Sherlock Holmes vs the Da Vinci Code

Sherlock Holmes vs the Da Vinci Code Free Online Research Papers Since his inception in 1887 (Detective Fiction), Sherlock Holmes could arguably be considered the archetype that influenced all subsequent fictional detectives. Today, his influence is apparent in many works of detective literature, television, and criminal investigation. The premise of shows such as CSI and House, all have methods either used by or were inspired by Sherlock Holmes (Berg 446-452). Novels, such as the Harry Potter series and The Bourne Conspiracy series, to a certain degree, contain detective characteristics comparable to Holmes. However, one novel/series provides an abundance of evidence that would suggest Sherlock Holmes had an influence in the formation of its central character. I will discuss the similarities and differences represented in the novel, The Da Vinci Code and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories within the book Sherlock Holmes: The Major Stories with Contemporary Critical Essays. The Da Vinci Code is a mystery-detective fiction novel in which its main character, Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), is attempting to uncover a conspiracy against the Catholic Church – which was prompted by the death of a French curator. The similarities and differences between Robert Langdon and Holmes are evident throughout the novel [that] one can conclude that Holmes was a major, if not the sole influence of Robert Langdon. The most singular similarity between Robert Langdon and Sherlock Holmes is their superb deductive reasoning skills. In many of Doyle’s stories, he allows the readers (through the eyes of Dr. Watson) to witness Holmes’ ability to make inferences which ultimately lead to his conclusion. Conan Doyle made a habit of portraying Holmes’ ability when he is first introduced to either a potential client or Watson. One of many examples of this occurring can be found in A Study in Scarlett when Holmes and Watson are introduced to one another for the very first time. Having just come back from Afghanistan, Watson was â€Å"astonished† when Holmes was able to â€Å"perceive Watson was in Afghanistan.† Until Holmes later explained to Watson how he derived at the conclusion, Watson presumably was under the pretext that he (Holmes) was informed by someone (Doyle 29). This ability, these â€Å"train of thoughts,† as Holmes stated is not much different f rom Robert Langdon’s method of deduction. Langdon, throughout the novel, is constantly deriving a conclusion from either prior knowledge or his ability to link missing pieces of the puzzle together. This is evident when Langdon arrives at the crime scene and sees that the body of Jacques Sauniere has been â€Å"positioned† to mimic Da Vinci’s â€Å"The Vitruvian Man.† Similar to the way Holmes was able to derive that Watson recently came from Afghanistan by using â€Å"steps† (Doyle 29), Langdon uses â€Å"steps† in a more physical sense. He takes the following into consideration: One – Sauiere’s naked body, Two – the drawing of the Pentacle on his abdomen, Three – Sauniere positioning himself, and Four – the large circle that inscribed the body. With the revelation of the circle, which was kept from him till later, Langdon instantly comprehends that Sauniere wanted to create a life-size replica of â€Å"The Vitruvian Man† (Brown 44-45). Another similarity between Holmes and Langdon, on a broader scale, is their intelligence. To specify, aside from their extensive knowledge regarding their respective fields, both Holmes and Langdon have authored text on the subjects of â€Å"secret writings,† (Doyle 265) â€Å"Symbology of Secret Sects and â€Å"The Lost Language of Ideograms† (Brown 8). In the â€Å"Adventures of the Dancing Men,† Holmes is introduced to a set of markings, which at first glance â€Å"appeared to be a childish prank† (Doyle 251). Robert Langdon having been introduced to the crime scene and the puzzle, which he will later realize is an anagram, appears to be stumped. Although Sophie, the granddaughter of murdered curator and Langdon’s counterpart, has made a breakthrough with the first line of the puzzle – Fibonacci sequence, Langdon is unable to establish a direct correlation between Fibonacci and the remaining two lines of the anagram (Brown 43-48). A t this point, in both stories, the two detectives can only establish one absolute fact – the markings and the Fibonacci sequence play a vital role. Holmes is certain the markings has a â€Å"meaning† and is not gibberish, solely based off Mr. Cubitt stating his wife, Elsie, is â€Å"frightened to death at the sight of the markings† (Doyle 251-253). Likewise with Langdon, he discovers the importance of the Fibonacci sequence and its relationship with the remaining lines and â€Å"excitedly† states to a confused Sophie, â€Å"Fibonacci numbers only have meaning in their proper order. Otherwise they’re mathematical gibberish† (Brown 97). He further explains to Sophie that the Fibonacci sequence indicates how to decipher the remaining lines of the anagram (Brown 98). Contradicting what was said in the previous paragraph, in The Dancing Men, Fowler find â€Å"Holmes’ deciphering method contains contradictions.† He continues to state that â€Å"these contradictions are seemingly accurate but uncertain and puzzling† (Fowler 353). Although Holmes ultimately solves the puzzle, it is a moot point because two people were shot, one of which passed away. In comparing Holmes and Langdon, purely as detectives, one is likely going to choose Holmes. In many ways Holmes is the better detective, however based on story of The Dancing Men, Langdon is more skilled in the art of puzzles. A similarity that stems from their intelligence and in this particular case, their mastery of symbols/anagrams, is they are both considered to be â€Å"consultants†. Holmes, in A Study in Scarlet, states to Watson that â€Å"he is the only one in the world. I’m a consulting detective† (Doyle 29). Whereas â€Å"consulting detective† is Holmes’s profession, it is much different for Langdon. Langdon, by title, is a professor at Harvard University teaching Religious Symbology (Brown 7). The similarities lie within the context of A Study in Scarlet where Holmes further explains to Watson the description of his trade: â€Å"When they (government detectives) are at fault, they come to me and I manage to put them on the right scent. They lay all the evidence before me, and I am generally able, by the help of my knowledge of the history of crime, to set them straight.† This brief description to Watson encapsulates Langdon’s role in The Da Vinci Code, albeit he isn’t a detective by profession. The readers are made aware from the very first page that he, Robert Langdon, is in Paris to give a lecture – not solve a mystery. It only takes till the end of the chapter (merely 3-4 pages) for these â€Å"government officials† to request or in Langdon’s case â€Å"require his expertise in a private manner† (Brown 10). Similar to Holmes, not all of Langdon’s consulting advice in the novel is for the benefit of these â€Å"government officials.