Nisa The Life And Words Of Kung Woman By Marjorie Shostak Essays

Nisa The Life And Words Of Kung Woman By Marjorie Shostak In this paper I will talk about the book Nisa The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman, by Marjorie Shostak. In doing this I will portray the way of life of the !Kung individuals, a little agrarian clan in Africa. At that point I will go on with telling about their sociocultural frameworks that I have found out about in this book. To rap things up I will tell my expectation where the !Kung populace is going into what's to come. I will utilize clarifications from the book to assist me with portraying my forecast. !Kung culture is an exceptionally straightforward culture. The standards in this general public are difficult to characterize; standards are shared guidelines that characterize how individuals should carry on in specific situations. Take marriage for instance In the book Nisa clarifies how a ladies can wed more than once in the course of her life, a !Kung young lady is really hitched a few times before she remains with one man. These appeared to me as preliminary relationships, the ladies are too youthful to even consider wanting the marriage and as a rule are the ones to end it. Much after long marriage including youngsters things, for example, demise and separation/detachment happen and a lady finds another spouse. So as should be obvious the standards in the !Kung culture are very different than that of our own standards. In any event, when marriage is included having sweethearts was not evaded. Albeit a few ladies don't participate in this demonstration, it is an exceptionally basic thing among the !Kung. The standard here is to have a sweetheart to keep that youthful fun loving and cherishing fascination bursting at the seams with somebody, considerably after things have started to settle with your better half. Nisa clarifies, ?Even my mom had sweethearts. I'd be with her when she met them. Be that as it may, my dad, in the event that he had them, I didn't realize She reviews numerous circumstances like this, as do most !Kung kids. ?I recollect, when I was still little, seeing my mom with one man. He met her, took her, and had intercourse to her. I sat close by and paused. When she returned conveying kindling, I thought, ?I am going to tell!? At that point I thought, ?Should I tell Daddy or shouldn't I But when we showed up back at the town, I didn't utter a word. I thought in the event that I told, my dad would execute my mom.? Most youngsters dread their dad's beatings, in this manner, won't tell on their moms. Qualities, guidelines by which a general public characterizes what is attractive and unfortunate, in !Kung society essentially include things managing sex. The sex they esteem isn't a similar sex that our general public perspectives it. It isn't about looks or huge bosoms or wide shoulders. They place no an incentive on looks, in spite of the fact that Nisa remarks on attractive individuals, there is no remarks made straightforwardly towards appalling individuals. They don't underline on individuals' awful looks; hence, they don't need to feel unsure about their looks. At the point when disparaging remarks are made it's about people groups private parts. When she was too youthful to even consider having sex she would decay sex play by saying, ?You, Tuma, you have a gigantic penis! I would prefer not to be with somebody like that!? He stated, ? We're going to play and engage in sexual relations with Big-Vagina over yonder.? He implied me.? They utilized this as a method of offending o ne another. With regards to sex having large private parts is an awful thing, subsequently, the qualities in the general public are entirely different from our own. The socialization/enculturation procedure of another !Kung kid begins at the very first moment. Enculturation is the procedure of social collaboration through which individuals get familiar with their way of life. At the point when the mother is feeling all around ok after the birth, which is normally a couple of days or when the milk comes in, the infant will go gathering with the mother. That there includes a huge piece of the way of life of regular daily existence. In spite of the fact that very little is anticipated from the !Kung youngsters their interest compensates for it. Youngsters are willing and anxious to figure out how to chase and assemble, as do the grown-ups. Youthful guys can find out about chasing

Winston Churchill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Winston Churchill - Essay Example In his exposition â€Å"Scaffolding of Rhetoric† Churchill composed: â€Å"Sometimes a slight and not unpleasing stammer or hindrance has been of some help with making sure about the consideration of the audience†. Throughout the long stretches of preparing, Churchill figured out how to utilize his voice with the most elevated level of dominance. He skilfully used the methods for language, for example, point by point portrayals, masterful sentences, allegories, analogies, humor, reverberating lectures, and so forth just as methods for voice performed by compelling inflection, which turned into a piece of purported Churchill's â€Å"personal style†: â€Å"There was symbolism, shading and history. Churchill made an intertwined set of characteristics that made a special expository persona... His addresses have a â€Å"Churchill quality†... a â€Å"Churchill approach† to open speaking†. Winston Churchill was likewise a recognized essayist and got ten Nobel Prize a writing, making the language the fundamental entertainer of his speeches.Among different components of effective open speaking Churchill called attention to exhaustive readiness, vehement start and concentrating on thoughts. Every one of his addresses, Churchill arranged by and by and in advance. For ordinarily Winston Churchill practiced, reworked and altered his talks. He could work out isolated expressions for a few days, weeks and even months, recording the most significant of them into a unique scratch pad. Churchill conceded that he was unable to compose sufficiently quick and every one of his talks were an aftereffect of difficult work. He said that exact act of spontaneity existed uniquely in the creative mind of the crowd.

How to Create a Monster Writing Paper

How to Create a Monster Writing PaperIf you want to get your class to read a monster writing paper then it is vital that you understand the importance of being able to persuade people. As a teacher or as an English teacher it is your job to help students become better writers.To do this successfully, you must first identify what makes a monster paper. What should make a monster writing paper so great? There are some key areas that can help you when you are trying to create a good monster paper.A monster paper should be interesting and engaging to read. It is important that you explain information clearly and that you add enough descriptive details to the report. You also need to understand that there are many different ways to format information so that it flows together properly.The layout of the paper needs to look professional and you should ensure that your writing is not very long. There are many different fonts to choose from so make sure that you consider this when you are cho osing the font. Another thing that you need to keep in mind is that the font size should be small. Your paragraphs should also be written in small letters.You will also need to take into account the length of the monster paper. If you have a very lengthy monster writing paper then you will probably be wasting a lot of time explaining the same points again. Instead, try to keep your paper short. You should also make sure that you keep the body of the paper short and easy to read.When you are going to write a monster writing paper, you should try to avoid using lots of technical terms. The reason for this is that it will make it difficult for your readers to understand the information that you are presenting. Instead, you should use simple English and demonstrate the points you are trying to make clearly and simply.Finally, you should consider how well you will be able to communicate your points to your students as you write your writing paper. If you know how to write a monster writi ng paper then you should write it and pass it on to your students. If you are not confident with your writing then try to delegate the work to someone else.By combining these tips you should be able to create a monster writing paper that is effective and very enjoyable for your students. Remember that you should try to convince them that you are right by using the facts that you have presented in your monster writing paper. You should try to learn all you can about convincing your students in this way.

Comparative Essay the Crucible and the Kite Runner

The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, and The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, share many similar themes, characters, and ideas. One particular theme that is present throughout both of these written pieces is love. Defined by the Oxford Dictionary, love is a strong positive emotion of regard and affection. It can be found in moments of one’s life, through relationships, and through people. In The Kite Runner and The Crucible, one can see the similarities of love through friendship, paternal, and marital love. Friendship, a type of love, plays a key role in both The Kite Runner and The Crucible. In The Kite Runner, Hassan and Amir share a special relationship when they were children. Together, they played by their pomegranate†¦show more content†¦Baba also gave Amir a car that night to show Amir that he was proud of his success; Baba wanted to reward him for what he had accomplished. On Amir’s wedding day, although Baba was deathly ill, Baba exclaimed, â€Å"It’s the happiest day of my life, Amir,† (Khaled Hosseini, p.175). Baba made a speech at Amir and Soraya’s wedding. He openly shared that Amir fulfilled his expectations by saying that above all else, â€Å"Amir jan is my only son...my only child, and he has been a good son to me,† (Khaled Hosseini, p.177). Although it didn’t seem obvious at first, Baba truly loved Amir. The Kite Runner and The Crucible both have two fathers with strong paternal loves for their sons. A final type of love found in both The Crucible and The Kite Runner is marital love. Amir and Soraya’s relationship that was built on friendship grew as their marriage progressed. Their marriage consisted of many important characteristics including loyalty, support, and honesty. Before their marriage, Soraya told Amir her secret that she had been with another man when she was eighteen. Amir was accepting of her ill judgment, yet wished that he could openly share his secret with her how he’d â€Å"betrayed Hassan, lied, driven him out, and destroyed a forty-year relationship between Baba and Ali,† (Khaled Hosseini, p.174). However, he did not tell Soraya, he kept that secret locked away. Though honesty wasn’t present at the beginning of their marriage, it was gained by telling the truth. This made their bond,

Biology Case Study - 1303 Words

4. Discussion TLRs play a crucial role in mediating protection against pathogens. The interactions between PAMPS and TLRs result in triggering of cellular responses with subsequent production of cytokines and other immunoregulatory molecules leading to induction of innate and adaptive immune responses. Previous studies have demonstrated that TLR ligands can be exploited prophylactically to confer immunity against pathogens (Gomis et al., 2004; Dar et al., 2009; St. Paul et al., 2012c; Barjesteh et al., 2015) and as vaccine adjuvants to enhance adaptive immune responses (Mallick et al., 2011). Although the role of TLR ligands in eliciting innate and adaptive responses has been characterized in the chicken spleen and bursa of Fabricius (St.†¦show more content†¦The higher responses reported for LPS in the spleen, in contrast to higher responses to CpG ODN by cecal tonsil cells, could be attributable to differences in cellular composition (lymphocyte subsets, macrophages and dendritic cells) of spleen and cecal tonsils as well as age-related changes in TCR repertoire. Indeed, the percentages of TCR (T-cell receptor) 1 and TCR3 lymphocytes have been reported to be higher in the spleen of 7-week-old chickens compared to 2-week-old chickens (Erf et al., 1998). It is well established that TLR ligands exhibit both pro- and anti-inflammatory properties (Vendrig et al., 2013). Recognition of these ligands by TLRs enhances the production of cytokines and increases expression of costimulatory molecules that modulate adaptive immune responses (Datta et al., 2003). Furthermore, the secreted cytokines drive differentiation of naive T cells into Th1 or Th2 effector cells or T regulatory (Treg) cells (Kaiko et al., 2007; Orgun et al., 2008). In the present study, TLR ligands induced significant up-regulation of IFN-ÃŽ ³ and IL-2 gene expression. These results are in agreement with results from previous studies by Brisbin and colleagues (2010; 2012) in that treatment of cecal tonsil mononuclear cells with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and LactobacillusShow MoreRelatedBiology Case Study1218 Words   |  5 Pagesconvenient for our sample study since heart attack disease has been found to start developing in as early a range a s 20-39 years (Mozaffarian 2015). Some interesting things to note about our population sample is the changes overtime they had from 1950 to 1962. The weight change decreased about 1.4 pounds as did the serum cholesterol by 4.5 mg% and BMI by 0.2298964. 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They hypothesized testing a group of mice which were fed only water compared to mice fed a coffee/water mixture would identify benefits of coffee consumption. Their prediction, based on past studies, was that yes c offee wouldRead MoreI Learn A Great Deal About How Conduct A Case Study Essay908 Words   |  4 Pages I learn a great deal about how to conduct a case study. I gained insight into the struggles Aubri deals with daily. After the initial meetings, our many conversations, and the case study research I felt I knew Aubri much better. I now know why so many of my students struggle with organization and time management (AR 1.8, AR 3.2, AR 3.3). The whole process makes me look at all my students differently (AR 2.5.) Makes me want to be a better teacher, counselor, parent, wife, and friend.Read MoreResearch On The Learning Of An Educational Setup Essay2437 Words   |  10 Pagesstudents (ages 9-11) and Chemistry to secondary section students (ages 13-15), I have observed a change in the students’ approach towards the study of Science. As the students progressed to higher grades, they started losing their interest in science. Applying scientific concepts in practical scenarios became a challenging process and yet, many continued to study science simply due to the pressure of choosing a career in the field of medicine or engineering. 2.0 Aim of my research As a science teacher

