How does the author create suspense in chapter two of the novel, in which Carl Heine’s body is discovered?

In this essay I am going to explain how the author, David Guterson creates suspense in chapter two. The author helps create suspense by using the typical technical structure of story writing and emphasises their use. David Guterson throughout the whole of the book uses a lot of descriptive imagery, especially in this chapter, which makes a significant additive in the story line. The main protagonists in this chapter are Art Moran, the town's sheriff and Abel Martinson a young officer. The beginning of chapter two starts without informing the reader about the death of Carl Heine, so the reader doesn't know Carl is dead, this is not revealed until the end of the chapter. The setting and pace of this chapter I think are the two most important elements that help create the suspense. This is because they create the atmosphere. The setting of most of chapter two is set on Carl Heine's deserted boat, deserted as in the middle of the harbour and lonely in the thick fog, ‘A fog as palpable as cotton' Is the description used by the author to describe the weather. The suspense is built up thicker and leaves the reader wondering why the boat is alone and not moving. Just before Carl Heine's body is recovered the weather starts to change slightly and the fog starts to become clearer, which is a hidden meaning that the truth is becoming clearer, they are getting closer to the truth. On the boat Abel and Art find a lot of unforeseen objects that makes them wonder what is going on and again with the reader. ‘Silent fish' Is the word to describe the salmon that has been found and has obviously been there for a while. The word silent is the keyword as it represents the atmosphere and possibly Carls death. Then the coffee cup tipped on its side, which shows struggle. The most mysterious item found was the battery dead that I think is symbolic of Carl Heine being dead. The pace of this chapter starts off very, very slow which reflects Carl Heine's death. David uses a lot of history when describing the different characters, not to mention the specific details he goes in to describe them. ‘The sheriff was a lean figure, unimposing, who habitually chewed a stick of juicy fruit gum' Is just one example of the description used. Also the author uses very long sentences, which again slows down the pace of the chapter, this changes towards the end of the chapter. The pace increases in speed, which also increases the intensity and the fact that something is going to happen. This is similar to a movie when they use music to create the atmosphere, start it off slow and then increase the speed to let the audience know something is going to happen but music cant be used in a book so they use the sentences and words to create their atmosphere. When the author increases the pace he uses words like ‘Thrust' This is onomatopoeia, which David adds to create sound to the chapter. The pace slows down once Carl Heine's body is discovered which lets the reader come to reality that the body or what Abel and Art were looking for has finally been found. This creativity also comes into use with the language. The language often stays the same throughout the chapter, but in this sense it helps the reader create a vivid image or picture of the person in your head. The language is also very repetitive which builds up the atmosphere in a sense of panic. The author then leaves Carls face as the last thing the two see and the fact that they don't want to see it and they will have to eventually, is this sense of realisation. Not just for Abel and Art but for the reader, as it is such an intimate chapter. So therefore as seen the author very cleverly creates suspense by using and changing the language, pace, setting and using the characters wisely which makes this chapter more effective as it leaves the reader asking questions like, Why is the boat there? where's Carl Heine? And most importantly what's going to happen next? All these answered are eventually found out in the end of chapter two.

CFC20 Healthy eating for families Essay

?2. 1 Outline the importance of family mealtimes. Family meals are important; it will help the family come to together. At the meal time everyone can talk and listen. They can talk about how they feel or what they have done. Children can learn how to sit at the table and behave. Regular meal time it is important of the child’s daily routine and they can learn about healthy food. 2. 2. Describe ways to encourage children to eat healthily. Give the children healthy foods. Show children that you eat healthy food, they will like to be copying. Eating should be fun and shared with other family members. Try not to give them too much snack. Children usually have small appetites so they may need to be given small portions of food at mealtimes. Give them a wide variety of foods so that they get used to a range of tastes and textures Limit the amount of sugary and fatty foods they eat Encourage the children to drink nutritious drinks such as a milk or diluted unsweetened fruit juices instead of sweetened. Children should be become independent at feeding themselves as soon as possible Let young children help with food preparation Aim to provide three meals, with nutritious snacks between meals 3. 1. Identify food restrictions for religious groups. There are some foods that not everyone eats. When planning meals, it is good idea to find out what people can and cannot eat. Some religions have rules about food and they have rules about the way food is made, such as Jewish and Muslim families will only eat meat if the animal has been killed in a certain way. Religious group Comments Hindus They don’t eat beef Most of them are vegetarian They don’t eat cheese, eggs They don’t usually eat pork Sikhs Some are vegetarian; others will eat lamb, chicken and fish They don’t usually eat pork They don’t eat beef Jews Meat must be kosher. Do not eat pork, shellfish or fish without fins and scales Separate cooking dishes must be used for dairy products They don’t eat dairy products and meat together Muslims Meat must be halal They don’t eat pork May not eat some dairy products During the Ramadan adults fast between sunrise and sunset Rastafarians Mainly vegetarian, some eat fish They don’t eat pork May not eat some cheese 3. 2. Outline special dietary requirements There are groups of people who may have other food needs Vegetarian Vegan 3. 3. Identify food allergies Having a food allergy means that eating or sometimes touching a certain food causes a person to be ill. If person has an allergy to a certain food, they should avoid eating. An allergic reaction can happen when somebody eats the food they are allergic to, and become ill. We have to careful before we giving people food. There are common allergies such as; Milk Peanuts and nuts from trees Eggs Wheat Fish Honey Sesame 4. 1. Give reasons for hand washing before food preparation BEFORE TOUCH THE FOOD BEFORE THE TOUCH THE PLATES AFTER YOU HAVE BEEN TO TOILET AFTER YOU HAVE SNEEZED OR COUGHT Before making or serving food we should wash our hands with hot water and soap. This will stop germs on your hands from going onto the food or onto the plates. It also stops germs from raw meat and fish from getting onto foods that are ready to serve. 4. 2/4. 3 Food storage and preparation to stop cross-contamination Foods have to be stored properly for it to be safe, so that the food is good to eat and free from germs and bacteria. One hazard of poor food storage is cross-contamination. Some foods are not safe to eat raw because they have germs on them which are removed only during the cooking, which then makes the food safe to eat. Cross-contamination happens when the germs from raw foods are passed on to cook foods, which are then eaten. Use separate chopping boards and knives for raw and cooked foods. Wrap up cooked foods Cook raw foods well Do not store raw and cooked foods near each other Keep the kitchen clean Defrost food before cooking if required Make sure that food is cooked all the way through, especially meat and fish Keep hot food hot and cold food cold Wrap or cover food and put it away in the fridge or cupboard as soon as it is cool Make sure that raw meat and fish are kept at the bottom of the fridge to stop them dripping onto cooked food and causing cross-contamination.

Effects of Media Stereotyping

Over the years, racial stereotypes have always played a big role in our society. Till today, everyone attaches racial stereotypes and injustice thoughts towards a person without knowing or saying a word to the person. Signs of race and ethnicity are everywhere in our media culture and people are judged based on inaccurate information given by the media such as television, cartoons, dramas, movies and even comic books. These stereotypes will influence the younger generations, create tension between groups and affect people in many ways.The way that television portrays different races can be very subtle like main character status, level of interaction between races, activity levels, and social status (Maher, 2008). The characters demonstrated in certain television programs are formed by what the writers believe and they take the basic features of a character and expand it thinking the viewers will enjoy it, leading to racial and ethnic stereotypes by using ‘misinformation’ through movies, shows and news reports. Egyptians in this case are being portrayed as uneducated, unethical, raise desert animals, terrorists and uncivilized.These false information is what the media uses as techniques to portray Egyptians as humans of the underworld and Egypt as a deserted country. Egyptians have been stereotyped as desert residents for many years even though Egypt has been advanced now as a country. They have been looked at as uneducated but fact is there is an American University built in Cairo where many Egyptians have gotten their Bachelors, Masters and PhD’s from, but however the media still influence the public to view the Egyptians as desert people.In the movie â€Å"The Mummy† which was shot at Egypt, individual Egyptians are filthy, greedy, slimey pigs. The Egyptian masses are mindless, murderous zombies who chant the name Imhotep. This has affected Egyptians as well as other stereotyped ethnic groups everywhere. The threat does not only aff ect the life of the adults but the children as well. In a research done by the University of California about the consequences of racial stereotypes on children, it was said that it has a direct effect on the academic performance of the stereotyped children.One of the sayings in this research is: â€Å"African American and Latino children who are aware of broadly held stereotypes about academic ability perform more poorly on a cognitive task when that task is described as a measure of ability that when the same task is described as a problem-solving task. † (Carol Hyman 2003). This applies to all race and ethnic groups everywhere in our world Racial and ethnic stereotype in media not only in fluencies the adults but is also adapted and carried over with the children who are the youth of tomorrow and we wouldn’t want this stereotype to continue on in the years to come.It is easy to give out information with no factual back up, but the public preference is what can eithe r stop media propaganda from affecting the public opinion or simply fuel such dangerous aspect of the media, stereotypes. Hyman, Carol (2003). â€Å"Awareness of racial stereotypes happens at an early age, has consequences†, UC Berkeley News. Online at:  , consulted on May 2003.

Mark Twain Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mark Twain - Research Paper Example Mark Twain was an outstanding American writer and journalist in the USA of 19th century. His works cover many topics among which are the follows: realism, romanticism, humor, satire and along with this the author was on the position of humanist and democrat. On the top of his career he was considered to be the most readable and well-known author in America. According to Ernest Hamingway, the real American literature started with Mark Twain. William Folkner called Twain â€Å"the first real American writer†. The pseudonym was taken by Samuel Langhorne Clemens from his youth when he served on the sheep. He was a pilot’s assistant on the river Mississippi, and the â€Å"mark twain† denotes the minimal depth for vessels to pass by. Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born November 30, 1835 in a small town Florida. The writer even joked that his birth increased the population of the town by 1 percent. He was the third child in the family of John and Jane Clemens. Still a lit tle child, Twain moved with his family to Hannibal, Missouri.