† For example, once Langdon is informed by Sophie Neveu that the French Judicial Police consider him to their prime suspect; his focus is to help or consult Sophie (Brown 64-67). One central difference between these Holmes and Langdon is their trust of women. Unlike Holmes, who has a Victorian distrust of women (Belsey 381-388); Langdon rather embraces his female counterpart – Sophie. On multiple occasions throughout the novel, it’s Sophie that is helping Langdon and at one point is saving him from the police (Brown130-131). Not just pertaining to the two detectives, but the â€Å"empowerment of women† is much more apparent in The Da Vinci Code. On his website, Dan Brown gives a statement regarding the â€Å"empowerment of women† in his novel: Two thousand years ago, we lived in a world of Gods and Goddesses. Today, we live in a world solely of Gods. Women in most cultures have been stripped of their spiritual power. The novel touches on questions of how and why this shift occurred†¦and on what lessons we might learn from it regarding our future. Although the quote is pertaining to â€Å"Spiritual Women,† it still nonetheless puts women on a figurative pedestal; one that would not be well received during Sherlock Holmes’ time. Earlier in the paragraph I stated that Sophie had saved Langdon multiple times. To expand on the notion of â€Å"women empowerment,† Langdon not only gets saved by Sophie, but frequently requires her assistances when solving a puzzle (Brown 197,300). In the examples cited for the prior sentence, Sophia is able to figure out the puzzle that these highly intelligent men (Langdon and Teabing) could not. But in my opinion, I feel that the strongest indicator of â€Å"women empowerment† is portrayed when Sophia and Langdon are at the Swiss Bank. The previous examples all pertained to the men, Langdon and Teabing, simply not knowing the answer to the puzzle to which Sophia did. However, when Sophia and Langdon are at the bank, Langdon presumed he had solved the mystery of the 10-digit account number. Though she did not realize the numbers were in the wrong order, Dan Brown emphasizes that it was â€Å"Langdon who typed in the first set of numbers.† Going further, Langdon believing the â€Å"correct† numbers are inputted, tells Sophia to press the ‘ENTER’ button. Sophia, acting more like a detective than her counterpart, realizes that she cannot rely on â€Å"coincidence that the same 10-digit number randomly rearranged form the Fibonacci sequence† (Brown 188). When comparing this to Sherlock Holmes, you can see on many different levels how the two contrast. First and foremost, Sherlock Holmes doesn’t have a female counterpart, he has Watson. Secondly, based on the readings we’ve done thus far, Watson has not been able to figure out a puzzle before Holmes (Fowler 354). The third and final point also happens to be the greatest contrast – there is not even a slight chance that someone of Holmesâ €™ caliber would be corrected by the likes of Watson (Fowler 354). Referring back to Holmes in The Red-Headed League and Six Napoleons, he is able to carefully observe the â€Å"knees of his (Mr. Wilson’s assistant) trousers† and â€Å"Mr. Lestrade’s peculiar way of smoking his cigar† (Adventure of Six Napoleon). Although Holmes makes parallel observations throughout all his cases, it is important to note the second example in particular. Not only did Sherlock Holmes have an effect on detective literature, he also played a â€Å"vital role in the modern crime detection.† In his article, Sherlock Holmes: Father of Scientific Crime Detection, Stanton O. Berg cites criminologist Ashton-Wolfe stating â€Å"Sherlock Holmes made a hobby out of studying the tobacco ash and realizing its importance, the police adopted this new idea† (Berg 446). O’Berg’s article continues to state that the â€Å"gun-powder markings or lack thereof on Lady Elsie’s face in The Dancing Men, provide valuable in formation because the first documented literature on powder markings was written five years after the introduction of Holmes† (Berg 452). The reference to the gun-powder markings is rather important because it further examples Holmes and Langdon’s detective skills. In â€Å"The Dancing Men,† apart from recognizing there was a third bullet, Holmes remarks that the â€Å"sense the smell plays a vital role in solving the case† (Doyle 261-262). Confident in his skills (and the testimonies of the servants), Holmes is able to deduct that at the â€Å"time of the firing, the window and door of the room had been open† and arrives at two conclusions: a third shooter was present at the time of firing and knows the identity of the shooter (Doyle 262–263). The sense of smells is extremely important in the case of Robert Langdon as well. Although the discovery is not as elaborate and in depth as Holmes, it is an integral component of a much larger p uzzle – without it, the case is unable to continue. Langdon, after learning Sophie has discovered a cruciform key left by her grandfather, is bewildered by the purpose of the key. With the key in hand, he begins to examine the key thoroughly – â€Å"bringing the key close to his eye.† The close proximity of the key to his nose enables him to faintly detect rubbing alcohol (Brown 153). Along with their detective skills, extensive knowledge of their respective fields of study, and how they are â€Å"consultants,† Holmes and Langdon have but another similarity. Whereas the previous similarities ties into the eventual conclusion of the mystery, this similarity pertains to their roles in their respective story. In their critical essay â€Å"The Speckled Band†: The Construction of Woman in a Popular Text of Empire, Hennessey and Mohan describe Holmes’s role in The Speckled Band as the protector or woman, specifically Helen Stoner. In the story, Holmes is sought by Helen Stoner – a soon-to-be wife who fears for her life with the recent death of her sister, Julia (Doyle 152-174). The main premise of Hennessey and Mohan’s essay cannot directly translate to The Da Vinci Code (2003) because simply put, times have changed. Although the premise may not follow, Holmes’s role as the â€Å"protector† can be depicted in The Da Vinci Code. Stated previously, Holmes is protecting Helen Stoner from her step-father Dr. Grimsby Roylott, who is the complete opposite of what Holmes represents (Doyle 389-390). The only similarity between Holmes and Roylott is they are relatively equal in strength (Doyle 162). In The Da Vinci Code, Robert Langdon plays the role of protector to Sophie Neveu. Since Sophie, unknowingly, happens to be the â€Å"secret† in which they are trying to uncover, Langdon’s role as protector is prominent. However unlike Holmes’s (hero) subtle comparison to Roylott (villain), Langdon’s archenemy proves to be a worthy opponent, Sir Leigh Teabing. Where brute strength happened to be the only similarity between Holmes and Roylott, but that is hardly the case with Langdon and Teabing (suffered from polio as a child). Their strengths herein lie within what they study. In other words, both are exceptionally intelligent (Brown 220-222). It can almost be fair to cal l Langdon and Teabing perfect enemies. In their explanation of the Holy Grail, Mary Magdalene, Da Vinci’s The Last Supper, and Jesus (Brown 223-262), Langdon and Teabing portrays equal knowledge upon the subject at hand often referring back to one another and even finishing each other’s sentence. So, with Langdon and Teabing being relative equals, it should come to no surprise that ultimately, it’s Teabing, Langdon needs to protect Sophie from (Brown 406). Sherlock Holmes could arguably be considered the archetype that influenced all subsequent fictional detectives. I have discussed similarities and differences from Robert Langdon, a detective fictional character that I have been inspired by Sherlock Holmes. WORK CITED Adventure of the Six Napoleons. 2009. 12 May 2009. Berg, Stanton O., â€Å"Sherlock Holmes: Father of Scientific Crime Detection.† The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, Police Science, Vol. 61, No. 3 (Sept., 1970). PP. 446-452 Brown, Dan. The Da Vinci Code. New York: Doubleday, 2003. Detective Fiction. 2009. 8 May 2009. Doyle, Arthur Conan. Sherlock Holmes: The Major Stories with Contemporary Critical Essays. A Study in Scarlet. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1994. P. 17-32 Doyle, Arthur Conan. Sherlock Holmes: The Major Stories with Contemporary Critical Essays. Ed. Alastair Fowler. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1994. P. 353-367 Doyle, Arthur Conan. Sherlock Holmes: The Major Stories with Contemporary Critical Essays. Ed. Catherine Belsey. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1994. P. 381-388 Doyle, Arthur Conan. Sherlock Holmes: The Major Stories with Contemporary Critical Essays. Ed. Rosemary Hennessey and Rajeswari Mohan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1994. P. 389-401 The Da Vinci Code website. 12 May 2009. Doyle, Arthur Conan. Sherlock Holmes: The Major Stories with Contemporary Critical Essays. The Dancing Men. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1994. 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Concern of the Health Care System Essays

