Priorities and Responses Essay

This assignment will look at incidents and emergencies that can happen in a health and social care setting. Within my assignment I will be explaining possible priorities and responses when dealing with two incidents or emergencies in a health and social care setting. I will be discussing health, safety or security concerns that may arise from the incident or emergency. Then I will be discussing how I would respond to them. An emergency is defined as â€Å"a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action.† (Oxford University Press, 2014). An incident is defined as â€Å"a relatively insignificant event that might have serious consequences.† (Collins, 2014). Anna is 56 year old woman who lives in a residential care home because she developed early-onset Alzheimer’s a few years ago and her daughter can no longer care for her at home, as her arthritis has also become more severe and she struggles to do basic things by herself now as it can become very painful for her to move at all at a moment’s notice. I am a carer who works at the residential care home that she lives in. A fault with the electrics causes a fire to start in the downstairs of the home. I am upstairs with Anna helping her get changed as she spilt her drink on herself, when we were alerted to the fire. By the time we were alerted to the fire it had already spread throughout the entire downstairs of the home so it was preventing us from exiting the building down the stairs. There is no other fire exit upstairs to the outside so I have no choice but to separate myself and Anna from the fire. To do this I take her back into her room as she has a room at  the fro nt of the house with a large window. I close the door and roll up her blanket and put it along the gap at the bottom of the door to stop any smoke coming in. This is a good preventative measure as a door can keep a fire back for at least half an hour while we wait for the emergency services to arrive. Unfortunately there is not a room in the home with a fire door as this would be a much better aid as it can keep a fire back for two hours. Once I have put the blanket under the door and made sure that any gaps there are covered I open the window as wide as it can possibly go and start shouting to alert other carers and residents as well as any other people who are outside that we are trapped inside the building. This way the fire services will make rescuing us a priority when they arrive. Unfortunately while I am alerting people outside Anna has become very distressed because of the situation and she has fallen over and bumped her head on the table. I immediately go to her and ask her if she is alright, she doesn’t respond, so I gently tap her on the shoulder. She still doesn’t respond, so as my priority is whether or not she is breathing I check this, fortunately she is breathing normally but her head is bleeding quite a bit, but as my priority is her breathing at the moment I put her in the recovery position with her resting on the side of her head that is bleeding to apply pressure to it. Once I have checked that she is still breathing normally I move my attention back to the fire, I check the door with the back of my hand to see if it is hot. It is not, so the fire has not spread up the stairs just yet so I keep the door closed so to not add oxygen to the fire which would only cause it to flare up. I do not touch the handle of the door as it is made of metal and could possibly be extremely hot. I then go back to Anna and check that she is still breathing normally. The home has an automatic link to the emergency services through the alarm system so the fire services have already been alerted by the fire alarms going off and shoul d be arriving soon. Moments later the emergency services arrive and they come to the window to help get us out. As Anna is unconscious and bleeding she is the one who needs immediate care so the priority is to get her out safely first. The fire men safely remove Anna from the room and take her down to the ground where an ambulance is waiting to transport her to the local hospital to receive the care she needs. Once the fire has been extinguished our next priority is to report her fall in the accident book, in case there is any  query later on. Within the accident book we record her name, what injuries she suffered, the time and location of it and a record of the first aid treatment she was given. My name was also recorded as I was the only witness as to what happened. A follow up review is then carried out to understand why the incident happened and to evaluate how effective my response was. This may take a few months in some cases. After the event I have to go and talk to a counsellor about what happened to check and make sure that I am not emotionally traumatised. After the incident the care home reviewed their policies and procedures to see how well they worked. The managers review how smoothly things were dealt with and see if it could have been dealt with any better. In order to avoid the same things happening again if something similar were to happen the care home implemented improvements to the establishment by adding another fire escape route from the upstairs to the outside. (Beryl Stretch, Mary Whitehouse, 2010). Jack is a 26 year old man who lives in a residential care home because he has severe learning disabilities. I am a carer who works in the residential care home that he lives in. One day while we are in the day room looking for something to do his behaviour starts to change. I notice that he is showing behavioural signs of becoming aggressive. He is tense and agitated, and when I try to talk to him he is responding loudly and abruptly. The muscles in his jaw are tensed and his pupils have dilated. His hands are tightly balled into fists and he is leaning over me invading my personal space. By now his behaviour has become aggressive towards me and he has started verbally threatening me. Unfortunately I do not know what has triggered him to become aggressive this time so I do not know what I can do or remove from the situation to try and prevent him getting out of control. My first response is to try and talk to Jack in a calm voice to try and stop the situation going in a violent direction. I am talking to him calmly without raising my voice to try and get him to calm down and not get too over-worked and distressed. Unfortunately my efforts to try and diffuse the situation by talking to him have not worked, so my next thought is to check for the nearest exit and slowly back away from him, whilst continuing to talk to him. Jack is blocking the only exit from the room and he is becoming increasingly aggressive and I am starting to become worried for my own  safety. Since his behaviour is becoming worse and he is showing signs of becoming physically violent, I continue to talk to him in the hope of calming him down, and I also discretely push the panic button to call for help without alerting him to it so that it doesn’t cause him to become anymore agitated or distressed. Unfortunately, he starts throwing things in my direction, like cups and bo oks off the table. He is about to pick up a chair to throw at me when three other carers come into the room. I continue to talk to Jack in a non-threatening, soft, calm tone to try and reassure him and explain to him and the other carers what is happening. â€Å"Hi guys, Jack’s feeling a bit upset today, I think we’re having a little bit of an ‘off’ day today, so we just need to try and calm things down a bit now†. As I am talking to him and the other carers, one of them disarms Jack by taking the chair away from him, and the other two physically restrain him, which allows them to control him without actually hurting him. They are fully trained in the correct way to use restraint techniques. Restraining him was the last resort as I did try to diffuse the situation by talking to him but this did not work and his behaviour became violent and our priority is not only the safety of him, myself and the others carers but also the safety of the other residents. As his behaviour became violent we had no choice but to restrain him not only for our own safety, but for his own safety as he could become a risk to himself but also to the other residents as he runs the risk of turning his aggression onto them as well as me. Once he has been restrained and had time to calm down he is much more placid and is no longer showing signs of aggression. We have to record the incident in the accident book in case there are any queries that may arise at a later date, possibly if he has any marks on him from being restrained. Also, we record it in an incident book for other members of staff, like other carers who work with Jack and also carers who may not work directly with him but may be around him in the home. This way they can see what has happened, and this way we can keep a record of when and where he becomes aggressive so that we can try and find a pattern to try and figure out what triggers him. So then we can try and prevent it happening again, so if he only becomes aggressive on days he has a certain food, like chocolate then we can try avoiding that particular food and see if it helps at all. Also the home reviewed its policies and procedures and set in place changes so that there must be at  least two carers at all times with Jack in case he suddenly becomes aggressive again. (Beryl Stretch, Mary Whitehouse, 2010).

Philippine Science Centrum Essay

Student participants learned science concepts from the exhibits and one minute of interaction appeared to have a fruitful learning outcome. Teachers recognized that the exhibits would be useful to their teaching after trying out the exhibits themselves and were certain the visit would help students in their academic advancement. Learning in an informal context through the exhibits can occur and that visits to the PSC are useful. For more than 2 decades, the Philippine Science Centrum presently located in Marikina City has never ceased in offering new features and exhibits year after year. With its internal capacity in interactive exhibit development and fabrication, the PSC has the luxury of producing customized exhibits with locally-sourced materials. Having a ‘hair-raising’ experience with the Van de Graaff exhibit, mimicking the ‘Matrix Move’ at the Wonder House, making an illusion of floating in the air at the Anti-Gravity Mirror, experiencing ‘airlessness’ of the outer space at the Human Gyro, etc†¦are some of the amazing ‘moves’ one will experience at the Science Centrum. To the more than 3 million visitors composed mostly of students and teachers who were engaged and got interested in science through PSC’s exhibits, their experience leaves an indelible mark in their psyche. Post-visit comments, blogs and even press releases attest to the visitors’ educational and entertaining experience at the Science Centrum. How about the other millions of students, teachers and people in all walks of life in the countryside, in the provinces and towns, will they be able to experience the amazing science exhibits in their locality? The Philippine Science Centrum made sure they be given opportunity to be ‘edu-tained’ by the hands-on science modules. As early as 1995, the PSC mobilized its first mobile exhibition, the Adventures in Discovery – Traveling Science Centrum (AIDTSC) to bridge the gap of distance and bring the Science Centrum to the regions. The maiden exhibition in Lapulapu City, Mactan Island, Cebu Province was a blockbuster wherein the AID-TSC no longer found its way back to Metro Manila – it was bought by the City Mayor to be permanently installed in the city and became the centerpiece of the Lapulapu City Center for Excellence. The PSC replicated the 40 science modules of AID-TSC and continued to visit other towns and provincial capitals. Due to unrelenting requests and clamor for month-long exhibitions from various entities in the provinces, the 2nd set, â€Å"Sci-Fun Caravan† was produced and mobilized in 2002. After the successful exhibitions of the 2 mobile exhibitions (from 2002 to 2006) and the assessment that the PSC beneficiaries are larger in numbers at the regions, the PFST Board of Trustees decided to redirect PFST and PSC’s resources to assemble and produce 7 sets of mobile exhibitions starting in 2007. It is also targeted to mobilize 9 traveling sets by 2016 wherein 3 sets will be assigned to each of the three major island-groups of the country: 3 in Luzon, 3 in Visayas and 3 in Mindanao. At the moment, the PSC is right on schedule wherein the 3rd set: â€Å"Science on the Move† was mobilized in 2007, the 4th set: â€Å"Science Works! in 2009, and the 5th set, â€Å"Science Sparks!† was completed and mobilized last year. For the 3rd set, the packaging design of â€Å"pack and go† was introduced wherein the main exhibit is boxed to keep it safe when in transit and its cover when inverted serves as the exhibit stand/platform when in ‘exhibit mode’. The 5th set, aptly known as â€Å"Science Sparks!† deals on energy, electricity and the environment. The 6th PSC mobile exhibition which focuses on Electronics and Communications is now on the initial phase of research and development. It is targeted to be completed by the 2nd quarter of 2014. As the number of PSC’s traveling sets increase, the number of students and teachers ‘touched by the amazing and exciting world of science’ also increases. With 5 sets, the average annual attendance is already at 500,000 visitors. This justifies PFST and PSC’s thrust of exposing and creating interest in science to more students at a ‘faster pace’. From Abra to Samar to Siargao Island and to Lanao del Norte, the mobile exhibitions have already visited 150 towns, provincial cities and capitals with a combined attendance of more than 3.1 million visitors. By 2016, this number is targeted to reach 6 million. Producing the 9 sets of traveling exhibitions is PFST’s top priority but keeping the Science Centrum constantly upgraded with new and exciting interactive exhibits is still a ‘must-do’. The Philippine Foundation for Science and Technology (PFST), a non-profit private organization, manages and operates the Philippine Science Centrum and its traveling exhibitions. PFST is recognized by the Department of Education as a vital partner â€Å"in promoting and developing scientific and analytical thinking among students and promoting quality science education. On the other hand, the Department of Science and Technology recognized the impact of the Philippine Science Centrum by directing its regional offices to install its own Regional Science Centrums. DOST accorded PFST the â€Å"Outstanding S&T Foundation Award† in 1996 and the GAWAD LIDER Award for Exemplary Leadership – Institution Category in 2007. The Philippine Science Centrum received from the Association of Science and Technology Centers based in USA the 2011 Roy L. Shaper Leading Edge Award for PSC’s rapid response and recovery during typhoon Ondoy and as an Outstanding Science Center outside of the United States of America.

