The Classical Greek And Roman Education - 1256 Words

As middle ages came to an end the feudal system decayed, the western world embarked on a transformation that would forever alter its identity. A profound change of ideologies in art, culture and intellect sparked a revolution that dismantled medieval society and propelled European culture into the modern era. This cultural and intellectual movement began primarily in Italy and later spread to the rest of Europe. The period of innovative change is called The Renaissance. The word Renaissance originates from the French word, rebirth. The Renaissance is considered a crucial and pivotal period in Western Civilization. The cultural phenomena took hold of practically every facet of society. However, it was largely considered a time of the resurgence of the classical Greek and Roman education and wisdom which many believed were lost to the Middle Ages. Italian scholars believed the middle ages to be a dark time, a time considered a period of stagnation in which education, literature, and t he arts did not progress and declined. Humanism was the intellectual movement of the Renaissance period, in which individuals concentrated on life in the present rather than life after death. Two major works from the period of the Renaissance, at different ends of the spectrum, illustrated this new way of thinking; a self-consciousness to the here and now as opposed to the predominating theme or focus of the Middle Ages, the afterlife. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s Oration on the DignityShow MoreRelatedEssay about Latin Literature in History1232 Words   |  5 PagesLatin Literature in History Greek literature was one of the numerous Greek accomplishments from which Romans drew immense influence. 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Benefits Of A Competitive E Commerce Essay - 2008 Words

With the way in which today’s technology and business industries are changing many consumers and potential target audiences look to give their attention to whomever is willing to provide the best and better services. During this era of highly competitive e-commerce, business must do whatever is necessary to remain above their competitors. At this point all industries, are competing to see who has what it takes to be on top in the present as well as their future plans to better attract more clients; during the process of trying to be number one, many business industries examine all the risk factors that they are willing to explore in order to push their companies in succeeding. Each industry wishes to leap into business world carefully with a predetermined business plan that emphasizes a course of action for economic success plan out a way for their industries to prevail as supreme; but what are the pros? What are the cons? The three major industry realms which will be explored will be the Lodging, Restaurant, and Music industry. Music Industry: The music industry commenced with artists just selling singles, then it remodeled over to individuals buying albums, and from then on, iTunes started to sell songs for just cents .The music industry never fails at having the entire world within its grasp.; The music world encompasses multiple and wonderful genres that people are in tune with as well as connected with., but oftentimes you can not help wonder if the industry hasShow MoreRelatedApplication Of Electronic Commerce ( E Commerce ) On Small Medium Enterprise ( Sme )1455 Words   |  6 PagesImplementation of electronic commerce (e-commerce) on Small Medium Enterprise (SME) In this globalization era, new businesses are emerging and developing very rapidly where competition between businesses are becoming more aggressive. 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The Mission and Vision of McDonald’s

