Digital Fortress Chapter 88-93

Chapter 88 The headlight of Becker's Vespa threw stark shadows on the walls of the narrow passageways. He struggled with the gear shift and roared between the whitewashed buildings, giving the inhabitants of Santa Cruz an early wake-up call this Sunday morning. It had been less than thirty minutes since Becker's escape from the airport. He'd been on the run ever since, his mind grappling with endless questions: Who's trying to kill me? What's so special about this ring? Where is the NSA jet? He thought of Megan dead in the stall, and the nausea crept back. Becker had hoped to cut directly across the barrio and exit on the other side, but Santa Cruz was a bewildering labyrinth of alleyways. It was peppered with false starts and dead ends. Becker quickly became disoriented. He looked up for the tower of the Giralda to get his bearings, but the surrounding walls were so high he could see nothing except a thin slit of breaking dawn above him. Becker wondered where the man in wire-rim glasses was; he knew better than to think the assailant had given up. The killer probably was after him on foot. Becker struggled to maneuver his Vespa around tight corners. The sputtering of the engine echoed up and down the alleys. Becker knew he was an easy target in the silence of Santa Cruz. At this point, all he had in his favor was speed. Got to get to the other side! After a long series of turns and straightaways, Becker skidded into a three-way intersection marked Esquina de los Reyes. He knew he was in trouble-he had been there already. As he stood straddling the idling bike, trying to decide which way to turn, the engine sputtered to a stop. The gas gauge read vacio. As if on cue, a shadow appeared down an alley on his left. The human mind is the fastest computer in existence. In the next fraction of a second, Becker's mind registered the shape of the man's glasses, searched his memory for a match, found one, registered danger, and requested a decision. He got one. He dropped the useless bike and took off at a full sprint. Unfortunately for Becker, Hulohot was now on solid ground rather than in a lurching taxi. He calmly raised his weapon and fired. The bullet caught Becker in the side just as he stumbled around the corner out of range. He took five or six strides before the sensation began to register. At first it felt like a muscle pull, just above the hip. Then it turned to a warm tingling. When Becker saw the blood, he knew. There was no pain, no pain anywhere, just a headlong race through the winding maze of Santa Cruz. Hulohot dashed after his quarry. He had been tempted to hit Becker in the head, but he was a professional; he played the odds. Becker was a moving target, and aiming at his midsection provided the greatest margin of error both vertically and horizontally. The odds had paid off. Becker had shifted at the last instant, and rather than missing his head, Hulohot had caught a piece of his side. Although he knew the bullet had barely grazed Becker and would do no lasting damage, the shot had served its purpose. Contact had been made. The prey had been touched by death. It was a whole new game. Becker raced forward blindly. Turning. Winding. Staying out of the straightaways. The footsteps behind him seemed relentless. Becker's mind was blank. Blank to everything-where he was, who was chasing him-all that was left was instinct, self preservation, no pain, only fear, and raw energy. A shot exploded against the azulejo tile behind him. Shards of glass sprayed across the back of his neck. He stumbled left, into another alley. He heard himself call for help, but except for the sound of footsteps and strained breathing, the morning air remained deathly still. Becker's side was burning now. He feared he was leaving a crimson trail on the whitewashed walks. He searched everywhere for an open door, an open gate, any escape from the suffocating canyons. Nothing. The walkway narrowed. â€Å"Socorro!† Becker's voice was barely audible. â€Å"Help!† The walls grew closer on each side. The walkway curved. Becker searched for an intersection, a tributary, any way out. The passageway narrowed. Locked doors. Narrowing. Locked gates. The footsteps were closing. He was in a straightaway, and suddenly the alley began to slope upward. Steeper. Becker felt his legs straining. He was slowing. And then he was there. Like a freeway that had run out of funding, the alley just stopped. There was a high wall, a wooden bench, and nothing else. No escape. Becker looked up three stories to the top of the building and then spun and started back down the long alley, but he had only taken a few steps before he stopped short. At the foot of the inclined straightaway, a figure appeared. The man moved toward Becker with a measured determination. In his hand, a gun glinted in the early morning sun. Becker felt a sudden lucidity as he backed up toward the wall. The pain in his side suddenly registered. He touched the spot and looked down. There was blood smeared across his fingers and across Ensei Tankado's golden ring. He felt dizzy. He stared at the engraved band, puzzled. He'd forgotten he was wearing it. He'd forgotten why he had come to Seville. He looked up at the figure approaching. He looked down at the ring. Was this why Megan had died? Was this why he would die? The shadow advanced up the inclined passageway. Becker saw walls on all sides-a dead end behind him. A few gated entryways between them, but it was too late to call for help. Becker pressed his back against the dead end. Suddenly he could feel every piece of grit beneath the soles of his shoes, every bump in the stucco wall behind him. His mind was reeling backward, his childhood, his parents†¦ Susan. Oh, God†¦ Susan. For the first time since he was a kid, Becker prayed. He did not pray for deliverance from death; he did not believe in miracles. Instead he prayed that the woman he left behind would find strength, that she would know without a doubt that she had been loved. He closed his eyes. The memories came like a torrent. They were not memories of department meetings, university business, and the things that made up 90 percent of his life; they were memories of her. Simple memories: teaching her to use chopsticks, sailing on Cape Cod. I love you, he thought. Know that†¦ forever. It was as if every defense, every facade, every insecure exaggeration of his life had been stripped away. He was standing naked-flesh and bones before God. I am a man, he thought. And in a moment of irony he thought, A man without wax. He stood, eyes closed, as the man in wire-rim glasses drew nearer. Somewhere nearby, a bell began to toll. Becker waited in darkness, for the sound that would end his life. Chapter 89 The morning sun was just breaking over the Seville rooftops and shining down into the canyons below. The bells atop the Giralda cried out for sunrise mass. This was the moment inhabitants had all been waiting for. Everywhere in the ancient barrio, gates opened and families poured into the alleyways. Like lifeblood through the veins of old Santa Cruz, they coursed toward the heart of their pueblo, toward the core of their history, toward their God, their shrine, their cathedral. Somewhere in Becker's mind, a bell was tolling. Am I dead? Almost reluctantly, he opened his eyes and squinted into the first rays of sunlight. He knew exactly where he was. He leveled his gaze and searched the alley for his assailant. But the man in wire-rims was not there. Instead, there were others. Spanish families, in their finest clothes, stepping from their gated portals into the alleyways, talking, laughing. At the bottom of the alley, hidden from Becker's view, Hulohot cursed in frustration. At first there had been only a single couple separating him from his quarry. Hulohot had been certain they would leave. But the sound of the bells kept reverberating down the alley, drawing others from their homes. A second couple, with children. They greeted each another. Talking, laughing, kissing three times on the cheek. Another group appeared, and Hulohot could no longer see his prey. Now, in a boiling rage, he raced into the quickly growing crowd. He had to get to David Becker! The killer fought his way toward the end of the alley. He found himself momentarily lost in a sea of bodies-coats and ties, black dresses, lace mantles over hunched women. They all seemed oblivious to Hulohot's presence; they strolled casually, all in black, shuffling, moving as one, blocking his way. Hulohot dug his way through the crowd and dashed up the alley into the dead end, his weapon raised. Then he let out a muted, inhuman scream. David Becker was gone. Becker stumbled and sidestepped his way through the crowd. Follow the crowd, he thought. They know the way out. He cut right at the intersection and the alley widened. Everywhere gates were opening and people were pouring out. The pealing of the bells grew louder. Becker's side was still burning, but he sensed the bleeding had stopped. He raced on. Somewhere behind him, closing fast, was a man with a gun. Becker ducked in and out of the groups of churchgoers and tried to keep his head down. It was not much farther. He could sense it. The crowd had thickened. The alley had widened. They were no longer in a little tributary, this was the main river. As he rounded a bend, Becker suddenly saw it, rising before them-the cathedral and Giralda tower. The bells were deafening, the reverberations trapped in the high-walled plaza. The crowds converged, everyone in black, pushing across the square toward the gaping doors of the Seville Cathedral. Becker tried to break away toward Mateus Gago, but he was trapped. He was shoulder to shoulder, heel to toe with the shoving throngs. The Spaniards had always had a different idea of closeness than the rest of the world. Becker was wedged between two heavyset women, both with their eyes closed, letting the crowd carry them. They mumbled prayers to themselves and clutched rosary beads in their fingers. As the crowd closed on the enormous stone structure, Becker tried to cut left again, but the current was stronger now. The anticipation, the pushing and shoving, the blind, mumbled prayers. He turned into the crowd, trying to fight backward against the eager throngs. It was impossible, like swimming upstream in a mile-deep river. He turned. The cathedral doors loomed before him-like the opening to some dark carnival ride he wished he hadn't taken. David Becker suddenly realized he was going to church. Chapter 90 The Crypto sirens were blaring. Strathmore had no idea how long Susan had been gone. He sat alone in the shadows, the drone of TRANSLTR calling to him. You're a survivor†¦ you're a survivor†¦. Yes, he thought. I'm a survivor-but survival is nothing without honor. I'd rather die than live in the shadow of disgrace. And disgrace was what was waiting for him. He had kept information from the director. He had sent a virus into the nation's most secure computer. There was no doubt he would be hung out to dry. His intentions had been patriotic, but nothing had gone as he'd planned. There had been death and treachery. There would be trials, accusations, public outrage. He had served his country with honor and integrity for so many years, he couldn't allow it to end this way. I'm a survivor, he thought. You're a liar, his own thoughts replied. It was true. He was a liar. There were people he hadn't been honest with. Susan Fletcher was one of them. There were so many things he hadn't told her-things he was now desperately ashamed of. For years she'd been his illusion, his living fantasy. He dreamed of her at night; he cried out for her in his sleep. He couldn't help it. She was as brilliant and as beautiful as any woman he could imagine. His wife had tried to be patient, but when she finally met Susan, she immediately lost hope. Bev Strathmore never blamed her husband for his feelings. She tried to endure the pain as long as possible, but recently it had become too much. She'd told him their marriage was ending; another woman's shadow was no place to spend the rest of her life. Gradually the sirens lifted Strathmore from his daze. His analytical powers searched for any way out. His mind reluctantly confirmed what his heart had suspected. There was only one true escape, only one solution. Strathmore gazed down at the keyboard and began typing. He didn't bother to turn the monitor so he could see it. His fingers pecked out the words slowly and decisively. Dearest friends, I am taking my life today†¦ This way, no one would ever wonder. There would be no questions. There would be no accusations. He would spell out for the world what had happened. Many had died†¦ but there was still one life to take. Chapter 91 In a cathedral, it is always night. The warmth of the day turns to damp coolness. The traffic is silenced behind thick granite walls. No number of candelabras can illuminate the vast darkness overhead. Shadows fall everywhere. There's only the stained glass, high above, filtering the ugliness of the outside