Performance Enhancing Drugs - 4152 Words

David Stone Performance-Enhancing Drugs and Athletes There has been a debate of epic proportion for the past few decades on whether professional athletes from around the world have the right to use performance-enhancing drugs. As for now these world athletes are not permitted to use most of the performance-enhancing drugs that are available by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The athletes are randomly tested by their professional leagues. Each American league has their own method of dealing with athletes who abuse banned substances. These methods of punishment can range from a fine to expulsion from the league. The use of illegal drugs to enhance performance is called doping. What doping involves is misusing medicinal†¦show more content†¦Fans have demonstrated a willingness to support drug-aided athletes like major league baseball player Mark McGwireÂ… He is the first athlete in history to break a record while publicly admitting his use of performance-enhancing drugsÂ… It is time to recognize that the use of performa nce-enhancing drugs is here to stay and that elite athletes will go to extreme lengths to succeed (Barnard). There are two very big myths surrounding society and their thoughts on these drug-aided athletes. One of the myths is that fans wont pay to see drug-aided athletes perform, something that McGwires example seems directly to contradict. It is said that more people turn up to watch McGwire warm up than attend most matches (Barnard). The second myth is that athletes that use these performance-enhancing drugs do not have to work as hard. These drugs actually allow the athlete to train harder and longer. The body can only take an athlete so far, but if he or she is on a performance-enhancing drug they can get more out of a day of training. Athletes train themselves to be the best at what they do. They will push themselves close to death. Among world-class athletes, the lure of steroids is not that they magically transform performance, no drug can do that, but that they mak e it possible to train harder (Gladwell). Performance-enhancing drugs may be looked down upon but it has not stopped the initial public from watching and enjoying these athletes performances.Show MoreRelatedPerformance Enhancing Drugs. . Performance-Enhancing Drugs1580 Words   |  7 PagesPerformance Enhancing Drugs Performance-enhancing drugs (PED s) have been an issue for many decades now for the medical and sports field. Olympic and professional athletes have been using them to gain an upper hand on the competition, but some may ask if it s really worth it? Studies show that performance-enhancing drugs have been proven to negatively affect the health of athletes who take them. Simply put, performance-enhancing drugs could either improve athletic performance or can be extremelyRead MorePerformance Enhancing Drugs For Sports1227 Words   |  5 PagesPerformance Enhancing Drugs Sport records are becoming harder   to break and seeing records are starting to become a thing of the past.. Players aren’t being able to hit these home runs or score long touchdown’s. Injured   players are getting kicked off the team or even quit because they can’t get to their peak performance that they were at before they got injured.   If more players were to use performance enhancing drugs they would be able to compete to the performance of past players. A performanceRead MoreThe Prohibition Of Performance Enhancing Drugs1257 Words   |  6 PagesContinue the Prohibition of Performance Enhancing Drugs Sporting competitions either nationally or internationally have regulations to prohibit or inhibit the use of performance enhancing drugs (PED’s). There been a case for the lifting of these regulations to create sporting fair across all types of people. Craig Fry, an advocate for the use of performance enhancing drugs in elite sporting competitions and author of â€Å"Bring Truth into Play by Saying Yes to Drugs in Sport†, is an Australian healthRead More Performance Enhancing Drugs Essay1759 Words   |  8 PagesPerformance Enhancing Drugs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When most people think of performance-enhancing drugs the first thought that comes to their minds is the illegal ones like steroids, but today there are more non-illegal drugs like creatine and androstenedione for people today. Creatine is a chemical produced by the kidney and found in meat product. It helps muscles recover after a workout, which in turn helps athletes bulk up faster (Gregorian 5). Creatine is used by many of the nations top college sports teamsRead Moreâ€Å"Performance-Enhancing Drugs in the Workplace† Essay1392 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Performance-Enhancing Drugs in the Workplace† Performance-enhancers are becoming more common in our everyday life, despite our efforts to ban them. This raises the questions, should we just accept these drugs and use them to our advantage? Or should we continue to resist these drugs and not take advantage of their performance-enhancing capabilities? When you start talking about organizations like the military, where Soldiers are ask to go beyond the normal physical and mental stress of a regularRead MorePerformance Enhancing Drugs For Professional Sports1703 Words   |  7 Pagesthe use of performance enhancing drugs. The debate on whether or not performance enhancing substances should be allowed in professional sports has been going on for years, decades even. Many believe that using steroids and other performance enhancers should automatically disqualify an athlete from ever being able to be a member of the Hall of Fame, in sports in general, not just in Major League Baseball. However, there is an argument to be made to make the use of performance enhancing drugs legal inRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemma Of Performance Enhancing Drugs1364 Words   |  6 Pagesway. In this paper, the ethical dilemma of performance enhancing drugs being used in sports will be addressed and be given solution based on the Christian worldview. Ethical Dilemma This case involves Paul, who is a promising young athlete, who works hard and has a good spot on his team. He is constantly putting in training to get better and it has been paying off. He notices that some of his teammates have been trying out a new performance enhancing drug. It is not illegal, but it still improvesRead MoreSports and Performance Enhancing Drugs Essay1221 Words   |  5 PagesPerformance enhancing drugs in todays pro sports have become a big deal, because of health stimulants and the benefits that such studies have on good development of the person and on fair athletic games. Pediatricians or trainers can play a huge role in helping the athlete or player that is using or taking performance enhancing drugs. By taking factual info about the true benefits and medical problems of these drugs and giving information about healthy food and working out. Tries to create a changeRead MorePerformance Enhancing Drugs Should Be Banned1645 Words   |  7 Pagesrules by using performance enhancing drugs each year. Performance enhancing drugs help athletes to becomes bigger, faster, and overall better at their individual sport. This process is called doping. Doping can be defined as using drugs and various substances to better perform at a particular task. Furthermore, these athletes act in the moment and fail to see all aspects of these performance enhancing drugs. Contradictorily, some individuals argue that performance enhancing drugs should in fact beRead MoreEthical Dilemmas : Performance Enhancing Drugs1674 Words   |  7 PagesEthical Dilemmas: Performance Enhancing Drugs Today’s society places high-performance athletes on a pedestal and our youth look to become the next superstar. The question plaguing young athletes is â€Å"how can I get there?†. Physical development must be considered for any athlete and this consequently introduces the topic of performance enhancing drugs. These substances can cause physical development to occur faster than the natural rate, making the athlete a step above â€Å"the rest†. Ethical, moral

Reform Movements in 1850’s America Free Essays

During the early-mid 19th century, many reform movements took place throughout the world, specifically in the United States. The main types of reform movements that took place were social, institutional, religious and abolitionist reforms. Many systems went through reformations, most of them putting emphasis on the idea of democracy. We will write a custom essay sample on Reform Movements in 1850’s America or any similar topic only for you Order Now Social reforms such as a push for utopian societies tried to push values and morals on the dysfunctional American society, looking to make it a more democratic one. Abolitionist movements such as the movement for woman’s rights and the abolishment of slavery all reinforced the American idea of equal treatment, just like institutional reforms in the public education and prison systems. Religious reforms also spawned the Second Great Awakening, which revived democratic ideals by setting better moral standards for society. One of the largest reform movements that had the greatest effect on the United States was what took place within and around the institution of slavery. The country became split 50/50 over the very delicate issue of the abolishment of slavery which, if abolished, would affect the economy and social structure of the United States with a colossal magnitude. The majority of the ones who favored the abolishment of slavery believed so because they supported democracy; which in essence secured equal treatment, basic rights and opportunity for its citizens . Abolitionists such as Sojourner Truth, a freed black woman who gained her freedom in 1829, spread her ideas about ridding the country of slavery and promoting women’s suffrage through literature and public speeches. Advocates such as this woman spread their ideas, promoting democracy which helped to gradually change the American mindset towards a more equal society. Similar to this was the How to cite Reform Movements in 1850’s America, Essay examples

