Monday, September 30, 2019

What Is It Like to Be Blind?

There are thousands of blind people in our country, and there are hundreds of thousands of them around the world. One can simply close his eyes in order to imagine what it is like to be blind. Such experiment is really the best way to understand how blind people feel and what they have to face in their daily life. The feelings I could experience after spending one hour with closed eyes touched me deeply. For some first minutes I was able only to make some slow and awkward movements, because I was quite scared of coming against the things around me.Certainly, I got used to the environment soon, but it was still difficult to cope with the situation and decide, what to do. Then, I got a new angle on the issue. What about career, accomplishments, love, success, or hope? Suddenly, I realized how helpless and apathetic the blind can feel. I tried to walk around my house and even came out of it, but I constantly felt stressed and very uncomfortable. I could experience how hard it must be fo r blind people to perform their daily routines without meaningful help of a sighted guide.Besides, it became clear to me that it takes more time and efforts of the blind to perform simple actions and operations, like turning on the oven or looking for the remote control, etc. Finally, I understood that, actually, the blind can not even do and enjoy many absolutely usual things we do and enjoy every day. They can not fully enjoy TV shows and movies like we can, can not read or surf Internet as fast as we can, and so on. Certainly, nowadays there are many technological solutions, which help blind people to read and write, or use computer, or stay organized, but it is still very complicated, I suppose.Therefore, this experiment helped me to experience some difficulties of the blind and taste the effects of failures they can face. Certainly, within the time such people get adapted to their disability and learn what they can and what they can not do. But this is really hard, and I only w ish all blind people to be strong, find their support and inspiration, and always use the power of their imagination in order to picture this world in bright and beautiful colors. Bibliography: †¢ â€Å"What Is It Like to Be Blind? † Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Chldren. Destra Business. 2007. 23 May 2007 .

Sunday, September 29, 2019

How Is Romeo Presented in the First Two Acts of Romeo and Juliet

In the first two acts of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is presented as a young, love struck man. He is a dreamer and a fantasist. The audience feels sympathetic towards him because love is taking him nowhere. In Act 1, we first meet Romeo as he is sobbing about his love for a young lady, who we later find out to be Rosaline. The first line he speaks, â€Å"Is the day so young?†, suggests that he is bored and waiting for something to happen as he is so shocked about how early it is in the day. To emphasise this, he goes on to say, â€Å"Ay me, sad hours seem so long†. Benvolio asks Romeo why he is sad and he explains that he is sad because he has no love and his line, â€Å"Out of here favour where I am in loves† shows that the person he loves does not love him. This is how the audience first learns of Romeo’s love struck ness. To show even more how love struck and sad Romeo is, he admits it to himself when he says, â€Å"This is not Romeo, he is some other where.† Benvolio asks him to â€Å"examine other beauties† to cure his love sickness. But Romeo says that if his eyes see anything more beautiful than Rosaline, then â€Å"turn tears to fires†. This shows that Romeo is very single-minded on Rosaline and believes that no one could be more beautiful than her. On the way to the Capulet’s party, Romeo is presented as upset and a spoil sport. He explains that he has a â€Å"soul of lead† which â€Å"stakes [him] to the ground [he] cannot move†. This shows that he is very serious about his love for Rosaline and feels his sadness as a heavy weight on him, not allowing him to have fun, but to grieve. Reluctantly, Romeo agrees to go to the party in the hope that he will find Rosaline. At the Capulet’s party, Romeo finds another girl, Juliet, and is entranced by her beauty. He asks himself, â€Å"Did my heart love till now?†. This line suggests that he completely falls in love with Juliet and asks himself whether he did love Rosaline or whether he had just got it into his head. This shows that Romeo was very single-minded and a sudden link is made between him and Juliet. However, as Romeo is so absorbed by Juliet he looses his disguise. When Tybalt, a keen Capulet, finds out about this and becomes very angry, describing Romeo as a â€Å"villain Montague† because he has gate crashed the Capulet’s party. This shows that Tybalt is an enthusiastic Capulet and believes Romeo is of the opposite being. But Capulet himself is in a very jolly mood and he describes Romeo as a â€Å"portly gentlemen† and a â€Å"well-governed youth†, showing that Capulet’s beliefs of Romeo is that he is a dignified and well behaved young man. Romeo is also described as a handsome and gentle young man. This is shown in Act 2, as the Nurse described Romeo as â€Å"his face be better than any man’s† and â€Å"gentle as a lamb†. This shows that there are different views of Romeo from different characters but, in general, Romeo is presented as a young, handsome and brave young man who is a distant part of his feud-orientated family. As soon as Romeo falls in love with Juliet a sudden link is made between them. The way they speak is very poetic and in verse, as if they know exactly what to say next. Also, Romeo is presented as religious when he compares his lips to â€Å"two blushing pilgrims†. Romeo is presented as a quite sensible young man and, unlike Benvolio and Mercutio, he doesn’t joke about and mess around. He also doesn’t seem to be part of the dispute between the Capulet’s and Montague’s, showing how keen his is on love. On the other hand, as soon as Romeo and Juliet fall in love they become trapped in their own world and don’t mention much about their families being enemies. Romeo sometimes risks his life and many consequences in order to see Juliet, showing how much he truly loves her. Romeo is also presented as a risky and completely taken in man. At the end of Act 2, Romeo agrees to marry Juliet, but neither the Capulet’s nor Montague’s no about it. This is very risky for Romeo and Juliet and Romeo seems to dismiss the consequences because he is so taken in by Juliet. To make things even more secretive, Romeo arranges for a rope ladder to be sent to the excited Nurse, so that Romeo can climb into Juliet’s room to get married. In conclusion, Acts 1 and 2 of Romeo and Juliet presents Romeo as, at first, a fantasists and love struck man. By the end of Act 2, he is seen as a very entranced and risky man, showing his devotion of love towards Juliet.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Prayer in Public schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Prayer in Public schools - Essay Example The United States was established on freedom, and one of the freedoms was the freedom of worship or religion. America’s forefathers knew that there had to be a distinction between state and church. This allowed US citizens to practice any religion they chose and they would be no interference from the government. An overabundance of court cases has ruled that having school prayers is unconstitutional. Whereas, having school prayers funded by the administration is constitutional (Oak 1). Moms in prayer are among various groups that hold school prayers. Whereas, the Union of American Civil Liberties is opposed to school prayers. Prayers in school are a debate that has been ranging on since the 1960’s with the milestone case of Engle v. Vitale. This case found that the school wide petitioned prayer narrated by its students was unconstitutional. Various litigation ensued this ruling, whereby the school funded prayer was prohibited, such as during graduations and sporting events. Those that are for school prayer will argue that it allows for religious freedoms and brings back morality within schools (Oak 1). In addition, it allows students to express their right of the First Amendment. Those that are opposing school prayer will argue that one religion may go in contradiction of other religious opinions, with prayer the feeling of religion will be pushed upon them against their beliefs and that goes against their constitutional rights, and not everyone believes in a God. In conclusion, the issue â€Å"Should school prayer be allowed?" is proved justifiably to be "Yes, school prayer is permissible within particular considerations." In actuality, the question is usually an opinionated struggle to attain legislative authority by spiritual groups who wish for a selected system belief. This opinionated resistance does not deduce well into a limited disparity for or against school

Friday, September 27, 2019

How does the ideology New World Order help a country's effort to Essay

How does the ideology New World Order help a country's effort to identify, understand, and or address worldwide problems that go beyond the capacity of individual states to solve - Essay Example There will a unity of religion, some saying that no religion will be taught nor tolerated. There will be no visas required while travelling as there will be no borders. The same currency will be used all over the world. One military will be used to enforce the laws (Slaughter 9). The whole world will use the same language, monolingual. The New World Order was initially developed to deal with the changes in the world (Mark3). There are so many emerging issues that are as a result of things such as changing living patterns and technologies. The world is growing day by day. It has led to growing economies. People being able to have more purchasing power and better lifestyles. The changes have also led to problems in the social, economic and political fronts. The ideology was supposed to help control the negative changes. The ideology can be used to tackle issues and problems facing both developing and developed countries (Slaughter 9). The first problem that can be tackled is racism. Throughout history, people have been being discriminated on the basis of their skin color. By becoming one, the issue of racism will be eliminated in the world. As there are very few people who practice it in today’s world. Unity will see it come to an end. Secondly, the removal of borders will lead to economic growth. People will be able to move from one country to the next carrying out business activities. The removal of different currencies to have one will also help. There will be no need to exchange currencies during transactions. The economic growth will not be attributed to one particular country, but the world as a whole. Thirdly, healthcare will be provided to everyone in the world for free. Many countries are struggling to provide free medical covers. Developed countries like the United States are the only ones that have been able to provide free health services. Lack of medical services has led to a large population

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Game Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Game Theory - Essay Example 2 threatens to play q if the player 1 gives 2 the move; this may be bad for the player 1 so he decides to play W, but also would be bad for player 2. Now, given the opportunity to move, player 2 will prefer to play 1 since it is the remaining Nash equilibrium. One has to bear in mind the tree diagram of probability when handling game perfect equilibrium theory. In game 1, the correct sub-game starts at player2’s decision join; the condition that 2’s choices are Nash equilibrium strategy lowers or reduces the prerequisite that 2 takes the action that yields in the highest induce, thus, player 2 must play 1; these deductions are only possible because there exist a finite extensive form of the game, therefore exists a sub-game perfect Nash equilibrium. In addition, the Nash sub perfect game equilibrium can be jointed to for the tree diagram of probabilities (McCain 55). A different problem with sub-game excellence is that of the concept is not in an alternative unnecessary changing of the game tree. For instance, a tree diagram that has the same form as that of normal form as game 2 but has sub-game completeness (McCain 56). When manipulating for equilibrium in zero, some game will not take into account of the challenger playoff; this is because the opponents are implicit known, they are ever diametric. On the other hand, in non-zero games, one has to put in mind opponents playoff. These will always yield different outcomes. A relevant example is that of innovation of Blu-ray by Toshiba and Sony companies, if both companies goes for the same innovation, the results may be more convenient for only than Toshiba, but if the two companies don’t involve in the same kind of coordination (if only has a greater probability or chance of winning in the innovation ). The game in comparison is Blu-ray for Sony to that of Toshiba, now, if the two companies happen to pick option, then Sony will have a big pay off compared to Toshiba. Consequently, if Toshib a Company reconsiders to the option of HD DVD will leave the Sony Company with a play of o. this will be considered as that playoff 1 for selection of Blu-ray. However, (HD DVD, HD DVD) is another strategic equilibrium. The game theories will term these as pure strategy equilibrium in non-zero game of Nash equilibrium (McCain 78). The co-ordination between the companies will bear some common problems in the scope of business and innovations. Although it is better to understand that solutions reached is as a result of Nash equilibrium; solutions obtained are of the beneficiary to the companies; Sony and Toshiba. Therefore, it important to understand the mixed strategy of Nash equilibrium; this case will put the guiding principle to base on any of the player or company this means that the mixed equilibrium must yield some payoff outcomes (McCain 123). For instance, if we take the mixed strategy for Sony company to be y for choosing Blu-ray and (1-y) for Toshiba company for choosing HD DVD, we can use Toshiba’s payoff to manipulate the values for HD DVD and Blu-ray, these will yield two outcomes as follows; If Toshiba company chooses Blu-ray if Toshiba company goes for HD DVD (1-y)*(y+0)*1 =0*(1-y)*(y+4) y =4-4*y y*5 =4 y =4D5 In this example, Sony’s strategy is to an unsystematic choosing of Blu-ray is (4/5) and the same time (1/5) to that of HD DVD. Now, there will be a mixed strategy of (x, 1-x) of

Law against Sexual Harassment in Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law against Sexual Harassment in Qatar - Essay Example In the referendum, held on April 29, 2003, about 97% voters approved a new constitution. The constitution gives equal rights to the women. In Qatar public protests and political demonstrations are not permissible. Trade groups, women groups and political parties have not been granted license. In 2002 the Emir ordered to establish National Committee for Human Rights to implement the aims of internation human rights charter and to report the human rights violation. The constitution of Qatar guarantees women the equal rights as citizens . Article 35 explicitly stipulates, "[A]ll people are equal before the law. There shall be no discrimination on account of sex, origin, language or religion." No doubt, the constitution gives protection to women but in reality there have been no formal mechanism to provide opportunity to women to register their complaints against gender discrimination. The government is not interested to take measures to protect the legal rights of women. Moreover, the Islamic Laws, as implemented in Qatar are discriminatory against women and women do not have the legal protection if the law of inheritance is violated. â€Å"The term sexual harassment is understood internationally as the abuse of authority by persons in positions of power with the purpose of coercing persons under their authority into granting sexual favors.† (The Arab Human Development Report, 2005 and for comprehensive review, see Paludi & Paludi,2003: Sbraga & O’ Donohue, 2000) Unfortunately Arab penal codes do not provide us the concrete definition of sexual harassment. There are laws to punish the crime of rape, sexual abuse and extorting sexual favors but Arab penal codes does not define sexual harassment as it is defined internationally. The foreigners, working in Qatar, does not have the right of citizenship, it is reported that foreign nationals employed as domestic worker face sexual harassment at their work place.  

