How People Give Up Rights When Using an Airline

Many people modern day use airlines as a form of transportation. To be able to use this service passengers must have their bags and personal belongings checked by the airline. Airlines do this for the safety of their passengers and to ensure that no catastrophe happens during flight. But when this is done are passengers giving up their rights? Is it right for someone to go through your personal belongings? Or is this procedure only for security reasons? What rights do airplane passengers give up by allowing themselves to be checked before boarding? When Someone travels with an airline they must have their baggage checked before boarding the plane. Some people feel that this invades their privacy and that it is not necessary. Why should the airport check my personal belongings? Why cant they just pull up your criminal record or just check your pockets instead of checking everything? Some alternative plans is to take your bags and keep them in a secured part of the plane so there is no risk. And some airlines may even make you pay additional fees for these baggage checks meanwhile they are for your safety. Some airlines like Allegiant charge you $35 for your first bag. (â€Å"Airline baggage fees† 2) And how many people only bring one bag to the airport? Your second bag is $35 , and then any additional bags are â€Å"Subject to additional fees†. And all of this is paid for on top of your flight. Now shouldn’t it be an option to pay for safety? Does the airline even care about your safety or are they just trying to make more money? Collectively, airlines made approximately $3. 4 billion in baggage fees last year (â€Å"Airlines bagging big money† 1). Some people believe that airline just do this to make more revenue. Even though air ports are forced to check your baggage by the FAA (â€Å"Air Carrier Operations Bulletin† No. 1-94-10) people believe that the airline should not charge you extra and that the whole concept of being charged for baggage is stupid. Instead of being charged separately for baggage airlines should just include the price for baggage in the airline ticket. (â€Å"Clayton† 1). Other people seem to think that baggage fees are just a hidden fee that airlines use to try to get more money (â€Å"Most Obnoxious Hidden Airline Fees† 5). These people agree with the theory that one flat rate baggage fee should be included in the airline ticket. And as the Lehigh Valley Newspaper, The Morning Call says, â€Å"The recent measure of baggage checking at airports for bombs is a blatant disregard of a person’s privacy. Why should we stand for this, when our founding fathers fought to prevent things like this from happening? †. The person who wrote this article seems to be disregarding the fact that if it were not for this law of checking baggage that every time someone were to board an airplane they would be in danger. Imagine if every time someone boarded an airplane that that person was in danger. Modern day children go on airplanes for vacations with their families. Even if our founding fathers did try to prevent this, if this procedure was not done thousands of people every day would be in danger every day in the united states. Now even if this procedure is for the people’s safety, should the people be charged so the airlines can follow the law? Other articles regarding this subject state that when someone travels through an airline they loose their second amendment right. When people use an airline service their rights are not taken away but restricted, and for the safety of themselves and others. The second amendment, protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms (weapons). Many people argue that when boarding a plane that weapons such as knives and guns are not allowed to be brought on a plane during flight. Those people are wrong. It is one hundred percent legal to bring a gun or knife on board of a plane, with some rules of coarse. As stated in the article, â€Å"Traveling with Special Items on Airlines† from TravelSence you can bring a gun on flight as long as, 1. The gun is in part of your checked baggage. 2. the firearm must be unloaded and in a secure hard side container. 3. The owner of the firearm must be at the screening or the item and provide the combination or key to open the secure container containing the firearm. 4. ant and all ammunition must be placed in fiber or packaging specifically designed to hold ammunition. And 5. The ammunition must be in the same container as the unloaded firearm. As long as when traveling with a firearm you follow all of these procedures you can legally bring a gun with you while traveling with an airline. Once again these rules might restrict your rights as an American citizen but they do NOT take away your rights as an American citizen. And there is also rules with sharp objects such as knives. The only rule that there is on these items is,1. It can not be in carry on luggage and it must be securely wrapped to prevent injury. So once again it is one hundred percent legal to bring a weapon with you while flying with an airline service. Also if someone fells that having their baggage checked is taking away their rights that is also not true. The FAA (a government-run organization) enforces these rules and regulations for the airline passengers safety and for no other reason except for the passenger’s safety. Also by having these rules enforced by the government they can not possibly eliminate your rights as an American citizen (although they might restrict them temporarily). And concerning the rule for having baggage checked, it is up to the airlines to charge you for your bags. Some airlines like Jetblue offer your first bag of luggage for free and every extra bag has additional fees. So depending on which airline service the customer uses the cost for baggage check differ so when people complain about baggage fees they should look in to different airlines and see if any airlines offer cheaper fees or no fees at all (â€Å"Airline baggage fees† 5). The theory that baggage fees (if there are any) should be included in the ticket for flight depends on personal preference and one of the reasons why airlines do not charge the baggage fees in the ticket price is to try to hide additional fees from their customers (â€Å"Most Obnoxious Hidden Airline Fees† 5). And even though that may not seem right it is not taking away any rights that a person might have under American citizenship So, even though when someone travels with an airline service it might seem that it takes away their rights given to them in the declaration of independence, it really does not. The most traveling with an airline service does to your rights is restrict them. And the one and only reason that this is done is for the passenger’s/customer’s safety. The question here is, what rights do airplane passengers give up by allowing themselves to be checked before boarding? And the answer to this question would be, airplane passengers do not give up the rights given to them by being an American citizen. But if someone considers their invasion of personal privacy a right than they could possibly be giving up their rights (even though airlines do not save keep any information about your personal information on file).

Case enron Essay

Enron faces most of the risk ordinarily faced by any energy company, including price instability and foreign currency risks. Enron operated in many different areas of the world with different regulatory and political risks. Enron faced business risks such as a complex business model, extensive use of derivatives and special purpose entities, aggressive transaction structuring and accounting, rapid expansion of business through complex and unconventional ventures, extensive reliance on credit rating, and limitations in GAAP. The complex nature of the business model of Enron increased the likelihood of material misstatements. It enabled the management to overstate its revenue while not disclosing the actual value of its debt. The risk of fraud by management was high. The transactions involving SPE’s essentially involved Enron receiving borrowed funds that were shown as revenue without recording liabilities. Also, the amount of misstatements was huge as Enron had hundreds of such SPE’s. Complex financial derivative transactions were used to hide enormous amounts of debt. Huge increases in borrowing were made to look like hedges for commodity trades rather than new debt financing. The network of SPE’s along with complicated speculations and hedges kept an enormous amount of debt off the balance sheet. The accounting standards were inadequate in providing for the proper accounting of these transactions. The loopholes in the standards were used to structure transactions in such a way that hundreds of SPE’s were excluded from consolidation. Also, the management took advantage of the complexity of accounting standards to shroud the actual economic substance of the transactions. Adequate disclosures with regard to related party involvement and securing outside SPE investors against possible losses were not made.

Marketing and Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing and Information System - Essay Example The marketing information which will be designed for Dell will gather the order information such as customer’s name, address, contact number, age, and the specifications for the computer. It should be noted that the business organization utilizes online distribution for all their products. This means that customers all customers visit the company’s website in order to place and track their orders. All this data will be stored in a database and will be updated real-time. This means that information will be stored as they are given by the customers. In order to make ordering efficient to the customer, the record will be used each time the customer places an order. This will make ordering easier as customers won’t need to retype their personal information. The customers will also be given options if to use the credit card that they have used on their previous purchases. The data gathered from this database will allow Dell to track sales according to geographical loc ations. This will also track trends in aggregates demand and demand according to geographical demands. This will help Dell to where to concentrate aggressive marketing efforts in order to stimulate purchases. The database will also allow Dell to identify the preferred specifications of customers and the add-on features that they want which will the business organization to standardize their inputs. The company can also associate the demographic factors with the specifications of the computers ordered.

Response to Rothstein and Jacobsens The Goals of Education Essay

Response to Rothstein and Jacobsens The Goals of Education - Essay Example History instruction was thought to teach students good judgment, enabling them to learn from prior generations’ mistakes and successes and inspiring them to develop such character traits as honesty, integrity, and compassion.†(Rothstein, et.al.) Benjamin Franklin also highlighted the importance of teaching history and â€Å"in 1749 [he] proposed that Pennsylvania establish a public school that should, he said, place as much emphasis on physical as on intellectual fitness because â€Å"exercise invigorates the soul as well as the body.† (Rothstein, et. al.)George Washington went a step further. He argued that â€Å"goals for public schools were also political and moral.†(Rothstein, et. al.) The suggestions of Thomas Jefferson were purely political. He â€Å"most often linked with education in the public mind, thought universal public education needed primarily to prepare voters to exercise wise judgment.†(Rothstein, et.al.) So, the perspective about education changed, as time rolled by and change in the political leadership of the country. I am reminded of the parable of four visually challenged (blind) persons in argument about the shape of the elephant. One had the feel of its long tail and argued that the shape of the elephant is long. The second one, who touched one of its legs, said the shape is like the tree. The third one touched its trunk and said the shaped is like a rubber hose. The fourth one had the feel of the ear and said that the shape is like a giant leaf. An eye surgeon, who listened to their conversation, took them to his dispensary, operated upon their eyes and he was able to restore the eyesight. When he showed them the elephant, they realized that their judgment was wrong. Similar is position of the politicians, sociologists, academicians and the bureaucrats, when they tender opinions and try to frame the policy on the system of education that needs to be adopted in America. None has the comprehensive outlo ok about the genuine needs of the students in a multicultural, multi-ethnic society that suffered from the bane of racism for more than two centuries. The goal of education needs to be man making. Within this broad goal, all other subsidiary yet important goals are integrated. According to the authors, reading scores alone will not go to mold an individual into a responsible citizen with abilities in the area of work ethic, physical and mental health, social skills and appreciation of the arts and literature. I am in broad agreement with the observation of the authors. The schools need to accept the challenges in these areas to enable the students to pursue their diverse goals and a new accountability system needs to be formulated. I also agree with the well-researched conclusions of the authors. The social, economic and cultural life is impacted by the materialistic civilization. With women opting out for full time jobs in a big way and with less or no time at their disposal to dev ote to their home and children, the other influencing source to mold the character of students is the school environment. Proper conditions need to be created for the school administration and the teachers, by providing them with incentives to enable them to accept the challenges with a sense of responsibility. After churning the literature on educational initiatives over the past two hundred and fifty years, the authors have listed eight important outcomes that emerge, when the educational system is poised on the brink of change. Those are: â€Å"Basic academic skills and knowledge, Critical thinking and problem solving, Appreciation of the arts and literature, Preparation for skilled employment, Social skills and work ethic,

