Mrs Arbuthnot and Hester Essay

How does Oscar Wilde make Hester and Mrs Arbuthnot contrasting characters? Oscar Wilde has many characters through ‘A Woman of No Importance’ that have contrasting personalities and backgrounds, but the characters with a clear, most definite contrast are Hester and Mrs Arbuthnot. Mrs Arbuthnot is known to the readers of the play and the characters in the play as a ‘fallen woman’. She has run off with at least two men whilst married and has now developed a reputation with the rest of the community. She is a very flirtatious character and likes to ‘play with fire’. This means she also will try to get the attention of any man possible. Hester, on the other hand, is very religious and has extremely different morals and views to Mrs Arbuthnot. She doesn’t agree with running off with other men, sex before marriage or flirting with other men, so Hester and Mrs Arbuthnot, in this sense, have different morals. Mrs Arbuthnot’s relationship with Lord Illingworth is very flirtatious and public. Everyone in the community has heard about them so nothing about them is private. Hester and Gerald’s relationship on the other hand, is very different. Hester plays almost ‘hard to get’ and doesn’t draw attention to her or the fact that she may like Gerald. She likes to keep her business private so no one knows anything about her to judge her. Mrs Arbuthnot is from England and is very friendly with the higher class people. These people have been born into wealth and don’t like people who have earned their money through working. However, Hester is from America and has had to work her way up to gain money and to be where she is today. She doesn’t agree with people being born into wealth and those people looking down on the people who have worked their way up. Both Mrs Arbuthnot and Hester disagree with each other in this sense which shows a contrasting of personalities. On the other hand, Hester says ‘nothing should be out of the reach of hope’, which could seem that Hester doesn’t worry about social class and it doesn’t matter when you are in hierarchy, Finally, Mrs Arbuthnot believes that men are stronger than woman and they have a higher authority and more power than women do. She has the typical view of a Victorian woman where the men boss the women around and then women do as they are told. Hester believes in equality and has very strong views about it. She believes that all men and women should be valued the same and that no one is any different. Hester is almost like she is saying exactly what Oscar Wilde is thinking. Therefore, throughout this play, Oscar Wilde shows contrasting characters through wealth, class and morals.

Mitchem Lethbridge Ltd

A Introduction Mitch Leathering Ltd. Is an individual franchise of the parent company Mitch Office Corporation, which holds a contest every third year to award the franchise with the greatest Improvement In net Income. This year the Leathering franchise has won the contest, however the Halifax franchise, who had a net income to reflect higher net income numbers.The Mitch head office has asked us to look at the financial records and interview the Leathering management to determine if an audit is required because of suspect manipulations to the statements. We also have been required to suggest some improvements to the contest rules to the Imitate head office. The Leathering franchise is currently solely owned by Lisa McGovern and had been going through a tough year in 2010. At the end of the period they made many adjustments that had negative effects on the net income in the 2010 year and positive effects towards the net income of the 2011 year.These issues and the effects they had on net income will determine if there is a need for an audit. They will also help provide insight to determine any improvements that can be applied to the rules f the contest to ensure the future winners are indeed complying with the rules. Improvements would also help curb franchises towards the purpose of the contest, which is to be continually improving net income each year. After determine Mitch Leathering Ltd.Financial statement, we comment on some issues them may address, and Issues Commissions Expense At the end of the 2010 reporting period Mitch Leathering Limited decided to pay expected commissions of January 2011 to employees in December to help offset the poor sales year they Just had in 2010. This practice is neither acceptable by GAP ironically nor is it ethical in regards to the competition. Lisa has disregarded the revenue and expense recognition criteria by recognizing the commissions' expenses in one period when the sales that those commissions belong to will not be re cognized until they occur during January 2011.The Leathering division also appears to have favorably bolstered their expectations for January to $150,000. This estimate is far too high despite the upcoming discount sale, especially considering that the December sales were $90,000. That is a $60,000 increase in expected sales when there is not even a seasonal change. If the Leathering division wanted to give the employees a bonus for having a poor sales year when they expect a better year in the next period that is acceptable, but that was not the case.Lisa and Mitch Leathering decided to recognize commission's expenses that belonged to sales that were yet to occur in 2011. This influenced net income by decreasing the expenses in 2011 while the sales remained the same and vice-versa for the previous year. This increased net income by $9120 since actual sales were only $114,000 in January and they decreased net income by the full $12,000 2010. By over exaggerating the losses in 2010 a nd the revenue in 2011 the Leathering division destroys the credibility of their financial records.The representational faithfulness of Lettering's records will also come into question now and in future contests the Mitch Corporation puts on. Show below: $77,250 Inventory Write-down The Leathering division again appears to have ignored GAP principals when they wrote down inventory at the end of the 2010 period. According to inventory write- down information, when a write-down occurs is a Judgment of management, but how you write inventory down is not.When write-downs occur inventory needs to written down to Net Realizable Value, which is what the inventory is worth in the market now as opposed to when it was purchased. However, Jeff wrote inventory down to liquidation value which is what the inventory could be sold for immediately. This value is much lower that what it should have been written down to had the inventory value decreased since its purchase. Jeff also mentions in his no tes that he was not sure that they were going to be able to sell the abnormally high level of inventory in the following months.This is a contradicting statement considering that Lisa had mentioned in her notes that she had planned the bulk sale in late 2010 and had even began advertising in December. She also estimated sales to be $1 50,000 in January which would have exceeded the inventory account before the write-down. This exaggerated write-down affected net income by decreasing the value of the inventory when the sales occurred in the following period. This would have reduced the cost of goods sold expense while sales and revenues remained unchanged by the write-down.

Changing Trends In Advertisement Strategies Of Virgin Atlantic Marketing Essay

Changing Trends In Advertisement Strategies Of Virgin Atlantic Marketing Essay The main aim of the research is to explore the changing trends in advertisement strategies and to evaluate the impact on customers in competitive market. Research Objective: To explore the changing trends in advertisement strategies of Virgin Atlantic To identify the key features in Virgin advertisements that attracts customers To explain the impact of changed advertisement strategies on customers preference Definition of Advertisement strategy: An advertising strategy is a campaign developed to communicate ideas about products and services to potential consumers in the hopes of convincing them to buy those products and services. Research Questions What are the current advertisement trends in airline industry? How does the advertisement strategy of Virgin Atlantic influence customer’s preference? Introduction: Background of research In this research, researcher is going to explore the changing trends in advertisement strategies of Virgin Atlantic Airways. Researcher wants to identify those key elements that influence customer’s attraction towards Virgin Atlantic Airways. Researcher will adopt different tools and techniques to gather primary information. Conceptual Framework: Definition:† A theoretical structure of assumptions, principles, and rules that holds together the ideas comprising a broad concept.† In this particular research; researcher explore the changing trends in advertisement of Virgin Atlantic and explain the impact on customer preference. The conceptual framework of this research is based on five different steps. In the first step researcher explains the aim and objective of the research. The first introduction step also contains the brief introduction of company. In second phase researcher critically evaluates the literature review related to his research .in this phase researcher studied different articles, journals to get the understanding of different thoughts and assumptions related to his research problem and the n end up with the conclusion. Third phase of this research paper is most significant because it explains the different methodologies and tools used by researcher to get his objective. In this step researcher describe his research methodology, strategy, philosophy, approach and data collection method for primary information. The forth phase of this research is data analysis. In this section researcher compiled the relevant information gathered from different respondents through questionnaire and then presented in the form of graphs And at the end researcher give conclusion and recommendation to support his research and then further explains the outcome. . Background of Virgin Atlantic: In early 80’s Randolph Fields gave idea to Richard Branson of starting Virgin Atlantic Airways. Virgin Atlantic Airways Original known as British Atlantic Airways, The first flight of Virgin Atlantic’s was from Gatwick to Newark on their only 747 on 22nd June 1984. Two years after their f irst flight to Newark, Virgin present a planned service to Miami in 1986, and later on with Orlando in 1988. By the end of the 1980’s, Virgin introduced new long haul flights to Tokyo, JFK and Los Angeles in May 1989 and August 1989 respectively. Virgin Atlantic’s is recognized by their innovative strategy, and the severe competition with BA on the transatlantic routes has pushed forward services unlike any other carriers in the world. Virgin was the first international passenger carrier to present personal in-flight entertainment systems in lower class, and then they have specify business class approaching it way beyond the expectations. Virgin Atlantic’s is always remain in media due to their innovative and appealing advertisements.

Social Exclusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Social Exclusion - Essay Example As the discussion explores social exclusion can be seen as an â€Å"analytical concept† which guides us to the means by which social structures can result in poverty. De Haan emphasizes the need to use social exclusion in development studies, stressing that it helps focus attention on the important aspects of deprivation, is equally important in making analysis and policies, and shows us the fact that deprivation is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. This paper declares that the World Bank has adopted social exclusion as an issue, stating that: â€Å"Discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, race, religion, or social status can lead to social exclusion and lock people into long-term poverty traps†. Regional and country studies on social exclusion have included sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, India, Tanzania, Brazil, Yemen and Peru. The importance of social exclusion as a concept, vis-à  -vis poverty, is that it provides a â€Å"broader view of deprivation and disadvantage than poverty†. The important consideration in the social exclusion discourse is how it can be measured and indicators set that are distinct from poverty. Robinson and Oppenheim noted that â€Å"it is as yet unclear how one would define, measure and track social and political exclusion.† There have also been criticisms on social exclusion for its emphasis on the â€Å"residual rather than relational aspects of poverty† and tha t â€Å"exclusion has replaced exploitation†.