SUMMARY FOR ARTICLE Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SUMMARY FOR - Article Example In addition, cyberspace was proffered to contain a range of psychological effects, to wit: for simulation of conflict resolution strategies; to work through personal issues to identify an appropriate personal identity; and to engage in adolescent moratorium through intense interactions with both ideas and people. These effects are made possible through the accessibility of unlimited time, space, environment and windows accorded by cyberspace. Turkle made one realize that â€Å"on the internet, one can be many, and one usually is† (Turkle, 528). Finally, the notions of identity and multiplicity were distinguished as a productive repercussion of cyberspace. Through cycling through, the model of multiplicity was enhanced and actually encouraged as a â€Å"state of easy traffic across selves† (Turkle, 530). The medium of cyberspace paved the way for self-expression through various identities where all exist in roles and inner perceptions of an individual. It ultimately changed the concept and orientation of culture from a psychoanalytic nature to a computer-based perspective. Turkle finally concluded that â€Å"it is time to rethink our relationship to the computer culture and psychoanalytic culture as proudly held joint citizenship† (Turkle, 531). Indeed, onlife life has a profound effect and impact one’s perception and expression of personal

Complexity of the Tourism Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Complexity of the Tourism Industry - Essay Example Mass tourism is the process of visiting a place by a large number of people at the same time, and the research of the impact that people can have on a specific location or destination that has been over-exposed to particular tourists frequenting the destination (Singh, 2008). The complexity of the Tourism Industry For a number of reasons, alternative tourism in local economies has been much more constrained and less effective than mass tourism. The optional projects in the developing nations are mostly weighed down by the high expenses of international tourism and the insufficient local networks within the tourist destinations. Cultural differences and differences in the living standards of the guests and hosts equally make it difficult to satisfy the needs of the tourists without comprising local norms and cultures (Brent et al., 2011). For instance, in the marginal areas of Thailand, the natives may not be in a position to converse in foreign languages at all, creating a challenge for the tourists to converse with the locals and tour around. To contain these and other challenges of alternative tourism, various proactive approaches must be taken to ensure its sustainability. These comprise lessening the number of tourists, the varying the type of tourists, creating awareness amongst all participants involved regarding the effects emanating from the new set of operations. Cutting down on the number of tourists can take two dimensions: reduction of the number of places where the concentration is high and putting a limit to the probable visitors to be in line with the ability parameters. It is, however, difficult to cut on the numbers in a situation of the liberal market without interfering with the practicality of the industry. Revenues can be anticipated to deteriorate which can lead to unemployment and lowering of the living standards (Rebecca; et al, 2009). The varying types of tourists similarly make it hard to constrain or decrease the number of tourists. V arious tourists have varying preferences. When an area is developed, it is most challenging to modify the types of tourists anticipated to a type which flocked in before with an aim of obtaining an ideal tourism structure (Alan, 2008). Besides, if a tourist location targets a particular market such as culture-lovers or photographers, it experiences the actual risk of not being a big enough market or failing to be a repeat market. Tourists may make decisions that upon visiting the Canadian Arctic, they will travel to the Himalayas and then Antarctica, then Galapagos and so on. Moreover, whilst mass tourists are for the majority sedentary and fritter their money in a constrained number of destinations, most of the expenses of the alternative tourists may initially spend small amounts in a wide range of destinations (Holder IV &William, 2009).

American Cancer Society Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American Cancer Society - Term Paper Example own of these today is the American Cancer Society, which has been around for almost 100 years, and which today has over 900 offices not only in the US, but in Puerto Rico as well (ACS, 2012; Charity Navigator, 2012). The society, which started out as the American Society for the Control of Cancer (ASCC), was founded in 1913 by 13 of New York City’s most well-known physicians and business leaders. This was no small feat, as should be apparent from how the Society has been operating even up till the present day, but its importance was even greater then, considering how people had lived in fear and denial of the killer disease, despite it claiming thousands of Americans a year. This being the case, the founders thought it best not only to establish the Society, but to further raise awareness through research and recruitment. Going by the Society’s nearly 100 years of service, it would be safe to say that it succeeded in that goal, at least, and on a major, major scale. It is known to be a nationwide, community-based voluntary organization aimed at the elimination of health problems arising from cancer, which it does through research, education, advocacy and service – all of which should be common knowledge by now. Not only that, it also works with other organizations with similar goals and objectives, an example of which would be the Commission on Cancer (American College of Surgeons, 2008). As a matter of fact, the Society is also known for designing and supporting educational programs aimed not only at medical professionals, but at the general public as well. And aside from this, it has also been known for bankrolling cancer research efforts. Examples of such studies include that of Burns et al (1972) and of Calle et al (2002), as well as a more recent one conducted by Krewski et al (2009). And on a more personal level, it assists cancer patients by way of emotional support and treatment. All these can be traced back to Marjorie G. Ollig, who in 1936

Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Essay Example I must admit that it was a little hard for me to get used to the dialect used by the African characters, however one must praise the writer for the brilliance with which she is able to sway the tone and feel of the book from beautifully written English imagery and very apt descriptions of the plight and the emotions of the characters, to the crude and unstructured for of the African dialect and variant of the English language. Another interesting aspect of the book is that it is written as a flashback of Janie’s life as she reflects upon it to tell her story to her friend Pearl, since she needed consolation after the tough journey and experiences of her life. The book starts in a very interesting way with Janie’s return to her second husband’s town, which she had left after his death to get married to a boy younger than her, popularly known in the town as â€Å"Tea Cake.† Hurston has very skillfully depicted the insatiable curiosity that is inherent in hum an nature, this she managed to convey through the conversations that passed between people of the neighborhood on Janie’s return and how they were gossiping about what might have happened which made her return to her Ex- husband’s town and that too penniless, when she left the town wealthy.

How Ivan Illyich viewed his own death Assignment

How Ivan Illyich viewed his own death - Assignment Example People not only ignore family and friends at the climax of their career life, but also they appear to be ignorant of the bitter truth that they would have to leave this world one day at any cost. Hence, they seldom discuss the topic in their everyday life, and take it as a matter of least concern for their life. It is therefore Byock (2002) is justified in stating that discussing the meaning of death looks disrespectful and distasteful. The same is applied to Ivan Ilych, the protagonist of the novel under-examination, who first time felt the absence of the family and distances from his wife and children after slipping from stairs, and falling ill, gradually proceeding to his ultimate end eventually. The novel begins with the death news of Ilych, few hours before, and his friends and colleagues appear to be discussing the event with astonishment. Somehow, they take it serious just for the next few moments, and start discussing other matters taking his exit from the world as a routine incident of least interest. The novel proceeds and takes the readers to the early years of Ilych’s life, demonstrating him as a brilliant student and an adventurous youth as well (Tolstoy, 13). The young man embarks upon his career in the law profession, and rises to the position of judge during his latter years. He turns such absorbed and dedicated in his career life that he does not estimate his relationship with his family members. Now, after undergoing an injury in the wake of an accident, he appears to be lying in bed, and making struggle to survive between life and death. At first, Ilych takes it as a trivial injury, though it gradually damages his left side, and confines him to bed. Leading a life of loneliness as a retired and recluse person turns out to be very irritating for him in the beginning. The indifference demonstrated by his wife and children towards him is also painful and humiliating for him. Somehow, gradually he realizes that it is not a matter of ailmen t and convalescence; rather, it is a struggle between life and death, where death is sure to overcome life one day or the other. Ilych experiences severe physical pains at the verge of death, and starts cursing the situation turning his state unbearable (169). He is being attended by the peasant boy, though family members also arrive at there by that time. As a result, out of sheer pains, he starts inviting death to relieve him from such suffering immediately (171). Hence, death, to Ilych is the phenomenon that not only unveils the mysteries of universe before the dying person, but also it brings the message of comfort and relief from the worries of life, and physical and mental agonies and pains, which Ilych experiences during last few hours of undergoing severe pain before breathing his last (171). The novel concentrates upon death phenomenon, and man’s certain departure from this world one day after spending some specific time period on the face of the earth. Consequently, man’s relation with death is eternal and perpetual, while his association with worldly life is just temporary

