80s Music History Essay

MTV galloped through the ’80s as a factor of musical taste, style and fashion. During the early ’80s, the network helped introduce an entire stable of new music stars. For almost the entirety of the decade of the ’80s, MTV was a force to be reckoned with, serving as the music video headquarters for the pop music world. As such, monster ’80s artists like the Police, Michael Jackson and Bon Jovi gained great exposure to audiences through their constant appearances in the MTV rotation of videos. As the network gained popularity, it began to diversify programming, introducing a stable of music-themed shows. As the decade drew to a close, MTV began a gradual move away from music programming in favor of content geared toward reality TV and celebrity/pop culture. AIDS The history of HIV and AIDS in the USA began in 1981, when the United States of America became the first country to officially recognise a strange new illness among a small number of gay men. Today, it is generally accepted that the origin of AIDS probably lies in Africa. However, the USA was the first country to bring AIDS into the public consciousness and the American reaction undoubtedly contributed to the establishment of AIDS as one of the most politicised, feared and controversial diseases in the history of modern medicine – a reputation that stands today. Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, actor and businessman. Often referred to as the â€Å"King of Pop†, or by his initials MJ,[2] Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His release of 1982 album â€Å"Thriller,† is still the best sold album of all time., See more:  The 3 Types of Satire Essay Madonna When you think about clothes in the 1980s the most popular style that comes to mind is Madonna. She wore layers of coats, skirts, and shirts, but best known for her accessories, such as hair bows and religious symbols in her jewelry, gloves, and necklaces. Although much of her success was derived from her image, many of her songs from the 80’s, such as â€Å"Holiday,† and â€Å"Lucky Star,† weaved their way into the fabric of 80s pop music turning her into a legend within her time. Prince Prince Rodgers Nelson, born June 7th, 1958, known by his stage name Prince was a pioneer of 80s glam and a champion for male heels. Valley Girls Started in the Sanfernando Valley a fluent teenage girls who ultimately defined 80s slang. Phrases that uniquely marked the 80s way of speaking such as â€Å"Barf me out,†, â€Å"gag me with a spoon,† â€Å"totally tubular,† â€Å"narly,† and â€Å"eat my shorts,†. Rubics Cube Invented by Hungarian scientist, Eron Rubic, it seemed like such a simple puzzle, yet the rubics cube mesmorized millions of people with its complexity. The rubics cube began one of the most popular toys of the 20th century and an icon of the 80s. Pac-man Arcade game developed by Namo, distributed in the US, beginning in 1980. Considered a classic in video games and is virtually synomonas in 1980s pop culture. Reguared as one of the most influential video games of all time John Lennon On December 12th, 1980 english musician and one of the founders of the Beatles, John lennon was assinated by Mark David Chapman in front of his new york apartment home. His message was one of unity, peace, and a better future for all, a message which many youth from the 1980s responded to. Berlin Wall â€Å"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!† n June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan spoke the people of West Berlin at the base of the Brandenburg Gate, near the Berlin wall. Due to the amplification system being used, the President’s words could also be heard on the Eastern (Communist-controlled) side of the wall. The address Reagan delivered that day is considered by many to have affirmed the beginning of the end of the Cold War and the fall of communism. On Nov. 9-11, 1989, the people of a free Berlin tore down that wall. The tearing of the wall represting the reuniting of Germany. Cell Phones In the early 1980’s it became more popular to have a car phone. The costs were high. A car phone could cost between $200 and $1000 dollars plus installation. The phone plans in the 1980’s were not like they are today. You could get a 30 minute plan for $49 per month. Roaming was extra and long distance was through your long distance carrier. You would receive two bills per month.In the early 1980’s the first real â€Å"bag phones† started getting popular. It would cost about $250 for a cheap one and $800 for a really good one. The battery life was limited to about 1 hour and the bags were about the size of a midsized pocket book. The plans were the same as the car phones.The first â€Å"cell phones† were really large with a long antenna. In the mid 1980’s they were about $400. There were no discounts for signing up for a 1 or 2 year plan. CD Rom Audio CDs and audio CD players have been commercially available since October 1982. standard CDs have a diameter of 120 millimetres (4.7 in) and can hold up to 80 minutes of uncompressed audio or 700 MiB (actually about 703 MiB or 737 MB) of data. The Mini CD has various diameters ranging from 60 to 80 millimetres (2.4 to 3.1 in); they are sometimes used for CD singles, storing up to 24 minutes of audio or delivering device drivers.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 1-3

