry Harlow1718 Words   |  7 Pagesdisease (a disease of the spine); and so, Harries parents had to take care of Delmer most of the time, and in the process, Harry was unintentionally set aside due to Delmer’s illness—this may have caused some of his later-life psychopathology—i.e., alcoholism and depression. Therefore, due to Delmer’s illness, Harlow’s family had to move to New Mexico , however, they were close to being a family as they ever had ever been (Blum 14). Harlow and Delmer were taught to think for themselves and to neverRead MoreGenetic Testing and Screening Essay2695 Words   |  11 Pagesinitiated in 1990. Its major aims are to map and determine the chemical sequences of the three billion nucleotide base pairs that comprise the human genome. Completion of the HGP in the projected 15 years will provide a source book for biology and medicine. The Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP) complements the HGP by examining the genomic variation of the human species, through analysis of DNA from populations, families and individuals worldwide. There are many different techniques involved inRead MoreBusiness Ethics Analysis Essay4857 Words   |  20 Pagesto apply certain ethical standards. There has been conflict between the company, the local community, and non-government organizations (NGOs). The conflicts arose because of evidence of environmental destruction and community harassment by Newmont Nusa Tenggara. This case study is comprised of 3 parts: case presentation and stakeholder analysis; ethical audit; and policy recommendation. Firstly, the facts of NNT’s operations will be analyzed, research based on the ethical literature willRead MoreEugenics And The Eugenics Movement3686 Words   |  15 Pages(Allen 2001:59). The period between 1880 and 1920 was an era of social and economic change in many Western countries. Due to the increased industrialization and militant labor, urbanization created a visibility of negative social behaviors such as alcoholism, prostitution and degeneracy (Allen 2001:61). In the U.S. in particular, the discovery of I.Q. as a heritable trait combined with study results of white schools being more intelligent than black schools lead to many racist perspectives on genetics

Ethical Practices of Computer and Internet Technology Free Essays

Computer and Internet technology use In the workplace gives rise to questionable ethical practices among employees as well as managers. For the last three (plus) decades the increasing availability and advances in technology has improved productivity; however the use of computers and Internet in the workplace leads to temptation to misuse the resource for personal gain. Employees and managers accessing private employee information for personal gain, improper data access to hose who are not privy to it and software copying were a few of the concerns discussed in the 30 year old article Computer Ethics: Questions Arise on Misuse in Business (Pollack, 1983). We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Practices of Computer and Internet Technology or any similar topic only for you Order Now The social media boom of the last decade has brought with It additional questionable ethical violations In the workplace. Time stealing Is discussed in the New York Times online article Opting to Blow the Whistle or Choosing to Walk Away (Tugged, 2013). It states, â€Å"According to the Ethics Resource Center, a nonprofit research organization, the No. Misconduct observed ? by a third of 4,800 respondents ? was misuse of company time† (Tugged, 2013 Para. 4). Eric Swenson discusses the stealing of time through excessive personal use of Internet streaming and social media in his video Business Ethics Stealing Time, by Eric Swenson, Demand Media Video (Swenson, n. D. ). In the words of Eric Swenson, misuse of company time Is time stealing. According to a study conducted by Eric Swenson, â€Å"The average employee in a white collar business spends 3. Hours daily on personal internet usage† (Swenson, n. D. ) However, he broaches the question does this matter? He calls the workers of the present and future, 2020 to be exact, â€Å"millennial employees who want to be connected and be Involved socially’ (Swenson, n. D. ) Swenson states that employees now want to be online streaming videos, media, and music. Is this th e way people work today? The consideration he gives is that he is more concerned about the productivity of the employee versus the exact method or use of time that it takes to get the work accomplished. My conclusion Is there Is definitely an ethical line to be drawn in personal use of computers and Internet technology within the work place. I would ascertain that if privacy is violated for personal gain or technology or work product is stolen as stated in the first article, it is most definitely ethical violation. As far time stealing, where the line gets fuzzier, It should be Judged on whether the time spent on Internet or social media has any impact on the productivity of the employee or benefit to their specific job. How to cite Ethical Practices of Computer and Internet Technology, Papers

Comedy Films at Their Finest Essay Example For Students

Comedy Films at Their Finest Essay Comedy films come in such a wide variety these days. They go from comedy movies making fun of other movies to dark comedy movies. Comedy has been around for years and can come in many different forms. Kids movies now days even show a lot of comedy in them. Americans love comedy for the fact of the laughter. All the different types of comedy films that are released each year in the United States bring in millions of dollars to the film industry. Parody, dark comedy and action comedy are three types of comedy films that are popular in the United States. Action comedy seems to be the most popular now days. â€Å"22 Jump Street† is an action comedy and it is just now being released into theaters. Each of these films expresses comedy in a sense of its own. Most people find one that they take a liking to more so than the others. Dark Comedy or also know as black comedy is a comedy that is a very disturbing type of comedy. Moral ambiguity and black comedy are not new to the world of American film. Both trends can be found in film noir and in popular Hitchcock movies (Hibbs 41). It will almost always be a gloomy type of film. Theses types films are filled with sick humor. This type of comedy film can come off as offensive to some people. Dark comedy films are a comedy that is not appropriate for an immature audience. Dark comedy films can take many directions with its way the director wants to go with it. American film parody is a comic yet generally affectionate and distorted, imitation of a given genre, auteur, or specific work says Wes D. Genning, writer of Parody as a film Genre† never Give a Saga an Event Break†(1). Parody Comedy films are a type of comedy that makes fun and mocks other films. These types of films are usually more on the funnier side of the comedies. These films are filled with ridicule and rudeness. Parody films such as â€Å"Scary Movie 1† mocks the movie â€Å"Scream†. Parody films are sometimes not on the most popular side of the box office. They are more for making sarcastic films and humorous types of films. Action Comedy films are more of the action packed funny films. These types of films are focused on the action that is going on plus the comedy. â€Å"Bad Boys† was a very popular film for this type category. Action comedy films seem to be a pretty popular type of film. A lot of film lovers like the action packed films but the comedy makes these types of films even more of a thriller. Action packed funny movies makes for great movies. Laughter can be found in several types of films, most people just have to find the film that fits their likes. No matter whether it’s a parody film, which will mock other film or an Action comedy films that will fulfill the action needs as well as all the humorous needs. If someone happens to be into the sick joke and sick humor they will love to laugh at the Dark comedy films. All these types of films are comedy at its finest. Bibliography: Genning. Wes D. Parody as a film Genre â€Å"never Give a Saga an Event Break† (1) Greenwood Publishing Group 1999 HIbbs, Thomas, S. Shows about Nothing: Nihilism in Popular Culture. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press. 2012 Project Muse. Web 25 June 2014

Wait Until Dark (A Script Review) Essays - English-language Films

Wait Until Dark (A script review) A Review of Wait Until Dark Frederick Knott wrote the classic thriller, Wait Until Dark, in 1964. The cast consists of several colorful and delightful characters, Harry Roat, Mike Talman, SGT Carlino, Jr., Susy Hendrix, Sam Hendrix, and the upstairs neighbor, Gloria. The play is set in a dimly lit, small basement apartment in Greenwich Village. The leader of the three con men, Harry Roat, encompasses madness and ruthlessness that provokes squirming, white-knuckled fright. Harry veers from calculating one moment to inept and indifferent the next. However, the variety only adds to the character and makes him more believable. Susy, who appears to not be threatened by Rout; instead, seems to be invigorated by him from the beginning and determined to face any challenges that he may present her. The second con man, Talman, is a complex character, who appears gangster tough, but must impersonate an old friend of Susy's husband. However, he is never called upon to be as unflinchingly tough as he could be, and Susy hardly feels the need for his strength in fending off Harry. Next, Carlino, who comes across as having all muscle and not many brains, is the follower of the three cons. While Harry and Talman are actively planning, Carlino is in the background awaiting instructions from the two "stronger" characters. At some point during the script, Carlino shows his naivet? as Susy has some fun with him and starts to "con" him. Arriving in Act I Scene II, Gloria, the sweet little girl from upstairs has the job of going to the store for Susy. Gloria's character adds comedy to what will soon be an intense situation between Susy and the three con men. A little relief is felt as Susy struggles to enforce the house rules upon this unconstrained and stubborn girl. The plot involves a heroin-filled doll that has found its way into the life, and eventually the apartment, of Susy Hendrix. The people who want the doll, are the wicked Harry Roat and his conspirators, Talman and Carlino. Together they scheme to get the doll while Susy conjures up a few tricks of her own to combat them, her blindness becoming as much of a tool as a disability. Knott's carefully calculated roller coaster of a play is set to shift into high gear when Sam, Susy's husband, is about to leave on a short business trip. Just before Sam leaves in Act I Scene II, he gives Susy some words of encouragement. Then Susy asks; "Do I have to be the world's champion blind woman?" and Sam replies wholeheartedly, "Yes!" Thus, the story starts to roll with Susy reluctantly learning to become independent. At varied times, humor is interjected throughout the script through the appearances of Gloria, Roat, Carlino and Mike. Each of these characters provides humor that provokes edgy laughter at the perfect moments for the unsettling nerves of the reader as they progress through the script. The central point of Wait Until Dark is the story of a young and innocent woman who has had to face the challenge of living her life with the disability of being blind. Although she has the support of her husband, Susy continues to struggle to actualize the same daily achievements of her previous seeing life. Wait Until Dark is a wonderful and illuminative story of a young woman who realizes that she need not rely on anyone else to care for her despite her blindness. At the end of Act II Scene III when Susy makes her way up the stairs alone, the reader feels victorious for her as well as a sense of relief and accomplishment. Wait Until Dark is a dramatic thriller that portrays a story of one woman's courage, ingenuity and strength. Susy learns to cope with her blindness and finds value in her own life. This complex thriller will make it difficult for you to enter darkened rooms alone but will also leave you feeling triumphant. In addition, the true sense of terror and the colorful characters make Wait Until Dark a timeless thriller.

