The Charles Martin – Case Analysis

On the surface, the diverse culture could be seen as a turnoff to foreign impasses, but HAG, with the help of Charles Martin's life experiences and scholastic knowledge of the region saw an opportunity to grow In Uganda. But at first glance this may prove to be difficult for HAG. This was HAG'S first pursuit of business In Africa, so growing pains were almost certainly to be felt. Like many African countries, Uganda has a tumultuous history. With the dictatorship of Idol Main ruling with an iron fist, life in Uganda was difficult (Daniels, Redheaded, Ramp; Sullivan, 2011).A diverse country in terms of religious sects, Christianity is the majority, though there is large number of Muslims among many other religions (Daniels, Redheaded, &: Sullivan, 2011 In terms of language spoken, English is the official language, however many speak only an indigenous language such as Bantu or Miltonic (Daniels, Redheaded, & Sullivan, 2011). In addition the history, language, and religion, HAG Comp any had to also take into consideration the tribal normalizes as well as the business normalizes of the Uganda culture.With the pending displacement of 700 villagers (Daniels, Redheaded, & Sullivan, 2011), HAG was now faced with its first ajar hurdle that most companies will face when expanding globally. This hurdle is best described in how to best coexist with the cultural norms of a country. Instead of trying to simply impose the will of HAG Company, they assembled a package that they felt would best benefit those being displaced. That feeling was quickly changed when Charles Martin arrived because those being displaced now wanted more.This quick change of feelings by the tribe members brought to the forefront that the biggest hurdle to global expansion for HAG Company was going to be Agenda's business raciest that borderline bribery. In order to facilitate the wants and needs of the tribal members and the Uganda government, Charles Martin did everything he could to conform to and understand their culture. Charles Martin went as far to shun the high class living that other expatriates enjoyed, he stayed In a typical Uganda middle class neighborhood (Daniels, Redheaded, ; Sullivan, 2011).He also avoided the prototypical nightlife at the local night clubs; Instead he participated In tribal rituals (Daniels, Redheaded, ; Sullivan, 2011). Of the many things Charles Martin did to conform to the Uganda culture, perhaps the biggest was understanding and participating In what many In the U. S. Would consider to be bribery. He often found himself paying people who either controlled or were related to someone who controlled various aspects of the government In order to get things done quickly. Some consider it bribery, but in Uganda it is merely called a tip.By long tense types AT tongs, snares Marten gauntleted a polypropylene Attlee. I Nils attitude was attributed to his past experience in the Peace Corps, his vast knowledge of Africa, having majored in African stud ies. Even on a personal level, Charles Martin despised those who isolated themselves (Daniels, Redheaded, ; Sullivan, 2011) instead of embracing the culture of Africa. In addition to his schooling and life experiences, HAG Company promoted independence in their managers, which is in line with a polytechnic attitude. In stark contrast, James Green exhibited a geocentric attitude.Though Charles Martin had shown the ability to complete each and every task he was given to the standards of HAG Company, James Green often questioned and found issues with the way in which he accomplished those tasks. He felt that much of what Charles Martin did was in direct conflict with the core values of HAG Company (Daniels, Redheaded, ; Sullivan, 2011). James Green faced a conflict because though HAG Company promoted freedom and responsibility among its workers, it also wanted to ensure it was in line with their corporate culture.So, Just about everything Charles Martin did to accomplish the task set b efore him was in contrast to what HAG Company felt was right and also how it would be viewed in the international community. With Charles Martin participating in tribal rituals, providing he tips that so many would be view as bribes were all opposite of the culture that HAG Company, a U. S. Company was used to doing. Looking back at how Charles Martin achieved the task presented to him, one would be comfortable in saying that he was correct.Being placed in a different culture and expected accomplish difficult tasks can seem insurmountable. But, by accepting, conforming, and being flexible enough to adapt on the fly made this entire project possible. One can not attribute all of the success to Charles Martin though, HAG Company is also responsible in that it allows it braininess to act freely enough to make the decisions and be held accountable for them (Daniels, Redheaded, ; Sullivan, 2011). Though James Green had many reservations concerning the ways in which Charles Martin was acc omplishing the tasks, he never stepped in to change him.Had he done so, maybe with such an extreme action as replacing him, or even forbidding him from the start of the project to do things his way would have been disastrous. Charles Martin had the life experience and scholastic knowledge to be open to a new culture. He not only adjusted to, but embraced the Uganda culture. This benefited him growing as a person and also HAG Company by accomplishing their goal of building a dam and providing electric services to those who need it most.The next phase of the project will prove much easier to manage. Charles Martin again is the right person for the job. He has not only established a trusting relationship with those in the area as well as the government, he will be able to handle the ever changing demands of the Uganda people involved in the project. Concerns of those who think the l

Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 2

Everything was freezing confusion. Her head was under water and she was being tumbled over and over. She couldn't see, couldn't breathe, and she was completely disoriented. Then her head popped up. She automatically sucked in a huge gasp of air. Her arms were flailing but they seemed tangled in her backpack. The creek was wide here and the current was very strong. She was being swept downstream, and every other second her mouth seemed to be full of water. Reality was just one desperate, choking attempt to get enough air for the next breath. And everything was so cold. A cold that was pain, not just temperature. I'm going to die. Her mind realized this with a sort of numb certainty, but her body was stubborn. It fought almost as if it had a separate brain of its own. It struggled out of her backpack, so that the natural buoyancy of her ski jacket helped keep her head above water. It made her legs kick, trying to stand firm on the bottom. No good. The creek was only five feet deep in the center, but that was still an inch higher than Gillian's head. She was too small, too weak, and she couldn't get any kind of control over where she was going. And the cold was sapping her strength frighteningly fast. With every second her chances of surviving dropped. It was as if the creek were a monster that hated her and would never let her go. It slammed her into rocks and swept her on before her hands could get hold of the cold, smooth surfaces. And in a few minutes she was going to be too weak to keep her face above water. I have to grab something. Her body was telling her that. It was her only chance. There. Up ahead, on the left bank, a projecting spit with tree roots. She had to get to it. Kick. Kick. She hit and was almost spun past it. But somehow, she was holding on. The roots were thicker than her arms, a huge tangle like slick, icy snakes. Gillian thrust an arm through a natural loop of the roots, anchoring herself. Oh-yes; she could breathe now. But her body was still in the creek, being sucked away by the water. She had to get out-but that was impossible. She just barely had the strength to hold on; her weakened, numb muscles could never pull her up the bank. At that moment, she was filled with hatred- not for the creek, but for herself. Because she was little and weak and childish and it was going to kill her. She was going to die, and it was all happening right now, and it was real. She could never really remember what happened next. Her mind let go and there was nothing but anger and the burning need to get higher. Her legs kicked and scrambled and some dim part of her knew that each impact against the rocks and roots should have hurt. But all that mattered was the desperation that was somehow, inch by inch, getting her numb, waterlogged body out of the creek. And then she was out. She was lying on roots and snow. Her vision was dim; she was gasping, open-mouthed, for breath, but she was alive. Gillian lay there for a long time, not really aware of the cold, her entire body echoing with relief. I made it! I'll be okay now. It was only when she tried to get up that she realized how wrong she was. When she tried to stand, her legs almost folded under her. Her muscles felt like jelly. And †¦ it was cold. She was already exhausted and nearly frozen, and her soaking clothes felt as heavy as medieval armor. Her gloves were gone, lost in the creek. Her cap was gone. With every breath, she seemed to get colder, and suddenly she was racked with waves of violent shivers. Find the road †¦ I have to get to the road. But which way is it? She'd landed somewhere downstream-but where? How far away was the road now? Doesn't matter†¦ just walk away from the creek, Gillian thought slowly. It was difficult to think at all. She felt stiff and clumsy and the shivering made it hard to climb over fallen trees and branches. Her red, swollen fingers couldn't close to get handholds. I'm so cold-why can't I stop shivering? Dimly, she knew that she was in serious trouble. If she didn't get to the road-soon-she wasn't going to survive. But it was more and more difficult to call up a sense of alarm. A strange sort of apathy was coming over her. The gnarled forest seemed like something from a fairy tale. Stumbling†¦ staggering. She had no idea where she was going. Just straight ahead. That was all she could see anyway, the next dark rock protruding from the snow, the next fallen branch to get over or around. And then suddenly she was on her face. She'd fallen. It seemed to take immense effort to get up again. It's these clothes†¦ they're too heavy. I should take them off. Again, dimly, she knew that this was wrong. Her brain was being affected; she was dazed with hypothermia. But the part of her that knew this was far away, separate from her. She fought to make her numbed ringers unzip her ski jacket. Okay†¦ it's off. I can walk better now†¦ She couldn't walk better. She kept falling. She had been doing this forever, stumbling, falling, getting up. And every time it was a little harder. Her cords felt like slabs of ice on her legs. She looked at them with distant annoyance and saw that they were covered with adhering snow. Okay-maybe take those off, too? She couldn't remember how to work a zipper. She couldn't think at all anymore. The violent waves of shivering were interspersed with pauses now, and the pauses were getting longer. I guess †¦ that's good. I must not be so cold—– I just need a little rest. While the faraway part of her brain screamed uselessly in protest, Gillian sat down in the snow. She was in a small clearing. It seemed deserted-not even the footprints of a ground mouse marked the smooth white carpet around her. Above, overhanging branches formed a snowy canopy. It was a very peaceful place to die. Gillian's shivering had stopped. Which meant it was all over now. Her body couldn't warm itself by shivering any longer, and was giving up the fight. Instead, it was trying to move into hibernation. Shutting itself down, reducing breathing and heart rate, conserving the little warmth that was left. Trying to survive until help could come. Except that no help was coming. No one knew where she was. It would be hours before her dad got home or her mother was†¦ awake. And even then they wouldn't be alarmed that Gillian wasn't there. They'd assume she was with Amy. By the time anyone thought of looking for her it would be far too late. The faraway part of Gillian's mind knew all this, but it didn't matter. She had reached her physical limits-she couldn't save herself now even if she could have thought of a plan. Her hands weren't red anymore. They were blue-white. Her muscles were becoming rigid. At least she no longer felt cold. There was only a vast sense of relief at not having to move. She was so tired†¦ Her body had begun the process of dying. White mist filled her mind. She had no sense of time passing. Her metabolism was slowing to a stop. She was becoming a creature of ice, no different from any stump or rock in the frozen wilderness. I'm in trouble†¦ somebody†¦ somebody please†¦ Mom †¦ Her last thought was, it's just like going to sleep. And then, all at once, there was no rigidity, no discomfort. She felt light and calm and free-and she was floating up near the canopy of snowy boughs. How wonderful to be warm again! Really warm, as if she were filled with sunshine. Gillian laughed in pleasure. But where am I? Didn't something just happen-something bad? On the ground below her there was a huddled figure. Gillian looked at it curiously. A small girl. Almost hidden by her long pale hair, the strands already covered in fine ice. The girl's face was delicate. Pretty bone structure. But the skin was a terrible flat white-dead looking. The eyes were shut, the lashes frosty. Underneath, Gillian knew somehow, the eyes were deep violet. I get it. I remember. That's me. The realization didn't bother her. Gillian felt no connection to the huddled thing in the snow. She didn't belong to it anymore. With a mental shrug, she turned away- -and she was in a tunnel. A huge dark place, with the feeling of being vastly complicated somehow. As if space here were folded or twisted-and maybe time, too. She was rushing through it, flying. Points of light were whizzing by-who could tell how far away in the darkness? Oh, God, Gillian thought. It's the tunnel. This is happening. Right now. To me. I'm really dead. And going at warp speed. Weirder than being dead was being dead with a sense of humor. Contradictions†¦ this felt so real, more real than anything that had ever happened while she was alive. But at the same time, she had a strange sense of unreality. The edges of her self were blurred, as if somehow she were a part of the tunnel and the lights and the motion. She didn't have a distinct body anymore. Could this all be happening in my head? With that, for the first time, she felt frightened. Things in her head†¦ could be scary. What if she ran into her nightmares, the very things that her subconscious knew terrified her most? That was when she realized she had no control over where she was going. And the tunnel had changed. There was a bright light up ahead. It wasn't blue-white, as she would have expected from movies. It was pale gold, blurred as if she were seeing it through frosty glass, but still unbelievably brilliant. Isn't it supposed to feel like love or something? What it felt like-what it made her feel-was awe. The light was so big, so powerful†¦ and so Just Plain Bright. It was like looking at the beginning of the universe. And she was rushing toward it so fast-it was filling her vision. She was in it. The light encompassed her, surrounded her. Seemed to shine through her. She was flying upward through radiance like a swimmer surfacing. Then the feeling of motion faded. The light was getting less bright-or maybe her eyes were adapting to it. Shapes solidified around her. She was in a meadow. The grass was amazing- not just green, but a sort of impossible ultra green. As if lit up from inside. The sky was the same kind of impossible blue. She was wearing a thin summer dress that billowed around her. The false color made it seem like a dream. Not to mention the white columns rising at intervals from the grass, supporting nothing. So this is what happens when you die. And now†¦ now, somebody should come meet me. Grandpa Trevor? I'd like to see him walking again. But no one came. The landscape was beautiful, peaceful, unearthly-and utterly deserted. Gillian felt anxiety twisting again inside her. Wait, what if this place wasn't-the good place? After all, she hadn't been particularly good in her life. What if this were actually hell? Or †¦ limbo? Like the place all those spirits who talked to mediums must be from. Creatures from heaven wouldn't say such silly things. What if she were left here, alone, forever? As soon as she finished the thought, she wished she hadn't. This seemed to be the kind of place where thoughts-or fears-could influence reality. Wasn't that something rancid she smelled? And-weren't those voices? Fragments of sentences that seemed to come from the air around her? The kind of nonsense said by people in dreams. â€Å"So white you can't see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"A time and a half†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"If only I could, girl†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Gillian turned around and around, trying to catch more. Trying to figure out whether or not she was really hearing the words. She had the sudden gut-trembling feeling that the beauty around her could easily come apart at the seams. Oh, God, let me think good thoughts. Please. I wish I hadn't watched so many horror movies. I don't want to see anything terrible-like the ground splitting and hands reaching for me. And I don't want anyone to meet me-looking like something rotting with bones exposed-after all. She was in trouble. Even thinking about not thinking brought up pictures. And now fear was galloping inside her, and in her mind the bright meadow was turning into a nightmare of darkness and stink and pressure and gibbering mindless things. She was terrified that at any moment she might see a change- And then she did see one. Something unmistakable. A few feet away from her, above the grass, was a sort of mist of light. It hadn't been there a moment ago. But now it seemed to get brighter as she watched, and to stretch from very far away. And there was a shape in it, coming toward her.

