Domestic and Global Security Threats

Current domestic and global security threats: The impact on The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed to cope with the challenges of a bipolar world. However, today’s global environment faces multi-polar challenges from non-state actors such as terrorists. Threats once considered domestic concerns now affect the world, like global warming and the need to rebuild the infrastructure of unstable states such as Afghanistan and Bosnia.The globalization of modern society has meant the globalization of modern technological threats, including cyberterrorism, as well as increased international competition for scarce energy resources. All of these problems affect NATO members but cannot be addressed with a regionally specific focus. To create a more secure world â€Å"NATO will need to start working in partnership with other multilateral organizations, like the UN, if it hopes to find effective permanent solutions to the secu rity challenges facing the world.Although NATOs presence is often a condition of success, it is increasingly insufficient† by itself when dealing with global security (Goldschmidt 2009). Domestic state concerns, such as internal instability and a lack of resources can have global repercussions. Domestic concerns: Domestic peacekeeping in Afghanistan and global warming Because of the terrorist threat posed to NATO nations by terrorist non-state actors harbored in Afghanistan, NATO cannot shirk the critical role it must play in creating a more stable government, despite Afghanistan’s non-European location.In Afghanistan, â€Å"there is a need for a coordinated effort with development and reconstruction agencies. NATO currently must play both a security and nation-building role. It was not designed for the latter, and cannot hope to create the conditions for military withdrawal without a concerted development effort† with other regional and international organizatio ns such as the United Nations (Goldschmidt 2009).Recently, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated that while Afghanistan security and internal integrity is still challenging and â€Å"Afghanistan will likely face security threats for years to come,† NATO alliance forces within the nation have begun â€Å"transferring security responsibilities to the Afghan government† and can begin a slow withdrawal (Fedynsky 2010). Afghanistan security will remain of grave concern for the Alliance, but the approach taken by NATO has been seen as a useful template for its future 21st century fforts. Said Secretary General Rasmussen: â€Å"It will not be a run for the exit†¦What will happen is that we hand over lead responsibility to the Afghans, and our soldiers will then move into a more supportive role. But I foresee that the Afghan security forces will need our supportive assistance for quite some time† (Fedynsky 2010). NATO will increasingly assume the role , suggests Rasmussen, of a peacekeeping force—keeping the domestic peace for Afghanistan in the interests of global peace.Global warming is of grave concern for all of NATO members, given that wars for the earth’s scarce energy resources can become a fertile source of interstate conflict. Nations with historical animosity to NATO members, such as those in the Persian Gulf, often harbor the greatest reserves of the world’s fossil fuels. Climate change can also result in critical reductions in the food supply and politically destabilizing natural disasters. Global warming has even intensified competition for territory: â€Å"Russia, the US, Canada, Norway and Denmark have all been attracted to the energy supply in the Arctic.Relations between these states has intensified after evidence revealed that global warming was melting the polar ice making, access to the energy supplies easier as jurisdiction over the region is still under dispute† (â€Å"Russia,â⠂¬  Press TV, 2009). â€Å"Climate change could confront us with a whole range of unpleasant developments — developments which no single nation state has the power to contain†¦. dwindling water and food supplies, global warming, and mass migration cause international tensions. [Climate change will] sharpen the competition over resources, notably water.It will increase the risks to coastal regions. It will provoke disputes over territory and farming land. It will spur migration and it will make fragile states even more fragile† warned NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (Waterfield 2008). Unspoken by Scheffer was the fact that Russia â€Å"aims to be among the world's top five economies in medium term† and has a strong â€Å"reliance on natural energy supplies such as oil and gas† and a strong interest in expanding its reserves (â€Å"Russia,† Press TV, 2009).Global concerns: Russia, missile shields and cyberterrorism Thus domestic co ncerns such as internal instability and even energy scarcity have global repercussions that affect NATO nations. That is why, despite the end of the Cold War, tensions between NATO member and non-member nations remain bubbling so close to the surface. It has not been forgotten by the Russian leadership that NATO was founded to address the security concerns raised by the now-defunct institutions of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact.Fears of ‘Star Wars’ shield defense systems were reignited in March when Secretary General Rasmussen, warning of the â€Å"looming threat of weapons of mass destruction,† made a case for a missile shield system for all NATO alliance states against â€Å"unconventional weapons and the missiles that [they] could carry†¦Should Iran produce intermediate- and intercontinental-range missiles†¦the whole of the European continent, as well as all of Russia would be in range,† he stated (Brunnstrom 2010).Rasmussen’s del iberate mention of Russia as a potential target for rogue states and terrorist organizations did little to allay the Russia’s fears that a NATO missile shield system