Social Tension and the Pantheistic Call back to Nature As...

During the Medieval era in England, a time of religious and social change, the Catholic Church actively sought to out-root the pagan influences - or at least try - and introduce new cultural norms and understanding of nature and the environment. Paganism and its pantheistic and animistic sub-parts defined pre-Christian England since man first inhabited the island. These ideas contrast strongly with the Christian â€Å"justifications for dominating nature† (Kline 3). â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† highlights this social/religious transition and conflict through the Green Knight and his juxtapositions throughout the tale with Sir Gawain. Thus the tale portrays the differences in the new and old orders and makes a definitive statement about†¦show more content†¦At the beginning of the tale the Green Knight rides his horse into the Arthurian feast: â€Å"half a giant I hold him to be† (line 140). No man would be allowed to ride their horse into the mead hall unless, of course, they demanded greater power than the king of the hall. Clearly, the Green Knight, by his great stature and by his commanding demeanor demands such power. Thus, the symbolism established through the color contrasts and themes further entrenches itself by the entrance of the Green Knight and the respect that he commands from all of the knights and the king Arthur himself: the Green Knight arises from the tale as unmistakably greater than any other man in the court of the greatest British king. This superiority is carried through until the end of the tale when even though Sir Gawain is a celebrated hero, he ostensibly feels different for the â€Å"sore loss... [and] / ...cowardice and coveting that† he suffered at the Green Chapel (lines 2506-2507). Ultimately, the Green Knight wins the â€Å"battle† even though Sir Gawain’s life is spared. Consistent with medieval literature, the beheading of the Green Knight and the associated symbolism return with the attempted beheading of Sir Gawain at the end of the tale. This circular pattern, themes at the beginning of the story coming back around at the end, gives us a greater insight into the allegorical meanings within the story. The first beheading, that of the Green Knight, highlights the

John Stuart Mill And Aristotle - 2772 Words

John Stuart Mill and Aristotle both address the idea of happiness as the goal of human life. They explain that all human action is at the foundation of their moral theories. Mill addresses the Greatest Happiness Principle, which is the greatest amount of pleasure to the least amount of pain. Similarly, Aristotle addresses happiness through the idea of eudaimonia and human flourishing. According to Aristotle, eudaimonia is happiness, it is the state of contemplation that individuals are in when they have reached actualized happiness. Also referred to as happiness or human flourishing, it is the ultimate goal of human beings. Happiness is â€Å"living well and acting well.† He explains that once general happiness becomes recognized as the moral standard, natural sentiment will nurture feelings that promote utilitarianism. According to Aristotle, happiness is a state of being. Both Mill and Aristotle agree that in order to attain true happiness, human beings must eng age in activities that are distinct to humans and that make them happy. Aristotle’s idea of eudaimonia and human flourishing is a more compelling argument than Mill’s for happiness and the final end because Aristotle explains that the virtues bring human beings to happiness. Aristotle believes that happiness is an activity â€Å"in accord with virtue.† Happiness is in accord with the most excellent virtue. All men agreed that happiness is to â€Å"live well†, but Aristotle expands this further into a wholeShow MoreRelatedComparing Aristotle And John Stuart Mill1130 Words   |  5 Pagesconcentrate of the famous works of Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill. After meticulously analyzing each of the above philosophers’ texts, I personally prefer the position of utilitarian and Benthamite, John Stuart Mill. After comparing and contrasting the positions and reasonings of these philosophers, I will demonstrate my own reasons why I have chosen John Stuart Mill as the most established in his theory of the role of pleasure in morality. Aristotle was a particularly influentialRead MoreEssay about Aristotle and John Stuart Mill on Happiness and Morality1777 Words   |  8 PagesAristotle and John Stuart Mill on Happiness and Morality In this paper I will argue that Aristotle’s conception of eudaimonia disproves Mill’s utilitarian view that pleasure is the â€Å"greatest good.† The purpose of this paper is to contrast Aristotle’s and Mills views on the value of happiness and its link to morality. First I will describe Aristotle’s model of eudaimonia. Then I will present Mill’s utilitarian views on happiness and morality. Lastly, I will provide a counterargument to Mill’sRead MoreImmanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, Plato, and Aristotle: Morals and Ethical Codes1169 Words   |  5 Pages Morals and ethics is, of course, a subject that runs deep in the discussion of philosophy. People are faced with moral dilemmas everyday, which many times society decides without thoroughly exploring their options. Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, Plato, and Aristotle are philosophers that focus on the topic of ethics, yet all have different outlooks. Kant is considered a non-consequentiality, which means he feels the intentions motives, and good will is more important than the resultsRead MoreAristotle Vs. Mill : The Debate On Happiness1750 Words   |  7 PagesAristotle v. Mill: The Debate On Happiness Is there really one definition for what it means to be truly happy? A simple joy such as a piece of candy may bring happiness to one; whereas something much larger might be the determining factor for another’s happiness. The definition of happiness is one of the most debated questions among many different philosophers and people through out the ages. Aristotle and John Stuart Mill are two philosophers who had similar ideas regarding the definition of happinessRead MoreJohn Locke And John Stuart Mill s On Liberty Essay1748 Words   |  7 Pagesas, Aristotle and Plato have more of an ancient conception of liberty and the role the individual plays in society and to the state. Whereas, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and John Stuart Mill have developed a more modernized conception of liberty and the role of the individual to the state and society. Plato’s work the Republic, and Aristotle’s works of literature Nicomachean Ethics, and Politics will be contrasted against Th omas Hobbes’ Leviathan, John Locke’s Second Treatise, and John Stuart Mill’sRead MoreJohn Locke And John Stuart Mill s On Liberty Essay1200 Words   |  5 Pagesas, Aristotle and Plato have more of an ancient conception of liberty and the role the individual plays in society and to the state. Whereas, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and John Stuart Mill have developed a more modernized conception of liberty and the role of the individual to the state and society. Plato’s work the Republic, and Aristotle’s works of literature Nicomachean Ethics, and Politics will be contrasted against Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan, John Locke’s Second Treatise, and John Stuart Mill’sRead MoreJohn Stewart Mill and Aristotle on Happiness647 Words   |  3 Pagesman have been the foundations to modern philosophical thought. Aristotle and John Stuart Mill aimed to explain the origin to happiness, and their respective conclusions also resulted in the definit ion of morality; these conclusions also affected their view of women. Aristotle believed that it was the function of women to remain subservient to men so that man (the citizen) could flourish and provide the good life for the Polis, whereas Mill denotes that equality between men and women produces happinessRead MoreAristotle s Philosophy Of Morality And The Final Goal Of Human Life Essay1895 Words   |  8 PagesAristotle on Ethics The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle s key study of morality and the final goal of human life, has for many years been a popular and persuasive book. It offers the modern reader many useful insights into human desires and behavior despite being thousands of years old. The overarching theme behind this book is Aristotle s assertion that there are no recognized unconditional moral standards and that every ethical theory must take into consideration an understanding of psychologyRead Moreâ€Å"Are You Happy Now?† Essay1541 Words   |  7 Pagescontentment† . Even Aristotle acknowledges that everyone disagrees on the definition of happiness because we all have a different thought-process and prior knowledge. Even though there are many definitions to happiness, both Aristotle and John Stuart Mill take a similar approach when attempting to define happiness in their books. Aristotle and Mill discuss their theories of happiness and pleasure, and their views of virtue in ethics and its relation to happiness. Aristotle and Mill may have been writingRead MoreReconciling Moral Theories889 Words   |  4 Pagesthe compatibility of their particulars can be a daunting task. Determining the compatibility of John Stuart Mill’s modern moral theory of utilitarianism with Aristotle’s pre-modern moral philosophy will involve an in-depth exploration for each moral philosophy, comparing and contrasting the smallest details of each. To start, an understanding of Aristotelian moral philosophy is fundamental. Aristotle basesd his theory on the concepts of â€Å"virtue,† coming from the Greek word â€Å"arà ªte† meaning â€Å"excellence†

