Health Care Financial Terms Worksheet Essay

Understanding health c be financial statuss is a prerequisite for both academic and professional success. This appellation is intended to ensure you understand some of the basic terms use in this course.Complete the worksheet below according to the following guidelinesIn the space hand overd, salvage each terms definition as used in health care management. You must define the term in your own words. In the space provided after each terms definition, summarize a health care management scenario that illustrates the importance of the skill, concept, procedure, or tool to which the term refers. In the scenario, you whitethorn wish to consider the followingWhy is the skill, concept, procedure, or tool necessary for accurate record keeping, operational efficiency, excellent patient services, employee management, regulatory compliance, cut down costs, forecasting, and so forth? What successes are enabled by an adequate consciousness or appropriate application of the skill, concept, pr ocedure, or tool? What risks or failures are associated with an inadequate understanding or inappropriate application of the skill, concept, procedure, or tool?Save the completed worksheet as a Microsoft Word document with your name in the file name. leave office the file to your instructor.WorksheetSubmitted ByTermDefinitionScenarioCapital expenditure reckonA budget that can cover one year or four-fold years and has a more futuristic view. If the economy is expected to go into a recession that may last several years a confederacy may need a capital expenditure budget. One that may show a plan for the financial survival over the next a few(prenominal) years. Things like plans to spend less on expensive or unnecessary supplies or switch to more generic brands are good examples of what could be interpreted into consideration when making a capital expenditure budget.Direct costCost that is directly related to the production of goods or services. Costs related to Materials used for production or labor costs are examples of direct costs because they are directly related to producing goods or services.Flexible budgetBudget that is do by using budgeted revenue and cost amounts and can be adjusted according to expected outputs. If a business has had busy Summers in the past and may have another busy Summer they may want to plan for a higher workload and more staff. This requires them to have a flexible budget so they can adjust the budget according to the rising activity level or volume of business.Operating budgetBudget that deals with short term revenues and expenses that are needed to keep an organization operating. When a business needs supplies to be able to provide services and needs to pay staff to provide services as well the money that is being spent on the wages of the staff and the supplies is part of the operating budget because those things are needed to ensnarl the business.Responsibility centerCenter that is responsible for managing costs or cost s and revenues. Cost centers are responsibility centers that are responsible for costs and profit centers are responsibility centers that are responsible for managing revenues and costs. Being responsible makes them Responsibility centers.

Information and Communication Technology in the Philippines Essay

tuition and Communication engineering (ICT) has become and pass on continue to be an integral part of the day-to-day life of every Filipino across all trains of our society. Information has always played a vital role in our history. everywhere the ages, people have purposed it to gain a more than accurate picture of their menses situation, tally better decisions for the future, and remedy the quality of their lives. But never has knowledge been more accessible and more far-flung than it is today.The latest improvements in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) have been impressive. Computers atomic number 18 progressively becoming smaller, more affordable, and more powerful. They ar capable of storing an almost vast amount of data and information. And they are interconnected with telephone lines, satellites, and fiber-optic cables that span across the orb, al funkying the ability to communicate and share information with one another(prenominal) across border s.The pervasiveness of communication applied science around the realism necessitates that establishment activity embark on a viscid and coordinated strategy on how to prepare its citizens to survive, live and thrive in a digital world. The world is experiencing a digital revolution and the Philippines have the opportunity to play an enormous role in it. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is an important part in the awkwards development. Opportunities abound with the help of ICT.The current ICT master plan for the Philippines dates back to 2006. With all of the new developments in this highly dynamic field, at that place is clearly a sine qua non to develop a new blueprint on how the acres and its people displace benefit from the use of ICT in governance, our economy and improving ones way of life. The Philippines positions itself at the new wave of the digital revolution dynamic and in command of the future.ICT is used extensively in the delivery of life i nformation and guidance. Such usage covers wide range of applications. The role of ICT in guidance can be seen in three ways as a tool, as an alternative, or as an agent of variety show. The emersion of websites and helplines as forms of technically mediated service of process delivery means that the potential of ICT as a change agent is now greater than ever before.Current business-command the optimization of ICT usage to support national objectives of becoming a high income developed country. Thus as an enable, ICT in public sector moldiness be addressed in general manner including people, process and engine room where internal and external needs must be taken into place. The ICT evolution will take place with or without a systematic, comprehensive and articulate policy. However, the lack of a coherent policy is likely to contribute to the development (or prolonged existence) of ineffective root word and a waste of resources.The importance of ICT policies is understood at th e highest political level in legion(predicate) create countries, and some countries have already adopted their own policies. The effectiveness of an ICT policy in one country does not guarantee that the same method would work in another and many developing countries reflexion similar constraints that need to be taken into account when ICT policies are formulated.Philippines ICT against Other Countries ICT phylogenyCurrent trends the world over the pointed to the fact that the major developments in the information economy. It resulted in revolutionizing the way people communicate and for the administrations and firms to act and conduct business. The presence of a reliable, accessible and affordable Philippine Information and communications infrastructure is a necessary condition for our participation in the information economy. Without it, our country will once again side the prospect of being marginalized in the global economy.The next part of this case study will demonstrat e a brief ICTs plan and current situation of our 3 neighboring countriesSingapore angiotensin-converting enzyme of the key drivers of the Singapores Economic growth is their ICT. The island state is well connected via both located and wireless networks. By early 2012, their mobile penetration has passed 150%. By maintaining Singapores situation as an ICT market leader, the government launched its plan for a nationwide fibre-based broadband network known as the Next Generation Broadband Network (NGNBN) and this is being rolled out in line with the governments strategy.Hong Kong The worlds freest economy, characterized by free trade, free market and free flow of detonating device with stable and freely convertible currency and no foreign exchange controls. Their ICT development, the free flow of information with no censorship on content transmission erectd a good environment for the development of web-based businesses such as content and media and cloud computing. In the next fe w years government will progressively adopt cloud-based services. Such initiative will spawn opportunities for vendors and providers. Their telecommunications infrastructure is one of the most sophisticated in the world, with a wide range of innovative and advance services available in relatively low prices. The country also ensure the online secure. Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (HKCERT) was set up to coordinate responses to computer security incident, promote information security and take preventive measures against meshwork auspices threats. MalaysiaMalaysias national transformation agenda envisions an innovative citizen-centric model of public service delivery concurrence with the countrys principles. This is undertaken in tandem with a bold economic transformation approach to egg on their countries in to a high-income economy by 2020. The effective utilization and application of information and communications technology (ICT) across multi-f aceted service delivery of internal and government operations.The developments of countrys future where the ICT implementation bear a suite of service offerings and infrastructure development that support a fundamental shift towards a collaborative and co-operative arrangement of open consultation, open data, shared knowledge and expertise. The Malaysian Public Sector ICT strategic Plan (2011-2015) provides the blueprint to accelerate the innovative utilization and development of ICT in readiness for the ever-changing service landscape facing their public sector.Is it our country really prepared for this to compete with our neighboring countries? Can we level up our ICT sector with them? How ready is our country to harness the fast phase and benefits of information and communications technology?Our countrys main department about ICT related issues is the ICTO (Information and Communications Technology Office) which is under the section of Science and Technology which is the former Commission on Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The ICTOs primitive thrusts for 2011-2016 are in the areas of ICT Industry Development, E-government, ICT Policy Development, ICT infrastructure and Cyber security.As designated organization by our government ICTO will ensure the development and implementation of comprehensive program to sustained the growth and comprehensiveness of ICT industries segments and firms formulate an integrated program to support the growth of the ICT industry in the regions undertake the development of an industry-relevant curriculum in coordination with the industry, government and academe to enhance the competitiveness of the ICT workforce, formulate, recommend and implement a comprehensive and harmonized ICT promotions and advocacy programs.Facilitating ICTOs mandate in formulation ICT policies, implementing ICT plans and programs, leading international ICT cooperation bodies, and other related functions is the ICT Governance Policy an d proviso group, which take lead in multi-stakeholder policy development. Primary initiatives for the policy and planning includes National Connectivity and Broadband Development Plan, Philippine Digital Strategy (PDS) Implementation Plan, Cyber security and Data Privacy, ICT Procurement Standards, Digital TV Migration, ICT normalization and the Philippine ICT statistics Portal.Ensuring that ICT access and net opportunities are available for the entire country is made possible by the development of effective and sustainable and strategic ICT infrastructure. The ICT infrastructure Group through its various programs ensures that these connectivity requirements are met in an efficient and effective manner. These projects include the TV White Space Initiatives (TVWS), Government Fiber Core Network, come on of National Microwave Network, Cloud Top e-Learning for Public Schools and Internet TV Testbed.With all the documents presented our countrys policies regarding in boosting our ICT development and infrastructure are impressive. But only question is that, is there will be enough budget that the government will provide to sustain these developments? We might left behind in many aspects with our neighboring countries in terms of ICT development but we can still move in advance and have these implemented with the right manpower, policy and full support from our government and private sector as well.Recommendation for ICT DevelopmentWe are all contributors to the development of the global economy. Globalization, which is made possible by the ICT revolution, has highly changed the rules of the development of it. Efficiency more than ever is now an indicator of competitiveness to achieve our nations goals. Nations, corporations and people that get wind the means to become more efficient will advance and prosper.We all know that in our country ICT will be one of the major drivers for boosting economy, and as a critical tool for better governance, merged performance and individual achievement as a Filipino.Our governments should provide an enabling policy, heavy and regulatory environment for the ICT development. This means that our government should act as a facilitator and its involvement should be predictable, developmental, unprejudiced and efficient. With more transparency in government operations and diminishing corruption by placing more government data in the public domain using the Internet, thus increasing opportunities for public scrutiny.For government more improvement for ICT development they must build public trust, enhance citizen to participate in government projects and activities, improve governments public services online, and improve countrys competitive ness thru more efficient government operations.Another factors that needs to give attention to our countrys ICT development are the private sectors, civic organizations and society, international organizations they the role and responsibility as well. There are some actio ns that need to implement in order for these organization to help on enhancing our ICT programs * By providing knowledge tools and enhance capableness in industry sectors to take advantage the ICT. * Create an environment for undertaking growth in ICT and ICT-enable job all over the country if possible. * Promote an environment that entices investments for ICT research, innovation, development & manufacturingIn order to ensure the mastery and sustainability of ICT initiatives, investors should be enabled by ensuring their direct participation during its conceptualization, planning and implementation. These sectors have the role as well to provide investments, capitals and other resources. By this the project for the ICT sector will be higher change of success and sustainability if these are market-led, rather than government-led.Let us not also forget the LGUs, schools and other community organizations, they must be consulted and their specific requirements are determined. They a s well have an active involvement to the operations in expression the ICT of our country on their own respective area of jurisdiction.Many of us today use the Internet for a variety of reasons e-mailing to connect with friends and family, for business and work correspondence, web-browsing for news, research and entertainment, and increasingly for richer media and applications, such as ceremonial online TV, posting videos and photos, as well as creating Internet content through blogs and other interactive forum. being able to use the Internet has become an important necessity to any social and work life.For many different reasons, there are also many Filipinos who are not able to access the benefits the Internet has to offer. Some cannot afford the Internet or computers others do not know how to use the Internet and there are parts of the country where there is no Internet service or even electrical energy available, such as in more rural areas. Not only is the possibility and abi lity to use the Internet important for individuals, but also for countries as a whole. In our globalized world, the connectedness and Internet capabilities of a country are important elements for its competitiveness.Developing the Internet, including to rural areas, leads to new opportunities for nonagricultural employment, better paying agricultural jobs and greater overall productivity. Access to the Internet also promotes small and microbusiness growth, allows people in remote areas to work from home, offers greater access to crop market prices and enables rural businesses perhaps to compete more successfully even in the world markets. As far as I can say creating Internet opportunities for all guarantees that the Philippines has an inclusive growth and helps eliminate poverty.

Man or Brute Essay

The synopsis of the Monster of Frankenstein Man or Brute What is the difference amid man and beast? The answer to that ch completelyenge is as grey as the gloomy clouds that invariablely hang over Dr. Frankensteins head. bloody shame Shelleys book of circumstancess Dr. Frankenstein and his fanatic from her novel Frankenstein blur the lines between civilized and animalistic. Before chapter ten the fanatic is an ominous character, unless being seen a few times. The true disposition of the character has yet to be established.Through the position of the passage, and rhetorical questioning Mary Shelley builds on the motif of redemption and using invectives is able to build layers of judiciousness and complexity of the character. Shelley characterizes the goliath as isolated, self pitying, vulnerable, and aggressive. Mary Shelley work appears the dismal and frigid setting of chapter ten to indirectly characterize the monster as isolated and cut off. During the paragraphs prece ding the meeting of the monster and Dr. Frankenstein, he orates the injection in great detail, saying that A mist covered the surrounding mountains.Presently a breeze dissipated the clouds, and I descended upon the glacier (Shelley 80). The description generates an icy and desolate ambiance surrounding the setting right origin all(prenominal)y the entrance of the monster. By introducing the monster into a dismal and frigid atmosphere Shelley deepens the layers of the monsters character by creating an indirect link between him and the setting. The setting is elaborated when the monster himself describes his habitat by saying, blasphemous glaciers are my refuge and These bleak skies I hail, for they are kinder to me than your fellow-beings (82).Shelley repeatedly uses the word glacier, first when Frankenstein describes the scene and again when the monster describes them as his refuge. The word glacial, which means of ice, or icy, builds the foundation to make the connection betwe en glacial and the synonym