What Is the Common-Ion Effect

Common-ion effect describes the suppressing effect on ionization of an electrolyte when another electrolyte is added that shares a common ion. How the Common-Ion Effect Works A combination of salts in an aqueous solution will all ionize according to the solubility products, which are equilibrium constants describing a mixture of two phases. If the salts share a common cation or anion, both contribute to the concentration of the ion and need to be included in concentration calculations. As one salt dissolves, it affects how well the other salt can dissolve, essentially making it less soluble. Le Chateliers principle states equilibrium will shift to counter a change when more of a reactant is added. Example of the Common-Ion Effect For example, consider what happens when you dissolve lead(II) chloride in water and then add sodium chloride to the saturated solution. Lead(II) chloride is slightly soluble in water, resulting in the following equilibrium: PbCl2(s) ⇆ Pb2(aq) 2Cl-(aq) The resulting solution contains twice as many chloride ions and lead ions. If you add sodium chloride to this solution, you have both lead(II) chloride and sodium chloride containing the chlorine anion. The sodium chloride ionizes into sodium and chloride ions: NaCl(s) ⇆ Na(aq) Cl-(aq) The additional chlorine anion from this reaction decreases the solubility of the lead(II) chloride (the common-ion effect), shifting the lead chloride reaction equilibrium to counteract the addition of chlorine. The result is that some of the chloride is removed and made into lead(II) chloride. The common-ion effect occurs whenever you have a sparingly soluble compound. The compound will become less soluble in any solution containing a common ion. While the lead chloride example featured a common anion, the same principle applies to a common cation.

Animal Farm Film Analysis - 838 Words

This essay is a comparative analysis between the film and novel, Animal Farm. Animal Farm was written by George Orwell in 1943 and published on the 17th of August 1945. A motion picture of the novel was later produced on the 29th of December 1954 by director Joy Bachelor. There are many differences and similarities between the novel and film involving the use of characters, symbolism, themes, dialogue and events. Animal farm was a successful novel as the length was 112 pages, therefore the movie was timed at a substantial amount of 72 minutes. Both forms of the story incorporate the themes successfully with the Russian Revolution as the basic allegory and the overall aim of the book reached. In examining the major characters in the†¦show more content†¦The characters such as Boxer, Mollie and Napoleon all were symbols for the class structure, dictatorship and totalitarianism in the allegory. Majority of the symbolism is observed in the film, although, the symbolism demonstrated in greater detail and thought in the book includes the quotes, ‘Song- Beasts of England’ and the Class structure between the characters. When contrasting the movie to the book, the symbolism featured in the movie alone include blood, noise, sound and music which is witnessed by the audience. Mollie (the pony) was a representation of the people in society that did not want change to occur; this is proven in her questioning â€Å"Will there be sugar after the rebellion?†. The novel made Mollie the pony a significant part of the revolution, however, the film had not mentioned her, leaving those in the revolution not-included.The Symbolism in the book is deemed greater as the book utilises literary techniques to portray and the impact they have on the characters and storyline. The movie features less symbols in contrast to the book as the duration of the film impacted the opportunities to incorporate further symbolism. When investigating the themes and tone of the film and novel, common links can be observed such as the class structure, dictatorship and the corruption of power. The themes evident inShow MoreRelatedThe Film Food Inc.889 Words   |  4 PagesThe film Food Inc., like many other films of its category is not so much of an informative documentary, rather more of a slanderous exposà © which blows the lid off of the food industry and its operations. To say that the film is neutral and tends towards more of an educative approach would be a misinterpretation to say the least. 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The Graphic Adaptation of The Cask of Amontillado Free Essays

Refugeeland recounts Sacco’s experience in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, highlighting the difficult and unpleasant conditions that the Palestinian people were facing regarding the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Gulf War in the early nineties. Joe Sacco’s writing focuses upon the day to day experiences of a Palestinian from an outsider’s perspective. His meticulous drawings and eyewitness reporting style combine to create a very compelling and complex visual. We will write a custom essay sample on The Graphic Adaptation of The Cask of Amontillado or any similar topic only for you Order Now Edgar Allen Poe was an American author, living from January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849, Poe is best known for his thrilling and macabre short stories. His final short story, The Cask of Amontillado, is a gloomy tale of murderous revenge, set in the catacombs of Italy, and embedded with symbolism told from a first-person narrative. Poe is a master of allegorical writing, his eerie works compel the reader to explore hidden meanings and ideas concealed within his works. Fantographics Books should strongly consider combining he artistic and literary talents of both Joe Sacco and Edgar Allen Poe to create a graphic novel, the detail filled drawings and intellectually stimulating narrative are guaranteed to appeal to the sophisticated and cultured readership of Fantographics Books. Context: Graphic novels are very important to literature. They can illuminate and expose parts of a story to a reader that would otherwise be hidden within the text. Through the use of visual imagery, the reader can gain more information and decipher parts of the story from a graphic novel that would other wise be assumed or lost in the text alone, such as the author’s intent. Graphic novels can also be read by a much larger audience than text stories, this is due to the fact that graphic novels do not solely rely on the text to tell the story. This would be most beneficial for publishing a story in an international market where the story would have to be translated to different languages. The reader can view the images and interpret the overarching idea of the story without having to read the text. An example of this can be seen in Robert Crumb’s visual interpretation of Franz Kafka’s short story, A Hunger Artist. The text version of the story was originally written in German, the story was then translated to English and many other languages around the world. Because of the difference in translations, some of the original meaning behind the story may have been lost. The difference between the text and illustrated versions of the story are very noticeable. An example can be seen in the different descriptions of artist himself. In Kafka’s version, the hunger artist is described as â€Å"†¦ pale figure with enormously protruding ribs†¦. nodding politely†¦. answering questions with a forced smile†¦ † (465). In the graphic version of the story, Crumbs depiction is very different from realistic. While it akes no textual description of the hunger artist, it illustrates him as a very disturbed and reclusive man sitting in the back ot an a nimal cage, ne is not nodding politely or smiling, and he also appears to be on the verge of death (927). The visual depiction from the graphic novel aids in transforming the readers understanding of the text, otherwise the reader may be lost in translation. Why â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† and Joseph Sacco: The descriptive details of a captivating story should be at the forefront of importance when beginning to create a graphic novel. It will eventually become the oundation for the drawings. Without such detail, the graphic novel will be unappealing to most readers, and because of this, the sales of the novel will suffer. For the best possible outcome regarding readership and sales, Fantographics Books should publish an illustrated version of Edgar Allan Poe’s short horror-story, The Cask of Amontillado. Poe’s dark and eerie narrative depicts the death of a person by being buried alive from a murder’s perspective. The story is overflowing with vivd imagery and detail. One such example from the story would be when the main character Montresor begins to lead Fortunato down the stairs into the catacombs of Montresor, â€Å"l took their sconces two flambeaux, and giving one to Fortunato, bowed him through several suites of rooms to the archway that lead into the vaults. I passed down a long and winding staircase, requesting him to be cautious as he followed. We came to the length to the foot of the descent, and stood together on the damp ground of the catacombs of Montresor† (724). It is clear to see how much detail is bound into one small paragraph, his choice in adjectives and his use of first-person pronouns such s â€Å"We† and â€Å"l† allow the reader to envision them selves in the story, which is an excellent starting point for developing a drawing. Poe establishes a very absorbing and thrilling tale through his use of such imagery, and this is precisely why Fantographics Books should strongly consider publishing an illustrated graphic version of The Cask of Amontillado. The artist who could best illustrate the graphic version of The Cask of Amontillado would be Joe Sacco. Joe Sacco has a background in journalistic reporting, a career that requires serious attention to detail to clearly and ccurately relay all of the facts in a news story. In his artistic renderings, Joe Sacco uses an exorbitant amount of detail, which would mesh well with the many details and symbolisms within Poe’s writings. One such example would be from Joe Sacco’s graphic novel Refugeeland. The illustration in particular is on the second page of the story. It is a two page spread that depicts an arial view of a city. The graphic weight of the image leads the viewer’s eye around the drawing, the primary source being Sacco’s use of crosshatching to fill the different spacial grounds. It is filled with all of he normal things one would see in a city, such as buildings, cars, and people, except every possible space in the spread is filled with the tiniest detail. There are no text boxes or areas for dialogue on this spread, allowing the viewer to contemplate all of the details in the scene. Sacco makes every part of the image important, he doesnt focus on a particular object or person, which allows for different symbols or elements to be incorporated into the drawing. Poe is an author who uses symbolism is all parts of his writings, including character names, settings, colors, and diction. All of these ymbols work together to create an intellectually stimulating story that causes the reader to pause and reconsider certain aspects hidden within the writing. The aura of mystery surrounding the setting of Edgar Allen Poe’s writing combined with the first-person perspectives in the illustrations ot Joe Sacco would make this an exceptional pairing for Fantographics books to publish. Preview: In the middle of the story there is a scene where Montresor and Fortunato are in the catacombs, it is filled with various complex details describing the ambience of the crypt while the men carry out their vain attempt at finding the Amontillado, â€Å"We assed through a range of low arches, descended, passed on, and descending again, arrived at a deep crypt, in which the foulness of the air caused our flambeaux to glow than flame†¦ the walls had been lined with human remains†¦ † (725). In this scene, Joe Sacco will illustrate a two page splash capturing the entire crypt. In this splash, he will capture the intricate details of the catacombs by using hatching technique done with pen and ink. He will show the men descending past the different arches of the crypt from their perspective to make the reader feel like they are walking into the atacombs with the men too. When he illustrates this scene he will use a range of values to establish the fore, middle, and background, this will encapsulate a very important moment in the story that will lead the reader’s eye across the page and provide an opportunity to place symbols that Poe is known for into the drawing. His use of contrasting values in the scene will also convey the tone, which will be very grim and foreboding. Joe Sacco’s elaborate adaptation will be ideal for Poe’s mysterious short story. Challenges and Unknowns: Although it may be argued that Joe Sacco’s background as a Journalist is not ppropriate for such a monstrous fictional tale like The Cask of Amontillado, especially considering all other artistic possibilities, Joe Sacco is the most qualified artist for the Job. Attention to detail is a major necessity for any artist who is thinking about taking on such a detail-rich story like The Cask of Amontillado, which is brimming with symbolism and subtle details. Joe Sacco’s background as a Journalist is perfect for The Cask of Amontillado. In his career he focused upon depicting the perspective of the Palestinian people, his eyewitness style of writing is very fitting for he firsthand narration that Montresor delivers to the readers, which is evidence of Sacco’s ability to transform Poe’s writing into a graphic novel. Honorable Mention: Another artistic and literary combination that Fantographics Books could have possibly considered would be the pairing of Art Spiegelman, author and illustrator of Prisoner on the Hell Planet, with A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Spiegelman’s simplistic illustrations integrated with the magical realism of Marquez would have made for a very interesting combination. Visually, it ould be very stimulating. Spiegelman has a sort of crazed intensity to his drawings, I think it would have been fun to see the bizarre happenings of A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings portrayed in a woodblock printing style. Ultimately, I decided to work with Sacco and Poe because visually and allegorically there is so much more to work with. I enjoy the macabre and thrilling nature of Poe’s writing more than magical realism that Marquez is known for. I also enjoy the realistic and complex style that Joe Sacco has as compared with Art Spiegelman, whose drawings are rather flat and disorganized. How to cite The Graphic Adaptation of The Cask of Amontillado, Papers

