The Da Vinci Code Chapter 1-3

CHAPTER 1 Robert Langdon awoke slowly. A telephone was ringing in the darkness – a tinny, unfamiliar ring. He fumbled for the bedside lamp and turned it on. Squinting at his surroundings he saw a plush Renaissance bedroom with Louis XVI furniture, hand-frescoed walls, and a colossal mahogany four-poster bed. Where the hell am I? The jacquard bathrobe hanging on his bedpost bore the monogram: HOTEL RITZ PARIS. Slowly, the fog began to lift. Langdon picked up the receiver. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Monsieur Langdon?† a man's voice said. â€Å"I hope I have not awoken you?† Dazed, Langdon looked at the bedside clock. It was 12:32 A. M. He had been asleep only an hour, but he felt like the dead. â€Å"This is the concierge, monsieur. I apologize for this intrusion, but you have a visitor. He insists it is urgent.† Langdon still felt fuzzy. A visitor? His eyes focused now on a crumpled flyer on his bedside table. THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF PARIS proudly presents AN EVENING WITH ROBERT LANGDON PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS SYMBOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY Langdon groaned. Tonight's lecture – a slide show about pagan symbolism hidden in the stones of Chartres Cathedral – had probably ruffled some conservative feathers in the audience. Most likely, some religious scholar had trailed him home to pick a fight. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Langdon said, â€Å"but I'm very tired and – † â€Å"Mais, monsieur,†the concierge pressed, lowering his voice to an urgent whisper. â€Å"Your guest is an important man.† Langdon had little doubt. His books on religious paintings and cult symbology had made him a reluctant celebrity in the art world, and last year Langdon's visibility had increased a hundred fold after his involvement in a widely publicized incident at the Vatican. Since then, the stream of self- important historians and art buffs arriving at his door had seemed never-ending. â€Å"If you would be so kind,† Langdon said, doing his best to remain polite,† could you take the man's name and number, and tell him I'll try to call him before I leave Paris on Tuesday? Thank you.† He hung up before the concierge could protest. Sitting up now, Langdon frowned at his bedside Guest Relations Handbook, whose cover boasted: SLEEP LIKE A BABY IN THE CITY OF LIGHTS. SLUMBER AT THE PARIS RITZ. He turned and gazed tiredly into the full-length mirror across the room. The man staring back at him was a stranger – tousled and weary. You need a vacation, Robert. The past year had taken a heavy toll on him, but he didn't appreciate seeing proof in the mirror. His usually sharp blue eyes looked hazy and drawn tonight. A dark stubble was shrouding his strong jaw and dimpled chin. Around his temples, the gray highlights were advancing, making their way deeper into his thicket of coarse black hair. Although his female colleagues insisted the gray only accentuated his bookish appeal, Langdon knew better. If Boston Magazine could see me now. Last month, much to Langdon's embarrassment, Boston Magazine had listed him as one of that city's top ten most intriguing people – a dubious honor that made him the brunt of endless ribbing by his Harvard colleagues. Tonight, three thousand miles from home, the accolade had resurfaced to haunt him at the lecture he had given. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the hostess had announced to a full house at the American University of Paris's Pavilion Dauphine,† Our guest tonight needs no introduction. He is the author of numerous books: The Symbology of Secret Sects, The An of the Illuminati, The Lost Language of Ideograms, and when I say he wrote the book on Religious Iconology, I mean that quite literally. Many of you use his textbooks in class.† The students in the crowd nodded enthusiastically. â€Å"I had planned to introduce him tonight by sharing his impressive curriculum vitae. However†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She glanced playfully at Langdon, who was seated onstage. â€Å"An audience member has just handed me a far more, shall we say†¦ intriguing introduction.† She held up a copy of Boston Magazine. Langdon cringed. Where the hell did she get that? The hostess began reading choice excerpts from the inane article, and Langdon felt himself sinking lower and lower in his chair. Thirty seconds later, the crowd was grinning, and the woman showed no signs of letting up. â€Å"And Mr. Langdon's refusal to speak publicly about his unusual role in last year's Vatican conclave certainly wins him points on our intrigue-o-meter.† The hostess goaded the crowd. â€Å"Would you like to hear more?† The crowd applauded. Somebody stop her, Langdon pleaded as she dove into the article again. â€Å"Although Professor Langdon might not be considered hunk-handsome like some of our younger awardees, this forty-something academic has more than his share of scholarly allure. His captivating presence is punctuated by an unusually low, baritone speaking voice, which his female students describe as ‘chocolate for the ears.' The hall erupted in laughter. Langdon forced an awkward smile. He knew what came next – some ridiculous line about† Harrison Ford in Harris tweed† – and because this evening he had figured it was finally safe again to wear his Harris tweed and Burberry turtleneck, he decided to take action. â€Å"Thank you, Monique,† Langdon said, standing prematurely and edging her away from the podium. â€Å"Boston Magazine clearly has a gift for fiction.† He turned to the audience with an embarrassed sigh. â€Å"And if I find which one of you provided that article, I'll have the consulate deport you.† The crowd laughed. â€Å"Well, folks, as you all know, I'm here tonight to talk about the power of symbols †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The ringing of Langdon's hotel phone once again broke the silence. Groaning in disbelief, he picked up. â€Å"Yes?† As expected, it was the concierge. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, again my apologies. I am calling to inform you that your guest is now en route to your room. I thought I should alert you.† Langdon was wide awake now. â€Å"You sent someone to my room?† â€Å"I apologize, monsieur, but a man like this†¦ I cannot presume the authority to stop him.† â€Å"Who exactly is he?† But the concierge was gone. Almost immediately, a heavy fist pounded on Langdon's door. Uncertain, Langdon slid off the bed, feeling his toes sink deep into the savonniere carpet. He donned the hotel bathrobe and moved toward the door. â€Å"Who is it?† â€Å"Mr. Langdon? I need to speak with you.† The man's English was accented – a sharp, authoritative bark. â€Å"My name is Lieutenant Jerome Collet. Direction Centrale Police Judiciaire.