Angels Demons Chapter 39-41

39 The Apostolic Palace is a conglomeration of buildings located near the Sistine Chapel in the northeast corner of Vatican City. With a commanding view of St. Peter's Square, the palace houses both the Papal Apartments and the Office of the Pope. Vittoria and Langdon followed in silence as Commander Olivetti led them down a long rococo corridor, the muscles in his neck pulsing with rage. After climbing three sets of stairs, they entered a wide, dimly lit hallway. Langdon could not believe the artwork on the walls – mint-condition busts, tapestries, friezes – works worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Two-thirds of the way down the hall they passed an alabaster fountain. Olivetti turned left into an alcove and strode to one of the largest doors Langdon had ever seen. â€Å"Ufficio di Papa,† the commander declared, giving Vittoria an acrimonious scowl. Vittoria didn't flinch. She reached over Olivetti and knocked loudly on the door. Office of the Pope, Langdon thought, having difficulty fathoming that he was standing outside one of the most sacred rooms in all of world religion. â€Å"Avanti!† someone called from within. When the door opened, Langdon had to shield his eyes. The sunlight was blinding. Slowly, the image before him came into focus. The Office of the Pope seemed more of a ballroom than an office. Red marble floors sprawled out in all directions to walls adorned with vivid frescoes. A colossal chandelier hung overhead, beyond which a bank of arched windows offered a stunning panorama of the sun-drenched St. Peter's Square. My God, Langdon thought. This is a room with a view. At the far end of the hall, at a carved desk, a man sat writing furiously. â€Å"Avanti,† he called out again, setting down his pen and waving them over. Olivetti led the way, his gait military. â€Å"Signore,† he said apologetically. â€Å"No ho potuto – â€Å" The man cut him off. He stood and studied his two visitors. The camerlegno was nothing like the images of frail, beatific old men Langdon usually imagined roaming the Vatican. He wore no rosary beads or pendants. No heavy robes. He was dressed instead in a simple black cassock that seemed to amplify the solidity of his substantial frame. He looked to be in his late-thirties, indeed a child by Vatican standards. He had a surprisingly handsome face, a swirl of coarse brown hair, and almost radiant green eyes that shone as if they were somehow fueled by the mysteries of the universe. As the man drew nearer, though, Langdon saw in his eyes a profound exhaustion – like a soul who had been through the toughest fifteen days of his life. â€Å"I am Carlo Ventresca,† he said, his English perfect. â€Å"The late Pope's camerlegno.† His voice was unpretentious and kind, with only the slightest hint of Italian inflection. â€Å"Vittoria Vetra,† she said, stepping forward and offering her hand. â€Å"Thank you for seeing us.† Olivetti twitched as the camerlegno shook Vittoria's hand. â€Å"This is Robert Langdon,† Vittoria said. â€Å"A religious historian from Harvard University.† â€Å"Padre,† Langdon said, in his best Italian accent. He bowed his head as he extended his hand. â€Å"No, no,† the camerlegno insisted, lifting Langdon back up. â€Å"His Holiness's office does not make me holy. I am merely a priest – a chamberlain serving in a time of need.† Langdon stood upright. â€Å"Please,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"everyone sit.† He arranged some chairs around his desk. Langdon and Vittoria sat. Olivetti apparently preferred to stand. The camerlegno seated himself at the desk, folded his hands, sighed, and eyed his visitors. â€Å"Signore,† Olivetti said. â€Å"The woman's attire is my fault. I – â€Å" â€Å"Her attire is not what concerns me,† the camerlegno replied, sounding too exhausted to be bothered. â€Å"When the Vatican operator calls me a half hour before I begin conclave to tell me a woman is calling from your private office to warn me of some sort of major security threat of which I have not been informed, that concerns me.† Olivetti stood rigid, his back arched like a soldier under intense inspection. Langdon felt hypnotized by the camerlegno's presence. Young and wearied as he was, the priest had the air of some mythical hero – radiating charisma and authority. â€Å"Signore,† Olivetti said, his tone apologetic but still unyielding. â€Å"You should not concern yourself with matters of security. You have other responsibilities.† â€Å"I am well aware of my other responsibilities. I am also aware that as direttore intermediario, I have a responsibility for the safety and well-being of everyone at this conclave. What is going on here?† â€Å"I have the situation under control.† â€Å"Apparently not.† â€Å"Father,† Langdon interrupted, taking out the crumpled fax and handing it to the camerlegno, â€Å"please.† Commander Olivetti stepped forward, trying to intervene. â€Å"Father, please do not trouble your thoughts with – â€Å" The camerlegno took the fax, ignoring Olivetti for a long moment. He looked at the image of the murdered Leonardo Vetra and drew a startled breath. â€Å"What is this?† â€Å"That is my father,† Vittoria said, her voice wavering. â€Å"He was a priest and a man of science. He was murdered last night.† The camerlegno's face softened instantly. He looked up at her. â€Å"My dear child. I'm so sorry.† He crossed himself and looked again at the fax, his eyes seeming to pool with waves of abhorrence. â€Å"Who would†¦ and this burn on his†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The camerlegno paused, squinting closer at the image. â€Å"It says Illuminati,† Langdon said. â€Å"No doubt you are familiar with the name.† An odd look came across the camerlegno's face. â€Å"I have heard the name, yes, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The Illuminati murdered Leonardo Vetra so they could steal a new technology he was – â€Å" â€Å"Signore,† Olivetti interjected. â€Å"This is absurd. The Illuminati? This is clearly some sort of elaborate hoax.† The camerlegno seemed to ponder Olivetti's words. Then he turned and contemplated Langdon so fully that Langdon felt the air leave his lungs. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, I have spent my life in the Catholic Church. I am familiar with the Illuminati lore†¦ and the legend of the brandings. And yet I must warn you, I am a man of the present tense. Christianity has enough real enemies without resurrecting ghosts.† â€Å"The symbol is authentic,† Langdon said, a little too defensively he thought. He reached over and rotated the fax for the camerlegno. The camerlegno fell silent when he saw the symmetry. â€Å"Even modern computers,† Langdon added, â€Å"have been unable to forge a symmetrical ambigram of this word.† The camerlegno folded his hands and said nothing for a long time. â€Å"The Illuminati are dead,† he finally said. â€Å"Long ago. That is historical fact.† Langdon nodded. â€Å"Yesterday, I would have agreed with you.† â€Å"Yesterday?† â€Å"Before today's chain of events. I believe the Illuminati have resurfaced to make good on an ancient pact.† â€Å"Forgive me. My history is rusty. What ancient pact is this?† Langdon took a deep breath. â€Å"The destruction of Vatican City.† â€Å"Destroy Vatican City?† The camerlegno looked less frightened than confused. â€Å"But that would be impossible.† Vittoria shook her head. â€Å"I'm afraid we have some more bad news.† 40 â€Å"Is this true?† the camerlegno demanded, looking amazed as he turned from Vittoria to Olivetti. â€Å"Signore,† Olivetti assured, â€Å"I'll admit there is some sort of device here. It is visible on one of our security monitors, but as for Ms. Vetra's claims as to the power of this substance, I cannot possibly – â€Å" â€Å"Wait a minute,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"You can see this thing?† â€Å"Yes, signore. On wireless camera #86.† â€Å"Then why haven't you recovered it?† The camerlegno's voice echoed anger now. â€Å"Very difficult, signore.† Olivetti stood straight as he explained the situation. The camerlegno listened, and Vittoria sensed his growing concern. â€Å"Are you certain it is inside Vatican City?† the camerlegno asked. â€Å"Maybe someone took the camera out and is transmitting from somewhere else.† â€Å"Impossible,† Olivetti said. â€Å"Our external walls are shielded electronically to protect our internal communications. This signal can only be coming from the inside or we would not be receiving it.† â€Å"And I assume,† he said, â€Å"that you are now looking for this missing camera with all available resources?† Olivetti shook his head. â€Å"No, signore. Locating that camera could take hundreds of man hours. We have a number of other security concerns at the moment, and with all due respect to Ms. Vetra, this droplet she talks about is very small. It could not possibly be as explosive as she claims.† Vittoria's patience evaporated. â€Å"That droplet is enough to level Vatican City! Did you even listen to a word I told you?† â€Å"Ma'am,† Olivetti said, his voice like steel, â€Å"my experience with explosives is extensive.† â€Å"Your experience is obsolete,† she fired back, equally tough. â€Å"Despite my attire, which I realize you find troublesome, I am a senior level physicist at the world's most advanced subatomic research facility. I personally designed the antimatter trap that is keeping that sample from annihilating right now. And I am warning you that unless you find that canister in the next six hours, your guards will have nothing to protect for the next century but a big hole in the ground.† Olivetti wheeled to the camerlegno, his insect eyes flashing rage. â€Å"Signore, I cannot in good conscience allow this to go any further. Your time is being wasted by pranksters. The Illuminati? A droplet that will destroy us all?† â€Å"Basta,† the camerlegno declared. He spoke the word quietly and yet it seemed to echo across the chamber. Then there was silence. He continued in a whisper. â€Å"Dangerous or not, Illuminati or no Illuminati, whatever this thing is, it most certainly should not be inside Vatican City†¦ no less on the eve of the conclave. I want it found and removed. Organize a search immediately.† Olivetti persisted. â€Å"Signore, even if we used all the guards to search the complex, it could take days to find this camera. Also, after speaking to Ms. Vetra, I had one of my guards consult our most advanced ballistics guide for any mention of this substance called antimatter. I found no mention of it anywhere. Nothing.† Pompous ass, Vittoria thought. A ballistics guide? Did you try an encyclopedia? Under A! Olivetti was still talking. â€Å"Signore, if you are suggesting we make a naked-eye search of the entirety of Vatican City then I must object.† â€Å"Commander.† The camerlegno's voice simmered with rage. â€Å"May I remind you that when you address me, you are addressing this office. I realize you do not take my position seriously – nonetheless, by law, I am in charge. If I am not mistaken, the cardinals are now safely within the Sistine Chapel, and your security concerns are at a minimum until the conclave breaks. I do not understand why you are hesitant to look for this device. If I did not know better it would appear that you are causing this conclave intentional danger.† Olivetti looked scornful. â€Å"How dare you! I have served your Pope for twelve years! And the Pope before that for fourteen years! Since 1438 the Swiss Guard have – â€Å" The walkie-talkie on Olivetti's belt squawked loudly, cutting him off. â€Å"Comandante?† Olivetti snatched it up and pressed the transmitter. â€Å"Sto ocupato! Cosa voi!† â€Å"Scusi,† the Swiss Guard on the radio said. â€Å"Communications here. I thought you would want to be informed that we have received a bomb threat.† Olivetti could not have looked less interested. â€Å"So handle it! Run the usual trace, and write it up.† â€Å"We did, sir, but the caller†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The guard paused. â€Å"I would not trouble you, commander, except that he mentioned the substance you just asked me to research. Antimatter.† Everyone in the room exchanged stunned looks. â€Å"He mentioned what?† Olivetti stammered. â€Å"Antimatter, sir. While we were trying to run a trace, I did some additional research on his claim. The information on antimatter is†¦ well, frankly, it's quite troubling.† â€Å"I thought you said the ballistics guide showed no mention of it.† â€Å"I found it on-line.† Alleluia, Vittoria thought. â€Å"The substance appears to be quite explosive,† the guard said. â€Å"It's hard to imagine this information is accurate but it says here that pound for pound antimatter carries about a hundred times more payload than a nuclear warhead.† Olivetti slumped. It was like watching a mountain crumble. Vittoria's feeling of triumph was erased by the look of horror on the camerlegno's face. â€Å"Did you trace the call?† Olivetti stammered. â€Å"No luck. Cellular with heavy encryption. The SAT lines are interfused, so triangulation is out. The IF signature suggests he's somewhere in Rome, but there's really no way to trace him.† â€Å"Did he make demands?† Olivetti said, his voice quiet. â€Å"No, sir. Just warned us that there is antimatter hidden inside the complex. He seemed surprised I didn't know. Asked me if I'd seen it yet. You'd asked me about antimatter, so I decided to advise you.† â€Å"You did the right thing,† Olivetti said. â€Å"I'll be down in a minute. Alert me immediately if he calls back.† There was a moment of silence on the walkie-talkie. â€Å"The caller is still on the line, sir.† Olivetti looked like he'd just been electrocuted. â€Å"The line is open?† â€Å"Yes, sir. We've been trying to trace him for ten minutes, getting nothing but splayed ferreting. He must know we can't touch him because he refuses to hang up until he speaks to the camerlegno.† â€Å"Patch him through,† the camerlegno commanded. â€Å"Now!† Olivetti wheeled. â€Å"Father, no. A trained Swiss Guard negotiator is much better suited to handle this.† â€Å"Now!† Olivetti gave the order. A moment later, the phone on Camerlegno Ventresca's desk began to ring. The camerlegno rammed his finger down on the speaker-phone button. â€Å"Who in the name of God do you think you are?