CAPM’s Contribution to the Stock Market

The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is a mathematical, analytical formula to help investors make the wisest decisions on the stock market. Before purchasing a common stock, an investor may use the CAPM (a mathematical formula) to estimate its expected returns. The Model may be used for all kinds of assets. In brief, the CAPM helps to explain â€Å"the relationship between the risk of a particular asset or stock, its market price, and the expected return to the investor (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model or CAPM,† 2007). By using CAPM as a tool to project expected returns from stocks, investors automatically affect the demand and prices of stocks sold on the market. The CAPM starts out with the assumption that there are two kinds of risks that must be assessed before an investment decision is made. Systematic risk includes risks facing the market as a whole and that cannot be dampened through portfolio diversification. Examples of systematic risks include rates of interest and economic slumps (McClure, 2008). While systematic risks must affect all stocks at the same time, unsystematic risks or specific risks are risks that are â€Å"specific to individual stocks and can be diversified away as the investor increases the number of stocks in his or her portfolio (McClure). † Of course, good investors are well-versed in investment theories such as the modern portfolio theory, which clearly states that diversification cannot resolve the issue of systematic risks, although specific risks may be easily handled by diversifying an investment portfolio. CAPM was developed as a way to address the issues raised by the modern portfolio theory. This Model is a tool to measure systematic risks as well (McClure). The Risk Glossary explains the importance of estimating systematic risk before the formula for measuring such risk is described: According to CAPM, the marketplace compensates investors for taking systematic risk but not for taking specific risk. This is because specific risk can be diversified away. When an nvestor holds the market portfolio, each individual asset in that portfolio entails specific risk, but through diversification, the investor's net exposure is just the systematic risk of the market portfolio. Systematic risk can be measured using beta. According to CAPM, the expected return of a stock equals the risk-free rate plus the portfolio's beta multiplied by the expected excess return of the market portfolio. Specifically, let and be random variables for the simple returns of the stock and the market over some specifi ed period. Let be the known risk-free rate, also expressed as a simple return, and let be the stock's beta. Then where E denotes an expectation (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model,† 1996). The formula of CAPM is considered its conclusion (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model†). To put it simply, the formula states that â€Å"excess expected return† of a stock is dependent on the beta of the stock rather than the stock’s volatility (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model†). The same can be stated for an investment portfolio. Another way to explain the formula is that â€Å"the stock's excess expected return over the risk-free rate equals its beta times the market's expected excess return over the risk free rate (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model†). † Or, excess expected return from a stock is dependent on systematic risk rather than the total of risks (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model†). As suggested previously, by knowing the beta and expected returns for a certain stock or asset, investors are able to bid up or down its price. Expected returns are adjusted so long as the formula has not been satisfied. Thus, the Capital Asset Pricing Model ends up predicting the equilibrium price of a stock or asset. One of the assumptions of the model is that all investors agree on the expected return of certain stock or asset as well as the beta. Although this assumption is unrealistic, the CAPM is believed to affect the stock market by urging investors to raise the demand for particular assets or stocks as compared to others, based on the information they obtain through the use of the Model (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model†). Apart from the unrealistic assumption of CAPM mentioned above, there are other problems with the Model that experts have identified by way of research. As an example, Eugene Fama and Kenneth French, upon considering expected returns on the American Stock Exchange, Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange for a period of 27 years, found that the differences of beta do not consistently describe the performance of stocks (McClure). McClure reports that the study conducted by Fama and French is not the only one that raised doubts about the validity of the Capital Asset Pricing Model. A major problem with the Model is the fact that beta cannot be used as a sure predictor of the reaction of stocks to various changes. All the same, the CAPM continues to be used by countless investors around the globe (McClure). In other words, beta continues to affect investment decisions that run the stock market day after day. References Capital Asset Pricing Model. (1996). Risk Glossary. Retrieved Nov 4, 2008, from http://www.riskglossary.com/link/capital_asset_pricing_model.htm. Capital Asset Pricing Model or CAPM. (2007). Money Zine. Retrieved Nov 4, 2008, from http://www.money-zine.com/Investing/Stocks/Capital-Asset-Pricing-Model-or-CAPM/. McClure, B. (2008). The Capital Asset Pricing Model: An Overview. Investopedia. Retrieved Nov 4, 2008, from http://www.investopedia.com/articles/06/CAPM.asp.

Managing Challenging Behaviour Essay

Challenging Behaviour: â€Å"A person’s behaviour can be defined as â€Å"challenging† if it puts them or those around them (such as their carer) at risk, or leads to a poorer quality of life. It can also impact on their ability to join in everyday activities. Challenging behaviour can include aggression, self-harm, destructiveness and disruptiveness. Challenging behaviour is often seen in people with conditions that affect communication and the brain, such as learning disabilities or dementia.† http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/Pages/challenging-behaviour-carers.aspx Complete the Following Table: Types of Challenging Behaviour Example Reflex Behaviour When Chloà © wanted her carer to help her get dressed, she could not undo her buttons and the carer slapped her across the face. Instantly, she slapped her carer back. This is called reflex behaviour. Reactive Behaviour When Nigel taunted Frank by calling him names, Frank pushed his carer out of fear of something else happening. This is reactive behaviour because Frank was provoked by his carer. Intentional Behaviour When a carer came to help Masie by making her bed, Masie was still in bed. The carer asked her politely to leave the bed so that she could get on with her duties and usually Masie complies, however today she bit her and began screaming at her to leave. This is intentional behaviour because Masie was not provoked and she was not hit first. She intended on hurting her carer. Aggressive Behaviour Emily was asked by David to help him get up from the chair and as she went to hold his hand and support him by placing her hand on his back, he pushed her back towards the wall and began acting aggressively by smashing his  ornaments on the floor. Controlling Behaviour Finn was going around the rooms to collect the rubbish and Rachel was not allowing him to do his job because she repetitively shouted for him to leave until he did what she wanted. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/Pages/challenging-behaviour-carers.aspx Challenging Behaviour has its own triggers that can cause service users to display challenging behaviour in such a way that it affects more than one person. Complete the Following Table: Why may People Display Challenging Behaviour? Past Life Experiences Previous life events and experiences that may have been traumatic to the service user may cause them to develop ‘challenging behaviour’ which may have resulted from unresolved emotions that may be difficult to confront. Traumatic events may have angered or upset the service user so much that they channel their emotions into behaviour that is aggressive, dysfunctional and endangering. Resentment Resentment for being placed in a health or social care environment may cause the service user to take their anger or frustration out on members of staff in order to influence their carers in to doing things they may not normally do. Resentment can cause some professionals to avoid helping their service user at risk of having to deal with their service users’ challenging behaviour. Medical Conditions (e.g. Alzheimer’s) People with learning disabilities and/or medical conditions may sometimes have very little choice or control over their lives, which can cause challenging behaviour to develop. A service user who is not given choice, and is capable of controlling daily activities could develop challenging behaviour as a way in which they are able to influence changes. Common conditions such as infections, etc. may all cause or contribute to challenging behaviour which may result in behaviours becoming aggressive, etc. Frustration Frustration can happen when there is little cooperation (for example, at mealtimes) where there may be displays of challenging behaviour because a highly physically dependent service user may find it difficult to show emotions and ask for help. Anger from being unable to do activities for oneself, they may display challenging behaviour because they are too angry to express it in another way, so use it as an aggressive outlet. Something is Wrong If a service user finds that something is wrong they may exhibit challenging behaviour as a way of dealing with that issue. When they are unable to express how they are feeling, service users may be hiding from the issue rather than confronting it because they take their anger out on others. Write a Short Paragraph about what might Trigger Challenging Behaviour to Occur Service users who may display challenging behaviour may need to be observed in order to find their individual triggers that could be avoided to prevent challenging behaviour from being used to harm themselves and their carers. Some challenging behaviour is triggered by tough, confusing and unresolved emotions that may cause confusion and pain. If these situations are near the service user, they may respond by acting violently which should be taken away from the service user so that they can adapt their behaviour to the situation, regaining control over their behaviour. For example, if a service user is in a noisy environment/situation which may be upsetting to them or may cause them to become distressed and unable to control their emotions, the carer should take the situation and change it to suit everyone and their responsibility is to take the service user away from the noisy environment. The service user could have counselling and learn techniques to remain calm and try not to seem angry or upset, even though they might be feeling it, so that they can avoid reacting with ‘challenging’ behaviour. Case Study Josephine is 24 years old and she has demonstrated challenging behaviour  since she was a child diagnosed with autism with a severe learning disability and extreme, challenging behaviour. Josephine arrived at Autism Care under the terms of an aftercare plan following countless unsuccessful placements in secure and residential settings. At this point the only consistent thing in her life was very short, unsuccessful placements and this has resulted in Josephine expecting placements to end after a period of approximately two months. For the first three months of her placement Josephine displayed some extreme cycles of challenging behaviour which included aggression towards staff, self-injury and serious destruction of property. Therefore Autism Care recognised that it was vital to introduce a scheduled timetable enabling Josephine to have a better concept of time. We divided her time into two-day periods and completed a behavioural assessment. This enabled us to identify agitation at the earliest possible stage, allowing staff to intervene and refocus her attention onto a meaningful activity in order to de-escalate her anxieties. Over time Josephine built trust with staff and developed therapeutic relationships with them which, over the course of approximately two years, improved her life immensely. Her anxieties gradually decreased and her community presence increased. With our support to maintain family contact and develop a person centred care package, the difficult challenges that she faced throughout her life previously, steadily decreased and the number of incidents of challenging behaviour are now a rare occurrence. (http://www.autismcareuk.com/case-studies/44/Case-study-2) Case Study is from the above website Bibliography: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/Pages/challenging-behaviour-carers.aspx http://www.autismcareuk.com/case-studies/44/Case-study-2

What does the Ionian revolt tell us of the nature of Persian imperial Essay

What does the Ionian revolt tell us of the nature of Persian imperial rule - Essay Example At first sight, Ionian revolt was caused by the reasons, which can’t be called occasional. Ionian cities were first of all trade centers. The capture of Hellespont and Bosporus by Persians was fatal for the trade and the competition from the side of Phoenician merchants was becoming more and more threatening. Besides the economic damage, Ionian cities suffered from political pressure: in all the cities, ruled by Persians there were tyrants appointed. The failure of The Scythian Campaign of Darius disrupted the prestigious of his army. At last, the fewness of Persian troops located in the western part of Asia Minor made Greeks confident of the fast victory. The history of V century BC deserves special attention. It was an excellent example of how the mistakes in the organization can spoil the results. By the end of VI century Persia was the most important player on the arena of the Middle East. This country gained much power and influence during the government of Achaemenid dyn asty. It conquered such powerful east-Mediterranean states as Midia, Lidia, Babylonia and Egypt. After the last Lidia’s ruler Kreza was defeated, Persians had conquered the Greek colonies that were located at the west coast of Asia Minor. Now it is the territory of the modern Turkey. Most of the colonies had been established by Ionians. Till this time people who lived there considered themselves to be Greek and were engaged in trade. They had to pay contribution to Lidia who controlled their land. In return Lidia provided Greek with autonomy and right to act without obstacles. Ionians has good relations with their strong neighbor. They were dependent, but had peaceful and satisfied life. However, everything changed when the Persian Empire took control over the lands. The situation changed for Greeks completely. They appeared under control of a very strong and strict conqueror, who dictated his own, unbeneficial rules. Thus, it seems rather understandable that Greeks refused t o keep their previous status under new rule and this resulted in rebellion in the 499 BC that played a very important role in Greek history. It is not very easy to judge what happened in reality and what the main reasons for such rebellion were, because the only source of information is work of Herodotus â€Å"The History†. He was known as the father of history and at the same time as the father of stories, some of which are considered to be the product of his own imagination. So, the credibility of information found inhis work is pretty disputable. Herodotus was Greek, he was born in Halicarnassus. He was exiled from his native town and had to leave for Athens. There he worked on the description of the conflict between Greeks and Persians. Historian annals were not created during that period of time, thus Herodotus is deservingly considered to be the pioneer in this field and genre. The trouble is that in the most cases he did not care much about the credibility of facts and preferred to present his own opinion than the real facts. Moreover, he depicted history from the position of Greeks and also had prejudices towards Ionians. So his depiction of Ionian rebellion should be considered from a critical point of view. The rebellion failed. And in this case the actions of Herodotus were predictable. He tried to find a scapegoat. He did not reveal the real reasons of defeat and the easiest way that he found was to accuse Aristagoras, the leader of Miletus, in failure. So it is very difficult to