would pose a threat to its security. In 2009, before the US announced its abandonment of a missile defense system in the Czech Republic, â€Å"a national security document released by Moscow describe[d] the US and NATO as major threats to the security of the world and Russia† (â€Å"Russia,† Press TV, 2009). Along with its disputes with Russia, cyberterrorism and terrorism have been pressing concerns in framing NATO’s global agenda for the future.The most visible aspect of NATO’s anti-terrorist campaign has been in terms of its military capacity through efforts such as Operation Active Endeavour (OAE), â€Å"a maritime surveillance operation led by NATO’s naval forces to undertake anti-terrorist patrol, escort and compliant boarding in the Mediterranean,† as well as NATO policing assistance protecting the public during high-profile events such as the Olympics and other international sporting events (â€Å"Topic: Terrorism,† NATO, 2010).NATO has also made every effort to deploy new technology in its efforts to subvert terrorist threats such as its Defense Against Terrorism Program of Work (DAT POW) which created the precision air-drop technology currently used in Afghanistan. Since 2007 cyber attacks in Estonia swamped government websites shortly after the Estonian government challenged the Russian government regarding the possession of a national monument, NATO’s awareness has been heightened about the security risks posed by cyberterrorism. The protection of NATO's key information systems in general, and cyber defense in particular, are integral parts of the functions of the Alliance† (â€Å"Topic: Terrorism,† NATO, 2010). In addition to specifically-coordinated military efforts, NATO has attempted to promote information sharing between member nations regarding terrorist threats and counter-terrorist efforts.However, the maintenance of hostilities between NATO and Russia continues to be of concern, given Russia’s fears of NATO missile defense systems, Russia’s desire to expand its territorial outreach for energy reserves, and Russia’s lack of willingness to engage in information exchanges with the Alliance. Russia is a critical partner in fighting global warming and terrorism, particularly because of its size, resources, and the fact that many cyber attacks have been traced to Russia.Building stronger relationships with Russia without compromising NATO’s domestic and global agenda will be a critical challenge for the Alliance in the 21st century.Works CitedBrunnstrom, David. â€Å"Missile Defense Needed Against Growing Threat, NATO Chief Says. † Reuters. March 26, 2009. May 14, 2010. http://www. globalsecuritynewswire. org/gsn/nw_20100326_9638. php Fedynsky, Peter. â€Å"NATO to Transfer Security Tasks to Afghan Government. Global Security. April 23, 2010. May 14, 2010. http://www. globalsecurity. org/military/library/news/2010/04/mil-100423-voa01. htm Goldschmidt, Pierre. Garry Hindle, R. Andreas Kraemer, Fabrice Pothier, Jamie Shea, Michael Stopford , Ashley J. Tellis & Brooks Tigner. â€Å"The Next Generation of Security Threats: Reprogramming NATO? † Carnegie Mellon: Europe. February 24, 2009. May 14, 2010. http://carnegieeurope. eu/events/? fa=1255 Russia: US, NATO main threats to global security. † Press TV. May 13, 2009. May 14, 2010. http://www. presstv. ir/detail. aspx? id=94616 §ionid=351020602 â€Å"Topic: Terrorism† NATO. 2001. May 14, 2010. http://www. nato. int/cps/en/natolive/topics_48801. htm Waterfield, Bruno. â€Å"NATO Chief warns of climate change developments. † The Daily Telegraph. 2008. May 14, 2010. http://www. nysun. com/foreign/nato-chief-warns-of-climate-change-developments/79215/

Angels Demons Chapter 98-101

98 The six pompieri firemen who responded to the fire at the Church of Santa Maria Della Vittoria extinguished the bonfire with blasts of Halon gas. Water was cheaper, but the steam it created would have ruined the frescoes in the chapel, and the Vatican paid Roman pompieri a healthy stipend for swift and prudent service in all Vatican-owned buildings. Pompieri, by the nature of their work, witnessed tragedy almost daily, but the execution in this church was something none of them would ever forget. Part crucifixion, part hanging, part burning at the stake, the scene was something dredged from a Gothic nightmare. Unfortunately, the press, as usual, had arrived before the fire department. They'd shot plenty of video before the pompieri cleared the church. When the firemen finally cut the victim down and lay him on the floor, there was no doubt who the man was. â€Å"Cardinale Guidera,† one whispered. â€Å"Di Barcellona.† The victim was nude. The lower half of his body was crimson-black, blood oozing through gaping cracks in his thighs. His shinbones were exposed. One fireman vomited. Another went outside to breathe. The true horror, though, was the symbol seared on the cardinal's chest. The squad chief circled the corpse in awestruck dread. Lavoro del diavolo, he said to himself. Satan himself did this. He crossed himself for the first time since childhood. â€Å"Un' altro corpo!† someone yelled. One of the firemen had found another body. The second victim was a man the chief recognized immediately. The austere commander of the Swiss Guard was a man for whom few public law enforcement officials had any affection. The chief called the Vatican, but all the circuits were busy. He knew it didn't matter. The Swiss Guard would hear about this on television in a matter of minutes. As the chief surveyed the damage, trying to recreate what possibly could have gone on here, he saw a niche riddled with bullet holes. A coffin had been rolled off its supports and fallen upside down in an apparent struggle. It was a mess. That's for the police and Holy See to deal with, the chief thought, turning away. As he turned, though, he stopped. Coming from the coffin he heard a sound. It was not a sound any fireman ever liked to hear. â€Å"Bomba!† he cried out. â€Å"Tutti fuori!