Implementation of Online Contract Regulations in Turkey Dissertation

Implementation of Online Contract Regulations in Turkey - Dissertation Example 28 2.2 Why does EU require such Distance Selling Directive and EC Regulations? 30 2.3 Are these Regulations up to date? 30 2.4 Are there any international conventions or Cases regarding Online Contracts and Terms & Conditions? 2.5 Are the articles of regulations protective enough for consumers and Tradesmen? 30 3 Conclusion 32 4 Bibliography 33 List of Case Laws Appliance Zone LLC v. Nextag, Inc Baillie Estates Ltd v DuPont (UK) Ltd C R Smith Ltd v Toolcom Supplies Ltd and F Hines v. Overstock.com, Inc Dailymotion v Nord Quest Production Dailymotion v Ronald Magdane, eBay v L’Oreal Fisher v Bell Frank Peterson v YouTube, Google France v Louis Vuitton Malletier SA Hadley v Baxendale Hines v. Overstock.com, Inc Mackenzie Patten & Co v. British Olivetti Ltd, PDC Laboratories, Inc v. Hach Co Pharmaceutical Society v Boots Photo Production Ltd v. Securicor Transport Ltd Salvage Association Salvage Association v. Cap Financial Services Ltd Saphena Computing Ltd v. Allied Collection Agencies Ltd Scherillo v. Dun & Bradstreet St. Albans City St.Albans City v. International Computers Ltd Telecom Italia v Dargaud Lombard Thorton v. Shoe Lane Parking Ltd Youtube v Telecinco List of Statutes International Laws The United Nations Conventions on Contracts for International [Sale of Goods (CISG) UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communication in International Contracts, 2005 UNICITRAL (United Nations Commision on International Trade Law ) UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contract Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (UNCITRAL, 1980) UK Laws Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulation 2000 Consumer Protection Act 1987 Contracts (Applicable Law) Act 1990 Sale of Goods Act, 1979 The Data Protection Act 1998 Regulations Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 EU Directives and Laws Consumer Rights Directive (EU Directive 2011/83/EU) EU Council Directive on Unfair terms in contracts EU directive 2000/31/EC EU Directive of Electronic Commerce 2000 2000 EU Services Directive, 2010 EU’s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive The Consumer Protection ( Distance Selling) The Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 The European Directive on Distance Selling (Directive 97/7/EC) 1. Rules relating to incorporation of Terms & Conditions for Online Contracts in the UK 1.1. â€Å"What is Online Contract?† In this era of e-commerce and the internet, online contract has become very common. Now, people from any part of the world can buy a product or service from the supplier from another part of the world like Amazon.com or e-bay. Online contracts are those that are being entered through a technological medium or through the internet. The terms and conditions of online contracts are almost analogues to that of offline contracts. Online contracts are also referred as e-contracts or electronic contracts. Online cont racts must cater the same fundamental needs of a valid contract like offer, acceptance, valid agreement, price or consideration, capacity to contract and legality. The same obligations have to be

Malcolm X from the Civil Rights Time Term Paper

Malcolm X from the Civil Rights Time - Term Paper Example The world today remembers him as a great leader of all times apart from his contribution to the Civil Rights movement. Brief biography Malcolm X was one of the eight children of Reverend Earl and Louise Little. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska and his birth name was Malcolm Little. His father believed in an individual’s fortitude and worked for unanimity within the black community. Malcolm grew up within the environment of racial prejudice and poverty. Earl was a dedicated Baptist minister and an organizer for Marcus Garvey’s UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Society). Earl also preached as a disciple of Marcus Garvey for generating ethnic awareness and dignity amongst black communities and encouraging his parishioners to return to Africa, their ancestral homeland. In 1931, Malcolm’s father was brutally slain in Lansing, Michigan due to a spark of violence with a local hate group (Aboulafia 1). Malcolm attended school up to his eighth grade and spent most of his te enage years on streets of New York City’s Harlem, Boston and Chicago (Aboulafia 1-2). At the age of 20, in Feb 1946, he was convicted and sentenced for ten years imprisonment in a case of robbery (Aboulafia, 2). After this imprisonment, the phase of change within Malcolm began. This moral and spiritual transformation within him initiated after his discovery about the teachings of Honorable Elijah Mohammad who was known as the â€Å"Messenger of Allah†. These teachings of Elijah Mohammad and the Nation of Islam influenced him as it instilled self-respect and admiration within the black followers through criticism of the white colored people. Elijah Mohammad blamed the white colored people for the miserable condition of the blacks in North America. According to him, in order to resolve this problem of long standing injustice the blacks should embrace the strategy of separatism (Aboulafia 2). In 1953, Malcolm was released from prison and he actively participated in the Na tion of Islam movement which entirely changed the purpose of his life (Aboulafia 2). Malcolm X – role against discrimination As mentioned earlier, after being released from prison he became an active and committed member of the Nation of Islam. He was following the personal instructions of Elijah Mohammad when he was posted at Detroit (Siddiqui). He was appointed as an assistant minister for the Nation of Islam movement. During this time he also changed his name from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X (Miller). He preached all over the US about his newly adopted religion and converted thousands of blacks by helping them embrace Islam. Malcolm’s commitment towards the movement of Nation of Islam was very high and it helped Nation of Islam become a nation-wide organization. Furthermore, this movement also helped him emerge as an international figure. He was very popular and many major television broadcasters and magazines conducted interviews with him. He also spoke at various forums and universities across the country for the blacks and also advocated for their right of equal opportunity in education, employment and wages. His main strength lay in his eloquent speeches and powerful word selection which helped to vividly depict the predicament of the blacks and fervently lay the blame on the white people (Siddiqui). Once he also tried to make the whites realize how much they are prejudiced about the black people. When a white

Discuss the theme of how it reflects to the play Essay

Discuss the theme of how it reflects to the play - Essay Example In this book, Henrick Ibsen shows a clear opposition of a male’s society and the women’s lives in the golden cages, and nothing is better than freedom, and money cannot substitute wings. Henrik Ibsen’s  A Doll’s House intrigues the audience by first developments of the feminism discourse. Oppression of a woman in the nineteenth century by males is represented by the writer as a common thing. Nora is just a doll and she is not an entity, she is the â€Å"other† pretty thing of her husband. Her husband gives funny names for her, such as â€Å"squirrel†, a â€Å"song bird† or a â€Å"little skylark†. He thinks that she does not have valuable ideas and her brain is empty. However, Nora is not a silly woman, because she realizes this ever existent oppression and she confirms that her father told her about his ideas all the time and, finally, these ideas became her own ideas. Actually, this woman was passed from her father’s hands to the hands of her husband like a fragile and empty thing. She feels uncomfortable and she suffers from her wasted life (Goldman 38). It is more comfortable to be a doll and to live in a dollâ €™s house in case a woman has experienced lobotomy, but a sound mind can never accept such a daily humiliation. Nora’s husband is strong enough to shelter and comfort her, but Nora feels like a bird in a golden cage. Material concerns of her husband and her father prevent her from making her own desires and wishes come true. She lacks freedom and does not have an opportunity to satisfy her material needs (Templeton 345). She borrows money from another person, but she cannot become a happy person. Torvald oppresses her and treats her like a child. It seems like he has some mental illness, because it is an inappropriate behavior of a modern, strong man to project his father’s feelings onto his wife. Because of material problems and the lack of social power, Nora did not have an opportunity to make friends even with women, because her

MCA DENVER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

MCA DENVER - Essay Example 3). The MCA Denver museum organizes exhibitions and events to showcase the creative endeavors of artists and to radiate the message of creativity in artwork. Several exhibitions were hosted in the MCA Denver museum in the recent past, and this article summarizes the contents of three images that induced admiration among the audience. Image 1 - Saint Sebastian, Exquisite Pain â€Å"Saint Sebastian, Exquisite Pain† is the masterpiece creation of famous artist, Damien Hirst, who is known for preserving the formaldehyde dipped carcasses of animals in glass vitrines (â€Å"Damien Hirst,† par. 1). Can any artist ever think of applying artistic imagination to preserved carcasses? Artists portray subtle emotions on canvas, in photography, or in sculptures. Damien Hirst’s depiction of helplessness and intense pain of a bullock can be seen in â€Å"Saint Sebastian, Exquisite Pain.† The carcass of a bullock, targeted by pointed arrows and crossbow bolts, was preserve d in a glass vitrine measuring 126.75 inches x 61.25 inches x 61.25 inches (â€Å"Damien Hirst,† par. 4). The artist has tried to show the helplessness of the poor creature, chained and attacked with arrows. The half-covered and half-open eyes of the creature also signify that the people remain mere spectators during the life and death cycle. Mortal creatures have to surrender before death that is waiting to chain and target the creatures mercilessly.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 67

Case Study - Essay Example This led to implementation and installation of the new system, but poor training and inadequate time for training about the new systems affected its effectiveness. This led to challenges to the JCSS officials but after later training, the system became effective. (Timeline, 2006). For the purpose of faster and efficient data analysis, JCSS needed to develop the new system and to enhance that they selected vendors and software. A selection of computer committee of major users of the system was chosen to evaluate and recommend on available systems and recommend a vendor to the JCSS School Board. The vendors were to accept responsibility and enhance installation and maintenance of the new system by support and training services. JCSS gave information on the size and the system they needed and gave specifications on the desired requirements for the application software. The problem arose when the system that they needed did none of what they exactly needed the system to do and this led to uncertainties in the new system, which was to be replaced with the existing one. (Chris, 2006) There were major problems in using the student management system and installation. The method employed in the implementation of student system by transferring directly all information in the old system to the new system without testing the system to identify any problem let to problems. This led to errors when they started working on the students scheduling. The scheduling officers did not know how the system work due to inefficient training by the DSI, and this led to the failure of JCSS to make the schedules done at the time planned which resulted in several problems. The rush in training due to less time for training as schools were to open led to issues when schools started as those working in the system did not understand it. The attendance officers were unable to work the system for the first few weeks, and this made scheduling of