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 67

Discussion - Assignment Example Firstly, to proof own prediction author bases his hypothesis about the possibility of a danger from the â€Å"hostess† program on a case which â€Å"already happened at the University of Colorado† (DeRosa, 2009). Second, calling on personal experience author tells his family history what gives him an opportunity to reveal a historical underground of the problem. Third, â€Å"hostess† program is a symbol for a bigger problem. Author adduces other examples (women in show business etc.) to connect a â€Å"hostess† program to the common modern tendency. â€Å"I have read two news articles in the campus newspaper about recruiting practices that made me a little perplexed†, - DeRosa (2009) speaks about what has reasoned him for writing an article. While coming with the conclusion that â€Å"recruiting practice is an insult to the women of the university† DeRosa (2009) reveals a bigger problem: despite that â€Å"over the last hundred years, women have traveled a rocky road to greater equality†, and for now â€Å"women have made impressive gains in their professional lives†, â€Å"they have also come to be seen, more and more, as objects†. I tend to agree with DeRosa: women’s objectification truly exists in our world. Besides there’re a lot of countries in modern society women rights still aren’t equal to men’s ones. The second version of the article seems to me more socially important than the first one, because it conveys a problem, not only DeRosa’s personal view. DeRosa, S. (2009). The Objectification of Woman. Who’s Fault Is it? In Duane Roen, Gregory R. Glau, and Barry M. Maid (Eds.), The McGraw-Hill Guide: Writing for College, Writing for Life (pp. 217-21). New York:

Beverly Daniel Tatums Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in Essay

Beverly Daniel Tatums Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria - Essay Example The paper under consideration presents the analysis of Beverly Daniel Tatum’s â€Å"Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria†. The core of the paper is to determine the nature of racism and show Tatum’s main point view on racial segregation and African-American isolation. Through the article, she attempts to highlight how racism has developed in the African American population through constant analysis and comparison to other ethnic groups and why this phenomenon occurs. The rhetorical strategies used are not expressed effectively, as the majority of the assessments of modern black racism are speculatory and often based on personal judgment without adequate justification for opinion. Introduction Beverly Daniel Tatum’s â€Å"Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria† is an exploration of racism as it pertains to black youths and the role of racism as compared to the White dominant social norm. Tatum attempts to illustrate the phenomenon of why racially-similar groups, especially African Americans, tend to remain segregated in same-race groups without inter-mingling in the social environment. Through the article, she attempts to highlight how racism has developed in the African American population through constant analysis and comparison to other ethnic groups and why this phenomenon occurs. ... Tatum believes that her definition of racism is â€Å"a system involving cultural messages and institutional policies and practices as well as the beliefs and actions of individuals’’ (Tatum, 7). Here, Tatum attempts to create an appeal to pathos by further highlighting her own credibility related to her own sociology knowledge, but it too is ineffective since the author does not explore the issue further using concrete information from reputable sociological or political science data sources. The author is, instead, creating a sense of bias in the process, somewhat over-analyzing the actual realities of lifestyle with each ethnic group. Rather, Tatum manages, it seems, to simply assume certain sociological characteristics about White groups or African-American groups and therefore does not manage to instill a sense of integrity or knowledge-based authority when making her argument about the phenomenon of group-oriented ethnic segregation and prejudice. Tatum’s ethos arguments, in an attempt to appeal to the readers’ emotions, also does not do a significant job of instilling sympathy for the plight of African-Americans in today’s society. Tatum suggests that this segregation occurring is a product of White privilege and therefore receive preferential treatment in all elements of society. A reputable educator from the Philadelphia school district believes this also, offering that this is a hypocritical form of reasoning (Paslay, 3). Tatum’s attempt to instill compassion and condolence for the state of African-American isolation from the rest of society simply does not achieve its intended ethos results as it, again, illustrates that

The Opponents of the Euthanasia and a Major Essentials of Human Life Research Paper

The Opponents of the Euthanasia and a Major Essentials of Human Life - Research Paper Example Euthanasia stands justified on several grounds of morality. The arguments favouring the voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide is justifiable on the ethical grounds of individual sovereignty and the professed responsibility of the health professionals for respecting the patient’s informed preferences. It is justified on the ground of individual autonomy, when one chooses to live the life he or she wants to, the individual should have the authority and the individuality for choosing the kind of death he or she wants to witness. The right to choose his or her death should be respected. The advocates of voluntary euthanasia argue that an adult has every right to refuse any kind of treatment which might involve a life saving one. The concepts of ethical issues have been considered to support voluntary euthanasia. It is being argued that if an individual has the authority to make informed choices about medical treatment then the right of informed medical assistance to death gets naturally extended to her. (Sanders and Chaloner, 2007, pp. 41-42) Individual autonomy also necessarily stands against slavery, while it can be argued that slavery is not justifiable. The reason for not allowing slavery in a free country is the fact that handing over the control of one’s own life is the most unwise things to do, hence man takes all the decision in his life by his own. Similarly while deciding on whether to die or not the man himself has every right and authority to take the decision. To save her husband from the legal consequences she appealed to the court to grant her petition of euthanasia.

IT601-0903B-07 Information Technology in Business Management - Phase 2 Essay

IT601-0903B-07 Information Technology in Business Management - Phase 2 Discussion Board - Essay Example The main competitive advantage that the company has over the others is the fact that it is started by companies that hold as much as 80% of the sir travel industry. The biggest competitor however is Travelocity. The company has created a strong database for itself and gives the Orbitz as well as the companies a huge competition. This site is very beneficial to the users as it allows the users to get the lowest possible fares as well as allows users to book for hotels and complete vacation packages online itself. The website provides exceptional benefits to the users by providing offers and reasonable discounts. This site creates value since it allows the users to avoid the reservation fees that are generally charged by the other websites and hence it is very beneficial to the customers. Orbitz is definitely the industry’s bellwether. The website provides the other websites with stiff competition because it has removed the reservation charges and the high costs of operations. This created a complete revolution to the online travel world and it has helped create a more fair deal for the customers and avoiding the operational costs of the website to be charged upon the customers. This website is more customer centric than any other. The company’s business model has been through a number of issues in the past. It has been charged for creating a monopoly in the market and for creating a higher hand over other due to the backing of the five major companies. Also it has been accused of being under the antitrust act and also being a cartel. However the company was then recognised not to be a cartel and the growth of the company was justifiable. The company now faces a number of risks as there are several newer companies and better facilities that are available by the other companies. The company has already sold a part of the travel port to Blackstone Group for as much as $4.3 billion. Blackstone in

VA Team members Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

VA Team members - Assignment Example Developing the VA schedule is essential because it sets targets and priorities within an organised plan. It allocates time and resources in a logical way. Implementing this correctly ensures that the VA meets all of its objectives and does not skip anything important or dwell too long on one issue. This is essential because good communication between the people involved eases information flow and creates a professional atmosphere for all concerned. The initial site briefing sets the tone and input on this point establishes the ground rules and creates clarity. This is essential because the VA involves handling of personal details, which are protected by law, and company information, which is commercially sensitive. Both of these are at risk if no-one sets up systems to safeguard such information, or if no one controls how these systems work. This liaison role is essential because the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) each have an in depth but partial knowledge of the issues that arise, and this can cause disagreement. Helping to give an overview, and removing hindrances, minimizes conflict and helps the team to work together better and stay focused on the goal. This is essential because messages to and from facility management and staff can get lost if they pass through many different people. This role provides a clear channel for communication and also maintains an overview of what is happening hour by hour. The best VA in the world is useless if its results are not carefully documented. Findings will be better respected and acted upon if they are expressed with all accompanying data. Clarity here reassures everyone of the validity of the VA and sets out the basis of clear plan for others to follow. This is important because senior management have the power to ensure that a VA has lasting effects on the organization in the future. If they are kept informed they are more likely to engage in the work

Life of Rabindra Nath Tagore Essay Example for Free

Life of Rabindra Nath Tagore Essay Tagores international travels also sharpened his opinion that human divisions were shallow. During a May 1932 visit to a Bedouin encampment in the Iraqi desert, the tribal chief told him that Our prophet has said that a true Muslim is he by whose words and deeds not the least of his brother-men may ever come to any harm Tagore noted in his diary: I was startled into recognizing in his words the voice of essential humanity. [1] In his last decade, Tagore compiled fifteen volumes of writings, including works of prose-poems such as Punashcha (1932), Shes Saptak (1935), and Patraput (1936). He also continued his experimentations by developing prose-songs and dance-dramas, including Chitrangada (1936), Shyama (1939), and Chandalika (1938). He also wrote the novels Dui Bon (1933), Malancha (1934), and Char Adhyay (1934). Tagore also took an interest in science in his last years, writing Visva-Parichay (a collection of essays) in 1937. He wrote on topics ranging from biology to physics, and astronomy; meanwhile, his poetry — containing extensive naturalism — underscored his respect for scientific laws. He also wove the process of science (including narratives of scientists) into many stories contained in such volumes as Se (1937), Tin Sangi (1940), and Galpasalpa (1941). [2] [edit]Illness of 1937-1941 Tagores last four years (1937–1941) were marked by chronic pain and two long periods of illness. These began when Tagore lost consciousness in late 1937; he remained comatose and near death for an extended period. This was followed three years later in late 1940 by a similar spell, from which he never recovered. The poetry Tagore wrote in these twilight years are distinctive for their preoccupation with death; these more profound and mystical experimentations allowed Tagore to be branded a modern poet. 3] After extended suffering,[4] Tagore died on August 7, 1941 (22 Shravan 1348) in an upstairs room of the Jorasanko mansion in which he was raised. [5] This date is still mourned in public functions held across the Bangla-speaking world. The last person to see Tagore alive was Amiya Kumar Sen (brother of Sukumar Sen, the first chief election commissioner); Tagore dictated his last poem to Sen, who wrote it down. Sen later donated the resulting draft to a museum in Kolkata.

