Management (Small bussines & Enterprises) Essay

Management (Small bussines & Enterprises) - Essay Example There have been a number of researchers who have formulated a link between competitive advantage and personality traits. Especially in the area of small and medium enterprises, personality traits have reportedly played a significant role in explaining entrepreneurship. There are a number of researchers who want to further reinstate the link between personality traits and entrepreneurship in small and medium enterprises, for expanding and validating the study of personality (or psychological) traits approach. There have been several of researches which were conducted in the nineteen nineties and also earlier in the eighties. Unfortunately, there were a number of inconsistencies discovered between the empirical findings and theory, which eventually led the researchers in abandoning the personality traits approach in favour of Behavioural Approach which was considered to be more effective at that time. The Environmental Sensitive Approach was also used during the eighties and nineties, which was partially successful and it also contributed in further abandoning the personality traits approach in the study of SME’s. However, by the turn of the century, personality traits approach for studying entrepreneurship was once again gaining ground, and presently personality traits study is considered as one of the major schools of thought in better understanding entrepreneurship in the small and medium business environment. Paul Burns (2007, p.8) states ‘Despite the independence criteri a, SMEs could still include organisations managed by non-owner-managers. Even so, some of them may be entrepreneurs. We are still, therefore, left with our three groups – managers of small firms, owner-managers and entrepreneurs – without any clear delineation. However, it is likely to be true that the smaller the firm, particularly the owner-managed firm, the more important the personality and influence of the

Road Safety Essay Essay Example for Free

Road Safety Essay Essay Driving age young people under 25 make up around one-tenth of the population in OECD countries, but represent more than a quarter of car drivers killed on the road (See Figure 1). And they are not only a danger to themselves. Studies in the US and the Netherlands show that for every 10 young drivers killed, 13 passengers or other road users also die in the same crashes. Worldwide, road crashes are the single greatest cause of death for men aged 15-29, and the second greatest for 15-29-year-olds overall, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures. Even in countries with a good overall road safety record, large numbers of young lives are being lost on the roads – more than 8 500 young car drivers die in OECD countries every year, and death rates for young drivers are typically about double those of older drivers. Although overall road safety is improving, the ratio between young and older driver death rates has not improved in many countries, so there is clearly a need for specific measures to tackle the problem of young people’s safety on the roads (See Figure 2). see more:short article on road safety Young men are particularly at risk, with death rates up to three times higher than those for young women. To make matters worse, the risk for young male drivers compared to older drivers has actually risen in a number of countries over the past decade. In the UK, for example, in 1994 a young male driver’s risk of being in a fatal crash was a little over 4.5 times that of a driver aged 30-59; by 2002 this had risen to 7 times greater. Young drivers have high numbers of crashes when driving at night and on weekends, and when carrying young passengers. Many crashes are the result of speeding and while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Failure to use seatbelts is also a key factor in death and injuries. Young people are over-represented in single-car and loss-of-control crashes, and crashes where the driver is turning across oncoming traffic. Apart from the enormous social costs, these highway tragedies impose a huge economic cost burden.

Kant: The Pursuit of Fundamental Freedom Essay -- essays research pape

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are the signs that all men deserve a fundamental freedom. The fact that man has the ability of reasoning calls for the need of a self-government. Reasoning will help the world progress towards an ideal society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mankind declares its independence from other species of animals through the use of reason. The mind of man creates all the difference as he is able to choose his own way of life. However, with this gift from nature comes a negative factor that each individual human must face. As discussed by other philosophers, man is a self-interested creature. If every man does whatever he wants in life, society would be destroyed. In order to keep society away from chaos, a government needs to be enforced in order to keep m...

Nrega Scheme a Success Essay

Is NREGA(National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) a success or a failure? The NREGA is an Indian Job Guarantee scheme, enacted by the legislation on Aug 25,2005. The scheme provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household at a wage of Rs 120 per day. So almost after five years of its commencement can NREGA be considered a success ? This essay will consider a number of explanations for concluding the impact of NREGA. My argument would be that definitely NREGA has been a success. First of all we need to remember that NREGA is a programme without precedent. No other employment programme has even come close to being implemented on such a large scale. So the output can’t be compared to that of any other programmes. Taking into account the success story of the Pandurni village in the Nanded district of Maharastra which won the award for the best performance in implementing the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for 2009-2010, we can see that around 1500 people from the village are registered under this scheme from which around 800 have been benifited from it. Pandurni has completed over 100 irrigation projects. Of these projects one that has been remarkable is the rocky bund built by around 200 villagers, to prevent soil erosion. Officials claim that implementation of the scheme on such a large scale here has prevented the migration of labourers to other districts. Similar success stories have also been reported from various villages of Rajasthan. NREGA has created more work for rural people than any other programme since independence. If we look at the coverage of the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe, if we look at the participation of women, if we look at the financial inclusion that we have achieved about more than 10 crore bank accounts and post office accounts that have been opened for NREGA workers then a lot can be said in terms of its achievements. It can be agreed to a fact that nothing in this world is an unmixed blessing. I agree if the NREGA has good side, it has a bad side also. But the ill effects have been largely due to corruption in our country. Its because of that only the ‘aam admi’(ordinary people) are not able to avail the proper benifits of the scheme. NREGA is a scheme which if implemented properly can benefit the labour class of our country.

Explore the ways Shakespeare presents the Duke in Act one of measure for measure

In a play we get to know about a character by what he says what he does and what other people think about him. When the duke abandons the city it cause society to collapse and the whole city to fall into chaos. Any eratical behaviour made by the duke, at the top of the hierarchical pyramid would be amplified as you go down. People at the bottom will want to know what is going on and the people near the top will try and grab a piece of power. In the 17th Century the audience then would of reacted very differently to an audience of today. Back then a audience would think that it was a terrible thing that the duke had done as he is the only one who can do the job as he has the divine right. For them the duke leaving would be a very dramatic story line. However an audience of today would not be as shocked because they are used to a society of so many leaders that if the Priminister went off, yes it would be shocking but there are plenty of people that can take his place. Today's audience would probably have more sympathy as they understand stress more and would just think he needs a bit of a break. The laws in Vienna have not been used for a long time and now are useless at protecting the people and the city, much like a rusty set of armour that has been â€Å"hung by th'wall† as Claudio describes them.. They normally protect people but they have been discarded and now are useless. Now the city is full of crime depravity and all the suburbs are full of Brothels. The Duke has discarded the laws so that the people of the city like him. He no longer likes his job as he has a lot of responsibility and is depended on. He feels isolated because of all the pressure of people behind him trying to get his power. He is loved by the public for something he isn't and he knows this. All these factors make him very uncomfortable. The duke has two choices for who he could chose to stand in for him – Angelo or Esculus. Esculas's name sounds like the word scales implying that he would be balanced and would bring balance to the city. He has a lot of knowledge of the city and is old and wise. Angelo's name sounds like the word angels who are virtuous. He chooses Angelo as he wants to test his virtues. The duke quotes â€Å"Angelo is a man of stricture and firm abstinence.† When Angelo is told that he will stand in for the duke he sounds modest but could be pretending. He is probable pretending to be modest and really being obsequious. He tells the Friar that he is going back to the city to see how it is going without him and to see if Angelo is really as virtuous as he seems. In Scene one the duke decides to leave because he can't take the pressure. Whereas in scene two he says he is leaving because he can't control the people. This shows that he is either not sure why he is leaving; he just doesn't want to be the duke any more or he wants to check up on people when he's not there. When the duke is in disguise Lucio says how the duke had been so slack with the laws and how terrible he was. In act one the speech is very rushed and shows us how much of a rush the Duke is in.

