The Dead Butcher and His Fiend-Like Queen - 1016 Words

In extent Malcolm is referring to Macbeth as the â€Å"dead butcher† and to Lady Macbeth as â€Å"his fiend-like queen.† A butcher in the use of this play is a person who kills showing no regret for their actions or reason for the killings. The fiend as Lady Macbeth is to say she is very evil and has no morals, able to bend other’s wills to equal her own giving them a confused air of what they really want. On the other hand to say Macbeth was always a butcher is an unfair evaluation of him, as it doesn’t reflect the views that the whole of Scotland had at the beginning of the play. Fiend is a brilliant way to describe Lady Macbeth as she is the one who initially introduced the feeling of evil into the play and into Macbeth leading him to commit the†¦show more content†¦Macbeth is being told to act as he thinks and becoming cowardly for not doing it. The unlikeliness of Macbeth being called a coward before lets the comment gets under his skin and t ries to prove to his wife that his courage is intact. However, Lady Macbeth’s intentions are not understood until she backs up her argument to why Duncan should be murdered: â€Å"I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this.† No human says but a fiend, what mother would intentionally hurt their child even if they had sworn to do it? Macbeth is not a butcher, and Lady Macbeth is not just a fiend. As shown, although Malcolm’s statement does describe certain aspects of the personalities it is a vague description of the whole extent of their characters. Macbeth is a brave and valiant man who had been turned to butchery by weakness and his desire to gain power, exploited by his wife. Fiendish is a more decent way to describe Lady Macbeth but it still lacks the ability to capture her true nature as disturbed and evil. It would be fair to say that the statement tries to create an overall evaluation of both characters in a single statement but in the process makes them seem less dramatic and complex than theyShow MoreRelatedThe Dead Butcher and His Fiend Like Queen859 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish Grade  11 â€Å"The Dead Butcher and his Fiend Like Queen† This dead butcher and his fiend like queen, is the way in which Malcolm describes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in the last speech of the play. The images portrayed by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth change impressively throughout the play. Therefore, I believe that this quote is not an accurate judgment of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as it was based on one mistake, though a considerable mistake. To start with, I should firstRead MoreMacbeth and Lady Macbeth as A Dead Butcher and His Fiend-like Queen in William Shakespeares Macbeth2137 Words   |  9 PagesMacbeth and Lady Macbeth as A Dead Butcher and His Fiend-like Queen in William Shakespeares Macbeth Macbeth is one of Shakespeares four famous tragedies. It was written in 1605-1606, at the peak of Shakespeares career; and was chosen to accolade the new King James I of England, who had been James VI of Scotland. He had a fascination with witchcraft and the supernatural, so the play Macbeth complimented his passion. Shakespeare is famed for his use of the English languageRead MoreAt the end of Macbeth, Malcolm refers to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as this dead butcher...and his fiend-like queen. To what extent do you agree with this judgement?1352 Words   |  6 PagesScotland describes Lady Macbeth as a fiend-like queen. 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A butcher can be described as someone who kills, or have people killed unnecessarily or brutally. A fiend canRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth 2154 Words   |  9 PagesMacbeth Critical Evaluation â€Å"This dead butcher and his fiend-like queen† Discuss whether or not this is a true summation of Macbeth and his wife. In the play â€Å"Macbeth† by William Shakespeare, the characters of Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth could be described as a â€Å"dead butcher and his fiend-like queen†. 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Because ofRead MoreDuncan Bless Macbeth1200 Words   |  5 PagesLifes but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. (V.V.25Ââ€"27). The famous quote of Macbeth, ‘life: a tale told by an idiot indispensably proves how Macbeth has fallen into a psychopathic state of nihilism where even after his own wife is dead he feels that it does not signify anything; from a valiant ma n of prowess to fall and become such a petty pessimist

On April Fourth The Studley Jazz Ensemble, Under The...

On April fourth the Studley Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. John Menegon, presented their second concert in Julien J. Studley Theatre featuring music by Irving Berlin, W.C Handy, John Menegon, Dizzy Gillespe, Duke Ellington, and John Mayer. In addition, the ensemble included the bass, trumpet, drums, alto saxophone, guitar and two vocalists. The second piece that was performed was â€Å"St. Louis Blues†, by W.C Handy (1873-1958). The piece was considered the most famous blues composition from the time it was written in 1914 until 1930. According to Handy, he found his inspiration for the song while talking to many people on the streets of St. Louis. Similar to his other pieces, it was composed in a bar Handy visited often in†¦show more content†¦The piece was a form of the blues type of jazz, a form that was dominant at the end of the 19th century. Being part of the blues music, it focused on harmonizing with the three principal chords throughout the entirety of the song. It brought excitement and variety to the piece and keeping the audience as well as the ensemble itself on our feet. In addition to the harmonization the ensemble was able to take the form of a loose narrative, often relating the troubles experienced in a society. John Mayer’s â€Å"I don’t need no doctor† created a change of pace during the concert. This song is a modern form of jazz. Originally written for the famous Ray Charles, this version of the song was recorded with John Scofield for his album That s What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles in 2005, featuring Mayer who is a blues guitarist and added additional vocals. As someone, who was only aware of the John Mayer version, I was surprised to see how well this ensemble was able to bring it back to its jazz routes, while also combining rock and roll. It was clear to me that the instrumentalist and vocalist appreciated this song more as they played with more enthusiasm than the rest. The ensemble was more colorful with the addition of guitar solos as well as saxophone solos. Although having many solos, the ensemble came together as a whole for this song and heightened the melody by blending well when there wasn’t a solo. This piece was the