Titanic vs. Romeo and Juliet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Titanic vs. Romeo and Juliet - Essay Example Over the years, there have been comparisons between Titanic and, Romeo and Juliet. Some have ventured to say that Titanic is sadder than Romeo and Juliet, while there are others who disagree and favour the latter. This debate, although not in public has occurred in the hearts of people who have been privileged to watch both movies. But is the debate as to which movie is sadder, worth considering? Can a conclusion be made as to which one is sadder? And even if a conclusion can be made, what will be the criteria? These are some of the questions that people have had to confront. Titanic indeed is a sad movie that was based on a true event. In this movie, we see a massive Ship that was considered the biggest and most luxurious Ship of its time. Some even ventured to suggest that it was unsinkable. As we unfold the life of this great Ship, we are met with awe and wonder. It was adorned with the finest precious stones of its day. Gold was lavishly used, as if it grew from trees. The china was decorated with Gold, Silver, and other precious stones. Its audience was of the highest order, for only the richest and most famous were granted the privilege of using its vicinity. As the Ship entered its voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to New York, it treaded so smoothly that its beholders were tempted to suggest that the gods had placed a special favour upon it. The voyage was very long, and hence, the crew prepared and carried all the things that the people would need, for the Ship had to live up to its reputation of being the finest Ship that ever graced the waters of planet earth. Singing, dancing, gambling, games, and all sorts of entertainment could be seen in the vicinities of this hallowed Ship. Then it happened, that incident that forever changed the life of this Ship, and afterwards the hearts of people across the world. As the Ship was proudly gliding across the black and icy cold waters, it met its greatest challenge, an ice-berg. Some say, it was placed there by the Devil, and some say, it was placed there by God to humble the pride of man. Nonetheless, the truth was clear; the Ship was in trouble, and as a result, the people within it. It struck an ice-berg, and almost all of the people inside it perished. Hollywood producers captivated by the reaction that this incident caused, were inspired to make a movie out of it. In the movie, they inserted a sad story of two lovers. In the story, the lovers Jack and Rose were in a forbidden affair. Current norm did not allow Jack, a peasant, to get into a relationship with Rose, a daughter of a rich and famous man. And to make it worse, Rose was engaged to another man. But surprisingly, all this did not discourage Jack. He was determined to be with Rose for the rest of his life. Hence he met problems from Rose’s fiancee who suspected that Rose was falling in love with Jack. This conflict between these two men from different walks of life over the heart of this beautiful lady awoke great interest in the hearts of people across the world. People started cheering for Jack, for he was the underdog, and was also a great charmer. In all this, Rose was caught in the middle, but her heart was swaying slightly to Jacks favour. This continued until Rose was completely in love with Jack, and then it happened. The Ship, as if angry at this union, struck an ice-berg, and the scenes that followed were engraved in the hearts of the world for all time. Everybody in the Ship strived to save his own life. Small boats were searched for as if they were the very source of life. Jack realizing the situation, had only one thing in mind, save Rose and get out of there. This proved a big problem, because by this time, he had been locked downstairs. After a miraculous escape he managed to locate Rose, and together held on to the end of the Ship as it slowly descended down the deathly hallows. Finally the Ship disappeared down the water, and everybody was left fighting for dear life on the icy waters of the Atlantic. Jack, a gentleman, found a plank of wood,

Perform a financial analysis of Amcor and Alumina Essay

Perform a financial analysis of Amcor and Alumina - Essay Example Reductions in current assets are not good for businesses because they lower the liquidity of a company. One of the possible reasons for the reduction in current assets is sales of old equipment or short term investments such as treasury bills. The current ratio of the company in 2010 was 0.56. The current ratio shows the ability of the company to pay off its short term debt. The current ratio of the company is not good due to the fact that the firm’s current ratio is below the norm of 1.0. The total assets of Alumina were $3,542 million in 2010. The company achieved an increased in total assets of $38 million. The return on assets (ROA) of the company in 2010 was 7.49%. Return on assets measures how well the assets of the firm have been employed by management (Garrison & Noreen, 2003). The company achieved a tremendous improvement in comparison with the previous year since its ROA in 2009 was -4.84%. Improving ROA is a positive sign that infers greater profitability for the company. The reason for the higher profitability numbers was a foreign exchange translation difference of $230 million. The return on equity of Alumina in 2010 was 8.64%. Return on equity measures the extent to which financial leverage is working for or against common stockholders (Garrison, et. al, 2003). In 2009 the return on equity of Alumina was -5.81%. The debt to equity ratio of Alumina in 2010 was 1.15. The firm’s debt to equity ratio is 0.05 lower than the previous year. Amcor is one of the world’s leading suppliers of rigid plastic packaging companies which operates in 43 countries worldwide (Amcor, 2012). The company obtained revenues of $9,850 billion in 2010. The revenues of the firm decrease by $315 million or 3.3% in comparison with 2009. The net income of the organization in 2010 was $201.6 million. The firm’s net income the previous year was $218.4. The company had a decrease in net income of $16.8

Editing a babysitting biography I wrote Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Editing a babysitting biography I wrote - Essay Example Since childhood, I have had a special liking for the children. Being the elder sister, I have always taken good care of my younger siblings and have been a great helping hand for my mother. I have acquired the degree of Associate in Child Development (CDA). I am certified in CPR & FIRST AID. In the capacity of a certified CDA, I have worked as a Child Care Provider Assistant in a family day care center, where I babysat children for almost 7 years. I am currently doing my Associate Degree in Psychology and will graduate in the winter of 2011. I am quite fluent in English and Spanish. I am an energetic, fun-loving, punctual, reliable and friendly lady who loves and enjoys working with kids and families. I have taken care of infants, toddlers, and pre schoolers. I also have many available references. I used to charge $12-14 an hour depending upon the location in which the service was to be given. The test I have given as a babysitter comprises such activities as preparing, serving meals to the children in an appetizing way and feeding them, bathing and dressing some children while assisting the untrained children in taking bath and dressing up, changing the children’s diapers, planning activities for them and designing curriculums in accordance with the individualistic needs of different age groups. I am a born babysitter. It is not something I have adopted as a profession. It was meant to be like that since my nature has fundamentally been structured that way. I love my profession and am positive that I can take excellent care of children.

ASSIGNMENT ON EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT AND ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSE Essay - 1

ASSIGNMENT ON EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT AND ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSE - Essay Example It is against this background that this paper provides an in depth analysis of the external environment of the proposed Castle Hotel in light of the PEST model. To enhance coherence, the paper begins by justifying the entry into the hotel industry. As indicated earlier, the hotel industry in New Zealand offers a lucrative environment for sustained growth. The decision to enter into this business was informed by various factors. To begin with, the industry is all seasonal. In this regard, Hall (2000) indicates that the hotel industry deals with the most basic human needs and it is unlikely that one would miss clients at any point in the year. Preliminary researches indicate that Auckland City is a hub for tourists and business persons from across the globe. Providing a hotel with six star standards will probably give the investor a chance to explore this market niche with ease. PEST analysis reviews the political, economic, social and technological facets of the business environment. This is fundamental in enabling the investors to identify any opportunities for growth and seize them in a timely and effective manner. Furthermore, investors can use this information to minimize threats that compromise sustainable growth and development of a particular business. The political environment of any country greatly influences the performance of both local and international business. Respective governments have put in place rules and regulations that need to be adhered to by investors. If these are not supportive of economic growth, they can cripple relative development initiatives. With respect to the hotel business venture, the political environment in New Zealand offers distinct opportunities that can be effectively explored for growth and development. In his review, Elebiary (2012) indicates that the enlargement of the European Union has opened up the destination for increased international tourist arrivals. In addition, the government has huge incentives for the est ablishment and development of luxurious hotels. This according to Elebiary (2012) is due to the fact that the hotels contribute significantly to the country’s gross domestic product. However, there are political threats that are likely to affect the success of this business. Reportedly, governments charge huge taxes from these star hotels. In addition, there are stringent rules and huge penalties for hotels that fail to comply with the established health and safety rules. To address issues pertaining to huge taxes, the hotel will equally charge high prices to cater for all the operating costs. The economic facet of this analysis underscores the economic trends in the country which have direct impacts on the performance of this luxurious hotel. Being an international venture, this business will attract clientele from the international pool too (Birt, 2004). The first opportunity offered in the economic sphere pertains to the 17.1% rise of the global net worth of individuals (E lebiary, 2012). This implies that the industry is likely to receive more clients. Then, economic trends ascertain that this industry is not commonly affected by recession. Most importantly, the growing national Growth domestic product (GDP) of New Zealand and other countries in the European Union imply that more individuals will be able to afford the luxurious services that

ENTREPRENEURSHIP Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

ENTREPRENEURSHIP - Coursework Example It has been expressed by analysts that fresh cold sandwiches ingredient with green vegetables are abundantly desirable among the various levels of people. Hence, after analysis of different business analysts’ views and market researchers, it has been decided to start a fast food restaurant business in London. Hence, as an entrepreneur, it is essential to build plan and execute a start up fast food restaurant business in the competitive market of the London. Based on the market research, the restaurant will be serving fresh and healthy hamburgers and green vegetable sandwiches to the customers. Paramount importance will be provided on service and food quality to ensure greater customer satisfaction. The interiors of the restaurant will also be considered as an important aspect for attracting substantial customer base. Accordingly, the restaurant will be furnished in traditional style revealing the local culture of the UK. Irrespective of the size of the organisations, structured vision and mission are essential element for channelizing the efforts towards the specific direction. Correspondingly, the vision and mission of the restaurant are driven by the goals of achieving competitive advantage and profit-maximization along with securing growth in the foreign market. The vision of the restaurant is to deliver utmost customer satisfaction through deliverance of healthy food items at affordable prices. Similarly, the mission of the restaurant is to achieve the position of being most promising and leading competitor in the fast food business industry in the UK and to attain rapid expansion in other parts of the world as well (Gartenstein, n.d.). Businesses, irrespective of size have foremost objectives to achieve extreme competitive traction and customer satisfaction to ensure profitable growth. Correspondingly, below is the list of objectives which the restaurant intends to achieve within the five years’ time frame. To

Kant and Mill Ideologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kant and Mill Ideologies - Essay Example Indeed, Mill claims that people should value the principle of utility as a tool that derives secondary moral principles, which promote general happiness. The fundamental principle of morality means that happiness is intended pleasure and absence of pain where right actions promote happiness while wrong actions produce the reverse of happiness, which is unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure. As such, we can judge people’s actions based on the secondary principles, which promote general happiness. On the other hand, Immanuel Kant defines the fundamental principle of morality as the Categorical Imperative which basis moral requirements on a standard of rationality. He refers to the fundamental principle of morality as the law of an autonomous will where moral reasons are supreme to any other reason. Ideally, one formulation of Kant’s Categorical Imperative encourages individuals to act on a motivational thought that one can consistently urge the society to adopt as a universal law as it will derive equal worth and equal respect. Notably, the Mill and Kant's fundamental principle of morality differ. Indeed, Mill abhors the utilitarian, which defines general happiness as a secondary moral principle that refers to happiness as intended pleasure and absence of pain, while Kant defines moral requirements and moral worthiness as acts of good will.... Indeed, Will objects to the idea that pleasure is the only good, it is the highest good, and it is universal (Booher 1). He claims that there are things that people consider and that there are differences in quantity and qualities of pleasure where certain pleasures are more desirable and valuable than others in relation to moral deliberations (Booher 1). Notably, Mill’s objection to the argument against utilitarianism should reckon the distinct value that pleasures attract with higher pleasures having more value than lower pleasures. It should also distinguish between the quantity and quality of pleasure as well as favor some activities as being better than others are. More so, his argument should address the problems that relate to differentiating quantities and qualities of pleasure. Ideally, Mill's account of higher pleasures answers the objection by demonstrating that certain pleasures are better and valuable than others (Booher 1). It also negates the idea that pleasure is highest natural good and confirms that higher pleasure is the basic principle of ethics, and the foundation of morality. According to Mill, human beings are different from non-human animals in a morally interesting way. Ideally, Mil noted that animals are irrational and are not self-aware or did not have cognitive capabilities as human beings. As such, he established that human beings are different from animals because human beings can experience mental pleasures and interestingly prefer mental pleasure to body pleasures (â€Å"John Start Mill† 1). He supports this by asserting that individuals who enjoy all pleasures qualify as the only judges who equally crave for mental pleasures.