Unit 18 Database Design Oliver Taylor Resubmission

Unit 18 Task 1 - What are the benefits of a relational database? A benefit of a relational database would be that the data is only stored once. This means you don’t have to change multiple records and it doesn’t take up much storage space. For the veterinary practise this is ideal for them, as this is the main reason to why they’re changing from paper to Microsoft Access. Having everything on Access and not on paper means they can search for information quicker through the search bar and also it can all be stored on a hard drive. This will save money on buying filing cabinets, on storage space, time spent looking for information and on buying materials such as paper and ink. Another benefit would be its more secure. This is because†¦show more content†¦If the field size is ‘70’, that means the user can input up to 70 letters, numbers or symbols. It’s important that you change it field size if it’s the automatically the appropriate size. This is because if you have a field size of 70, that’ll take up 70 bytes of storage, which by itself isn’t a lot, but over a massive database that’ll take up a lot of room. So for a First Name for example, instead of leaving it as 70, it should be changed to around 10-15. One to One relationship A one to one relationship in a database is where each row in a database is linked with another database. Only one can be linked with another from another table. For example in Table A and Table B, each row in Table has to be linked with another row in Table B. In each of them, they must have the same number of rows, otherwise it won’t work. This does make it sound like you could just merge the two tables into one, which in theory is true. But the advantage of having two separate tables is that if you have columns of data that you don’t often use then you can separate them into another table. This will make information in the primary table easier to read as it will only have the relevant information in it. One-to-many relationships A one-to-many database relationship is where each row in a table can be related to many other rows in another table. With being able to do this you can use frequently used data from one data and reference it many

Fresh Perspectives on Airline Fleet Strategies

Question: Discuss about the Fresh Perspectives on Airline Fleet Strategies. Answer: Introduction A fundamental role is played by the airline industry in the globalisation process of other industries as it is a strategic sector which helps in promoting foreign investment, world trade and tourism and thus leads to economic growth. However, every airline in the industry, operates in an environment which is highly dynamic and in which the different economic, technological, social and legal forces interact with one another and have an impact on their actions and decisions. The main question here is what are the ways which are most attractive and feasible for accessing the market access to the airlines across the world? the ingredients are provided by the competition policy as well as the policy of international trade. A condition that needs to be recognised by all the businesses is competition and it happens to be a vital factor in the determination of a businesss success or failure. The competitive intensity is the strength of competition that is faced by a business. The number of c ompeting firms along with their competitive strategies and the competitive forces of the industry determine its competitive intensity. The intensity as well as balance of the tension that is +created by competition has large implications on the strategy. What can and what cannot be done by an airlines is impacted by the environment wherein the airlines competes (Nhuta, 2012). This paper will conduct a competitive analysis of the airline industry of U.S. to find out the reasons for its low profitability and also analyse its economic performance. Strategies will be suggested for bringing improvements in the chances of it being profitable persistently. An Overview of the U.S. Airline Industry In the U.S. Airline industry, there are over 100 certified passenger airlines that are operating accounting for more than 11 million flight departures in a year. They carry more than one-third of the total air traffic of the world. Commercial aviation makes a contribution of approximately 8% to the GDP of the country (Airlines_Eric_Henckels, 2016). The U.S. airline industry has been struggling for long time to make profits. A number of factors have been responsible for this. Through the years, there has been entry of low cost budget carriers like Virgin America, AirTran Airways, Jet Blue and Southwest Airlines into the industry which has hurt the larger carriers like American, Delta and United. Non-union labour has been utilised by such new entrants and they usually fly only a single kind of aircraft that helps to reduce the cost of maintenance. The focus of these aircrafts has been on the routes that are more lucrative and they usually fly from point-to-point which is dissimilar to the incumbents which have been historically routing passengers via the hubs. Low fares are offered by them in order to compete. The entry of the new players has led to the creation of a situation where excess capacity exists in the industry and share from the incumbent airlines has been acquired by the new entrants as the cost structures of incumben t airlines are high as a consequence of high costs of labour. The incumbents had no choice but of responding to fare cuts which resulted in protracting a price war in the industry. The matters were made worse with the rise of the travel sites like Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia on the internet. This made it very easy for the consumers to compare the prices and assisted in keeping the fares low. The matters were further complicated when in 2011, the prices of oil started increasing. In 2011, the costs of fuel formed 32 percent of total revenues while the cost of labour was 26% of the total revenue. Together they formed the two largest items of variable expense. During the 2000s several airlines become bankrupt which included the US Airways, United, Northwest and Delta. Even though the larger airlines were flying, reorganisation took place under the bankruptcy law of Chapter 11 and persistence of excess capacity continued in the industry. The latter half of 2000s and the early part of 2010s witnessed a large number of mergers in the airline industry. Merger of Northwest and Delta occurred in 2008 and merger of Continental and United occurred in 2010 while plans were announced by Southwest Airlines to merge with AirTran. In the later part of 2012, the American Airlines was put under bankruptcy protection of Chapter 11. Subsequently, U.S. Airways started pushing for an agreement on merger with American Airlines and this was till early 2013 under negotiation. A Competitive Force Analysis of the Industry The origin of this model is in the 1980 book of Michael E Porter which was known as Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors (Porter, 1980). From then onwards it has been a tool which is used frequently for conducting an analysis of the industry structure of the company and also its competitive strategy (Thimpson. Strickland., 2003). Five competitive forces were identified by Porter in his book and these forces give shape to each and every market and industry. Such forces assist in the analysis of all the things including intensity of competition to industrys profitability to its attractiveness (Magretta, 2011) (Porter, 2008). The main aspect of utilising the Portes Five Forces for the U.S. Airline industry is that the industry has been constantly battered by strong headwinds from a number of factors externally which consist of a decline of passenger traffic, increase in the operating expenses, high process of fuels and higher costs of maintenance and landing in addition to the immense competition posed by low cost carriers that has resulted in an intense price war and has had a severe impact on it (Rahman et al., 2015). The airline industry especially in case of the U.S. is said to be in a death spiral as the major carriers had to either merge with some other airlines or was forced into bankruptcy for staying afloat. Supplier Power In the U.S, airline industry, the suppliers have an immense power due to the three inputs in form of labour, aircraft and fuel all of which are impacted by the external environment. Firstly, the prices of the fuel are subject to any fluctuation which might occur in the oil prices in the global market. There might be high fluctuations due to geopolitical as well as other factors. Secondly, labour is often subject to the union power and they usually bargain with the airlines in order to obtain concessions which are often costly and unreasonable. Thirdly, aircrafts are needed by the airlines either on the basis of wet lease or outright sales meaning that there is dependency of the airlines on Boeing and Airbus for their requirements. Due to these reasons, the bargaining power of the suppliers is high as per the framework of Porters Five Forces. Buyer Power The growth of the online ticketing as well as distribution systems, the fliers are no longer dependent on the intermediaries and agents or the airlines for purchasing their tickets. Additionally, with the low cost carriers making their entry and the price wars which have resulted due to that has provided the carriers with several benefits. Apart from this, the presence of tight regulation on the side of demand in case of the airline industry has meant that fliers and passengers have got protection by means of regulators indicating a balance of power in their favour. The power is ceded to the airline industry by a combination of all the factors and therefore there is a presence of moderate to high power of the buyers in accordance with the methodology of Porters Five Forces. Additionally, the buyers can also be engaged in price discovery which means that fluctuations in price cannot stop them as there is availability of multiple channels for booking tickets. Entry and Exit Barriers There is a requirement of huge capital to enter the airline industry and even while exiting the sector, the airlines have the need of writing down as well as absorbing several losses. This is an indication that the barriers of entry and exit are high in this industry. Since, entry requires a big capital infusion; it is not possible for everybody to make an entry in the industry. It requires expertise along with sophisticated knowledge on the part of the companies which proves to be a deterrent. The barriers for exiting are also subject to regulations since in case of the U.S., the airlines are not permitted to exit the industry by the regulators till they get the satisfaction that a genuine business reason exists for it. Additionally, the synergies as well as the efficiencies from scale are leveraged by the industry and there is an existence of high barriers for entry as per the Porters Five Forces. Threat of Substitutes and Complementarities In the U.S., the airline industry does not face threat from substitutes as well as complementarities as consumers often do not take the journey through trains or buses as seen in the developing world. This indicates that for the consumers flying happens to be phenomenon which is natural and hence there is minimum impact of the substitutes. However, cars are used by several Americans which shows that a threat exists from this substitute. As far as complementarities are concerned, full service airlines offering services such as passenger amenities, a la carte meals, free Wi-Fi, etc. does not increase the number of passengers as recently it has been observed that low fares induce passenger more than these aspects. Intensity of Competitive Rivalry Intense competition exists in the U.S. airline industry due to several reasons that consist of low cost carriers making their entry, presence of tight regulations within the industry which makes safety paramount resulting in higher operating expenses along with the fact that the operations of the airlines occurs as per a slightly outdated business model particularly when the industry is facing rapid turnover as well as churn. Additionally, there is more regulation on the side of supply in comparison to the side of demand in the airline industry. This signifies that rather than the airlines having the freedom to select the markets where they can operate and which segments can they target, the regulators are pampering the fliers. Due to this reason, the full service airlines have been literally grounded by the low cost carriers. When this is put together with the intense competition which has always been observed in the markets of the U.S., it makes airline among the most competitive s ectors of the U.S. Economic Performance of the airline industry of the U.S. The economic performance of the airline industry in the U.S. looks at the way the industry has been adding value to the consumers, the investors, the wider economy as well as the Governments (IATA, 2016). Cost reductions due to declining energy prices, consolidation of the industry along with capacity discipline has resulted in the US airline industry enjoying a high of 15 year in terms of operating margins which is healthy for airlines deprived of profits in the recent years. This was despite the revenue challenges present recently. In the 2015, during the second quarter, there was an increase in margins by 6.8 points and 6.2 points of network as well as value carriers. This is when yields and revenue were declining and thus reflected a favourable environment of costs along with skilled management of airlines. The decline in yields has coincided with a capacity growth that is creeping systemwide for US carriers especially in domestic markets and slight relaxations in capacity restra ints recently in the industry. Capacity growth recently in domestic markets has put it closer to growth estimates in terms of the GDP. Recent years have also witnessed a strong focus of the industry to constraint capacity either at or below the GDP growth. Capacity growth in available seat miles exceeded GDP growth in 2015 and the overall growth of ASM in the domestic market was 3.3%. The increase in capacity along with high competition in fares in the domestic markets softened the yields. There was a decline in systemwide passenger yields. Revenue also declined after peaking in mid-2014. However, despite the challenges of revenue, airlines have been able to sustain and also show increased profit margins as unit cost declines have outpaced unit revenue declines. The cost declines have been due to lowering of fuel prices and also other costs like maintenance and ownership. Labour costs were however, high. The overall decline in costs has been largest since 2009 (Wyman, 2016). Identifying strategies for airline profitability Differentiation, cost as well as agility can be used as strategies for increasing competitive advantage. differentiation can be in form of positive reputation of the company, high value and superior quality. Costs include lowering costs to make products cheaper to the competitors products and agility comprises being agile in terms of speed of responding to demands of the market (Eller Moreira, 2014). Besides this, increased financing can be used along with price cuts in the form of sales and programs of frequent flyers, offering new services and improving the quality of existing services. In 2008, the fuel prices had reached 40% of the operating costs while in 2015, they declined. The volatility in the prices of oil in the recent years have made it necessary for the U.S. Airline to develop new strategies for the purpose of increasing revenues and reducing costs. Strategies such as charging baggage fees helped it in offsetting the effect caused by rise in fuel prices. Charging this ancillary fee was used for offsetting the impact of the decrease in demand due to economic recession and financial crisis. The ancilliary fees comprised fees for priority seating, cancellation of reservation and excess baggage fees. The fuel inefficient aircrafts were retired along with discontinuing unprofitable flying in case of city pair markets where the costs of fuel render the routes as being unprofitable (Leigh Fisher, 2011). These strategies can be continued with. The focus should be also on low unit costs for getting an increased market share (Embraer, 2013). The competitive analysis shows that entry and exit in this industry involves huge investments and is thus high, the supplier and buyer bargaining power are also moderately high. There is intense competition from rivals but not so much from substitutes. The unit costs in the airline decreased in 2015 due to ASM increase and greater density of seats. The industry has been marred by low profitability in the recent years. However, the airlines are showing improvements in matching their capacity to the demands of the consumers and have maintained high load factors in peak as well as off-peak times. The last two years saw load factors at a record level because of the stimulation of off-peak demand and either maintenance of or reduction of non-peak capacity. Even though the ASM growth was the lowest in North America, it exceeded the estimates of GDP (Wyman, 2016). The above mentioned strategies should be implemented for increasing profitability. Conclusion It is an encouraging sign that the airline industry has been able to maintain profits which are healthy even though intense competition exists but it is debatable if the profits will be able to outlast the low fuel cycle and will the costs of the industry be affected by the renewed focus on the customers. In addition will the carriers give in to the temptation of flooding the market with an unsustainable capacity given the estimates of economic growth and will the weaknesses that have been covered by low prices of fuel be exposed ultimately. In light of this, it is recommended that the airlines implement the above mentioned strategies so as to increase their profitability even more in the coming years. Bibliography Airlines_Eric_Henckels, 2016. Airline Induustry Overview. [Online] Available at: https://www.columbia.edu/cu/consultingclub/Resources/Airlines_Eric_Henckels.pdf [Accessed 16 December 2016]. Eller, R.d.A.G. Moreira, M., 2014. The main cost-related factors in airlines management. Journal of Transport Literature, 8(1), pp.8-23. Embraer, 2013. Fresh Perspectives on Airline Fleet Strategies. [Online] Available at: https://www.embraercommercialaviation.com/MarketInfo/The_New_Metrics_of_Success.pdf [Accessed 16 December 2016]. IATA, 2016. ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY. [Online] Available at: https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/Documents/economics/IATA-Economic-Performance-of-the-Industry-end-year-2016-report.pdf [Accessed 16 December 2016]. Leigh Fisher, 2011. The New Drivers of Airline Profitability Influence Service Decisions. [Online] Available at: https://www.leighfisher.com/sites/default/files/free_files/focus_-_new_drivers_of_airline_profitability_-_nov_2011.pdf [Accessed 15 December 2016]. Magretta, J., 2011. Understand Michael Porter: The essential guide to competition and strategy. Harvard Business Review. Nhuta, S., 2012.An Analysis Of The F0rces That Determine The Competitive Intensity In The Airline Industry And The Implications For Strategy , 2(9), pp.433-69. Porter, M., 1980. Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries. Free Press. Porter, M.E., 2008. The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, January. Rahman, K., Azad, S. Mostari, S., 2015. A Competitive Analysis of Airline Industry: A Case Study on Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Journal of Business and Management (IOSR-JBM) , 17(4), pp.23-33. Thimpson. Strickland., 2003. Strategic management: concepts and cases. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Wyman, O., 2016. AIRLINE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS. [Online] Available at: https://www.oliverwyman.com/content/dam/oliver-wyman/global/en/2016/jan/oliver-wyman-airline-economic-analysis-2015-2016.pdf [Accessed 15 December 2016].

