Should the Chinese Government Ban the Internet Censorship?

Qing Yuan ESL114 Section G Ryan Salvador May 3, 2012 Should the Chinese government ban the internet censorship? Since the birth of internet, people have been bombarded with different kind of information every day. Internet is a network that connects the data of different private computer networks and organizational computer groups from people or organizations around the world (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). As a result, people are looking forward to having access to any kind of websites of their interest, and receiving the latest information about what is happening around their countries or around the world.However, things cannot be as perfect as expected. It is noticed by many people that many countries have set barriers to the internet in their own areas. China, which has the largest population of web users among the world, has created the most advanced surveillance system for internet monitoring (Rohde, 2011). The system is known as â€Å"Great Firewall†Ã¢â‚¬â€also called â €Å"the Golden Shield Project†, and is designed to sift out pornography and commercial frauds, but simultaneously blocks certain search terms for the government’s own purposes (McDonald, 2012).However, nobody is satisfied to be a frog in a well which can only perceive scenario above the wellhead but nothing beyond. So the internet censorship has provoked a fierce controversy in the society. Many people including some groups of experts argue for humans’ equal rights to know true and latest resources of information around them. The Chinese government should no longer conduct their censorship program because every person has the right and freedom to know what is going on around them.If the Chinese government insists on this project, people would be trapped in a vicious cycle because the continuity of information blocks would affect the next generation which doubles its effect on people’s ignorance and it would do nothing but fool its own people. First, in Ch ina, people’s words online are carefully inspected which means people do not have the freedom to say what they want, but rather only what are permitted by the Chinese government.According to a study by the Language Technologies Institute at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, more than 16 percent of all messages which are posted by web users in China are considered â€Å"unqualified† and get deleted (McDonald, 2012). The Chinese government explained to the media that the â€Å"Great Firewall† sifted out words or names that it evaluates as politically odorous. However, due to the matter of fact, it is not that reasonable, but rather private contains emotions of the government.For example, Sina Weibo, a most popular micro blogging site in China whose users surpassed 300 million, is required to inspect those bloggers whose have more than 100,000 followers (McDonald, 2012). If there are any posts that disobey the government’s rules must be deleted withi n five minutes. â€Å"295 terms with a high probability of being censored,† said the Carnegie Mellon team. So words like â€Å"Tibet†, â€Å"Dalai Lama†, â€Å"Ai Weiwei† (outspoken artist), â€Å"Liu Xiaobo† (imprisoned Nobel laureate), and even â€Å"Egypt†, â€Å"Jon Huntsman† (the former American ambassador), and â€Å"Playboy† (the magazine), etc. are banned (McDonald, 2012).As a result, some people have invented some subversive lexicons to refer to the words prohibited such as using â€Å"grass-mud horse† to replace a four-letter word of obscenity, using â€Å"river crab† to replace â€Å"harmony† which is also banned because it was used to refer to websites deletion by the government, and using phrase â€Å"Buying soy sauce† to indicate someone who is involved in scandals like embezzlement and bribery. The phrase â€Å"Buying soy sauce† came from the mouth of a government official who w as involved in a political scandal and wanted to show his innocence through the TV interview (McDonald, 2012).So if the government insists on such obvious and self-deceiving procedures, people would finally uncover the truth and thus lose trust in the government because many insightful people like who use VPN to â€Å"scale the wall (also a subversive word which means to browse foreign websites)† and have known some truth of some political issues or more people who are studying abroad where has no such internet-defending programs know the truth as well. Maybe this kind of methods worked before, but it would not work anymore as people are familiar and proficient in computer science.If the government stops their unacceptable programs right now, the status of the society will be much more stable, or the controversial would be more serious and finally trigger something unimaginable. Second, the Chinese government censors some websites which are considered vicious and unbeneficial to them, so they block websites just because they are not in government’s whitelist. In 2009, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology posted new regulations on domain management institutions and internet services providers because them want to have a deeper control over domain name registration (Hornby and Le, 2009).The Chinese government explained this is beneficial for an on-going anti-pornography program by creating a list of so called â€Å"whitelist. † However, this policy did not mention the treatment of overseas websites. In fact, foreign sites that have not registered could also be blocked such as Google's YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook. The reason is these sites are thought politically sensitive and containing unreasonable schemes by the Chinese government (Hornby and Le, 2009).However, as many web users who used VPN to get access to foreign websites have already known that the websites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are highly reco gnized in the U. S. Many popular stars like NBA players often update their newest progress in preparing for the play-off on Twitter, which is often referred to as a trustworthy resource by sports channels like ABC and ESPN. Also, YouTube is even a normal educational tool in some world-famous universities as its sources are updated frequently and carefully (Hornby and Le, 2009).Many of the videos like the videos on cultural diversities and new-born social phenomena etc. are authoritative. They are often in the forms of a real interview with famous experts in the places where the issues happened like the case of Trayvon Martin, people can find many videos on YouTube which are interviews hold by some sociologists. As a result, blocking websites that the Chinese government considered vicious is detrimental to people’s development in learning advanced thoughts and real educational resources from foreign countries some of which are recognized as much more better in high-level educa tion than that of China.If the government continues to do things arbitrarily like this, people would lose trust in their government because they do have the ability to consider what kind of information is true and what kind of information is of plot. In conclusion, the Chinese government should stop their internet censorship because it really affects people’s common lives both in freedom of communication and education. The importance of relieve the inspection on internet is obvious and necessary. If the Chinese government moderates the censorship, people can obtain easier access to foreign resources.As people’s educational levels are higher and higher along with the rapidly-developing status of China’s economy, people are getting more insightful in absorbing more advanced technologies and methods. For instance, teachers can use foreign websites such as YouTube which has huge amount of authoritative resources in college education. Many people have realized that s tudents in China’s colleges know little about realities about some big issues around the world and also have big obstacles in English skills which are not beneficial to students’ development.Also, if students get such progress in education, there will be more opportunities for them to get jobs abroad which can not only enhance Chinese people’s skills in international business but also relieve the pressure in competition for jobs. Finally, stopping the internet censorship helps the Chinese government to win people’s trust and is also educationally, economically beneficial to a large number of Chinese people. References: Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (n. d. ). Internet. Retrieved from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/internet Hornby L. and Le, Y. 2009, December 22). China to require internet domain name registration. Retrieved from http://www. reuters. com/article/2009/12/22/us-china-internet-idUSTRE5BL19620091222 McDonald, M. (2012, March 13). Wat ch your language! (in china, they really do). New York Times. Retrieved from http://rendezvous. blogs. nytimes. com/2012/03/13/watch-your-language-and-in-china-they-do/? ref=internetcensorship Rohde, D. (2011, November 18). China’s newest export: Internet censorship. Retrieved from http://blogs. reuters. com/david-rohde/2011/11/17/chinas-newest-export-internet-censorship/

Music Industry

The Ever-Changing (I think it's hyphenated)Music Industry The 1980s began with the death of two musical icons: John Lennon and Bob Marley. This set the scene for a momentous decade. A lot of artists in the '80s were inspired politically and that shined through their songs. For example, â€Å"19† by Paul Hardcastle and â€Å"99 Luftballoons† by Nena. The '80s was also the introduction to the CD and revolutionizing the way consumers listen to music, making it more portable. Now MTV has launched the first music video, â€Å"Video Killed the Radio Star† by The Buggles. With visual to accompany artists songs, they have another avenue to captivate consumers with. This led to extravagant production classics like â€Å"Thriller†. A revolution was happening and technological advances have only just begun to shape the way consumers listen to and share music.With revolutionary music comes controversy, and with music artists now having another media to articulate their message, Madonna releases â€Å"Like a Virgin† in 1984. This sent a wave through the decade and the boundaries of what was socially acceptable were pushed to the limits. Some songs were even â€Å"banned† for sexual content despite their immense popularity. The '80s was also a break through in Hip-Hop with groups like Beastie Boys and Sugarhill Gang. This wider representation and growth in diversity in the commercial aspect of music also led to growth in consumers.The birth of Hip-Hop in the '80s became a staple of music in the '90s. Hip-Hop stepped away from the soul and funk themes from the '80s to be dominated by the East Coast-West Coast Gangster Rap feud. The extreme success of N.W.A. followed by releases from Dr. Dre and Tupac established the dominance power and influence of West Coast rap. East Coast Hip-Hop was led by De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest but was incompetent in their attempt to could never quite match the commercial success of the West Coast. That is until the release of albums from Nas, B.I.G., and Wu-Tang Clan. This feud had everyone loyal listeners buying albums to hear the next low-blow and cultivated an intensely loyal consumer following. Sadly, speculation and business led to the death of Tupac and Biggie and with their death the end of a golden era in Hip-Hop. Again, music was changing and no one could predict the drastic change that was digital. Now at the start of the '00s, iTunes is born and now anyone with a smart device or computer for pennies per song, instead of buying the whole album. It is now evident that songwriters and artists have to focus wholeheartedly on making each and every song as great as the single. CDs were intensely profitable for artists and (especially) record labels, until the Internet, MP3s, piracy, Napster, iTunes, YouTube and Spotify kicked in over the past 10 years. Over the past couple of recent years, YouTube has grown into a lucrative machine for record labels. Popular videos with millions of hits can be adorned with ads, and YouTube shares that revenue with the copyright holders. Some artists like OK Go have even decided to split from their label and end up making more money from YouTube than they do iTunes. We saw the industry adapt to the digital age of music. Spotify is not just streaming anymore, it is now an authoritative  discovery platform, a network of popular  radio stations, and also the primary way people are listening to music. With the multitude of ways that people can listen to music for free today, now artists are concerning themselves with how to get on every platform and how many streams they can get. You can even put your song on a Snapchat filter now! (New paragraph) As a consumer, it's great to be able to discover new artists and groups that I would have never found through CDs or word of mouth. However, as an artist I can understand the frustration in a market that is changing so fast and so quickly.