Hippopotamus Facts

Hippopotamus Facts With a broad mouth, a hairless body, and a set of semi-aquatic habits, the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) has always struck humans as vaguely comical creatures. Found only in sub-Saharan Africa, a hippo in the wild can be almost as dangerous (and unpredictable) as a tiger or hyena. Fast Facts: Hippopotamus Scientific Name: Hippopotamus amphibiusCommon Name: Common hippopotamusBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 11–17 feetWeight: 5500 pounds (female), 6600 pounds (male)Lifespan: 35–50 yearsDiet:  HerbivoreHabitat: Sub-saharan AfricaPopulation: 115,000–130,000Conservation Status: Vulnerable Description Hippos arent the worlds largest land mammals- that honor belongs, by a hair, to the largest breeds of elephants and rhinoceroses- but they come pretty close. The biggest male hippos can approach three tons and 17 feet, and apparently, never stop growing throughout their 50-year life span. The females are a few hundred pounds lighter, but every bit as menacing, especially when defending their young. Hippopotamuses have very little body hair- a trait that puts them in the company of humans, whales, and a handful of other mammals. Hippos have hair only around their mouths and on the tips of their tails. To make up for this deficit, hippos do have extremely thick skin, consisting of about two inches of the epidermis and only a thin layer of underlying fat- theres not much need to conserve heat in the wilds of equatorial Africa. Hippos do, however, have very delicate skin that needs to be protected from the harsh sun. The hippo produces its own natural sunscreen- a substance called blood sweat or red sweat, it consists of red and orange acids that absorb ultraviolet light and inhibit the growth of bacteria. This has led to the widespread myth that hippos sweat blood; in fact, these mammals dont possess any sweat glands at all, which would be superfluous considering their semi-aquatic lifestyle. Many animals, including humans, are sexually dimorphic- the males tend to be larger than the females (or vice-versa), and there are other ways, besides directly examining the genitals, to distinguish between the two sexes. A male hippo, though, looks pretty much exactly like a female hippo, except that males are 10 percent heavier than females. The inability to easily tell whether a particular animal is male or female makes it difficult for researchers in the field to investigate the social life of a lounging herd of hippos. Wikimedia Commons Species While there is only one hippopotamus species- Hippopotamus amphibius- researchers recognize five different subspecies, corresponding to the parts of Africa where these mammals live. H. amphibius amphibius, also known as the Nile hippopotamus or the great northern hippopotamus, lives in Mozambique and Tanzania;H. amphibius kiboko, the East African hippopotamus, lives in Kenya and Somalia;H. amphibius capensis, the South African hippo or the Cape hippo, extends from Zambia to South Africa;H. amphibius tchadensis, the West African or Chad hippo, lives in (you guessed it) western Africa and Chad; and the Angola hippopotamus; andH. amphibius constrictus, the Angola hippo, is restricted to Angola, Congo, and Namibia. The name hippopotamus derives from Greek- a combination of hippo, meaning horse, and potamus, meaning river. Of course, this mammal coexisted with human populations of Africa for thousands of years before the Greeks ever laid eyes on it, and is known by various extant tribes as the mvuvu, kiboko, timondo, and dozens of other local variants. There is no right or wrong way to pluralize hippopotamus: some people prefer hippopotamuses, others like hippopotami, but you should always say hippos rather than hippi. Groups of hippopotamuses (or hippopotami) are called herds, dales, pods, or bloats. Habitat and Range Hippos spend most of each day in shallow water, emerging at night to travel to hippo lawns, grassy areas where they graze. Grazing only at night allows them to keep their skins moist and out of the African sun. When theyre not grazing on grass- which at night takes them into the African lowlands several miles away from the water and for periods of five or six hours at a stretch- hippos prefer to spend their time fully or partially submerged in freshwater lakes and rivers, and occasionally even in saltwater estuaries. Even at night, some hippos remain in the water, in essence taking turns at the hippo lawns. Diet Hippos eat between 65–100 pounds of grass and foliage each night. Somewhat confusingly, hippos are classified as pseudoruminants- theyre equipped with multiple-chambered stomachs, like cows, but they do not chew a cud (which, considering the huge size of their jaws, would make for a pretty comical sight). Fermentation takes place primarily in their fore-stomachs. A hippo has an enormous mouth and it can open up to a whopping 150-degree angle. Their diets certainly have something to do with it- a two-ton mammal has to eat a lot of food to sustain its metabolism. But sexual selection also plays a major role: Opening ones mouth very widely is a good way to impress females (and deter competing males) during mating season, the same reason that males are equipped with such enormous incisors, which otherwise would make no sense given their vegetarian menus. Hippos dont use their incisors to eat; they pluck plant parts with their lips and chew on them with their molars. A hippo can chomp down on branches and leaves with a force of about 2,000 pounds per square inch, enough to cleave a luckless tourist in half (which occasionally happens during unsupervised safaris). By way of comparison, a healthy human male has a bite force of about 200 PSI, and a full-grown saltwater crocodile tilts the dials at 4,000 PSI. Behavior If you ignore the difference in size, hippopotamuses may be the closest thing to amphibians in the mammal kingdom.  In the water, hippos live in loose polygynous groups made up mostly of females with their offspring, one territorial male and several unallied bachelors: The alpha male has a section of beach or lake edge for a territory. Hippopotamuses have sex in the water- the natural buoyancy helps to protect the females from the suffocating weight of the males- fight in the water, and even give birth in the water. Amazingly, a hippo can even sleep underwater, as its autonomic nervous system prompts it to float to the surface every few minutes and take a gulp of air. The main problem with a semi-aquatic African habitat, of course, is that hippos have to share their homes with crocodiles, which occasionally pick off smaller newborns unable to defend themselves. Although male hippos do have territories, and they squabble a bit, that is usually restricted to roaring vocalizations and ritual. The only real battles are when a bachelor male challenges a territorial male for rights over his patch and harem. Reproduction and Offspring Hippopotamuses are polygynous: One bull mates with multiple cows in his territorial/social group. Hippo females usually mate once every two years, and the bull mates with whichever cows are in heat. Although mating can occur throughout the year, conception only occurs from February to August. The gestation period lasts nearly a year, with births taking place between October and April. Hippos only give birth to one calf at a time; calves weigh 50–120 pounds at birth and are adapted to underwater nursing.   Juvenile hippos stay with their mothers and are reliant on mothers milk for nearly a year (324 days). Female juveniles remain in their mothers group, while males leave after they are sexually mature, about three and a half years. WILLIAM WEST/Getty Images  Ã‚   Evolutionary History Unlike the case with rhinoceroses and elephants, the evolutionary tree of hippopotamuses is rooted in mystery. Modern hippos shared a last common ancestor, or concestor, with modern whales, and this presumed species lived in Eurasia about 60 million years ago, only five million years after the dinosaurs had gone extinct. Still, there are tens of millions of years bearing little or no fossil evidence, spanning most of the Cenozoic Era, until the first identifiable hippopotamids like Anthracotherium and Kenyapotamus appear on the scene. The branch leading to the modern genus of hippopotamus split off from the branch leading to the pygmy hippopotamus (genus Choeropsis) less than 10 million years ago. The pygmy hippopotamus of western Africa weighs less than 500 pounds but otherwise looks uncannily like a full-sized hippo. Conservation Status The Internal Union for the Conservation of Nature estimates that there are 115,000–130,000 hippos in central and southern Africa, a sharp drop from their census numbers in prehistoric times; they classify hippos as vulnerable, experiencing a continuing decline in area, extent, and quality of habitat. Threats Hippopotamuses live exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa (though they once had a more widespread distribution). Their numbers have declined most precipitously in the Congo in central Africa, where poachers and hungry soldiers have left only about 1,000 hippos standing out of a previous population of almost 30,000. Unlike elephants, which are valued for their ivory, hippos dont have much to offer traders, with the exception of their enormous teeth- which are sometimes sold as ivory substitutes. Another direct threat to the hippopotamus is the loss of habitat. Hippos need water, at least mudholes, all year round to take care of their skin; but they also need grazing lands, and those patches are in danger of disappearing as a result of climate-change-driven desertification. Sources Barklow, William E. Amphibious Communication with Sound in Hippos, Hippopotamus Amphibius. Animal Behaviour 68.5 (2004): 1125–32. Print.Eltringham, S. Keith. 3.2: The Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus Amphibius). Pigs, Peccaries, and Hippos: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. Ed. Oliver, William L.R. Gland, Switzerland: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resouces, 1993. Print.Lewison, R. and J. Pluhcek. Hippopotamus amphibius. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.e.T10103A18567364, 2017.  Walzer, Chris, and Gabrielle Stalder. Chapter 59 - Hippopotamidae (Hippopotamus). Fowlers Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, Volume 8. Eds. Miller, R. Eric and Murray E. Fowler. St. Louis: W.B. Saunders, 2015. 584–92. Print.

Comparison of 2 davids essays

Comparison of 2 davids essays The greatest artist has no conception which a single block of marble does not potentially contain within its mass, but only a hand obedient to the mind can penetrate to this image. Michelangelo describes in the above quote what it is like to carve a likeness of a person out of a large block of marble. As we know from seeing his work, he did an excellent job with this task. Bernini did just as fine a job on his, but in a much different way as you will see in the following pages. Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Italy, a tiny village, owned by the nearby city-state of Florence. His father was the mayor. He attended school in Florence, but he was preoccupied by art. When he was 13, his father agreed to apprentice him to some well-known painters in Florence. Michelangelo was unsatisfied with these artists, because they would not teach him their artistic secrets. He went to work under another sculptor hired by Lorenzo de Medici. When Michelangelo was 21, he went to Rome, where he was commissioned to carve a group of marble statues showing the Virgin Mary supporting the dead Christ on her knees. His sculpture was called Madonna Della Pieta, and it made Michelangelo famous. A few years later, in 1501, he accepted a commission for a statue of David. He took on the challenge of carving this beautiful work out of a huge oblong chunk of pure white unflawed Carrara marble some 18 feet high and weighing several tons - that had been badly block out and then abandoned by an earlier sculptor (Coughlan 85). This piece had always fascinated Michelangelo, but neither he, nor anyone else, could think of what to carve from it, until now (Coughlan 85). Thus began a new era in art, the High Renaissance. He began carving this statue for the city of Florence. It would become a symbol of this city, a city willing to take on all comers in defense of its liberty (Coughlan 91). The st...

Holing Up

Holing Up Holing Up Holing Up By Maeve Maddox This morning I heard an NPR journalist say in elegant, educated accents that Julian Assange â€Å"has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for three years.† When I looked at the NPR site, I saw that a copy editor had changed â€Å"holed up† to â€Å"hiding out† in the transcript. Other news sources don’t seem to see anything inappropriate about using the expression in their own publications. CNN Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where prosecutors want to question him about 2010 allegations that he raped one woman and sexually molested another. The Huffington Post With British police still surrounding the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where he is holed up, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange joined an international conference call Wednesday to speak out about his complicated and seemingly intractable diplomatic and legal saga. The Telegraph Julian Assange could spend years holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in a bid to dodge extradition to Sweden, an expert said today. The Guardian Wikileaks founder holed up in Ecuadorian embassy in UK capital says he believed interrogation on rape and molestation claims was to go ahead. ABC-Australia WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been holed up in Ecuadors London embassy since 2012 to avoid extradition. Los Angeles Times WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange suggested at a news conference Monday that he could soon be leaving the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where he has been holed up for two years to avoid extradition to Sweden.   It seems to me that this use of â€Å"holed up† to refer to human beings who are hiding or sheltering somewhere is slang, suitable enough in informal speech or dialogue, but totally out of place in formal writing and reporting. Here are some possible alternatives, at least for Assange: has been living in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for three years. has been concealing himself in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for three years. has been secreting himself in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for three years. has been sheltering in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for three years. has been taking cover in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for three years. has been taking refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for three years. has been lying low in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for three years. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†"Owing to" vs "Due to"20 Classic Novels You Can Read in One Sitting

The Emerging Forms of Media vs. Traditional Forms Research Paper

The Emerging Forms of Media vs. Traditional Forms - Research Paper Example The primary role of media is to deliver accurate news to the public. This research paper analyzes the ways media is using nowadays to present the news to the people and suggests that it must not be influenced by any person, group, organization or institution. It also discusses the critical role of the modern media because it has a social responsibility to society. Based on guidelines that were discussed in the essay, it is researcher’s belief that the lead story should be the closure of the city parks for three days in a week. It is of utmost importance because it has an actual impact on the lives of the people. The information must be disseminated to the other members of the community who may not be aware of it. Modern media should also project an admirable image for the television network, that it is not so much concerned with the ratings but rather it is more concerned with issues that are relevant to the welfare of the people and society. Media delivery has evolved in vari ous forms. It is no longer confined to newspapers, magazines, television or radio. The continuous development in information technology paved the way to other forms of media delivery like the internet, electronic computer games, etc. The researcher also analyzes impacts and effects of computer games not only on children, their lifestyle and their health, but also discusses some studies that revealed that violent video games promote aggressive behavior, vengeance and decreases social interaction as well.