Existing Barriers In Organisational Learning Commonwealth Bank Austra

Question: Discuss about theExisting Barriers In Organisational Learningfor Commonwealth Bank Australia. Answer: Introduction The Commonwealth of Australia is one of the multinational banks, operating its business in different countries of the world (About Commbank 2017). It offers various financial services like business and institutional banking, retail, insurance, funds management, broking and investment services (About Commbank 2017). Commonwealth Bank of Australia believes that by fostering organizational learning culture within an organization can support in primary value propositions (About Commbank 2017). It even helps in addressing the competencies and skill gaps and even offer development inputs to an individual. Most often, organization comes across barriers in the learning process, which later on impact the performance of the company (Aragon-Correa, Garcia-Morales and Cordeon-Pozo 2007). It is important that leaders are required to create the contextual support for the purpose of increasing the barriers, which will, later on, facilitate the learning needed for innovation (Aragon-Correa, Garcia-Morales and Cordeon-Pozo 2007). Commonwealth Bank of Australia had come up with many barriers that hinder the process of organizational learning. One of the key barriers relates with biases in action. The cycle of bias for action includes different problems like a requirement for work, lack of reflective observation, lack of concept understanding, immediate action on task, time wasted on inconclusive deliberations, fear to get failed, lack of decision making, and no certainty of getting results (Aragon-Correa, Garcia-Morales and Cordeon-Pozo 2007). Commonwealth Bank of Australia had also come across one more barrier in organizational learning, and thats resistance to change. The bank had failed in past to take change initiative, in spite of the involvement of stakeholders. It is true that, for bringing substantial technological change in the company, the leadership transition or either the shift in the day to day process, that create average work day, initial resistance should be taken and company should adapt it, and it's where the management can effectively communicate with the team for enhancing the understanding about need to bring change (Aragon-Correa, Garcia-Morales and Cordeon-Pozo 2007). Change should also be worn for increasing the motivation to succeed, and feedback is valued and help in the decision-making process. It is important that managers should take a responsibility and emphasize and make the team understand that the change is adopted for the benefit of both team and company (Berson, Nemanich, Waldman, Galvin and Keller 2006). Commonwealth Bank of Australia is also facing the barrier of biases in culture, which hinder the development of organizational learning within an organization. Cultural diversity exists in Australia, and people often come with different knowledge and create influence on others (Berson, Nemanich, Waldman, Galvin and Keller 2006). Usually, organizational learning debates are avoided in the bank, but for the purpose of mitigating the issues, it is important that discussions should be initiated (Berson, Nemanich, Waldman, Galvin and Keller 2006). Through debates, individuals thoughts can be placed in front of others and can even support in bringing the outcome (Berson, Nemanich, Waldman, Galvin and Keller 2006). Even managers are expected to discuss the issues in the team, as it can help in taking a decision or deriving an outcome. References About Commbank. 2017. [Online]. Available at: https://www.commbank.com.au/about-us.html?ei=CB-footer_about-commbank [Accessed on: 31st January 2017]. Aragon-Correa, J. A., Garcia-Morales, V. J. and Cordeon-Pozo, E. 2007. Leadership and organizational learning's role on innovation and performance: Lesson from Spain. Industrial Marketing Management, 36, pp. 349-359. Berson, Y., Nemanich, L. A., Waldman, D. A., Galvin, B. M. and Keller, R. T. 2006. Leadership and organizational learning: A multiple levels perspective. The Leadership Quarterly, 17, 577-594.

Water Essays - Hydrology, Hydraulic Engineering, Water Management

Water Conservation The City of Tucson is currently using far more water than it is replacing. Options and plans to solve this problem in the future are severely limited because of the fact that Tucson, Arizona is desert land. With the population continually growing, and each populant continually using more water, something needs to be done. The only answer that can be immediately put into action is water conservation. This solution can be practiced by individuals, corporations associations, and many other people - people need to realize that they need to help now. Through research, this paper reveals the specific reasons that people need to conserve water now, gives some insight to help the reader understand why the water will run out, and tells the reader how they can help now. INTRODUCTION Water is the source of all life, especially in a desert community such as Tucson, Arizona - where the state's average rainfall is less than 10 inches a year (2c). Water is the reason that humans were able to settle in the Southwest, and without it, the great city of Tucson would be non-existant. Humans also have to realize that this supply of water is valuable and limited, and unable to support this region indefinitely. Since we, the local residents of Tucson, are currently using far more groundwater than we are replacing (8), consideration and planning need to be addressed in the form of conserving this precious supplier of life, water. MATERIALS AND METHODS In searching for materials relevant to my topic, I was faced with several options. First, Dr. James Riley gave me a couple of very useful phone numbers: one, to contact the Pima Association of Governments - (520) 792-1093 - and the other, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - 1-800-234-5677. Each was quite helpful and offered to send me information through the mail, but my time span would not allow this. So then, I turned to the University of Arizona's Sabio Library Reference search, available online at http://dizzy.library.arizona.edu/, and found numerous sources available by using the keywords "Tucson, Arizona water conservation". Many of these were books that I felt were out-dated and inadequate to my needs, so I turned to some other search engines on the internet, using the same key words. I found several helpful sites, but the most helpful was the homepage for Water Resources in the Tucson Basin, available at http://ag.arizona.edu/swes/tucwater1/ -- I scrolled down to the area labeled internet links to find up-to-date sites with the most information available on water conservation in the Tucson area. RESULTS In order to conceive the concept that our water supply will not last forever, one must realize where the water is coming from. As Water words, a quarterly newsletter produced by SAWARA, explained it: "Nearly all water used in this area comes from an underground aquifer formed over thousands of years of geologic time. The aquifer is made up of varying layers of clays, sands and gravels that have been deposited in Avra Valley and the basin which underlies the greater metropolitan Tucson and Green Valley area. Substantial volumes of water, accumulated from years of snowmelt and rainfall, are contained within the tiny spaces surrounding the grains of these sediments." (8) This picture, shown on the Water Resources Research Center WebPages, at http://www.ag.arizona.edu/azwater/ (2d) shows a nice diagram of the explanation from above. By understanding how these aquifers formed over thousands of years, hopefully you are able to associate that they do not quickly replenish themselves. Therefore, at the rate humans are using the water from the wells dug into these aquifers, it will soon be gone. So we must realize that there are many actions that must be taken, the most important being conservation. In research data presented by the Tucson Active Management Area, it shows that Tucson is currently using about 312,000 acre-feet (AF) per year (1a). The major sources that this water supply comes from includes groundwater, effluent water, and CAP water. As show by the figure below (1b). Water Supplies Used To Meet Demand - 1994 Source Acre-Feet Percent Central Arizona Project 24,000 7.7 Effluent 11,000 3.5 Groundwater 279,000 88.8 (One acre-foot equals 325,851 gallons.) As one can see, an overwhelmingly large amount of the water supply comes specifically through groundwater. The very source that is the most difficult to replenish because this groundwater supply has accumulated over thousands of years. But as the number of water users is rapidly increasing each year, as well as the amount of water each uses, it is easy to conclude that this supply will eventually

Dred scott v sanford essays

Dred scott v sanford essays The Dred Scott decision was an important ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States that had a significant influence on the issue of slavery. The case was decided in 1857 and, in effect, declared that no blackfree or slavecould claim United States citizenship. Slaves were viewed as property, and such had no individual right. Furthermore, the decision indicated that Congress could not prohibit slavery in United States territories. I believe that the decision was morally wrong and failed to recognize the rights of people to be free. In addition, the ruling had many political and social implications, aroused angry resentment in the North and led the nation a step closer to civil war. The decision was finally overridden after the Civil War with the introduction and passage of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment, adopted in 1868, extended citizenship to former slaves and gave them the benefit and protection of individual rights. (textbook, 295) The Dred Scott the decision involved a slave owned by U.S. Army surgeon, John Emerson. Emerson lived in Missouri, a state that permitted slavery. In 1834, Scott went to live with Emerson in Illinois, a state that prohibited slavery. They later lived in the Wisconsin Territory, where slavery was forbidden by the Missouri Compromise. In 1838, Scott returned to Missouri with Emerson. Emerson died in Missouri in 1843, and three years later, Scott sued the surgeon's widow for his freedom. Scott based his suit on the argument that his former residence in a free state and a free territoryIllinois and Wisconsinmade him a free man. A state circuit court ruled in Scott's favor, but the Missouri Supreme Court later reversed the decision. Meanwhile, Scott had become legally regarded as the property of John F. A. Sanford of New York. Because Sanford did not live in Missouri, Scott's lawyers were able to transfer the case to a federal court. This court ruled against Sco ...

When a Pronoun is the Subject of an Infinitive…

When a Pronoun is the Subject of an Infinitive†¦ When a Pronoun is the Subject of an Infinitive When a Pronoun is the Subject of an Infinitive By Maeve Maddox Ive written several posts about the error of beginning a sentence with an object form of the pronoun. For example: Me and my brother want to get matching tattoos. Her and her husband want to buy a digital camera. The neighbors and us decided In each of these examples, the pronoun is being used as the subject of a verb. Because the pronoun is standing as the subject of the verb, the subject form of the pronoun is called for: My brother and I want to She and her husband want The neighbors and we decided There is, however, a grammatical context in which the object form of a pronoun may correctly stand in front of a verb form. The exception occurs when a pronoun stands in front of an infinitive. Reminder: the infinitive form of the verb is the present form with to in front of it: Ex. to go, to seem, to run, etc. When a pronoun precedes an infinitive, it takes the object form: My mother wants me to learn computer programming. We never expected them to move away. The principal told him and the other boy to go home. Here, taken from the web, are some examples of pronoun errors with the infinitive: They told my friend and I to get up and move. I wanted he and I to watch our kids grow up together My parents expected my brother and I to do well in school. Corrections: They told my friend and me to get up and move. I wanted him and me to watch our kids grow up together My parents expected my brother and me to do well in school. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadAnyone vs. Everyone75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard†

Educational infosystems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Educational infosystems - Research Paper Example However, my school district is not ready to meet its responsibilities to comply with the new data reporting demands from both the state and No Child Behind Legislation. It is essential for adult educators to examine the course developments of secondary or high education, in order to identify problems or qualities that are typical of young adults and people. The establishment of adult and youth education can do this by looking at possibilities like, situations, process, and experiences. The software publishers that supply educational systems in the district claim that their products are compliant with SIF (OR SIS), the district has already established that it is not ready to meet its responsibilities to abide by new data reporting demands from NO Child Left Behind legislation. The information student system that exists need replacement and therefore, there is need to evaluate the market software publishers who claims that their products comply with SIF (SIF stands for Schools Interoperability Framework). It is an industry that is concerned with developing an open specification in order to ensure that administrative and instructional applications sof tware works effectively and together. It is not a product but an industry that is supported by K-12 blueprint supported technical software which enables a diverse application to share and interact with data effortlessly, every day and in the future (U. S. Department of Education, 2007). Therefore, in order to determine if the software publishers that supplies educational systems are compliant with SIF, their softwares should be able to define and determine common data formats, as well as high-level rules of architecture and interaction, and not linked with a particular platform or operating system. According to Infed (2007), when educational systems are compliant with SIF, then the information will be transferred, stored, accessed, and updated, thus reducing

