Identify the Industries

1. Retail grocery stores —-Specialty retailer Industry 2. Commercial banking —-Commercial banks Industry 3. Pharmaceutical preparations —-Pharmaceuticals Industry 4. Commercial airline —-Aerospace and defense Industry 5. Computer software —-Network & other comm. Equip. Industry 6. IT service provider —-Internet services and retailing Industry 7. Liquor producer and distributor —-Beverages Industry 8.Integrated oil and gas —-Mining and oil production Industry 9. Mobile phone service provider —-Telecommunications Industry 10. Semiconductor manufacturer —-Motor vehicles and parts Industry The procedure to find the answers: (Just compare the data of the exhibit 4 in the ITI with the data on page 12 of the â€Å"An overview of financial statement analysis: the mechanics†) ?Industry 1 has the lowest Return on Sales, thus is Retail grocery stores. ?Industry 2 has the lowest Asset turnover rate, so it is Commercial bank. Industry 5 has the highest ROA, which Network & other comm. Equip usually has, thus it is Computer software. ?Industry 8 has the highest Return on Sales, so it is the Industry of Oil production. ?Industry 9’s Return on Sales, Return on Assets, Return on Equity, Asset turnover, and Leverage are all the same as the Telecommunications line’s data, thus it is Mobile phone service provider. ?Industry 10 has negative Return on Sales, Return on Assets, hence it is semiconductor manufacturer.We’ve figured out the industries of 1,2,5,8,9,and 10 already. The 3,4,6,and 7 are left. ?Compare the data of the industries 3,4,6 and 7. We found that the Asset turnover of industry 4 is extremely high, thus it is the commercial airline. ?The Inventory in industry 6 is the lowest among industry 3,6,and 7. So it is the IT service provider. ?Compare the Industry 3 and 7, 7’s Return on Assets, Return on Equity are lower, Leverage is higher. So Industry 7 is Liquor producer , and Industry 3 is Pharmaceutical Industry.