Tourism Project for San Juan

Project Proposal:Multidisciplinary Research Programs Towards the Realization of Sustainable Integrated Tourism Development for the Municipality of San Juan I. Proponent:University of Batangas through the Center for Research, Publications, and Extension and the Batangas Heritage Center II. Duration:January 2013 – June 2013 III. Implementing Agency :University of Batangas through its agencies and the Municipality of San Juan, Batangas through the Office of the Mayor and the Municipal CouncilIV. Funding Agency:Municipality of San Juan, Batangas V. Brief Description of the Project: San Juan, a first class municipality and the second largest town in the Province of Batangas, has been considered in its admirable history as the cradle of heroism and bravery. The geography and culture of San Juan, now famous both nationally and internationally have elevated the status of this municipality to rank it amongst the most attractive destinations in the Philippines.However, San Juan’s potential to soar to greater heights needs to be discovered through the assistance of an academic institution who have proven to be capable of providing the support to San Juan because of its research experiences and capabilities. This is the reason why the University of Batangas and the Municipality of San Juan should work hand in hand so that a dream for greatness may be achieved.University of Batangas is an institution known not only for its ability to produce quality graduates but also for its capability to come up with multi-disciplinary research that will be beneficial for the developmental projects of the Municipality of San Juan. This capability of UB is proven by the quality refereed research paper that it produced covering the different disciplines from the sciences and mathematics, to humanities and social sciences.For the San Juan research programs, UB will make available its manpower resources through the UB Center for Research, Publications, and Extension (CRPE) and t he following will make up the research structure of UB for San Juan Projects: 1. Consultants for the Project: a. Dr. Abegayle Machelle Perez-Chua, UB Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the UB College of Allied Medical Sciences b. Atty. Jesus Victor Mayo, UB Vice President for Students and External Affairs c. Dr. Florencio V. Reyes, UB Assistant Vice President for Academics, Research, and Accreditations . Clusters: a. Humanities (Philosophy, History, Culture, and the Arts), Social Science, and Teacher Education – to be headed by Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor, whose research inclinations are on history, philosophy, and the arts. This cluster will focus on the study of the ceremonies, cultural texts, and other cultural material forms, festivals and their significance, historical narratives, social organizations, arts and crafts for the purpose of promoting the identity of the Batanguenos in general and of the people of San Juan, in particular.This cluster will be in charg e of the cultural and historical mapping and its intended output is to develop a heritage tour on San Juan’s colonial church, ancestral houses, and historical sites. b. Ecology and Natural Resources Management – this cluster will be headed by Dr. Percival Arthur Timothy Showers, whose field of expertise is on Marine Science, Oceanography and Environmental Sciences. The cluster will focus on both the aquatic and the terrestrial, i. e. , on the aspects of ecology that are significant and have potential for tourism activities.The researches on ecology under this cluster are expected to pave the way for adventure tourism in San Juan because it will identify and establish paths and jungle tracks for trekking, swimming, boat-hiring, kayaking, as well as birds, bats, plants, and aquatic species for photography, research, and sight-seeing. c. Socio-Economic Researches – This cluster will be in-charge of the socio-demographic profiling, the commodity flow and market patt erns, as well as the socio-economic profiling and resource use patterns of San Juan.This cluster will be headed by Prof. Grace A. Perdiguerra (Ph. D. Candidate) who is a native of San Juan and whose expertise also includes literature and the arts. By analyzing the socio-economic profile of the people of San Juan, the cluster will be responsible for creating activities and organizing seminars and workshops for livelihood programs, leading to the development of tourism in the municipality of San Juan. d. Environmental Sustainability – This cluster will be headed by Engr. Alma M. Kalaw (Ph.D. Candidate) whose field of expertise is not only Civil Engineering but also Environmental Engineering. This cluster will focus its study on potable water, waste water, solid wastes, road network availability, as well as on fuel sources. e. Tourism Development and Sustainability – This cluster will be headed by Prof. Jane Katrine Atienza (MA Candidate) whose expertise is on Tourism Ind ustry. This cluster will deal on the potentiality of San Juan to provide tourism services present in the area.It is the responsibility of this cluster to coordinate with other clusters in order to design the type of tourism that can be applicable in the different areas of San Juan. The services that it will provide for San Juan will include the analysis of amenities and facilities, transport and access, energy, water and waste management, as well as on the promotion and marketing of the whole of Municipality of San Juan as a tourist destination.The potential of San Juan as a tourism destination will be assessed through organizational interviews, community consultation and the bio-physical assessment from the preceding clusters above. f. Business Training and Development – This cluster will focus on organizing seminars and workshops for the people of the Municipality of San Juan in order to make the SanJuenos well-prepared for tourism activities and other entrepreneurial endea vors. This cluster will be headed by Prof. Francia Yvette Magpantay, MA, the head of the HRM Department in the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management in UB.This cluster has the aim of developing trainings for culinary arts and technical competencies for hotel and resort managements. g. Human Resource Management – This cluster will be headed by Dr. Catalino Mendoza. (please continue) This program of researches involving different clusters underscores the principle that tourism should be perceived as a supplementary, and not as an alternative source of income—an economic activity supplemental to the social functions of the residents as resource users and managers.It is expected that the output of the researches on the different areas will lead to extension programs that will address the perennial issues on environmental preservation and conservation, livelihood, youth rehabilitation programs, curriculum and educational programs designed for institutions like Day Care Centers, churches, and institutions that are responsible for culture and arts preservation.It is the aim of this research program to carefully analyze the present skills and knowledge of the people of San Juan so as to assess the necessity to render trainings in order to empower the local populace to manage their own tourism and to create methods for environmental protection. The project â€Å"Multidisciplinary Research Programs Towards the Realization of Sustainable Integrated Tourism Development for the Municipality of San Juan† is developed in order to provide technical support for San Juan towards the realization of the following objectives: . To come up with a promotional campaign plan for the Municipality of San Juan relative to the organization of tourism programs (which includes agri-tourism, heritage tourism, community-based tourism, adventure tourism, eco-tourism, and aquaculture tourism). This promotional campaign plan will be based from the cultural, historic al, and terrestrial mapping of the Municipality of San Juan in order to identify places where activities for tourism programs will be conducted.In addition to this, the promotional campaign plan will pave the way for the creation of a Municipal Museum and a Cultural Center where the culture of San Juan will be showcased and promoted. This is again through the technical support that UB will be providing to the people of San Juan. 2. To provide San Juan with livelihood and well-being workshops, trainings, and seminars.UB-CRPE is set to tap the different colleges and departments of University of Batangas in order to organize livelihood trainings, seminars related to health awareness, and entrepreneurial workshops in order to guide the people towards the attainment of a better and more decent life. 3. To organize environmental awareness and protection programs. San Juan has been endowed by God with a fruitful land and a well-balanced ecology that is worthy of being preserved and develop ed.In this regard, UB CRPE’s research experience related to the ecosystem, as well as its linkages to agencies and NGO’s will be worthy enough to assist the Municipality of San Juan to come up with programs for the protection and improvement of San Juan’s ecosystem. It is the intention of UB to organize in San Juan an Ecology Society, which will be comprised of the SanJueno teachers, municipal workers, and other environmental enthusiast, whose job is to propagate species of San Juan’s flora and fauna as well as to protect environment and disseminate information on environmental protection.UB will also introduce to San Juan the Dark Green Project intended to the different public and private schools for the students to develop appreciation and initiatives on environmental protection. 4. To make plans for research trainings for municipal workers and teachers of both private and public schools in San Juan. Aside from the San Juan Ecology Society that UB inten ds to organize for the people of San Juan, it also has the intention of establishing a Historical Society, whose members are the SanJueno writers and historians and whose job is to conduct studies and researches on the history, culture, and the arts of San Juan.This is for the purpose of developing among the people of San Juan a great pride in their cultural heritage. Expected Output For this project proposal, the following will be the expected output based on the given objectives. I. Promotional Campaign Plan for the Municipality of San Juan 1. Resources Mapping a. Cultural Mapping b. Natural Resources Mapping c. Historical Mapping i. Built Heritage ii. Intangible Heritage 2. Organization of tourism programs a. Ecotourism b. Health and wellness tourism c.Heritage tourism d. Adventure tourism e. Agri-tourism f. Community-based tourism 3. Establishment of municipal museum and San Juan Cultural Center 4. Plans for development of promotional materials/collateral (brochures, maps, etc) 5. Training / workshop on conduct of tourist statistics 6. Linkage project with ABS-CBN for Travel Magazine Show and Publications 7. Technical assistance on organizing events for promotion of San Juan and its tourism industry II. Livelihood and Well-being workshops . TESDA Competency Skills Trainings i. Food and Beverage Services ii. Commercial Cooking iii. Front Office Service iv. Housekeeping Services v. Tour Guiding Services vi. Bartending b. ETEEAP Short-term Courses c. Workshop on developing tour packages d. Culinary Entrepreneurship e. Short term course on Creative Writing, Performing Arts & Visual Arts f. Cultural Entrepreneurship Course III. Environmental Awareness and Protection Programs a. Mangrove Rehabilitation b. Dark Green Project c.Lnd Surveying, site Development, Ground Water Resources Assessment d. Mapping of Flora and Fauna IV. Research Trainings a. Organization of San Juan Historical Society i. Publications of Local Book ii. Publication of Coffee Table books and C ookbook of San Juan foods and beverages b. Organization of San Juan Ecology Society c. Organization of Barangay Cooperatives d. Writing and Publication of Travel Guide Book Curriculum Vitae of the UB Researchers Educational background Seminars and trainings Professional Linkages

Human resource management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human resource management - Assignment Example It helped staff to serve customers from different cultures better, and was complemented by cultural training which focused on some of these differences in more detail. Human resource management has become a frequently used phrase, both in academic research and in organisation practice. The term is familiar world-wide, and is the subject of writing or research frequently. From 2000 to 2006 alone, the number of publications using the term â€Å"human resource management† increased by 427%. This result is substantial, given the field first began towards the end of the 1980s, and was thought that it would be short lived (Storey, 2007). Human resource management is arguably more important in modern society than it has ever been previously, as organisations experience change on a regular basis (Kaminski, 2000) and staff members no longer have strong loyalty to a given organisation, and move from one job to another more often. How a business undertakes human resource management varie s substantially between one business and another, such as the provision of cultural training, or of upskilling members of an organisation likely to remain. Within an organisation that makes use of human resource management, line managers provide an essential link between employees and management. Line managers are often responsible for the implementation of human resource approaches with employees directly, and may be involved in guiding and coaching staff members, giving performance reviews and dealing with discipline. In some cases, they may also be responsible for recruitment and the selection of employees. Section 2 Potential employees for an organisation come from a range of different backgrounds, and possess varying temperaments, driving factors, objectives and long-term goals. Without the use of human resource planning, there is a high chance of employing staff members who do not share the objectives of the organisation or who decrease efficiency rather than increasing it. Hu man resource planning involves the use of multiple stages, including acquisition, utilisation, improvement and retaining the human resources of an organisation. The resources for this task vary depending on the extent that human resource management is occurring, but can include training for staff members, auditing, advertising and forecasting. The processes used for recruiting are not constant across organisation. For example, Sony processes a large number of applications and uses an online application, followed by situational judgement testing, telephone interviews and then assessment centres (Sony, 2012). In contrast, a business firm that I worked for asked for resumes from applicants then went through a series of interviews for each position, with the top candidates from each interview going onto the next one. The interview is an important selection technique, and is present in many different industries. This gives the interviewer the chance to work out whether the potential empl oyee is suitable for the company, based on aspects such as their response to particular situations, their personality and their motivation. It is an

The Effectiveness of Diversity Management Essay

The Effectiveness of Diversity Management - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that the objectives of diversity management in the workplace relate to the creation of a positive work environment that contributes in the mutual growth of the organization and the members involved. Similarly the objectives of organizational diversity also reflect on effectively collaborating the differences and likelihood of the perceptions of the different people to help achieve the organizational goals and business objectives. It thus works as a method aiming to synchronize the knowledge, experiences, expectations and the understanding of the different organizational members to arrive at a common solution that has a larger potential than business solutions generated on an individual level. This paper highlights that the effectiveness of the diversity management in the workplace stems out from the fact that it contributes in promoting the growth and development at the individual level thereby helping the people to think and act in a creative and innovative fashion in the organization. Management of a diverse workforce in an organization also contributes in promoting the growth of teamwork such that it helps in the sharing of knowledge, experiences and thoughts between the different team members thereby enhancing their skills, expertise, motivation and confidence levels in meeting organizational objectives. Diversity management in the workplace is generated through the generation of training to the employees based on different languages.

Film Reponse Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Film Reponse Paper - Essay Example 1). The film is directed by Ann Thompson and written by Martin Dugard, together with Olegar Fedoro. It was released on 8th October 2007. The main stars include Olegar Fedoro, Alvaro Martin, David Sant And Javier Mazan. On May 11, 1502, Christopher Columbus set out on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. He had four ships in a mission to explore unfamiliar areas to the west of the Caribbean. He hoped to find a route west to the Orient. He explored parts of southern Central America, but his ships, damaged by a hurricane and termites, fell apart in the process. Columbus and his men were stranded on Jamaica for about a year before being rescued. They returned to Spain in late 1504 (Hugh, P. 1).Because of Queen Isabel waning health and without her support, Columbus would never return to the New World. Columbus’ Fourth Voyage is outstanding primarily for some new exploration, mostly along the coast of Central America. The film is of great interest to historians, because of its astute descriptions of the native cultures such as the sections on the Mayan traders. Some of those who were along on the fourth voyage would later go on to greater things, such as Antonio de Alaminos, a cabin boy who would later rise to pilot and explore much of the western Caribbean. Columbus’ son Fernando would later write a biography of his famous father. The Fourth Voyage was a failure. Many of Columbus’ men died, the ships were lost and no passage to the west was ever found. Columbus himself would never sail again, and died convinced that he had found Asia, even if most of Europe already accepted the fact that the Americas were an unknown â€Å"New World.† Still, the fourth voyage showed better than any other Columbus’ sailing skills, fortitude and resilience, attribu tes which allowed him to discover the Americas in the first place (Hugh, P. 1). This is a heroic story of the great Protestant revolutionary by

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

Nanogene - Essay Example From this study it is clear that  the founders came together with common interest of setting up their own company that would provide breakthrough products in the biotechnology domain such as a product to isolate specific genes responsible for a disease and further help in inventing specific treatments.   Each founder had different expertise within the same domain.   With such diversified experience and knowledge, these founders could foresee a fortune in this company and was thus expecting something similar.   All founders decided that each would draw the same salary and have equal proportion of options.   Paige Miller was an external consultant and was being considered to be hired as the VP Operations. She was expecting to earn much more than what the founders offered considering her experience, market value and the value addition should could make to NanoGene.This essay declares that a â€Å"founder† is an entrepreneur or the starter of a company based on an idea c onceived by himself.   In the present case, the ideation involves five different people and hence five founders of NanoGene Technology.   A founder is intellectually, financially and morally committed to his/her company, whereas an employee is only morally and intellectually committed to the company for which he gets financial or monetary benefits from the company.   A founder owns complete responsibility of the company and the people associated with it.   He is also obliged to follow external social, legal, cultural, and economic policies.   