Technology Essays

Technology Essays Technology Essay Technology Essay Technology Makes Life Simpler Technology today is everywhere. It is a need for our lives today. Anyone who is not updated in technology, are left behind. Though it is possible to do things without technology, it is hard or it takes a lot of time to do simple stuff, like making a Powering presentation or milking a cow. Entertainment really makes technology evolve. It makes life simpler. Computer is one of the common types of technology that makes our lives simpler. You can make Powering presentation for students project presentation or office ark. Spreadsheet makes your work easier and more professional. Computer can also makes files and folder for you instead of having a lot of cabinets and papers and you can Just search your files immediately than searching in the cabinet one by one. There are other things that you can do like surfing the web. The internet is one of the most use things in the world. There are many things you can do in the internet, like you can watch a video on how to create a pizza or where is the best place to have a dinner with your date. People are watching their very existence be wiped away and they are too busy watching TV. Many argue that technological advancements are beneficial because they further medical research to find cures for diseases. However, in recent studies obesity has surpassed smoking as the number one cause of preventable death in the United States. The obesity of low income families increased by 400% after being given a computer, TV and car. Their physical activity levels decreased by 31%, with 21% more sitting. Evidently, personal technology makes for a very complacent and lazy society. With being able to finish your homework, talk to a friend, watch a video, even order food, all without having to get out of your chair, the need for physical activity is becoming alarmingly obsolete. People are able to drive cars instead of walking-thanks to technology. People can research things online instead of having to go to the library-thanks to technology. People can sit and watch thousands of shows to entertain themselves instead of going outside and playing sports-thanks to technology. Isnt It ironic how technology is helping solve health Issues, yet promoting them at the same time? Although technology yields many benefits, there are major repercussions to suffer if we become too dependent. With the ease of talking friends and playing games online, a virtual reality is created that allows the user to immerse themselves in a world that isolates them from society. The lure of endless websites, social networks to update and videos to watch prevent students from wanting to spend time outside or with their family and friends. The television eliminates the need for relationships. This overuse and dependence is no different than that of a drug addict. Addicts are looked down upon in society with pity or not having the will power to stop or ability to see how their addiction is ruining their lives, but really how different is society with personal technology? After being provided a solution for a problem we never had, in a couple months we immediately think we cannot live without it. How long was it until we realized smoking was bad? It was okay back then because everyone did it. How long will it be until society realizes the detrimental effect technology has on themselves? We are a species mean to evolve, we are human. But with every new gadget that is innovated, we are pulled rather and further away from our humanly culture. The heavily growing independence shrinks brain capacities, contributes to obesity and isolates people from interaction. The need for calculating, and physical movement will soon become obsolete. Do we have the power to refrain from personal technology before it ruins us? Or will we be unable to function without phones, computers or cars? It is time for us to turn off our computers, phones, cars and TVs and unplug, or else we will continue to fuel the demutualization of society and irreversibly evolve into the robotic, technological age.

6 Steps to Finding a Second Job

6 Steps to Finding a Second Job Need a second job? The first thing you’ll need to do is figure out what kind of second job most suits you- do you want to work for someone else, or are you better off working towards starting a small business or trying self-employment? Then, think about your schedule. Most second jobs will choose you depending on the flexibility (or inflexibility) of the hours you have available. Do you need benefits? Is this a temporary solution? Or do you want a long-term gig? Figure out what sort of thing you’re looking for, then follow these easy tips towards finding yourself that extra paycheck. 1. Narrow your searches.Search parameters can be incredibly helpful when looking  for second jobs in particular, as you can select keywords that are deal-breakers for you, like â€Å"weekend† â€Å"evening† â€Å"freelance† â€Å"telecommute† â€Å"part-time† etc. and really narrow the field.2. Look for online gigs.Try looking for online jobs where you c an work from home- often in your pajamas- and still, supplement your income. Be careful to find the legitimate opportunities out there among the scams. Try online tutoring, or freelance writing, or even start an Etsy shop to sell your crafts.3. Go in person.If you’re looking for a second job in a restaurant or store or hotel, then going in person with a resume and a professional demeanor might just get you through the door. Make sure not to show up at the busiest times of day so you can actually get yourself noticed.4. Use your contacts.You’ve built a network for a reason. Use it. Put out feelers telling your contacts you’re looking to pick up a little extra work. You never know what you might turn up. Besides, they might come up with more unique opportunities than you could dredge up yourself. Try for something exciting or challenging or different to shake things up!5. Be upfront.Make it clear to your potential new employer that this would be your second job. T his is the best policy honesty-wise, but also will ensure that they are more understanding about your scheduling needs.6. Consider caregiving.Caregiver jobs are at an all-time high as far as demand is concerned. Whether you’re caring for pets or children or the elderly and infirm, there’s probably a gig out there that would work for you- and really help a family out when they most need it.

EYEWITNESS TO HISTORY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

EYEWITNESS TO HISTORY - Assignment Example What impression do you think Diaz had of Aztec civilization? How does he make his feelings clear? Diaz and company were all astonished having found a great size of Aztec population who had been fond of merchandising goods of various kinds. At a point, he appeared to gain a remarkable impression of the market’s orderliness which maintained goods in appropriate arrangements. Despite his testimonial of the Aztec people’s culture of giving significance to excrements, Diaz attempted to clear his little amount of shame for New Spain by stating how he sensed similarities and connection with his own homeland district where market stalls and fairs with this scenario were a common sight as well. What can we learn regarding Aztec culture, economics, and science from this? Based on such findings, one may readily claim that Aztec culture was rich in its own way since the people of Aztec civilization managed to identify advantages among diverse resources. This way, the economy may be thought to acquire flexibility in which everyone had a job to do that matched specific individual potentials.

Strategic planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic planning - Essay Example A firm aspiring to venture into the manufacturing industry usually takes considerable time before turning into a manufacturing firm. Rudd Corporation has been in the industry for only seventeen years, yet it is already considered as manufacturing firm. ‘Management by Objectives’ is a term that refers to the process of stating and defining the objectives of an organization to the management and employees to get the bet out of the organization. Rudd Corporation can put into plan strategies of using technological ladders as short term objective to tackle the situation inside the corporation. The objectives for using technological ladders in the corporation are to lessen the number of slips, trips and falls in the organization. Secondly, the corporation uses technological ladders to simplify the ease of doing a task in the corporation and increase their profit limits. Preparing a research budget for Rudd Corporation entails the overview of the materials required. Rudd Corporation requires buying electronic ladders. Rudd requires a business plan to help in the running of its daily activities which operate automatically. The corporation should put a side the continuance fees annually to repair the automatic ladders used in the corporation. The maintenance of the ladders will prevent against unnecessary break downs and injuries in the corporation. A strategic plan provides the establishment and structure for a business plan. Rudd’s corporation tactical plan should relate to the duration or purpose of the business. An example is that Rudd’s management should clearly state if the corporation is short or long term venture, and put appropriate strategies to match the nature of the corporation. Tactical plans should be undertaken by Rudd’s management on the employees required in the organization. The corporation should employ skilled and physically fit employees, since the nature of work in the corporation is demanding (Olsen, 384). The goals

Health Care Delivery Systems Essay Example for Free

Health Care Delivery Systems Essay Abstract The American health care system is designed to focus on the organizations of individuals, places, and to treat and prevent adequate health care for the target populations. The federal government conducts an immense portion of delivering health care systems in our world today. The purpose for health care delivery systems is to provide financial tangible benefits and provide health care services for the population and institutions. The results showed for the support of the hypothesis is elaborating in the importance of different health care delivery systems and the purpose in how they are utilized in today’s health reform. Running Head: Health Care Delivery Systems Essay Health Care Delivery Systems Health care systems engage the initial contact of people and it is the foundation of primary health care. In order to receive primary health care it begins with providing a service to families, people, and communities through health professionals and their teams. The Health care delivery systems is involved with a proactive method to prevent health issues and to better ensure the organization and to investigate once a health issue has transpired. In addition, these type of services are publicly funded from general tax revenues without direct charges to the patient (Health Canada, 2011). The most two similar forms of health care delivery systems is managed care systems ex. (HMO) and fee for service (FFS). The fee for service plan is generally called Traditional Indemnity (Website 101, 2009). Fee for service offers flexible measures for the exchange of drastically high out of pocket expenses, it also requires a substantial amount of paperwork and premiums are high. Furthermore, some advantages are having the privilege in selecting hospitals and physicians of your own, and having the opportunity in receiving treatment from a specialist without a primary doctor referral. The disadvantages are high deductibles and the patient is responsible of paying twenty percent and the physicians are obligated to reimburse eighty percent of the expensive. Also, fee for service solely pays for â€Å"reasonable  and customary† health issues (website, 101). Doctors may have a different medical fee opposed to other areas, and the patients are obligated to pay their portion that is instated in health plan coverage. However, HMO is the less expensive and less flexible of all medical coverage’s. The advantages are consist of less paperwork and low copayments. It provides for a portion of improvement health preventive care plans. Unfortunately, there is disadvantages that the health care holder will experience with in choosing a PCP which is a primary care physician, and the HMO plan only accepts a network of their physicians or they will not stand up to the obligation of their financial transaction argument. In addition, in order for the client to see a specialist they must obtain a referral from their PCP. The expression Alternative Delivery Systems is created to entail all techniques of health care delivery systems barring acceptable fee-for-service and private practice like IPAs, PPOs, HMOs, and all other health care systems that provide health care of who conducts organized care systems. (http://aspe.hhs.gov/Progsys/forum/mcobib.htm). For example, Managed Care is a health care delivery system that merges payment and the delivery. It also accesses the use of treatments by engaging organization strategies creating to enhance the growth of cost-effective in the delivery of health care. Managed health care plan is a system that assimilates any management with in accordance of finance that delivers health care services of the covered population. In contrast, PPO also known Preferred Provider Organization is the delivery system that commits with medical care providers who gives discounted fees to clients. Nevertheless, clients have the opportunity to give health care to participants who are not members but can potentially become financial penalized due to any action of seeking out side providers and face consequences of not receiving discount and any deductibles of one’s health care plan and copayments. Goals of Health Care Delivery Systems. The reason HMO’s are unique because they prepaid and they are managed care systems that initially were health care alternative to fee-for-service health care. There goals is to obtain affordable and comprehensive health care coverage. This plan is conducted in advance by the option of a fixed fee from all members. Moreover, HMO delivers minimal cost for medical services that are needed for patients, and this health plan is responsible  in conducting the deliver and finance portion of the medical health care services. They also arrange to provide the essential medical care which includes the benefit packages. Prepaid Health Plans (PHP) is known to help make quality health care affordable for groups of people, including farmers, blue collar workers and their families† (Ahern, 2007) . In contrast, the traditional health care insurance only funds health coverage for hospital visits, and enrolled insures that receive health coverage in prepaid plans is charged a predetermined for acute and preventive health care from doctors who work in hospitals. As for PPOs, their health care philosophy originally was to create simple concepts in delivering health care services to large groups with lower rates in order to substantially gain a business development for their management. To emphasize, insures can select their own physician’s however penalties can potentially occur if they are not with the network. This form of health coverage is engaged in receiving adequate power with lower health care prices for their clients in the standing of the dense health care system in America. The fee for service (FFS) is ultimately focusing in creating options to approach paid private insurances to gain more control relating with time and the forms of treatment. FFS is designed to reflect on an ideal perspective for private health care plans, instead of government-administered pricing and giving proper recognition in private health care plans that can utilize health care organizations productively. This method will enhance quality and proficie ncy in delivering a regenerated approach in the health care industry (Nicolas, O’ Malley, 2007). Mission Statement If I had full control of conducting a health care delivery system I would focus in offering health care insurance for businesses, government organizations, people, families, groups, and schools. Also, I feel flexibility is significant for the process of selecting your own choice of primary doctors in the same network and receive great service with affordable payments. The health care delivery system will project and promote exceptional quality health care service is the HMO plan. This health plan will contribute in supporting by over exceeding expectations of all parties which includes employees, communities, work force, stake holders, investors, and customers.

