Angels Demons Chapter 126-129

126 Cardinal Mortati knew there were no words in any language that could have added to the mystery of this moment. The silence of the vision over St. Peter's Square sang louder than any chorus of angels. As he stared up at Camerlegno Ventresca, Mortati felt the paralyzing collision of his heart and mind. The vision seemed real, tangible. And yet†¦ how could it be? Everyone had seen the camerlegno get in the helicopter. They had all witnessed the ball of light in the sky. And now, somehow, the camerlegno stood high above them on the rooftop terrace. Transported by angels? Reincarnated by the hand of God? This is impossible†¦ Mortati's heart wanted nothing more than to believe, but his mind cried out for reason. And yet all around him, the cardinals stared up, obviously seeing what he was seeing, paralyzed with wonder. It was the camerlegno. There was no doubt. But he looked different somehow. Divine. As if he had been purified. A spirit? A man? His white flesh shone in the spotlights with an incorporeal weightlessness. In the square there was crying, cheering, spontaneous applause. A group of nuns fell to their knees and wailed saetas. A pulsing grew from in the crowd. Suddenly, the entire square was chanting the camerlegno's name. The cardinals, some with tears rolling down their faces, joined in. Mortati looked around him and tried to comprehend. Is this really happening? Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca stood on the rooftop terrace of St. Peter's Basilica and looked down over the multitudes of people staring up at him. Was he awake or dreaming? He felt transformed, otherworldly. He wondered if it was his body or just his spirit that had floated down from heaven toward the soft, darkened expanse of the Vatican City Gardens†¦ alighting like a silent angel on the deserted lawns, his black parachute shrouded from the madness by the towering shadow of St. Peter's Basilica. He wondered if it was his body or his spirit that had possessed the strength to climb the ancient Stairway of Medallions to the rooftop terrace where he now stood. He felt as light as a ghost. Although the people below were chanting his name, he knew it was not him they were cheering. They were cheering from impulsive joy, the same kind of joy he felt every day of his life as he pondered the Almighty. They were experiencing what each of them had always longed for†¦ an assurance of the beyond†¦ a substantiation of the power of the Creator. Camerlegno Ventresca had prayed all his life for this moment, and still, even he could not fathom that God had found a way to make it manifest. He wanted to cry out to them. Your God is a living God! Behold the miracles all around you! He stood there a while, numb and yet feeling more than he had ever felt. When, at last, the spirit moved him, he bowed his head and stepped back from the edge. Alone now, he knelt on the roof, and prayed. 127 The images around him blurred, drifting in and out. Langdon's eyes slowly began to focus. His legs ached, and his body felt like it had been run over by a truck. He was lying on his side on the ground. Something stunk, like bile. He could still hear the incessant sound of lapping water. It no longer sounded peaceful to him. There were other sounds too – talking close around him. He saw blurry white forms. Were they all wearing white? Langdon decided he was either in an asylum or heaven. From the burning in his throat, Langdon decided it could not be heaven. â€Å"He's finished vomiting,† one man said in Italian. â€Å"Turn him.† The voice was firm and professional. Langdon felt hands slowly rolling him onto his back. His head swam. He tried to sit up, but the hands gently forced him back down. His body submitted. Then Langdon felt someone going through his pockets, removing items. Then he passed out cold. Dr. Jacobus was not a religious man; the science of medicine had bred that from him long ago. And yet, the events in Vatican City tonight had put his systematic logic to the test. Now bodies are falling from the sky? Dr. Jacobus felt the pulse of the bedraggled man they had just pulled from the Tiber River. The doctor decided that God himself had hand-delivered this one to safety. The concussion of hitting the water had knocked the victim unconscious, and if it had not been for Jacobus and his crew standing out on the shore watching the spectacle in the sky, this falling soul would surely have gone unnoticed and drowned. â€Å"e Americano,† a nurse said, going through the man's wallet after they pulled him to dry land. American? Romans often joked that Americans had gotten so abundant in Rome that hamburgers should become the official Italian food. But Americans falling from the sky? Jacobus flicked a penlight in the man's eyes, testing his dilation. â€Å"Sir? Can you hear me? Do you know where you are?† The man was unconscious again. Jacobus was not surprised. The man had vomited a lot of water after Jacobus had performed CPR. â€Å"Si chiama Robert Langdon,† the nurse said, reading the man's driver's license. The group assembled on the dock all stopped short. â€Å"Impossibile!† Jacobus declared. Robert Langdon was the man from the television – the American professor who had been helping the Vatican. Jacobus had seen Mr. Langdon, only minutes ago, getting into a helicopter in St. Peter's Square and flying miles up into the air. Jacobus and the others had run out to the dock to witness the antimatter explosion – a tremendous sphere of light like nothing any of them had ever seen. How could this be the same man! â€Å"It's him!† the nurse exclaimed, brushing his soaked hair back. â€Å"And I recognize his tweed coat!† Suddenly someone was yelling from the hospital entryway. It was one of the patients. She was screaming, going mad, holding her portable radio to the sky and praising God. Apparently Camerlegno Ventresca had just miraculously appeared on the roof of the Vatican. Dr. Jacobus decided, when his shift got off at 8 A.M., he was going straight to church. The lights over Langdon's head were brighter now, sterile. He was on some kind of examination table. He smelled astringents, strange chemicals. Someone had just given him an injection, and they had removed his clothes. Definitely not gypsies, he decided in his semiconscious delirium. Aliens, perhaps? Yes, he had heard about things like this. Fortunately these beings would not harm him. All they wanted were his – â€Å"Not on your life!† Langdon sat bolt upright, eyes flying open. â€Å"Attento!† one of the creatures yelled, steadying him. His badge read Dr. Jacobus. He looked remarkably human. Langdon stammered, â€Å"I†¦ thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Easy, Mr. Langdon. You're in a hospital.† The fog began to lift. Langdon felt a wave of relief. He hated hospitals, but they certainly beat aliens harvesting his testicles. â€Å"My name is Dr. Jacobus,† the man said. He explained what had just happened. â€Å"You are very lucky to be alive.† Langdon did not feel lucky. He could barely make sense of his own memories†¦ the helicopter†¦ the camerlegno. His body ached everywhere. They gave him some water, and he rinsed out his mouth. They placed a new gauze on his palm. â€Å"Where are my clothes?† Langdon asked. He was wearing a paper robe. One of the nurses motioned to a dripping wad of shredded khaki and tweed on the counter. â€Å"They were soaked. We had to cut them off you.† Langdon looked at his shredded Harris tweed and frowned. â€Å"You had some Kleenex in your pocket,† the nurse said. It was then that Langdon saw the ravaged shreds of parchment clinging all over the lining of his jacket. The folio from Galileo's Diagramma. The last copy on earth had just dissolved. He was too numb to know how to react. He just stared. â€Å"We saved your personal items.† She held up a plastic bin. â€Å"Wallet, camcorder, and pen. I dried the camcorder off the best I could.† â€Å"I don't own a camcorder.† The nurse frowned and held out the bin. Langdon looked at the contents. Along with his wallet and pen was a tiny Sony RUVI camcorder. He recalled it now. Kohler had handed it to him and asked him to give it to the media. â€Å"We found it in your pocket. I think you'll need a new one, though.† The nurse flipped open the two-inch screen on the back. â€Å"Your viewer is cracked.† Then she brightened. â€Å"The sound still works, though. Barely.† She held the device up to her ear. â€Å"Keeps playing something over and over.† She listened a moment and then scowled, handing it to Langdon. â€Å"Two guys arguing, I think.† Puzzled, Langdon took the camcorder and held it to his ear. The voices were pinched and metallic, but they were discernible. One close. One far away. Langdon recognized them both. Sitting there in his paper gown, Langdon listened in amazement to the conversation. Although he couldn't see what was happening, when he heard the shocking finale, he was thankful he had been spared the visual. My God! As the conversation began playing again from the beginning, Langdon lowered the camcorder from his ear and sat in appalled mystification. The antimatter†¦ the helicopter†¦ Langdon's mind now kicked into gear. But that means†¦ He wanted to vomit again. With a rising fury of disorientation and rage, Langdon got off the table and stood on shaky legs. â€Å"Mr. Langdon!† the doctor said, trying to stop him. â€Å"I need some clothes,† Langdon demanded, feeling the draft on his rear from the backless gown. â€Å"But, you need to rest.† â€Å"I'm checking out. Now. I need some clothes.† â€Å"But, sir, you – â€Å" â€Å"Now!† Everyone exchanged bewildered looks. â€Å"We have no clothes,† the doctor said. â€Å"Perhaps tomorrow a friend could bring you some.† Langdon drew a slow patient breath and locked eyes with the doctor. â€Å"Dr. Jacobus, I am walking out your door right now. I need clothes. I am going to Vatican City. One does not go to Vatican City with one's ass hanging out. Do I make myself clear?† Dr. Jacobus swallowed hard. â€Å"Get this man something to wear.† When Langdon limped out of Hospital Tiberina, he felt like an overgrown Cub Scout. He was wearing a blue paramedic's jumpsuit that zipped up the front and was adorned with cloth badges that apparently depicted his numerous qualifications. The woman accompanying him was heavyset and wore a similar suit. The doctor had assured Langdon she would get him to the Vatican in record time. â€Å"Molto traffico,† Langdon said, reminding her that the area around the Vatican was packed with cars and people. The woman looked unconcerned. She pointed proudly to one of her patches. â€Å"Sono conducente di ambulanza.† â€Å"Ambulanza?† That explained it. Langdon felt like he could use an ambulance ride. The woman led him around the side of the building. On an outcropping over the water was a cement deck where her vehicle sat waiting. When Langdon saw the vehicle he stopped in his tracks. It was an aging medevac chopper. The hull read Aero-Ambulanza. He hung his head. The woman smiled. â€Å"Fly Vatican City. Very fast.† 128 The College of Cardinals bristled with ebullience and electricity as they streamed back into the Sistine Chapel. In contrast, Mortati felt in himself a rising confusion he thought might lift him off the floor and carry him away. He believed in the ancient miracles of the Scriptures, and yet what he had just witnessed in person was something he could not possibly comprehend. After a lifetime of devotion, seventy-nine years, Mortati knew these events should ignite in him a pious exuberance†¦ a fervent and living faith. And yet all he felt was a growing spectral unease. Something did not feel right. â€Å"Signore Mortati!† a Swiss Guard yelled, running down the hall. â€Å"We have gone to the roof as you asked. The camerlegno is†¦ flesh! He is a true man! He is not a spirit! He is exactly as we knew him!† â€Å"Did he speak to you?† â€Å"He kneels in silent prayer! We are afraid to touch him!† Mortati was at a loss. â€Å"Tell him†¦ his cardinals await.† â€Å"Signore, because he is a man†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the guard hesitated. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"His chest†¦ he is burned. Should we bind his wounds? He must be in pain.† Mortati considered it. Nothing in his lifetime of service to the church had prepared him for this situation. â€Å"He is a man, so serve him as a man. Bathe him. Bind his wounds. Dress him in fresh robes. We await his arrival in the Sistine Chapel.† The guard ran off. Mortati headed for the chapel. The rest of the cardinals were inside now. As he walked down the hall, he saw Vittoria Vetra slumped alone on a bench at the foot of the Royal Staircase. He could see the pain and loneliness of her loss and wanted to go to her, but he knew it would have to wait. He had work to do†¦ although he had no idea what that work could possibly be. Mortati entered the chapel. There was a riotous excitement. He closed the door. God help me. Hospital Tiberina's twin-rotor Aero-Ambulanza circled in behind Vatican City, and Langdon clenched his teeth, swearing to God this was the very last helicopter ride of his life. After convincing the pilot that the rules governing Vatican airspace were the least of the Vatican's concerns right now, he guided her in, unseen, over the rear wall, and landed them on the Vatican's helipad. â€Å"Grazie,† he said, lowering himself painfully onto the ground. She blew him a kiss and quickly took off, disappearing back over the wall and into the night. Langdon exhaled, trying to clear his head, hoping to make sense of what he was about to do. With the camcorder in hand, he boarded the same golf cart he had ridden earlier that day. It had not been charged, and the battery-meter registered close to empty. Langdon drove without headlights to conserve power. He also preferred no one see him coming. At the back of the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Mortati stood in a daze as he watched the pandemonium before him. â€Å"It was a miracle!† one of the cardinals shouted. â€Å"The work of God!† â€Å"Yes!† others exclaimed. â€Å"God has made His will manifest!† â€Å"The camerlegno will be our Pope!† another shouted. â€Å"He is not a cardinal, but God has sent a miraculous sign!† â€Å"Yes!† someone agreed. â€Å"The laws of conclave are man's laws. God's will is before us! I call for a balloting immediately!† â€Å"A balloting?† Mortati demanded, moving toward them. â€Å"I believe that is my job.† Everyone turned. Mortati could sense the cardinals studying him. They seemed distant, at a loss, offended by his sobriety. Mortati longed to feel his heart swept up in the miraculous exultation he saw in the faces around him. But he was not. He felt an inexplicable pain in his soul†¦ an aching sadness he could not explain. He had vowed to guide these proceedings with purity of soul, and this hesitancy was something he could not deny. â€Å"My friends,† Mortati said, stepping to the altar. His voice did not seem his own. â€Å"I suspect I will struggle for the rest of my days with the meaning of what I have witnessed tonight. And yet, what you are suggesting regarding the camerlegno†¦ it cannot possibly be God's will.