History TMA04 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History TMA04 - Essay Example In the year between 1526 and 1867 Sub Saharan Africa lost more than 12.5 million people. Slavery is the universal phenomena which have existed from the early history of the human being. Even though the ideologies and the culture have influence on the system of slavery the industrialization and the capitalist development boosted up slavery. The cultural and ideological features of the society acted as the catalyst for the system of slavery. Along with the development of the human society, the nature and complexity of the slave system also developed. Robin Black burn points out that slavery is the dark side of human progress. â€Å"Robin Blackburn suggests that it points us towards the "dark side of progress" (p5) in that the inhumanity of the system developed side by side with huge steps forward in knowledge and technique, such as the exploration of the Atlantic and the development of new navigational techniques.† (Blackburn & Verso 1998). Europeans are not sold as chattel slav es. There are many reasons for this. The cultural background may be one reason. During the middle ages, the white Christians were not bought as slaves because they belong to an implicit community. The law enforced a clear distinction between the punitive and chattel slavery. Due to this, the chattel slavery has virtually disappeared from northern Europe by about1400. The basis of the implicit community was ethnicity rather than religion. Galley slavery - Theologians could cite unambiguous scriptural authority for hereditary slavery for outsiders which many be a punishment for original sin. Baptism does not redeem a black skin from slavery. In the book of Genesis in Bible, we cannot find out any proof from the Bible that the nations of Ham are black. But, the genealogies and apocryphal remarks imply that the nations of Ham are migrated to other lands notably to Ethiopia. The Ethiopia came to be inhabited by black people. The

How Andrew Jackson was portrayed Essay Example for Free

How Andrew Jackson was portrayed Essay Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States. A rough-hewn military hero, he was regarded by many as the spokesman of the common man. He entered the White House in 1829 after winning the second of two vigorously fought election campaigns. Through his forceful personality, he restructured the office of the president and helped shape the democratic party. Less educated and less schooled in government than many of his political opponents, Jackson had leaped to national fame in the War of 1812 as the hero of the Battle of New Orleans and had captured the dedicated loyalty of a vast segment of the American population. He was widely acclaimed as the symbol of what the new American thought himself to be a self-made man endowed with virtue and strength. The results of the election of 1824 proved that Jackson was indeed the champion of a popular majority. Jacksons administrations were highlighted by the frustration of sectional attempts to weaken the central government by state nullification of federal law, and by his confrontation with the Bank of the U.S. Jackson also positively affected the development of the U.S. presidency. He concentrated power in the office through wide use of the veto and through his insistence that the chief executive alone represented the will of the whole nation. He committed the presidential powers to the protection of the people. Throughout his presidency, Jackson was portrayed as both a states rightist and as a nationalist. As a states rightist, he proteced the states rights so that the federal government would not fund individual states rights and favor them over other states. He was a strong believer in the political ideas of the Jeffersonians. Another example of Jackson being a states rightist includes the Maysville Road veto. Jackson had pledged to reduce the national debt and was opposed to the rising number of bills before Congress that proposed to finance internal improvements with public money. The Maysville Road Bill gave authorized the use of federal funds to construct a road between the towns of Maysville and Lexington, both in Kentucky. Jackson vetoed the bill, calling it unconstitutional because it concerned only the state of Kentucky. As a nationalist, Jackson believed in a strong central government in order to unify the nation. He also believed in a democracy for the entire nation. Jackson also supported the Spoils System, which rewarded his political supporters with public offices and allowed common people to take office.

German Immigration to the Midwest :: American America History

German Immigration to the Midwest German Immigration: A story told by the ghosts of the past "The day I left home, my mother came with me to the railroad station.When we said goodbye, she said it was just like seeing me go into my casket, I never saw her again." So is the story of Julia B. from Germany and many others who left their life and love for a chance of happiness in a new country. This is the story of the German immigrants in 1880-1930 who risked everything on a dream of better things. What caused the German immigration to Ameica between 1870-1930? In this paper I'll answer that question plus: what caused the movement, what happined to them when they arrived, and how did they adapt. I'll also tell some of the more gritty stuff by using intimate and detailed quotes used by many real immigrants who came to America anywhere from 1880 to 1930. As you read this, be prepared to learn what really happened to these immigrants and why the streets were paved with anything but gold. Today, many Germans live throughout the U.S.; especially in the mid-west. More likely then not, they came here in the late 1800's- 1900's. This would be because of the many revolutions in the 1860's and the poverty that almost always follows war. In one 20 year span in the late 1800's Germany went to war at least 7 times taking on neighboring countries such as: Austria, France, Belgium and Russia. Like I said, much money was spent on the war effort in Germany. People were taxed heavily just to buy bullets for the army. Through all this, word was spread like wild fire through Germany that a new country in the west across the water was offering freedom and a promise of happiness for anyone who would make the long journey to the new country: America. So with somewhat heavy hearts, many men and women left their families behind to journey to America in hopes of something greater. For many, the road to America was a hard one. Most of the emigrants were very poor and had to hitchhike or walk the long miles to the coast just to be able to get on the boat to America. Sometimes it would take months just to save up enough money to pay for rides out of Germany, expensive passports, and to pay for the boat fare and it would take weeks just to go to France where they usually only began the long hard trip to their destination. German Immigration to the Midwest :: American America History German Immigration to the Midwest German Immigration: A story told by the ghosts of the past "The day I left home, my mother came with me to the railroad station.When we said goodbye, she said it was just like seeing me go into my casket, I never saw her again." So is the story of Julia B. from Germany and many others who left their life and love for a chance of happiness in a new country. This is the story of the German immigrants in 1880-1930 who risked everything on a dream of better things. What caused the German immigration to Ameica between 1870-1930? In this paper I'll answer that question plus: what caused the movement, what happined to them when they arrived, and how did they adapt. I'll also tell some of the more gritty stuff by using intimate and detailed quotes used by many real immigrants who came to America anywhere from 1880 to 1930. As you read this, be prepared to learn what really happened to these immigrants and why the streets were paved with anything but gold. Today, many Germans live throughout the U.S.; especially in the mid-west. More likely then not, they came here in the late 1800's- 1900's. This would be because of the many revolutions in the 1860's and the poverty that almost always follows war. In one 20 year span in the late 1800's Germany went to war at least 7 times taking on neighboring countries such as: Austria, France, Belgium and Russia. Like I said, much money was spent on the war effort in Germany. People were taxed heavily just to buy bullets for the army. Through all this, word was spread like wild fire through Germany that a new country in the west across the water was offering freedom and a promise of happiness for anyone who would make the long journey to the new country: America. So with somewhat heavy hearts, many men and women left their families behind to journey to America in hopes of something greater. For many, the road to America was a hard one. Most of the emigrants were very poor and had to hitchhike or walk the long miles to the coast just to be able to get on the boat to America. Sometimes it would take months just to save up enough money to pay for rides out of Germany, expensive passports, and to pay for the boat fare and it would take weeks just to go to France where they usually only began the long hard trip to their destination.

