Unit 1, the Business Environment, P1

FedEx Corporation is an American worldwide dispatch conveyance administration. It works under an open restricted possession as a tertiary business. An open constrained organization (PLC) implies it can offer offers to the general population. The proprietors of these PLC’s are the principle investors. A tertiary business is one that offers a support to different business or people. Government Express (later known as FedEx) was built up in 1973. After ten years, the organization comes to $1bn in income †the principal US business to accomplish this status without merger or procurement. Administrations stretch out to Europe and the Middle East before the finish of 1989.Between 1991 and 1999 FedEx dispatches: Express Freighterâ ® to give for the time being conveyance to Europe and Asia, FedEx Ship Managerâ ® †first organization to permit clients to process shipments on the web and FedEx EuroOne ®, opening another center point in Paris. In 2000, FedEx got known as â₠¬Å"FedEx Corporation†. Administrations are separated into various organizations that work autonomously yet contend by and large. During 2008, FedEx Corp positions ninth in the business superbrands list. In 2010, the organization opened a fresh out of the plastic new center point in Cologne air terminal, the biggest sunlight based controlled center around the world. FedEx Corporation’s income during 2011 was in overabundance of $39. 3bn.FedEx has one principle key movement and that is to convey products around the globe. FedEx express is a short-term dispatch, giving following day air administration. FedEx Ground gives a way to-entryway conveyance administration. FedEx Freight offers an assistance which conveys a lot of cargo to goals where it is then moved by FedEx Ground. FedEx Office gives a retail outlet to transportation, printing, duplicating and restricting administrations. During a normal day different offices inside FedEx Corp cooperate to guarantee a superb ass istance is conveyed to clients. The advertising division strives to guarantee individuals think about them.They particularly target private companies that are needing proficient associations at far away places. They likewise target international safe havens and administrative establishments †in spite of the fact that their fundamental clients are organizations/governments they invite any individual who needs a transportation administration. Promoting needs FedEx to be the quickest of messenger conveyance organizations, thus publicizes this to tempt clients †yet it needs to ensure this is being met by the different divisions inside the organization. The numerous dissemination bases on the world arrangement with products the clients want.Here they are conveyed from the makers, handled, bundled and afterward sent on the right cargo vehicle or cargo plane. When this first excursion has been finished, the products will arrive at a center, where it is then arranged and moved ont o littler conveyance vehicles that convey to a particular territory. When the bundle is gotten, the client signs and it is put away electronically so FedEx realizes they have conveyed the bundle. The company’s site has an electronic following framework where clients can enter a code and track the specific area of their products and the substance of their goods.Also on their site they advance themselves through advertising. FedEx Corp is a developing organization and routinely selects new workers †this is met by the HR office at different bases on the world †they enroll an entire scope of staff from pilots to conveyance vehicle drivers. Alongside this their hardware whether it be plane of van/lorry needs keeping up and fixing, so FedEx have their own upkeep division. The entire motivation behind this is to make a benefit so FedEx Corp can grow and keep on conveying a phenomenal, on-time administration. Aldi Ltd is a worldwide rebate general store chain.It works under a private restricted proprietorship as an auxiliary and tertiary business. A private restricted organization implies it is claimed by people or investors with benefit as the significant main impetus. An auxiliary business produces products, for instance Aldi own-image squeezed orange is created by an auxiliary organization for Aldi. This is then conveyed to Aldi and offered to clients. This is a tertiary business †a business which sells the completed item. Aldi first store was opened in 1913, and was a very well known p[lace to shop in the German town of Essen. During the 40s a development program was made and more stores were opened.A festivity was held in 1954 for the opening of the 50th store. By 1960 Aldi had developed to a system of more than 300 stores; Aldi was then partitioned into Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud. During the 1960s, Aldi turned into the main organization in Germany to receive oneself assistance idea. During 1983, Aldi began chilled dispersion terminals and sol n ew items, for example, cheddar, yogurt and hotdogs. Solidified items came in 1998 and were firmly trailed by new meat. Today, Aldi is a quickly developing organization with in excess of 9,000 stores across 3 mainlands, serving a large number of individuals. Aldi has numerous everyday activities.Aldi spend a great deal of cash on showcasing to tell clients of the quality items at low costs. During 2011 more than 1 million clients changed from their typical British store to their German adversary because of the minimal effort items †this was primarily accomplished by promoting. In the UK, TV adverts were acquainted with educate clients regarding their items. Every week a leaflet is delivered illuminating regarding the arrangements to come the next week. There are different circulation bases on nations which Aldi work in. Aldi has a â€Å"delivered new ordinary policy†, and every day lorry heaps of new merchandise are conveyed to each store around the globe.Aldi have a litt le site which gives clients data of most recent item bargains and up and coming â€Å"special buys†. Aldi have their own versatile application giving comparative data as their site. Aldi don't normally select primary specialists †it is their standard to have least laborers. At the point when laborers are enrolled the HR office would deal with this. Cleaners are utilized by Aldi to deal with their stores in the wake of shutting time. Aldi’s object is to give a minimal effort quality item administration as a store. The fundamental point is to make benefit.

Ethical Issues Of Genetic Enhancement In Humans Philosophy Essay

Moral Issues Of Genetic Enhancement In Humans Philosophy Essay While hereditary building isn't a theme that is talked about frequently in the open domain, hereditary research and innovation is pushing ahead at a crazy pace. Hereditary qualities are presently found to show enormous improvement in a wide exhibit of regions including: assembling and materials, vitality, species reclamation and the executives, food and agribusiness ventures, ranger service, and nuisance control. The most dubious utilization of hereditary qualities, and the focal point of this paper, is on human hereditary mediation. On account of hereditary treatment used to forestall or fix hereditary infections, the method is proper and morally good. Notwithstanding, on account of hereditary upgrade and the idea of fashioner babies, any system is untrustworthy. A line must be drawn between the meaning of hereditary improvement and hereditary treatment and with the two cases, the attack and dangers to the mother of the youngster ought to likewise be thought of. Endeavors ought to b e centered around social designing to improve the conduct viewpoints that are the objective of hereditary upgrade advocators. The potential outcomes of hereditary designing are very boundless, which is terrifying if the individuals who can do so start to control all parts of nature and humankind through science. However there are really some helpful hereditary procedures utilized not with respect to human life that would and do improve numerous parts of this world. In their article Genetic Engineering Could Benefit Society, Joseph F. Coates, John B. Mahaffie, and Andy Hines talk about huge numbers of these advantages. For instance, a few scientists are attempting to build up a microorganism that would be helpful in changing over harvest squanders into biomass vitality while others are boosting plants that have more significant returns and better protection from illness and different conditions. Creepy crawlies helping illnesses will probably be focused through hereditary innovations and the lethal infection intestinal sickness may eventually be dispensed with (176-177). A great deal of hereditary designing examinations for human use are performed on creatures, yet creatures likewise fill in as an objective for their own hereditary adjustment purposes. Creator creatures can be upgraded along these lines to people for food creation, entertainment, and pet purposes. Animals can be redone for expanded development, abbreviated incubation, and more noteworthy healthy benefit. With the goal for creatures to withstand unpleasant situations, transgenic creatures are being made, which share qualities of at least two species (Coates, Mahaffie, and Hines 176). Studies ought to be done on the morals of controlling creatures through hereditary qualities before further mediations are performed. Before investigating the morals of utilizing hereditary designing to improve or treat people, current advances and the truth of hereditary adjustment with respect to dangers and achievement ought to be talked about. In her article Genetic Engineering Could be Dangerous, Susan Wright clarifies that the human body will in general reject anything remote, so now, its not even plausible hereditary methods in people will work successfully and with little hazard (188). Stephen A. Phillips examines some present examinations in his article Human Germline Genetic Enhancement and C.S. Lewiss the Abolition of Man As far as progress, creatures that are delivering hereditarily adjusted undeveloped organisms for study are creating fundamentally flawed incipient organisms and not many incipient organisms make due to deliver the practical hereditarily altered creatures. This examination will help with the alteration of people, yet