Process Design Essay

Design Improvement Product/service design Planning and control Nature and purpose of the design activity Products, services and the processes which produce them all have to be designed Decisions taken during the design of a product or service will have an impact on the decisions taken during the design of the process which produces those products or services, and vice versa Design of products / services and design of processes are interrelated and should be treated together Designing the product or service Designing the process Products and services should be designed in such a way that they can be created effectively Product / service design has an impact on the process design and vice versa Processes should be designed so they can create all products and services which the operation is likely to introduce Design of the Product Design of the Process In manufacturing operations overlapping the activities of product and process design is beneficial In most service operations the overlap between service and process design is implicit in the nature of service Process mapping symbols derived from ‘Scientific Management’ Operation (an activity that directly adds value) Inspection (a check of some sort) Transport (a movement of something) Delay (a wait, e. g. for materials) Process mapping symbols derived from Systems Analysis Beginning or end of the process Activity Input or output from the process Direction of flow Storage (deliberate storage, as opposed to a delay) Decision (exercising discretion) Manufacturing process types Process tasks Diverse/ complex Process flow High Intermittent Project Jobbing Variety Batch Mass Continuous Low Volume High Repeated/ divided Continuous Low Specially made, every one ‘customized’ Defined start and finish: time, quality and cost objectives Many different skills have to be coordinated A project process with a small part of the process map that would describe the whole process Jobbing processes Very small quantities: ‘one-offs’, or only a few required Specially made: high variety, low repetition, ‘strangers’, every one ‘customized’ Skill requirements are usually very broad Skilled Jobber, or team, completes whole roduct Batch processes Higher volumes and lower variety than for Jobbing Standard products, repeating demand. But can make specials Specialized, narrower skills Set-ups (changeovers) at each stage of production Mass (line) processes Higher volumes than batch Standard, repeat products (‘runners’) Low and/or narrow skills No set-ups, or almost instantaneous ones A mass process – a packing process Continuous processes Extremely high volumes and low variety: often single product Standard, repeat products (‘runners’) Highly capital-intensive and automated Few hangeovers required Difficult and expensive to start and stop the process A service shop – This health club offers some variety within a standard set of facilities and processes A mass service – This call centre can handle a very high volume of customer enquiries because it standardizes its process Source: Royal Bank of Scotland Group Deviating from the ‘natural’ diagonal on the product-process matrix has consequences for cost and flexibility Manufacturing operations process types S ervice operations process types None More process flexibility than is needed so high cost Project Jobbing Batch Mass Continuous None Less process flexibility than is needed so high cost Professional service Service shop Mass service The ‘natural’ line of fit of process to volume/variety characteristics Flow (layout), technology and Job design are all influenced by process positioning Flow Unorganized Technology Little / general Jobs Varied / high discretion Volume Custom furniture maker Machine tool maker Automobile factory Predictable Specialist Routine / low discretion Petrochemical refinery Investment banking Customer service branch Bank call centre Credit card processing Customized sandwich – old process Raw materials Assembly Stored sandwiches Move to outlets sell Take payment Standard sandwich process Customer request The operation of making and selling customized sandwiches Prepare Sandwich materials and customers Assemble as required Take payment Customers ‘assembled’ to sandwiches Bread and base filling Assemble whole sandwich Use standard ‘base? No Yes Outline process of making and selling customized sandwiches Detailed process of assembling customized sandwiches Customized sandwich – new process Assemble whole sandwich Assembly of ‘sandwich bases’ Use standard ‘base? Take ayment Fillings Bread and base filling Stored ‘bases’ Yes Customer request Assemble from standard ‘base’ No Little’s law (a really quite useful law) Throughput (TH) = Work in process (WIP) x Cycle time (CT) Cycle time = 2 minutes WIP = 10 Throughput time = ? Throughput time = 10 x 2 minutes = 20 minutes time (CT) 500 exam scripts need to be marked in 5 days (working 7 hours a day). It takes 1 hour to mark a script. How many markers are needed? What is designed in a product or service? The understanding of the nature, use and value of the service or product A concept A package The group of ‘component’ products and services that provide those benefits defined in the concept The way in which the component products and services will be created and delivered A process The product and service design activity is a process in itself Transformed resources, . g. Technical information Market information Time information The product / service design process whose performance is measured by its Quality Speed Dependability Flexibility Cost Fully specified products and Outputs services Inputs Transforming resources, e. g. Test and design equipment Design and technical staff The stages of product / service design Concept generation Concept screening Preliminary design Evaluation and improvement Prototyping and final design Ideas from customers formally through marketing activities Listening to customers – n a day-to-day basis Ideas from competitor activity – for example reverse engineering Ideas from staff – especially those who meet customers every day Ideas from research and development Broad categories of evaluation criteria for assessing concepts Feasibility – how difficult is it? What INVESTMENT, both managerial and financial, will be needed? What RETURN, in terms of benefits to the operation, will it give? Overall evaluation of the concept Criteria for screening concepts Acceptability – how worthwhile is it? Vulnerability – what could go wrong? What RISKS do we run if things go wrong? Design involves progressively reducing the number of possibilities until the final design is reached CONCEPT Choice and evaluation ‘screens’ Large number of design options Uncertainty regarding the final design TIME One design FINAL DESIGN SPECIFICATON Certainty regarding the final design Design evaluation and improvement.

Coloplast Organizational Structure Essay

Coloplast went from a production structured organization to a functional structured organization. In the production structure the focus was on the products wish were divided into 3 product divisions. In the functional structure the company focus on specialization of tasks. Before: the production organization The production organization structure also called Division Structure is divided into 3 production division; skin, wound care and continence care, and ostomy care. Each division beyond having its department for research, development, sales and marketing, contains all the necessary resources and functions. By applying the production organization, a company gains the followings benefits: A structure where it’s easy to define the objectives and word work assignments can simply be coordinated, within each division. Another Benefit Coloplast can gain on this structure is the flexibility among workers. Workers from one department can be put on assignments in another department within the same division, if needed. This’s made possible by the fact that most of the workers are not specialist in any specific field. Should any problem occur in the division structure the causes are quickly detected and solved. This type of structure allows local leaders to make small locale adjustments to meet the challenges in there division. But this system holds its own weaknesses. It can harm communication flow between different divisions. This may result in loosing the overall focus on the objective of the organization. It may happen that each local division create its own culture witch may not necessarily be compatible with the company’s culture as a whole. The limited communication between divisions makes it hard for them to exchange experience and expertize. This system by nature is heavy and costly. In order for the company to have all the necessary resources and functions within each division, they can’t afford the best expertize on every field. After: the functional organization The new organizational structure focuses more on functions. Unlike the previews structure that focused on the product. This new structure pulls functions out of the different divisions and put them in centralized units, each specialized in respectively Globale Maketing, R and D and Global Operations. As a consequence, the former divisions are reduced to production units and subsidiaries; that receives instructions from the top. To assure communication between top and bottom, Coloplast place Commercial Excellence above the whole new structure. With the three functional divisions, Coloplast makes sure that there a clear purpose that goes all the way through the whole company, when it comes to their global marketing, innovation and how new products should be developed. As a result Coloplast becomes a unified company with no duplications of tasks. The greatest advantages of this functional centralized structure is its lightness and affectivity. It gives the opportunity to hire highly specialized staff. As Coloplast CEO puts it; â€Å"The subsidiaries have a huge, but simple, responsibility: they ? ll have to sell like the dickens† meaning that Coloplast now can headhunt exact talents for each function. The workforce those talents brings is not only promoting a single product but the company as a whole. Employees have the opportunity to learn from their superiors. They also have the opportunity to work alongside colleagues who relate to their professional interests and abilities, thus making for a more productive and enjoyable environment. By moving the production responsibility from all division to the Global Operation in cheap-labor countries, it’s possible for Coloplast to reach the point of an Economical of scale. Like any other organization structure, the functional organization has weaknesses. Because of the decision-making within the functional works from top to bottom, it’s a constant challenge to make sure that the organizations objectives are integrated at the bottom. Another disadvantage is that units may have limited flexibility in problem solving, making changes or responding quickly to customer demands and needs, since the final decision-making authority rest with the top level of management. So how does Coloplast solve these challenges? Commercial Excellence/Business Excellence For solving the challenge of implementation of the organizations objectives and assurance of a two-way communication, Coloplast places â€Å"Commercial Excellence† above the entire new structure, which acts like the strong arm, that’ll prepare budgets and make sure that objective are achieved. Commercial Excellence or Business Excellence is the systematic use of quality management principles and tools in business management with the goal of identifying improvement opportunities, area of strength and ideas for future organizational development. It’s a support function that’ll help ensure â€Å"best practice† so that the organization can avoid those complications. Conclusion This new organizational structure is a natural step for the entire group, not only does it outsource to cheaper-labor countries but it has also given Coloplast improved profitability and an organic growth of 7%. The sustained competitiveness Coloplast has gained is due to the change of organization structure where they went from a production organization to a functional organization. With the transformation came the opportunity of standardization of tasks, this leads to efficiency and expertise in the related fields. This was something they lacked in the production organization. By implementing the Business Excellence, Coloplast shows that it’s aware of the weaknesses of the new organization design and intent to avoid them. Lars Rasmussen, Coloplast CEO, emphasizes how important it’s that this supporting system doesn’t end up like a police maneuver, keeping subsidiaries in an iron grip. â€Å"Instead it shall ensure â€Å"best practice† and set such high standards, that where that is difficulty, it’ll become natural to draw on headquarters†. It’s all about motivation, contributing to people and relying on each other. This serves as a great factor for self-actualization for the individual employee witch is not only contributing to the fulfillment of personal potential but also to the work-environment. The new organization has great potential; they have cut production time by half, they went from 13 factories to 10, constantly stimulating innovation by supporting Coloplast Incubator. Coloplast current strategy placed a great deal of responsibility on the shoulders of their employees, as well as implementation of some standard guidelines and the right motivation. There are no doubt about the new structure is more complex than the previews one. Annex

