Exploration Of William Shakespeare s Oedipus The King

York Technical College Exploration of Intellect in Oedipus the King Joshua Small English Composition II Section 201 Professor Kerwan 24 October 2015 Joshua Small Professor Kerwan English Composition II 24 October 2015 Exploration of Intellect in â€Å"Oedipus the King† Oedipus the King by Sophocles has been examined countless times over the years. It is not merely a story about a tragic prophecy fulfilled, or about a son murdering his father then marrying his mother. Oedipus the King has been analyzed many times because it is much more than this. It is a story that represents the many different points of view that can be applied to the text. There are many subjects that can be explored when analyzing Oedipus the King. Throughout the story Oedipus shows that he has a sharp mind and is an intellectual. However, Oedipus’ intellect can be seen as both a gift and a curse. Oedipus’ intellect is revealed in the story of the Sphinx. At first, it seems that it is a gift that allows him to save Thebes from the Sphinx. However, as the story plays out the audience finds that his gift is also a curse. The story goes that the Sphinx is devouring travelers trying to enter into the city of Thebes. First, the Sphinx asks them to solve a riddle, and when they can’t the Sphinx devours them. One day Oedipus is traveling to the city of Thebes and is blocked by the Sphinx. The Sphinx asks, â€Å"What animal is that which in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in theShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesbuilt-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore

Invisible Men - 763 Words

Hist 2516, 9:00 Dr. Babicz October 18, 2013 Invisible Men The Negro Leagues were one of the most important and influential movements to happen in baseball history. Without these ‘Invisible Men’, who knows where baseball’s racial standpoint with not only African American’s, but others such as Cuban, Dominican, and South American players, would be in the Major Leagues. Throughout the book, one pressing theme stays from beginning to end: Segregation. The Negro Leagues flourished from 1920 to 1951, with the first all-pro African American team actually being formed in 1885.1 From that time period, a handful of players made their way to stardom. Of those players, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Jackie Robison among others had a monumental†¦show more content†¦This type of writing engages the reader, and almost gives them a feeling of being in the moment. Rogosin engages and keeps the reader hooked throughout the book while giving factual information and being formal when need be. Another impressive aspect of Rogosin’s book is the way he ties the hardships that African American’s faced and baseball together in a seemingly smooth connection. Rogosin realized that although he was writing a book on The Negro Leagues, he also couldn’t neglect the background information that came along with that time period. Rogosin includes stories of how teams remained afloat by scheduling exhibition games whenever possible to make money for the team. Rogosin goes on to say â€Å"it was pure economics: white people had more money.†2 Another aspect that is appealing in the book is Rogosin often draws comparisons to The Major Leagues on how the leagues differed and how they were similar. The disparities between the leagues really shocks the reader, and challenges their perspective of the time period the book acknowledges. As with every book, there will be flaws with the writer’s argument. In the time period this book was written on, the ideology of the Jim Crowe Laws were prevalent throughout the country. However, Rogosin doesn’t go into enough depth for it to be an effective argument that resonates with the reader. Rogosin does a phenomenal job describing baseball and America’s stance on AfricanShow MoreRelatedThe White Men Have Intentions Opposite Of Those From Invisible Mans880 Words   |  4 PagesI. The white men have intentions opposite of those from Invisible Mans. IM is merely an entertainer or comedy act for the wealthy white men. In Twarie’s article, he discusses an element of moral and emotional ambiguity to the novel, contributing to the mode of questioning that dominates it. Symbolic situations are illuminated in Ellison’s novel such as the Battle Royal, and the boxing match which give rise to the stereotypes we see throughout the chapter (196). When the IM first arrived at the ballroomRead MoreThe Invisible Victims : Prevalence Of Domestic Emotional Abuse Among Men2277 Words   |  10 PagesThe Invisible Victims: Prevalence of Domestic Emotional Abuse among Men 1. Introduction When speaking about domestic violence the picture that comes to mind is that of a man physically abusing a woman. Domestic violence manifests itself in other forms other than physical abuse. Domestic abuse can also take other forms like emotional, psychological and sexual abuse. Recent statistics show that domestic abuse against men is also on the rise (Cook, 2009). This can be argued in two ways: that it alwaysRead MoreThe Invisible Victims : Prevalence Of Domestic Emotional Abuse Among Men2277 Words   |  10 PagesThe Invisible Victims: Prevalence of Domestic Emotional Abuse Among Men 1. Introduction When speaking about domestic violence the picture that comes to mind is that of a man physically abusing a woman. Domestic violence manifests itself in other forms other than physical abuse. Domestic abuse can also take other forms like emotional, psychological and sexual abuse. Recent statistics show that domestic abuse against men is also on the rise (Cook, 2009). This can be argued in two ways: that it alwaysRead MoreThe House Of Mirth And Invisible Man1666 Words   |  7 PagesThe House of Mirth and Invisible Man Social invisibility, differences in male vs. female perceptions of event. While both the â€Å"Invisible Man† and â€Å"The House of Mirth† were written near the same time frame, they were written in differing perspectives, reflecting not only social classes but also gender roles of the time period. At the time these books were written, men and women had very different roles in society. Women were in the midst of a long arduous battle of the women suffrage movement andRead MoreBlack Men And The Brotherhood Essay1422 Words   |  6 Pagesrecognized by white men, white men seek visibility to further their political goals. What both have in common is the use of black men to amplify their visibility and expedite their success. The Brotherhood is an organization led by Brother Jack that entices the Invisible Man, recruits him, and takes advantage of his invisibility to spark a riot in the streets of Harlem. The Brotherhood takes advantage of his invisibility in multiple ways: the organization advises the Invisible Man during his speechesRead More The Narrator As An Invisible Man1305 Words   |  6 Pageshimself to the reader as an invisible man. The Narrator makes it clear that he is not actually invisible but is considered as such because people refuse to see him. 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However, through several unjust experiences, the Invisible Man doubts the possibility ofRead MoreInvisibility in Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Essay958 Words   |  4 Pagesconcept of invisibility is taken to the extreme effect of being physically transparent and unseen by anyone. In popular media, the hero is also often portrayed as being invisible, going behind the enemys back to complete his or her mission. In Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man, this view of invisibility is reversed; rather than being invisible and getting noticed, a man is in plain sight of everyone- however, due to a slew of stereotypes and prejudices, nobody recognizes what he accomplishes. Beginning hisRead MoreThe True Maeaning of Invisiblity942 Words   |  4 Pagesscience fiction and deals with the super natural. Upon actually reading it however it becomes painfully obvious that the main character of â€Å"Invisible Man† is quite visible inde ed. 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Individual Analysis of Working in a Group Situation Free Essays

In this paper I will describe and analyze my experience working in a group situation, writing a paper on the movie 12 Angry Men. I will address therapeutic communication techniques used in our group situation. I will address any conflicts that arose in our group. We will write a custom essay sample on Individual Analysis of Working in a Group Situation or any similar topic only for you Order Now Utilizing Tuckman’s group process theory, I will also address the effectiveness of our group process. Individual Analysis of Working in a Group Situation Learning how to work effectively in a group situation is key to success in many professions as well as in social situations. Groups vary from each other based on the individuals that make up each group, all of us belong to various groups at one time or another. The roles that we fulfill vary from group to group, and may even vary within the same group over time. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the communication process and the interaction of my group during the completion of an assignment. The group consisted of four members. Our task was to prepare an analysis paper on the movie 12 Angry Men. Because this was only a four-member group focused on a single specific task, there was a high level of cohesiveness and no conflict. Our group would be considered a secondary group because the relationship was impersonal and goal-oriented (Arnold Boggs, 2011). Every member of a group plays a certain functional role within the group. Some functional roles relate to the task aspect of the group, while others promote social interaction. These functions are manifested in the behaviors of individual members and affect group dynamics. Task functions include such behaviors as; identifying tasks, coordinating, clarifying and summarizing. Maintenance functions include such behaviors as harmonizing, gatekeeping, encouraging and compromising. All of the members of our group were task specialists (Arnold Boggs, 2011). According to Arnold and Boggs (2011), when task specialists dominate a group, members become dissatisfied and collaboration is diminished. However, this was not the case with our group. Due to the fact that our group was very task oriented and we collaborated well with each other everyone was satisfied with the experience. Our group was able to effectively function without a designated leader. As a group, we had many strengths. I believe one of our biggest strengths was our effective communication. When we met in person all the members of our group used therapeutic communication such as active listening, paraphrasing, and summarizing. We were all very respectful of each other and maintained eye contact and receptive nonverbal communication. There were several times during the movie that we paused the movie to discuss the jurors’ ages, professions, or the dynamics between the different jurors. Normally it wouldn’t be acceptable to repeatedly pause a movie for discussion, but it was widely accepted among our group and did not cause any conflicts. Another form of communication that our group used was the internet. It enabled us to receive papers via email attachment, and then download, print, edit, and return the changes at our own leisure. The only drawback with using the internet for communication is the lack of acknowledgement. In the future I will make sure that I ask the recipient to acknowledge that they have received my communication. Groups do not always start off fully-formed and functioning. Bruce Tuckman’s model of the developmental sequence in small groups suggests that groups grow through clearly defined stages, from their creation as groups of individuals, to cohesive, task-focused teams. There are five stages of Tuckman’s theory, forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. During the forming stage of Tuckman’s theory, group members meeting each other for the first time are primarily concerned with overcoming their discomfort with one another. In this phase, the group members are engaged in establishing boundaries and group norms for communication (Arnold Boggs, 2011). In contrast to Tuckman’s description, our group did not introduce themselves or share their backgrounds or reasons for coming to the croup, since we have been together in class for a few weeks and had already been acquainted. Our group did not pass through all of Tuckman’s stages of group development. Specifically, we omitted the storming stage and passed from forming to norming. Tuckman’s storming phase focuses on the interpersonal conflicts that erupt among the members as they compete with one another for leadership roles. According to Tuckman, the interpersonal conflicts that typically include personal criticisms undermine the group’s ability to accomplish the task (Arnold Boggs, 2011). There was no real conflict in our group, since there was no clear leader in our group and all of the members were very task oriented. According to Tuckman, during the norming phase the group has one goal and all group members take responsibility and work toward the success of the group’s goals (Arnold Boggs, 2011). Our group was able to arrive at this level of cohesiveness at the beginning of the first meeting. Our group agreed to watch the movie once by ourselves and then meet and watch the movie together, and once we had view the film we would decide as a group which questions to assign to each of the members. Tuckman’s preforming phase happened on our second meeting, when our group watched the movie. After viewing the movie we discussed each question and collaboratively decided who would be most knowledgeable about each of the different areas. After dividing up the different areas of the paper we decided on a date that we would email our individual sections to Katie. The final phase of Tuckman’s theory is the adjourning phase. Our group reached this phase after we completed our final paper with the satisfaction of all of the group members. I left the group with a real feeling of satisfaction at having achieved what I set out to do. Throughout this group process has been helpful in a number of ways. I have learned how to communicate more effectively and I have also learned to step outside of my comfort zone. I have also leaned to be more conscious of my body language, because it is more effective than what you say. This group project has helped me learn how to convey my thoughts, feelings, opinions and ideas to my group in an effective manner. . I will be able to apply what I have learned to my work and also to future group projects at school. Groups are a fundamental structure for accomplishing a wide variety of tasks. An effective group has many traits or characteristics that combine to ensure that it is able to reach its goals and objectives in a manner that is conducive to a high level of performance. Most groups go through five separate stages before achieving effective collaboration. Bruce Tuckman described these stages as forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Several factors affect group performance: composition, size, norms, and cohesiveness. In working with groups it is important to be aware of the many factors that affect group performance and understand the individual as well as the group issues. How to cite Individual Analysis of Working in a Group Situation, Papers

