Main Users of financial Reports and Their Conflicts Essay

Identify the main users of financial reports, explaining to what use(s) they may put such reports. To what extent is there a conflict between different uses? How far are these conflicts resolved in a single set of annual accounts? The financial reports are profit and loss account, balance sheet and cash flow statement. There are many users /parties interested in the accounts of a company /organization. These include the following: The owners / shareholders The directors / managers The employees The creditors, i.e. suppliers of goods on credit The tax authorities Lenders, such as banks or other financial institutions Government The users want the accounts for a variety of purposes, for example: The owners/shareholders are mainly concerned of the profitability of the business and they therefore use them to see if they are getting a satisfactory return on their investment, and also to assess the financial health of their company/business. They may also use financial statements to assess the performance of the managers and decide the pay of managers who are employed to run the business for owners, which is part of the stewardship role of the accounting. The directors/managers are the ones to conduct the day-to-day operations and decision-making of the business and they are, arguably, the most important users of the business because they require much more information in great detail on a more frequent basis than any other users. They normally use them for making both internal and external comparisons to evaluate the performance of business. They may compare their own financial analysis of their company with industry figures (competitors) in order to ascertain their company’s strengths and weaknesses. Management are also concerned with ensuring that the money invested in the company / organization is generating an adequate return and that the company / organization is able to pay its debts and remain solvent. The creditors want to know if they are likely to get paid, and look particularly at liquidity, which is the ability of the company / organization to pay its debts as they become due. They are also concerned with the viability of business. The tax authorities use them for value added tax, and income and corporation tax purposes. They are probably the one who concerned most with the genuineness of the financial statements as an underreported profit would reduce the amount of taxes being collected and the public would consequently be suffered as the money of government will have fewer funds to spend to improving the public transportation, pensions, reforms, etc. Prospective lenders use them to assess whether or not to invest their money in the company / organization. Government may wish to check whether the profit of the utility company are too excessive and thereby increasing the owner’s wealth too much while reducing the spending power the consumers in a whole. And the contractors of government’s profit shall be checked upon to see if they exaggeratedly quoted their prices during tendering and monitoring the progress of the contract being conducted. As having being identified above, different users have different concerns of  the financial aspect of the business and it would be listed as follows: The owners / shareholders: profitability & viability The directors / managers: profitability & viability The employees: viability The creditors, i.e. suppliers of goods on credit: viability: The tax authorities: profitability (net profit to be taxed) Lenders, such as banks or other financial institutions: profitability & viability Government: profitability & viability Owners / shareholders needs the generation of the profit on their investment and they expect a good return of their money they put in the business. And they also concerned with the viability because they want their business or business they invested to grow, to earn more money, instead of losing money, or going to liquidation (they may consequently loss all their money invested in the business!). The directors / managers because their pay may be linked to the performance of the business and the more profit they earned for the business, the higher their salary is likely to be. The viability is also important to them as they want to keep their current job as they are also employed by the business. Employees, if not shareholders of the business, are employed by the management to work for the business for various purposes. Their salary will be treated as an expense against gross profit so management may try to minimize this expense by employing an efficient worker who are reasonably paid and reducing the number of employees while at the same time add more  responsibilities to the remaining employees. Therefore, as long as the business remains, they could keep their job and secure their pay as a financial security, which is of great important to common employees. They would be happy to see the business grows via looking through the financial statements so that they would know that the can continuously work for the business. Creditors are concerned with the viability of business because they would like to know if they are likely to be paid by the business before too long. As long as the business has sufficient liquidity to pay them, they do not care and are not very interested in how much profit the business generated. Tax authorities always keep a keen eye on the profitability of the business because they want to the profit of the business to be taxed. They want to detect any underreported profit by examining the financial statements and attempt to discover any dubious items to be enquired and demanded details. Lenders, who provide long-term loan to the business, secured or unsecured, concern about the profitability and viability of the business as they want to know if they can be repaid in the schedule designated. Government may want business to sustain and therefore create more employment opportunities for the society. They would like to know the profitability of the business so as to impose regulations to keep the profit of business in a reasonable range to make it more afford and therefore increase the spending power of people and reduce the inflation. Although different users have different interests in business, the conflict can mainly be solved by the general-purpose and standardized format of financial statements. Because it is very costly and impractical to produce a different financial reports to each and every specific users, it is widely accepted that a general-purpose financial statements be produced to satisfy the most needs of the all users. Standardized format would provide a easier way to make comparison of the business with its competitors as well as with the past reports of the business itself.

Knife Crime Essay Essay

Hi. Today i am going to be talking to you about knife crime and how it affects our society. Lately in the news Jay Whiston a 17 year old boy was fatally stabbed innocently outside a house party. Such a waste of a life for a young boy that had his whole future ahead of him. Knife crime has increased over the past couple of years due to the amount of gang violence going on. While the large majority of young people follow the law a small number of people do find themselves getting involved in knife crime. The few reasons that teenagers may get involved with knife crime are because of family problems, at school where they are influenced by someone who is involved in gangs. Some teenagers just want to fit in, so they join gangs and hang around with trouble makers, and some teenagers think that by killing someone and having a knife gives them power. However carrying a knife is illegal in the UK and the courts will take firm action if you are found with one. Some people may say they carry a knife around for different reasons such as: Protection * Self defence * Fear * Peer pressure * To gain respect , power or control As you may know not all people who carry weapons intend to use them. But if you are carrying a weapon and get into an argument, the situation is more likely to get out of hand and you are more likely to be provoked/stupid enough to use it. You could seriously injure someone or someone could use your weapon to seriously injure you. Police have the power to stop you and search you if they believe that you are carrying a weapon. So this is your choice whether you plan to use it or not, you could end up in a lot of trouble and the consequences would be serious. Knife crime can affect anyone, not just people in gangs. This could affect: * Innocent people that get caught in the middle of other people’s rows/arguments and could suffer with serious injuries or worse. * Police officers that could be trying to sort a situation out. * The community because they wouldn’t want to leave their houses knowing that there is knife crime going on and they could get stabbed. * Children that are growing up, as they may be  influenced by older people and may think it is cool. Remember that an injury may look small, but any inside damage can kill. The law is it is illegal for a shop to sell any kind of knife to anyone who is under 18. You will be committing an offence if you buy any of these items. Did you know that owning a knife even if it is yours or not is illegal and can end in a prison sentence? Some knives are illegal even for adults to buy. They are completely banned: * Flick knives(where the blade is hidden inside the handle and shoots out when a button is pressed) * Butterfly knives (where the blade is hidden inside a handle that splits in two around it, like wings; the handles swing around the blade to open or close it) * Disguised knives (where the blade is hidden inside a belt buckle or fake mobile phone) * gravity knives * sword-sticks * hand or foot-claws * push daggers Carrying a weapon in school does not mean that the school is only involved; the police will also be involved. These are some of the consequences for anyone who is found carrying a knife: †¢It is illegal to carry a knife or a gun, even a fake one. †¢If you are caught with a knife or a gun whether you say it was for your own protection or you were carrying it for someone else, you will be arrested there and then. †¢Control of a knife can carry a prison sentence of up to 4 years even if it’s not used. †¢If you stab somebody and they die, you will face a life sentence and you will be in prison for minimum prison sentence of 25 years. Remember that the law is clear. If you choose to carry a weapon, you are putting your future in danger. If you don’t take it with you, it won’t be used.

Family Law Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Family Law Coursework - Essay Example Analysis First of all, the issue that is at hand is that James and Cara have not been living together for the past eight years. However, Cara has been performing all of the housework and maintaining of children since the two have been split up. Therefore, one can argue that Cara’s caring for the children might be considered to be domestic work that would influence her share of how much she would receive, equity-wise, in the house. However, different courts have treated the value of housework and child care differently in this regard. For instance, take the case of Burns v. Burns.2 In this case, the plaintiff did not contribute monetarily to the property and the maintenance of the property. However, she contributed value to the household by her role as a homemaker. The Burns court found, however, that this was not enough, and that the plaintiff did not have the right to a beneficial entitlement to the home because she did not contribute monetarily towards this. This case was ba cked up by the case of Oxley v. Hiscock.3 In Oxley, there were two unmarried people who owned a home and were cohabiting, just as in the case of Burns, and in the case at bar. While both parties had contributed towards the purchase of the home in Oxley, but the court did not consider the value of the plaintiff being a homemaker in that case, either, so the plaintiff did not get an increased value in her beneficial stake in the home because she was a homemaker. Abbott v. Abbott4 came to the same conclusion, stating that only monetary contributions could suffice for determining an equitable stake in property, although some conduct may be considered, if the conduct is directly related to the house itself. For instance, conduct which improved the value of the house, such as manually making repairs, would be considered, but conduct which is indirect, such as homemaking or housekeeping, would not be considered. However, another case, Drake v. Whipp5 came to a different conclusion. In this case, the female partner made under 20% of the financial contributions towards the shared home, but was awarded 33% of the property, in part because of her contributions as a homemaker. Other cases that were before the Burns case are also relevant. For instance, in Pettit v. Pettit,6 which involved a married couple, the husband did not contribute financially towards the couple's home, which was in the separate name of the wife before marriage. He labored on the home, but the court still found that he was not entitled to a beneficial interest in the home. In Gissing v. Gissing,7 the couple was unmarried, and the husband did not contribute financially to the home. He did, however, buy furniture and do chores, such as mow the lawn. Again, the court did not find a beneficial interest for the husband in this case. Lloyds Bank v. Rosset8 is yet another case that found that conduct alone would not give rise to a beneficial interest – in that case, the wife undertook actions that im proved the home, yet she did not contribute financially to the home. The wife was denied a beneficial interest, and the Lloyds court found that anything less than direct contributions to the purchase price of a home, or towards the mortgage, would suffice to show the intention of the parties that

Workflow design and management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Workflow design and management - Case Study Example The fourteen day period that is taken up during the assessing of whether a student is qualified or not for credit transfers is impressive but can still be considerably improved. Downloading the application form and attaching supporting information before submission is vital for the commencement of the process. It is also very important that the Clerical Officer counter-checks the applications to ensure that all the forms are appropriately filled, and all supporting information attached. This considerable cuts out the time that would have been wasted on application forms not properly completed. There is, however, an overloading of the same Clerical Officer on aspects of the entire process that would have otherwise been done away with. Instead of having the clerical officer making photocopies of the application form AS 41c and supporting documents according to the number of subjects the student is claiming credit transfer, it would be more efficient if the students were to be involved. The students should be required to make applications depending on the number of subjects they are claiming credit transfers. This would reduce the work-load of the Clerical Officer. The time spent in sending the forms back and forth could also be reduced by making use of an integrated system of analysis. A system that connects the Clerical Officer to the teachers directly would be effective. When the Clerical Officer inputs data of students who have applied for credit transfers to the system, the teachers could have access to the same system, but in terms of the department. The teachers would then indicate into the same system whether a certain application has been accepted or denied. The clerical Officer would then generate the appropriate letters. As the letters are being signed by the Programme Leader, the applications would then be returned back to the Clerical Officer by the Department

E-business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

E-business - Essay Example The development of the websites is conducted to suit separate business needs pertaining to online applications. The website developers plan out the structural patterns of the website through maintaining a collaborative interaction with other potential departments of the company pertaining to the marketing, sales and operational sectors. Designing of the websites is done to help the business achieve both short and long term business goals through the optimum utilisation of the existing organisational resources. Again in terms of development of the website content the developers are required to have an open eye to the change dynamics in both the external and internal business sphere. This focusing on the change aspects helps the developers in continuously updating the contents posted to help in generating potential information to the large range of customers. Designing of website structures and contents also requires the web developers to conduct a total survey of external market condi tions so as to render attractive features in the page developed. Innovation and sophistication enabled in the webpage developed helps the products and services of the business concern to stand apart from its potential competitors in drawing more number of consumers. The codes developed for designing the websites thus must be continuously reviewed against the changes made in business policies and objectives to render enhanced productivity in such. Through working in a collaborative business sphere with large number of market research and business expert large amounts of potential data can also be collected to evaluate the potential of rendering such changes in the web portal (Taylor, Parish & Fiden, 2007,p.63-64). Development of the contents of the website to satisfy the needs of

EED323 5 Authentic Assessment Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

