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Monday, September 30, 2019

A Rose for Emily: Pressures of Society

Pressures of Society Most people desire to fit in with the social norm. People do not want to be outcasts or different. Everyone in a society tries to fit into their cookie cutter forms to make themselves just like everyone else. Society does not like those who don't fit in and meet their standards. In the short story â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner, the main character Emily lives in a society full of high morals and monetary status. The setting plays a huge role on the actions of Emily and forces her to seclude herself from the rest of society. A Rose for Emily† takes place in post- civil war Jefferson, a small town in the deep south of the United States. The setting of the story helps illuminate the values of society during that time. Emily's society was built on the beliefs that the white, upper-class citizens were far more superior to everyone else. Being that they were more superior, everyone was held to a higher standard. The people of Jefferson were ex pected to have prim and proper houses and yards, high morals, and to obey all of the town's laws. While Emily was part of the upper-class, she did not quite fit in to society's cookie cutter mold. Emily's house was an eyesore to the rest of the town, she was said to be dating a gay man who was of the working class, and she did not pay her taxes. The people of the town began to question Emily's sanity because she was not just like everyone else. â€Å"Some of the ladies began to say that it was a disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young people†¦. but at last the ladies forced the Baptist minister†¦. o call upon her. † (94-95) These actions show how much society truly wanted to change Emily's way of life so she would fit in with them and stop ruining their image. The southern country setting with these harsh conditions led Emily to lock herself in her home in order to seclude herself from society. Emily did not feel welcome in her society. She knew that the others judged her and looked down upon her for her actions. The pressures of society took a huge t oll on Emily. The front door closed upon the last one and remained closed for good. When the town got free postal delivery, Miss Emily alone refused to let them fasten the metal numbers above her door and attach a mailbox to it. She would not listen to them. † (95). Emily felt as though she was a total outcast in her society and she became insane because of it. After her death, the town finds out that Emily had murdered her future husband. She had truly gone insane due to the pressure that society had placed on her. All in all, Emily's harsh society that she lived in caused her to feel unwelcome and go insane. Emily felt forced into locking herself away in her home to seclude herself from society. The high moral standards that the rich white southerners place on society greatly affected the life of Miss Emily. Emily did not fit into society's cookie cutter mold, and as a result she was ridiculed and cast away from the rest of society. The pressures of society can have a very damaging effect on those who do not fit into the social norms.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Coco Chanel’s Influence on the Apparel Industry Essay

Coco Chanel’s influence in the fashion industry began over a century ago during the 1920’s. Chanel embraced the essence of the â€Å"Roaring Twenties† which was all about becoming â€Å"someone† and separating yourself from the old and beginning a new life. Chanel focused on the newly found needs and desires of women and designed her fashion around what women had wanted. Not only did Coco Chanel pave the way for modern fashion, she also created innovative ideas using fabrics that were traditionally used for menswear. These fabrics were incredibly durable which allowed Chanel to construct new designs with less fabric than what would have been traditionally used. One of the major fabrics that Chanel included in her lines again and again was wool jersey. This fabric is comfortable and easy fitting, but at that time, had not been considered suitable for fashionable clothing. This was an incredible influence that Chanel had in the fashion industry because she s howed the world that wool jersey’s can be used in fashionable clothing. Coco Chanel also had created a modern spin on embroidery for women’s clothing. Instead of using more fabric, such as lace, Chanel decided to decorate the clothing using beading and embroidery. Coco Chanel also frequently accessorized her clothing with multiple strands of pearls, quilted handbags, sling-back ivory pumps with black toes and of course, her combination of jewels with sportswear. All of these accessories are still used to accentuate Chanel’s clothing present day and have also set Coco Chanel’s clothing apart from the rest from the very start. Chanel also changed the way women’s clothing looked on women. Prior to the innovation of Coco Chanel, a women’s body was split into two halves—upper and lower. Chanel modified this and found continuity and symmetry throughout the entire torso. Chanel is also known for â€Å"letting go of the waistline† and created the style which we currently see in fashion. This in itself shows how Coco Chanel has changed the fashion industry forever. Chanel created the â€Å"flapper look†, which we all think of when we think of the Roaring Twenties. The â€Å"flapper look† was defined by its masculine influence, which incredibly popular throughout the 1920’s. Coco Chanel became an icon in the 1920’s, and every woman wanted to be just like her. Coco Chanel became very slender and long, which caused all of her clients to lose weight. This is how the â€Å"boyish frame† of women’s bodies became popular in the 1920’s. Coco Chanel also cut off all of her long hair to create a classic bob. This caused Coco Chanel to look even more boyish. All of her clients soon adopted the hairstyle themselves, which caused Chanel to also have been responsible for the popularity of the bobbed haircut of the 1920’s. Because Chanel paved the way in the physical appearance of women throughout the Roaring Twenties, Coco Chanel designed her dresses to be fitted for slimness and length, included with a dropped waistline. Chanel’s biggest influence in the fashion industry is how she drastically changed the length of skirts worn by women in the early 1920’s. Shortly after the introduction of shorter skirts, Chanel developed the ever so popular â€Å"little black dress†. This became an essential garment for every woman to own, in the past, and present day. The development and introduction of the little black dress into society had the most powerful impact than any other garment ever introduced. This gave women a go-to outfit for all times, whether it was for work, a dinner, or a more casual look. The Chanel style hasn’t changed since the designer began designing clothing. Currently, the Chanel style still holds the traditional and classic â€Å"French chic† with a menswear feel through texture and fabric. The innovative ideas of the late Coco Chanel has paved the way not only through modern fashion, but has also created what we now consider a â€Å"classic† look. This can be seen as true because the Chanel look is the perfect go-to and will never go out of style. The classic Chanel style has been in style for over 100 years, which shows how influential the designer was. Chanel’s style are still relevant today with women all over the world purchasing the â€Å"little black dress† and tweed suits, which Chanel made famous. Chanel impacted the apparel industry in the most powerful way  possible—she defined the classic look, which will never go out of style. This shows how Coco Chanel has not only influenced the world of fashion, but that she is one of the most influential people in the fashion industry. It has been well over a century since her introduction in the fashion industry, and her name still lives on—stronger than ever.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Pip wants to be a gentleman Essay

‘It was evident that he had nothing around him but the simplest necessaries, for everything that I remarked upon turned out to have been sent in on my account from the coffee-house or somewhere else. ‘ Another character who displays this quality is Magwitch: even though he is a convict, he is a good man. ‘I believe too that he dragged one of his legs as if there were still a weight of iron on it, and that from head to foot there was Convict in the very grain of the man†¦ but Magwitch †¦ is still a good man’. This is a direct contrast with Mrs Joe for whom even her funeral was sham and pompous. ‘I was much annoyed by the abject Pumblechook, who, being behind me, persisted all the way as a delicate attention in arranging my streaming hatband, and smoothing my cloak. ‘ Newman describes how a true gentleman’s concern is to make 2 ‘everyone at their ease and at home’, and Herbert’s behavior is an example of this. When he sees Joe as he visits Pip in London, Joe is feeling uncomfortable and out of place and Herbert tries to correct that by asking polite, easy to understand questions, and, when it was still awkward, he left, to allow Pip and Joe to talk alone. He also comforts Pip when he first comes to London by giving him some fruit, which he thinks he will be used to because he is from the country. Wemmick exhibits this trait too. He ensures that his father is always kept ‘clean, cheerful, comfortable and well cared for’. He also has his house with a moat surrounding it because it makes his father feel secure when he leaves him for work. However, at work Wemmick acts very differently, he leaves his gentlemanly side behind and puts his business-like, ‘postbox’ mouth on, as he remarked ‘Walworth is one place, and the office is another’. At one point when Pip is asking his advice Wemmick even says that if Pip had asked him the same question at home he would have answered completely differently. Whereas Jaggers is always the same official, business-like person at home and at work, he is always the lawyer and is very intimidating. True gentlemen will only see and bring out the good in other people, Joe sees the good; for example when he tells Pip about his father. Although Joe’s father often got drunk and beat Joe’s mother and Joe himself, Joe didn’t complain or try to make Pip feel sorry for him, he just said â€Å"he were that good in his hart†. Jaggers does not bring out the good in others. When Pip went for tea at Jaggers’s house, the worst was brought out in him, and his companions, which led them to a sizeable argument: ‘Drummle, without any threat or warning, pulled his hands out of his pockets, dropped his round shoulders, swore, took up a large glass, and would have flung it at his adversary’s head†¦ ‘. Although Pip doesn’t exhibit many of the other traits of a gentleman, he is self-aware throughout the narrative. When Pip realizes that he loves Estella he can still admit to himself that she makes him miserable because she torments him and says to himself, ‘Pip, what a fool you are! ‘ Estella is also self-aware, she understands that Miss Havisham has made her into a heartless monster, and she explains this to Pip. ‘You had not your little wits sharpened by their intriguing against you, suppressed and defenseless†¦ imposter of a woman’. Dickens’ true gentlemen help people out and are modest about the favours they have done. As Newman says of a true gentleman2 ‘He makes light favours while he does them, and seems to be receiving when he is conferring. ‘ Pip illustrates this trait well. He arranges a place for business for Herbert. This is Pip’s first real act of generosity, though it’s ironic because it is made with the money from his own benefactor. However, whenever Pumblechook does favours, he does them because he hopes for something in return. When he arranged for Pip to play at Miss Havisham’s, he is trying to ingratiate himself with Mrs Joe, and Pip, so when Pip gets money from Miss Havisham, Pip will feel obliged to give him a share – as without Pumblechook it would never have happened. When Pip first moves to London to be a gentleman, everyone in his village thinks that Pumblechook is Pip’s ‘patron, companion and friend’. This, of course, is not true; as Pip would have rather Pumblechook had never tried to get him a job at Miss Havisham’s. Being sensitive must be an important factor of being a good person. Biddy displays this characteristic, as she relises how Pip has hurt Joe. However, she also tells us that Joe never complained of Pip, hurting him. Estella is very insensitive, although this isn’t entirely her own fault. She says of Pip at the beginning of the novel, ‘coarse hands and thick boots’, which really offended, and affected Pip for the rest of his life. Although, she has got a spark of humanity in her as she keeps warning Pip not to fall in love with her. Like the star she is named after she always keeps cold and distant from Pip. Dickens’ gives Orlick as an example of a completely evil character. Orlick murdered Mrs Joe, and tried to murder Pip. He killed Mrs Joe when Pip was old enough to ‘kill off’ his parents and gain his independence. Dickens doesn’t want us to understand Orlick, or feel a drop of sympathy for him. He is Pip’s alter ego, he does the things Pip would never dare do, or unconsciously thought. Dickens is showing us that if you have money, this does not necessarily make you a gentleman. Drummle is an obvious example that money and class alone do not make a gentleman. On the other hand, Joe and Herbert, who are poor, are the main examples of true gentlemen in the text; they show the true qualities that compose a good person. Pip is a developing character, and therefore changes from a small innocent little boy, into a snob, and then a much more mature, wiser and sadder Pip develops at the end of the narrative. I feel that Pip is a gentleman though at the end, throughout he is self aware, and he has done favours to Herbert. With Magwitch there for Pip to care for and love, he managed to mature and grow out of the sham and elitist younger Pip. I think that all these qualities that make up a good person are definitely still relevant today. Just as the factors that constitute a good person are the same for the poor, as for the rich in Dickens’s time, they are just as important to people now as they were then. If Joe or Herbert came into this century we would admire the gentlemanly characteristics in them, just as Pip saw the good in them in the nineteenth century. Bibliography 1. Newman, Newman on the Gentleman (1852) 2. Mahoney. J, Great Expectations for GCSE, Ashford Colour Press, Hampshire (1994). 1 Sarah Burton 10S 2nd January 2004 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Great Expectations section.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Humana's low-cost Medicare drug plan is a way to lure seniors into its Essay