Question: Discuss about the Mission and Vision of McDonalds. Answers: Introduction With the changes taking place in the world, new challenges and issues are coming inform of companies and organizations who are dealing in global world. At present time, there is a requirement of skilled and knowledgeable leaders who have the ability to guide and motivate the employees to bring new achievements in the organization. The focus of McDonalds is to hire such leaders in their organisation to reach to new heights. There is not only the need of leaders but also to develop leaders in their own organization who can manage the staff and customers. The mission and vision of McDonalds is to deliver the value of the company to every customer who visits the McDonalds restaurant. In order to achieve this, the company is trying hard and making new strategies and effective leadership styles to have competitive advantage in the industry. It is a company who believes in offering good career plans and opportunities to its employees. For this, they try to retain them by providing satisfactory salary and other facilities (Datta, Guthrie, Wright, 2005). The motive of this report is to deliver the theories and approaches of the leadership that can help the company like McDonalds to gain their goals and objectives. There are various types of recognition schemes that are used by this company and to create future leaders. The aim is to develop and implement these theories on McDonalds leaders. It is the fact that the food and beverage industry is facing many challenges due to competition in the mare like pizza hut, dominos, KFC, etc. (Collins, Smith, 2006). Recognition scheme It is one of the relevant schemes for every organization. Recognition schemes helps in retention of the employees as it guides how to retain the most efficient and effective employees in the company. It is a great relief to the companies whose turnover is very high. It deducts the percentage of turnover. McDonalds thinks that the strategies are not that effective to retain the employees for a longer period of time so they want to change their recognition schemes as they are facing failures in managing their human asset and employees. There is more chance to lose the talented employees from the company when the recognition schemes are not applied carefully. The benefits of this scheme are reduction in the turnover of the employees, attachment of superior and subordinates, neglect of the minor issues, recruitment cost deduct, effective team members, customers service improved, hiring of talented individuals in the organization, etc. (Schuler, Jackson, 2005) Supports to McDonalds culture and attract future leaders The culture of McDonald does believe that future growth can take place through showing path of growth and opportunities to the team members. It can help them to motivate and take initiative in the organization. McDonalds is introducing new policies for diversification and also provide respect to all the cultures. But in earlier times, the policies were not that attractive and the employees remained unsatisfied that resulted in higher rate of turnovers. The leaders can be created through respect, learning, knowledge, participation, and sharing process. All the above written activities help the McDonalds in creating future leaders and provide those ways to showcase their skills (Becker, Huselid, 2006). It is observed that McDonalds is an organization which is quite dedicated in identification of the employees who are capable to be a leader and they train them accordingly. These employees are trained so that they can become future leaders. McDonalds tries to bring the trust, good relations, and belief between the employees and leaders. McDonalds offers training and development programs, coaching, education, workshops, seminars, and illustrate them about the famous leaders. In this way they broaden the thinking of eth employees. The trainings include internal and external trainings whereby the knowledge related to intercultural, leadership values, etc. are delivered. There are also online mentoring programs to provide leaning to the employees. A fact about the McDonalds restaurant that is revealed during this study is that it has 25 % women and minority employees working. This shows the diversification and its importance to McDonalds (Dowling, 2008). McDonalds is quite successful in implementation and planning of the strategies and schemes to develop the leaders. The aim is also to promote motivation and employee engagement. In order to develop the future leaders, the company tries to boost the performance of employees. There are many reward scheme and programs provided by McDonalds to achieve the motivation of the employees (Bartunek, Rynes, Ireland, 2006). It is one of the smartest organizations that understand the value of recognition scheme as it helps in achieving the trust and contribution of the employees. Timely, they provide rewards and recognitions to the employees to have outstanding performance and satisfied workforce. Recognition scheme is quite good for McDonalds but many times it pressurize the managers to evaluate and analyze the performance of the employees every month. This is very time taking and expensive source of recognition of employee performance (Lengnick-Hall, Lengnick-Hall, Andrade, Drake, 2009). McDonalds restaurant is doing well as the competent and core advantage is good enough as compared to other food chains. From the extracted at and research, it is found that the company is planning to expand the business operations in the new markets so that the sales can increase. The leaders of McDonalds restaurant are competent and skilled enough to handle the employees. They are also capable of satisfying the needs of customers (Jiang, Lepak, Hu, Baer, 2012). In McDonalds, the recognition scheme had been taken place in the year 2013 and there are many changes that have taken place. McDonalds motivation and recognition scheme Restaurant of the year Restaurant of the quarter Awards related to the service provided Bets employee award that is monthly, quarterly and also yearly Various bonus schemes Recognition of the business managers Ray Kroc award Presidents award With the help of these recognition schemes, McDonalds has become successful is retention of the employees for a longer period of time. These recognition schemes also give stress and issues to the managers like time consumption of the managers in maintaining record of the employees performance, issue cell, etc. but at the end of process, McDonalds will enjoy the benefits through recognition schemes (Ghoshal, 2005). The theories applied by McDonalds restaurant Maslow theory of needs The theory of needs suggested by Maslow discuss about the needs and requirement of an employee or a human being. The fulfillment of such needs leads to satisfaction of the employees that are classified into five stages. This theory states that these five stages are the major factors of satisfaction and motivation of a human being. The starting of this need theory is from the basic needs (Allen, Bryant, Vardaman, 2010). So the five stages are Physiological needs The basic needs without which a human being is unable to survive on this earth are termed as physiological needs. These needs of the employees are fulfilled by McDonald through providing them lunch, water facilities, meals, etc. (Litzky, Eddleston, Kidder, 2006) Safety needs: It is the second stage of Maslows needs of hierarchy in which the need is to fulfill the safety needs like security of the employees, job security, medical and life insurance, sick leaves, protection, safe environment, etc. (Mayer, Gavin, 2005) Social needs Social needs come under third stage in which the fulfillment of social needs is required social needs are related to the bond, friendly environment, helping employees, familiar relations, etc. that leads in employees good performance and productivity. Self-esteem This stage leads is the highest satisfaction of the employees as it provides maximum satisfaction to them. At this stage of hierarchy needs, the managers are leaders motive is employee engagement. This can be achieved through believing in the skills and knowledge of them and valuing their ideas, skills, and abilities. The McDonald believes that the brand image of this company is so high because of its employees. The managers and leaders also appreciate the work of the employees can give them financial and non financial rewards (Gardner, Cogliser, Davis, Dickens, 2011). Self actualization It is the last stage of Maslows hierarchy needs that is achieved by the employees themselves. In this stage, the employees achieved what they want to achieve. They are already satisfied and reached to the stage of self actualization (Duran, MacDonald, 2006). So, with the effective use of this theory, the leaders of McDonalds can motivate the employees to perform better. It is also a true fact that a human being can never be satisfied so it is a complex situation for the managers and leaders to fulfill the needs and wants of the employees and make them satisfied working with McDonald. Contingency theory Contingency theory is one of the most valuable theories among all as it will help the McDonalds in their recognition scheme. Through the structure of this theory, McDonalds can fulfill the needs and wants of the employees of McDonalds. it is very relevant for a restaurant chain like McDonalds to have a systematic management of the dynamic behavior, motivation, cooperation innovation, pen management system, etc. at all the stages of the employees. According to this theory, McDonalds must adopt a specific structure for the incentives and other financial benefits of the employees. The motive of this theory is to combine the structure of the employees with the needs of the employees. According to various researches, it is found that the motivational factors keep changing according to the time and structure of the organization. The motivational factors are influenced by the external and internal sources (Bennis, 2007). In the current scenario, there are various competitors of McDonalds like pizza hut, dominos, KFC, vendees, etc. So it becomes more important for McDonalds to bring competitive advantage in the company. This can be done through effective management of the internal source that is human asset of the organization. The productivity and performance of the employees are directly related to the motivation and satisfaction (Gardner, et.al. 2010). This theory also has some negative impact on the employees as it is possible that they feel neglects and lees valued. This is because they did not get any reward or appreciation form the company. Though, with effective analysis and implementation of this theory, McDonalds can motivate and decrease the turnover rates for a longer period of time. Adairs model To enhance the recognition scheme in the company, McDonalds use this Adair model. It is a theory that is an action centered leadership model. The motive of this structure is to help the company to frame a model by which the leaders are motivated by their own skills, knowledge, communication, enthusiasm, commitment, etc. the applicability of this model takes place by asking the leaders to form a team of him and to analyze the need so the employees and ultimately fulfill those needs. The three pillars of this model are enthusiasm, commitment and communication. This model describes that there must be a balancing situation between all the three elements. This theory describes that an individual is not a leaders from his r her birth. Instead of this, he is grown in a way by providing trainings and skills of development so that he will become a successful leader in future (Day, et.al. 2014). The leaders who are developed through situations are capable to adapt various types of styles of leadership easily and they change their styles depending on the situation and condition of the company. McDonalds believes that leaders must have good personality and character and due to this approach, many talented individuals left the organization. Still the company is continuously using this theory which helps in some cases (McDonald, 2012). It is the fact that the approaches and theories used by McDonalds cannot be applicable on the nonprofit organizations like spastic centre. There are many differences between a profit making and nonprofit organization. The McDonalds is a restaurant and food chain whose main motive and goal is to earn profit and earn revenues whereas; spastic centre is purely a nonprofit organization. It looks forward to the welfare of the society and needy people rather than making profits. The aim of spastic centre is to provide shelter to the spastic people as the institution is for the advocacy, disable individuals and care provider for the people suffering for spas (Dinh, et.al. 2014). Whereas, McDonalds is one of the biggest food chain whose aim is to provide good quality food and in return they earn profits. The services and products delivered by McDonalds are merely for profit earning motive. There is a huge difference between the leadership styles, approaches, policies, and strategies of spastic centre and McDonald (Piwowar, et.al. 2008). The major difference between the spastic centers leaders and McDonald leaders are that the focus of McDonald leaders is on the quality of food, sales, revenues, performance, customer satisfaction, reduction in the rates of turnovers, growth and development of the team members, etc. while, the motive of leaders of spastic centre is to spread social welfare among the people of the society, they try to address the problems of the ill people, etc. in this way, a clear difference can be made on the McDonald and spastic centre (Bass, Bass, 2009). There is a vital role played y the leaders of nonprofit organization but they are quite different from the leaders of McDonald which is a profit making organization. The approaches of human resource department play a crucial role in the development of nonprofit organization. The leaders of spastic centre take decision keeping in mind about the welfare of the individuals while in McDonald, the leaders make decision by focusing on the profits. The activities performed at the nonprofit organization and the hiring of leaders takes place through a combination of hiring, selection, personnel recruitment, screening of individuals, orientation of new employees, decision related to the compensation, etc. hence, it is clear that the task performed by the leaders and managers of NGO is not that easy. It is as hard as profit making companies. They also have to manage between the taxation policies, legal documentation, etc. (Finkelstein, Hambrick, Cannella, 2009) Conclusion A conclusion on the present study after making all the researches and analysis on McDonald, t can be said that McDonald restaurant is an organization that has on o the most effective leaders as they develop them internally. Compatibility is one of the core and competent advantage of this company which is very relevant for every food chain restaurant. As McDonald deals in international market, it has to face emerging situations and the leaders have to face international challenges and issues. The global markets are very dynamic and innovative and have the capacity to challenge big and established organization. McDonald also faces all the challenges but with effective leaders, the company is able to cope up every tough situation. The major success of this company is due to the effective leaders of the company. In this way, the company tackles the crucial problems and issues. References Allen, D. G., Bryant, P. C., Vardaman, J. M. (2010). Retaining talent: Replacing misconceptions with evidence-based strategies. The Academy of Management Perspectives, 24(2), 48-64. Bartunek, J. M., Rynes, S. L., Ireland, R. D. (2006). What makes management research interesting, and why does it matter?. Academy of management Journal, 49(1), 9-15. Bass, B. M., Bass, R. (2009). The Bass handbook of leadership: Theory, research, and managerial applications. Simon and Schuster. Becker, B. E., Huselid, M. A. (2006). Strategic human resources management: where do we go from here?. Journal of management, 32(6), 898-925. Bennis, W. (2007). The challenges of leadership in the modern world: introduction to the special issue. American Psychologist, 62(1), 2. Collins, C. J., Smith, K. G. (2006). Knowledge exchange and combination: The role of human resource practices in the performance of high-technology firms. Academy of management journal, 49(3), 544-560. Datta, D. K., Guthrie, J. P., Wright, P. M. (2005). Human resource management and labor productivity: does industry matter?. Academy of management Journal, 48(1), 135-145. Day, D. V., Fleenor, J. W., Atwater, L. E., Sturm, R. E., McKee, R. A. (2014). Advances in leader and leadership development: A review of 25years of research and theory. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(1), 63-82. Dinh, J. E., Lord, R. G., Gardner, W. L., Meuser, J. D., Liden, R. C., Hu, J. (2014). Leadership theory and research in the new millennium: Current theoretical trends and changing perspectives. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(1), 36-62. Dowling, P. (2008). International human resource management: Managing people in a multinational context. Cengage Learning. Duran, N., MacDonald, K. (2006). Information sources for food studies research. Food, Culture Society, 9(2), 233-243. Finkelstein, S., Hambrick, D. C., Cannella, A. A. (2009). Strategic leadership: Theory and research on executives, top management teams, and boards. Oxford University Press, USA. Gardner, W. L., Cogliser, C. C., Davis, K. M., Dickens, M. P. (2011). Authentic leadership: A review of the literature and research agenda. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(6), 1120-1145. Gardner, W. L., Lowe, K. B., Moss, T. W., Mahoney, K. T., Cogliser, C. C. (2010). Scholarly leadership of the study of leadership: A review of The Leadership Quarterly's second decade, 20002009. The Leadership Quarterly, 21(6), 922-958. Ghoshal, S. (2005). Bad management theories are destroying good management practices. Academy of Management learning education, 4(1), 75-91. Jiang, K., Lepak, D. P., Hu, J., Baer, J. C. (2012). How does human resource management influence organizational outcomes? A meta-analytic investigation of mediating mechanisms. Academy of management Journal, 55(6), 1264-1294. Lengnick-Hall, M. L., Lengnick-Hall, C. A., Andrade, L. S., Drake, B. (2009). Strategic human resource management: The evolution of the field. Human resource management review, 19(2), 64-85. Litzky, B. E., Eddleston, K. A., Kidder, D. L. (2006). The good, the bad, and the misguided: How managers inadvertently encourage deviant behaviors. The Academy of Management Perspectives, 20(1), 91-103. Mayer, R. C., Gavin, M. B. (2005). Trust in management and performance: Who minds the shop while the employees watch the boss?. Academy of management journal, 48(5), 874-888. McDonald, M. (2012). Market Segmentation. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Piwowar, H. A., Becich, M. J., Bilofsky, H., Crowley, R. S. (2008). Towards a data sharing culture: recommendations for leadership from academic health centers. PLoS Med, 5(9), e183. Schuler, R. S., Jackson, S. E. (2005). A quarter-century review of human resource management in the US: The growth in importance of the international perspective. Management Revue, 11-35.

