Exceptional needs children Essay

Michael Michael, a five-year-old male, just diagnosed with hearing loss and a speech disorder, has not learned to speak properly and is working with a speech therapist three times a week. Michael does not show any progress in learning letters or numbers. His parents are worried that he might be labeled in school and not allowed to participate in regular classroom activities. Michael is scheduled to start kindergarten in a month and the school psychologist wants to test him to see if he should be placed in special education classes. After speaking with Michael’s parents, it is found that he is an only child and does not play with children in the neighborhood. Although, he has occasionally play dates, Michael struggles to make friends. Due to children not responding to Michael when he tries to talk to them, there is little contact, causing Michael to be socially immature. To begin a plan to help Michael with his learning and social skills, there must be an understanding to why he has a hearing disorder as well as seeking strategies to support him in school. Use the definition laid out in IDEA to describe Michael’s hearing disorder and the competency based individualized strategies for supporting him in a school setting. According to (Heward, 2013) p. 313, Michael is suffering from deafness. His hearing loss is so severe that he is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, which causes an effect on educational performance. Most special educators distinguish between children who are deaf and those who are hard of hearing. Michael is deaf and cannot use hearing to understand speech. If Michael was able to hear, he would be able to understanding and interpret speech without using any special device or techniques. Due to Michael’s deafness, a hearing aid, would not allow him to understand speech through the ears alone. Most deaf people use their vision as a primary sensory mode for learning and communication. Michael is unable to make friends and his  disabilities interfere with his social development. As a person that has worked with disabilities I feel that part of this is because he is an only child and when he has play dates Michael doesnâ €™t understand them completely and because of his hearing and language it is also because the people that come over the play have a hard time understanding him. It is possible that Michael is socially immature because he can’t be understood and is not at the age mentally as the rest of the children his age. I feel that if Michael had a sibling either younger or a couple years older he would have a better understanding of how to make friends because he would be around someone daily it would also help him to grow and become more mature. Since he is starting Kindergarten his year it would be great if he could get meet some of the kids earlier and make a friendship or play date with some class mates so he doesn’t get over whelmed as easy about the change. A hearing impairment can be considered a culture difference for Michael because he shares a language with other people that have this common issue and as he gets older social practices as well. Per our text many deaf people do not view themselves as disabled and consider hearing loss and inappropriate and demeaning term because it suggests a deficiency or pathology. It also refers to people in the individual way people who identify the Deaf culture prefer term such a teacher of the Deaf, school for the Deaf and the Deaf person (Hewa rd, W. L. 2013) Deaf culture is shared language (in the U.S. American Sign Language ASL) social practices, literature and beliefs of the Deaf community: members do not view deafness as a disability. One way that communication impacts â€Å"Deaf Culture is what individuals with disabilities identify with. As a professional we can help Michael bridge the social and culture gap to be able to interact more with his peers by insuring him that it is ok to make friends, and use the resources that he has been, his hearing aids if he has them are great to help with hearing to understand speech, because he is developed mainly through the auditory channel, even if it is delayed. As professionals we could give Michael step by step directions to follow and be able to do observation on Michael to measure his progress to date. As the professional working with Michael I would encourage him to wear his hearing aids if he has them and start a reward program for him for following the expected behavior, also remember to give him positive reinforcement, if he hears the positive reinforcement and the encouragement  and excitement in your actions then he will want to follow also because kids want to make their elder happy. As Michaels parents they could encourage play dates and interaction with other people his own age. If they are not planning on having any more children and Michael is going to remain an only child maybe the family can get some cousins to come and play on regular basis as well as children from around the neighborhood. Since he will be starting Kindergarten in a month the teacher in the class room could modify some of the learning lessons that she will teach to make them more on his level, also the teacher can communicate with all the others that are involved in the child’s life and come to a plan that is going to work for everyone and it can be used all around the board. All children that are exceptional need to be evaluated for their progress, I would have the teacher make some tally marks for the behavior for the day and let the child work towards a prize once that is completed I would ask the teacher to add the tally marks and make it so that it can be observed in a percentage for example out of 10 tries to hear and responds to the word that was said Michael will wear his hearing aids for 5 out of 10 trials, or 50% of the time if it is only 3 times out of the ten that Michael does this then it can be observed as 30 % of the time and it can be observed weekly and progress can be marked and measured to see what the progress would be. Also making use of all and any reinforcements that can be used will help the child to be successful. Since it is known that the child has a hearing problem it should be given out at first notice and then the child can sit up front in class and since most teachers have seating charts for their classroom it would not seem unusual for the child to be placed up front if others ask what the issue is later then it with consent the teacher can say something to make it known to the class, some children will tell anyway but as the teacher in the classroom she should encourage the other children in the classroom to interact with Michael so that he can be excited to go to school. And most important of all enjoy his learning and school experience. As we learned with Michael people that are deaf or blind lose some of the most important things in life and it is not an easy thing to overcome the person can live a wonderful life but needs the encouragement and support to do so. So for Michael our 5 year old male that is hearing impaired and has trouble with his speech with the help of all the resources that are available and  coaching Michael can grow to be a very smart male later in life. He will also learn to be respectful and his hearing and speech will improve. References Heward, W.L. (2013). Exceptional needs children (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

My Philosophy of Life Essay

Nowadays, in the XXIst century people are living life of the constant pursuit for money, successful career, what is making impression that only those values are important. Than they have to stop for a while and contemplate about their life goals, their life philosophy. This essay will present my philosophy of life. First of all, the most important thing for me is my family. According to my rules, they are always on the first place, and can count on me, just the same like I can count on them. I was raised by my parents to be a good man who tries to be always kind and helpful for the other people and live in harmony with commandments of my religion. The next thing about my philosophy of life is a proper attitude what means that I have a lot of faith in myself and I am taking challenges with believing in final success. Optimism is very important in man’s life and we cannot forget about it, because it helps in bearing up with difficulties. Having friends is also important; however, the point is to choose wisely and surround yourself with well-wishing and loyal people which won’t stab you in the back when you will need help. My philosophy of life tells that I always have to be myself and listen to my heart as much as I listen to my mind and to play along with the voice of my conscience. I believe, that man should develop himself, every time try to experience something new and always use an opportunity to increase his knowledge in order to be conscious and intelligent. Summing up, I am convinced that the best way to achieve happiness is to be loyal to your family and friends man who has optimistic view on future, as my philosophy of life says.

Belonging in Romulus My Father and Looking for Alibrandi

Belonging in Romulus my father and looking for alibrandi: Belonging represents the need for individuals to find their identity and place within a society. This results in the growth of individuals and their understanding of the world around them. Through reading the novels, Romulus, My Father and Looking for Alibrandi, we are helped to get a better understanding of the concept of belonging, belonging to a country, belonging to family, and belonging to a racial group. As well as the struggles of not belonging and being an outcast because of race. Romulus, My Father, written by Raimond Gaita, is a true story about Raimonds father, Romulus. Gaita explores the concepts of belonging to a family, belonging to the Australian landscape, and not being accepted because of the fact that Romulus was an immigrant. We belong when we feel connected to others and the world. Romulus found it hard to fit in when he arrived to Australia. This is understandable as immagration invariably involves detachment, loneliness and isolation. His first two years in Australia saw him working for the government, isolated from his family. Romulus did not physically belong to the community due to his appearance, everybody noticed his eyes, almond-shaped, hazel and intense. Colour imagery is used here to contrast the lighter colours of the stereotypical Australian. Romulus was embaressed about his dark complexion, he called himself gipsy and later in Australia, an Aborigine. We see here that Romulus changes his story, in a plea to belong to a community or environment. Romulus doesnt dwell over the isolation he feels, instead he has come to accept what fate dealt him. He feels he is not owed anything better then what he currently has. As time progresses and members of the community realise the blacksmithing and handyman skills he has, he earns respect. It was because Romulus treated everyone with great respect that he was eventually accepted and finally felt a sense of belonging. Similarly, in Looking for Alibrandi, written by Melina Marchetta, we see the pain of a 17 year old girl, Josephine, as she is stuck in between two worlds. She earnt a scholarship at an upper class private school where everyone is judged by how rich their families are. Josie is embaressed of her Italian background, she has been bullied through school and steers away from her Italian traditions. Josie endures pain over her background, and thinks no matter how smart she is, shes always going to be the little ethnic girl from Glebe as far as these people are concerned. She feels that she doesnt belong within society and The use of the words these people highlight the cultural divide and differences between the white anglo-saxon community and the Italian community. When Josie calls upon her father for legal help after assaulting Carly Bishop, her father asked her the reason why she hit Caly with a book, she called me a wog, amongst other things, her father then went on to say You are a wog Josie, does it offend you to be one? . From this point forward, Josie was forced to reconsider her perspective on being Italian. Eventually, a pride in her Italian heritage emerges, although she is selective and doesnt want to be a long suffering Italian woman as earlier generations of women had. However, she didn;t want to be a rebel Italian because she hates the thought of being outcasted by her Italian community, she wants to belong. A sense of belonging can be created with an environment. In Romulus, My Father, we feel Romuluss pain has he longs for the generous and soft Eurpoean foliage. Although the Australian landscape is beautiful, he has no connection or sense of belonging to the environment as he is used to the lush and green bush of Europe. Words with negative connotations such as scraggy and desolate are used to describe the harsh Australian environment and to highlight the fact that Romulus feels no sense of belonging with it. In contrast to this, we see how Raimond finally appreciates the rare beauty of the Australian environment. He now realises that how beautiful it is and feels a connection to it, he has finally stopped looking through his fathers European eyes, the scraggy shapes and sparse foliage actually became the foci for my sense of its beauty and everything else fell into place. In both texts we see the concepts of belonging to a family or close friends. In Romulus, we see the strong bond not only between Romulus and Raimond, but also Hora. The strong bond between father and son is symbolised solely by the memoir, the fact that Raimond wrote the novel about his father emphasies the strong bond they had. Romulus motorbikes were used as a symbol to show the sense of belonging they feel amongst each other, i was nervous when i rode with Mitru and entreated him to slow down on the gravel roads. When i rode with my father, no matter how fast he drove, i always urged him to go faster. Romulus and Horas relationship has stemmed from a cultural bond to a strong friendship based on respect and trust. They became close because of the similar cultures, and they were both aliens in a foreign country. Horas friendship rubs off onto Raimond, who he has great affection for. This is shown by Hora making sure Raimond had an orange for school every day. The fact that Hora would do anything for Raimond is a reflection of the deep sense of belonging that Hora feels towards Romulus. Similarly, in Looking for Alibrandi, we see the strong bond between Josie, and her mother Christina. Although they fight at times because of their fiery personalities, the bond will always be strong because of the hard times they have been through together. As Josie matures on her road to an inner sense of belonging, she becomes close to her grandmother. This is partly because of the fact she has accepted her Italian background, which means she can now tolerate her Nonna more. At the agof 17, she also meets her father for the first time. Initially, she resents him. But after spending time with him she realises how alike they are and they form a tight bond, therefore belonging with each other.

