The Da Vinci Code Chapter 7-9

CHAPTER 7 The modest dwelling within the Church of Saint-Sulpice was located on the second floor of the church itself, to the left of the choir balcony. A two-room suite with a stone floor and minimal furnishings, it had been home to Sister Sandrine Bieil for over a decade. The nearby convent washer formal residence, if anyone asked, but she preferred the quiet of the church and had made herself quite comfortable upstairs with a bed, phone, and hot plate. As the church's conservatrice d'affaires, Sister Sandrine was responsible for overseeing all nonreligious aspects of church operations – general maintenance, hiring support staff and guides, securing the building after hours, and ordering supplies like communion wine and wafers. Tonight, asleep in her small bed, she awoke to the shrill of her telephone. Tiredly, she lifted the receiver. â€Å"Soeur Sandrine. Eglise Saint-Sulpice.† â€Å"Hello, Sister,† the man said in French. Sister Sandrine sat up. What time is it? Although she recognized her boss's voice, in fifteen years she had never been awoken by him. The abbe was a deeply pious man who went home to bed immediately after mass. â€Å"I apologize if I have awoken you, Sister,† the abbe said, his own voice sounding groggy and on edge. â€Å"I have a favor to ask of you. I just received a call from an influential American bishop. Perhaps you know him? Manuel Aringarosa?† â€Å"The head of Opus Dei?† Of course I know of him.Who in the Church doesn't? Aringarosa's conservative prelature had grown powerful in recent years. Their ascension to grace was jump-started in 1982 when Pope John Paul II unexpectedly elevated them to a† personal prelature of the Pope,† officially sanctioning all of their practices. Suspiciously, Opus Dei's elevation occurred the same year the wealthy sect allegedly had transferred almost one billion dollars into the Vatican's Institute for Religious Works – commonly known as the Vatican Bank – bailing it out of an embarrassing bankruptcy. In a second maneuver that raised eyebrows, the Pope placed the founder of Opus Dei on the† fast track† for sainthood, accelerating an often century-long waiting period for canonization to a mere twenty years. Sister Sandrine could not help but feel that Opus Dei's good standing in Rome was suspect, but one did not argue with the Holy See. â€Å"Bishop Aringarosa called to ask me a favor,† the abbe told her, his voice nervous. â€Å"One of his numeraries is in Paris tonight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As Sister Sandrine listened to the odd request, she felt a deepening confusion. â€Å"I'm sorry, you say this visiting Opus Dei numerary cannot wait until morning?† â€Å"I'm afraid not. His plane leaves very early. He has always dreamed of seeing Saint-Sulpice.† â€Å"But the church is far more interesting by day. The sun's rays through the oculus, the graduated shadows on the gnomon, this is what makes Saint-Sulpice unique.† â€Å"Sister, I agree, and yet I would consider it a personal favor if you could let him in tonight. He can be there at†¦ say one o'clock? That's in twenty minutes.† Sister Sandrine frowned. â€Å"Of course. It would be my pleasure.† The abbe thanked her and hung up. Puzzled, Sister Sandrine remained a moment in the warmth of her bed, trying to shake off the cobwebs of sleep. Her sixty-year-old body did not awake as fast as it used to, although tonight's phone call had certainly roused her senses. Opus Dei had always made her uneasy. Beyond the prelature's adherence to the arcane ritual of corporal mortification, their views on women were medieval at best. She had been shocked to learn that female numeraries were forced to clean the men's residence halls for no pay while the men were at mass; women slept on hardwood floors, while the men had straw mats; and women were forced to endure additional requirements of corporal mortification†¦ all as added penance for original sin. It seemed Eve's bite from the apple of knowledge was a debt women were doomed to pay for eternity. Sadly, while most of the Catholic Church was gradually moving in the right direction with respect to women's rights, Opus Dei threatened to reverse the progress. Even so, Sister Sandrine had her orders. Swinging her legs off the bed, she stood slowly, chilled by the cold stone on the soles of her bare feet. As the chill rose through her flesh, she felt an unexpected apprehension. Women's intuition? A follower of God, Sister Sandrine had learned to find peace in the calming voices of her own soul. Tonight, however, those voices were as silent as the empty church around her. CHAPTER 8 Langdon couldn't tear his eyes from the glowing purple text scrawled across the parquet floor. Jacques Sauniere's final communication seemed as unlikely a departing message as any Langdon could imagine. The message read: 13-3-2-21-1-1-8-5 O, Draconian devil! Oh, lame saint! Although Langdon had not the slightest idea what it meant, he did understand Fache's instinct that the pentacle had something to do with devil worship. O, Draconian devil! Sauniere had left a literal reference to the devil. Equally as bizarre was the series of numbers. â€Å"Part of it looks like a numeric cipher.† â€Å"Yes,† Fache said. â€Å"Our cryptographers are already working on it. We believe these numbers maybe the key to who killed him. Maybe a telephone exchange or some kind of social identification. Do the numbers have any symbolic meaning to you?† Langdon looked again at the digits, sensing it would take him hours to extract any symbolic meaning. If Sauniere had even intended any.To Langdon, the numbers looked totally random. He was accustomed to symbolic progressions that made some semblance of sense, but everything here – the pentacle, the text, the numbers – seemed disparate at the most fundamental level. â€Å"You alleged earlier,† Fache said,† that Sauniere's actions here were all in an effort to send some sort of message†¦ goddess worship or something in that vein? How does this message fit in?† Langdon knew the question was rhetorical. This bizarre communique obviously did not fit Langdon's scenario of goddess worship at all. O, Draconian devil? Oh, lame saint? Fache said, â€Å"This text appears to be an accusation of some sort. Wouldn't you agree?† Langdon tried to imagine the curator's final minutes trapped alone in the Grand Gallery, knowing he was about to die. It seemed logical. â€Å"An accusation against his murderer makes sense, I suppose.† â€Å"My job, of course, is to put a name to that person. Let me ask you this, Mr. Langdon. To your eye, beyond the numbers, what about this message is most strange?† Most strange? A dying man had barricaded himself in the gallery, drawn a pentacle on himself, and scrawled a mysterious accusation on the floor. What about the scenario wasn't strange? â€Å"The word ‘Draconian'?† he ventured, offering the first thing that came to mind. Langdon was fairly certain that a reference to Draco – the ruthless seventh-century B. C. politician – was an unlikely dying thought. † ‘Draconian devil' seems an odd choice of vocabulary.† â€Å"Draconian?† Fache's tone came with a tinge of impatience now. â€Å"Sauniere's choice of vocabulary hardly seems the primary issue here.† Langdon wasn't sure what issue Fache had in mind, but he was starting to suspect that Draco and Fache would have gotten along well. â€Å"Sauniere was a Frenchman,† Fache said flatly. â€Å"He lived in Paris. And yet he chose to write this message†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"In English,† Langdon said, now realizing the captain's meaning. Fache nodded. â€Å"Precisement.Any idea why?† Langdon knew Sauniere spoke impeccable English, and yet the reason he had chosen English as the language in which to write his final words escaped Langdon. He shrugged. Fache motioned back to the pentacle on Sauniere's abdomen. â€Å"Nothing to do with devil worship? Are you still certain?† Langdon was certain of nothing anymore. â€Å"The symbology and text don't seem to coincide. I'm sorry I can't be of more help.† â€Å"Perhaps this will clarify.† Fache backed away from the body and raised the black light again, letting the beam spread out in a wider angle. â€Å"And now?† To Langdon's amazement, a rudimentary circle glowed around the curator's body. Sauniere had apparently lay down and swung the pen around himself in several long arcs, essentially inscribing himself inside a circle. In a flash, the meaning became clear. â€Å"The Vitruvian Man,†Langdon gasped. Sauniere had created a life-sized replica of Leonardo Da Vinci's most famous sketch. Considered the most anatomically correct drawing of its day, Da Vinci's The Vitruvian Man had become a modern-day icon of culture, appearing on posters, mouse pads, and T-shirts around the world. The celebrated sketch consisted of a perfect circle in which was inscribed a nude male†¦ his arms and legs outstretched in a naked spread eagle. Da Vinci.Langdon felt a shiver of amazement. The clarity of Sauniere's intentions could not be denied. In his final moments of life, the curator had stripped off his clothing and arranged his body in a clear image of Leonardo Da Vinci's VitruvianMan. The circle had been the missing critical element. A feminine symbol of protection, the circle around the naked man's body completed Da Vinci's intended message – male and female harmony. The question now, though, was why Sauniere would imitate a famous drawing. â€Å"Mr. Langdon,† Fache said,† certainly a man like yourself is aware that Leonardo Da Vinci had a tendency toward the darker arts.† Langdon was surprised by Fache's knowledge of Da Vinci, and it certainly went a long way toward explaining the captain's suspicions about devil worship. Da Vinci had always been an awkward subject for historians, especially in the Christian tradition. Despite the visionary's genius, he was a flamboyant homosexual and worshipper of Nature's divine order, both of which placed him in a perpetual state of sin against God. Moreover, the artist's eerie eccentricities projected an admittedly demonic aura: Da Vinci exhumed corpses to study human anatomy; he kept mysterious journals in illegible reverse handwriting; he believed he possessed the alchemic power to turn lead into gold and even cheat God by creating an elixir to postpone death; and his inventions included horrific, never-before-imagined weapons of war and torture. Misunderstanding breeds distrust, Langdon thought. Even Da Vinci's enormous output of breathtaking Christian art only furthered the artist's reputation for spiritual hypocrisy. Accepting hundreds of lucrative Vatican commissions, Da Vinci painted Christian themes not as an expression of his own beliefs but rather as a commercial venture – a means of funding a lavish lifestyle. Unfortunately, Da Vinci was a prankster who often amused himself by quietly gnawing at the hand that fed him. He incorporated in many of his Christian paintings hidden symbolism that was anything but Christian – tributes to his own beliefs and a subtle thumbing of his nose at the Church. Langdon had even given a lecture once at the National Gallery in London entitled:† The Secret Life of Leonardo: Pagan Symbolism in Christian Art.† â€Å"I understand your concerns,† Langdon now said, â€Å"but Da Vinci never really practiced any dark arts. He was an exceptionally spiritual man, albeit one in constant conflict with the Church.† As Langdon said this, an odd thought popped into his mind. He glanced down at the message on the floor again. O, Draconian devil! Oh, lame saint! â€Å"Yes?† Fache said. Langdon weighed his words carefully. â€Å"I was just thinking that Sauniere shared a lot of spiritual ideologies with Da Vinci, including a concern over the Church's elimination of the sacred feminine from modern religion. Maybe, by imitating a famous Da Vinci drawing, Sauniere was simply echoing some of their shared frustrations with the modern Church's demonization of the goddess.† Fache's eyes hardened. â€Å"You think Sauniere is calling the Church a lame saint and a Draconian devil?† Langdon had to admit it seemed far-fetched, and yet the pentacle seemed to endorse the idea on some level. â€Å"All I am saying is that Mr. Sauniere dedicated his life to studying the history of the goddess, and nothing has done more to erase that history than the Catholic Church. It seems reasonable that Sauniere might have chosen to express his disappointment in his final good-bye.† â€Å"Disappointment?† Fache demanded, sounding hostile now. â€Å"This message sounds more enragedthan disappointed, wouldn't you say?† Langdon was reaching the end of his patience. â€Å"Captain, you asked for my instincts as to what Sauniere is trying to say here, and that's what I'm giving you.† â€Å"That this is an indictment of the Church?† Fache's jaw tightened as he spoke through clenched teeth. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, I have seen a lot of death in my work, and let me tell you something. When a man is murdered by another man, I do not believe his final thoughts are to write an obscure spiritual statement that no one will understand. I believe he is thinking of one thing only.† Fache's whispery voice sliced the air. â€Å"La vengeance.I believe Sauniere wrote this note to tell us who killed him.† Langdon stared. â€Å"But that makes no sense whatsoever.† â€Å"No?† â€Å"No,† he fired back, tired and frustrated. â€Å"You told me Sauniere was attacked in his office by someone he had apparently invited in.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"So it seems reasonable to conclude that the curator knew his attacker.† Fache nodded. â€Å"Go on.† â€Å"So if Sauniere knew the person who killed him, what kind of indictment is this?† He pointed at the floor. â€Å"Numeric codes? Lame saints? Draconian devils? Pentacles on his stomach? It's all too cryptic.† Fache frowned as if the idea had never occurred to him. â€Å"You have a point.† â€Å"Considering the circumstances,† Langdon said,† I would assume that if Sauniere wanted to tell you who killed him, he would have written down somebody's name.† As Langdon spoke those words, a smug smile crossed Fache's lips for the first time all night. â€Å"Precisement,†Fache said. â€Å"Precisement.† I am witnessing the work of a master, mused Lieutenant Collet as he tweaked his audio gear and listened to Fache's voice coming through the headphones. The agent superieur knew it was moments like these that had lifted the captain to the pinnacle of French law enforcement. Fache will do what no one else dares. The delicate art of cajoler was a lost skill in modern law enforcement, one that required exceptional poise under pressure. Few men possessed the necessary sangfroid for this kind of operation, but Fache seemed born for it. His restraint and patience bordered on the robotic. Fache's sole emotion this evening seemed to be one of intense resolve, as if this arrest were somehow personal to him. Fache's briefing of his agents an hour ago had been unusually succinct and assured. I know who murdered Jacques Sauniere, Fache had said. You know what to do.No mistakes tonight. And so far, no mistakes had been made. Collet was not yet privy to the evidence that had cemented Fache's certainty of their suspect's guilt, but he knew better than to question the instincts of the Bull. Fache's intuition seemed almost supernatural at times. God whispers in his ear, one agent had insisted after a particularly impressive display of Fache's sixth sense. Collet had to admit, if there was a God, Bezu Fache would be on His A-list. The captain attended mass and confession with zealous regularity – far more than the requisite holiday attendance fulfilled by other officials in the name of good public relations. When the Pope visited Paris a few years back, Fache had used all his muscle to obtain the honor of an audience. A photo of Fache with the Pope now hung in his office. The Papal Bull, the agents secretly called it. Collet found it ironic that one of Fache's rare popular public stances in recent years had been his outspoken reaction to the Catholic pedophilia scandal. These priests should be hanged twice! Fache had declared. Once for their crimes against children.And once for shaming the good name of theCatholic Church.Collet had the odd sense it was the latter that angered Fache more. Turning now to his laptop computer, Collet attended to the other half of his responsibilities here tonight – the GPS tracking system. The image onscreen revealed a detailed floor plan of the Denon Wing, a structural schematic uploaded from the Louvre Security Office. Letting his eyes trace the maze of galleries and hallways, Collet found what he was looking for. Deep in the heart of the Grand Gallery blinked a tiny red dot. La marque. Fache was keeping his prey on a very tight leash tonight. Wisely so. Robert Langdon had proven himself one cool customer. CHAPTER 9 To ensure his conversation with Mr. Langdon would not be interrupted, Bezu Fache had turned off his cellular phone. Unfortunately, it was an expensive model equipped with a two-way radio feature, which, contrary to his orders, was now being used by one of his agents to page him. â€Å"Capitaine?† The phone crackled like a walkie-talkie. Fache felt his teeth clench in rage. He could imagine nothing important enough that Collet would interrupt this surveillance cachee – especially at this critical juncture. He gave Langdon a calm look of apology. â€Å"One moment please.† He pulled the phone from his belt and pressed the radio transmission button. â€Å"Oui?† â€Å"Capitaine, un agent du Departement de Cryptographie est arrive.† Fache's anger stalled momentarily. A cryptographer? Despite the lousy timing, this was probably good news. Fache, after finding Sauniere's cryptic text on the floor, had uploaded photographs of the entire crime scene to the Cryptography Department in hopes someone there could tell him what the hell Sauniere was trying to say. If a code breaker had now arrived, it most likely meant someone had decrypted Sauniere's message. â€Å"I'm busy at the moment,† Fache radioed back, leaving no doubt in his tone that a line had been crossed. â€Å"Ask the cryptographer to wait at the command post. I'll speak to him when I'm done.† â€Å"Her,†the voice corrected. â€Å"It's Agent Neveu.† Fache was becoming less amused with this call every passing moment. Sophie Neveu was one of DCPJ's biggest mistakes. A young Parisian dechiffreuse who had studied cryptography in England at the Royal Holloway, Sophie Neveu had been foisted on Fache two years ago as part of the ministry's attempt to incorporate more women into the police force. The ministry's ongoing foray into political correctness, Fache argued, was weakening the department. Women not only lacked the physicality necessary for police work, but their mere presence posed a dangerous distraction to the men in the field. As Fache had feared, Sophie Neveu was proving far more distracting than most. At thirty-two years old, she had a dogged determination that bordered on obstinate. Her eager espousal of Britain's new cryptologic methodology continually exasperated the veteran French cryptographers above her. And by far the most troubling to Fache was the inescapable universal truth that in an office of middle-aged men, an attractive young woman always drew eyes away from the work at hand. The man on the radio said,† Agent Neveu insisted on speaking to you immediately, Captain. I tried to stop her, but she's on her way into the gallery.† Fache recoiled in disbelief. â€Å"Unacceptable! I made it very clear – â€Å" For a moment, Robert Langdon thought Bezu Fache was suffering a stroke. The captain was mid- sentence when his jaw stopped moving and his eyes bulged. His blistering gaze seemed fixated on something over Langdon's shoulder. Before Langdon could turn to see what it was, he heard a woman's voice chime out behind him. â€Å"Excusez-moi, messieurs.† Langdon turned to see a young woman approaching. She was moving down the corridor toward them with long, fluid strides†¦ a haunting certainty to her gait. Dressed casually in a knee-length, cream-colored Irish sweater over black leggings, she was attractive and looked to be about thirty. Her thick burgundy hair fell unstyled to her shoulders, framing the warmth of her face. Unlike the waifish, cookie-cutter blondes that adorned Harvard dorm room walls, this woman was healthy with an unembellished beauty and genuineness that radiated a striking personal confidence. To Langdon's surprise, the woman walked directly up to him and extended a polite hand.† Monsieur Langdon, I am Agent Neveu from DCPJ's Cryptology Department.† Her words curved richly around her muted Anglo-Franco accent. â€Å"It is a pleasure to meet you.† Langdon took her soft palm in his and felt himself momentarily fixed in her strong gaze. Her eyes were olive-green – incisive and clear. Fache drew a seething inhalation, clearly preparing to launch into a reprimand. â€Å"Captain,† she said, turning quickly and beating him to the punch, â€Å"please excuse the interruption, but – â€Å" â€Å"Ce n'est pas le moment!† Fache sputtered. â€Å"I tried to phone you.† Sophie continued in English, as if out of courtesy to Langdon. â€Å"But your cell phone was turned off.† â€Å"I turned it off for a reason,† Fache hissed. â€Å"I am speaking to Mr. Langdon.† â€Å"I've deciphered the numeric code,† she said flatly. Langdon felt a pulse of excitement. She broke the code? Fache looked uncertain how to respond. â€Å"Before I explain,† Sophie said,† I have an urgent message for Mr. Langdon.† Fache's expression turned to one of deepening concern. â€Å"For Mr. Langdon?† She nodded, turning back to Langdon. â€Å"You need to contact the U. S. Embassy, Mr. Langdon. They have a message for you from the States.† Langdon reacted with surprise, his excitement over the code giving way to a sudden ripple of concern. A message from the States? He tried to imagine who could be trying to reach him. Only a few of his colleagues knew he was in Paris. Fache's broad jaw had tightened with the news. â€Å"The U. S. Embassy?† he demanded, sounding suspicious. â€Å"How would they know to find Mr. Langdon here?† Sophie shrugged. â€Å"Apparently they called Mr. Langdon's hotel, and the concierge told them Mr. Langdon had been collected by a DCPJ agent.† Fache looked troubled. â€Å"And the embassy contacted DCPJ Cryptography?† â€Å"No, sir,† Sophie said, her voice firm. â€Å"When I called the DCPJ switchboard in an attempt to contact you, they had a message waiting for Mr. Langdon and asked me to pass it along if I got through to you.† Fache's brow furrowed in apparent confusion. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sophie had already turned back to Langdon. â€Å"Mr. Langdon,† she declared, pulling a small slip of paper from her pocket,† this is the number for your embassy's messaging service. They asked that you phone in as soon as possible.† She handed him the paper with an intent gaze. â€Å"While I explain the code to Captain Fache, you need to make this call.† Langdon studied the slip. It had a Paris phone number and extension on it. â€Å"Thank you,† he said, feeling worried now. â€Å"Where do I find a phone?† Sophie began to pull a cell phone from her sweater pocket, but Fache waved her off. He now looked like Mount Vesuvius about to erupt. Without taking his eyes off Sophie, he produced his own cell phone and held it out. â€Å"This line is secure, Mr. Langdon. You may use it.† Langdon felt mystified by Fache's anger with the young woman. Feeling uneasy, he accepted the captain's phone. Fache immediately marched Sophie several steps away and began chastising her in hushed tones. Disliking the captain more and more, Langdon turned away from the odd confrontation and switched on the cell phone. Checking the slip of paper Sophie had given him, Langdon dialed the number. The line began to ring. One ring†¦ two rings†¦ three rings†¦ Finally the call connected. Langdon expected to hear an embassy operator, but he found himself instead listening to an answering machine. Oddly, the voice on the tape was familiar. It was that of Sophie Neveu. â€Å"Bonjour, vous etes bien chez Sophie Neveu,† the woman's voice said. â€Å"Je suis absenle pour le moment, mais†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Confused, Langdon turned back toward Sophie. â€Å"I'm sorry, Ms. Neveu? I think you may have given me – â€Å" â€Å"No, that's the right number,† Sophie interjected quickly, as if anticipating Langdon's confusion.† The embassy has an automated message system. You have to dial an access code to pick up your messages.† Langdon stared. â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"It's the three-digit code on the paper I gave you.† Langdon opened his mouth to explain the bizarre error, but Sophie flashed him a silencing glare that lasted only an instant. Her green eyes sent a crystal-clear message. Don't ask questions. Just do it. Bewildered, Langdon punched in the extension on the slip of paper: 454. Sophie's outgoing message immediately cut off, and Langdon heard an electronic voice announce in French: â€Å"You have one new message.† Apparently, 454 was Sophie's remote access code for picking up her messages while away from home. I'm picking up this woman's messages? Langdon could hear the tape rewinding now. Finally, it stopped, and the machine engaged. Langdon listened as the message began to play. Again, the voice on the line was Sophie's. â€Å"Mr. Langdon,† the message began in a fearful whisper. â€Å"Do not react to this message. Just listen calmly. You are in danger right now. Follow my directions very closely.†