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 48-51 Free Essays

CHAPTER 48 Langdon could scarcely believe his own supposition, and yet, considering who had given this stone cylinder to them, how he had given it to them, and now, the inlaid Rose on the container, Langdon could formulate only one conclusion. I am holding the Priory keystone. The legend was specific. We will write a custom essay sample on The Da Vinci Code Chapter 48-51 or any similar topic only for you Order Now The keystone is an encoded stone that lies beneath the sign of the Rose. â€Å"Robert?† Sophie was watching him. â€Å"What’s going on?† Langdon needed a moment to gather his thoughts. â€Å"Did your grandfather ever speak to you of something called la clef de voute?† â€Å"The key to the vault?† Sophie translated. â€Å"No, that’s the literal translation. Clef de voute is a common architectural term. Voute refers not to a bank vault, but to a vault in an archway. Like a vaulted ceiling.† â€Å"But vaulted ceilings don’t have keys.† â€Å"Actually they do. Every stone archway requires a central, wedge-shaped stone at the top which locks the pieces together and carries all the weight. This stone is, in an architectural sense, the key to the vault. In English we call it a keystone.† Langdon watched her eyes for any spark of recognition. Sophie shrugged, glancing down at the cryptex. â€Å"But this obviously is not a keystone.† Langdon didn’t know where to begin. Keystones as a masonry technique for building stonearchways had been one of the best-kept secrets of the early Masonic brotherhood. The Royal ArchDegree.Architecture.Keystones.It was all interconnected. The secret knowledge of how to use a wedged keystone to build a vaulted archway was part of the wisdom that had made the Masons such wealthy craftsmen, and it was a secret they guarded carefully. Keystones had always had a tradition of secrecy. And yet, the stone cylinder in the rosewood box was obviously something quite different. The Priory keystone – if this was indeed what they were holding – was not at all what Langdon had imagined. â€Å"The Priory keystone is not my specialty,† Langdon admitted. â€Å"My interest in the Holy Grail is primarily symbologic, so I tend to ignore the plethora of lore regarding how to actually find it.† Sophie’s eyebrows arched. â€Å"Find the Holy Grail?† Langdon gave an uneasy nod, speaking his next words carefully. â€Å"Sophie, according to Priory lore, the keystone is an encoded map†¦ a map that reveals the hiding place of the Holy Grail.† Sophie’s face went blank. â€Å"And you think this is it?† Langdon didn’t know what to say. Even to him it sounded unbelievable, and yet the keystone was the only logical conclusion he could muster. An encrypted stone, hidden beneath the sign of theRose. The idea that the cryptex had been designed by Leonardo Da Vinci – former Grand Master of the Priory of Sion – shone as another tantalizing indicator that this was indeed the Priory keystone. A former Grand Master’s blueprint†¦brought to life centuries later by another Priory member.The bond was too palpable to dismiss. For the last decade, historians had been searching for the keystone in French churches. Grail seekers, familiar with the Priory’s history of cryptic double-talk, had concluded la clef de voute was a literal keystone – an architectural wedge – an engraved, encrypted stone, inserted into a vaulted archway in a church. Beneath the sign of the Rose.In architecture, there was no shortage of roses. Rose windows.Rosette reliefs.And, of course, an abundance of cinquefoils – the five-petaled decorative flowers often found at the top of archways, directly over the keystone. The hiding place seemed diabolically simple. The map to the Holy Grail was incorporated high in an archway of some forgotten church, mocking the blind churchgoers who wandered beneath it. â€Å"This cryptex can’t be the keystone,† Sophie argued. â€Å"It’s not old enough. I’m certain my grandfather made this. It can’t be part of any ancient Grail legend.† â€Å"Actually,† Langdon replied, feeling a tingle of excitement ripple through him,† the keystone is believed to have been created by the Priory sometime in the past couple of decades.† Sophie’s eyes flashed disbelief. â€Å"But if this cryptex reveals the hiding place of the Holy Grail, why would my grandfather give it to me? I have no idea how to open it or what to do with it. I don’t even know what the Holy Grail is!† Langdon realized to his surprise that she was right. He had not yet had a chance to explain to Sophie the true nature of the Holy Grail. That story would have to wait. At the moment, they were focused on the keystone. If that is indeed what this is†¦ . Against the hum of the bulletproof wheels beneath them, Langdon quickly explained to Sophie everything he had heard about the keystone. Allegedly, for centuries, the Priory’s biggest secret – the location of the Holy Grail – was never written down. For security’s sake, it was verbally transferred to each new rising senechal at a clandestine ceremony. However, at some point during the last century, whisperings began to surface that the Priory policy had changed. Perhaps it was on account of new electronic eavesdropping capabilities, but the Priory vowed never again even to speak the location of the sacred hiding place. â€Å"But then how could they pass on the secret?† Sophie asked. â€Å"That’s where the keystone comes in,† Langdon explained. â€Å"When one of the top four members died, the remaining three would choose from the lower echelons the next candidate to ascend as senechal.Rather than telling the new senechal where the Grail was hidden, they gave him a test through which he could prove he was worthy.† Sophie looked unsettled by this, and Langdon suddenly recalled her mentioning how her grandfather used to make treasure hunts for her – preuves de merite.Admittedly, the keystone was a similar concept. Then again, tests like this were extremely common in secret societies. The best known was the Masons’, wherein members ascended to higher degrees by proving they could keep a secret and by performing rituals and various tests of merit over many years. The tasks became progressively harder until they culminated in a successful candidate’s induction as thirty-second- degree Mason. â€Å"So the keystone is a preuve de merite,†Sophie said. â€Å"If a rising Priory senechal can open it, he proves himself worthy of the information it holds.† Langdon nodded. â€Å"I forgot you’d had experience with this sort of thing.† â€Å"Not only with my grandfather. In cryptology, that’s called a ‘self-authorizing language. ‘ That is, if you’re smart enough to read it, you’re permitted to know what is being said.† Langdon hesitated a moment. â€Å"Sophie, you realize that if this is indeed the keystone, your grandfather’s access to it implies he was exceptionally powerful within the Priory of Sion. He would have to have been one of the highest four members.† Sophie sighed. â€Å"He was powerful in a secret society. I’m certain of it. I can only assume it was the Priory.† Langdon did a double take. â€Å"You knew he was in a secret society?† â€Å"I saw some things I wasn’t supposed to see ten years ago. We haven’t spoken since.† She paused. â€Å"My grandfather was not only a ranking top member of the group†¦ I believe he was the top member.† Langdon could not believe what she had just said. â€Å"Grand Master? But†¦ there’s no way you could know that!† â€Å"I’d rather not talk about it.† Sophie looked away, her expression as determined as it was pained. Langdon sat in stunned silence. Jacques Sauniere? Grand Master? Despite the astonishing repercussions if it were true, Langdon had the eerie sensation it almost made perfect sense. After all, previous Priory Grand Masters had also been distinguished public figures with artistic souls. Proof of that fact had been uncovered years ago in Paris’s Bibliotheque Nationale in papers that became known as Les Dossiers Secrets. Every Priory historian and Grail buff had read the Dossiers.Cataloged under Number 4o lm1 249, the Dossiers Secrets had been authenticated by many specialists and incontrovertibly confirmed what historians had suspected for a long time: Priory Grand Masters included Leonardo Da Vinci, Botticelli, Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and, more recently, Jean Cocteau, the famous Parisian artist. Why not Jacques Sauniere? Langdon’s incredulity intensified with the realization that he had been slated to meet Sauniere tonight. The Priory Grand Master called a meeting with me.Why? To make artistic small talk? It suddenly seemed unlikely. After all, if Langdon’s instincts were correct, the Grand Master of the Priory of Sion had just transferred the brotherhood’s legendary keystone to his granddaughter and simultaneously commanded her to find Robert Langdon. Inconceivable! Langdon’s imagination could conjure no set of circumstances that would explain Sauniere’s behavior. Even if Sauniere feared his own death, there were three senechaux who also possessed the secret and therefore guaranteed the Priory’s security. Why would Sauniere take such an enormous risk giving his granddaughter the keystone, especially when the two of them didn’t get along? And why involve Langdon†¦ a total stranger? A piece of this puzzle is missing, Langdon thought. The answers were apparently going to have to wait. The sound of the slowing engine caused them both to look up. Gravel crunched beneath the tires. Why is he pulling over already? Langdon wondered. Vernet had told them he would take them well outside the city to safety. The truck decelerated to a crawl and made its way over unexpectedly rough terrain. Sophie shot Langdon an uneasy look, hastily closing the cryptex box and latching it. Langdon slipped his jacket back on. When the truck came to a stop, the engine remained idling as the locks on the rear doors began to turn. When the doors swung open, Langdon was surprised to see they were parked in a wooded area, well off the road. Vernet stepped into view, a strained look in his eye. In his hand, he held a pistol. â€Å"I’m sorry about this,† he said. â€Å"I really have no choice.† CHAPTER 49 Andre Vernet looked awkward with a pistol, but his eyes shone with a determination that Langdon sensed would be unwise to test. â€Å"I’m afraid I must insist,† Vernet said, training the weapon on the two of them in the back of the idling truck. â€Å"Set the box down.† Sophie clutched the box to her chest. â€Å"You said you and my grandfather were friends.† â€Å"I have a duty to protect your grandfather’s assets,† Vernet replied. â€Å"And that is exactly what I am doing. Now set the box on the floor.† â€Å"My grandfather entrusted this to me!