Martin Yan’s Biography Essay

Culinary Arts is widely acknowledged today as the art of cooking, and its popularity is increasing all over the world. There are numerous renowned and skilled chefs who have become well-known for their knowledge, creativity, and passion on culinary arts. Today, a lot of gifted chefs are getting famous for their cooking shows, cook books, and different contributions to the world of culinary arts. One of the famous and respectable chefs in the world is Martin Yan. Martin Yan is a Chinese-American chef; he was born in Guangzhou China on the year 1948. His father was a restaurateur, and his mother operates a grocery store. Martin started and learned how to cook at the age of 12. He decided to move and live in Hong Kong when he reached the age of 13 years old and studied in Kowloon City in Munsang College. Martin experienced working for his uncle’s Chinese restaurant and learned a lot of traditional methods of Chinese cooking. He then got the opportunity to study in Canada and later got his masters degree in food science in University of California in Davis on 1975. He finally got the passion for teaching and became a professor in the university’s extension program, and he also appeared on a local TV talk show in Calgary, Canada in the year 1978 (Yan Can Cook, 2008). Since then, he has been hosting different cooking shows. Among these shows is â€Å"Yan Can Cook,† now a popular cooking show which started in the year 1982 (Yan Can Cook, 2008, n. p. ). He became a celebrity indeed, winning different awards from his enthusiasm, talent, interest, and creativity as a culinary chef. He received the â€Å"James Bean Award for best television cooking show† in 1994, and two years later, he was granted an award for â€Å"best television food journalism† by the same award-giving body (Yan Can Cook, 2008, n. p. ). In 1998, he won an â€Å"Emmy Award for the best cooking show† (Yan Can Cook, 2008, n. p. ). In addition, he also received an award from the â€Å"Chef’s Association of the Pacific Coast† and the â€Å"Courvoisier Leadership Award† on the Antonin Award (Yan Can Cook, 2008, n. p.). He also sometimes appears on a cartoon talk show called â€Å"Space Ghost† which is now currently airing in the Cartoon Network show â€Å"Adult Swim† (Yan Can Cook, 2008, n. p. ). He was also a part of the Singaporean movie â€Å"Rice Rhapsody† during the year 2005. He currently hosts his own show entitled â€Å"Martin Yan Quick and Easy† and can be seen sometimes as one of the judges in the popular show â€Å"Iron Chef of America† (Yan Can Cook, 2008, n. p. ). Nowadays, he is also hosting â€Å"Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking,† a show wherein he tours different Chinatowns all over the world (Yan Can Cook, 2008, n. p. ). The format of his shows encompasses the different approaches and styles in Asian cooking; he travels in different places all over the world to introduce a certain local cuisine on TV (Yan Can Cook, 2008). Aside from hosting and having different cooking shows, Martin Yan has published several cookbooks as well, wherein he introduces Chinese American culinary arts all over the world. He wrote about 25 different cookbooks, which include â€Å"Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking† and â€Å"Chinese Cooking for Dummies† which also won an award (â€Å"Martin Yan Biography,† 2008, n. p. ). His main objective is to represent the Asian culture and culinary arts not only in the western part of the world but around the globe as well (â€Å"Martin Yan Biography,† 2008). Martin Yan is one of the most famous guest instructors at different culinary institutions and academies mostly in the Western and Asian part of the world such as the â€Å"Wales University, California Culinary Academy, Chinese Cuisine Institute in Hong Kong, the Culinary Institute in America, University of San Francisco and the Chinese chef training programs in North America† (â€Å"Martin Yan Biography,† 2008, n. p. ). Furthermore, Martin Yan also founded his own culinary school in San Francisco California named â€Å"Yan Can International Cooking School† (Martin Yan Biography, 2008, n. p. ). Like his father, he also became a restaurateur; he opened the Yan Can Restaurant in 2002 in San Francisco bay area in California. His restaurant offers Asian menu, and it is more likely to have different branches all over the world in the years to come (â€Å"Martin Yan Biography,† 2008). Martin Yan has greatly contributed in the culinary industry. He became a culinary diplomat for the American Culinary Federation. He received a doctorate degree in culinary arts for his contribution to the food and hospitality industry. Moreover, he also received a doctorate degree in humane letters from the Colorado Institute of Art. Aside from that, he also received an exceptional recognition from his peers as a master chef. In 2001, he became an inductee of â€Å"James Beard Foundation’s D’Artagnan Cervena Who’s Who of Food and Beverage,† which honors food and beverage professionals for their significant and lasting achievements (Yan Can Cook, 2008, n. p. ). Thus, due to his success in the culinary arts industry, he became a respected professional chef and a member of different prestigious organizations such as the â€Å"American Institute of Wine and Food, American Culinary Federation, Chinese Cuisine Research Institute, Chef’s Association of the Pacific Coast, Association of Chinese Cooking Teachers, Institute of Food Technologists, International Association of Culinary Professionals, and American Author’s Guild† (Yan Can Cook, 2008, n. p. ). There are vast number of chefs that people can watch on TV and different cookbooks made available for everyone, but Martin Yan has become exceptional because of the distinct Asian influence he brought in the industry of culinary arts. With all the awards and honors Martin Yan received, he is regarded as one of the top famous culinary chef all over the world. He has made a lot of worldwide remarks on the culinary arts and greatly influenced countless chefs, professionals, and people with his passion and knowledge in the art of culinary. He has shaped a lot of people to become a good chef. He teaches and passes his knowledge to other people so that he will always be reminded with his own style and contributions in the culinary world. Hence, with his cooking shows, cookbooks, and teachings that focus on the Asian culinary arts and culture, Martin Yan is continuously inspiring people to pursue their passion. References Martin Yan Biography. (2008). American Entertainment International Speakers Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2008 from http://www. aeispeakers. com/print. php? SpeakerID=1103 Yan Can Cook. (2008). Meet the chef. Retrieved December 8, 2008 from http://yancancook. com/mybio. htm

Chemistry project 12th Essay

This reaction is highly exothermic, but that is not why the plastic produced is referred to as â€Å"thermoset†. Bakelite is a space-network polymer. Unlike linear and branched polymers, which are composed of long molecules that make them more or less crystalline, space-network polymers are highly and irregularly cross-linked throughout the structure. The sheer extent of the cross-linking means that a sample of the material is essentially one gigantic molecule. Although heat softens and melts linear and branched polymers, heating doesn’t soften space-network polymers because such a softening would require the breaking of covalent bonds. In fact, heating usually produces additional cross-linking in these polymers, making them harder. It is for this reason that space-network polymers, such as bakelite, are called thermoset plastics. PROCEDURE: 1. Take 5ml acetic acid and 2.5ml formaldehyde in a breaker. 2. Add 2mg of phenol to this solution and stir the mixture. 3. Wrap a cloth loosely round the beaker. 4. Stir the solution well while heating. 5. Pass dry hydrochloric acid gas or add a few ml of concentric hydrochloric acid into the mixture. Observation: A large mass of light pink plastic is produce within 5 minutes. Precautions: a) The face of the beaker should not be towards the face of the worker during heating. b) Hydrochloric acid should not be poured into reaction mixture very slowly. c) The contact of phenol with skin should be avoided. Caution: As the reaction is sometimes vigorous while adding hydrochloric acid .It is better to be a few feet away from the beaker till the reaction in complete. Scope of the experiment: Uses of Bakelite are following: Substitute: Bakelite is used as a substitute of porcelain & other opaque ceramic materials. Board/table top: It is used in the area of board & table top games e.g. Billiard balls ,Dominoes etc. Mounting: It is used in mounting of metal samples. It is used in whistles, cameras, solid body& electric guitars. Bakelite is very suitable for emerging Electric & automobile industries because as its extra ordinary resistance but also due to its thermal resistance. It has been widely used in jewellery products. References: 1. Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/bakelite 2. www.scribd.com 3. Comprehensive chemistry practical class XII Acknowledgment: I owe a great many thanks to a great many people who helped and supported me during the project. My deepest thanks to , the guide of the project for guiding and correcting various documents of mine with attention and care. She has taken pain to go through the project and make necessary correction as and when needed. I express my thanks to the principal, for extending his support. My deep sense of gratitude to the in charge of chemistry lab at CSE for their support and guidance. Thanks and appreciation to the helpful people at for the support. I would also thank my school and my friends without whom this project would have been a distant reality. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to my family and well wishers.

Free Essays on Explain CSL.’s Distinction Between ‘need-love’ And ‘gift-love’.

In the introduction to The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis introduces the idea of love into two distinct sections of ‘need-love’ and ‘gift-love’. Human love can be defined as love just as long as it resembles the Love which is God. Lewis states, â€Å"I still think that if all we mean by our love is a craving to be loved, we are in a very deplorable state.† (p. 2). To love is to do so unconditionally without the intention of receiving the same emotion back in return. Gift-love is a supernatural emotion that is given freely. Lewis gave an example of ‘gift-love’ as being, â€Å"...that love which moves a man to work and plan and save for the future well-being of his family which he will die without sharing or seeing...† (p. 1). The parent is attempting to give the child all that he has to offer through his unending determination to make the child happy without the cause to expect something back in return. â€Å"Our Gift-loves are really God-like; and amongst our Gift-loves those are most God-like which are most boundless and unwearied in giving,† as expressed by Lewis. (p. 8) The gift of love is a single sided action that is given just as God gives his love to his people without the intent of a returning action. Need-love is based on the fact that in reality people do need one another and it is not in man’s best interest to be alone. Lewis explains, â€Å"We need others physically, emotionally, intellectually; we need them if we are to know anything, even ourselves.† (p. 2) Need-love however should not be confused with selfishness because a frightened child who runs to the arms of his mother for comfort is not committing a selfish act. Need-love can further be described as man’s love for God which is entirely based on the individuals love to be in the presence of the feeling of one’s God. Lewis further states, â€Å"Thus one Need-love, the greatest of all, either coincides with or at least makes a main ingredient in manï ¿ ½... Free Essays on Explain CSL.’s Distinction Between ‘need-love’ And ‘gift-love’. Free Essays on Explain CSL.’s Distinction Between ‘need-love’ And ‘gift-love’. In the introduction to The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis introduces the idea of love into two distinct sections of ‘need-love’ and ‘gift-love’. Human love can be defined as love just as long as it resembles the Love which is God. Lewis states, â€Å"I still think that if all we mean by our love is a craving to be loved, we are in a very deplorable state.† (p. 2). To love is to do so unconditionally without the intention of receiving the same emotion back in return. Gift-love is a supernatural emotion that is given freely. Lewis gave an example of ‘gift-love’ as being, â€Å"...that love which moves a man to work and plan and save for the future well-being of his family which he will die without sharing or seeing...† (p. 1). The parent is attempting to give the child all that he has to offer through his unending determination to make the child happy without the cause to expect something back in return. â€Å"Our Gift-loves are really God-like; and amongst our Gift-loves those are most God-like which are most boundless and unwearied in giving,† as expressed by Lewis. (p. 8) The gift of love is a single sided action that is given just as God gives his love to his people without the intent of a returning action. Need-love is based on the fact that in reality people do need one another and it is not in man’s best interest to be alone. Lewis explains, â€Å"We need others physically, emotionally, intellectually; we need them if we are to know anything, even ourselves.† (p. 2) Need-love however should not be confused with selfishness because a frightened child who runs to the arms of his mother for comfort is not committing a selfish act. Need-love can further be described as man’s love for God which is entirely based on the individuals love to be in the presence of the feeling of one’s God. Lewis further states, â€Å"Thus one Need-love, the greatest of all, either coincides with or at least makes a main ingredient in manï ¿ ½...