Ratio Analysis †Yum! Brands Essay

Yum! Brands’ consolidated net profit margin lies within the industry average and for 2 years have shown slow yet steady growth. While sales from US operations declined by 5%, the company continued to gain momentum in China, where operating profit increased at an average of 26% year-on-year. Meanwhile, their Return on Assets fairs better than competitors such as McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza, showing that management efficiently manages its asset base. The company’s efficiency can be seen in its Cash Conversion Cycle, with -49. 2 in 2009. This number is much lower from its competitors, which suggests a liquid working capital position. Yum generates sales from its inventory and cash from its sales at a faster rate than the time its pays its suppliers. This means that it utilizes the average 60-day period before it has to fully purchases with suppliers, giving them â€Å"free cash† in principle. However, while this suggests less need to borrow, the comp any still received cash by issuing long-term debt in 2008 and 2009. Due to the nature of the business, on average, 56% of its total assets are fixed. And as Yum ventures into Asian countries, especially China and India, it allocates part of its cash to capital spending. However, in utilizing its fixed assets to generate sales, Yum scores lower compared to Wendy’s and McDonald’s. This may be due to its focus on aggressively adding new stores, with 2008 and 2009 serving as introduction years, before sales can fully pick up. One could also note, however, that sales in the US and International Divisions (ex-China) have decreased from 2007 to 2009. The company’s solvency, however, provides another story. As mentioned, Yum reported negative equity in 2008 mainly due to repurchase of sales. The company used its cash surplus to repurchase sales at a time when its stock price decreased, making it gain economic profits. This may also show the company’s belief and commitment that the stock price will increase again, especially because of the surge in opportunities in China. In addition, it reported accumulated other comprehensive loss in 2008 and 2009. As stated in its 2008 annual report, this loss was attributable to a decline in the â€Å"unrecognized funded status† of U. S. pension plans and foreign currency translation adjustments brought by the strengthened position of the U. S. Dollar. What is alarming in this situation is that the company is riding on a debt level that is 30% higher than its competitors. Majority of its liabilities are long-term debt, with some maturing in 30 years. Moreover, its current ratio appears to be very much lower than its peers, due to its massive use of cash for buybacks, and which suggests increasing risks to the company. It is hence surprising to note that despite this, the company still continues to distribute dividends with an average payout ratio of 36% year-on-year. This then hints at a possibility that Yum is inflating its dividends to continue attracting investors, at the expense of paying their debt position. Source: YUM! Brands Annual Report 2008 & 2009