Public Administration

Question: Discuss about the Public Administeation ? Answer : Introducation A new form of governance has emerged as a substitute to the managerial and adversarial methods of formulating and implementing policies. This new form of governance is called the collaborative governance which brings in several stakeholders together with public agencies in common forums so that they can participate harmoniously in the decision making process (O'Flynn Wanna, 2013). In other words a collaborative governing arrangement may be defined as a governing arrangement where several public agencies involve non-state stakeholders to actively participate in the formal decision making process in order to formulate public policies and implement the public assets or programs. Collaborative governance has the following essential characteristics: the forum is established by public agencies; the non-state stakeholders are a part of the forum; the participants actively participate in the decision making process; the objective of the forum is to formulate and implement public policies ha rmoniously and consensually. This form of governing arrangement has been developed in order to respond to the failure of the adversarialism and failure of accountability in the managerialism. Collaborative governance seems to assure that if collaborative governing arrangement is adopted then it would facilitate in reducing the high expense that is incurred in the adversarial method of policy-making process and result in increase democratic participation and refurbish reasonability to public management. Collaborative governance process includes various stages. Many scholars describe the consensus-building process as an implementation or a negotiation phase. Some scholars identify three stages, which includes policy formulation, policy development and the decision-making process (Guerrero et al., 2015). One of the essential elements of the term collaborative governance is the word governance. Several authors have construed the word governance as rules, legal regimes, administrative practice and judicial decisions that prohibit and enable provisions related to public goods and services. It is often argued while interpreting governance that it refers to a form of government, which blurs the boundaries between and within the private and the public sectors. However, governance also includes decision-making process, which involves the active participation of both the private and the public sectors. Therefore, another essential element in collaborative governance includes a form of governm ent wherein both the private and the public sectors work together in different ways, following particular process in order to develop rules and laws for the provision of public related goods. In a collaborative governing process, every individuals and all the interest groups are entitled to participate in the decision making process regarding the decisions that tends to affect them. Although most of the collaborative arrangements strictly involve non-state actors, effective collaborative governance specifically defines the role played by the public agencies. The term public agency includes the legislatures, courts, bureaucracies and other governmental bodies, however, in collaborative governance the term public agency refers to the executive branch agency (Emerson Gerlak, 2014). These public agencies tend to start collaborative forums either to comply with statutory mandates or to satisfy their own purpose. Several scholars are of the opinion that collaborative governance indicates that the public agencies and the non-state stakeholders share a different kind of relationship. For instance, some authors state that collaborative arrangements signifies representation by the essential interest groups, whereas some are of the opinion that collaborative governance include representatives of all related groups. The term stakeholders in collaborative governance shall include the participation of the organized groups and the participation of the citizens as individuals. Although the public agencies and the stakeholders play distinctive roles in a collaborative arrangement, they may be referred to as stakeholders for convenience. Collaborative governance is effective if it involves collectiveness. There must be a two-way communication between the stakeholders and the public agencies. They must hold meetings together and engage themselves in deliberations (Bryson, 2013). Collaborative arrangements entails that stakeholders must participate in the decision-making process, as they shall be responsible for the consequences of the policies. The decisions in the collaborative form of governance are made harmoniously, that is, the participants of the forum must come to an agreement in order to resolve the concerned issues. Although the public agencies possess the final decisive authority to decide, the underlying objective of collaboration is to achieve agreement among all the stakeholders. Collaborative governance concentrates on public related policies and issues (Head Alford, 2015). Collaborative governance is different from other forums like alternative dispute resolution forums or mediation forums. The public agencies may resort to the alternative dispute resolution and mediation forums in order to resolve the public related issues but these forums are designed to resolve disputes arising between private individuals. An essential feature of collaborative form of governance is that in order to reduce the indistinctness between the public and the private sectors, the term collaborative governance is defined as a gover nment that deals with public affairs. Collaborative governance becomes effective if all the stakeholders participate in the decision-making process, however, it is obvious that the authority of including or excluding certain stakeholders shall arise in the collaborative forum but there are certain stakeholders the exclusion of which shall intimidate the legitimacy of eth decision-making process or even result in the failure of the collaboration process altogether. The final deliberations of the collaborative forum may be questioned in case the relevant participants of the forum are of the view that they were not represented efficiently (Huxham Vangen, 2013). The parties who obtain the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process of the collaborative forum are the ones who tend to be committed to the process. The success of the decision-making process of a collaborative form of governance relies on three essential factors: whether people affected by the decisions taken by the forum respect the participants or their expertise and the authority of the participants to make such decisions. The collective authority and expertise and the decisive authority of the participants or the collaborators are fundamental for the decision-making processes and the collaboration outcome of the collaborative arrangement (Fung, 2015). If the participants lack any of these factors they are considered to be incapable and have no authority to make decisions related to the fundamental issues. If the participants demonstrate their expertise and capability to resolve the issues, the decisions made by them are considered to be appropriate. The parties in the collaborative governance process may realize that there is a need to engage people on a wider scale in the decision-making process. For example, the participants in the collaborative governance may become conscious about the fact that the process must include even those individuals who are affected by the consequences of the policies along with those people who have interests in such outcome. While the proper inclusion of stakeholders is essential for an effective collaborative governance, several scholars have comprehended that the participating groups shall have distinct incentives in order to participate in the collaborative governance process relying on their respective power in the forum (Bryson, Crosby Bloomberg, 2014). There are factors that hinder the effective working of the collaborative governance process (Margerum, 2016). Firstly, the parties participating in the decision-making process who believes to be powerful usually does not restrict themselves to one specific collaborative way, instead they like to have more options available to them. As it is pointed out by scholars of collaborative governance that when there are multiple options available for resolution, it is conceived that a resolution using the collaborative process is not a favourable option. Secondly, the issue regarding the power imbalance may take place when decisions about including representatives stakeholders from the organised sectors of the society is made as several interests groups may not have an structural framework to represent them in the collaborative governance process (Doberstein, 2016). Therefore, the more the stakeholders are affected, the more difficult it becomes to represent the stakeholders in the collaborative governances processes. Thirdly, there is an existence of differences of interest and conflict. Such conflict may result in an inter-group antagonism and it becomes very difficult to overcome such inter-group antagonism through collaborative governance processes. The stakeholders become so involved in interpreting their own identities and preparing solutions to resolve the problems they face. This prevents them from concentrating on the collaboration governance process (Choi Robertson, 2013). Fourthly, the conditions present in the beginning of the collaboration process, it may either encourage or discourage cooperation among the stakeholders or between the stakeholders and the public agencies. Fifthly, if the stakeholders are incapable or do not have any resources, status or is unable to participate equally with the other stakeholders, then the collaborative governance process shall be easily manipulated by the stronger participants. It becomes a major concern when key stakeholders do not possess structural framework to be represented in a collaborative process. An additional issue related to the imbalance of power is at times the stakeholders do not have the energy or time to engage themselves in a time consuming collaborative governance process. Lastly, in a collaborative governance process, the participation process is voluntary due to which it becomes difficult to comprehend the incentives of the stakeholders which encourages them to involve in the collaborative governance and the factors that outlines the incentives. The obstacles to effective collaborative governance process can be mitigated if the participants adopt the appropriate approaches. Firstly, in order to deal with the conflicts and the difference of interest among the stakeholders and the public agencies and the stakeholders, the participants must be identify the goal, which is beneficial for all the participants engaged in the collaborative governance process, irrespective of the conflicts or differences in interests of the participants. Secondly, in order to overcome the problem related to the power imbalance, the collaborative governance is required to adopt a positive strategy of empowerment and ensure effective representation of the underprivileged or the weaker stakeholders. Thirdly, the issue related to antagonism among the stakeholders may be dealt with if the stakeholders are highly interdependent among themselves; the stakeholders trust other and the other participants involved in the decision making process (Klievink, Bharosa Tan, (2016). If optimistic approaches are adopted to incorporate faith, trust and confidence amongst the stakeholders and the social capital is reduced, the level of antagonism shall come down and the participants shall work together in the decision-making process and resolve issues consensually. This would result in the formulation and implementation of effective policies for public good. Fourthly, at the time of commencement of the collaboration process, effective leadership is essential. An effective leadership is fundamental in collaborative arrangements as it facilitates in bringing the parties to an agreement and guides them through unsteady situations in the decision-making process. Leadership facilitates the stakeholders to