so as to forestall the introduction of youngsters with genuine imperfe ctions, human undeveloped organisms would should be tried before implantation and those that are flawed would should be pulverized. Not exclusively does the contention enormously with the high virtues set on human undeveloped organisms, however the subjects utilized would need to be followed for their whole lifetime, just as their relatives lifetimes (Phillips 118-119). Hereditary intercession now is centered around two potential ways. Substantial cell adjustments would affect just the individual being dealt with while the way of germline alterations really change the genome of an individual and their descendents (Phillips 118). Gregory Stock and John H. Campbell look inside and out at the last way in Engineering the Human Germline: An Exploration of the Science and Ethics of Altering the Genes We Pass to Our Children. Germline adjustments incorporate infusing qualities into a prepared egg, which stretches out quality treatment to the germline and naturally brings hereditary changes into each phone of the body without mediating in every phone separately (Stock and Campbell 9). In the article, A Not-so-new Eugenics, R. Sparrow presents another innovation, preimplantation hereditary finding (PGD), which permits guardians to find the hereditary qualities of the incipient organisms they have made by method of in vitro treatment. They would then be able to pick which incipient organism to embed into a womans belly and attempt to bring to term. PGD is at present broadly utilized as amazing procedure to forestall birth of youngsters with extreme inabilities, however this procedure includes picking which individuals are conceived, rather than upgrading the qualities of existing people. (Sparrow 33). Quality based pharmaceuticals can be utilized as medicines too, which may utilize antisense DNA to hinder the body from transmitting hereditary directions for an infection procedure. Future treatments would permit qualities to be expelled, killed, or obstructed, with sound substitution qualities ready to be legitimately embedded into embryos or regulated through infusion, inward breath, retroviruses, or pills (Coates, Mahaffie, and Hines 180). Assume that hereditary adjustment turns out to be broadly proficient, fruitful, and uncostly-on the off chance that that day comes, at that point it is basic to draw a line between hereditary improvement and hereditary treatment and boycott the previous, however permit the last mentioned. While a great many people see the differentiation between the two, it is still difficult to characterize. An endeavor at characterizing the distinction expresses that hereditary improvement includes adjustments that are not to treat or forestalling ailments (Phillips 119). A few issues emerge in isolating these definitions, nonetheless. Liquor abuse, for instance, can be named an ailment, which would, following my past recommendation, would be lawful and good to hereditarily treat. In any case, some view liquor abuse as a decision, not an ailment, implying that to forestall this through alteration would be an upgrade not a treatment. Instances of improvements frequently utilized incorporate stature, melodic ability, athletic capacity, and trustworthiness. Hereditary mediation in people isn't all awful. At the point when it is utilized to treat or forestall dangerous or seriously life changing illnesses it is moral and down to earth. A gauge for the year 2025 shows very nearly 2,000 single quality infections totally disposed of. Hereditary inclination ailments, for example, malignancy, are additionally assessed to be sliced down the middle by 2025. Wiping out hereditary infections, for example, Alzheimers could take a very long time through regular choice yet just decades through hereditary control (Coates, Mahaffie, and Hines 175-177). Wellbeing experts are at last assessed to recognize, treat, and forestall at least 4,000 hereditary maladies and scatters. These diagnostics incorporate both explicit infections, for example, Down Syndrome AND social attitudes, for example, sadness (Coates, Mahaffie, and Hines 180). Conduct demeanors are another meager line to draw, since I wouldnt think of them as dangerous or essentially hurtful. My a nalyzed despondency has made me who I am today and I cannot envision not having that conduct mien, however others with tension, a lack of ability to concentrate consistently turmoil, and the sky is the limit from there, may think that its an enormous impedance to their life. To look at the morals of hereditary upgrade is to inspect the issues with hereditary designing and choose for ones self whether those issues are morally mistaken. Dov Fox presents an examination in his article that 70% of American respondents object to the utilization of safe advancements to choose for non-sickness attributes in human posterity, so there is obviously some across the board issues forestalling support for hereditary improvement (Fox 174). Most importantly, hereditary adjustments will be costly and inconsistent appropriated. This gives extra preferences to the rich and further drawbacks poor people, augmenting the hole between the rich and poor to an impossible division (Phillips 119). Some contend this isn't so not quite the same as the costly and right now generally acknowledged ecological upgrades like school test arrangement and private melodic preparing (Fox 175). I contend that these ecological improvements are progressively more affordable and accessible to all t hrough educational systems, social administrations, and coaches. The budgetary hole for hereditary upgrade, then again, would be difficult to close. This issue is lesser in hereditary treatment since treatment for illness as of now is known to be costly. Those with for all time sick or ailing youngsters must compensation enormous totals for treatment, so hereditary innovation doesn't change that factor. A significant inquiry raised is whether the individuals who might endeavor to upgrade human capacities by hereditary adjustment ought to be trusted with that power. An exceptionally world class gathering of geneticists would out of nowhere be the shapers of mankind. There must be some gauge or rules of excellence and astuteness one would require to try and need to be placed in this requesting, high-stress position (Phillips 119). The issue of individual personality emerges generally in examining bioethics. Hereditarily changed people would be de-natured, and their abilities to seek after reality, construct connections, and protect their wellbeing would be deterred (Murphy 196). Ones information on having risen up out of somebody elses configuration would prompt sentiments of hereditary control too. Hereditarily changed individuals might be restricted to a task or interest they may have little energy about, or they may not view themselves as allowed to shape their prevailing qualities and finishes. Some contend this is I

Finals Season

Finals Season After fall break, each and every Illinois student will find themselves at the beginning of a crazy (and mostly rewarding) finals season. This is the three weeks that Illinois students work on their final projects and study as hard as possible for their final exams. Although this time of the semester can be stressful and cumbersome, it is vital that each student finds their perfect approach to this season. Instead of finding dread in finals season, it is best to tackle it head-on with lots of vigor. There are many ways to be successful at finals season. Most students would agree that it is extremely important to organize a schedule for when and where each final will be held. Organization of this information will allow a student to better handle the work of final projects in conjunction with studying for final exams. For myself, I believe that my best successes will come if I can properly study during the daytime and get enough sleep to feel rested and recharged to handle the next parts of finals season. No matter how much studying I do, it will be just as important to have a rested brain in order to retain knowledge for each big exam. This is an aspect of finals season that I will try to focus on because I believe it is important for me specifically. For every student, though, it is a good idea to clear the old schedule and focus on what lies ahead in the next three weeks. Sure, it is finals season, so there is bound to be one project or exam that does not go exactly the way one might want it to go. It is vital to forget about any shortcomings and move forward with future successes. Jacob Class of 2019 I’m an Advertising student within the College of Media. My hometown is a place called Fairmount, Illinois, which is about 30 minutes from campus. I began my Illinois journey in the Division of General Studies. Finals Season This week, I begin rounding the the final lap of the semester. It is hard to believe that this is the halfway point of my time in college. It is also hard to believe that this is the fourth finals season for me. Unlike my previous finals seasons, this one is filled with projects and presentations as opposed to exams. In many ways, this is a good thing. Studying for every class in the final two weeks is pretty scary. It can be especially scary if your class grade depends on the final exam. Nonetheless, I have always been more of a project person myself. Everyone else is stressed about finals season, as well. Suddenly, people disappear from fun activities all around campus and start fiercely hitting the books. This is because the next two weeks are jam-packed with golden study time that is crucially needed. Because of this, you may find it slightly difficult to find people to hang out with if your finals are projects instead of exams unlike your friends. With all of this being said, in two weeks, finals will merely be a thing of the past. Ill be on to summer internships and spending some quality time at home. For now though, the grind continues. Its time to finish what was started 14 long weeks ago. Jacob Class of 2019 I’m an Advertising student within the College of Media. My hometown is a place called Fairmount, Illinois, which is about 30 minutes from campus. I began my Illinois journey in the Division of General Studies.

General Nutrition Center Is The Top Leading Nutritional...