Criminal Justice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Criminal Justice - Assignment Example Compared to other normal criminals, "chronic" offenders had an average of eight times more convictions for property offenses and six times more convictions for violent crimes (OLA). Chronic offenders may not keep any sympathy towards the victim while they execute their crime. They will execute their missions in a professional manner. Sympathy or relationships may not prevent chronic criminals from their illegal activities. Rules and social norms may not have much influence on chronic offenders. Chronic offenders are not circumstantial criminals, but they are diseased persons. Circumstantial criminals always engage in criminal activities because of the circumstances in which they happen to be. On the other hand chronic offenders engage in criminal activities irrespective of the circumstances. Apart from the sociological and psychological reasons, the major reasons for chronic offenses are bitter childhood experiences, bitter experiences from the beloved ones, struggle to find a livelihood, drug or alcohol addiction etc. A chronic offender is one way or other taking revenge upon the society for his ill fate. Such offenders perceive the society and its setup or norms responsible for the mishaps faced by them. Chronic offenders might feel certain things as their basic right. For example, Sex maniacs visualize the opposite sex as an instrument to be used. They never bother about the rights of others and they give first and last priority to their wellbeing only. The needs and rights of others don’t have much influence in their activities. Inborn traits or life experiences might have devised such deviant mind set among the chronic offenders. As mentioned earlier, chronic offenders are sociopaths or psychopaths. Psychopaths are unstoppable and untreatable human beings. They always engage in planned, purposeful and emotionless criminal activities (What Is a Psychopath?). Sociopaths are less dangerous compared to psychopaths.

Business Development Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Development - Case Study Example All the departmental manager in the branch will report directly to him and he will be assisted by a secretary. Followings are description of two jobs from each department respectively. Finance Manager He/She takes care of all financial issues. His department will collect money from the cashiers and put them into bank. Besides, they will have to document all the financial transaction including prepare the costing, balance sheet and estimate the profit and lost of the business. Costing Executive He/She will do the calculation of the costing of the operation of the whole business. Her work coordinates all aspect related to cost example the electricity and water usage, man power usage, compensation to customer, cost of goods and etc. Human Resource Manager He/She is in-charged of the human energy. The main role is to do workforce planning, recruit and select suitable employee and to provide training and motivate them. Payroll Assistant He/She calculates the salary of all employees, checking attendance and performance of the people in the organization. The work is very confidential in the company. Logistic and Warehouse Manager He/She will be responsible of the goods lodging and receiving, taking care of the warehouse and inventory in the branch. General Wokers He/She will help to load or unload goods, help to arrange them in warehouse and deliver it to departments that need the goods. Sales and Marketing Manager He/She is managing the sales in the branch. He needs to achieve the sales target preset by the group marketing manager, help to organize events and promotions to increase sales. Cashiers He/She collects money from customer for purchasing goods. Comparison of Debenhams Plc's organizational chart and a grocery shop In comparison to Debenhams...Besides that there are a lot of management and financial skills involved. A good businessman should continuously seek improvement in his work as in Debenhams Plc. The organizational chart for Debenhams Plc was shown in figure 1. In each branch, the management is lead by a branch manager. He overlooks the operation of the whole branch. All the departmental manager in the branch will report directly to him and he will be assisted by a secretary. Followings are description of two jobs from each department respectively. He/She takes care of all financial issues. His department will collect money from the cashiers and put them into bank. Besides, they will have to document all the financial transaction including prepare the costing, balance sheet and estimate the profit and lost of the business. He/She will do the calculation of the costing of the operation of the whole business. Her work coordinates all aspect related to cost example the electricity and water usage, man power usage, compensation to customer, cost of goods and etc. In comparison to Debenhams Plc, a grocery has a very simple organizational chart. The leader in the chart is the owner himself. He will be assisted by one or two general workers. The owner will be the HR, finance, sales, marketing and cashier himself. His workers will help him to load and unload goods.

International Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

International Community - Essay Example From the appalling crackdown on the visionary expectation of the ardent student protesters some16 years ago to the subsequent repression of all political dissidence, Communist leaders have time and again tended to reassert a blind obeisance to a dogged system of harsh and mechanical one-party rule. Equally alarming is the ostentatious display of military power in response to Taiwanese aspirations for independence over the last two decades, along with the troubling detection of furtive deliveries of military know-how to unstable areas in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, and South Asia. These measures scarcely serve to improve international confidence in the Chinese bid for a responsible position on the world stage of the new century. Admittedly China has recently begun to evince a new, less menacing and forward-looking stance toward proving itself as a responsible collaborator in global interaction as the nation begins to assume a substantial position in the world economy. By assisting in negotiations on the Korean Peninsula, China, in effect, was able to take advantage of her influence in the region in the service of broader international concerns. Domestically, the People's Republic of China has taken steps to free a token number of leading political dissidents in response to Western appeals, and, in diverse rural villages, elections for local leaders have been authorized. Chinese rulers also seem to be dealing moderately with the lately re-annexed regions of Hong Kong and Macau, and so far seem to be restricting intimidation tactics to verbal posturing and a display of military muscle in response to Taiwanese desires for independence.1 It is possible that the menace that some perceive in China as an up-and-co ming superpower with overall goals that threaten American wellbeing and commerce, might, in truth, be an emerging new Chinese generation: a forthright forward-looking dynamic keenly aware that the future depends on a critical modification of policies from the worn-out revolutionary era in the interest of asserting China's rightful place in the broader scheme of a world growing ever more and more interdependent. At least one Chinese insider seems to believe so. From his years spent in the People's Republic as a Red Guard during the infamous Cultural Revolution, Professor Chen Jian brings a quite singular experience and personal familiarity to his study. He is able to appraise the foreign-policy proclivities of the People's Republic from the perspective of an insider seeped in Chinese history. Jian's assessment reflects on much more constrained Chinese objectives than those that bother many outside critics. As a country bent in earnest on certifying for itself a leading role in the global community, Chinese decision makers are certainly cognizant of the imperative to appreciably accommodate current national policies in apparent deference to international standards.2 According to Professor Jian, even though China may boast currently of a ten percent annual economic growth, widespread poverty still haunts its rural interior. The regime can employ its extensive masses in the service of its growing

Based on the readings, what do you see as the biggest obstacles to Essay

Based on the readings, what do you see as the biggest obstacles to development of poorer nations What can be done about it - Essay Example development in these countries can be divided into four categories: Natural Resources, Human Capital, Poor Infrastructure, and institutional factors.2 However, the difference between the developing and the developed world lies in the human, physical and the socioeconomic environments of the nations in question. This paper has used different theories of development to explain the obstacle to development experienced by poor countries. Most of the poorer countries have inadequate resources including the fertile land. Availability of the resources can bring an increase in the productivity of the economy. In most developing nations, there is shortage of land due to the high population. Lesser land leads to significant fall in cultivation which is the main source of income in the poor nation. This in turn leads to the fall on the nations’ productivity known as the Gross Domestic Products.3 The situation is even worse since these countries have not tapped the technological practices in their productivity. According to the Exogenous Growth theory lack of technology makes it hard for a country to develop. Technology acquisition enables high production per unit of a natural resource like land when it comes to agriculture.4 The land in most of the developing nations is also so much fragmented due to socioeconomic issues such as passing the land to the next generation and the attempt by government to ensure equitable distribution of resources in these areas. It is good to understand that most of these nations over- depends on land which is the backbone of the developing world economy. There is therefore much tension when it comes to land issues.5 Most of the Sub Saharan African countries have vast natural resources that include oil and gold. This line of argument is in agreement with the Exogenous Growth Theory that the problem comes in the identification and affordability of technology that would help in the discovery of mineral deposits.6 This has led corrupting during

Business accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business accounting - Essay Example The first step of this transformation is the writing of a business plan. This plan is being used as an internal document to assist in the development of the business. Poultry feed industry is not a new one in the market; it has developed with the poultry management practices. The industry has an elastic growth with the growth in demand for poultry. However, the traditional poultry feed industry, which is in China and Africa, comprises mostly of either local farmers who sell their by-products of grains to poultry farmers of fishermen who sell the dead fish. No research and development has been made on a large scale in this industry in these regions. However, in other developed countries such as USA, poultry feed industry has developed a lot. And with research and development in the product, the companies have formed a new type of organic feed which is not only highly nutritious, but also cheaper than other sources of poultry feed. The market for poultry feed in Africa has a huge potential. Initially, we will be catering to some countries of Africa such as South Africa and Uganda. The reason to choose Uganda is that recently there has been a decline in supply of chicken due to rising prices of poultry which owes to the high prices of chicken feed in the region. The local farmers rely on grain farmers and fishermen to supply them with the feed which is of low quality and very expensive. â€Å"The high prices of grains are posing a big challenge to the poultry industry in Uganda yet consumersdo not expect chicken prices to go up,† said Mr Joseph Muguluma, the Treasurer of the Poultry Association of Uganda. The other market for supply of poultry feed in the local poultry farms of China. The case in China is similar to that of African countries where prices for poultry feed are on the rise due to increasing prices of grains. An alternate, low cost solution to the poultry farmers is the supply of organic poultry feed which we will

Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions - Essay Example   Health accreditation of institutions acts as a catalyst in improving and strengthening the quality and service provided to its beneficiaries. It also helps them be better prepared for new and reemerging old challenges (CDC, 2012). The accreditation helps measure the institution as to where its standards in terms of meeting its goals and can also act as a SWOT analysis of the institution itself. The institution can then work on its weaknesses. It also increases the accountability of health institutions towards its stakeholders (CDC, 2012). The accreditation process involves that the organization responsible for accreditation of healthcare institutions has to conduct some procedures in order to ensure compliance with standards and procedures. Each accrediting organization has its own set of procedures; however, normally the organization responsible for accrediting conducts a survey from the customers in order to see whether they are satisfied with the standard of care provided to them (Nicklin, 2011). This helps the organization in measuring whether the beneficiaries of the healthcare services are happy with the level of service they are getting. The organizations then themselves visit these healthcare institutions in order to check that the services, facilities, and procedures are in line with the standards and norms set by the regulating body (Nicklin, 2011). After making the analysis of the institutions, recommendations are made for improvement and compliance with the standards and regulations set by the regulating b ody. National Commission for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation health care plan has been termed as a gold standard for improving healthcare services and facilities (NCQA, 2012).  Ã‚  

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 22-31 Questions Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 22-31 Questions Essay 1.Atticus is extremely disappointed and walks out of the courtroom after the verdict is announced. 2. When Miss Maudie is explaining that they had people like Atticus, she was telling Jem that there were people in this world who do not fall into mob mentality. She tries to explain that even though Atticus did not win, he had got the town thinking for themselves for a change, rather than act on prejudice alone. He has created respect for the individual. 3.Miss Maudie says they have at least made a baby step in the right direction because she knows that the jury actually contemplated weather or not they were going to convict Tom which means the towns were looking past prejudices for once. 4. Dill says he wants to be a clown that laughs at people instead of people laughing at him. This means that Dill wants to laugh at people (society) because they are being so dumb in the Tom Robinson court case. Chapter 23: 1. Atticus doesn’t take Bob Ewells threat seriously because he thinks that Mr. Ewells just taking his anger on Atticus. 2. a)In a courtroom, if a defendant is put on a stand with only circumstantial evidence, that person is entitled to reasonable doubt. Circumstantial evidence means the acquitted person was there at the time of the offense, but theres no actual proof like DNA and things like that. b)People always believe white men before black because of prejudices. c)People have already made up there minds before even hearing a word of the case because of racism and prejudices. d)Sooner of later people are going to realize how wrong they treated people of different race and they are going to pay for it. 3. a) Atticus believes the Cunninghams are honest hard working people. b)Alexandra believes the Cunninghams are lower class, trash. 4. Jem can’t accept Scout’s opinion because Jem knows its not because in the mostly to kinds of people, the good and the bad. Chapter 24: 1.The missionary ladies seem to be rather negative, self righteous and hypocritical. Yes it’s typical for these ladies to act like this because I think these characteristics are what brings them together. 2. The irony is that Mrs. Merriweather admires J Grimes Everett and the work he is doing for tribes in Africa while she pays little attention and thinks nothing of the African Americans in her own town. 3. Scout prefers men to women because so in her life the people closest to her are men and she doesn’t seem to like to many of the women. 4. When Ms. Maudie says, Were paying the highest tribute we can pay a man, that out of everyone in Maycomb Atticus was the only one who would try his hardest to give Tom Robinson a fair trial. To represent him the way he deserved, with all the rights. That no matter what he is faced with; the town trusts him to do right. 5. True ladies know how to but their lip and fake a smile for the sake of others. Chapter 25: 1. Most of the town believe’s that Tom’s death just shows how dumb black people are(from the perspective of a white person). 2. Although Mr. Underwood holds racist vies himself, his editorial can be likened to Atticuss prior words. In his editorial Underwood writes, it was a sin to kill cripples, be they sitting, standing, or escaping. He writes that Toms death was tantamount to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children. Atticus had also discussed that killing a Mockingbird is a sin. The bird tries to bring a little relief in a very harsh world. Toms actions were no different. Chapter 26: 1. a) Scout feels bad about all the things she had done just to see Boo. b)Scout still wants to see him but now respects his privacy. c)She’s is glad that Atticus never said anything about their previous activity. d)Scout doesnt seem to express any feelings about the â€Å"Current Events† she does pay attention to them, which shows that she is growing up. 2.The irony is that Miss Gate’s hates Hitler because of his racism toward Jews yet, she shows just as much racism towards african americans. 3. Jem reacts violently because he is still upset for what happened to Tom Robinson, the man who got accused for doing a crime he didnt do and who got killed for trying to escape. Since Miss Gates said that its horrible for Hitler to do horrible things to the Jews Jem agreed. But remember what she said about Tom and his trial.. Since he was black, he should have been guilty.. She is a hypocrite and is racist against black people. She says that Jews are people just like her, but Jews are white. Jem hates what happened to Tom; thats why he acted so violently towards Scout. Chapter 27: 1.Bob Ewell lost a job from the WPA and blamed Atticus for it. Judge Taylor thought his dog was making noises and opened the screen door and actually saw a shadow figure and kept a shotgun at his side; and Helen Robinson, Tom Robinsons widow got a job from Link Deas, who Tom used to work for, and was being harassed by Bob Ewell and his children. Bob Ewell is the type of man that holds a grudge. 2. Atticus had to work in Montgomery and was too tired to go. Alexandra feels tired and needs to go to sleep early because she helped with the stage for the play that Scout is in. Chapter 28: 1. Cecil Jacobs scares Jem and Scout by jumping out from behind a tree on there way to the school. 2. They think the noise might be Cecil Jacobs or the rustling of the leaves in the trees. 3. 4 people- Scout, Jem, Arthur Radley and Mr. Ewell Chapter 29: 1. Arthur Radley saved Jem and Scout from Mr. Radley. 2. I agree with Atticus, as I dont think Bob Ewell is worth anything because he tried to kill innocent mockingbirds (Jem and Scout). Additionally, he also holds grudges in the wrong ways for the wrong things , causing him to do crazy things. 3. It’s nothing like she’d imagined it would be and all she can say is â€Å"hey, Boo,† then she starts to cry. Chapter 30: 1.Scout is childish and has a curious nature, while Boo has somewhat of a childish curiosity about him. 2. I don’t think either of them believe either story. They both know who really killed Bob Ewell but they would never admit to it. 3. She said something like, well, it would be like shooting a mockingbird, wouldnt it? to Atticus. I dont know the actual quote. Chapter 31: 1. She understands how Boo feels. The entire part about her standing in Boos shoes and seeing all the things happening from his point of view. I guess Scout has matured a lot and realizes the rumors about Boo Radley were not true. 2. After reading the closing scene I was mostly wondering if Jem was going to be okay, if they would ever see Boo Radley again and what would happen to the Ewells.

Problems with Act Utilitarianism

Problems with Act Utilitarianism According to act utilitarianism, the measure of the value of an act is the amount by which it increases happiness to a person. If the act produces much happiness as compared to any other act then the act is morally right. To understand the term act utilitarianism, compare the consequences of doing a charity work and the consequences of watching TV at home. A person can generate more happiness by doing charity work as compared to watching TV. In this situation according to act utilitarianism, the right thing for a person is to do charity work as compared to watching TV because charity work will generate more happiness. Problem with Act utilitarianism Though there is some criticism on this theory because for some people the act of torturing and enslavement is a source of happiness and this theory allows these act morally. This act according to some critics justifies crime. Another issue about this act is that how will the happiness be calculated. This is always difficult to find out that which act will generate more happiness. Rule utilitarianism Rule utilitarianismÂÂ  is a form ofÂÂ  utilitarianismÂÂ  that says an action is correct only if it conforms to a rule that leads to the greatest good and generates happiness. For rule utilitarians, the amount of good brought about when followed determines its rightness. ÂÂ  Rule utilitarians argue that following some rules leads to the greatest good will, and this will have have better consequences overall. Problem with rule utilitarianism In some cases ÂÂ  breaking the rule produces more utility so people tend to break rules. In this case sub-rules should be added that can handle such cases. Difference between Act utilitarianism and Rule utilitarianism These two forms of utilitarianism differ from each other. Act utilitarianism is based on consequences while rule utilitarianism is based on rules. Act utilitarianism sees the consequence of an action in itself whereas rule utilitarianism sees the consequences as if it will be repeated all over again. Act utilitarianism before choosing an act first looks into the consequences then the one with the better consequence is selected while rule utilitarianism looks first into the consequences of choosing what rule to follow. The more correct choice is the rule that generates the greatest utility or happiness. According to the theories, act utilitarianism is the belief that it is correct to break a rule as long as it brings a greater good and happiness, while Rule utilitarianism is a belief that even if a rule does not bring a greater good, breaking it will not bring a good either. In Act Utilitarianism the value of an action is not judged in terms of laws. Instead it states that when the actions benefit the most people they are moral. For example, a person might say it is moral to murder someone if they are a danger to society. even though the law is present against murder. Rule utilitarianism states that an action is correct only in reference to a rule. It measures the amount of good an individual action does by acting according to a law. For example, taking the same example of murder, a person might say ÂÂ  Murder is wrong according to the law and if everyone follows the law, no one will have to be afraid of being murdered and we can be in public and private spaces without any fear. Conclusion Act utilitarianism states that an act is correct if the act produces much happiness as compared to any other act. Act utilitarianism sees the consequence of an action in itself . There is some criticism on this theory because for some people the act of torturing and enslavement is a source of happiness and this theory allows these act morally. Rule utilitarianismÂÂ  is a form ofÂÂ  utilitarianismÂÂ  that says an action is correct only if it conforms to a rule that leads to the greatest good and generates happiness. There is some criticism on this theory because in some cases ÂÂ  breaking the rule produces more utility so people tend to break rules. The difference between these two acts is that act utilitarianism sees the consequence of an action in itself whereas rule utilitarianism sees the consequences as if it will be repeated all over again. Act utilitarianism is the belief that it is correct to break a rule as long as it brings a greater good and happiness, while Rule utilitarianism is a belief that even if a rule does not bring a greater good, breaking it will not bring a good either.