Concern of the Health Care System Essays Concern of the Health Care System Paper Concern of the Health Care System Paper Government Funded Health Care is an idea that has been around the United States for some time. The question as to whether or not the United States should adopt this idea as other countries have chosen to do has still yet to be decided. What is Government Funded Health Care? Why should the United States have a National Health Care Plan? Why do people that live in the United States have to make sure to have health insurance when it could be automatic upon United States citizenship? Other countries have succeeded in providing this type of service, why should the United States be any different? These are numerous questions that will be answered through the rest of this research. As citizens of the United States of America the government’s responsibility is to take care of the people of which can be done by a Government Funded Health Care Plan. What is Government Funded Health Care or National Insurance? Government Funded Health Care is a health insurance plan provided by the government at a Federal or State level that would give health insurance coverage to all people no matter how old, what race, or what gender; provided they are a United States Citizen. This is an idea that may be appealing to some, and not so appealing to others, however it should be in effect. The United States should have a National Health Insurance Plan for one specific reason. Having such a plan would prevent those that do not have enough money to provide health insurance for themselves from not getting the care that they need and deserve. Numerous individuals within the United States have to do without proper health care because of either lack of money or not having a job that provides health insurance for them. As a man stated in Neil Rolde’s book, Your Money or Your Health, â€Å"In Canada, yes, we have to pay more for gas to put in our cars, but we don’t mind because we know that’s going to health care and to the security we have of knowing we won’t get wiped out if we happen to have an illness. † Why do people that live in the United States have to make sure to have health insurance when it could be automatic upon United States citizenship? The answer to this question is very simple; a person only has three choices. Either a person can choose to have a job that has health insurance provided, spend money out of pocket for health insurance (i. e. Sole-Proprietors), or do with out health insurance coverage. Most likely the first option would appeal to everyone that lives, works, and becomes ill from time to time, but National Health Care would be the better alternative. If an employer did not have to worry about spending money to provide health care insurance for the employees, then this would could lead to more wage increases, better wage increases, and an increase in bonuses and commissions. It is true; other countries have succeeded in providing this type of health coverage to their citizens. Two perfect examples of these countries are Canada, and Japan. Canada has succeeded in providing health care to the citizens that live within the country in a two-fold manner. As found on Health Canada, the federal government is responsible for: â€Å"setting and administering national principles or standards for the health care system (for example, through the Canada Health Act),† â€Å"assisting in the financing of provincial health care services through fiscal transfers,† â€Å"delivering direct health services to specific groups including veterans, native Canadians living on reserves, military personnel, inmates of federal penitentiaries and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,† and â€Å"fulfilling other health-related functions such as health protection, disease prevention, and health promotion. † The provincial and territorial governments are responsible for: â€Å"managing and delivering health services,† â€Å"planning, financing, and evaluating the provision of hospital care, physician and allied health care services,† and â€Å"managing some aspects of prescription care and public health. † Japan is another country that has succeeded in providing their citizens with a Government Funded National Health Care Plan. A web page titled Tips on National Health Insurance points out several key points with regards to Japan’s National Health Insurance Plan. Japan has two types of medical insurance. Worker’s Health Insurance and National Health Insurance. This web article states that â€Å"Anyone not enrolled in the Worker’s Health Insurance Plan is required to enroll in the National Health Insurance Plan. † It also states the following: â€Å"The personal expenses for medical fees is 30%. † â€Å"The head of the household is the person responsible for paying insurance premiums based on the number of people in the family enrolled in National Health Insurance and the yearly income of the family. † â€Å"When a member of the National Health Insurance Plan dies, the person in charge of the funeral arrangements will be paid a fixed funeral allowance. † These are just a few examples of how Japan’s Health Insurance Plan is set up.