come together and participate in the decision making process in a collaborative spirit. Mediation enhances the responsibility of the the third party intervention to arbitrate when the participants fail to come to an agreement. Under such circumstances, the third party may provide a solution which although shall not amount to a binding arbitration, but it would provide a clear outline of the agenda (Bingham O'Leary, 2014). Leadership is essential as it facilitates to set comprehensible ground rules; build trust and look for common gains. Several scholars have have argued that leadership is vital as it empowers, embraces and engage the stakeh olders and organize them to move ahead in the collaborative process. Moreover, several scholars have asserted that for leadership to be effective, it must possess the three essential elements: the ability to maintain technical credibility, to ensure empowering the collaborative process to make convincing decisions and the ability to administer the collaborative process adequately. Fifthly, sometimes when important stakeholders do not possess structural framework to be represented in a collaborative process, it turns out to be a major issue. However, this issue can be dealt with if the interests of the participants are carefully addressed. If the participants convince each other of the advantages of the substitute ideas by giving them proper reasons behind the ideas, this would help create an understanding between them. This would further, help them align their preferences about how they can attain their joint and common aspirations together (Ansell Torfing, 2015). If the personal and collective interests of the stakeholders are fulfilled, it would facilitate the stakeholders to come to an agreement in order to achieve the objectives and strategies of the collaborative governance. The issue related to the incentives of the participants is critical as resource and power imbalance will affect the incentives of the participants to participate in the process of collaborative governance. The incentives of the stakeholders to take part in the collaborative process party depends upon their expectations such as whether the collaborative process give them significant results against the energy and time the collaborative process requires the participants to give in such process. However, the incentives of the participants enhances if they are convinced that their participation in the process shall result in a concrete, efficient and satisfactory outcome of the policies. On the other hand, the stakeholders may decline the incentives if they notice that their input is being considered as an advice and is not being implemented (Gash, 2016). In Collaborative governance, every individual matters in policy and the policy matters to everyone. In order to cope with the modern complex public problems, an effective collaborative effort is essential to develop policies for public welfare (Choi Robertson, 2014). A recent example of collaborative process in Australia may be the Noosa Climate Action Plan (NCAP), which is a community-oriented plan, which is supported by variety of stakeholders. The NCAP plan is a successful collaborative planning process. The adverse changes in the weather conditions have had a significant impact on the environment and economy of Australia, especially in Queensland (Smith et al., 2015). In order to deal with such a complicated problem as climate change, it was pertinent that both the non-state and government organisations come together to resolve the issue. Collaborative governance was recognised as one of the most effective approaches to deal with the issue. This approach laid emphasis on promotion of the rights of the community in the decision-making processes at the local level through empowerment, local knowledge, etc. It is essential that the participants realise the policy gaps between the international frameworks and the local action processes as the adaptations needs to be implemented both locally and nationally (Biddle Koontz, 2014). This signifies the importance of collaboration between the non-state and state organisations from the local to the national level. The NCAP action plan was successful as it succeeded in incorporating the stakeholders into a consensus-oriented and common decision-making process. The factors that attributed to the success of the NCAP plan were the increase in the incentives of the stakeholders; effective leadership; mutual respect among the stakeholders; developing trust and confidence among the participants; consensus-oriented and mutual decision-making process and fair distribution of power (Keys, Thomsen Smith, 2016). Collaborative governance lacks accountability and therefore, the participants must trust one another and put in efforts to comprehend the demands and ideas of each other. This would enable the stakeholders to develop effective policies, addressing the concerns and demands of the various interest groups and it would help them achieve their individual goals as well. The success of the NCAP plan as a collaborative process establishes the fact that how the involvement of both the state and the non-state actors is essential to implement an effective collaborative governance (Howes Dedekorkut, 2016). Now, it is a well-known fact that in order to make the stakeholders come to an agreement, an effective leader plays a vital role. Apart from playing the role of a mediator, leadership is imperative for representing the weaker stakeholders in the decision-making process. Many scholars recognise this particular responsibility of a facilitative leadership as one of the mediation methods, which enables to maintain the balance of power amongst the stakeholders (Burton Nalau, 2016). When the incentives to take part in the decision making process is weak, the leader must intervene to maintain the stakeholders or empower the weaker actors participating in the decision making process. In case there is high conflict between the stakeholders, the role of the mediator is delegated to a person who has no interest in the consequences of the policies to maintain neutrality in the collaborative process (Bryson, Crosby Stone, 2015). The absence of mutual trust among the stakeholders is very common at the time of commencement of collaborative governance process. The collaborative process is not about negotiation only; it is also, about how the participants develop mutual trust between themselves. From the above discussion, it can be concluded that in a collaborative governance process it is imperative that the stakeholders develop mutual trust among themselves and a shared understanding of their collective achievements. Although the collaborative process face challenges while preparing and implementing the public policies such as manipulation of the process by the powerful stakeholders; lack of commitment by the public agencies; mutual distrust and lack of confidence among the stakeholders; but there are factors that attributes to implement an effective collaborative governance (Siddiki et al., 2015). These factors can be categorised as resource factors, stakeholder factors and organisational structural factors. The factors related to stakeholders include participation of the stakeholders in every stage of decision-making process. An increase in the incentives of the stakeholders to participate in the collaborative process is an essential factor in the process. Further, the joint involvement of the stakeholders to share the responsibilities and resources with one another is regarded as another crucial factor (Merritt Kelley, 2017). Furthermore, the collaborative process must include participation of the fundamental stakeholders in the collective decision-making process of collaborative governance. Collaborative governance process lacks accountability and commitment which results in fraudulent acts in the collaborative arrangements. It is essential that the stakeholders share responsibilities and resources with one another, as it would develop a mutual understanding and enhance accountability. Therefore, implementation of effective collaborative governance can be achieved if the participants in the decisionmaking process consensually make decisions taking into consideration the welfare and the benefit of the public. Reference list Ansell, C., Torfing, J. (2015). How does collaborative governance scale?.Policy Politics,43(3), 315-329. Biddle, J. C., Koontz, T. M. (2014). Goal specificity: A proxy measure for improvements in environmental outcomes in collaborative governance.Journal of environmental management,145, 268-276. Bingham, L. B., O'Leary, R. (2014).Big ideas in collaborative public management. Routledge. Bryson, J. M., Crosby, B. C., Bloomberg, L. (2014). Public value governance: Moving beyond traditional public administration and the new public management.Public Administration Review,74(4), 445-456. Bryson, J. M., Crosby, B. C., Stone, M. M. (2015). Designing and implementing cross?sector collaborations: Needed and challenging.Public Administration Review,75(5), 647-663. Bryson, J. M., Quick, K. S., Slotterback, C. S., Crosby, B. C. (2013). Designing public participation processes.Public administration review,73(1), 23-34. Burton, P., Nalau, J. (2016). Public participation in the governance of metropolitan scale climate adaptation: panacea or problem?.Climate Adaptation Governance in Cities and Regions: Theoretical Fundamentals and Practical Evidence, 317-332. Choi, T., Robertson, P. J. (2013). Deliberation and decision in collaborative governance: A simulation of approaches to mitigate power imbalance.Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, mut003. Choi, T., Robertson, P. J. (2014). Caucuses in Collaborative Governance: Modeling the Effects of Structure, Power, and Problem Complexity.International Public Management Journal,17(2), 224-254. Doberstein, C. (2016). Designing collaborative governance decision-making in search of a collaborative advantage.Public Management Review,18(6), 819-841. Emerson, K., Gerlak, A. K. (2014). Adaptation in collaborative governance regimes.Environmental management,54(4), 768-781. Fung, A. (2015). Putting the public back into governance: The challenges of citizen participation and its future.Public Administration Review,75(4), 513-522. Gash, A. (2016). 37. Collaborative governance.Handbook on Theories of Governance, 454. Guerrero, A., Bodin, ., McAllister, R., Wilson, K. (2015). Achieving social-ecological fit through bottom-up collaborative governance: an empirical investigation.Ecology and Society,20(4). Head, B. W., Alford, J. (2015). Wicked problems: Implications for public policy and management.Administration Society,47(6), 711-739. Howes, M., Dedekorkut?Howes, A. (2016). The rise and fall of climate adaptation governance on the Gold Coast, Australia.Climate Adaptation Governance in Cities and Regions: Theoretical Fundamentals and Practical Evidence, 237-250. Huxham, C., Vangen, S. (2013).Managing to collaborate: The theory and practice of collaborative advantage. Routledge. Keys, N., Thomsen, D. C., Smith, T. F. (2016). Adaptive capacity and climate change: the role of community opinion leaders.Local Environment,21(4), 432-450. Klievink, B., Bharosa, N., Tan, Y. H. (2016). The collaborative realization of public values and business goals: Governance and infrastructure of publicprivate information platforms.Government Information Quarterly,33(1), 67-79. Margerum, R. D., Robinson, C. J., Genskow, K. (2016). 17. The challenges of collaborative governance: towards a new research agenda.The Challenges of Collaboration in Environmental Governance: Barriers and Responses, 371. Merritt, C. C., Kelley, D. (2017). What Individual and Organizational Competencies Facilitate Effective Collaboration? Findings from a Collaborative Governance Simulation. O'Flynn, J., Wanna, J. (2013). Collaborative Governance: A new era of public policy in Australia?. Siddiki, S. N., Carboni, J. L., Koski, C., Sadiq, A. A. (2015). How policy rules shape the structure and performance of collaborative governance arrangements.Public Administration Review,75(4), 536-547. Smith, T. F., Choy, D., Thomsen, D. C., Serrao-Neumann, S., Crick, F., Sano, M., ... Sharma, V. (2015). Adapting Australian coastal regions to climate change. CRC Press.