† Sophie declared. â€Å"Do it,† Vernet commanded, raising the gun. Sophie set the box at her feet. Langdon watched the gun barrel swing now in his direction. â€Å"Mr. Langdon,† Vernet said,† you will bring the box over to me. And be aware that I’m asking you because you I would not hesitate to shoot.† Langdon stared at the banker in disbelief. â€Å"Why are you doing this?† â€Å"Why do you imagine?† Vernet snapped, his accented English terse now. â€Å"To protect my client’s assets.† â€Å"We are your clients now,† Sophie said. Vernet’s visage turned ice-cold, an eerie transformation. â€Å"Mademoiselle Neveu, I don’t know howyou got that key and account number tonight, but it seems obvious that foul play was involved. Had I known the extent of your crimes, I would never have helped you leave the bank.† â€Å"I told you,† Sophie said,† we had nothing to do with my grandfather’s death!† Vernet looked at Langdon. â€Å"And yet the radio claims you are wanted not only for the murder of Jacques Sauniere but for those of three other men as well?† â€Å"What!† Langdon was thunderstruck. Three more murders? The coincidental number hit him harder than the fact that he was the prime suspect. It seemed too unlikely to be a coincidence. The three senechaux? Langdon’s eyes dropped to the rosewood box. If the senechaux were murdered, Sauniere had no options.He had to transfer the keystone to someone. â€Å"The police can sort that out when I turn you in,† Vernet said. â€Å"I have gotten my bank involved too far already.† Sophie glared at Vernet. â€Å"You obviously have no intention of turning us in. You would have driven us back to the bank. And instead you bring us out here and hold us at gunpoint?† â€Å"Your grandfather hired me for one reason – to keep his possessions both safe and private. Whatever this box contains, I have no intention of letting it become a piece of cataloged evidence in a police investigation. Mr. Langdon, bring me the box.† Sophie shook her head. â€Å"Don’t do it.† A gunshot roared, and a bullet tore into the wall above him. The reverberation shook the back of the truck as a spent shell clinked onto the cargo floor. Shit! Langdon froze. Vernet spoke more confidently now. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, pick up the box.† Langdon lifted the box.† Now bring it over to me.† Vernet was taking dead aim, standing on the ground behind the rear bumper, his gun outstretched into the cargo hold now. Box in hand, Langdon moved across the hold toward the open door. I’ve got to do something! Langdon thought. I’m about to hand over the Priory keystone! As Langdon moved toward the doorway, his position of higher ground became more pronounced, and he began wondering if he could somehow use it to his advantage. Vernet’s gun, though raised, was at Langdon’s knee level. A well-placed kick perhaps? Unfortunately, as Langdon neared, Vernet seemed to sense the dangerous dynamic developing, and he took several steps back, repositioning himself six feet away. Well out of reach.† Vernet commanded,† Place the box beside the door.† Seeing no options, Langdon knelt down and set the rosewood box at the edge of the cargo hold, directly in front of the open doors. â€Å"Now stand up.† Langdon began to stand up but paused, spying the small, spent pistol shell on the floor beside the truck’s precision-crafted doorsill. â€Å"Stand up, and step away from the box.† Langdon paused a moment longer, eyeing the metal threshold. Then he stood. As he did, he discreetly brushed the shell over the edge onto the narrow ledge that was the door’s lower sill. Fully upright now, Langdon stepped backward. â€Å"Return to the back wall and turn around.† Langdon obeyed. Vernet could feel his own heart pounding. Aiming the gun with his right hand, he reached now with his left for the wooden box. He discovered that it was far too heavy. I need two hands. Turning his eyes back to his captives, he calculated the risk. Both were a good fifteen feet away, at the far end of the cargo hold, facing away from him. Vernet made up his mind. Quickly, he laid down the gun on the bumper, lifted the box with two hands, and set it on the ground, immediately grabbing the gun again and aiming it back into the hold. Neither of his prisoners had moved. Perfect.Now all that remained was to close and lock the door. Leaving the box on the ground for the moment, he grabbed the metal door and began to heave it closed. As the door swung past him, Vernet reached up to grab the single bolt that needed to be slid into place. The door closed with a thud, and Vernet quickly grabbed the bolt, pulling it to the left. The bolt slid a few inches and crunched to an unexpected halt, not lining up with its sleeve. What’s going on? Vernet pulled again, but the bolt wouldn’t lock. The mechanism was not properly aligned. The door isn’t fully closed! Feeling a surge of panic, Vernet shoved hard against the outside of the door, but it refused to budge. Something is blocking it! Vernet turned to throw full shoulder into the door, but this time the door exploded outward, striking Vernet in the face and sending him reeling backward onto the ground, his nose shattering in pain. The gun flew as Vernet reached for his face and felt the war m blood running from his nose. Robert Langdon hit the ground somewhere nearby, and Vernet tried to get up, but he couldn’t see. His vision blurred and he fell backward again. Sophie Neveu was shouting. Moments later, Vernet felt a cloud of dirt and exhaust billowing over him. He heard the crunching of tires on gravel and sat up just in time to see the truck’s wide wheelbase fail to navigate a turn. There was a crash as the front bumper clipped a tree. The engine roared, and the tree bent. Finally, it was the bumper that gave, tearing half off. The armored car lurched away, its front bumper dragging. When the truck reached the paved access road, a shower of sparks lit up the night, trailing the truck as it sped away. Vernet turned his eyes back to the ground where the truck had been parked. Even in the faint moonlight he could see there was nothing there. The wooden box was gone. CHAPTER 50 The unmarked Fiat sedan departing Castel Gandolfo snaked downward through the Alban Hills into the valley below. In the back seat, Bishop Aringarosa smiled, feeling the weight of the bearer bonds in the briefcase on his lap and wondering how long it would be before he and the Teacher could make the exchange. Twenty million euro. The sum would buy Aringarosa power far more valuable than that. As his car sped back toward Rome, Aringarosa again found himself wondering why the Teacher had not yet contacted him. Pulling his cell phone from his cassock pocket, he checked the carrier signal. Extremely faint. â€Å"Cell service is intermittent up here,† the driver said, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. â€Å"In about five minutes, we’ll be out of the mountains, and service improves.† â€Å"Thank you.† Aringarosa felt a sudden surge of concern. No service in the mountains? Maybe the Teacher had been trying to reach him all this time. Maybe something had gone terribly wrong. Quickly, Aringarosa checked the phone’s voice mail. Nothing. Then again, he realized, the Teacher never would have left a recorded message; he was a man who took enormous care with his communications. Nobody understood better than the Teacher the perils of speaking openly in this modern world. Electronic eavesdropping had played a major role in how he had gathered his astonishing array of secret knowledge. For this reason, he takes extra precautions. Unfortunately, the Teacher’s protocols for caution included a refusal to give Aringarosa any kind of contact number. I alone will initiate contact, the Teacher had informed him. So keep your phoneclose.Now that Aringarosa realized his phone might not have been working properly, he feared what the Teacher might think if he had been repeatedly phoning with no answer. He’ll think something is wrong. Or that I failed to get the bonds. The bishop broke a light sweat. Or worse†¦ that I took the money and ran! CHAPTER 51 Even at a modest sixty kilometers an hour, the dangling front bumper of the armored truck grated against the deserted suburban road with a grinding roar, spraying sparks up onto the hood. We’ve got to get off the road, Langdon thought. He could barely even see where they were headed. The truck’s lone working headlight had been knocked off-center and was casting a skewed sidelong beam into the woods beside the country highway. Apparently the armor in this† armored truck† referred only to the cargo hold and not the front end. Sophie sat in the passenger seat, staring blankly at the rosewood box on her lap. â€Å"Are you okay?† Langdon asked. Sophie looked shaken. â€Å"Do you believe him?† â€Å"About the three additional murders? Absolutely. It answers a lot of questions – the issue of your grandfather’s desperation to pass on the keystone, as well as the intensity with which Fache is hunting me.† â€Å"No, I meant about Vernet trying to protect his bank.† Langdon glanced over. â€Å"As opposed to?† â€Å"Taking the keystone for himself.† Langdon had not even considered it. â€Å"How would he even know what this box contains?† â€Å"His bank stored it. He knew my grandfather. Maybe he knew things. He might have decided he wanted the Grail for himself.† Langdon shook his head. Vernet hardly seemed the type. â€Å"In my experience, there are only two reasons people seek the Grail. Either they are naive and believe they are searching for the long-lost Cup of Christ†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Or?† â€Å"Or they know the truth and are threatened by it. Many groups throughout history have sought to destroy the Grail.† The silence between them accentuated the sound of the scraping bumper. They had driven a few kilometers now, and as Langdon watched the cascade of sparks coming off the front of the truck, he wondered if it was dangerous. Either way, if they passed another car, it would certainly draw attention. Langdon made up his mind. â€Å"I’m going to see if I can bend this bumper back.