Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Philippine Constitution

The second chapter dealt on the entirety of the state which is considered to be a very important concept in the field of political science as it is branded as the basic unit of the international community and the ultimate expression of political activity among men. The third chapter was aimed at discovering the historical roots and progression of Philippine government in order to understand the complexities and changes within the bounds of local governance. This chapter will be dedicated to the discussion of the fundamentals of the so called â€Å"fundamental law of the land† which is the guiding light of the affairs of both state and government.In addition, this will e an opening salvo to the critical study of the document as we enter the portals leading to the first two fragments of the 1987 Philippine Constitution?the Preamble and the National Territory. CONCEPT OF CONSTITUTION Creating an Equilibrium Before we delve deeper into the concept of the organic law, let us first turn our attentions to the specific field of political law that is germane to the study of the constitution itself?constitutional Law.Constitutional Law is the study of the maintenance of the proper balance between authority as represented by the three Inherent powers of the State and liberty as guaranteed by the Bill of Relights. L Genuine liberty entails exercising It without causing any harm or Interception on the freedom of others. This Is the Ideal arrangement since by practice, people unavoidably uses liberty beyond normal control.Hence, the state has been endowed from Its birth with the three Inherent powers namely police power, eminent domain, and taxation in order to regulate the usage of individual rights. But this does not mean that the state always has the authority to intrude on an individual's freedom because in the context of Constitutional Law, what is being advanced is not primacy of one of the two factions but the promotion of the â€Å"co-existence† Constit ution Defined Cooley describes it as the â€Å"body of rules and maxims in accordance with which the powers of sovereignty are habitually exercised. 2 It also refers to â€Å"a written instrument by which the fundamental powers of the government are established, limited, defined, and by which these powers are distributed among several departments, for their more safe and useful exercise, for the benefit of the body politic. â€Å"3 The first definition is much more extensive compared to the second one nice it covers even the unwritten constitutions like customs and traditions.Furthermore, Cooley's definition relates on the founding principles reflecting the aspirations of the sovereign while Miller's include in its scope the structuring of the government wherein the several powers are distributed for the promotion of the common good. In layman's terms, it is simply defined as the organic or supreme law of the state. Constitution vs.. Statute Constitution and statute are two terms belonging to the same world of legalities but differ in their scope and intrinsic meaning.The disparity is demonstrated in the allowing instances: 1 . The former elaborates on general items such as policies and principles while the latter deals on more specific topics. Statutes always follow the basic rule of legislation known as â€Å"singularity of subject. † 2. In addition, in the context of being â€Å"open to change,† the constitution (for the cases of the written, enacted and rigid) cannot be easily amended while statute is more open to change and can even be repealed easily with regards to its constitutionality. 3.The constitution is the product of the people's integral sovereign power in society while statute is a result of he process of legislation or law-making as practiced by the legislature. 4. Lastly, in most cases, there is only one constitution in operation but there can be several statutes that would be enforced within the bounds of the state. Discerni ng the Purpose The purpose of the constitution is â€Å"to prescribe the permanent framework of a system of government, to assign to the several departments their respective powers and duties, and to establish certain first principles on which the government is founded. 4 Dissecting this statement originating from American Jurisprudence, three government administering the state; 2. Next is the apportionment of the different governmental powers to the branch or department that must exercise it so as to avoid concentration of powers; and 3. Finally, to provide for the guiding principles which aid the daily affairs of the entire governmental order. Supremacy without a Doubt The constitution is the supreme law of the land.Neither legislation nor even the highest government official exercising immense powers inside the state can question the ultimate position occupied by the organic law in the hierarchy of the political system. The legislature can make laws but such laws are limited bec ause they must inform to the tenets and principles anchored on the constitution. In fact, the judiciary checks both legislative and executive departments by interpreting their actions as â€Å"constitutional† or â€Å"unconstitutional. † The people, its creator, in the exercise of sovereign power may not disregard the constitutions as well.But it must be remembered that they can institute changes if ever it is proven that the constitution does not serve or address the needs of the current situation. The supremacy scenario can also be observed in the landscape of the international community due to the fact that in cases of conflict between international law and municipal (local) law, the latter usually prevails based on the principle of par in paper non habit emporium. But there are exceptional cases wherein constitutional inferiority is demonstrated in upholding the general interests of the people. Variety Exists Constitutions around the globe are not exempted to the p henomenon dubbed as â€Å"variety. † Gradations exist and these are categorized into three major segments: 1 . There are two kinds of constitution according to form namely written and unwritten. The differentiation does not rest on the aspect of being â€Å"written† or not because mom examples of the unwritten constitution are in fact written documents. The major distinction is based on the â€Å"organization† of the scattered pieces into one, single collection.The written constitution is usually the organized one while the unwritten â€Å"consists of rules which have not been integrated into a single, concrete from but are scattered in various sources. â€Å"7 The 1987 Philippine Constitution is a written one while the English Constitution is an unwritten type. 2. The next one is constitution according to origin which also has two types: enacted (conventional) and evolved (cumulative). Enacted is a result of a thorough document construction normally done thro ugh a constitutional convention and is normally instituted at a definite time and place.On the other hand, evolved is a product of continuous process of accretion or adding up as it operates from one generation to another. The present Philippine Constitution is enacted while customs and traditions would be the best example for an evolved constitution. 3. According to manner of amendment is the last category that comprises both flexible and rigid constitutions. Flexible constitutions are characterized by flexibility which implies that it can be changed by he sense that it can only be amended by a specific body and the procedure itself is quite complex and difficult.The 1987 Philippine Constitution is rigid while the constitution of the Scandinavian state of Sweden is considered as flexible. Written Constitution: Essential Qualities Since the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines is a written one, it is more sensible to tackle the essential qualities of a constitution i n the lexicon of the written type. 1 . Broadness refers the extensiveness of the constitution in terms of its scope and reach. Furthermore, broadness relates to the fact that the constitution â€Å"is opposed to embody the past, reflect the present and to anticipate the future. Accordingly, it must have the capability to provide answers or solutions for every contingency. 2. Brevity implies that a good written constitution must stick to the basics. It is limited in the sense that it should not be a venue for staging the details which must be addressed and expressed by reinforcing legislation. Thus, the nature of the document is to prevent the situation wherein it becomes too â€Å"chatty' or wordy. 3. A written constitution must also be definite. This quality relates to the condition hat its provisions must be construed in a clear manner to avoid vagueness in the interpretation.Such ambiguity may lead to â€Å"confusion and divisiveness among the people, and perhaps even physical conflict. â€Å"8 Written Constitution: Essential Parts Almost all texts dealing on the topics of constitution, law and Political Science are in agreement that there are three essential parts of a good written constitution. These are the following: 1 . The constitution of liberty which is symbolized by the presence of a Bill of Rights, elaborates the citizens' civil and political rights as well as the imitation imposed on the side of the government in the regulation of the same.It is found in Article Ill (Bill of Rights) of our constitution. 2. Reflected in Article VI (Legislative), VII (Executive), VIII Adjudicatory), and IX (Local Government) is the second essential part known as the constitution of government whose main feature is the outlining of the governmental structure and the respective powers that they must utilize in the conduct of administration. 3. The provisions relating to the procedures on how to institute changes in the constitution is referred to as the constitut ion of sovereignty. Article XVII (Amendments or Revisions) is an exemplary of this part.Beginnings of the 1987 Philippine Constitution September 21, 1972 is the dreaded day of the proclamation of Martial Law courtesy of one of the most infamous head of state in the Philippines?Ferdinand Adrenalin Marco's. Such declaration was fueled by the various political upheavals in the Philippine political scene at that time including insurgency movements of militant groups and the fear of a communist seizure of the duly constituted government. The Martial Law lasted for about 8 years and was only lifted in 1981. The growing year 1983; Seen. Benign â€Å"Ninny' Aquinas, Jar. Turned from his exile in the United States and was assassinated at the Manila International Airport. Three years after such heart-breaking murder, Marco's called for a special snap election which was centered between him and the widow of Ninny?Carbon â€Å"Core' Aquinas. Massive cheating and electoral fraud characterized the election process in which the final tally of votes expressed the victory of the administration. Yet, even though triumph was at hand, the snap election was one of the major reasons that catapulted the People Power Revolution of 1986.The withdrawal of the military support for the overspent through the acts of high military officials Fidel V. Ramose and Juan Pence Enrich led to the downfall of the Marco's Administration. The world's attention was gravitated to the Philippines in the year 1986 when â€Å"the cheapest revolution†9 in history was launched in order to overthrow the infamous regime of Ferdinand Adrenalin Marco's. The latter was forced to go to an exile in Hawaii, United States. When Core was inaugurated as President, her administration reorganized the entire governmental order and promulgated the Freedom Constitution that abrogated the operation of the 1973 Constitution.The â€Å"Freedom Constitution† was the precursor of the 1987 organic law. In the latt er part of the same year, she ordered the formation of a Constitutional Commission through Proclamation no. 9 to draft a new constitution to legalize the new government. The regular session of the said commission was held from June 2 – October 15, 1986. It was headed by Cecilia Munson Palm, the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court of the Philippines, as chairman, together with Ambrosia B. Patella as vice- chairman. Napoleon G. Ram served as floor leader with Jose D.Cauldron and Madam Domain Alonso, a Muslim legislator, as assistant floor leaders. Members of the commission came from different walks of life which encompass such prominent names as former COMELY Commissioner Rene Sacramento, former Associate Justice Florien Regarded, former Chief Justice Hilarious Divide, Jar. , Dean Emeritus of Atone Law School FRR. Joaquin G. Barnes, S. J. , award-winningly director Lion Brocks, and notable lawyer Christian Monsoon. After drafting the newly structured and designed f undamental law, the commission recommended to President Aquinas the scheduling of the plebiscite for the ratification of the proposed code.A three-month period was given for the people to carefully study and scrutinize such. The plebiscite was scheduled on the 2nd February, 1987. During the campaign period for the ratification, Filipinos were quite apprehensiveness eventually, they approved the plebiscite. The process was a huge success with 76. 29% affirming the ratification while 22. 