Debenhams Company Integrated Marketing Communications

Introduction Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is an approach that incorporates all the marketing communication strategies and launches them at the desired target audience. This approach allows the maximum impact on the target audience as all the marketing mix is strategically employed for the marketing campaign.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Debenhams Company Integrated Marketing Communications specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although IMC has become a popular jargon among practitioners, its applicability is low among companies, even though, they technically are using IMC. This is because most companies end up utilizing one or two of the marketing mix and omitting the rest in launching their marketing strategy. This paper is a case study of the IMC employed by Debenhams in the UK. The paper takes a portfolio approach in understanding the degree of adoption of IMC by the company. This paper will first p rovide a brief background of the company. Then the paper provides an understanding of the marketing strategy employed by the company through portfolio approach. Company Background Debenhams is a leading retailer in the UK. Established in 1778 by William Clark it was listed on the London Stock Exchange on 2003 (Debenhams, 2011). The company has 147 across the UK and Ireland and has an e-commerce section that operates a completely transactional website (Debenhams, 2011). The company operates in the mid-market retail segment of the country. The retailer sells a total of 21 brands in its stores. In 2010 the company enjoyed a turnover of  £2119.90 million that has been constantly increasing through 2007 (Hemscott, 2011). The company mainly sells apparel for men, women, and children, cosmetics, and house wares. 70 percent of the overall sales of the company are accounted by the in-house brands such as Debut, Maine New England, and Red Herring (Yahoo Finance, 2011). Apart from the third party brands, Debenhams sells label brands, Designers at Debenhams. The company has embarked on a multi-channel business that allows it to consolidate its in-store and online selling strategy. The company manages its sales through three channels – company stores, franchising, and online stores. In order to expand its global presence, Debenhams entered into franchising with various international partners.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the annual report of 2010, the company’s newly adopted multi-channel strategy helped in increase of sales by 88.4% (Debenhams, 2010). Apart from this the company has undertaken an aggressive expansion plan through acquisition of departmental stores in Denmark and expansion of retail space. Further, the company has launched newly owned brands and extended the Designers portfolio. From the annual report it is clear tha t Debenhams is less competitive in casual wear market, while it is a much larger market than formal wear. Therefore the company intends to expand in this market category. Further in shoe market, Debenhams lags behind in women’s shoes sale than competitors. Therefore, the company aims to exploit the opportunities available in this market. Given this background of the company, the paper will now demonstrate the integrated marketing strategy of the company through portfolio approach. Integrated Marketing Communication Integrated marketing approach aims to unify all the communication strategies of marketing and handle them in a unified manner. Traditionally, these communication strategies operated separately, with no interconnection between each other. However, recent marketing trend has shown that with integration of the marketing strategies results in better performance. Debenhams follows an integrated marketing strategy that takes into account all the different channels of mar keting. This section will first provide a detailed understanding of the communication schemes undertaken by the company using portfolio approach and then provide a detailed understanding of the company’s multi-channel model. For the portfolio analysis of the marketing communications of Debenhams, the marketing communication strategies that are considered are advertising, sales promotion, events, public relations, and direct marketing. Table 1 will provide the different campaigns that were undertaken by the company under these strategies. Table 1: Integrated marketing Communication PortfolioAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Debenhams Company Integrated Marketing Communications specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Communication Portfolio Campaign Portfolio Advertising Sales Promotion Events Public Relations Personal Selling Direct Marketing TV advertisements Retail stores Special Events Social media Sho pping experience to customers E-mail marketing Print advertisements Online store Competition Reporting – Financial and Social Audit Social media presence Online advertisements Loyalty Scheme Pop-up stores CSR activities Mobile advertisement campaign Seasonal Sales Sponsorships Online sales promotions In 2008 the company had spent  £1.7 million on promotional activities (Debenhams, 2010). The company adopted a multi-channel marketing strategy that is described in the company Annual Report as the process of producing â€Å"clear and consistent messaging across our stores and all customer communications† (Debenhams, 2010). Following this strategy, the company has adopted various strategies to integrate all of their communication channels. Figure 1: Multi-channel strategy (Debenhams, 2010) Advertisement The company has undertaken advertisement campaigns through all available media channels like television, print (i.e. newspaper and magazine), onlin e, and mobile advertisements. The multi-channel strategy of Debenhams demonstrates in figure 1. The company aimed to integrate the sales and promotional activities in its stores, websites, kiosks, international franchise stores, mobile campaigns, and promotional videos. In 2011, the company launched its latest Mother’s Day campaign on television (Debenhams, 2011). It also launched its campaign for targeting all possible customer groups of various shapes and sizes in an advertisement campaign that featured disabled, petite, tall, and black models (Debenhams, 2010). Debenhams also launched a print campaign targeting older customers (Debenhams, 2010). In 2010, the company launched its new iPhone application to launch its first effort into mobile marketing as shown in figure 2 (Debenhams, 2010). Apart from this, the company undertakes e-mail marketing directly to the customers. The company has enhanced its presence in Facebook and Twitter in order to increase their online presenc e. Figure 2: Mobile application (Debenhams, 2010)Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other advertisements are done through sponsorships of TV shows like Neighbours in Channel Five and Sex and the City 2 (Debenhams, 2011). Other than this Debenhams actively participates in fundraising functions and social issues campaigns like Breast Cancer Campaign. The company also sponsors fashion events. Sales Promotion Sales promotion is a vital aspect for retailers. On the spot promotions in retail shops increases sales largely. Debenhams have integrated the sales campaigns for the online stores and retail shops. This can be seen through the campaign pictures presented in figure 3. Other store events that are provide Apart from this, the company provide customer loyalty schemes in form of Plus Card. Debenhams also started beginning of season sale that is unusual practice in retail as sale is usually given on end-of season or during festivities like Christmas. This start-of-season-sale campaign of the company was done through all media channels as like TV and print advertisemen ts and online in the company website and Facebook. Figure 3: Sales Campaign (Online campaign on left and in store sales campaign on right) (Debenhams, 2011) Events The company undertakes various events to support its marketing campaign. Debenhams presently undertakes three events – Half the Price sale in all of its stores in the UK and online, Edition pop-Up Store, and Free Coffee with Foursquare (Debenhams, 2011). The first is a sales promoting event that allows customers purchase products at half the price. The company held this event on both its physical and online stores. Pop-up stores are boutique like stores that are opened by the company as a promotional event to sell its designer brands. These are stand-alone stores with a small boutique feel and sell high fashion products at low prices. Other events held by the company are competition for its customers. One such competition currently held by Debenhams is â€Å"April Review†. This competition asks customers to provide a review of any product. The company chooses a winner every day and gets a gift card of  £25. In order to promotion Debenhams’s travel insurance, the company offered a prize of a trip to Berlin for those who bought travel insurance before 31st March (Debenhams, 2011). Further, in another attempt to increase its customer information and database, the company asks customers to sign in for company newsletters and win a television set (Debenhams, 2011). Such events not only increases sales, but also increase customer engagement and customer database. Other events are staged on specific occasions like Christmas Spectacular Competition, Valentine’s Day Competition, or competition during Easter (Debenhams, 2011). Public Relations Debenhams has increased its presence in social media websites like Facebook and Twitter in order to maintain its public image through social websites. Further, the company has been providing financial disclosure and governance disclosure s ince 2003. The company provides information and pledges to maintain an ethical supply chain, maintain environmental safety standards, and responsively act toward its workforce and community. The company also provides corporate social relations (CSR) report to demonstrate the social endeavours of the company. In order to maintain its public image Debenhams donates in fundraisers and participates in social awareness events (Debenhams, 2011). Personal Selling In all retail companies personal selling is important as salespeople become a company customer interface. Therefore, it is important for Debenhams to maintain a personal selling standard. However, this personal selling is experience is becoming less important with increase in online sale. Recognizing this, Debenhams has launched Debenhams Direct that allows customers to purchase products online from select UK department stores (Debenhams, 2011). This definitely enhances customer experience and convenience. Direct Marketing The dir ect marketing strategy of the company is through its online marketing strategy like e-mail marketing and online store www.debehams.com. The customers get direct purchasing opportunity and comes across marketing promotions online and can buy products from department stores online using Debenhams Direct. Further, the company’s email marketing allows it to directly reach to the customer. Further, the customer management program of the company gathers information regarding customers in a database allows direct marketing to the customer possible. Conclusion Debenhams has integrated its marketing channels through multi-channel marketing strategy employed by the company. This strategy has reaped financial success to the company (Debenhams, 2010). The online store of Debenhams gained sales by 88.4 percent in 2010 indicating the great success of the integrating program (Debenhams, 2010). In 2010, Debenhams.com has become the company’s largest store and they have made an online presence (Debenhams, 2010). Without an integrated marketing strategy that could combine the online and in-store marketing communication and deliver it simultaneously, this would not have been possible. Therefore, the integrated marketing strategy has been employed by Debenhams and it has enhanced its performance. References Debenhams, 2010. Annual Report. Web. Debenhams, 2011. Debenhams. Web. Hemscott, 2011. Debenhams PLC (LSE:DEB). Web. Yahoo Finance, 2011. Industry Centre – Department Stores. Web. This essay on Debenhams Company Integrated Marketing Communications was written and submitted by user Rylie A. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Magnetism Science Fair Project Ideas and Demonstrations

Magnetism Science Fair Project Ideas and Demonstrations Do you like magnets? Science fair projects can examine magnetism or electromagnets. Here are some magnetism science fair project ideas. Magnetism Science Fair Project Ideas Make your own ferrofluid or liquid magnets.Is plant growth affected by the presence of an electromagnetic field?Is seed germination affected by a magnetic field?Do magnetic fields have an effect on eremosphaera algae cells?What is the strength of a manmade magnetic field given off by a computer? overhead power lines? wall current? etc.Build a sensor to detect the presence of a magnetic field.Can you detect any effect from a prolonged magnetic field on an organism? Examples might include fruit flies, mice, plants, daphnia, etc.Can you demonstrate the steelhead trout can detect magnetic fields? How would you test other organisms for the ability to sense a magnetic field?Is the orientation of bird embryos (e.g., chicks in eggs) affected by the orientation of a magnetic field?If you change magnetic field orientation, does it produce an effect on an organism? Examples might include mealworms, fruit flies, planaria, etc. More Science Fair Project Ideas

London is now a more global city than New York Essay

London is now a more global city than New York - Essay Example The criteria used for identification is usually based on a yardstick value which considers the producer service sector or the imminent determination which basically compares the productivity of the cities. There are a number of global cities in the world including London and New York.Economic characteristics of a global city†¢ A global city serves as the corporate headquarter for multinational corporations, financial institutions, stock exchanges, law firms and conglomerates that influence the economy of the world as a whole.London offers major business and financial services for example; it is home to more than 33% of European headquarters of Global Fortune 500.†¢ To be a global city, it should also be able to contribute some considerable financial output to the city’s regions and the nation’s GDP†¢ A global city needs to appear at the top of the cost of living.†¢ It should be home to major stock markets.More than 40% of the world's foreign equities and shares are traded in London, more than are traded in New York.Over 30% of the world's foreign exchanges take place in London, which is more than Tokyo and New York put together. New York, same to Tokyo rely mainly on their large American and Asian domestic markets while around 80% of London’s business is international.  Political characteristics†¢ London, Berlin, Tokyo, Paris among others, feature among the cities that have achieved this. New York is not among them. The standards of living or the quality of life should be considerably high.