† The room fell silent. â€Å"How†¦ can you say that?† one of the cardinals finally demanded. â€Å"The camerlegno saved the church. God spoke to the camerlegno directly! The man survived death itself! What sign do we need!† â€Å"The camerlegno is coming to us now,† Mortati said. â€Å"Let us wait. Let us hear him before we have a balloting. There may be an explanation.† â€Å"An explanation?† â€Å"As your Great Elector, I have vowed to uphold the laws of conclave. You are no doubt aware that by Holy Law the camerlegno is ineligible for election to the papacy. He is not a cardinal. He is a priest†¦ a chamberlain. There is also the question of his inadequate age.† Mortati felt the stares hardening. â€Å"By even allowing a balloting, I would be requesting that you endorse a man who Vatican Law proclaims ineligible. I would be asking each of you to break a sacred oath.† â€Å"But what happened here tonight,† someone stammered, â€Å"it certainly transcends our laws!† â€Å"Does it?† Mortati boomed, not even knowing now where his words were coming from. â€Å"Is it God's will that we discard the rules of the church? Is it God's will that we abandon reason and give ourselves over to frenzy?† â€Å"But did you not see what we saw?† another challenged angrily. â€Å"How can you presume to question that kind of power!† Mortati's voice bellowed now with a resonance he had never known. â€Å"I am not questioning God's power! It is God who gave us reason and circumspection! It is God we serve by exercising prudence!† 129 In the hallway outside the Sistine Chapel, Vittoria Vetra sat benumbed on a bench at the foot of the Royal Staircase. When she saw the figure coming through the rear door, she wondered if she were seeing another spirit. He was bandaged, limping, and wearing some kind of medical suit. She stood†¦ unable to believe the vision. â€Å"Ro†¦ bert?† He never answered. He strode directly to her and wrapped her in his arms. When he pressed his lips to hers, it was an impulsive, longing kiss filled with thankfulness. Vittoria felt the tears coming. â€Å"Oh, God†¦ oh, thank God†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He kissed her again, more passionately, and she pressed against him, losing herself in his embrace. Their bodies locked, as if they had known each other for years. She forgot the fear and pain. She closed her eyes, weightless in the moment. â€Å"It is God's will!† someone was yelling, his voice echoing in the Sistine Chapel. â€Å"Who but the chosen one could have survived that diabolical explosion?† â€Å"Me,† a voice reverberated from the back of the chapel. Mortati and the others turned in wonder at the bedraggled form coming up the center aisle. â€Å"Mr†¦. Langdon?† Without a word, Langdon walked slowly to the front of the chapel. Vittoria Vetra entered too. Then two guards hurried in, pushing a cart with a large television on it. Langdon waited while they plugged it in, facing the cardinals. Then Langdon motioned for the guards to leave. They did, closing the door behind them. Now it was only Langdon, Vittoria, and the cardinals. Langdon plugged the Sony RUVI's output into the television. Then he pressed Play. The television blared to life. The scene that materialized before the cardinals revealed the Pope's office. The video had been awkwardly filmed, as if by hidden camera. Off center on the screen the camerlegno stood in the dimness, in front of a fire. Although he appeared to be talking directly to the camera, it quickly became evident that he was speaking to someone else – whoever was making this video. Langdon told them the video was filmed by Maximilian Kohler, the director of CERN. Only an hour ago Kohler had secretly recorded his meeting with the camerlegno by using a tiny camcorder covertly mounted under the arm of his wheelchair. Mortati and the cardinals watched in bewilderment. Although the conversation was already in progress, Langdon did not bother to rewind. Apparently, whatever Langdon wanted the cardinals to see was coming up†¦ â€Å"Leonardo Vetra kept diaries?† the camerlegno was saying. â€Å"I suppose that is good news for CERN. If the diaries contain his processes for creating antimatter – â€Å" â€Å"They don't,† Kohler said. â€Å"You will be relieved to know those processes died with Leonardo. However, his diaries spoke of something else. You.† The camerlegno looked troubled. â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"They described a meeting Leonardo had last month. With you.† The camerlegno hesitated, then looked toward the door. â€Å"Rocher should not have granted you access without consulting me. How did you get in here?† â€Å"Rocher knows the truth. I called earlier and told him what you have done.† â€Å"What I have done? Whatever story you told him, Rocher is a Swiss Guard and far too faithful to this church to believe a bitter scientist over his camerlegno.† â€Å"Actually, he is too faithful not to believe. He is so faithful that despite the evidence that one of his loyal guards had betrayed the church, he refused to accept it. All day long he has been searching for another explanation.† â€Å"So you gave him one.† â€Å"The truth. Shocking as it was.† â€Å"If Rocher believed you, he would have arrested me.† â€Å"No. I wouldn't let him. I offered him my silence in exchange for this meeting.† The camerlegno let out an odd laugh. â€Å"You plan to blackmail the church with a story that no one will possibly believe?† â€Å"I have no need of blackmail. I simply want to hear the truth from your lips. Leonardo Vetra was a friend.† The camerlegno said nothing. He simply stared down at Kohler. â€Å"Try this,† Kohler snapped. â€Å"About a month ago, Leonardo Vetra contacted you requesting an urgent audience with the Pope – an audience you granted because the Pope was an admirer of Leonardo's work and because Leonardo said it was an emergency.† The camerlegno turned to the fire. He said nothing. â€Å"Leonardo came to the Vatican in great secrecy. He was betraying his daughter's confidence by coming here, a fact that troubled him deeply, but he felt he had no choice. His research had left him deeply conflicted and in need of spiritual guidance from the church. In a private meeting, he told you and the Pope that he had made a scientific discovery with profound religious implications. He had proved Genesis was physically possible, and that intense sources of energy – what Vetra called God – could duplicate the moment of Creation.† Silence. â€Å"The Pope was stunned,† Kohler continued. â€Å"He wanted Leonardo to go public. His Holiness thought this discovery might begin to bridge the gap between science and religion – one of the Pope's life dreams. Then Leonardo explained to you the downside – the reason he required the church's guidance. It seemed his Creation experiment, exactly as your Bible predicts, produced everything in pairs. Opposites. Light and dark. Vetra found himself, in addition to creating matter, creating antimatter. Shall I go on?† The camerlegno was silent. He bent down and stoked the coals. â€Å"After Leonardo Vetra came here,† Kohler said, â€Å"you came to CERN to see his work. Leonardo's diaries said you made a personal trip to his lab.† The camerlegno looked up. Kohler went on. â€Å"The Pope could not travel without attracting media attention, so he sent you. Leonardo gave you a secret tour of his lab. He showed you an antimatter annihilation – the Big Bang – the power of Creation. He also showed you a large specimen he kept locked away as proof that his new process could produce antimatter on a large scale. You were in awe. You returned to Vatican City to report to the Pope what you had witnessed.† The camerlegno sighed. â€Å"And what is it that troubles you? That I would respect Leonardo's confidentiality by pretending before the world tonight that I knew nothing of antimatter?† â€Å"No! It troubles me that Leonardo Vetra practically proved the existence of your God, and you had him murdered!† The camerlegno turned now, his face revealing nothing. The only sound was the crackle of the fire. Suddenly, the camera jiggled, and Kohler's arm appeared in the frame. He leaned forward, seeming to struggle with something affixed beneath his wheelchair. When he sat back down, he held a pistol out before him. The camera angle was a chilling one†¦ looking from behind†¦ down the length of the outstretched gun†¦ directly at the camerlegno. Kohler said, â€Å"Confess your sins, Father. Now.† The camerlegno looked startled. â€Å"You will never get out of here alive.† â€Å"Death would be a welcome relief from the misery your faith has put me through since I was a boy.† Kohler held the gun with both hands now. â€Å"I am giving you a choice. Confess your sins†¦ or die right now.† The camerlegno glanced toward the door. â€Å"Rocher is outside,† Kohler challenged. â€Å"He too is prepared to kill you.† â€Å"Rocher is a sworn protector of th – â€Å" â€Å"Rocher let me in here. Armed. He is sickened by your lies. You have a single option. Confess to me. I have to hear it from your very lips.† The camerlegno hesitated. Kohler cocked his gun. â€Å"Do you really doubt I will kill you?† â€Å"No matter what I tell you,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"a man like you will never understand.† â€Å"Try me.† The camerlegno stood still for a moment, a dominant silhouette in the dim light of the fire. When he spoke, his words echoed with a dignity more suited to the glorious recounting of altruism than that of a confession. â€Å"Since the beginning of time,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"this church has fought the enemies of God. Sometimes with words. Sometimes with swords. And we have always survived.† The camerlegno radiated conviction. â€Å"But the demons of the past,† he continued, â€Å"were demons of fire and abomination†¦ they were enemies we could fight – enemies who inspired fear. Yet Satan is shrewd. As time passed, he cast off his diabolical countenance for a new face†¦ the face of pure reason. Transparent and insidious, but soulless all the same.† The camerlegno's voice flashed sudden anger – an almost maniacal transition. â€Å"Tell me, Mr. Kohler! How can the church condemn that which makes logical sense to our minds! How can we decry that which is now the very foundation of our society! Each time the church raises its voice in warning, you shout back, calling us ignorant. Paranoid. Controlling! And so your evil grows. Shrouded in a veil of self-righteous intellectualism. It spreads like a cancer. Sanctified by the miracles of its own technology. Deifying itself! Until we no longer suspect you are anything but pure goodness. Science has come to save us from our sic kness, hunger, and pain! Behold science – the new God of endless miracles, omnipotent and benevolent! Ignore the weapons and the chaos. Forget the fractured loneliness and endless peril. Science is here!† The camerlegno stepped toward the gun. â€Å"But I have seen Satan's face lurking†¦ I have seen the peril†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What are you talking about! Vetra's science practically proved the existence of your God! He was your ally!† â€Å"Ally? Science and religion are not in this together! We do not seek the same God, you and I! Who is your God? One of protons, masses, and particle charges? How does your God inspire? How does your God reach into the hearts of man and remind him he is accountable to a greater power! Remind him that he is accountable to his fellow man! Vetra was misguided. His work was not religious, it was sacrilegious! Man cannot put God's Creation in a test tube and wave it around for the world to see! This does not glorify God, it demeans God!† The camerlegno was clawing at his body now, his voice manic. â€Å"And so you had Leonardo Vetra killed!† â€Å"For the church! For all mankind! The madness of it! Man is not ready to hold the power of Creation in his hands. God in a test tube? A droplet of liquid that can vaporize an entire city? He had to be stopped!† The camerlegno fell abruptly silent. He looked away, back toward the fire. He seemed to be contemplating his options. Kohler's hands leveled the gun. â€Å"You have confessed. You have no escape.† The camerlegno laughed sadly. â€Å"Don't you see. Confessing your sins is the escape.† He looked toward the door. â€Å"When God is on your side, you have options a man like you could never comprehend.† With his words still hanging in the air, the camerlegno grabbed the neck of his cassock and violently tore it open, revealing his bare chest. Kohler jolted, obviously startled. â€Å"What are you doing!† The camerlegno did not reply. He stepped backward, toward the fireplace, and removed an object from the glowing embers. â€Å"Stop!† Kohler demanded, his gun still leveled. â€Å"What are you doing!† When the camerlegno turned, he was holding a red-hot brand. The Illuminati Diamond. The man's eyes looked wild suddenly. â€Å"I had intended to do this all alone.† His voice seethed with a feral intensity. â€Å"But now†¦ I see God meant for you to be here. You are my salvation.† Before Kohler could react, the camerlegno closed his eyes, arched his back, and rammed the red hot brand into the center of his own chest. His flesh hissed. â€Å"Mother Mary! Blessed Mother†¦ Behold your son!† He screamed out in agony. Kohler lurched into the frame now†¦ standing awkwardly on his feet, gun wavering wildly before him. The camerlegno screamed louder, teetering in shock. He threw the brand at Kohler's feet. Then the priest collapsed on the floor, writhing in agony. What happened next was a blur. There was a great flurry onscreen as the Swiss Guard burst into the room. The soundtrack exploded with gunfire. Kohler clutched his chest, blown backward, bleeding, falling into his wheelchair. â€Å"No!† Rocher called, trying to stop his guards from firing on Kohler. The camerlegno, still writhing on the floor, rolled and pointed frantically at Rocher. â€Å"Illuminatus!† â€Å"You bastard,† Rocher yelled, running at him. â€Å"You sanctimonious bas – â€Å" Chartrand cut him down with three bullets. Rocher slid dead across the floor. Then the guards ran to the wounded camerlegno, gathering around him. As they huddled, the video caught the face of a dazed Robert Langdon, kneeling beside the wheelchair, looking at the brand. Then, the entire frame began lurching wildly. Kohler had regained consciousness and was detaching the tiny camcorder from its holder under the arm of the wheelchair. Then he tried to hand the camcorder to Langdon. â€Å"G-give†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kohler gasped. â€Å"G-give this to the m-media.† Then the screen went blank.