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

The effects of debt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The effects of debt - Essay Example Thus investors can receive a higher return on their investment. However, debt also leads to higher chance of bankruptcy and may restrict managerial behaviours. Thus the firm becomes more risky and on lower levels of return the earns to stock holders declines. The effects of debt on weighted average cost of capital (WACC) are uncertain. It is known that debt reduces the weighted average cost of capital since debt is cheaper than common equity due to tax saving. But since a higher return is demanded from common stock holders the actual effect is not know. Agency costs as well as financial distress may limit the usage of debt. Distress costs are usually higher for firms with significant intangible assets. The precise identification of a firm's optimal capital structure is impossible. There is also no exact measure for the effects of capital structure of a firm on its cost of capital or on the firm's stock prices. Based on this we can only estimate to an extent only what the optimum capital structure would be. The trade-off theory of leverage is one in which a firm trades off the favourable corporate tax treatments, that are, the benefits of debt financing, against high interest rates and costs of bankruptcies. Thus the firm optimizes the capital structure of the firm and balances the debt and equity in an optimum ratio. The trade off theory in effect realizes that agency cos... The higher the leverage of the firm the higher are the chances of distress faced by the managers. Thus as the level of debt increases in the firm, the cost of debt also increases. This makes debt more expensive as we take more debt. Similar is the case with equity as the debt level increases in the firm, the return on equity demanded by common stock holders increases. The salient features and implications of the trade-off theory are: 1. Debt becomes less expensive than common or preferred stock as interest paid on it is a deductible expense and thus debt provides tax shelters. However, firms do not use 100% debt since this increases the risk of the firm and thus to reduce costs of bankruptcies. 2. The tax benefits attained from low levels of leverage outweigh the bankruptcy costs but the bankruptcy costs outweigh the tax benefits at high levels of leverage. Thus a balance of the leverage in a firm has to be kept. 3. Nonetheless optimal capital structures do exist that can balance the benefits of tax shelters attained from leverage against its bankruptcy costs. The method adopted to minimize the weighted average cost of capital is as follows: The cost of debt and the cost of equity is evaluated at different levels or ratios of debt. Based on this a weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is calculated by assigning market value of capital and market value of debt. This then gives the point where WACC can be minimized. This point is the optimum capital structure. Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow Jensen explains that excess cash flow is the excess cash flow over the required to fund all projects with a positive net present value. Thus essentially free cash flow is the cash flow available for dividend payout.