The Haunted House free essay sample

Hallowman House Lost Junge This year, get into the Halloween spirit by visiting the following online and offline haunted houses. Halloween is a special day of the year that is celebrated by many around the world. Some people celebrate by trick-or-treating or dressing up in elaborate costumes and attending various parties. Others go all out by decorating the inside and outside of their homes. And some brave souls get into the Halloween spirit by visiting scary corn mazes and creepy haunted houses. For many people, haunted houses are a big part of the Halloween tradition and mystique. Not for the faint of heart, some haunted houses are created specifically for the holiday celebration, while others are believed to be inhabited and haunted by real ghosts and entities. The following websites provide online and offline haunted houses with some very special tour guides Haunted Houses for Adults * Virginia Varela – The Virginia Varela Interactive Haunted House is super creepy. We will write a custom essay sample on The Haunted House or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Brave visitors wander the virtual haunted house, armed only with a flashlight. It is recommended users play in the dark for an extra scary experience. Flash is required. * Bone Garden – This online haunted house from Bone Garden is totally scary. Read the tragic story of the family who inhabited the grounds many years ago. View the map and wander through the virtual mansion and cemetery to find the clues as to what transpired. This activity is not recommended for young children. * Hearse Ghost Tours – Spend 90 minutes touring the historical cities of Savannah, St. Augustine and New Orleans in this real-life offline adventure. Visit actual cemeteries and homes in a real hearse and hear the stories of the haunted. The Hearse Ghost Tours website includes special effects and music for those interested in the actual tour. Haunted Houses for Children * LostJungle Hallowman House – This online Halloween word game is suitable for the entire family. Players have nine chances to guess the correct word in this Hangman style activity.

Summary of The Junkys Christmas by Burroughs Essay Example

Summary of The Junkys Christmas by Burroughs Paper William Burroughs: The Junky Christmas Objective summary This short story of William Burroughs is about Danny the Car Wiper, a Junky, who tries to score a fix on Christmas day. At first he tries to break open someones car and steal everything from it, but the owner arrives, so Danny has to flee away. Then he steals a suitcase from a doorway, but as he opens it he notices that a womans legs are in the suitcase. He quickly throws the body parts away and heads to Sorrows Cafeteria, where he manages to sell the empty suitcase for some money. Unfortunately for Danny, his former dealer got locked in prison so now he has to find someone who can sell him some heroin. After wandering on the streets he meets a friend of his, who tells Danny that nobody is around selling drugs. Danny has to visit a doctor, P. H. Gunning, who gives him a quarter-grain tablet free for his facial neuralgia. After this Danny rents a room in a motel and starts to inject himself, but he hears groaning from the other room. Another Junky lays there, a young man, who suffers from kidney stones. Danny pities him and injects the man with his morphine. At the end he feels the effect of the immaculate fix in his body, caused by his good deed, and falls asleep in his room. Subjective summary The Junky Christmas is a moving peace of literature, in which the characters are authentic and their problem seems to be realistic. It is easy to assume that the writer, Burroughs got in this kind of situation several times when he was an addict. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of The Junkys Christmas by Burroughs specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of The Junkys Christmas by Burroughs specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of The Junkys Christmas by Burroughs specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer A parallel can be found between The Junky Christmas and traditional Christmas- hemmed tales: the poor protagonist hardly reaches his goal by acquiring something he lacks of (food, present, or in this case: heroin), but when he finds someone who is in even worse situation than him, he pities this person and presents him/her. These tales have a happy ending, as the protagonist finds relief and Joy in his good deed. In the case of Burroughs short story, the ending is rather ironical, as the protagonist is a Junky, who helps another Junky by giving him morphine. Because of this act, his reward is the feeling of the perfect heroin shot.

Initial Marketing Plan Essay

Initial Marketing Plan Essay Initial Marketing Plan Essay Initial Marketing Plan MCS*1000 Gazelle Chike Inoma 0759596 Jack Battagalia 0888873 Marie Pineault 0876871 Lauren Murphy 0872759 February 13, 15 At Gazelle, we make computers that appeal to the average individual. Computers today can be expensive, and majority of the working population are unable to buy one. Our main objective is to deliver quality computers with an affordable price tag. By focusing our efforts primarily on the computer’s internal components, we guarantee that our computer’s potential can be fully maximized by our customers. For this vision to occur, we came up with different strategies for production. Firstly, we hired few employees to reduce costs and stationed our head office in Shanghai. This allows us to reach a large portion of our target market, while saving on costs. However, we’ve also made plans to expand our offices in order to reach out to a larger target market and increase demand of the â€Å"Gazelle One†. We will eventually branch off into the Chicago office in an attempt to capitalize on the greater demand that is associated with opening two sales offices. With the larger market, it is easier to produce our computers in bulk and reduce the major production costs. After completing this expansion into Chicago, we plan on training and hiring more employees to give our customers the best possible customer service. As this shift occurs, we’ll continuously come up with new ideas to improve our computers features. To do this, we will adjust how funds are allocated within the business. By allocating funds towards improving our computer’s design, it would give us the opportunity to service a different target market, while keeping our core market satisfied with functioning internal components. This leaves a lot of room f or growth and gives us a larger potential then we had in the past. Secondly, our main marketing strategy was to create an ad that highlighted the following mission statements; Gazelle Computers aims to fulfill the needs of the everyday employee. We want to provide these working consumers with an easy-to-use, user-friendly computer while still providing them with the best experience possible. We offer our customers efficient computers at a low cost. It is capable of running the best quality software programs while maintaining a large amount of data storage. We recognize that our working target market is not interested in a computer for leisure or luxury, but rather for getting the job done. As a result, affordable quality is crucial to our company. We firmly believe in offering the best quality products at the best prices possible. Gazelle Computers has focused its efforts on making the internal components of the computer the most valuable part. However, we did want our computer to look as good on the outside as it operates on the inside; therefore we designed our computer with a sleek and simple exterior, offering a unique and distinct look. At Gazelle Computers, our only operating brand is the Gazelle One. At this time we are solely focused on getting our worker oriented desktop computer into the market but hope to expand in the near future. We have priced our product at $2500, matching what the average consumer is willing to pay for their computer. Currently our office headquarters are located in Shanghai. We strategically chose this specific location as it contained the highest demand for worker-orientated computers. This location also offered us the lowest office expense costs allowing or our company to better invest the extra money further into our product. With this ad, we have been able to generate a large deal of recognition and business. We plan in the future to expand our marketing capabilities in order to showcase our product to more consumers. Showing the internal and external factors that could affect our company’s success can summarize our company’s competitive environment. The internal factors of our company, with emphasis on the strengths are our marketing

Non Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Non - Research Paper Example Murals are regarded s the earliest art forms as illustrated by cave paintings of hunting scenes by cave men and those found in Egyptian and Mayan pyramids. Murals can be created using material as witnessed in paintings on cave walls that may have used plant extracts, animal oil to modern synthetic oil or water based paints and pigments. Murals can also be create through the incorporation of other artistic techniques including collage and mosaic where these are embossed onto a wall or permanent surface to create one whole image or representation. This paper seeks to discuss mural art by Ta-Coumba Arken by analysing and offering detailed description of one of his works titled Alum Hungi-I 1991. Ta-Coumba Aiken is a renowned public works art painter whose base of operations is located in Minnesota. Some of his notable works of art in the city include the Jax/Gillette Children’s Hospital mural, the north side’s Pilot City murals project and the Minneapolis Central Library t ile fireplace (Millet 110). A trademark characteristic of Ta-Coumba’s artwork is the resulting variety of contrasting colors and tone that gives his works of art an eye-catching property. This is his style and perspective that is incorporated into his murals, which he starts creating from a white and black outline inwards giving the outline figures ‘meat’ or substance. The outlines set the ground for his process of shape building and coloration, which he describes as ‘spirit writing’. Murals created by Ta-Coumba are characterized by the usage of repeating rhythm patterns through imagery as stylistic devise of bringing out the resultant artistic effect of his art. The artist attributes the inspiration behind his artwork to African masks and dance whose aspects, quality and substance he tries to replicate and bring to life in his paintings. The Alum Hungi-I 1991 by Ta-Coumba is a canvas painting illustrating 9 African or dark skinned figures involved i n various stages activity ranging from drum and flute playing, fishing, spear throwing and dance. This is consistent with Ta-Cuomba’s line of inspiration that comes from African dance and music. The outline of the painting is made out of a black background to achieve the maximum degree of contrast that is also characteristic with Ta-Coumba’s work. The use of color is unlimited, and the level of expression in the figures is accentuated by the rhythm that seems to come from the various poses of the figures in the painting. A notable aspect about the painting is the use of a black outline for each shape a quality that can also be seen in the frame that holds the artwork. Each figure in the artwork is made-up of more than one color a style that gives the painting a warm contrast and rhythm, which works to bring out the theme of the painting. The use of a range of bright colors makes the art work very eye catching. The use of color the blue is used in various shades and int ensities, an aspect that can be construed to represent the artist’s perspective on happiness and joy. The theme of music and dance is brought by the depiction of drums and dancing figures playing the musical instruments. The use of more than one color in the background makes the painting look abstract and distracting to the viewer, which adds to eye-catching quality. The empty spaces in the painting