EED323 5 Authentic Assessment Paper - Essay Example It is, after all, not sufficient for most uses for the student to have memorized information but have no idea how to apply it. This is especially important in most sciences, since information is useless until it is applies to a real world problem. Therefore, in order to fulfill the need for authentic assessment in science teaching, students must demonstrate that they have identified and retained correct information and be able to use correct procedures to apply that information to the resolution of real world problems. Authentic assessment is a form of assessment in which students perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills. Or, as Grant Wiggins (1993) describes it, authentic measures are â€Å"engaging and worthy problems or questions of importance, in which students must use knowledge to fashion performances effectively and creatively. (Mueller, Jon 2005) Students must â€Å"interact with the physical world – drop objects, observe butterfly larvae, measure length and speed, plant seeds and watch the seedlings sprout, build electric circuits and test them – and they must participate in the world of ideas – design experiments, test theories, hypothesize, predict, discuss, and argue† (Hein & Price, 1994, p. 12). Step three is where the actual method of assessment is created. For example, the teacher might assess students by having them participate in a group discussion of a problem, either in front of the class or just of the teacher. A rubric to identify the various components for solving the problem could be used to grade each participant. For example: This is a very simple example. The teacher can expand upon this as needed. An example of how this could be used would be to ask the students to resolve this problem: How do you measure quarts of liquid using only one five quart bottle and one three quart bottle. (Any interesting combination of measures could be used for this.) They need to

Many might argue that that now during an economic downturn is a bad Essay

Many might argue that that now during an economic downturn is a bad time to start a business. What do you think - Essay Example Therefore, business startups get appropriate opportunity for retaining the customers when the economy improves. During weak economy, the incumbent bug businesses are vulnerable. This presents appropriate chance for the star ups business to succeed due to their agile and flexile nature. Startups can survive the downturn through minimal overheads. During downturns when established businesses are laying off staffs, the startups can benefit through easily finding talented and competent employees with minimal recruitment and remuneration expenses (Summers 119). Businesses that operate during poor economic performance experience less and weak competition. Startups provide startups with high negotiation abilities. Traditional suppliers experience financial challenges during economic downturn. Startups hence have high advantage in determining the value of supplies (Romer 212). There are many reasons and business models that encourage starting a business during weak economic performance. Hence, entrepreneurs should take adequate advantage of business opportunities during economic

Gymnastic Techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gymnastic Techniques - Essay Example Many components work together to make a gymnastic composition successful. An element is the shortest gymnastic exercise that is complete ((Jastrjembskaia, Titov 1999 pg 4). Each element consists of different movements of some of the various body parts (movements may be with or without apparatus). A movement is change in the orientation or position of the whole body or one of its parts. In a competition, judges judge each element according to some characteristics. These characteristics include originality, degree of difficulty, virtuosity of performance and mastery Each element technique has its own basis which includes the movements of the exercise and which distinguish an element from other elements (Jastrjembskaia, Titov 1999 pg 4). The basis of an element technique develops from independent preparatory, main and finishing phases. In the preparatory phase, all the body movements of the technique are involved in preparing a way for the main phase. For instance, a gymnast needs a preparatory phase to attain good speed or rotary motion to throw an apparatus. The main phase of the element includes all the movements performed according to the objective of the element (Jastrjembskaia, Titov 1999 pg 6). For instance if a gymnast is about to perform jump or leap the main objective is the gymnast's flight. If a gymnast is about to throw an apparatus then the main objective is the apparatus's flight. In finishing phase, a gymnast completes the objective he started in the main phase. The gymnast also changes his direction or speed of motion in this ph ase. For instance, in order to land from a leap, a gymnast in finishing phase stops his momentum and speed that he needed to make the leap. Spondylolisthesis among GymnastsYoung female gymnasts engaged in training and practice all year round place excessive demand on their back all year round. In a study, on one hundred female gymnasts, incidence of pars intercularis defect was four times higher than the incidence of 2.3% reported in general female Caucasian population (Jackson, Wiltse and Cirincione, 1976, pg 68). In another study young female Caucasian volunteers participated that represented their different teams in gymnastic competition from national to international levels (Jackson, Wiltse and Cirincione, 1976, pg 68). In the study, a questionnaire answered by each girl listed her height, weight, hours of practice per week and years in competition. In this study, eleven of one hundred females evaluated had bilateral L5 intercularis defects (Jackson, Wiltse and Cirincione, 1976, pg 68) Six of these had first-degree spondylolisthesis of L5 on S1. Eighty-nine had no pars intercularis defect. Of these eighty-nine girls, nineteen had an episode of back pain signinificant enough to interfere with their training. In the group of girls with spondylolisthesis, six of the eleven had prior back pain (Jackson, Wiltse and Cirincione, 1976, pg 68) . The girls with pars defects described their pain as dull aching and cramping. It was persistent and usually not related to specific injury but was aggravated markedly by activities like hyperextension (Jackson, Wilt

To What Extent does Asymmetrical Warfare Challenge American Power Essay

To What Extent does Asymmetrical Warfare Challenge American Power (with Some Reference to the War in Afghanistan) - Essay Example One author notes â€Å"Strategists define asymmetric warfare as conflict deviating from the norm or an indirect approach to effect a counter-balancing of force† (Grange, p. 1). A retired serving officer on the other hand notes that â€Å"Judging by the multiple applications of the term [Asymmetry] in military journals, - -‘not fighting fair,’ ‘attacking a weak point,’ ‘information or cyber-war,’ ‘public relations war,’ ‘weapons of mass distraction,’ - very few people understand asymmetry’s formal definition† (Thomas, 2001, p. 32) This differs quite significantly from Thomas’s more practical definition: â€Å"Asymmetry is a matter of two unlike systems interacting, each within its capabilities† (Thomas, 2001, p. 37). Perhaps the most memorable way of describing what it is like to fight an asymmetric war is given by Thomas as follows in relation to disastrous American involvement in Soma lia: â€Å"The problem was about ‘apples’ attending an ‘oranges’ event: any hardware-only solution suggests asymmetric vulnerability† (Thomas, 2001, p. 34). ... 225). Bipolarity has the advantage of being evenly balanced. Attention was focused on one major point of friction, namely the ideological gulf between the two main opponents with clear lines drawn up and bystanders encouraged to take up a position on one side or the other. In the absence of Cold War bipolarity, everything takes on a much more complicated turn, and potential areas for conflict spring up in multiple directions. This creates ambiguity and confusion, and the potential for crisis is multiplied. In the short term this situation appears to be working in America’s favor, but it is likely that over time the forces in the world which oppose American values and policies will regroup, so that one or more new super-powers will emerge. China is an obvious candidate for this role, but there are flashpoints in the Islamic world and in Africa which could lead to new geopolitical alliances forming which could threaten America’s supremacy. The work of Joseph Nye on the wa y that America’s role in the world is changing has done much to explain what the implications are of geo-political shifts that leave America isolated as the only remaining superpower. For Nye, this power has three major forms, namely military, economic and â€Å"soft power†, which he defines as â€Å"the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments† (Nye, 2004, p. 256). American economic dominance on the world markets is one of the ways that soft power works, since cultural artefacts, ideas and ways of doing business travel the globe and create linkages between many other cultures and the American world view. Participation in

Week 456 CRJ 330 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 456 CRJ 330 - Essay Example If, for example a one year in jail is increased to five years in prison, they say that it does not reduce crime, but only increase the imprisonment period. Furthermore not all are caught on their first crime. The passing of the three strike law in California saw a 27 years old man imprisoned for 25 years for stealing a pizza. Others, however, argue that if penalties on certain crimes are made harsh, people or in this case criminals will avoid crime due to fear. The American criminal justice officials implemented policies to respond to the crimes of terrorism. To them, the rights of the terrorists should not be violated as well as those of their immediate families. According to them, these criminals should be allowed judicial assistance; they should not be intimidated, and should be provided with medical, social and psychological assistance. They should also be compensated if necessary. The USA has the best police force. Their functions are clearly outlined and they do not cross borders in performing their duties. They are not a source of fear to the community but are a source of assistance. The police force is divided into different departments each performing its designated function. The departments perform their tasks without

Definitions of HRM Essay Example for Free

Definitions of HRM Essay Introduction and Overview Definitions of HRM. The employment relationship. Commitment and control. Internal fit. Textbook: Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart and Wright (2012) Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage. Chapter 1, pp. 2-68. Examples of exam questions: How and why has the role of the HR department been changing in Western firms since the 1980s? How far and for what reasons would you agree that the debate over the differences between HRM and personnel management is all hot air? Lecture 2 Analysis and Design of Work Job analysis; Job design; employee involvement; quality circles; team working Textbook: Competitive Advantage. Chapter 4, pp. 154-190. Examples of exam questions: Who benefits from employee involvement? Compare quality circles and team working with regards to their impact on the economic outcomes of a company. Lecture 3 Personnel Selection Selection criteria, Big-5 personality dimensions, selection methods, predictive validity, reliability Textbook: Competitive Advantage. Chapter 6, pp. 230-267. Examples of past exam questions: Critically discuss the use of interviews as a primary basis for selection decisions. What criteria should be considered in selecting new employees to support firm performance? How do interviews fare in evaluating these criteria? Lecture 4 Performance appraisal Competitive Advantage. Chapter 8, 338-393. Examples of past exam questions: Critically evaluate performance appraisal at work. What are the purposes of conducting performance appraisals? How might appraisals differ depending on the purpose? Lecture 5 Pay Systems Content of pay systems; selecting pay systems; pay and firm performance; pay outcomes for employees. Textbook: Competitive Advantage. Chapter 1 1, pp. 0-519. Examples of exam questions: Which factors should HR managers take into account in designing a fair pay system? Evaluate options for the design of pay systems for different employee groups. Lecture 6 Human Resource Planning, Flexibility and Turnover Human resource planning; the model of the flexible firm; contingent employment; temporary work; employee turnover Textbook: Competitive Advantage. Chapt er 5, pp. 191-211 and Chapter 10, pp. 440-478. Examples ot exam questions: Temporary agency workers are hired to protect the employment security of the core workforce. Discuss critically. Contingent workers facilitate the use of high commitment management systems. Discuss. Lecture 7 Strategic Human Resource Management: Best Practices vs. Best Fit Strategic HRM; models of HRM; best practice and business strategy models Textbook: Competitive Advantage. Chapter 2, pp. 70-105. Examples of exam questions: Evaluate the relationship between the business and the human resource management strategy of a firm. Contrast and evaluate the concepts of horizontal and vertical fit in human resource management. Lecture 8 Strategic HRM: The Resource- ased View and Stakeholder Models Continuation of lecture 7: strategic HRM; resource-based view; institutional / stakeholder perspectives on HRM Textbook: To what extent do managers have a strategic choice with regards to human resource management? Critically discuss the implications of the resource-based view of the firm for designing HRM strategies. Lecture 9 Equal Employment Opportunities Competitive Advantage. Chapter 3, pp. 106-153. Examples of past exam questions: Do women have equal opportunities at work? What actions might employers take to address any inequalities? Evaluate human capital theoretical explanations of the gender earnings gap. Lecture 10 Industrial Relations Introduction to industrial relations; purposes of collective organization; effects of unions; recent trends in industrial relations Textbook: Competitive Advantage. Chapter 14, pp. 598-647. Examples of exam questions: What are the consequences of a lack of effective worker representation, be it through trade unions or some other form of worker representation at the workplace? Why do workers Join trade unions and what are the effects of union activity? How has this changed in liberal market economies in recent years?