Of Mice and Men Coursework Rough Essay

Introduction. ‘Of Mice and Men’ is written by John Steinbeck, published in 1937. The novel is set in the 1930s during the great depression in California. The two prominent characters, George and Lennie are farm workers who have a dream of one-day owning their own ranch. They find work in a ranch near Soledad, after escaping from Weed because of George’s incident. They are met by different characters on the farm that all have a dream. Lots of farm workers would share the dream of all one day owning some land of their own. This dream became very popular and was named the ‘American Dream.’ Its people came from every country and background with the one belief that America would bring them wealth and happiness. For very many others, America offered escape from poverty and starvation. It was a new country, an undiscovered one. In Europe land had always been the key to money and status. Only in America could the poor of Europe hope to own their own land. The country became more and more heavily populated as the word got around of gold mines, and new homes and villages developed creating communities. At its simplest the American Dream was the popular idea that America was a country that allowed men and women to make a clean start. Like all dreams the reality did not always match the dream. However the destruction of the Indians, the American civil war and the creation of city slums were all growing pains of a great country. Yet the dream survived. That is this dream survived until the late 1920s. By then there was no more land to be claimed and America had built up its own rules and laws. This marked the start of the great depression. Farming was badly effected, as over farming had caused huge areas of land to just dry up. This was the creation of the famous ‘dust bowl.’ Poor crops meant that many of the farmers were unable to pay back the debts they had taken out in the first place to buy the land. This meant that the way of life of men such as George, Lennie and slim was coming to an end when ‘of mice and men’ was written. All the events above occurred during the writing of the novel and perhaps suggests that the story is about the end of the American Dream, the social changes and the new reality of living a full American life. The Setting. The book opens with a description of the country around the Salinas river, south of Soledad in California. When describing this landscape Steinbeck uses a very wide variety of different colours and animal descriptions in only the first short paragraph. He has a very powerful descriptive style. ‘Lower leaf junctures,’ that are green, then he notes that the deer’s tracks are ‘split wedge.’ This description is used when the author used direct speech. As the two characters give us information about what they think and their personalities by how they talk. This landscape is the appropriate backdrop to the introduction of the two characters George and Lennie because it shows a typical background for migrant workers. Who would travel great distances, either walking, using cheap bus services, hitch hiking or traveling by train. We know that this particular novel strictly focuses on the life of these men from a few short quotes on the first couple of pages. â €˜The path beaten hard by boys.’ This line suggests that George and Lennie are following in the footsteps of hundreds of other men. The path had been used to walk to and from work many times which symbolizes the employment and unemployment of men. Walking the road and trying to achieve the all ‘American Dream’ by making a fortune and living the high life. ‘ The tree worn smooth by men,’ this shows how often migrant workers had collapsed and sat on that log suggesting how tired and utterly exhausted the men were after traveling miles and miles. This proves determination that those men had, to actually make something of their lives. ‘Ash pile made by many fires.’ This conveys the notion of starving men who had set up camp in that area. By lighting fires that kept them warm and fed. The fact that so many fires had been lit before just proves the amount of people who had been in that baron area. George and Lennie’s previous job in Weed was probably something to do with farming as they were itinerant farmers. They are drifters who move from ranch to ranch. This means that they are very skilled in various aspects of farm work and labour. The only security these men live on is the hope of more or new work. ‘Murray and Ready’s’ was like an employment agency which was set up as a result of President Roosevelt’s new deal which directed migrant workers into agricultural work. From this place George and Lennie had both collected ‘work cards’ which secured their working position and acted as evidence and identity. They had no permanent home and solely relied on the rough farm accommodation. They carried all their belongings around in a bindle of clothing and cooking utensils which were made portable by wrapping blankets aroun d the outside. When migrant workers arrive at their work place after traveling and sleeping rough. They often find they have to stay in very simple, poor accommodation. The conditions in which the migrant workers lived were primitive. Bunkhouse walls were whitewashed, the floor unpainted. There were eight bunks in the bunkhouse, which showed that there was a lack of privacy for the men. Even their few personal belongings were on public display â€Å"†¦over each bunk there was nailed an apple-box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The only places for the men to sit were boxes. George saw that the conditions were also unhygienic when he found a can in his apple-box which said â€Å"†¦positively kills lice, roaches and other scourges†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Even the stable buck, who is not permitted to sleep with the other men in the bunkhouse and has his own room, also has to live in primitive and unhygienic conditions. For example â€Å"†¦a manure pile under the window†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . One characteristic that the migrant workers share is that they all long for a better life. Loneliness. Loneliness is a very key part of the migrant workers life. They have no time for meaningful friendships or long relationships. Little trust is shared and the men work solely for themselves. Many of the characters are lonely and this motivates them to look for an alternative way of life. This is one of the reasons why there are drifters; they are continually searching often not knowing what they are looking for. Characters are also lonely because of something within themselves, something which seems to make their loneliness inevitable. Different characters seek comfort and solace in different things. For Candy it is his dog, for George and Lennie it’s each other, for Crooks it’s his pride and his skill at pitching horseshoes. In the novel George and Lennie find themselves a ‘Few miles of Soledad.’ This is a real place in California and its name, which is Spanish can mean loneliness or lonely place. George describes himself and Lennie as the sort of people wh o ‘are the loneliness guys in the world.’ Although the boss of the ranch thinks that George exploits Lennie, all the ranch workers come to see that the reason for their relationship is mutual loneliness. Candy’s relationship with his dog is much like the relationship between George and Lennie. Candy has a parental role towards his dog, just as George has a parental role towards Lennie. Lennie can be compared with the dog in the sense that he listens, but does not talk; this provides comfort for those who talk to him about their feelings. ‘He ain’t no good to you Candy. An’ he ain’t no good to himself. Why’n’t you shoot him Candy?’ Carlson is unsentimental about Candy’s dog as he can see no further practical use for it. Although his suggestion is perhaps reasonable, he seems oblivious to the strong bond between Candy and his pet. Lennie turns to petting animals for comfort. He means no harm to the creatures and sees them as on a similar level to himself. Lennie is unaware of the feelings of the pups as he heavily touches and plays with them, this causes the ranch workers to become concerned. ‘Well you ain’t bein’ kind to him..’ With these words Carlson is ironically ‘sentencing’ Lennie who will later suffer the same fate as the dog. Carlson assumes that Candy can soon get another pet, just as at the end of the novel he seems to assume that George can easily get another friend. From this we can see that Carlson, like some of the other characters does not appreciate the bonds that occur. Candy and his dog are obviously very alike to George and Lennie, even to the way the dog follows Candy around in the same way as Lennie follows George. Just as Candy feels tied down by his relationship with his dog, so George feels trapped by his sense of responsibility for Lennie. Curley’s wife is one of the loneliest characters in the novel; she has no identity, she is seen as an object, a possession of Curley’s. Curley’s wife is seen as a flirtatious ‘tart’ by the other ranch-hands, true, Curley’s wife does flirt, she is very conscious of the effect this has on men, but she is not a tart. She wants attention and by gaining that attention, she act the way people think. ‘She had full rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red.’ She likes to dress up and wear a lot of make up, to attract the men. The men on the other hand do not flirt with her, as they are afraid of what Curly might do. This leads to the loneliness of many characters. Although the men think it is wrong of her to flaunt herself sexually and give everyone the ‘eye’, the men all visit a ########## for sexual gratification and momentary companionship. Those like George and Whit contradict themselves when they talk about Curley’s wife as being ‘jail-bait’. ‘She’s gonna make a mess. They’s gonna be a bad mess about her. She’s a jail-bait all set on a trigger,’ George senses danger coming his way, but he chooses to ignore it, as he needs the money. During the 1930s, women were seen as possessions of their husbands who were to stay at home. George’s view of women, seem to be very basic and biased, he sees them as instruments to relieve physical urges. All the ranch-hands one evening go off to ‘Susie’s place.’ This Brothel is a place were the men can enjoy the company of women and sexual pleasure. As the men have no need for a relationship it means they can still have fun without all the strings attached to love and friendship. ‘She never talks dirty, neither. Got five girls there.’ George does not express the need for any female companionship mainly because he is too busy keeping Lennie out of trouble. All these things link up to suggest clues behind the real reasons as to why the ranch workers are so lonely. They try to shy away from commitment and responsibility. Violence. The lives of the men in the novel is filled with unnecessary violence. The boss is a good example of this in the way he treats the men and permits fighting. Curley is another good example with all his completely irrational aggressiveness. Carlson is another character who seems to thrive on violence either when he is arguing with others or when he is erring them on. The guns’ easy availability causes inevitable trouble throughout the book. From the text it is simple to separate the more frustrated characters who resort to uncivilized behavior from those who are not quite so uptight. In a world of such mistrust it is not hard to see why violence is a constant issue. When George and Lennie first enter the bunkhouse they discover how bad the accommodation is. Suspecting his bed contains vermin George inspects it cautiously. As he does so Candy chatters on about the boss. We learn that he vents his anger on the black stable hand, provides the men with whisky and allows a fight betw een the stable buck and ‘Smitty,’ one of the Skinners. The boss could be worse: Candy insists he’s ‘a pretty nice fella’ and, after all, he keeps two of the cripples on payroll. The atmosphere of later violence has the potential to create trouble for Lennie. Finally friction builds up between Curley and Lennie. ‘Let the big guy talk.’ This harsh confrontation is caused by Lennie’s attempts to obey George’s instructions to say nothing. Curley’s presence is not good for Lennie and George’s safety. This is emphasized by Candy’s comments ‘he’s alla time picking scraps with big guys.’ Since Lennie is a giant man it seemed certain that a violent assault would come from Curley. As Candy explains, Curley is a small man and feels that he cannot loose this kind of situation. This seems very dangerous as Lennie ‘don’t know no rules’ when it come to fighting. It is typical that Curley should pick on Lennie for his display of violence. In picki ng on the large but apparently harmless man, Curley demonstrates his own cowardice. There is an irony in the fact that it is Lennie’s happy thoughts about the farm which leave a smile on his face, which is misinterpreted by Curley. Despite his size Lennie has two distinct disadvantages, he will not act unless told to do so by George and he is terrified by aggression. Because of this he does not make any attempt to defend himself. Curley is a vicious fighter and is out to inflict damage on Lennie. Animal imagery is used towards Lennie as he stands like a ‘bear’ with ‘paws’ covering his face but Curley is the ‘dirty little rat.’ Lennie’s strength and grip crushes Curley’s hand . This is not aggression but more of a reflex action, it is a defensive move. Carlson is not a cowboy, but does possess a handgun. There is a conversation about Carlson’s gun in the bunkhouse this lets George know where it is kept. The sensitive slim points out that when Candy’s dog is killed there will need to be a decent burial so a shovel would be needed. This compares the shooting of the dog with the shooting of Lennie later on. John Steinbeck emphasizes the long wait at this period in time in the novel by using sounds like ‘shuffle,’ ‘rippled,’ and ‘gnawing,’ which contrast the eventual ‘shot.’ After Lennie is accused of killing Curley’s wife the ranch workers all go searching for the criminal. The prospect of a manhunt and the opportunity to use his luger excites Carlson, who seems to want to solve all his problems with his gun. His keenness to use his luger on Lennie reminds us of his former enthusiasm to use it on Candy’s dog. The hunt for Lennie continues and the consequences for Lennie are that as George has just been saying that there ‘Ain’t gonna be no more trouble. Nobody gonna hurt nor steal from ’em.’ These things would have been the rewards they were hoping from their dream farm. There is heavy irony in Lennie’s urgings to George to ‘do it now.’ Earlier on in the novel Candy said that he ‘ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog.’ This is probably the main reason as to why George decides that he should be the one to shoot Lennie, but he may also be protecting him from the treatment he would receive at Curley’s hands if he were to find him first. Prejudice. In Of Mice And Men there are several different levels of prejudice shown, all contributing to the failure of the American dream. The main types of prejudice shown in this novel are racial, sexual and age related. Racism is very prominent. There is much racial prejudice shown in Of Mice And Men towards Crooks the black crippled stable buck. Crooks is more permanent than the other ranch hands and has his own room off the stables with many more possessions than them. This room is made out to be a privilege and also because it means he is nearer to the horses but in fact it is really because the other ranch hands do not want him in the bunk house with them. As a result of this prejudice Crooks has become bitter and very lonely. When Lennie comes to pet the puppies, not even realizing that Crooks’ room is ‘out of bounds’, Crooks instantly becomes defensive â€Å"I ain’t wanted in the bunk room and you ain’t wanted in my room† but Lennie is childish and is completely without prejudice † Why ain’t you wanted† he asks. Crooks replies to this ,†Cause I’m black, they play cards in there but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well I tell you, all of you stink to me† This line showing that Crooks desperately wants to join in, be accepted, but because of his colour he can’t and so he feels the only way he can make himself feel better is to cut himself off further, it is a vicious circle. When Crooks realizes that Lennie means no harm he invites him to † Come on in and set a while† Lennie begins to talk about George and his dream, it makes Crooks remember his childhood which he looks on as a kind of paradise. â€Å"The white kids come to play at our place, an’ sometimes I went to play with them and some of them were pretty nice. My ol’ man didn’t like that. I never knew till long later why he didn’t like that. But I know now†. Crooks’ didn’t experience racism in his childhood, making his current situation even worse. Crooks is fascinated by the strength of the friendship of Lennie and George, especially how close they are. Crooks said, â€Å"Well, s’pose, jus’ s’pose he don’t come back. What’ll you do then?† Crooks asks these questions because he does not have any friends, and wouldn’t know how losing them unexpectedly would feel. He was curious and envious, about the friendship of Lennie and George, noticing that Lennie is retarded, he takes advantage of this situation to â€Å"torture† him mentally, to make him feel better and ease the pain of having other reject him â€Å"Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure at his torture† he also does this to ease his jealousy towards the friendship Lennie has, but that he, Crooks, will probably never have. He wants the people to feel the way that he does, completely alone. Crooks goes on to talk about his loneliness † ‘A guy needs somebody-to be near him’ He whined:â€⠄¢ A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you’ he cried ‘I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick'† Crooks is looking for sympathy, he is so incredibly lonely even to the point to saying that loneliness can make you ill. Curley’s wife is shown a lot of sexism over the course of the novel. Living on a ranch where the large majority of the people are male she is very lonely. George says â€Å"Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain’t no place for a girl† Perhaps to prove the fact she is insignificant, she is always referred to as ‘Curley’s wife’, never given a name. She experiences sexual prejudice in that none of the ranch hands will talk to her. This is partly because she can make up things about those she dislikes who will subsequently get ‘the can’ and also because she is a ‘looloo’ who flirts alots. â€Å"She got the eye goin’ all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the stable buck they eye. I don’t know what the hell she wants† says Whit. The ranch hands don’t trust her or understand her. George says â€Å"Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain’t no place for a girl, specially like her† An old lover told her that she â€Å"coulda went with the shows, not jus one neither† He promised her that he would write â€Å"Soon’s he got back to Hollywood† but he never did and so she married Curley. Because of this she’s upset and feels she’s been deprived by life. In fact she doesn’t even like Curley â€Å"He ain’t a nice fella†. Because she has nothing to do but sit at home she goes out on the ranch under the reason of looking for Curley. Some of the sexism she experiences is her fault, she scares the ranch hands with her womanly actions but she isn’t really a tart, she just craves attention which she doesn’t get from Curley. Ignored by both the ranch workers and Curley she has ended up very lonely, the one thing she most wanted to escape. Throughout the novel there is a small protest for the weak. Steinbeck sees an opportunity to emphasise on how strong men had more authority over weaker or disabled onees. Candy, the old swamper is prejudiced against because of his age and his disability. Because of his hand he is unable to do a lot of the jobs that the other ranch hands do making him instantly an outsider. Also because he thinks that he is old he puts himself in a state of mind which handicaps him far more than his missing hand ever will. His life echoes that of his dog, he was once â€Å"the best damn sheep-dog I ever seen† but now is next to useless, Candy’s life has gone somewhat the same way. The novel shows the amount of predjudice at the time of the 1930s. At the time of the novel blacks in America had no rights, they were seen as nobodies. Because of this prejudice many of them, like Crooks â€Å"retired into the terrible protective dignity of the negro†. Women also had very few rights. There are many different levels of prejudice shown in Of Mice And Men. Through these prejudices the characters such as Crooks and Curley’s wife have become lonely but they are in hopeless position which they can do nothing about. Dreams. Many ranch workers would share George and Lennie’s dream of a small farm. Such a dream would allow men such as George to be their own master, to make a decent living from their own hard work. This dream forms part of the much larger phenomenon known as the American dream. The American Dream has its roots from when American first became populated. Many of the characters in the novel have dreams, in the sense that they have hopes or ambitions. These dreams are often kept secret to begin with. George is displeased when he discovers that Lennie and Candy have told Crooks about their secret ‘dream farm.’ George always talks wistfully about his mental picture of the farm. He sits ‘entranced with his own picture.’ Georges dream like description slows down the pace of the novel and provides a period of almost calm before all of Lennie’s destruction. George’s life and Lennie’s would be more closely related to nature on his dream farm as he says, ‘when we put in a crop, why we’d be there to take the crop up’, so the cycle of nature would be complete. Since George and Lennie’s ambition in life is much like all those around him he believes it to be pretty impossible to come true. But suddenly George realizes that what had been until a certain point a distant dream was then a real possibility. ‘S’pose I went in with you guys.’ Candy’s involvement and contribution made the dream make more sense. It offers George and Lennie the prospect of companionship and self-living. The characters dream is a sharp contrast to that of their current surroundings. Crooks is rather scornful of the dream as Lennie explains it to him ‘you’re nuts’, he says. Crooks compares human hopes with religious belief and says that the search for ‘a little piece of land’ is like the search for heaven. His comments create tension as Candy, George’s and Lennie’s dream seems so close to them. Crooks thinks that the chances of them successfully achieving their dream farm are remote. Few ha ve achieved it before. Despite Crooks negativity he seems drawn into the same dream of a better life and of companionship. During the discussion with the ranch workers his attitude changed from sheer disbelieve to almost excitement. Unlike most of the characters in contrast, Curley’s wife seems almost desperate to tell Lennie about her dreams. It is ironic that she confides in someone who appears to have no interest or little understanding of what she is saying. Curley’s wife reveals her own dreams of a better life. Her dream is parallel to that of Candy, Crooks and George. Curley’s wife seems to be starstuck to have taken all the flattering comments she received from the men she met. She finds her dream in the glittery world of show business, the cinema and glossy magazines. This is a sharp contrast to that of the three men. Her interest in the world of cinema and film stars suggest that her dress sense is there to make her stand out from all the other ‘ordinary’ girls. Eventually though in one way or another all the peoples dreams die out because of Lennie. Candy, George and Lennie’s dream is destroyed because of Curley’s wife. Lennie sinned and the heaven of the small farm became a dream again. George realizes that his own prospects are now no better than those other ranch workers, with their limited ambitions of cheap sex and gambling. Georges vision is an example of the second kind of unhappy vision. When he sees his future aimlessly drifting.’ I’ll take my fifty bucks an’ I’ll stay in some lousy cat house. Or I’ll set in some pool-room till ever’body goes home.’ Lennie’s dream is shattered. He starts to have visions after killing Curley’s wife. The appearance of a giant rabbit is to do with Lennie’s fear for the future. The rabbit is a symbol of a time of peace in quite and natural surroundings. Lennie tells himself that his dream has been destroyed by what he has done. Steinbeck again creates a sort of parallel not only between the shooting of Candy’s dog and of Lennie, but also between the emotions which motivate the killings. George ends up by killing Lennie, Lennie has killed Curley’s wife, and Carlson killed Candy’s dog. All killers are motivated by passion. Many of the workers have dreams of one kind or a another, and sometimes they share the same dream. Generally though the characters have one choices of an almost realistic dream. This is the dream that includes companionship, honesty and love or the ‘dream farm.’ Which represents the ambition and the possibility of escape from the workers loneliness and poverty. These factors eventually stimulated the violent deaths and therefore the abrupt ending of dreams.