Precepts of Ptah Essay Example for Free

Precepts of Ptah Essay Traditionally, Ptah is the creator and god of Memphis, the capital of Ancient Egypt. Historically, the mythological figure is much more. *** One of the most important gods of ancient Egypt was Ptah of Memphis, a creator god and a director of human destinies. Mrs. Holmbergs study is essentially a reference book based on ancient textual sources and is primarily directed toward the Egyptologist. In the last chapter Mrs. Holmberg wrestles with the origin of the belief in Ptah and exposes the current Egyptological perplexity about the origins of the worship of their historical gods. One leading theory is the notion that the Egyptians from the beginning recognized a supreme being under various names in different places. This being was the one primeval god, the creator god, and the continuing ruler of men and the other gods. In its extreme expression this view is a sort of practical monotheism, since the more important gods are brought together under one theological heading and the lesser gods are made clearly subordinate. The opposing theory is geopolitically evolutionary. This view would argue that the most primitive deities were countless local gods who were gradually reduced in number by the enlarging of political units through conquest and assimilation. As the Egyptian nation emerged, the more successful of these local gods became cosmic forces-in part through political elevation of one cult-center over others, in part through a process of syncretism, and in part through mans attempt to answer the questions of his cosmological and cosmogonic speculation. Mrs. Holmberg tends to hesitate between these two theories, and in the present state of our ignorance about prehistoric origins one can hardly blame her. 1 PTAH – HOTEP Ptah-Hotep a was well – known Egyptian sage (sage of Ptah, per se) that dates from around 2200 BCE. He may even have enjoyed a celebrity status. Whatever his fame, he was an advisor to the King and would have been viewed as a very high ranking official.A collection of precepts is attributed to him, although scholars debate the actual author (and dating) of the document. 1 The God Ptah by Maj Sandman Holmberg Review by: John A. Wilson The Journal of Religion , Vol. 28, No. 3 (Jul., 1948), p. 229 Published by: The University of Chicago Press CP 1 Ancient History Sourcebook: The Precepts of Ptah-Hotep, c. 2200 BCE Precepts of the prefect, the lord Ptah-hotep, under the Majesty of the King of the South and North, Assa, living eternally forever. The prefect, the feudal lord Ptah-hotep, says: O Ptah with the two crocodiles, my lord, the progress of age changes into senility. Decay falls upon man and decline takes the place of youth. A vexation weighs upon him every day; sight fails, the ear becomes deaf; his strength dissolves without ceasing. The mouth is silent, speech fails him; the mind decays, remembering not the day before. The whole body suffers. That which is good becomes evil; taste completely disappears. Old age makes a man altogether miserable; the nose is stopped up, breathing no more from exhaustion. Standing or sitting there is here a condition of . . . Who will cause me to have authority to speak, that I may declare to him the words of those who have heard the counsels of former days? And the counsels heard of the gods, who will give me authority to declare them? Cause that it be so and that evil be removed from those that are enlightened; send the double . . . The majesty of this god says: Instruct him in the sayings of former days. It is this which constitutes the merit of the children of the great. All that which makes the soul equal penetrates him who hears it, and that which it says produces no satiety. Beginning of the arrangement of the good sayings, spoken by the noble lord, the divine father, beloved of Ptah, the son of the king, the first-born of his race, the prefect and feudal lord Ptah- hotep, so as to instruct the ignorant in the knowledge of the arguments of the good sayings. It is profitable for him who hears them, it is a loss to him who shall transgress them. He says to his son: Be not arrogant because of that which you know; deal with the ignorant as with the learned; for the barriers of art are not closed, no artist being in possession of the perfection to which he should aspire. But good words are more difficult to find than the emerald, for it is by slaves that that is discovered among the rocks of pegmatite. If you find a disputant while he is hot, and if he is superior to you in ability, l ower the hands, bend the back, do not get into a passion with him. As he will not let you destroy his words, it is utterly wrong to interrupt him; that proclaims that you are incapable of keeping yourself calm, when you are contradicted. If then you have to do with a disputant while he is hot,  imitate one who does not stir. You have the advantage over him if you keep silence when he is uttering evil words. The better of the two is he who is impassive, say the bystanders, and you are right in the opinion of the great. 2 If you find a disputant while he is hot, do not despise him because you are not of the same opinion. Be not angry against him when he is wrong; away with such a thing. He fights against himself; require him not further to flatter your feelings. Do not amuse yourself with the spectacle which you have before you; it is odious, it is mean, it is the part of a despicable soul so to do. As soon as you let yourself be moved by your feelings, combat this desire as a thing that is reproved by the great. If you have, as leader, to decide on the conduct of a great number of men, seek the most perfect manner of doing so that your own conduct may be without reproach. Justice is great, invariable, and assured; it has not been disturbed since the age of Ptah. To throw obstacles in the way of the laws is to open the way before violence. Shall that which is below gain the upper hand, if the unjust does not attain to the place of justice? Even he who says: I take for myself, of my own free-will; but says not: I take by virtue of my authority. The limitations of justice are invariable; such is the instruction which every man receives from his father. Inspire not men with fear, else Ptah will fight against you in the same manner. If any one asserts that he lives by such means, Ptah will take away the bread from his mouth; if any one asserts that he enriches himself thereby, Ptah says: I may take those riches to myself. If any one asserts that he beats others, Ptah will end by reducing him to impotence. Let no one inspire men with fear; this is the will of Ptah. Let one provide sustenance for them in the lap of peace; it will then be that they will freely give what has been torn from them by terror. If you are among the persons seated at meat in the house of a greater man than yourself, take that which he gives you, bowing to the ground. Regard that which is placed before you, but point not at it; regard it not frequently; he is a blameworthy person who departs from this rule. Speak not to the great man more than he requires, for one knows not what may be displeasing to him. Speak when he invites you and your worth will be pleasing. As for the great man who has plenty of means of existence, his  conduct is as he himself wishes. He does that which pleases him; if he desires to repose, he realizes his intention. The great man stretching forth his hand does that to which other men do not attain. But as the means of existence are under the will of Ptah, one can not rebel against it. If you are one of those who bring the messages of one great man to another, conform yourself exactly to that wherewith he has charged you; perform for him the commission as he has enjoined you. Beware of altering in speaking the offensive words which one great person addresses to another; he who perverts the trustfulness of his way, in order to repeat only what produces pleasure in the words of every man, great or small, is a detestable person. If you are a farmer, gather the crops in the field which the great Ptah has given you, do not boast in the house of your neighbors; it is better to make oneself dreaded by ones deeds. As for him who, master of his own way of acting, being all-powerful, seizes the goods of others like a crocodile in the midst even of watchment, his children are an object of malediction, of scorn, and of hatred on account of it, while his father is grievously distressed, and as for the mother 3  who has borne him, happy is another rather than herself. But a ma n becomes a god when he is chief of a tribe which has confidence in following him. If you abase yourself in obeying a superior, your conduct is entirely good before Ptah. Knowing who you ought to obey and who you ought to command, do not lift up your heart against him. As you know that in him is authority, be respectful toward him as belonging to him. Wealth comes only at Ptahs own good-will, and his caprice only is the law; as for him who . . Ptah, who has created his superiority, turns himself from him and he is overthrown. Be active during the time of your existence, do no more than is commanded. Do not spoil the time of your activity; he is a blameworthy person who makes a bad use of his moments. Do not lose the daily opportunity of increasing that which your house possesses. Activity produces riches, and riches do not endure when it slackens. If you are a wise man, bring up a son who shall be pleasing to Ptah. If he conforms his conduct to your way and occupies himself with your affairs as is right, do to him all the good you can; he is your son, a person attached to you whom your own self has begotten. Separate not your heart from him. But if he conducts himself ill and transgresses  your wish, if he rejects all counsel, if his mouth goes according to the evil word, strike him on the mouth in return. Give orders without hesitation to those who do wrong, to him whose temper is turbulent; and he will not deviate from the straight path, and there will be no obstacle to interrupt the way. If you are employed in the larit, stand or sit rather than walk about. Lay down rules for yourself from the first: not to absent yourself even when weariness overtakes you. Keep an eye on him who enters announcing that what he asks is secret; what is entrusted to you is above appreciation, and all contrary argument is a matter to be rejected. He is a god who penetrates into a place where no relaxation of the rules is made for the privileged. If you are with people who display for you an extreme affection, saying: Aspiration of my heart, aspiration of my heart, where there is no remedy! That which is said in your heart, let it be realized by springing up spontaneously. Sovereign master, I give myself to your opinion. Your name is approved without speaking. Your body is full of vigor, your face is above your neighbors. If then you are accustomed to this excess of flattery, and there be an obstacle to you in your desires, then your impulse is to obey your passion. But he who . . . according to his caprice, his soul is . . ., his body is . . . While the man who is master of his soul is superior to those whom Ptah has loaded with his gifts; the man who obeys his passion is under the power of his wife. Declare your line of conduct without reticence; give your opinion in the council of your lord; while there are people who turn back upon their own words when they speak, so as not to offend him who has put forward a statement, and answer not in this fashion: He is the great man who will recognize the error of another; and when he shall raise his voice to oppose the other about it he will keep silence after what I have said. 4 If you are a leader, setting forward your plans according to that which you decide, perform perfect actions which posterity may remember, without letting the words prevail with you which multiply flattery, which excite pride and produce vanity. If you are a leader of peace, listen to the discourse of the petitioner. Be not abrupt with him; that would trouble him. Say not to him: You have already recounted this. Indulgence will encourage him to accomplish the object of his coming. As for being abrupt with the complainant because he described what passed when the injury was done, instead of complaining of the injury itself let it not be! The way to obtain a clear explanation is to listen with kindness. If you desire to excite respect within the house you enter, for example the house of a superior, a friend, or any person of consideration, in short everywhere where you enter, keep yourself from making advances to a woman, for there is nothing good in so doing. There is no prudence in taking part in it, and thousands of men destroy themselves in order to enjoy a moment, brief as a dream, while they gain death, so as to know it. It is a villainous intention, that of a man who thus excites himself; if he goes on to carry it out, his mind abandons him. For as for him who is without repugnance for such an act, there is no good sense at all in him. If you desire that your conduct should be good and preserved from all evil, keep yourself from every attack of bad humor. It is a fatal malady which leads to discord, and there is no longer any existence for him who gives way to it. For it introduces discord between fathers and mothers, as well as between brothers and sisters; it causes the wife and the husband to hate each other; it contains all kinds of wickedness, it embodies all kinds of wrong. When a man has established his just equilibrium and walks in this path, there where he makes his dwelling, there is no room for bad humor. Be not of an irr itable temper as regards that which happens at your side; grumble not over your own affairs. Be not of an irritable temper in regard to your neighbors; better is a compliment to that which displeases