Whole Foods financial recommendation for the next 2 years Case Study

Whole Foods financial recommendation for the next 2 years - Case Study Example After obtaining such quotation, it can issue its shares to the public. This is the easiest way of raising funds. It is to be noted that issuing shares to general public will increase the number of shareholders (or owners) of Whole foods. To limit the number of owners to a reasonable level, Whole foods may issue shares to its existing shareholders only. Such an issue of shares is called ‘Right Issue’. One way of increasing capital funding is to offer employee stock purchase. This is a plan in which active employees are offered by the corporation to purchase shares of the company at a discounted price, one additional benefit which may be achieve through this plan is the increase in efficiency of the prospective employees. This plan may be created by encouraging employees to contribute to the plan. Offering high discount rates of up to 15% may also be helpful in making the plan effective. Similarly, devising good 401k plan will encourage employees to contribute to 401k account which may be used for the business global expansion. However, these plans, implementation largely depends on the interest and abilities of contribution by the prospective employees of Whole

Beat Generation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Beat Generation - Essay Example The concluding edition was not published till six years after Kerouac wrote it in one extended paragraph in 1951. In 1957, the Beat poem â€Å"Howl† (by Kerouac’s friend Allen Ginsberg) had gained unsavory reputation; the newly published â€Å"On the Road â€Å"was proficient to ride the wave of attention in the Beats as well as make Kerouac an immediate celebrity â€Å"On the Road’s† cross-continental journeys are about Kerouac’s trips, mostly by car and bus and often accompanied by his friend Neal Cassady, the frenetic, charismatic, independent scholar from the West. Cassady’s name in the novel is Dean Moriarty. The novel begins with Dean and Sal Paradise (Kerouac) meeting in New York City and progresses through four mostly fast-paced trips, back and forth amid New York and California, up and down the Eastern Seaboard, along the Gulf Coast, and downs into Mexico, with notable stopovers in Denver and New Orleans, the latter to visit Old Bull Lee (William 3). The open road, poverty, drugs, alcohol, jazz, hunger, sex, speed, and characters met along the way create intense situations that allow the travelers to observe, react, and consider while becoming more familiar with their own identities. The novel’s two principal characters are the narrator, Sal, and his companion and hero, Dean Moriarty thinly veiled versions of Kerouac and his friend Neal Cassady. The book unfolds as a loosely connected series of episodes that document the pair’s adventures during a drunken and drug-ridden odyssey through the United States. Along the way, they meet and befriend an unforgettable gallery of American types: jazz singers, drug addicts, hitchhikers, and drifters. Their journey culminates in a revealing and darkly humorous stay in Mexico (Challi p 10). Much of â€Å"On the Road† is barely disguised autobiography, a document attesting to the

Secure Payment Device using NFC

Secure Payment Device using NFC CAREER EPISODE 3 3.1 INTRODUCTION In my last semester, i.e. 8th semester, I made a project called Secure Payment Device using NFC. My last career episode is about this project. I completed this project in six months duration from Jan 2013 to May 2013. I completed my Bachelors Degree in Electronics and Communication in June 2013. I pursued this program from Guru Nanak Dev University, Gurdaspur, India. The project secure payment device using NFC was completed in a group and I was assigned the group leader. Also, it was performed under the supervision of Prof. Rana. 3.2 BACKGROUND NFC Near Field Communication, it is a wireless communication technology. NFC and mobile payments are the two fields which are gaining attention in the society lately. Mostly all mobile phone has this NFC technology, and more to come in near future. Using NFC, if the payments are made possible, it will attract more masses. The project concentrates on how this technology can be used for mobile payments. It stores the credit card or debit card number on the phone i.e. the digital money and uses NFC reader to detect the card number and send it to the server for authentication. For this purpose, I had prepared a dummy database bank system and uploaded it on the server side. 3.3 OBJECTIVES The objective behind implementing this project was to overcome the problems related to payment. People tend to forget their wallet and debit/credit card, or there occurs a problem of security if the card is lost. So, to overcome this issue I designed a NFC based payment method, which replaces the regular money cards. The users mobile system become the mode of payment transaction. This solves the issue of security also and the person always has a mode of payment in his phone. Also, NFC is the new and useful technology, which got me interested in its various forms of application. 3.4 In this device, NFC for requesting on client end and sending card number, POS (Point of Sales) Terminal for client end for receiving data and processing the transaction, Website for registration, account details etc., Web service which is used for authentication and Database for loading and saving users details are required. Various new technology and software are used in designing of this device. The POS terminal is NFC reader interfaced with Arduino, from Arduino the program code is sent to APDU commands on phone to verify the AID of the application. Eclipse software is used to write application for NFC Enabled Phone to send card number and password that is stored in the phone. Computer languages like C#, ASP.NET are used to write the code for website and webserver. And SQL is used for database technology. 3.5 The idea behind this project is that the user just touches his phone to NFC reader when the payment is need to be made, and the phone will act as the credit card or debit card that the user previously used to use. A mobile payment enabled phone is associated with the bank or the credit card company, in a similar way the phone is associated to phone service provider.ÂÂ   For my project a dummy system and bank with some random database is made to use which assigns a card number and authenticates the user the permission required at the time of payment. 3.6 The project was performed in a group, and being a group leader I had many responsibilities and duties that I had to perform perfectly and had to maintain professional rules of conduct. The duties are listed below: To start with, I had to understand the problem statement assigned to me and survey and research relevant and related topics for possible solutions. After having the solution, I mapped a work plan. Based on the work plan, I divided the whole project into small task and assigned each team member the task based on team members ability. Also, I gave a strict deadline. I involved myself in the design procedure of the block diagram for this device based on my research work. I studied and compared all the components and came up with a final set of components. Using my planned circuit diagram and the component list, I started to plot the hardware model. I learned new software for the implementation of the programming codes in my device. Testing and troubleshooting was performed. Regular reports on updates of my project was given to the project guide. 3.7 PERSONAL ENGINEERING ACTIVITY Based on my literature survey, I made a block diagram for my device. For my project, I have used Roboduino with ATmega328, which is Arduino compatible board. I chose this microcontroller due to its simplicity in programming. To display a message at the POS terminal, I used LCD and interfaced it with Arduino. The NFC reader is interfaced with Arduino in SPI mode. I have made use of PN532 NFC IC which prepares NFC reader by matching 13.56MHz frequency with the antenna. The data that is scanned by NFC reader is passed to the computer and further sent to web server for authentication. The web servers code that is written in visual studio will verify the data that is sent to the web service URL. The URL is already hosted. It will then send a notification stating the success or failure of the data and that will be displayed on the LCD. 3.8 To use this system, it involves three parties buyer, bank, and the merchant. The process involves tapping the buyers phone on the reader at the point of sales (POS). Once the AID is selected from the android side, it will return the card number and PIN to the reader. As per the ISO 7816-4 standard, these values received are transferred in HEX code. On the PC terminal, this HEX code is converted into string by serial client. The bank receives the card no and PIN for verification purpose. On receiving the reply, the LCD will display true or false and it will notify the buyer about his or her transaction. 3.9 For the function of the system, I used the following components to suit my requirement. PN532 it is a highly-integrated transmission module which is used for contactless communication at 13.56MHz and it also supports microcontroller functionality based on 80C51 core. Arduino Duemilanove, LCD 162, Resistors, Capacitors, LED, MOSFET, Inductor and Crystal With the help of these components I prepared a circuit diagram using a software called Eclipse. The readers circuit diagram differs than others because it moves from one host interface to other and the SPI interface uses MOSI. PN532 supports three modes. The interfacing is done for the LCD and NFC shield with the Roboduino. The NFC shield operates as SPI modes while interfacing, so 4 pins MOSI, MISO, SS and SCK are interfaced to the Arduino pins. 3.10 Once my hardware part was completed and the components were soldered to the PCB, I progressed my work with the development of the software part for my device. The software part was divided into two parts, one for the hardware functioning and the other part was designed to function the web application. To start with the implementation, I had to learn certain programming software, as they were new for me. The four software that are used in my device are Arduino IDE used for programming Arduino Uno board with C++ language, Microsoft Visual Studio used for developing a serial client software, web application and web service with the use of C#, Eagle is used for PCB designing and schematic layout and Eclipse to develop android applications using Java code. 3.11 For receiving data on COM port and for the verification purpose of the user, a software i.e. serial client is developed with the help of C#.Net. A random website is developed for the registration and processing the NFC payment purpose, editing details of the user, adding money etc. A tap pay app based on android is prepared for NFC shield to communicate and transfer the required card details to serial port. The serial client performs all further procedure. After the completion of the software designing, the project was run on the trial basis to check its working and for any faulty situation. Various troubleshooting and test kits were used to solve any issue in the device. All the connections were checked at the final stage to avoid short circuit situation of the PCB. 3.12 Working in teams is also a challenging situation. And as I was the group leader, I had to present the complete working model of my project on time. I coordinated with each group member. I took a fair, unbiased, and appropriate decision in the state of conflict. I took help from my seniors and project supervisor in the crises of any error or problem. There were two major issues during my project, first was working on software as coming from electronics and communication background, it was difficult and challenge to write such big codes. I took the challenge and learned all possible solutions and techniques to write the code. The second issue was I had to reconnect some of the components as while performing a trial run, the microcontroller got burnt. I took precaution while correcting the issue so that I dont make the same mistake again. 3.13 SUMMARY Therefore, after performing and developing such endless device, I have proposed a trusted and secure option for payment method which is based on NFC. It processes payment without the need of physical card, the mobile does all the work by just tapping it at the reader. Once the users details are verified, the payment is processed and executed successfully. I have kept the window open for expanding my project in future. The details can be encrypted before transferring it from the phone to the POS, thus keeping it more safe and secure. It can be used anywhere, from shopping at small shops to malls, as well as an access system for the door or for buying tickets at railway or bus stations. 3.14 The project was a big step in my bachelors degree. It involved serious knowledge and full dedication. I learned and developed new technologies and software that are related to my electronics and communication field. I used my engineering knowledge at various point during the execution and implementation of the project. I was grateful to my project guide for constantly helping me and training me to develop such device. I made a presentation and report describing the details of my project. I referenced various work of great researchers and scientist wherever needed.

