Political Parties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Parties - Essay Example As we may notice, Republicans and Democrats seem to uphold comparable ideals when the interest of the American population as a whole is concerned, only that they do not share the same opinion as to who are most appropriate to be bestowed the right of governance. Upon declaration of the winning candidates in an election, cries of deception are hardly evident unlike in some countries where political parties exist in multitude and demonstrate hostility against one another. There is more assurance to a majority consensus given the fact that there are only two options available and a â€Å"clear-cut choice between groups standing for opposing policies.†4 If there are other parties, then elected officials do not necessarily get majority of the votes; thus, what came about is not to be considered national unity. Another reason that gives favor to the two-party competition lies in the conviction that it is â€Å"the simplest and likeliest way to have an effective democratic governmen t.†5 In a country that upholds democracy, all citizens are granted equal share in the decisions that affect their lives. There is no point making a choice when there is no sufficient information to serve as a common ground. In the presence of many prospective governing groups, people can have a hard time monitoring qualifications, performances, and credibility among aspects that must be look into before a ballot is filled out. In a country as large and varied as the United States, a multi-party system would be likely to produce paralysis of government at the national level.†6 Similarly, the ruling party is openly held accountable for overseeing the government7; that should incumbent officials fail in their undertakings or rather fall short of expectations, they are bound to devise approaches that can ameliorate the situation. In this case, it is safe to assume that the general welfare is put on top priority and corruption, although not completely brought to an end, is at least kept to a minimal degree. People will simply go the other direction in the instance of dissatisfaction, and this is what the party in power works hard to avoid. The other party serving as its critic is compelled to instigate remonstrations when dishonesty in the service is observed. They keep a watchful eye on proceedings that do not coincide with the constitutional provisions, and needless to say, hope for a better political standing in the future. In result, power is dispersed accordingly, and any attempt to replace the democratic structure of the government is constantly impeded. The absence of monarchists and Marxists as real choices in most American elections seems an acceptable price for the advantages of the two-party system.†8 The United States is a country of liberalism—a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. A form of power that is vested upon a single person by birthright9, and the principle that actions and human institutions ar e economically determined10 will only lead to insurrections from the citizens who believe that

Political philosophy Essay Example for Free

Political philosophy Essay Locke was born in the village of Wrington, Somerset, on August 29, 1632. He was educated at the University of Oxford and lectured on Greek, rhetoric, and moral philosophy at Oxford from 1661 to 1664. In 1667 Locke began his association with the English statesman Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st earl of Shaftesbury, to whom Locke was friend, adviser, and physician. Shaftesbury secured for Locke a series of minor government appointments. In 1669, in one of his official capacities, In 1675, after the liberal Shaftesbury lost is power, Locke went to France. In 1679 he returned to England, but in view of his opposition to the Roman Catholicism favored by the English monarchy at that time, he soon found it expedient to return to France. From 1683 to 1688 he lived in Holland, and following the so-called Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the restoration of Protestantism to favor, Locke returned once more to England. The new king, William III, appointed Locke to the Board of Trade in 1696, a position from which he resigned because of ill health in 1700. He died in Oates on October 28, 1704. Empiricism Lockes empiricism emphasizes the importance of the experience of the senses in pursuit of knowledge rather than speculation or reasoning. The empiricist doctrine was first developed by the English philosopher sir Francis Bacon early in the 17th century, but Locke organized his ideas in an article in 1690 called Essay Concerning Human Understanding. He regarded the mind of a person at birth as a tabula rasa, a blank slate upon which experience brings knowledge, and did not believe in intuition or theories of instinct. Locke also held that all persons are born good, independent, and equal. Political Theories In his work Two Treatises of Government, written in 1690, John Locke attacked the theory of divine right of kings and the nature of the state. He also believed in religious freedom and in the separation of church and state. In Two Treatises of Government he argued that the power did and should not exist within the state but within the people. He continued to say that the state is supreme, but only if it is bound by what he called natural law. NATURAL LAW: Locke was not the first theorist to come up with natural law, in fact the idea was originated by ancient Greeks. Similar to Greeks, Locke argued that humans (in the state of nature) are free and equal. He stated that when humans enter society they surrender only the rights that are necessary for their security and for the common good. He believed that each individual has fundamental rights drawn from what is called the natural law. Many of Lockes political ideas, such as natural rights, property rights, the duty of the government to protect those rights, and the rule of the majority, were later incorporated in the U. S. Constitution. Also, his natural-rights theory provided a philosophical basis for both the American and French revolutions. Locke further preached that revolution was not only a right but often an obligation. Locke also advocated a system of checks and balances in government. This idea meant to comprise three branches, of which the legislative is more powerful than the executive or the judicial. Lockes influence in modern philosophy has been profound and, with his application of empirical analysis to ethics, politics, and religion, he remains one of the most important and controversial philosophers of all time. Among his other works are Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693) and The Reasonableness of Christianity (1695).

A Unique Perspective of The Yellow Wallpaper -- Yellow Wallpaper essay

     Ã‚  Ã‚  My perspective of Gilman’s short story, "The Yellow Wall-Paper" is influenced by a great number of different and diverse methods of reading. However, one cannot overlook the feminist theorists’ on this story, for the story is often proclaimed to be a founding work of feminism. Further, the historical and biographical contexts the story was written in can be enlightened by mentioning Gilman’s relationship with S. Weir Mitchell. And I can’t help but read the story and think of Foucault’s concept of Panopticism as a method of social control. Lastly, of course, there’s the psychological perspective on the story, although in my readings of psychology, particularly the psychological knowledge surrounding both women and queers, I find the discipline incredibly tainted with patriarchy and heterosexism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At this point, I’d like to define a few terms somewhat precisely, at least as I intend to use them in the context of this paper. In this paper, I use the term "queer" for two reasons: one of which is in the spirit of reclaiming a word that has traditionally been used to verbally abuse non-heterosexual people for decades, and secondly because in the heterosexual mindset there are no differences between bisexuals, gay men, lesbians, transgendered and transsexual people. Brett Beemyn and Mickey Eliason write: "We have chosen to use ‘queer’ because it best characterizes our own personal beliefs, and it potentially leaves room for all people who are attracted to others of the same sex or whose bodies or sexual desires do not fit dominant standards of gender and/or sexuality" (5). One of the first questions that must be answered, of course, is why is it important to look at literature from a queer perspective? Is a reader, such ... ...otte Perkins Gilman and the Politics of Form." Tulsa Studies in Women’s Literature 14.2 (1995): 273-293. Flannigan-Saint-Aubin, Arthur. "The Mark of Sexual Preference in the Interpretation of Texts: Preface to a Homosexual Reading. (Gay and Lesbian Studies)." Journal of Homosexuality 24.1-2 (1992): 65-89. Foucault, Michel. Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Trans. Alan Sheridan. 2nd ed. New York: Vintage Books, 1995. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wall-Paper." New England Magazine (1892). (Rpt. in Major American Short Stories. Ed. A. Walton Litz. New York and Oxford: Oxford UP, 1994. 286-300.) Kasmer, Lisa. "Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’: a Symptomatic Reading." Literature and Psychology 36.3 (1990): 1-15. Tierney, William G. Academic Outlaws. Thousand Oaks, London and New Delhi: SAGE Publications, 1997.    A Unique Perspective of The Yellow Wallpaper -- Yellow Wallpaper essay      Ã‚  Ã‚  My perspective of Gilman’s short story, "The Yellow Wall-Paper" is influenced by a great number of different and diverse methods of reading. However, one cannot overlook the feminist theorists’ on this story, for the story is often proclaimed to be a founding work of feminism. Further, the historical and biographical contexts the story was written in can be enlightened by mentioning Gilman’s relationship with S. Weir Mitchell. And I can’t help but read the story and think of Foucault’s concept of Panopticism as a method of social control. Lastly, of course, there’s the psychological perspective on the story, although in my readings of psychology, particularly the psychological knowledge surrounding both women and queers, I find the discipline incredibly tainted with patriarchy and heterosexism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At this point, I’d like to define a few terms somewhat precisely, at least as I intend to use them in the context of this paper. In this paper, I use the term "queer" for two reasons: one of which is in the spirit of reclaiming a word that has traditionally been used to verbally abuse non-heterosexual people for decades, and secondly because in the heterosexual mindset there are no differences between bisexuals, gay men, lesbians, transgendered and transsexual people. Brett Beemyn and Mickey Eliason write: "We have chosen to use ‘queer’ because it best characterizes our own personal beliefs, and it potentially leaves room for all people who are attracted to others of the same sex or whose bodies or sexual desires do not fit dominant standards of gender and/or sexuality" (5). One of the first questions that must be answered, of course, is why is it important to look at literature from a queer perspective? Is a reader, such ... ...otte Perkins Gilman and the Politics of Form." Tulsa Studies in Women’s Literature 14.2 (1995): 273-293. Flannigan-Saint-Aubin, Arthur. "The Mark of Sexual Preference in the Interpretation of Texts: Preface to a Homosexual Reading. (Gay and Lesbian Studies)." Journal of Homosexuality 24.1-2 (1992): 65-89. Foucault, Michel. Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Trans. Alan Sheridan. 2nd ed. New York: Vintage Books, 1995. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wall-Paper." New England Magazine (1892). (Rpt. in Major American Short Stories. Ed. A. Walton Litz. New York and Oxford: Oxford UP, 1994. 286-300.) Kasmer, Lisa. "Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’: a Symptomatic Reading." Literature and Psychology 36.3 (1990): 1-15. Tierney, William G. Academic Outlaws. Thousand Oaks, London and New Delhi: SAGE Publications, 1997.   