Zora Neale Hurston Langston Hughes The Dispute that Ruined their Relationship

Table of Contents Introduction The Conflict of Zora and Langston Conclusion Works Cited Introduction The copyright dispute, which arose between Zora Hurston and Langston Hughes, broke the intimate friendship of these two writers and possibly their long and productive partnership. It occurred when they were working on a play called Mule Bone, which was a comedy about the life of African-Americans. Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes had a lot in common. Both of the writers took their part in the so-called â€Å"Harlem Renaissance† – a social, intellectual, and artistic explosion that happened in Harlem, New York, in the 1920s. It should be pointed out that this issue can be interpreted from legal and moral points of view, and this case may be of great interest to literary scholars and lawyers.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Zora Neale Hurston Langston Hughes: The Dispute that Ruined their Relationship specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Conflict of Zora and Langston We need to take into consideration the fact that almost any argument, put forward either by Langston Hughes or Zora Neale Hurston, cannot be proved, and this circumstance immensely complicates the case To explain this conflict, we should first explain the nature of their co-authorship as it may throw at least some light on various aspects of their tensions. First, Hughes claims that he developed the plot of this play, did some characterizations and dialogues, whereas Hurston was supposed to recreate the atmosphere of Southern life as the action of Mule Bone took place in Florida (Hughes as cited in Hemenway, p 137). It is rather challenging to define Zora Hurston’s role when we look at this claim. We can suppose that she was working on the speech of the main characters, their humor, accent, and so forth. For quite a long time, the process of writing was quite productive, but at the very e nd, they came to a sharp disagreement. Initially, Hurston decided that they should take a short recess and finish the book afterward. However, since that time, the Zora and Langston never saw each other ever again. Despite numerous Hughes’ numerous attempts to re-establish their cooperation, Hurston refused even to speak with him. Furthermore, she gave the manuscript to the publishing house and stated that she had been the only author (Leach, p 50). In one of her letters to Hughes, Zora Hurston wrote to Hughes, â€Å"Now about the play. It was my story from beginning to end. It is my dialogue, my situations. But I am not concerned about that† (Hurston, as cited in Hemenway p. 142). Thus, we may say that she was somewhat unwilling to listen to any of his counter-arguments. Some critics believe that this conflict was caused by a quarrel between them (Hemenway, p 137-140), but we do not know it for sure. Apart from that, it is supposed that they could not agree on several details of the play: some scenes and personality of a few characters. At any rate, in later years, none of them decided to take legal action and go to the court. This is what we know at this point.Advertising Looking for critical writing on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is rather difficult to return a verdict about this collision. From a legal viewpoint, both of them have equal rights for this play. Judging from their statements, Zora and Langston made similar contributions to the process of creation. Hughes wove a plot, singled out the main themes, created characters, whereas Hurston worked out almost each of the scenes and dialogues. However, only a close analysis of their drafts can give a more accurate answer. Besides, we cannot rely on the testimonials of the friends and relatives of Langston and Zora, as these people will always be biased against one of them. This conflict may also be discuss ed from a moral perspective because the behavior of the co-authors was somewhat controversial. On the one hand, Hurston sent the text of the play to a published and a theatre without Hughes’ permission, claiming that she made a significant contribution, and this can be regarded as a very dishonest act. Almost any person would have been offended by such a statement and especially a writer. On the other hand, Hughes also made attempts to contact several stage directors and publishers, but he never asserted that he had been the sole author of Mule Bone (Leach, p 55). Apart from that, it was he who tried to restore their relations and continue work on Mule Bone. So, to a certain degree, we can argue in his favor. But we do not know everything about the relationship between Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston (and probably no one does). Still, some scholars believe their partnership was not exactly business-like and they felt deep affection for one another (Hemenway, p 50-60). This interpretation of the dispute between Hurston and Hughes is based mostly on conjectures rather than facts. Conclusion This essay aims to analyze the copyright dispute between Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, that arose while they were working on a play called Mule Bone. On the whole, this is one of those situations when one side of the conflict has to take a step toward reconciliation. Unfortunately, no one did it. Of course, one can argue that Zora Hurston should not have been so inflexible in her unwillingness to see Hughes. Still, we have no right to accuse her of stubbornness because there is no accurate information as to what happened between these people. Such accusations may be erroneous in their core, as the true nature of their literary and personal conflict remains unknown to us. We just know that, despite all the similarities   between Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, their relationship was ruined forever. Finally, the Mule Bone, the play that could h ave become one of the most important in the history of American literature, was never completed, and this is the main reason why their dispute attracted so much attention.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Zora Neale Hurston Langston Hughes: The Dispute that Ruined their Relationship specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Works Cited Hemenway Robert. Zora Neale Hurston: a literary biography. Springfield: University of Illinois Press. 1980. Leach Laurie. Langston Hughes: a biography. NY: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004 This critical writing on Zora Neale Hurston Langston Hughes: The Dispute that Ruined their Relationship was written and submitted by user Nathanael Gentry to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Interpretive Analysis On “A Good Man Is Hard To Find“

Interpretive Analysis On â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find â€Å"In Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† we get a portrait of a 1950s postwar family who, in the midst of their own naivety, find themselves not only on the road from Atlanta, Georgia to Florida but on the road to the their own demise. The most outstanding character in this story is the grandmother, and since the story is told from the third person omniscient view, it will be easy for us to analyze the grandmother’s character. She connects the other characters together throughout the story with her own selfishness and stupidity, and through a self-realization which becomes the most important moment in the story. As the story opens, the scene is set in the home of a man named Bailey and his family which consists of his mother (the grandmother), his wife and their two children- June Star and John Wesley. Bailey is planning a trip to Florida, but the grandmother would rather go to Tennessee. We see the first sign of the grandmother’s selfishness here when she tries to convince her son, Bailey, to take the family to Tennessee. She does her persuasion through a newspaper article which says that a convict called The Misfit has escaped from the Federal Penitentiary in Florida. She says, â€Å"I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscious if I did.† We will see how this statement becomes the epitome of irony in the next few paragraphs. While the family is on the road to from Atlanta to Florida, the scene changes to a filling station and dance hall called The Tower. While the family is eating Red Sammy’s barbecue sandwiches, the grandmother carries on a very foreshadowing conversation with Red Sam. â€Å"These days you don’t know who to trust,† he said. â€Å"Ain’t that the truth?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"A good man is hard to find.† If the grandmother knows this and makes these assert... Free Essays on Interpretive Analysis On â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Findâ€Å" Free Essays on Interpretive Analysis On â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Findâ€Å" Interpretive Analysis On â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find â€Å"In Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† we get a portrait of a 1950s postwar family who, in the midst of their own naivety, find themselves not only on the road from Atlanta, Georgia to Florida but on the road to the their own demise. The most outstanding character in this story is the grandmother, and since the story is told from the third person omniscient view, it will be easy for us to analyze the grandmother’s character. She connects the other characters together throughout the story with her own selfishness and stupidity, and through a self-realization which becomes the most important moment in the story. As the story opens, the scene is set in the home of a man named Bailey and his family which consists of his mother (the grandmother), his wife and their two children- June Star and John Wesley. Bailey is planning a trip to Florida, but the grandmother would rather go to Tennessee. We see the first sign of the grandmother’s selfishness here when she tries to convince her son, Bailey, to take the family to Tennessee. She does her persuasion through a newspaper article which says that a convict called The Misfit has escaped from the Federal Penitentiary in Florida. She says, â€Å"I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscious if I did.† We will see how this statement becomes the epitome of irony in the next few paragraphs. While the family is on the road to from Atlanta to Florida, the scene changes to a filling station and dance hall called The Tower. While the family is eating Red Sammy’s barbecue sandwiches, the grandmother carries on a very foreshadowing conversation with Red Sam. â€Å"These days you don’t know who to trust,† he said. â€Å"Ain’t that the truth?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"A good man is hard to find.† If the grandmother knows this and makes these assert...