As I Lay Dying Essays: The Dysfunctional Family :: As I Lay Dying Essays

After reading As I Lay Dying, I was unsettled by something. It wasn't the plot, although As I Lay Dying had a singularly bizarre storyline. During the action of the novel a mother dies, and her family embarks upon a disaster ridden journey in order to fulfill her last wishes. The eldest son breaks his leg, the family has to sell or mortgage practically all it's worldly goods, and Jewel risks his life twice in order to get his mother's body to Jefferson. Why has Disney not snatched up the film making rights to this singular testament to Bundren family's love and dedication? The answer, and the source of my discomfort, is that the Bundren family is awful. They are almost completely and totally defunct. The fact that there is next to no mourning following Addie's death, the most basic tribute a family can give, is only the tip of the iceberg of selfishness which seems to characterize the Bundren family. The trip to Jefferson, a journey which under other circumstances could be seen as a family's noble tribute to a fallen matriarch, was ruined by the selfish motives of most of the family for undertaking the expedition. Dewey Dell wanted to go to get an abortion. Vardaman wanted to go to get some bananas. Anse wanted to go to get a new set of teeth. Cash wanted to purchase a record player. Not only were the motives selfish, but they were utterly transparent. The Bundren's neighbor Tull expresses the absurdity of the situation best when he said, "They would risk the fire and the earth and the water and all just to eat a sack of bananas." (p. 140) Indeed, the last images of the Bundren's as a family (minus Darl) are of them eating bananas out of a sack, and sitting around a record player at home. There were two members of the family, however, with no ulterior motives for going into town. Jewel and Darl seem to have no object in getting to town other than the burial of Addie Bundren. Both Darl and Jewel have special connections with their mother. It is tempting to draw the conclusion that Darl loved his mother the most. He narrated the majority of the chapters in the novel, and as readers we grow most accustomed to his voice. Cora Tull is certainly under impression that Darl loves his mother the most when she says, "it was between her and Darl that the true understanding and the true love was.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 107-109