world into rays of muted reds and blues. The Seville Cathedral, like all great cathedrals of Europe, is laid out in the shape of a cross. The sanctuary and altar are located just above the midpoint and open downward onto the main sanctuary. Wooden pews fill the vertical axis, a staggering 113 yards from the altar to the base of the cross. To the left and right of the altar, the transept of the cross houses confessionals, sacred tombs, and additional seating. Becker found himself wedged in the middle of a long pew about halfway back. Overhead, in the dizzying empty space, a silver censer the size of a refrigerator swung enormous arcs on a frayed rope, leaving a trail of frankincense. The bells of the Giralda kept ringing, sending low rumbling shock waves through the stone. Becker lowered his gaze to the gilded wall behind the altar. He had a lot to be thankful for. He was breathing. He was alive. It was a miracle. As the priest prepared to give the opening prayer, Becker checked his side. There was a red stain on his shirt, but the bleeding had stopped. The wound was small, more of a laceration than a puncture. Becker tucked his shirt back in and craned his neck. Behind him, the doors were cranking shut. He knew if he'd been followed, he was now trapped. The Seville Cathedral had a single functional entrance, a design popularized in the days when churches were used as fortresses, a safe haven against Moorish invasion. With a single entrance, there was only one door to barricade. Now the single entrance had another function-it ensured all tourists entering the cathedral had purchased a ticket. The twenty-two-foot-high, gilded doors slammed with a decisive crash. Becker was sealed in the house of God. He closed his eyes and slid low in his pew. He was the only one in the building not dressed in black. Somewhere voices began to chant. Toward the back of the church, a figure moved slowly up the side aisle, keeping to the shadows. He had slipped in just before the doors closed. He smiled to himself. The hunt was getting interesting. Becker is here†¦ I can feel it. He moved methodically, one row at a time. Overhead the frankincense decanter swung its long, lazy arcs. A fine place to die, Hulohot thought. I hope I do as well. Becker knelt on the cold cathedral floor and ducked his head out of sight. The man seated next to him glared down-it was most irregular behavior in the house of God. â€Å"Enfermo,† Becker apologized. â€Å"Sick.† Becker knew he had to stay low. He had glimpsed a familiar silhouette moving up the side aisle. It's him! He's here! Despite being in the middle of an enormous congregation, Becker feared he was an easy target-his khaki blazer was like a roadside flare in the crowd of black. He considered removing it, but the white oxford shirt underneath was no better. Instead he huddled lower. The man beside him frowned. â€Å"Turista.† He grunted. Then he whispered, half sarcastically, â€Å"Llamo un medico? Shall I call a doctor?† Becker looked up at the old man's mole-ridden face. â€Å"No, gracias. Estoy bien.† The man gave him an angry look. â€Å"Pues sientate! Then sit down!† There were scattered shushes around them, and the old man bit his tongue and faced front. Becker closed his eyes and huddled lower, wondering how long the service would last. Becker, raised Protestant, had always had the impression Catholics were long-winded. He prayed it was true-as soon as the service ended, he would be forced to stand and let the others out. In khaki he was dead. Becker knew he had no choice at the moment. He simply knelt there on the cold stone floor of the great cathedral. Eventually, the old man lost interest. The congregation was standing now, singing a hymn. Becker stayed down. His legs were starting to cramp. There was no room to stretch them. Patience, he thought. Patience. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It felt like only minutes later that Becker felt someone kicking him. He looked up. The mole-faced man was standing to his right, waiting impatiently to leave the pew. Becker panicked. He wants to leave already? I'll have to stand up! Becker motioned for the man to step over him. The man could barely control his anger. He grabbed the tails of his black blazer, pulled them down in a huff, and leaned back to reveal the entire row of people waiting to leave. Becker looked left and saw that the woman who had been seated there was gone. The length of pew to his left was empty all the way to the center aisle. The service can't be over! It's impossible! We just got here! But when Becker saw the altar boy at the end of the row and the two single-file lines moving up the center aisle toward the altar, he knew what was happening. Communion. He groaned. The damn Spaniards do it first! Chapter 92 Susan climbed down the ladder into the sublevels. Thick steam was now boiling up around TRANSLTR's hull. The catwalks were wet with condensation. She almost fell, her flats providing very little traction. She wondered how much longer TRANSLTR would survive. The sirens continued their intermittent warning. The emergency lights spun in two-second intervals. Three stories below, the aux generators shook in a taxed whine. Susan knew somewhere at the bottom in the foggy dimness there was a circuit breaker. She sensed time was running out. Upstairs, Strathmore held the Beretta in his hand. He reread his note and laid it on the floor of the room where he was standing. What he was about to do was a cowardly act, there was no doubt. I'm a survivor, he thought. He thought of the virus in the NSA databank, he thought of David Becker in Spain, he thought of his plans for a back door. He had told so many lies. He was guilty of so much. He knew this was the only way to avoid accountability†¦ the only way to avoid the shame. Carefully he aimed the gun. Then he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. Susan had only descended six flights when she heard the muffled shot. It was far off, barely audible over the generators. She had never heard a gunshot except on television, but she had no doubt what it was. She stopped short, the sound resounding in her ears. In a wave of horror, she feared the worst. She pictured the commander's dreams-the back door in Digital Fortress, the incredible coup it would have been. She pictured the virus in the databank, his failing marriage, that eerie nod he had given her. Her footing faltered. She spun on the landing, grappling for the banister. Commander! No! Susan was momentarily frozen, her mind blank. The echo of the gunshot seemed to drown out the chaos around her. Her mind told her to keep on going, but her legs refused. Commander! An instant later she found herself stumbling back up the stairs, entirely forgetting the danger around her. She ran blindly, slipping on the slick metal. Above her the humidity fell like rain. When she reached the ladder and began climbing, she felt herself lifted from below by a tremendous surge of steam that practically jettisoned her through the trapdoor. She rolled onto the Crypto floor and felt the cool air wash over her. Her white blouse clung to her body, soaked through. It was dark. Susan paused, trying to get her bearings. The sound of the gunshot was on endless loop in her head. Hot steam billowed up through the trapdoor like gases from a volcano about to explode. Susan cursed herself for leaving the Beretta with Strathmore. She had left it with him, hadn't she? Or was it in Node 3? As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she glanced toward the gaping hole in the Node 3 wall. The glow from the monitors was faint, but in the distance she could see Hale lying motionless on the floor where she'd left him. There was no sign of Strathmore. Terrified of what she'd find, she turned toward the commander's office. But as she began to move, something registered as strange. She backpedaled a few steps and peered into Node 3 again. In the soft light she could see Hale's arm. It was not at his side. He was no longer tied like a mummy. His arm was up over his head. He was sprawled backward on the floor. Had he gotten free? There was no movement. Hale was deathly still. Susan gazed up at Strathmore's workstation perched high on the wall. â€Å"Commander?† Silence. Tentatively she moved toward Node 3. There was an object in Hale's hand. It glimmered in the light of the monitors. Susan moved closer†¦ closer. Suddenly she could see what Hale was holding. It was the Beretta. Susan gasped. Following the arch of Hale's arm, her eyes moved to his face. What she saw was grotesque. Half of Greg Hale's head was soaked in blood. The dark stain had spread out across the carpet. Oh my God! Susan staggered backward. It wasn't the commander's shot she'd heard, it was Hale's! As if in a trance, Susan moved toward the body. Apparently, Hale had managed to free himself. The printer cables were piled on the floor beside him. I must have left the gun on the couch, she thought. The blood flowing through the hole in his skull looked black in the bluish light. On the floor beside Hale was a piece of paper. Susan went over unsteadily, and picked it up. It was a letter. Dearest friends, I am taking my life today in penance for the following sins†¦ In utter disbelief, Susan stared at the suicide note in her hand. She read slowly. It was surreal-so unlike Hale-a laundry list of crimes. He was admitting to everything-figuring out that NDAKOTA was a hoax, hiring a mercenary to kill Ensei Tankado and take the ring, pushing Phil Chartrukian, planning to sell Digital Fortress. Susan reached the final line. She was not prepared for what she read. The letter's final words delivered a numbing blow. Above all, I'm truly sorry about David Becker. Forgive me, I was blinded by ambition. As Susan stood trembling over Hale's body, the sound of running footsteps approached behind her. In slow motion, she turned. Strathmore appeared in the broken window, pale and out of breath. He stared down at Hale's body in apparent shock. â€Å"Oh my God!† he said. â€Å"What happened?† Chapter 93 Communion. Hulohot spotted Becker immediately. The khaki blazer was impossible to miss, particularly with the small bloodstain on one side. The jacket was moving up the center aisle in a sea of black. He must not know I'm here. Hulohot smiled. He's a dead man. He fanned the tiny metal contacts on his fingertips, eager to tell his American contact the good news. Soon, he thought, very soon. Like a predator moving downwind, Hulohot moved to the back of the church. Then he began his approach-straight up the center aisle. Hulohot was in no mood to track Becker through the crowds leaving the church. His quarry was trapped, a fortunate turn of events. Hulohot just needed a way to eliminate him quietly. His silencer, the best money could buy, emitted no more than a tiny spitting cough. That would be fine. As Hulohot closed on the khaki blazer, he was unaware of the quiet murmurs coming from those he was passing. The congregation could understand this man's excitement to receive the blessing of God, but nevertheless, there were strict rules of protocol-two lines, single file. Hulohot kept moving. He was closing quickly. He thumbed the revolver in his jacket pocket. The moment had arrived. David Becker had been exceptionally fortunate so far; there was no need to tempt fortune any further. The khaki blazer was only ten people ahead, facing front, head down. Hulohot rehearsed the kill in his mind. The image was clear-cutting in behind Becker, keeping the gun low and out of sight, firing two shots into Becker's back, Becker slumping, Hulohot catching him and helping him into a pew like a concerned friend. Then Hulohot would move quickly to the back of the church as if going for help. In the confusion, he would disappear before anyone knew what had happened. Five people. Four. Three. Hulohot fingered the gun in his pocket, keeping it low. He would fire from hip level upward into Becker's spine. That way the bullet would hit either the spine or a lung before finding the heart. Even if the bullet missed the heart, Becker would die. A punctured lung was fatal, maybe not in more medically advanced parts of the world, but in Spain, it was fatal. Two people†¦ one. And then Hulohot was there. Like a dancer performing a well-rehearsed move, he turned to his right. He laid his hand on the shoulder of the khaki blazer, aimed the gun, and†¦ fired. Two muffled spats. Instantly the body was rigid. Then it was falling. Hulohot caught his victim under the armpits. In a single motion, he swung the body into a pew before any bloodstains spread across his back. Nearby, people turned. Hulohot paid no heed-he would be gone in an instant. He groped the man's lifeless fingers for the ring. Nothing. He felt again. The fingers were bare. Hulohot spun the man around angrily. The horror was instantaneous. The face was not David Becker's. Rafael de la Maza, a banker from the suburbs of Seville, had died almost instantly. He was still clutching the 50,000 pesetas the strange American had paid him for a cheap black blazer.