Abbreviations in Science and Technology

Abbreviations in Science and Technology Abbreviations in Science and Technology Abbreviations in Science and Technology By Mark Nichol Because of the bewildering variety of abbreviations for scientific and technological terms and the inconsistency of treatment, writers and editors are advised to consult with publications like The Chicago Manual of Style or a handbook specific to a scientific discipline or to an industry to confirm standard modes of abbreviation for specific terms. This post provides an assortment of examples that demonstrate the seemingly chaotic nature of scientific and technological abbreviation. Abbreviations for scientific and technological terms generally do not use periods; an exception is physical dimensions for nonmetric quantities such as gr. for grain, qt. for quart, and bbl. for barrel and temporal abbreviations such as sec. (second), hr. (hour), and mo. (month). Note, too, that unlike abbreviations for physical dimensions, those for durations of time include an s when they are plural: â€Å"15 mins.,† â€Å"5 yrs.,† etc.). Abbreviations of metric units are almost invariably lowercased; an exception is mL for milliliter, so that a lowercase l is not confused for the numeral 1. The format of abbreviation of US units of measure is inconsistent. Sometimes, abbreviations may consist of the first two letters of a word (for example, mi. for mile); in other cases, the abbreviation may be formed from the first and last letters (as in yd. for yard). Rarely, an abbreviation of a foreign term is used, as with lb. instead of po. or pd. for pound, while the abbreviation oz. for ounce is based on the medieval Italian form onza. Just as these abbreviations are usually appropriate only for charts and tables, not for what is called running text (the prevailing content in a publication distinct from display copy- headlines, captions, and the like- and graphic elements such as charts and tables), symbols are usually avoided in running text, but the percentage symbol (%) is occasionally used there, especially in statistically dense content, as are symbols for minutes and seconds in time or distance. However, these should be style as primes (†²) and double primes (†³), although some publications use straight, or dumb, quotation marks ( or ) or even curly, or smart, ones (’ or †). Capitalization of scientific and technological terms is variable, sometimes even for terms in the same category. Just as the first letter for the abbreviation of tablespoon is capitalized to distinguish Tbsp. from the abbreviation for teaspoon (tsp.), Bps (for â€Å"bytes per second†) and bps (for â€Å"bits per second†) are distinguished by initial capitalization of the former but not the latter, and abbreviation of megabit and megabyte are distinguished as Mb and MB, though kilobit is abbreviated kb, while kilobyte is shortened to KB (or simply K). The first letter of the abbreviations for â€Å"kilobyte per second† (Kbps) and â€Å"megabyte per second† (Mbps) is also capitalized. Abbreviations of scientific units named for scientists have initial capitalization, though the spelled-out terms themselves are lowercased- for example, Bq (becquerel), Da (dalton), and J (joule). This is true of abbreviations of words based on surnames, such as F for farad (an abbreviation of Faraday) and V for volt (from Volta). And because the -bel in decibel is in honor of Alexander Graham Bell, that segment of the word for a unit of measurement of sound is capitalized in abbreviation to dB. Likewise, the first letter in Btu is capitalized because it stands for British. (The other letters stand for thermal and units.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†Deck the HallsPersonification vs. Anthropomorphism

Analysis of Electronic Medical Records Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of Electronic Medical Records - Essay Example The system should have the capacity to store quite a large amount of information at any one time. The operations of such information should also be manageable for ease of retrieval by the hospital officials and other users (Skolnik & Neil, 121). The hospitals also want the EMR to address the problem of mishandling, error, and confusion associated with operation manual information.The patients have their share of information requirement as far as their wellbeing is concerned. Firstly, they need a system that makes it easier to keep their information as confidential as it can be possible. EMR provide electronically storage of information that should offer confidential features for the storage of sensitive data about their personal details, medical records, and history. Secondly, the electronic systems should provide for immediate processing of claims and processing of payment as well. Thus, people seeking health care services would find it convenient to receiving health care and making the payments for the services (Skolnik & Neil 122). The patients are also seeking a system that should have the capacity to reduce the need for hospital admissions or their stay in the hospital. This means that they can receive equally quality services online, saving a lot of expenses. Physicians, on the other hand, are set to benefit from the implementation of EMR operations in the hospitals. Firstly, they are looking forward to an electronic system that can provide for immediate access to data. Manual storage of records is the source of immense time wastage in the hospitals where the health professional has to spend a lot of time looking for information in past stored files. Thus, the EMR should resolve this problem by providing an easy and convenient way of accessing information about any given patient. Secondly, the health professional is in need of a system that makes

Human Resource Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Resource Management - Term Paper Example Recommending a termination would for instance require a replacement and this means a costly recruitment process. It would also have financial repercussions, would affect other employees in the region and ultimately the company’s culture. It is therefore a particularly difficult decision to make but then a decision must be reached and one that serves the best interests of the business. It must be just and sufficient considering employment and labour laws. Gordo has been tolerated for a very long time and for this reason his behaviour has continued to determinate up the current level where he appears not to uphold company values any more. Considering the company’s PCP, Gordo’s unpleasant behaviour has already been discussed verbally in his presence and a written warning issued but he did not show any significant effort to turn things around. He appeared to continue with a careless attitude and would always give reasons for his financial underperformance hence a probation was necessary. Probation would also serve as a good notice to him that the company is concerned with his performance and therefore requires of him to improve or face dismissal. The situation got worse with the latest discovery touching on lack of professionalism. He has lost two important accounts; this has significant implications to the market share, business and growth and financial performance of the company. There have also been cases of customer complains on his conduct. He fails to respond to customer calls and more importantly a physician complained that he had attempted to convert what was company business to his personal business. Gordo now has the courage to discourage a customer against the company and offer to repair their machine at a cheaper price if paid in cash. This has actually crossed the lines in terms of professional conduct; such behaviour can never be allowed by any company

Energy drinks Essay Example for Free

Energy drinks Essay Using Energy Drinks in Daily Routine: What Is Energy drink? An energy drink Is a drink which contains drugs that Increases levels of nervous activity in the body, mainly caffeine, which is known for its mental or physical stimulation. Energy drinks may or may not be carbonated, and contain large amounts of caffeine and other stimulants drugs, and many also contain sugar, herbal extracts and amino acids. They are sub branches of the group of energy products, which Includes bars and gels. Energy drinks comes In many brands, qualities, flavors and varieties. Positive Points: 1 . Significant amount of Improvement In mental and cognitive performances as well as increased alertness. 2. Its been suggested that the reversal of some components present in caffeine helps in leaving a good effect on mood and ones performance. 3. After many tests it is observed that in young healthy adults an energy drink significantly increased upper body muscle strength. 4. Energy drinks help in improve memory. 5. Energy drinks Improve circulation of blood In your brain, ears and eyes. 6. Many energy drink companies use fruits and herbs that are healthy (for example: berries hey protect your body cells from oxidation). Negative points: With 30 to 50 percent of teens are taking energy drinks on daily basis, there are disadvantages of drinking these drinks, especially in children and teenagers, because they cannot safely consume as much caffeine as adults can. 1 Energy drinks are very high In sugar level, containing up to 35 grams of sugar per drink, which Is above the recommended amount of sugars for women of 25 grams per day and very close to the recommended daily limit of 37. Grams per men. Consuming a lot of deed sugars Increases your risk for obesity, because added sugars provide extra calories. 2. The caffeine in energy drinks increases the speed with which the alcohol is absorbed by a body making it more likely a person will stay awake long enough to consume more alcohol than a body would otherwise be able to. 3. The risks can be lessened by sticking to the recom mended Limits, which are listed on every drink, and by controlling the consumption of energy drinks by drinking one drink In a day. Extra ingredients , like amino acids, terrine, Guarani and ginseng, are added in such small mounts that they are not likely to give any beneficial health effects or cause any negative side effects. Suggestion: 1 . For many people, occasional drinks are flee, but try your best to limit yourself to about 500 millimeters a day. If youre consistently fatigued or rundown, however, figure a better and healthier way to boost your energy. Get good sleep, include yourself physical activity in your routine, and eat a healthy food. If these things dont help, consult your doctor. Sometimes fatigue is a sign medical condition, such as hypothyroidism or anemia. Or high blood pressure, consult your doctor if energy drinks may cause complications. Pregnant women and women who are breast-feeding may want to especially limit consumption of these beverages. 3. With the growing popularity of energy drinks on daily basis, most of the parents are concerned about how much caffeine their kids are taking. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that adolescents get no more than 100 milliards of caffeine a day. Younger children shouldnt drink caffeinated beverages on a regular basis.

Society Effects On Gender Roles In Malawi Essay examples --

Society Effects On Gender Roles In Malawi Ivy Tech Vocational Collage The seventeenth and eighteenth century was a time of many struggles with many nations. Slave traders, immigrants and Christian missionaries where some of the troubles brought on by changes happening. While it was a time of change the Malawi people came together and formed this alliance of the Nyau . Mostly to form a resistance. Nyau appealed to the people because it brought their culture together instead of the quilted nature of the other cultures. Through the Nayu the Gule Wamkulu was founded they are a society of men . Chinamwali is a female society . In the early twentieth century the Presbyterians and Catholics condemned the Nyau and the Chinamwali as heinous. Asking the native people to denounce both. People in charge of the ceremonies where uncertain of the future. Missionaries where questioning the ritual ceromines and the children not being in school. Giving the opinion that these children are coerced to join these groups a roadblock to their learning keeping them out of school. The government was asked to step in however , decided not to interfere in this matter . Writing on the Nyau subject reports that the researcher Woods (1991/1992) for example ‘illustrates how lineage elders to establish a new hegemony that enabled them to control the lineage when other indigenous forms of authority nearly collapsed during the colonial era. â€Å" Informing the reader that the Nyau was a strong force not easily broken or infiltrated. Through the course of time the Nyau had less of a need . Times had changed slavery was not as prevalent the immigration had elevated, however the missionaries remained , leaving them with... ...art . Often this is done so that the other wives can make money harvesting crops . The husband can take care of the finances. Having many wives can make for having more children which is a status symbol. His wife may become unbecoming so he may aquire another wife. Sometimes a husband will take a luphatho in the form of a basket of maize flour and one chicken which is taken by the wife herself to her parents to ask for the sister’s hand in marriage. If the parents accept the luphatho the formal processes of paying for the bride price is instituted and finally the young sister joins her sister as a second wife. Women are not allowed to marry more than one man. Works Cited Groves, Z. (2012). Urban Migrants and Religious Networks: Malawians in Colonial Salisbury, 1920 to 1970. Journal Of Southern African Studies, 38(3), 491-511. doi:10.1080/03057070.2012.707507