The Minimum Wage Should Not Be Increased :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

"The minimum wage is something that F.D.R. put in place a long time ago during the Great Depression. I don't think it worked then. It didn't solve any problems then and it hasn't solved any problems in 50 years." -- John Raese The minimum wage in the United States was established under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 in an effort to stabilize the economy following the Great Depression. It was designed to create a minimum standard of living by ensuring that workers could provide for the health and well being of their families. With its passage workers were legally ensured that they would receive a minimum of 25 cents for each hour worked. With each increase of the minimum pay rate ($7.75 today) there has been an increased level of debate. Such discussions have resurfaced again as the country attempts to deal with the impact of the Great Recession of 2008. Economists generally agree that minimum wage increases do not affect national employment significantly. However the size of an increase can have a dramatic impact on the employment of segments of the population, GDP, price of goods, and other measurements of productivity. From an economic perspective, mandated wages negatively impact society in the long run (all other variables being held constant); therefore we recommend that other policy measures be considered to narrow the inequality gap in our country. A review of the supply and demand curve provides the simplest explanation for our recommendation. A minimum wage is essentially a price floor for labor. If this floor is set above the current market price – as would be the case with an increase in minimum wage - the demand for workers will be reduced while the supply of workers will increase. As illustrated below the result would lead to increased unemployment. http://notatthedinnertable.weebly.com/uploads/3/4/1/1/3411210/5183225_orig.png Firms will retain more productive and higher paid workers, however lower skilled and lesser paid (those you intend to assist) will be shed. Those who lose their job will then require government benefits, such as unemployment compensation and welfare, to survive thus increasing government expenditures and debt. In the event that a firm does not fire workers the cost of the additional wages must be addressed. Typically the increased cost of doing business can be managed in two ways. The firm will transfer the increased cost to consumers by raising the selling price of its goods or

Bharatnatyam

Introduction to Semiotics Bharatanatyam A journey from temples to the proscenium An introduction Bharatanatyam is a Sanskrit word, which means the dance of Bharata (India). True to its name, it is one of the oldest and most popular dance forms of India. It originated in the temples of Southern India and was later codified and documented as a performing art by the Tanjore Quartet. It is now the most popular Indian classical dance and is appreciated worldwide. Bharatanatyam is a language in itself. Like Sanskrit language, bharatanatyam follows strict rules and is technically sound. The grammar of the steps is followed rigorously. It is danced to Carnatic music and the mathematical precision of the dance equals the Carnatic music measure of measure. The three significant ingredients of bharatanatyam are: bhava (emotion), raga (music) and taal (rhythm); governed by Bharata muni’s Natya Shastra and Nandikeshwar’s Abhinaya Darpana. Hence, the interpretation BHAva +  RAga (music) +  TAla+  NATYAM(dance) =  Bharatanatyam. The technique and presentation â€Å"Bharatanatyam in its highest moment, is the embodiment of music in a visual form† -Balasaraswati The three major attributes of a Bharatanatyam performance are Nritta (technique), Nritya and Natya (drama). Nritta is pure dance. It is the movement of hands and feet on the rhythm and speed. It is a collage of rhythmic lines, forms and shapes. The movements, mudras or gestures do not signify anything. Then why nritta? Indian music and dance forms are based on the concept of cyclic rhythm or taal. Various musical patterns are woven with the musical notes and rhythmic patterns which can be beautifully executed through nritta. Nritya is interpretative dance. It is used to exhibit the underlying meaning of the song and the emotion attached with it. It is a combination of nritta and abhinaya or expressions. The meaning of the song is expressed systematic gesture language and facial expressions. Natya is equivalent to dance-drama. It is a language of gestures, poses, dialogues and mime. It depicts a story usually from the Indian mythology like Ramayan or Mahabharata. Here, the emphasis is majorly on abhinaya or expression rather than the rhythmic movements. The Abinaya is divided as: Angikabhinaya:  Expression through the limbs and body like the Head, Hands, and Legs. Vachikabhinaya:  Expression through narrations and voice. Aharyabhinaya:  Expression through dress, ornaments and other aids. Satvikabhinaya: Mental expression of feeling and emotion by facial expression and use of eyes. Bharatanatyam: The Journey The journey of bharatnatyam from the temples of south India to the proscenium of the world is a very exciting one. Dasi-attam (Origin and decline) Bharatnatyam as a very ancient and traditional art form has been associated with the temples of South India. It is believed that Bharatnatyam used to be known as the â€Å"temple dance†. Bharatnatyam was also known as the dasi-attam (dance performed by the dasis – the servants of God) or the sadir-attam (court dance). It was choreographed to be performed solo by the devadasis in the temples as an offering to the deities. These women, called devadasis, are said to have devoted their lives to God. They were considered to be united with the Gods. Infact, they were considered so close to the gods and so pure, that a pearl form their necklace was considered auspicious for the mangalsutra of a woman. They performed useful functions at temples like cleaning, lighting lamps, dressing the deities etc. They also sang devotional songs and danced in devotion to the deities. Apart from this, they taught music and dance to young girls. These devadasis were accomplished artistes who could play many musical instruments. They were well versed in Sanskrit and other languages, which helped them to interpret the compositions that they would perform. They were instrumental in developing a tradition of classical music and dance in South India. The devadasis were celibate and were not allowed to have a family as they were considered to be married to the Gods. Therefore, initially most of the dances in Bharatnatyam were choreographed to be in praise of God. Many padams (narrative pieces) depicted the love story of a nayak (hero) and a nayika (heroine). In most cases, the nayak was in the form of Lord Krishna, or Shiva or any other mythological hero. While Shiva was said to be serious, Krishna was full of pathos and love. Thus, the choreographies mainly concentrated on Sringara rasa (love). Gradually the devadasi system started getting plagued with several notorious ills. Around this time, it was customary for the Indian people hailing from royal or aristocratic families to invite a devadasi to a celebration, to sing and dance and perform. The best dancers were invited to the royal courts to perform, in return which they were provided with a shelter. In this period, the position of the devadasis could be compared to that of an apsara (celestial nymph) who danced in the courts of the Gods in order to please them. Eventually, the rich men and the aristocrats attracted the devadasis with good money and luxurious lifestyles and lured them into being their mistresses. The devadasis were easily enticed to the kind of lifestyle offered to them. Thus, the sringara rasa in their choreographies converted into eroticism and they danced merely to appease the rich men. As consequence of which, these devadasis who were held at par with the temple priests lost their respect in the society. By this time, the Europeans had arrived to India. Their advent was like addition of fuel to the fire of the already deteriorating dance form. The Europeans ridiculed this entire system of dancing to please the lords and considered this to be no better than prostitution. Under the British rule, propaganda prevailed to against Indian art, misinterpreting it as crude and immoral. Also other factors like loss of patronage due to the unstable political conditions, lack of recognition in the education system and lack of appreciation as compared to that given to ballet ; played a major role in the set back of the dance form. Due to the degenerated status of the devadasis, the Indian reformers started a movement against the devadasis. Thus the devadasi tradition was banned. The government started working with various non-governmental organizations to help reinstate these women into the society, as well as raise public awareness of the demeaning nature of their life work Thus, the devadasi tradition and with it the performing art (bharatanatyam) took a back seat in the history of Indian art and culture. Revival Against all odds, a few families preserved the knowledge of this dance form. These included individuals from varied backgrounds: Indian freedom fighters, Westerners interested in Indian arts, people outside the  devadasi  class who learnt Bharatanatyam, and  devadasis  themselves. The pioneers in reviving this art for are: E. Krishna Iyer, Rukmini Devi, Balasaraswati etc. Bharatanatyam now attracted young artists from respectable  Brahmin  families. Initially met with shock, their participation ultimately helped to shift public opinion in favor of reviving the art. An association of  devadasis  joined the effort to revive Bharatanatyam. Its ranks included an eventual teacher of Rukmini Devi’s, as well as the family of the legendary dancer Balasaraswati. Rukmini Devi’s debut performance in 1935 was a milestone. Her efforts won over much of the orthodox community of Madras. Her reforms of costume, stage setting, repertoire, introduction of dance drama,musical accompaniment, and thematic content, overcame the objections of conservatives that Bharatanatyam was vulgar. She went on to found the Kalakshetra institute, to which she attracted many great artists and musicians, with whom she trained generations of dancers. Balasaraswati promoted the traditional art of the  devadasis, maintaining that reforms were unnecessary and detracted from the art. Staying true to her  devadasi  lineage, she achieved great renown for her excellence. The renewed awareness of Bharatanatyam in Indian society allowed many nattuvanars  to resume their training activities, and many artists to enter the field of classical dance. Rukmini Devi’s desire to restore the full spiritual potential of the dance motivated reforms that led to what was known as the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam. Bharatanatyam soon became the most widespread and popular of the Indian classical dance forms. It wasn’t long before it achieved international recognition as one of India’s treasures. Rukmini Devi versus Balasaraswati Differences in the similarity of trying to revive the Indian traditional art form The two towering figures that played a major role in the revival of das-attam as bharatantyam: Tanjore Balasaraswati and Rukmini Devi. Balasaraswati was affiliated with the school known as Tanjore court style while Rukmini devi was associated with a style that she developed at Kalakshetra. By focusing on these two dancers, we can throw light on the historical event of the upgradation of bharatanatyam. They were contemporaries. Balasaraswati gave her first performance in 1925 in a temple and Rukmini Devi gave her first performance in 1935 for the Theosophical Society’s anniversary celebration. Both performed Bharatanatyam regularly on concert stage and considered it a means of salvaging the endangered dance form. In the Indian dance world, both of them are legendary figures. Their names have become synonymous to classicism and traditionalism. Around both of them instructional communities have developed, which led to idea of development of various styles in Bharatnatyam. They led on to take Bharatnatyam on a whole new international level, in their own way. Despite the similarities and the oneness in the agenda of working for the up gradation of the lost dance form, the difference in their ideologies held them in opposition – which has affected the background of Bharatanatyam ever since. Rukmini Devi was a Brahmin who was married to an English Theosophist, George Arundale at the age of sixteen. She came in contact with the famous ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova who accepted her as a student. Pavlova later suggested Rukmini Devi to train in her ‘own dance from’. Following her advice, Rukmini Devi returned to Madras and trained under a traditional guru in the classical dance form, Bharatanatyam. She defied the orthodox custom that upper and middle class girls should not learn dance and set up Kalakshetra to train dancers from the upper and middle class families. The establishment of Kalakshetra played an important role in bringing Bharatanatyam from the temples to the concert stage. Balasaraswati on the other hand hailed from a family of devadasis. She was born in a lineage of women who were associated with the Tanjore music and dance since generations. Her mother and grandmother wanted her to become musician considering the social stigma linked to dance at that time but she decided to become a dancer against all odds. She gave her first performance, arangetram at the temple of Ammanakshi in Kanchipuram, marking the beginning of her legendary career. Rukmini Devi Rukmini Devi entered and Balasaraswati had carved their positions in the world of dance with a radically different perspectives. Rukmini Devi had a very clear goal of purifying the dance form. According to her, the dance form was precious but degraded because its reigns were in the hands of people with ‘ill repute’. She wanted to eradicate the stigma associated with it by passing it on to the hands of people from the upper or middle class. She thought that everything about Bharatnatyam needed to be purified so that it could regain its respectable position in the society. Also, she believed that the main reason for the degradation of this art form was the fact that sringara rasa (love) was the centre of the choreographies. The sringara rasa had led to the degeneration of the art form as introduced eroticism and sexuality in the art to the extent to make it vulgar. â€Å"To depict such things is unthinkable for me†, she said. She was not against the sringara rasa as such (she had performed love poems by jayadeva and kalidasa in her natya), but against the choreographies performed by the devadasi. The actions, mudras and movements included by them in their choreographies had become earthy from beautiful. She strived hard to replace the sringara rasa by bhakti rasa or ‘devotionalism’; devoid of any sexual referrant. Bhakti Rasa Rukmini Devi held Bharatnatyam as a national art form and worked towards its purification and propagating this art form in India and the rest of the world. She established the Kalakshetra – international school of performing arts, to fulfil her goals. Here, students from various upper and middle classes were trained in Bharatnataym and also some other dance forms. She also set up a theatre which gave a platform to her students and also to her innovations in the dance form. Thus, she made reforms to take Bharatnatyam to a whole new international level. Balasaraswati Balsaraswati on the other hand, was very proud of her mother, grandmother and her devadasi ancestors. She was very proud of the achievements of the devadasis in the world of Bharatnatyam. Unlike Devi, she fore grounded the South Indian nativity and stood by the Tamil roots associated with the dance form. She advocated preserving the tradition, and also keeping it in the hands of the  devadasi  community. Her argument was that the art would die if separated from the caste. She believed that Bharatnatyam was in its purest form and it required no modernization or reformation. At many occasions she reprobated efforts to purify the dance form saying. â€Å"Indeed the effort to purify bharatanatyam is like putting gloss on a burnished gold or painting a lotus†. This proves how high Balasaraswati’s respect and love for Bharatanatyam (in its existing form) was. She urged to adhere to the custom of Bharatnatyam being performed in temples and courts. She also urged taking Bharatnatyam on the concert stage. This gave a new dimension to the revival of the dance form. She also defended the maintenance of originality of the dance form, by supporting the long, solo performances being an important component of the dance form. She emphasized the importance of such elements in to context to maintain classicism, integrity and aestheticism of the dance form. She also believed that abiding by the Tanjore Quartet’s format was an important way of honouring the contributions of the court practitioners. Sringara Rasa Balasaraswati was particularly critical of the reformers who believed in transforming the sringara rasa of the form. She was quoted as saying, â€Å"Sringara is bhakti and bhakti is sringara†. She believed that there is an intricate relationship between the expression of love (sringara) and feeling of devotion (bhakti). She believed that sringara is the supreme emotion and that no other emotion could express so beautifully the mystic union of atma (soul) and the paramatma (The almighty). This rasa gives the dancer a wide scope of introducing artistic innovation from within herself. Balasarswati thus, believed that she was entrusted with the task of safeguarding the dance form by not allowing it to be modernized and easily accessible for corruption. In spite of all the discouragement faced from the world, she continued to protect the dance form, the purity and the originality of the dance form. A similarity in the differences In spite of all the difference and such radically opposite perspectives, both Rukmini Devi and Balasaraswati had the same agenda- of saving the dying dance form. They both strived in their own way to protect the dance form and to take it to a whole new level. Their efforts in bringing Bharatnatyam to the concert stage or proscenium against all the opposition and hurdles from the society are commendable. A choreographer should be thankful to the endeavours of these two torchbearers towards the revival of the Bharatnatyam. History was therefore selective. Rukmini Devi and Balasaraswati presented their understandings by emphasizing on some aspects and eschewing the others.