What is a Mockingbird What makes Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose, and Boo Essay

What is a Mockingbird What makes Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose, and Boo Radley Mockingbirds - Essay Example e’s story, Atticus proves the black man is innocent of all charges while implicating that any damage done was actually caused by the girl’s abusive father, but the defendant, Tom Robinson, is found guilty anyway by the all-white jury. In the meantime, the children have made friends with their eccentric neighbor, Boo Radley. Boo has spent the majority of his life imprisoned by his parents in the house next door. Scout’s brother, Jem, has also spent several afternoons reading to a mean old lady of the neighborhood, Mrs. Dubose, on his father’s orders. In the context of the book, the mockingbird is used to symbolize something innocent and without a true voice of its own. In the real world, the mockingbird is quietly helpful as it feeds on the grubs and other harmful insects that often damage needed crops but has no true song of its own. Instead, the mockingbird sings a compilation of songs that it hears in its environment. â€Å"The literature contains countless stories of notable imitations. One New York City bird reproduced perfectly the beep-beep-beep of a backhoe in reverse, while another threw a high school football game into confusion by mimicking the referee’s whistle. Yet another ‘joined the National Symphony Orchestra during an outdoor concert in Washington D.C.’† (Tveten 292). This reveals it to be a bird capable of appreciating its environment as well as a bird without a true voice of its own. It is known only by its appearance and the way in which it is defined by others. Its borrowed voice, appreciation and participation in its environment and its changeable nature make this a bird that deserves recognition and respect. This concept is found in the book when Atticus tells Scout and Jem, â€Å"I’d rather you shoot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird† (Lee 69). As the following discussion will

Marketing Management - Sustainable marketing campaign for Virginia Essay

Marketing Management - Sustainable marketing campaign for Virginia Community Capital Inc - Essay Example The organization aims at fully aiding the weaker faction of the community by offering the housing loans and investments solutions for housing and community projects. This is a marginalized population and Virginia Community Capital Inc. is offering a solution to their economic woes. Through its numerous positions of jobs, VCC intends to create employment to the people of Virginia to reduce unemployment and social vices (VCC, 2014 p 24). VCC offers a financial solution to the people around and intend to change the face of Virginia through its diverse activities. Virginia Community Capital Inc as an organization intends to help the people of Virginia. As an organization, its primarily objective is to help the people within the boundaries of Virginia. It thus does not intend to reap from a community that host it but fully support them for the empowerment and growth of Virginia. Virginia as a state is large and hugely populated and VCC has identified this. To reach its targeted market, the organization has stratified its customers into groups. The groups that are highly prioritized are the most targeted customers of the organization (VCC, 2014 p 23). Virginia like any other metropolitan and urban society is divided into economic classes. The lower class is the most targeted one. Like in any other society, the lower class constitutes the greater part of the society. This is true of Virginia. The low class dominates Virginia and thus contributes to the GDP of Virginia negatively (Kotler, 2009 p.65). Most of these people are living in poverty. They hardly afford proper health care, proper education, better foods and other basic necessities of living. This factor has driven Virginia Community Capital Inc. towards them. Its major target is these people as it aims to empower them for their own development. Through the loans provided, such population is able to invest into housing, business

What is the effect of attending a private university versus a public Research Proposal

What is the effect of attending a private university versus a public university in regards to employability following graduation - Research Proposal Example This will be in terms of the benefits they will reap from enrolling in either of the two types of Universities. The citation style that I have used in writing report is the APA style. I chose to use this style because it enables me to provide clear evidence on the research carried out. In other words, it enables me to justify my work through previously published statements. I would like to acknowledge the alumni groups for both Universities that helped me collect the information that this report was based on, the principals for the companies that participated in providing information for the report (names have been kept anonymous), and the alumni themselves for volunteering information through questionnaires or personal interviews that aided in producing this report (names have been kept anonymous). The report on the graduate students leaving the two different universities provides an analysis for their trends on employability after graduating for the last five years. The students analyzed are from the University of North Florida, a public University and Jacksonville University, a private University. These universities have had high rates of students gaining employment in the country within the public along with the private sectors. The trends on employability is influenced by several factors: employers’ preference for the students from either type of university and the demand for university degrees in the employment field among others. The report reveals that both institutions provide large amounts of labor to employers within both sectors of the economy. The report recommends that the government should ensure that all students get equal opportunities in education and employment by ensuring both are accessible and affordable to everyone. It also urges employers to employ students based on their competencies and educational levels.

Manage Performance Management Systems Case Study

Manage Performance Management Systems - Case Study Example As the case study tells us, Samantha's performance was not satisfactory either due to a shortage in quantity or a lack of quality. The situation for strongly against Samantha and seizing the opportunity, Peter fired her. However this wasn't the best possible process to terminate an employee. Peter should have prepared Samantha ahead of the termination that her performance wasn't up to the mark and she should increase her efficiency to maintain her place in the company. This negative reinforcement would have motivated Samantha to work harder and would have warned her about what could happen. This way if her performance would not have increased, her termination would set in as an automatic process rather than a shock. Appraisal of an employee is not based solely on the output produced by that employee. Other factors such as experience of the employee, number of years served in the company, future value of the employee to the company all should come into consideration when an employee is being appraised. Peter is committing a mistake by only judging the quantity and the quality of the output. There could be a variety of reasons why Samantha's output is not up to the standard. It could be because of the type of work that is male oriented or maybe Samantha is troubled by external sources which affects her performance at work. So therefore Peter should consider factors and analyze how those factors might be affecting Samantha's performance rather than just looking at the result. Another mistake that Peter is committing here is that the decision taken is too abrupt. He should think out the termination process with more detail and information. Another thing that Peter should look into when appraising is to consult other fellow members about the person being appraised. This would help identify the problem areas and also give a better idea of the employee's situation. Q3) As mentioned earlier, Peter has not analyzed the situation clearly. He should have had prepared a full progress report on Samantha's work since she's been working with the company. Doing this would have given Peter a clearer picture about Samantha's situation and the reason for her low performance. Peter also should have given a heads-up to Samantha about her possible termination in order to prepare her for her firing. The meeting could have been held in a different manner like a personal meeting rather than just being a performance appraisal to give it a more caring look for Samantha. Not setting up a warning for Samantha, Peter has now got himself in a tangle. He wants to fire Samantha but is held back by her tears. The situation calls for a postponement for the immediate termination. Samantha should be given a time of 2 months to perform better than the standard in order to regain losses Peter had to incur because of her inefficiency. During this period Samantha must perform better or she will be fired from her current job at the company. Giving a grace period to Samantha will enable her to perform better to save her much needed job and it would also act as a warning and preparatory lesson. Case Study 12.2 Q1) Employee evaluation is an assessment of employees based on their personal characteristics and their performance at work. This evaluation needs to be friendly in order for the employees to feel at ease. Chan made quite a few mistakes in his employee evaluation. First of all Chan is too haughty

Power electornic lab2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Power electornic lab2 - Essay Example Transformers generally consist of two windings; primary and secondary as shown in the diagram below. If the primary windings consist of more turns than the secondary windings, the transformer is a step down transformer as the one shown below. Transformers with greater amounts of secondary windings than primary windings are known as step up transformers. Step down transformers are more common in industries where they are connected from the power grid to the households Transformers are also divided into two; high frequency and low frequency transformers. The low frequency transformers work best at 50/60 Hz while the high frequency transformers work best at 100 kHz. Each set of the devices posse’s advantages over the other in some situations. The low frequency transformer has low eddy current lose, lower stray capacitances and comparatively low antenna losses. On the other hand, the high frequency transformer has a lower magnetizing current meaning that it needs less inductance so that fewer turns fiord a larger gauge of copper wire. This minimizes copper losses. Deciding the best transformer relies on the costs and efficiency. Overall, the high frequency transformer is efficient while the low frequency transformer is less costly. Table 1.1 illustrates the difference between ideal and practical transformer. From the outset, it is conclusive that the ideal transformer doesn’t account for the losses in the circuit while the practical transformer does. The experiment included a single design calculation to determine the resistor needed for the power resistor. In the calculation, it was found that the value of the power resistor must exceed 30â„ ¦. This meant that the best resistor for the experiment was the 33â„ ¦ power resistor. The first lab question was about the meaning of load regulation. From research it was determined that voltage regulation is

Manage Performance Management Systems Case Study

Manage Performance Management Systems - Case Study Example As the case study tells us, Samantha's performance was not satisfactory either due to a shortage in quantity or a lack of quality. The situation for strongly against Samantha and seizing the opportunity, Peter fired her. However this wasn't the best possible process to terminate an employee. Peter should have prepared Samantha ahead of the termination that her performance wasn't up to the mark and she should increase her efficiency to maintain her place in the company. This negative reinforcement would have motivated Samantha to work harder and would have warned her about what could happen. This way if her performance would not have increased, her termination would set in as an automatic process rather than a shock. Appraisal of an employee is not based solely on the output produced by that employee. Other factors such as experience of the employee, number of years served in the company, future value of the employee to the company all should come into consideration when an employee is being appraised. Peter is committing a mistake by only judging the quantity and the quality of the output. There could be a variety of reasons why Samantha's output is not up to the standard. It could be because of the type of work that is male oriented or maybe Samantha is troubled by external sources which affects her performance at work. So therefore Peter should consider factors and analyze how those factors might be affecting Samantha's performance rather than just looking at the result. Another mistake that Peter is committing here is that the decision taken is too abrupt. He should think out the termination process with more detail and information. Another thing that Peter should look into when appraising is to consult other fellow members about the person being appraised. This would help identify the problem areas and also give a better idea of the employee's situation. Q3) As mentioned earlier, Peter has not analyzed the situation clearly. He should have had prepared a full progress report on Samantha's work since she's been working with the company. Doing this would have given Peter a clearer picture about Samantha's situation and the reason for her low performance. Peter also should have given a heads-up to Samantha about her possible termination in order to prepare her for her firing. The meeting could have been held in a different manner like a personal meeting rather than just being a performance appraisal to give it a more caring look for Samantha. Not setting up a warning for Samantha, Peter has now got himself in a tangle. He wants to fire Samantha but is held back by her tears. The situation calls for a postponement for the immediate termination. Samantha should be given a time of 2 months to perform better than the standard in order to regain losses Peter had to incur because of her inefficiency. During this period Samantha must perform better or she will be fired from her current job at the company. Giving a grace period to Samantha will enable her to perform better to save her much needed job and it would also act as a warning and preparatory lesson. Case Study 12.2 Q1) Employee evaluation is an assessment of employees based on their personal characteristics and their performance at work. This evaluation needs to be friendly in order for the employees to feel at ease. Chan made quite a few mistakes in his employee evaluation. First of all Chan is too haughty