frigid. Also, the utilization of words such as dreary and bleak, which are synonyms with dismal, reinforcing the fact that the monster, himself feels more secure in the remote and abyss like caves than in civilization.Therefore, he is an isolated beast cut off from the human beings world, which leads to the formation of feelings of indignation towards humans and his self pitying nature. Through the use of rhetorical questioning Shelley expresses the monsters feelings of indignation, inducing the characterization of his self pitying nature. Feeling wronged by humans, especially his creator, the monster eludes to his distress done questions such as, Have I not suffered enough that you seek to increase my misery? (81). The monster uses phrases like this in the effort to make Dr. Frankenstein aware of the pain he has inflicted. However, Dr. Frankenstein is not remorseful for his actions, so again the monster floods Frankenstein with statements such as, am I not alone, miserably alone? You my creator abhor me (82). The misery that the monster refers to is the neglect and rejection that he feels from his creator, which in return fuels his execration towards humans, and his feelings of sadness for himself.The repetitive use of the polarizing structure of I verses You shows the monsters tendency to blame Dr. Frankenstein for all his misery in order to feel the gratification of his self pitying actions. In the eyes of the monster the only way to justify the matter is for Frankenstein to accept him. The motif of redemption is prevalent throughout out the passage as the monster pleads for it, which characterizes him as vulnerable. The monster beseeches Frankenstein for redemption and acceptance by saying I am thy creatureRemember that I am thy creature I ought to be thy ex (81). In the simile of the monster and Adam, the monster hints at the fact that he has sinned, and yearns for compassion and redemption from his creator. Like Adam in t he biblical story when he sinned and ate from the tree of knowledge he became aware of his nakedness. In the context of the monster the nakedness represents vulnerability. The comparison of Adam and the monster is used by Shelley to bring human-centered characteristics to the monster by hinting at his corruption and vulnerability.On multiple occasions the monster says I bring up you to hear me (81) and How can I move thee? and again saying Listen to my tale (82). At least three separate times the monster pleads for a chance. By asking for redemption the monster puts himself at the mercy of Dr. Frankenstein, making himself emotionally vulnerable. The layers of the monster are built by having constant contrast between the monster emotional vulnerability and physically dominance.Mary Shelley contrasts the monsters emotional vulnerability with physical aggressiveness shown through utterly invective outbursts. After seeing that Frankenstein was unmoved by his plea the monster resorts to contemplating physical retaliation. The invectives, short intense emotional verbal attacks, can also be described as verbal threats. For voice the monster says, Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind unless if you refuse, I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends (81).The graphic threats towards Frankenstein financial aid to characterize the monster as aggressive. Not only does the monster threaten Frankensteins friends he threatens all humans saying deliver them from the evil Not only you and your family, but thousands of others, shall be swallowed up in the whirlwinds of its rage (82). As the passage goes on the threats become darker and more horrific contemplations, resemble more animalistic than civilized thoughts.Shelley clouds the line of reason on whether or not the monster is human or beast. Mary Shelley is able to create an antagonist with such depth, by using the setting to ind irectly characterize the monster as isolated and cutoff. She comments on the natural need for acceptance and how when this is not met, it leads to the formation of emotional vulnerability. Shelley adds complexity to the monster by exploring the cause and effect relationship between the lack of acceptance of his creator and his constant need for Dr.Frankensteins affirmation. The aggressive tendencies shown in the text through invectives as threats, also hints at the monsters animal like origins. This passage is essential to the understanding of the monster, because it offers immeasurable insight to the minds and mannerisms of the characters. The lines that separate human from brute become blurred and the criteria for being a man are questioned. Work Cited Shelley, Mary. Chapter 10. Frankenstein. New York Penguin Group, 2000. 78-83. Print.

Solving Problems And Making Decisions

The Health Board was completed in 2009 following the integration of the two former NHS Trusts and two Local Authorities. The Vision was to puddle Altogether Healthier Communities by aiming to prevent ill health, protect good health and promote damp health th grating working with partners to provide goods as loc every(prenominal)y as possible and diminution the emergency for hospital inpatient c atomic number 18 wherever feasible. The acute service at one of the territorial dominion General Hospital provides appraisal of functional need and appliances interventions to enable patients to safely leave hospital.A small group of qualified and unqualified round covers the 430 pick outs the District General Hospital. As a senior qualified police squad member, I am responsible for four busy surgical, neurological and bill stickeriac defends. I am as well as responsible to the clinical development of junior and unqualified provide members. I review the length of period a ref erral is waiting to be seen, picking up referrals due to br distributively waiting objectives as agree by management. I commonplacely hold a larger caseload than other aggroup members and support my team with complex referrals and a high referral turn over. Description of the problemReferrals to the service ar made primarily via ward nursing staff and other members of the multi-disciplinary team. Patient data is entered into a referral book and then non-qualified staff members hive up the referral information twice daily. This generates a referral card with basic information relating to the patients rationality for access and general current health, which is submitted to a referral folder in spite of appearance the incision. The qualified staff members use these referral cards to rank referrals. Inappropriate referrals to the acute Service are unfortunately a common occurrence.Patients are referred for assessment, which becomes a emergency prior to miss. Any referral req uires staff time, which has financial implications. A non-complex referral can take an average of 2 -4 hours to richly assess, complete the required paperwork and implement required recommendations. A complex referral can take a meet of days. An irrelevant referral can cause an ines moveial delayed throw off not only for the patient referred strangely, besides also for other patients appropriately referred as often they must wait for the qualified to work with the inappropriate referral before they can be seen.This whitethorn result in a hospital bed be blocked occupied by someone that could have been discharged quite an than made to wait for an assessment. The rough average compriseing of a nights stay in a NHS hospital bed is ?500. Analysis of the problem Consistent feedback from all therapists within the acute medical team indicated a fault in the current referral system. Team members highlighted large numbers of referrals that did not meet the criteria for acute medic al assessment and similarly large numbers of referrals made at inappropriate times. Following lengthy talk ofion at a team collision, it was agreed that the current system was failing.The demand for assessment and interventions to plan for safe discharge from hospital is high. The indication of knowledge and understanding of the purpose of the assessment and intervention within the context of discharge planning is not so high. This was the consensus after reviewing the numbers of, reasons for and timing of referrals. Generally a referral is made by a qualified nurse sticking a patient information label onto a referral card and selecting a tick box option to indicate reason for referral. An estimation of the time this would take is 10 minutes. ground on an annual salary of a newly qualified staff nurse, this would equate to ?1. 80. An Assistant visits all(prenominal) ward twice daily, collecting the referral cards and completing information from the patients medical notes includin g reason for admission, social history and past medical history. This ampley completed referral is then placed into the referral folder which is primed(p) within the department. This part of the process bequeath take up to 30 minutes per referral dependent on the complexity of the admission and medical history, if the medical notes can be located and if ward staff are to hand to discuss.Based on an annual salary of an experienced Assistant, this would equate to ?4. 40. For a referral to be made and information collected will cost around ?6. 20 (in wages. ) If a hospital bed costs approximately ?500 per night, and a patient is not discharged home to await an assessment, an inappropriate referral has then cost ?506. 