Criminal justice process Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal justice process - Research Paper Example Moreover, felony cases have both direct and indirect consequences. Direct consequences are those, which are expected in a typical felony case. This includes imprisonment, fines, probation, and other related costs. Indirect consequences, on the other hand, include barring a criminal from participating in an election and bond denial, among others. Orfield (2005) argues that many people do not know what is expected of them when charged with felony. This always put a lot of pressure and fear among many defendants and witnesses and even the plaintiff in the case. However, what is important is that anybody charged with a felony should make an attempt and get a lawyer to represent him or her and give necessary advice concerning the rights of the accused. This paper will discuss the procedures expected in a typical felony case. There are usually a number of procedures and stages involved in felony probation. This includes an arrest, followed by arraignment, preliminary examination, circuit c ourt arraignment, pre-trial, trial and sentencing, appeal and probation. Arrest It is reported that the responsibility of arresting a suspect in felony matters lies with the police. In this case, once the police have gathered enough evidence from the scene of the alleged crime, he expected to pursue the suspect, apprehend, and bring the accused to the police station. However, in some instances, a suspect is only issued with court sermons advising accused to appear in court on a certain date. This usually happens for lower level offenses, which may not necessarily warrant an arrest (Cole, Smith and DeJong, 2012). Interrogation Once the police have arrested the accused, the police may interrogate him but this is not a must. However, in case the police are interested in interrogating the accused, it is always advisable that the accused insist on speaking with a lawyer. The reason for an attorney’s representation is to prevent the accused from giving incriminating statements whic h may be used against them by the police in a court of law (May, Minor and Ruddell, 2007). Initial appearance This usually marks the opening phase where the accused is arraigned in court and should be conducted within the first 24 hours after the arrest. Usually a number of things take place at this stage. This includes informing the suspect of the charges leveled against him or her. It is also here that the suspect is reminded of his right to have a lawyer’s representation. However, in case the accused cannot produce a lawyer, then the court is expected to provide one. It is also reported that it is at this stage that the conditions of release is determined such as whether the accused can be bonded or put in prison as he or she awaits the charges for the good of the society. Finally, another hearing date is set for subsequent proceedings, which is usually conducted in a superior court (Orfield, 2005). Preliminary Hearings Fourteen days after the initial appearance, the accus ed is supposed to be taken through preliminary examination. This is also a very crucial stage since it is here that the judge is expected to decide if there is reasonable ground to continue the case to the next level. It is also at this stage that the charges may be dropped in case the judge finds no reasonable ground to continue with the case. What is unique at this stage is that it is a one-sided procedure since it is only involves the review of incriminating evidence for

Impact of Globalization on engenireeng industry Essay

Impact of Globalization on engenireeng industry - Essay Example It is evident from the study that the â€Å"new globalization of engineering† entails a proliferation of specialized firms across the globe. It seems as if the world has been undergoing a transition in its infrastructure and the traditional organizational boundaries have been expanding far beyond the concepts of physical proximity. The international trade barriers have blurred and the rapid advancement of technology and its geographical mobility has enabled the engineering industry to capitalize on low cost models and market growth in emerging economies like India, China and Brazil. And this transition is still on-going with its ramifications yet to be explored. This very new concept has been coined as â€Å"unlocking† of the organizational bonds. Whereas traditionally the manufacturing was bonded to the IT infrastructure within the same organization up until early 1990s, the new millennium saw this unlocking of these activities, keeping the core competencies unlocked t o attain competitive advantage. Globalization then can be described as augmentation of international integration of markets; an interconnectedness of cross border political, cultural, economic, environmental, and technological issues. Freidman describes globalization in respect to three eras; the era from 1492 to 1800 that marked America’s discovery by Columbus, the second era from 1800 to the new millennium, which was majorly characterised with dispersement of markets for cheap labour and resources. And the new era of globalization is the present era that has made the world shrink even further. (Giachetti 2010). Hence, companies have faced the pressure to make internal decisions consistent with global competition and incorporate these decisions into their business strategy. The engineering industry has undergone these changes in terms of investing in research and development, innovation, cost savings and making the production processes more efficient in order to create a com petitive edge in this highly competitive industry (Laudon 2007). Aims of the Study The aim of this study hence is to analyse the impact of globalization on the engineering ind

Case analysis for enterprise rent-a-car Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis for enterprise rent-a-car - Case Study Example By the end of 2010, the enterprise had grown bigger, and became the largest private car rental enterprises with 6,000 rental locations and 850,000 rental cars in service. Since 1994, the enterprise has been the leading car rental company and by the year 2010, it accounted for almost half of the auto rental market with its competitor being Hertz (Busse and Swinkels 2). In order to maximize its profits and ensure quality services to its customers, the Human Resource department decided to employ more employees, most of them being university graduates than any other car rental company (Burns 90). This enables the enterprise to compete other companies since these graduate employees were goal oriented, had good problem solving skills, had good communication and leadership skills, had good customer and sales service skills, they were flexible, and ensured a well-built work ethnic. However, in order to sustain its employees, the company offered an opportunity to develop well-paying careers, if they showed the efforts of working hard and willing to learn new skills. The new trainees earned approximately $35,000 per annum including overtime allowances. However, the Human resource management ensured that the hardworking employees received promotions to better positions and this made the company to appear in the BusinessWeek top fifty places to launch your c areer consistently (Burns 90). Secondly, all the branches of enterprise rent-a-car typically started their operations at 7:30 a.m. to 6:00p.m. This enables the enterprise to serve a large number of customers since the allocated working hours were the working hours for the customers. The company could, for instance, fetch customers to their work location and back home in the evening (Busse and Swinkels 3). The Human Resource staffed offices with the adequate number of employees to manage the allocated fleet of cars.

Fire Protection Hydraulics and water supply Essay - 1

Fire Protection Hydraulics and water supply - Essay Example According to Edwards (2004), firefighting is an act which involves putting off destructive fires with the assistance of firefighters. Firefighting as a profession requires immense training and education for several years. A firefighter is required to demonstrate good communication skills, good judgment, mechanical aptitude, basic math skill among others. Basic mathematics has become one of the vital requirements among the fire fighters due to the various activities they carry out. For instance, fire fighters require the basic knowledge of calculating the amount of water required to suppress a fire in a closed volume. Therefore, basic mathematics plays a critical role in assisting the firefighter to decide on the amount of water required to extinguish the fire. Field fire workers and engineers are the common positions which require basic mathematics on a regular base (Edwards, 2004). Their main roles of the firefighters include: disaster management, search and rescue, fire prevention, emergency medical service and hazardous material response. However, fire fighting is a dangerous and complex act. Hence an increase need for basic mathematics.

Computer Shopper Essay Example for Free

Computer Shopper Essay Technology has evolved and changed throughout history and the world. In the 80’s and even early 90’s, type writers and the mail man were highly relied on when it came to communication. Today when it comes to communication now we have e-mail and text messaging. Presently different professions use computer but with different configurations. So what I did was take three known professions business, student and professional gamer. To describe what functions are needed for their profession. The Student Being a fulltime student takes a lot and requires one to be on point at every task at hand. Having all materials such as paper, books, pens and pencils. Even through textbooks breaks the bank in your pockets. The need for a notebook also known as a laptop is a major requirement. Having a notebook definitely helps a lot in everyday class curriculums. One problem is that once you have your notebook you need software such Microsoft Office. Microsoft Office is a wonderful tool when it comes to creating and reviewing documents. How can you determine what type of notebook to get though? On table 1 below, I have looked into Best Buy, one of America’s top known electronic retail companies, to see what is it that they have to offer to students. I came across Hewart Packard Pavilion A-8 series. This notebook comes with a 500 gigabyte hard drive and 4 gigabytes of memory. The processor is an Intel Celeron 2.1GHz. It is not one of Intels high end processors but for a student, it is definitely at the top of its class. The price provided by Best Buy is $429.99. The Business Man Reports, meetings, reviews, and analysis are the assignments general business men have to complete daily, weekly and/or monthly. But what type of desktop does a business man usually have in his or her office? Some random hand me down desktop provided by the IT Department? I believe so. What if you were your own boss and needed some sort of desktop that can get you  through everyday business. What type would you go for? Generally you want a desktop with a moderate processor, high on memory and a large hard drive to keep all documentation. Below on table 1, I suggested the Dell XPS desktop. Dell is popular nationwide when it comes to businesses and even schools. The Dell XPS provides 1TB of hard drive, 12GB of memory, and on top of that a 3.4 Intel 4th Generation Core. This desktop is an awesome display of business power and priced at $699.99.