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Compare and contrast two developmental approaches to the study of Essay

Compare and contrast two developmental approaches to the study of developmental psychology. You must refer to research and theory in your answer - Essay Example Contrastingly, developmental psychologists who emphasized learning theories, such as Lev Vygotsky, John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner and Albert Bandura focus on the role of environment more than on the part played by biology. The diverse theories are based on different assumptions, but are similar in some respects (Sigelman & Rider, 2006: 49). The two developmental approaches which are chosen for comparison in this paper are those of Erikson (1902-1994) and Piaget (1896-1987). The similarities and differences between their theories will be examined, including the extent to which nature versus nurture play a part. On the nature side of the nature-nurture controversy, the nativist belief is that human development is determined by innate factors such as genetic endowment and brain maturation. On the nurture side, also known as empirism, development is considered as the result of experience and learning. Although there are some biologically based limits on behaviour and cognition, the â€Å"brains are open, dynamic information processors that are receptive to sociocultural influences† (Kitayama & Cohen, 2007: 528). According to Jean Piaget’s theory, the development of intelligence in children progresses through a series of four stages based on age and concurrent biological changes and maturation. This leads to the child demonstrating a higher level of cognitive functioning at each successive stage, as compared to the previous stage (Videbeck, 2007: 61). The stages of development are not universal, since cultural differences exist. However, the mechanisms that underlie cognitive development are considered to be universal (Pressley & McCormick, 2007: 89). 1. The sensorimotor stage: This extends from birth to two years. The child develops a sense of self, differentiated from the environment, and develops the concept of object permanence. That is, a perception of the existence of tangible objects even

Monday, September 23, 2019

Raw's paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Raw's - Term Paper Example Your idea is conventional; furthermore, it is in your best interest that the largest numbers of customers share the benefits. Indeed, corporations are widely revered for their success in the business world. The first major advantage of this model is limited liability of the stakeholders of the business (McQuaig & Billie 751). In case the business is declared, bankrupt or is engaged in a very expensive lawsuit the stakeholders are only entitled to pay amounts equivalent to their holding in the company. This assures the stakeholders that the debt will not exceed their personal property as experienced in sole proprietorships and partnerships. If the credits owed are not payable, there will be liquidation of the assets. This limits any personal obligation of the company’s stakeholders on the debt of the entity. This can guarantee the stakeholders a soft landing despite the unfavorable conditions since their personal property is intact. Secondly, a corporation is a distinct legal person illustrating that it has its jurisdiction. This means that the firm will possess its own property, engage in contracts, acquire, and terminate its possessions. This is beneficial, as the property of the firm will not be attached to individuals. However, the company will utilize this independently to satisfy the objectives of the firm. In legal proceedings, it is the company that is indicated and not the owners or employees of the firm (McQuaig & Billie 751). The business can pursue its operations when the executives are relieved of their positions. In sole proprietorship, the business is not separate from the owner; therefore, the proprietor determines the dissemination of resources in the organization. A contract is not detachable from a sole proprietor since his signature certifies the deal and he is obligated to fulfill the requirements. Since he is not eligible for the same exception as a corporation,

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Human Resource Management, Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resource Management, Questions - Essay Example It is important to ensure that all employees remain customer oriented and demonstrate high level of service. Therefore, as a manager, I would propose to include the following strategies to help employees cope with stress. Firstly, employees will be recommended to attend communication skills courses to ease and improve their relationship with customers and even co-workers. Such courses will also teach the employees useful tactics in handling difficult clients. Secondly, the organization will introduce a 'buddy system', where an employee is attached to another individual to act as support for one another. The system will encourage individuals to openly discuss difficulties that they face at work and share tips for improving the situation. In addition, the system will also encourage employees to keep a lookout for alarming stress symptoms that their colleagues may be having so that these can be addressed immediately. Stress, if applied continuously and excessively, is a negative physical reaction to situations that upsets an individual's balance. On the contrary, small doses of it can actually have a positive effect on an individual by spurring him or her to perform better at something. In this case, the manager's statement is directed at Janine, who constantly experiences the symptoms of stress. Indeed, symptoms of stress can be seen in a person's behaviour, emotion, and physical conditions. Chronic stress is harmful to one's health because it disrupts the body's system, causing high blood pressure and poor immune system, increasing the risk of heart attack and speeding up the aging process. Therefore, the manager's statement about the unfavourable effect of stress on one's performance rings true. Answer to Question 4 Sammie is de-motivated because he is unsure of his skills in dealing with different kinds of people that he meets at work. As such, he feels he is incompetent to perform well at work. Using Social Cognitive Theory, Sammie's manager can motivate him by planning, anticipating likely outcomes and setting goals. Planning a course of action will help to anticipate the likely outcomes of these actions, while setting clear and attainable goals will ensure that Sammie remains challenged and motivated. For instance, the manager can discuss with Sammie the difficulties that he is facing with his job; draw up a plan to help Sammie overcome his fears, and keep a log book with daily targets, that Sammie can use to keep track of his daily experiences with the customers he has dealt with. Next, Sammie's manager can put him on a training session for a period where he will observe his co-workers on the job. This is known as vicarious learning and by such observations, Sammie will be able to retain positive points and use them in actual situations. This will also better prepare Sammie in the future. This is ideal instead of immediately putting Sammie to deal with customers because the observations will prepare him for what to expect. Self-regulating mechanisms increase self-worth and personal satisfaction by regular monitoring of one's actions. Sammie's manager

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear Essay Example for Free

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear Essay â€Å"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear.† I bet no person will disagree to this statement. We all have fears. Some would admit it, most prefer hiding it. The fears we have inside serve as our weakness in our times of strong points. Facing and conquering these fears is the ultimate key to eradicate these frightening feelings inside us. To start with, what is fear? According to Encarta 2008, â€Å"fear is an unpleasant feeling of anxiety or apprehension caused by the presence or anticipation of danger†. When an individual felt a threat, he/she is having fear towards that object or situation. I remember my first conscious encounter with â€Å"fear.† it happened during my first audition in a declamation contest. I prepared for it for two weeks. I made sure that I had memorized every line and word and its corresponding actions. On the actual contest, I was the third to present and I readied myself. After the second declaimer was called to the stage, I experienced something different. I noticed that my heart beat faster than the usual. My hands were fidgeting and sweating. I felt my stomach turning and had the feeling of throwing up. When I was called, all I did was stood, looked at the audience and judges, and stared my piece. Sad to say, I was not able to finish my piece because I forgot most of the lines and my whole body was trembling. After the contest, my mother told me that I looked very â€Å"fearful† in the stage. I admitted it to my mother, of course. The signs and symptoms I experienced are some indicators that fear is already happening inside you. When a person feels fearful, he/she is feeling anxious. Anxiety is an â€Å"emotional  state  in  which people feel uneasy, apprehensive, or fearful† based on Encarta Encyclopedia 2008. Usually, people are aware of what causes their fear. For example, I would feel different whenever I came close to a high place. Some interchange the word fear and anxiety but they describe the same thing. However, fear emphasizes the want of a person to escape the situation that entails danger. When people feel threaten by a specific object or event, it became a phobia. Phobia is defined in Encarta Encyclopedia as an â€Å"intense and persistent fear of a specific object, situation, or activity.† Phobias are further divided into three categories: simple, agoraphobia, and social phobia. Simple phobia refers to fears of specific things or situations. I have a fear of cockroaches. I screech and run away whenever I see them on streets or at home. I recalled the moments when I and cockroaches are still â€Å"friends† (you read it right). When we were still living in an apartment, a lot of cockroaches lived with us. They even crawled on my legs but I just let them do it because it felt good and ticklish. When we moved into our new home, my mom told me that cockroaches are dirty creatures that transmit diseases. She said I should exterminate them if ever I see one. From that moment, I became scared of my â€Å"ex-friends† and tried to avoid them as much as possible. I cannot kill them using my footwear because its germs will just transfer to me and that would worsen everything! Another simple phobia I have is of heights. A third floor of any building could make my legs and shoulders tremble. This was formed when I we went to a swimming reunion. I was suddenly thrown into the pool and almost drowned because it was 6 feet high! Ever since, heights are a no-no for me. The second kind of phobia is agoraphobia, fear of open, public places and situations. These include being in crowded places or public vehicles. I also have this. I rarely went to any huge gatherings like concerts or assembly because I feel so inferior and vulnerable. People made me consider that escaping will be very difficult. Social phobia is the third kind and usually happens to teenagers. It is when you feel foolish during social events. I have a great fear of rejection from other people. This is the reason why I am a shy person. I do not like meeting up and chatting with people personally. Once when I was in grade school, my classmates would laugh at me when I was introducing myself to class. Ever since, I dislike and fear present myself to a crowd of people. I felt that they would stare at me and laugh at the same time. These fears greatly affected how I manage my life as a person right now. I prefer to be alone of the most of the time. I faced my problems alone and rarely asking for help. This could be a result of having a fear to socialize to other. Then, I realized that when I kept in living inside my own shell, I will not appreciate the individuals surrounding me. They might actually help me solve my conflicts and guide me to become a better person. Trust is what I have learned by facing and conquering my fears. I never took risks in my life because I fear that I would fail and become a loser all my life. However, there are individuals who assisted me to come out of my shell and conquer my fears. I am grateful of them. Fears made individuals imperfect. It shows the limitations of the human race. We should learn from Viktor’s story that running away from our fear would not make our lives better. The courage to confront it is an approach we can use to fight our fears. Remember, there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Courage is not the lack of fear, but the ability to face it. Works Cited Bufka, Lynn F., and Barlow, David H. Anxiety. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Market Expansion Possibilities In The Auto Mobile Industry Of Pakistan Marketing Essay