General Nutrition Center, better known as GNC, is one of the top leading nutritional companies that strives to better the lives of their customers each and everyday. Luckily, being an employee of GNC, I felt I would better understand the companies take on how they market themselves. The company s mission statement is, â€Å"To continue to be the leading provider of products, services, and information in the self-care and personal health enhancement market. To provide a shopping experience that exceeds our customers’ expectations (GNC,web).† In simpler terms, we explain to customers that our mission statement is better explained by two words, â€Å"Live Well†. You can find this phrase all over the stores, whether that be on images, or even some of the products being sold. The term â€Å"Live Well† promotes living a healthy, happy lifestyle, and what better place to help you on that journey than a nutritional store. The mission statement reflects a strong ma rketing stragiety of promoting a healthy lifestyle, and focuses on that statement when training employees, as well as helping customers find what they are looking for. For myself, when I started college, I was not entirely sure what I wanted to major in, although I picked Fashion Merchandising. I have always had a passion to follow my dreams into the fashion industry, but I also decided to double major with a business marketing degree. With this double degree, if I do not follow a career in fashion, the business marketing degree willShow MoreRelatedRecruting Human Resources: The Case of Nestlà © Company Essays750 Words   |  3 PagesNestlà © posts job offers to work in one of the departments of the company almost every day. Most of the jobs posted are to be taken in its headquarters in Switzerland. Offered, there is a wide range of positions a person can pick from. 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Principles of Health and Social Care Practice Free Essay Example, 3500 words

The vulnerable population in need of health and social services within the care home must have their human rights protected by care givers. In some cases, a prescribed mode of treatment for a vulnerable care service user might expose him or her to harm or possible abuse of their human rights. Social and healthcare professionals at the home need to understand all the implications of any kind of care that they devise for each and every individual at the home. Practitioners need to check on the merits and merits of certain care procedures before adopting them for different people that need care services at the home. This process ensures that people that are being taken care of are not subjected to any form of abuse by care givers. A case in point can be that of a care service user that has a terminal illness like cancer. Cancer treatment involves using chemotherapy. Chemotherapy has its adverse impacts on the health persons especially the repeated chemotherapy can accelerate the side e ffects of the care service. As a healthcare or social service provider at the care home, one needs to use a consultative approach to making a decision on whether certain medical procedures can be good for a patient at the ABC Care Home. The principle of safeguarding staff and clients is also very important when providing care services to service users within the home. We will write a custom essay sample on Principles of Health and Social Care Practice or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now For example, the care home must have protective measures that ensure safety for both service providers and vulnerable individuals within the home. Creating a safeguarding environment involves hiring enough staff is well trained and also giving them adequate resources to care for individuals that are being cared for. It also involves participatory supervisor of junior and less experienced care givers. There are several staff and client protection procedures that have been adopted at the care home. Provision of social and healthcare services to clients needs the measurement of impacts from time to time. Impact assessment is best undertaken by line mangers. For example, line managers are able to assess practice and service delivery by junior health and social care service givers within a care home

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 4-6 Free Essays

string(29) " nursed by the goddess Isis\." CHAPTER 4 Captain Bezu Fache carried himself like an angry ox, with his wide shoulders thrown back and his chin tucked hard into his chest. His dark hair was slicked back with oil, accentuating an arrow-like widow’s peak that divided his jutting brow and preceded him like the prow of a battleship. As he advanced, his dark eyes seemed to scorch the earth before him, radiating a fiery clarity that forecast his reputation for unblinking severity in all matters. We will write a custom essay sample on The Da Vinci Code Chapter 4-6 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Langdon followed the captain down the famous marble staircase into the sunken atrium beneath the glass pyramid. As they descended, they passed between two armed Judicial Police guards with machine guns. The message was clear: Nobody goes in or out tonight without the blessing of Captain Fache. Descending below ground level, Langdon fought a rising trepidation. Fache’s presence was anything but welcoming, and the Louvre itself had an almost sepulchral aura at this hour. The staircase, like the aisle of a dark movie theater, was illuminated by subtle tread-lighting embedded in each step. Langdon could hear his own footsteps reverberating off the glass overhead. As he glanced up, he could see the faint illuminated wisps of mist from the fountains fading away outside the transparent roof. â€Å"Do you approve?† Fache asked, nodding upward with his broad chin. Langdon sighed, too tired to play games. â€Å"Yes, your pyramid is magnificent.† Fache grunted. â€Å"A scar on the face of Paris.† Strike one.Langdon sensed his host was a hard man to please. He wondered if Fache had any idea that this pyramid, at President Mitterrand’s explicit demand, had been constructed of exactly 666 panes of glass – a bizarre request that had always been a hot topic among conspiracy buffs who claimed 666 was the number of Satan. Langdon decided not to bring it up. As they dropped farther into the subterranean foyer, the yawning space slowly emerged from the shadows. Built fifty-seven feet beneath ground level, the Louvre’s newly constructed 70, 000-square-foot lobby spread out like an endless grotto. Constructed in warm ocher marble to be compatible with the honey-colored stone of the Louvre facade above, the subterranean hall was usually vibrant with sunlight and tourists. Tonight, however, the lobby was barren and dark, giving the entire space a cold and crypt-like atmosphere. â€Å"And the museum’s regular security staff?† Langdon asked. â€Å"En quarantaine,†Fache replied, sounding as if Langdon were questioning the integrity of Fache’s team. â€Å"Obviously, someone gained entry tonight who should not have. All Louvre night wardens are in the Sully Wing being questioned. My own agents have taken over museum security for the evening.† Langdon nodded, moving quickly to keep pace with Fache. â€Å"How well did you know Jacques Sauniere?† the captain asked. â€Å"Actually, not at all. We’d never met.† Fache looked surprised. â€Å"Your first meeting was to be tonight?† â€Å"Yes. We’d planned to meet at the American University reception following my lecture, but he never showed up.† Fache scribbled some notes in a little book. As they walked, Langdon caught a glimpse of the Louvre’s lesser-known pyramid – La Pyramide Inversee – a huge inverted skylight that hung from the ceiling like a stalactite in an adjoining section of the entresol. Fache guided Langdon up a short set of stairs to the mouth of an arched tunnel, over which a sign read: DENON. The Denon Wing was the most famous of the Louvre’s three main sections. â€Å"Who requested tonight’s meeting?† Fache asked suddenly. â€Å"You or he?† The question seemed odd. â€Å"Mr. Sauniere did,† Langdon replied as they entered the tunnel. â€Å"His secretary contacted me a few weeks ago via e-mail. She said the curator had heard I would be lecturing in Paris this month and wanted to discuss something with me while I was here.† â€Å"Discuss what?† â€Å"I don’t know. Art, I imagine. We share similar interests.† Fache looked skeptical. â€Å"You have no idea what your meeting was about?† Langdon did not. He’d been curious at the time but had not felt comfortable demanding specifics. The venerated Jacques Sauniere had a renowned penchant for privacy and granted very few meetings; Langdon was grateful simply for the opportunity to meet him. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, can you at least guess what our murder victim might have wanted to discuss with you on the night he was killed? It might be helpful.† The pointedness of the question made Langdon uncomfortable. â€Å"I really can’t imagine. I didn’t ask. I felt honored to have been contacted at all. I’m an admirer of Mr. Sauniere’s work. I use his texts often in my classes.† Fache made note of that fact in his book. The two men were now halfway up the Denon Wing’s entry tunnel, and Langdon could see the twin ascending escalators at the far end, both motionless. â€Å"So you shared interests with him?† Fache asked. â€Å"Yes. In fact, I’ve spent much of the last year writing the draft for a book that deals with Mr. Sauniere’s primary area of expertise. I was looking forward to picking his brain.† Fache glanced up. â€Å"Pardon?† The idiom apparently didn’t translate. â€Å"I was looking forward to learning his thoughts on the topic.† â€Å"I see. And what is the topic?† Langdon hesitated, uncertain exactly how to put it. â€Å"Essentially, the manuscript is about the iconography of goddess worship – the concept of female sanctity and the art and symbols associated with it.† Fache ran a meaty hand across his hair. â€Å"And Sauniere was knowledgeable about this?† â€Å"Nobody more so.† â€Å"I see.