† 41 The voice emanating from the camerlegno's speaker phone was metallic and cold, laced with arrogance. Everyone in the room listened. Langdon tried to place the accent. Middle Eastern, perhaps? â€Å"I am a messenger of an ancient brotherhood,† the voice announced in an alien cadence. â€Å"A brotherhood you have wronged for centuries. I am a messenger of the Illuminati.† Langdon felt his muscles tighten, the last shreds of doubt withering away. For an instant he felt the familiar collision of thrill, privilege, and dead fear that he had experienced when he first saw the ambigram this morning. â€Å"What do you want?† the camerlegno demanded. â€Å"I represent men of science. Men who like yourselves are searching for the answers. Answers to man's destiny, his purpose, his creator.† â€Å"Whoever you are,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"I – â€Å" â€Å"Silenzio. You will do better to listen. For two millennia your church has dominated the quest for truth. You have crushed your opposition with lies and prophesies of doom. You have manipulated the truth to serve your needs, murdering those whose discoveries did not serve your politics. Are you surprised you are the target of enlightened men from around the globe?† â€Å"Enlightened men do not resort to blackmail to further their causes.† â€Å"Blackmail?† The caller laughed. â€Å"This is not blackmail. We have no demands. The abolition of the Vatican is nonnegotiable. We have waited four hundred years for this day. At midnight, your city will be destroyed. There is nothing you can do.† Olivetti stormed toward the speaker phone. â€Å"Access to this city is impossible! You could not possibly have planted explosives in here!† â€Å"You speak with the ignorant devotion of a Swiss Guard. Perhaps even an officer? Surely you are aware that for centuries the Illuminati have infiltrated elitist organizations across the globe. Do you really believe the Vatican is immune?† Jesus, Langdon thought, they've got someone on the inside. It was no secret that infiltration was the Illuminati trademark of power. They had infiltrated the Masons, major banking networks, government bodies. In fact, Churchill had once told reporters that if English spies had infiltrated the Nazis to the degree the Illuminati had infiltrated English Parliament, the war would have been over in one month. â€Å"A transparent bluff,† Olivetti snapped. â€Å"Your influence cannot possibly extend so far.† â€Å"Why? Because your Swiss Guards are vigilant? Because they watch every corner of your private world? How about the Swiss Guards themselves? Are they not men? Do you truly believe they stake their lives on a fable about a man who walks on water? Ask yourself how else the canister could have entered your city. Or how four of your most precious assets could have disappeared this afternoon.† â€Å"Our assets?† Olivetti scowled. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"One, two, three, four. You haven't missed them by now?† â€Å"What the hell are you talk – † Olivetti stopped short, his eyes rocketing wide as though he'd just been punched in the gut. â€Å"Light dawns,† the caller said. â€Å"Shall I read their names?† â€Å"What's going on?† the camerlegno said, looking bewildered. The caller laughed. â€Å"Your officer has not yet informed you? How sinful. No surprise. Such pride. I imagine the disgrace of telling you the truth†¦ that four cardinals he had sworn to protect seem to have disappeared†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Olivetti erupted. â€Å"Where did you get this information!† â€Å"Camerlegno,† the caller gloated, â€Å"ask your commander if all your cardinals are present in the Sistine Chapel.† The camerlegno turned to Olivetti, his green eyes demanding an explanation. â€Å"Signore,† Olivetti whispered in the camerlegno's ear, â€Å"it is true that four of our cardinals have not yet reported to the Sistine Chapel, but there is no need for alarm. Every one of them checked into the residence hall this morning, so we know they are safely inside Vatican City. You yourself had tea with them only hours ago. They are simply late for the fellowship preceding conclave. We are searching, but I'm sure they just lost track of time and are still out enjoying the grounds.† â€Å"Enjoying the grounds?† The calm departed from the camerlegno's voice. â€Å"They were due in the chapel over an hour ago!† Langdon shot Vittoria a look of amazement. Missing cardinals? So that's what they were looking for downstairs? â€Å"Our inventory,† the caller said, â€Å"you will find quite convincing. There is Cardinal Lamasse from Paris, Cardinal Guidera from Barcelona, Cardinal Ebner from Frankfurt†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Olivetti seemed to shrink smaller and smaller after each name was read. The caller paused, as though taking special pleasure in the final name. â€Å"And from Italy†¦ Cardinal Baggia.† The camerlegno loosened like a tall ship that had just run sheets first into a dead calm. His frock billowed, and he collapsed in his chair. â€Å"I preferiti,† he whispered. â€Å"The four favorites†¦ including Baggia†¦ the most likely successor as Supreme Pontiff†¦ how is it possible?† Langdon had read enough about modern papal elections to understand the look of desperation on the camerlegno's face. Although technically any cardinal under eighty years old could become Pope, only a very few had the respect necessary to command a two-thirds majority in the ferociously partisan balloting procedure. They were known as the preferiti. And they were all gone. Sweat dripped from the camerlegno's brow. â€Å"What do you intend with these men?† â€Å"What do you think I intend? I am a descendant of the Hassassin.† Langdon felt a shiver. He knew the name well. The church had made some deadly enemies through the years – the Hassassin, the Knights Templar, armies that had been either hunted by the Vatican or betrayed by them. â€Å"Let the cardinals go,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"Isn't threatening to destroy the City of God enough?† â€Å"Forget your four cardinals. They are lost to you. Be assured their deaths will be remembered though†¦ by millions. Every martyr's dream. I will make them media luminaries. One by one. By midnight the Illuminati will have everyone's attention. Why change the world if the world is not watching? Public killings have an intoxicating horror about them, don't they? You proved that long ago†¦ the inquisition, the torture of the Knights Templar, the Crusades.† He paused. â€Å"And of course, la purga.† The camerlegno was silent. â€Å"Do you not recall la purga?† the caller asked. â€Å"Of course not, you are a child. Priests are poor historians, anyway. Perhaps because their history shames them?† â€Å"La purga,† Langdon heard himself say. â€Å"Sixteen sixty-eight. The church branded four Illuminati scientists with the symbol of the cross. To purge their sins.† â€Å"Who is speaking?† the voice demanded, sounding more intrigued than concerned. â€Å"Who else is there?† Langdon felt shaky. â€Å"My name is not important,† he said, trying to keep his voice from wavering. Speaking to a living Illuminatus was disorienting for him†¦ like speaking to George Washington. â€Å"I am an academic who has studied the history of your brotherhood.† â€Å"Superb,† the voice replied. â€Å"I am pleased there are still those alive who remember the crimes against us.† â€Å"Most of us think you are dead.† â€Å"A misconception the brotherhood has worked hard to promote. What else do you know of la purga?† Langdon hesitated. What else do I know? That this whole situation is insanity, that's what I know! â€Å"After the brandings, the scientists were murdered, and their bodies were dropped in public locations around Rome as a warning to other scientists not to join the Illuminati.† â€Å"Yes. So we shall do the same. Quid pro quo. Consider it symbolic retribution for our slain brothers. Your four cardinals will die, one every hour starting at eight. By midnight the whole world will be enthralled.† Langdon moved toward the phone. â€Å"You actually intend to brand and kill these four men?† â€Å"History repeats itself, does it not? Of course, we will be more elegant and bold than the church was. They killed privately, dropping bodies when no one was looking. It seems so cowardly.† â€Å"What are you saying?† Langdon asked. â€Å"That you are going to brand and kill these men in public?† â€Å"Very good. Although it depends what you consider public. I realize not many people go to church anymore.† Langdon did a double take. â€Å"You're going to kill them in churches?† â€Å"A gesture of kindness. Enabling God to command their souls to heaven more expeditiously. It seems only right. Of course the press will enjoy it too, I imagine.† â€Å"You're bluffing,† Olivetti said, the cool back in his voice. â€Å"You cannot kill a man in a church and expect to get away with it.† â€Å"Bluffing? We move among your Swiss Guard like ghosts, remove four of your cardinals from within your walls, plant a deadly explosive at the heart of your most sacred shrine, and you think this is a bluff? As the killings occur and the victims are found, the media will swarm. By midnight the world will know the Illuminati cause.† â€Å"And if we stake guards in every church?† Olivetti said. The caller laughed. â€Å"I fear the prolific nature of your religion will make that a trying task. Have you not counted lately? There are over four hundred Catholic churches in Rome. Cathedrals, chapels, tabernacles, abbeys, monasteries, convents, parochial schools†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Olivetti's face remained hard. â€Å"In ninety minutes it begins,† the caller said with a note of finality. â€Å"One an hour. A mathematical progression of death. Now I must go.† â€Å"Wait!† Langdon demanded. â€Å"Tell me about the brands you intend to use on these men.† The killer sounded amused. â€Å"I suspect you know what the brands will be already. Or perhaps you are a skeptic? You will see them soon enough. Proof the ancient legends are true.† Langdon felt light-headed. He knew exactly what the man was claiming. Langdon pictured the brand on Leonardo Vetra's chest. Illuminati folklore spoke of five brands in all. Four brands are left, Langdon thought, and four missing cardinals. â€Å"I am sworn,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"to bring a new Pope tonight. Sworn by God.† â€Å"Camerlegno,† the caller said, â€Å"the world does not need a new Pope. After midnight he will have nothing to rule over but a pile of rubble. The Catholic Church is finished. Your run on earth is done.† Silence hung. The camerlegno looked sincerely sad. â€Å"You are misguided. A church is more than mortar and stone. You cannot simply erase two thousand years of faith†¦ any faith. You cannot crush faith simply by removing its earthly manifestations. The Catholic Church will continue with or without Vatican City.† â€Å"A noble lie. But a lie all the same. We both know the truth. Tell me, why is Vatican City a walled citadel?† â€Å"Men of God live in a dangerous world,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"How young are you? The Vatican is a fortress because the Catholic Church holds half of its equity inside its walls – rare paintings, sculpture, devalued jewels, priceless books†¦ then there is the gold bullion and the real estate deeds inside the Vatican Bank vaults. Inside estimates put the raw value of Vatican City at 48.5 billion dollars. Quite a nest egg you're sitting on. Tomorrow it will be ash. Liquidated assets as it were. You will be bankrupt. Not even men of cloth can work for nothing.† The accuracy of the statement seemed to be reflected in Olivetti's and the camerlegno's shell-shocked looks. Langdon wasn't sure what was more amazing, that the Catholic Church had that kind of money, or that the Illuminati somehow knew about it. The camerlegno sighed heavily. â€Å"Faith, not money, is the backbone of this church.† â€Å"More lies,† the caller said. â€Å"Last year you spent 183 million dollars trying to support your struggling dioceses worldwide. Church attendance is at an all-time low – down forty-six percent in the last decade. Donations are half what they were only seven years ago. Fewer and fewer men are entering the seminary. Although you will not admit it, your church is dying. Consider this a chance to go out with a bang.† Olivetti stepped forward. He seemed less combative now, as if he now sensed the reality facing him. He looked like a man searching for an out. Any out. â€Å"And what if some of that bullion went to fund your cause?† â€Å"Do not insult us both.† â€Å"We have money.† â€Å"As do we. More than you can fathom.† Langdon flashed on the alleged Illuminati fortunes, the ancient wealth of the Bavarian stone masons, the Rothschilds, the Bilderbergers, the legendary Illuminati Diamond. â€Å"I preferiti,† the camerlegno said, changing the subject. His voice was pleading. â€Å"Spare them. They are old. They – â€Å" â€Å"They are virgin sacrifices.† The caller laughed. â€Å"Tell me, do you think they are really virgins? Will the little lambs squeal when they die? Sacrifici vergini nell' altare di scienza.† The camerlegno was silent for a long time. â€Å"They are men of faith,† he finally said. â€Å"They do not fear death.† The caller sneered. â€Å"Leonardo Vetra was a man of faith, and yet I saw fear in his eyes last night. A fear I removed.† Vittoria, who had been silent, was suddenly airborne, her body taut with hatred. â€Å"Asino! He was my father!† A cackle echoed from the speaker. â€Å"Your father? What is this? Vetra has a daughter? You should know your father whimpered like a child at the end. Pitiful really. A pathetic man.† Vittoria reeled as if knocked backward by the words. Langdon reached for her, but she regained her balance and fixed her dark eyes on the phone. â€Å"I swear on my life, before this night is over, I will find you.† Her voice sharpened like a laser. â€Å"And when I do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The caller laughed coarsely. â€Å"A woman of spirit. I am aroused. Perhaps before this night is over, I will find you. And when I do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The words hung like a blade. Then he was gone.