The World According To Garp English Literature Essay

The World According To Garp English Literature Essay The story is set in the past. It starts in the year 1942, when Jenny Fields injures a man at a movie theater. The exact date at the end of the story, is somewhat more difficult to determine. Garp was born at the end of the second World War, I think around 1944 or 1945. He lived to be 33 years old. The book ended when he died, so that should be in the year 1977. It quite easy actually to determine, because of the books first line: Garps mother, Jenny Fields, was arrested for wounding a man in a movie theater. Altogether the story takes about 35 years. The story is set in a couple of different places. It starts of in the US, when Garp is at Steering school, where his mother is head nurse. When he graduates from Steering, he decides to go to Austria, to develop himself as a writer. He lives in Vienna for about 1 or 2 years. Then he returns to the US. Their he decides he finally wants to marry the love of his live, Helen. For quite some time he lives with Helen, in a house of their own. The exact location isnt known. When the accident happens (for a precise description: see the summary), they go to live with Jenny, who is taking care of them at that moment. The last couple of years they live at Steering school (again), where Helen is teaching English. The story tells us about the life of an extraordinary man, T.S. Garp. He is the son of the famous feminist Jenny Fields, which will hunt him for all his life (and eventually is an indirect cause of his death). In his younger years Garp lived at Steering School, where his mother was head nurse. As soon as he graduates, he goes to Vienna with his mother, where he resides for about one or two years. Then he return to the US, to marry Helen. They bought their own house and lived happily for a couple of years. Then Garp finds out Helen is unfaithful. Then the accident happens and the Garps move in with Jenny, who starts nursing them. When the family Garp was ready to live by themselves again, they bought a house at Steering, where Helen starts teaching English. Eventually Garp was murdered by a feminist (for specific details see the summary). The storys main characters are: T.S. Garp, Helen Holm and Jenny Fields. T.S. Garp: Garp is the lead character in the story. Actually it is his story (which is quite obviously concerning the books title). The story is that of Garps life. What happens to him, what people are involved, and how it affects him mentally. He is a strange man in some ways. His ideas of what is normal, and what isnt, are different from the common perceptions. On the other hand he is a real funny guy. His sense of humor is real good (which makes the book much more fun to read). Helen Holm: Helen is the daughter of Garps wrestling coach Ernie Holm. Garp met Helen when he started wrestling, and he always liked her. But Helen said she would only marry a writer. Therefore Garp decided to become a writer. When Garp returns from Vienna, he started to live with Helen. They got two children: Duncan and Walt. Helen studied English and taught at a university, before she eventually taught English literature at Steering School. Jenny Fields: Jenny Fields is the mother of T.S. Garp. She became famous by writing the first feminist novel. This will be a disadvantage for Garp for all his life. He will always be knows (even with the sales of his own novels) as the son of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Jenny was nurse a Boston Mercy Hospital during the second World War. There she met Garps father. When Garp was born, she took him to Steering, where she became head nurse. It was at Steering and Vienna that she wrote her famous book. She stopped being nurse as soon as she became rich and famous, and started working for charity. The books minor characters are: Duncan Garp, Walt Garp, Ernie Holm, Cushie Percy, Roberta, Ellen James, John Wolf and Dean Bodger. The message of the story is not so obvious in this story. You learn a lot about the different characters, what kind of people they are, and what theyre capable of. So maybe thats the message: people arent all bad, except some. You should always be aware of the dangers ahead. Thats what eventually killed Garp. But still, I think the author wrote this book to entertain people. He always making fun of characters, or making a quick little joke. I dont think he wrote it to learn the reader something. Its not that kind of story. The story ends with Garps death. Before he was murdered, the narrator says things like: If he noticed it, he might have prevented it. So he should have seen the danger ahead. He should have noticed something was wrong. Your Opinion Well of course, Garp is the most sympathetic character in the story. Besides him, Helen is always considered sympathetic by the narrator. So these two are the (main) characters, that I found the most sympathetic. Garp is a very humoristic man, but also a loving father and husband. He always good towards others, willingly to help someone if necessary. Helen is a somewhat strange woman. Is diffecult to explain in what way. Maybe she doesnt really show her emotions. But still, she is always kind and nice to others. The most unsympathetic characters are Pooh Percy and Mrs Ralph in my opinion. Pooh Percy is quite obvious: she kills Garp for some ridiculous reason. She jealous at him, therefore thinks her problems will be solved by killing him. Mrs Ralph is a lot less obvious. Her attitude isnt that of an unsympathetic person. But still, she neglects her son Ralph, and tries to get Garp in trouble by seducing him. Shes full of self-pity, and tries to get advantage out of others. When I read the story I was constantly surprised. You really dont know whats going to happen. Garp as a person is unpredictable, but his environment might be even more unpredictable. Thats an important element for the story, because it inflicts on Garps personal life. On the other hand, the story is full of humor. Not only jokes that Garp makes, but also events that take place. Irving writes with a great ironic tone in his story, which I consider is brilliant. My favorite part of the book is where Garp is trying to catch the child molester. The child was raped in the park by a man with a mustache, so Garp went of and soon he saw a man with a mustache: Garp yelled at the figure, an elderly gentleman with a white mustache, who looked over his shoulder at Garp with an expression so surprised and ashamed that Garp was sure hed found the child molester. He thundered through the vines and small, whiplike trees to the man, who had been peeing and was hastening to fold himself back into his trousers. He looked very much like a man caught doing something he shouldnt have done. I was justà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the man began, but Garp was upon him and thrust his stiff, cropped beard into the mans face. Garp sniffed him over like a hound. If its you, you bastard, I can smell it on you! Garp said. Funny thing is, that the man wasnt involved in the rape at all. He was just taking a leak over there. Imagine, youre just taking a leak, someone yells at you, is sniffing your genitals and accuses you of being a child molester. Irving did make me aware of certain things, that I probably already knew before I read the book. The world is unpredictable, you dont know what lies ahead. This novel is a great example of what can happen. This message becomes clear by the storyline in the novel, but also by the short stories that Garp wrote. They are strange, especially the world according to Bensenhaver. This is a great example of strange things that can happen to you. But if this message is important? I dont really know. It probably is, but you dont learn this kind of ethics by reading a book. I gained by gaining more experience in life, not by reading a book. If I could ask Irving a couple of questions, It would be these: how did you manage it to make up such a story, where everything is unpredictable but afterwards explainable? Because thats the strength of the novel. Afterwards everything makes sense. Every event is for the sake of the novel. I would like to know if it was all Irvings imagination or he did it otherwise. why didnt you make the story that long? Its getting quite boring the last hundred pagesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Like I said, the last hundred pages are just too much. I think its also for the sake of the book. how did you manage to write a novel within a novel? You can see the similarity in Garps writing style and Irvings, but there are some differences. Is this done purposely, or not? C. Sumamry The story starts with the life of the nurse Jenny Fields. She doesnt like men and she loathes the feeling she calls lust. Because shes a nurse and cares a lot about people, she wants to have a child but she doesnt want to have anything to do with a man, she isnt searching for sex or a relationship, so it seems almost impossibleto get pregnant. But in a very special way, she manages to get pregnant. When the baby is born she calls him T.S. Garp because this was the fathers name, and the only thing he was able to say. She stops working at the hospital and finds a job, as a nurse, at Steering, a school for boys. Garp grows up there and when he is old enough he attends school there too. The Percy familie that lives at Steerings too, has a dog called Bonkers. It is not a very friendly dog, one day he bites a piece out of Garps ear. Stewart Percy isnt nice eather, he refuses to put the dog down. Garp doesnt care much for sports but he is obligated to preform at least one sport. His mother chooses wrestling for him and becomes friends with the coach. The coach has a daughter, Helen, and garp is fond of her, but she isnt really interested in him. Garp is a talented wrestler, but he decides that he wants to become writer and when he has finished high school, Garp and Jenny leave for Vienna. A few days before they leave, Garp and Cushie Percy, Stewart daughter, have sex in the infirmary. On their way there, Garp meets Bonkers and bites off a piece of the dogs ear. Garp and Jenny both start writing in Austria. Jenny is writing a book about her life as a nurse and her opinion on lust. Garp is about eighteen years old now and often visits the whores in Vienna. he likes women and sex and this is very weird for Jenny because she cant imagine why someone would enjoy anything like that and she finds it peculiar that her son can have these feelings while she loathes thins like that. Garp writes a lot to Helen because she promised him that if he writes something she likes, she will marry him. In the beginning he ony writes letters, the real writing of a book, hasnt really started. Finally he finishes a stroy called the pension Grillparzer Helen really likes it. She also read Jennys book and she really liked that too. Garp finishes a whole book, Procrastination. Jenny and Garp fly back to the U.S. and Helen and Garp get married. Jenny and Garp find a publisher for their books. His name is John Wolf. Jennys book turns out to be a huge succes. It is found to be a controversial book about feminsme. Jenny doesnt really like this label but she does like it that her book is such a succes. She has a lot of fans, including a group of women who call themselves Ellen Jamesians, after a girl who got raped and got her tongue cut off. The women have also cut their tongues off and arent able to say a word. Garp finds them really weird but his mom takes care of everyone. She becomes very popular, even the nurse dress she always wears is copied by many women. Garps book doesnt become as succesfull as his moms work but it isnt a failure either. Garp and Helen have a child, a boy called Duncan and Jenny and Garp move. Onde day, Garp hears that Cushie Percy has died in childbirth. He calls Stewart Percy to offer his condolences but what he doesnt know is that Cushie died motns before, and he is calling Percy on the day Bonkers died. Stewart thinks that tis is another one of Garps cruel jokes. Garp writes a second novel, called Second Wind of the Cuckold, the success of it is smaller than that of his first novel, and Helen takes on a second job. Their friends, the Fletchers, have marital problems and the Garps try to help them. But this doesnt really work out. For a while, Garp is involved with Alice and Helen with Harrison Fletcher. Jenny introduces them to Roberta Muldoon, she used to be a man and a famous football player but she got surgery and now shes a woman, and Jennys bodyguard. Garp and Roberta become close friends and play a lot of squash together Helen and Garp have a second child, a boy again, they call him Walt. Because Helen works a lot, Garp takes care of the house keeping. He cookes, cleans the house, does the laundry and takes care of the children. He is often very worried about them and when Duncan spends the night at a friends house, he doesnt trust it because he thinks the mom is verry sloppy and isnt able to take good care of her child. He goes there in the middle of the night and finds the house to be very dirty. The mother is drunk and tries to seduce him but he doesnt fall for it and takes Duncan home. One day he finds Helen reading a story written by one of her students, called Michael Milton. He isnt like Garp at all and that is what attracts Helen to Michael. An ex-girlfriend of Michael tells Garp that his wife is having an affaire. Garp is very angry and forbids Helen to see Michael again and tells her to phone Michael to break with him. He gives Helen the time for it by taking the children to a movie but he calls to their house to check if shes still home. When she doesnt answere the phone he drives home like a maniac though the weather is very bad. He crashes into Michales car, Helen and Michael are inside of it. Walt is killed and Garp, Helen Duncan and Michael are seriously injured. The Garps move to Jennys house and she nurses them. While the family gets well, Garp starts writing again. In his new novel he puts all his grief. While he is writing the book, Helen and Garp have a third child, a girl and they call her Jenny. John Wolf reads the first chapter of Garps new book, but he really dislikes it and doesnt want to publish it. Theres a woman called Jillsy Sloper, she cleans Johns office and he often gives her a novel to criticize it. She reads Garps new book and she doesnt like it but she isnt able to put it away and finishes it, something she rarely does, so John decides to publish the book anyway. John writes the jackets of the book himself and is afraid that Garp wont approve them. He is also affraid of bad reviews and he advices the Garps to go on a holiday abroard.They decide to go to Vienna and they have a great time there, until Roberta calls them to tell that Jenny Fields got killed, someone shot her. The Garps fly immediately back home. The funeral that is organised for Jenny will be the first feminist funeral ever, and not even Garp is allowed to come, but Roberta dresses him in womens clothes to make sure no-one will recognise him. But Bainbridge Percy, Cushies younger sister recognises him anyway. She accuses him of murdering her sister. Garp runs away and takes the next plane home. On the plane he meets the real Ellen James. She lost her parents a little while ago and she was on her way to see Jenny Fields. Garp allows her to come and live with his family. When he is back at steerings, the dean tells him that both Stewart Percy and Helens father have just died. The Garps decide to stay at Steering. Helen will teach and Garp will be the new wrestler coach. Jennys house is turned into a foundation supporting all women with problems that is runned by Roberta.. Garp wants to keep the Ellen Jamesians out of the house because he thinks theyre insane. One day Garp is training with his wrestling team in the gym. Helen is also there, she is reading a book in the corner of the room. Then Bainbridge Percy wakls in and killes Garp by shooting him. Helen lives to be quite old and never remarries. Roberta looks after Duncan. Ellen James becomes a writer. Jenny Garp outlives all the others and becomes a doctor.

