The Criminal Justice Process Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Criminal Justice Process - Research Paper Example On a written complaint to the police by the victim, it is incumbent upon the police to investigate the matter. As a result of police investigation, if it is found prima facie that crime has been committed, the police may arrest the suspect on the basis of warrant of arrest issued by the judge. The police after completion of its investigation shall submit its investigation report to the office of District Attorney. The prosecuting attorney will review the investigation report to determine whether to suspect will be connected with the crime or not (Steury & Frank, 1996). If suspect connects with the crime, he / she may be sent to the prison. He / she remains in the prison until the case is decided by the competent court of law. If released on bail, the release agreement will sign by the accused criminal. The release agreement contains the conditions that accused will appear in the circuit court on due dates of hearings, will not leave the place of residence without the court permission and will not intimidate the victim in any manner whatsoever. If the defendant contacts victim, the victim has the right to report the matter to the court release officer for taking necessary action. The release agreement will be effective until the court decides the case (Walklate, 1989). The case starts when charge document against an accused is filed by the district attorney. Charge document may be in the form of complaint, information or indictment. A crime comes under the ambit of felony where one can get imprisonment for a period of more than a year. The crime committed under the felonies is manufacturing, delivering and possessing of drugs, theft, burglary, sexual assault etc. However, misdemeanor crimes (harassment, menacing and trespassing) are those where an accused cannot get sentence of incarceration of more than a year (Walklate, 1989). First appearance of a defendant in a

Porple Essay Example for Free

Porple Essay Differentiate among the various types of information systems. Checkpoint Types of Information Systems Compile a list of the various information systems used in your organization or an organization with which you are familiar. Describe the designed function of each. Identify whether the systems are being used effectively. Day 3 Individual The Effects of Technology on the Accounting Profession Paper Resources: Ch. 2 of Core Concepts of Accounting Information Systems and the University of Phoenix Material: Application Software Review the Center for Writing Excellence. Write a 700- to 1 ,050-word paper describing how information systems are changing various aspects of the accounting profession. Include a description of several new technologies and their effects on accounting processes. Discuss how these technologies have changed the way accounting is performed in your organization or in an organization of your choice. Cite at least two sources in your paper. Follow guidelines in the Center tor Writing Excellence. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Day 7 1303. 1 Identify major hardware components. 3. 2 Explain the use of accounting software applications. Reading Read Ch. 2 of Core Concepts of Accounting Information Systems. Read Ch. 11 of Core Concepts of Accounting Information Systems. Read Ch. 12 of Core Concepts of Accounting Information Systems. Read this weeks Electronic Reserve Readings.

A Comparison of the Supernatural in Tempest, Julius Caesar, and Midsum

Supernatural Phenomena in The Tempest, Julius Caesar, and Midsummer Night's Dream  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   The Oxford English Dictionary defines "supernatural" as something "that is out of the ordinary course of nature; beyond, surpassing, or differing from what is natural."   In light of this definition, I shall be discussing the plays The Tempest, Julius Caesar, and A Midsummer Night's Dream through three successive pairings, drawing distinctions and comparisons between each play and its significant others as relate to some aspect of the supernatural realm. In any discussion of two Shakespeare plays, the issue of chronology deserves at least a passing nod. In the case of The Tempest and A Midsummer Night's Dream, knowledge of the chronology of the plays is of paramount importance in understanding the differences in tone, language, and the relationship dynamics between Oberon/Puck and Prospero/Ariel/Caliban. A Midsummer Night's Dream came out roughly 1594-5, The Tempest around 1611-12, some seventeen years later. The development of Shakespeare's imagination, as well as his powers as a playwright and poet, are certainly evident in The Tempest: The language is richer and more convoluted, the tone darker, more brooding, as are the characters (a feature characteristic of Shakespeare's Jacobean phase), and the whole message of revenge transmuted into forgiveness and resignation is a remarkable departure from traditional Senecan motifs. Also, as often seen in the later plays, a particular character or group dynamic seen in an earlier play is u pdated, expanded, and elaborated upon, in this case that of Oberon and Puck. In MND, Oberon is proud and imperious, but basically helps the course of true love run smooth in the end with the help of... ...20th century might consider a quaint dramatic expedient, a colorful, fanciful, booga-booga quality, for the Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre-goer of the time, the world of fairies and ghosts and demons and witches was very much a real one, and it pays to bear this in mind when reading and attending the plays. To try and imagine that such things really people one's world, really have a place somewhere in the immense chain of being, is to feel a very vital resonance within that nothing in the gray, bleak, so-called post-modern landscape can ever provide.    Works Cited Badawi, M.M., Background to Shakespeare, London, MacMillan Education Ltd., 1981. Boyce, Charles, Shakespeare A to Z, New York, Roundtable Press Inc., 1990. All act, scene, and line number citations refer to the Arden editions of the various plays discussed in this monograph.   

Distractions: Classroom and Facebook Essay

Electronics is one of the main and worst distractions. Cell phones, laptops, desktop, and various other electronics are some of just a few distractions that take place in the class room, But the biggest one I think is laptops. People use laptops in the classroom to take notes, plan there day, and to do work on, but after a while it can those same usefulness can become a distraction. A lot of professors and instructors have decided to ban laptops from the classroom because people tend to lose focus with laptops in front of them. They start to go off and do other things like on Facebook or YouTube. This can become a big problem because they not paying attention so they don’t know what’s going on with the lesson which can affect what students might need to do for homework or what they need to study for that big test coming up. They not only are a distraction to the person using it but also a distraction to people around them. The typing may become annoying to a neighbor who may need to focus. Some professors find them a really distracting the typing and students seem to find more interest in the computer then in the lesson. Along with Cell phones, Laptops are becoming banned from classrooms due to the distraction to the person that uses them, their peers, and their professor. Laptops are just one of many distractions in the classroom and is one of the worst and main distractions along with cell phones and various other electronics that cause distractions.

