Analyze “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Essay

On August 23, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr., who had always been struggled for the freedom and resistance of racial discrimination, stood in front of Lincoln Memorial and gave a famous speech â€Å"I Have a Dream† to 25 million people to fight for their human rights. In Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech, he played multiple Talk Cards such as a compatriot of Negro, a father of four children, a believer, and a normal citizen that wish for the right to vote. Using different cards can raise more resonance from the audience and make people feel more involve in a speech. I think Dr. King could have also played a card as a leader that can help Negros to overcome the difficulties and lead them to a brighter future where the United State is a place full of freedom and justice. I think this was a smart move because the speech could comfort the citizens and make them realize that they should stand up and fight for themselves. Changing the Talk Card could change the overall message because different characters can make people easily experience the same feeling that Dr. King was experiencing and cheer the citizens up. I think the style of Dr. King’s speech is power because the whole speech was very inspiring and it represented a great power of his desperation towards freedom and justice. The main goal of Dr. Martin Luther King is to express how much the Negros want to have the same rights as white man. They could not stand for the discrimination and they were going fight for justice. The audience that came to hear the speech had the same goal as Dr. King. They want to fight for the Negros. Dr. King’s Talk Card effectively reach the goal he wanted to express. At the very beginning of the speech Dr. King said â€Å"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.† His goal is to fight freedom for the Negro and he directly claim that out in the very first sentence of the speech. He used a compatriot card, which all the citizens from the United States were playing the same card, to demonstrate his pursuit of freedom. That Card Play was very effective to his goal because it could bring all the citizens together and against discrimination, which was exactly what Dr. King tried to accomplish. Confidence, ambition, and motivation were the feelings he invoke in his audience, which were well-express by his tone and his inspiring sentences. This is such a great speech. Dr. King used his talented speech endowment to perform this breathtaking presentation and successfully motivated his audience to stand up and fight for the equal rights and freedom. References: â€Å"I Have a Dream† Speech, by Martin Luther King, 1963 http://www.archives.gov/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UV1fs8lAbg

Case Study: Rogers’ Choclates

CASE 9: Rogers' Chocolates Strategic Management INTRODUCTION Rogers' Chocolates is the oldest chocolate company in Canada based in Victoria, British Columbia. Rogers' Chocolates focuses on the premium chocolate market and differentiates itself by delivering award winning quality products at a fair price; this combination creates a good value for its customers. They also have expertise at creating an outstanding customer experience within their Victorian themed retail locations that have also won awards. The company is privately held and currently focuses its business in four market areas, direct retail , online/mail order , wholesale, and sales from a restaurant in Victoria. The company also produces and sells a line of premium ice cream. The company employes 130 people, the majority of which are in retail. Sales from the company's retail establishments account for 50% of revenue. Production takes place on a one-shift operation in a 24,000 square foot facility and is labor intensive. There are currently no measurements in gauge productivity and efficiency in the plant. The past president focused a growth strategy in the wholesale market and current order fulfillment strategy is to give priority to online and mail-order business, followed by wholesale accounts, leaving the retail locations last to be serviced internally. Sales have seasonal swells during the holidays and demand forecasting has been an issue; they have increased inventory to deal with these sales patterns but still encounter out of stock situations. The new president has been given a goal by the board of directors to double or triple the size of the company within 10 years. PROBLEM STATEMENT The focus on the wholesale market does not inline with the strengths of the company. Furthermore, the issues in operational efficiency with regard to production capabilities and demand forecasting are hindering the company from increased growth potential. ALTERNATIVES Focus on strengthening current retail operations. Focus growing the retail business into new geographic markets. Continue to grow complementary business lines (ie. Ice Cream) Develop core competence in operations management to drive efficiencies and reduce inventories. Upgrade technology in production to increase capacity Create new product lines and packaging to broaden the customer base. Franchise Sam's Deli. Franchise retail chocolate stores. ANALYSIS In 2006, the chocolate market size for Canada was US$167 million with the premium chocolate market growing at a rate of 20% annually. Competition within the premium market is a broad mix of small local niche players to large multinational corporations and is growing as larger traditional manufacturers enter the market via acquisitions or new product launches. Product differentiation is healthy and there are no indications of a price war starting between rivals. Product innovation appears limited, mostly focusing on new flavor introductions and variations in molding and coloring. Seasonal demands, especially the eight weeks prior to Christmas, can create demand that can challenge small companies with low production capacity and/or inadequate forecasting and inventory management. Competitors vary in the level of vertical integration and companies with large-scale operations and distribution networks enjoy a competitive advantage through economies of scale. Rivalry among competing sellers is active and fairly strong due to the following conditions: There is little to no cost for buyers to switch brand. There is a fair amount of product standardization in the industry. The products in the chocolate market have large seasonal swells and are perishable causing some price competition. Higher fixed production costs adds to this pressure. The addition of new competition by established companies such as Hershey's and Cadburys. Competitive pressure from potential new entrants is medium as most of the major players in the industry are already in the premium chocolate market; the projected growth rate in the market will strongly attract new upstarts but they will have challenges developing distribution and retail penetration with little to no brand awareness. Firms in other industries will have little impact in this market as there aren't any strong substitutions to premium chocolate. Competitive pressures stemming from supplier bargaining is mixed; large-scale manufacturers will enjoy less pressure from suppliers due to economies of scale while smaller niche companies will not have as much influence, especially in the area of organic and fair trade raw materials. Pressure from the buyer community is fair; demand is high but so is the ability to switch brands. Growing demand for socially responsible products, such as fair-trade and organic will increase pressure from the buyers. The current driving forces in the market are the high growth rate in the premium market and the entrance of new major firms; consumers' emerging interest in fair-trade and organic products is also a force to be considered. Key success factors in this market include a well known and respected brand and strong direct sales and/or wholesale distribution; quality and efficient production capabilities are also key success factors. Although profit margins are down, Rogers' Chocolates is in a strong financial position. Retail accounts for 50% of the company's revenues although the two new stores in the company's portfolio are not performing to expectations. Ice cream sales, although small compared to retail, show a strong contribution to overall sales. The key financial indicators are shown below; one area of concern is the major increase in the â€Å"days of inventory† and the accompanying decrease in â€Å"inventory turnaround†. This is a concern due to the perishable nature of the product and the negative affect on customer quality perception when product is sold past the expiration date which has occurred with some sales via wholesale accounts. {draw:frame} A SWOT analysis of the company has turned up the following points: STRENGTHS: a distinctive competence in retail, specifically the â€Å"customer experience† a strong financial base to grow the business a strong regional brand and company reputation to build upon better product quality relative to rivals ood customer service capabilities in retail and online sales. WEAKNESSES: weak wholesale network brand/company awareness is poor outside of the region weak supply chain competences in forecasting problems with operational efficiencies with old technology and high cost changeovers. OPPORTUNITIES: expansion into new areas entering into alliances or joint ventures to expand market coverage continued expansion of complementary products (premium ice c ream) explore new technology within production THREATS increased competition by new entrants in the market slowdown in market growth hift in buyer needs and tastes RECOMMENDATIONS I believe that Rogers' Chocolates should implement a combination of the following alternatives: Focus on strengthening current retail operations. Focus growing the retail business into new geographic markets. Continue to grow complementary business lines (ie. Ice Cream) Develop core competence in operations management to drive efficiencies and optimize inventories. The Rogers' Chocolates brand has been built based on a high quality product and the retail experience of their Victorian themed shops and packaging. This is their core competence and strength and it should be the focus of their growth. By solidifying the performance of the current locations and then opening additional stores in new areas the will expand their brand recognition while preserving the quality of their product. There ice cream line is complementary to the business and should be further developed and sold in the stores. Internally, and operational strategy to improve efficiencies in production and demand forecasting will reduce costs, preserve product quality and optimize production and inventory capabilities.

How does John Boyne use the character of Shmuel to show the suffering of Jewish people under the Nazis? Essay

There are many quotes in the book ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ that show how the Jews were treated under Nazi control, through Bruno’s friend from the other side of the fence. However, the author does this in a clever and unique way; through his clothes. An example of this is found on page one hundred and six in chapter ten, where Shmuel â€Å"wore the same striped pyjamas that all the other people on that side of the fence wore, and a striped clothed cap on his head. † This tells the reader that he is not seen as an individual at the concentration camp, but as part of a group with no personal identity as he is identical to everyone else. John Boyne then goes on to say â€Å"He wasn’t wearing any shoes or socks and his feet were rather dirty. On his arm he wore an armband with a star on it. †, hinting that Shmuel is spending this period of his life in poor conditions due to the fact that he is a Jew. The reader isn’t only informed of his religion from the concentration camp, but also because he is wearing the Star of David, which identifies himfromotherfaiths. In chapter nineteen on page two hundred and five, Bruno planned to join his friend on the other side of the fence before going home to Berlin. However, before he had a chance to crawl under the fence, Shmuel â€Å"pointed at Bruno’s feet and the heavy boots he had taken from the house. â€Å"You’ll have to leave them behind too,† he said. † Although at first this simply reveals that Shmuel isn’t allowed to wear any footwear, it also shows that the Jews have no choice in what to wear, which leads the reader to believe they have no choice in anything they do at all and they are under control. This also creates an aspect of sympathy as the reader wishes to help the innocent mistreated victims when all that separates them and Bruno, who has a wonderful life, is a fence. The final most important thing that we learn about the Jews in the novel from the moment we meet Schmuel is how much their lives have changed due to their faith and how it affects them. This is shown on page one hundred and twenty seven where Bruno is told by his friend that every time him, his family and his Mother â€Å"left the house, she told us we had to wear one of these armbands. † The reader can see how big of a deal being Jewish was at the time, even before he arrived at the camp, and how the people of the religion couldn’t live a normal life like everyone else. It shows how he was forced to show who he was and wasn’t able to be seen in public without labelling himself for everyone to see, as if being different was something to be ashamed of. It also tells the story of why he has been taken to the concentration camp as we know what the armband was for, whereas Shmuel does not. When Bruno first saw Shmuel he was looking down into the dirt in total solitude and Bruno even states that he ‘had never seen a skinnier or sadder boy in his life. ’ You can also tell that he is a very ill, the quote ‘ his skin was almost the colour of grey’ tells us that the Jews receive little food from the camp explaining his needs for food later on in the book and that he may have been kept in dark,crowded areas. Grey is also known to be associated with near-death or depression adding to his negative appearance. We also learn that he is a very scared indiviual as thoughout the book he shows fear towards the soilders especially Lieutenant Kolter from quotes such as ‘there aren’t any good soliders’ and ‘if they catch me I’ll be in trouble’ showing that the Jews must be treated terribly by the soldiers even resulting in some of the bruises recived by Schmuel mentioned in the book. The one quote that I liked was the hope that Shmuel had of getting out one day. This was on page 179,chapter 16 after Bruno had said about playing or exploring, and he’s never had a friend that he hasn’t played with before. Shmuel then said â€Å"maybe someday we will, if they ever let us out† which I thought brought a sense of pity on Shmuel from a reader’s point of view, as he and the rest of the Jews, are still hoping that one day they will let him out or they’ll be able to get out. At the time this must have been really difficult to keep thinking, because of the way they treated all the people on that side of the fence. But that was maybe one of the things that helped them pass the time, thinking about being let out, and living with their family again and seeing some old friends.