CHAPTER 107 The stone table felt cold beneath Katherine Solomon's back. Horrifying images of Robert's death continued to swirl through her mind, along with thoughts of her brother. Is Peter dead, too? The strange knife on the nearby table kept bringing flashes of what might lie in store for her as well. Is this really the end? Oddly, her thoughts turned abruptly to her research . . . to Noetic Science . . . and to her recent breakthroughs. All of it lost . . . up in smoke. She would never be able to share with the world everything she had learned. Her most shocking discovery had taken place only a few months ago, and the results had the potential to redefine the way humans thought about death. Strangely, thinking now of that experiment . . . was bringing her an unexpected solace. As a young girl, Katherine Solomon had often wondered if there was life after death. Does heaven exist? What happens when we die? As she grew older, her studies in science quickly erased any fanciful notions of heaven, hell, or the afterlife. The concept of â€Å"life after death,† she came to accept, was a human construct . . . a fairy tale designed to soften the horrifying truth that was our mortality. Or so I believed . . . A year ago, Katherine and her brother had been discussing one of philosophy's most enduring questions–the existence of the human soul–specifically the issue of whether or not humans possessed some kind of consciousness capable of survival outside of the body. They both sensed that such a human soul probably did exist. Most ancient philosophies concurred. Buddhist and Brahminical wisdom endorsed metempsychosis–the transmigration of the soul into a new body after death; Platonists defined the body as a â€Å"prison† from which the soul escaped; and the Stoics called the soul apospasma tou theu–â€Å"a particle of God†Ã¢â‚¬â€œand believed it was recalled by God upon death. The existence of the human soul, Katherine noted with some frustration, was probably a concept that would never be scientifically proven. Confirming that a consciousness survived outside the human body after death was akin to exhaling a puff of smoke and hoping to find it years later. After their discussion, Katherine had a strange notion. Her brother had mentioned the Book of Genesis and its description of the soul as Neshemah–a kind of spiritual â€Å"intelligence† that was separate from the body. It occurred to Katherine that the word intelligence suggested the presence of thought. Noetic Science clearly suggested that thoughts had mass, and so it stood to reason, then, that the human soul might therefore also have mass. Can I weigh a human soul? The notion was impossible, of course . . . foolish even to ponder. It was three days later that Katherine suddenly woke up from a dead sleep and sat bolt upright in bed. She jumped up, drove to her lab, and immediately began work designing an experiment that was both startlingly simple . . . and frighteningly bold. She had no idea if it would work, and she decided not to tell Peter about her idea until her work was complete. It took four months, but finally Katherine brought her brother into the lab. She wheeled out a large piece of gear that she had been keeping hidden in the back storage room. â€Å"I designed and built it myself,† she said, showing Peter her invention. â€Å"Any guesses?† Her brother stared at the strange machine. â€Å"An incubator?† Katherine laughed and shook her head, although it was a reasonable guess. The machine did look a bit like the transparent incubators for premature babies one saw in hospitals. This machine, however, was adult size–a long, airtight, clear plastic capsule, like some kind of futuristic sleeping pod. It sat atop a large piece of electronic gear. â€Å"See if this helps you guess,† Katherine said, plugging the contraption into a power source. A digital display lit up on the machine, its numbers jumping around as she carefully calibrated some dials. When she was done, the display read: 0.0000000000 kg â€Å"A scale?† Peter asked, looking puzzled. â€Å"Not just any scale.† Katherine took a tiny scrap of paper off a nearby counter and laid it gently on top of the capsule. The numbers on the display jumped around again and then settled on a new reading. .0008194325 kg â€Å"High-precision microbalance,† she said. â€Å"Resolution down to a few micrograms.† Peter still looked puzzled. â€Å"You built a precise scale for . . . a person?† â€Å"Exactly.† She lifted the transparent lid on the machine. â€Å"If I place a person inside this capsule and close the lid, the individual is in an entirely sealed system. Nothing gets in or out. No gas, no liquid, no dust particles. Nothing can escape–not the person's breath exhalations, evaporating sweat, body fluids, nothing.† Peter ran a hand through his thick head of silver hair, a nervous mannerism shared by Katherine. â€Å"Hmm . . . obviously a person would die in there pretty quickly.† She nodded. â€Å"Six minutes or so, depending on their breathing rate.† He turned to her. â€Å"I don't get it.† She smiled. â€Å"You will.† Leaving the machine behind, Katherine led Peter into the Cube's control room and sat him down in front of the plasma wall. She began typing and accessed a series of video files stored on the holographic drives. When the plasma wall flickered to life, the image before them looked like home-video footage. The camera panned across a modest bedroom with an unmade bed, medication bottles, a respirator, and a heart monitor. Peter looked baffled as the camera kept panning and finally revealed, near the center of the bedroom, Katherine's scale contraption. Peter's eyes widened. â€Å"What the . . . ?† The capsule's transparent lid was open, and a very old man in an oxygen mask lay inside. His elderly wife and a hospice worker stood beside the pod. The man's breathing was labored, and his eyes were closed. â€Å"The man in the capsule was a science teacher of mine at Yale,† Katherine said. â€Å"He and I have kept in touch over the years. He's been very ill. He always said he wanted to donate his body to science, so when I explained my idea for this experiment, he immediately wanted to be a part of it.† Peter was apparently mute with shock as he stared at the scene unfolding before them. The hospice worker now turned to the man's wife. â€Å"It's time. He's ready.† The old woman dabbed her tearful eyes and nodded with a resolute calm. â€Å"Okay.† Very gently, the hospice worker reached into the pod and removed the man's oxygen mask. The man stirred slightly, but his eyes remained closed. Now the worker wheeled the respirator and other equipment off to the side, leaving the old man in the capsule totally isolated in the center of the room. The dying man's wife now approached the pod, leaned down, and gently kissed her husband's forehead. The old man did not open his eyes, but his lips moved, ever so slightly, into a faint, loving smile. Without his oxygen mask, the man's breathing was quickly becoming more labored. The end was obviously near. With an admirable strength and calm, the man's wife slowly lowered the transparent lid of the capsule and sealed it shut, exactly as Katherine had taught her. Peter recoiled in alarm. â€Å"Katherine, what in the name of God?!† â€Å"It's okay,† Katherine whispered. â€Å"There's plenty of air in the capsule.† She had seen this video dozens of times now, but it still made her pulse race. She pointed to the scale beneath the dying man's sealed pod. The digital numbers read: 51.4534644 kg â€Å"That's his body weight,† Katherine said. The old man's breathing became more shallow, and Peter inched forward, transfixed. â€Å"This is what he wanted,† Katherine whispered. â€Å"Watch what happens.† The man's wife had stepped back and was now seated on the bed, silently looking on with the hospice worker. Over the course of the next sixty seconds, the man's shallow breathing grew faster, until all at once, as if the man himself had chosen the moment, he simply took his last breath. Everything stopped. It was over. The wife and hospice worker quietly comforted each other. Nothing else happened. After a few seconds, Peter glanced over at Katherine in apparent confusion. Wait for it, she thought, redirecting Peter's gaze to the capsule's digital display, which still quietly glowed, showing the dead man's weight. Then it happened. When Peter saw it, he jolted backward, almost falling out of his chair. â€Å"But . . . that's . . .† He covered his mouth in shock. â€Å"I can't . . .† It was seldom that the great Peter Solomon was speechless. Katherine's reaction had been similar the first few times she saw what had happened. Moments after the man's death, the numbers on the scale had decreased suddenly. The man had become lighter immediately after his death. The weight change was minuscule, but it was measurable . . . and the implications were utterly mind-boggling. Katherine recalled writing in her lab notes with a trembling hand: â€Å"There seems to exist an invisible `material' that exits the human body at the moment of death. It has quantifiable mass which is unimpeded by physical barriers. I must assume it moves in a dimension I cannot yet perceive.† From the expression of shock on her brother's face, Katherine knew he understood the implications. â€Å"Katherine . . .† he stammered, blinking his gray eyes as if to make sure he was not dreaming. â€Å"I think you just weighed the human soul.† There was a long silence between them. Katherine sensed that her brother was attempting to process all the stark and wondrous ramifications. It will take time. If what they had just witnessed was indeed what it seemed to be–that is, evidence that a soul or consciousness or life force could move outside the realm of the body–then a startling new light had just been shed on countless mystical questions: transmigration, cosmic consciousness, near-death experiences, astral projection, remote viewing, lucid dreaming, and on and on. Medical journals were filled with stories of patients who had died on the operating table, viewed their bodies from above, and then been brought back to life. Peter was silent, and Katherine now saw he had tears in his eyes. She understood. She had cried, too. Peter and Katherine had lost loved ones, and for anyone in that position, the faintest hint of the human spirit continuing after death brought a glimmer of hope. He's thinking of Zachary, Katherine thought, recognizing the deep melancholy in her brother's eyes. For years Peter had carried the burden of responsibility for his son's death. He had told Katherine many times that leaving Zachary in prison had been the worst mistake of his life, and that he would never find a way to forgive himself. A slamming door drew Katherine's attention, and suddenly she was back in the basement, lying on a cold stone table. The metal door at the top of the ramp had closed loudly, and the tattooed man was coming back down. She could hear him entering one of the rooms down the hall, doing something inside, and then continuing along the hall toward the room she was in. As he entered, she could see that he was pushing something in front of him. Something heavy . . . on wheels. As he stepped into the light, she stared in disbelief. The tattooed man was pushing a person in a wheelchair. Intellectually, Katherine's brain recognized the man in the chair. Emotionally, her mind could barely accept what she was looking at. Peter? She didn't know whether to be overjoyed that her brother was alive . . . or utterly horrified. Peter's body had been shaved smooth. His mane of thick silver hair was all gone, as were his eyebrows, and his smooth skin glistened as if it had been oiled. He wore a black silk gown. Where his right hand should have been, he had only a stump, wrapped in a clean, fresh bandage. Her brother's pain-laden eyes reached out to hers, filled with regret and sorrow. â€Å"Peter!† Her voice cracked. Her brother tried to speak but made only muffled, guttural noises. Katherine now realized he was bound to the wheelchair and had been gagged. The tattooed man reached down and gently stroked Peter's shaved scalp. â€Å"I've prepared your brother for a great honor. He has a role to play tonight.† Katherine's entire body went rigid. No . . . â€Å"Peter and I will be leaving in a moment, but I thought you'd want to say good-bye.† â€Å"Where are you taking him?† she said weakly. He smiled. â€Å"Peter and I must journey to the sacred mountain. That is where the treasure lies. The Masonic Pyramid has revealed the location. Your friend Robert Langdon was most helpful.† Katherine looked into her brother's eyes. â€Å"He killed . . . Robert.† Her brother's expression contorted in agony, and he shook his head violently, as if unable to bear any more pain. â€Å"Now, now, Peter,† the man said, again stroking Peter's scalp. â€Å"Don't let this ruin the moment. Say good-bye to your little sister. This is your final family reunion.† Katherine felt her mind welling with desperation. â€Å"Why are you doing this?!† she shouted at him. â€Å"What have we ever done to you?! Why do you hate my family so much?!† The tattooed man came over and placed his mouth right next to her ear. â€Å"I have my reasons, Katherine.† Then he walked to the side table and picked up the strange knife. He brought it over to her and ran the burnished blade across her cheek. â€Å"This is arguably the most famous knife in history.† Katherine knew of no famous knives, but it looked foreboding and ancient. The blade felt razor sharp. â€Å"Don't worry,† he said. â€Å"I have no intention of wasting its power on you. I'm saving it for a more worthy sacrifice . . . in a more sacred place.† He turned to her brother. â€Å"Peter, you recognize this knife, don't you?† Her brother's eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and disbelief. â€Å"Yes, Peter, this ancient artifact still exists. I obtained it at great expense . . . and I have been saving it for you. At long last, you and I can end our painful journey together.† With that, he wrapped the knife carefully in a cloth with all of his other items–incense, vials of liquid, white satin cloths, and other ceremonial objects. He then placed the wrapped items inside Robert Langdon's leather bag along with the Masonic Pyramid and capstone. Katherine looked on helplessly as the man zipped up Langdon's daybag and turned to her brother. â€Å"Carry this, Peter, would you?† He set the heavy bag on Peter's lap. Next, the man walked over to a drawer and began rooting around. She could hear small metal objects clinking. When he returned, he took her right arm, steadying it. Katherine couldn't see what he was doing, but Peter apparently could, and he again started bucking wildly. Katherine felt a sudden, sharp pinch in the crook of her right elbow, and an eerie warmth ran down around it. Peter was making anguished, strangled sounds and trying in vain to get out of the heavy chair. Katherine felt a cold numbness spreading through her forearm and fingertips below the elbow. When the man stepped aside, Katherine saw why her brother was so horrified. The tattooed man had inserted a medical needle into her vein, as if she were giving blood. The needle, however, was not attached to a tube. Instead, her blood was now flowing freely out of it . . . running down her elbow, forearm, and onto the stone table. â€Å"A human hourglass,† the man said, turning to Peter. â€Å"In a short while, when I ask you to play your role, I want you to picture Katherine . . . dying alone here in the dark.† Peter's expression was one of total torment. â€Å"She will stay alive,† the man said, â€Å"for about an hour or so. If you cooperate with me quickly, I will have enough time to save her. Of course, if you resist me at all . . . your sister will die here alone in the dark.† Peter bellowed unintelligibly through his gag. â€Å"I know, I know,† the tattooed man said, placing a hand on Peter's shoulder, â€Å"this is hard for you. But it shouldn't be. After all, this is not the first time you will abandon a family member.† He paused, bending over and whispering in Peter's ear. â€Å"I'm thinking, of course, of your son, Zachary, in Soganlik prison.† Peter pulled against his restraints and let out another muffled scream through the cloth in his mouth. â€Å"Stop it!† Katherine shouted. â€Å"I remember that night well,† the man taunted as he finished packing. â€Å"I heard the whole thing. The warden offered to let your son go, but you chose to teach Zachary a lesson . . . by abandoning him. Your boy learned his lesson, all right, didn't he?† The man smiled. â€Å"His loss . . . was my gain.† The man now retrieved a linen cloth and stuffed it deep into Katherine's mouth. â€Å"Death,† he whispered to her, â€Å"should be a quiet thing.† Peter struggled violently. Without another word, the tattooed man slowly backed Peter's wheelchair out of the room, giving Peter a long, last look at his sister. Katherine and Peter locked eyes one final time. Then he was gone. Katherine could hear them going up the ramp and through the metal door. As they exited, she heard the tattooed man lock the metal door behind him and continue on through the painting of the Three Graces. A few minutes later, she heard a car start. Then the mansion fell silent. All alone in the dark, Katherine lay bleeding. CHAPTER 108 Robert Langdon's mind hovered in an endless abyss. No light. No sound. No feeling. Only an infinite and silent void. Softness. Weightlessness. His body had released him. He was untethered. The physical world had ceased to exist. Time had ceased to exist. He was pure consciousness now . . . a fleshless sentience suspended in the emptiness of a vast universe. CHAPTER 109 The modified UH-60 skimmed in low over the expansive rooftops of Kalorama Heights, thundering toward the coordinates given to them by the support team. Agent Simkins was the first to spot the black Escalade parked haphazardly on a lawn in front of one of the mansions. The driveway gate was closed, and the house was dark and quiet. Sato gave the signal to touch down. The aircraft landed hard on the front lawn amid several other vehicles . . . one of them a security sedan with a bubble light on top. Simkins and his team jumped out, drew their weapons, and dashed up onto the porch. Finding the front door locked, Simkins cupped his hands and peered through a window. The foyer was dark, but Simkins could make out the faint shadow of a body on the floor. â€Å"Shit,† he whispered. â€Å"It's Hartmann.† One of his agents grabbed a chair off the porch and heaved it through the bay window. The sound of shattering glass was barely audible over the roar of the helicopter behind them. Seconds later, they were all inside. Simkins rushed to the foyer and knelt over Hartmann to check his pulse. Nothing. There was blood everywhere. Then he saw the screwdriver in Hartmann's throat. Jesus. He stood up and motioned to his men to begin a full search. The agents fanned out across the first floor, their laser sights probing the darkness of the luxurious house. They found nothing in the living room or study, but in the dining room, to their surprise, they discovered a strangled female security guard. Simkins was fast losing hope that Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon were alive. This brutal killer clearly had set a trap, and if he had managed to kill a CIA agent and an armed security guard, then it seemed a professor and a scientist had no chance. Once the first floor was secure, Simkins sent two agents to search upstairs. Meanwhile, he found a set of basement stairs off the kitchen and descended. At the bottom of the stairs, he threw on the lights. The basement was spacious and spotless, as if it were hardly ever used. Boilers, bare cement walls, a few boxes. Nothing here at all. Simkins headed back up to the kitchen just as his men were coming down from the second floor. Everyone shook their heads. The house was deserted. No one home. And no more bodies. Simkins radioed Sato with the all-clear and the grim update. When he got to the foyer, Sato was already climbing the stairs onto the porch. Warren Bellamy was visible behind her, sitting dazed and alone in the helicopter with Sato's titanium briefcase at his feet. The OS director's secure laptop provided her with worldwide access to CIA computer systems via encrypted satellite uplinks. Earlier tonight, she had used this computer to share with Bellamy some kind of information that had stunned the man into cooperating fully. Simkins had no idea what Bellamy had seen, but whatever it was, the Architect had been visibly shell- shocked ever since. As Sato entered the foyer, she paused a moment, bowing her head over Hartmann's body. A moment later, she raised her eyes and fixed them on Simkins. â€Å"No sign of Langdon or Katherine? Or Peter Solomon?† Simkins shook his head. â€Å"If they're still alive, he took them with him.† â€Å"Did you see a computer in the house?† â€Å"Yes, ma'am. In the office.† â€Å"Show me.† Simkins led Sato out of the foyer and into the living room. The plush carpet was covered with broken glass from the shattered bay window. They walked past a fireplace, a large painting, and several bookshelves to an office door. The office was wood paneled, with an antique desk and a large computer monitor. Sato walked around behind the desk and eyed the screen, immediately scowling. â€Å"Damn it,† she said under her breath. Simkins circled around and looked at the screen. It was blank. â€Å"What's wrong?† Sato pointed to an empty docking station on the desk. â€Å"He uses a laptop. He took it with him.† Simkins didn't follow. â€Å"Does he have information you want to see?† â€Å"No,† Sato replied, her tone grave. â€Å"He has information I want nobody to see.† Downstairs in the hidden basement, Katherine Solomon had heard the sounds of helicopter blades followed by breaking glass and heavy boots on the floor above her. She tried to cry out for help, but the gag in her mouth made it impossible. She could barely make a sound. The harder she tried, the faster the blood began flowing from her elbow. She was feeling short of breath and a little dizzy. Katherine knew she needed to calm down. Use your mind, Katherine. With all of her intention, she coaxed herself into a meditative state. Robert Langdon's mind floated through the emptiness of space. He peered into the infinite void, searching for any points of reference. He found nothing. Total darkness. Total silence. Total peace. There was not even the pull of gravity to tell him which way was up. His body was gone. This must be death. Time seemed to be telescoping, stretching and compressing, as if it had no bearings in this place. He had lost all track of how much time had passed. Ten seconds? Ten minutes? Ten days? Suddenly, however, like distant fiery explosions in far-off galaxies, memories began to materialize, billowing toward Langdon like shock waves across a vast nothingness. All at once, Robert Langdon began to remember. The images tore through him . . . vivid and disturbing. He was staring up at a face that was covered with tattoos. A pair of powerful hands lifted his head and smashed it into the floor. Pain erupted . . . and then darkness. Gray light. Throbbing. Wisps of memory. Langdon was being dragged, half conscious, down, down, down. His captor was chanting something. Verbum significatium . . . Verbum omnificum . . . Verbum perdo . . .