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 27

Management - Essay Example This is a motivational approach with significant gain on its overall governance performance. On the side of service delivery, such a conducive working environment has significantly boosted the spirit of the staff to deliver quality services. According to the customer feedback data, it can be seen that efficiency and reliability characterize the company in as far as its interaction and relationship with customers is concerned. In regard to past the past accident that involved the company’s train in 2005, there has been significant change approaches to address any possibility of a similar scenario (Schaeffer 36). This has been incorporate to organization culture that emphasizes human welfare above profit maximization motive. Communication among departments is considered critical in co-ordination of various activities to ensure consistency in service delivery. This boosts the overall interpersonal relations within the workforce hence improved productivity. The company has a strong customer care services and this promotes its image and public relations. This is critical management principle that emphasizes use of communication to facilitate efficiency in the organization

Smoking in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Smoking in the Workplace - Essay Example Although the rationale behind non-smoking was almost always health reasons, these non-smokers were unjustly exposed to smoking through their addictive peers or customers. The effects of second-hand smoking are also adverse. However, when these non-smokers were forced to work in smoking conditions, they really had no choice but to conform. Like any other workplace, where health and safety are the responsibility of an employer, restaurants and bars also have an obligation to provide a healthy and safe working environment for all their employees. Taking an example of a construction worker, the employee is aware of the risks involved in working for a construction company. However, it is the responsibility of the construction company to provide safe working conditions, so that these risks can be minimized; and sufficient protection against accidents, so that the resulting injuries can be avoided. Similarly, for a restaurant/bar employee, the risks of working in such an environment will be known, but the protection against those risks is the responsibility of the employer. Here, the restaurant owner will face a dilemma in deciding between satisfying its customers by allowing them to smoke and providing his employees with a safe working environment. The employer should safeguard the interest of his employees, although some smokers will be forced to boycott the restaurant. However, in the long run, people will get used to it and will start visiting the restaurant again for its quality of service and food (Frumkin, 2003). By banning smoking, the employer will not have to worry about the health and safety requirements related to second-hand smoking. Second-hand smoking may also affect the productivity of employees. For smokers, smoking provides a sense of comfort and delight. However, for non-smokers, it can be a source of constant irritation. This, in turn, may affect

Recent Trends in Economic Integration in the Asia Pacific Region and Essay

Recent Trends in Economic Integration in the Asia Pacific Region and Their Impact on Economic Development - Essay Example Asia has been one of the world's economically promising continents. According to James Chan, during the Middle Ages, Asia was the most developed part of the world. (244) In Asia, you can find famous textiles, silverwares, spices, porcelains, silks. Today, however, the Asia Pacific region comprises developed, developing, and underdeveloped contact centre markets and as these markets progress, the demand for better customer service is expected to drive growth in this region. (Frost & Sullivan, 2005) Except for countries like USSR, Japan, Israel and other parts of Southwest Asia that is rich of oil, most Asian countries are now part of the developing world. Nowadays, most people living in Asian countries are so close to the survival limits. Developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region are facing three challenges, namely reducing poverty, addressing environmental degradation and promoting regional cooperation, said Tadao Chino, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the ope ning ceremony of ADB's annual meeting (here) Friday. (Xinhuanet, May 2002) Poverty and unemployment practically started when all Asian countries experienced urbanization. Through urbanization, residents of the countryside tend to flock into the cities to experience urban living where there are wonderful city lights, big buildings and amusement parks. This increased unemployment, congestion and various forms of social disorganization. The rapid urbanization of Asia presents some very significant challenges. The sheer scale of urban growth, the massive infrastructure needs, the plight of the urban poor, and pollution of the environment all present massive challenges. (Myoung-Ho Shin, September 2005) These events had contributed to the economic trends of the Asia-Pacific region as well as provide a great impact on Asia's Economic Development. AIMS to be able to identify the recent trends in Economic Integration in the Asia Pacific Region to discuss their impact on Economic Development to discuss the future development of the region ASIA-PACIFICS RECENT TRENDS IN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION The purpose of economic integration is to get the regions cooperation in terms of monetary, financial and fiscal areas, agriculture and industry, and other sectors. It is to prepare Asia's regions in globalization. According to Mario Lamberte, the roles and modalities of regional economic cooperation and integration in Asia focuses in three broad areas, namely, trade and investment, monetary and financial integration, and infrastructure and associated software. Regional integration, on the other hand, is de facto integration of economies within a geographic region. It may be market-driven integration, which means, there is no explicit agreement or coordinated action among countries within a region to integrate their economies; or policy-induced integration, that is, one that results from regional cooperation. (Lamberte, Page 4) Economic Integration in Asia Pacific is the sense of unity and cooperation of all the countries involved in the region. Cited from the New Asia Forum, some countries of the region have large excess capacity in

Competitive Advantage - Microsoft Case Essay Example for Free

Competitive Advantage Microsoft Case Essay When trying to spill the beans of MSs success, the titles of two books from Bill Gates slip into my mind. They are The Road Ahead and Business @ the speed of thought, which I would translate into Direction and Speed and could be the reason for MSs success be good at setting strategy and adapting to the changes. However, to reframe them within the context of Modern Competitive Strategy, the reasons for MSs success are to create and maintain its modern COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES. With the analysis of it competitive advantages, MSs profitability was more rely on its ability to DEFEND its market position rather than to create. To put it another way, the usage of MSs resources and capabilities can be better understood in light of isolating mechanisms. On one hand, MS focus on increasing customer retention. Software is an experience good. It can be tell exactly from the name Windows XP where XP is short for experience. For an experience good, the search costs, training cost and learning cost are high, which in turn help to increase customer retention. Here is a classic example. In 1998, Bill Gates gave his speech at Washington University and talk about piracy in China, and he said: About 3 million computers get sold every year in China, but people dont pay for the software. Someday they will, though. As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. Theyll get sort of addicted, and then well somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade. For the same reason, MS bundled Office Suite, expanded server platforms, and gave many stuffs/features for free like IE and Media Player. We can expect the adding to the list will grow on and on. Its broad scope of products and global presence also helped MS to increase customer retention. On the other hand, MS defend its market position fiercely. A typical tactic used by MS is the prohibitive development cost. For example, it spent $2 billion alone in 2001 for its .net platform. When MS identifies a potential threat, it react with all of it resources and capabilities to compete with. Through advance technology, enticement OEM manufactures, or even giving for free, it won battles over Office Suite, OS, Internet browser and media player. As a result, MS stands above its competitors and reaps its profit like printing money. For example, while application software price dropped by an average of 8.9% at 1989, MS could raise its OS price. While WordPerfect was priced at $79, MS charged $249 for upgrades of Office 2000. The challenges MS faced somehow derived from its own marketing activities. The antitrust litigation is a warning for its aggressive assault on its competitors. In general, Microsoft should keep focus on defending its market positions, using its resources and capabilities cautiously and smartly. Its isolation mechanisms could be enhanced by strategies like product development and acquisition, platform integration, user and channel enticement, all happen at prohibitive cost.

Physical Surveillance Essay Example for Free

Physical Surveillance Essay The act of surveillance is designed to observe individuals, areas or objects that are of particular interest to an investigator in order to collect information and evidence that may be associated with a suspect and his related criminal activities. Physical surveillance is a method of examination of a particular area that is linked to a crime scene or a suspect. This may include inspecting the area when the crime took place, as well as the victim’s and suspect’s homes, vehicles and paraphernalia. Examination will cover both the conditions of the places and items, as well as the position of the places and items in the particular areas. Physical surveillance is important in a crime scene investigation because it provides a way for the investigator to reconstruct the scene and make inferences on what actually happened during the incident (Gardner, 2005). Any area that is associated with a crime is identified as soon as a crime has been established or reported. In addition, these particular areas are protected from any type of disruption by putting a crime scene tape along the perimeter of the area concerned. It has been reported that the most complicate part of an investigation is the establishment and protection of the boundaries of a crime scene because the signs related to a scene are often elusive to an investigator. Other investigators employ search dogs to facilitate the establishment and tracking of a crime scene. Photography is commonly employed in the physical surveillance of a crime scene. This visual documentation of an area is very helpful to an investigator because it physically records the features of the area before any other activity is performed to the crime scene. Physical surveillance also involves marking all potential evidences to the crime. In addition to photographs, sketches of the crime scene are also important in physical surveillance of a specific area. Sketches are generally considered as essential information of crime scenes because these serve as detailed notes of the investigation, although the diagrammatic representation is of less quality than a simple photograph. Sketches provide measurements of the crime scene, including distances between two points of interest that are located within the area under investigation. An investigator often starts with a rough sketch and eventually moves on to a final sketch that is drawn to scale. These sketches are commonly employed as models during court hearings and trials because these provide the floor-plan of an area of interest, the elevation of the area and its details and other critical dimensions that may be helpful in the analysis of a crime scene. Physical surveillance serves more purposes in a crime scene investigation than a technical surveillance because it provides the investigator with sufficient evidence that may be important in linking a specific suspect to a particular crime. Technical surveillance does not provide the specific details that physical surveillance provides because it does not provide any associative details that are critical to an investigation. In addition, physical surveillance provides a view of the crime scene through an observer’s eyes and this usually provides a neutral view of the area, removing any biases and discrimination of certain items and areas. Physical surveillance also provides a better understanding of a crime incident through the note-taking that is performed on the area, including any traces of struggle or bullet holes. It also assists the investigator in reconstructing the sequence of events that are related to the crime, including the initial moments of what was said, done or executed by the victim and the suspect.

