Analysis Of The Book Three Little Words By Ashley...

Introduction The book I read was ‘Three Little Words.’ It is written by Ashley Rhodes-Courter. This book was published in 2008. It was published in New York, New York. The book was published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers Company. It has a total of 336 pages. Three Little Words is organized in chapters. It has a total of 13 chapters. This book is a memoir so it is all about Ashley’s life in the foster care program. Each chapter talks about the hardships she went through at all the different foster homes. Ashley was taken into foster care when she was only three years old. She was in 14 different homes in a total of nine years. She had a brother, Luke that was also in the foster care program with her. They were separated multiple times, but always ended up at the same foster home together. It was not until Ashley was adopted that they were separated for good. Ashley’s mom was in prison multiple times, she was also a drug addict. She had visitation righ ts, but her visitations were always supervised. At these visitations she always promised Ashley that she was going to turn her life around, and get both her and Luke back. It never happened; as a result, Ashley had a lot of trust issues and a hard time believing people actually cared for her. Ashley was adopted and had a tough first couple of years adjusting to having a family. It wasn’t until about the end of the book where she finally got used to having a real family. Summary Lorraine Rhodes was a single

The Argument of Abortion Free Essays

In On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion, Mary Anne Warren discusses a few arguments against abortion, namely bringing into play whether the fetus is actually a person, or â€Å"not a member of the moral community†. She defends that abortion is a morally sound action. Don Marquis, in his essay An Argument that Abortion is Wrong, takes the opposite stance. We will write a custom essay sample on The Argument of Abortion or any similar topic only for you Order Now He claims â€Å"that abortion, except perhaps in rare instances, is seriously wrong†.The first thing we read in Warren’s article is the thought experiment first conceived by Judith Thomson. It’s an analogy that uses a normal person, male or female, and a famous violinist. Let’s say the Society of Music Lovers kidnaps you, and hooks you up to this dying violinist. If you choose to unhook yourself, the violinist will die, but if you let him stay hooked up to you to use your kidneys (for a period of nine months), then he will be cured and both of you will be free.Thomson asks what a person’s obligations in this situation are, and, to be consistent with Warren’s argument, she says it would be ridiculous to be stay in bed with the violinist, and thus you are able to leave at any time. You shouldn’t feel responsible for the death of the violinist. But Marquis, in his essay, points out that, while good for dealing with abortions due to rape, the analogy doesn’t hold up. Thomson draws to our attention that in pregnancy a fetus uses the woman’s body for life-support, but the woman doesn’t use a fetus’s body for life support.Thus, in an abortion the life that is lost is the fetus’s, not the woman’s. This leaves us with a standoff. I think this overall analogy is not significantly helpful for either side of the argument. Warren then discusses whether or not abortion is actually the killing of a â€Å"person†, calling into question when a fetus matures to the point of personhood. She defines the moral community as having some (the more the better) of these six characteristics: sentience (capacity to have conscious experiences), emotionality (capacity to feel sad, angry, happy, etc. , reason (capacity to solve new and relatively complex problems), capacity to communicate (by any means), self-awareness (concept of oneself), and finally moral agency (capacity to regulate one’s own actions). This is clearly very sketchy, because infants and mentally or physically challenged people are still referred to and thought of as â€Å"people†, or â€Å"members of the moral community†, despite a lack of many of these traits. Both articles address this idea of personhood, but neither one really wins.The good thing with defining personhood biologically—saying it’s a person at conception—quantifies it†¦it gives a definitive time, not some subjective date when certain sentient or reasoning qualities are met, and this lessens the confusion. But I still agree somewhat with the view held by Warren that fetuses can’t reason or fend for themselves nor (until cerebral development) do really anything other than exist. So again, I don’t think either side has a stronger case, because both Warren and Marquis have points that basically offset one another. An interesting thing that Marquis then does is go on to talk about FLO, or â€Å"future like ours†. He claims that killing deprives a person of a future that is like ours, and says that abortion is killing a fetus that will have a future like ours. Taking someone’s entire future away from them is the worst of crimes, and he argues that abortion is this kind of deprivation of future. Killing an adult is an awful thing to do because it takes away that adult’s future, a future that is of great value.The same goes for aborted fetuses—they had a future that would be valued but it was taken away from them. Warren also argues that a woman has a right to life, so she can make a decision that she sees fit, since her body belongs to her and only her. In response to this, Marquis says that, except during rape (when he believes it is permissible), a fetus has just as much of a right to life as the woman, and therefore an abortion is wrong. Marquis concludes that abortion is seriously wrong, except in unusual cases (rape, incest, and possible death of the mother).Depriving an FLO shows how wrong killing an adult is, and since fetuses have an FLO, killing them is just as bad. Warren concludes that fetuses are neither persons nor members of the moral community. She does not think that the fetus’s resemblance to a person nor the potential for becoming a person is a good enough claim to say it has an equal right to life. Marquis agrees with Warren inasmuch as the pregnancy is due to rape or other unusual condition, so there is no argument there.The argument over personhood is a much better one, and I think that both sides have a very strong position and arguments. On one side there is the lack of human traits to make a fetus a person, and on the other there is a biological definition of life which occurs at conception. It is nearly impossible to determine who’s argument is stronger, because I can see how both sides can work. As for the woman’s rights, I think again it is two-sided. Neither side really comes away with a clear-cut victory.Warren argues that a woman can do whatever she wants with her body because it is her body but Marquis suggests that that cannot include killing a fetus (with an FLO). Overall I believe that Warren has stronger arguments, although I don’t necessarily agree with them. I think it is morally correct to carry the baby for nine months and then give it up for adoption or something like that, but that is such an unbelievably huge burden to put on someone, so I can understand where an abortion might need to take place.So, I feel that Mary Anne Warren gives stronger arguments only because she explains them in much more detail, allowing the reader to at least understand where she is coming from, whereas Don Marquis just tells us what his views are with li ttle information to back them up. Abortion is a very difficult topic to discuss or write upon, and, even though I disagree with her, I think Warren did a better job to explain what her views on abortion were and where they came from. How to cite The Argument of Abortion, Essays