Management Process and Organizational Behavior Essay Example for Free

Management Process and Organizational Behavior Essay Q.1 â€Å"Today managers need to perform various functions†: Elaborate the statement Managers create and maintain an internal environment, commonly called the organization, sothat others can work efficiently in it. A manager’s job consists of planning, organizing, directing,and controlling the resources of the organization. These resources include people, jobs or positions, technology, facilities and equipment, materials and supplies, information, and money.Managers work in a dynamic environment and must anticipate and adapt to challenges.The manager looks after more than one function. Therefore, managerial practices usedsuccessfully in big firms cannot be blindly used in small-scale units. Basic managerial functionsin large and small business are the same. But the manner in which these functions should becarried out can be different.Managing starts with planning. A manager with a definite and well defined plan has morechances of success than another who tries to start an enterprise without planning. According toKillen† planning is the process of deciding in advance what is to be done‚who is to do it‚how it isto be done and when it is to be done’’. Planning involves thinking and decision and is, therefore,called a logical process. Planning is a continuous process as changes in plans have to be madefrom time to time to take care of changing environment. Many a times, a vague approach isadapted to planning in a small firm. There is a false impression that small firms areuncomplicated and do not require planning. The small-scale manager does not want to engagehis employees in the planning process due to the desire to keep the secrets with him. Personalaccountability for results, lack of expert staff and not having planning skills are other major obstacles to planning in small firms. The owner or manager of a small enterprise is too involvedin day-to-day operation to try planning before commencing actual operation. But they need pre-planning most because small firms have limited resources to conquer their upcoming problemand cannot afford to finance losses that can take place while adjusting to unanticipatedhappenings/changes.An manager needs an enterprise which can achieve the business objectives. During thefunction of organizing he leads human resources to successful completion of the project,arranging the functions and activities into different levels in the organization structure, thusfacilitating the assignments of personnel according to their capabilities, skills and motivation.According to Peter F. Drucker the process of organizing consists of three steps activitiesanalysis, decisions analysis and relation analysis.(i). Activities Analysis: It consists of the following:a) Determining the main functions for achieving the objectives of the firm.b) Various sub-functions in each major function.c) Amount of work in each major function and its sub-function.d) The position required to perform the activities.(ii) Decisions Analysis: It consists of the following:a) Choosing the basis of departmentalization so that functions could be grouped intospecialized units. Generally, functional departmentation is appropriate for small-scaleunits. Customers, Products and territories are ot her important base of departmentalization.b) Choosing the type of organization structure so that departments are incorporated into aformal structure. MBA Sem-IManagement Process and Organizational Behavior Subject code MB0022 (iii) Relations Analysis: The authority, responsibility and accountability of every position and itsrelationship with other positions are clearly defined. Various positions are manned with personshaving the necessary education, training, experience and other qualifications.To obtain best possible benefit from each employee it is necessary to delegate functions as far-down in the organization as possible. Owners of small firms are often reluctant to delegatingauthority to their employees even though they expect them to do all functions allocated to themthat require authority. For effective completion of tasks, it is necessary that responsibilityaccompanies the necessary authority. In directing a manager has to supervise, guide, lead and motivate people so that they canachieve set targets of performance. In the process of directing his subordinates, a manager ensures that the employees fulfill their tasks according to the set plans. Directing is theexecutive function of management because it is concerned with the execution of plan andpolicies. Directing commences organized action and sets the whole organizational machineryinto action. It is, therefore, the life giving function of an organization. This is the area where themastery of the art and science of management is put to test. An manager’s leadership styledetermines the work atmosphere and culture of the organization. Above all, he must motivateemployees by setting a good example, setting practical targets of performance and providingsatisfactory monetary and non- monetary benefits.In directing a manager has to perform the following tasks:(a) Issuing orders and instructions(b) Supervising workers(c) Motivating i.e. inspiring to work efficiently for set objectives(d) Communicating with employees regarding plans and their implementation.(e) Leadership or influencing the actions or employees. Controlling is the process of ensuring that the organization is moving in the desired directionand that progress is being made to wards the achievement of goals.The answer to a profitable organization is the skill of the owner or manager to controloperations. He has to establish standards of performance, procedures, goals and budgets. Withthese guides, he supervises job progress, workers performance and the financial condition of the business. The controlling function of the owner manager includes:Setting of standards: Control presumes the existence of standards against which actual resultsare to be evaluated. Standards can not control on their own but they are the targets againstwhich actual performance can be measured. Therefore they should be set clearly andaccurately. They should be precise, adequate, and feasible.Measurement of actual performance: The actual performance is measured and evaluated incomparison with the set standards. Preferably measurement should be such that variation maybe identified in advance of occurrence and prevented by suitable action. Where work involved isof quantitative nature measurement of performance is not difficult. But when the work is notquantifiable measurement becomes difficult. Periodical reports test checks and audits arehelpful in precise measurement of performance. MBA Sem-IManagement Process and Organizational Behavior Subject code MB0022 Analysis of variances: Comparison of actual performance with standards will reveal variation.Variations are analysed to identify their cause and their impact on the organization. Correctiveaction can be possible only where the causes of the problem spots have been identified.Clarification may be called for sudden variation.Taking corrective action: Control means action on the basis of measurement and evaluation of results. Wherever possible self- determining device should be used for bringing back actualresults in line with the standards. Standards should be revised wherever necessary. Other stepsto prevent deviations can be re-organization, improvements in staffing and directions etc. Thereal meaning of control lies in the commencement and follow-up of remedial action. At thisstages control unites with planning.

IKEA Global Strategy Essay Example for Free

IKEA Global Strategy Essay Introduction: A network that covers a broad area (i.e., any telecommunications network that links across metropolitan, regional, national or international boundaries) using leased telecommunication lines. Related terms for other types of networks are personal area networks (PANs), local area networks(LANs), campus area networks (CANs), or metropolitan area networks (MANs) which are usually limited to a room, building, campus or specific metropolitan area (e.g., a city) respectively. If you have a large campus network using routers and dynamic routing protocols and an internal infrastructure, you do not necessarily have a WAN. A wide area network (WAN) is a computer network that spans a relatively large geographical area. If your network uses a network infrastructure that is owned by your service provider, implementing WAN technologies, you have a WAN. Computers connected to a wide-area network are often connected through public networks, such as the telephone system. Body: The distinguishing features of a WAN: Sending data long distances Although distance is not a true criterion for determining whether your network is a WAN, most WANs do span a great distance, and the technologies used in the WAN depend a great deal on the distances involved. If your WAN spans only a single city, across town is a long way; nevertheless, your carrier may choose different technologies for that distance than they would if your network spanned a state, country, or continent. Although long distances are not criteria for defining a WAN, commonly, WANs do span substantial distances. Implementing routing protocols Routing protocols are also not true criteria for a WAN definition. A WAN can either use manual routing or implement a routing protocol such as RIP or EIRGP. Although larger, more complex networks like a national WAN may be  easier to manage when implementing a routing protocol, their use does not dictate that you have a WAN. A large corporation could have a single (but large) building or a campus of several buildings that causes the network to have several routers. To make life easier on the routing front, you could choose to implement one of the many available routing protocols. So, although most WAN environments make use of routing protocols, not all networks that implement routing protocols are necessarily WANs. Using carrier equipment Means the equipment from your telephone company that allows you to connect your network to the backbone of its network. These network connections can be digital subscriber line (DSL), frame relay, fiber optic, broadband cable, or another technology used by your telephone company or network provider. This component really turns a network into a WAN, allowing your traffic to travel between your locations while traversing another provider’s network, mainly your ISP or telephone company. In some cases, this traffic may cross several providers’ networks. If you are connecting two offices and they are in different countries, you may be crossing networks owned by a regional provider, which connects to a national provider and then crosses borders and travels across the other national provider to another regional provider before finally reaching your other branch office location. It is this use of other people’s networks that really defines use of a large LAN versus a WAN (LANs are covered in the next section). So, a WAN is not related to the size of your network, or to your choice of routing protocols, or to any other factors. Consolation: However, in terms of the application of computer networking protocols and concepts, it may be best to view WANs as computer networking technologies used to transmit data over long distances, and between different LANs, MANs and other localised computer networking architectures. This distinction stems from the fact that common LAN technologies operating at Layer 1/2 (such as the forms of Ethernet or Wifi) are often geared towards physically localised networks, and thus cannot transmit data over tens, hundreds or  even thousands of miles or kilometres. This could be to facilitate higher bandwidth applications, or provide better functionality for users in the CAN. A CAN, for example, may have a localised backbone of a WAN technology, which connects different LANs within a campus. The textbook definition of a WAN is a computer network spanning regions, countries, or even the world.