Raphael's influence on Peter Paul Rubens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Raphael's influence on Peter Paul Rubens - Essay Example s quite clearly that Raphael was apprenticed to the Perugian Pietro Perugino, and that this is where he learnt his trade, and his first documented work, and altarpiece for the church San Nicola da Tolentino, is in Citta de Castello, between Perugia and Urbino. Other important early works of Raphael are dotted around Perugia, most notably his Crowning of the Virgin in the San Francesco chapel, and his The Marriage of the Virgin, which shows much maturity of style compared to his earlier works. In the four years he spent in Peruginos workshop, Raphael learned all that his master could teach him, and the period passed without problems or challenges; in his early works, Raphael remained faithful to the Perugino School, which is understandable, as the stylistic characteristics he had acquired from his teacher, namely a clear organization of the composition and the avoidance of excessive detail, also provided useful means through which to express the new spirit of the High Renaissance (Toman, 1998). In 1504, in his new home town of Siena, and then later in Florence, where he based himself from 1507, Raphael came in to contact with many artists, most notably Da Vinci and Michelangelo, through whose influence he came to develop a more grandiose, expressive, style. Here, he also learned new techniques, such as chiaroscuro and sfumato, and came under the influence of Da Vinci’s bold figure placements and gestures. During this time, Raphael was also introduced to the works of Paolo Uccello, Luca Signorelli, Melozzo da Forlà ­, as well as to the emerging Flemish artists Hieronymus Bosch and joos van Gent (Toman, 1998). During this time, Raphael produced one of his most famous early works, The Marriage of the Virgin, the conception, structure and style of which corresponds closely to those of the work of the same name by Perugino, and it is assumed that Raphael was here executing a repeat commission passed on to him by his teacher, however, while the faces of the figures,

Prof 2 part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Prof 2 part 2 - Essay Example Theoretically, scientists know how DS came about but not what triggers it although there are so-called risk factors to DS incidences. DS is a condition that needs to be extensively studied not only so that it can be totally eliminated but also to help those born with this genetic defects live the closest to normal existence as possible. The purpose of this paper is to study the causes and effects of Down syndrome including its medical consequences and the accepted appropriate clinical, sociological, nutritional and psychological approaches in dealing with DS victims. In undertaking the study of this paper, the writer used several books, articles and other references to meet its objective, which is to understand the causes of Down syndrome, anticipate its medical consequences and how to best deal with DS patients, clinically, psychologically and socially. The article Down Syndrome culled from the Parenting and Child health website was vital in giving a complete overview of the genetic disorder. It familiarizes the reader, although rather cursorily, with the disorder. This was important so that a complete overview of the topic can be instantly had without having to read longer accounts initially (2008). This was likewise true with the article Birth Defects-Trisomy Disorders which can be found in the Better Health Channel website (2007). To find out the frequency of DS occurrence vis-Ã  -vis birth rates in Australian, a visit to the WD website and a reading of the article Statistics by Country for Down Syndrome proved helpful although the statistics therein presented were products of mere extrapolation (2008). The article Down Syndrome and Genetic Cleansing by Rachel Mealy provided an idea how Australian mothers can anticipate a DS birth and how Australian pregnant women actually deal with knowledge of imminent DS births (Mealy 2002). The book Prescription for Nutritional Healing: A Practical A-To-Z Reference to

Goals in life Essay Example for Free

Goals in life Essay It is the goal of every individual to adequately achieve his/her goals in life. It is what motivates them to strive and seek for something worthwhile. Each one uses this as a model for getting motivation and fulfillment in the things that they do. Amidst the setbacks that are in place, it is in here that they learn to appreciate what is important in life; hard work and determination. Moreover, our ability to transcend to other people and influence change can truly bring about capabilities to be adaptive and vibrant. Give this notion, I wish to present my intention to apply for a degree in Communication. Dialogue and exchange remain to be one of the instruments that shape man’s interaction among other people. It serves as an important determinant in molding and creating individuals who are both capable to adapt and conquer the challenges of professional practice. Given the complexities of today’s workplace, many students need to be formally trained to have the sufficient and necessary skills to cope in these changing times. By doing this, I can be competent and vigorous in the things I do. To supplement this, one must have the essential experience and leadership skills so that this relative facet be honed and cultivated. For my part, I believe that I have these necessary ideals to adequately address these challenges both in the educational environment and in the workplace. It is in here that I wish to point out my qualifications and traits that I believe can be vital towards my application in UC. At an early age, I was exposed into various endeavors that opened up my abilities and potential as a leader. Being immersed in these activities other than my study widened my horizons and opened new boundaries for me to explore. From my experience in Hong Kong to my community work in Santa Monica College, all these paved the way for such realization. At the same time, I was able to cultivate the service trait which I believe is an essential component of a good and adequate leader. Looking at my experiences, I had mentioned that I was not merely involved in academic undertaking. I too tried to develop my interpersonal skills by advocating numerous civic and extracurricular activities including sports. Back then, I was in the badminton school team since I was in grade 7(grade 7 to grade 11) I represent my school to entered many badminton competitions and came out with a good results. Moreover, I am proud to have been part of the â€Å"Duke of Edinburg Awards† (The DofE) and finished the Silver level. The DofE is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged from 14 to 25, regardless of personal ability. In the end, all these endeavors contributed to what I am right now; competitive and vibrant. With your help, I can actively sustain this energy and create opportunities for me to create and respond actively to the needs of others. Prompt 2 I believe that determination and patience remains to be the defining factor in the way we do and handle things. It is in this light that we gain experience and insights that contribute to the way we do our tasks and responsibilities. Give the different struggles that we may encounter in these situations; we must continue to stand up and use these events as a way to facilitate a renewed effort to widen our horizons and learn from the process. It is with this adage that I come to combat every challenge that may come along the way. Coming from the United States as an immigrant, I too experienced difficulties in adjusting to the norms and culture. I had to cope up with the language barrier and effectively communicating with other people. However, this did not stop me from achieving what I wanted to be. Rather than giving up in the process, I developed my personal commitment to major in communication to help me bridge this gap and let other immigrants feel the same way. Though this task is never an easy one, I feel that my background and the way I was brought up by my father can give me the strength to tackle any challenge that may come along the way. Looking back, I am proud to say that my family raised me pretty well and gave the right norms and values to handle the pressures in the outside world. They gave me the opportunity to showcase my talent and skills in different ways. Each one did not hamper my growth but gave me the inspiration to focus on what I want. In addition, they imparted in me the lessons of patience and perseverance in everything. Now, I began to understand and appreciate what they gave me. As I brought these adages to practice, I became involved in numerous activities outside the academic realm. It has always been my belief that to achieve an element of satisfaction and fulfillment, one must go out of his/her comfort zone and serve other people. With this, I began to associate with individuals in different levels may it be in sports (badminton) or civic activities such as my participation in Duke of Edinburg Awards. Not only did these programs enhance my capabilities and skills as an individual, it also gave meaning in my life and purpose in everything that I do. My involvement as a vice president of my house was also a unique experience on my part. It proved vital for me to enhance my leadership and communication skills among other people. I became part of charity events and reaching out for disabled people. It motivated me because I am now seeing what I wanted to become and actively working harmoniously with other individuals. I learned useful skills which allow me to meet people and communicate with them. In all of these, I feel that the past five years of my life were a determining factor of what I wanted to be.