Philosophy subject Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy subject - Essay Example The question this scenario presents us students with is whether or not this boy is responsible for his actions. There are many philosophers that have very different answers to this troubling question. For purposes of this exam, I focus on Susan Wolf. Susan Wolf, the author of "Sanity and the Metaphysics of Responsibility," takes Frankfurt's views one step further, combining them with those views of Taylor and Watson. She puts forth the "Deep-Self View"(53), which basically stated, says that there is a deep self, which governs our actions and is influenced by our environment. This deep-self view allows for victims of brainwashing and persons with disorders like kleptomania to not be held responsible for their actions, even though they could have second-order desires about them. The reason for this is that these people's "wills are not governed by their deep selves, but by forces external to and independent from them"(53). Wolf separates desires "determined foreign to oneself from desires which are determined by one's self,"(54) or deep-self. This view allows for some determinism, while also providing a vehicle for a freedom of the will. However, Wolf admits that the deep-self view needs further revision for it to be feasible. The deep-self view would hold someone responsible of their actions every time their deep-self determines a desire not controlled by some external or foreign source. However, Wolf's example of JoJo, the son of a cruel dictator, shows that although JoJo's deep-self may truly want to do what is obviously wrong, he cannot be held responsible for his actions because of his upbringing. This idea is not reconcilable with Wolf's deep-self view at first. However, Wolf adds an addendum to her original hypothesis; namely, that the deep-self view holds true only if the individual is sane. The definition of sanity that Wolf uses the M'Naughten Rule, which states: "a person is sane if (1) he knows what he is doing, and (2) he knows that what he is doing is, as the case may be, right or wrong."(55). If a person were insane, i.e. did not have a grasp of the difference between right and wrong, then they would not be held responsible for their actions. By modifying the deep-self view in this manner, the case of JoJo is reconcilable with the deep-self view in that JoJo does not have an understanding of what is right or wrong, and therefore need not be held responsible for his actions. Wolf then summarizes her view by saying that "in order to be responsible for our actions, the sane deep-self view analyzes what is necessary in order to be responsible for our selves as (1) the ability to evaluate ourselves sensibly and accurately, and (2) the ability to transform ourselves insofar as our evaluation tells us to do so."(57) Thus, Wolf's idea of responsibility is dependent upon our ability to understand the difference between right and wrong and our ability to evaluate and change our deep-selves over time. When applying Wolf's sane deep-self theory to the case about the twelve year-old killer stated above, Wolf would most likely argue that the boy was responsible for h

The Mobile Phone Market in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

The Mobile Phone Market in China - Essay Example At the same time, there is a heavy reliance on group affiliation and group membership in China that continues to feed growing consumption demand ratios for mobile phone products as a means to stay connected with other Chinese family members and peer acquaintances. There is also a growing demand for mobile services in the business environment for executives and generic employees alike, representing a whole different market segment other than just the middle class Chinese buyer. Therefore, there are multiple market segments that are available for targeting which will require the creation of an integrated marketing campaign for business and generic consumer markets. China, however, is a saturated market for mobile phone marketers, with such competition as Nokia, Motorola, Toshiba, Panasonic and other local Chinese manufacturers under partnership with NEC and other Chinese service providers (Myers & Yuan, 2008; Wang, 2005). This must be taken under consideration prior to market entry as unit volumes of competitor mobile phones have exceeded 134 million in 2008 (Fu, 2007). Subscribership to mobile services of varying variety has reached 480 million in China by 2008, a 20 million unit increase since 2007 (Fu). Thus, in order to be competitive in this market, the business must develop a marketing strategy that targets key demographics using a marketing strategy that is differentiated from competition and caters to local market needs. In 2006, Mitsubishi was forced to exit the Chinese mobile market due to a lack of acceptable market presence and failure to adopt marketing strategy to fit the local Chinese consumer (Myers & Yuan, 2008). Toshiba also was forced out of the market in 2006 after a joint venture with Nanjing Patina Wang Zhi Corporation was unable to meet market demand (Myers & Yuan). These are important factors to consider that have opportunities for new market entry and also to illustrate the importance of consumer influence in the Chinese mobile market. De spite the saturated presence of competition, research has identified much significant potential for revenue growth in China if the business develops an appropriate integrated strategy that targets multiple buying groups. The goal is to maintain an image of local market fluency that fits the psychographic profile of Chinese consumers related to their lifestyle, preferences, and social tendencies. This report provides research data on the Chinese consumer, the mobile market, competitive practices, and describes opportunities for short-run and long-run revenue growth in this difficult NIC market with ample consumer market availability. To succeed in China, the business must be flexible, innovative, and also invest considerable capital into promotion and advertising. 2. Background analysis on China The Chinese market currently maintains a 34.5 percent growth in mobile phone usership, with an increase of 20 million year to year in subscribership to mobile services (Fu, 2007). Growth in m obile phone usage has occurred by new industrial developments, new job opportunities, and also the balance of payments equilibrium that exists in China associated with import and export volumes and capital expenditures. The Chinese government maintains a significant trade surplus with other countries, but is able to offset this through capital outflows into foreign investment (Warren & Keegan, 2009). China has been