Effect of Curcumin on Periodontis

Effect of Curcumin on Periodontis INTRODUCTION Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by destruction of the soft and hard tissues supporting the tooth. This tissue destruction appears to result from complex interaction between the bacteria and the host’s immune and inflammatory system. The host immune response identifies these invading pathogens and tries to neutralize or kill these microorganisms. During this process the host response elaborates a variety of mediators such as pro-inflammatory mediators, cytokines and proteolytic enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). It is now believed that the major component of the soft and hard tissue destruction seen in periodontitis occurs as a result of activation of these mediators.1 Thus this host response which is essentially protective by intent paradoxically can also result in tissue damage. Hence recent therapeutic efforts are now focusing on altering or modulating this host response. This lead to emergence of a new comprehensive treatment str ategy for periodontitis which involves Host modulatory therapy (HMT) which can be combined with traditional periodontal therapies.2 To date, there is one FDA approved, systemic therapy that is prescribed as a host response modifier in the treatment of periodontal disease and that is adjunctive subantimicrobial dose doxycycline (SDD), which down-regulates the activity of MMPs.3 These MMPs are considered to be primary proteinases involved in periodontal tissue destruction synthesized by a variety of infiltrating inflammatory cells (i.e. neutrophils and macrophages), resident cells and some bacteria. Numerous studies have substantiated the relationship between MMPs and periodontal diseases, with findings of significantly higher MMP-9 (neutrophil derived MMPs) levels in patients with periodontitis compared to healthy controls.4, 5 Doxycycline is the most potent tetracycline for inhibition of these MMPs.6 However long term tetracycline therapy has certain disadvantages, the most important being the development of microbial resistance to this drug.7 At present a health care system exists in India where different types of diseases are being treated by Ayurvedic method. Since ancient times Ayurvedic drugs are being used for the treatment of various diseases, including periodontal and other oral diseases.8 They are widely acclaimed for their minimal side-effects and cost-effectiveness. Use of herbal extracts in treating periodontal diseases does not produce side effects of tetracycline compounds as well as other synthetic drugs. Curcuma longa (Turmeric) is a widely used herb which is distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world and widely cultivated in India, China and Indonesia.9 It has also long been used in both Ayurvedic medicine and Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent.9 The active constituent in turmeric is Curcumin.9, 10 Curcumin is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Studies show that Curcumin limits the activity of two enzymes, lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase-2 that are involved in promoting and maintaining inflammation.11, 12 Studies have also shown that Curcumin down-regulates the MMP-9 activity.13, 14 Thus it may have a potential role in the treatment of inflammatory periodontal disease. Its anti-inflammatory activity in periodontal diseases has not been extensively investigated. With this background, the study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of Curcumin by its inhibitory effect on MMP-9 activity and compare the same with Doxycycline, which is known to have an anticollagenase activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS Subjects: A total of 30 sites from 30 subjects (males and females), above 35 yrs of age, diagnosed clinically as having Chronic Periodontitis with pocket depths ranging from 5-8mm were selected for the study. The patients had no history of pervious dental treatment, antibiotic or anti-inflammatory drug therapy for the past 6 months. Patients with any history of systemic diseases / conditions, pregnant patients and smokers were excluded from the study. An informed consent was obtained from the patients prior to their enrollment into the study, and the study has been independently reviewed and approved by the institutional ethical board. Post collection of samples, the patients who participated in this study received the standard treatment protocol for Chronic Periodontitis. Method of Collection of Samples: Gingival tissue samples were obtained under aseptic conditions after administration of local anesthesia from patients who were diagnosed with Chronic Periodontitis. Gingival tissue samples were obtained from sites with pocket depths ranging from 5-8mm. Immediately following excision, these tissue specimens were briefly washed under cold distilled water and blotted dry. Then the specimens were transferred into sterile plastic vials which contained Phosphate Buffer Solution (PBS), pH 7.2, that acted as the transport medium. Specimens were then immediately carried to the laboratory where they were stored at -80à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C until use. IN-VITRO STUDY Chemicals Used: Pure extract of Curcumin in powder form (Samy Labs, Bangalore, India) and Doxycycline i.e. pure doxycycline hyclate in powder form (Aristo Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bangalore, India) was used for the purpose of the study. The Curcumin solution was prepared by dissolving 15mg of Curcumin in 10ml of distilled water (1500 ÃŽ ¼g/ml). Preparation of Doxycycline solution was by dissolving 3mg of Doxycycline in 10ml of distilled water (300 ÃŽ ¼g/ml). Extraction of MMP-9: The frozen gingival tissue samples were allowed to thaw to room temperature. Then each tissue sample was homogenized with 2.5% Triton X-100. This was followed by centrifugation of the homogenized samples for 30 mins at 6000 rpm, at 4à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C. The resulting supernatant was separated and used for analysis. Detecting the Optimal Curcumin and Doxycycline Concentration: To determine the optimal inhibition of MMP-9 by Curcumin, different concentrations of Curcumin i.e. 300, 500, 1000, 1500 ÃŽ ¼g/ml were added to 50ÃŽ ¼l of gingival tissue extract and incubated at room temperature for 60mins.The addition of increasing concentrations of Curcumin to the gingival tissue extract resulted in decreased MMP-9 activity as shown in Figure 1. Assessing the MMP-9 activity by Densitometric Analysis demonstrated that the concentration of Curcumin required to inhibit more than 50% of MMP-9 activity was 1500 ÃŽ ¼g/ml. Since Curcumin showed more than 50% inhibition of MMP-9 activity at a concentration of 1500 ÃŽ ¼g/ml as compared to the control (without drug), this concentration was used to pretreat the gingival tissue extract in the study. The Curcumin solution with a concentration of 1500 ÃŽ ¼g/ml was freshly prepared prior to processing of each sample of gingival tissue extract. Similarly increasing concentrations of Doxycycline ie 50, 100, 200, 300ÃŽ ¼g/ml were added to 50ÃŽ ¼l of gingival tissue extract and incubated at room temperature for 60mins. Assessing the MMP-9 activity by Densitometric Analysis demonstrated that the concentration of Doxycycline required to inhibit more than 50% of MMP-9 activity was 300ÃŽ ¼g/ml and thus this concentration was used to pretreat the gingival tissue extract in the study. The Doxycycline solution with a concentration of 300ÃŽ ¼g/ml was freshly prepared prior to processing of each sample of gingival tissue extract. Pretreatment of Gingival Tissue Extract with Curcumin and Doxycycline: To compare the inhibition of MMP-9 activity, 50ÃŽ ¼l of gingival tissue extract was preincubated with freshly prepared solution of 50ÃŽ ¼l of Curcumin (1500ÃŽ ¼l/ml) and 50ÃŽ ¼l of Doxycycline (300ÃŽ ¼l/ml) solution for 60mins at room temperature in separate vials. In addition, 50ÃŽ ¼l of extract was also incubated with 50ÃŽ ¼l of distilled water which was used as the control. Assay for MMP-9 Activity: The presence of MMP-9 activity in collected samples was studied by gelatin zymography. Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate-Poly Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) on 10% polyacrylamide containing 10% SDS copolymerized with 1g/l gelatin was used to pretreated tissue extracts under non reducing conditions without prior boiling. After electrophoresis, in order to regain the enzyme activity, the gels were rinsed with 2.5% Triton X-100 for 1hr to remove SDS thus allowing the protein to denature. The gels were then immersed in a proteolysis buffer containing Tris- HCl 50 m M/l (pH 7.6) and CaCl2 20mM/l and incubated at 37  ºC for 16 hours. The gels were subsequently stained Coomassie Blue (0.25% Coomassie Brilliant Blue R250, 40% methanol, 10% acetic acid). Gels were destained (30% methanol, 10% acetic acid and 60% water) until white bands appeared clearly from the blue background. These bands of gelatin lysis detected against the blue background as seen in Figure 2, represented enzymatic act ivities. RESULTS The presence of MMP-9 was studied. The enzymatic activities were detected as unstained bands on gelatin gel by zymography technique. In order to measure the relative MMP-9 levels, multi-image gel documentation systems were used to scan the clear zones and the percentage of inhibition was analyzed. Significant differences were found in the MMP activity in treated groups compared to the control. Figure 3 illustrates the reduction in the MMP-9 activity of each sample of gingival tissue extract when incubated with Doxycycline and Curcumin, expressed as percentage of reduction from the control. Table 1 shows the range, mean values and the standard deviation (S.D.) values for Curcumin and Doxycycline. The mean values show 59.58 % reduction in the MMP-9 activity with the addition of Doxycycline and 61.01% reduction in the MMP-9 activity with addition of Curcumin to the gingival tissue extract under identical conditions. Table 2 shows comparison of MMP-9 inhibitory effect between Doxycycline and Curcumin. The results obtained were analysed statistically using students paired t- test. DISCUSSION Periodontal diseases are the result of destruction of the soft and hard connective tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth. Inflammation is the basic cause of initiation of this breakdown. Research in the field of pathogenesis of periodontal disease has shown that various enzymatic activities which are directed towards the destruction of the pathogen also result in destruction of the periodontal connective tissue. Research has shown that, Matrix metelloproteinases (MMP’s) are one group of enzymes which are responsible for this destruction to a large extent. MMPs are involved in a number of physiological events including, tissue remodeling and pathological diseases such as periodontal disease and are the major players in collagen breakdown during periodontal destruction. MMPs are normally tightly regulated and disruption of this regulation leads to the pathologic breakdown of connective tissues. Higher levels of MMPs in the periodontal tissues provoke an imbalance between the production and degradation of collagen, causing tooth attachment loss. Especially, PMN derived MMPs (MMP-8 MMP-9) are the main proteinases related to tissue destruction and remodeling events in periodontal diseases. Numerous studies have substantiated the relationship between MMPs and periodontal diseases, with findings of significantly higher MMP-9 levels in patients with periodontitis as compared to healthy controls.4, 5, 15 With this understanding of the role of host immune response in periodontal destruction the possibility of host modulation so as to reduce the destructive aspects of the host response and hence reduce the damage to the periodontium was investigated. First group of drugs that showed this host modulation activity were Tetracyclines. Studies have demonstrated that tetracycline could significantly inhibit collagenase activity in GCF and gingival tissue, even at lower dosage than traditional antimicrobial dosages ie sub antimicrobial dosage.3 Tetracyclines inhibit collagenases by binding to the Ca2+ or Zn2+ (cations) required for the activation of MMPs such as collagenases and gelatinases.16 It is also possible that tetracyclines can inhibit synthesis of neutrophil-derived oxygen radicals, suppressing neutrophil migration and degranulation.17 However, microbial resistance to tetracyclines has been reported.7 In addition, long term treatment can result in other side- effects such as anorexi a, nausea, epigastric distress and fatty liver. A few recent studies on collagenase inhibition suggested that, like tetracyclines, herbal extracts are also potent inhibitors of pathologically elevated collagenases and hence they may be used as an alternative adjunct in the management of periodontal diseases.18, 19 Ayurvedic drugs like Neem, Triphala, Bakul etc have been used therapeutically since ancient times to treat diseases, including periodontal diseases. With the advent of modern synthetic drugs their convenience of standardized dosage form, dramatic efficacy in acute conditions and most of all simplicity of usage, there was a decline in the use of the plant medicines. But a long term treatment, with these synthetic drugs, has many adverse effects and they are also not cost effective. As Ayurvedic drugs, are widely acclaimed for their minimal side-effects and cost-effectiveness in India, they are now again being used extensively in treatment. Use of herbal extracts in treating periodontal diseases does not produce side effects of tetracycline compounds as well as other synthetic drugs. It has been shown that certain ayurvedic medicines also have the host modulation effect, similar to that of tetracyclines. A few recent studies conducted on collagenase inhibition by herbal extracts suggest that, like tetracyclines, herbal extracts are also potent inhibitors of pathogenically elevated collagenase and hence may be used as an alternative adjunct in the management of periodontal diseases.18, 19, 20 Turmeric which has Curcumin as its active constituent has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti- bacterial, anti- viral activities etc.10 Its anti- inflammatory activity has not been investigated in periodontal diseases. With the above details in mind the present study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory property of Turmeric. In the present study the anti-collagenase activity of Curcumin was compared with that of Doxycycline which has proven anti-collagenase activity. In the present study we chose Doxycycline because it has been proved that it is a more potent collagenase inhibitor as compared to minocycline and tetracycline.6 Studies have shown that Curcumin down-regulates MMP-9 activity13, 14, 21 and thus, in the present study we chose Curcumin to find out its anti-collagenase activity by checking its effect on MMP-9 activity. Research has shown that the predominant MMPs in inflamed gingival and periodontal tissues are PMN- type MMPs (MMP-8 MMP-9). Elevated activity of gelatinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) has also been found in inflamed gingival tissues from chronic periodontitis patients.5, 22 The activity of PMN- type MMPs has been found not only to positively correlate to the severity of inflammation and pocket depth but also the amount of these enzymes recovered in an active rather than latent form appears to increase with greater severity of periodontal disease in the gingival tissue.20 Thus, since the above studies have shown that activity of PMN- type MMPs is increased in inflamed gingival tissues, in the present study we decided to use gingival tissue samples that were obtained from the patients diagnosed clinically with chronic periodontitis. The reduction in the MMP-9 activity of each sample of gingival tissue extract when incubated with the drugs .i.e. Doxycycline and Curcumin, was expressed as percentage of reduction from the control (without drug). The mean values showed 59.58% reduction in the MMP-9 activity with the addition of Doxycycline and 61.01 % reduction in the MMP-9 activity with addition of Curcumin to the gingival tissue extract under identical conditions. These results show that Curcumin has a significant inhibitory effect on PMN-type MMP-9, and this inhibitory effect of Curcumin is comparable to that of Doxycycline when the percentage of inhibition as compared to control was analysed. Curcumin also showed a significant reduction in the MMP-9 activity with an average inhibition of about 61% which is also statistically highly significant (p 23 and 12 g per day.24 But the overall results show that Curcumin has the ability to significantly inhibit the MMP-9 activity. The present study suggested that Curcumin could produce significant inhibition of MMPs at 1500 ÃŽ ¼g/ml concentration, which is well under the safe drug profile confirmed by toxicological studies.23, 24 Thus this study shows that Doxycycline and Curcumin possess anticollagenase activity in vitro. The finding of the present study is significant and confirms the use of Curcumin in treating periodontal diseases. A recent in vivo study showed that Curcumin modulates periodontal disease and had potent anti-inflammatory effects when it was systemically-administered in ligature-induced periodontitis in rats.25 Studies have shown that one of main mechanisms for the anti-inflammatory effects of Curcumin may be the inhibition of NF-ÃŽ ºB (nuclear factor kappa B).13, 25 The Curcumin-mediated inhibition of MMP-9 gene expression appears to occur via NF-ÃŽ ºB and AP-1 (Activator Protein-1) because their DNA binding activities were suppressed by Curcumin.14, 21 When compared to tetracycline, Curcumin has better anti-inflammatory effect, is more cost effective and has minimal side effects and thus can be tried as a substitute for Tetracycline as an anticollagenase agent. Curcumin also allows suppression of collagenase activity well within the safe dosage profile confirmed by toxicological studies. The in vivo environment is substantially different, and inherent limitations of an in vitro replication may constrain our understanding of the systemic effects of Curcumin. Further in vivo studies of Curcumin are needed to define its toxicological profile before making it a part of the therapeutic regimen in periodontal treatment. CONCLUSION In the light of observations from the current study it can be concluded that Doxycycline and Curcumin possess anticollagenase activity in vitro. Since Curcumin has better anti-inflammatory effect compared to Tetracycline, Curcumin being more cost effective and with no side effects can be tried as a substitute for Tetracycline as an anticollagenase agent. Thus Curcumin may have therapeutic potential as a host modulation agent in periodontal diseases.