Comparing the depiction of Men throughout Charles Dickens Essay

â€Å"Great Expectations† is a pre twentieth century book with â€Å"Cider with Rosie† is a twentieth century book. â€Å"Great Expectations† is about a boy â€Å"Pip† which the book revolves around his life from a young child in the marshy land of Kent to a grown man where he meets Estella the love of his life, which he has not seen for years. This book has a storyline which has leaves you in suspense at the end of chapters. An example of this is at the end of chapter 0ne on page 5, â€Å"I looked round for the horrible young man, and I could see no signs of him. But, now I was frightened again, and I ran home without stopping.† This leaves suspense and you want to read on. Where as â€Å"Cider with Rosie† follows all the happenings of a young boy, Laurie Lee. Really it is a autobiography of Laurie Lee till he is about 14, 15 years of age. Cider with Rosie is a very descriptive book, which will describe things in great detail and in big long lists of running commentary. An example of this great description is on page 11 chapter one â€Å"I crawled about among the ornaments on the unfamiliar floor-the glass fishes, china dogs, shepherdesses, bronze horsemen, stopped clocks, barometers, and photographs of bearded men.† In â€Å"Great Expectations† the main Men I am going to look at are Mr Joe, Mr Wemmick, Herbit Pocket and Magwitch the convict. Magwitch is an escaped convict from the local prison near where pip lives. The first man described in this book is on page 2 of chapter 1, it is Magwitch the convict. Pip meats him in the church yard looking at his mothers tomb stone this is the first encounter of Magwitch for Pip it would be terrifying for the young boy. Magwitch is described in this scene as â€Å"A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, broken shoes and with an old rag tied round his head†. This shows the first description of a male in â€Å"Great Expectations†. It gives the reader a very clear image of what this convict would have looked like and been like to meet in person. The next description is one of Joe Gargery on page 6 chapter 2 of â€Å"Great Expectations†. Joe is married to Pips sister so he is Pips Brother-in-law but Pips looks up to him as his father as he does not have one. They are very good friends and spend a lot of time together. This is the description of him, â€Å"Joe was a fair man, with curls of flaxen hair on each side of his smooth face, and with eyes of such a very undecided blue that they seemed to have some how got mixed with their whites.† This is from Pips point of view and shows you what Pip thought and sees of his brother-in-law. Joe is Pips father figure, a kind of replacement for Pips Dad, which Pip looks up too. The next male I am going to describe is Mr Wemmick. He is Mr Jaggers clerk and lives and works in the London area. He is a poor man but is happy as he have his small castle to get away from the world and his old Dad who is dependent of him. In â€Å"Great Expectations† Mr Wemmick is frequently is involved in helping Pip in London. A description of Mr Wemmick is on page 165 chapter 21. † Casting my eyes on Mr Wemmick as we went along, to see what he was like in the light of day, I found him to be a dry man, rather short in stature, with a square wooden face, whose expression seemed to have imperfectly chipped out with a dull-edged chisel. There were some marks in it that might have been dimples, if the material had been softer and instrument finer, but which, as it was, were only dints.† This shows what Pip thinks of Mr Wemmick when he first sees him in Mr Jaggers office in London. It is a very depictive description of Mr Wemmick and you can vividly imagine what Mr Wemmick would look like to meet in person. Mr Wemmick is closely involved in what Pip does in London and helps him financially and none-financially. The last male I am going to look at in â€Å"Great Expectations† is Herbert Pocket. Pip first encounter with Herbert Pocket in â€Å"Great Expectations is when they meet at Mrs Havishams after Pip has been round Mrs Havishams playing. When Pip leaves her house he runs into Herbert Pocket in which they have a play fight. This is in chapter 11 page 87, after playing at Mrs Havishams. When Pip see’s Herbert Pocket he is described as a â€Å"pale young gentleman†. Which is what he is described as for a while longer. After the fight Herbert is described as â€Å"not very healthy-having pimples on his face and breaking out of his mouth, these dreadful preparation appalled me†. The next time pip meats Herbert is in London when they a older and about to share a flat together in London. Herbert is now described as â€Å"still a pale young gentleman. He had not a handsome face, but it was better than handsome: but extremely amiable and cheerful. His figure was a little ungainly†. This description of Herbert is more descriptive and is described in a grown-up way instead of the way he was described earlier in the book. This is on page 172 chapter 22. In â€Å"Cider with Rosie† there are not many men in the book as it is a female dominated book and there are very few males in the book as his father deserted him and the rest of his family at an early age of so he dose not have many males in his life. The only males he really sees in his life at an early age is at school, his brothers and men around the village he lives in. described main men that I am going to look at that are involved someway with Laurie Lee’s life are mostly in the chapter â€Å"The Uncles†.