Law Of ASX Corporate Governance Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Questions: 1.Did the Board of Ardent Leisure recognise and manage the risk arising from this incident? 2.Assuming the Board failed to manage the risk, did the company and the directors breach Principles 7 of the ASX principles of Good Corporate Governance? What is the consequence, if any, for the company failing to comply with Principle 7? Can the ASX take any disciplinary action against the directors and company for failing to recognise and manage the risk in this instance? 3.Could it be argued that the directors had breached their duty of care and diligence or is the significant financial harm suffered by the company sufficient penalty?4.After the incident did the Board review and improve the effectiveness of the companys risk management framework? Answers: 1. It is required by a company listed in the ASX to establish a suitable framework that solely concentrates over the degrees of management of risk in the bounds within the entity, such laws are clearly stated in the Principle 7 of the Corporate Governance. It is required by the laws of the ASX that the said entitys directorial board has to, by all the power bestowed upon it, act to the culmination of various processes and steps that would be taken into action when and only when a risk factor is discovered, in order to solve possible issues[1]. The failure to provide accurate judgment and recognition to the factors of risk may not only lead to the downfall in the goodwill of a company in the society, but will in all cases lead to the withdrawal of investors and potential investments, workers, consumers and every other factor. When the above discussion is taken in relation with the company in the question, that is Ardent Leisure, it is seen that in the Dreamworld incident, the entity had not only refrained to take proper actions immediately, but it is clearly seen that the directorial board had made no necessary measures in the incorporation of a suitable risk management framework. It can be rightfully said that the company in question made no attempt in recognition of risk and tried to resolve it in any way. It is bound by thestringent laws of the ASX that every company has to create a separate committee that would only concentrate its said powers that are bestowed upon it by the directorial committee in incorporation of the will of the Principle 7 and ASX and examining risk factors and creation of precautionary measures. It is willed by the law that such a committee will have three separate directors controlling it. The review and incorporation of such laws are strictly obeyed by the directors. In context to what was discussed in the previous paragraph, it can be clearly said that the company, Ardent Leisure, had had no proper framework for the said management of risk and hence, was unable to take even the slightest action when and after the accident occurred. Not only did the said entity fail to recognizing the factors of risk, but couldnt take a proper step in order to mitigate the damage. Its actions can be clearly blamed upon the directorial board of the company and deserved the backlash that it so strongly received. It is necessary bylaw for company to maintain a good corporate governance, unlike the company in question, Ardent Leisure. Stringent laws are to be incorporated such that the various functions and relationships with its bounds can be taken care of. It helps in keeping accountability of the workers and the ones controlling the processes in the said corporation[2]. Investors are attracted to a company with a strong Corporate Governance scheme. As judged by what was stated in the previous discussions, it can be said that the company, lacking a proper risk management framework, caused the accident and failed to incorporate any measures in order to mitigate it. It is alaw of ASX that the owner/occupier of a property is responsible for any kind of damage done to any human life, whether injury or death that is caused inside his premises and has to take measures in order to mitigate them. But, In the case of Ardent Leisure, the company failed to introduce any such measures as there was no framework to support it[3]. Hence, the avoidable accident turned to a disaster. 2. Previously, it was seen that by the rules incorporated by the ASX, all the companies are bound to create a separate committee that functions with sole purpose of find risk factors and incorporation of the necessary steps that would lead to the desired solution required by the company in order to deal with the risk factors. It was also stated that such a committee is empowered to review and review company information and work accordingly[4]. It is further stated by the ASX, that in accordance to the policies of Australian Security Exchange, the rule of if not, why not was established. It allowed the companies to refuse to follow the laws of ASX, but, in that case, the entity has to provide a valid reason and explanation. If not, then the company will be penalized with an amount of $250000 for not following the rules of operation. A breaching of these regulations cost to a penalty of $1000000. An example can be seen in the case of Sino Australia Oil and Gas limited (Company), which too was penalized by ASX[5]. Judging by what was discussed in the last two paragraphs, it can be said that Ardent Leisure Pvt. Ltd, failed to follow the Principle 7 of Corporate Governance. The company didnt just ignore the factors of risk; it didnt create a framework that would search for the search for the factors and work for its most possible mitigation. The case of Dreamworld was most avoidable one of all but since the company was careless enough, not advancing to the worst case scenario instantaneously, led to the disaster. If the socio-environmental risks were disclosed properly, then the incident might have been avoided. So, it can be rightfully said that the incident occurred solely due to the companys failure in following the said principles[6]. The above series of events that caused due to the incompetence of the Ardent Leisure in order to follow the Principle 7 didnt just leave it financially vulnerable, but also destroyed its social standing and market power when it came to competition and profits. The company suffered a financial depression that also included the huge amount of penalty inflicted upon it by the ASX. Hence, the entity had willing exposed itself to the risk that had might never have happened to the company in the first place. The Dreamworld incident left a scar upon the face of Ardent Leisure and decreased its Goodwill value and Net Worth[7]. 3. It is prudent by the Laws of ASX, that the Directorial board of the will take decisions that are for the sole purpose of the benefit of it and nothing else. It is said that if a director is a person of sound intelligence and rational mentality, he can never make decisions that are wrong, if he wills it[8]. It can be said that the directorial decisions are absolute and are subjected to the common laws of the ASX. The above statutory obligation can be seen in the Section 180 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), that very frankly states the obligations of the directorial board to act with care and earnest toward the sole purpose of developing the organization[9]. Directors who are deemed incapable of organizing themselves according to rules or are held responsible for a possible breach can be held into custody by the section 1317 of the Act as a result of the civil penalties. It is further stated that the director can in no way bring personal interest ahead of the interests of the company and act selfishly. In the case given to us, it can be clearly stated that Ardent Leisure has clearly failed to work accordance to the Section 180 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) of the laws of the ASX and clearly avoided even the creation of the said framework[10]. In order to prove that the incident was directly related to stipulated mistakes of the directors, it can be said that it is essential to prove the fact that the directors committed a breach while being of sound mind and reason that might clearly have not been the case of any other prudent person. Since, the prudency of the directors can confirmed, it can be said that the directors of Ardent Leisure are responsible for the breach of the commonlaw and also the section 180 as it can be clearly stated that any sane person would have taken precautionary measures as advised by the ASX. So, the directors are bound to penalized as per stated on the previous sections due to their failures in dealing with the Dreamworld incident. 4. It was seen that the company, Ardent Leisure Pvt. Ltd took no actions to reach out to the families of the people who lost their lives after what had happened in the Dreamworld incident. It is the first person right of a company to contact the families of the dead or injured when the accident has happened inside the boundaries of its premises. Then again, Ardent chose to completely ignore that in the first place. After much media back lashing, the company took it upon themselves to take necessary precautions. The Dreamworld park remained closed for 45 days and the the situations was thoroughly examined in order to single out the cause and deal with it. Then again, the said situation may not have happened if proper measures were made before hand. Ardent Leisure had proclaimed itself to be an entertainment company and took it upon them to spread the entertainment market across the United States. It cannot be denied that Ardent Leisure was a leading producer in the global economical entertainment market until the Dreamworld incident took made the company take a turn for the worst. The constant criticism and backlashes led to the CEO of the company, Deborah Thomas to take her resignation from her overshadowed by the guilt that was burdened on to her for not taking effective actions[11]. The company faced a considerable decline in its stock post the accident and now, it has turned their attention to involving themselves into the reduction of damage and risk control. The investigation as a prime objective had commenced since the accident took place. The ride that led to the fateful event, Thunder River Rapid was permanently shut down and the company has taken it upon themselves to re-establish their industry and to take precautionary measures with the help of the authorities and few other private sources[12]. A so called risk management committee was formed after the disaster and was given the sole objective of looking into the matter of mitigation and risk management. It was made sure that all the potential risks are identified and dealt with in all caution. Even after such an elaborate incident, the company denies its total fault and says that it still retains the position of a top entertainment company in the industry with the help of government policies. References Booth, Simon A. Crisis management strategy: Competition and change in modern enterprises. Routledge, 2015. Council, ASX Corporate Governance, and A. S. Exchange. "Corporate governance principles and recommendations . ASX Corporate Governance Council." (2014). Council, ASX Corporate Governance. "Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations, 3rd edn (ASX, Sydney)." (2014). Hopkin, Paul. Fundamentals of risk management: understanding, evaluating and implementing effective risk management. Kogan Page Publishers, 2017. Pearson, Gail. "Failure in corporate governance: financial planning and greed." Handbook on Corporate Governance in Financial Institutions (2016): 185. Pearson, Gail. "Failure in corporate governance: financial planning and greed." Handbook on Corporate Governance in Financial Institutions (2016): 185. Price, John. "ASIC report: The director's role in corporate governance." Company Director 30.1 (2014): 12. Price, John. "ASIC report: The director's role in corporate governance." Company Director 30.1 (2014): 12. Tricker, RI Bob, and Robert Ian Tricker. Corporate governance: Principles, policies, and practices. Oxford University Press, USA, 2015. Tricker, RI Bob, and Robert Ian Tricker. Corporate governance: Principles, policies, and practices. Oxford University Press, USA, 2015. Vakkur, Nicholas V., and Zulma J. Herrera. Corporate governance regulation: how poor management is destroying the global economy. John Wiley Sons, 2013. Whiting, Rosalind H., and Georgia Y. Birch. "Corporate governance and intellectual capital disclosure." Corporate Ownership and Control 13 (2016): 250-260. Williams, Belinda Rachel, Simone Bingham, and Sonia Shimeld. "Corporate governance, the GFC and independent directors." Managerial Auditing Journal 30.4/5 (2015): 324-346. Young, Suzanne, and Vijaya Thayil. "Corporate social responsibility and corporate governance: Role of context in international settings." Journal of Business Ethics 122.1 (2014): 1-24.

Roman Religion Essays - Greco-Roman Mysteries,

Roman Religion Roman Religion in A Romans Everyday Life vs. Religion's Effects on Today We Romans, said Cicero, owe our supremacy overall other peoples to our piety and religious observances and to our wisdom in believing that the spirit of the gods rules and directs everything. Roman rites and observances took two main forms. One was the domestic reverence of the spirit or genius of the family. The other was the public attitude to the gods and goddesses by whom the destiny and welfare of the Roman people as a whole were supposed to be guided and controlled. During the Classical period, religious observance accompanied all important private and public events and transactions and, no successful outcome went without a vow of thanks or public dedication. Temples, priests and sacred rites were provided by the State. Nothing in the nature of religious services as we know them, in which the body of worshipers as a whole were able to participate, seems to have been celebrated in the temples. Any set forms of prayers, hymns or chants were performed solely by the official priest s whose secrets they remained. The ordinary Roman man or woman had little personal part to play in such rites (Handbook To Life In Ancient Greece). While they were being undertaken and fulfilled it was the duty of the ordinary citizen not to interfere or make any disturbance and to refrain from any business affairs. When religiously minded Roman dropped in to a temple in order to worship the god or goddess whose house it was , they had some practical object in view : some personal favor or advantage. They came and perhaps burn incenses. When praying they stood with upturned palms. Sometimes they got as close to the image of the god as they could in order to whisper their pleas; the feet of some of the images were worn by the kisses of generations of worshipers. In addition to paying a fee for admission, the grateful petitioner for divine aid also brought sacrifices and thankful offerings to the temples. Enormous numbers of livestock and cattle went to augment the wealth of the templ es, and to swell the incomes of the priests and attendants, many of whom became extremely wealthy. Temple worship was no essential part of Roman life. If it had been, it is difficult to understand why there were not more than about a hundred within the city confines, which is no large number in a city of some million inhabitants. Romans kept their religious faith because they grew up with it in their homes. Its strength did not depend so much upon visits to the temples or upon the services of the priests because every home had a domestic shrine and alter before which daily act of reverence could take place. There were lares of the cross roads also, who could be worshiped out doors by the homeless or by those too poor to maintain their own family shrine (Handbook To Life In Ancient Greece). Roman religion had been heavily influenced by its surrounding civilizations, especially Greek and Etruscan. Characteristic for early Roman religion are the so called function gods : gods that perf orm only one specific function that was mostly agricultural. Rome used to be an agricultural community before evolving into a world power. Apart from these , gods as Stercutus the god of the power of manure , nature itself was full of godly powers. In a later stage the Romans transformed under Greek influence. Since the beginning of their existence Romans tended to take over other cults and incorporate them into their own religion ; cults like the one of Cybele, originally from Anatolia, Mithras from the Persians and even Isis from Egypt where adapted and incorporated in Roman society. During the Empire an important new cult was institutionalized , the cult of the Emperor. Starting from Augustus onwards the emperor was deified and worshiped (Home Work Help : History). This was very handy to unify the empire and show loyalty to the emperor. Roman religion was intended to keep the relation god/human healthy. The relation between god and man was kept somewhat like a contract, I give yo u something and you give

Dentistry personal statement Essay Example

Dentistry personal statement Essay Example Dentistry personal statement Paper Dentistry personal statement Paper How important is your smile for humanity? how important is for a person to be able smiling? How important is for a person to have a beautiful smile and not be afraid to laugh? These questions struck me when I came across with an article about a smile in a dentist magazine. That was a year before to finish my secondary school. After a long consideration about the role of the dentist in our live and bear in mind Mother Teresa`s phrase â€Å"I can not understand how such a simple thing as a smile can do so much better† I came to outlet that when you smile, you look better. When other people see you smiling, then they also smile, it  is contagious. When other people smiles, they don’t only look but also they feel better. The desire to become a person who can deliver a happiness, relive pain and make a big difference to the quality of life derive from the comprehension that the majority of my relatives have Hereditary Periodontal Diseases and there is no any dentist in our relation to take care of them. I feel like it`s my responsibility to help them also and all of that reasons trigged my enthusiasm to study dentistry. During the summer holiday, driven from my intention, I start volunteer work as a dentist receptionist  in a Pleven dental clinic in Bulgaria. I had the great opportunity to work 2 months with one of the best dental technicians and dental specialists in my town. Working in a such environment boost my intension to pursuit a dental career, especially after a couple opportunities for observation of ceramic teeth modelling. Motivated to achieve my goal I finish my secondary school with excellence and my Chemistry and Biology was one of the highest marks. I was unable to start my degree in Bulgaria because of financial instability. I was disappointed but I didn`t give up. I took the decision to come in UK, work for a while, to save some money and go back to start my degree. After a year hard work and long consideration about the enormous chances for development and the great environment for studying, especially the well-balanced dental program which provides fairly extensive professional training suggest teamwork and the opportunity to participate in research projects, I took the decision to shadow my dream in Great Britain. Perhaps studying dentistry is not an easy task when English is not your native language, but I don’t scary easily. After 4 years living in UK and after a big effort to achieve best results and improve my English I fell more than ready to take the challenge and reach highlight in a such a demanding academic program and become a five stars specialist in the Periodontology. A part of my 2 weeks observation in 21 Dental Clinic-London where I had the occasion to shadow a dentist carrying more complex methods such as a root canal therapy, construction of bridges , crowns and veneers. I arrange of doing another 2 weeks observation in Bulgaria this September. I also have no passion to visit the  further Premier dental exhibition in London on 4-6 October and find out the latest innovative products, technologies and meet the top on-stand experts. Through my work experience I had the chance to improve my communication skills with people from different variety of ages and social backgrounds. Furthermore, I find my hobby as footballer that can also contribute my soft skills as I work well in a groups and I would be cooperative and take a leadership role when is appropriate. In my spare time I enjoy calligraphy as hobby also. I find it really helpful to improve my hand skills. I have to be also very patients and allow yourself to work precisely and understand the process that you are going through. I find the dentistry in calligraphy as few professions where you can incorporate both science and art into my daily work life. From the observation witch I’ve done so far I can conclude that dentistry is unique career and there is nothing more rewarding than taking someone’s pain and seeing their satisfied faces. This â€Å"mission† extremely influent on my resolve and enthusiasm to achieve success and improve the first thing the people notice- â€Å"the smile†.