Humana's low-cost Medicare drug plan is a way to lure seniors into its managed care - Essay Example Humana Inc. with its new plan targets the seniors market, including low-income segment. The crux of the new strategy is the extremely low pricing for the drug-only policies. Proposed rates which are almost twice below the average, coupled with marketing agreement with the Wal-Mart stores, government subsidies and legislative support, should attract millions of new senior customers. This opportunity seems even more attractive given the projected decline in the market growth and increasing competition. Of course, simply lowering all the rates will decrease significantly company's margins. Therefore, the next stage of the marketing plan considers deploying the enroll-and-migrate strategy'' and putting emphasize on switching the attention of the newly acquired drug-only programs customers to the managed care programs. Sales personnel's effort would be directed at the promotion of these programs, which have higher rates and are much more lucrative for the Humana Inc. The author gives a brief dispassionate description of the Humana's management plans and provides the readers with corresponding figures where appropriate. However, the article contains several hints of the attitude expressed towards the plan. The heading contains the word "hook" with regard to the new low-price policy and the text develops the idea further. The means and ends of the upcoming measures are summarized in two brief sentences: â€Å"Their idea: offer dirt-cheap drug plans to grab millions of seniors. Then use the benefit as a stepping stone to a potentially richer market†. Undoubtedly, the article may attract some of the customers by informing them about the low-priced offering they might find appealing.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Family and Consumer Behaviour Literature review

Family and Consumer Behaviour - Literature review Example All of these factors contribute significantly in the decision-making process of a person. In this paper, we will discuss the impact of family on overall consumer behavior. â€Å"An individual’s immediate family members play an essential role in influencing his/her buying behaviour† (Management Study Guide n.d.). Family is the most important factor that affects consumer decisions (Yuvarani 2009). We will discuss different factors concerning family that may influence a person’s decision regarding purchase of a produce or a service. Different members of a family play a significant role in the purchase decision of a person. Therefore, we will discuss the role of each family representative in detail to know how he/she can make a person purchase or leave a product. The structure of the report will be such that we will start from the head of a family and will move downwards to the youngest member of the family to know the influence that each of they may have on the buyi ng decision of a person. 2. Roles To Be Discussed There is rarely any individual who does not discuss anything with any of his/her family members before purchasing something new. â€Å"The family is the most important consumer buying organization in society, and family members constitute the most influential primary reference group† (CiteMAN 2006). Family members sometimes support the decision to buy a particular product, sometimes stop him/her due to different reasons, and sometimes suggest better alternatives (Management Study Guide n.d.). The roles that will be discussed in this paper include parents, siblings, spouse, and grandparents. 2.1 Influence of Grandparents The influence of grandparents varies on an individual’s buying decision from product to product and age to age. In today’s world, people are getting more and more self-dependent and they hardly consult their grandparents when they have to buy some new product of any kind. The role of grandparents in buying decisions has been minimized to a large extent. For example, if someone has to buy a new cell phone, he/she may hardly consult his/her grandparents. Similarly, if someone has to buy a new t-shirt or a pair of shoes, there is hardly any evidence that one would consult it with grandparents because these are personal decisions which have nothing top do with the advice of grandparents. On the other hand, when a person makes some big decisions, such as, buying a property or selling a property owned by the grandparents, he/she has to consult it with the grandparents because big decisions always need consultation with experienced family members. In western part of the world, the role of grandparents is very little in the buying decision of a person. On the other hand, in eastern countries, their role is comparatively more influential. When a person is young and does not have any source of income, he/she has to rely on parents and grandparents to buy any desired product. For examp le, in third-world countries, parents usually make their children live with grandparents when they have to go out for work. In such cases, an emotional attachment between children and grandparents develops and children do everything with the approval of their grandparents. For example, if they have to buy a new pair of shoes, they may request their grandparents to make parents agree on this because they know that their

McDonald's Advertising Campaign Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

McDonald's Advertising Campaign - Term Paper Example The current Mcdonald’s advertising campaign is referred to as the ‘I’m lovin’ it’ campaign. This campaign extends to international borders and has been implemented in virtually every advertising medium available within the contemporary media climate. While many might have expected this advertising campaign to be developed by an American firm, in actuality it was constructed by an advertising agency located in Unterhaching, Germany referred to as DDB Worldwide Communications Group, Inc. Rather than debuting the campaign in the United States, the ‘I’m lovin’ it’ campaign was debuted in Australia and that later throughout parts of Europe and ultimately the United States. It seems in structuring the campaign in such a way McDonald’s was able to in a sense test out their advertising and fine-tune its various elements before debuting it in the larger Western markets. This strategy has a number of beneficial elements, namel y that despite pre-debut polling and surveys, the actual reception of the marketing campaign is not entirely discernable until after it is received within the public context; as a result numerous logistical and thematic errors can be worked out before it ultimately hits the most pivotal Western market. When it finally did debut in the USA on June 29, 2003 it did so with a large amount of fanfare. During its debut the campaign slogan was accompanied by the music of Tom Batoy and Franco Tortora (Mona Davis Music) and vocals by Justin Timberlake. In including such a large name (indeed, Justin Timberlake was at the top of the pop culture world at the time of this campaign) allowed McDonalds to significantly establish their new message and distinguish it from past advertising incarnations (Dicker 2010). In these regards, the debut functions as more than just a means of drawing significant attention to the product (which is one of the primary concerns), but it also functions to draw atten tion to the significant shift in tone and message from previous McDonald’s campaigns. This is important as it indicates that the campaign often does not simply signify a renewed approach to promotion, but oftentimes represents a philosophical shift in the nature of nature of the company’s vision. As advertising campaigns are implemented they oftentimes have been demonstrated to make subtle shifts within their production mechanisms. The McDonald’s ‘I’m Lovin It’ campaign is ne exception in these regards. Despite debuting with one set slogan and approach to promotion as the campaign progressed new forms of presentation were included; for instance, in 2007 a public casting call was issued which resulted in nearly 15,000 applicants (‘The Latest from McDonald’s’). From this pool twenty-four were selected and integrated into the advertising campaign. These individuals’ images and themes of inspiration were implemented on McDonald’s products throughout the world. This last method was a highly effective means of altering the campaign through becoming more directly involved in the customer’s perspective. Rather than simply relying on ad executives to determine what constitutes effective promotion, allowing actual customers to become involved functions to create a sort of raw and direct appeal to the audience. This method went beyond traditional television and print advertising, truly

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Examples of Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Examples of Power - Essay Example If not used properly, problems may arise within an organization. Paul Merchant defines power as the ‘possession of authority and influence over others... a tool that, depending on how it's used, can lead to either positive or negative outcomes in an organization.’ Power relates to the ability to influence or control another’s behavior and action (Zolkiewski). Office politics results to power in a workplace. There are many types of workplace politics and some people enjoy being a part of those in power, while a lot of hate it, given that politics in the workplace being not easy to deal with. Latif, Abideen and Nazar wrote, â€Å"in any organization, it is not very difficult to find a person or group(s) indulging to influence decisions to either keep or supplement their personal interests†¦ organizational politics can work either for or against an organization, but sometimes it is dysfunctional due to its potential power to disturb firm’s efficiency and effectiveness† (Latif et. al. 2011). Power is related to control over valued resources and transforms individual psychology such that the powerful think and act in ways that lead to the retention and acquisition of power (Magee and Galinsky, 2008). Organizational processes are influenced by institutionalization of power in organizations. Boonstra and Gravenhorst (1998) stated â€Å"that power in formal organizational structures and existing organizational arrangements have been changing dramatically†¦ global competition and deregulation have led many companies to search for new forms of organization. Responsibilities, power, and accountability are being channeled to executives in charge and new forms of employment relations being developed†. Power groups can influence managers and executives (David P. Mills, Ronald M. Cervero, Christine A. Langone and Arthur L. Wilson, 1995) to exclude certain people in an organization from participating in decision making. Paul M erchant identifies five types of power, namely, legitimate power, expert power, referent power, coercive power and reward power. Rosa Krausz (1986) added another type of power to the five, and that is, interpersonal competence. Legitimate power, also known as positional power, is acquired from the position a person holds in an organization's hierarchy. People in organizations who have higher positions who give orders are normally followed by subordinates. In a work place, we normally follow the order given to us by people occupying higher positions than us. Expert power acquired from possessing knowledge or expertise. These people are where other coworkers go to as they are seen as experts in certain fields and can help them in situations in the workplace. While working on a research, we have many people working in a group. Though we work together, each of us have our own expertise. The person we see as having the greatest knowledge about a topic is normally acknowledged as the lead er of the group because we know that he can direct the activity better. Referent power is derived from the interpersonal relationships a person cultivates with other people within the organization. This power arises from charisma (Lourdes Munduate and Kilian M. Bennebroek Gravenhorst, 2003), one who influences others through admiration, respect and trust (Marilyn M. Kennedy). Merchant said that this power is derived

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Fashion 1980 - Now - The Fashionistas Guide Essay

Fashion 1980 - Now - The Fashionistas Guide - Essay Example The essay "Fashion 1980 - Now - The Fashionistas Guide" investigates how fashion has led to the rise of the new features of identifying gender among some of the Japanese tribes. The vibrant and outlandish fashionistas of Tokyo have led to a change of fashion in japan in a rate that is almost impossible to document without instantly being out of date. However, there are some tribes in japan that have managed to change with technological changes of fashion without abolishing their true societal origins. Apparently, there are several tribes that have evolved that one cannot miss encountering them in any time one happen to tour to the Japanese capital. For example, the changing fashion have led to the rise of a group of youngsters that refer themselves as the roller family that has seriously assumed the business of dancing to old rock and roll in large numbers especially during the afternoons of both Saturday and Sunday at the entrances of Yoyogi park without failing. However, this danci ng group is believed to be part of the Yoyogi furniture that has been in existence since 1990. The dancing group is characterized by receding hairlines bullied into thinking quiffs. Moreover, on the border of Shibula and Harajuku districts, there have emerged Grimoire, which is a shop furnished with accessories and cloths located a convenient point targeting the Dolly Kei movement. The followers of this movement dress velvets, rich embroidery and silks that distinguish themselves from non-followers.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Identify the pathways and stores of water, sediment and nutrients from Essay

Identify the pathways and stores of water, sediment and nutrients from the uplands to the coast in typical northwest England - Essay Example As water flows naturally to the sea, it forms various features as it interacts with various factors on its way. In some cases, the water gets stored temporarily in reservoirs, most of the time moving at various speeds. Depending on the speed of movement, the water collects, transports and deposits objects including soil, rocks, and wood. Using these objects, the water at high speed can create new features as the objects brush against other objects in the water path. Water also dissolves nutrients and minerals while suspending tiny particles which are later deposited as sediments at lower speeds. This paper is dedicated to discussing the water pathways from the typical northwest England catchments and its flow to the sea. 2). Definition of terms Pathways: In the context of this essay, pathways refers to the routes of flow traveled by water, nutrients and sediments as they move from the uplands to the coast. ... Sediments: These are materials broken down by the processes of erosion and weathering and are subsequently transported through the actions of wind and liquid water and glaziers. These materials are naturally occurring. Nutrients: These are chemicals required by organisms for them to live and grow well or a substance required for the process of metabolism and must be taken from the organism’s environment. Uplands: Refers to areas of higher altitudes Coast: Refers to a strip of land bordering the sea and as such, it is an area of low lower altitude. Catchments: Refers to a main source, the region from where a substance or material is supplied to the rest of the areas that form part of the material’s or substance pathway. 3). The pathways and stores of water, sediment and nutrients from the uplands to the coast in typical northwest England catchments a) Pathways and stores of water from the uplands to the coast in typical northwest England catchments The pathway of water i n any particular region typically begins with the hydrological cycle. At the beginning of this cycle, water is changed from liquid into its gaseous, vapour, which ascends to the higher altitudes. Here, it is cooled and falls down as rain, which falls either directly as into the various rivers, lakes and man-made reservoirs or flow into them as surface runoff. Vegetation are important in making this water to sip into the ground from where they flow as underground water till they join rivers, lakes or man-made reservoirs. In typical northwest England catchments, the water moves along various pathways. These include fast ways for example overland flow, or drain ?ow, shallow sub-surface ?ow and slower pathways. The slower

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Video game fanatics Essay Example for Free