TV show

Check, Please! Bay Area is a local TV program, which reviews local restaurants. During each episode, three guests introduce their favorite restaurants to the television audience. Each guest also has to review the other two restaurants that are being featured on the show. Together with the host, the three guests gather around a table and talk about their experiences. The host of the show, Leslie Sbrocco, who has blond hair and wore a brown suit, talked throughout the program with a warm smile on her lips. Her guests were two guys, mark and Modesto, and a lady, Rachel. Mark is around thirty and a youth worker. Maybe because of his job, he has a great sense of humor and was the most interesting person on the show. His skin is brown and his body is big, which made him look like a huge but nice potato. His favorite restaurant is New Kapadokia, a Turkish restaurant. Modesto looks older than Mark and lives in San Francisco. His favorite restaurant, Aperto, is also located in the city. Modesto looks affable and kind. He had black and gray hair and wore glasses. The last guest, Rachel, is an art director. She is also a blond and wore a blue sweater. Rachel dressed kind of elegantly and likes elegant restaurants. The restaurant she preferred, Massa’s, was predictably expensive and formal. The room where the four of them sat looked like a dining room. In the center of the room was a large table on which set four glasses of wine. On other words, the host and guests sat around the table as if they were old friends having dinner and chatting in a luxurious dining room. The first restaurant they talked about was New Kapadokia, which was highly recommended by Mark. Mark lived in Turkey as a teenager and has wonderful memories of Turkish food. He told Leslie Sbrocco and other two guests that the first time he dined at New Kapadokia it was love at first sight. The restaurant, whose name comes from a real region of Turkey, is located in Redwood City. It is a medium sized restaurant with French windows, white table cloths and comfortable wooden chairs. Turkish pictures decorate the bright-yellow walls and make the environment distinctly exotic. The dishes are genuine Turkish style cuisine, according to Mark. Executive Chef, Meral Guvenc, has several signature dishes, which include kebabs, stuffed eggplant and one particular appetizer hat looks like a spring roll. Mark described the situation when he had first tasted this appetizer. â€Å"While my wife talked,† he said, â€Å"I just pounded them into my mouth. † Everyone laughed. During the meal, a few cups of flavorful tea were used to enliven the meal. The Turkish tea is served in small Turkish glasses and presented on shiny brass trays. Finally, the other two guests gave restaurant a good review. Since the location is unpretentious, people can afford it and still have a wonderful dining experience. The second restaurant was Aperto, which has been at the same location in San Francisco for 60 years. Similar in size to New Kapadokia, it is medium sized with twenty tables and French windows along the sidewalk side of the restaurant. The tables and chairs are of wood. The restaurant was very simply decorated but still looks neat and pleasant. The cuisine is Italian, and all the food is prepared with local Bay Area ingredients. The signature dishes of Executive Chef, Laura Guagliano-Montiel, are taglioline pepati, roasted chicken and butternut squash ravioli. There are also special recommendations from the chef everyday. Modesto said, â€Å"They are always different, but the special are always really special. The restaurant served only wine and beer,, and Rachel said that she and her husband were disappointed with the meal. However, the guys still thought it was a nice place to hang out with friends or to have a casual meal with a family since the price is reasonable and the restaurant attracts open and friendly people. All in all, it is an affordable neighborhood restaurant. The last restaurant was Masa’s, the one recommended by Rachel and, of the three restaurants featured on this particular program, the most elegant. Like Aperto, Masa’s is also a San Francisco restaurant. It is also a medium sizes restaurant but with no windows. All the light comes from the red-covered lamps hanging from the ceiling, which according to Rachel, are Masa’s most excellent decorations. The light is soft, with huge dark-red reflections on the floor. This lighting gives the restaurant a fabulous and somewhat mysterious atmosphere. The dark colored walls are decorated with simple-style pictures, copper statues and light-colored curtains, which create a wonderful contrast to the rest of the room’s deep richness. The cuisine offered by Masa’s is very contemporary French. Every course is somewhat sparse but very delicious. A very extensive wine list provides to the adventure in dining. Dinner at Masa’s is a journey to elegance. Mark said that he was nervous throughout the dinner. The prices are quite high, but the service, the food, and the ambience are exceptional. There are even private dining rooms. Rachel called it a fabulous five-star dinging experience. Generally speaking, this restaurant is expensive but classic and wonderful. If a formal dinner is needed or, if people want to try the good service, Masa’s is a good choice. Of the three restaurants featured on this particular episode of Check Please, New Kapadokia seems to be the best choice. It showcases casual-style dining at affordable prices for both lunch and dinner. Aperto and Masa’s also look like excellent choices, especially for people who live in the city. The reviews left by the audience who had been to these restaurants gave New Kapadokia the most support, so it is probably a good idea to go there first if you want a new dining experience. Some of the people said that the airing of Check Please, the restaurant become overcrowded, maybe it’s a good idea to make your reservation well in advance.

Particular religion Essay

I do not subscribe to any particular religion, but I believe in the transcendence of the human spirit, and that there is something greater than ourselves out there—an absolute entity that encompasses us all. Many could qualify this absolute being as a God, but the word holds many sociocultural implications such as worship or a personification of that being’s attributes that I choose not to call it as such. I believe in the universality of goodness and that the only way one could achieve happiness and fulfillment is by living an good and honest life. My life’s experiences led me to believe in the concept of an absolute being, however, religion is not integral to my beliefs. My beliefs are determined my my experiences and not by religion. I have realized that most religions are man-made, and thus do not have any legitimate claim to the truth. It is all too apparent today that there exist many different religions, sects, churches, and denominations, most of which have conflicting beliefs. I have not encountered any one that works for me. Growing up, I was initiated to the religion of my parents—that is, Christianity. As a youngster, it easy to unquestioningly accept whatever it was that was inculcated in me. However, as I have gotten a better understanding of the world and myself, I have realized that that religion is lacking—for me it does not provide the adequate explanation as to living my life in the fullest sense. Over the years, religion has become irrelevant. For me, religion is a matter of faith—something I have but not to the extent that I accept that everything one religion tells me is true. Being a generally empirical person, that is to say, that I believe that something must be proven for it to be true, the idea of a religion, as we traditionally know it does not hold any weight for me. Having qualified what religion means to me, I can say that my definition does not reduce it to what I, as Frederick Streng says, â€Å"happened to be acquainted with by accident of birth and socialization. † I recognize the existence of a myriad of ultimate realities and pluralities when it comes to reli ¬gion and that having an open mind is the key to understandings what each belief really mean to the people who have them. I would not say that I have an anti-religion view, but having said that I do not subscribe to one may give that impression. My belief does not mean that I eschew every other religion as being false. I believe that religion have redeeming qualities, and that anything that influences a human being to be good and be the best that one can be could not be that bad. I would like to believe that my open attitude towards the concept of religion eliminates any perceptual bias, or reduces in the least. In the same token, my definition encompasses all, since I do not believe in the absoluteness and infallibility of any one. I regard new and emerging religions on the same ground as the old ones. All provide the means to potentially transform an individual. While my definition attempts to encompass all religions, it may not have enough precision to address each and every one of them. Just as beliefs evolve as one matures, so does one’s definition of concepts and ideas. It’s possible that I still have not experienced enough to qualify a universal definition that applies to every one. However, I believe that the search for the true understanding of religion is an ongoing process, that a closer study of it would make a clearer picture of the religious life emerge.