The Controversial Topic Of Alcohol Advertisement

The Controversial Topic Of Alcohol Advertisement Do you know today the death number due to alcohol consumption in United Kingdom is 33,000 every year!(drinkaware.co.uk)And most of the blame goes to Alcohol advertisement, which has been always a controversial topic to discuss, some says it`s very much responsible for encouraging drinking and some says drinking is personal choice, but here it`s not the matter of does it encourage drinking or not, but is alcohol industry playing the role of being social responsible and following the ethics which people deserve to get? Alcohol advertisement has wipe out half of the advertisement industry, because alcohol is culturally welcomed and is on the tip of the tastes for people which also has its bad impression due to irresponsible and excessive drinking which turns out to be social shock, and has created adverse health and social consequences, sometimes to be long or short period. But here the basic concern is youth, who are the prime victim of alcohol and this tendency of alcohol consumption is key problem of every country today, but is alcohol advertisement are to be blamed for not being socially responsible and ethical? Today UK is has more strict voluntary codes for alcohol advertisement so that the boundary can be set up. However even after the strict voluntary codes are regulated for alcohol advertisement; the marketing and advertisement is blamed for this social shock, or alcohol industry is playing the positivity in the field of social responsibility, it`s very much important to understand where is the problem? Can we blame alcohol advertisement to encourage drinking or it is influence of culture and personal choice people make. With the use of qualitative and quantitative approach I have tried to reach the objective of my research. My research will discuss does alcohol advertisement is responsible enough to follows voluntary codes formulated and proving themselves socially and ethically responsible? And another important blame needed to be sorted out, is alcohol advertisement the right criteria to blame for encouraging drinking? What general of UK opinion about the fact of encouragement of alcohol consumption through advertisement? And what experts think about the issue? CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION: What is alcohol advertisement? Does that really deserve and answer, because controversial topics like that do not need an introduction but discussion! They are never out of discussion. Today some facts about alcohol advertisement said by an expert that every year alcohol industry spends 600 to 800 million pounds on advertising and promoting it products, professor Gerard Hastings OBE Director institute of social media When I heard alcohol advertisement! My first reaction towards it was challenging and soon I knew it was. The reason behind choosing a topic like this was practically exploring my knowledge in the field of marketing which will also allow myself to understand the real meaning of social responsibility and ethics, till now I have just read and heard them but I really doesnt know if they exist? This is the first time in my life I am doing something which I lead to anywhere and any direction and since the alcohol advertisement is the issue then it brings interest with it. UK does allow the allow alcohol advertisement with some limitation which are regulated in form of voluntary codes, where as in India the alcohol advertisement are totally restricted, and this gave me chance to explore alcohol advertisement and have a close look. My supervisor was a real inspiration as she knew that this issue will enlarge my knowledge of marketing and also the responsibility and ethics it holds within its elf. Billions of pounds are fritter on alcohol advertisement but in response of billions how much effort is put socially and ethically? Alcohol advertisement is always controversial and debatable topic and so people do have right to understand and being part of something like alcohol which has always showed them trouble, does alcohol industry follows all the voluntary codes stated for alcohol advertisement, is alcohol industry paying enough attention to the social responsibility come with promoting alcohol or they are still into earning shares and profit. Some people say its alcohol behind encouragement of alcohol consumption and some think is personal decision but if we look the both point of view if alcohol advertisement are made according to the voluntary codes set up then still the encouragement of drinking will be blamed on advertisement. But today even after strict voluntary codes and regulation it seems to be high drinking rate. So whom to blame alcohol advertisements or culture an d self desire of people? My research in this paper holds the two important questions which are really needed to be answered before things get out of our hands, firstly is alcohol advertisement socially and ethically responsible? And is alcohol advertisement right factor to blame for encouraging consumption of alcohol? UK has culture and beliefs which has high rate in alcohol consumption, the primary reasons behind alcohol is the effects which it gives; is increasing the high risk on health of people and giving birth to social problems like abusing , accidents, sexual harassments. And the more importantly the youth whose roots are being habitat by alcohol; it could be underage drinking consumption or over dose of alcohol consumption. So my research will focus on alcohol advertisement, but with limited issues covered in. one reason behind alcohol advertisement is that its ingredient of marketing, and marketing creates want in people, it give birth to desire, which doesnt specified wit h one product but all and since here alcohol is the product which has most of the time negative impact. Despite the fact marketing has connects world together and showed the reality of every entity present on this earth but it has given variety of reason of being dishonest. The function and practice of marketing has been criticised because it is claimed that it deliberately creates partial truths about products and services and exploits the fears and weaknesses of fellow human beings. Peter Drunker. Who should be really blamed? No one knows but thousand of researchers, experts, medical organizations, social worker have worked hard enough to reach to a point, however everyone has different way to look at the issue. To understand this issue there thousand of research and survey taken place with money spend but no one still knows what else could be done to stop this destroying of the generation who could not understand the responsible drinking and keeping it ahead of every entity in their lives. So with the limited reach I have conducted a research to know what these people actually think, about the alcohol advertisement and the impact it has on them and on the youth. PROBLEMS: May be after lining down some facts, will help me better to make understand the depth of the problem we have and how eagerly needs a solution. About 10 million people in England drink above the guidelines. UK has one of the highest rates of binge drinking in Europe. Up to 1 in 3 adult is at risk of lever disease due to alcohol consumption. 33,000 deaths in UK due to alcohol. (sources: www.drinkaware.co.uk) This is not the end but the start, these are just the symptoms and the problem is ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION; which is one of the major causes to encourage alcohol consumption. There are various factors involved in encouragement of alcohol is starts from marketing, sports sponsorships , TV advertisement, movies, brands to cultural trend of UK which does has thrown out the fear of affects due to alcohol, parental inspirational to children. But if we look into more deep then alcohol marketing has more impact on alcohol consumption. So with bringing alcohol in light the two major issues which are taken care of is, Do alcohol advertisement following its social and ethical responsibilities by following the voluntary codes set up by United Kingdom? And the reason for which these restriction made on alcohol advertisement which is sending wrong message of encouraging alcohol advertisement does has any real story. Yes another problem is do alcohol advertisement encourage drinking? If we look into what are past and present problem lightened by experts, Advertising standards authority an self regulator of advertising across all media in UK, there records says that last year they received over 26,000 complaints which seemed to be complained due to breach the rules. As a result, nearly 2,500 ads were changed or withdrawn in 2008, thanks to a range of effective sanctions at our disposal and the cooperation of advertisers who respect our decisions. And on other hand the British medical Association says Alcohol consumption in the UK has increased rapidly in recent years, not just among young people, but across society. The population is drinking in increasingly harmful ways and the result is a range of avoidable medical, psychological and social harm, damaged lives and early deaths. As consumption has increased, the market for alcohol has grown substantially. This has been driven by vast promotional and marketing campaigns with the UK alcohol industry spending approx imately  £800m annually. (Source: BMA) there are thousands of problem which has been raised due to alcohol advertisement affects not only youth but people of UK too. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (Nice) has said the government should consider a complete ban on alcohol advertising in order to stop underage and binge drinking. (source: http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/1007168/Government-advisers-support-ban-alcohol-ads/) what I understand here is every advertisement is made to reach out the population and inform them about the product and sell it and earn profit, so can we really blame alcohol industry or UK government? It`s very much important the changing culture and trend which is adopted by our youth, by disrespecting their lives front of alcohol consumption. To understand and find a solution to this issue I have taken a research through qualitative and quantitative approach, so that the criteria can be fulfilled which needed by the alcohol advertisement, with my point of view and participants view on the issue I have tried to put down the solution and the key areas needed to be focused on. OBJECTIVE: The main intention of this research paper is to understand the alcohol advertisement, and what are the disadvantages, it has carried out toward the society. How its own function to reach people and convey them the message behind the product, has become the drawback. To find the explanation of blame on alcohol advertisement, and to what extend alcohol advertisement can be blame for encouraging alcohol consumption. With self understanding of the research I have outline the project with discussions and proves, as secondary data provided by experts. With the journey of finding the answers behind the controversies of alcohol advertisement METHODLOGY: With several methods and technique any kind of research can be conducted but by keeping in the mind that the issue like alcohol advertisement is very subjective, I have taken the help of both the research methods, qualitative( observation) and quantitative ( survey via questionnaire) and of course the with help of secondary data of experts. The reason behind choosing the observation is that it makes the research descriptive and involves the researcher itself which help them to understand the need of the research, and what are the further requirement which will make the research successful. Another method which is survey, which is conducted to complete the research, is because of one main advantage that it has the scientific approach which allows creating and designing the structure of the desired result with flexibility. Secondary data is something which is ready to use, and bring deep explanation to the research. The best advantage of secondary data is the time and cost effective verses primary data which need more expensive and time taking, and since I have gathered both primary and secondary data collection for the research paper. The basic reason to choose these methodologies, if we look into the first issue, does alcohol industry follows voluntary codes set up by UK government for alcohol advertisement? I have done observation and used secondary data to find the reason, as to find the answer to the question it was important to observe the advertisement broadcasting on television, public places, and to the places where a breach of code can be conducted. And use of secondary data was due to the journey which has been alcohol advertisement gone through; the changes which were made due to unsatisfied and controversy it has created. So this has given the observation of the experts and organization wh ich have involved them in this research too. And to find the answer of another issue is alcohol advertisement is to blame for encouraging drinking? This was more of psychological based issue which needed to be answered by the people of UK, though survey via questionnaire which is designed with flexible questions and with the space of opinion which can reflect their mentality of alcohol advertisement contribution in encouraging them to drink more, and again I have also taken help of secondary data which involves journals, articles, repots taken by expert. So my methodology for the research paper is combination of primary and secondary data which involves qualitative and quantitative research with following method like survey and observations. FINDINGS AND DISSCUSSION With giving out surveys to 100 people out of which 70 people responded about their opinion on alcohol advertisement, with the age group of 23 to 54 the survey was filled up and according to them it on them alcohol advertisement do not encourage drinking in the society they think its a personal choice, which they make! 90% of them are not aware of the alcohol advertisement voluntary codes, which are set up by UK government so basically its simple they even don`t know what is legally allowed in alcohol advertisement to be broadcasted. These were the finding of survey conducted in Cardiff city. This result of survey can be put down in two ways, first that the participants are not aware about the alcohol advertisement voluntary codes, which are set up for the society itself, for the protection from the misleading message alcohol advertisement were giving in past. And another finding which is very much psychological based is not accepting the fact that alcohol advertisement do encourage d rinking not in youth but in society too. IS ALCOHOL INDUSTRY RESPONSIBLE? What ASA wants to say? The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the UKs independent regulator of advertising across all media, including TV, internet, sales promotions and direct marketing. A recent survey conducted by ASA to ensure the alcohol advertisement are following alcohol advertising codes in 2008 2009 before December, during the period before Christmas the ASA`s compliance team supervised and assessed all the alcohol advertisements with all the content being used for promotion of alcohol across all the media from 1 to 24 December. The survey showed a very mush positive result, out of 307 alcohol advertisements which were monitored only one of them was contempt for breach of CAP code; and none of the advertisement breached BCAP codes. With overall conformity are of 99.7% and reveal an improvement year to year