Budgeting, Costing and Casemix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Budgeting, Costing and Casemix - Essay Example as the NPV is less than zero so it is not advisable for the university to invest in this project. Had the NPV been greater than zero it would make sense to invest in this venture. Question Five Part (a) The state of revenues and expenses for the hospital are as shown in the table below: Revenues Direct Indirect 16 5.5 1.5 5 3.3 3.8 6 2.8 1.6 - - 4.4 - - 2.55 27 11.6 13.85 Projected Profit 1.55 Note: All values in millions of dollars. Therefore the hospital’s projected profit for the 2010 fiscal year is $1.55 million. Part (b) The allocation of indirect costs to the patient services departments are indicated in the table below along with the agreed cost drivers. Indirect Cost Cost Driver Cost (Millions of Dollars) Financial Services Patient Revenue 1.5 Maintenance Space Utilisation 3.8 Housekeeping Labour Hours 1.6 Administration Salary Dollars 4.4 Personnel Salary Dollars 2.55 The breakup of the indirect costs to each department is described below. Accounting Salaries: divided equally amongst all three departments, therefore cost to each department is 0.5 million dollars. Maintenance: divided amongst all three departments based on space utilisation (covered area), cost to each department is indicated in the table below: Department Space Utilisation (square meters) Percentage of Total Space Cost (millions of dollars) Routine Care 199,800 66 2.525 Laboratory 39,600 13 0.50 Radiology 61,200 20 0.774 Housekeeping: divided amongst all three departments based on labour hours utilised, cost to each department is indicated in the table below: Department Labour Hours Percentage of Total Cost (millions of dollars) Routine Care 76000 84% 1.34 Laboratory 6000 7% 0.105 Radiology 9000 10% 0.158 Administration: divided amongst all three departments based on salary dollars utilised, cost to each department is indicated in the table below: Salary Dollars Percentage of Total Cost (millions of dollars) Routine Care 5,709,000 56% 2.47 Laboratory 2,035,000 20% 0.879 Radiolog y 2,439,000 24% 1.05 Personnel: divided amongst all three departments based on salary dollars utilised, cost to each department is indicated in the table below: Salary Dollars Percentage of Total Cost (millions of dollars) Routine Care 5,709,000 56% 1.40 Laboratory 2,035,000 20% 0.50 Radiology 2,439,000 24% 0.60 Part (c) The allocation method utilised is well reasoned and makes a lot of sense on paper and on ground. The accounting salaries would in principle get divided amongst all three departments equally. The maintenance costs would get divided amongst all three departments based on the floor space allocated in principle. However it must be taken in mind that the routine care department would have little equipment that would require large maintenance costs but the laboratory and the radiology department would furnish such equipment e.g. centrifuges, x-ray machines and the like. Therefore using total space occupied alone would not really reflect the state of maintenance expenses a lone because routine care would always assume more space while laboratory and radiology would use

Sociology Induction Essay Example for Free

Sociology Induction Essay The article I have chosen to analyse is With Knife Crime on the Increase its back to Basics by Michael Godfrey. The article discusses the increase in knife crime amongst teenagers in the British isles and claims that it is a lack of respect that has caused this, claiming that parents are at fault for attempting to reason with their children instead of setting clear boundaries and enforcing rules. Violent crime effects all members of society negatively, and increase in knife crime causes members of the general public to become paranoid and afraid for their safety. It makes people less likely to want to travel anywhere alone or at night and also to decrease the amount of valuables they keep on their person in order to avoid being mugged. Also, looking at knife crime from a more macro perspective, it could be said that increase in crime costs our society economically (the government paying to keep them in overcrowded jails) and culturally (creating a negative image to other countries/societies and harmful stereotypes). According to a recent study by the youth justice board, relative poverty among young people has caused many to resort to violent crime in order to get the things they covet (iPods and mobile phones) this combined with poor parents is creating children/teens who grow up to be dysfunctional members of society. Marxists would claim that this is the middle class/upper classes fault, that the working class are so thoroughly oppressed that this is only expected. They would credit this increase in knife crime amongst predominantly working class males as caused by the lack of opportunities provided to those with lower ascribed status. However, the New Right would likely blame this increase of violence on the rise in divorce and the dissolution of the traditional nuclear family. More and more of todays youth (especially working class individuals) are brought up in single-parent families, civil partnership families and increasingly unconventional situations. The new right believe that is this lack of stability that hinders proper primary socialisation and allows todays youth to be inappropriately aware of the effect of their anti-social behaviour on larger society. Many sociologists believe that a more stable home life and better education would help to keep young people off the streets and away from violent crime. Others say that a firmer hand at home keeping them in line would also help. However, it has been proven that enforcing rules more strictly does not effectively discourage knife crime, this was shown in Ireland where penalties and prison sentences have been increased there was no improvement seen in the amount of knife crime committed. However, many people also criticise Marxists for focusing almost entirely on class conflict and not factoring other points into their theories (family breakdown, economic recession) Marxists fail to take into account increase in knife crime amongst the upper classes and make those of lower class the victims. The New Right are also heavily criticised for their intense focus on the family and their tendency to blame the victims for the problem. The New Rights view of the family is ideological and fails to see the merits of raising children in a more dysfunctional family than the traditional cereal packet family ideal of gone times, they fail to take any other points into account.

Reticence :: essays research papers

Reticence THIS MORNING there was a dead cat in the harbor, a black cat that was floating on the surface of the water. It was straight and stiff and was drifting slowly along the side of a boat. From its mouth dangled a decomposed fish head with a piece of broken line about two inches long coming out of it. At the time I had simply imagined that this fish head was what remained of the bait from a discarded fishing line. The cat must have leaned into the water to catch the fish and, as he grabbed it, the hook caught in his mouth and he lost his balance and fell. The water of the harbor was very dark where I was standing, but from time to time I suspected there was a procession of fish, mullets and wrasse, passing silently below my eyes, while on the bottom, among the pebbles and algae, thousands of wriggling fry worked over the gutted remains of a decomposing eel. Before setting off again, I lingered a moment longer on the pier staring at the dead cat still drifting in the harbor in a very slow back and forth movement, first to the left, then to the right, following the imperceptible ebb and flow of the current at the surface of the water. I had arrived in Sasuelo at the end of October. It was already autumn and the tourist season was coming to an end. A taxi dropped me off one morning, bag and baggage, on the village square. The driver helped me undo my son's stroller from the roof-rack of the car, an old 504 diesel that he left running and that continued to hum slowly in place. Then he pointed in the direction of the only hotel in the area, that I was familiar with since I had already stayed there. I left my bags near a bench and set off in the direction of the hotel with my son who was installed in his stroller in front of me and paying no attention to anything around him, absorbed as he was in the contemplation of a toy seal that he turned over and over in his hands examining all its seams and releasing for the occasion an imperturbable burp as naturally as a prince. At the entrance of the hotel flowers lined a little flight of steps at the top of which opened double French doors, and I took the stroller in my arms to climb the steps. Reticence :: essays research papers Reticence THIS MORNING there was a dead cat in the harbor, a black cat that was floating on the surface of the water. It was straight and stiff and was drifting slowly along the side of a boat. From its mouth dangled a decomposed fish head with a piece of broken line about two inches long coming out of it. At the time I had simply imagined that this fish head was what remained of the bait from a discarded fishing line. The cat must have leaned into the water to catch the fish and, as he grabbed it, the hook caught in his mouth and he lost his balance and fell. The water of the harbor was very dark where I was standing, but from time to time I suspected there was a procession of fish, mullets and wrasse, passing silently below my eyes, while on the bottom, among the pebbles and algae, thousands of wriggling fry worked over the gutted remains of a decomposing eel. Before setting off again, I lingered a moment longer on the pier staring at the dead cat still drifting in the harbor in a very slow back and forth movement, first to the left, then to the right, following the imperceptible ebb and flow of the current at the surface of the water. I had arrived in Sasuelo at the end of October. It was already autumn and the tourist season was coming to an end. A taxi dropped me off one morning, bag and baggage, on the village square. The driver helped me undo my son's stroller from the roof-rack of the car, an old 504 diesel that he left running and that continued to hum slowly in place. Then he pointed in the direction of the only hotel in the area, that I was familiar with since I had already stayed there. I left my bags near a bench and set off in the direction of the hotel with my son who was installed in his stroller in front of me and paying no attention to anything around him, absorbed as he was in the contemplation of a toy seal that he turned over and over in his hands examining all its seams and releasing for the occasion an imperturbable burp as naturally as a prince. At the entrance of the hotel flowers lined a little flight of steps at the top of which opened double French doors, and I took the stroller in my arms to climb the steps.

The Use of Geographic Information Systems in Real Estate Appraisal Essa

The Use of Geographic Information Systems in Real Estate Appraisal Abstract Appraisers need to show the reasoning behind their value opinions by discussing important spatial relationships and their likely effect on value. Geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to analyze these relationships and to show why a client should select an appraiser who has this level of information. Gilbert Castle has noted that real estate is essentially a game of information arbitrage. The likely winner of the game is the person that takes advantage of computerized analyses. Castle explains that GIS is an attention-getting way of showing what you know.(n1) Of course, larger data sets are used for GIS analysis, not just the minimum "three comps." The visual aids that GIS can generate could also be very useful in litigation, to help explain complex issues to a jury that is relatively unfamiliar with real estate valuation. Clear communication of complex technical issues is the basis of forensic consulting, an emerging field that is expected to grow more rapidly in the future. The need for forensic consulting has been created by rapid changes in technology. The Arden-Guthrie Problem Arden-Guthrie is a neighborhood in San Bernardino, California. A number of fraudulent transactions in that neighborhood inflated the ostensible value of local quadruple properties. The question is, How could a reviewer have used GIS to find the problems caused by the fraudulent sales? Many of the properties in question are located within the block group outlined in red in Figure 1. Other problem properties are located in a block group just south of the outlined area. The larger red area at the top of the map is part of a color-coding system that shows median rents by census block groups. As we can see, renters in this area one-half mile to the north were paying from $913 to $1,001 per month at the time of the 1990 census. This represents the highest rent category for San Bernardino County. Rental data from the 2000 census will be available soon. A reviewer could print out such a map and use it to check quickly for inconsistencies. One obvious inconsistency would be an appraisal that concludes that rents in the highest bracket are indicated for a property that is located in a low-rent area. Census data is relatively inexpensive. Data for the entire country was ava... ... 5. Frank F. DeGiovanni in Gentrification, Displacement and Neighborhood Revitalization, SUNY series on urban public policy, Albany State University of New York Press, c1984 6. Emily DeNitto, A Neighborhood Grows in Brooklyn, Crain’s New York Business, January 1, 2001 7. Margaret E. Dewar, Why State and Local Economic Development Programs Cause so Little Development, in Economic Development Quarterly, Vol. 12 No. 1, Sage Publication, February 1998 8. Slobodan Djajic in Slobodan Djajic, International Migration Trends, Policies and Economic Impact, Routledge, London, New York 2001 9. Greg Donaldson, The Ville : cops and kids in urban America, New York : Ticknor & Fields, 1993 10. Economist, A modest contribution, Survey: Migration, October 2002 Bibliography Economist, A modest contribution, Survey: Migration, October 2002 Eliot Asinof, People vs. Blutcher,, Viking Press Inc. New York, 1970 Emily DeNitto, A Neighborhood Grows in Brooklyn, Crain’s New York Business, January 1, 2001 Frank F. DeGiovanni in Gentrification, Displacement and Neighborhood Revitalization, SUNY series on urban public policy, Albany State University of New York Press, c1984