Sport in the American City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sport in the American City - Essay Example Cities usually accommodate many people from different background and working in different careers. In the city there is a mixture of different cultures and in the modern cities there appear to be an upcoming new city culture different from the culture of the people in the rural areas. The life in the cities is very different and unique in its own way from the life in the rural areas. One of the challenges facing the modern cities is poor planning which is often couple with less space for expansion and development of facilities for sports and other amenities. The lifestyle in the city is one which encourages a sedentary life. (Melvin, 1986) According to Mueller et al (2007), it has become a concern to many people that in the modern cities, although there is an improved health care and sanitary service, the mortality rate is still higher than expected and it has been concluded that all is not well with the city life. Many people in the rural areas, although having poor access to social basic needs like health care services, are living longer life than many people in the cities. This brings us to a great argument that have been debated the world over, concerning the city life and the future life in our cities. This illustrates that improved medical care and quality lifestyle is not the key to longer life span. It shows that there are other factors that are necessary for and individual to live longer. There are many factors like physical activity, diet, positive thinking and many others that raise the life expectation of individuals. The parameters used to gauge life expectation like improve access to basic health and oth ers have bee defied by occurrences in the in many instances. One of the factors playing a big role in the life of an individual is the kind of life one adopts. One can either lead an active or a sedentary life. We have said that city life encourages sedentary life. The normal city life starts in the morning with a heavy breakfast and then a drive to the place of work. Many workers in the city are white collar job workers and hence they sit all day long with little expenditure of energy. At the end of the working hour, the usual routine is a few beers with friends and then a drive home to the family. This pattern illustrates an inactive life that many city residents undertake. An inactive life has many disadvantages and many dangers to the individual in his present and future life. It has been observed that, residents of cities like Hong Kong and other cities in Japan and China who are very much active and shuns sedentary life have a long life span compared to residents of the American cities. There have been reports that the health care cost of most companies in America cities have been on the rise at an alarming rate. It has been reported that the health care spending on employees for the America companies' rose by 6.1% in 2007 and the cost is expected to rise further in 2008. This has been contributed by inactive life by the inhabitants of the American cites. A recent survey shows that an average medical cost for an active adult per month has been averaging $302 as compared to $228 for adult with an active life style. The monthly payment for medication amounted to $45 for inactive adults compared to $27 for active adults. On health care insurance, monthly spending for inactive adult amounted to $401 as compared to $342 to active adults. The above aggregate shows that the

Special needs- children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Special needs- children - Essay Example By this system the people who were excluded will be reached and will be provided with a safe and comfortable environment, in which they will grow all together leaning cooperation. I belief true inclusion provides an opportunity to the children and youth with special needs to develop a sense of belongingness through nurturing relationship outside their family, acquiring the knowledge of support system and access to community. The children without special need can also benefit from this inclusion by getting acquainted to the atmosphere of value diversity. Previously the schools did not address the issue of varied learning style for the children instead they have one size fit for all curriculum that did not included the children with special need. To change this and to promote inclusion special education legislation and research has developed special services that will provide service and placement to all students regardless of their disability. Inclusion of special need children is a very controversial topic but my personal experience says that it leads to a substantial affect on the upbringing of a child. On this note I would like to share one of my personal e xperiences, which makes me belief like this. One of my friend’s son was suffering from Partial Autism. Though he was fine in communication but he lack some of the normal communications like he used to repeat the same sentence again and again. Whatever his parents said he didn’t paid attention towards them instead he did things as per his own wish. My friend consulted many doctors but there was no improvement. He got him admitted to a school where inclusion was followed. It worked as a miracle. He has now got his own friend circle, which makes him learn the normal ways of talking, playing and writing. He gets the feel of the normal society which he was devoid of before. He has now become more confident than before. Now he has started listening to his parents and follows their instructions. I

Resume chapter 16 (EXPORT-ORIENTED GROWTH IN EAST ASIA) Essay

Resume chapter 16 (EXPORT-ORIENTED GROWTH IN EAST ASIA) - Essay Example The global recession of 2008 also affected their economies, but their experiences in international trade are all worth studying because they derived much success in it. With these HPAE are subgroups such as the Four Tigers, namely Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. Another group is the Newly Industrializing Economies (NIE) of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. China has a category all its own due to its size and communism influence. The NIE followed suit after the Four Tigers’ economies took off. Experts have analyzed how the HPAE have sustained their economic success and found that these countries were careful in maintaining stable macroeconomics. They also prioritized sharing the benefits of their economic growth with their citizens by providing them access to health care, education and housing, so people were made to feel they were well taken care of. Such actions were successful in soliciting people’s support and confidence. In turn, the high rates of lite racy produced in their people were attractive to foreign investors and multicultural firms. Another reason for their success is the promotion of their exported products while being open to imports. These countries believed that exportation provided the foreign exchange earnings they needed as well as encouraged businesses to be competitive in coming up with high quality products to export while importation brought about new technologies and novel products to update their knowledge in skills. Income rates in these Asian countries are much higher than their Latin American counterparts. As opposed to them, East Asian economy did not have high inequality in income and wealth at the beginning of their growth. The pattern followed what was known as â€Å"Kuznet’s curve†, which suggested equality first declines and then rises. The relative equality in these nations resulted from the characteristic sharing of wealth from economic success. Hence, the provision of basic needs as well as land reform, free public education, free basic health care and significant investments in rural infrastructure such as clean water systems, transportation and communication systems. The positive outcomes of such provision extends to the rise in business opportunities since the people have purchasing power to support small- and medium-scale entrepreneurs which are locally based. This contributes to political stability and sustains the interest of businesses in to invest in these countries on a long-term basis. The export push in the East Asian nations resulted in more than double their share in total world exports and total world manufactured exports. Such success was attributed to education policies favouring the advocacy of literacy spread in primary and secondary schooling. On top of that, HPAE nations endorsed export promotion plicies that created an impetus for export businesses. For example, export financing credit and tax benefits were readily available in Japan and t he Four Tigers for businesses that reach their export targets. Tariff-free access to imports of capital equipment needed in manufacturing is also provided. Such practices of export promotion connected with high rates of growth may be considered controversial in economics as well as sharing such export promotion strategies with other nations as it is likely to create trade conflicts since it may go against the rules of fair trade agreed to by the members of the World Trade Organization. The stability maintained in macroeconomic environments in the

CASE STUDIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CASE STUDIES - Essay Example gement and the board of directors is 100% male, since Panera is offering a healthier option for food, they could be helped by having female and minority members of the board as well as in the management team to provide a better corporate image. 3. Opening restaurants in other countries with an aggressive growth strategy would require a flood of marketing both in terms of awareness of healthy food (where such awareness is not already present) and establishing their brand identity. 4. The restaurant I went to seemed too dark and gloomy. Even though there were colorful signs at plenty of places, the lack of light made an overall depressing setting. I would suggest that they make use of natural light in the interior and bring the interiors with their unique selling point of healthy food and healthy lifestyles. 1. From the case, it seems obvious that the key competency required would be excellent communications skills which can get the point across the table as well as across the border. Secondly, cultural competency and an ability to work with peoples of different cultures are also important. Finally, since a culture may not be as socially advanced, it could be towards the benefit of the company to use a male representative instead of a female if both of them are equally suited for the job at hand. 2. The only cost of not understanding diversity is profit, which is something no company can afford to lose. If the plant had been developed and run with an understanding of diversity, the communication problems and the cultural clashes could certainly be minimized and the lost production time could have been turned into profitable output. 3. The first problem she faced was stereotyping, just because she was Mexican American; it was assumed that she could work with Mexicans better than anyone else. The second problem was the cultural gap with the Mexicans and communication issues with the Americans. She also faced problems with Mexican men accepting her as the