Federal Bureau of Prisons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Federal Bureau of Prisons - Research Paper Example Whatever the intended function of prison is, the reality is that they perform a role in our society. We have the need to feel safe from people who would do us harm. Many commit crimes at the state level, so are sentences to local jails or state prisons. Others, however, wrong the country as a whole, and not just a given segment of society. For this offenders, the federal government has set up an elaborate system of prisons across the country divided into six different regions. The purpose of the Federal Bureau of Prisons is to â€Å"Protect society by confining offenders in the controlled environments of prison and community-based facilities that are safe, humane, cost-efficient, and appropriately secure, and that provide work and other self-improvement opportunities to assist offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens† (Roberts, 1997, p. 53). The purpose of this paper is to explain the function of the federal prison and to examine the actually effectiveness of its various pro grams and policies. History and Policies Established in 1930, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has stated its policy to provide more progressive and humane care and treatment for Federal inmates sentenced to serve time (Roberts, 1997, p. 53). ... 53). As one can see, this is quite an elaborate system of institutions, and each is governed by a nationalized set of policies designed to keep everything running smoothly throughout the country. Currently, the federal prisoner system is designed to care for about 219,000 inmates. Policies dictate that each inmate who is incarcerated is done so in order to order to ensure public safety. At the same time, the facilities that the inmates are housed in are designed to be safe, humane, cost efficient, and secure to the level required by each individual offender. Security Levels Just as with state and local prisons and jails, there are various levels of security existent in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The system is made of five distinct security levels. The goal in this division is to confine offending prisoners in a manner appropriate to their individual circumstance and crime committed. Each level has different features related to the number and presence of external patrols, towers, security barriers, or detection devices (Fliesher, 1998, p. 11). Each level of confinement will also typically have different types of housing within the institution, certain security features, and a different staff-to-inmate ration. It is also interesting to note that each institution in the federal system is designed to house a different security level as needed depending on the space available and the needs of the population (Fliesher, 1998, p. 11). The lowest level of security in the Federal Bureau of Prisons is minimum security. Prisons of this type are also known as Federal Prison Camps and typically have dormitory type housing, a low staff-to-inmate ration when compared to other

Understanding Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Understanding Concepts - Essay Example Balance Sheet Ratio Analysis calculates solvency and liquidity of a business. They include Current Ratios = Total Current Assets / Total Current Liabilities. The ratio shows whether a business has sufficient current assets to meet its current debts and leave a margin of safety in case of current assets losses such as collectable accounts or inventory shrinkage. Two to 1 is the favourable current ratio (Stickney, 2010). If the current ratio of a business is low, turning fixed assets into current assets, debts payment, and taking back profits into the business can help raise it. Quick Ratios / acid-test ratio = Cash + Government Securities + Receivables / Total Current Liabilities. 1:1 is the satisfactory acid-test ratio. Working Capital is calculated by taking Total Current Assets less Total Current Liabilities. Leverage Ratio or Debt/Worth Ratio = Total Liabilities / Net Worth. It indicates how far a business relies on debt financing. If this ratio is high, it becomes hard to obtain credit. Income Statement Ratio Analysis measures profitability. They include Gross Margin Ratio = Gross Profit / Net Sales. It calculates the sales dollars left inform of a percentage to cover the company’s overhead expenses. Net Profit Margin Ratio = Net Profit before Tax/ Net Sales. It details the sales percentage, which remain after deducting the Cost of Goods sold and any other expenses apart from income taxes (Stickney, 2010). Management Ratios include Inventory Turnover Ratio = Net Sales / Average Inventory at Cost indicates how effectively inventory is managed. Accounts Receivable Turnover Ratio (in days) = Accounts Receivable / Daily Credit Sales; it shows how effectively the receivables are collected. Return on Assets Ratio = Net Profit before Tax / Total Assets; it measures how effectively profits are being derived from the assets in the

Astronomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Astronomy - Essay Example Its birth pangs began some 4.6 billion years ago as rock and ice particles swirling around the young sun collided and merged, snowballing to produce ever larger planetary building blocks. In violent pileups, they smashed together to create planets, including the infant Earth. In the turmoil, another body, as big as Mars, struck our planet with the energy of trillions of atomic bombs, enough to melt it all the way through. Most of the impactor was swallowed up in the bottomless magma ocean it created. But the collision also flung a small world's worth of vaporized rock into orbit. Debris quickly gathered itself into a ball, and since then Earth history has unfolded beneath the blank stare of the moon. After the moon's fiery birth, the Earth's surface cooled. Even so, our planet remained an alien world for the next 700 million years; scientists call this time the Hadean, after the Greek underworld. Rafts of solid rock drifted in the magma like dark ice floes. Gases hissed from the cooling rock-carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water vapor, and others-enveloping the planet in a scalding atmosphere devoid of oxygen. As the temperature dropped further, the steam condensed into rain that fell in primordial monsoons and filled the ocean basins. These first oceans may have been short-lived. Space rubble left over from the birth of the planets-chunks of rock tens to hundreds of miles across-bombarded Earth throughout the Hadean. The greatest impacts might have boiled the oceans away, forcing the process of cooling and condensation to begin again. By 3.8 billion years ago the impacts relented. Liquid water could persist. About that time, perhaps in the oceans, lifeless chemical reactions crossed a threshold, producing molecules complex enough to reproduce themselves and evolve toward greater complexity. Life was on a road that led, as early as 3.5 billion years ago, to single-celled, blue-green cyanobacteria that flourished in the sunlit parts of the oceans. By the trillions, these microscopic organisms transformed the planet. They captured the energy of the sun to make food, releasing oxygen as a waste product. Little by little they turned the atmosphere into breathable air, opening the way to the diversity of life that followed. Those days are long gone, but the processes that turned our planet from a hell to a habitable world are still on view today, as the images on these pages show. Primordial heat left over from the planet's formation still bursts out in volcanic eruptions, spilling lava that exudes gases like the young, cooling Earth. In the planet's harshest environments today, cyanobacteria reign as they have for billions of years. And each time a plant gains a toehold on newly cooled lava, the victory of life over lifeless rock-won so long ago on the young Earth-is affirmed again. Subscribe to National Geographic magazine. The Earth began as a bleak surrounding where hot and fiery rocks and poisonous fumes existed. This is what the article from National Geographic Magazine, titled Earth in the Beginning written by Tom Appenzeller, illustrates. The article describes the early Earth

Marketing ( Customer Relationship Management ) Assignment

Marketing ( Customer Relationship Management ) - Assignment Example roviding information about the customers that the company needs to keep in mind so as to maintain a good affiliation with their clienteles, and this is achieved by ensuring that the knowledge obtained from customer surveys is used to increase quality and service delioivery.an effective and efficient customer relationship management system, will help the business to understand their customers and their needs and ensure that the same are met. The systems also ensure that customers are retained as their satisfaction will ascertain that they seek the services of the company that meets their needs. Efficient and effective customer management systems will also aid in attracting new customers as they are assured that the organization is aware of their needs, and it keeps them at high priority by ensuring that all of them are met through effective interaction. Customer relationship management systems will be used to manage customer relationships and they are used to manage business contacts, client contacts and sales leads, which are paramount in ensuring that business customer data that ascertains that the business provides services that the customer wants and provide better services to the customer and this in return increases sales hence ensuring organizational