Definition Essay: Freedom Essay

Freedom Our fore fathers fought for political freedom from the tyranny of England and its kings. Slaves fought for freedom and equality. Women fought for the freedom from their stereotypical â€Å"wifely duty† and their right to vote. We now are beginning to see freedom, due to the World Trade Center Disaster, being redefined and more defined. Young Americans of the past saw freedom differently than young Americans of today. The pampered youth of today’s society use freedom in regard to getting a car or getting to buy new clothes. Freedoms to colonial young Americans were not so petty. They were a big part in helping our country break free from England and to them being free from the religious restraints of their day were freedoms celebrated, not just getting name brand clothing. I believe, as Americans, we are free but our freedom comes with responsibility that should not be taken so lightly. Maybe we have lost view of what freedom truly is and what it is meant to do. Freedom has a wide range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being hampered or frustrated in decisions one makes in life. We have, for some time now, taken our freedoms for granted. The freedoms from one state to another or one country to another differ greatly, making a true definition of the word unclear. People throw the word freedom around as if it is not something of importance. Millions of our fellow Americans have died and millions more put their lives on the line daily so we can have the freedoms we have now. Freedom is defined as the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action. Given this definition, many of the places we use the word freedom or the sense of being free are very misused. Freedom is not a new outfit or a new car. Advertisers have used freedom to describe their products or the feeling that their product would give you but that does not mean that just because you wear or drive their product, you are not more free than you were before. For example, running down a wet street alone in Nike shoes does not make you more free. Freedom has been used so unrestrictively socially that many Americans have forgotten what freedom really means. People use the word freedom to describe everything and to use as an excuse or reason behind many terrible things they do. Freedom is not  an excuse for abusing your neighbor who is different from you. Freedom was fought for to make life better, it was not created to be used to alienate, abuse, or hurt people. When abused, either in protest or in life in general, we cause others to be hurt or killed. For example, in protests today people burn the American flag, our symbol of freedom, to make their point. Veterans of our Armed Forces and every patriotic American are hurt by this. The amount of blood that was shed so we could have our flag and our freedom being taken so lightly is a shame. Freedom fighters in our history who wanted to abolish slavery or desegregate communities were killed because they fought for freedom from slavery because they believed that freedom would make them equals. Some groups today, using freedom as a mask, are fighting to take away our freedoms or to limit them more. Cults using freedom of religion as a mask persuades people to leave their hoes and family and live in their communities. They get their followers to give up their freedom for the good of their religion and even to kill themselves and others. Pro-lifers picket abortion clinics trying to get people to change the law allowing women’s freedom of choice using freedom of speech as their mask. These freedoms are for our common good as a nation not to get everyone to be what someone else wants. True freedom is an unrestrained and unrestricted right, with this in mind, are we truly free? Yes, we are free but we are expected to use our freedoms with responsibility and the good of our country as a whole when we act out using freedoms we have. All freedoms in our constitution and life have limitations for the protection of the good of society and the good of our nation. We have the freedom to bear arms but without the proper permit, one can not carry that gun on their person out into the world to cause harm. We have the freedom of speech but with the limits set so we can not slander or defame another person without being punished. We teach our children as they get more freedom that there are consequences for abusing their freedoms. Maybe Americans need a reminder of the consequences associated with abuse of their freedom. It is now being said by political critics that the tragedy of September 11 is our wake-up call. That this tragedy was the world’s way of telling us that our freedoms are at risk and that we should keep our  democratic ideas to ourselves. Maybe now that people have to leave earlier to take a flight so their baggage can be checked more carefully and now that UPS will open and look in every box we want to send, Americans will look upon their freedoms with a little more thought not lightly glancing and taking them for granted. As Americans, we must teach our children about freedom so that the future generations will not take their freedoms for granted or abuse them. When a baby is born they have no freedom since they can not even walk, talk, or eat without help. As they grow, they get more freedom and we guide them with discipline so they know right from wrong and good from bad. They know not to call names, to respect the flag, and to appreciate others for their differences rather than hate them or hurt them, when their parents guide them as they grow. Without this guidance children will get worse and worse every generation. They will take their freedoms for granted more and abuse them worse. I teach my children that the American flag is a reminder of all those lost in battle and that it represents our country. They know freedoms are important and that not everyone in the world has them so they should appreciate them, not abuse them. They respect the flag and the freedoms that it represents. We do not use our freedom of speech to make fun of others who may be different from us or to say things that may hurt other people’s feelings. As a parent and role model to younger generations, we must all do our part to make them understand about freedom and responsibility. If they are making fun of someone for being different, they are punished or if they abuse someone else for being of a different religion, they are punished. This is the beginning of learning about freedom, responsibility, right and wrong, and consequences of their actions. My children know the Pledge of Allegiance even though they do not say it in school anymore, as they should. If kids were reminded daily by saying the Pledge, they would know to respect it and the freedom it stands for. In many countries, they have no freedom. They can not speak out against a government when it is wrong, they must be the same religion as everyone else, and they can not even choose whom they marry. In our country we can do all of these yet many people still think it is so bad here. We do not have to worry about only being able to have one child or that our parents can pick our husband when we are born. Our freedoms let us do what we want within reason. I think the limitations are more common sense than anything. Like it says in the Bible, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Do not slander someone else or their religion. Do not abuse your neighbor for differing opinions or skin color. Do not try to force others to your lifestyle or way of thinking. Don’t do anything to another American that you would not like them to do to you. Our fore fathers would be disgusted to see the abuses of freedom and lack of responsibility in using those freedoms in today’s world. They did not fight and die for us to destroy our country, our fellow countrymen, or our planet. So when you think of freedom, picture the American flag flying over the rubble that was once the World Trade Center or picture the American flag swaying over as a soldier wounded in battle carries it. Freedom is not a word to use lightly. It is a word that comes with responsibility and that is important to our country. Say it when you meant it and when you are showing respect to those who have given their life so that you can say it every day.

Macro & Microeconomics Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macro & Microeconomics Questions - Assignment Example In nominal terms, the projected gross domestic product would either be above the projected value or below the value. This where an output gap exists in the difference between projected gross domestic and the actual gross domestic product or actual output. If all calculations and estimations were right, then output gaps that produce positive or negative values should be of great concern to economists and be the basis for decision making. They should also give a source of concern to economists and predict the trend of macro and micro economic growth. On the whole, an inflationary gap, which is a representation of positive output gap measure, is an indication of growing demand over supply and subsequently an indication of inflation (Lipsey and Chrystal, 2007, p. 423). A recessionary gap, which is on the other hand a representation of negative output gap, indicates deflation in the economy (Lipsey and Chrystal, 2007, p. 423). For the year 2011 and 2012 therefore, the output gap cannot be brushed over easily without concern for worry. This is especially because in most jurisdictions of global economic giants such as the United States and United Kingdom, the output gap was said to be negative, indicating a recessionary gap (Thoma, 2012). In fact apart from deflation, there is the concern over unemployment when a recessionary gap is experienced. Unemployment should be a major cause for concern for a number of reasons. In the first place, the recessionary gap is an indication that because a lot of people were not in employable positions, the State could not make good of their input into the economy and so their part of the ratio of input in gross domestic product to balance the output gap was missing. The government is denied fiscal inputs from unemployed citizens because due to their lack of jobs, the government is denied important tax revenue from them. So apart from the fact that unemployment affects the lives of the unemployed by making his living conditions extrem ely difficult; the government also has a resulting effect. One other cause of concern is for government to be forced to repackage future budgets in such a way that aims at attracting and creating more jobs. What this means is that other government expenditure are always affect by output gap values when they create negations. A major justification in the relationship between recessionary gap and unemployment is given in the Okun’s Law, which states that â€Å"It states that for every one percent increase in unemployment above a "natural" level, that GDP will decrease by anywhere from two to four percent from its potential† (Hill, 2012). REFERENCE LIST Hill A, 2012, What is Okun’s Law? Wise Geeks. [Online] http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-okuns-law.htm [May 17, 2012] Thoma B, 2012 The Zero Lower Bound and Output Gap Uncertainty [Online] http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2012/05/the-zero-lower-bound-and-output-gap-uncertainty.html [May 18, 2012] Richa rd G. Lipsey and Alec Chrystal. Economics. Oxford University Press. 11th edition. January 2007. 2. Examine whether the allure of the developing world to multinational enterprises has been affected events over the period 2011/12? In recent times, economic statistics show that there has been a developing situation whereby most developing nations are aligning themselves to international enterprises in terms of economic trade (quote). Generally, when there is such an enterprise, we have the formation of a multinational ent

In the paper, analyze Vincents claims about how men and women are Essay

In the paper, analyze Vincents claims about how men and women are differentsimilar from the book, SelfMade Man by Norah Vincent - Essay Example Disguised as "Ned," Vincent entered an all-male world in which she joined a bowling league, dated women, worked as a door-to-door salesman, spent almost a month in a male catholic monastery, visited strip clubs and, to put the cherry on the top of the cake, joined a men-only therapy group. I her book, Vincent creates rich, experience-proof portraits of all the men she met in all these places and managed to describe male behavior in a very pictorial way. One should not forget though, that being a lesbian, she successfully separates sexuality from gender issues. It is fascinating how Vincent describes the internal reflections of this experiment on her self image. The result from censoring her emotions, while hiding under the mask of a male, was a deep psychological breakdown, a crisis of identity, which threw her into the depths of depression. Vincent's first daring act as a newborn male was to join a bastion of male friendship - she became a member of a local bowling team in a typical working-class Pennsylvania neighborhood. Her major problem was that she was a terrible bowler. Astonishingly, the men accepted her in the team. From this point on, her observations on the male world could begin. Among the first things to notice were the amazing generosity and support that they had. The bowling experience turned some of Vincent's perceptions about men being cruel and rejecting and women being warm and welcoming upside down. After nine months with the bowling team Vincent gained entrance to the inner sanctum of the masculine world. She found out that cursing and what seems to be verbal aggression among men is just a way for them to show affection for each another, without being too intimate. Her in-depth exploration of male friendship doesn't stop here. Unveiling the mystery of boys' nights out is one thing, but explaining the explicit nature of male sexuality is quite another. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the male sex drive, Vincent visited several strip clubs, accompanied by a male friend. She describes this experience as hellish. According to her, it was very demeaning for the strippers, but even worse for the men. Vincent says that the activities she witnessed there describe the essence of pure, male sex drive. Men who visit these clubs are completely depraved of any meaningful interaction, although naked women are dancing in their laps. Though she is attracted to women as a lesbian, she could never get sexually aroused from these visits. Vincent realized that there are major differences between male and female sexuality. According to her, female sexuality is a mental experience, while for a man, it is physical urge. This primitive urge can be a great disadvantage for men in modern society. Vincent claims that the act of simply hearing "no" from a woman can devastate a man. Women don't have to cope with the humiliating part of fighting for female approval. Men have to gather a lot of self esteem and courage, in order to cross the room and to introduce themselves to a total stranger who can easily degrade them in front of everybody by rejection. Saying the first words is a task which men are expected to fulfill and it is not a simple task. In most cases, she found out, saying those first words is very hard without sounding like a total jerk. If the opposite side is cruel enough, consequences can be very harmful