Angels Demons Chapter 130-133

130 The camerlegno began to feel the fog of wonder and adrenaline dissipating. As the Swiss Guard helped him down the Royal Staircase toward the Sistine Chapel, the camerlegno heard singing in St. Peter's Square and he knew that mountains had been moved. Grazie Dio. He had prayed for strength, and God had given it to him. At moments when he had doubted, God had spoken. Yours is a Holy mission, God had said. I will give you strength. Even with God's strength, the camerlegno had felt fear, questioning the righteousness of his path. If not you, God had challenged, then Who? If not now, then When? If not this way, then How? Jesus, God reminded him, had saved them all†¦ saved them from their own apathy. With two deeds, Jesus had opened their eyes. Horror and Hope. The crucifixion and the resurrection. He had changed the world. But that was millennia ago. Time had eroded the miracle. People had forgotten. They had turned to false idols – techno-deities and miracles of the mind. What about miracles of the heart! The camerlegno had often prayed to God to show him how to make the people believe again. But God had been silent. It was not until the camerlegno's moment of deepest darkness that God had come to him. Oh, the horror of that night! The camerlegno could still remember lying on the floor in tattered nightclothes, clawing at his own flesh, trying to purge his soul of the pain brought on by a vile truth he had just learned. It cannot be! he had screamed. And yet he knew it was. The deception tore at him like the fires of hell. The bishop who had taken him in, the man who had been like a father to him, the clergyman whom the camerlegno had stood beside while he rose to the papacy†¦ was a fraud. A common sinner. Lying to the world about a deed so traitorous at its core that the camerlegno doubted even God could forgive it. â€Å"Your vow!† the camerlegno had screamed at the Pope. â€Å"You broke your vow to God! You, of all men!† The Pope had tried to explain himself, but the camerlegno could not listen. He had run out, staggering blindly through the hallways, vomiting, tearing at his own skin, until he found himself bloody and alone, lying on the cold earthen floor before St. Peter's tomb. Mother Mary, what do I do? It was in that moment of pain and betrayal, as the camerlegno lay devastated in the Necropolis, praying for God to take him from this faithless world, that God had come. The voice in his head resounded like peals of thunder. â€Å"Did you vow to serve your God?† â€Å"Yes!† the camerlegno cried out. â€Å"Would you die for your God?† â€Å"Yes! Take me now!† â€Å"Would you die for your church?† â€Å"Yes! Please deliver me!† â€Å"But would you die for†¦ mankind?† It was in the silence that followed that the camerlegno felt himself falling into the abyss. He tumbled farther, faster, out of control. And yet he knew the answer. He had always known. â€Å"Yes!† he shouted into the madness. â€Å"I would die for man! Like your son, I would die for them!† Hours later, the camerlegno still lay shivering on his floor. He saw his mother's face. God has plans for you, she was saying. The camerlegno plunged deeper into madness. It was then God had spoken again. This time with silence. But the camerlegno understood. Restore their faith. If not me†¦ then who? If not now†¦ then when? As the guards unbolted the door of the Sistine Chapel, Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca felt the power moving in his veins†¦ exactly as it had when he was a boy. God had chosen him. Long ago. His will be done. The camerlegno felt reborn. The Swiss Guard had bandaged his chest, bathed him, and dressed him in a fresh white linen robe. They had also given him an injection of morphine for the burn. The camerlegno wished they had not given him painkillers. Jesus endured his pain for three days on the cross! He could already feel the drug uprooting his senses†¦ a dizzying undertow. As he walked into the chapel, he was not at all surprised to see the cardinals staring at him in wonder. They are in awe of God, he reminded himself. Not of me, but how God works THROUGH me. As he moved up the center aisle, he saw bewilderment in every face. And yet, with each new face he passed, he sensed something else in their eyes. What was it? The camerlegno had tried to imagine how they would receive him tonight. Joyfully? Reverently? He tried to read their eyes and saw neither emotion. It was then the camerlegno looked at the altar and saw Robert Langdon. 131 Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca stood in the aisle of the Sistine Chapel. The cardinals were all standing near the front of the church, turned, staring at him. Robert Langdon was on the altar beside a television that was on endless loop, playing a scene the camerlegno recognized but could not imagine how it had come to be. Vittoria Vetra stood beside him, her face drawn. The camerlegno closed his eyes for a moment, hoping the morphine was making him hallucinate and that when he opened them the scene might be different. But it was not. They knew. Oddly, he felt no fear. Show me the way, Father. Give me the words that I can make them see Your vision. But the camerlegno heard no reply. Father, We have come too far together to fail now. Silence. They do not understand what We have done. The camerlegno did not know whose voice he heard in his own mind, but the message was stark. And the truth shall set you free†¦ And so it was that Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca held his head high as he walked toward the front of the Sistine Chapel. As he moved toward the cardinals, not even the diffused light of the candles could soften the eyes boring into him. Explain yourself, the faces said. Make sense of this madness. Tell us our fears are wrong! Truth, the camerlegno told himself. Only truth. There were too many secrets in these walls†¦ one so dark it had driven him to madness. But from the madness had come the light. â€Å"If you could give your own soul to save millions,† the camerlegno said, as he moved down the aisle, â€Å"would you?† The faces in the chapel simply stared. No one moved. No one spoke. Beyond the walls, the joyous strains of song could be heard in the square. The camerlegno walked toward them. â€Å"Which is the greater sin? Killing one's enemy? Or standing idle while your true love is strangled?† They are singing in St. Peter's Square! The camerlegno stopped for a moment and gazed up at the ceiling of the Sistine. Michelangelo's God was staring down from the darkened vault†¦ and He seemed pleased. â€Å"I could no longer stand by,† the camerlegno said. Still, as he drew nearer, he saw no flicker of understanding in anyone's eyes. Didn't they see the radiant simplicity of his deeds? Didn't they see the utter necessity! It had been so pure. The Illuminati. Science and Satan as one. Resurrect the ancient fear. Then crush it. Horror and Hope. Make them believe again. Tonight, the power of the Illuminati had been unleashed anew†¦ and with glorious consequence. The apathy had evaporated. The fear had shot out across the world like a bolt of lightning, uniting the people. And then God's majesty had vanquished the darkness. I could not stand idly by! The inspiration had been God's own – appearing like a beacon in the camerlegno's night of agony. Oh, this faithless world! Someone must deliver them. You. If not you, who? You have been saved for a reason. Show them the old demons. Remind them of their fear. Apathy is death. Without darkness, there is no light. Without evil, there is no good. Make them choose. Dark or light. Where is the fear? Where are the heroes? If not now, when? The camerlegno walked up the center aisle directly toward the crowd of standing cardinals. He felt like Moses as the sea of red sashes and caps parted before him, allowing him to pass. On the altar, Robert Langdon switched off the television, took Vittoria's hand, and relinquished the altar. The fact that Robert Langdon had survived, the camerlegno knew, could only have been God's will. God had saved Robert Langdon. The camerlegno wondered why. The voice that broke the silence was the voice of the only woman in the Sistine Chapel. â€Å"You killed my father?† she said, stepping forward. When the camerlegno turned to Vittoria Vetra, the look on her face was one he could not quite understand – pain yes, but anger? Certainly she must understand. Her father's genius was deadly. He had to be stopped. For the good of Mankind. â€Å"He was doing God's work,† Vittoria said. â€Å"God's work is not done in a lab. It is done in the heart.† â€Å"My father's heart was pure! And his research proved – â€Å" â€Å"His research proved yet again that man's mind is progressing faster than his soul!† The camerlegno's voice was sharper than he had expected. He lowered his voice. â€Å"If a man as spiritual as your father could create a weapon like the one we saw tonight, imagine what an ordinary man will do with his technology.† â€Å"A man like you?† The camerlegno took a deep breath. Did she not see? Man's morality was not advancing as fast as man's science. Mankind was not spiritually evolved enough for the powers he possessed. We have never created a weapon we have not used! And yet he knew that antimatter was nothing – another weapon in man's already burgeoning arsenal. Man could already destroy. Man learned to kill long ago. And his mother's blood rained down. Leonardo Vetra's genius was dangerous for another reason. â€Å"For centuries,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"the church has stood by while science picked away at religion bit by bit. Debunking miracles. Training the mind to overcome the heart. Condemning religion as the opiate of the masses. They denounce God as a hallucination – a delusional crutch for those too weak to accept that life is meaningless. I could not stand by while science presumed to harness the power of God himself! Proof, you say? Yes, proof of science's ignorance! What is wrong with the admission that something exists beyond our understanding? The day science substantiates God in a lab is the day people stop needing faith!† â€Å"You mean the day they stop needing the church,† Vittoria challenged, moving toward him. â€Å"Doubt is your last shred of control. It is doubt that brings souls to you. Our need to know that life has meaning. Man's insecurity and need for an enlightened soul assuring him everything is part of a master plan. But the church is not the only enlightened soul on the planet! We all seek God in different ways. What are you afraid of? That God will show himself somewhere other than inside these walls? That people will find him in their own lives and leave your antiquated rituals behind? Religions evolve! The mind finds answers, the heart grapples with new truths. My father was on your quest! A parallel path! Why couldn't you see that? God is not some omnipotent authority looking down from above, threatening to throw us into a pit of fire if we disobey. God is the energy that flows through the synapses of our nervous system and the chambers of our hearts! God is in all things!â €  â€Å"Except science,† the camerlegno fired back, his eyes showing only pity. â€Å"Science, by definition, is soulless. Divorced from the heart. Intellectual miracles like antimatter arrive in this world with no ethical instructions attached. This in itself is perilous! But when science heralds its Godless pursuits as the enlightened path? Promising answers to questions whose beauty is that they have no answers?† He shook his head. â€Å"No.† There was a moment of silence. The camerlegno felt suddenly tired as he returned Vittoria's unbending stare. This was not how it was supposed to be. Is this God's final test? It was Mortati who broke the spell. â€Å"The preferiti,† he said in a horrified whisper. â€Å"Baggia and the others. Please tell me you did not†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The camerlegno turned to him, surprised by the pain in his voice. Certainly Mortati could understand. Headlines carried science's miracles every day. How long had it been for religion? Centuries? Religion needed a miracle! Something to awaken a sleeping world. Bring them back to the path of righteousness. Restore faith. The preferiti were not leaders anyway, they were transformers – liberals prepared to embrace the new world and abandon the old ways! This was the only way. A new leader. Young. Powerful. Vibrant. Miraculous. The preferiti served the church far more effectively in death than they ever could alive. Horror and Hope. Offer four souls to save millions. The world would remember them forever as martyrs. The church would raise glorious tribute to their names. How many thousands have died for the glory of God? They are only four. â€Å"The preferiti,† Mortati repeated. â€Å"I shared their pain,† the camerlegno defended, motioning to his chest. â€Å"And I too would die for God, but my work is only just begun. They are singing in St. Peter's Square!† The camerlegno saw the horror in Mortati's eyes and again felt confused. Was it the morphine? Mortati was looking at him as if the camerlegno himself had killed these men with his bare hands. I would do even that for God, the camerlegno thought, and yet he had not. The deeds had been carried out by the Hassassin – a heathen soul tricked into thinking he was doing the work of the Illuminati. I am Janus, the camerlegno had told him. I will prove my power. And he had. The Hassassin's hatred had made him God's pawn. â€Å"Listen to the singing,† the camerlegno said, smiling, his own heart rejoicing. â€Å"Nothing unites hearts like the presence of evil. Burn a church and the community rises up, holding hands, singing hymns of defiance as they rebuild. Look how they flock tonight. Fear has brought them home. Forge modern demons for modern man. Apathy is dead. Show them the face of evil – Satanists lurking among us – running our governments, our banks, our schools, threatening to obliterate the very House of God with their misguided science. Depravity runs deep. Man must be vigilant. Seek the goodness. Become the goodness!† In the silence, the camerlegno hoped they now understood. The Illuminati had not resurfaced. The Illuminati were long deceased. Only their myth was alive. The camerlegno had resurrected the Illuminati as a reminder. Those who knew the Illuminati history relived their evil. Those who did not, had learned of it and were amazed how blind they had been. The ancient demons had been resurrected to awaken an indifferent world. â€Å"But†¦ the brands?† Mortati's voice was stiff with outrage. The camerlegno did not answer. Mortati had no way of knowing, but the brands had been confiscated by the Vatican over a century ago. They had been locked away, forgotten and dust covered, in the Papal Vault – the Pope's private reliquary, deep within his Borgia apartments. The Papal Vault contained those items the church deemed too dangerous for anyone's eyes except the Pope's. Why did they hide that which inspired fear? Fear brought people to God! The vault's key was passed down from Pope to Pope. Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca had purloined the key and ventured inside; the myth of what the vault contained was bewitching – the original manuscript for the fourteen unpublished books of the Bible known as the Apocrypha, the third prophecy of Fatima, the first two having come true and the third so terrifying the church would never reveal it. In addition to these, the camerlegno had found the Illuminati Collection – all the secrets the church had uncovered after banishing the group from Rome†¦ their contemptible Path of Illumination†¦ the cunning deceit of the Vatican's head artist, Bernini†¦ Europe's top scientists mocking religion as they secretly assembled in the Vatican's own Castle St. Angelo. The collection included a pentagon box containing iron brands, one of them the mythical Illuminati Diamond. This was a part of Vatican history the ancients thought best forgotten. The camerlegno, however, had dis agreed. â€Å"But the antimatter†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Vittoria demanded. â€Å"You risked destroying the Vatican!