† When the bomb squad rolled the coffin over, they discovered the source of the electronic beeping. They stared, confused. â€Å"Medico!† one finally screamed. â€Å"Medico!† 99 â€Å"Any word from Olivetti?† the camerlegno asked, looking drained as Rocher escorted him back from the Sistine Chapel to the Pope's office. â€Å"No, signore. I am fearing the worst.† When they reached the Pope's office, the camerlegno's voice was heavy. â€Å"Captain, there is nothing more I can do here tonight. I fear I have done too much already. I am going into this office to pray. I do not wish to be disturbed. The rest is in God's hands.† â€Å"Yes, signore.† â€Å"The hour is late, Captain. Find that canister.† â€Å"Our search continues.† Rocher hesitated. â€Å"The weapon proves to be too well hidden.† The camerlegno winced, as if he could not think of it. â€Å"Yes. At exactly 11:15 P.M., if the church is still in peril, I want you to evacuate the cardinals. I am putting their safety in your hands. I ask only one thing. Let these men proceed from this place with dignity. Let them exit into St. Peter's Square and stand side by side with the rest of the world. I do not want the last image of this church to be frightened old men sneaking out a back door.† â€Å"Very good, signore. And you? Shall I come for you at 11:15 as well?† â€Å"There will be no need.† â€Å"Signore?† â€Å"I will leave when the spirit moves me.† Rocher wondered if the camerlegno intended to go down with the ship. The camerlegno opened the door to the Pope's office and entered. â€Å"Actually†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said, turning. â€Å"There is one thing.† â€Å"Signore?† â€Å"There seems to be a chill in this office tonight. I am trembling.† â€Å"The electric heat is out. Let me lay you a fire.† The camerlegno smiled tiredly. â€Å"Thank you. Thank you, very much.† Rocher exited the Pope's office where he had left the camerlegno praying by firelight in front of a small statue of the Blessed Mother Mary. It was an eerie sight. A black shadow kneeling in the flickering glow. As Rocher headed down the hall, a guard appeared, running toward him. Even by candlelight Rocher recognized Lieutenant Chartrand. Young, green, and eager. â€Å"Captain,† Chartrand called, holding out a cellular phone. â€Å"I think the camerlegno's address may have worked. We've got a caller here who says he has information that can help us. He phoned on one of the Vatican's private extensions. I have no idea how he got the number.† Rocher stopped. â€Å"What?† â€Å"He will only speak to the ranking officer.† â€Å"Any word from Olivetti?† â€Å"No, sir.† He took the receiver. â€Å"This is Captain Rocher. I am ranking officer here.† â€Å"Rocher,† the voice said. â€Å"I will explain to you who I am. Then I will tell you what you are going to do next.† When the caller stopped talking and hung up, Rocher stood stunned. He now knew from whom he was taking orders. Back at CERN, Sylvie Baudeloque was frantically trying to keep track of all the licensing inquiries coming in on Kohler's voice mail. When the private line on the director's desk began to ring, Sylvie jumped. Nobody had that number. She answered. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Ms. Baudeloque? This is Director Kohler. Contact my pilot. My jet is to be ready in five minutes.† 100 Robert Langdon had no idea where he was or how long he had been unconscious when he opened his eyes and found himself staring up at the underside of a baroque, frescoed cupola. Smoke drifted overhead. Something was covering his mouth. An oxygen mask. He pulled it off. There was a terrible smell in the room – like burning flesh. Langdon winced at the pounding in his head. He tried to sit up. A man in white was kneeling beside him. â€Å"Riposati!† the man said, easing Langdon onto his back again. â€Å"Sono il paramedico.† Langdon succumbed, his head spiraling like the smoke overhead. What the hell happened? Wispy feelings of panic sifted through his mind. â€Å"Sorcio salvatore,† the paramedic said. â€Å"Mouse†¦ savior.† Langdon felt even more lost. Mouse savior? The man motioned to the Mickey Mouse watch on Langdon's wrist. Langdon's thoughts began to clear. He remembered setting the alarm. As he stared absently at the watch face, Langdon also noted the hour. 10:28 P.M. He sat bolt upright. Then, it all came back. Langdon stood near the main altar with the fire chief and a few of his men. They had been rattling him with questions. Langdon wasn't listening. He had questions of his own. His whole body ached, but he knew he needed to act immediately. A pompiero approached Langdon across the church. â€Å"I checked again, sir. The only bodies we found are Cardinal Guidera and the Swiss Guard commander. There's no sign of a woman here.† â€Å"Grazie,† Langdon said, unsure whether he was relieved or horrified. He knew he had seen Vittoria unconscious on the floor. Now she was gone. The only explanation he came up with was not a comforting one. The killer had not been subtle on the phone. A woman of spirit. I am aroused. Perhaps before this night is over, I will find you. And when I do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Langdon looked around. â€Å"Where is the Swiss Guard?† â€Å"Still no contact. Vatican lines are jammed.