The Lost Symbol Chapter 93-97

CHAPTER 93 Franklin Square is located in the northwest quadrant of downtown Washington, bordered by K and Thirteenth streets. It is home to many historic buildings, most notably the Franklin School, from which Alexander Graham Bell sent the world's first wireless message in 1880. High above the square, a fast-moving UH-60 helicopter approached from the west, having completed its journey from the National Cathedral in a matter of minutes. Plenty of time, Sato thought, peering down at the square below. She knew it was critical that her men got into position undetected before their target arrived. He said he wouldn't be here for at least twenty minutes. On Sato's command, the pilot performed a â€Å"touch-hover† on the roof of the tallest building around–the renowned One Franklin Square–a towering and prestigious office building with two gold spires on top. The maneuver was illegal, of course, but the chopper was there only a few seconds, and its skids barely touched the gravel rooftop. Once everyone had jumped out, the pilot immediately lifted off, banking to the east, where he would climb to â€Å"silent altitude† and provide invisible support from above. Sato waited as her field team collected their things and prepared Bellamy for his task. The Architect was still looking dazed from having seen the file on Sato's secure laptop. As I said . . . an issue of national security. Bellamy had quickly understood Sato's meaning and was now fully cooperative. â€Å"All set, ma'am,† Agent Simkins said. On Sato's command, the agents ushered Bellamy across the rooftop and disappeared down a stairwell, heading for ground level to take up their positions. Sato walked to the edge of the building and gazed down. The rectangular wooded park below filled the entire block. Plenty of cover. Sato's team fully understood the importance of making an undetected intercept. If their target sensed a presence here and decided just to slip away . . . the director didn't even want to think about it. The wind up here was gusty and cold. Sato wrapped her arms around herself, and planted her feet firmly to avoid getting blown over the edge. From this high vantage point, Franklin Square looked smaller than she recalled, with fewer buildings. She wondered which building was Eight Franklin Square. This was information she had requested from her analyst Nola, from whom she expected word at any moment. Bellamy and the agents now appeared, looking like ants fanning out into the darkness of the wooded area. Simkins positioned Bellamy in a clearing near the center of the deserted park. Then Simkins and his team melted into the natural cover, disappearing from view. Within seconds, Bellamy was alone, pacing and shivering in the light of a streetlamp near the center of the park. Sato felt no pity. She lit a cigarette and took a long drag, savoring the warmth as it permeated her lungs. Satisfied that everything below was in order, she stepped back from the edge to await her two phone calls–one from her analyst Nola and one from Agent Hartmann, whom she had sent to Kalorama Heights. CHAPTER 94 Slow down! Langdon gripped the backseat of the Escalade as it flew around a corner, threatening to tip up on two tires. CIA agent Hartmann was either eager to show off his driving skills to Katherine, or he had orders to get to Peter Solomon before Solomon recuperated enough to say anything he shouldn't say to the local authorities. The high-speed game of beat-the-red-light on Embassy Row had been worrisome enough, but now they were racing through the winding residential neighborhood of Kalorama Heights. Katherine shouted directions as they went, having been to this man's house earlier that afternoon. With every turn, the leather bag at Langdon's feet rocked back and forth, and Langdon could hear the clank of the capstone, which had clearly been jarred from the top of the pyramid and was now bouncing around in the bottom of his bag. Fearing it might get damaged, he fished around inside until he found it. It was still warm, but the glowing text had now faded and disappeared, returning to its original engraving: The secret hides within The Order. As Langdon was about to place the capstone in a side pocket, he noticed its elegant surface was covered with tiny white gobs of something. Puzzled, he tried to wipe them off, but they were stuck on and hard to the touch . . . like plastic. What in the world? He could now see that the surface of the stone pyramid itself was also covered with the little white dots. Langdon used his fingernail and picked one off, rolling it between his fingers. â€Å"Wax?† he blurted. Katherine glanced over her shoulder. â€Å"What?† â€Å"There are bits of wax all over the pyramid and capstone. I don't understand it. Where could that possibly have come from?† â€Å"Something in your bag, maybe?† â€Å"I don't think so.† As they rounded a corner, Katherine pointed through the windshield and turned to Agent Hartmann. â€Å"That's it! We're here.† Langdon glanced up and saw the spinning lights of a security vehicle parked in a driveway up ahead. The driveway gate was pulled aside and the agent gunned the SUV inside the compound. The house was a spectacular mansion. Every light inside was ablaze, and the front door was wide open. A half-dozen vehicles were parked haphazardly in the driveway and on the lawn, apparently having arrived in a hurry. Some of the cars were still running and had their headlights shining, most on the house, but one askew, practically blinding them as they drove in. Agent Hartmann skidded to a stop on the lawn beside a white sedan with a brightly colored decal: PREFERRED SECURITY. The spinning lights and the high beams in their face made it hard to see. Katherine immediately jumped out and raced for the house. Langdon heaved his bag onto his shoulder without taking the time to zip it up. He followed Katherine at a jog across the lawn toward the open front door. The sounds of voices echoed within. Behind Langdon, the SUV chirped as Agent Hartmann locked the vehicle and hurried after them. Katherine bounded up the porch stairs, through the main door, and disappeared into the entryway. Langdon crossed the threshold behind her and could see Katherine was already moving across the foyer and down the main hallway toward the sound of voices. Beyond her, visible at the end of the hall, was a dining-room table where a woman in a security uniform was sitting with her back to them. â€Å"Officer!† Katherine shouted as she ran. â€Å"Where is Peter Solomon?† Langdon rushed after her, but as he did so, an unexpected movement caught his eye. To his left, through the living-room window, he could see the driveway gate was now swinging shut. Odd. Something else caught his eye . . . something that had been hidden from him by the glare of the spinning lights and the blinding high beams when they drove in. The half-dozen cars parked haphazardly in the driveway looked nothing like the police cars and emergency vehicles Langdon had imagined they were. A Mercedes? . . . a Hummer? . . . a Tesla Roadster? In that instant, Langdon also realized the voices he heard in the house were nothing but a television blaring in the direction of the dining room. Wheeling in slow motion, Langdon shouted down the hallway. â€Å"Katherine, wait!