Baseball and Statistics

Baseball is the era of America in the past. The two fields are not identical. The only part of the baseball stadium in your league is Uchino. Each Major League baseball park is a quadrilateral square with a size of exactly the same size as Uchino and a size of 9 feet on both sides. According to the rules of the league, the league determines the size of the ball and the baseball gloves, the baseball game uses wooden sticks or metal bats between the two teams. At the beginning of the game, the home team first participated in the competition. Sabremetrics refers to the development of statistical studies of baseball and the development of new statistical and analytical tools. This term is also used to directly reference the new statistics themselves. This term was built by Bill James, one of the main supporters in this field around 1980, born from the American Baseball Research Association (SABR). The basic percentage measures the basic ability of the batter. It is calculated by dividing the total of batters' batting (hitting plus walking and ball hitting) with the batter's full board appearance (blow plus walking and coat plus sacrifice). (Fly), in addition to sacrificing shorts It is also called Moneyball. Actual database management. An attractive story, geek covers the baseball field (literally not). Statistics has changed into a baseball reconnaissance method: the industry has completely ignored the traditional wisdom that he did not follow for decades and began studying numbers. This is a universal scientific story about emotions that every otaku recognizes. Randomness is an excellent book on probability. We carefully study opportunities through its role in human history, its perspective on philosophy and religion, and its modern application in technology. In similar books, it is unusual for mathematical problems to be explained by the fluency of the human tongue. Baseball statistics have been developed over the years. Early baseball statistics were only aimed at recalculating what happened, but the surveyor realized that statistics could be used to predict future events. As a result, in the latter part of the 20th century, a wave of new statistics has emerged to keep the player's value more accurately predicted. The work of James, Dewan, Ricky, Palmer's military investigators has laid the foundation for teams to adopt similar ideas and strategies when creating lists and deciding games. Front desk also takes advantage of the inefficiency of in-game and foreground strategies, as the military school staff at that time recognized the flaws in current player evaluation methods and created new statistics to address known shortcomings did. Baseball and Statistics Baseball is the era of America in the past. The two fields are not identical. The only part of the baseball stadium in your league is Uchino. Each Major League baseball park is a quadrilateral square with a size of exactly the same size as Uchino and a size of 9 feet on both sides. According to the rules of the league, the league determines the size of the ball and the baseball gloves, the baseball game uses wooden sticks or metal bats between the two teams. At the beginning of the game, the home team first participated in the competition. Sabremetrics refers to the development of statistical studies of baseball and the development of new statistical and analytical tools. This term is also used to directly reference the new statistics themselves. This term was built by Bill James, one of the main supporters in this field around 1980, born from the American Baseball Research Association (SABR). The basic percentage measures the basic ability of the batter. It is calculated by dividing the total of batters' batting (hitting plus walking and ball hitting) with the batter's full board appearance (blow plus walking and coat plus sacrifice). (Fly), in addition to sacrificing shorts It is also called Moneyball. Actual database management. An attractive story, geek covers the baseball field (literally not). Statistics has changed into a baseball reconnaissance method: the industry has completely ignored the traditional wisdom that he did not follow for decades and began studying numbers. This is a universal scientific story about emotions that every otaku recognizes. Randomness is an excellent book on probability. We carefully study opportunities through its role in human history, its perspective on philosophy and religion, and its modern application in technology. In similar books, it is unusual for mathematical problems to be explained by the fluency of the human tongue. Baseball statistics have been developed over the years. Early baseball statistics were only aimed at recalculating what happened, but the surveyor realized that statistics could be used to predict future events. As a result, in the latter part of the 20th century, a wave of new statistics has emerged to keep the player's value more accurately predicted. The work of James, Dewan, Ricky, Palmer's military investigators has laid the foundation for teams to adopt similar ideas and strategies when creating lists and deciding games. Front desk also takes advantage of the inefficiency of in-game and foreground strategies, as the military school staff at that time recognized the flaws in current player evaluation methods and created new statistics to address known shortcomings did. Baseball and Statistics Baseball is the era of America in the past. The two fields are not identical. The only part of the baseball stadium in your league is Uchino. Each Major League baseball park is a quadrilateral square with a size of exactly the same size as Uchino and a size of 9 feet on both sides. According to the rules of the league, the league determines the size of the ball and the baseball gloves, the baseball game uses wooden sticks or metal bats between the two teams. At the beginning of the game, the home team first participated in the competition. Sabremetrics refers to the development of statistical studies of baseball and the development of new statistical and analytical tools. This term is also used to directly reference the new statistics themselves. This term was built by Bill James, one of the main supporters in this field around 1980, born from the American Baseball Research Association (SABR). The basic percentage measures the basic ability of the batter. It is calculated by dividing the total of batters' batting (hitting plus walking and ball hitting) with the batter's full board appearance (blow plus walking and coat plus sacrifice). (Fly), in addition to sacrificing shorts It is also called Moneyball. Actual database management. An attractive story, geek covers the baseball field (literally not). Statistics has changed into a baseball reconnaissance method: the industry has completely ignored the traditional wisdom that he did not follow for decades and began studying numbers. This is a universal scientific story about emotions that every otaku recognizes. Randomness is an excellent book on probability. We carefully study opportunities through its role in human history, its perspective on philosophy and religion, and its modern application in technology. In similar books, it is unusual for mathematical problems to be explained by the fluency of the human tongue. Baseball statistics have been developed over the years. Early baseball statistics were only aimed at recalculating what happened, but the surveyor realized that statistics could be used to predict future events. As a result, in the latter part of the 20th century, a wave of new statistics has emerged to keep the player's value more accurately predicted. The work of James, Dewan, Ricky, Palmer's military investigators has laid the foundation for teams to adopt similar ideas and strategies when creating lists and deciding games. Front desk also takes advantage of the inefficiency of in-game and foreground strategies, as the military school staff at that time recognized the flaws in current player evaluation methods and created new statistics to address known shortcomings did. Baseball and Statistics Baseball is the era of America in the past. The two fields are not identical. The only part of the baseball stadium in your league is Uchino. Each Major League baseball park is a quadrilateral square with a size of exactly the same size as Uchino and a size of 9 feet on both sides. According to the rules of the league, the league determines the size of the ball and the baseball gloves, the baseball game uses wooden sticks or metal bats between the two teams. At the beginning of the game, the home team first participated in the competition. Sabremetrics refers to the development of statistical studies of baseball and the development of new statistical and analytical tools. This term is also used to directly reference the new statistics themselves. This term was built by Bill James, one of the main supporters in this field around 1980, born from the American Baseball Research Association (SABR). The basic percentage measures the basic ability of the batter. It is calculated by dividing the total of batters' batting (hitting plus walking and ball hitting) with the batter's full board appearance (blow plus walking and coat plus sacrifice). (Fly), in addition to sacrificing shorts It is also called Moneyball. Actual database management. An attractive story, geek covers the baseball field (literally not). Statistics has changed into a baseball reconnaissance method: the industry has completely ignored the traditional wisdom that he did not follow for decades and began studying numbers. This is a universal scientific story about emotions that every otaku recognizes. Randomness is an excellent book on probability. We carefully study opportunities through its role in human history, its perspective on philosophy and religion, and its modern application in technology. In similar books, it is unusual for mathematical problems to be explained by the fluency of the human tongue. Baseball statistics have been developed over the years. Early baseball statistics were only aimed at recalculating what happened, but the surveyor realized that statistics could be used to predict future events. As a result, in the latter part of the 20th century, a wave of new statistics has emerged to keep the player's value more accurately predicted. The work of James, Dewan, Ricky, Palmer's military investigators has laid the foundation for teams to adopt similar ideas and strategies when creating lists and deciding games. Front desk also takes advantage of the inefficiency of in-game and foreground strategies, as the military school staff at that time recognized the flaws in current player evaluation methods and created new statistics to address known shortcomings did. Baseball and Statistics Baseball is the era of America in the past. The two fields are not identical. The only part of the baseball stadium in your league is Uchino. Each Major League baseball park is a quadrilateral square with a size of exactly the same size as Uchino and a size of 9 feet on both sides. According to the rules of the league, the league determines the size of the ball and the baseball gloves, the baseball game uses wooden sticks or metal bats between the two teams. At the beginning of the game, the home team first participated in the competition. Sabremetrics refers to the development of statistical studies of baseball and the development of new statistical and analytical tools. This term is also used to directly reference the new statistics themselves. This term was built by Bill James, one of the main supporters in this field around 1980, born from the American Baseball Research Association (SABR). The basic percentage measures the basic ability of the batter. It is calculated by dividing the total of batters' batting (hitting plus walking and ball hitting) with the batter's full board appearance (blow plus walking and coat plus sacrifice). (Fly), in addition to sacrificing shorts It is also called Moneyball. Actual database management. An attractive story, geek covers the baseball field (literally not). Statistics has changed into a baseball reconnaissance method: the industry has completely ignored the traditional wisdom that he did not follow for decades and began studying numbers. This is a universal scientific story about emotions that every otaku recognizes. Randomness is an excellent book on probability. We carefully study opportunities through its role in human history, its perspective on philosophy and religion, and its modern application in technology. In similar books, it is unusual for mathematical problems to be explained by the fluency of the human tongue. Baseball statistics have been developed over the years. Early baseball statistics were only aimed at recalculating what happened, but the surveyor realized that statistics could be used to predict future events. As a result, in the latter part of the 20th century, a wave of new statistics has emerged to keep the player's value more accurately predicted. The work of James, Dewan, Ricky, Palmer's military investigators has laid the foundation for teams to adopt similar ideas and strategies when creating lists and deciding games. Front desk also takes advantage of the inefficiency of in-game and foreground strategies, as the military school staff at that time recognized the flaws in current player evaluation methods and created new statistics to address known shortcomings did.