The Lost Symbol Chapter 48-51

CHAPTER 48 In the heat of the moment, Capitol police officer Nunez had seen no option but to help the Capitol Architect and Robert Langdon escape. Now, however, back in the basement police headquarters, Nunez could see the storm clouds gathering fast. Chief Trent Anderson was holding an ice pack to his head while another officer was tending to Sato's bruises. Both of them were standing with the video surveillance team, reviewing digital playback files in an attempt to locate Langdon and Bellamy. â€Å"Check the playback on every hallway and exit,† Sato demanded. â€Å"I want to know where they went!† Nunez felt ill as he looked on. He knew it would be only a matter of minutes before they found the right video clip and learned the truth. I helped them escape. Making matters worse was the arrival of a four-man CIA field team that was now staging nearby, prepping to go after Langdon and Bellamy. These guys looked nothing like the Capitol Police. These guys were dead-serious soldiers . . . black camouflage, night vision, futuristic-looking handguns. Nunez felt like he would throw up. Making up his mind, he motioned discreetly to Chief Anderson. â€Å"A word, Chief?† â€Å"What is it?† Anderson followed Nunez into the hall. â€Å"Chief, I made a bad mistake,† Nunez said, breaking a sweat. â€Å"I'm sorry, and I'm resigning.† You'll fire me in a few minutes anyway. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† Nunez swallowed hard. â€Å"Earlier, I saw Langdon and Architect Bellamy in the visitor center on their way out of the building.† â€Å"What?!† Anderson bellowed. â€Å"Why didn't you say something?!† â€Å"The Architect told me not to say a word.† â€Å"You work for me, goddamm it!† Anderson's voice echoed down the corridor. â€Å"Bellamy smashed my head into a wall, for Christ's sake!† Nunez handed Anderson the key that the Architect had given him. â€Å"What is this?† Anderson demanded. â€Å"A key to the new tunnel under Independence Avenue. Architect Bellamy had it. That's how they escaped.† Anderson stared down at the key, speechless. Sato poked her head out into the hallway, eyes probing. â€Å"What's going on out here?† Nunez felt himself go pale. Anderson was still holding the key, and Sato clearly had seen it. As the hideous little woman drew near, Nunez improvised as best as he could, hoping to protect his chief. â€Å"I found a key on the floor in the subbasement. I was just asking Chief Anderson if he knew what it might go to.† Sato arrived, eyeing the key. â€Å"And does the chief know?† Nunez glanced up at Anderson, who was clearly weighing all his options before speaking. Finally, the chief shook his head. â€Å"Not offhand. I'd have to check the–â€Å" â€Å"Don't bother,† Sato said. â€Å"This key unlocks a tunnel off the visitor center.† â€Å"Really?† Anderson said. â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"We just found the surveillance clip. Officer Nunez here helped Langdon and Bellamy escape and then relocked that tunnel door behind them. Bellamy gave Nunez that key.† Anderson turned to Nunez with a flare of anger. â€Å"Is this true?!† Nunez nodded vigorously, doing his best to play along. â€Å"I'm sorry, sir. The Architect told me not to tell a soul!† â€Å"I don't give a damn what the Architect told you!† Anderson yelled. â€Å"I expect–â€Å" â€Å"Shut up, Trent,† Sato snapped. â€Å"You're both lousy liars. Save it for your CIA inquisition.† She snatched the Architect's tunnel key from Anderson. â€Å"You're done here.† CHAPTER 49 Robert Langdon hung up his cell phone, feeling increasingly worried. Katherine's not answering her cell? Katherine had promised to call him as soon as she was safely out of the lab and on her way to meet him here, but she had never done so. Bellamy sat beside Langdon at the reading-room desk. He, too, had just made a call, his to an individual he claimed could offer them sanctuary–a safe place to hide. Unfortunately, this person was not answering either, and so Bellamy had left an urgent message, telling him to call Langdon's cell phone right away. â€Å"I'll keep trying,† he said to Langdon, â€Å"but for the moment, we're on our own. And we need to discuss a plan for this pyramid.† The pyramid. For Langdon, the spectacular backdrop of the reading room had all but disappeared, his world constricting now to include only what was directly in front of him–a stone pyramid, a sealed package containing a capstone, and an elegant African American man who had materialized out of the darkness and rescued him from the certainty of a CIA interrogation. Langdon had expected a modicum of sanity from the Architect of the Capitol, but now it seemed Warren Bellamy was no more rational than the madman claiming Peter was in purgatory. Bellamy was insisting this stone pyramid was, in fact, the Masonic Pyramid of legend. An ancient map? That guides us to powerful wisdom? â€Å"Mr. Bellamy,† Langdon said politely, â€Å"this idea that there exists some kind of ancient knowledge that can imbue men with great power . . . I simply can't take it seriously.† Bellamy's eyes looked both disappointed and earnest, making Langdon's skepticism all the more awkward. â€Å"Yes, Professor, I had imagined you might feel this way, but I suppose I should not be surprised. You are an outsider looking in. There exist certain Masonic realities that you will perceive as myth because you are not properly initiated and prepared to understand them.† Now Langdon felt patronized. I wasn't a member of Odysseus's crew, but I'm certain the Cyclops is a myth. â€Å"Mr. Bellamy, even if the legend is true . . . this pyramid cannot possibly be the Masonic Pyramid.† â€Å"No?† Bellamy ran a finger across the Masonic cipher on the stone. â€Å"It looks to me like it fits the description perfectly. A stone pyramid with a shining metal capstone, which, according to Sato's X-ray, is exactly what Peter entrusted to you.† Bellamy picked up the little cube-shaped package, weighing it in his hand. â€Å"This stone pyramid is less than a foot tall,† Langdon countered. â€Å"Every version of the story I've ever heard describes the Masonic Pyramid as enormous.† Bellamy had clearly anticipated this point. â€Å"As you know, the legend speaks of a pyramid rising so high that God Himself can reach out and touch it.† â€Å"Exactly.† â€Å"I can see your dilemma, Professor. However, both the Ancient Mysteries and Masonic philosophy celebrate the potentiality of God within each of us. Symbolically speaking, one could claim that anything within reach of an enlightened man . . . is within reach of God.† Langdon felt unswayed by the wordplay. â€Å"Even the Bible concurs,† Bellamy said. â€Å"If we accept, as Genesis tells us, that `God created man in his own image,' then we also must accept what this implies–that mankind was not created inferior to God. In Luke 17:20 we are told, `The kingdom of God is within you.' â€Å" â€Å"I'm sorry, but I don't know any Christians who consider themselves God's equal.† â€Å"Of course not,† Bellamy said, his tone hardening. â€Å"Because most Christians want it both ways. They want to be able to proudly declare they are believers in the Bible and yet simply ignore those parts they find too difficult or too inconvenient to believe.† Langdon made no response. â€Å"Anyhow,† Bellamy said, â€Å"the Masonic Pyramid's age-old description as being tall enough to be touched by God . . . this has long led to misinterpretations about its size. Conveniently, it keeps academics like yourself insisting the pyramid is a legend, and nobody searches for it.† Langdon looked down at the stone pyramid. â€Å"I apologize that I'm frustrating you,† he said. â€Å"I've simply always thought of the Masonic Pyramid as a myth.† â€Å"Does it not seem perfectly fitting to you that a map created by stonemasons would be carved in stone? Throughout history, our most important guideposts have always been carved in stone– including the tablets God gave Moses–Ten Commandments to guide our human conduct.† â€Å"I understand, and yet it is always referred to as the Legend of the Masonic Pyramid. Legend implies it is mythical.† â€Å"Yes, legend.† Bellamy chuckled. â€Å"I'm afraid you're suffering from the same problem Moses had.† â€Å"I'm sorry?† Bellamy looked almost amused as he turned in his seat, glancing up at the second-tier balcony, where sixteen bronze statues peered down at them. â€Å"Do you see Moses?† Langdon gazed up at the library's celebrated statue of Moses. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"He has horns.† â€Å"I'm aware of that.† â€Å"But do you know why he has horns?† Like most teachers, Langdon did not enjoy being lectured to. The Moses above them had horns for the same reason thousands of Christian images of Moses had horns–a mistranslation of the book of Exodus. The original Hebrew text described Moses as having â€Å"karan ‘ohr panav†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ â€Å"facial skin that glowed with rays of light†Ã¢â‚¬â€œbut when the Roman Catholic Church created the official Latin translation of the Bible, the translator bungled Moses's description, rendering it as â€Å"cornuta esset facies sua,† meaning â€Å"his face was horned.† From that moment on, artists and sculptors, fearing reprisals if they were not true to the Gospels, began depicting Moses with horns. â€Å"It was a simple mistake,† Langdon replied. â€Å"A mistranslation by Saint Jerome around four hundred A.D.† Bellamy looked impressed. â€Å"Exactly. A mistranslation. And the result is . . . poor Moses is now misshapen for all history.