Energy Drinks Essay Example for Free

Energy Drinks Essay The use of energy drinks in the United States has increased more than the controversial consumption of regular sodas. According to Coca-Cola executives, profits from energy products since 2005 through 2008 will total $540 million, compared with $210 million for regular soft drinks, $130 million for bottled water and $290 million for sports drinks (Warner). So what is it about this drinks that make them more popular than our pure and vital water? The answer is very simple; our hectic lifestyles. Today’s society is filled with exhaustion and high stress levels; many people rely on energy drinks to give them that second wind, which helps them stay awake through a test, and even revive them for a party. According to Simmons Research, thirty-one percent of teenagers in the United States say they drink energy drinks on a regular basis. People use energy drinks to boost their energy so they can be able to perform better, but because energy drinks contain ingredients that harm the human body they should be banned all over the world. There are some factors that increase the popularity of energy drinks. For example the easy to grab structure in which they are packed. The small container makes it quick to drink down, and the smaller scale gives the impression that the contents are more concentrated, which attracts the consumer even more. The color of the energy drinks is another reason for their popularity; a combination of bright and vivid colors such as acidic greens and yellows, black and red suggest a sense of energy and high performance. The mystery flavor in energy drinks is another reason why these drinks are consumed in excess. Compared to a typical juice offering, there is little or nothing about energy drink packaging to tell the consumer what the product tastes like. Instead, the graphic emphasis is more on the consumers sensibilities and attitude than flavor or thirst (Patterns). It is pathetic to see how big companies and manufacturers of these products use the ignorance and lack of knowledge of people to make a profit. Unfortunately we cannot victimize ourselves and blame everything on them. We are responsible for what we do and I believe that we should do some research before we buy a product that is obviously not natural at all. Energy drinks are made up of caffeine, taurine, guarana, ginseng, ginkgo, ephedrine, B vitamins and many other sugars. Caffeine is one of the most active ingredients in energy drinks; it is a psychoactive substance found in the beans, leaves and fruit of over 60 plants; it stimulates the nervous and cardiovascular system. Taurine is an amino acid that our body naturally produces, but in energy drinks the taurine is a synthetic element. It helps regulate heartbeat, muscle contractions, and energy levels. Usually our body makes enough so that we don’t need to supplement. Guarana is derived from South America plants and it contains approximately three times more caffeine than coffee beans. It stimulates the central nervous system, cardiac muscle, as well as the respitarory system. B vitamins help convert sugar to energy. Ginseng is an herbal stimulant used to cure, from stress to poor memory to diabetes. Gingko is another herbal stimulant that is used to treat memory loss, headaches, ringing in the ears and depression. Ephedrine is a stimulant, used as a decongestant in treatments of asthma. The chemical structure is similar to amphetamines and methamphetamines. This stimulant is found in weight loss pills, it speeds up metabolism by causing energy that is acquired from food to burn faster. These ingredients do not sound harmful at all. Many of them are natural and even beneficial for our health. So why have energy drinks been banned in a few countries? Lets me now introduce to you the negative sides of all these ingredients. According to Roland Griffiths, a professor in behavioral biology, the amount of caffeine that is necessary to produce dependency and withdrawal symptoms is about 100 milligrams a day. A can of energy drink has 80 to 160 milligrams (Warner). Some of the side effects that the use of caffeine creates are dependency, diarrhea, copious urination and headaches. It also increases the heart rate, blood flow, respiratory rate, and metabolic rate for several hours. Caffeine causes anxiety, irritability, high sensitivity to noise, and self-mutilations. There are four caffeine-induced psychiatric disorders recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition: caffeine-induce anxiety disorder, caffeine-induced sleep disorder, and caffeine-related disorder not otherwise specified (NOS). Caffeine is also associated with a high risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in men. The side-effects that taurine causes are almost the same as caffeine, but many people claim that it kills your heart, since it is found in the central nervous system, skeletal and is more heavily concentrated in heart tissues and the brain. Taurine found in energy drinks is a synthetic vitamin that does not perform the same functions in the human body as vitamins found naturally in whole food nutrients would. These vitamins actually deplete the body of other nutrients, and overstretch your kidneys before being excreted through the urine. The side effects of Ginseng are nervousness, insomnia, and diarrhea. The effects of ginkgo are restlessness, upset stomach, diarrhea, and vomiting. A soft drink usually has 19 to 25 grams of sugar in each eight-ounce serving. Energy drinks on average contain more than this. Red Bull, for example, contains 27 grams of sugar per serving of 250 milliliters (a little over eight ounces). This can be very dangerous, for an overload of sugar can lead to gastric emptying. This often results in nausea and vomiting. As it was stated above each of the ingredients that a energy drink contain have several and powerful side effects when taken separately, imagine how dangerous they be can when taken all at the same time. People are using energy drinks as an alternate for proper rest, nutrition, and exercise like the spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, Roberta Anding said (Ellis). Many health problems can develop from the lack of proper rest like a weakened immune system, depression, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. The best substitute of energy drinks is water. Our body is 55 to 75 percent made out of water and its benefits are countless. Water improves energy, increases mental and physical performance, removes toxins and waste products from the body, keeps the skin healthy and glowing, helps to lose weight, reduces headaches and dizziness, helps digestion, helps the heart work better, reduces stress, and prevents urinary tract infections by flushing out impurities from the body. Many people that do not like to drink water can replace the energy drinks with natural juices such as orange which are 87 percent water or by eating cucumbers which are 95 percent water. Milk is another liquid that can replace energy drinks. Milk is our first source of nutrition when we are born; we are fed with this liquid before he can digest other food. Milk is made out of saturated fat, protein, calcium and vitamin C. Saturated fat provides the building blocks for cell membranes and it also acts as a carrier for vitamins A, D, E and K. This fat makes the lungs healthier, prevents stroke, and protects kidneys from diseases. Calcium makes up 70 percent of the bone weight and gives it strength and rigidity. Vitamin C helps the body produce a basic component of connective tissues called collagen. Collagen is an important element in the blood vessel walls, gums, and bones. Vitamin C functions as an antioxidant, it helps boost immune function protects against cancer, cataracts, deterioration of the retina, and other chronic diseases. Nowadays we live in a society that is always on the go and we are always looking for ways to get more energy to be able to get through school, work or any other duties that we may have. But putting our lives in danger by consuming energy drinks is not worth it. The government should definitely do something about it instead of letting some people get rich by the ignorance and lack of knowledge of most of the people that consume these harmful drinks. Works Cited Clayton, Lawrence. Amphetamines and Other Stimulants. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. , 1998. Ellis, Steven. Energy drinks bubble up. The Christian Science Monitor. 7 June 2007. 20 November 2007 Goldish, Meish. The Dangers of Herbal Stimulants. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. , 1998. Gustafson, C. J. The Health Benefits Of Drinking Water. 2005. 22 November 2007 Warner, Melanie. A Jolt of Caffeine, by the Can. New York Times 23 Nov. 2005. 20 November 2007.