Video game fanatics Essay My name is Antonio Parker and I’m here to write an essay about people who play video games nonstop, twenty-four seven, without rest. I chose this topic to specify the social behavior in people who play video games from a rare to an extremely high basis. I’ve always wondered how games impact children and, to why they play them. Video games, as of today are becoming a childhood leisure activity, and adults respond with concern about the possibility of bad effects of the games on children I had to look into this because when I was growing up playing video games like Atari 7800 and Coleco Vision, gaming wasn’t as exciting, but several years later, between the same time Atari was about to fail, Nintendo was introduced and since then, video games within the past two decades have slowly, but surely, started to lift heads, and have now erupted into a twenty billion dollar industry in the U. S economy. I, myself, am a gamer, one of world’s biggest fans when it comes to videos. So yes, I’ve been playing video games since my mother put a joystick in my hands at the age of five. I get very excited when playing, watching, or when someone brings up gaming, I’m in the middle of that conversation. Every gaming console from Nintendo, Sega, Neo Geo, PlayStation, Turbo Grafx 16, PC, and the most talked about game system, Xbox, I have purchased all to start a collection. I must say that I admit of being a video game fanatic. I used to play video games for roughly six to eight hours a day without rest. Being able to witness some my friends that play video games on a consistent basis, I come to believe that it is needed to be seen and to understand how a simple one-player game to multiplayer online-role playing games affect people in real life. When I watch G4TV to look at live events on video games, there would be a group people dress up as their favorite video game character as though it was them for real. This is the real case for those who have played an interactive to multiplayer video game. I truly believe that video games don’t control any social abilities in us, but I’ve come to hypothesize that in reality, most people that play video games have more tendency to less sociable to their own peers when outside of the â€Å"game-world†. Work Cited Parker, Antonio. A Study into Social Functioning in Video Game Fanatics. Yahoo! Contributor Network. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Jan. 2013.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