Organized Sport Essay

It is obvious that the American society is obsessed with sports. All one needs to do to see this obsession is turn on the television and watch one of the dozens of twenty -four hour sports stations and commercials dedicated to sports. Still not convinced, then hop into your car and take a drive across any suburban American town and look at the parks and playing fields. They are full of adult and children athletes playing for leisure and competition. We, as adults, have made athletics into a billion dollar industry as spectators and participants. Our need for sports fuels our pride and self worth as Americans. However, organized youth sports in the U. S. are still a relatively new phenomenon. Prior to 1954, most organized sports in this country took place through social agencies such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, etc. (Seefelt & Ewing, 1997). Since this time, the benefits provided by these activities have developed into private youth sports organizations primarily run by volunteering adults. Does our obsession have a purpose? Do organized sports play a positive role in the lives of our children? At first thought, any red blooded American would say absolutely. But can we explain why and in what way organized sports benefit our children? Parents and coaches have alluded to the idea that sports are great for kids for decades, but when this comment is made it seems to be accepted without any question. In the following text we will discuss specific benefits from participation in organized sports including the physical, psychological, and academic impact of sport on children. We will also look at the research to see the concrete proof that organized sports play a vital role in the development of the youth of this country. Physical The most alarming issue facing the health of our country and specifically our children is the epidemic of childhood obesity. The infrastructure of our nation’s health care system will be tested as we see the first wave of obese children reach adulthood and deal with the related health issues. The scary facts are that the lifestyle and diet we promote is trickling down to the children of this country. Health issues that are linked to adult obesity are now becoming more and more common in children and teens. For example, type II diabetes was once considered adult on-set diabetes, but today the cases of children with type II diabetes is raising at an alarming rate. The estimated yearly cost of obesity in this country is estimated at around 61 billion dollars. With these issues facing the children of this country we need a cure right? Well a portion of that cure is located in organized sports. The solution is simple to stopping the trend of childhood obesity; eat less and be more active. Today children in this country are far less active than prior generations. Through childhood activity, we are not only saving our children from a life of obesity as adults but we are also potentially saving this country billions of dollars in missed days of work, dollars spent on health care, and rising disability rates. (Healthierchildren. org). In 1997, the CDC stated within its â€Å"Guidelines for Schools and Communities for Promoting Lifelong Physical Activity† that youth sports can promote positive behavior that can last a lifetime (Seefelt & Ewing, 1997). Much debate has been discussed in the general public about the frequency and duration it takes for a child athlete to receive benefits from physical activity. Boys and girls who participate in just two 50 minute training sessions per week improved their aerobic capacity by 15% in just six months (Eppright, Sanfacon, Beck & Bradley, 1996). How young is too young for involvement in organized sports? Children under the age of 5 are more than likely to receive from organized sports the simplest of benefits. For example, children at this age seem to enjoy the advancement in motor skills and interaction and not the competitive aspect of the activity (Eppright, Sanfacon, Beck & Bradley, 1996). A study in Singapore showed that even preschoolers could benefit from involvement in organized sports. This study showed that preschoolers who participated in organized sports where stronger physically, socially, and emotionally developed than peers who were not evolved in organized sports at the preschool level (Nonis, 2004). As with adults over training is a serious issue. A 1980 study detailed the risks of over training with child athletes. There is points in training were growth actually may be retarded (McKeag, 1980). This extreme should not scare parents from allowing there children to participate in a appropriate level of physical activity. Academics We live in a competitive world and as a culture it is our duty to prepare children for the competition. The benefits of organized sports reach farther than the playing fields and hardwood floors of our schools. Organized sport has the potential to also help our children in the realm of academia. Sports help us to prepare for a life filled with stiff competition. Organized athletics teach children to respect authority and to develop time management skills outside the classroom; to be able to balance the responsibilities of being a student and an athlete. The typical stereo-type of the â€Å"dumb athlete† couldn’t be any farther from the actual truth. Current research actually points to a relationship between organized athletics and higher academics. The lessons learned outside the classroom transfer directly into relationships with teachers and peers in an educational environment. The research points to a direct correlation between organized sports and higher development rates in academics. Athletics teach our children to master skills and to focus on the development of virtue over the outcome (Durrant, 2007)). This is a concept that parents and coaches since the dawn of sports have stressed. Organized sports teach life lessons of discipline, hard work, dedication, and how to push through adversity. But the stereotype of the â€Å"dumb jock† has also haunted organized sport as well. The truth is that students who participate in extra curricular activities including organized sports tend to be more academically equipped (Fredricks & Eccles, 2006). It must be noted that students who participate in multiple extracurricular activities including those outside of organized sport seem to benefit the most academically. Psychological The average person knows that there is a positive feeling of self that comes from physical activity and exercise. From a physiological stand point we could say that this is caused by the body producing natural endorphins that just make us feel good for a short period of time following exercise. But the truth is through organized sport we build a sense of self worth, and accomplishment not present in exercise and physical activity alone. These positive feelings we feel following participation in organized sport are the direct result of putting hard work in and seeing the outcome for the whole group not just the individual. The truth is that sports give children an opportunity to develop self concept and how to express themselves within a group. It seems that this is a natural need that even children who do not participate in organized sports have. For example, children in early elementary school are seen looking for situations to act out their competitive nature; competition becomes an independent social motive. Organized sports give these children an outlet for this natural behavior (Eppright, Sanfacon, Beck & Bradely, 1996) As health professionals, it is our job to promote behavior that will increase quality of life and educate Americans on the risk taken in certain behaviors, yet in this country today our children are living lives of risk. Our children are putting themselves at risk for sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, adult obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, etc. Extracurricular activities including organized sports have a direct impact on decreasing risky behavior by children. This can mainly be explained due to the type of peers a child associates with on a regular basis. If a child participates in extracurricular activities his or her choice of friends is likely to be from the pool of children that participate in the given extracurricular activity. Peers who are involved in extracurricular activities tend to be more academically conscience and less likely to live lifestyles promoting risky behavior (Fredricks & Eccles, 2006). If a child is surrounding them selves with responsible peers risky behavior is likely being decreased. In American society today it seems antisocial behavior is accepted, we claim that it’s just a phase or that it’s alright to just be who we are. While both of these may be true, a healthy person is a pro-social person who can function in main stream society. So what role can organized sport play in creating positive pro-social behaviors in children? Children who have been involved in organized sport tend to be more pro-social than their counterparts who have not been exposed to organized sport at an early age. Sports have been used with some success with improving adults and children with antisocial issues, but no clear evidence has shown sports as an effective treatment for antisocial behavior issues (Duncan, 2004). Organized sports may not have a place in treatment of children with antisocial issues but it is clear that children who have been exposed to sports at an early age are less likely to have antisocial disorders. Organized sports participation has been proven to lower scores in the areas of externalizing problems, social problems, aggression problems, and delinquency problems(Donaldson & Ronan, 2006). The number one psychological issue in the life of a child or young adult is the idea of self worth or self concept. The easiest way to define self concept is how do I feel about myself? What kind of self worth do I have? Various researchers have pointed to self concept as the variable with the most potential to reflect the most positive psychological gains (Sonstroem & Morgan, 1988). Researchers have found a positive relationship between organized or formal sports and a positive concept of self (Donaldson & Ronan, 2006). The strength of self concept is built through the knowledge that I, as a person on my own, can finish what I start. I, as a person, can put my mind to a given task and perform that task with the skill I have learned through hard work. And most of all, I can contribute to the group giving us overall success. The large focus of research in the health and sport community has focused on the benefits of organized sport, but can children receive the same social benefits from relatively unorganized sports activities? The answer to this question seems to be that children do not benefit from the same life skills that come from organized sports. Organized sports do create an environment where we learn to exist within the team concept. The world of organized sport appeals to young people who are drawn to the team concept and have a positive view of authority and the group concept. However, the earlier children are involved in organized athletics the more likely they are to be attracted to these sports as a adolescent (Donaldson & Ronon, 2007). Many have witnessed the out of control parent at a little league game or a child who participates in too many activities and gives up a sport at a later age. These are examples of the negative impact of youth sports. The negative impact of youth sports is a real and valid concern. The psychological benefits of youth sports are just as great for the child who grows up to have nothing to do with competitive athletics (McKeag, 1980). Conclusion The proof is in the research, organized sports provide positive benefits. Physically, children who participate in organized sport are less likely to develop asthma and diabetes as adults. Academically, children who participate in organized sports are more likely to excel in the classroom. Socially, children who participate in organized sport are less likely to suffer from depression and less likely to participate in antisocial high risk behavior. With all the positives involved, why do we see so many states and individual school districts cutting funds and opportunities for children to participate in organized childhood sports? It is vital that we fight to not only keep childhood sports a priority in our primary schools but also expand those programs. As parents we must take it on ourselves to give our children every chance to benefit from organized youth sports, even if it means taking time out of our own busy schedules to volunteer. As Americans we cannot afford to see a day when organized sports are limited to only those families who can afford to pay for their children to participate in them. In order for organized sport to become a priority in this country, we as health professionals must educate the public on the positives and how they translate to the long term financial and social benefits for our country. Works Cited Donaldson, S. , & Ronan,K. (2006 Summer). The Effecs of Sports Participation on Young Adolescents’ Emotional Well-being. Adolescence, 41(162), 369-389. Duncan, S. , Duncan, T. , Strycker, L. , & Chaumeton, N. (March 3, 2002). Relations Beween Youth Antisocial and Prosocial Activites, Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 25 (5) 425-438. Durant, S. (2007 Summer). Raising Successful and Emotionally Healthy Children in a Competitive World. Independent School, 66(4), 116-116. Eppright, T. , Sanfacon, J. , Beck, N. , & Bradley, J. (December 23, 1996). Sports Psychiatry in Childhood and Adolescence: An Overview, Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 28(2), 71-86. McKeag, D. (1980). Sports and the Young Athlete: A Family Practice Perspective, Sports and the Young Athlete, 3-16. Nonis, K. (November 2005). Kindergarten Teachers’ View About the Importance of Preschoolers’ Partcipation in Sports in Singapore. Early Child Development and Care, 175(7-8), 719-742. Seefeldt, V. , & Ewing, M. , (September 1997). Youth Sports in America, President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Research Digest, 2(11), 2-14.