Theories of development are important Essay Example for Free

Theories of development are important Essay A theorist is a person who develops or believes an idea in which to explain something, including what, how and why. Theories are development through observations, analysing and experiments. Theories of development are important because they help us to understand children’s behaviour, to help us understand the sequence that children and young people develop. Theorists- influencing current practice. Cognitive development. A Swiss biologist and psychologist jean piaget (1896-1980) is renowned for constructing a highly influential model of child development and learning. He suggested that children develop cognitive skills through mental â€Å"maps†, schemes and network concepts for understanding and responding to physical experiences within his or hers environment. Piagets theory identifies four developments stages these four stages are, sensorimotor stage 0-2 years, preoperational stage 2-7 years, concrete operations 7-11 years, formal operations 11-15 years. Educators must plan activities that are developmentally appropriate according to the curriculum which expands the student’s logical and conceptual growth. Another theorist that supports cognitive development is Vygotsky. He believes that children learn and understand through others around them, such as friends and family. He believed that children need challenges and teaching experiences set for them to help them develop in all areas and to help them to reach their full potential. Psychoanalytical development. Sigmund freud (1856-1939) another theorist believed that there are 3 parts to each child and young person’s personality. He believed that there are; the ID, the ego and the super ego. He believed that these 3 parts aren’t always there from when the child is born but develop with the child as they grow. He said that they are different through certain factors and behaviour between each different child, Humanist. Abraham maslow (1908-1970) looked at peoples motivation in the 1940’s. He believed that people needed to meet their fundamental needs before they could meet their potential or self-actualisation. He believed that if they were not met then they would become a deficiency in the person. This links to practice because we need to meet the needs of the children for, warmth, care, hunger and environment that they are providing and what they do to meet the children’s needs. Social learning. Social learning theorists believe that we learn through observing others. Albert bandura born 1925 believes that we learn through ‘imitation’. Eric Erikson (1902-1994) believed that a child and a young person’s personality will change throughout their life, due to social development and experiences. This links to practice as nursery practitioners are told to be good role models to the children. This is because they observe us and ‘copy’ or ‘imitate’ actions that we may make. Operant conditioning. The theory of operant conditioning is based on learning from the consequences or reinforcement due to a type of behaviour. B.F skinner (1904-1990) is recognised as a key figure for developing the behaviourist approach to learning and developing the theory for operant conditioning. He believed that we learn through our experiences in the environment and the consequences to our behaviour. Skinner separated the sequence of actions into three groups; 1; positive reinforces 2; negative reinforces 3; punishers. The positive reinforcers are what make us repeat actions or behaviour when we get something we desire. Skinner suggested that the positive reinforcement was the most effective way of encouraging new learning, such as getting attention from adults, receiving praise and receiving rewards. The negative reinforcers is a behaviour that also makes us repeat actions or behaviour, but not in a bad way but in a way to stop something bad happening from something good. For example children may learn to hold onto the stair rail when walking down the stairs to steady them self rather than feeling the need to sit on their bottom and bump down them. The ‘punisher’ is what is going to stop people from repeating behaviour, such as checking the temperature of the bath water before getting in it, after burning yourself because you didn’t check. Skinner also researched unexpected positive reinforcers. This is when children show negative behaviour to receive attention from adults. He proved that showing more frequent positive reinforcement was the most thriving way to help children learn about acceptable behaviour. This links to practice because we reward and praise children for showing positive behaviour. Nursery practitioners often say ‘well done’ to children as a way of praising them for showing positive behaviour than their negative behaviour. We also try to focus more on children’s positive behaviour rather than their negative behaviour, this is because they eventually learn that their good behaviour is more noticed and praised than their bad behaviour. This proves skinners theory. Behaviourist. The behaviourist theories suggest that learning is influenced by rewards, punishments and environmental factors. ‘conditioning’ is often used by behaviourists because we learn in a certain way due to past experiences that teach us not to do something or to do something. Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) was a physiologist who was studying dogs. Whilst doing this he recognised that the dogs started to salivate before their food had been put down for them. He came to the conclusion that they were doing this because they learnt to associate the arrival of the food with other things such as, the sound of footsteps and the bowls or buckets. He did and experiment to look at this more closely. He used a bell because dogs do not salivate when hearing a bell. The dogs eventually begun to associate the bell with been fed. He then rang the bell constantly and eventually the dogs begin to stop salivating and finally did not react to the sound of the bell. Behaviourists use the term extinction when this happens. John b.watson (1878-1958 Took up pavlovs work and demonstrated that children and adults can be classically conditioned. In an experiment he created a phobia of rats in a little boy known as little Albert. In our practice we do not experiment or use classical conditioning, although we may recognise it among the children for example, children may become excited when they see bowls or a tray been brought into the room, they may associate this with food being given to them after this happens. Another example would be that at the end of the day all the children put their coats on they then may anticipate home time because they associate putting their coats on with their parents arriving to take them home. It is also useful to remember that classical conditioning can relate to children’s phobias. Social pedagogy. Social pedagogy is the holistic and thoughtful way of working. The aim of this is to improve the life chances and social outcomes of babies and children, therefore we must work with each other as well as the children to find the best possible way of improving these outcomes. The theories of development that have been shown help childcare workers put together framework and education for the children. It also helps us to understand why babies, children and young people do things the way they do. Conclusion. This shows that theorists have helped us come to conclusions for why we do things the way we do as well as how we learn through our experiences. It also helps to understand these theories so that we can provide better care and knowledge in the childcare setting. Task c. introduction pack for a new staff member. At the mother goose pre-school we monitor each child’s development we do this by using the learning journey. In the children’s learning journey we have â€Å"early learning goals† for each specific age group, to give us guidelines or the â€Å"norm† development for each stage of their time at the setting. We also carry out observations on the children to show which stage they are at, at the time on the early learning goals. Before any observations take place on the children, permission must be given from the parent/carer, this is also helpful as we can share findings with the child’s parent/carer and they can share findings with ourselves. If we were to do observations on a child without consent from their parent/carer then they may feel angry and upset as they may not understand that this is normal practice and help us to help the children. Assessment methods. Here are two examples of assessment methods we use to monitor a child’s development; checklist/tick chart and a free description with a snap shot picture. A checklist and tick chart observation is a chart with particular activities written on and the child is observed to see if they can reach the milestones set according to the child’s age. These observations are usually taken place when structured activities are set up for the children to do and are based over a longer period of time, but are taken place less frequently to show the progress in the children’s development. The advantage of using this observation is that you can observe more than one child at a time and they are quick and easy to use. The disadvantage of this is that observing at different times may produce different results and that it only shows what the child can and cannot do, not how confident and happy they are to attempt tasks and join in. A free description with a snap shot picture is to show skills that children show or are seen doing. A description of what you see is written into a small observation sheet and put the child’s learning journey next to the picture of them doing so. These observations are used frequently to show what milestones the child is at for their age group. The observation has the advantage of been able to use it frequently and no preparation is needed. Although the advantage is that different observers pick up on different things that children do and it can be hard sometimes to find the right words to use to describe what you are seeing. Examples of why sometimes child/young persons development does not follow the expected pattern. Children develop at different stages for example, a baby of 12 months may be walking with support but a baby of 10 months may be walking unaided. Some children just happen to develop quicker or slower than others, but for some babies and children there are reasons why their development does not follow the expected patterns. Premature birth can have an effect on development, such as sitting up unaided, crawling, standing and walking. Learning difficulties can also have an impact on development, some children may pick up writing and reading easier than with a learning difficulty, but help is available such as special support and multi-agency approaches. Another reason why development may be delayed could be disability for example, a baby that has a disability with their legs may not be able to walk until they are 2 or 3 where as the expected age is roughly 1 years old. Impact by disability. Disability can impact and effect development as it can prevent children and young people from completing tasks. Although most activities can be adapted to suit children and young people’s needs. Intervention. Intervention can be done to promote positive outcomes for the child or young person where development is not following the expected pattern. Specialist support can be used in the preschool to support children with learning difficulties or disabilities. They can arrange meetings to come and see the child to observe them and give the child’s key worker activities and goals for the child to meet. Multi agency approaches can also take place to help babies, children and young people to meet the expected pattern of development. Another intervention could be supported play by adapting the activities to support the child or young person to reach the milestones for their age group. Task d . Early identification. Early identification of speech, language or communication delay is important for a childs well-being because it can affect their development. The sooner it is picked up on the sooner it can be amended therefore the child will not miss out on educational activities and lessons which would otherwise potentially hold them further back. Potential risks. Any delays in a child’s speech, language and communication could result in a lack of development in the future. They may not be able to develop their skills further for example, if a child cannot speak then communication will also become a problem. This is why it is important to identify these delays early. If a child cannot speak then their development will slow down as they cannot further their skills through others around them. This can therefore cause the problem to become greater if it is left to long. Importance of early identification and potential risks of late recognition. It is very important that early identification to speech, language and communication as it can affect children and young people’s further development and expanding skills. If it is picked up on early enough then help can be given to the child to either overcome the issue or to give extra support to them to help them develop further. If it isn’t picked up on early enough then the child could fall behind in development and education. When a child falls behind it can sometimes be difficult for them to catch up although there are organisations to give extra support to the child. Multi-agency team. There are many organisations that can help support a child or young person’s speech, language and communication. The child’s GP (general practitioner) can refer the child to a speech therapist which will help their speech and communication. The child’s health visitor can also help with the child’s speech, language and communication. How when and why. A multi-agency team would be brought in to support a child when a speech, language or communication delay takes place. The manager would have a meeting with the child’s parent/carer to discuss the issue and then they would discuss the best possible option for the child. If they decide that a multi-agency team is to be contacted then a meeting would be arranged with the team to examine how the child can be helped. They then will arrange with the team to examine how the child can be helped. They then will arrange the times and dates that they can come and visit the child either at the childcare setting or at home. Play opportunities. There are many types of play opportunities that can be put into place to help support a child’s speech, language and communication. Role play is one of the most important parts of play for children, it covers physical activity as well as allowing the child to communicate, be creative, be independent and build self-confidence. Another play opportunity could be music and movement activities which include singing, dancing and nursery rhymes. The children can be independent and make their own choices to join in. this allows children to communicate with each other and to sing along to the songs and rhymes. Reading stories are vital in a child’s development. By reading and listening, children pick up new words and meanings which allow their knowledge to expand. If a child has a difficulty in communicating or in their speech then books can be very useful for developing their speech and communication. Show and tell is another way of supporting a child’s speech, language and communication. It allows the children to listen to others and to communicate if they wish to by asking questions about the show and tell that is shown, which can expand their word dictionary by using new words. All of this concludes that noticing a delay in a speech, language or communication development is important to prevent further delay in other areas of development.

Overview Of The Success Of Alibaba Com

Overview Of The Success Of Alibaba Com The strategic plan defines Alibaba.coms overall mission and objectives, and that is true for any given company. Within each business unit, marketing plays a role in helping to accomplish the overall strategic objectives. Alibaba.coms goal is to build strong and profitable customer relationships. Alibaba.coms marketing strategy will consider the marketing logic by which the company hopes to achieve these profitable customer relationships. How they do that? Through market segmentation, targeting, and positioning. Guided by marketing strategy, Alibaba.com designs a marketing mix made up of factors under its control (product, price, place, and promotion). To find the best marketing mix and put it into action, Alibaba.com engages in marketing analysis, planning, implementation, and control. Through these activities, Alibaba.com should watches and adapts to the actors and forces in the marketplace environment. It is clear that an Alibaba.com objective is to win suppliers and buyers relatio nships. Long time relationships are profit to the company. The marketing mix is the set of controllable, tactical marketing tools that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market. The marketing mix consists of everything the firm can do to influence the demand for its products and services. The many possibilities are collected into four groups of variables known as the four Ps: product, price, place, and promotion. (G. Armstrong, 2007) Product means the goods and services combination that Alibaba.com offers to the target market, to the buyers. At Alibaba.com web site buyers more often find not only the products they need but service agreement, warranty, or other services. All which are parts of the product package. Product package include: variety, quality, design, features, brand name, packaging, and services. Price Price is the amount of money Alibaba.coms buyers has to pay to obtain the product. The retail price of a consumer product may be suggested by the manufacturer, but retailers are free to set any price they wish for items sold in their stores. In business to business sales, the price of a product is usually negotiated. However, at Alibaba.com, if a buyer wishes to get more of the same product, the buyer will get a discounted price. Place Place or distribution refers to the locations where the product is available to the customer. Most consumer products are available at retail outlets. In business to business, transaction should be from a manufacturing to the buyers. And every product, whatever it is a consumer or a business product, must begin somewhere, and must, somehow, get into the hands of the buyer. The path that the product takes, from the point of origin to point of sale, is called the distribution channel, which is an important part of the marketing mix. Most of Alibaba.coms products are from China. Therefore, Alibaba.com must deal with third company such as FedEx to ease the transportation of the distribution. Promotion Promotion is the set of activities that communicates the merits of the product and persuades prospective customers to buy it. These activities include everything related to marketing communications: advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and personal selling. As for Alibaba.com, the company needs to focus more into promotion. More direct marketing and advertising is the key to success at this stage. An effective marketing program blends all elements of the marketing mix into a coordinated plan designed to achieve the companys marketing objectives by delivering value to customers. The marketing mix constitutes the companys tactical tool kit for establishing strong positioning in the target markets or into the marketplaces. Conclusion and recommendations In conclusion, Alibaba Group makes it easy for anyone to buy or sell online anywhere in the world. Alibaba group is a family of Internet-based businesses that includes business-to-business international trade, online retail and payment platforms and data-centric cloud computing services. The Group was founded in 1999 by Jack Ma, a pioneer who has aspired to help make the Internet accessible, trustworthy and beneficial for everyone. The privately held Alibaba Group reaches Internet users in more than 240 countries and regions, and employs 17,000 people in more than 50 cities in Greater China, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. (www.news.alibaba.com) There are many companies partnered with Alibaba group. Such companies: Alibaba.com Global leader in business-to-business e-commerce Taobao Chinas largest Internet retail website and one-stop platform for shopping, socializing and information sharing Alipay Chinas leading third-party online payment platform Alibaba Cloud Computing Developer of advanced data-centric cloud computing services China Yahoo! One of Chinas leading Internet portals Although, since Alibaba group was found in 1999, and won more than 6 awards and honors, I recommend that the marketing management of Alibaba group should look into consideration to their promotional strategy. In fact, more of public relations and advertising will pump up awareness. Doing so, the group may benefit more buyers and seller; after all, that is the marketing objective of the group.