Gods and Goddesses in Homers Epic Poem The Iliad

Gods and Goddesses in Homers Epic Poem The Iliad The Iliad is an epic poem ascribed to the ancient Greek storyteller Homer, which tells the story of the Trojan War and the Greek siege of the city of Troy. The Iliad is believed to have been written in the 8th century BCE; it is a classic piece of literature which is still commonly read today. The Iliad includes a dramatic series of battle scenes as well as many scenes in which the gods intervene on behalf of various characters (or for their own reasons). In this list, youll find the major gods and personifications described in the poem, including some rivers and winds. Aidoneus Hades: god, king of the dead.Aphrodite: love goddess, Supports the Trojans.Apollo: god, sends a plague, son of Zeus and Leto. Supports the Trojans.Ares: god of war. Supports the Trojans.Artemis: goddess, daughter of Zeus and Hera, sister of Apollo. Supports the Trojans.Athena: goddess active in battle, daughter of Zeus. Supports the Greeks.Axius: river in Paeonia (in north-eastern Greece), also the river god.Charis: goddess, wife of Hephaestus.Dawn: goddess.Death: brother of Sleep.Demeter: goddess of grain and food.Dione: goddess, mother of Aphrodite.Dionysus: divine son of Zeus and Semele.Eileithyia: goddess of birth pains and labor pangs.Fear: goddess: accompanies Ares and Athena into battle.Flight: god.Folly: daughter of Zeus.Furies: goddesses of revenge within the family.Glauce: a Nereid (daughter of Nereus).Gygaea: a water nymph: mother of Mesthles and Ascanius (allies of the Trojans).Hades: brother of Zeus and Poseidon, god of the dead.Halià «: a Nereid (daughter of Nereus). Hebe: goddess who acts as cupbearer to the gods.Helios: god of the sun.Hephaestus: god, son of Zeus and Hera, artisan god, crippled in his legs.Hera: divine wife and sister of Zeus, daughter of Cronos. Supports the Greeks.Hermes: divine son of Zeus, called killer of Argus.Hyperion: god of the sun.Iris: goddess, the messenger of the gods.Leto: goddess, mother of Apollo and Artemis.Limnoreia: a Nereid (daughter of Nereus).Muses: goddesses, daughters of Zeus.Nemertes: a Nereid (daughter of Nereus).Nereus: sea god, father of the Nereids.Nesaea: a Nereid (daughter of Nereus).Night: goddess.North Wind.Oceanus (Ocean): god of the river surrounding the earth.Orithyia: a Nereid (daughter of Nereus).Paeà «on: god of healing.Poseidon: major Olympian god.Prayers: daughters of Zeus.Proto: a Nereid (daughter of Nereus).Rhea: goddess, wife of Cronos.Rumour: a messenger from Zeus.Seasons: goddesses who look after the gates of Olympus.Sleep: god, brother of death.Strife: goddess active in war.Terror : god, son of Ares. Tethys: goddess; wife of Oceanus.Themis: goddess.Thetis: divine sea nymph, mother of Achilles, daughter of the old man of the sea.Thoà «: a Nereid (daughter of Nereus).Titans: gods imprisoned by Zeus in Tartarus.Typhoeus: monster held captive underground by Zeus.Xanthus: god of the Scamander River.Zephyrus: the west wind.Zeus: King of the gods.

Noise Control; Radon; UV-Radiation (Case) Module 5 Essay

Noise Control; Radon; UV-Radiation (Case) Module 5 - Essay Example al human life but noises emitted by night clubs are not only disturbing long term exposure to loud music can lead to permanent damage to individual’s hearing (EPA, 2011). Long-term exposure to noises like that coming from nightclubs can cause major disorders such as NIHL (A condition in which the tiny hairs in ears are damaged, which then results in hearing loss, these tiny hairs once damaged cannot be repaired and cannot be replaced). In nightclubs the music is so loud that it causes the floor to shake and causes stiffness in the chests of people in the vicinity ("Noise pollution |," 2011). The music there if measured in decibels (units for measuring sound) reaches around 125, which is equivalent to a firearm being discharged. Being exposed to sharp and loud noises can cause some real damage to the auditory nerve, which can lead to permanent deafness it may also be accompanied by ringing, buzzing and also roaring in the head. Noise pollution can also have negative effects work and school lives. There is a strict restriction over night club near to residential blocks. Sounds that endanger the auditory nerve are strictly prohibited in the nightclubs. Moreover, a complaint from residential living near a night club producing high noise can shut it down. Radon is a noble gas. It is produced after the break down of uranium and thorium. It is also one of the densest substances that remain in gaseous form at room temperatures. Another special property of Radon is that it has radioactive isotopes, which emit high levels of radiations and are considered found to be very harmful for human health and are suspected to cause various diseases including cancer For a long time it has been established that there is a link between exposure to radioactive waves and the growth of cancerous cells in the human body .The most common type of cancer that is linked with exposure to Radon gas is perhaps lung cancer, which until very recently was thought of as a primary type of cancer

Agriculture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Agriculture - Essay Example ides to kill pests instantly, and insertion of toxin genes in plants to kill feeding insects or larva (as in the case of genetically modified crops like Bt corn). There are some significant effects of modern agriculture on the environment. Extensive use of pesticides pollutes the air and causes respiratory and other health problems in humans and animals. These effects can be fatal in extreme cases of pesticide poisoning. The prolonged use of fertilizer, especially nitrogen, results in the decrease of soil pH. This means the soil becomes acidic, and therefore this will lead to subsequent yield reduction until such time that the soil becomes unfavourable for productive crop growing. Growing genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops (which is coupled with extensive herbicide use) may alter the weed population and microfauna in areas where they are cultivated. Extensive land preparation also has effects on the soil texture, soil microflora, and fauna. Agricultural pests can be insects, microbes, rodents, fungi, weeds. The primary effect of pests in agriculture is to decrease by some degree, the yield that is economically important. Extreme pest infestation can lead to famines. As an example, the potato blight, a fungus responsible for the Ireland famine in the 1800s, has resurfaced in the Andes region lately, seriously affecting potato yields (Barclay) and causing fear of famine. Locust infestation is devastating and has been responsible for famines even during biblical times. In rice growing areas, the major pests are rodents and snails that cut rice stems therefore reducing the number of productive tillers and diseases like blast and tungro. Livestock also have pests that can cause epidemics; like the bird flu which is caused by a virus. Chicken with, or suspected to have, bird flu, are killed and this results in a shortage of chicken and eggs, and consequently, increase in prices of these commodities. Another notable disease is the mad cow disease that led to

Tok on the Limits of Knowledge Essay Example for Free

Tok on the Limits of Knowledge Essay â€Å"the vocabulary we have does more than communicate our knowledge; it shapes what we can know’. Evaluate this claim with reference to different areas of knowledge. † At first glance this title seems to be ridiculous. Our vocabulary can have complete control over what we can know’. It seems unlikely that there is knowledge that cannot be obtained due to the limits of our vocabulary. However when you look at this in depth it seems to be true. What is vocabulary? Vocabulary are the words we use. Vocabulary has a connection to the word itself and what’s behind it. Say the word cow. The word â€Å"cow† is merely just a noise. But we automatically connect this word to the animal. Every word has this â€Å"magical touch† to it. Thinking about vocabulary this way we can begin to see that knowledge is shaped by vocabulary because the words we have have individual meanings behind them. Without any vocabulary to represent unfound knowledge is there no way for it to be discovered? Different areas of knowledge argue against this idea. Human sciences allow us to perceive and have different observations of vocabulary. If vocabulary can hold different meanings and perceptions to different people and cultures this could potentially allow knowledge to break past the barrier of language. Language also holds its own set of rules. These rules (Context, comprehension, grammar ) can alter the meanings of words to once again allow for different meanings. Language seems to be solid and rule bound. But this is not the case, Language is creative and open-ended. One problem it is faced with is that what one person means when they say something may not be what another person understands when they hear it. This allows for millions of different interpretations. interpretation is very important to the understanding of knowledge. Knowledge runs hand in hand with language, If we fail to interpret On the basis, a general understood meaning allows us to maintain knowledge whereas these new meaning can help us discover knowledge. Language surrounds us wherever we go yet we fail to realize it, yet again it plays one of the biggest roles in human life. We use language in almost everything we do. Language is so important because it allows us to break out of our own self knowledge and enter into the minds and understandings of thers through communication. Communication is the foundation of knowledge. But communication has its flaws that allow knowledge to become hazy and hard to acquire. One example is what one person says might not be what another person understands. This is a huge barrier in communication, which correlates to a huge barrier in knowledge. Think of trying to learn something and h aving no background or understanding of the vocabulary used. You are not able to understand this knowledge because you don’t understand meaning. Meaning is the basis to understanding vocabulary. So to not understand meaning of vocabulary, we cannot learn knowledge. This is one way vocabulary begins to limit what we can know. You might think an easy solution to this problem would be to just consult a dictionary or ask for a further explanation of the unfamiliar vocabulary. Although this seems promising and easy, we do not always get the result we look for. Communication has its way of being interpreted. Different people and different cultures have their own understandings of words. Words have fuzzy undefined edges to them. Try explaining the word love. Without much thought you can understand that what it means to you could be completely different to someone else. Looking at vocabulary this way you can see that it creates a viscous cycle that cannot be conquered. Another problem similar to this one is that vocabulary has words that have something to show for them and some that don’t (denotation theory). An example I used earlier is cow, You can look at a cow. Words like these help communication which makes knowledge seem to have fewer limits, But its words like wisdom, pride, or freedom that bring up issues in understanding knowledge. Look at the word pride. You can look at examples of pride, but it does not represent one singular thing that is understood by everyone everywhere. Once again this creates the viscous cycle I mentioned earlier, Until we learn to have a fundamentally sound definition for these words like these will vocabulary no longer limit our knowledge. Now that we have looked at some problems of vocabulary itself we can begin to apply the problems found in communication that limit what we can know. The poet Robert frost observed that rarely do humans ever say exactly what they mean. What he means is that humans during communication will include five problematic meanings. These five are vagueness, Ambiguity, secondary meanings, metaphor, and irony. These five problematic are a huge limitation on communication, if they are not immediately picked up on during communication our knowledge is greatly impacted. First is vagueness. Consider the word tall. While taken out of context this word has infinite possibilities. Tall means completely different things while talking about how tall you are or talking about how big buildings are in major cities.