Relevance of Management Accounting in Today's Society Research Paper

Relevance of Management Accounting in Today's Society - Research Paper Example Other departments such as production, quality, technical, marketing, engineering, purchasing etc had little information about the accounting procedures and information. However, the development of scientific management techniques in the corporate world stressed the importance of spreading accounting information to the entire departments of an organization to improve the efficiency of the organization. Earlier financial accounting, cost accounting etc were some of the renowned terms in the corporate world; however, at present apart from these accounting systems, management accounting is also gaining prominence. What is Management accounting? Management accounting combines accounting, finance and management with the leading edge techniques needed to drive successful businesses. It advises managers about the financial implications of projects, explains the financial consequences of business decisions, formulates business strategy, monitor spending and financial control, conduct internal business audits and explain the impact of the competitive landscape (What is Management accounting?) Man, material, machine and money are the major resources of an organization which should be managed properly to raise the productivity and efficiency of an organization. All these resources were earlier managed by concerned employees and department managers alone. For example, production workers and managers were responsible only for the production management whereas purchasing manager and employees were responsible only for the materials management. In other words, all the managers and employees were bothered about their assigned duties alone earlier. They never thought about the consequences of their activities. For example, earlier production people often stopped their production activities even for silly problems of the machineries since they were unaware of the impacts of such stoppage of production to the organization. Even an hour long production loss may cause substantial damages to the organization. After the development of scientific management principles in the 1990â€℠¢s and the subsequent development of management accounting, production workers also started to get the exact information about the losses incurred by the organization even for an hour long delay in production. In other words, the production workers started to realize the depth of problems caused to the company due to their deliberate production delaying activities. The above awareness force production employees to avoid such unnecessary delay or stoppage in production thus the company would be benefitted immensely from that. Not only the production department, all the other departments can also improve their efficiency and productivity if they get accounting information. â€Å"Management accounting systems were made in conjunction with scientific management movement† (Johnson, 1991, p.10) and moreover, it succeeded in revealing the importance of sharing accounting information to other departments in order to make the employees aware of the consequences of their activities and to improve the productivity of the organization. According to Johnson (1991), â€Å"management accounting system serves as a two way communication link between the senior and subordinate managers†(Johnson, 1991, p.4). It is impossible for the top managers to take decisions based on the data available to them alone. Data may not guide the manager always in the right direction. Feedbacks from the top and bottom are necessary for the managers to take sound decisions. Employees often twist the information before passing it to the top management,

Yanamano Culture as Portrayed by Chagnon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Yanamano Culture as Portrayed by Chagnon - Essay Example Anybody carrying out any study on societies should focus on the positive more than the negative side of the society. Chignon displays the Yanomami society as fierce, primitive, and violent while Sponsel sees it in another way.   The Yanomami live in Venezuela and Brazil, are full of conflict and aggression, and considered as one of the most violent tribes in the world. The tribe is also primitive in many ways as they do not wear clothes â€Å"†¦when you are stark naked, and the invention of the handkerchief is millennia away" (Chagnon 13). Chignon portrayed the Yanomami people as one of the largest society living in their traditional norms especially the organized warfare. Chagnon characterizes the tribe as fierce people amongst themselves although a number of anthropologists have disputed Chignon’s portrayal of the tribe. The tribe according to Chagnon is sly, and intimidating. For instance, when Yanomamo learned a new vocabulary â€Å"Oh shit† and later understood its offensive meaningâ€Å" they used it as often as they could in their presence" (Chignon 14). One form of violence is the duels that are ritualized among the people and can be interpersonal or inter-village with many r ituals governed by well-set rules. For instance, in the cases of physical duels to people hit each other many times until one of them retreats or collapses. The fight may involve chest pounding with fists, slapping with an open hand, or by using some weapons such as wooden clubs or long poles. Duels are mainly for resolving conflicts and sometimes act as sports like any other culture where people practice boxing. Some of the fights are due to infidelity, and jealousy. The other form of violence portrayed by Chagnon is a raid where several men waylay an enemy at dawn as he walks out from the Shabono going for a bath or elimination. The raid results in death and sometimes a massacre of ten or more people before the raiders retreat to their homes.

Leadership Blogs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership Blogs - Assignment Example The progress of a leader is clear when the leader which an individual influences the group of individuals to attain a common goal/ One of the best attitudes that are seen in leadership is in the movie Remember the Titans. In one of the most exemplified films, leadership is depicted by both. Both men depict leadership development as they put aside their differences for the well-being of the team. It is clear to understand that this relationship extended beyond just football, it was a testament to the development of a collaborative effort. Leadership development is a process and not a sprint, it takes time to cultivate this experience as depicted by Julius and his teammate. Putting aside differences teaches a valuable lesson that collaboratively nothing is impossible. Leadership styles in different culture vary in midst of cultures because it is based on values that are different. For instance, eastern cultures often portray leadership via fear. Dictatorship for often is stemmed for embedding fear in people. Most people have leadership in other cultures have given a promise to people that have allowed them to be leaders. For instance, Hitler was a great leader because he promised people with incentives and glory. Leaders in other cultures have always tried to promote glory and nationalism which brought them power, prestige and wealth. In most cases, the people do not approve the leadership of these leaders and are forced to follow them. Dictatorship and autocracy in the Middle East and communism has been evident throughout history. Another great example can be depicted in leaders in Great Britain. Most British leaders are diplomatic, willing to compromise, and honest. However, at times they can also inflict they supremacy when necessary. From a modern perspective, leadership styles are more of followers pushing a leader to spearhead and take a proactive role. Leaders in the modern country are more prone to criticism and hence are more democratic.

Mental Health Laws in the movies PRimal Fear and Nuts Essay

Mental Health Laws in the movies PRimal Fear and Nuts - Essay Example In the case of â€Å"Nuts† the defendant is declared to be mentally insane but seeks to establish that she is mentally competent to face trial. While these two films have a different orientation to the subject of legal insanity, both of them deal with the courtroom proceedings surrounding the establishment of this legal defense. In both these films, the defendants admit to their criminal acts, but it is the defense that puts forth the insanity plea in â€Å"Primal Fear†, while it is the prosecution that advances the insanity defense in challenging the defendant’s competence to stand trial. The film â€Å"Nuts† revolves around a call girl, Claudia, who has killed a client and has been declared to be insane by the resident jail psychiatrist. She comes from a respectable, middle class white family and her mother, a timid woman together with her stepfather, are eager to ensure that the psychiatrist’s finding is substantiated, so that their daughter is declared not guilty and the publicity involved with a public trial can be avoided. As the film progresses, Claudia’s hostile attitude which even extends to clipping her attorney on the nose, coupled with the huge chip she carries on her shoulder only appear to corroborate this diagnosis and make it even more difficult for Claudia to prove that she is mentally competent to stand trial for her crime. As the film unfolds, some of the character’s motivation and reasons for her lifestyle and attitude become clearer, one of them being the revelation about her stepfather’s abuse in childhood and h er mother’s tacit knowledge of the situation, while failing to address it. The film ends with Claudia successfully establishing her competence to stand trial, since her hostility and violent attitude is partly explained by her background. The film â€Å"Primal Fear† presents a defendant who is a vulnerable looking altar boy, accused of

Developing and Managing Performance (Organisation Essay

Developing and Managing Performance (Organisation - Essay Example In order to enhance performance, it will be essential to develop a reward system whereby the best performing individuals will be rewarding, thus promoting competency in their undertakings. (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2012, p.1). The senior management team will also undergo extensive training on various management perspectives, which will ensure that they will guide their juniors appropriately. This will be implanted in line with the current technological developments to ensure that efficiency is enhanced, which would consequently improve the overall performance of the company. 6 Strategies to Implement 6 Reward System 8 Challenges and How to Overcome Them 8 Conclusion and Recommendations 10 Developing and Managing Performance in an Organisation Executive Summary This report contains a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the different challenges faced when implementing and developing performance management and reward strategy. It puts forward the Bath model e laborating on how it can be used for performance management; moreover, a reward strategy has also been put in place with its significance being indicated. Significantly, the report starts by evaluating the challenges that are known to initiate from implementation, since this is known to be the basis of all the other problems, and proposed a number of ways that they can be countered so as to ensure that the strategic plan goes through to the end without any difficulties altogether. Introduction Over the years, there has been a lot of attention given to performance management and development with the demand for thorough information being actually intensified with the economic downfall. Human resources specialists have toiled to make sure that they keenly evaluate performance between relevant and fair measures putting most of their focus and efforts on essential aspects of any business. Essentially, the different efforts have circled around making sure that the processes are similar in nature with the requirements of a changing breed of line manager, and stream line the systems that are paper based and facilitate admittance through media. Nonetheless, most of the human resource strategies that have been implemented in the past are also focused on ensuring that managing the performance delivers in an environment where the evolution of numbers and effect on organisational brand and innovation is based on the ways of the business success. Concurrently, the report focuses on evaluating the challenges an organisation may incur when putting into place a performance and reward strategy using knowledge from the results of past case studies and theories from different specialists on the field, but mostly on human resources. Currently, the nature of work is altering with diverse organisations and corporations operating in more of a specialized network that is also flexible and natural; basically, the frequency of strategic partnering arrangements between organisations incr easing the need for management relationships to be managed beyond the organisation and hence further work is required. On the other hand, reward systems are also a critical part of any organisations design and how well they are compatible with the rest of the systems has an equal effect on to what extent they will be

Proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Research Proposal Example mpany improves conditions of their vehicles by servicing them after three months thus offering excellent services to their customers and minimizing damage on the environment. They have come up with new technology in their vehicles that do not consume a lot of fuel so thus reducing carbon dioxide emission (JÃ ¸rgensen, 2009). Vehicles in this company have achieved high emission standard throughout Europe. In addition, Stagecoach Company has set targets on carbon emission strategies as the main goal in their green program. This has been achieved by introducing an accounting and control system of carbon emission. This program has been linked to their business agenda to ensure transparency to their customers and realize control of carbon emissions. The title going green with stagecoach gives a reflection of the goal of the company. This shows that the company besides making profit from transportation it also cares about the environment. The title passes strong messages to other company on the importance of conserving the environment and sustainably using natural resources for the sake of coming generations. Both the employees and managers of Stagecoach Company will work toward realizing their goal in relation to their title. Our surrounding environment is very important because it carries a lot of natural resources. These resources include forests, rivers, swamps and biodiversity. Human should protect forests because they are habitant of many animals thus destroying forests interferes with biodiversity. These resources have both positive and negative impacts to the environment. Planting of trees help in water catchment as well as preventing soil erosion. Rivers are a source of water to human beings and habitant to aquatic animals like fish. It is also a source of food for both animals and human beings. There are rivers with beautiful scenery that attract tourists hence help in generating revenue. Natural resources should be use sustainably by the current generation

Values and Attitudes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Values and Attitudes - Essay Example Perhaps a good example might be the attitude some hold that sex is a sacred act and should be saved for marriage. This attitude builds up the value system of a person who does not engage in sexual relations until they are married or who will make daily choices and decisions based on this particular attitude. What are the factors that influence values and attitudes in children? According to an article entitled â€Å"The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family Education on Pupil Achievements and Adjustment: A Literature Review,† parents are the primary factors for influencing values and attitudes in children (Desforges, 2003). This is due to the fact that children tend to spend a huge chunk of their time with their family members as their primary means of socialization. Parents tend to impart their own attitudes and values by ways of communicating and behavior modeling. Additionally, peers would also be an important influence as this group is the secondary me ans of socialization for many young children. In what ways are values and attitudes embedded in a child’s socialization? Values and attitudes are embedded in a child’s socialization as often times communication is how information is shared.

Prewar Marxism in Japan Essay Example for Free

Prewar Marxism in Japan Essay Marxism was coined after its proponent, Karl Marx who believed that the abuses of capitalism would eventually lead to uprisings of the masses particularly of the working class. According to him, the aggrieved plight of the working class will become the key in unleashing the inevitable clashes between the classes. In his argument, Capitalism will be replaced by Communism, in which in his view, this set-up of free economy opens a gate to many inequalities in the society, making the weak and poor more vulnerable to the flaws of the system. As Uno Kozo observed in his work, The Essence of Capital, â€Å"The commodification of the labor force remains the crux of Capitalism† (SJT, pp.243). To Marx belief, Communism is the common ownership of the means of production. There would be public ownership of farms, factories, raw materials, and the like. To him, all means of production will be owned by the workers and all workers would eventually become workers.             In Japan, Marxism was first introduced in the late 1890’s but it was in the 1920’s that it started to catch attention and support from the people especially from the intellectuals (SJT, pp 239; Beckmann, pp. 139). The early Marxists belonged to two different groups, the reformers and the revolutionary. The reformers followed Tolstoian humanitarianism, advocated universal suffrage, and pursued reforms through parliamentary action. While the revolutionaries believed in the Materialist ideas from the German and French Marxist. They adhered to the idea of class struggle and direct revolutionary action by class-conscious workers. The revolutionaries were also attracted to the tactics of the anarcho-syndicalism (Beckmann pp. 140).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The various differences of principles of the Early Marxists in Japan had initially   signaled that a strong unified group would be quite a challenge to create a remarkable impact. In fact, at its onset Marxism was already noted with three general flaws such as its systematic character that degenerates into dogmatism; putative universality that recalls its foreign origin; and its critical modus operandi that provokes infighting and organizational fragmentation (SJT, pp241 ). But all these are generalized observations sums up probable enlightenment on why it seemed to appear that prewar Marxism was never a political success. However, it is pertinent to note that these observations envelopes one or more historical accounts and empirical evidences of the progresses and demise of prewar Marxism in Japan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The idea of Marxism had its strong appeal in the university circle composed mainly of the professors and students. In fact, one of its early and notable supporters was Kawakami Hajime of the Kyoto Imperial University. He wrote may treatises on Marxism and provided valuable assistance to other advocates in the persons of Sakai Toshihiko, Arahata Kanson among others (Beckmann pp. 145). At that time, the battleground was published material like newspaper wherein people can be informed and get influenced at the same time. At some point, it created impact and stirred the discontentment of the people resulting to the clamor for reforms in Japanese society. This clamor was highlighted more by the onset of the Japan Modernization process in which new demands for the fundamental changes in the society is created (Beckamm pp146). To quote Beckamm, â€Å"Marxism was attractive to them because it provided the fullest explanation of the idea of progress that they had yet encountered. They were easily seduced by the Marxist proposition that through the dialectic progress was inevitable.   Dialectical materialism gave them (supporters) a scientific methodology for analyzing Japanese society, as well as general principles of strategy for effecting change†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But no matter how ardent the campaign was and how dynamic the intellectual debates were, history underscores that prewar Marxism fell short in achieving its much desired political change. The variables affecting this result are attributed to both external and internal difficulties encountered by the group. It is believed that too much emphasis on theoretical conceptualization has left the advocates confused on what is real and what is not. And what is real during that time, is the dominance of the conservative elite who managed to uphold Japanese value system. All important institutions of Japanese society inculcated obedience, loyalty, and status over freedom, individual rights, and equality. All these summed up to hostilities of the society to individuals who think otherwise. Thus, it resulted to numerable defection from Communism and Socialism parties. It may also be relevant to note that conservative value system of Japanese society and the so called patterns of behavior during the modernization period contributed to the prevention of basic antagonism from being open clashes. Many intellectuals may be vocal in their convictions but a greater number of them seemed anxious to join the mass â€Å"hurly burly maybe because of the behavioral patterns pervading in the society and of the enveloping obligation not to disgrace the family through deviation from the generally accepted behavior. Another pitfall of the prewar Marxism is the very nature that the ideology was alien and much worse, dependent on the support of a foreign state which is labeled as enemy and competitor of their own country. It could not simply break the much preferred paradigm of Japanese Nationalism and Confucianism. Furthermore, the movement cannot fight equally with the raw power of the state especially of its police and military predisposition. This is for the obvious reason that communists had no civil liberties to protect them. As a matter of fact, party organizations were dismantled through various man-arrest in 1923, 1928, 1929, and much frequently in the 1930s. These arrests made it difficult for the advocates to maintain a substantial number that could function effectively for its cause (Beckamm, pp 148-150)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Much had been said by the writings and works of the early believers but less had been done. In the labor movement itself, the support and participation was only a small percent of the whole sector. Many who joined the cause were in the small and medium enterprises and almost none from the large industries. A few participation reflected that many have gone disillusioned or remained uninspired by the movement due to many failures of negotiations and strikes. The same also goes for the peasants, the Japanese agricultural communities and families were unreceptive and to some measure were hostile to Communism and Socialism. This maybe because the peasant movement lacks single central leadership that could have had become an effective channel of influence (Beckamm, pp150).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Commintern Policy also posted a challenge to the thriving ideology of Marxism. It added certain degree of divisiveness among the people in the movement. Also, it provided a very good issue that kept the proponents busy in arguing as to which would be the good and effective direction to heed towards the desired impact on Japanese society. Is it the bourgeois-democratic or the proletarian revolution? Again, it brood disunity, conflict, and frustration among themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The defection of Etsuzo, Sano, and Nabeyama also influenced fellow believers to defect and to condemn all together the principles and actions of the group they once pledge allegiance and commitment (Beckmann, pp160; 166).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In totality, prewar Marxism in Japan made numerous progresses and successes in bringing out brilliance among Japanese intellectuals. However, it was never translated into a political action that would have given life to the very essence of the teachings of Karl Marx. Though numerous reasons tried to explain this result, but maybe the only reason true enough to describe its failure is the one said by George Beckmann, â€Å"†¦the very nature of Japanese society made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a Communist movement to exist, let alone operate with any degree of effectiveness†¦to Marxist-Leninist terms, the objective conditions were not at all favorable. (Beckmann pp. 152)†