Othello and the Moor of Venice Essay

The play, the Tragedy of Othello and the Moor of Venice, written by William Shakespeare has many underlying and reoccurring themes throughout. One major theme is that of betrayal and loyalty. During the entire play every character is either loyal to, or betrays another character. The theme of betrayal and loyalty is seen through every character and every act in the play especially in Iago, Desdemona, and Othello. Every character that is portrayed as being loyal is disloyal, and every character that is portrayed as being disloyal is loyal. No one ever knows who and who not to trust, and this adds a lot of drama and build up to the story line. This play shows you that you can never trust anyone, and that you should keep your friends close but your enemies even closer. In such a web of love, hatred and betrayal, it is really hard to say who are the protagonist and the antagonist. But, through these gray areas, one could see that sometimes such strong emotions could change one to another. Yet with A. C. Bradley, the play was described as â€Å"by far the most romantic figure among Shakespeare’s heroes†(Shakespearean Tragedy, 1). This is an irony at play. The description is quite unexpected since it is about a man who murders his own wife. Nonetheless, it could be observed that this crime resulted from Othello’s feelings of hate for Desdemona which had when their relationship began, started as an overwhelming love for her. The transformation from love to hate that transpired within Othello also inflicted the characters Iago and Roderigo and hatred induced them to murder of innocent people as well. Roderigo’s love for Desdemona was transformed into hate towards any man that he thought was loved by her. Iago’s love for his job and his wife, Emilia changed into a destructive hatred of Cassio and Othello. As a result of their hatred Cassio, Emilia, and at the end they were killed. The connection between love and hate in William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† is the ugly feeling of jealousy that caused such transformations. Jealousy can be described as a fear of losing something or someone that is valuable (Godfrey 2). As minor as this feeling appears to be by that definition, it can take on varying degrees of damaging behavior. Othello, Roderigo, and Iago had become paralyzed by jealousy. Their thoughts, actions, and behaviors were ruled by it. Jealousy caused their inability to act rationally. They became paranoid and unable to love. Roderigo begins with a small jealousy of Othello for being married to Desdemona. It isn’t until Iago makes Roderigo believe Desdemona does not really love Othello that Roderigo becomes destructive. Roderigo pays Iago for this false hope that he will be with Desdemona (1162). When he believes he is getting closer to being with her, however, Iago tells him that it might not happen because Desdemona is in love with Cassio (1169-70). Roderigo is greatly angered by this and resolves to do what it takes to stop Cassio from getting Desdemona even if it means taking his life. His attempt to kill Cassio, however, is unsuccessful, and instead he is the one injured (1175). Roderigo is no longer consumed with thoughts of being with Desdemona. Instead he is consumed with feelings of hatred toward those who might have her love and attention. Othello had a deep love for Desdemona in the beginning of the play. He was however also very insecure of Desdemona’s love for him (Mabillard 1). He doesn’t understand why she would go against her father and her society by marrying a man that is black (1). The only reason that he can come up with is that she married him for his courageous journeys (1). In Act I scene iii he explains to the Duke, â€Å"She lov’d me for the dangers I had pass’d† (Shakespeare 1157). In Act III scene ii he tries to put his doubts to rest by telling himself that Desdemona’s compassionate and virtuous nature makes it possible for her to love him (Mabillard 1). However, when Iago starts to plant ideas of her infidelity into Othello’s head the doubts resurface and his insecurity becomes stronger than ever before (2). His insecurity about his worth to Desdemona combined with the reaffirmation from Iago of her affair creates his heated jealousy. After Iago provides the last piece of proof that Othello needs (the handkerchief in Act IV Scene i) Othello only has hatred for Desdemona. But it must be understood that, Desdemona, is a character of both betrayal and loyalty. Yet in a very different way, for when she is disloyal to a character it is out of loyalty and love for another character. She must lie to her father to be with her true love Othello Desdemona tells her father that she is loyal to him, but has to choose Othello over him (Othello, 1, 3, 208-220).. In relation to the history of the Moors in Europe, the Moors were looked down upon as with Desdemona’s father looked down on Othello. Moor’s were seen as being barbaric and ruthless warriors, only bred for being ruthless warriors and nothing else. That is why it is so profound that Desdemona is so undeniably in love with Othello and will do whatever it takes to be with him, even turn her back on her own family. Desdemona is always loyal to Othello throughout the play and Iago does his best to disprove this by getting into Othello’s mind. Othello believes Iago and says Desdemona is disloyal and cheats on him and does not trust her when she says, â€Å"For ‘twas this hand that gave away my heart. † (Othello, 3, 4, 52) Desdemona does her best to prove to Othello that it is only he that she loves and no one else. Othello has been deeply brainwashed by Iago and is scared into believing that Desdemona may be cheating on him with Cassio. This causes Othello to seek revenge on Cassio, and ruins his relationship with Desdemona. Iago really is the mastermind of all betrayals and jealousy, and Othello falls for it badly. As Albert Gerard explained in his article â€Å"‘egregiously and Ass’, The Dark Side of the Moor: A View of Othello’s Mind,† if Desdemona failed him than everything failed him (5). He was dependent on her for representing truth in the world (5). She represented an ideal image of purity to him (5). In Act III scene iii he exclaims, â€Å"If she be false, O! Then heaven mocks itself† (Shakespeare 1191). Since â€Å"the vision† of her is so highly valued, the possibility that she is a lie devastates Othello (5). D. R. Godfrey notes that Othello’s jealousy is strong enough to make him crazy (â€Å"Shakespeare and the Green-Eyed Monster† 2). He loses the ability to think rationally which is why he doesn’t seek the truth from those supposedly involved and the circumstantial evidence is enough, in his eyes, to justly murder Desdemona (2). Godfrey further supports Othello’s inability of rational thought by his idea that Desdemona and Iago have slept together â€Å"a thousand times†(3). If Othello were thinking rationally, he would have known that there couldn’t have been enough time for them to have that deep of an affair (3). His hatred of Cassio is apparent as he tells Iago â€Å"Within these three days let me hear thee say that Cassio’s not alive† (Shakespeare 1196). Before he comes to believe that Cassio is having an affair with his wife, Othello valued him enough to appoint him as lieutenant. Othello transforms from a man who loves deeply and lives with honor into a man full of hatred and vengeance. Like Roderigo, such a transformation occurs because of jealousy brought on by the words of Iago. Iago makes the cause of his loathing for Othello and Cassio apparent in the first scene of Act I: Cassio’s appointment as lieutenant being one (1145) and the second being his suspicion that Othello has slept with his wife, Emilia (1163). D. R. Godfrey describes these experiences to Iago as â€Å"devastating, to the point of working a profound and sudden change in Iago, a virtual metamorphosis † (â€Å"Shakespeare and the Green-Eyed Monster 6). Othello’s trust of Iago shows that he had once been a loyal, honest man (Watkinson 2). He even refers to him as â€Å"honest Iago† on multiple occasions (2). Watkinson explains that Othello’s dependency on Iago becomes even stronger when Iago brings the supposed affair to his attention († The Ironic Interdependence of Othello and Iago 3). He also manipulates Roderigo into thinking that he is only looking out for his best interests. Iago’s jealousy breeds a stronger hatred than Othello’s and Roderigo; so strong that he doesn’t care who gets hurt in his revenge (Godfrey 6). He wants everyone to suffer like he has (6). Iago disregards Roderigo’s well being when he tells him that he should get rid of Cassio so that he can be with Desdemona. He also disregards the life of Desdemona by telling Othello that she is sleeping with Cassio. He directs his hatred towards anyone that seems to live honestly (Godfrey 6). The more his plan seemed to work, the more his hatred was acted out. In the last scene of the play, Iago kills Roderigo for the fear that he might reveal his plan (Shakespeare 1222). He then calls Emilia a â€Å"villainous whore† and stabs her after she tells Othello that she had picked up that handkerchief and given it to Iago at his request (1231). Iago represents the strongest form of hate in Othello. While Roderigo and Othello took out their hatred on only those that they thought had caused it, Iago took it out on those innocent as well. In Act III Scene iv, Emilia tells Desdemona that â€Å"They are not ever jealous for the cause, but jealous for they are jealous; ‘tis a monster begot upon itself, born on itself† (1201). Othello, Roderigo, and Iago were each responsible for letting their jealousy get out of control. Although Iago was partly to blame, Othello is responsible for not relying on contrary evidence to prevent him from murdering Desdemona. Roderigo is responsible for letting his hatred lead him to attempting to murder Cassio. Jealousy turned romantic love into anger and hatred for Othello and Roderigo. Iago’s jealousy, however, manifested from a love of power, making it all too dangerous. He sought out power by manipulating others to get the revenge he wanted on Othello and Cassio. All three, however, are examples of the destructiveness that can come from love struck by jealousy. Paradoxically it is Iago who tells Othello â€Å"O! Beware my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey’d monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on†(Shakespeare 1188). Ultimately, this becomes the downfall of everybody.