VB.NET Solution and Project Files sln and vbproj

VB.NET Solution and Project Files 'sln' and 'vbproj' The whole topic of projects, solutions, and the files and tools that control them is something that is seldom explained. Throwing Food One of the big advantages of the way Microsoft has designed solutions and projects is that a project or solution is self-contained. A solution directory and its contents can be moved, copied, or deleted in Windows Explorer. A whole team of programmers can share one solution (.sln) file; a whole set of projects can be part of the same solution, and the settings and options in that .sln file can apply to all of the projects in it. Only one solution can be open at one time in Visual Studio, but a lot of projects can be in that solution. The projects can even be in different languages. You can get a better understanding of just what a solution is by creating a few and looking at the result. A Blank solution results in a single folder with just two files: the solution container and the solution user options. If you use the default name, youll see: Add Privacy The main reason you can create a blank solution is to allow project files to be created independently and included in the solution. In large, complex systems, in addition to being part of several solutions, projects can even be nested in hierarchies. The solution container file, interestingly, is one of the few text configuration files that isnt in XML. A blank solution contains these statements: It might as well be XML... its organized just like XML but without the XML syntax. Since this is just a text file, its possible to edit it in a text editor like Notepad. For example, you can change HideSolutionNode FALSE to TRUE and solution wont be shown in Solution Explorer anymore. (The name in Visual Studio changes to Project Explorer too.) Its fine to experiment with things like this as long as youre working on a strictly experimental project. You should never change configuration files manually for a real system unless you know exactly what youre doing, but its fairly common in advanced environments to update the .sln file directly rather than through Visual Studio. The .suo file is hidden and its a binary file so it cant be edited like the .sln file. You will normally only change this file using the menu options in Visual Studio. Moving up in complexity, check out a Windows Forms Application. Even though this might be the most elementary application, there are a lot more files. In addition to a .sln file, the Windows Forms Application template also automatically creates a .vbproj file. Although the .sln and .vbproj files often useful, you might notice that theyre not shown in the Visual Studio Solution Explorer window, even with the Show All Files button clicked. If you need to work with these files directly, you have to do it outside of Visual Studio. Not all applications need a .vbproj file. For example, if you select New Web Site in Visual Studio, no .vbproj file will be created. Open the top level folder in Windows for the Windows Forms Application and youll see the four files that Visual Studio doesnt show. ssuming the default name again, they are: The .sln and the .vbproj files can be useful for debugging difficult problems. Theres no harm in looking at them and these files tell you what is really going on in your code. As we have seen, you can also edit .sln and .vbproj files directly although its usually a bad idea unless there is no other way to do what you need. But sometimes, there is no other way. For example, if your computer is running in 64-bit mode, there isnt a way to target a 32-bit CPU in VB.NET Express, for example, to be compatible with the 32-bit Access Jet database engine. (Visual Studio provides a way in the other versions), but you can add the following: To the elementspropertygroup.. .:l in the .vbproj files to get the job done. Both the .sln and .vbproj file types are normally associated with Visual Studio in Windows. That means that if you double-click either of them, Visual Studio opens. If you double-click a solution, the projects in the .sln file are opened. If you double-click a .vbproj file and there is no .sln file (this happens if you add a new project to an existing solution) then one is created for that project.

Globalization and Business IT Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Globalization and Business IT Exam - Assignment Example Business to Consumer (B2C) Business to Employees (B2E) and Consumer to Consumer (C2C), the archaic methodology of conducting business has been redefined. The most striking advancement brought upon by the advancement in information technology is the drastic modification in the communication norms. Businesses are now able to communicate with its internal, external and connected stakeholders more conveniently, thus saving precious time and cost. Internet has played the most prominent part in abridging the distance. By using e-commerce, companies of all types are able to explore new business ventures in the form of new and similar market segments and lucrative business opportunities. Distance in no more a hurdle. Since the internet never sleeps, customers have the privilege of doing transactions 24-hours of the day, 365-days of the year. Bad weather or labor problems will not prevent the customers from visiting the store and placing their orders. From global perspective, the introduction of electronic data interchange (EDI) has standardized the language of business all across the globe. According the Advantages of EDI, using these industry standards, for transmitting data related to commercial transactions, the manufacturer and the supplier are easily and quickly able to complete a business transaction. In order to objectively evaluate the role of information technology for all businesses, its role can be divided into three major aspects which can prove to be vital for any business enterprise Support of its business processes and operations Support of decision making by its employees and managers Supports of its strategies for competitive advantage (O’Brien and Marakas 2008) An organization operating in global environment strives to implement the above mentioned traits in its corporate strategy and thus reaping maximum benefits. Multinational organization uses IT in order to integrate its various strategic business processes and operations such as keeping re cord of purchases and sales, automating the inventory record system or maintaining transaction history of the customers in order to forecast their demand in future. IT also provides the managers and those charged with governance several tools which assist them in making apt decisions. These decisions might include the addition or deletion of products from the current product line, what are the projects which are likely to yield positive cash flows in the future and identification of the lucrative investments. In today’s world, to obtain a clear strategic advantage over the competitors, a company needs to align its corporate strategy keeping in consideration the information technology requirements. The use of strategic information system has tremendously uplifted the quality of product and services offered by different companies and have immensely assisted in obtaining competitive advantage. A company can only survive if it develops strategies which are sufficient to counter t he prevailing competitive threats in the market. Competitive forces can be analyzed through Porter’s five forces model which are illustrated in the figure below In today’s dynamic market, not only the companies are expending sufficient resources in countering the prevailing rivals in the market, but efforts have also been diverted towards establishing barriers which will stop the new entrants into the market. The internet has created several ways through which new entrants can enter into the market more easily and quickly and with considerably less