Killology Essay Example for Free

Killology Essay Do violence in the media and interactive entertainment, such as video games and movies, influence children to have the will to kill? According to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, an expert on the psychology of killing, both play a big role in child murders. There are several methods to this madness by which people can actually motivate themselves to take another human life, such as, operant conditioning, classical conditioning, brutalization, and role models. These practices are used in the military to train soldiers to kill, just as the media is doing to our children. Monday, December 1st, 1997 began like any other day for the students of Heath High School in Paducah, Kentucky. Student Michael Carneal rode to school with his sister, carrying with him, what he claimed to be, an art project. As his fellow classmates gathered that morning in the lobby of the school, holding a prayer group, he fired eight rounds from a . 22 caliber pistol. Out of those eight rounds he landed five head shots and three upper torso shots, killing three teenagers. Not only did he land all eight shots, but the shots were so precise that elite military and law enforcement agencies were stunned by his expertise. The fact that he had never fired a real gun in his life was something that disturbed authorities even more. Nowhere in the records of military or law enforcement history could the â€Å"equivalent† achievement be found. So what was it that made this young man so violent and deadly at such a young age? (The shooting, 2010, para. 1) It’s one of the methods used by the military to train their soldiers called operant conditioning, a powerful procedure of stimulus-response training techniques that attempt to influence behavior by manipulating reinforcers. They learn to fire at realistic figures that pop up in the field. The stimulus is the target, and the response is, shooting to kill. This procedure is repeated over and over, hundreds of times, until their natural response when someone pops up on the battlefield is to kill. Research has suggested that violent video games played a big role in the choice Michael made that day. He was trained through operant conditioning just as the soldiers are, except his was through violent video games. Following the shooting there was a $130-million law suit filed against the video game manufacturers in that case. This case is said to be working its way through the appeals system of the courts. (Metcalf, Stubblefield, Ettinger, 2011, p. 152) Violent video games train our children to kill, glorify violence, desensitize them to suffering, and trivialize violence. Every time a child plays an interactive video game, he or she is learning the exact same conditioned reflex skills as a soldier or police officer in training. Kids are playing more and more violent video games that are rated for a mature audience. So, ask yourself this question; how do fourteen year old teenagers obtain video games that are rated â€Å"Mature? † Better yet, why are they allowed by their parents to play the evil, sadistic games? Parents should replace the violent video games with non-violent, stimulating, and educational games; those which enhance knowledge, creativity and imagination. The violent crime rate is at a phenomenally high level, not just in America, but worldwide. According to Interpol, the per capita assault rate increased nearly fivefold in Norway and Greece between the years of 1977 and 1993. In Mexico and Brazil, the numbers are skyrocketing, and in Japan juvenile crime went up by thirty percent in 1997 alone. (Metcalf, Stubblefield, Ettinger, 2011, p. 150). The virus of violent crime is occurring worldwide, and the explanation for it has to be some new factor that is occurring in all of these countries. There are many factors involved in the action of violent crime, and we must never downplay any of them. There is only one new variable present in each of these nations, and it is that media violence is now being presented as a viable entertainment option for children. Metcalf et al. , 2011, p. 150) Another method used by the Japanese, in World War II, which we also see done with the media, is classical conditioning. This technique is best remembered as Pavlovian conditioning, associating a stimulus with a response according to a specific reinforcement schedule, such as violence linked to pleasure. As Pavlov did with the dog, by associating the bell with food and eventually the dog could not hear the bell without salivating, the media does with the children. How often do we watch the news and learn of something good that has happened in the world? They are always focusing on all of the violence that is going on in the world. Our children see this as well, and they learn to associate death with pleasure. To better understand the role that violence and the media inherit, in the entertainment complex, plays in the increase of murders among the young and impressionable. We must first look at the methods by which killers can be made. Though such a difficult subject cannot be completely explained by these factors alone, it is important to note the contribution each one makes. Throughout the course of human history, it is thought that healthy members of most species have a natural resistance to killing their own kind. However, when human beings are overwhelmed with anger and fear, thought processes become primitive. We slam head-on into that hardwired resistance against killing. One of the methods that shift this natural resistance is what is commonly known as brutalization. Quite similar to a military boot camp, brutalization is a forced shift in values. The subject is made to conform to a new set of rules, abandoning all sense of individuality. They are trained relentlessly in a total immersion environment and the end result is a person who not only embraces the violence and the discipline, but accepts them as normal and an essential survival skill in a new and increasingly brutal world. (Metcalf et al. , 2011, p. 151) A very similar thing is happening to our children through violence in the media. At eighteen months old, a child can begin to understand and mimic what they see on television, and up until the ages of six or seven they are physically, developmentally, and psychologically unable to distinguish the difference between fantasy and reality. When they see an instance of rape, murder or degradation on the television or in the media, to them it is real. Some of them welcome the violence and accept it as a normal and vital survival skill in a cruel, new world. In nations, regions and cities where television is a constant source of entertainment, there is an immediate eruption of playground violence, and within fifteen years, there is a doubling of the murder rate, but why fifteen years? That’s how long it takes for a desensitized toddler to reach their â€Å"prime crime† years. Metcalf et al. , 2011, p. 151) By the time the brutalized toddlers have reached their teenage years, they have developed role models. Today, violence in the media is providing our children with role models. When the images of young killers are broadcast on television, they become role models. The media has every right and responsibility to tell the story, but they have no right to glorify the killers by presenting their images on television. (Grossman, 2000, p. ) The ultimate achievement for our children is to get their picture on television, and with such vulnerable, young minds they are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that. I say it is time for the world to stop televising such violence and let law enforcement deal with it. If they know who the killer is then why does it have to be broadcast for our children to see? I truly believe that the media is highly responsible for a lot of killings in this world, along with the violent video games, and I pray that one day there will be something done to stop it.

Managing Enterprise in Health and Social Care

Managing Enterprise in Health and Social Care Nita Nathaniel TASK ONE Entrepreneurs are people who move forward toward risky situations or pursuing opportunities which others see as threats or problems. They are classed as founders of businesses large and small by starting a self-employed service or buying a shop or franchise retail outlet. They are individuals who are innovative in nature and put their ideas into action by creating a new product and introducing it in a market or bring about an operational change in an existing business. They are characterised as people who are flexible not rigid and that is why they are tolerant with ambiguity. They are self-confident and with a passion for what they do, they go all out to achieve it with high levels of energy. They love independence and therefore want to have full control of all and be self-reliant Entrepreneurs usually come from families with the same parentage of entrepreneurs and therefore having life experience and the same desire towards creativity they innovate and start a business. There are s ome misconceptions about entrepreneurs like money is the key to their success, they have a business degree or they are young and gamblers because they are risk takers (Anthony’s lecture notes, 2014). Entrepreneurship means risk taking behaviour combined with strategic thinking that creates new opportunities for people, resulting in monetary and personal satisfaction rewards. People become entrepreneurs either due to necessity because of lack of employment opportunities or career options or because they are looking for solution to problems or trying new, innovative ways regarding some big social issue like homelessness. There is a changing phase in entrepreneurship. Nowadays there are more and more women becoming entrepreneurs (Anthony’s lecture notes, 2014). Small businesses are characterised as owned and operated independently with 500 or less employees. The changing face of technical advancement has been a blessing for entrepreneurs as most of the small businesses are internet based. They are mostly based on family ownership which usually involves succession problems and family feuds. Not all small businesses flourish. Some fail and that is due to poor financial control, fast growing pace, not sufficient commitment and lack of experience, expertise and strategic leadership. Every entrepreneurial company or creative venture has a life cycle of three stages: birth, breakthrough and maturity and each stage demands different managerial ways of handling it. The birth stage can be defined as a fight for existence and survival, dealing with getting finances and customers and starting the company. The breakthrough stage is moving towards growth by becoming profitable and the maturity stage deals with moving wisely with investment of resources open to flexible ideas for expansion and further growth. A new venture or business should have a plan including items like an executive summary and an analysis of the industry with a description of the company, market, operations, product and services and staffing along with a marketing strategy and the capital to start the business, a financial backup to cross the milestones. Different forms of ownership include sole ownership, partnership which could be general, limited or limited liability or a corporation or a limited liability corporation. There are different ways of securing finance for the new business either as debt or equity finance. Equity finance alternatives include angel investors, initial public offerings (IPO) and venture capitalists The plan should have an attached copyright (Anthony’s lecture notes, 2014). Entrepreneurial orientation is of great importance in the health and social care business sector. It is the most changing and diverse market ever hence the need for entrepreneurship. New diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s and infections like the novo virus and other bugs, all need new remedies and medication and all new innovations need risk takers to keep going till they find that one product to launch into the market. With the ever evolving technology advancement which helps as drugs can be made faster and the production gets increased immeasurably. Some diseases which are quite old like cancer but yet do not have a cure need more innovative minds to strive for a medication to help because without a cure more and more people are contracting it with no help in sight. The few treatments are old and not so effective and expensive. With more people needing treatment we need to find more cost effective ways. People change and so do their circumstances, situations, habits and needs and therefore health social care has to change to accommodate these needs. We deal with diverse cultural backgrounds. All the major drug companies started with entrepreneurship and are now well established. Some of them have on going changes with regards to treatment technology and the invention of new drugs and they are thriving but there are others who are not so innovative and hence are on the decline. Most hospitals are facing a crisis because people are coming with newer infections and problems and they need more space, more drugs, more finance and faster control measures which are all dependent on entrepreneurship. TASK TWO Case Study Border Cottage Care started from humble beginnings and then taking it through change became a major player in their community and is still considering further changes to move with the changing times to reach higher goals. The care company owners Richard Brightmore and Sarah Jordan realised that the elderly and the physically and mentally disabled adults in their community of Wakefield district wanted to maintain their independence and remain in their own homes and not in a residential care or nursing home. They saw the opportunity and moved from their office from their home into a business centre, employing just 4 staff and took advantage of the all-inclusive fee, professional office surroundings and onsite staff support providing business advice and guidance. Gap Analysis in management literature is described as the comparison between the actual performance and the potential desired performance (Wikipedia, 2014). The care company owners understood their potential customers and keeping their requirement in mind and aligning the vision of their company with their customers’ demands changed the direction of their company in order to reach their potential desired goal of expanding and growing and moving with the times. PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) analysis is used as a business measurement tool to understand the market growth or decline which in turn determines the position, potential and direction of any business. Another interpretation is STEEPLED which includes all aspects – Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal, Ethical and Demographic. In most situations the original PEST covers all the factors. Demographic factor gets covered in the Social issue and Ethical factors could b e included in both Social or political Factor. Ecological and Environmental factors could be placed under any one or all four PEST factors depending upon their effect. A SWOT analysis is used to measure a business unit, idea or a proposition (Anthony’s lecture notes 2014). The PEST analysis in this case study would include the following: The PEST factors are external factors which answer the why, when and what questions of any business. With all the help and support from Wakefield council’s managed workspace team and business advisors the company’s turnover grew substantially. All the extra profits gave way to options of expansion in wider spheres of Day Care Centre and home care division with more employment opportunities for more local people. After getting a profile on their target customers of elderly people wanting to stay in their own homes within the community enjoying their independence with some outside help through care assistants the company decided to open a care agency to provide the same exactly the direct alternative to their original business plan of opening a nursing or care home. The gap analysis tool helped the company owners to see the potential business idea and change their business plans and turn them around to fit the market. They recognised the opportunity through the profiling process of their customers. The customers are all elderly, physically and mentally disabled adults who will need some care and support depending on their exact situation which will be assessed after scrutiny of their medical records, their living standards dependent on the money available to them and through what sources and other demographics of their ethnicity and background. As the elderly will be in the age group of 60 and above but the physically and mentally disabled could be in different age groups and therefore their care and support will differ significantly. The other important factor is that they want to stay in their own homes and this also would be for different reasons. Could be that they are mobile and want their independence or they want to live in their surroundings with the memories of their families. The reasons could be as varied as each individual. So Border Cottage Care was born but for it to flourish the owners had to move into a business centre in order to get all the professional help and business advice and support. This move was the result of the external or pest analysis as described above. As their company grew and their contacts increased so did their business. They expanded into other areas of care namely the day care centre and homecare division. Any work done with a passion will prove to be successful and therefore as the owners of this company seem to work in alignment t o its mission they are confident of the service that they provide to their clients through their highly trained staff and the training itself is provided by the council college. They already have had their first inspection and have been rated as â€Å"3 star excellent† by the CQC. So this company’s management knows how to use the resources that are at their disposal and to put them to the best use of their business. By the continuing of the external analysis process they are in a position to know their competitors and also they have to be one step ahead of them to beat them in the business arena. They need to expand and dominate all the different areas of care in their district in order to continue to have their place in the market with a profit. Richard Brightmore, director of Border Cottage Care mentioned in his speech about all these achievements and acknowledged the support they had received from the district council and hoped for its continuation for the future growth of the business. As the new additions of the day centre and providing high quality care to more local residents means recruiting more local staff. As the company is expanding so is the staff at all levels but as the head of the company the owners are now contemplating whether the senior level management staff is equipped with the expertise and the extra skills required for its growth to other areas. To ensure that they have the right people in key leadership positions to take the company growth to new heights and horizons some companies turn to assessment companies who can help them evaluate the capabilities of their senior level managers. This assessment is based on mainly the SWOT analysis of their own company and comparing it with its competitor’s staff for its future direction and growth with the competitive advantage. Competitive advantage meaning meeting the customer’s needs better with lower costs and maximum customer satisfaction. For a company to monitor its competitive success it is imperative for the company’s managers to understand the company costs and skills it has in comparison to its competitors company. Cost differences arise due to the levels of investments in the infrastructure based on its employee’s skills and productivity. In the UK the NHS Direct via the internet was promoted to help patients get medical information faster through the internet which helped them to increase their knowledge and direct their own health care (Hannagan, 2002). TASK THREE Health and Social Care Businesses are expensive to start or to expand to keep in the market with a profit hence they need to be protected in all circumstances which is why we need insurance policies to fall on in times of need. Unforeseen circumstances or situations are all part of everyday life and we cannot always prevent them all but we can make prior arrangements to cushion the impact in the unlikely event of some occurrence beyond our immediate control. That is where the legal framework of the business becomes a core and crucial part without which we could not move ahead. This legal framework revolves round insurance companies which take care of the financial side of the business after unexpected occurrences affect it. The working of an insurance company is that we have a deal with them and they charge a certain amount and if and when an unexpected occurrence does happen, they deliver the service of providing the cash for recovery and repair or whatever the terms might hold in t he contract. If the business is accident prone or any other circumstances which can be foreseen as being damaging or affecting the business negatively then the charge is higher or a premium rate is included. The insurance companies utilise the services of underwriters who help by creating matching portfolios by assessing the risks and accepting them with the factors that make them behave in similar fashion. Insurance companies need these services of underwriters to protect their own businesses from ruin or disaster (Anthony’s lecture notes, 2014). Although there are some similarities between Copyrights, Patents and Trademarks but all these kinds of intellectual property protections are different and serve different purposes. Copyright provides protection for the original works of authorship both published and unpublished including artistic, dramatic, literary, and musical and some others. The copyright act of 1976 gave the right to authors to make any changes that they wanted to their piece of work at any time (general information concerning patents, 2014), (Patten, 2008). So copyright would help medical writings and descriptions of the makeup of medicines. Patents are granted rights for inventions to their inventors excluding anyone else selling or importing or using that right. The patent is generally for a period of 20 years from the date of its application (general information concerning patents, 2014), (Patten, 2008). In the health industry this is used in inventions of medicines, vaccines and researches. Trademark is a device, name, symbol or word used by a company to distinguish it from the others and for others from preventing them to make a confusingly similar model (general information concerning patents, 2014), (Patten, 2008). Trademarks usually help in selecting the branded medicines as they are more effective in some cases due to continued research and are more costly. These legally enforceable agreements are important for any new business ventures but more so in the field of health care. The health care field is an historic field which has seen many inventions through researches of centuries past to develop new drugs for new and complex diseases and disorders and genetic problems. Scientists are always working on new ideas and turning the old ones inside out to find cures to incurable maladies. REFERENCES Anthony’s Lecture Notes, 2014. Wikipedia, 2014 [Online]. Patten, D (2008) How to market your business. 6th Ed. Kogan Page Ltd. General Information Concerning Patents, Online Report in October 2014 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Hannagan, T (2002) Management Concepts and Practices.3rd ed. Prentice Hall, England.