La creatividad

La creatividad Introduccion La creatividad es la llave que abre la puerta del desarrollo individual y colectivo, razà ³n por la cual las naciones que han alcanzado un alto grado de desarrollo tecnolà ³gico, industrial, econà ³mico y social invierten grandes cantidades de recursos para mantenerse a la vanguardia, ya que innovar constantemente les asegura, no sà ³lo el bienestar de sus habitantes, sino incluso la supervivencia misma. Esta necesidad de ofrecer alternativas nuevas, viables y oportunas a las distintas problemà ¡ticas que plantea nuestra sociedad globalizada, nos motiva a enfocar nuestro interà ©s de estudio en la creatividad, desde la perspectiva del individuo creativo e innovador, pues es el sujeto, el principal protagonista de estos cambios, quien utiliza esta herramienta interna para aportar los elementos que promueven el avance y crecimiento. En este sentido, el presente trabajo de grado se propone â€Å"dibujar† el perfil psicolà ³gico de personas creativas en Repà ºblica Dominicana, a partir de la descripcià ³n de sus rasgos de personalidad. Igualmente nos esforzamos en entregar un perfil social, tomando como marco de referencia el universo relacional de los individuos estudiados: familiar, social, educativo y econà ³mico; con la finalidad de encontrar en estas perspectivas externas los elementos o situaciones que facilitaron la manifestacià ³n concreta de su actividad creativa, asà ­ como aquellas circunstancias que representaron importantes obstà ¡culos en la consecucià ³n de sus metas. Esta investigacià ³n es el primer estudio de este gà ©nero realizado en nuestro paà ­s, hecho que le reviste de gran importancia ya que las conclusiones arribadas aportarà ¡n valiosos beneficios en diferentes à ¡reas. Este estudio abarca diversas zonas de nuestra geografà ­a nacional, donde nuestros sujetos de investigacià ³n han expuesto parte de sus talentos. Mediante pruebas psicomà ©tricas realizamos la exploracià ³n caracterolà ³gica, mientras que el perfil contextual es abordado a travà ©s del uso de cuestionarios y entrevistas semi II estructuradas. Indagamos asà ­ el ambiente que fue capaz de impulsar, aunque no de propiciar, el genio creativo de estos ciudadanos como mecanismo de adaptacià ³n y supervivencia a sus propias carencias. Iniciamos esta propuesta investigativa definiendo el concepto creatividad y sus antecedentes, exponiendo las teorà ­as planteadas por diferentes personalidades del haber cientà ­fico; quienes, a pesar de estudiarla desde diferentes aristas, coinciden en afirman que la creatividad es una capacidad integral de todos los seres humanos, incluso hay quienes la califican como una â€Å"actitud personal†; este potencial lo que requiere es ser fertilizado, a fin de broten sus frutos en todos los à ³rdenes. En el capà ­tulo uno, definimos las personas creativas desde la à ³ptica de diversos investigadores, a partir de una serie de caracterà ­sticas cognoscitivas, afectivas y volitivas especà ­ficas que poseen. De igual modo las perfilamos mediante su auto descripcià ³n. Es de nuestro interà ©s abordar la motivacià ³n tanto intrà ­nseca como extrà ­nseca que impulsan sus proyectos creativos, pues estas personalidades sobresalen mà ¡s por su deseo de dejar huellas en el mundo que por su puro poder intelectual. Sin dejar de lado el aspecto de la inteligencia, ya que hay autores que incluso la desvinculan del proceso creativo.. En el capitulo dos nos ocupamos del contexto creativo tratando de exponer el papel que juega el proceso de socializacion en el desarrollo y expresià ³n de la capacidad creativa. Los estudios de casos realizados nos permiten concluir que las caracterà ­sticas que definen los sujetos estudiados son las siguientes†¦ III II. PLANTEAMIENTO DEL PROBLEMA II.1 ENUNCIACIÓN DEL PROBLEMA De los individuos creativos depende el desarrollo y sostenimiento del progreso humano, gracias a la incorporacià ³n de sus ideas originales, innovadoras y eficaces. Por lo tanto, es imprescindible detectar y cultivar las cualidades de personalidad que los caracterizan. De ahà ­ la relevancia que alcanza la presente investigacià ³n, pues entregamos un perfil psicolà ³gico y social de personas creativas en Repà ºblica Dominicana, estudio pionero en su gà ©nero. La creatividad es considerada un bien social, pues el avance de la sociedad dependerà ¡ cada vez mà ¡s de la inventiva y de la capacidad de las jà ³venes generaciones1. En los à ºltimos 50 aà ±os, ha sido estudiada por muchos autores como elemento componente de la personalidad (Guilford, 1960; Sternberg, 1988; Mitjà ¡ns, 1995; Csikszentmihalyi, 1998; Goà ±i, 2003). El procedimiento utilizado consiste en identificar las personas creadoras a partir de sus realizaciones o utilizando criterios de jueces, datos autobiogr à ¡ficos, etc. y estudiar, generalmente mediante tests, los rasgos de personalidad, buscando relaciones que evidencien cuà ¡les caracterizan a las personas creadoras y las distinguen de las no creadoras.2 Tradicionalmente las investigaciones han sido enfocadas en poblaciones especà ­ficas: cientà ­ficos y artistas de todo gà ©nero; llegando incluso a considerar la creatividad como una propiedad cuasi exclusiva de estos grupos; sin embargo hay autores que la plantean como un atributo comà ºn a todos los seres humanos, distinguiendola como ordinaria, cuando el individuo la utiliza en su cotidianidad para adaptarse al medio y sobrevivir, y grandiosa cuando es responsable de los logros y progresos de la sociedad humana.3 En un principio el estudio de la creatividad se limitaba al contexto individual, posteriormente se han tenido en consideracià ³n tambià ©n otros factores de carà ¡cter 1 Saturnino De la Torre. Persona y proceso creativos. Creativitat, comunicacià ³ i mercat, 2000. http://tdd.elisava.net/coleccià ³n/17/de-la-torre-es. 2 Albertina Mitjans. Creatividad, personalidad y educacià ³n. Cuba, Editorial Pueblo y Educacià ³n. 1995, p.3 3 Federico De Tavira. Introduccià ³n al Psicoanà ¡lisis del Arte. Sobre la Fecundidad Psà ­quica. Mà ©xico. Plaza y Valdà ©s Editores. 2007, p. 46 IV social, que forman parte del escenario en el que se desenvuelve el individuo: la familia, la red social, el ambiente cultural y educativo, los adelantos tecnolà ³gicos de la à ©poca, etc. Anne Roe, una de las pioneras de la psicologà ­a moderna, considera que a veces las instituciones culturales y el ambiente reprimen el potencial creativo en vez de estimularlo. â€Å"El problema no es sà ³lo encontrar la gente que de algà ºn modo han logrado oponerse a estas presiones, sino tambià ©n el encontrar formas de cambiar la cultura†.4 II.2 FORMULACIÓN DEL PROBLEMA Estos à ¡ngulos de acercamiento y comprensià ³n de la creatividad en la relacià ³n individuo-entorno, nos llevan a formular las siguientes preguntas:  ¿Cuà ¡les carà ¡cterà ­sticas de personalidad predominan en las personas creativas?  ¿Cuà ¡les rasgos de carà ¡cter comparten los individuos estudiados?  ¿Cà ³mo se definen asà ­ mismos los creativos? (autoconcepto)  ¿Cuà ¡les factores de carà ¡cter interno y/o externo lo motivan a crear?  ¿En quà © ambiente familiar se desarrollà ³ como individuo?  ¿Cuà ¡l es la red social que le ha servido de apoyo en sus proyectos?  ¿Cuà ¡l es el nivel de escolaridad alcanzado?  ¿Cuà ¡les circunstancias econà ³micas han sido predominantes a lo largo de su vida?  ¿Proporciona nuestra sociedad (Repà ºblica Dominicana) el ambiente propicio para el desarrollo y exposicià ³n del potencial creativo en sus ciudadanos? 4 Alexandra Goà ±i. Desarrollo de la creatividad. Costa Rica. Editorial Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UENED). 2003, p. 94. V III. JUSTIFICACIÓN Identificar y describir a las personas creativas a partir de sus rasgos de personalidad, asà ­ como la relacià ³n que ha tenido el contexto familiar, social, econà ³mico y educacional con la expresià ³n y realizacià ³n creativa de los mismos, constituye un campo de investigacià ³n hasta ahora no explorado en Repà ºblica Dominicana, de ahà ­ se desprende la relevancia de este estudio, resultando à ©ste el primer abordaje de esta temà ¡tica en nuestro paà ­s. Las conclusiones arribadas reportan importantes beneficios en los siguientes tà ©rminos: Psicolà ³gicos: proporcionan un inventario caracterolà ³gico de los sujetos creativos estudiados, el cual se podrà ¡ utilizar para futuras investiga- ciones que amplà ­en el espectro de estudio de la creatividad y la influencia del ambiente en la produccià ³n creativa. De igual modo, motiva a los estudiosos del comportamiento a fijar su interà ©s en las potencialidades humanas, cà ³mo descubrirlas y fomentarlas, mà ¡s que en las patologà ­as manifiestas en la conducta. Educativos: el manejo de esta informacià ³n nos permite rediseà ±ar la enseà ±anza, a fin de que à ©sta promueva y fomente dichas cualidades de personalidad en las futuras generaciones. Gracias a esta reorientacià ³n podremos contar con individuos capaces de generar nuevas propuestas y de producir los cambios que necesita nuestra sociedad para asegurar la ruta hacia el desarrollo sostenido, rompiendo el esquema de que los estudiantes sean simples acumuladores y repetidores de informacià ³n que otros han aportado. Esta revolucià ³n educativa convertirà ¡ los salones de clase en verdaderos centros de formacià ³n de là ­deres emprendedores, al permitirseles la expresià ³n de su libre pensamiento y la concrecià ³n de sus ideas. VI Sociales: evaluar el contexto familiar, social y econà ³mico nos permite inferir cuà ¡les circunstancias externas han sido proveedoras de està ­mulos y cuà ¡les han sido inhibidoras del talento creativo. Este es uno de los aspectos mà ¡s importartes a considerar, ya que el individuo, como ente biopsicosocial, trae una dotacià ³n biolà ³gica que le antepone y supone la expresià ³n de sus cualidades, sin embargo no escapa a la externalidad: es en el ambiente que lo circunda donde ha de expresar estas virtudes, siempre y cuando este entorno le sea favorable. Es una constante en esta investigacià ³n la reflexià ³n respecto a este punto. Culturales: Aunque somos considerados paà ­s â€Å"tercermundista†, pueblo en và ­a de un desarrollo que no acabamos de alcanzar, en nuestro territorio se han formado y expresado indviduos con alta capacidad creativa, aà ºn cuando las circunstancias les han sido adversas. Este ejemplo, enseà ±a a la presente y futura generacià ³n a cultivar l a autoconfianza y trascender las limitaciones que impone el espacio que nos rodea. Promovemos asà ­ la cultura de la autodeterminacià ³n de nuestra nacià ³n. Empresariales. En este à ¡mbito, el perfil caracterolà ³gico del creativo ayuda a identificar aquellos individuos con iniciativa, inventiva, capaces de generar las ideas innovadoras a mayor ritmo, asegurando el progreso y el desarrollo en tà ©rminos productivos. Incluso hay sociedades, como la japonesa, donde ser creativos es una verdadera obligacià ³n del empleado. Esta investigacià ³n es viable pues se dispone de los recursos necesarios para su realizacià ³n. VII IV. ALCANCE Y Là MITES DE LA INVESTIGACIÓN Este estudio de caso se llevarà ¡ a cabo durante los meses agosto-octubre del aà ±o 2009; està ¡ limitado a estudiar seis personas dedicadas a diversas actividades, con diferentes niveles educativos, cuyas edades oscilan entre los 20 y 55 aà ±os de edad, las cuales està ¡n ubicadas en diversas localidades de nuestro paà ­s (Repà ºblica Dominicana). VIII V. OBJETIVOS V.1 GENERAL Describir el perfil psicosocial de personas creativas en Repà ºblica Dominicana, dedicadas a diversas ramas tà ©cnicas y artisticas, cuyas edades oscilas entre 20 y 55 aà ±os de edad. V.2 ESPECà FICOS Identificar los rasgos de personalidad de estas personas creativas Establecer un perfil caracterolà ³gico del creativo Exponer cà ³mo se describen a sà ­ mismos (autoconcepto) Establecer la relacià ³n del entorno social y familiar en el desarrollo y expresià ³n del talento creativo de estos personajes Exponer la formacià ³n acadà ©mica de los casos estudiados Identificar las circusntancias econà ³mica en las cuales se han desenvuelto Investigar las motivaciones intrà ­nsecas y extrà ­nsecas de sus creaciones IX VI. METODOLOGà A VI.1 TIPO DE INVESTIGACIÓN La presente investigacià ³n se define como un estudio de caso, enmarcado en el enfoque cualitativo, fundamentado en una perspectiva interpretativa de los datos recolectados. VI.2 TIPO DE ESTUDIO Realizamos un estudio descriptivo, debido a que nuestro objetivo principal es describir al individuo a partir de sus rasgos de personalidad, haciendo à ©nfasis en comprender la relacià ³n de su expresià ³n creativa con el ambiente que lo circunda, ya sea en tà ©rminos familiares, sociales, educacionales y econà ³micos. Es asà ­ mismo un estudio exploratorio, ya que esta temà ¡tica es planteada por vez primera en nuestro paà ­s como objeto de investigacià ³n, constituyà ©ndose asà ­ en un punto de partida para estudios posteriores. VI.3 MUESTRA La muestra estuvo conformada por seis personas, cuatro hombres y dos mujeres, dedicadas a distintas ramas u oficios, con diferentes niveles educativos, cuyas edades oscilan entre 20 y 50 aà ±os de edad. El criterio de seleccià ³n està ¡ basado en el conocimiento previo del aporte realizado y desarrollado por las personas en cuestià ³n. Los mismos està ¡n localizados en diferentes ciudades de nuestro paà ­s. (Aà ±adir el carà ¡cter sujetivo de la seleccià ³n, explicar esto.) X VI.4 TÉCNICA DE RECOLECCIÓN DE DATOS Para el logro del objetivo se utilizaron los siguientes instrumentos: a. El Test de 16 Factores de Personalidad de Raymond B. Catell (16 FP de Catell), el cual se basa en el anà ¡lisis factorial y mide 16 dimensiones de la personalidad. Cada uno de los factores posee un significado psicolà ³gico segà ºn el cual ha de interpretarse la calificacià ³n obtenida por el sujeto para su perfil de personalidad. b. Entrevistas semi-estructuradas mediante las cuales exploramos la relacià ³n persona-ambiente en sus diferentes vertientes: social, familiar, econà ³mica y educativa. VI.5 MEDIOS Y FUENTES DE INVESTIGACIÓN 1. Libros 2. Revistas electrà ³nicas 3. Internet 4. Perià ³dicos 5. Entrevistas XI VII. MARCO TEÓRICO La creatividad es la habilidad para dar existencia a algo. Francis Barron VII.1 ANTECEDENTES HISTÓRICOS DE LA INVESTIGACIÓN VII.1.1 LA CREATIVIDAD La creatividad està ¡ vinculada a todos los aspectos de la vida psicolà ³gica y social, cuyo abordaje requiere un tratamiento interdisciplinario. Es el tema central de investigacià ³n de cientà ­ficos, psicà ³logos, educadores, filà ³sofos, etc., ya que representa el factor competitivo mà ¡s determinante y sustentador de los grandes cambios que experimenta la sociedad del siglo XXI. VII.1.1.1 Definicià ³n Creatividad significa crear; implica dar vida o sentido a algo nuevo, construir, hacer crecer (en latà ­n crescere), desarrollar, aportar un sentido diferente en la solucià ³n de problemas, orientado a satisfacer los requerimientos de la sociedad en tà ©rminos constructivos. La creatividad no es sà ³lo un proceso personal de satisfaccià ³n de necesidades, sino tiene una dimensià ³n social, pues es en el contexto externo donde ha de tener repercusià ³n el resultado del proceso creativo: el producto creado. VII.1.1.2 Antecedes histà ³ricos del tà ©rmino En 1971 la Real Academia de la Lengua discutià ³ acerca de la incorporacià ³n de la palabra creatividad al diccionario de la lengua espaà ±ola, pues consideraban XII injustificable la utilizacià ³n de un anglicismo (â€Å"creativity†) cuyo significado, a juicio de los acadà ©micos de la à ©poca, era ambiguo y polisà ©mico, argumentando ademà ¡s que existà ­an otras palabras que tenà ­an significados similares. Esta anà ©cdota de carà ¡cter histà ³rico nos muestra el vertiginoso crecimiento que ha tenido un concepto que en sà ³lo tres dà ©cadas se ha transformado en una herramienta inseparable del desarrollo y de la actividad cientà ­fica, tecnolà ³gica, cultural y educativa de nuestros pueblos.5 El reconocimiento del tà ©rmino creatividad, como elemento activo en todo ser humano, ha recorrido un largo camino, en el que podemos seà ±alar las siguientes etapas: Edad Antigua: el artista no crea, sino que se limitaba a imitar la realidad; Edad Media y la Moderna Cristiana: el acto de crear era solamente atribuible a Dios. Siglo XIX: el tà ©rmino creador es sinà ³nimo de artista. 1950: este aà ±o marca el inicio de la investigacià ³n cientà ­fica de la creatividad como una capacidad intrà ­nseca humana. En esta à ºltima etapa se destaca el psicà ³logo Joy Paul Guilford, quien incorpora el tà ©rmino creatividad al vocabulario habitual de la psicologà ­a al pronunciar su conferencia Creativity ante la American Psychological Association en 1950, marcando con este hecho un antes y un despuà ©s en la investigacià ³n cientà ­fica sobre esta cuestià ³n. Aunque regularmente se considera a Francis Galton (1869), con su obra Hereditary genius, como el punto de partida al plantear el tema del carà ¡cter hereditario de los genios y creadores. Fue el primero en ocuparse de estudiar la personalidad creadora mediante un mà ©todo cientà ­fico, aunque hoy dà ­a no son sostenibles sus conclusiones. VII.1.1.3 Conceptos afines A partir del famoso discurso que pronunciara Guilford en 1950, comienza a relacionarse la creatividad con conceptos como la fluidez, la flexibilidad, la 5 Hugo Cerda. La creatividad en la ciencia y en la educacià ³n. Colombia. Edit. Magisterio. 2006, p.13 originalidad y el pensamiento divergente, pues anterior a ese momento histà ³rico se estudiaba bajo el tà ­tulo de imaginacià ³n, invencià ³n, ingenio, nià ±os dotados y superdotados o en su defecto se le consideraba un signo distintivo de la inteligencia general.6 De acuerdo a Guilford â€Å"los individuos muy creativos pueden generar ideas a un ritmo rà ¡pido (fluidez), romper lo establecido a fin de atacar los problemas desde una perspectiva nueva (flexibilidad) y generar ideas nuevas y genuinamente diferentes (originalidad)†7. OTRAS FUENTES REVISTAS ELECTRONICAS Altuve, Ubaldina. Educacià ³n y desarrollo de la creatividad. CONHISREMI, Revista Universitaria de Investigacià ³n y Dià ¡logo Acadà ©mico, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2009. http://www.iuttol.com.ve/varios/nuevos_articulos/ARTICULO_UAltuve.pdf. Consultado el 14/07/09 Chacà ³n, Yamileth. Una revisià ³n crà ­tica del concepto de creatividad. Revista Electrà ³nica â€Å"Actualidades Investigativas de Educacià ³n. Volumen 5, Nà ºmero 1. Aà ±o 2005. http://revista.inie.ucr.ac.cr/articulos/1-2005/articulos/creatividad.pdf. Esquivias Serrano, Marà ­a Teresa (2004). Creatividad: definiciones, antecedentes y aportaciones. Revista Digital Universitaria. 31 de enero de 2004. Volumen 5, nà ºmero 1. ISSN:1067-6079. http://www.revista.unam.mx/vol.5/num1/art4/portada.htm# Consultado 25/06/09 Getzels, Jacob M.; Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Encontrar problemas y creatividad. Revista electrà ³nica Estudios de Psicologà ­a, ISSN 0210-9395, N º 18, 1984 , pags. 69-80. http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=65910. Consultado el 02/07/09 Graà ±a, Nelly. La creatividad en la escuela. Aula, Montevideo, 2003. http://www.geocities.com/aulauy/creatividad.htm Consultado el 02/07/09 4 Martà ­nez-Otero, V. (2005). Rumbos y desafà ­os en Psicopedagogà ­a de la Creatividad. Revista Complutense de Educacià ³n, Vol. 16 Nà ºm. 1 (2005) 169 181, ISSN 1130-2496 http://revistas.ucm.es/edu/11302496/articulos/RCED0505120169A.PDF Mitjans martinez, Albertina.  ¿Como evaluar la creatividad?. Rev. cuba. psicol. [online]. 1993, vol.10, no.2-3, p.104-121. http://pepsic.bvspsi. org.br/scielo.php?script= sci_arttextpid=S0257- 43221993000200003lng=ptnrm=iso. ISSN 0257-4322. Consultado 02/07/09. Penagos, Julio Cà ©sar; Aluni, Rafael. Creatividad, una aproximacià ³n. Revista Psicologà ­a (online). Ed. Especial aà ±o 2000. http://homepage.mac.com/penagoscorzo/creatividad_2000/creatividad6.html Consultado 02/07/09. Sà ¡nchez Manzano, Esteban. Imaginacià ³n creativa y personalidad: estudio experimental sobre las relaciones de la creatividad y la introversià ³nextraversià ³n. Revista Complutense de Educacià ³n Vol. 1 (1)- 121-135. Edil. Univ. Complutense. Madrid. 1990. http://revistas.ucm.es/edu/11302496/articulos/RCED9090130121A.PDF. Consultado 02/07/09. Sternberg, R.; OHara, Linda. Creatividad e Inteligencia. Cuadernos de Informacià ³n y Comunicacià ³n. 2005. revistas.ucm.es/inf/11357991/articulos/CIYC0505110113A.PDF. Consultado el 05/08/09 Velasco Tapia, Lucà ­a. Desarrollo del Pensamiento Creativo. Universidad de Londres. Papeles del Psicà ³logo, 2006. Vol. 27(1), pp. 3-8. Enero-abril, 2006. http://www.cop.es/papeles. consultado el 12/05/09 Velasco Barvieri, Patricia. Psicologà ­a y Creatividad: Una revisià ³n histà ³rica. (Desde los autorretratos de los genior del siglo XIX hasta las teorà ­as implà ­citas del siglo XX). http://books.google.com/books?id=rDfiEDyWjAYCpg=PA60dq=teoria+gestaltica+ de+la+creatividadei=dQhoSoKSOovgyQSx37i0BAclient=safari. Consultado el 14/07/09 Ziegler, M. (2000). Creatividad, aula y arte. Revista de Educacià ³n, 15. http://educar.jalisco.gob.mx/15/15Ziegle.html, Consultado 27/06/09 5 INTERNET Breve Historia de La Creatividad. http://www.scribd.com/doc/14237127/Breve- Historia-de-La-Creatividad, Consultado 10/05/09 Castillo Balcazar, Dania R. Creatividad y uso de desechos como material educativo en la educacià ³n universitaria. Lima, Perà º 2007. http://www.cybertesis.edu.pe/sisbib/2007/castillo_bd/pdf/castillo_bd.pdf Consultado el 11/07/09 De la Torre, Saturnino. Persona y proceso creativos. Creativitat, comunicacià ³ i mercat, 2000. http://tdd.elisava.net/coleccià ³n/17/de-la-torre-es. Consultado el 29/06/09 Garcà ­a Tenorio, Marà ­a Josà ©. Definicià ³n empà ­rica de los factores de fluidez ideativa, originalidad y creatividad: relaciones con la personalidad. http://www.ucm.es/BUCM/tesis/psi/ucm-t25704.pdf. Madrid, 2002. Consultado 10/05/09 Gardner, Howard. Un retrato del creador Ideal. Revista Psicologà ­a (online). Edicià ³n Especial aà ±o 2000. http://homepage.mac.com/penagoscorzo/creatividad_2000/creatividad3.html. Consultado 02/07/09. http://apuntes.rincondelvago.com/psicologia-de-la-creatividad.html. Consultado 02/07/09. http://ineedfile.com/download_file_i.php?qq=psicologiafile=2010997desc=Aprendi zaje+Y+Creatividad+-+Psicologia+Cognitiva+.doc Huidobro Salas, Teresa. Una definicià ³n de la creatividad a travà ©s del estudio de 24 autores seleccionados. Universidad complutense de Madrid. Facultad de psicologà ­a. http://www.ucm.es/BUCM/tesis/psi/ucm-t25705.pdf. Madrid, 2002. Consultado 10/05/09 Là ³pez Pà ©rez, Ricardo. Diccionario de Creatividad. Conceptos y Expresiones Habituales de los Estudios sobre Creatividad. http://www.scribd.com/doc/6733423/Diccionario-de-Creatividad. Consultado 10/05/09 Là ³pez Pà ©rez, Ricardo. Prontuario de la Creatividad. http://www.scribd.com/doc/6562037/Prontuario-de-La-Creatividad. Consultado 10/05/09 Quià ±ones Rodrà ­guez, Maria Aracelly. Creatividad y resiliencia. Anà ¡lisis de 13 casos colombianos. Universidad Autà ³noma de Madrid. Madrid, 2006. Consultado 10/05/09. http://digitool-uam.greendata.es:1801/view/action/singleViewer.do? dvs=1242032832751~67locale=es_DOframeId=1usePid1=trueusePid2=true Rogers, Carl R. Hacia una teorà ­a de la creatividad. UNIDAD 3 Teorà ­as del proceso creativo. http://www.angelfire.com/ego/cedelacultura/unidad3.htm. Consultado el 15/05/09 Rom Rodrà ­guez, Josep; Sabatà © Là ³pez, Joan. La creatividad antes de Guilford. Universitat Ramon Llull. http://congressos.blanquerna.url.edu/spucp/Pdfs/Rom_MaqCong05.pdf. Consultado el 04/06/09 Yentzen, Eduardo Teorà ­a General de la Creatividad. http://www.scribd.com/doc/6952795/Yentzen-Eduardo-Teoria-General-de-la- Creatividad, Consultado 10/05/09 www.gestiopolis.com/canales8/rrhh/psicometria-como-ciencia-del-comportamientoy- los-recursos-humanos.htm DICCIONARIO Diccionario de la Real Academia Espaà ±ola (Online). Vigà ©sima segunda edicià ³n http://www.rae.es/rae.html ENTREVISTA Entrevista a Robert Sternberg realizada por Eduardo Punset. http://www.rtve.es/tve/b/redes/anteriores.htm 1 Robert Sternberg. Inteligencia creativa. http://www.rtve.es/tve/b/redes2007/semanal/prg217/frcontenido.htm