Tractors in Asian Pacific Countries

* Imported Tractors: Australia, Japan, New Zealand * GDP per capita: Hong Kong, Australia, japan * Population: China, India, Indonesia * Number tractors in country: Japan, India, china * Agricultural Growth: China, South Korea, India Australia: 2/5 Japan: 3/5 New Zealand: 1/5 Hong Kong: 1/5 China:3/5 India: 3/5 Indonesia: 1/5 South Korea: 1/5 All of them. All 6 tables You need to calculate the initial score, weighting and the final score * Hard Copy 20% of total grade. * 20% attendance, 20% group project Characteristic: Big, High performance, and expensive ( very important to have some rational thinking why you would like to select it to be shipped to your specific country) * Recession started in 1947 to 2010 * Demand is lower, so they need to excess capacity and sell to the world * The target market in all Asian pacific * China and japan are the biggest industries in the world * India has the large population * Common wealth nations –Australia and New Zealand * Malaysia and I ndonesia are a pair, both tropical * China and japan are a pair New Zealand and Australia are a pair * 5 factors: opportunity, type of the demand, trade, market sustainability, political (government, recession etc. ) and economic environment. Internal and external supply. Market consideration: * Tell about the population of the ten countries. Type of the demand, the tractor use (because some don’t even use tractors), Imported tractor ( some countries never import the tractors but use their own tractors)IMPORTANT, do they portray desire? Do they have money? , agricultural growth( some countries never grow on agriculture such as Hong Kong), GDP.If they import tractor then they have a potential market. GDP, do you have money GDP per person. Consistent Growing or are they shrinking? Imported tractor is more imp than GDP, GDP is more important than agricultural growth then more important than tractor use. The least important is the population because they may not have to grow thei r own food but buy/import their foods. IMPORTED TRACTOR AND GDP MOST IMPORTANT! * 3 very important, 2 important, 1 is fairly important, . 5 less important, * Need to measure the weighted average mean *

Space Exploration Advantages

For those who believe the costs of space exploration are greater than the benefits, George Delucas, an astronaut who flew on the 1992 Columbia mission, says, â€Å"There will always be people who would like to put an end to space travel, but I don’t think that is what our population wants or needs. Our county has always been about exploration and the pursuit of knowledge† (Delucas qtd. in Malick 3). This quote generalizes the attitude many Americans have toward the space program. When the Apollo 11 crew successfully landed on the moon, the crew and millions of Americans were filled with pride and a sense of accomplishment. What most citizens do not realize is how much knowledge and new technology the United States gained through Apollo 11 and the other space missions. Some of these citizens do not believe a vital need for the space program exists. To them, the space program is just a waste of money and human lives. The recent Columbia disaster that resulted in the loss of seven American lives only supports their argument. However, it is not possible way to measure the loss of life and money over the advances in knowledge, technology, and medicine. The only known fact is that the exploration of space has. Space exploration is a big part of American history and has been shrouded with controversy for years and years. Space exploration is defined as the investigation of physical conditions in space and on stars, planets, and their moons through the use of artificial satellites, space probes, and spacecraft with human crews (Whitehouse). From the space race with Russia to unmanned lunar probes, space exploration inspires and enlightens every person that comes in contact with it. One example of an inspiring event in space exploration was the Apollo project. The Apollo missions were quite possibly the most popular and publicized events in American history. The Apollo missions were often disastrous, successful, triumphant, and also neutral and routine. Throughout all the publicity and controversy space exploration will remain in American and world history forever and will continue to live in the heart of Man.

Speech Communities

Speech Communities In the New Merriam-Webster Dictionary a speech community is defined as a socially distinct group that develops a dialect; a variety of language that diverges from the national language in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. Gumperz, Dorian, Fishman, Labov, Hymes, and Corder helped define a speech community. This essay will touch on the basis of multiple aspects of a speech community depending on their similarities and differences as well as how the concepts of these speech communities relate to such articles written by Heller and Jackson.Speech communities are formed by language and social behaviors. Linguistics defines a speech community through many ways. All speech communities have a set of grammatical rules, phonology, syntax, and lexicons. As well as having social norms in which they share through actions. By a person's speech it can give an idea of a person's background in ways of where they are from, how educated one is, as well is if they are friendly or unsociable.Gohar Shahi delivering speech to Sikh Community in...Now linguistic acculturation explains the process when two or more cultures collide for a long time they begin assimilate each other's language. In the most extreme cases of language shifts, pidgins and creoles are developed. Besides linguistic acculturation, the situation of bilinguals, some abandon their native tongue for another. Other bilinguals have a language used within the home different from outside of the home. This mostly refers to dialectal behavior. The second concept is superposed. This occurs when there are different activities going on in the same group.Now Gumperz defines a speech community as "any human aggregate characterized by regular and frequent interaction by means of a shared body of verbal signs and set of from similar aggregates by significant differences in language use" (219). Gumperz feels as if people should share the same norm, communicate regularly, and share...

Galileo essays

Galileo essays Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564, in Pisa, Italy. Galileo was the first of seven children of Vincenzio Galilei, a trader and Giula Ammannati, an upper-class woman who married below her class. When Galileo was a young boy, his father moved the family moved to Florence. Galileo moved into a nearby monastery with the intentions of becoming a monk, but he left the monastery when he was 15 because his father disapproved of his son becoming a monk. In November of 1581, Vincenzio Galilei had Galileo enrolled in the University of Pisa School of Medicine because he wanted his son to become a doctor to carry on the family fortune. Vincenzio thought that Galileo should be able to provide for the family when he died, and his sister would need a dowry soon. Galileo had other plans, and in early 1583 he began spending his time with the mathematics professors instead of the medical ones. When his father learned of this, he was furious and traveled 60 miles from Florence to Pisa just to confront his son with the knowledge that he had been "neglecting his studies." The grand duke's mathematician intervened and persuaded Vincenzio to allow Galileo to study mathematics on the condition that after one year, all of Galileo's support would be cut off and he was on his own. In the spring of 1585, Galileo skipped his final exams and left the university without a degree. He began finding work as a math tutor. In November of 1589, Galileo found a position as a professor of mathematics at the university of Pisa, the same one he had left without a degree four years before. Galileo was a brilliant teacher, but his radical ways of thinking and open criticism of Aristotle's teachings were not acceptable to the other professors at the university. They felt that he was too radical and that his teachings were not suitable. In 1592, his three-year contract was not renewed. 1n 1592, he landed a job teaching mathematics at the Univer...

Nevada Vital Records - Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates

Nevada Vital Records - Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates Learn how and where to obtain birth, marriage, and death certificates and records in Nevada, including the dates for which Nevada vital records are available, where they are located, and links to online Nevada vital records databases. Nevada Vital Records:Division of HealthVital StatisticsCapitol Complex505 East King Street #102Carson City, NV 89710Phone:  (775) 684-4280 What You Need to Know:  Personal check or money order should be made payable to  Office of Vital Records.  To verify current fees, the telephone number is (775) 684-4242. This will be a recorded message. Information on current fees is also available on the  Nevada State Health Division website. The applicant MUST include a copy of a photo ID with the request. Web site: Nevada Office of Vital Statistics   Nevada Birth Records: Dates: From July 1911 Cost of copy: $20.00 Comments:  Ã‚  Birth records are confidential in the state of Nevada and may only be released to a qualified applicant. A qualified applicant is defined as the registrant, or a direct family member by blood or marriage, his or her guardian, or his or her legal representative. With your request include as much as you can of the following: full name at birth, date and place of birth, fathers name, mothers maiden name, your relationship to the individual and legal need for a copy of the record, your name and address, a copy of your photo ID, and your signature.Application for Nevada Birth Certificate For earlier records, write to County Recorder in the county which the event occurred. Nevada Death Records: Dates: From July 1911 Cost of copy: $20.00 Comments:  Death  records are confidential in the state of Nevada and may only be released to a qualified applicant. A qualified applicant is defined as the registrant, or a direct family member by blood or marriage, his or her guardian, or his or her legal representative. With your request include as much as you can of the following: full name of decedent, date and place of death, social security number (if known), decedents fathers name, decedents mothers maiden name, your relationship to the individual and legal need for a copy of the record, your name and address, a copy of your photo ID, and your signature.Application for Nevada Death Certificate   For earlier records, write to County Recorder in the county which the event occurred. Nevada Marriage Records: Dates:  Indexes since January 1968.   Cost of Copy: $10.00 Comments:  The state office only has indexes since January 1968. Certified copies are not available from the Nevada State Health Department. For certified copies of marriage certificates, you must write to the County Recorder in the county where the license was purchased. Nevada Divorce Records: Dates: Indexes since January 1968. Cost of copy:  $10.00 (index search only); cost of record from county varies Comments: Indexes since January 1968. Certified copies are not available from State Health Department. For divorce records, you must write to the County Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. More US Vital Records - Choose a State

Apple's climb back from the depths of bankruptcy Essay

Apple's climb back from the depths of bankruptcy - Essay Example To rescue the company from this mess, the marketing manager ought to have used marketing mix appropriately as follow:- Apple should have used the correct promotional mix for their product. This mix concerns how the Apple should have made their product known to the market. This involves the use of advertisements, direct selling, public relations and sales promotion. When an appropriate promotion is used to make the product to be known to the market, it creates a big impact on the sales since customers will be aware of the existence of the product and they will not only buy it but also recommend it to their friends and relatives. The kind of a product that will be produced by Apple creates a very big impact on the sales. For this case, product planning and marketing for Apple should be done appropriately to ensure the concern of the market is addressed. Apple Company should have ensured their products are distributed on time to the market so that they are available at the market when they are needed by the customers. For this case, the distribution channel to be used by the company plays a big impact on the success of the company. Apple Company must have ensured their products were distributed to a wide geographical location to increase the market share. Why do you think companies like Sony, which were already well known for Walkman and Discman technologies did not move into the MP3 player market more quickly Why was it left to Apple to aggressively move into the digital music player and distribution market Before a company can move to a new technology, they must weigh a number of options like the impact the technology would have on the industry. For this case, companies such as Sony which was well known for Walkman and Discman technologies could not move into the MP3 player market without first of all knowing the impact the technology would have on the music industry. By conducting a feasibility study on the impact the new technology would have in the market, it ensured that they were aware what the market needs and wants were and it would also have given them a chance to clear out the stock of their old products. If Sony just moved into the MP3 player market without being sure of the impact, it would have been risky for them since before a technology is accepted in the market, it might take some time and sales would have been low. Having waited for the technology to be accepted in the market, it ensured that their market share and sales would remained high. Question 3 The average cost of an iPOd nano with 8MB memory is 125. The average cost of a Creative Zen Micro with 8MB is 85. Both play digital music and both are equally rated on sound quality and battery duration. So what explains a huge price premium The prices that have been set for the two products seem to be different with a difference of 40 whereas they have the same capacity. For a company to have a high market share for their product, they must ensure that they have a number of brands each having different price with the other. There are customers who associate prices with quality. They believe that the high the price,