over 2007 and 2008 survey which were conducted before by ASA in a row, which is compliance rate of 97.4%(2007) and 98.9% (2008) were verified. The data projected by ASA shows MEDIA NO. of ads NO. of breaches Compliance rate of media PRESS 177 1 99.4% OUTDOOR 33 0 100% ONLINE 31 0 100% TV 50 0 100% RADIO 16 0 100% (Source by ASA) 2008 2009 According to ASA alcohol industry is the alcohol ads picked up in the survey sample between 1 December and 24 December 2009, 0.3% breached the CAP Code, a compliance rate of 99.7%. That is an encouraging result and suggests the industry is acting responsibly within the self-regulatory system. The result is an improvement on the compliance rate of 98.9% from the 2008 survey and 97.4% from the 2007 survey. ASA But can we be relaxed after the data representations by ASA, if we really not need to be worried after this result then what expression, will one have after this well projected alcohol advertisement: Is this answerable? Is responsibility reflecting? In the recent discovery by expert Gerard hasting, there were some producer who were found guilty in terms of neglecting voluntary codes setup for alcohol advertisement, he says as UK has chose for self regulatory control system which basically focuses on content of alcohol advertisement, and all this work is regulated by ASA, alcohol standard association and as the part of its alcohol inquiry, Gerard hasting found evidences which proves that the communication agencies and producer were targeting youth , and promoting alcohol. With some marketing document in hand following producers were found guilty to be breach the codes for alcohol advertisement. PRODUCER BRAND COMMUNICATION AGENCY BEVERAGE BRANDS WKD (AN ALCOPOP) BIG COMMUNICATIONS BIRAY LEINO PR FIVE BY FIVE(DIGITAL) DIAGEO SMIRNOFF VODKA AKQA JWT HALEWOOD INTERNATIONAL LAMBRINI ( A PERRY) SIDEKICK SHOTS BJL CHEETHAMBELL JWT MAOLSON COORS BREWING COMAPANY CARLING BEATTIE McGuiness BUNGAY (BMB) (Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.b5650.full) Research has established that alcohol advertising, like that for tobacco and fast food, influences behaviour. It encourages young people to drink alcohol sooner and in greater quantities. (Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.b5650.full) with all the research and finding it does point out that social and ethical responsibility has some major concern, as per the survey taken by 70 general participants of UK even they have agrees to an extent that yes alcohol advertisement does encourage drinking to some extent. Starting with questionnaire people do agree to restrict alcohol advertisement to some extend which is very much reflecting the unseen picture of impact of alcohol advertisement in their eyes. They do accept that the alcohol advertisement do encourage drinking but they to a level deny the fact that alcohol advertisement encourage them personally to drink. With an explanation asked if they do accept that according to them if any alcohol advertisement do reflect the social r esponsibility and the total number of answer to this was NO but if talk about their responsibility in considering to complaint about any of the unethical alcohol advertisement then it again comes too NO. To give an example, from my one of the observation while the research, I realised one of the beer advertisement which do write drink responsibly but this responsible behaviour of the alcohol advertisement was so much tiny that it could not be noticed. If we look into opinion of other experts and communicator than we have (Reuters) Britains system of self regulation on alcohol advertising is failing and companies are pushing the boundaries of codes of practice to lure in young drinkers, social marketing experts said Thursday. One of the main causes for encouraging drinking is the pricing which of course is associated with marketing. A very low pricing does attract people to drinking, today alcohol is cheaper than water The Labour government is coming under increasing pressure from health experts to consider setting minimum prices for alcohol to curb widespread binge drinking by young people with access to cheap drink. Thursdays report was published by the British Medical Journal, whose deputy editor Trish Groves said it was now time to clamp down on alcohol promotion and set a minimum price per unit of alcohol to try to halt a rise in alcohol-related illness.It is time to put away the rhetoric that alcohol misuse is largely an individual problem best avoided and managed through education, counselling, and medical treatment, she wrote in a commentary on the study.Instead, the UK needs to embrace the idea that the health and societal costs of alcohol misuse are best prevented through legislation on pricing and marketing.She noted that while the British government is spending 17.6 million pounds on alcohol education in 2009/10, that figure was dwarfed by the UK drinks industrys 600 million to 800 mil lion pounds annual spend on promoting alcohol. Prime Minister Gordon Brown rejected a recommendation from chief medical officer Liam Donaldson last March that a minimum price of 50 pence should be set per unit of alcohol in England, a level which would nearly double the price of some cheap beers and wines. Donaldson said such a move would reduce the annual number of crimes by 46,000 and hospital admissions by 100,000 while cutting absenteeism from work, saving 1 billion pounds a year. (Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE60K05Q20100121) ALCOHOL AND SPORTS If alcohol industry is seriously following the voluntary codes set up by organizations then why still alcohol adverting is too blamed for encouraging drinking in society? Or is it that alcohol advertisement voluntary codes set up are not so restricted effective that they are able to stop the impact on the alcohol advertisement which is encouraging drinking; if we look into the alcohol marketing in sports ground, that that may be the one of the strongest impact which has on alcohol consumption. Heineken sponsors European rugby. According to Portman group, a public relation body is tied up with companies like InBev and Carlsberg, and has estimated that alcohol firms spend an estimate amount around  £150m to  £200m on advertising and marketing in UK every year. Sport in many countries is god, and everyone worship god, but this is another form of marketing which means following the god, alcohol industry knows very well if not advertisement then why not to use the sports and sports players as the source of promotion of alcohol and this has proved to be right because recently there is very much rise in alcohol consumption, the specific period of while sports tournament takes place any of the store will provide alcohol on the cheap deals and if even though not, then the culture of UK do force them to consume them. According to Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians and chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, backed calls for a ban on alcohol and sports sponsorship: Notwithstanding the claims of their lobbyists, it is obvious that drinks industry sponsorship of sport is less about supporting an important part of our national culture and more brand positioning and profit. We need to ask whether this continued alliance and the mixed messages such deals send to young people and adults alike is actually appropriate. (Source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/nov/10/addiction-journal-alcohol-sport-sponsorship) But on other hand the following statement was urge The alcohol and advertising industries have welcomed a study that claims that a ban on alcohol sponsorship would not curb underage alcohol abuse. The Cardiff Business School study, published by the International Journal of Sports Marketing Sponsorship, found that there are no significant statistical correlations between sports sponsorship awareness and attitudes to alcohol use among underage drinkers. The survey asked 294 pupils aged 14-15 from five schools about their intentions to drink alcohol and to get drunk on the forthcoming weekend. The same students were also asked about their attitudes to drinking alcohol, their involvement in sport and a series of questions to determine their awareness of sponsors. The reports author, Dr Fiona Davies, says although alcohol sponsorship does play a part in perpetuating and normalising the culture of drunkenness, prohibition will not work on its own. And David Poley, chief executive of alcohol industry body The Portman Group, says the study provides evidence that sponsorship has a comparatively minor effect on drinking attitudes. (Source:http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/alcohol-industry-welcomes-alcohol-sponsorship-report/3009929.article) ALCOHOL ADVERTISEMENT AND ITS EFFECTS: Watching alcohol adverts on television may make young people drink more alcohol, according to a recent study published in Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Researchers at the University of Connecticut asked nearly 2000 young people aged between 15 and 26 about how much they drank. The answers were compared with the amount spent on advertising alcohol on television in their area. The interviews were carried out over a two-year period. Some people were interviewed up to four times. The study revealed that American youths who watched more alcohol adverts tended to drink more alcohol too. For each extra advert watched in a month, the interviewees consumed one percent more alcohol. Across all age groups, for every extra dollar per head spent on adverts in each television area, alcohol consumption rose by three percent. They concluded that alcohol advertising contributes to increase drinking among young people. The study also seemed to undermine previous claims that alcohol advertising has no effect on underage drinkers. It focused on advertising spending information rather than asking interviewees to estimate how many alcohol adverts they had seen. (SOURCE:http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/health_news/060106alcoholadvertising.htmlSnyder L, Milici F, Slater M, Sun H, Strizhakova Y. Effects of Alcohol Advertising Exposure on Drinking Among Youth. Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 2006; 160:18-24.) The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (Nice) has said the government should consider a complete ban on alcohol advertising in order to stop underage and binge drinking. Nice, which also called for a minimum price to be imposed on alcoholic drinks, has issued a 91-page document which claims that one in four adults in England is drinking what it deemed a dangerous amount of alcohol, which it says costs the NHS about  £2.7bn a year. The report suggests a number of changes to marketing legislation, which it claims could stem alcohol abuse. The report says: There is evidence that alcohol advertising does affect children and young people. One of its proposals is a complete alcohol advertising ban to protect children and young people from exposure to alcohol advertising. The report goes on to propose a review of rules, suggesting that new limits are set by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to reduce the proportion of children exposed to alcohol, and ensure that all alcohol advertising particularly when it involves new media and product placement, is covered by a stringent regulatory system. (Source:http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/1007168/Government-advisers-support-ban-alcohol-ads/) EXPERIMENT: 1 Objective: To test whether alcohol advertising expenditures and the degree of exposure to alcohol advertisements affect alcohol consumption by youth. Design: Longitudinal panel using telephone surveys. Setting: Households in 24 US media markets, April 1999 to February 2001. Participants: Individuals aged 15 to 26 years were randomly sampled within households and households within media markets. Markets were systematically selected from the top 75 media markets, representing 79% of the US population. The baseline refusal rate was 24%. Sample sizes per wave were 1872, 1173, 787, and 588. Data on alcohol advertising expenditures on television, radio, billboards, and newspapers were collected. Main Exposures: Market alcohol advertising expenditures per capita and self-reported alcohol advertising exposure in the prior month. Main Outcome Measure: Self-reported number of alcoholic drinks consumed in the prior month. Results: Youth who saw more alcohol advertisements on average drank more (each additional advertisement seen increased the number of drinks consumed by 1% [event rate ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.02]). Youth in markets with greater alcohol advertising expenditures drank more (each additional dollar spent per capita raised the number of drinks consumed by 3% [event rate ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.05]). Examining only youth younger than the legal drinking age of 21 years, alcohol advertisement exposure and expenditures still related to drinking. Youth in markets with more alcohol advertisements showed increases in drinking levels into their late 20s, but drinking platitude in the early 20s for youth in markets with fewer advertisements. Control variables included age, gender, ethnicity, high school or college enrolment, and alcohol sales. Conclusion: Alcohol advertising contributes to increase drinking among youth. (Source: http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/160/1/18, Leslie B. Snyder, PhD; Frances Fleming Milici, PhD; Michael Slater, PhD; Helen Sun, MA; Yuliya Strizhakova, PhD Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006; 160:18-24.) OTHER EXPERIMENT: BY NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM RESEARCH MONOGRAPH 28 Alcohol beverage advertisers are exploring a variety of ways to protect and extend their reach. Brewers are the most vigorous in this effort. Faced with similar problem, a marketing study reported, much other industry would have pulled in their marketing horn long ago. The brewing industry`s response has been almost the opposite. It is doing everything possible to attract new customers, and one brewing industry executive calls it a panic' (Hume 1985, p.16) while most beer advertising budgets shrank, the top three beer brands increased their advertising by more than 20 percent (Nutrition Action Health letter 1992). By McCarty and Ewing Experiment was conducted by McCarty and Ewing (1983). The subjects viewed a set of magazine ad slides for eight distilled spirit products or for non alcohol products as part of a supposed evaluation of sexual stimuli in advertising messages. In the counterbalanced design, half saw the alcohol ads first and half saw them following the non alcohol ads; a second manipulation involved access to a distilled spirit mixed drink versus a soft drink before evaluating the slides. During a break between exposure sessions, all subjects fixed drinks with liquor and mixers at a private bar before viewing the opposite set of slides. Each ad was shown for 30 seconds initially and 2.5 minutes during a later group discussion of sexual content. There was no significant main effect of advertising on amount of liquor poured, rate of consumption, or blood alcohol content (BAC) level on a breath testing device at the end of the study. However there was a significant interaction: among subjects in the alcoh ol pre drink condition, those viewing alcohol ads in the second slide session following the break had higher BAC scores than subjects who viewed these slides first. The author concluded that the higher blood alcohol levels suggest that alcoholic advertisi