Unit 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Unit 5 - Assignment Example A natural monopoly is a monopoly that experiences economies of scale along its intact range of production. Alternatively, a natural monopoly is the type of monopoly that experiences a decreasing average total cost (ATC). In a monopolistic market, marginal revenue is always less than the price of goods. This is because monopolies have a downward slopping demand curve. In fact, at any given price and quantity combinations, a monopolist is required to reduce the prices of his commodities in order to sell an additional unit. This explains why a monopoly is a special market situation. Consequently, monopolies do not exhaust all available market opportunities. Monopoly and perfect competitive markets represents the two extreme in a market environment. In my own opinion, perfect competitive model is better than monopolies. This preference is based on economic aspects and market sustainability. In a perfect competitive market, ultimate efficiency in the production and distribution of goods and services is achieved. Consequently, monopolies lack efficiency in their production and distribution of commodities. In a competitive market, producers and distributors of commodities are obliged to operate efficiently in order to remain relevant (Bade & Michael, 2002). For example in a perfect competition, producers reduce prices of their commodities in order to increase their competitiveness. This in turn reflects on the production process where producers are forced to improve efficiency. On the other hand, monopolies have no immediate threats that would force them to reduce their prices or improve the quality of their products. Thus, monopolistic ma rket lacks efficiency. Lack of efficiency is mainly demonstrated through production and distribution of goods within a market. In an ideal case, a market is supposed to have a natural mechanism that balances the distribution of commodities against the available customers. Perfect competitive markets allow the mobility of

Marketing Strategies for HILTON in Europe Essay

Marketing Strategies for HILTON in Europe - Essay Example This essay analyses marketing strategy of Hilton Group Plc. Though it includes not only hotel business, most of its solutions are illustrated through its European hotels division: Hilton International. The first part of the essay starts with a company background and the analysis of its financial reports. Then market conditions are observed through PEST analysis, SWOT analysis and Porter’s Five Forces tools. Further Hilton segmentation and positioning is discussed. The next part of the essay deals with Hilton brand overview. Finally the marketing strategy of a company is analysed through the four P’s of marketing mix. A special emphasis of the essay is made on the diversification implemented by Hilton to meet different cultural expectations. The researcher then summarise what made the performance of Hilton better. Firstly, franchising strategy has allowed the company to operate its divisions along with modifying them according to changes in national market conditions. Se condly, the brand of Hilton is a synonym for the word ‘hotel’. This was achieved through a continuous quality improvement and proper positioning of services. Thirdly, customers moving to Internet were timely spotted by the board and e-commerce strategy was developed considering previous two principles. To conclude, the researcher tates that despite its international nature, Hilton is closer to customers than many local brands. The company can serve as an example for the fact, that multinational doesn’t always mean distant.

Hilton Hotel Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hilton Hotel Corporation - Case Study Example (Maxwell et al, 2004: p. 168). Hilton International is spread over four global regions including: UK and Ireland; Africa and the Middle East, Europe, Asia Pacific; and the Americas. According to Maxwell and Lyle (2002: p. 251), the strategic objectives central to the business plan include: The above objectives are drilled down to tactical actions on delivery, which in turn demand good people practices in recruitment and assessment, reward and remuneration, career tracking, and discipline and competencies in the Human Resource function. (Maxwell and Lyle, 2002: p. 251). The main objective for the existence of any business like the Hilton Group is to generate superior shareholder value. It was at first believed that the business should do everything possible to satisfy the shareholders and no body else since shareholders are the ones who take maximum business and financial risk by contributing capital to the business. While we agree with this central idea, it must also be noted that the success of every business is dependent on how the business satisfies its customers. The satisfaction of the customer and the shareholder appears to be in conflict but it turns out that shareholder value can only be created if customers are satisfied. Satisfying customers means providing them with the right goods and services at the right prices at the right time and at the right place. Therefore to satisfy the shareholders, the business must begin by satisfying customers. Put in other words, shareholder value can only be created through the creation of customer value . Stemming from a decreasing number of customers, and considering the current competitive marketplace, hotel companies now find it necessary to win the loyalty of the limited number of customers. (Gilbert et al, 1999: p. 25). Following from this we would try to examine how Hilton Hotel International attempts to increase its market share in the existing market given that the customers are limited in number and that their demands are continually changing. The Hilton Hotel has its major focus on the customer. The major assumptions that one can make for the current five years are as follows: that the business wishes to maintain constant growth by 5% annually as measured by Return on equity, Return on Assets, Return on Capital employed, growth in dividends and other important financial ratios. The business also wishes to attract and retain more customers as measured by its market share in the in hotel industry. It also wishes to maintain the most profitable customers providing them with the highest possible value for their money. Another important assumption is that the business wants to maintain a very good relationship with shareholders and other lenders so as to ensure that its cost of borrowing funds (cost of capital) remains at the lowest possible level. This will enable it reduce its business and financial risk as measured by the debt-to-equity ratio, the current ratio and quick ratios as well as the creditor's payment period and retain earnings. Based

Roman Colosseum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Roman Colosseum - Essay Example Concrete and stone were the main construction materials. Its construction began in 70 AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. It took ten years to construct and. Emporer Titus, Emporer Vespasian's successor inaugurated it after its completion. The coliseum underwent further modifications between 81 AD and 96 AD under the reign of Emperor Domitian (Connoly 31). Upon completion, the Colosseum had a capacity of between 50,000 and 80,000 people. The main uses of the Colosseum were public spectacles like animal hunts, re-enactments of famous battles, executions, mock sea battles and gladiatorial contests (Connoly 67). In the early medieval era, the Colosseum ceased to be an entertainment venue. It also provided housing, held workshops, acted as a fortress, acted as a Christian shrine and also as a quarry. Today, the Colosseum still remains partially ruined due to the damage caused to it by stone robbers and earthquakes. It is still an iconic symbol in Rome and an insight into the rich culture of Imperial Rome. The original Latin name of the Colosseum was Amphitheatrum Flavium. Emperors who belonged to the Flavian dynasty built it. Ancient belief has it that its name came about from the statue of Nero that stood nearby. The Romans later remodelled the statue to resemble Apollo, the sun god (Hopkins and Beard 11). 2. Construction Construction began around 70-72 AD during Emperor Vespasian’s rule. Proceeds from the Siege of Jerusalem a few years back funded the construction of the Colosseum. The site for its construction was a flat piece of land on a low valley between Palatine, Caelian and Esquiline Hills. By 200 BC, this area had a high population of people. However, in 64 AD it experienced the Great Fire of Rome and afterwards Emperor Nero seized it. He used this area for his personal purposes. He built many structures there including Domus Aurea, an artificial lake, pavilions, porticoes and gardens (Gardner). Construction of the Colosseum began in Emperor Vespasian’s era. The Colosseum was a sign of the great triumph Rome enjoyed in its victories, one of the major ones being the Great Jewish Revolt. Emperor Vespasian constructed the Colosseum on Nero’s lake. This was an intention to return to the people land that Emperor Nero had taken up years back for his personal use . Its central position at the city of Rome was a symbol of its position at the heart of Rome. Emperor Vespasian died in 79 AD as the Colosseum was still under construction. It had reached the third storey at the time of his death. His son, Titus, took up the responsibility of completing it. The Romans completed building and inaugurating it in 80 AD. They slaughtered many wild animals, approximately 9000 in number, slaughtered during the inaugural games held in the amphitheatre (Connoly 33). The younger son of Vespasian, Emperor Domitian made further modifications to the Colosseum. These modifications included the construction of the hypogeum; underground tunnels used to house slaves and animals. Additionally, Domitian constructed a gallery at the top to increase the capacity of the Colosseum. A major fire in 217 damaged the Colosseum, mainly the upper wooden levels. This was fully repaired the Colosseum in 240 AD. Gladiatorial hunts continued up until 435 whereas animal hunts lasted until 523 (Connoly 68). 3. Design The Colosseum, as opposed to Greek theatres constructed before it, was a free standing structure. The previous theatres stand on the sides of hills. Its interior and exterior architecture resemble two Roman theatres. It is elliptical in shape, 156 metres wide and 189 metres long. The base area is 24,000 square metres and the outer walls are 48 metres high. The outer perimeter of the Colosseum measures

What types of professional development, supporting growth in cultural Assignment

What types of professional development, supporting growth in cultural competence, could be offered to teachers - Assignment Example Consequently this creates fairness in the education sector (Barrera, 2005). Secondly, the type of professional development supporting growth in cultural competence that could be offered to teachers is RICS development model. It stands for Respect, Instruction, Collaboration and Supportive. Reflection engrosses thinking about the challenges affecting the learning like racism. Teachers are required to look within themselves and realign their deepest assumptions and perception to be self-conscious. Instruction assists teachers to learn specific strategies that will boost the diversity existing in various cultures. They assist in raising teacher’s knowledge to comprehend the dynamics of learning institution. Teachers ought to follow the set instruction to create healthful relationship to avoid this problem. Collaboration urges teaches to become united and build strong collaborative work cultures that improve edification of students. It allows for dialogue amid personalities such as principals, teachers, and parents for betterment of learners. Teachers are advised to talk to each other and be active listeners. Supportive is an aspect that acts as a foundation in which teachers use to increase self-efficacy encouraging them to initiate effective learning strategies. Beneficial programs such as mentoring program are significant since they proffer support system. For this reason are able to work aptly in an environment characterized with cultural

I will discuss about the problem of over population and STDs and Essay

I will discuss about the problem of over population and STDs and propose solution such as using condoms that should help people - Essay Example With the opposing viewpoints of pro-life and pro-choice though, there is a glaring promise with appropriate education and the use of barrier contraceptives. Why educate? Illiteracy causes people to take things for granted. People do not understand how overpopulation can be perilous to human survival in terms of the competition for food and resources. With that, family planning programs fail to penetrate the society’s outlook and the excessive rise of human population results from irresponsible parenthood and unwanted pregnancies. Furthermore, without appropriate education, STD cases continue to rise significantly especially among the young adult population worldwide. Sex education varies widely across nations. Some countries start to introduce topics of conception as early as 7 years old, while few countries still debate on the extent of how much is to be taught considering its ethical aspect to their culture and religion. Contraception, for instance, faced great controversy a nd garnered criticisms as to its moral and ethical impact. Debates usually arise when the use of contraceptives is taken into consideration. One online article by Kelly Shircliff strongly points out that â€Å"contraceptives are anti- life†. ... Unlike abortion, barrier methods need not be tagged with an ethical dilemma since any union of sperm and ovum does not occur. And unlike anti- ovulant drugs, condoms do not interfere with the body’s natural processes. Furthermore, the use of condoms prevents transmission of infection by preventing actual contact with secretions in the reproductive tract of both partners. In fact, in an interview by Peter Seewald, Pope Benedict XVI said that â€Å"there may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Simply speaking, the pope himself considers using condom as a protection against the â€Å"evil of HIV infection†. Undeniably, this pressing issue cannot be solved by hypocrisy. Meanwhile, according to the Center for Disease Control, reportable sexually contracted infections affect more than 15 million Americans per year and account for almost one third of the reproductive mortality in the United States. This is ultimately alarming since the country’s manpower is affected which in turn impairs development. In addition, the total cost of health care on STD cases reaches from $9.3B to $15.5B in mid 1990s (Chesson et. al. 11). Spending this huge amount of money could have been prevented had the government took effective preventive measures, that is, by promoting the use of condoms. While drafting the proposal, the government may face the criticisms of the conservative, religious and political parties of the society. Taking it in positive perspective, a feasible and acceptable policy will likely be formulated. First, condoms must be made readily available and less expensive to target consumers. The government may purchase condoms from manufacturing companies and in turn sell it