† â€Å"There is no risk when God is at your side,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"This cause was His.† â€Å"You're insane!† she seethed. â€Å"Millions were saved.† â€Å"People were killed!† â€Å"Souls were saved.† â€Å"Tell that to my father and Max Kohler!† â€Å"CERN's arrogance needed to be revealed. A droplet of liquid that can vaporize a half mile? And you call me mad?† The camerlegno felt a rage rising in him. Did they think his was a simple charge? â€Å"Those who believe undergo great tests for God! God asked Abraham to sacrifice his child! God commanded Jesus to endure crucifixion! And so we hang the symbol of the crucifix before our eyes – bloody, painful, agonizing – to remind us of evil's power! To keep our hearts vigilant! The scars on Jesus' body are a living reminder of the powers of darkness! My scars are a living reminder! Evil lives, but the power of God will overcome!† His shouts echoed off the back wall of the Sistine Chapel and then a profound silence fell. Time seemed to stop. Michelangelo's Last Judgment rose ominously behind him†¦ Jesus casting sinners into hell. Tears brimmed in Mortati's eyes. â€Å"What have you done, Carlo?† Mortati asked in a whisper. He closed his eyes, and a tear rolled. â€Å"His Holiness?† A collective sigh of pain went up, as if everyone in the room had forgotten until that very moment. The Pope. Poisoned. â€Å"A vile liar,† the camerlegno said. Mortati looked shattered. â€Å"What do you mean? He was honest! He†¦ loved you.† â€Å"And I him.† Oh, how I loved him! But the deceit! The broken vows to God! The camerlegno knew they did not understand right now, but they would. When he told them, they would see! His Holiness was the most nefarious deceiver the church had ever seen. The camerlegno still remembered that terrible night. He had returned from his trip to CERN with news of Vetra's Genesis and of antimatter's horrific power. The camerlegno was certain the Pope would see the perils, but the Holy Father saw only hope in Vetra's breakthrough. He even suggested the Vatican fund Vetra's work as a gesture of goodwill toward spiritually based scientific research. Madness! The church investing in research that threatened to make the church obsolete? Work that spawned weapons of mass destruction? The bomb that had killed his mother†¦ â€Å"But†¦ you can't!† the camerlegno had exclaimed. â€Å"I owe a deep debt to science,† the Pope had replied. â€Å"Something I have hidden my entire life. Science gave me a gift when I was a young man. A gift I have never forgotten.† â€Å"I don't understand. What does science have to offer a man of God?† â€Å"It is complicated,† the Pope had said. â€Å"I will need time to make you understand. But first, there is a simple fact about me that you must know. I have kept it hidden all these years. I believe it is time I told you.† Then the Pope had told him the astonishing truth. 132 The camerlegno lay curled in a ball on the dirt floor in front of St. Peter's tomb. The Necropolis was cold, but it helped clot the blood flowing from the wounds he had torn at his own flesh. His Holiness would not find him here. Nobody would find him here†¦ â€Å"It is complicated,† the Pope's voice echoed in his mind. â€Å"I will need time to make you understand†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But the camerlegno knew no amount of time could make him understand. Liar! I believed in you! GOD believed in you! With a single sentence, the Pope had brought the camerlegno's world crashing down around him. Everything the camerlegno had ever believed about his mentor was shattered before his eyes. The truth drilled into the camerlegno's heart with such force that he staggered backward out of the Pope's office and vomited in the hallway. â€Å"Wait!† the Pope had cried, chasing after him. â€Å"Please let me explain!† But the camerlegno ran off. How could His Holiness expect him to endure any more? Oh, the wretched depravity of it! What if someone else found out? Imagine the desecration to the church! Did the Pope's holy vows mean nothing? The madness came quickly, screaming in his ears, until he awoke before St. Peter's tomb. It was then that God came to him with an awesome fierceness. Yours is a Vengeful God! Together, they made their plans. Together they would protect the church. Together they would restore faith to this faithless world. Evil was everywhere. And yet the world had become immune! Together they would unveil the darkness for the world to see†¦ and God would overcome! Horror and Hope. Then the world would believe! God's first test had been less horrible than the camerlegno imagined. Sneaking into the Papal bed chambers†¦ filling his syringe†¦ covering the deceiver's mouth as his body spasmed into death. In the moonlight, the camerlegno could see in the Pope's wild eyes there was something he wanted to say. But it was too late. The Pope had said enough. 133 â€Å"The Pope fathered a child.† Inside the Sistine Chapel, the camerlegno stood unwavering as he spoke. Five solitary words of astonishing disclosure. The entire assembly seemed to recoil in unison. The cardinals' accusing miens evaporated into aghast stares, as if every soul in the room were praying the camerlegno was wrong. The Pope fathered a child. Langdon felt the shock wave hit him too. Vittoria's hand, tight in his, jolted, while Langdon's mind, already numb with unanswered questions, wrestled to find a center of gravity. The camerlegno's utterance seemed like it would hang forever in the air above them. Even in the camerlegno's frenzied eyes, Langdon could see pure conviction. Langdon wanted to disengage, tell himself he was lost in some grotesque nightmare, soon to wake up in a world that made sense. â€Å"This must be a lie!† one of the cardinals yelled. â€Å"I will not believe it!† another protested. â€Å"His Holiness was as devout a man as ever lived!† It was Mortati who spoke next, his voice thin with devastation. â€Å"My friends. What the camerlegno says is true.† Every cardinal in the chapel spun as though Mortati had just shouted an obscenity. â€Å"The Pope indeed fathered a child.† The cardinals blanched with dread. The camerlegno looked stunned. â€Å"You knew? But†¦ how could you possibly know this?† Mortati sighed. â€Å"When His Holiness was elected†¦ I was the Devil's Advocate.† There was a communal gasp. Langdon understood. This meant the information was probably true. The infamous â€Å"Devil's Advocate† was the authority when it came to scandalous information inside the Vatican. Skeletons in a Pope's closet were dangerous, and prior to elections, secret inquiries into a candidate's background were carried out by a lone cardinal who served as the â€Å"Devil's Advocate† – that individual responsible for unearthing reasons why the eligible cardinals should not become Pope. The Devil's Advocate was appointed in advance by the reigning Pope in preparation for his own death. The Devil's Advocate was never supposed to reveal his identity. Ever. â€Å"I was the Devil's Advocate,† Mortati repeated. â€Å"That is how I found out.† Mouths dropped. Apparently tonight was a night when all the rules were going out the window. The camerlegno felt his heart filling with rage. â€Å"And you†¦ told no one?† â€Å"I confronted His Holiness,† Mortati said. â€Å"And he confessed. He explained the entire story and asked only that I let my heart guide my decision as to whether or not to reveal his secret.† â€Å"And your heart told you to bury the information?† â€Å"He was the runaway favorite for the papacy. People loved him. The scandal would have hurt the church deeply.† â€Å"But he fathered a child! He broke his sacred vow of celibacy!† The camerlegno was screaming now. He could hear his mother's voice. A promise to God is the most important promise of all. Never break a promise to God. â€Å"The Pope broke his vow!† Mortati looked delirious with angst. â€Å"Carlo, his love†¦ was chaste. He had broken no vow. He didn't explain it to you?† â€Å"Explain what?† The camerlegno remembered running out of the Pope's office while the Pope was calling to him. Let me explain! Slowly, sadly, Mortati let the tale unfold. Many years ago, the Pope, when he was still just a priest, had fallen in love with a young nun. Both of them had taken vows of celibacy and never even considered breaking their covenant with God. Still, as they fell deeper in love, although they could resist the temptations of the flesh, they both found themselves longing for something they never expected – to participate in God's ultimate miracle of creation – a child. Their child. The yearning, especially in her, became overwhelming. Still, God came first. A year later, when the frustration had reached almost unbearable proportions, she came to him in a whirl of excitement. She had just read an article about a new miracle of science – a process by which two people, without ever having sexual relations, could have a child. She sensed this was a sign from God. The priest could see the happiness in her eyes and agreed. A year later she had a child through the miracle of artificial insemination†¦ â€Å"This cannot†¦ be true,† the camerlegno said, panicked, hoping it was the morphine washing over his senses. Certainly he was hearing things. Mortati now had tears in his eyes. â€Å"Carlo, this is why His Holiness has always had an affection for the sciences. He felt he owed a debt to science. Science let him experience the joys of fatherhood without breaking his vow of celibacy. His Holiness told me he had no regrets except one – that his advancing stature in the church prohibited him from being with the woman he loved and seeing his infant grow up.† Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca felt the madness setting in again. He wanted to claw at his flesh. How could I have known? â€Å"The Pope committed no sin, Carlo. He was chaste.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The camerlegno searched his anguished mind for any kind of rationale. â€Å"Think of the jeopardy†¦ of his deeds.† His voice felt weak. â€Å"What if this whore of his came forward? Or, heaven forbid, his child? Imagine the shame the church would endure.† Mortati's voice was tremulous. â€Å"The child has already come forward.† Everything stopped. â€Å"Carlo†¦?† Mortati crumbled. â€Å"His Holiness's child†¦ is you.† At that moment, the camerlegno could feel the fire of faith dim in his heart. He stood trembling on the altar, framed by Michelangelo's towering Last Judgment. He knew he had just glimpsed hell itself. He opened his mouth to speak, but his lips wavered, soundless. â€Å"Don't you see?† Mortati choked. â€Å"That is why His Holiness came to you in the hospital in Palermo when you were a boy. That is why he took you in and raised you. The nun he loved was Maria†¦ your mother. She left the nunnery to raise you, but she never abandoned her strict devotion to God. When the Pope heard she had died in an explosion and that you, his son, had miraculously survived†¦ he swore to God he would never leave you alone again. Carlo, your parents were both virgins. They kept their vows to God. And still they found a way to bring you into the world. You were their miraculous child.† The camerlegno covered his ears, trying to block out the words. He stood paralyzed on the altar. Then, with his world yanked from beneath him, he fell violently to his knees and let out a wail of anguish. Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Time seemed to have lost all meaning inside the four walls of the chapel. Vittoria felt herself slowly breaking free of the paralysis that seemed to have gripped them all. She let go of Langdon's hand and began moving through the crowd of cardinals. The chapel door seemed miles away, and she felt like she was moving underwater†¦ slow motion. As she maneuvered through the robes, her motion seemed to pull others from their trance. Some of the cardinals began to pray. Others wept. Some turned to watch her go, their blank expressions turning slowly to a foreboding cognition as she moved toward the door. She had almost reached the back of the crowd when a hand caught her arm. The touch was frail but resolute. She turned, face to face with a wizened cardinal. His visage was clouded by fear. â€Å"No,† the man whispered. â€Å"You cannot.† Vittoria stared, incredulous. Another cardinal was at her side now. â€Å"We must think before we act.† And another. â€Å"The pain this could cause†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Vittoria was surrounded. She looked at them all, stunned. â€Å"But these deeds here today, tonight†¦ certainly the world should know the truth.† â€Å"My heart agrees,† the wizened cardinal said, still holding her arm, â€Å"and yet it is a path from which there is no return. We must consider the shattered hopes. The cynicism. How could the people ever trust again?† Suddenly, more cardinals seemed to be blocking her way. There was a wall of black robes before her. â€Å"Listen to the people in the square,† one said. â€Å"What will this do to their hearts? We must exercise prudence.† â€Å"We need time to think and pray,† another said. â€Å"We must act with foresight. The repercussions of this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He killed my father!† Vittoria said. â€Å"He killed his own father!† â€Å"I'm certain he will pay for his sins,† the cardinal holding her arm said sadly. Vittoria was certain too, and she intended to ensure he paid. She tried to push toward the door again, but the cardinals huddled closer, their faces frightened. â€Å"What are you going to do?† she exclaimed. â€Å"Kill me?† The old men blanched, and Vittoria immediately regretted her words. She could see these men were gentle souls. They had seen enough violence tonight. They meant no threat. They were simply trapped. Scared. Trying to get their bearings. â€Å"I want†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the wizened cardinal said, â€Å"†¦ to do what is right.† â€Å"Then you will let her out,† a deep voice declared behind her. The words were calm but absolute. Robert Langdon arrived at her side, and she felt his hand take hers. â€Å"Ms. Vetra and I are leaving this chapel. Right now.† Faltering, hesitant, the cardinals began to step aside. â€Å"Wait!† It was Mortati. He moved toward them now, down the center aisle, leaving the camerlegno alone and defeated on the altar. Mortati looked older all of a sudden, wearied beyond his years. His motion was burdened with shame. He arrived, putting a hand on Langdon's shoulder and one on Vittoria's as well. Vittoria felt sincerity in his touch. The man's eyes were more tearful now. â€Å"Of course you are free to go,† Mortati said. â€Å"Of course.† The man paused, his grief almost tangible. â€Å"I ask only this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stared down at his feet a long moment then back up at Vittoria and Langdon. â€Å"Let me do it. I will go into the square right now and find a way. I will tell them. I don't know how†¦ but I will find a way. The church's confession should come from within. Our failures should be our own to expose.† Mortati turned sadly back toward the altar. â€Å"Carlo, you have brought this church to a disastrous juncture.† He paused, looking around. The altar was bare. There was a rustle of cloth down the side aisle, and the door clicked shut. The camerlegno was gone.