Market Expansion Possibilities In The Auto Mobile Industry Of Pakistan Marketing Essay Chapter 1: Introduction The evolution of the automotive industry has been influenced by various innovations in fuels, vehicle components, societal infrastructure, and manufacturing practices, as well as changes in markets, suppliers and business structures. As the challenges of twenty-first century are growing day by day and business world is becoming more competitive and customer centric with fluctuating trends. The automotive industry is the industry involved in the planning, design, development, manufacture, and marketing. The automobile industry is concerned with profits and competition; with consumer demands for styling, safety, and efficiency; and with labor relations and manufacturing efficiency. In 2007, more than 73 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide. This report represents a detailed and comprehensive account of the market expansion possibilities of the automobile sector in Pakistan and is documented on the directions of our subject teacher Sir Mustaghis-ur-Rehman. Our project essentially becomes the part of our course Strategic Management as this will make us implement practically what we have learnt throughout the course. Automobile sector is one of the most vibrant sectors in Pakistani economy with respect to policy changes, criticism on underdevelopment and lack of transfer of technology and head on collision with imported vehicles. The automobile industry in Pakistan operates under franchise and technical cooperation agreements with leading world manufacturers and can be broadly categorized into various segments, i.e. cars and light commercial vehicles (LCVs), two and three wheelers, tractors, trucks and buses and vendor industry. The  Automobile industry  has been an active and growing field in  Pakistan  for a long time, however not as much established to figure in the prominent list of the top automotive industries. Despite significant production volumes, transfer or technology remains low. Most cars in the country have dual fuel options and run on CNG(compressed natural gas) which is more affordable than petrol in the country. There are only three major passenger car assemblers in the market; Pak Suzuki, Indus Motors and Honda Atlas. Pak Suzuki has almost complete monopoly in the small car segment as it faces almost no competition other than the single odd Diahatsu Cuore produced by Indus Motors. In the Subcompact Sedan segment Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Honda City, and the Nissan Sunny are currently the only cars in production. There are still no locally made SUV, Mid or Full sized sedans available. We have analyzed the industrys dominant economic features because industries do differ significantly in their basic character structure thereby identifying the market size, scope of competitive rivalry, market growth rate, number of buyers and their relevant sizes. The competition prevalent in the industry and the strength of the competitive forces has been elaborated. The driving forces in the auto industry are highlighted and its impact on the Pakistani auto industry expressed. The key success factors that affect industry members ability to prosper in the marketplace regarding resources, competencies, product attributes etc have been pointed out. In depth analysis of the political, economical, social,technological and legal conditionsof Pakistanwith reference to the automobile industry will help in crafting a better strategy for the expansion. Automobile demand was strengthened by higher bank financing which shored up car sales despite the increase in prices during the first quarter of FY11. Chapter 2: Background This chapter covers the background of the expansion possibilities in the auto industry of Pakistan. As we are discussing the expansion possibilities; we will first have a look at the current situation of industry; where it is lagging and then what can be done for the future expansion. DOMINANT ECONOMIC TRAITS IN AUTO INDUSTRY Scope of the Rivalry: Suzuki is the biggest competitor holding 52% of the total market share. Following is Toyota with around 29% and then Honda with 10.4%. Other companies constitute rest of the market share. We can say that Suzuki is leading the industry and does not have a direct rivalry as market niche for Toyota and Honda is different. Market Size: In 1998 500 Million Vehicles on the Road, 49 Million New Registrations. Number of Competitors: The most dominant of the competitors are Suzuki, Indus motors for Toyota and Honda Atlas for Honda. Prevalence of Backward Integration: Partially integrated industry. Entry Barriers: Very High, Experience Curve, sizable economies of scale, brand loyalty, large capital requirements, access to distribution channels. Exit Barriers: High Fixed Costs, Specialized Plants and machinery to some degree, Shared facilities Pace of Technology: Obsolescence is not really an issue because of resale value and functionality. Product and Customer Characteristics: Segmented by Social Status and Value Orientation. Most manufacturers have broad product lines. Capacity Utilization: Capacity in Nos. CAR 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 1 Pak Suzuki Motor Co. Ltd. 120000 150000 150000 150000 150000 150000 2 Indus Motor Co. Ltd. 44298 53040 53040 53040 53040   53040 3 Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Ltd. 30000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 Rapid Product Innovation: Many innovations in the 1990s, numerous cooperation agreements. In ten years, time-to-market went from an average of 60 months to 24 months. DRIVERS OF CHANGE IN THE AUTO-INDUSTRY Driver Industry Effect Slow Industry Growth More Consolidation, Larger firms in better position to reduce costs in production, purchasing, and product development costs Increasing Globalization Requires an infrastructure to manufacture and distribute vehicles internationally. Technological Change Encouraging more cooperative agreements Suppliers Larger Role Suppliers account for 69% of entire value. Working in parallel with suppliers helps to reduce time to market. Increasing Government Regulation Concerns regarding safety, emissions, fuel efficiency. Increasing emphases on reducing Costs Mature market requires new features, but at the same time manufacturers must be concerned about costs KEY SUCCESS FACTORS IN AUTO INDUSTRY The key success factors of any industry are indicators or milestones that measure your business achievements and help determine how well you are progressing towards your goals and objectives. Without determining your key success factors, you run the risk of needing to make expensive changes of direction later on as you have not aligned your objectives to the success of your business. Following are the KSFs for the auto industry of Pakistan: Positive Image One critical factor that often defines an automotive company is its public image. Because buyers entrust their safety, along with a sizable portion of their income, to a  car  company, the perception of the company figures greatly in the buying decision. Factors influencing an automotive companys image include advertising, word of mouth and expert reviews and opinions. Low Cost Provider Pakistan is a developing country and majority of the population is below the poverty line; the middle class is vanishing very quickly; there is an emerging need of a cost effective car which is fuel efficient and also low cost. Distribution Network A more practical critical success factor for any automotive company is a strong network for distribution. Because  cars  and trucks are not sold directly to customers, auto manufacturers rely on franchised dealerships to provide local showrooms. These dealers must be knowledgeable and reputable to sell cars, which is essential for the automaker. Like auto corporations, dealers are reliant on a positive image that may be influenced by, or influence in turn, the image of the automaker. The cars should be available also in the remote areas of Pakistan to capture market share. Cash Flow A healthy cash flow is another practical critical success factor. When an automaker provides incentives or lowers prices, it almost always sells more cars, but the profit margin may not be a healthy one. At the same time, an automaker needs to keep costs under control, including line items that are prone to fluctuation such as the price of raw materials and outsourced components. Achieving a sustainable cash flow is central to the frequent discussions between automakers and employee unions. Compliance Automakers must also ensure that the vehicles they sell are in compliance with various federal and local regulations. These include emissions standards, fuel efficiency and safety standards. While it may cost less to produce vehicles that perform marginally in these areas, the cost of a safety recall or government-mandated repairs are often much higher and difficult to anticipate. Flexibility An elusive critical success factor for the automotive industry is the ability to be flexible. Pakistan car buyers may change their buying habits quickly in response to factors like the state of the economy, the price of fuel and new automotive technologies. It is essential that automakers remain attentive to these trends and keep in place a system that can adapt quickly to create new products that meet the current and near-future needs of customers. Chapter 3: Industry Analysis Pakistan is an emerging market for automobiles and automotive parts offers immense business and investment  opportunities. The total contribution of Auto industry to GDP in 2007 is 2.8% which is likely to increase up to 5.6% in the next 5 years. Total gross sales of automobiles in Pakistan were Rs.214 billion in 2006-07 or $2.67 billion. The industry paid Rs.63 billion cumulative taxes in 2007-08 that the government has levied on automobiles. There are 500 auto-parts manufacturers in the country that supply parts to original equipment manufacturers (PAMA members). Auto sector presently, contributes 16% to the manufacturing sector which also is expected to increase 25% in the next 7 years, as compared to 6.7 percent during 2001-02.Vehicles manufacturers directly employ over 192,000 people with a total investment of over $ 1.5 billion. Currently, there are around 82 vehicles assemblers in the industry producing passengers cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, tractors and 2 /3 wheelers. The auto policy is geared up to make an investment of $ 4.09 billion in the next five years thus, making a target of half a million cars per annum achievable. Government of Pakistan had undertaken two major initiatives in the form of National Trade Corridor Improvement Program (NTCIP) and Auto Industry Development Program (AIDP) for the development of the automotive industry in Pakistan. Engineering Development Board (EDB) is actively implementing the AIDP to increase the GDP contribution of the automotive sector to 5.6%, boost car production capacity to half a million units as well as attract an investment of US$ 3 billion and reach an auto export target of US$ 650 million. Automotive engineering is a driving force of large scale manufacturing, contributing US$ 3.6 billion to the national economy and engaging over 192,000 people in direct employment. The Auto parts manufacturing is $ 0.96 billion per annum. The demand for auto parts is highest in the motor cycle industry which is 60%, then is for cars which constitutes to 22% and the rest 18% is consumed by trucks, buses tractors. This demand is met by Imports which caters 22% while the remaining 78% is supplied by the local manufacturers. Due to the increase in demand for sophisticated machinery, the government has allowed duty free import of raw  material, sub components, components assemblies for manufacturers assemblers. Total import bill of machinery stands at $2.195 billion in the current fiscal year of 2007-08 which is 12.77% higher than that of the preceding year. The impressive growth in the machine tools and automation sector is directly proportional to the growth of the automotive industry which has become the fastest growing industry of Pakistan and contributes $3.6 billion annually to the countrys GDP.   The aftermarket for spares has also witnessed immense expansion over the same period, with imported parts playing an important role in meeting local demand. The spare parts market is given further impetus by a total vehicle population of approximately 5.4 million Pakistan has the second highest number of CNG-powered vehicles in the world with more than 1.55 million cars and passenger buses, constituting 24% of total vehicles in Pakistan with improved fuel efficiency and conforming to the latest environment regulations. Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Ltd Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Limited is a joint venture between Honda Motor Company Limited Japan, and the Atlas  Ã‚  Ã‚  Group of Companies, Pakistan. The company was incorporated on November 1992 and joint venture agreement was signed on August 1993. The ground breaking ceremony was held on April 17, 1993 and within a record time of 11 months, construction and erection of machinery was completed. The first car rolled off the assembly line on May 26, 1994. Official inauguration was done by President of Pakistan, Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari. Mr Kawamoto, President of Honda Motor Company Limited Japan was also present to grace the occasion. The company is listed on Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad Stock Exchanges. In July 1994, car bookings started at six dealerships in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. Since then the Dealerships Network has expanded and now the company has sixteen 3S (Sales, Service and Spare Parts) and thirty 2S (Service and Spare Parts) Pitstops network in all major cities of Pakistan. Since the commencement of production in 1994, the company has produced and sold more than 150,000 cars till Oct, 2008. All dealerships are constructed in accordance with the standards defined by Honda World over.  Ã‚   Indus Motor Company Indus Motor Company (IMC) is a joint venture between the House of Habib, Toyota Motor Corporation Japan (TMC),  Daihatsu Motor Company Ltd.vehicles in Pakistan through its dealership network. The company was incorporated in Pakistan as a public limited company in December 1989 and started commercial production in May 1993. The shares of company are quoted on the stock exchanges of Pakistan. Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Tsusho Corporation have 25 % stake in the company equity. IMCs production facilities are located at Port Bin Qasim Industrial Zone near Karachi in an area measuring over 105 acres. Indus Motor companys plant is the only manufacturing site in the world where both Toyota and Daihatsu brands are being manufactured. IMCs Product line includes 6 variants of the newly introduced Toyota Corolla, Toyota Hilux Single Cabin 4ÃÆ'-2 and 4 versions of Daihatsu Cuore. Toyota Tsusho Corporation Japan (TTC) for assembling, progressive manufacturing and marketing of Toyota vehicles in Pakistan since July 01, 1990. IMC is engaged in sole distributorship of Toyota. Pak Suzuki Motor Company Pak Suzuki Motor Company Ltd (PSMCL), established as a joint venture between Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan (SMC) and Pakistan Automobile Corporation (PACO) Govt. of Pakistan in 1983. Started commercial operations with production (S.O.P.) of Suzuki FX in 1984. In 1992, started production of MARGALLA at new Plant. In 1997, started production of 1300cc BALENO replacing Margalla. In 2001, launched the CNG version of MEHRAN, RAVI and BOLAN. By 2005 capacity expansion up to 80,000 vehicles per year were completed. In 2006, capacity expansion up to 120,000 vehicles per year was completed and production of 1300cc/1600cc car LIANA and BALENO commenced. In 2007, the third  Ã‚  phases of capacity expansion up to 150,000 vehicles per year were completed. Amalgamation of Suzuki Motorcycle Pakistan Ltd into Pak Suzuki Motor Company Ltd took place and new land of 120 acres was acquired for further expansion adjacent to current plant. In 2008, the company started exporting Suzuki LIANA to Bang ladesh. Pak Suzuki acquired a land of 25.22 acres at Lahore for setting up PDI centre, Spare Parts Ware-house, Regional Office and other related facilities. Nexus Automotive Chevrolets were sold in Pakistan well into the 1970s, after which the automotive regime was changed and Chevrolet  Ã‚  gradually withdrew to its home market in the United States. In 2004, after an absence of three decades, Chevrolet was re-introduced in Pakistan. Once again, a global brand with a product line-up suited to developing markets such as Pakistan, Chevrolet has made a successful return to the country. Working with Nexus Automotive, General Motors partner in Pakistan , Chevrolet can once again be seen on roads all over the country. Today, Nexus Automotive assembles the 1000cc Chevrolet Joy at Port Qasim (Sindh), and imports a broader line-up of cars, including Aveo, Optra, and Colorado (coming soon) from the General Motors global network. Al-Ghazi Tractors Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited (AGTL) was incorporated in 1983. In 1991 the project was offered for privatization, andacquired by Al-Futtaim Group of Dubai who took over the management control of AGTL in December 1991. Ever since   AGTL is a case study of rollicking corporate success. 50.02% shares of the company are held by Al-Futtaim Industries Co. LLC and 43.17% shares are held by CNH Global NV, with whom Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited has signed an Industrial Collaboration Agreement for manufacture of New Holland brand tractors. The Agreement is valid till April 2016. With expansions carried out in 2005, the plant is now capable of producing 30,000+ tractors per year in a single shift the most enduring competitive edge being the quality of our tractors, which are robust and sturdy and carry a local content as high as 92%. AGTL was the first automobile company in Pakistan to earn the ISO-9002 Certificate. Dewan Motors Dewan Farooque Motors Limited has one of the most advanced automobile assembly plants of South Asia. Located at Dewan City, Sujawal, Thatta, with a total project cost of Rs. 1.8 billion, the plant is built on an area of 42,000 square meters. Selection of the site reflects the commitment of Dewan Group towards building of a prosperous Pakistan and its contribution to national wealth. The project has provided direct employment to over 700 personnel. The plant is the first automobile manufacturing unit in Pakistan to be independently invested by 100% Pakistani investors. The annual capacity of the plant is 10,000 units on a single shift basis. The groundbreaking ceremony for the plant was held in June 1999, and the first Kia Classic rolled-out in a record time of six months. Today the modern state-of-the-art plant is rolling-out cars every day. This is the first and only automobile assembly plant in Pakistan with state of art robotic equipment. Dewan Farooque Motors Limited has technica l collaboration and license agreements with the following Korean companies: Hyundai Motor Company December 25th 1998 Kia Motors Corporation July 27th 1999 Ghandhara Industries The Ghandhara Industries Limited is a public limited company quoted on the Stock Exchanges and registered under the Companies Act, 1913 (now companies Ordinance, 1984). It was established in Karachi by General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation U.S.A. in 1963 Lt. Gen. M. Habibullah Khan Khattak acquired these facilities from General Motors and renamed it Ghandhara Industries Limited. The Government of Pakistan nationalized Ghandhara Industries Limited in 1972 and renamed it National Motors Limited. In 1992 M/s. Bibojee Services (Pvt) ltd. acquired it under Privatization Policy of the Government, and adopted its original name Ghandhara Industries Limited w.e.f. 27-11-1999. The major business activities of the company comprise of progressive manufacture, assembly and marketing Isuzu truck and bus chassis and fabrication of Bus and Load bodies.   Ghandhara industries Ltd have a product range of ISUZU medium-duty vehicles (F-Series) light-duty Vehicles (N-Seies) in Pakistan. Hino-Pak Motors Ltd Hino Motors Japan and Toyota Tsusho Corporation in collaboration with Al-Futtaim Group of UAE and PACO Pakistan formed Hinopak Motors Limited in 1986. In 1998, Hino Motors Ltd., and Toyota Tsusho Corporation obtained majority shareholding in the company after disinvestments by the other two founding sponsors. Adam Motor Company We would do  great injustice if we fail to mention, the only large scale effort made by a Pakistani to achieve what others  Ã‚  failed to  implement or even envision. Mr.Feroz Khan,  founder of the  Adam Motor Company, Ltd.  was an automobile assembler based in Karachi, Pakistan. They were notable for producing the  Revo, which was Pakistans first homegrown company to assemble a decent car. Together with styler Mehmood Hussain, Chief Engineer N. A. Salmi and two fresh graduates from NED, Khan designed and manufactured Pakistans first car. In fact, Khan invested in the latest software programs to train his team using Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). Khan is also Chairman and CEO of Omar Jibran Engineering Industries and has twice been Chairman of Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers.  All their vehicles used Made in China components due to lack of a modern manufacturing industry in Pakistan. Initially Adam Motor was involved in assembling cheap Made in China light trucks, followed by a Made in China four-wheel drive off-road vehicle. Later they started manufacturing the Revo. The 800CC version of the Revo costs Rs. 269,000 (about $4,500) and the 1050 model is Rs. 369,000 (about $6,200). The Revo has also been built in accordance with EU safety regulations. Mr. Feroz Khan blames the politicians for the companys failure. The current auto update about vehicle production in year 2008, i got the report in recently from local magazine, i am subcriber of the said magazine thats why i have update information about it. According to the report which was published in February 2009 issue of Mobile World. The number of vehicles produced in country declined in the second half of last year to 59,288 from 96,448 units produced during first half in contrast to installed capacity of 383,922 units. It may be mentioned here that out of total number of 19 registered four wheeler assemblers 4 have already abandoned the assembling activities. Out of remaining 15 manufacturers M/s Pak Suzuki Motor Company was the top producer during July to December 2008 by making a total of 34,607 vehicles of six different types. Indus Motor Company was the second highest who produced 14,844 vehicles of three different kinds followed by Honda Atlas Cars who produced only two brands making a total of 6,154. Dewan Farooque Motors with 1,413 and Nexus Automotive with 197 were the other car manufacturers in the line. Sigma Motors, assemblers of Defender Jeep produced only 13 units in six months while Sindh Engineering had manufactured 25 Dong Feng light Trucks and Dewan Automotive Engineering formerly known as Delta Innovations produced 2 Star Trucks only. Similarly, Karakoram Motors produced 43 Kalash pickups. M/s Hinopak Motors was the leading manufacturer of heavy/ light duty trucks, dumpers, semi trailers, prime mover and bus segments which produced a total of 1,062 vehicles. Ghandhara Nissan followed through manufacture of 315 including 24 Nissan Sunny cars and Ghandhara Industries produced 308 Isuzu vehicles while Afzal Motors made 85 Daewoo vehicles and Bibojee Services produced 8 Kamaz prime movers. M/s Raja Motor Company, Adam Motor and Transmission Motor were the companies whom had abandoned the manufacturing of Fiat UNO car, Zabardast truck and Alif car, Bay pickup respectively. Similarly, M/s Roma Motor Company was the assembler of Roma Mini truck. During this period Suzuki pickup was the most demanded vehicle for Pak Suzuki Motors that topped by 9,267 in the company followed by 7,853 Mehran, 6,301 Bolan, 6,133 Cultus, 4667 alto and 386 Liana cars. Toyota Corolla was the favorite from Indus Motors with 10,130 units followed by 4,003 Daihatsu Cuore and 711 Hilux pickups. Honda produced 3,301 Civic and 2,853 City cars. Dewan Farooque produced 1,320 Shehzore pickup and 93 Hyundai Santro cars while Nexus Automotive assembled 197 Chevrolet Joy cars. It may be mentioned here that Pak Suzuki has installed capacity of 150,000 units, Indus 50,000, Honda 50,000, Dewan Farooque 10,000, sigma Motors 1,000, Sindh Engineering 3,000, Mater Motor 8,500, and Roma Motor 572. In truck and bus assembling segment Hinopak has installed capacity of 5,950 vehicles, Ghandhara Nissan 2,200 trucks buses and 6,000 Nissan sunny cars, Ghandhara Industries 3,000, Afzal Motors 3,000 and Bibojee Services 200 units, respectively. Automobile demand was strengthened by higher bank financing which shored up car sales despite the increase in prices. Similarly, production of some of consumer electronics rose sharply despite imposition of federal excise duty in Budget FY11. In fact, continued indigenization of automobiles partly contained the pass-through of currency depreciation on local prices, while duty reductions on imports of some electronic parts have helped firms reduce their costs. Car Financing and Sales (Jul-Nov) FY10 FY11 Disbursements (mln Rs.) 6,252 22,969 Avg. car price (Rs.)* 854,122 912,822 Car sales 42,166 46,822 * Average of 11 car models; Source: PAMA, Automark. Official Pakistani car sales figures only take into consideration the models produced locally, which gives a pretty good idea of actual car sales given imports are very limited. Nearly 1 in every 3 new cars sold in the country is a Toyota Corolla! It totals 44,098 sales over the year for a 29.7% market share. No less than 5 Suzukis follow, on top of which the veteran Suzuki Mehran (a 1988 Maruti 800), still holding very well for its age at 23,117 sales and 15.6%, and the pick-up Ravi grabbing nearly 10% of the Pakistani market in 3rd. The Suzuki Bolan (aka Carry) is 4th with 12,701 sales and 8.6% ahead of the Alto and Cultus. The plant capacity was increased in year 2005-2006 as the bank car financing was at boom. But since then it has been fixed. The table below describes the total number of cars, jeeps, trucks, buses, tractors and buses sold from 2001-2009.   According to Government Board of Investment, Automotive Industry   No of Units Number 01-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Cars 5 164,000 40,601 62,893 99,263 126,817 160,642 176,016 164,710 84,308 Jeeps 2 3,298 1,590 932 Light Vehicles 4 32,500 8,491 12,174 14,089 23,613 29,581 19,672 21,354 Trucks 5 17,500 1,141 1,954 2,022 3,204 4,518 4,410 4,993 3,135 Buses 5 3,900 1099 1,340 1,380 1,762 825 993 1,146 662 Tractors 3 50,000 24,331 26,501 36,103 43,746 49,439 54,610 53,607 59,968 Motor Cycles 55 733,000 133,334 176,591 327,446 571,145 744,875 839,224 1,057,751 493,592 EXPANSION POSSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES Increasing Demand for Cars: In Pakistan context there are 9 cars in 1,000 persons which is one of the lowest in the emerging economies which itself speaks of high potential of growth in the auto sector and more so in the car production. Rising per capita income with changing demographic distribution and an anticipated influx of 30 to 40 million young people in the economically active workforce in the next few years provides a stimulus to the industry to expand and grow. Resale of Local Assembled Cars: Resale of locally assembled cars is better due to availability of spare parts and after sales services and warranty Used imported cars have been selling below their cost at the showrooms for the last six months but consumers are not inclined to buy because of their low re-sale value and problems in parts availability. Quality of local cars: Initially when the import of cars was liberalized the quality of local assembled cars was unsatisfactory so the people of high income level group started buying imported cars and the sales of the local assembled cars started decreasing so the local assemblers started enhancing the quality of their vehicles so we can say that the quality of local cars is becoming the strength of the auto industry. OEM: The local OEM of Pakistan is well equipped with enough advance technology and skilled labor to produce parts according to the desired quality of any foreign company. CNG kit The advantage of buying local assembled cars is that they come with factory fitted CNG kits at the times when the prices of fuel rising at higher pace internationally. Mechanics: For local assembled cars mechanics are readily available in market and much cheaper so the buyer has not to worry about any problem that can occur in the car in long term whereas the availability for imported cars is a bigger issue for the owners and if somehow they are able to find one then the mechanics charges much higher than actually it should be charged. Import German technology and skills EDB wanted to build a Pakistan-German automotive supply network, providing opportunities to Pakistani automotive vendor enterprises to benefit from the German know-how and technology to improve quality, productivity, developing and marketing of value-added products. Foreign Investment and setup production facilities China National Heavy Duty Truck Corporation (CNHDTC), on