Elements of Business Process Management- MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Elements of Business Process Management. Answer: Introduction The organizational change is one of the significant characteristics of the modern organization (Benn Dunphy and Griffiths 2014). There are certain organizations that have to respond unexpected changes and there are others who have done proper planning for handling the change (Benn Dunphy and Griffiths 2014). In both these cases, the introduction, management and the approach towards the change need effective approach, which would help in mitigating the various risks associated with the change (PetrouDemerouti and Xanthopoulou 2017). There are various reasons and dimensions for bringing in change in the workplace. The organizations are gearing up for incorporating changes in their organization since there is increased competition in the market and change is needed for surviving in this market. This case study would focus on the organizational change management in Mercy Public Hospitals. The hospital lacked an electronic medical record (EMR) framework or an IT system. Till now, the manual systems were used to keep records of patients, do billing and other administrative jobs. This new IT system needs to be implemented well in the organization. It is important to design effective change management strategies for this organization by the application of theory into practice. The modern organizations are gearing up for change owing to the dynamic environments that they operate in (Benn Dunphy and Griffiths 2014).There are five forces of change such as certainty, purpose, control, connection and success. These factors drive the organization to aim for success. The organization has been using the paper records for years and their staffs are comfortable with that (Penn and Pennix 2017). The hospital used to do all vital functions concerning inpatient as well as outpatient department manually. There were separate registers that were maintained for the departments. In the billing department, manual handwritten bills were given to the patients. However, there were inconveniences in using the manual systems. There were instances when the paper medical records were lost or misplaced (Huang and Handfield 2015). This prevented the clinicians from doing the perfect medical treatment of the patients, since they were unable to view the past medical history of the patients. There were also issues with the inter departmental coordination as there were issues with the transferring of the manual records from one place to other. This caused dissatisfaction among the customers and subsequently there was a decrease in the revenue generation of the hospital. The organization decided that it is the high time to implement computerized medical record in the hospital so that there is ease of hospital operations. Benefits of Change As opined by Cameron and Green (2015), there are many benefits of incorporating changes in the organization. It helps in the assessment of the success of the organization as well as helps in the motivation of the employees. It helps in the better alignment of the organizational resources (Benn Dunphy and Griffiths 2014). It is helpful in reducing the inefficiencies of the organization and strives to give the best organizational output. The hospital would be highly benefitted after the implementation of IT software in the hospital. There would be greater department efficiency and it would also increase the motivation of the employees since it would reduce the manual labor. There would be increased departmental efficiency and the clinicians would be able to render proper medical care by going through the past history of the patients. This is because the clinicians would have access to the medical records of the patients and they can get the records almost instantly. There would be enhanced communication between the key stakeholders of the hospital such as doctors, nurses, paramedics and administrative staffs. There would be increased return on investment as there would be more number of patients visiting the hospitals. This would also imply that there would be increased profit generation of the hospitals. There are usually two kinds of changes that are evident in the organizations. There can be planned change as well as there can be unplanned change (Hayes 2014). The unplanned changes are regarded as the reactive changes that happen instantly while the planned changes can be compared to proactive changes that take place subsequently (Benn Dunphy and Griffiths 2014). However, there are situations when the line of difference between the planned and unplanned changes gets blurred. In Mercy Public Hospital, there was planned change as the senior management found it justified that it is necessary to create a digital framework in the hospital. This planned change was conceptualized after a series of meetings and discussions among the senior hospital managers and the Board of Trustees. The benefits, costs, ROI and the resources required for such change process were also discussed in these meetings. The meetings also discussed the possible risks to the change management process such as employees resistance to change. The outcomes of these meetings were that a proper change management process was identified and the measures that would be taken to mitigate the risks were also discussed. Planned Change Process The process of planned change is concerned with the intentional as well as goal oriented changes that are evident in the organizations (Burke and Noumair 2015). It can be defined as the ability to plan as well as implement the change process for fulfilling the organizational objectives (Rosemann and vomBrocke 2015). In Mercy Public Hospital, the managers adopted a planned approach for implementing the new EMR systems. The managers examined the current system thoroughly and analyzed the need of implementing the new IT system. They gained the fundamental understanding of the existing business processes and noted the stakeholders that would be impacted by the change process. The hospital managers consulted with the IT experts and designed a Visio diagram of the EMR model. This blueprint specified the exact design specification as well as functions of the components of EMR. This was followed by examining as well as streamlining the current workflows. This step was followed by the formulation of project timeline for the completion of project. The next step in the change management process was to inform all the employees who would be directly as well as well indirectly related with the usage of the IT system. This can be in the form of awareness sessions, seminars and one to one discussion sessions. I t is important to have satisfying degree of user adoption so that they embrace the new system when it is fully implemented. There are instances of increased resistances to the change process (Watson 2013). This is because of the fact that the employees may have different kinds of fears or apprehensions regarding the type of change in the system (Craig Nevin and Odum 2014). The EMR system and the subsequent change in the management system were not welcomed well by the employees. They were reluctant to undergo the change process since they felt that if IT systems are implemented in the system, then they may get eliminated and may lose their jobs. The older employees were against the new system since they felt that it is too complicated for them. The hospital doctors felt that they did not have sufficient time to learn the new system. The hospital administrators dealt with these resistances in a positive manner. There were counseling sessions for the employees who helped them to clear their fears, doubts and apprehensions. The senior management as well as IT team was present to clear all their doubts. They were mad understood that there would be no redundancy and that the new change process would help them to perform their day to day job in a better manner. The old employees were assured that they would be provided adequate training about the new IT software so that they can use them in their day to day lives. The hospital clinicians were assured that relevant practical trainings of new EMR would be provided to them in their own convenient time so that they can avail the software training. Conclusion The organizational change is one of the most significant aspects of the modern organizations that are important for maintaining competitive advantage. This report focused on the organizational change management process in Mercy Public Hospital. The hospital lacked an electronic medical record (EMR) framework or an IT system and hence it decided to implement a robust IT system for increasing the organizational productivity. The different forces of change in the hospital are discussed such as the inconveniences of using the manual systems. The different benefits of the organization that would be gained by the implementation of the change management process are defined. The different types of changes defined by the subsequent changes in the organization are defined. There are mainly two types of changes such as planned changes as well as unplanned changes. In Mercy Public Hospital, there is planned change process for implementing the EMR process. The different steps of the implementatio n of the change process are defined. There are different resistances to changes, which are discussed in detail. This report has contributed to better understanding of the organizational change concepts. I think organizational behavior is the most important aspect if we are working in real organizations. It is responsible for correct organizational culture which increases the employee productivity (Miner 2015). I have worked in two organizations and have learnt the different aspects of the organizational behavior. I learned that there is subsequent increase in my performance when we had correct behavior among the team members. In the initial phases, the team members were not cooperative and hence they were several issues in the organizing and performance of the tasks. However, there was an improvement of the interpersonal relationships of the employees, which resulted in good employee behavior among the team members. This helped me to improve the behavioral aspects of the team and there was achievement of the targets. The team was able to achieve the production targets and this was due to increased organizational behavior. Prior to the good organizational behavior, there was reduced organizational coordination and the employees rarely supported each other due to their ego clashes. All the employees engaged in their individual work and they rarely supported each other during the team interactions. They were often views engaging in organizational politics, which often decreases the organizational productivity. These problems were resolved once there was an improvement in the team bonding, which was the output of the enhanced organizational behavior.The organizational behavior is an integral part of the change process as an improper workplace behavior would not foster change in the organization. Motivation is one of the most important aspects of the workplaces, which are increasingly becoming popular. I have realized that motivation is the core element needed for organizational productivity. Earlier, there were lack of motivation in the workplace, which resulted from the poor compensation structure and poor organizational structure. However, after one and half year, the employees were given appraisals and their salary packages were increased. This improved the motivation of the employees of the organization as there were other good organizational policies that were introduced. There were financial as well as non-financial benefits given to the employees and hence this increased the motivation level of the employees. I also felt that I am eager to do more work when I am motivated. I do not feel the burden of work when I am motivated. The organization took various initiatives of improving the motivation of the employees. The employee engagement activities were instrumental in improving the interpersonal relationships of the employees and they achieved greater motivation levels. The training and development activities are also useful in improving the motivation of the employees (Noe et al.2014). If the employees are motivated enough, then they would be able to implement the change process in a better manner.They would be the torchbearers of change and they would lead the change process. References Benn, S., Dunphy, D. and Griffiths, A., 2014.Organizational change for corporate sustainability. Routledge. Burke, W.W. and Noumair, D.A., 2015.Organization development: A process of learning and changing. FT Press. Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2015.Making sense of change management: a complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Craig, A.R., Nevin, J.A. and Odum, A.L., 2014. Resistance to Change.The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Operant and Classical Conditioning, p.249. Hayes, J., 2014.The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave Macmillan. Huang, Y.Y. and Handfield, R.B., 2015. Measuring the benefits of ERP on supply management maturity model: a big data method.International Journal of Operations Production Management,35(1), pp.2-25. Miner, J.B., 2015.Organizational behavior 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. Routledge. Noe, R.A., Wilk, S.L., Mullen, E.J. and Wanek, J.E., 2014. Employee Development: Issues in Construct Definition and Investigation ofAntecedents.Improving Training Effectiveness in WorkOrganizations, ed. JK Ford, SWJ Kozlowski, K. Kraiger, E. Salas, and MS Teachout (Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1997), pp.153-189. Penn, I.A. and Pennix, G.B., 2017.Records management handbook. Routledge. Petrou, P., Demerouti, E. and Xanthopoulou, D., 2017. Regular versus cutback-related change: The role of employee job crafting in organizational change contexts of different nature.International Journal of Stress Management,24(1), p.62. Rosemann, M. and vomBrocke, J., 2015. The six core elements of business process management. InHandbook on business process management 1(pp. 105-122). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Watson, G., 2013. Resistance to change.R. Cohen, J. McManus, D. Fox, C. Kastelnik, Psych City: A Simulated Community, pp.246-257.

Sectionalism in the early-mid free essay sample

In fact, the War in general essentially served as an ignition to the division of the sections. Even further dividing the sections, the Protective Tariff of 1814 put a 25% tax on all imported goods. This means that a roll of cloth from Britain that originally sold for $5 would now cost $6. 25. This greatly helped the North British factories often sold goods cheaper than the factories in New England did in order to sell more. Due to the tariff, the North now had the best price and farmers in the west and south were forced to buy from New England factories.To help out the south, the government would spend some of their refits from the tariffs on transportation improvements in the south and west. The south and west, however, was angered by the tariff. The transportation improve-meets, they argued, did not help them significantly. Overall, they felt the north was benefiting from the tariff at their expense. We will write a custom essay sample on Sectionalism in the early-mid or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Sectionalism was such a widespread and realized problem that three sectional representatives one for each section emerged. Henry Clay spoke for the west. Although he was a sectional leader, Clay has been called one Of the most nationalistic leaders in Americas history.Clay had always tried to improve national unity, but unfortunately, many of his ideas never went into effect. John C. Calhoun was the sectional representative for the south. He was an opinionated man, and believed the states should have more power than the federal government. Calhoun also strongly opposed the tariffs. The northern delegate was Daniel Webster. Webster, unlike Calhoun, believed that there should be a stronger federal government, and also supported tariffs. Even the presidential elections were linked to sectionalism. After John QuinceAdams narrowly won the heated election of 1824, he and Andrew Jackson ran against each other in the election of 1828. John Quince Adams was a Federalist who liked to be considered authority rather than a common person. Andrew Jackson was quite the opposite. A republican (now called a democrat), one of the key elements in Jacksons campaign was showing that he was one of the people and spoke for everybody, not just people with money. Due to this, many voters from New England (north) voted for John Quince Adams, while nearly everybody from the south and west voted forAndrew Jackson. In the end, Jackson easily won the election. The same year Jackson was elected, a new tariffs issued. This tariff was one of the highest tariffs in American History. The south called it the Tariff of Abominations because they hated it so much. Solely helping the north and devastating the south and west, this new tariff passed in 1 828 widened the gap that separated the north from the west and south. Southern sectional leader John Calhoun wanted to nullify the tariff. He said that states should have the right to nullify a law they thought was unconstitutional.Northern representative Daniel Webster attacked this idea, saying how if states could nullify whatever they pleased, there would be a lack of organization and no reason for a federal government. Eventually, Webster wins this argument. In a political dinner, Calhoun found out that he did not have support from president Andrew Jackson, and resigned from the argument. Still infuriated about the steep tariff, North Carolina threatened to secede from the Union. Jackson compromised that he would reduce the tariff, but also make sure North Carolina remained a member of the United States by sing the Army. This lack of national unity had unfortunate effects on the nation. People often referred to themselves by their section rather than country. There was a distinct difference in lifestyles the south was more agricultural while the north was more industrial. The string of events, starting with the War of 1812 and worsening with tariffs, put a hamper on national unity. Although the United States was independent, they were divided among themselves. Can a nation call itself independent when its population only wants to support its section, not the nation as a whole?