† Langdon paused. The Judicial Police? The DCPJ was the rough equivalent of the U. S. FBI. Leaving the security chain in place, Langdon opened the door a few inches. The face staring back at him was thin and washed out. The man was exceptionally lean, dressed in an official-looking blue uniform. â€Å"May I come in?† the agent asked. Langdon hesitated, feeling uncertain as the stranger's sallow eyes studied him. â€Å"What is this all about?† â€Å"My capitaine requires your expertise in a private matter.† â€Å"Now?† Langdon managed. â€Å"It's after midnight.† â€Å"Am I correct that you were scheduled to meet with the curator of the Louvre this evening?† Langdon felt a sudden surge of uneasiness. He and the revered curator Jacques Sauniere had been slated to meet for drinks after Langdon's lecture tonight, but Sauniere had never shown up. â€Å"Yes. How did you know that?† â€Å"We found your name in his daily planner.† â€Å"I trust nothing is wrong?† The agent gave a dire sigh and slid a Polaroid snapshot through the narrow opening in the door. When Langdon saw the photo, his entire body went rigid.† This photo was taken less than an hour ago. Inside the Louvre.† As Langdon stared at the bizarre image, his initial revulsion and shock gave way to a sudden upwelling of anger. â€Å"Who would do this!† â€Å"We had hoped that you might help us answer that very question, considering your knowledge in symbology and your plans to meet with him.† Langdon stared at the picture, his horror now laced with fear. The image was gruesome and profoundly strange, bringing with it an unsettling sense of deja vu. A little over a year ago, Langdon had received a photograph of a corpse and a similar request for help. Twenty-four hours later, he had almost lost his life inside Vatican City. This photo was entirely different, and yet something about the scenario felt disquietingly familiar. The agent checked his watch. â€Å"My capitaine is waiting, sir.† Langdon barely heard him. His eyes were still riveted on the picture. â€Å"This symbol here, and the way his body is so oddly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Positioned?† the agent offered. Langdon nodded, feeling a chill as he looked up. â€Å"I can't imagine who would do this to someone.† The agent looked grim. â€Å"You don't understand, Mr. Langdon. What you see in this photograph†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"Monsieur Sauniere did that to himself.† CHAPTER 2 One mile away, the hulking albino named Silas limped through the front gate of the luxurious brownstone residence on Rue La Bruyere. The spiked cilice belt that he wore around his thigh cut into his flesh, and yet his soul sang with satisfaction of service to the Lord. Pain is good. His red eyes scanned the lobby as he entered the residence. Empty. He climbed the stairs quietly, not wanting to awaken any of his fellow numeraries. His bedroom door was open; locks were forbidden here. He entered, closing the door behind him. The room was spartan – hardwood floors, a pine dresser, a canvas mat in the corner that served as his bed. He was a visitor here this week, and yet for many years he had been blessed with a similar sanctuary in New York City. The Lord has provided me shelter and purpose in my life. Tonight, at last, Silas felt he had begun to repay his debt. Hurrying to the dresser, he found the cell phone hidden in his bottom drawer and placed a call. â€Å"Yes?† a male voice answered. â€Å"Teacher, I have returned.† â€Å"Speak,† the voice commanded, sounding pleased to hear from him. â€Å"All four are gone. The three senechaux†¦and the Grand Master himself.† There was a momentary pause, as if for prayer. â€Å"Then I assume you have the information?† â€Å"All four concurred. Independently.† â€Å"And you believed them?† â€Å"Their agreement was too great for coincidence.† An excited breath. â€Å"Excellent. I had feared the brotherhood's reputation for secrecy might prevail.† â€Å"The prospect of death is strong motivation.† â€Å"So, my pupil, tell me what I must know.† Silas knew the information he had gleaned from his victims would come as a shock. â€Å"Teacher, all four confirmed the existence of the clef de voute†¦the legendary keystone.† He heard a quick intake of breath over the phone and could feel the Teacher's excitement. â€Å"The keystone.Exactly as we suspected.† According to lore, the brotherhood had created a map of stone – a clef de voute†¦or keystone – an engraved tablet that revealed the final resting place of the brotherhood's greatest secret†¦ information so powerful that its protection was the reason for the brotherhood's very existence. â€Å"When we possess the keystone,† the Teacher said,† we will be only one step away.† â€Å"We are closer than you think. The keystone is here in Paris.† â€Å"Paris? Incredible. It is almost too easy.† Silas relayed the earlier events of the evening†¦ how all four of his victims, moments before death, had desperately tried to buy back their godless lives by telling their secret. Each had told Silas the exact same thing – that the keystone was ingeniously hidden at a precise location inside one of Paris's ancient churches – the Eglise de Saint-Sulpice. â€Å"Inside a house of the Lord,† the Teacher exclaimed. â€Å"How they mock us!† â€Å"As they have for centuries.† The Teacher fell silent, as if letting the triumph of this moment settle over him. Finally, he spoke. â€Å"You have done a great service to God. We have waited centuries for this. You must retrieve the stone for me. Immediately. Tonight. You understand the stakes.† Silas knew the stakes were incalculable, and yet what the Teacher was now commanding seemed impossible. â€Å"But the church, it is a fortress. Especially at night. How will I enter?† With the confident tone of a man of enormous influence, the Teacher explained what was to be done. When Silas hung up the phone, his skin tingled with anticipation. One hour, he told himself, grateful that the Teacher had given him time to carry out the necessary penance before entering a house of God. I must purge my soul of today's sins.The sins committed today had been holy in purpose. Acts of war against the enemies of God had been committed for centuries. Forgiveness was assured. Even so, Silas knew, absolution required sacrifice. Pulling his shades, he stripped naked and knelt in the center of his room. Looking down, he examined the spiked cilice belt clamped around his thigh. All true followers of The Way wore this device – a leather strap, studded with sharp metal barbs that cut into the flesh as a perpetual reminder of Christ's suffering. The pain caused by the device also helped counteract the desires of the flesh. Although Silas already had worn his cilice today longer than the requisite two hours, he knew today was no ordinary day. Grasping the buckle, he cinched it one notch tighter, wincing as the barbs dug deeper into his flesh. Exhaling slowly, he savored the cleansing ritual of his pain. Pain is good, Silas whispered, repeating the sacred mantra of Father Josemaria Escriva – the Teacher of all Teachers. Although Escriva had died in 1975, his wisdom lived on, his words still whispered by thousands of faithful servants around the globe as they knelt on the floor and performed the sacred practice known as† corporal mortification.