20, which is a very large sum if the assessment was not required. An average initial assessment will take an hour, with another hour of paperwork.If a home visit or functional assessment is indicated, this may take up to three hours. If equipment is required, or refer rals to other agencies indicated, this may take another couple of hours. Based on an annual salary of a mid-range senior qualified, the 7 hours would equate to ?105. To complete a full assessment and implement required interventions, a patient may require a further two nights in hospital i. e. ?1000. So, in total, ?6. 20 to complete an appropriate referral, ?105 to fully assess, ?1000 to implement interventions equals ?1111. 20.Once the problem of the mend inappropriate referrals have on delivering an force-outive and efficient acute service delivery, a focus group was set up to explore potential solutions. The aim was agreed prevent unnecessary referrals to improve the authority of the service, reduce delayed discharges and prevent bed blockages. Resolution of the problem Possible solutions were discussed as a team, which included management. Each potential solution was reviewed and realistic outcome potential considered. It was decided to target the referral process, to includ e the appropriateness and the timing of referrals made.The aim was to ensure only people in need are referred and done so at an appropriate time. The chosen solutions were to educate referrers, facilitate morning handover a meeting with ward staff and therapists to discuss patients, create and cascade out referral flow-charts and to establish a clear step of those to refer and those who do not require assessment or interventions. The team evaluated each solution individually, reviewing the barriers and gains for each option and noted what would be required to implement each solution.Focus groups were recognised at the most cost-effective tool to progress solutions and a referral flow chart and appropriate/inappropriate referral criteria established. This was approved by the passing and approved to role out onto the wards. There was of course resource implications, including clinical time spent remote from assessments educating referrers. This reduced the scope for patients to be assessed by therapists. Similarly, Assistants spent the time they would usually collect referral information stamp and laminating referral pathways/criteria and delivery them the wards.The most costly resource expenditure was a senior qualified flowing a daily bed managers meeting, where delayed discharges could be highlighted and bed pressures discussed. Attendance to such meetings enabled our purpose and profile to be raised and the cost implications of frequent inappropriate referrals could be flagged. Other potential solutions were considered but not employ primarily due to cost implications. For example, a triage system where a qualified would take all the referrals, attend relevant wards and review each referral on a 11 basis to establish its priority and appropriateness.This was deemed cost ineffective. Another potential solution was to create a referral duty desk and all referrals would need to be telephoned through during a set three hour time period. Though this would e nsure all required information would be gathered, and priority/appropriateness could be established with the referrer straight away, it was not employ. The department was unable to offer more than one therapist to operate the telephone for the entire hospital. Ward staff feedback was they were unable to commit to having time to make and discuss referrals within the duty desk operating hours.Similarly, it was agreed within the team that 3 hours a day out of clinical practice would be too cost effective and detrimental to managing the busy waiting list. The aim was agreed prevent unnecessary referrals to improve the effectiveness of the service, reduce delayed discharges and prevent bed blockages. The solution was also agreed a multi faceted appeal to include establishing a referral pathway, referral criteria, establishing a morning ward handover, education for referrals and therapy attendance at bed managers meeting.Implementation and colloquy of the solution Action plan Solutio ns identified and agreed. Action plan of how to, when to and who to lead on implementing each scene of the solutions created. Referral pathway myself to lead, completion within 2 calendar week time redact for favourable reception by service judgment. Once approved copies to be printed and laminated. Laminated pathways to be displayed on each ward, in nurse station area, in referral folders and in ward managers office. Referral criteria focus group, completion within 2 week time frame for approval by service head.Criteria to be printed, laminated and to be displayed on each ward, in nurse station area, in referral folders and in ward managers office. Establishing a morning ward handover ward allocated to lead, completion within two week time frame Education for referrers myself to lead. PowerPoint presentation to be created within two week time frame for approval by service head. Education sessions to be arranged within two weeks following head approval. Attendance at bed ma nagers meeting senior to attend for immediate effect. Communication Email sent to all ward managers and bed managers to inform them of referral Pilot. Information session offered for drop-in attendance for staff to openly discuss concerns and desired aim of planned changes. Meeting with Ward managers to explain full scope of Service, importance and impact of inappropriate referrals Feedback emails encouraged regarding referrers experiences of how the service altered if at all following the changes. Positive improvement observe No official audit was completed during or immediately following the pilot. ConclusionThe problem highlighted was the impact of inappropriate referrals and inappropriately timed referrals on Service delivery in acute patient care. Solutions were identified and implemented over time. Although no formal audit was identified or carried out during this period to formalise outcomes and findings, staff feedback from all disciplines summarised positive change. The number of delayed discharges reduced, the amount of time spent with appropriate referrals increased and general team morale improved. Overall, the action plan to resolve the problem was successful.Ward staff approached therapy staff to discuss referrals, rather than simply making a referral without thought for appropriateness. The implementation of morning handover with nursing and therapy staff created time on a daily basis for such discussion, including addressing if a patient was ready to engage in assessment. No adjustment was made to the referral flowchart following its implementation. However, natural adjustments occurred with multi-disciplinary discussions on a daily basis. On reflection, methods state collection such as audit should have been carried out in order to formalise the effect of the change implemented.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 79-82

CHAPTER 79Eight miles due north of Alexandria, Virginia, Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon strode calmly across a wide expanse of frost-c all overed lawn.You should be an actress, Langdon said, even-tempered impressed by Katherines quick thinking and improvisational skills.You werent half bad yourself. She gave him a smile.At first, Langdon had been mystified by Katherines abrupt antics in the taxi. With off warning, she had suddenly de gayded they go to Freedom Plaza based on some manifestation about(predicate) a Jewish star and the Great Seal of the United States. She drew a long-familiar conspiracy-theory image on a dollar bill and then insisted Langdon look closely where she was pointing.Finally, Langdon agnise that Katherine was pointing non at the dollar bill hardly at a tiny indicator bulb on the back of the drivers seat. The bulb was so covered with grime that he had non even noniced it. As he leaned forward, however, he could behold that the bulb was illuminated , emitting a dull red glow. He could also affect the two faint words directly beneath the lit bulb.INTERCOM ON booster cabletled, Langdon viewd back at Katherine, whose frantic eye were urging him to look into the front seat. He obeyed, stealing a discreet glance through the divider. The cabbys cell ph superstar was on the dash, wide open, illuminated, facing the intercom speaker. An instant later, Langdon understood Katherines actions.They go to sleep were in this cab . . . theyve been lis hug druging to us.Langdon had no idea how much beat he and Katherine had until their taxi was stop and surrounded, unless he knew they had to act fast. Instantly, hed begun playing along, realizing that Katherines desire to go to Freedom Plaza had nothing to do with the benefit but rather with its being a large subway stationMetro pertainfrom which they could take the Red, Blue, or Orange lines in any of six different directions.They jumped out of the taxi at Freedom Plaza, and Langdon to ok over, doing some improvising of his own, leaving a trail to the masonic Memorial in Alexandria before he and Katherine ran down into the subway station, dashing past the Blue Line platforms and continuing on to the Red Line, where they caught a train in the opposite direction.Traveling six stops northbound to Tenleytown, they emerged all alone into a quiet, upscale neighborhood. Their destination, the tallest structure for miles, was immediately visible on the horizon, just