Summarizing an Article with an accompaning outline Essay

Summarizing an Article with an accompaning outline - Essay Example This helps in reducing money supply in the economy and a reduced money supply results in lower inflation and thus reduce any risk of devaluation. Other Russian states are also facing problems of rapid dollarization; most payments even on micro level are increasingly being made in dollars. Another method of hedging against currency risk being adopted by banks is lending in dollars. This however creates problems for borrowers who have loans in dollars and business reserves in GEL. Their risk is dramatically increased which makes it difficult to survive in an already recessionary environment (Gardner, 2009). This will also reduce taxes for the Georgian government. This is because as the losses of currency devaluation increase on the income statement, the taxable income is automatically decreased. The high budget deficit of 9.4 percent of the countrys gross domestic product is also a major obstacle to stability of GEL. The IMF however still insists that Georgian national bank is equipped with all necessary tools to protect the national currency. The high reserves base of GEL being held by the national bank has reached 2,109,000,000 GEL (Gardner, 2009). This is very important in order to keep stability in the currency value. The bank can use these reserves to control exchange rate fluctuations in the market. That will however be a controlled economy, the National bank has pledged that it will not temper with the free floating market. The free exchange rate environment will continue to function. IMF has insisted that Georgian economy cannot sustain a totally market controlled exchange rate system. The National Bank will have to intervene in order to control shocks created by continuous temporary fluctuations. The current strategies being adopted by Georgian government and National Bank are a positive step in providing stability to both economy and currency. The banking sector has shown resilience against

Sucess Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sucess - Essay Example Regardless of the definition of success, there are numerous common characteristics and skills shared by numerous entrepreneurs and managers. This paper discusses the success traits and skills of Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton. He is an American fashion designer and heads Marc Jacobs Fashion Company in France. In addition, he also heads Marc by Marc Jacobs. Marc Jacobs is a successful entrepreneur with more than 201 retail ventures in 82 countries. Since 1997, while still running his ventures, he has been working for Louis Vuitton Company as the creative director (Grigoriadis). Recently, his success made Times Magazine rank him among the 100 most influential people in the world. This is a France-based Fashion House started by Louis Vuitton in 1855. It is one of the most leading and successful fashion houses in the world. Its monogram is well renowned as it is featured in its products which range from leather goods to shoes, jewellery, watches, sunglasses and luxury trunks (Richard 750). This fashion house owns boutiques and departmental stores across the globe, which act as its selling points. Moreover, the Internet has been a contributive factor of its high sales. A successful business cannot be built by one individual alone. This is a task that requires a team that is devoted to the business and its success. Marc Jacobs promotes cohesion and team work among the employees. This promotes good relationship between him and the subordinates. Craven notes that Marc Jacobs’ workers are loyal to him and that they love him. Levy asserts that Marc Jacobs discusses issues about fabrics with his staff. In addition, Marc Jacobs motivates his employees. In reference to Walker and Brown, employee motivation is a fundamental factor that leads to business success and promotes good relations between the employer and employee (580). A successful entrepreneur believes in the business.

Community Policing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Community Policing - Research Paper Example Over time this relationship eroded away and the policing strategy moved over to a reformation era which further gave rise to a community problem solving era after the 1960s (Kelling & Moore, 2015) However the role of politics in policing is still undefined in times of uncertainty. This role has changed over time but the affiliation of political powers to that of policing powers can never be negated. This policing power can be easily misused by the politicians if they are given the opportunity. A political era marks the history of the policing department and this should always be kept in mind when implementing new strategies for the police department. This essay would revolve around the issue of political involvement in the policing of the United States. In order to gain an understanding on the topic of politics and police, it becomes necessary to review the order of policing and political affiliations at first. Currently, three systems dominated in the United States namely Legislative, Executive and Judicial. These systems work in a symbiotic environment to help each other and the Police belong to the Executive system. Police however is under constant scrutiny by the judicial system which works as an auditor for the policing powers. The police agencies working under the United States are usually seen at a local level and the head of the police at this local level needs to understand the political background of the place that he is operating in. It is necessary for the policing staff to understand this political background and act in a manner that does not violate the rules set down by the system of the country. The city is mainly under the power of some stakeholders that represent the whole region and this includes the mayor, the c ity manager and the police commissioner. The complex tasks of politics set in when the police has to be answerable to all of them in accordance to

Authenticity & Socio-econmic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Authenticity & Socio-econmic - Essay Example He believes that acquiring such material possessions should make individuals to be interested in the manner in which the users fulfill the necessity for service, inside the extensive culture of society. For instance, the leather couch, or the professional player ought to act as some means of bridging the divide between the indigenous and wider cultures. This is similar argument to Jhally views on consumerism, especially in his belief that advertising stresses a world in which desires in form of new materials, are reflected through the emphasizing of social relationships, rather than material possessions (Jhally, 3). This is because Jungen appropriation and remodeling of universal but industrially manufactured consumer goods, reveals how such goods tend to portray an influential identity of desirable global commodity. The most consistent stories told by the whole range of advertising, is consumerism. Whereby more economic growth implies added consumption, as well as more production. The entire range of advertisements insists on individual power, console, desires, appeals and pleasures. The values stressed by the ads include taking desires and then preconceiving them to tie with the universe of commodities (Phillips, 5). Jhally, Congdon and Blandy’s are right in implying that advertising drives individuals away from important human relationships with others within the society, as it reduces their capability to develop happiness. Jhally asserts that advertising takes away normality from the consumers. However, all of these critics of consumerism and advertising, places more emphasis on the issue between needs and wants. Undeniably, Jhally, just like Jungen tends to extend their criticism of advertising on commercialism, to be a disapproval of egalitarianism and marketing. Thus, such assertions that advertising colonizes or dominates contemporary culture are not entirely spot on,

One of the stories's title Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

One of the stories's title - Research Paper Example In this case Jonathan is seen as being careful. This explains the post war atmosphere where threats could arise at any time. The anticipation of the many is obvious once Jonathan receives his token and chooses to hold it in his hand rather than directly pocket it. The narrator at this point carefully explains the active role of Jonathan in that he creates an optimistic atmosphere. The grant in this case is meant to ensure Jonathan regain his social status. The passage is a link between war period and the post war era. The civil war had taken a toll on lives of common citizens. The author uses Jonathan symbolically. Jonathan represents the common citizens and soldiers who took part in the civil war. The essence of this passage is that it indicates the jovial mood expressed by the characters. The pound note is symbolic as it represents peace and tranquility. The jovial state of Jonathan explains the mood expressed after civil war. The man defined as being in a state of â€Å"near-madness† (28) is a forecast of what will happen to Jonathan’s token. The man explains the exploitative nature of the government, Jonathan on the other hand represent group of individuals optimistic of the future but still depend on the government. In the end, the grant money is stolen by a gang of thieves. It is ironic that Jonathan is attacked immediately after receiving the cash. In the final part of the story a gang attacks his house and forces him to hand over the ‘egg-rasher’ (30). There is a connection between the passage and the events that transpired at the end of the passage. The thieves are satisfied with the 20 pounds they are given perhaps to indicate that they were aware of the exact amount handed to Jonathan. In this case the coal corporation represented could be the same gang leaders. The passage also connects with the title civil peace. The part represents a government which gives and takes from its own citizens. The

MRKT - Marketing Real-World Write-ups Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MRKT - Marketing Real-World Write-ups - Article Example B2B transactions differ from other transactions because they require coordination between different persons. A research study in which over 1500 businesses participated led the following findings: 93.2% of the participants make B2B by making a search online; 95.5% of the participants used search engine at some point in the B2B process; 63.9% of the participants choose search engine information over consumer review sites. There were other interesting conclusions that were arrived after the study. The most popular search engine is Google. Google’s market share of traffic in the United States is 72.11% (Googlesystem). The use of the internet improves supply chain logistics of a company because it reduces the amount of intermediaries. The use of a website can serve as a communication channel that improves communication between businesses. Search engine research takes place one to two months prior to the buying decision. The position of the search engine result is very influential in the behavior of the surfer. Approximately 60% of users click at the first three results only. It takes users seconds to decide which site to click after a click scan. Search engines are primarily used in the early and mid stages of the buying cycle. It is imperative for businesses to design their website well in order to optimize them to attract traffic from customers that are interested in the products or services your company offers.