Roman Sports essays

Roman Sports essays Throughout history entertainment has varied. The ancient Romans set a prime example as a people who loved sports and games. Similarities between the Romans and the modern sports fan can be seen with their love for races and violence. Vespasin, who is considered to be one of the greatest builders of roman time, built the Colloseum in A.D. 80 (Scarre 70). To honor the occasion he held one hundred days of continuous competition. Over five thousand gladiators were believed to have taken part in the one hundred days of games, but no accurate record of the match outcomes exist to this day (Cowell 173). Known as the Flavian Amphitheatre in its time, the Colloseum held fifty-five thousand spectators (Scarre 70). It stood a height of one hundred fifty nine feet and is one of the greatest architectural achievements of mankind (71). The crowds of the gladiatorial games were spiteful and excited by the amount of blood that was shed in the arena (Rowell 160). Criminals were forced to fight to their death, and the loser of each match was often executed by his opponent upon condemnation of the crowd (161). After the bloodletting of the gladiatorial combat, men dressed as demonic figures removed the disemboweled corpses from the arena (Arnott 40). These warriors of all shapes and sizes entrenched themselves in combat. One category of gladiator was the Samnite. They wore cumbersome armor along with a visor helmet accented by a crest and plume. In one hand they carried a large oblong shield, and in the other a sword or a lance with a sleeve on the arm. The remainder of the gladiators fell under the category of Thracian. These combatants attire featured bands of leather around the leg or thigh. For their weapon they brandished a curved scimitar and used a small round shield opposed to the Samnites large oblong defense. These different types of gladiators often fought against each other and the contrast in the way they dresses he...

The influence of Italian Art upon the work of Peter Ruben essays

The influence of Italian Art upon the work of Peter Ruben essays Peter Paul Rubens, a Flemish Baroque painter of the sixteenth and seventeenth Century focused his work namely upon the nude, a typical fixation, especially with Italian based artists during the Renaissance and Mannerism periods. Italy - particularly Florence and Rome was at the heart of the Renaissance A period of New Learning and the rebirth of Classical Art and Literature and therefore produced many prominent artists who inevitably influenced the work of many aspiring young followers of the Renaissance era. However, as the Catholic Church became increasingly unsatisfied with the mannerists work as it no longer honoured the spirituality the Church required. Therefore a new form of art was created Baroque A style of which Ruben was renowned for due to fact that he fundamentally revitalized and redirected Northern European painting as Renaissance art gradually began to lose popularity with secular authorities, yet kept its freedom and classical themes. The Renaissance was a period of great creative inspiration, from which many artists used as a motive to move away from the restrictive methods of Byzantine - a style that framed itself primarily upon the glorification of God. Throughout the 15th century artists studied the natural world, perfecting their understanding of such subjects as anatomy and perspective. The High Renaissance was of the great explosions of creative genius in history, and produced many masterpieces still thought of as irreplaceable to date. Despite this, Rubens was one of the earlier Baroque artists who realised the intricate and over-complicated style of mannerism and late Renaissance work would not achieve any strong emotive outcome. Rubens, raised initially as a Calvinist, taught by humanist scholars and finally re-baptised into Roman Catholicism was inevitably to become an artists who devoted much of his talent into the glorification of religion, which was ...

American muscle cars (supercharged are better than turbocharged) Thesis

American muscle cars (supercharged are better than turbocharged) - Thesis Example Evolution of American muscle cars began during the 1960s. According to Leffingwell and Holmstrom (2006), the development of V-8 engine technology played a substantial role in materializing the muscle car. The millions of baby boomers who entered the market during the middle of the 20th century were attracted toward V-8 engine. The American automobile customers behaved according as there curiosity and demand for the turbocharging and supercharging technologies of that time. They were not interested to create physical stereotypes for the car body. This is the reason behind the fact that diverse models of muscle cars were made available during the 1970s and 1980s. In this way, both the agile Camaro and powerful Roadrunner were accepted by the contemporary younger generations as muscle cars (Mueller, 2011). Contextually, an informative socio-technological analysis shows that muscle cars were no mere show items. Leffingwell and Holmstrom (2006) have explored the characteristics of social acceptance of the powerful turbocharged and supercharged engine techniques that culminated at the reinvention of automobile design and use with global implications. Although the different companies like Ford, General Motors, Chevrolet, etc. launched there own product categories and product line, the main objective of achieving more and more engine power remained in tact throughout the industry policy makers. And people were so obsessed with the different features of these cars that the companies continued to produce newer editions of the older models with certain new features. For example, some customers would love the sound of a turbocharged engine as it accelerated; while some other customers wished to have curves on the bonnet of the car they bought †¦ and so on! (Gunnell, 2005; McClurg, 2005). However, when the petroleum industry became turbulent due to certain international

International Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Business - Assignment Example In order to analyse the appraisal, the report focuses upon four important factors like that of motivation of IKEA for going international, the selection of the market, the entry strategy of the company in the selected market and the corporate strategy. The report also has a dedicated section reinstating the major points in the summary and conclusions. Established in the year of 1943 by a teen ager named Ingvar Kamprad (who was only seventeen years old), IKEA came a long way to be an industry leader in the arena of home products that include furniture, accessories, kitchen and bathroom all across the globe. The acronym IKEA stands for ‘Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd’ and is managed by a Dutch registered foundation. This retail giant has total employee strength of more than 127,000 and the core competency of the company is that of manufacturing and selling assembled furniture. The company basically works with the concept of franchisee. This leading furniture brand targets to encompass major part of the society as it believes in providing world class products to the mass. For the purpose, it inculcates the strategy of competitive pricing. The company also has strong initiatives in the aspects of social responsibilities and environmental programs along with charitable involvements. It can be said without doubt that th ese factors have been instrumental for the success of the organizational in the international market. Bank of America along with the US investment bank, Merrill Lynch is one of the world’s largest brokerage firms. It has a client asset of $ 2.2 trillion. More than 15000 financial advisors are associated with the company to serve its clients from 150 countries. In United States, its portfolio covers 99% of US fortune 500 companies and 83% of Fortune Global 500 companies. It is a global leader on services in investment banking solutions which includes global high-yield debt, global M&A, commercial lending and global equity. The investment

Conflict Management Styles Essay Example for Free

Conflict Management Styles Essay Conflict usually occurs when individuals within a group or organization has differences in opinions. When individuals are in a disagreement about something like policies and procedures or even the overall direction of which an organization or company is heading it can become very frustrating. As we all know conflict the process of conflict usually begins when an individual or party has perceived the other part and it has showed a negative impact or will affect something that another party cares about. According to the readings in Chapter 15 the early approach of conflict saw that all conflict was labeled to be bad. Conflict then had a negative vibe and was used often to be linked with such terms as violence, destruction, or irrationality as reinforcement to its negative association. There are several types of conflict from the integrationist point of view that includes functional and dysfunctional conflict. Functional conflict usually arises during when the goals of a group are supported and the performance rises. On the other hand dysfunctional conflict is conflicts that hinder the performance of the group as a whole. The conflict process consists of five stages that include potential opposition, incompatibility, cognition and personalization, intentions, behaviors, and outcomes. In my workplace the most common form of conflict management is potential opposition and incompatibility. I have worked for Viking Range Corporation for 10 years now and I enjoy my work there. My Supervisor is always open for communication but this is one of the most vital parts that bring about conflict in my organization. Most of the times communication plays a huge role in the effectiveness of the company. Communication is the biggest problem that we have as a whole throughout the facility because there always seem to be conflict that arises between departments on part outages, and department personnel. Conflict is something we can’t avoid whether at home or at the workplace. Conflict will be present in just about every human interaction that we come across and this can make the strategies that we use for conflict management very important. According to (Conflict Management Home-versus-work) â€Å"Conflict management strategies vitally increase the performance and effectiveness of an individual and in turn the effectiveness of the organization as a whole. † I am an individual that can’t handle or try to avoid conflict. I have been a part of a lot of confrontations and I try to avoid them at all costs. â€Å"In the same article Rahim and Bonama’s (1979) categorization of the styles of settling interpersonal conflict is based on two facades, first when a person considers himself and his own concerns and the second when a person considers others and the concerns of others. Their styles for handling conflict include an integrating style in which a person considers his style and the styles of others. Secondly would be the avoiding style in which the individual has no concerns for their self as well as others. Thirdly would be obliging in which the individual posses a concern for others but not himself. The next one is the dominating style in which the individual has high concerns for himself for low concerns for others. Lastly we have the compromising style in which the individual possess some consideration for himself and some for others. I can relate more to the dominating style because in my organization every department is usually out for themselves meaning they like to maintain a high standard by any means. However, one thing that I have learned that is being a part of the business world there will always be some form of conflict and differences of opinions will arise so it is best to handle the situation immediately. By acknowledging that there is conflict present and communication has come to a standstill we can decrease the problems that unsolved conflict can bring about in any organization. One way that we deal with conflict in our organization is by acknowledging the goals of each department as well as the employees. The Supervisor over our department does not handle conflict well and he tries to avoid any altercations at all costs. With me being next in line he will usually push things of this nature off for me to handle. I often deal with the situations by bringing the employees into the office to see what the problem is in forms of communication and what caused the problem to begin with. I have tried to encourage my Supervisor to deal with situations in the future before they occur and he has taken steps on his own to deal with situations where he sense conflict. He can actually sense when there is a lack of communication and conflict is about to arise so he stops it before it starts by bringing both individuals into the office to try and get to the root of the problem before something major happens. This same occurrence can happen between male and female management personnel that can’t seem to see eye to eye and have issues that lead to conflict. According to (Conflict Management Modes and Leadership Styles) â€Å"most individual characteristics have an impact on the instruments analyzed, for example: younger managers are more task-oriented, while older managers are typically relationship- oriented and avoid conflicts, women are more collaborative and avoid conflicts less and men tend to use the accommodating mode more than women. â€Å"Rather surprisingly, according to our survey, women appear to be more competitive than men. The compromising style of conflict matches my personal preference tremendously, because I can relate to this style in my organization on a day to day basis. Being in my field of work there will always be a competition between the male and female employees as well as male and female management personnel. I look at this as something that will be unavoidable because there will always be a power struggle between the genders. So I try to look at things from a bigger perspective and consider both parties involved because there will always be differences in opinions.