off Massachu wadts Avenue on a vast expanse of manicured lawn. Now off the grid, as Katherine called it, the two of them walked across the damp grass. On their dear was a medieval-style garden, famous for its past rosebushes and Shadow House gazebo. They moved past the garden, directly toward the bright building to which they had been summoned. A refuge containing ten stones from Mount Sinai, one from heaven itself, and one with the visage of Lukes unforgiving father.Ive never been here at night, Katherine said, gazing up at the brightly lit towers. Its spectacular.Langdon agreed, having forgotten how impressive this bottom truly was. This neo-Gothic masterpiece stood at the north end of Embassy Row. He hadnt been here for historic period, not since writing a piece about it for a kids magazine in hopes of generating some excitement among young Ameri pecks to come see this amazing landmark. His articleMoses, Moon Rocks, and Star Warshad been part of the tourist literature for years.Washington topic Cathedral, Langdon thought, olfaction an unexpected anticipation at being back after all these years. Where better to ask about One True God?This cathedral really has ten stones from Mount Sinai? Katherine asked, gazing up at the mate bell towers.Langdon nodded. Near the briny altar. They symbolize the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai.And theres a lunar rock?A rock from heaven itself. Yes. One of the stained-glass windows is called the Space Window and has a fragment of woolgather rock embedded in it.Okay, but you cant be overserious about the last thing. Katherine glanced over, her pretty eyes flashing skepticism. A statue of . . . Darth Vader?Langdon chuckled. Luke Skywalkers dark father? Absolutely. Vader is one of the National Cathedrals puff up-nigh popular grotesques. He pointed naughty into the west towers. Tough to see him at night, but hes there.What in the world is Darth Vader doing on Washington National Cathedral?A contest for kids to carve a gargoyle that depicted the face of evil. Darth won.They reached the grand staircase to the main entrance, which was set back in an eighty-foot archway beneath a breathtaking rose window. As they began climbing, Langdons melodic antecedent shifted to the mysterious stranger who had called him. No names, please . . . Tell me, pick up you successfully protected the map that was en arroganceed to you? Langdons shoulder ached from carrying the heavy stone pyramid, and he was looking at forwar d to setting it down. Sanctuary and answers. As they approached the top of the stairs, they were met with an rattling(a) pair of wooden admittances. Do we just knock? Katherine asked.Langdon had been wondering the alike(p) thing, except that now one of the doors was creaking open.Whos there? a frail vocalisation said. The face of a withered old man appeared in the doorway. He wore priests robes and a blank stare. His eyes were opaque and white, clouded with cataracts.My name is Robert Langdon, he replied. Katherine Solomon and I are seeking sanctuary.The blind man exhaled in relief. Thank God. Ive been expecting you.CHAPTER 80Warren Bellamy felt a sudden ray of hope.Inside the Jungle, Director Sato had just authoritative a address call from a field agent and had immediately flown into a tirade. Well, you damn well better find them she shouted into her telephony. Were trial out of time She had hung up and was now stalking back and forth in front of Bellamy as if trying to dec ide what to do next.Finally, she stopped directly in front of him and turned. Mr. Bellamy, Im going to ask you this once, and exactly once. She stared deep into his eyes. Yes or nodo you have any idea where Robert Langdon might have at rest(p)?Bellamy had to a greater extent than a good idea, but he shook his head. No.Satos piercing gaze had never left his eyes. Unfortunately, part of my job is to know when people are lying.Bellamy averted his eyes. Sorry, I cant help you.Architect Bellamy, Sato said, tonight just after seven P.M., you were having dinner in a restaurant outside the city when you received a phone call from a man who told you he had kidnapped bill Solomon.Bellamy felt an instant flush and returned his eyes to hers. How could you mayhap know that? The man, Sato continued, told you that he had sent Robert Langdon to the Capitol Building and given Langdon a task to go off . . . a task that required your help. He warned that if Langdon failed in this task, your frie nd Peter Solomon would die. Panicked, you called all of Peters numbers but failed to reach him. Understandably, you then raced to the Capitol.Bellamy could not imagine how Sato knew about this phone call.As you fled the Capitol, Sato said behind the combust tip of her cigarette, you sent a text message to Solomons kidnapper, assuring him that you and Langdon had been successful in obtaining the Masonic Pyramid.Where is she getting her information? Bellamy wondered. Not even Langdon knows I sent that text message. Immediately after entering the cut into to the Library of Congress, Bellamy had stepped into the electrical room to plug in the construction dejecting. In the privacy of that moment, he had trenchant to send a quick text message to Solomons captor, telling him about Satos involvement, but reassuring him that he Bellamyand Langdon had obtained the Masonic Pyramid and would indeed cooperate with his demands. It was a lie, of course, but Bellamy hoped the reassurance migh t buy time, both for Peter Solomon and also to hide the pyramid.Who told you I sent a text? Bellamy demanded.Sato tossed Bellamys cell phone on the judicial system next to him. Hardly rocket science.Bellamy now remembered his phone and keys had been taken from him by the agents who captured him.As for the rest of my deep down information, Sato said, the Patriot Act gives me the right to place a wiretap on the phone of anyone I plow a viable threat to national security. I consider Peter Solomon to be such a threat, and last night I took action.Bellamy could barely get his mind around what she was telling him. Youre tapping Peter Solomons phone?Yes. This is how I knew the kidnapper called you at the restaurant. You called Peters cell phone and left an anxious message explaining what had just happened.Bellamy realized she was right.We had also intercepted a call from Robert Langdon, who was in the Capitol Building, deeply confused to learn he had been tricked into coming there. I we nt to the Capitol at once, arriving before you because I was closer. As for how I knew to check the X-ray of Langdons bag . . . in light of my realization that Langdon was involved in all of this, I had my staff reexamine a seemingly harmless early-morning call between Langdon and Peter Solomons cell phone, in which the kidnapper, posing as Solomons assistant, persuaded Langdon to come for a call forth and also to bring a clear bundle that Peter had entrusted to him. When Langdon was not forthcoming with me about the package he was carrying, I requested the X-ray of his bag.Bellamy could barely think. Admittedly, boththing Sato was saying was feasible, and besides something was not adding up. But . . . how could you perhaps think Peter Solomon is a threat to national security?Believe me, Peter Solomon is a serious national-security threat, she snapped. And frankly, Mr. Bellamy, so are you.Bellamy sat bolt upright, the handcuffs chafing against his wrists. I beg your pardon?Sh e forced a smile. You Masons play a risky game. You keep a very, very dangerous reclusive.Is she talking about the ancient Mysteries?Thankfully, youve always done a good job of keeping your obscures hidden. Unfortunately, recently youve been careless, and tonight, your most dangerous secret is about to be unveiled to the world. And unless we can stop that from happening, I assure you the results leave be catastrophic.Bellamy stared in bewilderment.If you had not attacked me, Sato said, you would have realized that you and I are on the same team.The same team. The words sparked in Bellamy an idea that seemed nigh im achievable to fathom. Is Sato a member of Eastern Star? The Order of the Eastern Staroften considered a sister organization to the Masonsembraced a similar mystical philosophy of benevolence, secret wisdom, and religious open-mindedness. The same team? Im in handcuffs Shes tapping Peters phoneYou will help me stop this man, Sato said. He has the authority to bring a bout a cataclysm from which this country might not recover. Her face was like stone. therefore why arent you tracking him?Sato looked incredulous. Do you think Im not trying? My trace on Solomons cell phone went dead before we got a location. His other number appears to be a disposable phonewhich is almost impossible to track. The private-jet company told us that Langdons flight was booked by Solomons assistant, on Solomons cell phone, with Solomons Marquis spurt card. in that location is no trail. Not that it matters anyway. Even if we find out exactly where he is, I cant perhaps risk moving in and trying to grab him. wherefore not?Id prefer not to divvy up that, as the information is classified, Sato said, patience clearly waning. I am asking you to trust me on this.Well, I dontSatos eyes were like ice. She turned suddenly and shouted across the Jungle. Agent Hartmann The briefcase, please.Bellamy heard the hiss of the electronic door, and an agent strode into the Jungle. He w as carrying a sleek titanium briefcase, which he set on the ground beside the OS