Iron Age Hoplite Warfare and Democracy :: essays research papers fc

Iron Age Hoplite Warfare brings about the First Democratic Societies in Archaic Age Greece, Following the Role of Monarchy, Feudalism and the Aristocracy As per the coverage in our course, in the Persian War, a Greek force from Athens set out to meet the invading Persian army at Marathon, and set them running. They were outnumbered by the Persians two to one, and the Persian army had been the biggest force the Greeks had ever seen. The majority of the killing took place while the Persians were hastily retreating to their ships. With only 192 dead, the Greeks reduced the Persian force by 7,000 men; however, the remaining 13,000 soldiers were still a sizable threat if they should sail down and enter Athens proper, and so the Greek army hastily moved back to their city.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The question of how they did this feat might be explained by the Greek theme that any Greek warrior could take on ten barbarians, but for our purposes the interesting question is why their involvement with what they were fighting for was able to give them the push to oust the invading empire. I surmise that the involvement in the state militarily and thus politically for the Athenians, which amounted to the beginning of democracy as we know it. As it is suggested by the book title, The Roots of the Western Tradition dig deep down into the ancient civilizations. Greece is a unique, important and telling civilization to study for it reveals the beginning of systems in which we live that are still evolving.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These Greeks had all voted together in assembly, and although assured by Persia that they could not meet the threat, they did not submit to a takeover. All the men who voted for war against Persia, an empire which frightened most other Greek Polis’, including Sparta, from sending military aid to Athens, were the very men who would don their Hoplite armor, clash together shield to shield to form phalanxes, and defeat the Persians at Marathon. These men were motivated by their own interests and what they had to protect: their prospering Polis of Athens, and their financial and political gains that came from fighting for it. The Greeks enjoyed a sharing of power, which in their view, was the antithesis of the monarch style powers held by the Absolute Leaders of the Great Empires developing in the Near East.

Catcher in the Rye Immaturity of Holden Caufield Essay

In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher is the Rye, the protagonist Holden Caufield emerges from a trying and emotional series of events and does not grow emotionally but remains as immature as he was at the beginning of the novel. The story is about the difficulties of growing up. Most people come out of their teenager years as more responsible and mature people. Holden goes through many stressful events during the weekend, but instead of coming out more mature and grown up, he still has the same childish views on life; he is violent minded, depressed, confused, and irresponsible. Throughout the whole novel, Holden fantasizes about killing people, he is baffled by sex, and he does not think out his actions. During the beginning of the story, Holden thinks about killing people many times. He wanted to kill Stradlater, his roommate, for dating Jane Gallagher, his old friend. Holden knew what kind of guy Stradlater was and he was afraid he took advantage of Jane. Holden actually does fight Stradlater but gets hurt pretty badly. He then puts his hunting hat on and says it is a â€Å"people shooting† hat. Later on in the story, Holden again thinks about killing people. When Maurice, the pimp, hurts Holden and steals his money, Holden pretends that he had been shot in the stomach and his guts were falling out. He then pretends that he is staggering down the stairs with a gun to shoot Maurice and get revenge. Holden does not actually do this, but it shows how he is immature and violent. Also, while Holden is visiting Phoebe’s school, he sees that someone has written â€Å"fuck† on the wall. He becomes very angry and wants the bash the skull of whoever did that on the marble floor so they are all bloody. Again we see that Holden has much anger in him. He does not know how to deal with it and that shows he has not grown up. Holden also does not ever figure out his views on sex. At the beginning he hates Stradlater because he takes advantage of girls. He says has never done anything to a girl because he always stops when they say â€Å"stop†. Holden says that he would have to really like the girl’s face and really get to know the person before he could have sex with them. When Holden gets to New York he calls Faith Cavendish, who he thinks is a stripper. He does not even know her but he wants to have sex with her. This goes against everything he said before. Then when Holden gets to the hotel Maurice offers Holden a hooker and he accepts. Holden then does not do anything with her because he is nervous and it does not seem right to him. Once again Holden is confused about sex. It is a foreign thing to him and he never figures it out. He has ideals that he sets for himself but he never follows through. He even tries to ask Carl Luce, an old friend, about sex but Carl is uncomfortable talking about it and Holden learns nothing new. Holden never learns how to control his emotions and actions about love and sex. Lastly, Holden does not learn how to think out his actions. In the beginning, Holden makes numerous wrong decisions. He runs away from Pencey without even telling his parents he was kicked out. That was a bad decision because when his parents will have found out he would have been in even more trouble for not telling them. Holden also constantly lies to people throughout the book, which shows his immaturity. Later in the book Holden makes some really poor spur of the moment choices too. He scares Sally Hayes, a girl he goes on a date with, by telling her that they should get married and move up north and live in a cabin. He urges her to do it and even raises his voice. Sally cries and says he is crazy. This shows how Holden does not think out his actions, which in turn hurts himself and others. He also spends money without thinking. Holden spends money on taxis, hotel rooms, food, dates, and the nuns. He does not think about managing his money and then he is forced to take his sister Phoebe’s Christmas money. This hurts himself because he does not want to take Phoebe’s money and it also hurts her because she does not have money to buy people presents. Holden’s lack of thinking hurts himself and others. Lastly, Holden plans to run away to the west and just get away from everyone. He would have done it but Phoebe stops him. Running away would have been really dumb because he didn’t have much money or anywhere to go. Holden never learns to think out his actions and this shows that he does not grow up. In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher is the Rye, the protagonist Holden Caufield emerges from a trying and emotional series of events and does not grow emotionally but remains as immature as he was at the beginning of the novel. Holden has a violent mind and he thinks about killing people throughout the novel. He also never figures out his views on sex. He thinks he knows his views on sex and what he would do put in certain situations, but he does not follow through with his ideals. Holden also never learns how to think out his decisions. He makes many choices without putting much thought into them and this hurts himself as well as others. Holden Caufield did not emerge from that weekend as a more mature person.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 102-106