Servqual Tool in Emirates Airlines

Servqual Tool in Emirates Airlines Servqual Tool The quality of services in emirates airlines: the challenges of continuous improvement Introduction In this paper the concept of quality is discussed to examine its development and applications. Service quality is reflected upon with an elaboration of the seminal SERVQUAL tool in a separate section. The paper also contextualizes customer satisfaction within the overall discussion on quality and business performance. Customer satisfaction and service quality are both also reflected upon to contextualize requirements of the changing times, and the adaptability of these two- inexplicably interconnect pillars of business performance. Quality and customer satisfaction are implicitly linked together in this paper in different sections – they remain linked by their respective definitions upfront. Business performance is an undercurrent to the discussion in this paper given the origins and nature of developments surrounding quality. Customer satisfaction is explicitly a key performance measure but its interconnections with profitability and loyalty are pondered over in trying to ela borate on the concept of market orientation. The paper is divided into four sections- the first one looks at quality in general mapping its development. The second section discusses service quality and its measurement. The third section looks at customer satisfaction and other key variables that shape customer orientation. The last section provides a profile and critique of SERVQUAL. Quality Quality has always concerned the societal intent of consumption. The reasons are fairly colloquial at one level where lack of quality can result in insufficient and unsatisfactory delivery of requirements from a product or service. At another level – given the growing complexity of the business processes over the last century quality has evolved into a discipline – characterized by an equally intertwined interface between control, assurance, and management in general (Dooley, 2006). Broadly speaking in the business context quality is the ‘perception of the ability’ of a product to satisfy its users. By extension it also applies to the processes and management of the processes that shape the product. However, the satisfying paradigm underpinning quality has multiple manifestations: â€Å"conformance†, â€Å"fitness for use†, â€Å"basic minimum requirements vs. attractiveness†, and as a matter of â€Å"interest and individual disposition† to name a few (e.g. Juran, 1945; Pirsig, 1974; Corsby, 1981; Kano, 1984; Reeves and Bednar, 1994). The definition of quality is rather difficult to come by because of the sheer nature of its wide applicability and strands of origin- ranging from the practical business origins to metaphysical origins. The American Society for Quality aptly captures this subjectivity in understanding quality by stating it as †¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"a subjective term for which each person has their own definition† (Wade, 2005; ASQ, 2007). Quality management is made up of two complementary aspects one is quality assurance and the other is quality control. The former is about ensuring a basic minimum standard through upfront production process design. The latter is about reviewing and monitoring output to wean out the ‘defectives’. Assurance is thus inherently preventive and control is mainly curative in a functional sense (Gunter, 1998). Irrespective of the disparate origins, quality management can be safely said to be largely associated with the idea of excellence. A range of concepts and their operationalisation stem from this broader view of quality and mark the growth in research and practice of quality management. Six Sigma, Quality Circles, and Total Quality Management- are but a few from amongst numerous such frames of reference (dti, 2007). The idea of quality at the advent of the century had been around as a selection paradigm- accepting the superior and rejecting the inferior and biased towards ‘control at best’- most of the time the evaluation came from the end user. Along the business value chain as production became large scale after the 1st World War- quality assurance procedures started becoming formalized. It was not only the ‘end of the road’ customer assessment but also a series of filters ensuring only the better quality output being delivered to the customer made control and assurance an important in house practice . The inspection oriented quality control schema had its problems mainly in terms of competent individuals that could ensure monitoring despite not being the ‘know all’ skill set champions. Formalized roles of inspection and quality manager thus emerged and along side assurance models provided a great lift to quality management as a capability. Generic tools for quality management like the control chart emerged in the 1920s and statistical process control matured towards the middle of the century. The revival of the manufacturing of war torn Japan on mature principals of quality control and management finally brought quality management into the forefront. By the end of 1970s it was a global pre-occupation with everyone trying to imitate the success of Japanese low cost and high quality products (dti, 2007; Dooley, 2006). When the word total quality came to the fore in 1970s and finally pinned quality management as a fundamental capability that ran through the organization. The West’s take on quality management was more about ‘standards’ than ‘culturalisation’-but based around the same operational frameworks as in Japan. These gave rise to national standards in response to the need to have a quality association with the national economy as a whole. At the business level quality is now a key management responsibility (Gitlow et al., 1989). Aside from the generalized profile of emergence of quality management above there are a few key landmarks that need to be noted. The first is probably the statistical developments in the 20s and 30s and the emergence of concepts related to probability of acceptance, risk, tolerance levels, and sampling aspects (Shewart, 1931; Dodge and Romig, 1959) establishment of standards and societies also marked the 1930s and 40s (Hutchins, 1995; Dooley, 2006). Industrial production was never under as much pressure as in the II world War. While quality assurance could not keep up with the pressure control came to the forefront to ensure acceptable working products. The maturing of the statistical processes and standards in this regard was a key development. The large scale transmission of these standards to the then military suppliers ensured that the War provided an acceleration to the diffusion of quality management standards and systems (Dooley, 2006; Grant and Lang, 1991). With the end of the war in the formative phase of reconstruction quality was again given a ‘less rushed’ attention. The role of top management, the interface between organisation wide processes, among others found attention. Total quality control came to the fore as a holistic concept with a stage gate approach right from design to delivery to consumer (Fiegenbaum, 1951, 1957, 1961). As mentioned, the post war Japanese revival is a key factor in development of quality management. Over the 1950s and 1960s the ideas of cultaration of quality with pride in workmanship, top management support, liberalized communication and quality circles took hold stemming from Japanese success. The good practice concepts like quality circles emerged as competencies that were tightly woven into the culture of business unique to Japan and required some effort when it came to imitation by the west (Koyangi, 1964; Deming, 1967; Juran, 1967). Quality became integral to organisational behaviour, goals, and associated personnel development. The coining of ‘Total Quality Management’ (TQM), encapsulates this coming of age of quality management as an indispensable competency in the competitive arena that is augmented by increasing customer expectations (Deming, 1986; Anderson et al., 1994; Akers; 1991; Stratton, 1990). The main characteristics-changes and developments though numerous can be safely said to be around making quality: a responsibility for everyone, a necessity rather than a differentiator, relate better to services and information, and ever increasing set of non-manufacturing industries. relate to best practices, dissemination and learning recognized a key function and accordingly resourced in organizations reinforce the primacy of the customer (Green and Welsh, 1988; Marquardt, 1991; Dooley, 2006) As TQM goes from strength to strength the balance between assurance, control, and the new fangled third strand – learning is becoming vital given the dynamic nature and complex requirements that are associated with quality (Green and Welsh, 1988). The standardized tools need to be customized for organisational applications with a sense to create the competitive edge-because the omnipresent paradigm itself is tending to defeat the objective to seeking the competitive edge through quality (Dean and Bowen, 1994). Context specificity or in other customization of model and tools is the call of the day for research and practice alike The generic nature however needs to be preserved in the background given wider economic and societal association of quality management. For instance, as new frontiers like e-commerce open a fertile bed of quality concepts and models will be very valuable for learning and adaptation to the economic and social context (Doty et al., 1993; Dooley, 2006). . However, having an adaptable bed for quality management across diverse industries to draw from is not sufficient. The societal realties have also undergone transition – quality needs to broaden its founding grounds to reflect on new aspects like information management and the virtual realm where quality may have to question its own foundations that are deeply rooted in manufacturing. The successful adaptation to non-manufacturing i.e. services however, is evidence of the emergent nature of quality management that can take on fresh challenges. Service Quality Service quality is a subjective concept that remains challenging to define and to measure (Cronin and Taylor, 1992). This associates itself and can be understood as the application of total quality in the service sector in the main and also implying the service function in frontline delivery of product in other industries. The understanding of service quality has been synthesized from extant literature by Jennifer Rowley (1998). In her work it is seen as a â€Å"perception judgment from a comparison of what they feel service organizations should offer and the performance of the organisation offering the services†. There is no dearth of definitions that try to pack in comprehensiveness to this abstract concept. For instance, Hedvall and Paltschik (1989) refer to ‘willingness and ability to serve’ with a mention of ‘access’, Lehtinen and Lehtinen(1982) view service quality in a three-dimensional space that looks at ‘interactive, physical and corpo rate’ quality facets. Furthermore Gronroos (1984) simplifies the idea by seeing service quality as shaped by ‘technical and functional’ aspects of quality (Rowley ,1988). The link between service and performance and by extension satisfying the customer is challenging because services have a unique combination of characteristics. The first of these combinations is their intangibility- causing issues in measurement as they are a function of the ‘experience’ of the customer. The next is their perish ability –meaning that they cannot delivered from existing stock and thus lending a dynamic nature to service delivery that is difficult to condition. The third is inseparability between production and consumption of service and the last is heterogeneity or customizability as each end user receives a different level-nature of service partly owing to individualized perceptions that are involved in assessment (Zeithaml et al., 1985; Rowley, 1998). The need is thus to work on ‘perceptions’ to assess quality given the cognitive frame of reference that dominates the characteristics of service. The associated requirement is to be able to classify services so as to peg a cognitive frame on a type of service Such an attempt has provided for groupings within the service industry as a starting point to deliver customized measurement models (Dotchin and Oakland, 1994). The influences on consumer expectations have also been classified to augment such efforts (Gronroos,1994) . While the seminal work towards generic developments like SERVQUAL (Parasuram et al., 1988) that is discussed in detail in the last section of this paper, provide founding grounds to service quality measurement- literature sees several issues in the applicability of this generic framework. This also relates to the inclusion exclusion and reconfiguration of the understanding of service attributes and the industry categories discussed before (e.g. Sasser, 1978; Dotchin and Oakland, 1994). A critical perspective on SREVQUAL comes later but upfront – it is of essence is to recognize the importance and complexity in measurement given the sheer abstractness of the idea of service and its quality. The customization of measurement efforts and models in light of different service industry groups has been key to efforts at improving measurement (Dotchin and Oakland, 1994). In SERVQUAL the conceptualization of satisfaction has been found to be too simplistic and the multiplicity of the ‘total experience’ is arguably not captured – this is in addition to the non-customized generic nature of the SREVQUAL tool. A longitudinal and sometimes phenomenological analysis is suggested to capture these nuanced but important characteristics of service quality (Singh, 1991; Rowley, 1994). However, the difficult in devising a comprehensive tool still disposes wider practice of measurement to simplistic methods. Important adjustments and realizations like the use of ‘importance and satisfaction grid’ (Harvey, 1995) provide a very useful feedback and prioritization. For instance, high importance and poor satisfaction is a combination that merits urgent management attention. Another important variable in the service quality metric that needs to be accounted for is the nature of the contract. Again this is because of the attribute of ‘psychological contracts’ that is unique in nature to services (Thornrow, 1998). This has found particular appeal in measurement related to provision of public services. Having formal, informal and psychological components in service contracts provide a platform for balancing expectations and perceptions. These are otherwise very difficult to manage given the basic characteristics of service discussed at the onset of this section. Finally the perceptual plane needs to be also looked at with a balance though by classical definition the perception of the customer is the defining feature of quality-for service quality in particular the perception of the provider and the resultant psychological interface is also key to the metric. The role of customers is also not to be taken uni-dimensionally. There are different st akeholder brackets eg. users, influencers, deciders, approvers that associate with a service category and also vary in their significance (Rowley, 1988). These influence the generic satisfaction and associated performance variable. Given this multiplicity and the psychologically complex nature of interactions, the ‘relationship exchange’ process (Morgan and Hunt, 1994) is key to providing some cognitive stability to overtime service quality measurement. It is also a suitable conduit to ensure that feedback is smoothly translated into strategic action for improvement. Such relationships can be supported by associating service with some ‘bonds’ (Chu and Lin, 2004). For instance, providing unique services, incentives, and even building social ties between provider and customer. However, on the other hand, the impact of such relationships on service quality needs to be moderated for a reliable assessment. They provide grounds for stabilizing the psychological map to better associate performance and expectations but at the same time bias it. Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers Customer Satisfaction Broadly speaking customer satisfaction is a performance indicator of the extent to which a firm has managed to meet customer expectations through its business deliverables. Having formed the foundation of the marketing concept for nearly half a century the attempts at harnessing the good practices and measurement approaches is a much explored realm when it comes to customer satisfaction (e.g. Drucker, 1954; Levitt 1960; Gronroos, 1990). Over the last few years customer satisfaction has received a reinvigorated interest. Possible reasons for this have been seen as the after effects of a maturing TQM paradigm that is linked with several recognition awards, and also, arrival of national customer satisfaction barometers (Garvin, 1991; Johnson et al., 2001; Helgesen, 2006) The associated concept of customer relationship orientation is posits a strong link between customer loyalty and profitability with customer satisfaction (Zeithaml, 1988; Oliver, 1996). While customer loyalty has been referred to as central to ‘competitive advantage’ (Porter, 1985; Chao, et al., 2007)- this is delivered through customer -satisfaction. This is the basic rationalization behind customer satisfaction being so central to both short term and long term performance assessment. That the ‘ultimate aim of any firm is to achieve customer satisfaction’ remains the central thesis of market orientation (Levitt, 1960). Customer orientation seeks to align â€Å"organizational values, beliefs, assumptions and premises† to deliver a mutually enabling relationship between the customer and the firm (Day, 1994; Strong and Harris, 2004). Strong and Harris ( 2004), define a set of tactics that can deliver customer orientation. They define three sets of tactics. The first define relational tactics (essentially relationship marketing) that engages a nurturing philosophy for long run gains. The second tactic as human resource tactic is more about the direct interface with frontline of the customer and rest of the organisation –essentially empowering the front line through training and support to reap rewards of realized quality of experience of the customer. The final tactic relates to procedural aspects that routinise and systemize customer care and support systems. The study posits that there is a strong interaction and dependency between the three tactics. This key work that examines customer satisfaction and its manifestations under the customer orientation paradigm shares ground with some key extant literature (Narver and Slater, 1990) However, other studies tend to put one set of such aspects – though differently labeled as more important than the others. For instance, Chao et al. (2007) say that while satisfaction remains an abstract idea sometime there is an overt component of interpersonal relationship building that because of over emphasis- instead of complementing customer orientation tends wean resources away from conditioning deliverables to meet consumer expectations. Research suggests that such a lopsided drive is ill-found in the long run While relationship marketing remains important it has to be pegged on consumer satisfaction from products and services for sustainability (Chao et al., 2007). Businesses need to focus attention on relationship building. This however has to be conditioned for long run profitability. Customer satisfaction through meeting expectations from goods, transaction services and pure services, and a sustained follow up and support culture has to be the basis for relationship building. For instance, financial incentives/offers are likely to be ineffective and short lived if quality is undermined. As most of the research in customer orientation gets focused on relationship building this is an important consideration to use as a moderator. Value to the customer can never be undermined for seeking short term profitability. This is because such profitability is not suitably tied in with satisfaction which in turn guides customer loyalty. Views to the contrary also exist mainly from some practitioners. Bruce Clapp (2007) of the Carlson marketing group says that â€Å"relationship strength is more important than satisfaction as a true indicator of loyalty. Customizing the experience of our customers, in-branch and in home, impacts the strength of relationship as it builds. In the experience, ensuring our message is relevant requires that we be closer to our customer. The communication we use, whether direct mail, e-mail or in person, must be tailored to the needs of the customer at an individual level. The term mass customization has gained ground as we look for ways to become partners with our customers and be there when they have a financial need†¦changing the perception about communication from irrelevant to relevant†¦.mattered † (Bruce Clapp in ABA Bank Marketing, 2007) The above text signifies another important side to the changing times that of information and its quality as a deliverable that has become a key product attribute. Relationship management that works to harness this may improve the quality perception of its product without making changes to the product itself. The result is then improved customer satisfaction. The level of abstraction in the idea of ‘satisfaction’ and the changing times with an information overload -have created shadow characteristics for products and services. The idea of ‘value’ is ever more a backdoor into customer satisfaction. Customer orientation in the milieu of discussed tactics that include relationship management and the intertwining of satisfaction, loyalty and profitability is a complex arena. It is thus not strange to see that the core variable – customer satisfaction that inhabits the arena is often found missing from hundreds of studies that explore business performance (Capon, et al., 1990 –review of 320 empirical studies). The inter-linkages are so strong that even controlling for the satisfaction part (if a suitable measurement was deployed) tends to capture most of the variation in most cases. Given that studies seek to look at different sets of variables for instance, in say, production management exclusively – they understandably steer clear of satisfaction measurement and inclusion – resulting in poor significance and scope of such studies. Studies which do involve the customer factor in examining performance have more significance in results but have their own issues. These are to do with industry specific nuances where the interaction between customer satisfaction, loyalty and profitability vary a great deal (e.g. Reichheld and Sasser, 1990; Soderlund and Vilgon, 1995; Page et al., 1996). Accounting for the differences in methods and measurements the issue remains that the customer orientation metric is also industry specific. Though it is omnipresent and universally central to business goals the way it manifests itself is what may vary across business types. For instance, the rate at which profitability increases with loyalty and conversely loyalty increases with satisfaction may vary (Helgesen, 2006). In the days when customer was not inundated with choices -the notion of satisfaction was relatively stable despite its metaphysical connotations. As the number of choices has gone up so is the fickleness of satisfaction. Satisfaction can thus no longer be the guiding tenet for loyalty. The relationship perspective has thus become very important – and as argued above is widely contested in terms of how important? To the extent that it takes away resources from developing the arguably ‘real’ good or service it is overdone. However the ‘value’ it brings in terms of influencing consumer selection in an ambiguous setting of multiple satisfying options remains critical. The issue is that of a balance without a quality good or service to back up the relationship promise failure is imminent. However without being able to retain customers or attract them to quality products and services as there is always a ‘better’ out there investments in the â €˜real’ good or service is also low yielding. The challenge of customer satisfaction as the key variable in consumer orientation is to condition itself to the changing notion of ‘value’ that is now integral to information flows in every consumer-provider interaction. This conditioning should take into account the factors that affect loyalty and profitability because a knock on effect on these is very likely. Finally, there is also industry specificity to consider to an extent but to a lower extent- the times have not changed enough to question the centrality of consumer satisfaction- they are just placing new demands on it. Servqual The recognition of the importance of customer -‘assessment and perception of the quality’ of service has led to the emergence of concept behind SERVQUAL, and its delivery as a tool. This was primarily through the work of Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithmal (1985, 1988, and 1991). The development is a good example of research being driven by the interests of the industry and in the process delivering an instrument of direct utility to the industry. In this section SERVQUAL is reflected upon with a view to explain its foundations, ponder over- the developments, posited advantages and critiques, and in the process, provide a holistic perspective on this key development in service quality management. The basic concept behind SERVQUAL works on a ‘gap’ between the expected and perceived quality of service. The nuances on how this gap has been dealt with in this model –instrument, issues surrounding subjectivity, reliability and validity, and applicability across industries, have provided for generous discussion and developments over the last two decades. The customer view based on a set of questions is primary and the only view that matters in assessing this gap. The original ten dimensions that comprised SERVQUAL namely: reliability, competence, access, responsiveness, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, understanding customer and tangibles – were eventually synthesised into five. These dimensions were based around the following areas: â€Å"(1) tangibles: physical facilities and personnel presentation; (2) reliability: performing the promised service dependably and accurately; (3) responsiveness: helping customers and providing prompt servi ce; (4) assurance: knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and performance; and (5) empathy: caring, individualised attention the firm gives to its customers† (Parasuraman et al., 1988, 1991; Shahin, 2007). These provided for a rationalisation for 22 questions for customers to generate the gap metrics. These questions have since been pondered upon to reflect on the possibility of supplementary questions. Attempts have also been to tailor the instrument to work around reliability, validity and customisability issues. The last implies to the discussions in literature relating to the issues surrounding the generic nature of the instrument, and the need for reflecting on it given the range of applicability to a wide spectrum of industries (e.g. Buttle, 1996; Sullivan Estyes, 2006; Nyeck et al., 2002). SERVQUAL is popular in both the profit and non-profit sector (arguably more so in the latter) primarily due to the generic yet very useful nature of the investigative questions to a range of industries. It has the hallmarks of a good instrument – in being low on time consumption, easy to use and though argued recognised by practitioners to have acceptable reliability and validity. The comparable aspect for benchmarking reasons is also of great appeal (e.g. Brysland and Curry, 1984). It can provide a useful progress chart if done over successive years both for self assessment against set goals and comparative assessment to feedback into objectives and planning. Francis Buttle’s critique of Servqual (1996) provides some key shortcomings. The first one has to do with the subjectivity of expectations and perceptions. The second relates to the assumption the model makes about a â€Å"direct relationship† between service and quality- a perception that shares ground with the ‘gap model’ discussed later in this paper. The final rather philosphical but valid point is related to subjectivity and asks one to reflect on whether the right things are being measured for the desired assessment (Buttle, 1996). Luis Lages and Fernandes (2005) get metaphysical and question the â€Å"level of abstraction† associated with respondent customers. The posited Service Personal Values (SERPVAL) scale to refkect this presents three dimensions of service value to â€Å"peaceful life, social recognition, and social integration†(Luis et al., 2005) . In this scheme of things as a possbile supplement to SERVQUAL – customer staisfaction relates to all dimensions and loyalty and repurcahse intentions are the attributes than can be distilled from the assessment (Kang et al., 2002). The validity position that has been contested in research also stems from the assumption in SERVQUAL as being generalizable across industries and products. Such research posits that some of the areas/dimensions outlined above may have higher or lower position given the nature of the industry or product, and by extension suggests requirement for some customisation in applying the tool. The attempts to make SERVQUAL more robust and improve its application are ongoing. This also indicates the utility of the instrument’s design as a time tested foundation for service quality measurement (e.g. Carman; 1990, Cronin et al, 1992; Brian et al, 2000). Illustrated below is a template of the SERVQUAL instrument Figure 1: The SERVQUAL Instrument DIRECTIONS: This survey deals with your opinions of __________ services. Please show the extent to which you think firms offering _________ services should possess the features described by each statement. Do this by picking one of the seven numbers next to each statement. If you strongly agree that these firms should posses a feature, circle the number 7. If you strongly disagree that these firms should possess a feature, circle 1. If your feelings are not strong, circle one of the numbers in the middle. There are no right or wrong answers – all we are interested in is a number that best shows your expectations about the firms offering ________ services. E1.They should have up-to-date equipment. E2.Their physical facilities should be visually appealing. E3.Their employees should be well dressed and appear neat. E4.The appearance of the physical facilities of these firms should be in keeping with the type of services provided. E5.When these firms promise to do something by a certain time, they should do so. E6.When customers have problems, these firms should be sympathetic and reassuring. E7.These firms should be dependable E8.They should provide their services at the time they promise to do so. E9.They should keep their records accurately. E10.They shouldn’t be expected to tell customers exactly when services will be performed. E11.It is not realistic for customers to expect prompt service from employees of these firms. E12.Their employees don’t always have to be willing to help customers. E13.It is okay if they are too busy to respond to customer requests promptly. E14.Customers should be able to trust employees of these firms. E15.Customers should be able to feel safe in their transactions wi