74% were on the contrary. The 1987 text is pretty lengthy and wordy which is composed of eighteen articles. Historical experiences have molded it into its present form and substance particularly the enormous impact of the Martial Law Era.THE PREAMBLE A Grand Introduction A book has a preface, a thesis has an abstract, and for the case of the constitution, here is a preamble. From the Latin word â€Å"presumably† meaning â€Å"going in front†, achieved through its expression of the author s of the document and their corresponding ideals and aspirations. It must be noted that the Preamble is not a source of rights, obligations and powers for both citizenry and government side. But because it sets down the origin, scope, and purpose of the Constitution, it is useful as an aid in ascertaining the meaning of ambiguous provisions of the Constitution. 0 For a better understanding of the messages imparted by the Preamble, several distinct partitions will be created and analyzed. We, the Sovereign Filipino People. This opening phrase indicates the main authors of the Constitution. What is unique in this construction is that the first person point of view was employed through the usage of the word â€Å"we. † This is very different form the case of the 1935 Constitution wherein the third person point of view was reflected by the less captivating description â€Å"The Filipino people. † FRR.Joaquin Barnes, one of the framers of the current organic document, expla ined that the â€Å"third person approach (1935) suggests that another power (the United States) was merely announcing that the Filipinos were anally allowed to promulgate a Constitution. â€Å"11 Hence, â€Å"The Filipino people† in the 1935 text clearly conjures the situation of the Philippines at that time being under the hands of another sovereign power and has not achieved true independence. During the euphoria of imperialism, the term â€Å"Filipino' does not apply to the natives of the Philippines.The Spanish colonization has founded a social stratification where natives were placed at the bottom of the social ladder while pure-blooded Spaniards (peninsular and insulates) and messiest are situated in a much higher position. These groups were regarded as Filipinos while the natives were branded as â€Å"indigos†?a moniker that signified racial discrimination. It is incredible to know that the framers of the 1973 and 1987 Constitution visualized the commonality among us; that we are one homogeneous body and truly Filipinos by heart.Imploring the Aid of Almighty God. Len both 1935 and 1973 texts, this phrase is worded as â€Å"Imploring the guidance of the Divine Providence† as a form of respect to the the religious freedom of every person situated in the Philippine archipelago including non-believers. During the deliberations of the 1986 Constitutional Commission, it was decided that â€Å"guidance† would be replaced by â€Å"aid† since the latter is a â€Å"more all-embracing term†12 compared to the former. Divine Providence† also yielded to â€Å"Almighty God† due to the realization that the latter implies greater intimacy regarding our relationship with the Divine and is considered as â€Å"more consonant with Filipino religiosity. â€Å"13 Basically, this part of the preamble creates a remarkable picture on how we value the role of the Omnipotent as the rudder leading us to our outstanding lo ries and destinies in life. Build a Just and Humane Society. The state and the government being created by the people themselves must uphold and create a social order that ensures fairness and greatly values human rights and dignity.The phrase added the notion that a constitution not merely sets up a government but is also an instrument for building the larger society of which government is merely a part. 14 Establish a Government. This phrase was carried on by both 1935 and 1973 constitutions in their respective preambles. One of the major intentions in drafting a institution is to establish a government that would regulate both internal and external affairs of the state and has complete autonomy in the eyes of the establishment of this structure: 1. Embody our Ideals and Aspirations.This refers to the primary responsibility of the government in advancing people's interests and not its own selfish political agendas because the powers of the same emanates from the governed per SE. 2 . Promote the Common Good. â€Å"General welfare† was used in both 1935 and 1973 texts but it was agreed by the 1986 Constitutional Commission that â€Å"common good† would supplant it in the new constitution. The rationale is found in the implication of the former phrase as the greater good of the majority and not the greater good of all components of society. Thus, â€Å"good† must be common to all. 3.Conserve and Develop Our Patrimony. â€Å"Patrimony' is so extensive when we speak of its scope since it includes everything that is rightfully owned by the people both material (resources) and immaterial (customs and traditions) ones. The government must see to it that these valued belongings of the nation must be preserved, conserved and developed. 4. Securing the Blessings of Independence and Democracy. This particular segment is not totally similar to the 1935 Constitution because the previous organic laws preamble only mentioned â€Å"the blessing of indep endence† in the third person point of view.This scenario suggests the Philippines' status during the American occupation which is still preparing to accomplish the colossal goal of self-rule. As seen in the current version, â€Å"democracy was already inserted in order to mirror the fact that the country is already a separate and independent state observing the principles of Republicanism and Democracy. In addition, this phrase is accompanied by the word â€Å"posterity' to stress out that the securing of the blessings of independence and democracy' extends even up to the eras of the next generations.Dating and Campanile also emphasized that the government established must also operate under the following conditions: 1. Under the Rule of Law. The created â€Å"medium of the state† must follow and be guided by the laws of the land. It bolsters the principle that â€Å"ours is a government of laws and not of men† which means that no person or institution is above the law. 2. Under the Regime of Truth, Justice, Freedom, Love, Equality and Peace. â€Å"Justice† and â€Å"liberty' were enshrined in the 1935 text while peace† and â€Å"equality' were added in the 1973 Constitution. What is new in the 1987 document is the inclusion of the words â€Å"truth† and â€Å"love. Truth was incorporated in order to impart to the readers of the Constitution how dismaying and hateful the acts committed by the previous administration (Marco's) in plunging the public into the pool of myriad lies. On the other hand, love symbolized the successful staging of the bloodless revolution against the iron rule of a dictator. THE NATIONAL TERRITORY Territorial Jurisdiction of the Philippines Territory is one of the four elements of the state and Just like the effect of the cinematic of people, destruction of the government, and loss of sovereignty, without it, the existence of the state would be in huge peril.Thus, it is important for a state integrity. As expounded by Article 1, the general scope of the national territory of the Republic of the Philippines includes: 1. The Philippine Archipelago. It is generally understood that the Philippine archipelago is the aggregate of the major island groupings namely Luzon, Visas, and Mindanao. An archipelago whose etymology originates from the Greek word appeals(meaning composed of several islands or groups of islands surrounded by water. Tracing the national territory provisions of the 1935 Constitution, the â€Å"Philippine archipelago' also covers: a.The whole Philippine territory ceded by Spain to the United States of America via the Treaty of Paris which was contracted between the two parties on the 10th of December, 1898. B. Subunit Islands and Canaan De Sulk which were clarified by the Treaty of Washington that was signed on November 7, 1900. C. Turtle and Manages Islands through the Convention between the United States of America and Great Britain whose purpose was to d elimit the boundary between the Philippine archipelago and North Borneo. The said convention was signed on January 2, 1930. . Philippine Waters. â€Å"Waters† in this sense applies to all the water forms found in the entirety of the territory. Due to the nature of the Philippines as an archipelago state, the waters embracing its islands (internal waters) are also considered as vital parts of its territorial control. Moreover, the term includes the territorial sea, contiguous zone, and Exclusive Economic Zones (ZEE). 3. Other Territories. These â€Å"other territories over which the Philippines exercises sovereignty or Jurisdiction† entail the inclusion of the allowing: a.The islands of Battles as reflected by the clause â€Å"all territory over which the present government of the Philippine Islands exercises Jurisdiction†16 in the 1935 Constitution. B. Those realms belonging to the Philippines based on historical right or legal title, such as Saba in Northern Bo rneo, enshrined in Article 1 of the 1973 fundamental law. On a more specific perspective, the territorial Jurisdiction of the Philippines is comprised of three kinds of domain namely: 1 .The terrestrial domain corresponds to the Philippine landmass and land forms making up the whole archipelago such as mountains, hills, valleys, volcanoes, islands and islets, etc. Furthermore, this domain embraces the natural and mineral resources found in (floras and faunas) and below (subsoil) the land surface. 2. On the other side, fluvial domain relates to the national waters enclosed by the archipelago baseline and the expanse of water located outside of the same marker. It also incorporates the seabed, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas. A.National waters include the water forms situated within the Philippine landmass like lakes, falls, rivers, canals, bays and treats as well as the internal waters identified by the archipelago doctrine. I. Archipelago Doctrine is a generally accep ted principle in International Law that is being incorporated and can be found in the last part of the National Territory provision. It states that â€Å"the waters around, between, and connecting the islands of the archipelago, regardless of their breadth and dimensions, form part of the internal waters of the Philippines. This doctrine is usually applicable to those states whose territory is archipelago in nature such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan. It solidifies the fact that in the case of archipelago states, the islands, even though separated by bodies of water, will still be treated as a â€Å"single integral geographical and political unit. â€Å"17 ii. Straight Baseline Method is the most commonly baseline method which follows the contours of the landmass, it is done by determining the outermost points of the archipelago and connecting such points with straight lines producing an irregular polygon.The waters within the baselines shall be considered as internal w aters; while the breadth of the territorial sea shall then be measured from the baselines. 18 iii. The Constitution treats the waters inside the baseline as internal waters but International Law through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOGS) considers it as archipelago waters. In the eyes of the municipal law, no foreign vessels can enter the internal waters without the state's consent. On the other side of the scale, International Law recognizes that foreign vessels may navigate the archipelago waters in the exercise of involuntary entrance only.Passage is innocent as long as a ship refrains from engaging in certain prohibited activities which includes but not limited to weapons jesting, spying, smuggling, serious pollution, fishing, or scientific research. 19 Involuntary Entrance refers to emergency scenarios wherein a foreign vessel enters territorial waters by reason of lack of provisions, ship is incapable of continuing the voyage, weather disturbances, e tc. B. Outside the baseline, one can find the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEE), maritime areas, and the open sea. I.The dimensions and measurements of the first three are also determined by the UNCLOGS, an international agreement which was partaken by the Philippines as one of the signatory states. It. The territorial sea or waters is about 12 nautical miles from the baseline. The coastal state exercises full sovereignty and Jurisdiction over this area; yet foreign ships can enter it on account of the right of innocent passage and involuntary entrance. Iii. Another 12 nautical miles from the baseline of the territorial sea is the contiguous zone where territorial Jurisdiction of the coastal state is not absolute.Even though control is limited in this area, the coastal state is still entitled to â€Å"prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea. 20 In addition , hot pursuit can still be conducted in this zone. ‘v. Just like the previous zone, the Exclusive Economic Zone or ZEE (about 200 nautical miles from the archipelago baseline) is also not a solid component of the national territory of the Philippines.What is significant about this area is that the coastal state has the right to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage the natural and mineral reserves as well as install structures and conduct marine scientific research within its maritime dominion. V. Maritime areas include the seabed, the subsoil beneath the seabed, and the insular shelves which are redundantly found within the areas of the territorial seas, contiguous zones and the ZEE. V'. The high seas also known as international waters or open seas are definitely beyond the Jurisdiction of the coastal state.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