Time Series Space Phase Qualitative Analysis and Application

Time Series Space Phase Qualitative Analysis and Application Dan CHICEA1 and Silviu REI2 ABSTRACT: In a coherent light scattering experiment using a laser beam and a cuvette containing a suspension the interference field has a boiling speckle aspect. Using a detector and a data acquisition system a time series can be recorded. A possible definition for the space phase of a time series is defined. The distribution of the velocities and the trajectory in the phase space are analyzed both for computer simulated samples and for recordings on two suspensions that have the average particle size measured using Dynamic Light Scattering procedure. The results reveal that the distribution of the velocities and the trajectory in the phase space can be used in a qualitative way to characterize the average particle size in suspension. KEY WORDS: time series, phase space, velocity distributions, suspensions 1 INTRODUCTION If coherent light is incident on a medium with scattering centers (SC hereafter) a non-uniformly illuminated image is obtained, currently named speckled image, having a statistical distribution of the intensity over the interference field. The speckled image appears as a result of the interference of the wavelets scattered by the SC, each wavelet having a different phase and amplitude in each location of the interference field. The image changes in time as a consequence of the SC hereafter complex motion of both sedimentation and Brownian motion [1-3]. This complex motion produces fluctuations of the image intensity in each location of the interference field, giving the aspect of â€Å"boiling speckles†. The speckled image can be observed either in free space and is named objective speckle or on the image plane of a diffuse object illuminated by a coherent source and it is named subjective speckle in [4]. The review paper [5] names the two types of speckled images as far field speckle and image speckle. In this work the objective speckle, respectively the far field speckle is considered, recorded and analysed. Although light propagation through disperse systems such as biological cells in suspensions or grouped in tissues has been studied extensively, especially using image processing techniques [6], [7] the scattering process modelling and characterization is not straightforward. Recording the far field fluctuations on a certain location using a detector and a data acquisition system will produce a time series. Time series have been extensively analyzed using different procedures. A widely used class of procedures start with the Fourier transform to produce the power spectrum density (PSD). The shape of the PSD depends of two parameters. Finding them using a least squares fit will provide information on the size and size distribution of the particles in suspension. Just some of the papers that describe in detail and report results found using the above mentioned procedure, currently named Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), are [8-12]. An alternative procedure to analyse time series, whether produced by a detector and a data acquisition system in a light scattering experiment or extracted from a recording using a charged coupled device (CCD) [13], in a qualitative manner, using the patterns of the time signal in the space phase, is presented in the next section. 2 SPACE PHASE The space phase (SP hereafter) is the collection of all states for a system. A time series is actually a vector x(i), i=1à ·n, containing the collection of values, intensity if we record a far interference field in a light scattering experiment, and n is the total number of recorded values. Typically, the values are recorded at equal time intervals, Δt=1/fs, where fs is the sampling rate of the data acquisition system. We can define a velocity at time t, hence corresponding to the value x(i) of the time series, as the variation rate of the time signal at that moment: (1) We therefore find a pair of [x(i), v(i)] for each value in the time series, a total of n-1 pairs. Each pair represents a point in the 2 dimensional space, which we can define as the space phase (SP) for the time series. First a simple algorithm to generate in a realistic manner time series that were recorded during a DLS experiment was established. A time series, as results from the Fourier analysis of the recorded data [8-11], can be modelled as an overlapping of harmonic functions of different frequencies. Moreover, the smaller the particles in suspension are, the bigger the turnover point is [8] in the PSD. With these facts in mind, a program to generate the time series with a sampling rate fs was written and used. The program generates a certain number nf (50 for the work reported here) of amplitudes ai in the range [1, 10] using a uniform random distribution, with a random initial seed, computed using the system clock. It also generates nf frequencies fi in the range [f1, f2] and initial phases φi in the range [0, 2Ï€] and the vector containing the moments ti with the desired number of values, equally spaced at Δt. Each value xi is computed using equation (2): (2) In [8-12] it is stated that the smaller the particles are, the bigger the frequencies are, therefore an attempt to simulate experimentally recorded time series for different particles in suspension must have different frequency ranges. Several time series were used in the simulation presented in this work and two of them were selected. We call the first s1, having the 50 frequencies generated in the range 100-200 Hz and the second s2 with the frequencies in the range 2000-2500 Hz. Each series lasted for 2 seconds and fs was 10000 Hz, thus having 20000 values each. Figure 1:A 0.5 s sequence of each series. The blue line is for s1 and the red line for s2. A plot of a 0.5 s sequence of each series is presented in Fig. 1. It reveals a faster variation of the s2 time series than in s1, as expected. The SP for the two time series, s1 and s2 is presented in Figs. 2 and 3. We notice the big difference in the SP shape. S1 that contains slower fluctuations is elliptic closer to a circle for this axes range selection while s2 that contains faster fluctuations is a prolonged ellipsis. The distribution of the velocity values v, in SP, for the two series, each value calculated with equation (1), is presented in Fig.4. We notice the difference between the two distributions, laying in being wider for the s2 time series containing faster fluctuations. Moreover, we notice that the distribution is symmetrical in both situation and the resemblance with the Gaussian is very good. Figure 2:The SP for s1. Figure 3:The SP for s2. Figure 4:The distribution of the velocity values v, in SP, for the two series. The blue line is for s1 and the red line is for s2. 3 RESULTS and discussion The results of the qualitative analysis presented in the previous section were compared with experimental results. A water sample from a river was extracted after a heavy raining and was analyzed using the DLS procedure described in details in [8 12]. The DLS results reveal that the average diameter was 0.134 ÃŽ ¼m. We name this time series rw1. After 24 h the sample was analyzed again and the average diameter was found to be 0.635 ÃŽ ¼m. We name this time series rw2. The average diameter increased because the inorganic suspensions, like sand and silt, which have the biggest concentration and smaller diameter, became sediment, while the organic particles having the density closer to the water density remained suspended. Fig. 5 reveals the SP for the experimental rw1 time series and Fig. 6 for the experimental rw2 series having bigger particles in suspension. Examining the two imagines we notice that the SP of rw1 appears to have more domains, as there are at least two groups of particles in suspension, the inorganic particles, having bigger concentration and the organic particles, which remained suspended. Figure 5:The SP for rw1. Figure 6:The SP for rw2. The other feature of the SP that appears to present differences was the velocity distribution. The distribution for the velocity distributions of rw1 and rw2 time series recorded during a DLS experiment are presented in Fig. 7. Examining the velocity distributions we notice that the distribution of rw2 is wider than the distribution of rw1. Moreover, we notice that the distributions cannot be viewed as simple Gaussian distributions but as a complex overlap of several distributions and this can be the result of the fact that the particles in suspension, both in rw1 and rw2 have a complex size distribution rather than a mono dispersed distribution, therefore the simple observation from Fig. 4 does not stand in all situations. Figure 7:The distribution of the velocity values v, in SP, for the two series. The blue line is for rw2 and the red line is for rw1. 4 CONCLUSION The SP was defined for a time series as the collection of all possible states. Several time series were generated using a computer code written for this purpose. The time series were the sum of 50 harmonic functions with random amplitudes, phases and frequencies, the last being generated in a certain interval. Two series with frequencies in the intervals 100 – 200 Hz and 2000 – 2500 Hz were generated starting from the assumption that the frequency of the fluctuations in a DLS time series strongly depends of the suspended particle size. A scatter plot in the SP and a velocity distribution are presented for each of the two samples. The simulation reveals that the plot of the SP can give a qualitative image about the particles assumed to be in suspension. The smaller the particles are and the narrower the particle size distribution is (reflected in smaller frequency range), the more prolonged the image in the SP is. Moreover, smaller particles (hence bigger frequencies) produce a wider velocity distribution. A narrow frequency interval produces a symmetrical distribution resembling very well a Gaussian. These qualitative conclusions are confirmed in part by the results of the same procedures applied on experimentally recorded time series during a DLS experiment. Using the two river water samples, we found the shape of the image of the SP appears to exhibit different domains if there are more types of particles in suspension. And more, the velocity distribution appears to be the sum of several distributions, under the same circumstances. These conclusions suggest a simple procedure that can be used in monitoring the evolution of the particle size in a suspension, as in sedimentation of particles in rivers, colloid aggregation or biological fluids. The shape of the space phase and the width and shape of the velocity distribution can provide qualitative information on the distribution of the average suspended particle diameter. Work is scheduled to simulate the time series in a more realistic manner, considering a complex size distribution of the suspended particles. Here are mentioned the institutes from where are the authors (Style 1, Times New Roman, 10 points, left, normal)[R1] 1 Professor, Ph.D., Faculty of Sciences, Department of Environmental Sciences, Physics, Physical Education and Sports, University â€Å"Lucian Blaga†, Sibiu, Romania 2 Physicist, M.S., Group Leader, Continental Automotive Systems, Sibiu, Romania E-mail: [emailprotected]; [emailprotected] 5 REFERENCES à ¢- º Dan Chicea, Coherent Light Scattering on Nanofluids Computer Simulation Results, Applied Optics, Vol. 47, No. 10, pp. 1434-1442, (2008). à ¢- º Dan Chicea, A Simple Algorithm to Simulate Nanoparticles Motion in a Nanofluid, U.P.B. Sci. Bull., Series A, Vol. 76, Iss. 2, pp: 199-206, (2014). à ¢- º Dan Chicea, Radu Chicea, Liana Maria Chicea, Using Chodin to Simulate Coherent Light Scattering Dynamics on Biological Suspensions, Romanian Journal of Biophysics, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 157–170, (2010). à ¢- º Joseph.W. Goodman, Statistical Properties of Laser Speckle Patterns, in Laser speckle and related phenomena, Vol.9 in series Topics in Applied Physics, J.C. Dainty, Ed., Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, Tokyo, (1984). à ¢- º David Briers, Laser Doppler, Speckle and Related Techniques for Blood Perfusion Mapping and Imaging, Physiol. Meas. 22, R35–R66, (2001). à ¢- º David Briers, Donald D. Duncan, Evan Hirst, Sean J. Kirkpatrick, Marcus Larsson, Wiendelt Steenbergen, Tomas Stromberg, and Oliver B. Thompson, Laser speckle contrast imaging: theoretical and practical limitations, Journal of Biomedical Optics 18(6), 066018(1-9), (2013). à ¢- º Dan Chicea, Biospeckle Size and Contrast Measurement Application in Particle Sizing and Concentration Assessment, Romanian Journal of Physics, Vol. 52, Numbers 5-7, pp. 581-587, (2007). à ¢- º Dan Chicea, A Study of Nanoparticle Aggregation by Coherent Light Scattering, Current Nanoscience, vol. 8 issue 6, pp. 259-265, 2012, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157341312800167704. à ¢- º Dan Chicea, Revealing FE3O4 Nanoparticles Aggregation Dynamics Using Dynamic Light Scattering, Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials – Rapid Communications vol. 3, no. 12, pp. 1299 – 1305, (2009). à ¢- º Dan Chicea, Nanoparticles And Nanoparticle Aggregates Sizing by DLS and AFM, D. Chicea, Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials – Rapid Communications vol. 4, issue 9, pp. 1310 – 1315, (2010). à ¢- º Dan Chicea, Emil Indrea, Carmen Monica Cretu, Assesing FE3O4 Nanoparticle Size by DLS, XRD AND AFM, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced MaterialsVol: 14,Issue: 5-6, pp: 460-466, (2012). à ¢- º Dan Chicea, Revealing FE3O4 Nanoparticle Aggregation in Aqueous Suspension by Nonconventional Optical Methods, Journal of Optoelectronics And Advanced Materials Vol. 15, No. 9 10, pp. 982 – 988, (2013). à ¢- º Dan Chicea, Application of Whole Blood Coherent Light Scattering Dynamics Analysis Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials,Vol. 10, No. 8, pp. 2163-2167, (2008). 6 notation The following symbols are used in this paper: 1 ACADEMIC JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING, VOL. 7,ISSUE 1/2009 [R1]Trebuie facut un review la povestea asta !!!