Life Without Gravity Essay

In a world without gravity, one would be weightless, but always nauseous. Because of this, it would be very difficult to complete a lot of your daily activities without throwing up. If you tried to eat something while you and your food are floating around, you will probably have a lot of trouble trying to hold your food down. In 0-g, life would be very hard. Roller coasters are a perfect example of this. I do not do well on roller coasters. I get sick when I encounter zero gravity for that split second on rides with loop-dee-loops and the like. This is how I know I would really suck at surviving if there was no gravity. Not only would I be constantly puking, but I wouldn’t be able read or really even enjoy doing anything except floating around trying not to dry heave. So, I wonder how someone, mainly me because I do not have a strong stomach, would merely perform the act of drinking a glass of water and thinking at the same time in a world where everything floats. Without the force of gravity acting on all objects, there is nothing keeping us attached to the earth. We would simply float away from the earth unless we nail out toes to our floorboards, and our entire house to the earth’s crust. So, drinking water†¦this would not go very well for me. Not only would the water not be forced to stay in its proper area of residency, the cup, but it would be poured on my face if ever I tried to drink it, and that is most certainly NOT WHERE IT BELONGS. However, since the only force acting on the cup is the earth’s, pushing everything away from its core, the water probably was already floating around in space somewhere. This would make for a very, VERY thirsty Alex, not to mention the rest of the world. Unless you had stocked up on bottled water prior to the sudden change in the laws of the world, you would be dead. Thinking during splashing water all over yourself, or trying to catch it as it pins itself to your ceiling, just as you are doing because of the lack of gravity, would probably present a slight problem. As if you weren’t already nauseous as could be, suffering from extreme thirst and boredom while you lie in wait on your ceiling for something interesting to happen like being crushed by that bookcase over there that has been slowly creeping closer with each passing second, you would also need to be able to think. While floating around on earth shouldn’t give you any more of a headache than when you lie down, I have a feeling that I would get them anyway. However, in space, 0-g, your blood would be floating free throughout your body, just as you do so, ubject only to those forces placed on it by your own circulatory system. Your blood would have no tendency to pool in any particular part of your body, meaning no headaches. But with everything floating around, I can’t help but think that all that free blood must make you kind of floppy. Without gravity, multitasking would probably be even more difficult than it is in a world with gravitational forces. If I tried drinking my water, while translating our national anthem into Arabic, WHILE I try to bike on one of those stationary exercise bikes, I would be very sad. Not only would I be nauseous and EXTREMELY THIRSTY, causing me to get a headache, but I would be floating away from my excise bike, while trying to stay on it, that giving me exercise within itself. I can’t even imagine how long our species would survive before we either all starved to death or tried to open a window for fresh air and then floated into our atmosphere and died from lack of oxygen. I don’t think that we would live very long at all, and drinking a glass of water would be so terribly difficult that it would make living very complicated.

The term fashion and its definition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The term fashion and its definition - Essay Example The essay "The term fashion and its definition" talks about the term fashion. The second reason is that there were many significant historical and politycal events. Nowadays the main motto of fashion is â€Å"Comfort!†, though it is difficult to speak about comfort wearing the high heels. Now it is possible to say that today fashion has a wide range of contradictions and it is not really easy to find the right way. Before speaking about fashion and its changes during the last decades it is very important to define the term â€Å"fashion† itself.The term fashion applies to a prevailing mode of expression. Inherent in the term is the idea that the mode will change more quickly than the culture as a whole. The terms "fashionable" and "unfashionable" are employed to describe whether someone or something fits in with the current popular mode of expression. The term "fashion" is often used in a negative sense, as a synonym for fads and trends. In this sense, fashions are esse ntially a relief from boredom, or a distraction from important matters, for the idle rich. The term is also frequently used in a positive sense, as a synonym for glamour and style. In this sense, fashions are a sort of communal art, through which a culture examines its notions of beauty and goodness. If to analyze the meaning of fashion it is possible to see that fashions are social psychology phenomena common to many fields of human activity and thinking. The rises and falls of fashions have been especially documented and examined.

Eyewitness Evidence as a Cause of Miscarriages of Justice in the UK Literature review

Eyewitness Evidence as a Cause of Miscarriages of Justice in the UK - Literature review Example Others reasons include, plea bargain which offer incentives for the innocent to plead guilty, prejudice towards the social class of people to which the defendant belongs , confirmation of bias by the investigators, over estimated evidential value of expert testimony and conspiracy between prosecutors and court of appeal judges to uphold conviction of an innocent person. (C. Ronald Huff, 2008, p. 80). There have been several cases of wrongful convictions because of untrue or distorted eyewitness evidence in the United Kingdom. This may include misidentification of the perpetrator by the witness or victims. This can have very serious implications to the person wrongfully convicted as sometimes the discovery of a wrongful conviction occurs after the innocent person has died in jail or executed. The wrongly convicted person and there family suffer real and irreversible effects. Because of the many cases of miscarriages of justice, there have been arguments against the death penalty that sees the wrongly convicted person executed promptly after conviction. An innocent person wrongfully convicted in the United Kingdom and jailed may be paid compensation for the time he or she was incarcerated, although, there is a statue that limits the most amount to be paid to five hundred thousand dollars. (Butterworths of New Zealand Ltd, 1991, p. 57). Cases in the United Kingdom such as the Greenberry Hill case where Green Robert, Henry Berry and Lawrence Hill were hanged in 1679 on false evidence for the unsolved murder of Edmund Godfrey. Sion Jenkins was acquitted in 2006 after a retrial because of inaccurate evidence in the case of the murder of Billie-Jo Jenkins. He had been convicted in 1998. (Knoops, 2006, p. 73). Before the year 2005 in the United Kingdom, the parole system assumed that all the convicted persons were guilty. For the convicted person to be paroled one had to sign a document in which the convicted person confessed to the crime for which they were convicted. There were cases of a prolonged stay in jail for the people who refused to sign this declaration. An example of a case of the people who were denied parole because of not signing the document of confessing to the crimes convicted for is the Birmingham six. The system has since changed since 2005 and the convicted persons who never admit guilt are being given parole (Webber, 2009, p. 143). There is no official law in the United Kingdom that provides a means of correcting a conviction based on insufficient evidence. In the 1990s, several high profile cases turned out to be miscarriages of justice because of distorted or fabricated eyewitness testimonies and evidence by the police. This was also done for the police to get a high conviction rate. In 1989, the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad was disbanded because of being involved in the practices that resulted to miscarriages of justice. Due to the many miscarriages of justice, several Innocence Projects have been established as well as the Criminal Cases Review Commission that was established in 1997 to look at the possible cases of miscarriages of justice in the United Kingdom. The Criminal Cases Review Commission is an independent body that is mandated to investigate suspected miscarriages of justice in the United Kingdom. It is estimated that the commission refers thirty cases every year to the appellate courts and seventy-five percent of these cases succeed. (Austin Sarat, 1998,p. 107 ). The use of eyewitness

Societal role in advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Societal role in advertising - Essay Example This role can be both a reflection on the society or the probability of what is expected by the society in future. Recently, a range of companies have picked up advertising styles that incorporates social dimensions (Drumwright 71). This is attributed to the fact that the society is experiencing a lot of changes through the effects of fatal diseases like HIV/AIDS, cancer and lifestyle diseases. In addition, the third gender; homosexuality and immoral behavior like rape and drug abuse have had a huge influence on how adverts are framed nowadays. In real sense, marketers have no choice but frame their product adverts in a manner that can indicate a solution to what the society’s trends demand. For instance, in relation to HIV/AIDS, marketers already understand teenagers are sexually active and there is little they can do to change it. Therefore, the best solution they can offer is provide means that can help in reduce the spread of this deadly disease like through the use of con doms. This indicates how a society dictates how adverts frame the products (Drumwright 73). A society has power in dictating what they certainly expect from manufacturers. This means that every trend and lifestyle creates a problem that manufacturers are tasked with to solve as quickly as possible. Literally, a societal role is creating problems that adverts have to make sure they frame it in a manner that displays a solution. Through such problems though, companies come up with breakthrough innovations that turn out to be huge cash cows.

Persuasive Paper Part 3 Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Persuasive Part 3 - Research Paper Example In the United States, as per the Federal legal provisions, every state is required to maintain a sex offender registry. The purpose of this law was to extend the identity, names and addresses of the proclaimed sex offenders to the public so as to empower the common people and enable them to protect themselves and their children from possible sex offenses. However, in a practical sense, the sex offender registry happens to be quiet exhaustive and bulky and it is not possible for the people to commit to memory the names and addresses of all the sex offenders. Thereby extending to the people an exhaustive list of sex offenders replete with the name of people who got involved in varying gravity of sex offenses is not likely to protect the masses against sex offenses (Paludi, 2008, p. 178). Yet, on the other side, having one’s name in the sex offender registry could much harm the life of an individual. ... Hence, it will be totally unreasonable and farfetched to enter the names of such people in the sex offenders list. On the one side such an approach will do no practical good to the people, and on the other side such an approach will only make it difficult for the redeemable sex offenders to enter the social mainstream (Yessine & Bonta, 2006). People are bound to be unsympathetic towards the individuals whose name is in the sex offender registry. Hence, the contemporary sex offender registration laws need to be changed so that only those sex offenders who are liable to indulge in sexual offenses in the future get listed in the registry and the individuals who got listed by indulging in some momentary public indecency could get a chance to lead a normal life (Sullum, 2003). The existing sex offender registration laws happen to be counterproductive in their scope and intention because they are punitive in their spirit (Hodgson & Kelley, 2002, p. 225). The very objective of saving the ci tizens from sexual offenses gets overlapped by the act of labeling people who indulged in varying degrees of sexual offenses in a generalized category of sex offenders. It will be reasonable to conclude that not all sex offenders are beyond rehabilitation. There is a category of sex offenders which is open to social rehabilitation. Thereby, making an individual open to stigmatization by placing one’s name in the sex offender registry and pushing one into isolation is certainly not the right way to rehabilitate a sex offender (Wilson & Petersilia, 2011). In fact it increases the likelihood of a registered sex offender further engaging in sexual offenses. Simply speaking, compiling a long list of sex