† But as he turned, he could see that Katherine Solomon was no longer running. She was airborne. CHAPTER 95 Katherine Solomon knew she was falling . . . but she couldn't figure out why. She had been running down the hall toward the security guard in the dining room when suddenly her feet had become entangled in an invisible obstacle, and her entire body had lurched forward, sailing through the air. Now she was returning to earth . . . in this case, a hardwood floor. Katherine crashed down on her stomach, the wind driven violently from her lungs. Above her, a heavy coat tree teetered precariously and then toppled over, barely missing her on the floor. She raised her head, still gasping for breath, puzzled to see that the female security guard in the chair had not moved a muscle. Stranger still, the toppled coat tree appeared to have a thin wire attached to the bottom, which had been stretched across the hallway. Why in the world would someone . . . ? â€Å"Katherine!† Langdon was shouting to her, and as Katherine rolled onto her side and looked back at him, she felt her blood turn to ice. Robert! Behind you! She tried to scream, but she was still gasping for breath. All she could do was watch in terrifying slow motion as Langdon rushed down the hall to help her, completely unaware that behind him, Agent Hartmann was staggering across the threshold and clutching his throat. Blood sprayed through Hartmann's hands as he groped at the handle of a long screwdriver that protruded from his neck. As the agent pitched forward, his attacker came into full view. My God . . . no! Naked except for a strange undergarment that looked like a loincloth, the massive man had apparently been hiding in the foyer. His muscular body was covered from head to toe with strange tattoos. The front door was swinging closed, and he was rushing down the hall after Langdon. Agent Hartmann hit the floor just as the front door slammed shut. Langdon looked startled and whirled around, but the tattooed man was already on him, thrusting some kind of device into his back. There was a flash of light and a sharp electrical sizzle, and Katherine saw Langdon go rigid. Eyes frozen wide, Langdon lurched forward, collapsing down in a paralyzed heap. He fell hard on top of his leather bag, the pyramid tumbling out onto the floor. Without so much as a glance down at his victim, the tattooed man stepped over Langdon and headed directly for Katherine. She was already crawling backward into the dining room, where she collided with a chair. The female security guard, who had been propped in that chair, now wobbled and dropped to the floor in a heap beside her. The woman's lifeless expression was one of terror. Her mouth was stuffed with a rag. The enormous man had reached her before Katherine had time to react. He seized her by the shoulders with impossible strength. His face, no longer covered by makeup, was an utterly terrifying sight. His muscles flexed, and she felt herself being flipped over onto her stomach like a rag doll. A heavy knee ground into her back, and for a moment, she thought she would break in two. He grabbed her arms and pulled them backward. With her head now turned to one side and her cheek pressed into the carpet, Katherine could see Langdon, his body still jerking, facing away from her. Beyond that, Agent Hartmann lay motionless in the foyer. Cold metal pinched Katherine's wrists, and she realized she was being bound with wire. In terror, she tried to pull away, but doing so sent searing pain into her hands. â€Å"This wire will cut you if you move,† the man said, finishing with her wrists and moving down to her ankles with frightening efficiency. Katherine kicked at him, and he threw a powerful fist into the back of her right thigh, crippling her leg. Within seconds, her ankles were bound. â€Å"Robert!† she now managed to call out. Langdon was groaning on the floor in the hallway. He lay crumpled on his leather bag with the stone pyramid lying on its side near his head. Katherine realized the pyramid was her last hope. â€Å"We deciphered the pyramid!† she told her attacker. â€Å"I'll tell you everything!† â€Å"Yes, you will.† With that, he pulled the cloth from the dead woman's mouth and firmly stuffed it into Katherine's. It tasted like death. Robert Langdon's body was not his own. He lay, numb and immobile, his cheek pressed against the hardwood floor. He had heard enough about stun guns to know they crippled their victims by temporarily overloading the nervous system. Their action–something called electromuscular disruption–might as well have been a bolt of lightning. The excruciating jolt of pain seemed to penetrate every molecule of his body. Now, despite his mind's focused intention, his muscles refused to obey the command he was sending them. Get up! Facedown, paralyzed on the floor, Langdon was gulping shallow breaths, scarcely able to inhale. He had yet to lay eyes on the man who had attacked him, but he could see Agent Hartmann lying in an expanding pool of blood. Langdon had heard Katherine struggling and arguing, but moments ago her voice had become muffled, as if the man had stuffed something in her mouth. Get up, Robert! You've got to help her! Langdon's legs were tingling now, a fiery and painful recovery of feeling, but still they refused to cooperate. Move! His arms twitched as sensation started to come back, along with feeling in his face and neck. With great effort, he managed to rotate his head, dragging his cheek roughly across the hardwood floor as he turned his head to look down into the dining room. Langdon's sight line was impeded–by the stone pyramid, which had toppled out of his bag and was lying sideways on the floor, its base inches from his face. For an instant, Langdon didn't understand what he was looking at. The square of stone before him was obviously the base of the pyramid, and yet it looked somehow different. Very different. It was still square, and still stone . . . but it was no longer flat and smooth. The base of the pyramid was covered with engraved markings. How is this possible? He stared for several seconds, wondering if he was hallucinating. I looked at the base of this pyramid a dozen times . . . and there were no markings! Langdon now realized why. His breathing reflex kick-started, and he drew a sudden gasp of air, realizing that the Masonic Pyramid had secrets yet to share. I have witnessed another transformation. In a flash, Langdon understood the meaning of Galloway's last request. Tell Peter this: The Masonic Pyramid has always kept her secret . . . sincerely. The words had seemed strange at the time, but now Langdon understood that Dean Galloway was sending Peter a