than rudeness. It is wrong to get into a passion with ones neighbors, to be no longer master of ones words. When there is only a little irritation, one creates for oneself an affliction for the time when one will again be cool. If you are wise, look after your house; love your wife without alloy. Fill her stomach, clothe her back; these are the cares to be bestowed on her person. Caress her, fulfil her desires during the time of her existence; it is a kindness which does honor to its possessor. Be not brutal; tact will influence her better than violence; her . . . behold to what she aspires, at what she aims, what she regards. It is that which fixes her in your house; if you repel her, it is an abyss. Open your arms for her, respond to her arms; call her, display to her your love. Treat your dependents well, in so far as it belongs to you to do so; and it belongs to those whom P tah has favored. If any one fails in treating his dependents well it is said: He is  a person . . . As we do not know the events which may happen tomorrow, he is a wise person by whom one is well treated. When there comes the necessity of showing zeal, it will then be the 5 dependents themselves who say: Come on, come on, if good treatment has not quitted the place; if it has quitted it, the dependents are defaulters. Do not repeat any extravagance of language; do not listen to it; it is a thing which has escaped from a hasty mouth. If it is repeated, look, without hearing it, toward the earth; say nothing in regard to it. Cause him who speaks to you to know what is just, even him who provokes to injustice; cause that which is just to be done, cause it to triumph. As for that which is hateful according to the law, condemn it by unveiling it. If you are a wise man, sitting in the council of your lord, direct your thought toward that which is wise. Be silent rather than scatter your words. When you speak, know that which can be brought against you. To speak in the council is an art, and speech is criticized more than any other labor; it is contradiction which puts it to the proof. If you are powerful, respect knowledge and calmness of language. Command only to direct; to be absolute is to run into evil. Let not your heart be haughty, neither let it be mean. Do not let your orders remain unsaid and cause your answers to penetrate; but speak without heat, assume a serious countenance. As for the vivacity of an ardent heart, temper it; the gentle man penetrates all obstacles. He who agitates himself all the day long has not a good moment; and he who amuses himself all the day long keeps not his fortune. Aim at fulness like pilots; once one is seated another works, and seeks to obey ones orders. Disturb not a great man; weaken not the attention of him who is occupied. His care is to embrace his task, and he strips his person through the love which he puts into it. That transports men to Ptah, even the love for the work which they accomplish. Compose then your face even in trouble, that peace may be with you, when agitation is with . . .These are the people who suc ceed in what they desire. Teach others to render homage to a great man. If you gather the crop for him among men, cause it to return fully to its owner, at whose hands is your subsistence. But the gift of affection is worth more than the provisions with which your back is covered. For that which the great man receives from you will enable your house to live, without speaking  of the maintenance you enjoy, which you desire to preserve; it is thereby that he extends a beneficent hand, and that in your home good things are added to good things. Let your love pass into the heart of those who love you; cause those about you to be loving and obedient. If you are a son of the guardians deputed to watch over the public tranquillity, execute your commission without knowing its meaning, and speak with firmness. Substitute not for that which the instructor has said what you believe to be his intention; the great use words as it suits them. Your part is to transmit rather than to comment upon. If you are annoyed at a thing, if you are tormented by someone who is a cting within his right, get out of his sight, and remember him no more when he has ceased to address you. 6 If you have become great after having been little, if you have become rich after having been poor, when you are at the head of the city, know how not to take advantage of the fact that you have reached the first rank, harden not your heart because of your elevation; you are become only the administrator, the prefect, of the provisions which belong to Ptah. Put not behind you the neighbor who is like you; be unto him as a companion. Bend your back before your superior. You are attached to the palace of the king; your house is established in its fortune, and your profits are as is fitting. Yet a man is annoyed at having an authority above himself, and passes the period of life in being vexed thereat. Although that hurts not your . . . Do not plunder the house of your neighbors, seize not by force the goods which are beside you. Exclaim not then against that which you hear, and do not feel humiliated. It is necessary to reflect when one is hindered by it that the pressure of authority i s felt also by ones neighbor. Do not make . . . you know that there are obstacles to the water which comes to its hinder part, and that there is no trickling of that which is in its bosom. Let it not . . . after having corrupted his heart. If you aim at polished manners, call not him whom you accost. Converse with him especially in such a way as not to annoy him. Enter on a discussion with him only after having left him time to saturate his mind with the subject of the conversation. If he lets his ignorance display itself, and if he gives you all opportunity to disgrace him, treat him with courtesy rather; proceed not to drive him into a corner; do not . . . the word to him; answer not in a  crushing manner; crush him not; worry him not; in order that in his turn he may not return to the subject, but depart to the profit of your conversation. Let your countenance be cheerful during the time of your existence. When we see one departing from the storehouse who has entered in order to bring his share of provision, with his face contracted, it shows that his stomach is empty and that authority is offensive to him. Let not that happen to you; it is . . . Know those who are faithful to you when you are in low estate. Your merit then is worth more than those who did you honor. His . . ., behold that which a man possesses completely. That is of more importance than his high rank; for this is a matter which passes from one to another. The merit of ones son is advantageous to the father, and that which he really is, is worth more than the remembrance of his fathers rank. Distinguish the superintendent who directs from the workman, for manual labor is little elevated; the inaction of the hands is honorable. If a man is not in the evil way, that which places him there is the want of subordination to authority. If you take a wife, do not . . . Let her be more contented than any of her fellow-citizens. She will be attached to you doubly, if her chain is pleasant. Do not repel her; grant that which pleases her; it is to her contentment that she appreciates your work. 7 If you hear those things which I have said to you, your wisdom will be fully advanced. Although they are the means which are suitable for arriving at the maat, and it is that which makes them precious, their memory would recede from the mouth of men. But thanks to the beauty of their arrangement in rhythm all their words will now be carried without alteration over this earth eternally. That will create a canvass to be embellished, whereof the great will speak, in order to instruct men in its sayings. After having listened to them the pupil will become a master, even he who shall have properly listened to the sayings because he shall have heard them. Let him win success by placing himself in the first rank; that is for him a position perfect and durable, and he has nothing further to desire forever. By knowledge his path is assured, and he is made happy by it on the earth. The wise man is satiated by knowledge; he is a great man through his own merits. His tongue is in accord with his mind; just are his lips when he speaks, his eyes when he gazes, his ears when he hears. The advantage of his son is to  do that which is just without deceiving himself. To attend therefore profits the son of him who has attended. To attend is the result of the fact that one has attended. A teachable auditor is formed, because I have attended. Good when he has attended, good when he speaks, he who has attended has profited, and it is profitable to attend to him who has attended. To attend is worth more than anything else, for it produces love, the good thing that is twice good. The son who accepts the instruction of his father will grow old on that account. What Ptah loves is that one should attend; if one attends not, it is abhorrent to Ptah. The heart makes itself its own master when it attends and when it does not attend; but if it attends, then his heart is a beneficent master to a man. In attending to instruction, a man loves what he attends to, and to do that which is prescribed is pleasant. When a son attends to his father, it is a twofold joy for both; when wise things are prescribed to him, the son is gentle toward his master. Attending to him who has attended when such things have been prescribed to him, he engraves upon his heart that which is approved by his father; and the recollection of it is preserved in th e mouth of the living who exist upon this earth. When a son receives the instruction of his father there is no error in all his plans. Train your son to be a teachable man whose wisdom is agreeable to the great. Let him direct his mouth according to that which has been said to him; in the docility of a son is discovered his wisdom. His conduct is perfect while error carries away the unteachable. Tomorrow knowledge will support him, while the ignorant will be destroyed. As for the man without experience who listens not, he effects nothing whatsoever. He sees knowledge in ignorance, profit in loss; he commits all kinds of error, always accordingly choosing the contrary of what is praiseworthy. He lives on that which is mortal, in this fashion. His food is evil words, whereat he is filled with astonishment. That which the great know to be mortal he lives upon every day, flying from that which would be profitable to him, because of the multitude of errors which present themselves before him every day. A son who attends is like a follower of Horus; he is happy after having attended. He becomes great, he arrives at dignity, he gives the same lesson to his children. Let none innovate upon the precepts of his father; let the same precepts form his lessons to his children. Verily, will his 8  children say to him, to a ccomplish what you say works marvels. Cause therefore that to flourish which is just, in order to nourish your children with it. If the teachers allow themselves to be led toward evil principles, verily the people who understand them not will speak accordingly, and that being said to those who are docile they will act accordingly. Then all the world considers them as masters and they inspire confidence in the public; but their glory endures not so long as would please them. Take not away then a word from the ancient teaching, and add not one; put not one thing in place of another; beware of uncovering the rebellious ideas which arise in you; but teach according to the words of the wise. Attend if you wish to dwell in the mouth of those who shall attend to your words, when you have entered upon the office of master, that your words may be upon our lips . . . and that there may be a chair from which to deliver your arguments. Let your thoughts be abundant, but let your mouth be under restraint, and you shall argue with the great. Put yourself in unison with the ways of your master; cause him to say: He is my son, so that those who shall hear it shall say Praise be to her who has borne him to him! Apply yourself while you speak; speak only of perfect things; and let the great who shall hear you say: Twice good is that which issues from his mouth! Do that which your master bids you. Twice good is the precept of his father, from whom he has issued, from his flesh. What he tells us, let it be fixed in our heart; to satisfy him greatly let us do for him more than he has prescribed. Verily a good son is one of the gifts of Ptah, a son who does even better than he has been told to do. For his master he does what is satisfactory, putting himself with all his heart on the part of right. So I shall bring it about that your body shall be healthful, that the Pharaoh shall be satisfied with you in all circumstances and that you shall obtain years of life without default. It has caused me on earth to obtain one hundred and ten years of life, along with the gift of the favor of the Pharoah among the first of those whom their works have ennobled, satisfying the Pharoah in a place of dignity. It is finished, from its beginning to its end, according to that which is found in writing. Source: From: Charles F. Horne, The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East (New York: Parke, Austin, Lipscomb, 1917), Vol. II: Egypt, pp. 62-78. Scanned by: J. S. Arkenberg, Dept. of History, Cal. State Fullerton This text is part of the Internet Ancient History Sourcebook. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history. 9 Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. No representation is made about texts which are linked off-site, although in most cases these are also public domain. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use.  © Paul Halsall May 1998