Dismissal Meeting Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dismissal Meeting - Term Paper Example Stewart & Brown (2008) outlines that the manager must keep himself prepared to deal with the expected negative emotional reactions. The supervisor or manager can award the employee with a generous compensation package (Kinicki & Williams 2009). The package could offer the employee economic benefits to reflect on the point that the management understands and is compassionate of the dismissal’s impact. Secondly, the company or manager should make an effort to find another job for the dismissed employee. This could mean researching with colleagues, business partners or friend to check if there is any recruitment taking place or if there are any openings (Holihan, 2006). In addition to this effort, the manager or the company should cover the expenses for the employee’s career counseling and provide an on-site resume writing training to the employee. This can cause loyalty from the employee being laid off (Stewart & Brown 2008). Third, the employer should fund a psychological counseling to the employee (Kinicki & Williams 2009). Many employment consultants outline that those who have lost their employment or jobs experience difficult stages of grieving. The psychologist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross stated that freshly laid off individuals experience a wave of emotions that run from anger to shock and denial, bargaining, stress, depression and finally acceptance (Holihan, 2006). Such stages need psychological counseling. The manager can offer, in agreement with the company, to fund such processes. According to Holihan (2006), prior to the meeting, the manager must provide the employee with a notification. The employee must have prior information of that there is a meeting. However, the manager shouldn’t give information of the meeting before the actual meeting is held. Second, the manager should set up a meeting. A face to face meeting with the employee is often preferred (Stewart & Brown 2008). Dismissal should never be communicated over the phone, by email or

America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

America - Essay Example The idea of America brings to ones mind the picture of a land that promises liberty, equality and fairness, economic well being, innovation and most of all, individual freedom. The Statue of Liberty in a way depicts the idea of America. The Statue of Liberty stands for enlightenment and freedom from oppression. The inscription on the Statue of Liberty reads, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." This very inscription shows how America is the place for all those who want to be free, it welcomes one and all. By viewing this skeptically one may wonder if this was only the way America was intended to be, or does even the common man today look at America the same way. Is the common American ready to welcome immigrants into his country with all his heart The common man views immigration more as a source of job loss, terro rism and inter racial unions. Making place for immigrants has its advantages and disadvantages. Immigrants bring variety into the country, they broaden the horizons. Can you imagine eating only burgers for the rest of the life instead of the varieties of Italian pastas, pizzas, Chinese noodles, sushi, Mexican tacos and the spicy Indian foods Hollywood movies wouldn't be the same without Al Pachino, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas or Jackie Chan. It's not just the food or films; without the eastern country's immigrants, America would be devoid of the eastern concept of spirituality. America sure follows a religion, but in spite of the existence of a religion, there are so many who can not find peace through religion alone. It was the eastern culture that introduced the concept of finding peace within oneself to the western world. Without the eastern immigrants, America would not even be aware of the existence of Deepak Chopra. One would have to travel thousands of miles to reap the benefits of Yoga or Tai Chi, wher eas today, it's available around the corner. The variety is not just in terms of spirituality, it holds good even for the materialistic side of life. As it is a well known concept that America is not a saving economy; it is a spending economy. In the recent years, the average household debt of an American has exceeded the average household savings. Immigrants from countries with a conservative approach may bear their influence on the American way of savings, even though to a very small extent. The economic stand on the issue of immigration is two sided. It is regarded as a boon so far as the immigrants set up their business in America and create more job opportunities, but on the other hand is considered a curse as the immigrants take away the opportunities otherwise available to an American. But looking at this issue with a broader view, one would realize that immigration whether an economic boon or a curse to America, sure is beneficial considering the economic progress of the wor ld in large. The developing countries especially need the business of America to progress on the path of economic development. Over the years, American society has been described in many ways, one of which is as the 'melting pot'. The early twentieth century debate about the 'melting pot' evolved as Jewish writers envisioned an America that might better accommodate Jews. Their historic experience as a minority prompted them to take the lead in

Strategic Management-Walgreens Internal Analysis Essay

Strategic Management-Walgreens Internal Analysis - Essay Example target of operating 7,000 stores by year 2010, Walgreen needs to manage its internal processes effectively and efficiently to maintain competitiveness and profitability. Assessing its operations to identify key business processes and areas of value addition allows companies to manage costs strategically. The concept of Value Chain Analysis presents a powerful management tool for identifying key areas of value addition and cost incurring with a business operation and by analysing Walgreens Value Chain, the report aims to establish areas of organisational strengths and weaknesses which would facilitate the strategic decision making process. An internal analysis of an organisation entails the assessment of its key business processes, the core competencies, organisational strengths and capabilities as well as weaknesses in alignment of business opportunities, which the organisation is perusing for its long terms success. Analysis tools such as Organisational Capability Analysis or OCP analysis, Value Chain analysis and SWOT analysis are few common tools available in conducting an internal analysis for a business. Value Chain analysis presents a strategic view of all company functions and activities, which are performed in carrying out its business and facilitates a comprehensive internal assessment in terms of not only the activity or function itself but also the manner in which they are interlinked in pursuing company objectives. â€Å"The Value Chain Analysis identifies separate activities, function and business processes that are performed in designing, producing, marketing, delivering and supporting product or a service† ( Porter 1985). The chain of interlinked activities, which comes together to finally meet a customer need in the form of a product or a service includes raw material sourcing, logistics, production, sales & marketing as well as other support services. AT each stage, the business objective is to create and add value and generate a component of the

Early Childhood Education Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Education Essay A Catholic Early Childhood Program endeavours to provide an environment and educational experience that is concerned with the development of each child as a whole person, and which acknowledges his/her innate spirituality. It seeks also to foster a religious awareness through meaningful everyday life experiences. This religious education experience endeavours to complement and support that which is offered through the home environment. Early Childhood Education lays the foundation for further schooling and provides the initial interface between home and school in a child’s life. Recognising parents as the first educators of their children, early childhood education seeks to build upon home learning. In establishing programs for young children it is important to remember that Catholic schooling is intentionally directed to the holistic development of students from within, assisting them to become fully integrated human persons. Our Early Childhood Program will provide an environment and educational experience which acknowledges the innate spirituality of every child, fosters the child’s ability to wonder, experience awe,overcome difficulties, love others and reflect God, their Creator. The Program will: ? Recognise that learning is a gift from God and the role of parents, as the first Educators of their children, is seen as vital. ? Recognise, value and build upon the child’s prior knowledge. ? Understand the: o Importance of developing problem solving and thinking strategies through play. o Structure through which young children experience their world. o Experiences necessary to give form to the child’s world which are expressed symbolically  through language, numbers, representations, movement, models and metaphor. ? Listen to children and their families, respecting their values, cultures, experiences and provide opportunities which support learning. ? Closely observe, describe and record the children’s efforts and achievements by monitoring progress and planning experiences which build on their knowledge, understandings, skills, attitudes and values. ? Facilitate a challenging environment which motivates and enriches learning and gives the child the opportunity to experience: o Independence and guidance o Free choice and direction o Incidental moments and planned activities o Child initiated and teacher navigated o Individual and group work o Free inquiry and explicit teaching The aims of our Early Childhood Education Program are to encourage children to: ? Develop a positive self image. ? Love learning and value their individual learning styles. ? Be responsible for their learning. ? Respect their own knowledge, background and culture. ? Take risks, persist and be self-paced with their learning.? Know, understand and use their personality, talents, personal ways of being creative. ? Learn through problem based play activities by doing and being actively involved. ? Learn through adults and others who scaffold their endeavours. ? Respect, value and accept all people. ? Experience the joy in the mystery and wonder of the universe. ? Feel valued and safe. PRE KINDY PROGRAM Pre Kindy is an educational program for children aged three years. The program is play based and provides children with meaningful experiences that promote the development of spiritual, social,  emotional, language, intellectual, creative and physical skills. These sessions focus on the child’s unique stage of development and the understanding that all children vary in their individual development. The teachers will create a caring, safe and stimulating environment that will nurture the child’s disposition to wonder, explore and construct meaning about the world. KINDERGARTEN Our Kindergarten Program aims to provide a relaxed, secure environment where children can develop at a pace appropriate to their uniqueness. Our Kindergarten Program will focus on all areas of human development – spiritual, emotional, physical, social, creative and intellectual with activities designed to assist your child to experiment and explore in ways that foster learning in an informal and fun way. PRE-PRIMARY CENTRE Infant Jesus School offers five full days of Pre-Primary experience from the beginning of the year. A close working relationship between Pre-Kindy, Kindergarten, Pre-Primary and Primary staff and students facilitates a smooth transition to Year One.

Waste Management Strategies Essay Example for Free

Waste Management Strategies Essay Waste Management is the process of disposing, managing and monitoring of our waste materials. These important steps help us to reduce or eliminate the effects it has on our health and the environment. By practicing waste management we are observing our consumption of resources and working to reduce the hazardous waste used. These practices can provide enormous change in our lives and give hope to future generations. We need to promote and implement resourceful recovery practices. These are recycling, composting, energy initiatives and recovery, waste prevention and many more. The key component is to encourage improvements in our environmental efficiencies which will eliminate waste. Managing waste is an important undertaking that will bring back the necessary balance in our environment. Most of our waste materials have actually been caused by our daily human activity. Some example would be the disposal of our waste in landfills or when we burn waste in incinerators. These options, we have found, created further environmental problems. These results would be the wind scattering the trash which then landed in our waterways and ecosystems. Even toxic liquids would leak through the landfill absorbing the additional harmful substances and polluting the environment. Ultimately, all the waste materials create serious hazardous effects on our environment which we have had to implement better ways. Well, we do have options, capabilities and yes, some limitation with the various types of wastes management available. We seriously must take better care to protect our health, lives, and the environment. Steps to promote recycling and reusing have been a popular method to manage our waste. Other disposable options have been on the rise in usage. High on the list are composting, open burning, well monitored incineration, rendering, and   other treatment and disposals methods. Reusing and recycling still remains the most popular waste management practice. It certainly helps in the protection of the environment and the added value is the saving of our resources and promoting a cleaner world. Read more: Proper Waste Management in the Philippines Prior to World War II, we lived in a world where we used and reused our materials. In the past, we placed much emphasis and value on our resources, tools and materials. It was the norm to return, reuse and recycle materials. It was the norm, necessary and only way to live. But, with the rebuilding of our world came new ideas and new ways to provide resources to our businesses, households and communities. Many found that the quicker and more convenient way to consume products, materials and substances became increasingly popular and available to all. So, the start of using cans and replacing glass bottles had been implemented because of less costs and convenience. Regrettably, along with the returnable deposits declined came the waste problems. Even though companies found the easiness of using cans helped boost their sales in the beverage industry they could not ignore the negative effects of waste. By 1960, approximately half the beers were distributed and sold in cans but soft drinks were still sold in refillable glass bottles. Gradually the shift from refillable soft drink in a bottle was the way of the past. The use of cans now caught on with the beverage industry. Sadly, this resulted in can being littered throughout the communities and lead to the serious waste problem. Yes, businesses profited from the change. The success was far too good even when the environmentalists with proposing a bottle bills law could not reverse the new trend. This law stated a mandatory refundable deposit on beer and soft drink containers to encourage returns. This bottle bill law required a minimum refundable deposit to insure more recycling or reuse of materials to protect our recourses. The system was known as the deposit refund system which remains today. The beverage industry did support this bill but wanted a guarantee of the return of their glass bottles to be washed, refilled, and resold for reproduction. This would help to reduce beverage containers being litter and ultimately conserve our precious natural resources. It would help to reduce the amount of solid  waste going into landfills and promote recycling. But, quite frankly, it really hasn’t affected overall change because many other industries have created so much waste and have not followed in the footsteps to recycle. We do have more work ahead to remodel the habits and behavior of our world. The deposit laws for container have been a tremendous success. These initiatives which New York has implemented have created a cleaner and healthier environment. The Environmental Protection Agency funding was estimated to increase to approximately just under $20 million. This will guarantee proceeds to strengthen their ability to enforce the requirements to sell only containers with deposits paid on them. The returnable container act will reduce roadside litter, recycle billions of containers at no cost to government, save over 50 billion barrels in oil, and eliminate hundreds of millions in greenhouse gases a year. By recycling our beverage cans and bottles we can save energy and protect our environment. It has been noted that recycling aluminum cans saves nearly all of the energy required to make them. Also, recycling beverage containers will greatly reduce the litter and lessens the burden on landfills. We have learned to reduce energy and raw materials consumption means the reduction in pollution. We know that pollution has been the cause of acid rain, smog, mercury-poisoning in lakes, rivers and stream, and ultimately global warming world-wide. So, to protect our environment we need to implement and encourage ways of healthy more effective, harmonious, product living styles. Some do find that those measure are unnecessary and in effective. We do know that recycling containers with a deposit amount can increase the rates from 75% to 95% but these containers only account for 5% of our waste stream. The value placed on incentives for containers encourages recycling but the deposit system cost more than the drop off curb side program. The individual finds collecting and depositing containers easier then businesses who find it problematic and burdensome on their storage and transportation expenses. Those who support the container laws find that it does reduce litter but those who disagree believe that a comprehensive litter control  program would be more efficient and effective. The opposition confirms that only 8.5% of general litter is actually beverage containers. Since the bottle bill has been an overwhelming success then to include other non-carbonated drinks would be a good idea. It certainly shows that it takes the same amount of time, money and energy to include other drinks. We have seen additional litter from these non-carbonated drink containers. We have the statistics showing the increased recycling due to the beverage container laws. Yes, the responsibility to provide these programs sits with these non-carbonated drinks. Forcing these laws would be touchy politically but encouraging them would be worth it. Even though some would agree that the price of the non-carbonated drinks would increase due to the added responsibility dealing with these recycling programs. But those who were opposed to the law would agree with alternative legislation that supports all. In Massachusetts, they are celebrating their 30th anniversary of the bottle bill. From inception, it has been estimated that 35 billion carbonated drink containers have been exchanged through the program. Even the Massachusetts Coalition gave praises on the updates and changed to the bill over the years. It is most definitely agreed that it has contributed to a healthier environment, cleaner and safer communities, and a stronger economy. These programs are an excellent example of corporate responsibility for the beverage companies. They have managed the problems of littering, environmental pollution intern paid to help clean it up. Much research is being done in developing plastic that is degradable. This exciting possibility could be the key to lowering the environmental impact. Plastic is nearly indestructible and is difficult to recycle and hard to breakdown. Bio-plastic is derived from biomass sources that are mixed with oil base materials. The Oxo-bio has great advantages as it has it can degrade completely without living residue but oxygen is required for the process to occur. This can occur on land and in the water and the oxo-bio will not harm other plastics in the recycling system. Oxo-bio does not have a future in the plastic container industry which will bring great value to the fight against environmental pollution. Certainly, addressing the solid waste, overall inclusive deposit container law, recycling and litter issues with a comprehensive approach that will emphasize solutions that are effective and efficient will be much better as a whole. Some key areas to address and promote are education and awareness, efficient and effective solutions, curbside recycling program, balance and equitable treatment in all areas for the waste producers, and finally the administration, implementation and enforcement of these waste management laws. References Australia. Queensland Government. Community Health. Waste Management Why Management Is Important. N.p., 22 Jan. 2008. Web. 19 June 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.health.qld.gov.au/ehworm/waste_management/why_management.asp Nahnson, Jerry A. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 June 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/553362/solid-waste-management Bottle Bill Resource Guide. Bottle Bill Resource Guide. Container Recycling Institute, n.d. Web. 19 June 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.bottlebill.org/ Daily, Steven, ed. Container Deposit Laws (Bottle Bills). Container Deposit Laws (Bottle Bills) (n.d.): n. pag. Container Deposit Laws (Bottle Bills). Web. 19 June 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.lawserver.com/law/articles/container-deposit-laws-bottle-bills History of Deposit / Return Systems or â€Å"Bottle Bills†. State Environmental Resource Center. Wisconsin Office of Defenders of Wi ldlife, n.d. Web. 19 June 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.serconline.org/bottlebill/background.html Hamou, Jamal. Definition of Waste Management. Waste Management. EcoLife A Guide to Green Living, n.d. Web. 19 June 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.ecolife.com/define/waste-management.html United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Waste Management for Homeland Security Incidents. EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 19 June 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.epa.gov/osw/homeland/consid.htm Recycling and Composting. NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/294.html Expand the Bottle Bill Neighborhood Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.longislandnn.org/stewardship/deposit.htm Bottle Bill, The Sequel. The Valley Advocate: News -. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16283 The Future of Plastics Is There a Solutin to This Huge Waste Management Problem? Globe-Net.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.globe-net.com/articles/2013/june/11/the-future-of-plastics-is-there-a-solution-to-this-huge-waste-management-problem/