Slavery in the United States

The problem of slavery in the territories created tensions that contributed to the breakup of the Union in 1860-61. The main explanation for the origins of the American Civil War is slavery, especially when it came to Southern anger. The Southern anger was based on the Northern attempts to avoid further slave expansion, which lead to numerous acts, and essentially caused the war against Mexico. The United States was a nation divided into two different regions separated by the Mason-Dixon Line. New England, the Northeast and the Midwest had a rapidly-growing economy based on family farms, industry, mining, commerce and transportation, with a large and rapidly growing urban population and no slavery north of the border-states. Its growth was fed by a high birth rate and large numbers of European immigrants, especially Irish, British and German. The South was dominated by a settled plantation system based on slavery. There was some rapid growth taking place in the Southwest, (i. e. Texas), based on high birth rates and high migration from the Southeast, but it had a much lower immigration rate from Europe. The South also had fewer large cities, and little manufacturing except in border areas (which were very influenced by the Northern region). Slave owners controlled politics and economics, though two-thirds of Southern whites owned no slaves and usually were engaged in subsistence agriculture The economic and social differences between the North and the South were two main f actors that caused tensions that contributed to the breakup of the Union. As stated earlier the South was dominated by a settled plantation system based on slavery. Unlike the North in which slavery was frown upon. The North? s economy was based in small farms, and industrial labor in the urban populated cities. As for the North that socially was shaped by European immigration, the South was very much isolated. The North was progressing as labor united various kinds of cultures achieving a society that sustain in each other, unlike the South who solely depended on the Slaves, even though most farms did not contain slaves the Southern society was moved by the richest plantation owners (which did solely depend on slavery). Some other factors that lead to tension leading to the separation of the Union are; States versus federal rights, the fight between Slave and Non-Slave State Proponents, Growth of the Abolition Movement, and finally the election of Abraham Lincoln.

All Pronoun Cases Are Created Equal

All Pronoun Cases Are Created Equal All Pronoun Cases Are Created Equal All Pronoun Cases Are Created Equal By Maeve Maddox Some writers and speakers seem to believe that I is somehow more high class than me. Snooty characters on soap operas are especially fond of this construction. The fact is, I and me are class neutral. They simply have different jobs to do. Pronouns have two grammatical cases that still matter in English: subject and object (aka nominative and accusative). The subject forms of the personal pronouns are: I, you he, she, it, we, you, and they. (Theres another use, but thats for another post.) Here are subject pronouns used as subjects of verbs: I live in Arkansas. He lives in Brazil. She flies a Cessna. It is sleeping in its basket. We play hockey. You are the winner. They hate snow. The object forms of the personal pronouns are: me, him, her, it, us, you, and them. These forms are used as the objects of transitive verbs and as the objects of prepositions. Here are examples of object pronouns used as the objects of transitive verbs: No one told me. The ball hit him. Do you believe her? Put it on the table. Visit us soon. I see you. We see them. Here are examples of object pronouns used as the objects of prepositions: Give it to me. Whos that behind him? Go sit beside her. The book is under it. Do come with us. The Force is within you. We like everyone except them. I used to think that people avoided using me because theyd been corrected so often as children for saying things like Me and him went to the movies. Now Im not so sure. Ive recently heard talk show guests say things like Me and my friends gave a benefit and in the next breath say something like They invited Sally and I. Related to pronoun usage is the order in which pronouns are placed in a phrase. Traditionally, when mentioning oneself and others, the rule has been to place I or me in the final position: My friends and I gave a benefit performance. Save a seat for Jerry, Sally, and me. More and more I notice people placing themselves first. Perhaps this tendency accounts for Me being used as a subject. After all, ours is a me first culture. Once I corrected an eighth-grader on this point. He looked at me in utter astonishment and asked Why would I want to put myself last? Whatever order you put your pronouns in, remember to use the correct case. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire You50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and FingersOne "L" or Two?