Essay --

Brazilian Carnival History is more in-depth and more interesting than many people might think. There is a lot more to Carnival than simply parties. The pre-Lent festivities known as carnival originated in Italy in the 1400s. The tradition spread rapidly among Catholic countries in Europe and was in the end adopted in the Americas, taking hold especially in the devoutly Catholic nation of Brazil. The Carnival of Brazil is a festival annually held Friday to Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, the forty-day period before Easter. On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally restrain themselves from the consumption of meat and poultry. This is where the term "carnival" comes from, carnelevare, which means "to remove meat." Carnival has roots in the pagan festival of Saturnalia which was adopted in Catholicism becoming a goodbye to things in a season of religious discipline to practice repentance and prepare for Christ's dea th and resurrection. The Brazilian Carnival has gone from being just a party before the silence of Lent to being a major production. It can be traced back to Christian traditions, African influences and Brazilian Indians. Each part of Brazil has developed its own particular style for Carnival. The history of the carnival has multiple influences. Modern Brazilian Carnival History started in the 1800's. Throughout the 1800's a cobbler named Josà © Nogueira de Azevedo started having parades with his friends and family. In 1855 a more organized parade called the Grandes Sociedades, or Great Societies was held. In 1870 a more common parade began, complete with traditions of wearing masks and costumes. Samba Schools are a big 20th Century Part of Brazilian Car... ...ed, and a little something from the food stands that line the festival area. After the parade most festival participants indulge in the country's record famous dish, feijoada. Feijoada can be made in a countless number of varieties. However, in Brazil it nearly always has black beans and always includes a mixture of salted, smoked and fresh meats. Some types are a little spicy from the sausages while others are absolutely mild. Some people’s feijoadas are thick while others are more similar to a traditional stew. Regardless of the variation it is customary to serve this stew with white rice, black beans, and hearts of palm salad, hot peppers, and orange slices. I chose this holiday because it has many parties, different types of music, and amazing costumes. It is a huge festival that attracts many people from different places to just have fun and enjoy themselves.

John Grays Men from Mars and Women from Venus Essay -- John Gray Men

John Gray's "Men from Mars and Women from Venus" In his work "Men from Mars and Women from Venus", John Gray explored the intrinsic differences between men and women in a way that has helped millions of people to understand why relationships between the two sexes could be so frustrating. Gray was correct when he talked about women cherishing love, communication, beauty, and relationships. However, he oversimplified the gender differences between the two sexes. Though women appreciate the beauty in life and want to live with tranquility, they also corrupt by their desire for power, love for competition, and want for achievements. The premises of John Gray’s essay were set many years ago when all men lived on Mars and all women lived on Venus. Once they got together, they respected and enjoyed their differences--until one day when everybody woke up, completely forgetting that they had once came from different planets. Ever since, men mistakenly expected women to think, communicate, and react the way men do. Gray also believes that Venusians are more concerned with living together harmonically, communicably, and loving cooperation. Instead of building highways and tall buildings, they prefer building a Utopia. â€Å"Relationships are more important than work and technology† says Gray (523). Rather than developing new technology, they build up their relationships with others. On the other hand, Martians get their sense of self from achievement, usually focus on a goal, ...

Evolution of Goaltending in the NHL Essay -- essays research papers

Today, the term hockey describes differing games in various parts of the world, but specifically in North America it refers to as ice hockey. In its origin, hockey is one of the oldest games played. The earliest mention of the sport of hockey dates back to 1572, when it was on a list of prohibited games. Hockey's birthplace is believed to be in Asia and authorities credit Persia with having devised it about 2000 BC. People who perfected the game of polo must have known "hockey on the ground" before "hockey on horseback". Certainly though ice hockey originated in Canada. Two theories have surfaced as to who really came up with ice hockey. The first credits English soldiers serving with the Royal Canadian Rifles at Kingston, Ontario. They improvised the game at the rear of their barracks at Tete du Pont, on the iced up harbor on Christmas day in 1855. After sweeping the snow from the ice, the soldiers tied "runners" to their boats and, with borrowed hockey sticks, played a match with an old lacrosse ball. The other theory gives not soldier's credit, but students credit. It tells that G.F. Robertson, of Mcgill University in Montreal first thought of ice hockey. On a visit to Britain in 1879, he had watched a field hockey match and had greatly been intrigued by it. Himself being a skilled ice skater, he wondered if it was at all possible to combine the two sports into one, thereby creating something new and exciting. On his return home, he discussed the idea with a friend and together they worked out a synthesis of hockey and skating, adding for good measure a few football rules. Enjoyment of the game proved so great that from an initial experimental venture, it soon graduated at their college to an invigorating sport of tremendous speed, leading eventually to the formation of the McGill University Hockey Club. The first theory is the one believed to be the right one but no one knows for certain the originator of the game. We do know that the term "Ice Hockey" was the earliest recorded in a game that took place in Montreal. As the Canadians love and knowledge for the game of ice hockey grew, so did the sport. After various problems between teams playing with different rules, McGill University stepped in to set up the rules, thus making ice hockey a sport. The most popular ice hockey league in the world is the National ... ...the goalies in the NHL have always had to evolve along with the game. The position of goaltending has greatly evolved since the formation of the NHL and even before the NHL started. The formation of the NHL in 1917 opened doors for players to show off their skills to the world and make a living, especially the goalies. The equipment that goalies use have evolve to be much lighter, more comfortable, and more aerodynamic since the start of the NHL and will keep enhancing in time. The physical and mental abilities of goaltenders today is much more sharper, stronger, and quicker than what they were in years in the past. The style of play of goalies these days has evolved greatly from the base styles that were set by some of the great goalies in the past. Also, the rule changes that the NHL has set forced goalies to evolve their game to fit the new rules and make the most out of what situations are presented to them. These are all the aspects of the position that have evolved throughout the years in the NHL. Goaltenders today are the most conditioned, sharpest, quickest, and most important piece of a professional hockey team and has all evolved from what goalies in the past have done.

Balanced Scorecard: Management Control System Essay

â€Å"Balanced scorecard† means different things to different people. At one extreme, measurement-based balanced scorecards are simple dashboards of performance measures grouped into categories that are of interest primarily to an organization’s managers and executives. Typical categories include financial measures, and customer, process, and organization capacity measures. Measurement-based scorecards almost always report on operational performance measures, and offer little strategic insight into the way an organization creates value for its customers and other stakeholders. At the other extreme, a strategic performance scorecard system is an organization-wide integrated strategic planning, management and measurement system. Strategy-based scorecards align the work people do with corporate vision and strategy, and communicate strategic intent throughout the organization. In other words, these systems incorporate the culture of the organization into the management system. In strategy-based scorecards, performance measures are only one of several important components, and the measures are used to better inform decision making at all levels in the rganization. In strategy-based balanced scorecard systems, performance measures are the result of thinking about business strategy first, to measure progress toward goals. In strategy-based systems, the first question to answer is the strategic question: â€Å"Are we doing the right things? † The operations, process, and tactical questions come later: â€Å"Are we doing things right†. Over the past decade balanced scorecards have evolved from systems that simply measure performance to holistic strategic planning and management systems that help manage and track strategy execution. Despite this evolution, the majority of balanced scorecards that we have seen over the past 10 years use a â€Å"just give me the measures† philosophy. These measure-centric dashboard scorecards are interesting, but not very robust and not nearly as helpful as they could be. These scorecards remind me of the old Wendy’s commercial: â€Å"Where’s the beef? † Strategy-based scorecard systems, on the other hand, create a â€Å"strategic thinking† mentality in an organization, and can help lift the organization and its workforce to a higher, more performance-oriented way to think and work. Each organization is unique, and there is no â€Å"one scorecard fits all† solution. This article describes how to develop a strategy-based balanced scorecard system for technology companies. We’ll share some lessons learned from developing strategic performance scorecard systems in dozens of businesses and industries over the past 10 years. The Balanced Scorecard as a Technology Company’s Strategic Planning and Management System Technology company management teams are challenged by: †¢ Rapidly shrinking product cycles †¢ Recruiting, retaining and rewarding technology talent Making and communicating critical product development decisions †¢ Tracking the evolution of customer feature demands and use models †¢ Disruptive, enabling technologies that can invalidate products or entire business models In addition, executives rarely communicate the strategic manner in which the business is being directed. The typical result is disagreement and misalignment in how these challenges are perceived and addressed throughout the company. Any technology company strategy needs to embrace these challenges. Strategy is a company’s approach to achieving its vision–it’s the organization’s â€Å"game plan† for success. One thing the technology company’s strategy needs to define is how it will measure product planning and development success. Strategy needs to define how ideas are advanced into opportunities. Passionate technology workers need to know why their ideas and views were embraced, delayed, or discarded. Strategy must describe the timing of such considerations, so that investments in programs underway are protected from an ill-timed innovation capturing the minds of employees. Similarly, programs that are off track need to sound alarms so that corrective action can be taken. Strategy needs to guide when and how to sound those alarms and ensure necessary corrections are taken. Strategy needs to dictate tracking customer feature evolution, and if the company wields the core technology its products need to be successful in the marketplace. Using a balanced scorecard as the strategic planning and management framework allows a company to deal with these and other issues that matter to creating value for customers and stakeholders, such as process efficiency, financial performance, and organizational capacity and readiness. Starting with a strategic view of how the organization creates value for customers, a scorecard system links strategy to what must be done operationally to be successful. Good scorecard systems focus on the critical few performance measures that provide real business intelligence and contribute to the achievement of operational excellence, employee excellence, and business success. But more important, these systems focus on the elements of strategy that can be made actionable – strategic objectives that are the building blocks of strategy. Developing a Technology Company Balanced Scorecard System The logic of building a scorecard system and using the system as the organization’s strategic planning and management framework starts with an understanding of the organization’s customers and stakeholders, and their needs. The management team then develops and validates the strategic components of the management system. The components include mission, vision, core values, strategic perspectives (i. e. , performance dimensions), strategic themes and desired strategic results, strategic objectives, an organization-wide strategy map, performance measures and targets, and strategic initiatives aligned with the objectives. Strategy is the common thread through the scorecard system and forms the basis for communicating the organization’s approach for gaining competitive advantage (for a business), or in the case of a public or non-profit organization, for improving mission effectiveness for stakeholders. The finished strategy-based balanced scorecard system translates customer needs, mission, and values into organization goals, strategy, objectives, performance measures, and new initiatives. In a strategy-based scorecard system, strategy is analyzed through four performance dimensions (perspectives): financial (stewardship for government and non-profits), customer/stakeholder, business processes, and organization capacity. A key strategy development step is the creation of several high-level strategies (i. e. , strategic themes), associated strategic results, and strategic objectives for each theme. Strategic themes are aligned with the organization’s vision and mission, and the theme’s strategic result describes a high-level outcome of successfully implementing the strategic theme. Usually three or four themes define the business strategy of the organization at a high level. Examples of strategic themes include Customer-Focused Operational Excellence, Market Driven Technological Excellence, Strategic Partnering, and Growth Through Innovation. Many other themes are possible, and the selection of vision and aligned strategic themes and results make for unique performance scorecard systems for different organizations. Another key development step is the creation of strategic objectives — the â€Å"DNA† of strategy. Objectives are expressed as continuous improvement actions that can be documented, measured, and made actionable through initiatives and projects. Once developed, objectives are linked to form a â€Å"strategy map. † A strategy map shows graphically how the organization creates value for customers, stakeholders, and employees. The strategy map is constructed by linking strategic objectives using cause and effect relationships. A strategy map is one of the most effective communication tools an organization can use to build transparency, alignment, and a focus on results.