Peter Brooks The Shifting Point English Literature Essay

Peter Brooks The Shifting Point English Literature Essay Many famous and talented people, the representatives of different professions, among which are writers and singers, politicians and historians, actors and scientists, attract everybodys attention by their biographies. Of course, it is very interesting to know more about a man who has already had a great success in life and who can easily share his experience with others. Peter Brook is one of such people, who are worthy of respect and whose wise thoughts should be analyzed and discussed. I think that his book The Shifting Point is worth to be reading and analyzing because it is not just an autobiography of a talented man, a theater director and a well-known playwright and a wonderful screenwriter but also this book can be considered a so-called guide to the wonderful world of theater. My goal in this essay is to discuss Peter Brooks book The Shifting Point and to prove the fact that this literary work deserves attention of all the people who are not indifferent to theater as a form o f art. That is why I decided to organize my paper into several sections which will help to develop the theme. It is known that Peter Brook was born in London. His father, a Russian scientist, who came to Great Britain searching for the better life, was not a well-to-do man, nevertheless, Peter Brook got a good education. He studied at Westminster College, later at Oxford University where he was noticed as an active member of the amateur theater. His first amateur work on Jean Cocteaus play La Machine Infernale attracted attention of the famous playwright Barry Jackson who offered twenty-years-old Brook to put a rather difficult play Man and Superman written by Bernard Show on the stage of Birmingham repertory theater. According to Peter Brooks words, he always hung upon his feelings and the sixth sense in his work. It always helped him to be the first on the stage and in life. Brook was 21 when he was invited to Shakespeare Memorial Theater to produce Shakespearian plays. This unforgettable cycle of plays made him famous. Romeo and Juliet (1947) was a real sensation. It even set off a lively argument among the English theater critics. For the first time in his work Brook used the idea of empty space getting rid of many decorations. As a matter of fact, he was known for brave innovations on the stage and new styles of his productions. May be, his book The Shifting Point which was written in 1988, after about forty years of experience as a theater playwright, an opera playwright and a film producer has the main goal to represent Peter Brooks ideas and thoughts concerning William Shakespeares plays. There were a great deal of other plays, operas and films where Peter Brook showed his talent of a playwright and screenwriter. Among them are the following plays: King Lear (1962) Measure for Measure (1950) The Winters Tale (1952) Titus Andronicus (1958) Marat/Sade (1964) A Midsummer Nights Dream (1970) The full title of this book is The Shifting Point: Theater. Film. Opera. 1946-1987. It is quite obvious why Peter Brook decided to give his book such a long title. He wanted to show that he had the greatest experience in the sphere of the drama and film production. Forty years is quite a long period to become an expert whose innovations were highly appreciated. The book consists of numerous witty essays which include not only some commentaries concerning both the classic theater and the avant-garde theater but also different anecdotes which are connected with opera and film work. Besides, the book The Shifting Point touches upon the theme of Shakespeares plays. The author gives series of thorough explorations of Shakespeares plays. Peter Brook is well-known as the leading director of his generation who uses his own theater techniques and innovations. Some critics even call him a genius of our times. That is true. Everybody will agree with this statement after reading his book The Shi fting Point. Now Id like to turn to the contents of the book. There are nine chapters (or parts) in the book The Shifting Point: A Sense of Direction People on the Way a Flashback Provocations What is a Shakespeare? The World as a Can Opener Filling the Empty Space The Forty Years War Flickers of Life Entering Another World Part I The First Part A Sense of Direction. There are six essays in this part. The Formless Hunch is a rather interesting essay where Brook tells us about the way he usually organizes his work on play, the process of preparation his play for the stage: costumes, color, his rehearsal work. The Stereoscopic Vision is another essay from the first part. Here the author continues his discussion concerning the role of director in the theater. For him being a director is taking charge, making decisions, as well as saying the last word. There is Only One Stage is the title of the next essay. Here Brook tells about the great misunderstanding which takes place in the present-day theater. Brook compares the work of director with a potter who molds his pot and then sends it into the world. It is a misunderstanding. Brook states that the process consists of two phases: First: preparation. Second: birth. Misunderstandings is another essay which continues the theme of work in the theater. Here Brook tells how he came to a famous producer and said to him: I want to direct films. Brook was 20 at that time and had already directed an amateur film A Sentimental Journey. Of course, he was too young to direct films. Brook prepared his script as for a film. The first scene in this play was a dialogue between two soldiers. Brook did not know how a professional rehearsal starts. I Try to Answer a Letter is a small letter written by Brook to Mr.Howe, telling about how to become a director. He said that all the directors in the theater are self-appointed and one can become a director by calling himself a director and bringing other people to believe in it. He advices to be active and not to waste time in achieving the goal. A World in Relief, the last essay in the first part of the book, continues Brooks discussion about directing. Here he again repeats all the duties of a director in the theater. He speaks about a special directors language where an actor is only a noun, but an important one. He pays attention to the phenomenon akin to holography in the theater. Brook speaks about the golden rule which says that any actor must remember that the play is greater that himself. Part II The second part is People on the Way A Flashback. It contains nine essays. The first one is Gordon Graig. This essay tells how Brook met Gordon Graig, a person whose life is closely connected with the theater. He is an actor but many years ago he gave up this profession and began to direct a tiny number of productions. Before the First World War, he staged his last production. Now he is 84. He lives in pension de famille in the South of France. His life story is an interesting one. The Beck Connection is one more Brooks essay which tells about Julian Beck and Judith Malinas production of Jack Gelbers play The Connection. Here Brook touches upon the theme of different forms of theater, the meaning of the the term lying in relation to the theater and cinema. Happy Sam Beckett, the next essay of the second chapter. Here the author writes about the new Beckett play Happy Days which impressed him greatly by its objectivity. Bouncing, another essay represents Brooks point of view concerning the routine work in the theater. He says that it is useless to make plans. He compares all the theater staff with ping-pong balls bouncing off the net of events. In this essay Brook touches upon his play The Balcony which was postponed due to some circumstances, he recalls Marilyn Monroe who came to the rehearsal of his play View from the Bridge without Brooks permission and criticized his actress Mary Ure. Grotowski is the title of the other Brooks essay included into the second part of The Shifting Point. In this essay Brook shows his relation to Grotowski who is known for his investigation the nature of acting, its phenomenon, its meaning, the nature and science of the processes including mental, physical, emotional points. Artaud and the Great Puzzle. In this essay Brook continues his story about Grotowskis skills and experimental works in theater. Brook and Grotowski had a lot of common ideas but their paths were different. How Many Trees Make a Forest? This essay with such an unusual title tells about Brooks first meeting with Brecht. He compares Brecht, Graig and Stanislavski and decides how many decorations must be put on the stage to make a forest. It Happened in Poland. In this essay Brook tells about his friend Jan Kott whom he met in a nightclub of Warsaw. He was a Professor of Drama and was known for his writings about Shakespeare. Peter Weisss Kick. In this essay Brook discusses the problems of theater, finds the answer to the question concerning the difference between a poor play and a good play and gets acquainted with Peter Weiss works. Part III In the third part of the book which has the title Provocations. Cruelty, Madness and War, you can find five essays by Peter Brook. The first one, Manifesto for the Sixties, is represented by a number of quotes which are worth thinking of. For example, Culture has never done anyone any good whatsoever. No work of art has yet made a better man. The Theater of Cruelty. This essay tells about Brooks work with a group of actors who presented some theater experiments in public. He states that national theater, musical comedy and experimental theater are the main parts of the healthy theater. U.S. Means You. U.S. Means US. In this essay Brook gives explanations concerning the fact that The Royal Shakespeare Theater used public money to stage a play about Americans at War in Vietnam. A great deal of contradictory reactions appeared in connection with this. Twenty five actors together with the team of authors investigated the situation in Vietnam. Brook and his partners were against the idea to use the theater as a television documentary, as lecture hall, as vehicle for propaganda. The Theater Cant Be Pure is another essay which explains the difference between words true, real, natural in relation to the theater. Here Brooks compares theater with the stomach where food metamorphoses into two equalities: excrement and dreams. A Lost Art. In this essay Brook argues on the issue of acting. He took Senecas play Oedipus where there is no external action and he calls this theater liberated from scenery, free from costume, stage moves and gestures. In this essay Brook represents his ideas concerning the actors nature and the psychological aspect in acting. Part IV Shakespeare isnt a bore. Shakespeare has an incredible dramatic quality of the plays. Romeo and Juliet is described as a love story, which is sentimental, also includes violence, intrigues and excitement. An open letter to Shakespeare, or, as I dont like ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Most of the plays of Shakespeare are miraculous, except As you like it. But despite that, the public loves them all. What is a Shakespeare? Not much is understood about Shakespeare, as he is different in kind. The two ages of Gielgudà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ John Gielguds reputation inspired love and awe, and each actor was thrilled to be there. The author says that John I unique and that he is always in the present. He is also traditional, for his passionate sense of quality comes from his understanding of the past. Shakespearean realism. For centuries our practical understanding of Shakespeare has been blocked by the false notion that Shakespeare was a writer of far-fetched plots which he decorated with genius. Lear- Can it be staged? The author doubts that there is any designer that has patience to work with him. Exploding stars. Within the galaxy of plays there are plays that move closer to us at certain moments in the history and some that move away. Points of radianceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ When I started work on Shakespeare, I did believe to a limited extent in the possibility of a classical word music, that each verse had a sound that was correct, with only moderate variations. Shakespeare is a piece of coal. The author is interested in the present. History is a way of looking at things, but not one that interests me very much. Shakespeare does not belong to the past. The play is the message. Considering the theme of a Midsummer Nights Dream, at the center of a Dream there is the love. This theme touches all men. Part V The international centre. People do research. The purpose is to be instruments that transmit truths which otherwise would remain out of sight. Structures of sound. The theme of the first years work of the International Centre of Theatre Research was to be a study of structures of sounds. The theatre tries to reflect the real world. Life in a more concentrated form. The effect is rather intense if the group of actors includes people with different backgrounds. With an international company, a deep understanding can be touched between people who seem to have nothing in common. Brooks Africa. An Interview by Michael Gibson. As a result, nothing had a better effect on the actors than the stillness of the African audiences. It is very natural to most Africans not to manifest. Te world as a can opener. Everyone can respond to the music and dances of many races other than his own. For the actors the power of myths can be as a challenge. Understanding through identification is normal in the theatre. An aborigine, I presume. A lot of gesticulating and interpreters help in telling the stories. The story describes people who live in their countries and do not fully know them. Part VI Space as a tool. Author thinks that the theatre is based on a particular human characteristic, which is the need at times to be in a new and intimate relationship with ones fellow men. Les bouffes du nord. The author describes that his stroke of luck was having Micheline as a partner it was her brilliance and originality of vision that enabled us year after year to cross the tightrope of survival. The conference of the birds. The illusions have less body, because they havent got the ferocious attachment to the very forces that make the illusions in life so impossible to break. Butter and the knife describes the specifics of the theatre, the possibility to have butter and knife by other means, the Ubu Roi, the plays The Bone and The Conference of the Birds. The Cherry Orchard describes the work of Chekhov, and the author says that in Chekhovs work death is omnipresent, as he knew it well. The Mahabharata describes the difficulties in the traditional theatre from the East, which is admired even without understanding. Dharma is something that can not be answered and the only thing that can be said about it is that it is the essential motor. The Goddess and the Jeep. There is a decline and fall of religious theatre described in The Goddess and the Jeep. Part VII The art of noise describes the Opera and people making noise when they came out of their caves. Eugene Onegin. Here is described the theatrical weakness of the work the last scene. The work also demands realistic style of staging. Carmen describes the interview with Philippe Albera after the opening of La Tragedie de Carmen at the Bouffes du Nord in November 1981. The taste of style is about the facts and symbols of our time. As well, the style is described, along with the peculiarities of the theatre. Part VIII Filming a play describes cases and peculiarities of filming the plays. As well, the principles of television and filmic equivalents are described. The reality of the image gives to film its power and its limitation. Lord of the flies described the Goldings book, which is a history of man. My experience showed me that the only falsification in Goldings fable is the length of time the descent to savagery takes. Moderato Cantabile describes the story written by Marguerite Duras and about the idea of making it into a film. Filming King Lear. There were efforts to evolve an impressionistic movie technique, cutting language and incident to the bone, so that the total effect of all the things heard and seen could capture in different terms Shakespeares rough, uneven, jagged and disconcerting vision. Tell me lies is a feature film based on the Royal Shakespeare Company production of US. Meetings with remarkable men is not totally truthful story, sometimes accurate, sometimes not, sometimes in and sometimes out of life, like a legend. Part IX The mask- coming out of our shell- is a story about masks. What is the mask doing: the thing you are most afraid of losing, you lose right away your ordinary defenses, your ordinary expressions, your ordinary face that you hide behind. People are imprisoned and there is a capacity to open eyes wider and raise the eyebrows higher than people done ever before. The essential radiance it describes the theatres that exist at the precise moment when these two worlds that of the actors and that of the audience meet: a society in miniature, a microcosm brought together every evening within a space. The culture of links is all about the cultural peculiarities. Fragmentation of the world deals with the discovery of relationships, and there are certain aspects that are imprisoned in the culture. Conclusion In conclusion of my essay I should say that Peter Brooks book The Shifting Point can be the guide to the world of art because the author gives too many ideas and explanations concerning theater, opera, film production as well as his own understanding of the outer world. We learn about his feelings, emotions, achievements, and failures. All critics have a considerable respect for Peter Brook. Now he is 85 but he is full of energy. He continues his writing and his new books impress his readers.