director.Leave us, Sato said.As the agent departed, the door hissed again, and then everything fell silent.Sato picked up the metal case, laid it across her lap, and popped the clasps. Then she raised her eyes slowly to Bellamy. I did not want to do this, but our time is running out, and youve left me no choice.Bellamy eyed the strange briefcase and felt a swell of fear. Is she going to dun me? He strained at his cuffs again. Whats in that case?Sato smiled grimly. Something that will persuade you to see things my way. I attempt it.CHAPTER 81The subterranean space in which Malakh performed the Art was ingeniously hidden. His homes basement, to those who entered, appeared quite normala natural cellar with boiler, fuse box, woodpile, and a hodgepodge of storage. This visible cellar, however, was only a portion of Malakhs underground space. A sizable area had been walled off for his clandestine practices .Malakhs private work space was a suite of small rooms, each with a specialized purpose. The areas sole entrance was a steep ramp secretly come-at-able through his living room, making the areas discovery virtually impossible.Tonight, as Malakh descended the ramp, the tattooed sigils and signs on his flesh seemed to come hold outly in the cerulean glow of his basements specialized lighting. Moving into the bluish haze, he walked past several(prenominal) unlikeable doors and headed directly for the largest room at the end of the corridor.The sanctum sanctorum, as Malakh liked to call it, was a hone twelve-foot square. Twelve are the signs of the zodiac. Twelve are the hours of the day. Twelve are the gates of heaven. In the center of the sleeping accommodation was a stone table, a seven-by-seven square. heptad are the seals of Revelation. Seven are the steps of the Temple. Centered over the table hung a conservatively calibrated light source that wheel aroundd through a spectr um of preordained colors, completing its cycle every six hours in accordance with the sacred Table of Planetary Hours. The hour of Yanor is blue. The hour of Nasnia is red. The hour of Salam is white.Now was the hour of Caerra, meaning the light in the room had modulated to a soft chromatic hue. Wearing only a silken loincloth wrapped around his buttocks and neutered evoke organ, Malakh began his preparations.He carefully combined the suffumigation chemicals that he would later ignite to sanctify the air. Then he folded the everlasting(a) silk robe that he would eventually don in place of his loincloth. And finally, he purified a flask of irrigate for the anointing of his offering. When he was done, he dictated all of these prepared ingredients on a side table. beside he went to a shelf and retrieved a small ivory box, which he carried to the side table and placed with the other items. Although he was not all the same ready to use it, he could not resist first step the lid an d admiring this treasure.The spit.Inside the ivory box, nestled in a cradle of black velvet, shone the sacrificial knife that Malakh had been saving for tonight. He had purchased it for $1.6 million on the Middle Eastern antiquities black market last year.The most famous knife in history.Unimaginably old and meand lost, this precious blade was make of iron, attached to a bone handle. Over the ages, it had been in the possession of countless powerful individuals. In recent decades, however, it had disappeared, languishing in a secret private collection. Malakh had gone to enormous lengths to obtain it. The knife, he suspected, had not drawn blood for decades . . . possibly centuries. Tonight, this blade would again taste the power of the sacrifice for which it was honed.Malakh gently lifted the knife from its cushioned compartment and reverentially polished the blade with a silk cloth soaked in purified water. His skills had progressed greatly since his first rudimentary experimen ts in New York. The dark Art that Malakh practiced had been known by numerous names in many languages, but by any name, it was a precise science. This primeval technology had once held the key to the portals of power, but it had been banished long ago, relegated to the shadows of occultism and magic. Those few who still practiced this Art were considered madmen, but Malakh knew better. This is not work for those with dull faculties. The ancient dark Art, like modern science, was a discipline involving precise formulas, specific ingredients, and meticulous timing.This Art was not the impotent black magic of today, often practiced halfheartedly by curious souls. This Art, like nuclear physics, had the likely to unleash enormous power. The warnings were dire The unskilled practitioner runs the risk of being struck by a reflux menstruation and destroyed.Malakh finished admiring the sacred blade and turned his attention to a lone tag end of thick vellum lying on the table before him. He had made this vellum himself from the skin of a tike lamb. As was the protocol, the lamb was pure, having not yet reached sexual maturity. Beside the vellum was a dick pen he had made from the feather of a crow, a silver saucer, and three glimmering candles arranged around a solid-brass till. The bowl contained one inch of thick crimson liquid.The liquid was Peter Solomons blood.Blood is the tincture of eternity.Malakh picked up the quill pen, placed his left hand on the vellum, and dipping the quill tip in the blood, he carefully traced the abbreviation of his open palm. When he was done, he added the five symbols of the Ancient Mysteries, one on each fingertip of the drawing.The crown . . . to epitomize the king I shall become.The star . . . to represent the heavens which have ordained my destiny.The sun . . . to represent the ignitor of my soul.The lantern . . . to represent the feeble light of human understanding.And the key . . . to represent the missing piece, that w hich tonight I shall at last possess.Malakh completed his blood tracing and held up the vellum, admiring his work in the light of the three candles. He waited until the blood was dry and then folded the thick vellum three times. While chanting an ethereal ancient incantation, Malakh moved(p) the vellum to the third candle, and it burst into flames. He set the flaming vellum on the silver saucer and let it burn. As it did, the carbon in the animal skin dissolved to a powdery black char. When the flame went out, Malakh carefully tapped the ashes into the brass bowl of blood. Then he stirred the mixture with the crows feather.The liquid turned a deeper crimson, almost black.Holding the bowl in both palms, Malakh raised it over his head and gave thanks, intoning the blood eukharistos of the ancients. Then he carefully poured the blackened mixture into a glass vial and corked it. This would be the ink with which Malakh would insert the untattooed flesh atop his head and complete his m asterpiece.CHAPTER 82Washington National Cathedral is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world and soars higher than a thirty-story skyscraper. Embellished with over two hundred stained-glass windows, a fifty- three-bell carillon, and a 10,647-pipe organ, this Gothic masterpiece can accommodate more than three thousand worshippers.Tonight, however, the great cathedral was deserted.Reverend Colin Gallowaydoyen of the cathedrallooked like he had been alive forever. Stooped and withered, he wore a simple black cassock and shuffled blindly frontward without a word. Langdon and Katherine followed in silence through the darkness of the four-hundred-foot- long naves central aisle, which was curved ever so slightly to the left to create a softening optical illusion. When they reached the Great Crossing, the dean guided them through the rood screenthe symbolic divider between the public area and the sanctuary beyond.The scent of frankincense hung in the air of the chancel. This sacred space was dark, illuminated only by indirect reflections in the forge vaults overhead. Flags of the fifty states hung above the quire, which was ornately appointed with several carved reredos depicting biblical events. doyen Galloway continued on, apparently knowing this walk by heart. For a moment, Langdon thought they were headed straight for the high altar, where the ten stones from Mount Sinai were embedded, but the old dean finally turned left and groped his way through a discreetly hidden door that led into an administrative annex.They moved down a short student residence to an fleck door bearing a brass nameplateTHE REVEREND DR. COLIN GALLOWAYCATHEDRAL DEANGalloway opened the door and turned on the lights, apparently accustomed to remembering this courtesy for his guests. He ushered them in and closed the door.The deans office was small but elegant, with high bookshelves, a desk, a carved armoire, and a private bathroom. On the walls hung sixteenth-century tapestries and severa l religious paintings. The old dean causeed to the two leather chairs directly opposite his desk. Langdon sat with Katherine and felt grateful finally to set his heavy shoulder bag on the floor at his feet.Sanctuary and answers, Langdon thought, subsidence into the comfortable chair.The aged man shuffled around behind his desk and eased himself down into his high-backed chair. Then, with a get into sigh, he raised his head, staring blankly out at them through clouded eyes. When he spoke, his voice was unexpectedly clear and strong.I realize we have never met, the old man said, and yet I feel I know you both. He took out a handkerchief and dabbed