code. Ironically, this same code had been a plot twist in a mediocre thriller Langdon had read years ago. Sin-cere. Since the days of Michelangelo, sculptors had been hiding the flaws in their work by smearing hot wax into the cracks and then dabbing the wax with stone dust. The method was considered cheating, and therefore, any sculpture â€Å"without wax†Ã¢â‚¬â€œliterally sine cera–was considered a â€Å"sincere† piece of art. The phrase stuck. To this day we still sign our letters â€Å"sincerely† as a promise that we have written â€Å"without wax† and that our words are true. The engravings on the base of this pyramid had been concealed by the same method. When Katherine followed the capstone's directions and boiled the pyramid, the wax melted away, revealing the writing on the base. Galloway had run his hands over the pyramid in the sitting room, apparently feeling the markings exposed on the bottom. Now, if only for an instant, Langdon had forgotten all the danger he and Katherine faced. He stared at the incredible array of symbols on the base of the pyramid. He had no idea what they meant . . . or what they would ultimately reveal, but one thing was for certain. The Masonic Pyramid has secrets left to tell. Eight Franklin Square is not the final answer. Whether it was this adrenaline-filled revelation or simply the extra few seconds lying there, Langdon did not know, but he suddenly felt control returning to his body. Painfully, he swept an arm to one side, pushing the leather bag out of the way to clear his sight line into the dining room. To his horror, he saw that Katherine had been tied up, and a large rag had been stuffed deep into her mouth. Langdon flexed his muscles, trying to climb to his knees, but a moment later, he froze in utter disbelief. The dining-room doorway had just filled with a chilling sight–a human form unlike anything Langdon had ever seen. What in the name of God . . . ?! Langdon rolled, kicking with his legs, trying to back away, but the huge tattooed man grabbed him, flipping him onto his back and straddling his chest. He placed his knees on Langdon's biceps, pinning Langdon pain fully to the floor. The man's chest bore a rippling double-headed phoenix. His neck, face, and shaved head were covered with a dazzling array of unusually intricate symbols–sigils, Langdon knew–which were used in the rituals of dark ceremonial magic. Before Langdon could process anything more, the huge man clasped Langdon's ears between his palms, lifted his head up off the floor, and, with incredible force, smashed it back down onto the hardwood. Everything went black. CHAPTER 96 Mal'akh stood in his hallway and surveyed the carnage around him. His home looked like a battlefield. Robert Langdon lay unconscious at his feet. Katherine Solomon was bound and gagged on the dining-room floor. The corpse of a female security guard lay crumpled nearby, having toppled off the chair where she was propped. This female guard, eager to save her own life, had done exactly as Mal'akh commanded. With a knife to her throat, she had answered Mal'akh's cell phone and told the lie that had coaxed Langdon and Katherine to come racing out here. She had no partner, and Peter Solomon was certainly not okay. As soon as the woman had given her performance, Mal'akh had quietly strangled her. To complete the illusion that Mal'akh was not home, he had phoned Bellamy using the hands- free speaker in one of his cars. I'm on the road, he had told Bellamy and whoever else had been listening. Peter is in my trunk. In fact, Mal'akh was driving only between his garage and his front yard, where he had left several of his myriad cars parked askew with the headlights on and the engines running. The deception had worked perfectly. Almost. The only wrinkle was the bloody black-clad heap in the foyer with a screwdriver protruding from his neck. Mal'akh searched the corpse and had to chuckle when he found a high-tech transceiver and cell phone with a CIA logo. It seems even they are aware of my power. He removed the batteries and crushed both devices with a heavy bronze doorstop. Mal'akh knew he had to move quickly now, especially if the CIA was involved. He strode back over to Langdon. The professor was out cold and would be for a while. Mal'akh's eyes moved with trepidation now to the stone pyramid on the floor beside the professor's open bag. His breath caught, and his heart pounded. I have waited for years . . . His hands trembled slightly as he reached down and picked up the Masonic Pyramid. As he ran his fingers slowly across the engravings, he felt awed by their promise. Before he became too entranced, he put the pyramid back in Langdon's bag with the capstone and zipped it up. I will assemble the pyramid soon . . . in a much safer location. He threw Langdon's bag over his shoulder and then tried to hoist Langdon himself, but the professor's toned physique weighed much more than anticipated. Mal'akh settled on grabbing him beneath the armpits and dragging him across the floor. He's not going to like where he ends up, Mal'akh thought. As he dragged Langdon off, the television in the kitchen blared. The sound of voices from the TV had been part of the deception, and Mal'akh had yet to turn it off. The station was now broadcasting a televangelist leading his congregation in the Lord's Prayer. Mal'akh wondered if any of his hypnotized viewers had any idea where this prayer really came from. † . . . On earth as it is in heaven . . .† the group intoned. Yes, Mal'akh thought. As above, so below. † . . . And lead us not into temptation . . .† Help us master the weakness of our flesh. † . . . Deliver us from evil . . .† they all beseeched. Mal'akh smiled. That could be difficult. The darkness is growing. Even so, he had to give them credit for trying. Humans who spoke to invisible forces and requested help were a dying breed in this modern world. Mal'akh was dragging Langdon across the living room when the congregation declared, â€Å"Amen!† Amon, Mal'akh corrected. Egypt is the cradle of your religion. The god Amon was the prototype for Zeus . . . for Jupiter . . . and for every modern face of God. To this day, every religion on earth shouted out a variation of his name. Amen! Amin! Aum! The televangelist began quoting verses from the Bible describing hierarchies of angels, demons, and spirits that ruled in heaven and hell. â€Å"Protect your souls from evil forces!† he warned them. â€Å"Lift your hearts in prayer! God and his angels will hear you!† He's right, Mal'akh knew. But so will the demons. Mal'akh had learned long ago that through proper application of the Art, a practitioner could open a portal to the spiritual realm. The invisible forces that existed there, much like man himself, came in many forms, both good and evil. Those of Light healed, protected, and sought to bring order to the universe. Those of Dark functioned oppositely . . . bringing destruction and chaos. If properly summoned, the invisible forces could be persuaded to do a practitioner's bidding on earth . . . thus instilling him with seemingly supernatural power. In exchange for helping the summoner, these forces required offerings–prayers and praise for those of Light . . . and the spilling of blood for those of Dark. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the power that is transferred. Mal'akh had begun his practice with the blood of inconsequential animals. Over time, however, his choices for sacrifice had become more bold. Tonight, I take the final step. â€Å"Beware!† the preacher shouted, warning of the coming Apocalypse. â€Å"The final battle for the souls of man will soon be fought!† Indeed, Mal'akh thought. And I shall become its greatest warrior. This battle, of course, had begun long, long ago. In ancient Egypt, those who perfected the Art had become the great Adepts of history, evolving beyond the masses to become true practitioners of Light. They moved as gods on earth. They built great temples of initiation to which neophytes traveled from around the world to partake of the wisdom. There arose a race of golden men. For a brief span of time, mankind seemed poised to elevate himself and transcend his earthly bonds. The golden age of the Ancient Mysteries. And yet man, being of the flesh, was susceptible to the sins of hubris, hatred, impatience, and greed. Over time, there were those who corrupted the Art, perverting it and abusing its power for personal gain. They began using this perverted version to summon dark forces. A different Art evolved . . . a more potent, immediate, and intoxicating influence. Such is my Art. Such is my Great Work. The illuminated Adepts and their esoteric fraternities witnessed the rising evil and saw that man was not using his newfound knowledge for the good of his species. And so they hid their wisdom to keep it from the eyes of the unworthy. Eventually, it was lost to history. With this came the Great Fall of Man. And a lasting darkness. To this day, the noble descendants of the Adepts soldiered on, grasping blindly for the Light, trying to recapture the lost power of their past, trying to keep the darkness at bay. They were the priests and priestesses of the churches, temples, and shrines of all the religions on earth. Time had erased the memories . . . detached them from their past. They no longer knew the Source from which their potent wisdom had once flowed. When they were asked about the divine mysteries of their forebears, the new custodians of faith vociferously disowned them, condemning them as heresy. Have they truly forgotten? Mal'akh wondered. Echoes of the ancient Art still resonated in every corner of the globe, from the mystical Kabbalists of Judaism to the esoteric Sufis of Islam. Vestiges remained in the arcane rituals of Christianity, in its god-eating rites of Holy Communion, its hierarchies of saints, angels, and demons, its chanting and incantation, its holy calendar's astrological underpinnings, its consecrated robes, and in its promise of everlasting life. Even now, its priests dispelled evil spirits by swinging smoke-filled censers, ringing sacred bells, and sprinkling holy water. Christians still practiced the supernatural craft of exorcism–an early practice of their faith that required the ability not only to cast out demons but to summon them. And yet they cannot see their past? Nowhere was the church's mystical past more evident than at her epicenter. In Vatican City, at the heart of St. Peter's Square, stood the great Egyptian obelisk. Carved thirteen hundred years before Jesus took his first breath–this numinous monolith had no relevance there, no link to modern Christianity. And yet there it was. At the core of Christ's church. A stone beacon, screaming to be heard. A reminder to those few sages who remembered where it all began. This church, born of the womb of the Ancient Mysteries, still bore her rites and symbols. One symbol above all. Adorning her altars, vestments, spires, and Scripture was the singular image of Christianity–that of a precious, sacrificed human being. Christianity, more than any other faith, understood the transformative power of sacrifice. Even now, to honor the sacrifice made by Jesus, his followers proffered their own feeble gestures of personal sacrifice . . . fasting, Lenten renunciation, tithing. All of those offerings are impotent, of course. Without blood . . . there is no true sacrifice. The powers of darkness had long embraced blood sacrifice, and in doing so, they had grown so strong that the powers of goodness now struggled to keep them in check. Soon the Light would be entirely consumed, and the practitioners of darkness would move freely through the minds of men. CHAPTER 97 â€Å"Eight Franklin Square must exist,† Sato insisted. â€Å"Look it up again!† Nola Kaye sat at her desk and adjusted her headset. â€Å"Ma'am, I've checked everywhere . . . that address doesn't exist in D.C.† â€Å"But I'm on the roof of One Franklin Square,† Sato said. â€Å"There has to be an Eight!† Director Sato's on a roof? â€Å"Hold on.† Nola began running a new search. She was considering telling the OS director about the hacker, but Sato seemed fixated on Eight Franklin Square at the moment. Besides, Nola still didn't have all the information. Where's that damned sys-sec, anyway? â€Å"Okay,† Nola said, eyeing her screen, â€Å"I see the problem. One Franklin Square is the name of the building . . . not the address. The address is actually 1301 K Street.† The news seemed to confound the director. â€Å"Nola, I don't have time to explain–the pyramid clearly points to the address Eight Franklin Square.† Nola sat bolt upright. The pyramid points to a specific location? â€Å"The inscription,† Sato continued, â€Å"reads: `The secret hides within The Order–Eight Franklin Square.'† Nola could scarcely imagine. â€Å"An order like . . . a Masonic or fraternal order?† â€Å"I assume so,† Sato replied. Nola thought a moment, and then began typing again. â€Å"Ma'am, maybe the street numbers on the square changed over the years? I mean, if this pyramid is as old as legend claims, maybe the numbers on Franklin Square were different when the pyramid was built? I'm now running a search without the number eight . . . for . . . `the order' . . . `Franklin Square' . . . and `Washington, D.C.' . . . and this way, we might get some idea if there's–† She stalled midsentence as the search results appeared. â€Å"What have you got?† Sato demanded. Nola stared at the first result on the list–a spectacular image of the Great Pyramid of Egypt– which served as the thematic backdrop for the home page dedicated to a building on Franklin Square. The building was unlike any other building on the square. Or in the entire city, for that matter. What stopped Nola cold was not the building's bizarre architecture, but rather the description of its purpose. According to the Web site, this unusual edifice was built as a sacred mystical shrine, designed by . . . and designed for . . . an ancient secret order.