Theory Analysis Essay Example for Free

Theory Analysis Essay The ultimate goal of theory evaluation is to determine the potential of the theory to scientific knowledge. Hardy †¢Theory evaluation: o meaningful and logical adequacy oOperational and empirical adequacy oTestability oGenerality oContribution to understanding oPredictability oPragmatic adequacy Logical adequacy (diagramming) identifying all theoretical terms (concepts, constructs, operational definitions, referents). Theory is a set of interrelated concepts and statements Emprical adequacy- single most important criterion for evaluating a theory applied in practice. Margaret Ellis Identified characteristics of significant theories Scope Complexity Testability Usefulness Implicit values of the theorist Information generation Meaningful terminology Choose two of the theory evaluation approaches that are discussed in chapter 5 of McEwen. Locate the original sources of these two theorists; some articles are in Course Resources for you. Compare and contrast the strategies that they advocate for theory evaluation. What commonalities do you see? How do the two approaches differ? Could you use a synthesized version of the two approaches? Share your insights with your group under Analytic approaches topic. All postings due by 10/12. I chose to compare and contrast the theory evaluation approaches of Rosemary Ellis and Margaret E. Hardy. Ellis uses various characteristics such as scope, complexity, testability, usefulness, implicit values, information generation and meaningful terminology to identify the significance of nursing theory (Ellis, 1968). Hardy on the other hand, has a different set of criterion for evaluation theory: meaningful and logical adequacy, operations and empirical adequacy, testability, generality, contribution to understanding, predictability and pragmatic adequacy (Hardy, 1973). I noticed more similarities than differences in the two theory evaluation approaches. The first similarity I noted was that both theorists referred to hypothesis as a defining component of the development of a theory. Ellis states that theories are insignificant if they do not generate a hypothesis of some sort (Ellis, 1968). Hardy states that a theory is made up of â€Å"hypothesis derived from axioms, initial hypothesis or postulates† (Hardy, 1973). The second similarity I found between both theorists was the characteristic of â€Å"usefulness† as a prime characteristic for the significance of a theory. Ellis states that theories are not considered significant if their usefulness is not explored to develop and guid e practice (Ellis, 1968). Similarly, Hardy has a characteristic of pragmatic adequacy, which is essentially the usefulness of a theory (Hardy, 1973). The third similarity I found was the characteristic of â€Å"information generation† used in both theory evaluation approaches. Ellis states that significant theories are â€Å"capable of generating a great deal of new information† (Ellis, 1968). Hardy’s characteristic of â€Å"contribution to understanding† is similar in that it explores new ideas, insight, and different ways of looking at the theory (Hardy, 1973). The last similarity I found was the shared characteristic of generality and scope. Ellis states that the broader the scope of the theory, the greater the significance of the theory (Ellis, 1968). Similarly, Hardy believes the more general a theory is; the more useful it is (Hardy, 1973). I noticed a few differences between the two theorists. The first difference I noted was their views on the testability of a theory. While Ellis lists testability as a characteristic, she does not require it to be significant to the evaluation of the theory. She goes so far as to say that â€Å"testability could be sacrificed for scope, complexity, and clinical usefulness† (Ellis, 1968). On the contrary, Hardy lists testability as an important attribute to evaluating a theory, and goes into further detail on how to measure the theory. The most obvious difference between the two approaches is the contrasting characteristics listed to evaluate the theory. Hardy lists logical adequacy, operational/empirical adequacy and predictability, while Ellis lists complexity, and implicit values of the theorist. I do think that there could be a synthesized version of the two approaches since they do share more similarities than differences. I would chose Margaret Hardy’s approach over Rosemary Ellis’s, due to the detailed characteristics listed in her evaluation method. I felt her points were more concise, and worked well together as a criterion for evaluating a theory. References: Ellis, R. (1968). Characteristics Of Significant Theories. Theory Development in Nursing, 17(3), 217-222. Hardy, M. (1973). Theories: Components, Development, Evaluation. Theoretical Foundations for Nursing, 23(2), 100-106.