A Comparison Of A Certain Lady

A Comparison Of A Certain Lady The portrayal of women in literature has varied greatly as history has progressed. In the Jazz Age, women were seen as breaking free from being just a housewife and the shadow of a man. The flapper was a woman who closely resembles the women of today. She smoked, drank, wore revealing clothing for the time, and considered herself an equal to men. A woman who had a career that rivaled most men was Dorothy Parker. She was a founding member of the Vicious Circle meaning that some men even treated her as an equal during a time when women’s right were still new and the role of what was expected of a woman was changing. In the poems A Certain Lady, To a Lady, and The Lady’s Reward Parker explores the mind of a woman, and how said woman used what she had to get what she needed. The poem A Certain Lady depicts how a certain woman would act while a man told her of his exploits. The woman is expected to just listen and almost be happy that the man is having successful conquests. The woman is supposed to be passive and bat her eyes and be oblivious to the entire situation because historically women were thought of being not as intelligent as men. However in this poem it is obvious that the woman is extremely intelligent. The last two lines of the poems read, â€Å"And what goes on, my love, while you’re away, /You’ll never know.† It is obvious that the speaker knows how the man really is because it is implied that while he is away she has her own agenda. This also implies equality between them, at least in the speaker’s mind. The speaker believes that as the man is allowed to do as he pleases that she is equally as deserving to do the same. Despite this, the speaker seemed slightly upset at the man’s actions although she likely might be doing the same: And you laugh back, nor can you ever see The thousand little deaths my heart has diedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Nor do you see my staring eyes of nights, And when, in se arch of novelty, you stray. The speaker definitely seems hurt by what this man is telling her. It is as though every time the man tells her of his conquests, a little piece of her heart dies. It seems like it is slowly crushing her. The speaker goes on to say that the man does not see her â€Å"staring eyes.† Perhaps this means that the man does not see what he is doing to her or even that she stares into the night wondering what he could be doing at that moment. It seems that the woman lives by the saying â€Å"ignorance is bliss.† It seems that as long as he is not telling her of his exploits. She can go on with her life and do as she pleases. As long as she pretends she is not intelligent she can have pretend happiness or continue to try filling a void that is cannot be filled. A poem that continues with the concept of the woman being intentionally ignorant to what is going on is To a Lady. However in this poem, the ignorance is used with a different motive.

International stll wine trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International stll wine trade - Essay Example Data is the information that is gathered for analyzing, interpreting and making conclusion based on the available information. The source was from â€Å"database of international business statistics† which is accessed across the countries. The important features in the research are the demand and the years of the product production. The first then observations show the demand of the product in the market prior to the introduction of globalization. The subsequent years shows the impact of globalization to the product demand. One of the limitations is the misuse of the data. This involves the use numbers in a biased manner so as to suit the researchers predetermined hypothesis and hence ease in making conclusions that are not scientifically justified. The wrong numbers used lead to misleading graphs and charts being drawn and this encourages error in conclusions (Boudreaux 2008). Statistics are normally based on probabilities hence the results vary from when the each variable could have been used. This makes the results to be amendable and/or provisional. The data collection is always narrowed by moral, financial and practical constrains that affects the conclusions to be drawn. The statisticians/researchers are do not completely agree on superlative methods hence inconveniences. Data manipulations required before estimation is the arrangement of the data in an increasing total over the years of trading. The demand for the products over the periods of marketing should increasing conform the validity of the analysis (Selkirk 2012). The last ten observations highlight the impact of globalization on demand and the sales of the company product. The total sales amounted to 2701M, a mean sale of 245.55M, a median sale of 246M and a mode sale of 262M. From the above descriptive statistics, it is clearly shown that the total sales have increased substantially overtime i.e. from sale of 1177M to 2701M. This is 1524M sales increment

Election of 1912 (American History) Research Paper

Election of 1912 (American History) - Research Paper Example n be said to have led to â€Å"the birth of modern American politics† which espoused a pure democracy where the people would be the main decisive factor in decisions made by the Federal Government in social and economic matters. In matters of race relations though, the onus was placed upon local bodies to decide as they wished to. Theodore Roosevelt also championed â€Å"peoples aspiration for social justice† (Sidney M. Milkis, 2002) and for this he was willing to make extreme sacrifice and called upon all leaders to do so. A very important aspect of the election was the direct appeal made by individuals for the post of president. This was made explicit when Roosevelt came to the party convention without an official notification of his nomination, in a break from past traditions, when party nominees stayed away from proceedings, until notified of their candidacy. This was another attempt at doing away with institutions such as political parties, and instead handing over power to the people and creating the concept of direct contact between the leader and people. The greatest departure from tradition was Roosevelt’s proposal to allow public to recall judicial decisions, in the wake of the defense of property rights by a pugnacious judiciary. He called for a referendum on court rulings, both state and federal, handing over power to the people â€Å"to amend their fundamental law so as to adapt it progressively to the changing needs of the people.† (Sidney M. Milkis, 2002) In spite of the elections being a four sided race, the Progressive party led by Roosevelt, in spite of loss at the hustings, created the modern American elections as well as electorate. This is testimony to Roosevelt’s belief in a government where people call the shots although it may not have seemed so at the

A portfolio about Yue Minjun (an artist), and discussing the meaning Essay

A portfolio about Yue Minjun (an artist), and discussing the meaning of the work, it's form, its context, its qualities - Essay Example He began as a struggling artist in the 1990s as a member of the artistic community at Yuan Ming Yuan in the outskirts of Beijing away from the penetrating eyes of political persecution. When the community broke up, Mingjun shifted to Tongxian, where he flourished, along with other artists. The reason for his success can be attributed by what is known as "cynical realism" in post modernist art. Almost all his works so far, without exception, have contained self-portraits which from a distance look like they are bursting with mirth. But once one sees the gaping blackness of their mouths and eyes closed tightly shut, almost rolling in apparent hilarity in sad, desperate contexts, one realizes that the laughter could be a laughter of absurdity, of cynicism and of critical political commentary. The laughter has been a hallmark of Mingjun's work, making it instantly recognizable, and it has been interpreted variously by different people at disparate points of time. But the artist himself sees his laughing self-portrait as a part of his evolution from the despair of his past, where reality was so very different from his idea of ideal existence. In his opinion, sometimes the only reaction left in the face of utter despair is laughter. The laughter also comes in part from the Chinese tradition of the Laughing Buddha, whose permanent expression is that of laughter, and who is addit

Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journal - Assignment Example I also decided to make it more narrative and explanatory like a person teaching someone. This is a good way for me to visualize myself explaining the basic concepts to someone. In reality I’m actually teaching myself. Repeating terminology, ideas, and main points helps me to remember better and to grasp a better understanding. It is also mostly present tense to reflect the fact that such marketing strategies and ideas are present day and are happening as we speak. The journal is also persuasive and methodological, helping me to reinstate and reinforce the ideas taught in class. They are not something to be argued. The matter of fact and explanatory tone helps me to easily list the points and explain in detail the concepts involved. Â   This way the overall serious and explanatory tone helps it be more formal and convey the ideas in a step by step manner. The journal acts like a guide throughout the various lectures and helps to memorize the concepts better. It is highly effective in being able to dig out the key points and write them in a manner that can be read like a fluent paragraph. This tone helps me to write down the concepts the way I understand them instead of just copying down the same words from the slide. I am able to convey my own explanation and understanding leading me to thoroughly understand the knowledge

Assessment of Oman Air Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Assessment of Oman Air - Essay Example In addition, Oman Air fleets are up to date and well-organised competent aircrafts with superior quality of designed interiors. The company also introduced ultra modern and innovative technology based equipments in order to retain and enhance the safety of the customers and overall standards of its products along with services. In addition, Oman Air has attained significant achievements while executing its business operations globally. One of the major achievements of Oman Air lies in expanding its business operations around the world and also in attaining authorisation for preservation from some of the renowned bodies such as the Shell Aircraft (UK) and the Airclaims (UK) (Oman Air, 2012). Along with this significant achievement, Oman Air’s ‘Supply Chain Management Operation System and Procedures’ was honoured with â€Å"ISO 9001† authorisation. This particular authorization is an internationally renowned standard for quality management ensuring that the o rganisations have proven their quality performances along with maintaining standards in order to comply with the different requirements of their customers (Oman Air, 2012). In the paper, the assessment of Oman Air has been made on the basis of various assessment tools that include McKinsey’s 7s framework, balanced scorecard system and SWOT analysis. Various recommended changes or modifications of certain aspects of Oman Air such as its organizational structure are proposed and also discussed in the paper. McKinsey’s 7s Framework According to McKinsey’s 7s framework, attempts are taken to create a kind of awareness of major factors that include staff, style, systems, structure, strategies, skills and finally shared values or goals, so that at the time of utilisation or execution of these factors will ultimately assist in the formation as well as help towards attaining the expected outcomes or objectives while executing business operations performed by a particula r business organisation (Witcher & Chau, 2010). In relation to McKinsey’s 7s framework, the structure factor is an important one that divides the assigned tasks and provides various activities for the maintenance of co-ordination among the employees. In order to maintain an adequate structure, Oman Air imparts training to its members or staffs in a well organised manner and thus by delivering proper and efficient training, the company maintains the co-ordination among their members or staffs. In relation to systems, the processes, procedures and methods ultimately make a business organisation to grow and expand. The systems of Oman Air include innovative aircraft manufacturing along with repairing services and also retain a high pattern of technical processes in the most effective as well as in professional manner (Oman Air, 2012). In context to style, the perception of top officials of the business eventually creates a brand image within the organisation. The ideas or the co ncepts that have been initialised by the board members and other senior management officials of Oman Air assisted the company to attain a brand image while executing its business operations globally. In regard to staffs, the activities or the performances of the members or the staffs plays a significant role in order to attain expected outcomes along with

Realistic painting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Realistic painting - Research Paper Example The paper "Realistic painting" explores the painting of Realism. The history of realistic paintings is dated back to early 19s, associated with great artists such as George Bellows. George Bellows is regarded as one among the great American artists. His work ranges between 1882 and 1925, with one of his famous arts been the Crowd in black and white lithograph of 1923. Among George Bellow’s reputation is his early work about powerful boxing matches and the realistic tenement life in New York City. George also painted the city landscape and seascape, battle scenes, and portraits, with illustrations and prints. George’s work was out of influence and real life experience in the United States at that time. Most of his arts portray the dynamic and challenging nature of life in America at early twentieth century and over its first decade. In this print, George Bellows expressed the vitality of urban life through a dynamic contrast of light and dark. The intense illumination fr om a street lightly reveals an anxious and pressing crowd tightly packed into a confining space. This painting is dark in tone; many different people fill with the whole image, capturing fleeting moments. Before American Independence, most of the American artists grew and learnt in European. Over the 19 century, a large number of American artists went to Germany, France, Britain and other countries to study .This is the most probable link of confusion between the American artist's works and European artist’s work.