The European Neighbourhood Policy Politics Essay

The European Neighbourhood Policy Politics Essay Because of the big-bang enlargement to the East, in May 2004 the European Union acquired ten new member states and simultaneously several new neighbours. At about the same time, it began to flesh out a European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) to make sure that the newly enlarged Union would be surrounded by a ring of friends.  [1]  Specifically, in March 2003 the Commission presented its Communication Wider Europe Neighbourhood: A new Framework for relations with our Eastern and Southern Neighbours,  [2]  followed by a Strategy Paper on the ENP in May 2004.  [3]   In general, the ENP is the EUs mechanism for ensuring the maintenance of shared values beyond its borders. In other words, it provides the EU with additional tools for fostering new neighbours. Its objectives like stability, prosperity and co-operation help the EU to develop a privileged relationship with its neighbours while it also offers many other advantages to them, building upon a mutual commitment with them. On the other hand, it must be underlined that the EU faces some daunting challenges in its relations with its neighbours. Because of this, not only the ENPs aim to bring some order to the EUs relations with its neighbours but also the effort to develop a privileged and mutual relationship between them, are prevented in a great extent. So, does the ENP really provide the suitable structure for dealing with the main challenges? This essay will first present and analyse the substance of the ENP. It will then scrutinize its results and, finally it will criticize and evaluate the ENP taking into consideration the invectives that it offers and the challenges that the EU faces in its relations with its neighbours. The substance of the ENP The ENP framework is proposed to the 16 of EUs closest neighbours Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine. Russia has its own special relationship with the EU and it is not part of the ENP. More precisely, the ENP was developed in 2004, with the objective of avoiding new dividing lines between the enlarged EU and its neighbours and instead strengthening the prosperity, stability and security of all.  [4]   The 2004 enlargement brought the EU closer to the east and as a result created an instant need to ensure that the wider neighbourhood was stable to avoid the risk of instability overflowing into the larger EU.  [5]  As the European Commission has noted: Existing differences in living standards across the Unions borders with its neighbours may be accentuated as a result of faster growth in the new Member States than in their external neighbours; common challenges in fields such as the environment, public health, and the prevention of and fight against organised crime will have to be addressed; efficient and secure border management will be essential both to protect our shared borders and to facilitate legitimate trade and passage.  [6]  Moreover, the enlargement fatigue was established and the EU wanted to fend off yet another round of enlargement. Hence, the ENP was launched to deal with all of these challenges.  [7]   The ENP also includes the countries of the southern Mediterranean, though the dividing line between the EU and these countries was not shifted with the 2004 enlargement, and the problems posed by those borders have long been a concern. The southern Mediterranean countries were included in the ENP to balance the EUs southern and eastern dimensions, responding to concerns of southern member and non-member states.  [8]   The ENP, which is primarily a bilateral policy between the EU and each partner country, is further enriched with regional and multilateral co-operation initiatives: the Eastern Partnership (launched in Prague in May 2009), the Union for the Mediterranean (the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, formerly known as the Barcelona Process, re-launched in Paris in July 2008), and the Black Sea Synergy (launched in Kiev in February 2008).  [9]   The ENP is first and foremost an attempt to create good neighbours, who conform not only to EU values (democracy and human rights, rule of law, good governance, market economy principles and sustainable development) but also the EU standards and laws in specific economic and social areas. A secondary aspect of the ENP is to prevent the emergence of new dividing lines as mentioned earlier, through a variety of means including more cross-border cooperation.  [10]   Specifically, in attempting to stop the emergence of new dividing lines in Europe, the Commission has two broad approaches: firstly, to encourage and support financially the inclusion of the neighbours in European networks of all kinds such as transport, research and education, energy, environment, culture and so on and, secondly, to foster cross-border cooperation and specially concrete projects to link neighbouring regions across the EUs new border. The Commission is simplifying as well the funding of such programmes, which has been complicated.  [11]   In this point, it must be mentioned that, the ENP remains distinct from the process of enlargement. However, it does not prejudge for European neighbours how their relationship with the EU may develop in future in accordance with Treaty provisions. According to the ENP framework, the EU offers all but institutions to the neighbours: as much it can do without actually enlarging.  [12]   Plus, in early 2004 the Commission began preparing Actions Plans for the most advanced neighbours. The Action Plans are central to the ENP (12 of them were agreed) and they set out an agenda of political and economic reforms with short and medium-term priorities of 3 to 5 years. The ENP is not yet fully activated for Algeria, Belarus, Libya and Syria since those have not agreed Action Plans.  [13]   The Action Plans are supposed to be differentiated according to the various neighbours specific circumstances, and drawn up after held with each neighbour. Promoting joint ownership of the plans should better ensure that the neighbours will meet the objectives set out in them. Each country individually determines the nature and strength of its relationship with the EU.  [14]  In addition, other political objectives prominent in the Action Plans are cooperation in the fight against terrorism and on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and ensuring international justice through support for the International Criminal Court.  [15]   Furthermore, from January 2007 the European Neighbourhood Policy and Strategic Partnership with Russian Federation are financed through a single instrument the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). It is designed to target sustainable development and approximation to EU policies and standards supporting the agreed priorities in the ENP Action Plans, as well as Strategic Partnership with Russia. In detail, it encourages economic integration and political cooperation between the EU and the neighbours, promotes sustainable development and poverty reduction, and addresses security and stability challenges posed by geographical proximity to the EU.  [16]   The results of the ENP The ENP has shown that it offers a solid basis for strengthening ties between the EU and its neighbours. It has opened the policy to all eastern and southern neighbours who share EUs commitments to democracy, open society and economic prosperity. And, as countries go further down the reform path more possibilities (more financial support, integration with the EUs internal market, participation in the EUs policies and programmes) for closer cooperation with the EU open up to them.  [17]   Since the ENP policy was proposed, good progress has been made on developing and implementing the main instruments of the ENP the presentation of 12 Country Reports, the adoption of 12 ENP Action Plans, implementation and monitoring through relevant subcommittees, adoption of a new instrument (Neighbourhood Investment Facility -NIF) to better provide assistance to these countries in support of the objectives agreed in the Action Plans.  [18]   The NIF was established at the end of 2007 and it is a significant source of funding for the neighbourhood. The Facility funds projects of common interest focussing mainly on energy, environment and transport. A Governance Facility has been set up too. It provides additional support to countries that have made most progress in implementing governance reforms.  [19]   Moreover, for the Financial Framework 2007-2013, about à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬12 billion in EU funding are available to support partners reforms, an increase of 32% in real terms as compared to 2000-2006 Financial Framework. Until 31 December 2006, EU assistance to the countries of the ENP and to Russia was provided under various geographical programmes including TACIS (for eastern neighbours and Russia) and MEDA (for southern Mediterranean neighbours), as well as thematic programmes such as European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).  [20]   Additionally, new forms of technical assistance have been extended to ENP partners. A large number of twinning and Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX) arrangements, is in place with countries across the neighbourhood.  [21]  Neighbourhood countries joined also the EUs programmes and agencies like the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme.  [22]   Furthermore, it must be stated that, to the east the reforming government of Moldova is being rewarded with generous aid. In the meantime, the EU has frozen assets and restricted visas for Belaruss leaders after they rigged elections and suppressed protests.  [23]  A border monitoring mission was also in place along the Moldovan-Ukraine border to help address the frozen conflict in Transnistria while an agreement on easier visa procedures for Ukrainian citizens and others was in the works.  [24]   In May 2011 the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Commission suggested a new policy response to a changing EU neighbourhood based on more for more, less for less, a mutual accountability and a shared commitment to the universal values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law and involving a much higher level of differentiation.  [25]  New policys items are money, market access, and mobility. This approach has been authorized as well by the European Parliament and the European Council.  [26]   The Economist justified the new policy as follows: Policies should be better tailored for each neighbour. Europe cannot change geography, so it will have to deal with countries on its rim, democratic or autocratic. But in its circle of neighbours, it must always demonstrate that its best friends are the democrats.  [27]  Along this line, the EU responded to the Arab Spring and sent an obvious message of unity and support to the people of the southern Mediterranean. Moreover, it responded to EU eastern neighbours efforts towards closer political association and deeper economic integration.  [28]   The evaluation of the ENP Undoubtedly, the ENP should be seen as one of innovative efforts undertaken so far in the history of the European Communities external relations. This exposes it to a great deal of controversy in a vast diversity of opinions thereupon. Indeed, the ENP has been evaluated in most different ways, from very critical in which it is seen as an ineffective project, to statements saying that this is one of the EUs foreign policy that really works correctly. If we take into account the aforementioned results of the ENP, we realize that it does promote good relations between the enlarged EU and its neighbours. It definitely has an interest in promoting prosperity, stability and security among its neighbours by working with them to support their transition. But what about the group of people who support that the ENP is an ineffective project? Why do they strongly believe it? Those who believe that the ENP is an inadequate policy claim that the EU has to deal with three serious challenges: that of confronting the ghost of enlargement, which haunts EU relations with its neighbours, the challenge of influencing positively the serious problems distressing several of those neighbours and, that of building a neighbourhood with some degree of cohesiveness.  [29]   The unavoidable consequences of admitting some countries to full membership of the EU and excluding others produce insiders and outsiders. This dimension inside the ENP, make awkward bedfellows, especially given that east European countries are reluctantly seen as potential member states while the Mediterranean countries have not been considered appropriate for EU membership.  [30]  The hope of EU membership is a major incentive for reform amongst members. As it has already been mentioned Europes neighbourhood policy remains distinct from the process of enlargement as it offers countries everything but institutions. And this does not mean as stated earlier that neighbourhood countries have no chance of being official members of the EU. For instance, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine could be considered as candidates for EU membership at some point in the future. All have experienced a democratization process and have moved away from the direct political influence of the Russian Federation.  [31]   Nevertheless, these states represent a low priority on the enlargement agenda because of the likely impact on the EUs budget, the poor state of their economies, and the need to strengthen political reforms at home before considering accession. So, there is a large development gap between the EU and some potential members, which makes meeting membership conditions increasingly difficult. Thus, the EU is becoming more diverse.  [32]   The second challenge facing the EU is how to deal with countries of concern. Generally speaking, the challenges facing EUs neighbours often go beyond their borders. It is a fact that, the partner countries are faced with poverty, unemployment, mixed economic performance, corruption, weak governance and frozen conflicts in certain regions.  [33]   Countries of concern include Belarus and Libya, but several other neighbours like Syria are also problematic mainly because of their lack of respect for human rights and democratic principles and, because of security concerns. Even more, the list of sites of conflict in the Middle East is tragically long. In this point, someone could wonder if the ENP gives the EU more leverage or more possibilities to exercise influence in these cases than it had before.  [34]   For fostering fundamental reform in the neighbours, Action Plans should provide a real incentive for reform. The truth is that, clear benchmarks linked to clear benefits are being absent in Action Plans. There has to be a real effort so that Action Plans lend a serious concentration to the ENP and enable the focus to be on specific, measurable and time-bound objectives.  [35]   The third challenge for the EU is how to connect the dissimilar countries and regions included in the ENP. The ENP is a policy based on strengthening the bilateral links between the EU and each neighbour a policy for neighbours rather than a neighbourhood policy. And while there is an undeniable need for reform in the neighbours, there is also an undeniable need for all the neighbours to cooperate with one another. In relation to this statement, we realize that strengthening the multilateral and/or regional elements in the ENP would help to tackle not just the cross-border problems that affect the EU but also those that affect all of the neighbours.  [36]   Additionally, some analysts consider that the new policy to a changing EU neighbourhood after the emergence of the Arab Spring, based on more economic benefits for more democracy with the new policys items (money, market access, and mobility) is not bold enough to make an important difference.  [37]  Regarding money, at times of austerity there is no more for foreign-policy aims while concerning markets, many north African countries already enjoy free trade in industrial goods, and the southern Europeans want to restrict some agricultural products. As for mobility, with anti-immigrant parties gaining ground, few governments are ready to open up to north Africans.  [38]   There is little doubt that the Arab awakening was a priority for European foreign policy in 2011. Europe used a collection of instruments, including active diplomacy, special envoys, sanctions and military action. However, its technocratic response fell dramatically short of Marshall Plan for which some initially called.  [39]  Plus, the Arab Spring has shed light on the close personal and business ties between governing elites in EU member states and their Mediterranean counterparts. For example, Frances Foreign Minister Michà ¨le Alliot-Marie was forced to resign due to public outrage over her links to the ousted Ben Ali regime in Tunisia.  [40]  In 2008, the EU tried to negotiate an association agreement with Libya and earmarked à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬60mln in ENPI funds to the country over the 2011-2013 period.  [41]   To sum up, in the south the promotion of democracy and the rule of law has been an illusion. Arab neighbours have no the ambition of returning back to Europe while eastern neighbours, know that the EU is not ready to expand beyond the Balkans. Without the lure of membership, the EU struggles to find effective foreign-policy. Conclusions The ENP is a useful policy promoting stability, prosperity, welfare and security in the post 2004 era between the EU and its neighbours. But is the ENP sufficient to deal with the aforesaid challenges? This challenge is undoubtedly enormous and requires more ambitious policy response. Not only should the ghost of enlargement be vanished but also the serious problems distressing several of the neighbours. Furthermore, the EU should try hard through the ENP to build a neighbourhood with some degree of cohesiveness. As we all know, on 12 October 2012 the Nobel Prize Committee decided to award the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union for over six decades contribution to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. Although the EU is at present undergoing serious economic difficulties and considerable social unrest the award served as a reminder that the EU had largely brought peace to a continent which tore itself apart in two world wars in which tens of millions died. According to this, the EU should focus on what it sees as the EUs most important result: the successful struggle for peace and reconciliation and for democracy and human rights. No one would disagree that one way for the EU to enforce its struggles for achieving the aforementioned goals, is through the ENP. It is an ambitious policy, which has the potential to make an enormous difference to the prosperity and stability of both the EU and its neighbours. So, the EU has to strengthen the ENP in order to provide concrete and credible incentives for reform. Hence, a strong ENP has to be set out. The vision contained in the ENP the real and mutual relation of EU to its nearest friends and vice versa should be a reality for the stability and wealth of both.