The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne ultimatum is about a guy that works for the CIA, but at the same time is trying to uncover his identity. The movie represents a variety of political messages that portray a corrupt government who through secrecy utilize their power to better the personage. The Bourne ultimatum shows a variety of political messages such as individuality, corruption, conflict, role of government, power and secrecy. However, the main theme portrayed throughout the movie is the involvement of corruption in the Central Intelligence Agency. Several individuals were portrayed as having too much power. To understand Bourne ultimatum you may need to watch the first movie (the Bourne identity) as well as the second movie (The Bourne supremacy). The Bourne ultimatum is a movie that transfers the corruption of the CIA. For example, the CIA officers, are officers that protect the nations and investigate terrorism so that it is ceased. How is it possible that there are officers that are complete hypocrites because they betray their nation. The movie also helped demonstrate how the corruption is served by betraying the country. As the film unravels the involvement of corruption only deepens and the relationship between corruption, secrecy, power and individuality seem synonymous. As the protagonist, Jason Bourne struggles to find his own identity, the involvement of corruption in the CIA worsens. According to Bourne’s head trainer Conklin, Jason Bourne is a â€Å"malfunctioning 30 million dollar weapon of the United States government†. He is a highly trained assassin who is suffering from amnesia struggling to find his own identity. Bourne was involved in a top secret program called â€Å"Treadstone†, which went wrong after the program attempted to alleviate a conflict by assassinating of a political leader. The second movie begins before the end of the events in (The Bourne Supremacy). Bourne Ultimatum ultimately reveals the total corruption involved in the CIA and Bourne’s true identity. Bourne then reads an article in The Guardian by Ross about Bourne, Treadstone, and â€Å"Operation Blackbriar. † He then arranges to meet Ross in London at the south entrance of Waterloo Station. Ross, however, is under surveillance because his use of the word â€Å"Blackbriar† in a phone call to his editor was tracked by Echelon, alerting the CIA. CIA section Chief Noah Vosen alerts his staff at the Anti-Terrorism Deep Cover in New York to find out any information on Ross, believing that Operation Blackbriar has been compromised. Vosen orders an assassin, Paz, to kill Ross and his source. Vosen's team identifies Bourne on a security camera and recognizes him as the original Treadstone assassin, and assumes he is Ross's source. While Paz gets into a position with a sniper and kills Ross, Bourne went to Ross body and gets his note and he run away. In this scene, the government’s agents received information that a British news reporter uncovered something about an operation called Blackbriar, so they tried to track him down by looking up his record. They were able to find his personal information including his address, cell-phone numbers, and job location. During this process the agents hacked into the news reporter’s email transactions and discovered that he bought a train ticket so agents were sent to the train station to capture the reporter. When the reporter arrived at the train station the agents monitored his every move from a room filled with high tech computers and TV screens that were hooked up to the surveillance cameras, and satellite communication system. Surveillance cameras are there to make sure that no shady activities are present. People recognize that they are there, but the CIA used the cameras to help them capture the reporter and Jason Bourne, so their secrets will remain secret. Later in the movie the CIA officials sent an assassin to kill the reporter, and the cameras assisted in locating the position of the reporter. When the assassin shot him, the security cameras were purposely turned off. This is not acceptable! The cameras are not there to aide murderers. The CIA is protected by the Patriot Act which allows them to access medical records, tax records, and information about the books that one buys or borrow without probable cause, and the power to break into your home and conduct secret searches without warning or probable cause (USA Patriot Act). The Patriot Act is aimed at terrorists or people that are potentially terrorists and it doesn’t give the government the power to kill innocent people. Even though the reporter was not a British Citizen, the CIA agents were from the US so they should follow American laws. Also the reporter in this movie was not a terrorist. He was harmless to society. He just happened to hear something that he wasn’t suppose to hear. This movie shows what the government is capable of doing, and they could be monitoring the everyday lives of U. S. Citizens, listening in on our phone conversations. Pamela Landy is asked to help capture Bourne. With Landy's help, Vosen and his team also determine that Neil Daniels is Ross' source. By implementing Landy in the films was a successful character, the director attempted to send an important message to his audience. I believe that he tried to instill the idea of separated Landy from the other male characters was corruption, Landy worked to answer questions and find truth. She was portrayed as the ideal CIA official. Vosen and his team also determined that Neil Daniels is Ross' source. They send a team to Daniels' office in Madrid, to kill her, but Bourne get first to save her and killing Desh Bouksani that was the guy they send to kill Daniels. Bourne later found out that Blackbriar was Treadstone’s â€Å"dirty little secret†, it provided a way for corrupt CIA officials to cover up their slip ups by sending Bourne to eliminate targets. This would allow the officials to keep their corrupt ways a secret. They utilized their power; Blackbriar, to carry out their own dirty missions. Bourne takes a flight to New York City, he calls Landy while observing her and Vosen from across the street, the same call that was shown at the end of the second movie. Bourne sends a text message to Landy to arrange a meeting. Vosen and his team intercept the message and follow Landy as she leaves the building. However, the meeting is simply a diversion to allow him to enter Vosen's office and steal classified Blackbriar documents. Landy gave Bourne the address of the Treadstone R facility in code when Landy gave Bourne his date of birth. Bourne meets Landy and gives her the stolen documents from Vosen's office before entering the building. Landy finishes faxing away the Blackbriar document that Bourne stole to the FBI. Landy realizes that the man she is working with to find Bourne is also corrupt. The CIA director Noah Vosen was Blackbriar’s â€Å"operational chief,† and DR. Albert Hirsch was the â€Å"alleged mastermind of the program† She wasn’t able to prove this if Bourne had acquired the files needed to prosecute the corrupt CIA officials. By achieving these files and confronting the officials Bourne was able to find his true identity. In this movie we have the opportunity of see how the CIA, works in their secrets case. I believe the director may want to teach the audience showing example of how the government works and as well making to see not matter how important can be the agency there still haven individual that there dishonest. Also the director included political messages and carefully placed cameras in order to capture the real life possibilities of corruption, secrecy, power in our government. The camera angles were set as if the movie were a documentary, everything was set up so that it all seemed real and was happening now. This method made the film seem more real and believable. It greatly highlighted the quality and sense of reality throughout the film. In the sense of corruption the film is pretty accurate in its representation of the political system. For example, corruption among high levels of government like those involved in the Watergate and the occasional CIA leaks that we see on CNN and FOX news channels are established in the Bourne movies. All of these ideas are introduced and incorporated into the Bourne films which furthermore increase the films realistic and documentary feel. In effect, the director successfully increases the validity of the film’s material. Another aspect The U. S. Government takes a lot of safety precautions to protect its property and people, but sometimes they go too far even as far as to invade the privacy of its citizens. In the new film Bourne Ultimatum many example of privacy invasion is demonstrated. Some of these examples of privacy invasion are acceptable under extreme circumstances, but others are not. Otherwise what increased the films reality was Bourne’s ability to use anything in order to complete his tasks. He worked with what he was given and it made the audience really appreciate his craft and skill with his ability to maneuver things to work in his favor. Another example are the fighting scenes, he was seen using not only guns, but also cords, towels, books, to defend himself and neutralize his opponents. He used whatever it took to get the job done and stay alive. This is important because according to field operation officers like Bourne were highly trained in areas such as, self defense, weapons handling, high speed driving, disguise, and secret writing communications, which all represent an entire array of what CIA calls the trade craft skills. A good fields’ officer makes anything his weapon. The more trained you are with weaponry, more missions will be completed. The film reflected a negative outlook on American politics. It demonstrated the U. S. government particularly the CIA as being a corrupt agency that utilized their reserved powers to resolve not only regular but also personal conflicts through secrecy to better their individual selves. The idea of imperfection, political messages like corruption, and from a general standpoint accurate portrayal of an operations field officer, qualifies the trilogy as a representative piece of American politics. The Bourne films give a realistic point of view; government is not perfect! Contrary to most films the Bourne movies show that the government too is vulnerable to issues like corruption, secrecy, and abuse of power. By filming as if the film were a documentary on Jason Bourne, the film ultimately delineates imperfection amongst our levels of government.