The Thrill That Kills Essay -- Essays Papers

The Thrill That Kills Street racing has become a very dangerous sport in the 20th century. In the article The Thrill That Kills by Paul-Mark Rendon, he describes the dangers and consequences of illegal street racing. This article was published Sept. 17, 2001 in MacLean’s. This is an article that tries to reach out to street racers and also anyone interested in knowing more about street racing and its dangers. The article discusses how for the driver, racing is an exciting adrenaline rush, but for the people, is an endangerment to their safety. The author uses facts like how dozens of innocent people have died due to street racing. Even drivers themselves die because of losing control or hitting another car. This article makes readers think twice about wanting to go out on the streets and race. This article gives evidence that street racing is very dangerous. The author gives clear evidence to support his topic that illegal street racing is dangerous. Racing on a public road can have many variables that can lead to the worst. Some of these variables are that â€Å"where unexpected traffic, uneven roads and inexperienced drivers, some as young as 16, form a deadly combination.† The author tells how an innocent person walking across the street, was hit by one of three cars racing that were traveling approximately 200 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. The body was thrown 80 meters and died before he hit the ground. â€Å"In Vancouver alone, police count six fatalities from street racing in the past year.† Mark uses this information to get his point through to the readers because people are most affected when they hear about other people dying. Paul- Mark explains how driving experience on the streets is very low. Hardly any of the... ...there. Paul-Mark tells how the Darknights are a good cause, but â€Å"there’s always going to be a situation where there’s heated argument and no one wants to waste their time and say, ‘We’ll settle this at the racetrack.’ We’ll pick a road, we’ll do it for this much and then we’ll go home.† This makes the reader realize how even though street racers are aware of the tremendous dangers of street racing and have a legal way to do it, they still would rather put people’s lives at risk and race on the streets. Although this article appeals to common sense the most, Paul-Mark’s claims are obvious with very good example to back those claims up. Readers get the full picture of what is really going down in the street racing scene and how the dangers continue to exist. Paul-Mark has strong appeals and emotions throughout this paper that keeps readers hooked the entire time.

Troops should NOT be Withdrawn from Iraq :: War Military

Iraq is not stable enough to risk the United States withdrawing their troops, security is too weak and it will show in the near future. It is evident that Iraq cannot hold a steady government that can support the people and maintain a state of armistice throughout these hard times that the country is going through. This statement is clear seeing that there have been about one hundred and sixty three insurgent attacks daily since May of 2007. The United States is currently controlling the country due to Iraq housing terrorist groups that withhold weapons of mass destruction. Like Al Qaeda for example, their leader, Osama Bin Laden has been on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s â€Å"Most Wanted† list since the year of 2003. Ever since March 19th of 2003 many people have died because of this evil, ruthless man. That is why the United States Defense Department has kept our troops stable in Iraq to prevent some outrageous outbreak of violence. David Patraeus is a General in the United States Army and has written several reports on the war in Iraq and the progress the United States has made. He states that are still enormous difficulties that Iraq has to deal with. A lot of that may come from the many terror groups that inhabit the country. General Patraeus also says, â€Å"the addition of troops will enable the growth of Iraqi security†. (Patraeus 12) He, and many of the other brave men serving in the military completely understand that they have made substantial progress but know for a fact that the situation is still fragile and very reversible. Why would we pull our troops out of something that could be reversed? Would that not be a waste of taxpayer time and money? The General was actually asked why the troops are still in the country, he replied that the only way to secure the population of Iraq is by living with them. The last thing he noted is that he noticed that as force levels grew, the security s ituation improved. The better the security, the more likeliness that the soldiers can come home sooner. Troops should NOT be Withdrawn from Iraq :: War Military Iraq is not stable enough to risk the United States withdrawing their troops, security is too weak and it will show in the near future. It is evident that Iraq cannot hold a steady government that can support the people and maintain a state of armistice throughout these hard times that the country is going through. This statement is clear seeing that there have been about one hundred and sixty three insurgent attacks daily since May of 2007. The United States is currently controlling the country due to Iraq housing terrorist groups that withhold weapons of mass destruction. Like Al Qaeda for example, their leader, Osama Bin Laden has been on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s â€Å"Most Wanted† list since the year of 2003. Ever since March 19th of 2003 many people have died because of this evil, ruthless man. That is why the United States Defense Department has kept our troops stable in Iraq to prevent some outrageous outbreak of violence. David Patraeus is a General in the United States Army and has written several reports on the war in Iraq and the progress the United States has made. He states that are still enormous difficulties that Iraq has to deal with. A lot of that may come from the many terror groups that inhabit the country. General Patraeus also says, â€Å"the addition of troops will enable the growth of Iraqi security†. (Patraeus 12) He, and many of the other brave men serving in the military completely understand that they have made substantial progress but know for a fact that the situation is still fragile and very reversible. Why would we pull our troops out of something that could be reversed? Would that not be a waste of taxpayer time and money? The General was actually asked why the troops are still in the country, he replied that the only way to secure the population of Iraq is by living with them. The last thing he noted is that he noticed that as force levels grew, the security s ituation improved. The better the security, the more likeliness that the soldiers can come home sooner.

The Intersection of Race, Sexual Orientation and Religion in the Gay Co

Intersectionality is a relevant theory for some gay, lesbian or bisexual individuals. Intersectionality studies "the relationships among multiple dimensions and modalities of social relationships and subject formations" (McCall, 2005). The theory argues, pursues and considers how gender, race, sexual orientation and other categories of identity interact on many and often concurring levels of social relationships, therefore allowing discrimination and social inequity. Intersectionality explains how the notion of social injustice, such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and belief-based bigotry such as religion are not independent of one another; instead, they are interconnected, and thereby reflect â€Å"intersectionality† in regards to social relationships. Humans are multifaceted beings; we move, maneuver and adjust, to present different and appropriate representations of ourselves to others, based on the circumstances. Perhaps we look for a reflection of ourselves within the groups with we associate. We strive to understand ourselves, in part by the people with whom we come in contact the most, namely our family, friends and co-workers. Race, sexual orientation and religion, individually, are hot bed topics of discussion, but how do each one of those issues, or all of them intersect in the life of someone who is gay, lesbian or bisexual, and how do those individuals manage those identities as they negotiate the multicultural experience that we call life? Does culture have an impact on the identity of homosexual persons? To what extent may devotion to a particular faith cause discordance between gay and religious identities? The research examines, and attempts to determine what effect racial identity, sexual orientation, an... ...d Participants of a Gay-Positive Church. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 39(3), 333. doi: 10. 1111/0021-8294. 00028 Schulte, L. J. , & Battle, J. (2004). The Relative Importance of Ethnicity and Religion in Predicting Attitudes Towards Gays and Lesbians. Journal of Homosexuality, 47(2), 127-142. doi: 10. 1300/J082v47n02_08 Tajfel, H. , & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds. ), The Social psychology of intergroup relations. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole Pub. Walton, G. (2006). "Fag Church" : Men Who Integrate Gay and Christian Identities. Journal of Homosexuality, 51(2), 1-17. doi: 10. 1300/J082v51n02_01 Ward, E. G. (2005, September). Homophobia, hypermasculinity and the US black church. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 7(5), 493-504. doi: 10. 1080/13691050500151248