CHAPTER 102 Robert Langdon had often heard it said that an animal, when cornered, was capable of miraculous feats of strength. Nonetheless, when he threw his full force into the underside of his crate, nothing budged at all. Around him, the liquid continued rising steadily. With no more than six inches of breathing room left, Langdon had lifted his head into the pocket of air that remained. He was now face-to-face with the Plexiglas window, his eyes only inches away from the underside of the stone pyramid whose baffling engraving hovered above him. I have no idea what this means. Concealed for over a century beneath a hardened mixture of wax and stone dust, the Masonic Pyramid's final inscription was now laid bare. The engraving was a perfectly square grid of symbols from every tradition imaginable–alchemical, astrological, heraldic, angelic, magical, numeric, sigilic, Greek, Latin. As a totality, this was symbolic anarchy–a bowl of alphabet soup whose letters came from dozens of different languages, cultures, and time periods. Total chaos. Symbologist Robert Langdon, in his wildest academic interpretations, could not fathom how this grid of symbols could be deciphered to mean anything at all. Order from this chaos? Impossible. The liquid was now creeping over his Adam's apple, and Langdon could feel his level of terror rising along with it. He continued banging on the tank. The pyramid stared back at him tauntingly. In frantic desperation, Langdon focused every bit of his mental energy on the chessboard of symbols. What could they possibly mean? Unfortunately, the assortment seemed so disparate that he could not even imagine where to begin. They're not even from the same eras in history! Outside the tank, her voice muffled but audible, Katherine could be heard tearfully begging for Langdon's release. Despite his failure to see a solution, the prospect of death seemed to motivate every cell in his body to find one. He felt a strange clarity of mind, unlike anything he had ever experienced. Think! He scanned the grid intensely, searching for some clue–a pattern, a hidden word, a special icon, anything at all–but he saw only a grid of unrelated symbols. Chaos. With each passing second, Langdon had begun to feel an eerie numbness overtaking his body. It was as if his very flesh were preparing to shield his mind from the pain of death. The water was now threatening to pour into his ears, and he lifted his head as far as he could, pushing it against the top of the crate. Frightening images began flashing before his eyes. A boy in New England treading water at the bottom of a dark well. A man in Rome trapped beneath a skeleton in an overturned coffin. Katherine's shouts were growing more frantic. From all Langdon could hear, she was trying to reason with a madman–insisting that Langdon could not be expected to decipher the pyramid without going to visit the Almas Temple. â€Å"That building obviously holds the missing piece to this puzzle! How can Robert decipher the pyramid without all the information?!† Langdon appreciated her efforts, and yet he felt certain that â€Å"Eight Franklin Square† was not pointing to the Almas Temple. The time line is all wrong! According to legend, the Masonic Pyramid was created in the mid-1800s, decades before the Shriners even existed. In fact, Langdon realized, it was probably before the square was even called Franklin Square. The capstone could not possibly have been pointing to an unbuilt building at a nonexistent address. Whatever â€Å"Eight Franklin Square† was pointing to . . . it had to exist in 1850. Unfortunately, Langdon was drawing a total blank. He probed his memory banks for anything that could possibly fit the time line. Eight Franklin Square? Something that was in existence in 1850? Langdon came up with nothing. The liquid was trickling into his ears now. Fighting his terror, he stared up at the grid of symbols on the glass. I don't understand the connection! In a petrified frenzy, his mind began spewing all the far-flung parallels it could generate. Eight Franklin Square . . . squares . . . this grid of symbols is a square . . . the square and the compass are Masonic symbols . . . Masonic altars are square . . . squares have ninety-degree angles. The water kept rising, but Langdon blocked it out. Eight Franklin . . . eight . . . this grid is eight-by-eight . . . Franklin has eight letters . . . â€Å"The Order† has eight letters . . . 8 is the rotated symbol for infinity . . . eight is the number of destruction in numerology . . . Langdon had no idea. Outside the tank, Katherine was still pleading, but Langdon's hearing was now intermittent as the water was sloshing around his head. † . . . impossible without knowing . . . capstone's message clearly . . . the secret hides within–â€Å" Then she was gone. Water poured into Langdon's ears, blotting out the last of Katherine's voice. A sudden womblike silence engulfed him, and Langdon realized he truly was going to die. The secret hides within– Katherine's final words echoed through the hush of his tomb. The secret hides within . . . Strangely, Langdon realized he had heard these exact words many times before. The secret hides . . . within. Even now, it seemed, the Ancient Mysteries were taunting him. â€Å"The secret hides within† was the core tenet of the mysteries, urging man kind to seek God not in the heavens above . . . but rather within himself. The secret hides within. It was the message of all the great mystical teachers. The kingdom of God is within you, said Jesus Christ. Know thyself, said Pythagoras. Know ye not that ye are gods, said Hermes Trismegistus. The list went on and on . . . All the mystical teachings of the ages had attempted to convey this one idea. The secret hides within. Even so, mankind continued looking to the heavens for the face of God. This realization, for Langdon, now became an ultimate irony. Right now, with his eyes facing the heavens like all the blind men who preceded him, Robert Langdon suddenly saw the light. It hit him like a bolt from above. The secret hides within The Order Eight Franklin Square In a flash he understood. The message on the capstone was suddenly crystal clear. Its meaning had been staring him in the face all night. The text on the capstone, like the Masonic Pyramid itself, was a symbolon–a code in pieces–a message written in parts. The capstone's meaning was camouflaged in so simple a manner that Langdon could scarcely believe he and Katherine had not spotted it. More astonishing still, Langdon now realized that the message on the capstone did indeed reveal exactly how to decipher the grid of symbols on the base of the pyramid. It was so very simple. Exactly as Peter Solomon had promised, the golden capstone was a potent talisman with the power to bring order from chaos. Langdon began pounding on the lid and shouting, â€Å"I know! I know!† Above him, the stone pyramid lifted off and hovered away. In its place, the tattooed face reappeared, its chilling visage staring down through the small window. â€Å"I solved it!† Langdon shouted. â€Å"Let me out!† When the tattooed man spoke, Langdon's submerged ears heard nothing. His eyes, however, saw the lips speak two words. â€Å"Tell me.† â€Å"I will!† Langdon screamed, the water almost to his eyes. â€Å"Let me out! I'll explain everything!† It's so simple. The man's lips moved again. â€Å"Tell me now . . . or die.† With the water rising through the final inch of air space, Langdon tipped his head back to keep his mouth above the waterline. As he did so, warm liquid poured into his eyes, blurring his vision. Arching his back, he pressed his mouth against the Plexiglas window. Then, with his last few seconds of air, Robert Langdon shared the secret of how to decipher the Masonic Pyramid. As he finished speaking, the liquid rose around his lips. Instinctively, Langdon drew a final breath and clamped his mouth shut. A moment later, the fluid covered him entirely, reaching the top of his tomb and spreading out across the Plexiglas. He did it, Mal'akh realized. Langdon figured out how to solve the pyramid. The answer was so simple. So obvious. Beneath the window, the submerged face of Robert Langdon stared up at him with desperate and beseeching eyes. Mal'akh shook his head at him and slowly mouthed the words: â€Å"Thank you, Professor. Enjoy the afterlife.† CHAPTER 103 As a serious swimmer, Robert Langdon had often wondered what it would feel like to drown. He now knew he was going to learn firsthand. Although he could hold his breath longer than most people, he could already feel his body reacting to the absence of air. Carbon dioxide was accumulating in his blood, bringing with it the instinctual urge to inhale. Do not breathe! The reflex to inhale was increasing in intensity with each passing moment. Langdon knew very soon he would reach what was called the breath-hold breakpoint–that critical moment at which a person could no longer voluntarily hold his breath. Open the lid! Langdon's instinct was to pound and struggle, but he knew better than to waste valuable oxygen. All he could do was stare up through the blur of water above him and hope. The world outside was now only a hazy patch of light above the Plexiglas window. His core muscles had begun burning, and he knew hypoxia was setting in. Suddenly a beautiful and ghostly face appeared, gazing down at him. It was Katherine, her soft features looking almost ethereal through the veil of liquid. Their eyes met through the Plexiglas window, and for an instant, Langdon thought he was saved. Katherine! Then he heard her muted cries of horror and realized she was being held there by their captor. The tattooed monster was forcing her to bear witness to what was about to happen. Katherine, I'm sorry . . . In this strange, dark place, trapped underwater, Langdon strained to comprehend that these would be his final moments of life. Soon he would cease to exist . . . everything he was . . . or had ever been . . . or would ever be . . . was ending. When his brain died, all of the memories held in his gray matter, along with all of the knowledge he had acquired, would simply evaporate in a flood of chemical reactions. In this moment, Robert Langdon realized his true insignificance in the universe. It was as lonely and humbling a feeling as he had ever experienced. Almost thankfully, he could feel the breath-hold breakpoint arriving. The moment was upon him. Langdon's lungs forced out their spent contents, collapsing in eager preparation to inhale. Still he held out an instant longer. His final second. Then, like a man no longer able to hold his hand to a burning stove, he gave himself over to fate. Reflex overruled reason. His lips parted. His lungs expanded. And the liquid came pouring in. The pain that filled his chest was greater than Langdon had ever imagined. The liquid burned as it poured into his lungs. Instantly, the pain shot upward into his skull, and he felt like his head was being crushed in a vise. There was great thundering in his ears, and through it all, Katherine Solomon was screaming. There was a blinding flash of light. And then blackness. Robert Langdon was gone. CHAPTER 104 It's over. Katherine Solomon had stopped screaming. The drowning she had just witnessed had left her catatonic, virtually paralyzed with shock and despair. Beneath the Plexiglas window, Langdon's dead eyes stared past her into empty space. His frozen expression was one of pain and regret. The last tiny air bubbles trickled out of his lifeless mouth, and then, as if consenting to give up his ghost, the Harvard professor slowly began sinking to the bottom of the tank . . . where he disappeared into the shadows. He's gone. Katherine felt numb. The tattooed man reached down, and with pitiless finality, he slid the small viewing window closed, sealing Langdon's corpse inside. Then he smiled at her. â€Å"Shall we?† Before Katherine could respond, he hoisted her grief-stricken body onto his shoulder, turned out the light, and carried her out of the room. With a few powerful strides, he transported her to the end of the hall, into a large space that seemed to be bathed in a reddish-purple light. The room smelled like incense. He carried her to a square table in the center of the room and dropped her hard on her back, knocking the wind out of her. The surface felt rough and cold. Is this stone? Katherine had hardly gotten her bearings before the man had removed the wire from her wrists and ankles. Instinctively, she attempted to fight him off, but her cramped arms and legs barely responded. He now began strapping her to the table with heavy leather bands, cinching one strap across her knees and then buckling a second across her hips, pinning her arms at her sides. Then he placed a final strap across her sternum, just above her breasts. It had all taken only moments, and Katherine was again immobilized. Her wrists and ankles throbbed now as the circulation returned to her limbs. â€Å"Open your mouth,† the man whispered, licking his own tattooed lips. Katherine clenched her teeth in revulsion. The man again reached out with his index finger and ran it slowly around her lips, making her skin crawl. She clenched her teeth tighter. The tattooed man chuckled and, using his other hand, found a pressure point on her neck and squeezed. Katherine's jaw instantly dropped open. She could feel his finger entering her mouth and running along her tongue. She gagged and tried to bite it, but the finger was already gone. Still grinning, he raised his moist fingertip before her eyes. Then he closed his eyes and, once again, rubbed her saliva into the bare circle of flesh on his head. The man sighed and slowly opened his eyes. Then, with an eerie calm, he turned and left the room. In the sudden silence, Katherine could feel her heart pounding. Directly over her, an unusual series of lights seemed to be modulating from purple red to a deep crimson, illuminating the room's low ceiling. When she saw the ceiling, all she could do was stare. Every inch was covered with drawings. The mind-boggling collage above her appeared to depict the celestial sky. Stars, planets, and constellations mingled with astrological symbols, charts, and formulas. There were arrows predicting elliptical orbits, geometric symbols indicating angles of ascension, and zodiacal creatures peering down at her. It looked like a mad scientist had gotten loose in the Sistine Chapel. Turning her head, Katherine looked away, but the wall to her left was no better. A series of candles on medieval floor stands shed a flickering glow on a wall that was completely hidden beneath pages of text, photos, and drawings. Some of the pages looked like papyrus or vellum torn from ancient books; others were obviously from newer texts; mixed in were photographs, drawings, maps, and schematics; all of them appeared to have been glued to the wall with meticulous care. A spiderweb of strings had been thumbtacked across them, interconnecting them in limitless chaotic possibilities. Katherine again looked away, turning her head in the other direction. Unfortunately, this provided the most terrifying view of all. Adjacent to the stone slab on which she was strapped, there stood a small side counter that instantly reminded her of an instrument table from a hospital operating room. On the counter was arranged a series of objects–among them a syringe, a vial of dark liquid . . . and a large knife with a bone handle and a blade hewn of iron burnished to an unusually high shine. My God . . . what is he planning to do to me? CHAPTER 105 When CIA systems security specialist Rick Parrish finally loped into Nola Kaye's office, he was carrying a single sheet of paper. â€Å"What took you so long?!† Nola demanded. I told you to come down immediately! â€Å"Sorry,† he said, pushing up his bottle-bottom glasses on his long nose. â€Å"I was trying to gather more information for you, but–â€Å" â€Å"Just show me what you've got.† Parrish handed her the printout. â€Å"It's a redaction, but you get the gist.† Nola scanned the page in amazement. â€Å"I'm still trying to figure out how a hacker got access,† Parrish said, â€Å"but it looks like a delegator spider hijacked one of our search–â€Å" â€Å"Forget that!† Nola blurted, glancing up from the page. â€Å"What the hell is the CIA doing with a classified file about pyramids, ancient portals, and engraved symbolons?† â€Å"That's what took me so long. I was trying to see what document was being targeted, so I traced the file path.† Parrish paused, clearing his throat. â€Å"This document turns out to be on a partition personally assigned to . . . the CIA director himself.† Nola wheeled, staring in disbelief. Sato's boss has a file about the Masonic Pyramid? She knew that the current director, along with many other top CIA executives, was a high-ranking Mason, but Nola could not imagine any of them keeping Masonic secrets on a CIA computer. Then again, considering what she had witnessed in the last twenty-four hours, anything was possible. Agent Simkins was lying on his stomach, ensconced in the bushes of Franklin Square. His eyes were trained on the columned entry of the Almas Temple. Nothing. No lights had come on inside, and no one had approached the door. He turned his head and checked on Bellamy. The man was pacing alone in the middle of the park, looking cold. Really cold. Simkins could see him shaking and shivering. His phone vibrated. It was Sato. â€Å"How overdue is our target?† she demanded. Simkins checked his chronograph. â€Å"Target said twenty minutes. It's been almost forty. Something's wrong.† â€Å"He's not coming,† Sato said. â€Å"It's over.† Simkins knew she was right. â€Å"Any word from Hartmann?† â€Å"No, he never checked in from Kalorama Heights. I can't reach him.† Simkins stiffened. If this was true, then something was definitely wrong. â€Å"I just called field support,† Sato said, â€Å"and they can't find him either.† Holy shit. â€Å"Do they have a GPS location on the Escalade?† â€Å"Yeah. A residential address in Kalorama Heights,† Sato said. â€Å"Gather your men. We're pulling out.† Sato clicked off her phone and gazed out at the majestic skyline of her nation's capital. An icy wind whipped through her light jacket, and she wrapped her arms around herself to stay warm. Director Inoue Sato was not a woman who often felt cold . . . or fear. At the moment, however, she was feeling both. CHAPTER 106 Mal'akh wore only his silk loincloth as he dashed up the ramp, through the steel door, and out through the painting into his living room. I need to prepare quickly. He glanced over at the dead CIA agent in the foyer. This home is no longer safe. Carrying the stone pyramid in one hand, Mal'akh strode directly to his first-floor study and sat down at his laptop computer. As he logged in, he pictured Langdon downstairs and wondered how many days or even weeks would pass before the submerged corpse was discovered in the secret basement. It made no difference. Mal'akh would be long gone by then. Langdon has served his role . . . brilliantly. Not only had Langdon reunited the pieces of the Masonic Pyramid, he had figured out how to solve the arcane grid of symbols on the base. At first glance, the symbols seemed indecipherable . . . and yet the answer was simple . . . staring them in the face. Mal'akh's laptop sprang to life, the screen displaying the same e-mail he had received earlier–a photograph of a glowing capstone, partially blocked by Warren Bellamy's finger. The secret hides within The Order. Franklin Square. Eight . . . Franklin Square, Katherine had told Mal'akh. She had also admitted that CIA agents were staking out Franklin Square, hoping to capture Mal'akh and also figure out what order was being referenced by the capstone. The Masons? The Shriners? The Rosicrucians? None of these, Mal'akh now knew. Langdon saw the truth. Ten minutes earlier, with liquid rising around his face, the Harvard professor had figured out the key to solving the pyramid. â€Å"The Order Eight Franklin Square!† he had shouted, terror in his eyes. â€Å"The secret hides within The Order Eight Franklin Square!† At first, Mal'akh failed to understand his meaning. â€Å"It's not an address!† Langdon yelled, his mouth pressed to the Plexiglas window. â€Å"The Order Eight Franklin Square! It's a magic square!† Then he said something about Albrecht Durer . . . and how the pyramid's first code was a clue to breaking this final one. Mal'akh was familiar with magic squares–kameas, as the early mystics called them. The ancient text De Occulta Philosophia described in detail the mystical power of magic squares and the methods for designing powerful sigils based on magical grids of numbers. Now Langdon was telling him that a magic square held the key to deciphering the base of the pyramid? â€Å"You need an eight-by-eight magic square!† the professor had been yelling, his lips the only part of his body above the liquid. â€Å"Magic squares are categorized in orders! A three-by-three square is an `order three'! A four-by-four square is an `order four'! You need an `order eight'!† The liquid had been about to engulf Langdon entirely, and the professor drew one last desperate breath and shouted out something about a famous Mason . . . an American forefather . . . a scientist, mystic, mathematician, inventor . . . as well as the creator of the mystical kamea that bore his name to this day. Franklin. In a flash, Mal'akh knew Langdon was right. Now, breathless with anticipation, Mal'akh sat upstairs at his laptop. He ran a quick Web search, received dozens of hits, chose one, and began reading. THE ORDER EIGHT FRANKLIN SQUARE One of history's best-known magic squares is the order-eight square published in 1769 by American scientist Benjamin Franklin, and which became famous for its inclusion of never- before-seen â€Å"bent diagonal summations.† Franklin's obsession with this mystical art form most likely stemmed from his personal associations with the prominent alchemists and mystics of his day, as well as his own belief in astrology, which were the underpinnings for the predictions made in his Poor Richard's Almanack. Mal'akh studied Franklin's famous creation–a unique arrangement of the numbers 1 through 64–in which every row, column, and diagonal added up to the same magical constant. The secret hides within The Order Eight Franklin Square. Mal'akh smiled. Trembling with excitement, he grabbed the stone pyramid and flipped it over, examining the base. These sixty-four symbols needed to be reorganized and arranged in a different order, their sequence defined by the numbers in Franklin's magic square. Although Mal'akh could not imagine how this chaotic grid of symbols would suddenly make sense in a different order, he had faith in the ancient promise. Ordo ab chao. Heart racing, he took out a sheet of paper and quickly drew an empty eight-by-eight grid. Then he began inserting the symbols, one by one, in their newly defined positions. Almost immediately, to his astonishment, the grid began making sense. Order from chaos! He completed the entire decryption and stared in disbelief at the solution before him. A stark image had taken shape. The jumbled grid had been transformed . . . reorganized . . . and although Mal'akh could not grasp the meaning of the entire message, he understood enough . . . enough to know exactly where he was now headed. The pyramid points the way. The grid pointed to one of the world's great mystical locations. Incredibly, it was the same location at which Mal'akh had always fantasized he would complete his journey. Destiny.