Character Differences and Morality

In Albert Camus’ The Guest, there are three main characters: Daru the schoolteacher, Balducci the policeman, and the Arab. These three characters all reveal differences that relate to one of the overall themes of the story: morality. In the story, Daru is the main character who has a hard time dealing with the concept of morality. Although there are many other themes that are prevalent to the story, morality is the major theme that each character can relate to because of their differences. Daru is a schoolteacher who feels like he is in a state of isolation from the beginning of the story to the end. He is assigned to do a task by Balducci but once he hears what he has to do he is appalled and refuses to do it. Instead of doing what he has been assigned, Daru does the complete opposite. The actions that Daru presents throughout the story show that he isn’t sure of himself and that he is very insecure. Daru has trouble dealing with the concept of morality, and his actions send him into a state of moral anguish at the end of the story. Although at times it looks like Daru wants to do well, he ends up saying or doing the wrong thing. For example, as Balducci is leaving the schoolhouse, he orders Daru to watch the prisoner before they hand him over. Daru tells Balducci that he will not hand him over. â€Å"Listen, Balducci†¦every bit of this disgusts me and most of all your fellow here. But I won’t hand him over. Fight, yes, if I have to. But not that.† (p.5); this shows how Daru is given the opportunity to do what is right but ends up doing what is wrong. While the prisoner stays with Daru, he feels very uncomfortable. Daru feels like the Arab wants to be friends with him, and Daru doesn’t want to be. This reveals that Daru is also self centered and that he doesn’t feel comfortable around strangers. Daru also starts to feel vulnerable because of what he said to Balducci before he left. Although Daru becomes upset with the Arab and doesn’t approve of the crime he has committed, he still believes that turning him in is a shameful thing to do. This shows that Daru may have a good side to him; one that cares about others and not just himself. Also shows how Daru has trouble dealing with morality. In the end, Daru cannot decide between what is right and what is wrong, which allows the Arab to choose his own fate and leaving Daru in a bind. Balducci is the policeman. The readers of the story see Balducci as a leader. Balducci has known Daru for a long time, and considers Daru like a son to him. Balducci cares about Daru and is upset when he won’t do what he has been told to do. Unlike Daru, who has trouble grasping the concept of morality, Balducci does everything right and therefore has nothing to really worry about. The only thing that Balducci has to worry about is what will happen to the Arab, once he leaves him with Daru. Balducci follows everything that he is supposed to do, like bringing the prisoner to Daru and caring for him. Once Balducci hands the prisoner over to Daru, he leaves and heads back to El Almeur. â€Å"He looked at the Arab, motionless in the same spot, sniffed peevishly, and turned away toward the door. Good-by, son, he said†¦The door shut behind him.† (p.6) Balducci, leaving the prisoner in Daru’s hands, makes the reader wonder whether or not Balducci had an ulterior m otive. And also why he left the Arab alone with just Daru? These actions of Balducci’s show that he may have wanted to give responsibility to Daru and have him see what it’s like caring for others and not just care for himself. The Arab, who is the prisoner, is very shy and apprehensive throughout the story. Although he is given many opportunities to escape throughout the story, he doesn’t. This shows that he is loyal and wants to do the right thing. Daru asks the Arab many questions, but he is very vague in answering. The Arab wants to know what is going to happen to him, but doesn’t understand anything that Daru is asking him. He also wants to know if the gendarme, Balducci, will return. His actions throughout the story tell us that he is also concerned about his safety and what will happen to him. In the end, Daru lets the Arab go and sends him away with money and food. The Arab doesn’t know what to think about what Daru is telling him to do. This shows that the Arab is confused and that he may not be able to think for himself while he is on his own. At first he is hesitant but decides to go on ahead, with the things Daru gives him. The Arab walks on ahead and disappears. Now the Ar ab doesn’t know what to expect and doesn’t know what his future holds for him. This will certify that the above work is completely original