Standard, Standardize, and Standardized

Standard, Standardize, and Standardized Standard, Standardize, and Standardized Standard, Standardize, and Standardized By Maeve Maddox A reader has asked for a discussion of the words standard, standardize and standardized: I ask because of a statement I made sometime ago, where I said, we took a standard test. But my friend thought it should have been we took a standardized test. I think Im correct since standard in this context is an adjective that qualifies the noun test. On the other hand, standardize is a transitive verb and it should convey a sense of action. However, when I surfed the internet to see how these words are used, I found a puzzling example: â€Å"There was no standardized time until train travel became common.† Would you consider this a correct way of using the word standardized? The verb standardize derives from the noun standard. Among the different meanings of the noun and the verb, these are the ones relevant to this discussion: standard noun: An authoritative or recognized exemplar of correctness, perfection, or some definite degree of any quality. standardize verb: To bring to a standard or uniform size, strength, form of construction, proportion of ingredients, or the like. Both standard and standardized function as adjectives, but with different meanings. One can speak of a â€Å"standard test† or a â€Å"standardized test,† but the two phrases do not mean the same thing. A standard test is the usual test given. For example, a â€Å"standard driving test† requires the learner to parallel-park. A â€Å"standard joke† is one that is often repeated. A â€Å"standard excuse† for not doing something is â€Å"I didn’t have time.† A  standardized test  is a  test designed, administered and scored according to specific guidelines based on a standard that has been established by some authoritative body. It’s even possible to speak of a â€Å"standard standardized test.† For example, a particular standardized test like the PARCC or ACT might be the â€Å"standard standardized test† in one state or district, but not in another. As for the phrase â€Å"standardized time,† the same sort of contextual considerations apply. One may speak of â€Å"standardized time† and â€Å"standard time.† Before train travel became common, local times, based on the sun or a locally chosen meridian, were sufficient. Once people had to plan journeys with departure and arrival times in different regions, a standardized method of telling time became necessary. The result of the nineteenth-century century standardization of time is standard time: a standard system of reckoning based on geographical time zones. Context, of course, rules, but generally speaking, standard conveys â€Å"the usual,† whereas standardized conveys something systematically designed and administered. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing Prompts 101One Fell SwoopApostrophe with Plural Possessive Nouns

Communication in Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Communication in Management - Case Study Example In my opinion there are three vital non-verbal categories which if applied properly will fully complete all the functions of the non-verbal communication and will not hinder the verbal one - eye contact, paralanguage and adornment. Modern business culture values eye contact, because it maintains the balance of the interpersonal relation between the seniors and the workers. Looking away might be read as avoiding the importance of the message conveyed. Thus, keeping eye contact with the employees when talking is of crucial importance. Scheflen (1972) explains that paralanguage involves non-lexical vocal communication. Paralanguage uses the broadest emotional nuances, consequently, if applied properly can replace excessive gestures or facial expressions. This category includes inflection, tone, pitch (high, low), pauses (hesitant, organized, meaningful), pacing (rapid, measured, slow) (Scheflen 1972). Paralanguage is a powerful tool, because it plays with associations and on unconscious level. Knapp and Hall (2002) note that adornment - clothes, make-up, accessories are also important communication tools, which besides appearance transmit emotional and psychological signs. Managers need to be extra careful when choosing adornments, because they play a powerfully suggestive action. Moreover, the room where the meetings are held has the capacity to affect the interaction. The amount of light, the color of the walls, the seat arrangement, the temperature and smells have to the correctly applied by the manager who is trying to make his point and his ideas to be understood and followed. 2. Discuss in detail the relationship between emotional intelligence and effective listening. The most common mistake made in management is not listening. Active listening is the other term used to identify undivided attention and empathic attitude. Rock (2007) outlines four basic rules that active listening involves: Seek to understand before you seek to be understood; Be non judgmental; Give your undivided attention to the speaker; Use silence effectively. All these require a high emotional intelligence, because they operate on mental, emotional and subconscious levels. When we try to understand rather than to be understood, this strains our listening abilities. Furthermore, through collecting the information while listening takes place, we process the details first we our intelligence and then exchange it emotionally to see what we have understood. Empathic listening proves that emotional intelligence is necessary to accomplish this. An example of being non judgmental is when we are acquainting with a new person. We avoid addressing arguable issues, until we learn the disposition or judgment criteria of the individual about the problem. This empathic behavior is excellent indicator for the emotional intelligence involved is active listening and communication techniques. The undivided attention is also dependent on the emotional intelligence, because the listener intentionally directs his senses towards the speaker. The listener can al so consciously send messages to the speaker to demonstrate that he is actively listening through body language, applauses or asking questions. The final concept for

Clothing Shop and Fabrics Sale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Clothing Shop and Fabrics Sale - Essay Example Now the owner knew that he can also use different social networking service to benefit his business. He starts using Facebook to promote events for different sports such as snowboarding and skating. The owner fund webcasts are helpful, so he develops the clothing brand accounts on Instagram and Facebook to provide the customer with full news and announcement about his products. He wanted the customer to feel more connected to his business. Therefore, he establishes an online shop to make it easy for the customer to shop. Nowadays there are many ways for business owners to advertise their products. One of these ways is the electronic advertisement that has advantages and disadvantages. Knowing these advantages and disadvantages will help business owners to choose the best way for them to advertise their products. We all know that an electronic advertisement is a new way in the business world, and it is an unfamiliar way for many people. This reason caused most of the electronic advertising drawbacks. Another reason is peoples satisfaction with the traditional way of advertising."Technology has still not advanced enough to allow electronic advertising to compete with television and print"[1]. In order for an electronic advertisement to be successful, the technology has to improve but in these days we didn't reach a high level of technology development. Even though if technology has developed, many people won't have the ability to explore the online information system. On the other hand, people who have the skill to use the online information system find electronic advertisement distracting and annoying. Therefore, they try to avoid visiting website that has the advertisement for it. Moreover, most of the advertisers tend to use the traditional way to advertise because they find electronic adve rtisement is not appealing to them.And that what help television and print advertisement to have a huge market with much attraction from advertisers.

Home and Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Home and Family - Essay Example Most of these parents are more concerned with their own lives than their children. In â€Å"After Making Love We Hear Footsteps†, the loving nature of a parent can be observed. After two parents make love their little boy always ran to sleep in between them. Instead of throwing the child out of their bed, the parents welcome him with open arms: These parents show their child love by accepting them into their very private bed. This child is the center of the universe for his parents. Unlike other examples that will be later given, this child will grow up to be confident and well adjusted. As will be presented, this situation is a very unique and rare example. â€Å"Orthello† shows one typical view of the parent/child relationship. Brabantio treats his daughter, Desdemona, like his personal property. Desdemona means as much to Brabantio as his gold. The following passage shows this emotion: Brabantio only cared about what Desdemona could do for him by marrying rich, than treating her lovingly. Desdemona was definitely on Brabantio’s peripheral vision, until she messed up his plans by marrying Orthello. other. After the father is laid off, he takes joy in others’ misfortune. Whenever a fire truck can be heard, the father takes is family out to watch the fires. The child only knows that he receives attention by his otherwise occupied father. He tells: Despite the suffering of the family whose house burned, the father feels justified because at least he still has a house. The child is ripped out of bed to see his father’s sick obsession. The parent is passing down his own issues to the child. The father could have easily gone to the fires alone. It would have been faster than taking a wife and five children along. The father wanted an audience, just like the wife went to keep peace. That is what the wife wanted to accomplish; peace. She felt

Methods Used to Evaluate Investment Projects

Methods Used to Evaluate Investment Projects Evaluation of the attractiveness of an investment proposal, using methods such as average rate of return, internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), or payback period. Investment appraisal is an integral part of capital budgeting (see capital budget), and is applicable to areas even where the returns may not be easily quantifiable such as personnel, marketing, and training Average Rate of Return (ARR) Definition: Method of investment appraisal which determines return on investment by totalling the cash flows (over the years for which the money was invested) and dividing that amount by the number of years Internal Rate of Return (IRR) Definition: One of the two discounted cash flow (DCF) techniques (the other is net present value or NPV) used in comparative appraisal of investment proposals where the flow of income varies over time. IRR is the average annual return earned through the life of an investment and is computed in several ways. Depending on the method used, it can either be the effective rate of interest on a deposit or loan, or the discount rate that reduces to zero the net present value of a stream of income inflows and outflows. If the IRR is higher than the desired rate of return on investment, then the project is a desirable one. However, it is a mechanical method (computed usually with a spreadsheet formula) and not a consistent principle. It can give wrong or misleading answers, especially where two mutually-exclusive projects are to be appraised. Also called dollar weighted rate of return Net Present Value (NPV) Definition: NPV is the difference between the present value (PV) of the future cash flows from an investment and the amount of investment. Present value of the expected cash flows is computed by discounting them at the required rate of return (also called minimum rate of return) For example, an investment of $1,000 today at 10 percent will yield $1,100 at the end of the year; therefore, the present value of $1,100 at the desired rate of return (10 percent) is $1,000. The amount of investment ($1,000 in this example) is deducted from this figure to arrive at NPV which here is zero ($1,000-$1,000). A zero NPV means the project repays original investment plus the required rate of return. A positive NPV means a better return, and a negative NPV means a worse return, than the return from zero NPV. It is one of the two discounted cash flow (DCF) techniques (the other is internal rate of return) used in comparative appraisal of investment proposals where the flow of income varies over time Payback Period Definition: Time required to recover an investment or loan. INVESTMENT APPRAISAL One of the key areas of long-term decision-making that firms must tackle is that of investment the need to commit funds by purchasing land, buildings, machinery and so on, in anticipation of being able to earn an income greater than the funds committed. In order to handle these decisions, firms have to make an assessment of the size of the outflows and inflows of funds, the lifespan of the investment, the degree of risk attached and the cost of obtaining funds. The main stages in the capital budgeting cycle can be summarised as follows: Forecasting investment needs. Identifying project(s) to meet needs. Appraising the alternatives. Selecting the best alternatives. Making the expenditure. Monitoring project(s). Looking at investment appraisal involves us in stage 3 and 4 of this cycle. We can classify capital expenditure projects into four broad categories: Maintenance replacing old or obsolete assets for example. Profitability quality, productivity or location improvement for example. Expansion new products, markets and so on. Indirect social and welfare facilities. Even the projects that are unlikely to generate profits should be subjected to investment appraisal. This should help to identify the best way of achieving the projects aims. So investment appraisal may help to find the cheapest way to provide a new staff restaurant, even though such a project may be unlikely to earn profits for the company. Investment appraisal methods: One of the most important steps in the capital budgeting cycle is working out if the benefits of investing large capital sums outweigh the costs of these investments. The range of methods that business organisations use can be categorised one of two ways: traditional methods and discounted cash flow techniques. Traditional methods include the Average Rate of Return (ARR) and the Payback method; discounted cash flow (DCF) methods use Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return techniques. Traditional Methods Payback: This is literally the amount of time required for the cash inflows from a capital investment project to equal the cash outflows. The usual way that firms deal with deciding between two or more competing projects is to accept the project that has the shortest payback period. Payback is often used as an initial screening method. Payback period = Initial payment / Annual cash inflow So, if  £4 million is invested with the aim of earning  £500 000 per year (net cash earnings), the payback period is calculated thus: P =  £4 000 000 /  £500 000 = 8 years This all looks fairly easy! But what if the project has more uneven cash inflows? Then we need to work out the payback period on the cumulative cash flow over the duration of the project as a whole. Payback with uneven cash flows: Of course, in the real world, investment projects by business organisations dont yield even cash flows. Have a look at the following projects cash flows (with an initial investment in year 0 of  £4 000): The payback period is precisely 5 years. The shorter the payback period, the better the investment, under the payback method. We can appreciate the problems of this method when we consider appraising several projects alongside each other. But, here we must face the real problem posed by payback: the time value of income flows. Put simply, this issue relates to the sacrifice made as a result of having to wait to receive the funds. In economic terms, this is known as the opportunity cost. More on this point follows later. So, because there is a time value constraint here, the payback method can become complicated. In this case, the earlier flow of revenue is a key factor. Also if post-payback revenues occur earlier in the lives of competing projects, that can be a decisive factor. OK, so its clear that the payback method is a bit of a blunt instrument. So why use it? Arguments in favour of payback Firstly, it is popular because of its simplicity. Research over the years has shown that UK firms favour it and perhaps this is understandable given how easy it is to calculate. Secondly, in a business environment of rapid technological change, new plant and machinery may need to be replaced sooner than in the past, so a quick payback on investment is essential. Thirdly, the investment climate in the UK in particular, demands that investors are rewarded with fast returns. Many profitable opportunities for long-term investment are overlooked because they involve a longer wait for revenues to flow. Arguments against payback It lacks objectivity. Who decides the length of optimal payback time? No one does it is decided by pitting one investment opportunity against another. Cash flows are regarded as either pre-payback or post-payback , but the latter tend to be ignored. Payback takes no account of the effect on business profitability. Its sole concern is cash flow. Payback summary It is probably best to regard payback as one of the first methods you use to assess competing projects. It could be used as an initial screening tool, but it is inappropriate as a basis for sophisticated investment decisions. Average Rate of Return: The average rate of return expresses the profits arising from a project as a percentage of the initial capital cost. However the definition of profits and capital cost are different depending on which textbook you use. For instance, the profits may be taken to include depreciation, or they may not. One of the most common approaches is as follows: ARR = (Average annual revenue / Initial capital costs) * 100 Lets use this simple example to illustrate the ARR: A project to replace an item of machinery is being appraised. The machine will cost  £240 000 and is expected to generate total revenues of  £45 000 over the projects five year life. What is the ARR for this project? ARR = ( £45 000 / 5) / 240 000 * 100 = ( £9 000) / 240 000 * 100 = 3.75% Advantages of ARR As with the Payback method, the chief advantage with ARR is its simplicity. This makes it relatively easy to understand. There is also a link with some accounting measures that are commonly used. The Average Rate of Return is similar to the Return on Capital Employed in its construction; this may make the ARR easier for business planners to understand. The ARR is expressed in percentage terms and this, again, may make it easier for managers to use. There are several criticisms of ARR which raise questions about its practical application: Arguments against ARR Firstly, the ARR doesnt take account of the project duration or the timing of cash flows over the course of the project. Secondly, the concept of profit can be very subjective, varying with specific accounting practice and the capitalisation of project costs. As a result, the ARR calculation for identical projects would be likely to result in different outcomes from business to business. Thirdly, there is no definitive signal given by the ARR to help managers decide whether or not to invest. This lack of a guide for decision making means that investment decisions remain subjective.