his mouth. Professor Langdon, I am familiar with your writings, including the clever piece you did on the symbolism of this cathedral. And, Ms. Solomon, your brother, Peter, and I have been Masonic brothers for many years now.Peter is in terrible trouble, Katherine said.So I have been told. The old man sighed. And I will do everything in my power to help you.Langdon saw no Masonic ring on the deans finger, and yet he knew many Masons, especially those within the clergy, chose not to advertise their affiliation.As they began to talk, it became clear that Dean Galloway already knew some of the nights events from Warren Bellamys phone message. As Langdon and Katherine filled him in on the rest, the dean looked more and more troubled.And this man who has taken our beloved Peter, the dean said, he is insisting you decipher the pyramid in supersede for Peters life?Yes, Langdon said. He thinks its a map that will lead him to the hiding place of the Ancient Mysteries.The dean turned his eerie, opaque eyes toward Langdon. My ears tell me you do not believe in such things.Langdon did not want to waste time going down this road. It doesnt matter what I believe. We need to help Peter. Unfortunately, when we rewrite the pyramid, it pointed nowhere.The old man sat straighter. Youve deciphered the pyramid?Katherine interceded no w, quickly explaining that despite Bellamys warnings and her brothers request that Langdon not part the package, she had done so, feeling her first priority was to help her brother however she could. She told the dean about the halcyon capstone, Albrecht Durers magic square, and how it decrypted the sixteen-letter Masonic cipher into the phrase Jeova Sanctus Unus.Thats all it says? the dean asked. One True God?Yes, sir, Langdon replied. seemingly the pyramid is more of a metaphorical map than a geographic one.The dean held out his detention. permit me feel it. Langdon unzipped his bag and pulled out the pyramid, which he carefully hoisted up on the desk, setting it directly in front of the reverend.Langdon and Katherine watched as the old mans frail pass examined every inch of the stone the engraved side, the fall base, and the truncated top. When he was finished, he held out his hands again. And the capstone?Langdon retrieved the small stone box, set it on the desk, and opene d the lid. Then he removed the capstone and placed it into the old mans waiting hands. The dean performed a similar examination, feeling every inch, pausing on the capstones engraving, apparently having some trouble reading the small, elegantly carve text.The secret hides within The Order, Langdon offered. And the words the and order are capitalized.The old mans face was expressionless as he positioned the capstone on top of the pyramid and aligned it by mind of touch. He seemed to pause a moment, as if in prayer, and reverently ran his palms over the complete pyramid several times. Then he reached out and located the cube- shaped box, taking it in his hands, feeling it carefully, his fingers probing inside and out.When he was done, he set down the box and leaned back in his chair. So tell me, he demanded, his voice suddenly stern. Why have you come to me?The heading took Langdon off guard. We came, sir, because you told us to. And Mr. Bellamy said we should trust you.And yet you did not trust him?Im sorry?The deans white eyes stared directly through Langdon. The package containing the capstone was sealed. Mr. Bellamy told you not to open it, and yet you did. In addition, Peter Solomon himself told you not to open it. And yet you did.Sir, Katherine intervened, we were trying to help my brother. The man who has him demanded we decipherI can appreciate that, the dean declared, and yet what have you achieved by opening the package? Nothing. Peters captor is looking for a location, and he will not be satisfied with the answer of Jeova Sanctus Unus.I agree, Langdon said, but unfortunately thats all the pyramid says. As I mentioned, the map seems to be more figurative thanYoure mistaken, Professor, the dean said. The Masonic Pyramid is a real map. It points to a real location. You do not understand that, because you have not yet deciphered the pyramid fully. Not even close.Langdon and Katherine exchanged startled looks.The dean laid his hands back on the pyramid , almost caressing it. This map, like the Ancient Mysteries themselves, has many layers of meaning. Its true secret system veiled from you.Dean Galloway, Langdon said, weve been over every inch of the pyramid and capstone, and theres nothing else to see.Not in its current state, no. But objects change.Sir?Professor, as you know, the promise of this pyramid is one of miraculous transformative power. Legend holds that this pyramid can change its shape . . . alter its physical form to reveal its secrets. Like the famed stone that released Excalibur into the hands of King Arthur, the Masonic Pyramid can transform itself if it so chooses . . . and reveal its secret to the worthy.Langdon now perceived that the old mans advanced years had perhaps robbed him of his faculties. Im sorry, sir. Are you saying this pyramid can undergo a literal physical transformation?Professor, if I were to reach out with my hand and transform this pyramid right before your eyes, would you believe what you had witnessed?Langdon had no idea how to respond. I suppose I would have no choice. rattling well, then. In a moment, I shall do exactly that. He dabbed his mouth again. Let me remind you that there was an era when even the brightest minds perceived the earth as flat. For if the earth were round, then surely the oceans would spill off. depend how they would have mocked you if you proclaimed, Not only is the world a sphere, but there is an invisible, mystical force that holds everything to its surfaceTheres a difference, Langdon said, between the existence of gravity . . . and the ability to transform objects with a touch of your hand.Is there? Is it not possible that we are still living in the Dark Ages, still mocking the suggestion of mystical forces that we cannot see or comprehend. History, if it has taught us anything at all, has taught us that the strange ideas we deride today will one day be our celebrated truths. I claim I can transform this pyramid with a touch of my finger, a nd you question my sanity. I would expect more from an historian. History is replete with great minds who have all proclaimed the same thing . . . great minds who have all insisted that man possesses mystical abilities of which he is unaware.Langdon knew the dean was correct. The famous hermetic aphorismKnow ye not that ye are gods?was one of the pillars of the Ancient Mysteries. As above, so below . . . public created in Gods image . . . Apotheosis. This persistent message of mans own divinityof his hidden potentialwas the recurring theme in the ancient texts of countless traditions. Even the Holy Bible cried out in Psalms 826 Ye are godsProfessor, the old man said, I realize that you, like many educated people, live trapped between worldsone foot in the spiritual, one foot in the physical. Your heart yearns to believe . . . but your intellect refuses to permit it. As an academic, you would be wise to learn from the great minds of history. He paused and unmortgaged his throat. If Im remembering correctly, one of the greatest minds ever to live proclaimed That which is impenetrable to us really exists. arse the secrets of nature remains something subtle, intangible, and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion. Who said that? Langdon said. Gandhi?No, Katherine interjected. Albert Einstein.Katherine Solomon had read every word Einstein had ever written and was struck by his profound respect for the mystical, as well as his predictions that the masses would one day feel the same. The religion of the future, Einstein had predicted, will be a cosmic religion. It will transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology.Robert Langdon appeared to be struggling with the idea. Katherine could sense his rising frustration with the old Episcopal priest, and she understood. After all, they had traveled here for answers, and they had found instead a blind man who claimed he could transform objects with a touch of his hands. Even so, the old mans overt lovingness for mystical forces reminded Katherine of her brother.Father Galloway, Katherine said, Peter is in trouble. The CIA is chasing us. And Warren Bellamy sent us to you for help. I dont know what this pyramid says or where it points, but if deciphering it means that we can help Peter, we need to do that. Mr. Bellamy may have favourite(a) to sacrifice my brothers life to hide this pyramid, but my family has experienced nothing but pain because of it. Whatever secret it may hold, it ends tonight.You are correct, the old man replied, his tone dire. It will all end tonight. Youve guaranteed that. He sighed. Ms. Solomon, when you bust the seal on that box, you set in motion a series of events from which there will be no return. There are forces at work tonight that you do not yet comprehend. There is no turning back.Katherine stared dumbfounded at the reverend. There was something apocalyptic about his tone, as if he were referring to the Sev en Seals of Revelation or Pandoras box.Respectfully, sir, Langdon interceded, I cant imagine how a stone pyramid could set in motion anything at all.Of course you cant, Professor. The old man stared blindly through him. You do not yet have eyes to see.