† Silas turned his attention now to a heavy knotted rope coiled neatly on the floor beside him. TheDiscipline. The knots were caked with dried blood. Eager for the purifying effects of his own agony, Silas said a quick prayer. Then, gripping one end of the rope, he closed his eyes and swung it hard over his shoulder, feeling the knots slap against his back. He whipped it over his shoulder again, slashing at his flesh. Again and again, he lashed. Castigo corpus meum. Finally, he felt the blood begin to flow. CHAPTER 3 The crisp April air whipped through the open window of the Citroen ZX as it skimmed south past the Opera House and crossed Place Vend;me. In the passenger seat, Robert Langdon felt the city tear past him as he tried to clear his thoughts. His quick shower and shave had left him looking reasonably presentable but had done little to ease his anxiety. The frightening image of the curator's body remained locked in his mind. Jacques Sauniere is dead. Langdon could not help but feel a deep sense of loss at the curator's death. Despite Sauniere's reputation for being reclusive, his recognition for dedication to the arts made him an easy man to revere. His books on the secret codes hidden in the paintings of Poussin and Teniers were some of Langdon's favorite classroom texts. Tonight's meeting had been one Langdon was very much looking forward to, and he was disappointed when the curator had not shown. Again the image of the curator's body flashed in his mind. Jacques Sauniere did that to himself?Langdon turned and looked out the window, forcing the picture from his mind. Outside, the city was just now winding down – street vendors wheeling carts of candied amandes, waiters carrying bags of garbage to the curb, a pair of late night lovers cuddling to stay warm in a breeze scented with jasmine blossom. The Citroen navigated the chaos with authority, its dissonant two-tone siren parting the traffic like a knife. â€Å"Le capitaine was pleased to discover you were still in Paris tonight,† the agent said, speaking for the first time since they'd left the hotel. â€Å"A fortunate coincidence.† Langdon was feeling anything but fortunate, and coincidence was a concept he did not entirely trust. As someone who had spent his life exploring the hidden interconnectivity of disparate emblems and ideologies, Langdon viewed the world as a web of profoundly intertwined histories and events. The connections may be invisible, he often preached to his symbology classes at Harvard, but they are always there, buried just beneath the surface. â€Å"I assume,† Langdon said,† that the American University of Paris told you where I was staying?† The driver shook his head. â€Å"Interpol.† Interpol, Langdon thought. Of course.He had forgotten that the seemingly innocuous request of all European hotels to see a passport at check-in was more than a quaint formality – it was the law. On any given night, all across Europe, Interpol officials could pinpoint exactly who was sleeping where. Finding Langdon at the Ritz had probably taken all of five seconds. As the Citroen accelerated southward across the city, the illuminated profile of the Eiffel Tower appeared, shooting skyward in the distance to the right. Seeing it, Langdon thought of Vittoria, recalling their playful promise a year ago that every six months they would meet again at a different romantic spot on the globe. The Eiffel Tower, Langdon suspected, would have made their list. Sadly, he last kissed Vittoria in a noisy airport in Rome more than a year ago. â€Å"Did you mount her?† the agent asked, looking over. Langdon glanced up, certain he had misunderstood. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"She is lovely, no?† The agent motioned through the windshield toward the Eiffel Tower. â€Å"Have you mounted her?† Langdon rolled his eyes. â€Å"No, I haven't climbed the tower.† â€Å"She is the symbol of France. I think she is perfect.† Langdon nodded absently. Symbologists often remarked that France – a country renowned for machismo, womanizing, and diminutive insecure leaders like Napoleon and Pepin the Short – could not have chosen a more apt national emblem than a thousand-foot phallus. When they reached the intersection at Rue de Rivoli, the traffic light was red, but the Citroen didn't slow. The agent gunned the sedan across the junction and sped onto a wooded section of Rue Castiglione, which served as the northern entrance to the famed Tuileries Gardens – Paris's own version of Central Park. Most tourists mistranslated Jardins des Tuileries as relating to the thousands of tulips that bloomed here, but Tuileries was actually a literal reference to something far less romantic. This park had once been an enormous, polluted excavation pit from which Parisian contractors mined clay to manufacture the city's famous red roofing tiles – or tuiles. As they entered the deserted park, the agent reached under the dash and turned off the blaring siren. Langdon exhaled, savoring the sudden quiet. Outside the car, the pale wash of halogen headlights skimmed over the crushed gravel parkway, the rugged whir of the tires intoning a hypnotic rhythm. Langdon had always considered the Tuileries to be sacred ground. These were the gardens in which Claude Monet had experimented with form and color, and literally inspired the birth of the Impressionist movement. Tonight, however, this place held a strange aura of foreboding. The Citroen swerved left now, angling west down the park's central boulevard. Curling around a circular pond, the driver cut across a desolate avenue out into a wide quadrangle beyond. Langdon could now see the end of the Tuileries Gardens, marked by a giant stone archway. Arc du Carrousel. Despite the orgiastic rituals once held at the Arc du Carrousel, art aficionados revered this place for another reason entirely. From the esplanade at the end of the Tuileries, four of the finest art museums in the world could be seen†¦ one at each point of the compass. Out the right-hand window, south across the Seine and Quai Voltaire, Langdon could see the dramatically lit facade of the old train station – now the esteemed Musee d'Orsay. Glancing left, he could make out the top of the ultramodern Pompidou Center, which housed the Museum of Modern Art. Behind him to the west, Langdon knew the ancient obelisk of Ramses rose above the trees, marking the Musee du Jeu de Paume. But it was straight ahead, to the east, through the archway, that Langdon could now see the monolithic Renaissance palace that had become the most famous art museum in the world. Musee du Louvre. Langdon felt a familiar tinge of wonder as his eyes made a futile attempt to absorb the entire mass of the edifice. Across a staggeringly expansive plaza, the imposing facade of the Louvre rose like a citadel against the Paris sky. Shaped like an enormous horseshoe, the Louvre was the longest building in Europe, stretching farther than three Eiffel Towers laid end to end. Not even the million square feet of open plaza between the museum wings could challenge the majesty of the facade's breadth. Langdon had once walked the Louvre's entire perimeter, an astonishing three-mile journey. Despite the estimated five days it would take a visitor to properly appreciate the 65, 300 pieces of art in this building, most tourists chose an abbreviated experience Langdon referred to as â€Å"Louvre Lite† – a full sprint through the museum to see the three most famous objects: the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory.Art Buchwald had once boasted he'd seen all three masterpieces in five minutes and fifty-six seconds. The driver pulled out a handheld walkie-talkie and spoke in rapid-fire French. â€Å"Monsieur Langdonest arrive.Deux minutes.