Negative Music and the Effects on Human Behavior :: essays research papers

I have chosen to write about negative music and its effect on human behavior. I will trace the history of this type of music and discuss some studies which point out effects of listening to it. What is negative music? Negative music is music that has a negative effect. One form of negative music is music that is used to express or to stimulate negative emotions. A Viennese classical composer named Arnold Schonberg was the first person to openly create negative music early in the twentieth century. His music was rejected by European concert attendees of the time and sometimes caused near riots. Based on discords, Schoenberg's music caused listeners to feel uncomfortable and irritated. However, he became the pivotal composer of the early twentieth century and today he is considered one of the greatest composers of that century. The music ushered in an era of negative music in Western classical music that lasted for over fifty years. His theory was eventually accepted by composers throughout the Western world and was taught in the finest music schools. The result of all this was the incorporation of negative music into TV programs and movies. Negative music is used to create e motions of suspense, terror, anxiety, and fear. It is the music that accompanies crime programs and horror films. The same kind of music that concert audiences rejected because of the feelings that the music invoked became standard TV fare, and for the very same reasons (5). I never thought about the idea that scary and suspenseful music was a break from the norm. It is obvious though that it changes behavior in people. Just watch a horror flick with a friend. You will both know when something horrible is going to happen. The learned behavior from the music stimulus ranges from sliding back in your seat, to covering and closing your eyes. The music tells you something bad is coming and you know how to respond to it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Western classical music was the first style of music to incorporate negativity. The next step in the evolution of negative music was its introduction into rock music in the late 1960s. The first hard rock and heavy metal music was produced by the rock group called Blue Cheer somewhere around 1967. Their music was angry and had a noticeably heavy beat.. At this time, the music of the Rolling Stones, too, became harder and angry, with a negative accent.

Eczema Essay -- essays research papers

Eczema WHAT IS ECZEMA?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eczema is a category of skin disease that is characterized by inflammation, itching, dry scaly skin, and in severe cases, small fluid filled blisters and insomnia. It is the most common skin disease in children today. Mild cases of Eczema are a little worse than a tendency toward dry, itching skin. Severe cases can effect the whole body, can be intensely itchy, uncomfortable, and even have an effect on the person in a psychological manner due to self- consciousness. Eczema sufferers have acute flare-ups or relapses of their chronic disease that can be annoying, itchy, and very uncomfortable. HOW DO YOU GET ECZEMA?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eczema is not a contagious skin disease, but it does effect around 1 in 10 people. Its causes aren’t fully understood yet, but eczema seems to occur in people with family or personal history of allergic asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, food allergies, icthyosis vulgaris, and keratosis pilaris. Eczema has always seemed to be a genetic skin disease, but until recently the researchers have been unable to identify a specific gene involved in the passing on of eczema. Now, doctors believe they have found a gene that causes eczema, but since it is not present in all cases of eczema, they believe that there is more than one gene that can cause eczema. Also, a maternal pattern of inheritance has been discovered. Doctors and researchers believe that this maternal inheritance pattern is ... Eczema Essay -- essays research papers Eczema WHAT IS ECZEMA?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eczema is a category of skin disease that is characterized by inflammation, itching, dry scaly skin, and in severe cases, small fluid filled blisters and insomnia. It is the most common skin disease in children today. Mild cases of Eczema are a little worse than a tendency toward dry, itching skin. Severe cases can effect the whole body, can be intensely itchy, uncomfortable, and even have an effect on the person in a psychological manner due to self- consciousness. Eczema sufferers have acute flare-ups or relapses of their chronic disease that can be annoying, itchy, and very uncomfortable. HOW DO YOU GET ECZEMA?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eczema is not a contagious skin disease, but it does effect around 1 in 10 people. Its causes aren’t fully understood yet, but eczema seems to occur in people with family or personal history of allergic asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, food allergies, icthyosis vulgaris, and keratosis pilaris. Eczema has always seemed to be a genetic skin disease, but until recently the researchers have been unable to identify a specific gene involved in the passing on of eczema. Now, doctors believe they have found a gene that causes eczema, but since it is not present in all cases of eczema, they believe that there is more than one gene that can cause eczema. Also, a maternal pattern of inheritance has been discovered. Doctors and researchers believe that this maternal inheritance pattern is ...

Growing Up in the Age of Technology :: Nick Gillespie Violence Essays

Growing Up in the Age of Technology In a society where it is increasingly common for the perpetrators of violent crimes to cite their favorite movie or song lyrics as the inspiration behind their actions, one has to wonder - are pop culture audiences so mindlessly impressionable that they become victim to any or all media suggestion? Does pop culture have as large an affect on morality as the critics claim, and are current attempts to police pop culture necessary? Not really, says Nick Gillespie, editor of Reason magazine and author of the article "View Masters": "What is on the screen or on the stereo is not irrelevant, of course. But it matters far less than one might suppose." In Gillespie's opinion, viewers are not merely passive receptors of pop culture; instead they use the context of their own lives to create meaning and value in what they watch. Consumers of the pop culture phenomenon have always viewed media technology like the television, the telephone, and the computer as an interactive experience. Through dialogue with friends, station surfing, posting to a show's computerized bulletin board, or even turning off the television, viewers demonstrate the ability to become "what's known in literary studies as 'resisting readers.' " In other words, these reactions demonstrate a mental engagement with what is presented, and not merely an uncomprehending reception of what is offered. "Individuals sitting in a theater, or watching television, or listening to a CD don't always see and hear things the way they're 'supposed' to", says Gillespie, and the variety of human viewpoints are what allow for interpretations and "misinterpretations" of the media's par ticular message. According to media analysts, most audiences sit passively while, "Hollywood merely projects morality - good, bad, or indifferent - onto us." These proponents of media censorship support the careful supervision of the entertainment industry, chiefly because they do not perceive viewers as intelligent critics, able to form their own opinions or to make independent decisions. To censors, media is capable of only two functions: instilling greater moral and educational ethic in society, or a provoking a craving for chaos and depravity. The government and many skeptics play a key role in this ideology, not only through a belief that good entertainment should be solely didactic, but also by underestimating the viewer's ability to make independent choices, "or to bring his own interpretation to bear on what he sees.