Figurative Language free essay sample

The use of similes and hyperboles are able to affect the tone, meaning and theme that better explain the meaning in stories and songs. Figurative language is meant to appeal to the senses in order to provide interest and evoke emotion in what is being read or heard. Alicia Keys, â€Å"This Girl Is On Fire†, is a great example of figurative language. The figurative language in this song provides a respectful and jovial tone, and it also demonstrates the theme of the capability of potential and societies urge to undermine the success of others. The first verse of the song sets the tone of respect and the theme of potential. The first lines of the song use multiple metaphors that read â€Å"She’s just a girl, and she’s on fire. Hotter than a fantasy, longer like a highway. She’s living in a world, and it’s on fire,† which demonstrate how this girl is just an ordinary girl but she has been able to accomplish great things in this competitive world that we live in. We will write a custom essay sample on Figurative Language or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The following verse also demonstrates how the ordinary girl has â€Å"stood her ground† in the competitive world. The verse contains an idiom that reads â€Å"Oh, she got both feet on the ground Oh, she got her head in the clouds and she’s not backing down,† which states that the ordinary girl has ideas that may seem unrealistic but she will strive to make these ideas come to life and not just be a daydream. Throughout the song â€Å"This girl is on fire† is repeated, hence it is the chorus. When the chorus is on, the audience just awaits that powerful note, because throughout the song Alicia Keys puts the most emphasis on these five words. The repetition of that line demonstrates the strength and potential this ordinary girl has. Also the repetition and vibrato behind the chorus, makes the metaphor that much more powerful and believable to the audience; it is able to evoke a sense of hope in the audience for this ordinary girl. The fourth verse of the songs reads â€Å"Looks like a girl, but she’s a flame. So bright, she can burn your eyes. Better look the other way,† which makes a great example of the power this girl has. The combination of a simile and metaphor in the first line portrays that the girl is no ordinary girl. When people look at her, they probably just see an ordinary girl walking the street that might not be doing anything great with her life. But the metaphor â€Å"she’s a flame† contradicts that completely. Metaphors make stronger comparisons between two things than a simile does. Since the metaphor contradicts the simile, then the metaphor overpowers the simile stating that the girl is not an ordinary girl. The next two lines of the verse put more emphasis on the girl being a flame. The metaphor is a representation of how great the girl is. The fire and flame representing this girl is something uncommon in the competitive world we live in,because as a whole people want to be more successful than others. Therefore her flame â€Å"burns people’s eyes† because they are not prepared for potential within her. The potential behind her is so powerful that people are not able to handle her strength so they â€Å"better look the other way,† or they will get burned by her passion to succeed in life. It is also be another example of how people try to undermine other’s success, but no one will be able to bring down her hope for greatness. The next lines of the verse are a combination of hyperboles and metaphors. â€Å"You can try but you’ll never forget her name. She’s on top of the world. Hottest of the hottest girls say,† these lines demonstrate that she already has achieved some of her goals. The first line is a hyperbole that is also related to the example stated above about how people try to undermine the success of others, but she will not let people take away her success. Therefore even though people might try forget her and the goals she has accomplished, she will not let it happen. Also since â€Å"she is a fire† her success is so great that it would be hard to forget. The metaphor and idiom â€Å"she’s on top of the world† also demonstrates the success that she has achieved. The idiom means that she has reached her goal and succeeded which makes it harder for people to forget her. This is clear because if â€Å"she is on top of the world† then she has made a name for herself that has impacted the world and her life immensely. Therefore she will not just be an ordinary girl anymore, and now she will not be overlooked or forgotten. The next verse reads â€Å"Everybody stands, as she goes by. Cause they can see the flame that’s in her eyes. Watch her when she’s lighting up the night,† which is able to demonstrate how people do not view her as an ordinary girl anymore. When people see her they stop to take notice of the greatness that she has become. The metaphor of â€Å"the flame in her eyes† demonstrates how she is not done trying to achieve her goals. This girl has far more potential left in her and will accomplish them. The next metaphor demonstrates that people now see the hope and potential she has within her. When she reaches the rest of her potential, she will â€Å"night up the light†. The idiom means that the feeling she will feel when she has reached her full potential will be strong enough that people will see how her attitude changes to bright and cheery, and her bright attitude will be able to brighten up the night. The idiom just restates the strength and potential this not so ordinary girl has. The figurative language is full of praise for this not so ordinary girl. The explanation of how great and powerful this girl is demonstrates the respect the girl deserves. She was able to reach her goals even though people might not have believed in her. Therefore the tone is evident throughout the whole song, and so are the themes. This girl has reached her full potential and people are now taking notice, so now she will be respected and not forgotten. The figurative language in this song was well combined and well orchestrated to show the theme and tone simultaneously.