What causes Juvenile Delinquency

What causes Juvenile Delinquency Juvenile delinquency happens for many reasons. Poverty, abuse, and family tension are a few of the major reason for a child to become a juvenile delinquent. Steps need to be in place to stop and control some of the children that are falling through the crack of society and becoming ill-adjusted adults. Life is not always pretty, but that should not be a reason to commit crime. Movie Synopsis Freeway is a modern take on the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood. The movie depicts the struggles of Vanessa Lutz in school, her home life, and then as she tries to go to her grandmothers home after her mother and stepfather were arrested for prostitution and drug possession. Vanessa Lutz is severely, delayed academically, due to the multiple school changes that she endured because of her unstable childhood. Her years of being raised in the ghetto with her mother and stepfather added to lack of schooling she received. Vanessa started her criminal career years ago with petty crimes but this current string of crimes started with handcuffing her social worker to the bed. She did not want to go to foster care again. Her last experience in foster care was far from beneficial to her mental as well as her emotional health and she did not want a repeat performance. Vanessa had heard of her paternal grandmother, but had never actually met her or her father, for that matter. Before leaving town, Vanessa went to see her boyfriend Chopper, an African American gang member. She wanted to tell him that she is leaving town and to ask him to go with her. Her plans are to find her grandmother, who lives in Northern California and who does not even know Vanessa exists. Vanessa dreams of a great life with her grandmother, but doesnt even know if the grandmother is still alive or living in the same mobile park. When the car she is driving breaks down on the freeway and leaves her stranded, the person, who stops to help Vanessa, is Bob Wolverton, a counselor at a school for troubled boys. He talks Vanessa into accepting a ride from him and revealing intimate details of her life. When she realizes Bob is getting sexually excited as he learns the details about her molestation and rape by her stepfather, Vanessa gets mad and wants out of the car. Bob has removed the door handle from the passenger side door and Vanessa cannot get out the car. Vanessa realizes that Bob is the I-5 Killer, she heard about early in the afternoon on the Channel 5 news. Bob orders Vanessa to strip off her clothes. Vanessa says that she cannot get her pants off because of her boots. Bob allows Vanessa the freedom to get into the back seat to have room to remove her boots and pants. Once in the back seat, Vanessa pulls out a gun, the one her boyfriend gave her, orders Bob to pull off the next exit. She then asks him if he believes in God. When he says that he does, she orders him out of the car and shoots him in the head. She then vomits and shoots him three more times. Thinking that Bob is dead, Vanessa takes his money, credit cards, and car keys. Vanessa leaves Bob for dead and continues on her trip to her grandmothers house. After a while, she is hungry and she stops at a little truck stop style cafà © to get something to eat. When she walks into the cafà ©, she has blood on her hands from Bob and frightens the server. Vanessa goes to the bathroom to clean up and then she eats her meal. Immediately upon leaving the cafà ©, Vanessa is arrested for the attempted murder of Bob Wolverton. At the police station, a couple of police officers question Vanessa. Vanessa admits to shooting Bob Wolverton. She is cooperative and shocked that he did not die. She tells the police officers that Bob is the I-5 Killer, but they do not believe her. The police officers list her long list of petty crimes and tell her that Bob is a well-respected citizen with no prior criminal record or mental health issues. One of the officers starts teasing her and Vanessa becomes violent and starts hitting him, all the while spouting racial slurs at him. She is taken away in handcuffs and placed in a holding cell until her arraignment. Vanessa refuses to show remorse for her actions at her arraignment, insisting that Bob is the I-5 Killer. Vanessa makes fun of Bob because he has physical disabilities from the shooting and taunts him about his colostomy bag. The judge orders Vanessa out of the courtroom, no one acknowledging that Bob admitted he is the I-5 killer. She is placed in juvenile detention until psychological evaluations can be done. These evaluations are to determine her status of either an adult offender or juvenile delinquent. Juvenile delinquent status would be considered if it is felt she can she be rehabilitated otherwise she will be tried as an adult, if her mental capacity allows. Vanessa becomes friends with a drug-addicted lesbian and then confronted by the toughest girl in the pris on, Mesquita. Before Mesquita has a chance to hurt Vanessa, Vanessa beats her to a pulp, an act for which Vanessa receives solitary confinement. One of the police officers, who was assaulted by Vanessa, has a gut feeling there was more to the story than he had gotten from either Vanessa or from Bob Wolverton. He returns to her hometown to find out more about Vanessas home life. He was surprised to find Vanessas boyfriend was an African American, which was interesting to him considering the racial slurs she had spouted at him. Upon returning to the crime scene, he found previously overlooked evidence collaborating Vanessas version of the crimes. While in solitary confinement, Vanessa constructs a shiv from a toothbrush, plastic wrap, and a lighter, a skill learned from her stepfather. After returning from solitary confinement, Vanessa learns the psychologists feel she would not be a suitable candidate for rehabilitation, so she will stand trial as an adult. She also sees Bob and his wife on television and is disgusted they have been elevated to celebrity status and praised for the way they have persevered in the face of the shooting by Vanessa Lutz. Vanessa, Mesquita, and a pair of twin girls plan to escape from prison. The opportunity presents itself while the group is being transported in a van to the state prison. Vanessa and Mesquita use the shiv to kill one guard and seriously injure the other. They steal the van and then find Mesquitas boyfriend, where Vanessa is given a fake ID, clothes, and a gun. Vanessa and Mesquita share of moment of sisterhood, where Mesquita explains why she tried to intimidate Vanessa the first day she was in juvenile detention. Mesquita said that she had wanted Vanessa to put out for her and Vanessa states that she would put out for her any day. They share the joke and go their separate ways. The police officers finally conclude Vanessa was telling the truth about Bob Wolverton being the I-5 killer. They obtain a search warrant for Bobs house and the small shed in the backyard. In the shed, they find his stash of child pornography, sex toys, and trophies from his victims is found. When confronted with some of the items, Bobs wife, Mimi, realizes that her husband is a serial murderer and runs upstairs to commit suicide. Bob returns home from physical therapy to find his house surrounded by police cars, so he drives off to avoid capture. Using the clothes, she received from Mesquita, Vanessa poses as a hooker and lures a john into a back alley. Vanessa robs the john, forces him into the trunk of his car, and drives to where she thinks her grandmother lives. As luck would have it, the police officers realize where Vanessa might be going and decide to drive to her grandmothers mobile home as well. Upon arriving at her grandmothers home, Bob is dressed as Vanessas grandmother and is lying in bed waiting on Vanessa to arrive. Just like the wolf in the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale, Bob has killed Vanessas grandmother and waiting to devour Vanessa. They struggle with each other, firing a gun in the tussle. Vanessa manages to strangle Bob and emerges victorious in the battle for her life from the mobile home. The first words out of her mouth to the officers were, Yall got a cigarette? (Bright, 1996). Freeway, the movie, was directed and produced by Matthew Bright in 1996. What causes Juvenile Delinquency? Introduction Juvenile delinquency has increased thirty-three percent over the last decade (Loeber, Farrington, Petechuk, 2003) Human beings are unique and multifaceted creatures. Human offspring are just as multifaceted and as resilient as they are different. While scientist do not know why or how the individual personalities are formed, every person has a different personality and handles lifes situations in a distinct individualized manner. The movie, Freeway, depicts one of the worst living situations in which a young person can be reared (Bright, 1996). The events in the movie explain one possible outcome of a child raised in the ghetto area of a town. In an attempt to understand more thoroughly the young people who become juvenile delinquents, the individual, family, cultural and medias influence on children will be examined. Causes of Delinquency Delinquency is defined as an antisocial or illegal behavior or acts in violation of the law, which pertains to adults as well as young people (Encarta Dictionary: English (North America), 2007). Juvenile delinquency is  conduct by a juvenile characterized by antisocial behavior that is beyond parental control and therefore subject to legal action (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2010). Some behaviors such as drinking alcohol are not deviant as long as the person doing the drinking is older than twenty-one years of age. A status offender is a juvenile, usually under the age of eighteen, which does something like smoking before the legal age to be able to participate in the particular activity. In other countries, something that is seen as deviant or delinquent in the United States may or may not be seen as deviant, but more of the norm of the country. In the United States, delinquency is determined differently in each individual state. For instance, North Carolina considers a six year old who commits a crime to be a juvenile delinquent, where a many states do not have a legally defined age to be classified as a juvenile delinquent. Risk factors are numerous depending upon the age of the child when the symptoms for delinquent behavior begins (Loeber, Farrington, Petechuk, 2003). Individual Aspects The psychological development of a child is personal and individualized to each child. A childs behavior is influence by his/her genetic, emotional, cognitive, physical, and social aspects. A person cannot help the genes, which he/she is born with, just as they cannot control the ability to learn. Young people, who are behind others of the same age academically, have been proven prone to criminal behavior. It is thought the less intelligent a person is, the more likely to commit crime he or she will be. There are many other factors, which influence a young person to be deviant or not to be deviant. This failure to express themselves appropriately causes anger and frustration to build. Many times, anger leads to depression or can lead to other more severe forms of mental illness (Mullis, Cornille, Mullis, Huber, 2004). One disorder, which could indicate the possible beginnings to juvenile delinquency, is oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Oppositional defiant disorder is defined as a psychological disorder in childhood and adolescence characterized by excessive oppositional to tendencies to refuse requests from parents and others (Nevid, Rathus, Greene, 2008). Once a child adds to his/her defiance stealing, truancy and/or even rape, the child is considered to have Conduct Disorder (CD). Conduct Disorder is defined as a psychological disorder in childhood and adolescence characterized by disruptive, antisocial behavior (Nevid, Rathus, Greene, 2008). Antisocial behavior is inheritable (Nevid, Rathus, Greene, 2008). Antisocial behaviors is when a individual does not want to be around others, with draws from physical contact and does not behavior appropriate for the situation. Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASP) is defined as has been linked to a defect in a persons frontal lobes in a study of children who had committed deviant acts. (Wallace, Hesselbrock, Bauer, 2006). ASP is the mental illness linked with serial killers such as Jeffery Dahmer and Ted Bundy. An individual early in life usually displays symptoms of ASP, but the true manifestation is in the teen years. A problem some may over look as a predictor of future delinquency is sleeping problems as a child. If a child does not receive adequate sleep during his/her formative years, cognitive as well as neuropsychological problems may appear during adolescence (Gregory, Caspi, Moffitt, Poulton, 2009). When a child does not get adequate sleep, behavioral problems emerge as a symptoms that something is wrong. Cognitive and brain development depend upon getting enough sleep as well as enough good sleep. Good sleep is defined as sleep that includes several cycles of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is important for the processing of memories as well as a time for the body to rejuvenate itself. Short-term memory is converted into long-term memory during the REM sleep cycles. A person cycles through four stages of sleep, which takes approximately ninety minutes per cycle. REM sleep happens at the end of the fourth cycle and gets progressively longer as the night goes on. Dreaming occurs during REM sleep. Many times dreams are a way for our minds to process the days events and to sort through the emotions that a person has had. REM is also the time in which the body is in a coma like state so that most of the blood flow is concentrated in the bodys core and head. It is a time for the muscles to relax and rejuvenate. A child without adequate sleep is a child without adequate cognitive function, which may influence his/her emotional and psychological health in the future and lead to delinquent behavior (Catrett, Gaultney, 2009). Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a behavior disorder characterized by excessive motor activity and n ability to focus ones attention. The child is described as having ants in his/her pants, but cannot keep his/her mind on the subject at hand. The other element to ADHD is impulsivity. The child cannot make rational decisions due to the need to move and forgetting what is going on around him/her. These symptoms begin at an early age, sometimes as young as six or seven. Medications to combat the symptoms of ADHD can cause a child become zombie like. Vanessa, in the movie Freeway, may have been diagnosed with ADHD because of her inability to behave while in class at the beginning of the movie (Bright, 1996). This inability to be able to concentrate can lead to decrease intelligence if not caught in its early stages. Family Aspects As portrayed in the movie Freeway, children who grow up in a violent, drug-infested home do not learn the correct manner in which to express themselves or the extent of their actions has on their future. Children model their parents. If parents are doing deviant behaviors, child do not perceive anything wrong with doing the same behaviors. Just as Vanessa saw her mother working the streets in order to get money for the family, Vanessa posed as a streetwalker in order to be able to go to her grandmothers at the end of the movie. She learned how to make a shiv from her stepfather in order to escape from prison. Sometimes children have good parents, but still go astray from social norms. Family is important in forming a childs character. A child needs responsibilities, duties, and close family relationships as well as some privileges. Communication in a family is very important as well. Children notice the tension in a family no matter the cause and open communication is paramount to stop the children from blaming themselves for it. Parents want their children to talk to them about any problems that may arise, but often do not feel the need to allow the children to be information about family situations that affect the children. Children who do not have adequate parental supervision are more likely to be party to criminal activity. Single mothers working can be stressful for the entire family, because she is responsible for all the chores, childcare, discipline, and financial success in the home. Being a parent is hard enough when a couple shares the responsibility, doing an adequate job alone is nearly impossible. The more siblings a child has the less individual attention the child will receive from his/her parents. As a society, we spend less time with our offspring than most any other generation in history. Divorce has become an epidemic and many women are single mothers by choice more than ever before. Most children do not have a father in the home. Almost of as many children, do not even know who their father is or never see them on a regular basis. Women want to have it all, career, children, and freedom. The family unit appears to play the most important role in preventing as well as causing juvenile delinquency. A child that has been sexually abused is more likely to run away than any other child (Widom, 1996). This sexually abused child runs away thinking he/she will have a better life away from the abuser, but more often than not, the runaway becomes a prostitute to survive (Widom, 1996). Sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect are three ways that a family can assist a child into becoming a juvenile delinquent. A person is more likely to be abused by a loved one or someone know to the person than by any other group of people (Thio, 2010). Poor families struggle to put food on the table and many times children feel neglected or that the plight of the family is their fault. Doing without the necessities makes a child want the things he/she does not have, which can lead to shoplifting and other such deviant acts. Poverty in this great nation is rampant. We are the greatest nation on this earth and yet we have children that are going hungry and in need of clothing. The cheap food is not the healthiest of choices in most cases. Money worries cause many families to separate in order to receive assistance from the government. Divorce is often a cause for children to become deviant. Peer Aspects Peer pressure has long been seen as a reason for deviant behavior in children. Groupthink is where adults as well as young people seem to lose their ability to speak or act in the correct manner the more people are in the group. The term coined by social psychologist Irving Janis (1972), occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment(Coon Mitter, 2010). Conforming to the crowd and acting as a whole instead as the sum of many parts is what happens to when young people give in to peer pressure. Peer pressure is one of the hardest delinquencies to avoid. Children with physical and learning disabilities are often taunted, which can often lead to anger. Young people, who are behind others of the same age academically, are prone to criminal behavior. It is thought the less intelligent a person is, the more likely to commit crime he or she will be. Cognitive function is necessary to rationally think about the consequences in situations and realize what will happen if you are caught doing a bad deed. Sleep quality has been linked to obesity in a chicken and the egg type scenario. Some say obesity is caused by a lack of sleep quality and other say the lack of sleep quality causes an increase in obesity. Obesity can be a reason for a teenager or adolescent to buckle under peer pressure to fit in with the group and participate in delinquent activities. Young people who are obese have a higher rate of depression, which can lead some to a feeling of helplessness (News to use, 2003). Helplessness can result in deliqency because the child doesnt feel that anything he/she does is worth while any way. Obesity has increased rapidly and some even call it an epidemic. President Obama signed a bill into law giving the United States Department of Agriculture the to set standards for public school lunches in order to combat obesity (Jalonick, 2010). Evidence has shown children are heavier now than at any other time in the history of the United States. The chart below is a little old, but it sho ws that in 2002, obesity was approximately sixteen percent in both children and adolescences. (Buggey, T. (2007). Social and Community Factors Teachers have to worry about their jobs, because of the No Child Left Behind policies. If students are not able to pass a certain percentage of test questions, the school will find teachers, who can make the students pass. The United States Government is mandating every one must pass in order for the teacher to keep her job. This is a lot of pressure on the teachers, who then pass the pressure on to the students. Some students arent able to handle the pressure and drop out of school. School dropouts cannot get a drivers license in many states until age eighteen. Many states do not allow dropouts to work, so getting into trouble is what is available to these young people. The teenagers are not in school, working or doing anything productive with their lives. Some have joined gangs as way of fitting in and having some status they have not otherwise achieved. Chopper, Vanessas boyfriend in the Freeway movie, was a member of a gang. She did not see anything odd about him being in a gang, it was just a way of life for her and him. Teenagers, who are loners, in recent years started committing crimes at their schools. Columbine High School shooting is a prime example of the dangers juvenile delinquents can participate in. They have nothing to live for and just want to have some excitement. Video games have taken over the children in this country. A child can play war games, running from law enforcement as well as shooting games. Their minds are not developed to be able to separate fact from fiction and many times, they think the person will stand back up if they shoot them. Teenagers working while in school has been encouraged throughout the last few decades. Currently, working teenagers have disposable income, which affords them the opportunity to commit deviant acts. The teenagers are more likely to smoke, drive recklessly, and engage in other deviant behaviors when they work while going to school (Thio, 2010). There is more of an opportunity to lie to parents and have time with other people the same age or older in order to commit these deviant acts. Music such as Rap has been blamed for violence, crime, and juvenile delinquency among black as well as other populations of youth. (Mahiri Conner, 2003). Television shows such as Jerry Springer have done more damage to Americas youth by exposing them to the most deviant and sexually explicit material than ever before in history. Our collective values have declined since the 1950s in the United States. Conclusion An increase of in the number of juvenile delinquents has been observed. A thirty-three percent increase has been noted in the last decade (Loeber, Farrington, Petechuk, 2003). Gangs are more prevalent in local cities than ever before. Drug related crimes are increasing. Violence depicted in movies such as Freeway, is common place to our young people. Schools need to have in place programs to help alleviate some of the baby sitting that is done by teachers. As a country, we need to stop worrying about everyone else around the world and take care of our children. Studies have been done to determine why we have so many juvenile delinquents and we need to so something to stop the progression. Deviant acts leads to juvenile delinquents as well as other criminals. Our young people need to be taught the importance of staying in school as well as a criminal record can follow them for the rest of their lives. Babies should come home with parents who have had parenting classes as well as CPR and first aid classes. Changes need to be made in our country to insure our most valuable resource is protected and taken care of properly.