Aviation Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Aviation Industry - Essay Example His efforts in transforming this air carrier gained him the recognition of having been successful in influencing the pre-deregulation airline industry. However, most people are still skeptical on his contributions claiming that his strategy becomes detrimental to Continental and brought damages in its operation. In managing the airline, Lorenzo used a highly centralized decision making approach. It should be noted that he solely the airline is solely run by Lorenzo and even though he assigns executives to oversee the different functional areas, he often bypassed them and implement his own decisions. His administration also emphasizes the goal of profitability by cutting down operational costs. This move had jeopardized employee morale and commitment leading to massive labor union strikes. Lorenzo should also be noted by introducing new practices in the pre-deregulation aviation industry. He has been apt in targeting the middle and lower social strata by revamping the typical marketing strategy. Lorenzo introduced "Peanuts Fares" which is the first CAB-approved low fare scheme, provided consumer benefits like forbidding pipe and cigarette smoking in planes, and utilized the advancement of technology through computerized airport check-in. After beingAfter being forced to leave the Continental Airways in 1990, Gordon Bethune took over. The new executive has been recognized to have brought the major turnaround in the airline. From being financially distressed, Continental Airways had become one of the most admired business organizations. In direct contrast with Lorenzo, Bethune implemented a decentralized management style which empowers employees to make significant decisions. He improved employee morale by treating them as strategic partners which are instrumental in attaining organizational goals. He also recognized employee contribution by rewarding them. His move for profitability is seen by eliminating unprofitable routes and outsourcing maintenance which helps the airline to focus on its core competence. 2. Early aviation got its start with those men in their crazy balloons. Describe in detail the beginning of balloon age, its uses, and the impact it had on aviation today. (10 points) The first successful human flight in history occurred aboard a hot air balloon it took place in France, 1783. Jean de Rozier and Francois d' Arlandes flew 5 miles in a hot air balloon which was invented by Monthgolfier brothers, they were inspired by the lifting power of hot air rising from a fireplace. The first hot air balloon was powered by a wood fire; it was not steerable; and flew wherever the wind took it. The first recorded circumnavigation of the globe in a balloon was accomplished by Betrand Piccard and Brian Jones, it took them 19 days and flew over 26,000 miles. The first successful solo-flight around the world was achieved by Steve Fossett after six attempts. Initially, hot air balloons are solely used for showmanship. The succeeding years proved that hot air balloons can be utilized for military purposes. It should be noted that hot air balloons are used during the French Revolution and American civil war. In order to maximize its uses, the military brought structural changes like

Is it possible to ensure scientific rigour when conducting Essay

Is it possible to ensure scientific rigour when conducting quantitative and qualitative research - Essay Example It is worth noting that the concepts of validity and reliability of qualitative research have in the past not been well codified as in the case of quantitative research. This paper therefore, looks at the possibility of having a scientific rigour when conducting qualitative and quantitative research (Gery & Ryan 2013). The quality and reliability of any research finding depend on the techniques used in collecting data, sample choices, techniques used in the analysis and the illustration of the chosen techniques. Equally, the researcher needs to develop systematic coding patterns to assist detect deviant cases that would otherwise affect reliability. The Techniques for Collecting Qualitative Data In order to have correct inference, the analysed data must be quality data. This means that techniques of collecting data must be well chosen based on the type of research and the judgements made about the contents. Poor selection of techniques is likely to result into wrong deduction (Meyric k 2006). There are approaches and techniques that can assist to improve the validity and reliability of qualitative data and the research reports. To ensure scientific rigour, four data collection techniques can be used. ... Elicitation techniques can also be categorized into types of interviews; structured, semi-structured, unstructured, and mixed elicitation that combines the three. The use of unstructured interviews may be informal or ethnographic. To have control of the results scientific research need to avoid informal interviews but choose the structured and ethnographic techniques, which allows longer questionings and deeper probing (Seale & Silverman 1997). This leads into credibility of the data with ability for proper analysis. This is because the structured and semi-structured interviews are often designed to allow all informants to be examined on a set of similar questions, in order to provide an opportunity of making comparisons of the data across respondents or groups of respondents to improve reliability. In this method, the researcher initiates the interview, asks the specific questions, and determines whether the conversation on a particular topic has meets the research objectives. In th is case, the respondent is guided and restricted to the research questions. Data collected is likely to be reliable if there is a level of correlation across the respondents. Structured interviews are majorly employed when the research intends to measure the magnitude of an occurrence and to assist make more accurate comparisons within and across groups (Seale & Silverman 1997).The validity of such structured interviews is founded on the hypothesis that if a systematic and a set of standardized instrument is administered to a group of individuals, the variances in their responses is majorly as a result of their individual differences, but not the difference in the instrument used. Examples of structured

The Propensity for the Success of a Career in Finance as a Business Statistics Project

The Propensity for the Success of a Career in Finance as a Business Leader - Statistics Project Example I derived much learning from my internship experiences. At that time, I was just in my late teens but felt so grown-up in the positions I held. As an assistant, I was given a good view of how things are done in work settings and watch my mentors implement their duties and responsibilities. I also feel honoured that I was trusted by the people I worked with even if I was much younger than they are. One time, a teller was fretting over her balance at the end of the day. She kept counting the money and found out she was short of a hundred pounds! She tried her best to re-trace all the clients whom she transacted with. She spoke out loud enough that I can hear her from a where I was sitting. I was not even aware that my mind was keeping track of the numbers she was saying. She was getting so confused with all the numbers and was at the verge of tears. I approached her and listed down all the transactions she said she made and saw two fifty pound withdrawals from separate clients that she forgot to compute in her balance. Those two transactions were the missing links in her balance sheet. When she realized that, she gave me a big hug out of gratitude and I felt so good at being able to help out. Another teller commended me for my knack for details and said I’d make a great finance analyst someday. Another employee was amazed at how good I was able to keep track of numbers because it was a long day and they had so many clients that day! This incident made me realize that my natural talent for math is an asset that I need to cultivate seeing how it is so helpful to others.

ABC Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ABC Development - Assignment Example The housing project was scheduled to begin on January 1, 2013 and to be completed in the first few days of the month of December 2013. However, the construction process was delayed by 1 week. The planning process also realized delays of about 3 weeks. In total, delays in the schedule were 4 weeks (approximately 1 month). The planning permission was to commence on March 1, 2013 while construction was to begin a month later (April 1). It means that the first complete housing units were to be rescheduled to the end of October. The sales process should have started on November 1, 2013. The sales would remain at the same rate indicated earlier in the feasibility study since the shifts in house sales have not affected the current revised rate. It remains at 2 housing units sold per month. However, completing the sales would be realized three in February 2014. There are changes on the interest rate charged by the financial institution responsible for the funding of the housing project. With the increase in the rates of interest, loan facility would have to be viable until the end of February 2014. The simple interest would have to be scaled to 1.3% or simply 1% because of the 0.8% rise in the simple interest rates. The interest on the loan facility remains at the original schedule of a quarterly model in arrears. The developer’s cash will be used to pay it out. Roll-ups will not be allowed on the payments. The commitment fee of  £5000 will not be affected by scaling up the interest or the changes in planning and construction schedules. It will still be paid once the loan has been processed. The disposal fee of  £500 per housing sold will also remain unchanged. The funding of construction costs in a revolving basis will not be affected by the changes. It will remain at  £525,000. The remaining land cost ( £80,000) and

Child Development Perspective Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Child Development Perspective - Article Example Therefore, before children engage in formal learning, they should be involved in preschool programs, which may enhance their school entry. This study will outline the role of self regulation and school readiness in child development. The study shall involve sixty participants from high school across the state. These students will assemble in the county hall. The manager of the research committee will give questionnaires to them. The questionnaire shall entail questions that indicate how the participants adjusted to their school life in their childhood. Secondly, the participants will be divided in two groups; Students from rich families and those from poor families. This is because students from rich families can afford Pre School programs while those from poor ones can not. Thirty participants will be from rich families while the remaining will be disadvantaged ones. Gender will be considered with a1 to 1 ratio. Every group will be served with a questionnaire of their lifestyle in childhood. Participants who went through preschool programs will be served with questionnaires. This will reflect how they adapted to their school entry. Students who did not go through preschool programs will be served with questionn aires that reflect such information. The researchers will provide lunch and transport to the participants to motivate them give the needed information. True information will be used to draw conclusions and make recommendations for future research. This indicates that researchers should enable participants to feel free and deliver information. According to the information acquired from the questionnaires, it was indicated that students from poor families insulated behind in school readiness skills. They could not match those who came from well to do families. Their reading and comprehension skills were low since their transition period from home to school was done. This was because they came from disadvantaged homes, which could not

ABC Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ABC Development - Assignment Example The housing project was scheduled to begin on January 1, 2013 and to be completed in the first few days of the month of December 2013. However, the construction process was delayed by 1 week. The planning process also realized delays of about 3 weeks. In total, delays in the schedule were 4 weeks (approximately 1 month). The planning permission was to commence on March 1, 2013 while construction was to begin a month later (April 1). It means that the first complete housing units were to be rescheduled to the end of October. The sales process should have started on November 1, 2013. The sales would remain at the same rate indicated earlier in the feasibility study since the shifts in house sales have not affected the current revised rate. It remains at 2 housing units sold per month. However, completing the sales would be realized three in February 2014. There are changes on the interest rate charged by the financial institution responsible for the funding of the housing project. With the increase in the rates of interest, loan facility would have to be viable until the end of February 2014. The simple interest would have to be scaled to 1.3% or simply 1% because of the 0.8% rise in the simple interest rates. The interest on the loan facility remains at the original schedule of a quarterly model in arrears. The developer’s cash will be used to pay it out. Roll-ups will not be allowed on the payments. The commitment fee of  £5000 will not be affected by scaling up the interest or the changes in planning and construction schedules. It will still be paid once the loan has been processed. The disposal fee of  £500 per housing sold will also remain unchanged. The funding of construction costs in a revolving basis will not be affected by the changes. It will remain at  £525,000. The remaining land cost ( £80,000) and