The Irish Easter Rebellion 1916 Essay -- essays research papers fc

The 1916 Irish Easter Uprising Ever since the occupation of Ireland by the English began in 1169, Irish patriots have fought back against British rule, and the many Irish rebellions and civil wars had always been defeated. To quash further rebellion, the Act of Union was imposed in 1800, tying Ireland to the United Kingdom of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Laws discriminating against Catholics and the handling of the Irish Potato Famine of 1845-50 led to increased tension and the proposal of introducing Home Rule gained support. In 1913 there was a general strike of workers in Dublin led by James Connolly of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union (I.T.G.W.U.). This action was followed by the 1913 Lock-Out during which employers literally locked workers out of their factories. Also in 1913 John Redmond, leader of the Irish Nationalist Party, created the Irish Volunteers to counter the Ulster Volunteers, an organisation created to fight against Home Rule. His chief-of-staff was Eoin MacNeill and his commandant was Patrick Pearse. When World War I began, Irish nationalists flocked to sign up for Britain’s war effort in the hundreds of thousands. They believed they were at last making Ireland one of the small nations of Europe, and that in showing their good faith in Britain they were ensuring Home Rule be passed. However, another more extreme tradition of patriotism considered Home Rule a sell-out. Thomas J. Clarke, who had been previously gaoled after being sent to England on a dynamiting mission in 1883, immigrated to America and then returned to Ireland in 1907. In his tobacconist’s shop in Dublin the Irish Republican Brotherhood (I.R.B.), a group of patriots who wanted national independence, was being revived. He held a meeting with, among others, Patrick Pearse, Eoin MacNeill and Sean MacDermott, who had broken away with a minority of extremist Volunteers when Redmond co-operated with the war effort, and Connolly who was now the creator and commander of the Irish Citizen Army, a workerâ€⠄¢s fighting force designed to defend against police brutality. There they made the decision to rise in arms against British rule. Together they created front organisations for propaganda purposes, such as the Neutrality League and the Wolfe Tone Memorial Committee. The latter organised the funeral of Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, a supporter of the republican ... ...n the Web, Dublin, Ireland. Available from: [24/4/05] Anon. (1994). Irish History: 1916 Easter Rebellion [Internet]. Document created by Irish Northern Aid Inc., New York, USA. Available from: [15/2/05] Berry, Ben. (2002). Easter 1916, [Internet]. Document reproduced by University of Maryland Honours Program, Maryland, USA. Available from: [18/4/05] Fitzgibbon, Constantine. 1916: The Rising, Britain. Article reproduced by Irish Jokes: An Alternative Website (2004) [Internet]. Available from: [12/2/04] Grant, Ted. (1966). Connolly and the 1916 Easter Uprising [Internet]. Document created by In Defence of Marxism Website, Australia. Available from: [19/4/05] Journal Articles Anon. (2004). ‘Working-Class Hero: James Connolly’, Forward! Magazine of the Connolly Youth Movement, Spring 2004. Article reproduced by The Communist Party of Ireland (2004) [Internet]. Available from: [18/4/05] Mackin, James A. (1997). ‘Sacrifice and Moral Hierarchy: The Rhetoric of Irish Republicans, 1916-23’, The American Communications Journal, Volume 1, Issue 3, September 1997. Article reproduced by The American Communications Journal, North Carolina, USA [Internet]. Available from: [18/3/05]

Impact of Globalisation on the Music Industry Essay -- Globalization E

Define and explain globalisation, then critically evaluate and illustrate the impact globalisation has had on a particular business, the industry it operates in, its country of origin and the country or countries the business has expanded into. In this paper I will be discussing how globalisation has impacted the Music Industry in recent years, and in particular the multi-national giant Universal Music Group (UMG). Globalisation is a noun that is hard to define; it has many definitions depending on which scholar you talk to, which dictionary you reference, and the viewpoint you take. The Oxford dictionary will tell you that globalisation is â€Å"the process by which businesses or other organisations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale† (Definition of globalization in English). People’s perspectives on defining the word vary depending on the place they were born, where they have lived, the religion they follow, their social status, political ideology, cultural background and wealth, amongst other things, because all of these will affect whether they view globalisation to be a positive or negative occurrence. My favourite definition comes from Kenichi Ochmae; a Japanese organisational theorist most recognised for introducing Japanese management methods, such as the just-in-time method of production, to the Western world. In 1992, Ochmae said that globalisation is the â€Å"onset of the borderless world† (Al-Rodhan, 2006). This is my preferred explanation of globalisation because it is so simple to digest. From the phrase â€Å"borderless world† alone you can begin to understand exactly what globalisation is all about, however the simplicity of this definition is also its downfall because it is very non... ...ndi, a Paris-based multi-national who in 2012 declined an offer of 8.5 billion US$ for the company from SoftBank (Staff, 2013). Universal Music Group operates in over 60 countries across the world – with its corporate headquarters located in Santa Monica (California) and Broadway (New York City) (FAQ's, 2014). The firm owns many hugely successful record labels including Deutsche Grammophon Capitol Records, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, EMI Records, Interscope Records, Island Records, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Virgin Records and many more. This puts them is an extremely fortunate position in the music industry because they own many back catalogues of artists who have experienced huge fame and have the ability to attract new talented artists because of their history and the prestige linked to the names of the labels they own.