Employment of elderly people in Hong Kong

Employment of elderly people in Hong Kong In the past decades, the discussion of work and aging has aroused widely public and professional thinking. In this paper, I would begin with the analysis of the current Hong Kong situations and characteristics of older workers, among which I pay most of attention to the low participation rate of elderly workers and try to demonstrate the reason accounting for that. The second part can be seen as a brief summary of the productivity and limitations of old workers in Hong Kong today. Finally, I would come up with several suggestions on how to encourage labor force participation. Keywords: employment of elderly, productivity, functional limitation, old worker Employment of elderly people Situations of the employment of elderly in Hong Kong With the baby boomer generations entering into their old years, the employment of older people has brought about wide public concern. According to the sources from Census and Statistics Department, at the middle of 2010, there are more than 1.78 million Hong Kong people over the age of 55, 51.46 percent of whom are age 65 and above, and 25.76 percent of whom are age 75 and above. Many of these people are working or have had work experience and, many of retired persons work at least part time after they leave their permanent job. Among all the features of older workers in Hong Kong today, we would focus on several main characteristics to help us understand the situation. Labor force participation rates In Hong Kong 2009, the labor force participation rates, which refer to the proportion of economically active population (that is the labor force) in the total population aged 15 and above was 26.5 percent for the age 55 and above. Among that, we can find that the labor force participation rate for this age group was apparently higher for males (37.6 percent) than for females (15.9 percent). Nevertheless, nearly ten years ago, the labor force participation rates of the age 55 or over was 56 percent, which is almost twice the number of today. The employed and unemployed population The unemployment rate of older worker is relatively lower than that of young workers. In 2009, the unemployment rate for age group of 60 or above was 3.1 percent, which substantially lower than its counterpart aged 20-29 group of 7.3 percent. There are a few reasons accounting for that, but the most important one would be that older people can retire as an alternative choice. On the other hand, people over the age of 50 are still employed for a number of reasons. Thomas Leavitt once mentions that, the majority of people at ages 50-62 would still choose to work mostly because they enjoy the satisfaction and useful feeling brought by working, which followed by the need to make money. However, at the age of 62 or over, the requirement for money becomes their major concern. Low labor force participation rate among older persons The downward trend in labor force participation rates among elderly is considered by many people. First of all, many would agree that the current social security policy carried out by the government is encouraging the increased employment rate for young people by removing the old workers in the labor force. Turner claims that: for any given employee at any given time, the alternative of retiring on a pension is more attractive than to keep working for a salary. (Turner, 1993) The social security and medical care of old people do protect them from low income, but is also reduces the employment rate. The productivity and functional limitations of older workers Most of us would agree that productive activity plays a significant role in successful aging and higher self-related happiness. Older people who remain high level of productivity accomplish better physical functioning and are less likely to die six years after self-report. Therefore, we would like to ask: how elderly Hong Kong people will take part in economic and social activities? The assumption that age and job performance are closely related has been confirmed by a variety of aging researches (McEvoy and Cascio, 1989). On one hand, many reported that older workers are more productive than younger workers for that they tend to be more dependable, careful and responsible. Certainly, no evidence shows that learning capacities will significantly fall with the aging process. Therefore, it is important to find out aged related decline causes so that we can extend work-life for elderly by providing protections, services and benefits. On investigating the effects of the potential of aging have on the productivity of older worker, I pay attention to the following factors: Age-related physical changes and limitations There are many indications imply that the strength of people declines with the aging process. Many people at age of 60 report that physically demanding job is hard and strenuous for them to carry on, so they tend to leave the work that is highly physical in nature. Apart from changes in strength, old people also experience the physical loss of endurance and balance and, an increase of reaction time as a result of peripheral nervous system gradually slows down. With regard to health and rehabilitation, it is well-accepted that the measures of functional capacity can reflect the extent to which elderly are able to work. However, the functional capacity does not merely mean an absence of disease. There are conditions which are directly related to aging, such as heart disease, cancer and stroke. While for those conditions such as hearing and visual impairment, they are not necessarily the functional limitations preventing people from work. Annis and colleagues (Annis et al. 1991) also conclude that weight gains are regarded as the fifth decade of life, followed by declines. They mentions in their research on anthropometric changes with age: the individuals body dimensions change also, characterized by increases in the size of the stomach and hips. Moreover, some old workers admit that they have difficulties to perform tasks involving highly repetitive manual actions, the use of small hand tools or using force (Tayyari Sohrabi, 1990). Age-related cognitive changes and limitations The traditional discussion about changes in cognitive ability of old people focuses on intelligence, memory, and learning and so on. According to medical findings, brain loses weight as a result of shrinking neuron size in cerebral cortex and some mental problems such as depression and dementia occur with aging. Yet in order to perceive the complicated relationship between cognitive change and working ability, I refer to some mental models of cognitive sciences to help us understand the situation in which old people gain knowledge, skills and experience through aging while loss perceptual capacity and motor speed. When assessing the changes in intelligence, major longitudinal studies (Schaie, 1985) claim that most individuals can maintain the stable intellectual level well into their seventies and over and that modifiability in brain function continue well into late adulthood. But findings also suggest that people tend to less efficiently process complex information with increase of age. Overall, there is no obvious evidence show that old peoples performance is unsatisfactory under the daily and ordinary job situations. Even if there are changes in problem-solving ability of older people, they can use job experience and extensive skills to compensate age-related slowing performance. Older adults deliver a decline performance on lab-related cognitive task but demonstrate good level performance in real-world job, and there appears to be no significant relationship between age and job capacities. Warren Buffett, born in 1930 and ranked as the worlds second wealthiest person in 2009, is one of the most successful, active and smart investors in the stock and capital market of the world today. He is often called the legendary investor Warren Buffett for his precisely judgment of the market and value invest philosophy. But he is not a special case in the expertise, problem solving and decision making condition of old people. Actually, everyday plenty of old adults are making the most important and complicated decisions in the world as executives, politicians, and world leaders. Researches find that cognitive processes appear to be more important in the differentiating the old and young managers. Expertise in a certain field can act as an improvement to cognitive aging. In a research conducted to investigate the relationship between cognitive aging and experience, sociologists find that among experienced players, those who are skilled in bidding strategies could ameliorate the neg ative influence of cognitive aging until nearly the age of 60. The highest level of a job description would be the creative thinking. The researches focus on creativity and idea productivity state that originality declines gradually from younger worker to older workers. Age-related sensory and perceptual changes and limitations When concern about old peoples visual changes, Fozard (1990) presents four main sensory and perceptual capacities we need to focus most. Firstly, he concludes that excessive extent of illumination can cause elderly workers adversely reactions. For example, older workers have shown to be more adversely affected by glare from lights in workplace. Secondly, he also mentions the disability of older adults to detect different visual stimuli, which he calls poor contrast. Old workers require more contrast between the stimuli before distinguishing them. Furthermore, a third age-related change in visual ability is the useful field of view, in which older workers gain messages from environment. Finally, he also points out that the decrease level of visual activity of older adult bring about the fact that they are not favorable to read printed material (Fozard, 1990). It is well recognized that many older people experience hearing changes such as difficulties to hear sounds at high frequencies. Sometimes we find older people would speak louder because they cannot hear themselves. What is more, many manifest trouble to understand what they have clearly heard at a given loudness. Suggestion about this can include reduce distracting noise in working place for old people. When we talk about older people, the most common stereotype of them would be slow to perceive things as an aging deficit. Scientific research findings indicate that it will take nearly 1.2 times longer for older people to finish cognitive process than their counterpart. In a conclusion, job performance is closely related to functional ability but deficits with aging can not necessarily prevent most of older workers from being still effective and qualified employees. Older workers have positive effects on labor force productivity and economic growth Encourage the labor force participation rate of elderly After talking about all the strength and deficits of older work, I would like to focus on the dealings with means of expanding the opportunities for them to regain active participants in the labor market. In the first place, empirical evidence that elderly have difficulty integrating information from multiple sources gives us a clue to develop communication and information-handling systems for older workers in workplace. For this reason, the priority for designing the system is to be acceptable by majority of users. What is more, in order to integrate into the labor force, older worker are longing for training of the new technology or skills in an easy to comprehensive way when they face up the difficulties with computerized work situations. Training and educational programs would be really helpful if we handle them on the right direction. That means we understand that elderly employees have alternative requirements for different position. Finally, if the government could apply more practical social policy and promote the social perspectives of the whole community, the low labor force participation rate may grow to meet the need of older people in Hong Kong. Even though we understand unemployment, no matter for young or old, is a problem brought about by economic recession, policy can still try to help aging who really need assistance in meeting their daily needs and can live peacefully.

Financing the Future Essay -- Essays Papers

Financing the Future The Quest for Educational Equality "So", writes the immortal Dr. Seuss, "be your name Buxaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van O'Shea, you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So†¦get on your way!" Unfortunately, unlike the graduating class this speech was addressed toward, many students in today's urban education system are not of to "Great Places", and will never get the chance to move mountains. These students attempt to learn without textbooks, proper laboratories, or even pencil and paper. The schools are falling apart around these children; in some cases sewage continuously floods the halls, the crumbling roof cannot shut out the weather, and there are even gapping holes in classroom walls. It is definitely not "their day". The problem with our education system finds its roots in funding. We live in a capitalist society where some have the money and others do not. In a poor community, where a family struggles just to put food on the table to feed their kids; the funding necessary to support the schools just is not there. Conversely, in a wealthy community, where the families never go hungry or worry if they will have shelter over their heads, there is a comfortable pool of funds to support their schools. This creates a clear division between the poor schools in urban areas and the wealthier suburban schools. The Wall Street Journal once wrote that "Money doesn't buy better education†¦The evidence can scarcely be clearer" (Kozol 133). They argue that the per-pupil spending has increased, while test scores and other student achievements have remained the stagnant. This conclusion, however, was based on the fact that the spending rate had increased in both urba... ... you will say, 'I don't choose to go there.' With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street." Unfortunately, like so many of our improperly educated, it looks like our schooling systems are going down that "no-so-good street" and we must use our "head full of brains" to turn away and fix the inequalities right before our eyes. Works Cited "Addressing Violence in Oklahoma." The Addressing Violence in Oklahoma Coalition. June 1995: pg. 1. Online. Internet. 16 November 1997. Giuliani, Rudolph. "A vision for education". 11 August 1995. "It's Not the Money, It's the Principal." Editorial. TIME 27 October 1997: 92. Kozol, Jonathan. Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1991. Seuss, Dr. Oh, the Places You'll Go! New York: Random House, Inc., 1990

Grants, New Mexico :: Geography Traveling Essays

Grants, New Mexico Surrounded by mountains and located in Cibola County, Grants, New Mexico is the perfect place to unpack the camping gear or raise a family. Grants was named after 3 brothers: Angus, Lewis, and John Grant, who were contracted to build a railroad through this portion of New Mexico. First called â€Å"Grant’s Camp†, then â€Å"Grant’s Station† (which is now a local restaurant); it finally became known simply as â€Å"Grants†. The heart of American Indian country, Grants is about 70 miles west of Albuquerque and 80 miles east of the New Mexico/Arizona border. As of July 2002, Grants had a population of 8,921 residents and growing. Once a small farming community until 1950 when a Navajo rancher discovered uranium on Haystack Mountain, this town has now become a growing tourist destination. For those like me who enjoy mild and dry weather, Grants is perfect. While I enjoy snow, especially around Christmas, it is a real treat to enjoy the beauty of snow one day and then throw on shorts and a tee-shirt the next day. The average summer high and low is 80/50. The average winter high and low is 40/10. During the winter months, it is not uncommon to see one group of people playing a round of golf at the Coyote del Malpais Golf Course located at the foot of Mt. Taylor, while another group are surrounded by snow high on the mountain itself. One of the first things you will notice in Grants is the majestic mountains. Rising 11, 3001 feet, Mt. Taylor displays scattered rows of gorgeous Ponderosa Pine trees. Blazing a trail through these Pines one can find beautiful nature trails, delightful picnic spots, and scenic vistas which make you feel as if you have stepped right into a mythical painting. I have spent many a day loosing myself in nature in those mountains only to find myself going back the next day for another area to explore. Mt. Taylor stays occupied all year round with hikers, bike riders, skiers, and those inclined towards snowshoeing. One of the biggest events that Mt. Taylor boasts is the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon. Occurring annually on the Saturday of President’s Day Weekend, this event includes a 43 Kilometer bike ride, a 3.5 Kilometer snowshoe trek, an 8 Kilometer cross-country skiing leg, and a 17.5 Kilometer run. While the mountains may be beautiful and innocent during the day, they take on a whole other personality during the evening.