Latin american countries economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Latin american countries economy - Essay Example The authors argue that the distributive conflicts are the major reason for Brazilian inflation. In their opinion, social groups such as unionized workers, rentiers and monopoly capitalists have monopoly power and can determine the prices of their goods or services strategically. When some of these groups use their market power to increase their share of national income, other groups also react with the same weapons and subsequently conflict inflation may arises. Another reason mentioned in the article for Brazilian inflation is the monetary crisis. The deterioration of Brazilian currency is related to the problems in the supply of money. The authors refereed this type of inflation as the extra money inflation. In their opinion, extra money can be created both privately and by the public sector. They argued that extra money increases the nominal national income. If extra money increases demand in those sectors which are operating in full strength, prices will increase if imports of are inadequate. Thus extra money produces inflation. In short, the authors believe that high inflation, high interest rates, balance of payment vulnerability and the government’s inability to maintain low inflation rates and exchange rate stability are the major obstacles in front of Brazil in attaining proper economic growth. The author of this article argues that Colombian economic growth is directly related to the armed conflicts existing in that country. Coffee is one of the major revenue sources for Colombia; however, coffee prices dipped a lot in the recent past which affected Colombian economy drastically. Economic decline brought poverty and unemployment in Columbia for the past few decades. The author argues that pathetic living conditions made Colombian soil fe3rtile for antisocial activities like armed violence. Colombian administration is not getting enough time to concentrate more on the problems in

Developing Potentially Highly Profitable New Systems Technologies Essay

Developing Potentially Highly Profitable New Systems Technologies - Essay Example The new technology is emerged in business for improvement for buyer’s access to the important and critical information. The advantages and disadvantages of the competitors that already have adopted the new technologies are observed and important factors are taken from it. The success rate for adding new technologies into business is critically viewed from other companies. The success factors are in both forms like tangible and intangible benefits, so measuring intangible benefits are harder and some time results are long term like improvement in operational efficiency, the improvement of decision making of customer. (Turban and Volonino). Electronic Business (E-business) Electronic business (E-business) is a business done through the online network and internet. It provides channels among customers, supply chain partners, employees and other concerned persons. The firm needs to develop the e-business as a new technology. The performance measures like incentives and different o perating models are applied for promoting the business. (Turban, Volonino and Wood, 157) The basic demand of e-business is to maintain the website regularly. The business-to-business (B2B) sites may have many weak points that must resolve for getting improved performance of the e-business. By following such important factors and by focusing the performance measures make a positive impact of the e-business and also the firm gets benefited through it. The emergence of information technology improved the productivity of the products in firm. The demands of consumers are fulfilled according and through ease, so it is also important to make the e-business fully secure and reliable (Turban and Volonino). The intangible benefits for a multinational firm are the soft profits it takes from website. The accuracy and quick response not only for Web servers but also the software of e-commerce and databases need to respond quickly. The less web issues promote the business to success and results in customer satisfaction, which is great intangible profit for the multinational firm. It also provides tangible results for the multinational firm, when customers are more satisfied with e-business and easily and quickly perform the business tasks. (Turban and Volonino163) Fig.1 E-commerce Model (Source: Turban, Volonino and Wood, 166) The e-business promotes the business to success, and both tangible and intangible profits are shown in the firm. By following the models like B2C and G2C and many other strategies, a business can grow and enhance the productivity. These models are known as business markets that provide success to the business (Turban, Volonino and Wood, 156). The B2C market covers the national and international market, the buyers and sellers are organizations. So it is also called e-tailing (electronic retailing). Another market named C2B that is consumer based market and covers the consumer that purchases the products from firm. G2C is the market work among Governme nt-to-citizens this market provides services from Government agencies to the local citizens. And the business-to-Government market sells different types of products and also provides services to the government agencies (Hubbard). Funding of a Project and convincing the senior management Most of the companies shape product process development through the information technology. Increased productivity and quality improvement have been seen with the adaption of the new technology. Many of the manufacturing companies find it a methodology for the faster product development cycles, high level quality products and shorter production schedules. Justification of advantages of new technology before senior management is about economic issues and related advantages. The view is to cut the cross

Pros and cons of Information technology

Pros and cons of Information technology Introduction: To get an answer to this question we need to formerly understand the pros and cons of information technology. The article published by Nicolas Carr â€Å"IT doesnt matter† does raise a couple of eyebrows, especially of those belonging to the IT sector. But I have had to really understand what his view point is in order to get an answer to this mind boggling question does IT matter? Despite my attempts to understand why according to him IT doesnt matter I can only jump to one conclusion i.e. computers, data storage facilities, data processing facilities, etc are easily available to all. Mr. Carrs point of view is that businesses across the globe are resorting to IT to give them a better edge over one another and thereby spend trillions of dollars over technology that is easily available to all. So there is hardly an â€Å"advantage† that companies have over one another. Mr. Carr does accept that today Information technology has become the backbone of commerce. At all times its tough to intricate a line between where the technology ends and use of it begins. During previous years industries didnt had a systematic approach in some of the technical and financial aspects. One must not forget that a new ray of light has arisen due to the presence of Information Technology in the field of commerce, science, telecommunication, security and different manufacturing processes. Industries could make those products which would meet the demands of international consumers. This would improve the trade relationship among different companies and countries. Nowadays all the work which were done manually have now become computerized. With a single click any customer can place an order for different number of varieties at any place at any given time. Nowadays companies are more dependent on IT fields for protection against vulnerabilities. There are intelligence tools like business intelligence reporting tools that help not only to store and retrieve data ( that account for huge memory spaces that would be nearly impossible to keep track of using the age old technique of accounting manually) but also analyze data and generate reports thereby reducing the load of understanding and analyzing data to make strategic decisions (www.smallbusinessbible.com).Many companies have merged with IT companies to form a secured data system which would not only protect their data system but also enhances their capability to meet the customer needs. Today businesses race not to come up with intellectual schemes to achieve success but to do so before any body else does. Time is of the essence and that is where IT enters. IT has become a day to day necessity in our life. It has brought a major impact in business and society. It has driven a rising economy to a developed economy. In todays day to day activities personal computers, mobile phones, emails, fax machines and internet has not only become our support system but has also become an integral part of our life (www.smallbussinessbible.com). IT is present everywhere but its important aspects should be harnessed evenly and properly so that it is used to its core. They are present everywhere and become an indispensable commodity of any industry. It plays a key factor in evaluating many of the new technologies assisting new infrastructural projects. IT has not only brought the world closer together, but has permitted the worlds economy to boom. It means that we can share information at high speeds and at high efficient rate, without any linguistic and geographic barriers. All the information can now be shared in a well organized and resourceful manne r interesting jobs. IT plays a very important role in foreign exchange. It acts as a customer relationship manager who tries to solve the problems. FOREX capital markets have arisen due to the presence of IT industry. As the company boasts from 1999 till date it has 15000 clients in over 80 countries and has an average trading volume that exceeds $15billion (OBrien and James, (1936)). Due to continuous efforts and development in the IT field, the companies could easily handle their customers and also the various salespeople who work hard for the company. It tries to manage various aspects of the company even though the company is located in different countries, having linguistic barrier. IT has increased the probability of developing new and innovative jobs. The world has progressed into a global village with the help of information technology which has allowed countries like India and Russia who are separated by time, distance, language and geographic boundaries to disclose ideas, facts and data with each other. Information Technology has helped to communicate at cheaper, faster, and more efficient rate. With the help of video conferencing work can now be completed at home without any wastage of time and money. Text messages have added extra wings to communication which facilitates quick responses. Video conferencing has added a midas touch to the world of communication which by opening up the face to face direct communication facility all round the world (www.smallbusinessbible.com). Information Technology has provided immense help to condense the cultural gap among people belonging to different to communicate with one another thus allowing exchange of thoughts and opinions which results increased awareness and reduced prejudice. Due to computerization, businesses have become lucrative money-spinning machines thus increasing the productivity which results into increase in profits (www.smallbusinessbible.com). This results in increased profitability, productivity, and overall development. This in turn results in pay, enhanced and much better working conditions. It is be because of Information Technology that business are now open 24 x7 all round the world. This means that a business can be open anytime anywhere, making purchases from different countries easier and more convenient. It also means that you can have your goods delivered right to your doorstep with only a click of a button. Amazon and eBay have established themselves as hubs of commerce when it comes to consumer online shopping. They are development activity where openness breeds innovation and innovation generates sales. Its chief technology officer Al Vermeulen says that they think web services feeds directly into making that flywheel spin. It has not only served different purposes of different fields of business but has increased the capability of the companies to be more productive and profitable in terms of market values. They have changed the market rules (OBrien and James (1936)). The best advantage of information technology is the formulation and development of new and interesting jobs. Huge development has been brought in diagnosing disease and damage to the body with the help of body scanners which use software to process the information produced to assist us with maps of body. Experienced doctors train their junior doctors with the aid of new IT technologies. Computers help surgeons to operate effectively and swiftly. Siemens Healthcare provides with efficient and integrated solutions for support processes, from building automation and security to data centres and communication. They are the specialist in the state of the art imaging, laboratory diagnostics and IT solution for an earlier prevention and more specific diagnosis thus enhancing patient care. It ensures security and access control (www.med.usa.siemens). Moreover IT plays a very important role in overall development of an economy. IT can change an undulated economy into improved one. According to me IT is not the standard package which has answers to every question you ask. Right amount of planning and forecast is key to success for IT applications. IT has given world the best of its results but it again depends on how you apply to a problem. So in case of IT we have to be double cautions and this is very well explained by Hilton Hotels. Hilton hotel via Texas based Hilton reservation worldwide have developed fastest reservation system. Hilton hotels have more than 2400 hotels located in 65 countries and Hilton worldwide reservation (HRW) handles around 31 million call and generate more than 9 million reservation annually. And the amazing fact about this system is despite of this incredible volume the average reservation time in just two minutes. Information Technology has given this level of efficiency and customer service. How this amazing system works, well when there is a call to HRW through dialled number identification services it is identified that customer is call ing. Immediately call is then transferred to reservation specialist who uses Hilton hotel room availability information. The information regarding the availability of room is displayed on the specialists desktop as the call is transferred. Then if customer is demanding some other place the specialist can click online screen button to start a search. Within seconds specialist can scan through entire database of Hilton property. Further innovative application is automated reservation system. In this there is interactive voice response system. Once the agent is finished with the reservation then call is transferred to IVR. In interactive voice response system customer hear back and confirms his reservation. Due to this outstanding customer service system Hilton hotel are among the top guns in the market (OBrien and James,(1936)). Most civil engineers practice in specialized subsets of civil engineering, such as geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, hydraulic engineering, environmental engineering and land surveying (www.wikipedia.com). A number of new software tools are available relating to the different specialized disciplines. Some software houses have attempted to provide design software catering for the variety of infrastructure design fields in an integrated manner for example: Civil Designer which uses the AllyCAD CAD engine or VisionCivil which uses AutoCAD and MicroStation. Allycad is a CAD software application for 2D design and drafting. It is developed by Knowledge Base and is used internationally. It was originally developed by Paul Harper. Microstation is the technique used by many of the international companies to design structures of national and geographic importance. Infrastructure design relies heavily on estimates of load, pressure, drainage and flow. Different software packages rely on different formulae and theories as the basis for these calculations. Popular storm drainage simulation models include for example the Rational Method, ILLUDAS, SWMM and HYMO all of which have their own proponents and associated academic debates (www.wikipedia.com). Examples of how companies have used Information technology to develop competitive strategies. Strategy company Strategic use of IT Business Benefits. Cost Leadership Dell Computers Online Build to order lower cost producer Priceline. Com Online seller bidding buyer-set pricing eBay.com Online auction Auction -set prices. Innovation AVENT Marshall Customer/suppler Increase in market share Moen Inc. Online customer design Increase in market share Growth Citi Group Global Intranet. Increase in global market Toys ‘R Us Inc. POS inventory tracking Market leadership Alliance Cisco systems virtually manufacturing Agile market leadership Alliances While Information Technology has outshined the business process it has also created job cutting, downsizing and outsourcing. It has immensely affected the middle and lower level thus creating more unemployment. Wal-Mart introduced RFID technology, RFID means Radio Frequency Identification. It is a data carrying and automatic identification technology used throughout industry. Information about an item is stored in the RFID tag which is attached to that item. RFID tag is just like a data carrier, just as some as that of a bar code. Data carried by the barcode is scanner with the help of an optical or infrared wavelength. RFID reader emits radio waves which activates the tag. Wireless communication takes place with the tag known as air-interface. Importance feature of an RFID system is it does not require any tag or label to read its stored data. It enhances customer service, employer safety and enhances productivity of a company. It is very helpful in medical field too. Wrist tag ens ures complete accuracy to identify patience. But this technology has created a huge lot of unemployment. Many of the working lower class employees would have been affected in negative manner because of this technology. From mobile phone signal interceptions to email hacking, people are now worried about their once private information becoming public knowledge. Industry experts believe that the internet has made job security a big issue as since technology keeps on changing with each day. It means that one has to keep himself/herself updated with the latest technology in order to keep his or her job secured (www.wiki.answers.com). But over usage of IT management becomes tedious tiresome. Even though information is readily available, confidential matters can be assessed unless they are properly password protected. IT leads to unemployment due to downsizing outsourcing. IT leads to tampering of many private issues which has to be kept away from light. Privacy issues are of major concern due to rise in growth of technology. Hacking of email, breach of security are major issues due to advancement in information technology. IT leads to lack of job security. Due to hardware failure economies can be affected negatively. It may result in failure of stock markets (www.associatedcontent.com). Internet often results in breaching of copyright. Nowadays viruses are spread via internet. Pornographic issues are of serious concern. It only affects a person physically but mentally too. It disturbs normal Most of the viruses get transferred via e-mails or when certain information is downloaded. These viruses damage many of the important documents which are of utmost importance. Collecting information from internet wastes a lot of time. Conclusion: In conclusion, I believe that Mr. Nicholas Carr to some extent does believe that the advantages I stated with regard to IT are noteworthy and something that are the most desired technologies. But what I seem to understand is that he is neither upset with the innovations in information technology nor with the fact that IT has helped make businesses go global but with the inability of these technologies to remain exclusive to companies that make use of them. Also I believe that today e-commerce has reached a point of no return. And as much as some companies believe that they need to stop spending extravagantly on software the fear of lagging behind or being out of the race to become the numero uno prevents them from doing so. It has become more like â€Å"if you cant beat `em join `em† Personally. I personal feel that there is lot of room for the development of IT in most of the developing country. In India still we have to struggle a lot with our daily chores. Forgive me for s ounding too dramatic when I say this, but the process for doing these chores meant standing and waiting in long queues in the hot sun for a minimum of 3 hours before I could reach the counter and there were one too many times when the counter would close for lunch the instant it would be my turn. But net banking has made this phase of my life disappear. Now my bills are paid, tickets are booked within minutes and I dont have to bother about what is happening at the back-end. As a student I could learn more about this institute and apply here which was also possible thanks to the internet. Gaming, entertainment, chatting, video conferencing with my family back home have helped me feel slightly less homesick. It could be that I cannot or probably do not want relate to Mr. Nicolas Carrs point of view for my own selfish reasons and so for me on a very personal level IT does matter†¦ Reference: OBrien and James (1936) Management Information systems -8th edition-Boston, London: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2008. http://www.smallbusinessbible.org/advan_disadvan_informationtechnology.html [Accessed:16 November 2009] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/civil_engineering_software [Accessed:15 November 2009] Carr Nicolas G. (2003) ‘IT Doesnt Matter, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 81 Issue 5, May, Pages 41 49. Brown John Seely (2003) ‘Does IT Matter?, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 81 Issue7,July, Pages 109-112. http://www.nicholasgcarr.com/doesITmatter/reviews.shtml http://www.kosmix.com/topic/AllyCAD http://www.med.usa.siemens.com/oncolgyusa/ http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1211744/information_technology_in_the_world_pg6_pg6.html?cat=157