Large Pizza, Extra Cheese, Extra Norovirus

You can’t stand it. You open the door and generously greet the beauty you’ve been waiting a whole hour for. Your taste buds are teasing you. Craving the molten melted cheese topped with every one of your favorite meats and vegetables. It shines like it’s just been on a treadmill for 3 hours before landing right in your hands, in a perfectly folded box. The ten dollar and fifty cent beauty is all yours, and it’s calling your name. Nothing can go wrong, until it hits you.The mixture of vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and a fever, all because you thought you could trust what was hand delivered to your doorstep. Instead of getting what was paid for, you’ve gotten a big pizza pie full of Noroviruses. On March 3rd, 2008, A locally owned pizza place in Overland Park, Kansas named â€Å"Pizza Shoppe† was in the middle of a huge controversy. While business hours on this day, 10 cases of a foodborne illness was reported. In response, an outbreak investigat ion was initiated by the Johnson County Health Department and the Kansas Department of Health.One of those 10 cases was one of their own employees. 10 customers reported symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting about 2 to 3 hours after eating lunch at the restaurant. The employees of the day were sent to answer a thorough questionnaire about the information on individual illness history, food consumption history and hours worked during the 7-day time period. The results came back positive. All of the specimens that were taken from the sick people came back positive with a food borne illness called Norovirus Gastroenteritis.So where did it come from? What caused it to be such a violent outbreak? An inspection was carried out by the Kansas Department of Health on March 4th, 2008. After an initial walkthrough of the business, the biggest culprits were two dented cans of pizza sauce that are used to make the pizzas every day, no â€Å"use by† dates on any food items, and employ ee bare hand contact with ready to eat foods and toppings. The biggest culprit of all would have had to be bare hand contact with the foods and the employees.Since one of the employees reported symptoms of Norovirus Gastroenteritis as well, this might of single handedly caused the ten others to get sick as well. A sure sign of a physical contamination, at its finest. A norovirus is a type of virus that can be caused by tainted water, or human fecal matter. The symptoms to this virus include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pains. Although, this virus cannot multiply in food, it can be carried into the food by bad food handling habits.It can be easily prevented through sanitary food safety precautions that can be used when training employees, to reduce an outbreak from happening. There is no specific medicine to treat people with a norovirus illness. Norovirus infection cannot be treated with antibiotics because it is a viral infection instead of a bacterial one. If you hav e norovirus illness, you should drink plenty of liquids to replace fluid lost from throwing up and diarrhea symptoms. This will help prevent dehydration.Consequentially, the restaurant obtained 3 health violations and was forced to change their vendor. This also caused the media to report on the restaurant negatively, and in turn, caused the restaurant business for many months following the outbreak. Thankfully nobody died but necessary sanitation precautions for employees were put into effect to ease the possibility of a future outbreak. So next time your order a pizza, take a good look into the cheese glimmering back at you. Every deliciously cheesy piece could be your last.

Insanity or Feigned Madness

Throughout William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the protagonist, Prince Hamlet, is faced with avenging the cruel murder of his Father. In attempts for vengeance, Hamlet feigns madness as a ploy to perform actions he would normally be prohibited from and as a way to prevent people from taking him seriously, thus allowing him to execute his plans unnoticed. He uses his ‘insanity’ as a way to vent his feelings and thoughts towards other characters as shown when he is speaking to Claudius, Gertrude and Ophelia. Hamlet blatantly states on various occasions that he in fact is not mad and even says that he will put on an â€Å"antic disposition†. He also only portrays his madness when necessary for his underlying goal, but when there is no need to deceive, Hamlet acts as a perfectly sane person would which is demonstrated when he speaks to Horatio as well as the actors. Finally in comparison to Ophelia, who is the portrait of madness and has undergone similar tragedies as Hamlet, he appears as normal as anyone else. Hamlet appears to be mad as a way to vent his emotions and conceal any action he plans to take against Claudius to avenge his father. This is part of Hamlets initial plan when he tells Horatio and Marcellus that he will â€Å"put an antic disposition on†(I. v. 173) and that they must swear not to speak a word of his feigned madness. This allows Hamlet to maintain his appearance of insanity thus allowing him to make his remarks of disgust towards Gertrude and Claudius without being punished or taken seriously as a sane prince would be. Through his act, Hamlet is able to vent his feelings towards Gertrude about how she married too soon after the death of his father and is even able to criticize her. Hamlet also uses his feigned madness as an excuse for his actions. This is shown when Hamlet apologizes to Laertes: Was’t Hamlet wrong’d Laertes? Never Hamlet: If Hamlet from himself be ta’en away, And when he’s not himself does wrong Laertes, Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it. Who does it then? His madness: if’t be so,(V. ii. 224) Even in Hamlets apology he makes it seem as though he is mad. The line â€Å"If Hamlet from himself be ta’en away† represents the modern description of madness stating that Hamlet was not all there. He also speaks about himself in third person, which is seen for the first time in the play, and also conveys the principle of madness. By apologizing in a ‘mad state of mind’, Hamlet hopes to make his insanity more believable thus making it easier for Laertes to accept it. By feigning insanity, Hamlet is able avoid questions about his peculiar behavior and is able to focus on his revenge on Claudius. Hamlet only uses his guise of madness when necessary. Proving his sanity, Hamlet is able create a play based on what the ghost of his father told Hamlet about his death. Also when telling Horatio, a scholar, of his plan Hamlet not only appeared sane but Horatio had no issues with his instructions â€Å"Observe mine uncle: if his occulted guilt Do not itself unkennel in one speech it is a damned ghost we have seen,†(III. ii. 79) Hamlet tells Horatio to watch Claudius for any signs of guilt. Showing that he is not insane, Hamlet also questions the intentions of the ghost and whether it is good or evil. If he were mad, then he would not even contemplate the intentions of the ghost. Above all Hamlet was correct with his plan and the king did in fact show signs guilt. Even other characters notice that Hamlet is not completely mad. A prime example is when Polonius was speaking to Hamlet and says, â€Å"Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t. †(II. ii. 204). Although Hamlet was able to fool Polonius that he was indeed mad, Polonius notices that Hamlet’s remarks are full of meaning and quick-witted, no easy task for a man who is truly insane but not as difficult for a man nearly playing the role. Polonius’ analysis of Hamlet proves to be true when Hamlet tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that he in fact is not mad. I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw. (II. ii. 376). Though spoken in an unconventional way, Hamlet blatantly states that he is not mad. Hidden within that statement, Hamlet also was able to convey the message that he can recognize his enemies, â€Å"I know a hawk from a handsaw†. Some have analyzed this quote as an attack towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern1. Hamlet is not mad he is merely feigning it and with his knowledge of acting he is doing an exceptional job. Similarly to Hamlet, Ophelia suffers the same tragic loss of a father. Cambridge University did a study on the effects of losing a parent and came to the conclusion that â€Å"The death of a parent imposes an unexpected crisis for most healthy, well-functioning adults. This crisis can result in high levels of physiological distress, increased risk for depression, impaired physical health, or increase alcohol consumption. These effects go largely unrecognized by everyone except those going through the loss. †(Umberson,7). This study proves true to Hamlet who undergoes similar signs of depression and physiological distress. Ophelia on the other hand shows true signs of insanity. She is unable to process thoughts logically and when she falls in the water she is unable, or unwilling, to sense the danger at hand and drowns without the slightest struggle. Unlike Ophelia, Hamlet is constantly thinking and rationalizing his possible actions. This is shown when Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius: Now might I do it, now he is a-praying; and now I’ll do’t: and so he goes to heaven: and so am I revenged. That would be scann’d: A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven. (III,iii,74-79) Hamlet’s thoughts follow a logical progression that shows his understanding of the situations around him. With the chance to kill Claudius, Hamlet realizes that by killing him while he is repenting his sins, Hamlet would thereby be sending him to heaven and thus doing Claudius a favour. Hamlet proves that he is sane by having the ability to think logically and therefore in comparison to Ophelia he is far from madness. The question of Hamlet’s sanity is one that has been questioned since the moment Hamlet was first performed. Madness is one of the main elements driving the plot and as the play progresses, Hamlet’s depiction of a madman becomes increasingly believable. His feigned madness is a mere ploy for vengeance on Claudius and should not be mistaken for true insanity. Hamlet himself states that he is not mad and will put on an â€Å"antic disposition† and in comparison to Ophelia, Hamlet is the picture of sanity. In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Young Hamlet feigns madness in attempts to avenge the death of his father and although he shows signs of depression he should not be believed to be a madman.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 93-97