Occurrence Of Dental Caries Health And Social Care Essay

The recent diminution in the happening of dental cavities has brought a alteration in distribution of the cavities job in many populations. At present bulk are particularly kids and striplings, have no or merely a few cavitated lesions, while for a few the cavities experience still remains comparatively high.1,6 Clinical variables, particularly past cavities experience, have been confirmed as the most important forecasters of future cavities development. The position of the most late erupted or open surface is the most appropriate step of past cavities experience. Sociodemographic variables are most of import to anticipation theoretical accounts for immature kids and older grownups. Microbial degrees are included in the most accurate anticipation models.2 Cavities risk appraisal is an of import portion of preventative dental medicine since cavities is preventable, early designation of relevant factors impacting populations that may increase the hazard of cavities is of import. Appraisal of single aetiologic factors for bing carious lesions is a requirement for future cavities risk.3 Repeated finding of the caries-risk allows an rating of the success or the demand for alteration of preventative steps. Indications of an increased caries-risk in specific population in community preventative programmes will let choice of an single preventative programme in order to understate the development of carious lesions.4Multifactorial appraisal of cavities hazard:Dental cavities is a multifactorial disease in which there is interplay of four chief factors: The host ( saliva and dentitions ) , The microbic vegetation ( plaque & A ; micro-organisms ) The substrate ( diet ) and The time.4 The hazard of dental cavities can be evaluated by analyzing and incorporating several causative factors. In day-to-day pattern the caries-risk is determined in order to measure the single patient ‘s hazard, to place the chief causative factors and to urge specific preventative steps for single needs.4Cariogram aa‚ ¬ † A multifactorial appraisal tool:The Cariogram is a cavities hazard forecaster theoretical account that has been developed to depict and cipher the single cavities risk profile. It was developed in 1996 by Bratthall as educational theoretical account, taking at exemplifying the multifactorial background of dental cavities in a simple way.5 The chief intent of the Cariogram is to show the cavities risk diagrammatically, expressed as the Chance to avoid new cavities in the close hereafter. It besides illustrates to what extent assorted factors affect the Chance. And besides to promote preventative steps before new pits could develop.5The five sectors of the cariogram:The Cariogram, a pie circle-diagram, is divided into five sectors, in the undermentioned colors: green, dark blue, ruddy, light blue and xanthous bespeaking the different groups of factors related to dental cavities. An account of each sector is as follows. The green sector shows an appraisal of the Actual opportunity to avoid new pits. The green sector is what is left when the other factors have taken their portion. The dark blue sector Diet is based on a combination of diet contents and diet frequence. The ruddy sector Bacteria is based on a combination of sum of plaque and mutans streptococci. The light blue sector Susceptibility is based on a combination of fluoride plan, saliva secernment and spit buffer capacity. The yellow sector Circumstances is based on a combination of past cavities experience and related diseases. 7 5Factors assessed by cariogram:The Cariogram plan with a constitutional algorithm, evaluates the cavities risk profile of an person. Nine factors of relevancy to cavities are entered into the plan and given a mark harmonizing to predetermined graduated tables for each factor.Cavities experience:Clinical scrutiny of figure of rotten, filled and losing dentitions should be recorded. The cavities prevalence is an of import factor as it illustrates how the balance between opposition factors and cavities bring oning factors has been in the yesteryear. If the cavities prevalence is high, it means that the patient has been susceptible to the disease during a past period of clip.Related general diseases:Several general diseases, conditions can straight or indirectly act upon the cavities procedure, either through impacting saliva formation and composing, through a caries-inducing dietetic form or through medical specialties. Diseases or conditions in early childhood may hold influenced the formation of the enamel. For illustration: Autoimmune diseases, like Sjogren ‘s syndrome Intake of medical specialties Radiation towards the head-neck part Disabilities should be taken into consideration. Because of hapless eye-sight may impact right unwritten hygiene steps. They have troubles in cleaning their dentitions decently.Diet contents:Diet plays a cardinal function in the development of dental cavities, and there is a correlativity between ingestion of fermentable saccharides and cavities. Fermentable saccharides include dietetic sugars chiefly sucrose, glucose, fructose and cooked starches, which can be broken down quickly by salivary amylase to fermentable sugars. A high lactobacillus count will bespeak high saccharide ingestion.Diet frequence:Frequency of consumption of fermentable saccharides is one of the cardinal factors in the appraisal of cavities hazard. 24 hr callback diet history is recorded for frequence of meal consumption.Plaque sum:Plaque is the direct and of import aetiologic factor for cavities as it harbours micro-organisms. Plaque Index harmonizing to Silness & A ; Loe ( 1964 ) was used to gauge the plaque s um.Scoring standards for Silnesss & A ; Loe plaque index.PI 0= No plaque PI 1= A movie of plaque adhering to the free gingival border and next country of the tooth. The plaque may be seen in situ merely after application of unwraping solution or by utilizing the investigation on the tooth surface. PI 2= Moderate accretion of soft sedimentations within the gingival pocket or on the tooth and gingival border which can be seen with the bare oculus. PI 3= Abundance of soft affair within the gingival pocket and/or on the tooth and gingival border.Mutans streptococcuss:Streptococcus mutans considered to play active function in the development of cavities, particularly in the early phases of the lesion formation. Mutans streptococcus are acidogenic and acidophilic bacteriums that they can bring forth acids which can fade out the tooth substance and that they can last and even in a low pH environment. They can besides bring forth extracellular glucans, which helps them to adhere to the tooth surfaces.Fluoride programme:Fluoride is a really strong factor bring oning opposition to cavities and of importance for remineralisation of early cavities lesions. The relevant information on fluorides has to be obtained by patient interviews.Amount spit secreted:Appraisal of the saliva flow rate is done. The sum and the quality of the spit is recorded. Medication, radiation therapy to caput and cervix that affect the salivary secretory organs, salivary rocks, anorexia nervosa, autoimmune diseases and diabetes mellitus are illustrations of grounds for the low secernment rate. In mensurating saliva flow rate, either unstimulated or stimulated saliva secernment is chosen.Saliva buffer capacity:The spit has several of import protective maps, both for dentition and for unwritten mucosal surfaces. Its clearance of nutrient dust, sugars and acids from the unwritten pit is of import for cavities protection. Saliva buffer system seek to maintain pH near to impersonal. Buffer capacity is of import spits factor that is measured.Clinical opinion:The entire feeling of the cavities state of affairs, including societal factors, gives a positive position, more positive than what the Cariogram seems to bespeak. The tester would wish to do the green sector bigger or smaller to better or diminish the Chance to avoid cavities sector for the patient.5Estimating cavities hazard utilizing cariogram:When all the information associating to the factors was estimated, including consequences of the spit trials, the relevant information was entered into the Cariogram computing machine plan to cipher the cavities hazard. Cariogram assesses the hazard of future cavities activity and expresses the consequence as the opportunity of avoiding cavities. The opportunity varies on a graduated table from 0 to 100 % . A 0 % opportunity of avoiding cavities means that lesions will decidedly happen over clip ( high cavi ties hazard ) . And 100 % opportunity of avoiding cavities means that there is no hazard of future cavities activity ( low cavities hazard ) . 8Decision:Cariogram theoretical account can be able to place the caries-related factors that could be the grounds for the hereafter cavities hazard anticipation, and hence assist the tooth doctor to be after appropriate preventative measures.9 This caries-risk appraisal should be repeated on a regular basis as an assistance in the preventative and non-operative direction of the cavities disease.6 Cavities hazard can be estimated in particular attention kids, disabled, bedfast patients and appropriate cavities preventative actions can be initiated.

Student Version of Decleration of Independence

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for students to break off with their parents and teachers and to become independent; they must explain why they deserve to be independent to the rest of the world. This requires us, as students to write our own Declaration of Independence for the rest of the world to see and comprehend why we should be and will be independent to show our oppression against our teachers. To begin with, it is obvious that all students are created equal and are given by their creator the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of whatever makes them happy.To get these rights, teachers should allow students do as they wish. However, when teachers begin a long train of mistreatment and machination against students with their communistic ways and Pearl Harbor sneak attacks with discipline it shows they only want to control every aspect of our lives. Do we not deserve respect? It is the duty and right of us sapient students to get rid of the control o ur fastidious teachers have over the students and our school.Furthermore, students have been very patient with the teachers and faculty of South Gwinnett High School, but with such a long history of mistreatment, headache and constant nagging from the staff it is only right that the rest of the world finds out what has been happening. It has rained so long, it seems as though it has rained for 40 days and nights. They give us repeated pointless referrals; they give us way too much work with no time to finish. Staff are constantly questioning students in the hallways and telling us what to wear.They tell us when we can or cannot use the restroom; they tell us that we only have six minutes to get to each class, which is not enough time. Our lockers are too small and our lunches are inedible. They refuse to let us go off campus for lunch, and they refuse to let us self-checkout anymore. They punish us if we do not make it to class on time by going to the tardy room, and they punish us for gratuitous reasons that were unfair and not our fault. Even after all of this mistreatment, the students including myself have expressed how we felt to our teachers.However, our complaints have fallen flat. And as usual we have been shunned and ignored. We have even brought our situation to the ears of administrators, teachers from different schools and parents, but we have been muted. A petition to ease the dictatorship of our teachers was refused by many. Some even attempted to post posters illustrating how the students felt. Students even tried going on strike, refusing to go to classes. Meetings to try and sit down with the faculty of South Gwinnett to discuss the matter were ignored as well.The betrayal was stern. Do we not deserve respect? Though, now we must announce that we are accommodating in this debauchery and separating ourselves from the school as a whole to become more independent and liberated. We, therefore the students and representative of South Gwinnett High School in Snellville Georgia present these facts to the rest of the country and the world for freedom. And with this, the students of South Gwinnett write and declare that we are now independent from South Gwinnett High School.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 44-47