4 questions that need to be answered separately. in one paragraph each Assignment

4 questions that need to be answered separately. in one paragraph each - Assignment Example This argument works through a halo effect, which is a human cognitive bias. Today ad hominem exists as- Abusive, guilt of association, ad feminam, tu quoque and circumstantial just like utilitarianism (Blavatsky 1977 pg.77). One strategy of rebutting evidence is denying the truth in the data. This is the process where testimonies are presented to show or cast doubts in the sufficiency’s of given examples, this makes truth be denied in its own very eyes. Secondly, citing counterexamples and counter testimony also rebuts evidence, here contrary information is provided against the ones already there, and they appear to be true. Thirdly, credibility of authority should be questioned; through the principle of charity, opposing views are summarized to invoke credibility. Lastly, casting doubt on the representativeness and sufficiency of examples; this is applied incase examples are given since they may not be true hence should be interrogated well before accepting them (Blavatsky 1977 pg.197). An example of a categorical evaluation of an argument is A is a good B or A is not a good B. an example of an ethical evaluation of an argument is A is right or A is wrong. These examples explain how judgments will be supported arguments as being bad, good, or important/unimportant (Blavatsky 1977

Personal tv history assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal tv history assignment - Essay Example Further, viewing television is not only an individual act of one’s choice, but often it is a result of adjustment, negotiation, compromises and imitation of others in the child’s environment.† Although my TV viewing was not overly restricted by other members of the family (usually they took over the TV at night until they finally broke down and bought me my own TV when I was still in grade school), the choices I made in programming and the amount of time I spent with the TV were definitely influenced by external influences. In reflecting on my own TV watching experience, I remember only turning on the set when I was bored and couldn’t find anything else to do, but I also remember being bored often, that we, as a family, never did anything interesting. My mother indicates I would have rather watched TV than do anything else, even watching TV when we went to visit friends and relatives. This is a huge difference in perspectives that still manifested in me watching TV all the time. My mother saw it as a prime source of entertainment while I perceived TV to be little more than a time-filler between one event and the next. This begins to indicate an incredible failure to communicate between myself and my mother that is further demonstrated in our difference in viewing preferences. My mother has indicated that when she did watch TV, it was usually news programs or ‘prime time’ television, typically things like the sit-coms I liked to watch. However, she also indicates that it was a very rare occasion when she’d sit down and watch a program with me. This comes closer to coinciding with my memory, in which my parents chose to purchase a small TV for me rather than attempt to negotiate television watching time or selection of programs. Because this was my television, there was no compromising with my younger

Managing through information (finance exam) Essay

Managing through information (finance exam) - Essay Example However, the major point of concern is the Gearing Ratio, which has dramatically increased from 0% to 36.1446% in a year due to the long-term loan, this increases the risk of investment, and in addition the Dividend Payout Ratio has also decreased from 40% to 21.28%, which is a bad signal for the shareholders. In 2008 no interest had to be paid, but in 2009 interest also needs to be paid from the reserves, thereby reducing reinvestment into the company. Johnsons Ltd. should focus upon clearing the debt as early as possible, and clarify to the investors that it is for the betterment of the company. Furthermore, it should try to reduce the gearing ratio by increasing ordinary shares, either through new issuance or issue of bonus shares. Financial ratios aid in analyzing, controlling and improving the performance of a company, it also helps in attaining loans from banks, it can provide sufficient information to analyze the liquidity and performance of the firm, and points out the areas requiring improvement. However, ratios have certain limitations as well, for larger companies it is difficult to make comparative analysis as it becomes extremely complicated, firms set their targets at average instead of following market leaders, hampering the efficiency of the company. The major drawback of ratio analysis is that it does not account for inflation and therefore can mislead the managers. Apart from inflation, seasonal variations can create distortions in the results as well, furthermore many valuations used in the ratios such as depreciations, inventory, bad debts etc are approximates and can thus affect the end result. The user of these ratios must know how to differentiate between wrong results and should be capable of adjusting to various situations (Besley and Brigham, 2008, 68). It is obvious from the calculations that none of the three proposals is good, since they give fewer profits than the current system, Proposal A

Review of Tesco Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words - 1

Review of Tesco Strategy - Essay Example This is mainly due to the presence of numerous rival players, with varying product lines and services. Due to which, the bargaining power of the customers and suppliers is increasing at a rapid pace thereby amplifying the rate of switchover costs. Similarly, the food and beverage retailing segment is the largest and extremely competitive industry in the market of United Kingdom. The prime reason behind it is the presence of numerous existing players such as ASDA, Sainsbury, Tesco Plc and many others. As a result, the retail segment offered approximately 12 percent to gross domestic product (GDP) of the nation that amplified its economic standard and image in the entire globe among others. Apart from this, the retail segment also proved effective in presenting employment to almost 3.5 million educated citizens that reduced the rate of poverty and unemployment significantly. This proved extremely effective for the nation that enhanced its portfolio and equity in the market among others . Tesco Plc is recognised as one of the reputed international grocery and merchandise retailer in the market of United Kingdom. It includes more than 2318 stores in the entire globe comprising of 472000 experienced staffs to assist the customers in their purchases. It has positioned itself as the third largest retailer in the market of United Kingdom thereby comprising of a market share of 40 percent among many other rival contenders. It is mainly due to wide range of product lines such as clothes, electronics, financial services, and telecoms, furniture’s, healthcare products, retailing, pet products, DVD, CD, internet services and many others. Due to which, its total revenue, net income and operating income increased by  £60.93 billion,  £2.67 billion and  £3.87 billion in the year 2010-2011. The company of Tesco Plc mainly operates under the banners, named: Extra, Supermarket, Metro and Express. This essay mainly highlights the strategies implemented by the

FAMILY HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FAMILY HISTORY - Essay Example Lucky enough nobody from my past contracted Spanish flu as my relatives who were in the Arm were given vaccine to prevent them as their families from the illness. My grandparents were still farmers who mainly planted corn and kept domestic animals such as horses. The roaring of the 20’s, however, made them migrate to Texas were my father was born but in a later time. The prohibition did not affect anybody in my family line as nobody was concerned with alcohol. The years before World War II significantly affected my family as my relatives, who took part in World War I, were called up again for World War II. Two of my relatives lost their lives during the war, which seriously affected the family. According to my father, my grandparents got an indoor toilet precisely in 1938. Some of my relatives started working particularly in the white collar sector. My grandparents, however, kept up with their farming. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, a relative of mine who passed on, in 1970, was there and gave my relatives stories of how the soldiers were lucky to survive the unexpected attack. However, they had a hard time recovering from the effects of World War II as it took the lives of two of my relatives away. During the cold war era, people living in the U.S. had a capitalist culture, and this is how my family mainly lived (Forbes 14). During the McCarthy era, a lot of families were accused of being communists, but my family showed loyalty to the American government and these accusations did not reach them. The animated film, The Wolf Man, was much appreciated by my family members. They already had a TV set before this time, and some of the favorite shows the Lets Rhumba show. My parents were born during this time. My relatives were concerned in keeping the family business of selling corn going. During the assassination of President Kennedy, my father remembers how the country mourned for losing

Entering in to a Credit Agreement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Entering in to a Credit Agreement - Essay Example Rest of the amount is paid in small monthly installments. In his scheme of thing, the good sold belongs to the shop until and unless complete money i.e. last installment is not paid to the shop. This was used to be called Hire Purchase agreements but is now called an Installment Sales Agreement. Before entering an agreement for a credit, a person must be fully aware of terms and conditions of the credit. There are certain requirements that need to be complied with while entering an agreement to protect consumer's interest. The Consumer Credit Act 1974 and subsequent amendments lay down certain well defined requirements for a consumer's protection. If these requirements are not met the agreements will be considered as not enforceable without a court order. Various Consumer Credit Acts provide number of rights to the consumers to settle the agreement at any time by giving notice in writing and paying off the amounts owed under the Agreement. A person entering consumer credit or consumer hire agreement should carefully go through the agreement forms and content of document accompanying the agreement. Section 60(1) of CCA requires a credit agreement document to aware debtor or hirer clearly about following: Consumer credit or consumer hire agreement document in the prescribed form, containing all the prescribed terms of the agreement and conforming to regulations under section 60(1), is not signed in the prescribed manner by the debtor or hirer and by or on behalf of the creditor or owner The document does not include all the terms of the agreement, other than implied terms The document is, when presented or sent to the debtor or hirer for signature, in such a state that all its terms are readily legible. Contents of a Credit Agreement According to Credit Agreement Act, debtor or buyer and hirer or seller both arties must sign a written agreement including all terms and conditions. A credit agreement document must include following details: Names and addresses of both the buyer and seller A complete and clear description of the goods The cash price and the other charges (finance charges, insurance and so on) that make up the total price the buyer must pay The deposit that must be paid. No credit agreement is legal until the deposit is paid. The amount of each installment, including the last installment, and the day of the week or month by which it must be paid. All other terms and riders like who will the owner of goods until all the installments or full cost of the good is paid, at what conditions the purchaser can make prepayments or what will be the result if full installments are not paid. Terms and conditions if a seller has sold defective goods or it break down without any fault from purchaser side. Canceling an Agreement There are cases when a