Giberson’s Glass Studio

Giberson’s Glass Studio Comparison of the Past and Recommendations for the Future Giberson’s Glass Studio Income Statement For the Year Ending August 31, 2007 Revenues: Sales $ 31,080 Total Revenue $31,080 Expenses: Materials $ 857 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210 Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 25,352 Net Income 5,728 Executive Summary This report is to provide an evaluation of the current financial position and prospective profitability of Giberson’s Glass Studio.The calculations used and information are presented in the documents following and outlining each recommendation. We find the company to be in positive financial standing, but with large areas of weakness that will require further investigation and action by management. We will present the following recommendations: * Reset Pricing Structure * Use of Part Time Labor * Time Management Plan * Demonstration Shows * Product Line Expansion Recommendation # 1-Reset Pricing Structure Assumpt ions: * No other changes (i. e. batch size, production size, labor, etc. ) * Increase in Net Income is preferred.Price per Item Calculations: Batch Price-$21. 43 Salary per Working Week-$625. 00 Total Costs per Week-$646. 43 Produced Pounds-39. 3 lbs. Costs per item: Patterned Glass-$8. 22 each Paperweights-$14. 80 each Wrapped Tumblers-$8. 22 each Vases-$9. 87 each We suggest a 50% mark-up from the total cost of each item. Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #1 For the Year Ending August 31, 20XX Revenues: Sales $ 40,520 Total Revenue $ 40,520 Expenses: Materials $ 857 Gas9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210 Depreciation4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 25,352Net Income $ 15,168 Recommendation # 2-Use Part Time Labor Assumptions: * Interested in increasing efficiency. * Productions tasks are completed by Mr. Giberson only. * $5/hour meets or exceeds Minimum Wage requirements. Part-Time workers will be completing â€Å"cold time† production act ivities, such as grinding, sanding, and polishing. They will also be packing and shipping, cleaning, clerical duties, and serving customers in store front. Using part-time labor will allow for increased efficiency and allow products to be created and finished simultaneously, which allows for more production during each day.We suggest adding two part-time employees at $5/hour. Employee no. 1- Grinding, sanding and polishing 30 hours per week x ($5. 00 per hour) = $150 per week Employee no. 2- Clerical work, customer service, cleaning 30 hours per week x ($5. 00 per hour) = $150 per week Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #1 & 2 For the Year Ending August 31, 20XX Revenues: Sales $ 40,520 Total Revenue $ 40,520 Expenses: Materials $ 857 Additional Labor 12,000 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 37,352 Net Income $ 3,168 Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #2 For th e Year Ending August 31, 20XX Revenues: Sales$ 31,080 Total Revenue $ 31,080 Expenses: Materials$ 857 Additional Labor 12,000 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210 Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 37,352 Net Loss ($6,272) Recommendation # 3-Time Management Plan Assumptions: * Interested in increasing profitability and efficiency. Increase in Net Income is preferred. * Recommendation #2 is accepted. Based on the recommendations made during the time management plan, we would like to increase the number of pieces produced, ultimately increasing profitability and reducing waste. Higher production would allow your backlog to catch up and allow for made-to-order products to be considered and produced. Time Management will help you be more aware of your productivity, keep you on task, and help you become the most productive that you can be. Time is money, as it relates to production. Giberson’s Plan of Weekly ProductionDay of the Week| Time Period| Task| Description| Pro duction Time| Amount of Production| Sunday| 8 am – 5 pm| Charging| Melting Material for Batch| N/A| N/A| Monday| 8 am – 5 pm| Fining| Process to allow air bubbles to escape| N/A| N/A| Tuesday-Saturday| 8 am – 10 am| Lighting the Glory Hole| Procedure to begin daily production| N/A| N/A| | 10 am – 11 am| Heating Ovens| Turning on Annealing Ovens| N/A| N/A| | 11 am- 12 noon| Blowing| Paperweights| 15 minutes each| 4 per day/20 per week| | 12 noon – 1 pm| Blowing| Vases| 25 minutes each| 2 per day/10 per week| | 1 pm- 2 pm| Lunch Break| N/A| N/A| N/A| 2 pm -4 pm| Blowing| Glasses| 15 minutes each| 8 per day/40 per week| | 4 pm – 6 pm| Blowing| Wrapped Tumblers| 15 minutes each| 8 per day/40 per week| Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #1, 2, & 3 For the Year Ending August 31, 20XX Revenues: Sales$ 57,920 Total Revenue $ 57,920 Expenses: Materials$ 857 Additional Labor 12,000 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10, 210 Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 37,352 Net Income $20,568Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #2 & 3 For the Year Ending August 31, 20XX Revenues: Sales$ 43,920 Total Revenue $ 43,920 Expenses: Materials$ 857 Additional Labor 12,000 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210 Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 37,352 Net Income$ 6,568 Recommendation # 4- Demonstration Shows Assumptions: * Recommendation #2 and 3 are accepted. * Pricing remains the same structure, even though it costs less to produce each item. Room for 10 people maximum, with average of 7 people attending at each time slot. Based on the recommendations made under the time management plan, we would like to increase the number of pieces produced, while allowing time with customers on a small group basis to meet desires of customers and owner. Demonstration shows could charge $2 per person per showing, allowing for an additional stream of income, beyond glass p roducts. Each show would be 30 minutes long, allowing for show of making product, discussion, and question and answer time. Giberson’s Plan of Weekly ProductionDay of the Week| Time Period| Task| Description| Production Time| Amount of Production| Sunday| 8 am – 5 pm| Charging| Melting Material for Batch| N/A| N/A| Monday| 8 am – 5 pm| Fining| Process to allow air bubbles to escape| N/A| N/A| Tuesday-Friday| 8 am – 10 am| Lighting the Glory Hole| Procedure to begin daily production| N/A| N/A| | 10 am – 11 am| Heating Ovens| Turning on Annealing Ovens| N/A| N/A| | 11 am- 12 noon| Blowing| Paperweights| 15 minutes each| 4 per day/16 per week| | 12 noon – 1 pm| Blowing| Vases| 25 minutes each| 2 per day/8 per week| | 1 pm- 2 pm| Lunch Break| N/A| N/A| N/A| 2 pm -4 pm| Blowing| Glasses| 15 minutes each| 8 per day/32 per week| | 4 pm – 6 pm| Blowing| Wrapped Tumblers| 15 minutes each| 8 per day/32 per week| Saturday| 9 am – 10 am| H eating Ovens| Turning on Annealing Ovens| N/A| N/A| | 10 am -11 am| Shows| Paperweights| 15 minutes each| 2 per day| | 11 am – 12 noon| Shows| Vases| 25 minutes each| 2 per day| | 12 noon – 1 pm| Lunch Break| N/A| N/A| N/A| | 1 pm – 2 pm| Shows| Glasses| 15 minutes| 2 per day| | 2 pm – 3 pm| Shows| Wrapped Tumblers| 15 minutes| 2 per day|Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #1, 2, 3 & 4 For the Year Ending August 31, 20XX Revenues: Sales$ 43,920 Show Revenue 4,480 Total Revenue $ 62,400 Expenses: Materials$ 857 Additional Labor 12,000 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210 Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 37,352 Net Income$25,048 Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #2 & 3 For the Year Ending August 31, 20XXRevenues: Sales$ 43,920 Show Revenue 4,408 Total Revenue $ 48,400 Expenses: Materials$ 857 Additional Labor 12,000 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210 Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 37,352 Net Income $ 11,048 Recommendation # 5- Product Line Expansion Assumptions: * Interested in adding new and different products. * Increase in Net Income is preferred. * Interested in using massive parts of weekly batch that is usually wasted .

Candide by Voltaire Essay

1) What is the relationship between Candide’s adventures and Pangloss’s teachings? In Candide, we see lives filled with struggles and tragedy. Although Candide witnessed and fell victim to worldly evils of cruelty and suffering, he maintained his optimistic views through much of the novel. Candide picked up this idea of optimism through Pangloss’s teachings. Although he did not see any good reasons to disbelieve Pangloss’s teachings while living in the Baron’s castle, once in the outside world, Candide experiences many tragic events that make him, and the reader, question the philosophy of optimism. Candide’s adventures, starting when he is kicked out of the Barons castle, clearly represented an imperfect world, full of atrocities that contradicted Pangloss’s teachings. The events that break apart Pangloss’s teachings begin almost immediately when Candide is thrown in the streets to live on his own. He runs into recruiting officers of the King of Bulgars. They have him toast to the health of their king, but then beat Candide severely and put irons on his legs. Luckily though, the king comes by and tells them to spare Candide since he is innocent. Soon after that, Candide witnesses an awful, bloody battle between two armies. This horrible spectacle shows us how hateful and violent people are in this world. Later, he finds a beggar who turns out to be Pangloss. Pangloss shares some of the horrible things he had been put through and that Candide’s one and only love had been raped and her entire family had been murdered when the Baron’s castle had been taken over. Once with Pangloss, he has many new adventures. While out at sea with Pangloss and Jacques, a violent storm occurred and destroyed their ship. Many innocent passengers are killed including Jacques, who died saving a sailor. The innocent passengers’ deaths disprove Pangloss’ theory since it appeared the bad that came out of the shipwreck led to nothing good for them; instead, only brought them to their deaths. When the sailor, Pangloss, and Candide get into Lisbon, an earthquake destroys most of the city. A  tidal wave also crushes ships in the port. In an effort to prevent another earthquake, wise men take ridiculous actions against the slightest wrongdoing. Candide and Pangloss end up getting arrested. Pangloss is hanged and Candide is beaten badly. The ridiculous actions taken place prove to be futile when another earthquake erupts the next day. All of the bad that came from the first earthquake provided no good. Pangloss had been hung for no reason and Jacques, a good man, had died from the storm out at sea. The reader is left wondering how these horrible events could result in a greater good. Candide finds that God might have spared one place on earth, El Dorado. He finds this seemingly perfect city, yet does not want to stay because is still in love with Cunegonde. The king gives him and Cacambo a few sheep and some gold. This portion of the story brings a little light, yet the whole world cannot be like El Dorado, and people who do live in perfect worlds cannot even appreciate it because they have nothing to compare the high points against. Since life is always perfect, they live in lethargic boredom and cannot truly appreciate how well off they truly are. We also see times of happiness and good fortune that restore Candide’s faith in optimism throughout the book. Such periods include when we find Pangloss survived, and the points in the book when Candide and Cunegonde get to be together, even for short amounts of time. Towards the end of the story, Candide begins to question Pangloss’ philosophy more and more. Although we find events that support optimism, we find more counterexamples. Although Pangloss and the Barons son are found alive, they tell Candide their escapes from death, and the tortures they had been put through afterwards. Soon after they free Pangloss and the Baron’s son from slavery, the men go and find Cunegonde, the woman Candide had been searching to live with and love for his entire life. When they do find her, she is extremely ugly and Candide no longer wants to marry her. Although he is no longer attracted to her, he is a man of his word and feels he must do his duty to take care of her and love her. Now, he is stuck with a woman he no longer lusts over. Candide has finally found what he had been sacrificing for all of his life to find, yet is not satisfied with what he has acquired  for his hard work. Throughout the entire story of Candide, we are bombarded with horrendous events that happened to an individual to disprove Pangloss’s teachings. Candide’s adventures encountered such atrocities as murder, rape, slavery, and prostitution. The bad events that occur in Candide, help show that the world is not perfect, and that not everything happens for the greater good in the end. Candide’s adventures, great in number, show us how bad others lives turned out as well as their friends and families lives were hurt as well, such as the old woman. In the end, Candide finally realizes that optimism is not a flawless philosophy, and that the idea of working hard and enjoying life is better than waiting around for the good you think will happen. Candide’s adventures helped to contradict optimism and ultimately changed Candide’s beliefs from optimism to a realization of reality. Candide begins to live a simple life, working hard to avoid boredom, vice, and pov erty.