Friday, September 20, 2019

Cost Control in Food and Beverage Companies

Cost Control in Food and Beverage Companies Product oriented companies create a production budget which estimates the number of units that must be manufactured to meet the sales goals. The production budget also estimates the various costs involved with manufacturing those units, including labour and material. Cash Flow/Cash budget: The cash flow budget is a prediction of future cash receipts and expenditures for a particular time period. It usually covers a period in the short term future. The cash flow budget helps the business determine when income will be sufficient to cover expenses and when the company will need to seek outside financing. Marketing budget: The marketing budget is an estimate of the funds needed for promotion, advertising, and public relations in order to market the product or service. Project budget: The project budget is a prediction of the costs associated with a particular company project. These costs include labour, materials, and other related expenses. The project budget is often broken down into specific tasks, with task budgets assigned to each. Revenue budget: The Revenue Budget consists of revenue receipts of government and the expenditure met from these revenues. Tax revenues are made up of taxes and other duties that the government levies. Expenditure budget: A budget type which include of spending data items. (Arthur Sheffrin, 2003) What is fixed cost? Fixed cost is defined as hey do not vary proportionally with volume, but rarely are they completely fixed in real sense. They might fluctuate for other reasons. (Ojugo, 1999,p349 ) Variable cost Variable cost are those cost which increase in volume with the increase in production and decrease in volume with decrease in production as material cost, labour cost, power, repair, fuel etc. variable cost changes in direct proportion to the level of production. (Gupta et al. 2007) What is cash flow statement? Cash flow statement is the financial document that projects what your business plan means in terms money. It is same as a budget. It projected statement used for internal planning and estimates how much money will flow into and out of a business during a designated period of time, usually the coming tax year. (Jinnet Pinson, 2006) Advantages of cash flow statement Cash flow statement act as an essential tools of short term financial analysis and planning. The main advantages are listed below Cash flow statement is very useful in preparing cash budget as cash is the very basis of business operations cash flow proves very useful in evaluating the cash position of the concern The projected cash flow statement helps finance manager in exploring the possibilities of repayment of long term debts which depends upon the availability of cash Cash flow statement can be used for making appraisal of various capital investment projects just to determine their liquidity and profitability. A comparison of the cash flow statement of pervious year and projected cash flow statement reveals deviations of actual from budgeted. For payment of liabilities which are likely to mature immediately, cash is more important than working capital. Cash flow statement is certainly a better tool of analysis than funds flow statement as far as short term analysis is concerned. Cash flow statement enables the management to explain why the company is facing difficulties in paying dividend while it has earned good profits. It helps in taking loans from banks and other financial institutions; the repayment capacity of the company can be understood by going through the cash flow statement. It supplements the analysis provided by funds flow statement as cash is a part of the working capital. What is costing sheet? A cost sheet is a statement of cost incurred, or to be incurred, for producing a given volume of output or for rendering services, as the case may be. Preparation of a cost sheet helps cost control and pricing decisions. (Banerjee, 2006) Cost sheet for Hospitality The standerised reciepe cost sheet is a record of the ingredient cost reqiured to produce an item sold by your operation. This standerised cost sheet can be created using any basic spreadsheet software. (Dopson, 2010) Advantages of cost sheet in hospitality New employees can be better trained. Helpful to maintain food laws. Helpful to explain about any food item to the guest. Helpful for accurate purchasing in order to gain profits out of business. Purchasing, receiving, storing and issuing Purchasing Purchasing can be defined as a function concerned with the search, selection, purchase, receipt, storage and final use of a commodity in accordance with the catering policy of the establishment. Types of purchasing Blanket Orders A Blanket Purchase Order is a type of purchase order designed to consolidate repetitive small purchases from a single supplier. It is essentially a form of open account which is limited in terms of the things which can be ordered, who can place the orders, the period for which it is to be open, and the total amount which can be ordered. This form of purchase order is useful for departments that have repetitive supply needs. Standing Order A Standing Purchase Order is purchasing method used in purchasing leases (e.g. auto, property and equipment), and equipment maintenance. Generally speaking, equipment maintenance orders are set up for one year. Standing orders for leases should be created for the term of the lease. Regular Purchase Order The Purchase Order (Regular) is the basic purchasing system for making single instance purchases. It is a contract providing for the delivery by a specific date of listed goods or services at a predetermined price. Source -www.urmc.rochester.edu Objectives of receiving, storing and issuing Receiving Quantity of an item delivered must equal the quantity ordered Quality of an item delivered must be the same as the quality ordered Price on the invoice for each item delivered should be the same as the price quoted or listed when the order was placed Storing Prevent pilferage Ensure accessibility when products are needed Preserve quality Issuing To ensure the timely release of items from inventory in the needed quantities To prevent the misuse of items between release from inventory and delivery to the required department References Banerjee, B. (2006). Cost Accounting Theory And Practice (12th ed.). New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India. Dopson, L. R. (2010). Food and Beverage Cost Control (5th ed.). Canada: John Wiley and sons, Inc. Jinnet, L. P. (2006). Small Buisness Start-Up (6th ed.). Chicago: Kalpan Publications. Ojugo, C. (1999). Food Beverage Cost Control (2nd ed.). New York: Delmar. S.P.Gupta, Ajay Sharma, Satish Ahuja. (2007). Cost Accounting (1st ed.). New Delhi: V.K. Enterprises. Sullivan, Arthur; Steven M. Sheffrin (2003), Economics: Principles in action. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/purchasing/purchaseorder.cfm

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Speech on The Underworld in Greek Mythology :: Ancient Greece Greek History

Speech on The Underworld in Greek Mythology The Underworld, better known as Hades after the god who ruled it, was a dark and dreary place where the shades, or souls, of those who died lived. In the next few minutes, I will tell you about how one came to die, the topography of the Underworld, and the beings whom dwelled there. Your whole life was planned and plotted by the Fates. The Fates were the three goddesses who controlled the destiny of everyone from the time they were born to the time they died. They were: Clotho, the spinner, who spun the thread of a person's life, Lachesis, the apporitioner, who decided how much times was to be allowed each person, and Atropos, the inevitable, who cut the thread when you were supposed to die. When Atropos cut your thread you were dead and then you made your journey to Hades. Upon death, the shade is lead by Hermes to the entrance of the Underworld and to the banks of the Acheron. There were five rivers that made up the Underworld. They were the Acheron (the river of woe), Cocytus (the river of lamentation), Phlegethon (river of fire), Lethe (river of forgetfulness), and the Styx (river of hate). This poem, written by an anonymous writer, was written about the rivers in the Underworld. "Abhorred Styx, the flood of deadly hate, Sad Acheron of sorrow black and deep; Cocytus named of lamentation loud Heard on the rueful stream; fierce Phlegethon Whose waves of torrent fire inflame with rage. Far off from these a slow and silent stream, Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls Her watery labyrinth, whereof who drinks Forthwith his former state and being forgets, Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain." When one would die, the family would place one obol, or a coin, under the deceased's tongue. This coin would pay as fare to Charon who would ferry the dead over the Acheron River. Charon is the ferryman who is often depicted as an old sulky man, or as a winged demon carrying a double hammer. Those who cannot afford to pay Charon were doomed to wonder the banks of the Acheron River for one hundred years. Guarding the Underworld was the three-headed dog Cerberus. He permitted new spirits to enter, but never one to leave. When you arrived at the Underworld, three judges determined your sentence.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Telling It Like It Is Essay -- Essays Papers

Telling It Like It Is â€Å"My country, right or wrong,† is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying, â€Å"My mother, drunk or sober.†Ã¢â‚¬â€G. K. Chesterton, The Defendant These are indeed desperate times. On September 11, 2001, America witnessed the worst act of terrorism in U.S. history. Grief-stricken, angry, and shocked, people from all over America came together in the face of tragedy and solidly affirmed their pride in the U.S.A. The outpouring of patriotism that resulted from this tragedy was astonishing. Our country came together: specific agendas were swept aside in favor of partisanship and overwhelming support for our leaders, for our institutions, for our democracy. Picking up on this trend, the media, typically a primary conveyer of culture in America, soon adopted a positive attitude towards the government. Patriotic bias, in part because of the public demand, began dictating broadcasts. In fact, the pendulum swung far over to the radical side: the media by and large accepted governmental censorship requests, ceased to question our leaders, and even began censoring their interviews, handling our nation’s institutions with velvet gloves. We championed our country, with its ideals of freedom and democracy, and in the process lost a part of our freedom and democracy. Governmental Controls Taking advantage of the patriotic fever sweeping the nation, the federal government began making â€Å"requests† of the media, asking them to censor their coverage of particular events, or to withhold information regarding the government from the public. These requests were not particularly surprising. What was startling was the by and large acceptance of these reque... ...San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Jan. 2002: D4. 7. â€Å"Day,† D4. 8. Quoted in Fred Barnes, â€Å"The Press in Time of War,† Weekly Standard 3 Dec. 2001: 31. 9. Hurst A8. 10. Michael Hoyt, â€Å"Journalists as Patriots,† Columbia Journalism Review 40.4 (2001): 4. 11. â€Å"Veteran CBS News Anchor Dan Rather Speaks Out on BBC Newsnight Tonight,† BBC News Press Release, 16 May 2002 http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/05_may/16/dan_rather. shtml. 12. Barnes 31. 13. Barnes 31. 14. Alterman, Eric, â€Å"Patriot Games,† Nation 29 Oct. 2001: 10. 15. Campbell 540. 16. Campbell 258. 17. Alterman 10. 18. Alterman 10. 19. Hurst A8. 20. Campbell 544. 21. Campbell 544. 22. Campbell 560. 23. Alterman 10. 24. Qtd. in Silverglate, A21. 25. Hurst A8. 26. Hurst A8; Barnes 31. 27. Hurst A8. 28. Barnes 3.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