Marxism Analysis of The Lower Depths Essay Example for Free

Marxism Analysis of The Lower Depths Essay Maxim Gorky’s â€Å"The Lower Depths† shows the struggle between classes. Unquestionably, its focus is on the lowest of the economically low class people being controlled by the bourgeoisie. It is also a representation of how cruel the society could be towards them and how, in turn, the people are affected by the society. Although the play talks of the story of low class people –the vagrant, the gambler, the ex-artist, the ex-aristocrat, the prostitute, and so many others, the thief’s character is the best to display the struggle between the classes. Thieves are likely to be wicked, troublesome, and disobedient. However, the thief in the text projects only the wickedness and troublesomeness but is not really disobedient. He is a bit subservient to the whims of their landlady. Though it is true that there are times when he doesn’t want to follow what the woman says, in the end the woman would always find a way to make him do whatever she likes. For instance, when the landlady wanted the thief to kill her husband, the thief refused. And to bring her plans into reality, she beats Natasha –whom the thief cared about. This made the thief furious and he went to confront the landlady but he incidentally killed her husband instead. Aside from this, the fact that the landlady â€Å"owned† her sister Natasha made the thief adhere to her caprice. He is always protecting his love and is willing to do everything to spare her from the landlord and the landlady’s injustice. The text embodies how the low class people resist the ideology of those in the higher classes. However, because of circumstances they are in, they end up going along with whatever those in higher classes’ demands. The lower economic groups are ignored in this text by those higher than them. The mere title of the play is distasteful. The place where the characters live is created and tagged as the lower depths by no other than the society itself. This just means that the society is also the primary reason for the repression experienced by the people. What the society didn’t realize is that these low class people are in the lower depths because they are deprived of chances to attain their goals and they are put on circumstances that destroy their self-confidence. The system of the ruling class caused the alienation of the low class people, therefore causing them not to be able to live their lives to the fullest. Also, the setting is where the characters tell their stories and debate on whether it is better to live without illusions on ones own capability or to embrace a romanticized view of the world in order to protect oneself from the pain of daily life. In the play, it is the character of Luka who seems to idealize everything in life and the one who demonstrate that philosophy is meant to be used as an instrument to initiate change. Precisely, it was him who played the opposing figure to the rest of the characters. He is an example of an old man whom experiences made wise. He serves as an inspiration to everyone he meets by urging each of them to start a new life. In spite of this, his extreme optimism could also be the same reason why his life failed. And although he amazed the neglected lower class people in the lower depths, his arrival in their lives was too late that their energy and will has already taken from them. No matter how those people try to ascend from the social swamp, they are always shoved back into the depths. For example, when Natasha and the thief were about to begin a new life, destiny surpass them. Natasha was terribly beaten by her sister and when the thief came to confront the landlady, he accidentally killed the landlord. The theme of the play could be about the dominance of the higher class over the lower classes. As one of the play’s characters puts it â€Å"And so for all the others. Locksmiths then bootmakers and other working folk and all the agriculturals and even the gentry they live for the better man! Each thinks es livin fer imself, yet it turns out its fer that better man†. All of them who live in the depths and all the other workers seem to believe that they are living for themselves. What they don’t realize is that they are living to work and feed the bourgeoisie. And aside from this, the fact that the characters came from different field means that the bourgeoisie could control all aspects of the culture. To sum up, the play is a depiction of how the bourgeoisie rule the society. And the fact that the society puts the label to people shows how powerful it could affect other people’s lives.

Best Practices In Food And Beverage Marketing Essay

Best Practices In Food And Beverage Marketing Essay The Food Beverage department at hotels has evolved significantly over the past decades. Various studies and marketing techniques were employed to the department in order to improve the operations such as developing menu items or creating unique offers (Miller). A PKF consulting analysis of 214 hotels during the time-frame of 1994 to 2004, displayed an percentage growth in FB profit which increased almost twice as fast as the total net operating income growth (Miller). It has been proven that while hotels had improved their FB outlets and increased their emphasis to the quality of dining, they quickly became unprofitable considering the time and expertise needed for their management (Shoemaker, Lewis and Yesawich). In order to cut-down costs and gain significant revenue, companies in the hospitality industry prioritized research-based branding strategies, to their specific target group in order to acquire corporate identity and quality service (Morgan, Pritchard and Pride). Distinguishing their brand image and differentiation of their product became of primary importance for all hospitality firms (hotels, restaurants etc). In the recent years, many international hotel firms have turned to a major branding strategy called co-branding. In this concept an existing restaurant is incorporated within a hotel, a practice considered to have been started by Victor Bergen during the 1930s, establishing fast food outlets in hotels on the highway which had a customer base of American families travelling away from home. The incorporation of this model to the modern hotel industry has been observed to change dramatically both consumer attitude and hotel management (Rutherford). This review plans to analyze the current position of strategic co-branding in the hospitality sector and how the tourism industry could be benefited. Furthermore, possible problems are discussed and recommendations to potential managers wanting to employ strategic co-branding techniques are given. 2. Co-branding definition While co-branding doesnt have a single definition, it generally involves the strategic alliance of at least two firms (Knowles, Diamantis and El-Mourhabi). It has also been described as a form of cooperation between two or more brands with significant customer recognition, in which all the participants brand names are retained (Blackett, Boad and Interbrand). Furthermore, Hilyer (Hillyer and Tikoo) explains the definition of co-brading when a product features more than one brand name. Among all these definitions, some common characteristics can be identified. The fundamental part in co-branding is the requirement of two or more brands that are widely recognised while the brand name is kept intact and the duration of the whole project varies between medium to long (Kippenberger). Therefore, co-branding can be interpreted into reality in two manners: either joining two brand names together in forming a new or unique product or having two recognised brands under the same space, such as T.G.I Fridays within Holiday Inn hotel (Hahm and Khan). 3. Notable examples of Co-branding Based on the model used in the early 1930s, with Bergens restaurants and hotels, the hotel industry began to employ co-branding strategies when it was faced with unprofitable sales. Today a large variety of hotels and restaurants use co-branding as a means of enhancing distribution of products or services together with increasing the range of their customer base, helping them to reach maximum profitability (Boone). Marriot Hotels is considered on of the pioneers of the chain hotels to be the first to implement an internationally recognised brand such as Pizza Hut in 1989 (Boone; Kippenberger). Following their example, the co-branding of TGI Fridays within Holiday Inn hotels turned out to be a financial success. After the conversion of the Pennsylvania Holiday Inn restaurant to TGI Fridays, the increase from $450,000 to $4 million within the first year only marked a rapid improvement in revenue which persisted for consecutive years (Hahm and Khan). After reviewing the benefits, the co mpany expanded its co operations with other franchise such as Red Lobster, Pizzeria Uno, Good Eats Grill and many more (Boone). Other examples include the co-branding of Sheraton hotels with Starbucks coffee and Vie de France baked goods, Hilton with Benihana, Calrson Country Inn with Pizza Hut, The Garden Place and Nestle Toll House Cafà © among others. 4. The Co-branding mechanism The concepts of branding and co-branding involve basic principles associated with stimuli and responses, called classical conditioning. Combining the signal from a stimulus with a neutral effect (such as the word lemon) with a stimulus that elicits a natural response from a person (such as the image and taste of the lemon), the person gives a similar response when the neutral stimulus is presented without the need of the natural one. The same principle applies to branding and co-branding: the product is associated with a brand name and after successive associations either from personal experience or advertising, a favourable reaction towards the brand name or image is created. Specifically in co-branding, the combination of a neutral stimulus (like a brand image of one company) is coupled to another brand image which people have developed a liking towards it, the new product or service created by the combination of the previous ones is made equally amiable to the consumer. This manages to enhance the psychological impact of a newly formed product without the need of further branding. 5. Impact of Co-branding The implementation of co-branding techniques has been acknowledged to have positive and negative impacts on the companys process. Studies have shown that several advantages that can be categorized in financial, managerial, marketing and customer royalty. Creating a powerful head image for customers is critical in enhancing the competitive advantage of a firm and distinguishes its quality from others in the marketplace, making it easier to recognise through co-branding strategies (Panda and Kumar). Also, the costs of operations, production and investment can be shared and the risk of competition in the market can be diminished, creating an short term financial advantage to other firms (Boone). Also, when two well-established brands co-brand, a sense of security and loyalty is created to the customer, such as in the example of a hotel co-branded with Pizza Hut will expect that loyal customers will stay in hotels with known brands when travelling. Lastly, the co-branding of restaurants to hotels provides a constant flow of loyal customers from the hotel setting, which can also work vice-versa (Boone). Despite the advantages, co-branding strategies are not the solution to all problems and cannot guarantee market success (Panda and Kumar; Joseph Arthur; Hillyer and Tikoo). Incorrect use and lack of conductive research is able to affect business negatively. For example, if a clear image is not created by the alliance of brands, it can create confusion to the consumers (Joseph Arthur) while a loss of control of a brands identity can reduce their affinity to the original brand (Keller). Possible problems for restaurant managers can be either limited investment by their hotels or lack of expertise and experience on the hotel restaurant concept. 6. Strategic Applications of Co-branding in International hotels and restaurants The main four applications of co-branding are called reaching in, reaching out, reaching up and reaching beyond. The selection of the strategy is based on the nature of the target market (if its newly formed or existing) and if both brands are absolutely necessary for product functioning. Reaching out is more commonly used if the co-brand has benefits for the product itself by entering a new market while if the co-brand can also contribute to the companys brand image then reaching beyond is implemented. Lastly, reaching in is implemented if the company wants to enhance the products core benefits. However, the brand image of a product in the long term can become very similar to others (panda) therefore maintenance of the brand is necessary. Strategic brand management is able to aim long term value and brand image maintenance in three different ways: Differentiating the brands nature from others in the marketplace Evaluating continuously the brands strategic position in the marketplace Branding based on the emphasis in the distinct qualities of the product/service Implementing information technology as well as internet marketing can also be helpful in managing co-branding. Via searching in internet databases, the target groups of each product or service can be directly targeted and informed about novel opportunities or offers, without the need of time-consuming and expensive research. Additionally, targeted promotions can monitor the needs of customers and adjust the products promoted accordingly (Oliva). 7. Suggestions In order to efficiently use co-branding, the respected hotels and restaurants must employ several different strategies to handle the emerging challenges. Hotel managers should firstly invest on the brand image and identity, while joining restaurant co-branding partners in strategic decision making processes about important issues and training programs. On the other hand, restaurant managers (Boone) must synchronize their operations and branding with the hotels standards, carefully choose a hotel that could potentially match the brand concept of the restaurant and offer various benefits and discounts to hotel residents in order to support customer loyalty to the brand (Lee and Decker). 8. Conclusion In retrospect, co-branding is a practise that can be successfully implemented for effective marketing in FB establishments of the hotel and result in elevated profit and diminished costs. However, due to the competitiveness in the current market and the continuous emergence of new strategies, the effectiveness of co-branding has greatly been challenged. Implementing novel technologies and adjusting the products or services on offers based on consumer needs, may be deemed sufficient to bypass any emerging challenges. Additionally, more empirical research in the hotel restaurant management is required. Future studies could analyse the attitude of international customers to co-branding as well as measuring brand equity between hotels and restaurants in need of co-branding.