Create a 30, 60, or 90-day plan for your job search.

Create a 30, 60, or 90-day plan for your job search. The average job search can take anywhere from six weeks to six months, depending on factors like your industry, your experience, and the economy. That’s a lot of ambiguity- and if you’re feeling a time crunch, it’s not a very helpful statistic. If you’re seeking to put the job hunt timeline on your own terms, there are things you can do to maximize the time you do have. Let’s look at three different job search plans to make the most of your valuable time. The 90-Day PlanLet’s say you’ve given yourself three months to find a new job. It can a pretty spacious timeline, allowing you to take your time on all of the necessary elements. You can use some of that time at the start to figure out what you want to do.Ask yourself:Are you looking for the same kind of job you had/have now?Are you thinking about a career change?What would you like to do next?A less urgent timeline helps here, and gives you the opportunity to really consider what you r next steps are.Your SearchWith 90 days, you have the time to do a deeper dive. Translation: you’re not just blitzing every related job opening you can find with your resume. You have time to research potential target companies and adapt your application materials (resume, cover letter) accordingly. Now is also the time to start really looking at your network to see if there are the kinds of targeted job opportunities you can pursue over the next 90 days.Your SkillsWith 90 days, you don’t have all the time in the world to learn how to do something from scratch, but you do have time to boost skills, or take a refresher. The average online course is eight to nine weeks, so this gives you time to work on some next-level skills- especially if the class is self-paced.Your ResumeTake the time to overhaul your resume. Seriously, do it. You’ve got a few months in your plan, and if you really want to get the most out of it (and maximize your interview-stage potential), your resume has to be spot-on. Start from scratch- no shortcuts!Your NetworkIt’s about quality, not quantity. If you haven’t already, start reaching out to targeted people who may be just outside of your network, friends of friends, or someone you met once and added to LinkedIn, but who now just happens to work at the company where you want an â€Å"in.† Because so much hiring is done based on who you know and not always what you apply for, as much time as possible in your 90-day plan should be devoted to bolstering your network. Hiring expert Lou Adler recommends spending 60% of your time networking if you want to score a new job within 90 days.Your Interview PrepBuild in a little interview preparation every day. This could just be five minutes as you’re getting ready in the morning, or a few quiet moments before you hit your pillow at night. Things to work on in the meantime, so that they come naturally when the time comes:Your handshake. Grip is key he re (think confident, but not arm wrestler), so it can take practice to get the right combination of strength and moderation.Your body language. Things like eye contact and posture can be your best assets in making a good initial interview impression.Your outfit. You have time to think about what your go-to interview outfit(s) will be, and then make sure they’re cleaned, pressed, and ready to go as soon as you get that â€Å"hey, come meet us and talk about the job† email.Your talking points. Take your resume and come up with real-life examples for each bullet point. Practice talking about them, ideally with a trusted friend or family member, so that you get comfortable talking about yourself and your achievements.By putting extra effort into the pre-work and crafting a strong base for your job hunt (serious consideration of job openings and companies, a rebuilt resume, time spent building skills and personal habits that will benefit you in the future), you’re ma king the most of those 90 days.The 60-Day PlanIf you have about two months before you’d like to see yourself settled in a new gig, you’ve still got buffer time to do some quality building when it comes to your application package.Your SearchLike with the 90-day plan, you have time to focus on particular areas or companies and do your research. But because 60 days will pass quickly, it’s time to increase the intensity. Your job search should be highly focused, with you looking for the best-fitting opportunities that align with your goals. If you’re unsure about what you want to do next or what job openings you want to go for, take the time to reflect on your goals for this job search (beyond â€Å"get a job†) and your immediate professional goals. It takes some time up front, but will save you time later on in the 60 days.Your SkillsSixty days can be enough time to brush up on skills on your resume that could be stronger, or to revisit old skills th at you want to feature for a particular job. Self-paced online courses can help you get the crash course you need, or even just a self-study program where you’re intensively researching things online, reading up on new trends, etc. And let’s face it- there’s a YouTube video for everything these days, so there’s no shame in using those for your skill-building! The most important thing here is, again, focus. It’s not really enough time to say, â€Å"hmm, maybe I really should start to learn HTML.† It’s more like, â€Å"Okay, I have these basic HTML skills. What do I need to bump them up on my resume?†Your ResumeWith 60 days on the table, it’s still worth it to rebuild your resume from the ground up- it doesn’t have to be a long undertaking, just a focused one. You’ll also want to take the time to take another editing pass and optimize your resume, which can help you get more out of applications.Your NetworkCu ltivating people in your network by having email conversations or even having a coffee IRL is great, but there’s no replacement for human contact. However, with 60 days to meet your goal of getting a new job, there might not be that luxury. That’s why networking tools become so handy in this two-month window. LinkedIn is a good starting point to start focusing your networking efforts. Are there people who work at your target companies? An old friend who you know happens to be married to someone in your field who might be hiring? It’s time to harness the power of what you’ve already got.That’s not to say you should neglect starting new relationships, but on your more aggressive timeline it’s most important to maximize what you have.Your Interview PrepLike the 90-Day plan, you have some time to prep. Practice your body language skills especially, and rehearse your talking points. And the earlier in the two-month window you have that interview suit dry cleaned and ready to rock, the better.The 30-Day PlanIf your plan is a 30-day one for whatever reason (like economic urgency, or you need out now of a terrible gig), then that’s a daunting goal, but a do-able one. There just isn’t much wiggle room or time for blowing things off. If you’re serious about getting a new job in a month, then that means your focus has to be on the job hunt.Your SearchIt’s time to come up with a hardcore job hunt time budget. With such an aggressively short window of time, you really don’t have the luxury of saying, â€Å"Oh, maybe I’ll do that this week.† Instead, write down your list of job search goals for the week and attach specific days/times to them. For example:Monday: Check saved job searches, research job openings at ABC Company.Tuesday: Call Karen about potential referral for ABC Company.Wednesday: Follow up with HR at XYZ Company about application.Whatever time you have available, figure out how you can set a time budget and stick to it. The closer you stick to that plan, the less likely you’ll be to fall off schedule, and discover that 20 days have gone by before you hit your early checklist goals. Figure out where you can devote chunks of time (ideally each day) to check things off on your list.Your SkillsAt this point, you need to go with the skills you have, or ones that you can learn very quickly by researching online or playing with programs (like finally learning how to do a vlookup, or revisiting how to use Adobe Photoshop). Focus on the core skills you want to feature most prominently on your resume and in interviews.Your ResumeIt’s definitely crunch time, which means you don’t really have a week to write, edit, and seek feedback on your resume. So let’s truncate that a bit. Start with some of the great tools that are already available, like resume templates you can use as a starting point.But- and I can’t emphasize this enough- never skip the proofreading step. If you have zero time, give it the most thorough check you can. And if it’s at all possible, have someone else read it. They may notice mistakes that passed right under your hurrying eyes. Simple mistakes can put your resume in the â€Å"no thanks† pile quickly, so even with a short schedule, you need to take the time for those extra steps.Your NetworkWhoever you have on your side now, that’s the squad you’re taking into battle. Focus on the people you already know who can help you with your job search. Use LinkedIn, Facebook, or any professional contacts you have, and don’t be shy about letting people that you’re on the lookout for a new job. Though that comes with a caveat: if your search is on the DL because you don’t want your current boss to find out, you’ll still want to be a little discreet. No blaring Facebook posts saying, â€Å"I’m looking for a job!†Your Intervi ew PrepAs with other aspects of your job search, your interview prep should be laser-focused on the resources you have. Identify your most interview-ready outfit, and get it ready to go: dry clean, fix any messy bits (like loose threads or saggy hems), and dust off your lucky interview shoes. Your schedule is so aggressive that you need to be ready to go almost immediately for interviews- if you get an interview tomorrow, you may not have time to rush around getting ready.It’s also important to know your resume points backwards and forwards, so you can speak to any aspect of it on short notice.However much time you’ve assigned to your job search plan, the most important thing is to maximize whatever time you do have. Coming up with a goal-oriented plan is a great start, and will help you make the most of the coming weeks. Good luck!