The Mummy returns Essay Example

The Mummy returns Essay Example The Mummy returns Paper The Mummy returns Paper How does the opening sequence of your chosen film create meaning and atmosphere for the audience? I have chosen The Mummy Returns. Sound The narrator directly addresses the audience. It is used at the beginning to set the scene and describes what has happened up to the present day, so the audience understand what’s happening. Parallel sound is used throughout. Sound bridges happen throughout the sequence. For example, when the battles are taking place, and the scene cuts between different shots. This gives continuity to the film. The soundtrack uses many features to involve the audience, and create an atmosphere. For example, in the battle scene at the beginning, the drums and the chanting help to build an atmosphere of excitement, and the importance of the battle and the scorpion king. As the scene moves into the temple, the soundtrack uses eerie noises, and high pitched notes to unsettle the audience adding to a tense atmosphere. The soundtrack is also used to show relationships between characters. When Evelyn and Rick are alone in the temple the music becomes slow and romantic. Diegetic sound is used throughout the sequence to help get the scene. It is used in a lot of different places from swords clashing in battle scenes, to snakes hissing in the tomb, to water rushing through the tunnels. Lighting The film starts in the desert. The light used is a very high key top light. This represents the sun in the desert. It portrays a feeling of intense heat to the audience. It also creates different shadows on different parts of the scene, helping to give a sense of time. Inside the temple, lots of different effects are used to create different moods. At the beginning a backlight is used on its own to create a clear silhouette of Rick, adding to the suspense. The lighting underground is low key because there is no natural light. It also creates deep distinct shadows adding to the feeling of fear and a scary atmosphere. Under lighting is used on the scorpions to give them long, deformed shadows making them seem bigger, unsettling the audience. Lit torches are used as the main source of light. His gives flickering shadows adding to a tense atmosphere. Under lighting is used on the faces of the three men. It gives shadows on their faces and makes them look sinister, therefore making the audience presume they are the ‘bad guys’. The opposite effect is used on Alex, using high key lighting, so the audience presume the opposite. Other effects such as spotlights are also used when the bracelet is in the frame, to show its importance. Darkness is used near the end of the scene to represent claustrophobic conditions when the water starts to come in. Framing The scene begins with a master shot of the entire place where the following scene takes place. It includes the whole background for reference to later in the film. An establishing shot is also used it shows all of both the armies. It helps to set the scene for the audience. As the battle takes place, mixtures of medium long shots and mid shots are used. This means all the action can be seen, while facial expressions can still be seen. High angles are used throughout increasing the audience’s sense of power over the army, involving them. In the desert, long shots are used to show the army in the desolate surrounding. It increases the feeling of desperation of the men. At the end of the desert scene a very high angle is used on the scorpion king so he looks small, making the audience almost pity him. Inside the temple, a lot of mid shots and close ups are used. This helps to increase the feel of the small tunnels. It also shows the characters are all important. Straight angled shots are used to put the audience on the same level as all the main characters. The audience do not need to feel sorry for, or to feel intimidated by any of the characters. Point of view shots are used to give a characters perspective of looking down a corridor, in the case of Rick when he is in the temple. It shows the fear the characters must be feeling appeals to the audience directly to emphasize with them. At the end of the scene, a lot of medium long shots are used to enable the audience to see all the action taking place as it builds to a climax. Camera movement As the sequence begins, the camera uses a lot of fast panning. This is to increase the tense mood and the feeling of the action. It pans across the army showing everyone waiting to fight. This effect sets the scene for the audience and shows the expanse of the army. The scorpion king is tracked to increase his important. It is fast which creates excitement. A steadicam is used a lot to show different aspects of the moving battle but to keep the shots smooth. A handheld camera is also used to convey an atmosphere of chaos to the audience and to involve the audience, making them feel as if they are actually there. When the sequence cuts to the section inside the temple the camera uses tracking to help the audience crate an emotional attachment with Rick. Zooming in is used when Rick and Evelyn meet. It gives the section a romantic feel and gives the audience a feeling of closeness increasing a relaxed atmosphere, which is then opposite to other scenes. A lot of panning is used throughout the rest of the scene, for example, when Alex runs across the temple floor. He is also tracked to show he is important in that particular scene, making the focus on him. It also involves the audience a lot more in the film. Zooming in is used when the bracelet is in this box in the vision. This shows it’s important and focus’s the audience’s attention on it. Zooming is also used when one of the three men says â€Å"we do not want to wake the Gods†. This gives greater importance to these words, making the audience take more notice them. The camera pans Evelyn and Rick as they run away from the water towards the end of the sequence. It also zooms into their facial expressions, appealing to the audience because they are slightly comical. Editing During the battle scene at the beginning of the sequence a lot of invisible editing it used. This is to be unobtrusive, so the audience’s attention is not taken away from the battle. Jump cuts are used to move from the battle to the desert, then back to another battle then to the inside of the temple. This is a common feature of their type of genre. Inside the temple a lot more variety of shot is used. Reaction shots are used a lot more frequently. For example, from Rick’s expression when he knocks Alex over, to Alex’s face, then back to Rick’s expression. Elliptical cuts are also used. For example, when Rick walks down a corridor, and then is with Evelyn after a jump cut. Invisible editing is used most frequently throughout which is common for this type of film. Mise-en-Scene The outside settings are mainly digitally created because they are too vast to create from scratch, and to detailed and precise to use a location which already exists. The inside setting is very detailed. The walls all have Egyptian markings on them, and are all covered with dirt and cobwebs. It’s also very dark. They all give an atmosphere a terror and mystery. The props used are typical of 1930’s, which is when the film is set. The types of guns and other weapons used indicate that the film is not set in modern times. The tools being used to dig with are not modern technology. The torches of fire are used as the main source of light while they are underground, which it would have been in 1933. It helps to set the scene. It also adds to the atmosphere because of the flickering shadows created. The costume is also typical of the 1930’s. The men wear shirts and trousers, with Alex wearing shorts and trousers. The costume also helps to portray heat of the desert. The three men, for example, wear head dresses and loose shirts. Other costume includes Indiana Jones styles exploring clothes Rick wears. The clothes are all in good condition, which represents they have a lot of money, which is proved later in the film, when they arrive home to their mansion. The important characters in the scene always stand in the foreground of the shot, often against a stationary background. However the characters are sometimes positioned all at one side this unsettles the audience, therefore involves them. Different emphasis is put a different bit of body language depending on the scene. When the battle is taking place outside medium long shots and long shots are used to include all the action so you don’t miss anything. Inside the temple close ups and mid shots are used to include important facial expressions, to help build the tension. Narrative structure The film doesn’t begin with equilibrium, but equilibrium is established quite early on in the sequence, when the scorpion king is killed. However two new incidents happen to complicate the story. The first being that the three men enter who have been sent to kill the O’Connell’s. The second being that taking the bracelet from its box causes the temple to collapse. A binary opposite of good Vs evil is made between the O’Connell’s and the three men is established as soon as they enter. The sequence is organised in a non-linear format. It makes use of flashbacks and visions. Genre The genre of this film is action/adventure. Generic conventions are used. For example, there’s a lot of action in a short space of time. Theres also a feeling of adventure when the characters are exploring in the temple. Fast paced loud music and guns and fighting are also generic conventions used in this sequence. There are some aspects however which are subverted. The idea of mummies is also fantasy possibly suggesting hybridisation. There are also some aspects of comic language. Characters We can tell from this sequence characters are going to be important. The scorpion king is talked about a lot and is shown using low angled shots for the majority of the time, which also increases his sense of importance. We can tell Evelyn, Rick and Alex are important because the whole sequence is based around what they are doing and why. The scorpion king is an important character. This is shown by actors such as his name, which h includes the word king giving him high status. His clothing is better than that of his army, which he also leads. He also wears lots of gold jewellery. Rick is shown to be a fighter. He is always carries guns and bullets with him and he creeps around at the beginning of the temple scene. He also likes to do things by brute force shown in the comments Evelyn says, such as â€Å"let’s do it your way† then he would bang down a door. Alex is shown to be clever. He knows a lot about ancient Egypt, because he talks to Rick about a statue, he also understand hieroglyphics, show later in the film. Vladimir Prop’s theory fits into this film in some aspects. The villain; impoteph, the donor; being Izzy who later on in the film helps them a lot, and the magical helper being Ardis who helps them throughout. Some characters do not fir in however, such as the father’s daughter.