ASP :: Essays Papers

ASP AUDIENCE: Beginning programmers or web developers. TITLE: ASP INTRODUCTION: ASP or Active Server Pages is a powerful server-based technology from Microsoft, designed to create dynamic and interactive HTML pages for World Wide Web sites. ASP is used to create dynamic or active web pages. Dynamic web pages may change depending on who visits the page, when they visit, or how they got there. Whereas a static web page will always be the same no matter what. The following report will explain what ASP is, discuss how ASP works, outline why ASP should be used ASP, and provide a brief overview of ASP syntax. This topic was chosen to educate myself about where ASP came from and why it is used and to pass what I have learned on to any one willing to read this report. DISCUSSION: What is ASP ASP was â€Å"born† in November 1996 when Microsoft announced its design of an Active Platform. It consists of two parts, the Active Desktop and the Active Server. The Active Desktop refers to the client side: where HTML files are displayed on a web browser. The Active Server refers to the server-side component. This consists of pages that can be interpreted by the server, hence the term Active Server Pages. An ASP file contains any combination of text, HTML tags, and script commands. A script command instructs a computer to do something, such as assign a value to a variable. The script commands in an ASP file are compiled on the server then the output is sent to the client computer for display. The actual ASP code or script commands in an ASP file are not sent to the client computer. The code is first executed on the server, creating HTML. This HTML then replaces the ASP code in the ASP file and then sent to the client to be displayed. ASP code can be any programming language that supports the ActiveX interface including JScript, VBScript, and PerlScript. As people know Microsoft has a tendency to make people use their products. But in the case of ASP people don’t have to. ASP has evolved into an â€Å"open technology framework† meaning it is no necessary to use Microsoft’s products to create code in it, although that’s the best way to go. You don’t have to use VBScript, which is from Microsoft, but PerkScript or JScript can be use, which aren’t from Microsoft.

Racial Discrimination and Disparity in the United States Justice System

Introduction The issue of racial disparity in the criminal justice system has been a longstanding debate in this county. According to Tonry (as cited in Cole & Gertz, 2013) African Americans make up to 50% of the prison population but are only 12 % of the total United States population. Bobo and Thompson (2006) stated that Hispanics make up to 18 % of the prison population but are only 14 % of the total United States Population, while Caucasians make up to 75 % of the total population and are only 35 % of the prison population in American. (Coker,2003) supports Cole and Gertz and states that African Americans make up to half of the prison population while only accounting for 12 % of the population in the United States. According to NACP statistics (http://www.naacp.org/pages/criminal-justice-fact-sheet) African American and Hispanics make up 58% of all prisoners even though African Americans and Hispanics make up 25 % of the United States population. According to Hurwitz and Peffley (2010) Cauca sian men older than 18 have a 1 in 106 chance of being imprisoned, while in comparison to a 1 in 16 chance of being imprisoned for African American men in the same age range. According to (Coker,2003) estimated that 28 % of African Americans will be incarcerated at one point in their lifetimes. Small (2001) stated that one out of three African Americans in their twenties are either in jail, prison, on probation, or parole. Small (2001) stated that although African Americans make up 13 % of all drug users in America, they are 35 % of the people arrested for drug possession and 55 % of the people convicted for drug possession. According to Small (2001) African American men are sent to prison for drug offenses at rate 20%-57% times great... ... Criminal Justice: How Much Is Too Much? Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 100(3), 903-932. Engel, R.S., & Calnon, J. M. (2004). Examining The Influence Of Drivers' Characteristics During Traffic Stops With Police: Results From A National Survey. Justice Quarterly: JQ, 21(1), 49-90. Hurwitz, J., & Peffley, M. (2010). And justice for some: Race, crime, and punishment in the US criminal justice system. Canadian Journal of Political Science, 43(2), 457-479. Nation Association for The Advancement of Color People. Criminal Justice fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.naacp.org/pages/criminal-justice-fact-sheet Small, D.( 2001) The war on drugs is a war on racial justice. Social research, 68(3) 896-902. The Bureau of Justice Statistics. Thomsen, F. (2011). The Art of the Unseen: Three challenges for Racial Profiling. Journal Of Ethics, 15(1/2), 89-117.