17th Century Seduction Poems Are Relevant In The 21st Century Essay exa

During the 17th century, certain poets wrote poems with the specific purpose of persuading a woman to have sexual intercourse with them. Three of these seduction poems utilize several strategies to do this: Andrew Marvell’s â€Å"To His Coy Mistress,† and Donne’s â€Å"A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning† and â€Å"The Flea.† Some of the reasoning used by both poets is similar to the reasoning used today by men to convince women to have sexual intercourse with them. These gimmicks vary from poem to poem but coincide with modern day rationalization. The tactics used in 17th century seduction poems are relevant and similar to the seduction tactics used in the 21st century. Through his writing, Andrew Marvell uses several strategies to get a woman to sleep with him. In his seduction poem, â€Å"To His Coy Mistress,† Marvell first presents a problem and then offers his solution to the problem. Marvell sets up a situation in which he and his lover are on opposite sides of the world: â€Å"Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side/ Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide/ Of Humber would complain†¦.† (5-7). He has set up a circumstance in which his lover is in India and he is in England; however, this situation can be interpreted as a metaphor for sexual distance. Marvell then goes on to profess his love for this woman, telling her that he will always love her, saying â€Å"...I would/ Love you ten years before the flood† (7-8) and saying that his â€Å"vegetable love should grow/ Vaster than empires and more slow† (11). This suggests that he is promising permanence in their relationship. In doing so, Marvell is also trying to pac ify his lady’s fears of sexual relations. He wants his lover to feel secure and confident about having intercourse with him. In the second stanza, Marvell turns his attention to another â€Å"problem† that his lover might pose by not sleeping with him. He writes, â€Å"But at my back I always hear/ Times winged chariot hurrying near† (21-22). Marvell is concerned about death in this situation. He is now pleading to his woman because he feels threatened by time. He tells her that time is running out and that they had better sleep together before it is too late. Marvell solidifies this argument a few lines later by presenting the idea of death and the fact that they can not have sexual intercourse once they are dead. He writes, â€Å"The grave’s a fine and private place/ But none, I think, do there embra... ...l love, like Marvell in â€Å"His Coy Mistress,† is still used to get women in bed. It makes them feel secure in a relationship, which in turn makes them more likely to have sex with their partner. Building up the relationship, like Donne in â€Å"A Valediction: forbidden Mourning,† will also make a woman feel secure in a relationship in modern times by establishing dependability; it also romanticizes the relationship. If a woman feels she is being swept off her feet by Prince Charming, she will be more likely to get in bed. Allaying a woman’s fears will also convince her to consent to sex, much like in Donne’s first stanza of â€Å"The Flea.† He reassures his woman that sex is not a big deal. These days sex really has become quite inconsequential and men do not have difficulty pointing that out to a woman they are trying to sleep with. Generally, many of the basic ideas expressed in 17th century poetry are similar to those presented today in re lationships. Making excuses, finding arguments, allaying fears, and professing true love are all still utilized to speed along the occurrence of sexual relations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

The Battle for Control of Political Science Education :: Political Science Politics

The Battle for Control of Political Science Education Abstract Quantitative analysis, formal modeling, and other forms of hard science dominate the leading journals and research institutions of American political science. To justify a hard scientific approach to the study of politics demands elaborate philosophical argument. In particular, it demands answers to three questions: What is the character of political life (the ontological question)? How and what can we know about politics (the epistemological question)? What purpose should political knowledge serve (the normative question)? Yet few of today’s hard scientists offer sophisticated answers to these questions because one by-product of their hegemony in the discipline has been the banishment of political philosophy to the margins of the curriculum. Indeed, political philosophy is the most distinguished victim of today’s â€Å"normal science.† This essay offers graduate students a program by which to test the claims of hard science in a radical manner. It demons trates how reflection on personal experience, the study of history, and the study of philosophy offer different ways of scrutinizing the ideology of hard science. Each raises formidable challenges to the hard-scientific project. Some see the current conflict in American political science as little more than a battle over occupational resources. It is a battle over who gets hired, who gets published, and who leads our professional associations. What meager response the current â€Å"Perestroika† protest movement has elicited from hard scientists has focused on these issues. The conflict is partly a battle over scarce resources, but the protesters have also presented a radical critique of hard science as a means to study politics. Hard scientists have met this critique with silence. The protest will not disappear with a more equitable division of occupational spoils. Its substantive challenge, too, demands a response. The focus of the debate is the definition of â€Å"science† as it is applied to the study of human beings. Today’s protest movement is not anti-scientific, as some adherents of the hard-scientific establishment have tried to stigmatize it. Unlike post-modern thinkers, most protesters associated with Perestroika think of themselves as scientists. But what sort of science is possible when the object of study is a human society? Science has always been a contested concept, even in the realm of the physical sciences, and it remains so today.

The Monster under My Bed :: Personal Narrative Writing

The Monster under My Bed â€Å"Mom, please!† I cried. â€Å"All my friends are outside waiting for me.† â€Å"Amanda, I told you not until your room is clean. Now, go get started. The sooner you start the sooner you will finish and can then go outside and play,† replied my mother with a firm voice. I was a very stubborn five-year-old girl. My friends were outside wanting me to play, but after much begging my mother was still refusing to let me out of the house until my room was clean. The thought of my friends outside playing, and my missing out on the fun was too much for me to bear. I decided to take a shortcut on the cleaning and learned a lesson that even now, almost 20 years later, I still haven’t forgotten. I could tell from my mother's stern voice that she wasn’t going to budge on this one. I turned around, hunched my shoulders, dropped my head, and walked down the hall to clean my room, pouting the entire way. I turned into the room and saw a huge mess. â€Å"This is going to take forever!† I thought as I looked around at the toys, puzzles, books, and clothes strewn about all over. There was no way I could clean all this up and still have time to go play with my friends. â€Å"Jeez, Mom doesn’t understand anything. If she would just let me go play, then I would come back and clean it up later,† I thought to myself. â€Å"She is no fun at all. When I’m a mom I will never make my kids clean their room,† I vowed to myself. I started cleaning, putting toys in the toy box, books on the shelf, shoes and dress-up clothes in the closet. â€Å"I tagged you, I tagged you,† I could hear my friends yelling from outside. â€Å"You’re it! Ha, ha!† I had to get out there. Looking around my still-messy room, I realized my bed had lots of room under it. The Monster under My Bed :: Personal Narrative Writing The Monster under My Bed â€Å"Mom, please!† I cried. â€Å"All my friends are outside waiting for me.† â€Å"Amanda, I told you not until your room is clean. Now, go get started. The sooner you start the sooner you will finish and can then go outside and play,† replied my mother with a firm voice. I was a very stubborn five-year-old girl. My friends were outside wanting me to play, but after much begging my mother was still refusing to let me out of the house until my room was clean. The thought of my friends outside playing, and my missing out on the fun was too much for me to bear. I decided to take a shortcut on the cleaning and learned a lesson that even now, almost 20 years later, I still haven’t forgotten. I could tell from my mother's stern voice that she wasn’t going to budge on this one. I turned around, hunched my shoulders, dropped my head, and walked down the hall to clean my room, pouting the entire way. I turned into the room and saw a huge mess. â€Å"This is going to take forever!† I thought as I looked around at the toys, puzzles, books, and clothes strewn about all over. There was no way I could clean all this up and still have time to go play with my friends. â€Å"Jeez, Mom doesn’t understand anything. If she would just let me go play, then I would come back and clean it up later,† I thought to myself. â€Å"She is no fun at all. When I’m a mom I will never make my kids clean their room,† I vowed to myself. I started cleaning, putting toys in the toy box, books on the shelf, shoes and dress-up clothes in the closet. â€Å"I tagged you, I tagged you,† I could hear my friends yelling from outside. â€Å"You’re it! Ha, ha!† I had to get out there. Looking around my still-messy room, I realized my bed had lots of room under it.