Studies of Bilateral Visual Fields on Word Recognition Essays -- Visio

Studies of Bilateral Visual Fields on Word Recognition Previous research suggests a significant difference in word recognition time between the left and right visual fields, with word recognition and response time of the right visual field significantly faster than the left visual field. The current study investigated bilateral visual fields on word recognition time by means of an online computer program consisting of 55 participants. It was hypothesized that men would respond faster than women, and the right visual field reaction times would be faster than the left. Results indicate that sex had no significant effect on reaction time. However, words presented in the right visual field were responded to significantly faster than words in the left. Supporting previous findings of a right visual (left hemispheric) advantage. The Effect of Bilateral Visual Fields on Word Recognition When examining word recognition, there are a variety of factors that come into play. These factors include the role each hemisphere plays in terms of language processing as well as the physiology of the brain. Further, when examining word recognition one must further understand the assortment of variables that come into play when dealing with word recognition. These include, but are not limited to the handedness of participants in word recognition studies, the type of words that are being studies (for example words of differing length, commonly used words versus less commonly used words), the manner by which participants are attending to the stimuli that are being presented, and the manner that words are presented. Understanding the role that each hemisphere of the brain plays in recognizing words, and the physiology of the brain is fundamental to the understanding of studies of word recognition. A primary tenet of neuropsychology is that the left hemisphere specializes in language, and language processing, while the right hemisphere plays less of a role in the processing of language (Grimshaw, 1998, Nicholls & Wood, 1998). It should also be noted that stimuli presented to the right visual field has direct access to the left hemisphere, while information presented to the left visual field must first go to the right hemisphere, cross the corpus callosum, and then be interpreted in the left hemisphere (Grimshaw, 1998, Nicholls & Wood, 1998). Because each hemisphere of t... ...bral hemispheres. Brain and Language, 80, 45-62. Leventhal, G. (1988). Cerebral dominance and attentional bias in word recognition. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 66, 791-800. Lindell, A. K., & Nicholls, M. E. (2003). Attentional deployment in visual half-field tasks: The effect of cue position on word naming latency. Brain and Cognition, 53(2), 273-277. Nicholls, M. E. R., & Wood, A. G. (1998). The contribution of attention to the right visual field advantage for word recognition. Brain and Cognition, 38, 339-357. Ohnesorge, C., & Van Lancker, D. (2001). Cerebral laterality for famous proper nouns: Visual recognition by normal subjects. Brain & Language, 77, 135-165. Proverbio, A. M., Zani, A., & Avella, C. (1997). Notes and discussion: Hemispheric asymmetries for spatial frequency discrimination in a selective attention task. Brain and Cognition, 34, 311-320. Voyer, D. (2003). Word Frequency and laterality effects in lexical decision: Right hemisphere mechanisms. Brain & Language, 87, 421-431. Weems, S., Reggia, J. (2004). Hemispheric specialization and independence for word recognition: A comparison of three computational models. Brain & Language, 89, 554-568.

The Simpsons :: essays research papers

The Simpsons   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Simpsons† is a cartoon series produced by Gracie Films for Twentieth Century Fox and Fox Network. It began as a series for â€Å"The Tracey Ullman show† on April 19, 1987, and premiered as a series on December 17, 1989, in the 8pm-time slot. It started to be shown regularly on Sunday’s beginning on January 14, 1990. The second, third, fourth, and fifth season’s were brodcasted by Fox on Thursday nights in the 8pm time slot. It then returned to Sunday nights beginning with the sixth season. The first three season’s were animated by Klasky-Csuupo, who also worked on â€Å"The Tracey Ullman show.† Film Roman animated the fourth fifth and sixth seasons. Matt Groening changed television forever when he brought animation back to prime time with â€Å"The Simpson’s.† Groening also wrote and the fox entertainment series â€Å"Futurama.† â€Å"The Simpson’s† was Matt Groening’s introduction into the world of animation. Groening has also published many â€Å"Simpson Comics.† â€Å"Itchy and Scratchy† Bart and Lisa’s favorite cartoon. â€Å"Bartman†, Bart’s secret identity. â€Å"Radioactive Man†, Bart’s favorite comic book. Lisa Comics and Krusty Comics.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Simpson’s Family was created in fifteen minutes while Matt Groening waited in the foyer of James L. Brooks office. The Simpson’s family consists of six people. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Grandpa, and Santa’s Little Helper, the family dog. Homer Simpson is 36 years old and weighs around 260 pounds. He works as the safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. His favorite foods are donuts, pork rinds, and Krusty Burgers. His favorite beverage is Duff Beer. Marge Simpson is 34 years old and weighs about 135 pounds. She has fears of flying and has been convicted of shoplifting at the Kwik-E-Mart. Her hair color is blue #56 and her favorite singer is Tom Jones. Grandpa is around the age of 65 and has two sons; Homer J. Simpson and Herb, the result of meeting a girl at a carnival one night. His real name is Abraham Simpson, he lives at the Springfield Retirement Castle and his favorite past time is napping.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are three children in the simpsons family; Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Bart is ten years old and his idol is Krusty the Clown. His best freind is Millhouse and he is famous for classroom disruption, prank calls to Moe’s, practical jokes, and vandalism. Lisa is eight years old and admires Ralph Wiggum and Millhouse Van Houghte. Her hidden talent is picking winning football teams and her rival is Allison Taylor.

Essays --

Today, college sports are no longer just fun and games; these sports are a business. But this business comes with a price. Arian Foster, a running back from the Houston Texans has recently come out stating that he took money on the side while playing football at the University of Tennessee. Fosters reasoning to why he took money on the side was that he was a college athlete who sometimes had no money to eat, "I really didn't have any money or food at times.. Our stadium had like 107,000 seats; 107,000 people buying a ticket to come watch us play.. We had just won. Signing autographs, taking pictures. Then I walk back, and reality sets in. I go to my dorm and open my fridge and see there's nothing there." (Rockwell) Foster argued that employees should be paid for their work and that he saw nothing wrong in what he did. He states that he was just a college athlete trying to get buy, trying to pay his bills and have food on the table. These college students are working for the schools a s athletes; they are putting their health on the line, providing revenue for the school and are working twice as hard as regular students at the school so they should not be punished for taking what the NCAA considers to be improper benefits. Firstly, in accordance to the rules set by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, also known as the NCAA, an extra or improper benefit can be described as any special treatment or arrangement by an employee or a representative of the institution that provides the student-athlete a benefit that is not given to the other students of the institution and that is not authorized by the NCAA. The rule book goes on to say that â€Å"if the student-athlete receives an extra benefit not authorized by the NCAA legislation ... ...aybe shoes or even a free meal. In conclusion, â€Å"being a student athlete is tough because one represents the school, and the way one carries oneself will say a lot for one’s self and one’s school program. Being an athlete is not just playing the game, it is more like a job,† (McCleod). At the end of the day, whatever brings in money should be compensated accordingly, for any business. These student-athletes do not have to receive million dollar contracts but the universities and the NCAA should not punish these students for accepting improper or extra benefits whether it is from fans, employees of the institution, or recruiters. These athletes are not only students, but they are employees to their universities, they do not necessarily need to receive monetary value for their playing but being punished for accepting benefits that they earn and deserve is outrageous.