s Hazards

Society’s Hazards Why is it that we wish for better times? Do you remember your parents saying, â€Å"Back in the good ol days...†? Have you caught yourself saying, â€Å"Man, I remember when...†? The truth is that we all have asked this of ourselves. Today’s society is stressful and dangerous. Children are forced to learn faster, they are pushed to succeed, and taught they are survival of the fittest. Adults are stressed because they didn’t get there bonus, promotion, or there home situation is deteriorating. In today’s racing society, elementary students are being taught things we didn’t learn until junior high. I remember my psychology professor telling us a story about his english teacher in seventh grade and what assignments they had to do. We laughed and told him that we did those type of assignments in fourth grade. His response was, â€Å"Really? Geesh!† Teenagers are told school is most important. The importance is stressed so much that when they get unacceptable grades, they sometimes can’t cope with the stress. Teenage suicides have sky rocketed because they see themselves as failures and useless. They are taught to be the best in all situations, whether it be academics, popularity, or wealth. As we move towards a less religiuos society, morals have left. The children have been taught evolution and have reduced humanity to a pile of goo. Life is an accident and holds no meaning. As we have seen, kids are become less troubled by taking another persons life. Adults, also, have a problem with this exhausting society. We, as a society, are very materialistic. Material things are not necessarily bad, but when they become our goal there is never enough. We strive for that next promotion, that better car, that bigger house. When we don’t reach these goals, we see ourselves as failures. The result is we work harder and in doing so, neglect other responsibilities such as family. You would be s... 's Hazards Free Essays on Society\'s Hazards Society’s Hazards Why is it that we wish for better times? Do you remember your parents saying, â€Å"Back in the good ol days...†? Have you caught yourself saying, â€Å"Man, I remember when...†? The truth is that we all have asked this of ourselves. Today’s society is stressful and dangerous. Children are forced to learn faster, they are pushed to succeed, and taught they are survival of the fittest. Adults are stressed because they didn’t get there bonus, promotion, or there home situation is deteriorating. In today’s racing society, elementary students are being taught things we didn’t learn until junior high. I remember my psychology professor telling us a story about his english teacher in seventh grade and what assignments they had to do. We laughed and told him that we did those type of assignments in fourth grade. His response was, â€Å"Really? Geesh!† Teenagers are told school is most important. The importance is stressed so much that when they get unacceptable grades, they sometimes can’t cope with the stress. Teenage suicides have sky rocketed because they see themselves as failures and useless. They are taught to be the best in all situations, whether it be academics, popularity, or wealth. As we move towards a less religiuos society, morals have left. The children have been taught evolution and have reduced humanity to a pile of goo. Life is an accident and holds no meaning. As we have seen, kids are become less troubled by taking another persons life. Adults, also, have a problem with this exhausting society. We, as a society, are very materialistic. Material things are not necessarily bad, but when they become our goal there is never enough. We strive for that next promotion, that better car, that bigger house. When we don’t reach these goals, we see ourselves as failures. The result is we work harder and in doing so, neglect other responsibilities such as family. You would be s...

Brave New World Essay Essays - Childhood, Parenting, Free Essays

Brave New World Essay Essays - Childhood, Parenting, Free Essays Brave New World Essay Only if a person (s) has an IQ of 80 and above, has an income above $12,000 a year, has no serious emotional problems, and is able to care for a child should she or he be allowed to have children. Having met these requirements a child license should be issued. This insures that the person having the child is perfectly capable and financially able to provide for him. In society today licenses are handed out left and right. Little boys with puppies have to make sure their dads take them to get dog licenses. Young teenage girls are restricted till they're 17 until they can get their license and scramble for the keys to their parents' car. A couple wanting to spend the rest of their lives together must first acquire a marriage license before doing so. Doctor's and dentist's have to get a license to practice their profession. Even as we look out into the water and up in the sky, all those people must get a license before taking out their boat or plane. Still yet the list of licenses one must acquire continues. This insures, for the most part, that a person is capable of doing whatever task he or she wishes to. Why then should not a license be given to people who wish to have children? To care for a child, especially a young infant, takes extreme caution and care. One must be perfectly capable of insuring that a child's health is not at risk. Today babies are being born all over the place. Kids are having kids. Newborns are being dumped in garbage cans and thrown down waste disposals. Yet the world keeps spinning and everyone continues going about his or her own business. Now is the time for change. With a license requirement, fewer people would be allowed to continue having children. A child will not be deprived of having the bear essentials such as enough food, good clothes, a secure shelter, and a loving parent. As psychologist Jerry Bergman stated, "If you can prevent reproduction, you can prevent those who are least qualified from having children." This way young teenagers wouldn't be coming home with a newborn. People with mental disorders wouldn't be able to have children for the mere welfare of the child. Also, anyone with very low intelligence quotients would not be faced with the task of raising children. The idea here is not to be selfish and just because you want a child you can automatically have one. It is to think of the well being of the child and the environment a child will be growing up in. There is also an extreme seriousness that comes along with raising children. One must keep in mind the thought required to have children. One a person becomes a parent, he or she never stops. It is an experience that lasts a lifetime. Parenting involves intelligence to a certain degree. Parents are where a child learns most of their life information. If a parent can not provide such, what good does that do the child? A stable home and financial environment are also important. A child should be able to be cared for properly and never be lacking in the basic essentials. A stable parent is also necessary. A mother or father needs to be free of emotional problems before caring for a child. This helps make sure that a depressed parent won't become reclusive just as their newborn starts to cry. The idea here is to avoid any forms of neglect that might arouse from any problems. The ability to care for a child is very important. Many people could have high IQ's, lots of money, no emotional p roblems and still not be able to adequately care for children. This is where training centers and parenting groups come in. This way a parent knows how to care for a child properly physically and emotionally. Thus, a license to have children should be mandatory. Providing for children in today's society is not an easy task. To insure that the future of America is in good hands, only capable people should be allowed to have children. Otherwise, children all over will

Literary Wit and Wisdom

Literary Wit and Wisdom Chinua Achebe (1930-2013, Nigeria): â€Å"We cannot trample upon the humanity of others without devaluing our own. The Igbo, always practical, put it concretely in their proverb Onye ji onye nani ji onwe ya: He who will hold another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep him down,† The Education of a British-Protected Child. Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986, Argentina): â€Å"You cant measure time by days, the way you measure money by dollars and cents, because dollars are all the same while every day is different and maybe every hour as well.† Willa Cather (1873-1947, United States): â€Å"In great misfortunes, people want to be alone. They have a right to be. And the misfortunes that occur within one are the greatest. Surely the saddest thing in the world is falling out of loveif once one has ever fallen in,† The Professor’s House. Kate Chopin (1850-1904, United States): â€Å"Some people are born with a vital and responsive energy. It not only enables them to keep abreast of the times; it qualifies them to furnish in their own personality a good bit of the motive power to the mad pace. They are fortunate beings. They do not need to apprehend the significance of things. They do not grow weary nor miss step, nor do they fall out of rank and sink by the wayside to be left contemplating the moving procession, The Awakening.    Victor Hugo (1802-1885, France) â€Å"What Is Love? I have met in the streets a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, the water passed through his shoes and the stars through his soul. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784, England): â€Å"A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.† George Orwell (1903-1950, England) â€Å"A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it, 1984. Natsume SÃ… seki (1867-1916, Japan) â€Å"Approach everything rationally, and you become harsh. Pole along in the stream of emotions, and you will be swept away by the current. Give free rein to your desires, and you become uncomfortably confined. It is not a very agreeable place to live, this world of ours, The Three-Cornered World. John Steinbeck (1902-1968, United States) â€Å"Its so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone, The Winter of Our Discontent. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745, Ireland) â€Å"You should never be ashamed to admit you have been wrong. It only proves you are wiser today than yesterday. Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910, Russia) â€Å"If, then, I were asked for the most important advice I could give, that which I considered to be the most useful to the men of our century, I should simply say: in the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you, Essays, Letters and Miscellanies. Edith Wharton (1862-1937, United States) â€Å"A classic is classic not because it conforms to certain structural rules, or fits certain definitions (of which its author had quite probably never heard). It is classic because of a certain eternal and irrepressible freshness.† Émile Zola (1840-1902, France) â€Å"If people can just love each other a little bit, they can be so happy,† Germinal.