Being Thankful for What We Have / “Gratitude”

Being thankful for what we have / â€Å"Gratitude† There are a lot of things in my life that I am thankful for, but most important thing is that I have a great family and loving parents. There are many things that I don’t normally realize which I still take for granted like having my own car and attending Christian Brothers High School. I am greatly thankful for my family because they are always going to be here for me no matter what. Also, my family is loving and always willing to do anything to help me if I am in any need. There a ton of kids in this world that is my age those don’t have a loving family or just not well-off.I have been hoping to attend college and hopefully get a degree in engineering and also a personal trainer. There are many kids my age that can’t attend college because their family can’t afford it. I take many material things for granted that give me enjoyment such as my laptop, iPod, iPhone, my trainer, and a gym membership. I am thankful to have a great trainer and a gym membership so I can get big, bulky, lean, cut, in shape, and to get ready for my competition in May. Also, other thing that I can’t for granted is having my own car to drive to school and take out on the weekend to have some fun or hang out with friends.I am grateful for not having to work and have a job to help support my family. I am grateful for my mom because of all the things and work she does around the house and help out the family as much as she can. She keeps the family rolling/going and always remembers everything when everyone doesn’t have no idea about things. I am grateful for my dad and how much hard work he puts into his farm to give support and good living for the family. I help my mom and dad as much as I can because I will never be able to pay them back for all the things they have done for me.I try to help my family as much as possible to keep it going even when I like it or not. I am grateful to be an bodybuilder and other things I do because I am in good health/shape and be a normal human being without any impairments to my body. I am grateful that my whole family is in the best health as they can be. I am thankful to be able to go on cruises and trips to other countries with my family and be able to enjoy it and have a great time. I am grateful for the great friends that I have fun with, hangout with, and know they will always have my back no matter what it is or what goes down.I am grateful for everything that I have in my life and wish it could always stay the way it is right now. Also, to always love my parents with my whole heart and be there for my friends and family no matter what it is. Hopefully one day that I will have a wife in the future that I will be able to love with all my heart too and be content with everything no matter what it is. I'm thankful for all the beautiful, rich, loving and all the things that I am able to do and have in my life right now. I will alw ays show love, thanks, and appreciation to all the things/gifts that will be giving to me.People just like me need to learn from their mistakes and just grow from them like all the sad, disappointed, and painful things that have had happen to them. When people think that everything that they have or has happen to them or other things is a gift from God which is being thankful and gratitude is. My life and others is like a gift from God because he was the one that brought us to this world. It is great and thankful thing to know God, who/what he has done for us and this world. People shouldn’t worry about anything because God will do the things for us which he thinks is right and will take care of us.God will give/provide the things that everyone should have in life and what is right to have. People know what is right and wrong, so they have no excuse. I said this before but I will say it again I am very thankful for the school I go to, my family, all of my teachers, and my fri ends. God is the main reason why we should thank him because if it wasn’t for him then we won’t be here today and have all the things that we are thankful for like our loving family. Everyone should live every day, one day a time and for the God and Jesus Christ.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 81-83