COFFEE TRENDS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

COFFEE TRENDS - Essay Example Due to the high caffeine content and other chemical substances in coffee, critics argue that coffee is addictive and to some extent, it contributes to weight gain, thus, its consumption should be restricted. On the contrary, coffee has played an imperative role in human lives in various ways such as cultural, social, political, globalization, economical, and medicinal aspects, and thus its consumption should not be restricted. First, coffee plays a significant role in cultural and customary occasions in many societies. For example, it is presented and consumed in many communities whereby it plays various roles with regard to a particular culture. For instance it acts as ethnic or religious representative of many groups, matrimonial or funeral essential commodity, irreplaceable element for individuals and professionals at all times. In addition, coffee is a symbol of hospitability, whereby social hospitable norms of many ethnic and religious groups require them to offer at least †Å"a cup of coffee to their guests† as their standard etiquette (Topik 86). This is commonly seen in various religious societies, in which guests are often presented with a cup of coffee. For example, Muslims either in Ramadan or in their traditional weddings, keep coffee as a mandatory item for their guests. Similarly, Catholic, Jews and orthodox also keep this social beverage at important events such as funerals, marriage ceremonies, political and social meetings, and most importantly at professional work places (Croegaert 468). Secondly, coffee has been a crucial component of political and revolutionary movements’ gatherings and meetings. Throughout history, coffee houses have been social places for political and revolutionary movements across many nations. Companies such as Starbucks, Nestle, Proctor and gamble among others are popular for promoting a coffee culture where people can go relax in their coffee outlets and lounges, and consequently catch up or discuss po litical and social issues. Starbucks even went as far as providing Wi-Fi in their coffee lounges in Australia so that customers can even work while enjoying coffee and connecting. During the era of globalization and industrialization, coffee places were highly valued, and it represented a culture of class of people. Likewise, this era witnessed increasing activities of social movement groups, and as customary, coffee houses became their favourite meeting places. Hence, people planned, discussed and organised their social and political revolutions in â€Å"kefeteria† or in coffee houses against the government of that time (Croegaert 468). Therefore, restricting consumption of coffee would destroy such cultures and the values attached to it. Thirdly, coffee plays a crucial role in development of economy, which is evident from various companies that have made profit from coffee processing and sales. In the twentieth century, in USA 80% of the coffee production and supply was ass ociated to the four renowned brands namely; Nestle, Proctor and Gamble, Sarah Lee and Philip Morris. Likewise, Starbucks, MacDonald’s and Dunkin doughnuts have been responsible for the expansion of this social beverage throughout the world, especially in USA (Topik 100). With variation in the forms of coffee like espresso, cappuccino, cold-coffee; it overwhelmed cola-drink trend in the youth. Moreover, Dunkin Doughnuts and

A semiotic analysis of Carla Trujillo's What Night Brings Essay

A semiotic analysis of Carla Trujillo's What Night Brings - Essay Example Her mother who is deeply in love with their father ignores the ever-increasing abuse that her daughters are subjected to each day. Moreover, the exclusive part of this narrative is that in many occasions Corin and Marcin do not romanticize their dad, rather they disown him and call him by his name â€Å"Eddie† instead of dad. Thus, Marci prays for this to end one day. However, his prayers are not that his dad should die but just go away. He does not pray for the death of his dad because she has a second prayer that she sees will not be answered if she did so. Her second prayer is that God will change her physically from being a girl to a boy. Marci has a deep wish for a male body which thus create the foundation of her sexual fantasies and dreams. The main reason behind her deep desire for the male figure is because she wants to have relationships with girls, and the only way that she can appropriately express her feelings to them is by changing to a boy. Both wishes of Marcin somehow sounds impossible to achieve, but religious people say God can do miracles. In the meantime, the two girls found other techniques of surviving. Majority of their relatives had no idea on what to do with Eddie’s violence but were supportive and loving. In addition, other than her mother being blind to the actions of her husband, she is approachable. Considerab ly, the narrative holds the inventive attempts by the girls to outsmart their father and convince their mother and at least be able to see what a monster their father was. For instance, the most delightful one was where they were lent a camera by one of their uncles and tried to capture his father in implicating positions with his fiancà ©e. By all this, Marci becomes aware of his affection and desire for girls and hopes to become a boy one day. The lesbianism feelings are touching and subtle, and by no means inflexible. Glimpses of how varied religious and family

Contemporary Issues in Nursing Essay Example for Free

Contemporary Issues in Nursing Essay In todays world of nursing, there are efforts to improve patient care at hospitals. Severalstates across America are considering implementing nursing ratio laws. This ratio law wouldrequire hospitals to have strict nurse-to-patient ratios enforced at all times. Only California hasimplemented nursing ratios so far and it has been the subject of mixed reviews. Steps the legislation went throughThroughout the 1990s, health care labor unions in California tried to implement nursestaffing laws through legislation and ballot initiatives. The California Nurses Association (CNA)campaigned for several years to constitute a mandated nurse-to-patient ratio system in California. The first endeavor was in 1993 when Assembly Bill (AB) 1445 was introduced into theAssembly. Unfortunately, the bill did not succeed. The nurse-to-patient ratios were also a part ofProposition 216, the health care reform initiative introduced by CNA in 1996. Governor PeteWilson vetoed another version of the ratio bill, AB 695, which was passed by the legislature in1997 (Institute for Health, 2001). The CNA organized a rally of nurses and patients throughoutCalifornia to win enactment of AB 394. More than 10,000 letters, post cards and phone callswere made to the governor in support of the bill. Registered nurses (RN) and senior citizens bythe thousands assembled on the Capitol Steps in support of the bill in September, 1999 (Dumpel,H. 2003). Description of issue and recently enacted legislationAB 394 was passed and signed by Governor Gray Davis in 1999. This bill directs theCalifornia Department of Health Services to establish minimum, specific, and numerical licensednurse-to-patient ratios by licensed nurse classification and by hospital unit in acute carehospitals. Although it passed in 1999, it was not implemented until January 1, 2004 due to thefact that the California Department of Health Services could not base deductive evidence onwhich to base the actual ratios (Coffman, J., et al, 2002). The implementation was frozen as anemergency by California Governor Schwarzenegger due to the severe nursing shortage and highcosts. California courts upheld the Governor  and enforced tougher standards (Anonymous,2007). Under the legislation enacted, acute care hospitals in California need to have a minimumof one licensed nurse for every two patients in intensive care units, one nurse for every operatingroom patient and one nurse for every five patients on a medical surgical floor. The legislationcalls for half of the licensed personnel working in intensive and coronary care units to belicensed as an RN. The consequence of the nurse ratio law on quality and access to patientcare is still a subject of debate in California (Coffman, J., et al, 2002). Impact of nursing practiceThe CNA claims that ratios have been successful in creating safer workingenvironments in hospitals. The CNA believes that having the ratio laws in effect will attractRNs that have left the field. Data obtained from the CNA shows that since the ratio law wassigned, the number of actively licensed RNs in California have grown by more than 60,000,with an additional 60% increase in RN new applications. Turnover vacancy rates in Californiasbiggest hospital systems have fallen below 5% as a result of this ratio law (CNA, 2005). Supporters of the ratio law believe that staffing ratios help improve working conditions andattract more young people to the nursing profession. Working conditions within acute carehospitals have an impact on the number of RNs that choose to practice there (Coffman, J, et al,2002). Impact on quality of health care delivery to the patientThere is a strong correlation between nurse-to-patient staffing ratios compared to lowrates of medication errors and patient deaths. Nurse staffing is key to influencing patientoutcomes. In a study of orthopedic and vascular surgery patients discharged from 168Pennsylvania hospitals, the risk of adverse outcomes were 31% higher in the hospitals thatstaffed 1 nurse to 8 patients, compared to 14% higher with hospitals that staffed 1 nurse to 4patients. Hospitals that staff 1 nurse to less than 5 patients also have a lower incidence of patientfalls, medication errors and nosocomial infections (MacPhee, M., et al, 2006). Improved RN topatient ratios also have a reduced rate of  pneumonia, urinary tract infections, shock, cardiacarrest, gastrointestinal bleeding, and other adverse outcomes in acute care settings. Recentresearch indicates that the cost of the RN to patient ratio law is considerably lower than the costof basic safety interventions commonly used in hospitals such as PAP tests for cervical cancerand clot-busting medications to treat stroke and heart attacks. Shorter lengths of stay have alsobeen reported since the ratio laws took place (Needleman, J., et al, 2002)HistoryCalifornia became the first state to mandate minimum nurse staffing ratios. Suggestionsfor nurse-to-patient ratios have been specified in union contracts at hospitals in several otherstates. Since California passed AB 394, related bills were introduced in many other states suchas Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The cause for staffing ratios was aresult of average patient acuity in the state of California rising and projected increases for acuitylevels to keep increasing through the next 20 years (Institute for Health, 2001). AB 394 mayhave a major impact on demand for nursing personnel, the adequacy of nursing supply and thequality of nursing care provided to consumers. Nursing unions in California representing nursessaw this bill as an aid for improving patient and employee safety. Hospitals throughoutCalifornia were concerned that AB 394 would incr ease the difficulties they face in recruiting andretaining nurses (Coffman, J., et al, 2002). Position of various health organizations on the issueThe topic of nursing ratios seem to be a convincing tool in protecting patient safety andimproving working conditions for nurses. However, realistic thought must be taken inestablishing attainable and pragmatical ratio standards. It is expensive and difficult to attract andretain enough qualified nurses to meet these ratios. Many proponents feel there are not enoughnurses available to meet these requirements. Difficulties in recruiting and retaining hard-to-findnurses costs an estimated $422 million and is a factor in the closure of several hospitals and aleading cause for shutdowns of 11 ERs and psychiatric units throughout California (Leighty, J.,2005). California ranks 49th across all states in the number of nurses per capita. The stateEconomic Development Department states, California will be short  more than 97,000 RNs bythe year 2010. When the ratio law began in California in 2004, 85 per cent of hospitals were notable to be compliant with the regulations. The main contributing factor was not having enoughnurses to cover meal breaks (Anonymous, 2004). Medical surgical nurses see understaffing as a problem that contributes to nurse burnout. Three out of five nurses state that low staffing levels have a negative impact on patient care. Three out of five nurses also state they have thought about leaving the hospital floor nursingsetting in the past two years. Nurses across the country feel that ratio regulations would improveworking conditions (AFT Healthcare, 2003). Impact of this legislationThe CNA believes that nursing ratios protect patients safety and eliminatesdangers associated with patient overload. CNA President Deborah Burger strongly feels that theratio laws have alleviated the nursing shortage by attracting 30,000 RNs to the state. She feelsthat burned -out or retired nurses are coming back into the profession because of betterconditions in the workplace (Leighty 2005). From a nurses point of view, the ratio regulations are what has been needed to improvepatient care and nurse satisfaction. For each extra patient above 4 added to a nurses assignment,there is a 23% increase in burnout and 15 % increase in job dissatisfaction. Research has shownthat better staffing for nurses in hospitals is reflected lower levels of absenteeism and higher jobsatisfaction (MacPhee, M., et al 2006). Legal responsibilities and Ethical dilemmasThe recent ratio regulations have caused problems throughout California. Hospitals areat times unable to receive patients, ambulances are diverted to more far away hospitals andpatients are now waiting longer in the emergency rooms. Before the regulation was made inplace in California, many nurses felt they made  decisions about patient care and were able toplan his or her workday to meet their patients needs. Many feel now, that the regulation is anumbers game. (Leighty, J., 2005). Some hospitals may look to cut costs to keep up with thecost of the ratio laws. They may look to decrease other personnel such as unlicensed caregivers,ward clerks, transporters and housekeepers. This could make nursing jobs in the hospital lessappealing to RNs. Higher personnel costs can also sway hospitals from ordering new medicalequipment with state of the art safety features (Coffman, J., et al 2002). Although the ratios are a subject of mixed reviews, many nurses in California are happywith the regulation. As a newer nurse who recently entered the profession, I am overwhelmed attimes with my patient load of five patients. I am thankful to work in a state where nurse ratiolaws are in place. Adding more patients to my daily assignment would more than likely makeme leave the hospital setting due to burn-out due to high levels of job dissatisfaction. References AFT Healthcare (2003, April) Patient- to- Nurse Staffing Ratios: Perspectives from HospitalNurses. Retrieved February, 10, 2004 from http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/healthcare/HartStaffingReport2003.pdfAnonymous (2004). California Hospitals Express Disappointment Over Court Ruling on NurseStaffing Regulation: Ruling Jeopardizes Hospitals Ability to Guarantee Access to Care. Retrieved February 13, 2007 from http://www.calhealth.org/public/press/Article%5C103%5CCHA%20News%20Release%20on%20Nurse%20Ratio%20Lawsuit%205-26-04.pdfAnonymous (2007). Does Nurse-To-Patient Ratio Legislation Help Patients or Harm Hospitalsin the United States? Retrieved February 10, 2007 from http://www. Globalinsight.com/Perspective/PerspectiveDetail6099.htmCalifornia Nurses Association (2005) RN to patient Ratios. Retrieved February 10, 2007 fromhttp://www.calnurses.org/nursing-practice/ratios/ratios_index.htmlCoffman, J., Seago, J., Spetz, J., (2002) Minimum Nurse-to-Patient Ratios in Acute CareHospitals. Health Affairs, 21(5), 53-64. Retrieved February 13, 2007, from Research LibraryDatabase.