Term paper( summarize articles) Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

( summarize articles) - Term Paper Example The two democrat presidential aspirants Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barak obama of Illinois voted against earmark project, there was also a symbolic vote against earmark by Mr. McCain and this was to pass a message across. There were those from both parties who voted in favor of earmark but they couldn't meet up to the 60 votes needed to proceed on the issue. Mr. McCain was not particularly happy with members from both parties who don't see earmark as a wasteful project. An open seat in the congress that has been long held by Republicans in the conservative district was taken over by a Democrat. This happened after a special election, and has given the party an early boost in its drive to get a higher majority inside the House of Representatives. Woody Jenkins, a newspaper publisher lost to Don Cazayoux, a state representative, 49 percent to 46 percent, in a keenly and closely contested race for a seat left open as a result of the retirement of Richard Baker, a Republican. Mr. Cazayoux overcame the Republicans' view of him as a "liberal" by showing himself a little different from Mr. Jenkins with regards to social issues, by locking horns with figures like Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, and Senator Barack Obama, who happen to share billing with him in a barrage of Republican attack advertisements.The Louisiana race was seen by the two parties' as an important test for the fall, given the fact that the district has been safe for Republicans for over three decades. a potential victory by Democrats is seen by them as a measure of Republican vulnerability; it is as an indication that it will be difficult to defend more than two dozen open seats that are in play in November, from the Republicans point of view. Mr. Cazayoux, who happens to be a low-key member of the State House and a one time prosecutor, matches the conservative model that Democrats deployed successfully in the 2006 elections when they took seats from Republicans. 4-Obama Wins Guam From NEW YOR TIMES By Sarah Wheaton Published:May 3, 2008 According to The Pacific Daily News, senator Obama won in Guam by a margin of only 7 votes. This result will probably not affect the outcome of the delegate calculations, given the proportional allocation of the delegates. Obama did pick up one superdelegate though, as a supporter of his was elected into the party's vice chairmanship position. 5-Narrow Victory for Obama in the Caucuses in Guam From NEW YORK TIMES By SARAH WHEATON Published: May 4, 2008 Senator Barack Obama defeated Senator Hillary Clinton by a margin of 7 votes to win the democratic caucuses in Guam. Delegates pledged to senator Obama received 2,264 votes, while those with Mrs. Clinton got 2,257 votes by the time hand-counting

Operations Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operations Management - Case Study Example Considering the initials sales for Britlon to be carried out in the year 2009, the expanding facilities need to be initiated soon. As the forecasts have shown slightly decreasing level of sales volume during the periods for 2006 to 2009, the full capacity of operation of the existing facilities are not required. Hence, reasonable levels of capacity estimation need to be undertaken for supporting the expected business volumes to be generated. This capacity forecasting is necessary because of the following reasons (Beasley, n.d.). The purchase of raw materials and their procurement process is to be analyzed properly to estimate the stock required to be maintained at each of the production locations. Thus the control on the inventory, planning the production process and its schedule all depends on the capacity that is available. This could also help the sales and logistics to plan their operations to ensure the support systems to meet the target volumes set from each plant. This could also help to give the feed back of possibility of future expansion or necessity in the reduction of the production for the overall operational efficiency. Capacity forecasting would also help the human resources department and financial department to ensure the allocations of resources at specific time to ensure smooth flow of operations. Also this would help to review the operations and help the top management to take strategic decisions that are vital for viable performance of the company. Based on these factors the, overall capacity at DSF is estimated as 40 million Kg of production capacity, which includes 30 million Kg of Britlon and 10 million Kg of Britlene. The production capacity for Britlene is planned to lower from the 5 fully working plants in 2006 to 3 fully working plants in 2009. With the information for the year 2006, the number of plants required would be five. But in 2008, at the existing rate of production, only four full capacity plants are needed. Thus the initial works of modification of facilities could be initiated during this time. One of the plants could stop the production and the necessary modification works could be started. This is expected to consume two years of time and by 2009 one fully operational plant for Britlon would be in place. Thus the expected sales of Britlon would be able to meet with this capacity. Thus in 2009, three plants for Britlene and one plant for Britlon would be in operation. Earlier to this, erection of two new facilities for the production of Britlon would be initiated at two different places attached to the existing sites. This project could be totally separate from the current production patterns. As it involved setting up of new facility, this might not hinder the operations at the above project locations too. This could be initiated in 2006 itself and hence by 2010, it would be possible for DSF to have three fully functional plants for production of Britlene and Britlon. Then the capacity available with DSF would be 15 million Kg of both Britlon and Britlene. Thus as per the forecast this capacity be enough to meet the expected volume of the sales. In 2009, one more Britlene plant could be modified to the have the capacity for the productio

Managing Organizational Change Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Organizational Change - Case Study Example The residents of Honk Kong strongly believe that the way to drink water is to use the bottled variety, as they believe the health benefits and convenience is preferred compared to boiling existing tap water. The debate surrounds the problems associated with these views, however. Hence the purpose we must now address is to radically change the way people in Honk Kong regard their water supply. The current thinking is problematic on a number of fronts. However, it can be seen from history that there was a time when everyone in Hong Kong drank water from the tap. So what has changed Bottled water is now the preferred choice, despite the fact that tap water is for all intents and purposes, free. Hong Kong residents try to justify this by assuming the following: There is a counter-argument to this, but it seems to fall on deaf ears. In the end convenience seems to be a major factor, as with all consumer products. Here are some of the counter arguments: (South China Morning Post, 2007) In addition to the above plus point and minus points, other factors need to be considered by the consumer. For instance buyers need to be aware that tax is being charged on the cost of a bottle of water. The long term solution of course is to improve the general water supply quality. Re-education needs to take place as too many people feel that bottled water is the only option. In the end a restriction policy may have to be put in place to make the production cost higher. Eventually this will make it more difficult for the end consumer to purchaser. The only problem with this approach is that it is not guaranteed to have the desired effect. Chapter 2 The Change Process So, how do we change the habits of approximately "6.92 million" (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2008), Hong Kong residents Well, if we follow Kurt Lewin's model there are a few things we can do. We will take this one aspect at a time, and see where we can fit in an appropriate solution or scenario fitted for the stage in question. Unfreeze. The objective here is to establish a good relationship with the people involved, and enable others to realize that the present behaviours are not effective. As with all change of a radical or not-so-radical nature, we would need to minimize the resistance to change. Easier said than done perhaps In some films and books you often read about masses of people who have had their perception of a situation changed just because of a single appealing speech. Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King,

Airplane accident Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Airplane accident - Research Paper Example So far, NTSB has established that aviation can profit from more training of pilots and the re-evaluation of the existing safety procedures in cases of engine malfunctions. Thesis: Despite pilot errors being the primary  cause of the airplane accidents, there are other issues such as mechanical dysfunction, poor weather, and landing accidents that can result in aviation accidents. Literature Review Statistics show that the number of airplane accidents experienced in developed nations has dropped since 2010 even though aircraft accidents in developing nations have increased. According to Learmount, in 2010 in the United States alone there were 26 fatal airplane accidents, compared with 28 accidents in 2009 (Learmount). According to Flightglobal, which researches aircraft malfunctions and evaluates them for the benefit of aviation and aerospace experts in the air transport industry, the number of commercial aircraft accidents from 2010 to 2011 rose to 32 from 28 (Rapoport 46). Airline safety professionals have attributed this fact to the emergence of in-flight malfunctions when the planes encounter severe weather or when birds interfere with the engines while the planes are in flight. According to NTSB statistics, between 2004 and 2008, there were approximately 245 commercial aviation accidents that occurred as a result of different reasons such as adverse weather or fuel exhaustion (2010 NTSB aviation statistics released). The numbers of plane crashes would increase over the years at a steady rate so that in 2010, general aviation aircraft, which include commercial aircraft, had 267 aircraft accidents (2010 NTSB aviation statistics released). Even though adverse weather is a common cause of plane crashes, many pilots still choose to navigate through it rather than delay flights. This may in part be due to the pressure of maintaining the passengers’ preferred schedules. According to Jarboe, there were 111 weather-related commercial aircraft crashes in Pue rto Rico and the United States in 2004 alone. Between 2010 and 2011, 15% of all aviation accidents were the result of the malfunctioning of in-flight systems due to adverse weather (Jarboe 2). Harsh weather systems are also thought to have caused the malfunctioning of in-flight systems in the ill-fated Air France’s flight AF447. Air crash investigators who examined the different parts of the ill-fated flight AF447 also confirmed that the malfunctioning of the pitot tube may have pushed the pilots to erroneous decisions. All avionics mechanical systems are dependent on pitot tubes.   This device is responsible for measuring the impact of oncoming air. However, the simple design of pitot tubes makes them susceptible to blockages which can be caused by mud wasp nests, dead insects, and ice. According to Jackson, the failure of the pitot system is viewed as being the worst possible malfunction that can occur when a plane is in flight (Jackson). Numerous airplane accidents that took place in the past can be have been traced to the existence of a faulty pitot tube. According to Jackson, in 1995, an X-31A research aircraft crashed in California after its pitot tube was covered by ice (Jackson). Another plane, the Austral Lineas Aereas Flight 2553, similarly crashed, causing the deaths of its 74 passengers, when its pitot tube was completely frozen. Its pilots had actually presumed that the plane was stalling- which is something that is

The Lighthouse and Two Lights and Coast Guard Station, Two Lights, Essay

The Lighthouse and Two Lights and Coast Guard Station, Two Lights, Maine - Essay Example The essay "The Lighthouse and Two Lights and Coast Guard Station, Two Lights, Maine" analyzes Edward Hopper's "The Lighthouse and Two Lights" and "Coast Guard Station, Two Lights, Maine". Hopper’s style features shapes that are strongly contrasted against each other, giving them a sense of being solidly real as in his paintings â€Å"The Lighthouse at Two Lights† (1929) and â€Å"Coast Guard Station, Two Lights, Maine† (1927). Although these two paintings seem to have been painted in the same area of the country and in the same style, the paintings achieve different effects. These paintings share similar subjects and locations even though their dimensions are quite different. Both paintings depict scenes found on the coast of Maine. The focal point of both paintings is centered upon a white structure as it appears on a clear day in the style of the American Realist. â€Å"Placed in the middle of a cultural search for an American identity precipitated by a nation al crisis, the artist was caught between hope and helplessness. The quest for what was uniquely American inspired the artist to paint the heroic, the ordinary and the novel†. In painting a coast guard station and a lighthouse, Hopper caught an image of the heroic, the ordinary and the novel all in the singular structure of the building featured. The lighthouse painting is approximately 29 inches high by approximately 43 inches wide while the coast guard station painting is significantly smaller at approximately 14 inches high by approximately 20 inches wide.