Mission statements Essay Example for Free

Mission statements Essay A mission statement is basically a sentence saying what the company has to do. An aim is what every business need because they create a focus for the business to work towards, improvements and achievements. Objectives are important because they are more specific and help the business to achieve its aims. SMART targets are very important too because they mean: Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic, and Timed. All businesses should have SMART targets because then they would know what exactly they are going for. Aims Objectives I am focusing on two types of companies; they are Sainsburys and Mirfield Free Grammar. The mission statement for Sainsburys is to be the consumers first choice for food, delivering products of outstanding quality and great service at a competitive cost through working faster, simpler and together. The main aims and objectives of Sainsburys are that they need to survive, this is the most important one because if they cant survive they wouldnt be getting any profit. The objective of this would be to get about 500 customers a day. Another aim for Sainsburys is to make profit, because then you can improve the business and youll have money to spend. The objective of this is to get about i 10,000 a month. Another aim for Sainsbury is that they should maximize sales because then they would get more profit. The objective would be to sell more products. The most important aim of all is to provide quality food for the customers because if they dont, theyll wouldnt get much profit because the customers would go somewhere else. Another very important aim would be building more stores somewhere else because if they only have one store, some customers from further places might want to shop there but if its too far they might not come and might even go somewhere else. The mission statement of The Mirfield Free Grammar is the road to success is excellence. The main aims and objectives of the Mirfield Free Grammar are that they should provide a good service, the objective of this is to buy 100 more computers for the school. Another aim for Mirfield Free Grammar is that they should hire more staff, the objective of this is to hire staff with 6 GCSEs. The final aim is to beat the competition, Mirfield Free Grammar HAVE to beat Castle Hall. The similarity of Sainsbury and Mirfield Free Grammar are that public people can go both to these companies because they are both public. The differences between Sainsbury and Mirfield Free Grammar are that Sainsbury have customers and they make lots of profit but Mirfield Free Grammar has students and they dont make a profit. Another difference is that Sainsbury provides food etc but MFG provides a service. Sainsbury is a public limited company whilst MFG is a public sector company. And another difference is that Sainsbury need to survive by getting customers but MFG doesnt. think an effective supermarket should be able to provide a fast and easy service for the public and they should make sure that all their products are to the best, this could make the business meet its aims and objectives easier and better. Another good aim for Sainsbury is that they could improve their charitable donations in order to make more customers go there. I think an effective school should provide top service for all the students, qualified teachers, good facilities and the best effort of the school as possible. I think if MFG made the school bigger, it would also meet its aims and objectives more efficiently because more room means more students and teachers which also means that there would me more customers which is good for a school. In the outside world there are loads of different types of businesses e. g sole traders, partnership, limited companies and co-operatives etc Sainsbury is a public limited company, which means the public can buy shares via the stock market (the share price currently is 298. 50p). Sainsbury is a large business and lots of people work there. The shareholders own Sainsbury and it has a limited liability so the shareholders are not liable for all the debts but they only pay the amount they have invested. Sainsbury is better off being a public limited company because it can easily raise money by selling shares. It is also better off being a public limited company because it is bigger than private limited companies and they dont sell shares to the public where as public limited companies do. Public limited companies has a couple of advantages like; it is not owned by the government but by the shareholders, it gets lots of profit, lots of people work in that business so the work load is less and the business has a very good chance to survive because the shareholders pay some of the debts. It also has disadvantages like; low wages because there are lots of staff working there, long hours etc Mirfield Free Grammar is a public sector organization, which means it is controlled by the government. It does not sell shares and it doesnt have as much public sector business as private sector business. This type of ownership suits Mirfield Free Grammar because it is public and owned by the government. Mirfield Free Grammar has advantages like people dont have to pay to get in and it has a very good chance to survive because it is owned by the government. It also has disadvantages like getting no profit and not a lot of people would go there. The differences between Sainsburys ownership and MFGs ownership is that Sainsbury is a public limited company which means it can raise money by selling shares to the public whereas in the other hand MFG raise money by attracting students to come to their school. Another difference between these two is that Sainsbury is controlled by a board of directors who are elected whereas a board of governors control MFG. These governors are also elected by parents and teachers who do it on a voluntary basis. I think Mirfield Free Grammar would be better if it was a partnership because then there would be more people controlling the school which means it would run more efficient meeting its aims even better. I think if Sainsbury was a franchise, it would be a very good business because if people use Sainsburys brand name and run a business in a less populated area, the local would go their for their food instead of going into the main towns and cities. There are lots of aims for Sainsbury like to provide a charitable service and to expand the service to the community. The core business activity for Sainsbury is to sell food and groceries because these make the most profit for Sainsbury. The range of activities that Sainsbury carries out are to sell baby food, books, flowers, cds, toys, mobile phones, medicine, food, drinks, fruits, vegetables, cakes, chocolate, wine, gifts, electronics and a lot more. They also have their own bank as well. The main customers of Sainsburys are basically the public and their main competitors are Tesco, Asda, Morrisons etc The business activity of Sainsbury have changed a lot nowadays for example, they sell more products like CDs, gel, games, more electronic things etc they never used to sell these in the past. Now customers can even order their shopping over the Internet so it is a lot easier and they dont have to go there themselves.

Prejudice And Discrimination Against Indians Cultural Studies Essay

Prejudice And Discrimination Against Indians Cultural Studies Essay The population in Singapore is about 4.9 million people, 3.7 million people are Singaporeans and Permanent Residents while the rest are foreigners. The ethnic distribution of Singaporeans is as follows, 9.2% of Singapores population is Indians, 13.4% of Singapores population is Malays, 74.2 % of Singapores population are Chinese, while the remaining 3.2% of Singapores population are Eurasians. (http://www.singstat.gov.sg/pubn/reference/sif2010.pdf) From the above mentioned statistics Indians are one the minority groups in Singapore while the Singapore population is dominated by the Chinese race. The following paper will highlight the racism against Indians in Singapore from the majority race which is the Chinese population. This topic has been chosen because the author has experienced racism in many forms from the Chinese population in Singapore, thus the author is able to relate to this topic better and give better suggestions to solve the problem on hand. According to Nadra Kareem, one of the major causes of racism is because of the skin colour, where the minorities are rejected by the society and suffer verbal abuse because of their ethnic background. (http://racerelations.about.com/od/understandingrac1/a/internalizedracism.htm) The following are two quotes taken from interviews (conducted by me) to strengthened Nadra Kareems statement. Vinodini, 25 I was about 13 years old when this incident happened, I went to the swimming school with my female group of friends. I and my friends did not really know how to swim, we just went for the sake to try out something new. My group of friends were wearing our swimming costume and we were about to enter the pool when a Chinese man said to his wife Charcoal coming inside the pool lets go. At that point I felt so insulted. I did not know whether to scold him or just simply run away to escape the humiliation. From that day onwards I lost the interest in swimming and I have never worn a swimming costume. The following statement illustrates the point that colour is a cause of racism, naturally swimming costumes tends to show more of the body and the Chinese man had to comment on her colour as charcoal. The respondents body is shamed by being referred to as charcoal (in relation to its black colour) and on a worse note the Chinese man felt that by the respondent entering the pool it meant that the man and his wife should leave the pool and that they cannot be in the same pool together. On a whole this incident is extremely damaging to Indians confidence in their body. Thevandran, 16 During primary school there was an incident whereby a Chinese boy from my class would cover his nose and encourage other students to cover their noses because he thought I was smelly and dirty. When I confronted him he told me that it was his parents who told him that Indians dont bathe at all. That day I convinced myself that I did not want to socialize with the Chinese. In both instances it can be noted that there are actually racially-motivated racism by the Chinese against the Indians in Singapore based on their colour. The multiple disgraceful terms such charcoal and dirty is mainly to mock the Indian body as inferior to theirs. Ardis C. Martin, M.D. states that if ones culture continues to be devalued it results in low self-esteem. (http://ap.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/32/4/338) In both cases above, the respondents felt insulted by the remarks that they received. Vinodini did not ever want to swim again while Thevandran did not want to socialise with Chinese to ease his pain. Top of Form Bottom of Form Section III WHY THIS PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION AFFECT SOCIETY AND IS IMPORTANT The racism of Chinese against Indians in Singapore should not be treated lightly and must be treated seriously. One only has to look back into Singapores history and remember of the two racial events that nearly tore apart Singapore The Maria-Hertogh Riots and 1964 Race Riots. On 11 of December 1950 the court decided to award custody of Maria Hertogh (who was raised by Muslims) her biological Catholic parents. Outraged Muslims protested the decision which eventually led to rioting when images showing Maria Hertogh kneeling before a statue of Mother Mary were published. Rioting in Singapore lasted 3days. Many properties were destroyed but more importantly 173 people were injured and 18 were killed. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Hertogh_riots) The 1964 Race Riots was a series of riots that took place in Singapore in July and September between Chinese and Malay racial groups. The racial violence killed 36 people and a further 556 people were injured. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_race_riots_in_Singapore) The following two events illustrate how racial conflicts can destroy Singapore. To deal with this situation the government has continuously and actively promoted racial harmony as the key pillar of the nation through various policies and measures emphasizing tolerance, understanding and respect among the different races and religions in Singapore. (http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20100429-213067.html) Singaporeans are also constantly regularly reminded in official speeches of the racial in events in Singapores history and how it threatened to engulf the nation in turmoil. (http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/sp/nationaldayrally2009/090817_hard_work_on_harmony.html) The situation in Britain/United Kingdom will now be discussed, whereby Indians there are one of the minority race groups and they are discriminated violently and viciously by the majority groups. Even though the situation in Singapore regarding the racism against Indians by the Chinese may be seem as tame as compared to the situation in Britain/United Kingdom, lessons has to be learnt from those countries to prevent our nations future from becoming bleak as Britain and United Kingdom. Section IV WHERE CAN WE START TO FIX THE PROBLEM Racism of Indians by the Chinese in Singapore results in marginalisation between the two groups and thus creates divide within the multi-racial society within Singapore. (http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20100429-213067.html) There are many measures put in place by the government to tackle the issue of racism between the different racial groups. During Mr Lee Hsien Loong National Day Rally speech in 2009 he mentioned about Singapores efforts at fostering harmony among the different races and religions. (http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/sp/nationaldayrally2009/090817_hard_work_on_harmony.html). The reason for doing so is to create social interaction between different races and thus promote cultural diversity among them. Examples to promote national integration between the different races include through promotion of public housing, national service, educational policies, the mass media and grassroots organizations. One such measure I suggest to tackle the issue of racism against the Indians by the Chinese is to implement a system in primary schools whereby for one day a Indian student will have to live a Chinese students house. The next day the Chinese student will have to live in the Indian students house. This thus creates the social interaction required to foster harmony between the different racial groups. The reason for implementing this system during primary school is because young children are impressionable and through interaction at this age it will continue a trend to interact with other races as they grow up. Martin Luther King once said I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I totally agree with him, through the implementation of my idea it will help Chinese in Singapore to judge Indians based on their character and nothing else, thus creating a harmonious and multi-racial Singapore for all to see. (http://changingminds.org/analysis/i_have_a_dream.htm) THE END