ADA Sports Management Essay

The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) has changed the way wherein open organizations offer recreational activities. My paper will assess the privileges of the disabled individual who might want to take an interest in recreational sport under their rights given by the ADA. My paper will likewise talk about past models and court evaluations that made a point of reference for their rights. In 1990 the ADA was approved, but since then there have been many court decisions and complaints. Most of the decisions have supported the right of the disabled individual to enjoy recreational sport with able-bodied athletes in the most integrated way as possible. There are countless rules and rights established by the ADA and this paper will discuss the precedent cases in recreation. The disabled individual while participating in recreational sports has the right to take part in the most joined setting. This is characterized in the U. S. Division of Justice guidelines as the setting in which connection between individuals with and without disabilities is given to the greatest degree credible. See more: Basic Economic problem of Scarcity Essay As a result, each and every recreation and sport opportunity that is offered for individuals without having a disability is likewise accessible to the individual who has a disability. With a sensible convenience, he or she can take part nearby neighbors, relatives, companions, and others without disabilities in the hunt for energizing, compensating, and testing sport and recreation chances. Even though for individuals with disabilities they have a chance to play with other disabled athletes, they must also have the option to play with able-bodied athletes as well. A disabled individual has the right to sign up for and take part in recreation. In actuality, each and every parks and recreation program offered for individuals with disabilities is accessible to individuals without any disabilities. So as long as he or she meets â€Å"essential eligibility† necessities needed of all registrants, for example enrolling after the system is full and paying the same enlistment expense that others pay, support should be invited. There may be other very important qualification prerequisites, for example having the ability to serve, hit a strike, and hit a forehand, for somebody wishing to partake in a tennis competition. In which is supported by the National Center on Accessibility. McGovern 2003 states: â€Å"A person with a disability has the right to reasonable accommodations, provided by the activity organizer or sponsor, to meet essential eligibility requirements, if necessary to facilitate or enable participation in the activity of his or her choice. Accommodations include changes in rules and policies; extra staff for the coaching or management of the activity; a sign language interpreter or other aids for recreation consumers who are deaf or hard of hearing; Braille or large print documents for recreation consumers who are blind or have impaired vision; and other efforts to facilitate participation. † The overview of Anderson v. Little League Inc. Respondents, Little League baseball enterprise and its president, received a strategy that denied wheelchairs from being on the baseball field or in the mentors box. Offended party mentor had been an on-field base mentor in a wheelchair for three years around then the arrangement was embraced, yet was equipped to keep serving as an on field base mentor since the neighborhood Little League declined to uphold the approach. Offended party launched activity compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U. S. C. S.  § 12182(a), for revelatory and injunctive alleviation since offended party accepted that litigant might not permit offended party to mentor on the field throughout the following season-end competition, where offended party was now chosen to mentor in the competition. The court allowed offended party’s requisition for a makeshift controlling request and urged respondents from averting or endeavoring to avoid offended party from taking part completely or being included to the full degree of offended party’s obligations as a mentor, and from threatening or undermining players and their families. The court discovered that the ADA connected to litigants and that offended party introduced no immediate risk to open security. This is one of the precedent cases regarding recreational sport given by the ADA. The case is Anderson v. Little League Inc in 1992 for a non-profit corporation. The rules of the Little League in 1992 denied a disabled individual in a wheelchair from being on the field Alliance authorities in Arizona had not implemented this control and Anderson had taken pleasure in contributing. In the same year Arizona Little League educated Anderson to implement Little League USA policy in the state competition. Anderson’s group had met all requirements for the competition, however now Anderson couldn’t be on the field. The Little League administer was received for the security of members. In any case administers, by their special character, has a tendency to segregate. Since Anderson cared to be on the field, he had no decision yet to head off to court. He did, winning an injunctive order precluding Little League from implementing the law. The Court said that Little League’s strict provision of the guideline to Anderson, without an evaluation of his capability, a recognizable proof of the danger he went through, and the thought of sensible way he could be accommodated, abused his rights under the ADA. Essentially, the Little League governs and treats all disabled individuals the same without respect for the reality, which was supported by McGovern 2013. MLB baseball player Jim Abbott pointed out some of his disadvantages of being a disabled individual when playing sports. He was born disabled without a right hand on September 19, 1967 and grew to love baseball, but being disabled came with disadvantages and here is what his take was: â€Å"Sports had always been my crutch. For an insecure kid who wanted very much to be accepted, success in athletics covered up a lot of hurt for a long time. But in 1996 it all came crashing down. I was failing. As hard as I tried it would just get worse. By the end of they year I was sent to the minor leagues for the first time in my life. I’m not going to tell you that I handled that year with all of the grace I would have liked. All I could do was to keep on trying. The following spring I was released from the Angels. Cleaned out my locker in front of my friends and drove home alone through the Arizona desert. † Disadvantages of being a disabled individual playing sports was more of a emotional disadvantage than a physical which was shown throughout Abbott’s speech. There are not only downsides to being a disabled youth in but also many ways they are benefitted through any recreational sport. All individually disabled youth need practice to help enhance their adaptability and go of movement. The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability refers to these extra focal points of being physically animated to help advance expertise and technique. Cooperation in games is likewise connected to better reviews in school and better conduct inside and outside of the classroom like more or less than 57% are expected to drop out of school, 49% are more likely to utilize drugs, more or less than 35% are more inclined to smoke, and about 27% are less averse to have been captured. Disabled individuals who take part in games or practice have been demonstrated to handle tough situations and bad circumstances better than individuals who don’t work out. They additionally experience less depression and are easier to cope with problem-focused situations. â€Å"Disabled youths’ social and communication skills improve. Students often learn desirable behaviors best from each other in a typical environment. They experience a decrease in stigmatization. Students with disabilities report feeling more like a part of their peer community because they are able to contribute to the team or group effort. Being an integral part of a group allows disabled youth to develop social judgment and take and follow peer leadership. Students with disabilities are able to foster friendships in a natural way and in a natural environment. This sense of belonging helps build self-esteem and a feeling of personal achievement. -Yvette J. Brown Disabled Baseball Progams In the same way as other professional sport groups, the Detroit Lions worked with different youth teams in Michigan to push participation at the recreational games. The Lions collectively welcomed youth teams to submit entrances and afterward, by lottery, the Lions might pick a group to visit a professional game and have certain seating for one dollar for each player. The group that won was a wheelchair sport group. The point when instructed regarding this by the group delegate, the Lions said the charge might now need to be higher than one dollar. When they found out a portion of the children who might go did not use wheelchairs, the Lions called attention to the deficiency of friend seats and said those kids might need to sit somewhere else. The Lions likewise noted their arrangement obliging disabled individuals to land for a visual examination to establish that the disabled individual did really need to use a wheelchair. The U. S Department of Justice requested the Lions to change their â€Å"see first† approach, only because of a complaint that was placed, to allow friend seating. And to give the individuals with disabilities the same prices as the able bodied athletes. The Lions were told to give more than $50,000 in stock to help maintain the group. The ADA states that no game or recreation supplier should charge a higher expense, or a surcharge, for the expense of facilities or the expense of giving recreation in the most integrated setting. In broad daylight park and recreation programs, a charge for comprehensive inclusion that requires a settlement that is not different in relation to an expense charged to different members who are not disabled individuals. For example in golf lesson the teacher uses oral direction. For a golfer who is hard of hearing, the oral guideline will not suit the deaf athlete. The parks and recreation branch should give a communication by the means of gestures and translators for that golfer. The golfer an expense for the lesson afterward will include a charge for the gesture based communication mediator. It can just charge the same expense it charges to different golfers. In conclusion, the cases above are essentially drawn from Title II of the ADA. Congress expected units of state and nearby government to act faster and have a higher limit for ADA consistence than Title III organizations.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Performance and Breach of Sales Contract

Running head: Performance and Breach of Sales Contract Performance and Breach of Sales Contract Quynh Nguyen Upper Iowa University BA 302: Business Law Instructor: Paul Croushore Jun 3, 2009 Sales Contract: A sale occurs when there is an exchange of goods or other property from the seller to the buyer for money. In order to create in each party a duty to do or not to do something and a right to performance of the other’s duty or a remedy for the breach of the other’s duty, we need to set up a contract. Obligations of the parties:The obligations of the parties, as assigned in the terms of the contract, are governed by the general law of contracts. The obligation of the seller is to furnish the goods, as agreed upon, the buyer to pay therefore. Thus, when the seller offers to turn the goods over to the buyer and when the buyer offers to pay for them, tender of performance occurs. The seller must make tender of delivery and the buyer must make tender of payment. ?Tender of delivery by Seller: To be in a position to bring suit on a sales contract, the seller of goods must make tender of delivery, that is, offer to turn the goods over to the buyer.Failure to make this offer is an excuse for buyers not to perform their part of the bargain. The seller must put and hold the goods at the buyer’s disposition and notify the buyer that the goods are being tendered during reasonable hours and for a reasonable period of time. In a shipment contract, the seller must put the goods in the possession of a carrier and contract with that carrier for their transportation. Any necessary documents must be sent to the buyer, who must be promptly notified of the shipment.If the seller does not make a reasonable contract for delivery or notify the buyer and a material delay or loss results, the buyer has the right to reject the shipment. Suppose the goods are perishable, such as fresh produce, and the seller does not ship them in a refrigerated truck or railroad car . If the produce deteriorates in transit, the buyer can reject the produce on the ground that the seller did not make a reasonable contract for shipping it. Sometimes the goods are in the possession of a warehouse and are to be turned over to the buyer without being moved.When this situation occurs, tender requires that the seller either tender a document of title covering the goods or obtain an acknowledgement by the warehouse of the buyer’s right to their possession. The risk of loss as to the goods remains with the seller until the warehouse agrees to hold them for the buyer. ?Tender of payment by Buyer: Tender of payment by buyer means offering to turn the money over to the seller. Normally, the buyer has the right to inspect the goods before accepting or paying for them. However, when a contract requires payment before inspection, as when the goods are shipped c. . d. (cash on delivery), the buyer must pay for them first, even if they turn out to be defective when they a re inspected. Of course, if the defect is obvious, the buyer would not have to accept or to pay for the goods. Payment by the buyer before inspecting the goods does not constitute an acceptance of them. Unless the seller demands cash, the buyer may pay for the goods by personal check or by any other method used in the ordinary course of business. If the seller demands cash, the seller must give the buyer a reasonable amount of time to obtain it.Payment by check is conditional on the check’s being honored by the bank when it is presented for payment. If the check clears, the debt is discharged. If the check is dishonored, the debt is revived. In that case, the buyer does not have the right to retain the goods and must give them back to the seller. Buyer’s rights and duties upon delivery of improper goods: Except when a contract requires payment before inspection, as when the goods are shipped c. o. d. as mentioned above, the buyer has the right to inspect the goods befo re accepting them or paying for them.When defective goods or goods not of the kind specified in the contract are delivered, the buyer may elect to reject them all, accept them all, or accept any commercial unit or units and reject the rest. ?Acceptance: Acceptance of goods occurs when a buyer, after having a reasonable opportunity to inspect them, either indicates that he will take them or fails to reject them. When the buyer accept goods and later discovers something wrong with them, the buyer must notify the seller within the reasonable time after the discovery. The failure to give proper notice will prevent the buyer from having recourse against the seller.The buyer is obligated to goods that are accepted. If the buyer accept all the goods sold, she is, of course, responsible for the full purchase price. If the buyer accepts only part of the goods, she must pay for that part at the contract rate. ?Rejection: A rejection occurs when a buyer refuses to accept delivery of goods tend ered. A rejection must be done within a reasonable time after delivery or tender to the buyer. In addition, the buyer must notify the seller of the particular defect in the goods so as to give the seller an opportunity to correct the defect.If the seller gives no instructions within a reasonable time after being notified of the rejection, the buyer may store the goods for the seller, reship them to the seller, or resell them for the seller. In all case, the buyer is entitled to be reimbursed for expenses. ?Revocation of acceptance: If a buyer has accepted the goods on the assumption that their nonconformity would be corrected by the seller and the seller does not do so, the buyer may revoke the acceptance. This revocation must be made within a reasonable time after the buyer discovers the nonconformity.A revocation of an acceptance is not effective until the buyer notifies the seller of it. Buyers who revoke an acceptance have the same rights and duties with regards to the goods inv olved as if they had rejected them. Seller’s right to cure improper tender: If the seller has some reason to believe that the buyer would accept non conforming goods, then the seller can take a reasonable time to reship the conforming goods. The seller has this opportunity even if the original time for delivery has expired. In all cases, sellers must notify buyers that they are going to cure the improper tender or delivery.The seller does not have the right to cure improper tender when a buyer accepts nonconforming goods, even though the buyer may later sue the seller for breach of contract. The seller has the right only when the buyer either rejects the goods tendered or revokes an acceptance of the goods. Breach of Contract: Breach of contract occurs when one of the parties fails to do what was agreed upon in the contract. An anticipatory breach must be made by an act which indicates the party will not complete the work. When breaches happen, the ther party to the contract has specific remedies available under the UCC. ?Seller’s remedies: The buyer may breach the contract in a number of ways. The most common are: by wrongfully refusing to accept goods, by wrongfully returning goods, by failing to pay for goods when payment is due, and by indicating an unwillingness to go ahead with the contract. When a buyer breaches a sales contract, the seller may select from a number of remedies: ? Cancellation and withholding of delivery: If the goods have not been delivered. The seller has the right to keep them upon learning of the buyer’s breach.If the seller is in the process of manufacturing the goods, she has two choices. She may complete manufacture of the goods, or she may stop manufacturing and sell the uncompleted goods for their scrap or salvage value. In choose between these alternatives, the seller should select the alternative that will minimize the loss. ?Stop delivery of the goods: if after shipping the goods, the seller discover that the buyer is insolvent (unable to pay debts), the seller may have the delivery stop by before the goods reach their destination.However, if the insolvency information is incorrect, both the seller and the carrier could be sued for damages suffered by the carrier for not completing the shipment. ?Resell the goods: the seller may resell the goods or the undelivered balance of them. After the sale, the injured party may sue the other for the difference between what the property brought on resale and the price the buyer had agreed to pay in the contract. A purchaser who buys in good faith at a resale takes the goods free of any rights of the original buyer. Recover damages: the seller may retain the merchandise and sue the buyer for either the difference between the contract price and the market price at the time the buyer breached the agreement or the profit that the seller would have made had the contract been performed. ?Buyer’s remedies: A seller may breach a contract in a n umber of ways: failing to make an agreed delivery, delivery goods that do not conform to the contract, and indicating that he does not intend to fulfill the obligations under the contract. The buyer then may select from a number of remedies: ?Cover the sale: If the seller fails or refuse to deliver the goods called for in the contract, the buyer can similar goods from someone else. Then he can recover as damages from the seller the difference between the contract price and the cost of the substitute goods. ?Keep goods and seek adjustment: when improper goods are delivered, the buyer may keep them and ask the seller for an adjustment. If no adjustment is made, the buyer may sue the seller for either breach of contract or breach of warranty, which ever applies. Sue for specific performance: when the goods are unique or rare, the buyer may ask the court to order the seller to do what he or she agreed to do under the contract terms. This request is known as an action for specific perfor mance of the contract.Reference Mallor, J. P. , Barnes, A. J. , Bowers, T. , Langvardt, A. W. (2005). Business Law, the ethical, global, and e-commerce environment. New York: Mc Graw Hill Miller, R. L. , Jentz, G. A. (2008). Business Law Today. Thomson west.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Origins of World War I Essay