Politeness and Pragmatics in the Cross-Cultural Communication Essay

Introduction In this paper, we will examine the Natural Order Hypothesis which was first introduced by Stephen Krashen in the late 1970s and 1980s. Krashen proposed the Second Language Acquisition Theory with five hypotheses. The Natural Order Hypothesis is a part of this second language theory. This hypothesis claims that learners of second language acquire the grammatical structures in a predictable way. It includes that some grammatical structures acquired naturally earlier than the others and this synchronization does not affected by the learners’ native language, age or any condition of exposure. Using a case study approach we will observe whether this claim is valid in Bangladeshi context or not. To examine that how the Natural Order Hypothesis works in Bangladeshi context, we have chosen some Bangladeshi people from different ages. Some the students of first semester and second semester of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh. We have asked them to answer some certain questions which have added in the last section. This paper is divided into several chapters. The first section of the paper introduces with the five hypotheses of Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition. The hypotheses are demonstrated one by one because all the hypotheses are interrelated. This part is concluded with some main points of criticism about the Natural Order Hypothesis. The next section of the paper analyses our examinations about the hypothesis. It includes the Findings and Results of the study. The last section of the paper explains recommendations and conclusion where we have given our opinion. Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition is well accepted widely in all areas of second language research and teaching since the 1980s. This theory consists of five hypotheses. These are the Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis, the Monitor Hypothesis, the Natural Order Hypothesis, the Input Hypothesis and the Affective Filter Hypothesis. The explanations of these hypotheses are given below. The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis states that there are two ways to  develop second language proficiency for adult learners. One is ‘acquisition system’ and another one is ‘learned system’. According to Krashen, the ‘acquisition system’ is a subconscious process. In this system, it is claimed that the development of the L2 proficiency goes through naturally. More like the way children acquire their first language. The learners acquire language without knowing about that acquisition is taking place. The main point is that learners develop proficiency through using language in meaningful conversations where the focus is on meaning not in the rules of language. On the other hand, ‘learned system’ is referred to ‘knowing about’ language. According to Krashen, the ‘learned system’ is a conscious and explicit process. Through this system learners learn about the language as a conscious study of formal instructions. That means the two systems are totally opposite. Krashen states that acquisition is more important to develop second language proficiency. Learning cannot lead to acquisition. He adds that conscious rule of ‘learned system’ only performs as one function; Monitor or editor. So the error correction occurs in ‘learned system’ which affects in learning language. But error cannot affect in case of acquiring language because in development of L2 proficiency, ‘acquired system’ only gives learner a ‘feel’ of error subconsciously. To demonstrate the Acquisition- Learning hypothesis, Krashen also denies about Noam Chomsky’s Language Acquisition Device (Device). Chomsky claims that humans are born with the instinct or â€Å"innate facility† for acquiring language. There is a ‘black box’ in every person’s brain and it acquires any language before puberty. Krashen disagrees and says that acquisition of second language can also happen after puberty. He further explains that LAD also works for adult but that does not mean that adult will always acquire second language as native speaker. He claims that LAD function also works for adult second language acquisition. The distinction between ‘acquisition system’ and ‘learned system’ can be seen in the table given below. The Monitor Hypothesis Stephen Krashen explains in the Monitor Hypothesis that how acquisition and learning are used in second language performance. This hypothesis holds the theory that utterance in L2 is initiated by the acquired system at first and after that the learned system works if there is any need of changes. Krashen includes that utterance of L2 happens generally through acquired linguistic competence. The role of learned system is work as a Monitor or editor. To use Monitor successfully, Krashen gives three conditions. These are time, focus of form and know the rule. 1. Time: The first condition explains that the acquirer must have enough time to apply the Monitor. The problem regarding this condition is, during normal conversation one cannot look after the time. If someone tries to use the Monitor he/she will fail to utter in right time or if someone tries to maintain the time he/she will fail to use the Monitor. The important part is that this condition can be applied only in case of advanced acquirers who use Monitor occasionally. 2. Focus on Form: The second condition instructs that the acquirers must focus on form of the language. The acquirers must think about the correctness of the form. But the problem is using Monitor with focusing on form is really tough. To maintain this condition one can lose the track whether he/she will Monitor what he/she is saying or he/she will Monitor how is he/she saying it. 3. Know the rule: The third condition is the acquirer must know the rule of language. It is very difficult condition to maintain because everyone does not know about all the rules. Even the best students may not know all the rules of the language which they are exposed to. So, these are the three conditions which drive to use Monitor successfully. But later on Krashen has mentioned only about the focus on form and know the  rule. He did not mention about the first condition ‘time’. Learnt knowledge (Monitoring) Acquired knowledge Output Figure: Model of adult second language performance On the other hand, Krashen has explained about three individual differences regarding use of the Monitor though the difficulties of three conditions remain dissolved. According to him, there are three types of Monitor users. Monitor over-users, Monitor under- users and the Optimal Monitor users. 1. Monitor over-users: This type of people use the Monitor all the time. They always check their output with the conscious knowledge of the language. Krashen claims two causes for this type of Monitor users. Firstly, they acquire language with the restriction of grammar instruction. Secondly, they may have acquired a good amount of second language but can not trust their acquired competence. That is why they always try check and cover their mistakes by using Monitor. So, they speak hesitantly and try to correct their utterances at the middle of a conversation. 2. Monitor under users: These types of people whether acquire language not learning or they do not prefer to use their conscious knowledge. Actually they do not use the conscious knowledge even when the three conditions are met. The self-correction happen only from a ‘feel’ of correctness. 3. The Optimal Monitor users: The optimal users are the people who apply the Monitor when it is necessary and appropriate. They know how to combine their learned competence with their acquired competence. They never use the grammar rules in their regular conversation because it can interfere in their utterances. This type of users most of the time achieve like the  native speaker in writing and planned speech. The Natural Order Hypothesis: According to Krashen the Natural Order Hypothesis deals with the grammar structures. The hypothesis explains that grammatical structures are acquired in predictable order. This order does not follow any rules that the easier grammar rule will be at first and then the complex one. It claims that there are some certain grammatical structures which acquired early by the learners of second language acquisition and then the others and it is for any given language. Krashen explains that the claim does not prove as 100% always, but there are some significant similarities. Krashen actually adopted this hypothesis from the study of Dulay and Burt’s study of what they called the order of acquisition of grammatical morphemes in English by five to eight year old children learning English as a second language (1974). They established a chart of morphemes for their study. So, Krashen adopt the idea of English morphemes and established his Natural Order Hypothesis. Krashen believed that there was no difference regarding the synchronization of the grammar structures. But later on Krashen develops his own idea about the order. He examines the study with both children and adult’s second language and illustrates the natural order of grammar structure according to his point of view. Table: Average order of second language acquisition in English. In further description about the Natural Order Hypothesis Krashen explains three facts. * Krashen claims that natural order cannot be changed. Teacher cannot change the order through drills or exercises. If a teacher tries to drill a certain rule for several weeks the result will be zero. Because the acquirer will only acquire language when it is ready to acquire the certain rule. This fact is very much related to the Affective Filter Hypothesis. * The natural order of grammar structures do not depend on any obvious feature. It can go through complex to easier or easier to complex. Some rules acquired later which are quite simple. On the other hand some rues acquired earlier which seem to be difficult in structures. It shows that curriculum designers might face problem that which one they should put earlier and which one in later. * The third fact is that the natural order is not the teaching order. So, if someone predicts that through learning the grammar structures he or she will acquire language proficiency, he/she might wrong. Because Krashen applied the Natural Order Hypothesis to extend the idea of ‘the Input Hypothesis’. The Natural Order Hypothesis actually helps to know how the comprehensible input can be acquired one by one. So the learners will acquire the language in a natural order as a result of getting this comprehensible input. Criticism of Natural Order Hypothesis: Krashen’s Natural Order Hypothesis faces many criticisms about the predictable natural order in second language learners’ acquisition of grammatical structure. His using of English morphemes as a model also causes criticisms. There are some important criticisms which really force linguists to rethink about Krashen’s Natural Order Hypothesis. These are, * Krashen claims that all L2 learners adopt the same nature of acquiring language to attain proficiency. However there is some individuality between learners. Every learner does not go through the same order of morphemes to  learn grammar rules. Some adopts the -ing form at first and later on go through the other rules step by step. On the other hand some adopts the pronoun case (he/she, his/her etc.) at first. So, Krashen’s hypothesis does not concern about individuality. * Another criticism explains that all languages do not have the same morphemes. Some languages do not have the function of Copula or definite/indefinite article. So as a result the learners from this type of languages face problem acquiring the morphemes though these are the simplest one. The learners pick up the morpheme according to their first language acquisition. Here, Krashen actually totally overlooked the possibility of the influence of L1 on L2. On the other hand he also ignored the role of negative and positive transferences. * Krashen claims that his model of natural order works for both adult and children. Critics raised questions about this generalization. That how did Krashen judge it as the both applied natural order for adult and children. Did the judgment was from instrument and task specific? A critic named Larsen-Freeman applied Krashen’s natural order model for both the adult second language learners and children second language learners and she found that the model really works but when she put it in some different tasks using different instruments, she could not found any similarity between adult learners score and children learners score. So, Krashen’s claim proved itself as unreliable because it does not work for every situation. So these are the criticisms regarding Krashen’s Natural Order Hypothesis. To evaluate our case study we have taken the help of these criticisms and we also found some problems in Bangladeshi context. The evaluation has given in the Analysis part. The Input Hypothesis: The Input Hypothesis gives the answer of the question that how we acquire language. Regarding this hypothesis Krashen states that, the learners acquire language by understanding input which is slightly beyond their  competence. He also adds that when the learners understand the messages of a language, they acquire language. The main theory of this hypothesis is ‘i+1’. Here ‘i’ is learners’ present competence and ‘i+1’ is the input of the language which can be understood by the learners. Krashen calls this ‘i+1’ as the comprehensible input. He not only states that but also strongly claims that ‘comprehending message’ can help to acquire language and there is no other fundamental process of language acquisition. Another point he claims that listening and reading comprehension are the primary important function of second language acquisition. There is one important point which should be noted that the Input Hypothesis and the Natural Order Hypothesis are interrelated. These two are combined to answer the question of how we move from one stage to another of acquisition. That means, Natural Order Hypothesis works for analyzing the Input Hypothesis that how learners move from ‘i’ to ‘i+1’. The Natural Order Hypothesis helps to decide that which one should be the comprehensible input or ‘i+1’ in the classroom. There are two corollaries in the Input Hypothesis. These are, 1. The first corollary is that speaking is not the cause of language fluency but the result of language accuracy. It cannot be taught directly. It is acquired through comprehensible input. 2. The second corollary is, if there is enough amount of comprehensible input the learner will automatically acquire competence from the teacher. There is no need to use grammar structure. That means there is no need to be finely tuned input which means the exact next grammar structure as ‘i+1’. It can also be roughly tuned input, like the nearer structures from the ‘i’. So, from this hypothesis we can understand that there is no need to use energy in acquiring language. The main important part is just to understand the messages. When we understand the messages of second language, the LAD starts to work. This is how we acquire language. The Affective Filter Hypothesis: The Affective Filter Hypothesis describes us that how people face obstacles to acquire second language. It tells us about a filter named ‘affective filter’ which works as an obstacle in the way of acquiring language. The affective filter does not work directly as a barrier but creates a ‘mental block’ in brain which prevents to acquire language. Krashen explains that if the affective filter is down then the comprehensible input reaches to the LAD and acquires competence but if the affective filter is up then the input does not reach to the LAD and acquisition does not happen. Krashen includes that there are some ‘affective variables’ which control this affective filter. The affective variables include motivation, self-confidence and anxiety. This variables help to acquire second language very easily. But if someone has low motivation, low self-esteem and debilitating anxiety the student will face difficulties to acquire language. Because these low motivation, low self- esteem and anxiety will ‘raise’ his affective filter and form a ‘mental block’ which will become an obstacle to understand the input and acquire language. So, the Affective Filter Hypothesis helps to determine that why a specific learner faces problem in dealing the comprehensible input though he/she has reached a native- like competence. The main point is one should have motivation, self-confidence and low anxiety if he/she wants to acquire second language. Many critics raised question against Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition. Some of them are reliable and the rest of them are from anti- Krashenites. From our opinion, though Krashen has applied many statements to prove his theory but the Natural Order Hypothesis really lacks in reliable informations. The hypothesis could not set with our Bangladeshi context. The discussion has given in the next section.

Mobile Plus Group Ltd market analysis Research Paper

Mobile Plus Group Ltd market analysis - Research Paper Example Mobile Plus Group Ltd market analysis Business people who are value conscious will be able to appreciate the savings that our dual and triple SIM cellphones can offer as it affords them an extra line without the additional cost of an extra phone. Business venturers usually contact different kinds of people from different society classes thus using all the available network services that there is. Most of the time, these networks compete each other and offer promos that are only exclusive to a Same Network basis. In this case, business people tend to switch from one SIM to the other just to avail of the promos whenever they use their cellphones to call their wide array of clients who use different Networks. That is the reason why to target business people in selling dual and/or triple SIM cellulars is a practical idea to pursue.Giving them the freedom to use at most, three different Networks at once to contact their clients without having to switch phones offers efficiency and savings from the costs of buying another cell ular phone. This will also offer a better transacting means for business users who would usually organize in just a single phone the events that they have to meet throughout their working schedules.Personal users – Our secondary market will be personal cellphone users or the general public. Personal cellphone users can be a profitable segment in the market given their sheer size. The consumer’ behavior and buying preference are influence by several factors. Typical example of how these behavior and preference is influenced by the environmental factors which are media, culture and social influences.

Clouds Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Clouds - Research Paper Example This paper explores why this phenomenon is common. That it is a common experience is a fact reflected in the number of jokes about the interpretation of clouds. Here is an example (British Council) : Actually, a common term to describe a sky that is covered with lots of cirrocumulus or altocumulus clouds, which appear in a regular wave pattern with blue sky showing in between, is a mackerel sky. It is called that because the clouds resemble the skin of a mackerel. But in Germany and France, the popular designation is interpreted as sheep cloud, because it reminds their people of a flock of sheep . (Sometimes a Bit Fishy). This is an example of how people in different cultures might see the same or a similar cloud formation differently. Individuals of the same culture may see the same cloud images together, or may see them differently, like a Rorschach ink blot. But why do human beings look at a cloud and see animals or faces or other very specific imagery? One research study conclude d that â€Å"uncertainty following a positive event prolongs the pleasure it causes and that people are generally unaware of this effect of uncertainty† (Wilson, Centerbar and Kermer 5). ... So if children find pleasure in lying in the grass and exercising their imaginative capacities, then continuing to see shifting cloud images might be a way to prolong their pleasure. The same might be true for vacationers on a camping trip or elderly people on a porch or in the garden. But when a busy schedule intervenes and prevents the mood of pleasurable uncertainty from continuing, or when scientific logic enters the picture, reminding them of the objective details of the cloud and the understanding that it is a cloud and not a parade of magical animals, after all, then the pleasure is cut short. In his book, Faces in Clouds (Guthrie), Guthrie offers a different kind of theory about why people see images of animals and faces in clouds. Guthrie argues that humans are hard-wired toward anthropomorphic interpretation. Humans see their own attributes in gods and spirits, but also in other animate and inanimate things and events (Guthrie 193). Humans search for signs, symbols and mean ing everywhere, constantly (198). When the natural world is close by, like a tree or the wind, then humans are able to apply language and logical analysis that rises above their natural inclination toward anthropomorphism. But as people gain distance from the natural event or object, when things or events are on the periphery, humans are less able to resist anthropomorphic inclinations (204). Human portrayal of gods is an extreme example of this. Clouds are not as distant as God, but they are in the periphery, in the sky of our world. Although we access scientific explanations about clouds, about mist and ice crystals and wind and rain, we find no satisfaction in these explanations. The natural inclination to interpret