Study into Mapping Blind Spots

Study into Mapping Blind Spots Though the blind spot is a part of the retina that is devoid of photoreceptors, therefore relaying no visual information, it does not lead to the experience of a dark hole in our visual field (Sakaguchi, 2001). This is due to the perceptual phenomenon of filling-in, whereby a visual attribute such as colour and brightness is perceived in the blind-spot, even though it only exists in the surround (Komatsu, 2006). A long-standing question has been whether perceptual filling-in ignores this absence of information or actively fills it in (De Weerd, 2006). The symbolic theory proposes that early visual areas only extract information at the surface border with the colour and shape of the surface reconstructed in higher areas (Komatsu, 2006). Conversely, the isomorphic theory assumes that the retinotopic map in the primary visual cortex (V1) receives information from the entire surface with visual features such as colour activated in early visual areas (De Weerd, 2006). Hence Komatsu (2006) proposes an amalgamation of the theories, that neural activity is higher along the edge of the blind-spot with these signals then spreading across a two-dimensional array of visual feature sensitive cells in early visual areas. Hence the mechanisms of filling-in depend upon activity along the physiological edge of the blind-spot as Spillmann, Ottee, Hamburger and Magnussen (2006) found that a ring as thin as 0.5 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ° had been sufficient in inducing colour filling-in. Li et al., (2014) analysed this through 2.5à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ° mono-coloured annuli, finding that it filled in completely, providing evidence for active colour filling-in from a small border. Fahle and Schmid (1987) proposed that the mean distance between photoreceptors is slightly higher for the temporal side compared to the nasal side in the retina with the ganglion cells distributed in a similar asymmetrical fashion. This spatial arrangement of the image as it is processed within the retina is maintained in V1 (De Weerd, 2006). Hence Li et al., (2014) extended the study of homogenous stimuli to bi-coloured rings, revealing the presence of a retinotopic rule in perceptual filling-in that favours the nasal side. Whilst this validates rapid colour filling-in as preattentive, these spatial arrangements may be affected by other preattentive factors which contribute to global processes such as relative salience (Brown Thurmond, 1993). Hence the current study aimed to examine ambiguities in perceptual filling-in when responding to both lower and higher-level processes. More specifically, whether differences in the relative salience of bi-coloured annuli affected the nasal or temporal processing (retinotopic rule) in filling-in blind-spot. As Brown and Thurmond (1993) infer that relative salience contributes to higher processes, exposure to increased saturation may alter the retinotopic rule. Based on these two studies, it was hypothesised that the average choice probability for asymmetrical filling-in would decline as the relative saturation for the nasal side decreases. Reciprocally, it was hypothesised than asymmetrical choice probability would increase as relative saturation for the temporal side decreases. Method Participants Fifteen students from the University of Sydney (4 men, 11 women; M age = 21, SD = 2.03), participated voluntarily. All participants had normal or corrected-to normal vision. With the exception of the three experimenters, participants were naà ¯ve to the experiment. Materials Stimuli: All stimuli was generated using Microsoft PowerPoint Software. Stimuli consisted of bi-coloured (red and green) annuli, with a width of 2.5 ° (derived from Li et al., 2014). For each participant, the diameter of the stimuli was adjusted so that the annuli overlapped with the edge of the blind spot. The two halves of the bi-coloured annuli were juxtaposed symmetrically on the nasal and temporal sides of the blind spot. Each side was counterbalanced across trials wherein half the trials were comprised of nasal-red: temporal-green stimuli and the other half, nasal-green: temporal-red. The saturation was adjusted for one side to 100%, 50% or 25% of the original saturation, while the other half was maintained at 100% saturation (that is, 100:100, 100:50, 100:25, 50:100, 25:100). Controls used reversed stimuli, such that the fixation cross appeared on the right and the stimuli on the left. Thus, 36 randomised trials were conducted, consisting of six controls and three repeats of ten test stimuli (Appendix A1). Choice Panel: This illustrated the spread of the two colours in coloured disks and consisted of ten choices (refer to Appendix A2). Procedure The experiment was conducted over two sessions, one week apart. In the first session, the blind spot of each participant was mapped using Microsoft PowerPoint. Participants were seated in a dark room with a chin rest at a distance of .57m away from an ASUS S400c 14-inch screen. Participants were instructed to fixate on a white fixation cross presented on a black background with their right eye and left eye covered. Using a digital pen tool, a small white test dot was moved across the screen by the experimenter. The positions where the dot disappeared and reappeared were verbally reported by the participant and digitally marked when it was not visible. The process was repeated until the blind-spot had been mapped out adequately. In the second session, participant were asked to report the perceptual filling-in of the blind-spot. The fixation slide (5 sec) and the stimulus slide was presented (3 sec). Participants were then presented with the choice panel and asked to report the choice that best resembled what they observed. At the completion of the study, participants verbally reported their experiences with filling-in (Appendix B). Results Paired sample t-tests were conducted, with participants reporting nasal colour dominance significantly more often than either symmetrical filling-in, t(1,14) = 2.37, p =.03 (nasal red: M = 40.1%) and t(1,14) = 3.09, p M = 51.2%), or temporal colour dominance t(1,14) = 5.79, p M = 60.1%) and t(1,14) = 9.13, p M = 75.6%). A 5 x 2, repeated measure analysis of variance was carried out on colour and relative saturation on average choice probability for nasal dominance filling-in, after which quadratic trend contrasts were conducted. Averaged over relative saturation, choice probability for nasal dominance filling-in was significantly greater when the nasal colour was green than red (mean difference = 21.4%), F(1,14) = 15.30, p F(4, 56) = 3.56, p = .01. Quadratic trend contrasts revealed that this effect increased significantly as the nasal relative saturation increased from 25% to 100%, but decreased as relative saturation decreased from 100 to 25 on the temporal side, F(1,14) = 19.92, p F(1,14) = 0.00, p = .99, nor was there a significant cubic trend, F(1,14) = .37, p = .55. Figure 1. Average choice probability for nasal dominance filling-in as function of type of relative saturation (N = 15). Discussion Participants reported asymmetrical nasal dominance filling-in significantly more than symmetrical or temporally dominant filling-in. This replicated preliminary findings by Li et al., (2014), that filling-in from the nasal side occupied a much larger region than filling-in from the temporal side. A colour effect was revealed with a preference for green over red whilst controlling for salience, which Hamburger, Prior, Sarris and Spillmann, (2005) account for through higher-level processing of colour information. They postulate that typical background colours in natural scenes, i.e. green and blue, fill-in more easily than colours that are attributed to the foreground i.e. red and yellow. Hence in future studies, more colour pairings including blue and yellow should be tested to validate this theory. Yet, this colour effect may also reveal that relative salience was poorly controlled for in this study, as Brown and Thurmond (1993) manipulated saturation, reporting that a more salient colour is favoured when filling-in. This is because the green provided more contrast than the red as Hamburger et al., (2005) suggests that perceptual qualities of surfaces, e.g., saturation, affect other properties such as contrast and luminance. This raises concerns in the current study in the me asure of relative salience, as is it unclear whether changes in saturation alone prompted a global process that overruled the local processes involved in filling-in. Hence, in future studies these visual characteristics need to be carefully controlled for to ensure that it does not have a confounding effect on salience. As predicted, asymmetrical choice probability declined as the relative saturation for the nasal side decreased. This concurs with Li et al., (2014) that the strength of colour filling-in is determined by the retinotopic rule, whereby the direction of filling-in is correlated to greater cortical projection on the nasal side. Furthermore, Fahle and Schmid (1987) contend that the nasal side has a lower contrast sensitivity threshold compared to the temporal side which implies that the receptors on the nasal side were more easily able to detect a change in saturation, which increased the relative salience of the temporal side. This offered access to greater filling-in, which decreased the nasal-preference for asymmetrical filling-in of the disk. This can be extended for future research by also examining the effect of an increase in relative saturation e.g., 150%, 200%, 300% which may have an additive effect by strengthening the retinotopic rule (Brown Thurmond, 1993). However, contrary to the hypothesis that the asymmetrical choice probability would increase as relative saturation for the temporal side decreased, nasal dominant filling-in decreased as saturation decreased on the temporal side. As mentioned, the perceptual qualities of surfaces interact as Komatsu (2006) implies that the brain needs to integrate lower level visual information such as colour and brightness and decode it at the retinotopic map. This signal is then transmitted to higher cortical areas to eventually generate surface perception. Cortical processing in these early visual systems are heavily biased toward the detection of local contrast in luminance, resulting from edges, which is necessary in surface perception (De Weerd, 2006). In the present study when saturation was decreased on the temporal side, it also changed the luminance of the green colour, making it more salient relative to the red, amplifying the edge between the two colours. Hence, considering this local pro cessing preference for variations in luminance, Sakaguchi (2001) contended that the physical edge that exists in the annulus can activate the neurons coding them, as the two colours differ in luminance. This increased the salience of the temporal side, permitting a greater percentage of the temporal side of the disk to fill-in. Another limitation of the present study is that a majority of participants verbally reported seeing a black spot mainly on the temporal side, implying that the annulus did not fill-in completely. Yet as Li et al., (2014) argues that colour perception processes are rapid and preattentive, this incomplete filling-in cannot be attributed to an inadequate fixation time. Rather, this can be explained by other methodological issues as Spillmann et al., (2006) attribute this partial filling-in to improper fixation and involuntary eye movements that displace the annulus relative to the blind-spot. Spillmann et al., (2006) highlight the significance of this partial-filling in effect in validating that filling-in is an active physiological process generated by a narrow edge at the blind-spot. However as this dark shadow was reported mainly on the temporal side it can be explained by the more sparse distribution of receptors on the retinotopic map resulting in weaker temporal processes. As the width of the annuli remained constant, the nasal side filled in better due to a denser distribution of receptors (Li et al., 2014). Hence future studies should consider the relative width of the stimulus to suggest a width for the temporal side of the annulus in order to achieve symmetrical filling-in. In summation, this study presents evidence for active neural processes in retinotopically organized lower order areas, but also a role for higher order cognitive factors such as surface description (De Weerd, 2006). In the future, studies should attempt to map the size of the activated brain area to endorse this retinotopic asymmetry during filling-in and the effects of relative salience on this symmetry (Li et al., 2014).