† Langdon sensed Fache did not see at all. Jacques Sauniere was considered the premiere goddess iconographer on earth. Not only did Sauniere have a personal passion for relics relating to fertility, goddess cults, Wicca, and the sacred feminine, but during his twenty-year tenure as curator, Sauniere had helped the Louvre amass the largest collection of goddess art on earth – labrys axes from the priestesses’ oldest Greek shrine in Delphi, gold caducei wands, hundreds of Tjetankhs resembling small standing angels, sistrum rattles used in ancient Egypt to dispel evil spirits, and an astonishing array of statues depicting Horus being nursed by the goddess Isis. You read "The Da Vinci Code Chapter 4-6" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"Perhaps Jacques Sauniere knew of your manuscript?† Fache offered. â€Å"And he called the meeting to offer his help on your book.† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"Actually, nobody yet knows about my manuscript. It’s still in draft form, and I haven’t shown it to anyone except my editor.† Fache fell silent. Langdon did not add the reason he hadn’t yet shown the manuscript to anyone else. The three- hundred-page draft – tentatively titled Symbols of the Lost Sacred Feminine – proposed some very unconventional interpretations of established religious iconography which would certainly be controversial. Now, as Langdon approached the stationary escalators, he paused, realizing Fache was no longer beside him. Turning, Langdon saw Fache standing several yards back at a service elevator. â€Å"We’ll take the elevator,† Fache said as the lift doors opened. â€Å"As I’m sure you’re aware, the gallery is quite a distance on foot.† Although Langdon knew the elevator would expedite the long, two-story climb to the Denon Wing, he remained motionless. â€Å"Is something wrong?† Fache was holding the door, looking impatient. Langdon exhaled, turning a longing glance back up the open-air escalator. Nothing’s wrong at all, he lied to himself, trudging back toward the elevator. As a boy, Langdon had fallen down an abandoned well shaft and almost died treading water in the narrow space for hours before being rescued. Since then, he’d suffered a haunting phobia of enclosed spaces – elevators, subways, squash courts. The elevator is a perfectly safe machine, Langdon continually told himself, never believing it. It’s a tiny metal box hanging in an enclosed shaft! Holding his breath, he stepped into the lift, feeling the familiar tingle of adrenaline as the doors slid shut. Two floors.Ten seconds. â€Å"You and Mr. Sauniere,† Fache said as the lift began to move,† you never spoke at all? Never corresponded? Never sent each other anything in the mail?† Another odd question. Langdon shook his head. â€Å"No. Never.† Fache cocked his head, as if making a mental note of that fact. Saying nothing, he stared dead ahead at the chrome doors. As they ascended, Langdon tried to focus on anything other than the four walls around him. In the reflection of the shiny elevator door, he saw the captain’s tie clip – a silver crucifix with thirteen embedded pieces of black onyx. Langdon found it vaguely surprising. The symbol was known as a crux gemmata – a cross bearing thirteen gems – a Christian ideogram for Christ and His twelve apostles. Somehow Langdon had not expected the captain of the French police to broadcast his religion so openly. Then again, this was France; Christianity was not a religion here so much as a birthright. â€Å"It’s a crux gemmata† Fache said suddenly. Startled, Langdon glanced up to find Fache’s eyes on him in the reflection. The elevator jolted to a stop, and the doors opened. Langdon stepped quickly out into the hallway, eager for the wide-open space afforded by the famous high ceilings of the Louvre galleries. The world into which he stepped, however, was nothing like he expected. Surprised, Langdon stopped short. Fache glanced over. â€Å"I gather, Mr. Langdon, you have never seen the Louvre after hours?† I guess not, Langdon thought, trying to get his bearings. Usually impeccably illuminated, the Louvre galleries were startlingly dark tonight. Instead of the customary flat-white light flowing down from above, a muted red glow seemed to emanate upward from the baseboards – intermittent patches of red light spilling out onto the tile floors. As Langdon gazed down the murky corridor, he realized he should have anticipated this scene. Virtually all major galleries employed red service lighting at night – strategically placed, low-level, noninvasive lights that enabled staff members to navigate hallways and yet kept the paintings inrelative darkness to slow the fading effects of overexposure to light. Tonight, the museum possessed an almost oppressive quality. Long shadows encroached everywhere, and the usually soaring vaulted ceilings appeared as a low, black void. â€Å"This way,† Fache said, turning sharply right and setting out through a series of interconnected galleries. Langdon followed, his vision slowly adjusting to the dark. All around, large-format oils began to materialize like photos developing before him in an enormous darkroom†¦ their eyes following as he moved through the rooms. He could taste the familiar tang of museum air – an arid, deionized essence that carried a faint hint of carbon – the product of industrial, coal-filter dehumidifiers that ran around the clock to counteract the corrosive carbon dioxide exhaled by visitors. Mounted high on the walls, the visible security cameras sent a clear message to visitors: We see you.Do not touch anything. â€Å"Any of them real?† Langdon asked, motioning to the cameras. Fache shook his head. â€Å"Of course not.† Langdon was not surprised. Video surveillance in museums this size was cost-prohibitive and ineffective. With acres of galleries to watch over, the Louvre would require several hundred technicians simply to monitor the feeds. Most large museums now used† containment security.† Forget keeping thieves out.Keep them in.Containment was activated after hours, and if an intruder removed a piece of artwork, compartmentalized exits would seal around that gallery, and the thief would find himself behind bars even before the police arrived. The sound of voices echoed down the marble corridor up ahead. The noise seemed to be coming from a large recessed alcove that lay ahead on the right. A bright light spilled out into the hallway. â€Å"Office of the curator,† the captain said. As he and Fache drew nearer the alcove, Langdon peered down a short hallway, into Sauniere’s luxurious study – warm wood, Old Master paintings, and an enormous antique desk on which stood a two-foot-tall model of a knight in full armor. A handful of police agents bustled about the room, talking on phones and taking notes. One of them was seated at Sauniere’s desk, typing into a laptop. Apparently, the curator’s private office had become DCPJ’s makeshift command post for the evening. â€Å"Messieurs,† Fache called out, and the men turned. â€Å"Ne nous derangez pas sous aucun pretexte. Entendu?† Everyone inside the office nodded their understanding. Langdon had hung enough NE PAS DERANGER signs on hotel room doors to catch the gist of the captain’s orders. Fache and Langdon were not to be disturbed under any circumstances. Leaving the small congregation of agents behind, Fache led Langdon farther down the darkened hallway. Thirty yards ahead loomed the gateway to the Louvre’s most popular section – la Grande Galerie – a seemingly endless corridor that housed the Louvre’s most valuable Italian masterpieces. Langdon had already discerned that this was where Sauniere’s body lay; the Grand Gallery’s famous parquet floor had been unmistakable in the Polaroid. As they approached, Langdon saw the entrance was blocked by an enormous steel grate that looked like something used by medieval castles to keep out marauding armies. â€Å"Containment security,†Fache said, as they neared the grate. Even in the darkness, the barricade looked like it could have restrained a tank. Arriving outside, Langdon peered through the bars into the dimly lit caverns of the Grand Gallery. â€Å"After you, Mr. Langdon,† Fache said. Langdon turned. After me, where?Fache motioned toward the floor at the base of the grate. Langdon looked down. In the darkness, he hadn’t noticed. The barricade was raised about two feet, providing an awkward clearance underneath. â€Å"This area is still off limits to Louvre security,† Fache said. â€Å"My team from Police Technique etScientifique has just finished their investigation.† He motioned to the opening. â€Å"Please slide under.† Langdon stared at the narrow crawl space at his feet and then up at the massive iron grate. He’s kidding, right? The barricade looked like a guillotine waiting to crush intruders. Fache grumbled something in French and checked his watch. Then he dropped to his knees and slithered his bulky frame underneath the grate. On the other side, he stood up and looked back through the bars at Langdon. Langdon sighed. Placing his palms flat on the polished parquet, he lay on his stomach and pulled himself forward. As he slid underneath, the nape of his Harris tweed snagged on the bottom of the grate, and he cracked the back of his head on the iron. Very suave, Robert, he thought, fumbling and then finally pulling himself through. As he stood up, Langdon was beginning to suspect it was going to be a very long night. CHAPTER 5 Murray Hill Place – the new Opus Dei World Headquarters and conference center – is located at 243 Lexington Avenue in New York City. With a price tag of just over $47 million, the 133, 000- square-foot tower is clad in red brick and Indiana limestone. Designed by May Pinska, the building contains over one hundred bedrooms, six dining rooms, libraries, living rooms, meeting rooms, and offices. The second, eighth, and sixteenth floors contain chapels, ornamented with mill- work and marble. The seventeenth floor is entirely residential. Men enter the building through the main doors on Lexington Avenue. Women enter through a side street and are ‘acoustically and visually separated’ from the men at all times within the building. Earlier this evening, within the sanctuary of his penthouse apartment, Bishop Manuel Aringarosa had packed a small travel bag and dressed in a traditional black cassock. Normally, he would have wrapped a purple cincture around his