Transaction, Operating Accounting Exposures

Transaction, Operating, & Accounting (Translation) Exposures Foreign Exchange Exposure – measures the potential for a firm’s profitability, net cash flow, and market value to alter because of a change in exchange rates. Q: What are the three main foreign exchange exposures? A: 1) Transaction Exposure 2) Operating Exposure 3) Accounting Exposure Transaction Exposure – measures changes in the value of outstanding financial obligations incurred prior to a change in exchange rates.Operating Exposure (Economic Exposure, Competitive Exposure, Strategic Exposure) – measures a change in the present value of a firm resulting from any change in future expected operating cash flows caused by unexpected changes in exchange rates. Accounting Exposure (Translation Exposure) – measures accounting-derived changes in owner’s equity as a result of translating foreign currency financial statements into a single reporting currency. Exhibit 8. 1 [pic] Note: In th e fourth quarter of 2001 Amazon. om reported a net income of $5 million, due in part to a one-time foreign currency gain of $16 million. Hedging – To take a position that will rise (or fall) in value to offset a change in value of an existing position. |Benefits of Hedging |Costs of Hedging | |Improved the planning capability of the firm. |Risk-averse strategy that benefits management more than | |Reduced the likelihood of financial distress. i. e. the risk that cash|shareholders. (i. e. shareholders can diversify currency risk on an| |flows will fall below what is required for debt payments and continued|â€Å"as needed† basis) | |operations) |Consumes the firm’s resources and expected cash flows to the firm | |Management has a comparative advantage over shareholders. (i. e. |are not increased. (i. e. gency theory, NPV of hedging is zero, | |understanding the currency risk of the firm and take advantage of a |and FX losses appear on the I/S while hedging are b uried in | |disequilibrium through selective hedging) |operating and interest expenses) | Transaction Exposure Transaction Exposure – measures changes in the value of outstanding financial obligations incurred prior to a change in exchange rates. Transaction exposure can arise from the following activities: ? Purchasing or selling foreign goods and services on credit. Borrowing or lending in another currency. ? Foreign exchange contracts. Exhibit 8. 3 The Life Span of Transaction Exposure [pic] Example Expect to collect ? 1,000,000 in three months on a sale, minimum acceptable value $1,700,000. Q: What type of transaction exposure has occurred? A: Billing Exposure S0 = $1. 7640/? ES90= $1. 76/? F90= $1. 7540/? iU. K. = 10% per year (2. 5% per quarter) kU. K. = 8% per year (2% per quarter) iU. S. = 8% per year (2% per quarter) kU. S. = 6% per year (1. 5% per quarter) P90ATM = $1. 75 (1. 5% premium) P90OTM = $1. 71 (1% premium)Note: ES90 is the estimated spot rate in three mont hs, â€Å"i† is the borrowing interest rate, and â€Å"k† is the investment interest rate, P90ATM is an at-the-money three-month put option, and P90OTM is an out-of-the-money three month put option. Q: Is the pound expected to appreciate or depreciate? A: Depreciate Q: What is the forward premium/discount on the pound? A: [pic] Q: What are the four alternatives to hedge a transaction exposure? A:1) Remain unhedged 2) Hedge in the forward market 3) Hedge in the money market 4) Hedge in the options market 1) Remain unhedged, collect ? 1,000,000 in three months at the new spot rate. pic] 2) Hedge in the forward market, collect ? 1,000,000 in three months at $1. 7540/?. [pic] 3) Hedge in the money market, borrow ? 975,610 today, and exchange for dollars at the current spot rate ($1. 7640/? ). Invest the $1,720,976 for 90 days, and in 90 days pay back the loan + interest with the ? 1,000,000. Q: To construct a money market hedge, how much should the investor borrow today if the annual interest rate is 10% and the company expects to receive ? 1,000,000 in 90 days? A: [pic] Q: At what investment rate is the money market hedge superior to the forward contract? A: [pic] pic] Note: Either the forward contract or the money market hedge is better than an uncovered position if the spot rate at time 2 is less than the forward rate. But, if the funds can be invested at anything above 7. 68% (or 1. 92% for 90 days) then the money market hedge is a better option than the forward contract. If the spot rate at time 2 is greater than what can be earned by investing the funds in the company (in this case the funds are invested in the company yielding the company’s WACC of 12% or $1,772,605) then the uncovered hedge would be superior. 4) Hedge in the options market.An at-the-money[1] (ATM) put option is selling for a 1. 5% premium. The cost of the option is (size of the option) x (premium) x (spot rate) = cost, in this case ? 1,000,000 x 0. 015 x $1. 7640 = $26 ,460. This is the maximum loss, while the maximum gain is the spot price – the cost of the option. [pic] To compare the alternatives, first estimate what you expect spot rates to be, then estimate a range of possible prices, and consider your ability to accept the downside. Then select the best strategy. Some Examples: [pic] Q: Transaction exposure arises from what? A: Sales and expenses that are already contracted for.Operating Exposure Operating Exposure (Economic Exposure, Competitive Exposure, Strategic Exposure) – measures a change in the present value of a firm resulting from any change in future expected operating cash flows caused by unexpected changes in exchange rates. Q: Operating Exposure depends on whether an unexpected change in exchange rates causes unanticipated changes in what? A: Sales volume, sales prices, or operating costs Figure 9. 1 Financial and Operating Cash Flows Between Parent and Subsidiary [pic] Q: What are four proactive ways to manage op erating exposure?A: 1) Matching currency cash flows 2) Risk-sharing agreements 3) Back-to-back or parallel loans 4) Currency swaps Note: Planning for operating exposure depends on the interaction of strategies in finance, marketing, purchasing, and production. Accounting (Translation) Exposure Accounting Exposure (Translation Exposure) – measures accounting-derived changes in owner’s equity as a result of translating foreign currency financial statements into a single reporting currency. Q: What are the financial goals of the multinational enterprise? A:1) To maximize consolidated after-tax income ) To minimize the firm’s effective global tax burden 3) To correct the positioning of the firm’s income, cash flows, and available funds. Note: These goals are frequently seen as inconsistent. Functional currency – the dominate currency used by the foreign subsidiary in its day-to-day operations. Q: What are the two basic methods for the translation of fo reign subsidiary financial statements? A: 1) The current rate method 2) The temporal method Current rate method – a method of translating the financial statements of foreign affiliates into the parent’s reporting currency.All assets and liabilities are translated at the current exchange rate. Temporal method – assumes that a number of individual line item assets such as inventory and net plant and equipment are restated regularly to reflect market value. Q: Which method is the most common worldwide? A: The current rate method Q: What are the advantages of the current rate method? A: 1) The variability of reported earnings due to translation gains or losses is eliminated, because the gain or loss on translation goes directly to a reserve account (rather than passing through the income statement). ) Does not distort balance sheet ratios such as the current ratio or debt-to-equity ratio (because the relative proportions of the individual balance sheet accounts rema in the same. Q: What is the disadvantage of the current rate method? A: 1) It violates the accounting principle of carrying balance sheet accounts at historical costs. Q: What is the advantage of the temporal method? A: 1) Foreign nonmonetary assets are carried at their original cost in the parent’s consolidated statement. Homework Problems Chapter 8 1.Imagine one of the companies from your final project is expecting an $80million payment in one year. The company also expects $20million in expenses in one year. Use real figures or the following: Current spot rate 3. 4x/$ (trend shows 3. 8x/$ two months ago) Interest rates are 14% in your country and 4% in the U. S. Forward contracts are too expensive Based on the current spot rate and relative interest rates, please advise your company on its currency exposure. Chapter 9 2. Imagine one of your companies will soon be exporting to China.Use the following (replace the $ equivalent with your currency at the current spot price): C urrent sales of 1,000,000 units per year at a price equivalent to $24 each. Current spot price Rmb8. 2/$, but the H. K. advisory will drop the value next week to Rmb10/$. Direct costs are 75% of the U. S. dollar sales price. Accepting this forecast, advise the company on two options: 1) Maintain the same renminbi price (i. e. no change in price) 2) Raise the price to offset the devaluation and experience a 10% drop in unit volume. A) What would be the short-run (one year) impact of each strategy?B) Which do you recommend? Optional Assignment: (0. 5 participation points) Prepare a write-up on the country you are doing for your final project. (Include GDP, inflation, major exports/imports, major stock exchange, currency, exchange rate, and anything else you find interesting and relevant)†¦ use sources like countryreports. org, cia. gov, etc. And remember to compare your country to something (i. e. the U. S. or another country in the region)†¦ Try to make everything you turn in look â€Å"professional,† imagine you're getting paid for your work.Please cite your sources throughout the report, and if you could e-mail it to me before next Monday, that's even better. Final Project These are two great sites to look at for your final project: globaledge. msu. edu www. world-exchanges. org ———————– [1] An at-the-money put, means that the strike price is equal to the current spot price†¦ Meaning an investor is indifferent between exercising the option or going to the market. In this case the forward rate is $1. 7540/? , and the option is $1. 75/? plus 1. 5% premium.

Apple’s Strategies Since 1990

Apple Evaluate Apple’s strategies since 1990 and explain why Apple has been through difficult times. What made the â€Å"Apple turnaround† possible? After firing Steve Jobs, Apple has been trying to fit into many different markets. They started diversifying into many different areas and ended up with half a dozen products suitable for each area. But this was not what made Apple famous. In 1986 they were seen as a rebellious company trying to be different to IBM and Microsoft. Steve Jobs had the idea no to anticipate the same path as other companies in the computer industry but to create a company which is unique.Unfortunately the CEO of Apple at that time didn’t share the same perspective and forced Jobs out of the company. Apple was not able to keep up with IBM and Microsoft who had a far greater market share. In the period of 1990-1997 Apple had 3 different CEOs, which is a statement for itself. The era of Sculley, Spindler and Amelio was not a successful one. A company as big as Apple shouldn’t have had the necessity to change the CEO every 2 years. In this period Apple was seen as one of the worst managed companies in the industry.Apple’s image of being a simplistic company was hurt through different product lines varying only a little in the technical specifications. John Sculley, Apple’s CEO from 1985 to 1993, attempted to gain market share through lower priced products, alliances with IBM and outsourcing most of the manufacturing in order to cut costs. When Spindler became CEO he decided to withdraw all alliances that Sculley has anticipated and started out licensing Apple’s OS to companies who would then be working on Mac clones.Amelio replaced Spindler due to the flat performance of Apple. Further restructurings were undertaken but unfortunately they all lead to nothing. Probably one of the best decisions that Apple pursued was the acquisition of Next and the return of Steve Jobs. One of the first measur es, which were undertaken, is brining back the development in house. Jobs believed that it would be of far more benefit if Apple would develop Software, Hardware and Design all under one roof. The advantage was that everyone had a holistic idea of product development.This worked out very well and turned out to be one of the competitive advantages. Another important step, which made the ‘turnaround’ possible, was that Apple stopped outsourcing their Operating System. Steve Jobs was back, and Apple was in much greater shape than in any of the years without him. He demonstrated that he has learned from his mistakes through his willingness to co-operate with Microsoft allowing them to develop MS Office software for Macs. The first product, which was released after Steve Jobs’ arrival was the iMac in 1997.Many people at the company didn’t believe that this was going to be a success, but Steve Jobs proved everyone wrong. The iMac was a huge success and brought s ome market share back to Apple, but more importantly Apple gained the confidence and got back on the right track. During the development of the iMac, Steve Jobs decided to hang up the pirate flag. In one of his interviews he stated that ‘Apple forgot who Apple was’, and this marked the return of the rebellious company.