Ethical Dilemma in Nursing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ethical Dilemma in Nursing - Research Paper Example Ethical dilemmas are clinical situations where the beneficent care giving interventions or ethical values of health professionals conflict with a patient’s or family member’s wishes (Melia, 1992). Nurses are obligated to respect a patient’s choice and enforce the decision within the law and standards of the profession. Nurses may also have personal values that may conflict with a patient’s choice and it is important in all situations that nurses respect the patient’s choice. Ethical principles exist in the profession so as to guide the conduct of nurses and when faced with ethical dilemmas, the basis for decision making for the health care provider is guided by these values. ... th medical ethics and can be distinguished by the emphasis nursing ethics have on human dignity, formation of caring relationships and collaborative care. Principals such as justice, autonomy, non-maleficence and beneficence are core to the nursing profession (Brody, 1998). The ethical principles guide the everyday practice of nurses to ensure good patient care and to practice within the acceptable code of ethics. In the nursing profession, nurses usually encounter medical situations that present ethical conflicts. Nurses actively participate during ethical decision making in clinical situations and these decisions may conflict with a patient’s or the family’s decision making autonomy. This presents an ethical dilemma to the nurse whose practice is guided by ethical principles but having the responsibility of providing decisions that conflict with these principals. 2.0 Case Study Baby Grace is an infant who had a low heart rate at birth with breathing difficulties and a lso exhibited no movement of her extremities. She was intubated and is supported by a mechanical ventilator. Diagnostic tests revealed that there was a hemorrhage high in her cervical spinal cord, the prognosis being poor. The parents have kept her on the ventilator life support for three months, with the hope that their baby would recover. There is little chance of recovery and Baby Grace’s quality of life is poor. Nurses view the situation as the importance of human life, the baby’s condition stabilized and they are reluctant to remove life support. The parents are unsure of the decision to make. 3.0 Ethical Conflict Nursing is a dynamic as well as a complex profession especially in situations where decisions that have to be made hang in the balance between life and death. Beneficence and

Statistical Process Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Statistical Process Control - Essay Example There are many factors that affect the scenario like mental focus, body strength, direction of air, kick intensity, shoe structure and level of tiredness etc. Despite these factors the players are selected in teams for their marksmanship. The question that arises here is that if a player cannot exhibit exactly same performance again and again then what the criterion of a player selection is? The answer to this question is very simple. Players are selected on the basis of level of control and their consistency to exhibit that ranged control over and over again. For example if a bull’s eye miss rate of a shooter remains in certain acceptable limits then he would be considered in control of his expertise. Evans J. R. (1991) in his book, indicates that a production process generally comprise of the entities namely People, Materials, Machines, Measurements and Methods. It is observed that these factors are the main causes of variations in a production process. The causes of variati ons are observed to be of two types. Common causes: That can be reduced by introducing changes in the process but cannot be eliminated completely. For example using a better version of sail may improve the output of yachting endeavor. Special causes: however are easy to be figured out and eliminated. For example upon discovery of a malfunction a machine repair can re-align the process of production etc. As mentioned earlier that despite the absence of exact replication, the process are considered and relied upon due to the â€Å"Under Control Factor†, the inception of process control seems essential for almost all processes. The Fundamental Concepts And Aims Of SPC: Regarding the assurance of product quality the conventional approach is to inspect the product after manufacturing in order to pass it or to reject it. This approach is found to be less economical and wasteful since a whole lot of manufactured product may be rejected due to a consistent production flaw. A better a pproach is to timely stop the flawed process of production in order to curb manufacturing of products that do not meet the required specifications. The process oriented approach that emphasizes on analysis of production data produced at runtime in order to control the quality of the product by keeping its construction between specifically determined limits is called Statistical Process Control. The term â€Å"Statistical† indicates the involvement, study and analysis of numeric data values that hold production information. The SPC comprises of, Selection of Observation Samples from process of production. Quality Characteristics Measurement. Data recording and calculations. Construction of Control Charts and other assisting graphs. Chart analysis for problem identification. Cause determination and rectification in case of a problem. The approach of SPC is aimed towards, Optimizing the cost – production ratio. Facilitating the production operators in identifying the prob lems that arise due to the usage of inappropriate materials, tools and equipments. Enabling the operators to determine the normal control limits and bearable ranges of variations in order to ease the process of frequent machine adjustments. Enabling the production managers to assess the capability extent of the production process to which it can produce a product within control limits. Supporting decision making regarding purchase of new equipment. Keeping

Properties of social media Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Properties of social media - Assignment Example One of the key moments in the history occurred in 1971 when the first email was sent. Since the discovery of this important function, individuals and business entities have ever used it to communicate and collaborate. Likewise, e-mails form a core component of the collaborative projects and are used by the participants to communicate and interact freely. E-mail messaging is not important to businesses, but also networking communities who use it in communicating and sharing of ideas. The second moment in the history of social media occurred in 1979 with the launch of the usernets and bulletin board systems which allowed users to exchange information over phone lines. According to Cane bulletin boards form an important component of the computer mediated communication system and social interaction (78). The system has revolutionized text-based communication while elintaing the need for visual contact. Another key moment is the discovery of the World Wide Web in 1989 by the British Engin eer Tim Berners Lee. The World Wide Web has brought people together while facilitating the formation of virtual communication. The World Wide Web is very important as it supports all the forms of social media and without it, the sharing of information between users would be impossible. At the same time, World Wide Web facilitates sharing of information between businesses, suppliers and increasing efficiency in an organization. The expansion of the social media sphere would not have been without earlier attempts by the Globe.com, classmates.com, Geocities and the Sixdegrees to create platforms where users can develop their own profiles and exchange important information with their friends and other users. The social media sphere thereafter exploded with the launch of the Friendster.com, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. The fifth key component of the social media is the content communities which have become prevalent in the modern society. A perfect example of a content community is the You Tube which was launched in 2005. YouTube allows the users to share videos, has become phenomenal and it could even be used in the promotion of e-commerce. In this regard, by uploading YouTube video content, business entities can be able to popularize their offerings. Use of viral marketing using social media tools has become a common method that is quickly replacing the traditional forms of marketing. All the above five moments have impacted positively on the way people communicate and are credited with expanding the social media sphere. Question 2: Properties of social media It is very important to make a distinction between industry and social media, to ensure organization choose the most appropriate integrated communication mix. In this regard, an organization should be able to compare and contrasts the benefits and the shortcomings of using the two forms of media. On one hand, social media could be advantageous since it only requires limited sources and creates an immediate impact while on the other hand, industry media could have a more long-lasting impact besides producing high quality advertisements. The differentiating properties also allow organizations to determine the tradeoffs they are willing to make in order to maximize the benefits of their resources. However, the properties of quality and reach do not well differentiate social and the industry media. This is because the quality of both industrial and social media ranges from high to low and there is no clear distinction. Likewise, just like industrial media, social media has become a serious tool and its distribution

Segregation and the Racial Wage Gap Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Segregation and the Racial Wage Gap - Term Paper Example Though the world’s governing body has formulated policies for the development of gender equality and elimination of racial discrimination, numerous issues come to light regarding racial discrimination at schools, workplace; gender discrimination, etc. The major issues coming into discussions are about the racial and gender inequality at workplace, discrimination in wages, etc. in spite of various legal provisions available to assist the victim. This paper looks into such cases of discrimination and segregation at workplace with regard to unequal pay and race while reviewing cases published in various newspapers, magazines, journals and online articles. Body Wage Gaps based on race and gender inequality Occupation gender segregation is the strong feature of the US labor market as it is inefficient economically, preventing able people from moving into occupations where they could perform well. Occupation segregation is important point for discussion because occupational choice i s constrained by socialization, lack of information, or more direct barriers to entry to training or work in occupations where one sex is small minority of the workforce (IWPR, 13). Various legislations have been passed in different countries regarding equal pays, right to living with dignity, etc. but the differences still persist in society at large. According to Alfano (Report: Race Gap in US Persists) the median income for white households was $50,662 in the year 2005 as compared to $30,939 for black households and $36,278 for Hispanic households which shows there is huge income gap among the non white and white households revealing the discriminatory practice in income generating opportunities. According to the Economist (Race and Red Tape) black workers in America earn less than their white peers due to less education, skills, knowhow and experience than the whites. However, the article reveals the bias attitude of American companies stating that the companies are more likely to interview white person than the black person, if both of them have identical qualification. The dismal condition of black people is known for generation, gender discrimination is also at large with women entering the workforce competing with the men for the same position. The wage gap between male and female workers was huge when there were no policies protecting their rights. However the gap has narrowed down to 77 cents earned by full time female worker, irrespective of black or white, as compared to every dollar earned by men. However, the gap widens for African American women with 67.9% of men’s wages while Latinas earn 58 percent of men’s earnings (Pappas, â€Å"Women Intensely Dissatisfied with Pay Gap†). Rayner (Pay gap is growing between men and women) reported the statistics from Chartered Management Institute (CMI) which reveals that male managers are paid more than their female counterparts with same qualifications and talents. This scenario has be en explained briefly in an article at Center for American Progress (Wage Gap by Numbers) wherein its is stated that women with more