Policy Response to Climate Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Policy Response to Climate Change - Essay Example Laws are virtually of no use if there are no regulatory bodies to ensure the laws are enforced. These regulatory bodies would, among other things, visit industries and other sources where carbon emissions are recorded in worse quantities. They would check to confirm that the laws and regulations set in the laws are adhered to. III. Education and Sensitization: More to the regulation of laws, there should be measures to educate the public and sensitize them on climate change. It is hoped that with massive education, the people will have personal and political will to ensure that they adhere to the need to ensure that there is not much production of carbon in the environment. Such education will be carried out in schools and in public places. IV. Enforcement of Law: Regardless of the activities of the regulatory bodies and the education and sensitizations that will take place, there are certainly going to be people and bodies who would attempt to break the laws. To such people, the laws must be applied. They must be forced to face the full rigors of the law. Laws without enforcement are only toothless bulldogs and this must not happen. There should be enforcements that would ensure that others are deterred from breaking the laws. I. Educating stakeholders and the public on climate change, its risks and how to avoid it: This policy will target the education of the masses on what climate change is, its causes and its effects. It is hoped that when the people gain enough education on the phenomenon, they will be empowered to be patriotic enough in ensuring that their actions and inactions do not lead to climate changes.

Collagen supplements Essay Example for Free

Collagen supplements Essay As a person’s age advances, the skin loses natural cells that promote elasticity and help maintain youthful look. Collagen, known to be a form of protein that holds and tightens the skin underneath, slowly decreases with age. Hence when you reach the age of forty, you notice that your skin starts to sag and form wrinkles. Even the hair and nails suffer from this gradual loss of collagen. The lips, most especially, also become less plump and the usual pout in most women is gone when they reach fifty. And yet there are many ways to compensate for the loss of youth. With the modern woman, the cost of looking young is no cause for concern for as long as the results are delivered. Taking collagen supplements for more youthful look has gained popularity among American women as well as with other women all over the world. To know how to choose a collagen supplement, read these tips. †¢ Know that collagen supplements come as oral medication and skin applications (cream, gel, moisturizers, injections, and etc.). Decide which of the two options you want to use. †¢ Consult your doctor before taking oral collagen supplements. As with taking any oral supplements, you need to ask the advice of your doctor to make sure the supplements do not cause adverse reactions with other medications you might be taking. With the skin applications and injections, make sure you have no allergies whatsoever that may result to unfavorable outcome. Ads by Google 10 yrs younger in 30 mins Immediate and long-lasting results From $450 Call us now at 63363128 stchapelleclinic.com Best shaving creams The secret to a smoother shave. Find out more at Gillette Facebook Facebook.com/GilletteSingapore eye ring fillers, look radiant n natural Dr Yang 9654 4831 or 9118 0142 yangaestheticcentre.com.sg †¢ Select a collagen product that has moisturizers and hydrating components. For topical applications, a collagen supplement must be able to replace the lost natural moisture of your skin. The reason why aging skin gets wrinkled is because the skin has become dry due to decrease of natural collagen supply. Collagen supplements in the form of external applications work best with women or even men who are in their 20s and 30s. At this stage, oral collagen supplements may not be necessary yet. †¢ Make sure to use collagen injections that come from natural sources. Some collagen substances recommended for injections are from fats of animals such as pigs. †¢ Pick an oral supplement that is fortified with multi vitamins particularly Vitamin C and E. Since you are taking the collagen supplements orally anyway – make it a point that they contain nutrients as well. Vitamin E is also considered a youth pill, hence aside from the benefits you get from the collagen itself, your youth is even enhanced with the Vitamin E component. †¢ Decide on a supplement that has other health benefits. Many collagen supplements have antioxidants such as grape seed oil which is a very potent substance in restoring lost mass of body tissues. †¢ Buy supplements that have levels of elastin and collagen, the amounts of which are appropriate to your age. The rule here is: the younger you are, the lower the level of collagen is required, and the older you get, the higher level is needed. †¢ Find out if the supplement has ingredients such as nano-Lipobelle H EQ10, Cynergy TK or COQ10 and multivitamins. †¢ Ask friends who have tried using collagen supplements about how effective these substances are. If you see any improvement on them, then you might as well try their product. Although collagen injections give instant results of a youthful look, they do not last long. Hence oral collagen supplements are still preferred because they get into the body system permanently, thus promoting better and more long lasting effect.

Horror Story Example Essay Example for Free

Horror Story Example Essay The girl stumbled and rolled down the grassy hill, pulling her fiance with her. For a few minutes they fell, rolling on top of each other before landing in a heap on the soft sand below. The woman looked at the man below her, affection filling her eyes as she smiled subconsciously. â€Å"What are you smiling at? † He inquired flipping her over so he was on top of her. â€Å"Just wondering if why on earth I’m marrying someone as ugly as you; do you think it’s too late to pull out? † The girl answered giggling. â€Å"Oh really!† Her fiance answered standing up, grabbing the girl’s waist and spinning her around. â€Å"And yes, it is too late to pull out. The wedding is in two days whether you like it or not. † He added defiantly, placing the dizzy woman on the ground. She hiccupped, trying to gain her balance. Her fiance let out a thunderous laugh, she glared at him. â€Å"Don’t laugh at me! It’s your fault! † She groaned, folding her arms across her chest. â€Å"The alcohol’s got to your head then? Oh well, more fun for me! † He said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. She rolled her eyes and ran in the direction of the sea. â€Å"Race you to the water! † She called over her shoulder childishly. She heard her fiance chuckle from behind her as she reached the water. She started walking further out to sea; her heart skipped a beat as her fiance tackled her to the ground. She yelped, a sudden spark of pain running through her foot. â€Å"Ow! Adam, you’ve made me cut my foot! Thanks! † The woman complained, playfully slapping Adam’s chest. He looked at her, a mischievous glint in his eye. â€Å"Oh, I’m sorry Nicky. Should I kiss it better?† Her fiance asked, grabbing her leg with tender hands. â€Å"No you should not! Help me up and let’s swim! † Nicky said excitedly. Adam lifted her out of the shallow water and carried her the rest of the way out, before very carefully dropping her back into the water. Together they swam around in the salty, inky black sea. Nicky felt a strong force knock her left foot from below her. â€Å"Adam, did you just knock my foot? † She asked him, worried something was under her. â€Å"Nope wasn’t me! I wouldn’t worry about it my love. Nothing out here can hurt you.† He swam over to her, grabbing her hand in his. All thoughts and worries disappeared from thought as they kissed passionately in the moonlight. â€Å"I love you Nicky foster. † Her fiance stated truthfully, gazing into her eyes. â€Å"I lo-â€Å"Suddenly they were pulled under water. Nicky let go of Adams hand and swam to the surface, looking around her frantically for her fiance. She quickly regained her breath before going back under water but he couldn’t see a thing in the murky, dark depths of the sea. Nicky resurfaced. Panic clouding her mind. Unexpectedly a hand rose out of the water, she let out a gasp of shock as she pulled at the hand and screamed, pure horror now coursing through her veins. The object in her hands belonged on her Adam’s arm. The bone was exposed, muscle and flesh was ragged and torn, fresh warm blood was dripping onto Nicky’s hand. Salty tears ran down her face, mixing with the gentle current. She threw the hand into the sea and tried to swim for shore, but her left leg was searing with pain. A wave of nausea passed over her as Nicky, teary eyed and heartbroken felt down her leg. To her utter terror, her leg had been ripped to shreds, blood pulsing from the stub. She panicked, thrashing around in the cold water. Swiftly a great force pulled her under. She could feel her bones being crunched, her organs being squished. The sea around her turned red with her blood. She screamed, only small bubbles of precious oxygen escaping her bloodless lips. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine Adam, the sweet loving man she was going to marry. Instead all she could think of was images of his ripped, lifeless body. These images haunted her to her death.