Historical Events that Impacted Contact Improvisation Essay -- Dance T

Historical Events that Impacted Contact Improvisation Dance has evolved greatly throughout the centuries. It began with ballet and has led up to contact improvisation. This form of dance begun in the early 1970's and was started by a man named Steve Paxton and a group of postmodern dancers from New York City. Contact improvisation is a partnering form of dance and known as the art of moving spontaneously with a group or another person. This form of dance does not require the exact set of traditional skills of other dance form, it doesn’t have a technique that could be studied, and it is practiced in order to accomplish the highest potential. Contact improvisation came at a great time period, which of course was the 70's. The main historical events that were taking place then were the Watergate Scandal, the end of the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. The Watergate Scandal was a very important and altering event in our nation’s history. The Watergate Scandal was during a presidential campaign when DC police arrested five men caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters in a residence complex, the Watergate. Eventually, the scandal got back to Nixon and they realized that he was behind it. Then the House of Judiciary Committee adopted three articles of impeachment, which were Nixon’s abusing of power, obstructing justice, and defying Judiciary Committee subpoenas. Before Nixon was impeached he resigned from the presidency on August 9, 1974. After this happened people had less confidence in the nation and Americans became suspicious of the government. This scandal I think had little affect on contact improvisation. They might have started this because they were showing their anger or unt... ... better way for people to express their emotions. First of all, improvisation is dancing what your feeling or thinking at that time so that expresses your emotions, and therefore contact improvisation would be more effective to get your feelings out on war. In conclusion, contact improvisation was a very big development especially for its time period. It is a partnering form and known as an art of moving spontaneously with another person. Steve Paxton began contact improvisation during the early 1970s. The events that were going on in the United States during the 70s had a great impact on contact improvisation. The main historical events during the 70s were the Watergate Scandal, the end of the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. Contact improvisation has been a source of many new understandings in dancing and it has affected a lot of contemporary choreography.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 102-104