Knapp Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Knapp - Case Study Example Q2: Crawford auditors should take categorical measures not to permit the client to discover the materiality threshold that are to be applied in the audit. There exists unethical clients in the world. If the employees or management discover that the materiality threshold to be applied, they can use it to manipulate the system, accounts, or records because they will be aware of what the auditors are looking for in the documents and system. Arguably, it is no feasible for the auditors to hide the set threshold information, particularly when they are dealing with physical records. In the audit process, the auditors often engage the clients to assist them with various tasks, such as pulling records. If the auditors over rely on the client’s information and documents, it becomes very difficult for the auditors to detect material errors. Q3: The SFAS No. 48 â€Å"Revenue Recognition When Right of Return Exists,† and the Concept Statement No. 5 of the FASB â€Å"Recognition Measurement in Financial Statements of Business Enterprises† are the leading guidelines informing firms when they are entitled to record revenues (Knapp, 2012). Equally, revenue recognition should be based on accrual accounting in line with the GAAP. Revenue should be recognized when earned, irrespective of the cash receipt timing. Progressive payments, early payments, and deposits are not recognized as revenue until the revenue transpired. Q4: Auditors have the principle objective of attaining a meaningful assurance that the audited financial statements do not have material mismanagement (AU200-12) (.Knapp, 2012). When Deloitte altered the audit evidence, they implied that the conclusion that was presented by the original audit was no longer supported. Question 5: Incompetency with the management team increases the probability of inherent risks within the audit. Hence, auditors have to evaluate the possibility of the

English Constitution Essay Example for Free

English Constitution Essay The role of the courts and government in judicial review is to ensure that Public authorities act lawfully; all such authorities are subject to the rule of law and are not permitted to act ‘ultra vires’ (beyond their powers). The power that government has comes from powers granted to that authority by statute or delegated legislation. The Human Rights Act 1988 (HRA) created an additional ground s6(1) making it unlawful for public bodies to act in Ð ° way that is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. (ECHR)Since the seventeenth century, in the Case of Monopolies 1602 77 ER 1260 the courts have claimed the authority to inquire into the extent and limits of the Crown’s common law prerogative powers. Since 1700, the role of the courts in reviewing administrative and judicial decisions has been explained on the basis of the rule of law whereby any Act or decision was invalid because it was in breach of or unauthorised by the law, or was beyond the scope of the power given to the decision maker by the law (Sunstein, 2001). Limitations of Judicial Review Judicial review is limited to the examination of executive decision and decision made by government authorities; it is Ð ° constitutional function of the High Court to ensure that public bodies and government do not act unlawfully. It acts not in order to give effect to any private rights of the individual who made the application but in order to fulfil the role. It is the examination of Ð ° legal decision by Ð ° public body and it is not an appeal whereby Ð ° decision maybe substituted but Ð ° review of that decision only. Judicial review is only concerned with the lawfulness and not with the merits of Ð ° decision. Attorney General v Fulham Corporation, ex relatione Yapp [1921] whereby the High Court granted Ð ° declaration that the council had acted unlawfully and Cooper v Wandsworth Board of Works (1863) 14 CB NS 180 that the council had acted unfairly and had failed to exercise their statutory power lawfully. The Primary Purpose of Judicial Review The primary purpose of judicial review was summarised by Lord Lindley MR in Roberts v Gwyrfai District Council [1899] 2 CH 608, 614: â€Å" I know of no duty of the Court which is more important to observe, and no power of the Court which is more important to enforce, than its power of keeping public bodies within their rights. The instant public and government bodies go beyond their constitutional rights they act so to damage and domination of private persons, and those individuals are allowed to be protected from harm arising from such operations of public bodies† (Sunstein, 2001 p47) In the case of Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service [1985] AC 374 (GCHQ Case), Lord Diplock observed that: â€Å"The theme of every judicial review is Ð ° judgment made by some person or government body whom I shall name the ‘decision mÐ °ker’ or else Ð ° refusÐ °l by him to mÐ °ke Ð ° decision† In latest years judicial review has extended to private bodies which can be said to exercise Ð ° public function, R v City Panel of Takeover and Mergers, ex parte Datafin Ltd [1987] 2 QB 815Lord Diplock stated in the GCHQ case, that three actions that give grounds for Judicial review are illegality, irrationality and procedural impropriety (Merrill, 2001). Illegality, for example Ð ° government body misinterpreting legislation Anismimic Ltd V Foreign Compensation [1969] 2 AC 147, or acting ultra vires (acting beyond its prescribed power) AG v Fulham Corporation case, or making Ð ° judicial error of fact R v Secretary of State for Home Department, ex parte Khawaja [1984] AC 74, or unlawfully delegating power or fettering discretion Port of London Authority, ex parte Kynoch Ltd [1919] 1 KB 176 or where power is exercised by someone who does not meet the qualifications laid down in the granting of power, the act must be considered illegal, Entick v Carrington (1765) 19 ST Tr 1030 and Allingham v The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries [1948] 1 All ER 780. In Vine v The National Dock Labour Board [1957] AC 488 Lord Somervell of Harrow said that in deciding whether there is such Ð ° power, two factors have to be considered â€Å"the nature of power and the character of the person†Irrationality, the decision of Ð ° public body is irrational if it is ‘so unreasonable that no reasonable body could have come to the decision† Associated Provincial Picture Houses Ltd v Wednesbury Corp [1948] 1 KB 223 or ‘so outrageous in its defiance of logic or accepted moral standards that no sensible person who applied his mind to the question could have arrived at the decision’ Lord Diplock GCHQ case, Unreasonableness includes acting for improper motives, failing to take account of relevant considerations, failing to respect the requirements of natural justice and fettering discretion by adopting Ð ° rigid policy. With irrationality the courts have moved on from reviewing the procedures by which Ð ° decision has been made and testing its legality to substituting the courts own view on the merits of the decisionThe standard of reasonableness imposed by the courts is high. If the standard were too low it would mean that judicial discretion was being substituted for administrative discretion (Merrill, 2001). However, the protection of human rights has allowed the courts to use jurisdiction to employ Ð ° stricter test than in other Wednesbury cases, R v Lord Saville of Newdigate ex parte Brind (no 2) [1991] 1 All ER 720 (Merrill, 2001).

Every Woman Is A Novel :a Jest Of God :: essays research papers

Rachel often addresses her thoughts to God. How does she imagine Him (Her or It)? Does Rachel's concept of God change during the course of the Novel? Explain. Rachel Cameron, the heroine of "A Jest of God", is not simply as an individual literary character but as a psychological portrayal of women of Rachel's time and inclination. Even we can easily find someone who has the same problem Rachel has in the friends of us, or maybe in an early morning when we get up; stand at front of the mirror; we will suddenly have a idea, "I am Rachel too." She has a common Cameron heritage. She is a gawky, introverted spinster schoolteacher who has returned home to Manawaka from university in Winnipeg, upon the death of her alcoholic undertaker father Niall Cameron, to care for her hypochondriac mother May. Nevertheless, the family resemblance is obvious: their shared Scots Presbyterian ancestry, which Laurence views as distinctively Canadian, provides an armour of pride that imprisons her within their internal worlds, while providing a defence against the external world. To overcome that barrier between personalities, she must learn to understand and accept their heritage in order to liberate her own identities and free herself for the future. She must also learn to love herself before she can love others. Rachel receive a sentimental education through a brief love affair: as a result of learning to empathize with their lovers, she learn to love herself and the people she lives with. Laurence's emphasis is, as always, on the importance of love in the sense of compassion, as each of her solipsistic protagonists develops from claustrophobia to community. The beginning of "A Jest of God" extends beyond its Canadian perimeters in Rachel's branching imagination, both into the fairytale dream world which gives depth and pathos to the disappointment and despair of her present and out into a wider world in time and space than the grey little town of Manawaka. The first lines of the novel tell us everything basic to Rachel's mind, her temperament, and her situation. The wind blows low, the wind blows high The snow comes falling from the sky, Rachel Cameron says she'll die For the want of the golden city. She is handsome, she is pretty, She is the queen of the golden city. They are not actually chanting my name, of course, I only hear it that way from where I am watching the classroom window, because I remember myself skipping rope to that song when I was about the age of the little girls out there now. Twenty-seven years ago... (p. 1) The reader is engaged in sympathy with Rachel by the sadness of the gap

Pretending by Queen Elizabeth and Othello’s Iago :: Othello essays

Pretending by Queen Elizabeth and Othello’s Iago In today's society, nothing is really what it seems.   Those great "free-bees" you win are never really free and no deal is really as good as it sounds.   Even people don't seem to be stable anymore because they are always changing to fit the current trend or to blend in with the newest "crowd".   They live their lives covered with a mask and they forget or don't want to be what is most important, themselves, and this is what is called pretending.   The idea of "pretending" is when someone "seems" or acts to be something they are not.   Although we see this happening a lot today, the act of pretending goes back much further.   The act of "pretending" has been used in a lot of early British literature, and it is here that we can see that it can be used for both good and evil purposes.   A good example of each of these is found in Elizabeth's life and writings, and Shakespeare's play, Othello, in the character of Iago.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although it is not that common, the act of pretending can be used in a good way.   This is seen in Queen Elizabeth.   Elizabeth Tudor came to the throne of England in 1558.   During this time, there was a great amount of religious upheaval because England was going through periods of Catholic and Protestant rule.   Elizabeth, being a woman on the throne, had to demonstrate to her people that she was fit to rule the country and would do everything for their best interest.   In order to do this, Elizabeth had to seem to be something she was not.   The Longman Anthology of British Literature states, "throughout her long reign she cultivated two personas . . . As a monarch, she could speak courageously...; as a woman, she could convey understanding..." (475).   In this respect, Elizabeth had to be strong and use her "pretending" for the good of the people, while not showing too much emotion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During her time as queen, Elizabeth addressed parliament both on the subjects of marriage and on her loyalty to her country.   Perhaps she did this because she was questioned about leaving an heir to the throne.   To answer this Elizabeth wrote, And albeit it might please Almighty God to continue me still in this mind to live out of the state of marriage. Pretending by Queen Elizabeth and Othello’s Iago :: Othello essays Pretending by Queen Elizabeth and Othello’s Iago In today's society, nothing is really what it seems.   Those great "free-bees" you win are never really free and no deal is really as good as it sounds.   Even people don't seem to be stable anymore because they are always changing to fit the current trend or to blend in with the newest "crowd".   They live their lives covered with a mask and they forget or don't want to be what is most important, themselves, and this is what is called pretending.   The idea of "pretending" is when someone "seems" or acts to be something they are not.   Although we see this happening a lot today, the act of pretending goes back much further.   The act of "pretending" has been used in a lot of early British literature, and it is here that we can see that it can be used for both good and evil purposes.   A good example of each of these is found in Elizabeth's life and writings, and Shakespeare's play, Othello, in the character of Iago.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although it is not that common, the act of pretending can be used in a good way.   This is seen in Queen Elizabeth.   Elizabeth Tudor came to the throne of England in 1558.   During this time, there was a great amount of religious upheaval because England was going through periods of Catholic and Protestant rule.   Elizabeth, being a woman on the throne, had to demonstrate to her people that she was fit to rule the country and would do everything for their best interest.   In order to do this, Elizabeth had to seem to be something she was not.   The Longman Anthology of British Literature states, "throughout her long reign she cultivated two personas . . . As a monarch, she could speak courageously...; as a woman, she could convey understanding..." (475).   In this respect, Elizabeth had to be strong and use her "pretending" for the good of the people, while not showing too much emotion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During her time as queen, Elizabeth addressed parliament both on the subjects of marriage and on her loyalty to her country.   Perhaps she did this because she was questioned about leaving an heir to the throne.   To answer this Elizabeth wrote, And albeit it might please Almighty God to continue me still in this mind to live out of the state of marriage.