Seamus Heaney’s Storm on the Island and Walt Whitman’s Patrolling Essay

Seamus Heaney’s Storm on the Island and Walt Whitman’s Patrolling Barnegat which were written in 1966 and 1856 respectively are two classical poems describing vividly How the poems I have studied explored nature and its effect. Seamus Heaney’s Storm on the Island and Walt Whitman’s Patrolling Barnegat which were written in 1966 and 1856 respectively are two classical poems describing vividly the horror and insecurity experienced by human’s during a wild storm. Storm on the Island and Patrolling Barnegat have many similarities and differences, the similarities reside around each writer’s description of a storm but the differences are mainly due to the writer’s on personal attitude and approach to a storm and how they apply it to their writing. At the beginning of Heaney’s Storm on the Island he clearly highlights that they have prepared for a storm â€Å"We are prepared; we build our houses squat†, Heaney also makes it clear that there is no company or shelter on the island â€Å"Nor are there trees that might prove company when it blows full blast†. Throughout the poem Heaney is describing the elements that have to be faced during a storm, he describes the wind, the sea and the fear they produce. In contrast to Heaney, Whitman begins his poem with a prompt and vivid description of the storm and his dramatic account of a storm continues throughout the poem. Whitman’s portrayal of the storm is somewhat different to that of Heaney as it is more sophisticated and complex, â€Å"Steady the roar of the gale, with incessant undertone muttering†. The attitude of each poet towards the poem plays a prominent role in the style and rhythm of each poem. In brief it is quite clear that Heaney’s attitude to a ... ...ed the people experiencing it. My preference would have to be Patrolling Barnegat as I feel I was more engaged in the reading of it than I was in the reading of Storm on the Island and the way Whitman described the various components of a storm really impressed more so than anything else. On a final note I would like to acknowledge that these two poems I have been comparing are non-fiction but I do realise that storms do occur and their consequences can be catastrophic to say the least and you have to look no further than the recent hurricane disaster in New Orleans were over one thousand people lost their lives to the devastation caused by nature and that thousands of peoples lives have been permanently affected by this. We all should learn a valuable lesson from this disaster and in future hopefully this tragedy will not have to be experienced again.