CHAPTER 102 The mist had settled low on Kensington Gardens as Silas limped into a quiet hollow out of sight. Kneeling on the wet grass, he could feel a warm stream of blood flowing from the bullet wound below his ribs. Still, he stared straight ahead. The fog made it look like heaven here. Raising his bloody hands to pray, he watched the raindrops caress his fingers, turning them white again. As the droplets fell harder across his back and shoulders, he could feel his body disappearing bit by bit into the mist. I am a ghost. A breeze rustled past him, carrying the damp, earthy scent of new life. With every living cell in his broken body, Silas prayed. He prayed for forgiveness. He prayed for mercy. And, above all, he prayed for his mentor†¦ Bishop Aringarosa†¦ that the Lord would not take him before his time. Hehas so much work left to do. The fog was swirling around him now, and Silas felt so light that he was sure the wisps would carry him away. Closing his eyes, he said a final prayer. From somewhere in the mist, the voice of Manuel Aringarosa whispered to him. Our Lord is a good and merciful God. Silas's pain at last began to fade, and he knew the bishop was right. CHAPTER 103 It was late afternoon when the London sun broke through and the city began to dry. Bezu Fache felt weary as he emerged from the interrogation room and hailed a cab. Sir Leigh Teabing had vociferously proclaimed his innocence, and yet from his incoherent rantings about the Holy Grail, secret documents, and mysterious brotherhoods, Fache suspected the wily historian was setting the stage for his lawyers to plead an insanity defense. Sure, Fache thought. Insane.Teabing had displayed ingenious precision in formulating a plan that protected his innocence at every turn. He had exploited both the Vatican and Opus Dei, two groups that turned out to be completely innocent. His dirty work had been carried out unknowingly by a fanatical monk and a desperate bishop. More clever still, Teabing had situated his electronic listening post in the one place a man with polio could not possibly reach. The actual surveillance had been carried out by his manservant, Remy – the lone person privy to Teabing's true identity – now conveniently dead of an allergic reaction. Hardly the handiwork of someone lacking mental faculties, Fache thought. The information coming from Collet out of Chateau Villette suggested that Teabing's cunning ran so deep that Fache himself might even learn from it. To successfully hide bugs in some of Paris's most powerful offices, the British historian had turned to the Greeks. Trojan horses.Some of Teabing's intended targets received lavish gifts of artwork, others unwittingly bid at auctions in which Teabing had placed specific lots. In Sauniere's case, the curator had received a dinner invitation to Chateau Villette to discuss the possibility of Teabing's funding a new Da Vinci Wing at the Louvre. Sauniere's invitation had contained an innocuous postscript expressing fascination with a robotic knight that Sauniere was rumored to have built. Bring him to dinner, Teabing had suggested. Sauniere apparently had done just that and left the knight unattended long enough for Remy Legaludec to make one inconspicuous addition. Now, sitting in the back of the cab, Fache closed his eyes. One more thing to attend to before Ireturn to Paris. The St. Mary's Hospital recovery room was sunny. â€Å"You've impressed us all,† the nurse said, smiling down at him. â€Å"Nothing short of miraculous.† Bishop Aringarosa gave a weak smile. â€Å"I have always been blessed.† The nurse finished puttering, leaving the bishop alone. The sunlight felt welcome and warm on his face. Last night had been the darkest night of his life. Despondently, he thought of Silas, whose body had been found in the park. Please forgive me, my son. Aringarosa had longed for Silas to be part of his glorious plan. Last night, however, Aringarosa had received a call from Bezu Fache, questioning the bishop about his apparent connection to a nun who had been murdered in Saint-Sulpice. Aringarosa realized the evening had taken a horrifying turn. News of the four additional murders transformed his horror to anguish. Silas, what have you done! Unable to reach the Teacher, the bishop knew he had been cut loose. Used.The only way to stop the horrific chain of events he had helped put in motion was to confess everything to Fache, and from that moment on, Aringarosa and Fache had been racing to catch up with Silas before the Teacher persuaded him to kill again. Feeling bone weary, Aringarosa closed his eyes and listened to the television coverage of the arrest of a prominent British knight, Sir Leigh Teabing. The Teacher laid bare for all to see.Teabing had caught wind of the Vatican's plans to disassociate itself from Opus Dei. He had chosen Aringarosa as the perfect pawn in his plan. After all, who more likely to leap blindly after the Holy Grail thana man like myself with everything to lose? The Grail would have brought enormous power to anyone who possessed it. Leigh Teabing had protected his identity shrewdly – feigning a French accent and a pious heart, and demanding as payment the one thing he did not need – money. Aringarosa had been far too eager to be suspicious. The price tag of twenty million euro was paltry when compared with the prize of obtaining the Grail, and with the Vatican's separation payment to Opus Dei, the finances had worked nicely. The blind see what they want to see.Teabing's ultimate insult, of course, had been to demand payment in Vatican bonds, such that if anything went wrong, the investigation would lead to Rome. â€Å"I am glad to see you're well, My Lord.† Aringarosa recognized the gruff voice in the doorway, but the face was unexpected – stern, powerful features, slicked-back hair, and a broad neck that strained against his dark suit. â€Å"Captain Fache?† Aringarosa asked. The compassion and concern the captain had shown for Aringarosa's plight last night had conjured images of a far gentler physique. The captain approached the bed and hoisted a familiar, heavy black briefcase onto a chair. â€Å"I believe this belongs to you.† Aringarosa looked at the briefcase filled with bonds and immediately looked away, feeling only shame. â€Å"Yes†¦ thank you.† He paused while working his fingers across the seam of his bed sheet, then continued. â€Å"Captain, I have been giving this deep thought, and I need to ask a favor of you.† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"The families of those in Paris who Silas†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused, swallowing the emotion. â€Å"I realize no sum could possibly serve as sufficient restitution, and yet, if you could be kind enough to divide the contents of this briefcase among them†¦ the families of the deceased.† Fache's dark eyes studied him a long moment. â€Å"A virtuous gesture, My Lord. I will see to it your wishes are carried out.† A heavy silence fell between them. On the television, a lean French police officer was giving a press conference in front of a sprawling mansion. Fache saw who it was and turned his attention to the screen. â€Å"Lieutenant Collet,† a BBC reporter said, her voice accusing. â€Å"Last night, your captain publicly charged two innocent people with murder. Will Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu be seeking accountability from your department? Will this cost Captain Fache his job?† Lieutenant Collet's smile was tired but calm. â€Å"It is my experience that Captain Bezu Fache seldom makes mistakes. I have not yet spoken to him on this matter, but knowing how he operates, I suspect his public manhunt for Agent Neveu and Mr. Langdon was part of a ruse to lure out the real killer.† The reporters exchanged surprised looks. Collet continued. â€Å"Whether or not Mr. Langdon and Agent Neveu were willing participants in the sting, I do not know. Captain Fache tends to keep his more creative methods to himself. All I can confirm at this point is that the captain has successfully arrested the man responsible, and that Mr. Langdon and Agent Neveu are both innocent and safe.† Fache had a faint smile on his lips as he turned back to Aringarosa. â€Å"A good man, that Collet.† Several moments passed. Finally, Fache ran his hand over his forehead, slicking back his hair as he gazed down at Aringarosa. â€Å"My Lord, before I return to Paris, there is one final matter I'd like to discuss – your impromptu flight to London. You bribed a pilot to change course. In doing so, you broke a number of international laws.† Aringarosa slumped. â€Å"I was desperate.† â€Å"Yes. As was the pilot when my men interrogated him.† Fache reached in his pocket and produced a purple amethyst ring with a familiar hand-tooled mitre-crozier applique. Aringarosa felt tears welling as he accepted the ring and slipped it back on his finger. â€Å"You've been so kind.† He held out his hand and clasped Fache's. â€Å"Thank you.† Fache waved off the gesture, walking to the window and gazing out at the city, his thoughts obviously far away. When he turned, there was an uncertainty about him. â€Å"My Lord, where do you go from here?† Aringarosa had been asked the exact same question as he left Castel Gandolfo the night before. â€Å"I suspect my path is as uncertain as yours.† â€Å"Yes.† Fache paused. â€Å"I suspect I will be retiring early.† Aringarosa smiled. â€Å"A little faith can do wonders, Captain. A little faith.† CHAPTER 104 Rosslyn Chapel – often called the Cathedral of Codes – stands seven miles south of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the site of an ancient Mithraic temple. Built by the Knights Templar in 1446, the chapel is engraved with a mind-boggling array of symbols from the Jewish, Christian, Egyptian, Masonic, and pagan traditions. The chapel's geographic coordinates fall precisely on the north-south meridian that runs through Glastonbury. This longitudinal Rose Line is the traditional marker of King Arthur's Isle of Avalon and is considered the central pillar of Britain's sacred geometry. It is from this hallowed Rose Line that Rosslyn – originally spelled Roslin – takes its name. Rosslyn's rugged spires were casting long evening shadows as Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu pulled their rental car into the grassy parking area at the foot of the bluff on which the chapel stood. Their short flight from London to Edinburgh had been restful, although neither of them had slept for the anticipation of what lay ahead. Gazing up at the stark edifice framed against a cloud-swept sky, Langdon felt like Alice falling headlong into the rabbit hole. This must be a dream.And yet he knew the text of Sauniere's final message could not have been more specific. The Holy Grail ‘neath ancient Roslin waits. Langdon had fantasized that Sauniere's â€Å"Grail map† would be a diagram – a drawing with an X- marks-the-spot – and yet the Priory's final secret had been unveiled in the same way Sauniere had spoken to them from the beginning. Simple verse.Four explicit lines that pointed without a doubt to this very spot. In addition to identifying Rosslyn by name, the verse made reference to several of the chapel's renowned architectural features. Despite the clarity of Sauniere's final revelation, Langdon had been left feeling more off balance than enlightened. To him, Rosslyn Chapel seemed far too obvious a location. For centuries, this stone chapel had echoed with whispers of the Holy Grail's presence. The whispers had turned to shouts in recent decades when ground-penetrating radar revealed the presence of an astonishing structure beneath the chapel – a massive subterranean chamber. Not only did this deep vault dwarf the chapel atop it, but it appeared to have no entrance or exit. Archaeologists petitioned to begin blasting through the bedrock to reach the mysterious chamber, but the Rosslyn Trust expressly forbade any excavation of the sacred site. Of course, this only fueled the fires of speculation. What was the Rosslyn Trust trying to hide? Rosslyn had now become a pilgrimage site for mystery seekers. Some claimed they were drawn here by the powerful magnetic field that emanated inexplicably from these coordinates, some claimed they came to search the hillside for a hidden entrance to the vault, but most admitted they had come simply to wander the grounds and absorb the lore of the Holy Grail. Although Langdon had never been to Rosslyn before now, he always chuckled when he heard the chapel described as the current home of the Holy Grail. Admittedly, Rosslyn once might have been home to the Grail, long ago†¦ but certainly no longer. Far too much attention had been drawn to Rosslyn in past decades, and sooner or later someone would find a way to break into the vault. True Grail academics agreed that Rosslyn was a decoy – one of the devious dead ends the Priory crafted so convincingly. Tonight, however, with the Priory's keystone offering a verse that pointed directly to this spot, Langdon no longer felt so smug. A perplexing question had been running through his mind all day: Why would Sauniere go to such effort to guide us to so obvious a location? There seemed only one logical answer. There is something about Rosslyn we have yet to understand. â€Å"Robert?† Sophie was standing outside the car, looking back at him. â€Å"Are you corning?† She was holding the rosewood box, which Captain Fache had returned to them. Inside, both cryptexes had been reassembled and nested as they had been found. The papyrus verse was locked safely at its core – minus the shattered vial of vinegar. Making their way up the long gravel path, Langdon and Sophie passed the famous west wall of the chapel. Casual visitors assumed this oddly protruding wall was a section of the chapel that had not been finished. The truth, Langdon recalled, was far more intriguing. The west wall of Solomon's Temple. The Knights Templar had designed Rosslyn Chapel as an exact architectural blueprint of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem – complete with a west wall, a narrow rectangular sanctuary, and a subterranean vault like the Holy of Holies, in which the original nine knights had first unearthed their priceless treasure. Langdon had to admit, there existed an intriguing symmetry in the idea of the Templars building a modern Grail repository that echoed the Grail's original hiding place. Rosslyn Chapel's entrance was more modest than Langdon expected. The small wooden door had two iron hinges and a simple, oak sign. ROSLIN This ancient spelling, Langdon explained to Sophie, derived from the Rose Line meridian on which the chapel sat; or, as Grail academics preferred to believe, from the† Line of Rose† – the ancestral lineage of Mary Magdalene. The chapel would be closing soon, and as Langdon pulled open the door, a warm puff of air escaped, as if the ancient edifice were heaving a weary sigh at the end of a long day. Her entry arches burgeoned with carved cinquefoils. Roses. The womb of the goddess. Entering with Sophie, Langdon felt his eyes reaching across the famous sanctuary and taking it all in. Although he had read accounts of Rosslyn's arrestingly intricate stonework, seeing it in person was an overwhelming encounter. Symbology heaven, one of Langdon's colleagues had called it. Every surface in the chapel had been carved with symbols – Christian cruciforms, Jewish stars, Masonic seals, Templar crosses, cornucopias, pyramids, astrological signs, plants, vegetables, pentacles, and roses. The Knights Templar had been master stonemasons, erecting Templar churches all over Europe, but Rosslyn was considered their most sublime labor of love and veneration. The master masons had left no stone uncarved. Rosslyn Chapel was a shrine to all faiths†¦ to all traditions†¦ and, above all, to nature and the goddess. The sanctuary was empty except for a handful of visitors listening to a young man giving the day's last tour. He was leading them in a single-file line along a well-known route on the floor – an invisible pathway linking six key architectural points within the sanctuary. Generations of visitors had walked these straight lines, connecting the points, and their countless footsteps had engravedan enormous symbol on the floor. The Star of David, Langdon thought. No coincidence there.Also known as Solomon's Seal, this hexagram had once been the secret symbol of the stargazing priests and was later adopted by the Israelite kings – David and Solomon. The docent had seen Langdon and Sophie enter, and although it was closing time, offered a pleasant smile and motioned for them to feel free to look around. Langdon nodded his thanks and began to move deeper into the sanctuary. Sophie, however, stood riveted in the entryway, a puzzled look on her face. â€Å"What is it?