Uranium in a Nutshell

Uranium in a Nutshell Uranium is an extremely heavy metal, but instead of sinking into the Earths core it is concentrated on the surface. Uranium is found almost exclusively in the Earths continental crust, because its atoms dont fit in the crystal structure of the minerals of the mantle. Geochemists consider uranium one of the incompatible elements, more specifically a member of the large-ion lithophile element or LILE group. Its average abundance, over the whole continental crust, is a bit less than 3 parts per million. Uranium never occurs as bare metal; rather, it most often occurs in oxides as the minerals uraninite (UO2) or pitchblende (partially oxidized uraninite, conventionally given as U3O8). In solution, uranium travels in molecular complexes with carbonate, sulfate and chloride as long as the chemical conditions are oxidizing. But under reducing conditions, uranium drops out of solution as oxide minerals. This behavior is the key to uranium prospecting. Uranium deposits mainly occur in two geologic settings, a relatively cool one in sedimentary rocks and a hot one in granites. Sedimentary Uranium Deposits Because uranium moves in solution under oxidizing conditions and drops out under reducing conditions, it tends to gather where oxygen is absent, such as in black shales and other rocks rich in organic material. If oxidizing fluids move in, they mobilize the uranium and concentrate it along the front of the moving fluid. The famous roll-front uranium deposits of the Colorado Plateau are of this type, dating from the last few hundred million years. The uranium concentrations are not very high, but they are easy to mine and process. The great uranium deposits of northern Saskatchewan, in Canada, are also of sedimentary origin but with a different scenario of much greater age. There an ancient continent was deeply eroded during the Early Proterozoic Era some 2 billion years ago, then was covered by deep layers of sedimentary rock. The unconformity between the eroded basement rocks and overlying sedimentary basin rocks is where chemical activity and fluid flows concentrated uranium into orebodies reaching 70 percent purity. The Geological Association of Canada has published a thorough exploration of these unconformity-associated uranium deposits with full details of this still-mysterious process. At roughly the same time in geologic history, a sedimentary uranium deposit in present-day Africa actually grew concentrated enough that it ignited a natural nuclear reactor, one of Earths neatest tricks. Granitic Uranium Deposits As large bodies of granite solidify, the trace amounts of uranium become concentrated in the last bits of fluid left. Especially at shallow levels, these may fracture and invade surrounding rocks with metal-bearing fluids, leaving veins of ore. More episodes of tectonic activity can concentrate these further, and the worlds largest uranium deposit is one of these, a hematite breccia complex at Olympic Dam in South Australia. Good specimens of uranium minerals are found in the final stage of granite solidification- the veins of large crystals and unusual minerals called pegmatites. There may be found cubic crystals of uraninite, black crusts of pitchblende and plates of uranium-phosphate minerals such as torbernite (Cu(UO2)(PO4)2Â ·8–12H2O). Silver, vanadium and arsenic minerals are also common where uranium is found. Pegmatite uranium is not worth mining today, because the ore deposits are small. But they are where the good mineral specimens are found. The radioactivity of uranium affects the minerals around it. If you are examining a pegmatite, these signs of uranium include blackened fluorite, blue celestite, smoky quartz, golden beryl and red-stained feldspars. Also, chalcedony that contains uranium is intensely fluorescent with a yellow-green color. Uranium in Commerce Uranium is prized for its enormous energy content, which can be harnessed to generate heat in nuclear reactors or unleashed in nuclear explosives. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and other international agreements govern traffic in uranium to ensure that it is used only for civilian purposes. World trade in uranium amounts to more than 60,000 metric tons, all of it accounted for under international protocols. The largest producers of uranium are Canada, Australia and Kazakhstan. The price of uranium has fluctuated with the fortunes of the nuclear power industry and the military needs of various countries. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, large stores of enriched uranium have been diluted and sold as nuclear fuel under the Highly Enriched Uranium Purchase Agreement, which kept prices low through the 1990s. As of about 2005, however, prices have been climbing and prospectors are out in the field again for the first time in a generation. And with renewed attention on nuclear power as a zero-carbon energy source in the context of global warming, it is time to become familiar again with uranium.

Pragmatism Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pragmatism Project - Essay Example The problem with this is trying to find the perfect car to restore at a reasonable cost and distance, although the drive to pick up the new car will be exhilarating in and of itself. Simply knowing what I am in store for makes my heart beat faster. Ultimately, the goal here is to find and restore said car to its original factory condition. Given that, I do not want to start with nothing more than an empty frame, I will need to find the car I want intact, but in need of work. This will give me the opportunity to restore a classic to its original beauty and luster, by my own two hands. The car I have chosen is a 1961 Lincoln Continental with suicide doors. As James said, pragmatism has â€Å"†¦only an attitude of orientation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which is why I chose this car. The act of restoring a vehicle, namely this one, is reminiscent of a time when life moved more slowly, although I was not around, I have always enjoyed the family stories. As a kid growing up, it was always fun and exciting to watch the gangster movies with their long, low cars that gave the appearance of danger. In a way, I will be able to relive moments in time of which I was not a part. Also, something of great importance in American history is that President John F. Kennedy was riding in a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible limousine when he was shot and killed. Stark history, but it takes me home. The problems that I face in this project are simple, as finding an American car here will likely be more difficult than if I were stateside. Regardless of this, the restoration of a Lincoln is an exciting dream of mine that I will someday be able to fulfill. I have looked into it with vigor and found what I will need to do in order to complete this project with accuracy and pride, which will â€Å"†¦denote the unity of all ideal ends arousing us to desire and actions†, (Dewey, 42) Once the Lincoln I want has been found, I need to be sure that it is worth the asking price, as well as fit with my ideas and budget for the restoration. I must also consider if the condition of the car that I am buying will lend itself to the original restoration I am wanting to do, or if it is so badly beat up, or parts are too sparse, I may want to look elsewhere for another vehicle. This is the best part of the beginning, because the excitement of finding this car is infectious. I can already see myself cruising in it, windows rolled down, arm hanging out the window, very ‘hip’. Once I have the Lincoln at home, the fun would begin. Here I would strongly utilize pragmatism because there are not absolutes in care restoration. There is no state of rest, and practicality is what will allow me to succeed in this quest. I will need to have a space that is at least three times larger than the car itself, as all the parts will easily take up this extra room. The first thing that must be done with a project car is that it must be totally stripped down to the metal, piece by piece; it needs to be raw. This piece-by-piece deconstruction will give me the knowledge of what is still in good working order on the car, what is not, and what I need to find that is not there. It will also tell me a unique story, dreaming that perhaps this car once belonged to a famous gangster, but without the bodies in the trunk. This is important so that reassembly of the car will go easily and smoothly, but also to get to know my car. Each little piece tells a story of its own, its past,

Movie Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Movie Response - Essay Example The director of the movie, Spike Lee, who also plays the character of Mookie, portrays the relationship between the characters on the racial background. The message about racism and the relations between races is quite strong and powerful in this film. You can divide the characters into two groups – those who try to live peacefully with the representatives of another race (Pino, Jade, Vito), and those who are in the state of conflict and have anger at the people of different race (Buggin Out, Radio Raheem). Mookie is somewhere in between – he seems to be torn between both sides due to his commitments. One more important character of the movie is Mister Senor Love Daddy – his is the voice of reason in this conflict. The conflict, which builds up gradually and finally breaks out in the end of the movie, is triggered by Buggin Out and Radio Raheem, but the main part is played by Mookie, who seems to finally decide for himself which side to take, and he ends up on the side of his race, the African-Americans. Even though the movie is not easy to watch, I would even dare to say that it is a heavy-duty film, in the end you feel like you have learned something, because you see the position of those who are at the other side. The main conclusion that I come to is that racism is ugly in all its manifestations. Whether there are people dying from the racial conflicts, or businesses suffering, or children are getting the wrong message – racism is bad, it is wrong. When you start watching the movie with the title â€Å"Do the Right Thing†, you wonder what IS the right thing? Watching the movie I was thinking and, in a way, hoping that in the end I will get the answer to this profound question. Instead, I was left wondering. This question is left up to the audience to decide, and that is probably what good movie is about – not to tell you what is right or what is wrong, but to make you ask yourself these questions. In the end of the day, after watching the movie