Construction Industry Importance Of Leadership

Construction Industry Importance Of Leadership The construction industry today is very similar to the construction twenty years ago as many operations, practices and operations have changed very little over the last decades. Though with the new era of technology some modernization has taken place still some theories are practiced the traditional way. In contrast the forces on industry organisation are changing at a rapid pace. These changes in building influence arises the problem of leader preparedness which is a primary concern in the construction industry over the next decade as industrys increasing social, economic and environmental challenges has called into question its ability to create leaders that can develop leaders having the knowledge and skills to address rapidly changing business environments at all organisational levels. The leadership ability to transform the organisation as per the dynamic force market is essential for sustained success in construction industry. Also, the ability for leaders to both motivate the internal workforce as well as communicate to a diverse project team is a challenge to individuals for developing their communication skills. To understand the significance of leadership in construction industry we must first understand what are leader and leadership and how they are formed. LEADER AND LEADERSHIP: In general terms, leadership is a quality that a person possesses to motivate other people to accomplish their objective and that person is called a leader. Leader is a person who could motivate/attract the commitment of the followers by way of influence or power to achieve the goals of the organisation. (Cole, 2005) Leadership at work is a dynamic process whereby one individual in a group is not only responsible for the groups results, but actively seeks the collaboration and commitment of all group members in achieving group goals in a particular context and against the background of a particular national culture. (Cole, 2005) The role of a leader is building a team, development of individuals and achievement of a task. The leader should have the following characteristics: Understanding needs- The leader should understand his/her needs along with the needs and characteristics of each participant in a group. This helps to know a person as an individual, treating them with respect and helping in growth of that individual which leads to the formation of trust and builds confidence amongst participants. All this allows a proper planning of project i.e. is the first step in the process for achieving a respective goal. This can be done through conversation and informal surveys of participants. Using of Resources- Resources include all the things required to complete a job. People are resources as they have knowledge and skill. Knowledge comes from experience while skill is the ability to use your experiences. When the leader brings into use the knowledge and skill of group members they develop experience and improve their skills also getting a positive approach towards it. This comes from proper understanding of the participants as discussed above. Communication- Only a good communication amongst the team can lead to successful completion of a task. For getting information the leader must listen carefully and pay attention to other peoples thoughts and each group member should be given a chance to speak. While giving information the leader should speak slowly and clearly so that the members can listen carefully and understand leaders ideas effectively. Planning- Planning is a very important aspect achieved while exploring via thorough consideration of: task and objective, resources, alternatives and brainstorming. This helps in reaching a decision and reviewing it with all the participants. The plan is then evaluated and executed. A proper planning of task is a major factor that analyses the successful completion of a job. Controlling group performance- A group works together best when it is headed in the same direction and for that someone must lead the effort. Control is a function that the group assigns to the leader for completion of task. Control comes from understanding where the group is right now and where it is heading. This can be done by thorough observation of the happenings, clear instructions and helping to quickly deal with disruptions. Evaluation- Evaluation helps in measuring the performance of a group in getting a job done and teamwork quality. It also helps in analysing the level of performance along with the merits and demerits of the task done in a particular way. Setting an Example and sharing Leadership- It is probably the most important skill needed in a leader, to set him/her as an example for others on how to be an ideal leader. The leader should also share their experience and skill with the group participants to help them succeed. Leadership requires: Motivating and persuading others Taking responsibility for the direction and actions of a team Setting of objectives for proper evaluation Taking the initiative Persevering when things are not working out. Taking a positive attitude to frustration/failure. Taking the initiative and responding flexibly to changing situations Presenting a positive image in front of others. Being assertive Accepting responsibility for mistakes/wrong decisions. TYPES OF LEADERS: Charismatic/Transformational- Leadership is not good or bad by itself but by how it is portrayed in front of others and for what purpose it is being used. History has seen many charismatic misleaders like Hitler, Mao, and Stalin who inflicted evil and sufferings on humanity. Personal qualities and traits are not acquired by training; they are embedded in them since birth. Charismatic leaders inspire the followers through their vision and energy which has a major impact on them whether it is good or evil. Unlike Hitler and Mao, there were some charismatic leaders who worked for the benefit of humanity and betterment of the society like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Abraham Lincoln etc. Traditional/Transactional- The leaders who fall under this category have their position secured since birth. Only few people can aspire to be like them and have a few opportunities at work. For example: Kings, Queens, and Tribal Chieftains etc. Situational- They are created as per the given situation. Their position is temporary and become effective when found at right place at the right time like a project manager. Appointed- Such leaders have legitimate powers that they acquire through hierarchy. They influence people directly out of position and their power of the position is derived. For example: CEO, MD, GM etc. Functional- Functional leaders secure their position by the quality of work they do. They adapt according to the competing needs of the society that consists of individual needs, group needs and task needs. Principle Centred- Principle centred leaders are strongly affected by ethical and moral principles. Their quality of work shows this used of ethics which involves honesty, fairness, trust, justice and equity among others. POWER AND INFLUENCE: With leadership comes power and influence which are important factors that help in the motivation of team. Power is the ability to exert influence that is, to change the attitudes or behaviour of individuals or groups. Influence is any action or examples of behaviour that causes a change in attitude or behaviour of another person/ group. (Leadership- Lecture Notes, Pg. 37, 2012) LEADERSHIP THEORIES: Major leadership theories are mentioned as under: Trait Theories- Helps in identification of personal characteristics of leaders which differentiate them from non-leaders. Some of these characteristics include energy, intelligence, and resourcefulness etc. Style Theories- Related to behavioural approach as leaders are born not made. Shows concern for people and task. Can be authoritative or democratic. Contingency Theories- Such theories focus on particular variables that determine which style is best suited for any situation. As per this theory not every style is suitable for all situations. Success depends on leader-member relations, degree of structure in the task and power/authority of the position. Participatory Theories- Suggests that the ideal leader is one that takes the input of others into account. These leaders encourage participation and contributions from group members and make them feel more involved in the process. It calculates to what extent the opinions of members are utilised in decision making. LEADERSHIP vs. MANAGEMENT Often people confuse leadership with management though they both differ from each other on so many levels. A manager is appointed while leadership is earned in most cases. Managers can be characterised as people who imitate, establish clear targets, make short term decisions, solve short term problems, enact visions and do things right. They employ the so-called hard skills such as planning, directing, organising and keeping score. On the other hand, leaders employ many of the softer skills. They direct and guide people; influence thoughts and behaviours; motivate; encourage work towards goals; take risks; innovate; have a long-range perspective; have their eye on the horizon; create visions and do the right things. (Leadership vs. Management, Leadership in the Construction Industry, Pg. 5) According to Covey (1992): Leadership deals with direction- with making sure that the ladder is leaning against the right wall. Management deals with speedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Leadership deals with vision-with keeping the mission in sight- and with effectiveness and results. Management deals establishing structures and systems to get those results. Leadership focuses on the top line and management on the bottom line. Leadership derives its powers from values and correct principles. Management organises resources to serve selected objective to produce bottom line. Management and Leadership are not mutually exclusive; in factà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. leadership is the highest component of management. To summarise, the manager must have certain leadership qualities to take their organisation towards success by motivating people to achieve that success. According to the Eagan Report, The Eagan Report identifies five drivers of change necessary to ensure greater profitability as well as better quality in the Construction Industry: Committed Leadership A focus on the customer Integrated processes and teams A quality driven agenda Commitment to people (Leadership- Lecture Notes, Pg. 40, 2012) LEADERSHIP IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: Construction industry is very complex and is often met with various problems which are non-completion of a job, non-availability of labour, Community barriers between workers and goods availability which leads to delay in productivity and effectiveness on construction sites many of which arrive from inadequate understanding of leadership and job relationships. Leadership in different sectors of construction industry: Health and Safety- Leadership in health and safety sector is of strong importance as this sector deals with health related issues for labour along with other people who are related to a construction project. This sector has zero tolerance policies, industry initiatives and high level of investment. Sustainability- Sustainability is an important sector for the industry to consider. The construction done on a site should be sustainable and environment friendly in current time as per the urgency of the sustainability agenda. So the leader should be well aware of the ill effects a particular action that is performed will have on the nature. Business ethics- Business ethics are also a major factor in the success of a task. A leader must be well aware of all the business rules and changes that are occurring in the construction industry to make his team lead in the right direction and as per the building regulations. This provides a strong base for a leader by making them flexible and well aware of the current surroundings. Education and Training- Proper education and training helps in becoming an ideal leader. This sector focuses on education and experience of the leader and group members to put alike people with each other. This helps in creating harmony and trust between the members which in turn helps in successful completion of a job. In construction industry the requirements for an effective leader are as follows: Good communication skills Understanding of business Strategic vision Charisma and Inspiration Integrity Good listener Flexible i.e. open to changes Experience The weakest leadership qualities are identified as poor communication skills, lack of time, lack of general management skills, impatience, lack of decisiveness and not delegating enough. Also there is a presence of untapped leadership potential within the industry. Many areas of weak leadership can be addressed through industry training and other leadership development programmes. Improvement in communication and general management skills are two areas in particular that are of topmost priority. Organisational culture and lack of opportunities are the major drawbacks in the construction industry which stops an individual from reaching their highest potential. How to improve leaders? As discussed above many of the problems in construction industry arise due to poor leadership skills and to improve leadership qualities following steps should be taken: New experiences, the most valuable way to improve leadership ability. This includes mentoring or anything else that gives an individual a new hands-on experience and exposure. Clear direction and guidelines are important to improve individual leaders in the industry. This reinforces the importance of empowerment, development of leaders at all levels of seniority and corporate strategic planning. Skills, education, training and qualifications are also required to be present in any leader. To achieve the above qualities various character development workshops and programmes can be held within an organisation to make people understand the concept of leadership better and to know more about leadership skills tailored specifically for construction based professionals. These workshops must include programmes focusing on communication skills and general management training, education and training, mentoring schemes, work experience, and secondment programmes. They should also include strategies for identifying the leaders of the future, and for rewarding and celebrating success. CONCLUSION: Leaders are of utmost requirement these days to complete a given job. The leaders help in creating group cohesiveness which helps in proper utilisation of the teamwork. The leaders are born and not created though certain steps can be taken to brush up their skills. The leadership development workshops can help in improving the leadership skills of people which will in turn help in the betterment of the construction industry. Also, the main drawbacks in the construction industry related to incompletion of a task can be tackled effectively if positive steps are taken in that direction. Great leaders will be created that will work for the industry and give their hundred per cent to achieve a task.

Essay examples --

It all started in the summer of 2007 when a crisis hit the U.S., and because of the huge government interventions that were made, the U.S. and most European countries got into a recession. The EU crisis was also caused by big debts made mostly in Spain and Italy, before 2008. The private sectors (companies and mortgage borrowers) who were taking out loans were the main reason for this crisis. There was a decrease in the interests rates in southern European countries when they joined the euro and that resulted and caused the countries to go into a huge debt. This had negative effects on the financial markets, a slowing down of the economic growth in the industrialized countries, and impacted the European labor markets. After the Second World War the unemployment rates in Europe were already low, and with the crisis the percentage of the unemployment rates just increased in the following years. All of this was due to different problems and occurrences that they were facing such as; the two oil price shocks, the decrease in the production growth, the disinflationary policy of many Central Banks, and so on. This recession resulted in very high unemployment, and the increase in unemployment during that period was made by using some internal measures (such as flexible working time arrangements, temporary closures, etc.) but the unemployment was not equally shared between the different groups of people (the largest differences occurred due to the sex, education, age, etc.) but at the end these measures only delayed the process of significant labor unemployment, it didn’t help the situation go back to how it used to be before the crisis. The labor force of a population is involved with the people who are employed and unemployed. The Inte... ... face many problems, the European labor market was affected by this crisis as well, and there were many other problems that were faced during this hard period. The EU’s plans for the future are to minimize the job losses and prevent unemployment, improve job creation, and to recover the economy in a full and stable way. In order for them to make this happen and in order for them to improve and develop the flexibility of the labor market and in order to raise the labor supply, they made some cuts in the income taxes, improved the access to non-standard forms of work, redirected the active labor market policies, and similar activities like these were made. But even though the EU crisis has influenced the European labor market and has created many problems and struggles with unemployment, in the past couple of years they managed to increase the unemployment rate by 2%.