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Sight in Cathedral Essays -- Literary Review

Vision is something many people take for granted every day. Society only deals with the matter of being blind if they are the less fortunate ones. According to the Braille Institute, "every seven minutes a person in the United States loses their sight, often as part of the aging process" (1). Only two percent of legally blind people use a guide dog and thirty-five percent use a white cane. Blindness can be caused from various different types of things including (in order) age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related cataracts. (Braille 1). However being blind does not mean a person is in total darkness. Some people can see lights and the shapes of objects, but the most import thing is for family and friends to provide hope and encouragement. The last thing a person who has lost their sight wants is to lose their family and support, which will led to loneliness. Likewise, in the short story "Cathedral," by Raymond Carver's, blindness is the key elem ent in the story and shows in detail how the characters manage it. The theme Carver conveys in the short story is being able to see without sight and is revealed through the characters, tone and plot of the story. The theme in the story of being able to see without sight is revealed through the characters in the story "Cathedral." The husband is very judgmental, self-centered and shows a lack of knowledge about blind people. This is obvious when he states, "My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind move slowly and never laugh (1152). The husband is so quick to judge and thinks he already knows everything about blind people and how they are, so he makes it clear he was not looking forward to the blind man being in his house ... ...d the blind experience and it was like Robert was no longer the blind person in the house (Caldwell 3). As a result, this shows him the way to gaining a better understanding of his own self worth and heal from pass hurts by experiencing the transcendent of nature of life. Works Cited Akers, Tim. "Overview: 'Cathedral'." Short Stories for Students 6 (1999): 1-2. Literature Resource Center. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. Braille Institute: Empowering visually impaired people to live fulfilling lives. Braille Institute. 2010. Web. 22 Nov. 2010 Caldwell, Tracey. "Raymond Carver's 'Cathedral'." Literary Contents in Short Stories (2006): 1-8. Literary Reference Center. Web. 5 Nov. 2010 Carver, Raymond. Cathedral. Exploring Literature: Writing and Arguing About Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. Ed. Frank Madden. 4th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. 1151-61. Print

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Plight of the Late Nineteenth Century American Farmer Essay

The Plight of the Late Nineteenth Century American Farmer From the early beginnings of America to well into the nineteenth century, America has been dominantly an agricultural country. Farming and the country life have always been a great part of the American culture. Thomas Jefferson even expressed his gratitude for the farming class by saying Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever He had a chosen people, whose breasts He, has made His peculiar deposit for substantial and genuine virtue. The American culture was built upon farming and agriculture but since the end of the civil war and the abolition of slaves, things have changed dramatically to the American lifestyle. This time brought on the Industrial Revolution which sparked many factories and new ways of transportation across America. There were many acts passed to encourage the agricultural lifestyle still such as the Homestead Act of 1862, the Timber Culture Act of 1873, the Desert Land Act of 1877, and the Timber and Stone Act passed in 1878. As a result of these acts, farm income dropped and new machines and methods or systems to farm such as sharecropping and tenant farming became available and made it much easier to increase crop yields. The people who had the smaller farms, uncultivated land, or limited resources could not compete against the farms who were bigger, better, and more modernized with the new technology. After many people failed on the farms, they were seen heading to t...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Cyborg Imagination in the Age of Electronic Incunabula :: Research Essays Term Papers

Cyborg Imagination in the Age of Electronic Incunabula In Hamlet on the Holodeck, Janet Murray argues that we live in an age of electronic incubabula. Noting that it took fifty years after the invention of the printing press to establish the conventions of the printed book, she writes, "The garish videogames and tangled Web sites of the current digital environment are part of a similar period of technical evolution, part of a similar struggle for the conventions of coherent communication" (28). Although I disagree in various ways with her vision of where electronic narrative is going, it does seem likely that in twenty years, or fifty, certain things will be obvious about electronic narrative that those of us who are working in the field today simply do not see. Alongside the obvious drawbacks--forget marble and gilded monuments, it would be nice for a work to outlast the average Yugo--are some advantages, not the least of which is what Michael Joyce calls "the momentary advantage of our awkwardness": we have an opportunity to see our in teractions with electronic media before they become as transparent as our interactions with print media have become. The particular interaction I want to look at today is the interaction of technology and imagination. If computer media do nothing else, they surely offer the imagination new opportunities; indeed, the past ten years of electronic writing has been an era of extraordinary technical innovation. Yet this is also, again, an age of incubabula, of awkwardness. My question today is, what can we say about this awkwardness, insofar as it pertains to the interaction of technology and the imagination? Let me begin with a confession: I'm a technodummy. By "dummy" I mean the kind of person targeted by books such as IDG Books' HTML for Dummies, Javascript for Dummies, and C++ for Dummies. I notice that the series has extended past the technical fields: there is now a Dieting for Dummies, an Entertaining for Dummies, and so forth. There is not only a Dating for Dummies but also an ABRIDGED version of Dating for Dummies, which I guess is for people who want to skip the movie. There is even a book put out by Alpha Books called The Complete Idiot's Guide to Enhancing Self-Esteem, which seems to me to be carrying the concept a bit far. Anyway, I confess that, although I've never bought a "for Dummies" book, I am one of the people such books are written for, a technodummy, which is to say someone who isn't exceptionally skilled in using computers.

The Ways We Lie Argument Essay

Lies have been around for as long as people have been. We all lie, whether it is to protect someone we love of to cover up something we don’t want others to know about, it is still lying, and we all do it everyday. Lying has become the new normal for our modern society, so much so, that some of us have lost our morals completely. It is just so much easier and quicker to just lie to someone than to tell the truth, and now you can never tell who is lying to you or who is telling the truth.People use to have morals about lying and many people would feel bad about it and teach their children to never lie, but now in today’s society they just pop out of our mouths like they're nothing. We will never stop lying because it’s easier to live a lie than it is to tell the truth, because the truth might come with consequences, but so does lying. Most of the time it is easier to tell a lie than it is to tell the truth and there is no way that we will ever completely eliminate lying from our society, because it does make our lives so much easier.Sometimes though lying can come with consequences, and it can backfire when someone discovers that you lied. Lying can cause a situation to become worse than it would have been if the truth had been told. Take James Frey for an example. He wrote an autobiography called A Million Little Pieces and the book was featured on Oprah and put on her book club list. After a while it was discovered that parts of his autobiography were not real and he was humiliated on a national level.If he had told the truth then his book could have still been published, but as a fictional story, and he could have still been a successful author and had a bestselling book. You should always be careful with the lies you tell and who you tell them to because there’s always a chance that someone will find out and then you would be in trouble. We have become a gullible nation where we will believe that most of the stuff that is told to us is the truth.Think about the magazine’s that we read. If we read an article that says that a famous actress is pregnant then we automatically believe it. We believe it because it is in a local or national magazine, and we think that no one would try to lie to that many people at once. As children we are taught to not question the things that adults tell us. We are suppose to just believe what they tell us and we are not to question our parents or our teachers.As we grow older and wiser though, we learn that our parents and teachers lie just like everyone else and that not everyone tells the truth. Even the presidents lie, like Bill Clinton when he tried to hide his affair with another woman. Because of his life he was impeached by the House of Representatives and he lost the trust of an entire nation with one lie. As we grow we learn that our lives can affect other people and maybe even hurt them, and most of all that lying can cause people to lose their trust in us.We wil l never be able to eliminate lying from our society because it makes our lives easier; it is just easier to tell a lie. We will always want to hide things from our friends, and parents and add those little things to our stories that make our lives sound better and more interesting. It is a little scary how use to lying that we have become and how easily that we will believe these lies. We will always want to lie or even need to lie and it will always be there.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Research Paper on Statistics on Health Care Prescription Errors Essay

Research Paper on Statistics on Health Care Prescription Errors Introduction Relation between Error in Healthcare prescription and the inconsistency in Technological information Background Information            A lot of errors are occurring within the healthcare field lately. They result from many factors. Among the principle causes of error are related to wrong prescriptions. As indicated by Benjamin (770), one of the elements that play a critical role in this is the use of advanced technological methods. Computers have been used to aid in the computerized entry of prescription orders. For instance, Walgreens pharmacy, where I work is an online drug store that allows customers to purchase drugs over the internet. This poses a great danger of wrong order interpretations, inconsistencies and misfills. In the past, these have resulted in the possession of dangerous drugs, dosing errors and other mix-ups.Depending on the intensity of the prescription, they can result in severe injuries on the patient or even lead to fatality incidences. In turn, they lead to unnecessary court cases and legal suits that eventually cost many healthcare institutions and practitioners a lot of f unds that are paid to cater for the damages (Carroll 52-8). For this, there is a necessity to examine the main causes of faulty prescriptions to ensure that such avoidable consequences are kept at their possible minimal rates. This paper explored the occurrence of prescription errors as a result of order entries at Walgreens. The principleconcerns that were dealt with in this study include: What are the common causes of drug inconsistencies at the pharmacy? What kind of information technology is used in the provision of proper prescription? Are there specific actions that are related to inconsistently provided information in the same prescription order entry? What dispensing errors are most likely to occur in an online drug store? Methodology            The study was prospective as it was comprised of 20 pharmacists from medical centers and Walgreens chemist, which is an online store based in Wasilla in Alaska. For approximately 2 months, they issued a report about the inconsistent order entry of prescriptions. It was principally based on communication. As such, both primary and secondary data collection methodswere employed. Therefore, it included the use of surveys for the collection of first-hand information. In this sense questionnaires and interviews from the participantswereused to gather information for the data. For accuracy and proper validation, these were combined with secondarysources such as the national health statistics (Wu, Pronovost, Morlock 88). It involved the selection of 30 electronically retrieved prescriptions from the free text field for any comments on prescription errors with regard to Walgreens pharmacy. Thus, the study entailed the overall evaluation of 60 prescription records. Data collection            The data was used to capture the medication, focus dispensing errors and the types of inconsistencies in error. Among the elements to considered included dosage, incorrect drug, wrong quantity, inappropriate, inadequate and incorrect labelling. The other elements that caused inconsistencies were inadequate directions for use, inappropriate packaging, preparation and storage of medication before dispensing. It was necessary to use predictive values to determine when the prescriptive errors are likely to be higher. Data analysis            The data was entered in a Microsoft database. 30 records were selected randomly to validate the data. From research, 99.7% of these are expected to be correct. Descriptive statistics characterized inconsistency. Some of the determinants of error such as inpatients and outpatients, analgesics and antibiotics, those that are less frequently prescribed and those on high alert wereanalyzed. They will be provided for harm categories where t tests and χ2 tests will be used. Categorical variables made use of the Fisher test for categorical variables of 2 levels and the χ2 for those with more than 2. Statistical significance or ÃŽ ± =.05 were applied to test predators with the Wald χ2 test. In this study, the regression model of multivariantlogistics method of data analysis will be used. The method will mainly identify different factors in communication prescriptive errors in relation to their severity. It will make use of a generalized approach with estimated equations. Results            The results were filled in the table below:            Similar names and packages Medications not commonly used or prescribed Commonly used medication where patients are allergic Medication that need proper testing for proper therapeutic administration Entry and confirmation of prescription Zeros and abbreviations Organized workforce and reduction of distraction and stress Patient counselling Storage            Dispensing incorrect drug 40% 20% 2% 2% 10% 5% 10% 11% Dose 20% 30% 10% 5% 20% 10% 5% 5% Dosage form 8% 2% 1% 5% 50% 10% 20% 4% Quantity 1% 20% 1% 3% 10% 30% 20% 15% Administration time 1% 5% 3% 2% 10% 30% 40% 9% Wrong labeling 30% 30% 5% 2% 10% 5% `10% 8% Inadequate directions 5% 20% 10% 10% 5% 2% 10% 38% Inappropriate preparation, packaging and storage 20% 40% 5% 1% 1% 5% 29% 1% Graphical Representation of the results Findings            It was discovered that at a pharmacy such as Walgreens where about 250 prescriptions entries are made in a day, about 4 errors occur. Reports relate these to a higher rate of inconsistent communication. The principle cause was drug dosage. There were also some drugs that were associated with a higher rate of overdosing and incorrect prescriptions when compared to others. Thus, in relation to this study, it was evident that medical centers that have a higher flow of patients and the chances of admission have higher rates of errors when compared to other private clinics and chemists. Conclusion            It is important that the laid down professional ethics are adhered to in different fields. This is especially within the medical field where a slight mistake can lead to devastating consequences. Therefore, healthcare providers are always obligated to use the knowledge that they acquired in their studies as well as new knowledge and practices appropriately. They should ensure that drugs are prescribed in the most appropriate ways to avoid errors. In particular, computerized drug entries should be counterchecked to eliminate disparities. However, owing to the continuous change in the nature of disease processes and hence the production of advanced drug formulas, there is need to conduct more research. These will provide more guidance to guarantee safe drug prescription by providers of healthcare services using new technological methods. Recommendations            The employees at Walgreens need to reduce the rates of prescription errors to help retain customers and avoid unnecessary lawsuits. Some of the steps they can take are to ensure the correct entry of prescriptions. These should be confirmed. They should be careful with drugs that look alike and sound alike as well as take care with zeros and abbreviations. They should make the workplace organized and reduce distractions, stress and heavy workloads as much as possible. They should also ensure that drugs are stored properly and check all prescriptions. The most important thing is to ensure that patients are cancelled before taking the drugs. References Benjamin, D. M. Reducing medication errors and increasing patient safety: case studies inclinical pharmacology. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.2003;43:768–83. Carroll, P. Medication issues: the bigger picture.RN. 2003;66(1):52–8. Wu, A. W., Pronovost, P., and Morlock, L. ICU incident reporting systems.Journal of CriticalCare. 2006;17(2):86–94 Source document