Digby Annual Report

[pic] C55847 – Digby Annual Report By Yan Lang, Ching-Hsiang Lin, Shu Ou-Yang, Nuo Xu Shareholder Letter To Our Shareholder, Customers, and Employees: The past eight years have marked an extraordinary level of progress for Digby Electric Sensors and its shareholders. In the past eight years, the company was able to turn its stocks from $34. 25 per share into $45. 77, plus issuing a total of $10 dividends per share along the way. While this level of performance is very rarely rivaled by any type of investment, our company is most proud of the sustainable within the environment and continues growth rate in the electric sensor industry.Eight years ago, our management team touted the importance of the following four guiding principles that helped to make Digby’s success today: 1. Cost leadership: By bringing labor and raw material costs down years ahead of the competition, our company has able to enjoy the prevailing market price and generating excess profits. 2. Low price products: By taking aggressive actions early to bring down the costs of production, our company has been able to output the highest quality line of electric sensors and offer low selling price in the industry. 3.Aggressive marketing: Aggressive spending in marketing every year has helped the company to gain customer awareness in preparation for eventual lower per unit production costs. This immediately helped Digby to sales in high volumes. 4. Board diversified products: In each segment, our company keeps trying to become the product leader. We spent heavily in TQM in order to reduce R&D cycle also increase market demand. The level of return on investments our company has been able to deliver by following the four listed principles is not only a tribute to our past success, but also serves as a source of optimism for Digby’s future.In the following pages you will find more detailed information on the dominate positioning our company holds in the industry as well as adjustment s to be made to further increase shareholder value. Best Regards, Digby Corp. Corporation Profile: Overall about the company Lang, Yan- Chief Executive Office and Chief Operations Officer established Digby, Inc. on January 22nd, 2013. The company’s headquarters are located in center Arlington, TX. Digby, Corp. is currently one of the leading manufacturers of high quality sensor chips in the United States.Yan founded the company on the premise that it would successfully produce and sell sensors of highest quality and reliability to various segments of consumers with all type of needs, such as those for newness and affordability, and would continue to place a strong focus on research and innovation to persistently cater to these changing needs and maintain a substantial amount of market share in the growing market. Digby’s product line includes Daze, Dell, Dixie, Dot and Dune, which are sold online, as well as through local technology retailers nationwide.Digby has provi ded quality products for many successful applications and has helped many companies achieve their project objectives with the highest standards of quality and reliability. Our Mission & Vision â€Å"At Digby, Corp. , we are dedicated to providing optimal sensors for our customer’s needs and wants. Our guiding objectives are customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. Our overall goal is to consistently strive to deliver the highest quality products and technology and offer competitive pricing in each and every target segment of users. Culture â€Å"We want employees to be proud of the work they do, and to remember that they are part of Digby, Corp. committed to providing excellent service and exceptional products to the public,† Core Values Integrity — Build  mutual trust through ethical and responsible thoughts, words, and actions. Teamwork — Collaborate, share information openly, leverage our diversity, be transparent. Speak up, debate, and dis agree, but decide, commit to the decision, and make it a success. Winning Mindset — Be positive, adaptable, and competitive.Deliver results to ensure the success of Altera and our customers. Accountability — Define, own, and answer to your area of responsibility. Innovation — Think forward, take calculated risks, be agents of change, adapt quickly. Create a learning environment where we develop our skills and invest in our employees. Executive Leader [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] Strategies: Digby, Corp. takes pride as a broad cost leadership and broad differentiation strategies to develop competitive advantages in the sensor industry.In the past eight years, Digby sensors were designed to fit a wider array of preferences, such as those for a brand new product, known as the Traditional segment; a premium priced product that offers both high performance and desirable size, known as the High End segment; an extraordinary performing product, known as the High Performance segment; a smaller sized product, known as Size segment; and finally, a lower priced product, which is referred to as the Low End segment.However, once the company executives began to recognize which stood out amongst the rest as the most promising for increasing revenues and producing maximum returns, Digby’s overall strategy was shifted to emphasize only on the Traditional, Performance, and Low End segments and in improving existing products in these categories while also creating new. In the first five years, we invest generous amount in TQM in order to reduce material, labor and administrative costs, shorten the length of time required for R&D projects to complete and increase demand for the product line enable for us to make more profits in short term.Further, we believes that wise use of resources and increasing efficiency are key in building long term success and that pinpointing the most effective outlets for accessing target consumers and utilizing a large marketing and promotional budget are essential for creating and maintaining awareness of Digby, Corp. and its products. Financial Highlights: (In Thousands of Dollars, except Per Share Data) | | | |Revenue | |Net Cash Flow | |Operating Activities | |Closing Financial Position | |Total Equity | |Per Common Share | |Market Value | |Financial Ratios | |% ROS |13. | |Cost leadership strategy |Low market share | |Board diversified products |Less diversity | |Strong brand equity |Low customer awareness and accessibility | |Strong financial position |High stock price | |Competitive wages and profit sharing | | |Loyalty customers | | |Opportunities |Threats | |Emerging markets and expansion abroad |Severe competition | |Innovation |Cheaper technology | |Product and services expansion |Reduction in demand from economic regression | |Increase customer satisfaction scores |Lower cost competitors or imports. |Aggressive spending in advertisement. |Maturing categories, products, or services | Risk& Uncertainty: Digby faces the uncertainty and risks of the competitive market in the sensor industry and the reduction in demand from economic regression, the top management team still dedicated to increase the market share and the stock price in the sensor industry. These results emphasize the role of uncertainty as a determinant of investment spending, and suggest that policies that reduce volatility may lower the required cost of capital. By using SWOT analysis, our management team figures out that add value to our products and decrease our product’s weakness.Digby using the cost leadership strategy to attract the target customers and also tries to decrease the labor and raw material costs, relative to that of competitors. Although cost leadership implies keeping costs as low as possible, our products and services still have qualities and features that customer find acceptable. On the other hand, our company keeps trying to become the product leader in each segment, w e spent heavily investment in the TQM in order to reduce R&D cycle also increase market demand. Future of the company: Digby is a company has lots of growing potential and energy. In the past eight years, we have just set a strong foundation for our company’s future grows. We will keep expanding its manufacture plants and focusing on board diversified products that meet customers’ need.With the â€Å"AAA† investment rating, we will invest heavily with low interest payments in R&D and TQM departments, so we would keep its low cost advantage within the industry. In the next five years, our targeted market share is 25%, and our targeted stock price is $65 with an overall $15 per share dividend payment. In the near future, we will start to use our best effort to develop, to expand, and to grow. And then, we will become the industry leader and enjoy the profits that we made. ———————– Lang, Yan Founder Chief Exec utive Officer Chief Operations Officer Lin, Ching-Hsiang Vice President of Marketing and Sales Shu, Ou-yang Chief Financial Officer Xu, Nuo Vice President of Human Resources