† â€Å"Misshapen† was a nice way to put it. Langdon, as a child, had been terrified when he saw Michelangelo's diabolical â€Å"horned Moses†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthe centerpiece of Rome's Basilica of St. Peter in Chains. â€Å"I mention the horned Moses,† Bellamy now said, â€Å"to illustrate how a single word, misunderstood, can rewrite history.† You're preaching to the choir, Langdon thought, having learned the lesson firsthand in Paris a number of years back. SanGreal: Holy Grail. SangReal: Royal Blood. â€Å"In the case of the Masonic Pyramid,† Bellamy continued, â€Å"people heard whispers about a `legend.' And the idea stuck. The Legend of the Masonic Pyramid sounded like a myth. But the word legend was referring to something else. It had been misconstrued. Much like the word talisman.† He smiled. â€Å"Language can be very adept at hiding the truth.† â€Å"That's true, but you're losing me here.† â€Å"Robert, the Masonic Pyramid is a map. And like every map, it has a legend–a key that tells you how to read it.† Bellamy took the cube-shaped package and held it up. â€Å"Don't you see? This capstone is the legend to the pyramid. It is the key that tells you how to read the most powerful artifact on earth . . . a map that unveils the hiding place of mankind's greatest treasure–the lost wisdom of the ages.† Langdon fell silent. â€Å"I humbly submit,† Bellamy said, â€Å"that your towering Masonic Pyramid is only this . . . a modest stone whose golden capstone reaches high enough to be touched by God. High enough that an enlightened man can reach down and touch it.† Silence hung between the two men for several seconds. Langdon felt an unexpected pulse of excitement as he looked down at the pyramid, seeing it in a new light. His eyes moved again to the Masonic cipher. â€Å"But this code . . . it seems so . . .† â€Å"Simple?† Langdon nodded. â€Å"Almost anyone could decipher this.† Bellamy smiled and retrieved a pencil and paper for Langdon. â€Å"Then perhaps you should enlighten us?† Langdon felt uneasy about reading the code, and yet considering the circumstances, it seemed a minor betrayal of Peter's trust. Moreover, whatever the engraving said, he could not imagine that it unveiled a secret hiding place of anything at all . . . much less that of one of history's greatest treasures. Langdon accepted the pencil from Bellamy and tapped it on his chin as he studied the cipher. The code was so simple that he barely needed pencil and paper. Even so, he wanted to ensure he made no mistakes, and so he dutifully put pencil to paper and wrote down the most common decryption key for a Masonic cipher. The key consisted of four grids–two plain and two dotted–with the alphabet running through them in order. Each letter of the alphabet was now positioned inside a uniquely shaped â€Å"enclosure† or â€Å"pen.† The shape of each letter's enclosure became the symbol for that letter. The scheme was so simple, it was almost infantile. Langdon double-checked his handiwork. Feeling confident the decryption key was correct, he now turned his attention back to the code inscribed on the pyramid. To decipher it, all he had to do was to find the matching shape on his decryption key and write down the letter inside it. The first character on the pyramid looked like a down arrow or a chalice. Langdon quickly found the chalice-shaped segment on the decryption key. It was located in the lower left-hand corner and enclosed the letter S. Langdon wrote down S. The next symbol on the pyramid was a dotted square missing its right side. That shape on the decryption grid enclosed the letter O. He wrote down O. The third symbol was a simple square, which enclosed the letter E. Langdon wrote down E. SOE†¦ He continued, picking up speed until he had completed the entire grid. Now, as he gazed down at his finished translation, Langdon let out a puzzled sigh. Hardly what I'd call a eureka moment. Bellamy's face showed the hint of a smile. â€Å"As you know, Professor, the Ancient Mysteries are reserved only for the truly enlightened.† â€Å"Right,† Langdon said, frowning. Apparently, I don't qualify. CHAPTER 50 In a basement office deep inside CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, the same sixteen- character Masonic cipher glowed brightly on a high-definition computer monitor. Senior OS analyst Nola Kaye sat alone and studied the image that had been e-mailed to her ten minutes ago by her boss, Director Inoue Sato. Is this some kind of joke? Nola knew it was not, of course; Director Sato had no sense of humor, and the events of tonight were anything but a joking matter. Nola's high-level clearance within the CIA's all-seeing Office of Security had opened her eyes to the shadow worlds of power. But what Nola had witnessed in the last twenty-four hours had changed her impressions forever of the secrets that powerful men kept. â€Å"Yes, Director,† Nola now said, cradling the phone on her shoulder as she talked to Sato. â€Å"The engraving is indeed the Masonic cipher. However, the cleartext is meaningless. It appears to be a grid of random letters.† She gazed down at her decryption. â€Å"It must say something,† Sato insisted. â€Å"Not unless it has a second layer of encryption that I'm not aware of.† â€Å"Any guesses?† Sato asked. â€Å"It's a grid-based matrix, so I could run the usual–Vigenre, grilles, trellises, and so forth–but no promises, especially if it's a onetime pad.† â€Å"Do what you can. And do it fast. How about the X-ray?† Nola swiveled her chair to a second system, which displayed a standard security X-ray of someone's bag. Sato had requested information on what appeared to be a small pyramid inside a cube-shaped box. Normally, a two-inch-tall object would not be an issue of national security unless it was made of enriched plutonium. This one was not. It was made of something almost equally startling. â€Å"Image-density analysis was conclusive,† Nola said. â€Å"Nineteen-point-three grams per cubic centimeter. It's pure gold. Very, very valuable.† â€Å"Anything else?† â€Å"Actually, yes. The density scan picked up minor irregularities on the surface of the gold pyramid. It turns out the gold is engraved with text.† â€Å"Really?† Sato sounded hopeful. â€Å"What does it say?† â€Å"I can't tell yet. The inscription is extremely faint. I'm trying to enhance with filters, but the resolution on the X-ray is not great.† â€Å"Okay, keep trying. Call me when you have something.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† â€Å"And, Nola?† Sato's tone turned ominous. â€Å"As with everything you have learned in the last twenty-four hours, the images of the stone pyramid and gold capstone are classified at the highest levels of security. You are to consult no one. You report to me directly. I want to make sure that is clear.† â€Å"Of course, ma'am.† â€Å"Good. Keep me posted.† Sato hung up. Nola rubbed her eyes and looked blearily back at her computer screens. She had not slept in over thirty-six hours, and she knew damn well she would not sleep again until this crisis had reached its conclusion. Whatever that may be. Back at the Capitol Visitor Center, four black-clad CIA field-op specialists stood at the entrance to the tunnel, peering hungrily down the dimly lit shaft like a pack of dogs eager for the hunt. Sato approached, having just hung up from a call. â€Å"Gentlemen,† she said, still holding the Architect's key, â€Å"are your mission parameters clear?† â€Å"Affirmative,† the lead agent replied. â€Å"We have two targets. The first is an engraved stone pyramid, approximately one foot tall. The second is a smaller, cube-shaped package, approximately two inches tall. Both were last seen in Robert Langdon's shoulder bag.† â€Å"Correct,† Sato said. â€Å"These two items must be retrieved quickly and intact. Do you have any questions?† â€Å"Parameters for use of force?† Sato's shoulder was still throbbing from where Bellamy had struck her with a bone. â€Å"As I said, it is of critical importance that these items be retrieved.† â€Å"Understood.† The four men turned and headed into the darkness of the tunnel. Sato lit a cigarette and watched them disappear. CHAPTER 51 Katherine Solomon had always been a prudent driver, but now she was pushing her Volvo at over ninety as she fled blindly up the Suitland Parkway. Her trembling foot had been lodged on the accelerator for a full mile before her panic began to lift. She now realized her uncontrollable shivering was no longer solely from fear. I'm freezing. The wintry night air was gushing through her shattered window, buffeting her body like an arctic wind. Her stockinged feet were numb, and she reached down for her spare pair of shoes, which she kept beneath the passenger seat. As she did, she felt a stab of pain from the bruise on her throat, where the powerful hand had latched on to her neck. The man who had smashed through her window bore no resemblance to the blond-haired gentleman whom Katherine knew as Dr. Christopher Abaddon. His thick hair and smooth, tanned complexion had disappeared. His shaved head, bare chest, and makeup-smeared face had been unveiled as a terrifying tapestry of tattoos. She heard his voice again, whispering to her in the howl of wind outside her broken window. Katherine, I should have killed you years ago . . . the night I killed your mother. Katherine shivered, feeling no doubt. That was him. She had never forgotten the look of fiendish violence in his eyes. Nor had she ever forgotten the sound of her brother's single gunshot, which had killed this man, propelling him off a high ledge into the frozen river below, where he