† Langdon felt overwhelmed and alone. Olivetti was dead. The cardinal was dead. Vittoria was missing. A half hour of his life had disappeared in a blink. Outside, Langdon could hear the press swarming. He suspected footage of the third cardinal's horrific death would no doubt air soon, if it hadn't already. Langdon hoped the camerlegno had long since assumed the worst and taken action. Evacuate the damn Vatican! Enough games! We lose! Langdon suddenly realized that all of the catalysts that had been driving him – helping to save Vatican City, rescuing the four cardinals, coming face to face with the brotherhood he had studied for years – all of these things had evaporated from his mind. The war was lost. A new compulsion had ignited within him. It was simple. Stark. Primal. Find Vittoria. He felt an unexpected emptiness inside. Langdon had often heard that intense situations could unite two people in ways that decades together often did not. He now believed it. In Vittoria's absence he felt something he had not felt in years. Loneliness. The pain gave him strength. Pushing all else from his mind, Langdon mustered his concentration. He prayed that the Hassassin would take care of business before pleasure. Otherwise, Langdon knew he was already too late. No, he told himself, you have time. Vittoria's captor still had work to do. He had to surface one last time before disappearing forever. The last altar of science, Langdon thought. The killer had one final task. Earth. Air. Fire. Water. He looked at his watch. Thirty minutes. Langdon moved past the firemen toward Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Teresa. This time, as he stared at Bernini's marker, Langdon had no doubt what he was looking for. Let angels guide you on your lofty quest†¦ Directly over the recumbent saint, against a backdrop of gilded flame, hovered Bernini's angel. The angel's hand clutched a pointed spear of fire. Langdon's eyes followed the direction of the shaft, arching toward the right side of the church. His eyes hit the wall. He scanned the spot where the spear was pointing. There was nothing there. Langdon knew, of course, the spear was pointing far beyond the wall, into the night, somewhere across Rome. â€Å"What direction is that?† Langdon asked, turning and addressing the chief with a newfound determination. â€Å"Direction?† The chief glanced where Langdon was pointing. He sounded confused. â€Å"I don't know†¦ west, I think.† â€Å"What churches are in that direction?† The chief's puzzlement seemed to deepen. â€Å"Dozens. Why?† Langdon frowned. Of course there were dozens. â€Å"I need a city map. Right away.† The chief sent someone running out to the fire truck for a map. Langdon turned back to the statue. Earth†¦ Air†¦ Fire†¦ VITTORIA. The final marker is Water, he told himself. Bernini's Water. It was in a church out there somewhere. A needle in a haystack. He spurred his mind through all the Bernini works he could recall. I need a tribute to Water! Langdon flashed on Bernini's statue of Triton – the Greek God of the sea. Then he realized it was located in the square outside this very church, in entirely the wrong direction. He forced himself to think. What figure would Bernini have carved as a glorification of water? Neptune and Apollo? Unfortunately that statue was in London's Victoria & Albert Museum. â€Å"Signore?† A fireman ran in with a map. Langdon thanked him and spread it out on the altar. He immediately realized he had asked the right people; the fire department's map of Rome was as detailed as any Langdon had ever seen. â€Å"Where are we now?† The man pointed. â€Å"Next to Piazza Barberini.† Langdon looked at the angel's spear again to get his bearings. The chief had estimated correctly. According to the map, the spear was pointing west. Langdon traced a line from his current location west across the map. Almost instantly his hopes began to sink. It seemed that with every inch his finger traveled, he passed yet another building marked by a tiny black cross. Churches. The city was riddled with them. Finally, Langdon's finger ran out of churches and trailed off into the suburbs of Rome. He exhaled and stepped back from the map. Damn. Surveying the whole of Rome, Langdon's eyes touched down on the three churches where the first three cardinals had been killed. The Chigi Chapel†¦ St. Peter's†¦ here†¦ Seeing them all laid out before him now, Langdon noted an oddity in their locations. Somehow he had imagined the churches would be scattered randomly across Rome. But they most definitely were not. Improbably, the three churches seemed to be separated systematically, in an enormous city-wide triangle. Langdon double-checked. He was not imagining things. â€Å"Penna,† he said suddenly, without looking up. Someone handed him a ballpoint pen. Langdon circled the three churches. His pulse quickened. He triple-checked his markings. A symmetrical triangle! Langdon's first thought was for the Great Seal on the one-dollar bill – the triangle containing the all-seeing eye. But it didn't make sense. He had marked only three points. There were supposed to be four in all. So where the hell is Water? Langdon knew that anywhere he placed the fourth point, the triangle would be destroyed. The only option to retain the symmetry was to place the fourth marker inside the triangle, at the center. He looked at the spot on the map. Nothing. The idea bothered him anyway. The four elements of science were considered equal. Water was not special; Water would not be at the center of the others. Still, his instinct told him the systematic arrangement could not possibly be accidental. I'm not yet seeing the whole picture. There was only one alternative. The four points did not make a triangle; they made some other shape. Langdon looked at the map. A square, perhaps? Although a square made no symbolic sense, squares were symmetrical at least. Langdon put his finger on the map at one of the points that would turn the triangle into a square. He saw immediately that a perfect square was impossible. The angles of the original triangle were oblique and created more of a distorted quadrilateral. As he studied the other possible points around the triangle, something unexpected happened. He noticed that the line he had drawn earlier to indicate the direction of the angel's spear passed perfectly through one of the possibilities. Stupefied, Langdon circled that point. He was now looking at four ink marks on the map, arranged in somewhat of an awkward, kitelike diamond. He frowned. Diamonds were not an Illuminati symbol either. He paused. Then again†¦ For an instant Langdon flashed on the famed Illuminati Diamond. The thought, of course, was