Academic software Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Academic software - Coursework Example In this paper we specifically highlight the benefits of Inspiration software to both teachers and students. Inspiration provides teacher with lesson plan books and visual learning tools. The lesson plan books give teachers practical ideas and step-by-step directions on how to engage students in activities that inspire creativity, thinking and learning. Teachers are also provided with examples of templates and diagrams that they can use to develop students’ cognitive abilities in a wide-range of subjects and topics. Teachers are therefore able to be more effective with regards to transferring knowledge to their students. Furthermore, by supporting visual learning Inspiration software caters for students with learning challenges such as autism, dyslexia, visual or auditory processing disorders and so on. On the other hand, the students benefit from the ability to visualize and develop their ideas using visual maps, and to communicate these ideas with their teachers or fellow stu dents. One challenge that many students face is visualizing what the teacher is explaining especially if it is a new concept, but with Inspiration the students can see what the teacher is explaining for example in courses such as Biology or Chemistry.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS (COMPARATIVE) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS (COMPARATIVE) - Essay Example But despite social ghettos, criminal justice and the law still remains the same for the rich and poor. 1 The justice system followed in Amsterdam is somewhat different from Krakow, Prague or USA. The full implications of Amsterdam criminal justice for Member States' competence in criminal law matters have not always been appreciated by the expounded institutions because of the fact that it is not only permissible for States to take action in respect of such breaches but is in fact required of them to do so has become clearer only in very recent years. Indeed, as late as 1977 in Amsterdam Bulb BV v. Produktschap voor Siergewassen, the Court of Justice went no further than to talk in terms of it being permissible for Member States to provide penalties for the breach of Community criminal law. 2 The latest principle relating to Criminal law is introduced as the fourth principle of transparency, which was developed somewhat earlier in the Amsterdam Bulb case.3 This 'transparency' principle acts as a constraint primarily on the legislature to ensure that national legislation does not conceal the Community nature and effects of a legal provision from the persons to whom it applies. As 'drug crime' is the most extending and outbound in Amsterdam, the final policy element in criminal legislation is the recognition that the criminal law plays only a minor role in the Dutch war in case of drugs. Central government has accepted that criminal proceedings should not be allowed to cause individual drug users more harm than might occur through drug use itself. The resultant level of legal intervention, accompanied by a gradual process of controlled integration of drug taking, could lead to the removal of any stigma against drug users. In Amsterdam from the entire criminal justice system may take place when a person is arrested by the police, who may, instead of initiating a criminal procedure by informing the public prosecutor, choose to arrange a civil commitment, particularly if the person has a history of previous admissions to psychiatric hospital. Once the matter has reached the prosecutor, there are no prosecutorial guidelines for the non-prosecution of mentally disordered offenders, and the appropriate disposal will be a matter for the court. Forensic mental health assessments in Amsterdam may be carried out on an outpatient or in-patient basis in a psychiatric hospital.4 Criminal justice policy has reflected these ideas to an extent in Amsterdam, but has never given statutory recognition to them such recognition emerges much more in relation to diversion from court and custody. Diversion from crime, then, has included many forms of prevention activity leisure groups run by social workers, the universal provision of youth facilities, behaviour modification, and other treatment programmes, counselling and a wide range of 'social crime prevention' schemes which often focus on 'at risk' groups (for example, children who five in high rise flats, large-scale council housing estates and so on); but also more 'mechanical' forms of intervention greater surveillance in shops and public transport, the introduction of 'vandal-proof' building materials and the physical security of buildings, for example. Indeed, 'situational crime prevention' of this sort has recently found favour in national and local crime prevention

Toyota Motor Corporation Essay Example for Free

Toyota Motor Corporation Essay Toyota Motor Corporation is an automotive manufacture stationed in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. It was established in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda as a spin-off from Toyota Industries, his father’s company, to create automobiles. It has grown from just a dream to the world’s largest automobile manufacturer by 2012. Toyota made history when it became the first automobile manufacturer to produce 10 million vehicles in just one year. It has so far produced more than 200 million vehicles. The company produces vehicles under the brands of Lexus, Scion, Toyota, Hino, and Ranz. The company has, however, faced challenges because it has failed to perform the corporate structure, cooperate with regulator better, and pay adequate attention to the complaints of their consumers. I. Issues that the managers in the case are confronting The managers of Toyota are currently facing various issues. By 2012 they had to recall more than nine million cars since there were strong claims that they had defects. Recalling this huge number of cars would results in huge losses. First, there would be the cost of repairing these vehicles so that they can be roadworthy. Then there is the amount of time spent focusing on  the repair or damage control due to the defective vehicles that could be used in other productive activities. Meanwhile, as they are busy recalling the vehicles, their competitors are focusing on production and this could mean increase in their sales. The management has to work double and strategize on how to manage this mishap so that it does not result in unnecessary huge company losses. The managers’ methods of handling this crisis will significantly affect the turnover of the company. This thus calls for a lot of professionalism and tact when handling the situation. Moreover, the company has been the cause of thirty-seven deaths since the year 2000. This kind of information when released to the public negatively affects how the public perceives the company. The case study reports that unintended acceleration was one of the major reasons why the vehicles were recalled. The managers of Toyota will have to find out the effect of this kind of information on the attitudes of the consumers and reverse them. The managers are also confronted with the need to engage in more effective advertisement to correct the dented image of the company. They also need to assess their production techniques to make sure that such defects will not occur again anytime in future. I. Management concepts and theories Toyota has a strong culture because they have core values and norms which are widely shared among over 30,000 staff members. The company has an integrationist perspective of culture. The integrated culture has led to the company’s huge success. It shares organization-wide agreement of managerially sanctioned values. The Michigan Model of human resource management can critically evaluate the issues raised in the case study when based on Theory X (Rudman, 1999). The theory points out that the workers avoid responsibility and they cannot be trusted. When a company calls back nine million vehicles, a number almost equal to the number of cars produced annually, then somebody is definitely underperforming. There must be a whole department full of employees of Toyota who have been mandated with the responsibility of ensuring that the vehicles produced are fit for the road. Their failure to ensure that over nine million vehicles do not go to the market fit makes them not easy to be tr usted. The workers can also be classified as lazy since industrious workers would never let such a huge number of cars be released to the market while defective on their watch. Additionally, the company needs little autonomy just like in the Michigan Model of human resource development (Rudman, 1999). Their independence should be limited, as they need tight control and close monitoring. These conditions would assert that the company does not get overwhelmed by its mission to be number one and forget about the importance of releasing safe cars into the market. Being ahead of their competition has proved to Toyota that that is a very dangerous place to be. The company must have developed a sense of pride that made them complacent and indifferent to reality. The complacency finally developed into arrogance since their workers saw no need of assessing their products to match current quality standards because after all, they were still number one. The company focused on containments and cost reduction instead of focusing on what was really necessary, quality of output. Production on such large scales would make it easy to reduce costs due to economies of scale ( Herman, 2008). However, it reaches a point where reduction of production cost would have a negative effect on the quality of output. At such circumstances, the workers should have ensured that quality was important. This way they would not have rushed into releasing the products into the market and end up selling to the world vehicles that had defects such as unintended acceleration. The model regards the employees simply as resources for achieving the goals of the organization (Nankervis, Compton, Baird 2010). The company would find them irrelevant for inclusion into the process of strategizing and planning for the future of the company. The management would therefore lack a good quorum when discussing best scrutiny methods that would not result in the sale of defective vehicles by the company. Regardless of this, common sense should be considered as the only route to the success of the company. The notion that assessment of products to ensure that they match the level of quality that has been advertised to the consumers should be common to all. They should not allow the sale of products that fall short of the currently expected level of quality as this eventually affects the company sales. II. Critical review about the management strategies There are various decisions that could be tried by Toyota to resolve the issue. The company should give its regional managers more freedom to make independent decisions rather than have a rigid Japan-centered structure of  organization (Clegg, Kornberger, Pitsis 2011). Giving their regional managers more autonomy would speed up the process of decision making as it cuts down on the bureaucracy issues. It also increases creativity as the managers are allowed to come up with better managerial activities since they are free to do so. This freedom, when used responsibly by the managers, would help reduce the risk of complacency and ignorance to customer satisfaction as it has been noted by the current company practices. The effects of the mistakes of one regional manager can also be minimized since their decisions are not implemented on a global scale. Instead of having nine million recalled cars we might have just two hundred thousand since not all the regional managers will make the same mistake. The regional managers would also have role models of good management to emulate. Since these role models would be their colleagues then they are very likely to be successful at fulfilling their mission of meeting the same targets as their mentors. Toyota’s decision to deny the claims that they were defective cars to their consumers did not work at all. You cannot have the loss of thirty seven lives in your conscience and still be able to look at the family and friends’ victims’ eyes and deny that you had nothing to do with when in fact you really did. This was a very bad decision and that is why it did not work and they had to apologize later on. They should have taken the claims more seriously and investigated the matter too very well before making public announcements of denial or acceptance of their mistakes. The fact that they initially denied the claims and then apologized later on then recalled over nine million cars means that they had not taken seriously the allegations against them. III. Recommendations Toyota should have employed the Japanese approach of organizational culture to remedy this situation (Adler, Gundersen 2008). They should first create new knowledge. This would be done by assessing the situation and determining what is really going on and the cause of the problems. It is only by creating new knowledge that the problem can be understood and the solutions to these problems calculated. You cannot solve a problem if you know nothing about it. Research should be done to gauge what the public knows and compare it with the right information. Corrective advertising should be implemented in cases where there is a huge discrepancy. The company should also tap  tacit and subjective insights. The tacit insights include those cultures, which are implied or understood without stating. Subjective insights are one’s understanding of specific effect and cause in a particular context influenced or based on tastes, personal feelings and opinions. The company should also bank on the hunches and intuition of employees (Waddell, Jones George 2011). The employees know and understand how the business works. This means that they know one or two ideas that are not obvious to everyone else. They should use the company when dealing with such a crisis. This way the best approaches known to man will be formulated as you cannot go wrong when you have over 30,000 ideas to choose from. The company should not depend exclusively on processing objective data. In summary, Toyota has experienced some setbacks as it has not been able to cooperate better with regulator, perform the corporate structure, and pay enough attention to consumers’ complaints. The managers of Toyota are currently faced with issues such as recalling of more than nine million cars since there were strong claims that they had defects and the company has been the cause of thirty-seven deaths since the year 2000. The Michigan Model of human resource management can critically evaluate the issues raised in the case study when based on Theory X. Finally, Toyota should have employed the Japanese approach of organizational culture to remedy this situation. They should first create new knowledge. References Adler, N. Gundersen, A. 2008. International Dimensions of Organisational Behaviour 5th edn, Thompson Higher Education, Ohio, USA Aguinis, Herman (2008). Performance Management, 2nd Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, New York Clegg, S., Kornberger, M., Pitsis, T. 2011, Managing Organisations: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, London, Sage. Nankervis, A. R., Compton, R. L. Baird, M. 2010, Human Resource Management: Strategies and Processes, 7th edn, Southbank, Thomson. Rudman, R. 1999, Human Resource Management in New Zealand. 3rd edn, Auckland: Addison Wesley Longman, New Zealand Limited. Waddell, D, Jones, G George, J. 2011, Contemporary Management. 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill, North Ryde.