Comparing Ancient and Classical Art Paper Essay

Through each culture, art is created even it wasn’t meant to be used for it. The Stonehenge and the Great Stupa are two of the oldest known structures in our history. The European civilization, based in the southern part of the United Kingdom, is one of the wonders of the world and the best-known prehistoric monument. The ancient Indian civilization is in India, is one of the three stupas in India. Many similarities and differences existed between these two civilizations, as even though they co-existed during a certain timeframe and in two different geographical areas. The differences in geography are both these civilizations were subjected to different kinds of exposure, which may have included contact with other civilization and cultural inheritance. The European civilization had a stronger emphasis on a central authority, while the Indians had a more decentralized structure, where powers were distributed over the cities and the states as well. The Art the Europeans created were more involved into making great monumental and gaudy structures while the Indians were more involved in creating smaller, more literary pieces of art. The Great Stupa’ at Sanchi is one of the most sophisticated and well-known monuments of all time; the marvelous icon is considered to be a cornerstone of Buddhist art, architecture, and religion. It stands tall and holds a powerful presence that is very symptomatic of its historical context. India is home to one the most symbolic and oldest stone structures known to man. This astonishing marvel built around 3rd century B.C by one of the most powerful and influential rulers of ancient India, Emperor Ashoka the Great. Asoka was the emperor of the Maurya Dynasty and ruled the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BCE to 232 B.C and during his reign, Ashoka converted to Buddhism and spread his Buddhist teachings through India, as well as having the great stupa erected to glorify and harbor the sacred Bu ddhist relics. This incredible  monument is majestic & unique in more ways than one. It has been said that the structure symbolizes the world mountain and â€Å"despite having the most perfect and well-preserved stupa, Buddhist art and architecture, it’s also surrounded by numerous other stupas, pillars, temples and living quarters for monks, the greater part of which had been buried.† Upon first recognition one could be lead to believe that because there are many other alluring attractions in India, it would be hard for this stupa to stand out and get its proper avowal. But this remarkable stone masterpiece has a wide range of spectacular things to offer, and tells us a very detailed story about early Buddhist life in India. Although the Great Stupa is among one of the many ancient monuments of India, few are of more interest than the tops of the stupas at Sanchi–Kanakheda. (Sayre, 2010) In the late Neolithic period, the megaliths at Stonehenge were erected. These stones were believed to be built anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC and placed by the community just one hundred miles to the west of London, England. Nobody knows the initial purpose of Stonehenge; however, there are theories of what it may have meant to this culture of the Neolithic era. There have been discoveries of human remains found at Stonehenge that have been dated back to the time of its creation. This discovery advises that all of these stones put in place as a burial ground for this culture’s ancestors. The five trilithons that form a horseshoe are located in the center of a full circle of what looks like multiple, attached trilithons. This circular enclosure, much like the stone circular wall around The Great Stupa, is designed to increase the sacredness of what is inside. Another similarity of these structures is that they both serve as burial grounds. Stonehenge appears to be an organized grouping of stones; and The Great Stupa, appearing to be flawlessly symmetrical, were both created as complete perfection in the eyes of each of the respective cultures who created them (Sayre, 2010). The similarities and differences between the Stonehenge and the Great Stupa at Stanchi are interesting and more similarities than expected. The Stonehenge was built surrounding several thousand burial mounds which are very similar to the Great Stupa in a sense that the center circular brick formation was built over the relics of the Buddha. The Stonehenge and the Great Stupa were both built in a circular formation. The Stonehenge and the Great Stupa both are built with large pillars as well as differ in that sense because the  Stonehenge’s pillars have/had a rough, more natural/raw material for their standing pillars. The Stupa’s pillars had polished the pillars they had built and also covered them with narrative scenes from the life of the Buddha. The narratives scenes were for onlookers to be able to see. Although the Stupa had polished their pillars, they had also carved them to look like carved wood. Unlike the Stupa, the Stonehenge is believed to have shrunk in size over time as years passed. The Stupa expanded after a believed vandalism, which then led to the son of the emperor to expand the Stupa with stone slabs making it almost twice in size. Although the Stupa was expanded over time, numerous different times and the Stonehenge was not they were both however believed to be built in stages. The Stupa was built with stone carved to look like wood in some spots while the Stonehenge was built with wood timbers. Even though now it looks as though it’s just stone the opposite of the Stupa that looks as though it’s built with wood, as well as stone. The purpose of the Great Stupa at Sanchi is believed to be for religious purposes. For example, Emperor Asoka believed power rested within religious virtues and not military forces. The stupas also housed important relics of Buddha and the remains of Buddhist holy monks. The Great Stupa holds great cultural value because it is revered by the people because it is a place of worship and prayer. The purpose of the Stonehenge is set to be unknown, however there are a set of theories and out of the many there was one which stood out the most. Based on hundreds of human bones that were found at the site, the bones were over 1,000 years old. The human bones show a human burial cremation took place at the site. The cultural value of the Stonehenge could be it held a significant amount of information on when it was time for the people to harvest. The ancient artifacts created philosophers, great artwork, and great writing, which we find extremely useful to our daily education today. Reference Sayre, H. M. (2010). A World of Art. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc. A guide to Sanchi† John Marshall. These â€Å"Greek-looking foreigners† are also described in Susan Huntington, â€Å"The art of ancient India†, p. 100 Lacy, Norris J, ed., The Arthurian Encyclopedia, New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1986, article by Geoffrey Ashe, p. 529.