Darren Skanson Essay -- essays research papers

Overview From a very early age Darren Skanson had a burning passion for music. His passion grew deeper when realized how much excitement a crowd has when watching a musical performer. In 1989, Darren graduated from Moorhead State University with a BA in music. Darren’s career first began by being a lead guitarist in a heavy metal band. The band, Mata Hari, split up in 1993. Darren then joined Malcolm Watson, who was a classical violinist, at Watson and Company. Darren and Malcolm produced the third CD for Watson and Company. Shortly after the success of producing this CD the duo traveled nationwide performing. Within a year the sales had increased from $100,000 to $250,000. Malcolm wanted to move a little more slowly than Darren in expanding their business to greater heights. Since Darren was ready to move on, he left Watson and Company to form his own company. Darren had a vision to record, produce and sell his own music, as well as the music of other artists. Jennifer, a long time friend of Darren’s was the booking agent for his tour. Jennifer did not share the same vision with Darren so they parted ways and moved on. Trying to perform, handle CEO duties and handling the promotional marketing aspect of his business was getting to be too much for Darren. Business was getting to be complicated. He decided to hire a guy named Andy Harling, who was a classical guitarist to help with the office duties of the company and to suggest/implement ways to make CCM function more efficiently. Darren turned down two performances offered by Jennifer since he was already booked. However, he did not want to lose the business and the chance to get his name out there. Darren sent Andy to perform at the two shows. Andy was very successful and gained the knowledge of how the performances operate. Darren became a little nervous when he realized that Andy could leave him and become his competition. Darren then signed Andy to a contract and launched Andy’s first CD. Over time, Andy’s responsibilities grew with his performances that Darren hired an assistant for him. Recording and productions costs were high for musicians to produce their records/CD’s. Digital then came into existence and cut the costs of production. Music is sorted by labels. Because of the low costs in digital recordings it was possible for sma... ...erent marketing segment and would need to establish their resources and overall marketing clientele. Buyers †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Darren’s buyers are mostly between the ages 40 and 60 years old. Suppliers †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Distribution centers from which he buys his supplies for inventory. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One-stop centers Substitute Products †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acoustitherapy †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Andrew Thomas Harling †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Music for candles Recommendations †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Darren should get rid of Jennifer and find someone who is more compatible in helping him reach his goal of expanding nationally. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Increase product lines. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hire someone to operate his marketing, promotion, inventory and production costs and issues so that he can devote his time to tours and concerts. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Try signing a contract with an artist of the Independent Label level in order to help increase his branding label. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hire an agent to sign on new artists rather than doing it himself.

The Effects of the Industrial Revolution :: Expository Essays Research Papers

The Effects of the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was absolutely beneficial to the progress of the world from the 1800s all the way to present day. Sacrifices were made which allowed technological advancements during the Industrial Revolution, which in turn, created happiness, life opportunities, and an over-all, definite amelioration of life. At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, many hardships had to be overcome, causing great grief to most of the population. Faith was lost, patience was tried, and a blanket of oppression covered the people of Europe. When new inventions arose to facilitate the producing and mass-producing of goods that supplied the people of Europe, nearly everyone was forced to begin a new career within a factory. These are just some of the hardships that many loyal, hardworking citizens were faced with. The reverberations of these new inventions caused a dramatic plummet of the life expectancy of an average citizen to an alarming 15 years of age. Women and children were expected to work up to 16 hours a day and doing labor that could cause serious injury, like carrying extremely heavy loads. For their work, they were paid ridiculous wages, women around 5 shillings per week, and children about 1. One can easily recognize the negative aspects of such a dramatic event. However, if one "steps bac k" to view the revolution as a whole, he will notice that the positive aspects completely out-weigh the negative aspects. The revolution began when inventors introduced their creations to improve the way people were producing goods. Machines such as the cotton gin, water frame, power loom, and spinning jenny allowed textile products to be produced in mass quantities. These techniques of mass-production made other methods such as cottage industry, where families produce items by hand, obsolete. As a result of this, people began to work in factories with these machines. Factories became so dominant that eventually the cottage industry no longer played a part in people's lives. This dramatically changed people's lifestyles, and for a long period of time, there were terrible work conditions. These factories had its positive and negative aspects. The work conditions were very dangerous, there were no safety devices, and many had to work long hours. However, due to the mass production, many jobs were available, and the prices of goods considerably decreased because of the extreme availability. The job opportunities and price decrease definitely improved the lives of the people, giving them a chance to be a part of the society and be able to purchase products at a price that wasn't too bad.

The Racial Struggles of Puerto Ricans Essay -- Race Racial Culture Ess

The Racial Struggles of Puerto Ricans Another large component of Puerto Ricanness is Race. All of the different cultures that have throughout history combined to form Puerto Rico effect their nationality, history, lifestyles, traditions, music, and foods. The "discovery" or infiltration of the island of Borinquen (or Puerto Rico as it was later renamed) in 1493 by Spain resulted in the decimation of the native Taino population. With the loss of an immediate source of cheap labor to work the fields for their sugar cane industry, they introduced African culture into the region by importing slaves to replace the Taino field workers. In addition to the introduction of African culture into Puerto Rico voluntary immigration brought further divergence from the native population of the island through the influx of foreigners of European descent. The prosperous sugar and coffee industries during the Spanish rule attracted foreigners seeking economic prosperity from area such as France, Italy, Spain (primarily Corsica and Mallorca) and other areas in Europe. The arrival of the foreigners resulted in the "whitening" (Gonzalez) of the racial mixture of the island’s inhabitants. Through the Spanish colonial era briefly describe above, it is evident that Puerto Rican society was a very culturally diverse island. Despite this there has always been heavy emphasis placed on the whiteness of the society by the white elite that dominate the island. Josà © Luis Gonzà ¡lez wrote a controversial article titled Puerto Rico: The Four-Storeyed Country in which he expressed his view that Puerto Rican society was not predominately white but rather black because of the thousand of slaves that were taken to the island to work on Sugar plantations. Gonz... ...aven, 1997) Guerra, Lilian. Popular Expressions and National Identity in Puerto Rico: The Struggle For Self, Community, and Nation. (University Press of Florida: Gainesville, 1998) Dietz, James. Economic History of Puerto Rico. (Princeton University Press: Princeton, 1986) Glasser, Ruth. My Music is My Flag: Puerto Rican Musicians and the New York Communities. (University of California Press, Berkaley 1995) Scarano, Franciso. Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico, 1815-1849: An Overview from: Scarano, Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico: "The Plantation Economy of Ponce, 1800-1850. (Madison U. of Wisconsin Press, 1984), 3-34. Morris, Nancy. Culture, Politics, and Identity. (Wetsport: Praeger, 1995) Ferre, Rosario. The House on the Lagoon. (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995) Lopez, Tania. Personal Web Page http://frontpage/tlopez