waist, but tonight he would be traveling among the public, and he preferred not to draw attention to his high office. Only those with a keen eye would notice his 14-karat gold bishop’s ring with purple amethyst, large diamonds, and hand-tooled mitre-crozier applique. Throwing the travel bag over his shoulder, he said a silent prayer and left his apartment, descending to the lobby where his driver was waiting to take him to the airport. Now, sitting aboard a commercial airliner bound for Rome, Aringarosa gazed out the window at the dark Atlantic. The sun had already set, but Aringarosa knew his own star was on the rise. Tonight the battle will be won, he thought, amazed that only months ago he had felt powerless against the hands that threatened to destroy his empire. As president-general of Opus Dei, Bishop Aringarosa had spent the last decade of his life spreading the message of â€Å"God’s Work† – literally, Opus Dei.The congregation, founded in 1928 by the Spanish priest Josemaria Escriva, promoted a return to conservative Catholic values and encouraged its members to make sweeping sacrifices in their own lives in order to do the Work of God. Opus Dei’s traditionalist philosophy initially had taken root in Spain before Franco’s regime, but with the 1934 publication of Josemaria Escriva’s spiritual book The Way – 999 points of meditation for doing God’s Work in one’s own life – Escriva’s message exploded across the world. Now, with over four million copies of The Way in circulation in forty-two languages, Opus Dei was a global force. Its residence halls, teaching centers, and even universities could be found in almost every major metropolis on earth. Opus Dei was the fastest-growing and most financially secure Catholic organization in the world. Unfortunately, Aringarosa had learned, in an age of religious cynicism, cults, and televangelists, Opus Dei’s escalating wealth and power was a magnet for suspicion. â€Å"Many call Opus Dei a brainwashing cult,† reporters often challenged. â€Å"Others call you an ultraconservative Christian secret society. Which are you?† â€Å"Opus Dei is neither,† the bishop would patiently reply. â€Å"We are a Catholic Church. We are a congregation of Catholics who have chosen as our priority to follow Catholic doctrine as rigorously as we can in our own daily lives.† â€Å"Does God’s Work necessarily include vows of chastity, tithing, and atonement for sins through self-flagellation and the cilice?† â€Å"You are describing only a small portion of the Opus Dei population,† Aringarosa said. â€Å"There are many levels of involvement. Thousands of Opus Dei members are married, have families, and do God’s Work in their own communities. Others choose lives of asceticism within our cloistered residence halls. These choices are personal, but everyone in Opus Dei shares the goal of bettering the world by doing the Work of God. Surely this is an admirable quest.† Reason seldom worked, though. The media always gravitated toward scandal, and Opus Dei, like most large organizations, had within its membership a few misguided souls who cast a shadow over the entire group. Two months ago, an Opus Dei group at a mid-western university had been caught drugging new recruits with mescaline in an effort to induce a euphoric state that neophytes would perceive as a religious experience. Another university student had used his barbed cilice belt more often than the recommended two hours a day and had given himself a near lethal infection. In Boston not long ago, a disillusioned young investment banker had signed over his entire life savings to Opus Dei before attempting suicide. Misguided sheep, Aringarosa thought, his heart going out to them. Of course the ultimate embarrassment had been the widely publicized trial of FBI spy Robert Hanssen, who, in addition to being a prominent member of Opus Dei, had turned out to be a sexual deviant, his trial uncovering evidence that he had rigged hidden video cameras in his own bedroom so his friends could watch him having sex with his wife. â€Å"Hardly the pastime of a devout Catholic,† the judge had noted. Sadly, all of these events had helped spawn the new watch group known as the Opus Dei Awareness Network (ODAN). The group’s popular website – www odan.org – relayed frightening stories from former Opus Dei members who warned of the dangers of joining. The media was now referring to Opus Dei as† God’s Mafia† and† the Cult of Christ.† We fear what we do not understand, Aringarosa thought, wondering if these critics had any idea how many lives Opus Dei had enriched. The group enjoyed the full endorsement and blessing of the Vatican. Opus Dei is a personal prelature of the Pope himself. Recently, however, Opus Dei had found itself threatened by a force infinitely more powerful than the media†¦ an unexpected foe from which Aringarosa could not possibly hide. Five months ago, the kaleidoscope of power had been shaken, and Aringarosa was still reeling from the blow. â€Å"They know not the war they have begun,† Aringarosa whispered to himself, staring out the plane’s window at the darkness of the ocean below. For an instant, his eyes refocused, lingering on the reflection of his awkward face – dark and oblong, dominated by a flat, crooked nose that had been shattered by a fist in Spain when he was a young missionary. The physical flaw barely registered now. Aringarosa’s was a world of the soul, not of the flesh. As the jet passed over the coast of Portugal, the cell phone in Aringarosa’s cassock began vibrating in silent ring mode. Despite airline regulations prohibiting the use of cell phones during flights, Aringarosa knew this was a call he could not miss. Only one man possessed this number, the man who had mailed Aringarosa the phone. Excited, the bishop answered quietly. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Silas has located the keystone,† the caller said. â€Å"It is in Paris. Within the Church of Saint-Sulpice.† Bishop Aringarosa smiled. â€Å"Then we are close.† â€Å"We can obtain it immediately. But we need your influence.† â€Å"Of course. Tell me what to do.† When Aringarosa switched off the phone, his heart was pounding. He gazed once again into the void of night, feeling dwarfed by the events he had put into motion. Five hundred miles away, the albino named Silas stood over a small basin of water and dabbed the blood from his back, watching the patterns of red spinning in the water. Purge me with hyssop andI shall be clean, he prayed, quoting Psalms. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Silas was feeling an aroused anticipation that he had not felt since his previous life. It both surprised and electrified him. For the last decade, he had been following The Way, cleansing himself of sins†¦ rebuilding his life†¦ erasing the violence in his past. Tonight, however, it had all come rushing back. The hatred he had fought so hard to bury had been summoned. He had been startled how quickly his past had resurfaced. And with it, of course, had come his skills. Rusty but serviceable. Jesus’ message is one of peace†¦of nonviolence†¦of love.This was the message Silas had been taught from the beginning, and the message he held in his heart. And yet this was the message the enemies of Christ now threatened to destroy. Those who threaten God with force will be met with force.Immovable and steadfast. For two millennia, Christian soldiers had defended their faith against those who tried to displace it. Tonight, Silas had been called to battle. Drying his wounds, he donned his ankle-length, hooded robe. It was plain, made of dark wool, accentuating the whiteness of his skin and hair. Tightening the rope-tie around his waist, he raised the hood over his head and allowed his red eyes to admire his reflection in the mirror. The wheels are in motion. CHAPTER 6 Having squeezed beneath the security gate, Robert Langdon now stood just inside the entrance to the Grand Gallery. He was staring into the mouth of a long, deep canyon. On either side of the gallery, stark walls rose thirty feet, evaporating into the darkness above. The reddish glow of the service lighting sifted upward, casting an unnatural smolder across a staggering collection of Da Vincis, Titians, and Caravaggios that hung suspended from ceiling cables. Still lifes, religious scenes, and landscapes accompanied portraits of nobility and politicians. Although the Grand Gallery housed the Louvre’s most famous Italian art, many visitors felt the wing’s most stunning offering was actually its famous parquet floor. Laid out in a dazzling geometric design of diagonal oak slats, the floor produced an ephemeral optical illusion – a multi- dimensional network that gave visitors the sense they were floating through the gallery on a surface that changed with every step. As Langdon’s gaze began to trace the inlay, his eyes stopped short on an unexpected object lying on the floor just a few yards to his left, surrounded by police tape. He spun toward Fache. â€Å"Is that†¦ a Caravaggio on the floor?† Fache nodded without even looking. The painting, Langdon guessed, was worth upward of two million dollars, and yet it was lying on the floor like a discarded poster. â€Å"What the devil is it doing on the floor!† Fache glowered, clearly unmoved. â€Å"This is a crime scene, Mr. Langdon. We have touched nothing. That canvas was pulled from the wall by the curator. It was how he activated the security system.† Langdon looked back at the gate, trying to picture what had happened. â€Å"The curator was attacked in his office, fled into the Grand Gallery, and activated the security gate by pulling that painting from the wall. The gate fell immediately, sealing off all access. This is the only door in or out of this gallery.† Langdon felt confused. â€Å"So the curator actually captured his attacker inside the Grand Gallery?† Fache shook his head. â€Å"The security gate separated Sauniere from his attacker. The killer waslocked out there in the hallway and shot Sauniere through this gate.† Fache pointed toward anorange tag hanging from one of the bars on the gate under which they had just passed. â€Å"The PT Steam found flashback residue from a gun. He fired through the bars. Sauniere died in here alone.