Angels Demons Chapter 126-129

126 Cardinal Mortati knew there were no words in any language that could have added to the mystery of this moment. The silence of the vision over St. Peter's Square sang louder than any chorus of angels. As he stared up at Camerlegno Ventresca, Mortati felt the paralyzing collision of his heart and mind. The vision seemed real, tangible. And yet†¦ how could it be? Everyone had seen the camerlegno get in the helicopter. They had all witnessed the ball of light in the sky. And now, somehow, the camerlegno stood high above them on the rooftop terrace. Transported by angels? Reincarnated by the hand of God? This is impossible†¦ Mortati's heart wanted nothing more than to believe, but his mind cried out for reason. And yet all around him, the cardinals stared up, obviously seeing what he was seeing, paralyzed with wonder. It was the camerlegno. There was no doubt. But he looked different somehow. Divine. As if he had been purified. A spirit? A man? His white flesh shone in the spotlights with an incorporeal weightlessness. In the square there was crying, cheering, spontaneous applause. A group of nuns fell to their knees and wailed saetas. A pulsing grew from in the crowd. Suddenly, the entire square was chanting the camerlegno's name. The cardinals, some with tears rolling down their faces, joined in. Mortati looked around him and tried to comprehend. Is this really happening? Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca stood on the rooftop terrace of St. Peter's Basilica and looked down over the multitudes of people staring up at him. Was he awake or dreaming? He felt transformed, otherworldly. He wondered if it was his body or just his spirit that had floated down from heaven toward the soft, darkened expanse of the Vatican City Gardens†¦ alighting like a silent angel on the deserted lawns, his black parachute shrouded from the madness by the towering shadow of St. Peter's Basilica. He wondered if it was his body or his spirit that had possessed the strength to climb the ancient Stairway of Medallions to the rooftop terrace where he now stood. He felt as light as a ghost. Although the people below were chanting his name, he knew it was not him they were cheering. They were cheering from impulsive joy, the same kind of joy he felt every day of his life as he pondered the Almighty. They were experiencing what each of them had always longed for†¦ an assurance of the beyond†¦ a substantiation of the power of the Creator. Camerlegno Ventresca had prayed all his life for this moment, and still, even he could not fathom that God had found a way to make it manifest. He wanted to cry out to them. Your God is a living God! Behold the miracles all around you! He stood there a while, numb and yet feeling more than he had ever felt. When, at last, the spirit moved him, he bowed his head and stepped back from the edge. Alone now, he knelt on the roof, and prayed. 127 The images around him blurred, drifting in and out. Langdon's eyes slowly began to focus. His legs ached, and his body felt like it had been run over by a truck. He was lying on his side on the ground. Something stunk, like bile. He could still hear the incessant sound of lapping water. It no longer sounded peaceful to him. There were other sounds too – talking close around him. He saw blurry white forms. Were they all wearing white? Langdon decided he was either in an asylum or heaven. From the burning in his throat, Langdon decided it could not be heaven. â€Å"He's finished vomiting,† one man said in Italian. â€Å"Turn him.† The voice was firm and professional. Langdon felt hands slowly rolling him onto his back. His head swam. He tried to sit up, but the hands gently forced him back down. His body submitted. Then Langdon felt someone going through his pockets, removing items. Then he passed out cold. Dr. Jacobus was not a religious man; the science of medicine had bred that from him long ago. And yet, the events in Vatican City tonight had put his systematic logic to the test. Now bodies are falling from the sky? Dr. Jacobus felt the pulse of the bedraggled man they had just pulled from the Tiber River. The doctor decided that God himself had hand-delivered this one to safety. The concussion of hitting the water had knocked the victim unconscious, and if it had not been for Jacobus and his crew standing out on the shore watching the spectacle in the sky, this falling soul would surely have gone unnoticed and drowned. â€Å"e Americano,† a nurse said, going through the man's wallet after they pulled him to dry land. American? Romans often joked that Americans had gotten so abundant in Rome that hamburgers should become the official Italian food. But Americans falling from the sky? Jacobus flicked a penlight in the man's eyes, testing his dilation. â€Å"Sir? Can you hear me? Do you know where you are?† The man was unconscious again. Jacobus was not surprised. The man had vomited a lot of water after Jacobus had performed CPR. â€Å"Si chiama Robert Langdon,† the nurse said, reading the man's driver's license. The group assembled on the dock all stopped short. â€Å"Impossibile!† Jacobus declared. Robert Langdon was the man from the television – the American professor who had been helping the Vatican. Jacobus had seen Mr. Langdon, only minutes ago, getting into a helicopter in St. Peter's Square and flying miles up into the air. Jacobus and the others had run out to the dock to witness the antimatter explosion – a tremendous sphere of light like nothing any of them had ever seen. How could this be the same man! â€Å"It's him!† the nurse exclaimed, brushing his soaked hair back. â€Å"And I recognize his tweed coat!† Suddenly someone was yelling from the hospital entryway. It was one of the patients. She was screaming, going mad, holding her portable radio to the sky and praising God. Apparently Camerlegno Ventresca had just miraculously appeared on the roof of the Vatican. Dr. Jacobus decided, when his shift got off at 8 A.M., he was going straight to church. The lights over Langdon's head were brighter now, sterile. He was on some kind of examination table. He smelled astringents, strange chemicals. Someone had just given him an injection, and they had removed his clothes. Definitely not gypsies, he decided in his semiconscious delirium. Aliens, perhaps? Yes, he had heard about things like this. Fortunately these beings would not harm him. All they wanted were his – â€Å"Not on your life!† Langdon sat bolt upright, eyes flying open. â€Å"Attento!† one of the creatures yelled, steadying him. His badge read Dr. Jacobus. He looked remarkably human. Langdon stammered, â€Å"I†¦ thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Easy, Mr. Langdon. You're in a hospital.† The fog began to lift. Langdon felt a wave of relief. He hated hospitals, but they certainly beat aliens harvesting his testicles. â€Å"My name is Dr. Jacobus,† the man said. He explained what had just happened. â€Å"You are very lucky to be alive.† Langdon did not feel lucky. He could barely make sense of his own memories†¦ the helicopter†¦ the camerlegno. His body ached everywhere. They gave him some water, and he rinsed out his mouth. They placed a new gauze on his palm. â€Å"Where are my clothes?† Langdon asked. He was wearing a paper robe. One of the nurses motioned to a dripping wad of shredded khaki and tweed on the counter. â€Å"They were soaked. We had to cut them off you.† Langdon looked at his shredded Harris tweed and frowned. â€Å"You had some Kleenex in your pocket,† the nurse said. It was then that Langdon saw the ravaged shreds of parchment clinging all over the lining of his jacket. The folio from Galileo's Diagramma. The last copy on earth had just dissolved. He was too numb to know how to react. He just stared. â€Å"We saved your personal items.† She held up a plastic bin. â€Å"Wallet, camcorder, and pen. I dried the camcorder off the best I could.† â€Å"I don't own a camcorder.† The nurse frowned and held out the bin. Langdon looked at the contents. Along with his wallet and pen was a tiny Sony RUVI camcorder. He recalled it now. Kohler had handed it to him and asked him to give it to the media. â€Å"We found it in your pocket. I think you'll need a new one, though.† The nurse flipped open the two-inch screen on the back. â€Å"Your viewer is cracked.† Then she brightened. â€Å"The sound still works, though. Barely.† She held the device up to her ear. â€Å"Keeps playing something over and over.† She listened a moment and then scowled, handing it to Langdon. â€Å"Two guys arguing, I think.† Puzzled, Langdon took the camcorder and held it to his ear. The voices were pinched and metallic, but they were discernible. One close. One far away. Langdon recognized them both. Sitting there in his paper gown, Langdon listened in amazement to the conversation. Although he couldn't see what was happening, when he heard the shocking finale, he was thankful he had been spared the visual. My God! As the conversation began playing again from the beginning, Langdon lowered the camcorder from his ear and sat in appalled mystification. The antimatter†¦ the helicopter†¦ Langdon's mind now kicked into gear. But that means†¦ He wanted to vomit again. With a rising fury of disorientation and rage, Langdon got off the table and stood on shaky legs. â€Å"Mr. Langdon!† the doctor said, trying to stop him. â€Å"I need some clothes,† Langdon demanded, feeling the draft on his rear from the backless gown. â€Å"But, you need to rest.† â€Å"I'm checking out. Now. I need some clothes.† â€Å"But, sir, you – â€Å" â€Å"Now!† Everyone exchanged bewildered looks. â€Å"We have no clothes,† the doctor said. â€Å"Perhaps tomorrow a friend could bring you some.† Langdon drew a slow patient breath and locked eyes with the doctor. â€Å"Dr. Jacobus, I am walking out your door right now. I need clothes. I am going to Vatican City. One does not go to Vatican City with one's ass hanging out. Do I make myself clear?† Dr. Jacobus swallowed hard. â€Å"Get this man something to wear.† When Langdon limped out of Hospital Tiberina, he felt like an overgrown Cub Scout. He was wearing a blue paramedic's jumpsuit that zipped up the front and was adorned with cloth badges that apparently depicted his numerous qualifications. The woman accompanying him was heavyset and wore a similar suit. The doctor had assured Langdon she would get him to the Vatican in record time. â€Å"Molto traffico,† Langdon said, reminding her that the area around the Vatican was packed with cars and people. The woman looked unconcerned. She pointed proudly to one of her patches. â€Å"Sono conducente di ambulanza.† â€Å"Ambulanza?† That explained it. Langdon felt like he could use an ambulance ride. The woman led him around the side of the building. On an outcropping over the water was a cement deck where her vehicle sat waiting. When Langdon saw the vehicle he stopped in his tracks. It was an aging medevac chopper. The hull read Aero-Ambulanza. He hung his head. The woman smiled. â€Å"Fly Vatican City. Very fast.† 128 The College of Cardinals bristled with ebullience and electricity as they streamed back into the Sistine Chapel. In contrast, Mortati felt in himself a rising confusion he thought might lift him off the floor and carry him away. He believed in the ancient miracles of the Scriptures, and yet what he had just witnessed in person was something he could not possibly comprehend. After a lifetime of devotion, seventy-nine years, Mortati knew these events should ignite in him a pious exuberance†¦ a fervent and living faith. And yet all he felt was a growing spectral unease. Something did not feel right. â€Å"Signore Mortati!† a Swiss Guard yelled, running down the hall. â€Å"We have gone to the roof as you asked. The camerlegno is†¦ flesh! He is a true man! He is not a spirit! He is exactly as we knew him!† â€Å"Did he speak to you?† â€Å"He kneels in silent prayer! We are afraid to touch him!† Mortati was at a loss. â€Å"Tell him†¦ his cardinals await.† â€Å"Signore, because he is a man†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the guard hesitated. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"His chest†¦ he is burned. Should we bind his wounds? He must be in pain.† Mortati considered it. Nothing in his lifetime of service to the church had prepared him for this situation. â€Å"He is a man, so serve him as a man. Bathe him. Bind his wounds. Dress him in fresh robes. We await his arrival in the Sistine Chapel.† The guard ran off. Mortati headed for the chapel. The rest of the cardinals were inside now. As he walked down the hall, he saw Vittoria Vetra slumped alone on a bench at the foot of the Royal Staircase. He could see the pain and loneliness of her loss and wanted to go to her, but he knew it would have to wait. He had work to do†¦ although he had no idea what that work could possibly be. Mortati entered the chapel. There was a riotous excitement. He closed the door. God help me. Hospital Tiberina's twin-rotor Aero-Ambulanza circled in behind Vatican City, and Langdon clenched his teeth, swearing to God this was the very last helicopter ride of his life. After convincing the pilot that the rules governing Vatican airspace were the least of the Vatican's concerns right now, he guided her in, unseen, over the rear wall, and landed them on the Vatican's helipad. â€Å"Grazie,† he said, lowering himself painfully onto the ground. She blew him a kiss and quickly took off, disappearing back over the wall and into the night. Langdon exhaled, trying to clear his head, hoping to make sense of what he was about to do. With the camcorder in hand, he boarded the same golf cart he had ridden earlier that day. It had not been charged, and the battery-meter registered close to empty. Langdon drove without headlights to conserve power. He also preferred no one see him coming. At the back of the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Mortati stood in a daze as he watched the pandemonium before him. â€Å"It was a miracle!† one of the cardinals shouted. â€Å"The work of God!† â€Å"Yes!† others exclaimed. â€Å"God has made His will manifest!† â€Å"The camerlegno will be our Pope!† another shouted. â€Å"He is not a cardinal, but God has sent a miraculous sign!† â€Å"Yes!† someone agreed. â€Å"The laws of conclave are man's laws. God's will is before us! I call for a balloting immediately!† â€Å"A balloting?† Mortati demanded, moving toward them. â€Å"I believe that is my job.† Everyone turned. Mortati could sense the cardinals studying him. They seemed distant, at a loss, offended by his sobriety. Mortati longed to feel his heart swept up in the miraculous exultation he saw in the faces around him. But he was not. He felt an inexplicable pain in his soul†¦ an aching sadness he could not explain. He had vowed to guide these proceedings with purity of soul, and this hesitancy was something he could not deny. â€Å"My friends,† Mortati said, stepping to the altar. His voice did not seem his own. â€Å"I suspect I will struggle for the rest of my days with the meaning of what I have witnessed tonight. And yet, what you are suggesting regarding the camerlegno†¦ it cannot possibly be God's will.