Information security management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Information security management - Essay Example Taking a step back, there is value in situating a risk assessment process for Accounting Company in the context of a cycle for managing risks. The chart below situates this particular exercise for Accounting Company in terms of a cycle that includes the (1) assessment of risks and determination of needs; (2) the implementation of controls and policies; (3) the promotion of awareness; and (4) monitoring and evaluation; all occurring within the context of a central point of focus (United States General Accounting Office 6): Meanwhile, a compilation of risk assessment approaches for information security that is taken from best practices of many different top organizations in the US has distilled the most important elements of an effective security risk assessment as follows: (1) the identification of threats that could significantly impair crucial assets and operations; (2) estimation of the likelihood of the occurrence of such identified threats; (3) the identification and prioritization of assets and operations in order to determine the most crucial assets and operations to protect in cases of the occurrence of the identified threats; 4) the estimation of probable losses in the event of the occurrence of the threats, to included losses from the costs of recovery, for the most important assets and operations (5) the identification of interventions for risk mitigation, where the emphasis is on the cost-effectiveness of such interventions; and (6) the documentation of the results and the development of a plan of action (General Accounting Office 6). To be sure, while the above outlines a generic information security risk assessment approach that is the common denominator for all kinds of effective, best practice, approaches, the literature actually details many different kinds. Including a matrix approach (Goel and Chen), and many other different best practice

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 64

No topic - Essay Example Situations would get him down but never got him out because his philosophy of having the power to prepare as inspired by his dreams would keep him in his course. He walks the audience through the reality of life that presents challenges that later translates into life opportunities. Even mere mention of your name would send chills down the challenges. He draws more inspiration from his every day’s responsibilities, and his experiences have shown him what it takes to achieve. Success doesn’t come overnight but is dependent on the attitude that has to be positive all the time. The demands of life call for an iron heart that has to deal with blows and knock-downs without sparing the spirit of quitting. Many people fall but are a matter of what how they deal with the blow when on the ground. They have to crawl until they can walk again. They finally jump and possibly fly. Getting back on one’s feet is one thing but what they do when they get up is what that

Crooks Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Crooks Of Mice and Men Essay George Milton -â€Å"I been mean, ain’t I?†   George is a good friend to Lennie. He protects him and does what is necessary to keep him out of trouble. -â€Å"If I was alone I could live so easy†   Lennie is a burden to George -â€Å"I want you to stay with me, Lennie† –George   conveys Georges loneliness Lennie Small -â€Å"paws†   animalistic quality; bear -â€Å"all you can ever remember is them rabbits† –George. Lennie represents idealism and optimism in the American dream. â€Å"rabbits† symbol of freedom and peace of mind. -â€Å"he’s jus’ like a kid† –Slim   describes him perfectly -â€Å"why do you got to get killed?† –Lennie no understanding of actions or consequences. â€Å"its mean here† –Lennie too innocent to cope with harsh environment -hallucination of Aunt Clare: main moral figure in his life. Tells him between right and wrong and about consequence. Crooks/Racism -â€Å"crooks†   nickname due to injury. Name given to him by other ranchers dominance, possession (slavery) -â€Å"California Civil Code for 1905† had aspirations once of being successful. Educated individual. ( had â€Å"books†) 1905 tho! 25 years out of dates   shows futility of his situation. -â€Å"crooks was a proud, aloof man† Steinbeck does not aim to victimize/generalize Crooks. He’s 3 dimensional; knows his worth. BUT has no power to change his fate. -location of Crooks in ranch (barn) symbolizes his distance the other men. Explicitly: segregation, metaphorically: emotional distance/loneliness -â€Å"they’ll tie ya up with a collar, like a dog†-Crooks. When Crooks finally finds someone weaker than him, he feels he must destroy them. Relates to his own oppression. Suffering leads to cruelty. -â€Å"difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger† shows his desperation for contact. He has become hardened by h is pain but lets his guard down at times. -â€Å"drew into himself†   crooks forces to accept his oppression. Powerless in his fate. Curley’s Wife/Women -â€Å"that glove’s fulla Vaseline† –Candy ( Curley’s mark of dominance over his wife; she’s an object to him, a trophy. AND clear warning to other men) -â€Å"Curley’s wife† no name. dehumanization. -â€Å"fingernails were red†   symbol of danger, sexuality, blood, passion. Stoplight! She will be cause of danger later in novel. -â€Å"rolled clusters, like sausages† childlike, naà ¯ve little girl. Contrasts with red. -â€Å"heavily made up†   suggest she’s hiding the true here. Underneath surface there is hidden personality: loneliness, desperate, need, kindness. Puts on front of sexuality and flirtatiousness. ALSO conveys men on the ranch only care about sex from women. -â€Å"what a tramp† –George ïÆ'   hypocritical view towards women. Has sex with prostitutes but calls her a tart da fuq +!! Objectification. Ironic cuz what she really wants is human contact not sex. The men don’t even consider that she could have more complexity other than wanted a man physically. -ranch is a patriarchal environment. -â€Å"I get lonely† –Curley’s wife (mask taken off, complexity revealed) Candy -Him and his disability aid in themes of minority, oppression, and loneliness. -â€Å"the swamper warmed to his gossip† ïÆ'   he needs a distraction from his own, unsatisfying life. Friendship â€Å"stayed behind the other†   symbolizes how they always protect each other â€Å"we got somebody to talk to† importance of friendship, especially at times of hardship. Human contact takes away loneliness Loneliness/Isolation â€Å"a guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody† –Crooks â€Å"suppose you ain’t got nobody† –Crooks almost ironic; Crooks doesn’t realize that everyone is alone in this environment. His pain consumes and blinds him, he isn’t the only one who’s feeling it. The American Dream -â€Å"you give me a good whore house every time† although they want to achieve their dream, they waste their money on prostitutes and booze. Cycle of pain and desperation, a temporary void of loneliness and boredom that has to be filled. -â€Å"every damn on of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head† –Crooks Crook’s knows reality of American Dream. Faced this for long long time due to racism. -â€Å"they left all the weak ones here† –Curley’s wife   themes of novella come full circle. Oppression of minorities.