Airplane accident Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Airplane accident - Research Paper Example So far, NTSB has established that aviation can profit from more training of pilots and the re-evaluation of the existing safety procedures in cases of engine malfunctions. Thesis: Despite pilot errors being the primary  cause of the airplane accidents, there are other issues such as mechanical dysfunction, poor weather, and landing accidents that can result in aviation accidents. Literature Review Statistics show that the number of airplane accidents experienced in developed nations has dropped since 2010 even though aircraft accidents in developing nations have increased. According to Learmount, in 2010 in the United States alone there were 26 fatal airplane accidents, compared with 28 accidents in 2009 (Learmount). According to Flightglobal, which researches aircraft malfunctions and evaluates them for the benefit of aviation and aerospace experts in the air transport industry, the number of commercial aircraft accidents from 2010 to 2011 rose to 32 from 28 (Rapoport 46). Airline safety professionals have attributed this fact to the emergence of in-flight malfunctions when the planes encounter severe weather or when birds interfere with the engines while the planes are in flight. According to NTSB statistics, between 2004 and 2008, there were approximately 245 commercial aviation accidents that occurred as a result of different reasons such as adverse weather or fuel exhaustion (2010 NTSB aviation statistics released). The numbers of plane crashes would increase over the years at a steady rate so that in 2010, general aviation aircraft, which include commercial aircraft, had 267 aircraft accidents (2010 NTSB aviation statistics released). Even though adverse weather is a common cause of plane crashes, many pilots still choose to navigate through it rather than delay flights. This may in part be due to the pressure of maintaining the passengers’ preferred schedules. According to Jarboe, there were 111 weather-related commercial aircraft crashes in Pue rto Rico and the United States in 2004 alone. Between 2010 and 2011, 15% of all aviation accidents were the result of the malfunctioning of in-flight systems due to adverse weather (Jarboe 2). Harsh weather systems are also thought to have caused the malfunctioning of in-flight systems in the ill-fated Air France’s flight AF447. Air crash investigators who examined the different parts of the ill-fated flight AF447 also confirmed that the malfunctioning of the pitot tube may have pushed the pilots to erroneous decisions. All avionics mechanical systems are dependent on pitot tubes.   This device is responsible for measuring the impact of oncoming air. However, the simple design of pitot tubes makes them susceptible to blockages which can be caused by mud wasp nests, dead insects, and ice. According to Jackson, the failure of the pitot system is viewed as being the worst possible malfunction that can occur when a plane is in flight (Jackson). Numerous airplane accidents that took place in the past can be have been traced to the existence of a faulty pitot tube. According to Jackson, in 1995, an X-31A research aircraft crashed in California after its pitot tube was covered by ice (Jackson). Another plane, the Austral Lineas Aereas Flight 2553, similarly crashed, causing the deaths of its 74 passengers, when its pitot tube was completely frozen. Its pilots had actually presumed that the plane was stalling- which is something that is

Analysis the Sprint Nextel Corp Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis the Sprint Nextel Corp - Essay Example In 2001, it became the first company to introduce a wireless Java for networking. Sprint Nextel Corporation offers a range of fixed, mobile, and broadband communications products and services. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies. Internationally, it is known for internet networking and major development in technology. The cost of debt for the company can be computed by analyzing the various components of debts. These include bond issues, treasury bills, loans etc. Sprint Nextel has a variety of bond issues with different maturities (see table 1). This analysis will focus on the head quarter’s debt component analysis only (see table2). The coupons outlined here are three with the respective maturity dates. The value of a similar bond at similar rates is analyzed as having a par value of $1000 for the Canadian debt and $2500 for the unsecured notes. These are used to find the price of each bond. By discounting the annuity and the lump sum at maturity for each bond, the price of each bond is obtained. This method uses trial and error to ascertain the cost of each bond. The assumption made is that similar bonds yield $1000 and $2500 respectively. This is for the purposes of discounting the return of the bond towards a set amount of expected as per today. Further analysis shows that the price of each bond is effective once we added the tax factor. The assumed taxation factor in the United States is 35%. The after tax cost of each bond is obtained by multiplying the cost of bond (pre-tax) with the factor (1-tax rate). Another aspect to consider is that the company is financed by a long term loan. Given the worldwide economic crisis, the cost of repayment of loans has tremendous increased by 5%. An assumption is made that the loan of $166,855 has an interest rate of 16%. This is the cost of this loan. The total cost of debt is the mean of the cost of the loan and the bond issues. Accounting for th is, the cost of debt is obtained as 6.19% The cost of equity: The equity components are ordinary share capital and preference share capital. To obtain the cost of equity, I will include the ordinary capital in this case. This is done by obtaining the dividend payable in the coming year divided by the current market price and then multiplying it by dividend growth. For the last three years, the financial statements indicate no dividend payment made by the firm. This trend is assumed to be continuous in the coming year. Therefore the dividend value per share is zero and the growth is also zero. The current market share value stands at $ 2.74. By doing the necessary computation, the cost of equity is zero. Weighted average cost of capital WACC is obtained by adding weight to the various capital components i.e. debt and equity. Capital is made up of equity and debt in this firm. By summing debt and equity, I get their weights as: the debt has a total weight of 44% and equity has a total weight of 56%. These percentages are then multiplied by the above computation of cost of debt and equity respectively. The two are added giving WACC of 3.45% The firm’s beta The firm’s beta is a measure of risk to the company. This is obtained through the use of the indexes for United States multiplying with the cost of capital. The beta stands at 1.16 which is indicates low risk measure. This can be unlevered by adding tax aspect to obtain 0.61. Debt to equity ratio of Sprint is obtained as 27.7 this indicates low risk to the company. Calculations: Table 1 - combined industry bond issues SECURITY Coupon Amount Maturity Unsecured senior notes 7.625 1650 1/30/11 Unsecured senior

Einstein’s statement Essay Example for Free

Einstein’s statement Essay According to Einstein’s statement that Memory is deceptive because it is colored by todays events one should take a concrete position in order to prove it or not. There is nothing frozen in the cycle of life, everything is in flux. The process of memorizing information around is amazing at a glance. However, there should be an explanation of why human beings get stuck on what they know about a definite thing or event, and do not want to step back not a jot. I think that there are several responses on what Einstein once said. Hence, memory can be deceptive for a man, as it refers to the past and to the present only. Here comes a logic evaluation of the Einstein’s statement which designates the idea of what is known to people currently and what is not. Thereupon, it is a matter of contradiction between three states of time, so to speak: past, present, and future. It goes without saying that the first two relate to what is recollected in our memories. On the other side, the future is a mystery for every human being. Memory does not apply to the future events. It is about to gain momentum, as we may call it, of what has been predicted and what it comes out to be as a result. However, there is an aspect of memory which relies on peoples’ suggestibility (Platek, Keenan, Shackelford, 2007). This feature of memory can serve as pseudo-persuasiveness in what has not happened yet. Within my remembrance, I have too many cases when I could state that memory is really deceptive, and is based on some evidences at hand. It was when I tried to win in lottery. I was sure that a fortune will help me. Nevertheless, I tried to work out a specific formula on finding out the â€Å"receipt of hitting jackpot† at once. My memories could give me just the examples based on the experience of many millions of people who failed to reach out a definite circumspect approach toward solving the enigmatic mystery of where the luck is. As a result, I just spent a pretty some of money, as related to all cases when I bought a bunch of lottery tickets. It fell into nothing at all, unfortunately. However, since that time I have been working over a philosophical attitude toward what knowledge is. Furthermore, it became interesting to me that memory can become vague in some moments, as it complies with physiological processes as well. Thus, memory does not just colors today’s events and gives no answer on what will become tomorrow. It also makes people realize the things going on all around. There is an assumption that the hidden power of brain can work miracles in perceiving events of tomorrow. People can just change their consciousness in order to discolor reality and appear in parallel worlds. However, it is just a hypothesis which Einstein once claimed during his investigation of the concept of time as such. To sum up, memory complies with the past and the present. It has no connection with the future. Hence, people are misinformed about what awaits them in future. In turn it proves the idea that memory is deceptive and that it is colored solely in accordance with today’s events. That is the argument for getting the properties and nature of memory in brief. Reference Platek, S. M. , Keenan, J. P. , Shackelford, T. K. (2007). Evolutionary cognitive neuroscience. Boston: MIT Press.