CHAPTER 81 The Hawker is on final approach. Simon Edwards – Executive Services Officer at Biggin Hill Airport – paced the control tower, squinting nervously at the rain-drenched runway. He never appreciated being awoken early on a Saturday morning, but it was particularly distasteful that he had been called in to oversee the arrest of one of his most lucrative clients. Sir Leigh Teabing paid Biggin Hill not only for a private hangar but a† per landing fee† for his frequent arrivals and departures. Usually, the airfield had advance warning of his schedule and was able to follow a strict protocol for his arrival. Teabing liked things just so. The custom-built Jaguar stretch limousine that he kept in his hangar was to be fully gassed, polished, and the day's London Times laid out on the back seat. A customs official was to be waiting for the plane at the hangar to expedite the mandatory documentation and luggage check. Occasionally, customs agents accepted large tips from Teabing in exchange for turning a blind eye to the transport of harmless organics – mostly luxury foods – French escargots, a particularly ripe unprocessed Roquefort, certain fruits. Many customs laws were absurd, anyway, and if Biggin Hill didn't accommodate its clients, certainly competing airfields would. Teabing was provided with what he wanted here at Biggin Hill, and the employees reaped the benefits. Edwards's nerves felt frayed now as he watched the jet coming in. He wondered if Teabing's penchant for spreading the wealth had gotten him in trouble somehow; the French authorities seemed very intent on containing him. Edwards had not yet been told what the charges were, but they were obviously serious. At the French authorities' request, Kent police had ordered the Biggin Hill air traffic controller to radio the Hawker's pilot and order him directly to the terminal rather than to the client's hangar. The pilot had agreed, apparently believing the far-fetched story of a gas leak. Though the British police did not generally carry weapons, the gravity of the situation had brought out an armed response team. Now, eight policemen with handguns stood just inside the terminal building, awaiting the moment when the plane's engines powered down. The instant this happened, a runway attendant would place safety wedges under the tires so the plane could no longer move. Then the police would step into view and hold the occupants at bay until the French police arrived to handle the situation. The Hawker was low in the sky now, skimming the treetops to their right. Simon Edwards went downstairs to watch the landing from tarmac level. The Kent police were poised, just out of sight, and the maintenance man waited with his wedges. Out on the runway, the Hawker's nose tipped up, and the tires touched down in a puff of smoke. The plane settled in for deceleration, streaking from right to left in front of the terminal, its white hull glistening in the wet weather. But rather than braking and turning into the terminal, the jet coasted calmly past the access lane and continued on toward Teabing's hangar in the distance. All the police spun and stared at Edwards. â€Å"I thought you said the pilot agreed to come to the terminal!† Edwards was bewildered. â€Å"He did!† Seconds later, Edwards found himself wedged in a police car racing across the tarmac toward the distant hangar. The convoy of police was still a good five hundred yards away as Teabing's Hawker taxied calmly into the private hangar and disappeared. When the cars finally arrived and skidded to a stop outside the gaping hangar door, the police poured out, guns drawn. Edwards jumped out too. The noise was deafening. The Hawker's engines were still roaring as the jet finished its usual rotation inside the hangar, positioning itself nose-out in preparation for later departure. As the plane completed its 180-degreeturn and rolled toward the front of the hangar, Edwards could see the pilot's face, which understandably looked surprised and fearful to see the barricade of police cars. The pilot brought the plane to a final stop, and powered down the engines. The police streamed in, taking up positions around the jet. Edwards joined the Kent chief inspector, who moved warily toward the hatch. After several seconds, the fuselage door popped open. Leigh Teabing appeared in the doorway as the plane's electronic stairs smoothly dropped down. Ashe gazed out at the sea of weapons aimed at him, he propped himself on his crutches and scratched his head. â€Å"Simon, did I win the policemen's lottery while I was away?† He sounded more bewildered than concerned. Simon Edwards stepped forward, swallowing the frog in his throat. â€Å"Good morning, sir. I apologize for the confusion. We've had a gas leak and your pilot said he was coming to the terminal.† â€Å"Yes, yes, well, I told him to come here instead. I'm late for an appointment. I pay for this hangar, and this rubbish about avoiding a gas leak sounded overcautious.† â€Å"I'm afraid your arrival has taken us a bit off guard, sir.† â€Å"I know. I'm off my schedule, I am. Between you and me, the new medication gives me the tinkles. Thought I'd come over for a tune-up.† The policemen all exchanged looks. Edwards winced. â€Å"Very good, sir.† â€Å"Sir,† the Kent chief inspector said, stepping forward. â€Å"I need to ask you to stay onboard for another half hour or so.† Teabing looked unamused as he hobbled down the stairs. â€Å"I'm afraid that is impossible. I have a medical appointment.† He reached the tarmac. â€Å"I cannot afford to miss it.† The chief inspector repositioned himself to block Teabing's progress away from the plane. â€Å"I am here at the orders of the French Judicial Police. They claim you are transporting fugitives from the law on this plane.† Teabing stared at the chief inspector a long moment, and then burst out laughing. â€Å"Is this one of those hidden camera programs? Jolly good!† The chief inspector never flinched. â€Å"This is serious, sir. The French police claim you also may have a hostage onboard.† Teabing's manservant Remy appeared in the doorway at the top of the stairs. â€Å"I feel like a hostage working for Sir Leigh, but he assures me I am free to go.† Remy checked his watch. â€Å"Master, we really are running late.† He nodded toward the Jaguar stretch limousine in the far corner of the hangar. The enormous automobile was ebony with smoked glass and whitewall tires. â€Å"I'll bring the car.† Remy started down the stairs. â€Å"I'm afraid we cannot let you leave,† the chief inspector said. â€Å"Please return to your aircraft. Both of you. Representatives from the French police will be landing shortly.† Teabing looked now toward Simon Edwards. â€Å"Simon, for heaven's sake, this is ridiculous! We don't have anyone else on board. Just the usual – Remy, our pilot, and myself. Perhaps you could act as an intermediary? Go have a look onboard, and verify that the plane is empty.† Edwards knew he was trapped. â€Å"Yes, sir. I can have a look.† â€Å"The devil you will!† the Kent chief inspector declared, apparently knowing enough about executive airfields to suspect Simon Edwards might well lie about the plane's occupants in an effort to keep Teabing's business at Biggin Hill. â€Å"I will look myself.† Teabing shook his head. â€Å"No you won't, Inspector. This is private property and until you have a search warrant, you will stay off my plane. I am offering you a reasonable option here. Mr. Edwards can perform the inspection.† â€Å"No deal.† Teabing's demeanor turned frosty. â€Å"Inspector, I'm afraid I don't have time to indulge in your games. I'm late, and I'm leaving. If it is that important to you to stop me, you'll just have to shoot me.† With that, Teabing and Remy walked around the chief inspector and headed across the hangar toward the parked limousine. The Kent chief inspector felt only distaste for Leigh Teabing as the man hobbled around him in defiance. Men of privilege always felt like they were above the law. They are not.The chief inspector turned and aimed at Teabing's back. â€Å"Stop! I will fire!† â€Å"Go ahead,† Teabing said without breaking stride or glancing back. â€Å"My lawyers will fricassee your testicles for breakfast. And if you dare board my plane without a warrant, your spleen will follow.† No stranger to power plays, the chief inspector was unimpressed. Technically, Teabing was correct and the police needed a warrant to board his jet, but because the flight had originated in France, and because the powerful Bezu Fache had given his authority, the Kent chief inspector felt certain his career would be far better served by finding out what it was on this plane that Teabing seemed so intent on hiding. â€Å"Stop them,† the inspector ordered. â€Å"I'm searching the plane.† His men raced over, guns leveled, and physically blocked Teabing and his servant from reaching the limousine. Now Teabing turned. â€Å"Inspector, this is your last warning. Do not even think of boarding that plane. You will regret it.† Ignoring the threat, the chief inspector gripped his sidearm and marched up the plane's gangway. Arriving at the hatch, he peered inside. After a moment, he stepped into the cabin. What the devil? With the exception of the frightened-looking pilot in the cockpit, the aircraft was empty. Entirely devoid of human life. Quickly checking the bathroom, the chairs, and the luggage areas, the inspector found no traces of anyone hiding†¦ much less multiple individuals. What the hell was Bezu Fache thinking? It seemed Leigh Teabing had been telling the truth. The Kent chief inspector stood alone in the deserted cabin and swallowed hard. Shit.His faceflushed, he stepped back onto the gangway, gazing across the hangar at Leigh Teabing and hisservant, who were now under gunpoint near the limousine. â€Å"Let them go,† the inspector ordered. â€Å"We received a bad tip.† Teabing's eyes were menacing even across the hangar. â€Å"You can expect a call from my lawyers. And for future reference, the French police cannot be trusted.† With that, Teabing's manservant opened the door at the rear of the stretch limousine and helped his crippled master into the back seat. Then the servant walked the length of the car, climbed in behind the wheel, and gunned the engine. Policemen scattered as the Jaguar peeled out of the hangar. â€Å"Well played, my good man,† Teabing chimed from the rear seat as the limousine accelerated out of the airport. He turned his eyes now to the dimly lit front recesses of the spacious interior. â€Å"Everyone comfy?† Langdon gave a weak nod. He and Sophie were still crouched on the floor beside the bound and gagged albino. Moments earlier, as the Hawker taxied into the deserted hangar, Remy had popped the hatch as the plane jolted to a stop halfway through its turn. With the police closing in fast, Langdon and Sophie dragged the monk down the gangway to ground level and out of sight behind the limousine. Then the jet engines had roared again, rotating the plane and completing its turn as the police cars came skidding into the hangar. Now, as the limousine raced toward Kent, Langdon and Sophie clambered toward the rear of the limo's long interior, leaving the monk bound on the floor. They settled onto the long seat facing Teabing. The Brit gave them both a roguish smile and opened the cabinet on the limo's bar. â€Å"Could I offer you a drink? Some nibblies? Crisps? Nuts? Seltzer?† Sophie and Langdon both shook their heads. Teabing grinned and closed the bar. â€Å"So then, about this knight's tomb†¦Ã¢â‚¬  CHAPTER 82 â€Å"Fleet Street?† Langdon asked, eyeing Teabing in the back of the limo. There's a crypt on Fleet Street? So far, Leigh was being playfully cagey about where he thought they would find the â€Å"knight's tomb†, which, according to the poem, would provide the password for opening the smaller cryptex. Teabing grinned and turned to Sophie. â€Å"Miss Neveu, give the Harvard boy one more shot at the verse, will you?† Sophie fished in her pocket and pulled out the black cryptex, which was wrapped in the vellum. Everyone had decided to leave the rosewood box and larger cryptex behind in the plane's strongbox, carrying with them only what they needed, the far more portable and discreet black cryptex. Sophie unwrapped the vellum and handed the sheet to Langdon. Although Langdon had read the poem several times onboard the jet, he had been unable to extract any specific location. Now, as he read the words again, he processed them slowly and carefully, hoping the pentametric rhythms would reveal a clearer meaning now that he was on the ground. In London lies a knight a Pope interred. His labor's fruit a Holy wrath incurred. You seek the orb that ought be on his tomb. It speaks of Rosy flesh and seeded womb. The language seemed simple enough. There was a knight buried in London. A knight who labored at something that angered the Church. A knight whose tomb was missing an orb that should be present. The poem's final reference – Rosy flesh and seeded womb – was a clear allusion to Mary Magdalene, the Rose who bore the seed of Jesus. Despite the apparent straightforwardness of the verse, Langdon still had no idea who this knight was or where he was buried. Moreover, once they located the tomb, it sounded as if they would be searching for something that was absent. The orb that ought be on his tomb? â€Å"No thoughts?† Teabing clucked in disappointment, although Langdon sensed the Royal Historian was enjoying being one up. â€Å"Miss Neveu?† She shook her head. â€Å"What would you two do without me?† Teabing said. â€Å"Very well, I will walk you through it. It's quite simple really. The first line is the key. Would you read it please?† Langdon read aloud. † ‘In London lies a knight a Pope interred. ‘† â€Å"Precisely. A knight a Pope interred.† He eyed Langdon. â€Å"What does that mean to you?† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"A knight buried by a Pope? A knight whose funeral was presided over by a Pope?† Teabing laughed loudly. â€Å"Oh, that's rich. Always the optimist, Robert. Look at the second line. This knight obviously did something that incurred the Holy wrath of the Church. Think again. Consider the dynamic between the Church and the Knights Templar. A knight a Pope interred?† â€Å"A knight a Pope killed?† Sophie asked. Teabing smiled and patted her knee. â€Å"Well done, my dear. A knight a Pope buried.Or killed.† Langdon thought of the notorious Templar round-up in 1307 – unlucky Friday the thirteenth – when Pope Clement killed and interred hundreds of Knights Templar. â€Å"But there must be endless graves of ‘knights killed by Popes. ‘† â€Å"Aha, not so!† Teabing said. â€Å"Many of them were burned at the stake and tossed unceremoniously into the Tiber River. But this poem refers to a tomb.A tomb in London. And there are few knights buried in London.† He paused, eyeing Langdon as if waiting for light to dawn. Finally he huffed. â€Å"Robert, for heaven's sake! The church built in London by the Priory's military arm – the Knights Templar themselves!† â€Å"The Temple Church?† Langdon drew a startled breath. â€Å"It has a crypt?† â€Å"Ten of the most frightening tombs you will ever see.† Langdon had never actually visited the Temple Church, although he'd come across numerous references in his Priory research. Once the epicenter of all Templar/Priory activities in the United Kingdom, the Temple Church had been so named in honor of Solomon's Temple, from which the Knights Templar had extracted their own title, as well as the Sangreal documents that gave them all their influence in Rome. Tales abounded of knights performing strange, secretive rituals within the Temple Church's unusual sanctuary. â€Å"The Temple Church is on Fleet Street?† â€Å"Actually, it's just off Fleet Street on Inner Temple Lane.† Teabing looked mischievous. â€Å"I wanted to see you sweat a little more before I gave it away.† â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"Neither of you has ever been there?† Sophie and Langdon shook their heads.† I'm not surprised,† Teabing said. â€Å"The church is hidden now behind much larger buildings. Few people even know it's there. Eerie old place. The architecture is pagan to the core.† Sophie looked surprised. â€Å"Pagan?† â€Å"Pantheonically pagan!† Teabing exclaimed. â€Å"The church is round.The Templars ignored the traditional Christian cruciform layout and built a perfectly circular church in honor of the sun.† His eyebrows did a devilish dance. â€Å"A not so subtle howdy-do to the boys in Rome. They might as well have resurrected Stonehenge in downtown London.† Sophie eyed Teabing. â€Å"What about the rest of the poem?† The historian's mirthful air faded. â€Å"I'm not sure. It's puzzling. We will need to examine each of the ten tombs carefully. With luck, one of them will have a conspicuously absent orb.