Clothing and Body Language in Literary Works and Art Essay -- Poe Baud

Clothing and Body Language in Literary Works and Art   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout life, clothing and body language are often utilized as sources of emotional expression. These emotions can also be portrayed in literaray works and artisitic displays, such as those of Poe, Baudelaire, Manet, and Warhol. In Poe's â€Å"Man of the Crowd,† there are several descriptions of different types of people based on their appearances, but one particular man is focused on by the narrator due to his unique appearance. Baudelaire's â€Å"The Painter of Modern Life† emphasizes the emotional expressions of beauty and fashion expressed in art. Manet is an artist who paints scenes to his liking. All of his works were done in his studio and set up the way that he wanted them. He holds a particular focus on men and women and the relationship between them. The positions and clothing that the men and women are set up in hold strong emotional implications about their feelings towards one another and the emotions involved in the social setting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The opening of â€Å"The Man of the Crowd,† describes the emotions involved in untold secrets and the deepest of crimes; there are internal conflicts, struggles, anxieties, and agonous results due to the horror of the unsolvable crimes. The possibility of these crimes is introduced through the man of the crowd through his unseemingly unidentifiable expression The narrator describes his thoughts of this man as: There arose confusedly and paradoxically within my mind, the ideas of vast mental power, of caution, of penuriousness, of avarice, of coolness, of malice, of blood-thirtstiness, of triumph, of merriment, of excessive terror, of intense - of supreme despair. I felt singularly aroused, startled, fascinated. â€Å"How wild a history,† I said to myself, â€Å"is written within that bosom!† Although the narrator had never spoken to this man of the crowd, he was compelled to follow him based on his expression that had never been viewed by the narrator. He continued to follow the man of the crowd, noticing his patterns of following people by the mass and his shambled cloting and he concluded that he â€Å"[was] the type and genious of deep crime. He refuses to be alone.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prior to viewing the man of the crowd, the narrator observed several different types of people, all of which were able to be â€Å"read† through their outward appearances... ...p is not meant to be applied naturally and should be used as a method of exhibition of their beauty. Although Baudelaire does not describe the actions of women in the section of makeup, he clearly praises women who wear makeup because of their holy nature and uncriticalness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Monet is able to express several emotions through his paintings, particularly through the arrangement and the depiction of the subjects in his work. In In The Conservatory, Manet focuses on the relationship between the man and the woman. The woman is properly dressed with buttons vertically lined up through her dress, thus constricting her presense. She has a fixed gaze and is not looking at the man. Although she is sitting comfortably, the woman has a rigid appearance. The man is leaning over towards her and is dressed like a dandy. The expressions on their faces and the way the man is leaning over the woman and looking at her appears as though he is pleading for forgiveness or attention. The rims of her eyes are red adding the possibility of her crying and an emphasis is placed upon their hands, which both contain wedding rings, suggesting that they are a married couple with problems.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 13-17