The Banking Sector Reforms In India Finance Essay

The Banking Sector Reforms In India Finance Essay The banking sector reforms in India are aimed at introduction of best international practices and technological changes for making the Indian banking sector competitive globally. The Indian banking system is more efficient and stable today. Consequently there has been a rapid increase in the number of banks in this country. The banking horizon is changing because of the increasing number of private banks and the foreign banks. Apparently there is a cut throat competition between the banks. New and variety of services are offered by banks which are non-conventional and customized as per the customer requirements. Banks began to diversify their services as part of their corporate strategy to cater to various customer segments. Structure of banking in India The Indian banking system is classified into scheduled and non-scheduled banks. The scheduled banks are then classified as state cooperatives banks and commercial banks. The non-scheduled banks are classified as central cooperative banks and primary credit societies and the commercial banks. Commercial banks are classified in both the scheduled banks as well as the non-scheduled banks. Schedule banks are those which are included in the SECOND SCHEDULE of BANKING REGULATION ACT 1956. To be included in the second schedule a bank Must have paid up capital and reserves of not less than Rs 5 lakhs. It must also satisfy the RBI that its affairs are not conducted in a manner detrimental to the interest of its depositors. File:Scheduled banking structure in India.png RBI(Reserve Bank of India) is the central bank of the country. As the central bank of the country RBI has the power to supervise and control all the banks with the intensions of developing a sound and efficient banking system. It also performs many different developmental and promotional functions. The functions of RBI are as followed: Note issue Bankers bank The central bank Banker to the government Custodian to Foreign Exchange Reserves Management regulation of exchange Credit control Other functions. The Indian banking system has witnessed a substantial improvement in both stability and efficiency parameters such as capital position, asset quality, and overall profitability. There has been a remarkable improvement in the financial health of commercial banking sector. The banking sector reforms have improved the stability of the Indian financial system. PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN INDIA Indicators The performance and the efficiency is analysed in terms of profitability, productivity, financial stability, and quality of assets. The following indicators are used: Profitability indicators: It is measured in terms of net profit of the bank. The interest, non-interest income, and the expenses influence the net profit. Some of the important indicators of profitability are as follows: Interest income as percentage of total assets: Interest income Total assets Higher ratio indicates higher profitability. Interest expended ratio: Interest expenses Total assets Fall in ratio improves the profitability Net Interest Margin(NIM): interest income à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ interest expenses Total assets A fall in NIM indicates the need to reorient the banks policies. Intermediation Cost of Assets Ratio (ICAR): Non-interest expenses Total assets Lower the ratio higher the efficiency. Overhead Efficiency(Burden)Ratio: Non-interest income Non-interest expenses Higher ratio indicates lower profitability. Returns on Assets(RoA): Net profit Total Assets High RoA indicates better deployment of funds. Return on Equity(RoE): Net profit Total Equity RoE will help the banks to access new capital. Capital markets indicators: The capital market indicator is based on the EPS and P/E ratio. Productivity Indicators: productivity indicators are generally analysed in terms of: Profits per employee Business per employee Financial Soundness: Financial soundness is reflected by the Capital Adequacy Ratio. CAR: Total capital RWAs RWAs: Risk Weighted Assets Higher the ratio better is the sustenance of the banks. Asset Quality: The quality of assets in the bank is shown by the level of non-performing assets (NPAs). Lower the ratio better is the asset quality. The 2 ratios used are: Ratio of gross NPAs to gross advances. Ratio of net NPAs to net advances. 11 The above graph has the data of the gross NPAs of the banks. The X axis depicts the years and the Y axis depicts the percentage. The red dotted line is for the Gross NPAs and the blue dotted line is for the Gross advances. Looking at the graph we can confidently state that the Gross NPAs are increasing whereas the Gross advances are decreasing since 2010-11. PERORMANCE OF PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS, NEW PRIVATE SECTOR BANKS, AND FOREIGN BANKS IN INDIA The comparative performance of public sector banks, new private sector banks, and foreign banks is explained below for the recent years http://stockshastra.moneyworks4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Indian-Banking-Industry-Statistics.png Productivity and profitability of banks: Productivity is directly related to profitability. It is analysed in terms of business per employee and business per branch. Business per employee: The business per employee in the public sector banks has increased from Rs 471.18 lakhs in 2006-07 to Rs1013.63 lakhs in 2011-12. But is still low as compared to foreign banks. The business per employee for foreign banks has showed a tremendous increase from Rs974.77 lakhs in 2006-07 to Rs1559.74 lakhs in 2011-12. The business per employee for the private banks has also increased from Rs695.23 lakhs in 2006-07 to Rs823.26 lakhs in 2011-12. Profit per employee: The profits per employee are the highest in foreign banks followed by new private sector banks in 2011-12. Per employee profit was Rs 16.3 lakhs in foreign bank, Rs 8.1 lakhs in new private sector banks and Rs 5.93 lakhs in public sector banks in 2011-12. Interest income: The interest income of public sector banks, new private sector banks and foreign banks showed an increase to Rs366318, Rs 96827 and Rs 28520 respectively in 2011-12. Interest expended ratio: The interest expended ratio same as interest income has showed an increase for all the banks in 2011-12. The figures are Rs231153 lakhs, Rs57115 lakhs, Rs10622 lakhs. Financial Soundness: The CAR(Capital Adequacy Ratio) is the most important indicator of financial soundness of banks. The capital to risk weighted assets ratio is shown is the figure below. The CRAR of public sector banks has been between 12 and 15 percent. The old private sector had CRAR lying between 12 and 15 percent. The new private sector had CRAR of more 15 percent. It goes the same with the foreign banks for the year ending in March 2012. 9 Asset Quality: the asset quality of a bank is shown by level of non-performing assets (NPAs). Better quality of assets is the indicator of efficiency. There is a vast improvement in the efficiency of Indian banks. B1 The NPAs as percentage of Average Total Assets are increasing marginally in 2011-12. The NPA of foreign banks rose from 0.8 in 2009-10 to 1.4 in 2010-11 to 1.6 in 2011-12. The new private sector banks showed an increase from 1.1 in 2009-10 to 1.2 in 2010-11 to 1.3 in 2011-12 approximately. The old private sector banks has shown an increase but less as compared to the other banks. The national banks have shown a gradual decrease in the NPAs since 2009-10 to 2011-12. Customer services: In order to ease customer access to banking facilities, Indian banks have begun offering bouquet of financial services to their clients. The number of branches proving CORE BANKING SOLUTION (CBS) is increasing tremendously. Under CBS a number of services are provided such as ANYWHERE BANKING. The number branches of PSBs that have implemented CBS increase from 35464 in March 31, 2008 to 46304 in March 31, 2011. ATMs The banks are providing more and more ATM facilities to the customers. The foreign banks and new private sector banks are the larger contributors in this. http://www.isrj.net/PublishArticles/img/306_2.gif The above graph is for the year 2008-09. The highest number of ATMs is provided by the state banks but on-site. The highest number of ATMs provided off-site is by the foreign banks. NEW TECHNOLOGY IN BANKING The banks in India are using Information Technology (IT) not only to improve their own internal process but also to increase the facilities and services to their customers. Computerization has taken place all over India. The only motive is to bring banking at the fingertips of the customers and employees. THE DIFFERENT FACILITIES PROVIDED ARE: Virtual banking ATMS Debit Cards Credit cards Point of Sales(PoS) Door step banking Internet banking Mobile banking Telebanking Phone banking Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Electronic Clearing Services (ECS) Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) REFRENCING http://ebookbrowse.com/t-y-b-com-paper-iii-business-economics-eng-pdf-d419151576 http://etheses.saurashtrauniversity.edu/54/ http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/e/Economy_of_India.htm https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:QUJlL6E5-TAJ:ijimt.org/papers/140-M582.pdf+hl=engl=ukpid=blsrcid=ADGEESjYSzZ1KSelInYi2gBvlRjTk0WyxRsdcYOCBvBaopI7N3pzl8naPA62sFiG0tfzK2x-ZKiVFyysLZhluPTr3O5WorzEXuj_Sn-X6CV1dQ8dqEo1UDv64oMzU7s_i2pw0XNURAnasig=AHIEtbRvIWrXt8CCpGACZrevqopfbX1i4Q http://stockshastra.moneyworks4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Indian-Banking-Industry-Statistics.png http://www.indiainbusiness.nic.in/studies_survey/banking_systemsurvey.pdf http://www.theinternationaljournal.org/ojs/index.php?journal=rjcbspage=articleop=viewpath[]=488 http://www.icra.in/Files/ticker/Indian%20Banks-Note%28Revised%29.pdf http://www.icra.in/Files/ticker/IBS%20-%20FY11%20Perf.pdf http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/PublicationsView.aspx?id=14629 Business Economics 3 by Johnson, Mascarenhas, and Chatterjee. The institute of chartered accountancy (India) http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?hl=ensa=Xtbo=dbiw=1366bih=630tbm=ischtbnid=-qRyMTq-g80w5M:imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banking_in_Indiadocid=RGeL8hvEN_HioMimgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/NUMBER_OF_ATM.png/220px-NUMBER_OF_ATM.pngw=220h=169ei=xBvwUKiVCpS20QWhmoHYAgzoom=1iact=hcvpx=859vpy=12dur=180hovh=135hovw=176tx=61ty=46sig=115207852604614094774page=4tbnh=135tbnw=176start=72ndsp=25ved=1t:429,r:76,s:0,i:316

Different Learning Styles Essay -- Teaching Education Research papers

Different Learning Styles Introduction What is learning? According to the thesaurus in the Eric database, learning is the â€Å"process of acquiring knowledge, attitudes, or skills from study, instruction, or experience† (Eric/Thesaurus database, 2001). A learning style is described as â€Å"a set of factors, behaviors and attitudes that facilitate learning for and individual in a given situation† (Reiff, 1992, p.7). There are many different ways that children learn. The purpose of this paper is to explain the different learning styles that students may possess and to discuss the importance of planning a lesson that includes different techniques to meet the needs of individual learners. These different learning styles may include the show and tellers, seer and feelers, leader of the packs, verbal gymnasts, wandering wonderers, and movers and groovers (WEAC, 2001). The different learning styles possessed by the student can be affected by the theory of multiple intelligences. According to this theory there are 8 different ways to learn including learning through techniques like logical/mathematical, verbal/linguistic, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, musical, intrapersonal, special, and naturalist (Silver, 2000). Show and Tellers I searched through many books and articles about different learning styles and found one that really got my attention. On the WEAC web site I found a page called â€Å"A symphony of learning styles.† On this page I found six learning styles. The first is the â€Å"Show and tellers† These are learners that like to read and write. They love to make up stories just to share with their friends. These learners love to recall stories that happened to them in the past. They love to share their thoughts with... ...detail. It showed every aspect and how to apply them to your classroom. Silver, H., Strong, R., Perini, M. (2000) So each may learn: Integrating learning styles and multiple intelligences. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. I found this book very helpful because it gives you tons of examples of how to put the theories into action in your classroom. Wood, F., Ford, N., Miller, D., Sobczyk, G., & Duffin, R. (1996). Information skills, searching behavior and cognitive styles for student-centered learning: a computer-assisted learning approach. Journal of information science,22. (2), 79-92. This journal was about a study done on students with different learning styles to see if it would affect their approach to research. http://www.schoolicons.com/eng/web/icons/icon2_e.html This is where I retrieved all of my graphics.

Conditions of the Vietnam War Essay

When fighting in a war, the brave soldiers are not only up against their enemy, but also against the chaotic obstacles born on the battlefield. The constant noise of slaughter, the gut-wrenching weather and the omnipresent fear of death were all elements of war that the soldiers had to coexist with. The odds of walking home after a war are extremely rare and those who were lucky enough to survive were unlucky enough to have had witnessed indescribable scenes of blood and murder. Those who have confronted the wrath of war are left psychologically traumatised and mentally unstable. The fighting conditions during the Vietnam War were excruciatingly tough. The Australian and American troops were forced to fight in a variety of weathers, including the tropical rains and blazing heat. Fighting in environments and conditions they were not yet accustomed to, they were drained of their energy and were demanded high levels of endurance. For some soldiers, the dry season was particularly difficult to fight in. they were required to fight through a haze of dust that penetrated their clothing, filled their pores and worked its way through their eyes and ears, resulting in conjunctivitis and ear infections. One soldier stated, â€Å"It can be a test of human endeavour inside a noisy metal box all day in forty degree heat, with eighty per cent relative humidity and no one has showered for a week.† Soldiers fought with damages to their bodies such as blisters, sunburn and dehydration, making it very difficult to move around and fight to the best of their ability. Other difficulties they faced were the threat of diseases such as malaria and dysentery which is caused by lack of sanitation and dehydration. Spiders, poisonous centipedes, snakes and leeches were some of the deadly creatures the soldiers tried their hardest to avoid. Proper food and clean water was very difficult to obtain as well. Soldiers ate from used cans and drank from dirt covered drink bottles. In a land where the ground explodes and it rains bullets, death is inevitable. Soldiers would be knee-deep in massacre and the vicinity would be infested with the body parts of comrade soldiers. War does not give time for soldiers to grieve and is constantly tainting the earth in the colour of red. Witnessing the death of a comrade is one thing, but to have to crawl, walk and run knowing that you may die a gruesome death at any moment is just as painfully terrifying. Soldiers who survived the Vietnam war were diagnosed with permanent paranoia and insanity. Whilst fighting an enemy on the battlefield, soldiers must simultaneously fight fear in their minds. Guerrilla Warfare During the Vietnam War, Guerrilla tactics were being put into action. Guerrilla Warfare consisted of small surprise attacks and ambushes instead of operating in major gunfire battles. Setting up booby-traps and tripwires were the preferred option as well as digging up complicated systems of underground tunnels in and around small villages. The Vietcong had the home field advantage, they used the rough terrain, thick forests and uneven landscape to their advantage against the American soldiers as they were unfamiliar to such difficult landforms. The Vietcong used their intelligence and stealth to outsmart the Americans and win the war. They did not wear any uniform so the Americans only saw them as ‘villagers with guns’. The Vietcong would also hide behind innocent civilians and use them as a shield against their enemy. They would also dig up American land mines and use the explosives as bombs of their own. Hit-and-run attacks were common and very effective in the fight against the Americans. With dangerous deft, the Vietcong would stealthy attack the Americans and leave before risking capture- incorporating the element of surprise. The Vietcong would escape through a complex network of underground tunnels, oblivious to the Americans. At the start of the war, the American soldiers had no idea of the tunnels’ existence and their unawareness produced great advantage to the Vietcong. The most extensive of the tunnel system laid in the ‘Iron Triangle’ in the Cu Chi distract, which covered approximately 400 kilometres. The Americans highly relied on their helicopters to combat the Vietcong’s skilfully hidden death traps. However, the Vietcong turned to heavy machinery as a form of retaliation against the American’s aerial attacks. The Vietcong would set up multiple booby-traps, hidden among the jungle floor of the forests. Majority of the booby-traps were covered in poison and venom which will increase the risk of infection. Some booby traps that were crafted and handmade by the Vietnamese villagers included: * The Bear Trap- when stepped on would fiercely clutch one’s foot by impaling it with sharp claws * Grenade Traps- a grenade strapped to a tripwire which will instantly explode, leaving no time to escape when triggered * ‘Bouncing Betty’- designed to cut someone in half, when stepped on would result in either paralysis or the complete amputation of a limb * Foot Trap- a hole that was dug knee deep and planted with stakes coated in poison pointing downwards, making it unescapable * Tiger Pit/ Punji Spike Pit- a hole approximately 5-6 feet deep, with the bottom covered in piercing, venomous stakes. It also has a grenade lying in await to ambush those who try to escape The fighting conditions in the Vietnam war were inhumane for both parties. Soldiers put their bodies through irritatingly uncomfortable situations and fought in fearsome scenarios, all whilst trying to keep their limbs intact. Battles arose within battles, whether it be the vicious weather or the unshakable fear of death, soldiers endured an admirable amount of physical and mental struggle. The rage of the Vietnam War claimed many courageous lives and defiled the minds of those who were able to walk away with the luxury of breath. Bibliography * http://vietnamawbb.weebly.com/guerrilla-warfare-and-war-of-attrition.html * http://history1900s.about.com/od/vietnamwar/a/vietnamwar.htm * http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/guerrilla/index.html * http://www.vietnam-war.0catch.com/vietnam_war_nature.htm * http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/combat/viet-cong-tunnels.php * http://www.securenet.net/3rdbn5th/mike35/booby.htm * http://www.echo23marines6569.org/BoobyTraps.html * http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/armour/conditions.php * https://session.wikispaces.com/1/auth/auth?authToken=03a2e4971076358d2188756c8108eb2b5