ridiculous. He dismissed it. Besides, this diamond was oblong – like a kite – hardly an example of the flawless symmetry for which the Illuminati Diamond was revered. When he leaned in to examine where he had placed the final mark, Langdon was surprised to find that the fourth point lay dead center of Rome's famed Piazza Navona. He knew the piazza contained a major church, but he had already traced his finger through that piazza and considered the church there. To the best of his knowledge it contained no Bernini works. The church was called Saint Agnes in Agony, named for St. Agnes, a ravishing teenage virgin banished to a life of sexual slavery for refusing to renounce her faith. There must be something in that church! Langdon racked his brain, picturing the inside of the church. He could think of no Bernini works at all inside, much less anything to do with water. The arrangement on the map was bothering him too. A diamond. It was far too accurate to be coincidence, but it was not accurate enough to make any sense. A kite? Langdon wondered if he had chosen the wrong point. What am I missing! The answer took another thirty seconds to hit him, but when it did, Langdon felt an exhilaration like nothing he had ever experienced in his academic career. The Illuminati genius, it seemed, would never cease. The shape he was looking at was not intended as a diamond at all. The four points only formed a diamond because Langdon had connected adjacent points. The Illuminati believe in opposites! Connecting opposite vertices with his pen, Langdon's fingers were trembling. There before him on the map was a giant cruciform. It's a cross! The four elements of science unfolded before his eyes†¦ sprawled across Rome in an enormous, city-wide cross. As he stared in wonder, a line of poetry rang in his mind†¦ like an old friend with a new face. ‘Cross Rome the mystic elements unfold†¦ ‘Cross Rome†¦ The fog began to clear. Langdon saw that the answer had been in front of him all night! The Illuminati poem had been telling him how the altars were laid out. A cross! ‘Cross Rome the mystic elements unfold! It was cunning wordplay. Langdon had originally read the word'Cross as an abbreviation of Across. He assumed it was poetic license intended to retain the meter of the poem. But it was so much more than that! Another hidden clue. The cruciform on the map, Langdon realized, was the ultimate Illuminati duality. It was a religious symbol formed by elements of science. Galileo's path of Illumination was a tribute to both science and God! The rest of the puzzle fell into place almost immediately. Piazza Navona. Dead center of Piazza Navona, outside the church of St. Agnes in Agony, Bernini had forged one of his most celebrated sculptures. Everyone who came to Rome went to see it. The Fountain of the Four Rivers! A flawless tribute to water, Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers glorified the four major rivers of the Old World – The Nile, Ganges, Danube, and Rio Plata. Water, Langdon thought. The final marker. It was perfect. And even more perfect, Langdon realized, the cherry on the cake, was that high atop Bernini's fountain stood a towering obelisk. Leaving confused firemen in his wake, Langdon ran across the church in the direction of Olivetti's lifeless body. 10:31 P.M., he thought. Plenty of time. It was the first instant all day that Langdon felt ahead of the game. Kneeling beside Olivetti, out of sight behind some pews, Langdon discreetly took possession of the commander's semiautomatic and walkie-talkie. Langdon knew he would call for help, but this was not the place to do it. The final altar of science needed to remain a secret for now. The media and fire department racing with sirens blaring to Piazza Navona would be no help at all. Without a word, Langdon slipped out the door and skirted the press, who were now entering the church in droves. He crossed Piazza Barberini. In the shadows he turned on the walkie-talkie. He tried to hail Vatican City but heard nothing but static. He was either out of range or the transmitter needed some kind of authorization code. Langdon adjusted the complex dials and buttons to no avail. Abruptly, he realized his plan to get help was not going to work. He spun, looking for a pay phone. None. Vatican circuits were jammed anyway. He was alone. Feeling his initial surge of confidence decay, Langdon stood a moment and took stock of his pitiful state – covered in bone dust, cut, deliriously exhausted, and hungry. Langdon glanced back at the church. Smoke spiraled over the cupola, lit by the media lights and fire trucks. He wondered if he should go back and get help. Instinct warned him however that extra help, especially untrained help, would be nothing but a liability. If the Hassassin sees us coming†¦ He thought of Vittoria and knew this would be his final chance to face her captor. Piazza Navona, he thought, knowing he could get there in plenty of time and stake it out. He scanned the area for a taxi, but the streets were almost entirely deserted. Even the taxi drivers, it seemed, had dropped everything to find a television. Piazza Navona was only about a mile away, but Langdon had no intention of wasting precious energy on foot. He glanced back at the church, wondering if he could borrow a vehicle from someone. A fire truck? A press van? Be serious. Sensing options and minutes slipping away, Langdon made his decision. Pulling the gun from his pocket, he committed an act so out of character that he suspected his soul must now be possessed. Running over to a lone Citroen sedan idling at a stoplight, Langdon pointed the weapon through the driver's open window. â€Å"Fuori!