† Pulling onto the shoulder, he brought the truck to a stop. Silence at last. As Langdon walked toward the front of the truck, he felt surprisingly alert. Staring into the barrel of yet another gun tonight had given him a second wind. He took a deep breath of nighttime air and tried to get his wits about him. Accompanying the gravity of being a hunted man, Langdon was starting to feel the ponderous weight of responsibility, the prospect that he and Sophie might actually be holding an encrypted set of directions to one of the most enduring mysteries of all time. As if this burden were not great enough, Langdon now realized that any possibility of finding away to return the keystone to the Priory had just evaporated. News of the three additional murders had dire implications. The Priory has been infiltrated.They are compromised.The brotherhood was obviously being watched, or there was a mole within the ranks. It seemed to explain why Sauniere might have transferred the keystone to Sophie and Langdon – people outside the brotherhood, people he knew were not compromised. We can’t very well give the keystone back tothe brotherhood.Even if Langdon had any idea how to find a Priory member, chances were good that whoever stepped forward to take the keystone could be the enemy himself. For the moment, at least, it seemed the keystone was in Sophie and Langdon’s hands, whether they wanted it or not. The truck’s front end looked worse than Langdon had imagined. The left headlight was gone, and the right one looked like an eyeball dangling from its socket. Langdon straightened it, and it dislodged again. The only good news was that the front bumper had been torn almost clean off. Langdon gave it a hard kick and sensed he might be able to break it off entirely. As he repeatedly kicked the twisted metal, Langdon recalled his earlier conversation with Sophie. My grandfather left me a phone message, Sophie had told him. He said he needed to tell me thetruth about my family.At the time it had meant nothing, but now, knowing the Priory of Sion was involved, Langdon felt a startling new possibility emerge. The bumper broke off suddenly with a crash. Langdon paused to catch his breath. At least the truck would no longer look like a Fourth of July sparkler. He grabbed the bumper and began dragging it out of sight into the woods, wondering where they should go next. They had no idea how to open the cryptex, or why Sauniere had given it to them. Unfortunately, their survival tonight seemed to depend on getting answers to those very questions. We need help, Langdon decided. Professional help. In the world of the Holy Grail and the Priory of Sion, that meant only one man. The challenge, of course, would be selling the idea to Sophie. Inside the armored car, while Sophie waited for Langdon to return, she could feel the weight of the rosewood box on her lap and resented it. Why did my grandfather give this to me? She had not the slightest idea what to do with it. Think, Sophie! Use your head. Grand-pere is trying to tell you something! Opening the box, she eyed the cryptex’s dials. A proof of merit.She could feel her grandfather’s hand at work. The keystone is a map that can be followed only by the worthy.It sounded like her grandfather to the core. Lifting the cryptex out of the box, Sophie ran her fingers over the dials. Five letters.She rotated the dials one by one. The mechanism moved smoothly. She aligned the disks such that her chosen letters lined up between the cryptex’s two brass alignment arrows on either end of the cylinder. The dials now spelled a five-letter word that Sophie knew was absurdly obvious. G-R-A-I-L. Gently, she held the two ends of the cylinder and pulled, applying pressure slowly. The cryptex didn’t budge. She heard the vinegar inside gurgle and stopped pulling. Then she tried again. V-I-N-C-I Again, no movement. V-O-U-T-E Nothing. The cryptex remained locked solid. Frowning, she replaced it in the rosewood box and closed the lid. Looking outside at Langdon, Sophie felt grateful he was with her tonight. P. S.Find Robert Langdon.Her grandfather’s rationale for including him was now clear. Sophie was not equipped to understand her grandfather’s intentions, and so he had assigned Robert Langdon as her guide. A tutor to oversee her education. Unfortunately for Langdon, he had turned out to be far more than a tutor tonight. He had become the target of Bezu Fache†¦ and some unseen force intent on possessing the Holy Grail. Whatever the Grail turns out to be. Sophie wondered if finding out was worth her life. As the armored truck accelerated again, Langdon was pleased how much more smoothly it drove. â€Å"Do you know how to get to Versailles?† Sophie eyed him. â€Å"Sightseeing?† â€Å"No, I have a plan. There’s a religious historian I know who lives near Versailles. I can’t remember exactly where, but we can look it up. I’ve been to his estate a few times. His name is Leigh Teabing. He’s a former British Royal Historian.† â€Å"And he lives in Paris?† â€Å"Teabing’s life passion is the Grail. When whisperings of the Priory keystone surfaced about fifteen years ago, he moved to France to search churches in hopes of finding it. He’s written some books on the keystone and the Grail. He may be able to help us figure out how to open it and what to do with it.† Sophie’s eyes were wary. â€Å"Can you trust him?† â€Å"Trust him to what? Not steal the information?† â€Å"And not to turn us in.† â€Å"I don’t intend to tell him we’re wanted by the police. I’m hoping he’ll take us in until we can sort all this out.† â€Å"Robert, has it occurred to you that every television in France is probably getting ready to broadcast our pictures? Bezu Fache always uses the media to his advantage. He’ll make it impossible for us to move around without being recognized.† Terrific, Langdon thought. My French TV debut will be on† Paris’s Most Wanted.† At least Jonas Faukman would be pleased; every time Langdon made the news, his book sales jumped. â€Å"Is this man a good enough friend?† Sophie asked. Langdon doubted Teabing was someone who watched television, especially at this hour, but still the question deserved consideration. Instinct told Langdon that Teabing would be totally trustworthy. An ideal safe harbor. Considering the circumstances, Teabing would probably trip over himself to help them as much as possible. Not only did he owe Langdon a favor, but Teabing was a Grail researcher, and Sophie claimed her grandfather was the actual Grand Master of the Priory of Sion. If Teabing heard that, he would salivate at the thought of helping them figure this out. â€Å"Teabing could be a powerful ally,† Langdon said. Depending on how much you want to tell him. â€Å"Fache probably will be offering a monetary reward.† Langdon laughed. â€Å"Believe me, money is the last thing this guy needs.† Leigh Teabing was wealthy in the way small countries were wealthy. A descendant of Britain’s First Duke of Lancaster, Teabing had gotten his money the old-fashioned way – he’d inherited it. His estate outside of Paris was a seventeenth-century palace with two private lakes. Langdon had first met Teabing several years ago through the British Broadcasting Corporation. Teabing had approached the BBC with a proposal for a historical documentary in which he would expose the explosive history of the Holy Grail to a mainstream television audience. The BBC producers loved Teabing’s hot premise, his research, and his credentials, but they had concerns that the concept was so shocking and hard to swallow that the network might end up tarnishing its reputation for quality journalism. At Teabing’s suggestion, the BBC solved its credibility fears by soliciting three cameos from respected historians from around the world, all of whom corroborated the stunning nature of the Holy Grail secret with their own research. Langdon had been among those chosen. The BBC had flown Langdon to Teabing’s Paris estate for the filming. He sat before cameras in Teabing’s opulent drawing room and shared his story, admitting his initial skepticism on hearing of the alternate Holy Grail story, then describing how years of research had persuaded him that the story was true. Finally, Langdon offered some of his own research – a series of symbologic connections that strongly supported the seemingly controversial claims. When the program aired in Britain, despite its ensemble cast and well-documented evidence, the premise rubbed so hard against the grain of popular Christian thought that it instantly confronted a firestorm of hostility. It never aired in the States, but the repercussions echoed across the Atlantic. Shortly afterward, Langdon received a postcard from an old friend – the Catholic Bishop of Philadelphia. The card simply read: Et tu, Robert? â€Å"Robert,† Sophie asked,† you’re certain we can trust this man?† â€Å"Absolutely. We’re colleagues, he doesn’t need money, and I happen to know he despises the French authorities. The French government taxes him at absurd rates because he bought a historic landmark. He’ll be in no hurry to cooperate with Fache.† Sophie stared out at the dark roadway. â€Å"If we go to him, how much do you want to tell him?† Langdon looked unconcerned. â€Å"Believe me, Leigh Teabing knows more about the Priory of Sionand the Holy Grail than anyone on earth.† Sophie eyed him. â€Å"More than my grandfather?† â€Å"I meant more than anyone outside the brotherhood.† â€Å"How do you know Teabing isn’t a member of the brotherhood?† â€Å"Teabing has spent his life trying to broadcast the truth about the Holy Grail. The Priory’s oath is to keep its true nature hidden.† â€Å"Sounds to me like a conflict of interest.† Langdon understood her concerns. Sauniere had given the cryptex directly to Sophie, and although she didn’t know what it contained or what she was supposed to do with it, she was hesitant to involve a total stranger. Considering the information potentially enclosed, the instinct was probably a good one. â€Å"We don’t need to tell Teabing about the keystone immediately. Or at all, even. His house will give us a place to hide and think, and maybe when we talk to him about the Grail, you’ll start to have an idea why your grandfather gave this to you.† â€Å"Us,†Sophie reminded. Langdon felt a humble pride and wondered yet again why Sauniere had included him. â€Å"Do you know more or less where Mr. Teabing lives?† Sophie asked.† His estate is called Chateau Villette.† Sophie turned with an incredulous look. â€Å"The Chateau Villette?† â€Å"That’s the one.† â€Å"Nice friends.† â€Å"You know the estate?† â€Å"I’ve passed it. It’s in the castle district. Twenty minutes from here.† Langdon frowned. â€Å"That far?† â€Å"Yes, which will give you enough time to tell me what the Holy Grail really is.† Langdon paused. â€Å"I’ll tell you at Teabing’s. He and I specialize in different areas of the legend, so between the two of us, you’ll get the full story.† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Besides, the Grail has been Teabing’s life, and hearing the story of the Holy Grail from Leigh Teabing will be like hearing the theory of relativity from Einstein himself.† â€Å"Let’s hope Leigh doesn’t mind late-night visitors.† â€Å"For the record, it’s Sir Leigh.† Langdon had made that mistake only once. â€Å"Teabing is quite a character. He was knighted by the Queen several years back after composing an extensive history on the House of York.† Sophie looked over. â€Å"You’re kidding, right? We’re going to visit a knight?† Langdon gave an awkward smile. â€Å"We’re on a Grail quest, Sophie. Who better to help us than a knight?† How to cite The Da Vinci Code Chapter 48-51, Essay examples