Steps involved in recruiting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Steps involved in recruiting - Essay Example A wide variety of federal and state laws govern what can and can’t be done during all stages of the recruitment process which comprises of the interviews, investigations, tests and selection to be carried out on the new employee (Sian, 2012). Normally the following statutes will come into play prior to the starting of any stage in the process of selection, interviewing and appointment. They include ;( 1) The Civil Rights Statute of 1866, 1870 and 1871 which forbid any form of prejudice against the minorities.(2)The Fair Labor Standards Statute of 1938 which provides a smallest wage, prevents child labor and requires that employees be paid overtime for extra work done.(3)The Equal Pay Statute of 1963 which provides for equal pay for both genders for work that requires similar effort, skill, responsibility as well as working condition. (4)The Civil Rights Statute of 1964,specifically Title VII-forbids the selection of employees on the basis of sex, color, race, national origin, religion as far as employment matters are concerned from recruitment up to discharge and obliges employers to find out any discriminatory practices and get rid of them. This act also forbids sexual harassment. (5) The Age Discrimination in Employment Statute of 1967 which forbids discrimination due to age for anyone who is over 40 years. (6)Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1963 Act which was amended Title VII and recognizes pregnancy as a disability that is temporary and forbids bias on childbirth, pregnancy or associated medical conditions (Sian, 2012). 7)The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 which forbids prejudice in employment due to citizenship status, national origin, forbids employment of illegal aliens and gives penalties for any violations.(8)The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990(ADA)-forbids discrimination against individuals who are

Harmful Effects of Embalming Fluid

Harmful Effects of Embalming Fluid Both formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde based embalming solutions are widely used in preserving dead bodies and in pathology, forensic medicine and museums. Phenoxyethanol may be an alternative to them. Each of them has its merits and demerits but none of them is totally non-toxic. This review is about various possible adverse effects of these embalmbing solutions. Key words: Embalming solutions, Formaldehyde, Glutaraldehyde and Phenoxyethanol. Introduction After death human body starts putrefaction, to prevent this process embalming is required. By this process dead body retains its morphological characteristics for a longer time period. Later on this preserved body is used in medical institutes for the study of anatomy by students. Anatomy is the backbone in medical curriculum in which students learn the external and internal structures of human body in detail. Moreover embalming procedure can also be used to keep dead bodies intact during transportation. Besides this, embalming solution is essential constituent in preservation of parts in pathology, forensic medicine and museums. These solutions contain number of chemicals mixed in appropriate ratio for their specific purposes. Important constituents are preservatives, buffers, anticoagulants, germicides, fungicides, perfuming agents, hygroscopic agents, dyes, etc. An ideal embalming solution should neither alter the natural structures including color of the specimen, nor have any type of adverse effects in form of topical or systemic. It should also prevent growth of insects and maggots and the putrefaction process. All these characteristics are usually not found in the routinely used embalming solutions. Therefore it becomes an important issue to educate the persons regarding the possible damages produced by the embalming solutions. This review article has been written with intention to give the information regarding components used in the embalming solutions their advantages and disadvantages. Important chemicals like formaldehyde, glutarldehyde, methyl alcohol, phenol, glycerine, oil of winter green, eosine solution, phenoxy ethanol are used to make the embalming solutions. Depending upon the concentration of individual chemical these solutions have been grouped in to three types: (a)Formaldehyde based embalming solution, (b) Glutaraldehyde based embalming solution and (c) Phenoxyethanol based embalming solution. Formaldehyde Formaldehyde (HCHO) is most commonly used chemical for embalming purposes. Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a strong, suffocating odor. It is often mixed with alcohol to make liquid called formalin. The largest source of formaldehyde is the chemical manufacturing industry. Formaldehyde is found in cigarette smoke and also can be formed in the environment during the burning of fuels or household waste. Very small amount of formaldehyde is found naturally in the human body. Formaldehyde is a popular chemical because of its low cost and can be used for many purposes like making furniture, wall paneling, etc. Formaldehyde also can be used as germicide and preservative. It is also found in items such as dyes, textiles, plastics, paper products, fertilizer, and cosmetics. Formaldehyde solutions are used as a fixative for microscopy and histology. Formaldehyde-based solutions are also used in embalming to disinfect and temporarily preserve human and animal remains. The concentration of formaldehyde is usually expressed in terms of parts per million (1 ppm = 1.248 mg/cu.m.). This is prepared by mixing the commercially available formalin solution with tap water in the proportion of 3:1 [1]. The use of formaldehyde in preserving the tissues, organs, and body parts is very common. Technicians in histology laboratory, students in anatomy classes, are exposed to this solution. Formaldehyde has been known to produce allergy, contact dermatitis, eczema, irritation and inflammation to mucus membranes, and if ingested can produce systemic toxicity which can be fatal. This also has tendency to produce mutations and development of malignancy. Permissible limits of occupational exposure to formaldehyde are 3 ppm in a time weight average breathing zone during an 8-hour period, a ceiling concentration of 5 ppm and an acceptable maximum peak of 10 ppm for no longer than 30 minutes during a one day shift. To reduce the toxic potential of formalin it needs to be buffered by additio n of a small quantity of Sodium tetraborate to get a slightly alkaline solution with a pH of 7.2. This buffered formalin needs to be freshly prepared just before preparing the embalming fluid. These chemicals are mixed to make an embalming fluid. Occupational exposure to formaldehyde by inhalation is mainly from three types of sources: thermal or chemical decomposition of formaldehyde-based resins, formaldehyde emission from aqueous solutions (for example, embalming fluids), and the production of formaldehyde resulting from the combustion of a variety of organic compounds (for example, exhaust gases) [2]. Once absorbed, formaldehyde is very quickly broken down. Almost every tissue in the body has the ability to break down formaldehyde. It is usually converted to a non-toxic chemical called formate, which is excreted in the urine and is converted to carbon dioxide and breathed out of the body. But formaldehyde can be toxic, allergenic, and carcinogenic [3]. Acute exposure of formalin adversely affects pulmonary system. It may decrease vital capacity much more as compared to other pulmonary parameters. This may be attributed to bronchoconstriction produced by formalin [4]. Experimental studies have shown that exposure of formal dehyde may damage liver. This destruction is directly proportional to the length of exposure of formaldehyde. Few clinical studies have also shown the damaging effect of formaldehyde on liver of human beings. The hepatic damage occurs in form of congestion of hepatic parenchyma and elevation of hepatic enzymes [5-7]. Neurological toxicities after exposure to formaldehyde in human beings are manifested in form of fatigue, headache, myalgia etc. If toxicity is due to formaldehyde ingestion, person may have loss of memory, seizures, altered behavior, altered consciousness and in severe cases coma. Animal exposure of formaldehyde has shown brain damage in form of altered neurotransmission. The main neurotransmitter changes are increased serotonin and dopamine metabolites in hypothalamus [8, 9]. Hematopoietic system is not much affected by the formaldehyde exposure. However intravascular coagulopathy, alteration of red cell count and hemoglobin concentration has been reported in some stu dies [8]. Gastrointestinal tract is not much affected when exposure is through inhalation. However, when ingested it may adversely affect the GIT. If toxic dose of formaldehyde is ingested it produces inflammatory lesions of orophyarnx, soft palate, pharaynx, epiglottis, esophagous, stomach. These lesions are due to contact irritant and corrosive nature of formaldehyde. The lesion may be in form of ulcerations and necrosis. Clinically this toxicity manifests in form of abdominal cramps, vomiting, haematemasis, malena, altered gut motility etc. Chronic ingestion of formaldehyde may also give rise to gastric and esophageal malignancies [8-10]. Though renal system is not a major target of formaldehyde metabolism, however risk of renal failure and anuria is there in persons acutely exposed to the formaldehyde. The animal experiments have shown that formaldehyde can produce renal papillary necrosis, polyuria, increased blood nitrogen [9]. Formaldehyde is a skin irritant and dermal sensit ization agent. Contact dermatitis, allergic dermatitis, erythema, epidermal hyperplasia have been shown to occur due to chronic exposure of formaldehyde in animals as well as in human beings [11]. Air born formaldehyde exposure most frequently produces eye irritation. Endocrine system and reproductive organs are minimally affected [12]. Formaldehyde may have mutagenic and carcinogenic potential. Out of all cancers nasopharyngeal cancer has been well established to have association with formaldehyde exposure. Fortunately formaldehyde has not been correlated with teratogenic potential [13-15]. To reduce the risk of damage due to formaldehyde, certain measures can be adopted. Replacing the formaldehyde with less hazardous chemical, reducing the concentration of formaldehyde in the solution, proper storage of product, closing the jar when not used, disposal of exposed clothes are some of them. Facility of fume hood just at the site of embalming, wearing personal protective equipments like face mask, safety goggles, self contained breathing apparatus, gloves, water proof smock, head gear etc further reduces the chances of exposure. Careful monitoring of lung function tests, chest x-ray, allergy testing, and examination of eyes time to time should be adopted. Other important work practices recommended are labeling the container, educating employee regarding the possible adverse effects, monitoring the air concentration of the room, avoiding eating and smoking at work place. Formaldehyde is inflammable and precautions to prevent fire should be taken. Any spill should be immedia tely informed. If spill occurs evacuate the room and reach to the safe place, eliminate all ignition points, spread the dry sand over the chemical, ventilate area. If contact has occurred the person should wash skin, eyes, remove contaminated clothing and should be treated as an emergency [16]. Glutaraldehyde Glutaraldehyde an aliphatic dialdehyde is a colorless liquid with pungent smell. It is one of the best biocide agents for disinfection and sterilization at hospitals. This is very widely used in medical, scientific, and industrial application. As fixator in histochemistry and microscopy, tanning agent and as ingredients in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals are some of the important uses of gluteraldehyde pharmaceuticals [17, 18]. Radiologists use gluteraldehyde as hardener in x-ray developing solution [19]. Though considered a relatively safe, it possesses irritating and corrosive properties. The strength of gluteraldehyde may vary from 1 to 50% [20]. This variable concentration exposure may give rise multiple unexpected toxic effects. In general due to its corrosive and irritant effects it produces throat irritation, nasal bleeding, burning eyes, precipitation of asthma and sneezing [21]. Due to its tanning effect it also discolors the hands of handling persons. Large acute dose can pre cipitate severe headache, vomiting, and altered consciousness. The persons commonly exposed to glutaraldehyde are staff workers involved in sterilization of endoscopes, dialyzing machine, research workers, and x-ray film developers. Glutaraldehyde exhibits superior properties to formaldehyde in relation to the fixation, disinfection and sterilization. It is more effective in less concentration and in less time exposure as compared to formaldehyde. Regarding the embalming properties, glutaraldeyde is slow diffusing, but develops rapid irreversible reactions with the body proteins. This is in contrast to the formaldehyde which is fast diffuser, but produces reversible reactions with proteins. This characteristic of glutaraldehyde favors its use as embalming solution. Only disadvantage of glutaraldehyde as embalming solution is the slow tissue perfusion resulting in appearance of signs of embalmation very late. Hardening and stiffening of body occurs after long duration. So the body ha s life like appearance for a longer time. Another advantage of glutaraldehyde is that reactions are less affected by pH alterations and it reacts even at the higher pH where formaldehyde becomes inactive. Because of slow diffusion and perfusion rate glutaraldehyde reacts less with blood and blood perfused tissues. This leads to minimum coagulation and more clearing of blood from tissues. This persevered tissue becomes clearer in appearance. However, if glutaraldehyde solution is kept for long time yellowish tanning and darkening of tissues occur. Regarding the toxic potential of glutaraldehyde, it is relatively safe but numbers of animal studies have indicated that oral ingestion can produce gastrointestinal damage, alteration of behavior, precipitation of seizures. Local external contact has tendency to produce contact dermatitis, brown discoloration of skin, exfoliation of skin, conjunctivitis. Vapor inhalation of glutaraldehyde may precipitate bronchospasm, nasal discharge, excessive lacrimation, salivation, and dyspnoea [22]. Another drawback of glutaraldehyde is that it may produce photosensitivity to the ultra-violet rays. This may be responsible for the erythematous lesions after sun exposure. There is no proven risk of glutaraldehyde as genotoxic and mutagenic agent but most of the studies are based on animals. Therefore chances of mutagenicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity cannot be excluded in humans. The persons exposed to glutaraldehyde for long duration should undergo through regular medical checkups. The te ratogenic potential has not been reported in animal studies but if possible the exposure of glutaraldehyde should be avoided during pregnancy and lactation [23]. Phenoxyethanol Phenoxyethonol also known as phenoxytol or phenoxyethyl alcohol is a colorless or light yellow, viscos liquid. This is a strong oxidizing agent. It is incompatible with acidic solutions and also has combustible property. Phenoxyethanol is a modern antimicrobial preservative. Presently this is used as common preservative in diphtheria, tetanus, and pertusis vaccine. This inactivates both bacterial and fungal growth. Other use of phenoxyethanol is as preservative of cosmetic materials. Due to its ability to inhibit phagocyte activity it is supposed to be toxic to all cells. Moreover it can alter the immunity of the exposed persons. As for the other alternative chemicals in place of formaldehyde, Frolich et al in 1984 tried using phenoxyethanol as its non-toxic substitute. It proved to be impractical as the amount required was large, i.e., about 600 litres for each cadaver needing continuous emersion to prevent mould formation and the fixation process taking 5 to 10 months [24]. Various adverse effects by Phenoxyethanol can be: central nervous depression, nausea, vomiting, sometimes diarrhea, prominent headache, later abdominal lumbar pain, costovertebral angle tenderness, transient polyuria then oliguria, progressing to anuria, acute renal failure, less critical pathological lesions may appear in brain, lungs, liver, meninges heart  [25]. Other components which are used in embalming solution are methyl alcohol, carbolic acid, sodium tetraborate, glycerine, eucalyptus oil, and eosine. Methyl alcohol helps in precipitation of proteins and reducing contamination. This also helps in dispersion of formaldehyde into the body tissues. Carbolic acid helps by its germicidal and fungicidal actions. Sodium tetraborate is used as buffer agent and stabilizing agent. Eucalyptus oil acts as perfume and eosine helps in giving the reddish color to the tissues. Conclusion Considering all the characters of chemicals used in embalming solution one can see that it is impractical to find out non toxic embalming solution. The person involved in process of embalming as well as students should be taught regarding the possible hazardous effects and methods to minimize. The place should be well equipped for handling of any emergency condition. Each one involved should be taught regarding the procedures of basic life supports. If any untoward incidence happens the person should be stabilized by basic life support followed by shifting to the place equipped with advance life support system.