The Lost Symbol Chapter 79-82

CHAPTER 79 Eight miles due north of Alexandria, Virginia, Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon strode calmly across a wide expanse of frost-covered lawn. â€Å"You should be an actress,† Langdon said, still impressed by Katherine's quick thinking and improvisational skills. â€Å"You weren't half bad yourself.† She gave him a smile. At first, Langdon had been mystified by Katherine's abrupt antics in the taxi. Without warning, she had suddenly demanded they go to Freedom Plaza based on some revelation about a Jewish star and the Great Seal of the United States. She drew a well-known conspiracy-theory image on a dollar bill and then insisted Langdon look closely where she was pointing. Finally, Langdon realized that Katherine was pointing not at the dollar bill but at a tiny indicator bulb on the back of the driver's seat. The bulb was so covered with grime that he had not even noticed it. As he leaned forward, however, he could see that the bulb was illuminated, emitting a dull red glow. He could also see the two faint words directly beneath the lit bulb. –INTERCOM ON– Startled, Langdon glanced back at Katherine, whose frantic eyes were urging him to look into the front seat. He obeyed, stealing a discreet glance through the divider. The cabby's cell phone was on the dash, wide open, illuminated, facing the intercom speaker. An instant later, Langdon understood Katherine's actions. They know we're in this cab . . . they've been listening to us. Langdon had no idea how much time he and Katherine had until their taxi was stopped and surrounded, but he knew they had to act fast. Instantly, he'd begun playing along, realizing that Katherine's desire to go to Freedom Plaza had nothing to do with the pyramid but rather with its being a large subway station–Metro Center–from which they could take the Red, Blue, or Orange lines in any of six different directions. They jumped out of the taxi at Freedom Plaza, and Langdon took over, doing some improvising of his own, leaving a trail to the Masonic Memorial in Alexandria before he and Katherine ran down into the subway station, dashing past the Blue Line platforms and continuing on to the Red Line, where they caught a train in the opposite direction. Traveling six stops northbound to Tenleytown, they emerged all alone into a quiet, upscale neighborhood. Their destination, the tallest structure for miles, was immediately visible on the horizon, just off Massachusetts Avenue on a vast expanse of manicured lawn. Now â€Å"off the grid,† as Katherine called it, the two of them walked across the damp grass. On their right was a medieval-style garden, famous for its ancient rosebushes and Shadow House gazebo. They moved past the garden, directly toward the magnificent building to which they had been summoned. A refuge containing ten stones from Mount Sinai, one from heaven itself, and one with the visage of Luke's dark father. â€Å"I've never been here at night,† Katherine said, gazing up at the brightly lit towers. â€Å"It's spectacular.† Langdon agreed, having forgotten how impressive this place truly was. This neo-Gothic masterpiece stood at the north end of Embassy Row. He hadn't been here for years, not since writing a piece about it for a kids' magazine in hopes of generating some excitement among young Americans to come see this amazing landmark. His article–â€Å"Moses, Moon Rocks, and Star Wars†Ã¢â‚¬â€œhad been part of the tourist literature for years. Washington National Cathedral, Langdon thought, feeling an unexpected anticipation at being back after all these years. Where better to ask about One True God? â€Å"This cathedral really has ten stones from Mount Sinai?† Katherine asked, gazing up at the twin bell towers. Langdon nodded. â€Å"Near the main altar. They symbolize the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai.† â€Å"And there's a lunar rock?† A rock from heaven itself. â€Å"Yes. One of the stained-glass windows is called the Space Window and has a fragment of moon rock embedded in it.† â€Å"Okay, but you can't be serious about the last thing.† Katherine glanced over, her pretty eyes flashing skepticism. â€Å"A statue of . . . Darth Vader?† Langdon chuckled. â€Å"Luke Skywalker's dark father? Absolutely. Vader is one of the National Cathedral's most popular grotesques.† He pointed high into the west towers. â€Å"Tough to see him at night, but he's there.† â€Å"What in the world is Darth Vader doing on Washington National Cathedral?† â€Å"A contest for kids to carve a gargoyle that depicted the face of evil. Darth won.† They reached the grand staircase to the main entrance, which was set back in an eighty-foot archway beneath a breathtaking rose window. As they began climbing, Langdon's mind shifted to the mysterious stranger who had called him. No names, please . . . Tell me, have you successfully protected the map that was entrusted to you? Langdon's shoulder ached from carrying the heavy stone pyramid, and he was looking forward to setting it down. Sanctuary and answers. As they approached the top of the stairs, they were met with an imposing pair of wooden doors. â€Å"Do we just knock?† Katherine asked. Langdon had been wondering the same thing, except that now one of the doors was creaking open. â€Å"Who's there?† a frail voice said. The face of a withered old man appeared in the doorway. He wore priest's robes and a blank stare. His eyes were opaque and white, clouded with cataracts. â€Å"My name is Robert Langdon,† he replied. â€Å"Katherine Solomon and I are seeking sanctuary.† The blind man exhaled in relief. â€Å"Thank God. I've been expecting you.† CHAPTER 80 Warren Bellamy felt a sudden ray of hope. Inside the Jungle, Director Sato had just received a phone call from a field agent and had immediately flown into a tirade. â€Å"Well, you damn well better find them!† she shouted into her phone. â€Å"We're running out of time!† She had hung up and was now stalking back and forth in front of Bellamy as if trying to decide what to do next. Finally, she stopped directly in front of him and turned. â€Å"Mr. Bellamy, I'm going to ask you this once, and only once.† She stared deep into his eyes. â€Å"Yes or no–do you have any idea where Robert Langdon might have gone?† Bellamy had more than a good idea, but he shook his head. â€Å"No.† Sato's piercing gaze had never left his eyes. â€Å"Unfortunately, part of my job is to know when people are lying.† Bellamy averted his eyes. â€Å"Sorry, I can't help you.† â€Å"Architect Bellamy,† Sato said, â€Å"tonight just after seven P.M., you were having dinner in a restaurant outside the city when you received a phone call from a man who told you he had kidnapped Peter Solomon.† Bellamy felt an instant chill and returned his eyes to hers. How could you possibly know that?! â€Å"The man,† Sato continued, â€Å"told you that he had sent Robert Langdon to the Capitol Building and given Langdon a task to complete . . . a task that required your help. He warned that if Langdon failed in this task, your friend Peter Solomon would die. Panicked, you called all of Peter's numbers but failed to reach him. Understandably, you then raced to the Capitol.† Bellamy could not imagine how Sato knew about this phone call. â€Å"As you fled the Capitol,† Sato said behind the smoldering tip of her cigarette, â€Å"you sent a text message to Solomon's kidnapper, assuring him that you and Langdon had been successful in obtaining the Masonic Pyramid.† Where is she getting her information? Bellamy wondered. Not even Langdon knows I sent that text message. Immediately after entering the tunnel to the Library of Congress, Bellamy had stepped into the electrical room to plug in the construction lighting. In the privacy of that moment, he had decided to send a quick text message to Solomon's captor, telling him about Sato's involvement, but reassuring him that he– Bellamy–and Langdon had obtained the Masonic Pyramid and would indeed cooperate with his demands. It was a lie, of course, but Bellamy hoped the reassurance might buy time, both for Peter Solomon and also to hide the pyramid. â€Å"Who told you I sent a text?† Bellamy demanded. Sato tossed Bellamy's cell phone on the bench next to him. â€Å"Hardly rocket science.† Bellamy now remembered his phone and keys had been taken from him by the agents who captured him. â€Å"As for the rest of my inside information,† Sato said, â€Å"the Patriot Act gives me the right to place a wiretap on the phone of anyone I consider a viable threat to national security. I consider Peter Solomon to be such a threat, and last night I took action.† Bellamy could barely get his mind around what she was telling him. â€Å"You're tapping Peter Solomon's phone?† â€Å"Yes. This is how I knew the kidnapper called you at the restaurant. You called Peter's cell phone and left an anxious message explaining what had just happened.† Bellamy realized she was right. â€Å"We had also intercepted a call from Robert Langdon, who was in the Capitol Building, deeply confused to learn he had been tricked into coming there. I went to the Capitol at once, arriving before you because I was closer. As for how I knew to check the X-ray of Langdon's bag . . . in light of my realization that Langdon was involved in all of this, I had my staff reexamine a seemingly innocuous early-morning call between Langdon and Peter Solomon's cell phone, in which the kidnapper, posing as Solomon's assistant, persuaded Langdon to come for a lecture and also to bring a small package that Peter had entrusted to him. When Langdon was not forthcoming with me about the package he was carrying, I requested the X-ray of his bag.† Bellamy could barely think. Admittedly, everything Sato was saying was feasible, and yet something was not adding up. â€Å"But . . . how could you possibly think Peter Solomon is a threat to national security?† â€Å"Believe me, Peter Solomon is a serious national-security threat,† she snapped. â€Å"And frankly, Mr. Bellamy, so are you.† Bellamy sat bolt upright, the handcuffs chafing against his wrists. â€Å"I beg your pardon?!† She forced a smile. â€Å"You Masons play a risky game. You keep a very, very dangerous secret.† Is she talking about the Ancient Mysteries? â€Å"Thankfully, you've always done a good job of keeping your secrets hidden. Unfortunately, recently you've been careless, and tonight, your most dangerous secret is about to be unveiled to the world. And unless we can stop that from happening, I assure you the results will be catastrophic.† Bellamy stared in bewilderment. â€Å"If you had not attacked me,† Sato said, â€Å"you would have realized that you and I are on the same team.† The same team. The words sparked in Bellamy an idea that seemed almost impossible to fathom. Is Sato a member of Eastern Star? The Order of the Eastern Star–often considered a sister organization to the Masons–embraced a similar mystical philosophy of benevolence, secret wisdom, and spiritual open-mindedness. The same team? I'm in handcuffs! She's tapping Peter's phone! â€Å"You will help me stop this man,† Sato said. â€Å"He has the potential to bring about a cataclysm from which this country might not recover.† Her face was like stone. â€Å"Then why aren't you tracking him?† Sato looked incredulous. â€Å"Do you think I'm not trying? My trace on Solomon's cell phone went dead before we got a location. His other number appears to be a disposable phone–which is almost impossible to track. The private-jet company told us that Langdon's flight was booked by Solomon's assistant, on Solomon's cell phone, with Solomon's Marquis Jet card. There is no trail. Not that it matters anyway. Even if we find out exactly where he is, I can't possibly risk moving in and trying to grab him.† â€Å"Why not?!† â€Å"I'd prefer not to share that, as the information is classified,† Sato said, patience clearly waning. â€Å"I am asking you to trust me on this.† â€Å"Well, I don't!† Sato's eyes were like ice. She turned suddenly and shouted across the Jungle. â€Å"Agent Hartmann! The briefcase, please.† Bellamy heard the hiss of the electronic door, and an agent strode into the Jungle. He was carrying a sleek titanium briefcase, which he set on the ground beside the OS director. â€Å"Leave us,† Sato said. As the agent departed, the door hissed again, and then everything fell silent. Sato picked up the metal case, laid it across her lap, and popped the clasps. Then she raised her eyes slowly to Bellamy. â€Å"I did not want to do this, but our time is running out, and you've left me no choice.† Bellamy eyed the strange briefcase and felt a swell of fear. Is she going to torture me? He strained at his cuffs again. â€Å"What's in that case?!† Sato smiled grimly. â€Å"Something that will persuade you to see things my way. I guarantee it.† CHAPTER 81 The subterranean space in which Mal'akh performed the Art was ingeniously hidden. His home's basement, to those who entered, appeared quite normal–a typical cellar with boiler, fuse box, woodpile, and a hodgepodge of storage. This visible cellar, however, was only a portion of Mal'akh's underground space. A sizable area had been walled off for his clandestine practices. Mal'akh's private work space was a suite of small rooms, each with a specialized purpose. The area's sole entrance was a steep ramp secretly accessible through his living room, making the area's discovery virtually impossible. Tonight, as Mal'akh descended the ramp, the tattooed sigils and signs on his flesh seemed to come alive in the cerulean glow of his basement's specialized lighting. Moving into the bluish haze, he walked past several closed doors and headed directly for the largest room at the end of the corridor. The â€Å"sanctum sanctorum,† as Mal'akh liked to call it, was a perfect twelve-foot square. Twelve are the signs of the zodiac. Twelve are the hours of the day. Twelve are the gates of heaven. In the center of the chamber was a stone table, a seven-by-seven square. Seven are the seals of Revelation. Seven are the steps of the Temple. Centered over the table hung a carefully calibrated light source that cycled through a spectrum of preordained colors, completing its cycle every six hours in accordance with the sacred Table of Planetary Hours. The hour of Yanor is blue. The hour of Nasnia is red. The hour of Salam is white. Now was the hour of Caerra, meaning the light in the room had modulated to a soft purplish hue. Wearing only a silken loincloth wrapped around his buttocks and neutered sex organ, Mal'akh began his preparations. He carefully combined the suffumigation chemicals that he would later ignite to sanctify the air. Then he folded the virgin silk robe that he would eventually don in place of his loincloth. And finally, he purified a flask of water for the anointing of his offering. When he was done, he placed all of these prepared ingredients on a side table. Next he went to a shelf and retrieved a small ivory box, which he carried to the side table and placed with the other items. Although he was not yet ready to use it, he could not resist opening the lid and admiring this treasure. The knife. Inside the ivory box, nestled in a cradle of black velvet, shone the sacrificial knife that Mal'akh had been saving for tonight. He had purchased it for $1.6 million on the Middle Eastern antiquities black market last year. The most famous knife in history. Unimaginably old and believed lost, this precious blade was made of iron, attached to a bone handle. Over the ages, it had been in the possession of countless powerful individuals. In recent decades, however, it had disappeared, languishing in a secret private collection. Mal'akh had gone to enormous lengths to obtain it. The knife, he suspected, had not drawn blood for decades . . . possibly centuries. Tonight, this blade would again taste the power of the sacrifice