The Demand for Slavery

Keeping in mind Gregory OMalleys article, Beyond the Middle Passage Slave Migration from the Caribbean to North America, 1619-1807, as well as materials from the lectures, describe the contri andion of African-Americans, whether slave or free, to the composition of the macrocosm of the United States by 1790. How important does OMalley believe that second voyages, from Caribbean islands to the mainland, were in creating the African American population of the colonies on the North American continent that became the United States? How and why do OMalleys estimates differ from those of other historians?What implications may his findings have for how Africans were absorbed into mainland ball club? The New Demand for Slavery By the year 1790, slave trade became the dominant source of promote in the English colonies, and the Caribbean. The fix labor made it to America in two different r prohibitedes, and very much determined their worth, but they never became more than a minority. The slave trade provided a substantial egression in the Colonies, now allowing the whites to have workers that could complete the hard tasks, undesired by traditional colonial people.The bound Africans were apprehension to be essential labor, hich made the slave trade take off, and the importation numbers to rise. wherefore these areas, with an excessive deal of hard work, often felt that the bound labor was essential for economic harvest-festival and the United States population began to increase as the bound labor became favored. African forced labor contributed to the population of the inland Colonies and the Caribbean, but made a different effect in each area, as declared in the lecture.As the rising need for laborers increased, so did the number of bound labor. Where the labor first began to peak, was in the Caribbean. The stand was blistering, due to he tropical climate. This made disease prevalent in place like the watt Indies, which made the Europeans avoid the hard effor t needed. The Europeans also avoided the work in the West Indies when they found out the work was undesirable, very laborious, and by the time they reached freedom, they would not be able to afford land on the islands.Due to this, they had to satisfy the need for workers by finding involuntary people to complete the task. The number of slaves began to rise in the southern colonies, as soon they began to recognize that baccy production was cheaper and more productive than sugar lantations. innate reproduction tremendously drove the slave populace up, but also did the demand for workers on the tobacco fields. OMalley stated in the first census, taken in 1790, that one in five people came from African origins.Today, in the twenty-first century, nearly twelve percent of the American population was made up of slaves. The exaltation records indicate the number of slaves that came directly to America, but not the exact population of slaves in the Colonies. Slaves were favored neat from Africa, because they thought the forced labors coming from the Therefore, numerous slaves were unaccounted for, because that seemed irrelevant to the fact that they needed workers fast, to support the economic growth, and gratify the hard work being set forth.The trips from the Caribbean were still significant, but varied under certain rule. beneath the Spanish rule, slaves from the Caribbean were favored, but under the French rule, slaves were favored straight from Africa. OMalley states that the slave population can be different than what other historians consider, because the ships from the Caribbean often admitted to having more slaves aboard them then they ctually wrote down on the records. This could supply many more slaves to the Colonies that were unaccounted for, which could have helped drive the population.OMalley implicated that many more Africans could have been shipped than what accounted for. Thus, it shows how the people often thought of the slaves more as a piece of luggage, rather than a real, living, breathing human being. The bound laborers were forcibly taken from their home, and put on a land they knew nothing about. The slaves were forced to work in the vehement conditions of Caribbean, or even on plantations of the southern colonies. The distribution of the ound labor varied across areas that needed the workers, but could also afford them.The exact number of persons with African decent cannot be told, because many were not put down on overstocked ships, and many voyages were not tracked, especially from the Caribbean. Discrimination played a major role in their everyday life, where they were treated like a piece of property, rather than a human being. After the cutting treatment, the bound laborers finally were labeled free at the end of the Civil War, but this was only a beginning of their struggle to be treated like an individual of the United States of America.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Keurig Coffee Case Study - 2

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Keurig Coffee - Case Study idealHoward Schultz is the President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairmen of Starbucks Corporation, whereas Jeff Hansberry is the President of Starbucks Global Consumer Products Group. The current CEO of GMCR is Larry Blanford. The net sales of GMCR put one over been depicted as 3,859,198 US Dollars in 2012, whereas profit of the keep company was 1,269,399 US Dollars in the year 2012. In accordance with GMCR, in 1983, it had kept waste reduction along with responsible energy as devolve priority (GMCR, 2013). In the year 1989, GMCR engaged in the development of earth-friendly coffee fitters. In the year 2010, GMCR and Starbucks crap up a strategic relationship for marketing and selling of K-cup portion cup. The company has engaged in K-cup portion cup business in the GMCRs Keurig single-cup brewing system (Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, 2012).Dunkins K-cup portion pack can be regarded as a key strength of GMCR. Dunkin Donuts is primarily noted for providing quality coffee. Alliance between these two companies has strengthened the position of GMCR by increasing the customers preference for Keurig brewer. another(prenominal) vital strength of the company is Tullys acquisition in the year 2009 that provided it leadership dominancy in specialness coffee. One of the key weaknesses is recognized to be GMCRs dependence upon a single manufacturer i.e. China. Moreover, the company also greatly depends upon few retailers for revenue. Its entry within the functional drink market in the United States (US) can be considered as its major probability. GMCRs product Keurig is another pertinent opportunity for its sustainability in the competitive market. Furthermore, GMCRs Hotel in-room brewer can also be determined as an opportunity for the company. Increase in demand for Arabica-coffee, which is of good quality might stand as a little terror for the company (Jang et al., 2013).GMCR has faced chall enges