The Character of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

The Character of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice Often, The character Shylock, in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, is portrayed as a beastly monstrosity, with a lust for Antonio's life. Through a more careful examination it can be determined that Shylock was an upstanding member of his community, who endured abuse, forgave easily, and upheld the customs and law. Shylock endured much of Antonio's abuse, overt a long period of time. This can be seen by the sheer volume of disgraces he has bore. A good example is in Act 3 Scene 1, beginning with line 52: "He hath disgraced me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies..." -Shylock Shylock had such a magnanimous spirit, that he even offered Antonio, who had abused him terribly, a loan, free of interest. Shylock was willing to loan money to one who totally ruined him in public, on terms that were nicer than his normal business terms. This kind, forgiving heart can be seen in Act 1 Scene 3 beginning with line 148: "Why, look how you storm ! I would be friends with you and have your love, forget the names that you have stained me with, supply your present needs and take no doit of usance for my moneys, and you'll not hear me! This is kind I offer." -Shylock Often, this quote from Act 3 Scene 1 line 83, "Why, there, there, there, there! A diamond gone cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfurt! The curse never fell upon our nation till now, I never felt it till now. Two thousand ducats in that and other precious, precious, jewels! I would my daughter were dead at my foot and the jewels in her ear;" portraying Shylocks' treatment of his daughter, after she ran away, is manipulated to make Shylock seem beastly. But, within the Jewish culture and the time period, his response was appropriate. After his daughter ran away, she was, for all intents and purposes, disowned. Thusly, the theft of

History Of Data Processing Essay

Data processing is a shop that works in many different working fields. One thing you do in data processing is learning to computer programming. In my shop we are learning to program in Visual Basic and QuickBasic. Programming is used to tell a computer what to do. Using code you can make programs that can answer math problems, which would take someone, days to calculate in a brief second. In data processing we also learn to word process. Word processing is taking written text and being able to save and manipulate the text as desired. We also use databases in organizing large sums of information. Another thing we learn to do is make web sites, using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). In prehistoric times Data Processing was done with no machines. Machines did not exist at this time. People had just started thinking, and creating ways to organize the little amount of information they had. Using many different forms of languages, they engraved most of their information into stone, or painted with animal blood on cave walls and large stones. These engravings and drawing were the first real usage of word processing, which is a large part of data processing. It was not until the first account of written history, and the creation of machines that things could be processed a lot faster and accurately. Data Processing started to grow and have worth. During the year A.D. 300 data processing started to grow. The first true calculator was invented called the soroban, which was invented by the Chinese.# A strobe was a tool made of rows of pebbles, used for basic addition and subtraction. Japan also had their own version of the soroban, but it was only a little different. The soroban is one of the reasons that we have calculators today. When machines were finally developed around 1886 when Charles Babbage invented the Difference Engine. This machine used gears to do math and calculated complicated things very quickly. Most people thought that the Difference Engine Babbage was worth nothing, but a few people thought that it was the start of a great thing. One person who was very interested in the engine was Mr. Wilkins accounted in Babbage’s Journal. He talked with Babbage for days about his invention and was really the only person who thought it was advancement in calculation technology. From machines like this we grew too better, small, and more efficient calculation tools. Present day data processing is now done mostly on a computer. Computers completely revolutionized and changed data processing. The first successful computer was invented by an American inventor during the year 1888. Herman Hollerith, who devised a punch card system, used electronic charged nails that when a card passed threw it would create a circuit, which another machines would read and record it. This was later used to sum up the censuses. The first digital computer was invented by John Atanasoff during the year 1944. Atanasoff was a mathematician and physics at the time. This computer is many times faster and is where all computers today were started and influenced by. Instead of just using analog hardware, digital hardware. This hardware made the computer use half as much power, and made them 3 times smaller. The first general-purpose computer was created by two engineers during the year of 1945; the computer was called Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer (ENIAC). ENIAC was invented by Developed by John Presper and John W. Mauchly. ENIAC took up one thousand five hundred feet and was 1000 times faster then all the other computers created before it. It also consumed so much power that it would make the light in Philadelphia dim, that’s how much power it would take to run it. The next really big advancement in computer took place around 1951 when Eckert and Mauchly completed a more advanced computer called UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer), which ended up being the first commercial computer. The first UNIVAC was installed at the U.S. Census bureau in June 1951. The types of computer we use today are called Personal Computers (PC’s). Two young Americans, Steven Jobs and Stephen Wozniak, who later founded Apple Computer, Inc created PC’s around 1975. These computers were much cheaper and finally became available to people. In the past, computers were only available to scientist because of the price, and how hard they were to understand how to work with them. The personal computer was later revolutionized by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 when they created the operating systems MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) which sold more then Apple sold in one week then they did over a year. With their new operating system they were unstoppable. Many other programs were created as time went on. One very important program that was created was the word processor. The word processor was first created in the mid 1980s which was an efficient was to organized words. It was placed in almost every computer. Many other advancement happen everyday. Computers always seem to be getting faster and increase in memory. People also expected the computer to become bigger but in reality ended up just getting smaller and smaller over time. As time passes by more advanced, and efficient programs are created, and better operating systems invented. Who knows where the computer will end up in the future? Data processing also has many different things that are new to it. One new thing in data processing is word processing. Word processing is taking written or thought and putting the text in to a computer program which always you to print, edit, and make it look business format. Word processing can be used to create many different business standard documents. Using Microsoft Word, which is the business standard program for businesses, you can make resumes look like a million dollars, and memos looking like they were met to be written in stone. In data processing we also make an assortments of databases. Databases can be used for many different things. One-way databases (Which we create using Microsoft Access) are used, is for  organizing large sums of information and help with the processing of that information. Databases in business’s are used a lot of times to create programs for barcode machines with all the prices in the machines. Have you ever been to market basket or your local food store and looked at the screen, which sums up all of your purchases, well databases are what make that work. Data processing also has a new thing called the Internet, which is mainly made with HTML programming language. Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) is mainly used for the Internet because you can put a lot of information into a small file. When you put a web site that was programmed in HTLM code on the Internet, that file can be downloaded very quickly over a slow Internet connection. Last but not least in data processing now uses the computer to create worksheets. Worksheets are used to do many different things but mainly used to do accounting for a company or small business. Worksheets are a quick and easy way to sum up many different businesses accounts receivable and debit they have. Then after you figure it all out with formulas, you can chart the whole thing out and publish it so that the whole world can see it on the Internet (if you want it to be published). In conclusion, data processing has not really changed over the times it has just become faster, and more efficient. As time goes by who knows how much easier it will be to process large amount of information, we the human probably wont even any of it because it will all be done by the computer automatically. But who knows where things will go with data processing. We are always doing, and making better things.

Father John World Youth Day Speech Essay

The Holy Father John Paul II starts off his speech by analogizing the young people of the world. It is the celebration of the 20th world youth day. The theme of the next world youth day is â€Å"we have come to worship him. † it is a theme that allows young people from all over the world to follow in spirit the path taken by the Magi, and meet the Messiah. Just like the Magi the young people are setting out on a journey from every region of the world to go to Cologne. You mist be prepared spiritually, with full faith and hear what God has to say. The only reason that the Magi made it to Bethlehem was because they allowed themselves to robe guided by the star. It is important to pay attention to the signs that God is using to call us and guide us. When we are aware that he is leading us then we experience great happiness and a urge to meet him. He started off as poor to show us his divine glory which we shall achieve in heaven. We are set before the mystery of a God who lowered himself to take on human form to give up his life on the cross. Even though he had great wealth he became poor so that we may become wealthy. Faithfully following the path of our savior from the time of his birth to the time of his death we can better understand the mystery of his love which redeems us. The child born of Mary is the Man-God. That same savior is present in the Eucharist. He offers himself to us as the food of eternal life. As the Magi worshiped him in Mary’s arms we can worship him in the Eucharist. The Magi gave the Messiah gifts which symbolize true worship. We to offer the Lord gold but it is our freedom to follow him out of love, and responding faithfully to his call. We should be worshippers of the only true God, giving him pride of place in your lives. Sadly there are people who look for the solution to their problems in religious practices that are not compatible with the Christian faith. Reject the desire of wealth and the lustful temptations. Listening to God causes us to make brave choices, and sometimes may be seen as something heroic. Those who are called to serve him in priesthood must not be afraid. Even those who are not baptized are ignited to attend world youth day. By meeting in Cologne we are becoming better Christian people. This speech that was by father John Paul II was very good. I feel as if we are just like the Magi in a lot of way. There are so many things that the Magi did back then when Jesus was born that symbolizes stuff that we can do in today’s world. The first is worshiping the Eucharist as the Magi worshiped baby Jesus. Just like they showed their faith in God and followed the signs that he presented to them, we can follow God’s signs by not ignoring his calls to us to take up priesthood. As the Magi went to Bethlehem to worship the Lord when we to can worship the lord by going to church and participating in religious practices. If we choose the right choices in life and follow Christ like the Magi’s did then when can achieve eternal happiness.