Nursing Case Study Dementia

Question: Discuss about theNursing Case Studyfor Dementia. Answer: Introduction Dementia is a progressive degenerative brain disorder that is characterized by memory loss, impaired thinking, significant behavior as well as emotional changes (Mandel, 2013). The common causes of the dementia are the genetic and environmental factors that lead to increased destruction of brain cells such as excessive use of alcohol, substance abuse, depression, medication side effects, thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies. Other conditions associated with dementia including Alzheimers disease, vascular dementia and Fronto-Temporal Lobar Degeneration, Parkinsons disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, Huntingtons disease, Korsakoffs syndrome, AIDS-related dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease among others (Cavanaugh Blanchard-Fields, 2015). These degenerative diseases affect various parts of the brain and thus interfering with the ability of the affected parts functioning in an expected manner. Alzheimers disease is highly implicated in the establishment of dementia.It develops duri ng the increased degeneration of brain cells that causes shrinking, the disappearance of some cells and plaque formation leading to disruption of transmission in the brain and therefore the functions and abilities of the affected brain part are lost (Mandel, 2013). The signs and symptoms of dementia often depend on the underlying condition that causes it and the extent of progression of the disease. However, the general signs and symptoms of dementia include progressive and frequent memory loss, disorientation to time and place, personality change, withdrawal and loss of ability to perform activities of daily living. In some instances, there may be a loss of mobility and appetite especially in the late stages of dementia. Speech impairment and speech impairment or difficulty finding words as well as depression, bowel, and bladder incontinence are symptoms that are more common in the later stages of dementia (Cavanaugh Blanchard-Fields, 2015). Dementia associated problems are physical aggression, agitation, apathy, delusion and apathy and other relationship problems such as communication inabilities. Physical aggression may be due to various triggers such as the invasion of personal space, cultural inappropriateness, noise, hallucinations and unmet physical needs which make the affected individual feel they can no longer cope. They are also at increased risk of injuries due to the wandering experienced as the disease progresses. These experiences may be distressful to the family, isolating them from the society. The Mini Mentals examination of the patient stipulated the following indicators. Criteria Possible score Score Description Orientation to time 5 2 The client is oriented to year and month but not oriented to season, date and time Orientation to place 5 2 The client is oriented to country and town but not oriented to immediate place and room Registry of words 3 3 The client can repeat three unrelated words in a sequence Attention and calculation 5 3 The client was unable to perform calculations but can reverse-spell the word world as dlorw Recall 3 2 The client could recall the previously provided words but missing one of them Language 2 1 The client can name various objects presented to him but could not write a sentence as instructed be able to Repetition 1 1 The client can speak back a stated phrase correctly Complex commands 6 4 The client can draw an intersecting pentagon, move an object from right to left, and perform various commands given except the one for reading a phrase and doing what it means close your eyes. The Mini Mentals examination score is 18 indicating a mild cognitive impairment. The reason for choosing this tool in the assessment of the patient is because it is the one that can be used to determine and diagnose cognitive impairment of the client effectively. Therefore, appropriate interventional measures can be selected and implemented to curb the problem. The tool does not require specialized equipment or training for administration. On the other hand, its reliability and validity are high as well as its short duration of administration and therefore it can be readily used in the clinical area for initial clinical assessment (Kelly, McCabe, Innes Andrews, 2012). Assessment Nursing diagnosis Expected outcomes Interventions Rationale Evaluation 1.The client is not oriented to time a and place 2. mild memory impairment 3. unable to effectively follow commands and aggression Acute confusion related to an underlying mental condition as evidenced by disorientation to time and place By the end of 12 hours, the patient will be oriented to time and place with a significant improvement in the MMSE score 1.Assessment of any underlying trigger factor and intervene according to the particular findings 2. Allow the patient to move freely within a safe environment while engaging them in a therapeutic conversation (Low Fletcher, 2015). 1.Assessment enables a health care provider to determine the cause and select the most appropriate intervention for the patient 2. To orient the client to time, place and person Specific communication strategies can be employed to relieve distress, aggression, and challenging behaviors. Validation therapy which involves entering the clients reality rather than ones own enables development of trust and a sense of security as well as maintaining a high level of self-esteem and dignity. According to Low and Fletcher (2015), a quiet environment should be chosen for communication with the client since noise can be one of the triggers of aggression. Sensitive communication should be conducted in a private but safe environment in which the client is comfortable. Voice should be kept calm and clear while communicating with the client and questions should be asked one at a time and repeated if necessary to avoid further confusion of the patient. Facial expression, body language, and eye contact should be kept relatively Reminiscence reflection of the past events can be used to communicate to the patient as the memories may bring pleasure to them and cause a distracti on, hence reducing anxiety and aggressive behaviors. The client can be provided with opportunities that promote autonomy and independence. T As stipulated by Nay, Garratt, and Fetherstonhaugh (2014), the patient should be given a chance to perform the activities he enjoys most such as building toys and helping in the garden. The performance of these activities makes the patient maintain their motor skills and still maintain their self-worth since they can perform them independently. Moreover, physical exercises are necessary for the client to keep muscles healthy and functional as the condition progresses and make technical activities easier. The client can join a support group with the same or similar condition to share experiences and learn from each other on how to cope through self-reliance. Furthermore, the client can be trained and encouraged to keep track of planned activities in a diary as a reminder. The available community services to support the patient are local community health center where frequent checkups can be done, appropriate measures taken and any necessary referrals made. The client and relatives can also use the national dementia helpline for consultation about any concern (Australia Siewert, 2014). Furthermore, consultation of cognitive dementia and memory service clinics throughout the country can be made to receive the required services that address the special needs of the patient. They also provide counseling alternatives and necessary support to the client besides empowering them and their families on how to live positively with the condition. As identified by Preedy and Watson (2010), the condition can have various social and economic impacts on the family and other close associates such as relatives and friends. As the clients cognitive abilities including memory deteriorate, his social interaction and relationships change. They may develop challenging behaviors such as aggression, wandering and other socially unacceptable behaviors which may lead to social isolation by other members of the society. Furthermore, dementia patients become more dependent on the family members to carry out most of the activities of daily living hence increasing the burden of care on the family. Additionally, the medical attention and services may cause financial strain to the family, relatives and friends considering that the productivity of the individual with the condition significantly reduces. Changes in behavior and personality of the patient may cause stress and frustration to family and other as they try to adapt their emotional and p hysical relationship with the patient and therefore having detrimental effects on their psychological and physical health. References Australia, Siewert, R 2014,Care and management of younger and older Australians living with dementia and behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD), ACT Community Affairs References Committee, Canberra. Cavanaugh, J, C Blanchard-Fields, F 2015,Adult development and aging, Cengage Learning, Australia. Kelly, F, McCabe, L, Innes, A Andrews, J 2012,Key issues in evolving dementia care: International theory-based policy and practice, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London. Low, L, F Fletcher, J 2015, Models of home care services for persons with dementia: a narrative review,International Psychogeriatrics,27,10, 1593-600. Mandel, S 2013,Neurodegenerative diseases: Integrative PPPM approach as the medicine of the future, Springer, Dordrecht. Nay, R, Garratt, S Fetherstonhaugh, D 2014,Older people: Issues and innovations in care, Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, Sydney. Preedy, V, R, Watson, R, R 2010,Handbook of disease burdens and quality of life measures, Springer, New York.