Angels Demons Chapter 64-65

64 Langdon and Vittoria's taxi completed the one-mile sprint up the wide Via della Scrofa in just over a minute. They skidded to a stop on the south side of the Piazza del Popolo just before eight. Not having any lire, Langdon overpaid the driver in U.S. dollars. He and Vittoria jumped out. The piazza was quiet except for the laughter of a handful of locals seated outside the popular Rosati Cafe – a hot spot of the Italian literati. The breeze smelled of espresso and pastry. Langdon was still in shock over his mistake at the Pantheon. With a cursory glance at this square, however, his sixth sense was already tingling. The piazza seemed subtly filled with Illuminati significance. Not only was it laid out in a perfectly elliptical shape, but dead center stood a towering Egyptian obelisk – a square pillar of stone with a distinctively pyramidal tip. Spoils of Rome's imperial plundering, obelisks were scattered across Rome and referred to by symbologists as â€Å"Lofty Pyramids† – skyward extensions of the sacred pyramidal form. As Langdon's eyes moved up the monolith, though, his sight was suddenly drawn to something else in the background. Something even more remarkable. â€Å"We're in the right place,† he said quietly, feeling a sudden exposed wariness. â€Å"Have a look at that.† Langdon pointed to the imposing Porta del Popolo – the high stone archway at the far end of the piazza. The vaulted structure had been overlooking the piazza for centuries. Dead center of the archway's highest point was a symbolic engraving. â€Å"Look familiar?† Vittoria looked up at the huge carving. â€Å"A shining star over a triangular pile of stones?† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"A source of Illumination over a pyramid.† Vittoria turned, her eyes suddenly wide. â€Å"Like†¦ the Great Seal of the United States?† â€Å"Exactly. The Masonic symbol on the one-dollar bill.† Vittoria took a deep breath and scanned the piazza. â€Å"So where's this damn church?† The Church of Santa Maria del Popolo stood out like a misplaced battleship, askew at the base of a hill on the southeast corner of the piazza. The eleventh-century stone aerie was made even more clumsy by the tower of scaffolding covering the faà §ade. Langdon's thoughts were a blur as they raced toward the edifice. He stared up at the church in wonder. Could a murder really be about to take place inside? He wished Olivetti would hurry. The gun felt awkward in his pocket. The church's front stairs were ventaglio – a welcoming, curved fan – ironic in this case because they were blocked with scaffolding, construction equipment, and a sign warning: Construzzione. Non Entrare Langdon realized that a church closed for renovation meant total privacy for a killer. Not like the Pantheon. No fancy tricks needed here. Only to find a way in. Vittoria slipped without hesitation between the sawhorses and headed up the staircase. â€Å"Vittoria,† Langdon cautioned. â€Å"If he's still in there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Vittoria did not seem to hear. She ascended the main portico to the church's sole wooden door. Langdon hurried up the stairs behind her. Before he could say a word she had grasped the handle and pulled. Langdon held his breath. The door did not budge. â€Å"There must be another entrance,† Vittoria said. â€Å"Probably,† Langdon said, exhaling, â€Å"but Olivetti will be here in a minute. It's too dangerous to go in. We should cover the church from out here until – â€Å" Vittoria turned, her eyes blazing. â€Å"If there's another way in, there's another way out. If this guy disappears, we're fungito.† Langdon knew enough Italian to know she was right. The alley on the right side of the church was pinched and dark, with high walls on both sides. It smelled of urine – a common aroma in a city where bars outnumbered public rest rooms twenty to one. Langdon and Vittoria hurried into the fetid dimness. They had gone about fifteen yards down when Vittoria tugged Langdon's arm and pointed. Langdon saw it too. Up ahead was an unassuming wooden door with heavy hinges. Langdon recognized it as the standard porta sacra – a private entrance for clergy. Most of these entrances had gone out of use years ago as encroaching buildings and limited real estate relegated side entrances to inconvenient alleyways. Vittoria hurried to the door. She arrived and stared down at the doorknob, apparently perplexed. Langdon arrived behind her and eyed the peculiar donut-shaped hoop hanging where the doorknob should have been. â€Å"An annulus,† he whispered. Langdon reached out and quietly lifted the ring in his hand. He pulled the ring toward him. The fixture clicked. Vittoria shifted, looking suddenly uneasy. Quietly, Langdon twisted the ring clockwise. It spun loosely 360 degrees, not engaging. Langdon frowned and tried the other direction with the same result. Vittoria looked down the remainder of the alley. â€Å"You think there's another entrance?† Langdon doubted it. Most Renaissance cathedrals were designed as makeshift fortresses in the event a city was stormed. They had as few entrances as possible. â€Å"If there is another way in,† he said, â€Å"it's probably recessed in the rear bastion – more of an escape route than an entrance.† Vittoria was already on the move. Langdon followed deeper into the alley. The walls shot skyward on both sides of him. Somewhere a bell began ringing eight o'clock†¦ Robert Langdon did not hear Vittoria the first time she called to him. He had slowed at a stained-glass window covered with bars and was trying to peer inside the church. â€Å"Robert!† Her voice was a loud whisper. Langdon looked up. Vittoria was at the end of the alley. She was pointing around the back of the church and waving to him. Langdon jogged reluctantly toward her. At the base of the rear wall, a stone bulwark jutted out concealing a narrow grotto – a kind of compressed passageway cutting directly into the foundation of the church. â€Å"An entrance?† Vittoria asked. Langdon nodded. Actually an exit, but we won't get technical. Vittoria knelt and peered into the tunnel. â€Å"Let's check the door. See if it's open.† Langdon opened his mouth to object, but Vittoria took his hand and pulled him into the opening. â€Å"Wait,† Langdon said. She turned impatiently toward him. Langdon sighed. â€Å"I'll go first.† Vittoria looked surprised. â€Å"More chivalry?† â€Å"Age before beauty.† â€Å"Was that a compliment?† Langdon smiled and moved past her into the dark. â€Å"Careful on the stairs.† He inched slowly into the darkness, keeping one hand on the wall. The stone felt sharp on his fingertips. For an instant Langdon recalled the ancient myth of Daedelus, how the boy kept one hand on the wall as he moved through the Minotaur's labyrinth, knowing he was guaranteed to find the end if he never broke contact with the wall. Langdon moved forward, not entirely certain he wanted to find the end. The tunnel narrowed slightly, and Langdon slowed his pace. He sensed Vittoria close behind him. As the wall curved left, the tunnel opened into a semicircular alcove. Oddly, there was faint light here. In the dimness Langdon saw the outline of a heavy wooden door. â€Å"Uh oh,† he said. â€Å"Locked?† â€Å"It was.† â€Å"Was?† Vittoria arrived at his side. Langdon pointed. Lit by a shaft of light coming from within, the door hung ajar†¦ its hinges splintered by a wrecking bar still lodged in the wood. They stood a moment in silence. Then, in the dark, Langdon felt Vittoria's hands on his chest, groping, sliding beneath his jacket. â€Å"Relax, professor,† she said. â€Å"I'm just getting the gun.† At that moment, inside the Vatican Museums, a task force of Swiss Guards spread out in all directions. The museum was dark, and the guards wore U.S. Marine issue infrared goggles. The goggles made everything appear an eerie shade of green. Every guard wore headphones connected to an antennalike detector that he waved rhythmically in front of him – the same devices they used twice a week to sweep for electronic bugs inside the Vatican. They moved methodically, checking behind statues, inside niches, closets, under furniture. The antennae would sound if they detected even the tiniest magnetic field. Tonight, however, they were getting no readings at all. 65 The interior of Santa Maria del Popolo was a murky cave in the dimming light. It looked more like a half-finished subway station than a cathedral. The main sanctuary was an obstacle course of torn-up flooring, brick pallets, mounds of dirt, wheelbarrows, and even a rusty backhoe. Mammoth columns rose through the floor, supporting a vaulted roof. In the air, silt drifted lazily in the muted glow of the stained glass. Langdon stood with Vittoria beneath a sprawling Pinturicchio fresco and scanned the gutted shrine. Nothing moved. Dead silence. Vittoria held the gun out in front of her with both hands. Langdon checked his watch: 8:04 P.M. We're crazy to be in here, he thought. It's too dangerous. Still he knew if the killer were inside, the man could leave through any door he wanted, making a one-gun outside stakeout totally fruitless. Catching him inside was the only way†¦ that was, if he was even still here. Langdon felt guilt-ridden over the blunder that had cost everyone their chance at the Pantheon. He was in no position to insist on precaution now; he was the one who had backed them into this corner. Vittoria looked harrowed as she scanned the church. â€Å"So,† she whispered. â€Å"Where is this Chigi Chapel?† Langdon gazed through the dusky ghostliness toward the back of the cathedral and studied the outer walls. Contrary to common perception, Renaissance cathedrals invariably contained multiple chapels, huge cathedrals like Notre Dame having dozens. Chapels were less rooms than they were hollows – semicircular niches holding tombs around a church's perimeter wall. Bad news, Langdon thought, seeing the four recesses on each side wall. There were eight chapels in all. Although eight was not a particularly overwhelming number, all eight openings were covered with huge sheets of clear polyurethane due to the construction, the translucent curtains apparently intended to keep dust off the tombs inside the alcoves. â€Å"It could be any of those draped recesses,† Langdon said. â€Å"No way to know which is the Chigi without looking inside every one. Could be a good reason to wait for Oliv – â€Å" â€Å"Which is the secondary left apse?† she asked. Langdon studied her, surprised by her command of architectural terminology. â€Å"Secondary left apse?† Vittoria pointed at the wall behind him. A decorative tile was embedded in the stone. It was engraved with the same symbol they had seen outside – a pyramid beneath a shining star. The grime-covered plaque beside it read: Coat of arms of Alexander Chigi whose tomb is located in the secondary left apse of this Cathedral Langdon nodded. Chigi's coat of arms was a pyramid and star? He suddenly found himself wondering if the wealthy patron Chigi had been an Illuminatus. He nodded to Vittoria. â€Å"Nice work, Nancy Drew.