Diane Meyers' Feminist Perspectives on the Self, Essay

Diane Meyers' Feminist Perspectives on the Self, - Essay Example This continues to perpetuate the idea that females are somehow secondary. This has led many women to lose or never develop a sense of self identity and autonomy. Modern feminists, like Diane Meyers, feel that in order for woman to gain a proper identity, sense of self and true equality it will require complete reforming or completely inventing new philosophies with the intention of elevating not diminishing woman. History There is a distinct difference between sex and gender. Biologically speaking, sex refers to the genetic determination, sex organs, and levels of hormones. However gender is something different. People’s gender identities are not always in agreement with their sex organs; as in the case of the transgendered, for example (Gender spectrum).Western philosophy prefers to see the world in a far more black and white, hence male and female kind of world. Much of U.S. perspectives are guided by Christian ideologies that are renowned for elevating the value of men and diminishing and limiting the place of woman. Gender in modern society is a matter of learned behaviors and indoctrination to behave appropriately for their sex. This is reflected daily in the purchasing of pink clothing, baby dolls, and toy sewing machines for girls, while boys receive blue clothing, dump trucks, and play weapons. From the day you are born to the day you die social structures and gender traditions will dictate who we are and who we become based, primarily, on whether we are male or female (Dietert, and Dentice 121). Discussion Once we are ingrained with the ideas of our gender identity taught to us by others, anything that varies from that may seem wrong, freakish, and makes changing quite difficult. She identifies women can never gain a sense of self identity or autonomy in modern society as long as society is working with the principles founded on male dominant ideologies. She believes existing society is far to andocentric, or male dominant, it by nature demeans females as secondary and it works continually perpetuate make dominance and control (Meyers). For example, a recent cases involving courts giving dirty cops a free pass and refusing to prosecute and officer accused of rape. Men protecting men from accountability in the crimes against women is the truest example of male dominance. (Bennetts ) In order for woman to gain a sense of self identity, autonomy, and true equality is to restructure outdated, male dominated, and offensive concepts it will be necessary to rethink the activities of motherhood, developing ethics of care, exploring separatist practices, and re-conceptualization of the definition of autonomy. Motherhood has always been perceived by the male dominated society as actions that were biological imperatives and instinct. However, in the modern era mothers like Susan Smith and Casey Anthony are not at all women that are naturally meant to be or are capable of being good mothers. In other words, being a good mother is a mo ral and ethical choice that women make, which means they are capable of thinking, being moral, and ethical people. Women have been referred to as somehow morally inferior to men because they are not capable of applying morality, logic, or wisdom due to their very emotional tendencies. This, also, reflects back to Christian ideologies, Eve disobeyed God and tricked Adam into eating the apple and apparently every female,

GLA (Greater London Authority) and MAYOR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

GLA (Greater London Authority) and MAYOR - Essay Example The purpose for electing a mayor is to represent London through one person who is responsible for all its development, strategic planning and peace discipline. Boris Johnson is the present mayor of London holding an authority according to Greater London Authority act 1999 and 2007.( GLA Report, 2009) POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Greater London authority is funded by the central government and local council taxes to carry out their desired plans. GLA itself does not work on any project, whereas holds an umbrella under which four major functional bodies work on the directed plans released by mayor. These four departments are the functional bodies which are: Transport for London. Metropolitan Police Authority. London Development Authority. London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. GLA is responsible to communicate with internal bodies and London Borough councils are legally bound to follow strategic plans and if not, than Mayor has the right to decline the decisions that are not in interest of London or its public made by London Borough GLA claims to be a successful practitioner in regard to their planned strategies in terms of providing a quality life to all Londoners. Keeping the developments made by GLA in London, Government proposed a plan in over handing more powers and responsibilities to Mayor to wor k with better framework of all sectors including all the remaining sectors which were not under Mayor Authority previously like housing, skills and education, environment, waste management, and planning. This proposal was released on 30th November 2005 after reviewing all the achievements made through proper strategic planning and implementations. Some of the successful plans carried out to maintain the competition with the rest of the progressing cites in the world. London is a financial hub which makes a major contribution in the economy of United Kingdom. To meet the unique challenges, Mayor designed strategies to maintain the efficiency of Londoners involving minorities with a clear layout of Capital investment projects. Some of the successes Mayor achieve during his rule show an investment of 10 billion pounds on transport development project, security measures were improved by increasing the number of police around 8000, a joint venture with government of childcare program was introduced, the most complimenting achievement was the selection of London for hosting Olympic Games of 2012. Thus Mayor and GLA progressed towards bright prospects of London and therefore, GLA in support of Mayor accepted some

Unit 4 PP Mini Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 4 PP Mini - Coursework Example Accidents during the erection of the tent, destruction of property during the party, fighting and other violent acts, breaking of bottles and glasses, and cuts resulting from the acts are some of the risks identified. Accidents during the preparation of the tent, cuts, and an arising medical condition require an articulate risk management strategy. While caution and guidance is required, the occurrence of such issues demands immediate first aid. As such, first aid kits and an efficient first aid individual or staff is essential for the alleviation of the possible detrimental effects that can arise. The team need to be alert and available throughout the process. Therefore, it should be a member of the planning team (Royer, 2013). In addition, violent acts and unruly behaviour, destruction of property, breaking of glasses and other acts are risks that need prioritization. These acts would most likely result from young adults enchanted by the prohibited. Such acts can be curbed by availing a security personnel during the event.The security personnel will be well equipped to ascertain minimal disruptive, with certainty of no serious effects. For instance, while it may be impossible to prevent unexpected behaviour, the personnel will ensure that such actions will not get out of hand to cause harm or destruction (Royer, 2013). The prioritization of the risks will lead to certainty in the implementation of the risk management plan. However, proper financing is critical to the success. As such, there will be need to ensure that the $500 budget will meet all the specifics of the party and stand efficiently for the risk management

Women of the Bible Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Women of the Bible - Dissertation Example However, lack of adequate literature focusing on this particular aspect has forced its conclusion to remain unresolved. In the discussion henceforth, women of the Bible will be elaborated. Eve Since the beginning of life on earth, as per the Biblical narrations, distinctions between the gender roles of men and women were made clear by God when he had given life to Adam and Eve – who is the first woman on earth. As God had spoken, â€Å"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman’, for she was taken out of man†. The narration in Bible states about her calm life filled with all sorts of pleasure a human mind can think of, with her husband Adam, until both were banished from Eden on doubting God. It was since then that God has punished the womankind with all the miseries in life and that she shall be ruled by the mankind – â€Å"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing: with pain, you will give birth to chil dren. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you†. The inspiration that can be drawn from Eve’s life is rather a caution to those who refuse to accept the authority of God. Nevertheless, although God had banished her from heaven, he had also promised a just avenge by her offspring to demolish her enemies. Sarah The narrations of the Bible depict Sarah as a much more complicated character than Eve was, while it also illustrates her as a right-doer and a wise-chooser between the right and the wrong.

UK insurers can no longer safely insure the risk of flood within the Essay

UK insurers can no longer safely insure the risk of flood within the UK and home and business owners will have to look out fo - Essay Example The rapid development of the insurance industry borrows from the fact that inhabitants have the wealth and can readily afford to ensure that their security is vastly cared for hence resorting to investment in their security and that of their wealth. The insurance industry undertakes a wide range of covers from fire, accidents, and financial loss agricultural risks and to the extreme floods risk policies which were developed recently to cover the risk of floods on property owners, businesses as well as home-owners. Need for flood insurance The current debate on whether insurers should continue providing covers to flood and flood related cases has become very fierce. UK citizens see it as a necessity for their security and hence demand for such covers as well as advocacy for the government to regulate the industry through policies that suite the consumers of the product. On the contrary the insurers argue that despite introduction of the flood and flood insurance products its nature po ses very great risk and high costs in its insurance. Choosing your flood insurance or insurance cover is an important decision that you should not be rushed into or about. So much has to be considered before making a choice on an appropriate cover is made. Time should be taken by the buyers of covers to ensure that they are exposed to all the available flood insurance covers. This information is available from several sources ranging from insurance firms, government all through to the various media sources. Shopping around various information sources is done to ensure that the consumer of the products get well- priced and competitive flood insurance policies (Evans, 2005). In the UK getting a flood zone insurance policy will help you feel at ease when emergencies like floods arise. Whatever the state of your house is, whether bought or undergoing the payment of mortgage, you should get adequate insurance so that if your house is damaged beyond repair, your insurance policy will cove r the replacement price or cost of rebuilding a new and similar house incase its completely destroyed. Requirements for a better flood insurance cover When a consumer makes a choice where to get a flood zone insurance cover, the consumer can then just fill the forms sent by the insurer providers and may even do enquiries on more information to ensure that no mistake is made as the form is being filled as this may be all against the consumer himself. The buyer of a product must also take into consideration the price quotes included in your flood insurance cover. There may be expensive quotes that may include cover for risks that that are irrelevant to the needs of the consumer hence not actually needed, therefore should be avoided buy the buyers hence choice of the price quotes that cover vital things relating to the risk of floods (Gammell, 2009). Honesty with your flood zone insurance cover providers should be highly maintained. Tell the insurers about the contents of your home ful ly if for example it is contents cover you are taking. Your future insurance claim may be at loggerheads when you become dishonest with your insurance company. Honest and full discloser of information is done during the assessment phase by the insurance support staff. But as it’s the practice, the Insurance companies will usually ask buyers of covers to get a policy for both their buildings including the contents of your property, the same requirement are demanded from the business

Bonds and Their Valuation Mini-Case Essay Example for Free

Bonds and Their Valuation Mini-Case Essay Sam Strother and Shawna Tibbs are vice-presidents of Mutual of Seattle Insurance Company and co-directors of the companys pension fund management division. A major new client, the Northwestern Municipal Alliance, has requested that Mutual of Seattle present an investment seminar to the mayors of the represented cities, and Strother and Tibbs, who will make the actual presentation, have asked you to help them by answering the following questions. Because the Boeing Company operates in one of the leagues cities, you are to work Boeing into the presentation. a.What are the key features of a bond? Answer: 1.Par or face value. We generally assume a $1,000 par value, but par can be anything, and often $5,000 or more is used. With registered bonds, which is what are issued today, if you bought $50,000 worth, that amount would appear on the certificate. 2.Coupon rate. The dollar coupon is the rent on the money borrowed, which is generally the par value of the bond. The coupon rate is the annual interest payment divided by the par value, and it is generally set at the value of r on the day the bond is issued. 3.Maturity. This is the number of years until the bond matures and the issuer must repay the loan (return the par value). 4.Issue date. This is the date the bonds were issued. 5.Default risk is inherent in all bonds except treasury bondswill the issuer have the cash to make the promised payments? Bonds are rated from AAA to D, and the lower the rating the riskier the bond, the higher its default risk premium, and, consequently, the higher its required rate of return.