Laboratory Equipment Borrowing System of Lorma Colleges Skills Development Institute Essay

Nowadays, most people tend to search or find things that are easy to work on. We tend to be clingy, trendy, and work things automatically. So, we design you these â€Å"Laboratory Equipment Borrowing System†. It is an automated borrowing system. This offers equipment which you can be borrow or use temporarily ranging from different various equipment or whole laboratory equipment set-up as desire, creating easier process to make life more convenient and efficient. This system project contains all of the current information about the equipment, listed alphabetically by name. The borrowers information records, contact number and its location are installed in these system. The aim of the project is to work out a generic approach of providing a borrowing history and easy access of every equipment items of laboratory. We know that we also deserve an opportunity to understand and need to learn to try new set of things. Therefore, we help to develop and invent such a technological automated system. We will lend the most various tools and laboratory equipment items from our collection. Maintain its services and accessibility that are consistent with the entire school and the entire organization. Laboratory Equipment borrowing system is provided to students and faculties to show them how important are computers and other technologies in teaching and learning processes. One of the main purposes of this study is to help students to become wise and resourceful in terms of project making and other learning methods that are relevant to them. In short â€Å"Technology makes the work easy†. This documentation will only concentrate in the computer laboratory of Equipment borrowing system. Particularly the Organizational Set up and Operation, Machine set up Configuration and Structure, and the Layout of Facilities and configuration. And this study aimed to design laboratory management software to effectively manage equipment maintenance, borrowing and returning, failure analysis, inventory, scheduling, and flexible report generation process. The development strategies used in the project analysis, design and development include a thorough analysis and evaluation of both the existing and the first prototype of the proposed system. The software is also very acceptable in gaining real time visibility in equipment inventory, maintenance and borrowing and returning, and that it is also very acceptable in providing reports at the same time provide history recording of the different processes available. Laboratory Equipment borrowing system are instrument used in laboratory where the students conducted their experiment. The Laboratory Equipment borrowing system placed in a storage room intended for Laboratory Equipment borrowing system only which is organize and manage by the authorized personnel. The staffs in this room are responsible for taking care of the Equipment; they are obliged to pay it when something is missing. In order to avoid this obligation they are careful and wise enough to have a list of all apparatus in the storage. This list is their references on how many Equipment they have. The staffs also are responsible to take in charge of the Equipment that was borrowed by the students. The students can lend Equipment for their academic purposes provided with their instructor consents. The students also are responsible to take care of it and return it on time. Failure to do the condition will be given a sanction. This system designed and developed to solve the problem associated with the handling of laboratory equipment. The study is targeted to develop an effective and efficient system that will aid the company. The system is called Laboratory Equipment Borrowing System, which is basically monitors the equipment that have been taken out of the department and was use by borrower, provides a complete list of equipment that are available inside the Laboratory, creates a daily, weekly, monthly, semesterly and yearly report of personnel who borrows the equipment, creates an interface or form for the users/borrowers and admins to work on with. For what we have observed in the past years, most of the institution still uses the manual documentation, inventory, and request. Where the borrower will have to write all the items to be borrow on a logbook, while the custodian verifies and validates the items borrowed, by this kind of method, it might cause a lot of mistakes and it consumes a lot of time, while with an electronic type of logging in and validation of borrowed items, makes the borrowing more easy and quick, it benefits the custodian and the borrower. Checking of available items, will be more easy not like the manual, where the custodian will have to look at first the equipment and validate if its reserved for future event or if it’s not available for that day, while the electronic type of borrowing system, makes it more faster, because the custodian will just have to check on the computer it will show immediately if its available and how many are there available on the laboratory. When it comes to end of the month there will be a monthly report of the laboratory, where the custodian will have to compile every records of the borrowed equipment of the previous month, this will cost the custodian a great time, manually checks, compile and validate the records and he/she will have to encode and print a report, while if the custodian will use a Borrowing system he will just click a button, validate the equipment and print the report and he’s done, effective and efficient. In the United States of America, there is one university which we may call it reference of our study and system. The Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, where there is a completely student-run group devoted to promoting musical theater and they are named Footlighters, and they have the â€Å"S. L. E. B. S. † namely Sound and Light Equipment Borrowing System. The Footlighters have sound and lighting equipment that is available for CWRU USG, recognized student organizations to borrow for on-campus events, they have established their own policies, procedures and even a online borrowing form for the request of the equipment, and they can even request thru their website. Their procedure on borrowing equipment first is the equipment may only be borrowed by a properly trained individual on behalf of CWRU USG-recognized student organization of which he or she is a current active member. The equipment is available on a first-come, first-served basis. While the Footlighters will make every attempt to keep the reservations calendar current, no request is guaranteed until the Footlighters send a notification that the reservation has been confirmed. The requests for use of the equipment must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of the event, to allow sufficient time processing. They also have their own sanctions and can implement their own penalties on borrowers who made some violations on their borrowing rules. Here in Philippines, there is one particular school that offers the same concept like what we are currently studying, in Damarinas, Cavites, and the name of the school is De La Salle University-Dasmarinas. They have also their own guidelines in reservation of equipment and procedures to follow on borrowing and returning laboratory equipment. Their method is semi manual and automated, because students and faculties can have the form thru their own website and the half of that will be processed upon arriving in the laboratory. They also offer various equipment like, Laptop, Multimedia Projector, Projection Screen, Television, DVD Player ,etc. Their own system also manifest its own limitation, such as like schedule of borrowing, quicker checking of availability of equipment and complete documentation. Despite of the limitations on their system of borrow it still functioning state. As a student, one of our requirements in our course is to develop and study a system and be able to defend at the end of the school year. Here in Lorma Colleges, in the class of CPRO215 – System Development I a group of 4 is assigned to develop a system namely Laboratory Equipment Borrowing System – Skills Development Institute. The system will be a GUI based system, with user registration and Log-in system, inventory system, reservation system, monthly report features and printing functions. We are in cooperation of SDI and main prospect in making our system. Their Computer Laboratory will be our base location of innovation to develop improvements in their way of lending equipment to faculties and students of Lorma Colleges.

Ethics Goes To Hollywood Essay

When we think of ethics with regards to Hollywood, some people might even question if there really are any left? With the growing number of moralists and critics that easily target Hollywood, ethics has become an important factor that seems to be set aside. Many of the movies that are being shown today presents violence, nudity and lack of values incorporated with the film. But there can always be an argument about how is ethics really perceived through the movie industry? Some might doubt but actually when we look pass through over-all violence and those unacceptable factors to moralists, some movies do posses ethics in them. Most of the time, those ethics are just overlooked by the over-all presence of the movie. When we analyze and breakdown a movie and study the characters there is a great opportunity to realize the moral fiber of the film. In recent memory, there are only a few movies that have produced an unusual style of presentation in the silver screen. One of those movies showed up during 2007 through a film titled â€Å"300†. It was based from Frank Miller’s graphic novel also named â€Å"300†. This movie adaptation of the novel is also based from the Battle of Thermopylae that was retold in a fictional sense. To further analyze the movie, the following paragraph will showcase the movie’s summary. Beginning with the presentation on a how a Spartan boy grows up and how he emerges to be king of Sparta, the movie was narrated by Dilios, a spartan soldier who was able to live and tell the tale. After years of being Sparta’s king, Leonidas received a messenger who was sent by the Persian ruler Xerxes. The messenger presented an offer that enraged king Leonidas, leading the messenger kicked down a seemingly bottomless pit. The message was sent clear, the Persian army is about to come, to invade Sparta and add it up to their growing territory. King Leonidas then consulted the Ephors, priests who consult the oracle for answers from the gods. Proposing a plan to block the Persian army by defending the Hot Gates of Thermopylae, King Leonidas was furious by the Ephors’ advice of not to fight because the oracle said that it was forbidden and the gods will get enraged if they do. Despite all of this, Leonidas stood strong with his firm decision to defend the Hot Gates. He gathered 300 of the greatest Spartan soldiers and assembled a party that would hold off thousands of Persians. As they have reached the Hot Gates, they defended it for days just to protect Sparta. King Leonidas courageously led the way by standing strong to his principles until the end. The number of the Persian army was too much for the 300 Spartans and eventually led to their deaths. Only one soldier was tasked to return to Sparta to tell the tale, Dilios, who forever made Leonidas and the 300 Spartans, remembered. LEONIDAS AND HIS VIRTUES The whole essence of the story evolved in Leonidas’ answer to his ethical dilemma that concerned with his decision to push through despite a number of people prohibiting him. One example was when he was discouraged by the Ephors or priests to pursue his plan because it was the time of the Carneian festival. His ethical dilemma would be is that if he pushes through with his plan, he would be disrespecting the Carneian but he would be able to salvage some time to defend Sparta. Despite the senate’s disapproval of sending the whole Spartan army, Leonidas faced his dilemma by standing strong with his beliefs and forming an army of 300 to continue his plan. Another example would be seen during the scene where the Persians were negotiating with Leonidas. First was during the arrival of the Persian messenger who offered Leonidas salvation of the Spartans from the Persian army if he yields. Another was during their stay at the Hot Gates, when King Xerxes himself talked to Leonidas personally and again proposed to have them spared if he yields to the Persians. Both of these instances presented a same result, Leonidas refusing to give up and standing strong to his principles. Choosing the side of what’s right than what’s wrong, suggests Leonidas’ firm ethical correctness and proper morality virtues. OTHER ETHICAL THEORIES PRESENTED Egoism is also depicted in the movie as seen in Xerxes’ motivation to rule and conquer the world. His actions towards self-interests boost his drive to invade and gain territories. In one instance, he even called himself the king and ruler of the world. A little bit of Egoism can also be attributed to Leonidas. His strong desire to win and his confidence to bring only 300 soldiers despite knowing that his enemy would be thousands in number suggests a showing of Egoism. CONCLUSION When we analyze the definition of ethics we easily incorporate it with what’s write and what’s wrong. Most of it solely depends on how we make that decision. The movie â€Å"300† despite its over-all violent nature still possessed that essential factor of morality and the integration of ethics through the characters, most especially Leonidas. Being the Spartan king, his decision to protect his kingdom by defending the Hot Gates despite disagreements by the senate and the priests caused his ethical dilemma. By overcoming this dilemma and choosing what he knows is right, it created a chain of events that lead to his popularity and immortality through the help of the story that’s still known up to today. Despite Xerxes’ tempting offers in order for him to surrender, Leonidas’ strong principles carried him all the way to legendary proportions. Driven by a king’s instincts, Leonidas died for the people of Sparta which caused them to be more inspired and more driven to defeat the Persian army that arrived pass the Hot Gates. All in all, despite Hollywood’s descending reputation in accordance with moralists, people can still find ethics in movies. People just need to look pass through and analyze the details to get the even bigger picture. References Mackie, J L. (1977). Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong. New York: Penguin Books. Simpson, R. H. (1972). Leonidas’ Decision. Phoenix (Vol 26, pp. 1-11).