CHAPTER 44 New York editor Jonas Faukman was just turning off the lights in his Manhattan office when his phone rang. He had no intention of picking up at this hour–that is, until he glimpsed the caller- ID display. This ought to be good, he thought, reaching for the receiver. â€Å"Do we still publish you?† Faukman asked, half serious. â€Å"Jonas!† Robert Langdon's voice sounded anxious. â€Å"Thank God you're there. I need your help.† Faukman's spirits lifted. â€Å"You've got pages for me to edit, Robert?† Finally? â€Å"No, I need information. Last year, I connected you with a scientist named Katherine Solomon, the sister of Peter Solomon?† Faukman frowned. No pages. â€Å"She was looking for a publisher for a book on Noetic Science? Do you remember her?† Faukman rolled his eyes. â€Å"Sure. I remember. And thanks a million for that introduction. Not only did she refuse to let me read the results of her research, she didn't want to publish anything until some magical date in the future.† â€Å"Jonas, listen to me, I don't have time. I need Katherine's phone number. Right now. Do you have it?† â€Å"I've got to warn you . . . you're acting a little desperate. She's great looking, but you're not going to impress her by–â€Å" â€Å"This is no joke, Jonas, I need her number now.† â€Å"All right . . . hold on.† Faukman and Langdon had been close friends for enough years that Faukman knew when Langdon was serious. Jonas typed the name Katherine Solomon into a search window and began scanning the company's e-mail server. â€Å"I'm looking now,† Faukman said. â€Å"And for what it's worth, when you call her, you may not want to call from the Harvard Pool. It sounds like you're in an asylum.† â€Å"I'm not at the pool. I'm in a tunnel under the U.S. Capitol.† Faukman sensed from Langdon's voice that he was not joking. What is it with this guy? â€Å"Robert, why can't you just stay home and write?† His computer pinged. â€Å"Okay, hold on . . . I got it.† He moused through the old e-mail thread. â€Å"It looks like all I have is her cell.† â€Å"I'll take it.† Faukman gave him the number. â€Å"Thanks, Jonas,† Langdon said, sounding grateful. â€Å"I owe you one.† â€Å"You owe me a manuscript, Robert. Do you have any idea how long–â€Å" The line went dead. Faukman stared at the receiver and shook his head. Book publishing would be so much easier without the authors. CHAPTER 45 Katherine Solomon did a double take when she saw the name on her caller ID. She had imagined the incoming call was from Trish, checking in to explain why she and Christopher Abaddon were taking so long. But the caller was not Trish. Far from it. Katherine felt a blushing smile cross her lips. Could tonight get any stranger? She flipped open her phone. â€Å"Don't tell me,† she said playfully. â€Å"Bookish bachelor seeking single Noetic Scientist?† â€Å"Katherine!† The deep voice belonged to Robert Langdon. â€Å"Thank God you're okay.† â€Å"Of course I'm okay,† she replied, puzzled. â€Å"Other than the fact that you never called me after that party at Peter's house last summer.† â€Å"Something has happened tonight. Please listen.† His normally smooth voice sounded ragged. â€Å"I'm so sorry to have to tell you this . . . but Peter is in serious trouble.† Katherine's smile disappeared. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"Peter . . .† Langdon hesitated as if searching for words. â€Å"I don't know how to say it, but he's been . . . taken. I'm not sure how or by whom, but–â€Å" â€Å"Taken?† Katherine demanded. â€Å"Robert, you're scaring me. Taken . . . where?† â€Å"Taken captive.† Langdon's voice cracked as if he were overwhelmed. â€Å"It must have happened earlier today or maybe yesterday.† â€Å"This isn't funny,† she said angrily. â€Å"My brother is fine. I just spoke to him fifteen minutes ago!† â€Å"You did?!† Langdon sounded stunned. â€Å"Yes! He just texted me to say he was coming to the lab.† â€Å"He texted you . . .† Langdon thought out loud. â€Å"But you didn't actually hear his voice?† â€Å"No, but–â€Å" â€Å"Listen to me. The text you received was not from your brother. Someone has Peter's phone. He's dangerous. Whoever it is tricked me into coming to Washington tonight.† â€Å"Tricked you? You're not making any sense!† â€Å"I know, I'm so sorry.† Langdon seemed uncharacteristically disorientated. â€Å"Katherine, I think you could be in danger.† Katherine Solomon was sure that Langdon would never joke about something like this, and yet he sounded like he had lost his mind. â€Å"I'm fine,† she said. â€Å"I'm locked inside a secure building!† â€Å"Read me the message you got from Peter's phone. Please.† Bewildered, Katherine pulled up the text message and read it to Langdon, feeling a chill as she came to the final part referencing Dr. Abaddon. â€Å"`If available, have Dr. Abaddon join us inside. I trust him fully . . .' â€Å" â€Å"Oh God . . .† Langdon's voice was laced with fear. â€Å"Did you invite this man inside?† â€Å"Yes! My assistant just went out to the lobby to get him. I expect them back any–â€Å" â€Å"Katherine, get out!† Langdon yelled. â€Å"Now!† At the other side of the SMSC, inside the security room, a phone began ringing, drowning out the Redskins game. The guard reluctantly pulled out his earbuds one more time. â€Å"Lobby,† he answered. â€Å"This is Kyle.† â€Å"Kyle, it's Katherine Solomon!† Her voice sounded anxious, out of breath. â€Å"Ma'am, your brother has not yet–â€Å" â€Å"Where's Trish?!† she demanded. â€Å"Can you see her on the monitors?† The guard rolled his chair over to look at the screens. â€Å"She hasn't gotten back to the Cube yet?† â€Å"No!† Katherine shouted, sounding alarmed. The guard now realized that Katherine Solomon was out of breath, as if she were running. What's going on back there? The guard quickly worked the video joystick, skimming through frames of digital video at rapid speed. â€Å"Okay, hold on, scrolling through playback . . . I've got Trish with your guest leaving the lobby . . . they move down the Street . . . fast-forwarding . . . okay, they're going into Wet Pod . . . Trish uses her key card to unlock the door . . . both of them step into Wet Pod . . . fast- forwarding . . . okay, here they are coming out of Wet Pod just a minute ago . . . heading down . . .† He cocked his head, slowing the playback. â€Å"Wait a minute. That's odd.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"The gentleman came out of Wet Pod alone.† â€Å"Trish stayed inside?† â€Å"Yes, it looks that way. I'm watching your guest now . . . he's in the hall on his own.† â€Å"Where is Trish?† Katherine asked more frantically. â€Å"I don't see her on the video feed,† he replied, an edge of anxiety creeping into his voice. He looked back at the screen and noticed that the man's jacket sleeves appeared to be wet . . . all the way up to his elbows. What in the world did he do in Wet Pod? The guard watched as the man began to move purposefully down the main hallway toward Pod 5, clutching in his hand what looked like . . . a key card. The guard felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, we've got a serious problem.† Tonight was a night of firsts for Katherine Solomon. In two years, she had never used her cell phone inside the void. Nor had she ever crossed the void at a dead run. At the moment, however, Katherine had a cell phone pressed to her ear while she was dashing blindly along the endless length of carpet. Each time she felt a foot stray from the carpet, she corrected back to center, racing on through the sheer darkness. â€Å"Where is he now?† Katherine asked the guard, breathless. â€Å"Checking now,† the guard replied. â€Å"Fast-forwarding . . . okay, here he is walking down the hall . . . moving toward Pod Five . . .† Katherine ran harder, hoping to reach the exit before she got trapped back here. â€Å"How long until he gets to the Pod Five entrance?† The guard paused. â€Å"Ma'am, you don't understand. I'm still fast-forwarding. This is recorded playback. This already happened.† He paused. â€Å"Hold on, let me check the entry event monitor.† He paused and then said, â€Å"Ma'am, Ms. Dunne's key card shows a Pod Five entry event about a minute ago.† Katherine slammed on the brakes, sliding to a halt in the middle of the abyss. â€Å"He already unlocked Pod Five?† she whispered into the phone. The guard was typing frantically. â€Å"Yes, it looks like he entered . . . ninety seconds ago.† Katherine's body went rigid. She stopped breathing. The darkness felt suddenly alive all around her. He's in here with me. In an instant, Katherine realized that the only light in the entire space was coming from her cell phone, illuminating the side of her face. â€Å"Send help,† she whispered to the guard. â€Å"And get to Wet Pod to help Trish.† Then she quietly closed her phone, extinguishing the light. Absolute darkness settled around her. She stood stock-still and breathed as quietly as possible. After a few seconds, the pungent scent of ethanol wafted out of the darkness in front of her. The smell got stronger. She could sense a presence, only a few feet in front of her on the carpet. In the silence, the pounding of Katherine's heart seemed loud enough to give her away. Silently, she stepped out of her shoes and inched to her left, sidestepping off the carpet. The cement felt cold under her feet. She took one more step to clear the carpet. One of her toes cracked. It sounded like a gunshot in the stillness. Only a few yards away, a rustle of clothing suddenly came at her out of the darkness. Katherine bolted an instant too late and a powerful arm snagged her, groping in the darkness, hands violently attempting to gain purchase. She spun away as a viselike grip caught her lab coat, yanking her backward, reeling her in. Katherine threw her arms backward, slithering out of her lab coat and slipping free. Suddenly, with no idea anymore which way was out, Katherine Solomon found herself dashing, dead blind, across an endless black abyss. CHAPTER 46 Despite containing what many have called â€Å"the most beautiful room in the world,† the Library of Congress is known less for its breathtaking splendor than for its vast collections. With over five hundred miles of shelves–enough to stretch from Washington, D.C., to Boston–it easily claims the title of largest library on earth. And yet still it expands, at a rate of over ten thousand items per day. As an early repository for Thomas Jefferson's personal collection of books on science and philosophy, the library stood as a symbol of America's commitment to the dissemination of knowledge. One of the first buildings in Washington to have electric lights, it literally shone like a beacon in the darkness of the New World. As its name implies, the Library of Congress was established to serve Congress, whose venerated members worked across the street in the Capitol Building. This age-old bond between library and Capitol had been fortified recently by the construction of a physical connection–a long tunnel beneath Independence Avenue that linked the two buildings. Tonight, inside this dimly lit tunnel, Robert Langdon followed Warren Bellamy through a construction zone, trying to quell his own deepening concern for Katherine. This lunatic is at her lab?! Langdon didn't even want to imagine why. When he had called to warn her, Langdon had told Katherine exactly where to meet him before they hung up. How much longer is this damned tunnel? His head ached now, a roiling torrent of interconnected thoughts: Katherine, Peter, the Masons, Bellamy, pyramids, ancient prophecy . . . and a map. Langdon shook it all off and pressed on. Bellamy promised me answers. When the two men finally reached the end of the passage, Bellamy guided Langdon through a set of double doors that were still under construction. Finding no way to lock the unfinished doors behind them, Bellamy improvised, grabbing an aluminum ladder from the construction supplies and leaning it precariously against the outside of the door. Then he balanced a metal bucket on top. If anyone opened the door, the bucket would crash loudly to the floor. That's our alarm system? Langdon eyed the perched bucket, hoping Bellamy had a more comprehensive plan for their safety tonight. Everything had happened so fast, and Langdon was only now starting to process the repercussions of his fleeing with Bellamy. I'm a fugitive from the CIA. Bellamy led the way around a corner, where the two men began ascending a wide staircase that was cordoned off with orange pylons. Langdon's daybag weighed him down as he climbed. â€Å"The stone pyramid,† he said, â€Å"I still don't understand–â€Å" â€Å"Not here,† Bellamy interrupted. â€Å"We'll examine it in the light. I know a safe place.† Langdon doubted such a place existed for anyone who had just physically assaulted the director of the CIA's Office of Security. As the two men reached the top of the stairs, they entered a wide hallway of Italian marble, stucco, and gold leaf. The hall was lined with eight pairs of statues–all depicting the goddess Minerva. Bellamy pressed on, leading Langdon eastward, through a vaulted archway, into a far grander space. Even in the dim, after-hours lighting, the library's great hall shone with the classical grandeur of an opulent European palace. Seventy-five feet overhead, stained-glass skylights glistened between paneled beams adorned with rare â€Å"aluminum leaf†Ã¢â‚¬â€œa metal that was considered to be more precious than gold at one time. Beneath that, a stately course of paired pillars lined the second-floor balcony, accessible by two magnificent curling staircases whose newel posts supported giant bronze female figures raising torches of enlightenment. In a bizarre attempt to reflect this theme of modern enlightenment and yet stay within the decorative register of Renaissance architecture, the stairway banisters had been carved with cupidlike putti portrayed as modern scientists. An angelic electrician holding a telephone? A cherubic entomologist with a specimen box? Langdon wondered what Bernini would have thought. â€Å"We'll talk over here,† Bellamy said, leading Langdon past the bulletproof display cases that contained the library's two most valuable books–the Giant Bible of Mainz, handwritten in the 1450s, and America's copy of the Gutenberg Bible, one of only three perfect vellum copies in the world. Fittingly, the vaulted ceiling overhead bore John White Alexander's six-panel painting titled The Evolution of the Book. Bellamy strode directly to a pair of elegant double doors at the center rear of the east-corridor wall. Langdon knew what room lay beyond those doors, but it seemed a strange choice for a conversation. Notwithstanding the irony of talking in a space filled with â€Å"Silence Please† signs, this room hardly seemed like a â€Å"safe place.† Located dead center of the library's cruciform- shaped floor plan, this chamber served as the heart of the building. Hiding in here was like breaking into a cathedral and hiding on the altar. Nonetheless, Bellamy unlocked the doors, stepped into the darkness beyond, and groped for the lights. When he flipped the switch, one of America's great architectural masterpieces seemed to materialize out of thin air. The famous reading room was a feast for the senses. A voluminous octagon rose 160 feet at its center, its eight sides finished in chocolate-brown Tennessee marble, cream-colored Siena marble, and apple-red Algerian marble. Because it was lit from eight angles, no shadows fell anywhere, creating the effect that the room itself was glowing. â€Å"Some say it's the most striking room in Washington,† Bellamy said, ushering Langdon inside. Maybe in the whole world, Langdon thought as he stepped across the threshold. As always, his gaze first ascended straight up to the towering central collar, where rays of arabesque coffers curled down the dome to an upper balcony. Encircling the room, sixteen bronze â€Å"portrait† statues peered down from the balustrade. Beneath them, a stunning arcade of archways formed a lower balcony. Down at floor level, three concentric circles of burnished wood desks radiated out from the massive octagonal circulation desk. Langdon returned his focus to Bellamy, who was now propping the room's double doors wide open. â€Å"I thought we were hiding,† Langdon said, confused. â€Å"If anyone enters the building,† Bellamy said, â€Å"I want to hear them coming.