Injury Compensation

Workplace injury causes remarkable loss to individual workers, their families, the community, and society. This loss is not only physical and financial, but also psychological and emotional. The prevention and compensation of workplace injury have thus been important issues for both academia and policy-makers. The purpose of The Political Economy of Workplace Injury in Canada, written by Bob Barnetson, is to study how the Canadian government averts and compensates workplace injury, as well as who profits, and how.The first four chapters of the book present study of government’s injury-prevention efforts. The author deduces that the current injury-prevention strategies taken by employers and government are not valuable, the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) laws not succeed to make workplaces more safe, and employers are able to shift costs to workers through injury. The next three chapters of the book analyzes the compensation injury system in workplaces in Canada and reach es the conclusion that workers’ compensation does not fully reimburse workers for their injuries.Chapter five describes how workers' compensation in Canada came to be, and how it theoretically benefits the employers, workers, and the government. Chapter six discusses the inclination of workers’ compensation boards to limit benefit entitlements and therefore employer costs. Chapter seven investigates how workers’ compensation is used to deal with workers and to limit worker power. The book concludes with Chapter eight.The Political Economy of Workplace Injury in Canada doesn’t merely tell us that workers compensation doesn’t really help workers; it tells us why it doesn’t help and, even more importantly, how come no one fixes it? Mr. Barnetson states in his book, that in most cases, a â€Å"disturbing pattern of bias against workers emerges (Barnetson, 2010, p. 154). † Thousands of Canadian families have been thrown into poverty by sys tem that denies them support. The Worker's Compensation system. One of the strengths of this book, is that Mr.Barnetson does not draw any analytical punches. Writing within a traditional Marxist framework, Mr. Barnetson is able to locate both occupational health and safety and workers' compensation laws and regulations that result from class compromise. This would be: at the turn of the 20th century an increasing number of workplace accidents were initiating dissatisfaction with the productions systems in place. This unhappiness threatened to explode into the political arena and therefore endangered the legitimacy of the Canadian capitalist system.So, the provincial governments began passing ‘workmen's compensation' laws. These laws were to shift attention away from the unsafe and unhealthy labour processes that caused these accidents and injuries while representing a real victory for injured workers and their supporters. Also, they were used â€Å"to put in place a compensat ion adjudication process that spread out accidents and injury such that the causes of accidents were obscured and normalized while injured workers were left to confront a system that individualized and depoliticized their claims (Storey, 2012, p. ). † However, there is one noteworthy criticism. There are places in the book where Professor Barnetson tends to extrapolate or simplify based off one experience in Alberta, or a single study from Ontario or Quebec. It must be understood that there are significant differences between provincial occupational health and safety and workers' compensation legal systems. This does not mean that it is believed that Mr. Barnetson is unaware of such difference.It is to say, though, that keeping dissimilarities in mind can be of highest importance as is the case in the current context. For example, â€Å"the Ontario government and its workers' compensation board are using the financial status of a number of western Canadian workers' compensati on boards to justify fundamental changes in its funding formulae; changes that injured worker advocates claim will have a devastating effect on the level and duration of benefits awarded to injured workers (Storey, 2012, p. ). † Lastly, in his efforts to be all-inclusive in his analysis of the political economy of workplace injury in Canada, it is felt that Professor Barnetson moves along so quickly that it feels like he may lose his audience. If we are to believe his point that injured workers are a minor group who are unable to make specific changes that will better the system, then it is crucial that exercises in political education, are patient with their readers' efforts, in order to grasp the root of the concept.Bibliography Song, X. (2012). The Political Economy of Workplace Injury in Canada (review). Canadian Public Policy38(1), 115-116. University of Toronto Press. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from Project MUSE database. Storey, Robert. (2012, March 22). Bob Barnetson, The Political Economy of Workplace Injury in Canada The Free Library. (2012). Retrieved October 07, 2012 from http://www. thefreelibrary. com/Bob Barnetson, The Political Economy of Workplace Injury in Canada. -a0298292679