† he yelled. The trembling man got out. Langdon jumped behind the wheel and hit the gas. 101 Gunther Glick sat on a bench in a holding tank inside the office of the Swiss Guard. He prayed to every god he could think of. Please let this NOT be a dream. It had been the scoop of his life. The scoop of anyone's life. Every reporter on earth wished he were Glick right now. You are awake, he told himself. And you are a star. Dan Rather is crying right now. Macri was beside him, looking a little bit stunned. Glick didn't blame her. In addition to exclusively broadcasting the camerlegno's address, she and Glick had provided the world with gruesome photos of the cardinals and of the Pope – that tongue! – as well as a live video feed of the antimatter canister counting down. Incredible! Of course, all of that had all been at the camerlegno's behest, so that was not the reason Glick and Macri were now locked in a Swiss Guard holding tank. It had been Glick's daring addendum to their coverage that the guards had not appreciated. Glick knew the conversation on which he had just reported was not intended for his ears, but this was his moment in the sun. Another Glick scoop! â€Å"The 11th Hour Samaritan?† Macri groaned on the bench beside him, clearly unimpressed. Glick smiled. â€Å"Brilliant, wasn't it?† â€Å"Brilliantly dumb.† She's just jealous, Glick knew. Shortly after the camerlegno's address, Glick had again, by chance, been in the right place at the right time. He'd overheard Rocher giving new orders to his men. Apparently Rocher had received a phone call from a mysterious individual who Rocher claimed had critical information regarding the current crisis. Rocher was talking as if this man could help them and was advising his guards to prepare for the guest's arrival. Although the information was clearly private, Glick had acted as any dedicated reporter would – without honor. He'd found a dark corner, ordered Macri to fire up her remote camera, and he'd reported the news. â€Å"Shocking new developments in God's city,† he had announced, squinting his eyes for added intensity. Then he'd gone on to say that a mystery guest was coming to Vatican City to save the day. The 11th Hour Samaritan, Glick had called him – a perfect name for the faceless man appearing at the last moment to do a good deed. The other networks had picked up the catchy sound bite, and Glick was yet again immortalized. I'm brilliant, he mused. Peter Jennings just jumped off a bridge. Of course Glick had not stopped there. While he had the world's attention, he had thrown in a little of his own conspiracy theory for good measure. Brilliant. Utterly brilliant. â€Å"You screwed us,† Macri said. â€Å"You totally blew it.† â€Å"What do you mean? I was great!† Macri stared disbelievingly. â€Å"Former President George Bush? An Illuminatus?† Glick smiled. How much more obvious could it be? George Bush was a well-documented, 33rd-degree Mason, and he was the head of the CIA when the agency closed their Illuminati investigation for lack of evidence. And all those speeches about â€Å"a thousand points of light† and a â€Å"New World Order†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Bush was obviously Illuminati. â€Å"And that bit about CERN?† Macri chided. â€Å"You are going to have a very big line of lawyers outside your door tomorrow.† â€Å"CERN? Oh come on! It's so obvious! Think about it! The Illuminati disappear off the face of the earth in the 1950s at about the same time CERN is founded. CERN is a haven for the most enlightened people on earth. Tons of private funding. They build a weapon that can destroy the church, and oops!†¦ they lose it!† â€Å"So you tell the world that CERN is the new home base of the Illuminati?† â€Å"Obviously! Brotherhoods don't just disappear. The Illuminati had to go somewhere. CERN is a perfect place for them to hide. I'm not saying everyone at CERN is Illuminati. It's probably like a huge Masonic lodge, where most people are innocent, but the upper echelons – â€Å" â€Å"Have you ever heard of slander, Glick? Liability?† â€Å"Have you ever heard of real journalism!† â€Å"Journalism? You were pulling bullshit out of thin air! I should have turned off the camera! And what the hell was that crap about CERN's corporate logo? Satanic symbology? Have you lost your mind?† Glick smiled. Macri's jealousy was definitely showing. The CERN logo had been the most brilliant coup of all. Ever since the camerlegno's address, all the networks were talking about CERN and antimatter. Some stations were showing the CERN corporate logo as a backdrop. The logo seemed standard enough – two intersecting circles representing two particle accelerators, and five tangential lines representing particle injection tubes. The whole world was staring at this logo, but it had been Glick, a bit of a symbologist himself, who had first seen the Illuminati symbology hidden in it. â€Å"You're not a symbologist,† Macri chided, â€Å"you're just one lucky-ass reporter. You should have left the symbology to the Harvard guy.† â€Å"The Harvard guy missed it,† Glick said. The Illuminati significance in this logo is so obvious! He was beaming inside. Although CERN had lots of accelerators, their logo showed only two. Two is the Illuminati number of duality. Although most accelerators had only one injection tube, the logo showed five. Five is the number of the Illuminati pentagram. Then had come the coup – the most brilliant point of all. Glick pointed out that the logo contained a large numeral â€Å"6 – clearly formed by one of the lines and circles – and when the logo was rotated, another six appeared†¦ and then another. The logo contained three sixes! 666! The devil's number! The mark of the beast! Glick was a genius. Macri looked ready to slug him. The jealousy would pass, Glick knew, his mind now wandering to another thought. If CERN was Illuminati headquarters, was CERN where the Illuminati kept their infamous Illuminati Diamond? Glick had read about it on the Internet – â€Å"a flawless diamond, born of the ancient elements with such perfection that all those who saw it could only stand in wonder.† Glick wondered if the secret whereabouts of the Illuminati Diamond might be yet another mystery he could unveil tonight.