The Lost Symbol Chapter 83-85

CHAPTER 83 In the moist air of the Jungle, the Architect of the Capitol could feel the sweat now rolling down his back. His handcuffed wrists ached, but all of his attention remained riveted on the ominous titanium briefcase that Sato had just opened on the bench between them. The contents of this case, Sato had told him, will persuade you to see things my way. I guarantee it. The tiny Asian woman had unclasped the metal case away from Bellamy's line of sight, and he had yet to see its contents, but his imagination was running wild. Sato's hands were doing something inside the case, and Bellamy half expected her to extract a series of glistening, razor- sharp tools. Suddenly a light source flickered inside the case, growing brighter, illuminating Sato's face from beneath. Her hands kept moving inside, and the light changed hue. After a few moments, she removed her hands, grasped the entire case, and turned it toward Bellamy so he could see inside. Bellamy found himself squinting into the glow of what appeared to be some kind of futuristic laptop with a handheld phone receiver, two antennae, and a double keyboard. His initial surge of relief turned quickly to confusion. The screen bore the CIA logo and the text: SECURE LOG-IN USER: INOUE SATO SECURITY CLEARANCE: LEVEL 5 Beneath the laptop's log-in window, a progress icon was spinning: ONE MOMENT PLEASE . . . DECRYPTING FILE . . . Bellamy's gaze shot back up to Sato, whose eyes were locked on his. â€Å"I had not wanted to show you this,† she said. â€Å"But you've left me no choice.† The screen flickered again, and Bellamy glanced back down as the file opened, its contents filling the entire LCD. For several moments, Bellamy stared at the screen, trying to make sense of what he was looking at. Gradually, as it began to dawn on him, he felt the blood draining from his face. He stared in horror, unable to look away. â€Å"But this is . . . impossible!† he exclaimed. â€Å"How . . . could this be!† Sato's face was grim. â€Å"You tell me, Mr. Bellamy. You tell me.† As the Architect of the Capitol began to fully comprehend the ramifications of what he was seeing, he could feel his entire world teetering precariously on the brink of disaster. My God . . . I've made a terrible, terrible mistake! CHAPTER 84 Dean Galloway felt alive. Like all mortals, he knew the time was coming when he would shed his mortal shell, but tonight was not the night. His corporeal heart was beating strong and fast . . . and his mind felt sharp. There is work to be done. As he ran his arthritic hands across the pyramid's smooth surfaces, he could scarcely believe what he was feeling. I never imagined I would live to witness this moment. For generations, the pieces of the symbolon map had been kept safely apart from one another. Now they were united at last. Galloway wondered if this was the foretold time. Strangely, fate had selected two non-Masons to assemble the pyramid. Somehow, this seemed fitting. The Mysteries are moving out of the inner circles . . . out of darkness . . . into the light. â€Å"Professor,† he said, turning his head in the direction of Langdon's breathing. â€Å"Did Peter tell you why he wanted you to watch over the little package?† â€Å"He said powerful people wanted to steal it from him,† Langdon replied. The dean nodded. â€Å"Yes, Peter told me the same thing.† â€Å"He did?† Katherine said suddenly on his left. â€Å"You and my brother spoke about this pyramid?† â€Å"Of course,† Galloway said. â€Å"Your brother and I have spoken on many things. I was once the Worshipful Master at the House of the Temple, and he comes to me for guidance at times. It was about a year ago that he came to me, deeply troubled. He sat exactly where you are now, and he asked me if I believed in supernatural premonitions.† â€Å"Premonitions?† Katherine sounded concerned. â€Å"You mean like . . . visions?† â€Å"Not exactly. It was more visceral. Peter said he was feeling the growing presence of a dark force in his life. He sensed something was watching him . . . waiting . . . intending to do him great harm.† â€Å"Obviously he was right,† Katherine said, â€Å"considering that the same man who killed our mother and Peter's son had come to Washington and become one of Peter's own Masonic brothers.† â€Å"True,† Langdon said, â€Å"but it doesn't explain the involvement of the CIA.† Galloway was not so sure. â€Å"Men in power are always interested in greater power.† â€Å"But . . . the CIA?† Langdon challenged. â€Å"And mystical secrets? Something doesn't add up.† â€Å"Sure it does,† Katherine said. â€Å"The CIA thrives on technological advancement and has always experimented with the mystical sciences–ESP, remote viewing, sensory deprivation, pharmacologically induced highly mentalized states. It's all the same thing–tapping the unseen potential of the human mind. If there's one thing I've learned from Peter, it's this: Science and mysticism are very closely related, distinguishable only by their approaches. They have identical goals . . . but different methods.† â€Å"Peter tells me,† Galloway said, â€Å"that your field of study is a kind of modern mystical science?† â€Å"Noetics,† Katherine said, nodding. â€Å"And it's proving man has powers unlike anything we can imagine.† She motioned to a stained-glass window depicting the familiar image of the â€Å"Luminous Jesus,† that of Christ with rays of light flowing from his head and hands. â€Å"In fact, I just used a supercooled charge-coupled device to photograph the hands of a faith healer at work. The photos looked a lot like the image of Jesus in your stained-glass window . . . streams of energy pouring through the healer's fingertips.† The well-trained mind, Galloway thought, hiding a smile. How do you think Jesus healed the sick? â€Å"I realize,† Katherine said, â€Å"that modern medicine ridicules healers and shamans, but I saw this with my own eyes. My CCD cameras clearly photographed this man transmitting a massive energy field from his fingertips . . . and literally changing the cellular makeup of his patient. If that's not godlike power, then I don't know what is.† Dean Galloway let himself smile. Katherine had the same fiery passion as her brother. â€Å"Peter once compared Noetic Scientists to the early explorers who were mocked for embracing the heretical notion of a spherical earth. Almost overnight, these explorers went from fools to heroes, discovering uncharted worlds and expanding the horizons of everyone on the planet. Peter thinks you will do this as well. He has very high hopes for your work. After all, every great philosophical shift in history began with a single bold idea.† Galloway knew, of course, that one needn't go to a lab to witness proof of this bold new idea, this proposal of man's untapped potential. This very cathedral held healing prayer circles for the sick, and repeatedly had witnessed truly miraculous results, medically documented physical transformations. The question was not whether God had imbued man with great powers . . . but rather how we liberate those powers. The old dean placed his hands reverently around the sides of the Masonic Pyramid and spoke very quietly. â€Å"My friends, I do not know exactly where this pyramid points . . . but I do know this. There is a great spiritual treasure buried out there somewhere . . . a treasure that has waited patiently in darkness for generations. I believe it is a catalyst that has the power to transform this world.† He now touched the golden tip of the capstone. â€Å"And now that this pyramid is assembled . . . the time is fast approaching. And why shouldn't it? The promise of a great transformational enlightenment has been prophesied forever.† â€Å"Father,† Langdon said, his tone challenging, â€Å"we're all familiar with the Revelation of Saint John and the literal meaning of the Apocalypse, but biblical prophecy hardly seems–â€Å" â€Å"Oh, heavens, the Book of Revelation is a mess!† the dean said. â€Å"Nobody knows how to read that. I'm talking about clear minds writing in clear language–the predictions of Saint Augustine, Sir Francis Bacon, Newton, Einstein, the list goes on and on, all anticipating a transformative moment of enlightenment. Even Jesus himself said, `Nothing is hidden that will not be made known, nor secret that will not come to light.'† â€Å"It's a safe prediction to make,† Langdon said. â€Å"Knowledge grows exponentially. The more we know, the greater our ability to learn, and the faster we expand our knowledge base.† â€Å"Yes,† Katherine added. â€Å"We see this in science all the time. Each new technology we invent becomes a tool with which to invent new technologies . . . and it snowballs. That's why science has advanced more in the last five years than in the previous five thousand. Exponential growth. Mathematically, as time passes, the exponential curve of progress becomes almost vertical, and new development occurs incredibly fast.† Silence fell in the dean's office, and Galloway sensed that his two guests still had no idea how this pyramid could possibly help them reveal anything further. That is why fate brought you to me, he thought. I have a role to play. For many years, the Reverend Colin Galloway, along with his Masonic brothers, had played the role of gatekeeper. Now it was all changing. I am no longer a gatekeeper . . . I am a guide. â€Å"Professor Langdon?† Galloway said, reaching out across his desk. â€Å"Take my hand if you will.† Robert Langdon felt uncertain as he stared across at Dean Galloway's outstretched palm. Are we going to pray? Politely, Langdon reached out and placed his right hand in the dean's withered hand. The old man grasped it firmly but did not begin to pray. Instead, he found Langdon's index finger and guided it downward into the stone box that had once housed the golden capstone. â€Å"Your eyes have blinded you,† the dean said. â€Å"If you saw with your fingertips as I do, you would realize this box has something left to teach you.† Dutifully, Langdon worked his fingertip around the inside of the box, but he felt nothing. The inside was perfectly smooth. â€Å"Keep looking,† Galloway prompted. Finally, Langdon's fingertip felt something–a tiny raised circle–a minuscule dot in the center of the base of the box. He removed his hand and peered inside. The little circle was virtually invisible to the naked eye. What is that? â€Å"Do you recognize that symbol?† Galloway asked. â€Å"Symbol?† Langdon replied. â€Å"I can barely see anything at all.† â€Å"Push down on it.† Langdon did as he asked, pressing his fingertip down onto the spot. What does he think will happen? â€Å"Hold your finger down,† the dean said. â€Å"Apply pressure.† Langdon glanced over at Katherine, who looked puzzled as she tucked a wisp of hair behind her ears. A few seconds later, the old dean finally nodded. â€Å"Okay, remove your hand. The alchemy is complete.† Alchemy? Robert Langdon removed his hand from the stone box and sat in bewildered silence. Nothing had changed at all. The box just sat there on the desk. â€Å"Nothing,† Langdon said. â€Å"Look at your fingertip,† the dean replied. â€Å"You should see a transformation.† Langdon looked at his finger, but the only transformation he could see was that he now had an indentation on his skin made by the circular nubbin–a tiny circle with a dot in the middle. â€Å"Now do you recognize this symbol?† the dean asked. Although Langdon recognized the symbol, he was more impressed that the dean had been able to feel the detail of it. Seeing with one's fingertips was apparently a learned skill. â€Å"It's alchemical,† Katherine said, sliding her chair closer and examining Langdon's finger. â€Å"It's the ancient symbol for gold.† â€Å"Indeed it is.† The dean smiled and patted the box. â€Å"Professor, congratulations. You have just achieved what every alchemist in history has strived for. From a worthless substance, you've created gold.† Langdon frowned, unimpressed. The little parlor trick seemed to be no help at all. â€Å"An interesting idea, sir, but I'm afraid this symbol–a circle with a round dot in the middle–has dozens of meanings. It's called a circumpunct, and it's one of the most widely used symbols in history.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† the dean asked, sounding skeptical. Langdon was stunned that a Mason was not more familiar with the spiritual importance of this symbol. â€Å"Sir, the circumpunct has countless meanings. In ancient Egypt, it was the symbol for Ra–the sun god–and modern astronomy still uses it as the solar symbol. In Eastern philosophy, it represents the spiritual insight of the Third Eye, the divine rose, and the sign of illumination. The Kabbalists use it to symbolize the Kether–the highest Sephiroth and `the most hidden of all hidden things.' Early mystics called it the Eye of God and it's the origin of the All-Seeing Eye on the Great Seal. The Pythagoreans used the circumpunct as the symbol of the Monad–the Divine Truth, the Prisca Sapientia, the at-one-ment of mind and soul, and the–â€Å" â€Å"Enough!