8 Good Presents for College Students to Give to Mom

8 Good Presents for College Students to Give to Mom Gift-giving occasions like Christmas, Hanukkah and Mothers Day often come at a rough time for college students. They tend to fall at the end of the semester, a time when finals are quickly approaching and funds may be running low. Still, you want to show your mom youre thinking of her and appreciate everything shes done for you. Given those limitations, college students sometimes need to be a little creative when it comes to giving gifts. Gifts to Give If You Have a Little Cash 1. Share your school pride. Swing by the campus bookstore for some mom-themed school paraphernalia. See if you can snag one of those [your university name here] Mom T-shirts or sweatshirts so she can show off how proud she is to have a kid in college. 2. Go with a classic. Send her a bouquet of her favorite flowers, or incorporate that flower into a more affordable arrangement. You can find an online seller or contact a local florist in your hometown, and be sure to ask if they offer a student discount or have a promo code for first-time buyers. Keep at mind prices might spike during times of high demand (like Mothers Day), so consider sending hers a few days early. Youll save some money while still letting her know you care. 3. Show her how generous she taught you to be. If your mom has a favorite charity, make a donation in her name. Not only is it thoughtful, its budget friendly because you can choose to donate however much you can afford (and you dont need to tell her how much you spent). Gifts Even Broke College Students Can Afford 1. Say thanks. Take a picture of yourself holding a big piece of paper or poster saying THANKS! in front of your school. You can put it on the front of a homemade card or put it in a frame. 2. Give her your time. Make a coupon redeemable for some quality time together when youre not in school. It can be good for a cup of coffee, lunch, dinner or dessert - your treat, of course. 3. Give her something shes given you. Offer to make her a homemade dinner when you get home. Even if youre just learning to cook or are limited in the kitchen, there are plenty of easy recipes for college students you can try. At the very least, shell appreciate the effort. 4. Take some time to write down your thoughts. It can be really hard to find the perfect card in a store, so make one yourself. Most moms would rather have an original, sincere, handwritten card than another generic gift anyway. 5. Pick up the phone. Dont forget to call! If you have room to improve in the call Mom department, consider giving a gift of setting a weekly phone date for you two to check in with each other.

Expository Essay Writing

Expository Essay Writing Here are the main steps to follow when writing an expository essay. An expository essay is a type of paper, in which a student is supposed to set a concrete argument and then support it within the text. It is strongly recommended to plan your paper before writing it. The writer needs to find a good analytical question and create a powerful thesis statement. The main goals of an expository essay may be expressed by the following statements: An expository essay performs the analysis of a concrete concept. An expository essay is about an event, a situation or a scientific work. An expository essay explains some instructions  or describes how things should be done. To get a complete answer to the question What is an expository essay?, read our article on this topic: What Is an Expository Essay? Below are some tips for expository writing from our professional writers. 6  Steps of Expository Essay Writing Expository essays need to follow a specific pattern. Here are steps a student needs to take in order to create a substantial expository essay. Step 1:  Keep the main topic in sight. The topic is expected to be easy enough but try not to make it too general or too narrow. And if you have a choice of the subject, try something interesting and new. Select a topic which is exciting to read and avoid those ones that are difficult to write on. Step 2:  Collect the facts, do the background research. In the first place remember to mention the facts from reliable sources like peer-reviewed journals, books, and newspapers. It is a great idea to use statistics, research findings, chronicles of previous events and historical facts – everything that will provide your reader with a broad picture of the topic you have chosen. Step 3:  Define your thesis statement. Try to use this statement in the first paragraph. You may also mention your thesis statement in the last sentence of your essay. If you put it in your first paragraph, you should dwell on it in greater detail in subsequent sentences. If you decide to put the statement at the end, make sure the sentences preceding it are logically connected with one another, and gradually lead the reader to your thesis statement. Step 4:  Group the facts in body paragraphs.  Each body paragraph should offer one main idea. Use relevant facts and figures in each body paragraph. Avoid repeating same facts in different paragraphs. Step 5:  Use transition sentences between paragraphs. You should finish one paragraph logically and then transit into the next one, making your entire text coherent and logical. If you dont do this, your essay will lose its flow and structure. Step 6:  Make a conclusion.The conclusion of the essay sums up the essay and reiterates its main thoughts. Try not to repeat what you mentioned in your introduction to avoid redundancy in your text. Now when you are familiar with the main steps of expository writing, lets choose the topic for an expository essay: 50 Most Popular Expository Essay Topics Knowing the main rules and principles of expository essay writing you will be able to create excellent expository essays. If you have questions or still need additional clarification,  contact us, please. If you need your expository essay to be written and well-structured, place an order.  

Political Climate in the 1950s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Political Climate in the 1950s - Essay Example The political scenario suffered in the shape of the communist opposition party dwindling into insignificance. With their downfall, America lost the institutional network that had created a public space where alternatives to the current workings of the government could be presented and be challenged. By late 1950s, thousands of men and women had lost their jobs, hundreds had been deported or sent to prison, and two had been executed. Most, but not all, of these people had once been in or near the American Communist Party. [6] [7] Also the social policy reforms including national insurance policy supported by the leftist also fell apart. McCarthyism further contributed to the attenuation of the reform impulse by diverting the attention of the labor movement, the strongest institution within the left-liberal coalition, from external organizing to internal politicking. [5] [6] America's cultural and intellectual life in the 1950s also suffered from McCarthyism. TV and radio offered a bland menu of quiz shows and Westerns during late 1950s so that no relation could be made to communism and its views. Similarly the film industry cautiously restrained itself from indulging into controversial social or political issues. On the international political front, an opposition to the Cold War had been so thoroughly identified with communism that it was no longer possible to challenge the basic assumptions of American foreign policy without incurring suspicions of disloyalty. [5] [6] What Is Meant By The Term Politics Of Consensus Politics of consensus means common frameworks and policies agreed between all political parties that are adopted by the government. During the years 1945 to 1979, this practice was observed by the government of Britain. The Conservative Party and Labour Party, which were the two major political parties in Britain at that time, were in consensus over certain basic government policies. All the political scientists and media commentators agreed with the policies introduced in the decades after World War II. Changes in the government responsibility such as the welfare state, the National Health Service (NHS), and widespread nationalization of industry, were some of the policies that were agreed unconditionally by both parties. [2] During the late 1970s, the political consensus eventually started to break up. The Conservative Party and the Labour Party were getting at odds over each other. With the sudden rise in oil price in early 1970s, drew a new economic experience of 'stagflation', where high inflation was combined with high unemployment. The Conservative Party challenged the political consensus of the use Keynesian economics by the government. The increasing differences of economic opinion between the two parties finally ended the consensus that was agreed in previous decades. [2] Why Did The Civil Rights Movement Begin In The 1950s After the end of World War II, the blacks (Negro) became increasingly active socially. Discrimination in the military services and in the work force challenged them from getting any important positions. In the South, Blacks had been put to near slavery conditions with the Black Codes and the Jim Crow Laws. As a result many left southern farms for northern cities in search for better jobs. When they found crowded and discriminatory conditions

My Life Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

My Life Philosophy - Assignment Example Having experienced Western culture to a great extent my life philosophy had begun to take on such a tenor. It wasn’t until my visit to Iran that I became more in touch with my religious background. My mother was trying to be religious, so one of the essential stops on the trip was at the JÄ meh Mosque of IsfahÄ n. The people have a routine to visit the mosque every Friday, which is why they call the mosques in Iran Friday mosques. The spiritual feeling inside the mosque, the architecture that helps you feel comfortable spending many hours with a huge amount of people, all praying at the same time, made this the best part of the trip, and a changing point in my life philosophy. I remember walking throughout open area and viewing the iwan walls and thinking about the thousands of peoples who have walked in these very same areas and thought similar things. The meaning for me was to make me feel very small and insignificant when compared with the entire progress of history and time. The mosque led me to consider the nature of my own life and realize that while my problems seem large on the grand scale of humanity they are actually quite small. For me, the mosque emanated this holy feeling more so than a western church, as the entire Iranian population and indeed the city seemed to center around the structure. Since my visit to this mosque, I have been a devout follower of the Muslim faith. I believe that there is only one God, Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger. I have a belief in the afterlife that is preordained by Allah. I also believe in the Five Pillars of faith and make my best effort to adhere to their tenants in my daily life. Among these include the Salah or ritual prayer. This ritual is an essential part of my life philosophy as it constantly reminds me that my ultimate purpose in existence is my relation with Allah.  