for which it was honed. Mal'akh gently lifted the knife from its cushioned compartment and reverently polished the blade with a silk cloth soaked in purified water. His skills had progressed greatly since his first rudimentary experiments in New York. The dark Art that Mal'akh practiced had been known by many names in many languages, but by any name, it was a precise science. This primeval technology had once held the key to the portals of power, but it had been banished long ago, relegated to the shadows of occultism and magic. Those few who still practiced this Art were considered madmen, but Mal'akh knew better. This is not work for those with dull faculties. The ancient dark Art, like modern science, was a discipline involving precise formulas, specific ingredients, and meticulous timing. This Art was not the impotent black magic of today, often practiced halfheartedly by curious souls. This Art, like nuclear physics, had the potential to unleash enormous power. The warnings were dire: The unskilled practitioner runs the risk of being struck by a reflux current and destroyed. Mal'akh finished admiring the sacred blade and turned his attention to a lone sheet of thick vellum lying on the table before him. He had made this vellum himself from the skin of a baby lamb. As was the protocol, the lamb was pure, having not yet reached sexual maturity. Beside the vellum was a quill pen he had made from the feather of a crow, a silver saucer, and three glimmering candles arranged around a solid-brass bowl. The bowl contained one inch of thick crimson liquid. The liquid was Peter Solomon's blood. Blood is the tincture of eternity. Mal'akh picked up the quill pen, placed his left hand on the vellum, and dipping the quill tip in the blood, he carefully traced the outline of his open palm. When he was done, he added the five symbols of the Ancient Mysteries, one on each fingertip of the drawing. The crown . . . to represent the king I shall become. The star . . . to represent the heavens which have ordained my destiny. The sun . . . to represent the illumination of my soul. The lantern . . . to represent the feeble light of human understanding. And the key . . . to represent the missing piece, that which tonight I shall at last possess. Mal'akh completed his blood tracing and held up the vellum, admiring his work in the light of the three candles. He waited until the blood was dry and then folded the thick vellum three times. While chanting an ethereal ancient incantation, Mal'akh touched the vellum to the third candle, and it burst into flames. He set the flaming vellum on the silver saucer and let it burn. As it did, the carbon in the animal skin dissolved to a powdery black char. When the flame went out, Mal'akh carefully tapped the ashes into the brass bowl of blood. Then he stirred the mixture with the crow's feather. The liquid turned a deeper crimson, nearly black. Holding the bowl in both palms, Mal'akh raised it over his head and gave thanks, intoning the blood eukharistos of the ancients. Then he carefully poured the blackened mixture into a glass vial and corked it. This would be the ink with which Mal'akh would inscribe the untattooed flesh atop his head and complete his masterpiece. CHAPTER 82 Washington National Cathedral is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world and soars higher than a thirty-story skyscraper. Embellished with over two hundred stained-glass windows, a fifty- three-bell carillon, and a 10,647-pipe organ, this Gothic masterpiece can accommodate more than three thousand worshippers. Tonight, however, the great cathedral was deserted. Reverend Colin Galloway–dean of the cathedral–looked like he had been alive forever. Stooped and withered, he wore a simple black cassock and shuffled blindly ahead without a word. Langdon and Katherine followed in silence through the darkness of the four-hundred-foot- long nave's central aisle, which was curved ever so slightly to the left to create a softening optical illusion. When they reached the Great Crossing, the dean guided them through the rood screen–the symbolic divider between the public area and the sanctuary beyond. The scent of frankincense hung in the air of the chancel. This sacred space was dark, illuminated only by indirect reflections in the foliated vaults overhead. Flags of the fifty states hung above the quire, which was ornately appointed with several carved reredos depicting biblical events. Dean Galloway continued on, apparently knowing this walk by heart. For a moment, Langdon thought they were headed straight for the high altar, where the ten stones from Mount Sinai were embedded, but the old dean finally turned left and groped his way through a discreetly hidden door that led into an administrative annex. They moved down a short hallway to an office door bearing a brass nameplate: THE REVEREND DR. COLIN GALLOWAY CATHEDRAL DEAN Galloway opened the door and turned on the lights, apparently accustomed to remembering this courtesy for his guests. He ushered them in and closed the door. The dean's office was small but elegant, with high bookshelves, a desk, a carved armoire, and a private bathroom. On the walls hung sixteenth-century tapestries and several religious paintings. The old dean motioned to the two leather chairs directly opposite his desk. Langdon sat with Katherine and felt grateful finally to set his heavy shoulder bag on the floor at his feet. Sanctuary and answers, Langdon thought, settling into the comfortable chair. The aged man shuffled around behind his desk and eased himself down into his high-backed chair. Then, with a weary sigh, he raised his head, staring blankly out at them through clouded eyes. When he spoke, his voice was unexpectedly clear and strong. â€Å"I realize we have never met,† the old man said, â€Å"and yet I feel I know you both.† He took out a handkerchief and dabbed his mouth. â€Å"Professor Langdon, I am familiar with your writings, including the clever piece you did on the symbolism of this cathedral. And, Ms. Solomon, your brother, Peter, and I have been Masonic brothers for many years now.† â€Å"Peter is in terrible trouble,† Katherine said. â€Å"So I have been told.† The old man sighed. â€Å"And I will do everything in my power to help you.† Langdon saw no Masonic ring on the dean's finger, and yet he knew many Masons, especially those within the clergy, chose not to advertise their affiliation. As they began to talk, it became clear that Dean Galloway already knew some of the night's events from Warren Bellamy's phone message. As Langdon and Katherine filled him in on the rest, the dean looked more and more troubled. â€Å"And this man who has taken our beloved Peter,† the dean said, â€Å"he is insisting you decipher the pyramid in exchange for Peter's life?† â€Å"Yes,† Langdon said. â€Å"He thinks it's a map that will lead him to the hiding place of the Ancient Mysteries.† The dean turned his eerie, opaque eyes toward Langdon. â€Å"My ears tell me you do not believe in such things.† Langdon did not want to waste time going down this road. â€Å"It doesn't matter what I believe. We need to help Peter. Unfortunately, when we deciphered the pyramid, it pointed nowhere.† The old man sat straighter. â€Å"You've deciphered the pyramid?† Katherine interceded now, quickly explaining that despite Bellamy's warnings and her brother's request that Langdon not unwrap the package, she had done so, feeling her first priority was to help her brother however she could. She told the dean about the golden capstone, Albrecht Durer's magic square, and how it decrypted the sixteen-letter Masonic cipher into the phrase Jeova Sanctus Unus. â€Å"That's all it says?† the dean asked. â€Å"One True God?† â€Å"Yes, sir,† Langdon replied. â€Å"Apparently the pyramid is more of a metaphorical map than a geographic one.† The dean held out his hands. â€Å"Let me feel it.† Langdon unzipped his bag and pulled out the pyramid, which he carefully hoisted up on the desk, setting it directly in front of the reverend. Langdon and Katherine watched as the old man's frail hands examined every inch of the stone– the engraved side, the smooth base, and the truncated top. When he was finished, he held out his hands again. â€Å"And the capstone?† Langdon retrieved the small stone box, set it on the desk, and opened the lid. Then he removed the capstone and placed it into the old man's waiting hands. The dean performed a similar examination, feeling every inch, pausing on the capstone's engraving, apparently having some trouble reading the small, elegantly inscribed text. â€Å"`The secret hides within The Order,'† Langdon offered. â€Å"And the words the and order are capitalized.† The old man's face was expressionless as he positioned the capstone on top of the pyramid and aligned it by sense of touch. He seemed to pause a moment, as if in prayer, and reverently ran his palms over the complete pyramid several times. Then he reached out and located the cube- shaped box, taking it in his hands, feeling it carefully, his fingers probing inside and out. When he was done, he set down the box and leaned back in his chair. â€Å"So tell me,† he demanded, his voice suddenly stern. â€Å"Why have you come to me?† The question took Langdon off guard. â€Å"We came, sir, because you told us to. And Mr. Bellamy said we should trust you.† â€Å"And yet you did not trust him?† â€Å"I'm sorry?† The dean's white eyes stared directly through Langdon. â€Å"The package containing the capstone was sealed. Mr. Bellamy told you not to open it, and yet you did. In addition, Peter Solomon himself told you not to open it. And yet you did.† â€Å"Sir,† Katherine intervened, â€Å"we were trying to help my brother. The man who has him demanded we decipher–â€Å" â€Å"I can appreciate that,† the dean declared, â€Å"and yet what have you achieved by opening the package? Nothing. Peter's captor is looking for a location, and he will not be satisfied with the answer of Jeova Sanctus Unus.† â€Å"I agree,† Langdon said, â€Å"but unfortunately that's all the pyramid says. As I mentioned, the map seems to be more figurative than–â€Å" â€Å"You're mistaken, Professor,† the dean said. â€Å"The Masonic Pyramid is a real map. It points to a real location. You do not understand that, because you have not yet deciphered the pyramid fully. Not even close.† Langdon and Katherine exchanged startled looks. The dean laid his hands back on the pyramid, almost caressing it. â€Å"This map, like the Ancient Mysteries themselves, has many layers of meaning. Its true secret remains veiled from you.† â€Å"Dean Galloway,† Langdon said, â€Å"we've been over every inch of the pyramid and capstone, and there's nothing else to see.† â€Å"Not in its current state, no. But objects change.† â€Å"Sir?† â€Å"Professor, as you know, the promise of this pyramid is one of miraculous transformative power. Legend holds that this pyramid can change its shape . . . alter its physical form to reveal its secrets. Like the famed stone that released Excalibur into the hands of King Arthur, the Masonic Pyramid can transform itself if it so chooses . . . and reveal its secret to the worthy.† Langdon now sensed that the old man's advanced years had perhaps robbed him of his faculties. â€Å"I'm sorry, sir. Are you saying this pyramid can undergo a literal physical transformation?† â€Å"Professor, if I were to reach out with my hand and transform this pyramid right before your eyes, would you believe what you had witnessed?† Langdon had no idea how to respond. â€Å"I suppose I would have no choice.† â€Å"Very well, then. In a moment, I shall do exactly that.† He dabbed his mouth again. â€Å"Let me remind you that there was an era when even the brightest minds perceived the earth as flat. For if the earth were round, then surely the oceans would spill off. Imagine how they would have mocked you if you proclaimed, `Not only is the world a sphere, but there is an invisible, mystical force that holds everything to its surface'!† â€Å"There's a difference,† Langdon said, â€Å"between the existence of gravity . . . and the ability to transform objects with a touch of your hand.† â€Å"Is there? Is it not possible that we are still living in the Dark Ages, still mocking the suggestion of `mystical' forces that we cannot see or comprehend. History, if it has taught us anything at all, has taught us that the strange ideas we deride today will one day be our celebrated truths. I claim I can transform this pyramid with a touch of my finger, and you question my sanity. I would expect more from an historian. History is replete with great minds who have all proclaimed the same thing . . . great minds who have all insisted that man possesses mystical abilities of which he is unaware.† Langdon knew the dean was correct. The famous Hermetic aphorism–Know ye not that ye are gods?–was one of the pillars of the Ancient Mysteries. As above, so below . . . Man created in God's image . . . Apotheosis. This persistent message of man's own divinity–of his hidden potential–was the recurring theme in the ancient texts of countless traditions. Even the Holy Bible cried out in Psalms 82:6: Ye are gods! â€Å"Professor,† the old man said, â€Å"I realize that you, like many educated people, live trapped between worlds–one foot in the spiritual, one foot in the physical. Your heart yearns to believe . . . but your intellect refuses to permit it. As an academic, you would be wise to learn from the great minds of history.† He paused and cleared his throat. â€Å"If I'm remembering correctly, one of the greatest minds ever to live proclaimed: `That which is impenetrable to us really exists. Behind the secrets of nature remains something subtle, intangible, and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion.' â€Å" â€Å"Who said that?† Langdon said. â€Å"Gandhi?† â€Å"No,† Katherine interjected. â€Å"Albert Einstein.† Katherine Solomon had read every word Einstein had ever written and was struck by his profound respect for the mystical, as well as his predictions that the masses would one day feel the same. The religion of the future, Einstein had predicted, will be a cosmic religion. It will transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Robert Langdon appeared to be struggling with the idea. Katherine could sense his rising frustration with the old Episcopal priest, and she understood. After all, they had traveled here for answers, and they had found instead a blind man who claimed he could transform objects with a touch of his hands. Even so, the old man's overt passion for mystical forces reminded Katherine of her brother. â€Å"Father Galloway,† Katherine said, â€Å"Peter is in trouble. The CIA is chasing us. And Warren Bellamy sent us to you for help. I don't know what this pyramid says or where it points, but if deciphering it means that we can help Peter, we need to do that. Mr. Bellamy may have preferred to sacrifice my brother's life to hide this pyramid, but my family has experienced nothing but pain because of it. Whatever secret it may hold, it ends tonight.† â€Å"You are correct,† the old man replied, his tone dire. â€Å"It will all end tonight. You've guaranteed that.† He sighed. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, when you broke the seal on that box, you set in motion a series of events from which there will be no return. There are forces at work tonight that you do not yet comprehend. There is no turning back.† Katherine stared dumbfounded at the reverend. There was something apocalyptic about his tone, as if he were referring to the Seven Seals of Revelation or Pandora's box. â€Å"Respectfully, sir,† Langdon interceded, â€Å"I can't imagine how a stone pyramid could set in motion anything at all.† â€Å"Of course you can't, Professor.† The old man stared blindly through him. â€Å"You do not yet have eyes to see.†