Annoying Professors

Despite their degrees and supposed wisdom some professors just don’t know how to teach. Their wisdom and knowledge is found to be lacking when it comes to identifying what their students need help with and how to teach them. This leaves students annoyed frustrated and angry and wishing with all their might that the class would soon be over. The most annoying of professors who leave students in a state of frustration are, commonly the following three types: â€Å"The Confusing Babbler†, â€Å"The Know-It-All† and â€Å"The Useless Git†. The Confusing Babbler presents a major problem for most students. The Confusing Babbler enters the classroom prepared to lecture, his students sit dreading it. As he babbles on about history facts he confuses one with another, does not correct his mistakes and disagrees with the textbook leaving his students wondering is the textbook or professor right, why does what the professor said today contradicts what he said yesterday and why did they even bother buying the textbook at all. The Confusing babbler will finish his lecture oblivious to the looks of bewilderment on his student’s faces and will answer their questions with contradicting statements to his lecture which makes his students puzzled even more. The class will end, the students release a sigh of relief and go home and attempt to decipher and piece the lecture together and decode the course material. The Useless Git another type of annoying professor is known for his inability and useless attempts to effectively help his students. His lectures are long and boring, he assigns class work and homework, students turn it in and The Useless Git receives it, grades it and gives it back. Attempting to know what they did wrong or enlightenment of a broader understanding of the assignment the student asks The Useless Git questions pertaining to their work. The Useless Git answers the student’s question with generic statements he answers all student’s questions with, responses in generalities without going into detail. Corrects student’s papers by highlighting areas where he believes there are problems without fully explaining what the problem is and does not correct every problem in the student’s work leaving it up to the student to find the rest of the mistakes he’s left which, doesn’t work because the student has no idea whether what was done is wrong or not. The Useless Git in the eyes of students receives an F as a professor and has students wishing and praying that the class will soon end. The Know-It-All is the most annoying professor of the three. The Know-It-All is oblivious to his mistakes, refuses to be corrected, or accept opinions from anyone else. The Know-It-All knows every English Literature quote, knows how to write every essay perfectly and considers himself, knowing a better way than the textbook the class is given to work with. The Know-It-All will make several mistakes, answer questions incorrectly and still insist their right. If indeed the Know-It-All admitted to being wrong it would take half the class and half the class period to convince him. The Know-It-All is bored by his student’s opinions and believes his opinions are the only correct ones and all others are wrong or gently needs to be corrected for his liking. Students begin to feel what is the point of attempting to interject their opinions or write papers since the Know-It-All will regard himself as the only correct one and disregard anything they have to say or write. Obviously some teachers are excellent they are clear and precise in their teaching, help their students to great outcomes and believe even their students can teach them something. But on the whole college professors with their high degrees are an annoying bunch having learned nothing from when they were student’s what works or doesn’t, and believing that because they have already sat in their student’s chairs they know all there is to know and more than their student’s which is not always the case. College professors should remember the days when they were students in vivid detail and then perhaps they will become better teachers.

Leading Organizations and Competing in a Global Flat World Essay

Leading Organizations and Competing in a Global Flat World - Essay Example Adaptation to changing requirements while maintaining standards is a challenge of the present. Organizations cannot stay stagnant, they have to perform in a dynamic environment and are forced to continually learn in order to survive. A central concept taken into consideration in the present analysis is the 'learning organization'. The concept stresses that organizations have the ability to improve their bottom-line results and embrace new requirements by developing a culture of learning and adaptation. This can be done with best results, as will be argued further on, at a cultural level, the level of mental models (or views on organizational realities). But it can also be implemented at the individual level, with strategic implication for the career. The concept of learning organization is strictly connected to the concept of quality, referring both to the end products of an organization as well as to its overall activity and performance. Different organizations have different perspectives on quality (different models), each allowing a degree of learning capacity. The ideal, is the total quality mental model diffused in the culture of learning organizations, which states that quality represents a transformation that acts on a deep level within the organization, changing the way people think and work together, what management values and rewards, the way success is measured: "all of us collaborate to design and operate a seamless value-adding system which incorporates quality control, customer service, process involvement, supplier relationship, and good relations with the communities in which we operate" (these being inferior or partial levels of understanding of the concept of quality) (Albert 49). In today's ever changing business and social environments, organizational design is a serious challenge for all managers, irrespective or organization size. Managers recognize that organizational design is critical to performance and must accommodate change and new market or social requirements. This is why career planning has become so difficult. The overall learning behavior of an organization depends on its entire structure, not merely on the sum of its parts. It is important to focus on the whole rather than on specific events that can be misleading. The broader scheme of things is always determined by a complex set of factors. What lacks from the picture is the relationship between parts, that can determine complete different outcomes. Organizations are open systems that relate to their environments and learn from them. There is a circular relationship between the overall system and its parts. There are some patterns that repeat over and over again in a given system. Learning fr om the past receives whole new meanings from this perspective. A careful analysis is capable of determining trends of development and predicting specific directions of evolution. This can be achieved only by taking a look at the whole, at the entire system. But in order to transform the vision shared by an organization, all the mental models of its members have to be slowly directed to a coherent common view on key functional areas of the organization. And a change of this size can only be done at a cultural level. The corporate culture is a vital part of the corporate identity, along with the corporate overall goal, the objectives, the organizational structure