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 48-51

CHAPTER 48 Langdon could scarcely believe his own supposition, and yet, considering who had given this stone cylinder to them, how he had given it to them, and now, the inlaid Rose on the container, Langdon could formulate only one conclusion. I am holding the Priory keystone. The legend was specific. The keystone is an encoded stone that lies beneath the sign of the Rose. â€Å"Robert?† Sophie was watching him. â€Å"What's going on?† Langdon needed a moment to gather his thoughts. â€Å"Did your grandfather ever speak to you of something called la clef de voute?† â€Å"The key to the vault?† Sophie translated. â€Å"No, that's the literal translation. Clef de voute is a common architectural term. Voute refers not to a bank vault, but to a vault in an archway. Like a vaulted ceiling.† â€Å"But vaulted ceilings don't have keys.† â€Å"Actually they do. Every stone archway requires a central, wedge-shaped stone at the top which locks the pieces together and carries all the weight. This stone is, in an architectural sense, the key to the vault. In English we call it a keystone.† Langdon watched her eyes for any spark of recognition. Sophie shrugged, glancing down at the cryptex. â€Å"But this obviously is not a keystone.† Langdon didn't know where to begin. Keystones as a masonry technique for building stonearchways had been one of the best-kept secrets of the early Masonic brotherhood. The Royal ArchDegree.Architecture.Keystones.It was all interconnected. The secret knowledge of how to use a wedged keystone to build a vaulted archway was part of the wisdom that had made the Masons such wealthy craftsmen, and it was a secret they guarded carefully. Keystones had always had a tradition of secrecy. And yet, the stone cylinder in the rosewood box was obviously something quite different. The Priory keystone – if this was indeed what they were holding – was not at all what Langdon had imagined. â€Å"The Priory keystone is not my specialty,† Langdon admitted. â€Å"My interest in the Holy Grail is primarily symbologic, so I tend to ignore the plethora of lore regarding how to actually find it.† Sophie's eyebrows arched. â€Å"Find the Holy Grail?† Langdon gave an uneasy nod, speaking his next words carefully. â€Å"Sophie, according to Priory lore, the keystone is an encoded map†¦ a map that reveals the hiding place of the Holy Grail.† Sophie's face went blank. â€Å"And you think this is it?† Langdon didn't know what to say. Even to him it sounded unbelievable, and yet the keystone was the only logical conclusion he could muster. An encrypted stone, hidden beneath the sign of theRose. The idea that the cryptex had been designed by Leonardo Da Vinci – former Grand Master of the Priory of Sion – shone as another tantalizing indicator that this was indeed the Priory keystone. A former Grand Master's blueprint†¦brought to life centuries later by another Priory member.The bond was too palpable to dismiss. For the last decade, historians had been searching for the keystone in French churches. Grail seekers, familiar with the Priory's history of cryptic double-talk, had concluded la clef de voute was a literal keystone – an architectural wedge – an engraved, encrypted stone, inserted into a vaulted archway in a church. Beneath the sign of the Rose.In architecture, there was no shortage of roses. Rose windows.Rosette reliefs.And, of course, an abundance of cinquefoils – the five-petaled decorative flowers often found at the top of archways, directly over the keystone. The hiding place seemed diabolically simple. The map to the Holy Grail was incorporated high in an archway of some forgotten church, mocking the blind churchgoers who wandered beneath it. â€Å"This cryptex can't be the keystone,† Sophie argued. â€Å"It's not old enough. I'm certain my grandfather made this. It can't be part of any ancient Grail legend.† â€Å"Actually,† Langdon replied, feeling a tingle of excitement ripple through him,† the keystone is believed to have been created by the Priory sometime in the past couple of decades.† Sophie's eyes flashed disbelief. â€Å"But if this cryptex reveals the hiding place of the Holy Grail, why would my grandfather give it to me? I have no idea how to open it or what to do with it. I don't even know what the Holy Grail is!† Langdon realized to his surprise that she was right. He had not yet had a chance to explain to Sophie the true nature of the Holy Grail. That story would have to wait. At the moment, they were focused on the keystone. If that is indeed what this is†¦ . Against the hum of the bulletproof wheels beneath them, Langdon quickly explained to Sophie everything he had heard about the keystone. Allegedly, for centuries, the Priory's biggest secret – the location of the Holy Grail – was never written down. For security's sake, it was verbally transferred to each new rising senechal at a clandestine ceremony. However, at some point during the last century, whisperings began to surface that the Priory policy had changed. Perhaps it was on account of new electronic eavesdropping capabilities, but the Priory vowed never again even to speak the location of the sacred hiding place. â€Å"But then how could they pass on the secret?† Sophie asked. â€Å"That's where the keystone comes in,† Langdon explained. â€Å"When one of the top four members died, the remaining three would choose from the lower echelons the next candidate to ascend as senechal.Rather than telling the new senechal where the Grail was hidden, they gave him a test through which he could prove he was worthy.† Sophie looked unsettled by this, and Langdon suddenly recalled her mentioning how her grandfather used to make treasure hunts for her – preuves de merite.Admittedly, the keystone was a similar concept. Then again, tests like this were extremely common in secret societies. The best known was the Masons', wherein members ascended to higher degrees by proving they could keep a secret and by performing rituals and various tests of merit over many years. The tasks became progressively harder until they culminated in a successful candidate's induction as thirty-second- degree Mason. â€Å"So the keystone is a preuve de merite,†Sophie said. â€Å"If a rising Priory senechal can open it, he proves himself worthy of the information it holds.† Langdon nodded. â€Å"I forgot you'd had experience with this sort of thing.† â€Å"Not only with my grandfather. In cryptology, that's called a ‘self-authorizing language. ‘ That is, if you're smart enough to read it, you're permitted to know what is being said.† Langdon hesitated a moment. â€Å"Sophie, you realize that if this is indeed the keystone, your grandfather's access to it implies he was exceptionally powerful within the Priory of Sion. He would have to have been one of the highest four members.† Sophie sighed. â€Å"He was powerful in a secret society. I'm certain of it. I can only assume it was the Priory.† Langdon did a double take. â€Å"You knew he was in a secret society?† â€Å"I saw some things I wasn't supposed to see ten years ago. We haven't spoken since.† She paused. â€Å"My grandfather was not only a ranking top member of the group†¦ I believe he was the top member.† Langdon could not believe what she had just said. â€Å"Grand Master? But†¦ there's no way you could know that!† â€Å"I'd rather not talk about it.† Sophie looked away, her expression as determined as it was pained. Langdon sat in stunned silence. Jacques Sauniere? Grand Master? Despite the astonishing repercussions if it were true, Langdon had the eerie sensation it almost made perfect sense. After all, previous Priory Grand Masters had also been distinguished public figures with artistic souls. Proof of that fact had been uncovered years ago in Paris's Bibliotheque Nationale in papers that became known as Les Dossiers Secrets. Every Priory historian and Grail buff had read the Dossiers.Cataloged under Number 4o lm1 249, the Dossiers Secrets had been authenticated by many specialists and incontrovertibly confirmed what historians had suspected for a long time: Priory Grand Masters included Leonardo Da Vinci, Botticelli, Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and, more recently, Jean Cocteau, the famous Parisian artist. Why not Jacques Sauniere? Langdon's incredulity intensified with the realization that he had been slated to meet Sauniere tonight. The Priory Grand Master called a meeting with me.Why? To make artistic small talk? It suddenly seemed unlikely. After all, if Langdon's instincts were correct, the Grand Master of the Priory of Sion had just transferred the brotherhood's legendary keystone to his granddaughter and simultaneously commanded her to find Robert Langdon. Inconceivable! Langdon's imagination could conjure no set of circumstances that would explain Sauniere's behavior. Even if Sauniere feared his own death, there were three senechaux who also possessed the secret and therefore guaranteed the Priory's security. Why would Sauniere take such an enormous risk giving his granddaughter the keystone, especially when the two of them didn't get along? And why involve Langdon†¦ a total stranger? A piece of this puzzle is missing, Langdon thought. The answers were apparently going to have to wait. The sound of the slowing engine caused them both to look up. Gravel crunched beneath the tires. Why is he pulling over already? Langdon wondered. Vernet had told them he would take them well outside the city to safety. The truck decelerated to a crawl and made its way over unexpectedly rough terrain. Sophie shot Langdon an uneasy look, hastily closing the cryptex box and latching it. Langdon slipped his jacket back on. When the truck came to a stop, the engine remained idling as the locks on the rear doors began to turn. When the doors swung open, Langdon was surprised to see they were parked in a wooded area, well off the road. Vernet stepped into view, a strained look in his eye. In his hand, he held a pistol. â€Å"I'm sorry about this,† he said. â€Å"I really have no choice.† CHAPTER 49 Andre Vernet looked awkward with a pistol, but his eyes shone with a determination that Langdon sensed would be unwise to test. â€Å"I'm afraid I must insist,† Vernet said, training the weapon on the two of them in the back of the idling truck. â€Å"Set the box down.† Sophie clutched the box to her chest. â€Å"You said you and my grandfather were friends.† â€Å"I have a duty to protect your grandfather's assets,† Vernet replied. â€Å"And that is exactly what I am doing. Now set the box on the floor.† â€Å"My grandfather entrusted this to me!† Sophie declared. â€Å"Do it,† Vernet commanded, raising the gun. Sophie set the box at her feet. Langdon watched the gun barrel swing now in his direction. â€Å"Mr. Langdon,† Vernet said,† you will bring the box over to me. And be aware that I'm asking you because you I would not hesitate to shoot.† Langdon stared at the banker in disbelief. â€Å"Why are you doing this?† â€Å"Why do you imagine?† Vernet snapped, his accented English terse now. â€Å"To protect my client's assets.† â€Å"We are your clients now,† Sophie said. Vernet's visage turned ice-cold, an eerie transformation. â€Å"Mademoiselle Neveu, I don't know howyou got that key and account number tonight, but it seems obvious that foul play was involved. Had I known the extent of your crimes, I would never have helped you leave the bank.† â€Å"I told you,† Sophie said,† we had nothing to do with my grandfather's death!† Vernet looked at Langdon. â€Å"And yet the radio claims you are wanted not only for the murder of Jacques Sauniere but for those of three other men as well?† â€Å"What!† Langdon was thunderstruck. Three more murders? The coincidental number hit him harder than the fact that he was the prime suspect. It seemed too unlikely to be a coincidence. The three senechaux? Langdon's eyes dropped to the rosewood box. If the senechaux were murdered, Sauniere had no options.He had to transfer the keystone to someone. â€Å"The police can sort that out when I turn you in,† Vernet said. â€Å"I have gotten my bank involved too far already.† Sophie glared at Vernet. â€Å"You obviously have no intention of turning us in. You would have driven us back to the bank. And instead you bring us out here and hold us at gunpoint?† â€Å"Your grandfather hired me for one reason – to keep his possessions both safe and private. Whatever this box contains, I have no intention of letting it become a piece of cataloged evidence in a police investigation. Mr. Langdon, bring me the box.† Sophie shook her head. â€Å"Don't do it.† A gunshot roared, and a bullet tore into the wall above him. The reverberation shook the back of the truck as a spent shell clinked onto the cargo floor. Shit! Langdon froze. Vernet spoke more confidently now. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, pick up the box.† Langdon lifted the box.† Now bring it over to me.† Vernet was taking dead aim, standing on the ground behind the rear bumper, his gun outstretched into the cargo hold now. Box in hand, Langdon moved across the hold toward the open door. I've got to do something! Langdon thought. I'm about to hand over the Priory keystone! As Langdon moved toward the doorway, his position of higher ground became more pronounced, and he began wondering if he could somehow use it to his advantage. Vernet's gun, though raised, was at Langdon's knee level. A well-placed kick perhaps? Unfortunately, as Langdon neared, Vernet seemed to sense the dangerous dynamic developing, and he took several steps back, repositioning himself six feet away. Well out of reach.† Vernet commanded,† Place the box beside the door.† Seeing no options, Langdon knelt down and set the rosewood box at the edge of the cargo hold, directly in front of the open doors. â€Å"Now stand up.† Langdon began to stand up but paused, spying the small, spent pistol shell on the floor beside the truck's precision-crafted doorsill. â€Å"Stand up, and step away from the box.† Langdon paused a moment longer, eyeing the metal threshold. Then he stood. As he did, he discreetly brushed the shell over the edge onto the narrow ledge that was the door's lower sill. Fully upright now, Langdon stepped backward. â€Å"Return to the back wall and turn around.† Langdon obeyed. Vernet could feel his own heart pounding. Aiming the gun with his right hand, he reached now with his left for the wooden box. He discovered that it was far too heavy. I need two hands. Turning his eyes back to his captives, he calculated the risk. Both were a good fifteen feet away, at the far end of the cargo hold, facing away from him. Vernet made up his mind. Quickly, he laid down the gun on the bumper, lifted the box with two hands, and set it on the ground, immediately grabbing the gun again and aiming it back into the hold. Neither of his prisoners had moved. Perfect.Now all that remained was to close and lock the door. Leaving the box on the ground for the moment, he grabbed the metal door and began to heave it closed. As the door swung past him, Vernet reached up to grab the single bolt that needed to be slid into place. The door closed with a thud, and Vernet quickly grabbed the bolt, pulling it to the left. The bolt slid a few inches and crunched to an unexpected halt, not lining up with its sleeve. What's going on? Vernet pulled again, but the bolt wouldn't lock. The mechanism was not properly aligned. The door isn't fully closed! Feeling a surge of panic, Vernet shoved hard against the outside of the door, but it refused to budge. Something is blocking it! Vernet turned to throw full shoulder into the door, but this time the door exploded outward, striking Vernet in the face and sending him reeling backward onto the ground, his nose shattering in pain. The gun flew as Vernet reached for his face and felt the warm blood running from his nose. Robert Langdon hit the ground somewhere nearby, and Vernet tried to get up, but he couldn't see. His vision blurred and he fell backward again. Sophie Neveu was shouting. Moments later, Vernet felt a cloud of dirt and exhaust billowing over him. He heard the crunching of tires on gravel and sat up just in time to see the truck's wide wheelbase fail to navigate a turn. There was a crash as the front bumper clipped a tree. The engine roared, and the tree bent. Finally, it was the bumper that gave, tearing half off. The armored car lurched away, its front bumper dragging. When the truck reached the paved access road, a shower of sparks lit up the night, trailing the truck as it sped away. Vernet turned his eyes back to the ground where the truck had been parked. Even in the faint moonlight he could see there was nothing there. The wooden box was gone. CHAPTER 50 The unmarked Fiat sedan departing Castel Gandolfo snaked downward through the Alban Hills into the valley below. In the back seat, Bishop Aringarosa smiled, feeling the weight of the bearer bonds in the briefcase on his lap and wondering how long it would be before he and the Teacher could make the exchange. Twenty million euro. The sum would buy Aringarosa power far more valuable than that. As his car sped back toward Rome, Aringarosa again found himself wondering why the Teacher had not yet contacted him. Pulling his cell phone from his cassock pocket, he checked the carrier signal. Extremely faint. â€Å"Cell service is intermittent up here,† the driver said, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. â€Å"In about five minutes, we'll be out of the mountains, and service improves.