Narration in The Turn of the Screw Essay -- The Turn of the Screw Henr

Narration in The Turn of the Screw Henry James makes the governess the narrator because she keeps the readers’ interest by also being involved in the story as a main character. However, being involved on this personal level, it can make the governess exaggerate at times and be over-emotional. Her determined and curious nature makes her an ideal candidate to explore the mysterious happenings, however her imagination keeps the reader in suspense, as we are never sure how much she has exaggerated the story. This also adds tension as the full picture is never revealed. This choice of narrator is therefore challenged by Susan Hill’s description that a narrator should be ‘unimaginative and straightforward’ as the governess’ increasing exaggeration, hysteria and ambiguity make her less than straightforward. The governess’s character is established at the beginning of the novel when she meets the master. Her impressionability is displayed when he immediately charms her. She has little experience at being a governess as it says she is ‘The youngest of several daughters of a country parson’, which also indicates her simple country background. Her naivety also makes her very romantic and imaginative. James writes that she has ‘†¦come up to London from the country’ which hints that the governess is very determined and eager for the job. Her trusting nature is also revealed when she doesn’t question the master’s bizarre rule; ‘that she should never trouble him again.’ She doesn’t question him, as she is enthralled and under his spell, hinting at her infatuation. This also could mean that the narrative would be biased in his favour. The governess first sees Peter Quint at dusk in the first few weeks of her gove... ...ry tragic and ambiguous circumstances. It is very intense at the end, because it is just the governess and Miles, and the governess is trying to force a confession out of him. When he does confess, Peter Quint appears and the governess immediately tries to protect the boy, seeing herself locked in a battle of good versus evil, where she is good and Peter Quint is bad. There are also several alternative reasons for Miles’ death open for interpretation to the reader; either the governess smothered him, shock (from seeing Quint), or Quint is involved somehow. The line ‘Peter Quint- you devil’ is in addition ambiguous. Miles is either confessing that Peter Quint is a devil, or that he sees the governess as tormenting him. James ends the story in this way because it leaves the reader questioning how the boy died, and the narrator’s sanity is also questioned. Narration in The Turn of the Screw Essay -- The Turn of the Screw Henr Narration in The Turn of the Screw Henry James makes the governess the narrator because she keeps the readers’ interest by also being involved in the story as a main character. However, being involved on this personal level, it can make the governess exaggerate at times and be over-emotional. Her determined and curious nature makes her an ideal candidate to explore the mysterious happenings, however her imagination keeps the reader in suspense, as we are never sure how much she has exaggerated the story. This also adds tension as the full picture is never revealed. This choice of narrator is therefore challenged by Susan Hill’s description that a narrator should be ‘unimaginative and straightforward’ as the governess’ increasing exaggeration, hysteria and ambiguity make her less than straightforward. The governess’s character is established at the beginning of the novel when she meets the master. Her impressionability is displayed when he immediately charms her. She has little experience at being a governess as it says she is ‘The youngest of several daughters of a country parson’, which also indicates her simple country background. Her naivety also makes her very romantic and imaginative. James writes that she has ‘†¦come up to London from the country’ which hints that the governess is very determined and eager for the job. Her trusting nature is also revealed when she doesn’t question the master’s bizarre rule; ‘that she should never trouble him again.’ She doesn’t question him, as she is enthralled and under his spell, hinting at her infatuation. This also could mean that the narrative would be biased in his favour. The governess first sees Peter Quint at dusk in the first few weeks of her gove... ...ry tragic and ambiguous circumstances. It is very intense at the end, because it is just the governess and Miles, and the governess is trying to force a confession out of him. When he does confess, Peter Quint appears and the governess immediately tries to protect the boy, seeing herself locked in a battle of good versus evil, where she is good and Peter Quint is bad. There are also several alternative reasons for Miles’ death open for interpretation to the reader; either the governess smothered him, shock (from seeing Quint), or Quint is involved somehow. The line ‘Peter Quint- you devil’ is in addition ambiguous. Miles is either confessing that Peter Quint is a devil, or that he sees the governess as tormenting him. James ends the story in this way because it leaves the reader questioning how the boy died, and the narrator’s sanity is also questioned.

Gender in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay -- Chinua Achebe Thi

This paper will look at the contradictions in the work of Chinua Achebe in relation to his placement of woman and femininity. Kristen Holst Petersen states that ‘the African discussion is between feminist emancipation versus the fight against neo-colonialism, particularly in its cultural aspect...which comes first, the fight for female equality or the fight against Western cultural imperialism’. This paper will attempt to highlight these contradictions in relation to Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Above all the tribe values physical prowess, it places a great deal of importance on individual achievement, these attributes are in fact intended to ensure the security and permanence of the group. For like most early societies this is a society that is dominated by a passion for survival. Umofia therefore cultivates the notion of the heroic ideal based on physical prowess. The centrality of the yam in the novel highlights the tribe’s respect for physical strength. As a result of the intense muscular effort required for its cultivation the yam crop comes to represent an annual triumph wrested from nature, a signifier of the dialogue between the human world and the natural environment. However a reader soon realizes the contradictions between the constraints of the social ideal, that privileges the interests of the group, and the truths of individual human yearnings. Unoka, Okonwko’s father, embodies the counter-values that stand in opposition to the rigid social ideal of the tribe. His unorthodox style of living is, it may be argued, a conscious subversion of the manly ideal. His oppositional values are those of art, in tandem with a playful irony and an amorality that resounds with his relaxed disposition to the world. ... ...cultural experience. Of course Things Fall Apart warrants a feminist reading, but to read it only in this manner would be reductive, and in my opinion, would miss the point of what Achebe was trying to do. In writing back to novels such as Heart of Darkness and Mister Johnson Achebe has presented us with a particularized African society to critique. To level the accusation as Petersen does that ‘the obvious inequality of the sexes seems to be the subject of mild amusement for Achebe’, is in my opinion unwarranted and unfair. Select Bibliography Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Ibadan: Heinnemann, 1962 Kabbani, Rana. Imperial Fictions: Europe's Myths of Origin. London: Pandora, 1986. Petersen, Kristen. "First Things First: Problems of a Feminist Approach to African Literature". In Griffith, Ashcroft, Tiffin Ed The Post-Colonial Studies Reader. Gender in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart Essay -- Chinua Achebe Thi This paper will look at the contradictions in the work of Chinua Achebe in relation to his placement of woman and femininity. Kristen Holst Petersen states that ‘the African discussion is between feminist emancipation versus the fight against neo-colonialism, particularly in its cultural aspect...which comes first, the fight for female equality or the fight against Western cultural imperialism’. This paper will attempt to highlight these contradictions in relation to Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Above all the tribe values physical prowess, it places a great deal of importance on individual achievement, these attributes are in fact intended to ensure the security and permanence of the group. For like most early societies this is a society that is dominated by a passion for survival. Umofia therefore cultivates the notion of the heroic ideal based on physical prowess. The centrality of the yam in the novel highlights the tribe’s respect for physical strength. As a result of the intense muscular effort required for its cultivation the yam crop comes to represent an annual triumph wrested from nature, a signifier of the dialogue between the human world and the natural environment. However a reader soon realizes the contradictions between the constraints of the social ideal, that privileges the interests of the group, and the truths of individual human yearnings. Unoka, Okonwko’s father, embodies the counter-values that stand in opposition to the rigid social ideal of the tribe. His unorthodox style of living is, it may be argued, a conscious subversion of the manly ideal. His oppositional values are those of art, in tandem with a playful irony and an amorality that resounds with his relaxed disposition to the world. ... ...cultural experience. Of course Things Fall Apart warrants a feminist reading, but to read it only in this manner would be reductive, and in my opinion, would miss the point of what Achebe was trying to do. In writing back to novels such as Heart of Darkness and Mister Johnson Achebe has presented us with a particularized African society to critique. To level the accusation as Petersen does that ‘the obvious inequality of the sexes seems to be the subject of mild amusement for Achebe’, is in my opinion unwarranted and unfair. Select Bibliography Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Ibadan: Heinnemann, 1962 Kabbani, Rana. Imperial Fictions: Europe's Myths of Origin. London: Pandora, 1986. Petersen, Kristen. "First Things First: Problems of a Feminist Approach to African Literature". In Griffith, Ashcroft, Tiffin Ed The Post-Colonial Studies Reader.