Pompey :: essays research papers

Pompey the Great Gnaeus Pompeius, better known as Pompey, was born on September 29, 106 BC. He was four years older than Julius Caesar. Pompey’s father was a rich Roman noble, who was elected to the consul in 89 BC. Pompey distinguished himself as a great leader early in his life. In the civil war between Gaius Marius and Lucius Sulla, Pompey sided with Sulla. Sulla, with the help of Pompey, made some vary impressive defeats in Africa and Sicily. In 79 BC Sulla resigned and died the next year. Two of his patrons, who had fought for him, Pompey and Marcus Crassus, moved to leading military positions in the seventies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crassus and Pompey fought together in a battle against a Marian rebel, Quintus Sertorius, and a slave rebellion lead by Spartacus in Italy. They returned, having won, in 71 BC. Pompey then spent time campaigning successfully in Rome before he was elected to consul, with Marcus Crassus for the year 70 BC.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Pompey served his time on Consul he was given command over the Mediterranean, where he did what nobody else had successfully done before. He rid it of Pirates. Pompey, then, went to various places, establishing an ally of the King of Armenia, capturing Jerusalem, and making Syria a Roman duty. Pompey was a great general, but not a very good politician.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 59 BC Pompey returned to Rome to find that tensions with himself and Crassus had grown. Both Crassus and Pompey had large armies, but also pieces of the city that were loyal to them. Cicero, the leader of the sena te, allied himself with Pompey through great flattery. Cicero told Pompey that he must be the protector of the republic. Crassus had other plans, and by 57 BC both men were in Italy with their armies. Before war broke out Julius Caesar stepped in.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caesar being a neutral negotiator used these well-known talents and convinced Pompey, Crassus, and Cicero to meet. The men worked out an agreement. This settlement had never been made before among the leaders of Rome. Caesar convinced Crassus and Pompey to join their power and influence with his own. Caesar was a successful leader of Gaul at this time. So the three agreed, and formed what is today known as the First Triumvirate. During this time Pompey married, most likely for political reasons, Julia, Caesar's daughter.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two of the three men returned to Rome and forced the Senate to obey them.

Computer Ethics Essay -- Ethics Morals Morality

As of September 2003, there were approximately 70 million Americans or about 62 percent of the American population had at least one home computer. Another statistic is that about 55% of people also have internet on there home computers. In everyday life it is important for a person to have good ethics; this is also true about computer usage. Due to the fact that more then half of the American population owns computers, computer ethics are a growing concern in a rapidly changing society. Computer ethics can be broken down in to many topics including piracy, hacking, viruses, spam, phishing, and responsibility of use of software, cyber porn, and invasion of privacy and the use of the computer in the work place. Also there are many issues both moral and professional that a person who uses a computer might face. Piracy which by definition is reproduction, distribution and use of software without permission of the owner of copyright, poses some serious ethical problems. The free exchange of copyrighted materials is piracy as it undermines the ability of copyright holders (and their representatives) to control the sale and distribution of goods to which theyÂâ€"and only theyÂâ€"own the rights. Probably the best known and most widely practiced form of piracy is the distribution of copyright protected music files via popular file sharing programs such as Kazaa and Limewire. As bandwidth increases, the "sharing" of movies and television shows on the Internet is likely to increase as well. Although file sharing is quite common, that does not mean it is okay. Another ethical problem with computers is hacking. Hacking is the computer equivalent of breaking and entering. A computer hacker uses his or her skills to gain unauthorized access t... ...rious consequences could surface which could ultimately lead to a loss of ones job. There are certain times and places were looking at different websites is ok and other times were it is just not acceptable. As previously mentioned, computer ethics in some peoples eyes greatly changed based on were the computer you are on is located. There is a completely different set of ethics for work computers. Not only do ethics come into play in workplace with computer use but so do morals. It is very important for a person to be able to know the fine line between what is ok for work and what is not acceptable. This can vary from harassment through things like email to just visiting the wrong kinds of site. In my research I have found that many companies are actually coming up with ethical commandments for the work place to further define the line between right and wrong.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 33-36