The Externalities of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Externalities of Education - Essay Example This creates a platform for businesses to hire more employees to work and meet customer’s needs. The second externality is social-cultural diversity. It is worth noting that, in public people learn how to interact with others as they are people from different backgrounds, cultures, and races. Public education helps one to interact with other people and this carried over to work force where one becomes friendly, tolerant, and understanding to different people. The last positive externality of public education is that it creates better work force. A better work force comes from excellence education whether private or public. Quality education produces better work force especially in the technological world of the 21st Century. With public education, people are equipped to handle demanding jobs, be in demand, and likely further education after high school. In support of existence of public k-12 school systems, schooling is free for all students, which become proficient for people from poor backgrounds. As discussed earlier, in public school socio-cultural diversity and education can be acquired in various ways such as home schooling, online school, charter school, and school building. With online, home, and virtual schooling, there are many options of subjects and curriculum. In this way, one can acquire quality education at a lower cost than that of private school. According to National Education Association of the United States (1984), public schools have charter schools that help students learn the trade and this shapes them to face the real world of trading and make a living from it or further studies. Since public school comprises of a varied student body, students become more sociable which equip them to tolerate different personalities. In reality, the real world comprises of people from different cultures, ethnicities, races, and backgrounds. Strong social skills enable an

Evaluating Popular vs. Scholarly Presentations of Global Climate Change Essay Example for Free

Evaluating Popular vs. Scholarly Presentations of Global Climate Change Essay There is a very clear distinction in the presentation of material on climate change between the popular and scholarly sources. The popular source tends to present a more emotion-driven content that primarily appeals to a politically motivated side of the issue. For example, the emphasis of the article in the L.A. times emphasize â€Å"an iceless Arctic summer† and â€Å"suffering Polar bears† which gives the impression that climate change is something extremely detrimental. The popular media podcast takes this political route to a higher level, by directly linking these dangers to administrative policies done by government. What is clear about the popular article is that climate change is a very bad thing, what is clear in the subsequent podcast is that there are people responsible for it. What is not so clear though is how apparent the evidences are to these supposed grave detriments. The article attempted to substantiate this initially by citing that half of their models says so without really explaining why half of 15 models saying so is good enough. They even used this opinion from one person saying that You have to fly a lot longer to get to the ice edge than you used to, which is fairly unscientific and not reliable at all. The scholarly article and its subsequent podcast both present hard facts regarding climate change and its possible effects. There is a uniform level of clarity regarding the subtopics that they present backed up by objective data such as charts on carbon emissions vis-à  -vis global warming stats following the same time-span. This presents a clear view of the extent of damage caused by carbon emissions. What is a bit lacking is content on the social relevance of the objective findings, which I don’t think I can expect from the material in the first place since delving into such contexts would already have a subjective inkling. I think the writers/directors of the popular sources aim to make readers sympathetic to their cause and consequently, to their political agenda. On the other hand, the authors/directors of the scholarly journal and podcast aim to present unbiased information which might hopefully spur other researchers into action towards verification or further development of their current work. I think the way global climate change is presented in the popular sources makes us more afraid of the event. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing since even the scholarly sources point out that there are significant possible detriments, but being overly afraid because of sensationalized news might not evoke the best thought-of response from the reader/listener. On the other hand, the scholarly sources are not very exciting to read or listen to, which may be a barrier if you’re not really into all the science stuff but you want to learn more about helping the environment. What’s good about popular sources is that they know what people like and how people like to hear news. They can get readers and listeners to be more interested in topics. Scholarly sources although bland in style present the actual facts and objective data that people who might have been social awoken by popular sources might want to look into. In this way, I can see a synergistic aspect between the two models. One danger is causing unnecessary panic, or making people unjustifiably angry against certain entities like the government instead of realizing the problem and working on it. I think directors have to maintain a certain decency of not going overboard with the sensationalism and being as objective as they can be. Perhaps all the scientific journals need is just a bit more style in the presentation, a more layman way of talking about all the scientific details. Also, better visual representation by the use of computer animation may make objective studies a lot easier to sit through and understand. Sources: Zarembo, A. (2007).  Forecast: an iceless Arctic summer. Los Angeles Times.   Mar 16, 2007.  pg.  A.32 Phoenix, G. Lee, J. (2004) Predicting impacts of Arctic climate change: Past lessons and future challenges. Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK Scientific podcast. Retrieved April 28, 2007 from: http://www.exploratorium.edu/poles/climate.php Popular media podcast. Retrieved April 28, 2007 from: http://a.abcnews.com/podcast/050726blakemore3.mp3