Angels Demons Chapter 93-97

93 Langdon had no idea where he was going. Reflex was his only compass, driving him away from danger. His elbows and knees burned as he clambered beneath the pews. Still he clawed on. Somewhere a voice was telling him to move left. If you can get to the main aisle, you can dash for the exit. He knew it was impossible. There's a wall of flames blocking the main aisle! His mind hunting for options, Langdon scrambled blindly on. The footsteps closed faster now to his right. When it happened, Langdon was unprepared. He had guessed he had another ten feet of pews until he reached the front of the church. He had guessed wrong. Without warning, the cover above him ran out. He froze for an instant, half exposed at the front of the church. Rising in the recess to his left, gargantuan from this vantage point, was the very thing that had brought him here. He had entirely forgotten. Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Teresa rose up like some sort of pornographic still life†¦ the saint on her back, arched in pleasure, mouth open in a moan, and over her, an angel pointing his spear of fire. A bullet exploded in the pew over Langdon's head. He felt his body rise like a sprinter out of a gate. Fueled only by adrenaline, and barely conscious of his actions, he was suddenly running, hunched, head down, pounding across the front of the church to his right. As the bullets erupted behind him, Langdon dove yet again, sliding out of control across the marble floor before crashing in a heap against the railing of a niche on the right-hand wall. It was then that he saw her. A crumpled heap near the back of the church. Vittoria! Her bare legs were twisted beneath her, but Langdon sensed somehow that she was breathing. He had no time to help her. Immediately, the killer rounded the pews on the far left of the church and bore relentlessly down. Langdon knew in a heartbeat it was over. The killer raised the weapon, and Langdon did the only thing he could do. He rolled his body over the banister into the niche. As he hit the floor on the other side, the marble columns of the balustrade exploded in a storm of bullets. Langdon felt like a cornered animal as he scrambled deeper into the semicircular niche. Rising before him, the niche's sole contents seemed ironically apropos – a single sarcophagus. Mine perhaps, Langdon thought. Even the casket itself seemed fitting. It was a sctola – a small, unadorned, marble box. Burial on a budget. The casket was raised off the floor on two marble blocks, and Langdon eyed the opening beneath it, wondering if he could slide through. Footsteps echoed behind him. With no other option in sight, Langdon pressed himself to the floor and slithered toward the casket. Grabbing the two marble supports, one with each hand, he pulled like a breaststroker, dragging his torso into the opening beneath the tomb. The gun went off. Accompanying the roar of the gun, Langdon felt a sensation he had never felt in his life†¦ a bullet sailing past his flesh. There was a hiss of wind, like the backlash of a whip, as the bullet just missed him and exploded in the marble with a puff of dust. Blood surging, Langdon heaved his body the rest of the way beneath the casket. Scrambling across the marble floor, he pulled himself out from beneath the casket and to the other side. Dead end. Langdon was now face to face with the rear wall of the niche. He had no doubt that this tiny space behind the tomb would become his grave. And soon, he realized, as he saw the barrel of the gun appear in the opening beneath the sarcophagus. The Hassassin held the weapon parallel with the floor, pointing directly at Langdon's midsection. Impossible to miss. Langdon felt a trace of self-preservation grip his unconscious mind. He twisted his body onto his stomach, parallel with the casket. Facedown, he planted his hands flat on the floor, the glass cut from the archives pinching open with a stab. Ignoring the pain, he pushed. Driving his body upward in an awkward push-up, Langdon arched his stomach off the floor just as the gun went off. He could feel the shock wave of the bullets as they sailed beneath him and pulverized the porous travertine behind. Closing his eyes and straining against exhaustion, Langdon prayed for the thunder to stop. And then it did. The roar of gunfire was replaced with the cold click of an empty chamber. Langdon opened his eyes slowly, almost fearful his eyelids would make a sound. Fighting the trembling pain, he held his position, arched like a cat. He didn't even dare breathe. His eardrums numbed by gunfire, Langdon listened for any hint of the killer's departure. Silence. He thought of Vittoria and ached to help her. The sound that followed was deafening. Barely human. A guttural bellow of exertion. The sarcophagus over Langdon's head suddenly seemed to rise on its side. Langdon collapsed on the floor as hundreds of pounds teetered toward him. Gravity overcame friction, and the lid was the first to go, sliding off the tomb and crashing to the floor beside him. The casket came next, rolling off its supports and toppling upside down toward Langdon. As the box rolled, Langdon knew he would either be entombed in the hollow beneath it or crushed by one of the edges. Pulling in his legs and head, Langdon compacted his body and yanked his arms to his sides. Then he closed his eyes and awaited the sickening crush. When it came, the entire floor shook beneath him. The upper rim landed only millimeters from the top of his head, rattling his teeth in their sockets. His right arm, which Langdon had been certain would be crushed, miraculously still felt intact. He opened his eyes to see a shaft of light. The right rim of the casket had not fallen all the way to the floor and was still propped partially on its supports. Directly overhead, though, Langdon found himself staring quite literally into the face of death. The original occupant of the tomb was suspended above him, having adhered, as decaying bodies often did, to the bottom of the casket. The skeleton hovered a moment, like a tentative lover, and then with a sticky crackling, it succumbed to gravity and peeled away. The carcass rushed down to embrace him, raining putrid bones and dust into Langdon's eyes and mouth. Before Langdon could react, a blind arm was slithering through the opening beneath the casket, sifting through the carcass like a hungry python. It groped until it found Langdon's neck and clamped down. Langdon tried to fight back against the iron fist now crushing his larynx, but he found his left sleeve pinched beneath the edge of the coffin. He had only one arm free, and the fight was a losing battle. Langdon's legs bent in the only open space he had, his feet searching for the casket floor above him. He found it. Coiling, he planted his feet. Then, as the hand around his neck squeezed tighter, Langdon closed his eyes and extended his legs like a ram. The casket shifted, ever so slightly, but enough. With a raw grinding, the sarcophagus slid off the supports and landed on the floor. The casket rim crashed onto the killer's arm, and there was a muffled scream of pain. The hand released Langdon's neck, twisting and jerking away into the dark. When the killer finally pulled his arm free, the casket fell with a conclusive thud against the flat marble floor. Complete darkness. Again. And silence. There was no frustrated pounding outside the overturned sarcophagus. No prying to get in. Nothing. As Langdon lay in the dark amidst a pile of bones, he fought the closing darkness and turned his thoughts to her. Vittoria. Are you alive? If Langdon had known the truth – the horror to which Vittoria would soon awake – he would have wished for her sake that she were dead. 94 Sitting in the Sistine Chapel among his stunned colleagues, Cardinal Mortati tried to comprehend the words he was hearing. Before him, lit only by the candlelight, the camerlegno had just told a tale of such hatred and treachery that Mortati found himself trembling. The camerlegno spoke of kidnapped cardinals, branded cardinals, murdered cardinals. He spoke of the ancient Illuminati – a name that dredged up forgotten fears – and of their resurgence and vow of revenge against the church. With pain in his voice, the camerlegno spoke of his late Pope†¦ the victim of an Illuminati poisoning. And finally, his words almost a whisper, he spoke of a deadly new technology, antimatter, which in less than two hours threatened to destroy all of Vatican City. When he was through, it was as if Satan himself had sucked the air from the room. Nobody could move. The camerlegno's words hung in the darkness. The only sound Mortati could now hear was the anomalous hum of a television camera in back – an electronic presence no conclave in history had ever endured – but a presence demanded by the camerlegno. To the utter astonishment of the cardinals, the camerlegno had entered the Sistine Chapel with two BBC reporters – a man and a woman – and announced that they would be transmitting his solemn statement, live to the world. Now, speaking directly to the camera, the camerlegno stepped forward. â€Å"To the Illuminati,† he said, his voice deepening, â€Å"and to those of science, let me say this.† He paused. â€Å"You have won the war.† The silence spread now to the deepest corners of the chapel. Mortati could hear the desperate thumping of his own heart. â€Å"The wheels have been in motion for a long time,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"Your victory has been inevitable. Never before has it been as obvious as it is at this moment. Science is the new God.† What is he saying? Mortati thought. Has he gone mad? The entire world is hearing this! â€Å"Medicine, electronic communications, space travel, genetic manipulation†¦ these are the miracles about which we now tell our children. These are the miracles we herald as proof that science will bring us the answers. The ancient stories of immaculate conceptions, burning bushes, and parting seas are no longer relevant. God has become obsolete. Science has won the battle. We concede.† A rustle of confusion and bewilderment swept through the chapel. â€Å"But science's victory,† the camerlegno added, his voice intensifying, â€Å"has cost every one of us. And it has cost us deeply.† Silence. â€Å"Science may have alleviated the miseries of disease and drudgery and provided an array of gadgetry for our entertainment and convenience, but it has left us in a world without wonder. Our sunsets have been reduced to wavelengths and frequencies. The complexities of the universe have been shredded into mathematical equations. Even our self-worth as human beings has been destroyed. Science proclaims that Planet Earth and its inhabitants are a meaningless speck in the grand scheme. A cosmic accident.† He paused. â€Å"Even the technology that promises to unite us, divides us. Each of us is now electronically connected to the globe, and yet we feel utterly alone. We are bombarded with violence, division, fracture, and betrayal. Skepticism has become a virtue. Cynicism and demand for proof has become enlightened thought. Is it any wonder that humans now feel more depressed and defeated than they have at any point in human history? Does science hold anything sacred? Science l ooks for answers by probing our unborn fetuses. Science even presumes to rearrange our own DNA. It shatters God's world into smaller and smaller pieces in quest of meaning†¦ and all it finds is more questions.† Mortati watched in awe. The camerlegno was almost hypnotic now. He had a physical strength in his movements and voice that Mortati had never witnessed on a Vatican altar. The man's voice was wrought with conviction and sadness. â€Å"The ancient war between science and religion is over,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"You have won. But you have not won fairly. You have not won by providing answers. You have won by so radically reorienting our society that the truths we once saw as signposts now seem inapplicable. Religion cannot keep up. Scientific growth is exponential. It feeds on itself like a virus. Every new breakthrough opens doors for new breakthroughs. Mankind took thousands of years to progress from the wheel to the car. Yet only decades from the car into space. Now we measure scientific progress in weeks. We are spinning out of control. The rift between us grows deeper and deeper, and as religion is left behind, people find themselves in a spiritual void. We cry out for meaning. And believe me, we do cry out. We see UFOs, engage in channeling, spirit contact, out-of-body experiences, mindquests – all these eccentric ideas have a scientific veneer, but they are unashamedly irrational. Th ey are the desperate cry of the modern soul, lonely and tormented, crippled by its own enlightenment and its inability to accept meaning in anything removed from technology.† Mortati could feel himself leaning forward in his seat. He and the other cardinals and people around the world were hanging on this priest's every utterance. The camerlegno spoke with no rhetoric or vitriol. No references to scripture or Jesus Christ. He spoke in modern terms, unadorned and pure. Somehow, as though the words were flowing from God himself, he spoke the modern language†¦ delivering the ancient message. In that moment, Mortati saw one of the reasons the late Pope held this young man so dear. In a world of apathy, cynicism, and technological deification, men like the camerlegno, realists who could speak to our souls like this man just had, were the church's only hope. The camerlegno was talking more forcefully now. â€Å"Science, you say, will save us. Science, I say, has destroyed us. Since the days of Galileo, the church has tried to slow the relentless march of science, sometimes with misguided means, but always with benevolent intention. Even so, the temptations are too great for man to resist. I warn you, look around yourselves. The promises of science have not been kept. Promises of efficiency and simplicity have bred nothing but pollution and chaos. We are a fractured and frantic species†¦ moving down a path of destruction.† The camerlegno paused a long moment and then sharpened his eyes on the camera. â€Å"Who is this God science? Who is the God who offers his people power but no moral framework to tell you how to use that power? What kind of God gives a child fire but does not warn the child of its dangers? The language of science comes with no signposts about good and bad. Science textbooks tell us how to create a nuclear reaction, and yet they contain no chapter asking us if it is a good or a bad idea. â€Å"To science, I say this. The church is tired. We are exhausted from trying to be your signposts. Our resources are drying up from our campaign to be the voice of balance as you plow blindly on in your quest for smaller chips and larger profits. We ask not why you will not govern yourselves, but how can you? Your world moves so fast that if you stop even for an instant to consider the implications of your actions, someone more efficient will whip past you in a blur. So you move on. You proliferate weapons of mass destruction, but it is the Pope who travels the world beseeching leaders to use restraint. You clone living creatures, but it is the church reminding us to consider the moral implications of our actions. You encourage people to interact on phones, video screens, and computers, but it is the church who opens its doors and reminds us to commune in person as we were meant to do. You even murder unborn babies in the name of research that will save lives. Again, it is the ch urch who points out the fallacy of this reasoning. â€Å"And all the while, you proclaim the church is ignorant. But who is more ignorant? The man who cannot define lightning, or the man who does not respect its awesome power? This church is reaching out to you. Reaching out to everyone. And yet the more we reach, the more you push us away. Show me proof there is a God, you say. I say use your telescopes to look to the heavens, and tell me how there could not be a God!