Social Policy Essays Structural Consensus

Social Policy Essays Structural Consensus Welfare, the Individual, and Inequalities: A Structural Consensus Evaluation Using the two competing welfare ideologies of conservatism and marxism,and their different assumptions concerning the individual and inequalities. critically evaluate aspects of social policy using structural consensus theory. Many view the maturity of a government or civilization in relation to how that community treats its most needy citizens. The UK government became a welfare state in the 1940s, (Taylor-Gooby 2004). There has recently been a shift in views on many aspects of welfare, with the future of many government programmes, or at least their scope, in question. The government and communitys struggle to improve the welfare system can be considered in light of two of the more prominent social ideologies, Marxism and conservatism. Both have strong opinions on welfare as a part of society, the role of the individual within such society, and how inequalities should be best addressed. These views are addressed more completely, however, by structural consensus theory. Marxism sees human history as a class struggle, with oppressor and oppressed wrestling for control. The dominant class controls and owns the means of production or wealth generation, and the working class in therefore controlled by them. Welfare is a result of the strength of working-class resistance to exploitation, a concession the dominant class must make to maintain social order (Anon 2005). Programmes such as welfare and pensions help to legitimise the capitalist system with the working class. Welfare then becomes another vehicle for power and control by the dominant class. Its purpose is to placate rather than empower the poor, and seeks to reduce the individual to a state of dependency on those in power (Anon 2005). According to Marxist theory, society has unfolded in a series of ever-progressing and better structures, as defined by their economic development and modes of production, from the primitive communal to slave-based to feudal to capitalist. The final stage was communism. This was predicted to be the best possible means of governance and structure of society, one that would erase inequalities and allow individuals to achieve their full potential and value within their community (Anon 2005). While communism has faded, at least as it was practised in the Soviet Union and similar countries, socialist ideas have strongly pervaded capitalist ideology, leading to the development of the capitalist welfare state common today. Marxism viewed the individual as part of a collective organism, society. Inequalities in society resulted from distinction in classes, not particular individual decisions or behaviours. Conflict was between these classes, and rooted in struggle for power. Only when class distinctions were eliminated could individuals experience equality, although the theory still views them as part of a greater collective (Taylor-Gooby 2004). Marxism assumes the individual can and will contribute to the greater community as much as they are able, and will be motivated by the common good. When society has evolved or elevated itself to this place, inequalities will be dealt with appropriately (Anon 2005). Important ideas of Marxist theory that relate to the current welfare system are the states responsibility to provide for its members and the need for redistribution of wealth. The idea of entitlement, that one must be provided for simply because one is a British citizen, is in keeping with these two ideas (Timmins 2004). Welfare is a good and natural occurrence in a mature society, and should be available as much as needed. If society is unable to provide a job, it should provide support; if a member of society is unable to support himself, the government should do so. Difficulties in the application of pure Marxist ideology have led to a broadening of its doctrines. Marxism now represents a variety of ideas and opinions, grouped by their general opposition to the capitalist society. Supporters of these views have watched in dismay as welfare reform has been introduced in various countries, and at the success the US and other countries have had with the adoption of more conservative welfare policies (Barr 2004). The problem with broad application of Marxist theory is that individuals do take advantage. Easy welfare leads to many choosing to receive benefits when they could work, which weakens society. An example of this in our society is the explosion in the numbers of those receiving incapacity benefit; the number has doubled since 1993. It is possible for the unemployed to complain of mental problems say, stress or panic attacks, and be given a life-long sick note (Nelson 2005). Persons claiming incapacity when they are in fact able-bodied, then receiving government support, does not truly benefit anyone in the long term. Well-meaning welfare provisions, such as giving increased benefit to single-parent households, has been shown to contribute to the breakdown of the family structure. An average family pays 5,000 pounds a year more in tax than they receive in benefits. If they break up, they claim 7,000 pounds more in benefits than they pay in tax (Nelson 2005). This serves as a disincentive for the poor to maintain stable family units, further eroding their independence from government support. Marxist theory would contend this is an example of a supposed benefit offered by the dominant class that really serves to oppress the working classes. Conservative theory holds to very different tenets. Conservatives stress the need for social order and the responsibility of the individual (Taylor-Gooby 2004). Traditions, usually based on the values of the majority or dominant segment of society, are important and should be respected if not practised by all members of society (Taylor-Gooby 2004). The emphasis on individuality can also be interpreted as the assumption of inequality, that people have different abilities and motivations, and are therefore more or less able to succeed in society. Advancement is seen in terms of individual decisions and actions, rather than something dictated by society or its institutions (Anon 2005). In regard to welfare, conservative theory minimises the need for welfare programmes, particularly those for the able-bodied unemployed and elderly who chose not to save or plan for their old age. The unemployed on welfare are often seen as lazy and unwilling to work (Johnston 2005). The individuals ability to hold a job and succeed in society rests upon his or her own shoulders, and not working is deemed irresponsible. This opinion, voiced by Fraser Nelson in a recent The Business article, holds that welfare is not saving people from unemployment, but from unpleasant jobs (2005). Conservatives stigmatise welfare recipients, believing the stigma or negative perception by other members of society will facilitate their move off the welfare rolls. This type of mindset, at its best, leads to the creation of jobs programmes and other vehicles to assist the individual in rising above his or her need for welfare (Johnston 2005). The conservative considers individuals who do not take such opp ortunities as unwilling to work or become self-supporting. The social policy of the British government shifted towards conservatism under the Thatcher administration, although still providing a broad welfare programme (Taylor-Gooby 2004). The problem with the conservative perspective is that it fails to fully consider the social, psychological, and economic depravity of certain segments of society or disadvantaged geographical areas. It expects everyone to be able to pull themselves up by their boot-straps, as the saying goes, regardless of whether society has afforded them the means or tools to do so (Barr 2004). Whilst some from a deprived environment will be able to self-equip themselves to the point they can compete, vocationally and other wise, with persons from advantaged backgrounds, this has historically not been the case for the majority. The logic of and benefit to and individual getting off welfare in favour of a menial job is also questionable, at least from the individuals point of view (Johnston 2005). If given the choice between working at a distasteful or unpleasant place or receiving the same monthly support from a welfare programme, many will logically take the welfare. The Centre for Policy Studies notes that A two-parent family with a stay-at-home mother on average income and a mortgage is only four pounds a week better off than a single-parent household reliant entirely on benefits (Nelson 2005). This makes encouraging the single parent to put his or her children in some type of care whilst they work a hard sell. The Marxist and Conservative viewpoints are represented today as left and right wing politically. The left wing supports broad welfare programmes and public provision; it tends to function from a collectivist viewpoint. The Gordon Browns in this camp advocate expanding the current welfare system. The right wing supports only residual welfare, opposing public provision and championing individual responsibility (Anon 2005). The British populace has been progressively moving towards a more centrist view of welfare and public provision, although sweeping reforms are yet to occur (Johnston 2005). This gives rise to a functionalist, or structural consensus theory, attitude towards the future of welfare. Unlike Marxism and Conservatism, Structural Consensus Theory focuses on the functional needs of society, and how society meets these needs (Taylor-Gooby 2004). It offers a future vision of society, based on ideals and agreeable relationships. These ideals include a central value system, holistic social order, stability, and that the functional needs of the society must be met. The focus is on society as a whole rather than the individual. Society is seen as having the right both to define common values and impose them on its members (Anon 2005). This strong social integration leads to social control and stability. The parts and institutions of a society contribute towards meeting the societys functional needs. The cohesion required for these contributions is developed through shared experiences and relationship amongst members and institutions in society (Anon 2005). It then supports aspects of both Marxist and Conservative theory. There is a legitimate, functional need for welfare in society. There will always be some people that are unable to work through no fault of their own. Society has a responsibility for the physically or mentally disabled person, for the widow with small children, for the poor older person who is past the age of employment. It has a responsibility to provide food, clothing, shelter, and schooling to children whose parents cannot or will not do so. These are widely agreed-upon needs. The functionalist sees the institutions of society as both providing for these needs and integrating the individuals receiving support into the broader society. The unemployed on welfare are to be encouraged and included, not stigmatised, because doing so is the best course for returning them to work (Barr 2004). Inequality is not a given, but exists as a possibility. A balance between the responsibilities of society and those of the individual member of society are envisioned in balance. Whether this future balance can be achieved is a contested topic. There is a growing concern about and resistance to immigration into Britain. Immigrants are seen as taking British jobs, for less pay, and sometimes rightfully so. A recent poll showed three-quarters of British citizens believe the number of immigrants should be cut back, up from two-thirds with this opinion in 1995 (Timmins 2004). More people are viewing immigration as a factor in increasing crime and disintegration of quality of community life (Timmins 2004). Some blame welfare recipients unwillingness to work as contributing to the immigration issue. Others foresee cultural changes they oppose as the number of immigrants rise (Johnston 2005). This type of divisive strife does not propel the country toward common values, stability, or social order. It also creates resentment amongst those required to foot the bill for programmes such as welfare, which they begin to see as undermining their way of life (Johnston 2005) . In conclusion, the British welfare state and social policy shifted toward conservatism in the 1980s, and is beginning to experience the effects of a more conservative mindset amongst its citizens. Whether all the tenets of structural consensus theory can be achieved remains to be seen, but the emphasis on focusing on the functional needs of society, and providing systems to meet these needs, will go a long ways toward achieving balance between the responsibility of society to its members and the responsibility of members to be independent contributors to their society. REFERENCES Anon 2005. The politics of welfare. Robert Gordon University Centre for Public Policy and Management [online]. Available at www.2rgu.ac.uk, accessed 28 March 2005. Barr, N., 2004. Economics of the Welfare State. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Johnston, P., 2005. Do we really not want to work? The Daily Telegraph, London, Features section, p. 23, 14 February 2005. Neslon, F., 2005. How pro-poor policies are widening the welfare gap. The Business, 23 January 2005. Taylor-Gooby, P., ed, 2004. New Risks, New Welfare: The Transformation of the European Welfare State. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Timmins, N., 2004. Hardening attitudes to benefits mesh with government policy. The Financial Times, London, National News Politics and Policy section, p. 4, 7 December 2004.