† Langdon pictured the photograph of Sauniere’s body. They said he did that to himself.Langdon looked out at the enormous corridor before them. â€Å"So where is his body?† Fache straightened his cruciform tie clip and began to walk. â€Å"As you probably know, the Grand Gallery is quite long.† The exact length, if Langdon recalled correctly, was around fifteen hundred feet, the length of three Washington Monuments laid end to end. Equally breathtaking was the corridor’s width, which easily could have accommodated a pair of side-by-side passenger trains. The center of the hallway was dotted by the occasional statue or colossal porcelain urn, which served as a tasteful divider and kept the flow of traffic moving down one wall and up the other. Fache was silent now, striding briskly up the right side of the corridor with his gaze dead ahead. Langdon felt almost disrespectful to be racing past so many masterpieces without pausing for so much as a glance. Not that I could see anything in this lighting, he thought. The muted crimson lighting unfortunately conjured memories of Langdon’s last experience in noninvasive lighting in the Vatican Secret Archives. This was tonight’s second unsettling parallel with his near-death in Rome. He flashed on Vittoria again. She had been absent from his dreams for months. Langdon could not believe Rome had been only a year ago; it felt like decades. Another life.His last correspondence from Vittoria had been in December – a postcard saying she was headed to the Java Sea to continue her research in entanglement physics†¦ something about using satellites to track manta ray migrations. Langdon had never harbored delusions that a woman like Vittoria Vetra could have been happy living with him on a college campus, but their encounter in Rome had unlocked in him a longing he never imagined he could feel. His lifelong affinity for bachelorhood and the simple freedoms it allowed had been shaken somehow†¦ replaced by an unexpected emptine ss that seemed to have grown over the past year. They continued walking briskly, yet Langdon still saw no corpse. â€Å"Jacques Sauniere went this far?† â€Å"Mr. Sauniere suffered a bullet wound to his stomach. He died very slowly. Perhaps over fifteen or twenty minutes. He was obviously a man of great personal strength.† Langdon turned, appalled. â€Å"Security took fifteen minutes to get here?† â€Å"Of course not. Louvre security responded immediately to the alarm and found the Grand Gallery sealed. Through the gate, they could hear someone moving around at the far end of the corridor, but they could not see who it was. They shouted, but they got no answer. Assuming it could only be a criminal, they followed protocol and called in the Judicial Police. We took up positions within fifteen minutes. When we arrived, we raised the barricade enough to slip underneath, and I sent a dozen armed agents inside. They swept the length of the gallery to corner the intruder.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"They found no one inside. Except†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He pointed farther down the hall. â€Å"Him.† Langdon lifted his gaze and followed Fache’s outstretched finger. At first he thought Fache was pointing to a large marble statue in the middle of the hallway. As they continued, though, Langdon began to see past the statue. Thirty yards down the hall, a single spotlight on a portable pole stand shone down on the floor, creating a stark island of white light in the dark crimson gallery. In the center of the light, like an insect under a microscope, the corpse of the curator lay naked on the parquet floor. â€Å"You saw the photograph,† Fache said,† so this should be of no surprise.† Langdon felt a deep chill as they approached the body. Before him was one of the strangest image she had ever seen. The pallid corpse of Jacques Sauniere lay on the parquet floor exactly as it appeared in the photograph. As Langdon stood over the body and squinted in the harsh light, he reminded himself to his amazement that Sauniere had spent his last minutes of life arranging his own body in this strange fashion. Sauniere looked remarkably fit for a man of his years†¦ and all of his musculature was in plain view. He had stripped off every shred of clothing, placed it neatly on the floor, and laid down on his back in the center of the wide corridor, perfectly aligned with the long axis of the room. His arms and legs were sprawled outward in a wide spread eagle, like those of a child making a snow angel†¦ or, perhaps more appropriately, like a man being drawn and quartered by some invisible force. Just below Sauniere’s breastbone, a bloody smear marked the spot where the bullet had pierced his flesh. The wound had bled surprisingly little, leaving only a small pool of blackened blood. Sauniere’s left index finger was also bloody, apparently having been dipped into the wound to create the most unsettling aspect of his own macabre deathbed; using his own blood as ink, and employing his own naked abdomen as a canvas, Sauniere had drawn a simple symbol on his flesh – five straight lines that intersected to form a five-pointed star. The pentacle. The bloody star, centered on Sauniere’s navel, gave his corpse a distinctly ghoulish aura. The photo Langdon had seen was chilling enough, but now, witnessing the scene in person, Langdon felt a deepening uneasiness. He did this to himself. â€Å"Mr. Langdon?† Fache’s dark eyes settled on him again. â€Å"It’s a pentacle,† Langdon offered, his voice feeling hollow in the huge space. â€Å"One of the oldest symbols on earth. Used over four thousand years before Christ.† â€Å"And what does it mean?† Langdon always hesitated when he got this question. Telling someone what a symbol† meant† was like telling them how a song should make them feel – it was different for all people. A white Ku Klux Klan headpiece conjured images of hatred and racism in the United States, and yet the same costume carried a meaning of religious faith in Spain. â€Å"Symbols carry different meanings in different settings,† Langdon said. â€Å"Primarily, the pentacle is a pagan religious symbol.† Fache nodded. â€Å"Devil worship.† â€Å"No,† Langdon corrected, immediately realizing his choice of vocabulary should have been clearer. Nowadays, the term pagan had become almost synonymous with devil worship – a gross misconception. The word’s roots actually reached back to the Latin paganus, meaning country-dwellers. â€Å"Pagans† were literally unindoctrinated country-folk who clung to the old, rural religions of Nature worship. In fact, so strong was the Church’s fear of those who lived in the rural villes that the once innocuous word for† villager† – villain – came to mean a wicked soul. â€Å"The pentacle,† Langdon clarified,† is a pre-Christian symbol that relates to Nature worship. The ancients envisioned their world in two halves – masculine and feminine. Their gods and goddesses worked to keep a balance of power. Yin and yang. When male and female were balanced, there was harmony in the world. When they were unbalanced, there was chaos.† Langdon motioned to Sauniere’s stomach. â€Å"This pentacle is representative of the female half of all things – a concept religious historians call the ‘sacred feminine’ or the ‘divine goddess. ‘ Sauniere, of all people, would know this.† â€Å"Sauniere drew a goddess symbol on his stomach?† Langdon had to admit, it seemed odd. â€Å"In its most specific interpretation, the pentacle symbolizes Venus – the goddess of female sexual love and beauty.† Fache eyed the naked man, and grunted. â€Å"Early religion was based on the divine order of Nature. The goddess Venus and the planet Venus were one and the same. The goddess had a place in the nighttime sky and was known by many names – Venus, the Eastern Star, Ishtar, Astarte – all of them powerful female concepts with ties to Nature and Mother Earth.† Fache looked more troubled now, as if he somehow preferred the idea of devil worship. Langdon decided not to share the pentacle’s most astonishing property – the graphic origin of its ties to Venus. As a young astronomy student, Langdon had been stunned to learn the planet Venus traced a perfect pentacle across the ecliptic sky every four years. So astonished were the ancients to observe this phenomenon, that Venus and her pentacle became symbols of perfection, beauty, and the cyclic qualities of sexual love. As a tribute to the magic of Venus, the Greeks used her four-year cycle to organize their Olympiads. Nowadays, few people realized that the four-year schedule of modern Olympic Games still followed the cycles of Venus. Even fewer people knew that the five-pointed star had almost become the official Olympic seal but was modified at the last moment – its five points exchanged for five intersecting rings to better reflect the games’ spirit of inclusion and harmony. â€Å"Mr. Langdon,† Fache said abruptly. â€Å"Obviously, the pentacle must also relate to the devil. Your American horror movies make that point clearly.† Langdon frowned. Thank you, Hollywood.The five-pointed star was now a virtual cliche in Satanic serial killer movies, usually scrawled on the wall of some Satanist’s apartment along with other alleged demonic symbology. Langdon was always frustrated when he saw the symbol in this context; the pentacle’s true origins were actually quite godly. â€Å"I assure you,† Langdon said,† despite what you see in the movies, the pentacle’s demonic interpretation is historically inaccurate. The original feminine meaning is correct, but the symbolism of the pentacle has been distorted over the millennia. In this case, through bloodshed.† â€Å"I’m not sure I follow.† Langdon glanced at Fache’s crucifix, uncertain how to phrase his next point. â€Å"The Church, sir. Symbols are very resilient, but the pentacle was altered by the early Roman Catholic Church. As part of the Vatican’s campaign to eradicate pagan religions and convert the masses to Christianity, the Church launched a smear campaign against the pagan gods and goddesses, recasting their divine symbols as evil.† â€Å"Go on.