Love In Todays Society Essay -- essays research papers

Love In Today's Society A key to understanding Sociology and the Social Sciences in general is to evaluate subjects through time and compare and contrast characteristics that have changed and those that have remained the same. For this assignment I have elected to access three sources dealing with love; in three distinct time periods in the modern era. First we will survey one of the first popular mediums for the expression of love; that of poetry. I have chosen a poem by W.H. Auden to represent the early portion of this century- specifically the 1930s and 1940s. I knew I had to include a song from my idol Jim Morrison. Not only is he the perfect voice of the volatile sex revolution of the 1960s and 1970s; his work captures the profile of a rock star who undoubtedly acquired his domineering attitude from the endless worship of submissive women. Lastly we enter the modern era with a article from my favorite magazine Men's Health on the mistakes a man must avoid in order to please his lover. As we shall see, the increased freedom is very interesting in our first representation to the last. My goal is to show how love has changed. I hope to show what is accepted in our society today, compared with only several decades ago. Application My sources run the gamut of ideas in the subject of love. I think Auden's poem is the best representation of what has been termed â€Å"courtly love.† This seems logical, since this Romantic Era type of love was a pre-cursor to what we know as modern love. The author takes the troubadour role in his crooning style of praising his love's qualities. He idealizes his mate and is satisfied just being in the same room as she. There are not any ulterior motives evident. Auden would be categorized as a â€Å"heavenly lover,† in that his love is more lofty and sacred. There is definite contrast to this idealism though. In his last lines the author, without reservation tells of his sorrow at his loss of her to another. Morrison's Love Her Madly could almost be interpreted as a form of limerance. He has this extreme fondness for his subject: â€Å"Don't ya love her madly?† Anyone who knows the story of Jim Morrison knows that the topic of love and all that comes with it was an integral facet of his being. He is a good example of love in the context of a super-star entertainer. Morrison's songs, and most others found... ...an work their difficulties out before they explode. Conclusion It is definitely true that attitudes on love have changed in the last decade. Social structures and norms have fluctuated and have influenced people's decisions in their own lives as well as their perceptions of others. Many people would rather return to the innocent times of Auden where love seemingly was true and carried no strings. There does seem to be a problem with the increased fragmentation of society in regards to finding love today. Gone are the days when you married your high school sweet-heart and lived happily ever after. Increased mobility and the ease of travel has left love more available and open. People need more help today from outside services like dating hotlines and the help of marriage counselors and physchologists to sort out their troubles. It follows though that society is more complex and therefore better. Women have more rights and more say in society. There is no doubt that females were exploited more in the past than today. While society's attitudes have changed over the years and will continue to change, one thing remains the same: love is a driving force in our lives.

An Icon to Remember :: Essays Papers

An Icon to Remember During the Late Byzantium Period a new burst of creative energy grasped the Russian artists. More artists emerged as Russians became increasingly interested in art. Earlier in the Byzantium Period â€Å"art that had to do with religious worship, like statues and any religious imagery throughout the empire, was destroyed under Leo III in iconoclasm† (Kleiner and Mamiya 326). This era lasted nearly one hundred years. During this period icon painting became very popular. â€Å"These paintings are small portable paintings depicting Christ, the Virgin, or Saints† (Kleiner and Mamiya 342). One of the most famous and influential icon artists to come about during this time was Audrei Rublev. In ca.1410 he designed his masterpiece, the Old Testament Trinity (Figure 1), one of the most beautiful and popular icon paintings in Russia. Rublev’s Old Testament Trinity was a very spiritual and an important icon painting during the fifteenth century. Audrei Rublev was born in ca.1360 and was known as a Russian painter and monk (â€Å"Rublev† 304). He was so spectacular that his work had a profound influence on the development of Russian art overall. His paintings usually attributed to a more linear quality (â€Å"Rublev† 304-305). â€Å"Rublev worked beside Theophanes the Greek and Prokhor from Gorodets, whom may have been his teachers, in painting the Cathedral of the Annunciation and also with the icon painter Daniil Chorny† (Hamilton 93). Although there is very little background known of his life, his first appearance was in 1405(Hamilton 93). Audrei Rublev passed most of the remainder of his life in the Andronikov Monastery, where he is now buried (â€Å"Rublev† 304). He lived to be seventy and died in ca.1430. Audrei Rublev was one of the greatest icon painters for Russia during the Middle Ages. â€Å"The Old Testament Trinity was dedicated to Saint Sergius Radonezhsky c.1411† (â€Å"Rublev† 305). It was found in 1918 in a storeroom near the Cathedral of the Dormition. Although having severe and irreparable damage enough remains. â€Å"The painting depicts three angels that are in silent communication with each other, seated around an altar table with a chalice that indicates the subject of their contemplation is self-sacrifice† (Art Treasures in Russia 61). The central figure, God the Father, is further back then his companions, God the Son on the left and the Holy Spirit on the right.

Explain the main differences between communicating with adults and communicating with children and young people Essay

When we communicate with people be it children young people or adults we adapt our communication to the appropriate language. We will do this automatically if we are in a meeting with other professionals, we will act and speak in a formal and professional manner, whilst speaking to a infant we will be more animated and speak in a higher voice which we know will keep the babies attention. So when I communicate with children I need to be clear so they can understand what is expected of them. I do †¢Make eye contact †¢Use verbal and non-verbal communication (signing using sign along) †¢I make sure I speak clearly †¢I only give as much information that is needed †¢Repeat myself when needed †¢Ask a child to look at me if there attention is straying †¢I will smile to encourage them to keep speak †¢I try to ask extra questions to encourage them to keep the conversation going †¢I ask them how they would make a one word answer into a sentence encourage them by giving them the words to make that sentence †¢I also use PECs asking the child would they like juice or milk ECT. The child will then choose the appropriate sign this is a very good form of communication when a child refuses to speak or does not have the vocabulary †¢Other forms of communication I use are big macs jelly beans which can be programed or hooked up to computers, they can also be place on mount on a wheelchair for those who are infirmed, I have had many a wonderful lesson with children who use these, as they love to be able to join in and even show off there skills, they feel very much apart of the group showing how happy they are by laughing and smiling. I don’t †¢Interrupt children whilst they are speaking as this discourages the child from wanting to approach me in the future †¢Will never dismiss what a child as to say because as this is known to lower self esteem) †¢Don’t laugh at what a child is saying †¢Hurry a child when they are speaking †¢I know that at all times I need to keep my relationship with the children I work with that of a formal none not allowing to become over familiar as one child who as special needs did whilst in the play ground he came up to me put his arm round me and said hi miss, I move away from the child then turned round faced the child and told him that was unacceptable behavior and that it was not nice to get into someone personal space and he was not to do it again, he said he was sorry and would not do it again, the child understood what personal space ment as he was of secondary school age . I then reported the incident to my line manager, as this was a cause for concern that had come up in the daily meeting with regards to the student behavior. On another occasion a new pupil who had just started in year seven was in tears so I approached the child not being sure of his name I first said hi what’s your name? He said his name, I then asked him why he was crying, he said he was new to the school and was frightened, I told him not to worry as lots of children feel frightened when they come to a new school, I asked him would he like to walk round the playground with me, I let him link me for comfort to make him feel he had a friend, while we walked I asked him question i.e. which school he came from ect helping to build his confidence after awhile he was smiling feeling better, I then introduced him to other children I knew would look after him, the result was a week later he came to me and told me he was not scared anymore and that he quite liked redwood school. As teaching assistants we can make a big difference to children and young adults lives by using the skills we have hound during our life.

Social Control

Social Control 1 Social Control and Behavior Samantha Sipes Criminology 1017-42 1. Cesare Beccaria argued that the threat of punishment controls crime. Do other forms of social control exist? Aside from the threat of legal punishment, what else controls your behavior? In my opinion a lot of factors play a role in social control such as family, church and school. These Three factor can determine a person behavior. You are taught how to act, morals and beliefs at a small age. Having fear of losing your family or have them look at you with a despise is a strong social and self control. Everyone wants to be accepted and belong in today’s social environment. Church is can also be a strong social control instation by providing you with a strong foundation of faith which can determine your behavior toward life. Being a teenager myself school played a big social control for me most of my lessons were taught in school. 2. Aside from the threat of legal punishment, what else controls your behavior? A person’s personal sense of right/wrong, fearing of disappointing loved ones and friends and caring about other people are main factors in controlling my behavior. I big social control for me was my family I knew the consequence if I failed them or hurt them. I don’t have the heart to misbehave and treat people wrong. It is believed that most humans have a built in guide to what is morally right and wrong. Society in general sets a standard for what is right and wrong (not laws) and most people want to be seen by their friends and neighbors as good people with high morals. I personally believe this has more to do with our behavior than the threat of punishment. If the threat of punishment controls crime then why are our prisions overcrowded? Some people believe in God and believe he demands that we be morally good, but that is also made with the threat of punishment if we do not follow his teachings.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 33-37