The History of American Home Products :: American Home Products Corporation Essays

The History of American Home Products   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American Home Products Corporation (AHP) was founded in 1926 and has a history of continuous acquisitions of smaller companies that made proprietary medicines. In 1931, AHP purchased John Wyeth & Brother, Inc. from Harvard University. Another important acquisition was that of Canada’s Ayerst Laboratories in 1943. Ayerst was a large pharmaceutical company that had introduced Premarin, the world’s first conjugated estrogen product, and now the most widely prescribed product in the United States (ahp.com). In March of 1982, Sherwood Medical was acquired, enabling AHP to capture a share of the developing medical devices market. In 1984, Whitehall, an original member of AHP, started to market ibuprofen in the United States that was sold under the trademark Advil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lawyer John Stafford became CEO in 1986 and soon after he supervised the acquisition of Bristol-Meyer’s animal health division and assimilated the new business into Fort Dodge, now Fort Dodge Animal Health. In 1989, AHP bought A.H. Robins along with its popular consumer products, including Chap Stick, Dimetapp, and Robitussin. AHP and American Cyanamid merged in 1994 in a deal valued at $9.6 billion. AHP introduced many new products in 1996, including Redux and Pondimin (Phen-Phen), two weight-reduction drugs. These drugs were later pulled from the market because of links to serious health problems and lawsuits soon followed. When 1998 mega-merger plans with SmithKline Beecham and Monsanto collapsed, AHP settled for the acquisition of New Jersey based Solgar Vitamin and Herb Company for $425 million. It’s clear to see that AHP’s history is comprised of acquisitions in the desire to be the ultimate leader of the pharmaceutical industry. Marketing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American Home Products has a suprisingly vast array of products. From women’s health care products to agricultural goods to animal health care products, AHP covers a variety of pharmaceutical needs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wyeth-Ayerst’s research, products, and educational initiatives benefit millions of women. Premarin, the most widely prescribed medication in the United States, is a post-menopausal product that gained AHP notoriety when it was introduced in 1996. Wyeth-Ayerst also introduced Alesse in 1997, a low-dose oral contraceptive formulation that has become very popular in the birth control field.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wyeth-Ayerst also focused its research on cardiovascular therapies and mental health products. Its cardiovascular research concentrates on medication for diseases such as arrhythmia and hypertension. Their anti-arrhythmia franchise leads the U.S. market, reflecting Wyeth-Ayerst’s and AHP’s recognition of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia (Tardiff 114).

Are the Royal Family a Luxury we can no Longer Afford?