Modernist Poetry Doesnt Communicate With Society English Literature Essay

Modernist poets, or in that instance all modernists minds, philosophers and creative persons, ignores the societal order to some extent. They do non do any effort to speak to or pass on with the society, but really revolutionises the thought of art in the domain of the societal thoughts. In simpler words, Modernist philosophers do non follow the society, like its predecessors and it inquiries the easy accepted truth of the old age. In the late 19th century, in the aftermath of the to the full industrialized western universe with its new economic, societal and political construction, traditional projection and reading of art and civilization lost at least some of its importance. Following the old norms was nil but a return of what has already been talked of and achieved for the poets, minds and creative persons. To accomplish something new, they had to rehearse a signifier which was more individualized and yet obscure in its look. But that nevertheless do non reply the point of our treatment as to how or why the deficiency of communicativeness between the poet and the reader occurs in the 19th century western universe. With the popularity of the printing imperativeness, literature was no longer confined to the higher strata of the society. With this development in the history of printing, writers and poets found themselves traveling off from their audience. The opportunity or the impulse to interact straight with the multitudes decreased with the flow of clip until the clip when there is no effort to speak to or pass on with the society. The modernist poet ever lives in isolation from the existent universe while seeking to convey his/her individualized points of position. But for the reader, the same verse form can keep different reading at different clip and infinite. For case Emily Dickinson, the modernist American poet, published less than a twelve of her about 18 100 verse forms during her life-time. It was merely after 1886, after her decease, when her cache of verse forms were discovered by her younger sister Lavinia, that the comprehensiveness of Emily Dickinson ‘s verse form became ev ident. Emily Dickinson, merely like the other modernist poets, was alienated from the society. As a poet she could n't associate to the community, she was populating in, and the society in bend could n't associate to her verse forms, when they were published. Hence, during her life-time, the few verse forms which were published were to a great extent edited and altered harmonizing to the caprices and wants of the publishing house in order to model them in regard to the bing societal norms. Dickinson was obsessed by ‘death ‘ and has immortalised the construct of ‘death ‘ in her poesy. In one of her ignoble verse form, she seemed to hold related with ‘death ‘ and to some extent has personified the construct. â€Å" BECAUSE I could non halt for Death, He kindly stopped for me ; The passenger car held but merely ourselves And Immortality. † ( Dickinson ) The imagination that has been projected through the above mentioned Dickinson ‘s verse form is unconventional and to some extent radical. In the late 19th century America, fewer poets would ‘ve showed the bravery to oppugn the conventional beliefs sing ‘life ‘ and ‘death ‘ . Harmonizing to the above mentioned lines, ‘death ‘ to her is ‘immortal ‘ . In another verse form she states, â€Å" I DIED for beauty, but was scarce Adjusted in the grave, When 1 who died for truth was lain In an adjoining room. He questioned quietly why I failed? â€Å" For beauty, † I replied. â€Å" And I for truth, -the two are one ; We brethren are, † he said. And so, as kinsmen met a dark, We talked between the room, Until the moss had reached our lips, And covered up our names. ( Dickinson ) The imagination that is produced by the verse form is quite unconventional. Death has been beautified, glorified and celebrated by the poet in above mentioned verse form. Death has been a really of import subject for the modernist poets. Through their daring symbolism and representation of thoughts, subjects like depression, devastation, Hell and decease has ever been a really popular point of treatment among the modernist poets like Robert Frost, T.S. Elliot and of class Emily Dickinson. In T.S. Elliot ‘s â€Å" The Hollow Men † , the poet concludes the verse form by saying, â€Å" This is the manner the universe ends This is the manner the universe ends This is the manner the universe ends Not with a knock but a whine. † ( Elliot ) To the modernist poets, the abrasiveness of the existent universe was intolerable and hence from an stray infinite, the poet represents the inhuman treatment of the existent universe through his/her ain linguistic communication, non seeking to explicate everything. The reading nevertheless is left entirely on the reader and the poet does non even do an attempt to link with the readership or the society. Modernity can be said to unify all world in a self-contradictory integrity of disunity. Harmonizing to Marshall Berman, â€Å" It pours us into a whirlpool of ageless decomposition and reclamation of battle and contradiction, of ambiguity and torment. To be modern is to be a portion of a existence in which, as Marx said, ‘all that is solid thaws into air. ‘ † ( Berman ) . Modern authors have agreed to the fact that the lone unafraid thing about modernness is its insecurity. The lines of W.B. Yeats ‘ â€Å" The Second Coming † resonates a similar sense, â€Å" Thingss fall apart ; the Centre can non keep ; Mere lawlessness is loosed upon the universe, † ( Yeats ) The passing and the delicate nature of the age is possibly the most popular line of reading for the above two lines. The ideas of the Enlightenment minds, to cultivate nonsubjective scientific discipline, corporate morality and jurisprudence, were drawn to roll up with the cognition of many single free minds, to develop the miscellaneous doctrine of human release and the enrichment of the twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours life. Science and Technology promised an age devoid of scarceness and want. Rational signifiers of societal apprehension erased the bing unreasons of myth, phantasy, faith and superstitious notion. Traditional metaphoric representation of the ‘word ‘ was replaced by a more obscure imagination, which each and every reader can construe harmonizing to his/her apprehension of the ‘word ‘ . Surrealism, Dadaism and Cubism became a portion of the bigger image of Modernist art, literature and poesy. In another verse form of Emily Dickinson, she states, â€Å" Fame is a bee. It has a song- It has a sting- Ah, excessively, it has a wing. † ( Dickinson ) Here ‘fame ‘ is compared with a ‘bee ‘ , an unconventional representation merely as Charles Baudelaire compares ‘flowers ‘ with ‘evil ‘ in â€Å" Fleur du Mal † ( Flowers of Evil ) . These metaphoric representations of the ‘word ‘ was new to the age and was absent in the old enlightened western age of literature and art. A individual line which possibly can be the easiest guide line of looking at modernist poesy is expressed by Archibald MacLeish in his â€Å" Ars Poetica † , â€Å" A verse form should non intend, but be † . ( MacLeish ) . The primary difference between a Romantic text and a Modernist text is that a Modernist text imitates guesss and readings. The elans after each line of Emily Dickinson ‘s verse forms are perchance placed to supply the reader a infinite for contemplation and retrospection. A Romantic text, on the other manus, invites battle. Emily Dickinson ‘s â€Å" Fame is a bee†¦ † is a verse form that may look simple and shallow, but if one Judgess the construct of celebrity in the late 19th century, he/she is bound to look up to the simpleness of the technique in which the blunt passing nature and the frailties of celebrity is projected through the seemingly showy and musical drape of popularity. â€Å" The Second Coming † by W.B. Yeats is another fantastic work of Modernist poesy. The poet uses a dark scene to specify a clip when the universe is near a disclosure. The verse form depends on the cognition of a certain Christian belief. It is a antic look of the clip in which it was written. It provides us with a image of the First World War in Europe where, â€Å" Mere lawlessness is loosed upon the universe. † Stuning imagination of terrorizing linguistic communication, where poesy is no more depended on linguistic communication, but linguistic communication comes out of poesy. Yeats ‘ womb-to-tomb captivation of the supernatural and occult was lyrically manifested in this verse form. The significance of the ‘gyre ‘ is an equivocal one. It can be a historical period or the psychological stages of an person ‘s development. The personal imagination of the ‘gyre ‘ insinuates at the Hegelian construct of coiling history. The verse form is really in loose iambic pentameter, really much closer to the free poetry. The rhyming is haphazard. These dogmas were the trumpeters of the coming of Modernist poesy. In modernist poesy, the several poet does non care to explicate or construe their ain verse forms. It is something prohibited for them. The distance between the reader and the poet is big and there is no effort nevertheless to pass on between the two.

Portfolio Effect on Risk and Return

ERC INSTITUTE Name : Kimberly Limanto Student ID : 1004434 Course Name: SADBA Title Of The Course : Investment and Fund Management Date of Submission : 15 November 2012 Instructor Name : Mr. Johnson Yang TABLE OF CONTENTThe Financial advisor’s investment case: Inferior investment alternatives Although investing requires the individual to bear risk, the risk can be controlled through the construction of diversified portfolios and by excluding any portfolio that offers an inferior return for a given amount of risk. While this concept seems obvious, one of your clients, Laura Spegele, is considering purchasing a stock she will bear. To convince her that the acquisition is not desirable, you want to demonstrate the trade-off between risk and return.While it is impractical to show the trade-off for all possible combinations, you believe that illustrating several combinations of risk and return and applying the same analysis to the specific investment should be persuasive in discour aging the purchase. Currently, US Treasury bills offer 7%. Three possible stocks and their beta are as follows:- SecuritiesExpected ReturnBeta Stock A9%0. 6 Stock B 11%1. 3 Stock C 14%1. 5 Required I. What will be the expected return and beta for each of the following ? portfolios? a.Portfolio 1 through 4 : all of the funds are invested solely in one asset ? (the corresponding three stocks or the Treasury bill) b. Portfolio 5: one quarter of the funds are invested in each alternative c. Portfolio 6: one half of the funds are invested in stock A and the other half in stock C. d. Portfolio 7: One third of the funds are invested in each stock. II. Are any of the portfolios inefficient? III. Is there any combination of the Treasury bill and Stock C that is superior to portfolio 6 (i. e. half the funds in Stock A and half in Stock C)? IV.Since your client’s suggested stock has an anticipated return of 12% and a beta of 1. 4 does that information argue for or against the purchase o f the ? stock? V. Why is it important to consider purchasing an asset as part of a portfolio ? and not as an independent act? Answers: I. Expected Return and Beta of each portfolio. a. All of the funds are invested solely in one asset. * Portfolio 1 : 100% in investment T-Bill E(R) = 7% E (beta) = 0. 0 * Portfolio 2 : 100% investment in Stock A E(R) = 9% E (beta) = 0. 6 * Portfolio 3 : 100% investment in Stock B E(R) = 11%E (beta) = 1. 3 * Portfolio 4 : 100% investment in Stock C E(R) = 14% E (beta) = 1. 5 b. Portfolio 5 : 25% investment in each security E(R) = (0. 25*0. 07) + (0. 25*0. 09) + (0. 25*0. 11) + (0. 25*0. 14) = 0. 0175 + 0. 0225 + 0. 0275 + 0. 035 = 0. 1025 = 10. 25% E (beta) = (0. 25*0. 0) + (0. 25*0. 6) + (0. 25*1. 3) + (0. 25*1. 5) = 0 + 0. 15 + 0. 325 + 0. 375 = 0. 85 c. Portfolio 6 : 50% investment in Stock A, 50% investment in Stock B E(R) = (0. 5*0. 09) + (0. 5*0. 14) = 0. 045 + 0. 07 = 0. 115 = 11. 5% E (beta) = (0. 5*0. 6) + (0. 5*1. 5) = 0. 3 + 0. 75 = 1. 05 . Portfolio 7 : one-third investment in each security E(R) = (0. 33*0. 09) + (033*0. 11) + (0. 33*0. 14) = 0. 03 + 0. 036 + 0. 046 = 0. 1122 = 11. 22% E (beta) = (0. 33*0. 6) + (0. 33*1. 3) + (0. 33*1. 5) = 1. 12 Each Portfolio returns and beta 100% in T-bill| 7%| 0. 0| 100% in stock A| 9%| 0. 6| 100% in stock B| 11%| 1. 3| 100% in stock C| 14%| 1. 5| 25% in each| 10. 25%| 0. 85| 50% in A and C| 11. 5%| 1. 05| 1/3 in each stock| 11. 22%| 1. 12| II. Inefficient portfolio is a portfolio where the expected risk is higher than the expected return in their comparison.In this case, portfolio 3 where the investment is 100% invested in stock B is the most inefficient because its expected return is 11% and its beta is 1. 3 while in portfolio 6 the expected return is slightly higher, which is 11. 5%, but the beta is lower, which is 1. 05. Therefore from this, we can conclude that portfolio 3, or when she invest 100% in stock B, is the most inefficient portfolio. III. The portfolio which combin es 50% investment in stock A and 50% investment in stock C generates an expected return of 11. 5% and beta of 1. 05.The combination on investment between T-Bill and stock C that will be superior to the previous portfolio is: E (beta) = 1. 05 = [X% * 0. 0] + [Y% * 1. 5] = 1. 05 = 0 + [Y% * 1. 5] = 1. 05 Y% = 1. 5/1. 05 Y% = 0. 7 = 70% X% = 100% – 70% = 30% E(R) = (0. 3*0. 07) + (0. 7*0. 14) = 0. 021 + 0. 098 = 0. 119 = 11. 9% The portfolio which combines 30% or less investment in T-Bill and 70% or more investment in stock C will e superior to portfolio 6 which combine 50% investment in stock A and 50% investment in stock C. IV. The portfolio that the client suggested which has 12% expected return and 1. beta is inferior compared to any other portfolio. To prove that this portfolio is inferior to another portfolio, we can try to calculate by : Beta of 1. 4 is a combine of 93% investment in stock C and 7% investment in T-bill. Calculation: (0. 07*0. 0) + (0. 93*1. 5) = 1. 4 This portfolio will generate an expected return of: (0. 07*0. 07) + (0. 93*0. 14) = 0. 0049 + 0. 1302 = 0. 1351 = 13. 51% This calculation prove that a beta of 1. 4 suppose to give 13. 51% expected return. Therefore, the client's suggested portfolio is inferior compared to any other portfolio.V. Purchasing an asset as a part of a portfolio is a much clever way than just purchasing one single asset. It is because by purchasing several assets, the investor can either have higher return with the same risk, or same return but with a lower risk. Therefore, purchasing more than one asset will give benefits to the investor. Also, by purchasing in more than one asset, the investor can be more â€Å"safe†. What safe means is when the other asset collapse, or its value decline, there are still other assets that can cover the losses.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 1-3