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Henkie Essay

6.1 Lehman Brothers Lehman Brothers was one of the main casualties of the US end of the global financial crisis that began in 2007. The US Government, fearing the loss of confidence in the financial markets bailed out Fannie May and Freddie Mac, AIG, and some other financial institutions. But when it came to Lehman Brothers, then the fourth largest investment bank in the US, the Government refused to support and the bank filed for bankruptcy. Whether this was a sound decision is, probably, not the subject for this case – though that decision did precipitate a lot of subsequent problems. Rather the case has been written to generate discussion about the domination of a major institution by one man – Richard S. Fuld Jr. The case claims that Lehman Brothers was dominated by Richard S. Fuld Jr. Was this desirable? What steps could have been taken to avoid it? Who could have initiated these steps? The discussion should raise questions: where was the board, particularly the independent outside directors? Did they understand the risks involved in the business model being pursued by the CEO? Were they acquiescent, pliable, too-trusting, or dominated by the man who was chairman of the board, chairman of the executive committee, and CEO? Where was the audit committee, indeed, where were the auditors? Where was the nomination committee, which should have been considering board structure and membership? Indeed, where was anyone capable of standing up to Fuld? The second issue concerns the directors’ ages. Certainly many of them had relevant past experience, but many were old. True, some old people can contribute significantly to board discussions from the experience, knowledge and wisdom. But others deteriorate with age. The Lehman’s board lacked a balance. The third question – is it possible for the research analysts of a financial institution to give independent investment advice to clients about a company when the financial institution has an interest in that company? – can generate an important discussion that corporate regulators still struggle to control 6.2 The Siemens AG case 1. What might Kleinfeld have done to avoid resigning? Given the apparent cultural clash between Kleinfeld’s apparent Anglo-Saxon approach to tough-minded management and the more socially-concerned German supervisory board perspective, there might have been little he could do, other than, perhaps, communicating more closely with the labour and financial members of the supervisory board. In fact, subsequent rumours about the situation surfaced, which suggested there was more to the problem than a clash of expectations. Students might be able to unearth more information from press reports. 6.3 Tokyo Electric Power and the disaster at Fukushima Daiichi This case exemplifies how a company can report confidently that it has satisfied all the required corporate governance criteria and yet have serious governance flaws that led to a serious problem becoming a catastrophe. 1. Did the structure of the board contribute to the failures? The board was large, executive and lacking any sense of independent outside directors. This is typical in many well-established Japanese companies, as we will see in this chapter. Attempts by the Japanese Government and some international institutional investors, such as US CalPers, have largely failed to change attitudes in the boardroom, to where power should reside and who should be ‘promoted’ to the board. 2. How do you account for the discrepancies between the company’s alleged concern for corporate governance on its website and the catastrophic failure? This was a company that apparently did not accept the significance of professional corporate governance thinking, but went through the motions to satisfy the regulators and stock market investors. 3. What advice would you give to the chairman of TEPCO? Encourage the students to appreciate the personal and cultural aspects of the situation. â€Å"Replace the board with a majority of independent directors† is not a satisfactory answer. This is not the US or the UK. There is no tradition of independent directors, it runs contrary to many top executive beliefs. Moreover, where are these INEDs to come from? Pressure from institutional investors to resign might work: but there has to be a replacement. Alternatively, consulting advice, mentoring, attitude changing activities, experience on other boards could all be among the ideas suggested. 6.4 The TYCO case What should a board do to ensure that a CEO does not treat the company as a private fiefdom? Recognize that the CEO probably played a major part in the appointment of the other directors. Furthermore, resignation from the board may have little effect on the CEO’s behaviour. This is another corporate governance classic. The challenge to students is to go beyond normative generalisations about how boards should be constituted and how directors should behave. They need to realize that personalities really matter. As in many corporate governance sagas mentioned in the textbook, powerful people can exercise considerable charisma, influence and authority over others – particularly if they have chosen them themselves. What was required was a group of INEDs who would insist on knowing what was going on, and if dissatisfied stand up to the CEO/chairman. If appropriate, this case can be explored further from a legal aspect to see what offences Kozlowski committe d.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Angels Demons Chapter 134-137