Survey: Question and Respondents

I decided to do my survey on Pizza and people’s views about the food. I asked my respondents 3 fairly simple questions about how they viewed Pizza. The first question I asked was a simple Yes/No question asking them whether like they like Pizza or not. Secondly, I asked them what they favorite kind of pizza was (i. e. Pepperoni, Hawaiian, etc. ). Lastly, I asked my respondents to rate Pizza on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being least favorite food, 10 being their favorite food). The results I found were quite interesting. I published my survey on Fluidsurveys. com and you can see it here if you’d like http://fluidsurveys. om/surveys/gary-8S/pizza/. I selected my respondents through my Twitter account, in which I tweeted asking my followers to take my survey, as well as direct messaging them with the link to my survey. With that being said, my survey would be random if everyone living in the US was following me on twitter, instead I got 28 responses from my 270 followers. So I wouldn't say my survey was random unless the population was strictly the people who follow me on Twitter, and even then they choose to take it so it must have interested them just like the internet polls.As we begin to look at the results this survey has produced we see that of the respondents, 17 of them said that Pizza was a 6 or higher on their respective rating scale. The survey produced an average of about 5. 74, meaning Pizza is slightly above an average food as there isn't any significant data suggesting that it's really good or really bad according to the survey. Since a 5 on any scale from 1-10 would be an â€Å"average† food as it's in the middle and not extremely good or bad.They were a few outliars as a few people put that it was a 2-3, and a few others put that it was a 9 even had one person put a 10. Now my comment/essay answers were far from essays as no answer I received was more than 5 words long. With that being said my results could easily be broken down into 3 separate categories of people. One of which is the people who are the â€Å"meat lovers†, these people said that their favorite kind of pizza was one that had (at least) one of the following meats on it: Pepperoni, Sausage, Ham, or Bacon.These people tended to rate pizza higher on the scale as there wasn't a rating below 6 from this Sub-sample. Next we had the group of the original Cheese pizza people, these respondents weren't so friendly in their ratings as to the ratings went as low as a 2 and up to a 7. This group had the most variety of the 3, and the biggest range going from 2 to 7. Lastly we have the exotic group, which has the least number of respondents of the three. This group includes anyone who chose a pizza that wasn't one included in the meat lovers, or cheese group.Pizzas in this group consisted of: Hawaiian, Buffalo Chicken, Barbeque Chicken, Veggie Lover, etc. Although this sub sample size was smaller than the other two it brought the average of the wh ole sample up significantly with its average being a 7. 38. * Population- Everyone in the USA * Sample- 28 of my twitter followers * Statistic- 23/28 (82. 143%) people said yes, they do like pizza. * MOE= +/- 12% * Parameter- Actual % or # of people who like pizza. So upon further sampling we expect approximately 80% of our intervals to contain the true parameter.I'm not saying that I'm 80% sure that the parameter lies within 70-94% in any way, instead I'm saying if we continued sampling long enough that eventually 80% of our intervals would in fact contain the true parameter. Now if I were to increase the confidence level up to 95% my MOE would increase up to 19% making my new interval 63-100% so there's more room for error and we can be more confident that if we continued sampling, the parameter is far more likely to lie within our intervals.

Li&Fung

Summary Li & Fung, which is a long-standing Hong Kong based company, has evolved from an export trading company to a coordinator of value-added services across the whole supply chain in a global, open manufacturing circumstance. Its corporate culture has enabled it to keep pace with the current trend of global business. The successful acquisitions and the venture capital make the company grows stably and rapidly. However, the company now faces some challenges coming from Asian financial environment and related policies.High sensitive of the change in macro environment is essential for the company to success. At the same time, keeping Asia in an important position could take long time competitive advantages. Finally, the update of information and technology may bring more efficiency and effective within the organization. Introduction Li & Fung was the first export company that solely funded by Chinese capital in Chinese trade history. Fung Yiu-hing and Li To-ming founded it in 1906 in Guangzhou, China. The firm grew to be a limited company in Hong Kong on December 28, 1937.The company expanded quickly to globalize by the leading of the second generation from the Fung family. The high-speed growth of Li & Fung Limited started when the third generation of Fung’s family took over the organization. The core parts of the company’s business are foreign trade, logistic, distribution and retail. Victor and William tried to restructure the company, use the modem human resource management, and utilized professional management skills to control the company without eliminating the Chinese style management.Li & Fung Limited made use of acquisition to take over the competitors and expanded their suppliers and clients all over the world. The most famous and successful one is the acquisition of Inchcape Buying Services (IBS), which helped Li & Fung Limited to open the European market. At the same time, the brothers establish a venture capital corporation to accomp any the suppliers and stable its supply chain. According to one anonymous (1999), Li & Fung is the world’s largest trade sourcing company and it pioneers a new model for multinationals.By now, William and Victor want to expand the company from Asia based company into a region closer to their target market. With the new trend of the global economy, Li & Fung Limited will encounter more challenges and find a way out of a difficulty. Since its foundation, the company has establishes a culture that incorporates pragmatism and innovation. According to Msmith (2008), the progressive corporate culture, which blends traditional pragmatic reasoning with entrepreneurial innovation, has enabled adaptability and growth in a dynamic market.Additionally, it combines the Chinese business culture (â€Å"Chineseness†) with the foreign operations. Not only is it expects loyalty and reward diligent, but it also has a reasonable and transparent bonus system, where bonuses were based solel y on profit performance. Generally, the company is employee-concerned, where the workers and managers are treated as family. As is the vision of the corporation, they strive to use resources efficiently; to add business value for our customers and their suppliers; to focus on the health and wellbeing of our colleagues; and to positively impact our communities and societies (2013).Analysis of Li & Fung Li & Fung’s outsourcing matrix suits particularly well to its global position and activity: To begin with, outsourcing teams are firstly divided into two main product categories: soft and hard goods. Since they â€Å"specialized† in a certain kind of good, they develop a certain expertise, which is an asset in their discussions with external agents. Besides, inside each category, the teams are divided depending on their geographical market. This organization displays an advantage in satisfying specific local needs.Furthermore, connection and communication is established a nd fostered between the divisions, which know exactly whom to contact for each particular issue. Finally, Li & Fung is able to efficiently master the â€Å"4Cs† (connections, communications, control of quality, and consolidation of shipments), and obtain a competitive advantage because of their organizational chart. In terms of Li & Fung’s business model, it is â€Å"a virtual factory† or â€Å"private label manufacturing program†. This means that it specializes in providing product itself, not brand or promotion.Although there is big scale merit in production of textile industry, it is difficult that each company has a big factory as there are lots of competitors and fashion of the clothes are always changing, as is thought by Swan (2008). As to company which has a talent of designing or marketing, it is better not to have its manufacturing and outsourcing. Maybe this is why Li & Fung is always required from many customers. Also, Li & Fung has developed the relationship through its network so that it can get such soft goods as textiles at high speed and excellent quality with the lowest cost.Successful acquisition Li & Fung’s mergers have been the main way of expending their business. Among all the mergers, the biggest merger during 1994 to 1997, which is acquiring IBS, is the most successful and famous one even in the global range. The main reason why Li & Fung can get so many benefits from merger is based on the following reasons. The first reason is that, Li & Fung knows which company to merge. When Li & Fung choose companies, they will look for what the company is having at that time, the sourcing, the customers and the employees.In this way, Li & Fung can complement the blank its current business. For example, although the margin of IBS was only 0. 8% and the combined average was 2. 2%, the sourcing supplement brought by IBS has make up the blank of Li & Fung’s South Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean and Latin Amer ica. The second reason is that Li & Fung knows how to merge. At that time Li & Fung is the largest world’s supplier of retailers and IBS was the second largest. So the merge was very difficult and was treat as an elephant eat elephant merger.Especially for the huge difference between the two companies, Li & Fung was a U. S. – style Chinese-family business, While IBS was a British company. There would be a lot of unaccustomed and conflicts as expected. So Li & Fung created a transition team to review organizational processes and implement a unit-by-unit transition. Instead of doing the transition after the merger, Li & Fung did it ahead of the merger, in order of saving accustoming time. When the scale of the company increases, the operational mode of the company has to keep changing as well.After the merger, Li & Fung’s scale is twice as big. Li & Fung changed its mode into a more efficient and suitable one. It assigned managers to customer groups and not countr ies. This has made the management to be more professional and make the production more efficient. The merger has made the sourcing matrix of Li & Fung more mature. The margin of Li & Fung was higher than those of other companies due to their regionally coordinated sourcing services. Small Venture Capital Arm In 1986, Li & Fung established a small venture capital group in order to improve and perfect the whole supply chain.LFI invested in companies, which could assist the Li & Fung’s sourcing services. Magretta (1998) indicates that Victor said â€Å"A big piece of our corporate development is plugging those holes-the phrase we use is â€Å"filling in the mosaic† – and we use venture capital to do it. † LFI pay the same attention on the companies’ management system as the product when they were choosing the company to invest. Biers (2000) said, â€Å"Its venture activity has remained modest by industry standards, with just two or three new investme nts a year, each typically of just a few million dollars or less. The CEO of LFI mentioned that they only invested in companies that had at least $3 million profit, lack of resource and kept the control of the company. At the same time, they were looking for the young and creative companies that owned by people with design and marketing talent. The most successful capital injection is the investment to a promotional company; Cyrk Inc. LFI spent $200,000 in order to take 30% shares in Cyrk Inc. during 1990. At the very start, Cyrk Inc. provided service of T-shirt print.Three year after the capital injection, the sales volume raised 20 times more than before through capitalized on its logo and promotional design capabilities. In this case, they made contract with Philip Morris to produce a full line of promotional clothing. Five years later, LFI sold their shares of Cyrk Inc. for about $65 million. After spending a great deal of investment in America, LFI transferred their sight to th e European market. As a result of diverse culture and language, it was more difficult to invest in several companies to cover the whole European market.The complex situation required the managers in European have more experience and different strategies for different countries. During the process of helping these companies, they gain experience about the selection of the collaborate companies and create more opportunities to broaden their business fields. At the same time, Li & Fung can gain high reputations among the growing companies, because the goal of the LFI is not acquire these companies. In this case, these companies could unconstrained develop themselves. And Li & Fung could not only maintain the good relationship with both potential partners and current partners.Challenges & Recommendations For Li & Fung, although it is already the largest export company in the world, it is still facing a lot of challenges. According to the trend of international Economics, Asian Financial Crisis will be gone. By then, the labor cost of Li & Fung will not be as low as now. So margin will be lower in the coming future. But even if the Asian market has recovered, its labor cost is still lower than other countries; also the gap between the wealthy and poor is huge. Most of people are living under average level, which will bring a low cost of labor.Also Asian has a large population, which will involve a large number of rich people, whose price sensitivity is low and needs are high. They can purchase the products, which have been produced in Asian. So Li & Fung could give more attention to Asian Market, instead of giving it up. Policies of trade protection, which have been published by governments in different countries, will also be a huge challenge to Li & Fung. Under this circumstance, all that Li & Fung can do is to prevent before it or actively adjust after the coming of policies.Li & Fung should do market research and macroeconomics analysis regularly in order to ch oose the very best sourcing places. Also, it ought to try to find outstanding suppliers in different economic regions and different fields, so that the risk will be shared. Thereby, Li & Fung should closely monitor the changes of economics and adjust it in time. With the development of technology, information system is playing an important role in supply chain management. In this case, Li & Fung could establish a proprietary information network that enabled clients to view the status of an order.This will improve their customer relationship management. At the same time, they could set up a powerful database to do data mining, which could collect the data of suppliers and consumers, in order to calculate the shortest time and distance and lowest cost in operation. Also they can collect the data of customers, so that they can know better of market needs and offer better service. Overall, for Li & Fung, challenges and chances are coexisting. If it could continue to reflect, to improve, it would keep up with the trend of world economics and update information and technology timely.References 1. Biers, D. (2000). Thinking small. Far Eastern Economic Review, 163(46), 48-48. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/208225120? accountid=9744 2. Li & fung pioneers a new model for multinationals. (1999). Strategic Direction, 15(6), 24-25. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/218626878? accountid=9744 3. Li & Fung: Beyond â€Å"Filling in the Mosaic†, 1998-1998(HBS Case 9-398-092). 4. Magretta, J. (1998), Fast, global, and entrepreneurial: Supply chain management, hong kong style: An interview with victor fung.Harvard Business Review, 76(5), 102-114. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/227758445? accountid=9744 5. Mismith068 (2008, 12). Li and Fung Case Analysis. StudyMode. com. Retrieved 12, 2008, from http://www. studymode. com/essays/Li-Fung-Case-Analysis-185365. html 6. Swan (2008, 9). Agri-Future; trendspotting & futu re thinking. Retrieved 9, 2008, from http://swan-futurethinking. blogspot. ca/2008_09_01_archive. html 7. Sustainability (2013, 3). Retrieved March 14, 2013 from http://www. lifung. com/eng/csr/csr1. php