† An indecipherable confirmation came crackling back. The agent stowed the device, turning now to Langdon. â€Å"You will meet the capitaine at the main entrance.† The driver ignored the signs prohibiting auto traffic on the plaza, revved the engine, and gunned the Citroen up over the curb. The Louvre's main entrance was visible now, rising boldly in the distance, encircled by seven triangular pools from which spouted illuminated fountains. La Pyramide. The new entrance to the Paris Louvre had become almost as famous as the museum itself. The controversial, neomodern glass pyramid designed by Chinese-born American architect I. M. Peistill evoked scorn from traditionalists who felt it destroyed the dignity of the Renaissance courtyard. Goethe had described architecture as frozen music, and Pei's critics described this pyramid as fingernails on a chalkboard. Progressive admirers, though, hailed Pei's seventy-one-foot-tall transparent pyramid as a dazzling synergy of ancient structure and modern method – a symbolic link between the old and new – helping usher the Louvre into the next millennium. â€Å"Do you like our pyramid?† the agent asked. Langdon frowned. The French, it seemed, loved to ask Americans this. It was a loaded question, of course. Admitting you liked the pyramid made you a tasteless American, and expressing dislike was an insult to the French. â€Å"Mitterrand was a bold man,† Langdon replied, splitting the difference. The late French president who had commissioned the pyramid was said to have suffered from a† Pharaoh complex.† Singlehandedly responsible for filling Paris with Egyptian obelisks, art, and artifacts. Franà §ois Mitterrand had an affinity for Egyptian culture that was so all-consuming that the French still referred to him as the Sphinx. â€Å"What is the captain's name?† Langdon asked, changing topics. â€Å"Bezu Fache,† the driver said, approaching the pyramid's main entrance. â€Å"We call him le Taureau.† Langdon glanced over at him, wondering if every Frenchman had a mysterious animal epithet. â€Å"You call your captain the Bull?† The man arched his eyebrows. â€Å"Your French is better than you admit, Monsieur Langdon.† My French stinks, Langdon thought, but my zodiac iconography is pretty good.Taurus was always the bull. Astrology was a symbolic constant all over the world. The agent pulled the car to a stop and pointed between two fountains to a large door in the side of the pyramid. â€Å"There is the entrance. Good luck, monsieur.† â€Å"You're not coming?† â€Å"My orders are to leave you here. I have other business to attend to.† Langdon heaved a sigh and climbed out. It's your circus. The agent revved his engine and sped off. As Langdon stood alone and watched the departing taillights, he realized he could easily reconsider, exit the courtyard, grab a taxi, and head home to bed. Something told him it was probably a lousy idea. As he moved toward the mist of the fountains, Langdon had the uneasy sense he was crossing an imaginary threshold into another world. The dreamlike quality of the evening was settling around him again. Twenty minutes ago he had been asleep in his hotel room. Now he was standing in front of a transparent pyramid built by the Sphinx, waiting for a policeman they called the Bull. I'm trapped in a Salvador Dali painting, he thought. Langdon strode to the main entrance – an enormous revolving door. The foyer beyond was dimly lit and deserted. Do I knock? Langdon wondered if any of Harvard's revered Egyptologists had ever knocked on the front door of a pyramid and expected an answer. He raised his hand to bang on the glass, but out of the darkness below, a figure appeared, striding up the curving staircase. The man was stocky and dark, almost Neanderthal, dressed in a dark double-breasted suit that strained to cover his wide shoulders. He advanced with unmistakable authority on squat, powerful legs. He was speaking on his cell phone but finished the call as he arrived. He motioned for Langdon to enter. â€Å"I am Bezu Fache,† he announced as Langdon pushed through the revolving door. â€Å"Captain of the Central Directorate Judicial Police.† His tone was fitting – a guttural rumble†¦ like a gathering storm. Langdon held out his hand to shake. â€Å"Robert Langdon.† Fache's enormous palm wrapped around Langdon's with crushing force. â€Å"I saw the photo,† Langdon said. â€Å"Your agent said Jacques Sauniere himself did – â€Å" â€Å"Mr. Langdon,† Fache's ebony eyes locked on. â€Å"What you see in the photo is only the beginning of what Sauniere did.†

Human development Essays

Human development Essays Human development Essay Human development Essay The purpose of this paper is to think of a particular time In my childhood and apply Brotherlinesss five systems to that particular time. Erie Brotherlinesss ecological theory in child development suggest that five levels of the environment simultaneously influences us as children. Frontbencher believes that we cannot fully understand the phenomenon of continuity and bio-psychological characteristics of a child without considering how we are influence by each level of our environment. The 5 levels he mentions are, Microsystems, Microsystems, Ecosystem, Microsystems and Chronometers (Feldman 2011). I grew up on the island of Montmartre which is a British territory, where the environment helped shape who I am today, I moved to the united states when I was 13 years old, where I realized that life there was much different than what I was accustom to, for I no longer had the support from the community and family members I had grown so accustomed to. This is why I found Brotherlinesss biological approach so interesting because it reminded me Just how much I had lost and how much I had achieved. The particular time period In my childhood that I would like to discuss in this essay is when I was about 10 years old. I chose this time period due to the fact that this was a time when life changed for my family and me in more ways than one, in some ways positive but in many ways negative. The most serious Impact on my life occurred at the