A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science Essays

A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science Essays A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science Essay A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science Essay A critical review of the role of coordinated sports science support and its importance to elite level performance Sport today has changed greatly from 40 years ago where love for the sport and intrinsic rewards were the main motivations (Green Holmium, 2010). In the present day with mass exposure and popularity of elite level sport along with big financial rewards and losses at the highest levels (Yardman Jones, 2011), and increased level of performance in sport (Collins, Moore, Mitchell Lappers, 1999) coaches are under pressure to deliver successful performance results (Richardson, Anderson Morris, 2008). With this level of investment and interest from the masses, fulfillment professional careers for athletes have been created who dedicate their lives to their sports, putting their bodies and minds on the line and increasing risk of negative health effects (Handstand Wadding, 2009). According to Pipe (2001), it is sport coaches and sport science support (ASS) responsibility to act as an athletes advocate and reduce these negative health effects, protecting their health and well-being. Southeast (2012) highlighted that margins between podium places are getting narrower and the increased need to look at all options to find improvements, squiring specialist sport science skills to be able to measure, interpret and improve particular areas. This pressure from dedication levels of athletes, financial rewards/ loses, smaller winning margins and exposure by the media and the public that stresses the importance of the athlete receiving the most thorough and professional service possible. To provide this service, coaches and sporting organizations are increasingly seeking ASS (Lees, 2003; Collins et al. 1999), and ultimately enhancing athletic performance (Williams Kendal, 2007; Hooper, 2006). Due to the above- mentioned issues it is essential to consider the most efficient and effective way for coordinated ASS to work, however with coordinated ASS certain issues may arise having negative effects of athletic performance and athlete well-being (Collins et al. , 1999). In the following text the author will, define and critique the different coordinated ASS approaches, review the issues and areas that may impede efficiency and finally conclude and provide recommendations for the application of coordinated sports science support. An interdisciplinary approach is where a number of sport science personnel (SSP) room different areas of sport science integrate and work together in a coordinated manner to problem solve (Burrito, Moore Wilkinson, 1994). Elite level sport is based upon a number of multi-factorial variables (Meyers, Laurent, 2010) that can be measured, analyses, interpreted and ultimately manipulated to promote increased performance. Interdisciplinary ASS can produce a vast range of in depth information and data (Knudsen, 2011), which in turn means that appropriate and specific training regimes and strategies can be implemented in order to increase performance coaching team must have knowledge of how different variables inter-link and be able to consider how manipulation of one variable may affect another. For example the use of a head guard in boxing from a biomedical perspective would have a positive effect because it would decrease punch force however from a psychologists perspective this could grant a false sense of security, having a negative effect (Burrito et al. , 1994). As well as being able to interpret these risk and benefits the coaching team must be able to assess their significance, priorities and contextual in order to Justify implementation of manipulations (BASES, [n. ]). An interdisciplinary ASS approach requires a number of team-wide skills in order for it to be successful, they are; Bridge building the linking of knowledge from different spinelessness, Restructuring methodologies, theories and practices transferred into different spinelessness and Integration the application of a number of spinelessness (BASES, [n. D. ]), without these skills a support team would move towards a multidisciplinary approach. Multidisciplinary is defined by Burrito et al (1994) as a number of SSP working in parallel rather than in symbiosis, Corner (2010) supports this and adds that each SSP as a clear role definition, specific task and hierarchical lines of authority. Within Interdisciplinary approach there is little or no communication among each susceptible, as a result there is little overlap (Corner, 2010), which means SSP from a particular discipline may be unaware of detrimental effects caused in another discipline when interventions/ strategies are implemented in his field of expertise. Whilst both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches are products of an input from more than one discipline, the principle difference is the integrative approach of the interdisciplinary sports scientist as opposed to scientists working in parallel often associated with multidisciplinary (Dandles, 2011). Interdisciplinary approach is having a single sub discipline that works in isolation to the other sub disciplines; interdisciplinary approaches are often undertaken during research, but are not always appropriate when holistic athlete centered approach is desired (Burrito et al. , 1994; BASES , [n. D. ]). Interdisciplinary approach is similar to multidisciplinary in that it has no or little overlap between disciplines, reducing role conflict to an extent. Another benefit as noted by Jones (2006) is that each specific aspect of sport science can be taken into account and can be assessed in a thorough manner. The main difference between interdisciplinary and other approaches is that because the SSP work in relative isolation to the others alliances and allegiances tend not to be as prevalent. These alliances and allegiances can produce subgroups and isolates, decreasing productivity (Slinkier et al. , 2012). Therefore, Reid et al. 2004) suggested an optimum group number should be five or less to maintain the best mix of commitment and collaboration. Within all of these approaches there exist a number of possible issues that may increase athlete stress and in turn decrease athletic performance, this section will look at some of these issues. Fletcher, Wanton Mealier (2006) identified fi ve performers: factors intrinsic to the sport (e. G. Training schedules); roles in the sport organization (e. G. Lack of role acceptance); sport relationships and interpersonal demands (e. G. Conflicts with coaching staff; athletic career and performance development issues (e. . Selection); and organizational structure and climate of the sport (e. G. Result vs. Placement focus), all of which can be influenced by ASS. Within all teams, particularly at an elite level there are substantial organizational and team dynamics (Collins et al. , 1999), an understanding of these dynamics are crucial for most effective work (Arnold, Moore Burrito, 1998). Figure 1 shows the organization of most elite level support teams, the dashed line is knows as the us and them divide with anyone above the line having or perceived to be having power to influence selection (Collins et al. 1999). Anyone above this line with perceived power and influence will experience high levels of impression management fro m athletes, particularly at elite level where benefits of selection are so high (Leary, 1994). Impression management is altering ones interactions in order to protect or improve ones position and the most common occurrence of impression management is limiting information on the status of and injury/fitness in order to improve chances of selection (Collins et al. , 1999). Some athletes may even take impression management to the next step and exploit certain members of the support team as a naive conduit in order to use their link to and influence on selection in order to improve chance of selection (Collins et al. 1999). Once being identified as on the them side of the us and them divide, SSP will in one way or another receive limited and well managed information, however Leary (1994) notes that this is neither dishonest nor devious but rather is an inevitable feature of group dynamics. Being on the or being perceived to be on the us side of the divide SSP will gain trust and improve SSP athlete relations. However in order to be perceived as on the us side of the line the SSP must work in total confidentiality or they will seem to have influence on selection by passing information onto management and therefore being placed in the them category and experiencing more impression management. Therefore in order to be considered us SSP must regard the athlete as the client and exhibit total confidentiality (Klein et al. 2012). However by maintaining this patient confidentiality the SSP may mean withholding information from management that the athlete does not wish to be disclosed, which could put the SSP reputation and Job at risk, highlighting an issue with patient confidentiality (Collins et al. , 1999). Confidentiality is crucial to the SSP athlete allegations, however if an athlete is unfit to play the SSP may struggle to deal with this issue without breaking confid entiality. SSP also recognize the pressure to divulge information applied by management as they have a responsibility to management as ultimately they pay their wages (Collins et al. , 1999). SSP have varying codes of conduct when it comes to confidentiality; for example traditionally banishments and physiologists share information with coaches, whereas psychologists must protect all psychometric data (Collins et al. , 1999). Depends on their philosophy and will be influenced by whom they see as the client, he athlete or the management. Collins et al. 1994) identified two separate approaches to confidentiality depending on who is regarded as the client; firstly the athlete client approach where the SSP will work in total confidence and only divulge permitted information; and secondly the management client approach where the SSP will field athletes who are fit to partake. Both approaches do however have implications, being management client based and removing an athlete from events technically s tands the SSP liable for causing loss of earnings or restricted trade (Collins et al. , 1994). Being athlete client based causes issues with confidentiality as discussed in the previous paragraph. Contrasting philosophies can cause conflict within a ASS team, for example a SSP who has an athlete centered philosophy may want extended rest period after big competitions whereas a SSP with a result based philosophy may disagree with this and want them back training as soon as possible. This highlights the need to consider philosophy when recruiting SSP into a ASS team in order to reduce conflict, however some may argue that the more qualified the better, regardless of their philosophy. Conflict is a regular and expected consequence of ASS (Collins et al. , 1999; Reid, Stewart Throne, 2004), and is often born from different conclusions of the same problem from different sub disciplines. To avoid this conflict some may support a indiscipline approach, however conflict is often key to making informed, correct Judgments being made to improve athletic performance, furthermore it facilitates SSP self critiquing and questioning of practice (Ride et al. , 2004). The author will now consider ways to combat these afore mentioned issues. Due to each discipline having varying codes of conduct when it comes to confidentiality Collins, et al. , 1999), athletes are often left unsure on information handling procedures and roles (Moore Abbott, 2012) and SSP are left in a difficult position. To combat this all disciplines should have a standardized level of confidentiality through their professional associations, currently only the Charted society of physiotherapy has a cross discipline code of conduct (CUPS, [n. . ]). Athletes should have to sign an athlete charter which presents the scope of data confidentiality and whose interests are being met by each role so that the athlete clearly knows how the information he gives will be used and to what extent it will be confidential (Collins et al. , 1999). In order to reduce conflict within ASS group member philosophies must be considered, however at an elite level it is usually results based, therefore t he most qualified/successful SSP may be employed. ASS group size can also be considered to reduce conflict, but at elite level it is unlikely to reduce the size of the support team, reducing performance, purely to reduce chances of conflict. Although these things can be done to reduce conflict, as pointed out by Ride et al. (2004) some conflict can e a positive. Bigger the group the more conflict (Ride, 2004) an interdisciplinary approach allows for integrated and coordinated problem-solving resulting in a higher quality of collaboration and team performance (Mackinac Rodgers, 2000; Norwalk, 2003). Therefore an interdisciplinary approach must be adopted in order to produce the highest performance levels. Athlete charters and universal codes of conduct should be used to clarify confidentiality levels and reduce issues in this area. Conflict is expected in ASS and some conflict is good however ASS team philosophies should be noninsured in order to reduce it and make sure the entire team has the similar aims. Due to the nature of sport, impression management will always be present, therefore SSP must be aware of this.