The Lost Symbol Chapter 79-82

CHAPTER 79 Eight miles due north of Alexandria, Virginia, Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon strode calmly across a wide expanse of frost-covered lawn. â€Å"You should be an actress,† Langdon said, still impressed by Katherine's quick thinking and improvisational skills. â€Å"You weren't half bad yourself.† She gave him a smile. At first, Langdon had been mystified by Katherine's abrupt antics in the taxi. Without warning, she had suddenly demanded they go to Freedom Plaza based on some revelation about a Jewish star and the Great Seal of the United States. She drew a well-known conspiracy-theory image on a dollar bill and then insisted Langdon look closely where she was pointing. Finally, Langdon realized that Katherine was pointing not at the dollar bill but at a tiny indicator bulb on the back of the driver's seat. The bulb was so covered with grime that he had not even noticed it. As he leaned forward, however, he could see that the bulb was illuminated, emitting a dull red glow. He could also see the two faint words directly beneath the lit bulb. –INTERCOM ON– Startled, Langdon glanced back at Katherine, whose frantic eyes were urging him to look into the front seat. He obeyed, stealing a discreet glance through the divider. The cabby's cell phone was on the dash, wide open, illuminated, facing the intercom speaker. An instant later, Langdon understood Katherine's actions. They know we're in this cab . . . they've been listening to us. Langdon had no idea how much time he and Katherine had until their taxi was stopped and surrounded, but he knew they had to act fast. Instantly, he'd begun playing along, realizing that Katherine's desire to go to Freedom Plaza had nothing to do with the pyramid but rather with its being a large subway station–Metro Center–from which they could take the Red, Blue, or Orange lines in any of six different directions. They jumped out of the taxi at Freedom Plaza, and Langdon took over, doing some improvising of his own, leaving a trail to the Masonic Memorial in Alexandria before he and Katherine ran down into the subway station, dashing past the Blue Line platforms and continuing on to the Red Line, where they caught a train in the opposite direction. Traveling six stops northbound to Tenleytown, they emerged all alone into a quiet, upscale neighborhood. Their destination, the tallest structure for miles, was immediately visible on the horizon, just off Massachusetts Avenue on a vast expanse of manicured lawn. Now â€Å"off the grid,† as Katherine called it, the two of them walked across the damp grass. On their right was a medieval-style garden, famous for its ancient rosebushes and Shadow House gazebo. They moved past the garden, directly toward the magnificent building to which they had been summoned. A refuge containing ten stones from Mount Sinai, one from heaven itself, and one with the visage of Luke's dark father. â€Å"I've never been here at night,† Katherine said, gazing up at the brightly lit towers. â€Å"It's spectacular.† Langdon agreed, having forgotten how impressive this place truly was. This neo-Gothic masterpiece stood at the north end of Embassy Row. He hadn't been here for years, not since writing a piece about it for a kids' magazine in hopes of generating some excitement among young Americans to come see this amazing landmark. His article–â€Å"Moses, Moon Rocks, and Star Wars†Ã¢â‚¬â€œhad been part of the tourist literature for years. Washington National Cathedral, Langdon thought, feeling an unexpected anticipation at being back after all these years. Where better to ask about One True God? â€Å"This cathedral really has ten stones from Mount Sinai?† Katherine asked, gazing up at the twin bell towers. Langdon nodded. â€Å"Near the main altar. They symbolize the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai.† â€Å"And there's a lunar rock?† A rock from heaven itself. â€Å"Yes. One of the stained-glass windows is called the Space Window and has a fragment of moon rock embedded in it.† â€Å"Okay, but you can't be serious about the last thing.† Katherine glanced over, her pretty eyes flashing skepticism. â€Å"A statue of . . . Darth Vader?† Langdon chuckled. â€Å"Luke Skywalker's dark father? Absolutely. Vader is one of the National Cathedral's most popular grotesques.† He pointed high into the west towers. â€Å"Tough to see him at night, but he's there.† â€Å"What in the world is Darth Vader doing on Washington National Cathedral?† â€Å"A contest for kids to carve a gargoyle that depicted the face of evil. Darth won.† They reached the grand staircase to the main entrance, which was set back in an eighty-foot archway beneath a breathtaking rose window. As they began climbing, Langdon's mind shifted to the mysterious stranger who had called him. No names, please . . . Tell me, have you successfully protected the map that was entrusted to you? Langdon's shoulder ached from carrying the heavy stone pyramid, and he was looking forward to setting it down. Sanctuary and answers. As they approached the top of the stairs, they were met with an imposing pair of wooden doors. â€Å"Do we just knock?† Katherine asked. Langdon had been wondering the same thing, except that now one of the doors was creaking open. â€Å"Who's there?† a frail voice said. The face of a withered old man appeared in the doorway. He wore priest's robes and a blank stare. His eyes were opaque and white, clouded with cataracts. â€Å"My name is Robert Langdon,† he replied. â€Å"Katherine Solomon and I are seeking sanctuary.† The blind man exhaled in relief. â€Å"Thank God. I've been expecting you.† CHAPTER 80 Warren Bellamy felt a sudden ray of hope. Inside the Jungle, Director Sato had just received a phone call from a field agent and had immediately flown into a tirade. â€Å"Well, you damn well better find them!† she shouted into her phone. â€Å"We're running out of time!† She had hung up and was now stalking back and forth in front of Bellamy as if trying to decide what to do next. Finally, she stopped directly in front of him and turned. â€Å"Mr. Bellamy, I'm going to ask you this once, and only once.† She stared deep into his eyes. â€Å"Yes or no–do you have any idea where Robert Langdon might have gone?† Bellamy had more than a good idea, but he shook his head. â€Å"No.† Sato's piercing gaze had never left his eyes. â€Å"Unfortunately, part of my job is to know when people are lying.† Bellamy averted his eyes. â€Å"Sorry, I can't help you.† â€Å"Architect Bellamy,† Sato said, â€Å"tonight just after seven P.M., you were having dinner in a restaurant outside the city when you received a phone call from a man who told you he had kidnapped Peter Solomon.† Bellamy felt an instant chill and returned his eyes to hers. How could you possibly know that?! â€Å"The man,† Sato continued, â€Å"told you that he had sent Robert Langdon to the Capitol Building and given Langdon a task to complete . . . a task that required your help. He warned that if Langdon failed in this task, your friend Peter Solomon would die. Panicked, you called all of Peter's numbers but failed to reach him. Understandably, you then raced to the Capitol.† Bellamy could not imagine how Sato knew about this phone call. â€Å"As you fled the Capitol,† Sato said behind the smoldering tip of her cigarette, â€Å"you sent a text message to Solomon's kidnapper, assuring him that you and Langdon had been successful in obtaining the Masonic Pyramid.† Where is she getting her information? Bellamy wondered. Not even Langdon knows I sent that text message. Immediately after entering the tunnel to the Library of Congress, Bellamy had stepped into the electrical room to plug in the construction lighting. In the privacy of that moment, he had decided to send a quick text message to Solomon's captor, telling him about Sato's involvement, but reassuring him that he– Bellamy–and Langdon had obtained the Masonic Pyramid and would indeed cooperate with his demands. It was a lie, of course, but Bellamy hoped the reassurance might buy time, both for Peter Solomon and also to hide the pyramid. â€Å"Who told you I sent a text?† Bellamy demanded. Sato tossed Bellamy's cell phone on the bench next to him. â€Å"Hardly rocket science.† Bellamy now remembered his phone and keys had been taken from him by the agents who captured him. â€Å"As for the rest of my inside information,† Sato said, â€Å"the Patriot Act gives me the right to place a wiretap on the phone of anyone I consider a viable threat to national security. I consider Peter Solomon to be such a threat, and last night I took action.† Bellamy could barely get his mind around what she was telling him. â€Å"You're tapping Peter Solomon's phone?† â€Å"Yes. This is how I knew the kidnapper called you at the restaurant. You called Peter's cell phone and left an anxious message explaining what had just happened.† Bellamy realized she was right. â€Å"We had also intercepted a call from Robert Langdon, who was in the Capitol Building, deeply confused to learn he had been tricked into coming there. I went to the Capitol at once, arriving before you because I was closer. As for how I knew to check the X-ray of Langdon's bag . . . in light of my realization that Langdon was involved in all of this, I had my staff reexamine a seemingly innocuous early-morning call between Langdon and Peter Solomon's cell phone, in which the kidnapper, posing as Solomon's assistant, persuaded Langdon to come for a lecture and also to bring a small package that Peter had entrusted to him. When Langdon was not forthcoming with me about the package he was carrying, I requested the X-ray of his bag.† Bellamy could barely think. Admittedly, everything Sato was saying was feasible, and yet something was not adding up. â€Å"But . . . how could you possibly think Peter Solomon is a threat to national security?† â€Å"Believe me, Peter Solomon is a serious national-security threat,† she snapped. â€Å"And frankly, Mr. Bellamy, so are you.† Bellamy sat bolt upright, the handcuffs chafing against his wrists. â€Å"I beg your pardon?!† She forced a smile. â€Å"You Masons play a risky game. You keep a very, very dangerous secret.† Is she talking about the Ancient Mysteries? â€Å"Thankfully, you've always done a good job of keeping your secrets hidden. Unfortunately, recently you've been careless, and tonight, your most dangerous secret is about to be unveiled to the world. And unless we can stop that from happening, I assure you the results will be catastrophic.