Contemporary Future Trends Executive Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporary Future Trends Executive Memo - Essay Example A common tendency however is to think that current crime trends and violence in prisons and such issues are contemporary because of some social criteria that causes these problems. Security over the years has evolved to a commercial business. Most people have realized the need for commercial security. (Bayley and Shearing, 2001), illustrated on their report that majority of investors who invested in the security industry have got their investment in double. It is important to note that the knowledge, regulation and the impact private security has over the community is evolving daily. While some people have shown interest in the current and future industry trends, the majorities are still fond and prefer the traditional blue-colored police force services (Manning, 2005). The privatization of the security industry is a very delicate matter and if not handled wisely could lead to polarization of security agencies, segregation of some communities especially the marginalized groups. In order to stay informed on the recent developments and trends, it is important to observe its effects on the contemporary world. In keeping up with the current trends, law enforcement agencies and courts have as well been highly influenced to shape up according to the contemporary social expectations. Much influence has been from Hollywood films and television shows. Television shows such as Boston Legal, Law & Order and the like are a major influence on the emerging trends in the courts and Law enforcement. Countries like Russia have eventually adopted the jury system and a lot of credit goes to the television films on the importance of the jury system. It is important for policymakers to decide on the best and most effective way to implement laws and policies and ensure that the social trends expected by the society. There also should be an evaluation of the best approach to take so that a community

Alternative Energy Sources Essay Example for Free

Alternative Energy Sources Essay What does a car, heater, and stove have in common? They are all powered by fuel sources. The most popular being fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are dead plant and animal matter that has been compressed and heated over millions of years. They are burned to create heat, which in turn creates energy. However, with heavy industrialization (agricultural and manufacturing), transportation, and personal energy use, our world’s fossil fuel supplies are rapidly depleting. Even more, fossil fuels pollute our environment. Scientists are on the search for alternative energy sources so the world can be weaned of its fossil fuel supply. Out of the many alternative fuel sources, I will be focusing on solar and wind power. Solar power is simply the conversion of energy from the sun into usable energy. Solar energy can be harvested in two ways: indirectly by using the heat of the sun and directly by utilizing its energy to turn it into electricity. What makes solar power so popular is the fact that it can be used anywhere that has sunlight. Solar power can be collected in 3 different ways: solar heat collectors, solar thermal concentrating systems, and photovoltaics. Solar heat collectors are collectors that are designed to absorb the heat from the sun. The most common ones are flat plate collectors that have a dark absorber plate that is covered with a transparent plate (usually glass). In between the two plates are pipes that are filled with heat-transferring liquid like antifreeze. When sunlight strikes the absorber plate in the collector, the heat is absorbed into the liquid, which is then passed through pipes to the water heater. When the liquid is finished being used, it flows back up to the plate where it is heated again and repeats the process. Solar thermal concentrating systems use mirrors and lenses to concentrate the energy of the sun into a small area to produce energy. The energy heats up molten salt in pipes that run along the concentrating system which is the power source of a generation system. The concentration system can make the liquid in the pipes heat up to 3000 degrees Celsius in some cases, which makes this method preferable for industrial use or electricity. Finally, the use of photovoltaics directly converts light from the sun into electricity at the atomic power. The system consists of a solar cell, which is made of semi-conductive materials like silicon. The solar cells are made to create an electric field. When the light from the sun hits the cell, the lectrons are separated from the atoms and form an electric current, which produces electricity. There are many benefits for using solar power as an alternative fuel source. 1) Solar power is constantly renewable. The energy from the sun will virtually never run out. 2) The sun is also available world wide so it is a power that everyone can use. 3) Solar energy is also very low maintenance; after installation of the systems there is barely any other work involved with it. In addition, 4) it is a silent producer of energy, even with the photovoltaic cells. However there are a few cons that go along with solar energy. ) Even though the sun is a free source of energy, the cost of solar cells can be quite costly with most cells starting a $1000 for one. 6) Solar energy can only be produced when the sun is out so that means about half of the day solar panels aren’t generating electricity. Lastly, 7) weather can affect the efficiency of the solar panels. Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useable form of energy. Wind power is used widely around the world since there is wind everywhere, however you are most likely to find wind power being used in higher elevations (such as hills) since that is where the wind is the strongest. Wind power is harvested with wind turbines. The process is pretty simple: the wind spins the turbines, which activates a generator, which converts the energy into electricity. Like solar power energy, 1) wind power is sustainable and renewable since wind will always be around to move the turbine. 2) Wind power is also free. 3) The land that the wind turbines are on can be shared for other uses such as farming. 4) Since wind power is available worldwide, the US can use the turbines as its own fuel source and free its dependence from foreign oil. On the negative side, 5) wind turbines can take up a lot of space. ) Even though it is a clean source, the turbines can be very noisy which may be bothersome to nearby communities. Lastly, 7) the cost of wind turbines and the generators are far more expensive than fossil fuels, which makes it a poor competitor cost-wise. With the depletion of fossil fuels, alternative fuel sources are the obvious choice for the present and future. Two of these sources, solar and wind power, are both revolutionizing the way we produce electricity, while benefiting the environment. Even though they both have a few cons, the fact that we have energy sources that are both sustainable and renewable is far superior to the latter.

Adolescent Computer Use :: Technology Internet Papers

Adolescent Computer Use The rising numbers of computers and the internet in American households over the past two decades have had many profound impacts for individuals and families. In 1997, the U.S. Department of Commerce estimated that half of Americans used computers, and about a third used the internet. By 2001, two thirds of Americans were using computers, and 54% were using the internet. For 9-17 year olds, internet use has doubled from 1997 to 2001 (from one third of Americans to two thirds) (NCES, 2004). These trends have significantly impacted interpersonal communication, as computer based forms of communication have become either dominant or complimentary for most adults and teens. While these computer advancements have had a positive impact for many American teens and adults, there are some growing concerns about increased computer activity becoming an integral part of individual’s lives. The Pew Research Center reported in 2004 that roughly 55% of parents think that the internet is a good thing for their kids to become acquainted with, and that it is essential for their kids’ world skills. However, 67% of those parents also expressed concern that the internet is keeping their children from important things, like schoolwork and reading, family time, etc. The statistics represent the growing paradox concerning child and adolescent increased computer use. So while the internet and skills associated with it are becoming increasingly important for young adults academically, many are speculating that the cost concerns the displacement of other valuable experiences characteristic of youth (Jeffery et. al, 2003). These concerns rest largely with possible associated decreases in physical activity/exercise and effects (still being investigated) involving social development (Levin, 2004). There is already a sizable literature concerning adolescents and younger children watching significantly more TV and health related effects of these trends. Children in the US, on average, watch 3-4 hours a day – where increased TV watching a playing video games is also associated with a lower quality diet (Levin, 2004). Subrahmanyam et al (2000) surmise that the overall increase in â€Å"screen time† (including TV, computer use, and video games) may be linked to obesity and loneliness – but they also suggest that further research is necessary to examine these relationships.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 12-15