Folic Acid

Folic Acid is a B vitamin, specifically B9. It is an essential nutrient required by the body to create healthy new cells. While we hear about it mostly in regards to pregnancy, it is important to understand that the need for folic acid goes even beyond this. Folic acid is essential for the body to create red blood cells which in turn prevents anemia. It is also plays an important role in the metabolism of homocysteine, an amino acid. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for all men and women 14 and older is 400 mcg.Men often don’t realize this as the benefits to pregnant women are more publicized, but any human being is in need of proper amounts of folic acid to insure the body is able to create new red blood cells to nourish the body with oxygen. The recommendation is to either get this amount by using a dietary supplement or eating foods fortified with folic acid. Folic acid is the synthetic version of folate and appears to be absorbed by the body (also known as bioavaila ble) much better than the folate occurring naturally in food.One mcg of food folate (also called 1 DFE – Dietary Folate Equivalent) is equal to 0. 6 mcg of synthetic folic acid. This means that to meet the RDA from food alone, a woman or man would have to eat food naturally containing about 667 mcg per day (400/0. 6 ) which might prove difficult. Folic Acid is especially important to pregnant women. Women that have sufficient Folic Acid in their diet before and after they conceive, have a 50-70% less chance of having a baby with a brain or spine defect such as spina bifida or anencephaly . 1) Because of this the recommended dietary allowance for pregnant women is higher than for a woman that is not pregnant. The RDA for pregnant women is 600 mcg as opposed to 400 mcg. Any woman of childbearing age should be taking between 400 mcg – 600 mcg per day as about half of all pregnancies are unplanned. If a woman does not start supplementation until she is pregnant she has alr eady lost some of the benefits, though starting it as soon as possible is still better than continuing with no supplementation. After her child is born she should continue supplementing as the RDA is 500 mcg during lactation.By consuming adequate folic acid while breastfeeding, a woman is providing her child with folic acid through her breast milk while still having enough to nourish her own body. There is continued study into other possible benefits of folic acid. One area of study is whether folic acid aids in prevention of heart disease. The studies have specifically looked at the amino acid homocysteine. Folic acid is known to break down homocysteine in the body. High levels of homocysteine in the blood are related to a higher risk of heart disease, but this hasn’t conclusively been shown to be a cause of heart disease.Because of the lack of evidence the American Heart Association (AHA) is not at this time considering hyperhomocysteinemia (too much homocystein) a major ri sk factor for cardiovascular disease. AHA’s recommendation is to try and get the recommended allowance from fruits, vegetables and fat free or low fat dairy products. They say that supplements should only be used when the diet does not supply enough. Evidence is clear for folic acid supplementation reducing homocystein levels but is still lacking on whether homocystein will lower risk for cardiovascular disease. 2) Another area of study is folic acid’s role in reducing risk of certain forms of cancer. Low levels of folic acid in the blood have been linked to colon cancer, but it is too early to say if folic acid supplements can reduce risk of colon cancer. Other cancers that have been studied in relation to folic acid are breast, ovarian, pancreatic, esophageal, and stomach. Some have shown benefits to supplementation, but the results were not reproduced in subsequent studies, so at this time there is no recommendation for supplementation of folic acid to reduce risk o f cancer.The American Cancer Society similar to the AHA recommendation is to eat a healthful diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables that contain folic acid along with other vitamins. Folic acid plays many important roles in the body. There is no doubting that it is essential. The reason that we need a constant stream of it is because it is not stored in large quantities in the body. It is water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins are stored for longer in our system. When ingested, the body uses what it can and the rest comes out in urine, in very little time the body will need more.We discussed how pregnant women get a proven benefit, and studies continue on its role in reducing risks of other diseases, but regardless of what additional benefits are found, it is clear that without folic acid in our bodies, we would not be alive. Folic acid aids in the production of red blood cells and the synthesis of DNA and RNA. Folate even has a role in the digestive system! It works with vitamins B 12 and C to help the body digest and synthesize proteins. Lastly, folic acid helps tissues grow and cells function, it is an integral part of the body working as it should.You might wonder what would happen if you stopped consuming folic acid in the form of supplements or foods. One consequence that is quite likely under these conditions is folate-deficiency anemia. This type of anemia occurs when red cell production slows and the body no longer has a sufficient amount. Without enough red blood cells, oxygen cannot travel around the body quick enough. In a severe form, where the body is not making enough red blood cells over a period of time, the heart can start to malfunction. To compensate for the lack of oxygen getting to the body, the heart will start to beat faster in an attempt to correct the situation.Over a period of time this can cause congestive heart failure and even death. Shorter term symptoms would be fatigue, headaches, and pallor. Recovering completely from anemia ca n take several months. (3) The good news however is that folic acid is readily available. Beef Liver is a good meat source of folic acid with about 185 micrograms in 3 ounces. While liver is a great source, there are luckily many others for those of us that are not liver fans. Other natural sources are black eyed peas and spinach. Both have about 100 mcg of folate per 1/2 cup.Other vegetable sources are great northern beans (90 mcg), asparagus (85 mcg in 4 spears), vegetarian baked beans (60 mcg in 1 cup), broccoli (50 mcg in 1/2 cup), romaine lettuce (40 mcg in 1/2 cup), and avocado (45 mcg in 1/2 cup). If you prefer fruits, some examples of fruit sources are oranges, cantaloupe, papayas and bananas. A serving of each of these provides between 25-30 mcg of folic acid. Besides folate occurring naturally in foods, some foods are fortified as a result of the folic acid fortification regulations published by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) Foods that are folic acid fortified incl ude cereal, pasta, and bread.Some cereals have 100% recommended daily value of 400 micrograms in 3/4 cup. One bowl of some cereals could provide your daily requirement of folic acid! Other cereals are fortified but to a lesser degree having about 100 mcg per 3/4 cup. Rice and breads are often fortified as well. One half cup of rice has 65 mcg of folic acid, while one slice of bread has 25 mcg. One of the latest news stories highlighted that folic acid was recently studied in its relation to academic success. Swedish researchers found that teens with higher levels of folic acid circulating did better academically than those with lower folic acid levels.The study noted that while there is no scientific evidence that taking folate supplements will be beneficial for teens, the results of this study show that there is a relationship. (4) Fruits and vegetables are certainly important in a diet, but in addition to healthful food, there seems to be clear evidence that a daily supplement or deliberate consumption of folic acid fortified foods will ensure you are reaching the RDA and allowing your body to function to its highest capacity. The Upper Limit recommendation is 1000 mcg, so there should be low concern if you, for example, have a day with high folate foods plus a supplement.Toxicity related to folic acid is very rare. While I always understood that folic acid was important to take as a supplement for pregnant women, I now understand much more deeply the importance it has for everyone. Before born, a baby is using folic acid to assist in development of the brain and spine. As a teen, there might be an academic benefit to having higher folate levels. Research has also pointed towards the elderly being less likely to have dementia and Alzheimer’s with proper folate intake.Throughout life, folate contributes to development and functioning of the brain and day in and day out folate helps your body function. ——————â⠂¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 1. http://www. cdc. gov/ncbddd/folicacid/about. html 2 http://www. heart. org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/Homocysteine-Folic-Acid-and-Cardiovascular-Disease_UCM_305997_Article. jsp 3. http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/anemia/DS00321/DSECTION=complications 4. http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_114147. html Sample MenuWhile I am now convinced that a folic acid supplement is the best way to ensure adequate consumption of folic acid, the below menu is assuming I am not regularly taking a folic acid supplement. the menu doesn’t include all food I would eat, just those that have folic acid. Breakfast: 1 cup Cherrios – 50% RDA = 200 mcg Lunch: 1/2 cup Success White Rice (fortified) – 20% RDA = 80 mcg 4 Asparagus spears – 22% RDA = 85 mcg Snack: 1 banana – 8% RDA = 30 mcg Dinner: 2oz Barilla medium shells – 30% RDA = 120 mcg Total: 515 mcg Another si mple choice is to have 1/3 cup of All Bran Buds for breakfast. This has 400 mcg! 100% of daily recommended value.