CHAPTER 1 The Otis elevator climbing the south pillar of the Eiffel Tower was overflowing with tourists. Inside the cramped lift, an austere businessman in a pressed suit gazed down at the boy beside him. â€Å"You look pale, son. You should have stayed on the ground.† â€Å"I'm okay . . .† the boy answered, struggling to control his anxiety. â€Å"I'll get out on the next level.† I can't breathe. The man leaned closer. â€Å"I thought by now you would have gotten over this.† He brushed the child's cheek affectionately. The boy felt ashamed to disappoint his father, but he could barely hear through the ringing in his ears. I can't breathe. I've got to get out of this box! The elevator operator was saying something reassuring about the lift's articulated pistons and puddled-iron construction. Far beneath them, the streets of Paris stretched out in all directions. Almost there, the boy told himself, craning his neck and looking up at the unloading platform. Just hold on. As the lift angled steeply toward the upper viewing deck, the shaft began to narrow, its massive struts contracting into a tight, vertical tunnel. â€Å"Dad, I don't think–â€Å" Suddenly a staccato crack echoed overhead. The carriage jerked, swaying awkwardly to one side. Frayed cables began whipping around the carriage, thrashing like snakes. The boy reached out for his father. â€Å"Dad!† Their eyes locked for one terrifying second. Then the bottom dropped out. Robert Langdon jolted upright in his soft leather seat, startling out of the semiconscious daydream. He was sitting all alone in the enormous cabin of a Falcon 2000EX corporate jet as it bounced its way through turbulence. In the background, the dual Pratt & Whitney engines hummed evenly. â€Å"Mr. Langdon?† The intercom crackled overhead. â€Å"We're on final approach.† Langdon sat up straight and slid his lecture notes back into his leather daybag. He'd been halfway through reviewing Masonic symbology when his mind had drifted. The daydream about his late father, Langdon suspected, had been stirred by this morning's unexpected invitation from Langdon's longtime mentor, Peter Solomon. The other man I never want to disappoint. The fifty-eight-year-old philanthropist, historian, and scientist had taken Langdon under his wing nearly thirty years ago, in many ways filling the void left by Langdon's father's death. Despite the man's influential family dynasty and massive wealth, Langdon had found humility and warmth in Solomon's soft gray eyes. Outside the window the sun had set, but Langdon could still make out the slender silhouette of the world's largest obelisk, rising on the horizon like the spire of an ancient gnomon. The 555- foot marble-faced obelisk marked this nation's heart. All around the spire, the meticulous geometry of streets and monuments radiated outward. Even from the air, Washington, D.C., exuded an almost mystical power. Langdon loved this city, and as the jet touched down, he felt a rising excitement about what lay ahead. The jet taxied to a private terminal somewhere in the vast expanse of Dulles International Airport and came to a stop. Langdon gathered his things, thanked the pilots, and stepped out of the jet's luxurious interior onto the foldout staircase. The cold January air felt liberating. Breathe, Robert, he thought, appreciating the wide-open spaces. A blanket of white fog crept across the runway, and Langdon had the sensation he was stepping into a marsh as he descended onto the misty tarmac. â€Å"Hello! Hello!† a singsong British voice shouted from across the tarmac. â€Å"Professor Langdon?† Langdon looked up to see a middle-aged woman with a badge and clipboard hurrying toward him, waving happily as he approached. Curly blond hair protruded from under a stylish knit wool hat. â€Å"Welcome to Washington, sir!† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"My name is Pam, from passenger services.† The woman spoke with an exuberance that was almost unsettling. â€Å"If you'll come with me, sir, your car is waiting.† Langdon followed her across the runway toward the Signature terminal, which was surrounded by glistening private jets. A taxi stand for the rich and famous. â€Å"I hate to embarrass you, Professor,† the woman said, sounding sheepish, â€Å"but you are the Robert Langdon who writes books about symbols and religion, aren't you?† Langdon hesitated and then nodded. â€Å"I thought so!† she said, beaming. â€Å"My book group read your book about the sacred feminine and the church! What a delicious scandal that one caused! You do enjoy putting the fox in the henhouse!† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Scandal wasn't really my intention.† The woman seemed to sense Langdon was not in the mood to discuss his work. â€Å"I'm sorry. Listen to me rattling on. I know you probably get tired of being recognized . . . but it's your own fault.† She playfully motioned to his clothing. â€Å"Your uniform gave you away.† My uniform? Langdon glanced down at his attire. He was wearing his usual charcoal turtleneck, Harris Tweed jacket, khakis, and collegiate cordovan loafers . . . his standard attire for the classroom, lecture circuit, author photos, and social events. The woman laughed. â€Å"Those turtlenecks you wear are so dated. You'd look much sharper in a tie!† No chance, Langdon thought. Little nooses. Neckties had been required six days a week when Langdon attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and despite the headmaster's romantic claims that the origin of the cravat went back to the silk fascalia worn by Roman orators to warm their vocal cords, Langdon knew that, etymologically, cravat actually derived from a ruthless band of â€Å"Croat† mercenaries who donned knotted neckerchiefs before they stormed into battle. To this day, this ancient battle garb was donned by modern office warriors hoping to intimidate their enemies in daily boardroom battles. â€Å"Thanks for the advice,† Langdon said with a chuckle. â€Å"I'll consider a tie in the future.† Mercifully, a professional-looking man in a dark suit got out of a sleek Lincoln Town Car parked near the terminal and held up his finger. â€Å"Mr. Langdon? I'm Charles with Beltway Limousine.† He opened the passenger door. â€Å"Good evening, sir. Welcome to Washington.† Langdon tipped Pam for her hospitality and then climbed into the plush interior of the Town Car. The driver showed him the temperature controls, the bottled water, and the basket of hot muffins. Seconds later, Langdon was speeding away on a private access road. So this is how the other half lives. As the driver gunned the car up Windsock Drive, he consulted his passenger manifest and placed a quick call. â€Å"This is Beltway Limousine,† the driver said with professional efficiency. â€Å"I was asked to confirm once my passenger had landed.† He paused. â€Å"Yes, sir. Your guest, Mr. Langdon, has arrived, and I will deliver him to the Capitol Building by seven P.M. You're welcome, sir.† He hung up. Langdon had to smile. No stone left unturned. Peter Solomon's attention to detail was one of his most potent assets, allowing him to manage his substantial power with apparent ease. A few billion dollars in the bank doesn't hurt either. Langdon settled into the plush leather seat and closed his eyes as the noise of the airport faded behind him. The U.S. Capitol was a half hour away, and he appreciated the time alone to gather his thoughts. Everything had happened so quickly today that Langdon only now had begun to think in earnest about the incredible evening that lay ahead. Arriving under a veil of secrecy, Langdon thought, amused by the prospect. Ten miles from the Capitol Building, a lone figure was eagerly preparing for Robert Langdon's arrival. CHAPTER 2 The one who called himself Mal'akh pressed the tip of the needle against his shaved head, sighing with pleasure as the sharp tool plunged in and out of his flesh. The soft hum of the electric device was addictive . . . as was the bite of the needle sliding deep into his dermis and depositing its dye. I am a masterpiece. The goal of tattooing was never beauty. The goal was change. From the scarified Nubian priests of 2000 B.C., to the tattooed acolytes of the Cybele cult of ancient Rome, to the moko scars of the modern Maori, humans have tattooed themselves as a way of offering up their bodies in partial sacrifice, enduring the physical pain of embellishment and emerging changed beings. Despite the ominous admonitions of Leviticus 19:28, which forbade the marking of one's flesh, tattoos had become a rite of passage shared by millions of people in the modern age–everyone from clean-cut teenagers to hard-core drug users to suburban housewives. The act of tattooing one's skin was a transformative declaration of power, an announcement to the world: I am in control of my own flesh. The intoxicating feeling of control derived from physical transformation had addicted millions to flesh-altering practices . . . cosmetic surgery, body piercing, bodybuilding, and steroids . . . even bulimia and transgendering. The human spirit craves mastery over its carnal shell. A single bell chimed on Mal'akh's grandfather clock, and he looked up. Six thirty P.M. Leaving his tools, he wrapped the Kiryu silk robe around his naked, six-foot-three body and strode down the hall. The air inside this sprawling mansion was heavy with the pungent fragrance of his skin dyes and smoke from the beeswax candles he used to sterilize his needles. The towering young man moved down the corridor past priceless Italian antiques–a Piranesi etching, a Savonarola chair, a silver Bugarini oil lamp. He glanced through a floor-to-ceiling window as he passed, admiring the classical skyline in the distance. The luminous dome of the U.S. Capitol glowed with solemn power against the dark winter sky. This is where it is hidden, he thought. It is buried out there somewhere. Few men knew it existed . . . and even fewer knew its awesome power or the ingenious way in which it had been hidden. To this day, it remained this country's greatest untold secret. Those few who did know the truth kept it hidden behind a veil of symbols, legends, and allegory. Now they have opened their doors to me, Mal'akh thought. Three weeks ago, in a dark ritual witnessed by America's most influential men, Mal'akh had ascended to the thirty-third degree, the highest echelon of the world's oldest surviving brotherhood. Despite Mal'akh's new rank, the brethren had told him nothing. Nor will they, he knew. That was not how it worked. There were circles within circles . . . brotherhoods within brotherhoods. Even if Mal'akh waited years, he might never earn their ultimate trust. Fortunately, he did not need their trust to obtain their deepest secret. My initiation served its purpose. Now, energized by what lay ahead, he strode toward his bedroom. Throughout his entire home, audio speakers broadcast the eerie strains of a rare recording of a castrato singing the â€Å"Lux Aeterna† from the Verdi Requiem–a reminder of a previous life. Mal'akh touched a remote control to bring on the thundering â€Å"Dies Irae.† Then, against a backdrop of crashing timpani and parallel fifths, he bounded up the marble staircase, his robe billowing as he ascended on sinewy legs. As he ran, his empty stomach growled in protest. For two days now, Mal'akh had fasted, consuming only water, preparing his body in accordance with the ancient ways. Your hunger will be satisfied by dawn, he reminded himself. Along with your pain. Mal'akh entered his bedroom sanctuary with reverence, locking the door behind him. As he moved toward his dressing area, he paused, feeling himself drawn to the enormous gilded mirror. Unable to resist, he turned and faced his own reflection. Slowly, as if unwrapping a priceless gift, Mal'akh opened his robe to unveil his naked form. The vision awed him. I am a masterpiece. His massive body was shaved and smooth. He lowered his gaze first to his feet, which were tattooed with the scales and talons of a hawk. Above that, his muscular legs were tattooed as carved pillars–his left leg spiraled and his right vertically striated. Boaz and Jachin. His groin and abdomen formed a decorated archway, above which his powerful chest was emblazoned with the double-headed phoenix . . . each head in profile with its visible eye formed by one of Mal'akh's nipples. His shoulders, neck, face, and shaved head were completely covered with an intricate tapestry of ancient symbols and sigils. I am an artifact . . . an evolving icon. One mortal man had seen Mal'akh naked, eighteen hours earlier. The man had shouted in fear. â€Å"Good God, you're a demon!