plummeted through the ice and never resurfaced. Investigators had searched for weeks, never finding his body, and finally decided it had been washed away by the current out to the Chesapeake Bay. They were wrong, she now knew. He is still alive. And he's back. Katherine felt angst-ridden as the memories flooded back. It was almost exactly ten years ago. Christmas Day. Katherine, Peter, and their mother–her entire family–were gathered at their sprawling stone mansion in Potomac, nestled on a two-hundred-acre wooded estate with its own river running through it. As was tradition, their mother worked diligently in the kitchen, rejoicing in the holiday custom of cooking for her two children. Even at seventy-five years of age, Isabel Solomon was an exuberant cook, and tonight the mouthwatering smells of roast venison, parsnip gravy, and garlic mashed potatoes wafted through the house. While Mother prepared the feast, Katherine and her brother relaxed in the conservatory, discussing Katherine's latest fascination–a new field called Noetic Science. An unlikely fusion of modern particle physics and ancient mysticism, Noetics had absolutely captivated Katherine's imagination. Physics meets philosophy. Katherine told Peter about some of the experiments she was dreaming up, and she could see in his eyes that he was intrigued. Katherine felt particularly pleased to give her brother something positive to think about this Christmas, since the holiday had also become a painful reminder of a terrible tragedy. Peter's son, Zachary. Katherine's nephew's twenty-first birthday had been his last. The family had been through a nightmare, and it seemed that her brother was only now finally learning how to laugh again. Zachary had been a late bloomer, frail and awkward, a rebellious and angry teenager. Despite his deeply loving and privileged upbringing, the boy seemed determined to detach himself from the Solomon â€Å"establishment.† He was kicked out of prep school, partied hard with the â€Å"celebrati,† and shunned his parents' exhaustive attempts to provide him firm and loving guidance. He broke Peter's heart. Shortly before Zachary's eighteenth birthday, Katherine had sat down with her mother and brother and listened to them debating whether or not to withhold Zachary's inheritance until he was more mature. The Solomon inheritance–a centuries-old tradition in the family–bequeathed a staggeringly generous piece of the Solomon wealth to every Solomon child on his or her eighteenth birthday. The Solomons believed that an inheritance was more helpful at the beginning of someone's life than at the end. Moreover, placing large pieces of the Solomon fortune in the hands of eager young descendants had been the key to growing the family's dynastic wealth. In this case, however, Katherine's mother argued that it was dangerous to give Peter's troubled son such a large sum of money. Peter disagreed. â€Å"The Solomon inheritance,† her brother had said, â€Å"is a family tradition that should not be broken. This money may well force Zachary to be more responsible.† Sadly, her brother had been wrong. The moment Zachary received the money, he broke from the family, disappearing from the house without taking any of his belongings. He surfaced a few months later in the tabloids: TRUST FUND PLAYBOY LIVING EUROPEAN HIGH LIFE. The tabloids took joy in documenting Zachary's spoiled life of debauchery. The photos of wild parties on yachts and drunken disco stupors were hard for the Solomons to take, but the photos of their wayward teen turned from tragic to frightening when the papers reported Zachary had been caught carrying cocaine across a border in Eastern Europe: SOLOMON MILLIONAIRE IN TURKISH PRISON. The prison, they learned, was called Soganlik–a brutal F-class detention center located in the Kartal district outside of Istanbul. Peter Solomon, fearing for his son's safety, flew to Turkey to retrieve him. Katherine's distraught brother returned empty-handed, having been forbidden even to visit with Zachary. The only promising news was that Solomon's influential contacts at the U.S. State Department were working on getting him extradited as quickly as possible. Two days later, however, Peter received a horrifying international phone call. The next morning, headlines blared: SOLOMON HEIR MURDERED IN PRISON. The prison photos were horrific, and the media callously aired them all, even long after the Solomons' private burial ceremony. Peter's wife never forgave him for failing to free Zachary, and their marriage came to an end six months later. Peter had been alone ever since. It was years later that Katherine, Peter, and their mother, Isabel, were gathered quietly for Christmas. The pain was still a presence in their family, but mercifully it was fading with each passing year. The pleasant rattle of pots and pans now echoed from the kitchen as their mother prepared the traditional feast. Out in the conservatory, Peter and Katherine were enjoying a baked Brie and relaxed holiday conversation. Then came an utterly unexpected sound. â€Å"Hello, Solomons,† an airy voice said behind them. Startled, Katherine and her brother spun to see an enormous muscular figure stepping into the conservatory. He wore a black ski mask that covered all of his face except his eyes, which shone with feral ferocity. Peter was on his feet in an instant. â€Å"Who are you?! How did you get in here?!† â€Å"I knew your little boy, Zachary, in prison. He told me where this key was hidden.† The stranger held up an old key and grinned like a beast. â€Å"Right before I bludgeoned him to death.† Peter's mouth fell open. A pistol appeared, aimed directly at Peter's chest. â€Å"Sit.† Peter fell back into his chair. As the man moved into the room, Katherine was frozen in place. Behind his mask, the man's eyes were wild like those of a rabid animal. â€Å"Hey!† Peter yelled, as if trying to warn their mother in the kitchen. â€Å"Whoever you are, take what you want, and get out!† The man leveled his gun at Peter's chest. â€Å"And what is it you think I want?† â€Å"Just tell me how much,† Solomon said. â€Å"We don't have money in the house, but I can–â€Å" The monster laughed. â€Å"Do not insult me. I have not come for money. I have come tonight for Zachary's other birthright.† He grinned. â€Å"He told me about the pyramid.† Pyramid? Katherine thought in bewildered terror. What pyramid? Her brother was defiant. â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about.† â€Å"Don't play dumb with me! Zachary told me what you keep in your study vault. I want it. Now.† â€Å"Whatever Zachary told you, he was confused,† Peter said. â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about!† â€Å"No?† The intruder turned and aimed the gun at Katherine's face. â€Å"How about now?† Peter's eyes filled with terror. â€Å"You must believe me! I don't know what it is you want!† â€Å"Lie to me one more time,† he said, still aiming at Katherine, â€Å"and I swear I will take her from you.† He smiled. â€Å"And from what Zachary said, your little sister is more precious to you than all your–â€Å" â€Å"What's going on?!† Katherine's mother shouted, marching into the room with Peter's Browning Citori shotgun–which she aimed directly at the man's chest. The intruder spun toward her, and the feisty seventy-five-year-old woman wasted no time. She fired a deafening blast of pellets. The intruder staggered backward, firing his handgun wildly in all directions, shattering windows as he fell and crashed through the glass doorway, dropping the pistol as he fell. Peter was instantly in motion, diving on the loose handgun. Katherine had fallen, and Mrs. Solomon hurried to her side, kneeling beside her. â€Å"My God, are you hurt?!† Katherine shook her head, mute with shock. Outside the shattered glass door, the masked man had clambered to his feet and was running into the woods, clutching his side as he ran. Peter Solomon glanced back to make sure his mother and sister were safe, and seeing they were fine, he held the pistol and raced out the door after the intruder. Katherine's mother held her hand, trembling. â€Å"Thank heavens you're okay.† Then suddenly her mother pulled away. â€Å"Katherine? You're bleeding! There's blood! You're hurt!† Katherine saw the blood. A lot of blood. It was all over her. But she felt no pain. Her mother frantically searched Katherine's body for a wound. â€Å"Where does it hurt!† â€Å"Mom, I don't know, I don't feel anything!† Then Katherine saw the source of the blood, and she went cold. â€Å"Mom, it's not me . . .† She pointed to the side of her mother's white satin blouse, where blood was running freely, and a small tattered hole was visible. Her mother glanced down, looking more confused than anything else. She winced and shrank back, as if the pain had just hit her. â€Å"Katherine?† Her voice was calm, but suddenly it carried the weight of her seventy-five years. â€Å"I need you to call an ambulance.† Katherine ran to the hall phone and called for help. When she got back to the conservatory, she found her mother lying motionless in a pool of blood. She ran to her, crouching down, cradling her mother's body in her arms. Katherine had no idea how much time had passed when she heard the distant gunshot in the woods. Finally, the conservatory door burst open, and her brother, Peter, rushed in, eyes wild, gun still in his hand. When he saw Katherine sobbing, holding their lifeless mother in her arms, his face contorted in anguish. The scream that echoed through the conservatory was a sound Katherine Solomon would never forget.