The Lost Symbol Chapter 102-106

CHAPTER 102 Robert Langdon had often heard it said that an animal, when cornered, was capable of miraculous feats of strength. Nonetheless, when he threw his full force into the underside of his crate, nothing budged at all. Around him, the liquid continued rising steadily. With no more than six inches of breathing room left, Langdon had lifted his head into the pocket of air that remained. He was now face-to-face with the Plexiglas window, his eyes only inches away from the underside of the stone pyramid whose baffling engraving hovered above him. I have no idea what this means. Concealed for over a century beneath a hardened mixture of wax and stone dust, the Masonic Pyramid's final inscription was now laid bare. The engraving was a perfectly square grid of symbols from every tradition imaginable–alchemical, astrological, heraldic, angelic, magical, numeric, sigilic, Greek, Latin. As a totality, this was symbolic anarchy–a bowl of alphabet soup whose letters came from dozens of different languages, cultures, and time periods. Total chaos. Symbologist Robert Langdon, in his wildest academic interpretations, could not fathom how this grid of symbols could be deciphered to mean anything at all. Order from this chaos? Impossible. The liquid was now creeping over his Adam's apple, and Langdon could feel his level of terror rising along with it. He continued banging on the tank. The pyramid stared back at him tauntingly. In frantic desperation, Langdon focused every bit of his mental energy on the chessboard of symbols. What could they possibly mean? Unfortunately, the assortment seemed so disparate that he could not even imagine where to begin. They're not even from the same eras in history! Outside the tank, her voice muffled but audible, Katherine could be heard tearfully begging for Langdon's release. Despite his failure to see a solution, the prospect of death seemed to motivate every cell in his body to find one. He felt a strange clarity of mind, unlike anything he had ever experienced. Think! He scanned the grid intensely, searching for some clue–a pattern, a hidden word, a special icon, anything at all–but he saw only a grid of unrelated symbols. Chaos. With each passing second, Langdon had begun to feel an eerie numbness overtaking his body. It was as if his very flesh were preparing to shield his mind from the pain of death. The water was now threatening to pour into his ears, and he lifted his head as far as he could, pushing it against the top of the crate. Frightening images began flashing before his eyes. A boy in New England treading water at the bottom of a dark well. A man in Rome trapped beneath a skeleton in an overturned coffin. Katherine's shouts were growing more frantic. From all Langdon could hear, she was trying to reason with a madman–insisting that Langdon could not be expected to decipher the pyramid without going to visit the Almas Temple. â€Å"That building obviously holds the missing piece to this puzzle! How can Robert decipher the pyramid without all the information?!† Langdon appreciated her efforts, and yet he felt certain that â€Å"Eight Franklin Square† was not pointing to the Almas Temple. The time line is all wrong! According to legend, the Masonic Pyramid was created in the mid-1800s, decades before the Shriners even existed. In fact, Langdon realized, it was probably before the square was even called Franklin Square. The capstone could not possibly have been pointing to an unbuilt building at a nonexistent address. Whatever â€Å"Eight Franklin Square† was pointing to . . . it had to exist in 1850. Unfortunately, Langdon was drawing a total blank. He probed his memory banks for anything that could possibly fit the time line. Eight Franklin Square? Something that was in existence in 1850? Langdon came up with nothing. The liquid was trickling into his ears now. Fighting his terror, he stared up at the grid of symbols on the glass. I don't understand the connection! In a petrified frenzy, his mind began spewing all the far-flung parallels it could generate. Eight Franklin Square . . . squares . . . this grid of symbols is a square . . . the square and the compass are Masonic symbols . . . Masonic altars are square . . . squares have ninety-degree angles. The water kept rising, but Langdon blocked it out. Eight Franklin . . . eight . . . this grid is eight-by-eight . . . Franklin has eight letters . . . â€Å"The Order† has eight letters . . . 8 is the rotated symbol for infinity . . . eight is the number of destruction in numerology . . . Langdon had no idea. Outside the tank, Katherine was still pleading, but Langdon's hearing was now intermittent as the water was sloshing around his head. † . . . impossible without knowing . . . capstone's message clearly . . . the secret hides within–â€Å" Then she was gone. Water poured into Langdon's ears, blotting out the last of Katherine's voice. A sudden womblike silence engulfed him, and Langdon realized he truly was going to die. The secret hides within– Katherine's final words echoed through the hush of his tomb. The secret hides within . . . Strangely, Langdon realized he had heard these exact words many times before. The secret hides . . . within. Even now, it seemed, the Ancient Mysteries were taunting him. â€Å"The secret hides within† was the core tenet of the mysteries, urging man kind to seek God not in the heavens above . . . but rather within himself. The secret hides within. It was the message of all the great mystical teachers. The kingdom of God is within you, said Jesus Christ. Know thyself, said Pythagoras. Know ye not that ye are gods, said Hermes Trismegistus. The list went on and on . . . All the mystical teachings of the ages had attempted to convey this one idea. The secret hides within. Even so, mankind continued looking to the heavens for the face of God. This realization, for Langdon, now became an ultimate irony. Right now, with his eyes facing the heavens like all the blind men who preceded him, Robert Langdon suddenly saw the light. It hit him like a bolt from above. The secret hides within The Order Eight Franklin Square In a flash he understood. The message on the capstone was suddenly crystal clear. Its meaning had been staring him in the face all night. The text on the capstone, like the Masonic Pyramid itself, was a symbolon–a code in pieces–a message written in parts. The capstone's meaning was camouflaged in so simple a manner that Langdon could scarcely believe he and Katherine had not spotted it. More astonishing still, Langdon now realized that the message on the capstone did indeed reveal exactly how to decipher the grid of symbols on the base of the pyramid. It was so very simple. Exactly as Peter Solomon had promised, the golden capstone was a potent talisman with the power to bring order from chaos. Langdon began pounding on the lid and shouting, â€Å"I know! I know!† Above him, the stone pyramid lifted off and hovered away. In its place, the tattooed face reappeared, its chilling visage staring down through the small window. â€Å"I solved it!† Langdon shouted. â€Å"Let me out!† When the tattooed man spoke, Langdon's submerged ears heard nothing. His eyes, however, saw the lips speak two words. â€Å"Tell me.† â€Å"I will!† Langdon screamed, the water almost to his eyes. â€Å"Let me out! I'll explain everything!† It's so simple. The man's lips moved again. â€Å"Tell me now . . . or die.† With the water rising through the final inch of air space, Langdon tipped his head back to keep his mouth above the waterline. As he did so, warm liquid poured into his eyes, blurring his vision. Arching his back, he pressed his mouth against the Plexiglas window. Then, with his last few seconds of air, Robert Langdon shared the secret of how to decipher the Masonic Pyramid. As he finished speaking, the liquid rose around his lips. Instinctively, Langdon drew a final breath and clamped his mouth shut. A moment later, the fluid covered him entirely, reaching the top of his tomb and spreading out across the Plexiglas. He did it, Mal'akh realized. Langdon figured out how to solve the pyramid. The answer was so simple. So obvious. Beneath the window, the submerged face of Robert Langdon stared up at him with desperate and beseeching eyes. Mal'akh shook his head at him and slowly mouthed the words: â€Å"Thank you, Professor. Enjoy the afterlife.† CHAPTER 103 As a serious swimmer, Robert Langdon had often wondered what it would feel like to drown. He now knew he was going to learn firsthand. Although he could hold his breath longer than most people, he could already feel his body reacting to the absence of air. Carbon dioxide was accumulating in his blood, bringing with it the instinctual urge to inhale. Do not breathe! The reflex to inhale was increasing in intensity with each passing moment. Langdon knew very soon he would reach what was called the breath-hold breakpoint–that critical moment at which a person could no longer voluntarily hold his breath. Open the lid! Langdon's instinct was to pound and struggle, but he knew better than to waste valuable oxygen. All he could do was stare up through the blur of water above him and hope. The world outside was now only a hazy patch of light above the Plexiglas window. His core muscles had begun burning, and he knew hypoxia was setting in. Suddenly a beautiful and ghostly face appeared, gazing down at him. It was Katherine, her soft features looking almost ethereal through the veil of liquid. Their eyes met through the Plexiglas window, and for an instant, Langdon thought he was saved. Katherine! Then he heard her muted cries of horror and realized she was being held there by their captor. The tattooed monster was forcing her to bear witness to what was about to happen. Katherine, I'm sorry . . . In this strange, dark place, trapped underwater, Langdon strained to comprehend that these would be his final moments of life. Soon he would cease to exist . . . everything he was . . . or had ever been . . . or would ever be . . . was ending. When his brain died, all of the memories held in his gray matter, along with all of the knowledge he had acquired, would simply evaporate in a flood of chemical reactions. In this moment, Robert Langdon realized his true insignificance in the universe. It was as lonely and humbling a feeling as he had ever experienced. Almost thankfully, he could feel the breath-hold breakpoint arriving. The moment was upon him. Langdon's lungs forced out their spent contents, collapsing in eager preparation to inhale. Still he held out an instant longer. His final second. Then, like a man no longer able to hold his hand to a burning stove, he gave himself over to fate. Reflex overruled reason. His lips parted. His lungs expanded. And the liquid came pouring in. The pain that filled his chest was greater than Langdon had ever imagined. The liquid burned as it poured into his lungs. Instantly, the pain shot upward into his skull, and he felt like his head was being crushed in a vise. There was great thundering in his ears, and through it all, Katherine Solomon was screaming. There was a blinding flash of light. And then blackness. Robert Langdon was gone. CHAPTER 104 It's over. Katherine Solomon had stopped screaming. The drowning she had just witnessed had left her catatonic, virtually paralyzed with shock and despair. Beneath the Plexiglas window, Langdon's dead eyes stared past her into empty space. His frozen expression was one of pain and regret. The last tiny air bubbles trickled out of his lifeless mouth, and then, as if consenting to give up his ghost, the Harvard professor slowly began sinking to the bottom of the tank . . . where he disappeared into the shadows. He's gone. Katherine felt numb. The tattooed man reached down, and with pitiless finality, he slid the small viewing window closed, sealing Langdon's corpse inside. Then he smiled at her. â€Å"Shall we?† Before Katherine could respond, he hoisted her grief-stricken body onto his shoulder, turned out the light, and carried her out of the room. With a few powerful strides, he transported her to the end of the hall, into a large space that seemed to be bathed in a reddish-purple light. The room smelled like incense. He carried her to a square table in the center of the room and dropped her hard on her back, knocking the wind out of her. The surface felt rough and cold. Is this stone? Katherine had hardly gotten her bearings before the man had removed the wire from her wrists and ankles. Instinctively, she attempted to fight him off, but her cramped arms and legs barely responded. He now began strapping her to the table with heavy leather bands, cinching one strap across her knees and then buckling a second across her hips, pinning her arms at her sides. Then he placed a final strap across her sternum, just above her breasts. It had all taken only moments, and Katherine was again immobilized. Her wrists and ankles throbbed now as the circulation returned to her limbs. â€Å"Open your mouth,† the man whispered, licking his own tattooed lips. Katherine clenched her teeth in revulsion. The man again reached out with his index finger and ran it slowly around her lips, making her skin crawl. She clenched her teeth tighter. The tattooed man chuckled and, using his other hand, found a pressure point on her neck and squeezed. Katherine's jaw instantly dropped open. She could feel his finger entering her mouth and running along her tongue. She gagged and tried to bite it, but the finger was already gone. Still grinning, he raised his moist fingertip before her eyes. Then he closed his eyes and, once again, rubbed her saliva into the bare circle of flesh on his head. The man sighed and slowly opened his eyes. Then, with an eerie calm, he turned and left the room. In the sudden silence, Katherine could feel her heart pounding. Directly over her, an unusual series of lights seemed to be modulating from purple red to a deep crimson, illuminating the room's low ceiling. When she saw the ceiling, all she could do was stare. Every inch was covered with drawings. The mind-boggling collage above her appeared to depict the celestial sky. Stars, planets, and constellations mingled with astrological symbols, charts, and formulas. There were arrows predicting elliptical orbits, geometric symbols indicating angles of ascension, and zodiacal creatures peering down at her. It looked like a mad scientist had gotten loose in the Sistine Chapel. Turning her head, Katherine looked away, but the wall to her left was no better. A series of candles on medieval floor stands shed a flickering glow on a wall that was completely hidden beneath pages of text, photos, and drawings. Some of the pages looked like papyrus or vellum torn from ancient books; others were obviously from newer texts; mixed in were photographs, drawings, maps, and schematics; all of them appeared to have been glued to the wall with meticulous care. A spiderweb of strings had been thumbtacked across them, interconnecting them in limitless chaotic possibilities. Katherine again looked away, turning her head in the other direction. Unfortunately, this provided the most terrifying view of all. Adjacent to the stone slab on which she was strapped, there stood a small side counter that instantly reminded her of an instrument table from a hospital operating room. On the counter was arranged a series of objects–among them a syringe, a vial of dark liquid . . . and a large knife with a bone handle and a blade hewn of iron burnished to an unusually high shine. My God . . . what is he planning to do to me? CHAPTER 105 When CIA systems security specialist Rick Parrish finally loped into Nola Kaye's office, he was carrying a single sheet of paper. â€Å"What took you so long?!† Nola demanded. I told you to come down immediately! â€Å"Sorry,† he said, pushing up his bottle-bottom glasses on his long nose. â€Å"I was trying to gather more information for you, but–â€Å" â€Å"Just show me what you've got.† Parrish handed her the printout. â€Å"It's a redaction, but you get the gist.† Nola scanned the page in amazement. â€Å"I'm still trying to figure out how a hacker got access,† Parrish said, â€Å"but it looks like a delegator spider hijacked one of our search–â€Å" â€Å"Forget that!† Nola blurted, glancing up from the page. â€Å"What the hell is the CIA doing with a classified file about pyramids, ancient portals, and engraved symbolons?† â€Å"That's what took me so long. I was trying to see what document was being targeted, so I traced the file path.† Parrish paused, clearing his throat. â€Å"This document turns out to be on a partition personally assigned to . . . the CIA director himself.† Nola wheeled, staring in disbelief. Sato's boss has a file about the Masonic Pyramid? She knew that the current director, along with many other top CIA executives, was a high-ranking Mason, but Nola could not imagine any of them keeping Masonic secrets on a CIA computer. Then again, considering what she had witnessed in the last twenty-four hours, anything was possible. Agent Simkins was lying on his stomach, ensconced in the bushes of Franklin Square. His eyes were trained on the columned entry of the Almas Temple. Nothing. No lights had come on inside, and no one had approached the door. He turned his head and checked on Bellamy. The man was pacing alone in the middle of the park, looking cold. Really cold. Simkins could see him shaking and shivering. His phone vibrated. It was Sato. â€Å"How overdue is our target?† she demanded. Simkins checked his chronograph. â€Å"Target said twenty minutes. It's been almost forty. Something's wrong.† â€Å"He's not coming,† Sato said. â€Å"It's over.† Simkins knew she was right. â€Å"Any word from Hartmann?† â€Å"No, he never checked in from Kalorama Heights. I can't reach him.† Simkins stiffened. If this was true, then something was definitely wrong. â€Å"I just called field support,† Sato said, â€Å"and they can't find him either.† Holy shit. â€Å"Do they have a GPS location on the Escalade?† â€Å"Yeah. A residential address in Kalorama Heights,† Sato said. â€Å"Gather your men. We're pulling out.† Sato clicked off her phone and gazed out at the majestic skyline of her nation's capital. An icy wind whipped through her light jacket, and she wrapped her arms around herself to stay warm. Director Inoue Sato was not a woman who often felt cold . . . or fear. At the moment, however, she was feeling both. CHAPTER 106 Mal'akh wore only his silk loincloth as he dashed up the ramp, through the steel door, and out through the painting into his living room. I need to prepare quickly. He glanced over at the dead CIA agent in the foyer. This home is no longer safe. Carrying the stone pyramid in one hand, Mal'akh strode directly to his first-floor study and sat down at his laptop computer. As he logged in, he pictured Langdon downstairs and wondered how many days or even weeks would pass before the submerged corpse was discovered in the secret basement. It made no difference. Mal'akh would be long gone by then. Langdon has served his role . . . brilliantly. Not only had Langdon reunited the pieces of the Masonic Pyramid, he had figured out how to solve the arcane grid of symbols on the base. At first glance, the symbols seemed indecipherable . . . and yet the answer was simple . . . staring them in the face. Mal'akh's laptop sprang to life, the screen displaying the same e-mail he had received earlier–a photograph of a glowing capstone, partially blocked by Warren Bellamy's finger. The secret hides within The Order. Franklin Square. Eight . . . Franklin Square, Katherine had told Mal'akh. She had also admitted that CIA agents were staking out Franklin Square, hoping to capture Mal'akh and also figure out what order was being referenced by the capstone. The Masons? The Shriners? The Rosicrucians? None of these, Mal'akh now knew. Langdon saw the truth. Ten minutes earlier, with liquid rising around his face, the Harvard professor had figured out the key to solving the pyramid. â€Å"The Order Eight Franklin Square!† he had shouted, terror in his eyes. â€Å"The secret hides within The Order Eight Franklin Square!† At first, Mal'akh failed to understand his meaning. â€Å"It's not an address!† Langdon yelled, his mouth pressed to the Plexiglas window. â€Å"The Order Eight Franklin Square! It's a magic square!† Then he said something about Albrecht Durer . . . and how the pyramid's first code was a clue to breaking this final one. Mal'akh was familiar with magic squares–kameas, as the early mystics called them. The ancient text De Occulta Philosophia described in detail the mystical power of magic squares and the methods for designing powerful sigils based on magical grids of numbers. Now Langdon was telling him that a magic square held the key to deciphering the base of the pyramid? â€Å"You need an eight-by-eight magic square!† the professor had been yelling, his lips the only part of his body above the liquid. â€Å"Magic squares are categorized in orders! A three-by-three square is an `order three'! A four-by-four square is an `order four'! You need an `order eight'!† The liquid had been about to engulf Langdon entirely, and the professor drew one last desperate breath and shouted out something about a famous Mason . . . an American forefather . . . a scientist, mystic, mathematician, inventor . . . as well as the creator of the mystical kamea that bore his name to this day. Franklin. In a flash, Mal'akh knew Langdon was right. Now, breathless with anticipation, Mal'akh sat upstairs at his laptop. He ran a quick Web search, received dozens of hits, chose one, and began reading. THE ORDER EIGHT FRANKLIN SQUARE One of history's best-known magic squares is the order-eight square published in 1769 by American scientist Benjamin Franklin, and which became famous for its inclusion of never- before-seen â€Å"bent diagonal summations.† Franklin's obsession with this mystical art form most likely stemmed from his personal associations with the prominent alchemists and mystics of his day, as well as his own belief in astrology, which were the underpinnings for the predictions made in his Poor Richard's Almanack. Mal'akh studied Franklin's famous creation–a unique arrangement of the numbers 1 through 64–in which every row, column, and diagonal added up to the same magical constant. The secret hides within The Order Eight Franklin Square. Mal'akh smiled. Trembling with excitement, he grabbed the stone pyramid and flipped it over, examining the base. These sixty-four symbols needed to be reorganized and arranged in a different order, their sequence defined by the numbers in Franklin's magic square. Although Mal'akh could not imagine how this chaotic grid of symbols would suddenly make sense in a different order, he had faith in the ancient promise. Ordo ab chao. Heart racing, he took out a sheet of paper and quickly drew an empty eight-by-eight grid. Then he began inserting the symbols, one by one, in their newly defined positions. Almost immediately, to his astonishment, the grid began making sense. Order from chaos! He completed the entire decryption and stared in disbelief at the solution before him. A stark image had taken shape. The jumbled grid had been transformed . . . reorganized . . . and although Mal'akh could not grasp the meaning of the entire message, he understood enough . . . enough to know exactly where he was now headed. The pyramid points the way. The grid pointed to one of the world's great mystical locations. Incredibly, it was the same location at which Mal'akh had always fantasized he would complete his journey. Destiny.