age of 10 years old, which I will be discussing in detail further on in this essay. According to my reading the Microsystems is defined as the everyday immediate environment in which we lead our lives. (Feldman 2011). In my case the immediate environment at that time were my friends, teachers, brothers, and the community, they were part of the long-term Immediate environment In which I placed my trust, other temporary Microsystems that came and went are athletic clubs, boy scouts, and church, through those Microsystems I got a chance to build relationships, built various skills, and I also learned how to socialize through personal experience. At about age 10 1 developed a love for track and field and went on to win numerous medals In school which Is a personal success story of mine. In this period in time I could remember my family was close, but at the same time, having regular arguments and fights, I thought thing of It at the time, for I would Join the arguments to defend my mother in particular. I didnt have a father In my life so my mother was the one that took care of me, not having a father in the picture was not a good experience for me, I think this is why I was so close with my mother. My brothers I could remember were always there willing to teach what they knew, there were times when I wanted to be like my older brothers. I was younger than they were but we would socialize Like we were friends we, had a good relationship, through my brothers I learned how to act in school, all of those social interactions were crucial to my development. My family had the same problems like every other family but I felt protected surrounded by them. My mother and grandfather were always arguing, I would try to defend my mother of course. At age 10 1 could remember going to school, I was already tough because of what I learned from my brothers, I got in all sorts of fights with the other students but 1 OFF around. The teachers in the school were strict, they were allowed to use corporal punishment, so I would often get punished for not doing homework, fighting, and arioso other reasons. My peers at the time from what I could remember were tough. My community I would describe as been close, the community demanded respect, I could not pass someone without saying good day or good morning or I would be punished. The Microsystems refers to all the settings in which a child personally interacts and is influenced, so in my case my Microsystems are family, athletic clubs, and children in the community. All of those personal social interactions are what influenced me at the time, and which, makes up one of the 4 system of Brotherlinesss which is the Microsystems. According to the reading the Microsystems provides connections between various aspects of the Microsystems, the Microsystems binds children to parents, students to teacher and friends to friends (Feldman 2011). When two Microsystems come together, they form a Microsystems, most time a unique and positive experience is created, but other times you have confusion and stress on the child. My mother had minimal interactions with my peers but when my peers would come to my house she would interact with them, she had different rules in the house so there were often confusion, for example no eating n the living room, and no swearing in the house, this was due to the fact that two Microsystems came together creating a rift between acceptable behavior. She was very involved in my school affairs, she knew most of the teachers personally so she interacted with them on a regular basis, I would go as far as to say she was friends with a lot of the teachers at the school, all of the teachers were from the community, I couldnt hide exam results, or if I failed to do my homework the teachers knew her personally so they would call her. By bringing teacher and my parent together a ecosystem was created, the interaction between my parent and teacher showed me that they were interested in how well I was doing in school and was united in making sure I did my best. My mother was particularly strict and persistent when it came to me doing my homework, she would stay up all night if she had to, to help me with my homework and if I didnt do my homework and she found out I would be punished. I was involved in athletics throughout my school life and the community would be there to cheer on the children, so they were very engaged in our sports activities, because the community was small everyone knew each other personally from searchers, members of the community and friends, we all had a type of bond linking us together, if one person died we would all feel it. I would say that the Microsystems had a positive influence on me because it provide me the social support and consistency in practically every activity I took part in at that time. If I am correct my ethnic heritage is afro-Caribbean, am affiliated with the Christian church. At 10 years old I was not too familiar with what was going on in the rest of the world, there were murmurs of war overseas, but I was only 10 it didnt register to me or mean anything to me at the time. At that time I was influence by the Christian religion and the church, for my mother was adamant about us going to church every Sunday. According to the reading the macro system represents the larger cultural influences on an individual for example society, types of government, religious and political value system and other broad, encompassing factors are part of the macro system religious beliefs, or political views which are part of the macro system. According to my reading the Ecosystem represent broader influence, encompassing social institution such as local governments, the community, schools, places of worship and he local media (Feldman, 2011). My mother was the secretary of the secondary school on the island, I do not think I took any vacation at that age, my mother was a single parent and was never married, and there was no father in the picture. I could remember when my mother my went away for a long time and I had to stay with friends and relatives, I had to live under a set of different rules I felt that the love that I had from family around me no longer existed, things changed for that time period I didnt have my peers, or teachers around, this created confusion and I became assistant. I would say the single historical event that effected my development at that time was the volcanic eruption that destroyed my island. When the volcano erupted everything changed, my school life was over, a lot of the influential people left the island, and my school was transformed into a shelter, so I was forced to leave for the United States. According to my reading the chronometers involves the way the passage of time historical events affect ones development (Feldman 2014). Due to the eruption I had to live under different rules, go to a new in school, find new friends ND live in the new household, I became a different person due to that event.