Marketing Effectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Effectives - Essay Example The first measure of marketing effectiveness that organization can rely on when making assessment is the conversion rate. It is a measure of the proportion of guests to ones marketing site who prove to respond to the action used by the marketing strategy. For instance, a firm’s marketing policy may entail people visiting the firm’s site where they are to access some information through signing up. In this case, the guests to the site may access the site but fail to sign up, or they may sign up. This measuring metric considers a marketing move successful when the visitors to the site click through the link and sign up to view the entire marketing material (McDonald, 2011). The second measure of marketing effectiveness is the number of lead generations or inbound links. Having a marketing site is a key necessity if the process is to be conducted through the internet and it is determined to be successful (McDonald, 2011). As people carry out their actives online, they likely to link to sites where they find important materials. Therefore, the number of external links to the firm’s site can be used to determine how important an organization’s products are to the people. The other measure is the search engine traffic that is created due to an organization’s marketing site. The search engines enable us to determine how much traffic is being created by a particular site being searched by many internet users. The search engines include Google and Bing. The bigger the web traffic being associated with our site the most likely our marketing strategy is going to be successful (McDonald, 2011). Finally, the other important measure that can be used to analyze the effectiveness of a marketing strategy used by an organization or business enterprise is the change on the sales. The closed loop marketing analysis is used in this case. It is an analysis

Analysis of Walmart leadership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of Walmart leadership - Research Paper Example It mostly answers the question why, with an aim of helping the researcher identify the main issues to be tackled in the study. This method will be used in the study to try to understand why leadership is vital for the success of any business. To answer the why questions, you must first develop a causal explanation (Becker & Schram, 1994). Causal explanations mainly state that phenomenon Y (success of a business) is affected by element X (leadership style) (Cooley, 1978). Although some causal relationships tend to be simple, others are more complex. For example, we might state or argue that the transformational leadership at Walmart has a direct effect on its (Walmart) success. This method lays ground for us to do more future research and studies on the same topic. A qualitative method was adopted for the study with an aim of achieving an in depth understanding of the situation (Berg, Lune, & Lune, 2004). This method includes designs, techniques and measures that do not produce discrete numerical data. The data can be collected through direct observation or interviews. This method of research will help us know how (process) and why (the meaning) things happen. This method is flexible and informal, hence preferred since it is also suitable for small samples. Some of the ways used to carry out qualitative methodology include participant observation, direct observation, case studies and unstructured interviews. The method can also help us generate theory from the data i.e. a theory grounded in the data. Questionnaires with open ended questions will be administered to various departments in the firm to enable me to obtain maximum information and interact with various views of the members. Direct observation of the firm’s daily activities will be conducted to get a glimpse of what daily routine leads to such success. These primary sources are

The Novels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Novels - Essay Example But The Underdogs was the one & only exception. The reader experiences Azuela’s heartbeat & his emotional pathos while reading this mind boggling work of fiction. The novel is highly pragmatic as it depicts the misery of a war ravaged Mexico, while concentrating on the pivotal character of ‘Demetrio Macias’. Azuela attempts to scrutinize the traits of the revolution as a magnamous social event & an unstoppable force which is so strong that it drags all the folks around it within its gravitational order-defining the actions of each of the characters. The novel as per its subtitle represents a chronology of ‘pictures of the revolution’ that displays its force & human qualities, as they shattered the age old static character of the Mexican social infrastructure. The dynamism & the influential idiosyncrasies of the lead character Demetrio motivated large numbers of dreamy individuals who pondered over the idea of an egalitarian social structure post revol ution (Azuela, 15-25). But unfortunately, all the dreams were not destined to become true. The aftermath of Mexican revolution was equally sordid. Gross disruptions, anarchy, & statelessness became the order of the day. Several novels were framed on the morbid atmosphere of the post revolutionary era, which contradicted the very ‘idealistic approach’ of Azuela. Nevertheless, Underdogs can be estimated as a burning memento of the revolutionary history of Mexico (Azuela, 18-29). It can be easily concluded that Azuela was statistically the first Mexican novelist who grasped the ‘reality of the revolution’. The distinguishing characteristic of Underdogs is that reality & fiction comes together as an inseparable force to cast away the reader. The naturalistic fatalism in this novel remains as an intoxicating quotient. The protagonist Demetrio Macias is coerced into the revolution as a means of defending his own existence. He ends his life story where it began,

English Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