Monday, July 29, 2019

The Glass Menagerie Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Glass Menagerie - Research Paper Example She is drawn carefully as an idol of beauty, delicacy and purity as her glass toys. Her acute self –coconsciousness and as a result great shyness prevents her from coming out of her comfort zone. One of her legs is crippled and this has led to her feeling of inferiority and withdrawal from the outside world. Levy saysâ€Å"She avoids the outside world, and as a result †¦has no life outside preoccupation with her own vulnerability â€Å"But more than this her emotional fragility can said as her main flaw. Amanda tells â€Å"She notices things and I think she broods about them. A Few days ago I came in and she was crying â€Å". According to Smith Laura can be considered as a tragic fellow and her fragility is her flaw. The extreme nervousness of Laura is the reason for her seclusion and thus by the drop from the school and college. When Jim was talking to her she herself somehow came out of her shyness. She is confined herself in the security of her house and rarely co me out of that. According to Cardullo, Laura is a romantic symbol familiar to the landscape of nineteenth-century American society â€Å"the fragile almost unearthly ego brutalized by life in the industrialized depersonalized cities of the Western world â€Å" Just as Laura find place among her glass menagerie, all the characters especially Amanda and Tom have their own dwelling places. The main misfortune of the characters is only due to their remaining in the comfort zone. This drawback in the character leads to a kind of seclusion and loneliness. Amanda never comes out of her reminiscence of the past. She relates all the present events with that of the past ones occurred in her own life. The main flaw of the character Amanda is her inability to understand her son Tom. She tries to guide him but every word he considers as interference in his personal freedom. Tom wants to be adventurous, but she seems to be ignorant of it. The continual friction between Tom and his mother shows lack of understanding. Almost every encounter leads to quarrel. She frightens Tom by imposing on him the heavy responsibility of family support. Her vehement condemnation of Tom as a dreamer and manufacturer of illusions gets on his nerves and drives him away from home. â€Å"Amanda is almost alienated from her children and she also suffers from loneliness. When she is disturbed she finds happiness by balancing herself between her past and present. Her cloths her speech and her ideals for her children make her appear to be a middle aged southern belly, garrulous and sill by narrow and spinsterish in her attitude towards life. At times she appears foolish and ignorant and her approach to life seems unrealistic â€Å". But Dr. Pearl Mchaney in a lecture points out that Amanda is trying to love her children. â€Å"There are so many things in my heart that I cannot describe you! I’ve never told you but I-loved your father†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Another character who shares the equal re sponsibility of the tragic ending of the family is Tom Winfield. Tom is condemned by most people as an irresponsible runaway. Tom can be said as a person ‘meditating between in present and past’. Neither his job at the warehouse nor his life and home satisfies hunger for adventure . He demands

Sunday, July 28, 2019

ADVANCED TAX Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ADVANCED TAX - Essay Example One of the strategies the couple can use to reduce the tax amount of the capital gain expected is to time carefully the disposal of the shares to fall into diverse tax years and take advantage of annual exemptions in each year (King & Carey, 2014). This strategy has the potential of reducing significantly the amount of tax that the couple will pay for the capital gain accumulated from the sale of the shares. This is because capital gains less than  £10,600 per annum are not taxed on individuals (Mclaughlin, 2013). Thus, the couple can spread the sale of the shares in seven different periods to ensure the capital gains fall in different years. This will ensure the capital gains accumulated are exempted from taxation. The capital gain that will be realized if the disposal is timed in seven different periods will be ( £68,000/ 7 =  £9,714.286). This capital gain is below  £10,600 per annum that will allow the gain to be exempted from taxation completely. Similarly, the shares can held under individual savings account (ISA) that will ensure the CGT liability is exempted from capital gains accumulated after disposal of the shares (King & Carey, 2014). Currently, the maximum value of shares that can be held under the ISA is  £11,520 for tax year 2013/14 (HMRC, 2013). Thus, the couple can hold  £11,520 of the  £12,000 share value to exempt the capital gain from these shares from capital gain tax liability. This implies that only ( £11,520/  £1.50 = 7,680) share of the 8,000 will be held under the ISA. Thus, the capital gain that will be accumulated from the extra shares held outside ISA will be as computed below. Another strategy Bob can use to reduce the tax amount liability from the disposal of the shares is transferring the shares prior to ensuing disposal to his wife Isobel. This is because share transfers between civil partners do not carry gain or loss

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Marketing Strategy Of Design A New Cell Phone Essay

Marketing Strategy Of Design A New Cell Phone - Essay Example Firstly, I am interested in the market the product to the company email list as these people have already expressed an interest in purchasing our product or services. Then, I will surely market the product to my friends, relatives, and social networking friends and followers. I would adopt content marketing as it would publish more content than normal marketers do (Business marketing association, p.22). I would publish several articles that provide useful tips to cell phone users. Finally, I have decided to release a video that contains different features as well as a special report on the product and I will post the video in company website and social networking sites. I will also adopt other common promotion techniques such as TV advertisements and flux boards. Â   Â   Â  Likewise, I will choose the right time to launch the product since it has been psychologically proved that people have different mindsets during different times of the year. Agreeing with the suggestion put for ward by Chaturvedi, Kumar, and Rahul (2009), I would like to introduce the product either during spring or early summer because seasonal fluctuations can also have a significant impact on the product launching process (p.102). Similarly, I would also depend on technological support like e-commerce to make the product launch more successful.Product Features and Marketing TacticsIt is obvious that the fame of cell phone industry has reached sky heights as a result of recent technological developments.