CHAPTER 33 Sophie's SmartCar tore through the diplomatic quarter, weaving past embassies and consulates, finally racing out a side street and taking a right turn back onto the massive thoroughfare of Champs-Elysees. Langdon sat white-knuckled in the passenger seat, twisted backward, scanning behind them for any signs of the police. He suddenly wished he had not decided to run. You didn't, he reminded himself. Sophie had made the decision for him when she threw the GPS dot out the bathroom window. Now, as they sped away from the embassy, serpentining through sparse traffic on Champs-Elysees, Langdon felt his options deteriorating. Although Sophie seemed to have lost the police, at least for the moment, Langdon doubted their luck would hold for long. Behind the wheel Sophie was fishing in her sweater pocket. She removed a small metal object and held it out for him. â€Å"Robert, you'd better have a look at this. This is what my grandfather left me behind Madonna of the Rocks.† Feeling a shiver of anticipation, Langdon took the object and examined it. It was heavy and shaped like a cruciform. His first instinct was that he was holding a funeral pieu – a miniature version of a memorial spike designed to be stuck into the ground at a gravesite. But then he noted the shaft protruding from the cruciform was prismatic and triangular. The shaft was also pockmarked with hundreds of tiny hexagons that appeared to be finely tooled and scattered at random. â€Å"It's a laser-cut key,† Sophie told him. â€Å"Those hexagons are read by an electric eye.† A key? Langdon had never seen anything like it. â€Å"Look at the other side,† she said, changing lanes and sailing through an intersection. When Langdon turned the key, he felt his jaw drop. There, intricately embossed on the center of the cross, was a stylized fleur-de-lis with the initials P. S. !† Sophie,† he said,† this is the seal I told you about! The official device of the Priory of Sion.† She nodded. â€Å"As I told you, I saw the key a long time ago. He told me never to speak of it again.† Langdon's eyes were still riveted on the embossed key. Its high-tech tooling and age-oldsymbolism exuded an eerie fusion of ancient and modern worlds. â€Å"He told me the key opened a box where he kept many secrets.† Langdon felt a chill to imagine what kind of secrets a man like Jacques Sauniere might keep. What an ancient brotherhood was doing with a futuristic key, Langdon had no idea. The Priory existed for the sole purpose of protecting a secret. A secret of incredible power. Could this key have something to do with it? The thought was overwhelming. â€Å"Do you know what it opens?† Sophie looked disappointed. â€Å"I was hoping you knew.† Langdon remained silent as he turned the cruciform in his hand, examining it. â€Å"It looks Christian,† Sophie pressed. Langdon was not so sure about that. The head of this key was not the traditional long-stemmed Christian cross but rather was a square cross – with four arms of equal length – which predated Christianity by fifteen hundred years. This kind of cross carried none of the Christian connotations of crucifixion associated with the longer-stemmed Latin Cross, originated by Romans as a torture device. Langdon was always surprised how few Christians who gazed upon† the crucifix† realized their symbol's violent history was reflected in its very name:† cross† and† crucifix† came from the Latin verb cruciare – to torture. â€Å"Sophie,† he said,† all I can tell you is that equal-armed crosses like this one are considered peaceful crosses. Their square configurations make them impractical for use in crucifixion, and their balanced vertical and horizontal elements convey a natural union of male and female, making them symbolically consistent with Priory philosophy.† She gave him a weary look. â€Å"You have no idea, do you?† Langdon frowned. â€Å"Not a clue.† â€Å"Okay, we have to get off the road.† Sophie checked her rearview mirror. â€Å"We need a safe place to figure out what that key opens.† Langdon thought longingly of his comfortable room at the Ritz. Obviously, that was not an option. â€Å"How about my hosts at the American University of Paris?† â€Å"Too obvious. Fache will check with them.† â€Å"You must know people. You live here.† â€Å"Fache will run my phone and e-mail records, talk to my coworkers. My contacts are compromised, and finding a hotel is no good because they all require identification.† Langdon wondered again if he might have been better off taking his chances letting Fache arrest him at the Louvre. â€Å"Let's call the embassy. I can explain the situation and have the embassy send someone to meet us somewhere.† â€Å"Meet us?† Sophie turned and stared at him as if he were crazy. â€Å"Robert, you're dreaming. Your embassy has no jurisdiction except on their own property. Sending someone to retrieve us would be considered aiding a fugitive of the French government. It won't happen. If you walk into your embassy and request temporary asylum, that's one thing, but asking them to take action against French law enforcement in the field?† She shook her head. â€Å"Call your embassy right now, and they are going to tell you to avoid further damage and turn yourself over to Fache. Then they'll promise to pursue diplomatic channels to get you a fair trial.† She gazed up the line of elegant storefronts on Champs-Elysees. â€Å"How much cash do you have?† Langdon checked his wallet. â€Å"A hundred dollars. A few euro. Why?† â€Å"Credit cards?† â€Å"Of course.† As Sophie accelerated, Langdon sensed she was formulating a plan. Dead ahead, at the end of Champs-Elysees, stood the Arc de Triomphe – Napoleon's 164-foot-tall tribute to his own military potency – encircled by France's largest rotary, a nine-lane behemoth. Sophie's eyes were on the rearview mirror again as they approached the rotary. â€Å"We lost them for the time being,† she said,† but we won't last another five minutes if we stay in this car.† So steal a different one, Langdon mused, now that we're criminals. â€Å"What are you going to do?† Sophie gunned the SmartCar into the rotary. â€Å"Trust me.† Langdon made no response. Trust had not gotten him very far this evening. Pulling back the sleeve of his jacket, he checked his watch – a vintage, collector's-edition Mickey Mouse wristwatch that had been a gift from his parents on his tenth birthday. Although its juvenile dial often drew odd looks, Langdon had never owned any other watch; Disney animations had been his first introduction to the magic of form and color, and Mickey now served as Langdon's daily reminder to stay young at heart. At the moment, however, Mickey's arms were skewed at an awkward angle, indicating an equally awkward hour. 2:51 A. M. â€Å"Interesting watch,† Sophie said, glancing at his wrist and maneuvering the SmartCar around the wide, counterclockwise rotary. â€Å"Long story,† he said, pulling his sleeve back down. â€Å"I imagine it would have to be.† She gave him a quick smile and exited the rotary, heading due north, away from the city center. Barely making two green lights, she reached the third intersection and took a hard right onto Boulevard Malesherbes. They'd left the rich, tree-lined streets of the diplomatic neighborhood and plunged into a darker industrial neighborhood. Sophie took a quick left, and a moment later, Langdon realized where they were. Gare Saint-Lazare. Ahead of them, the glass-roofed train terminal resembled the awkward offspring of an airplane hangar and a greenhouse. European train stations never slept. Even at this hour, a half-dozen taxi sidled near the main entrance. Vendors manned carts of sandwiches and mineral water while grungy kids in backpacks emerged from the station rubbing their eyes, looking around as if trying to remember what city they were in now. Up ahead on the street, a couple of city policemen stood on the curb giving directions to some co nfused tourists. Sophie pulled her SmartCar in behind the line of taxis and parked in a red zone despite plenty of legal parking across the street. Before Langdon could ask what was going on, she was out of the car. She hurried to the window of the taxi in front of them and began speaking to the driver. As Langdon got out of the SmartCar, he saw Sophie hand the taxi driver a big wad of cash. The taxi driver nodded and then, to Langdon's bewilderment, sped off without them. â€Å"What happened?† Langdon demanded, joining Sophie on the curb as the taxi disappeared. Sophie was already heading for the train station entrance. â€Å"Come on. We're buying two tickets on the next train out of Paris.† Langdon hurried along beside her. What had begun as a one-mile dash to the U. S. Embassy had now become a full-fledged evacuation from Paris. Langdon was liking this idea less and less. CHAPTER 34 The driver who collected Bishop Aringarosa from Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport pulled up in a small, unimpressive black Fiat sedan. Aringarosa recalled a day when all Vatican transports were big luxury cars that sported grille-plate medallions and flags emblazoned with the seal of the Holy See. Those days are gone.Vatican cars were now less ostentatious and almost always unmarked. The Vatican claimed this was to cut costs to better serve their dioceses, but Aringarosa suspected it was more of a security measure. The world had gone mad, and in many parts of Europe, advertising your love of Jesus Christ was like painting a bull's-eye on the roof of your car. Bundling his black cassock around himself, Aringarosa climbed into the back seat and settled in for the long drive to Castel Gandolfo. It would be the same ride he had taken five months ago. Last year's trip to Rome, he sighed. The longest night of my life. Five months ago, the Vatican had phoned to request Aringarosa's immediate presence in Rome. They offered no explanation. Your tickets are at the airport.The Holy See worked hard to retain a veil of mystery, even for its highest clergy. The mysterious summons, Aringarosa suspected, was probably a photo opportunity for the Pope and other Vatican officials to piggyback on Opus Dei's recent public success – the completion of their World Headquarters in New York City. Architectural Digest had called Opus Dei's building† a shining beacon of Catholicism sublimely integrated with the modern landscape,† and lately the Vatican seemed to be drawn to anything and everything that included the word† modern.† Aringarosa had no choice but to accept the invitation, albeit reluctantly. Not a fan of the current papal administration, Aringarosa, like most conservative clergy, had watched with grave concern as the new Pope settled into his first year in office. An unprecedented liberal, His Holiness had secured the papacy through one of the most controversial and unusual conclaves in Vatican history. Now, rather than being humbled by his unexpected rise to power, the Holy Father had wasted no time flexing all the muscle associated with the highest office in Christendom. Drawing on an unsettling tide of liberal support within the College of Cardinals, the Pope was now declaring his papal mission to be† rejuvenation of Vatican doctrine and updating Catholicism into the third millennium.† The translation, Aringarosa feared, was that the man was actually arrogant enough to think he could rewrite God's laws and win back the hearts of those who felt the demands of true Catholicism had become too inconvenient in a modern world. Aringarosa had been using all of his political sway – substantial considering the size of the Opus Dei constituency and their bankroll – to persuade the Pope and his advisers that softening the Church's laws was not only faithless and cowardly, but political suicide. He reminded them that previous tempering of Church law – the Vatican II fiasco – had left a devastating legacy: Church attendance was now lower than ever, donations were drying up, and there were not even enough Catholic priests to preside over their churches. People need structure and direction from the Church, Aringarosa insisted, not coddling and indulgence! On that night, months ago, as the Fiat had left the airport, Aringarosa was surprised to find himself heading not toward Vatican City but rather eastward up a sinuous mountain road. â€Å"Where are we going?† he had demanded of his driver. â€Å"Alban Hills,† the man replied. â€Å"Your meeting is at Castel Gandolfo.† The Pope's summer residence? Aringarosa had never been, nor had he ever desired to see it. In addition to being the Pope's summer vacation home, the sixteenth-century citadel housed the Specula Vaticana – the Vatican Observatory – one of the most advanced astronomical observatories in Europe. Aringarosa had never been comfortable with the Vatican's historical need to dabble in science. What was the rationale for fusing science and faith? Unbiased science could not possibly be performed by a man who possessed faith in God. Nor did faith have any need for physical confirmation of its beliefs. Nonetheless, there it is, he thought as Castel Gandolfo came into view, rising against a star-filled November sky. From the access road, Gandolfo resembled a great stone monster pondering a suicidal leap. Perched at the very edge of a cliff, the castle leaned out over the cradle of Italian civilization – the valley where the Curiazi and Orazi clans fought long before the founding of Rome. Even in silhouette, Gandolfo was a sight to behold – an impressive example of tiered, defensive architecture, echoing the potency of this dramatic cliff side setting. Sadly, Aringarosa now saw, the Vatican had ruined the building by constructing two huge aluminum telescope domes atop the roof, leaving this once dignified edifice looking like a proud warrior wearing a couple of party hats. When Aringarosa got out of the car, a young Jesuit priest hurried out and greeted him. â€Å"Bishop, welcome. I am Father Mangano. An astronomer here.† Good for you.Aringarosa grumbled his hello and followed his host into the castle's foyer – a wide- open space whose decor was a graceless blend of Renaissance art and astronomy images. Following his escort up the wide travertine marble staircase, Aringarosa saw signs for conference centers, science lecture halls, and tourist information services. It amazed him to think the Vatican was failing at every turn to provide coherent, stringent guidelines for spiritual growth and yet somehow still found time to give astrophysics lectures to tourists. â€Å"Tell me,† Aringarosa said to the young priest,† when did the tail start wagging the dog?† The priest gave him an odd look. â€Å"Sir?† Aringarosa waved it off, deciding not to launch into that particular offensive again this evening. The Vatican has gone mad.Like a lazy parent who found it easier to acquiesce to the whims of a spoiled child than to stand firm and teach values, the Church just kept softening at every turn, trying to reinvent itself to accommodate a culture gone astray. The top floor's corridor was wide, lushly appointed, and led in only one direction – toward a huge set of oak doors with a brass sign. BIBLIOTECA ASTRONOMICA Aringarosa had heard of this place – the Vatican's Astronomy Library – rumored to contain more than twenty-five thousand volumes, including rare works of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, and Secchi. Allegedly, it was also the place in which the Pope's highest officers held private meetings†¦ those meetings they preferred not to hold within the walls of Vatican City. Approaching the door, Bishop Aringarosa would never have imagined the shocking news he was about to receive inside, or the deadly chain of events it would put into motion. It was not until an hour later, as he staggered from the meeting, that the devastating implications settled in. Six monthsfrom now! he had thought. God help us! Now, seated in the Fiat, Bishop Aringarosa realized his fists were clenched just thinking about that first meeting. He released his grip and forced a slow inhalation, relaxing his muscles. Everything will be fine, he told himself as the Fiat wound higher into the mountains. Still, he wished his cell phone would ring. Why hasn't the Teacher called me? Silas should have the keystone by now. Trying to ease his nerves, the bishop meditated on the purple amethyst in his ring. Feeling the textures of the mitre-crozier applique and the facets of the diamonds, he reminded himself that this ring was a symbol of power far less than that which he would soon attain. CHAPTER 35 The inside of Gare Saint-Lazare looked like every other train station in Europe, a gaping indoor- outdoor cavern dotted with the usual suspects – homeless men holding cardboard signs, collections of bleary-eyed college kids sleeping on backpacks and zoning out to their portable MP3 players, and clusters of blue-clad baggage porters smoking cigarettes. Sophie raised her eyes to the enormous departure board overhead. The black and white tabs reshuffled, ruffling downward as the information refreshed. When the update was finished, Langdon eyed the offerings. The topmost listing read: LYON – RAPIDE – 3:06 â€Å"I wish it left sooner,† Sophie said,† but Lyon will have to do.† Sooner? Langdon checked his watch 2:59 A. M. The train left in seven minutes and they didn't even have tickets yet. Sophie guided Langdon toward the ticket window and said,† Buy us two tickets with your credit card.† â€Å"I thought credit card usage could be traced by – â€Å"Exactly.