The Best Jobs for Recent College Graduates

The Best Jobs for Recent College Graduates it’s rough entering  the job market after college these days, and a rough market regardless. candidates with experience are almost universally privileged in the hiring process. it can take a while to find your opening and grab it. that said, recent grads have the advantage of being (usually) single and flexible. you might consider moving across the country for a job, where someone more entrenched would not. if you’re that flexible, consider the states on this list, by field, where recent grads and gen y-ers will have the best luck getting a great gig.industry: airlinepossible jobs: engineering (aerospace, flight, electrical, mechanical design, etc.), pilot, customer service rep, officer, flight attendant, pricing analystbest place to be: minnesota. younger workers in their  20s  make up a much larger percentage of the work force there, and the median annual salary for employees of this age group wasn’t any lower.industry: ambulatory health carepossible jobs : physical therapy, personal training, dental hygienist, case manager, office manager, pa.best place to be: connecticut, with median salaries for employees under 30 at 21% above the national average.industry: bankingpossible jobs: teller, assistant branch manager, analyst, customer service rep, loan officerbest place to be: utahindustry: beverage and tobacco marketingpossible jobs: account manager, sales manager/rep, event coordinator, financial analyst, designer, marketing managerbest place to be: new york. try first at pepsico and phillip morris.industry: broadcasting (tv/radio)possible jobs: account executive, advertising film/video editor, graphic artist/designer, reporter, producer-director, radio show host, etc.best place to be: new york. try: viacom, cbs, nbc, abc, fox, turner broadcasting, or mtv.industry: clothing and accessoriespossible jobs: assistant buyer, designer, assistant designer, retail department manager, graphic artist/designer, retail salesbest place to be: new yorkindustry: computer and electronic manufacturingpossible jobs: electrical or mechanical engineer, film/video editor, graphic artist/designer, software developer/programmerbest place to be: virginia. try qimonda, micron technology, and genesic.industry: constructionpossible jobs: manager, commercial estimator, marketing coordinator, project engineer, staff accountantbest place to be: washington,  d.c.industry: educationpossible jobs: admissions counselor, elementary school teacher, financial aid counselor, high school teacher, non-profit program coordinator, special education teacher, teacher’s assistantbest place to be: washington,  d.c.industry: electrical, appliance, and component equipment manufacturingpossible jobs: account manager, sales, customer service rep, electrical or mechanical or manufacturing engineer, inside sales rep, operations manager, outside sales rep, sales engineerbest place to be: new jersey. try tyco, cn burman, sea gull, and griffith electric supply.industry: executive, legislative, and other general government supportpossible jobs: accountant, administrative assistant, auditor, cpa, financial or intelligence analyst, senior tax accountant, software engineer, developer/programmer, staff accountant, data entry specialistbest place to be: washington,  d.c.industry: servicepossible jobs: barista, cashier, supervisor, restaurant manager, marketing, grocery staff accountantbest place to be: new york. the higher-end the place, the better your paycheck.industry: funds, trusts, etc.possible jobs: benefits or business or research analyst, financial/securities/investment analyst, fund accountant, pension administration, staff accountantbest place to be: massachusetts. surprising though it may be. try watson wyatt worldwide, putnam investments, fidelity investments, and harvard management first.industry: heavy and civil engineering constructionpossible jobs: accountant, administrative assistant, civil engineer, financial analyst, mechanical engineer, petroleum engineer, project engineer, staff accountantbest place to be: utah. try questar!industry: hospitalspossible jobs: rn, medical/clinical laboratory tech, occupational therapist, physical therapist, pabest place to be: nevadaindustry: hotelspossible jobs: assistant general manager, front desk clerk, guest services manager, night auditor, sales manager, shift managerbest place to be: washington,  d.c.industry: internet service providers, web search, and data processingpossible jobs: graphic artist/designer, marketing coordinator, it project manager, web developer, software engineer, web designer developerbest place to be: maryland. try bay broadband communications and comcast.industry: legal services, accounting, and scientific researchpossible jobs: paralegal/legal assistant, certified public accountant (cpa), civil engineer, graphic artist/designer, information technology (it) consultant, interior designer, staff accountantbest place to be: washingto n,  d.c. try booz allen hamilton, corporate executive board, ibm, bearingpoint, accenture, and sra internationalindustry: miscellaneous manufacturingpossible jobs: biomedical or manufacturing or medical device quality engineer, biotech research associatebest place to be: nevada. try international game technology and aristocrat technologies.industry: museums, historic sites, etc.possible jobs: art gallery curator, graphic artist/designer, program coordinator, recreation coordinator, special events coordinator, zookeeperbest place to be: new yorkindustry: national security and international affairspossible jobs: aerospace engineer, contract administrator, electrical engineer, financial or intelligence analyst, mechanical or software engineerbest place to be: massachusetts. try raytheon in waltham and general dynamics in quincy.industry: oil and gas extractionpossible jobs: accountant, chemical engineer, financial analyst, mechanical engineer, oil gas landman, petroleum engineer, an d geologistbest place to be: utah. try questar and chevron. or louisiana as an alternative.industry: online publishingpossible jobs: copy editor, graphic artist/designer, news reporter, software engineer/developer/programmer, web designerbest place to be: new york. try nytimes.com, yahoo!, aol, and fox interactive.industry: performing arts, spectator sports, etc.possible jobs: copy editor, event coordinator, executive assistant, film/video editor, graphic artist/designer, marketing coordinator, producer-director, tv/cable broadcast, special events managerbest place to be: new yorkindustry: pharmaceutical/chemical manufacturingpossible jobs: chemical or mechanical engineer, biotech research associate, research scientist, pharmaceutical sales representativebest place to be: maryland. try otsuka maryland medicinal laboratories, bowles fluidics, and millennium inorganic chemicals.industry: print publishingpossible jobs: assistant editor, copy editor, editorial assistant, graphic artist/ designer, managing editor, marketing coordinator, newspaper reporter, software engineerbest place to be: washingtonindustry: securities, commodity contracts, financial investmentspossible jobs: associate in investment banking, banking analyst, financial/securities/investments analyst, financial adviser, fund accountantbest place to be: new yorkindustry: social workpossible jobs: case manager, child care/day care worker, child, family, or school social worker, director, child care, nanny or au pair preschool teacher, (not special education) program coordinator, nonprofit organization social workerbest place to be: washington,  d.c.industry: sporting goods, hobby, book, and music storespossible jobs: customer service rep, store department manager, graphic artist/designer, inside sales representative, marketing coordinator, retail sales associate/assistant manager/manager, and wholesale and retail buyerbest place to be: new jersey. try toys ‘r’ us, sports authority, hein o’s sky cycle, barnes noble.industry: transportation equipment manufacturingpossible jobs: aerospace engineer, electrical engineer, financial analyst, industrial engineer, manufacturing engineer, manufacturing process engineer, mechanical design engineer, mechanical engineer, product development engineer, automotive senior mechanical engineerbest place to be: maryland. try alcore.

Management Strategies and Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management Strategies and Practices - Essay Example This paper explores methods available for today’s managers to assist in attracting, motivating, and retaining employees to make a more productive organization. Finding the right individual who can fit the culture of the organization, according to Greengard & Byham (2003), involves hiring based on attitude and the candidate’s perceived ability to relate to customers in a positive manner. The authors further suggest that using this behavioral approach to assessing potential employees can be time consuming, offering the need for multiple interviews in order to make the right assessment. This tends to suggest, despite the efforts required of the hiring manager, that the outcome of these extended efforts will produce the best employee for the job. In actual business practice, research suggests that many managers simply do not have the time to invest in lengthy, multiple interviews due to the demands of a competitive business environment (Nickels, McHugh & McHugh, 2005). However, it might be a logical assessment that making the effort, despite the difficulties due to increasing business pressure, would far outweigh any minor interruptions to regular business operations when the outcome is a quality employee who may remain loyal to the firm for years. Of interest to the concept of motivating employees is recognizing a theory of management proposed by Douglas McGregor: Theory X and Theory Y. Offering a brief definition, Theory X basically proposes that people are lazy by design, thus without management intervention they would not accomplish their tasks (Gallas). Theory Y, in opposite accord, suggests that employees, if they are nurtured to succeed, will work diligently toward assisting the organization (Gallas). Companies which direct employee activities using the Theory Y approach, in most instances, will likely receive a better end

Case Study Counselor Recommendation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Counselor Recommendation - Case Study Example According to their comments, I predict future conflicts and misunderstanding among them and the parents will find a hard time to make the children live together amicably. The positive thing that is evident in the new family is that every family member is optimistic that everything will go well and the family will be strong. They all have accepted to give it a chance and see whether the new family overcomes the future challenges and difficulties (Knox & Schacht, 2013). The things that the family will need to improve on include; playing ones role and averting conflicts. They should not be worried on the challenges that will come, but find credible ways of solving the tribulations that might arise. In utilizing the lessons learnt from the case study, terminal course objectives and threaded discussions in the family, it is significant to note that innumerable couples prefer cohabitation to marriage. This is because of the economic and emotional trauma from the preceding divorce, which af fects them mentally. It is established that parents given custody of the children by the family court are the ones involved in remarriage (Knox & Schacht, 2013). These parents always lack moral support and face economical impenetrability; hence, they always look for someone or a place to comfort. In this case, the family has to understand and accept the common argument that states that a stepparent will never be as good as a real parent. Hence, the Rose and Jason have to understand that in stepfamilies, the issues of biological parent will always be somewhere in the picture. For this reason, the parents have to teach the kids to accept the change and learn to be corrected and accept them as... In utilizing the lessons learnt from the case study, terminal course objectives and threaded discussions in the family, it is significant to note that innumerable couples prefer cohabitation to marriage. This is because of the economic and emotional trauma from the preceding divorce, which affects them mentally. It is established that parents given custody of the children by the family court are the ones involved in remarriage. These parents always lack moral support and face economical impenetrability; hence, they always look for someone or a place to comfort. In this case, the family has to understand and accept the common argument that states that a stepparent will never be as good as a real parent. Hence, the Rose and Jason have to understand that in stepfamilies, the issues of biological parent will always be somewhere in the picture. For this reason, the parents have to teach the kids to accept the change and learn to be corrected and accept them as parents. They have to accept correction by their stepparent and listen to his/her advice before making any judgments.

The US Exports Alot of Electronic Waste to Poorer Countries Essay

The US Exports Alot of Electronic Waste to Poorer Countries - Essay Example e, developing countries, well aware of involved environmental and health hazards, continue to import e-waste partly for cash, partly for reuse and /or recycling, and partly for acquiring "latest" technology at affordable prices. The United States, who refused so far to ratify Basel Convention, remains worlds biggest e-waste producer. China, India, Ghana, and Nigeria come at the receiving end. There has been efforts in the United States in order to impose stricter regulations on manufacturers of electronic products, especially given existing lax regulations overseen by Environmental Protection Agency. One such effort is a legistlation by Congressman Mike Thomson, notwithstanding criticisms. Aside from illegality of dumping e-waste on developing nations, European countries have, at least in theory, much more stricter rules and regulations on e-waste exportation comapred to the United States. A range of possible solutions has been proposed by non-for-profits, most prominently, Basel Action Network, a Seattle-based environmental group, as well as by experts in electronics manufacturing. Among solutions are suggestions to impose and enforce stricter regulations on e-waste products and to create-waste recycling programs (such as Dell and Apple did) in order to ensure a products lifecycle is managed in accordance with international environmental, health and safety