How the films depict the discomfort of individuals within societies Essay

How the films depict the discomfort of individuals within societies that often seem oppressive.As well as the films' political social and economic messages - Essay Example This definitely gives light and a deeper discussion of the matters present in film. Two films that I shall discuss in this paper are the â€Å"Spirit of the Beehive† and the â€Å"Bicycle Thieves.† Both films are considered to be rich in socio – political and economic messages. At the same time, there will be a synthetic analysis of both the films in terms of the content. To further amplify the discussion in this paper, certain film elements like the camera angle, music and movement shall be assessed in connection with the aforementioned messages. In the film â€Å"Spirit of the Beehive†, the political context seems to be in a problematic condition. The camera has shown how a child tries to struggle between the social conditions that beset her and other people. At a very young age, it can be seen, through the lens of the camera, that the child is having a questioning of her own status. With a melancholic music, her curiosity is amplified about why such an old person is allowed to suffer in a lonely and deserted place. As the characters interact, the sharing of experience about how life is difficult already signals how things are in a despicable condition. Most of the time, there are several cuts and editing that happened to employ the political message but there is continuity present (Butler 2005, p. 24). In terms of economics, it is seen clearly, that the barren houses, deserted landscape and candle lights are already manifestations of uneven economic development. Also, the richness of honey coming from the bees, are signs of richness and hard work by the old man in the film. The camera, focused on the man, upon doing the chores on the bees and the capturing the acts of the bees, strengthen further the need to work harder and taking care of resources that can help one’s condition in a society. This is considered a long shot,

Applying to university Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Applying to university - Essay Example Though I do not profess to be a hardcore feminist, still, through personal experience I have come to know that the women are made to behave and act in a particular way through continual training and regimentation, right from the time of their birth. Right when a baby girl is born, she is made to learn that she is required to wear particular kind of clothes, she is to behave and act in a particular way, and she is to learn to do specific types of household chores. Even the innocent games played by female children are full of such societal imprints and expectations. So no wonder, when a baby girl grows out to be an adult woman, she is already convinced in her mind that she has to abide by the norms of a male dominated society. Such expectations imprinted in the minds of women wreck havoc with their innate aptitude and their potential for personal growth and development. In the professional sphere, the consequences of male dominance tend to be very obvious. Time and again one comes to hear about the ‘glass ceiling’. Even the women who dare to transcend these constraints have to compromise to a large extent. To excel in their careers, they are not allowed to harness the abilities like networking, empathy, bonding, consensus making that the innately possess because of being a women. Rather they are expected to imitate the male competitive role models, a thing that resultantly jeopardizes their personal and professional lives. The result is a deep seated sense of dissatisfaction and frustration. So, I believe that one of the essential goals of my education is to be able to get over such societal barriers and the consequent macho trends and expectations. I believe that the essential goal of education is to enable a person to build professional and personal relationship with others on the terms of equality and respect. Anything contrary to this is

Diabetes type 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diabetes type 2 - Essay Example It is a condition in which the body fails to produce cells that are responsible for producing insulin leading to a condition known as insulin resistance. (Hopkins, 2010). Insulin is a hormone which is produced by the pancreas in our body and is mainly responsible for regulating the conversion of sugar into energy as the body fails to metabolize glucose in a proper way. Due to insulin resistance or failure of body cells to use insulin, glucose deposits in the blood instead of going into cells which mostly leads to many complications. (Mycek, 2007). SYMPTOMS: It is indicated that type 2 diabetes occurs due to a combination of environmental and genetic factors .Some of the symptoms of diabetes mellitus 2 include increased feeling of thirst and frequent urination, the urge to eat more, darkened patches of skin, and delayed healing of wounds and skin scratches, blurred vision accompanied by fatigue and an observable loss in weight (Hans, 2007). PREVALENCE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES IN AUSTRALIA: Studies have shown that statistics of diabetes mellitus type 2 doubled in Australia in the last two decades 16 % to 20 % of people suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2 have shown to exhibit lesser abnormalities related to tolerance of glucose level. . (Dowse GK, Gareebo H & Zimmet PZ 2009). Moreover a large population residing in Australia is unaware of the fact that they have diabetes mellitus type 2 and also 55 % of the population of Australia suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2 exhibit obesity, an increase in blood pressure making them hypertensive and large population also have a family history of diabetes. Researches and data gathered have shown reduction in prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus by following proper dietary plans. (Shaw, 2003). PREVALENCE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: According to various studies conducted during the year 2010 on prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the United States of America, it was reported that about 25.8 mill ion citizens of U.S have diabetes mellitus type 2 out of which 10.8 million populations comprises of women older than 20 years, 13 million populations comprised of men who were older than 20 years, 10.9 percent population suffering from type 2 diabetes was the older age group ranging between ages of 60 years to 70 years. Type 2 diabetes was ranked as the fifth most serious cause of disease leading to death of people in the United States of America during the year 2010 by the American Diabetes Association. (Hopkins, 2010) PREVALENCE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES IN A DEVELOPING ASIAN COUNTRY: Prevalence of diabetes mellitus type 2 is increasing at an alarming rate in India and is one of the major health issues over there. Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been reported to affect a great number of the population in India in last some years. According to several researches carried out globally and at national level it was reported that approximately 61.3 million people in India had diabetes in the yea r 2011 and it is feared that this figure might reach to 101.2 million by the year 2030. (Avasthi, 2005) ROLE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN AUSTRALIA FOR TREATMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2: DIAGNOSIS: In order to confirm that a specific person has been affected by diabetes mellitus