† Langdon decided to stop trying to keep ahead of Sophie Neveu. Using his Visa card, he purchased two coach tickets to Lyon and handed them to Sophie. Sophie guided him out toward the tracks, where a familiar tone chimed overhead and a P. A. announcer gave the final boarding call for Lyon. Sixteen separate tracks spread out before them. In the distance to the right, at quay three, the train to Lyon was belching and wheezing in preparation for departure, but Sophie already had her arm through Langdon's and was guiding him in the exact opposite direction. They hurried through a side lobby, past an all-night cafe, and finally out a side door onto a quiet street on the west side of the station. A lone taxi sat idling by the doorway. The driver saw Sophie and flicked his lights. Sophie jumped in the back seat. Langdon got in after her. As the taxi pulled away from station, Sophie took out their newly purchased train tickets and tore them up. Langdon sighed. Seventy dollars well spent. It was not until their taxi had settled into a monotonous northbound hum on Rue de Clichy that Langdon felt they'd actually escaped. Out the window to his right, he could see Montmartre and the beautiful dome of Sacre-Coeur. The image was interrupted by the flash of police lights sailing past them in the opposite direction. Langdon and Sophie ducked down as the sirens faded. Sophie had told the cab driver simply to head out of the city, and from her firmly set jaw, Langdon sensed she was trying to figure out their next move. Langdon examined the cruciform key again, holding it to the window, bringing it close to his eyes in an effort to find any markings on it that might indicate where the key had been made. In the intermittent glow of passing streetlights, he saw no markings except the Priory seal. â€Å"It doesn't make sense,† he finally said. â€Å"Which part?† â€Å"That your grandfather would go to so much trouble to give you a key that you wouldn't know what to do with.† â€Å"I agree.† â€Å"Are you sure he didn't write anything else on the back of the painting?† â€Å"I searched the whole area. This is all there was. This key, wedged behind the painting. I saw the Priory seal, stuck the key in my pocket, then we left.† Langdon frowned, peering now at the blunt end of the triangular shaft. Nothing. Squinting, he brought the key close to his eyes and examined the rim of the head. Nothing there either. â€Å"I think this key was cleaned recently.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"It smells like rubbing alcohol.† She turned. â€Å"I'm sorry?† â€Å"It smells like somebody polished it with a cleaner.† Langdon held the key to his nose and sniffed. â€Å"It's stronger on the other side.† He flipped it over. â€Å"Yes, it's alcohol-based, like it's been buffed with a cleaner or – † Langdon stopped. â€Å"What?† He angled the key to the light and looked at the smooth surface on the broad arm of the cross. It seemed to shimmer in places†¦ like it was wet. â€Å"How well did you look at the back of this key before you put it in your pocket?† â€Å"What? Not well. I was in a hurry.† Langdon turned to her. â€Å"Do you still have the black light?† Sophie reached in her pocket and produced the UV penlight. Langdon took it and switched it on, shining the beam on the back of the key. The back luminesced instantly. There was writing there. In penmanship that was hurried but legible. â€Å"Well,† Langdon said, smiling. â€Å"I guess we know what the alcohol smell was.† Sophie stared in amazement at the purple writing on the back of the key. 24 Rue Haxo An address! My grandfather wrote down an address! â€Å"Where is this?† Langdon asked. Sophie had no idea. Facing front again, she leaned forward and excitedly asked the driver,†Connaissez-vous la Rue Haxo?† The driver thought a moment and then nodded. He told Sophie it was out near the tennis stadium on the western outskirts of Paris. She asked him to take them there immediately. â€Å"Fastest route is through Bois de Boulogne,† the driver told her in French. â€Å"Is that okay?† Sophie frowned. She could think of far less scandalous routes, but tonight she was not going to be picky. â€Å"Oui.† We can shock the visiting American. Sophie looked back at the key and wondered what they would possibly find at 24 Rue Haxo. A church? Some kind of Priory headquarters? Her mind filled again with images of the secret ritual she had witnessed in the basement grotto ten years ago, and she heaved a long sigh. â€Å"Robert, I have a lot of things to tell you.† She paused, locking eyes with him as the taxi raced westward. â€Å"But first I want you to tell me everything you know about this Priory of Sion.† CHAPTER 36 Outside the Salle des Etats, Bezu Fache was fuming as Louvre warden Grouard explained how Sophie and Langdon had disarmed him. Why didn't you just shoot the blessed painting! â€Å"Captain?† Lieutenant Collet loped toward them from the direction of the command post. â€Å"Captain, I just heard. They located Agent Neveu's car.† â€Å"Did she make the embassy?† â€Å"No. Train station. Bought two tickets. Train just left.† Fache waved off warden Grouard and led Collet to a nearby alcove, addressing him in hushed tones. â€Å"What was the destination?† â€Å"Lyon.† â€Å"Probably a decoy.† Fache exhaled, formulating a plan. â€Å"Okay, alert the next station, have the train stopped and searched, just in case. Leave her car where it is and put plainclothes on watch in case they try to come back to it. Send men to search the streets around the station in case they fled on foot. Are buses running from the station?† â€Å"Not at this hour, sir. Only the taxi queue.† â€Å"Good. Question the drivers. See if they saw anything. Then contact the taxi company dispatcher with descriptions. I'm calling Interpol.† Collet looked surprised. â€Å"You're putting this on the wire?† Fache regretted the potential embarrassment, but he saw no other choice. Close the net fast, and close it tight. The first hour was critical. Fugitives were predictable the first hour after escape. They always needed the same thing. Travel.Lodging.Cash.The Holy Trinity. Interpol had the power to make all three disappear in the blink of an eye. By broadcast-faxing photos of Langdon and Sophie to Paris travel authorities, hotels, and banks, Interpol would leave no options – no way to leave the city, no place to hide, and no way to withdraw cash without being recognized. Usually, fugitives panicked on the street and did something stupid. Stole a car. Robbed a store. Used a bank card in desperation. Whatever mistake they committed, they quickly made their whereabouts known to local authorities. â€Å"Only Langdon, right?† Collet said. â€Å"You're not flagging Sophie Neveu. She's our own agent.† â€Å"Of course I'm flagging her!† Fache snapped. â€Å"What good is flagging Langdon if she can do all his dirty work? I plan to run Neveu's employment file – friends, family, personal contacts – anyone she might turn to for help. I don't know what she thinks she's doing out there, but it's going to cost her one hell of a lot more than her job!† â€Å"Do you want me on the phones or in the field?† â€Å"Field. Get over to the train station and coordinate the team. You've got the reins, but don't make a move without talking to me.† â€Å"Yes, sir.† Collet ran out. Fache felt rigid as he stood in the alcove. Outside the window, the glass pyramid shone, its reflection rippling in the windswept pools. They slipped through my fingers.He told himself to relax. Even a trained field agent would be lucky to withstand the pressure that Interpol was about to apply. A female cryptologist and a schoolteacher? They wouldn't last till dawn. CHAPTER 37 The heavily forested park known as the Bois de Boulogne was called many things, but the Parisian cognoscenti knew it as† the Garden of Earthly Delights.† The epithet, despite sounding flattering, was quite to the contrary. Anyone who had seen the lurid Bosch painting of the same name understood the jab; the painting, like the forest, was dark and twisted, a purgatory for freaks and fetishists. At night, the forest's winding lanes were lined with hundreds of glistening bodies for hire, earthly delights to satisfy one's deepest unspoken desires – male, female, and everything in between. As Langdon gathered his thoughts to tell Sophie about the Priory of Sion, their taxi passed through the wooded entrance to the park and began heading west on the cobblestone cross fare. Langdon was having trouble concentrating as a scattering of the park's nocturnal residents were already emerging from the shadows and flaunting their wares in the glare of the headlights. Ahead, two topless teenage girls shot smoldering gazes into the taxi. Beyond them, a well-oiled black man in a G-string turned and flexed his buttocks. Beside him, a gorgeous blond woman lifted her miniskirt to reveal that she was not, in fact, a woman. Heaven help me! Langdon turned his gaze back inside the cab and took a deep breath. â€Å"Tell me about the Priory of Sion,† Sophie said. Langdon nodded, unable to imagine a less congruous a backdrop for the legend he was about to tell. He wondered where to begin. The brotherhood's history spanned more than a millennium†¦ an astonishing chronicle of secrets, blackmail, betrayal, and even brutal torture at the hands of an angry Pope. â€Å"The Priory of Sion,† he began,† was founded in Jerusalem in 1099 by a French king named Godefroi de Bouillon, immediately after he had conquered the city.† Sophie nodded, her eyes riveted on him.† King Godefroi was allegedly the possessor of a powerful secret – a secret that had been in his family since the time of Christ. Fearing his secret might be lost when he died, he founded a secret brotherhood – the Priory of Sion – and charged them with protecting his secret by quietly passing it on from generation to generation. During their years in Jerusalem, the Priory learned of a stash of hidden documents buried beneath the ruins of Herod's temple, which had been built atop the earlier ruins of Solomon's Temple. These documents, they believed, corroborated Godefroi's powerful secret and were so explosive in nature that the Church would stop at nothing to get them.† Sophie looked uncertain. â€Å"The Priory vowed that no matter how long it took, these documents must be recovered from the rubble beneath the temple and protected forever, so the truth would never die. In order to retrieve the documents from within the ruins, the Priory created a military arm – a group of nine knights called the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon.† Langdon paused. â€Å"More commonly known as the Knights Templar.† Sophie glanced up with a surprised look of recognition. Langdon had lectured often enough on the Knights Templar to know that almost everyone on earth had heard of them, at least abstractedly. For academics, the Templars' history was a precarious world where fact, lore, and misinformation had become so intertwined that extracting a pristine truth was almost impossible. Nowadays, Langdon hesitated even to mention the Knights Templar while lecturing because it invariably led to a barrage of convoluted inquiries into assorted conspiracy theories. Sophie already looked troubled. â€Å"You're saying the Knights Templar were founded by the Priory of Sion to retrieve a collection of secret documents? I thought the Templars were created to protect the Holy Land.† â€Å"A common misconception. The idea of protection of pilgrims was the guise under which the Templars ran their mission. Their true goal in the Holy Land was to retrieve the documents from beneath the ruins of the temple.† â€Å"And did they find them?† Langdon grinned. â€Å"Nobody knows for sure, but the one thing on which all academics agree is this: The Knights discovered something down there in the ruins†¦ something that made them wealthy and powerful beyond anyone's wildest imagination.† Langdon quickly gave Sophie the standard academic sketch of the accepted Knights Templar history, explaining how the Knights were in the Holy Land during the Second Crusade and told King Baldwin II that they were there to protect Christian pilgrims on the roadways. Although unpaid and sworn to poverty, the Knights told the king they required basic shelter and requested his permission to take up residence in the stables under the ruins of the temple. King Baldwin granted the soldiers' request, and the Knights took up their meager residence inside the devastated shrine. The odd choice of lodging, Langdon explained, had been anything but random. The Knights believed the documents the Priory sought were buried deep under the ruins – beneath the Holy of Holies, a sacred chamber where God Himself was believed to reside. Literally, the very center of the Jewish faith. For almost a decade, the nine Knights lived in the ruins, excavating in total secrecy through solid rock. Sophie looked over. â€Å"And you said they discovered something?† â€Å"They certainly did,† Langdon said, explaining how it had taken nine years, but the Knights had finally found what they had been searching for. They took the treasure from the temple and traveled to Europe, where their influence seemed to solidify overnight. Nobody was certain whether the Knights had blackmailed the Vatican or whether the Church simply tried to buy the Knights' silence, but Pope Innocent II immediately issued an unprecedented papal bull that afforded the Knights Templar limitless power and declared them† a law unto themselves† – an autonomous army independent of all interference from kings and prelates, both religious and political. With their new carte blanche from the Vatican, the Knights Templar expanded at a staggering rate, both in numbers and political force, amassing vast estates in over a dozen countries. They began extending credit to bankrupt royals and charging interest in return, thereby establishing modern banking and broadening their wealth and influence still further. By the 1300s, the Vatican sanction had helped the Knights amass so much power that Pope Clement V decided that something had to be done. Working in concert with France's King Philippe IV, the Pope devised an ingeniously planned sting operation to quash the Templars and seize their treasure, thus taking control of the secrets held over the Vatican. In a military maneuver worthy of the CIA, Pope Clement issued secret sealed orders to be opened simultaneously by his soldiers all across Europe on Friday, October 13 of 1307. At dawn on the thirteenth, the documents were unsealed and their appalling contents revealed. Clement's letter claimed that God had visited him in a vision and warned him that the Knights Templar were heretics guilty of devil worship, homosexuality, defiling the cross, sodomy, and other blasphemous behavior. Pope Clement had been asked by God to cleanse the earth by rounding up all the Knights and torturing them until they confessed their crimes against God. Clement's Machiavellian operation came off with clockwork precision. On that day, countless Knights were captured, tortured mercilessly, and finally burned at the stake as heretics. Echoes of the tragedy still resonated in modern culture; to this day, Friday the thirteenth was considered unlucky. Sophie looked confused. â€Å"The Knights Templar were obliterated? I thought fraternities of Templars still exist today?† â€Å"They do, under a variety of names. Despite Clement's false charges and best efforts to eradicate them, the Knights had powerful allies, and some managed to escape the Vatican purges. The Templars' potent treasure trove of documents, which had apparently been their source of power, was Clement's true objective, but it slipped through his fingers. The documents had long since been entrusted to the Templars' shadowy architects, the Priory of Sion, whose veil of secrecy had kept them safely out of range of the Vatican's onslaught. As the Vatican closed in, the Priory smuggled their documents from a Paris preceptory by night onto Templar ships in La Rochelle.† â€Å"Where did the documents go?† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"That mystery's answer is known only to the Priory of Sion. Because the documents remain the source of constant investigation and speculation even today, they are believed to have been moved and rehidden several times. Current speculation places the documents somewhere in the United Kingdom.† Sophie looked uneasy. â€Å"For a thousand years,† Langdon continued,† legends of this secret have been passed on. The entire collection of documents, its power, and the secret it reveals have become known by a single name – Sangreal. Hundreds of books have been written about it, and few mysteries have caused as much interest among historians as the Sangreal.† â€Å"The Sangreal? Does the word have anything to do with the French word sang or Spanish sangre – meaning ‘blood'?† Langdon nodded. Blood was the backbone of the Sangreal, and yet not in the way Sophie probably imagined. â€Å"The legend is complicated, but the important thing to remember is that the Priory guards the proof, and is purportedly awaiting the right moment in history to reveal the truth.† â€Å"What truth? What secret could possibly be that powerful?† Langdon took a deep breath and gazed out at the underbelly of Paris leering in the shadows.† Sophie, the word Sangreal is an ancient word. It has evolved over the years into another term†¦ a more modern name.† He paused. â€Å"When I tell you it's modern name, you'll realize you already know a lot about it. In fact, almost everyone on earth has heard the story of the Sangreal.† Sophie looked skeptical. â€Å"I've never heard of it.† â€Å"Sure you have.† Langdon smiled. â€Å"You're just used to hearing it called by the name ‘Holy Grail. ‘†