† â€Å"This is very common in times of turmoil,† Langdon continued. â€Å"A newly emerging power will take over the existing symbols and degrade them over time in an attempt to erase their meaning. In the battle between the pagan symbols and Christian symbols, the pagans lost; Poseidon’s trident became the devil’s pitchfork, the wise crone’s pointed hat became the symbol of a witch, and Venus’s pentacle became a sign of the devil.† Langdon paused. â€Å"Unfortunately, the United States military has also perverted the pentacle; it’s now our foremost symbol of war. We paint it on all our fighter jets and hang it on the shoulders of all our generals.† So much for the goddess of love and beauty. â€Å"Interesting.† Fache nodded toward the spread-eagle corpse. â€Å"And the positioning of the body? What do you make of that?† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"The position simply reinforces the reference to the pentacle and sacred feminine.† Fache’s expression clouded. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"Replication. Repeating a symbol is the simplest way to strengthen its meaning. Jacques Sauniere positioned himself in the shape of a five-pointed star.† If one pentacle is good, two is better. Fache’s eyes followed the five points of Sauniere’s arms, legs, and head as he again ran a hand across his slick hair. â€Å"Interesting analysis.† He paused. â€Å"And the nudity?† He grumbled as he spoke the word, sounding repulsed by the sight of an aging male body. â€Å"Why did he remove his clothing?† Damned good question, Langdon thought. He’d been wondering the same thing ever since he first saw the Polaroid. His best guess was that a naked human form was yet another endorsement of Venus – the goddess of human sexuality. Although modern culture had erased much of Venus’s association with the male/female physical union, a sharp etymological eye could still spot a vestige of Venus’s original meaning in the word† venereal.† Langdon decided not to go there. â€Å"Mr. Fache, I obviously can’t tell you why Mr. Sauniere drew that symbol on himself or placed himself in this way, but I can tell you that a man like Jacques Sauniere would consider the pentacle a sign of the female deity. The correlation between this symbol and the sacred feminine is widely known by art historians and symbologists.† â€Å"Fine. And the use of his own blood as ink?† â€Å"Obviously he had nothing else to write with.† Fache was silent a moment. â€Å"Actually, I believe he used blood such that the police would follow certain forensic procedures.† â€Å"I’m sorry?† â€Å"Look at his left hand.† Langdon’s eyes traced the length of the curator’s pale arm to his left hand but saw nothing. Uncertain, he circled the corpse and crouched down, now noting with surprise that the curator was clutching a large, felt-tipped marker. â€Å"Sauniere was holding it when we found him,† Fache said, leaving Langdon and moving several yards to a portable table covered with investigation tools, cables, and assorted electronic gear. â€Å"As I told you,† he said, rummaging around the table,† we have touched nothing. Are you familiar with this kind of pen?† Langdon knelt down farther to see the pen’s label. STYLO DE LUMIERE NOIRE. He glanced up in surprise. The black-light pen or watermark stylus was a specialized felt-tipped marker originally designed by museums, restorers, and forgery police to place invisible marks on items. The stylus wrote in a noncorrosive, alcohol-based fluorescent ink that was visible only under black light. Nowadays, museum maintenance staffs carried these markers on their daily rounds to place invisible† tick marks† on the frames of paintings that needed restoration. As Langdon stood up, Fache walked over to the spotlight and turned it off. The gallery plunged into sudden darkness. Momentarily blinded, Langdon felt a rising uncertainty. Fache’s silhouette appeared, illuminated in bright purple. He approached carrying a portable light source, which shrouded him in a violet haze. â€Å"As you may know,† Fache said, his eyes luminescing in the violet glow,† police use black-light illumination to search crime scenes for blood and other forensic evidence. So you can imagine our surprise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Abruptly, he pointed the light down at the corpse. Langdon looked down and jumped back in shock. His heart pounded as he took in the bizarre sight now glowing before him on the parquet floor. Scrawled in luminescent handwriting, the curator’s final words glowed purple beside his corpse. As Langdon stared at the shimmering text, he felt the fog that had surrounded this entire night growing thicker. Langdon read the message again and looked up at Fache. â€Å"What the hell does this mean!† Fache’s eyes shone white. â€Å"That, monsieur, is precisely the question you are here to answer.† Not far away, inside Sauniere’s office, Lieutenant Collet had returned to the Louvre and was huddled over an audio console set up on the curator’s enormous desk. With the exception of the eerie, robot-like doll of a medieval knight that seemed to be staring at him from the corner of Sauniere’s desk, Collet was comfortable. He adjusted his AKG headphones and checked the input levels on the hard-disk recording system. All systems were go. The microphones were functioning flawlessly, and the audio feed was crystal clear. Le moment de verite, he mused. Smiling, he closed his eyes and settled in to enjoy the rest of the conversation now being taped inside the Grand Gallery. How to cite The Da Vinci Code Chapter 4-6, Essay examples

Automobile Club in Bangladesh

Question: Write an essay on Automobile Club in Bangladesh? Answer: Introduction There is a growing demand among the local residents of Dhaka in Bangladesh to start an automobile club. This following automobile club will serve as a common platform for every car enthusiast of Bangladesh for sharing the ideas and knowledge about varieties of cars. This automobile club shall be opened for specific age group of members. Here people shall also have the opportunity to acquire the basic skills of driving along with handling both domestic and international cars. There are already automobile clubs in different countries and in order to keep pace with them we have decided to start our own automobile club in the country. Basic Requirements In order to begin this particular automobile club, every leading member needs to dedicate and devote sufficient time at the national and local levels. There must be the provision of organizational meeting in this newly established automobile club that shall include minimum five members on periodic and annual basis to discuss various important issues that might affect the interests of this club. It is not essential for the members to possess iconic club vehicle for joining this club. They can become a member on the basis of their personal commitments also (State n.d.). Before the establishment of such automobile club it is essential for the club founders to decide on the types of services and benefits that shall be offered to those who once acquired the membership of the organization. Members must use the resources available in online platforms to keep themselves organized with every legal document before launching such club. Founders of the club must hire or do have the ability to develop and maintain any local website of the club. There are plenty of club websites that are freely available in the public domain. Once establishing the automobile club, the authorities must try to establish rapport with the local dealer for receiving help regarding discounts and sponsorship. Awareness must be generated among the residents of Dhaka regarding the benefits of joining or starting this particular automobile club. Efforts must be generated at the international and national levels to access resources for this club. These may include hiring special car mechanics, driving instructors and so on (Biz Journals 2010). Founding members of the automobile club must attempt to secure the affiliation seals and logos of the relevant administrative bodies to present themselves before the people as the supported club. They can also look for the patronage of any rich people or organization in Bangladesh to create an impact among the people of Dhaka. Once securing the essential recognition, members should frame a specific direction to mark the level of participation, activities and involvement as per the requirements of the association. This specific automobile club must be brought under the coverage of insurance to safeguard its future from all types of problems. For that it is necessary to be in touch with relevant insurance companies to obtain best compensation for future damages. Starting the Club People who are members of different automobile clubs unanimously agree in one matter. They consider such associations to be the meeting place of the people of diverse backgrounds. But while it comes to starting such club the following aspects must taken into consideration. These are summarized in prescribed steps mentioned below: Step 1: Establishing of the goal of the automobile club It is up to the conscience of the founding members of the club to decide whether to focus on any specific car type or car belonging to general interest. Based on that, participants shall decide whether to join this club or not. The goal must be specific when it comes to mentioning about the model, age and make of the cars. It is better to enumerate the goal in written form in the club charter for obtaining better response from the participants. Without setting any fixed goal, candidates may find it suspicious of its motives and refrain from joining it (Nec Classic Motor Show 2015). Step 2: Scheduling of a meeting Search a spot for first meeting to finalize a time and date. Majority of the new members will seek to arrive with cars and so proper accommodation arrangement must be made in advance. It is better to utilize any commercial parking site for accommodating such vast gathering. Without making such proper arrangement the meeting may end up in chaos and pandemonium and to avoid that use the best possible means. Step 3: Club promotion Let the formation of this particular automobile club be known to all. For that it is essential to advertise about such formation in details and encourage people to inform it to their nearby acquaintances. Founding