Essay on Cruelty and Compassion in Homer’s Iliad -- Iliad essays

Cruelty and Compassion in The Iliad The Iliad, in that it is more about the Greek hero Achilles than any other particular person, portrays the Achaean in surprisingly shocking light at times throughout the story. In his encounter with Lycaon, who had previously been taken prisoner by Achilles long ago, Achilles demonstrates the extents to which his warlike demeanor can go. Yet it is equally surprising that he is capable of impressive compassion, as is depicted elsewhere in the Iliad. What seems to be an almost unbelievable fluctuation in attitude and mood is far from unexplained or contradictory, however. In fact, there is a well-defined regularity in Achilles' actions and demeanors, to the point of being capable of systematic classification. Achilles is not a loose cannon or an unpredictable firebrand. The method to his madness can be applied to his encounter with Lycaon as it can with any of his episodes in the Iliad. It is in Scroll XXI, at the height of his vengeful and destructive advance, that Achilles meets Lycaon. He has just captured twelve soldiers for sacrifice, and at the exact moment that he reaches Lycaon he is "thirsting for still further blood" (33). Lycaon entreats Achilles to have mercy on him. He mentions that he has been captured before by Achilles and has had precious little time to enjoy his regained freedom. He also distances himself from Hektor, who he knows has Achilles' enmity because of the death of Patroklos. In near desperation, Lycaon falls to his knees, declaring himself to Achilles as "suppliant" (64). Achilles' reaction at this instance is, along with his defilement of Hektor's body, among the most grim and bellicose moments in the Iliad and in Achilles' development as a character. H... ...rom being shocking, it is in fact completely consistent with the character of Achilles that we see throughout the Iliad†¹fearsome in combat, respectful of honor and courage otherwise. Works Cited and Consulted: Camps, W. A. An Introduction to Homer. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1980. Goodrich, Norma. Cruelty and Compassion in The Iliad . New York: Orion Press, 1962. Homer: Iliad. Trans. Stanley Lombardo. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co., 1994. Richardson, Nicholas. The Iliad : A Commentary. Vol. VI: books 21-24. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1993. Schein, Seth L. The Mortal Hero: An Introduction to Homer's Iliad. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984. Veiner, George, and Fagles, Robert, eds. Homer: A Collection of Critical Essays. Twentieth Century Views, ed. Maynard Mack. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice Hall, 1962.

Hatchet :: essays research papers

Hatchet’ Speech.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ËœHatchet’ by Gary Paulsen is a great book about survival in the wild. It follows the time of a boy, Brian Robson, who crash lands in the middle of a Canadian forest. I think Brian would have though of his time in the forest as fulfilling. Maybe not in the middle of the story, but afterwards, he would of thought of it as a very good experience. From only pages of the book, Brian starts to learn. When the pilot offers him a quick ‘lesson’ of flying the Cessna plane, this saves his life when the pilot dies a horrific heat attack in his seat. This causes Brian to panic, but he safely crash lands inside a lake. Then soon after, he starts to learn that just some insects are coming wanting his flesh. He never thought they were that bad until they cause him to swell all over The only stuff Brian had seen about the wild was on nature films â€Å"They only showed animals jumping around in the bushes and the rolling mountains†. It said in the novel. Brian had only lived in the city, where he is hidden away from the wilderness. He had never been into a forest before. So he was living by what he knew, which was very little. When he goes looking for berries, he is confronted by a big bear. He had seen one before in a zoo, and thought that they would be something to stay away from in the wild. He thinks he is done for, and thinks he will be attacked. But the bear leaves him alone, leaving him with the thought that they only attack you if you attack them. He learns things that are not just relevant to wilderness survival but also about life. These include patience, appreciation for the natural world and observation. He learns to control his temper when he discovers frustration and hopelessness does nothing. He also learns by trial and error, like hunting or building his shelter. For example, his first shelter doesn’t work, so he spends more time on building the second. If a method fails to accomplish the job, Brian learns from his mistakes instead of dwelling on them. Brian also notices the beauty of nature and its sights and sounds. Living in the city has dulled his senses. He uses his new senses to survive, like when at first he couldn’t locate the foolbirds he tries to hunt, they pop out of nowhere surprising him with their presence.

Internet Critique Essay

Internet is an incredible and enormous source of information and, thereby, information searched on Internet must be evaluated for credibility to effectively serve the variety of users. This paper provides a critique of the website â€Å"Healthline†, according to the criteria of Thede and Sewell (2010). Healthline is one of the popular website among Internet users, that offers users to search for health topic and medical advise online (http://www.healthline.com). The users can find different treatment options available for a diagnosis as well as information about the drugs. It also allows the users to search for a specialist depending on their residential area. The criteria illustrated by Thede and Sewell (2010) is important in guiding users to differentiate between reliable and unreliable information. By using this criteria users become knowledgeable about evaluating the credibility of a website. The questions posed in the checklist prompt critical thinking process, and leads us to find the underlying intent of the website. The criteria assist users to check the validity of information by finding if the information is peer-reviewed or verified by qualified editor. Only if the found health information were from a valid scholarly source then it would be trusted. If the user’s intent is to validate the information then this criteria should be applied to any other website regardless of the underlying intent. For instance, commercial website’s sole intent is to sale their products. The Internet users now can search on the web for other websites that offer peer reviews on that product. Source Healthline runs by a company Healthline Networks Inc. Originally founded in 1999 but re-launched in 2005 with current name. Detailed description is given about the company’s motto, board of directors and management team in company-info section. A search for a specific disease results in a choice to go to different websites or choose the articles that are listed. If the editorial team does the article then no author name is specified, but it’s reviewed by a qualified MD with or without their credentials specified. But if the article is from an encyclopedia or another publisher, there is only author name is given with their affiliation and article’s published date but no author’s credentials. The last review date of an article is shown at the bottom of the page. The publisher name is shown as well with the copyright information. If author name is displayed, there is no link to contact the author. The link is available if the article is licensed from another publisher. There is no link available to contact the article reviewer. Funding Healthline is found to be a commercial site, generating its revenue mainly from the advertisement. It’s a free website for users. The home page is attractive and shows the advertisement at top and bottom of the page. There is also video advertisement with no audio, resulting in less distraction. The advertisements are clearly labeled and don’t spoil the user experience, therefore making the navigation easier. Validity and Quality The home page of Healthline shows the accessed date on top of the page and copyright information at the bottom. The last reviewed date is displayed at the bottom of each individual article. New articles are shown at the home page with the name of the editorial team member on top. But if user is looking for something specific then some of the articles searched are almost two years old. User has to thoroughly search for up to date information. There are appeared to be no content and typing errors. Information appears to be non-bias. The language used is comprehensible to a general user and lacks the jargon terms. If user navigates to the company info, the purpose of the website is clearly stated. Some of the articles are written by the editorial team and reviewed by an MD with published date but no credentials, while other articles are sourced from a third party publisher with some links functioning. The website claims that articles that are done by Healthline editorial teams are reviewed by the board of certified physicians and medical editors. Detailed information about Healthline medical advisory board and their editorial team is also available on the website, including the name of each member with brief summary of their credentials. Healthline acknowledges licensing the medical and health content from third parties for publication, with clear depiction of their name and a valid link. Some of their third party publisher reference partner include A.D.A.M., GALE Cengage Learning, Gold Standard, NBC Universal, StayWell, Harvard Health Publications, Reed Elsevier and more. Privacy Healthline privacy policy is well outlined in the company-info section. They clearly state what information they are collecting from users and with whom they share this information with. They gave a detailed overview of what type of anonymous information they are collecting. Anonymous information includes the type of queries done on the website by a user, but doesn’t include any personal information such as, name email-address or phone number. User can choose not to pass-on this anonymous information by disabling the cookies. Healthline pledges not to share any personal information of registered users to the third parties. In comparison to the recognized privacy policy statement of HON (Health on The Net Foundation, 2011) website, the personal information collected is also not shared with any third party. However, HON also gathers â€Å"non-personal† information using their web-server. HON’s privacy statement is short and lacks the details about the non-personal information. On the other hand, Healthline company-info section not only clarifies in detail to the users what are the â€Å"Cookies† and â€Å"Web Beacons†, but also specifies the privacy policy for the children under thirteen. Summary To summarize, the criteria by Thede and Sewell helps user develop a sense to evaluate the sources and credibility of information, based on author’s qualifications and credentials, source of publication, website’s purpose, and website’s privacy policy. All of the criteria are found to be of most importance in helping user to evaluate a website for credibility, especially if user is searching information about their health. The healthline doesn’t meet some of those criteria. The criterion of source is not met because of the lack of consistency in providing author’s name and credentials. Healthline needs to develop a consistency in displaying author’s name, credentials, affiliation, link to contact the author, article’s last reviewed date, and link to contact the article reviewer. The validity and quality criterion is also partially met. The third party publisher’s validity is verifiable in some case where links are functioning. Healthline needs to specify credentials of the article reviewers as well as the name of their editorial team’s member who wrote the article. Also the health information needs to be up to date. Healthline meets the criteria of funding and privacy policy. It clearly expresses its purpose, and acknowledges generating revenues form advertisement. Its privacy policy gives user a detailed view about the anonymous and personal information and how it is used, gaining user’s trust.