CHAPTER 33 Systems security specialist Mark Zoubianis was sinking deeper into his futon and scowling at the information on his laptop screen. What the hell kind of address is this? His best hacking tools were entirely ineffective at breaking into the document or at unmasking Trish's mysterious IP address. Ten minutes had passed, and Zoubianis's program was still pounding away in vain at the network firewalls. They showed little hope of penetration. No wonder they're overpaying me. He was about to retool and try a different approach when his phone rang. Trish, for Christ's sake, I said I'd call you. He muted the football game and answered. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Is this Mark Zoubianis?† a man asked. â€Å"At 357 Kingston Drive in Washington?† Zoubianis could hear other muffled conversations in the background. A telemarketer during the play-offs? Are they insane? â€Å"Let me guess, I won a week in Anguilla?† â€Å"No,† the voice replied with no trace of humor. â€Å"This is systems security for the Central Intelligence Agency. We would like to know why you are attempting to hack one of our classified databases?† Three stories above the Capitol Building's subbasement, in the wide-open spaces of the visitor center, security guard Nunez locked the main entry doors as he did every night at this time. As he headed back across the expansive marble floors, he thought of the man in the army-surplus jacket with the tattoos. I let him in. Nunez wondered if he would have a job tomorrow. As he headed toward the escalator, a sudden pounding on the outside doors caused him to turn. He squinted back toward the main entrance and saw an elderly African American man outside, rapping on the glass with his open palm and motioning to be let in. Nunez shook his head and pointed to his watch. The man pounded again and stepped into the light. He was immaculately dressed in a blue suit and had close-cropped graying hair. Nunez's pulse quickened. Holy shit. Even at a distance, Nunez now recognized who this man was. He hurried back to the entrance and unlocked the door. â€Å"I'm sorry, sir. Please, please come in.† Warren Bellamy–Architect of the Capitol–stepped across the threshold and thanked Nunez with a polite nod. Bellamy was lithe and slender, with an erect posture and piercing gaze that exuded the confidence of a man in full control of his surroundings. For the last twenty-five years, Bellamy had served as the supervisor of the U.S. Capitol. â€Å"May I help you, sir?† Nunez asked. â€Å"Thank you, yes.† Bellamy enunciated his words with crisp precision. As a northeastern Ivy League graduate, his diction was so exacting he sounded almost British. â€Å"I've just learned that you had an incident here this evening.† He looked deeply concerned. â€Å"Yes, sir. It was–â€Å" â€Å"Where's Chief Anderson?† â€Å"Downstairs with Director Sato from the CIA's Office of Security.† Bellamy's eyes widened with concern. â€Å"The CIA is here?† â€Å"Yes, sir. Director Sato arrived almost immediately after the incident.† â€Å"Why?† Bellamy demanded. Nunez shrugged. As if I was going to ask? Bellamy strode directly toward the escalators. â€Å"Where are they?† â€Å"They just went to the lower levels.† Nunez hastened after him. Bellamy glanced back with a look of concern. â€Å"Downstairs? Why?† â€Å"I don't really know–I just heard it on my radio.† Bellamy was moving faster now. â€Å"Take me to them right away.† â€Å"Yes, sir.† As the two men hurried across the open expanse, Nunez caught a glimpse of a large golden ring on Bellamy's finger. Nunez pulled out his radio. â€Å"I'll alert the chief that you're coming down.† â€Å"No.† Bellamy's eyes flashed dangerously. â€Å"I'd prefer to be unannounced.† Nunez had made some big mistakes tonight, but failing to alert Chief Anderson that the Architect was now in the building would be his last. â€Å"Sir?† he said, uneasy. â€Å"I think Chief Anderson would prefer–â€Å" â€Å"You are aware that I employ Mr. Anderson?† Bellamy said. Nunez nodded. â€Å"Then I think he would prefer you obey my wishes.† CHAPTER 34 Trish Dunne entered the SMSC lobby and looked up with surprise. The guest waiting here looked nothing like the usual bookish, flannel-clad doctors who entered this building–those of anthropology, oceanography, geology, and other scientific fields. Quite to the contrary, Dr. Abaddon looked almost aristocratic in his impeccably tailored suit. He was tall, with a broad torso, well-tanned face, and perfectly combed blond hair that gave Trish the impression he was more accustomed to luxuries than to laboratories. â€Å"Dr. Abaddon, I presume?† Trish said, extending her hand. The man looked uncertain, but he took Trish's plump hand in his broad palm. â€Å"I'm sorry. And you are?† â€Å"Trish Dunne,† she replied. â€Å"I'm Katherine's assistant. She asked me to escort you back to her lab.† â€Å"Oh, I see.† The man smiled now. â€Å"Very nice to meet you, Trish. My apologies if I seemed confused. I was under the impression Katherine was here alone this evening.† He motioned down the hall. â€Å"But I'm all yours. Lead the way.† Despite the man's quick recovery, Trish had seen the flash of disappointment in his eyes. She now suspected the motive for Katherine's secrecy earlier about Dr. Abaddon. A budding romance, maybe? Katherine never discussed her social life, but her visitor was attractive and well-groomed, and although younger than Katherine, he clearly came from her world of wealth and privilege. Nonetheless, whatever Dr. Abaddon had imagined tonight's visit might entail, Trish's presence did not seem to be part of his plan. At the lobby's security checkpoint, a lone guard quickly pulled off his headphones, and Trish could hear the Redskins game blaring. The guard put Dr. Abaddon through the usual visitor routine of metal detectors and temporary security badges. â€Å"Who's winning?† Dr. Abaddon said affably as he emptied his pockets of a cell phone, some keys, and a cigarette lighter. â€Å"Skins by three,† the guard said, sounding eager to get back. â€Å"Helluva game.† â€Å"Mr. Solomon will be arriving shortly,† Trish told the guard. â€Å"Would you please send him back to the lab once he arrives?† â€Å"Will do.† The guard gave an appreciative wink as they passed through. â€Å"Thanks for the heads- up. I'll look busy.† Trish's comment had been not only for the benefit of the guard but also to remind Dr. Abaddon that Trish was not the only one intruding on his private evening here with Katherine. â€Å"So how do you know Katherine?† Trish asked, glancing up at the mysterious guest. Dr. Abaddon chuckled. â€Å"Oh, it's a long story. We've been working on something together.† Understood, Trish thought. None of my business. â€Å"This is an amazing facility,† Abaddon said, glancing around as they moved down the massive corridor. â€Å"I've never actually been here.† His airy tone was becoming more genial with every step, and Trish noticed he was actively taking it all in. In the bright lights of the hallway, she also noticed that his face looked like he had a fake tan. Odd. Nonetheless, as they navigated the deserted corridors, Trish gave him a general synopsis of the SMSC's purpose and function, including the various pods and their contents. The visitor looked impressed. â€Å"Sounds like this place has a treasure trove of priceless artifacts. I would have expected guards posted everywhere.† â€Å"No need,† Trish said, motioning to the row of fish-eye lenses lining the ceiling high above. â€Å"Security here is automated. Every inch of this corridor is recorded twenty-four/seven, and this corridor is the spine of the facility. It's impossible to access any of the rooms off this corridor without a key card and PIN number.† â€Å"Efficient use of cameras.† â€Å"Knock on wood, we've never had a theft. Then again, this is not the kind of museum anyone would rob–there's not much call on the black market for extinct flowers, Inuit kayaks, or giant squid carcasses.† Dr. Abaddon chuckled. â€Å"I suppose you're right.† â€Å"Our biggest security threat is rodents and insects.† Trish explained how the building prevented insect infestations by freezing all SMSC refuse and also by an architectural feature called a â€Å"dead zone†Ã¢â‚¬â€œan inhospitable compartment between double walls, which surrounded the entire building like a sheath. â€Å"Incredible,† Abaddon said. â€Å"So, where is Katherine and Peter's lab?† â€Å"Pod Five,† Trish said. â€Å"It's all the way at the end of this hallway.† Abaddon halted suddenly, spinning to his right, toward a small window. â€Å"My word! Will you look at that!† Trish laughed. â€Å"Yeah, that's Pod Three. They call it Wet Pod.† â€Å"Wet?† Abaddon said, face pressed to the glass. â€Å"There are over three thousand gallons of liquid ethanol in there. Remember the giant squid carcass I mentioned earlier?† â€Å"That's the squid?!† Dr. Abaddon turned from the window momentarily, his eyes wide. â€Å"It's huge!† â€Å"A female Architeuthis,† Trish said. â€Å"She's over forty feet.† Dr. Abaddon, apparently enraptured by the sight of the squid, seemed unable to pull his eyes away from the glass. For a moment, the grown man reminded Trish of a little boy at a pet-store window, wishing he could go in and see a puppy. Five seconds later, he was still staring longingly through the window. â€Å"Okay, okay,† Trish finally said, laughing as she inserted her key card and typed her PIN number. â€Å"Come on. I'll show you the squid.† As Mal'akh stepped into the dimly lit world of Pod 3, he scanned the walls for security cameras. Katherine's pudgy little assistant began rattling on about the specimens in this room. Mal'akh tuned her out. He had no interest whatsoever in giant squids. His only interest was in using this dark, private space to solve an unexpected problem. CHAPTER 35 The wooden stairs descending to the Capitol's subbasement were as steep and shallow as any stairs Langdon had ever traversed. His breathing was faster now, and his lungs felt tight. The air down here was cold and damp, and Langdon couldn't help but flash on a similar set of stairs he had taken a few years back into the Vatican's Necropolis. The City of the Dead. Ahead of him, Anderson led the way with his flashlight. Behind Langdon, Sato followed closely, her tiny hands occasionally pressing into Langdon's back. I'm going as fast as I can. Langdon inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the cramped walls on either side of him. There was barely room for his shoulders on this staircase, and his daybag now scraped down the sidewall. â€Å"Maybe you should leave your bag above,† Sato offered behind him. â€Å"I'm fine,† Langdon replied, having no intention of letting it out of his sight. He pictured Peter's little package and could not begin to imagine how it might relate to anything in the subbasement of the U.S. Capitol. â€Å"Just a few more steps,† Anderson said. â€Å"Almost there.† The group had descended into darkness, moving beyond the reach of the staircase's lone lightbulb. When Langdon stepped off the final wooden tread, he could feel that the floor beneath his feet was dirt. Journey to the center of the Earth. Sato stepped down behind him. Anderson now raised his beam, examining their surroundings. The subbasement was less of a basement than it was an ultranarrow corridor that ran perpendicular to the stairs. Anderson shone his light left and then right, and Langdon could see the passage was only about fifty feet long and lined on both sides with small wooden doors. The doors abutted one another so closely that the rooms behind them could not have been more than ten feet wide. ACME Storage meets the Catacombs of Domatilla, Langdon thought as Anderson consulted the blueprint. The tiny section depicting the subbasement was marked with an X to show the location of SBB13. Langdon couldn't help but notice that the layout was identical to a fourteen-tomb mausoleum–seven vaults facing seven vaults–with one removed to accommodate the stairs they had just descended. Thirteen in all. He suspected America's â€Å"thirteen† conspiracy theorists would have a field day if they knew there were exactly thirteen storage rooms buried beneath the U.S. Capitol. Some found it suspicious that the Great Seal of the United States had thirteen stars, thirteen arrows, thirteen pyramid steps, thirteen shield stripes, thirteen olive leaves, thirteen olives, thirteen letters in annuit coeptis, thirteen letters in e pluribus unum, and on and on. â€Å"It does look abandoned,† Anderson said, shining the beam into the chamber directly in front of them. The heavy wooden door was wide open. The shaft of light illuminated a narrow stone chamber–about ten feet wide by some thirty feet deep–like a dead-end hallway to nowhere. The chamber contained nothing more than a couple of old collapsed wooden boxes and some crumpled packing paper. Anderson shone his light on a copper plate mounted on the door. The plate was covered with verdigris, but the old marking was legible: SBB IV â€Å"SBB Four,† Anderson said. â€Å"Which one is SBB Thirteen?† Sato asked, faint wisps of steam curling out of her mouth in the cold subterranean air. Anderson turned the beam toward the south end of the corridor. â€Å"Down there.† Langdon peered down the narrow passage and shivered, feeling a light sweat despite the cold. As they moved through the phalanx of doorways, all of the rooms looked the same, doors ajar, apparently abandoned long ago. When they reached the end of the line, Anderson turned to his right, raising the beam to peer into room SBB13. The flashlight beam, however, was impeded by a heavy wooden door. Unlike the others, the door to SBB13 was closed. This final door looked exactly like the others–heavy hinges, iron handle, and a copper number plate encrusted with green. The seven characters on the number plate were the same characters on Peter's palm upstairs. SBB XIII Please tell me the door is locked, Langdon thought. Sato spoke without hesitation. â€Å"Try the door.† The police chief looked uneasy, but he reached out, grasped the heavy iron handle, and pushed down on it. The handle didn't budge. He shone the light now, illuminating a heavy, old- fashioned lock plate and keyhole. â€Å"Try the master key,† Sato said. Anderson produced the main key from the entry door upstairs, but it was not even close to fitting. â€Å"Am I mistaken,† Sato said, her tone sarcastic, â€Å"or shouldn't Security have access to every corner of a building in case of emergency?† Anderson exhaled and looked back at Sato. â€Å"Ma'am, my men are checking for a secondary key, but–â€Å" â€Å"Shoot the lock,† she said, nodding toward the key plate beneath the lever. Langdon's pulse leaped. Anderson cleared his throat, sounding uneasy. â€Å"Ma'am, I'm waiting for news on a secondary key. I am not sure I'm comfortable blasting our way into–â€Å" â€Å"Perhaps you'd be more comfortable in prison for obstructing a CIA investigation?† Anderson looked incredulous. After a long beat, he reluctantly handed the light to Sato and unsnapped his holster. â€Å"Wait!† Langdon said, no longer able to stand idly by. â€Å"Think about it. Peter gave up his right hand rather than reveal whatever might be behind this door. Are you sure we want to do this? Unlocking this door is essentially complying with the demands of a terrorist.† â€Å"Do you want to get Peter Solomon back?† Sato asked. â€Å"Of course, but–â€Å" â€Å"Then I suggest you do exactly what his captor is requesting.† â€Å"Unlock an ancient portal? You think this is the portal?† Sato shone the light in Langdon's face. â€Å"Professor, I have no idea what the hell this is. Whether it's a storage unit or the secret entrance to an ancient pyramid, I intend to open it. Do I make myself clear?† Langdon squinted into the light and finally nodded. Sato lowered the beam and redirected it at the door's antique key plate. â€Å"Chief? Go ahead.† Still looking averse to the plan, Anderson extracted his sidearm very, very slowly, gazing down at it with uncertainty. â€Å"Oh, for God's sake!† Sato's tiny hands shot out, and she grabbed the weapon from him. She stuffed the flashlight into his now empty palm. â€Å"Shine the damned light.† She handled the gun with the confidence of someone who had trained with weapons, wasting no time turning off the pistol's safety, cocking the weapon, and aiming at the lock. â€Å"Wait!† Langdon yelled, but he was too late. The gun roared three times. Langdon's eardrums felt like they had exploded. Is she insane?! The gunshots in the tiny space had been deafening. Anderson also looked shaken, his hand wavering a bit as he shone the flashlight on the bullet- riddled door. The lock mechanism was now in tatters, the wood surrounding it entirely pulverized. The lock had released, the door now having fallen ajar. Sato extended the pistol and pressed the tip of the barrel against the door, giving it a push. The door swung fully into the blackness beyond. Langdon peered in but could see nothing in the darkness. What in the world is that smell? An unusual, fetid odor wafted out of the darkness. Anderson stepped into the doorway and shone the light on the floor, tracing carefully down the length of the barren dirt floor. This room was like the others–a long, narrow space. The sidewalls were rugged stone, giving the room the feel of an ancient prison cell. But that smell . . . â€Å"There's nothing here,† Anderson said, moving the beam farther down the chamber floor. Finally, as the beam reached the end of the floor, he raised it up to illuminate the chamber's farthest wall. â€Å"My God . . . !† Anderson shouted. Everyone saw it and jumped back. Langdon stared in disbelief at the deepest recess of the chamber. To his horror, something was staring back. CHAPTER 36 â€Å"What in God's name . . . ?† At the threshold of SBB13, Anderson fumbled with his light and retreated a step. Langdon also recoiled, as did Sato, who looked startled for the first time all night. Sato aimed the gun at the back wall and motioned for Anderson to shine the light again. Anderson raised the light. The beam was dim by the time it reached the far wall, but the light was enough to illuminate the shape of a pallid and ghostly face, staring back at them through lifeless sockets. A human skull. The skull sat atop a rickety wooden desk positioned against the rear wall of the chamber. Two human leg bones sat beside the skull, along with a collection of other items that were meticulously arranged on the desk in shrinelike fashion–an antique hourglass, a crystal flask, a candle, two saucers of pale powder, and a sheet of paper. Propped against the wall beside the desk stood the fearsome shape of a long scythe, its curved blade as familiar as that of the grim reaper. Sato stepped into the room. â€Å"Well, now . . . it appears Peter Solomon keeps more secrets than I imagined.† Anderson nodded, inching after her. â€Å"Talk about skeletons in your closet.† He raised the light and surveyed the rest of the empty chamber. â€Å"And that smell?† he added, crinkling his nose. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Sulfur,† Langdon replied evenly behind them. â€Å"There should be two saucers on the desk. The saucer on the right will contain salt. And the other sulfur.† Sato wheeled in disbelief. â€Å"How the hell would you know that?!† â€Å"Because, ma'am, there are rooms exactly like this all over the world.† One story above the subbasement, Capitol security guard Nunez escorted the Architect of the Capitol, Warren Bellamy, down the long hallway that ran the length of the eastern basement. Nunez could have sworn that he had just heard three gunshots down here, muffled and underground. There's no way. â€Å"Subbasement door is open,† Bellamy said, squinting down the hallway at a door that stood ajar in the distance. Strange evening indeed, Nunez thought. Nobody goes down there. â€Å"I'll be glad to find out what's going on,† he said, reaching for his radio. â€Å"Go back to your duties,† Bellamy said. â€Å"I'm fine from here.† Nunez shifted uneasily. â€Å"You sure?† Warren Bellamy stopped, placing a firm hand on Nunez's shoulder. â€Å"Son, I've worked here for twenty-five years. I think I can find my way.†