Cheers rise from the jubilant crowd as the crowning moment we’ve all been waiting for finally arrives. Thousands fill the Mall, craning their necks as Queen Elizabeth II steps out onto her balcony, offering a smile to her adoring subjects. Clad in her bedazzled hat, she surveys the scene: a vast sea of British flags, frantic in their support of sixty years on the throne, waving in time to a raucous rendition of God Save the Queen. It probably never entered anyone’s heads that the funding was taken from their taxes as they donned absurd red, white and blue creations in the name of patriotism.No one asked how much it was costing. Or who was paying for the whole shebang! I wasn’t bothered at the time either, nor the school kids and workers, happy for a day off and an excuse to watch telly. Those who went to see it in person couldn’t even see the Queen properly, unless they were pressed against the gates of Buckingham Palace. If they could, they weren’t able to see each Swarovski crystal they had paid for on her outfit. Whilst she was living it up, waving to her subjects, I reckon she was trying to push one nagging thought to the back of her mind.That by letting the country take the day off, good old Liz had set us back ?1. 2 billion. I’m sure a recession is when a country has no money to spend, which explains the job losses and major cuts being made. So where is this money coming from? As it turns out, the taxpayers have already paid for staging the Jubilee concert, the crowd control and the enormous television screens so everyone could watch the event unfold from the Mall. They never asked if we wanted to fritter our taxes on such a frivolous event, as opposed to something that would benefit us, like, perhaps, digging us out of recession.The day may have boosted public spirit, but spirit won’t pay the bills, especially in these times of supposed austerity. The argument from those in charge was that the tourism gene rated would boost the economy. They sold the rights to the coverage to over one hundred and forty countries around the world, hoping it would cover much of the cost, if not make a profit, which would go to the Diamond Jubilee Trust. The Trust is designed to benefit countries in the Commonwealth, and ‘deliver iconic projects †¦ that are a fitting and enduring tribute to Her Majesty the Queen’, according to their website.These include investments in areas such as sport for youths, helping the disabled, and protecting our country’s heritage. Whether or not the money was raised seems to be an undisclosed matter, perhaps a stark indication that the profit they originally anticipated wasn’t reached. The fact that the Diamond Jubilee is being celebrated worldwide perhaps shows what a prominent figure the Queen is the whole world over. Maybe that has gone to her head, as it is no doubt her British loyalists paying for the commuting and security for her.Why sh ould we cough up so she can swan off to Timbuktu or the like? Perhaps she’s caught onto the fact that her position isn’t quite what it used to be when the monarchy could order a criminal to be beheaded as easily as calling their maid for a cup of tea. Perhaps she’s upset now that she has so few powers, besides handing out awards to heroes and celebrities. She even had a role in the James Bond sketch for the Olympics to boost her appeal.It’s sad to see what antics the old dear has been reduced to just to gain public appreciation, but then again, maybe it’s time she paid attention and realised that her position doesn’t have the same status it used to. When you tot up all dear Queenie’s accounts though, it turns out she’s only got a meagre ?310 million for herself, which must be a hideous hardship for the 86 year old. How she copes with only being 262nd on the Sunday Times Rich List I’ll never know. If you can’t be t he richest person in your own country then what’s the point?All the tireless hours she devotes to us, the hard work she puts in and she’s still not number one. Seems unfair, but wouldn’t you work as hard if the reward was a private jet to ferry you around the world, and a team of security to protect you. I would be more than happy to put in more effort if I was presented with such lavishness in return. But I think that, despite her obvious money troubles (?310 million of them! ), it’s good she pays council tax. Paying her way in her own country is an honourable thing to do. She doesn’t have to, but the point is, she chooses to.I’m sure she’d be willing to pay the full amount too, if the special rate arranged for her wasn’t so appealing. ?1,375 for a palace, what a bargain! That’s the same amount my parents pay for their three-bedroom house in Scotland. Something doesn’t quite add up. Central London location, more bedrooms than I care to count, and still paying less than most people in Britain. Probably less than some people hit hardest by poverty. But they don’t mind, at least she pays it, right? Figures from the Queen’s accounts show that we each paid 52p towards the upkeep of the Royal Family last year.The money is from taxes, which I am sure are supposed to go towards running vital public services that will benefit us. Do the Queen and family fit that bill? I suppose they provide a service of sorts: going out of their way to support charities and appear at important events, showing the nation what wonderful leadership we have. That’s around ?35 million per year we pay to keep Her Maj though, which could pay for any number of things, from a better justice system to better medical research to help save the lives of her people.Surely she can see (with or without her glasses) that our taxes could be put to better use. Although, it’ll soon be more than 52p weâ€℠¢re spending, with the wonderful announcement of Kate and Wills expecting their first child. Someone else to splash out on. Two private consultants at the prestigious King Edward VII hospital examined Kate after being admitted with ‘hyperemesis gravidarum’ or acute morning sickness. It must have been very acute to warrant two consultants, each on a salary of around ?125,000 a year.Surely, as professionals, it would have only taken one to confirm she was pregnant and it was causing her ill-health. All that attention and she’s not even blood-related to the Royals; she’s only married to the second-in-line. Perhaps it’s because this child, be it a boy or a girl, will one day be ruling our country. Then again, if their spending keeps spiralling, there won’t be much of a country to run. Maybe we can no longer afford the Royal family. Rather like Gran’s best china, they’re only brought out on special occasions to add some glamour.The r est of the time they sit on a very grand shelf gathering dust until they are needed again. Then they must be polished at great expense by us to make sure they are looking magnificent for their sporadic appearances. Are the costs of storage and upkeep worth maintaining a traditionally nostalgic Britain on the rare instance that they are required to appear at an event? Cutting the budget for the Monarchy may need to be something that is considered soon, or else the Royals will find themselves out of the luxury they are so accustomed to.

Identity and Belonging – Change Can Be Easy or Hard – Reference to Summer of the Seventeenth Doll

Throughout your life the process of ageing is constantly influencing your identity. As William Shakespeare wrote â€Å"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts,†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Our identity is forever changing and this is because we are forever ageing. Throughout out the three main stages of ageing – youth, middle age, elderly- we don’t just age physically, we age physiologically as well. Hence as we age we mature, become wiser and more aware of the world around us. As of this our views change from each stage of life, thus inflicting our identity to change. Although some people find this transition from one stage of life to the next to be difficult and dread upon its occurrences whereas others enjoy ageing and just take it as it comes. As a baby we have our identity created for us, they say â€Å"give me the boy at seven and I will give you the man† implying that until the age of seven a child is dependent on their very first social unit, that is family. It is the multiplicity and complexity of family that gives children real life experiences into human relationships and what teaches them morals and values which will always be a part of their identity, although as you age, and mature you become less dependent on your family and are able to venture out into the world. This usually happens around the age of adolescence. This is a time when adolescences have the world at their feet and they are â€Å"servants to their own dreams†. Many people enjoy this part of growing up as their bodies are at the peak, meaning they are able to push them to do whatever they want. They are less susceptible to illnesses and less likely to damage themselves; when they do the body’s ability to repair at that age is remarkable. Not only are they at the physically peak of their lives, they are usually at the social peak. Their social networks at this age are usually highly complex and turning 18 opens the doors to a once prohibited world full of new adventures and experiences, such as going clubbing, driving and being classed as an adult. However many adolescence’ find it hard to transition to adulthood as they no longer have the burdens of high school pressures and friends. This also creates problems for people who only have social networks that they have from school meaning when school is over they need to adapt to a new environment and become independent. This can be emotional and daunting for many youth. Middle age is a crisis for many people both men and women. It is a time when they have left the excitement and potential of their youth, instead they reflect back on where they have come from and often look with dread towards their older years, in Ray Lawyers Summer Of The Seventeenth Doll this period of time effects many characters negatively as they cannot accept they are aging and thus see change as a daunting factor. Roo, the ganger of a team of cane cutters, realises he is ageing when his back gives way and he is forced to step down as top dog. Since he was young he had been a cane cutter, that was his identity but because of his ageing body, his identity will change as he can no longer be a cane cutter, this not only affects Roo but also Olive. Olive has been in the group since it started seventeen summers ago and is reflecting on her life so far, remembering the times when Roo and Barney would come down South to see her and Nancy during the layoff. However since Nancy has left the group to go get married, Olive realises that she is turning 40 soon and is still clinging to her glory days. In order to keep her â€Å"youth† she has decorated the lounge room with the keepsake dolls to testify her persistence on keeping the group together and displaying her symbols of youth. With Olives obsession of keeping the group together revels a woman who cannot accept that she is getting older and who can adjust to the new era in her identity. For olive, the change of getting older is not physically but more physiological as she sees this change as losing her youth. Although middle age is not always negative for everyone. Although Nancy is the catalyst for the group’s breakdown, she realises that she can no longer act like a youth, as she did with Olive and the group and as such has accepted the fact that she is getting older, hence why she abandoned her friends to settle down and get married to start the next chapter in her life. Although many people believe it’s the best years of life as it is the only â€Å"time you really live as the young are slaves to dreams; the old are servants of regrets. Only the middle aged have all their 5 senses in the keeping of their wits. † The last period of life that has been categorised as â€Å"old age† and is now considered to be after 65. Some people choose to accept old age as a positive as they have lived their lives and are now in retirement. Many elderly people see being able to retire as being able to act like they are young again as they have completed the majority of lives responsibilities, such as rearing children and working for a living, this gives many the opportunity to travel and do what they desire but at a cost. Having lived for such a long time has taken a physical toll on the body, it is weaker and more frail then that of a youthful person, hence why some older people see old age as a negative. They feel as though they are stuck inside an â€Å"old carcass† and believe that â€Å"nature is cruel; tis jest to make old age look like a fool; (because) the body crumbles, grace and vigour depart† No matter what age you are there will always be a positive and a negative but regardless of this, age will always influence your identity as it changes your thoughts as you become wiser and more knowledgeable about the world around you. Throughout each age group you will have new realisations about the environment you live in and this will cause a physiological or physiological a change which influences your identity.