Aristotle and the Techne of Rhetoric Essay -- History Aristotle Essays

Aristotle and the Techne of Rhetoric Between the third and fifth centuries B.C. there existed a â€Å"golden and classical age† of thought in the ancient world, with the majority of this activity centered in the polis of Athens, Greece. Although the city is historically recognized for its legendary conflict with rival polis Sparta, Athens is perhaps best known for the creation of democracy—that noble political experiment that laid the preliminary structure for most of the rights we Americans enjoy today. First among these rights was the freedom of speech. Each Athenian citizen (meaning male land owners numbering around five thousand) met regularly in public forums (in an open-air auditorium called the Pnyx) to discuss laws and issues. Each man had a voice in the matter, and his success in dissuading or persuading his audience meant the action Athens would potentially take. So outstanding rhetoric, and the study, teaching, and delivery of it, became the center of attention among the Athenians; democracy meant individual empowerment, and good rhetoric meant the power to make change. The first notable scholars to take on the challenge of analyzing and teaching the art of rhetoric were Isocrates, Socrates, and later, Plato. Plato soon created an academy in Athens, appropriately called the Plato Academy that attracted men who were interested in the art. One of the first students was Aristotle, who like Plato, had a lasting effect not only on the study of rhetoric, but the discipline itself. Aristotle was born in 384 BC at Stagirus, a Greek colony and seaport on the coast of Thrace. His father, Nichomachus, was a respected physician to the King Amyntas of Macedonia. This connection with the royal family served Aristotle we... ...tain an audience in an effort to create change. So no, technology is not always simply a machine spitting out rivets or a computer humming away in some lab somewhere. It can be, as Aristotle argues, found in the logic of the human mind; for the mind is, and will always be, humankind’s greatest techne. Works Cited Aristotle. On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse. Ed. G. A. Kennedy. Oxford: New York, 1991. â€Å"Aristotle (384 – 322 BCE.) Overview† The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Available Online: www.utm.edu/research/iep/a/aristotl.htm. Accessed: 12 Feb. 2003. Foss, S.K. Rhetorical Criticism; Exploration and Practice. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland, 1996. Newbold, Dr. Webster. â€Å"Review of ‘Understanding technology’ Unit: Writing and Technology.† Available online: www.bsu.edu/web/00wwnewbold /213/213unit1review.htm. Accessed: 11 Feb. 2003.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 68-72