134 Camerlegno Ventresca's white robe billowed as he moved down the hallway away from the Sistine Chapel. The Swiss Guards had seemed perplexed when he emerged all alone from the chapel and told them he needed a moment of solitude. But they had obeyed, letting him go. Now as he rounded the corner and left their sight, the camerlegno felt a maelstrom of emotions like nothing he thought possible in human experience. He had poisoned the man he called â€Å"Holy Father,† the man who addressed him as â€Å"my son.† The camerlegno had always believed the words â€Å"father† and â€Å"son† were religious tradition, but now he knew the diabolical truth – the words had been literal. Like that fateful night weeks ago, the camerlegno now felt himself reeling madly through the darkness. It was raining the morning the Vatican staff banged on the camerlegno's door, awakening him from a fitful sleep. The Pope, they said, was not answering his door or his phone. The clergy were frightened. The camerlegno was the only one who could enter the Pope's chambers unannounced. The camerlegno entered alone to find the Pope, as he was the night before, twisted and dead in his bed. His Holiness's face looked like that of Satan. His tongue black like death. The Devil himself had been sleeping in the Pope's bed. The camerlegno felt no remorse. God had spoken. Nobody would see the treachery†¦ not yet. That would come later. He announced the terrible news – His Holiness was dead of a stroke. Then the camerlegno prepared for conclave. Mother Maria's voice was whispering in his ear. â€Å"Never break a promise to God.† â€Å"I hear you, Mother,† he replied. â€Å"It is a faithless world. They need to be brought back to the path of righteousness. Horror and Hope. It is the only way.† â€Å"Yes,† she said. â€Å"If not you†¦ then who? Who will lead the church out of darkness?† Certainly not one of the preferiti. They were old†¦ walking death†¦ liberals who would follow the Pope, endorsing science in his memory, seeking modern followers by abandoning the ancient ways. Old men desperately behind the times, pathetically pretending they were not. They would fail, of course. The church's strength was its tradition, not its transience. The whole world was transitory. The church did not need to change, it simply needed to remind the world it was relevant! Evil lives! God will overcome! The church needed a leader. Old men do not inspire! Jesus inspired! Young, vibrant, powerful†¦ Miraculous. â€Å"Enjoy your tea,† the camerlegno told the four preferiti, leaving them in the Pope's private library before conclave. â€Å"Your guide will be here soon.† The preferiti thanked him, all abuzz that they had been offered a chance to enter the famed Passetto. Most uncommon! The camerlegno, before leaving them, had unlocked the door to the Passetto, and exactly on schedule, the door had opened, and a foreign-looking priest with a torch had ushered the excited preferiti in. The men had never come out. They will be the Horror. I will be the Hope. No†¦ I am the horror. The camerlegno staggered now through the darkness of St. Peter's Basilica. Somehow, through the insanity and guilt, through the images of his father, through the pain and revelation, even through the pull of the morphine†¦ he had found a brilliant clarity. A sense of destiny. I know my purpose, he thought, awed by the lucidity of it. From the beginning, nothing tonight had gone exactly as he had planned. Unforeseen obstacles had presented themselves, but the camerlegno had adapted, making bold adjustments. Still, he had never imagined tonight would end this way, and yet now he saw the preordained majesty of it. It could end no other way. Oh, what terror he had felt in the Sistine Chapel, wondering if God had forsaken him! Oh, what deeds He had ordained! He had fallen to his knees, awash with doubt, his ears straining for the voice of God but hearing only silence. He had begged for a sign. Guidance. Direction. Was this God's will? The church destroyed by scandal and abomination? No! God was the one who had willed the camerlegno to act! Hadn't He? Then he had seen it. Sitting on the altar. A sign. Divine communication – something ordinary seen in an extraordinary light. The crucifix. Humble, wooden. Jesus on the cross. In that moment, it had all come clear†¦ the camerlegno was not alone. He would never be alone. This was His will†¦ His meaning. God had always asked great sacrifice of those he loved most. Why had the camerlegno been so slow to understand? Was he too fearful? Too humble? It made no difference. God had found a way. The camerlegno even understood now why Robert Langdon had been saved. It was to bring the truth. To compel this ending. This was the sole path to the church's salvation! The camerlegno felt like he was floating as he descended into the Niche of the Palliums. The surge of morphine seemed relentless now, but he knew God was guiding him. In the distance, he could hear the cardinals clamoring in confusion as they poured from the chapel, yelling commands to the Swiss Guard. But they would never find him. Not in time. The camerlegno felt himself drawn†¦ faster†¦ descending the stairs into the sunken area where the ninety-nine oil lamps shone brightly. God was returning him to Holy Ground. The camerlegno moved toward the grate covering the hole that led down to the Necropolis. The Necropolis is where this night would end. In the sacred darkness below. He lifted an oil lamp, preparing to descend. But as he moved across the Niche, the camerlegno paused. Something about this felt wrong. How did this serve God? A solitary and silent end? Jesus had suffered before the eyes of the entire world. Surely this could not be God's will! The camerlegno listened for the voice of his God, but heard only the blurring buzz of drugs. â€Å"Carlo.† It was his mother. â€Å"God has plans for you.† Bewildered, the camerlegno kept moving. Then, without warning, God arrived. The camerlegno stopped short, staring. The light of the ninety-nine oil lanterns had thrown the camerlegno's shadow on the marble wall beside him. Giant and fearful. A hazy form surrounded by golden light. With flames flickering all around him, the camerlegno looked like an angel ascending to heaven. He stood a moment, raising his arms to his sides, watching his own image. Then he turned, looking back up the stairs. God's meaning was clear. Three minutes had passed in the chaotic hallways outside the Sistine Chapel, and still nobody could locate the camerlegno. It was as if the man had been swallowed up by the night. Mortati was about to demand a full-scale search of Vatican City when a roar of jubilation erupted outside in St. Peter's Square. The spontaneous celebration of the crowd was tumultuous. The cardinals all exchanged startled looks. Mortati closed his eyes. â€Å"God help us.† For the second time that evening, the College of Cardinals flooded onto St. Peter's Square. Langdon and Vittoria were swept up in the jostling crowd of cardinals, and they too emerged into the night air. The media lights and cameras were all pivoted toward the basilica. And there, having just stepped onto the sacred Papal Balcony located in the exact center of the towering fa;ade, Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca stood with his arms raised to the heavens. Even far away, he looked like purity incarnate. A figurine. Dressed in white. Flooded with light. The energy in the square seemed to grow like a cresting wave, and all at once the Swiss Guard barriers gave way. The masses streamed toward the basilica in a euphoric torrent of humanity. The onslaught rushed forward – people crying, singing, media cameras flashing. Pandemonium. As the people flooded in around the front of the basilica, the chaos intensified, until it seemed nothing could stop it. And then something did. High above, the camerlegno made the smallest of gestures. He folded his hands before him. Then he bowed his head in silent prayer. One by one, then dozens by dozens, then hundreds by hundreds, the people bowed their heads along with him. The square fell silent†¦ as if a spell had been cast. In his mind, swirling and distant now, the camerlegno's prayers were a torrent of hopes and sorrows†¦ forgive me, Father†¦ Mother†¦ full of grace†¦ you are the church†¦ may you understand this sacrifice of your only begotten son. Oh, my Jesus†¦ save us from the fires of hell†¦ take all souls to heaven, especially, those most in need of thy mercy†¦ The camerlegno did not open his eyes to see the throngs below him, the television cameras, the whole world watching. He could feel it in his soul. Even in his anguish, the unity of the moment was intoxicating. It was as if a connective web had shot out in all directions around the globe. In front of televisions, at home, and in cars, the world prayed as one. Like synapses of a giant heart all firing in tandem, the people reached for God, in dozens of languages, in hundreds of countries. The words they whispered were newborn and yet as familiar to them as their own voices†¦ ancient truths†¦ imprinted on the soul. The consonance felt eternal. As the silence lifted, the joyous strains of singing began to rise again. He knew the moment had come. Most Holy Trinity, I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul†¦ in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences†¦ The camerlegno already felt the physical pain setting in. It was spreading across his skin like a plague, making him want to claw at his flesh like he had weeks ago when God had first come to him. Do not forget what pain Jesus endured. He could taste the fumes now in his throat. Not even the morphine could dull the bite. My work here is done. The Horror was his. The Hope was theirs. In the Niche of the Palliums, the camerlegno had followed God's will and anointed his body. His hair. His face. His linen robe. His flesh. He was soaking now with the sacred, vitreous oils from the lamps. They smelled sweet like his mother, but they burned. His would be a merciful ascension. Miraculous and swift. And he would leave behind not scandal†¦ but a new strength and wonder. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his robe and fingered the small, golden lighter he had brought with him from the Pallium incendiario. He whispered a verse from Judgments. And when the flame went up toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. He positioned his thumb. They were singing in St. Peter's Square†¦ The vision the world witnessed no one would ever forget. High above on the balcony, like a soul tearing free of its corporeal restrains, a luminous pyre of flame erupted from the camerlegno's center. The fire shot upward, engulfing his entire body instantly. He did not scream. He raised his arms over his head and looked toward heaven. The conflagration roared around him, entirely shrouding his body in a column of light. It raged for what seemed like an eternity, the whole world bearing witness. The light flared brighter and brighter. Then, gradually, the flames dissipated. The camerlegno was gone. Whether he had collapsed behind the balustrade or evaporated into thin air was impossible to tell. All that was left was a cloud of smoke spiraling skyward over Vatican City. 135 Dawn came late to Rome. An early rainstorm had washed the crowds from St. Peter's Square. The media stayed on, huddling under umbrellas and in vans, commentating on the evening's events. Across the world, churches overflowed. It was a time of reflection and discussion†¦ in all religions. Questions abounded, and yet the answers seemed only to bring deeper questions. Thus far, the Vatican had remained silent, issuing no statement whatsoever. Deep in the Vatican Grottoes, Cardinal Mortati knelt alone before the open sarcophagus. He reached in and closed the old man's blackened mouth. His Holiness looked peaceful now. In quiet repose for eternity. At Mortati's feet was a golden urn, heavy with ashes. Mortati had gathered the ashes himself and brought them here. â€Å"A chance for forgiveness,† he said to His Holiness, laying the urn inside the sarcophagus at the Pope's side. â€Å"No love is greater than that of a father for His son.† Mortati tucked the urn out of sight beneath the papal robes. He knew this sacred grotto was reserved exclusively for the relics of Popes, but somehow Mortati sensed this was appropriate. â€Å"Signore?† someone said, entering the grottoes. It was Lieutenant Chartrand. He was accompanied by three Swiss Guards. â€Å"They are ready for you in conclave.† Mortati nodded. â€Å"In a moment.† He gazed one last time into the sarcophagus before him, and then stood up. He turned to the guards. â€Å"It is time for His Holiness to have the peace he has earned.† The guards came forward and with enormous effort slid the lid of the Pope's sarcophagus back into place. It thundered shut with finality. Mortati was alone as he crossed the Borgia Courtyard toward the Sistine Chapel. A damp breeze tossed his robe. A fellow cardinal emerged from the Apostolic Palace and strode beside him. â€Å"May I have the honor of escorting you to conclave, signore?† â€Å"The honor is mine.† â€Å"Signore,† the cardinal said, looking troubled. â€Å"The college owes you an apology for last night. We were blinded by – â€Å" â€Å"Please,† Mortati replied. â€Å"Our minds sometimes see what our hearts wish were true.† The cardinal was silent a long time. Finally he spoke. â€Å"Have you been told? You are no longer our Great Elector.† Mortati smiled. â€Å"Yes. I thank God for small blessings.† â€Å"The college insisted you be eligible.† â€Å"It seems charity is not dead in the church.† â€Å"You are a wise man. You would lead us well.† â€Å"I am an old man. I would lead you briefly.† They both laughed. As they reached the end of the Borgia Courtyard, the cardinal hesitated. He turned to Mortati with a troubled mystification, as if the precarious awe of the night before had slipped back into his heart. â€Å"Were you aware,† the cardinal whispered, â€Å"that we found no remains on the balcony?† Mortati smiled. â€Å"Perhaps the rain washed them away.† The man looked to the stormy heavens. â€Å"Yes, perhaps†¦Ã¢â‚¬  136 The midmorning sky still hung heavy with clouds as the Sistine Chapel's chimney gave up its first faint puffs of white smoke. The pearly wisps curled upward toward the firmament and slowly dissipated. Far below, in St. Peter's Square, reporter Gunther Glick watched in reflective silence. The final chapter†¦ Chinita Macri approached him from behind and hoisted her camera onto her shoulder. â€Å"It's time,† she said. Glick nodded dolefully. He turned toward her, smoothed his hair, and took a deep breath. My last transmission, he thought. A small crowd had gathered around them to watch. â€Å"Live in sixty seconds,† Macri announced. Glick glanced over his shoulder at the roof of the Sistine Chapel behind him. â€Å"Can you get the smoke?† Macri patiently nodded. â€Å"I know how to frame a shot, Gunther.† Glick felt dumb. Of course she did. Macri's performance behind the camera last night had probably won her the Pulitzer. His performance, on the other hand†¦ he didn't want to think about it. He was sure the BBC would let him go; no doubt they would have legal troubles from numerous powerful entities†¦ CERN and George Bush among them. â€Å"You look good,† Chinita patronized, looking out from behind her camera now with a hint of concern. â€Å"I wonder if I might offer you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She hesitated, holding her tongue. â€Å"Some advice?† Macri sighed. â€Å"I was only going to say that there's no need to go out with a bang.† â€Å"I know,† he said. â€Å"You want a straight wrap.† â€Å"The straightest in history. I'm trusting you.† Glick smiled. A straight wrap? Is she crazy? A story like last night's deserved so much more. A twist. A final bombshell. An unforeseen revelation of shocking truth. Fortunately, Glick had just the ticket waiting in the wings†¦ * * * â€Å"You're on in†¦ five†¦ four†¦ three†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As Chinita Macri looked through her camera, she sensed a sly glint in Glick's eye. I was insane to let him do this, she thought. What was I thinking? But the moment for second thoughts had passed. They were on. â€Å"Live from Vatican City,† Glick announced on cue, â€Å"this is Gunther Glick reporting.