Identity Rayona Christine

Identity Rayona Christine A Yellow Raft in Blue Water Identity is the ultimate realization of ones true self. It is the culmination of everything that has ever had an impact on a persons life. It is influenced by a persons upbringing and the gradual life experience that they gain. These two factors are both equally necessary parts of what is considered the core of a person. They come together to shape the identities of Rayona, Christine, and Ida, in the novel, A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, by Michael Dorris. Rayonas identity is created through her inability to relate to her mother, Christine, her emotional turmoil concerning her father, and her struggle to escape from it all. â€Å"I read it and I read it and I read it and I see only my own picture again, clearer than ever† (103). For all of her young life, Rayona had never had a real role model. As a result, she does not understand who she is or who she wishes to be. She escapes reality by forcing herself into delusions and fantasies. Her unstable upbringing leads her to seek out a better life and the family she has always wanted. This establishes the part of Rayona that is awkward and lonely. However, she continues on, feeling out of place, but desperately needing to belong. â€Å"This time I stay where I land. I can move if I have to, but theres no place I need to be† (134). At the rodeo she does not just confront Babe, she confronts her disappointments, her uncertainty, and she confronts the society that she has always wanted to be a part, by breaking social norms. She finally accepts the fact that she is not perfect and neither is her family, because she learns that her family will always be her family. This valuable life experience creates the part of Rayona that is confident and strong. She could not have found herself without both the good and bad experiences. She could not have found her true identity without both the burdens of her childhood and the triumphs from her growth. She broke away from her need for acceptance, and instead accepted herself. Christine, however, took a lot longer to learn the same lesson. Christine lived much of her life concerned with appearances and her need to be loved. â€Å"I couldnt help thinking what my friends would say if Lee really did dodge.† (163). Unlike Rayona, Christine didnt want another family; she wanted to force her family to live up to her standards. Her upbringing included a mystery father, a distant mother, and a brother that outshone her. Throughout her childhood, she wanted attention she wanted to feel the love that always eluded her. She even sought Gods love, but was disappointed. Whenever events and circumstances arose that threatened to undermine the love and acceptance she received, she coped in negative ways. She struggled with the churchs betrayal, her guilt over her brothers death, her husbands indifference, and the sickness that was slowly killing her. So, she tried to escape the harsh reality by turning to men and alcohol. She never felt needed, so she neglected he r responsibilities. Her childhood made her irresponsible and unable to cope with lifes hardships. She never thought about living for anyone but herself, until her imminent death helped her find herself. â€Å"I didnt care anything. She was my miracle, and I knelt beside her† (283). Towards the end of her life, Christine wants to live for Rayona, and she truly becomes the mother she had wanted to be. Her life experience makes her loving, selfless, and more grateful for what she has. Her upbringing and experience come together to create her identity. The acceptance she never felt from Ida, she was able to feel from Rayona. Ida gains the same appreciation for family as Rayona and Christine, though her own upbringing shaped her into a cold and distrustful person. â€Å"I wanted to sink into the pillow at her betrayal, at her low opinion of me.† (309). Ida carries the heaviest burden in the novel; the most shattering secret. Her life was ruined because of the betrayal of her family. However, she coped but distancing herself from Christine, a constant reminder of her burden. She became cold to her children and she tries to keep a vestige of her life before Clara by not allowing Christine to call her â€Å"mom†. Her pain and bitterness regarding the way she had to live during her childhood makes her detached and harsh. She refuses to be seen as weak; she refuses to be used and betrayed again. So, when she realizes that Willard is with her out of loyalty, she does not want to end up like her mother, betrayed and married to man who stays with her out of loyalty. So, she leaves, before he can. Ho wever, Ida overcomes the hate she has for her old family in order to embrace the love she has for her new one. â€Å"You call for me †¦if you want to† (275). Ida learns to care again; her new experiences provoke this change in her. Like her daughter and granddaughter before her, she finds a new strength in herself and a greater appreciation for her family. The three generations are tied together though their struggles, their triumphs, their secrets, and their search for their identity. The way they were raised and their childhood blend together with the womens newer life experiences to create who they truly are. Each of them undergoes a profound change by overcoming adversity and becoming testaments to the strength of love in family.