CHAPTER 93 Franklin Square is located in the northwest quadrant of downtown Washington, bordered by K and Thirteenth streets. It is home to many historic buildings, most notably the Franklin School, from which Alexander Graham Bell sent the world's first wireless message in 1880. High above the square, a fast-moving UH-60 helicopter approached from the west, having completed its journey from the National Cathedral in a matter of minutes. Plenty of time, Sato thought, peering down at the square below. She knew it was critical that her men got into position undetected before their target arrived. He said he wouldn't be here for at least twenty minutes. On Sato's command, the pilot performed a â€Å"touch-hover† on the roof of the tallest building around–the renowned One Franklin Square–a towering and prestigious office building with two gold spires on top. The maneuver was illegal, of course, but the chopper was there only a few seconds, and its skids barely touched the gravel rooftop. Once everyone had jumped out, the pilot immediately lifted off, banking to the east, where he would climb to â€Å"silent altitude† and provide invisible support from above. Sato waited as her field team collected their things and prepared Bellamy for his task. The Architect was still looking dazed from having seen the file on Sato's secure laptop. As I said . . . an issue of national security. Bellamy had quickly understood Sato's meaning and was now fully cooperative. â€Å"All set, ma'am,† Agent Simkins said. On Sato's command, the agents ushered Bellamy across the rooftop and disappeared down a stairwell, heading for ground level to take up their positions. Sato walked to the edge of the building and gazed down. The rectangular wooded park below filled the entire block. Plenty of cover. Sato's team fully understood the importance of making an undetected intercept. If their target sensed a presence here and decided just to slip away . . . the director didn't even want to think about it. The wind up here was gusty and cold. Sato wrapped her arms around herself, and planted her feet firmly to avoid getting blown over the edge. From this high vantage point, Franklin Square looked smaller than she recalled, with fewer buildings. She wondered which building was Eight Franklin Square. This was information she had requested from her analyst Nola, from whom she expected word at any moment. Bellamy and the agents now appeared, looking like ants fanning out into the darkness of the wooded area. Simkins positioned Bellamy in a clearing near the center of the deserted park. Then Simkins and his team melted into the natural cover, disappearing from view. Within seconds, Bellamy was alone, pacing and shivering in the light of a streetlamp near the center of the park. Sato felt no pity. She lit a cigarette and took a long drag, savoring the warmth as it permeated her lungs. Satisfied that everything below was in order, she stepped back from the edge to await her two phone calls–one from her analyst Nola and one from Agent Hartmann, whom she had sent to Kalorama Heights. CHAPTER 94 Slow down! Langdon gripped the backseat of the Escalade as it flew around a corner, threatening to tip up on two tires. CIA agent Hartmann was either eager to show off his driving skills to Katherine, or he had orders to get to Peter Solomon before Solomon recuperated enough to say anything he shouldn't say to the local authorities. The high-speed game of beat-the-red-light on Embassy Row had been worrisome enough, but now they were racing through the winding residential neighborhood of Kalorama Heights. Katherine shouted directions as they went, having been to this man's house earlier that afternoon. With every turn, the leather bag at Langdon's feet rocked back and forth, and Langdon could hear the clank of the capstone, which had clearly been jarred from the top of the pyramid and was now bouncing around in the bottom of his bag. Fearing it might get damaged, he fished around inside until he found it. It was still warm, but the glowing text had now faded and disappeared, returning to its original engraving: The secret hides within The Order. As Langdon was about to place the capstone in a side pocket, he noticed its elegant surface was covered with tiny white gobs of something. Puzzled, he tried to wipe them off, but they were stuck on and hard to the touch . . . like plastic. What in the world? He could now see that the surface of the stone pyramid itself was also covered with the little white dots. Langdon used his fingernail and picked one off, rolling it between his fingers. â€Å"Wax?† he blurted. Katherine glanced over her shoulder. â€Å"What?† â€Å"There are bits of wax all over the pyramid and capstone. I don't understand it. Where could that possibly have come from?† â€Å"Something in your bag, maybe?† â€Å"I don't think so.† As they rounded a corner, Katherine pointed through the windshield and turned to Agent Hartmann. â€Å"That's it! We're here.† Langdon glanced up and saw the spinning lights of a security vehicle parked in a driveway up ahead. The driveway gate was pulled aside and the agent gunned the SUV inside the compound. The house was a spectacular mansion. Every light inside was ablaze, and the front door was wide open. A half-dozen vehicles were parked haphazardly in the driveway and on the lawn, apparently having arrived in a hurry. Some of the cars were still running and had their headlights shining, most on the house, but one askew, practically blinding them as they drove in. Agent Hartmann skidded to a stop on the lawn beside a white sedan with a brightly colored decal: PREFERRED SECURITY. The spinning lights and the high beams in their face made it hard to see. Katherine immediately jumped out and raced for the house. Langdon heaved his bag onto his shoulder without taking the time to zip it up. He followed Katherine at a jog across the lawn toward the open front door. The sounds of voices echoed within. Behind Langdon, the SUV chirped as Agent Hartmann locked the vehicle and hurried after them. Katherine bounded up the porch stairs, through the main door, and disappeared into the entryway. Langdon crossed the threshold behind her and could see Katherine was already moving across the foyer and down the main hallway toward the sound of voices. Beyond her, visible at the end of the hall, was a dining-room table where a woman in a security uniform was sitting with her back to them. â€Å"Officer!† Katherine shouted as she ran. â€Å"Where is Peter Solomon?† Langdon rushed after her, but as he did so, an unexpected movement caught his eye. To his left, through the living-room window, he could see the driveway gate was now swinging shut. Odd. Something else caught his eye . . . something that had been hidden from him by the glare of the spinning lights and the blinding high beams when they drove in. The half-dozen cars parked haphazardly in the driveway looked nothing like the police cars and emergency vehicles Langdon had imagined they were. A Mercedes? . . . a Hummer? . . . a Tesla Roadster? In that instant, Langdon also realized the voices he heard in the house were nothing but a television blaring in the direction of the dining room. Wheeling in slow motion, Langdon shouted down the hallway. â€Å"Katherine, wait!† But as he turned, he could see that Katherine Solomon was no longer running. She was airborne. CHAPTER 95 Katherine Solomon knew she was falling . . . but she couldn't figure out why. She had been running down the hall toward the security guard in the dining room when suddenly her feet had become entangled in an invisible obstacle, and her entire body had lurched forward, sailing through the air. Now she was returning to earth . . . in this case, a hardwood floor. Katherine crashed down on her stomach, the wind driven violently from her lungs. Above her, a heavy coat tree teetered precariously and then toppled over, barely missing her on the floor. She raised her head, still gasping for breath, puzzled to see that the female security guard in the chair had not moved a muscle. Stranger still, the toppled coat tree appeared to have a thin wire attached to the bottom, which had been stretched across the hallway. Why in the world would someone . . . ? â€Å"Katherine!† Langdon was shouting to her, and as Katherine rolled onto her side and looked back at him, she felt her blood turn to ice. Robert! Behind you! She tried to scream, but she was still gasping for breath. All she could do was watch in terrifying slow motion as Langdon rushed down the hall to help her, completely unaware that behind him, Agent Hartmann was staggering across the threshold and clutching his throat. Blood sprayed through Hartmann's hands as he groped at the handle of a long screwdriver that protruded from his neck. As the agent pitched forward, his attacker came into full view. My God . . . no! Naked except for a strange undergarment that looked like a loincloth, the massive man had apparently been hiding in the foyer. His muscular body was covered from head to toe with strange tattoos. The front door was swinging closed, and he was rushing down the hall after Langdon. Agent Hartmann hit the floor just as the front door slammed shut. Langdon looked startled and whirled around, but the tattooed man was already on him, thrusting some kind of device into his back. There was a flash of light and a sharp electrical sizzle, and Katherine saw Langdon go rigid. Eyes frozen wide, Langdon lurched forward, collapsing down in a paralyzed heap. He fell hard on top of his leather bag, the pyramid tumbling out onto the floor. Without so much as a glance down at his victim, the tattooed man stepped over Langdon and headed directly for Katherine. She was already crawling backward into the dining room, where she collided with a chair. The female security guard, who had been propped in that chair, now wobbled and dropped to the floor in a heap beside her. The woman's lifeless expression was one of terror. Her mouth was stuffed with a rag. The enormous man had reached her before Katherine had time to react. He seized her by the shoulders with impossible strength. His face, no longer covered by makeup, was an utterly terrifying sight. His muscles flexed, and she felt herself being flipped over onto her stomach like a rag doll. A heavy knee ground into her back, and for a moment, she thought she would break in two. He grabbed her arms and pulled them backward. With her head now turned to one side and her cheek pressed into the carpet, Katherine could see Langdon, his body still jerking, facing away from her. Beyond that, Agent Hartmann lay motionless in the foyer. Cold metal pinched Katherine's wrists, and she realized she was being bound with wire. In terror, she tried to pull away, but doing so sent searing pain into her hands. â€Å"This wire will cut you if you move,† the man said, finishing with her wrists and moving down to her ankles with frightening efficiency. Katherine kicked at him, and he threw a powerful fist into the back of her right thigh, crippling her leg. Within seconds, her ankles were bound. â€Å"Robert!† she now managed to call out. Langdon was groaning on the floor in the hallway. He lay crumpled on his leather bag with the stone pyramid lying on its side near his head. Katherine realized the pyramid was her last hope. â€Å"We deciphered the pyramid!† she told her attacker. â€Å"I'll tell you everything!† â€Å"Yes, you will.† With that, he pulled the cloth from the dead woman's mouth and firmly stuffed it into Katherine's. It tasted like death. Robert Langdon's body was not his own. He lay, numb and immobile, his cheek pressed against the hardwood floor. He had heard enough about stun guns to know they crippled their victims by temporarily overloading the nervous system. Their action–something called electromuscular disruption–might as well have been a bolt of lightning. The excruciating jolt of pain seemed to penetrate every molecule of his body. Now, despite his mind's focused intention, his muscles refused to obey the command he was sending them. Get up! Facedown, paralyzed on the floor, Langdon was gulping shallow breaths, scarcely able to inhale. He had yet to lay eyes on the man who had attacked him, but he could see Agent Hartmann lying in an expanding pool of blood. Langdon had heard Katherine struggling and arguing, but moments ago her voice had become muffled, as if the man had stuffed something in her mouth. Get up, Robert! You've got to help her! Langdon's legs were tingling now, a fiery and painful recovery of feeling, but still they refused to cooperate. Move! His arms twitched as sensation started to come back, along with feeling in his face and neck. With great effort, he managed to rotate his head, dragging his cheek roughly across the hardwood floor as he turned his head to look down into the dining room. Langdon's sight line was impeded–by the stone pyramid, which had toppled out of his bag and was lying sideways on the floor, its base inches from his face. For an instant, Langdon didn't understand what he was looking at. The square of stone before him was obviously the base of the pyramid, and yet it looked somehow different. Very different. It was still square, and still stone . . . but it was no longer flat and smooth. The base of the pyramid was covered with engraved markings. How is this possible? He stared for several seconds, wondering if he was hallucinating. I looked at the base of this pyramid a dozen times . . . and there were no markings! Langdon now realized why. His breathing reflex kick-started, and he drew a sudden gasp of air, realizing that the Masonic Pyramid had secrets yet to share. I have witnessed another transformation. In a flash, Langdon understood the meaning of Galloway's last request. Tell Peter this: The Masonic Pyramid has always kept her secret . . . sincerely. The words had seemed strange at the time, but now Langdon understood that Dean Galloway was sending Peter a code. Ironically, this