Pride and Prejudice: Mr Wickham Essay

In the novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’, written by Jane Austen, there are many different characters, each with their own roles to play in order for the story to reach its final product. Among these many characters is George Wickham. Though generally brushed off as a minor character, George Wickham plays a vital role in the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Through both his lies and his amatory adventures, Wickham is the source of both Elizabeth’s loathing and love for Mr Darcy. Throughout the novel, Elizabeth’s opinion of Mr Wickham changes dramatically. For the first half of the novel, Elizabeth adores Wickham and believes him to be the perfect gentleman. He achieves this high appraisal mainly through his false recount of his previous affairs with Mr Darcy, saying of Darcy â€Å"It is wonderful, for almost all his actions may be traced to pride; and pride has often been his best friend. It has connected him nearer with virtue than with any other feeling† (page 75). The false recount of Wickham’s affairs with Fitzwilliam Darcy confirms Elizabeth’s previous opinions of Darcy, which she presents through saying: ‘I have spent four days in the same house with him and I think him very disagreeable† (page 71). She is lead to believe that Darcy reserves only the slightest acknowledgement of anyone but his closest friends and family – the people of his class. Wickham however appears, to Elizabeth, to be quite the opposite of Darcy and she thinks of him that whatever he says is said well and whatever he does is done gracefully (page 77). The dramatic antitheses between each man’s personalities highlight the gentlemanlike poise of Wickham, making him the more attractive of the two. What then changes Elizabeth’s attractions to Mr Wickham, is the discovery of his previous amatory adventures. Wickham was involved in three amatory adventures, mentioned throughout the course of ‘Pride and Prejudice’. The first of these escapades was his failed elopement with Georgiana Darcy. This played a vital role in Darcy’s opinion of Mr Wickham and eventually led to Elizabeth’s realisation of Wickham’s true character as well. Elizabeth’s opinion of Wickham’s past with Georgiana is apparent toward the end of the novel, when she says to Mr Darcy ‘†¦that I might have prevented it! I, who knew what he was’ (page 236) Wickham’s second adventure was very short lived and is often overlooked. It was his attempt at marrying Miss King who, according to Elizabeth, is a good sort of girl and the inheritor of her Grandfather’s fortune (page 134). This escapade is significant as it slightly shapes Elizabeth’s opinions and affections towards Mr Wickham. Where she once thought of him as a possible husband, after this escapade, she says to her aunt, ‘I am now convinced†¦ that I had never been in love’ (page 132) His final and most significant of his adventures was Wickham’s elopement with Lydia Bennet. This elopement is very significant as it shapes Elizabeth’s opinions of both Wickham and Darcy, greatly. Elizabeth was frightened when she heard of Wickham’s failed elopement with Georgiana and when he runs away with Lydia, her fright elevates to utter disgust and loathing. When, however, she finds out Darcy’s part in the whole affair, Austen hints of disappointment from Elizabeth, that she had treated him so impartially. Elizabeth is really made to think about these two men before her, each so different in both personality and in appearance and she begins to find it easier to see the good in Darcy and her affections toward him heighten. This is shown at the end of the novel when Elizabeth sees Darcy again and thinks to herself, ‘A man who has one been refused. How could I be foolish enough to expect a renewal of his love? ’ (Page 290) It is not just the results of Wickham’s elopement with Lydia, however, that makes Elizabeth rethink her answer to Darcy’s previous sentiments. The extreme difference in character of the two men also highlights Darcy’s integrity. The extreme differences in Wickham’s and Darcy’s personalities are the source of Elizabeth’s feelings towards them both. At the start of the novel, Wickham’s natural manners and easy going nature highlight the pride and arrogance of Mr Darcy. Darcy tries to explain his awkward personality to Elizabeth, saying; ‘We neither of us perform to strangers’ (page 153). Elizabeth however is taken by Wickham’s cordiality and brushes Darcy off. Towards the end of the book however, events change and the two men swap personalities completely. Wickham’s evident greed and self-centredness is then highlighted by Darcy’s change in air. Austen highlights Darcy’s personality change through his conversations with the Gardiners. Mrs Gardiner says of Darcy; ‘But how come you told us he was so disagreeable†¦ he has not an ill-natured look. On the contrary, there is something pleasing about his mouth when he speaks’ (page 219). For a long time, Wickham’s pleasant nature caught Elizabeth up in prejudice and she avoided Darcy’s ill-natured countenance. Her prejudice however, dissipated when she saw both men’s true personalities and the dramatic difference between Darcy’s air made Elizabeth rethink her opinion of him and her affections towards him heightened greatly. It was because of Wickham that these changes in Darcy were so conspicuous. In conclusion, Wickham played a vital role in the relationship of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy. At the start of the book, through his lies and manipulations, Wickham confirms Elizabeth’s loathing of Mr Darcy. By the end of the book however, Mr Wickham has unconsciously changed Elizabeth’s opinions of Mr Darcy through the results of his three amatory adventures and through the obvious change in Darcy’s countenance – highlighted by Wickham’s poor qualities.

Eye Injury Risk from Water Stream Impact Essay

Ocular injuries caused by solid projectiles have been described in the literature (Duma, 2005; Kennedy, 2006; Kennedy, 2007). However, the impact of a high-velocity water stream on the globe has not been previously quantified. Such pressurized water jets can be found in children’s water toys, squirt guns, and interactive water fountains. As the velocity of these water streams increases, product capabilities, and therefore popularity, likewise increase. In addition to those on the market, water gun enthusiasts custom build powerful guns in order to maximize flow rate, often in excess of 55 ft/s. Interactive water fountains (also called wet decks, splash pads, spray pads, or spray parks) are found in public areas and water parks throughout the country. The attractions feature synchronized jets of water, typically directed vertically from nozzles in the ground. While playing, it is possible for a child to look into the nozzle in anticipation of the next spurt of water which could in theory cause an eye injury. However, the increasing popularity of these fountains has not been matched by appropriate regulation. The CDC recommends that health departments update pool codes to include interactive water features that do not have standing water (Prevention, 2007) due to a series of outbreaks of gastroenteritis (Minshew, 2000). The lack of research and injury assessment has delayed the process, as most states have not established codes. Current available legislation is listed in Table 1. The primary focus of concern in current legislation is centered on the filtration system and prevention of spread of bacterial infection. This concern has taken attention away from the potential for mechanical injury due to a high-velocity water jet directed toward a child’s eyes, ear, or mouth. This study consisted of five parts: Part I includes previous research and case studies that have been reviewed to begin to understand the need for water eye injury research and the previous efforts made to investigate this injury mechanism. In Part II, a range of objects and devices were analyzed to determine water characteristics and the associated injuries. A summary table of the results was produced. In Part III, projectile impact tests were performed with three different projectiles and a range of velocities to measure normalized energy and internal pressure within the eye. For Part IV, water jet impacts were performed with three nozzle diameters and a range of water velocities to measure internal eye pressure to assess injury. In Part V, data from Part III were used to determine a correlation between normalized energy and internal eye pressure to then calculate normalized energy for the measured internal eye pressure during the water jet impacts (Part IV). Previously developed injury risk curves for corneal abrasion, hyphema, lens dislocation, retinal damage and globe rupture were applied to the calculated normalized energy to determine injury risk for the water jet impacts. Nozzle type, size, and maximum velocity are a critical part of an interactive water fountain’s performance, but until relationships between these factors and injury have been established, it is hard to place numerical guidelines on their design. This report aims to quantify the incidence and mechanics of water-induced eye injuries and benchmark the fluid mechanics of current water systems and toys. Documented cases of high-velocity water-induced eye injuries confirm the potential danger of these water blasts (Table 2). Many of the reported incidents occurred in the workplace and involve pressure washers, agricultural irrigation sprinklers, or fire hoses. While studies of water-induced eye injuries on humans have not been conducted, animal studies have linked high-velocity water jets to eye damage. Fish (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) exposed to submerged water jets at velocities ranging from 40 to 65 ft/s were examined for injury. Nearly half of all fish suffered eye injuries (bulged, hemorrhaged, or missing) at velocities of 55 ft/s and above (Deng, 2005). In a similar study, fish were released at velocities from 0 to 70 ft/s and the authors found velocity to be positively correlated to severity of injury (Nietzel, 2000). Minor severity was noted when there was a visible injury that had no threat to life and major severity was noted when the injury was a threat to life and persisted throughout time.