Friday, July 26, 2019

BUSINESS TAXATION ( Uinted KingdomTAX System ) Essay

BUSINESS TAXATION ( Uinted KingdomTAX System ) - Essay Example This often inclusive of the value, which the item was sold at. According a journal therefore understanding the different forms of taxation and meeting their obligations is of great importance to any business. One can save money by understanding what taxation involves in a given type of business whether a sole trader or partnership. As stated in the Tax Advisor (2012), a businessperson would also take advantage of any exemptions that they might be entitled to which would at the end boost the business. This paper will explain the terms and concepts in business taxation that will aid a clear understanding; it will assess the consequences that come as a result of incorporating a sole trader business, recommendations to the trader and finally whether the business qualifies for capital gains tax incorporation relief. A sole trader is a person who runs and operates a business on their own. The sole proprietor is liable for all the assets and liabilities of the business. Moreover, sole traders have full control of their business with all the profit. In 2012, The Tax Chartered Advisor stated that the taxation system for a sole trader in the UK allows one to complete a self assessment of their business. In this form, the sole trader is allowed to show total expenses, the total income and then subtracts to get the losses or profit for the business. Should the company show a loss then it does not owe the government otherwise, the business is taxed depending on the profits earned. An incorporated company is a form of business that is owned by one person who is the director with employees working for the company. This type of business is not solely owned by one person and decisions regarding the company are made as a group. With the new tax rates that were released in the UK, it has been realized that the best way to save money by avoiding paying a lot of taxes is through the start of companies. According to Payroll Practitioner (2009), the tax

Profesional portfolio Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Profesional portfolio - Assignment Example Developing an effective global workplace is a challenging tasks but necessary for multinational companies because it ensures employees in their companies create a culture of shared values that maintain cohesive and ethical cultures across countries that are difficult to create in a domestic environment. In light of this new definition of global workplace, to me global workplace is considered a workplace with intercultural teams that come together from across different countries to accomplish a business objective for a company using technology and communication, while observing certain ethical and professional behavior for the purpose of minimizing cost. In the same assignment, another change or rather an addition that has been made is the experience of intercultural communication, specifically using Coca-Cola in India as an example. Let us look at the change of intercultural communication. Intercultural communication relates to how people should work in a global workplace because it looks at how individuals from different background of culture attempt to communicate verbally and non-verbally, manage, approach deadlines, work together, meet, build relationships, negotiate and much more (Varner & Beamer, 2011). Individuals and companies that look into doing business within the global workplace usually are unsuccessful in addressing such areas before venturing into business abroad. This has the effect of leading to poor performance and lost business deals. More understanding of differences intercultural in protocol, communication and etiquette in addition to informed planning surely leads to a huge probability of attaining business go als and objectives. Code of conduct is one aspect of intercultural communication that relates to how people work in a global workplace. In a global workplace, a uniform code of conduct is used to address how workers of a company are supposed to behave professionally. For instance,

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Comte and Durkheim Concern With Social Order Essay

Comte and Durkheim Concern With Social Order - Essay Example Comte and Durkheim Concern With Social Order The events which are notified in the history of sociology are three as main characteristics. These events include renaissance, French revolution and industrial revolution in England. These three highlighted events are the core divisional structural components of social construction. As France was the revolutionary nation that pulled the monarch system out and set up a republic state in the last decade of 17th century, opposition of slavery and slave trading, presidential system instead of monarch system and withdrawal of excessive protocol system may be broadened as main characteristics of French revolution. By the 19th century, France had transformed into a developed nation. There were a lot of positive changes and social dynamics introduced which helped the people to improve their life styles. The industrialization in France that was brought after French revolution embossed deep foot prints over the societal life in France. The deep rooted French revolution was no doubt a key to in dustrialization that further permitted the social classes and social ordinal levels become segregated in the society. The impacts were still not very much immediate if compared to Britain and German industrial revolutions. August Comte was a French thinker who worked for construction of sociology and presented a social structure theory. According to the theory of social structure, every society comes into being by following several stages. These stages include religious, metaphysical and scientific. The problem solvers in the society use scientific and logical knowledge based evidence to fix the societal issues rather than just compromising over mythological phenomena (Macionis, 2007). August Comte believed that there are two branches of society as statics and dynamics. Dynamics may be referred to as a study of processes through which society adopts changes and transformations whereas Statistics is the name of study through which societies last. He also argued that societies are moved in positive directions through working over the scientific knowledge which is merely logical (Bijker Hughes & Pinch, 1987). Basically Comte contributed in the development of sociology through classification of social orde ring and sciences (the law of three stages; stated above), presented a wide scope and nature of sociology in depth, the plan through which societies may be reconstructed and the positive philosophical measures for society (Bijker, Hughes & Pinch, 1987). The contributions of Emile Durkheim are also remarkable in the history of sociology. He was also a French writer and thinker who presented numerous theories and practices to improve the social processes. The presented theories of Durkheim are more deep rooted as compared to that of August Comte’

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

William Faulkner's story, A Rose for Emily Essay

William Faulkner's story, A Rose for Emily - Essay Example Emily on her part also became recluse after that visit that â€Å"From that time on her front door remained closed, save for a period of six or seven years, when she was about forty, during which she gave lessons in china-painting† (Faulkner line 49). When she died and the doors of her top floor was dismantled, Homer’s body was found â€Å"apparently once lain in the attitude of an embrace† (line 59) attesting Emily’s extreme love that he kept him even if he was already a cadaver. Homer’s death in the hands of Emily was confirmed after her death when the door she sealed for forty years was torn down. The room was not touched and it bore Emily’s elaborate preparation for her supposed wedding that never happened. What is troublesome with Emily’s wedding dress was that it had been there for forty years. And what is more sickening was that Homer’s body was on the bed as well lying and in an advanced state of decomposition. Homer aft er all had never left Emily’s house and the arsenic that she bought might have been used against Homer. It is obvious that Emily is not normal and is suffering from disorder. There are two disorders that existed in the story. First is the social repression characterized by Emily’s tendency to be extremely recluse if she has problem. This first manifested during the death of her father where she was also recluse.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

V for Vendetta Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

V for Vendetta - Essay Example Through his efforts, V discovers a terrible truth about the country’s past, pushing people into a revolution. The movie’s plot and cast play a significant role in enhancing the purpose of the story (Spencer 13). Various scenes are particularly important in exemplifying the movie’s main points. The movie makes a dramatic turn in the scene where Evey is tortured in order to disclose the identity of V. This scene helped defined Evey’s character and progress the story’s plot. The purpose of this paper is to add a character into the scene of Evey’s torture and mesh the new character into the plot so as to enhance the story. The character I choose to add to the story is that of a professional torturer who is called upon after Evey’s initial masked torturer fails to gain the needed information regarding V’s identity and location. In this particular scene, the professional torturer whose name is Lincoln interacts both with Evey and her torturer. The interactions inherent in this scene are pivotal since they show the viewer, for the initial time in the entire film, what life was like prior to the reclamation, as well as how it impacted people’s lives during the transition to the present government (Spencer 49). In the scene, after Evey is caught and tortured by authorities for details on V, the torturer who is among the authorities who caught her attempts to gain information by first immersing Evey’s head into water before threatening her with execution. Lincoln starts by ripping off Evey’s clothes and threatening to allow her former assailants, from whom V had saved her, to rape her. Lincoln is clearly well versed in torturing people; he even has a set of tools, which he defines as the tools of the art of torture. Lincoln lays the tools on a nearby table, obviously with a view to intimidate Evey into disclosing what she knows about V. The lighting of this scene is as grey and blue as that of t he last scene. This represents the present political air of the time (Spencer 51). While the initial torturer wore a mask to disguise himself, Lincoln does not disguise himself, but rather allows Evey to take a close look at his scarred face. In order to further intimidate Evey into disclosing V’s details, Lincoln narrates to her the tale of his last torture victim, a middle-aged woman, almost the same age as Evey who had knowledge of an impending attack on the nation’s leader. Lincoln tells Evey how he tortured the woman and eventually got the information he needed from her before killing her with his bare hands. Part of the dialogue Lincoln and other characters in the torture scene includes: Lincoln: Why put yourself through the trauma of torture if you already know that I always gain the information I need? Evey: If I am still going to die, what is the purpose of disclosing what I know regarding V? Lincoln: Because that information will dissuade me from showing off my new torture tools (Evey remains silent while Lincoln gazes at her) Lincoln: Okay, let me give you a few minutes to ponder on your decision while I have a glass of water with my peers (Lincoln leaves the room and heads towards the masked torturer who turns out to be V) Lincoln: She refuses to disclose your identity and location. What do you want me to do? V: Give her time to think before going back in. Lincoln: Do you still need me to harm her? V: Yes. Only lightly until it is clear she is willing to die rather than give away my identity. Lincoln: Okay. (After ten minutes, Lincoln returns to the torture room) Lincoln: I presume that you have made a decision. Let us start by you telling me of V’s real name Evey: His name is V and he is more of a man than you will ever be (Lincoln laughs sarcastically) Lincoln: (As he pulls out a sharp

Monday, July 22, 2019

Single Sex School Essay Example for Free

Single Sex School Essay Segregated schools shoot up very rapidly around the world, furthermore, many sociologists and educationalists support that it is more beneficial for girls to study in a girls-only secondary school than in co-educational school. Actuallyï ¼Å'the disadvantages overweigh the advantages of choosing such schools. This essay will argue three disadvantages brought by single-sex school: poor socialization skills, skewed perception of gender roles and incorrect learning styles. To begin withï ¼Å'it is difficult for those who enter adult society after years of segregation to build meaningful friendships and even successful romantic relationships with opposite sex, according to the research published by Dr. Lynn Liben in 2011. Teenagers spend their formative years in the classroom developing skills that will help them maintain relationships throughout their lives. In addition, one of the chief aims of education is equip future citizens with all they require to take their places in adult society which is made up of male and female, it is clear that choosing single gender education is not a wise choice to access this purpose. Second, attending an all-girls school can teach female students a skewed perception of gender roles. On purpose, girls might avoid certain activities because those subjects are stereotypically too masculinized. Girls at a single-sex institution may ridicule each other for participating in activities like football or basketball. Female students can miss out on discovering new interests and talents by avoiding certain subjects altogether. Some Advocates of single-sex schools state that teachers can gear lessons toward a specific genders learning style. However, there is not enough research to prove that the learning styles of boys and girls differ enough to validate single-sex education. Also, not every boy and girl adheres to gender role stereotypes. Some girls are aggressive, and some boys are sensitive and shy. According to an article by Great Schools, gender-based learning styles prove ineffective and may even impair learning for students who dont fit the mold. In conclusion, girls in single sex schools might face disadvantages like poor socialization skills, skewed perception of gender roles and incorrect learning styles, so parents should be careful when they make decision of education style for their children.