The Use Of Information Technology In Airline Industry Management Essay

The Use Of Information Technology In Airline Industry Management Essay As the airline industry has become more competitive, carriers have looked to improve performance and competitiveness. MartÄ ±n-Consuegra (2007) In previous chapters we investigate Time Series analysis of airlines industry and estimated the service separately and jointly. Aksoy(2003) argue that in service industries such as airlines, a major requirement for success is understanding and satisfying customer needs and expectations, creating, communicating and delivering customer value. Thus in this Chapter we check our SITA data includes evolution of self-service, along with the rise of mobile technology, which will increase workforce efficiency and enhance passenger processing. IT implementation research in airlines structure. The reinforcement of e-business activity in airlines has resulted in an increase of sales volume for airlines websites and a decrease for the traditional distribution channels. Moon (2006) In this segment we analyze SITA data includes evolution of self-service, along with the rise of mobile technology, which increases workforce efficiency and enhance passenger processing. Airline Business(2009) The data describes IT implementation between 2001 till 2009 alike our IATA research time investigation. IT and Telecommunication Societe Internationale de Telecommunications Aeronautiques (SITA) data base enables us to investigate the policy and IT trends of Airlines. We use SITA data bank provides a benchmark against which individual airlines and the industry as a whole can measure success in meeting the challenges presented by IT and internet revolution. SITA is multinational information Technology Company specializing in providing IT and telecommunication services to the Aviation Industry, and it is most comprehensive research of its kind. Table 5.1 Airlines IT and telecommunication spend  [1]   Year Average Weighted average 2009 1.75% 1.74% 2008 2.20% 2.18% 2007 1.95% 2.07% 2006 1.85% 2.19% 2005 1.92% 2.27% 2004 2.13% 2.47% 2003 2.36% 2.85% 2002 2.25% 2.59% 2001 2.82% 3.44% Above Table 5.1 indicates IT and telecommunication spend as a percentage of 116 airlines revenue. We presume that much of the first nine years of 21st century spent on IT trends to decrease revenue percent assign for new technology investment. In 2001 the weighted average spent for IT was almost two times bigger than in 2009. The reason for this are: rising fuel prices, financial crisis, terrorist attacks and other important factors often caused changes in forecast of industry financial performance. Instead of the expected profit, Air Transport Association of America (ATA), an organization connected with the largest airlines in the U.S., announced that in March 2009 due to financial crisis passenger traffic was 10% lower than a year before. Thus, our main research questions goal is to investigate the problems faced by the airline industry, and try to find optimal solutions on how international air transportation system can cope with 21century watershed. Nowadays, IT technology deals mainly with passenger transportation support, and goods transportation is somewhat neglected. To reveal strong connection between IT technology investment and development of airline companies we expose Figure 5.1 indicates Average of Passenger transportation of main 160 airlines for the same period as in table 5.1 between January 2001 and April 2009. Between Feb2001 and Feb2002 during terrorist attack effect compared with the Average Passenger Transportation issue perspective, RPK shrunk by 180000 (A ). At the same time Airlines IT and telecommunication spend diminished by o.85%. Moreover, during 12 months of Financial A B Figure 5.1 Terrorist attack and Financial Crisis effect for Average Passenger Transportation of 160 major airlines Source: IATA 2009 airlines data reported by carriers at the time of publication. (SAS)  [2]   Crisis between Feb2008 and Feb2009 Average Passenger Transportation decreased by B=80000 RPK. Similarly, in 2009 airlines IT and telecommunication spend 0.44% les of weighted Average than in 2008. That implies that annual revenue Passenger kilometers significantly impacts Airlines IT and telecommunication expenditure. After FC and another budget inconstancy main managers of air transportation companies are more reluctant to invest in Information Technology systems. The main obstacle to improve IT structure and solutions is lack of investment caused by financial instability. Nevertheless we argue that New Technology outlay is going to bring a profit for air companies and makes them more rival at the market. Pagiavlas et al. (2005) in his paper analyzes mobile business in the context of the airline industry as a strategic tool to create a sustainable competitive advantage through the implementation of an effective mobile business model. Nowadays, after reaching around 4.6 billion mobil e cellular subscriptions by the end of 2009, International Telecommunication Union expects the number of mobile cellular subscriptions globally to reach five billion in 2010, driven by advanced services and handsets in developed countries and increased take-up of mobile health services and mobile banking in the developing world. ITU (2010) New technology of mobile phone check-in, e-ticketing, online or wireless connectivity on-board of the aircraft is becoming popular and common offering to airlines passengers self service. Wei (2005) argues that through the expanded use of the internet-based ticketing, airlines are able to reduce labor costs and in some cases eliminate commissions altogether so as to improve profit margins. Hence, main international organizations involve in business programs to lover industry costs and improve Passenger mobile based services. Figure 5.2 Mobile based services to passengers own mobile phones  [3]   Compared with other mobile services issue perspectives in the Figure 5.1 the best developed system already exists in third airlines inform passengers about flight status and delay. Furthermore, optimised webside for mobile phones and payments via mobile phone systems are implemented by every 6th Passenger Transportation company. In contrast, 73% of Airlines has not sent baggage receipts to mobile phones yet, and 71% has not track/direct passengers at the airports with mobile phones. Nevertheless, plans for next two years position majority of responding airlines in the utilization mobile based service area close to the level of 50%. Nothwithstanding, in 2004 International Air Transport Associations set up Simplifying the Business program (StB). Thus, Bar Coded Boarding Passes (BCBP), IATA e-freight, Baggage Improvement and other programs and facilities are available. In the future Fast Travel Program which consists of four projects that the association says will save the airline indus try over US$14 billion each year. IATA(2009) Therefore, in this segment we conclude our analysis of airlines performance and investigate IT investment effects on the profitability, their growth and survival. Since the tragedy in September 2001, the network or legacy carriers have sought ways to improve business values and minimize losses by cutting jobs, eliminating routes, decreasing infrastructure, streamlining production costs, improving customer services, and creating Figure 5.2 Major IT successes in 2009. Source: SITA (2009) a profitable market Will(2004). One of the most effective solutions for increasing business values attracting more customers, and increasing customer satisfaction is to provide Internet-based low-fare air travel tickets Marks (2004), i.e. to sell low-fare air travel tickets and expedite boarding processes through company web sites. Figure 5.2 indicates 2009 IT implementation success of upgrading virtual infrastructure, self service implementation, and on/offline distributions upgrade. Currently, many airlines are utilizing Enterprise Resources Planning systems (ERP) and their own web sites to market and sell their products to current and potential customers. Some airlines also offer discounts to customers who purchase their tickets online Hanke (2003). The main IT success in 2009 was 11% level of E-ticketing implementation, and 9% upgrading of Reservation Inventory System but across the world, 38% of airlines do not provide any mobile services yet, mainly via cellular phones. Hence, as a reason they claim that there is no clear business case yet, although 20 percent currently offer mobile phone check-in. SITA(2009) In Asia current number of issued boarding passes is sent directly to mobile phones as barcoded boarding passes (BCBP) to every third passenger, and it is the best result before Europe (23%) and North America (22%). Figure 5.2 major IT failures of the last 12 months. Source: SITA (2009) Through the expanded use of the internet-based ticketing, airlines are able to reduce labor costs and in some cases eliminate commissions altogether so as to improve profit margins. Wei (2005) Nevertheless, from the perspective of major failures of the last 12 months Figure 5.3 has identified a number of factors that determine adoption problems for IT implementation. Above figure reveals that biggest failure in the last year was implementation delay. Additionally, IT technology infrastructure and virtualization was unable to be upgraded with significant failure value of 9%. Compared regulation compliance, self service implementation and Sourcing of IT providers achieved the same 1% level. Conclusions Airlines representatives due to last financial crisis are much less optimistic in 2009 about their future IT spend. Thus, managers of air transportation companies look for savings in decreasing expenditure and developing passenger self service processes. The main obstacle to improve IT structure and solutions is lack of investment caused by financial instability. In general, as a result airlines market seen of most potential to reduce costs as via own website in through adding additional products. Mobile based services most likely already implemented to passengers own mobile devices are most likely to be notifications of flight status and delays. SITA (2009) argue that around 5% in their sample respondents currently send BCBP to mobile phones (although three quarters do not offers this facility) with 13%anticipating checking in 2012 (with 18% not offering this facility). Eventually, services most likely to be implemented currently to support on board aircraft are to enable to exchang e data and authorized credit card transactions in real time. Eventually, IATA Simplifying the Business (STB) passenger process project accomplished its e-ticket program on June 1, 2008. STB rebuilt the airline industry to 100% e-ticketing during four years. Finally, air transportation companies industry saved the US$3 billion, according to the association. The Economist (2010). Sprawdz to! http://www.iata.org/html_email/NS1001812/NS1001812-full.html

Nuclear Deterrence is the Best Defense Against Nuclear War Essay

Nuclear Deterrence is the Best Defense Against Nuclear War In 1945, a great technological innovation was dropped over Japan, the atomic bomb. Ever since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world has faced the threat of nuclear attack. In reaction to this, world governments have been forced to find a defense against nuclear attack. One solution to the danger of nuclear attack is the use of nuclear deterrence. Nuclear deterrence is the possession and launching of nuclear weapons for the sole purpose of defense and retaliation against a nuclear attack from another country. Nuclear deterrence is the best answer to the danger of nuclear war, resulting in world security and the prevention of nuclear war. However, some people believe that the possession of nuclear weapons for deterrence is unnecessary, expensive and too risky. International security may be at risk with deterrent nukes waiting to be fired at any moments notice. An accident could create a misfire hurting millions of people. A computer could have an error either launching a missile or reporting incoming missiles. If an incoming missile were reported, tracking stations would be instantly contacted to verify the report. The situation is determined in only one minute and a half (Hartinger). The chance of a nuclear weapon accidentally being fired is very unlikely. At nuclear command centers, there are no buttons to accidentally push or chances of computer errors (Walsh 45). An accident cannot occur because only a person can sequence a launch. The President is the only man who can initiate a nuclear launch in the United States. After the Presidents decision, there is a complex procedure of authorization codes and key turning to finally launch the nuclear weapon ... ...num=2&catid=106&UpFront=true>. "Nuclear Transportation Frequently Asked Questions." American Nuclear Society. <http://www.ans.org/pi/faq/transport.html>. "OECD: Electricity production, share of nuclear [2000]." 21 November 2002. Stockholm School of Economics. <http://www.hhs.se/personal/suzuki/o-English/ee05.html>. "Table of US Nuclear Warheads." Natural Resources Defense Council. 11/25/02. <http://www.nrdc.org/nuclear/nudb/datab9.asp>. "Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel." Department of Energy, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. <http://www.rw.doe.gov/progdocs/facts/transfct/transfct.htm>. "USSTRATCOM Command Center." United States Strategic Command. Dec. 18, 2002. <http://www.stratcom.af.mil/factsheetshtml/commandctr.htm>. Walsh, Edward A. "Nuclear War Will Not Occur". Nuclear War: Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press, 1985.