† Langdon asked. Sophie stared out at the chapel. â€Å"I think†¦ I've been here.† Langdon was surprised. â€Å"But you said you hadn't even heard of Rosslyn.† â€Å"I hadn't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She scanned the sanctuary, looking uncertain. â€Å"My grandfather must have brought me here when I was very young. I don't know. It feels familiar.† As her eyes scanned the room, she began nodding with more certainty. â€Å"Yes.† She pointed to the front of the sanctuary. â€Å"Those two pillars†¦ I've seen them.† Langdon looked at the pair of intricately sculpted columns at the far end of the sanctuary. Their white lacework carvings seemed to smolder with a ruddy glow as the last of the day's sunlight streamed in through the west window. The pillars – positioned where the altar would normally stand – were an oddly matched pair. The pillar on the left was carved with simple, vertical lines, while the pillar on the right was embellished with an ornate, flowering spiral. Sophie was already moving toward them. Langdon hurried after her, and as they reached the pillars, Sophie was nodding with incredulity. â€Å"Yes, I'm positive I have seen these!† â€Å"I don't doubt you've seen them,† Langdon said,† but it wasn't necessarily here.† She turned. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"These two pillars are the most duplicated architectural structures in history. Replicas exist all over the world.† â€Å"Replicas of Rosslyn?† She looked skeptical. â€Å"No. Of the pillars. Do you remember earlier that I mentioned Rosslyn itself is a copy of Solomon's Temple? Those two pillars are exact replicas of the two pillars that stood at the head of Solomon's Temple.† Langdon pointed to the pillar on the left. â€Å"That's called Boaz – or the Mason's Pillar. The other is called Jachin – or the Apprentice Pillar.† He paused. â€Å"In fact, virtually every Masonic temple in the world has two pillars like these.† Langdon had already explained to her about the Templars' powerful historic ties to the modern Masonic secret societies, whose primary degrees – Apprentice Freemason, Fellowcraft Freemason, and Master Mason – harked back to early Templar days. Sophie's grandfather's final verse made direct reference to the Master Masons who adorned Rosslyn with their carved artistic offerings. It also noted Rosslyn's central ceiling, which was covered with carvings of stars and planets. â€Å"I've never been in a Masonic temple,† Sophie said, still eyeing the pillars. â€Å"I am almost positive I saw these here.† She turned back into the chapel, as if looking for something else to jog her memory. The rest of the visitors were now leaving, and the young docent made his way across the chapel to them with a pleasant smile. He was a handsome young man in his late twenties, with a Scottish brogue and strawberry blond hair. â€Å"I'm about to close up for the day. May I help you find anything?† How about the Holy Grail? Langdon wanted to say. â€Å"The code,† Sophie blurted, in sudden revelation. â€Å"There's a code here!† The docent looked pleased by her enthusiasm. â€Å"Yes there is, ma'am.† â€Å"It's on the ceiling,† she said, turning to the right-hand wall. â€Å"Somewhere over†¦ there.† He smiled. â€Å"Not your first visit to Rosslyn, I see.† The code, Langdon thought. He had forgotten that little bit of lore. Among Rosslyn's numerous mysteries was a vaulted archway from which hundreds of stone blocks protruded, jutting down to form a bizarre multifaceted surface. Each block was carved with a symbol, seemingly at random, creating a cipher of unfathomable proportion. Some people believed the code revealed the entrance to the vault beneath the chapel. Others believed it told the true Grail legend. Not that it mattered – cryptographers had been trying for centuries to decipher its meaning. To this day the Rosslyn Trust offered a generous reward to anyone who could unveil the secret meaning, but the code remained a mystery. â€Å"I'd be happy to show†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The docent's voice trailed off. My first code, Sophie thought, moving alone, in a trance, toward the encoded archway. Having handed the rosewood box to Langdon, she could feel herself momentarily forgetting all about the Holy Grail, the Priory of Sion, and all the mysteries of the past day. When she arrived beneath the encoded ceiling and saw the symbols above her, the memories came flooding back. She was recalling her first visit here, and strangely, the memories conjured an unexpected sadness. She was a little girl†¦ a year or so after her family's death. Her grandfather had brought her to Scotland on a short vacation. They had come to see Rosslyn Chapel before going back to Paris. It was late evening, and the chapel was closed. But they were still inside. â€Å"Can we go home, Grand-pere?† Sophie begged, feeling tired. â€Å"Soon, dear, very soon.† His voice was melancholy. â€Å"I have one last thing I need to do here. How about if you wait in the car?† â€Å"You're doing another big person thing?† He nodded. â€Å"I'll be fast. I promise.† â€Å"Can I do the archway code again? That was fun.† â€Å"I don't know. I have to step outside. You won't be frightened in here alone?† â€Å"Of course not!† she said with a huff. â€Å"It's not even dark yet!† He smiled. â€Å"Very well then.† He led her over to the elaborate archway he had shown her earlier. Sophie immediately plopped down on the stone floor, lying on her back and staring up at the collage of puzzle pieces overhead. â€Å"I'm going to break this code before you get back!† â€Å"It's a race then.† He bent over, kissed her forehead, and walked to the nearby side door. â€Å"I'll be right outside. I'll leave the door open. If you need me, just call.† He exited into the soft evening light. Sophie lay there on the floor, gazing up at the code. Her eyes felt sleepy. After a few minutes, the symbols got fuzzy. And then they disappeared. When Sophie awoke, the floor felt cold. â€Å"Grand-pere?† There was no answer. Standing up, she brushed herself off. The side door was still open. The evening was getting darker. She walked outside and could see her grandfather standing on the porch of a nearby stone house directly behind the church. Her grandfather was talking quietly to a person barely visible inside the screened door. â€Å"Grand-pere?† she called. Her grandfather turned and waved, motioning for her to wait just a moment. Then, slowly, he said some final words to the person inside and blew a kiss toward the screened door. He came to her with tearful eyes. â€Å"Why are you crying, Grand-pere?† He picked her up and held her close. â€Å"Oh, Sophie, you and I have said good-bye to a lot of people this year. It's hard.† Sophie thought of the accident, of saying good-bye to her mother and father, her grandmother and baby brother. â€Å"Were you saying goodbye to another person?† â€Å"To a dear friend whom I love very much,† he replied, his voice heavy with emotion. â€Å"And I fear I will not see her again for a very long time.† Standing with the docent, Langdon had been scanning the chapel walls and feeling a rising wariness that a dead end might be looming. Sophie had wandered off to look at the code and left Langdon holding the rosewood box, which contained a Grail map that now appeared to be no help at all. Although Sauniere's poem clearly indicated Rosslyn, Langdon was not sure what to do now that they had arrived. The poem made reference to a ‘blade and chalice', which Langdon saw nowhere. The Holy Grail ‘neath ancient Roslin waits. The blade and chalice guarding o'er Her gates. Again Langdon sensed there remained some facet of this mystery yet to reveal itself. â€Å"I hate to pry,† the docent said, eyeing the rosewood box in Langdon's hands. â€Å"But this box†¦ might I ask where you got it?† Langdon gave a weary laugh. â€Å"That's an exceptionally long story.† The young man hesitated, his eyes on the box again. â€Å"It's the strangest thing – my grandmother has a box exactly like that – a jewelry box. Identical polished rosewood, same inlaid rose, even the hinges look the same.† Langdon knew the young man must be mistaken. If ever a box had been one of a kind, it was thisone – the box custom-made for the Priory keystone. â€Å"The two boxes may be similar but – â€Å" The side door closed loudly, drawing both of their gazes. Sophie had exited without a word and was now wandering down the bluff toward a fieldstone house nearby. Langdon stared after her. Where is she going? She had been acting strangely ever since they entered the building. He turned to the docent. â€Å"Do you know what that house is?† He nodded, also looking puzzled that Sophie was going down there. â€Å"That's the chapel rectory. The chapel curator lives there. She also happens to be the head of the Rosslyn Trust.† He paused. â€Å"And my grandmother.† â€Å"Your grandmother heads the Rosslyn Trust?† The young man nodded. â€Å"I live with her in the rectory and help keep up the chapel and give tours.† He shrugged. â€Å"I've lived here my whole life. My grandmother raised me in that house.† Concerned for Sophie, Langdon moved across the chapel toward the door to call out to her. He was only halfway there when he stopped short. Something the young man said just registered. My grandmother raised me. Langdon looked out at Sophie on the bluff, then down at the rosewood box in his hand. Impossible. Slowly, Langdon turned back to the young man. â€Å"You said your grandmother has a box like this one?† â€Å"Almost identical.† â€Å"Where did she get it?† â€Å"My grandfather made it for her. He died when I was a baby, but my grandmother still talks about him. She says he was a genius with his hands. He made all kinds of things.† Langdon glimpsed an unimaginable web of connections emerging. â€Å"You said your grandmother raised you. Do you mind my asking what happened to your parents?† The young man looked surprised. â€Å"They died when I was young.† He paused. â€Å"The same day as my grandfather.† Langdon's heart pounded. â€Å"In a car accident?† The docent recoiled, a look of bewilderment in his olive-green eyes. â€Å"Yes. In a car accident. My entire family died that day. I lost my grandfather, my parents, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated, glancing down at the floor. â€Å"And your sister,† Langdon said. Out on the bluff, the fieldstone house was exactly as Sophie remembered it. Night was falling now, and the house exuded a warm and inviting aura. The smell of bread wafted through the opened screened door, and a golden light shone in the windows. As Sophie approached, she could hear the quiet sounds of sobbing from within. Through the screened door, Sophie saw an elderly woman in the hallway. Her back was to the door, but Sophie could see she was crying. The woman had long, luxuriant, silver hair that conjured an unexpected wisp of memory. Feeling herself drawn closer, Sophie stepped onto the porch stairs. The woman was clutching a framed photograph of a man and touching her fingertips to his face with loving sadness. It was a face Sophie knew well. Grand-pere. The woman had obviously heard the sad news of his death last night. A board squeaked beneath Sophie's feet, and the woman turned slowly, her sad eyes finding Sophie's. Sophie wanted to run, but she stood transfixed. The woman's fervent gaze never wavered as she set down the photo and approached the screened door. An eternity seemed to pass as the two women stared at one another through the thin mesh. Then, like the slowly gathering swell of an ocean wave, the woman's visage transformed from one of uncertainty†¦ to disbelief†¦ to hope†¦ and finally, to cresting joy. Throwing open the door, she came out, reaching with soft hands, cradling Sophie's thunderstruck face. â€Å"Oh, dear child†¦ look at you!† Although Sophie did not recognize her, she knew who this woman was. She tried to speak but found she could not even breathe. â€Å"Sophie,† the woman sobbed, kissing her forehead. Sophie's words were a choked whisper. â€Å"But†¦ Grand-pere said you were†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know.† The woman placed her tender hands on Sophie's shoulders and gazed at her with familiar eyes. â€Å"Your grandfather and I were forced to say so many things. We did what we thought was right. I'm so sorry. It was for your own safety, princess.† Sophie heard her final word, and immediately thought of her grandfather, who had called her princess for so many years. The sound of his voice seemed to echo now in the ancient stones of Rosslyn, settling through the earth and reverberating in the unknown hollows below. The woman threw her arms around Sophie, the tears flowing faster. â€Å"Your grandfather wanted so badly to tell you everything. But things were difficult between you two. He tried so hard. There'sso much to explain. So very much to explain.† She kissed Sophie's forehead once again, then whispered in her ear. â€Å"No more secrets, princess. It's time you learn the truth about our family.† Sophie and her grandmother were seated on the porch stairs in a tearful hug when the young docent dashed across the lawn, his eyes shining with hope and disbelief. â€Å"Sophie?† Through her tears, Sophie nodded, standing. She did not know the young man's face, but as they embraced, she could feel the power of the blood coursing through his veins†¦ the blood she now understood they shared. When Langdon walked across the lawn to join them, Sophie could not imagine that only yesterday she had felt so alone in the world. And now, somehow, in this foreign place, in the company of three people she barely knew, she felt at last that she was home.