† Bellamy stared in bewilderment. â€Å"If you had not attacked me,† Sato said, â€Å"you would have realized that you and I are on the same team.† The same team. The words sparked in Bellamy an idea that seemed almost impossible to fathom. Is Sato a member of Eastern Star? The Order of the Eastern Star–often considered a sister organization to the Masons–embraced a similar mystical philosophy of benevolence, secret wisdom, and spiritual open-mindedness. The same team? I'm in handcuffs! She's tapping Peter's phone! â€Å"You will help me stop this man,† Sato said. â€Å"He has the potential to bring about a cataclysm from which this country might not recover.† Her face was like stone. â€Å"Then why aren't you tracking him?† Sato looked incredulous. â€Å"Do you think I'm not trying? My trace on Solomon's cell phone went dead before we got a location. His other number appears to be a disposable phone–which is almost impossible to track. The private-jet company told us that Langdon's flight was booked by Solomon's assistant, on Solomon's cell phone, with Solomon's Marquis Jet card. There is no trail. Not that it matters anyway. Even if we find out exactly where he is, I can't possibly risk moving in and trying to grab him.† â€Å"Why not?!† â€Å"I'd prefer not to share that, as the information is classified,† Sato said, patience clearly waning. â€Å"I am asking you to trust me on this.† â€Å"Well, I don't!† Sato's eyes were like ice. She turned suddenly and shouted across the Jungle. â€Å"Agent Hartmann! The briefcase, please.† Bellamy heard the hiss of the electronic door, and an agent strode into the Jungle. He was carrying a sleek titanium briefcase, which he set on the ground beside the OS director. â€Å"Leave us,† Sato said. As the agent departed, the door hissed again, and then everything fell silent. Sato picked up the metal case, laid it across her lap, and popped the clasps. Then she raised her eyes slowly to Bellamy. â€Å"I did not want to do this, but our time is running out, and you've left me no choice.† Bellamy eyed the strange briefcase and felt a swell of fear. Is she going to torture me? He strained at his cuffs again. â€Å"What's in that case?!† Sato smiled grimly. â€Å"Something that will persuade you to see things my way. I guarantee it.† CHAPTER 81 The subterranean space in which Mal'akh performed the Art was ingeniously hidden. His home's basement, to those who entered, appeared quite normal–a typical cellar with boiler, fuse box, woodpile, and a hodgepodge of storage. This visible cellar, however, was only a portion of Mal'akh's underground space. A sizable area had been walled off for his clandestine practices. Mal'akh's private work space was a suite of small rooms, each with a specialized purpose. The area's sole entrance was a steep ramp secretly accessible through his living room, making the area's discovery virtually impossible. Tonight, as Mal'akh descended the ramp, the tattooed sigils and signs on his flesh seemed to come alive in the cerulean glow of his basement's specialized lighting. Moving into the bluish haze, he walked past several closed doors and headed directly for the largest room at the end of the corridor. The â€Å"sanctum sanctorum,† as Mal'akh liked to call it, was a perfect twelve-foot square. Twelve are the signs of the zodiac. Twelve are the hours of the day. Twelve are the gates of heaven. In the center of the chamber was a stone table, a seven-by-seven square. Seven are the seals of Revelation. Seven are the steps of the Temple. Centered over the table hung a carefully calibrated light source that cycled through a spectrum of preordained colors, completing its cycle every six hours in accordance with the sacred Table of Planetary Hours. The hour of Yanor is blue. The hour of Nasnia is red. The hour of Salam is white. Now was the hour of Caerra, meaning the light in the room had modulated to a soft purplish hue. Wearing only a silken loincloth wrapped around his buttocks and neutered sex organ, Mal'akh began his preparations. He carefully combined the suffumigation chemicals that he would later ignite to sanctify the air. Then he folded the virgin silk robe that he would eventually don in place of his loincloth. And finally, he purified a flask of water for the anointing of his offering. When he was done, he placed all of these prepared ingredients on a side table. Next he went to a shelf and retrieved a small ivory box, which he carried to the side table and placed with the other items. Although he was not yet ready to use it, he could not resist opening the lid and admiring this treasure. The knife. Inside the ivory box, nestled in a cradle of black velvet, shone the sacrificial knife that Mal'akh had been saving for tonight. He had purchased it for $1.6 million on the Middle Eastern antiquities black market last year. The most famous knife in history. Unimaginably old and believed lost, this precious blade was made of iron, attached to a bone handle. Over the ages, it had been in the possession of countless powerful individuals. In recent decades, however, it had disappeared, languishing in a secret private collection. Mal'akh had gone to enormous lengths to obtain it. The knife, he suspected, had not drawn blood for decades . . . possibly centuries. Tonight, this blade would again taste the power of the sacrifice for which it was honed. Mal'akh gently lifted the knife from its cushioned compartment and reverently polished the blade with a silk cloth soaked in purified water. His skills had progressed greatly since his first rudimentary experiments in New York. The dark Art that Mal'akh practiced had been known by many names in many languages, but by any name, it was a precise science. This primeval technology had once held the key to the portals of power, but it had been banished long ago, relegated to the shadows of occultism and magic. Those few who still practiced this Art were considered madmen, but Mal'akh knew better. This is not work for those with dull faculties. The ancient dark Art, like modern science, was a discipline involving precise formulas, specific ingredients, and meticulous timing. This Art was not the impotent black magic of today, often practiced halfheartedly by curious souls. This Art, like nuclear physics, had the potential to unleash enormous power. The warnings were dire: The unskilled practitioner runs the risk of being struck by a reflux current and destroyed. Mal'akh finished admiring the sacred blade and turned his attention to a lone sheet of thick vellum lying on the table before him. He had made this vellum himself from the skin of a baby lamb. As was the protocol, the lamb was pure, having not yet reached sexual maturity. Beside the vellum was a quill pen he had made from the feather of a crow, a silver saucer, and three glimmering candles arranged around a solid-brass bowl. The bowl contained one inch of thick crimson liquid. The liquid was Peter Solomon's blood. Blood is the tincture of eternity. Mal'akh picked up the quill pen, placed his left hand on the vellum, and dipping the quill tip in the blood, he carefully traced the outline of his open palm. When he was done, he added the five symbols of the Ancient Mysteries, one on each fingertip of the drawing. The crown . . . to represent the king I shall become. The star . . . to represent the heavens which have ordained my destiny. The sun . . . to represent the illumination of my soul. The lantern . . . to represent the feeble light of human understanding. And the key . . . to represent the missing piece, that which tonight I shall at last possess. Mal'akh completed his blood tracing and held up the vellum, admiring his work in the light of the three candles. He waited until the blood was dry and then folded the thick vellum three times. While chanting an ethereal ancient incantation, Mal'akh touched the vellum to the third candle, and it burst into flames. He set the flaming vellum on the silver saucer and let it burn. As it did, the carbon in the animal skin dissolved to a powdery black char. When the flame went out, Mal'akh carefully tapped the ashes into the brass bowl of blood. Then he stirred the mixture with the crow's feather. The liquid turned a deeper crimson, nearly black. Holding the bowl in both palms, Mal'akh raised it over his head and gave thanks, intoning the blood eukharistos of the ancients. Then he carefully poured the blackened mixture into a glass vial and corked it. This would be the ink with which Mal'akh would inscribe the untattooed flesh atop his head and complete his masterpiece. CHAPTER 82 Washington National Cathedral is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world and soars higher than a thirty-story skyscraper. Embellished with over two hundred stained-glass windows, a fifty- three-bell carillon, and a 10,647-pipe organ, this Gothic masterpiece can accommodate more than three thousand worshippers. Tonight, however, the great cathedral was deserted. Reverend Colin Galloway–dean of the cathedral–looked like he had been alive forever. Stooped and withered, he wore a simple black cassock and shuffled blindly ahead without a word. Langdon and Katherine followed in silence through the darkness of the four-hundred-foot- long nave's central aisle, which was curved ever so slightly to the left to create a softening optical illusion. When they reached the Great Crossing, the dean guided them through the rood screen–the symbolic divider between the public area and the sanctuary beyond. The scent of frankincense hung in the air of the chancel. This sacred space was dark, illuminated only by indirect reflections in the foliated vaults overhead. Flags of the fifty states hung above the quire, which was ornately appointed with several carved reredos depicting biblical events. Dean Galloway continued on, apparently knowing this walk by heart. For a moment, Langdon thought they were headed straight for the high altar, where the ten stones from Mount Sinai were embedded, but the old dean finally turned left and groped his way through a discreetly hidden door that led into an administrative annex. They moved down a short hallway to an office door bearing a brass nameplate: THE REVEREND DR. COLIN GALLOWAY CATHEDRAL DEAN Galloway opened the door and turned on the lights, apparently accustomed to remembering this courtesy for his guests. He ushered them in and closed the door. The dean's office was small but elegant, with high bookshelves, a desk, a carved armoire, and a private bathroom. On the walls hung sixteenth-century tapestries and several religious paintings. The old dean motioned to the two leather chairs directly opposite his desk. Langdon sat with Katherine and felt grateful finally to set his heavy shoulder bag on the floor at his feet. Sanctuary and answers, Langdon thought, settling into the comfortable chair. The aged man shuffled around behind his desk and eased himself down into his high-backed chair. Then, with a weary sigh, he raised his head, staring blankly out at them through clouded eyes. When he spoke, his voice was unexpectedly clear and strong. â€Å"I realize we have never met,† the old man said, â€Å"and yet I feel I know you both.