Academic Fraud : Student Athletes

about the students and their academics. Students put time and effort while they continue to stay on the right path. Our professors are important too. They are the reason that students have the opportunity to move up to the next level. They teach students what they need to know such as skills and character. The main thing we forget to recognize is the administration of higher education. Our administrations make good leaders. They work with our students as a team to help our students become responsible†¦ The NJCAA has had a huge impact on the leadership of collegiate athletics through academic and athletic opportunities for the student-athletes. The National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association (NJCAA) has done a remarkable job in providing eligibility criteria that demand institutional and student accountability. The eligibility criteria is highlighted with the exclusive right for the student-athletes to be part of a unique demographic of 525 schools, separated into 24 regions, and three divisions†¦ this topic is to recognize what I believe to be a problem, so that it can be mended in order to improve the perception of sport. I believe there is an issue with universities and the athletic department’s mindset towards the academic success and livelihood of their student athletes. Higher education programs and governing bodies don’t provide have enough concern of the athlete’s education and livelihood when concerning: encouraging the enrollment of ‘easy’ or ‘fake’ classes, purposely changing grades†¦ taught to embers my title as a student scholar athlete. Being a student-athlete is one of the most rewarding and stressful things ever. You need to keep up various exercises at one time, including the way that you need to keep up a specific GPA to be qualified as a competitor on any group. Being part of a basketball, football or volleyball team requires practice every day, weight training, or fundraising, meeting with coaches, conditioning and more. Student’s athletes have much more to prioritize†¦ Brent Perry Mr. Hale Engl. 1301 24 October 2014 College Academics and the Student Athlete Historically, sporting events have played a huge role in the American culture. Most kids grow up aspiring to be just like their heroes on the field; however, the harsh reality is that roughly only 6.5% of high school athletes will go on to play their sport at the collegiate level and even fewer will play at the professional level. Over the past few years, the qualities that collegiate coaches look for has†¦ Are colleges doing enough to prepare student-athletes to be successful in life? Are students benefitting or are universities exploiting? Colleges are monetarily thriving from the talents of athletes. A numerous amount of these athletes are only recruited for their physical talents and many of them are not academically up to par. Although academic institutions claim to procure means to aid athletes in the classroom, there are still vast conundrums plaguing society concerning the miseducation of these†¦ Vishal Patel English 104 April 26, 2012 Pay Student Athletes The word student-athlete refers to a student who is playing a sport in college and receiving scholarships in return. On the surface, most people sees great athletes getting a free education, but they deserve more than just free education such as extra rewards and benefits since the college, the conferences and the NCAA are making billions of dollars off of them. To be in a nationally televised game or making deep runs in tournaments†¦ In the article â€Å"Examining Academic and Athletic Motivation among Student Athletes† I found some very interesting details about student athletes, that I had never known about before. Being a student athlete myself I know how difficult it is being in season and trying to get all the work done you need for my classes. It is very difficult to show up and get my work done on time during season because of the constant traveling my team does during the week. I find myself missing classes every other day†¦ The Student as an Athlete The student athlete is a term often used to describe a member of the student body at an institution as well as a member of one of the schools athletic teams. This is not a label that includes students who play recreational sports during their leisure time; this term is used for those students who split their time between athletics and academics. In the beginning of inter-collegiate competition and even now the governing body the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic†¦ Case Analysis 9.15: Academic Fraud The following is a case study analysis of Case 9:15 Academic Fraud. This particular case involves, three individuals, one of which is a graduate student by the name of Sam. Sam is currently in his second year of his master’s program. The second individual mentioned in this case is, Dr. Milton. Dr. Milton is a very thorough and caring mentor at the same university that Sam is attending. The third individual mentioned in this case, serves a pivotal role to†¦

Urban economics paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Urban economics - Research Paper Example Aspects such as population, employment and poverty index among others will be discussed in this study. As a point of departure, the City of San Antonio is found in the United States with the population of 1, 409, 019, making it the seventh most populous city in the US. This population is an indication of 16% increase since the year 2000. The growth rate in this city has been cited to be high and San Antonio is ranked among the top ten in terms of growth in the last decade. The location of this city is towards the South west of the US. It is notable that, the city is attributed to features of other cities in the western urban, which include the sparsely populated places and a relatively low-density rate within the outskirts of the city. The climate of the City of San Antonio has an intermediary humid subtropical weather. During summer, the city experiences a relatively hot weather and during winter, the climate is mild and cold, especially at night. Consider the following image that indicates a section of the city of Antonio. The city covers an area size of 1, 205.4 km2 and land of 1, 193.7km2. In addition, the city has 5.78 square miles of water. In terms of supply of water, the city has been in need of water for expansion purposes and can only acquire this commodity by buying rights from the farmers (Thompson and Browne, 27) Like any other fast developing city with a relatively higher growth rate, the employment opportunities in most cases take an assorted trend due to the numerous dynamics that exists. For instance, the growing population of professionals both the youth and the experienced age of between 38 to 55years calls fro more job positions in both the formal and informal sectors. The employment opportunities in the City of San Antonio are pooled from both the private and public sectors. For instance, the job opportunities boost rose to 2.6% this year and the unemployment rate reducing to the minimum of the 4.6%. This

Article Analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis - Article Example The fish in the middle has the notion that there is some justice in the world because it can feed on the smallest fish, or it can be fed on by the biggest fish (Peterson 73). When it is threatened by the biggest fish, it can release its anger on the smallest fish. This is a way of seeking justice through revenge. The smallest fish represents the poor and the less fortunate members of the society. Its life is threatened by both the other two fishes. It can be killed by the two bigger fishes, and no justice is done (Peterson 73). The three cartoons can be used in a classroom to help students realize that opinions on injustice and justice are related to an individual’s social class (Peterson 73). In a typical society, a given social class usually benefit from injustice done to others. For instance, the middle fish represent the oppressed middle class who are fighting injustice. Teachers can give their students a picture of the cartoon, and ask them to write down what they see. Se condly, teachers can organize their students into groups and ask them to debate on which fish is the most powerful and why? In Hunger Myths, the other presents four key myths that are blamed for global food insecurity and hunger. The author argues that hunger is not a myth, but the myths are the key barriers to ending hunger. 700 million of the world’s total population lack adequate food supply, while 12 million children die of hunger every year (Food First 241). The problem of food insecurity can only be solved, if people choose to do away with the current myths that they hold. The notion that there is no enough food to go around is a wrong belief, which should not be internalized by anybody. The truth is that there is enough food to provide everybody with 3,500 calories every day. This does not even include foods like root-crops, beans and vegetables. The problem is that a bigger potion of the world’s population is too poor to buy food (Food First 241). In addition, most hungry nations are net exporters of food and other agricultural products. Famine and other natural disasters cannot be blamed for food scarcity. The problem is that most arable lands are held by powerful few, thus depriving the majority of land. Human policies and institutions determine who eats and who starves during food crisis periods (Food First 241). The rapid population growth, which is a major concern in many countries, cannot explain food insecurity. Rapid population growth is caused by inequalities of denying people, especially women, of economic security and opportunity (Food First 241). This phenomenon is common in societies where health care, education, old age, and land ownership are beyond the reach of most people. The Green Revolution and technological advancements such as GM foods have led to increased production of food. This, however, cannot end hunger unless unequal distributions of powers that determine people to feed and not to feed during food crisis are c hanged (Food First 241). In a classroom setting, teachers can help to address food scarcity and insecurity issue by urging the students to unclear the myths described above from their mind. They need to know that food insecurity is caused by unequal distribution of economic powers, which determine the people to buy food during food crisis periods. In Ten Chair of Inequality Polly, Kellogg represents a simulation activity, which can be used