† The camerlegno had tears in his eyes now. â€Å"You ask what does God look like. I say, where did that question come from? The answers are one and the same. Do you not see God in your science? How can you miss Him! You proclaim that even the slightest change in the force of gravity or the weight of an atom would have rendered our universe a lifeless mist rather than our magnificent sea of heavenly bodies, and yet you fail to see God's hand in this? Is it really so much easier to believe that we simply chose the right card from a deck of billions? Have we becom e so spiritually bankrupt that we would rather believe in mathematical impossibility than in a power greater than us? â€Å"Whether or not you believe in God,† the camerlegno said, his voice deepening with deliberation, â€Å"you must believe this. When we as a species abandon our trust in the power greater than us, we abandon our sense of accountability. Faith†¦ all faiths†¦ are admonitions that there is something we cannot understand, something to which we are accountable†¦ With faith we are accountable to each other, to ourselves, and to a higher truth. Religion is flawed, but only because man is flawed. If the outside world could see this church as I do†¦ looking beyond the ritual of these walls†¦ they would see a modern miracle†¦ a brotherhood of imperfect, simple souls wanting only to be a voice of compassion in a world spinning out of control.† The camerlegno motioned out over the College of Cardinals, and the BBC camerawoman instinctively followed, panning the crowd. â€Å"Are we obsolete?† the camerlegno asked. â€Å"Are these men dino-saurs? Am I? Does the world really need a voice for the poor, the weak, the oppressed, the unborn child? Do we really need souls like these who, though imperfect, spend their lives imploring each of us to read the signposts of morality and not lose our way?† Mortati now realized that the camerlegno, whether consciously or not, was making a brilliant move. By showing the cardinals, he was personalizing the church. Vatican City was no longer a building, it was people – people like the camerlegno who had spent their lives in the service of goodness. â€Å"Tonight we are perched on a precipice,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"None of us can afford to be apathetic. Whether you see this evil as Satan, corruption, or immorality†¦ the dark force is alive and growing every day. Do not ignore it.† The camerlegno lowered his voice to a whisper, and the camera moved in. â€Å"The force, though mighty, is not invincible. Goodness can prevail. Listen to your hearts. Listen to God. Together we can step back from this abyss.† Now Mortati understood. This was the reason. Conclave had been violated, but this was the only way. It was a dramatic and desperate plea for help. The camerlegno was speaking to both his enemy and his friends now. He was entreating anyone, friend or foe, to see the light and stop this madness. Certainly someone listening would realize the insanity of this plot and come forward. The camerlegno knelt at the altar. â€Å"Pray with me.† The College of Cardinals dropped to their knees to join him in prayer. Outside in St. Peter's Square and around the globe†¦ a stunned world knelt with them. 95 The Hassassin lay his unconscious trophy in the rear of the van and took a moment to admire her sprawled body. She was not as beautiful as the women he bought, and yet she had an animal strength that excited him. Her body was radiant, dewy with perspiration. She smelled of musk. As the Hassasin stood there savoring his prize, he ignored the throb in his arm. The bruise from the falling sarcophagus, although painful, was insignificant†¦ well worth the compensation that lay before him. He took consolation in knowing the American who had done this to him was probably dead by now. Gazing down at his incapacitated prisoner, the Hassassin visualized what lay ahead. He ran a palm up beneath her shirt. Her breasts felt perfect beneath her bra. Yes, he smiled. You are more than worthy. Fighting the urge to take her right there, he closed the door and drove off into the night. There was no need to alert the press about this killing†¦ the flames would do that for him. At CERN, Sylvie sat stunned by the camerlegno's address. Never before had she felt so proud to be a Catholic and so ashamed to work at CERN. As she left the recreational wing, the mood in every single viewing room was dazed and somber. When she got back to Kohler's office, all seven phone lines were ringing. Media inquiries were never routed to Kohler's office, so the incoming calls could only be one thing. Geld. Money calls. Antimatter technology already had some takers. Inside the Vatican, Gunther Glick was walking on air as he followed the camerlegno from the Sistine Chapel. Glick and Macri had just made the live transmission of the decade. And what a transmission it had been. The camerlegno had been spellbinding. Now out in the hallway, the camerlegno turned to Glick and Macri. â€Å"I have asked the Swiss Guard to assemble photos for you – photos of the branded cardinals as well as one of His late Holiness. I must warn you, these are not pleasant pictures. Ghastly burns. Blackened tongues. But I would like you to broadcast them to the world.† Glick decided it must be perpetual Christmas inside Vatican City. He wants me to broadcast an exclusive photo of the dead Pope? â€Å"Are you sure?† Glick asked, trying to keep the excitement from his voice. The camerlegno nodded. â€Å"The Swiss Guard will also provide you a live video feed of the antimatter canister as it counts down.† Glick stared. Christmas. Christmas. Christmas! â€Å"The Illuminati are about to find out,† the camerlegno declared, â€Å"that they have grossly overplayed their hand.† 96 Like a recurring theme in some demonic symphony, the suffocating darkness had returned. No light. No air. No exit. Langdon lay trapped beneath the overturned sarcophagus and felt his mind careening dangerously close to the brink. Trying to drive his thoughts in any direction other than the crushing space around him, Langdon urged his mind toward some logical process†¦ mathematics, music, anything. But there was no room for calming thoughts. I can't move! I can't breathe! The pinched sleeve of his jacket had thankfully come free when the casket fell, leaving Langdon now with two mobile arms. Even so, as he pressed upward on the ceiling of his tiny cell, he found it immovable. Oddly, he wished his sleeve were still caught. At least it might create a crack for some air. As Langdon pushed against the roof above, his sleeve fell back to reveal the faint glow of an old friend. Mickey. The greenish cartoon face seemed mocking now. Langdon probed the blackness for any other sign of light, but the casket rim was flush against the floor. Goddamn Italian perfectionists, he cursed, now imperiled by the same artistic excellence he taught his students to revere†¦ impeccable edges, faultless parallels, and of course, use only of the most seamless and resilient Carrara marble. Precision can be suffocating. â€Å"Lift the damn thing,† he said aloud, pressing harder through the tangle of bones. The box shifted slightly. Setting his jaw, he heaved again. The box felt like a boulder, but this time it raised a quarter of an inch. A fleeting glimmer of light surrounded him, and then the casket thudded back down. Langdon lay panting in the dark. He tried to use his legs to lift as he had before, but now that the sarcophagus had fallen flat, there was no room even to straighten his knees. As the claustrophobic panic closed in, Langdon was overcome by images of the sarcophagus shrinking around him. Squeezed by delirium, he fought the illusion with every logical shred of intellect he had. â€Å"Sarcophagus,† he stated aloud, with as much academic sterility as he could muster. But even erudition seemed to be his enemy today. Sarcophagus is from the Greek â€Å"sarx† meaning â€Å"flesh,† and â€Å"phagein† meaning â€Å"to eat.† I'm trapped in a box literally designed to â€Å"eat flesh.† Images of flesh eaten from bone only served as a grim reminder that Langdon lay covered in human remains. The notion brought nausea and chills. But it also brought an idea. Fumbling blindly around the coffin, Langdon found a shard of bone. A rib maybe? He didn't care. All he wanted was a wedge. If he could lift the box, even a crack, and slide the bone fragment beneath the rim, then maybe enough air could†¦ Reaching across his body and wedging the tapered end of the bone into the crack between the floor and the coffin, Langdon reached up with his other hand and heaved skyward. The box did not move. Not even slightly. He tried again. For a moment, it seemed to tremble slightly, but that was all. With the fetid stench and lack of oxygen choking the strength from his body, Langdon realized he only had time for one more effort. He also knew he would need both arms. Regrouping, he placed the tapered edge of the bone against the crack, and shifting his body, he wedged the bone against his shoulder, pinning it in place. Careful not to dislodge it, he raised both hands above him. As the stifling confine began to smother him, he felt a welling of intensified panic. It was the second time today he had been trapped with no air. Hollering aloud, Langdon thrust upward in one explosive motion. The casket jostled off the floor for an instant. But long enough. The bone shard he had braced against his shoulder slipped outward into the widening crack. When the casket fell again, the bone shattered. But this time Langdon could see the casket was propped up. A tiny slit of light showed beneath the rim. Exhausted, Langdon collapsed. Hoping the strangling sensation in his throat would pass, he waited. But it only worsened as the seconds passed. Whatever air was coming through the slit seemed imperceptible. Langdon wondered if it would be enough to keep him alive. And if so, for how long? If he passed out, who would know he was even in there? With arms like lead, Langdon raised his watch again: 10:12 P.M. Fighting trembling fingers, he fumbled with the watch and made his final play. He twisted one of the tiny dials and pressed a button. As consciousness faded, and the walls squeezed closer, Langdon felt the old fears sweep over him. He tried to imagine, as he had so many times, that he was in an open field. The image he conjured, however, was no help. The nightmare that had haunted him since his youth came crashing back†¦ The flowers here are like paintings, the child thought, laughing as he ran across the meadow. He wished his parents had come along. But his parents were busy pitching camp. â€Å"Don't explore too far,† his mother had said. He had pretended not to hear as he bounded off into the woods. Now, traversing this glorious field, the boy came across a pile of fieldstones. He figured it must be the foundation of an old homestead. He would not go near it. He knew better. Besides, his eyes had been drawn to something else – a brilliant lady's slipper – the rarest and most beautiful flower in New Hampshire. He had only ever seen them in books. Excited, the boy moved toward the flower. He knelt down. The ground beneath him felt mulchy and hollow. He realized his flower had found an extra-fertile spot. It was growing from a patch of rotting wood. Thrilled by the thought of taking home his prize, the boy reached out†¦ fingers extending toward the stem. He never reached it. With a sickening crack, the earth gave way. In the three seconds of dizzying terror as he fell, the boy knew he would die. Plummeting downward, he braced for the bone-crushing collision. When it came, there was no pain. Only softness. And cold. He hit the deep liquid face first, plunging into a narrow blackness. Spinning disoriented somersaults, he groped the sheer walls thatenclosed him on all sides. Somehow, as if by instinct, he sputtered to the surface. Light. Faint. Above him. Miles above him, it seemed. His arms clawed at the water, searching the walls of the hollow for something to grab onto. Only smooth stone. He had fallen through an abandoned well covering. He screamed for help, but his cries reverberated in the tight shaft. He called out again and again. Above him, the tattered hole grew dim. Night fell. Time seemed to contort in the darkness. Numbness set in as he treaded water in the depths of the chasm, calling, crying out. He was tormented by visions of the walls collapsing in, burying him alive. His arms ached with fatigue. A few times he thought he heard voices. He shouted out, but his own voice was muted†¦ like a dream. As the night wore on, the shaft deepened. The walls inched quietly inward. The boy pressed out against the enclosure, pushing it away. Exhausted, he wanted to give up. And yet he felt the water buoy him, cooling his burning fears until he was numb. When the rescue team arrived, they found the boy barely conscious. He had been treading water for five hours. Two days later, the Boston Globe ran a front-page story called â€Å"The Little Swimmer That Could.† 97 The Hassassin smiled as he pulled his van into the mammoth stone structure overlooking the Tiber River. He carried his prize up and up†¦ spiraling higher in the stone tunnel, grateful his load was slender. He arrived at the door. The Church of Illumination, he gloated. The ancient Illuminati meeting room. Who would have imagined it to be here? Inside, he lay her on a plush divan. Then he expertly bound her arms behind her back and tied her feet. He knew that what he longed for would have to wait until his final task was finished. Water. Still, he thought, he had a moment for indulgence. Kneeling beside her, he ran his hand along her thigh. It was smooth. Higher. His dark fingers snaked beneath the cuff of her shorts. Higher. He stopped. Patience, he told himself, feeling aroused. There is work to be done. He walked for a moment out onto the chamber's high stone balcony. The evening breeze slowly cooled his ardor. Far below the Tiber raged. He raised his eyes to the dome of St. Peter's, three quarters of a mile away, naked under the glare of hundreds of press lights. â€Å"Your final hour,† he said aloud, picturing the thousands of Muslims slaughtered during the Crusades. â€Å"At midnight you will meet your God.† Behind him, the woman stirred. The Hassassin turned. He considered letting her wake up. Seeing terror in a woman's eyes was his ultimate aphrodisiac. He opted for prudence. It would be better if she remained unconscious while he was gone. Although she was tied and would never escape, the Hassassin did not want to return and find her exhausted from struggling. I want your strength preserved†¦ for me. Lifting her head slightly, he placed his palm beneath her neck and found the hollow directly beneath her skull. The crown/meridian pressure point was one he had used countless times. With crushing force, he drove his thumb into the soft cartilage and felt it depress. The woman slumped instantly. Twenty minutes, he thought. She would be a tantalizing end to a perfect day. After she had served him and died doing it, he would stand on the balcony and watch the midnight Vatican fireworks. Leaving his prize unconscious on the couch, the Hassassin went downstairs into a torchlit dungeon. The final task. He walked to the table and revered the sacred, metal forms that had been left there for him. Water. It was his last. Removing a torch from the wall as he had done three times already, he began heating the end. When the end of the object was white hot, he carried it to the cell. Inside, a single man stood in silence. Old and alone. â€Å"Cardinal Baggia,† the killer hissed. â€Å"Have you prayed yet?† The Italian's eyes were fearless. â€Å"Only for your soul.†