members can place the advertisement in the website or can post in the mail address of the car enthusiasts in Dhaka. It is important to be mentioned in detail regarding the membership charge and other miscellaneous costs as they play a vital role in promoting any clubs. Without mentioning these details in the advertisement, people may think of the possibility of imposing hidden costs. Step 4: Holding meeting for the new members After the formation of this new automobile club of Dhaka, authorities must extend their arms openly to welcome potential and new members. They must elaborate on detail what are the aims and objectives, requirements, restrictions and expectations of the participants from this newly established automobile club of Dhaka. They should also speak about the leadership and management of this automobile club in detail. Step 5: Acquiring accreditation from competent bodies Majority of the automobile clubs shall offer accreditation documents of well known local clubs. So this particular automobile club must also do the same in order to enjoy different types of benefits in the form of patronage and local sponsorships. It can also get help for promoting and publicizing their services and other packages much easily through incurring less expenditure. How it works? Our automobile club in Dhaka mainly comprises of 40-45 vehicles and to offer wide range of selection options we regularly buy or sale such cars just to introduce change in the selection pattern of our members. Some these cars are given to us free of cost as the automakers want to have feedbacks on the driving experience of the car enthusiasts of their vehicles. Though we have established this automobile club in Dhaka but we are also planning to open its branches in other locations like Chittagong, Sylhet, Bogra, Khulna and many more. People seeking to acquire the membership of this club must be within the middle of 30 to 40 years and must be male (Road Side Assistance Services Review, n.d.). This particular automobile club of Bangladesh is also in the race of accommodating participation of various celebrities. The three annual membership levels of the club mainly include platinum, gold and silver of different prices. Every member shall be entitled to access different cars of the club with a point based system of reservation. Members belonging to the level of platinum have the scope of getting many points to get cars delivered at their homes. Points are normally determined on the basis of the popularity of the car, its staying durations with the members and reservation timing. For booking any car, the member must make an immediate call to state when his requirement durations and period of return. In our club, a member shall line up all the cars that usually involve shifting 3 or 4 other vehicles around limited space. He mainly notes the fuel level, mileage as well as checks the damage in any car. Members must return their cars with same gas amount in tanks during the time of booking it. This staff also engages in other activities like putting the switch of the headlights properly, diagnosing various spare parts of the cars and so on. Members shall be handed over the vehicle keys to drive freely. All our cars comprise of good brake system with emergency one and we always conduct a driving test of the member before handling the car. The Social Aspect Our club will not rent its cars to any stranger and on this basis is quite unique from other clubs. Such clubs on the basis of the recommendation of the official members sometimes rent cars to unknown individuals. But we shall not follow the footsteps of those clubs. Our automobile club in Dhaka shall only give cars to its registered members only and that too on the basis of advanced booking. Our club will never act on the basis of the recommendation of any member when it comes to recommending any unknown individual to offer our cars. This has made our automobile club very unique and has infused the spirit of social respect among the registered members. It is to be noted that we never accept money or unauthorized favor from anybody to lend our cars (Better World Club n.d.). Our automobile club organizes different family based events where members along with their families can participate in them to have the fun of the evening. Our lounge bar is accessible 24/7 and is stocked with varieties of liquors bearing the sponsorship logos of Espolon Tequila, Bulldog Gin and Whistlepig. Our automobile club is also stacked with varieties of classic cars which are used for various outdoor events (The Guardian 2015). Our club has also arranged for separate location for rally driving where members have the fun of running cars together in the form of race. These locations are mostly scenic and drivers have the option to periodically halt in order to switch in other cars. The rally is of 8 members where every driver will have the option to drive eight different cars. We thoroughly ensure that all our drivers are thoroughly trained before participating in this rally. Our club has hired expert professionals to teach the newcomers the basics of safe road driving. Till now our member has not got involved with road accident and they do receive wide appreciation from every quarter of Bangladesh due to safe and efficient driving. Services of the Automobile Club Short holiday/weekend break: Members have the option to join our club for enjoying their holidays with their loved ones in our cars. : Members can also reserve our car for the purposes of shopping also. All our cars are perfect to accompany them for long and short distance shopping quite comfortably. Family/social visits: Our club offers cars to the members for making social/family visit also. All our cars are exclusively designed to offer you and your family surplus comfort while making any social visit (Royal Automobile Club n.d.). Educational reasons: For the purpose of attending distant educational institutions we offer cars to our registered members with no hidden charge. Our staff shall ensure that the booked car functions normally and help the member to drop their wards within time. Business travel: Our automobile club in Dhaka provides cars to its members to have a comfortable journey for business purpose. : This specific automobile club also allows members to have its cars for admitting any of their members to hospitals or for treatment to the doctors (All State n.d.). Pillars for developing the Club There are four pillars involved with the formation of this automobile club of Dhaka and these mainly include the following mentioned below: Proper infrastructure: Without securing proper infrastructural arrangements it would have been quite impossible to secure approval for the creation of this club. These mainly include well marked parking spots and quality club vehicles. Securing the support of local community: Without obtaining strong support and response of the residents of Dhaka our task would have been remain incomplete. It is because of them that we are successful in getting appointment with relevant organizations to seek for their approvals. Need for aggressive marketing: This particular automobile club though has attained the response of every people of Dhaka but many people in Bangladesh are unaware of its existence. For that there is the need to rapid advertising to create buzz for it in all corners of the nation (Chaca n.d.). Identification of other essential aspects: The club needs to identify a suitable spot for its journey. Along with that it also need to be made other arrangements like back office formation, hiring local staff and much more. Marketing Promotions The company will resort to the popular modes of promotions and would look forward to reduce the expenses it incurs towards pre-establishment promotions. Some of the marketing pillars that will be used are: Social Media: Extensive use of online promotions and driving traffic or popularity towards the services would be done through generic marketing. It will involve SEO, SMM, and a range of other online digital marketing tools. Print Media: The Company will be coming up with several monthly advertisements in targeted magazines and popular newspapers across Dhaka. In order to make it more popular and expand its potentials to other cities in Bangladesh, the company will be publishing quarterly adverts, editorials, and PR events in popular newspapers across Bangladesh. Popular lifestyle magazines will be yet another area of promotional platform. Word of Mouth: This is something the company will heavily bank upon. The intent is to offer a platform that gets popular due to its quality of service and community. Word of mouth publicity will play a crucial role when it comes to promoting the automotive club. References State, Frequently asked questions for Automobile clubs, viewed on 29th January 2016, https://www.sos.state.tx.us/statdoc/faqs2600.shtml Biz Journals 2010, AAA to set up repair shops throughout mid-Atlantic, viewed on 29th January 2016, https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2010/09/13/story8.html All State, Membership Plans Built With You In Mind., viewed on 29th January 2016, https://www.allstate.com/roadside-assistance/motor-club-membership-plans.aspx Road Side Assistance Services Review, National Motor Club Review, viewed on 29th January 2016, https://roadside-assistance-services-review.toptenreviews.com/national-motor-club-review.html Nec Classic Motor Show 2015, Car Clubs, viewed on 29th January 2016, https://www.necclassicmotorshow.com/show-features/car-clubs Royal Automobile Club, Woodcote Park Facilities Services, viewed on January 2016, https://www.royalautomobileclub.co.uk/Staying-at-the-Club/Woodcote-Park-Facilities--Services Chaca, Welcome to the Classic and Historic Automobile Club of Australia, viewed on 29th January 2016, https://www.chaca.com.au/ The Guardian 2015, End of the car age: how cities are outgrowing the automobile, viewed on 29th January 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/apr/28/end-of-the-car-age-how-cities-outgrew-the-automobile Better World Club, The Nations Only Eco-Friendly Auto Club. Roadside Assistance, Insurance, and Travel, viewed on 29th January 2016,https://www.betterworldclub.com/