The World War I fought between 1914 and 1918, is considered the largest of any war in human history and ever since, many refer it as the Great War. It was a culmination of activities and competition across European nations. It’s estimated that 14 million people lost their lives on the First World War. The causes of the World War I were complicated which includes; 1. Imperialism- The scramble for Africa and some other parts of Asia for raw materials by European countries led to a competition and this pushed the world into the World War I. 2. Defense alliances-most countries all over Europe had formed defense agreements that if one country was attacked, allied countries would join and fight back. For example when Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia joined to defend Serbia and German started to attack Russia. 3. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand from Hungary and his wife in June 1914 by a Serbian national is considered to be an immediate cause. It took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and which was part of Hungary. This was followed by protests as Serbia wanted to take control of Bosnia then Hungary declared war on Serbia leading to an expansion of the war trough the mutual defense alliances. It’s not exactly known which country was responsible for the war though Germany is strongly believed to be responsible for the out break of the war. Through the Schlieffen plan German was supposed first to invade France through Belgium then Russia before it had mobilized. Germany was also a major partner in the triple alliance and it’s perceived that Hungary would not have risked war with Serbia without full backing of Germany through the blank check given on 6th, june1914. However, on the other hand the war started first as conflict between Hungary and Serbia after the assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Hungary. In all fairness historians argue that all senior powers were responsible for war. In conclusion, other than trade, peace alliances and coalitions between nations should be formed and promoted to foster peace and understanding. This will prevent t an out break of another war. References Henig Ruth, 2002, The Origins of the First World War, Routledge.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