Low health Literacy in Heart Disease patients Essay

Low health Literacy in Heart Disease patients - Essay Example Some of these problems are increased mortality, increased risk of hospitalization, and decreased mental health (Evangelista, et al., 2010, p. 9). Consequently, low health literacy has to be identified and clinical practice should include the necessary interventions that deal with low health literacy. The importance of health literacy and its effects on human health gained considerable recognition in the 1990s. It was identified that good communication was significant in the health management of patients. Such communication should be developed between health care professionals and the patients and their relatives (Evangelista, et al., 2010, p. 9). It ensures the safety of patients and enhances the quality of health care. In the absence of proper communication, it is not possible to achieve optimal health care. The combination of low health literacy and lack of communication leads to serious health problems, such as increased risk of safety. This is because low health literacy deprives a patient, with chronic disease, of self-care skills. Institutes like the Heart Failure Society of America and the American College of Cardiology, and the American Heart Association stressed the importance of educating the patient about self-care methods (Evangelista, et al., 2010, p. 9). These methods are an essential component of the heart failure disease management programs. Therefore, health literacy is very important for patients with heart disease. Patients should understand and apply the provisions of the health literacy, in order to obtain the desired health outcomes (Evangelista, et al., 2010, p. 9). In the US, low literacy is a major problem. In the late 1990s, there were around forty million adults with a score that was accorded level 1 of the National Adult Research Survey (NALS). Level 1 is the lowest of the five levels of the NALS. This was complemented by another fifty million adults who were designated as level 2 individuals on the NALS (Berkman, et al., 2004). Thes e literacy levels determine the capacity of individuals to understand information or numbers. In the healthcare setting, literacy is of great importance. Patients with low literacy may find it difficult to communicate with their physicians, which would compromise the quality of medical care received by them. Low literacy makes it difficult for patients to understand the instructions given by the physician; and result in adverse health outcomes, and undesirable health effects (Berkman, et al., 2004). Lack of communication capacity, due to low literacy will result in the obtention of inferior quality treatment. It is essential to be aware of health issues. This requires a clear understanding of health information. Such comprehension is termed health literacy. The American Medical Association states that health literacy is an indicator of the personal health of individuals. Health literacy varies from person to person (Glassman, 2010). Thus, persons with poor health literacy do not giv e much importance to their personal health. According to the Institute of Medicine, more than half the people in the US consider it difficult to understand and use health information. Most of the patients in the US fail to follow medical schedules, on account of poor health literacy. They fail to take medicines as prescribed and fail to keep their appointment with doctors (Glassman, 2010). Interaction is an important aspect of healthcare area. It normally transpires in the

Nursing sensitive outcomes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing sensitive outcomes - Essay Example Variables studied under this paper vary from the sophisticated constructs comprised of a combination of nurse and patient variables mediated by the 'Nursing Role Effectiveness Model (Doran et al, 2002) derived as per the researchers from Nursing Economics, 1998: 16; 58-64; 87. The same complexity of variables is derived from Titler et al, 2006, wherein the researchers utilize a construct model comprised of patient characteristics, clinical conditions, nursing unit characteristics and medical, pharmacy and nursing interventions related to the outcome of discharge disposition. Other less complexly structured but as legitimate variables studied herein are nurses' spirituality (Chung et al, 2007), nurses' effective usage of physical touch in care (Rombalski, 2003) and special nursing intervention practices such as slow-breathing relaxation exercise as a prelude to the usage of opioids as a means to pain management during chest tube removal for patients who had undergone coronary bypass s urgery (Friesner et al, 2006). The paper shall now study the degree of effectiveness as assessed by the individual sets of researchers for the aforementioned variables to determine their relative contributions to nursing role performance. Doran et la, 2002, utilized the Nursing Role Effectivene... The cross-sectional design of NREM is a set of structure, process and outcome variables. Patient structural variables include medical diagnosis, gender, age and education (Doran et al, 2002). Nurse structural variables include educational preparation and hospital experience. Unit structural variables include the adequacy of time to provide, autonomy and role tension (Doran et al, 2002). Nurses' independent role performance was assessed by patient report on perceptions of quality of nurses' care. Interdependent nurses' role performance was assessed by nurses' report on quality of nurses' communication and co-ordination of care (Doran et al, 2002). Patient outcome variables include patients' therapeutic self-care ability, functional status and mood disturbance at the time of hospital discharge assessed by patient self-report. It is distinctly significant that the quality of nurses' independent role performance mediated to a greater degree patient outcomes. Patient functional status was much better and degree of mood disturbance at discharge much less when nurses' independent role performance proved of better quality. Interestingly also, this independent nursing role performance proved of better quality in units where there was less autonomy and more time for care. Interdependent role performance variables like care co-ordination proved of better quality in units where there was less autonomy and role tension and more nurse education and experience (Doran et al, 2002). The other nursing role interdependent variable, nurses' communication, proved of better quality in units where nurses were afforded more autonomy and had higher degrees of education but were less experienced and

Safety Training Program Development Assignment Case Study

Safety Training Program Development Assignment - Case Study Example Also, it revolves around implementation and careful training to ensure that goals of an organization are effectively reached. This way each phase of the training produces results that are useful in the next phase. Training stands as the best way forward for professionals given that they often make mistakes without ever realizing it. By basically acknowledging them, one can begin to improve performance speedily, without problems and without incurring losses on any new training programs. The learners in this case are the trainees in which case any personality who is required to go into a confined space or a permit required confined space must have to receive this type of training before they may gain admittance to the area. The outcomes of this course include understanding the hazards of confined spaces, learning the responsibilities and duties of the confined space entry participants achieve familiarity with atmospheric testing equipment and entrance equipment and become knowledgeable on safety standards for conservation of confined space entries The learning constraints that exist in the training program include the need for acquiring a permit. In this case, if workers are not to enter and work in permit spaces, employers must take effective actions to avoid them from entering these spaces. If workers are expected to enter permit spaces, the employer must develop in print a permit space program and make it obtainable by employees or their legislative body. To make it easier for the learners, the mode of delivery involves bringing the training facilities close to the trainees. This makes it possible for learners to acquire the skills at the door step. Once the training program has identified resources and milestones, you can structure a timeline. Generally, its a wise idea to work backwards, since it should be known when the project is due. Next, adjustments are made

Outcomes of divorce on children Essay Example for Free

Outcomes of divorce on children Essay Divorce, while lengthy and sometimes hurtful, can be beneficial to the children and spouses. Children coming from situations of abuse and neglect actually benefit from the separation of parents. These parents may remain single or remarry, still studies have shown that the children have and are thriving in a way they were unable to before the separation. While there are exceptions to every rule, the divorce has become a positive alternative in some families. Children coming from homes where violence and abuse is an ordinary occurrence, are not only victims in their childhood, but are continually affected as adults. According to the Traumatogentic model, proposed by Dr. Finkelor (1987), the abused child produces a number of different psychological effects and long term behavioral changes. Leaving a child in such a situation would not only cause continual physical harm, but also the long term psychological problems. In such cases divorce is encouraged for the benefit of both the spouse being abused and the child involved. After divorce children have been shown to thrive in the new, abuse-free environment; showing improvements in their education, attitude, and overall social development. Another factor of positive divorce is the presence of neglect in the household. Accumulating information from the Attachment Theory proposed by John Bowlby in 1980, researchers have compiled evidence of the side effects of the lack of a secure attachment to caregivers at an early age. Because of rejection and inconsistent attention, among other forms of neglect, these children have â€Å"developed anxious, insecure or disorganized/disoriented attachments with their primary care providers† (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services). With two parents this neglect from one or both can turn to a feeling of hatred for one or both parents from the child. â€Å"This lack of secure attachment relationship then hinders the infants or toddlers ability to explore his/her environment and develop feelings of competence† (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services). Divorce here is an apparent necessity to the children involved. Based on the long term effects of neglect from numerous studies, children are better with one parent that cares for them or a non-biological parent than two that do not accurately care for the child’s needs. While being exposed to the process of divorce, children have become aware that struggle is a normal part of marriage and have been able to use their parents as examples. In a study done by â€Å"Psychology Today†, twenty-eight college students were interviewed to see how their parents divorce influenced their own current and past relationships. The group was divided into three different groups according to their responses. The first group were named the â€Å"Modelers†. This group mimicked their parents relationship, continuing to be dysfunctional. The second group were the â€Å"Strugglers†, this group showed a cautiousness in trusting others and hesitancy in opening up to others. The third were the â€Å"Reconcilers†. These students strove to learn from their parents mistakes and the problems they witnessed, to create more successful relationships in their own lives. The group that the students fell into also had to do with the type of relationship they had with their parents before the breakup and after. It was found that the â€Å"modeler† group had â€Å"limited insight† to the problems that their parents were going through. The â€Å"strugglers† lost touch with their parents and received little support after the divorce. In contrast, â€Å"reconcilers† kept touch with their parents and were given positive reinforcement† (H. Parker). In these cases the students learned from their parents divorce by example. Neither regretting their parent’s decision nor harboring ill feelings toward them for the separation. Good communication between parents and children was key to a happy outcome post-divorce. In an interview done by Dr.  Joyce Arditti of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, fifty-eight young women who were raised by only their mother were asked their feelings on the situation. The women all agreed that the relationship between themselves and their mothers could never be closer. The relationships evolved into that of a best friendship rather than an authority figure and child. Although they are not the traditional mother-daughter relationships, they still provide support for the child in all the ways that a typical mother could and even go beyond that to the type of support that only a friend could provide. Growing up in a family with both parents present, was somewhat less than picture perfect in my own experiences. As a child, hearing constant arguing from both parents caused me to have a bias opinion on the parent doing the least amount of yelling or the parent that was fighting for my cause. This fighting being a constant in my life, made me wish that they would divorce, but because of personal religious reasons they have not. This, in turn, causes me to have apprehensions about marriage and doubt some of the stipulations that I was raised to associate with marriage. Divorce in my case would benefit my relationship with both parents and ease my own apprehensions about marriage. Divorce will always be a tough situation for the parents and children involved, but that does not mean that it has to be a negative one. The term divorce has been, in recent years, coined with a negative connotation. This however, is out-dated and one sided. With the recent studies and the help of psychologists, the term divorce has become somewhat less than taboo in our society today.