Public Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Public Relations - Essay Example This paper will explain societal and organizational functions of PR, citing an example of an issue from an organization. It will further explain how the example used would be addressed both on societal and organizational levels. American Apparel is a youth attire brand in the United States that employs the services of professional designers, marketers and managers. Being among the top homegrown brands, the organization betrayed the loyalty of their customers as well as its corporate responsibility by taking advantage of a disaster and using it to market its products. During the event of Hurricane Sandy, the organization sent an email blast encouraging retailers to shop online within a 36-hour period and get a 20 percent discount. The marketing effort turned into an insult when it suggested that the customers were bored after being trapped in their homes by the hurricane, hence it was offering an escape from boredom. The PR officials had done a poor job in their social functions, beca use property and life had been destroyed, with millions of the trapped victims left without electrical power to even get online, yet no apology was offered for the offensive email blast. Societal functions of PR stipulate that public opinion about an organization must be gauged by analyzing what appears online, on the air and in print (Broom, Allen & Scott, 1994). The PR officials should issue press releases on company news, communicate with journalists on industry trends and establish the organization as a responsible player in the industry. Reputation should also be managed online through interactions with prospects and existing customers via social media websites. Conversations should be created by posting updates, responding and commenting to questions or complaints. Despite knowledge of these responsibilities, the marketing director and PR manager at American Apparel did not respond to the huge public outcry about their poor choice of marketing strategy. Customers responded to the email claiming never to visit the stores again, and urging whoever came across the email to spread the same word. This could have devastating effects on the existence of the organization. Innocent employees who had nothing to do with the posting of the email will be traumatized by the comments being made about the organization as a whole, with a negative impact on performance. Those with friends and relatives that were victims of the hurricane may be affected more. If the customers carry out their threats of never visiting the stores again, shutting down would be inevitable. Within the society, the organization would be viewed as being very socially irresponsible. At a time when everyone expects them to join in salvaging a disaster affecting the most critical element of stakeholders, the customers, the firm uses it to market. Organizational functions of PR require the PR manager to share the organizational goals and vision with their internal audience, which includes shareholder s and employees, and seek their feedback (Broom, Allen & Scott, 1994). Open communication increases shareholder satisfaction and employee engagement through uniting an organization in its quest of collective goals via a common identity. Crises can be managed by preparing and sharing response strategies in advance and updating shareholders and

Image Segmentation: Theories and Technology

Image Segmentation: Theories and Technology Theoretical Concepts and Technical Aspects on Image Segmentation Image segmentation is a very significant area in computer vision. Image segmentation, partitions an image into multiple regions based on certain similarity constraints. This acts as the pre-processing stage in several image analysis problems like image compression, image recognition etc. Segmentation is the vital part for the successful extraction of image features and classification. Image segmentation can be defined as the partition of an image into several regions or categories. These regions can be similar in any features like color, texture, intensity etc. Every pixel in an image is assigned to any one of the categorised region. Quality of segmentation is described as pixels in the same region are similar in some characteristics whereas pixels in different regions differ in the characteristics. The segmentation process includes restoration, enhancement, and representation of the image data in the required form. Image Segmentation Techniques Image segmentation techniques can be broadly classified based on certain characteristics. Basic classifications of image segmentation techniques include local and global image segmentation techniques. The segmentation method that is concerned with segmenting specific parts or region of image is known as local image segmentation. The segmentation method that is concerned with segmenting the whole image, consisting of very large number of pixels is known as global image segmentation. The next category of image segmentation method is based on the properties of the images to be segmented. It is categorised as discontinuity detection based approach and similarity detection based approach. In discontinuity detection based approach, the segmentation is based on discontinuities in the images like edge based segmentation and similarity detection based approach is based on similarity of regions like Threshold based, Region growing, Region Splitting and Merging etc. The segmentation technique which is based on the information of the structure of required portion of the image is known as structural segmentation. Most of the segmentation methods are stochastic type, where the segmentation is completely depended upon the discrete pixel values of the image. Threshold based segmentation method is the simplest method of segmentation. The image pixels are segmented based on the intensity level. This kind of segmentation is more applicable for images where the objects are lighter than the background. This method is based on prior knowledge of the image features. There are mainly three types of threshold based segmentation. Global Thresholding: This method is done using a proper threshold value. The threshold value will be constant for the whole image. Output of the image is based on this threshold value. Variable Thresholding: In this type of segmentation method the value of threshold can vary in a single image. Multiple Thresholding: In this kind of thresholding, the output of segmentation is based on multiple threshold values. Threshold values can be computed from image histograms. In [1], threshold based level set approach based on threshold based segmentation and fast marching method [2] for medical image segmentation is proposed. To im prove the image acquisition process in computer vision, threshold based segmentation method based on entropy criteria and genetic algorithm is mentioned in [3]. Edge based segmentation method is based on the sudden change of intensity values in an image. In image processing, object boundaries are represented using edge. Edge based segmentation works by identifying the region of abrupt intensity change in an image [4]. Mainly there are two types of edge based segmentation methods. Grey Histogram Technique: In this method the foreground is separated from the background based on a threshold value. Choosing the correct threshold value creates a problem. Gradient Based Method: Gradient can be defined as the first derivate of the image near the edge. Higher change in the intensity values between two regions is depicted by the high value of gradient magnitude. In order to perform multi scale image segmentation an edge based auto threshold generating method is introduced in [5]. Another method for edge detection using variance filter is introduced in [6]. Theory based segmentation method uses derivatives from several fields. Several types of this kind of algorithm includes, Clustering based segmentation: In this method clusters are formed based on the similarity criteria (size, color, texture etc). Methods include k-means clustering, fuzzy clustering, hard clustering etc [7]. Artificial Neural Network: In this method the neuron represents the pixels and segmentation is performed with the help of trained images. Methods using Wavelet Decomposition and Self Organization Map of artificial neural networks are proposed [8]. Region based segmentation [13] methods are similar to edge based segmentation. The advantage of region based segmentation upon edge based is that, the former is more immune to noise. In this method, the region of an image is either splitted or merged into areas based on similarity. Region Growing: the collection of pixels is grouped into a region with similar properties [9]. Region Splitting and Merging: Here the image is further subdivided into several regions based on some pre-defined criteria. Graph cut image segmentation is a very significant technique of segmentation under region based segmentation. Several techniques of region growing methods include techniques that combine edge and region based information using morphological watershed algorithms [10]. In this method, initially a noise filter along with magnitude gradient is used and pre segmentation is performed through region merging. A region similarity graph is then produced and final segmentation is performed using Multi Class Normalized Cut. This technique overpowers the Spectral clustering method. As the method mentioned is a time consuming task, new method is presented [11]. For the purpose of detecting objects sharply, least square method is used for region based segmentation. Here the local information is also considered by calculating the weight matrix. This segmentation technique is optimum and fast. Graph-cut Image Segmentation As mentioned in the above methods, the techniques either use the region information or use the boundary information [12]. This results in limited segmentation. In graph cut segmentation optimal result for energy function is computed and segmentation is based on that result. Basics of Graph-Cut An undirected graph, set of vertices and a set of edges, are considered. Vertex represents the pixels in an image and edges denote the connection between the adjacent pixels. There exists a source and sink node which holds the foreground and background respectively. In graph cut method, each edge is assigned with a non-negative weight which coins the term cost. [12] A graph cut is actually the partitioning of the edge set into several component sets. Graph cut method can be either min cut or max cut. Min cut can be defined as cut through minimum cost and max cut can be defined as the cut through maximum cost. That is after the cut performed, the vertices are divided into two sets, source and sink, which holds the foreground and background pixels respectively. Implementing graph cut method assigns value 1 to the pixels in the foreground and 0 to the pixels in the background. This is achieved through minimum graph cut method by minimizing the energy function. Types of Graph Cut Based Algorithm The graph cut based segmentation can be mainly divided into three types. They are Speed-up based graph cut, Interactive based graph cut and Shape prior based graph cut. The speed up based graph cut method is used to improve the speed of the graph cut method through parallel computing. Earlier implementation was based on CUDA code [14]. The best way to speed up the computational time is to reduce the number of graph nodes while reconstructing the graph [15] [16]. Another method used for speed up based graph cut method is clustering based graph cut. Clustering based graph cut is based on reducing the number of nodes by grouping similar pixels into a single cluster and treating a cluster as a node. Watershed based method is another important speed up based approach where, gradient images are considered and the concept of catchment basins are used [15]. Interactive based graph cut plays a very important role in segmentation of natural images and the situations where the segmentation requires high precision. In this kind of methods the seed points are selected and then segmentation is performed based on these points. Several methods are performed using the concept of bounding box, where the centre portion of the bounding box corresponds to the object and histogram is constructed. The area outside the bounding box is considered as the background region [17] [18]. Certain interactive segmentation is performed by choosing both the foreground and background region together. Iterative interactive graph cut segmentation is also performed. Shape prior based graph cut segmentation finds its importance where the image to be segmented is affected by noise, diffuse edge, obstructed objects etc. In this kind of segmentation, the shape information is included as the energy function [19] [20]. Case Study In this chapter a graph based image segmentation method is explained. The efficient graph based image segmentation method initially considers the input image as a graph. The pixel values are considered as the nodes of the graph and edge is drawn between the adjacent pixels. The edge weight is represented by the difference between adjacent pixels. Initially, the considered edge set is sorted in the increasing order of edge weight. The segmentation process actually segments the entire vertices set into disjoint sets based on some similarity function. The vertex set is initially randomly partitioned into several component sets. This is considered as the initial segmentation. The vertices producing the largest edge weight is considered first. Let the two vertices be v1 and v2. Then check whether these two vertices belong to disjoint component sets in the previous segmentation (initial segmentation). If the two vertices are in disjoint component sets then compare the edge weight connecting these vertices to the internal difference of these two component sets. If the weight of the edge connecting these vertices is smaller when compared to the internal difference, then these two components are merged. Otherwise, it is neglected. On continuing these steps till the smallest edge weight, a final segmentation of the input image is obtained. Expected Outcome In the proposed chapter, an exhaustive review on image segmentation such as threshold based, edge based, graph based and region based segmentation will be included. The various approaches employed for graph cut segmentation include interactive graph cut, efficient graph cut, shape based graph cut and speed up based graph cut. The chapter would conclude with results on a list of benchmark images. At the enclosure of the chapter, open research problems will be discussed.