† The room fell silent. â€Å"How†¦ can you say that?† one of the cardinals finally demanded. â€Å"The camerlegno saved the church. God spoke to the camerlegno directly! The man survived death itself! What sign do we need!† â€Å"The camerlegno is coming to us now,† Mortati said. â€Å"Let us wait. Let us hear him before we have a balloting. There may be an explanation.† â€Å"An explanation?† â€Å"As your Great Elector, I have vowed to uphold the laws of conclave. You are no doubt aware that by Holy Law the camerlegno is ineligible for election to the papacy. He is not a cardinal. He is a priest†¦ a chamberlain. There is also the question of his inadequate age.† Mortati felt the stares hardening. â€Å"By even allowing a balloting, I would be requesting that you endorse a man who Vatican Law proclaims ineligible. I would be asking each of you to break a sacred oath.† â€Å"But what happened here tonight,† someone stammered, â€Å"it certainly transcends our laws!† â€Å"Does it?† Mortati boomed, not even knowing now where his words were coming from. â€Å"Is it God's will that we discard the rules of the church? Is it God's will that we abandon reason and give ourselves over to frenzy?† â€Å"But did you not see what we saw?† another challenged angrily. â€Å"How can you presume to question that kind of power!† Mortati's voice bellowed now with a resonance he had never known. â€Å"I am not questioning God's power! It is God who gave us reason and circumspection! It is God we serve by exercising prudence!† 129 In the hallway outside the Sistine Chapel, Vittoria Vetra sat benumbed on a bench at the foot of the Royal Staircase. When she saw the figure coming through the rear door, she wondered if she were seeing another spirit. He was bandaged, limping, and wearing some kind of medical suit. She stood†¦ unable to believe the vision. â€Å"Ro†¦ bert?† He never answered. He strode directly to her and wrapped her in his arms. When he pressed his lips to hers, it was an impulsive, longing kiss filled with thankfulness. Vittoria felt the tears coming. â€Å"Oh, God†¦ oh, thank God†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He kissed her again, more passionately, and she pressed against him, losing herself in his embrace. Their bodies locked, as if they had known each other for years. She forgot the fear and pain. She closed her eyes, weightless in the moment. â€Å"It is God's will!† someone was yelling, his voice echoing in the Sistine Chapel. â€Å"Who but the chosen one could have survived that diabolical explosion?† â€Å"Me,† a voice reverberated from the back of the chapel. Mortati and the others turned in wonder at the bedraggled form coming up the center aisle. â€Å"Mr†¦. Langdon?† Without a word, Langdon walked slowly to the front of the chapel. Vittoria Vetra entered too. Then two guards hurried in, pushing a cart with a large television on it. Langdon waited while they plugged it in, facing the cardinals. Then Langdon motioned for the guards to leave. They did, closing the door behind them. Now it was only Langdon, Vittoria, and the cardinals. Langdon plugged the Sony RUVI's output into the television. Then he pressed Play. The television blared to life. The scene that materialized before the cardinals revealed the Pope's office. The video had been awkwardly filmed, as if by hidden camera. Off center on the screen the camerlegno stood in the dimness, in front of a fire. Although he appeared to be talking directly to the camera, it quickly became evident that he was speaking to someone else – whoever was making this video. Langdon told them the video was filmed by Maximilian Kohler, the director of CERN. Only an hour ago Kohler had secretly recorded his meeting with the camerlegno by using a tiny camcorder covertly mounted under the arm of his wheelchair. Mortati and the cardinals watched in bewilderment. Although the conversation was already in progress, Langdon did not bother to rewind. Apparently, whatever Langdon wanted the cardinals to see was coming up†¦ â€Å"Leonardo Vetra kept diaries?† the camerlegno was saying. â€Å"I suppose that is good news for CERN. If the diaries contain his processes for creating antimatter – â€Å" â€Å"They don't,† Kohler said. â€Å"You will be relieved to know those processes died with Leonardo. However, his diaries spoke of something else. You.† The camerlegno looked troubled. â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"They described a meeting Leonardo had last month. With you.† The camerlegno hesitated, then looked toward the door. â€Å"Rocher should not have granted you access without consulting me. How did you get in here?† â€Å"Rocher knows the truth. I called earlier and told him what you have done.† â€Å"What I have done? Whatever story you told him, Rocher is a Swiss Guard and far too faithful to this church to believe a bitter scientist over his camerlegno.† â€Å"Actually, he is too faithful not to believe. He is so faithful that despite the evidence that one of his loyal guards had betrayed the church, he refused to accept it. All day long he has been searching for another explanation.† â€Å"So you gave him one.† â€Å"The truth. Shocking as it was.† â€Å"If Rocher believed you, he would have arrested me.† â€Å"No. I wouldn't let him. I offered him my silence in exchange for this meeting.† The camerlegno let out an odd laugh. â€Å"You plan to blackmail the church with a story that no one will possibly believe?† â€Å"I have no need of blackmail. I simply want to hear the truth from your lips. Leonardo Vetra was a friend.† The camerlegno said nothing. He simply stared down at Kohler. â€Å"Try this,† Kohler snapped. â€Å"About a month ago, Leonardo Vetra contacted you requesting an urgent audience with the Pope – an audience you granted because the Pope was an admirer of Leonardo's work and because Leonardo said it was an emergency.† The camerlegno turned to the fire. He said nothing. â€Å"Leonardo came to the Vatican in great secrecy. He was betraying his daughter's confidence by coming here, a fact that troubled him deeply, but he felt he had no choice. His research had left him deeply conflicted and in need of spiritual guidance from the church. In a private meeting, he told you and the Pope that he had made a scientific discovery with profound religious implications. He had proved Genesis was physically possible, and that intense sources of energy – what Vetra called God – could duplicate the moment of Creation.† Silence. â€Å"The Pope was stunned,† Kohler continued. â€Å"He wanted Leonardo to go public. His Holiness thought this discovery might begin to bridge the gap between science and religion – one of the Pope's life dreams. Then Leonardo explained to you the downside – the reason he required the church's guidance. It seemed his Creation experiment, exactly as your Bible predicts, produced everything in pairs. Opposites. Light and dark. Vetra found himself, in addition to creating matter, creating antimatter. Shall I go on?† The camerlegno was silent. He bent down and stoked the coals. â€Å"After Leonardo Vetra came here,† Kohler said, â€Å"you came to CERN to see his work. Leonardo's diaries said you made a personal trip to his lab.† The camerlegno looked up. Kohler went on. â€Å"The Pope could not travel without attracting media attention, so he sent you. Leonardo gave you a secret tour of his lab. He showed you an antimatter annihilation – the Big Bang – the power of Creation. He also showed you a large specimen he kept locked away as proof that his new process could produce antimatter on a large scale. You were in awe. You returned to Vatican City to report to the Pope what you had witnessed.† The camerlegno sighed. â€Å"And what is it that troubles you? That I would respect Leonardo's confidentiality by pretending before the world tonight that I knew nothing of antimatter?† â€Å"No! It troubles me that Leonardo Vetra practically proved the existence of your God, and you had him murdered!† The camerlegno turned now, his face revealing nothing. The only sound was the crackle of the fire. Suddenly, the camera jiggled, and Kohler's arm appeared in the frame. He leaned forward, seeming to struggle with something affixed beneath his wheelchair. When he sat back down, he held a pistol out before him. The camera angle was a chilling one†¦ looking from behind†¦ down the length of the outstretched gun†¦ directly at the camerlegno. Kohler said, â€Å"Confess your sins, Father. Now.† The camerlegno looked startled. â€Å"You will never get out of here alive.† â€Å"Death would be a welcome relief from the misery your faith has put me through since I was a boy.† Kohler held the gun with both hands now. â€Å"I am giving you a choice. Confess your sins†¦ or die right now.† The camerlegno glanced toward the door. â€Å"Rocher is outside,† Kohler challenged. â€Å"He too is prepared to kill you.† â€Å"Rocher is a sworn protector of th – â€Å" â€Å"Rocher let me in here. Armed. He is sickened by your lies. You have a single option. Confess to me. I have to hear it from your very lips.† The camerlegno hesitated. Kohler cocked his gun. â€Å"Do you really doubt I will kill you?† â€Å"No matter what I tell you,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"a man like you will never understand.† â€Å"Try me.† The camerlegno stood still for a moment, a dominant silhouette in the dim light of the fire. When he spoke, his words echoed with a dignity more suited to the glorious recounting of altruism than that of a confession. â€Å"Since the beginning of time,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"this church has fought the enemies of God. Sometimes with words. Sometimes with swords. And we have always survived.† The camerlegno radiated conviction. â€Å"But the demons of the past,† he continued, â€Å"were demons of fire and abomination†¦ they were enemies we could fight – enemies who inspired fear. Yet Satan is shrewd. As time passed, he cast off his diabolical countenance for a new face†¦ the face of pure reason. Transparent and insidious, but soulless all the same.† The camerlegno's voice flashed sudden anger – an almost maniacal transition. â€Å"Tell me, Mr. Kohler! How can the church condemn that which makes logical sense to our minds! How can we decry that which is now the very foundation of our society! Each time the church raises its voice in warning, you shout back, calling us ignorant. Paranoid. Controlling! And so your evil grows. Shrouded in a veil of self-righteous intellectualism. It spreads like a cancer. Sanctified by the miracles of its own technology. Deifying itself! Until we no longer suspect you are anything but pure goodness. Science has come to save us from our sic kness, hunger, and pain! Behold science – the new God of endless miracles, omnipotent and benevolent! Ignore the weapons and the chaos. Forget the fractured loneliness and endless peril. Science is here!† The camerlegno stepped toward the gun. â€Å"But I have seen Satan's face lurking†¦ I have seen the peril†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What are you talking about! Vetra's science practically proved the existence of your God! He was your ally!† â€Å"Ally? Science and religion are not in this together! We do not seek the same God, you and I! Who is your God? One of protons, masses, and particle charges? How does your God inspire? How does your God reach into the hearts of man and remind him he is accountable to a greater power! Remind him that he is accountable to his fellow man! Vetra was misguided. His work was not religious, it was sacrilegious! Man cannot put God's Creation in a test tube and wave it around for the world to see! This does not glorify God, it demeans God!† The camerlegno was clawing at his body now, his voice manic. â€Å"And so you had Leonardo Vetra killed!† â€Å"For the church! For all mankind! The madness of it! Man is not ready to hold the power of Creation in his hands. God in a test tube? A droplet of liquid that can vaporize an entire city? He had to be stopped!† The camerlegno fell abruptly silent. He looked away, back toward the fire. He seemed to be contemplating his options. Kohler's hands leveled the gun. â€Å"You have confessed. You have no escape.† The camerlegno laughed sadly. â€Å"Don't you see. Confessing your sins is the escape.† He looked toward the door. â€Å"When God is on your side, you have options a man like you could never comprehend.† With his words still hanging in the air, the camerlegno grabbed the neck of his cassock and violently tore it open, revealing his bare chest. Kohler jolted, obviously startled. â€Å"What are you doing!† The camerlegno did not reply. He stepped backward, toward the fireplace, and removed an object from the glowing embers. â€Å"Stop!† Kohler demanded, his gun still leveled. â€Å"What are you doing!† When the camerlegno turned, he was holding a red-hot brand. The Illuminati Diamond. The man's eyes looked wild suddenly. â€Å"I had intended to do this all alone.† His voice seethed with a feral intensity. â€Å"But now†¦ I see God meant for you to be here. You are my salvation.† Before Kohler could react, the camerlegno closed his eyes, arched his back, and rammed the red hot brand into the center of his own chest. His flesh hissed. â€Å"Mother Mary! Blessed Mother†¦ Behold your son!† He screamed out in agony. Kohler lurched into the frame now†¦ standing awkwardly on his feet, gun wavering wildly before him. The camerlegno screamed louder, teetering in shock. He threw the brand at Kohler's feet. Then the priest collapsed on the floor, writhing in agony. What happened next was a blur. There was a great flurry onscreen as the Swiss Guard burst into the room. The soundtrack exploded with gunfire. Kohler clutched his chest, blown backward, bleeding, falling into his wheelchair. â€Å"No!† Rocher called, trying to stop his guards from firing on Kohler. The camerlegno, still writhing on the floor, rolled and pointed frantically at Rocher. â€Å"Illuminatus!† â€Å"You bastard,† Rocher yelled, running at him. â€Å"You sanctimonious bas – â€Å" Chartrand cut him down with three bullets. Rocher slid dead across the floor. Then the guards ran to the wounded camerlegno, gathering around him. As they huddled, the video caught the face of a dazed Robert Langdon, kneeling beside the wheelchair, looking at the brand. Then, the entire frame began lurching wildly. Kohler had regained consciousness and was detaching the tiny camcorder from its holder under the arm of the wheelchair. Then he tried to hand the camcorder to Langdon. â€Å"G-give†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kohler gasped. â€Å"G-give this to the m-media.† Then the screen went blank.