European colonialism in the Gulf Region Essay Example for Free

European colonialism in the Gulf Region Essay It is recognized that the first resistance was the betrayal of pan-Arab nationalistic aspirations in order to spare western economic and political interests. It was in the year 1917, when the Ottomans allied themselves with the Germans against the French and British empires. In what Antonios (1938/1946). This was known as the â€Å"Arab Awakening, where there is a description of how Shareef Hussein of Mecca, allied themselves with the British and the French. They were also found revolting against the Ottomans. Similarly, they also helped put an end to a rule that continued for more than four centuries. This understanding was based on a treaty between Arabs and the Allies. This was a British promise made to Shareef Hussein a pan-Arab Meccan leader – where the Arabs were seen as a sovereign nation on the ruins of the Ottoman empire. Returning the gesture for this promise, the Arabs revolted against the Ottoman empire which has fallen under the control of the Young Turks. However, the Europeans had another agenda that they wanted to implement. They apparently had other plans for the region. had other plans for the region. Author Said (1993) notes that, the Arabs after liberating themselves from the Ottomans in 1917 and 1918, took British promises for independence as the literal truth(Said, 1993, p. 247). Antonios (1938/1946) describes what happened at the San Remo conference where British and French leaders changed the geography of the region: Whatever else may be said of the San Remo decisions [of spring 1920, in which the whole of the Arab Rectangle lying between the Mediterranean and the Persian frontier was to be placed under mandatory rule], they [allies meeting in San Remo] did violate the general principles proclaimed and the specific promises made by the Allies, and more particularly by Britain. The purport of the pledges given in secret is now known: with that the Arabs had come into the War and made their contribution and their sacrifices, and that fact alone sufficed to turn the corresponding obligation into a debt of honor. What the San Remo did was, in effect, to ignore the debt and come to decisions which, on all the essential points, an counter to the wishes of the peoples concerned (305-6). It was this San Remo agreement between the British and the French that placed the Arabs under their rule. This was to the cornerstone of the animosity between the two. This encouraged the British and thus the Arab-Israeli conflict happened for 65 years (Hourani, 1991). The British leaders also gave promises to the Arab leaders which became known as the Balfour Declaration. This gave Zionists the promise of having a home in Palestine. This betrayal by the West was sown deeply in the hearts of the Arabs. Thus, at the heart of the Arab nationalism is a story of betrayal and bitter disappointment. (Said 1981). Colonialism was no longer called as that. It came to be known as colonialism and more betrayal came as the Arabs were betrayed when a sudden control of Arabs by Muslim non-Arab Ottomans was replaced by the non-Muslim Europeans. The seriousness of this situation was enhanced by the fact that Arab activists were misled into helping assisting the Europeans in their own adoption of colonial rule. The British and French colonialists suppressed national movements within the olonized nations, silenced voices for national independence and self-determination and installed local puppet leaders to help suppress Arab populations in the newly created states. Colonialism is the act of one political state in influencing and exercising its power on a weaker nation, continuing to control its resources and the citizens of that country. In fact, it became a practice that extended far and wide by the powerful European states during the later half of the nineteenth century and most of these colonies were eventually granted its independence. However, the powerful nations exerted its influence as it created lasting impact on former colonies. Colonialism helped shape the world today. (Colonialism). Approximately 20 percent oil exports of the Persian Gulf pass through the port of Rotterdam, there is an awareness that the Dutch will have their economic importance in insuring that there will be a smooth flow of navigation through the waterway. Meanwhile, in Brussels, Prime Minister Wilfried Martens announced that Belgium will send two minesweepers and a support ship to the gulf. These ships will operate south and east of Qatar under British protection. This mission will last for four and a half months (Markham). The mission of the other frigates will be to protect Italian ships after a grenade attack happened on an Italian merchant ship. This was however, not a welcome move as the flotilla was sent â€Å"without enthusiasm. † Their contention is that there is no one who looks forward any military action in Italy. But the Goria government was obliged not only because of its European allies but also because of the demands from the socialist leader and former prime minister, Bettino Craxi. (Markham). Meanwhile, in Paris, Defense Minister Andre Giraud revealed that three minesweepers went to France on Aug. 17 with a support vessel that operated in the gulf of Oman. The minesweepers were dispatched on Aug. 11 and the French officials said they would be confined at Gulf of Aden, which is some 1,000 miles southwest of the Persian Gulf region. A French fleet at the Djibouti rarely penetrates the Persian Gulf and does not accompany French ships through the waterway. Military was not the only factor that influenced France to send its minesweepers to its fleet. Frances decision to add minesweepers to its fleet was not prompted solely by military considerations. It is considered that France and Iran have been at odds over an Iranian diplomat who had some knowledge about terrorism. It was on July 17 when France broke diplomatic relations with Iran, even as nine French diplomats are still hostages in the embassy in Teheran. (Markham). As one looks at the present European colonialism, it is worthwhile to examine the history of the European colonists in the past. The changes in European society began with a series of religious wars called the Crusades. From 1095 to about 1300, European Christians fought Muslims, people who believed in the religion of Islam. Christian fought to gain control of Jerusalem and other areas they believed were holy. The Crusades took Europeans to the Mediterranean area, northeast Africa, and southwest Asia. There they discovered Italian and Arab merchants in control of busy trade centers. These merchants traded spices, fine silks and gems from India, China and Japan. Word of these riches excited Europeans and they dreamed of trading with Asia themselves. Besides dreams of riches, Europeans had other reasons for wanting to open routes to Asia and Africa. They saw exploration as a way to spread Christianity. The Crusades had not won Jerusalem from the Muslims. However, Europeans had not lost their crusading spirit. They were certain that Christianity was the only true religion. Therefore, they believed it was their duty to convert all non-Christians to Christianity. With the spread of Islam in the seventh century AD, the Arab world came into the limelight. Soon enough, the Arabic language became the main communication of the Arabs who shared a sense of kinship with history. This paper looks into six Gulf States and the possibilities/risks/benefits that a Western company faces as it projects doing business in the Gulf regions. These nations include Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Oman. It will first analyze what a company needs to know before doing business in that region. To gauge this needs an overview of the region’s culture, government and society. Providing a framework of reference, the researcher will then delve into the possible risks that the company may face as well as its benefits. From there, the researcher hopes to identify which region is the most risky and most beneficial to enter into a business venture. Interspersed along the way are examples of companies who have already done business in the region so that the reader is afforded data on actual company experiences. (Doing Business in Qatar). The first oil discovery in Qatar occurred in 1939, which gave Qatar a per capita GDP equal to that of some West European industrialized nations. When this happened, there was a change in control and wealth into Qatar. The introduction of different policies in pricing showed the economic value of oil. Thus began the continuous flow of wealth into this small Kingdom. And what is unique to Qatar is that it is not only from oil but more recently from the massive natural gas reserves that is presently under development (Doing Business in Qatar). We are talking here of recoverable oil reserves of 15 to 23 billion barrels and natural gas reserves estimated to exceed 900 trillion cubic feet. And to think that a country that holds this wealth possess a population of less than a million people of whom just over 200,000 are Qatari citizens. Considering a small region, Qatar is also an excellent start-up market. Its social infrastructure and physical speed of development offer attractive prospects for countries interested in establishing its business in a great potential area. One can just imagine the immensity of its oil reserves when it is revealed that Qatar today holds oil and gas reserves that should last another 300 years. Qatar’s recent development has been closely aligned to the rise and fall of international oil prices This is because oil production represents about 85% of the country’s total income, 55% of its GDP and 70% of the government revenues. † (Doing Business in Qatar). During the Middle Ages, the Muslim countries of the Middle East had exerted its control of the East-West trade. But this dramatically changed in the fifteenth century. The Portuguese were able to make long journeys because they possessed hips with deep hulls that stood stable in high seas. They were able to go longer than the usual routes and = down the west coast of Africa until they found their way around the southern tip of the continent making contact with Muslim cities. Also in the East Africa, the Portuguese were able to get Arab navigators to take them across to India, where they settled themselves in Calicut on the Malabar Coast in the southwestern part of the country. (The Age of Colonialism. Qatar). Today, considered by many as interconnected with colonialism or as the new form of imperialism, globalisation pertains to â€Å"a process of increasing integration between units around the world. This definition encompasses nation-states, corporations, households, and other organizations. The concept of globalisation emerged from three forces for development, to wit: (1) the role of human migration, (2) international trade, and (3) rapid movements of capital and integration of financial markets (Wikipedia 2007). Cheung, citing an OECD paper, explained globalisation as follows: †¦ a shift from a world of distinct national economies to a global economy in which production is internationalized and financial capital flows freely nd instantly between countries and driven by the information revolution that has helped overcome national barriers so that even the framework of social policies affecting individual citizens is becoming more sensitive to international influences, including the global new media (as cited in Cheung 1997, p. 437). Written by John A. Hobson in 1902, imperialism is considered as a political-economic discourse. Essentially, this claimed that the quest for imperial expansion is motivated by explorations for new investment opportunities and markets from coast-to-coast. For Hobson, the â€Å"taproot of imperialism† is found in industrial oligarchy and not in nationalistic pride. He further averred that imperialism, in a capitalist society, â€Å"is a result of the maldistribution of wealth that created a desire to spread markets in search of profit† (Wikipedia 2007). Looking at the history of the western influence and the continuous political decisions of the West in Arab countries during the past century, it can be gleaned that this has set the stage for more tensions and distrust of the West by the Arab people. Many Arab national movements had adopted an anti-western political speech. The interests of the West have not jibed with that of the Gulf regions. (Alkadry). In the post-colonial period, the confrontation with the Arab with Europe was transformed into a confrontation between the Arabs and the United States. It was said that the Arabs in the post-colonial era were in one of three camps: â€Å"repressive regimes friendly to the United States, repressive regimes not friendly to the United States, and occupying regimes that are sustained economically and militarily by the United States. †