CHAPTER 13 For several seconds, Langdon stared in wonder at the photograph of Sauniere's postscript. P. S. Find Robert Langdon.He felt as if the floor were tilting beneath his feet. Sauniere left a postscript with my name on it? In his wildest dreams, Langdon could not fathom why. â€Å"Now do you understand,† Sophie said, her eyes urgent,† why Fache ordered you here tonight, and why you are his primary suspect?† The only thing Langdon understood at the moment was why Fache had looked so smug when Langdon suggested Sauniere would have accused his killer by name. Find Robert Langdon. â€Å"Why would Sauniere write this?† Langdon demanded, his confusion now giving way to anger. â€Å"Why would I want to kill Jacques Sauniere?† â€Å"Fache has yet to uncover a motive, but he has been recording his entire conversation with you tonight in hopes you might reveal one.† Langdon opened his mouth, but still no words came. â€Å"He's fitted with a miniature microphone,† Sophie explained. â€Å"It's connected to a transmitter in his pocket that radios the signal back to the command post.† â€Å"This is impossible,† Langdon stammered. â€Å"I have an alibi. I went directly back to my hotel after my lecture. You can ask the hotel desk.† â€Å"Fache already did. His report shows you retrieving your room key from the concierge at about ten- thirty. Unfortunately, the time of the murder was closer to eleven. You easily could have left your hotel room unseen.† â€Å"This is insanity! Fache has no evidence!† Sophie's eyes widened as if to say: No evidence?† Mr. Langdon, your name is written on the floor beside the body, and Sauniere's date book says you were with him at approximately the time of the murder.† She paused. â€Å"Fache has more than enough evidence to take you into custody for questioning.† Langdon suddenly sensed that he needed a lawyer. â€Å"I didn't do this.† Sophie sighed. â€Å"This is not American television, Mr. Langdon. In France, the laws protect the police, not criminals. Unfortunately, in this case, there is also the media consideration. Jacques Sauniere was a very prominent and well-loved figure in Paris, and his murder will be news in the morning. Fache will be under immediate pressure to make a statement, and he looks a lot better having a suspect in custody already. Whether or not you are guilty, you most certainly will be held by DCPJ until they can figure out what really happened.† Langdon felt like a caged animal. â€Å"Why are you telling me all this?† â€Å"Because, Mr. Langdon, I believe you are innocent.† Sophie looked away for a moment and then back into his eyes. â€Å"And also because it is partially my fault that you're in trouble.† â€Å"I'm sorry? It's your fault Sauniere is trying to frame me?† â€Å"Sauniere wasn't trying to frame you. It was a mistake. That message on the floor was meant for me.† Langdon needed a minute to process that one. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"That message wasn't for the police. He wrote it for me.I think he was forced to do everything in such a hurry that he just didn't realize how it would look to the police.† She paused. â€Å"The numbered code is meaningless. Sauniere wrote it to make sure the investigation included cryptographers, ensuring that I would know as soon as possible what had happened to him.† Langdon felt himself losing touch fast. Whether or not Sophie Neveu had lost her mind was at this point up for grabs, but at least Langdon now understood why she was trying to help him. P. S.Find Robert Langdon.She apparently believed the curator had left her a cryptic postscript telling her to find Langdon. â€Å"But why do you think his message was for you?† â€Å"The Vitruvian Man,†she said flatly. â€Å"That particular sketch has always been my favorite Da Vinci work. Tonight he used it to catch my attention.† â€Å"Hold on. You're saying the curator knew your favorite piece of art?† She nodded. â€Å"I'm sorry. This is all coming out of order. Jacques Sauniere and I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sophie's voice caught, and Langdon heard a sudden melancholy there, a painful past, simmering just below the surface. Sophie and Jacques Sauniere apparently had some kind of special relationship. Langdon studied the beautiful young woman before him, well aware that aging men in France often took young mistresses. Even so, Sophie Neveu as a† kept woman† somehow didn't seem to fit. â€Å"We had a falling-out ten years ago,† Sophie said, her voice a whisper now. â€Å"We've barely spoken since. Tonight, when Crypto got the call that he had been murdered, and I saw the images of his body and text on the floor, I realized he was trying to send me a message.† â€Å"Because of The Vitruvian Man?† â€Å"Yes. And the letters P. S.† â€Å"Post Script?† She shook her head. â€Å"P. S. are my initials.† â€Å"But your name is Sophie Neveu.† She looked away. â€Å"P. S. is the nickname he called me when I lived with him.† She blushed. â€Å"It stood for Princesse Sophie† Langdon had no response. â€Å"Silly, I know,† she said. â€Å"But it was years ago. When I was a little girl.† â€Å"You knew him when you were a little girl?† â€Å"Quite well,† she said, her eyes welling now with emotion. â€Å"Jacques Sauniere was my grandfather.† CHAPTER 14 â€Å"Where's Langdon?† Fache demanded, exhaling the last of a cigarette as he paced back into the command post. â€Å"Still in the men's room, sir.† Lieutenant Collet had been expecting the question. Fache grumbled,† Taking his time, I see.† The captain eyed the GPS dot over Collet's shoulder, and Collet could almost hear the wheels turning. Fache was fighting the urge to go check on Langdon. Ideally, the subject of an observation was allowed the most time and freedom possible, lulling him into a false sense of security. Langdon needed to return of his own volition. Still, it had been almost ten minutes. Too long. â€Å"Any chance Langdon is onto us?† Fache asked. Collet shook his head. â€Å"We're still seeing small movements inside the men's room, so the GPS dot is obviously still on him. Perhaps he feels ill? If he had found the dot, he would have removed it and tried to run.† Fache checked his watch. â€Å"Fine.† Still Fache seemed preoccupied. All evening, Collet had sensed an atypical intensity in his captain. Usually detached and cool under pressure, Fache tonight seemed emotionally engaged, as if this were somehow a personal matter for him. Not surprising, Collet thought. Fache needs this arrest desperately.Recently the Board of Ministers and the media had become more openly critical of Fache's aggressive tactics, his clashes with powerful foreign embassies, and his gross over budgeting on new technologies. Tonight, a high-tech, high-profile arrest of an American would go a long way to silence Fache's critics, helping him secure the job a few more years until he could retire with the lucrative pension. God knows he needs the pension, Collet thought. Fache's zeal for technology had hurt him both professionally and personally. Fache was rumored to have invested his entire savings in the technology craze a few years back and lost his shirt. And Fache is a man who wears only the finest shirts. Tonight, there was still plenty of time. Sophie Neveu's odd interruption, though unfortunate, had been only a minor wrinkle. She was gone now, and Fache still had cards to play. He had yet to inform Langdon that his name had been scrawled on the floor by the victim. P. S.Find Robert Langdon.The American's reaction to that little bit of evidence would be telling indeed. â€Å"Captain?† one of the DCPJ agents now called from across the office. â€Å"I think you better take this call.† He was holding out a telephone receiver, looking concerned. â€Å"Who is it?† Fache said. The agent frowned. â€Å"It's the director of our Cryptology Department.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"It's about Sophie Neveu, sir. Something is not quite right.† CHAPTER 15 It was time. Silas felt strong as he stepped from the black Audi, the nighttime breeze rustling his loose-fitting robe. The winds of change are in the air.He knew the task before him would require more finesse than force, and he left his handgun in the car. The thirteen-round Heckler Koch USP 40 had been provided by the Teacher. A weapon of death has no place in a house of God. The plaza before the great church was deserted at this hour, the only visible souls on the far side of Place Saint-Sulpice a couple of teenage hookers showing their wares to the late night tourist traffic. Their nubile bodies sent a familiar longing to Silas's loins. His thigh flexed instinctively, causing the barbed cilice belt to cut painfully into his flesh. The lust evaporated instantly. For ten years now, Silas had faithfully denied himself all sexual indulgence, even self-administered. It was The Way.He knew he had sacrificed much to follow Opus Dei, but he had received much more in return. A vow of celibacy and the relinquishment of all personal assets hardly seemed a sacrifice. Considering the poverty from which he had come and the sexual horrors he had endured in prison, celibacy was a welcome change. Now, having returned to France for the first time since being arrested and shipped to prison in Andorra, Silas could feel his homeland testing him, dragging violent memories from his redeemed soul. You have been reborn, he reminded himself. His service to God today had required the sin of murder, and it was a sacrifice Silas knew he would have to hold silently in his heart for all eternity. The measure of your faith is the measure of the pain you can endure, the Teacher had told him. Silas was no stranger to pain and felt eager to prove himself to the Teacher, the one who had assured him his actions were ordained by a higher power. â€Å"Hago la obra de Dios,†Silas whispered, moving now toward the church entrance. Pausing in the shadow of the massive doorway, he took a deep breath. It was not until this instant that he truly realized what he was about to do, and what awaited him inside. The keystone. It will lead us to our final goal. He raised his ghost-white fist and banged three times on the door. Moments later, the bolts of the enormous wooden portal began to move. CHAPTER 16 Sophie wondered how long it would take Fache to figure out she had not left the building. Seeing that Langdon was clearly overwhelmed, Sophie questioned whether she had done the right thing by cornering him here in the men's room. What else was I supposed to do? She pictured her grandfather's body, naked and spread-eagle on the floor. There was a time when he had meant the world to her, yet tonight, Sophie was surprised to feel almost no sadness for the man. Jacques Sauniere was a stranger to her now. Their relationship had evaporated in a single instant one March night when she was twenty-two. Ten years ago.Sophie had come home a few days early from graduate university in England and mistakenly witnessed her grandfather engaged in something Sophie was obviously not supposed to see. It was an image she barely could believe to this day. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes†¦ Too ashamed and stunned to endure her grandfather's pained attempts to explain, Sophie immediately moved out on her own, taking money she had saved, and getting a small flat with some roommates. She vowed never to speak to anyone about what she had seen. Her grandfather tried desperately to reach her, sending cards and letters, begging Sophie to meet him so he could explain. Explain how!? Sophie never responded except once – to forbid him ever to call her or try to meet her in public. She was afraid his explanation would be more terrifying than the incident itself. Incredibly, Sauniere had never given up on her, and Sophie now possessed a decade's worth of correspondence unopened in a dresser drawer. To her grandfather's credit, he had never once disobeyed her request and phoned her. Until this afternoon. â€Å"Sophie?† His voice had sounded startlingly old on her answering machine. â€Å"I have abided by your wishes for so long†¦ and it pains me to call, but I must speak to you. Something terrible has happened.† Standing in the kitchen of her Paris flat, Sophie felt a chill to hear him again after all these years. His gentle voice brought back a flood of fond childhood memories. â€Å"Sophie, please listen.† He was speaking English to her, as he always did when she was a little girl. Practice French at school.Practice English at home. â€Å"You cannot be mad forever. Have you not read the letters that I've sent all these years? Do you not yet understand?† He paused. â€Å"We must speak at once. Please grant your grandfather this one wish. Call me at the Louvre. Right away. I believe you and I are in grave danger.† Sophie stared at the answering machine. Danger? What was he talking about? â€Å"Princess†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her grandfather's voice cracked with an emotion Sophie could not place. â€Å"I know I've kept things from you, and I know it has cost me your love. But it was for your own safety. Now you must know the truth. Please, I must tell you the truth about your family.