CHAPTER 68 New York editor Jonas Faukman had just climbed into bed for the night when the telephone rang. A little late for callers, he grumbled, picking up the receiver. An operator's voice asked him,† Will you accept charges for a collect call from Robert Langdon?† Puzzled, Jonas turned on the light. â€Å"Uh†¦ sure, okay.† The line clicked. â€Å"Jonas?† â€Å"Robert? You wake me up and you charge me for it?† â€Å"Jonas, forgive me,† Langdon said. â€Å"I'll keep this very short. I really need to know. The manuscript I gave you. Have you – â€Å" â€Å"Robert, I'm sorry, I know I said I'd send the edits out to you this week, but I'm swamped. Next Monday. I promise.† â€Å"I'm not worried about the edits. I need to know if you sent any copies out for blurbs without telling me?† Faukman hesitated. Langdon's newest manuscript – an exploration of the history of goddess worship – included several sections about Mary Magdalene that were going to raise some eyebrows. Although the material was well documented and had been covered by others, Faukman had no intention of printing Advance Reading Copies of Langdon's book without at least a few endorsements from serious historians and art luminaries. Jonas had chosen ten big names in the art world and sent them all sections of the manuscript along with a polite letter asking if they would be willing to write a short endorsement for the jacket. In Faukman's experience, most people jumped at the opportunity to see their name in print. â€Å"Jonas?† Langdon pressed. â€Å"You sent out my manuscript, didn't you?† Faukman frowned, sensing Langdon was not happy about it. â€Å"The manuscript was clean, Robert, and I wanted to surprise you with some terrific blurbs.† A pause. â€Å"Did you send one to the curator of the Paris Louvre?† â€Å"What do you think? Your manuscript referenced his Louvre collection several times, his books are in your bibliography, and the guy has some serious clout for foreign sales. Sauniere was a no-brainer.† The silence on the other end lasted a long time. â€Å"When did you send it?† â€Å"About a month ago. I also mentioned you would be in Paris soon and suggested you two chat. Did he ever call you to meet?† Faukman paused, rubbing his eyes. â€Å"Hold on, aren't you supposed to bein Paris this week?† â€Å"I am in Paris.† Faukman sat upright. â€Å"You called me collect from Paris?† â€Å"Take it out of my royalties, Jonas. Did you ever hear back from Sauniere? Did he like the manuscript?† â€Å"I don't know. I haven't yet heard from him.† â€Å"Well, don't hold your breath. I've got to run, but this explains a lot Thanks.† â€Å"Robert – â€Å"But Langdon was gone. Faukman hung up the phone, shaking his head in disbelief Authors, he thought. Even the sane ones are nuts. Inside the Range Rover, Leigh Teabing let out a guffaw. â€Å"Robert, you're saying you wrote a manuscript that delves into a secret society, and your editor sent a copy to that secret society?† Langdon slumped. â€Å"Evidently.† â€Å"A cruel coincidence, my friend.† Coincidence has nothing to do with it, Langdon knew. Asking Jacques Sauniere to endorse a manuscript on goddess worship was as obvious as asking Tiger Woods to endorse a book on golf. Moreover, it was virtually guaranteed that any book on goddess worship would have to mention the Priory of Sion. â€Å"Here's the million-dollar question,† Teabing said, still chuckling. â€Å"Was your position on the Priory favorable or unfavorable?† Langdon could hear Teabing's true meaning loud and clear. Many historians questioned why the Priory was still keeping the Sangreal documents hidden. Some felt the information should have been shared with the world long ago. â€Å"I took no position on the Priory's actions.† â€Å"You mean lack thereof.† Langdon shrugged. Teabing was apparently on the side of making the documents public. â€Å"I simply provided history on the brotherhood and described them as a modern goddess worship society, keepers of the Grail, and guardians of ancient documents.† Sophie looked at him. â€Å"Did you mention the keystone?† Langdon winced. He had. Numerous times. â€Å"I talked about the supposed keystone as an example of the lengths to which the Priory would go to protect the Sangreal documents.† Sophie looked amazed. â€Å"I guess that explains P. S. Find Robert Langdon.† Langdon sensed it was actually something else in the manuscript that had piqued Sauniere's interest, but that topic was something he would discuss with Sophie when they were alone. â€Å"So,† Sophie said, â€Å"you lied to Captain Fache.† â€Å"What?† Langdon demanded. â€Å"You told him you had never corresponded with my grandfather.† â€Å"I didn't! My editor sent him a manuscript.† â€Å"Think about it, Robert. If Captain Fache didn't find the envelope in which your editor sent the manuscript, he would have to conclude that you sent it.† She paused. â€Å"Or worse, that you hand- delivered it and lied about it.† When the Range Rover arrived at Le Bourget Airfield, Remy drove to a small hangar at the far end of the airstrip. As they approached, a tousled man in wrinkled khakis hurried from the hangar, waved, and slid open the enormous corrugated metal door to reveal a sleek white jet within. Langdon stared at the glistening fuselage. â€Å"That's Elizabeth?† Teabing grinned. â€Å"Beats the bloody Chunnel.† The man in khakis hurried toward them, squinting into the headlights. â€Å"Almost ready, sir,† he called in a British accent. â€Å"My apologies for the delay, but you took me by surprise and – † He stopped short as the group unloaded. He looked at Sophie and Langdon, and then Teabing. Teabing said, â€Å"My associates and I have urgent business in London. We've no time to waste. Please prepare to depart immediately.† As he spoke, Teabing took the pistol out of the vehicle and handed it to Langdon. The pilot's eyes bulged at the sight of the weapon. He walked over to Teabing and whispered,† Sir, my humble apologies, but my diplomatic flight allowance provides only for you and your manservant. I cannot take your guests.† â€Å"Richard,† Teabing said, smiling warmly,† two thousand pounds sterling and that loaded gun say you can take my guests.† He motioned to the Range Rover. â€Å"And the unfortunate fellow in the back.† CHAPTER 69 The Hawker 731's twin Garrett TFE-731 engines thundered, powering the plane skyward with gut- wrenching force. Outside the window, Le Bourget Airfield dropped away with startling speed. I'm fleeing the country, Sophie thought, her body forced back into the leather seat. Until this moment, she had believed her game of cat and mouse with Fache would be somehow justifiable to the Ministry of Defense. I was attempting to protect an innocent man.I was trying to fulfill my grandfather's dying wishes.That window of opportunity, Sophie knew, had just closed. She was leaving the country, without documentation, accompanying a wanted man, and transporting abound hostage. If a† line of reason† had ever existed, she had just crossed it. At almost the speed of sound. Sophie was seated with Langdon and Teabing near the front of the cabin – the Fan Jet ExecutiveElite Design, according to the gold medallion on the door. Their plush swivel chairs were bolted to tracks on the floor and could be repositioned and locked around a rectangular hardwood table. A mini-boardroom. The dignified surroundings, however, did little to camouflage the less than dignified state of affairs in the rear of the plane where, in a separate seating area near the rest room, Teabing's manservant Remy sat with the pistol in hand, begrudgingly carrying out Teabing's orders to stand guard over the bloody monk who lay trussed at his feet like a piece of luggage. â€Å"Before we turn our attention to the keystone,† Teabing said,† I was wondering if you would permit me a few words.† He sounded apprehensive, like a father about to give the birds-and-the-bees lecture to his children. â€Å"My friends, I realize I am but a guest on this journey, and I am honored as such. And yet, as someone who has spent his life in search of the Grail, I feel it is my duty to warn you that you are about to step onto a path from which there is no return, regardless of the dangers involved.† He turned to Sophie. â€Å"Miss Neveu, your grandfather gave you this cryptex in hopes you would keep the secret of the Holy Grail alive.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Understandably, you feel obliged to follow the trail wherever it leads.† Sophie nodded, although she felt a second motivation still burning within her. The truth about my family.Despite Langdon's assurances that the keystone had nothing to do with her past, Sophie still sensed something deeply personal entwined within this mystery, as if this cryptex, forged by her grandfather's own hands, were trying to speak to her and offer some kind of resolution to the emptiness that had haunted her all these years. â€Å"Your grandfather and three others died tonight,† Teabing continued,† and they did so to keep this keystone away from the Church. Opus Dei came within inches tonight of possessing it. You understand, I hope, that this puts you in a position of exceptional responsibility. You have been handed a torch. A two-thousand-year-old flame that cannot be allowed to go out. This torch cannot fall into the wrong hands.† He paused, glancing at the rosewood box. â€Å"I realize you have been given no choice in this matter, Miss Neveu, but considering what is at stake here, you must either fully embrace this responsibility†¦ or you must pass that responsibility to someone else.† â€Å"My grandfather gave the cryptex to me. I'm sure he thought I could handle the responsibility.† Teabing looked encouraged but unconvinced. â€Å"Good. A strong will is necessary. And yet, I amcurious if you understand that successfully unlocking the keystone will bring with i t a far greatertrial.† â€Å"How so?† â€Å"My dear, imagine that you are suddenly holding a map that reveals the location of the Holy Grail. In that moment, you will be in possession of a truth capable of altering history forever. You will be the keeper of a truth that man has sought for centuries. You will be faced with the responsibility of revealing that truth to the world. The individual who does so will be revered by many and despised by many. The question is whether you will have the necessary strength to carry out that task.† Sophie paused. â€Å"I'm not sure that is my decision to make.† Teabing's eyebrows arched. â€Å"No? If not the possessor of the keystone, then who?† â€Å"The brotherhood who has successfully protected the secret for so long.† â€Å"The Priory?† Teabing looked skeptical. â€Å"But how? The brotherhood was shattered tonight. Decapitated, as you so aptly put it. Whether they were infiltrated by some kind of eavesdropping or by a spy within their ranks, we will never know, but the fact remains that someone got to them and uncovered the identities of their four top members. I would not trust anyone who stepped forward from the brotherhood at this point.† â€Å"So what do you suggest?† Langdon asked. â€Å"Robert, you know as well as I do that the Priory has not protected the truth all these years to have it gather dust until eternity. They have been waiting for the right moment in history to share their secret. A time when the world is ready to handle the truth.† â€Å"And you believe that moment has arrived?† Langdon asked. â€Å"Absolutely. It could not be more obvious. All the historical signs are in place, and if the Priory did not intend to make their secret known very soon, why has the Church now attacked?† Sophie argued,† The monk has not yet told us his purpose.† â€Å"The monk's purpose is the Church's purpose,† Teabing replied,† to destroy the documents that reveal the great deception. The Church came closer tonight than they have ever come, and the Priory has put its trust in you, Miss Neveu. The task of saving the Holy Grail clearly includes carrying out the Priory's final wishes of sharing the truth with the world.† Langdon intervened. â€Å"Leigh, asking Sophie to make that decision is quite a load to drop on someone who only an hour ago learned the Sangreal documents exist.† Teabing sighed. â€Å"I apologize if I am pressing, Miss Neveu. Clearly I have always believed these documents should be made public, but in the end the decision belongs to you. I simply feel it is important that you begin to think about what happens should we succeed in opening the keystone.† â€Å"Gentlemen,† Sophie said, her voice firm. â€Å"To quote your words, ‘You do not find the Grail, the Grail finds you.' I am going to trust that the Grail has found me for a reason, and when the time comes, I will know what to do.† Both of them looked startled. â€Å"So then,† she said, motioning to the rosewood box. â€Å"Let's move on.† CHAPTER 70 Standing in the drawing room of Chateau Villette, Lieutenant Collet watched the dying fire and felt despondent. Captain Fache had arrived moments earlier and was now in the next room, yelling into the phone, trying to coordinate the failed attempt to locate the missing Range Rover. It could be anywhere by now, Collet thought. Having disobeyed Fache's direct orders and lost Langdon for a second time, Collet was grateful that PTS had located a bullet hole in the floor, which at least corroborated Collet's claims that a shot had been fired. Still, Fache's mood was sour, and Collet sensed there would be dire repercussions when the dust settled. Unfortunately, the clues they were turning up here seemed to shed no light at all on what was going on or who was involved. The black Audi outside had been rented in a false name with false credit card numbers, and the prints in the car matched nothing in the Interpol database. Another agent hurried into the living room, his eyes urgent. â€Å"Where's Captain Fache?† Collet barely looked up from the burning embers. â€Å"He's on the phone.† â€Å"I'm off the phone,† Fache snapped, stalking into the room. â€Å"What have you got?† The second agent said,† Sir, Central just heard from Andre Vernet at the Depository Bank of Zurich. He wants to talk to you privately. He is changing his story.† â€Å"Oh?† Fache said. Now Collet looked up. â€Å"Vernet is admitting that Langdon and Neveu spent time inside his bank tonight.† â€Å"We figured that out,† Fache said. â€Å"Why did Vernet lie about it?† â€Å"He said he'll talk only to you, but he's agreed to cooperate fully.† â€Å"In exchange for what?† â€Å"For our keeping his bank's name out of the news and also for helping him recover some stolen property. It sounds like Langdon and Neveu stole something from Sauniere's account.† â€Å"What?† Collet blurted. â€Å"How?† Fache never flinched, his eyes riveted on the second agent. â€Å"What did they steal?† â€Å"Vernet didn't elaborate, but he sounds like he's willing to do anything to get it back.† Collet tried to imagine how this could happen. Maybe Langdon and Neveu had held a bank employee at gunpoint? Maybe they forced Vernet to open Sauniere's account and facilitate an escape in the armored truck. As feasible as it was, Collet was having trouble believing Sophie Neveu could be involved in anything like that. From the kitchen, another agent yelled to Fache. â€Å"Captain? I'm going through Mr. Teabing's speed dial numbers, and I'm on the phone with Le Bourget Airfield. I've got some bad news.† Thirty seconds later, Fache was packing up and preparing to leave Chateau Villette. He had just learned that Teabing kept a private jet nearby at Le Bourget Airfield and that the plane had taken off about a half hour ago. The Bourget representative on the phone had claimed not to know who was on the plane or where it was headed. The takeoff had been unscheduled, and no flight plan had been logged. Highly illegal, even for a small airfield. Fache was certain that by applying the right pressure, he could get the answers he was looking for. â€Å"Lieutenant Collet,† Fache barked, heading for the door. â€Å"I have no choice but to leave you in charge of the PTS investigation here. Try to do something right for a change.† CHAPTER 71 As the Hawker leveled off, with its nose aimed for England, Langdon carefully lifted the rosewood box from his lap, where he had been protecting it during takeoff. Now, as he set the box on the table, he could sense Sophie and Teabing leaning forward with anticipation. Unlatching the lid and opening the box, Langdon turned his attention not to the lettered dials of the cryptex, but rather to the tiny hole on the underside of the box lid. Using the tip of a pen, he carefully removed the inlaid Rose on top and revealed the text beneath it. Sub Rosa, he mused, hoping a fresh look at the text would bring clarity. Focusing all his energies, Langdon studied the strange text. The Da Vinci Code After several seconds, he began to feel the initial frustration resurfacing. â€Å"Leigh, I just can't seem to place it.† From where Sophie was seated across the table, she could not yet see the text, but Langdon's inability to immediately identify the language surprised her. My grandfather spoke a language so obscure that even a symbologist can't identify it? She quickly realized she should not find this surprising. This would not be the first secret Jacques Sauniere had kept from his granddaughter. Opposite Sophie, Leigh Teabing felt ready to burst. Eager for his chance to see the text, he quivered with excitement, leaning in, trying to see around Langdon, who was still hunched over the box. â€Å"I don't know,† Langdon whispered intently. â€Å"My first guess is a Semitic, but now I'm not so sure. Most primary Semitics include nekkudot.This has none.† â€Å"Probably ancient,† Teabing offered. â€Å"Nekkudot?† Sophie inquired. Teabing never took his eyes from the box. â€Å"Most modern Semitic alphabets have no vowels and use nekkudot – tiny dots and dashes written either below or within the consonants – to indicate what vowel sound accompanies them. Historically speaking, nekkudot are a relatively modern addition to language.† Langdon was still hovering over the script. â€Å"A Sephardic transliteration, perhaps†¦ ?† Teabing could bear it no longer. â€Å"Perhaps if I just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Reaching over, he edged the box away from Langdon and pulled it toward himself. No doubt Langdon had a solid familiarity with the standard ancients – Greek, Latin, the Romances – but from the fleeting glance Teabing had of this language, he thought it looked more specialized, possibly a Rashi script or a STA'M with crowns. Taking a deep breath, Teabing feasted his eyes upon the engraving. He said nothing for a very long time. With each passing second, Teabing felt his confidence deflating. â€Å"I'm astonished,† he said.† This language looks like nothing I've ever seen!† Langdon slumped.† Might I see it?† Sophie asked. Teabing pretended not to hear her. â€Å"Robert, you said earlier that you thought you'd seen something like this before?† Langdon looked vexed. â€Å"I thought so. I'm not sure. The script looks familiar somehow.† â€Å"Leigh?† Sophie repeated, clearly not appreciating being left out of the discussion. â€Å"Might I have a look at the box my grandfather made?† â€Å"Of course, dear,† Teabing said, pushing it over to her. He hadn't meant to sound belittling, and yet Sophie Neveu was light-years out of her league. If a British Royal Historian and a Harvard symbologist could not even identify the language – â€Å"Aah,† Sophie said, seconds after examining the box. â€Å"I should have guessed.† Teabing and Langdon turned in unison, staring at her.† Guessed what?† Teabing demanded. Sophie shrugged. â€Å"Guessed that this would be the language my grandfather would have used.† â€Å"You're saying you can read this text?† Teabing exclaimed.† Quite easily,† Sophie chimed, obviously enjoying herself now. â€Å"My grandfather taught me this language when I was only six years old. I'm fluent.† She leaned across the table and fixed Teabing with an admonishing glare. â€Å"And frankly, sir, considering your allegiance to the Crown, I'm a little surprised you didn't recognize it.† In a flash, Langdon knew. No wonder the script looks so damned familiar! Several years ago, Langdon had attended an event at Harvard's Fogg Museum. Harvard dropout Bill Gates had returned to his alma mater to lend to the museum one of his priceless acquisitions – eighteen sheets of paper he had recently purchased at auction from the Armand Hammar Estate. His winning bid – a cool $30.8 million. The author of the pages – Leonardo Da Vinci. The eighteen folios – now known as Leonardo's Codex Leicester after their famous owner, the Earl of Leicester – were all that remained of one of Leonardo's most fascinating notebooks: essays and drawings outlining Da Vinci's progressive theories on astronomy, geology, archaeology, and hydrology. Langdon would never forget his reaction after waiting in line and finally viewing the priceless parchment. Utter letdown. The pages were unintelligible. Despite being beautifully preserved and written in an impeccably neat penmanship – crimson ink on cream paper – the codex looked like gibberish. At first Langdon thought he could not read them because Da Vinci wrote his notebooks in an archaic Italian. But after studying them more closely, he realized he could not identify a single Italian word, or even one letter. â€Å"Try this, sir,† whispered the female docent at the display case. She motioned to a hand mirror affixed to the display on a chain. Langdon picked it up and examined the text in the mirror's surface. Instantly it was clear. Langdon had been so eager to peruse some of the great thinker's ideas that he had forgotten one of the man's numerous artistic talents was an ability to write in a mirrored script that was virtually illegible to anyone other than himself. Historians still debated whether Da Vinci wrote this way simply to amuse himself or to keep people from peering over his shoulder and stealing his ideas, but the point was moot. Da Vinci did as he pleased. Sophie smiled inwardly to see that Robert understood her meaning. â€Å"I can read the first few words,† she said. â€Å"It's English.† Teabing was still sputtering. â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"Reverse text,† Langdon said. â€Å"We need a mirror.† â€Å"No we don't,† Sophie said. â€Å"I bet this veneer is thin enough.† She lifted the rosewood box up to a canister light on the wall and began examining the underside of the lid. Her grandfather couldn't actually write in reverse, so he always cheated by writing normally and then flipping the paper over and tracing the reversed impression. Sophie's guess was that he had wood-burned normal text into a block of wood and then run the back of the block through a sander until the wood was paper thin and the wood-burning could be seen through the wood. Then he'd simply flipped the piece over, and laid it in. As Sophie moved the lid closer to the light, she saw she was right. The bright beam sifted through the thin layer of wood, and the script appeared in reverse on the underside of the lid. Instantly legible.† English,† Teabing croaked, hanging his head in shame. â€Å"My native tongue.† At the rear of the plane, Remy Legaludec strained to hear beyond the rumbling engines, but the conversation up front was inaudible. Remy did not like the way the night was progressing. Not at all. He looked down at the bound monk at his feet. The man lay perfectly still now, as if in a trance of acceptance, or perhaps, in silent prayer for deliverance. CHAPTER 72 Fifteen thousand feet in the air, Robert Langdon felt the physical world fade away as all of his thoughts converged on Sauniere's mirror-image poem, which was illuminated through the lid of the box. The Da Vinci Code Sophie quickly found some paper and copied it down longhand. When she was done, the three of them took turns reading the text. It was like some kind of archaeological crossword†¦ a riddle that promised to reveal how to open the cryptex. Langdon read the verse slowly. An ancient word of wisdom frees this scroll†¦ and helps us keep her scatter'd family whole†¦ a headstone praised by templars is the key†¦ and at bash will reveal the truth to thee. Before Langdon could even ponder what ancient password the verse was trying to reveal, he felt something far more fundamental resonate within him – the meter of the poem. Iambic pentameter. Langdon had come across this meter often over the years while researching secret societies across Europe, including just last year in the Vatican Secret Archives. For centuries, iambic pentameter had been a preferred poetic meter of outspoken literati across the globe, from the ancient Greek writer Archilochus to Shakespeare, Milton, Chaucer, and Voltaire – bold souls who chose to write their social commentaries in a meter that many of the day believed had mystical properties. The roots of iambic pentameter were deeply pagan. Iambs. Two syllables with opposite emphasis. Stressed and unstressed. Yin yang. A balanced pair. Arranged in strings of five. Pentameter. Five for the pentacle of Venus and the sacred feminine. â€Å"It's pentameter!† Teabing blurted, turning to Langdon. â€Å"And the verse is in English! La lingua pura!† Langdon nodded. The Priory, like many European secret societies at odds with the Church, had considered English the only European pure language for centuries. Unlike French, Spanish, and Italian, which were rooted in Latin – the tongue of the Vatican – English was linguistically removed from Rome's propaganda machine, and therefore became a sacred, secret tongue for those brotherhoods educated enough to learn it. â€Å"This poem,† Teabing gushed,† references not only the Grail, but the Knights Templar and the scattered family of Mary Magdalene! What more could we ask for?† â€Å"The password,† Sophie said, looking again at the poem. â€Å"It sounds like we need some kind of ancient word of wisdom?† â€Å"Abracadabra?† Teabing ventured, his eyes twinkling. A word of five letters, Langdon thought, pondering the staggering number of ancient words that might be considered words of wisdom – selections from mystic chants, astrological prophecies, secret society inductions, Wicca incantations, Egyptian magic spells, pagan mantras – the list was endless. â€Å"The password,† Sophie said, â€Å"appears to have something to do with the Templars.† She read the text aloud. † ‘A headstone praised by Templars is the key. ‘† â€Å"Leigh,† Langdon said, â€Å"you're the Templar specialist. Any ideas?† Teabing was silent for several seconds and then sighed. â€Å"Well, a headstone is obviously a grave marker of some sort. It's possible the poem is referencing a gravestone the Templars praised at the tomb of Magdalene, but that doesn't help us much because we have no idea where her tomb is.† â€Å"The last line,† Sophie said,† says that Atbash will reveal the truth. I've heard that word. Atbash.† â€Å"I'm not surprised,† Langdon replied. â€Å"You probably heard it in Cryptology 101. The Atbash Cipher is one of the oldest codes known to man.† Of course! Sophie thought. The famous Hebrew encoding system. The Atbash Cipher had indeed been part of Sophie's early cryptology training. The cipher dated back to 500 B. C. and was now used as a classroom example of a basic rotational substitution scheme. A common form of Jewish cryptogram, the Atbash Cipher was a simple substitution code based on the twenty-two-letter Hebrew alphabet. In Atbash, the first letter was substituted by the last letter, the second letter by the next to last letter, and so on. â€Å"Atbash is sublimely appropriate,† Teabing said. â€Å"Text encrypted with Atbash is found throughout the Kabbala, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and even the Old Testament. Jewish scholars and mystics are stillfinding hidden meanings using Atbash. The Priory certainly would include the Atbash Cipher as part of their teachings.† â€Å"The only problem,† Langdon said,† is that we don't have anything on which to apply the cipher.† Teabing sighed. â€Å"There must be a code word on the headstone. We must find this headstone praised by Templars.† Sophie sensed from the grim look on Langdon's face that finding the Templar headstone would be no small feat. Atbash is the key, Sophie thought. But we don't have a door. It was three minutes later that Teabing heaved a frustrated sigh and shook his head. â€Å"My friends, I'm stymied. Let me ponder this while I get us some nibblies and check on Remy and our guest.† He stood up and headed for the back of the plane. Sophie felt tired as she watched him go. Outside the window, the blackness of the predawn was absolute. Sophie felt as if she were being hurtled through space with no idea where she would land. Having grown up solving her grandfather's riddles, she had the uneasy sense right now that this poem before them contained information they still had not seen. There is more there, she told herself. Ingeniously hidden†¦ but present nonetheless. Also plaguing her thoughts was a fear that what they eventually found inside this cryptex would not be as simple as† a map to the Holy Grail.† Despite Teabing's and Langdon's confidence that the truth lay just within the marble cylinder, Sophie had solved enough of her grandfather's treasure hunts to know that Jacques Sauniere did not give up his secrets easily.