† â€Å"But won't they find us instantly in here?† â€Å"No matter where we hide, they'll find us. But if anyone corners us in this building, you'll be very glad I chose this room.† Langdon had no idea why, but Bellamy apparently wasn't looking to discuss it. He was already on the move toward the center of the room, where he selected one of the available reading desks, pulled up two chairs, and flipped on the reading light. Then he motioned to Langdon's bag. â€Å"Okay, Professor, let's have a closer look.† Not wanting to risk scratching its polished surface with a rough piece of granite, Langdon hoisted his entire bag onto the desk and unzipped it, folding the sides all the way down to reveal the pyramid inside. Warren Bellamy adjusted the reading lamp and studied the pyramid carefully. He ran his fingers over the unusual engraving. â€Å"I assume you recognize this language?† Bellamy asked. â€Å"Of course,† Langdon replied, eyeing the sixteen symbols. Known as the Freemason's Cipher, this encoded language had been used for private communication among early Masonic brothers. The encryption method had been abandoned long ago for one simple reason–it was much too easy to break. Most of the students in Langdon's senior symbology seminar could break this code in about five minutes. Langdon, with a pencil and paper, could do it in under sixty seconds. The notorious breakability of this centuries-old encryption scheme now presented a couple of paradoxes. First, the claim that Langdon was the only person on earth who could break it was absurd. Second, for Sato to suggest that a Masonic cipher was an issue of national security was like her suggesting our nuclear launch codes were encrypted with a Cracker Jack decoder ring. Langdon was still struggling to believe any of it. This pyramid is a map? Pointing to the lost wisdom of the ages? â€Å"Robert,† Bellamy said, his tone grave. â€Å"Did Director Sato tell you why she is so interested in this?† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"Not specifically. She just kept saying it was an issue of national security. I assume she's lying.† â€Å"Perhaps,† Bellamy said, rubbing the back of his neck. He seemed to be struggling with something. â€Å"But there is a far more troubling possibility.† He turned to look Langdon in the eye. â€Å"It's possible that Director Sato has discovered this pyramid's true potential.† CHAPTER 47 The blackness engulfing Katherine Solomon felt absolute. Having fled the familiar safety of the carpet, she was now groping blindly forward, her outstretched hands touching only empty space as she staggered deeper into the desolate void. Beneath her stockinged feet, the endless expanse of cold cement felt like a frozen lake . . . a hostile environment from which she now needed to escape. No longer smelling ethanol, she stopped and waited in darkness. Standing dead still, she listened, willing her heart to stop pounding so loudly. The heavy footsteps behind her seemed to have stopped. Did I lose him? Katherine closed her eyes and tried to imagine where she was. Which direction did I run? Where is the door? It was no use. She was so turned around now that the exit could be anywhere. Fear, Katherine had once heard, acted as a stimulant, sharpening the mind's ability to think. Right now, however, her fear had turned her mind into a tumbling torrent of panic and confusion. Even if I find the exit, I can't get out. Her key card had been lost when she'd shed her lab coat. Her only hope seemed to be that she was now a needle in a haystack–a single point on a thirty- thousand-square-foot grid. Despite the overwhelming urge to flee, Katherine's analytical mind told her instead to make the only logical move–no move at all. Stay still. Don't make a sound. The security guard was on his way, and for some unknown reason, her attacker smelled strongly of ethanol. If he gets too close, I'll know it. As Katherine stood in silence, her mind raced over what Langdon had said. Your brother . . . he's been taken. She felt a bead of cold sweat materialize on her arm and trickle down, toward the cell phone still clenched in her right hand. It was a danger she had forgotten to consider. If the phone rang, it would give away her position, and she could not turn it off without opening it and illuminating the display. Set down the phone . . . and move away from it. But it was too late. The smell of ethanol approached on her right. And now it grew stronger. Katherine struggled to stay calm, forcing herself to override the instinct to run. Carefully, slowly, she took one step to her left. The faint rustle of her clothing was apparently all her attacker needed. She heard him lunge, and the smell of ethanol washed over her as a powerful hand grabbed at her shoulder. She twisted away, raw terror gripping her. Mathematical probability went out the window, and Katherine broke into a blind sprint. She veered hard to the left, changing course, dashing blindly now into the void. The wall materialized out of nowhere. Katherine hit it hard, knocking the wind from her lungs. Pain blossomed in her arm and shoulder, but she managed to stay on her feet. The oblique angle at which she had collided with the wall had spared her the full force of the blow, but it was little comfort now. The sound had echoed everywhere. He knows where I am. Doubled over in pain, she turned her head and stared out into the blackness of the pod and sensed him staring back at her. Change your location. Now! Still struggling to catch her breath, she began moving down the wall, touching her left hand quietly to each exposed steel stud as she passed. Stay along the wall. Slip past him before he corners you. In her right hand, Katherine still clutched her cell phone, ready to hurl it as a projectile if need be. Katherine was in no way prepared for the sound she heard next–the clear rustle of clothing directly in front of her . . . against the wall. She froze, stock-still, and stopped breathing. How could he be on the wall already? She felt a faint puff of air, laced with the stench of ethanol. He's moving down the wall toward me! Katherine backed up several steps. Then, turning silently 180 degrees, she began moving quickly in the opposite direction down the wall. She moved twenty feet or so when the impossible happened. Once again, directly in front of her, along the wall, she heard the rustling sound of clothing. Then came the same puff of air and the smell of ethanol. Katherine Solomon froze in place. My God, he's everywhere! Bare-chested, Mal'akh stared into the darkness. The smell of ethanol on his sleeves had proven a liability, and so he had transformed it into an asset, stripping off his shirt and jacket and using them to help corner his prey. Throwing his jacket against the wall to the right, he had heard Katherine stop short and change direction. Now, having thrown his shirt ahead to the left, Mal'akh had heard her stop again. He had effectively corralled Katherine against the wall by establishing points beyond which she dared not pass. Now he waited, ears straining in the silence. She has only one direction she can move–directly toward me. Even so, Mal'akh heard nothing. Either Katherine was paralyzed with fear, or she had decided to stand still and wait for help to enter Pod 5. Either way she loses. Nobody would be entering Pod 5 anytime soon; Mal'akh had disabled the outer keypad with a very crude, yet very effective, technique. After using Trish's key card, he had rammed a single dime deep into the key-card slot to prevent any other key-card use without first dismantling the entire mechanism. You and I are alone, Katherine . . . for as long as this takes. Mal'akh inched silently forward, listening for any movement. Katherine Solomon would die tonight in the darkness of her brother's museum. A poetic end. Mal'akh looked forward to sharing the news of Katherine's death with her brother. The old man's anguish would be long- awaited revenge. Suddenly in the darkness, to Mal'akh's great surprise, he saw a tiny glow in the distance and realized Katherine had just made a deadly error in judgment. She's phoning for help?! The electronic display that had just flickered to life was hovering waist high, about twenty yards ahead, like a shining beacon on a vast ocean of black. Mal'akh had been prepared to wait Katherine out, but now he wouldn't have to. Mal'akh sprang into motion, racing toward the hovering light, knowing he had to reach her before she could complete her call for help. He was there in a matter of seconds, and he lunged, arms outstretched on either side of her glowing cell phone, preparing to engulf her. Mal'akh's fingers jammed into a solid wall, bending backward and almost breaking. His head collided next, crashing into a steel beam. He cried out in pain as he crumpled beside the wall. Cursing, he clambered back to his feet, pulling himself up by the waist-high, horizontal strut on which Katherine Solomon had cleverly placed her open cell phone. Katherine was running again, this time with no concern for the noise her hand was making as it bounced rhythmically off the evenly spaced metal studs of Pod 5. Run! If she followed the wall all the way around the pod, she knew that sooner or later she would feel the exit door. Where the hell is the guard? The even spacing of the studs continued as she ran with her left hand on the sidewall and her right out in front of her for protection. When will I reach the corner? The sidewall seemed to go on and on, but suddenly the rhythm of the studs was broken. Her left hand hit empty space for several long strides, and then the studs began again. Katherine slammed on the brakes and backed up, feeling her way across the smooth metal panel. Why are there no studs here? She could hear her attacker lumbering loudly after her now, groping his way down the wall in her direction. Even so, it was a different sound that scared Katherine even more–the distant rhythmic banging of a security guard pounding his flashlight against the Pod 5 door. The guard can't get in? While the thought was terrifying, the location of his banging–diagonally to her right–instantly oriented Katherine. She could now picture where in Pod 5 she was located. The visual flash brought with it an unexpected realization. She now knew what this flat panel on the wall was. Every pod was equipped with a specimen bay–a giant movable wall that could be retracted for transporting oversize specimens in and out of the pods. Like those of an airplane hangar, this door was mammoth, and Katherine in her wildest dreams had never imagined needing to open it. At the moment, though, it seemed like her only hope. Is it even operable? Katherine fumbled blindly in the blackness, searching the bay door until she found the large metal handle. Grasping it, she threw her weight backward, trying to slide open the door. Nothing. She tried again. It didn't budge. She could hear her attacker closing faster now, homing in on the sounds of her efforts. The bay door is locked! Wild with panic, she slid her hands all over the door, feeling the surface for any latch or lever. She suddenly hit what felt like a vertical pole. She followed it down to the floor, crouching, and could feel it was inserted into a hole in the cement. A security rod! She stood up, grabbed the pole, and, lifting with her legs, slid the rod up and out of the hole. He's almost here! Katherine groped now for the handle, found it again, and heaved back on it with all her might. The massive panel seemed barely to move, and yet a sliver of moonlight now sliced into Pod 5. Katherine pulled again. The shaft of light from outside the building grew wider. A little more! She pulled one last time, sensing her attacker was now only a few feet away. Leaping toward the light, Katherine wriggled her slender body sideways into the opening. A hand materialized in the darkness, clawing at her, trying to pull her back inside. She heaved herself through the opening, pursued by a massive bare arm that was covered with tattooed scales. The terrifying arm writhed like an angry snake trying to seize her. Katherine spun and fled down the long, pale outer wall of Pod 5. The bed of loose stones that surrounded the entire perimeter of the SMSC cut into her stockinged feet as she ran, but she pressed on, heading for the main entrance. The night was dark, but with her eyes fully dilated from the utter blackness of Pod 5, she could see perfectly–almost as if it were daylight. Behind her, the heavy bay door ground open, and she heard heavy footsteps accelerating in pursuit down the side of the building. The footsteps seemed impossibly fast. I'll never outrun him to the main entrance. She knew her Volvo was closer, but even that would be too far. I'm not going to make it. Then Katherine realized she had one final card to play. As she neared the corner of Pod 5, she could hear his footsteps quickly overtaking her in the darkness. Now or never. Instead of rounding the corner, Katherine suddenly cut hard to her left, away from the building, out onto the grass. As she did so, she closed her eyes tightly, placed both hands over her face, and began running totally blind across the lawn. The motion-activated security lighting that blazed to life around Pod 5 transformed night into day instantly. Katherine heard a scream of pain behind her as the brilliant floodlights seared into her assailant's hyper dilated pupils with over twenty-five-million candlepower of light. She could hear him stumbling on the loose stones. Katherine kept her eyes tightly closed, trusting herself on the open lawn. When she sensed she was far enough away from the building and the lights, she opened her eyes, corrected her course, and ran like hell through the dark. Her Volvo's keys were exactly where she always left them, in the center console. Breathless, she seized the keys in her trembling hands and found the ignition. The engine roared to life, and her headlights flipped on, illuminating a terrifying sight. A hideous form raced toward her. Katherine froze for an instant. The creature caught in her headlights was a bald and bare-chested animal, its skin covered with tattooed scales, symbols, and text. He bellowed as he ran into the glare, raising his hands before his eyes like a cave-dwelling beast seeing sunlight for the first time. She reached for the gearshift but suddenly he was there, hurling his elbow through her side window, sending a shower of safety glass into her lap. A massive scale-covered arm burst through her window, groping half blind, finding her neck. She threw the car in reverse, but her attacker had latched on to her throat, squeezing with unimaginable force. She turned her head in an attempt to escape his grasp, and suddenly she was staring at his face. Three dark stripes, like fingernail scratches, had torn through his face makeup to reveal the tattoos beneath. His eyes were wild and ruthless. â€Å"I should have killed you ten years ago,† he growled. â€Å"The night I killed your mother.† As his words registered, Katherine was seized by a horrifying memory: that feral look in his eyes–she had seen it before. It's him. She would have screamed had it not been for the viselike grip around her neck. She smashed her foot onto the accelerator, and the car lurched backward, almost snapping her neck as he was dragged beside her car. The Volvo careened up an inclined median, and Katherine could feel her neck about to give way beneath his weight. Suddenly tree branches were scraping the side of her car, slapping through the side windows, and the weight was gone. The car burst through the evergreens and out into the upper parking lot, where Katherine slammed on the brakes. Below her, the half-naked man clambered to his feet, staring into her headlights. With a terrifying calm, he raised a menacing scale-covered arm and pointed directly at her. Katherine's blood coursed with raw fear and hatred as she spun the wheel and hit the gas. Seconds later, she was fishtailing out onto Silver Hill Road.