The Lost Symbol Chapter 86-89

CHAPTER 86 In the cerulean glow of his basement lights, Mal'akh stood at the stone table and continued his preparations. As he worked, his empty stomach growled. He paid no heed. His days of servitude to the whims of his flesh were behind him. Transformation requires sacrifice. Like many of history's most spiritually evolved men, Mal'akh had committed to his path by making the noblest of flesh sacrifices. Castration had been less painful than he had imagined. And, he had learned, far more common. Every year, thousands of men underwent surgical gelding–orchiectomy, as the process was known–their motivations ranging from transgender issues, to curbing sexual addictions, to deep-seated spiritual beliefs. For Mal'akh, the reasons were of the highest nature. Like the mythological self-castrated Attis, Mal'akh knew that achieving immortality required a clean break with the material world of male and female. The androgyne is one. Nowadays, eunuchs were shunned, although the ancients understood the inherent power of this transmutational sacrifice. Even the early Christians had heard Jesus Himself extol its virtues in Matthew 19:12: â€Å"There are those who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.† Peter Solomon had made a flesh sacrifice, although a single hand was a small price in the grand scheme. By night's end, however, Solomon would be sacrificing much, much more. In order to create, I must destroy. Such was the nature of polarity. Peter Solomon, of course, deserved the fate that awaited him tonight. It would be a fitting end. Long ago, he had played the pivotal role in Mal'akh's mortal life path. For this reason, Peter had been chosen to play the pivotal role in Mal'akh's great transformation. This man had earned all the horror and pain he was about to endure. Peter Solomon was not the man the world believed he was. He sacrificed his own son. Peter Solomon had once presented his son, Zachary, with an impossible choice–wealth or wisdom. Zachary chose poorly. The boy's decision had begun a chain of events that eventually dragged the young man into the depths of hell. Soganlik Prison. Zachary Solomon had died in that Turkish prison. The whole world knew the story . . . but what they didn't know was that Peter Solomon could have saved his son. I was there, Mal'akh thought. I heard it all. Mal'akh had never forgotten that night. Solomon's brutal decision had meant the end of his son, Zach, but it had been the birth of Mal'akh. Some must die that others may live. As the light over Mal'akh's head began changing color again, he realized the hour was late. He completed his preparations and headed back up the ramp. It was time to attend to matters of the mortal world. CHAPTER 87 All is revealed at the thirty-third degree, Katherine thought as she ran. I know how to transform the pyramid! The answer had been right in front of them all night. Katherine and Langdon were alone now, dashing through the cathedral's annex, following signs for â€Å"The Garth.† Now, exactly as the dean had promised, they burst out of the cathedral into a massive, walled-in courtyard. The cathedral garth was a cloistered, pentagonal garden with a bronze postmodern fountain. Katherine was amazed how loudly the fountain's flowing water seemed to be reverberating in the courtyard. Then she realized it was not the fountain she was hearing. â€Å"Helicopter!† she shouted as a beam of light pierced the night sky above them. â€Å"Get under that portico!† The dazzling glare of a searchlight flooded the garth just as Langdon and Katherine reached the other side, slipping beneath a Gothic arch into a tunnel that led to the outside lawn. They waited, huddled in the tunnel, as the helicopter passed overhead and began circling the cathedral in wide arcs. â€Å"I guess Galloway was right about hearing visitors,† Katherine said, impressed. Bad eyes make for great ears. Her own ears now pounded rhythmically with her racing pulse. â€Å"This way,† Langdon said, clutching his daybag and moving through the passage. Dean Galloway had given them a single key and a clear set of directions. Unfortunately, when they reached the end of the short tunnel, they found themselves separated from their destination by a wide-open expanse of lawn, currently flooded with light from the helicopter overhead. â€Å"We can't get across,† Katherine said. â€Å"Hold on . . . look.† Langdon pointed to a black shadow that was materializing on the lawn to their left. The shadow began as an amorphous blob, but it was growing quickly, moving in their direction, becoming more defined, rushing at them faster and faster, stretching, and finally transforming itself into a massive black rectangle crowned by two impossibly tall spires. â€Å"The cathedral facade is blocking the searchlight,† Langdon said. â€Å"They're landing out in front!† Langdon grabbed Katherine's hand. â€Å"Run! Now!† Inside the cathedral, Dean Galloway felt a lightness in his step that he had not felt in years. He moved through the Great Crossing, down the nave toward the narthex and the front doors. He could hear the helicopter hovering in front of the cathedral now, and he imagined its lights coming through the rose window in front of him, throwing spectacular colors all over the sanctuary. He recalled the days when he could see color. Ironically, the lightless void that had become his world had illuminated many things for him. I see more clearly now than ever. Galloway had been called to God as a young man and over his lifetime had loved the church as much as any man could. Like many of his colleagues who had given their lives in earnest to God, Galloway was weary. He had spent his life straining to be heard above the din of ignorance. What did I expect? From the Crusades, to the Inquisition, to American politics–the name Jesus had been hijacked as an ally in all kinds of power struggles. Since the beginning of time, the ignorant had always screamed the loudest, herding the unsuspecting masses and forcing them to do their bidding. They defended their worldly desires by citing Scripture they did not understand. They celebrated their intolerance as proof of their convictions. Now, after all these years, mankind had finally managed to utterly erode everything that had once been so beautiful about Jesus. Tonight, encountering the symbol of the Rose Cross had fueled him with great hope, reminding him of the prophecies written in the Rosicrucian manifestos, which Galloway had read countless times in the past and could still recall. Chapter One: Jehova will redeem humanity by revealing those secrets which he previously reserved only for the elect. Chapter Four: The whole world shall become as one book and all the contradictions of science and theology shall be reconciled. Chapter Seven: Before the end of the world, God shall create a great flood of spiritual light to alleviate the suffering of humankind. Chapter Eight: Before this revelation is possible, the world must sleep away the intoxication of her poisoned chalice, which was filled with the false life of the theological vine. Galloway knew the church had long ago lost her way, and he had dedicated his life to righting her course. Now, he realized, the moment was fast approaching. It is always darkest before the dawn. CIA field agent Turner Simkins was perched on the strut of the Sikorsky helicopter as it touched down on the frosty grass. He leaped off, joined by his men, and immediately waved the chopper back up into the air to keep an eye on all the exits. Nobody leaves this building. As the chopper rose back into the night sky, Simkins and his team ran up the stairs to the cathedral's main entrance. Before he could decide which of the six doors to pound on, one of them swung open. â€Å"Yes?† a calm voice said from the shadows. Simkins could barely make out the hunched figure in priest's robes. â€Å"Are you Dean Colin Galloway?† â€Å"I am,† the old man replied. â€Å"I'm looking for Robert Langdon. Have you seen him?† The old man stepped forward now, staring past Simkins with eerie blank eyes. â€Å"Now, wouldn't that be a miracle.† CHAPTER 88 Time is running out. Security analyst Nola Kaye was already on edge, and the third mug of coffee she was now drinking had begun coursing through her like an electric current. No word yet from Sato. Finally, her phone rang, and Nola leaped on it. â€Å"OS,† she answered. â€Å"Nola here.† â€Å"Nola, it's Rick Parrish in systems security.† Nola slumped. No Sato. â€Å"Hi, Rick. What can I do for you?† â€Å"I wanted to give you a heads-up–our department may have information relevant to what you're working on tonight.† Nola set down her coffee. How the hell do you know what I'm working on tonight? â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"Sorry, it's the new CI program we're beta-testing,† Parrish said. â€Å"It keeps flagging your workstation number.† Nola now realized what he was talking about. The Agency was currently running a new piece of â€Å"collaborative integration† software designed to provide real-time alerts to disparate CIA departments when they happened to be processing related data fields. In an era of time-sensitive terrorist threats, the key to thwarting disaster was often as simple as a heads-up telling you that the guy down the hall was analyzing the very data you needed. As far as Nola was concerned, this CI software had proven more of a distraction than any real help–constant interruption software, she called it. â€Å"Right, I forgot,† Nola said. â€Å"What have you got?† She was positive that nobody else in the building knew about this crisis, much less could be working on it. The only computer work Nola had done tonight was historical research for Sato on esoteric Masonic topics. Nonetheless, she was obliged to play the game. â€Å"Well, it's probably nothing,† Parrish said, â€Å"but we stopped a hacker tonight, and the CI program keeps suggesting I share the information with you.† A hacker? Nola sipped her coffee. â€Å"I'm listening.† â€Å"About an hour ago,† Parrish said, â€Å"we snagged a guy named Zoubianis trying to access a file on one of our internal databases. This guy claims it was a job for hire and that he has no idea why he was being paid to access this particular file or even that it was on a CIA server.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"We finished questioning him, and he's clean. But here's the weird thing–the same file he was targeting had been flagged earlier tonight by an internal search engine. It looks like someone piggybacked into our system, ran a specific keyword search, and generated a redaction. The thing is, the keywords they used are really strange. And there's one in particular that the CI flagged as a high-priority match–one that's unique to both of our data sets.† He paused. â€Å"Do you know the word . . . symbolon?† Nola jolted upright, spilling coffee on her desk. â€Å"The other keywords are just as unusual,† Parrish continued. â€Å"Pyramid, portal–â€Å" â€Å"Get down here,† Nola commanded, mopping up her desk. â€Å"And bring everything you've got!† â€Å"These words actually mean something to you?† â€Å"NOW!† CHAPTER 89 Cathedral College is an elegant, castlelike edifice located adjacent to the National Cathedral. The College of Preachers, as it was originally envisioned by the first Episcopal bishop of Washington, was founded to provide ongoing education for clergy after their ordination. Today, the college offers a wide variety of programs on theology, global justice, healing, and spirituality. Langdon and Katherine had made the dash across the lawn and used Galloway's key to slip inside just as the helicopter rose back over the cathedral, its floodlights turning night back into day. Now, standing breathless inside the foyer, they surveyed their surroundings. The windows provided sufficient illumination, and Langdon saw no reason to turn the lights on and take a chance of broadcasting their whereabouts to the helicopter overhead. As they moved down the central hallway, they passed a series of conference halls, classrooms, and sitting areas. The interior reminded Langdon of the neo-Gothic buildings of Yale University–breathtaking on the outside, and yet surprisingly utilitarian on the inside, their period elegance having been retrofitted to endure heavy foot traffic. â€Å"Down here,† Katherine said, motioning toward the far end of the hall. Katherine had yet to share with Langdon her new revelation regarding the pyramid, but apparently the reference to Isaacus Neutonuus had sparked it. All she had said as they crossed the lawn was that the pyramid could be transformed using simple science. Everything she needed, she believed, could probably be found in this building. Langdon had no idea what she needed or how Katherine intended to transform a solid piece of granite or gold, but considering he had just witnessed a cube metamorphose into a Rosicrucian cross, he was willing to have faith. They reached the end of the hall and Katherine frowned, apparently not seeing what she wanted. â€Å"You said this building has dormitory facilities?† â€Å"Yes, for residential conferences.† â€Å"So they must have a kitchen in here somewhere, right?† â€Å"You're hungry?† She frowned back at him. â€Å"No, I need a lab.† Of course you do. Langdon spotted a descending staircase that bore a promising symbol. America's favorite pictogram. The basement kitchen was industrial looking–lots of stainless steel and big bowls–clearly designed to cook for large groups. The kitchen had no windows. Katherine closed the door and flipped on the lights. The exhaust fans came on automatically. She began rooting around in the cupboards for whatever it was she needed. â€Å"Robert,† she directed, â€Å"put the pyramid out on the island, if you would.† Feeling like the novice sous chef taking orders from Daniel Boulud, Langdon did as he was told, removing the pyramid from his bag and placing the gold capstone on top of it. When he finished, Katherine was busy filling an enormous pot with hot tap water. â€Å"Would you please lift this to the stove for me?† Langdon heaved the sloshing pot onto the stove as Katherine turned on the gas burner and cranked up the flame. â€Å"Are we doing lobsters?† he asked hopefully. â€Å"Very funny. No, we're doing alchemy. And for the record, this is a pasta pot, not a lobster pot.† She pointed to the perforated strainer insert that she had removed from the pot and placed on the island beside the pyramid. Silly me. â€Å"And boiling pasta is going to help us decipher the pyramid?† Katherine ignored the comment, her tone turning serious. â€Å"As I'm sure you know, there is a historical and symbolic reason the Masons chose thirty-three as their highest degree.† â€Å"Of course,† Langdon said. In the days of Pythagoras, six centuries before Christ, the tradition of numerology hailed the number 33 as the highest of all the Master Numbers. It was the most sacred figure, symbolizing Divine Truth. The tradition lived on within the Masons . . . and elsewhere. It was no coincidence that Christians were taught that Jesus was crucified at age thirty-three, despite no real historical evidence to that effect. Nor was it coincidence that Joseph was said to have been thirty-three when he married the Virgin Mary, or that Jesus accomplished thirty-three miracles, or that God's name was mentioned thirty-three times in Genesis, or that, in Islam, all the dwellers of heaven were permanently thirty-three years old. â€Å"Thirty-three,† Katherine said, â€Å"is a sacred number in many mystical traditions.† â€Å"Correct.† Langdon still had no idea what this had to do with a pasta pot. â€Å"So it should come as no surprise to you that an early alchemist, Rosicrucian, and mystic like Isaac Newton also considered the number thirty-three special.† â€Å"I'm sure he did,† Langdon replied. â€Å"Newton was deep into numerology, prophecy, and astrology, but what does–â€Å" â€Å"All is revealed at the thirty-third degree.† Langdon pulled Peter's ring from his pocket and read the inscription. Then he glanced back at the pot of water. â€Å"Sorry, you lost me.† â€Å"Robert, earlier tonight, we all assumed `thirty-third degree' referred to the Masonic degree, and yet when we rotated that ring thirty-three degrees, the cube transformed and revealed a cross. At that moment, we realized the word degree was being used in another sense.† â€Å"Yes. Degrees of arc.† â€Å"Exactly. But degree has a third meaning as well.† Langdon eyed the pot of water on the stove. â€Å"Temperature.† â€Å"Exactly!† she said. â€Å"It was right in front of us all night. `All is revealed at the thirty-third degree.' If we bring this pyramid's temperature to thirty-three degrees . . . it may just reveal something.† Langdon knew Katherine Solomon was exceptionally bright, and yet she seemed to be missing a rather obvious point. â€Å"If I'm not mistaken, thirty-three degrees is almost freezing. Shouldn't we be putting the pyramid in the freezer?† Katherine smiled. â€Å"Not if we want to follow the recipe written by the great alchemist and Rosicrucian mystic who signed his papers Jeova Sanctus Unus.† Isaacus Neutonuus wrote recipes? â€Å"Robert, temperature is the fundamental alchemical catalyst, and it was not always measured in Fahrenheit and Celsius. There are far older temperature scales, one of them invented by Isaac–â€Å" â€Å"The Newton Scale!† Langdon said, realizing she was right. â€Å"Yes! Isaac Newton invented an entire system of quantifying temperature based entirely on natural phenomena. The temperature of melting ice was Newton's base point, and he called it `the zeroth degree.' † She paused. â€Å"I suppose you can guess what degree he assigned the temperature of boiling water–the king of all alchemical processes?† â€Å"Thirty-three.† â€Å"Yes, thirty-three! The thirty-third degree. On the Newton Scale, the temperature of boiling water is thirty-three degrees. I remember asking my brother once why Newton chose that number. I mean, it seemed so random. Boiling water is the most fundamental alchemical process, and he chose thirty-three? Why not a hundred? Why not something more elegant? Peter explained that, to a mystic like Isaac Newton, there was no number more elegant than thirty- three.† All is revealed at the thirty-third degree. Langdon glanced at the pot of water and then over at the pyramid. â€Å"Katherine, the pyramid is made out of solid granite and solid gold. Do you really think boiling water is hot enough to transform it?† The smile on her face told Langdon that Katherine knew something he did not know. Confidently, she walked over to the island, lifted the gold-capped, granite pyramid, and set it in the strainer. Then she carefully lowered it into the bubbling water. â€Å"Let's find out, shall we?† High above the National Cathedral, the CIA pilot locked the helicopter in auto-hover mode and surveyed the perimeter of the building and the grounds. No movement. His thermal imaging couldn't penetrate the cathedral stone, and so he couldn't tell what the team was doing inside, but if anyone tried to slip out, the thermal would pick it up. It was sixty seconds later that a thermal sensor pinged. Working on the same principle as home- security systems, the detector had identified a strong temperature differential. Usually this meant a human form moving through a cool space, but what appeared on the monitor was more of a thermal cloud, a patch of hot air drifting across the lawn. The pilot found the source, an active vent on the side of Cathedral College. Probably nothing, he thought. He saw these kinds of gradients all the time. Someone cooking or doing laundry. As he was about to turn away, though, he realized something odd. There were no cars in the parking lot and no lights on anywhere in the building. He studied the UH-60's imaging system for a long moment. Then he radioed down to his team leader. â€Å"Simkins, it's probably nothing, but . . .† â€Å"Incandescent temperature indicator!† Langdon had to admit, it was clever. â€Å"It's simple science,† Katherine said. â€Å"Different substances incandesce at different temperatures. We call them thermal markers. Science uses these markers all the time.† Langdon gazed down at the submerged pyramid and capstone. Wisps of steam were beginning to curl over the bubbling water, although he was not feeling hopeful. He glanced at his watch, and his heart rate accelerated: 11:45 P.M. â€Å"You believe something here will luminesce as it heats up?† â€Å"Not luminesce, Robert. Incandesce. There's a big difference. Incandescence is caused by heat, and it occurs at a specific temperature. For example, when steel manufacturers temper beams, they spray a grid on them with a transparent coating that incandesces at a specific target temperature so they know when the beams are done. Think of a mood ring. Just put it on your finger, and it changes color from body heat.† â€Å"Katherine, this pyramid was built in the 1800s! I can understand a craftsman making hidden release hinges in a stone box, but applying some kind of transparent thermal coating?† â€Å"Perfectly feasible,† she said, glancing hopefully at the submerged pyramid. â€Å"The early alchemists used organic phosphors all the time as thermal markers. The Chinese made colored fireworks, and even the Egyptians–† Katherine stopped midsentence, staring intently into the roiling water. â€Å"What?† Langdon followed her gaze into the turbulent water but saw nothing at all. Katherine leaned in, staring more intently into the water. Suddenly she turned and ran across the kitchen toward the door. â€Å"Where are you going?† Langdon shouted. She slid to a stop at the kitchen light switch, flipped it off. The lights and exhaust fan went off, plunging the room into total darkness and silence. Langdon turned back to the pyramid and peered through the steam at the capstone beneath the water. By the time Katherine made it back to his side, his mouth had fallen open in disbelief. Exactly as Katherine had predicted, a small section of the metal capstone was starting to glow beneath the water. Letters were starting to appear, and they were getting brighter as the water heated up. â€Å"Text!† Katherine whispered. Langdon nodded, dumbstruck. The glowing words were materializing just beneath the engraved inscription on the capstone. It looked like only three words, and although Langdon could not yet read what the words said, he wondered if they would unveil everything they had been looking for tonight. The pyramid is a real map, Galloway had told them, and it points to a real location. As the letters shone brighter, Katherine turned off the gas, and the water slowly stopped churning. The capstone now came into focus beneath the water's calm surface. Three shining words were clearly legible.