Supersize Me :: Film Movie Films Movies Supersize Me

Supersize Me Some of the people interviewed for this film suggest that Americans can always refuse to eat fast food, but is it really that easy? No, because there are many factors involved when an individual or family decides to eat fast food for any particular meal of the day. Several factors in this decision include but are not limited to: Firstly most people pack their day with activities continuously so there is not much time left in the day to cook. Secondly children play a large role in whether a mother will stop at McDonalds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a society where the thought of idle hands as the devils workshop, more people are joining more gym clubs, children are participating in more extra-curricular activities like sports, dance, and the like. More people are going back to extend their education, and subsequently forced to attend classes in the evening. Couple this with parents who work at night or families who have teen-age children who are independent and these factors equal families who spend more time in restaurants than they do in their own kitchen. When families get home late in the evening then dinner often become a snack. This is not to say that every family in America follows this routine, but Caucasians in particular are most likely to become victim to this trend. Caucasians in particular encourage their children to participate in anything. Families who have two parents working have an opportunity to maybe enjoy a home cooked meal a couple nights a week.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McDonald’s marketing plan is a clever ploy direct at the children of this planet. If not for children and their addiction to clowns, and maybe time factors, mothers would have no reason to stop at fast food restaurants. A great deal of McDonald’s have a play land where the parents can come to appease their child and end up sitting for a two or three hours. Many women meet and make it a social activity. This is how the beginning of eating unhealthy begins. As a result of this, people grow and become cozy with the idea of McDonalds.