† He took out a handkerchief and dabbed his mouth. â€Å"Professor Langdon, I am familiar with your writings, including the clever piece you did on the symbolism of this cathedral. And, Ms. Solomon, your brother, Peter, and I have been Masonic brothers for many years now.† â€Å"Peter is in terrible trouble,† Katherine said. â€Å"So I have been told.† The old man sighed. â€Å"And I will do everything in my power to help you.† Langdon saw no Masonic ring on the dean's finger, and yet he knew many Masons, especially those within the clergy, chose not to advertise their affiliation. As they began to talk, it became clear that Dean Galloway already knew some of the night's events from Warren Bellamy's phone message. As Langdon and Katherine filled him in on the rest, the dean looked more and more troubled. â€Å"And this man who has taken our beloved Peter,† the dean said, â€Å"he is insisting you decipher the pyramid in exchange for Peter's life?† â€Å"Yes,† Langdon said. â€Å"He thinks it's a map that will lead him to the hiding place of the Ancient Mysteries.† The dean turned his eerie, opaque eyes toward Langdon. â€Å"My ears tell me you do not believe in such things.† Langdon did not want to waste time going down this road. â€Å"It doesn't matter what I believe. We need to help Peter. Unfortunately, when we deciphered the pyramid, it pointed nowhere.† The old man sat straighter. â€Å"You've deciphered the pyramid?† Katherine interceded now, quickly explaining that despite Bellamy's warnings and her brother's request that Langdon not unwrap the package, she had done so, feeling her first priority was to help her brother however she could. She told the dean about the golden capstone, Albrecht Durer's magic square, and how it decrypted the sixteen-letter Masonic cipher into the phrase Jeova Sanctus Unus. â€Å"That's all it says?† the dean asked. â€Å"One True God?† â€Å"Yes, sir,† Langdon replied. â€Å"Apparently the pyramid is more of a metaphorical map than a geographic one.† The dean held out his hands. â€Å"Let me feel it.† Langdon unzipped his bag and pulled out the pyramid, which he carefully hoisted up on the desk, setting it directly in front of the reverend. Langdon and Katherine watched as the old man's frail hands examined every inch of the stone– the engraved side, the smooth base, and the truncated top. When he was finished, he held out his hands again. â€Å"And the capstone?† Langdon retrieved the small stone box, set it on the desk, and opened the lid. Then he removed the capstone and placed it into the old man's waiting hands. The dean performed a similar examination, feeling every inch, pausing on the capstone's engraving, apparently having some trouble reading the small, elegantly inscribed text. â€Å"`The secret hides within The Order,'† Langdon offered. â€Å"And the words the and order are capitalized.† The old man's face was expressionless as he positioned the capstone on top of the pyramid and aligned it by sense of touch. He seemed to pause a moment, as if in prayer, and reverently ran his palms over the complete pyramid several times. Then he reached out and located the cube- shaped box, taking it in his hands, feeling it carefully, his fingers probing inside and out. When he was done, he set down the box and leaned back in his chair. â€Å"So tell me,† he demanded, his voice suddenly stern. â€Å"Why have you come to me?† The question took Langdon off guard. â€Å"We came, sir, because you told us to. And Mr. Bellamy said we should trust you.† â€Å"And yet you did not trust him?† â€Å"I'm sorry?† The dean's white eyes stared directly through Langdon. â€Å"The package containing the capstone was sealed. Mr. Bellamy told you not to open it, and yet you did. In addition, Peter Solomon himself told you not to open it. And yet you did.† â€Å"Sir,† Katherine intervened, â€Å"we were trying to help my brother. The man who has him demanded we decipher–â€Å" â€Å"I can appreciate that,† the dean declared, â€Å"and yet what have you achieved by opening the package? Nothing. Peter's captor is looking for a location, and he will not be satisfied with the answer of Jeova Sanctus Unus.† â€Å"I agree,† Langdon said, â€Å"but unfortunately that's all the pyramid says. As I mentioned, the map seems to be more figurative than–â€Å" â€Å"You're mistaken, Professor,† the dean said. â€Å"The Masonic Pyramid is a real map. It points to a real location. You do not understand that, because you have not yet deciphered the pyramid fully. Not even close.† Langdon and Katherine exchanged startled looks. The dean laid his hands back on the pyramid, almost caressing it. â€Å"This map, like the Ancient Mysteries themselves, has many layers of meaning. Its true secret remains veiled from you.† â€Å"Dean Galloway,† Langdon said, â€Å"we've been over every inch of the pyramid and capstone, and there's nothing else to see.† â€Å"Not in its current state, no. But objects change.† â€Å"Sir?† â€Å"Professor, as you know, the promise of this pyramid is one of miraculous transformative power. Legend holds that this pyramid can change its shape . . . alter its physical form to reveal its secrets. Like the famed stone that released Excalibur into the hands of King Arthur, the Masonic Pyramid can transform itself if it so chooses . . . and reveal its secret to the worthy.† Langdon now sensed that the old man's advanced years had perhaps robbed him of his faculties. â€Å"I'm sorry, sir. Are you saying this pyramid can undergo a literal physical transformation?† â€Å"Professor, if I were to reach out with my hand and transform this pyramid right before your eyes, would you believe what you had witnessed?† Langdon had no idea how to respond. â€Å"I suppose I would have no choice.† â€Å"Very well, then. In a moment, I shall do exactly that.† He dabbed his mouth again. â€Å"Let me remind you that there was an era when even the brightest minds perceived the earth as flat. For if the earth were round, then surely the oceans would spill off. Imagine how they would have mocked you if you proclaimed, `Not only is the world a sphere, but there is an invisible, mystical force that holds everything to its surface'!† â€Å"There's a difference,† Langdon said, â€Å"between the existence of gravity . . . and the ability to transform objects with a touch of your hand.† â€Å"Is there? Is it not possible that we are still living in the Dark Ages, still mocking the suggestion of `mystical' forces that we cannot see or comprehend. History, if it has taught us anything at all, has taught us that the strange ideas we deride today will one day be our celebrated truths. I claim I can transform this pyramid with a touch of my finger, and you question my sanity. I would expect more from an historian. History is replete with great minds who have all proclaimed the same thing . . . great minds who have all insisted that man possesses mystical abilities of which he is unaware.† Langdon knew the dean was correct. The famous Hermetic aphorism–Know ye not that ye are gods?–was one of the pillars of the Ancient Mysteries. As above, so below . . . Man created in God's image . . . Apotheosis. This persistent message of man's own divinity–of his hidden potential–was the recurring theme in the ancient texts of countless traditions. Even the Holy Bible cried out in Psalms 82:6: Ye are gods! â€Å"Professor,† the old man said, â€Å"I realize that you, like many educated people, live trapped between worlds–one foot in the spiritual, one foot in the physical. Your heart yearns to believe . . . but your intellect refuses to permit it. As an academic, you would be wise to learn from the great minds of history.† He paused and cleared his throat. â€Å"If I'm remembering correctly, one of the greatest minds ever to live proclaimed: `That which is impenetrable to us really exists. Behind the secrets of nature remains something subtle, intangible, and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion.' â€Å" â€Å"Who said that?† Langdon said. â€Å"Gandhi?† â€Å"No,† Katherine interjected. â€Å"Albert Einstein.† Katherine Solomon had read every word Einstein had ever written and was struck by his profound respect for the mystical, as well as his predictions that the masses would one day feel the same. The religion of the future, Einstein had predicted, will be a cosmic religion. It will transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Robert Langdon appeared to be struggling with the idea. Katherine could sense his rising frustration with the old Episcopal priest, and she understood. After all, they had traveled here for answers, and they had found instead a blind man who claimed he could transform objects with a touch of his hands. Even so, the old man's overt passion for mystical forces reminded Katherine of her brother. â€Å"Father Galloway,† Katherine said, â€Å"Peter is in trouble. The CIA is chasing us. And Warren Bellamy sent us to you for help. I don't know what this pyramid says or where it points, but if deciphering it means that we can help Peter, we need to do that. Mr. Bellamy may have preferred to sacrifice my brother's life to hide this pyramid, but my family has experienced nothing but pain because of it. Whatever secret it may hold, it ends tonight.† â€Å"You are correct,† the old man replied, his tone dire. â€Å"It will all end tonight. You've guaranteed that.† He sighed. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, when you broke the seal on that box, you set in motion a series of events from which there will be no return. There are forces at work tonight that you do not yet comprehend. There is no turning back.† Katherine stared dumbfounded at the reverend. There was something apocalyptic about his tone, as if he were referring to the Seven Seals of Revelation or Pandora's box. â€Å"Respectfully, sir,† Langdon interceded, â€Å"I can't imagine how a stone pyramid could set in motion anything at all.† â€Å"Of course you can't, Professor.† The old man stared blindly through him. â€Å"You do not yet have eyes to see.†