† â€Å"If you perceive me as such,† Mal'akh had replied, understanding as had the ancients that angels and demons were identical–interchangeable archetypes–all a matter of polarity: the guardian angel who conquered your enemy in battle was perceived by your enemy as a demon destroyer. Mal'akh tipped his face down now and got an oblique view of the top of his head. There, within the crownlike halo, shone a small circle of pale, untattooed flesh. This carefully guarded canvas was Mal'akh's only remaining piece of virgin skin. The sacred space had waited patiently . . . and tonight, it would be filled. Although Mal'akh did not yet possess what he required to complete his masterpiece, he knew the moment was fast approaching. Exhilarated by his reflection, he could already feel his power growing. He closed his robe and walked to the window, again gazing out at the mystical city before him. It is buried out there somewhere. Refocusing on the task at hand, Mal'akh went to his dressing table and carefully applied a base of concealer makeup to his face, scalp, and neck until his tattoos had disappeared. Then he donned the special set of clothing and other items he had meticulously prepared for this evening. When he finished, he checked himself in the mirror. Satisfied, he ran a soft palm across his smooth scalp and smiled. It is out there, he thought. And tonight, one man will help me find it. As Mal'akh exited his home, he prepared himself for the event that would soon shake the U.S. Capitol Building. He had gone to enormous lengths to arrange all the pieces for tonight. And now, at last, his final pawn had entered the game. CHAPTER 3 Robert Langdon was busy reviewing his note cards when the hum of the Town Car's tires changed pitch on the road beneath him. Langdon glanced up, surprised to see where they were. Memorial Bridge already? He put down his notes and gazed out at the calm waters of the Potomac passing beneath him. A heavy mist hovered on the surface. Aptly named, Foggy Bottom had always seemed a peculiar site on which to build the nation's capital. Of all the places in the New World, the forefathers had chosen a soggy riverside marsh on which to lay the cornerstone of their utopian society. Langdon gazed left, across the Tidal Basin, toward the gracefully rounded silhouette of the Jefferson Memorial–America's Pantheon, as many called it. Directly in front of the car, the Lincoln Memorial rose with rigid austerity, its orthogonal lines reminiscent of Athens's ancient Parthenon. But it was farther away that Langdon saw the city's centerpiece–the same spire he had seen from the air. Its architectural inspiration was far, far older than the Romans or the Greeks. America's Egyptian obelisk. The monolithic spire of the Washington Monument loomed dead ahead, illuminated against the sky like the majestic mast of a ship. From Langdon's oblique angle, the obelisk appeared ungrounded tonight . . . swaying against the dreary sky as if on an unsteady sea. Langdon felt similarly ungrounded. His visit to Washington had been utterly unexpected. I woke up this morning anticipating a quiet Sunday at home . . . and now I'm a few minutes away from the U.S. Capitol. This morning at four forty-five, Langdon had plunged into dead-calm water, beginning his day as he always did, swimming fifty laps in the deserted Harvard Pool. His physique was not quite what it had been in his college days as a water-polo all-American, but he was still lean and toned, respectable for a man in his forties. The only difference now was the amount of effort it took Langdon to keep it that way. When Langdon arrived home around six, he began his morning ritual of hand-grinding Sumatra coffee beans and savoring the exotic scent that filled his kitchen. This morning, however, he was surprised to see the blinking red light on his voice-mail display. Who calls at six A.M. on a Sunday? He pressed the button and listened to the message. â€Å"Good morning, Professor Langdon, I'm terribly sorry for this early-morning call.† The polite voice was noticeably hesitant, with a hint of a southern accent. â€Å"My name is Anthony Jelbart, and I'm Peter Solomon's executive assistant. Mr. Solomon told me you're an early riser . . . he has been trying to reach you this morning on short notice. As soon as you receive this message, would you be so kind as to call Peter directly? You probably have his new private line, but if not, it's 202-329-5746.† Langdon felt a sudden concern for his old friend. Peter Solomon was impeccably well-bred and courteous, and certainly not the kind of man to call at daybreak on a Sunday unless something was very wrong. Langdon left his coffee half made and hurried toward his study to return the call. I hope he's okay. Peter Solomon had been a friend, mentor, and, although only twelve years Langdon's senior, a father figure to him ever since their first meeting at Princeton University. As a sophomore, Langdon had been required to attend an evening guest lecture by the well-known young historian and philanthropist. Solomon had spoken with a contagious passion, presenting a dazzling vision of semiotics and archetypal history that had sparked in Langdon what would later become his lifelong passion for symbols. It was not Peter Solomon's brilliance, however, but the humility in his gentle gray eyes that had given Langdon the courage to write him a thank-you letter. The young sophomore had never dreamed that Peter Solomon, one of America's wealthiest and most intriguing young intellectuals, would ever write back. But Solomon did. And it had been the beginning of a truly gratifying friendship. A prominent academic whose quiet manner belied his powerful heritage, Peter Solomon came from the ultrawealthy Solomon family, whose names appeared on buildings and universities all over the nation. Like the Rothschilds in Europe, the surname Solomon had always carried the mystique of American royalty and success. Peter had inherited the mantle at a young age after the death of his father, and now, at fifty-eight, he had held numerous positions of power in his life. He currently served as the head of the Smithsonian Institution. Langdon occasionally ribbed Peter that the lone tarnish on his sterling pedigree was his diploma from a second-rate university–Yale. Now, as Langdon entered his study, he was surprised to see that he had received a fax from Peter as well. Peter Solomon OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Good morning, Robert, I need to speak with you at once. Please call me this morning as soon as you can at 202-329- 5746. Peter Langdon immediately dialed the number, sitting down at his hand-carved oak desk to wait as the call went through. â€Å"Office of Peter Solomon,† the familiar voice of the assistant answered. â€Å"This is Anthony. May I help you?† â€Å"Hello, this is Robert Langdon. You left me a message earlier–â€Å" â€Å"Yes, Professor Langdon!† The young man sounded relieved. â€Å"Thank you for calling back so quickly. Mr. Solomon is eager to speak to you. Let me tell him you're on the line. May I put you on hold?† â€Å"Of course.† As Langdon waited for Solomon to get on the line, he gazed down at Peter's name atop the Smithsonian letterhead and had to smile. Not many slackers in the Solomon clan. Peter's ancestral tree burgeoned with the names of wealthy business magnates, influential politicians, and a number of distinguished scientists, some even fellows of London's Royal Society. Solomon's only living family member, his younger sister, Katherine, had apparently inherited the science gene, because she was now a leading figure in a new cutting-edge discipline called Noetic Science. All Greek to me, Langdon thought, amused to recall Katherine's unsuccessful attempt to explain Noetic Science to him at a party at her brother's home last year. Langdon had listened carefully and then replied, â€Å"Sounds more like magic than science.† Katherine winked playfully. â€Å"They're closer than you think, Robert.† Now Solomon's assistant returned to the phone. â€Å"I'm sorry, Mr. Solomon is trying to get off a conference call. Things are a little chaotic here this morning.† â€Å"That's not a problem. I can easily call back.† â€Å"Actually, he asked me to fill you in on his reason for contacting you, if you don't mind?† â€Å"Of course not.† The assistant inhaled deeply. â€Å"As you probably know, Professor, every year here in Washington, the board of the Smithsonian hosts a private gala to thank our most generous supporters. Many of the country's cultural elite attend.† Langdon knew his own bank account had too few zeros to qualify him as culturally elite, but he wondered if maybe Solomon was going to invite him to attend nonetheless. â€Å"This year, as is customary,† the assistant continued, â€Å"the dinner will be preceded by a keynote address. We've been lucky enough to secure the National Statuary Hall for that speech.† The best room in all of D.C., Langdon thought, recalling a political lecture he had once attended in the dramatic semicircular hall. It was hard to forget five hundred folding chairs splayed in a perfect arc, surrounded by thirty-eight life-size statues, in a room that had once served as the nation's original House of Representatives chamber. â€Å"The problem is this,† the man said. â€Å"Our speaker has fallen ill and has just informed us she will be unable to give the address.† He paused awkwardly. â€Å"This means we are desperate for a replacement speaker. And Mr. Solomon is hoping you would consider filling in.† Langdon did a double take. â€Å"Me?† This was not at all what he had expected. â€Å"I'm sure Peter could find a far better substitute.† â€Å"You're Mr. Solomon's first choice, Professor, and you're being much too modest. The institution's guests would be thrilled to hear from you, and Mr. Solomon thought you could give the same lecture you gave on Bookspan TV a few years back? That way, you wouldn't have to prepare a thing. He said your talk involved symbolism in the architecture of our nation's capital–it sounds absolutely perfect for the venue.† Langdon was not so sure. â€Å"If I recall, that lecture had more to do with the Masonic history of the building than–â€Å" â€Å"Exactly! As you know, Mr. Solomon is a Mason, as are many of his professional friends who will be in attendance. I'm sure they would love to hear you speak on the topic.† I admit it would be easy. Langdon had kept the lecture notes from every talk he'd ever given. â€Å"I suppose I could consider it. What date is the event?† The assistant cleared his throat, sounding suddenly uncomfortable. â€Å"Well, actually, sir, it's tonight.† Langdon laughed out loud. â€Å"Tonight?!† â€Å"That's why it's so hectic here this morning. The Smithsonian is in a deeply embarrassing predicament . . .† The assistant spoke more hurriedly now. â€Å"Mr. Solomon is ready to send a private jet to Boston for you. The flight is only an hour, and you would be back home before midnight. You're familiar with the private air terminal at Boston's Logan Airport?† â€Å"I am,† Langdon admitted reluctantly. No wonder Peter always gets his way. â€Å"Wonderful! Would you be willing to meet the jet there at say . . . five o'clock?† â€Å"You haven't left me much choice, have you?† Langdon chuckled. â€Å"I just want to make Mr. Solomon happy, sir.† Peter has that effect on people. Langdon considered it a long moment, seeing no way out. â€Å"All right. Tell him I can do it.† â€Å"Outstanding!† the assistant exclaimed, sounding deeply relieved. He gave Langdon the jet's tail number and various other information. When Langdon finally hung up, he wondered if Peter Solomon had ever been told no. Returning to his coffee preparation, Langdon scooped some additional beans into the grinder. A little extra caffeine this morning, he thought. It's going to be a long day.