same code had been a plot twist in a mediocre thriller Langdon had read years ago. Sin-cere. Since the days of Michelangelo, sculptors had been hiding the flaws in their work by smearing hot wax into the cracks and then dabbing the wax with stone dust. The method was considered cheating, and therefore, any sculpture â€Å"without wax†Ã¢â‚¬â€œliterally sine cera–was considered a â€Å"sincere† piece of art. The phrase stuck. To this day we still sign our letters â€Å"sincerely† as a promise that we have written â€Å"without wax† and that our words are true. The engravings on the base of this pyramid had been concealed by the same method. When Katherine followed the capstone's directions and boiled the pyramid, the wax melted away, revealing the writing on the base. Galloway had run his hands over the pyramid in the sitting room, apparently feeling the markings exposed on the bottom. Now, if only for an instant, Langdon had forgotten all the danger he and Katherine faced. He stared at the incredible array of symbols on the base of the pyramid. He had no idea what they meant . . . or what they would ultimately reveal, but one thing was for certain. The Masonic Pyramid has secrets left to tell. Eight Franklin Square is not the final answer. Whether it was this adrenaline-filled revelation or simply the extra few seconds lying there, Langdon did not know, but he suddenly felt control returning to his body. Painfully, he swept an arm to one side, pushing the leather bag out of the way to clear his sight line into the dining room. To his horror, he saw that Katherine had been tied up, and a large rag had been stuffed deep into her mouth. Langdon flexed his muscles, trying to climb to his knees, but a moment later, he froze in utter disbelief. The dining-room doorway had just filled with a chilling sight–a human form unlike anything Langdon had ever seen. What in the name of God . . . ?! Langdon rolled, kicking with his legs, trying to back away, but the huge tattooed man grabbed him, flipping him onto his back and straddling his chest. He placed his knees on Langdon's biceps, pinning Langdon pain fully to the floor. The man's chest bore a rippling double-headed phoenix. His neck, face, and shaved head were covered with a dazzling array of unusually intricate symbols–sigils, Langdon knew–which were used in the rituals of dark ceremonial magic. Before Langdon could process anything more, the huge man clasped Langdon's ears between his palms, lifted his head up off the floor, and, with incredible force, smashed it back down onto the hardwood. Everything went black. CHAPTER 96 Mal'akh stood in his hallway and surveyed the carnage around him. His home looked like a battlefield. Robert Langdon lay unconscious at his feet. Katherine Solomon was bound and gagged on the dining-room floor. The corpse of a female security guard lay crumpled nearby, having toppled off the chair where she was propped. This female guard, eager to save her own life, had done exactly as Mal'akh commanded. With a knife to her throat, she had answered Mal'akh's cell phone and told the lie that had coaxed Langdon and Katherine to come racing out here. She had no partner, and Peter Solomon was certainly not okay. As soon as the woman had given her performance, Mal'akh had quietly strangled her. To complete the illusion that Mal'akh was not home, he had phoned Bellamy using the hands- free speaker in one of his cars. I'm on the road, he had told Bellamy and whoever else had been listening. Peter is in my trunk. In fact, Mal'akh was driving only between his garage and his front yard, where he had left several of his myriad cars parked askew with the headlights on and the engines running. The deception had worked perfectly. Almost. The only wrinkle was the bloody black-clad heap in the foyer with a screwdriver protruding from his neck. Mal'akh searched the corpse and had to chuckle when he found a high-tech transceiver and cell phone with a CIA logo. It seems even they are aware of my power. He removed the batteries and crushed both devices with a heavy bronze doorstop. Mal'akh knew he had to move quickly now, especially if the CIA was involved. He strode back over to Langdon. The professor was out cold and would be for a while. Mal'akh's eyes moved with trepidation now to the stone pyramid on the floor beside the professor's open bag. His breath caught, and his heart pounded. I have waited for years . . . His hands trembled slightly as he reached down and picked up the Masonic Pyramid. As he ran his fingers slowly across the engravings, he felt awed by their promise. Before he became too entranced, he put the pyramid back in Langdon's bag with the capstone and zipped it up. I will assemble the pyramid soon . . . in a much safer location. He threw Langdon's bag over his shoulder and then tried to hoist Langdon himself, but the professor's toned physique weighed much more than anticipated. Mal'akh settled on grabbing him beneath the armpits and dragging him across the floor. He's not going to like where he ends up, Mal'akh thought. As he dragged Langdon off, the television in the kitchen blared. The sound of voices from the TV had been part of the deception, and Mal'akh had yet to turn it off. The station was now broadcasting a televangelist leading his congregation in the Lord's Prayer. Mal'akh wondered if any of his hypnotized viewers had any idea where this prayer really came from. † . . . On earth as it is in heaven . . .† the group intoned. Yes, Mal'akh thought. As above, so below. † . . . And lead us not into temptation . . .† Help us master the weakness of our flesh. † . . . Deliver us from evil . . .† they all beseeched. Mal'akh smiled. That could be difficult. The darkness is growing. Even so, he had to give them credit for trying. Humans who spoke to invisible forces and requested help were a dying breed in this modern world. Mal'akh was dragging Langdon across the living room when the congregation declared, â€Å"Amen!† Amon, Mal'akh corrected. Egypt is the cradle of your religion. The god Amon was the prototype for Zeus . . . for Jupiter . . . and for every modern face of God. To this day, every religion on earth shouted out a variation of his name. Amen! Amin! Aum! The televangelist began quoting verses from the Bible describing hierarchies of angels, demons, and spirits that ruled in heaven and hell. â€Å"Protect your souls from evil forces!† he warned them. â€Å"Lift your hearts in prayer! God and his angels will hear you!† He's right, Mal'akh knew. But so will the demons. Mal'akh had learned long ago that through proper application of the Art, a practitioner could open a portal to the spiritual realm. The invisible forces that existed there, much like man himself, came in many forms, both good and evil. Those of Light healed, protected, and sought to bring order to the universe. Those of Dark functioned oppositely . . . bringing destruction and chaos. If properly summoned, the invisible forces could be persuaded to do a practitioner's bidding on earth . . . thus instilling him with seemingly supernatural power. In exchange for helping the summoner, these forces required offerings–prayers and praise for those of Light . . . and the spilling of blood for those of Dark. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the power that is transferred. Mal'akh had begun his practice with the blood of inconsequential animals. Over time, however, his choices for sacrifice had become more bold. Tonight, I take the final step. â€Å"Beware!† the preacher shouted, warning of the coming Apocalypse. â€Å"The final battle for the souls of man will soon be fought!† Indeed, Mal'akh thought. And I shall become its greatest warrior. This battle, of course, had begun long, long ago. In ancient Egypt, those who perfected the Art had become the great Adepts of history, evolving beyond the masses to become true practitioners of Light. They moved as gods on earth. They built great temples of initiation to which neophytes traveled from around the world to partake of the wisdom. There arose a race of golden men. For a brief span of time, mankind seemed poised to elevate himself and transcend his earthly bonds. The golden age of the Ancient Mysteries. And yet man, being of the flesh, was susceptible to the sins of hubris, hatred, impatience, and greed. Over time, there were those who corrupted the Art, perverting it and abusing its power for personal gain. They began using this perverted version to summon dark forces. A different Art evolved . . . a more potent, immediate, and intoxicating influence. Such is my Art. Such is my Great Work. The illuminated Adepts and their esoteric fraternities witnessed the rising evil and saw that man was not using his newfound knowledge for the good of his species. And so they hid their wisdom to keep it from the eyes of the unworthy. Eventually, it was lost to history. With this came the Great Fall of Man. And a lasting darkness. To this day, the noble descendants of the Adepts soldiered on, grasping blindly for the Light, trying to recapture the lost power of their past, trying to keep the darkness at bay. They were the priests and priestesses of the churches, temples, and shrines of all the religions on earth. Time had erased the memories . . . detached them from their past. They no longer knew the Source from which their potent wisdom had once flowed. When they were asked about the divine mysteries of their forebears, the new custodians of faith vociferously disowned them, condemning them as heresy. Have they truly forgotten? Mal'akh wondered. Echoes of the ancient Art still resonated in every corner of the globe, from the mystical Kabbalists of Judaism to the esoteric Sufis of Islam. Vestiges remained in the arcane rituals of Christianity, in its god-eating rites of Holy Communion, its hierarchies of saints, angels, and demons, its chanting and incantation, its holy calendar's astrological underpinnings, its consecrated robes, and in its promise of everlasting life. Even now, its priests dispelled evil spirits by swinging smoke-filled censers, ringing sacred bells, and sprinkling holy water. Christians still practiced the supernatural craft of exorcism–an early practice of their faith that required the ability not only to cast out demons but to summon them. And yet they cannot see their past? Nowhere was the church's mystical past more evident than at her epicenter. In Vatican City, at the heart of St. Peter's Square, stood the great Egyptian obelisk. Carved thirteen hundred years before Jesus took his first breath–this numinous monolith had no relevance there, no link to modern Christianity. And yet there it was. At the core of Christ's church. A stone beacon, screaming to be heard. A reminder to those few sages who remembered where it all began. This church, born of the womb of the Ancient Mysteries, still bore her rites and symbols. One symbol above all. Adorning her altars, vestments, spires, and Scripture was the singular image of Christianity–that of a precious, sacrificed human being. Christianity, more than any other faith, understood the transformative power of sacrifice. Even now, to honor the sacrifice made by Jesus, his followers proffered their own feeble gestures of personal sacrifice . . . fasting, Lenten renunciation, tithing. All of those offerings are impotent, of course. Without blood . . . there is no true sacrifice. The powers of darkness had long embraced blood sacrifice, and in doing so, they had grown so strong that the powers of goodness now struggled to keep them in check. Soon the Light would be entirely consumed, and the practitioners of darkness would move freely through the minds of men. CHAPTER 97 â€Å"Eight Franklin Square must exist,† Sato insisted. â€Å"Look it up again!† Nola Kaye sat at her desk and adjusted her headset. â€Å"Ma'am, I've checked everywhere . . . that address doesn't exist in D.C.† â€Å"But I'm on the roof of One Franklin Square,† Sato said. â€Å"There has to be an Eight!† Director Sato's on a roof? â€Å"Hold on.† Nola began running a new search. She was considering telling the OS director about the hacker, but Sato seemed fixated on Eight Franklin Square at the moment. Besides, Nola still didn't have all the information. Where's that damned sys-sec, anyway? â€Å"Okay,† Nola said, eyeing her screen, â€Å"I see the problem. One Franklin Square is the name of the building . . . not the address. The address is actually 1301 K Street.† The news seemed to confound the director. â€Å"Nola, I don't have time to explain–the pyramid clearly points to the address Eight Franklin Square.† Nola sat bolt upright. The pyramid points to a specific location? â€Å"The inscription,† Sato continued, â€Å"reads: `The secret hides within The Order–Eight Franklin Square.'† Nola could scarcely imagine. â€Å"An order like . . . a Masonic or fraternal order?† â€Å"I assume so,† Sato replied. Nola thought a moment, and then began typing again. â€Å"Ma'am, maybe the street numbers on the square changed over the years? I mean, if this pyramid is as old as legend claims, maybe the numbers on Franklin Square were different when the pyramid was built? I'm now running a search without the number eight . . . for . . . `the order' . . . `Franklin Square' . . . and `Washington, D.C.' . . . and this way, we might get some idea if there's–† She stalled midsentence as the search results appeared. â€Å"What have you got?† Sato demanded. Nola stared at the first result on the list–a spectacular image of the Great Pyramid of Egypt– which served as the thematic backdrop for the home page dedicated to a building on Franklin Square. The building was unlike any other building on the square. Or in the entire city, for that matter. What stopped Nola cold was not the building's bizarre architecture, but rather the description of its purpose. According to the Web site, this unusual edifice was built as a sacred mystical shrine, designed by . . . and designed for . . . an ancient secret order.