How to Self-Publish an eBook

How to Self-Publish an eBook When you decide to publish your book, you have several options for what medium and what distribution channels to use. While many authors think only of the traditional paper bound books, eBooks are becoming more and more popular by the day. With new apps for phones, iPads, tablets, and other reading devices which have become everyday items for almost every age group, choosing the eBook path is a smart option.eBooks are less expensive and faster to market, and they are more accessible to readers. Plus, you, as the author, are able to control much more of the process than you would with a traditional paperback or hardback print.Why choose eBooks?Lets first discuss why going the eBook route is a very good idea for people who are self-publishing. Typically, with hardback and paperback prints, an author can expect to get from 4% to 10% of the list price for each book sold. If youre publishing your own book, however, youll have to make up the upfront costs before you can really count anythi ng as a profit.With eBooks, the upfront costs are minimal and you receive up to 50% of the list price for each book sold. This is a pretty compelling reason to self-publish an eBook! On top of the much bigger commission, the time it takes to get your book to the masses is much shorter. Printing books on paper can take from six weeks to four months to get your book from your desk to a retailer for sale. With an eBook, the time to market is only a fraction of that time.eBooks are the books of the future. While those of us who love the tactile sensation of turning physical pages as we become engrossed in a story are sad to see the decline in paperbacks and hardbacks, eBooks are here to stay and will take us into the future.This can be a good thing, though, when you publish your eBook. If your book can go or be anywhere within mere moments, then your reader base can jump in size exponentially. So really, eBooks are basically your only choice to reach as many people as possible.Choose yo ur platform: How to format your eBookWe all like choices. We want to feel like we are in control of our life and our destiny. So, when it comes to choosing a format for your eBook, why does it seem like such a chore? Well, I say it doesnt have to be. With the low cost of entry for eBooks, you can choose more than one option. Here is a quick list of popular eBook formats.ePub This is the basic technical standard for eBooks. It was developed by the International Digital Publishing Forum. eBooks in this format can be read by almost any eBook reader, from the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes Nobles Nook to Apples iBooks app and Google Books app. Since it is a standard in the industry, this format has become the most widespread eBook format. There are many free online tools that will convert your .doc (Word) files into the ePub format.iBook Apple created their own eBook format called iBook. This is based on the ePub standard and has restrictions on where you can sell. These eBooks can only be sold on Apple devices.PDF This format is structured around the standard Portable Document Format that was created by Adobe. Many programs have PDF creation capabilities built in, so creating documents in this format is probably the easiest.Amazon Kindle This format is called KDP, or Kindle Direct Publishing. This format has some HTML and CSS3 built into it, which can help your eBook to look good on Kindle devices.First decide what platform you want to sell your book on, and then choose a format that will fit that platform and the devices that you think people will use to read your book. You could even create a website that is your book. Building an HTML5 website is much easier today than it used to be now that there are websites designed to help you to create your own site with minimal or no programming experience.Preparing your manuscriptOne aspect of getting ready to self-publish that many authors either ignore or dont think they have the resources for is editing. Having a pro fessional editor go through your manuscript to eliminate inconsistencies, typos, formatting issues, and more is an essential part of your eBooks success. It is well-known that its nearly impossible to fully edit your own writing, so having a neutral party examine your writing is a must. If you dont have the resources to hire a professional editor, then there are some other options to help you to still get some of the benefits from this step.Get a friend to read the eBook. If you have a friend who reads a lot or has experience with your genre, ask her to help you out by reading the book. Take her notes and implement the changes you feel improve your book.After taking a short break from the material, take your text away from where you normally write and read through it again. This will help give some separation between you and the text, which helps errors to pop out at you more clearly.Read the text in a different format than you normally would. For example, you could print the pages out on paper and read them, using a pen or a pencil to make notes on things you catch. You could also change the font size to something much larger than you have been using, which will cause misspellings and typos to more easily jump out from the page.Hire an editor to go through just the first couple of chapters. Take what they find in those chapters and use that knowledge to look for specific things. For example, they might find that a certain word is misspelled often or maybe you used two different names for the same character. Having a specific idea of what to look for will help you to self-edit the rest of the book.Read the manuscript from the ending to the beginning. By taking sentences out of context or order or by looking at each word on its own, your brain will disengage from its normal process of filling in the blanks. Instead of skipping over words that may be misspelled, those errors will become apparent to you.Using imagesIf your book has a lot of pictures or drawings, then you will want to first make sure that you have the right permissions to use those images. If they are your own photographs or drawings, then copyright isnt something you need to worry about. If you have downloaded the images from a stock photo website, then youll want to make sure you have the correct license.If you are creating a comic book or a graphic novel, then a tool like Amazons