Chinese History - Emperor Kang essays

Chinese History - Emperor Kang essays Emperor Kang-hsi ruled China from 1661 to 1722 and his reign is captured by Jonathan D. Spences book Emperor of China. The different chapters of the book deal with certain aspects of the Emperors life. Aspects that the history books to normally deal with. The information in Spences book is based on Emperor Kang-hsis correspondence, his own writings. This writing maybe biased towards himself, but no other piece of information could provide insight into his mind. The book is divided into six parts; In motion, Ruling, Thinking, Growing Old, Sons, Valedictory. The book follows Emperor Kang-hsis life as Emperor in chronological order. In the first part, "In Motion," the main emphasis was on Emperor Kang-hsi travels though his kingdom. He wrote a letter to Ku Wen-hsing stating that he had traveled 1000s of miles in each direction. He had traveled to the provinces of Shansi and Shensi in the west, to the provinces of Manchuria and Ula in the east, north across the Gobi to the Kerulean River and south to the Yangtze River. On his travels, Emperor Kang-hsi, liked to collect and compare different plats, animals, birds that he came across. He loved to hunt with bows and guns during his travels. Emperor Kang-hsi hunting practices were not just meant for joy and exercise, it was also an exercise in military preparedness. He took thousands of his troops on many of his trips to train them in shooting, camp life, and The second part of the book emphasis on the historiographically part of the emperors rule. The authors' facts were based on the thousands of imperial documents that came from the emperor. The author was able to piece together the kind to government that existed. The central bureaucracy of emperor Kang-hsis China was composed of a metropolitan division and a provincia ...