Ancient Greeks Essay Example for Free

Ancient Greeks Essay Ancient Greeks made many influential contributions to western civilization such as in the areas of philosophy, art and architecture, and math and science. The Greeks were a remarkable civilization and contributed things people use in every day life then, and currently. Some very important people of Ancient Greece include Socrates, Aristotle, Pericles’, Hippocrates, Euclid, Sophocles, Plato and Galen. All of these people shaped western civilizations, while Greece was in two wars at the time. They pushed through hardships and still created innovations that contributed to the western civilization. In the area of Philosophy, Socrates, Aristotle and Plato had a belief system that was very powerful. The philosophers initiated an approached that was based on reason. Their theories were diverse and they tried to â€Å"identify underlying principles†. Socrates believed in the encouragement of question, saying that a life without examination is not worth living. Aristotle thought that people should to live for a reason, and strive for that reason. Plato was a philosopher, and student of Socrates. He laid the foundations for philosophy in western civilizations. These ideas of human reasoning had been a big part of Greece’s influence. As well as philosophy, art and architecture were a contribution to the western civilization. As far as the monuments made, columns were used and are well known today. Performances of music and dance were vital parts of religious festivals. Not very many forms of art have been saved or found from the time of Ancient Greece. But, dramas and plays took a central role in the culture. Sophocles had created plays, and the most common was tragedy. Greek literature contained a strong epic as well including the tales of Iliad and Odyssey, both written by Homer. All of the poems, literature, architecture and dramas were vital for the western civilizations. Math and science were the most important and well-known achievement in the Greeks history. They had achieved all kinds of things in the area of psychology, physics, astrology, math, and medicine. Euclid was a Greek mathematician and was known as the ‘father of geometry†. He impacted all of math due to his book of Elements. This book had provided many theorems, which had simple forms of geometry. Although the theorems may have not been very complex, they are extremely important. Not only did they influence western civilizations, but the whole world. Medicine was very important in this era. Hippocrates was an ancient Greek physician referred to as â€Å"the father of western medicine†. He adapted the Hippocratic oath stating that he would never supply someone with harmful medicine. As well as medicine, the field of astrology was key. They Greeks had studied the stars and the way things had worked in the atmosphere at night. All which were very important for the western civilization. In conclusion, Greeks were very studious and contributed things in the fields of philosophy, math, science and art. They created geometry, astrology, philosophical advancements and art advancement. All of which are used today.

The Respiratory Lungs Buffer Response Biology Essay

The Respiratory Lungs Buffer Response Biology Essay Acid-base balance is predominantly maintained through several physiologic methods that might be distress by occurrences such as severe ailments or injury. To maintain pH amid the normal scale of around 7.35-7.45, the development of acidic surroundings must be either cushioned or excreted. The instruction of acid-base equilibrium remains overseen by three critical processes, namely: buffer system, respiratory, and renal methods. The paper investigates the role of the lungs in overseeing stabilization of blood pH. Carbon dioxide (CO2) derives from typical body metabolic processes. Once oxygen is inhaled, and CO2 is exhaled, the blood transports the oxygen or carbon dioxide either to the lungs and/or body tissues. Disturbances in the processes impacts on CO2 intensities and HCO3- are expected to produce acid-base disparities (Raymond 2010, p.244). An outstanding system through which the body exploits to direct pH entails the discharge of CO2 from the lungs. The brain adjusts the magnitude of CO2 exhaled by guiding the pace and intensity of breathing. This forces the lungs to either augment or lessen the tempo and intensity of ventilation until the appropriate quantity of carbon dioxide has been re-instituted. The magnitude of CO2 released influences the pH of the blood, which heightens as breathing, turns out to be fast, and profound (Chatterjea and Shinde 2012, p.713). In adjusting, the pace and deepness of breathing, the brain plus the lungs direct the blood pH. The Respiratory (Lungs) Buffer Response Usually, blood pH ranges in the region of 7.4 (slightly alkaline). In the event that pH levels drop to 7.6, then body cells are likely to cease functioning. It is obvious that blood pH levels 7.9 are lethal even if they last for a short time, which renders it essential to gain equilibrium in pH levels (Sherwood 2007, p.11). The competence of the body to handle every pH adjustment is steered by three indispensable factors, namely: the lungs, the kidneys, and buffers. In the event that a strong acid manifest, the bicarbonate-carbonic acid, which yields an overall rise of carbonic acid that dissociates into CO2 and H2O. An augmentation of H+ within the blood triggers the medulla to augment the respiratory tempo that assists CO2 eradication (Brown et al. 2011, p.323). In the event that pH stays high relative to an augmentation in HCO3-, the respiratory centre holds back, and consequently the respiratory tempo lessens (Raymond 2010, p.245). This enhances CO2 retention in which it becomes accessible to form carbonic acid that cushions the surplus bicarbonate. The respiratory system consequently balances the registered alterations within pH transmitted to metabolic disorders by regulating Pco2 that alters the bicarbonate carbonic acid proportion. Nonetheless, the respiratory system cannot orchestrate any loss or an augmentation of hydrogen ions. Buffers direct molecules that admit or discharge ions in order to maintain the H+ ion absorption at a certain level. Buffers facilitate to saturate up additional H+ ions with the majority buffer entailing a fusion of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate ion (HCO3). CO2 derives carbonic acid (H2CO3) when is liquefies in water and operates as an acid releasing hydrogen ions (H+) when necessitated (Lew 2010, p.31). The respiratory system pursues sustenance of appropriate blood pH, in the event that the bicarbonate/carbonic acid buffer system fails to react quick enough to stabilize the registered pH interferences, processes such as hyper/hypoventilation can be induced to direct the amount of carbonic acid contained in the blood (Rhoades and Bell 2013, p.454). The respiratory centre reacts by varying levels of H2CO3- within the blood. Hyperventilation makes the body to breathe out and remove CO2 from the bloodstream, through the lungs. The expulsion of carbon dioxide diminishes acidity within the blood pH. The reverse method transpires in cases of hypoventilation that leads to the withholding of CO2 within the blood (Lew 2010, p.32). The CO2 becomes carbonic acid when it dwells within the blood and combines with water. In the event that carbon dioxide is retained, then the acidic intensity of the blood increases. This amplified acid bears the capability to buffer any excess base that registers within the blood. In the event that the blood alkalinity rises, then hypoventilation may involve a pertinent way to neutralize it and overturn the progression so that the blood pH returns to usual levels (Chatterjea and Shinde 2012, p.714). Constituents that control acid-base stability comprise protein, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorous. Cells and body fluids inside the body entail acid-base buffers that assist in the deterrence of speedy modifications inside the body fluid pH over short episodes until the kidneys and pulmonary systems can achieve appropriate alterations. The kidneys, as well as the pulmonary system toil to uphold acid-base equilibrium by means of excretion contained by the urine or respiration (Plowman and Smith 2008, p.279). The temporary pressure of PCO2 amid the pulmonary system can be measured with a blood sample and links with blood CO2 levels. PCO2 can then be utilized as a marker of the intensity of acid within the body. Common Diseases and Disorders Acid-base disparities surge principally from either metabolic or respiratory malfunctions. An amplification of HCO3- designates metabolic alkalosis whereas a decline in a similar substance outlines metabolic acidosis. An increase in PCO2 is leads to respiratory acidosis, whereas a decline in a parallel element is designated as respiratory alkalosis. Mostly, respiratory alkalosis originates from hyperventilation, and the means of stabilization incorporating kidneys preserving developed quantities of HCO3- to amplify pH (Brown et al. 2011, p.324). Respiratory acidosis, on the other hand, may flow from respiratory depression activated by under-ventilation, and the form entailing kidneys excreting augmented quantities of HCO3- to diminish pH. Conclusion A significant constituent of blood marks its intensity of acidity or alkalinity in which the blood acidity increases when the intensity of acidity compounds within the body swells (through augmented uptake or creation, or curtailed exclusion) or when the intensity of crucial (alkaline) compounds inside the body plunges (via diminished intake or augmented removal). Body alkalinity grows with the overturning of the processes. Ventilation plays an indispensable function in maintaining pH stability. The respiratory system can inspire modifications in pH levels amid a period of about 1-3 minutes and can eliminate or preserve CO2 (that automatically impacts on the acid-base status) more promptly and competently relative to all other buffer systems.

Ignorance Is the Lock, Knowledge Is the Master Key Essay -- Law

Throughout childhood to adulthood, one may oftentimes hear the quote â€Å"knowledge is power†. It is a quote usually drilled into the heads of elementary to college-aged kids in order to encourage his or her pursuit of an education. As much as privileged students roll his or her eyes at the utterance of this quote, it is hard to deny the weight of truth in this quote when examining the history of many countries. This is especially true during times of oppressive rule. Freedom of press, information, and lines of communication are usually the main thing to be restricted when there is a hunger for complete control over a group of people. The shadow of ignorance is used to blind the oppressed and keep/hide them in the dark from any potential aid. In 1989, student demonstrations broke out in Beijing, China in Tiananmen Square. Since the 1970s, China was going through economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping, China’s leader. As time went on complaints were being made over inflation, low job opportunities, and suspected corruption in the national party. The Communist governments of Eastern Europe were failing, causing unrest and lost of faith amongst the Chinese citizens. The breaking point was â€Å"the death of reformist CCP general secretary Hu Yaobang† on April 15th of 1989 (Online). Students congregated in the square to mourn Yaobang’s death. According to the Berkshire Encyclopedia of China the government-run press fabricated what truly going on and attempted to taint the image of the protesters: The party mouthpiece, People’s Daily, published an editorial on 26 April accusing a â€Å"handful of plotters† of creating â€Å"turmoil† with the object of overthrowing the regime. The next day, 200,000 students from over forty universities marched to the squ... ...ite the wicked mistreatment of the slave. Despite being unhappy with their situation, the slaves could not effectively rebel because they did not have enough knowledge and information to do so. Knowledge truly is a power that can be used to help you or used against you. It can help you be in control or be controlled. For this reason, freedom of press and speech are constantly being fought for in many civil wars. Without knowledge, a person is subjected to the control of a person with greater knowledge. Works Cited James, C.L.R. The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Overture and the San Domingo Revolution. 2nd ed. Revised. New York: Vintage, 1989. "Tiananmen Square." Berkshire Encyclopedia of China: Modern and Historic Views of the World's Newest and Oldest Global Power. Great Barrington: Berkshire Publishing Group, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 10 May 2012.