The Lost Symbol Chapter 79-82

CHAPTER 79 Eight miles due north of Alexandria, Virginia, Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon strode calmly across a wide expanse of frost-covered lawn. â€Å"You should be an actress,† Langdon said, still impressed by Katherine's quick thinking and improvisational skills. â€Å"You weren't half bad yourself.† She gave him a smile. At first, Langdon had been mystified by Katherine's abrupt antics in the taxi. Without warning, she had suddenly demanded they go to Freedom Plaza based on some revelation about a Jewish star and the Great Seal of the United States. She drew a well-known conspiracy-theory image on a dollar bill and then insisted Langdon look closely where she was pointing. Finally, Langdon realized that Katherine was pointing not at the dollar bill but at a tiny indicator bulb on the back of the driver's seat. The bulb was so covered with grime that he had not even noticed it. As he leaned forward, however, he could see that the bulb was illuminated, emitting a dull red glow. He could also see the two faint words directly beneath the lit bulb. –INTERCOM ON– Startled, Langdon glanced back at Katherine, whose frantic eyes were urging him to look into the front seat. He obeyed, stealing a discreet glance through the divider. The cabby's cell phone was on the dash, wide open, illuminated, facing the intercom speaker. An instant later, Langdon understood Katherine's actions. They know we're in this cab . . . they've been listening to us. Langdon had no idea how much time he and Katherine had until their taxi was stopped and surrounded, but he knew they had to act fast. Instantly, he'd begun playing along, realizing that Katherine's desire to go to Freedom Plaza had nothing to do with the pyramid but rather with its being a large subway station–Metro Center–from which they could take the Red, Blue, or Orange lines in any of six different directions. They jumped out of the taxi at Freedom Plaza, and Langdon took over, doing some improvising of his own, leaving a trail to the Masonic Memorial in Alexandria before he and Katherine ran down into the subway station, dashing past the Blue Line platforms and continuing on to the Red Line, where they caught a train in the opposite direction. Traveling six stops northbound to Tenleytown, they emerged all alone into a quiet, upscale neighborhood. Their destination, the tallest structure for miles, was immediately visible on the horizon, just off Massachusetts Avenue on a vast expanse of manicured lawn. Now â€Å"off the grid,† as Katherine called it, the two of them walked across the damp grass. On their right was a medieval-style garden, famous for its ancient rosebushes and Shadow House gazebo. They moved past the garden, directly toward the magnificent building to which they had been summoned. A refuge containing ten stones from Mount Sinai, one from heaven itself, and one with the visage of Luke's dark father. â€Å"I've never been here at night,† Katherine said, gazing up at the brightly lit towers. â€Å"It's spectacular.† Langdon agreed, having forgotten how impressive this place truly was. This neo-Gothic masterpiece stood at the north end of Embassy Row. He hadn't been here for years, not since writing a piece about it for a kids' magazine in hopes of generating some excitement among young Americans to come see this amazing landmark. His article–â€Å"Moses, Moon Rocks, and Star Wars†Ã¢â‚¬â€œhad been part of the tourist literature for years. Washington National Cathedral, Langdon thought, feeling an unexpected anticipation at being back after all these years. Where better to ask about One True God? â€Å"This cathedral really has ten stones from Mount Sinai?† Katherine asked, gazing up at the twin bell towers. Langdon nodded. â€Å"Near the main altar. They symbolize the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai.† â€Å"And there's a lunar rock?† A rock from heaven itself. â€Å"Yes. One of the stained-glass windows is called the Space Window and has a fragment of moon rock embedded in it.† â€Å"Okay, but you can't be serious about the last thing.† Katherine glanced over, her pretty eyes flashing skepticism. â€Å"A statue of . . . Darth Vader?† Langdon chuckled. â€Å"Luke Skywalker's dark father? Absolutely. Vader is one of the National Cathedral's most popular grotesques.† He pointed high into the west towers. â€Å"Tough to see him at night, but he's there.† â€Å"What in the world is Darth Vader doing on Washington National Cathedral?† â€Å"A contest for kids to carve a gargoyle that depicted the face of evil. Darth won.† They reached the grand staircase to the main entrance, which was set back in an eighty-foot archway beneath a breathtaking rose window. As they began climbing, Langdon's mind shifted to the mysterious stranger who had called him. No names, please . . . Tell me, have you successfully protected the map that was entrusted to you? Langdon's shoulder ached from carrying the heavy stone pyramid, and he was looking forward to setting it down. Sanctuary and answers. As they approached the top of the stairs, they were met with an imposing pair of wooden doors. â€Å"Do we just knock?† Katherine asked. Langdon had been wondering the same thing, except that now one of the doors was creaking open. â€Å"Who's there?† a frail voice said. The face of a withered old man appeared in the doorway. He wore priest's robes and a blank stare. His eyes were opaque and white, clouded with cataracts. â€Å"My name is Robert Langdon,† he replied. â€Å"Katherine Solomon and I are seeking sanctuary.† The blind man exhaled in relief. â€Å"Thank God. I've been expecting you.† CHAPTER 80 Warren Bellamy felt a sudden ray of hope. Inside the Jungle, Director Sato had just received a phone call from a field agent and had immediately flown into a tirade. â€Å"Well, you damn well better find them!† she shouted into her phone. â€Å"We're running out of time!† She had hung up and was now stalking back and forth in front of Bellamy as if trying to decide what to do next. Finally, she stopped directly in front of him and turned. â€Å"Mr. Bellamy, I'm going to ask you this once, and only once.† She stared deep into his eyes. â€Å"Yes or no–do you have any idea where Robert Langdon might have gone?† Bellamy had more than a good idea, but he shook his head. â€Å"No.† Sato's piercing gaze had never left his eyes. â€Å"Unfortunately, part of my job is to know when people are lying.† Bellamy averted his eyes. â€Å"Sorry, I can't help you.† â€Å"Architect Bellamy,† Sato said, â€Å"tonight just after seven P.M., you were having dinner in a restaurant outside the city when you received a phone call from a man who told you he had kidnapped Peter Solomon.† Bellamy felt an instant chill and returned his eyes to hers. How could you possibly know that?! â€Å"The man,† Sato continued, â€Å"told you that he had sent Robert Langdon to the Capitol Building and given Langdon a task to complete . . . a task that required your help. He warned that if Langdon failed in this task, your friend Peter Solomon would die. Panicked, you called all of Peter's numbers but failed to reach him. Understandably, you then raced to the Capitol.† Bellamy could not imagine how Sato knew about this phone call. â€Å"As you fled the Capitol,† Sato said behind the smoldering tip of her cigarette, â€Å"you sent a text message to Solomon's kidnapper, assuring him that you and Langdon had been successful in obtaining the Masonic Pyramid.† Where is she getting her information? Bellamy wondered. Not even Langdon knows I sent that text message. Immediately after entering the tunnel to the Library of Congress, Bellamy had stepped into the electrical room to plug in the construction lighting. In the privacy of that moment, he had decided to send a quick text message to Solomon's captor, telling him about Sato's involvement, but reassuring him that he– Bellamy–and Langdon had obtained the Masonic Pyramid and would indeed cooperate with his demands. It was a lie, of course, but Bellamy hoped the reassurance might buy time, both for Peter Solomon and also to hide the pyramid. â€Å"Who told you I sent a text?† Bellamy demanded. Sato tossed Bellamy's cell phone on the bench next to him. â€Å"Hardly rocket science.† Bellamy now remembered his phone and keys had been taken from him by the agents who captured him. â€Å"As for the rest of my inside information,† Sato said, â€Å"the Patriot Act gives me the right to place a wiretap on the phone of anyone I consider a viable threat to national security. I consider Peter Solomon to be such a threat, and last night I took action.† Bellamy could barely get his mind around what she was telling him. â€Å"You're tapping Peter Solomon's phone?† â€Å"Yes. This is how I knew the kidnapper called you at the restaurant. You called Peter's cell phone and left an anxious message explaining what had just happened.† Bellamy realized she was right. â€Å"We had also intercepted a call from Robert Langdon, who was in the Capitol Building, deeply confused to learn he had been tricked into coming there. I went to the Capitol at once, arriving before you because I was closer. As for how I knew to check the X-ray of Langdon's bag . . . in light of my realization that Langdon was involved in all of this, I had my staff reexamine a seemingly innocuous early-morning call between Langdon and Peter Solomon's cell phone, in which the kidnapper, posing as Solomon's assistant, persuaded Langdon to come for a lecture and also to bring a small package that Peter had entrusted to him. When Langdon was not forthcoming with me about the package he was carrying, I requested the X-ray of his bag.† Bellamy could barely think. Admittedly, everything Sato was saying was feasible, and yet something was not adding up. â€Å"But . . . how could you possibly think Peter Solomon is a threat to national security?† â€Å"Believe me, Peter Solomon is a serious national-security threat,† she snapped. â€Å"And frankly, Mr. Bellamy, so are you.† Bellamy sat bolt upright, the handcuffs chafing against his wrists. â€Å"I beg your pardon?!† She forced a smile. â€Å"You Masons play a risky game. You keep a very, very dangerous secret.† Is she talking about the Ancient Mysteries? â€Å"Thankfully, you've always done a good job of keeping your secrets hidden. Unfortunately, recently you've been careless, and tonight, your most dangerous secret is about to be unveiled to the world. And unless we can stop that from happening, I assure you the results will be catastrophic.† Bellamy stared in bewilderment. â€Å"If you had not attacked me,† Sato said, â€Å"you would have realized that you and I are on the same team.† The same team. The words sparked in Bellamy an idea that seemed almost impossible to fathom. Is Sato a member of Eastern Star? The Order of the Eastern Star–often considered a sister organization to the Masons–embraced a similar mystical philosophy of benevolence, secret wisdom, and spiritual open-mindedness. The same team? I'm in handcuffs! She's tapping Peter's phone! â€Å"You will help me stop this man,† Sato said. â€Å"He has the potential to bring about a cataclysm from which this country might not recover.† Her face was like stone. â€Å"Then why aren't you tracking him?† Sato looked incredulous. â€Å"Do you think I'm not trying? My trace on Solomon's cell phone went dead before we got a location. His other number appears to be a disposable phone–which is almost impossible to track. The private-jet company told us that Langdon's flight was booked by Solomon's assistant, on Solomon's cell phone, with Solomon's Marquis Jet card. There is no trail. Not that it matters anyway. Even if we find out exactly where he is, I can't possibly risk moving in and trying to grab him.† â€Å"Why not?!† â€Å"I'd prefer not to share that, as the information is classified,† Sato said, patience clearly waning. â€Å"I am asking you to trust me on this.† â€Å"Well, I don't!† Sato's eyes were like ice. She turned suddenly and shouted across the Jungle. â€Å"Agent Hartmann! The briefcase, please.† Bellamy heard the hiss of the electronic door, and an agent strode into the Jungle. He was carrying a sleek titanium briefcase, which he set on the ground beside the OS director. â€Å"Leave us,† Sato said. As the agent departed, the door hissed again, and then everything fell silent. Sato picked up the metal case, laid it across her lap, and popped the clasps. Then she raised her eyes slowly to Bellamy. â€Å"I did not want to do this, but our time is running out, and you've left me no choice.† Bellamy eyed the strange briefcase and felt a swell of fear. Is she going to torture me? He strained at his cuffs again. â€Å"What's in that case?!† Sato smiled grimly. â€Å"Something that will persuade you to see things my way. I guarantee it.† CHAPTER 81 The subterranean space in which Mal'akh performed the Art was ingeniously hidden. His home's basement, to those who entered, appeared quite normal–a typical cellar with boiler, fuse box, woodpile, and a hodgepodge of storage. This visible cellar, however, was only a portion of Mal'akh's underground space. A sizable area had been walled off for his clandestine practices. Mal'akh's private work space was a suite of small rooms, each with a specialized purpose. The area's sole entrance was a steep ramp secretly accessible through his living room, making the area's discovery virtually impossible. Tonight, as Mal'akh descended the ramp, the tattooed sigils and signs on his flesh seemed to come alive in the cerulean glow of his basement's specialized lighting. Moving into the bluish haze, he walked past several closed doors and headed directly for the largest room at the end of the corridor. The â€Å"sanctum sanctorum,† as Mal'akh liked to call it, was a perfect twelve-foot square. Twelve are the signs of the zodiac. Twelve are the hours of the day. Twelve are the gates of heaven. In the center of the chamber was a stone table, a seven-by-seven square. Seven are the seals of Revelation. Seven are the steps of the Temple. Centered over the table hung a carefully calibrated light source that cycled through a spectrum of preordained colors, completing its cycle every six hours in accordance with the sacred Table of Planetary Hours. The hour of Yanor is blue. The hour of Nasnia is red. The hour of Salam is white. Now was the hour of Caerra, meaning the light in the room had modulated to a soft purplish hue. Wearing only a silken loincloth wrapped around his buttocks and neutered sex organ, Mal'akh began his preparations. He carefully combined the suffumigation chemicals that he would later ignite to sanctify the air. Then he folded the virgin silk robe that he would eventually don in place of his loincloth. And finally, he purified a flask of water for the anointing of his offering. When he was done, he placed all of these prepared ingredients on a side table. Next he went to a shelf and retrieved a small ivory box, which he carried to the side table and placed with the other items. Although he was not yet ready to use it, he could not resist opening the lid and admiring this treasure. The knife. Inside the ivory box, nestled in a cradle of black velvet, shone the sacrificial knife that Mal'akh had been saving for tonight. He had purchased it for $1.6 million on the Middle Eastern antiquities black market last year. The most famous knife in history. Unimaginably old and believed lost, this precious blade was made of iron, attached to a bone handle. Over the ages, it had been in the possession of countless powerful individuals. In recent decades, however, it had disappeared, languishing in a secret private collection. Mal'akh had gone to enormous lengths to obtain it. The knife, he suspected, had not drawn blood for decades . . . possibly centuries. Tonight, this blade would again taste the power of the sacrifice