Great Pyramid at Giza

Great Pyramid at Giza The Great Pyramid of Giza, located about ten miles  southwest of Cairo, was built as a burial site for Egyptian pharaoh Khufu in the 26th century BCE. Standing at 481 feet high, the Great Pyramid  was not only  the largest pyramid ever built, it remained one of the tallest structures in the  world until the late 19th century.  Impressing visitors with  its massiveness and beauty, its no  surprise that the Great Pyramid at Giza was considered one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Amazingly,  the Great Pyramid  has withstood the test of time, standing for  over 4,500 years; it  is the only Ancient Wonder to have survived to the  present. Who Was Khufu? Khufu (known in Greek as Cheops)  was the second king of the 4th dynasty in ancient Egypt, ruling for about 23 years in the late 26th century BCE. He was the son of Egyptian Pharaoh Sneferu and Queen Hetepheres I. Sneferu  remains famous for being the very  first pharaoh to build a pyramid. Despite fame for building the second and largest pyramid in Egyptian history, theres not a lot more that we know about Khufu.  Only one,  extremely tiny (three inch), ivory statue has been found of him, giving us  just a glimpse at what he must have looked like.  We know that two of his children (Djedefra and Khafre)  became pharaohs after him and it is believed that he had at least three wives. Whether or not  Khufu was a kind or evil ruler is still debated. For centuries, many believed that he must have been hated because of stories that he used slaves to create the Great Pyramid. This has since been found untrue. It is more likely that the Egyptians, who viewed their pharaohs as god-men, found him not as beneficent as his father, but still a traditional, ancient-Egyptian ruler.   The Great Pyramid The Great Pyramid is a masterpiece of  engineering and workmanship. The accuracy and precision of the Great Pyramid astounds even modern builders. It stands on a rocky plateau located on  the west bank of the Nile River in northern Egypt. At the time of construction, there was nothing else there. Only later did this area become built up with two additional pyramids, the Sphinx, and other mastabas. The Great Pyramid is huge, covering a little over 13 acres of ground. Each side, although not exactly the same length, is about 756-feet long.  Each corner is nearly an exact 90 degree angle. Also Interesting is that each side is aligned to face one of the cardinal points of the compass north,  east, south, and west. Its entrance lies in the middle of the north side. The structure of the Great Pyramid is made from 2.3 million, extremely large, heavy, cut-stone blocks, weighing an average of 2 1/2 tons each, with the largest weighing 15 tons. It is said that when Napoleon Bonaparte visited the Great Pyramid in 1798, he calculated that there was enough stone to build a one-foot-wide, 12-feet-high wall around France.   On top of the stone was placed a smooth layer of white limestone. At the very top was placed a capstone, some say made of electrum (a mixture of gold and silver). The limestone surface and the capstone would have made the entire pyramid sparkle in sunlight. Inside the Great Pyramid are three burial chambers. The first lies underground, The second, often mistakenly called the Queens Chamber, is located just above ground. The third and final chamber, the Kings Chamber,  lies in the heart of the pyramid. A Grand Gallery leads up to it. It is believed that Khufu was buried in a heavy, granite coffin within the Kings Chamber. How Did They Build It? It seems amazing that an ancient culture could build something so massive and precise, especially since they had only copper and bronze tools to worth with. Exactly how they did this has been an unsolved  puzzle perplexing people for centuries.   It is said that the whole project took 30 years to complete 10 years  for preparation and 20 for the actual building. Many believe this to be possible, with the chance that it could have been built even  faster. The workmen who built the Great Pyramid were not slaves, as once thought, but regular Egyptian peasants who were conscripted to help with building for about three months out of the year i.e. during the time when the Nile floods and farmers were not needed in their fields. The stone was quarried on the east side of the Nile, cut into shape, and then placed on a sledge that was pulled by men to the rivers edge. Here, the huge stones were loaded onto barges, ferried across the river, and then dragged to the construction site. It is believed that the most likely way the Egyptians got those heavy stones up  so high was by building a huge, earthen  ramp. As each level was completed, the ramp was built higher, hiding the level below it. When all the huge stones were in place, the workmen worked from top to bottom to place the limestone covering. As they worked downward, the earthen ramp was removed little by little. Only once the limestone covering was completed could the ramp be fully removed and the Great Pyramid be revealed. Looting and Damage No one is sure how long the Great Pyramid stood intact before being looted, but it was probably not long. Centuries ago, all of the pharaohs riches had been taken, even his body had been removed. All that remains is the bottom of his granite coffin even the top is missing. The capstone is also long gone. Thinking there was still treasure inside,  Arab ruler Caliph Mamum ordered his men to hack their way into the Great Pyramid in 818 CE. They did manage to find the Grand Gallery and the granite coffin, but it had all been emptied of treasure long ago. Upset at so much hard work with no reward, the Arabs pried off the limestone covering and took some of the cut-stone blocks to use for buildings. In total, they took about 30-feet off the top of the Great Pyramid. What remains is an empty pyramid, still grand in size but not as pretty since just a very small portion of its once beautiful limestone casing remains along the bottom. What About Those Other Two Pyramids? The Great Pyramid at Giza now sits with two other pyramids. The second one was built by Khafre, Khufus son. Although Khafres pyramid appears larger than his fathers, its an illusion since the ground is higher under Khafres pyramid. In reality, it is 33.5-feet shorter. Khafre is believed to have also built the Great Sphinx, which sits regally by his pyramid. The third pyramid at Giza is much shorter, standing only 228-feet high. It was built as a burial place for Menkaura, Khufus grandson and Khafres son. The help protect these three pyramids at Giza from further vandalism and disrepair, they  were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

Is a justified war ethical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Is a justified war ethical - Essay Example historians and theologians depict them as holy wars fought to oust Muslim domination and regain control of Christian Holy Lands, while others portray the wars as a series of ruthless and intentional attacks by religious extremists (Guibert). The stance of the Church is that the Crusades were ethically justified. They heavily base their arguments on the ‘Just War Theory’ that was proclaimed by two of the Church’s most celebrated theologians – St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. The former was a renowned Catholic Bishop and theologian who lived in the 5th Century, author of many books of which ‘City of God’ and ‘Confessions’ are the most famous. He is looked upon as the creator of the Just War Theory. His effect on Christian theology is so immense that his influence persisted from the time of the middle ages up to the current period (Crusade-Encyclopedia). St. Thomas Aquinas was a renowned Catholic priest, philosopher and theologian who lived in the 13th Century. He totally agreed with his 5th Century counterpart’s Just War Theory principles, adding that religious and philosophical truths do not oppose each other, but in fact each one complements the other, as they are nothing but two different sides of the same truth. St. Aquinas went on to add that perception power and thought were required to comprehend the many facets and workings of the Universe (Bbc.co.uk). St. Augustine’s Just War Theory states that in case of defending oneself solely and personally in matters related to life or material possessions, one does not have the right to take the life of another human being. This train of thought follows the abstract idea of Christian charity which proclaims that if struck on the cheek, one should not retaliate likewise but instead exercise restraint and meekly ‘turn the other cheek’ to receive additional punishment. However, when it involved the good and safety of others the above principle ceases to hold relevance and one faces the moral

Human Trafficking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Trafficking - Essay Example Human trafficking involves the exploitation bit in the sense that people are forced into prostitution, forced labor and receipt of services for no money whatsoever, slavery and even removal of different organs from the body. Children are also being used under the trafficking regimes since they form as the most vulnerable of human beings to attract and thus abduct them from their homes, schools and other areas of attachment. These children are used for begging purposes, in the form of recruitment of child soldiers, as child camel jockeys and as religious recruits for cult purposes. These indeed are the targets of the human trafficking processes and regimes. One must understand that human trafficking is somewhat different from people smuggling. What the difference is indeed is of the fact that in people smuggling, the individuals voluntarily ask the authorities to be sent across ports, in order to make their ends meet. Whilst human trafficking is a wholly different phenomenon since the human being under question does not even know where he is being transported and what will be done to him next. This is a complete case of abduction without letting any of the immediate family members know as to what is going to happen to the individual and what lies ahead for him in the future. In people smuggling, the smuggled person is set free when he reaches the new destination or port while in human trafficking, this seldom is the case. In most of the instances, the individual in human trafficking is enslaved and even the most basic of human rights is not granted upon this individual, let alone other aspects. Human trafficking is indeed full of rubbish stories and false promises which are made with individuals who will eventually be transported across lands, with the parents who do not know what future holds for their young ones, etc. For the individuals who are subjected