International and Strategic Marketing Essay Example for Free

International and Strategic Marketing Essay The globalization of business markets from domestic to international has generated a unique competitive advantage for all the organizations whose products and services are being welcomed by the customers all around the world demanding mass marketing efforts. In this regard, marketing research in the international environment is having different methodology and complications with respect to geographical boundaries of a specific country in which penetration and development of a product is required. Therefore, an international market planning with strategic aligned goal, for development in the global world should be the objective of marketers to captivate international market leadership. Introduction The gravity of globalization in today’s modern era in the business world is increasing enormously due to faster means of communication, transportation, technology, and rapid financial streams. The product that is being produced in a specific region does not have limitations of boundaries. A Russian student can be wearing Italian T-shirt, driving in a German car going to meet his friend in a Chinese restaurant. This example is not astonishing because it is a general practice and nowadays everybody can illustrate the true meaning of world global market place. Hence, marketers are required to analyze this gravity of globalization and have to consider international marketing in their strategic goal of marketing plan. Marketing is the well known concept of anticipating customer need or demand then analyzing how marketers are going to fulfill that demand or need and finally satisfying customer need or demand. If the customer is really satisfied by gauging the ultimate benefit from that product or service provided by the marketer than it develops a sense of strong relationship between the customer and the organization, in which the organization give value to the customer and in return customer give value to them by building a strong profitable relationship (Kotler, Armstrong, 2008). International marketing concept is also the same as the general defined concept of marketing but the methodology to enter and penetrate in the international market is not the same as it is in domestic marketing. Indeed the tools and skills to enter in the international market is same but their application differs due the factors which include economy, political and legal system, and most importantly culture and buying behavior of the nation. Hence, the ideology of international marketing can be gauged in this way that the organization which offers its products and services by planning, pricing, promoting, and distributing to more than one nation other than domestic market to earn higher profit   (Cateora et al., 2002). Internationalized Business Operations Many potential organizations tend to bring their operation on global level rather than national level. When the companies move to internationalization the complexity and sophistication of operations change enormously. The basic guidelines for the companies orienting in international market are described by EPRG framework (Wind, Douglas, Perlmutter, 1973). This framework deals with four types of orientation of company going to international market which are: a. Ethnocentrism: In this type of orientation, top management is highly focusing on domestic market as compared to foreign market because its products have already stable and reasonable demand in domestic market. Company considers their foreign sales as surplus to their domestic sales. b. Polycentrism: It is the attitude which arises when the company recognizes that its multi domestic products strategies would not be successful in the host country if the orientation method is same as domestic orientation. Hence, a different marketing program to enter in the international market is required by the company. c. Regiocentrism: In these stages company identifies the similarities of the entire region and enters the regional market by developing integrated strategies of marketing. Such types of orientation capture geographically and economically integrated region such as NAFTA and European Union. d. Geocentrism: In this type of approach company consider the entire global market as its potential market place. This is one of the most important and critical type of approach when companies make single policies for the entire world market. The organizations should have prior focus on going globally because this approach has a great future. Hence, it is proved as well that organizations which are growing globally have gathered tremendous success in the past decades.   International marketing environment An optical company introduced eye glasses in Thailand by running advertizing campaign of cute animals wearing glasses. The advertisement featuring animal was a pathetic choice as in Thailand animals are considered to be the sign of low life and was not respectful for Thais to take that thing which was being used by animal due to which the company had to suffer a loss in spite of modern and unique design of their product (Payne, website). So the main fault was of the company’s marketing research team that they did not gathered   appropriate knowledge of Thai culture and have misjudged the society in which they are going to enter. They did not realize the fact that the marketing environment would be different from the domestic market in which they have achieved the strategic position. When the organization takes the decision of going beyond the domestic market then it needs to cater that there will be significant national differences which will create a different marketing environment than the one it is serving now. This reflects the very fact that the research is need to be conducted in those highlighting factors which will affect its strategic marketing goals. There are many ways by which research can be conducted out of which asking question is the most effective one by which an appropriate answer is obtained (Kumar, 2000). Marketing Research in Saudi Arabia If the analysis is conducted on the differences of factors in the international marketing environment of a country named as Saudi Arabia then it is observed that the main highlighting factors which are to be considered in doing research and which differentiate people of one nation to another are discussed below; a. Culture: Nation with different cultures has different traditional values and demand those products which are not vulnerable to their culture. Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country having Arabs traditional values, they will highly support and promote the product in Saudi market which will either promote their culture or at least accept their culture. b. Economic condition: The economic condition of the nation should be highly considered in marketing research because it defines the purchasing power of the customer which is the main origin of marketing. In Saudi market maximum companies offer luxurious and expensive products because the purchasing power of the nation is high because of rich government having vast amount of natural resources. c. Racial differences: It defines the different physical features of the nation. Like the cosmetic product would be different for the customers of Saudi Arabia as compared to the customers of U.S.A. It is located in such region of Asia in which people have generally different colored skin which is opposite to U.S. nation which do not have the same skin as Saudis’ have. In this regard, the marketing program for the Saudi nation for particularly cosmetic products would be different from that of U.S.A. d. Climate: It defines the different meteorological condition of the country because it has a great impact on the products which have seasonal demands. Saudi Arabia is considered as the hot climate country in which temperature normally rises to 55 0F. For such a hot weather country marketers have taken that as opportunity for them and have introduced such air conditioning system which can sustain the temperature of Saudi Arabia. There would be consider an immature marketing program if the products which are not suitable with the climate of the country are introduced because they are not compatible for that region neither they have market demand in that region. e. Religion: It does reflect in the marketing, in the sense that the product whose ingredients are controversial. In Saudi Arabia the concept of Halal food restricts the entire food manufacturers to penetrate in its markets that violate it and in the same way alcoholic drinks are also not allowed because of their religious jurisdiction. f. Language: In international marketing research, it is one of the most important aspects because it is the effective means of communication and if it is not used in appropriate manner, can cause reverse affect on marketing efforts. Arabic is the native language of Saudi nation and mostly they are unable to understand English, which is a universal language. So, the marketers have analyzed that their all promotion efforts should be translated in Arabic so that the customer really get to know that what the product all about is. Similarly, there are also other factors which marketers have to analyze in the international marketing research mode of environment it has targeted like market facilities and capabilities, political stability of the country, nation psyche etc.