† He gave the camera a solemn stare as the white smoke rose behind him from the Sistine Chapel. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now official. Cardinal Saverio Mortati, a seventy-nine-year-old progressive, has just been elected the next Pope of Vatican City. Although an unlikely candidate, Mortati was chosen by an unprecedented unanimous vote by the College of Cardinals.† As Macri watched him, she began to breathe easier. Glick seemed surprisingly professional today. Even austere. For the first time in his life, Glick actually looked and sounded somewhat like a newsman. â€Å"And as we reported earlier,† Glick added, his voice intensifying perfectly, â€Å"the Vatican has yet to offer any statement whatsoever regarding the miraculous events of last night.† Good. Chinita's nervousness waned some more. So far, so good. Glick's expression grew sorrowful now. â€Å"And though last night was a night of wonder, it was also a night of tragedy. Four cardinals perished in yesterday's conflict, along with Commander Olivetti and Captain Rocher of the Swiss Guard, both in the line of duty. Other casualties include Leonardo Vetra, the renowned CERN physicist and pioneer of antimatter technology, as well as Maximilian Kohler, the director of CERN, who apparently came to Vatican City in an effort to help but reportedly passed away in the process. No official report has been issued yet on Mr. Kohler's death, but conjecture is that he died due to complications brought on by a long-time illness.† Macri nodded. The report was going perfectly. Just as they discussed. â€Å"And in the wake of the explosion in the sky over the Vatican last night, CERN's antimatter technology has become the hot topic among scientists, sparking excitement and controversy. A statement read by Mr. Kohler's assistant in Geneva, Sylvie Baudeloque, announced this morning that CERN's board of directors, although enthusiastic about antimatter's potential, are suspending all research and licensing until further inquiries into its safety can be examined.† Excellent, Macri thought. Home stretch. â€Å"Notably absent from our screens tonight,† Glick reported, â€Å"is the face of Robert Langdon, the Harvard professor who came to Vatican City yesterday to lend his expertise during this Illuminati crisis. Although originally thought to have perished in the antimatter blast, we now have reports that Langdon was spotted in St. Peter's Square after the explosion. How he got there is still speculation, although a spokesman from Hospital Tiberina claims that Mr. Langdon fell out of the sky into the Tiber River shortly after midnight, was treated, and released.† Glick arched his eyebrows at the camera. â€Å"And if that is true†¦ it was indeed a night of miracles.† Perfect ending! Macri felt herself smiling broadly. Flawless wrap! Now sign off! But Glick did not sign off. Instead, he paused a moment and then stepped toward the camera. He had a mysterious smile. â€Å"But before we sign off†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No! â€Å"†¦ I would like to invite a guest to join me.† Chinita's hands froze on the camera. A guest? What the hell is he doing? What guest! Sign off! But she knew it was too late. Glick had committed. â€Å"The man I am about to introduce,† Glick said, â€Å"is an American†¦ a renowned scholar.† Chinita hesitated. She held her breath as Glick turned to the small crowd around them and motioned for his guest to step forward. Macri said a silent prayer. Please tell me he somehow located Robert Langdon†¦ and not some Illuminati-conspiracy nutcase. But as Glick's guest stepped out, Macri's heart sank. It was not Robert Langdon at all. It was a bald man in blue jeans and a flannel shirt. He had a cane and thick glasses. Macri felt terror. Nutcase! â€Å"May I introduce,† Glick announced, â€Å"the renowned Vatican scholar from De Paul University in Chicago. Dr. Joseph Vanek.† Macri now hesitated as the man joined Glick on camera. This was no conspiracy buff; Macri had actually heard of this guy. â€Å"Dr. Vanek,† Glick said. â€Å"You have some rather startling information to share with us regarding last night's conclave.† â€Å"I do indeed,† Vanek said. â€Å"After a night of such surprises, it is hard to imagine there are any surprises left†¦ and yet†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. Glick smiled. â€Å"And yet, there is a strange twist to all this.† Vanek nodded. â€Å"Yes. As perplexing as this will sound, I believe the College of Cardinals unknowingly elected two Popes this weekend.† Macri almost dropped the camera. Glick gave a shrewd smile. â€Å"Two Popes, you say?† The scholar nodded. â€Å"Yes. I should first say that I have spent my life studying the laws of papal election. Conclave judicature is extremely complex, and much of it is now forgotten or ignored as obsolete. Even the Great Elector is probably not aware of what I am about to reveal. Nonetheless†¦ according to the ancient forgotten laws put forth in the Romano Pontifici Eligendo, Numero 63†¦ balloting is not the only method by which a Pope can be elected. There is another, more divine method. It is called ‘Acclamation by Adoration.'† He paused. â€Å"And it happened last night.† Glick gave his guest a riveted look. â€Å"Please, go on.† â€Å"As you may recall,† the scholar continued, â€Å"last night, when Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca was standing on the roof of the basilica, all of the cardinals below began calling out his name in unison.† â€Å"Yes, I recall.† â€Å"With that image in mind, allow me to read verbatim from the ancient electoral laws.† The man pulled some papers from his pocket, cleared his throat, and began to read. â€Å"‘Election by Adoration occurs when†¦ all the cardinals, as if by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, freely and spontaneously, unanimously and aloud, proclaim one individual's name.'† Glick smiled. â€Å"So you're saying that last night, when the cardinals chanted Carlo Ventresca's name together, they actually elected him Pope?† â€Å"They did indeed. Furthermore, the law states that Election by Adoration supercedes the cardinal eligibility requirement and permits any clergyman – ordained priest, bishop, or cardinal – to be elected. So, as you can see, the camerlegno was perfectly qualified for papal election by this procedure.† Dr. Vanek looked directly into the camera now. â€Å"The facts are these†¦ Carlo Ventresca was elected Pope last night. He reigned for just under seventeen minutes. And had he not ascended miraculously into a pillar of fire, he would now be buried in the Vatican Grottoes along with the other Popes.† â€Å"Thank you, doctor.† Glick turned to Macri with a mischievous wink. â€Å"Most illuminating†¦Ã¢â‚¬  137 High atop the steps of the Roman Coliseum, Vittoria laughed and called down to him. â€Å"Robert, hurry up! I knew I should have married a younger man!† Her smile was magic. He struggled to keep up, but his legs felt like stone. â€Å"Wait,† he begged. â€Å"Please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was a pounding in his head. Robert Langdon awoke with a start. Darkness. He lay still for a long time in the foreign softness of the bed, unable to figure out where he was. The pillows were goose down, oversized and wonderful. The air smelled of potpourri. Across the room, two glass doors stood open to a lavish balcony, where a light breeze played beneath a glistening cloud-swept moon. Langdon tried to remember how he had gotten here†¦ and where here was. Surreal wisps of memory sifted back into his consciousness†¦ A pyre of mystical fire†¦ an angel materializing from out of the crowd†¦ her soft hand taking his and leading him into the night†¦ guiding his exhausted, battered body through the streets†¦ leading him here†¦ to this suite†¦ propping him half-sleeping in a scalding hot shower†¦ leading him to this bed†¦ and watching over him as he fell asleep like the dead. In the dimness now, Langdon could see a second bed. The sheets were tousled, but the bed was empty. From one of the adjoining rooms, he could hear the faint, steady stream of a shower. As he gazed at Vittoria's bed, he saw a boldly embroidered seal on her pillowcase. It read: HOTEL BERNINI. Langdon had to smile. Vittoria had chosen well. Old World luxury overlooking Bernini's Triton Fountain†¦ there was no more fitting hotel in all of Rome. As Langdon lay there, he heard a pounding and realized what had awoken him. Someone was knocking at the door. It grew louder. Confused, Langdon got up. Nobody knows we're here, he thought, feeling a trace of uneasiness. Donning a luxuriant Hotel Bernini robe, he walked out of the bedroom into the suite's foyer. He stood a moment at the heavy oak door, and then pulled it open. A powerful man adorned in lavish purple and yellow regalia stared down at him. â€Å"I am Lieutenant Chartrand,† the man said. â€Å"Vatican Swiss Guard.† Langdon knew full well who he was. â€Å"How†¦ how did you find us?† â€Å"I saw you leave the square last night. I followed you. I'm relieved you're still here.† Langdon felt a sudden anxiety, wondering if the cardinals had sent Chartrand to escort Langdon and Vittoria back to Vatican City. After all, the two of them were the only two people beyond the College of Cardinals who knew the truth. They were a liability. â€Å"His Holiness asked me to give this to you,† Chartrand said, handing over an envelope sealed with the Vatican signet. Langdon opened the envelope and read the handwritten note. Mr. Langdon and Ms. Vetra, Although it is my profound desire to request your discretion in the matters of the past 24 hours, I cannot possibly presume to ask more of you than you have already given. I therefore humbly retreat hoping only that you let your hearts guide you in this matter. The world seems a better place today†¦ maybe the questions are more powerful than the answers. My door is always open, His Holiness, Saverio Mortati Langdon read the message twice. The College of Cardinals had obviously chosen a noble and munificent leader. Before Langdon could say anything, Chartrand produced a small package. â€Å"A token of thanks from His Holiness.† Langdon took the package. It was heavy, wrapped in brown paper. â€Å"By his decree,† Chartrand said, â€Å"this artifact is on indefinite loan to you from the sacred Papal Vault. His Holiness asks only that in your last will and testament you ensure it finds its way home.† Langdon opened the package and was struck speechless. It was the brand. The Illuminati Diamond. Chartrand smiled. â€Å"May peace be with you.† He turned to go. â€Å"Thank†¦ you,† Langdon managed, his hands trembling around the precious gift. The guard hesitated in the hall. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, may I ask you something?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"My fellow guards and I are curious. Those last few minutes†¦ what happened up there in the helicopter?† Langdon felt a rush of anxiety. He knew this moment was coming – the moment of truth. He and Vittoria had talked about it last night as they stole away from St. Peter's Square. And they had made their decision. Even before the Pope's note. Vittoria's father had dreamed his antimatter discovery would bring about a spiritual awakening. Last night's events were no doubt not what he had intended, but the undeniable fact remained†¦ at this moment, around the world, people were considering God in ways they never had before. How long the magic would last, Langdon and Vittoria had no idea, but they knew they could never shatter the wonderment with scandal and doubt. The Lord works in strange ways, Langdon told himself, wondering wryly if maybe†¦ just maybe†¦ yesterday had been God's will after all. â€Å"Mr. Langdon?† Chartrand repeated. â€Å"I was asking about the helicopter?† Langdon gave a sad smile. â€Å"Yes, I know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He felt the words flow not from his mind but from his heart. â€Å"Perhaps it was the shock of the fall†¦ but my memory†¦ it seems†¦ it's all a blur†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Chartrand slumped. â€Å"You remember nothing?† Langdon sighed. â€Å"I fear it will remain a mystery forever.† When Robert Langdon returned to the bedroom, the vision awaiting him stopped him in his tracks. Vittoria stood on the balcony, her back to the railing, her eyes gazing deeply at him. She looked like a heavenly apparition†¦ a radiant silhouette with the moon behind her. She could have been a Roman goddess, enshrouded in her white terrycloth robe, the drawstring cinched tight, accentuating her slender curves. Behind her, a pale mist hung like a halo over Bernini's Triton Fountain. Langdon felt wildly drawn to her†¦ more than to any woman in his life. Quietly, he lay the Illuminati Diamond and the Pope's letter on his bedside table. There would be time to explain all of that later. He went to her on the balcony. Vittoria looked happy to see him. â€Å"You're awake,† she said, in a coy whisper. â€Å"Finally.† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Long day.† She ran a hand through her luxuriant hair, the neck of her robe falling open slightly. â€Å"And now†¦ I suppose you want your reward.† The comment took Langdon off guard. â€Å"I'm†¦ sorry?† â€Å"We're adults, Robert. You can admit it. You feel a longing. I see it in your eyes. A deep, carnal hunger.† She smiled. â€Å"I feel it too. And that craving is about to be satisfied.† â€Å"It is?† He felt emboldened and took a step toward her. â€Å"Completely.† She held up a room-service menu. â€Å"I ordered everything they've got.† The feast was sumptuous. They dined together by moonlight†¦ sitting on their balcony†¦ savoring frisee, truffles, and risotto. They sipped Dolcetto wine and talked late into the night. Langdon did not need to be a symbologist to read the signs Vittoria was sending him. During dessert of boysenberry cream with savoiardi and steaming Romcaffe, Vittoria pressed her bare legs against his beneath the table and fixed him with a sultry stare. She seemed to be willing him to set down his fork and carry her off in his arms. But Langdon did nothing. He remained the perfect gentleman. Two can play at this game, he thought, hiding a roguish smile. When all the food was eaten, Langdon retired to the edge of his bed where he sat alone, turning the Illuminati Diamond over and over in his hands, making repeated comments about the miracle of its symmetry. Vittoria stared at him, her confusion growing to an obvious frustration. â€Å"You find that ambigram terribly interesting, don't you?† she demanded. Langdon nodded. â€Å"Mesmerizing.† â€Å"Would you say it's the most interesting thing in this room?† Langdon scratched his head, making a show of pondering it. â€Å"Well, there is one thing that interests me more.† She smiled and took a step toward him. â€Å"That being?† â€Å"How you disproved that Einstein theory using tuna fish.† Vittoria threw up her hands. â€Å"Dio m? ¬o! Enough with the tuna fish! Don't play with me, I'm warning you.† Langdon grinned. â€Å"Maybe for your next experiment, you could study flounders and prove the earth is flat.† Vittoria was steaming now, but the first faint hints of an exasperated smile appeared on her lips. â€Å"For your information, professor, my next experiment will make scientific history. I plan to prove neutrinos have mass.† â€Å"Neutrinos have mass?† Langdon shot her a stunned look. â€Å"I didn't even know they were Catholic!† With one fluid motion, she was on him, pinning him down. â€Å"I hope you believe in life after death, Robert Langdon.† Vittoria was laughing as she straddled him, her hands holding him down, her eyes ablaze with a mischievous fire. â€Å"Actually,† he choked, laughing harder now, â€Å"I've always had trouble picturing anything beyond this world.† â€Å"Really? So you've never had a religious experience? A perfect moment of glorious rapture?† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"No, and I seriously doubt I'm the kind of man who could ever have a religious experience.† Vittoria slipped off her robe. â€Å"You've never been to bed with a yoga master, have you?†