Ratio Analysis Memo Essay

The liquidity, profitability, and solvency ratios reveal some interesting points about Kudler Fine Food’s financial position. The liquidity ratios revealed that during 2002 and 2003, Kudler was having no trouble paying short-term debt. However, the current and acid-test (quick) ratios showed that during 2003 Kudler had an excess amount of cash that they were not investing properly. These ratios also showed that Kudler was collecting receivables and selling average inventory very quickly. The profitability ratios revealed that during 2002 and 2003, Kudler was using assets efficiently and making a decent profit. The profit margin ratio showed that during 2002 Kudler made a profit of four cents per dollar, and during 2003 they made a profit of roughly six cents per dollar. In addition, the return on assets ratio (which is also a profitability ratio) showed that Kudler utilized their assets efficiently enough to turn a profit. The solvency ratio used, which was the debt to total a ssets ratio, showed that during 2002 and 2003 Kudler only had around a quarter of their assets financed in debt. All of these ratios show that Kudler was a fairly strong company financially during 2002 and 2003. When trying to figure out how successful Kudler Fine Foods is, it is critical to review all financial statements. By using the horizontal and vertical analysis and the determining ratio calculations the profitability, liquidity, and solvency are figured. A specific ratio analysis may intrigue a particular customer. Lenders or suppliers would be interested in the liquidity ratio because the company’s likelihood to pay off short-term debt is obvious. The profit of the company determines the potential impending success and would be important to creditors and investors. The solvency ratios show if the company will continue to grow and stockholders or financial analysts would be interested  in these ratios. Asset Turnover is the amount of sales or revenues produced per dollar of assets. The Asset Turnover ratio is a gauge of the productivity in which a company is using its assets. The number of times is calculated by the net sales divided by the average assets. Usually, the higher the ratio, the better it is, since it implies the company is generating more revenues per dollar of assets (â€Å"Investopedia†, 2014). The asset turnover ratio tends to be higher for companies in a sector like consumer staples, which has a relatively small asset base but high sales volume. On the other hand, companies in areas like utilities and broadcastings, which have large asset bases, will have lower asset turnover. Kudler Fine Foods asset t urnover ratio shows that from 2002 to 2003 there was not much of an increase. However, the percent does improve at a .3% increase from year to year. A profit margin is a ratio of profitability calculated as net income divided by revenues, or net profits divided by sales (â€Å"Investopedia†, 2014). It measures how much out of every dollar of sales a company actually keeps in earnings. Profit margin is valuable when reviewing companies in comparable trades. A higher profit margin shows a more profitable company that has a healthier govern over its costs compared to its competition. Profit margin is shown as a percentage. Therefore, for instance, a 20% profit margin means the company has a net income of $0.20 for each dollar of sales. Looking at the earnings of a company does not always convey the whole story. Increased earnings are noble, but an increase does not mean that the profit margin of a business is getting better. For example, if a corporation has costs that have gotten larger faster than sales, it indicates a lower profit margin. This leads to the fact that costs need to be policed better. Kudler Fine Foods has a net income of $465,573 from sales of $11,698,828, giving it a profit margin of 4.0% ($465,573/$11,698,828). The next year net income rises to $676,795 on sales of $10,796,200, the company’s profit margin raise to 6.3%. So while the company increased its net income, it has done so with diminishing profit margins. This is said because the return on assets ratio is low. When it is low the company uses less money on more investment. The profit margin is low as well calculated at only .6% showing that Kudler Foods had a low profit at that reporting time. The debt to total assets ratio was .28%, which showed the company is healthy. The times interest earned ratio was  9.8%, which backs up claims of financial health. The solvency ratio shows Kudler Foods can pay back long-term obligations. Each ratio has different users interest in mind. Return on common stockholder’s equity is defined as Net Income / Total Capital, and Return on Common Stockholders’ Equity: 676,795 / 1,928,960 = 35.09% Return. Here is a comparison of this (2003) information to the same information from last years’ (2002) records to begin to determine a trend. Profit Margin (2002), $647,645 / $10,644,800 = 6.08 % Margin Return on Assets (2002), $2,675,250 / $10,796,200 = 24.78% Return Asset Turnover (2002) $1 0,644,800 / $2,271,400 = 4.69 Times Return on Common Stockholders’ Equity (2002) $647,645 / $1,928,960 = 33.58% Return 2002 Year 2003 Year Profit Margin 6.08% Margin 6.27% Margin Return on Assets 24.78% Return 25.3% Return Asset Turnover 4.69 Times 4.04 Times Stockholder’s Equity 33.58% Return 35.09% Return The information that was examined indicates that Kudler Foods is doing well and if the company continues on its current path, profits will continue to grow, as long as other economic conditions stay the same. We conducted a vertical analysis of the balance sheet and income statement and found that these figures indicated that the company is strong, and there were not any negative figures, which is always a good sign. Some of the numbers were low, but that also was a good indicator, as the low numbers were the relationship between the expenses against the net sales. This indicates that there were more than enough sales to cover the expenses. We also found that when comparing the net sales against the net profits, the percentage was a bit low, but still within a strong range. Overall Kudler Foods is a strong business that will continue to grow as it is managed carefully and changes are made when necessary to adjust to the market itself. Current Ratio CURRENT ASSETS/CURRENT LIABILITIES 2002: 2,102,631/977,188 = 2.14:1 2003: 1,971,000/116,290 = 16.95:1 Acid-Test Ratio CASH + SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS + RECEIVABLES (NET)/CURRENT LIABILITIES: 1 2002: 89,016 + 1,131,213 + 196,503/977,188 = 1.45:1 2003: 1,430,000 + 86,000/116,290 = 13:1 Receivables Turnover NET CREDIT SALES/AVERAGE NET RECEIVABLES = X TIMES 2002: 10,107,787/185,907 = 54.4 Times = Every 7 Days 2003: 10,796,200/141,251 = 76.4 Times = Every 5 Days Inventory Turnover COST OF GOODS SOLD/AVERAGE INVENTORY = X TIMES 2002: 7,543,054/355,534 = 21 Times = Every 17 Days 2003: 8,474,831/401,634 = 21 Times = Every 17 Days Asset Turnover NET SALES/AVERAGE ASSETS = X TIMES 2002: 11,698,828/4,793,146 = 2.4 Times 2003: 10,796,200/3,984,733 = 2.7 Times Profit Margin NET INCOME/NET SALES = X% 2002: 465,573/11,698,828 = 4.0% 2003: 676,795/10,796,200 = 6.3% Return on Assets NET INCOME/AVERAGE ASSETS = X% 2002: 465,573/4,793,146 = 9.7% 2003: 676,795/3,984,733 = 17.0% Return on Common Stockholders’ Equity NET INCOME – PREFERRED DIVIDENDS/AVERAGE COMMON STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY = X% 2002: 465,573 – 0/3,396,887 = 13.7% 2003: 676,795 – 0/2,274,380 = 29.8% Debt to Total Assets TOTAL DEBT/TOTAL ASSETS = X% 2002: 1,491,747/5,294,216 = 28.2% 2003: 746,290/2,675,250 = 27.9%

International students consume alcohol Essay Example

International students consume alcohol Essay Example International students consume alcohol Essay International students consume alcohol Essay Essay Topic: Students Restatement of the research objective The research focuses on drawing a comparative analysis between Australian and the international students drinking habits. Overall, the data shows that overseas and Australian students consumption of alcohol is quite different. As this research shows, on average both international male and female students consume alcohol at least once a month. On the other hand, the Australian students drink alcohol mainly two days a week. In addition, beer is the conceivably the most common drink among the international students while brand choice is evidently differentiated among the Australian students. The majority of Australian female students consume bottled wine while their colleague males predominantly drink beer irrespective of their alcoholic strengths. Research findings From the data obtained in this study, the first finding is that that alcohol is definitely the highest indulgence drug among both Australian and the international students. Beers and spirits account for the highest proportion of alcohol used by the international students while higher incidences of bottled spirit use and beer drinking is reported among Australian female and male students respectively. Most male international students drink at least twice a week while international female students only drink occasionally. Conversely, a greater proportion of the Australian students drink mainly two days a week. One probable reason for higher incidences of alcohol use among male than female students is the contemporary youth mentality that associates drug use with masculinity. Moreover, the society assigns females the role of caregivers hence they embrace sobriety early enough in their life. The second finding of this research is that taste of drink highly influences the brand relished by the international students than it is the case with Australian students. While both the male and female the international students exhibit an almost equal liking for beer, the Australian male students are common drinkers of wine while females relish bottled wine. Therefore, it .means that beer has the most favorable taste than all the other drinks that the international students choose from. On the other hand, there is a marked difference between the drinking of alcohol among international and the Australian students. The probability that psychological attunement of the females towards details such as taste and brands is higher than that of the males. Therefore, males would only consider a few factors before settling on a brand of choice as opposed to the females. While disposable income among the Australian students is the most important determinant of their respective drinking habits, taste is the most significant determinant of the brand choices among the international students. Due to the differential prices of various types of wine, its use among the Australian students is the most segmented with lower income students less predisposed to drinking cask wine than the medium to high income ones. Price only has an overreaching influence on the brand choices of the international female students. The most plausible reason for the influence of pricing in the Australian students choice of alcohol brand is their limited income. However, overseas students mainly come from affluent backgrounds thus are able tis sustain their alcoholic lifestyles devoid of price limitations. This research determines that a larger proportion of female international student drinkers consume alcohol at least once a week, at least once a month and less than once a month as compared with their male counterparts whose drinking habit is not dependent on time factors. The international male students drink alcohol at least twice a week is higher than female. These findings indicate the high levels of caution that female international students employ to prevent binge drinking or becoming alcohol addicts. Drinking of beer among the Australian male drinkers is differentiated into cohorts with decipherable differences in brand choices between baby boomers, generation X and generation Y. While age is not a determinant in the international students brand choices, it is significant among Australian drinkers with baby boomers males drinking more spirits that beer. Among the international male and female students, beer is universally extensively drunk than any other brand irrespective if the drinkers age. The choice to drink only occasionally reflects the resilience of both the international and Australian female students to the effects of group pressure compared to their male counterparts. In addition, the higher rates of drinking among both overseas and Australian male students can be attributed to the fact that males are more susceptible to group influence, especially with respect to drug use than the females are. Limitations and recommendation of the study The research does not provide personalized information that influence differential alcohol use among the international male and female students respectively as it does for the Australian. Factors such as societal expectations and resistance to peer pressure among female students would be rather compelling assertions of the research. Therefore, future research should focus on the social factors that influence the differentiated drinking trends between Australian and overseas students.