Rapid Tooling For Technology For Injection Moulding

Rapid Tooling For Technology For Injection Moulding Rapid Tooling describes the process where a Rapid Prototyping (RP) model is used as a master pattern to create a mould rapidly. The Rapid Prototyping model may also be used directly as a tool. The two halves of a tool are referred to as the core and cavity. Rapid Tooling (RT) first evolved in the early 90s with the introduction of RTV silicone tooling from SLA master patterns, the mid 90s saw the introduction of investment casting tooling, direct AIM tooling, sand casting and metal SLS tooling. By the late 90s die casting and laminate tooling were introduced.4 The difference between Rapid Tooling and conventional tooling is: A time reduction of up to 1/5th is made when using Rapid Tooling. Rapid Tooling can cost less than 5% of the conventional tooling cost. Conventional tools generally have a longer life cycle. Larger tolerances for Rapid Tooling than for conventional tooling.  [1]   The two types of RT method available are Direct and Indirect tooling. Direct tooling is a soft tooling method which uses an RP model directly as a tool for moulding whereas indirect tooling is where the RP model is used as a master pattern to create a mould or die. Reasons for Rapid Tooling Within the last 25 years market trends have changed greatly, the product life span of many products such as mobile phones has been reduced drastically with updated models being released as often as every 3 to 4 months. The variation and complexity of products available has dramatically increased with manufacturers under increased pressure to reduce the time to market for these products. Taking all of this into account it is clear to see that parts need to be produced cheaper and quicker, therefore enhancing the need for manufacturers to adopt RT methods.4 Two of the most important things that toolmakers need to consider are if and when to adopt RT methods. RT has many advantages over conventional tooling methods: Speed: The majority of RT techniques offer an increase in speed compared to conventional tooling methods. A tool with ribs and bosses may take multiple operations i.e. CNC programming, CNC milling and EDM; however with RT the same tool may be done in one swift operation.  [2]   Cost effective for complex tooling: With RT methods it is possible to create complex geometries which would not difficult to produce by conventional methods. Automation: Automation of many of the RT processes means tooling can be build 24 hours a day without any human interaction. This improves productivity, and more tools are produced without the increased amount of manpower it would take to produce the same number conventionally. Human error: Human error can be significantly reduced by adopting RT methods and building a tool directly from the master pattern. Conventional methods may incur incorrect CNC programming or misinterpretation of CAD/technical drawings.2 Design possibilities: It is possible to integrate conformal cooling channels into complex tooling inserts when using RT methods. Tool design is not limited to designing tools which can be conventionally machined.2 Figure Rapid Tooling Vs Conventional shows the typical time savings which can be made by employing RT techniques oppose to conventional machining techniques. Rapid injection molding vs. conventional injection molding Figure Rapid Tooling Vs Conventional Tooling  [3]   Direct Tooling Direct AIM Tools Direct AIM (ACES Injection Moulding) is the process whereby tools are created directly on an SLA machine. The tools are initially designed using CAD software and the process involves creating a part by SLA which is basically a shell on the underside. The purpose of the shell is to leave a cavity so that each half of the mould can be filled with a backing material such as an epoxy resin, metal or ceramic. By backfilling the mould a thermal conduit is provided for the heat exchange process and it is also possible to add any cooling channels to the mould at this stage.  [4]   The surface of the moulds is finished to improve the quality of the surface. Using this method it is possible to create up to 100 parts with an accuracy of  ±0.15 0.3mm. Typical application for this type of tool would be for smaller parts, mainly prototype injection moulding tools, low volume wax injection tooling and low volume foundry patterns.  [5]   Advantages A relatively fast process a mould can be designed and built within a 2 week period. Cheap process for small tools, such as mobile phone and mp3 player casing. Building large parts on an SLA machine is not cheap. Disadvantages A CAD model of the tool is required as this has to be saved as an stl file in order for the SLA machine to build the 3D tool. Low durability the complexity of the tool and thermoplastic material used to build the tool all affect its life cycle. Moulds produced this way can create as little as 10 parts. Moulds typically degrade gradually with each part that is moulded on it. Laser Sintered Tooling Tooling inserts made by sintering are initially designed using CAD software and then produced by using DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) or SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) methods. SLS Rapid Steel Rapid steel powder is used to directly build a tool cavity using laser sintering; the powder consists of a stainless steel particles coated in a polymer binder. The parts which are produced are called green parts which are then put into a furnace. The furnace removes the polymer binder and infiltrates bronze into the mould to create a dense 60 (steel)/40 (bronze) part. The tooling inserts are then finished and fitted to a bolster. Advantages A relatively fast process which will produce a strong metal tool. Conformal Cooling channels can be built into the tool. Possible to create complex geometries. Disadvantages Finishing and polishing is required. Poor accuracy. Equipment cost is high. Size limitations, max 200 x 200 x 100mm Copper Polyamide Tooling A Copper and polyamide powder is sintered to form the tool. Only the polyamide particles in the powder are actually sintered. The advantage to this process is the tool strength and heat transfer compared with other methods. Copper provides the tool with these characteristics, allowing the tool to be used at high pressure and temperature.  [6]   This method is suitable for several hundred mouldings.5 DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) Using a laser sintering machine, metal in the form of powder is sintered to produce a tooling insert. The two available materials are Bronze and Steel based, the bronze based material offers a higher definition of features than the steel based one.6 Laminated Tooling Laminated tooling is very similar to the LOM (Layer Object Manufacturing) process as slices of a CAD model are replicated by layers of cut sheet metal. The steel laminations are laser cut or cut with a water jet. Tooling inserts are initially designed using CAD software; the CAD model must represent the cavity of the tool in order to produce the mould. The slices of the cavity are cut in sheet metal which has a thickness of 1mm and then bonded, clamped or brazed together. The use of a thick laminate results in a poor surface finish so the tool must be finish machined.3 Typical application for this type of tool would be large complex tools and aerospace tooling.2 Advantages Efficient use of material due to layers being cut to the exact size required. Conformal Cooling channels can be built into the tool easily if required. Standard steel sheet is used, making the process relatively quick and cheap. Good for large tools up to 2000 x 1000 x 500mm Design of parts can be easily changed by replacing a laminate layer as long as it has not been bonded. Disadvantages Tools have to be finish machined to remove the step like features to obtain accuracy. The joints between each lamination provide the tool with a weak link. Part complexity is dependent upon layer thickness. Indirect Tooling Rigid Cast Resin Tooling This process manufactures a tooling insert using aluminium filled epoxy resin as the tool material. A master RP model is initially manufactured and the part is set up on a split line. The resin is then cast onto the model which is within a bolster. The resin is then left to cure, a release coat is applied to the mould, the shut-off material removed and the process is repeated for the other half of the mould. When both halves of the mould have cured, the shut off material is removed and a bolster and ejector pins are added.2,4 Typical application for this type of tool would be a small sized tool, low volume RIM (Resin Injection Moulding) tools or low volume press tools. Accuracy of the tool is dependent upon each step within the process so shrinkage and deformation must be taken into account when reviewing the overall accuracy. Advantages Quick to produce, 2-3 days. Cost is typically 40% less than with conventional tooling.  [7]   Quick repair on tools is possible. Disadvantages Flash can occur resulting in more effort required to trim mouldings. Difficult and slow to mould Fragile and easy to break. Repairs are not long lasting. Distortion is possible with larger tools due to exothermic processes. Cast Metal Tooling Sand Casting A master pattern is placed in Green sand to create a mould, the pattern is removed and the cavity of the mould is filled with molten metal. The metal is left to cool and the sand mould is broken away to leave a finished casting. Investment Casting A master pattern is created from wax or a material which can be melted. The wax pattern is then dipped in slurry consisting of plaster of Paris, binder and silica repeatedly to create a surface on it. The mould is then heated up in an oven leaving the wax to melt away. The completed mould can then be filled with a molten metal to create the part. Rubber Plaster Casting A master RP pattern is created and shut off, silicone is cast in the shape of the tool. Liquid plaster slurry is poured around the silicone, once cured the silicone is removed. Molten metal is then poured into the plaster mould.  [8]   Advantages Solid metal tools are produced. Conformal cooling is possible. One master can allow multiple tools. Steel tools can be made but with increased difficulty. Disadvantages Tools may need to be finish machined and polished. Difficult to hold tolerances. http://www.crptechnology.com/sito/images/stories/ElementiFissiHome/rapid-casting.jpg Figure Investment Casting, RP model on left.  [9]   Metal Spray Tooling This method is used to produce soft tooling inserts. A master pattern is produced and shut-off; a thin shell of 1-2mm of zinc is sprayed over the pattern, this shell is then removed and backed up with an epoxy resin or ceramic to make the mould more rigid. This is then repeated for the other half of the tool. The surface of the metal shell is usually polished and even sealed. Electric Arc Spraying In this process two conductive metal wires are melted by means of an electric arc. The metal melts, and the molten material is atomised by a gas and propelled on to the surface of the pattern. The molten particles on the pattern rapidly solidify to form the metal coating of the shell.  [10]   High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Metal powder particles are injected into a high velocity jet. The jet is formed by oxygen and fuel combusting and heating and accelerating the molten metal towards the surface of the pattern. Metal coatings produced this way are strong and very dense allowing a thicker coating to be applied to the pattern compared to electric arc spraying.  [11]   Advantages High quality surface finish. Relatively quick. Fine detail such as graining can be achieved. Conformal cooling is possible. Large scale tools can be produced. Disadvantages Line of sight limitations impossible to spray undercuts or narrow slots. Surface is porous so may need to be sealed to reduce infiltration. Any repairs and modifications are very difficult to undertake. Special equipment and operating environment is required. Figure H.V.O.F process  [12]   Electroformed Nickel Tooling Nickel Shell Tooling This method involves a nickel surface being created on an RP model. A master RP pattern is produced and shut-off, the part is then put in an electroplating bath to form a nickel shell on the surface. Once plated, the part is removed from the bath; the nickel shell is removed and backed up with a thermally conductive ceramic material. Cooling channels, typically made from copper can be built into the mould at this time.  [13]   Typical application for this type of tool would be large production vacuum forming tools and composite forming tooling for the aerospace industry. Advantages Detail from the master model is picked up almost perfectly. Nickel provides a smooth surface which is dense and hard. Low thermal stress compared to metal spray techniques. Disadvantages Slow process which can take up to 6 weeks to produce a 6mm shell. Line of sight limitations Nickel Vapour Deposition (NVD) This method converts Nickel Carbonyl gas (NiCO4) into a solid Nickel shell. A master pattern is created from aluminium or steel, and placed into a special chamber which heats the pattern up to 110-180oC. Nickel Carbonyl gas is passed over the pattern, and nickel is deposited onto the pattern to create a metal shell. The pattern is then removed from the chamber; the shell is backed up and removed from the pattern. This process is then repeated for the other half of the mould. Advantages Extremely fast, 0.25mm/hr (20 times faster than electroforming).  [14]   A more uniform wall thickness than electroforming.8 No line of sight limitations. Conformal heating and cooling is possible. Disadvantages A dangerous process which can be explosive. The master pattern must be heated evenly. Indirect Sintered Tooling 3D Keltool Process Keltool is the name given to the powder metal sintering process which involves the infiltration of a fused metal part with copper alloy.  [15]   An RTV mould is created from an SLA master pattern. When the pattern is de-moulded, slurry consisting of A6 tool steel and tungsten carbide is poured into the RTV mould. Once cured this mould is infiltrated with copper and sintered to cure the mould and increase its strength. The completed tool can be machined and has a hardness similar to A6 tool steel.9 Using this process it is possible to create a tooling insert, from master pattern to the finished product in under two weeks. Tool life expectancy can be anything between 100,000 to 10,000,000 shots dependent upon material being moulded.9 Typical application for this type of tool would be small tooling inserts. Advantages Good for complex mould geometry. Extremely fast process. Disadvantages Size limitations 6 in all directions. Difficult to machine detailed designs. Figure 3D Keltool parts  [16]   Tool Considerations When designing a tool, a number of considerations must be taken into account: Wall Thickness. Sliding Cores. Size and location of runners and ejector pins. Gate design. Size and number of cooling channels if required. Split line position. Shrinkage Wall Thickness It is possible to create walls with various thicknesses. A wall with an uneven thickness can cause problems for the tool designer, as thicker walls cool much slower than thin walls therefore resulting in greater shrinkage at the thicker sections. A uniform wall thickness will minimise any defects caused by uneven cooling. Shrinkage will also occur at wall intersections (tees).  [17]   Sliding Cores Sliding cores allow undercuts to be made; sometimes it may be possible to relocate the split line to reduce the number required. Sometimes it may be a case of re-designing a feature in order to reduce tooling costs. Any additional cores will just increase the overall cost and complexity of the tooling insert. Figure Redesigning a feature18 shows a hinge feature which has been redesigned to eliminate the requirement for the sliding core shown on the left. Figure Redesigning a feature  [18]   Ejection Methods Ejector pins are placed in the cavity or core of the mould and push the solidified moulding out of the mould. This is the most common method of ejection, the ejector pins are carried in an ejector plate which is in the mould. These pins should be positioned at points with good strength to avoid any lasting damage to the part.5 Other methods of ejection may use plates or some method of gas or air ejection to ease the part out of the moulding. Gate Design A Gate is the opening in the mould where the resin will enter from. The design and placement of gates is an extremely important factor to consider. Resin is injected into the mould at pressures of up to 20,000 psi. The immense pressure can cause gas to be forced into the liquid resin, which when cooled results in bubbles being formed in the solidified moulding. To eliminate this problem it may be necessary to add vents within the mould to allow air to be displaced as the resin is injected.  [19]   Gates should be positioned at the thicker areas of the part; the thinner areas will lose heat quicker causing the resin to cure before it reaches the thicker areas. Knit lines occur when the flow of resin is split by a core in the mould. Where the resin rejoins there may be a slight defect due to cooling and the two edges not fully merging together to create a smooth blend. This will result in a visible line which may affect aesthetics or structure of the part. A more structured gate placement may improve the resin flow and eliminate any knit lines.17 Conformal Cooling Cooling channels for Moulds are traditionally drilled in a secondary machining operation. These cooling channels are only able to follow straight lines, if a complex cooling channel is required, the mould is split into segments and channels milled into each segment. The segments are then welded back together so the channels align producing a cooling channel which is not straight.  [20]   Conformal cooling channels follow the shape of the mould and allow temperature to be distributed uniformly in the moulded material. This method is only available when using RT methods to create a mould. Conformal cooling can save money when thermal management is extremely difficult via traditional tooling methods. Recent studies have shown a 30-60% reduction in cycle times compared to conventional methods.  [21]   Figure Conventional Vs Conformal Cooling18 shows the same mould with traditional drilled channels on the left and conformal cooling channels on the right. The conformal cooling channels follow the curves of the mould closely. Figure Conventional Vs Conformal Cooling18 Split Line The split line is the line at which the two halves of the mould meet. In some cases the tooling may not be precise allowing the mould halves to open and close without any precision. The high pressure injection process will cause resin to creep into any gaps between the mould halves; this material is referred to as flash. Strategic positioning of the split line is necessary to improve part quality and to facilitate with ejection. 22 shows the same part but with the split line (red line) at different locations. On the image on the left, the walls of the part are in the bottom half and are slanting to allow the part to be ejected. This leaves the wall at the base being much thicker. If conventional methods of tooling are used, the deep narrow cut may have to be made wider to allow the machine tool full operation resulting in an even thicker wall.19 On the image on the right the top half of the tool is the core which forms the walls. This results in walls with a uniform thickness. If conventional methods are used, tooling is made easier as larger sized cutting tools can be used.19 http://www.protomold.com/designtips/2006/2006-05_designtips/images/fig1.jpg Figure Split line at different locations.  [22]   Shrinkage The majority of tooling methods involve a change of phase. A material is transformed from a liquid to a solid or solid to a liquid and back to a solid. In each case, the phase change results in a decrease in volume therefore results in shrinkage.  [23]   All of the tooling processes involve some level of volumetric shrinkage therefore some sort of shrinkage compensation is usually given for each process. It is usually a case of measuring the linear shrinkage for a given material in a particular process and then applying a shrinkage compensation factor to any other part dimensions produced this way. A part is intentionally built oversized so that when shrinkage occurs, the part will be the correct size.20 In principle this sounds great but in practice it is not so easy to achieve precise dimensions through shrinkage compensation. Case Studies Thermoplastic composite (GMT) forming tooling using thermal spraying Zinc.5 The aim of this project was to find a way to reduce the time taken to produce tooling by evaluating a different method using thermally sprayed zinc, backed with ceramic. The GMT floor pan assembly required 5 parts: Main floor, 2 cross beams, battery box and lid. The master pattern was machined and thermal sprayed with a 2mm layer of zinc. The shell was then put in a steel bolster and copper cooling channels were added. The zinc shell was then backed with a chemically bonded ceramic. The die was then ready for moulding. Moulding trials took place with a 1000 tonne press. It took 8 weeks to produce using a metal spray tooling technique oppose to the 16 weeks it would of taken using traditional machined tools. The total cost was  £80,000 a saving of  £170,000.5 Feasibility study of arc spray welding onto a master RP model.  [24]   The model used for this project was a handheld phone. Overall dimensions of the model were 100 x 50 x 20mm. An ABS RP master was fabricated and put into a bolster, and then arc sprayed to create a shell of 1.5mm thickness. Aluminium epoxy was used to back the shell; this took 24 hours to cure. The process was then repeated for the other half of the mould. The surface of the shell was polished to improve surface finishing then it was ready for injection moulding. Tool development cost ITEM COST ($) RP Master 200 Bolster 500 Sand Blasting 100 MMA resin system 500 Arc metal spraying 800 Sprue bushing 200 Reinforcement block 50 PVA 50 Labour ($20/h) 20 x 89hrs = 1780 TOTAL = $4180 Estimated cost of the tool was $4180, a traditional tooling shop quote was between $10,000 -$15,000 for the same tool. An approximate time and cost saving of 50% was achieved, the tool was also completed in less than 2 weeks. Kodak reduces tooling costs.20 A project being run at Kodak needed 25 different plastic injection moulded geometries. By using rapid tooling as a method of bridge tooling they reduced lead times by up to 85% compared with CNC/EDM generated tools. By using a composite aluminium filled epoxy they were able to create tooling inserts capable of moulding in excess of 1000 parts. in some case product development cycles were cut by a year. 20 By employing RT methods, Kodak are typically saving about 25% in tooling cost compared with traditional methods. They are able to: Test, iterate, retest and proof multiple designs far more rapidly. Form, fit and function can be tested with true prototypes which have been injection moulded with the desired end use material.20 Conclusions Rapid Tooling is a growing area which still has room for improvement and development. In the future, reducing the cost of tooling will play an important role in enabling smaller runs of parts to be made as well as allowing more product customisation for niche markets. Developments in Rapid Tooling will mean product development can be initiated closer to market entry time meaning manufacturers can gather more up to date market trends before the product is manufactured. From the research conducted and case studies viewed it is clear to see that time and cost savings can be made and productivity increased when employing Rapid Tooling techniques. The production time of tooling inserts can be shortened by a near fully automatic procedure from start to finish. Rapid Tooling is not however cheap, cost of the RP machine and other machinery such as Arc welding equipment and resins has to be taken into account. The future development of SLA resins and further improvements in Rapid Prototyping machines will only aid in the development of Rapid Tooling. Rapid Tooling still has a lot to offer, this is just the beginning; future improvements in CAD software will allow the whole process to become far more efficient.