CHAPTER 12 Capitol police chief Trent Anderson had overseen security in the U.S. Capitol Complex for over a decade. A burly, square-chested man with a chiseled face and red hair, he kept his hair cropped in a buzz cut, giving him an air of military authority. He wore a visible sidearm as a warning to anyone foolish enough to question the extent of his authority. Anderson spent the majority of his time coordinating his small army of police officers from a high-tech surveillance center in the basement of the Capitol. Here he oversaw a staff of technicians who watched visual monitors, computer readouts, and a telephone switchboard that kept him in contact with the many security personnel he commanded. This evening had been unusually quiet, and Anderson was pleased. He had been hoping to catch a bit of the Redskins game on the flat-panel television in his office. The game had just kicked off when his intercom buzzed. â€Å"Chief?† Anderson groaned and kept his eyes on the television as he pressed the button. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"We've got some kind of disturbance in the Rotunda. I've got officers arriving now, but I think you'll want to have a look.† â€Å"Right.† Anderson walked into the security nerve center–a compact, neomodern facility packed with computer monitors. â€Å"What have you got?† The technician was cueing a digital video clip on his monitor. â€Å"Rotunda east balcony camera. Twenty seconds ago.† He played the clip. Anderson watched over the technician's shoulder. The Rotunda was almost deserted today, dotted with just a few tourists. Anderson's trained eye went immediately to the one person who was alone and moving faster than all the others. Shaved head. Green army-surplus jacket. Injured arm in a sling. Slight limp. Slouched posture. Talking on a cell phone. The bald man's footfalls echoed crisply on the audio feed until, suddenly, arriving at the exact center of the Rotunda, he stopped short, ended his phone call, and then knelt down as if to tie his shoe. But instead of tying a shoe, he pulled something out of his sling and set it on the floor. Then he stood up and limped briskly toward the east exit. Anderson eyed the oddly shaped object the man had left behind. What in the world? It was about eight inches tall and standing vertically. Anderson crouched closer to the screen and squinted. That can't be what it looks like! As the bald man hurried off, disappearing through the east portico, a little boy nearby could be heard saying, â€Å"Mommy, that man dropped something.† The boy drifted toward the object but suddenly stopped short. After a long, motionless beat, he pointed and let out a deafening scream. Instantly, the police chief spun and ran for the door, barking orders as he went. â€Å"Radio all points! Find the bald guy with the sling and detain him! NOW!† Dashing out of the security center, he bounded up the treads of the well-worn staircase three at a time. The security feed had shown the bald man with the sling leave the Rotunda via the east portico. The shortest route out of the building would therefore take him through the east-west corridor, which was just ahead. I can head him off. As he reached the top of the stairs and rounded the corner, Anderson surveyed the quiet hallway before him. An elderly couple strolled at the far end, hand in hand. Nearby, a blond tourist wearing a blue blazer was reading a guidebook and studying the mosaic ceiling outside the House chamber. â€Å"Excuse me, sir!† Anderson barked, running toward him. â€Å"Have you seen a bald man with a sling on his arm?† The man looked up from his book with a confused expression. â€Å"A bald man with a sling!† Anderson repeated more firmly. â€Å"Have you seen him?† The tourist hesitated and glanced nervously toward the far eastern end of the hallway. â€Å"Uh . . . yes,† he said. â€Å"I think he just ran past me . . . to that staircase over there.† He pointed down the hall. Anderson pulled out his radio and yelled into it. â€Å"All points! The suspect is headed for the southeast exit. Converge!† He stowed the radio and yanked his sidearm from its holster, running toward the exit. Thirty seconds later, at a quiet exit on the east side of the Capitol, the powerfully built blond man in the blue blazer stepped into the damp night air. He smiled, savoring the coolness of the evening. Transformation. It had been so easy. Only a minute ago he had limped quickly out of the Rotunda in an army-surplus coat. Stepping into a darkened alcove, he shed his coat, revealing the blue blazer he wore underneath. Before abandoning his surplus jacket, he pulled a blond wig from the pocket and fit it snugly on his head. Then he stood up straight, pulled a slim Washington guidebook from his blazer, and stepped calmly from the niche with an elegant gait. Transformation. This is my gift. As Mal'akh's mortal legs carried him toward his waiting limousine, he arched his back, standing to his full six-foot-three height and throwing back his shoulders. He inhaled deeply, letting the air fill his lungs. He could feel the wings of the tattooed phoenix on his chest opening wide. If they only knew my power, he thought, gazing out at the city. Tonight my transformation will be complete. Mal'akh had played his cards artfully within the Capitol Building, showing obeisance to all the ancient etiquettes. The ancient invitation has been delivered. If Langdon had not yet grasped his role here tonight, soon he would. CHAPTER 13 For Robert Langdon, the Capitol Rotunda–like St. Peter's Basilica–always had a way of taking him by surprise. Intellectually, he knew the room was so large that the Statue of Liberty could stand comfortably inside it, but somehow the Rotunda always felt larger and more hallowed than he anticipated, as if there were spirits in the air. Tonight, however, there was only chaos. Capitol police officers were sealing the Rotunda while attempting to herd distraught tourists away from the hand. The little boy was still crying. A bright light flashed–a tourist taking a photo of the hand–and several guards immediately detained the man, taking his camera and escorting him off. In the confusion, Langdon felt himself moving forward in a trance, slipping through the crowd, inching closer to the hand. Peter Solomon's severed right hand was standing upright, the flat plane of the detached wrist skewered down onto the spike of a small wooden stand. Three of the fingers were closed in a fist, while the thumb and index finger were fully extended, pointing up toward the soaring dome. â€Å"Everyone back!† an officer called. Langdon was close enough now that he could see dried blood, which had run down from the wrist and coagulated on the wooden base. Postmortem wounds don't bleed . . . which means Peter is alive. Langdon didn't know whether to be relieved or nauseated. Peter's hand was removed while he was alive? Bile rose in his throat. He thought of all the times his dear friend had extended this same hand to shake Langdon's or offer a warm embrace. For several seconds, Langdon felt his mind go blank, like an untuned television set broadcasting only static. The first clear image that broke through was utterly unexpected. A crown . . . and a star. Langdon crouched down, eyeing the tips of Peter's thumb and index finger. Tattoos? Incredibly, the monster who had done this appeared to have tattooed tiny symbols on Peter's fingertips. On the thumb–a crown. On the index finger–a star. This can't be. The two symbols registered instantly in Langdon's mind, amplifying this already horrific scene into something almost otherworldly. These symbols had appeared together many times in history, and always in the same place–on the fingertips of a hand. It was one of the ancient world's most coveted and secretive icons. The Hand of the Mysteries. The icon was rarely seen anymore, but throughout history it had symbolized a powerful call to action. Langdon strained to comprehend the grotesque artifact now before him. Someone crafted the Hand of the Mysteries out of Peter's hand? It was unthinkable. Traditionally, the icon was sculpted in stone or wood or rendered as a drawing. Langdon had never heard of the Hand of the Mysteries being fashioned from actual flesh. The concept was abhorrent. â€Å"Sir?† a guard said behind Langdon. â€Å"Please step back.† Langdon barely heard him. There are other tattoos. Although he could not see the fingertips of the three clenched fingers, Langdon knew these fingertips would bear their own unique markings. That was the tradition. Five symbols in total. Through the millennia, the symbols on the fingertips of the Hand of the Mysteries had never changed . . . nor had the hand's iconic purpose. The hand represents . . . an invitation. Langdon felt a sudden chill as he recalled the words of the man who had brought him here. Professor, tonight you are receiving the invitation of your lifetime. In ancient times, the Hand of the Mysteries actually served as the most coveted invitation on earth. To receive this icon was a sacred summons to join an elite group–those who were said to guard the secret wisdom of all the ages. The invitation not only was a great honor, but it signified that a master believed you were worthy to receive this hidden wisdom. The hand of the master extended to the initiate. â€Å"Sir,† the guard said, putting a firm hand on Langdon's shoulder. â€Å"I need you to back up right now.† â€Å"I know what this means,† Langdon managed. â€Å"I can help you.† â€Å"Now!† the guard said. â€Å"My friend is in trouble. We have to–â€Å" Langdon felt powerful arms pulling him up and leading him away from the hand. He simply let it happen . . . feeling too off balance to protest. A formal invitation had just been delivered. Someone was summoning Langdon to unlock a mystical portal that would unveil a world of ancient mysteries and hidden knowledge. But it was all madness. Delusions of a lunatic. CHAPTER 14 Mal'akh's stretch limousine eased away from the U.S. Capitol, moving eastward down Independence Avenue. A young couple on the sidewalk strained to see through the tinted rear windows, hoping to glimpse a VIP. I'm in front, Mal'akh thought, smiling to himself. Mal'akh loved the feeling of power he got from driving this massive car all alone. None of his other five cars offered him what he needed tonight–the guarantee of privacy. Total privacy. Limousines in this city enjoyed a kind of unspoken immunity. Embassies on wheels. Police officers who worked near Capitol Hill were never certain what power broker they might mistakenly pull over in a limousine, and so most simply chose not to take the chance. As Mal'akh crossed the Anacostia River into Maryland, he could feel himself moving closer to Katherine, pulled onward by destiny's gravity. I am being called to a second task tonight . . . one I had not imagined. Last night, when Peter Solomon told the last of his secrets, Mal'akh had learned of the existence of a secret lab in which Katherine Solomon had performed miracles– staggering breakthroughs that Mal'akh realized would change the world if they were ever made known. Her work will unveil the true nature of all things. For centuries the â€Å"brightest minds† on earth had ignored the ancient sciences, mocking them as ignorant superstitions, arming themselves instead with smug skepticism and dazzling new technologies–tools that led them only further from the truth. Every generation's breakthroughs are proven false by the next generation's technology. And so it had gone through the ages. The more man learned, the more he realized he did not know. For millennia, mankind had wandered in the darkness . . . but now, as had been prophesied, there was a change coming. After hurtling blindly through history, mankind had reached a crossroads. This moment had been predicted long ago, prophesied by the ancient texts, by the primeval calendars, and even by the stars themselves. The date was specific, its arrival imminent. It would be preceded by a brilliant explosion of knowledge . . . a flash of clarity to illuminate the darkness and give mankind a final chance to veer away from the abyss and take the path of wisdom. I have come to obscure the light, Mal'akh thought. This is my role. Fate had linked him to Peter and Katherine Solomon. The breakthroughs Katherine Solomon had made within the SMSC would risk opening floodgates of new thinking, starting a new Renaissance. Katherine's revelations, if made public, would become a catalyst that would inspire mankind to rediscover the knowledge he had lost, empowering him beyond all imagination. Katherine's destiny is to light this torch. Mine is to extinguish it. CHAPTER 15 In total darkness, Katherine Solomon groped for the outer door of her lab. Finding it, she heaved open the lead-lined door and hurried into the small entry room. The journey across the void had taken only ninety seconds, and yet her heart was pounding wildly. After three years, you'd think I'd be used to that. Katherine always felt relieved to escape the blackness of Pod 5 and step into this clean, well-lit space. The â€Å"Cube† was a massive windowless box. Every inch of the interior walls and ceiling was covered with a stiff mesh of titanium-coated lead fiber, giving the impression of a giant cage built inside a cement enclosure. Dividers of frosted Plexiglas separated the space into different compartments–a laboratory, a control room, a mechanical room, a bathroom, and a small research library. Katherine strode briskly into the main lab. The bright and sterile work space glistened with advanced quantitative equipment: paired electro encephalographs, a femtosecond comb, a magneto-optical trap, and quantum-indeterminate electronic noise REGs, more simply known as Random Event Generators. Despite Noetic Science's use of cutting-edge