Wallerstein Articles :: Essays Papers

Reaction Paper: Wallerstein Articles The â€Å"After Arafat, Arafat II?† article discusses the dilemma that has occurred in the Palestinian Authority now that Yasir Arafat has died. Both Bush and Israel’s Ariel Sharon described Yasir Arafat as being an â€Å"insurmountable obstacle to peace.† Some wonder whether Mahmoud Abbas’s election as the president of the Palestine Authority will bring about positive changes to the Israeli-Palestine peace agreements. Although Sharon and Bush approve of Abbas, some still wonder whether or not this new appointment will provide new possibilities for the agreement between Palestine and Israel. Both sides have such strong fears. The Israelis are afraid that the Israel state as a Jewish state will be destroyed. The Palestinians fear that Palestine as a viable state will never be created. The lack of a solution is not due to the fact that there is an obstacle for one, but rather that there is an absence of one. Arafat failed to achieve a solution, so i t is up to Abbas to try and do what Arafat was unable to. I agree with the argument presented in Wallerstein’s article. Arafat did fail to find a peace agreement between Palestine and Israel, but condemning him as an â€Å"obstacle to peace† is extreme. Any Palestinian could just as easily argue that Israel and Sharon are impeding on their peace as a people. The fear that Abbas will become another Arafat is perfectly legitimate and understandable. At the same time I think it is a bit presumptuous to expect Abbas to establish the agreement between Palestine and Israel. In all the years that Arafat was president, he was unable to make these necessary changes. The only way that a peace agreement between the two can be reached is if both leaders agree with the terms. Currently, nobody wants to agree, and therefore there is no peace agreement. Neither Israel nor Palestine wants to compromise or sacrifice certain things in order for this agreement to happen. I think that bother leaders are in a lose-lose situation. If they are able to create an agreement between Israel and Palestine, somebody will be unhappy. It is nearly impossible to please both everybody without a compromise of some sort. More than likely, either leader will have to sacrifice something, which will then upset their people. Wallerstein Articles :: Essays Papers Reaction Paper: Wallerstein Articles The â€Å"After Arafat, Arafat II?† article discusses the dilemma that has occurred in the Palestinian Authority now that Yasir Arafat has died. Both Bush and Israel’s Ariel Sharon described Yasir Arafat as being an â€Å"insurmountable obstacle to peace.† Some wonder whether Mahmoud Abbas’s election as the president of the Palestine Authority will bring about positive changes to the Israeli-Palestine peace agreements. Although Sharon and Bush approve of Abbas, some still wonder whether or not this new appointment will provide new possibilities for the agreement between Palestine and Israel. Both sides have such strong fears. The Israelis are afraid that the Israel state as a Jewish state will be destroyed. The Palestinians fear that Palestine as a viable state will never be created. The lack of a solution is not due to the fact that there is an obstacle for one, but rather that there is an absence of one. Arafat failed to achieve a solution, so i t is up to Abbas to try and do what Arafat was unable to. I agree with the argument presented in Wallerstein’s article. Arafat did fail to find a peace agreement between Palestine and Israel, but condemning him as an â€Å"obstacle to peace† is extreme. Any Palestinian could just as easily argue that Israel and Sharon are impeding on their peace as a people. The fear that Abbas will become another Arafat is perfectly legitimate and understandable. At the same time I think it is a bit presumptuous to expect Abbas to establish the agreement between Palestine and Israel. In all the years that Arafat was president, he was unable to make these necessary changes. The only way that a peace agreement between the two can be reached is if both leaders agree with the terms. Currently, nobody wants to agree, and therefore there is no peace agreement. Neither Israel nor Palestine wants to compromise or sacrifice certain things in order for this agreement to happen. I think that bother leaders are in a lose-lose situation. If they are able to create an agreement between Israel and Palestine, somebody will be unhappy. It is nearly impossible to please both everybody without a compromise of some sort. More than likely, either leader will have to sacrifice something, which will then upset their people.

Self Discovery in Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment and Camus The Outs

Self Discovery in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and Camus' The Outsider      Ã‚  Ã‚   In every society, it is important for individuals to adhere to a set of principles in order to maintain order. In Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment and Camus' The Outsider , however, both protagonists ignored the values of their society. Raskolnikov and Meursault felt their own beliefs were significant, and through their actions they were able to express them. As a result, one man was judged as a social deviant, while the other man suffered psychologically. Through dealing with this strife, Raskolnikov and Meursault gained a better understanding of their values and personal worth.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the beginning both men rejected the fundamental values of society and formed their own ideologies. Raskolnikov, for instance, believed that "we have to correct and direct nature. But for that, there would never had been a single great man"1. In fact, he had written an article titled "The psychology of a criminal before and after the crime". It stated that 'ordinary' men live according to the law and exist only to reproduce the human race, yet 'extraordinary' men may break laws "if in his own conscience it is necessary to do so in order to better mankind"2. Raskolnikov believed that indeed, he was an "extraordinary man"3, but like Meursault, his beliefs were untested. As a result, he murdered an old pawnbroker women in order to prove himself. Meursault, as well, acted against the social norm. For example, even though it was expected of a son, he did not show sorrow at his mother's funeral4. He did not think this was shallow, however, he just refused to falsel... ... was finally able to declare them. Raskolnikov and Meursault were not afraid to cross the boundaries their societies had set for them. They were free-thinkers, and although they were seen as heretics, men like these play an important role in the growth and improvement of any society.    Works Cited and Consulted: Akeroyd, Richard H. The Spiritual Quest of Albert Camus. Alabama: Portals Press, 1976. Camus, Albert. The Stranger. New York: Random House, Inc., 1988. Dostoevsky, Feodor. Crime and Punishment. Trans. Jessie Coulson. Ed. George Gibian. New York: Norton, 1989. Frank, Joseph. Dostoevsky: The Miraculous Years, 1865-1871. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995. King, Adele. Camus. Oliver and Boyd Ltd. 1964. 120. McCarthy, Patrick. The Stranger. University of Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.

DBQ for AP United States History Essay

Britain’s taxation on the American colonists greatly affected the relationship between the two nations. Moreover, the colonists were not being represented. The feeling of deprivation not only angered the Americans, but may have also opened their eyes to see the need of a revolutionary movement. Thomas Jefferson states in A Summary View of the Rights of British America that they â€Å"possessed a right, which nature has given to all men.† The British deprived the colonists of these rights when they did not allow a representative in the House of Commons, as decided in the Resolutions of the Stamp Act Congress of 1765. This was especially unfair for the colonists for they were not only being taxed, but also received nothing in return for their own benefit. Additionally, the taxes did not profit the colonist itself. Rather, all tax profits went to Britain. It was a way for the British to reimburse the financial debts from the Great War for Empire. Taxation on the colonists was a way the British â€Å"liquidated its war debt,† as stated in Document N. As said in the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (Document I), The colonists did not give consent to Britain to take away their money by exploiting the land by heavy taxes. They felt that only they had the power and the right to tax themselves. As new heavy taxes piled upon each other, the colonists realized even more the need of an outbreak from Britain and the destruction it has brought upon the colonists. Thomas Paine explains in Common Sense that â€Å"there is something very absurd in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.† Paine is saying that a small island like Britain cannot rule a big continent, as a small child cannot rule grown adult. The author of the Stamp Act and former Prime Minister George Grenville states that Great Britain’s intention is to protect America and nothing more. By doing this favor, he believes America should yield to British authority and practice obedience. Thomas Paine rebuttals and argues that only small islands that are incapable of protecting themselves should be the ones who are taken under a kingdom’s care. Paine believes that this is not the case for the colonists. He sees that America is not a small island in need of help. Rather, America is â€Å"geographically secure, politically mature, prosperous, dynamic, and self-reliant,† as Lawrence Henry Gibson states in Document O. Thomas Paine also calls for a move towards democracy. The American people could no longer live under the bondage of British authority, which stripped them of their natural rights. Britain, for example, â€Å"deprived [the colonists] of the accustomed and inestimable privilege of trial by jury,† (Document I) which they claimed to have violated their life and property. Document L illustrates of the austerity of British rule. A woman lay on the ground naked and distressed, while British officials watch with pleasure. Surely, they had to respect for the motherland’s offspring. Clearly, this is not a way to show that the British protected and cared for the colonists as George Grenville previously stated when he spoke on Repeal on January 14, 1766. Because of unequal treatment, the American desire for equal representation grew the more. The unfair treatment of the British to the Americans only pushed the colonists to their limit. Taxation without any representation, or benefits in return truly raised an issue of equality. The British has suppressed the colonists. Weary of this, the colonists moved towards a revolutionary movement, wanting to escape the British Crown and authority, but all the more, where they would take up on democracy in which they could practice equal representation.