English Assignment - Essay Example Due to the dynamic nature of dancing, many dance films were created to show the complexities in the lives of dancers, as well as how their lives were shaped or changed through dancing, and a lot of which were appreciated by most movie-goers as shown by box office ratings and total worldwide grosses. In this paper, two movies about dancing are compared, Save the Last Dance (2001) and Black Swan (2001) which both show dancing as the driving force not just in the plot, but also in changing the lives of the characters portrayed. The dance films Save the Last Dance and Black Swan are high quality films that feature love of dance and how it is related to a person’s upbringing, social status, and character building. The two films are both considered to be high-quality films despite being labeled as independent films, or â€Å"indies† due to the high grosses during the release, the number of awards given to and nominated for, as well as the competence of the actors, the actress es, and the directors. In spite of having production budgets roughly around $10,000,000, both movies did very well in the box office and easily recovered the expenses incurred, with Save the Last Dance totaling a lifetime gross of $131, 706, 803 (Box Office Mojo – Save the Last Dance), and $329, 443, 368 for Black Swan (Box Office Mojo – Black Swan). ... It also won in the MTV Movie Awards in 2001 for Best Kiss (Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas) and Breakthrough Male Performance (Sean Patrick Thomas). Black Swan also received awards as well, not just from award-giving bodies in the United States, but also from around the world. Among these are: AFI Awards Movie of the Year (2011); Academy Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Natalie Portman); Best Foreign Film in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina; Excellence in Production Design Award from the Art Directors Guild; Blue Ribbon Award for Best Foreign Film; Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Natalie Portman); and the Venice Film Festival for Marcello Mastroianni Award (Mila Kunis) (Black Swan – Awards†). The number of awards received by the actors and actresses in the two movies attest to the excellent performance of the cast, and their skills in the portrayal of chara cters were able to carry the films through despite the considerably low budget for both films. Also, the actors and actresses were able to show their versatile acting skills that strongly convinced viewers of the emotions that were felt by the characters that they portray. Their skills were recognized not just by the award-giving bodies, but also the audiences that watched them, since it is a common fact that most films that were able to show true emotions win awards as well as the admiration of the audiences. Aside from the movies having good credentials, both for the directors as well as the actors that played in it, the plots were also convincing enough that many people can

AUDITING AND ASSURANCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

AUDITING AND ASSURANCE - Essay Example Legislation and the Auditing Profession in the UK According to the True and Fair Organisation (2012), the audit profession in the UK is monitored closely, and regulated tightly in accordance with strict professional standards and legislation. Also, companies and individuals who breach any of the rules, outlined by Legislation, will face strict penalties. The audit profession is under the Legislation provisions of the UK Government. The government controls the audit profession through Legislation such as the Companies Act on Audit, Inspection and Community Enterprise of 2004 and 2006 (True and Fair Organisation, 2012). There are also the Auditors Regulations of 2007, which control the activities of the Audit profession in the UK. This Legislation controls and monitors how audits are carried out in the UK. Legislation regulates the auditing profession in the UK, under the Companies Act 2006 (Collings, 2013, p. 237). Therefore, it is a requirement that professional accountants should at tain a senior statutory auditor position for them to be able to practice audit-related work in the UK. Further, UK Legislation requires that companies must have their annual financial statements audited. Auditors are required by Law to follow ISA (UK and Ireland) 700 in the formation of an auditor’s report on financial statements, as issued by the Financial Reporting Council. Common Law versus Auditing Profession in the UK The UK court system has taken responsibility of safeguarding shareholders, who are termed as third parties, from fraudulent activities of company directors, in collaboration with auditors and audit firms. Therefore, it acts as a quality-control mechanism for the auditing profession (Johnstone, Gramling, & Rittenberg, 2013, p.14). Common Law requires that auditors should observe care of professional advice to avoid violating the provisions of the civil law of negligence (Davies, 2011, p. 7). Auditors should also observe their duty of care diligently, while p erforming audit work because the UK Legal System is based on Common Law (Davies, 2011, p. 7). Company directors have the responsibility of preparing financial statements that should present a true and fair value of the organisation. Therefore, they contribute to the outcome of audit processes in one way or the other. The public may sue auditors and auditing firms under state statutes and Common Law for substandard audit work (Johnstone, Gramling, & Rittenberg, 2013, p. 14). The public, in this case, comprises of shareholders and other investors who may rely on the information provided by company directors and auditors to make financial decisions. In some circumstances, according to Common Law, disclosure may be justified in the public interest where there is no instance of noncompliance with Law regulations. For instance, where the public is being misled or the public’s interests are being damaged by auditors’ activities (FRC, 2013, p. 17). Therefore, Common Law contro ls the audit profession in the UK in that, it requires auditors to comply with the provisions of Common Law. Auditors and audit firms, who violate Common Law provisions, can be sued under Common Law by third parties. Regulatory and Professional Elements versus Auditing Profession in the UK Various independent Regulatory and Professional bodies have been created to control the auditing profession in the UK. The Regulatory and Pr