The Social Patterns of Children During Play

The Social Patterns of Children During Play The purpose of the current study was to determine whether children exhibited a preference for solitary play, same gendered play, or opposite gendered play. The hypothesis was that both males and females would spend more time in gender-segregated play than engaging with opposite-gendered peers or in non-interactive play. Play is a vital contributor to the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children (Chea, Nelson, Ruben, 2001). One important component of childhood play is early peer interactions. The choices a child makes with regards to peer selection contribute to their development by determining the quality of their early social interactions. A number of factors must be taken into consideration when evaluating childrens social situations. Children can either play alone or with one or more peers. Solitary play can take a variety of forms, each carrying a different implication for the childs social experience. Social play can involve interactions with same gendered peers or with opposite-gendered peers. Each of these components contributes to the unique social experience each child encounters. Recent work has suggested that solitary play is not always an indicator of poor social skills. Motivations for solitary play vary and could include self-reflection or regulation, task-oriented motivations, personality characteristics, or an inability to engage with peers. Work by Moore, Everston, and Brophy (1974) has found that the majority of time children spend in solitary play is engaging in goal directed activities. These activities are beneficial for development. The researchers suggest that rather than being an immature and developmentally harmful method of play, this type of solitary play represents independence and task orientated behaviour that should be seen as indicating maturity. It has been suggested that the category of interaction that Parten (1932) referred to as parallel interaction is a more immature form of play than solitary play rather than an intermediate step towards cooperative play (Johnson, Ershler, Bell, 1980). This type of interaction is more frequently exhibited in younger children. Research suggests that in many situations it acts as a bridge to cooperative group play, and is often only engaged in for a very short period of time (Smith, 1978). The parallel interaction initiates communication with the child and leads to cooperative play. If the attempt to open up an interaction fails, the child may resort to parallel play again. Extensive time spent in parallel play may indicate poor social skills (Pellegrinin Bjorklund, 1998). As children develop, they generally spend more time in cooperative play with their peers. Research by Smith found that solitary play decreased throughout the preschool period. Another study by Rubin, Watson, and Jambor (1978) found that preschool children engaged in significantly more solitary play and less group play than children at the kindergarten level. As a child spends more time in cooperative play, peer selection becomes an important component of their social experience. The decisions a child makes regarding those they play with contribute to their development by determining the quality and characteristics of their social interactions. Participants The participants in the study were 10 students from Dr. Mary J. Wright University Laboratory School. The 10 participants consisted of 5 males and 5 females. The students were from the Five-Afternoon Kindergarten class and all participants were four years old. All of the participants were Caucasian and from the middle to upper socio-economic class. During all four of the one hour observations there were approximately fourteen children including the participants and approximately six adults were present. There were child-initiated activities which included playing with Lego or blocks, drawing and colouring, and playing with various toys. There were also teacher-guided activities that included book reading, show and tell, and arts and crafts. Observational Procedure The participants were observed using a play partner index, which catalogued the different play partners that the children engaged with. This index had six different categories, which were: same gender play, opposite gender play, male parallel play, female parallel play, goal oriented play, and non-goal oriented play. The participants were timed in 30-second intervals using the stopwatch program on a cell phone. All of the participants were monitored from an observation room, which contained headphones, chairs, a writing table and a one-way mirror used to observe the children without disturbing their play. The students were observed in the Mary Wright Classroom during the child-initiated and teacher guided activates. Each child was observed one child at a time for 20 intervals of 30 seconds, and recorded the category of play that the child was engaging in. For example if a student was near another female student but not directly interacting with her, it would be recorded as female par allel play. Results The type of social play that each target student engaged in was recorded in 20, 30-second intervals for 10 minutes. The total numbers of intervals were added up for each participant and the participant was labeled by the condition that they spend the most time in. In the single case of an equal number of intervals between two categories, each category was assigned 0.5. There were no significant differences that were reported between the play categories for males or female. Both genders spent the majority of their time engaging in solitary play. There was only one child who demonstrated any sort of preference for opposite gendered play, and even in that case, only 50% of the participants total interactions within the ten-minute period were within this category. These results can clearly be seen in Figure 1 on the tables page at the end of the paper. There are many possible reasons for the failure to demonstrate significant results, such as sampling issues, environmental factors, and the transitory characteristic of the age range observed. Discussion The hypothesis was that that both males and females would spend more time in playing with children of their own gender than interacting with opposite-gendered peers or in non-interactive play. The results failed to support the hypothesis. No significant relationship was found between the categories for males or females. Research by Smith (1978) has demonstrated that solitary play decreases throughout the preschool period, as children begin to engage more with their peers. The children were in their later years of preschool and they failed to show this preference for social interaction. It is possible that the children in the current study have not yet made this transition. The age range considered represents the transitory stage, and this may contribute to the lack of significance in the results. Furthermore, research by Rubin, Watson, and Jambor (1978) considered preschool aged children compared to kindergarten children, and found that kindergarten aged children spent much more time in group play than the preschoolers. The children in the current study were on the older end of the age bracket for preschool but had not yet reached kindergarten. These children may have been too young to begin to demonstrate the preference for cooperative play that was exhibited in these studies. This research is of significant value to schools, daycare, parents, or anybody interacting with children on a regular basis. Being aware of the dominant social patterns for each age group can allow caregivers to identify children who may be diverging from the norm. If children fail to engage in positive interactions with their peers or tend to engage in long periods of parallel play, they may be developing poor social skills. Caregivers who can identify these children can then assist them in working towards positive relationships with their peers. Knowing the beneficial forms of solitary play can allow caregivers to provide children with stimulating activities that can assist them in their development, and monitor children for extensive periods of time spent in non goal-directed behaviour. Each child has independent needs when it comes to social behaviours. Being aware of the trends and risks can allow caregivers to meet the unique needs of each child. There are many extensions that can be made to provide further insight into social patterns in children. For example, the family situation and siblings in particular may influence social preferences exhibited in children. Some children may enjoy playing by themselves because they come from a larger family of many siblings and desire time alone. The opposite may also be true. In regards to gender preferences, children may gravitate towards peers that are the same gender of their siblings. For instance, a young girl who has three brothers and no sisters may demonstrate a preference for male play partners. The impact of being an only child could be considered, as well as the effect of a participant with mixed siblings. Patterns between siblings and peer interactions could be investigated. As research continues to shed light on the social patterns of children, caregivers of all kinds will become more able to meet the needs of each child. Their unique traits can be appreciated and specific personal weaknesses can be attended to. As social beings, it is vital that humans be socially adjusted in order for them to reach their full potential and experience overall wellbeing. This research allows for increased insight that can ensure children are provided with the opportunity to achieve this goal and experience a positive social environment that is beneficial to their development.

Book Review on The World of Yesterday :: essays research papers fc

The Death of a Soul, The Glance of History And meet the time as it seeks us. Cymberline Before the preface, I saw the sentence adopted from Shakespeare ¡Ã‚ ¯s Cymberline . All of the sudden, a sense of seriousness and heaviness mounted up in my heart. I felt the author ¡Ã‚ ¯s tone of despair and disillusionment.  ¡Ã‚ °at most, one generation had gone though a revolution, another experienced a putsch, the third a war, the fourth a famine, the fifth national bankruptcy ¡Ã‚ ­But we, who are sixty today and who, de jure, still have a space of time before us, what have we not seen, not suffered, not lived though? ¡Ã‚ ± Such struggling words can only be composed by a writer in unbearable agonies. Actually, the author was forced to witness the most terrible defeat of reason and the wildest triumph of brutality in the chronicle of the ages. What an embarrassing situation it was to an intellectual with great concern for the humanity and morality. Stefan Zweig was born in 1881 in a middle class family in Austria and died at his own hands in 1942 at the age of 60, crossing two centuries, witnessing two contemporary wars. He was well-known as a novelist, a playwright, a biographer a manuscript collector and a pacifist. In 1934, he was exiled to Britain and then to Brazil where he lived his rest of life with his wife. The World of Yesterday is his autobiography written between 1939 and 1940. Zweig always encouraged his friends to set down their reminiscences, not necessarily for publication but for the pleasure and benefit of their children, their families. As for his own autography, he was to  ¡Ã‚ °give some reflection of his life before it sinks into the darkness. ¡Ã‚ ±(P.9) It is not so much an autobiography as a  ¡Ã‚ °biography ¡Ã‚ ± of his time. It is a vivid, moving and nostalgic portrayal of Europe before wars; it is a story about intellectual brotherhood which tried to prevent national madness that destroyed the Europe and the world, twice. In the book, we picture the dramatic progress of material wealth and despairing collapse of morality. It also provides a source for us to know other great figures like Dostoyevsky, Goethe, Tolstoy and Freud who constituted the most glorious and attractive scenery at that time, making the sky not so sad. If we intend to figure out one of the best times in history, there is no doubt that the time before the World War I ¡Ã‚ ªZweig ¡Ã‚ ¯s childhood and youth hood ¡Ã‚ ªis definitely one.

Biography of Andrew Warhol Essay -- Papers

Biography of Andrew Warhol Born Andrew Warhol on August 6, 1928 (some sources say 1927), in Forest City, Pennsylvania, the son of a construction worker and miner from Czechoslovakia. He attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh from 1945-1949, receiving a bachelor of fine arts degree in pictorial design. Warhol liked to shroud himself in mystery. "I never give my background, and anyway, I make it all up differently every time I'm asked," he said. His exact birth date and place only add to this mystery. Warhol provided no information on the matter, so any definitive statement is subject to question. In 1949 Warhol arrived in New York City, where he made a meager living in advertising display work. He took some of his drawings to Glamour magazine and received a commission to make drawings of shoes. These were published and admired; he then worked for a shoe chain. In 1957 a shoe advertisement brought him the Art Directors' Club Medal. His work appeared in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar magazines, and in 1959 he exhibited his gold shoe drawings in a New York City gallery. In 1960 Warhol began painting pictures with no commercial market in mind. He did a series on comic strips such as Dick Tracy, Popeye, Superman and the Little King. His paintings of Coca Cola bottles and Campbell soup cans, arranged in seemingly endless rows, were ridiculed when they were first shown. He created paintings of money and ... ...ed subjects with great popular imagery and treated the symbol and image as much as he does the real object itself. As a social commentator (a role he denied), Warhol had the uncanny ability to mirror the trends and fads of his time. Recognizing the elements of an urban mass society heavily influenced by symbols, images, and the mass media, he made those symbols and images the subjects of his art. For Warhol and other Pop artists, these images have taken on a reality of their own. They were not only shaped by but also reshaped popular culture. Warhol left social and cultural historians visual documents of the significant elements from America's consumerist society of the postwar era--an important legacy. Warhol died of heart failure hours after under going gall bladder surgery on February 22, 1987, in New York City.

Diversity of Online Communities Essay -- Technology Internet Games Ess

Diversity of Online Communities The article in U.S. News & World Report called "Go Play-On the Web" represents a community of virtual gamers on the Internet. These games are a lot more complex than the online gaming of the past. When these people that belong to this particular community log on to the net they are interacting with each other in huge 3-D virtual worlds. Some of these games focus on a particular subject like playing virtual game shows with others on the net. Some of the new games that are just recently being released are far more complex. One of these new more complex games is called "Motor City Online". Motor City Online is a game where people buy old muscle cars and customize them to their own personal specifications. When they are ready they can go out to the virtual races and race other people that are logged on to the game. Although most people like to race cars what makes this game unique is the fact that people can do a lot more in this game than just race cars. Some people spend their time bro wsing the car actions and buying cars cheap, then they strip the cars down in order to sell the parts to other people online and make a profit. Other people find a niche in the game as a mechanic helping others find the best and cheapest parts for their street rods. These are just a few of the roles that a person can play in this game. I think the fact that you can assume so many different roles in games like Motor City Online makes it unique. To me these types of games seem to be more than just games but they are almost a virtual life that some people live in the spare time. When they log on to these games they are taking positions in jobs in these worlds such as Race car drivers, Mechanics, Promoters, and Auctione... ...of the Internet say that the net is a dangerous place for people to spend their time because there are so many horrible people and things that users can be exposed to on the net. I don't agree with this at all I think that the Internet is very similar to real life. The Internet can be what ever each individual user wants it to be. It all depends on what communities that people chose to go online and be apart of. It takes a lot longer to find a community online than it does in real life but there is a community online for everyone. I think the critics of the Internet just haven't spent enough time browsing for a place where they feel comfortable. Works Cited Reingold, Howard "The Heart of the WELL" Composing Cyberspace Ed. Phillip A. Butcher Boston: Mc Graw Hill 1998 151-163 Terrell, Kenneth "Go Play- on the Web" U.S. News & World Report Sept. 2001: 78-80