Global Marekting and Ethics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Marekting and Ethics - Coursework Example The success of the vehicle companies largely depends upon supplying vehicle models keeping in parity with the customers’ tastes and preferences. In this world of perfect competition, continuous innovation is ushering among the companies for building up new design of cars. Attracting customers along with product innovations, customers taste and preferences must be given prime emphasis for success. In 1980s and 1990s the main thrust of the automobile companies was to produce so called â€Å"world cars†. The term â€Å"world cars† mean that several automobile multinational companies like Ford, General Motors, and Toyota during that time targeted to sell cars in a same design produced in their centralized units in their overseas global market with a perspective that it would reap them huge benefit over their cost coverage. But the ultimate scenario in the reality was reverse. It was found that consumer in different market showed different taste and preference orienta tion as for example in North America the consumers demand were biased towards pick up cars while in European countries pick up cars were treated as utility vehicles purchased by firms for production use. Life style and preferences of the consumers can be referred to as a chief driving force in global marketing of automobile industries.... In many cases the firms may have to adopt unique mix in their marketing strategies in order to appeal purchasing behavior of a certain segment in a certain region. Management studies have revealed that African-Brazilian market is completely different from African-American market –the causal factor being the differences in social norms. In another example it was seen that group of people in China aged 45-55 who had few parallels in other countries during 1960s and 1970s were highly sensitive to price change and produced negative attitude towards entry of new products (Hill, n.d., p.491). So the firms had to rethink and formulate their marketing strategy mix in order to find a solution. Gender bias can also be regarded as a strategic factor in the global automobile industry. In the American society, in the automobile industry initially there was a trend in mixed workforce (both male and female) but gradually that trend changed and focus was diverted towards male dominance in the workforce and the famous Ford Company were in favor of this policy and promoted the same and gained unparalleled success. From table 1 (appendix), it can be seen that percentage women employment in Ford Company gradually declined (Robertson, 1999). Role of religion in global marketing of automobile industries Religion also acts a chief driving force in global marketing paradigm. In United States of America, there is predominance of small groups and they have deep belief in spirituality. There is no certain rigorous rigidity in joining different religious group only following few simple rules and some informal meetings (generally couple of months in that religious group) will suffice. These small religious groups rather behave like product