Kindle Comic Creator might be a good option for you. This tool was designed specifically for formatting books with comic images.With childrens books, you also need to use a tool that can help you to properly format the images with the text so that it comes across clearly on electronic book readers. Amazon also has a tool specifically for childrens books that is called the Kindle Kids Book Creator.Designing a coverWe all know the old saying Dont judge a book by its cover. But in this modern day of digital print and marketing, the cover makes a huge difference in whether or not someone clicks on yo ur book to buy it. Just like with advertisements, the book cover must stand out on many screen sizes.Regardless of what genre your book is in, your readers and potential readers should know almost immediately what your book is about. Here are some of the main tips to create an effective eBook cover design.If you can afford it, hire a graphic designer, such as one from ServiceScape.com, or use a design competition site to have designers give you their ideas for a cover based on your story synopsis. Telling someone else about your story and having them show you what images that brings into their mind will help you to identify what the cover should show. Is it a true representation of the main character? Should the focus be on the setting of the story? Or are there symbols and ideas that are the main concepts of your book?Consider your font carefully. While some of the flowy, curvy fonts are fun to look at, people browsing on Amazon arent going to be able to read it. Even though the ti tle of your book will be there, viewers eyes are drawn to the picture first. Make it stand out!Once you have a design, test it out in a size similar to what you see on Amazon or other eBook stores, such as Barnes Noble and iBook, to make sure it can stand out in the list of books. If the image isnt clearly communicating the topic of your book when its in a small size, then book browsers are likely to pass right over it.All of the above are wrapped into one main concept: keep it simple. You dont want to have an image with a hundred different things going on. You want something that very clearly and instantly shows the main point of your book.Gather your informationWhen you feel ready to submit your manuscript to an eBook publisher, be sure that you have all the necessary information with you.Book Title This needs to be exactly as it is on the cover.Sub-titles You dont have to have a sub-title, but this can be a good place to include keywords that will be searchable.Description This will be just like the synopsis you would normally see on the back cover of a paperback. Be sure it includes the main topic of the story, maybe one or two main characters, and a twist or a catch that grabs the readers attention.Contributors This is usually the place where you would put your name as the author, and any additional co-authors, translators, editors, etc.Keywords If there is an option to enter keywords, you will definitely want to take advantage of this option. These will act just like keywords for a website- this is how people can easily find your book.One final note before you publish is to carefully consider the price of your book. Make sure its in a good range for the genre and platform, and be sure that you feel it is a price you feel comfortable with. Dont sell yourself short, but dont alienate readers by setting the price too high. Do some research on what is out there already, and you will have the right information to set your own perfect price.

How the Goddess Athena Helped Hercules

How the Goddess Athena Helped Hercules Youve likely heard a number of references to the goddess Athena and her beauty, but her role as a protector of Hercules hasnt received as much attention. This Greek goddess of wisdom (born fully grown and armed, from the head of her father, Zeus) was also a warrior goddess. Strong and virginal, she repeatedly helped Hercules, the Greek mythological hero. The semi-divine  Hercules, the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, earned a name for himself by defeating fantastic beasts and making repeated trips to the Underworld. However, he also went mad, largely due to the wicked ways of his stepmother, Hera, whod tried to kill him since he  was a baby. Fearful that Hera would succeed at killing Hercules, Zeus sent Hercules to Earth and allowed a mortal family to raise him. Although his new family loved him, Hercules divine strength prevented him from fitting in with mortals, so Zeus eventually revealed his origins to him. To achieve immortality, like his father and other gods, Hercules performed the 12 labors for his cousin King Eurystheus, who, like Hera, hated Hercules. But Eurystheus and Hera hoped Hercules would die in the process. Fortunately, Athena, Hercules half-sister, came to his aid. The 12 Labors of Hercules Which Herculean tasks did Eurystheus and Hera want the demigod to complete? The entire list of 12 labors is below: The Nemean LionThe Lernaean HydraThe Wild Boar of ErymanthusThe Stag of ArtemisThe Augean StablesThe Stymphalian BirdsThe Cretan BullThe Girdle of HippolytaThe Cattle of GeryonThe Mares of King DiomedesThe Golden Apples of the HesperidesCerberus and Hades How Athena Helped Hercules During  the 12 Labors Athena helped Hercules during labors 6, 11, and 12.  To scare off the enormous flock of birds at a lake by the town of Stymphalos during Labor No. 6, Athena gave Hercules noisemaking clappers, known as  krotala. During Labor No. 11, Athena may have helped Hercules to  hold up the world when the titan Atlas went to fetch the apples of the Hesperides for him. While Atlas was off getting the apples, Hercules agreed to lift up the world, a task that the titan normally performed. After Hercules brought the apples to his taskmaster Eurystheus to complete this labor, they had to be returned, so Athena took them back. Finally, Athena may have escorted Hercules and Cerberus out of the Underworld during Labor No. 12.  Specifically, she helped  Hercules in his madness, preventing him  from killing more people than he already had. After tragically killing  his own  children when madness overtook him, Hercules was about to kill Amphitryon, but  Athena knocked him out. This stopped him from murdering his mortal father. So while Athena has been heralded for her beauty, her efforts with Hercules reveal how much of a warrior she was.