† â€Å"Thank you.† Aringarosa felt a sudden surge of concern. No service in the mountains? Maybe the Teacher had been trying to reach him all this time. Maybe something had gone terribly wrong. Quickly, Aringarosa checked the phone's voice mail. Nothing. Then again, he realized, the Teacher never would have left a recorded message; he was a man who took enormous care with his communications. Nobody understood better than the Teacher the perils of speaking openly in this modern world. Electronic eavesdropping had played a major role in how he had gathered his astonishing array of secret knowledge. For this reason, he takes extra precautions. Unfortunately, the Teacher's protocols for caution included a refusal to give Aringarosa any kind of contact number. I alone will initiate contact, the Teacher had informed him. So keep your phoneclose.Now that Aringarosa realized his phone might not have been working properly, he feared what the Teacher might think if he had been repeatedly phoning with no answer. He'll think something is wrong. Or that I failed to get the bonds. The bishop broke a light sweat. Or worse†¦ that I took the money and ran! CHAPTER 51 Even at a modest sixty kilometers an hour, the dangling front bumper of the armored truck grated against the deserted suburban road with a grinding roar, spraying sparks up onto the hood. We've got to get off the road, Langdon thought. He could barely even see where they were headed. The truck's lone working headlight had been knocked off-center and was casting a skewed sidelong beam into the woods beside the country highway. Apparently the armor in this† armored truck† referred only to the cargo hold and not the front end. Sophie sat in the passenger seat, staring blankly at the rosewood box on her lap. â€Å"Are you okay?† Langdon asked. Sophie looked shaken. â€Å"Do you believe him?† â€Å"About the three additional murders? Absolutely. It answers a lot of questions – the issue of your grandfather's desperation to pass on the keystone, as well as the intensity with which Fache is hunting me.† â€Å"No, I meant about Vernet trying to protect his bank.† Langdon glanced over. â€Å"As opposed to?† â€Å"Taking the keystone for himself.† Langdon had not even considered it. â€Å"How would he even know what this box contains?† â€Å"His bank stored it. He knew my grandfather. Maybe he knew things. He might have decided he wanted the Grail for himself.† Langdon shook his head. Vernet hardly seemed the type. â€Å"In my experience, there are only two reasons people seek the Grail. Either they are naive and believe they are searching for the long-lost Cup of Christ†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Or?† â€Å"Or they know the truth and are threatened by it. Many groups throughout history have sought to destroy the Grail.† The silence between them accentuated the sound of the scraping bumper. They had driven a few kilometers now, and as Langdon watched the cascade of sparks coming off the front of the truck, he wondered if it was dangerous. Either way, if they passed another car, it would certainly draw attention. Langdon made up his mind. â€Å"I'm going to see if I can bend this bumper back.† Pulling onto the shoulder, he brought the truck to a stop. Silence at last. As Langdon walked toward the front of the truck, he felt surprisingly alert. Staring into the barrel of yet another gun tonight had given him a second wind. He took a deep breath of nighttime air and tried to get his wits about him. Accompanying the gravity of being a hunted man, Langdon was starting to feel the ponderous weight of responsibility, the prospect that he and Sophie might actually be holding an encrypted set of directions to one of the most enduring mysteries of all time. As if this burden were not great enough, Langdon now realized that any possibility of finding away to return the keystone to the Priory had just evaporated. News of the three additional murders had dire implications. The Priory has been infiltrated.They are compromised.The brotherhood was obviously being watched, or there was a mole within the ranks. It seemed to explain why Sauniere might have transferred the keystone to Sophie and Langdon – people outside the brotherhood, people he knew were not compromised. We can't very well give the keystone back tothe brotherhood.Even if Langdon had any idea how to find a Priory member, chances were good that whoever stepped forward to take the keystone could be the enemy himself. For the moment, at least, it seemed the keystone was in Sophie and Langdon's hands, whether they wanted it or not. The truck's front end looked worse than Langdon had imagined. The left headlight was gone, and the right one looked like an eyeball dangling from its socket. Langdon straightened it, and it dislodged again. The only good news was that the front bumper had been torn almost clean off. Langdon gave it a hard kick and sensed he might be able to break it off entirely. As he repeatedly kicked the twisted metal, Langdon recalled his earlier conversation with Sophie. My grandfather left me a phone message, Sophie had told him. He said he needed to tell me thetruth about my family.At the time it had meant nothing, but now, knowing the Priory of Sion was involved, Langdon felt a startling new possibility emerge. The bumper broke off suddenly with a crash. Langdon paused to catch his breath. At least the truck would no longer look like a Fourth of July sparkler. He grabbed the bumper and began dragging it out of sight into the woods, wondering where they should go next. They had no idea how to open the cryptex, or why Sauniere had given it to them. Unfortunately, their survival tonight seemed to depend on getting answers to those very questions. We need help, Langdon decided. Professional help. In the world of the Holy Grail and the Priory of Sion, that meant only one man. The challenge, of course, would be selling the idea to Sophie. Inside the armored car, while Sophie waited for Langdon to return, she could feel the weight of the rosewood box on her lap and resented it. Why did my grandfather give this to me? She had not the slightest idea what to do with it. Think, Sophie! Use your head. Grand-pere is trying to tell you something! Opening the box, she eyed the cryptex's dials. A proof of merit.She could feel her grandfather's hand at work. The keystone is a map that can be followed only by the worthy.It sounded like her grandfather to the core. Lifting the cryptex out of the box, Sophie ran her fingers over the dials. Five letters.She rotated the dials one by one. The mechanism moved smoothly. She aligned the disks such that her chosen letters lined up between the cryptex's two brass alignment arrows on either end of the cylinder. The dials now spelled a five-letter word that Sophie knew was absurdly obvious. G-R-A-I-L. Gently, she held the two ends of the cylinder and pulled, applying pressure slowly. The cryptex didn't budge. She heard the vinegar inside gurgle and stopped pulling. Then she tried again. V-I-N-C-I Again, no movement. V-O-U-T-E Nothing. The cryptex remained locked solid. Frowning, she replaced it in the rosewood box and closed the lid. Looking outside at Langdon, Sophie felt grateful he was with her tonight. P. S.Find Robert Langdon.Her grandfather's rationale for including him was now clear. Sophie was not equipped to understand her grandfather's intentions, and so he had assigned Robert Langdon as her guide. A tutor to oversee her education. Unfortunately for Langdon, he had turned out to be far more than a tutor tonight. He had become the target of Bezu Fache†¦ and some unseen force intent on possessing the Holy Grail. Whatever the Grail turns out to be. Sophie wondered if finding out was worth her life. As the armored truck accelerated again, Langdon was pleased how much more smoothly it drove. â€Å"Do you know how to get to Versailles?† Sophie eyed him. â€Å"Sightseeing?† â€Å"No, I have a plan. There's a religious historian I know who lives near Versailles. I can't remember exactly where, but we can look it up. I've been to his estate a few times. His name is Leigh Teabing. He's a former British Royal Historian.† â€Å"And he lives in Paris?† â€Å"Teabing's life passion is the Grail. When whisperings of the Priory keystone surfaced about fifteen years ago, he moved to France to search churches in hopes of finding it. He's written some books on the keystone and the Grail. He may be able to help us figure out how to open it and what to do with it.† Sophie's eyes were wary. â€Å"Can you trust him?† â€Å"Trust him to what? Not steal the information?† â€Å"And not to turn us in.† â€Å"I don't intend to tell him we're wanted by the police. I'm hoping he'll take us in until we can sort all this out.† â€Å"Robert, has it occurred to you that every television in France is probably getting ready to broadcast our pictures? Bezu Fache always uses the media to his advantage. He'll make it impossible for us to move around without being recognized.† Terrific, Langdon thought. My French TV debut will be on† Paris's Most Wanted.† At least Jonas Faukman would be pleased; every time Langdon made the news, his book sales jumped. â€Å"Is this man a good enough friend?† Sophie asked. Langdon doubted Teabing was someone who watched television, especially at this hour, but still the question deserved consideration. Instinct told Langdon that Teabing would be totally trustworthy. An ideal safe harbor. Considering the circumstances, Teabing would probably trip over himself to help them as much as possible. Not only did he owe Langdon a favor, but Teabing was a Grail researcher, and Sophie claimed her grandfather was the actual Grand Master of the Priory of Sion. If Teabing heard that, he would salivate at the thought of helping them figure this out. â€Å"Teabing could be a powerful ally,† Langdon said. Depending on how much you want to tell him. â€Å"Fache probably will be offering a monetary reward.† Langdon laughed. â€Å"Believe me, money is the last thing this guy needs.† Leigh Teabing was wealthy in the way small countries were wealthy. A descendant of Britain's First Duke of Lancaster, Teabing had gotten his money the old-fashioned way – he'd inherited it. His estate outside of Paris was a seventeenth-century palace with two private lakes. Langdon had first met Teabing several years ago through the British Broadcasting Corporation. Teabing had approached the BBC with a proposal for a historical documentary in which he would expose the explosive history of the Holy Grail to a mainstream television audience. The BBC producers loved Teabing's hot premise, his research, and his credentials, but they had concerns that the concept was so shocking and hard to swallow that the network might end up tarnishing its reputation for quality journalism. At Teabing's suggestion, the BBC solved its credibility fears by soliciting three cameos from respected historians from around the world, all of whom corroborated the stunning nature of the Holy Grail secret with their own research. Langdon had been among those chosen. The BBC had flown Langdon to Teabing's Paris estate for the filming. He sat before cameras in Teabing's opulent drawing room and shared his story, admitting his initial skepticism on hearing of the alternate Holy Grail story, then describing how years of research had persuaded him that the story was true. Finally, Langdon offered some of his own research – a series of symbologic connections that strongly supported the seemingly controversial claims. When the program aired in Britain, despite its ensemble cast and well-documented evidence, the premise rubbed so hard against the grain of popular Christian thought that it instantly confronted a firestorm of hostility. It never aired in the States, but the repercussions echoed across the Atlantic. Shortly afterward, Langdon received a postcard from an old friend – the Catholic Bishop of Philadelphia. The card simply read: Et tu, Robert? â€Å"Robert,† Sophie asked,† you're certain we can trust this man?† â€Å"Absolutely. We're colleagues, he doesn't need money, and I happen to know he despises the French authorities. The French government taxes him at absurd rates because he bought a historic landmark. He'll be in no hurry to cooperate with Fache.† Sophie stared out at the dark roadway. â€Å"If we go to him, how much do you want to tell him?† Langdon looked unconcerned. â€Å"Believe me, Leigh Teabing knows more about the Priory of Sionand the Holy Grail than anyone on earth.† Sophie eyed him. â€Å"More than my grandfather?† â€Å"I meant more than anyone outside the brotherhood.† â€Å"How do you know Teabing isn't a member of the brotherhood?† â€Å"Teabing has spent his life trying to broadcast the truth about the Holy Grail. The Priory's oath is to keep its true nature hidden.† â€Å"Sounds to me like a conflict of interest.† Langdon understood her concerns. Sauniere had given the cryptex directly to Sophie, and although she didn't know what it contained or what she was supposed to do with it, she was hesitant to involve a total stranger. Considering the information potentially enclosed, the instinct was probably a good one. â€Å"We don't need to tell Teabing about the keystone immediately. Or at all, even. His house will give us a place to hide and think, and maybe when we talk to him about the Grail, you'll start to have an idea why your grandfather gave this to you.† â€Å"Us,†Sophie reminded. Langdon felt a humble pride and wondered yet again why Sauniere had included him. â€Å"Do you know more or less where Mr. Teabing lives?† Sophie asked.† His estate is called Chateau Villette.† Sophie turned with an incredulous look. â€Å"The Chateau Villette?† â€Å"That's the one.† â€Å"Nice friends.† â€Å"You know the estate?† â€Å"I've passed it. It's in the castle district. Twenty minutes from here.† Langdon frowned. â€Å"That far?† â€Å"Yes, which will give you enough time to tell me what the Holy Grail really is.† Langdon paused. â€Å"I'll tell you at Teabing's. He and I specialize in different areas of the legend, so between the two of us, you'll get the full story.† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Besides, the Grail has been Teabing's life, and hearing the story of the Holy Grail from Leigh Teabing will be like hearing the theory of relativity from Einstein himself.† â€Å"Let's hope Leigh doesn't mind late-night visitors.† â€Å"For the record, it's Sir Leigh.† Langdon had made that mistake only once. â€Å"Teabing is quite a character. He was knighted by the Queen several years back after composing an extensive history on the House of York.† Sophie looked over. â€Å"You're kidding, right? We're going to visit a knight?† Langdon gave an awkward smile. â€Å"We're on a Grail quest, Sophie. Who better to help us than a knight?†