† Sophie suddenly could hear her own heart. My family? Sophie's parents had died when she was only four. Their car went off a bridge into fast-moving water. Her grandmother and younger brother had also been in the car, and Sophie's entire family had been erased in an instant. She had a box of newspaper clippings to confirm it. His words had sent an unexpected surge of longing through her bones. My family! In that fleeting instant, Sophie saw images from the dream that had awoken her countless times when she was a little girl: My family is alive! They are coming home! But, as in her dream, the pictures evaporated into oblivion. Your family is dead, Sophie. They are not coming home. â€Å"Sophie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  her grandfather said on the machine. â€Å"I have been waiting for years to tell you. Waiting for the right moment, but now time has run out. Call me at the Louvre. As soon as you get this. I'll wait here all night. I fear we both may be in danger. There's so much you need to know.† The message ended. In the silence, Sophie stood trembling for what felt like minutes. As she considered her grandfather's message, only one possibility made sense, and his true intent dawned. It was bait. Obviously, her grandfather wanted desperately to see her. He was trying anything. Her disgust for the man deepened. Sophie wondered if maybe he had fallen terminally ill and had decided to attempt any ploy he could think of to get Sophie to visit him one last time. If so, he had chosen wisely. My family. Now, standing in the darkness of the Louvre men's room, Sophie could hear the echoes of this afternoon's phone message. Sophie, we both may be in danger.Call me. She had not called him. Nor had she planned to. Now, however, her skepticism had been deeply challenged. Her grandfather lay murdered inside his own museum. And he had written a code on the floor. A code for her.Of this, she was certain. Despite not understanding the meaning of his message, Sophie was certain its cryptic nature was additional proof that the words were intended for her. Sophie's passion and aptitude for cryptography were a product of growing up with Jacques Sauniere – a fanatic himself for codes, word games, and puzzles. How many Sundays did we spend doing the cryptograms and crosswords in the newspaper? At the age of twelve, Sophie could finish the Le Monde crossword without any help, and her grandfather graduated her to crosswords in English, mathematical puzzles, and substitution ciphers. Sophie devoured them all. Eventually she turned her passion into a profession by becoming a code breaker for the Judicial Police. Tonight, the cryptographer in Sophie was forced to respect the efficiency with which her grandfather had used a simple code to unite two total strangers – Sophie Neveu and Robert Langdon. The question was why? Unfortunately, from the bewildered look in Langdon's eyes, Sophie sensed the American had no more idea than she did why her grandfather had thrown them together. She pressed again. â€Å"You and my grandfather had planned to meet tonight. What about?† Langdon looked truly perplexed. â€Å"His secretary set the meeting and didn't offer any specific reason, and I didn't ask. I assumed he'd heard I would be lecturing on the pagan iconography of French cathedrals, was interested in the topic, and thought it would be fun to meet for drinks after the talk.† Sophie didn't buy it. The connection was flimsy. Her grandfather knew more about pagan iconography than anyone else on earth. Moreover, he an exceptionally private man, not someone prone to chatting with random American professors unless there were an important reason. Sophie took a deep breath and probed further. â€Å"My grandfather called me this afternoon and told me he and I were in grave danger. Does that mean anything to you?† Langdon's blue eyes now clouded with concern. â€Å"No, but considering what just happened†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sophie nodded. Considering tonight's events, she would be a fool not to be frightened. Feeling drained, she walked to the small plate-glass window at the far end of the bathroom and gazed out in silence through the mesh of alarm tape embedded in the glass. They were high up – forty feet at least. Sighing, she raised her eyes and gazed out at Paris's dazzling landscape. On her left, across the Seine, the illuminated Eiffel Tower. Straight ahead, the Arc de Triomphe. And to the right, high atop the sloping rise of Montmartre, the graceful arabesque dome of Sacre-Coeur, its polished stone glowing white like a resplendent sanctuary. Here at the westernmost tip of the Denon Wing, the north-south thoroughfare of Place du Carrousel ran almost flush with the building with only a narrow sidewalk separating it from the Louvre's outer wall. Far below, the usual caravan of the city's nighttime delivery trucks sat idling, waiting for the signals to change, their running lights seeming to twinkle mockingly up at Sophie. â€Å"I don't know what to say,† Langdon said, coming up behind her. â€Å"Your grandfather is obviously trying to tell us something. I'm sorry I'm so little help.† Sophie turned from the window, sensing a sincere regret in Langdon's deep voice. Even with all the trouble around him, he obviously wanted to help her. The teacher in him, she thought, having read DCPJ's workup on their suspect. This was an academic who clearly despised not understanding. We have that in common, she thought. As a code breaker, Sophie made her living extracting meaning from seemingly senseless data. Tonight, her best guess was that Robert Langdon, whether he knew it or not, possessed information that she desperately needed. Princesse Sophie, Find Robert Langdon.How much clearer could her grandfather's message be? Sophie needed more time with Langdon. Time to think. Time to sort out this mystery together. Unfortunately, time was running out. Gazing up at Langdon, Sophie made the only play she could think of. â€Å"Bezu Fache will be taking you into custody at any minute. I can get you out of this museum. But we need to act now.† Langdon's eyes went wide. â€Å"You want me to run?† â€Å"It's the smartest thing you could do. If you let Fache take you into custody now, you'll spend weeks in a French jail while DCPJ and the U. S. Embassy fight over which courts try your case. But if we get you out of here, and make it to your embassy, then your government will protect your rights while you and I prove you had nothing to do with this murder.† Langdon looked not even vaguely convinced. â€Å"Forget it! Fache has armed guards on every single exit! Even if we escape without being shot, running away only makes me look guilty. You need to tell Fache that the message on the floor was for you, and that my name is not there as an accusation.† â€Å"I will do that,† Sophie said, speaking hurriedly,† but after you're safely inside the U. S. Embassy. It's only about a mile from here, and my car is parked just outside the museum. Dealing with Fache from here is too much of a gamble. Don't you see? Fache has made it his mission tonight to prove you are guilty. The only reason he postponed your arrest was to run this observance in hopes you did something that made his case stronger.† â€Å"Exactly. Like running!† The cell phone in Sophie's sweater pocket suddenly began ringing. Fache probably.She reached in her sweater and turned off the phone. â€Å"Mr. Langdon,† she said hurriedly,† I need to ask you one last question.† And your entire future may depend on it. â€Å"The writing on the floor is obviously not proof of your guilt, and yet Fache told our team he is certain you are his man. Can you think of any other reason he might be convinced you're guilty?† Langdon was silent for several seconds. â€Å"None whatsoever.† Sophie sighed. Which means Fache is lying.Why, Sophie could not begin to imagine, but that was hardly the issue at this point. The fact remained that Bezu Fache was determined to put Robert Langdon behind bars tonight, at any cost. Sophie needed Langdon for herself, and it was this dilemma that left Sophie only one logical conclusion. I need to get Langdon to the U. S. Embassy. Turning toward the window, Sophie gazed through the alarm mesh embedded in the plate glass, down the dizzying forty feet to the pavement below. A leap from this height would leave Langdon with a couple of broken legs. At best. Nonetheless, Sophie made her decision. Robert Langdon was about to escape the Louvre, whether he wanted to or not. CHAPTER 17 â€Å"What do you mean she's not answering?† Fache looked incredulous. â€Å"You're calling her cell phone, right? I know she's carrying it.† Collet had been trying to reach Sophie now for several minutes. â€Å"Maybe her batteries are dead. Or her ringer's off.† Fache had looked distressed ever since talking to the director of Cryptology on the phone. After hanging up, he had marched over to Collet and demanded he get Agent Neveu on the line. Now Collet had failed, and Fache was pacing like a caged lion. â€Å"Why did Crypto call?† Collet now ventured. Fache turned. â€Å"To tell us they found no references to Draconian devils and lame saints.† â€Å"That's all?† â€Å"No, also to tell us that they had just identified the numerics as Fibonacci numbers, but they suspected the series was meaningless.† Collet was confused. â€Å"But they already sent Agent Neveu to tell us that.† Fache shook his head. â€Å"They didn't send Neveu.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"According to the director, at my orders he paged his entire team to look at the images I'd wired him. When Agent Neveu arrived, she took one look at the photos of Sauniere and the code and left the office without a word. The director said he didn't question her behavior because she was understandably upset by the photos.† â€Å"Upset? She's never seen a picture of a dead body?† Fache was silent a moment. â€Å"I was not aware of this, and it seems neither was the director until a coworker informed him, but apparently Sophie Neveu is Jacques Sauniere's granddaughter.† Collet was speechless. â€Å"The director said she never once mentioned Sauniere to him, and he assumed it was because she probably didn't want preferential treatment for having a famous grandfather.† No wonder she was upset by the pictures.Collet could barely conceive of the unfortunate coincidence that called in a young woman to decipher a code written by a dead family member. Still, her actions made no sense. â€Å"But she obviously recognized the numbers as Fibonacci numbers because she came here and told us. I don't understand why she would leave the office without telling anyone she had figured it out.† Collet could think of only one scenario to explain the troubling developments: Sauniere had written a numeric code on the floor in hopes Fache would involve cryptographers in the investigation, and therefore involve his own granddaughter. As for the rest of the message, was Saunie recommunicating in some way with his granddaughter? If so, what did the message tell her? And how did Langdon fit in? Before Collet could ponder it any further, the silence of the deserted museum was shattered by an alarm. The bell sounded like it was coming from inside the Grand Gallery. â€Å"Alarme!† one of the agents yelled, eyeing his feed from the Louvre security center. â€Å"GrandeGalerie! Toilettes Messieurs!† Fache wheeled to Collet. â€Å"Where's Langdon?† â€Å"Still in the men's room!† Collet pointed to the blinking red dot on his laptop schematic. â€Å"He must have broken the window!† Collet knew Langdon wouldn't get far. Although Paris fire codes required windows above fifteen meters in public buildings be breakable in case of fire, exiting a Louvre second-story window without the help of a hook and ladder would be suicide. Furthermore, there were no trees or grass on the western end of the Denon Wing to cushion a fall. Directly beneath that rest room window, the two-lane Place du Carrousel ran within a few feet of the outer wall. â€Å"My God,† Collet exclaimed, eyeing the screen. â€Å"Langdon's moving to the window ledge!† But Fache was already in motion. Yanking his Manurhin MR-93 revolver from his shoulder holster, the captain dashed out of the office. Collet watched the screen in bewilderment as the blinking dot arrived at the window ledge and then did something utterly unexpected. The dot moved outside the perimeter of the building. What's going on? he wondered. Is Langdon out on a ledge or – â€Å"Jesu!† Collet jumped to his feet as the dot shot farther outside the wall. The signal seemed to shudder for a moment, and then the blinking dot came to an abrupt stop about ten yards outside the perimeter of the building. Fumbling with the controls, Collet called up a Paris street map and recalibrated the GPS. Zooming in, he could now see the exact location of the signal. It was no longer moving. It lay at a dead stop in the middle of Place du Carrousel. Langdon had jumped.