The Challenges Faced by North Korean Defectors

The Challenges Faced by North Korean Defectors, and the E? ectiveness of NGOs in Aiding their Plight Sociology 250: Gabrielle Bishop Instructor: Jerry Hinbest North Korean refugees face a number of obstacles both prior to and after making the escape from a regime that has literally starved them from food, facts, and freedom. From the day they are born, North Koreans are e? ectively brainwashed by their government into believing that they live in a workers’ paradise, and that in comparison the outside world is a hopeless place.Most go onto believe this whole-heartedly, as outside ows of information (which could potentially expose their government) are essentially non-existent. However, in the wake of extreme food shortages, many citizens have decided to defect from the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of North Korea (DPRK). The majority of which intend to make the journey north through China, to Southeast Asia, and nally reach South Korea, where they can be granted refugee s tatus and be given nancial support from the South Korean government.Some opt to remain in China, where they accept to live as illegal aliens (Kim, H. K. , & Lee, O. J. (2009). A Phenomenological Study on the Experience of North Korean Refugees. Nursing Science Quarterly, 22(1), 85-88) as the journey to South Korea can be long and expensive. Even if they are successful in completing the journey from North Korea to China, Southeast Asia, South Korea, or elsewhere, studies show that North Korean defectors are at a high risk of experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Jeon, W. , Hong, C. , Lee, C. Kim, D. K. , Han, M. , & Min, S. (2005). Correlation Between Traumatic Events and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Among North Korean Defectors in South Korea. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 18 (2), 147-154; Chung, S. , & Seo, J. (2007). A Study on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Among North Korean Defectors and their Social Adjustment in South Korea. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 12, 365- 382). However, evidence has shown that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were successful in helping defectors adjust to their new lives outside of the DPRK 1 Kim, J. (2010). A Study of the Roles of NGOs for North Korean Refugees' Human Rights. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 8. 1, 76-90. ). Unfortunately, due to the isolationist nature of North Korea, original research (and information in general) on related topics can be most di? cult to nd. In conclusion, these refugees face a number of social, physical, and nancial barriers, starting from the way they have been brainwashed, and leading to potential mental health issues, even if their escape from North Korea is successful.However, rehabilitation for these refugees is indeed possible. To understand any matter relating to North Korea, it is rst necessary to understand the context in which the nation operates. North Korea has been referred to as the most isolated state in the world (Kim, 2010); this is largely owing to th e tight grip Kim Jong Il possesses over all state media in the DPRK. However, since the 1990s, more and more North Koreans have made the decision to defect (Kim et all, 2009; Chung et al, 2007).This tight grip also extends into the educational sphere, as research shows that North Koreas are trained to be suspicious of outsiders (Lee, D. (2010). Portrayals of Non-North Koreans in North Korean Textbooks and the Formation of National Identity . Asian Studies Reivew, 34, 349-369. ) At rst, some might attribute the rising number of defectors to the process of globalization, and the a? ects it could have on making sources of eye-opening outside media more readily available in the â€Å"Hermit Kingdom†. However, with the exception of a few upper-level party o? ials in the â€Å"Propaganda Department† entrusted with producing the only media allowed in the state, most average North Koreans have no way of understanding what basic human rights exist outside of the DPRK (Clippinge r, M. E. (1981). Kim Chong-il in the North Korean Mass Media: A Study of Semi-Esoteric Communication. Asian Survey, 21(3), 289-309. ). Thus, case studies have shown that the vast majority of refugees choose to ee because of hunger and/or economic reasons (Jeon et al, 2005; Robinson, W. C. , Lee, M. K. , Hill, K. , Hsu, E. , & Burnham, G. (2001).Demographic Methods to Assess Food Insecurity: a North Korean Case Study. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 16(4), 286-291. ) – this would also explain why the numbers of refugees 2 increase when insider reports of famine increases (Jeon et al, 2005). However, these studies (which all demonstrate evidence of famine) blatantly contradict the North Korean government’s constant â€Å"reassurance† that there is no shortage of food within the DPRK (for example, the â€Å"Dear Leader† recently made a visit to an apple orchard in rural North Korea which was publicized in an approved North Korean news service.The article gave the impression that agriculture in the DPRK is ourishing, and that farmers and consumers alike are all satis ed. [Kim Jong Il Gives Field Guidance to Ryongjon Fruit Farm. (2011, October 3). Korean News]) However, history and past studies have shown that after the death of Kim Il Sung (North Korea’s â€Å"Great Leader†) in 1994, a series of natural disasters leading to food shortages in the DPRK occurred. In 1995 and 1996, severe ooding; in 1997 a large-scale drought (Jeon et al, 2005). This brought about extreme food shortages, placing millions of people at risk of starvation1 (Robinson et al, 2001).About 75% of the North Korean population are eligible to purchase subsidized food rations via the government’s Public Distribution System (Robinson et al, 2001) Ration portions vary depending on age and occupational status (â€Å"o? cially†, adults receive 700g of grain a day; children 500g; and elderly 600g – however, recently-arrived North Korean respondents to a survey conducted in China noted that these were grossly in ated numbers, and that most people receive much less) (Robinson et Al, 2001). Despite this, many Koreans still starve.This has led to many having ed north of the border, to China, where despite the fact that basic social services cannot be guaranteed (the Chinese government does not permit North Korean refugees to stay in China, and has a policy to deport said refugees), defectors can at least have access to food via setting up their own small-scale farms. Studies estimate that between 50,000 and 150,000 North Koreans are temporarily living in China, because of this (Robinson et al, 2001). 3 Even after making the journey to China, through Southeast Asia, and nally to South Korea, studies show that many North Korean refugees battle against ental health issues, like PTSD (Yu, S. , Jeon, W. , Cho, Y. , & Eom, J. (2008). Traumatic Experiences and Mental Health of North Korean Refugees in South Korea. Psychiatry Invest, 5, 213-220; Chung, 2007; Jeon, 2005; etc). A study undertaken in 2007 collected data via interviews with North Korean defectors aged 18 and up who had been admitted to South Korea since 1990 and had been there for at least 3 months post-completion of the government’s protective management course at the Hanawon training centre. The results of this study found the following: â€Å"†¦ 60 of the 133 subjects (45. 1%) fell within the high-risk group, leaving 73 persons (54. %) in the low- risk group. This meant that almost half of the subjects remained exposed to PTSD risks. The mean total score for social adjustment of the high-risk group was 34. 22, and that of the low-risk group was 36. 51; the 2. 29-point di? erence between the two groups was found to be signi cant, t(131) 1? 4 2. 098, p ; . 05. These results adequately re ect the reality that the social adjustment of the high-risk group was poorer than that of the low-risk group, also suggesting that PTSD deser ves more attention when considering the likelihood of social adjustment success among North Korean defectors. † (Chung, 2007).This study, like many others, showed that along with other issues (ex: problems with family relationships and nancial management) the overall level of social adjustment among North Korean defectors in South Korea was rather low (Chung 2007; Kim 2009; Yu, 2008). The Chung study noted that it would be bene cial, based on the ndings, to institutionalize a mental health intervention system in order to act preemptively against defectors becoming at risk for PTSD and any other mental health issues, and that a follow-up management system emphasizing support among defectors in their new local communities must also be 4 stablished (Chung, 2007). The Chung study also noted that special care must be directed towards female defectors in their adaption to South Korean society, as they are often at risk for sexual abuse, among other di? culties, that their male count erparts are not faced with however, in spite of this, female defectors still demonstrated lower levels of PTSD symptoms and social adjustment than their male counterparts (Chung, 2007).One gap in the Chung research project was that it failed to address the issue of North Korean defectors’ past traumatic experiences, and that it acknowledged that more in-depth data on the subject should be collected for a more holistic understanding of North Korean defectors’ social adjustments to life in South Korea. Most NGO activities for North Korean refugees are focused on providing humanitarian aid and protecting their rights in other countries, particularly China (Kim, 2010). In a study done in 2010 by Jungin Kim, four NGOs working to support North Korean defectors were analyzed. Human Rights First was the rst NGO to be studied.Research showed that the organization had attempted to improve standards for DPRK human rights, and despite being unsuccessful in passing the North Korean Refugee Act of 2002 in the USA, continued to ght towards the establishment of a human rights protection-related law (Kim, 2010). In the second case study, Japan-based Life Funds for Korean Refugees (LFKR) was examined. LFKR helped play an instrumental role in the resettlement of DPRK defectors in Japan. (Kim, 2010) As well, LFKR established and maintained secret routes within North Korea, where food was successfully delivered to starving people (Kim, 2010).LKFR is known to also work alongside Christian Solidarity Worldwide (UK), Human Rights without Frontiers (Belgium), the US Defense Forum (USA), and Durihana Mission (South Korea), in e? orts to build a network of NGOs across the world, united by a common cause (Kim, 2010). Furthermore, the study found that through providing an English-language website and equipping its sta? with language skills and other cultural background knowledge, LKFR was successful in gaining international attention from journalists and building networks wi th other NGOs and government o? ials (Kim, 2010). The Seoul-based NGO known as the Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human 5 Rights (NKHR), has taken an educational approach through training North Korean refugees upon arrival in the south (Kim, 2010). NKHR provides refugee resettlement, various training and cultural programs, publication and academic activities, etc. (Kim, 2010). The study found that these initiatives have indeed proved successful; NKHR’s only barrier to extending its programs to more defectors being funding (Kim, 2010).Finally, World Vision was the last NGO studied. While the other NGOs focussed on providing education or resettlement services to defectors, World Vision was found to take a more humanitarian approach to aiding North Koreans (ex: providing them with relief kits in response to the ooding in North Korea) (Kim, 2010). While many of these NGOs were found to play a positive role in helping North Korean citizens and defectors, Kim also notes that a possible issue with NGOs is that many compete for limited resources and recognition (Kim 2010).As well, he notes that it has been disputed whether or not NGOs can truly remain independent, or â€Å"third-party†, in the sense that the limited money that does go towards the NGO can come with political strings attached (Kim, 2010). He also points out the obvious danger that NGO workers put themselves in when dealing with North Korean and Chinese human rights a? airs, citing the instances where two LFNKR aid workers were arrested and thrown into Chinese prisons, as China maintains the philosophy that human rights are not universal, but rather are subject to each respective country (Kim, 2010).In conclusion, research shows that the types of struggles North Korean defectors face are emotional, mental, and economic, among other things. The defectors often choose to ee North Korea due to extreme food shortages, and are met with a world of shock after being exposed to the outside worl d (as the state media in North Korea is highly regulated and controlled). This shock often manifests itself in the form of PTSD.Several NGOs are trying to address the issues faced by North Korean refugees, through a variety of methods, including: humanitarian aid, social support, education, training programs, emotional & mental support, refugee resettlement, etc. These programs are generally quite successful, but are in need of 6 funding. In closing, research demonstrates that there is indeed hope for North Korean refugees, and with the right capital, surely they will be able to have a better life postdefection. 7 References: Chung, S. , & Seo, J. (2007) A Study on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Among North Korean Defectors and their Social Adjustment in South Korea.Journal of Loss and Trauma, 12, 365-382 Clippinger, M. E. (1981). Kim Chong-il in the North Korean Mass Media: A Study of Semi-Esoteric Communication. Asian Survey, 21(3), 289-309. Jeon, W. , Hong, C. , Lee, C. , Kim, D. K. , Han, M. , & Min, S. (2005). Correlation Between Traumatic Events and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Among North Korean Defectors in South Korea. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 18(2), 147-154; Kim, H. K. , & Lee, O. J. (2009). A Phenomenological Study on the Experience of North Korean Refugees. Nursing Science Quarterly, 22(1), 85-88 Kim, J. (2010).A Study of the Roles of NGOs for North Korean Refugees' Human Rights. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 8. 1, 76-90 Lee, D. (2010). Portrayals of Non-North Koreans in North Korean Textbooks and the Formation of National Identity . Asian Studies Reivew, 34, 349-369. Robinson, W. C. , Lee, M. K. , Hill, K. , Hsu, E. , & Burnham, G. (2001). Demographic Methods to Assess Food Insecurity: a North Korean Case Study. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 16(4), 286-291. Yu, S. , Jeon, W. , Cho, Y. , & Eom, J. (2008). Traumatic Experiences and Mental Health of North Korean Refugees in South Korea. Psychiatry Invest, 5, 213-220. 8

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 48-51

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