Jehovah’s Witnesses

There are various Christian sects that deviated from the Roman Catholic religion. One of them is the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. The organization was formally established around 1870's in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (Watchtower, 1984, p. 203). â€Å"At first they were known only as Bible Students, but in 1931 they adopted the Scriptural name Jehovah's Witnesses†¦ Their beliefs are†¦ a restoration of first-century Christianity† (Watchtower, 1984, p. 203). Jehovah's Witnesses base their beliefs in accordance to the New World Translation bible. Thus, they refrain from celebrating popular, pagan practices such birthday celebrations and holidays. They also remain neutral in government affairs and abstain from blood transfusion. Witnesses do not partake in pagan festivities and activities that humans have decided for themselves. This is because they firmly believe that it contradicts bible principles and teachings. They also desire to have an everlasting life and live under God's kingdom. In order to do this they have to disassociate from anything that is not in relation to the bible. In addition, Witnesses' concept of soul, hell and baptism are also derived from the bible. Witnesses immerse themselves in religious activities such as regular bible study, publication study, and attendance meetings to gain more knowledge about Jehovah. This enables them to effectively vindicate his name, which they do by actively participating in service-also known as door to door preaching. Witnesses have thoroughly researched the origin of birthdays. In their publication, Reasoning from the Scriptures, it states that [t]he various customs with which people today celebrate their birthdays have a long history. Their origins lie in the realm of magic and religion. The customs of offering congratulations, presenting gifts and celebrating- complete with lighted candles- in ancient times were meant to protect the birthday celebrant from the demons and to ensure his security for the coming year†¦ (Schwabische Zeitung [German magazine] cited in Watchtower, 1989, p. 69). Also, [t]he custom of lighted candles on the cakes started with the Greeks†¦ Birthday candles, in folk belief, are endowned with special magic for granting wishes†¦. Birthday greetings have the power for good or ill because one is closer to the spirit world on this day (The Lore of Birthdays cited in Watchtower, 1989, p. 69-70). In addition, holidays such as Christmas, New Year and Easter also come from pagan traditions. Christmas was set on December 25 because it correspond[s] to pagan festivals that took place around the time of the winter solstice, †¦ to celebrate the rebirth of the sun†¦ The Roman Saturnalia (a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture, and to the renewed power of the sun), also took place at this time†¦ Encyclopedia Americana cited in Watchtower, 1989, p. 176). Also, â€Å" ‘[d]uring the Saturnalia†¦ feasting prevailed, and gifts were exchanged. ‘† (Encyclopedia Americana cited in Watchtower, 1989, p. 178). Moreover, the early Christians considered the celebration of anyone's birth to be a pagan custom†¦. [This is because] [b]irthday celebrations were held in honor of pa gan deities. For example, on May 24 Romans celebrated the birthday of the goddess Diana. On the following day, they observed the birthday of their sun-god, Apollo. Hence, birthday celebrations were associated with paganism, not with Christianity (The World Book Encyclopedia cited in Watchtower, 2005, p. 157). This does not mean that Witnesses do not engage in gift-giving. Witnesses give gifts to other people but they just practice this throughout the year, when it is not expected, instead of just a couple of occasions in a year such as Christmas and birthdays. To put it in line with the scriptures, 2 Corinthians 9:7 states â€Å"Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver† (New World Bible, 1984, p. 447). Thus, occasions such as Christmas and birthdays forces a person to get something for another individual even though they may not want to. Generally, people are expected to do this because the occasion expects them to do so. Likewise, New Year was established by Julius Caesar on January 1 in 46 B. C. to dedicate a day to the Roman god Janus- deity of gates, door s, and beginnings (The World Book Encyclopedia cited in Watchtower, 1989, p. 180). Besides, the eggs associated with Easter â€Å"is the emblem of the germinating life of early spring†¦ The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility† (Watchtower, 1989, p. 179). Easter in fact â€Å"bears its Chaldean origin on its very forehead. Easter is nothing else than Astarte†¦ the queen of heaven†¦ [also] the dyed eggs of†¦ Easter Sunday, figured in the Chaldean rites just as they do now† (The Catholic Encyclopedia cited in Watchtower, 1989, p. 180). In short, Witnesses do not condone merry-making, gathering of family members and close friends and even gift-giving. The only thing that they have a problem with is in regards to the origin of birthdays and holidays. To stress the importance of the fact that origins do matter, [s]uppose you saw a piece of candy lying in the gutter. Would you pick up that candy and eat it? Of course not! That candy is unclean. Like that candy, holidays may seem sweet, but they have been picked up from unclean places (Watchtower, 2005, p. 159). Another matter that Witnesses do not engage in is political affairs and anything that is related to it such as saluting the flag, singing the national anthem and being enlisted in military service. Witnesses emphasize the scripture in John 18:36 to support this belief. John 18:36 states what Jesus said when he was on trial before the Roman ruler Pilate, â€Å" ‘My kingdom is no part of this world, [because if it is] my attendants would have fought that I should not be delivered up to the Jews. But†¦ my kingdom is not from this source† (New World Bible, 1984, p. 1356). This clearly shows that earthly kingdoms of any government entity do not deserve utmost devotion because they will not be able to provide eternal salvation (N. Sarmiento, 2008). In addition, Witnesses avoid blood transfusion at any cost. Abstaining from blood is stated in Acts 15:28, 29 The holy spirit and we ourselves [the governing body of the Christian congregation] have favored adding no further burden to you, except these necessary things, to keep from abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication. If you carefully keep yourselves from these things, you will prosper†¦ (New World Bible, 1984, p. 1383). Notice that blood is in the same category as idolatry and fornication. Therefore, [i]n God's eyes, our doing that [abstaining from blood] is as important as our avoiding idolatry and sexual immorality†¦ w]e are wise, then, to put our trust in the rightness of God's law†¦ [Witnesses] are sure that the Creator of blood knows what is best for them† (Watchtower, 2005, p. 130-131). Thus, the gravity of the matter is considered a very serious offense once it is committed. In addition, the only proper use of blood is to atone for one's sins. Leviticus 17:11 states, â€Å"For the soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I myself have put it upon the altar for you to make atonement for your souls, because it is the blood that makes atonement†¦ † (New World Bible, 1984, p. 159). Hence, Israelites used to sacrifice animal blood to atone for their sins. In earlier times, people have refrained from eating animal's blood. Considering this is the case, how much more so should people avoid human blood? â€Å"Minicius Felix (third century C. E. ) [says that]: ‘So much do we shrink from human blood, that we do not use the blood even of eatable animals in our food. ‘† (Watchtower, 1989, p. 72). Thus, Witnesses reason that In a hospital, when a patient cannot eat through his mouth, he is fed intravenously. Now, would a person who never put blood into his mouth but who accepted blood by transfusion really be obeying the command to ‘keep abstaining from†¦ blood'? Acts 15:29) To use a comparison, consider a man who is told by the doctor that he must abstain from alcohol. Would he be obedient if he quit drinking alcohol but had it put directly into his vein? (Watchtower, 1989, p. 73). Witnesses stick to their convictions because they follow what the bible says. Thus, they deem that â€Å"beliefs and practices of t rue religion are not based on human views and tradition. They originate in God's inspired Word, the Bible† (Watchtower, 2005, p. 146). Also, by observing God’s word they know that they will gain everlasting life and will be there to be apart of God’s Kingdom. This is an appealing concept to them because in God’s Kingdom â€Å"humans will no longer get sick and die†¦ under Kingdom rule they will be able to live forever. The earth will be made into paradise† (Watchtower, 2005, p. 84). Equally important is that Witnesses do not abide by popular notions about the soul. Based on research, Witnesses found out that the soul’s â€Å"immortality† started with the â€Å"Babylonians [who] believed that humans have an immortal soul that survives the body after death and can suffer in a place of torment† (Watchtower, 2005, p. 52). As for the concept of hell, scriptures such as the one in Ezekiel 18:4 mentions that â€Å"†¦The soul that is sinning-it itself will die† (New World Bible, 1984, p. 1079). Romans 6: 23 also states â€Å"The wages sin pays is death†¦ † (New World Bible, 1984, p. 1411). And 1 Thessalonian 1:8-9 says â€Å"those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength† (New World Bible, 1984, p. 1476-77). These scriptures just illustrate the fact that the concept of hell, which most people perceive as a fiery place of torment, is not really stated anywhere in the bible as the punishment of people who constantly go against bible principles. The only outcome of their disobedient act is that they will perish. Hence, they will not be able to live in paradise earth for eternity and enjoy the wonderful blessings that will be bestowed upon the people who make it to this place. In addition, hell does not reflect God’s true personality. Witnesses further explain this by saying, What would you think of a parent who held his child's hand over a fire to punish the child for wrongdoing? ‘God is love' [according to 1 John 4:8] Would he do what no right-minded parent would do? Certainly not! † (Watchtower, 1984, p. 174). Another argument that is used to support this can be found in Jeremiah 7:31 which states, They [apostate Judeans] have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, in order to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, a thing that I had not commanded and that had not come up into my heart (New World Bible, 1984, p. 75). Also, the other plausible reason is that In ancient Babylo[n] and Assyri[a,] beliefs [about] the ‘nether world†¦ is pictured as a place full of horrors, and is presided over by gods and demons of great strength and fierceness'†¦ Early evidence of the fiery aspect of Christendom's hell is found in the religion of ancient Egypt (Religion of Babylonia and Assyria ci ted in Watchtower, 1984, p. 175). While Witnesses take the idea of baptism very seriously. The Reasoning from the Scriptures publication of the Watchtower defines baptism as â€Å"an outward symbol that the one being baptized has made a complete, unreserved, and unconditional dedication through Jesus Christ to do the will of Jehovah God† (Watchtower, 1984, p. 54). Hence, the decision to dedicate one's life to Jehovah requires mature thinking even by children. Witnesses have certain requirements before a child can be baptized. First of all, the child has to study the bible and Witness publications. This is because the child has to understand and accept Christian teachings and beliefs so he or she will know how to serve Jehovah properly. The child also has to talk to an elder-an adult Witness who carries numerous religious responsibilities- to discuss his or her desire to be baptized. The elder will then ask the child, when the child is ready, questions regarding Christian teachings and beliefs to see if the child can take on the responsibility of serving Jehovah. After baptism, the child is formally apart of the congregation. Witnesses go through this process because they have strict and demanding spiritual activities. Witnesses do not take spiritual activities lightly. People who have been baptized as a Witness know all too well that being a Christian becomes their main priority. They are responsible to do the will of â€Å"Jehovah God [and] it must be [their] main purpose in life† (Watchtower, 2005, p. 179). Thus, people make sure that they are living their life in accordance to bible principles. In addition, baptism â€Å"publicly indicates your desire to serve God. It shows that you are delighted to do Jehovah's Will† (Watchtower, 2005, p. 175). Being a true Christian is not easy because the world is full of temptations. To maintain strict adherence to bible principles, studying the bible and Witness publications reinforces what they know so that they can keep themselves grounded. This enables them to self-police themselves† (N. Sarmiento, 2008). While meetings-scheduled during a weekday and one every Sunday- allow Christians to know more about God through the bible (N. Sarmiento, 2008). Thus, attending meetings helps a perso n spiritually because it â€Å"increase[s] your knowledge of God† (Watchtower, 2005, p. 176). Finally, the extensive knowledge that they have accumulated is used to preach the word of God. Witnesses stress the importance of service because as â€Å"true followers of Jesus Christ [Witnesses] proclaim God's heavenly Kingdom as the only hope for mankind† (Watchtower, 2005, p. 151). Also, â€Å"most Witnesses are excited to share what they have learned and can’t wait to share it to everyone they know† (N. Sarmiento, 2008). Thus, Witnesses naturally â€Å"find it hard to keep what [they] have learned to [themselves]†¦ † (Watchtower, 2005, p. 177). Therefore, service is a way to impart what one has learned to others. Engaging in service also shows that a person is following God's teaching. Acts 10:42 states, â€Å"he ordered us to preach and to give a thorough witness† (New World Bible, 1984, p. 1376). In addition, people will not hear the good news of the kingdom if they do not go out there and preach it to people everywhere (N. Sarmiento, 2008). Jehovah’s Witnesses is an organization that has been misunderstood by most people. Indeed, most people will act indifferent-even discriminate-towards Jehovah’s Witnesses because they do not partake in birthdays, holidays, political affairs and even accept blood transfusion for their own health. Many people also think that their door to door preaching is their way of imposing their belief upon others. However, even though these people are targets of ridicule; they remain strong in their beliefs and active in their religious activities because they know that it is in accordance with bible principles. They also know that obeying God’s teachings will enable them to have everlasting life and be apart of God’s Kingdom that will come.