CIPS Legal Aspects - Assignment Two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

CIPS Legal Aspects - Assignment Two - Essay Example The letter of intent sent out by QSC may not initially be binding upon the parties in their entirety. However, it could be interpreted as binding on the parties if it closely resembles a contract. The letter of intent in this case has clearly specified that the binding terms of the contract would be QSC’s and the formal contract prepared by the procurement team is also in accordance with QSC’s terms. Letters of intent have traditionally been held to be non binding. For example, in the case of Turiff Construction Ltd v Regalia Knitting Mills Ltd2 it was held that a letter of intent will have two characteristics (a) it will express the intent to enter into a contract in the future and (b) it will itself create no liability in reference to the future contract. This would at the outset, suggest that QSC’s letter of intent specifying that its own contractual terms will prevail, may not have binding force. But in the Turniff Construction case, the Court nevertheless up held the contractual obligations associated with the letter of intent, on the basis of the facts in the case. In the case of British Steel Corporation v Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co Ltd3, while it was held that while no contract was created based on the letter of intent itself, liability was nevertheless imposed. The Court in this instance pointed out that both the parties had expected a formal contract to eventuate, therefore work commenced after the issue of the letter of intent - if followed by a contract - â€Å"will be treated as having been performed under that contract.†4 This was also affirmed by Neill LJ in Monk Construction Ltd v Norwich Union Life Assurance Society5, in making a general statement that a contract may come into existence following a letter of intent, depending upon the individual circumstances of the case. According to HH Judge Thornton in A.C. Controls v British Broadcasting Corporation, â€Å"in construing and giving effect to a letter of intent,

Regulation Of Auditing Profession In UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Regulation Of Auditing Profession In UK - Essay Example He says that the need to furnish useful information to shareholders with due integrity nurtured the growth of auditing professionalism in the UK. Anderson et al. (1996) corroborate that in the United Kingdom, the professional accountants from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales generally performed the external audit of all the listed companies even before the legal requirement was actually imposed on companies to get their financial statements audited from qualified accountants. It therefore suggests the need and criticality of auditing profession in the UK corporate environment, where the shareholders are desperately relying on the profession to carry out a check on the utilisation of their investments. Auditing profession in Britain captures every sector of the society and dominates the regulation no matter how often this profession has been found to be involved in corporate scandals. Regardless to what happens to both the sides i.e., the shareholders and ma nagement, this profession remains to be the beneficiary class (Sampson, 2004). The level of professionalism demonstrated by the auditing firms enhances the importance of a keen eye that needs to be placed over the auditing profession in the form of regulations. Cousins et al. (2000) emphasise that the shareholders and investors coming from the general public in UK have been victims of corporate scandals owing to audit failures and the oversight of auditing firms. The auditors in UK are proficient enough in their profession to play around.... onal accountants from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales generally performed the external audit of all the listed companies even before the legal requirement was actually imposed on companies to get their financial statements audited from qualified accountants. It therefore suggests the need and criticality of auditing profession in the UK corporate environment, where the shareholders are desperately relying on the profession to carry out a check on the utilisation of their investments. Auditing profession in Britain captures every sector of the society and dominates the regulation no matter how often this profession has been found to be involved in corporate scandals. Regardless to what happens to both the sides i.e., the shareholders and management, this profession remains to be the beneficiary class (Sampson, 2004). The level of professionalism demonstrated by the auditing firms enhances the importance of a keen eye that needs to be placed over the auditing profession in the form of regulations. Cousins et al. (2000) emphasise that the shareholders and investors coming from the general public in UK have been victims of corporate scandals owing to audit failures and the oversight of auditing firms. The auditors in UK are proficient enough in their profession to play around with the standards set by the regulatory bodies. Hence, it is increasingly important to continuously revise the efficacy of standards in protecting the shareholders' interest. One of the major causes behind such exploitation of professional influence is to a great extent brought about by the concentration of 'auditing power' among a few firms in UK. Arnold and Sikka (2001) illuminate that UK accountancy profession is highly dominated by a handful number of firms

The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order Essay

The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order - Essay Example He avers that the secular ideologies are facing a new, serious threat of violence. The origin of this hidden volcano is between countries and cultures that base their traditions on religious faith and dogma. These limited numbers of cultures have taken the center stage to influence and dominate the important events that have serious bearings. They are Western, Eastern Orthodox, Latin American, Islamic, Japanese, Chinese, Hindu and African. Huntington argues, policymakers should take notice of this development, while trying to interfere in the internal affairs of another country. Rebuking U.S. in this regard Huntington says, â€Å"In the emerging world of ethnic conflict and civilizational clash, Western belief in the universality of Western culture suffers three problems: it is false; it is immoral; and it is dangerous . . . Imperialism is the necessary logical consequence of universalism.†(Huntington, 1998, p.310) What is the latent psychology of these cultural civilization groups that are part of a Nation? Is this civilization identity conflict-oriented or friendship-oriented? Are they wiling to live in mutual co-operation or with hidden grudges? Is living together as democratic citizens of one country are an act of compulsion? â€Å"For the first time in history global politics is both multipolar and multicivilizational; modernization is distinct from Westernization and is producing neither a universal civilization in any meaningful sense nor the Westernization of non-Western societies.† (p.20) The valley of these civilizations as perceived by Huntington is not all green! His forthright views merit serious consideration, in the light of what actually is happening all over the world, especially in Muslim countries, and the countries suffering from Muslim factor. According to him modernization does not mean westernization. Economic progress clubbed with revival of religion is a dangero us combination. The