for which it was honed. Mal'akh gently lifted the knife from its cushioned compartment and reverently polished the blade with a silk cloth soaked in purified water. His skills had progressed greatly since his first rudimentary experiments in New York. The dark Art that Mal'akh practiced had been known by many names in many languages, but by any name, it was a precise science. This primeval technology had once held the key to the portals of power, but it had been banished long ago, relegated to the shadows of occultism and magic. Those few who still practiced this Art were considered madmen, but Mal'akh knew better. This is not work for those with dull faculties. The ancient dark Art, like modern science, was a discipline involving precise formulas, specific ingredients, and meticulous timing. This Art was not the impotent black magic of today, often practiced halfheartedly by curious souls. This Art, like nuclear physics, had the potential to unleash enormous power. The warnings were dire: The unskilled practitioner runs the risk of being struck by a reflux current and destroyed. Mal'akh finished admiring the sacred blade and turned his attention to a lone sheet of thick vellum lying on the table before him. He had made this vellum himself from the skin of a baby lamb. As was the protocol, the lamb was pure, having not yet reached sexual maturity. Beside the vellum was a quill pen he had made from the feather of a crow, a silver saucer, and three glimmering candles arranged around a solid-brass bowl. The bowl contained one inch of thick crimson liquid. The liquid was Peter Solomon's blood. Blood is the tincture of eternity. Mal'akh picked up the quill pen, placed his left hand on the vellum, and dipping the quill tip in the blood, he carefully traced the outline of his open palm. When he was done, he added the five symbols of the Ancient Mysteries, one on each fingertip of the drawing. The crown . . . to represent the king I shall become. The star . . . to represent the heavens which have ordained my destiny. The sun . . . to represent the illumination of my soul. The lantern . . . to represent the feeble light of human understanding. And the key . . . to represent the missing piece, that which tonight I shall at last possess. Mal'akh completed his blood tracing and held up the vellum, admiring his work in the light of the three candles. He waited until the blood was dry and then folded the thick vellum three times. While chanting an ethereal ancient incantation, Mal'akh touched the vellum to the third candle, and it burst into flames. He set the flaming vellum on the silver saucer and let it burn. As it did, the carbon in the animal skin dissolved to a powdery black char. When the flame went out, Mal'akh carefully tapped the ashes into the brass bowl of blood. Then he stirred the mixture with the crow's feather. The liquid turned a deeper crimson, nearly black. Holding the bowl in both palms, Mal'akh raised it over his head and gave thanks, intoning the blood eukharistos of the ancients. Then he carefully poured the blackened mixture into a glass vial and corked it. This would be the ink with which Mal'akh would inscribe the untattooed flesh atop his head and complete his masterpiece. CHAPTER 82 Washington National Cathedral is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world and soars higher than a thirty-story skyscraper. Embellished with over two hundred stained-glass windows, a fifty- three-bell carillon, and a 10,647-pipe organ, this Gothic masterpiece can accommodate more than three thousand worshippers. Tonight, however, the great cathedral was deserted. Reverend Colin Galloway–dean of the cathedral–looked like he had been alive forever. Stooped and withered, he wore a simple black cassock and shuffled blindly ahead without a word. Langdon and Katherine followed in silence through the darkness of the four-hundred-foot- long nave's central aisle, which was curved ever so slightly to the left to create a softening optical illusion. When they reached the Great Crossing, the dean guided them through the rood screen–the symbolic divider between the public area and the sanctuary beyond. The scent of frankincense hung in the air of the chancel. This sacred space was dark, illuminated only by indirect reflections in the foliated vaults overhead. Flags of the fifty states hung above the quire, which was ornately appointed with several carved reredos depicting biblical events. Dean Galloway continued on, apparently knowing this walk by heart. For a moment, Langdon thought they were headed straight for the high altar, where the ten stones from Mount Sinai were embedded, but the old dean finally turned left and groped his way through a discreetly hidden door that led into an administrative annex. They moved down a short hallway to an office door bearing a brass nameplate: THE REVEREND DR. COLIN GALLOWAY CATHEDRAL DEAN Galloway opened the door and turned on the lights, apparently accustomed to remembering this courtesy for his guests. He ushered them in and closed the door. The dean's office was small but elegant, with high bookshelves, a desk, a carved armoire, and a private bathroom. On the walls hung sixteenth-century tapestries and several religious paintings. The old dean motioned to the two leather chairs directly opposite his desk. Langdon sat with Katherine and felt grateful finally to set his heavy shoulder bag on the floor at his feet. Sanctuary and answers, Langdon thought, settling into the comfortable chair. The aged man shuffled around behind his desk and eased himself down into his high-backed chair. Then, with a weary sigh, he raised his head, staring blankly out at them through clouded eyes. When he spoke, his voice was unexpectedly clear and strong. â€Å"I realize we have never met,† the old man said, â€Å"and yet I feel I know you both.† He took out a handkerchief and dabbed his mouth. â€Å"Professor Langdon, I am familiar with your writings, including the clever piece you did on the symbolism of this cathedral. And, Ms. Solomon, your brother, Peter, and I have been Masonic brothers for many years now.† â€Å"Peter is in terrible trouble,† Katherine said. â€Å"So I have been told.† The old man sighed. â€Å"And I will do everything in my power to help you.† Langdon saw no Masonic ring on the dean's finger, and yet he knew many Masons, especially those within the clergy, chose not to advertise their affiliation. As they began to talk, it became clear that Dean Galloway already knew some of the night's events from Warren Bellamy's phone message. As Langdon and Katherine filled him in on the rest, the dean looked more and more troubled. â€Å"And this man who has taken our beloved Peter,† the dean said, â€Å"he is insisting you decipher the pyramid in exchange for Peter's life?† â€Å"Yes,† Langdon said. â€Å"He thinks it's a map that will lead him to the hiding place of the Ancient Mysteries.† The dean turned his eerie, opaque eyes toward Langdon. â€Å"My ears tell me you do not believe in such things.† Langdon did not want to waste time going down this road. â€Å"It doesn't matter what I believe. We need to help Peter. Unfortunately, when we deciphered the pyramid, it pointed nowhere.† The old man sat straighter. â€Å"You've deciphered the pyramid?† Katherine interceded now, quickly explaining that despite Bellamy's warnings and her brother's request that Langdon not unwrap the package, she had done so, feeling her first priority was to help her brother however she could. She told the dean about the golden capstone, Albrecht Durer's magic square, and how it decrypted the sixteen-letter Masonic cipher into the phrase Jeova Sanctus Unus. â€Å"That's all it says?† the dean asked. â€Å"One True God?† â€Å"Yes, sir,† Langdon replied. â€Å"Apparently the pyramid is more of a metaphorical map than a geographic one.† The dean held out his hands. â€Å"Let me feel it.† Langdon unzipped his bag and pulled out the pyramid, which he carefully hoisted up on the desk, setting it directly in front of the reverend. Langdon and Katherine watched as the old man's frail hands examined every inch of the stone– the engraved side, the smooth base, and the truncated top. When he was finished, he held out his hands again. â€Å"And the capstone?† Langdon retrieved the small stone box, set it on the desk, and opened the lid. Then he removed the capstone and placed it into the old man's waiting hands. The dean performed a similar examination, feeling every inch, pausing on the capstone's engraving, apparently having some trouble reading the small, elegantly inscribed text. â€Å"`The secret hides within The Order,'† Langdon offered. â€Å"And the words the and order are capitalized.† The old man's face was expressionless as he positioned the capstone on top of the pyramid and aligned it by sense of touch. He seemed to pause a moment, as if in prayer, and reverently ran his palms over the complete pyramid several times. Then he reached out and located the cube- shaped box, taking it in his hands, feeling it carefully, his fingers probing inside and out. When he was done, he set down the box and leaned back in his chair. â€Å"So tell me,† he demanded, his voice suddenly stern. â€Å"Why have you come to me?† The question took Langdon off guard. â€Å"We came, sir, because you told us to. And Mr. Bellamy said we should trust you.† â€Å"And yet you did not trust him?† â€Å"I'm sorry?† The dean's white eyes stared directly through Langdon. â€Å"The package containing the capstone was sealed. Mr. Bellamy told you not to open it, and yet you did. In addition, Peter Solomon himself told you not to open it. And yet you did.† â€Å"Sir,† Katherine intervened, â€Å"we were trying to help my brother. The man who has him demanded we decipher–â€Å" â€Å"I can appreciate that,† the dean declared, â€Å"and yet what have you achieved by opening the package? Nothing. Peter's captor is looking for a location, and he will not be satisfied with the answer of Jeova Sanctus Unus.† â€Å"I agree,† Langdon said, â€Å"but unfortunately that's all the pyramid says. As I mentioned, the map seems to be more figurative than–â€Å" â€Å"You're mistaken, Professor,† the dean said. â€Å"The Masonic Pyramid is a real map. It points to a real location. You do not understand that, because you have not yet deciphered the pyramid fully. Not even close.† Langdon and Katherine exchanged startled looks. The dean laid his hands back on the pyramid, almost caressing it. â€Å"This map, like the Ancient Mysteries themselves, has many layers of meaning. Its true secret remains veiled from you.† â€Å"Dean Galloway,† Langdon said, â€Å"we've been over every inch of the pyramid and capstone, and there's nothing else to see.† â€Å"Not in its current state, no. But objects change.† â€Å"Sir?† â€Å"Professor, as you know, the promise of this pyramid is one of miraculous transformative power. Legend holds that this pyramid can change its shape . . . alter its physical form to reveal its secrets. Like the famed stone that released Excalibur into the hands of King Arthur, the Masonic Pyramid can transform itself if it so chooses . . . and reveal its secret to the worthy.† Langdon now sensed that the old man's advanced years had perhaps robbed him of his faculties. â€Å"I'm sorry, sir. Are you saying this pyramid can undergo a literal physical transformation?† â€Å"Professor, if I were to reach out with my hand and transform this pyramid right before your eyes, would you believe what you had witnessed?† Langdon had no idea how to respond. â€Å"I suppose I would have no choice.† â€Å"Very well, then. In a moment, I shall do exactly that.† He dabbed his mouth again. â€Å"Let me remind you that there was an era when even the brightest minds perceived the earth as flat. For if the earth were round, then surely the oceans would spill off. Imagine how they would have mocked you if you proclaimed, `Not only is the world a sphere, but there is an invisible, mystical force that holds everything to its surface'!† â€Å"There's a difference,† Langdon said, â€Å"between the existence of gravity . . . and the ability to transform objects with a touch of your hand.† â€Å"Is there? Is it not possible that we are still living in the Dark Ages, still mocking the suggestion of `mystical' forces that we cannot see or comprehend. History, if it has taught us anything at all, has taught us that the strange ideas we deride today will one day be our celebrated truths. I claim I can transform this pyramid with a touch of my finger, and you question my sanity. I would expect more from an historian. History is replete with great minds who have all proclaimed the same thing . . . great minds who have all insisted that man possesses mystical abilities of which he is unaware.† Langdon knew the dean was correct. The famous Hermetic aphorism–Know ye not that ye are gods?–was one of the pillars of the Ancient Mysteries. As above, so below . . . Man created in God's image . . . Apotheosis. This persistent message of man's own divinity–of his hidden potential–was the recurring theme in the ancient texts of countless traditions. Even the Holy Bible cried out in Psalms 82:6: Ye are gods! â€Å"Professor,† the old man said, â€Å"I realize that you, like many educated people, live trapped between worlds–one foot in the spiritual, one foot in the physical. Your heart yearns to believe . . . but your intellect refuses to permit it. As an academic, you would be wise to learn from the great minds of history.† He paused and cleared his throat. â€Å"If I'm remembering correctly, one of the greatest minds ever to live proclaimed: `That which is impenetrable to us really exists. Behind the secrets of nature remains something subtle, intangible, and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion.' â€Å" â€Å"Who said that?† Langdon said. â€Å"Gandhi?† â€Å"No,† Katherine interjected. â€Å"Albert Einstein.† Katherine Solomon had read every word Einstein had ever written and was struck by his profound respect for the mystical, as well as his predictions that the masses would one day feel the same. The religion of the future, Einstein had predicted, will be a cosmic religion. It will transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Robert Langdon appeared to be struggling with the idea. Katherine could sense his rising frustration with the old Episcopal priest, and she understood. After all, they had traveled here for answers, and they had found instead a blind man who claimed he could transform objects with a touch of his hands. Even so, the old man's overt passion for mystical forces reminded Katherine of her brother. â€Å"Father Galloway,† Katherine said, â€Å"Peter is in trouble. The CIA is chasing us. And Warren Bellamy sent us to you for help. I don't know what this pyramid says or where it points, but if deciphering it means that we can help Peter, we need to do that. Mr. Bellamy may have preferred to sacrifice my brother's life to hide this pyramid, but my family has experienced nothing but pain because of it. Whatever secret it may hold, it ends tonight.† â€Å"You are correct,† the old man replied, his tone dire. â€Å"It will all end tonight. You've guaranteed that.† He sighed. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, when you broke the seal on that box, you set in motion a series of events from which there will be no return. There are forces at work tonight that you do not yet comprehend. There is no turning back.† Katherine stared dumbfounded at the reverend. There was something apocalyptic about his tone, as if he were referring to the Seven Seals of Revelation or Pandora's box. â€Å"Respectfully, sir,† Langdon interceded, â€Å"I can't imagine how a stone pyramid could set in motion anything at all.† â€Å"Of course you can't, Professor.† The old man stared blindly through him. â€Å"You do not yet have eyes to see.†