† Dean Galloway was chuckling now. â€Å"Professor, thank you. You are correct, of course.† Langdon now realized he had just been played. He knew all that. â€Å"The circumpunct,† Galloway said, still smiling to himself, â€Å"is essentially the symbol of the Ancient Mysteries. For this reason, I would suggest that its presence in this box is not mere coincidence. Legend holds that the secrets of this map are hidden in the smallest of details.† â€Å"Fine,† Katherine said, â€Å"but even if this symbol was inscribed there intentionally, it doesn't bring us any closer to deciphering the map, does it?† â€Å"You mentioned earlier that the wax seal you broke was embossed with Peter's ring?† â€Å"That's correct.† â€Å"And you said you have that ring with you?† â€Å"I do.† Langdon reached into his pocket, found the ring, took it out of the plastic bag, and placed it on the desk in front of the dean. Galloway picked up the ring and began feeling its surfaces. â€Å"This unique ring was created at the same time as the Masonic Pyramid, and traditionally, it is worn by the Mason in charge of protecting the pyramid. Tonight, when I felt the tiny circumpunct on the bottom of the stone box, I realized that the ring is, in fact, part of the symbolon.† â€Å"It is?† â€Å"I'm certain of it. Peter is my closest friend, and he wore this ring for many years. I am quite familiar with it.† He handed the ring to Langdon. â€Å"See for yourself.† Langdon took the ring and examined it, running his fingers over the double-headed phoenix, the number 33, the words ORDO AB CHAO, and also the words All is revealed at the thirty-third degree. He felt nothing helpful. Then, as his fingers traced down around the outside of the band, he stopped short. Startled, he turned the ring over and eyed the very bottom of its band. â€Å"Did you find it?† Galloway said. â€Å"I think so, yes!† Langdon said. Katherine slid her chair closer. â€Å"What?† â€Å"The degree sign on the band,† Langdon said, showing her. â€Å"It's so small that you don't really notice it with your eyes, but if you feel it, you can tell it's actually indented–like a tiny circular incision.† The degree sign was centered on the bottom of the band . . . and admittedly looked to be the same size as the raised nubbin in the bottom of the cube. â€Å"Is it the same size?† Katherine moved closer still, sounding excited now. â€Å"There's one way to find out.† He took the ring and lowered it into the box, aligning the two tiny circles. As he pushed down, the raised circle on the box slid into the ring's opening, and there was a faint but decisive click. They all jumped. Langdon waited, but nothing happened. â€Å"What was that?!† the priest said. â€Å"Nothing,† Katherine replied. â€Å"The ring locked into place . . . but nothing else happened.† â€Å"No great transformation?† Galloway looked puzzled. We're not done, Langdon realized, gazing down at the ring's embossed insignia–a double- headed phoenix and the number 33. All is revealed at the thirty-third degree. His mind filled with thoughts of Pythagoras, sacred geometry, and angles; he wondered if perhaps degrees had a mathematical meaning. Slowly, heart beating faster now, he reached down and grasped the ring, which was affixed to the base of the cube. Then, slowly, he began turning the ring to the right. All is revealed at the thirty- third degree. He turned the ring ten degrees . . . twenty degrees . . . thirty degrees– What happened next, Langdon never saw coming. CHAPTER 85 Transformation. Dean Galloway heard it happen, and so he didn't need to see it. Across the desk from him, Langdon and Katherine were dead silent, no doubt staring in mute astonishment at the stone cube, which had just transformed itself loudly before their very eyes. Galloway couldn't help but smile. He had anticipated the result, and although he still had no idea how this development would ultimately help them solve the riddle of the pyramid, he was enjoying the rare chance to teach a Harvard symbologist something about symbols. â€Å"Professor,† the dean said, â€Å"few people realize that the Masons venerate the shape of the cube– or ashlar, as we call it–because it is a three-dimensional representation of another symbol . . . a much older, two-dimensional symbol.† Galloway didn't need to ask if the professor recognized the ancient symbol now lying before them on the desk. It was one of the most famous symbols in the world. Robert Langdon's thoughts churned as he stared at the transformed box on the desk in front of him. I had no idea . . . Moments ago, he had reached into the stone box, grasped the Masonic ring, and gently turned it. As he rotated the ring through thirty-three degrees, the cube had suddenly changed before his eyes. The square panels that made up the sides of the box fell away from one another as their hidden hinges released. The box collapsed all at once, its side panels and lid falling outward, slapping loudly on the desk. The cube becomes a cross, Langdon thought. Symbolic alchemy. Katherine looked bewildered by the sight of the collapsed cube. â€Å"The Masonic Pyramid relates to . . . Christianity?† For a moment, Langdon had wondered the same thing. After all, the Christian crucifix was a respected symbol within the Masons, and certainly there were plenty of Christian Masons. However, Masons were also Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and those who had no name for their God. The presence of an exclusively Christian symbol seemed restrictive. Then the true meaning of this symbol had dawned on him. â€Å"It's not a crucifix,† Langdon said, standing up now. â€Å"The cross with the circumpunct in the middle is a binary symbol–two symbols fused to create one.† â€Å"What are you saying?† Katherine's eyes followed him as he paced the room. â€Å"The cross,† Langdon said, â€Å"was not a Christian symbol until the fourth century. Long before that, it was used by the Egyptians to represent the intersection of two dimensions–the human and the celestial. As above, so below. It was a visual representation of the juncture where man and God become one.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"The circumpunct,† Langdon said, â€Å"we already know has many meanings–one of its most esoteric being the rose, the alchemical symbol for perfection. But, when you place a rose on the center of a cross, you create another symbol entirely–the Rose Cross.† Galloway reclined in his chair, smiling. â€Å"My, my. Now you're cooking.† Katherine stood now, too. â€Å"What am I missing?† â€Å"The Rose Cross,† Langdon explained, â€Å"is a common symbol in Freemasonry. In fact, one of the degrees of the Scottish Rite is called `Knights of the Rose Cross' and honors the early Rosicrucians, who contributed to Masonic mystical philosophy. Peter may have mentioned the Rosicrucians to you. Dozens of great scientists were members–John Dee, Elias Ashmole, Robert Fludd–â€Å" â€Å"Absolutely,† Katherine said. â€Å"I've read all of the Rosicrucian manifestos in my research.† Every scientist should, Langdon thought. The Order of the Rose Cross–or more formally the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis–had an enigmatic history that had greatly influenced science and closely paralleled the legend of the Ancient Mysteries . . . early sages possessing secret wisdom that was passed down through the ages and studied by only the brightest minds. Admittedly, history's list of famous Rosicrucians was a who's who of European Renaissance luminaries: Paracelsus, Bacon, Fludd, Descartes, Pascal, Spinoza, Newton, Leibniz. According to Rosicrucian doctrine, the order was â€Å"built on esoteric truths of the ancient past,† truths which had to be â€Å"concealed from the average man† and which promised great insight into â€Å"the spiritual realm.† The brotherhood's symbol had blossomed over the years into a flowering rose on an ornate cross, but it had begun as a more modest dotted circle on an unadorned cross– the simplest manifestation of the rose on the simplest manifestation of the cross. â€Å"Peter and I often discuss Rosicrucian philosophy,† Galloway told Katherine. As the dean began outlining the interrelationship between Masonry and Rosicrucianism, Langdon felt his attention drawn back to the same nagging thought he'd had all night. Jeova Sanctus Unus. This phrase is linked to alchemy somehow. He still could not remember exactly what Peter had told him about the phrase, but for some reason, the mention of Rosicrucianism seemed to have rekindled the thought. Think, Robert! â€Å"The Rosicrucian founder,† Galloway was saying, â€Å"was allegedly a German mystic who went by the name Christian Rosenkreuz–a pseudonym obviously, perhaps even for Francis Bacon, who some historians believe founded the group himself, although there is no proof of–† â€Å"A pseudonym!† Langdon declared suddenly, startling even himself. â€Å"That's it! Jeova Sanctus Unus! It's a pseudonym!† â€Å"What are you talking about?† Katherine demanded. Langdon's pulse had quickened now. â€Å"All night, I've been trying to remember what Peter told me about Jeova Sanctus Unus and its relationship to alchemy. Finally I remembered! It's not about alchemy so much as about an alchemist! A very famous alchemist!† Galloway chuckled. â€Å"It's about time, Professor. I mentioned his name twice and also the word pseudonym.† Langdon stared at the old dean. â€Å"You knew?† â€Å"Well, I had my suspicions when you told me the engraving said Jeova Sanctus Unus and had been decrypted using Durer's alchemical magic square, but when you found the Rose Cross, I was certain. As you probably know, the personal papers of the scientist in question included a very heavily annotated copy of the Rosicrucian manifestos.† â€Å"Who?† Katherine asked. â€Å"One of the world's greatest scientists!† Langdon replied. â€Å"He was an alchemist, a member of the Royal Society of London, a Rosicrucian, and he signed some of his most secretive science papers with a pseudonym–`Jeova Sanctus Unus'!† â€Å"One True God?† Katherine said. â€Å"Modest guy.† â€Å"Brilliant guy, actually,† Galloway corrected. â€Å"He signed his name that way because, like the ancient Adepts, he understood himself as divine. In addition, because the sixteen letters in Jeova Sanctus Unus could be rearranged to spell his name in Latin, making it a perfect pseudonym.† Katherine now looked puzzled. â€Å"Jeova Sanctus Unus is an anagram of a famous alchemist's name in Latin?† Langdon grabbed a piece of paper and pencil off the dean's desk, writing as he talked. â€Å"Latin interchanges the letters J for I and the letter V for U, which means Jeova Sanctus Unus can actually be perfectly rearranged to spell this man's name.† Langdon wrote down sixteen letters: Isaacus Neutonuus. He handed the slip of paper to Katherine and said, â€Å"I think you've heard of him.† â€Å"Isaac Newton?† Katherine demanded, looking at the paper. â€Å"That's what the engraving on the pyramid was trying to tell us!† For a moment, Langdon was back in Westminster Abbey, standing at Newton's pyramidical tomb, where he had experienced a similar epiphany. And tonight, the great scientist surfaces again. It was no coincidence, of course . . . the pyramids, mysteries, science, hidden knowledge . . . it was all intertwined. Newton's name had always been a recurring guidepost for those seeking secret knowledge. â€Å"Isaac Newton,† Galloway said, â€Å"must have something to do with how to decipher the meaning of the pyramid. I can't imagine what it would be, but–â€Å" â€Å"Genius!† Katherine exclaimed, her eyes going wide. â€Å"That's how we transform the pyramid!† â€Å"You understand?† Langdon said. â€Å"Yes!† she said. â€Å"I can't believe we didn't see it! It has been staring us right in the face. A simple alchemical process. I can transform this pyramid using basic science! Newtonian science!† Langdon strained to understand. â€Å"Dean Galloway,† Katherine said. â€Å"If you read the ring, it says–â€Å" â€Å"Stop!† The old dean suddenly raised his finger in the air and motioned for silence. Gently, he cocked his head to the side, as if he were listening to something. After a moment, he stood up abruptly. â€Å"My friends, this pyramid obviously has secrets left to reveal. I don't know what Ms. Solomon is getting at, but if she knows your next step, then I have played my role. Pack up your things and say no more to me. Leave me in darkness for the moment. I would prefer to have no information to share should our visitors try to force me.† â€Å"Visitors?† Katherine said, listening. â€Å"I don't hear anyone.† â€Å"You will,† Galloway said, heading for the door. â€Å"Hurry.† Across town, a cell tower was attempting to contact a phone that lay in pieces on Massachusetts Avenue. Finding no signal, it redirected the call to voice mail. â€Å"Robert!† Warren Bellamy's panicked voice shouted. â€Å"Where are you?! Call me! Something terrible is happening!†