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Never mind. I – â€Å" A piece of metal clattered to the floor only yards away. The clang echoed through the entire church. Langdon pulled Vittoria behind a pillar as she whipped the gun toward the sound and held it there. Silence. They waited. Again there was sound, this time a rustling. Langdon held his breath. I never should have let us come in here! The sound moved closer, an intermittent scuffling, like a man with a limp. Suddenly around the base of the pillar, an object came into view. â€Å"Figlio di puttana!† Vittoria cursed under her breath, jumping back. Langdon fell back with her. Beside the pillar, dragging a half-eaten sandwich in paper, was an enormous rat. The creature paused when it saw them, staring a long moment down the barrel of Vittoria's weapon, and then, apparently unmoved, continued dragging its prize off to the recesses of the church. â€Å"Son of a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Langdon gasped, his heart racing. Vittoria lowered the gun, quickly regaining her composure. Langdon peered around the side of the column to see a workman's lunchbox splayed on the floor, apparently knocked off a sawhorse by the resourceful rodent. Langdon scanned the basilica for movement and whispered, â€Å"If this guy's here, he sure as hell heard that. You sure you don't want to wait for Olivetti?† â€Å"Secondary left apse,† Vittoria repeated. â€Å"Where is it?† Reluctantly Langdon turned and tried to get his bearings. Cathedral terminology was like stage directions – totally counterintuitive. He faced the main altar. Stage center. Then he pointed with his thumb backward over his shoulder. They both turned and looked where he was pointing. It seemed the Chigi Chapel was located in the third of four recessed alcoves to their right. The good news was that Langdon and Vittoria were on the correct side of the church. The bad news was that they were at the wrong end. They would have to traverse the length of the cathedral, passing three other chapels, each of them, like the Chigi Chapel, covered with translucent plastic shrouds. â€Å"Wait,† Langdon said. â€Å"I'll go first.† â€Å"Forget it.† â€Å"I'm the one who screwed up at the Pantheon.† She turned. â€Å"But I'm the one with the gun.† In her eyes Langdon could see what she was really thinking†¦ I'm the one who lost my father. I'm the one who helped build a weapon of mass destruction. This guy's kneecaps are mine†¦ Langdon sensed the futility and let her go. He moved beside her, cautiously, down the east side of the basilica. As they passed the first shrouded alcove, Langdon felt taut, like a contestant on some surreal game show. I'll take curtain number three, he thought. The church was quiet, the thick stone walls blocking out all hints of the outside world. As they hurried past one chapel after the other, pale humanoid forms wavered like ghosts behind the rustling plastic. Carved marble, Langdon told himself, hoping he was right. It was 8:06 P.M. Had the killer been punctual and slipped out before Langdon and Vittoria had entered? Or was he still here? Langdon was unsure which scenario he preferred. They passed the second apse, ominous in the slowly darkening cathedral. Night seemed to be falling quickly now, accentuated by the musty tint of the stained-glass windows. As they pressed on, the plastic curtain beside them billowed suddenly, as if caught in a draft. Langdon wondered if someone somewhere had opened a door. Vittoria slowed as the third niche loomed before them. She held the gun before her, motioning with her head to the stele beside the apse. Carved in the granite block were two words: Capella Chigi Langdon nodded. Without a sound they moved to the corner of the opening, positioning themselves behind a wide pillar. Vittoria leveled the gun around a corner at the plastic. Then she signaled for Langdon to pull back the shroud. A good time to start praying, he thought. Reluctantly, he reached over her shoulder. As carefully as possible, he began to pull the plastic aside. It moved an inch and then crinkled loudly. They both froze. Silence. After a moment, moving in slow motion, Vittoria leaned forward and peered through the narrow slit. Langdon looked over her shoulder. For a moment, neither one of them breathed. â€Å"Empty,† Vittoria finally said, lowering the gun. â€Å"We're too late.† Langdon did not hear. He was in awe, transported for an instant to another world. In his life, he had never imagined a chapel that looked like this. Finished entirely in chestnut marble, the Chigi Chapel was breathtaking. Langdon's trained eye devoured it in gulps. It was as earthly a chapel as Langdon could fathom, almost as if Galileo and the Illuminati had designed it themselves. Overhead, the domed cupola shone with a field of illuminated stars and the seven astronomical planets. Below that the twelve signs of the zodiac – pagan, earthly symbols rooted in astronomy. The zodiac was also tied directly to Earth, Air, Fire, Water†¦ the quadrants representing power, intellect, ardor, emotion. Earth is for power, Langdon recalled. Farther down the wall, Langdon saw tributes to the Earth's four temporal seasons – primavera, estate, autunno, inverno. But far more incredible than any of this were the two huge structures dominating the room. Langdon stared at them in silent wonder. It can't be, he thought. It just can't be! But it was. On either side of the chapel, in perfect symmetry, were two ten-foot-high marble pyramids. â€Å"I don't see a cardinal,† Vittoria whispered. â€Å"Or an assassin.† She pulled aside the plastic and stepped in. Langdon's eyes were transfixed on the pyramids. What are pyramids doing inside a Christian chapel? And incredibly, there was more. Dead center of each pyramid, embedded in their anterior faà §ades, were gold medallions†¦ medallions like few Langdon had ever seen†¦ perfect ellipses. The burnished disks glimmered in the setting sun as it sifted through the cupola. Galileo's ellipses? Pyramids? A cupola of stars? The room had more Illuminati significance than any room Langdon could have fabricated in his mind. â€Å"Robert,† Vittoria blurted, her voice cracking. â€Å"Look!† Langdon wheeled, reality returning as his eyes dropped to where she was pointing. â€Å"Bloody hell!† he shouted, jumping backward. Sneering up at them from the floor was the image of a skeleton – an intricately detailed, marble mosaic depicting â€Å"death in flight.† The skeleton was carrying a tablet portraying the same pyramid and stars they had seen outside. It was not the image, however, that had turned Langdon's blood cold. It was the fact that the mosaic was mounted on a circular stone – a cupermento – that had been lifted out of the floor like a manhole cover and was now sitting off to one side of a dark opening in the floor. â€Å"Demon's hole,† Langdon gasped. He had been so taken with the ceiling he had not even seen it. Tentatively he moved toward the pit. The stench coming up was overwhelming. Vittoria put a hand over her mouth. â€Å"Che puzzo.† â€Å"Effluvium,† Langdon said. â€Å"Vapors from decaying bone.† He breathed through his sleeve as he leaned out over the hole, peering down. Blackness. â€Å"I can't see a thing.† â€Å"You think anybody's down there?† â€Å"No way to know.† Vittoria motioned to the far side of the hole where a rotting, wooden ladder descended into the depths. Langdon shook his head. â€Å"Like hell.† â€Å"Maybe there's a flashlight outside in those tools.† She sounded eager for an excuse to escape the smell. â€Å"I'll look.† â€Å"Careful!† Langdon warned. â€Å"We don't know for sure that the Hassassin – â€Å" But Vittoria was already gone. One strong-willed woman, Langdon thought. As he turned back to the pit, he felt light-headed from the fumes. Holding his breath, he dropped his head below the rim and peered deep into the darkness. Slowly, as his eyes adjusted, he began to see faint shapes below. The pit appeared to open into a small chamber. Demon's hole. He wondered how many generations of Chigis had been unceremoniously dumped in. Langdon closed his eyes and waited, forcing his pupils to dilate so he could see better in the dark. When he opened his eyes again, a pale muted figure hovered below in the darkness. Langdon shivered but fought the instinct to pull out. Am I seeing things? Is that a body? The figure faded. Langdon closed his eyes again and waited, longer this time, so his eyes would pick up the faintest light. Dizziness started to set in, and his thoughts wandered in the blackness. Just a few more seconds. He wasn't sure if it was breathing the fumes or holding his head at a low inclination, but Langdon was definitely starting to feel squeamish. When he finally opened his eyes again, the image before him was totally inexplicable. He was now staring at a crypt bathed in an eerie bluish light. A faint hissing sound reverberated in his ears. Light flickered on the steep walls of the shaft. Suddenly, a long shadow materialized over him. Startled, Langdon scrambled up. â€Å"Look out!† someone exclaimed behind him. Before Langdon could turn, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck. He spun to see Vittoria twisting a lit blowtorch away from him, the hissing flame throwing blue light around the chapel. Langdon grabbed his neck. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† â€Å"I was giving you some light,† she said. â€Å"You backed right into me.† Langdon glared at the portable blowtorch in her hand. â€Å"Best I could do,† she said. â€Å"No flashlights.† Langdon rubbed his neck. â€Å"I didn't hear you come in.† Vittoria handed him the torch, wincing again at the stench of the crypt. â€Å"You think those fumes are combustible?† â€Å"Let's hope not.† He took the torch and moved slowly toward the hole. Cautiously, he advanced to the rim and pointed the flame down into the hole, lighting the side wall. As he directed the light, his eyes traced the outline of the wall downward. The crypt was circular and about twenty feet across. Thirty feet down, the glow found the floor. The ground was dark and mottled. Earthy. Then Langdon saw the body. His instinct was to recoil. â€Å"He's here,† Langdon said, forcing himself not to turn away. The figure was a pallid outline against the earthen floor. â€Å"I think he's been stripped naked.† Langdon flashed on the nude corpse of Leonardo Vetra. â€Å"Is it one of the cardinals?† Langdon had no idea, but he couldn't imagine who the hell else it would be. He stared down at the pale blob. Unmoving. Lifeless. And yet†¦ Langdon hesitated. There was something very strange about the way the figure was positioned. He seemed to be†¦ Langdon called out. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"You think he's alive?† There was no response from below. â€Å"He's not moving,† Langdon said. â€Å"But he looks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No, impossible. â€Å"He looks what?† Vittoria was peering over the edge now too. Langdon squinted into the darkness. â€Å"He looks like he's standing up.† Vittoria held her breath and lowered her face over the edge for a better look. After a moment, she pulled back. â€Å"You're right. He's standing up! Maybe he's alive and needs help!† She called into the hole. â€Å"Hello?! Mi puo sentire?† There was no echo off the mossy interior. Only silence. Vittoria headed for the rickety ladder. â€Å"I'm going down.† Langdon caught her arm. â€Å"No. It's dangerous. I'll go.† This time Vittoria didn't argue.