† Langdon realized how close they really were. If the missing orb revealed the password, they would be able to open the second cryptex. He had a hard time imagining what they might find inside. Langdon eyed the poem again. It was like some kind of primordial crossword puzzle. A five-letter word that speaks of the Grail? On the plane, they had already tried all the obvious passwords – GRAIL, GRAAL, GREAL, VENUS, MARIA, JESUS, SARAH – but the cylinder had not budged. Far too obvious.Apparently there existed some other five-letter reference to the Rose's seeded womb. The fact that the word was eluding a specialist like Leigh Teabing signified to Langdon that it was no ordinary Grail reference. â€Å"Sir Leigh?† Remy called over his shoulder. He was watching them in the rearview mirror through the open divider. â€Å"You said Fleet Street is near Blackfriars Bridge?† â€Å"Yes, take Victoria Embankment.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I'm not sure where that is. We usually go only to the hospital.† Teabing rolled his eyes at Langdon and Sophie and grumbled,† I swear, sometimes it's like baby- sitting a child. One moment please. Help yourself to a drink and savory snacks.† He left them, clambering awkwardly toward the open divider to talk to Remy. Sophie turned to Langdon now, her voice quiet. â€Å"Robert, nobody knows you and I are in England.† Langdon realized she was right. The Kent police would tell Fache the plane was empty, and Fachewould have to assume they were still in France. We are invisible.Leigh's little stunt had just boughtthem a lot of time. â€Å"Fache will not give up easily,† Sophie said. â€Å"He has too much riding on this arrest now.† Langdon had been trying not to think about Fache. Sophie had promised she would do everything in her power to exonerate Langdon once this was over, but Langdon was starting to fear it might not matter. Fache could easily be pan of this plot.Although Langdon could not imagine the Judicial Police tangled up in the Holy Grail, he sensed too much coincidence tonight to disregard Fache as a possible accomplice. Fache is religions, and he is intent on pinning these murders onme.Then again, Sophie had argued that Fache might simply be overzealous to make the arrest. After all, the evidence against Langdon was substantial. In addition to Langdon's name scrawled on the Louvre floor and in Sauniere's date book, Langdon now appeared to have lied about his manuscript and then run away. At Sophie's suggestion. â€Å"Robert, I'm sorry you're so deeply involved,† Sophie said, placing her hand on his knee. â€Å"But I'm very glad you're here.† The comment sounded more pragmatic than romantic, and yet Langdon felt an unexpected flicker of attraction between them. He gave her a tired smile. â€Å"I'm a lot more fun when I've slept.† Sophie was silent for several seconds. â€Å"My grandfather asked me to trust you. I'm glad I listened to him for once.† â€Å"Your grandfather didn't even know me.† â€Å"Even so, I can't help but think you've done everything he would have wanted. You helped me find the keystone, explained the Sangreal, told me about the ritual in the basement.† She paused. â€Å"Somehow I feel closer to my grandfather tonight than I have in years. I know he would be happy about that.† In the distance, now, the skyline of London began to materialize through the dawn drizzle. Once dominated by Big Ben and Tower Bridge, the horizon now bowed to the Millennium Eye – a colossal, ultramodern Ferris wheel that climbed five hundred feet and afforded breathtaking views of the city. Langdon had attempted to board it once, but the† viewing capsules† reminded him of sealed sarcophagi, and he opted to keep his feet on the ground and enjoy the view from the airy banks of the Thames. Langdon felt a squeeze on his knee, pulling him back, and Sophie's green eyes were on him. He realized she had been speaking to him. â€Å"What do you think we should do with the Sangreal documents if we ever find them?† she whispered. â€Å"What I think is immaterial,† Langdon said. â€Å"Your grandfather gave the cryptex to you, and you should do with it what your instinct tells you he would want done.† â€Å"I'm asking for your opinion. You obviously wrote something in that manuscript that made my grandfather trust your judgment. He scheduled a private meeting with you. That's rare.† â€Å"Maybe he wanted to tell me I have it all wrong.† â€Å"Why would he tell me to find you unless he liked your ideas? In your manuscript, did you support the idea that the Sangreal documents should be revealed or stay buried?† â€Å"Neither. I made no judgment either way. The manuscript deals with the symbology of the sacred feminine – tracing her iconography throughout history. I certainly didn't presume to know where the Grail is hidden or whether it should ever be revealed.† â€Å"And yet you're writing a book about it, so you obviously feel the information should be shared.† â€Å"There's an enormous difference between hypothetically discussing an alternate history of Christ, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"And what?† â€Å"And presenting to the world thousands of ancient documents as scientific evidence that the New Testament is false testimony.† â€Å"But you told me the New Testament is based on fabrications.† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Sophie, every faith in the world is based on fabrication. That is the definition of faith – acceptance of that which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot prove. Every religion describes God through metaphor, allegory, and exaggeration, from the early Egyptians through modern Sunday school. Metaphors are a way to help our minds process the unprocessible. The problems arise when we begin to believe literally in our own metaphors.† â€Å"So you are in favor of the Sangreal documents staying buried forever?† â€Å"I'm a historian. I'm opposed to the destruction of documents, and I would love to see religious scholars have more information to ponder the exceptional life of Jesus Christ.† â€Å"You're arguing both sides of my question.† â€Å"Am I? The Bible represents a fundamental guidepost for millions of people on the planet, in much the same way the Koran, Torah, and Pali Canon offer guidance to people of other religions. If you and I could dig up documentation that contradicted the holy stories of Islamic belief, Judaic belief, Buddhist belief, pagan belief, should we do that? Should we wave a flag and tell the Buddhists that we have proof the Buddha did not come from a lotus blossom? Or that Jesus was not born of a literal virgin birth? Those who truly understand their faiths understand the stories are metaphorical.† Sophie looked skeptical. â€Å"My friends who are devout Christians definitely believe that Christ literallywalked on water, literally turned water into wine, and was born of a literal virgin birth.† â€Å"My point exactly,† Langdon said. â€Å"Religious allegory has become a part of the fabric of reality. And living in that reality helps millions of people cope and be better people.† â€Å"But it appears their reality is false.† Langdon chuckled. â€Å"No more false than that of a mathematical cryptographer who believes in the imaginary number ‘i'because it helps her break codes.† Sophie frowned. â€Å"That's not fair.† A moment passed.† What was your question again?† Langdon asked. â€Å"I can't remember.† He smiled. â€Å"Works every time.† CHAPTER 83 Langdon's Mickey Mouse wristwatch read almost seven-thirty when he emerged from the Jaguar limousine onto Inner Temple Lane with Sophie and Teabing. The threesome wound through a maze of buildings to a small courtyard outside the Temple Church. The rough-hewn stone shimmered in the rain, and doves cooed in the architecture overhead. London's ancient Temple Church was constructed entirely of Caen stone. A dramatic, circular edifice with a daunting facade, a central turret, and a protruding nave off one side, the church looked more like a military stronghold than a place of worship. Consecrated on the tenth of February in 1185 by Heraclius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Temple Church survived eight centuries of political turmoil, the Great Fire of London, and the First World War, only to be heavily damaged by Luftwaffe incendiary bombs in 1940. After the war, it was restored to its original, stark grandeur. The simplicity of the circle, Langdon thought, admiring the building for the first time. The architecture was coarse and simple, more reminiscent of Rome's rugged Castel Sant'Angelo than the refined Pantheon. The boxy annex jutting out to the right was an unfortunate eyesore, although it did little to shroud the original pagan shape of the primary structure. â€Å"It's early on a Saturday,† Teabing said, hobbling toward the entrance,† so I'm assuming we won't have services to deal with.† The church's entryway was a recessed stone niche inside which stood a large wooden door. To the left of the door, looking entirely out of place, hung a bulletin board covered with concert schedules and religious service announcements. Teabing frowned as he read the board. â€Å"They don't open to sightseers for another couple of hours.† He moved to the door and tried it. The door didn't budge. Putting his ear to the wood, he listened. After a moment, he pulled back, a scheming look on his face as he pointed to the bulletin board. â€Å"Robert, check the service schedule, will you? Who is presiding this week?† Inside the church, an altar boy was almost finished vacuuming the communion kneelers when he heard a knocking on the sanctuary door. He ignored it. Father Harvey Knowles had his own keys and was not due for another couple of hours. The knocking was probably a curious tourist or indigent. The altar boy kept vacuuming, but the knocking continued. Can't you read? The sign on the door clearly stated that the church did not open until nine-thirty on Saturday. The altar boy remained with his chores. Suddenly, the knocking turned to a forceful banging, as if someone were hitting the door with a metal rod. The young man switched off his vacuum cleaner and marched angrily toward the door. Unlatching it from within, he swung it open. Three people stood in the entryway. Tourists, he grumbled. â€Å"We open at nine-thirty.† The heavyset man, apparently the leader, stepped forward using metal crutches. â€Å"I am Sir Leigh Teabing,† he said, his accent a highbrow, Saxonesque British. â€Å"As you are no doubt aware, I am escorting Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Wren the Fourth.† He stepped aside, flourishing his arm toward the attractive couple behind them. The woman was soft-featured, with lush burgundy hair. The man was tall, dark-haired, and looked vaguely familiar. The altar boy had no idea how to respond. Sir Christopher Wren was the Temple Church's most famous benefactor. He had made possible all the restorations following damage caused by the Great Fire. He had also been dead since the early eighteenth century. â€Å"Um†¦ an honor to meet you?† The man on crutches frowned. â€Å"Good thing you're not in sales, young man, you're not very convincing. Where is Father Knowles?† â€Å"It's Saturday. He's not due in until later.† The crippled man's scowl deepened. â€Å"There's gratitude. He assured us he would be here, but it looks like we'll do it without him. It won't take long.† The altar boy remained blocking the doorway. â€Å"I'm sorry, what won't take long?† The visitor's eyes sharpened now, and he leaned forward whispering as if to save everyone some embarrassment. â€Å"Young man, apparently you are new here. Every year Sir Christopher Wren's descendants bring a pinch of the old man's ashes to scatter in the Temple sanctuary. It is part of his last will and testament. Nobody is particularly happy about making the trip, but what can we do?† The altar boy had been here a couple of years but had never heard of this custom. â€Å"It would be better if you waited until nine-thirty. The church isn't open yet, and I'm not finished hoovering.† The man on crutches glared angrily. â€Å"Young man, the only reason there's anything left of this building for you to hoover is on account of the gentleman in that woman's pocket.† â€Å"I'm sorry?† â€Å"Mrs. Wren,† the man on crutches said,† would you be so kind as to show this impertinent young man the reliquary of ashes?† The woman hesitated a moment and then, as if awaking from a trance, reached in her sweater pocket and pulled out a small cylinder wrapped in protective fabric. â€Å"There, you see?† the man on crutches snapped. â€Å"Now, you can either grant his dying wish and let us sprinkle his ashes in the sanctuary, or I tell Father Knowles how we've been treated.† The altar boy hesitated, well acquainted with Father Knowles' deep observance of church tradition†¦ and, more importantly, with his foul temper when anything cast this time-honored shrine in anything but favorable light. Maybe Father Knowles had simply forgotten these family members were coming. If so, then there was far more risk in turning them away than in letting them in. After all, they said it would only take a minute.What harm could it do? When the altar boy stepped aside to let the three people pass, he could have sworn Mr. and Mrs. Wren looked just as bewildered by all of this as he was. Uncertain, the boy returned to his chores, watching them out of the corner of his eye. Langdon had to smile as the threesome moved deeper into the church. â€Å"Leigh,† he whispered,† you lie entirely too well.† Teabing's eyes twinkled. â€Å"Oxford Theatre Club. They still talk of my Julius Caesar. I'm certain nobody has ever performed the first scene of Act Three with more dedication.† Langdon glanced over. â€Å"I thought Caesar was dead in that scene.† Teabing smirked. â€Å"Yes, but my toga tore open when I fell, and I had to lie on stage for half an hour with my todger hanging out. Even so, I never moved a muscle. I was brilliant, I tell you.† Langdon cringed. Sorry I missed it. As the group moved through the rectangular annex toward the archway leading into the main church, Langdon was surprised by the barren austerity. Although the altar layout resembled that of a linear Christian chapel, the furnishings were stark and cold, bearing none of the traditional ornamentation. â€Å"Bleak,† he whispered. Teabing chuckled. â€Å"Church of England. Anglicans drink their religion straight. Nothing to distract from their misery.† Sophie motioned through the vast opening that gave way to the circular section of the church. â€Å"It looks like a fortress in there,† she whispered. Langdon agreed. Even from here, the walls looked unusually robust. â€Å"The Knights Templar were warriors,† Teabing reminded, the sound of his aluminum crutches echoing in this reverberant space. â€Å"A religio-military society. Their churches were their strongholds and their banks.† â€Å"Banks?† Sophie asked, glancing at Leigh. â€Å"Heavens, yes. The Templars invented the concept of modern banking. For European nobility, traveling with gold was perilous, so the Templars allowed nobles to deposit gold in their nearest Temple Church and then draw it from any other Temple Church across Europe. All they needed was proper documentation.† He winked. â€Å"And a small commission. They were the original ATMs.† Teabing pointed toward a stained-glass window where the breaking sun was refracting through a white-clad knight riding a rose-colored horse. â€Å"Alanus Marcel,† Teabing said,† Master of the Temple in the early twelve hundreds. He and his successors actually held the Parliamentary chair of Primus Baro Angiae.† Langdon was surprised. â€Å"First Baron of the Realm?† Teabing nodded. â€Å"The Master of the Temple, some claim, held more influence than the king himself.† As they arrived outside the circular chamber, Teabing shot a glance over his shoulder at the altar boy, who was vacuuming in the distance. â€Å"You know,† Teabing whispered to Sophie,† the Holy Grail is said to once have been stored in this church overnight while the Templars moved it from one hiding place to another. Can you imagine the four chests of Sangreal documents sitting right here with Mary Magdalene's sarcophagus? It gives me gooseflesh.† Langdon was feeling gooseflesh too as they stepped into the circular chamber. His eye traced the curvature of the chamber's pale stone perimeter, taking in the carvings of gargoyles, demons, monsters, and pained human faces, all staring inward. Beneath the carvings, a single stone pew curled around the entire circumference of the room. â€Å"Theater in the round,† Langdon whispered. Teabing raised a crutch, pointing toward the far left of the room and then to the far right. Langdon had already seen them. Ten stone knights. Five on the left. Five on the right. Lying prone on the floor, the carved, life-sized figures rested in peaceful poses. The knights were depicted wearing full armor, shields, and swords, and the tombs gave Langdon the uneasy sensation that someone had snuck in and poured plaster over the knights while they were sleeping. All of the figures were deeply weathered, and yet each was clearly unique – different armory pieces, distinct leg and arm positions, facial features, and markings on their shields. In London lies a knight a Pope interred. Langdon felt shaky as he inched deeper into the circular room. This had to be the place.