Module Title- Online Journalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Module Title- Online Journalism - Essay Example 1996; Al Jazeera Sports, a popular Arabic-language sports channel launched in 2003; Al Jazeera Mobasher, also known as Al Jazeera Live, a live politics and public interest channel which broadcasts conferences in real time without editing or commentary, launched in 2005; Al Jazeera Childrens Channel, also known as JCC, a childrens interest channel launched in 2005; Al Jazeera English, a global English-language 24-hour news channel launched in 2006; and Al Jazeera Documentary Channel, an Arabic language documentary channel launched in 2007 (Wiki-Al Jazeera, 2008). Al Jazeera English is the 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel of the Al Jazeera media group. It is the first global English language news channel that is headquartered in the Middle East, which the group believes is a unique position that will shape its destiny of becoming the English-language channel of reference for Middle Eastern events. With reference to Al Jazeera Arabic, its mother company and the historically significant broadcast of Osama bin Laden’s statements after September 11, 2001, Al Jazeera English aims to give voice to untold stories, promote debate, and challenge established perceptions. (Corp Profile, 2008). The internet website of Al Jazeera English is located at http://english.aljazeera.net/. This paper critically reviews the Al Jazeera English website in terms of content, design, functionality and navigation, as well as proposes technical and journalistic improvements to the site and its contents. Like most news websites, Al Jazeera English presents its headline news on its front page. But being an Islam-oriented site, the headline news consists of Islamic country/people-related news items. Also on the front page are quick links to world news; sports; programmes; focus features, analysis and comments; Al Jazeera English TV schedule; and featured videos. The front page also contains quick links to jobs with Al Jazeera, emails related to published articles, a

Descriptive writing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Descriptive writing - Assignment Example I won’t pack up the porch furniture today, because I want to hold on to this late remnant of the warm days just a little longer. The squirrel is sitting there by the pond, grooming herself. She turns and bounces towards for her store of hazelnuts. Every year I try to beat her to it, but every year she strips the tree before I even realize it is time to gather the harvest. She moves like a sine-wave, swift and light on her feet, chattering as she goes. Every hour of daylight means another layer of provisions in the dark earth. Soon she will sleep. I wonder if the squirrel dreams of summer in her hibernation haven? A solitary bee settles on the hedge before me. Just one. When I was a child there were lots of bees, and the hedge reverberated with their buzzing. Now there is only one and he drops lazily onto a tired-looking rose blossom. He lumbers on, somewhat clumsy, and carrying too much weight, in search of the last remaining blooms. Making the most of the time, he is, like me, grateful for the sun’s cheerful company. It is very still in the garden now. Where have all the bees gone? The rhythmic crash of the farmer’s mowing machine in the distance reminds me that the bees, too, have to adjust to modern lifestyle changes. Solitary bees, like self-employed couriers in the city, must learn to occupy their time alone, zooming from place to place, picking up and dropping off, guided by the logic of supply and demand. A cloud creeps over a quarter of the sky. The landscape before me now is cast in two shades: full color and muted shadows. Perhaps I should fetch my jacket. A pink petal drops from the fading rose. Fingers of cloud reach out for the sun, and now half of the sky is gray. The back door creaks behind me, as a light wind rises in the West. Now the sun has gone and the temperature has dropped. My old summer chairs need a coat of paint, and the table has a shaky leg. I make a mental note to have a look at

Summarize the reasons for the failure of Lehman Brothers Essay

Summarize the reasons for the failure of Lehman Brothers - Essay Example hat the problems of the Lehman Brothers were well published over the media which gave time to the derivatives market to prepare for the worst (The Economist, 2008). The statement was pretty correct as the credit-default swaps market had not been broken but buckled up (The Economist, 2008). The bank was unable to assess the risk of the borrower or trading partner which resulted in defaults paralyzing the cash flows of the bank. According to The Economist, a senior bank executive quotes this mistake of deregulated leasing â€Å"the mistake of a lifetime† (The Economist, 2008). The Lehman Brothers was caught up amidst US$ 613 billion of debt of which US$ 160 billion was held by international investors as unsecured bonds. The European pension funds and the individuals in Asian markets had believed in the high rating of the Lehman Brothers and put their investments in this unsecured bonds. The price of this unsecured bonds collapsed quickly destroying the share price of the company to half overnight. The shareholders had already witnessed downfall of the prices of shares in the past few months. These losses caused a spiral in the money market. International investors pulled off US$ 400 billion from the money market funds which was supposed to be a safer investment. This action was taken when a fund suffered losses which were loaded on Lehman’s debts (The Economist, 2008). Dick Fuld was the CEO of the Lehman Brothers at the time of the collapse of the bank. The Lehman Brothers has been the 4th largest investment bank in the US since 1994. Mr. Fuld has been partly blamed for the collapse of the bank and the losses made by the investors. The CEO enforced many policies and precautions to avoid any financial storm, but still the bank revealed US$ 2.8 billion losses in the next quarter. On the 15th of September, 2008, the share price of the bank went down 94% as compared to the previous year. The redundancy of 24,000 employees caused a great human cost. All these factors