technologies, the discoveries themselves were far more mystical than the cold, high-tech machines that were producing them. The stuff of magic and myth was fast becoming reality as the shocking new data poured in, all of it supporting the basic ideology of Noetic Science–the untapped potential of the human mind. The overall thesis was simple: We have barely scratched the surface of our mental and spiritual capabilities. Experiments at facilities like the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) in California and the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Lab (PEAR) had categorically proven that human thought, if properly focused, had the ability to affect and change physical mass. Their experiments were no â€Å"spoon-bending† parlor tricks, but rather highly controlled inquiries that all produced the same extraordinary result: our thoughts actually interacted with the physical world, whether or not we knew it, effecting change all the way down to the subatomic realm. Mind over matter. In 2001, in the hours following the horrifying events of September 11, the field of Noetic Science made a quantum leap forward. Four scientists discovered that as the frightened world came together and focused in shared grief on this single tragedy, the outputs of thirty-seven different Random Event Generators around the world suddenly became significantly less random. Somehow, the oneness of this shared experience, the coalescing of millions of minds, had affected the randomizing function of these machines, organizing their outputs and bringing order from chaos. The shocking discovery, it seemed, paralleled the ancient spiritual belief in a â€Å"cosmic consciousness†Ã¢â‚¬â€œa vast coalescing of human intention that was actually capable of interacting with physical matter. Recently, studies in mass meditation and prayer had produced similar results in Random Event Generators, fueling the claim that human consciousness, as Noetic author Lynne McTaggart described it, was a substance outside the confines of the body . . . a highly ordered energy capable of changing the physical world. Katherine had been fascinated by McTaggart's book The Intention Experiment, and her global, Web-based study– theintentionexperiment.com–aimed at discovering how human intention could affect the world. A handful of other progressive texts had also piqued Katherine's interest. From this foundation, Katherine Solomon's research had vaulted forward, proving that â€Å"focused thought† could affect literally anything–the growth rate of plants, the direction that fish swam in a bowl, the manner in which cells divided in a petri dish, the synchronization of separately automated systems, and the chemical reactions in one's own body. Even the crystalline structure of a newly forming solid was rendered mutable by one's mind; Katherine had created beautifully symmetrical ice crystals by sending loving thoughts to a glass of water as it froze. Incredibly, the converse was also true: when she sent negative, polluting thoughts to the water, the ice crystals froze in chaotic, fractured forms. Human thought can literally transform the physical world. As Katherine's experiments grew bolder, her results became more astounding. Her work in this lab had proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that â€Å"mind over matter† was not just some New Age self-help mantra. The mind had the ability to alter the state of matter itself, and, more important, the mind had the power to encourage the physical world to move in a specific direction. We are the masters of our own universe. At the subatomic level, Katherine had shown that particles themselves came in and out of existence based solely on her intention to observe them. In a sense, her desire to see a particle . . . manifested that particle. Heisenberg had hinted at this reality decades ago, and now it had be come a fundamental principle of Noetic Science. In the words of Lynne McTaggart: â€Å"Living consciousness somehow is the influence that turns the possibility of something into something real. The most essential ingredient in creating our universe is the consciousness that observes it.† The most astonishing aspect of Katherine's work, however, had been the realization that the mind's ability to affect the physical world could be augmented through practice. Intention was a learned skill. Like meditation, harnessing the true power of â€Å"thought† required practice. More important . . . some people were born more skilled at it than others. And throughout history, there had been those few who had become true masters. This is the missing link between modern science and ancient mysticism. Katherine had learned this from her brother, Peter, and now, as her thoughts turned back to him, she felt a deepening concern. She walked to the lab's research library and peered in. Empty. The library was a small reading room–two Morris chairs, a wooden table, two floor lamps, and a wall of mahogany bookshelves that held some five hundred books. Katherine and Peter had pooled their favorite texts here, writings on everything from particle physics to ancient mysticism. Their collection had grown into an eclectic fusion of new and old . . . of cutting-edge and historical. Most of Katherine's books bore titles like Quantum Consciousness, The New Physics, and Principles of Neural Science. Her brother's bore older, more esoteric titles like the Kybalion, the Zohar, The Dancing Wu Li Masters, and a translation of the Sumerian tablets from the British Museum. â€Å"The key to our scientific future,† her brother often said, â€Å"is hidden in our past.† A lifelong scholar of history, science, and mysticism, Peter had been the first to encourage Katherine to boost her university science education with an understanding of early Hermetic philosophy. She had been only nineteen years old when Peter sparked her interest in the link between modern science and ancient mysticism. â€Å"So tell me, Kate,† her brother had asked while she was home on vacation during her sophomore year at Yale. â€Å"What are Elis reading these days in theoretical physics?† Katherine had stood in her family's book-filled library and recited her demanding reading list. â€Å"Impressive,† her brother replied. â€Å"Einstein, Bohr, and Hawking are modern geniuses. But are you reading anything older?† Katherine scratched her head. â€Å"You mean like . . . Newton?† He smiled. â€Å"Keep going.† At twenty-seven, Peter had already made a name for himself in the academic world, and he and Katherine had grown to savor this kind of playful intellectual sparring. Older than Newton? Katherine's head now filled with distant names like Ptolemy, Pythagoras, and Hermes Trismegistus. Nobody reads that stuff anymore. Her brother ran a finger down the long shelf of cracked leather bindings and old dusty tomes. â€Å"The scientific wisdom of the ancients was staggering . . . modern physics is only now beginning to comprehend it all.† â€Å"Peter,† she said, â€Å"you already told me that the Egyptians understood levers and pulleys long before Newton, and that the early alchemists did work on a par with modern chemistry, but so what? Today's physics deals with concepts that would have been unimaginable to the ancients.† â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"Well . . . like entanglement theory, for one!† Subatomic research had now proven categorically that all matter was interconnected . . . entangled in a single unified mesh . . . a kind of universal oneness. â€Å"You're telling me the ancients sat around discussing entanglement theory?† â€Å"Absolutely!† Peter said, pushing his long, dark bangs out of his eyes. â€Å"Entanglement was at the core of primeval beliefs. Its names are as old as history itself . . . Dharmakaya, Tao, Brahman. In fact, man's oldest spiritual quest was to perceive his own entanglement, to sense his own interconnection with all things. He has always wanted to become `one' with the universe . . . to achieve the state of `at-one-ment.' † Her brother raised his eyebrows. â€Å"To this day, Jews and Christians still strive for `atonement' . . . although most of us have forgotten it is actually `at- one-ment' we're seeking.† Katherine sighed, having forgotten how hard it was to argue with a man so well versed in history. â€Å"Okay, but you're talking in generalities. I'm talking specific physics.† â€Å"Then be specific.† His keen eyes challenged her now. â€Å"Okay, how about something as simple as polarity–the positive/negative balance of the subatomic realm. Obviously, the ancients didn't underst–â€Å" â€Å"Hold on!† Her brother pulled down a large dusty text, which he dropped loudly on the library table. â€Å"Modern polarity is nothing but the `dual world' described by Krishna here in the Bhagavad Gita over two thousand years ago. A dozen other books in here, including the Kybalion, talk about binary systems and the opposing forces in nature.† Katherine was skeptical. â€Å"Okay, but if we talk about modern discoveries in subatomics–the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, for example–â€Å" â€Å"Then we must look here,† Peter said, striding down his long bookshelf and pulling out another text. â€Å"The sacred Hindu Vendantic scriptures known as the Upanishads.† He dropped the tome heavily on the first. â€Å"Heisenberg and Schrodinger studied this text and credited it with helping them formulate some of their theories.† The showdown continued for several minutes, and the stack of dusty books on the desk grew taller and taller. Finally Katherine threw up her hands in frustration. â€Å"Okay! You made your point, but I want to study cutting-edge theoretical physics. The future of science! I really doubt Krishna or Vyasa had much to say about superstring theory and multidimensional cosmological models.† â€Å"You're right. They didn't.† Her brother paused, a smile crossing his lips. â€Å"If you're talking superstring theory . . .† He wandered over to the bookshelf yet again. â€Å"Then you're talking this book here.† He heaved out a colossal leather-bound book and dropped it with a crash onto the desk. â€Å"Thirteenth-century translation of the original medieval Aramaic.† â€Å"Superstring theory in the thirteenth century?!† Katherine wasn't buying it. â€Å"Come on!† Superstring theory was a brand-new cosmological model. Based on the most recent scientific observations, it suggested the multidimensional universe was made up not of three . . . but rather of ten dimensions, which all interacted like vibrating strings, similar to resonating violin strings. Katherine waited as her brother heaved open the book, ran through the ornately printed table of contents, and then flipped to a spot near the beginning of the book. â€Å"Read this.† He pointed to a faded page of text and diagrams. Dutifully, Katherine studied the page. The translation was old-fashioned and very hard to read, but to her utter amazement, the text and drawings clearly outlined the exact same universe heralded by modern superstring theory–a ten-dimensional universe of resonating strings. As she continued reading, she suddenly gasped and recoiled. â€Å"My God, it even describes how six of the dimensions are entangled and act as one?!† She took a frightened step backward. â€Å"What is this book?!† Her brother grinned. â€Å"Something I'm hoping you'll read one day.† He flipped back to the title page, where an ornately printed plate bore three words. The Complete Zohar. Although Katherine had never read the Zohar, she knew it was the fundamental text of early Jewish mysticism, once believed so potent that it was reserved only for the most erudite rabbis. Katherine eyed the book. â€Å"You're saying the early mystics knew their universe had ten dimensions?† â€Å"Absolutely.† He motioned to the page's illustration of ten intertwined circles called Sephiroth. â€Å"Obviously, the nomenclature is esoteric, but the physics is very advanced.† Katherine didn't know how to respond. â€Å"But . . . then why don't more people study this?† Her brother smiled. â€Å"They will.† â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"Katherine, we have been born into wonderful times. A change is coming. Human beings are poised on the threshold of a new age when they will begin turning their eyes back to nature and to the old ways . . . back to the ideas in books like the Zohar and other ancient texts from around the world. Powerful truth has its own gravity and eventually pulls people back to it. There will come a day when modern science begins in earnest to study the wisdom of the ancients . . . that will be the day that mankind begins to find answers to the big questions that still elude him.† That night, Katherine eagerly began reading her brother's ancient texts and quickly came to understand that he was right. The ancients possessed profound scientific wisdom. Today's science was not so much making â€Å"discoveries† as it was making â€Å"rediscoveries.† Mankind, it seemed, had once grasped the true nature of the universe . . . but had let go . . . and forgotten. Modern physics can help us remember! This quest had become Katherine's mission in life–to use advanced science to rediscover the lost wisdom of the ancients. It was more than academic thrill that kept her motivated. Beneath it all was her conviction that the world needed this understanding . . . now more than ever. At the rear of the lab, Katherine saw her brother's white lab coat hanging on its hook along with her own. Reflexively, she pulled out her phone to check for messages. Nothing. A voice echoed again in her memory. That which your brother believes is hidden in D.C. . . . it can be found. Sometimes a legend that endures for centuries . . . endures for a reason. â€Å"No,† Katherine said aloud. â€Å"It can't possibly be real.† Sometimes a legend was just that–a legend.