Quality In Higher Education In India

Quality In Higher Education In India Just as water needs the wind to create waves of change so does every individual need a helping hand to achieve the impossible and education is that helping hand which can guide the individuals as well as the nations to the path of progress and success in this rapidly changing world. Primary education prepares a base for the whole education but higher education provides the cutting edge and the specialized skills required to move ahead. Higher education is the peak of the educational journey of any individual and it aims to contribute to the development and improvement of the society as a whole in a sustainable manner. Higher education should be able to meet the needs of all sectors of human activity. The World Bank and UNESCO report (2000) rightly presents a powerful message that higher education is no longer a luxury. It is essential for survival. So we are interested in higher education because we are interested in our survival. So, the importance of quality higher education is imm ense. But, Indian higher education does not stand anywhere among the world higher education in terms of quality and it is a matter of great concern for all the stakeholders of education i.e. students, teachers, institutions, society as a whole and policy makers etc. So, the higher education needs a total transformation to achieve the qualitative dimension of the higher education according to international standards. Present paper briefly talks about the factors which are influencing the quality of higher education in India and then recommends some of the ways through which the quality can be implemented to the Indian higher education system Key Words: Implement, Quality, Higher Education INTRODUCTION: We are living in an important and epoch- making age. This is an age of accelerated change and the age of unprecedented developments and Education is the tool through which individuals, societies and nations can live, progress and achieve success. Education is an enlightening experience which helps in making a meaning out of the complex realities of life. In India we have always believed that education is a liberating as well as evolutionary force, which enables the individual to rise from mere materiality to superior planes of intellectual and spiritual consciousness. Education is a dialogue between the past, present and future, so that the coming generations receive the accumulated lessons of the heritage and carry it forward. In the last two decades India has made rapid progress in the expansion of higher educational facilities and institutions and at present Indias higher education system is the second largest in the world, after the United States. Indian higher education system has expanded at a fast pace by adding nearly 20,000 colleges and more than 8 million students in a decade from 2000-01 to 2010-11. As of 2011, India has 42 central universities, 275 state universities, 130 deemed universities, 90 private universities, 5 institutions established and functioning under the State Act, and 33 Institutes of National Importance. Other institutions include 33,000 colleges as Government Degree Colleges and Private Degree Colleges, including 1800 exclusive womens colleges, functioning under these universities and institutions as reported by the UGC in 2012. Fig. 1, Growth of Higher Education: Universities/Colleges/Students enrolment/Teaching Staff: 1950-51 2010-11 (Source: Higher Education in India at a glance, UGC Brochure 2012) The growth is very impressive in numbers but quality is far behind the existed standards and requirements. And thats why quality of higher education in India is a matter of great apprehension. To stand at par with the developed countries we have to first meet out the challenges in imparting education especially in higher education. Reasons for concern for the quality of Higher Education: The quality in higher education is the biggest need of the hour as our country is progressing towards becoming the educational hub of the world. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (2007) said that our university system is, in many parts, in a state of disrepairà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. In almost half the districts in the country, higher education enrolments are abysmally low, almost two-third of our universities and 90 percent of our colleges are rated as below average on quality parametersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I am concerned that in many states university appointments, including that of vice-chancellors, have been politicized and have become subject to caste and communal considerations; there are complaints of favoritism and corruption. These words reflect the concerns for the quality of higher education in India. The quality of higher education in most of our universities and colleges requires substantial improvements. The following problems are common enough to be a cause for quality concern in highe r education: First, curricula, which have remained almost unchanged for decades, have not kept pace with the times. Second, learning and creativity are at reducing in a system of evaluation that places its focus on memory rather than understanding. Third, the atmosphere is not favorable to anything beyond the classrooms, for it is caught in a 9.30 to 1.30 syndrome. Fourth, the academic calendar is no longer untouchable for classes or for examinations, as there are slippages in schedules so much so that, at several places, classes in the time table are not held and results are often declared with a time delay of 6 to 12 months. Fifth, the infrastructure is not only inadequate but also on the threshold of collapse. Sixth, the importance attached to research has eroded gradually over time. Seventh, the boundaries between disciplines have become dividing walls that constitute barriers to entry for new disciplines. Eight, there is little accountability, because there are no rewards for performance and no penalties for non-performance. Ninth, structures of governance are not responsive to changing times but the system is readily subverted by vested interests. Tenth, teachers are not playing their roles as per the changing needs and requirements. They are unable to prepare students to meet the demands of the digital, technological, interactive, collaborate changing world around us. Quality of teacher education curriculum also needs a transformation according to the present developments and needs. It is not possible here to provide a complete analysis of what are the other minor but relevant concern areas related to the quality of our higher education system. But, above mentioned areas need urgent transformation if India wants to move ahead or along with the world higher education systems. IMPLEMENTING QUALITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION: The following points provide a framework or guideline for improving the quality of higher education in India taking into account the various levels and key factors in education: Both, academic (institutional goals and objectives, curriculum design and review, teaching learning and evaluation, research and publications) and administrative (organization and management, infrastructure facilities, support services, student feedback and counseling and management of financial resources) aspects should be assessed and to be improved to improve the quality of higher education as it will be the first step towards the most needed education. Examination reforms like semester system, credit system are to be exercised to streamline them in a proper manner. As these are brought up from abroad, we should first of all check its feasibility for our organizational climate. Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation is to be encouraged. Standardized assessment procedures to strengthen the evaluation system. Financial Accountability is more important which means that the fund is to be used for the enhancement of the laboratory and library facilities. Gaps or deficiencies in our educational system are to be bridged to suit our economic, social and cultural requirements. Education is emerging as a service influenced by market operations, and so, it has to meet quality requirements and expectations of stakeholders for its survival. Distance education has a great potential for high productivity and we must take advantage of it in a big way. Curriculum restructuring and innovations and evolvement, conducting training programmes, orientation programmes, refresher courses. Accessibility, accountability and affordability are the major requirements. While the notion of quality was not fully developed, it was recognized that expanding access alone would be insufficient foe education to contribute fully to the development of the individual and society. Need to raise investment in education: education can be the next big area of economic growth in the country. Despite promises by the policy planners to raise investment in education to 6% of GDP, state and central governments together have spent less than 4% of GDP on education. Anything less now would mean further delays in providing quality higher education. Fig. 2, Expenditure on Higher Education in India (As % of GDP) (Source: Analysis of Budgeted Expenditure on Education, MHRD) Promotion of higher education with good governance, management, development and planning is very essential. Education should allow the children to reach their fullest potentials in terms of cognitive, emotional and creative capacities. For this appropriate aims must be described at the higher education level. Need to stop commercialization of education: any initiative to reverse the rapidly deteriorating situation will have necessarily to begin with educational institutions. There is, in fact, plenty that can be done even within the existing pattern of education and academic and professional course content to raise the level of awareness and proficiency of the students, provided the temples of learning and scholarship live up to that description. Teachers need to be the drivers of the qualitative change in the higher education. It would be pertinent to list down the key areas that teachers are capable and need to do to make higher education impactful/meaningful: Fig. 3, what teachers need to do to improve the quality of higher education? Teacher Education: the preparation of teachers for all levels of education is the responsibility of higher education. Therefore it is also necessary to enhance the quality of teacher education within the higher education by adopting new learner centered approaches like constructivism etc. Accountability: the higher education system must provide for accountability vis-à  -vis the outside world and create accountability within the system. We need to create systems that enable students, or their parents, to choose between and assess universities. Information: institutions imparting higher education should be required to place basic information relating to their financial situation, physical assets, accreditation ratings, faculty positions, academic curricula, and so on, in the public domain. This would empower students and parents and can be an important step for maintaining qualitative standards. Thus these are only some of the steps which must be taken towards the qualitative higher education. But, implementing the above guidelines will require support from the management, government, teachers and students as well as the readiness to change as per required changing needs, and then only these guidelines can take a practical form. CONCLUSION: Thus, it can be concluded at the end that quality is a buzz word in todays world of education. It has become an important ideology of education which helps make education more relevant to the needs of the individual and society. Every educational institution must strive to achieve excellence through adopting the highest measures of quality as ongoing basis as fostering quality in higher education is a continuous journey. We all know that education is the key to success as well as a very powerful tool for change. Higher education is the peak time of education of individuals which must be qualitatively strong so that it can guarantee to high employability at good and reputed positions. Improvement in quality of higher education will eventually draw more and more students and problem of low enrolment will get solved. For this higher education curriculum must be relevant so that students can directly link with their routine lives and find it useful to study. Teachers must also change the ir traditional role and be ready for their role as learners first because teachers have a pivotal role to play in the transformation process and the need of the hour is to get things moving and put them in place. What is needed is a vision of quality that goes far beyond mere conformance to standard; we need a passion for quality and continuous improvement, a quest for improvement that is never ending so that our higher education will always be qualitative and as per the needs. REFRENCES: Akhtar, SW (2011): Quality in Higher Education at par with International Standards; University News, 49(52) December 26-01: Delhi. Chaudhary, S. (2011), Problems and prospects of Indian Higher Education in the Age of globalization, University News, vol. 49(23): Delhi. Deka, B. (2000): Higher Education in India; Atlantic Publishers and Distributors: Delhi. Dube, S.C. (1988). Higher Education and Social Change, in A. Singh and G.D. Sharma (Ed.), Higher education in India: The Social Context, Konark Publishers Pvt. Ltd.: New Delhi. Kurhade, MS (2011): In Quest of Quality Education; University News, 49(32) August 08-14: Delhi. PMs address at the 150th Anniversary Function of University of Mumbai: http://pmindia.nic.in/speech.content.asp?id=555. Premji, Azim (2004): Importance of Quality Education for the Development of the Nation; Legal News Views. Ranganathan, R. Rao, SVL (2011): Reformation of Higher Education in India: Quality Concerns; University News, 49 (10) March 07-13: Delhi. Sehrawat, SS (2012): Quality Assurance in Higher Education; University News, 50 (26) June 25-01 July: Delhi. Saleem, S. Gawali, VS (2011): India needs Quality Education: University News, 49 (06) February 07-13: Delhi. Singh, K.P. Ahmad, S. (2011), Higher Education in India: Major Concerns, University News, vol. 49(29): Delhi. Singh, UK Sudarshan, KN (1996): Quality Education; Discovery Publishing House: New Delhi. UNESCO (2000): Task Force on Higher Education and Society; UNESCO World Bank Report.

Diabetes :: essays research papers

Diabetes Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly. Glucose comes from the digestion of starchy foods such as bread, rice, and potatoes, from sugar and other sweet foods, and from the liver which makes glucose. Insulin is vital for life. It is a hormone produced by the pancreas, that helps the glucose to enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the body. The main symptoms of untreated diabetes are increased thirst, going to the loo all the time – especially at night, extreme tiredness, weight loss, genital itching or regular episodes of thrush, and blurred vision. There are two main types of diabetes. These are: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin dependent diabetes †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Type 2 diabetes, also known as non insulin dependent diabetes Type 1 diabetes develops if the body is unable to produce any insulin. This type of diabetes usually appears before the age of 40. It is treated by insulin injections and diet and regular exercise is recommended. Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance). This type of diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40, though in South Asian and African-Caribbean people often appears after the age of 25. It is treated by diet and exercise alone or by diet, exercise and tablets or by diet, exercise and insulin injections. . The main aim of treatment of both types of diabetes is to achieve blood glucose and blood pressure levels as near to normal as possible. This, together with a healthy lifestyle, will help to improve wellbeing and protect against long-term damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and major arteries. The main symptoms of diabetes are: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  increased thirst †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  going to the loo all the time – especially at night †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  extreme tiredness †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  weight loss †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  genital itching or regular episodes of thrush †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  blurred vision. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overworking Type 1 diabetes develops much more quickly, usually over a few weeks, and symptoms are normally very obvious. In both types of diabetes, the symptoms are quickly relieved once the diabetes is treated. Early treatment will also reduce the chances of developing serious health problems. Diabetes is a common health condition. About 1.8 million people in the UK are known to have diabetes — that’s about three in every 100 people.

Road Traffic Injuries in Cameroon Essay -- Transportation, Social Issu

It is estimated that almost 16 000 people die every day from all types of injuries throughout the world (1). Injuries account for 12% of the global burden of disease. They are the third most important cause of overall mortality and the leading cause of death among 1–40-year-olds (2). Road traffic accidents (RTA) are responsible for the highest number of injuries worldwide. According to data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) road traffic injuries account for around 25% of all injury related deaths (1). The report portrayed road transport crashes as a leading cause of injury related morbidity and mortality the world over. The World Bank and WHO estimates reveal that about 1.2 million people die each year and as many as 50 million sustain injuries as a result of road transport accidents. This represents about 25% of all injury related deaths worldwide. Developing countries account for up to 85% of all road traffic deaths world wide; 90% of global disability adjuste d life years lost (DALY); and 96% of global traffic related child mortality. Most of these victims are the poor masses that commute as passengers in public transport vehicles, cyclist or pedestrians and users of vans, coaches and minibuses (1, 3, and 4). The actually numbers of road deaths are unknown. This is as a result of variations and limitations in RTI data collection; analysis, differences in interpretation and underreporting. Road traffic related deaths account for over 50% of deaths are among young adults in the age range of 15–44 years (5); and are the second leading cause of death among children aged 5–14 years, and young people aged 15–29 years worldwide. It is projected that without a major improvement on prevention strategies and policies, ... ... healers. The bulk of non-profit facilities are operated by the Catholic and Protestant Health Services: the former operate 179 facilities (including 8 hospitals) with a staff of 1,315 and the latter122 health facilities (including 24 hospitals) with a staff of 2,633 (World Bank op cit); there were roughly 200 for-profit clinics (Deschamps, 1996; p. 2) and a few thousand traditional healers (Lantum, 1996; personal communication). The plethora of health care providers and institutions means a wide variety of sources making it difficult to identify all cases of road traffic related injury reported or treated. Some victims of RTI injuries may not show up in hospitals or report to the police as they may prefer to seek alternative treatment and as Dixey (1999) argues the health help seeking behavior of a people maybe informed by the believe of disease and causation.