Compare Egypt and Mesopotamia

Jenny Di bowler hat 5th Period AP World muniment Comparative Essay 07 September 2010 The geographics of Egypt and Mesopotamia helped shaped their economies, social organises, and religious beliefs. In these cardinal societies, the rivers they depended upon play central roles in each parts of society. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers surrounding Mesopotamia and the Nile River, in the center of attention of the desert, produced both polytheistic, ancient civilizations.Although Egypt and Mesopotamia both save similar economies which center on market-gardening and include heavy affair, they resist in their religions and social structures because the geographical features in each region altered the packs beliefs and scenerys. The two civilizations views on religion were likewise affected by the geography of the bea, to a greater extent specific bothy the alluvioning of the two rivers. The Mesopotamians believed in a dark and cruel beat to come where e genuinelyone was se ntenced to after remainder, while Egyptians thought that they would be judged by the god of the underworld, Osiris.He would determine if they could drop on to the good future or non. The Mesopotamians view of gods as uncaring was to the highest degree likely due to capricious reputation of their rivers. The direct result of the gods capriciousness was give tongue to to father lead to the unpredictable flooding. The rulers of Mesopotamia could not claim to be gods or throw off divine powers because they could not predict or reckon the floods, while the Egyptian kings were definitely divine.The Egyptians had a very fond view of their gods and tried to keep their cycles of life continuing, including the sequel of divine kings, while Mesopotamians feared their gods and did everything possible to disport them. The consistent cycle of floods in the Nile brought plentiful harvests. Rebirth occurred all around them and the Egyptians swear in this cycle. They put a clustering o f effort in order to consider rebirth and went through many rituals, such(prenominal) as mummification, in order to refrain their bodies for the afterlife.They also self-relianceed and provided for their gods so that the floods would lodge to bring them with bountiful crops and wealth. The Mesopotamians did not trust their gods, just now relied on meeting all of their needs so as to not anger them and cause ruin to their regionscape. Egypts location was quite isolated and watch over due to its surrounding deserts, while Mesopotamia was undefended to invaders due to its flat plains. Warriors were important and consequently high on the social come apart due to Mesopotamias vulnerable location. On direct of the warriors in the social structure were the priest and kings, while underneath was everybody else.The priests stayed in control of the population and on top by threatening death. The fear of death was prevalent because the religious belief of the time concerned a dark, dreary, underworld that people went for eternity once they were dead. Mesopotamias rulers were not gods, whereas Egypts society was led by pharaohs claimed to be gods on earth, in item the sons of the sun god Re and incarnations of Horus. They were the centers of the Egyptian state and could determine whether or not the people of Egypt would go to the good afterlife or the bad.The pharaoh also ensured the fortune and wellbeing of the state by predicting when the floods would come. Therefore the bring low classes of peasants and artisans all looked to please and obey their rulers. twain h The economies of the two different civilizations were very similar because they both depended heavily on agriculture. Both were centered on rivers. Theses rivers would flood and provide ample silt for the crops to get on on, however each region did not always have all the resources necessary. Because of that, trading was also very vital and played an important role in the economy.In Mesopotam ia, the land surrounding the urban centers would all be irrigated and taken care of by farmers. They would nominate crops (wheat and barley flourished here) and all the surplus would go to those inside the cities who were artisans, officials, etc. In Egypt, roughly people were farmers. They planted things like lettuce, wheat, barley, dates, grapes, melons and cucumbers. The two societies also relied on trade. Mesopotamia did not have many natural metals. They traded barley, vegetable oils and textiles in return for metals, timber and stone. Egypt did much trading with its southern counterparts.Egypt traded with Nubia for gold and precious stones, but was more interested in conquering lands in order to gain opening to resources. In the second millennium BCE Egyptians invaded Nubia and took control over its gold fields. If these two civilizations had been in any other region in the world, their religion, social structure and economy would differ from what they were. The behavior o f the rivers and land features of Mesopotamia and Egypt caused the differences in religion and social structure, while the presence of the rivers that brought fertile silt to the croplands and lack of certain resources are what made the economies so similar.